The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Cong walks out of LS, says govt dragging session Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 4 The Congress today walked out of Lok Sabha to protest lack of inter party consultations on the legislative and general business being brought to the House and said the government was simply dragging the session and had no meaningful business. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge led the walkout soon after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan brought a calling attention discussion on Japanese Encephalitis and later converted it into a longer discussion by the voice vote where the majority MPs on the BJP side called for a longer discussions. Kharge got up in his seat at the time and literally clashed with Speaker saying, “This is simply not done. The government did not hold any Business Advisory Committee meeting to tell us of the upcoming agenda. There are several issues important for us but these are not being raised. Rules are being used only to prevent us from speaking but otherwise there are no rules. Often cabinet ministers are not present during important discussions but nothing is said of that. This government has no business.” Kharge led the walkout accusing the BJP Government of finding unlisted issues to drag the session till August 14. He also later led a party delegation to the Speaker to protest on the matter and demand consultations with the parties before bringing any business to the house.
	Flood alert: 70,000 evacuated in Bihar New Delhi, August 4 More than 70,000 people have been evacuated to safety camps after a flood alert in Bihar. “So far there is no rise in the water level of the Kosi river and there is no imminent danger but all precautionary measures are in place to deal with any eventuality,” the government said. The National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, met this afternoon to review the situation of the impending rise in water level in the river due to a landslide and blockade upstream in Nepal. A videoconference was held with the Chief Secretary of Bihar and other state government officials. “There appears to be no imminent danger at present as the flow of the river is steady and there is no rise in the water level. However, a close vigil is being kept on the situation by the Central Water Commission and other agencies,” a Home Ministry spokesperson said. The Centre is providing all possible help to the state government. 19 teams of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been deployed for rescue and relief operation. Besides preparedness of armed forces and composite teams including standby helicopters and cargo planes at Purnea Base, 15 diving teams of the Navy are in readiness at Vishakhapattanam. — PTI IAF presses jets into service; 14 on standby C-130-J, an IAF plane, sent to Nepal to provide help in handling the flood situation IAF has deployed a C-17 heavy-lift aircraft with a team of 20 doctors and a mobile hospital in Purnea. Four Mi-17V5s have been moved from Bagdogra in West Bengal to Purnea in Bihar for relief operations The force has kept 14 aircraft on a standby mode to participate in relief operations
	MP judge accused of sexual harassment Bhopal, August 4 In a severe dent to the image of higher judiciary, a woman Additional District and Sessions Judge in Gwalior has quit her job accusing a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court of sexual harassment, a charge he has rejected and offered to face death penalty if found true. Accusing a judge of the Gwalior Bench of the high court of seeking sexual favours from her, the woman judge has written to the Chief Justice of India explaining the reasons that forced her to resign from the judicial service. Rejecting the charges made by the woman judge, who also headed the district-level committee to look into sexual harassment at workplace, the high court judge today wrote a letter to Chief Justice RM Lodha offering to face any probe by any agency including an investigating agency. Offering to face a probe, he said: “If any allegation against me is found true, I am ready to face any penalty, even the death penalty.” The woman judge, in her letter to the CJI, narrates a number of instances in which she was the subject of the judge’s “foul and malicious intentions”. She also referred to the alleged harassment by three judicial officers on the orders of the high court judge. The woman judge said even after suffering all harassment from the three judicial officers on the instructions of the judge, “I had not submitted to the evil demand of the judge and kept on doing my work with all dedication and sincerity”. — PTI PIL filed in SC A PIL was on Monday filed in the Supreme Court seeking lodging of an FIR and judicial inquiry to take action on the complaint of a woman judge of Gwalior. The PIL also sought suspension of the judge of the Gwalior Bench of the high court, who had allegedly sexually harassed the woman judge, during the pendency of the inquiry.
