Monday, August 23, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Monday, August 23, 1999 |
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Teach
Badal a lesson, says Ranjit Singh BJP defends release of N-draft |
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Hema
Malini seeks votes for Vinod Khanna Modern hospital complex awaits power Punjab candidates Bhattal decries Badal, Barnala
Security measures for LS poll Minor girl's rape: CBI probe
sought Hundreds attend Subedar’s
bhog ceremony Contributions to Kargil fund Special trains from Oct 7 "Real freedom" still
eludes India Baghapurana SHO transferred Vajpayee to visit Punjab on Sept 2 Case registered for throwing man
into Beas College librarians seek justice Assess losses, say fruit growers |
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Teach Badal a lesson, says
Ranjit Singh DEHLON village (Ludhiana), August 22 — Bhai Ranjit Singh, former Jathedar of Akal Takht, who has hit the campaign trail in support of the Third Front led by the SHSAD chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, has made the forthcoming electoral battle in a direct fight between Akal Takht and Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, who, according to him, has turned his back on the holy Takht. He does not seem to be worried that appealing to the religious sentiments of the people for votes may be construed a violation of the model code of conduct laid down by the Election Commission of India. "Is Mr Badal’s defiance of Akal Takht and lowering the dignity of its Jathedar not a violation of any moral code?" he snapped when The Tribune sought to point out obvious pitfalls in his approach in a talk at DEHLON village, 30 km from here, where he addressed an election rally support of the SHSAD nominee, Mr Gurdarshan Singh Grewal. During of a hurricane tour of the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency today, the Jathedar addressed nearly six election rallies at Jagraon, Mullanpur Dakha, Payal, Macchiwara and Ludhiana. Dressed in white kurta-pyjama, he arrives in his silver Ford at the head of a cavalcade and climbs on to the stage amidst shouts of "Bole so Nihal, Sat Sri Akal". Attendance at the meetings is moderate and is composed mostly of the rural Sikhs. Many respond to his utterances with slogans, others just nod and keep quiet. When the audience cheers him on certain points mentioned by him in his speech, generally lasting 20-25 minutes, he tells them to respond only with the religious slogan of "Bole so Nihal, Sat Sri Akal". The Jathedar’s appeal to his audience, compose mostly of the rural Sikhs, is direct and forthright: "Time has come to teach Mr Badal and his cohorts a lesson of a life time. Don’t vote for someone who has murdered the basic tenets of Sikhism, defied the Jathedar of Akal Takht and lowered the dignity of the "Seat of the Timeless’," he declares, and then goes on to add, "And mind you, it is not my personal battle. I am here for the sake of the Sikh religion. I don’t owe allegiance to any political party nor am I asking for votes for myself. It is for upholding the Sikh tenets and traditions and the dignity of the Akal Takht..." In order to leave his audience in do doubt as to what he means, he compares his removal as the Jathedar of Akal Takht to the killing of a goat by the butcher. "You have all seen how Mr Badal became a butcher and used the knife of his government authority to murder a religious personality like me..." In olden times, true Sikhs did not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the Sikh religion and its traditions and tenets. But in modern times, situation is different. "Most people look like Sikhs but they do not follow all the principles of Sikh religion. This is due to deterioration in moral standards. That is why I am forced to come to you and plead for votes for upholding the dignity and respect of Sikhism and Akal Takht." He also says that if people fail to make use of this golden opportunity to oust Mr Badal, they will have only themselves to blame for it. "I will never come back to you for vote and support..." Incidentally, while Bhai
Ranjit Singh does criticise the BJP for using the Ram
Janmabhoomi issue to garner votes, he makes no mention of
the Congress party in his speech. "This is because
this is a fight between me as Jathedar of the Akal Takht
and Mr Parkash Singh Badal. The Congress has little role
to play in this". |
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BJP defends release of
N-draft JALANDHAR, Aug 22 — The General Secretary of the BJP, Mr Narendar Modi, today alleged that the Congress stood for institutionalised corruption and termed its electoral alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and AIADMK, as trinity of corruption. He was talking to mediapersons here. Accusing the RJD President, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, another alliance partner of the Congress, he said Mr Yadav was an embodiment of corruption and several inquiries by the CBI revealed that he was involved in scams and had swindled the state exchequer to the tune of crores. Mr Modi said Sonia Gandhi's Congress was afflicted with "Pakistani mentality of lying and misleading the country." "Just as Islamabad refused to own up involvement in Kargil even after sending its army regulars to the battlefront, the Congress forms tie ups with the most corrupt in Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal but then resorts to lies and misleading statements," Mr Modi told reporters here. He said the BJP's alliance with Ms Jayalalitha ended because "our government refused to subvert the due process of law regarding corruption cases against her whereas the Congress' agenda was to save the skin of the likes of Ms Jayalalitha, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mr Ottavio