Dabwali (Sirsa), July 19
Amid heavy security arrangements, thousands of people today attended the cremation of Harmandar Singh, vice-president of the Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Sabha, Dabwali, who was killed yesterday in a clash between followers of the Dera Sacha Suada and Sikhs.

Baljeet Singh Daduwal, a member of the Khalsa Action Committee, gave a call for a bandh in Punjab and Haryana on July 23 against the killing of Harmandar Singh.

He was cremated at his ancestral Dabwali village. Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at his house. His mother and wife were inconsolable while his two minor children are too young to understand the turn of events. Gurmail Singh, brother of the victim, was seen giving them solace.

Earlier, his body, which was placed at Gurdwara Vishwakarma in Dabwali city, was taken to his ancestral village in a procession. Though the atmosphere was tense, the day passed off peacefully, much to the relief of the administration.

Among others, Avtar Singh Makkar, president, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar, Takht Dam Dama Sahib, Baljit Singh from the Sant Samaj and Simranjit Singh Maan, president, Shiromani Akali Dal, consoled the family.

All along the 3-km route, people raised slogans.

As a mark of respect to the departed soul, bodyguards of Sikh leaders fired into the air at the cremation ground.

After the cremation, they went to the village gurdwara for “ardas”, where Sikh leaders addressed a gathering.

Makkar announced Rs 5 lakh to the family of the victim and Rs 1 lakh for those injured.

Maan demanded that the name of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh should be included under section 120-B of the IPC in the FIR registered at the Dabwali police station yesterday.

District police chief K.V. Ramana said curfew was still in force.

Meanwhile, members of the district unit of the Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Sabha have given a call for Sirsa bandh on July 21 against the killing of Harmandar Singh.

Fatehabad, July 19
The authorities are keeping a close vigil in view of the proposed “naam charcha” of Dera Sacha Sauda followers to be held at Ratia and Fatehabad towns tomorrow.

The dera followers have announced to organise a block-level “naam charcha” at Ratia tomorrow.

The district authorities are not taking any chances in view of the surcharged atmosphere after the death of a Sikh in the dera-Sikh clash at Mandi Dabwali in Sirsa district yesterday and the ugly developments that followed.

Besides Ratia, the followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda are also organising a congregation at Fatehabad in the evening tomorrow.

This will be held at the “sangat ghar” of the dera situated on the Hisar road.

Narsi Dass Goyal, a local leader of the dera followers, confirmed that they were organising “naam charcha” at Ratia and Fatehabad tomorrow. SP Saurabh Singh said the police was keeping a close vigil.

He maintained that sufficient security had been provided outside the “sangat ghar” and no one would be allowed to take law into one’s hands.

Chandigarh, July 19
If the Congress-led UPA is trying to keep its head above the water amidst rising voices of dissent from unexpected quarters and support from unlikely allies, the Haryana Congress, too, is in a tizzy.

Seven of the nine Congress MPs from Haryana called on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Delhi today. All MPs with the exception of suspended Congress MP and Haryana Janhit Congress supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi and “aggrieved” Karnal MP Arvind Sharma are learnt to have been led for the meeting by convener Avtar Singh Badhana.

They were all given a 30-page document highlighting the benefits of the nuclear deal to take back to people of their constituencies and garner support for the cause. The MPs expressed their solidarity with the government on the issue of the nuclear deal.

While the meeting went on between Gandhi and the MPs, the Haryana Congress top brass, in damage-control mode since yesterday’s shocker from Karnal MP Arvind Sharma, spent the day on their toes.

Sources said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was in Delhi since yesterday after cutting short his visit to Kaithal, attempted to woo back a sore Sharma. However, sources close to him maintained that there was no reason for worry from his front.

It is learnt that repeated rounds of meetings with the MP took place over tea to placate him. The “package” on offer also included an exclusive meeting with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Also, Sharma’s concerns about his constituency as also his aspirations were given a patient hearing by the “powers-that-be” and he was assured of all possible assistance in this regard.

Sharma’s “expected revolt”, timed to perfection just three days before the trust vote in Parliament, and his lavish praise for UP Chief Minister Mayawati has earned him assurance and he is unlikely to “stray” in any direction for the time being as Hooda tries to keep “his flock” together for the D-day on July 22.

However, Kuldeep Bishnoi is proving to be a hard nut to crack for the Congress, which seems to have tracked down all friends and relatives to “win over” their rebel leader.

Bishnoi, who has made it clear that he will not support the UPA government in the trust vote at any cost, said, “I have been offered an almost unimaginable amount for abstaining from voting on July 22. I have turned it down because I will not compromise on credibility.

If I accept the money and stay away, I will never be able to face people, who believe in me as a leader who can change the face of politics. I will vote against the UPA government and that is final.”

Bishnoi said the Congress, after having failed to convince him to vote in favour of the UPA, is now “pressurising” him to at least stay away on the day of voting. “They have it all wrong. I am not in politics for money and this is certainly not a business deal like it has been reduced to. I am not a commodity they can buy,” he insisted.

As the run-up to the vote of confidence hots up, the leadership of the Congress in Haryana is keeping its fingers crossed, hoping “trouble-makers” will lie low till the acid test is over.

Kalanaur (Rohtak), July 19
Suspended Congress MP and Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) chief Kuldeep Bishnoi has alleged that he had been offered Rs 100 crore for casting his vote in favour of the UPA government at the centre.

Addressing a public meeting here today, Bishnoi claimed that he had turned down the offer and would vote against the UPA regime.

He even stated that he would not vote for the Congress or the UPA even if he was offered the post of the Chief Minister of the state.

“I don’t want to become a Chief Minister imposed on people of Haryana,” he said, adding that on being voted to power, his party would leave no stone unturned in ensuring all-round development of the entire state.

Bishnoi alleged that at present, corruption was rampant, law and order situation deteriorating and the common man reeling under acute shortage of water and electricity.

HJC district (rural) president Krishan Murti Hooda, state general-secretary Subhash Batra, state secretary Wazir Khokhar, party’s energy cell chairman Yogender Nath Malhotra, women cell general-secretary Sumitra Dahiya and youth wing president Jai Bhagwan Sharma were also present.

Fatehabad, July 19
Irate villagers today blocked vehicular traffic on the Fatehabad-Chandigarh road near Jandli village in protest against the erratic power supply to their areas.

A large number of villagers gathered on the national highway about 9.30 am and blocked traffic by placing obstacles on the road.

Raising slogans against the government and the authorities concerned, villagers refused to lift the blockade till their demand for regular power supply was conceded.

They alleged that potable water supply to their villages had also been affected due to scarcity of power.

Hundreds of vehicles were lined up on both sides of the road and commuters had to face a tough time.

Sub-divisional officer of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, Bhuna, P.D. Sharma said the department had been providing sufficient two-phase power supply for domestic purposes in the village, but people had been running tubewells illegally, which had escalated the problem.

SHO of the Bhuna police station Sadhu Ram and some other officials reached there and assured farmers of better power supply. The traffic jam was lifted around 11.30 am.

Faridabad, July 19
The parents of a youth alleged that their son lost his mental balance, following ill-treatment by the district police here yesterday.

The youth, Jeeteder, alias Sonu (24), a resident of Jawahar Colony, had left his home on July 13 for his routine morning walk. His parents received a call from the police after about three hours that Sonu was in Palli Chowki, which falls in the jurisdiction of Sector 55 police station.

On reaching the police station, the youth’s father, Som Dutt, found that his son, who was in his undergarments, had injuries on his body.

Dutt said when he sought explanation from the police, it did not give him a satisfactory response.

Sonu used to work as a field officer for a private firm. He was yesterday admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Relatives of Sonu alleged that he was normal when he had left the house on July 13. His condition started deteriorating after he was taken to the police station.

They alleged that Sonu was beaten up and ill-treated in the police station.

Debunking the allegation, the police said Sonu was already mentally sick when he was brought to the police post. The police said they brought him to the police station after it received reports that he was allegedly throwing stones on passing vehicles.

Ban Santoor (Yamunanagar), July 19
With a view to protecting elephants and developing the district as a tourist destination, India’s first elephant rehabilitation and research centre will soon come up at Ban Santoor, about 35 km from here.

“In this protected forest area, 50 acres have been reserved for rehabilitation purposes and 400 acres for elephants’ movement,” said minister of state for forests and environment Kiran Choudhry after laying the foundation stone of the centre at Ban Santoor this afternoon.

The centre will be dedicated to Surender Singh, former minister for agriculture and wildlife, and will be developed on the pattern of Thailand’s Elephant Nature Park Foundation.

“This forest cover is of great importance as it is a natural habitat of elephants and is situated near the Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary. Elephants come here from the nearby forest areas. Besides, elephants kept illegally by people and those subjected to cruelty in circus will be brought to this centre,” she added.

“The panchayats of nearby villages in the Chhachhrauli area had requested the government to name the centre after Surender Singh. He was a wildlife lover and was instrumental in establishing the Bhiwani zoo in 1982. So we named the centre as Choudhry Surender Singh Memorial Elephant Rehabilitation and Research Centre,” she said.