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Badal family feud may echo loud in Malwa
Manpreet tried to steer SAD away from panthic politics
Sukhbir’s constituency lauds party action
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14 city residents test positive for dengue
Religious sentiments hurt
ETT teachers released
Bridge rod falls, one killed
Arhtiya firms face flak from govt officials
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Badal family feud may echo loud in Malwa
Bathinda, October 13 This might not have immediate fallout, but would certainly reflect in the long run particularly during the next assembly elections if damage control is not done by elders in the dynasty. Over the years, Parkash Singh Badal strengthened his dynastic hold in the Malwa, but this type of rumblings has caused a setback to him. Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal maintained complete silence on the issue when he visited here this morning. He refused to reply to questions of media persons about the fallout of suspension of Manpreet Singh. He candidly said that the action was taken on the recommendation of the disciplinary committee of the party. The Malwa belt is dotted with scions of the Badal dynasty representing various segments in the assembly or the parliament. While Parkash Singh Badal represents the Lambi assembly constituency in Muktsar district, his son and Sukhbir Singh won from Jalalabad in the Ferozepur district and Sukhbir's wife Harsimrat Kaur is a member of Lok Sabha representing the Bathinda seat. Manpreet Singh is considered a heavyweight in the ruling SAD and represents the Gidderbaha seat in the assembly in Muktsar. Tension had been brewing in the family on the issue of Manpreet Singh issuing statements pertaining to the Rs.70,000 crores debt on Punjab. He was of the view that the SAD-BJP combine government headed by his uncle Parkash Singh Badal should scrap subsidies and free electricity to wriggle out of the debt trap for which a formula was "offered" by the Congress led UPA government at the centre. This is not the first political warfare within the dynasty that has rattled the Badals. The earlier disintegration came when Badal developed differences with his uncle Teja Singh on certain issue related to celebration of tri-centenary of the Khalsa Panth. The feud came in the open during the Lok Sabha elections in 1999 when Teja Singh campaigned against Sukhbir Singh Badal and supported the Congress candidate Jagmeet Singh Brar in the Faridkot constituency. This resulted in defeat of Sukhbir Singh by a few thousand votes. Following death of Teja Singh, his son Maheshinder Singh jumped into the political arena about eight years ago and has been contesting the elections against Parkash Singh Badal. Maheshinder Singh campaigned for the Congress candidate Raninder Singh, who is son of Capt. Amarinder Singh, when he contested the recent Lok Sabha election for the Bathinda seat against Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Gurdass Singh Badal, father of Manpreet Singh and younger brother of Parkash Singh, who has remained active in politics and was a former MP and MLA, was sitting quiet as tension mounted between the two families on the outbursts of Manpreet Singh. His future course of action is being keenly watched in the Malwa belt where the SAD received severe jolt during the last assembly elections in 2007. Manpreet Singh had remained in the forefront defending the family's honour when the palatial farmhouse of Parkash Singh Badal at Balasar in Haryana was raided in 2003 by sleuths of the vigilance bureau during the Congress regime. War of succession: Jeet Mohinder
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Manpreet tried to steer SAD away from panthic politics
Moga, October 13 A 47-year-old law graduate, Manpreet was in the main think-tank of the party, who tried to pull out SAD from the age-old tradition of panthic politics steering it to new thoughts for the new generation, that looks to new economics and enterprise. Soon after taking over as finance minister of the state, he was quoted as saying, “We will think out of the box, instead of overloading Punjab that is going down.” Earlier, the party had already lost its another stalwart Captain Kanwaljit Singh in a tragic accident last year. He was finance minister of the state in the previous SAD government. Presently, none of the members of the present council of ministers, except for CM Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Badal, seem to have the intellect to frame policies for the party and the government in particular. Its alliance partner BJP has some ministers who could give good suggestions for the development of Punjab. However, it has its own independent agenda which may at some point lead to ideological clashes. Going by the recent history, SAD had to a great extent lost its ground in the Malwa belt in the last assembly polls. Of the total 25 assembly segments, the party won just five seats. Manpreet was one of the key factors in the party besides the CM and his son, who worked to garner support of masses. Political observers say that his presence in the area was a key factor in favour of the SAD to win Bathinda and Faridkot Lok Sabha seats in the last general elections even as a wave in favour of the Congress was quite visible at that time. At this juncture, it is unlikely that Manpreet would launch a separate political outfit or join another party but he has made clear his intention to go to the masses to explain his position and educate them to fight for their rights. It may be mentioned that assembly elections are due in 2012 and if he goes out with his father Gurdas Singh Badal and his supporters, he has the ability to change political equations in the Malwa belt. Political observers are also of the view that in the near future Punjab is likely to witness many political changes— a cabinet reshuffle, changes in SAD and aggressive attacks by the opposition parties. There could also be chance to topple the government. But chances of it are very little.
