M A I N   N E W S

Kotli now Beant Singh Nagar
Cabinet Minister status for Jaswant Kaur
Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

Shaheed Beant Singh Nagar (Ludhiana), August 31
Kotli village near Payal has been rechristened Shaheed Beant Singh Nagar by the Punjab government. An announcement to this effect was made by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh at a rally held here today to observe the seventh death anniversary of Mr Beant Singh, Former Chief Minister of Punjab. The Punjab government also conferred lifetime Cabinet Minister status on Mrs Jaswant Kaur, wife of the late Chief Minister.

Paying tributes to Mr Beant Singh speaker after speaker, recalled his contribution towards restoration of peace in the state that ultimately cost him his life. The Chief Minister declared that all five commitments made at the time of the ‘bhog’ of Mr Beant Singh by the then Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar would be fulfilled in the shortest time.

He declared that Kotli village would now be known as Shaheed Beant Singh Nagar. The road between Payal and Doraha has been named Shaheed Beant Singh Road. The Chief Minister also ordered opening of an ITI at Kotli, besides erecting life-size statute of the late Chief Minister at a prominent place in Ludhiana and allocation of Rs 8 crore for Shaheed Beant Singh memorial in Sector 42 at Chandigarh.

The Chief Minister regretted delay in the setting up of memorials in the memory of this great son of the soil, “who sacrificed his life for peace and integrity of the nation”. He blamed the Akali-BJP government for this delay and pointed out their hostility towards Mr Beant Singh.

He lashed out at the former Badal regime for ignoring the sacrifice of Mr Beant Singh. He asserted that the Congress had equal respect for all martyrs who had laid their life for peace and integrity of the country. “Keeping this spirit alive we observed an official function in memory of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, although he was an Akali leader”, the Chief Minister pointed out, adding, “but his contribution towards Rajiv-Longowal accord which formed base for the return of peace to Punjab cannot be ignored”.

The Chief Minister ridiculed, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, for his charges of “victimisation and vindictiveness”. “Let anyone prove that we have falsely implicated a single person”, he declared, while adding, “this fact was brought to the notice of the NDA government also and probably they (the NDA government) are also aware of it that is why, they have not been sending any team as begged by (Mr) Badal of them”. He said, very soon Mr Badal will also be brought to book.

Almost the entire Punjab cabinet led by the Chief Minister, including Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mr Lal Singh, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Chaudhary Santokh Singh, Mr Avtar Henry, Mr Gurchet Bhullar, Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, Mr Pratap Singh Bajwa, Mr Rakesh Pandey, Mr Tej Prakash, a son of Mr Beant Singh were present at the rally. Mrs Jaswant Kaur, wife of the slain leader was also present on the stage.

Besides senior Congress leaders including AICC general secretary and in charge of Punjab, Ms Mohsina Kidwai, and Mr Moti Lal Vohra, Pradesh Congress Committee president, H.S. Hanspal, former PCC president SS Randhawa, senior vice-president and MP, Mr Jagmeet Brar, Ludhiana MP, Mr Gurcharan Singh Ghalib, MLAs Mr Harnam Dass Johar, Mr Milkiat Singh Birmi, Mr Surinder Dawer, Mr Amrik Singh Dhillon and others. Mr Malkiat Singh Dakha, an associate of Mr Beant Singh, conducted the proceedings.

Not only Congress leaders paid tributes to Mr Beant Singh, but senior BJP leader and former legislator Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla ignoring party loyalty praised Mr Beant Singh declaring him a great son and an unforgettable martyr of Punjab.

Indian Youth Congress President Randeep Surjewala, PYC president Devinder Babbu, senior vice-presidents, Pawan Dewan and Mr Amarjit Singh Tikka, Mr Pankaj Prabhakar, District Congress Committee urban and rural presidents, Mr K K Bawa and Mr Gurdev Singh Lapran, Ludhiana Mayor, Nahar Singh Gill and former PCC general secretary Pappi Prashar were also present at the rally.