M A I N   N E W S

SAD activists jam traffic
Tribune Reporters

Malout, February 10
While predicting that the days of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, were numbered, the former Chief Minister and President of the SAD, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, alleged that “Raja” instead of working for the welfare of the people of the state was hell bent on spoiling relations of Punjab with Himachal Pradesh for his own vested interests by interfering in the Assembly elections there.

Addressing a massive gathering of party activists and people at a dharna on the Bathinda-Abohar highway here today, Mr Badal said people in thousands had come out on the streets against anti-people and anti-Punjabi policies of Capt Amarinder Singh, who had introduced a culture of committing police atrocities to remain in power and silence the voices being raised against his misrule.

“As “Raja” has crossed all limits and has backtracked on all poll promises made to the voters, the people, who had assembled here in thousands, have prepared themselves for a fight against injustice. The fight will continue till all facilities, which were given to the people by the previous SAD-BJP government and now withdrawn by the Congress government, are restored,” said Mr Badal.

The area in this town, where the SAD activists jammed the traffic during their “rasta roko-agitation”, was converted into a police cantonment with senior civil and police officials monitoring the situation. The vehicular traffic was diverted to different routes.

Mr Badal said the anti-people steps taken by Capt Amarinder Singh had increased the sufferings of people. From the day one, the Chief Minister was victimising the people. False cases were being registered against those who tried to oppose the anti-people steps of the government.

The traders were being harassed on the pretext of increasing revenue of sale tax. The farmers were not given Rs 30 per quintal bonus on paddy as promised by Capt Amarinder Singh before elections.

“Though the people of stat have been suffering on account of non-development and deteriorating law and order situation, Capt Amarinder Singh preferred to stay put in Delhi most of the times,” alleged the former Chief Minister.

One the other hand, former Union Minister Sukhbir Badal, who mobilised thousands of youths for today’s agitation, said Mr Amarinder Singh had become a “dukh mantri” (pain giver Chief Minister) instead of “mukh mantri” as he had started terrorising people and burdening them with various taxes after withdrawing various facilities extended to them by the previous SAD-BJP government.

ABOHAR: SAD workers on Monday blocked traffic on some of the roads linking this sub divisional town for two hours.

At least 200 party workers, including Mr Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, a former SAD MLA from Balluana Assembly segment. Mr Kaur Singh, circle jathedar of the same constituency, Mr Amrik Pal Singh Sidhu, a former chairman of the Improvement Trust, SGPC members Inderjit Singh Gaddandob, Mr Gurdarshan Singh and Mr Prahlad Khatwan marked their presence at the Seeto bypass crossing. Some of them made a chain to block the traffic on the four roads while others choose to sit on the triangular divider of the crossing in an easy mood. There was no slogan shouting till 12 noon by either side. ASP Rakesh Aggarwal, Naib Tehsildar Virender Garg and SHO Raj Kumar Jalhotra were leading the police force to control the situation. Videography of the entire event was got done for record.

PHAGWARA: SAD and BJP activists on Monday blocked traffic on the GT Road outside the main bus stand for two-and-a-half hours and held a rally there against the failure of the Amarinder Singh government to honour its poll promises. However, the protest passed off peacefully. The protesters were served langar during the blockade. The rally was addressed by senior Akali leaders Jarnail Singh Wahid, Jathedar Gurmukh Singh, Mr Gurjit Khalsa, Councillors Iqbal Singh Kundi and Inderjit Sonkar, a former minister and BJP leader Swarna Ram.

Meanwhile, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann termed the rasta roko programme of the SAD as a flop show. Mr Jaskaran Singh, general secretary of the Akali Dal (Amritsar) claimed in a statement here that the Panthic and Sikh bodies and the public as well had kept away from it because it was a “Badal bachao” programme sans any Punjab agenda.

SANGRUR: Hundreds of SAD activists led by Mr Gobind Singh Longowal, MLA from Dhanaula, and Mr Parkash Chand Garg, a member of executive committee of the SAD, on Monday blocked roads leading to Sunam, Patiala, Barnala and Dhuri at the local Mahavir Chowk, near Civil Hospital, as part of the “rasta-roko” programme of the SAD in protest against the alleged “anti-people” policies of the Amarinder government.

The protesters were addressed among others by Mr Joga Singh Phaguwala and Mr Udhey Singh, both SGPC members, Subedar Jhanda Singh, president of the district unit of the BKU, Mr Rajinder Singh Kanjhla, district SAD president, and Mr Harjit Singh Hanspuri, district SAD general secretary. All speakers criticised the Amarinder government for withdrawing various facilities given to the farmers and other sections of society by the SAD-BJP government and imposing new taxes on the people.

In Dirba, the protest was organised by Mr Baldev Singh Mann, a known supporter of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, though the district unit of the party had decided to block roads at Sunam, Malerkotla, Barnala and Sangrur. The SAD activists also blocked traffic on the Bhawanigarh-Patiala road near Nidampur village. Traffic was also blocked at Moonak village by protesters led by Mr Niranjan Singh Bhutal, a senior SAD leader. A protest was also organised at Lehragaga village.

In Barnala, protesters led by Mr Malkeet Singh Keetu, SAD MLA from Barnala, also blocked road near the Kachehri chowk.

ROPAR: SAD workers blocked traffic and held a dharna on the Nangal-Chandigarh road near the Nangal crossing here from 11 am to 2 pm. However, the flow of traffic remained normal with the police diverting it to the alternative road along the Sirhind canal.

