Sirsa, December 21
The private security guards of Congress leader Gobind Kanda have been booked for allegedly thrashing a police head constable on traffic duty yesterday.

The police has also booked 50 persons, among them eight INLD workers, for blocking the national highway after the incident. The others have been mentioned as “unidentified persons.”

Gobind Kanda is a younger brother of Haryana Minister of State for Home, Industries, Sports and Youth Welfare Gopal Kanda.

Kanda’s guards had thrashed head constable Sube Singh regulating traffic at the Chattargarh Patti rail crossing when he objected to Kanda’s vehicle breaking rules and trying to move across from the wrong side, jumping the queue.

Residents blocked traffic on the national highway against the incident, demanding the arrest of the accused guards.

“Rajesh, Ved Parkash and Pardeep have been booked under Sections 332 (causing hurt to deter a public servant from doing his duty),353 (criminal force to deter public servant from duty), 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of duty),” said a police spokesperson today.He said the the case had been filed on a complaint by head constable Sube Singh.

Through another FIR, the police booked INLD activists Surinder Singh Vaidwala, RK Bhardwaj, Yogesh Sharma, Bansi Sachdeva, Suresh Darba, Vicky, Babbu Pradhan, Sandeep and 40 unidentified persons under Sections 341(wrongful restraint), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material), 147 and 148 (rioting) of the IPC and Sections 8-A and 8-B of the National Highways Act 1956.

No arrest has so far been made in any of the cases. The police said efforts were on to arrest the accused.

Meanwhile, Ajay Singh Chautala, INLD secretary general and MLA from Dabwali, has taken exception to registration of criminal cases against his party workers.

“The minister’s kin and his goons have beaten up a policeman and instead of taking them to task, the police is trying to hush up the matter by booking our workers,” he alleged.

Ajay Singh said Gopal Kanda’s kin had been using the red beacon on as many as 30 private vehicles, but the police had chosen to look the other way instead of taking action against them under the law.

Chandigarh, December 21
When it comes to making a good impression, Haryana will stop at nothing, especially when the visitor in question is somebody as important as Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

This time round, in the “interest” of students, Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya in Khanpur Kalan (Sonepat), the only all-women university in the state, has decided to give its winter vacation a break and “call back” its students for the Gandhi scion’s December 24 visit to the university.

Sources in the faculty said Vice Chancellor Pankaj Mittal, today, held a meeting with heads of departments and asked them to call back as many students as they possibly could to put up a good show without “going public” about it.

The staff, sources maintained, have been given two days to contact the students and ensure that they are present for the interactive programme. Since the winter vacation began on December 15 for the post-graduate classes, the faculty members are in a tizzy, making every effort to comply with the orders.

The VC said the motive for “calling back” the students was only that they should not miss the opportunity to meet the youth icon. “We have been trying to organise this session for very long. Now that we have a date, our post-graduate students have already left for the winter recess. We want to inform them of Rahulji’s visit so that all those who wish to meet him can attend the programme.”

The VC said 6,000 students, 1,000 of them, were still on the campus with the polytechnics conducting their exams.

While the university authorities claimed that Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the university was only an interactive session with students and the programme had no political overtones, the Youth Congress, too, is in an overdrive to ensure the visit is a success.

The university has put off its selection committee meetings for the next three days.

Gandhi is expected to visit Haryana as part of the ongoing enrollment drive and meet prospective candidates for various levels during the party elections next year.

President of the Youth Congress Ashok Tanwar said Rahul Gandhi would be visiting Sonepat as a part of the enrollment drive to interact with candidates as also senior leaders.

“Rahulji will be in Khanpur Kalan and Sonepat where he will meet members of the state unit of the Youth Congress,” Tanwar said.

Meanwhile, the state unit president, Sanjay Chokker, at a press conference in Sonepa, today, stated that Gandhi’s interaction with 200-odd candidates would be organised in the women’s university.

Chandigarh, December 21
A separate Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and second-language status for Punjabi were among the two main demands placed before members of National Commission for Minorities visiting Haryana.

HS Hanspal and Spalzes Angmo were in the city today to evaluate implementation of the 15-Point Programme and scholarship schemes for students belonging to minority communities.

Hanspal said members of the Sikh community who appeared before them said the state government was yet to meet its promise on a separate SGPC for the Sikhs of the state and seemed much perturbed over the delay.

“They gave a representation, saying they did not want separate elections for Haryana under the Amritsar SGPC umbrella since this would mean giving in to the Punjab body. We will convey the sentiments of the Sikhs to the Chief Minister and to the Governor,” he said.

Hanspal said the Sikhs raised the issue of pending notification to declare Punjabi as the second language in the state.

