Bathinda, February 7
Raninder Singh, a Congress leader and son of president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Capt Amarinder Singh, met party workers here today to mobilise them for the successful organisation of the Congress rally to be held at Rampura Phul on February 11. The rally will be addressed by Capt Amarinder.

Coordinator of the rally and Amritsar MLA OP Soni accompanied Raninder.

To a question, Raninder, who unsuccessfully contested the previous Lok Sabha election from Bathinda, said he was not away from the workers of this district as he visited them as and when the party assigned him a responsibility.

When asked about speculations that he might contest the next Assembly election from Rampura Phul, Raninder replied that he was working to strengthen the party and field others in the elections and not himself.

However, he declined to make any comment about former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal. Besides, he also parried the question if the party would seek the Dera Sacha Sauda’s support in the ensuing Assembly elections. Raninder said he was here only to mobilise support for the February 11 Rampura Phul rally.

Soni said the PPCC targets a gathering of one lakh people at the rally. He also claimed that the people of Punjab had made up their mind to make Amarinder the next Chief Minister.

Among those present at the meeting included MLAs Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Ajaib Singh Bhatti and Makhan Singh; former ministers Harbans Singh Sidhu, Gulzar Singh and Sukhdev Singh Dhillon; PPCC delegate KK Aggarwal; district Congress president (Rural) Narinder Singh Bhuleria; district Congress president (Urban) Ashok Kumar; and district Congress president (Mahila wing) Mohinder Kaur Rani.

Bathinda, February 7
Lodging protest against the Union Government for its alleged ‘anti-labour’ policies, hundreds of activists of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Sabha in collaboration with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and some trade unions, held a convention here today.

Raising various issues like price rise, job cuts, reduction in wages and closure of factories, leaders urged people to lend support to a joint call given by various trade unions and groups to choke the national capital on February 23.

Leader of the CPI in the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta, who is also the general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), addressed the gathering to mobilise them for the Delhi rally.

“Lakhs of people from both the unorganised and organised sectors will take part in the rally. The mammoth gathering will show Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC chief Sonia Gandhi that Delhi does not belong to them only, but to all. It will show the ruling leaders that a major change is in the offing,” he added. Dasgupta said, “The leaders at the Centre are looting the nation at a big level, which has recently been exposed through the 2G scam and the Commonwealth Games.”

Giving a slogan — Ek baar rail mein, Ek baar jail mein — Dasgupta asked workers to reach Delhi by boarding trains without ticket. There is no need to pay the rail fare for the day as Indian Railways is also our property, he announced.

Addressing the gathering, a majority of which was from the rural areas of the state, the AITUC leader quoted Shaheed Bhagat Singh and recalled his vision and sacrifice. “You are the sons and daughters of the same soil that Bhagat Singh belonged to. Since Bhagat Singh’s dreams are yet to be fulfilled, you all must unite and support the cause,” he asked.

Member of the national executive committee of the CPI Dr Joginder Dayal, former MLA Hardev Singh Arshi, comrade Nirmal Dhaliwal, Bhupinder Sambar, Jagjit Singh Joga, Swaran Singh Nagoke, Surjeet Singh Sohi and state general secretary of the AITUC Bant Singh Brar also addressed the gathering.

Ferozepur, February 7
Vice-president Mohammad Hamid Ansari will visit this border town on February 17. Ansari, who is expected to be accompanied by an MP and other dignitaries, will be attending a function at the local Dev Samaj College for Women.

Ansari will be the second high profile visitor to this town after Home Minister P. Chidambaram who was here on October 22, 2010. Ansari is also scheduled to pay a visit to the Home for Blind and an orphanage, being run by NGOs. He would be the chief guest at the platinum jubilee celebrations of Dev Samaj College for Women and would release a souvenir to mark the occasion. KK Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, when contacted, confirmed that Ansari would be visiting the city on February 17 and said all arrangements were being made. He said that so far, it could not be confirmed whether Governor of Punjab, Shiv Raj Patil would accompany Ansari or not. Parminder Singh, general secretary, PPCC, who played a key role in ensuring the visit of Ansari to this town, said that he hoped that after the visit of Ansari, the condition of both Home for Blind and orphanage would improve.

