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Saturday,
January 18, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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BJP using Hindutva to create
factionalism: Congress Winnability to be criterion: Cong
Minister, YC men clash, 5 hurt Dhumal blames Cong for terrorism |
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Water crisis grave in Dharamsala 3 killed, 45 hurt in road mishaps
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BJP using Hindutva to create Solan, January 17 Addressing a well-attended public rally here today, the Congress spokesman lambasted the BJP for its stand on terrorism and said the attacks on Akshardham and Parliament and the Kaluchak massacre and of late terrorist attack on small children were indicative of the efficacy of the BJP’s efforts to check this menace. Accusing the BJP’s national secretary Arun Jaitley of belittling the Congress’ stand on terrorism, he invited him for an open debate on the issue. Lambasting the BJP on Hindutva, he said Hindutva was being used as an instrument to create factionalism in society. Defence deals, where the CAG’s report had indicted leaders of the Central Government for having purchased coffins at inflated rates, showed the working style of the government. The fact that the Defence Minister was continuing in office despite him figuring in the shady defence deals exposed by tehelka.com and the resignation of the Chairman of the Venkatswami commission proved the ‘transparency’ the government talked of in its working. The Congress national secretary, Mr Satyajit Gaekwad, castigated the VHP and RSS at the rally for perpetuating anti-national sentiments in the masses to gain political mileage. Flaying undue criticism of the Congress on the issue of POTA by the BJP, he said the Congress was only opposed to those sections of the Act which could be misused and not the entire Act as was being misconstrued by the BJP. Ridiculing the BJP-led NDA government’s stand of frequent petitioning India’s cause before the USA he said it only emboldened Pakistan while it yielded nothing positive for India. Ruling out the possibility of any alliance with Mr Sukh Ram’s HVC, the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh, launched a direct attack on the former Union Minister at the rally and said the HVC was equally accountable for the rampant corruption in Himachal as it was a coalition partner. Describing Mr Sukh Ram’s recent announcements of withdrawing support from the BJP-led state government, he said such gimmicks would not expiate him for the ills which the present government had perpetuated in Himachal. Mrs Vidya Stokes, while expressing concern over the large-scale corruption in the state said the malaise had percolated to all levels. Ridiculing the BJP for its shallow promises enlisted in its last manifesto, she said even after a lapse of five years, the BJP had failed to declare the assets of its MLAs despite avowing to do so within a year. She said while the Himachal Subordinate Services Selection Board was reduced to a board providing employment to BJP henchmen, the educated youth of the state felt frustrated. Mr Bhajan Lal, Haryana PCC chief and member of the Congress Working Committee, and Mr R.K. Dhawan, CWC member, who specially came for the rally, also spoke. Mr Dhawan said all appointments made by the HPSSB would be probed by the Congress if voted to power. Expressing confidence that the Congress would return to power, he said the people of Himachal were fed up with the misrule of the BJP-led government and would cast their mandate in favour of the Congress. The rally which marks the beginning of poll campaigning of the Congress got off to a good start with the Congress appearing in an upbeat mood. Heads of frontal organisations, MLAs and aspirants for the party ticket were present at the rally. |
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Winnability
to be criterion: Cong Dharamsala, January 17 He said he would meet prospective candidates of some other constituencies in Kangra during his visit tomorrow. He would attend a Congress rally at Dari on January 20 and would attend meetings in Delhi for the selection of candidates. He said he would submit his report to the high command before the meetings in Delhi. MANDI: A Congress leader and former Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Thakur Kaul Singh, claimed here on Friday that a pro-Congress wave was sweeping the state and the party was poised to get a two-thirds majority in the elections. Addressing a press conference, he said a meeting of the state election committee would be held in January 22. The central election committee of the Congress would release the list of candidates by the end of the month. Asked if an alliance was being contemplated with the HVC, he said the rank and file of the party was against entering into an alliance with Mr Sukh Ram who had lost his mass base and most of his followers like former ministers Mohinder Singh and Ram Nath had already left him and joined the Congress or other parties. |
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Yatra violation of poll code: Cong Chamba, January 17 Moreover, the BJP-led government was misusing the government machinery under the garb of the yatra, Mr Upmanyu further alleged. Mr Upmanyu, however, challenged the BJP that the Congress party had also planned to organise anti-yatra rallies in the state and apprise the people of the corrupt practices and misdeeds of the Bharatiya Janata Party. |