	Varun as UP CM: BJP leaders not enthused Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 4 Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi's open pitch for son and Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit on Sunday does not seem to have inspired many in the BJP. Maneka's opinion that Uttar Pradesh would have benefited had there been a BJP-led government in the state with Varun as the Chief Minister drew nonchalant responses from senior BJP leaders who largely called it a mother's love for her son. "Though keeping in mind the feudal mindset in the Hindi heartland it (a Gandhi as a CM candidate for UP) would not be such a bad idea. There is no such suggestion in the party as of now. What she (Maneka Gandhi) said is largely a mother's belief in her son," a senior BJP functionary said in response to the Union Minister's statement. "It would have been better had there been our government in the state... run by Varun, in that case Pilibhit should have benefited most," Gandhi was quoted as saying.
	Captive Indians in Iraq safe: Sushma Ashok Tuteja Tribune news Service New Delhi, August 4 Forty-one Indians in captivity of Sunni militants in strife-torn Mosul town of Iraq are safe and the government is making all-out efforts to bring them back, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha today. “We are not in direct touch with them but our sources inform us that they are alive...had we been in direct touch with them, we would have brought them back home,” she said replying in the Rajya Sabha to a calling attention notice on the plight of stranded Indians workers in Iraq. Sushma said the families of these workers, most of whom hail from Punjab, had met her thrice in recent days to urge the government to secure their release. “I have knocked at every door to bring these children back. We were told they would be released on the Eid day, but that did not happen...I am waiting for their return like a mother,” she added. Apart from Iraq, the government was also now focused on bringing back Indians from Libya which also was no longer safe. “We are persuading all Indians working there to come back. If you know someone who wants to come back from Iraq or Libya, I assure the House that I will provide them passports and air tickets,” she said.
	INTER-STATE WATER DISPUTE Punjab, Haryana question composition of CJI-led Bench R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, August 4 The Supreme Court today dropped tomorrow’s hearing of the Presidential reference on the validity of Punjab Termination of Agreement (PTA) Act 2004 after Haryana and Punjab raised questions over the composition of the five-member Constitution Bench headed Chief Justice RM Lodha. Haryana said senior advocate VA Bobde has been arguing its water dispute cases for more than a decade and would also appear for the state in the Presidential reference matter, listed for tomorrow before the Constitution Bench. However, Bobde’s brother Justice SA Bobde was part of the Constitution Bench, Haryana’s counsel Ejaz Maqbool said. He was just bringing this fact to the knowledge of the court ahead of the hearing, Maqbool clarified, without specifically raising any objection. Appearing for Punjab, senior advocate Harish Salve, assisted by JS Chhabra, said Rajasthan, the home state of CJI Lodha, was a party to the case and it was the general practice of judges to opt out from hearing such cases if they were from any of the states involved in water disputes, a sensitive issue, he said. Unconvinced by Salve’s contention, CJI Lodha said, “I am an Indian. I am the Chief Justice for the whole country.” He also said he was a judge and Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court for more than 10 years and this did not mean that he should stay away from appeals coming to the SC from Maharashtra. Haryana and Punjab raised the matter in the morning immediately after a three-member Bench, which also included Justices Kurian Joseph and RF Nariman, assembled for the day’s hearing. The Presidential reference was there in the advance list of cases for tomorrow, but was deleted in the fresh list issued in the evening. Besides the CJI and Justice Bobde, the other members of the Constitution Bench are Justices Dipak Misra, MB Lokur and Kurian Joseph. The reference had been made by the then President APJ Abdul Kalam following a hue and cry by Haryana and other affected states by the PTA Act, passed by the Punjab Assembly on July 12, 2004 when Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh was the Chief Minister. The President has sought the SC’s opinion under Article 143(1) on four aspects. The first point is PTA’s constitutional validity, while the second is its conformity with the provisions of two laws enacted by Parliament — Inter-State Water Dispute Act, 1956 and the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966. The SC also has to answer as to whether Punjab has validly terminated the December 31, 1981 agreement and all other agreements relating to Ravi-Beas waters with neighbouring states. Under the fourth aspect, it would also go into Punjab’s obligations under the 2002 and 2004 judgements of the apex court for the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.
