Rohtak, August 19
Taking exception to the description of Jats as a community of "lutere" (looters) in a book published by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Yuva Kisan Manch today burnt an effigy of the council here.

The slogan-shouting protesters demanded the removal of the alleged "insulting remarks" against the Jat community and the registration of a criminal case against the author of the book.

Meham Chaubisi Sarv Khaap panchayat president Surat Singh and Haryana Jat Maha Sabha president Kuldeep Singh have threatened to launch a ''massive agitation'' in case the NCERT failed to remove the objectionable remarks against the community.

Addressing the demonstrators today, former Haryana Minister and BJP leader Krishan Murty Hooda lambasted the NCERT for publishing insulting remarks against Jats.

He said that the Jat community had played an important role in the freedom movement and in defending the nation and had made a significant contribution in India achieving self-sufficiency in foodgrain production.

Mr Hooda urged Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh to order immediate withdrawal of the controversial book and demanded registration of a criminal case against its author. — UNI

Chandigarh, August 19
The iron man of Haryana, Mr Bansi Lal, must be turning in his grave with the way his heirs are at each other’s throats.

First, it was the Delhi house in which he stayed till his last, which became a bone of contention among his siblings immediately after his 'kirya' was held. Now, it is his birth anniversary over which members of his family are quibbling.

Mrs Kiran Choudhary, widow of Mr Surender Singh, the younger son of Mr Bansi Lal and who was his political inheritor also, had planned a 'sarv dharma' prayer meeting at the Bhiwani house of the former Chief Minister, on August 26, his birth anniversary. A programme to pay flower tributes at his samadhi in Golagarh, Bansi Lal’s native village, was also planned. A drive to plant 80,000 saplings in Bhiwani district was also to be launched on that day when Mr Bansi Lal would have turned 80.

But before Mrs Choudhary could make her plans public, a controversy erupted. On August 8, Mr Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the elder son of the former Chief Minister, announced the setting up the Bansi Lal Memorial Trust with Mrs Vidya Devi as its Chairman. He also announced that the Bhiwani house in which Mr Bansi Lal used to stay would be converted into a memorial. He had also announced a function at the house on August 26.

The trust only re-affirmed the division in the family. Among the trustees are Mrs Saroj Siwach, IAS, and Mrs Savita, both daughters of Mr Bansi Lal; wife of Mr Mahendra, former MLA Ram Bhajan Aggarwal; and Mr R.D. Sheokand, Additional Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister.

No one can find fault with the trust set up to keep Mr Bansi Lal’s memory alive. But what raised many eye brows was the fact that the house which was to be converted into a memorial is in the possession of Mrs Choudhary and her daughter Shruti. Both of them are not on the trust. According to sources close to Mrs Choudhary, the house was left by Mr Bansi Lal to her husband, the late Mr Surender Singh. The exact legal status of the house is not known.

Mrs Choudhary is currently the Minister of State for Forests and Tourism in the Hooda Cabinet. She was elected from Tosham after the Assembly seat fell vacant following her husband's death.

Mrs Choudhary has now planned to go ahead with the prayer meeting notwithstanding Mr Mahendra’s plans. A large number of supporters of Mr Surender Singh and Mr Bansi Lal, who have now shifted their allegiance to Mrs Choudhary, all over the state will reach Bhiwani on August 26.

Yamunanagar, August 19
More than 1,000 villagers from 10 villages blocked the Jagadhri—Paonta Sahib National Highway here today to protest against the irregular power supply during the past few days.

Last evening, the police had to use mild force to disperse residents of Purana Hamida who blocked the Jagadhri—Saharanpur National Highway at power subdivision-1. Residents blocked the highway at around 11 pm. Residents of Gobindpuri had also tried to block the highway near Kanhiya Sahbi chowk here. However, officials of the district administration pacified them and they returned home.

At around 4.30 pm today residents of Mukarmpur, Manakpur, Udhamgarh, Mdouwala, Ahluwala, Mundakheri, Telipura, Chaneta Gari and Panjeto villages blocked the Jagadhri—Paonta Sahib national highway using tractor-trailers near Mankpur. Villagers also blocked a link road between Jagadhri and Kharwan.

Mr Surinder Singh, sarpanch of Ahluwala, said villagers were getting very little power supply and this affected their lives as they were not able to cut fodder for cattle. The power failure had also created problems for drinking water, he added.

Mr Baldev Singh, sarpanch of Mukarpur, said power supply schedule should be revised and demanded at least 10-hour power supply to villages.

