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Chander lobbying for P’kula seat
As rivals squabble over ticket, INLD campaign goes full steam
Media blitzkrieg
Kuldeep dangles the job carrot
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Bhajan sends fresh feelers to BJP
Rahul’s train stoned A wailing relative of the victims at Kabulpur village.
Highway riddled with potholes
Now, court told officer not suffering from H1N1
Relief as HC amends orders on forest area
Petitioners without their knowledge!
Separated by circumstances, united by love
Probe into lathicharge ordered
ASI arrested for graft
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Chander lobbying for P’kula seat
Chandigarh, September 15 Chander Mohan also made a formal requestin this regard, adding that he was open to the idea of the party fielding his wife from Panchkula if there were any reservations about allotting the ticket to him. In a separate application, Seema Bishnoi also expressed her desire to contest the seat. The Delhi visit is significant. Only yesterday, the screening committee, that short-listed names for all 90 seats, is learnt to have formed a three-member panel for most seats. The names short-listed for the Panchkula seat are those of Power Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, working president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee Kuldip Sharma and former Information Commissioner, Haryana, Ashok Mehta. As the name of the sitting MLA was omitted, it prompted Chander Mohan to leave for Delhi. Chander Mohan, on a weak wicket because of the Fiza episode, is reportedly keen on meeting Minister of Tourism Selja to ask her to plead his case.The minister has yet to find time to meet him. The ties between the two had soured during the Lok sabha elections with Selja’s supporters complaining that Chander Mohan had been working against her. |
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As rivals squabble over ticket, INLD campaign goes full steam
Chandigarh, September 15 The Other parties are still busy with the selection of candidates and preparation of election manifestos. The INLD has finalised its candidates for over 40 seats and released its manifesto promising the moon to the electorate. Party supremo Om Prakash Chautala is busy addressing rallies in support of his party candidates in various parts of the state. Undeterred by desertions by his long-standing associates, Chautala, like a good general, is trying to lead his forces from the front. To boost their morale, which is down after the party’s defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Chautala tells them that he is not pained by the desertions by leaders looking for ‘greener pastures’ and that he is affected only when a dedicated party worker parts company with him. Chautala, is always on the move and amidst the masses, a quality he has inherited from his father. These days he is mobilising his party workers to reach Jind on September 25 to participate in a rally to celebrate the birth anniversary of the INLD founder, his father Devi Lal. The rally is an annual feature which has always managed to put up a good show, whether in power or out. The INLD leadership is attacking the Congress government for various acts of commission and omission. But the ruling party is so bogged down by groupism that no leader has had the time to rebut the INLD propaganda. All are busy in either managing a ticket for themselves or for their supporters. The party is yet to release its manifesto. The other parties are in the same boat. The BJP, the Haryana Janhit Congress of Kuldeep Bishnoi and the BSP have not yet fianlised their candidates. The HJC has announced 26 candidates, but the complete list is awaited though the election process starts from
September 18. While the BSP plans to launch its election campaign from September 20 with its president, Mayawati, addressing a rally in Jind, the Congress, the HJC and the BJP have yet to decide on election rallies. BJP president Raj Nath Singh had addressed a rally in Rohtak a few days ago, but at that time the BJP was negotiating with the HJC for an alliance. Now, the party has decided to go it alone in the
elections. |
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Media blitzkrieg
Sirsa, September 15 The party office in Chandigarh has telephone numbers of at least10,000 active members. Messages asking them to spread the INLD word among the electorate are being sent
to them. The INLD is harping on several factors: infighting in the Congress, and ‘unpopularity’ of several sitting legislators. “There have been occasions in the past when results for parliamentary and assembly elections have been entirely different,” points out party general secretary Ajay Singh Chautala, seated in his office in Chautala House, his residence here . Chautala says the INLD has won the first round of the battle by releasing its list of candidates ahead of others. The party has divided the 90 assembly segments into four zones . Ajay Singh will lead the campaign in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Jind, Kaithal, Mohindergarh