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Sukhbir’s constituency lauds party action
Jalalabad, October 13 A large section of the people of this assembly segment dubbed the suspension of Manpreet as an outcome of war of succession between two closely related families. They were also of the view that Manpreet had also been finding it difficult to work under the command of Sukhbir due to the fact that he was elected MLA in 1995 while Sukhbir entered politics much later. Sukhbir was elected from this segment last year with a record margin of 80,662 votes by defeating his nearest Congress rival Hans Raj Joshan. Devinder Singh Babbal, chairman, market committee, Jalalabad and seniorSAD (B) leader said, “Party is supreme and anybody who breaches its discipline is liable for action.” Babbal was also of the view that whatever had happened in the past few days, could have been detrimental to the party, if it happened during the next assembly elections. Now, Sukhbir Badal has got enough time to make up any loss, if the party suffered on account of suspension of Manpreet Badal. Block Samiti (Fazilka), chairman, Ranjit Singh, whose village Chimniya falls in this assembly segment, while appreciating action against Manpreet, claimed that welfare policies adopted by Sukhbir Badal would make party stronger. President, SAD (B), urban unit, Jalalabad, Krishan Lal Gandhi said nobody was above party’s policies. However, Ashwani Midha, senior vice-president, BJP, said it was an internal matter of the SAD (B) and hence, BJP had no right to make comment on it. Former PPCC secretary Anish Sidana said Manpreet had lied by claiming the Centre had given an offer for loan waiver and hence indulged in breach of trust.
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14 city residents test positive for dengue
Bathinda, October 13 The tests were conducted on them yesterday and all of them had tested positive for dengue, which raised a suspicion if the results were accurate. So, the Mac Elisa tests were conducted on them again today. However, the results did not change. The 14 dengue patients belong to various localities in the city, including Partap Nagar, Dhobiana Basti, Model Town, Veer Colony, Ajit Road, Civil Station area, Baba Farid Nagar, Kamla Nehru Colony, Guru Ki Nagri and Lal Singh Basti. Following the disclosure, the health staff today conducted spray exercise in some of these localities to kill mosquitoes. District malaria officer Dr Malkiat Singh Gill said they had today received information about two new dengue patients of Bathinda district, from the DMC Hospital, Ludhiana and a hospital in Mohali. While one was from Bathinda’s Police Lines area the other was from Kotha Guru village. Meanwhile, the SSH here also re-conducted the Mac Elisa test on the blood samples of four persons, which were found positive yesterday. Two of these patients were from Bathinda district — one from Kanakwal village in Talwandi Sabo block and the other from Faridkot Kotli village in Sangat block. The other two were from Muktsar district. All tested positive for dengue again today.
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Bandh in Jalalabad
Chander Parkash/ TNS
Jalalabad, October 13 Though a case was registered against Bagicha Singh, who was found involved in this case, under section 295-A of the IPC, the protesters, who staged a dharna, demanded that others, who were also involved in this act must be dealt with as per the law of the land. In August 2010, a sound clip containing distorted and derogatory remarks in connection with the prayer of the Sikh religion was found played by Bagicha Singh in village Dhandi Khurd. The matter was brought to the notice of religious leaders by the residents and subsequently, the police authorities were informed. On September 16, tension gripped Ghubhaya Mandi when some anti-social elements played the sound clips of offensive remarks of prayer at its bus stand. The anti-social elements then started playing these sound clips at various places in Jalalabad sub-division and its surrounding areas. The protesters alleged that though they had lodged written complaints against the anti-social elements to the authorities concerned, no concrete action had been taken so far. Besides, the protestors assembled at the local religious place and took out a march in the city and also blocked traffic on the Ferozepur-Fazilka main road for hours. The rally was addressed by political leaders of the area. They demanded that the police must get the sound clips of offensive remarks of prayer from mobile phones deleted by tracking down the anti-social elements. SDM, Jalalabad, Rajiv Prashar said a memorandum had been submitted to him. A probe is on and nobody would be allowed to play with the religious sentiments of any community, the SDM said.
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Fazilka, October 13 They were directed to be present at the police station today in the morning. However, none of them was summoned today by the police, said Baljit Singh, president, Unemployed ETT Teachers Union, Malwa zone. A handful of unemployed ETT teachers had raised slogans during the public meeting of the minister at an inaugural function of the school at village Jandhwala Bhimeshah yesterday. SHO, Arniwala, police station, Tirlok Singh categorically informed on phone that the youths were booked and would be produced before the duty magistrate (Fazilka). The police reportedly could not find any duty magistrate last evening. Niab Tehsildar Jagmail Singh, officiating duty magistrate in absence of the SDM and Tehsildar Fazilka, informed that the police approached him regarding hearing of a case of some ‘persons’ last evening. However, since it was too late, he refused to hear the case. He directed them to produce the case on Wednesday in the morning. — OC
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Barnala, October 13 Sources said at the same time, the family of Jasvir Singh, heading towards the market on a scooter had a miraculous escape as the iron rod missed them narrowly. A case of negligence has been registered against contractor Kulwant Singh and supervisor Krishan Kumar. — TNS
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Arhtiya firms face flak from govt officials
Ferozepur, October 13 Earlier, DC KK Yadav, during his visit to various pockets of the district, issued show-cause notice to take proper action against eight firms belonging to Jalalabad for not printing the logo of their firms on the bags filled with procured paddy crop.
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Bathinda: Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, a sitting Congress MLA of the district, described the current feud as a war of succession in the Badal dynasty. Sidhu, who was earlier in the Akali Dal, said the debt issue of Punjab would not get silenced with the dismissal of Manpreet as it has wider ramifications. Dismissal of Manpreet would not absolve the Badal family of the financial crisis being faced by Punjab during their regime, he said.
— TNS