Chandigarh, February 20
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today strongly condemned use of a picture of Jesus Christ in an allegedly objectionable manner by some miscreants in Jalandhar.

Badal described the incident as a handiwork of those who did not relish peace and traditional communal harmony in the state. He issued a stern warning against elements who were out to disturb peace, saying that the government would come down with a heavy hand against anyone trying to spread communal hatred and ill-will in the state.

The Chief Minister further said that the police had been directed to act sternly and under the strictest provisions of the relevant law against those found guilty of indulging in the act of sacrilege. He appealed to the Christian community to uphold the values taught by Lord Jesus Christ and not allow provocateurs to succeed in their goal of dividing communities and inciting violence in society.

Punjab Congress president Mohinder Singh Kay Pee also condemned the act. He demanded stern action against those who had tried to vitiate the state’s harmonious atmosphere. Kay Pee also appealed to the Minorities Commission of India chairman to take suo motu notice of the blasphemous action and direct the state government authorities to bring the culprits to book.

Punjab DGP PS Gill said strictest possible legal action is being taken against those attempting to entice communal hatred, causing disharmony and indulging in violence. He said that the printing press in which the controversial poster was printed had been sealed and a case registered against its owner.

Shiromani Akali Dal president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also strongly condemned the incident

In Jalandhar, Bishop Dr Anil Kuto of the Jalandhar Diocese appealed to all to remain calm and maintain peace and brotherhood. He said that while people of the community should be proud of their religion and uphold its values, they must also never forget Lord Jesus’ message of love and peace and should exercise utmost restraint.

Bishop Kuto had called for a meeting of religious leaders to mull upon the turn of events. Activists of various Christian organisations had taken out a protest march in Jalandhar yesterday demanding arrest of those guilty of misrepresentation of Jesus Christ. The police had to resort to lathicharge after the crowd turned violent and indulged in vandalism.

Meanwhile, Hindu organisations also condemned ill-representation of a picture of Jesus Christ. Around 50 persons reached Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu’s office demanding the arrest of those who allegedly hurt religious sentiments of the community during yesterday’s protests.

Patiala, February 20
Perturbed over the cold response of the Himachal Pradesh Government on the crucial issue of flow of industrial effluents from that state into the Sutlej, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has decided to take up the matter with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Senior PPCB functionaries said effluents being discharged from the industrial units in Himachal, especially the Goalthai industrial area, flowed unabated into the Sutlej at Nangal. Besides polluting the Sutlej, these effluents also polluted the International Ropar Wetland, thereby posing a threat to it.

“The HP Pollution Board and the Himachal Pradesh Government must take corrective measures to ensure that the industrial waste being discharged from that state is properly treated and free from effluents,” said PPCB chairman Rajat Aggarwal, after visiting the Talwara Khad area at Nangal.

“In the wake of reports that there is presence of effluents from the Goalthai industrial area of Himachal in the Sutlej passing through the Talwara Khad area in Nangal, a team of the board collected water samples from the area for analysis,” board officials told The Tribune. “Though the matter had been taken up with the HP Pollution Board and the Himachal Government, nothing concrete has been done by them,” they added.

During the past 18 months, PPCB Secretary and Chairman had sent communiqués to the HP Pollution Board and the HP Government to ensure that industrial waste being discharged from the state does not contain industrial effluents. Even Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal had taken up the matter with the Himachal Government. Now, the board has decided to take up the matter with the CPCB.

Meanwhile, the board Chairman and PPCB Member Secretary Babu Ram also visited National Fertilisers Limited (NFL), Naya Nangal. Aggarwal instructed the NFL management to stop discharging effluents into the Sutlej. “The NFL authorities have assured the board that no effluents would be discharged into the Sutlej after April 30, 2010,” Aggarwal said. The construction of the ash-handling pond was going on at satisfactory pace, he added.

The PPCB team also inspected the sewage-treatment plants installed by the Nangal Municipal Committee and the Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB). Board officials said the board chairman was not satisfied with the disposal arrangements of the BBMB. “The BBMB authorities have been directed to ensure that no effluents are discharged into the Sutlej after April 30, 2010,” board authorities said. 

Patiala, February 20
To mark the completion of three years of the SAD-BJP government in the state, the Shiromani Akali Dal would organise a massive rally at Grain Market in Rajpura on March 2. Prior to the rally, state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal would lay the foundation stone of a 1,320-MW thermal power plant at Nalas in Rajpura.

Giving information, after presiding over a meeting of the Patiala units of SAD, at Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib, here today, district president Ajaib Singh Mukhmelpur said, “We have set a target of 1 lakh persons from Patiala, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib to attend the rally. Besides senior and junior Badal, Punjab ministers and the entire rank and file of SAD would attend the rally.”

