Jalandhar, July 5
Senior politicians and their security guards think nothing of blatantly flouting the law and norms that govern civil society. The Special Protection Group commandoes and the Shiromani Akali Dal (B) president, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, seem to think that they have been exempted from following traffic norms.

Last night the senior Akali politician’s cavalcade jumped red light, coerced common vehicle users and even put their lives in peril.

In total disregard of traffic norms and lights, a vehicle carrying SPG commandoes and another one in which Mr Badal was traveling, jumped functional traffic lights at the Guru Nanak Mission chowk here at 9.20 p.m.

This brazen incident of utter disregard for traffic norms took place when the green light turned on for scores of stranded vehicles from the Model Town side towards hotel Skylark chowk and vice-versa on the Model Town road.

These drivers were in a great shock when all of a sudden Mr Badal’s cavalcade, led by the gun-totting SPG commandoes, came to the middle of the chowk; jumped the red lights and pushed off at break-neck speed.

They were moving from Apeejay school side towards the Nakodar chowk on the Bhagwan Mahavir Marg. Drivers who had the right to cross the road in accordance with the green signal had to come to a screeching halt to make way for the VVIP cavalcade, which threw all traffic norms to winds.

Things did not stop here for the shocked drivers, who were rightly proceeding ahead towards Hotel Skylark Chowk, as they were virtually coerced by the commandoes. Brandishing sophisticated guns, they made coercing signs to vehicle users with their hands to move them over.

Mr Badal enjoys Z-Plus security cover.

According to a senior IPS officer, there is no discretion or exemption for any VVIP, as far as traffic norms were concerned, even in the Blue Book, pertaining to security arrangements for Z-Plus security cover.

The VVIPs were equal to common citizens.

Usually local traffic policemen are either made to stop other vehicles for a while or traffic lights are switched off and traffic controlled manually to make way for politicians.

In this case, there was no traffic constable and nor were the traffic lights switched off.

The gun-totting commandoes and politicians simply think might is right.

Phagwara, July 5
With the forthcoming Assembly elections in sight, the war of words between the Congress and the Akalis has started heating up.

Captain Kanwaljit Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) general secretary, and former Finance Minister, accused the Congress of playing a filthy game. “The people of Punjab have seen through the filthy Congress game and are waiting to give it a befitting reply by showing it the door in coming elections,” he declared.

“Sure of defeat in the coming elections, the ruling Congress party has started a destabilising process and is using various forces to defame the SAD (B). The Manji Sahib incident on July 2 and the subsequent claim by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, that it would help the Congress has indicated that.”

Mr Dullo had asserted that the Akali clash would benefit the Congress as ‘true Sikhs’ would take note of it and support the Congress in the Assembly elections.

Captain Kanwaljit Singh, while talking to newspersons at the historic Palahi village after addressing a congregation on the occasion of the birth anniversary of sixth Sikh master Guru Har Gobind Singh, the founder of Akal Takht and creator of saint-soldier (miri-piri) concept, asserted that Mr Dullo’s statement was a clear indication of Congress hand behind the incidence.

“When Akalis left in February 2002, Punjab was the No1 state in per capita income.. Now it is fifth after four and a half years of Amarinder Singh’s non-governance,” the former minister claimed.

“There was a total collapse on law and order front. There is 30 per cent power shortage in the state and industrialists are leaving Punjab due to the critical power situation. By stopping the Bathinda refinery, the Amarinder Singh government has deprived Punjab of 600 MG power generation. Unemployment is the largest problem. About 37 per cent peasantry wants to quit farming but don’t have an alternative,” claimed Capt Kanwaljit, reeling off figures based on a survey by the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

SGPC member and SAD organising secretary Jarnail Singh Wahid, columnist Prof Piara Singh Bhogal, Mr Jatinderpal Singh Palahi were also present on the occasion.

Phagwara, July 5
A 27-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance at the house of her in-laws in Jamalpur village near here this afternoon. Her parents allege that the incident might be a case of dowry death.

The deceased, Kashmiro, a mother of three, was the wife of one Hans Raj.

Her parents alleged that the in-laws had not bothered to inform them about the tragedy. They claimed that their daughter had been complaining about harassment by her in-laws for quite some time.

The in-laws, however, claimed they have no hand in the incident.

The police had registered a case of suicide under Section 306 of the IPC.

The body has been sent to the civil hospital for postmortem examination.

Kapurthala, July 5
Chairman of the 3rd Finance Commission Ajit Singh Chatha received detailed information on several new projects by the Kapurthala Municipal Council during his visit to the district today. He was accompanied by Member Secretary, Finance Commission, Anjali Chib Duggal. He was apprised of the schemes by Deputy Director, State Local Bodies Department and the MC Executive Officer and MC President. — TNS

Phagwara, July 5
The Phagwara police last night arrested nearly six railway police personnel on charges of creating a ruckus and assaulting two persons on the Khera Road here.

According to sources, an armed railway police personnel, Ramesh Chand, along with his five colleagues in drunken state created a ruckus and ransacked the house of one Surinder Singh.

They also allegedly assaulted two persons, Sumit and Deepak. The police claimed that the cause behind the incident was personal enmity. 

Jalandhar, July 5
Holding Punjab Home Guards Jawan, Balkar Singh, and Head Constable Surjeet Singh of Punjab Police responsible for the custodial death of Satpal, a resident of Lohian, the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Karnail Singh, sentenced the two to 10 years imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 2,500 here today.

Balkar Singh and Surjeet Singh, along with ASI Vijay Kumar, were booked under the Sections 302,323 and 342 of the IPC and SC and ST Act for Satpal’s death ‘due to police torture’ in the first week of February 2005. ASI Vijay Kumar was exonerated in the inquiry conducted by the police.