Hira Singh Pal dead
SHIMLA, Sept 12 — Veteran freedom fighter and senior Congress leader Hira Singh Pal (75) died at Domair village in the Arki area of Solan district, 40 km from here today.

Sub Dalip Singh cremated
HAMIRPUR, Sept 12 — Mortal remains of Sub Dalip Singh of 10 Dogra, who was killed in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, were consigned to flames at Hathli Khad, near here, last evening. Mr Ravi Kumar, son of the deceased, lit the pyre amid slogans of "shaheed Dalip Singh zindabad".

Attack on scribe's son flayed
BILASPUR, Sept 12 — The Himachal Pradesh State Journalists Federation has condemned the pre-planned and conspiratorial attack on Mahipal Chauhan, son of a prominent journalist, Mr Pratap Singh Chauhan, of Sarkaghat in Mandi district.

• Cong activists join BJP

Dhumal blames Cong for Himachal’s ills
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Sept 12 — Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, today lashed out at the Congress party for trying to sidetrack the main issues facing the nation and demanding votes on the plank of stability. He said the party that was responsible for toppling seven-elected central governments had no moral right to seek votes on this plank.

Addressing a series of election meetings in the Hamirpur district in favour of party candidate for the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, Mr Suresh Chandel, Mr Dhumal said it was the BJP that could provide a neat clean and stable government at the Centre. He claimed that the past track record of the BJP government led by Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee was excellent. This government led the nation in peace and war both. It was only Mr Vajpayee who would be known all over the world as a prime Minister who fared well on both fronts at the same time.

He said while the nation won the Kargil war due to the bravery of its jawans, on the other hand, the nation won a diplomatic war against Pakistan under the leadership of Mr Vajpayee.

The Chief Minister said the Congress party was responsible for pushing the nation towards financial bankruptcy in the state. The former Congress government spent public money for their own benefit and also created regionalism and casteism in the state. He said that his government did a lot to remove disparities. It derailed economy with help of the central government, it also removed the barrier of regionalism and casteism by providing balanced development in all parts of the state. The government announced support price for the apples for the people of upper areas and side by side also announced the same package for the people of lower hill areas by giving them the same benefit for citrus fruits and mangoes.

Mr Dhumal appealed to people to vote for the BJP for all-round development.

He described Mrs Sonia Gandhi as a foreigner. He said a woman who could not learn Hindi and still read from a written text was no match with Mr Vajpayee. He said Mrs Sonia Gandhi did nothing for the nation and had no right to seek the votes in the name of the Nehru family.

The Chief Minister praised the role of Indian soldiers while fighting enemies on various fronts. He said Indian forces were one of best in the world and the government would do its best to help them and their families. He paid tributes to those jawans who sacrificed their lives for the nation in the Kargil conflict. Their sacrifices would not be forgotten, he added.

He enumerated achievements of his government in the past 15 months. He said what his government did the Congress could not do in 45 years’ rule. He said that the BJP was seeking votes for its positive performance.

He called upon the people to reject the Congress and vote for the BJP’s nominee, Mr Suresh Chandel.

Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister and Mr Suresh Chandel, HP BJP chief also addressed the rallies and criticised the Congress governments for their failure on all fronts.

Sonia political novice: BJP
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 12 — Mr Suresh Chandel, President of the state unit of the BJP, had ridiculed the Congress for its attempts to impose an inexperienced leader of foreign origin on the country.

In a statement here today, he said it was a pity that the 114=year-old party, which came into being to rid the country of foreign rulers, had no qualms in handing over the reins of the country to Mrs Sonia Gandhi who was not only a political novice but also not conversant with the culture ethos, language and problems of the country.

He said her inexperience and lack of political acumen was reflected in her utterances like the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, was a traitor. He said she asserted that only the Congress could provide a stable government, but at the same time promised to form a minority government with outside support.

She frowned on coalition governments but entered electoral alliances with parties like the AIADMK and the RJD. She vowed to wage a battle against corruption but joined hands with tainted leaders like Ms Jayalalitha and the Laloo Prasad whose names had become synonymous with corruption, he said.

He said she had just one-and-a-half year's standing in the national politics as an active member of the Congress.

Also she spoke in public whatever her speech-writers wrote for her and not what she actually felt or thought, he added.

Lt Kalia's father's plea to President
Tribune News Service
From Pratibha Chauhan

DHARAMSALA, Sept 12 — Though proud to be the father of a martyr, the agony of losing his son due to the "callousness" of the Army authorities has prompted the father of Lieut Saurabh Kalia to bring the matter to the notice of the President Mr K.R. Narayanan.

In an appeal to Mr Narayanan Dr N.K. Kalia, has requested him to take steps to prevent the remaining nine soldiers in Pakistani captivity from meeting the same fate as his son. "I am afraid every parent would think which twice before sending their wards to the armed forces if the government falls short in the duty of safeguarding their prisoners of war and leave them to meet their fate," he said.

He told the President of the anger of the public against the manner in which his son of 4 Jat Regiment, and five others were tortured and their mutilated bodies later handed over to the Indian Army. "They did not break while undergoing the unimaginable physical and mental torture, which speak volumes about their patriotism, grit, determination and valour, of which the entire nation is proud of, " he stated.