	HC Bar at odds with itself over dismissal of plaint against lawyer brothers Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 4 The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana High Court, it seems, is at odds with itself over the issue of dismissing a complaint against advocates Anil and Ranjit Malhotra, both brothers. Former chairman Lek Raj Sharma and some other members have shot off a communication to the Bar Council chairman for “reconsideration of the matter related to the complaint of misconduct against Anil Malhotra, advocate”. The communication came in response to a news report that the Bar Council had found “no substance” in a foreign couple’s plea against the brothers. The couple had said that they were charged a whopping Rs 3.3 crore in about nine months for a case hovering around the custody of a seven-year-old. The case under the Guardians and Wards Act, pending in Himachal Pradesh, is in its initial stages. The couple had claimed that they had to sell their house in the US to pay the fee. The "amount paid" included approximately Rs 35 lakh on expenses and secondary lawyers and Rs 2.5 crore was "paid" via traceable international bank transfers. The Malhotras, on the other hand, had claimed they were “engaged professionally and retained as counsel on per appearance agreed and settled charges”. The client, they said, had approved in writing hourly rates for professional consultation, case conferences, discussion and case preparation for guardianship proceedings. All expenses were payable separately. A log of hourly working was maintained and communicated regularly in writing, for which hourly rate was paid as per the agreed and settled charges from time to time. No payment was ever disputed, questioned or left unpaid. Approximately professional time billed from January to October 2013 was about 1500 hours. Amidst dissenting note by Bar Council chairman Rakesh Gupta and two other members, its General House had in May dismissed in one paragraph the complaint running into 168 pages filed by American citizen Karma Lama and his Italian wife Paola Pivi against the advocates. The communication, now submitted by some of the members, indicates that the complaints of misconduct were never taken up for consideration. It says: “…. the question of taking up the matter by the General House on the last date of the General House meeting does not arise. “You are, therefore, requested that all complaints circulated in the agenda of the last meeting, including the complaint as mentioned in the column (subject), may be put up for reconsideration before the General House and if possible an emergency meeting may be called.” Confirming the receipt of application for review, council chairman Rakesh Gupta said the issue would be put up before the General House, which was likely to meet after August 15.
	Special privileges to MPs unjustified: AAP Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 4 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has opposed the Union Civil Aviation Ministry's stand on stepping up of special privileges for MPs. According to AAP, the demands for VIP parking, exclusive use of airport lounges and other special courtesies are unjustified and any burden on the exchequer to provide special facilities to the MPs should be opposed. "The legislative and executive power granted to our distinguished Parliament should be used for public good. After all, MPs are also aam aadmis and they should not demand VIP treatment," said AAP parliamentary group leader Dr Dharamvir Gandhi. He along with three AAP MPs from Punjab — Harjinder Singh Khalsa (Fatehgarh Sahib), Sadhu Singh (Faridkot) and Bhagwant Mann (Sangrur) — condemned the recent demands made by some MPs to get more privileges for themselves.
	After losing young son, a father fights for pension Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 4 The father of a young Lieutenant of the Armoured Corps who was killed in a military exercise in 2010 and subsequently declared a ‘battle casualty’ by the Army, is struggling to get his son’s rightful pensionary benefits released. In the second round of litigation, GK Karol has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging the decision of the Armed Forces Tribunal that had restricted the benefits of arrears of pension. After the demise of his son and the rejection of his claim for liberalised dependant family pension in 2011, Karol had approached the AFT in February 2012 when the Ministry of Defence had not treated the death of the young officer as a battle casualty or having occurred during battle training exercise or inoculation. Agreeing with his contentions, an AFT Bench comprising Justice Rajesh Chandra and Air Marshal SC Mukul directed the payment of the correct type of pension but restricted the arrears to only a period of six months prior to filing of the petition by the father. Challenging the AFT’s decision, Karol pointed out that as per the law laid down by the Supreme Court, full arrears are to be granted in case the amount is illegally held back by the government, and at best, in case of an inordinate delay on a legal point of interpretation, the arrears can be restricted to a period of three years prior to filing of the petition. The HC has issued a notice of motion to the government and the AFT on the petition. The petitioner has pointed out that the Supreme Court and High Courts have already quashed similar orders restricting the arrears and “rather than following law laid down by Constitutional Courts, the tribunal in a strange form of dissidence from laid down judicial norms, has started restricting arrears of poor military litigants to only a period of six months”. He contended that such an approach went against judicial decorum and consistency and that no other court or bench of the AFT is restricting arrears to a period of six months. Legal battle GK Karol's son, a young Lieutenant of the Armoured Corps, was killed in a military exercise in 2010. The officer was subsequently declared a 'battle casualty' by the Army Karol has now moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging the decision of the Armed Forces Tribunal that had restricted the benefits of arrears of his son's pension
	SC notice to govt on plea for CVC on Lokpal lines Legal Correspondent New Delhi, August 4 The Supreme Court today sought the Centre’s response within four weeks to a PIL for selecting the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and the two Vigilance Commissioners on the lines of Lokpal by inviting applications through public advertisements and on the basis of unanimity. A Bench headed Chief Justice RM Lodha passed the order on the PIL by Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Integrity, Governance and Training in Vigilance Administration, which also pleaded for stipulating minimum knowledge and experience in vigilance matters as essential qualifications for the aspirants. Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani contended that only those candidates whose selection was unanimously approved by a panel comprising the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Leader of Opposition, and not through majority decisions. There was no mechanism for the empanelment of candidates and the final appointment and as a result the process was not transparent, he said.
