New Delhi, May 8
The entire Delhi Police force along with the central paramilitary forces will be deployed in full strength to avoid any untoward incident during the General Elections on Monday in the national Capital.

Delhi Police Commissioner Dr K K Paul today said that considering the sensitive nature of the elections, the Delhi Police have taken all possible measures to maintain law and order. However, the policemen on routine duty in police stations and those posted to manage traffic will continue as usual.

The Delhi Police will be assisted by 42 companies of CRPF personnel, about 9,000 home guards from Uttar Pradesh and 25 companies of other para-military forces to maintain peaceful polls in the 2,309 polling stations in Delhi.

The police also identified as many as 1,334 polling booths as hyper-sensitive and sensitive for providing security accordingly.

Besides, as many as 334 PCR vans will be pressed into service and intensive checking has been ordered in the borders to avoid infiltration by anti-social elements and smuggling of illicit liquor into Delhi.

Paul said that the mobile patrol vans would also be pressed into service with more than 50 video cameras and cameras to film incidents of violence during polling in the city.

Besides, high-frequency wireless sets were being used to maintain ‘regular contact’ with all police teams deployed at polling stations. These sets would also double up as ‘help’ for engineers in case of malfunctioning of any electronic voting machine.

For this, the police have provided as many as 1,008 mobile wireless sets, 2,751 hand-held sets and 158 static sets. In fact, there are 415 polling booths in North-West district, 362 in West district, 354 in South and 57 booths in New Delhi district.

The police have also arrested at least 1,169 persons from different parts of the city as a preventive measure.

Paul said that till now, Delhi has witnessed as many as 165 rallies, 842 public meetings and 400 processions by various political parties as part of their campaigning process.

The police also registered at least 670 cases under the Defacement Act and removed 7,204 banners, 1,976 hoardings, 5,705 posters and 159 wall writings in the public places.

As part of a special drive, the police have seized 33,222 bottles of illicit liquor and registered 2,723 cases registered under the Excise Act. Several persons were also arrested in the last few weeks when they tried to smuggle liquor into the Capital for using them on or before the elections.

Paul also said that as many as 4,000 licensed weapons were surrendered so far following the orders of Delhi Police and at least 160 illegal weapons seized from different persons.

“These are blatant lies.... The government has taken no such decision. It is an attempt to confuse the public,” he said.

The two-page complaint also alleged that Mr Maken had been hosting lavish parties and dinners to woo the voters.

New Delhi, May 8
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said that controllers of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) will be ousted from the religious office for their support to the INC.

The party declared its resolve even as it made a last-ditch effort to shore up sagging Sikh support to its ally, BJP, ahead of Monday’s general election.

The DSGMC, which wields sweeping influence over Sikhs in the Capital, is currently headed by Prehlad Singh Chandok. He became its president for a one-year term with the support of Paramjit Singh Sarna in last year’s annual executive election.

“After these elections, our primary objective will be to seek Sangat (Sikh public) trial for them and then unseat them from the religious office,” SAD Delhi President Avtar Singh Hit told a news conference.

His remarks came in the wake of Mr Sarna extending support to the INC – blamed for the 1984 riots – on five of the seven seats in NCT of Delhi. “Those DSGMC leaders who are honouring Congress candidates like Sajjan Kumar and RK Anand by presenting them with Siropas (holy stoles) will not be allowed to run the Sikh religious Committee,” Mr Hit, a close lieutenant of SAD President Parkash Singh Badal and a former DSGMC president said.

The SAD itself has been out of power at the powerful DSGMC since 2002 when Mr Sarna swept the administration’s general election on an anti-graft plank against Mr Badal. The election of Mr Chandok, a close aide of late President of India, Mr Giani Zail Singh, last year, came as a big blow to the Akalis.

“The Congress candidacies of Mr Sajjan Kumar and Mr Jagdish Tytler have come as a shock to the Sikh community,” said Mr Hit, accusing the party high command of overlooking Sikh sentiments.

In Chandigarh yesterday, former Union Finance Minister and senior INC leader justified the candidacies of Mr Kumar and Mr Tytler, saying there was no case pending against them.

“The Congress had denied ticket to both last time when cases were filed against them but now there is no case pending against them. So, I find no reason to have denied them ticket,” he had said.