“We will take up the matter strongly and also urge the government introduce Urdu in schools since Haryana has a sizeable Muslim population and ask the government to consider a chair on Buddhism in one of the universities and preserve the excavated Buddhist sites.” Hanspal said he had suggested a minorities commission in Haryana.

He also wanted the scholarships schemes to be more popularised, especially in Mewat and Sirsa areas with concentration of minority communities.

The members expressed reservation on the manner the scholarships had been were publicised since there were not enough applicants.

“In other states, the number of applicants is more than the scholarships on offer.

“However, in Haryana, 50 per cent scholarships are unutilised. We have asked the government to take greater care in publicising these so that those in need can benefit,” Hanspal said.

Later, the members called on the Haryana CM.

Yamunanagar, December 21
Alleging inhuman conditions at his workplace in Doha, a youth of the district, Ravi Kant Khurana, has sought the Indian government’s help to provide him security at Doha so that he may return home safely.

The victim’s father, Vijay Khurana, a resident of Railway Bazaar locality here, said his son was lured with the promise of a job of an accountant by a Doha-based company, following whichhis son left for Doha on December 18.

However, he was assigned the job of keeping the records on weight of trucks carrying goods, that too in a faraway area in the vicinity of a forest.

He was stationed at the desolate place alone, the visibly upset father claimed.

“My son Ravi had managed to run away from his work place and reached the Indian Embassy in Doha. I have mailed tickets to my son to reach India.

“However, I have been getting threat calls from an agent from Doha, who had demanded Rs 1.5 lakh. He said the agent threatened that he would cause harm to Ravi and would not allow his son to reach home safely.

“I have submitted a complaint to the Superintendent of Police in this regard seeking help for my son through the Indian Embassy.

“ If the Indian government intervenes and provides security to my son, only then he will be able to reach home safe and sound,” he pleaded.

Gurgaon, December 21
The inquiry ordered into the complaints of fake votes in the Gurgaon Assembly segment has found nearly 4,800 fake or duplicate votes in the constituency.

Though the officials concerned chose to remain tightlipped over the matter, sources told The Tribune that some complaints of fake votes had been found true in the probe and the probe report had been finalised.

After losing the recent elections to the state assembly, nominees of different parties, including the ruling Congress and the BJP, had teamed up and alleged that the Independent candidate, who won the elections, had done so on the basis of fake votes.

At a joint press conference held after the declaration of the poll results, the defeated candidates had alleged that there were around 52,000 fake votes in the Gurgaon assembly constituency. Following this, an inquiry was ordered into their complaints.

Interestingly, though the number of fake votes in the inquiry report is much lower than what had been alleged by the unsuccessful contestants, the probe did confirm that there were thousands of fake votes in the constituency.

Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner-cum-district electoral officer Rajender Kumar Kataria refused to comment on the issue. The inquiry had been completed and its report finalised was all he conceded, refusing to divulge any further details.

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sumita Misra said she was expecting to get the report within a day or two. On being questioned about the findings of the probe, she admitted that some fake votes had been found, but asserted that the number of the fake votes was “less than 10 per cent of that claimed by the complainants”.

Sources, however, disclosed that the probe had established that there were thousands of cases in which one given voter had more than one vote in the constituency. In view of the sensitive nature of the findings, corrective as well as punitive actions against the fake voters seems imminent.

Bahadurgarh, December 21
After the failure of the local municipal committee to remove encroachments on the NH-10 passing through this industrial town, the police authorities have decided to get tough with shopkeepers and vendors who have encroached upon both sides of the highway.

The local traffic police has served notices on nearly 70 shopkeepers and vendors who have been running their business on the NH-10 and have extended their shops over the highway, leaving little space for pedestrians and smooth passage of vehicles.

According to police sources, the action has been initiated following the directives of the DGP (Law and Order), Haryana, who recently ordered the Bahadurgarh police to carry out an anti-encroachment drive after serving notices on encroachers.

The NH-10 has emerged as the encroachers’ paradise, thanks to political patronage and apathy of the departments concerned.

Although the MC has carried out anti-encroachment drives several times to ease out traffic congestion on the NH, every time these have fizzled out within a couple of days following “non-seriousness” of the officials concerned and intervention by politicians.

Interestingly, before kicking off the campaign, the authorities concerned always give a chance to the shopkeepers and vendors to remove encroachments on their own within a specified time. However, every time neither shopkeepers remove their encroachments nor do the authorities carry out the drive “efficiently”.

Even the road is not earmarked for parking vehicles. Consequently, the campaign, similar to earlier ones, turns out to be a mere eyewash.