and Hisar; his younger brother Abhay Singh in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Palwal, Rewari and Mewat; state president Ashok Arora in Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula and Yamunanagar and party chief Om
Parkash Chautala in Rohtak,Jhajjar, Sonipat, Bhiwani and Panipat. |
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Kuldeep dangles the job carrot
Fatehabad/Sirsa, September 15 Addressing election meetings in the area, Bishnoi visited Bhirdana, Jandwala, Haroli, Khunan and Kukranwali villages under the Ratia Assembly segment and Ding, Jodhkan, Bajekan, Begu and Modiakhera villages under the Sirsa Assembly seat. “The time has come to take revenge for the injustice done to your mandate by the Congress four and a half years ago, when you voted for Bhajan Lal, but Sonia Gandhi imposed Bhupinder Singh Hooda on you,” Bishnoi said in his speeches. Having a dig at the Congress, Bishnoi said at least six leaders of that party in Haryana were projecting themselves as the future Chief Minister of the state. “One says he will bring Bangar ki chaudhar, other talks of South Haryana’s chaudhar, another says Bhiwani’s chaudhar, while the Chief Minister often talks of Rohtak ki chaudhar,” Bishnoi said mockingly and added that the HJC had been fighting to bring 36-Biradari ki chaudhar (political power for all 36 communities residing in Haryana). Interestingly, Bishnoi centred his attack on the ruling party only and did not say much against the INLD, the BSP or the
BJP. Interestingly, he centred his attack on the ruling party and did not say much against the INLD, the BSP or the BJP. He promised employment to one member in each household in the state within 365 days of “assuming power”. He declared he would resign in case he failed tokeep his promises. |
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Bhajan sends fresh feelers to BJP
New Delhi, September 15 Bhajan Lal, keen on alliance with the BJP, had sent fresh feelers sounding the BJP on their willingness to go for some kind of covert or discreet electoral understanding if a formal alliance was not feasible, said sources in the BJP. BJP general secretary in charge of Haryana Vijay Goel, discontinuing negotiations with HJC leader Kuldeep Bishnoi on September 10, had said: “Our talks with the HJC over an alliance in Haryana ended on a cordial note. There is no possibility of a revival of talks in these elections.” Goel blamed disagreement over seat sharing as the real reason for the breakup but sources disclosed that the BJP refused to accept Kuldeep Bishnoi as the joint chief ministerial candidate for the alliance. Instead it suggested going to polls without projecting a chief ministerial candidate and leave this for post-election scenario. Sources said now Bhajan Lal had offered himself for the Chief Minister’s post in the hope that this might attract more votes. Formally, both Goel and BJP president Rajnath Singh ruled out today the possibility of reviving talks with the HJC. However, BJP insiders said, “Nothing is decided yet. It is too early to say anything either way.” Sources have said the BJP is in a dilemma on the whole issue of aligning with the HJC. On the one hand, the party for all its bravado has very bleak prospects if it goes alone to the polls on its limited strength. For instance, in the outgoing Assembly, the party had only one sitting MLA. Moreover, the loyalty of Punjabi urban middle class voter, who forms the mainstay of the BJP constituency in Haryana, would be divided between Bhajan Lal and the BJP and if they go separately then that would hurt both the BJP and the HJC. However, on the other hand, the party is running a government in Punjab with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and therefore has a substantial Sikh constituency in Punjab and therefore also in Haryana who are particularly averse to Bhajan Lal. A tie-up with Bhajan Lal may not just cost BJP Sikhs votes in Haryana, but adversely affect its chances of continuing the government in Punjab. Therefore, the BJP is wondering whether it can come to some discreet or covert seat adjustment with the HJC, which could serve its purpose without spoiling its relations with Badal and harming the Sikh constituency in
Haryana. |
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Rahul’s train stoned Gharaunda (Panipat), September 15 However, no damage was caused to the compartment in which Rahul was travelling, but it did raise an alarm for the Railway Protection Force. The train halted at gate no 52 after pelting of stones but the miscreants disappeared taking advantage of darkness. Rahul Gandhi was travelling with an MP and security staff in seats no 66 of C-3 compartment and the flying stones hit the windowpanes of C-2, C-4 and C-5. The windowpanes of these bogies were smashed but no passenger was hurt, Railway sources said. The incident took place at around 9.50 pm and the train left the station after a whistle stop. Pelting of stones by wanton boys on trains on this route was a common feature but the incident was highlighted today as a VVIP none less than Rahul Gandhi was travelling in the train. The incident took the administration by surprise and panicky Railway authorities were nonplus.