Asked whether he would seek Sikh vote for the two leaders, Dr Singh remarked : “I am a Congressman and I will appeal to all the people to vote for all Congress candidates.”

Sonepat, May 8
The District Magistrate of Sonepat, Mr M. R. Anand has promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 144 CR.P.C. banning the assembly of five or more persons and carrying of firearms like swords, lathis, kulhars, jelleyes and knives within two hundred meters of the polling stations set up for Lok Sabha elections in the district.

This order would not be effective on the policemen and other officials on duty at the polling stations. This order will remain effective on May 10 only.

Any violation of this order will attract the penal action against the persons found violating the orders and in possession of firearms.

This step has been taken to prevent any untoward incident on the polling day and to ensure peace and maintain law and order.

By another order, the District Magistrate has also banned the plying of vehicles including two-wheelers on May 9 and May 10 within Sonepat district within Sonepat district.

The candidate contesting the Lok Sabha elections are authorised to use only one vehicle for their personal purposes and another one vehicle for election purposes.

This order will not apply on the officials and police on duty as well as on the owners of the private vehicles can transport their family members to the polling stations but they cannot enter the radius of 200 meters where the entry has been banned.

This order will not apply on the plying of buses, ambulance vans, vehicles carrying patients and vehicles of mediapersons.

The DM has banned the use of mobile phones, cordless phones and pagers within the radius of 200 meters of the counting centres on May 13 next in the district.

According to another report, the Central observers are also conducting inquiry into the complaints made against the DSPs posted at Sonepat, Ganaur and Gohana alleging that they were engaged in canvassing and pressurising the electorate to vote n favour of Mrs Malik.

Meanwhile, the District Electoral Officer-cum-Returning Officer, Mr M. R. Anand convened a special meeting of the contesting candidates and representatives of various political parties here yesterday to review the law and order situation and ensure free and fair Lok Sabha elections from Sonepat Lok Sabha seat.

According to a report, the Superintendents of Police from the districts of Sonepat, Jind and Jhajjar and the electoral officials participated in this meeting. Two of the three Central observers were also present.

Sonepat, May 8
The All India Brahmin Mahasabha will support the Congress on all the 10 parliamentary constituencies of the state in these elections. This was stated by the national president of the Mahasabha, Mr Ishwar Singh Sharma.

While talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Sharma said all the prominent persons of the Samaj have been communicated with the decision he also stated that the

Mahasabha has also taken decision to support the Congress candidates in Delhi constituencies.

He also recalled that Brahmins had been the traditional vote banks of the Congress after Independence. But in due course of time, the Congress leaders in the Centre neglected the Brahmins and it spread resentment among the Brahmins who started going against the Congress, he said.

“Now the Congress president Sonia Gandhi has assured to give due regard and representation to Brahmins in the Congress when a delegation of the Mahasabha met with her two days back,” he said.

He praised the candidature of Dharampal Singh Malik as Congress nominee from the constituency, and said Mr Malik had represented the constituency two times in the past and was well aware of the demands of the areas of the constituency.

Sonepat, May 8
In order to check the complaints about the violation of the election code of conduct, all the three central observers appointed by the Election Commissioner have started touring the urban and rural areas of the Sonepat parliamentary constituency, which consists of nine Assembly segments - six in Sonepat district, two in Jind district and one in Jhajjar district.

According to a report, they have also acquired videographers and digital cameras for using them on the spot. The main purpose of acquiring the videographers and digital camera is to initiate action against those who are found violating the election code of conduct.

The central observers, it is stated, remain on tour at odd hours and talk to the representatives of the candidates of the political parties who are manning the election offices in the urban and rural areas of the constituency.

Meanwhile, the District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mr M. R. Anand has ordered the disciplinary action against 12 officials and employees of various government departments deployed for election duty and failed to turn up on April 30 - the rehearsal day fixed by him.

Gurgaon, May 8
The city unit of the Congress today took out an impressive procession of two-wheelers in the entire

Gurgaon assembly segment to give a boost to the campaign of the party’s nominee from Mahendergarh parliamentary constituency, Rao Inderjit Singh.

The procession, flagged off by the secretary of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), Mr Khazan Singh, started from Dundahera village.

The salient feature of the marathon procession was the dominance of the youth.