On the other hand, panchayat members and villagers of Talakor village of Mustfabad block also held a meeting today and threatened to hold a dharna at the local power station if power supply was not improved. Ms Subhash Devi, sarpanch of the village, said they organised a dharna on August 14 but they agreed to return homes after UHBVN officials promised them to improvement in power supply.

“However, the power situation has not improved and if the same continues we will hold a dharna on August 21 at the power station,” said the sarpanch.

The villagers said the panchayat had given five acre of land to the Electricity Department for setting up of a power station and the villagers were promised that in return they would get 24-hour power supply but the authorities never kept their promise.

More than five hours’ cut was imposed in the urban areas of the district till today. The power situation in villages is worse.

Kaithal, August 19
Power cuts in the town and other parts of the district have thrown life out of gear. The situation aggravated last week when the duration of the power cuts was increased. It is alleged by people that after a one-hour supply, a two-hour cut is being imposed. People complain that due to high temperature and long power cuts life has become difficult for them and they have to pass sleepless nights. The deficient rain during the monsoon has further aggravated the problems of the common man. At some places the departments concerned have even failed to maintain regular drinking water supply as a result of non functioning of electric motors installed at tubewells and boosting stations.

According to reports at Kaithal, Kalayat, Pundri and Cheeka towns not only the functioning of the small-scale industries has come to a standstill but also normal business activity has been effected.

The situation in the rural areas is no better. The frequent power cuts and irregular power supply have caused widespread resentment.

Kurukshetra, August 19
A private school was locked up by some members of the management after a few female teachers accused its Principal of having used "vulgar" language.

Around 12 teachers of Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Senior Secondary School gave a written complaint to Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjay Kumar, alleging misconduct by Principal P.N. Fotedar and against the management.

The schoolteachers, at a press conference last evening, levelled the charges against the Principal and also accused the management of fraud in salary payment.

Mr Fotedar denied all allegations against him.

President of the school management board Pawan Garg said they had received no such complaint and dismissed the charges as motivated and aimed at maligning him at the behest of the political leaders of Kurukshetra and the state leadership.

Mr Garg had recently resigned as Kurukshetra district Congress president protesting against the functioning of the Kurukshetra MP Navin Jindal. He had also organised a meeting in support of Mr Bhajan Lal when he resigned as HPCC president.

The SP confirmed he had received the complaint and said it was being investigated.

He said the investigations would not be influenced by any "outside agencies". — PTI

Hisar, August 19
The Congress MP from Hisar, Mr Jai Prakash, has stated that Bhiwani MP Kuldeep Bishnoi’s outburst against the SEZ policy was due to frustration and not because of sympathy towards farmers.

“Even the farmers, whose cause he has been claiming to champion, have not supported him in the campaign,” Mr Jai Prakash said while addressing newspersons here yesterday.

He claimed that the interests of the farmers would not suffer in the process of developing SEZs as they would get good price for their land acquired for the purpose, in addition to grant of job to one member of their family.

He further stated that fertile land good for cultivation would not be used to set up SEZs, as claimed by the dissident leader.

He claimed that the monstrous problem of unemployment could be tackled only through SEZs.

Fatehabad, August 19
The state committee of the All-India Lawyers Union (AILU) has criticised the efforts of the Central Government to amend the Right to Information law. It has also demanded that the official fee for making an application under this law be reduced from Rs 50 to Rs 10 in Haryana.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Devi Lal, state convener of AILU, said a meeting of the state executive was held here today under Mr Gian Singh, a senior Supreme Court lawyer and national president of AILU.

He said AILU had also demanded the withdrawal of court fee of Rs 100 for initiating a complaint in the consumer forums.

Fatehabad, August 19
As many as 142 discords were resolved in a rural lok adalat organised at Chhatarian village in this district today.

The District and Sessions Judge, Mr Lachhman Dass Sharma, inaugurated the lok adalat while a Bench comprising the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr N. P. Dewatt, the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Mr S.K. Garg, and the Additional Civil Judge (Junior Division), Ms Ritu Y.K. Bahl, disposed of the cases through mutual compromise by the warring parties.

Inaugurating the adalat, Mr Sharma said 29 lok adalats had been organised in the district so far this year in which around 4,000 cases had been resolved through mutual compromise of the parties.

He said matters pertaining to the Hindu Marriage Act, civil matters, revenue matters and cases relating to petty crimes were resolved in the adalat. He said the adalats had been playing a vital role in resolving a large number of cases pending in our courts.

Ambala, August 19
INLD national general secretary and MP Ajay Chautala today said that Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda must resign on moral grounds due to a case in a Delhi court.