Meanwhile, a section of local residents and representatives of various organisations, said that if they managed to get an audience with Ansari, they would submit a memorandum to him urging him to use his good office for opening the Hussainiwala JCP for trade between India and Pakistan as it had affected the economy of this town adversely. 

Abohar, February 7
Solving the mystery that shrouded the killing of a teenaged girl Karamjeet Kaur (16) of village Khambha under Lakho Ke Behram police station (Ferozepur) the Sriganganagar district police today claimed that it was a case of honour killing.

Sriganganagar SP Rupinder Singh said at a press briefing that Karamjeet Kaur was thrown in the Gang (Bikaner) canal after tying her legs and arms in village Khuikhera, located on Abohar-Fazilka road, on January 17. Her father Mehal Singh of village Khambha and his close relative Iqbal Singh of Khuikhera have been arrested in connection with the case on the statement of one Manphool Ram at Srikaranpur police station.

They were being interrogated by a special team. Notably, they had earlier told the police that she had gone missing but no FIR was lodged by the family at any police station in district Ferozepur.

The SP said that on February 2 the body of the girl was recovered from a sub-canal near village 54GG. The SHO of Srikaranpur police station observed that her legs and arms had been tied and it appeared visibly. — OC

Ferozepur, February 7
Simran, a resident of Mori Gate locality of this town, got severely injured as she suffered a gunshot injury after Dev Raj, another resident of Tahli Moholla area, fired shots into air to keep away a group of persons, who were about to attack his kin Vijay Kohli, here today.

Police sources said that Simran, who had suffered gunshot injury near her heart, had been rushed to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot, for treatment. The case in this connection would be registered after the statement of Simran was recorded.

Sources added that yesterday late evening, one Dheeraj Arora, who was related both to Dev Raj and Vijay Kohli,  was attacked by Sagar Kohli, son of Vijay Kohli and subsequently he was admitted into local civil hospital as he suffered blunt injuries.

To reach a compromise through a mediator, both the parties were supposed to collect at a point at around 4 pm today. However, instead of entering into compromise, the members of Dheeraj Arora group went to the house of Vijay Kohli and started abusing them.  After some time, they started breaking the door to attack Kohli.

To save Vijay from alleged attackers, Dev Raj, who was also present in that house, came into the street and fired two shots from his double barrel gun. One of the pellets hit Simran, who was returning to her house after depositing the tuition fee of her wards in a local school.

As the fear gripped the residents of Tahli Moholla after this incident, which took place in broad day light, a section of senior police functionaries including Harjit Singh Pannu, SP (D) rushed to spot and made verification.

Ajmer Singh, SHO, city police station, when contacted, said that efforts were on to get the case registered in this connection after recording the statement. He said that action against Dev Raj and others, who were allegedly involved in this incident, could be taken only after case was registered against them.

He said that when a police party was sent to Kohli’s house, no one was there.

Bathinda, February 7
Four students of the Baba Farid Institute sustained injuries when a motorcycle they were riding hit a stray animal on the Malout road here this evening. Two of them, being critical, have been referred to the DMCH, Ludhiana.

On receiving the information about the mishap, volunteers of the Waheguru Welfare Society rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital. Finding the condition of two students critical, doctors referred them to the DMCH, Ludhiana.

Police sources said that three of the injured were identified as Balwinder Singh, Davinmder Singh and Paras Kumar. It was informed that the MD of Baba Farid Institute also visited the hospital to enquire about their well-being, before they were shifted. No case had been registered. — TNS

Bathinda, February 7
The Union Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment has released a grant of Rs 7.37 lakh to the Red Cross Drug De-addiction Centre, Goniana Road, Bathinda, for the previous and current financial years.

In a press note issued here today, secretary of the District Red Cross Society, JR Goyal said the long-awaited grant-in-aid had been released by the Ministry due to the efforts of DC Dr S. Karuna Raju. He said the grant-in-aid would now enable the de-addiction centre authorities to disburse the salaries of the staff that were due for the past 14 months besides help in undertaking various activities at the centre.

Project director of the centre Baljinder Singh Bhai Ka said the grant-in-aid would now enable them to provide medicine to the patients in the OPD, which was otherwise not available here for the past about two years. — TNS