Quattrocchi." Lashing out at former Finance Minister Manmohan Singh for his efforts to hammer out an understanding with the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr Modi said it was Dr Manmohan Singh himself who had initiated probe into corruption charges against Ms Jayalalitha. Referring to the BJP's alliance with former Union Minister Sukhram and earlier understanding with Ms Jayalalitha, he said, "It was a question of attitude. We have chosen not to disturb the due process of law, when the charge-sheet against Mr Sukh Ram was filed, we asked him to resign from the BJP-led Himachal Ministry. On Dr Manmohan Singh’s charge of ‘hush-hush clearance of new telecom policy by the Vajpayee government’, Mr Modi said it were Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee and Marxist leader Somnath Chaterjee and besides 37 Congress MPs who had urged the Vajpayee government in writing to clear the policy which was adopted on March 6 before the government lost confidence vote. "There is no truth in Dr Manmohan Singh’s charge’’, he added. Mr Modi rejected opposition criticism over release of draft of India's nuclear doctrine just before Lok Sabha elections saying "the world would not wait for Indian elections’’and those criticising it should rather join in the debate to thrash out the nuclear policy. "The UN would be meeting in September where the question of nuclear policy would be raised. Now, a thorough national debate over the issue sparked off by the release of the doctrine draft would enable the next government to face the world body fully prepared’’, he told reporters. Asked about objections to the timing of release of the draft just before the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Modi said’’this is rather the best, the most opportune time as the electioneering also provided a platform to thrash out the issue threadbare before the country in a most transparent manner’’. He said in any case, the National Security Advisory Board was constituted months before anyone had thought of the elections and the government thought it prudent to put the issue before the nation for discussion’’even though we had the option of adopting it directly as the policy document’’. Mr Modi accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi of helping Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi in fleeing the country "within 36 hours of the charge sheet being filed against him". "It is a proof of the collusion of the rulers of the day," he added. "It is the instinctive character of the Congress to illegitimatise the constitution. Mrs Indira Gandhi, following the Allahabad High Court's verdict against her, chose to continue to head an illegitimate government turned the country into a big jail by imposing emergency and subverted the constitution at her whim and fancy. The Congress has inherited the trail in its legacy", he said. He said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had promised to rid the country of the menace of corruption and had therefore advocated that the office of the Premier be brought under the purview of the Lok Pal Bill. "The Bill is stuck only because most of the parties were against bringing the Prime Ministerial office under the Lok Pal's gaze but Mr Vajpayee has taken a resolute stand", he said. Close on the heels of a controversial poster featuring three service chiefs and the Prithvi missile made news at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's election rally at Karnal, the BJP today trained its guns on the Congress for putting up hoardings in Delhi in praise of the Bofors gun and depicting Army jawans shouting slogan of 'Rajiv Gandhi zindabad'. Mr Modi said that while the mural forming the backdrop at the BJP election rally in Karnal did not even carry BJP's name or symbol, the Congress hoardings "were unashamedly partisan and amounted to an insult to the Indian Army jawans". Mr Modi said Mr Vajpayee
had objected to the mural at Karnal even though it was
put up to honour an artist and "Mr Vajpayee had
objected to its use while stepping down from the podium
when his attention was drawn to the portraits". Mr
Modi called the use of the mural "a mistake". |
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No Hindu jatha to visit
Katasraj AMRITSAR, Aug 22 — Mr Surinder Kumar Billa, President, All-India Hindu Shiv Sena, has said various Hindu organisations have decided not to send any jatha to Pakistan to pay obeisance at 'Katasraj' in Pakistan in protest against the intrusion by Pakistani regulars in Kargil. These organisations, including the All-India Shiv Sena and Durgiana Committee, send jathas of 200 persons, each in February and November to commemorate 'Shivaratri' and 'Mahashivaratri' every year. Talking to TNS, here yesterday, Mr Billa threatened that the All-Indian Shiv Sena would not allow any jatha of Muslims from Pakistan to visit Indian mosques too. Giving reasons for stopping jathas, Mr Billa said that apart from Kargil, the Hindus and other minorities were not safe in Pakistan the Indian High Commission and Indians were being attacked in the hostile country, he alleged. Hindu and Muslim Jathas started visiting India and Pakistan after an agreement reached between Ms Benazir Bhutto, the then Prime Minister Pakistan, and the late Rajiv Gandhi the then Indian Prime Minister in July 1989. During the latter's visit to Pakistan, while the Hindu jathas go to Pakistan twice to pay obeisance at 'Katasraj'. A number of Muslim jathas visit Nizamuddin, Ajmer Sharif, Sirhind Sharif (Punjab), Hazrat Datta Ganj etc. Mr Billa said it was for the first time that Hindu jathas were being stopped since the Benazir-Rajiv agreement in 1989. Earlier, the Shiromani
Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee had stopped sending jathas
to Pakistan in protest against the setting up of
