Amritsar, May 7
Even as the Amritsar rural police has registered cases against unknown persons for violation of the model code of conduct for defacement of government properties, the Election Commission and the Amritsar city police are yet to come out of its slumber to take any such action.

The rural police has registered as many as 16 cases of violations under section 3, Punjab Protection Act, Defacement of Property Act, 1997, in various police stations for party flags and banners which have been put up on government buildings and electricity poles.

Similar is the situation in Amritsar city where two major political parties have put up billboards of their leaders on government buildings and electricity poles.

A glaring example is the municipal streetlights and electricity poles on Mall Road, just opposite the residence of BJP candidate Navjot Singh Sidhu and streetlight poles opposite the Sadar police station.

It is ironical that the putting up of billboards on electricity poles is a violation in the neighbouring rural police district while this discernible violation is going on unchecked in the city.

This has raised many eyebrows as the Municipal Corporation and the district police seem to be avoiding any action against the violators fearing backlash from party leaders and workers.

When contacted, SSP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh said they would have to verify whether the political parties had taken prior permission from the civic authorities in this regard and action would be taken accordingly.

However, the Municipal Corporation Commissioner could not be contacted even after repeated attempts.

The hoardings erected on private buildings and unipoles were saved from the axe
as the Election Commission could not take action against private players while the
city was being defaced with huge billboards and advertising boards installed by
private companies.

Amritsar, May 7
Taking serious note of a large number of hoardings and billboards put up throughout the constituency, the poll observers here today asked the Assistant Returning Officers concerned to initiate steps for removing these, besides adding the amount spent for their removal to the expenditure of the candidates concerned.

Observer for the Amritsar parliamentary seat Shikha Dubey, while addressing a joint meeting of the AROs, Returning Officers, SSPs and the in charge of the model code of conduct enforcement teams of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency sought strict adherence to the model code of conduct.

She directed the officials to ensure that all parties and candidates campaigned within the legal framework.

The model code of conduct should be implemented in letter and spirit and any lapses on the part of the officials would invite stern action, she added.

Dubey said the election scenario in Amritsar was expected to hot up as all the political parties would carry out aggressive campaigning and huge sums of money may be spent on advertisements and other election propaganda.

She told the officials to ensure a free and fair poll. She also directed the officials to keep a tab on the expenditure incurred by various candidates in the fray and asked them to ensure videography of all the rallies conducted by the candidates.

Amritsar, May 7
The Congress during its six decade-long rule had ignored the poor and tried to give benefits to the capitalists like the Tatas and the Birlas.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said this while addressing an election rally organised by the Autorickshaw Union near the inter-state bus terminus here today who had announced their support to BJP candidate Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Badal said Sidhu would win in the forthcoming parliamentary elections by a huge margin as he had done a lot of work for the development of the holy city.

He said the BJP leader had raised his voice in Parliament to bring in development projects for the border region.

He said the SAD-BJP alliance would win all the 13 seats in the state and assured the Autorickshaw Union that his government would try to fulfil their demands.

Amritsar, May 7
In violation of the model code of conduct, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that no tax would be levied on the trucks or tractor-trailers carrying sand for any gurdwara or temple.

Badal was addressing an election rally held at Chogawan in favour of the BJP candidate for the Amritsar parliamentary seat, Navjot Singh Sidhu, here today.

Hoshiarpur, May 7
Keeping in view the Lok Sabha elections, District Magistrate N.K. Wadhawan has prohibited carrying of firearms and other lethal eapons, even by licence holders, at public places with immediate effect till the completion of the election process.

The order, which will remain in force up to July 7, shall not be applicable to the Army personnel, paramilitary forces, police personnel in uniform and those who are entitled to display weapons.

The order shall also not be applicable to licence holders who carried weapons from their residence to the office of the District Magistrate to show them in connection with the renewal of licence.

Hoshiarpur, May 7
A land dispute between two brothers led to the murder of the elder one at Jhugian Jadoli village (Mahilpur) last night.

According to the police, Gurpreet Singh, alias Gogi, son of Makhan Singh, entered his uncle Raghubir Singh’s house by scaling the boundary wall at about 7.30 pm.

After entering the house, Gurpreet Singh opened the main gate and his father Makhan Singh, along with his wife Gurwinder Kaur, son Jaggi and daughter Pammi, carrying iron rods, bricks and lathis came inside the house.

At that time Raghubir Singh was sitting in the kitchen and his wife Gurbaksh Kaur was preparing meal.

All of them allegedly dragged Raghubir Singh out of the kitchen and attacked him with the weapons they were carrying, killing Raghubir Singh on the spot.

Gurbaksh Kaur, who came for the rescue of her husband, was also assaulted and seriously injured by the accused.

On listening their cries for help, people of the locality gathered there. Meanwhile, the assailants escaped. Injured Gurbaksh Kaur was rushed to a hospital at Mahilpur.

On the statement of Raghubir Singh’s son Dharam Pal Singh, the police registered a case under sections 302, 148 and 149 of the IPC against all the accused.

Sources further said that there was a dispute between both the families over a piece of land for which a case is pending in the court.