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Ghost of Bluestar returns to haunt Congress
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Manpreet Badal
After NGO’s rebuff, AAP regrets error
STOCK-TAKING: Choudhary Lal Singh Udhampur-Doda
Post-Yeddy, BJP struggles to regain ground
BJP asked to pay service tax on Modi rallies
STOCK-TAKING: Kunwar Chandra Singh Baba Nainital
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Ghost of Bluestar returns to haunt Congress
Amritsar, February 18
Now, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fielding noted lawyer HS Phoolka from the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat, it is likely that the issue of the 1984 riots will play a critical role in the LS polls, as Phoolka has been the face of the long legal battle of the riot victims. He has already come under attack from the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has dubbed him as "only a part of the struggle for justice". The AAP led by Phoolka may cash in on the "anti-Congress sentiment" and damage the SAD-BJP alliance, as he played a key role in the AAP government's move to form a SIT into the 1984 riots. On Operation Bluestar, the recent bitter war of words between Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his bęte noire Captain Amarinder Singh is a clear indication that the issue will not die down before the elections. Rahul's admission about the possible involvement of some Congress leaders in the 1984 riots came close on the heels of the disclosure that the UK extended advice to the Indian Government prior to Operation Bluestar may also damage the Congress, which now finds itself on the defensive. Talking to The Tribune, former Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh said: "The Congress has lost its face in view of these developments over the past few days. It will adversely affect the Congress' poll prospects in the Sikh-dominated constituencies. Not to mention that these revelations have benefited the BJP, which was at the receiving end on the role of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots." Tarlochan Singh's views assume significance as he was the press secretary of the then President Giani Zail Singh during the 1984 riots and was the Chairman of the National Commission of Minorities during the 2002 Gujarat riots. He, however, felt that the ruling SAD in Punjab should focus on Sikh issues. "It's good that they talk of development, but they should also keep the Sikh agenda intact." Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjeet Singh GK, who has been on the forefront of anti-Congress protests after Rahul's interview, said the issue would cast a shadow on the Lok Sabha elections. He said the time chosen by Rahul Gandhi to admit the role of Congress leaders in the 1984 riots could not have been worse. He said they could not be accused of turning it into a political issue, as it was Rahul Gandhi who resurrected it out of the blue. "It is an issue attached to the Sikh sentiments. We will react whenever such a situation arises. As far as the Lok Sabha elections are concerned, only the time will tell who will make gains on these issues," he added. Former SGPC Secretary Manjeet Singh Calcutta said the SAD had already exploited the 1984 riots to the hilt. The SAD-BJP alliance stands exposed as the NDA Government did nothing to bring the culprits to book during its six-year rule at the Centre. He felt that there was no other Panthic issue which will figure prominently in the Lok Sabha elections as the ruling SAD has already deserted its Panthic agenda. Former Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University SP Singh said the issue of the 1984 riots would benefit the AAP and not the SAD-BJP alliance in the coming Lok Sabha elections. "The AAP has another advantage of HS Phoolka joining the party as he has been the face of the 1984 riot victims' legal battle," he added. Besides, the role of the BJP is also under the scanner as far as Operation Bluestar and the 1984 riots are concerned. He also referred to BJP stalwart LK Advani's remarks regarding Operation Bluestar in his autobiography. Phoolka said these are highly emotive issues and people are bound to be affected