	1 feared dead in factory fire Mumbai, August 4 One person was feared dead and two others injured after an explosion at a chemical factory at Tarapur today. The fire broke out in Nutraplus Ltd after an explosion. Indrajit Tiwari and Nandan Singh, employed with a neighbouring unit who were near the entrance to the factory received serious injuries. The police said they were trying to retrieve the body of supervisor Ajay Bore who went inside the factory before the explosion. —TNS
	rumblings in the Congress Dwivedi says party must have capacity to listen Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 4 Days after the Congress issued show-cause notices to two senior leaders -- Birender Singh from Haryana and Jagmeet Brar from Punjab -- for speaking their mind on organisational affairs, rumblings within the party grew further today with a veteran leader stressing the virtue of acceptance of opposition. Speaking for the first time since voices of dissent in the Congress began to trickle, Congress general secretary in charge of organisation Janardan Dwivedi today said, "I am not speaking in reference to a particular individual but an organisation must have the capacity to not just talk but also listen." While he did not clarify his statement further, its import in the current scenario is evident. Party president Sonia Gandhi recently expelled rebel Birender Singh from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) for speaking against Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and hobnobbing with the BJP. Two days later, the party put former CWC member Jagmeet Brar on notice for his alleged "anti leadership" comments. Brar had said Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi should travel across the country and rebuild the party while someone else should head the party in their absence. He had demanded that AICC treasurer Motilal Vora should be made Congress president, while Sonia and Rahul go around India connecting to people. Congress insiders said, "Janardan Dwivedi does not speak unless there is need to speak. What he has said is what most party leaders latently feel. After all, what is inner party democracy all about if not about talking and listening? After the terrible Lok Sabha loss, it is natural for Congress leaders and workers to feel demoralised and vent out opposition. Some will speak and that should be taken as a given." Immediately after the LS loss, the Congress had suspended two state leaders for questioning Rahul's ability to lead. One was former Kerala minister TH Mustafa who had called Rahul a "joker" and the other was Bhanwar Lal Sharma, a six-term MLA from Rajasthan who declared that Rahul was "unfit to lead the party".
	Kids shouldn’t die of preventable diseases: Harsh Vardhan Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 4 Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today appealed to MPs to ensure that not a single child in their respective segments dies of preventable causes. The minister made an appeal after a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the rising mortality due to Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in four states — UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. In 2014 alone, Eastern UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam have witnessed 3758 cases of AES and as many as 687 deaths. Likewise, the numbers of Japanese Encephalitis cases in these four states this year alone have been 651 as against 113 deaths. Replying after the discussion in which 20 MPs participated, Harsh Vardhan first said he was pained to hear parliamentarians trying to give a political flavour to health-related issues. “I request you to keep health above politics,” he told the House while admitting that as many as 14 lakh children in India were dying annually of preventable diseases. Of these, seven lakh were dying in the first 28 days of their birth. Harsh Vardhan said the reason why India is finding it hard to eradicate JE is – its virus has many hosts apart from humans unlike the polio virus which can multiply only in the intestine of young children.
