Gurgaon, August 24
Rebel Congress MP from Gurgaon Rao Inderjit Singh has maintained that the Congress leadership had forced him to look for options outside the party by allowing the Haryana Congress to become a pocket party of state Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

"I have been a loyal soldier of the Congress for more than three decades and nurtured it in Haryana. ?I come from a respectable family and will not tolerate the humiliation, nor will I compromise with my dignity for hollow political gains," he asserted.

The former Union minister, who has hit the headlines for his camp's move to form a new party, the Haryana Insaaf Congress, shared his political compulsions and made some straightforward remarks in an interview with The Tribune today.

In an upfront attack on his party organisation, Rao Inderjit stated that the Haryana Congress was being run in an opaque and autocratic manner, which was not acceptable to him.

"I am answerable to the people who have voted and supported me all these years. ?What is my use of staying in politics if I cannot ensure their welfare? I had been raising my voice against the lopsided development in the state for the past several years, but to no avail?. I have no option but to put my foot down," he noted.

Asked about his next move, the rebel Congress leader said it depended upon the stance adopted by the party high command.

"If I am denied a Congress ticket in the next elections, at least I can seek one from my daughter (who has applied for the registration of the new party)," he remarked in a lighter vein.

He, however, conceded that in case he had to part ways with the Congress, he would be open to alliance with any political party to have a decisive say in matters pertaining to the state.

"I am ready to contest the election for the Assembly so as to be able to ensure justice for the people of the entire state, in case such a need arises," affirmed the Ahirwal leader.

Though Inderjit parried direct queries over his political inclination and possible affiliation(s), sources close to him divulged that there was a possibility of Rao joining the saffron party.

They pointed out that in view of the prevailing leadership crisis in the Haryana BJP, its central leadership could consider Rao Inderjit as the party's face in the state.

"It is also likely that he plays an instrumental role in forging a tie-up between the BJP and the INLD at a later stage," said a political aide.

Chandigarh, August 24
The truce between factions led by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his bete noire Union Minister Kumari Selja went for a toss again with leaders of both factions clashed in the presence of senior leaders at a function organised by the party at Yamunanagar today.

The trouble arose when the wokers owing allegiance to Kumari Selja's loyalist and Sadhaura MLA Rajpal Bhukri raised the issue of uneven development in the state, particularly Yamunanagar district. However, Hooda loyalists opposed this, claiming that all-round development was being done.

With tempers running high, the war of words between the two factions virtually turned into a free-for-all with workers coming to blows in the presence of HPCC chief Phool Chand Mullana and AICC secretary Asha Kumari. Mullana was caught in the melee when he tried to reason with the agitated workers. Mullana and Asha Kumari had a tough time in pacifying the wokers.

While Mullana tried to play down the incident, asserting a section of workers wanted to highlight certain issues, party sources confirmed that Asha Kumari was upset with the behaviour of both factions.

Hisar, August 24
Residents of several villages blocked the National Highway No. 10 in Mayyar village of the district today in protest against crop failure reportedly due to fake seeds provided by a private firm.

They demanded compensation for the crop loss and also registration of a case against the firm. Hundreds of villagers sat in the middle of the road blocking the traffic for around one hour in the afternoon.

Farmers’ leader Dhara Singh said farmers of 10 villages — Mayyar, Kharar, Alipur, Sisay, Kaliraman, Kheri Gangan, Mamanpur, Dhani Kutubpur, Bhatla and Chanaut — had suffered financial losses as their crops of cotton, guar and bajra has damaged due to poor quality of seeds provided by the private company.

“The district administration should carry out a special girdawari to assess the losses and then give compensation to farmers at a rate of Rs 50,000 per acre to us. A criminal case should be registered against the guilty,” he said.

Dhara Singh said they would again block the highway tomorrow for one hour. A memorandum of farmers’ demands had been submitted to an agriculture official who visited the site.

Tohana (Fatehabad), August 24
Angry at the registration of a criminal case against former MLA Nishan Singh, hundreds of INLD workers today stormed the city police station at Tohana and sat on a dharna there.

Though the police clarified that Nishan’s name has been already cleared from the FIR, the activists led by MLA Rampal Majra, Rajya Sabha MP Ranbir Prajapat, former MLAs Swatantar Bala Choudhary, Ran Singh Beniwal, Sita Ram and Bhagi Ram demanded action against the police officer responsible for lodging the FIR against the ex-MLA.