by them. He said it was obvious that the Congress would face negative effect, but he could not predict as to who would make the gain, as today the SAD is not the only option for the people of Punjab. Among other key Panthic issues are the Nanakshahi Calendar and the Sehajdhari voting rights row, but these are not likely to have any major effect on the Lok Sabha elections. KEY PANTHIC ISSUES Operation Bluestar: May have impact on polls in view of the UK's revelations about its role and subsequent war of words between the Congress and the SAD leadership over each other's role in it. 1984 anti-Sikh riots: It is back to haunt the Congress after Rahul Gandhi's maiden TV interview and the Delhi Government's nod to form a SIT. Sehajdhari voting rights row: Doesn't appear to have the potential to leave a significant impact on the Lok Sabha elections, though the fate of the new SGPC House continues to hang in balance due to it. Nanakshahi Calendar controversy: The issue which has divided the Sikh community for over a decade now will not have much effect on the outcome of the General Elections. Other issues: Apart from these, there are Panthic issues like apostasy and drug addiction, Sikh identity, Sikh 'rehat maryada' (code of conduct), All-India Sikh Gurdwara Act, but they're not much in the limelight. Jarnail Singh is AAP candidate from Delhi (West)
The AAP has played the 1984 card in Delhi too by fielding journalist Jarnail Singh from the Sikh-dominant the Delhi (West) Lok Sabha seat. Jarnail Singh had hit the headlines when he hurled a shoe at the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2009 to protest against his remarks on a clean chit to Congress leaders in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
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Cong wants tie-up with PPP in Punjab
New Delhi, February 18 The Congress is willing to offer Bathinda Lok Sabha seat to PPP chief Manpreet Badal if he were to go in for a pre-poll alliance. "The signals are mixed but bordering on the positive," a top AICC office-bearer said today when asked if the talks with the PPP were positive. It is learnt that while the Congress would prefer the PPP to merge with it ahead of polls, the latter is uncomfortable with the prospect. While the PPP is learnt to have demanded two Lok Sabha seats, the Congress is willing to give one. Speaking to TNS, a top Congress leader privy to PPP-Congress meetings said: "Even if the PPP does not merge with us, we will be fine if Manpreet Badal could contest Lok Sabha elections on our party symbol. In that case, merger will not be relevant." The Congress hopes to engage Manpreet in Bathinda Lok Sabha segment where his sister-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal is the sitting Akali Dal MP. Besides wooing Manpreet, the Congress managers are also said to be in talks with Surjit Singh Barnala's Sanjha Morcha and the CPI for an alliance in the state. If the alliance happens, the Congress is willing to part with the Faridkot Lok Sabha seat for the CPI. "We can give Faridkot seat to the CPI if the alliance comes through. There is sizeable communist vote in all Lok Sabha segments of Punjab which we can target. A greater proportion of communist vote is in Bathinda where Manpreet can benefit by contesting as a candidate of the grand alliance. Our preliminary assessments show in case the Congress, PPP, CPI and Sanjha Morcha come together, our Assembly votes put together in Bathinda segment could present tough prospects for Harsimrat Kaur Badal," a senior Congress strategist said. The Tribune has learnt that Congress general secretary and in charge of Punjab Shakeel Ahmed and Punjab Pradesh Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa are in touch with Manpreet Badal for an alliance. These discussions are the reason why Punjab wasn't discussed in the first meeting of the Sonia Gandhi-led Central Election Committee held here yesterday. The first Congress shortlist of candidates from Bathinda LS seat has former state CM Capt Amarinder Singh on top, but he is said to be unwilling to contest. That leaves the Congress with two options within the party - Harminder Jassi, who has a Dera support and, former MP Surinder Singla.