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Seven of family clubbed to death
Rohtak, September 15 The police has booked a case of murder against unidentified persons. A dispute over payment or property is suspected to be the cause for the ghastly murders. Surender, 44, and his wife Pramila, 39, their teenaged son Arvind and Sonika ,10, Monika, 12, and Vishal, 6, children of Bhupender, a younger brother of Surender, were found dead in their beds. Sixty-year-old Bhuri Devi, mother of Surender, was also done to death. Bhupender, who is serving with the defence forces, is a widower. His children were being raised by his brother(Surender) and parents in the village. Sonam, daughter of Surender, was found unconscious in the bathroom. It seems that the food and milk consumed by the victims had been laced with poison. This made them unconscious while asleep. The accused then strangled the victims with a rope to ensure that none survived, said officials. SSP Anil Kumar Rao said : “It is suspected that a close family member may be involved. The bodies of the couple were found in the verandah, the children’s in their bedroom. The body of the grandmother was found in a house opposite the main house.” Takdeer Singh, father of Surender, a retired government schoolteacher was asleep at the outhouse, about a hundred yards away. It is he who raised the alarm in the morning and called in the neighbours. The police reached the village thereafter and the victims were rushed to hospital where they were declared ‘brought dead’.Postmortem of the bodies showed all seven had died of strangulation. |
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Highway riddled with potholes
Chandigarh, September 15 Work on expansion and strengthening of the Chandigarh-Panipat stretch is still in progress, but the peeling away of the soft top of hot mix at hundreds of places has provoked daily commuters to demand an inquiry by a central agency into the quality of material being used in constructing the highway. Says Baldev Singh of Ambala, who travels between Ambala and Panipat at least four times a week: “The south-west monsoon has been a failure. If rain for a couple of days can cause such damage, one can well imagine the condition of the highway after a normal or vigorous monsoon. It is only appropriate that the CBI finds out if quality controls by the National Highway Authority of India have been enforced, ” he says. Ashok Aggarwal, a lawyer who travels between Karnal and Chandigarh everyday, corroborate the view. “They raise toll charges every other month, yet in less than a year of its completion, the highway looks more a neglected village link road. It is shocking that the top, which is generally done with hot pre-mix, has come off in patches of varying sizes, from a few inches to several metres in length and width. “What is worse is that the exit point from the Karnal toll plaza has several such spots, indicating that the pre-mix used was not of the prescribed specification,” says Aggarwal. Toll rates were revised in the first week of September. Now, four-wheelers have to dole out Rs 78 for one way and Rs 117 for a return journey across the Karnal toll plaza. Until the beginning of the year, the rates were Rs 50 for a
single trip and Rs 75 for return journey. The number of toll plazas has also gone up on the Chandigarh-Panipat stretch of the national highway. Work on repair of the damaged portions of the highway began this afternoon. Interestingly, the stretch from the Panipat toll plaza to the Delhi border continues to be damage-free. At several other places, not only the highway but the berms too have been damaged. Low-lying areas, including farmhouses and residential colonies, remain inundated. Besides parts of Ambala and Kurukshetra districts, areas in Shahbad Markanda are also waiting for the rainwater to be pumped out. |
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Now, court told officer not suffering from H1N1
Chandigarh, September 15 It seems that Haryana Additional Advocate-General RS Kundu was ill-informed about her health when he, on the previous date of hearing, stated that Gupta was suffering from swine flu. His assertion, even then, was met with skepticism by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had directed the issuance of bailable warrants against her. The same now stands withdrawn. Justice Permod Kohli had then asserted: “It appears the officer has deliberately evaded to appear in the court. Let the officer be summoned through bailable warrants in a sum of Rs 10,000 for appearance before the court on the next date of
hearing”. As the matter came up this morning, Gupta in an affidavit said she had “fortunately” been tested negative for swine flu. She said on September 10 when she felt feverish while in office, a physician posted at the MLA hostel dispensary apprehended swine flu as she was shivering uncontrollably. His apprehensions were stemmed from the fact that she had recently travelled to Bhubneshwar and had visited a hospital where swine flu patients could have been present. Gupta added she was extremely anguished “about having created an impression that she has deliberately evaded appearance in the court”. Taking up the affidavit, Justice Kohli recalled the bailable warrants, while dispensing with her personal appearance on the next date of hearing. However, he made it clear that Gupta would have to put in an appearance on the date of hearing fixed on that day. The court had earlier directed Gupta to appear in person and explain why contempt proceedings be not initiated against her. In his petition, Awadh Kishore of Gurgaon had earlier alleged he was pressurised to sign an application for surrendering a seat of MDS course in SGTDC Budhera College in Gurgaon. Gupta was asked to file an affidavit, which was not done. |
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Relief as HC amends orders on forest area
Gurgaon, September 15 On being urged to reconsider its stance, the court recently amended its previous judgment, much to the relief of the district authorities concerned. Rectifying its previous order issued in May, the HC maintained: “The error has apparently crept up for the reason that neither a complete copy of the notification dated November 28, 1997, was placed on record, nor the notifications issued under Sections 4 and 5, Punjab Land Preservation Act
(PLPA), 1900, were brought on record. The same has been brought to record for the first time after the main decision…” The Bench, comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Surya Kant, maintained: “We are aghast to know that copies of the notifications issued under Sections 4 and 5 of the
PLPA, 1900, are neither readily available with divisional forest officers/other forest officers nor have these been brought to the notice of the Mines and Geology Department,
Haryana. Resultantly, no demarcation appears to have been done at the spot of the land covered by these notifications by the Revenue Department…” The Bench clarified that only land/areas forming part of the notification issued under Section 3 of the
PLPA, 1900, in respect of which restrictions against clearing, breaking up, etc have been imposed under Sections 4 and 5 of the aforesaid Act were declared as forest land.Disposing of a civil writ petition presented before it, the High Court on May 15 declared the entire area notified under Sections 4 and 5 of the PLPA as forest land. Since the court orders covered most parts of the aforesaid districts, nearly 4 lakh hectares in these districts was declared forest land. As per the orders, no non-forest activity could be undertaken on the forest land without prior environmental clearance from the Union Government.As a result of the aforesaid orders, development activities in Gurgaon and other districts came to a standstill as the construction and other ongoing developmental works fell under the purview of non-forest activities.Facing multifarious problems due to the stalemate, the administration of these districts apprised the state authorities of their predicament. The state then moved the high court, which amended its previous order. |
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Petitioners without their knowledge!