Giving further details, former MP and SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra said district and block-level committees had been constituted to ensure mobilisation of maximum people from the city and villages falling in Patiala district.

“Rajpura has specifically been chosen the venue of the rally. Since main focus of the rally would be to highlight achievements of the SAD-BJP government during the past three years, no venue other than Rajpura, where CM would lay the foundation stone of a mega power project, could have been a better place for the rally,” he added.

Akali leaders said Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal had already briefed senior party leaders to ensure maximum participation in the rally. In order to shortlist names of political leaders from Punjab and Delhi, who would be invited for the rally, Sukhbir had called a meeting of party leaders at Chandigarh on February 23, they said.

Stating that hectic preparations were on to make the rally a success, Mukhmelpur said hoardings and advertisements for the rally would be released almost a week before the rally. Notably, officials of the district police and administration were “working overtime” to ensure proper security arrangements at the rally venue.

Chandigarh, February 20
The Punjab Congress Disciplinary Committee today issued a show-cause notice to former Minister Ashwani Sekhri asking him to explain his statement challenging the power of the Pradesh Congress President to appoint the party spokesman.

Party Disciplinary Committee chairman GK Chatrath said Sekhri had been asked to explain his outburst challenging the appointment of Fatehjang Singh Bajwa party spokesman. Sekhri, while reacting to Fatehjang’s appointment, had claimed that it was not valid, as it had been done at a time when the party’s organisational elections were on.

The show-cause notice, while telling Sekhri that the disciplinary panel tentatively felt that he had indulged in indiscipline, has said that it wanted to still give him an opportunity to explain his conduct. The notice has asked the Congress leader to submit his reply in writing through registered post or in person on or before March 5.

Sekhri said he was not sure whether the disciplinary committee could issue a show-cause notice to an AICC member. He went on to attack the disciplinary panel chairman calling him the most indisciplined man in the Congress. Sekhri claimed that Chatrath had been opposing him ever since former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had chosen to cut his party ticket from Batala in 1982 and given it to him.

The Congress leader went on to claim that Chatrath had issued a show- cause notice to him without consulting the PPCC president. While speaking about the PPCC president, he said Kaypee was his friend since university days and that at present some people were trying to create a rift between friends. “This will never happen”, he said, adding people should not be jealous of him because he was working hard and commanded due respect among the people. 

Chandigarh, February 20
Following complaints made by various MPs as well as other senior leaders, the Congress high command has rejected a list of district screening committees submitted by a two-member state committee and now asked the Pradesh Congress president to submit a fresh list.

An informal committee of senior leaders Lal Singh and Ashwani Sekhri along with Pradesh Returning Officer (PRO) Usha Thakkar had submitted a list of district screening committees to party general secretary Oscar Fernandes. The list, however, came under a cloud when senior leaders, including MPs, claimed they had not been consulted and that the list was aimed at hijacking the election process. It has also been claimed that the two-member committee did not consult Pradesh Congress president Mohinder Singh Kaypee on the issue.

Senior leaders have complained that the list tilted the balance of power in favour of particular leaders. Giving the example of Sangrur district, they said the list was packed with leaders favourable to former legislator Arvind Khanna. Similarly, in Ferozepur it has been alleged that it is tilted in favour of Guruharsahai legislator Rana Gurmeet Sodhi.

Senior leader Jagmeet Brar, who met Oscar Fernandes on the issue, when contacted, said he had called for a wider process of consultation. The other MPs who have met Fernandes on the issue include Santosh Choudhary.

However, when asked Ashwani Sekhri said he did not know whether any list had been submitted to the party high command. He said it was for the PRO to make the list. “Our committee was only responsible for ensuring no anti-social elements were included in the list”, he added.

Sources here, however, claimed that no formal committee had been constituted to submit the district screening committee list and that now the Centre had strengthened the hands of PPCC president Kaypee by giving him the responsibility of making the fresh list. Kaypee, when contacted, said he had been asked to submit a fresh list, which would be given final shape by Fernandes.

The screening committees are crucial as far as checking of the credentials of candidates who want to stand for election in the Pradesh Congress is concerned. It consists of the district president, one block president, one legislator, one senior leader and a prominent person.

Meanwhile, sources said following a controversy over the screening committees, the party high command had now decided to appoint district returning officers for the election from outside the state. They said Pradesh Returning Officer Thakkar had now been given the responsibility of finalising a list of DROs who would conduct the organisational elections in the state.

Badal (Muktsar), February 20
Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress (PPYC) president Ravneet Singh Bittu today launched the party’s much-hyped awareness drive, Aam Aadmi ka Sipahi (AAKS), in Punjab from here, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s native village.

Following in the footsteps of Rahul Gandhi, Ravneet Bittu visited some Dalit homes, listened to their grievances and shared tea and food with them.