Pakistani Gurdwara Prabandhak (PGPC), headed by a former
ISI chief. Chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC chief and Mr
Parkash Singh Badal, president, SAD had already taken up
the matter with the Centre. They had alleged that the
anti-India propaganda was being launched from Pakistani
Sikh shrines at the behest of militants taking shelter in
Pakistan. |
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Hema Malini seeks votes for GURDASPUR, Aug 22 — Bollywood actress Hema Malini addressing a largely attended public meeting organised in support of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna, BJP candidate from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, said Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee had vision and direction and was the right person who deserved people's vote. She appealed to the people to vote for the BJP candidate from this constituency to strengthen the hands of Mr Atal Behari. She added that Dharmendra too had appealed to them to vote for their friend Vinod Khanna. Mr Narender Modi, general secretary of the BJP said the Kargil episode has isolated Pakistan and enhanced the image of the Indian polity. Mr Modi said Mrs Sonia Gandhi was a foreigner and would not be allowed to get elected to the Lok Sabha. The BJP had fielded Mrs Sushma Swaraj against her in the Bellary Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka and would field suitable candidate if she filed her second nomination from Amethi. Mr Modi had to cut short his speech because the crowd was in no mood to listen to any political speech and were eager to see and listen to "Dream Girl" Hema Maluni. The police had to face a lot of difficulty in controlling the crowd when Hema Malini along with Vinod Khanna was leaving in a car. She also addressed meetings at Dinanagar and Pathankot and delivered the same speech. Organisers of the public meeting here had advertised that Jackie Shroff would also accompany the Dream Girl but he failed to turn up. Interestingly Congressmen too attended the meeting to have a glimpse of the "Dream Girl". But it is yet to see whether those who attended today's meeting will cast their vote for the BJP candidate. Mr Khanna addressing the audience admitted that the audience present in large attended the meeting just to see and listen to Hema Malini and also did not deliver any political speech. In her typical style of
Rangoli she said "Hema Malini namaskar" before
addressing the meeting. |
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Modern hospital complex awaits power PATIALA: Gynaecological and obstetrical care at Rajindra Hospital here continues to suffer even though almost two years have passed since the completion of the ultra-modern building for the two departments. Enquiries reveal that the medical unit could not start operating due to the paucity of funds. Ironically, while almost Rs 2 crore has been spent on the project, the hospital could not raise a few lakh more to pay for power connection to the building! The complex built as an extension to the existing gynaecology and obstetrics unit is centrally air-conditioned, only second department of the hospital after the intensive care unit to boast of the luxury. It is further equipped with the latest machinery and infrastructure to make it one of the best centres for treatment of gynae and obstetrics cases. The building with state-of-the-art facilities was aimed at enhancing the hospital's image. Instead, it has become a blemish on the institution's face due to its non-functional state. The construction work of the building along with installing the necessary equipment was completed in October 1997. Since then the complex has been gathering rot. Sources said a little more than Rs 30 lakh was required to get the power connection. The hospital did deposit a smaller amount but not enough for the supply of power. Dr Tarsem Lal Parmar, Medical Superintendent, when contacted, admitted the non-functioning of the unit due to want of a power connection. Just a little more than Rs 10 lakh was required to get the power connection as the hospital had long paid the remaining amount. He said the cost of power connection was high because a separate sub-station was required to ensure smooth supply to the air-conditioned complex. The hospital was in touch with the government for release of the required amount. He brushed aside reports of any damage to the building due to non-use. The project, meanwhile, is not only prestigious for the hospital and the region but also for Dr Ashi R Sarin. It was during her tenure in the hospital that the project was conceived. Dr Sarin said the present abandoned state of her dream project was a source of personal grief to her. She remembers that in 1989 she along with other staff of the gynaecology unit prepared the project and got it passed taking personal pains. Finally construction began in 1990 with deadline for completion in 1992. However, due to slow inflow of funds the building was completed only in October 1997. Till then, it is awaiting power supply connection. Dr Sarin also remembers that at the time of her retirement in January 1997, she had requested the hospital to get the new unit started as early as possible in order to give her a memorable gift at her retirement. According to Dr Sarin, the new building is urgently required due to less space for gynae and obstetrics cases in the present building. She said there were not enough rooms in the building for separate treatment of normal and infected cases. The labour rooms meant for a single patient had to accommodate as many as three or even more patients. The intensive care unit is also far away due to which transportation of the patient to the ICU becomes a big problem in case of emergency. She said the new modern
complex has all these facilities within its four walls.
