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Tuesday,
October 22, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Jhajjar killings blamed on cops Cong to step up ‘Chautala
hatao’ drive 7 BJP members join Congress Brothers found dead in pond Ambala residents pay more for LPG |
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Youth fest: performances impress Four injured as balcony collapses
Police remembers its martyrs 
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Jhajjar
killings blamed on cops Chandigarh, October 21 “The police is spreading the story that the VHP was involved in the massacre”, Mr Narendra Kumar
Kashyap, a member of the UP Legislative Council who is also a coordinator of the BSP in Haryana, said addressing a press conference here. The BSP leader, who had earlier visited the site of the incident at Jhajjar, claimed that it was the policemen at the Dulina outpost who killed one of the five men initially following an altercation over the bribe demanded from the victims. When the man died, the police killed the remaining four Dalits as well so that there was no witness to the crime committed by them, Mr Kashyap alleged. He added some people gathered at the spot later but it was the police who were the main culprits. “The City Magistrates and other government representatives who were at the site were all hand in glove with the perpetrators of the crime and action must be taken against them”, the BSP leader said. He said that
Dulina, where the incident took place, was the name of the police outpost and there was no village by this name. “Neither there is any human habitation in the
neighbourhood. It is impossible that a mob of 4000 or 5000 persons gathered there and killed the five Dalits”, he said. Referring to the Left parties’ claims that the VHP and like-minded organisations had a role to play in the incident, Mr Kashyap said that the CPM and the CPI were trying to fit in the massacre in their national agenda against Hindu rights. “The fact is that the VHP or any such outfit had nothing to do with the incident”, he said. When it was asked whether the killing took place because the victims refused to pay money or because they were Dalits, Mr Kashyap said that both factors were equally important. He also expressed surprise that Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala or none of his two sons had gone to meet the families of the victims. “Even the Deputy Commissioners of Gurgaon and Karnal districts to which the victims belonged did not bother to pay a visit to the bereaved families”, Mr Kashyap said. He claimed that the reluctance of Mr Chautala to visit the families was also a pointer to the police personnel’s involvement in the crime. While branding Mr Chautala as anti-Dalit, Mr Kashyap demanded a probe by the CBI into the incident. “A CBI probe will expose the Haryana police’s role in the massacre”, he said. |
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Cong to step up ‘Chautala
hatao’ drive Chandigarh, October 21 This was the formula evolved at a meeting of the presidents of the District Congress
Committees (DCC) held here today. The meeting was presided over by the AICC Secretary in charge of the party affairs in the state, Mr V. Hanmantha Rao. The meeting was convened in the backdrop of the refusal of many DCC presidents to attend public meetings addressed by the recently appointed President of the Haryana Congress, Mr Bhajan Lal, who had even issued show-cause notices to certain DCC presidents. According to party sources, Mr Rao and Mr Bhajan Lal talked to the DCC presidents separately as well as collectively. As a face-saving formula, it was decided that in future the DCC president of the district concerned would preside over the rallies to be organised under the “Chautala
hatao, Haryana bachao” programme. In return, the DCC presidents promised to participate in the rallies to be addressed by Mr Bhajan Lal under the programme. So far the DCC presidents owing allegiance to the factions opposed to Mr Bhajan Lal had been refusing to participate in his rallies on the plea that these were not the party programmes but just “felicitation functions” organised by supporters of the former Chief Minister. Even today, the sources say, certain DCC presidents like Mr Shadi Lal Batra of Rohtak told Mr Rao that those persons who had contested the last Assembly elections against the official party candidates and were expelled from the Congress for anti-party activities should not be given prominence by Mr Bhajan Lal. The sources say Mr Rao assured them that the issue of readmission of the expelled leaders into the party was pending with the high command. The first test of the face-saving formula will come on October 27, when the first rally under the new programme of the Congress would be held at Rohtak, though earlier also the rally was planned on the same date and the same venue to felicitate Mr Bhajan Lal. It seems, the way the AICC is keeping its decision on various issues like the reconstitution of the pradesh Congress committee and Mr Bhajan Lal’s show-cause notices issued to the DCC presidents pending, the high command is not in a mood to give a free hand to Mr Bhajan Lal. However, it is also concerned about the indiscipline in the Haryana unit, particularly by certain senior leaders. This was indicated by Mr Rao when he told newsmen after the meeting that the AICC General Secretary, Mrs Mohsina
Kidwai, did talk to the former Haryana Congress President, Mr Birendra Singh, about his certain “objectionable” statements. The meeting demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of five Dalits in Jhajjar district. It also hailed the Congress success in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections and appreciated the “courage shown by Mrs Sonia Gandhi in visiting the militancy-affected state”. It also criticised the “vituperative language” used by certain VHP leaders against Mrs Gandhi. |
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7 BJP members join Congress Panchkula, October 21 He was addressing mediapersons at a press conference here today. He said the Chief Minister had made several announcements while addressing ‘Sarkar Aapke Dwar’ programmes here, but only 10 per cent of the works announced had actually been carried on in the district. He said most development works carried on here during the past three years had been carried on through MPs development fund. Mr Chander Mohan said the days of Chautala government in the state were numbered as he had failed to satisfy any of the segments in the state. There was retrenchment in various government departments, a number of taxes had been imposed and corruption was rampant. “It is against this that Haryana Congress will hold a Chautala
Hatao, Haryana Bachao rally in Rohtak on October 27,” he said. Later, he also announced the joining of seven members of BJP — Mr Bhajan Bhushan from Panchkula, Ms Madhu Bhandari from