They installed tents inside the city thana complex and refused to end their protest unless the police accepted their demand.

“Heinous crimes like rapes, murders and demands of ransom were occurring unabated. Chain snatchings from women and eve-teasing have become the order of the day. But the police has failed to check these crimes. However, when it came to registering a false complaint against the ex-MLA, the police showed speed and did not care to verify the truth behind the allegations,” alleged Majra and other leaders.

The INLD leaders agreed to lift their dharna only after DSP (headquarters) Shamsher Singh Dahiya regretted the police action and told them that Nishan’s name no more figured in the FIR.

Laxmi Devi, a tenant in a house at Durga Colony of Tohana town in Fatehabad, had lodged an FIR under various sections of the IPC against Nishan, Hans Raj, Bhola, Kala, Jai Bhagwan, Rajesh, Atma Ram, Sajjan, Amar Nath, Amarik, Rakesh, Jitender, Bhup Singh, Rama, his wife, and some others on August 20 after she was allegedly forcibly evicted from her house.

However, two days after booking Nishan, the police cleared his name from the FIR.

The police had said during the investigation it had been found that Nishan as well as other around eight persons has been falsely implicated in the case by the woman who lodged the FIR.

Chopta (Sirsa), August 24
Haryana Janhit Congress supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi and Bharatiya Janata Party state president Ram Bilas Sharma today reiterated that the alliance between the two parties would last till the coming elections despite ‘rumours’ to the contrary.

Sharma, who made BJP’s stand emphatically clear on the issue of continuance of alliance, chose senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala’s Assembly segment Ellenabad’s Chopta town to announce that his party would have no truck with the latter’s party.

“Our party has always taken a clear stand against corruption and for the same, the BJP did not even dither when it came to asking its Chief Minister to quit in Karnataka. Both Om Prakash Chautala and his elder son Ajay Chautala are serving imprisonment in a criminal case. Why will our party even think of associating itself with Chautalas,” was Sharma’s clear message to people during a public meeting at Chopta.

While Sharma referred to the INLD or Chautalas only while making BJP’s stand clear on the alliance issue and focused his attack during the entire speech on the UPA government at the Centre and the BS Hooda government in Haryana, Bishnoi used the opportunity to address people in the Assembly segment of Abhay for bashing the latter’s party as well as his family.

Knowing well that residents of this area have great respect for late Devi Lal, Bishnoi started his (Chautala) bashing only after showering praises on the former Deputy Prime Minister.

“I have deep regards for Chaudhary Devi Lal as he always worked selflessly for people. But Chautala and his two sons have ruined whatever goodwill the former Deputy PM earned during his lifetime,” he said.

Bishnoi alleged that all talks of alleged rethinking on the alliance issue were figments of imagination of INLD leaders, who, he alleged, had been deliberately spreading rumours in this regard.

Ram Bilas Sharma, on the other hand, ridiculed the UPA government and said its Finance Minister was unable to check the downslide of rupee, The Defence Minister was not able to stop China from intruding and the Home Minister was helpless in curbing rising number of rapes.

Shyam Bajaj, a Punjabi leader and a close confident of former minister LD Arora, and some others announced their decision to join the BJP on the occasion.

Former BJP minister Ganeshi Lal, former Parliamentary Secretary Dura Ram and former Rajya Sabha member Ramji Lal were among those present.

Chandigarh, August 24
Justice Iqbal Singh, head of the inquiry commission, constituted to find out various aspects of the incident of violence at the Mini Secretariat in Rewari on July 16 and at Asalwas village on July 22 over land acquisition, presented its report to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today.

The government had earlier decided to appoint an inquiry commission for investigating violence in Rewari on July 22 under Justice Iqbal Singh, a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Villagers opposing the land acquisition had clashed with the police, torched several vehicles and blocked Delhi-Jaipur Highway as the police opened fire on a mob at Asalwas village in Rewari.

Over 60 persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured as protesters, who were opposing the acquisition of 3,300 acres in 16 villages for setting up an industrial estate by HSIIDC, turned violent during a mahapanchayat.