Speaking about the concept of the AAKS, Ravneet Bittu said it was to identify enablers who would work at the panchayat level to facilitate, sensitise, create awareness and assist “aam admi” (common people) in not only knowing about but also availing themselves of the UPA government’s welfare schemes, especially the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Indira Awaas Yojna and the Krishi Vikas Yojna.

The AAKS would make people aware of the Right to Information Act also, which was brought into the system by the UPA government.

“In the past we observed that ruling SAD leaders had been mischievously flaunting the UPA government schemes as their own. Moreover, the funds, which the Union Government had released for state welfare, were either misused or refunded due to non-utilisation.”

Ravneet Bittu took the SAD-led state government to task. He alleged that a budget worth Rs 2.28 crore for NSS camps, Rs 58 lakh allocated for the youth welfare board and a huge sum allocated for sportspersons could not be used in the state as SAD leaders did not want the UPA schemes to be highlighted.

He said: “All these sipahis have been voluntarily coming forward, with no condition relating to designation or incentives. We are taking literate persons so that they can help villagers fill forms and write applications. Besides educating people in procedural issues related to their land and the benefits of schemes, the sipahis will launch anti-drug campaigns.”

“Before launching the drive, we have already decided the issues to be worked upon in all 12,400 villages of the state. The 2,900 delegates belonging to 208 blocks of the state have undergone training and submitted their targets to be achieved through the AAKS within a time-frame. Once the scheme is properly implemented, the results of the AAKS will be checked on a regular basis,” added the PPYC president.

When questioned about the image of the AAKS in Punjab as one of a Congress brigade to counter the “goons” of the ruling SAD, Ravneet Bittu said, “These sipahis will work in a non-violent way but, if required, they will be in a position to tighten the noose on miscreants.”

Chandigarh, February 20
After concentrating on social issues like female foeticide, women empowerment and fighting cancer in the Malwa belt, Shiromani Akali Dal MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Badal is gradually and firmly getting into the political groove.

In her first major political onslaught on Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, she accused them of playing with the sentiments of the people of Punjab in general and farmers in particular to appease the Congress leadership in the Union Capital.

Harsimrat Badal, who hogged the political limelight with her emotive speech on “injustice done to victims of the Sikh carnage” in the Lok Sabha during the last sitting of Parliament, has generally been concentrating on solving important civic, healthcare and social problems in the Malwa belt than getting into a statement war with her opponents.

It is surprising that she not only attacked two of main women Congress leaders of the state but also accused them of ignoring their own people while keeping the Congress high command in good humour. Lashing out at Bhattal for leading a party delegation to the Punjab Governor yesterday, Harsimrat Badal asked what she was trying to prove by raising flimsy issues to garner cheap publicity and ignoring the real issues of Punjabis as well as the Sikhs.

Describing the submission of the memorandum to the Governor as a “photo op” drama, Harsimrat Badal said the intriguing silence of the Punjab Pradesh Congress and Bhattal on the deliberate delay by the CBI to arrest Sajjan Kumar despite non-bailable warrants against him, indicated the “concern” she and her party had for the cause of Punjabis and Sikhs.

She said if Bhattal was really concerned, she should stage a dharna at 10 Janpath to force Sonia Gandhi to put Sajjan Kumar and Tytler behind bars. She said keeping them free, even 25 years after they “organised the killing of seven thousand Sikhs”, speaks volumes about the true intentions of the Congress.

Questioning the silence of Bhattal and the Congress on the decision of the UPA government to enhance the price of urea by 10 per cent and decontrol other fertilisers, the Bathinda MP said Bhattal was a puppet of the Congress high command who does not want to annoy her leaders by raising pro-Punjab and pro-farmer issues, risking her own position in the party.

Harsimrat Badal wanted that the Congress-led UPA should first link the MSP to the price index, as suggested by the Swaminathan Commission report, before tinkering with the rates of farm inputs. Declaring Punjab a special agricultural zone and acceptance of the Swaminathan panel report were the only solutions to the crisis of farm indebtness. By raising the price of urea, the UPA government was further pushing Punjab farmers deep into debt and aggravating the whole situation.

Surprised over Patiala MP Preneet Kaur silently endorsing the policy decision in the Council of Ministers hiking the price of urea, Harsimrat Badal said she had no moral right to represent the people of Punjab, 80 per cent of whom had been adversely affected by this decision. She said if Mamata Banerjee had the courage to veto decisions going against West Bengal, the silence of Preneet Kaur showed her lust for power.

Chandigarh, February 20
More than one year after the Health Department announced setting up of a round-the-clock free emergency response system in the state, the government has now re-started the process of finding companies to outsource the work.

The state government had on January 1, 2009, signed an MoU with the Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), Hyderabad, to provide free emergency response services.