	UPSC row: Scrap CSAT, say students New Delhi, August 4 Students protesting UPSC's Civil Services Examination's Prelims pattern have rejected government's proposed solution to the ongoing controversy and vowed to keep their agitation going. They say the SP, BSP, RJD and the Congress have promised to back their cause in Parliament. Reason for students' dejection - they say they had not asked for what the government has given them. Their principal demand was scrapping of CSE's Paper II, also called Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), which assesses candidates' knowledge of numeracy, analysis, reasoning, comprehension and English. CSAT and general studies, the first paper of Prelims, carry 200 marks each. While the qualifying marks in general studies are 30, the qualifying marks in CSAT are 70. What the government has done today is it has decided to ask the UPSC not to count questions on English comprehension in CSE Prelims merit. These questions number eight and carry 2.5 marks each, totalling 20 marks. Asked what the change would mean for students, UPSC sources said while earlier Prelims totalled 400 marks comprising two papers of 200 marks each, now they will total 380 marks as one of the two papers has lost questions bearing 20 marks. So the new merit of prelims would be computed on 380 marks instead of 400. Students say their agitation was not about these eight questions. "Our main problem was with translations of bilingual comprehension passages which were both in Hindi and English. We had demanded clarity on these translations but the government is silent. said Imran, a protester. — TNS Their grouse While the government has removed eight questions bearing 20 marks from CSAT, students say their main problem is with around 32 questions (bearing 80 marks) of bilingual comprehension passages both in Hindi and English.
	Arvind Gupta is new Deputy NSA New Delhi, August 4 Former diplomat Arvind Gupta was today appointed Deputy National Security Adviser in place of former police officer Nehchal Sandhu, who had resigned. Gupta, a 1979-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, will also be Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). An official communication issued by the Department of Personnel and Training said Gupta, who is at present Director General of the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), has been appointed for a period of three years with immediate effect on "re-employment on contract basis". — IANS
	K’shetra turns into a virtual battlefield HSGMC members struggle to facilitate takeover of historic shrine’s control, while SGPC tries to retain power Naveen S Garewal Tribune News Service Kurukshetra, August 4 Tension is palpable. Spears and canes outside the historic Gurdwara Chhati Patshahi are similar to naked swords and “barchas” (pointed spears) brandished by Nihangs dressed in blue attire camping inside. The scene is nothing short of a Sikh-Mughal battlefield of the 17th century. However, so far the scene is akin to that of a pre-battle. The only difference is that the warring factions are people of the same community, but from different states. It’s Haryana Sikhs versus their brothers from Punjab in Kurukshetra. For the third consecutive day, Sikhs have been trickling into this land of Mahabharata from various parts of the two states. But the purpose of those gathering here is neither spiritual nor religious. It’s a fight for control over the gurdwaras on either side of the boundary politicians drew with the implementation of the Punjab Reorganisation Act in 1966. Sikhs owing allegiance to the just-formed Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) are here to facilitate the takeover of the control of this gurdwara from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-backed Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). They have termed the agitation as “Sewa Sambhal Sangharsh” (Struggle to take over control of service). However, Sikhs, mainly employees of the SGPC, want to retain control of the historic shrine even after the Haryana Government formed a separate panel to manage and control gurdwaras in Haryana. “It’s a move to divide the Sikhs,” the two sides voice in unison, yet they are determined to fight till the end. But for a barricade in place that separates the two groups by about 50 yards and frequent cajoling by the Haryana Police, a clash would certainly have taken place by now. There is repeated provocation from either side. Till yesterday, it was the supporters of the HSGMC that called Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal names and held him responsible for depriving the Sikhs of Haryana the “right to serve the lord”, but since today morning, former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur has been boosting the sagging morale of the SGPC workers and there are counter allegations against Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, accusing him of “dividing the Sikhs”. For those familiar with the days of militancy in Punjab, the scenario at the Gurdwara Chhati Patshahi is no different. Supporters brandishing guns and naked swords are frequently raising “war cries”. Some leaders such as HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda, senior vice-president Didar Singh Nalvi and secretary Joga Singh frequently appeal for peace. “We need to be vigilant. There are armed people inside who can easily resort to desperation,” Joga Singh told a gathering of Haryana Sikhs. Calling himself illiterate, Seesha Singh from Assand addresses the Sikhs from Haryana, saying: “Let it take a day or two or even more, but we have to get rid of the ‘golak chors’ within the next few days.” Each time there is a speech like this, the SGPC workers, mainly from its task force, go into discussions asking their leaders to call for more men from gurdwaras in Punjab to counter the threat of being overpowered and oustered. There is constant talk throughout the day of one side asking for bus loads of “warriors” to prevent the control of the sacred shrine from passing from its hands to the HSGMC. At the same time, those outside the shrine repeatedly demand disconnection of electricity and ration to those holding fort inside so that they are forced to leave. With tempers running high on either side, one only hopes that good sense prevails and an amicable solution is soon found, says Parbhat Kaur, a devotee.