According to a local party leader, Mr Vippin Khanna, it was a successful event as the procession elicited encouraging response from the public.

The procession coursed through key junctions in Gurgaon city. Some of the villages surrounding the city that the procession passed though include

Mulahera, Caterpur, Jhajhar, Daulatabad, Islampur, Samspur and Dhanwapur.

The BJP, the INLD and the HVP also stepped up their campaign in the city today.

The residents of the city today witnessed the loudest din so far during the ongoing election campaign.

Noida, May 8
The Chairman of Vinayak Hospital, Noida, has offered an incentive to all those who cast their vote in the Lok Sabha election on Monday.

The voters will be issued a special card, giving them 20% discount in all lab charges and treatment bills if they come to Vinayak Hospital.

Dr B.S.Chaudhry, Chairman of the hospital, said that many people do not cast their votes. It is a sad trend. This incentive is just to encourage them to use their right to vote, which is a sacred responsibility of every citizen in a democracy.

“It did not matter which candidate or party they vote for, all those with a voting mark on their finger could come and get a card for them and their family members.”

New Delhi, May 8
The entire star cast of popular serial ‘Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ today campaigned for the BJP candidate in the Chandni Chowk parliamentary constituency, Ms Smriti Irani. The Virani Parivar of the soap took out a ‘yatra’, seeking votes for their Bahu Tulsi.

Ba, the grandmother in the serial, left the cozy confines of her home to brave the heat and dust of the narrow bylanes of the constituency, canvassing for the Bahu.

Trailing Ba was the mother-in-law Savita, Gayatri Chachi, JD uncle and Tulsi’s children Sobha and Harsh.

The Virani Parivar’s procession, in specially-decorated ‘baggis’, passed through various parts of Chandni Chowk to the accompaniment of drumbeats and ‘shahnai’.

Moving through streets lined by a large number of eager fans cheering them, the cast urged people to vote for Tulsi, “who will be able to transform Chandni Chowk and win their heart with her work”.

“She is gifted with enormous qualities of fighting with the problems,” they said and added that Smriti will make Chandni Chowk a model constituency of the country with her zeal and dedication.

Addressing people en route, Smriti said that Chandni Chowk had become a byword for problems due to the failure of the INC Government in NCT of Delhi and people were forced to lead a miserable life.

Faridabad, May 8
With campaigning coming to an end today and many a voter still undecided about whom to vote for yet there are certain people who really seem to be concerned about the proper selection of the candidate and use of the right of franchise to elect the right persons. The Manu and Aditya Sharma Foundation For Family Values, a social body, is one of them. It has issued an appeal to the voters to shed all considerations, including caste, community and affiliation of any kind and elect a person who was good and who could come up to their aspirations to a certain level. The body has asked the people to vote for ending the rising crime rate and reject candidates who did not believe in social and family values and who gave priority to materialistic considerations.

The president of the foundation, Dr R.K. Sharma, in a press note issued here today said the rising crime graph was a cause of concern and it certainly had an impact on all aspects of human life and society. He said we should choose such persons or a government which promises to work towards overcoming problems like unemployment, equal opportunity in all spheres of development and basic amenities like education, water, power housing, roads besides initiating measures to control and check crime.

The foundation was the first body in Haryana to set up an independent website on crime in 1998 which is still existent. The website provides the latest crime situation in the state and keeps updating the incidents of crime and related statistics on a daily basis. It says escaping the crime scene or ignoring it is no solution as it requires a mass movement so that it does not affect the people and society in a prominent manner.

Similarly, the Manav Sewa Samiti, a social organisation based here, has also asked the people to use their right of franchise positively and elect good persons so that the highest panchayat of the country is responsive and capable about solving their problems and provides speedy development in all spheres. It says escaping from voting is no solution and it is the right of every person to vote judiciously without fear or favour or petty considerations. Meanwhile, the district election authorities have claimed that they had taken all steps to conduct the polls in a free and fair manner. While hundreds of policemen supported by ex-servicemen, Home Guards and the CRPF personnel have been posted at various places,

New Delhi, May 8
Campaigning for Monday’s Lok Sabha election in all seven parliamentary constituencies and one Assembly seat of the NCT of Delhi ended this evening. The electioneering, which began a fortnight ago, reached a feverish pitch only a week ago.

