Chandigarh, April 14
The roadmap ahead of the BJP-HJC alliance in Haryana is not free from speed-breakers and major pot holes, despite the assertions by leaders of the two parties.

The two parties have agreed in principle that the BJP would contest eight of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state, leaving the rest of two seats for the HJC of Kuldeep Bishnoi. In the Assembly elections, both parties would contest 45 seats each and the post of Chief Minister would remain for two and a half years with each party. The HJC, of course, would get the first opportunity to occupy the top post.

Already, there are rumblings within the BJP over the issue of chief ministership. Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Anil Vij had publicly said that the party having higher number of seats should get the opportunity to form the government. Before the controversy could threaten the alliance, Haryana BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma clarified that these were personal views of Vij and the party would go by what had already been decided by its central leaders.

Sources, however, say that serious problems would crop up when the two parties would sit down to identify the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats to be contested by each party.

The sources say while there is no dispute that the HJC should contest the Hisar Lok Sabha seat, which is held by Bishnoi, there are differences over the second seat of the HJC quota. The HJC is believed to be asking for Karnal, which the BJP is not willing to leave. The BJP wants this seat for former Union Minister of State for Home ID Swami. Some time ago the party also admitted Maratha Virender Verma, who had put up a good show in the 2009 elections as the BSP nominee.

The BJP wants that the HJC should contest either Sirsa or Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha seat. The HJC had organized an impressive rally in Sirsa last year. Moreover, the constituency has a large concentration of the Bishnoi community, which overwhelmingly supports Bishnoi.

Similarly, the sources say, there are many Assembly seats which are claimed by both BJP and the HJC. The sources say the BJP is very keen to retain Gharaunda for Jai Pal Sharma who had lost the seat by just about 20 votes when he contested it as an Independent in 2004. The HJC recently admitted former MLA Jai Singh Rana, who is also interested to contest from here. Similarly, the HJC wants Gohana for its senior leader Dharam Pal Malik, while the BJP is keen to field Pradeep Sangwan, son of former MP the late Kishan Singh Sangwan from Gohana.

Naraingarh is another seat, which is being claimed by both parties. The BJP wants it for former minister Raj Kumar Saini, while the HJC’s possible nominee is Bhoop Singh Rana.

From Pundri, the BJP is interested to field Narinder Sharma, former MLA, while the HJC wants it for Balkar Singh, a close associate of Bishnoi. Similarly, the BJP wants the Nalwa seat in Hisar district for Master Hari Singh, former political adviser to the then Chief Minister Bansi Lal, while the HJC would like to retain it as last time it was contested by Jasma Devi, mother of Bishnoi.

There are many seats like Barwala, Mullana, Sadhaura, Radaur, Ratia, Uklana and Hansi over which the two parties have conflicting and equally strong claims.

Kaithal, April 14
An alleged kidnapping case involving a girl belonging to the upper caste sparked violence in Pabnawa village on Saturday night. The girl was kidnapped four days ago allegedly by a Dalit youth. reports said some shops and vehicles belonging to the Dalit community were damaged by a violent mob that also ransacked some houses in the village.

Scores of Dalits fled the village. The injured also included DSP Guhla Anil Kumar and half-a-dozen policemen.

SP Kuldeep Singh Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Chander Shekhar, SDM Hawa Singh and IG Karnal range Balbir Singh visited the spot today. Police personnel from Madhuban police complex have also been deployed at the village.

Prithi Singh, a resident of the village, had lodged a complaint on April 10 that Suryakant, a local youth, had abducted his 20-year-old daughter.

Following this tension grew between members of the two communities. On Saturday, the police arrested a youth in this connection. Soon a mob laid seige to the Dhand police station. The youth was set free, reports said.

Despite giving assurance to the police to maintain peace, the agitated crowd reached the Dalit basti and hurled bricks and damaged houses after which the villagers ran for safety. A police party led by Anil Rao DSP reached the spot. A DSP and some other policemen were injured and a police vehicle was also damaged. On the complaint lodged by Chandgi Ram, the police has booked 452 persons for the violence. The situation in the village was tense but under control, the police said.

Gurgaon, April 13
In what may be a turnaround for residents of Mewat, a team of auto major Maruti Udyog Ltd officials visited the district today to explore recruitment options.

The residents of the area who have for long struggled with isolation and lack of employment options were visibly thrilled about the visit. The officials made the first stop at the district’s biggest ITI at Nuh. The officials assured the students of employment oppurtunities in the company.

The officials also claimed that if the district administration provided the necessary help and land to the company it would establish a driving & training school in the area. The officials said the students could get training at the Maruti plant.