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After NGO’s rebuff, AAP regrets error
New Delhi, February 18 "Aam Aadmi party leader Shazia Ilmi learnt about a survey that showed a dramatic fall in the levels of corruption in Delhi after the AAP government came to power. Since the information came from someone who was an employee of Transparency International, she (Ilmi) assumed that it was a Transparency International survey," a statement by the party said. Taking support of Ilmi's statement to the newspaper, Kerjiwal, in his speech at the CII yesterday, had said that corruption cases had fallen drastically in Delhi after the party came to power. "Since then we have come to know that the said survey had no connection with Transparency International and the source of Shazia Ilmi's information had quit Transparency International by then. We regret the error," the statement added. Ilmi, however, said an independent agency had conducted a survey which stated that corruption had gone down in Delhi after AAP formed the government. "There is indeed a study done by an independent agency asserting that Delhi was cleaner and less corrupt in AK's (Arvind Kejriwal's) 49 days. It will be out soon," she tweeted. The Transparency International, too, rebuffed Ilmi's claim of conducting such survey. — PTI
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STOCK-TAKING: Choudhary Lal Singh Udhampur-Doda State’s Economic Survey Report says the area in his constituency is underdeveloped Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 18 The last Economic Survey Report released by the state government is an indicator of the backwardness and under-development of the areas that fall under this Lok Sabha segment. Voters here are facing two battles simultaneously. On the one hand large part of this segment remains plagued with terrorism, while on the other, backwardness and poverty continue to be the biggest challenges. Congress MP Choudhary Lal Singh claims that he has successfully tried to solve problems of the people of his constituency. "Udhampur-Doda is the only area in the country where every village with a population of just 250 people is connected with roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)," said Lal Singh, adding that in other parts of the country, an area's population should be at least 1,000 for the sanction of roads under the scheme. "I convinced the Union Government to sanction adequate funds to connect the area's remotest villages with roads," he said, adding that the suspension bridge constructed at Basholi at a cost of Rs 150 crore was the second such bridge in the country. "It was due to my efforts that honorarium of the SPOs and the members of Village Defence Committees has been enhanced from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000," he said, adding that he was trying to further increase it to Rs 5,000 a month. He said families of all martyrs of the constituency had been facilitated to boost the morale of nationalist forces in the region. The past scenario
Before 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the segment was considered to be the citadel of the BJP as veteran party leader Prof Chaman Lal Gupta had won elections from this seat for three successive terms. In 2004, Choudhary Lal Singh had emerged as "giant killer" because he had trounced Prof Gupta by a good margin of more than 45,000 votes, but this margin narrowed down to nearly 13,000 votes in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections when the BJP had fielded Dr Nirmal Singh from the constituency. In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, out of the total 6,11,886 polled votes, Choudhary Lal Singh had secured 2,31,853 votes and his nearest rival Dr Nirmal Singh of the BJP had got 2,18,459 votes. Panthers Party leader Prof Bhim Singh had got 69,463 votes, followed by Thakur Balbir Singh of the People's Democratic Party who got 30,294 votes and Rakesh Wazir of the Bahujan Samaj Party who got 21,445 votes. Of the seven assembly segments, Choudhary Lal Singh got a lead in nine segments and Nirmal Singh is eight. Ironically, both the leaders had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly Elections in 2008. In 2004, Choudhary Lal Singh had got 2,40,872 votes, BJP's Prof Chaman Lal Gupta got 1,93,697, Khalid Sohrawardy of the National Conference 69,971 and Prof Bhim Singh 49,869. The rivals’ take
Though Nirmal Singh trashed Lal Singh's development claims as eyewash, the latter says he had got the Jammu-Udhampur rail link completed and rail services extended up to Katra. Lal Singh said: "It was all due to my efforts that work on the Katra-Sangaldan rail link and widening of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was started." "Lal Singh's claims are false as all these projects were started during the NDA regime headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee," said Nirmal Singh, adding that the railway project was started in 1980s. Nirmal alleged that during his 10-year tenure as the MP, Lal Singh had failed to take up people's issues in the Lok Sabha. "Lal Singh has nothing to highlight as his achievement," Nirmal Singh said, adding that the failure of the UPA Government on all fronts was a major issue in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The MP claimed that he had spent 100 per cent of his Constituency Development Fund . "The last instalment will be released in March," he said, adding that he had sanctioned nearly 5,000 works to carry out development works. In Parliament
