Bathinda, July 3
Leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today made an appeal to the people to make the ‘Bharat Bandh’ on July 5 a big success. The ‘Bharat Bandh’ is being organised at the national level against the alleged wrong policies of the Central government and the price rise of various commodities, including petrol, diesel and LPG.

Area in-charge of the SAD (B) for Bathinda Assembly constituency Sarup Chand Singla appealed to the people to observe the ‘Bharat Bandh’ peacefully. He said that on July 5, ambulances, fire tenders and vehicles carrying marriage parties would be allowed to ply.

He also appealed to the traders to extend full cooperation by closing their business establishments.

President of the district unit of the BJP (Urban) Sham Lal Bansal also appealed to the party workers and people to participate in the “Bharat Bandh” in a big way as it was in the larger interest of the masses.

Our correspondent from Abohar adds: While resolving to block vehicular traffic on all the state and national highways in the sub-division on Monday during the Bharat Bandh, a joint meeting of the SAD (B) and BJP units in Balluana segment today advised the people to postpone travelling plan and also asked the transporters to keep their buses off the road.

Message has also been flashed to the neighbouring areas of Rajasthan and Haryana cautioning the people against using the highways for onward journey. Last time, hundreds of passengers from Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts had been stranded during a similar bandh. However, emergency services would be spared, Rajinder Soni, a spokesman, said after the meeting.

No exemption can be enjoyed by the teachers, students and staff of other government departments posted in the rural areas, another source clarified.   

During the meeting held at the residence of Balluana SAD MLA, Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, here duties were assigned to the alliance workers to stage dharna and raise barricades on the Abohar-Hanumangarh road (state highway) near the Malukpura Distributary bridge, Abohar-Malout road (NH-10) and Abohar-Sriganganagar road (NH-15) for full day on Monday.

Those present included SAD (B) circle president Kaur Singh, Balluana BJP Mandal, president, Kulbhushan Bhudi, Market Committee, chairman, Dhanpat Siyag, Panchayat Samiti, chairman, Vipan Neol and Improvement Trust, chairman, Prahlad Khatwan. “By all means the bandh should be made successful to register anguish over the skyrocketing prices and recent hike in petroleum products by the UPA government, legislator Gurtej Singh Ghuriana said.

Bathinda, July 3
A meeting of the members of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), its youth wing, and the Dalit Sena was held under the presidentship of state president of the LJP Kiranjit Singh Gehri here today. National general secretary of the youth wing of the LJP Parveen Kumar Sabharwal was the chief guest.

The LJP leaders said the opportunist leaders in the country had been making the youths of the country habituated to drugs, and there was a need to save the youths from this.

Sabharwal said the youth wing of the LJP was working as per the directions of party’s national president Ram Vilas Paswan to save the youths from drugs and make arrangements for providing them with jobs.

Gehri lashed out at the Centre and the Punjab government for price rise in the country. He said the LJP would launch a foot-march in the state to mobilise party workers, youths and general public against rising prices and compel the Central government to roll back the prices of essential commodities as well as the petroleum products.

Bathinda, July 3
General secretary of the Punjab Human Rights Committee Ved Parkash Gupta has demanded a CBI probe into a large number of alleged ‘illegal and unauthorised’ constructions in the city.

In letters written to the director, CBI, and the Central Vigilance Commission, he has sought a high-level probe into the matter. He also said though a large number of such constructions had been identified in the past years by the Municipal Corporation, practically little had been done to keep these under check. — TNS

Bathinda, July 3
The ‘dharna’ by workers of the local unit of the Janglat Vibhag Field Workers’ Union, Punjab, in support of their demands entered its third day outside the Mini-secretariat here today.

The protesters raised slogans against the Punjab government, the district administration, and the forest officer. They said their agitation would continue till their demands were accepted.

The dharna is being held under the leadership of district president of the union Jaspal Singh Jassi. In a press note issued here, the leaders of the union said if the issues related to their demands were not settled soon, they would hold a rally in Lambi on July 21.

Ferozepur, July 3
Five police officials have been placed under suspension for alleged dereliction of their respective duties during the visit of the CM Parkash Singh Badal to village Chak Suhelewala to attend the funeral of former Member of Parliament (MP) Zora Singh Mann on July 28.

The cops who have been suspended by the district police chief, SPS Parmar, include Jassa Singh, sub-inspector, proclaimed offender(PO) wing, Tara Singh, assistant sub-inspector (ASI), economic offences wing (EOW), Ferozepur, Avinabh Chohan, ASI, police station, Mamdot, Pargat Singh, ASI, Police Control Room (PCR) and Madan Lal, ASI, police lines. Sources said they were deployed on watcher duty when Badal went to Zora Singh Mann’s house on June 28.

Due to the large rush, the police had been facing a lot of problems in providing foolproof security cover to Badal, among the most threatened person given Z Plus security umbrella. He also attended the cremation of Mann.

Surjeet Singh, SP (Headquarter), said during his round, he noticed that all the five officials had been having tea and chatting without bothering about their duties.

Ferozepur, July 3
One of the security vehicles belonging to cavalcade of the Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal collided head-on with a car near village Bazidpur on the Ferozepur-Moga road today.

The Innova collided with the car coming from the opposite side. Both the vehicles were damaged. However, occupants remained unhurt. — TNS