	August 13 is Dal Khalsa’s ‘Azaadi Sankalp Divas’ Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, August 4 Radical Sikh group Dal Khalsa has decided to observe August 13 as “Azaadi Sankalp Divas” (Independence Determination Day) by organising a conference in Jalandhar. Addressing a press conference here today, party head HS Dhami said the decision has been taken keeping in mind the Independence Days of Pakistan and India on August 14 and 15, respectively. He said their organisation’s 36th foundation day also fell on August 13. “During the conference, speakers will touch every aspect of the title: “Azaadi — the only way”, he said, adding that their persistent struggle for the right to self-determination through democratic and political means braving the repressive apparatus of the state would reach its logical conclusion. He termed the face-off between Akalis of Punjab and Haryana Sikhs dangerous and unfortunate. Dhami said “sensible persons” within the community had been crying from day one that internal bickering and internecine clashes would severely damage the image of the Sikh community. He expressed regret that the SGPC had been bifurcated, but blamed Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his coterie for precipitating the tension. He alleged that both the sides had taken the fight as their prestige issue, putting the honour of the community at risk. Party spokesman Kanwarpal Singh said that in 1947, Muslims got Pakistan on August 14 and Hindus got India on 15, while Sikhs missed the bus. He said since then, Sikhs had been longing for self-rule. He said: “Badals were unable to digest their moral defeat. They had misused the seat and seal of the Jathedar Akal Takht to fix the other side. They had prepared the ground for the physical showdown. In case better sense doesn’t prevail, gurdwaras will turn into battlefields putting the entire community to shame.” Opposing the trend of appointing Jathedars from priestly class, he said the current Jathedar had failed to call spade a spade. “A Jathedar should be a scholar with strong political insight and religious zeal,” he added. Keeping in mind I-Days Dal Khalsa head HS Dhami says the decision has been taken keeping in mind the Independence Days of Pakistan and India on August 14 and 15, respectively He says a conference will be held in Jalandhar where speakers will touch every aspect of the title: "Azaadi - the only way" He says the Dal Khalsa’s 36th foundation day also fell on August 13.
	Satkar Sabha calls Jathedar biased, stages silent protest in Karnal Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Karnal, August 4 Members of the Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Sabha today staged a silent protest against the Akal Takht Jathedar, whom they accused of being biased against Haryana Sikhs. They handed over a memorandum for President Pranab Mukherjee to Deputy Commissioner Balraj Singh. The protesters had tied black clothes around their mouths and demanded that the Jathedar should be appointed by Sikh sangat. Trashing the order of the Jathedar, in which he had said that the SGPC would control the Sikh shrines in Haryana and the HSGMC would not comment on it, Angrej Singh Pannu, state executive body member, said: “HSGMC is a legally authorised body which can control the shrines on its own, but the Jathedar is interfering in the rights of the state Sikhs, who want a separate committee. The Jathedar is biased against the Haryana Sikhs and is working on the behest of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar. This is against the sanctity of the community.” Rubbishing the SGPC and SAD leaders’ allegations that the HSGMC members were associated with the Congress, Pannu said: “They are Sikhs of Haryana not of any party. The SGPC is not the property of any individual or party. Our ancestors had sacrificed for it.” The protesters demanded the removal of task forces from gurdwaras of the state.