There were separate rooms for gynae operations —
labour cases, obstetrics and neo-natal care. There was no
need to carry heavy cylinders for serious cases as the
building had an inbuilt facility for such cases. There
were also rooms for office staff and students. The
Medical Superintendent said all efforts were being made
to provide the latest facilities to patients in the
existing gynae and obstetrics complex. The hospital hopes
to raise funds through a self-finance scheme initiated by
the government. |
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Punjab candidates CHANDIGARH, Aug 22 — The following is the constituency wise list of candidates for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. SANGRUR: Simranjit Singh Mann (SAD-M), Ajit Singh (CPM), Surjit Singh Barnala (SAD), Mit Singh (ABP), Nirmal Singh (Ind). BATHINDA (Reserve): Gurdip Singh (SHSAD), Bhan Singh Bhaura (CPI), Chetin Singh (SAD), Bhan Singh (BKU), Dev Ram, Radhey Shayam and Gurdev Singh (Ind). FARIDKOT: Harcharan Singh (ADM), Sukhbir Singh Badal (SAD), Jagmeet Singh (INC), Ashok Kumar (BSS), Sukhdev Singh (RPI), Devi Dass (BSP-A), Meetpal Singh (BMP), Yogesh Kumar (JD), Sukhjinder Singh, Parmjit Singh, Sukhpal Singh, Rajinder Kumar S/o Puran Chand, Rajinder Kumar S/o Mangat Ram and Jagjit Singh (Ind). FEROZEPORE: Mohan Singh (BSP), Hans Raj Joshan (INC), Manna (BSP-A), Hukam Singh (JDU), Zora Singh Mann (SAD), Darshan Singh (JDS), Amro Bibi, Mahi Ram, Om Parkash, Hukum Chand, Gurdip Kaur, Jaswant Singh, Jagjit Singh, Tulsi Singh, Prithi Singh, Rajbax and Ram Lubhya (Ind). GURDASPUR: Sukhbans Kaur (INC), Sucha Singh (SHSAD), Vinod Khanna (BJP), Amarjit Kaur and Elezabeth (Ind) AMRITSAR: Ragunandan Lal (INC), Bhupinder Singh (SHSAD), Daya Singh Sodhi (BJP), Amarjit Kaur (BSP-A), Ashwani Kumar (AIFB), Malkiat Singh (NCP), Kasturi Lal, Chattar Bhuj, Inder Singh, Ramesh Talwar, Sat Pal (Ind). TARN TARAN: Gurinder Partap Singh (INC), Paramjit Kaur (SHSAD), Devi Dass (BSP-A), Tarlochan Singh (SAD), Bakshish Singh (Ind). JALANDHAR: Prabhjot Kaur (SAD), Kuldip Singh (SAD-D), Balbir Singh (INC), Kulbhushan Kumar (BSP-P), Baldev Singh (BSP-A), Krishan Kumar Bansal (AVJS), Sukhjit Singh, James Masih, Balbir Singh, Darshan Singh, Amritpal (Ind). PHILLAUR (Reserve): Santosh Choudhary (INC), Avnash Chander (BSP), Satnam Singh (BSM), Jagdish (AIGC), Vijay Kumar (BSP-A), Kashmir Singh and Shiv Kumar (Ind). HOSHIARPUR: Rakesh Ram (BSP), Charanjit Singh (INC), Kamal Chaudhoury (BSP), Dhani Ram (JD-S), Amar Chand (BSP-A), Gian Singh Sandhu (RPI), Lawrence, Sandhu Singh Saini, V.P Saini (Ind). ROPAR (Reserve): Balbir Kaur (SHSAD), Gurjit Singh (JDU), Satwinder Kaur (SAD), Shamsher Singh (INC), Sant Singh and Shawinder Singh (Ind). PATIALA: Prem Singh (SHSAD), Varinder Singh (BSP-A), Surjit Singh (SAD), Parneet Kaur (INC), Amarbir Singh (JDU), Krishan Kumar (ABP), Sarwan Singh (NCP), Ranjit Singh, Surjit Kaur, Pritam Pal and Madan Lal (Ind). LUDHIANA: Amrik Singh (SAD), Gurcharan Singh Galib (INC), Shardul Singh (BSP-A), Gurdarshan Singh Garewal (SHSAD), Heera Jha (RJD), Rachhpal Singh (SKP), Abdul Skul, Paramjit Singh, Gurbax Singh, Tarsem Singh, Harbans Kaur and Naresh (Ind). LUDHIANA North
(assembly constituency): Devinder Pal (BSP),
Rajinder (BJP), Manjot Singh (JDU), Lal Chand (AIGC),
Rakesh Kumar (INC), Ashwani Sharma (NCP), Rajinder Kumar
(BSP -A), Harinder Singh and Jatinder Kumar (Ind). |
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Bhattal decries Badal, Barnala BARNALA, Aug 22 — A Congress leader, Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal former Punjab Chief Minister and the President of the Lok Bhalai Manch, Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, former Union Welfare Minister and MP, Rajya Sabha, at an election rally here yesterday flayed the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and a Former Union Food and Fertilisers Minister, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, for betraying the mandate given by people of Punjab to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) by not keeping up any of its poll promises. The rally was organised in support of Principal Ajit Singh (retd), CPM nominee for the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. The rally was organised by the CPI, the CPM, the Congress and the Lok Bhalai Party. Mrs Bhattal and Mr Ramoowalia criticised the SAD for its failure in getting any of the demands of the state fulfilled including grant of Chandigarh and Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab and the settlement of river waters issue accepted by the Union Government in capacity of ruling coalition partners in the Union Government. Mr Mangat Ram Pasla, former Secretary of the Punjab unit of the CPM, while speaking, demanded arrest of Punjab Minister Gurdev Singh Badal's son for sexual abuse of a girl. He also demanded registration of case against the minister's son. Prominent among others
who addressed the rally, included, Mr Som Dutt,
Secretary, Punjab unit, Congress, Prof Balwant Singh,
CPM, Secretary, Punjab unit Mr Gurcharan Singh Dirba,
MLA, the district Sangrur Congress chief, Mr Bachan Singh
Pakho and Mr Chand Singh. |