Chandigarh, September 15 The inquiry by Haryana Registrar (Vigilance) has concluded that a writ petition was “wrongly filed” in the names of some of the petitioners, “who had never consented to the filing of the petition, or authorised its filing”. The civil writ petition (No. 962 of 2007) was purported to have been filed on behalf of Satnam Kaur, Mohinder Kaur, Gurwinder Singh, Amrik Singh Toofan and Jagtar Singh. Directions were sought by the petitioners to the state of Punjab and other respondents to stop digging work for a sewage treatment pond with immediate effect. Even as the matter was pending before the Bench headed by Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, three of the “petitioners”, Mohinder Kaur, Gurwinder Singh and Amrik Singh, reportedly filed affidavits before the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat stating they had no objection to the setting up of the sewage treatment plant at the present location on the land owned by the gram panchayat. The affidavit also stated the deponents came to know that someone had filed a petition in the high court in their name. They said they were in no way concerned with the filing of the petition. After the matter was brought to the Bench’s notice, an inquiry was ordered by the high court. After preliminary inquiry, it was asserted that the writ petition was not filed by the three; and that petitioner Satnam Kaur’s husband, Harmel Singh, was the writer, director and the producer of the whole story. Accepting Hermel Singh’s unconditional and unqualified apology, Chief Justice Thakur and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia closed the proceedings with a warning to him. The Bench said keeping in view that no injury had been caused to anyone on acts of omission and commission attributed to him; and also keeping in view the fact that he was serving in the MES, it was not necessary to direct his prosecution at the current stage. |
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Separated by circumstances, united by love
Chandigarh, September 15 After two years of separate incarceration (separated by circumstances), Jeewan Kumar and Reena are together again, for better or for worse. Reena from a nondescript village under the Indri police station in Karnal district tied the knot with Jeewan, and trouble, in 2007. As the marriage did not have parental sanction, Jeewan, from Bihar, soon found himself facing allegations of rape, criminal intimidation, kidnapping and other offences with the registration of an FIR on June 6, 2007. But love came to Jeewan’s rescue. Reena did not support the prosecution case during the trial; she rather admitted having “an affair” with Jeewan. The trial court took note of her contentions, but sentenced him to three-and-a-half-year rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping under Section 363 of the IPC. On appeal, the sentence was reduced to two years. A minor then, Reena was sent to Nari Niketan. But with adolescent love surviving the test of time, Reena attained maturity and became a major; Jeewan also came out of the jail after undergoing the sentence. He then moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for setting Reena free, to be put away in the bounds of matrimony. He filed a petition for directions to the state of Haryana and other respondents to release Reena, his wife”, from the confines of the Nari Niketan, Karnal. As his petition came up, Justice Maesh Grover asserted: “The facts of the instant case are peculiar in nature…. The petitioner has pleaded since Reena has become a major, and he has already undergone the period of sentence, and further that she is still willing and ready to live with him as his wife, her custody be granted to him and she be released from the confinement of the Nari Niketan, Karnal”. |
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Probe into lathicharge ordered
Yamunanagar, September 15 The incident had taken place on September 8 when the residents were protesting against the authorities’ alleged failure to construct internal roads in their locality. The residents had alleged that the money meant for constructing internal roads in their locality was being spent on roads in localities where residents were “well-connected”. The residents had blocked the NH 73 following which the police resorted to a lathicharge on them.The DC said ADCRenu Phulia had been asked to probe the matter. |
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ASI arrested for graft
Sonepat, September 15 He was produced in the court here today and was remanded in judicial custody. The ASI had allegedly threatened a resident of Kharkhoda town to give a bribe of Rs 10,000 or he would falsely implicate him in a case of tractor theft. Amarpal lodged a complaint in the office of IG, Rohtak range, who deputed a joint team of the vigilance and his office to conduct a surprise raid. The team raided the police station and caught the ASI red-handed while accepting the
bribe. |
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