Sacrificing oneself for the nation was an hour for every soldier, but no parents, Army or nation could accept such torture of the brave sons of the country he said, adding that till the last minute, the Army authorities kept the report of his son and other soldiers missing away from the media. "Had the government and the media intervened about the safety of these soldiers, as in the case of Flt-Lieut Nachiketa, they could have been alive today," he said.

He was disgusted to see the manner in which the soldiers were treated with such callousness.

Dr Kalia, said what was all the more painful was the fact that they were informed about their son being missing after three weeks. "This too we could get to know through our own contacts and efforts, "he said. "Contrary to the Army ethics which say that in the event of a missing soldier, injured or a casualty, the next of kin is informed within six to eight hours, we got to know of it through media reports, which we later confirmed on our own."

He appealed to the President, to bring these facts to the notice of various agencies like Amnesty International, International Red Cross and the National Human Rights Commission. He urged that these agencies should be asked to take timely and appropriate action to identify, book and punish the culprits for the ghastly act so that the other captives might not meet the same fate.

Poll reforms on Cong agenda: Virbhadra
From Our Correspondent

JAWALAMUKHI, Sept 12 — Former Chief Minister and CLP leader Virbhadra Singh today claimed that there was a Congress wave in the coming elections and said the party would win all four Lok Sabha seats in the state.

He said in the prevailing circumstances, all political parties opposing the Congress were in a bad shape.

Talking to mediapersons here he said some parties had adopted a negative approach towards the Congress and they had a one-point programme not to allow the Congress to come to power at the Centre or in any state. He said the Congress could form a government in 1997, but preferred to stay out and worked to emerge as a stronger party. He accused various parties of compromising with the BJP.

The Congress leader said a majority of parties were only talking of ways to keep the Congress out of power and not about their manifestos.

He said if a Congress government was formed it would give importance to those issues on which there was a consensus in the 12th Lok Sabha like election reforms women's reservation on Bill, the Lok Pal Bill and other important Bills.

Hira Singh Pal dead

SHIMLA, Sept 12 (PTI) — Veteran freedom fighter and senior Congress leader Hira Singh Pal (75) died at Domair village in the Arki area of Solan district, 40 km from here today.

He is survived by five sons and one daughter. A pioneer of the Praja Mandal movement in Himachal Pradesh he later joined the Congress and became the General Secretary of the HPCC in 1948. He had a brief sting in the Congress and was elected as member of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha from the Solan constituency as an independent. He was again elected as an independent from the Arki constituency in 1962 and retained the seat in 1967 and 1972.

He again joined the Congress in 1977 but did not contest the elections. He was defeated in 1982 as a Congress candidate but wrested the seat from the BJP in 1985 mid-term Assembly polls.

He vacated the seat for his son, Amar Chand Pal, in 1990 but he failed to win.

The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Chief Ministers, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Mr Shanta Kumar and Mr Ram Lal, former Minister J.B.L. Khachi, former Speaker T.S. Negi, former Minister Nagin Chand Pal and host of other leaders have expressed deep shock and grief at the sad demise of the veteran leader.

Sub Dalip Singh cremated
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Sept 12 — Mortal remains of Sub Dalip Singh of 10 Dogra, who was killed in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, were consigned to flames at Hathli Khad, near here, last evening. Mr Ravi Kumar, son of the deceased, lit the pyre amid slogans of "shaheed Dalip Singh zindabad".

Wreaths were placed on the body by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kamlesh Pant and Mr Ahmed Pyam Syddiqui, S.P. on behalf of the state government, Col Jag Verma, Lt-Col A.L. Abrol and Capt Neeraj Dubey represented the Army.

Earlier, the body was taken to his home village, Balh, where it was kept in the local Bachat Bhavan for the public darshan.

The district has so far lost nine of its jawans in Jammu and Kashmir during Operation Vijay.

Attack on scribe's son flayed
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Sept 12 — The Himachal Pradesh State Journalists Federation has condemned the pre-planned and conspiratorial attack on Mahipal Chauhan, son of a prominent journalist, Mr Pratap Singh Chauhan, of Sarkaghat in Mandi district. Mr Mahipal was attacked by four persons and was injured seriously a few days ago.

State federation president Jaikumar urged the Chief Minister to order an inquiry into the incident and ensure the culprits were arrested and punished.

Mr Chauhan said that his son was attacked as he had exposed a "supply scandal" worth lakhs of rupees through newspaper. He alleged that persons involved directly in the "supply scandal" were behind the attack.

Cong activists join BJP
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Sept 12 — Over 24 activists of the Congress of the Kot-Kehloor Assembly segment here have announced to join the BJP. This was announced at an election rally presided by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, at Jhanda village, 28 km from here, yesterday.

Prominent among those who left the Congress are a former MLA from this constituency, Mr Krishan Kumar Kaushal, Mr Rattan Lal, General Secretary of the district Youth Congress, and Mr Kishan Singh Thakur, Vice-President of the Ghial panchayat.