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Badal raps Cong for fielding Tytler MOGA, Aug 22 (PTI) — Shiromani Akali Dal President Parkash Singh Badal has charged the Congress with "being fully involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi". Mr Badal said this had been proved by the party decision to field former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler from Sadar Lok Sabha constituency in Delhi. In the 1998 parliamentary elections, the former minister was denied party nomination to assuage feelings of Sikhs who allege him of being "involved" in the riots. The Punjab Chief Minister asked the Congress candidate from Faridkot, Mr Jagmeet Brar, to resign from the party in the wake of ticket allocation to the former Union Minister. The demand was made in the wake of a reported statement of Mr Brar that if Mr Tytler will be given ticket he will resign from the party. Mr Brar is the main rival of Chief Minister’s son and Union Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in the constituency. MUKTSAR (UNI): Addressing election meetings in several villages of the district in favour of his son on Sunday Mr Badal said fielding Mrs Sonia Gandhi from Belay constituency of Karnataka at the eleventh hour exhibited that Congress leadership as well as Mrs Sonia Gandhi herself was not confident to win the elections. He said the people were
anguished over the way the Congress had toppled the
Vajpayee government without providing an alternative. |
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Cong manifesto decries
competitive populism GURDASPUR, Aug 22 — Mr Ashwani Kumar a spokesperson of the AICC told reporters here today that the Congress was opposed to competitive populism for getting votes in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The party stood for the realisation of the aspirations of all Indians and promised to pursue an agenda of quality life and standards of living for all our people. Above all the party had presented to the electorate a fresh vision, bold intent and a clarity of purpose in its manifesto. Mr Ashwani Kumar said that policies of the Congress would help realisation of conditions conducive for large private investment in key sectors of the economy both from within the country and abroad. The party was committed to the promotion of new technology and to economic growth at 7-8 per cent per year for a decade and more. He said that as an integral component of its strategy for sustainable growth the party pledged to commit 6 per cent of our GDP for education by 2005, it further pledges to generate 1 crore jobs per annum apart from 4.5 per cent growth per annum in agriculture. Mr Kumar said the Congress sought support of people of India in its resolve to formulate its foreign policy based on our overriding national interests on the basis of the widest political consensus within the country. While we support good neighbourly relations. The party will ensure that a Kargil type situation does not repeat. Mr Kumar added that the Congress would raise the level and quality of policies beyond personalities and petty prejudices to ideological commitment in the service of the people of India remembering at all times its legacy of sacrifice and service in the cause of the nation. To a question whether the Congress would support the BJP's move in Parliament to ensure five year term of the Lok Sabha he said that the Congress stood on broad national consensus in this regard. Mr Kumar said that the
Congress would provide a stable transparent and cohesive
governance for five years if voted to power. |
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Samata to back Kamal Choudhary JALANDHAR, Aug 22 — The unit of the Punjab Samata Party today decided to support the BJP candidate, Mr Kamal Choudhary, from the Hoshiarpur Parliamentary constituency. This was decided at a workers' meeting held here today under the presidentship of Mr R K Mishra, president of the state unit. Mr Inderjit Saini, Senior Vice President, Mr Thakur Dharamchand, Chairman, of the campaign committee and Mrs Sushma Mishra, president of the women cell were among the prominent persons present at the meeting. In a press note issued
after the meeting, Mr Gurbachan Singh Kasoorwala, general
secretary, headquarter, stated here today that the party
would work together with the BJP in this constituency to
defeat the Congress nominee. Mr Kamal Choudhary, also
addressed the workers at the meeting. He said the
National Democratic Alliance would get absolute majority
in the elections and would be able to form a stable
government under the leadership of Mr Atal Behari
Vajpayee. |
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BJP objects to hoardings on Bofors JALANDHAR, Aug 22 (UNI) — BJP general secretary Narendra Modi today took strong exception to the hoardings put up by the Congress eulogising the Bofors gun on Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary. It remained to be seen if the Chief Election Commissioner take suo motu notice of these hoardings which exploited Indian soldiers shown saying ‘‘Rajiv Gandhi Zindabad’’ and saluting the former Prime Minister, Mr Modi told reporters here. The BJP leader displayed at a press conference here a copy of a leading national daily which published the photograph of the hoarding on its front page yesterday. Asked if the BJP or the NDA would take up the issue with the Election Commission, he said ‘‘we will wait for the Congress to act first.’’ Mr Modi said that though the poster displayed at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s rally at Karnal was not put up by the BJP but prepared and displayed by an artist, Mr Vajpayee had himself taken exception to its display. While the Karnal poster
showed Mr Vajpayee saluting the soldiers, the Congress
hoarding showed the soldiers saluting Rajiv Gandhi. This
display of the Congress flag on Bofors gun with the
soldiers saying ‘‘Rajiv Gandhi
Zindabad’’ was blatant exploitation of Kargil
martyrs, he added. |