There are 15 candidates each in the fray in New Delhi, Sadar and Chandni Chowk; 16 in South Delhi; 14 in Karol Bagh; 28 in Outer Delhi; and 26 in East Delhi, taking the total to 129.

Besides, 12 candidates, including Ram Maggo of INC and Subhash Sachdeva of BJP, are contesting in the Moti Nagar Assembly constituency byelection to which voting will be held along with the seven Lok Sabha seats in the Capital.

There are 87.5 lakh voters in NCT of Delhi out of which 38 lakh are women and 49.42 lakh men. As many as 9,055 polling stations have been created across the seven constituencies.

Outer Delhi has the largest number of 33.7 lakh voters.

The government has deployed 55,000 personnel in the polling and counting operations. Around 35,000 police personnel are being deployed to ensure security during elections.

The NCT of Delhi has the distinction of having the constituency with maximum number of voters in the country – Outer Delhi – which has 33.7 lakh electors. On the other hand, the Chandni Chowk constituency with an area of about 10 km is probably the smallest in the area.

The Election Commission has appointed 14 election observers.

Besides local issues like water scarcity, inflated electricity bills and the feared sharp hike in property tax under the new unit area method, the BJP has highlighted the growth and development and restoration of relations with Pakistan under the NDA government led by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

It also tried to exploit the INC fielding two candidates who had earlier been accused in the 1984 riots cases in the constituencies having a sizable Sikh population.

On the other hand, the INC put forth the developmental work done by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during the past five years and sought to demolish the India Shining and Feel Good claims of the BJP. Meanwhile, alleging that Delhi Police has at the behest of his BJP rival, Mr V. K. Malhotra, disrupted his election campaign the INC candidate in the South Delhi constituency, Mr R. K. Anand has written to the Election Commission (EC) expressing his apprehension that the BJP could indulge in “foul play” on election day.

New Delhi, May 8
The Supreme Court has struck down the 1999 notification of Delhi Government, providing for concessional passes to students and certain other categories of passengers in public transport buses in the Capital and modified the guidelines in this regard.

While striking down Clause 3 (a) of the notification, issued by the Lt-Governor of Delhi, a Bench comprising Justice R C Lahoti, Justice B N Srikrishna and Justice G P Mathur restricted the concessional passes only to disabled persons, freedom fighters, war widows and their dependants.

However, the court directed the Delhi Government to bring out within four months an appropriate scheme to provide concessional passes to the students.

“The Government shall lawfully bring forth an appropriate scheme to provide relief to the students, concessional pass holders of DTC by August 30, failing which the condition imposed under paragraph 3 (b) of the impugned notification shall stand quashed and set aside with effect from August 31, 2004,” the court ordered.

However, the other clauses of the 1999 notification relating to the fixation of fare for the general public and the concessional pass holders, were upheld by the court. The judgement came on an appeal by some private bus operators.

The Government had taken the stand that the concessional passes were being allowed by it under social obligations as a welfare State. The apex court said that the conditions imposed on private bus operators to provide consessional passes was ultra vires of the power of the State Government but sudden discontinuation of the scheme would seriously affect those commuters, particularly the students community, which is holding a large number of passes under the DTC, hence the four-month time was granted to the government.

The court accepted the plea of bus operators that the condition of providing concessional passes was against the Article 19 (1)(g), defining the citizens’ rights of trade and business.

But the age-old way of depicting the hero as a paragon of virtue and the villain as personification of evil is not true to life. In real life, there are no such villains and heroes. Most scriptures agree that noble and base traits inhabit together in the same person. The heroes are capable of villainous acts as much as villains could turn out to be generous and heroic. The same person can be hero at times and villainous at other times.

Neither is it true that all conflicts of interests lead to vengeance and are settled through force. But human beings face a choice often in situations of conflict, they may try to get even through a vengeful spirit or might settle issues through a process of forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation.

To avenge or to forgive? In these days of severe competition and rivalry this is an important issue that confronts us almost every day. The rival in business or a manipulating colleague in office, a rival politician or even a competing athlete pose problems. How shall we face the situation?

When we try to pay people back for the wrong they do to us, we often overkill. We try to hurt them worse than they hurt us and they in turn try to hurt us even worse than we hurt them. In this respect, even the grown ups behave like children. They use nastier words thereby seeking to outdo the rival. And the vicious cycle results in escalation and solution of the problem. If this is so with individuals it is no less true of ethnic groups or even nations.

Some interpret history as biography of prominent men. In quite another sense history can be interpreted as a story of human conflicts. It would seem that despite all the wisdom and advancement of knowledge, man still does not know how to resolve conflicts. He makes the wrong choice very often and gets caught in a cyclical catastrophe. In the movies, the hero thirsts for revenge. Its accomplishment is considered a happy ending for the film. But in the world of reality this is not so. The attempt to get even invites reprisals far more pungent and damaging. Hatred and violence increases in volume and frequency. If anything, the effort to right one injustice leads to more injustice until it is even difficult to decide which party is in the right.

We live in times when individuals, nations, races and ethnic groups are reaping the tragic consequences of an unforgiving spirit. So much of bloodshed and misery are manmade and springs from his unwillingness to forgive. It is wiser and far more heroic to forgive than to foster enmity and take revenge.

Why should we forgive? We are all frail men bound to hurt one another because of our imperfections. If we do not forgive, we can not expect to be forgiven. All of us as God’s children fall short of His standards. It is true that no man born of woman can stand justified by his own righteousness before a holy God. The scriptures are equally emphatic that if we do not forgive one another we can not expect God to forgive us. If in our humility we realize our limitations, it is so much easier to forgive one another. Vengeance attributes a higher power to hatred whereas in reality, love is stronger than hatred. Love can win over the enemy and convert him into a friend. This supremacy of love should cause us to be on the winning side. Hatred and rivalry cause greater harm and the way out is forgiveness and reconciliation. When God commanded us to love our enemies, He made sure that we are on the way of righteousness and peace.

New Delhi, May 8
The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police today arrested four men for giving drug-laced tea and eatables to their victims. The suspects were identified as Vinod, alias Raju, Vjay Kumar, Deepak and Vijay, alias Bhagwati.

The gang members were nabbed while they were fleeing with the luggage of their victims to whom they had administered adulterated tea. During interrogation they disclosed that they had missed their train and were going home but the suspicious way they were running made the police search their belongings.

Meanwhile, the real owners of the goods complained to the police and narrated the entire story and the suspects were arrested. On a personal search of the suspects sedative tablets and powder were seized. They operated at railway stations in Delhi, UP and Haryana. Their modus operandi was that they called their victims in their coded language as “doctor” who was engaged by two members in a conversation.

The remaining gang members later joined with cups of tea as old acquaintances. Thereafter, the “doctor” was forced to consume drug-mixed tea and drug-laced biscuits or other eatables. The moment the victim felt giddy the suspects escaped with his belongings.

New Delhi, May 8
The Industrial Harmony Week, organised by North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) for its employees to promote the “Spirit of Oneness” and “Working Together for Common Goal”, culminated today with an award function and a mass tree plantation exercise at NDPL Colony, Sector 11, Rohini.

Commenting on the day of closing ceremony, Mr Anil Kumar Sardana, CEO, NDPL said, “The Industrial Harmony Week saw unprecedented success in terms of further binding our NDPL Pariwar. At NDPL, we have always endeavoured to create a work environment, which encourages teamwork, learning and innovation and I am happy that this event has been successful in achieving this objective.”

The celebrations began on May 1, on the Labour Day, by a flag hoisting ceremony in the presence of special guest, Mr Heera Lal Sharma, general secretary, Delhi State Electricity Workers Union, who commended the top management of NDPL for taking this noble initiative of organising such an event. On the opening day, NDPL announced launch of 2nd round of Computer Education for employees children to upgrade their skills. Thereafter, a slogan writing competition was organised where employees were asked to write a slogan on working together at NDPL.’ A sports meet was also organised on May 5, at Naharpur Stadium, Rohini, where employees participated in games of Volleyball and Kabbadi.

During the week, a blood donation camp was organised on May 6, at NDPL Rohini, District Office in association with the Red Cross Society. The camp got a tremendous response from employees who donated more than 100 units of blood on a single day. Not only the field staff but NDPL’s top management and senior union representatives, too, contributed towards this noble cause and came forward to donate blood.