Wednesday, November 13, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Badungar re-elected SGPC chief
Wins by 23 votes
Mann group abstains
Votes of 12 debarred members not counted
Amritsar, November 12
True to expectations, Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar and other SAD nominees won hands down in the SGPC elections held in the presence of two observers of the state government here today.

Sidelights
  Kiranjot Kaur dropped as general secretary

More SGPC poll stories on Punjab page Re-elected SGPC President Kirpal Singh Badungar acknowledges “congratulations” from former SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra in Amritsar on Tuesday. — Tribune photo Pankaj Sharma

SGPC wants ‘tankhah’ for Capt
Amritsar, November 12
Apart from seeking the resignation of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, the general house meeting of the SGPC today urged Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti to pronounce “exemplary tankhah” (religious punishment) as per Sikh maryada so that no Chief Minister could dare to send the police into the “darbar sahib” complex in future, which had hurt the sentiments of Sikhs.

Amarinder must resign: Badal
Nation page: CM’s actions may affect Punjab politics, says Jaitley

CM on Golden Temple complex and
SGPC poll
Chandigarh, November 12
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, today faxed the following signed statement giving his views on “what constitutes the Golden Temple complex” and on the conduct of SGPC presidential elections in Amritsar today.

  Release of political activists ordered

NEWS ANALYSIS
This ‘win-win’ game at Golden Temple complex
Chandigarh, November 12
In common parlance called the ‘mini-Parliament’, the SGPC, has over the years become a symbol of supremacy and power in Sikh affairs. It is this fact which has resulted in factional fights among the Akalis with the ruling establishment, whether of the Congress or the ruling faction of the Akalis.

PM clears Sikh jatha
New Delhi, November 12
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee gave the green signal here tonight for a token jatha of 50 persons to visit Nankana Sahib in Pakistan to take part in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev on November 19.

Tension grips Gujarat
Ahmedabad, November 12
Tension prevailed in parts of Gujarat today after yesterday’s violence at three places in which the toll rose to six overnight. Tight security arrangements were in place at Rajkot in view of the third one-day international cricket match between the West Indies and India.

Police patroling near burnt shop in Madhu village of Kehada district in Ahmedabad on Monday where 12 shops were burnt and 2 peoples  reported killed during violence. — PTI photo

No more questioning of rape victims New Delhi, November 12 In a far-reaching decision providing respite to a rape victim, the Centre today approved an amendment that would prevent the cross-examination of a woman on her moral character in a rape case. “The unrestrained questioning of the prosecutrix can destruct the reputation and self-respect of the woman and intensify her trauma. It has been decided to amend the Indian Evidence Act by removing this provision,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj told newspersons.