Social activists and the ITI and Engineering college have been trying to get the auto major to organise job fairs, adopt the local ITI at Nuh and set up a driving school here.

The officials of Mewat Engineering College, Palla, and Nooruddin Noor, vice-president, Zila Parishad, Mewat had met Musharraf Hussain, head of placement cell and human resources of Maruti and Rajiv Khurana head of ITI cell of Maruti, to request the company to hold a job fair.

Hisar, April 14
Members of Satrol Khap panchayat have come out in support of Telu Ram Jangra, a member of the Haryana State Backward Classes Commission, who is accused of kidnapping a minor girl. He is absconding.

Members of the Satrol Khap held a meeting at Narnaund in Hisar today and demanded the transfer of Hisar Superintendent of Police B Satheesh Balan, cancellation of the license of a lawyer contesting the case of the victim as well as the FIR registered against Jangra.

The Khap leaders alleged that the police had wrongly implicated Telu Ram in the case.

The Khap leaders said they would meet Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with their demands and if the government did not accede to their demands within a week, they would launch an agitation.

Inder Singh More, head of the Khap, presided over the meeting attended by Ram Chander Jangra, Ram Mehar of Khap Chobisi, Raj Mal of Jattu Khap Chorasi, Dhara Singh of Saat Bass Khap among others.

Telu Ram and 12 others were booked for kidnapping and rape on the basis of a complaint registered by a girl belonging to his community from Putthi Mangal Khan village.

While Subhash, a resident of Jamawari village, was accused of rape, others including Jangra were charged with kidnapping.

The victim had alleged that she wanted to marry a Dalit youth but Telu Ram Jangra and other members of her community allegedly blackened the face of the youth and paraded him. She alleged she was later sold to an elderly man Subhash of Jamawadi village in the name of marriage.

Later, the girl appeared in front of a magistrate and alleged that Jangra and others had kidnapped her and Subhash, whom she was sold in the name of marriage, raped her.

The police has arrested six persons, including Subhash. 

Rohtak, April 14
The Ambedkar Jayanti celebration in the city was marred by protest and demonstration carried out by activists and supporters of a local political party whose head had threatened to commit suicide today in protest against non-acceptance of demands of the party.

Over 50 protesters were rounded up by the police for violation of Section 144.

The problem began when the police rounded up Bahujan Sandesh Party chief Kanta Alhria from her residence in the morning.

Reports say as she was rounded up before she could take out a march in the city, her supporters reached the Ambedkar Chowk located near the Mini Secretariat and started a dharna there. The dharna resulted in disruption of movement of the traffic for almost two hours this afternoon. The traffic could be restored after the 'arrest’ of the protesters.

Earlier, she announced that she would be immolating herself on the Ambedkar Jayanti as the state government had not accepted several of the demands of her party. The demands include allotment of land for a park in the name of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and dropping of several pending cases registered against her and her supporters.

The district authorities had recently imposed Section 144 to prevent holding of protests and demonstrations on the Delhi Road stretch for the convenience of people, especially patients going to the PGIMS. A visit of local MP, who was to be the chief guest at a function organised by the district Congress committee, was postponed due to the protest.

BR Ambedkar remembered

Kurukshetra: Antarjyoti, an NGO, celebrated the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar as Satyakama Divas (day to seek the truth) here today.

Antarjyoti president Professor MM Goel said Ambedkar fought adverse circumstances with his intelligence and mental strength. He also shone as an expert in jurisprudence.

Rich tributes paid to Ambedkar

Sonepat: Rich tributes were paid to Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar to mark his 122nd birth anniversary here today.

During the meeting of the state executive committee of the BJP here, BJP state president Ram Bilas Sharma, MLAs Anil Vij, Krishan Pal Gujjar, Kavita Jain and Ghanshyam Sarraf and other senior leaders paid tributes to Ambedkar and recalled his contribution in the freedom struggle and socio-economic uplift of the downtrodden.

In another programme, state general secretary of the Panchayati Raj cell of the HPCC Vinod Dhankhar said following the policies of Dr Ambedkar, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had allocated about 21 per cent of the budget for the welfare of the weaker sections of society.

Ambedkar b’day celebrated

Sirsa: Rich tributes were paid to BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary here today.

Addressing a meeting at Ambedkar Bhavan, Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar said Ambedkar fought a long battle to ameliorate the plight of Dalits in the country. The credit of all achievements of Dalits and the downtrodden sections of society went to the efforts made by Ambedkar.

Tanwar said the UPA government at the Centre and the Haryana government in the state were paying due attention to the problems of the Dalits.

“Members of the Scheduled Castes comprise 19.35 per cent of the total population of the state. The state government has earmarked Rs 3,761.20 crore for their welfare,” Tanwar said.