	Seven-member HSGMC panel to meet Guv today Tribune news service Kurukshetra, August 1 Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda told The Tribune today that a seven-member committee would meet the Haryana Governor at 6pm in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Those meeting the Governor are Jhinda, Didar Singh Nalvi, Joga Singh, Harpal Singh Palli, Karnail Singh, Jasbeer Singh Khalsa and Bhupinder Singh Asandh. Jhinda said a Sikh sammelan had also been called on Wednesday at the Morcha venue near the Gurdwara Chhati Patshahi to discuss the further course of action. About the meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, he said: “We made him aware of all facts and current situation of the gurdwaras and he (Chief Minister) said Haryana Sikhs should take over the management of gurdwaras in a peaceful manner and as per the law.” He said: “We have decided that since the matter is related to the Sikh community and the government has done its job, we will not seek the government interference anymore. So, we have called a Sikh sammelan here on Wednesday to discuss the further course of action.
	Intellectuals fear clash, call for amicable solution Perneet Singh Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 4 With tension escalating outside Gurdwara Chhevi Patshahi in Kurukshetra over the HSGMC row, Sikhs are apprehending a repeat of the violent clash that took place at the Golden Temple Complex on June 6 and feel that the issue should be resolved peacefully. Talking to The Tribune, former SGPC general secretary Bibi Kiranjot Kaur said: “The prevailing scenario shows Sikhs in poor light. We must understand that gurdwaras belong to the Sikh sangat. They neither belong to the SGPC nor the HSGMC. It will be unfortunate if any violence takes place.” AAP leader HS Phoolka said the show of strength being put up by both the sides in Kurukshetra was regrettable. He said the Akal Takht must take the lead in bringing the two sides on the negotiation table as it had intervened in the matter more than once in the past. The Akal Takht may also form an independent panel comprising Sikh intellectuals to talk to the leaders of both the sides. He said the HSGMC should have approached the judiciary to take over the possession of shrines. Gurpreet Singh, executive member of Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha, said now that the matter was in court it should be left to the judiciary to decide whether the formation of the HSGMC was justified or not. He said it was the responsibility of the Haryana Government to ensure that there was no bloodbath in Kurukshetra. He also pooh-poohed the SAD’s argument that the SGPC’s division would create a divide among Sikhs while stating that the unity of Sikhs was not manifest in being under the SGPC.
	Peace prevails on Day 3 of protest Nitish Sharma Tribune News Service Kurukshetra August 4 The third day of a protest being staged by members of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) in Kurukshetra passed off peacefully today. Despite a resolution passed at an emergency meeting on Sunday that asked all members of the ad hoc committee to bring 400 supporters each to the 'morcha' venue, the HSGMC today failed to get additional support with only 300 people turning up for the dharna. On condition of anonymity, an HSGMC member said: "There was an error in the announcement. A few leaders had claimed to bring along 400 supporters, but rest of the members were asked to bring 40 to 50 men." Sources said some senior Sikh leaders, who had struggled for the formation of the HSGMC but didn't get space in the committee, were unhappy, which is why they did not turn up at the venue with their supporters. HSGMC chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda reportedly went to Yamunanagar after meeting Haryana CM in to conciliate one of the "unhappy leaders". Meanwhile, former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur addressed the Sikh sangat through a loudspeaker, which irked the HSGMC supporters. Talking to reporters, Kaur said: "They (Jhinda and Nalvi) must go to the Akal Takht and accept their mistakes. Till they are excommunicated, we will not talk to them." She said: "The HSGMC is misleading the Sikh sangat by presenting wrong facts. It has been saying that the SGPC is withdrawing hundreds of crores of rupees from Haryana shrines, but the fact is that gurdwaras under local management have failed to even pay the 'dashwant'. As per the rule, 75 per cent of the total revenue of Haryana shrines should be spent on them, while the remaining 25 per cent should be deposited at the SGPC headquarters. The 25 per cent money that the SGPC takes is used for social work." Kaur said: "The main eight Haryana shrines are yet to deposit their 25 per cent share of previous years." She will be in Kurukshetra for a few more days.