Jalandhar, June 28
The police arrested District Youth Congress (urban) president Rinku Sethi on the charge of attempt to murder in the wee hours today for attacking Rajendra Nath, acting SHO of police station number three.

SP (city-I) S.K. Kalia said Sethi, along with his several associates, attacked Rajendra Nath and some other policemen with base bats at around 1.30 am on Saturday after a minor scuffle near the railway station.

The acting SHO sustained serious injuries, while the two head constables accompanying him were also hurt in the attack.

Kalia said Rajendra Nath, along with other policemen, was returning to the police station after a routine checking at the city railway station.

They noticed a Skoda car wrongly parked in the middle of the road that led to a long queue of vehicles.

The policemen asked the car owner to remove his vehicle from the middle of the road but he refused to do so.

On the contrary, drunken Rinku abused the cops and started throwing bundles of newspapers out of a vehicle which was standing in the jam along with his associates.

The acting SHO asked the policemen to take Rinku to the police station. On the way, Rinku called some of his associates and soon his men armed with base bats reached the railway station. They dragged Rajendra Nath out of his vehicle and started beating him and other cops.

After a few minutes, Rinku called the SSP and alleged that the acting SHO had manhandled him.

The SP said Rinku was found drunken in his medical examination and an FIR had been registered on the statement of injured Rajendra Nath. Besides, the court has sent Rinku to a one-day police remand, he added.

Meanwhile, City Congress president Arun Walia has criticised the police for booking Rinku Sethi on the charge of attempt to murder.

He said, “Rinku and his men went to the railway station to have dinner as they had come from Kapurthala after electioneering.

As far as I know there was some dispute between Rinku and the acting SHO over wrong parking of vehicles.” Besides, the cops had also broken the windshield of Rinku’s car, he added.

Hoshiarpur, June 28
Some of the local Congress leaders of the Dasuya segment, including some leaders of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), have revolted against their leader former Punjab health minister Romesh Chander Dogra.

The leaders alleged that Dogra surrendered before the SAD in the recent elections to the Dasuya block samiti to win favour of SAD leaders and to conceal his loopholes. Among those revolted included PPCC state unit secretaries Vipan Kumar Ghambir and Jagdish Singh, DCC vice-president Jagjit Singh Balagan and DCC general secretary Dharampal Salgota.

In a representation to All-India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi, the leaders have pointed out that Dogra had allegedly directed the party’s newly elected block samiti members to caste their vote in favour of the SAD candidate. “Due to Dogra’s direction the Congress candidate for the samiti chairman could not even get a single vote and the SAD candidate won with the Congress support,” they added.

Pointing out in the memoranda submitted by the PPCC to the party high command, the Punjab Governor and the Election Commission against the atrocities of the SAD-BJP government, they said the importance of these memoranda was dashed to the ground by Dogra. They demanded action against him to keep the morale of party workers high.

Talking to mediapersons here on Friday, the leaders said copies of this representation had also been sent to the PPCC chief and Naresh Thakur, member of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the PPCC. Thakur said he would take up the issue with senior leaders.

Meanwhile, Dogra denied that he had asked party members to vote in favour of the SAD candidate during election of the block samiti chairman.

He said the leaders who had levelled these charges against him had been opposing him in the state assembly for quite some time. Criticising the role of Thakur, Dogra said instead of pacifying these leaders for resolving the issue, he had allegedly provoked them against him.

Phagwara, June 28
An entire family has been expelled from the Shiromani Akali Dal for its anti-party activities in the current civic poll.

Jathedar Harbel Singh Pahwa, an office-bearer of the circle Akali jatha, and his wife Paramjit Kaur, son Harjot Singh, activists of the SAD’s frontal wings Istri Akali Dal and Youth Akali Dal, respectively, and another family member and SAD activist Baldev Singh Pahwa were today expelled from the party for six years.

Harbel Singh Pahwa was contesting the municipal poll as a rebel candidate from Ward 25 by standing as an independent against official Akali candidate Gajinder Singh Walia, party sources said. Paramjit Kaur Pahwa had represented this ward in the last municipal elections. However, this time neither of the Pahwas were given the party ticket which made Harbel Singh to contest as a rebel candidate.

The decision to crack the whip against the unrelenting Akali family was today taken at a meeting of the leaders with SAD organising secretary-cum-PAC member Jarnail Singh Wahid in the chair.

Wahid asserted that the Pahwas had been expelled from the party on the directions of district SAD president Raghbir Singh.

Meanwhile, the SAD’s ally the BJP today expelled from the party for six years its two leaders Gurbachan Singh Walia and Gurdip Singh Deepa for indulging in anti-party activities during the current civic poll.

While Rupinder Kaur, daughter-in-law of Walia, was contesting the municipal poll from Ward 27 as a rebel candidate, Deepa was himself contesting as a rebel candidate from Ward 12. — PTI

Jalandhar, June 28
Activists of the Bajrang Dal under the leadership of Yogesh Dhir burnt the effigies of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Gulam Navi Azad, Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussein Beig and the Hurriyat Conference at Company Bagh Chowk on Saturday.

They criticised Azad and the Hurriyat Conference for opposing the allotment of land to the Shri Baba Amarnath Shrine Board and said the action had hurt the religious feelings of the Hindu devotees. They also said that if the Jammu and Kashmir government would not step down on its decision, the party would protest against the “Haj” by Muslims.

Amritsar, June 28
An Akali leader was shot dead and three persons were seriously injured at Bagga Kalan village on Friday night.

According to information received here, about 15 persons armed with rifles and swords attacked Akali leader Balwinder Singh’s house and fired indiscriminately. Balwinder sustained bullet injuries and died on his way to hospital, while his sons Jagbir Singh and Charanjit Singh, along with neighbour Satnam Singh, were seriously injured.

Deceased’s father Pritam Singh alleged that his son had altercations with Tejbir Singh, who reportedly belonged to the Congress, over a minor dispute during the municipal committee election campaign. He said Tejbir, Mandip Singh, Vikram Singh, Germanjit Singh, Rajmohinder Singh, Ranjit Singh and Balbir Singh were among those who attacked his house.

Meanwhile, no arrests have been made so far.

Hoshiarpur, June 28
Led by their chief Pawan Puri, shopkeepers of Talwara staged a dharna and blocked traffic for two hours at T-Point of the GT Road here on Saturday.

The shopkeepers were expressing their resentment against the Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB) authorities for laying earth on the rail track due to which rainwater of the area flooded the market and entered various shops.

Naib-tehsildar Ajit Singh reached the dharna spot and informed the deputy commissioner, who instructed him to contact the BBMB authorities and make arrangements for draining out the water.