"I highlighted almost all issues of my constituency in the Lok Sabha," he said, adding that it was all due to his efforts that the issue of refugees was strongly taken up in Parliament. He said he had take up the problems of border residents in the House and it was all due to his efforts that fencing was extended up to zero line. Though Lal Singh claimed that he would be able to retain his seat on the basis of his performance, his rival claimed that people were looking for an opportunity to teach the Congress a lesson for being involved in scams, inflation and soft approach to terrorism. Where he stands Current profile MP from Udhampur-Doda Entered LS in 2004 Constituency break-up 17 Assembly segments: Kathua, Hiranagar, Billawar, Basholi, Bani, Ramnagar, Udhampur, Chenani, Reasi, Gool-Arnas, Mahore, Banihal, Ramban, Doda, Bhaderwah, Inderwal and Kishtwar In Parliament Attendance 84% Participated in debates 82 Questions asked 257
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Post-Yeddy, BJP struggles to regain ground
Bangalore, February 18 A recent incident featuring BJP leader and former Medical Education Minister Ramdas also brought back the memories of the BJP rule alive. Ramdas, who is single and supposed to observe celibacy in deference to his ideological commitment to the RSS, tried to commit suicide after his alleged affair with a widow. The incident is characteristic of the BJP in Karnataka. When it was in power in the state, there were a number of sex-related allegations against its ministers and MLAs. Moreover, the government under the BJP in the state was never stable. When Yeddyurappa was the Chief Minister, the Reddy brothers of Bellary, some Dalit ministers and MLAs troubled him. After Yeddyurappa resigned from the post following Lokayukta's report accusing him of accepting a bribe from a mining company, it was his turn to play truant with the government. The BJP's victory in the Assembly elections in Karnataka - first time by the party in a southern state - was supposed to pave the way for the saffron party's march in other states of the region. However, it turned out to be a disaster. Though the Lok Sabha elections are held to elect the federal government, the happenings in the state during the tenure of the previous government continues to weigh heavily in the mind of voters. This may give the Congress an edge over the BJP. The state government in Karnataka led by Congress will be barely a year-old when the LS elections take place. This is too short a time for the anti-incumbency mood to set in. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is a popular leader and a good orator. The Congress leaders are aware of the impact of five years of the BJP rule on voters. Yeddyurappa, with his strong following among voters belonging to the Lingayat caste, was instrumental in the BJP's victory in the 2008 Assembly elections and the party's good performance (19 out of 28 seats) in the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. Yeddyurappa, who floated the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) after breaking away from the BJP, has recently returned to BJP, but it has failed to make an impact. Charges of corruption and nepotism against him have reduced Yeddyurappa's stature among his supporters. If the electorate in Karnataka vote in exactly the same manner as they did in the Assembly elections held in May 2013, the BJP, which won 19 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha poll, would win just two seats. The ruling Congress would win 22 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular), led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda will win four seats. If the KJP and the BSR Congress votes are added to the BJP, it will win 11 seats, Congress 15 and JD(S) two seats. Like the KJP, the BSR Congress had also broken away from the BJP before the last Assembly elections. If only the KJP votes are added to BJP, the party will win seven seats, Congress 19 and JD(S) two seats. The AAP will also make its presence felt in the elections this time. V Balakrishnan, who was a member of the Infosys Board, is expected to contest from the Bangalore (North) constituency, which is now represented by the BJP. Balakrishnan's former colleague and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is likely to get the Congress ticket from the Bangalore (South) constituency against veteran BJP leader Ananth Kumar.