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Minister, YC men clash, 5 hurt Solan, January 17 The involved Youth Congress leaders are — Mr Jaitindra Singh, president, H.P. Youth Congress, Mr Asim Sharma, president, District Youth Congress, Mr Muniush Rajdev a member of the state body of the Himachal Youth Congress. Mr Saini, in an FIR lodged by him at Nalagarh police station, has alleged that Mr Jaitendra Singh, son of the former Raja of Nalagarh and long-time MLA, Mr Vijaindra Singh along with two accomplices — Mr Munish Kumar and Mr Ashish Sharma gathered in front of his house at 11.30 p.m. yesterday and started abusing him and his family members. Hr further stated that two youths climbed on the roof of his house while one stationed himself in front of the main gate. Soon after they started assaulting him. His gunman and his driver tried to save him. Mr Saini had defeated Mr Vijaindra Singh in the last Assembly elections. On the other hand, Mr Jaitendra Singh and his friends, in a cross case got registered by them alleged that they were set upon by Mr Saini and some of his accomplices when they happened to be passing by his house last night. They stated that they were on their way to the house of Mr Lajja Ram, Congress MLA from the Doon constituency, last night to attend a meeting regarding today’s Congress rally here. They have alleged that Mr Saini’s gunmen, drivers and a cook waylaid them and dragged them into the minister’s house in “a premeditated move to prevent them from mobilising workers for the Solan rally”. One of them claimed that Mr Saini himself joined the other assailants in attacking them. They said that after they were badly beaten up, Mr Saini rang up the police station alleging that he had been attacked in his own house, by some ‘Congress miscreants’. The Superintendent of police, Mr
S.Z.H. Zaidi, confirmed that the incident took place. He said that two of the three Youth Congress men had received injuries while the third one had got two broken teeth. One of the three Asim Sharma had been arrested while the two others had been referred to the Government Medical College Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh. He said that the three Congress men were reportedly under the influence of liquor. Asim was later released on bail. Mr Vijaindra Singh said that his son Jaitendra Singh had suffered a fracture in his left arm while Munish Rajdev appeared to have suffered serious injuries in his legs and arms besides two broken teeth. |
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Dhumal blames Cong for terrorism Garnota (Chamba), January 17 Mr Kishori Lal, Himachal Pradesh Industries Minister, who is an MLA from Bhattiyat constituency spoke on the occasion. KANGRA: Meanwhile, Prof essor Dhumal has said neither Mr Modi’s “gaurav yatra” could be stopped in Gujarat, despite a demand by the Congress to the Election Commission nor his ‘vishvas yatra’ can be stopped in the state. Professor Dhumal was addressing a gathering here on Thursday on the fourth leg of his “vishvas yatra”. |
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Ticket sought
for employees Shimla, January 17 Association president K.L. Sharma said they would ensure the victory of such
candidates.
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Water crisis grave in Dharamsala Dharamsala, January 17 Dharamsala and its surrounding areas are dependant on surface water for their water supply. The town having a population of around 33,000 needs more than 45 lakh litres of water every day to meet its requirements as it has a large number of floating population which comes daily to the winter capital and the district headquarters for their personal work. Apart from this Dr R.P. Government Medical College, also needs a large amount of water. Due to water shortage, sanitary conditions have worsened and many parts of the town are stinking. According to IPH sources, due to failure of rain and snow on the Dhauladhar ranges, the rivulets which feed the water supply sources have almost dried up. The water supply schemes are supplying only 16 lakh litres of water these days and if the weather continues to remain dry, this supply will also be affected. The handpumps in the town augment the supply by another 2 lakh litres. The town is receiving almost 60 per cent less water than needed. The
shortfall in Mcleodganj, Kotwali, Tika Ghamru, Depot Bazar and Civil Bazar has assumed alarming proportions. Surprisingly there is no shortage of water in the Chilgarhi area where most of the officers reside. Alarmed at the rising number of complaints, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Prabodh Saxena, held a meeting with officials of the Irrigation and Public Health Department and chalked out a strategy to over come the crisis and provide more water to the town. It was decided to provide tankers to supply water in different areas on demand. The administration also agreed to provide financial help for digging about a dozen
handpumps. |
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3 killed, 45 hurt in road mishaps Shimla, January 17 MANDI: Two persons were killed and 32 others were injured, nine of them seriously, when two private buses collided with each other at Brindavan, 5 km from here, on the Mandi-Kulu national highway on Friday evening. One person was crushed to dead on the spot while the other succumbed to injuries in Regional Hospital here. Eyewitness said the Dharamsala-Manali bus of Snowline (HP-40-5998) was being rashly driven and on the wrong side when it collided head-on with the Hari Travellers bus (HP-32-3566) which was coming from the Kulu
side. The dead persons have been identified as Sant Ram Rana of Khundian, Kangra district and a Nepali, Som Bahadur. The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination. HAMIRPUR: Six persons were injured two seriously, when a bus of the Sheetal Transport company overturned and fell into 50-feet deep ditch near the Anoo area in Hamirpur town on Friday. |
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In video: Infighting has plagued the Congress and the BJP ahead of Himachal Pradesh polls. (