The protesters were addressed among others by the SAD MLA from Chamkaur Sahib, Bibi Satwant Kaur Sandhu, former minister, Mr Tara Singh Ladal, district SAD president, Mr Pritam Singh salomajra, and the district president of the Youth Akali Dal, Mr Gurinder Singh Gogi.

NABHA: As many as 500 SAD workers blocked traffic at the ‘Rohti bridge’, 4 km from here. Raja Narinder Singh, a former SAD MLA, besides Jathedar Rattan Singh Alhoran, Mr Gurkirat Thuhi, Mr Lakhmir Loat, Mr Gurdial Billu, Mr Sona Ram Lalka and many other Akali leaders were present on the occasion.

PATIALA: The SAD’s “rasta roko” programme saw a slight disturbance at Zirakpur even as traffic was diverted to various routes in the district to avoid inconvenience to commuters.

At Zirakpur, former Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh claimed that when he was proceeding towards Zirakpur from Gurdwara Nabha Sahib, a police party stopped his way. The Akali leader said earlier Akali workers had gathered at the gurdwara to escape arrest by the police. He said following this CIA Inspector Tehal Singh got involved in an argument with him and other party workers and ordered the police personnel to fire at them. One constable came forward and aimed a gun at him, he said, adding that he pushed the gun up which resulted in the shot being fired in the air.

Capt Kanwaljit Singh claimed that following this the police resorted to a lathi-charge injuring more than 60 Akali workers. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the firing incident, claiming there could be a conspiracy to eliminate him.

District police chief Paramraj Singh Umranangal, who also reached there in the evening, disputed Capt Kanwaljit’s version adding that other senior police officers were also present on the occasion and no shot was fired at Capt Kanwaljit. Mr Umranangal said, according to his reports, police officers had requested Capt Kanwaljit yesterday not to sit on a dharna at the Zirakpur chowk, besides being requested to allow diversion of traffic to avoid inconvenience to the public.

The police officer said, however, this morning Capt Kanwaljit started proceeding towards Zirakpur after coming out of Gurdwara Nabha Sahib. He said the Akali workers were carrying ‘lathis’ because of which they were asked to stop. During the time two police personnel, including Havaldar Tarsem Lal, were injured in stone throwing by Akali workers. He said SP (Detective) B.S. Virk had been deputed to hold an inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, the ‘rasta roko’ programme passed off peacefully in other parts of the district. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Kirpal Singh Badungar led a procession to the Badi Nadi on the Patiala - Sanour road while former minister Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur blocked traffic at Bahadurgarh. Surjit Singh Rakhra, MLA, blocked traffic at the Bhakra bridge on the Patiala-Sangrur road.

BATALA: Workers of the SAD and the BJP sat on a dharna at the Gandhi Chowk here and blocked traffic from 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. Prominent among protesters were a former MLA, Mr Jagdish Sawhney, local president of the SAD, Mahant Gurdial Singh, and district BJP, president, Mr Dev Raj Chachowalia, and other municipal councillors of Batala.

MALERKOTLA: Hundreds of SAD workers from Malerkotla, Ahmedgarh, Amargarh and Sherpur staged a dharna at the local Jarg chowk and blocked traffic for three hours. Mr Nusrat Ikram Khan Bagga, a former Punjab minister, Mr Mukand Singh Sangala, circle SAD president, Malerkotla, Mr Surinder Singh Sehke, SGPC member, Mr Mehar Deen, Executive Member of the SAD, and many other leaders criticised the policies of the Congress government.

NAWANSHAHR: SAD workers led by Mr Nand Lal, MLA, Balachaur, blocked traffic at the Chandigarh Chowk here for three hours. Mr Nand Lal, MLA, Mr Jatinder Singh Kariha, Mr Mohan Lal (both former MLAs, Mr Mohinder Singh Hussainpur, SGPC member, Mr Har Prabh Mahil Singh, general secretary of the All-India Youth Akali Dal, Mr Resham Singh Thiara, Mr Harinder Singh Beesla, Mr Jaswinder Singh Anokherwal, president of the district unit of the Youth Akali Dal, among others addressed the protesters.

KAPURTHALA: SAD workers blocked traffic on the Kapurthala-Jalandhar road, the GT Road, near the Subhanpur Chowk, Mundi Road on the Kapurthala-Sultanpur road and the Kapurthala-Sultanpur Lodhi road, for more than four hours. Bibi Jagir Kaur, former President of the SGPC and Akali MLA from Bholath, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, an Akali MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi, and Raghbir Singh, former Transport Minister, were present among the protesters.

SUNAM: Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsa, local SAD MLA, along with hundreds of party activists sat on the Bathinda-Patiala highway in front of the local ITI Sunam and blocked traffic here. Addressing the gathering, Mr Dhindsa said the Congress government had failed on every front and criticised Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, for ordering raids on the premises of Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal’s relatives in Punjab.

Among others who sat on dharna were Mr Raghvir Singh Jakhepal, Executive Member, SGPC Mr Pritpal Singh Handa, a former Chairman, Market Committee, Sunam, Mr Hardev Singh Hanjra, president, Nagar Council, Sunam, Mr Jaswinder Singh, Chairman, PADB, and Mr Gurchran Singh Channa, Municipal Councillors.

They said the fight against corruption was one sided and false cases were being registered against SAD workers and leaders.