Kaithal, April 14
A free health check-up camp for mentally-challenged children was organised by the Lions Club, Kaithal, at Sanatan Dharam Mandir here today. A team of doctors from Chandigarh examined 350 children.

District governor of the club Chaman Lal Gupta, along with SS Bhamra, inaugurated the camp and distributed appreciation certificates among the persons who pledged to donate their eyes.

Addressing the gathering, Lion Club president Dr Vinay Gambhir stressed the need for organising such camps to provide health services to the needy and create awareness among the people.

Senior members of the club Subhash Mittal, JB Khurania, Dhan Sachdeva, Ravi Jaitely, Sudeep Malik, Krishan Miglani, Anil Ahuja, Ved Parkash Munjal, Kunal Relan, Sudhir Chawla, SK Nanda, SS Bhatia and others graced the occasion.

Cheeka (Kaithal), April 14
A mini marathon, “run for health”, and cross-country contests were organised by the Flag Foundation of India, with the initiative of MP Naveen Jindal, at Cheeka here today.

As many as 400 persons participated in the marathon, which was aimed at promoting sports culture and developing talent in the Kurukshetra constituency.

Sonu from Ladwa emerged champion in the seniors’ category with finishing the 21-km run in 70 minutes whereas Sawan Kumar of Sunehari Khalasa, Kurukshetra, secured the top position at the juniors’ level with finishing the 11-km run in just 38 minutes and 44 seconds.

The event was inaugurated by boxing champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar.

He distributed prize money among the top 10 sprinters of each team, who have been selected by the foundation for training for the Haryana Marathon scheduled to be held next month in Chandigarh. Sonu got Rs 6,000 for his achievement.

Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal congratulated the winners for their achievements. He assured full co-operation to budding runners, who aspire to participate at national and international level events in future.

Akhil Kumar, who is deputy SP with Haryana Police in Hisar, appreciated Jindal's initiative to support boxing.

Subodh Sangwan, a senior executive of the foundation, thanked the Public Diagnostic Centre, Cheeka, and coach Satnam Singh for their support. He said the top 10 of each team would be given proper training for the Haryana Marathon. 

Karnal, April 14
Two persons were arrested in two cases of sexual assault in the Karnal Sadar and Gharaunda police station areas on the basis of complaints lodged by the victims’ fathers and statements of the girls were recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC in the court.

The 24-year-old woman went missing from Karnal on April 12 and her father tried to trace her but in vain. The police registered a case and started investigations to locate the girl. On a tip-off, the police raided a house in Mangalpur village and found the girl and arrested the accused who was present at that time.

The police conducted her medical examination at the Civil Hospital, Karnal, and the counselling of the victim was also done in the presence of a lady advocate and a constable. The accused, Sanjay, was produced in the court and remanded in judicial custody.

In another incident, the father of a minor girl lodged a complaint with the Gharaunda police on April 4 that accused, Sandeep, a resident of Gangoh village in Uttar Pradesh, eloped with his 15-year-old minor daughter on the pretext of marrying her. The police registered a case and started investigations.

On a tip-off, the police recovered the minor girl on April 12, and also nabbed the accused, Sandeep, from Nagla Megha village here. The medical examination report of the victim confirmed sexual assault.

A case of sexual assault was registered against the accused, who was produced in the court and remanded in three-day police custody.

The statement of the victim was recorded in the court under Section 164 of the CrPC. 

Sirsa, April 14
A minor girl was raped by a youth after allegedly kidnapping her from outside her house when she was going to answer nature’s call last night.

In a complaint lodged with the police, the victim’s father alleged that the accused, Gurpreet, a resident of Odhan, kidnapped his daughter last night and took her to a secluded place in the village, where he raped her.

After raping the victim, the accused allegedly tied her hands, fixed a tape on her mouth and ran away after bolting the room from outside. Before leaving, the accused allegedly threatened the girl of dire consequences, if she dared to narrate the incident to anyone.

The victim somehow freed her hands and cried for help after removing the tape from her mouth. She was rescued by people living in the vicinity and the police was informed about the incident.

The police admitted the victim to the General Hospital, Sirsa, for the medical examination. The medical report confirmed that she was sexually assaulted.

A case under Sections 363, 366, 452, 506 and 376 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, was registered against the accused.

The police said the accused, Gurpreet, was arrested and produced before a magistrate, who remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.

According to reports, the accused was earlier posted as a driver of a van of the school, where the girl studied. The school authorities had sacked the driver after he allegedly molested the girl on her way to her village. However, the school authorities did not lodge any complaint with the police.