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BJP asked to pay service tax on Modi rallies
New Delhi, February 18 Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI), Ludhiana wing, has shot off a letter to BJP's Chandigarh unit six days ago, stating that the party should intimate about the details of amounts collected and service tax paid, if any, with regard to entry tickets to various rallies organised in the region after July 1, 2012. It said neither the party nor Modi was registered under service tax. It said: "As the entry tickets to the rallies were not for admission to an entertainment event or access to amusement facilities, which are in the negative list, the same is taxable in the hands of person collecting the amount on tickets." the BJP reacted sharply to it saying the UPA Government has now invented a new curious method, which it hopes can tackle Modi. "Absurd that it may sound, they now propose to tax Modi's rallies. Considering the mammoth crowds who gather to listen to Narendra Modi all over the country, this can be Finance Minister's faint hope of augmenting his otherwise depleting revenue," BJP leader Arun Jaitley reacted on his blog. The DGCEI, in its letter had cited media reports claiming that money was being charged from people who attended the rallies of Modi. — PTI
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STOCK-TAKING: Kunwar Chandra Singh Baba Nainital Says no public representative can match his achievements in the region BD Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, February 18 Baba has been representing the seat for the past 10 years. He had defeated BJP's Vijay Bansal in 2004 and Bachi Singh Rawat in 2009. With 14 assembly segments - Lakuan, Bhimtal, Nainital (SC), Haldwani, Kaladungi, Jaspur, Kashipur, Bajpur (SC), Gadarpur, Rudrapur, Kicha, Sitarganj, Nanakmata (ST) and Khatima - the constituency has 15,01,783 voters of which 8,00,723 are men and 7,01,060 women. The ground work
The Nainital MP claims that he has done a lot in the past 10 years and was instrumental in bringing huge investment to the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand (SIDCUL) at Pantnagar Rudrapur and Sitarganj. He said no public representative could match his achievements in the region. He said he had opened a branch of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Kashipur, extended gas pipeline to Rudrapur besides opening a medical college in the area. "Not only in Terai area, Baba has worked in all 14 Assembly constituencies where he impartially distributed his MPLADS funds to construct rural infrastructure," said Narayan Singh Bisht, Congress district president in Udham Singh Nagar district. Bisht said the MP had linked interior hill blocks of Betalghat, Okhalkanda, and Nainital to Haldwani market under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) so that villagers could take their crops to the market without any hassle. "Our MP is simple and grounded despite his royal background," said Nainital Congress committee president Satish Nainwal, adding: "His works benefited more than 5,000 families in 100 hill villages of the constituency." He said: "The construction of an international stadium at Gaulapar area of Haldwani and irrigation schemes for tomato producers of the region under the Bharat Nirman Yojana have all been done by the MP." The confident rival
The BJP had won the traditional Congress seat in 1991 and 1998 when Balraj Pasi and Ila Pant were saffron party candidates. However, the party is confident of emerging victorious this time. "This time, people of Nainital are with the BJP and they want to see Narendra Modi as their next Prime Minister," said former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari who is aspiring to get the party ticket this time. "Apart from Terai, the BJP will emphasise on the development of hills as they need food and fruit processing units to increase employment," he said. BJP leaders have accused the Congress MP of neglecting agriculture in cultivation-rich Terai region. They asserted that if the NDA Government came to power at the Centre and Nainital was represented by their party MP, the BJP would emphasise on developing all nine lakes around Nainital, ponds of Terai region and provide cold storage in the fruit belt of Ramgarh area of the constituency. "Besides promoting agriculture in the Terai belt, the BJP will also take care of the industries, which were neglected during the Congress regime. Of the total 4,500 industries in the region, more than 2,200 are either on the verge of closure or shifting outside from the region," said BJP general secretary Prakash Pant. The BJP has alleged that due to lack of vision of development in hill areas and in agricultural belt of the region, the Congress MP had surrendered most part of his MPLAD funds in the past 10 years. "Had these funds been used in opening cold storages at Ramgarh-Bhimtal-Bhawali belt, the fruit and vegetable growers would have been getting better price for their produce and would not have been forced to migrate to Tarai region as they are doing today," Koshiyari said. * Opened an IIM branch at Kashipur * Got sanction to extent gas pipeline from Mathura Refinery to Rudrapur town *
Attracted high industrial investment in the past 10 years WHAT HE COULD NOT DO
* Could not take care of shrinking agricultural of the area * Failed to pay attention to the problems of hilly areas of the constituency Voterspeak
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limelight. These may leave an impact on the coming Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Punjab and New Delhi.
Now, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fielding noted lawyer HS Phoolka from the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat, it is likely that the issue of the 1984 riots will play a critical role in the LS polls, as Phoolka has been the face of the long legal battle of the riot victims.
WHAT HE DID
Guwahati: 
New Delhi: