Ludhiana, April 3
The SGPC and other Sikh organisations will stage a dharna in front of the AICC chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence 10 Janpath in New Delhi on April 10 to protest CBI’s clean chit to Jagdish Tytler.

This was stated today by SGPC president Avtar Singh, who called upon people to make the protest a success. Criticising the CBI, Makkar said it had reached its lowest ebb and the sleuths were just stooges in the hands of politicians.

He added it was not a coincidence that the Congress had given party ticket to Tytler a fortnight ago and the CBI had filed its inquiry report in the court yesterday.

Bathinda: Protesting against CBI’s clean chit to Jagdish Tytler, activists of the Youth Akali Dal (1920) and other religious organisations, including the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP), held a protest march from Quila Mubarak. The demonstrators burnt an effigy of Tytler at Sadbhavna Chowk.

Addressing the gathering, Yadvinder Singh Brar, senior vice-president, Youth Akali Dal (1920), alleged that Congress leaders Tytler and Sajjan Kumar were involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and their nominations should be withdrawn to respect the sentiments of the Sikh community.

Brar said by giving ticket to them, the Congress had ignored sufferings of riot victims. “We will continue our fight against the accused till our last breath,” he said.

Jalandhar: The Congress should have given a second thought to public feelings before allotting ticket to Tytler, said Manjinder Singh Bitta, chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front.

Jalandhar, April 3
CBI’s clean chit to Jagdish Tytler has embarrassed the Congress but the people should have faith in the judiciary and the verdict in the case is yet to come. This was stated by former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who is also the chairman of the Congress Campaigning Committee. He said his party had no role in this episode.

Had the CBI been acting at the behest of the party, the clean chit would not have been issued at this crucial juncture (parliamentary polls) to let the issue snowballed into a major controversy, he added.

The issue has brought embarrassment for the party as it has given an emotive issue to the opposition, he observed.

Turning tables on the SAD on this issue, Amarinder said the people should also ask Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Akali MPs on what they did during their tenures. “It was left to Congress MP Jagmeet Singh Brar to raise the issue in Parliament for speeding up the inquiry into the 1984 pogrom”, he added.

“We should wait for the findings of the court as earlier also in the famous case of Nithari killings, in which Moninder Singh Pandher was given a clean chit by the CBI, but the court still convicted him,” he added.

Incidentally, both Capt Amarinder Singh and Sukhbir Badal stayed at the same luxury hotel here. 

Ludhiana, April 3
Veeran (70), a victim of 1984 riots, has consoled her seven daughters all these years saying that justice would finally be meted out to them. She had lost her only son and two sons-in-law to the riots. She is speechless since yesterday and does not know how to face her daughters after years of reposing their trust in the CBI.

Agency’s clean chit to Jagdish Tytler yesterday not only scratched their wounds but also rubbed salt on them. “We somehow survived the riots, lived with the loss of our breadwinners, hoping it would be a balm on our wounds. We are more hurt today not for the fact that we have been wronged but because justice eludes us,” said Veeran.

She had fled from her house in Tilak Nagar in New Delhi during the three fateful days along with her daughters and took refuge in a local gurdwara. She lives in state’s biggest colony of 1984 riot victims, who echoed their sentiments to a The Tribune team today.

With tears in their eyes, they narrated their horrid tales of 1984. “Burning tyres were put around the neck of our men. The girls were chased, kidnapped, raped and killed. Bodies of many girls were not even traced,” said Harbans Kaur, who lost her brother-in-law and four sons.

Davinder Kaur, whose husband was burnt alive; Gurcharan Kaur, whose infant son was thrown in a tandoor in the compound of her house; Veeran Wali, who lost her husband; and Baldev Kaur, whose husband was burnt after his truck was torched, were shocked at the decision of the CBI.

“When the inquiry was ordered, we had a sigh of relief that the CBI would deliver justice. Now, I am certain the CBI sleuths, too, work under the wings of AICC supremo Sonia Gandhi. We are totally broken,” Surinder Singh, a victim.

Later, they burnt an effigy of the CBI and blocked traffic on the southern bypass. 

Moga, April 3
The legal counsel of the key witnesses and adviser to the Sikhs for Justice, a US-based human rights group, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and the president of the All-India Sikh Students Federation, Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, who are advocating the cases of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, have said their legal fight to get justice for the riot victims would continue.

In a communiqué to The Tribune over phone and email today, they announced to file separate PILs in the respective High Courts of all states affected by the riots demanding for a judicial probe into the incidents.

“We are also considering filing a PIL in the Supreme Court and approaching the Election Commission to debar Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar, Kamal Nath and Arjun Singh, all Congress leaders, from the ensuing Lok Sabha elections,” Pannun said.

Pannun had claimed that they had solid evidences establishing the role of the CBI in giving a clean chit to Tytler. He presented record of his conversations and correspondence with SP Ratn Sanjay and DSP Kishore of the CBI (the copy of which is available with The Tribune) who were in the US from December 22 to 26 to record the statements of two key witnesses.

“All the pleas to record additional witness’s testimony fell on the deaf ears of the CBI officials, who were hell bent on giving a clean chit to Tytler before the parliamentary elections”, he alleged.

“CBI’s intention and collaboration with Tytler is also evident from the fact that days before the CBI’s official announcement, Tytler openly declared and announced in the media that the CBI had decided to give him a clean chit”.

He termed the CBI probe ‘a hoodwink in the name of investigation’ as agency’s approach in questioning witnesses Jasbir Singh and Surinder Singh was so preposterous that most of the time was spent by the officials on irrelevant questions.

Pannun further stated Jasbir and Surinder, whose statements were recorded by the CBI, Ratn Sanjay and DSP Kishore time and again, threateningly told these witnesses “you are lying” and “will file charges against you instead for lying to the CBI”.

Chandigarh, April 3
The conspiracy theory over the death of Capt Kanwaljit Singh has resurfaced after security personnel accompanying him during the crash made certain observations to the police. In his statement, Captain Kanwaljit’s Personal Security Officer (PSO) Rattan said, “The second truck was stationary, but as soon as the car they were travelling came close, it started moving and hit the Elentra, badly injuring Captain Kanwaljit”.

Sources said after a statement was made to the police, the investigation has enlarged the scope of the inquiry to ascertain the truth in this. The driver of Captain Kanwaljit’s car is still in a critical state and has not been able to make a statement to the police yet. The deceased minister was travelling in the co-driver seat, while his PSO was in the back seat.

Patiala Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir, who is a one-man commission enquiring into the accident, said Rattan had recorded his statement which had been incorporated into the FIR. “We will corroborate the statement made by the PSO with those of the car driver once he regains consciousness and also the statement of both truck drivers as well as eyewitnesses”.

Many have sought a judicial inquiry into the accident alleging conspiracy. They include former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and SAD (A) President Simranjit Singh Mann.

The two truck drivers have in their statement before the commission claimed that they had separately rung up their owners in Delhi from PCOs in Chandigarh Industrial Area. The drivers claim that they had unloaded goods in the industrial area and were directed by the owners to proceed to Ludhiana to pick up a consignment of “saria”. 

Chandigarh, April 3
The SAD, which has been pushed against the wall with Capt Kanwaljit Singh’s son Jasjit Singh Bunny’s decision to quit the party, today launched a damage-control exercise and was partially successful in reaching out to members of late Akali leader’s family, who assured the party that they knew their responsibility and would try to “help out Bunny”.

Bunny, however, is sticking to his stand and so seems the case with his sister Manpreet Kaur. Talking to The Tribune two hours after submitting his resignation to the SAD, Bunny said he was a soldier’s son and that there would be no retreat.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal spoke on the phone to Bunny’s uncle Col Amarjit Singh Gill. The Chief Minister’s aide and Anandpur Sahib candidate of the party Daljit Singh Cheema virtually camped at the residence of Capt Kanwaljit for most of the day.

The SAD has conveyed to the family that the Chief Minister had planned to announce Bunny’s candidature from Banur as well as his possible inclusion in the state cabinet at the ‘bhog’ of the late leader on Sunday. Chief Minister’s media adviser Harcharan Singh Bains said: “We cannot think of anyone else from Banur”.

Meanwhile, SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal denied he had made any statement saying that the party had already adjusted Bunny and that there was no need for any further adjustment. Sukhbir said he had been “grossly misquoted” by a newspaper and that he held Capt Kanwaljit Singh and his family in the highest regard.

Cheema said Bunny was under stress and that he had asked the family to support him. He said Badal was “concerned” about Bunny and that he “knows his responsibility towards Capt Kanwaljit Singh who was his oldest colleague in the party”.

Chandigarh, April 3
The lesson is obvious. The gen next in the SAD will take a long time to attain the stature of their more astute elders. Both SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal and Jasjit Singh Bunny have shown immaturity and rashness that people of Punjab neither want nor deserve.

The crisis in the party stems from a brash observation made by the SAD President at a public function two days ago. Sukhbir reportedly intervened in the conversation between a journalist and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal about the party’s plans to rehabilitate Bunny after the death of his father and said, “He does not need to be rehabilitated as he is already Chairman of the Board of Directors of Punjab State Cooperative Bank”.

The statement did not go well with loyalists of Capt Kanwaljit Singh, who have persuaded upon the family of the Captain to come out openly and pre-empt any move to re-induct Sukhbir’s brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia back into the Punjab Cabinet in place of the late leader.

The family want Bunny to step into his father’s shoes. Bikram, it may be recalled had stepped down from the council of minister to pave way for Sukhbir’s induction as Deputy Chief Minister.

Sources in the SAD said a former Akali leader, who recently joined the Congress, had acted at the behest of Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala in advising the family of Captain Kanwaljit to take this drastic step. Party insiders said the SAD wanted to copy Nitish Kumar, who inducted two ministers in his Bihar Cabinet two days ago by bringing Majithia back into the Cabinet soon after Captain Kanwaljit’s bhog on Sunday.

Besides, there were rumours that Sukhbir was in touch with Bir Devinder Singh (who resigned from the Congress yesterday, expressing resentment over the CBI giving a clean chit to Jagdish Tytler) and wanted to make him party in-charge for Kharar and Mohali areas after formally inducting him into the SAD. Bunny had unsuccessfully contested the Kharar assembly seat and thought that the move was aimed at slighting him.

All these reports caused a panic making the family take up issues with the party supreme. The decision was not of Bunny alone, nor did it result from a bout of depression, as stated by some. The decision had the approval of the entire family of the late Akali leader. The consequence of the move will only become clear with time. 

Chandigarh, April 3
The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) will soon develop the capability of taking prompt decisions on how much water to release in times of excess, especially when heavy releases could endanger life and property in the area.

It has signed an agreement with DHI Water Environment Health, Denmark for development of real-time decision support system (RT-DSS) for operational management of its reservoirs. 

Disclosing this here, MK Gupta, member, irrigation, BBMB, said the system, when installed, would enable to board to take immediate decisions on how much water should be released from the Bhakra and Pong dams during the monsoon season. 

Jalandhar, April 3
Light to moderate rain accompanied by hailstorm at some places in Punjab has devastated wheat and other crops in about 50-60 villages.

Hailstorm has almost wiped out wheat and other crops in about 23 villages, 17 villages of Fatehgarh Sahib and six of Patiala district. Wheat crop has been devastated in about 14,000 acres in both districts. In villages such as Himmatgarh, Bharbhurgarh, the damage to wheat crop is near 100 per cent, whereas in other affected villages it is about 50 per cent or more. Obviously, farmers have suffered a loss of several lakhs of rupees.

Likewise, wheat crop has been damaged about 20 villages in Moga and Ferozepur districts, especially in villages near Ghall Kalan. The Agriculture Department is in the process of assessing the damage to submit a report to the state government. Hailstorm also hit some parts of the Jalandhar-Amritsar belt last night.

A senior officer of the Punjab Agriculture Department said a report had been submitted to the Financial Commissioner (Development) as well as to the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) urging them to order a special girdwari in the areas hit by the hailstorm.

The officer said the exact damage would only be assessed after conducting the girdwari. However, initial reports indicated heavy damage to wheat crop.

Beside hailstorm, earlier the yellow rust, a bacterial disease, had caused damage to wheat crop in some parts of the state, especially in districts adjacent to Kandi belt. “We have the assessment that about 6,000 hectares of wheat crop has been damaged by yellow rust in Nawanshahr, Ropar and Hoshiarpur districts.

Chandigarh, April 3
The new Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs will be Mukul Joshi who belongs to the 1975 of IAS of the Punjab cadre.

Joshi, who was earlier Adviser in the same department, has been now elevated as Secretary and will also hold the additional charge of Secretary, Centre State Relations. He has been on deputation with the Union government since the SAD-BJP government assumed office in 2007.

The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved his appointment as Secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat, yesterday.

The committee also approved short-term, three months, appointment of Leela K Ponappa as Deputy National Security Adviser and Secretary, National Security Council, from April 16.

Another decision cleared extension of Sailesh, IAS officer of the 1985 batch, belonging to the Assam cadre as Joint Secretary, Youth Affairs. His term, which was to end on July 8, has now been extended up to February 26, 2011.

Meanwhile, SC Sinha, a Haryana cadre IPS officer has taken over as the Additional Director of central Bureau of Investigation. His appointment was cleared in February when the Union Home Minister interviewed short-listed officers of the 1974 and 1975 batches.

J.P. Birdi of Punjab is also in line for empanelment as Additional Director-General in central police organisations.

These appointments and empanelments apart, another bureaucrat in the news these days has been Karam Singh Raju, retired IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. A proud father of three central civil service officers, KS Raju recently donated all arrears of his revised pension to the poor patients fund of the PGI. He recently presented a cheque of Rs 2 lakh to Director, PGI, Dr KK Talwar.

Raju, who did his doctorate while in service, is credited with writing 24 books, most of them on Sikh history and comparative analysis of major religions of the country. He is also the architect of construction of three bhawans and temples for poor and needy of the city. Raju also remained associated with the Anandpur Sahib Foundation.

Chandigarh, April 3
The Punjab and Haryana High Court is apparently in favour of video recording the structures along the scheduled roads in Punjab for checking future encroachments and violation of relevant provisions of law.

As the matter on monitoring the removal of unauthorised structures in Punjab and Haryana came up for hearing, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Hemant Gupta was told that Haryana had videographed the structures along the scheduled roads. 

Taking up the matter, the Bench observed counsel for the state of Punjab was not averse to the idea of the government examining “whether it was possible to videograph the scheduled roads in the state also, as has been done by the state of Haryana, and to prepare the records of the structures that are raised so as to serve as references for any action against those who may raise such structures in future in an unauthorised manner”.

The matter will now come up on October 6.