Most of the shopkeepers have covered 3 to 4 ft portion of the road, which has made the movement of vehicles difficult. The situation is aggravated by scores of vendors who keep moving along the road.

Rohtak, December 21
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said tough action would be taken against hoarders and black marketers in the state.

The state government would take all measures to ensure that there was no hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities.

He said this while speaking as chief guest at a function organised to mark the launching of the centralised banking solutions (CBS) of Haryana Gramin Bank here today.

Referring to the problem of price rise and the recent statement of the Union Agriculture Minister on the issue, Hooda claimed that the government was ready to cooperate on this front so that the problem could be contained immediately in an effective manner.

He said the government would soon take measures to check the complaints of hoarding and black marketing if any by unscrupulous elements. He said none would be spared if found guilty.

While welcoming the move of Haryana Gramin Bank to switch over to the CBS system, he hoped that this measure would come handy in addressing issues concerning loans and financial aid to farmers and artisans in the state.

He, however, asked the bank to reduce loan rates to farmers to around 4 per cent instead of the current rate of 7 per cent. He said Cooperative Bank in Haryana had been offering loan at a rate of 4 per cent and it would be good if gramin and other banks operating in rural and semi-rural areas bring down the loan rate to 4 per cent.

The Chief Minister said banks should come forward to extend loans to small farmers especially who had less than two acres.

Claiming that this was very much feasible as the floor rate (land rate) has gone up to Rs 10 lakh, he said farmers owning half or one acre also needed loans for various needs, including tractor and other agricultural implements.

Panipat, December 21
The INLD has blamed the “wrong” policies of the Congress government at the Centre as well as those of the state government for the soaring prices.

INLD spokesman Sher Singh Kharb claimed here today that the Congress had sought votes in the name of bring down the prices once in power, but on resuming office, it had done nothing for the common man. He accused the Congress of patronising corruption. He alleged that bribes were being openly sought and accepted in government offices.

He said the Congress had been able to form government with the support of HJC “deserters” and some Independents and such a government would eventually fall.

He said INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala alone could provide the state with a government which worked for the betterment of the masses and not just for the rich.

Sirsa, December 21
After the BJP, the INLD too today demanded White Paper on the fiscal condition of the state. Talking to mediapersons at his residence here today, Ajay Singh Chautala, secretary-general of the INLD and MLA from Dabwali, alleged that the economic condition of Haryana had been deteriorating ever since Bhupinder Singh Hooda had taken over the reins in the state.

“When we handed over power to the Congress in 2005, a sum of Rs 1,750 crore was lying surplus in the state coffer, but now the state government has been running a deficit of Rs 13,000 crore,” Ajay Singh alleged. He alleged that the deficit was likely to cross Rs 30,000 crore by 2010.

He claimed that even the state finance minister in the previous government, Birender Singh, had acknowledged the fact that the INLD handed over coffers full of money to the Congress government.

Chautala alleged that as of today, the Hooda government did not have the funds to pay salary to its employees and even the arrears of implementation of the Sixth Pay Panel report were being paid in installments.

Rewari, December 21
The refusal by family members and residents of Raliawas village here to receive the body of Ram Phool Yadav (38), a Head Constable of 193 BSF Battalion, till a high-level probe is ordered into his death at Silchar in Assam on December 19, has created an embarrassing situation for the BSF contingent, which brought the body here, and the Rewari district administration.

The body of Ram Phool, who allegedly committed suicide at Silchar in the early hours on December 19, was brought by the BSF contingent here today.

However, the family members, including Ram Phool’s wife Sunita Yadav and his brother Om Dev Yadav, along with residents of Raliawas village, 16 km from here, refused to accept the body, expressing apprehension regarding the suicide theory.

Suspecting that it could be a murder case, they demanded that a high-level committee be set up to probe the circumstances leading to Ram Phool’s death. The police tried to mollify the family members , but in vain. Meanwhile, Shish Ram Yadav, a relative of Ram Phool, said they would take a final decision in this regard tomorrow.

Gurgaon, December 21
Lawyers across the state have decided to stay away from work on Tuesday in support of their demand for a separate High Court in Haryana. “It will be a peaceful protest and we will only abstain ourselves from work,” said Santokh Singh, the president of the Gurgaon Bar Association.

“During its last term, the Congress government in the state had forwarded its demand for a separate High Court to the Centre, but to no avail,” Santokh Singh said, adding that of the huge number of cases pending at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, most were from Punjab.

“Creating a separate HC for us will not only clear the massive backlog of cases, but will also facilitate quicker delivery of justice since Haryana is a smaller state than Punjab,” he maintained.