The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Thursday, January 31, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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SAD objects to Cong ads
To seek action from Election Commission
Tribune News Service

Badal (Muktsar), January 30
Following personal attacks being made against a section of the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership, including the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, by the Congress leadership, the SAD has decided to approach the Election Commission for action against the violators of the model code of conduct.

“Enough is enough. How long can the Akalis bear the personal attacks and derogatory remarks of the Congress leadership on a section of the Akali leadership, including Mr Parkash Singh Badal, asked Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal”, General Secretary of the SAD. He said the party would approach the Election Commission against the Congress leadership which had been repeatedly violating the model code of conduct.

He said despite the EC’s guidelines that no personal attack should be made against any individual during the election campaign, Congress leaders had been making personal attacks in their campaign and the party had even inserted advertisements in various dailies containing the same material.

He said an advertisement inserted by the Punjab Congress leadership in an English daily published from Chandigarh under the title “The Great Betrayal” would be the base of the complaint, which would be made to the Election Commission shortly. He added that party lawyers had started drafting the complaint.

He said what had been shown in that advertisement was factually wrong. He said a piece of land for constructing a hotel in Haryana was allotted to him as per the decision of the Supreme Court and was not gifted to him by the Haryana Government. Work on the SYL canal was initiated by the late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, in the presence of those who were now raising the issue. He claimed that in the past five years, not a single brick was laid for the completion of SYL canal by the Punjab Government.

He said other objectionable advertisements of the Congress leadership were “Remove Badal — Save Punjab” and “Punjab Interests, Sacrificed for Personal Greed”, which were a violation of the model code of conduct.

Judge told to grant bail to Bhattal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 30
Staying the execution of non-bailable warrants issued against Punjab’s former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal in an alleged corruption case subject to the condition that she appeared in the court of Bathinda’s Special Judge on February 4, Mr Justice R.C. Kathuria of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered the Judge to admit her to bail.

Delivering the verdict on her petition, Mr Justice Kathuria ruled that the Judge shall admit the petitioner to bail, if she appeared before the court on the specified date, on her furnishing the requisite bail bonds to his satisfaction. Mr Justice Kathuria also issued notice of motion to Punjab’s Advocate-General for March 20.

Seeking the quashing of the first information report registered on May 22 last year by Ferozepore’s Vigilance Bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code, the former Chief Minister had contended that the case was a culmination of a deep-rooted conspiracy aimed at embarrassing and defaming her, besides causing irreparable damage to her “bright political career”.

Claiming political and bureaucratic mala fide intentions behind the registration of the case, her counsel had stated that IAS officer Bikramjit Singh was annoyed with her as a case of disproportionate assets was registered against him and subsequently entrusted to the Central Bureau of Investigation on her recommendation.

Her counsel had argued the role of Bathinda’s Special Judge B.C. Rajput in the entire episode also called for “deep scrutiny” by the High Court.