The state government had later stayed further land acquisition proceedings till the two committees, constituted by the government, submitted their reports.

Chandigarh, August 24
The state has issued posting and transfer orders of six IPS officers and three HPS officers with immediate effect.

Sibash Kabiraj, SP, Commando, Karnal, will also look after the work of the SP, Karnal, during the training period of Shashank Anand.

B Sateesh Balan, SP, Hisar, has been given additional charge of Commandant, 3rd Battalion, HAP, Hisar. Manisha Chaudhary, on the completion of training, has been posted as ASP, Panchkula. Manoj Kumar has been posted as ASP, Hisar, while Abhishek Jorwal becomes ASP, Faridabad. Rajender K Meena will be ASP, Sirsa. On promotion Krishan Kumar, Narain Chand and Inderjeet Singh have been posted as DSP/CID, DSP, Beri and ACP, Gurgaon, respectively. — TNS

Karah Sahib (Pehowa), August 24
Members of the SGPC and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today gave Rs 36 lakh to 160 families of the Sikh farmers of Kupia Plat and Thekharak, who were displaced from their lands. The Tribune carried a story on Sunday, highlighting their plight.

They were moved by the agony of these families, who had been uprooted from the lands they had been cultivating for six decades and assured them all help. The members who visited their village declared that if the state would not come forward to support them, the community would sit on protest.

President Manjit Singh GK promised jobs to the unemployed and said children would persue their education and their fees would be paid. Besides offering food and shelter, he also assured them legal aid to contest their cases in the Supreme Court.

Touching scenes were witnessed when Sukhwinder Kaur, minor daughter of Jagir Singh, narrated torture and agony the family went through and tears rolled down from the eyes of people.

"I was beaten mercilessly and fainted and my father was imprisoned for six months when the police used force to take possession of our land in May 2012 and there was none to come to our aid," she lamented. DSGMC general secretary Manjinder Sirsa said the state should help the Sikh families.

Sirsa urged CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda to immediately issue a fresh notification to allot the land on which they had built their houses.

Jind, August 24
The police has arrested a college student in connection with the alleged rape of a fellow girl student at Narwana town in the district. A case has been registered against the accused.

As per the complaint lodged with the police, the accused identified as Puneet Kumar, a student of KM College, Narwana, had allegedly abducted and raped the victim on pretext of giving her lift to her home a few days ago. The victim was reportedly taken to an isolated building on the Dhakal road where he committed the crime.

She was not only threatened with dire consequences, but the accused also repeatedly raped her before she told the matter to her kin.

The accused, who was earlier booked in the case, was arrested today, said police sources.

College Principal Santosh Malik admitted that the victim and the accused were students of the college and said as the incident occurred out of the college premises and after the classes, it was the responsibility of parents to keep a watch on the activities of their wards.

Kurukshetra, August 24
With the arrest of Sanjeev of Barshalu, Karnal, the total number of the arrested in the case of beating and firing on Vikki and Sunny near the Ladwa bus stand on May 9, 2012, has raised to six.

District police chief Rakesh Kumar Arya said Vikki of Ban had alleged that some persons had assaulted and fired on the complainant and his friend Sunny, injuring the later. Sanjeev was produced in a court here which remanded him to judicial custody. — OC

Gurgaon, August 24
A 17-year-old girl, whose decomposed body was found in the tool compartment of a school bus recently, was killed by her father and a cousin to "protect" the family honour, the police said.

The police arrested the girl's father Sanjay Kumar and her cousin Amin alias Cheeku for strangling her to death after finding her speaking to a boy on the phone.

Victim Shivani alias Priya was a native of Mahendragarh district and was living with her aunt in Gurgaon. The girl's father told the police that he came to the city on July 22. Priya was at her aunt's home when her cousin caught her speaking to a boy.

Amin snatched her phone and went to her father and disclosed to him about her activities. The duo planned to kill her as they feared that she might elope. They beat her up badly and Priya rushed out of the house and hid herself behind a bus parked there to save her life.

They reached there and strangled her and stuffed her body in the tool compartment of the bus.

The bus was hired by a school in Sushant Lok Phase II. In the evening, the school driver parked the bus on a plot in Sector 5 which was near the victim's aunt home. After the four-day festive weekend, the driver returned and found the girl's body in it.