EMRI, sister concern of IT giant Satyam, was already providing this service in eight states. However, following the crash of the company last year, the state government chose to annul its contract. “Now we have again invited expression of interest for the provision of these services in Punjab. More than half a dozen companies have shown interest,” said Raji P Srivastava, managing director of Punjab Health Systems Corporation.

According to PHSC Director (Finance) Vipin Sharma, the EMRI that has now tied up with GVK is among the nine companies who have applied for the job. The others include Fortis, a Denmark-based company Flak and the Lokmanya Foundation,” he said.

The entire process of awarding the project is expected to be finish by March 31 and the services would be available in April.

Jalandhar, February 20
Ace cricketer Harbhajan Singh’s sister Sandeep Kaur today tied the knot with Rajpura businessman Sahebjit Singh. An engineer by profession, Sahebjit looks after his father’s rice-sheller manufacturing business at Rajpura.

The marriage of Sandeep with Sahibjit is an arranged one. Bhajji performed all ceremonies, including alighting the groom from the horse and offering palla to his sister in the gurdwara. The wedding party was held at Royal Kings Resort on the Phagwara road.

Bhajji’s new house at Chhoti Baradari colony here has been decked up for the occasion for the past two days. A dance and dine party was organised at his residence yesterday.

Bhajji was seen sporting a white turban with white and golden sherwani. It is learnt that he has sought permission from the BCCI to miss ODIs against South Africa to be played at Jaipur and Kanpur on February 21 and February 24, respectively.

Ludhiana, February 20
Shiromani Youth Akali Dal Badal president Simranjit Singh Bains, facing accusations of stripping and launching an attack on Major GS Benipal, has sought bail for the first time in this case. He has been behind bars since June 22, 2009.

Additional Sessions Judge Munish Singal has summoned the record of the trial court for Feburary 23 on the request of the accused’s lawyers.

In its bail application, Bains has heavily relied upon the observations of the Additional Director General of Police, crime. The ADGP’s report had cast a shadow of doubt on the Benipal’s claims and termed the presence of the accused on the spot “doubtful”.

The ADGP’s observations were based on a CD allegedly prepared when the incident occurred. The report says Benipal was seen talking to mediapersons where he had alleged that Bains and his supporters allegedly beat him up. However, he did not name the duo before the media in person nor alleged firing on him, making the claim of the tehsildar doubtful.

He has also placed on court record, the report of his cellular operator showing that he was not present on the spot at the time of incident.

Two other accused - Kamaljit Singh Karwal and Ravi Sharma - have also filed bail applications. Their bail plea would also come up for hearing with the main accused.

The police have already filed a chargsheet against the accused in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate JPS Wahniwal, but charges are yet to be framed. The court has also initiated the process of declaring several accused in the case proclaimed offenders.

Fatehgarh Sahib, February 20
A day after the 55-year-old canteen contractor of RIMT Polytechnic College, Mandi Gobindgarh, was murdered by some unidentified men, the police has claimed to arrest the accused within two days.

The body of Pawan Kumar, resident of Daresi area in Ludhiana, was found in a pool of blood inside the canteen. As per the statements recorded by the police, the victim had complained of thefts in his canteen during the past few days and in order to nab the thieves, he slept in the canteen by locking the doors from outside.

Chanderbhan, son of the deceased, told the police that fed up of the incidents of theft, his father decided to stay in the canteen at night to catch the culprit. When he came to the canteen next day, he found his father lying in a pool of blood.

According to the police officials, either some college students addicted to drugs or some labourers working at a nearby construction site could have been involved in the thefts and the contractor could have identified the thieves. In order to save themselves from getting identified, they must have killed Pawan by repeatedly hit him on the head with cold drink bottles.

Police officials said a case has been registered and efforts were on to nab the accused. 

Amritsar, February 20
Acting on a tip off, sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) yesterday seized a major haul of heroin smuggled from Pakistan near Amritsar International Airport. However, the accused managed to gave a slip to the police.

The high-quality 20.5 kg heroin (originated from Afghanistan), estimated to be worth Rs 100 crore in the international market, was concealed in a bag. According to highly placed sources, the DRI got information about a truck suspected to be used for ferrying prohibited drugs apparently being smuggled in from across the border.

“Though the intoxicants were intercepted successfully, the driver of the truck managed to flee. The police is searching for his whereabouts for further scrutinisation in nearby area,” a police official said, adding that the primary action would be to trace antecedents of the owner of the truck. According to a communiqué, suspicion of the police team roused when they spotted a rashly driven truck coming from Ajnala side.

“The truck when signalled to halt accelerated its speed and after loosing control rammed into a side lane and as soon as the police party reached the spot the driver ran away,” said the sources.

It is evident to mention that with this confiscation, the DRI has recovered nearly 160 kg of heroin in this financial year.