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Dhindsa to act as troubleshooter ROPAR, Aug 22 — The Punjab Chief Minister and President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has deputed Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, MP and Secretary General of the SAD, to sort out differences between SAD and BJP workers and leaders at the local level in certain districts of the state. Talking to newsmen here yesterday, Mr Dhindsa said Mr Badal had received complaints from some places regarding differences. He said in view of this he would now tour the entire state to sort these out before the Lok Sabha elections. Mr Dhindsa appealed to the leaders and workers of the SAD-BJP alliance to have a good rapport and coordination. He said he would soon meet the leaders of the state BJP high command to save a dialogue on the issue. He expressed the hope that all matters would be settled amicably. Describing Mr Jarnail Singh Aulakh, a member of the SGPC from Anandpur Sahib, as a 'committed soldier' of the SAD, Mr Dhindsa said he (Mr Aulakh) and other Akali workers and leaders of the Nangal Assembly constituency should not disturb functions of Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Punjab Minister. Likewise the BJP leaders should also not issue statements against Mr Aulakh. He also ruled out any
action against Mr Aulakh as a member of the SAD. |
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Mann's bid to woo Hindus MALERKOTLA, Aug 22 — Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President Shiromani Akali Dal (A) and a candidate of the third front from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat, has started wooing Hindu voters of this constituency. Mr Mann had a number of meetings with the voters of Hindu community at Barnala, Ahmedgarh and Malerkotla recently. He met commission agents of the grain market on Friday at Ahmedgarh. Mr Mann also had a meeting with representatives of the Beopar Mandal at Barnala. Mr Mann assured the mandal that their long pending demands would be accepted if he came to power. Mr Simranjit Singh Mann
said he had never gone against the Hindu community and he
was a secular person. He said in K.P.S. Rupen Deol Bajaj
case he had supported Mrs Bajaj. He was the first person
who had raised his voice against the inhuman treatment
given to our Hindu soldiers (martyrs) by the Pakistani
forces. |
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Muslim League to back Mann MALERKOTLA, Aug 22 — The district unit of the All-India Muslim League have decided to support Mr Simranjit Singh Mann from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. This was stated by Mr
Zulfkar Ali Malik, Advocate, who had filed his nomination
papers as the Muslim League candidate from Sangrur but
later withdrew in favour of Mr Simranjit Singh Mann. |
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Vimla Dang seeks Gurdev
Badal's resignation AMRITSAR, Aug 22 — Mrs Vimla Dang, former MLA and patron of the Punjab Istri Sabha in a press note has demanded the resignation of Punjab Minister Gurdev Singh Badal whose son Suba Singh and the latter's brother-in-law Baljinder Singh are accused in the most condemnable rape case of Ms Gurpreet Kaur of Ludhiana. The statement says: "the failure of the police to trace the kidnapped girl for full two months in all likelihood is the result of the high office the father of one of the accused occupies. He must vacate the office so that full justice for the victim becomes possible and all culprits, howsoever, highly placed, are brought to book." Towards this end, Mrs
Dang has strongly supported the demand for a CBI inquiry
into the kidnapping, raping and failure of the police in
the case. |
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Strengthening Left ‘need of
hour’ CHANDIGARH, Aug 22 — Mr Prem Singh Bhangu, a Central Committee member of the Marxist Communist Party of India (MCPI) has described the policies of the Congress and the BJP as "anti people". Rather than focussing on the Kargil and Pokhran issues the need of the hour was to focus on the basic needs of the people. While blaming the Akali
Dal (Badal) for its failure to fulfil the aspirations of
the people of Punjab, Mr Bhangu said there was an urgent
need to strengthen the Left and democratic forces in
order to provide an alternative to the masses. |
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Security measures for LS poll ROPAR, Aug 22 — The security arrangements have been drawn up to conduct free and fair Lok Sabha elections in this district. Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, SSP, said more than 2,100 police personnel would be deployed in the district. Mr Bhullar said the DSP would be in charge in each assembly segment in the district, while the SP would look after two assembly segments. He said as many as 100 NCC cadets would also perform duties at the non-sensitive polling booths. A police control room had been set up in the SSP office here with telephone number 20946 and sub-police control rooms would function at the subdivision level in the offices of DSPs, he added. Mr Bhullar also stated that one company of the Central Industrial Security Force and the SSB force would help the police during elections. He said the police had
drawn up a three-tier security plan for the elections
i.e. pre-poll during poll and post-poll. He said under
the plan the police had been working for the protection
of highways besides conducting anti-sabotage operations. |
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Minor girl's rape: CBI probe
sought LUDHIANA, Aug 22 — The convener of the state unit of the Janata Dal (S), Mr Harish Khanna, has threatened to stage a dharna in front of the Prime Minister's residence at Delhi on September 1. If the charges of rape against the son and a close relative of the Punjab Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, were not framed, for their alleged involvement in the abduction and rape of a minor girl. In a statement to the Press here today, Mr Khanna urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to order a CBI inquiry or inquiry by a sitting High Court Judge into the incident and drop Mr Gurdev Singh Badal from his Cabinet to ensure a free and fair inquiry. He appealed the various
political parties and social organisations to join the
struggle to get justice to the hapless victim. |
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Hundreds attend Subedar’s
bhog ceremony LALRU (Patiala), Aug 22 — The bhog ceremony of Subedar Balbir Singh, who laid down his life in the Batalik subsector on August 9 was well attended by at his native village, Dapper, near Lalru in Patiala district, here today. The Punjab Government has decided to name the local Higher Secondary School and two link roads to the village from the main road after Subedar Balbir Singh. The government has also decided to give one plot free of cost in any of the urban estates according to the will of martyr’s family members. On behalf of the Punjab Government, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, also presented a cheque of Rs 5 lakh for house construction and Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia grant to the martyr’s widow, Mrs Avtar Kaur. The minister said a family member will be given government job and also presented a cheque of Rs 4.50 lakh contributed by residents of this area and by staff of Dera Bassi tehsil for the welfare of the bereaved family. A stadium would also come up in the village after the martyr’s name soon, the minister said. Meanwhile, the Market Welfare Association, Sector 37, Chandigarh, also presented a cheque of Rs 11,000 to the family. To pay homage to the hero, hundreds of villagers of the surrounding area along with civil and police officers also attended the bhog ceremony. Prominent persons who
joined the ceremony included Mr R.S. Randhawa, Additional
Deputy commissioner, Patiala, Brig Kuldeep Singh,
Director, Sainik Welfare, Punjab, Mr G.S. Pannu, SP,
Patiala, Mr Surjit Singh Rakhara, SAD-BJP candidate for
Patiala Lok Sabha seat and Mr R.S. Sohi, Chairman Zila
Parishad, Patiala. |
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Contributions to Kargil fund BATHINDA, Aug 22 — Mr Kishan Singh, General Secretary, Punjab Government Pensioners Association, in a press note issued here today said the association had decided to contribute their one-day pension towards the Kargil Welfare Fund. He said the association had collected Rs 5,250 from the pensioners. NAWANSHAHR: Students and staff of the local Shivalik Public School have contributed Rs 33,320 towards the Army Central Welfare Fund, according to Dr Darshan Singh Bedi, Principal of the school. PATIALA: The Indian Ex-services League, local branch, has decided to honour the family of Subedar Balbir Singh of Dappar village, near Lalru, who laid down his life in the Batalik subsector on August 9, association president Prabhjot Singh said said on Saturday. PANIPAT: The Arhtiya Association of new subzi mandi has contributed Rs 75,000; the District Manager, Confed, contributed Rs 7,000; the President of the Panipat Goldsmith Sabha contributed Rs 51,000; and Mr Bhupinder Singh, JE, contributed Rs 5,100 towards the fund. Residents of Shahpur and Chamrara villages have contributed Rs 29,500 and Rs 15,000, respectively, towards the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. S.D. Senior Secondary School, Panipat, had contributed Rs 61,000 to the fund. Besides this, the Court
Compound Typist Association has contributed Rs 11,500;
B.R. Hindu Vidya Peeth contributed Rs 10,000; Raj Woollen
Industries contributed Rs 16,395; and Ramgiri Textiles
Ltd contributed Rs 21,000 towards the fund. |
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Special trains from Oct 7 PHILLAUR, Aug 22 — Northern Railway will run special trains between Jammu Tawi-Nizamuddin and Kalka-Mumbai from October 7 to October 27 to facilitate passengers. Sources in the Railways said here today that the 403 Nizamuddin-Jammu Tawi Express would depart from Nizamuddin on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 p.m. and the 404 Jammu Tawi-Nizamuddin would leave Jammu Tawi on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11 p.m. during the period. The sources said that
the 407 Mumbai-Kalka Express would depart from Mumbai on
October 9, Oct 13, Oct 16, Oct 20, Oct 23 and Oct 27 at
5.25 and the 408 Kalka-Mumbai Express would leave Kalka
on October 7, Oct 11, Oct 14, Oct 18, Oct 21 and Oct 25
at 6 pm. |
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"Real freedom" still
eludes India PATIALA, Aug 22 — India did not achieve real freedom in 1947. It was merely transfer of power from colonial rulers to Indian rulers. Stating this at a seminar "Nationalism in Present Political Scenario" at Lecture Hall Language Department organised by the Friends of Socialism, a society of educationists. Prof (retd) Randhir Singh a noted Marxist thinker said the transfer of power meant that there were no structural changes in the system for the uplift of the poor and the down-trodden. He said resultantly this neglected section of the society remained poverty stricken and ignored and was still awaiting freedom. Explaining further the loss and absence of independence for one and all he said the Indian government under Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru did not go for radical land reforms to bring every one on a par. He said the unfortunate aspect is that the successive government did not care to rectify the mistake and had been exploiting the poor with mistaken form of nationalism. Prof Randhir Singh who has several books on Marxism and political science to his credit said even the present communist parties had no definite goal or strategic aim to follow. Instead they had narrow, short term goals of defeating this or that party. He said the politicians had been using the concept of nationalism to stir patriotic feelings of the masses and to convert these into votes. He said the best example of this phenomenon was the Pak bashing by Indian politicians and similar scheming by the Pakistanis to attain power or retain it at any cost. He said vested interest had been pocketing all profits while the nation continues to burn. In the post independence era, he said due to wrong policies of the politicians there had been lop-sided development in the country. The sort of internal colonialism as it normally called meant that capital was invested at a place where it brought profits and not at a place where it was actually required. Mr Kuldip Singh, chief
organiser, Friends of Socialism proposed a vote of
thanks. Eminent intellectuals attended a question and
hour session with the Marxist thinker. Notable among them
were main activists Mr Jagdish Rai Moudgill, Mr Satyam
and Mr Charnjit Singh Chadda. |
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Baghapurana SHO transferred DHUDIKE (Moga), Aug 22 (PTI) — The Election Commission has transferred Joginder Singh SHO in charge Baghapurana police station, in Moga district with immediate effect. This was stated by SSP Sharad Satia Chohan while talking to mediapersons at Dhudike yesterday. According to the SSP, he had received a fax message to this effect through Chief Election Officer, Punjab. It is to be recalled that Congress candidate contesting from the Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency Jagmeet Singh Brar had lodged a complaint against the police official for misusing his official position in favour of the SAD candidate. Meanwhile, a central election observer witnessed a large number of supporters of a candidate carrying firearms openly in violation of the model code of conduct in the Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency. According to the official information received here today, Millan Chakrabarty, an expenditure observer for the Faridkot constituency, while proceeding to Moga along with returning officer, found that a large number of supporters of a candidate were openly carrying firearms which are banned during the period of election. However, the identity of
the candidate has not been disclosed. |
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Vajpayee to visit Punjab on Sept 2 MOGA, Aug 22 (PTI) — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee will visit Punjab on September 2 and address three election rallies in the state, Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal President Parkash Singh Badal said today. Mr Vajpayee will address two meetings at Amritsar and Moga in the Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency, from where Mr Badal’s son and Union Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is contesting, but the third meeting had not yet been finalised, Mr Badal said. The Chief Minister said
he would take up the problems of Punjab like the river
waters dispute, the transfer of Chandigarh and the
Punjab-speaking areas to Punjab with the Centre and hoped
these would be resolved under Mr Vajpayee’s
leadership. |
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Case registered for throwing
man into Beas HOSHIARPUR, Aug 22 — Mr Surjit Singh, a patwari of Kotli village of Gurdaspur district, was saved by another passenger when he was allegedly thrown in the Beas by Tirath Ram of Muhegian village from a boat at Naushera Pattan village 65 km from here, on Friday. According to FIR, Mr Surjit Singh was returning from the office of the Commissioner, Jalandhar division, on Friday. He was carrying official record of the Patwarkhana. Tirath Ram, who was also travelling in the boat, involved in a scuffle with Mr Surjit Singh. Later Tirath Ram pushed him in the river. However, the records which he was carrying washed away. Meanwhile, the Mukerian
police has registered a case under Sections 307, 353,
186, 204 and 34, IPC, against Tirath Ram. |
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College librarians seek justice PATIALA, Aug 22 — The Punjab College Librarians Association has demanded revised UGC notification regarding the removal of anomalies in the pay scale and service conditions of college librarians. In a statement here, the association general secretary, Mr Baljinder Pal Dhiman, said, in May, 1999, the UGC had agreed on pay parity to college librarians with lecturers in the revised payscale as given in the Mehrotra Committee report. Mr Dhiman said in a
memorandum to the UGC the association had demanded
pay-fixation of selection-grade college librarians with
five years of service on or after January, 1996, at the
minimum of Rs 14,940 in the revised scale of Rs
12000-420-18300, career advancement of college
librarians, including the counting of total service along
with feeder grade service, incentives for Ph. D. /M.Phil,
inclusion of college librarians in the faculty
improvement programme (FIP) for doing Ph.D. and M.Phil
and third promotion in the form of super-selection grade
on par with teachers. Mr Dhiman said the UGC had been
urged to immediately put an end to discrimination against
the college librarians by issuing a fresh notification
for the removal of anomalies in the revised pay scales
and service conditions. |
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Assess losses, say fruit
growers TARN TARAN, Aug 22 — Mr Lakhmir Singh, President and Mr Sukhdeep Singh, Secretary of the Majha Fruit and Vegetable Growers Cooperative and Marketing Society, Patti, in a press statement issued here today demanded that the government should assess the loss caused to the orchards in this border area due to squall about 10 days ago. They said a storm destroyed 30 to 35 per cent fruits of plants like pears, baggugosha, guava, and peaches and 50 to 60 per cent of timber trees like poplars, eucalyptus were badly damaged which were planted around the orchards as wind breakers. Mr Sandhu said around 60
to 70 per cent of fully ripened fruit of pears and guava
which was fit for marketing dropped and got decomposed
which is a big financial loss to fruit growers of the
Patti area. |
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