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Independent
MLAs’ plea to poll panel Chapra
killings: UP officials scrutinise revenue records Arya
Samaj’s meeting on SYL a damp squib Avedna claims she was
kidnapped AK-47
rifle, other arms recovered |
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Seven
hurt in accident 
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Independent MLAs’ plea to poll panel Chandigarh, June 19 These eight MLAs are facing disqualification proceedings under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution (Anti-Defection Law). The disqualification proceedings against them have been launched by the Haryana Speaker, Mr Satbir Singh Kadian, on petitions filed by INLD MLAs. Another Independent MLA, Mr Mulla Ram, who also shifted his support from the INLD to the Congress after the Rajya Sabha election process started, putting a question mark on the ruling party’s ability to win the second seat from the state, did not file the petition. The INLD is sure to win one seat with a strength of 47 MLAs. Mr Mulla Ram did not petition to the Election Commission because the Speaker is yet to issue him a notice under the Anti-Defection Law. However, he told TNS on the phone from Delhi that he was committed to support the Congress candidate, Mrs Kiran Choudhary, and there was no question of his going back to the INLD. Mr Mulla Ram was present at the residence of Mr R.K. Anand, advocate, where the other MLAs were also present in connection with their petition. Mr Anand along with another constitutional expert, Mr Jasbir Singh Malik, drafted the petition for the Haryana MLAs. Mr Mulla Ram’s wife, Manju, was also present at Mr Anand’s house. Mrs Manju Choudhary was nominated president of the Mahendragarh district unit of the INLD on the day her husband withdrew support to the ruling party. The Independent MLAs, who have extended support to the Congress, and Mr Dalal suspect that they may be disqualified by Mr Kadian before June 28 when the polling for the Rajya Sabha would take place to ensure the victory of the INLD-supported Independent candidate, Mr Tarlochan Singh, Chairman of the National Minorities Commission. In their petition, the MLAs have contended that they were protected under Sections 23(3) and 27(G) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. These sections provide that after the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers was over, no change could be made in the electoral rolls. The sections further provide that only the Election Commission could delete the name of any voter from the rolls that too on the ground of having committed certain offences. They contended that since shifting of support from one party to the other was no offence, they should be allowed to vote even if Mr Kadian disqualified them before the polling. |
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Chapra killings: UP officials scrutinise revenue records Karnal, June 19 The bloody incident has created bitterness among the farmers of both the states living on either side of the border adjoining Yamuna and left the senior authorities of both the states worried over the inter-state relations. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Saharanpur, Mr Sunil Kumar Gupta, had already been transferred to Bareily following the allegations of the negative role of the police in helping the farmers of Uttar Pradesh to forcibly acquire the disputed land that was under the control of Haryana. The SSP of Bareily, Mr S.A. Rizvi, is likely to take the charge in place of Mr Gupta as SSP, Saharanpur, on Monday. Sources in the Uttar Pradesh Government revealed that the District Magistrate of Saharanpur had been asked by the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary to resolve the issue permanently with mutual understanding with his counterpart in Karnal. When contacted, the District Magistrate of Karnal, Mr R.S. Doon, revealed that revenue officials of Gangoh subdivision, Saharanpur, arrived here yesterday and a scrutiny of the revenue records was being done jointly. The Saharanpur District Magistrate was not available for comments. Meanwhile, sources in Uttar Pradesh Government had also revealed that the senior officials at Lucknow were considering transferring the District Magistrate from his post following the incident. The Karnal police is conducting an inquiry into the incident after registering an FIR against 51 persons believed to be involved in the bloodshed. Ballistic experts from the state forensic laboratory, Madhuban, were yet to submit their report to the police. |
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Arya Samaj’s meeting on
SYL a damp squib Rohtak, June 19 The meeting was convened at the initiative of a former Union minister, Prof Sher Singh and Swami Agnivesh under the aegis of the Arya Samaj. However, all major political parties stayed away from it. The HVP deputed a junior functionary to represent it. The meeting attracted around 30 persons including the two Arya Samaj leaders. Addressing the meeting, Prof Sher Singh narrated the sequence of events leading to the recent apex court judgement asking the Centre to name an agency to complete the Punjab portion of the canal. He said the canal should have been completed by 1983 after the accord on the issue was signed in 1981. Farmers of Haryana would have earned Rs 4000 crore through high crop yield during the past two decades. The Centre, too, would have saved Rs 500 crore which it would have to shell out now because of cost escalation. He regretted that both the Centre and the Punjab Governments had not taken the project seriously all these years and had flouted the directives of the apex court in this regard. Now that just a few days remained for the Centre to identify the agency which would implement the court orders, nothing tangible had emerged so far. Swami Agnivesh criticised the political parties of Haryana for their indifference towards the SYL Canal. He also blamed the people for not remaining united on the issue. He said they had to take the initiative to summon a meeting of political parties, social organisations, khap panchayats and student and youth organisations to decide the future course of action. The Haryana Vikas Party representative, Mr Ram Chander Jangra, suggested that a team comprising representatives of all sections of society in Haryana should visit Punjab and hold meetings with liberal-minded people to convince them that the completion of the canal would not lower Punjab’s share in the waters. The meeting that a delegation of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha would meet the President, the Prime Minister and the Congress President Ms Sonia Gandhi on this issue. |
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Power supply stays erratic in Sonepat Sonepat, June 19 Some areas have been without electricity for the past two days. Most of the villages are the worst hit. Residents said local officials of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) did not attend to their complaints. Similarly, the complaint centres set up in various parts of the city are of little help to the residents. The supply of drinking water remained disrupted for at least eight hours today, facing residents to fetch water from distant places. Many residents alleged that the Public Health Department had failed to make alternative arrangements for the supply of drinking water in affected areas.
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Avedna claims she was
kidnapped Ambala, June 19 Avedna alleged that her kidnappers were involved in the racket of selling girls in West Asia. Talking to mediapersons at her residence at Shankar Park, Avedna said she had married Amitabh Thakur out of her own free will and her parents had not forced her for marriage. “It was my first marriage. My previous statements were given under duress,” she
claimed. Avedna said she and her husband Amitabh Thakur were going to Vaishno Devi and a thin man was sitting next to her. “We ate food near Khanna. Then, I felt pain in my stomach so I had go to the toilet. When I came out of the toilet, the thin man, who was standing there, kept something over my face. I fell unconscious and when I regained consciousness I found myself in a
masjid,” she said. She alleged that she was blackmailed, tortured and physically harassed. “The nikah nama and an affidavit were prepared after July 15. I was threatened with dire consequences,” she said. “Why will a young girl like me go off with a married man having three children,” she queried. Incidentally, Avedna had consumed `excess’ tablets on May 29 this year. She was admitted to Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantt. It may be recalled that Avedna had married a Delhi-based boy last year. Soon after her marriage, the couple were going to Jammu when Avedna disappeared at the Ludhiana railway station. Later, Avedna as well as Punjab Wakf Board Junior Engineer Zakhir Hussain had surrendered in court. |
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AK-47 rifle, other arms recovered Hisar, June 19 Talking to mediapersons here today, the Superintendent of Police, Mr Atar Singh Ahlawat, said that a police team raided the house of one of the accomplices, Dalsher Singh, in Paladi village in Panipat district today and recovered an AK-47 rifle, two pistols, 22 cartridges, two magazines and a bullet-proof jacket. He said the gangsters had revealed that they had purchased the arms from UP. |
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Seven
hurt in accident Ambala, June 19 The accident took place when a Tata Sumo collided with a trolley near the Industrial Area at about 1 pm last night. The Tata Sumo was going from Shimla towards Saharanpur. The injured included Shehnaz, Shah Isaq Ahmed, Munak Kamani, Afreen, Rashida Kamani and Abrar Ahmed. The Sumo driver, Sanjay, was also injured in the accident. While the family members were shifted to the PGI from Ambala Cantonment Civil Hospital, the Sumo driver was undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital. A police official said the family was based at Mumbai and they had come to visit relatives at Saharanpur. From Saharanpur, it had hired the Tata Sumo to visit Shimla. The accident took place when they were returning from Shimla. The exact cause of the accident was not yet known. |
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Sirsa, June 19 Reports said at least 12 patients were suffering from jaundice in the village. Residents alleged that their requests to the public health officials for supplying potable water had gone unheeded and they had to drink contaminated water. Civil Surgeon Mohan Singh Chaudhry said since January, 2004, 13 cases of hepatitis had been reported from the village. Deputy Commissioner Balraj Singh said he has directed the public health authorities to procure samples of drinking water being supplied to villagers for laboratory tests.
— PTI
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Front:
stop Delhi-Lahore bus service Rohtak, June 19 Addressing a press conference here today the front chief, Mr Biresh
Shandilya, said the bus service was being misused by Pakistan to send terrorists to India. There was no need for such a facility till relations between the two countries normalised, he said. |
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