Abheypur; Mr Anil Mittal from Kalka; Mr Bharat Raj Singh from Panchkula; Mr Mahesh Sharma from Kalka; Mr Rameshwar Das from Pinjore; and Mr Paramjit Chauhan — in the district Congress. Two BSP leaders — Pat Ram Kandara from Mandana village and Kehar Singh Bhatti from Panchkula — also joined district Congress today. |
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Brothers
found dead in pond Ambala, October 21 The bodies were spotted in Naurang Rai Talab near Bara Thakurdwara and identified as that of 13-year-old Rajan and 10-year-old Pankaj. The brothers were sons of a vegetable vendor and lived in Ram Nagar of Ambala City. Both had gone missing yesterday in the afternoon. A pall of gloom descended on Ram Nagar when the news of the death was received there. Local persons said the vegetable vendor, Manohar Lal, had five sons and a daughter, and now two of his sons had died under mysterious circumstances. A municipal councillor, Mr Raj Kumar Sonu, who was at Ram Nagar, sympathised with the father and said the police should find out the cause of the death of the children. The police is not ruling out the possibility of a foul play. The bodies were taken to Civil Hospital of Ambala City and, later, handed over to the family. The boys were cremated at Ram Bagh here today. A large number of persons were present at the cremation. |
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Ambala residents pay more for LPG Ambala, October 21 This major anomaly in pricing has been on since April this year and a corrective measure in this regard is awaited. Interestingly, except for those in the LPG industry, others do not seem to be aware about discrepancy which has led to people paying up nearly Rs 10 on each cylinder more than nearby areas. An LPG gas, cylinder here is more expensive than in the neighbouring district of Yamunanagar and even in Chandigarh it is cheaper by nearly Rs 5. And that is not all. An LPG cylinder in Barara, which falls under the Ambala revenue district is available for nearly Rs 7 less. Major Girish Chandra (retd), president of the Ambala District LPG Distributors Association, pointed out that the anomaly in the pricing structure, which had made LPG expensive in Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment had taken place since April this year. “This is a major discrepancy and people have to pay more for an LPG cylinder,” he said. Major Chandra pointed out that the matter had been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned, but a corrective step was yet to be initiated. According to information, there is a difference of one paisa between the LPG cylinder price in Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment. While an LPG cylinder is available for Rs 257.26 in Ambala Cantonment, the cylinder costs Rs 257.25 in Ambala City. In Barara, an LPG cylinder costs Rs 250.35 while in Yamunanagar, it is available for Rs248.15 and in Shahabad, which is in the neighbouring Kurukshetra district it costs Rs 245.95. Incidentally, LPG is much cheaper in Punjab, with a cylinder costing Rs s 234.64 in Lalru and Rs 246 in Rajpura. Mr S. Sen, Senior Area Manager, IOC, Karnal, said the case He said originally the pricing point was Hardwar and was later shifted to Lalru. This discrepency had come up after April 1, 2002. Now the pricing point was to be based on inland location, he said. “When the pricing issue was brought to our notice, we immediately forwarded the case to the pricing group. We are making renewed efforts to ensure that the discrepancy is sorted out at the earliest,” he added. Local LPG
distributors are unhappy with the price discrepancy since they are losing out on customers. An LPG distributor said earlier residents of villages located between Ambala Cantonment and Barara preferred to buy LPG cylinders from here but eversince the price differential emerged, they preferred
Barara. “The moot point here is of customers having to pay more for an LPG cylinder. Cylinder here in Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment while the same thing is available at a cheaper rate only a couple of kilometres away. We just hope that prompt action is taken,” he said. |
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Youth fest: performances impress Kaithal, October 21 Mr Subhash Goel Urban Development Minister Haryana was the chief guest
today. Addressing the youth, Mr Goel exorted them to use their energy towards Nation building. He praised the Haryana Cultural Academy for bringing to the fore talented youths. He congratulated the college management on organising the Youth festivals nine times in the past 25 years. He announced donation of Rs 50,000 for the college from his discretionary funds. Mr Naranjan Lal Bansal, Chairman, Warehousing Corporation, Haryana and the local MLA Mr Leela Ram, were also present during the presentation of cultural items. Earlier Mr
Y.K. Mangal, President, governing body of the college and the college principal and convener zonal youth Festival Mr K.K. Sirohi welcomed guests. Mr Sirohi called upon the students to maintain discipline. |
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Four injured as balcony collapses Hisar, October 21 Mr Surender Singh Dhanker, a scientist in the Weather Department, Rattan Kajla, Navdeep Dahiya and Gyaneshwar Singh were standing in the balcony when it collapsed, injuring all of them. They were admitted to a private hospital, the sources added.
PTI |
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Police remembers its martyrs Ambala, October 21 The Inspector General of Police, Ambala Range, Mr Alok Joshi, presided over the function to mark the martyrdom of police personnel. Among others, the Superintendent of Police. Ambala, Mr Manoj Yadava and Commandant, first battalion, Haryana Armed Police, Mr Attar Singh Ahlawat were present. Mr Joshi said that the police martyrdom day was being observed since 1962. He said that the day was observed in the memory of police personnel who laid down their lives during the Indo-China war. Mr Joshi read out the names of 977 police and paramilitary personnel who died during 2001-02. A two minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to those who laid down their lives in the line of duty. |
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Police Commemoration Day observed Karnal, October 21 The DGP read the message of the Chief Minister of
Haryana in which he praised the bravery and courage of police
personnel and expressed concern over the growth of terrorist
activities during the past decade. |
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Air Cmde SK Sofat takes over Ambala, October 21 He is a qualified flying instructor and has undergone various courses in IAF. Air Cmde SK Sofat commanded No. 27 Squadron AF, AF Stn Avantipur and AF Stn Tambaram before assuming the present assignment. |
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Computerised
train reservation Yamunanagar, October 21 Mr Vinod Sharma, Station Superintendent, said here today that the facility would be available from tomorrow. |
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