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CM, Deepender take on Modi at Rohtak rally
CM chides Oppn for ‘importing’ LS nominees
Faction-ridden Congress puts up united show for Shruti
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Shruti files papers
Filing of nominations gives tough time to commuters
Ranjit miffed over Speaker’s remarks about Chautalas
Haryana model of development better than Gujarat’s: Hooda
No compensation for drunk driver’s death: HC
BJP plays Punjabi card in Karnal, HJC unhappy
Education dept distributes funds for 2013-14 now
Haryana’s Shame
Flex boards put up in Sonepat to motivate voters
Substandard gunny bags
Bishnoi files papers from Hisar
Inderjit files papers from Gurgaon
3-year-old girl falls into manhole, dies
19 officers for fair poll
INLD, AAP candidates file papers
Indora, Ratti file papers for Sirsa
Bail jumper held Two workers killed in sewer line accident 10-year term for heroin smuggler Judicial custody for three rape accused
89 file papers
Not registered, HJP to stay out of LS fray
3 file papers from Sonepat
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CM, Deepender take on Modi at Rohtak rally
Rohtak, March 21 Sporting a beard and wrapped in a therapeutic belt, Deepender, who had been staying away from the poll campaign due to his painful spinal disorder, pointed out that the BJP had promised the establishment of an IIM, an IIT and an AIIMS in every state in its poll manifesto. “This flatters me as the Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency has got not only an IIM, an IIT and an AIIMS, but also at least 12 other national-level educational institutions during my successive tenures,” he said, adding that Gujarat had an IIM, but not IIT or AIIMS. Pointing towards the giant leaps made by the Rohtak LS segment in terms of road, rail and power infrastructure, the Congress leader maintained that he had done his best to ensure all-around development and wanted to do much more. Deepender sought the crowd’s assent for contesting the LS elections and announced that he would file his nomination papers tomorrow. Earlier, Chief Minister Hooda not only accused the BJP of ‘auctioning’ its Lok Sabha ticket, but also rubbished the talk of adopting the Gujarat model of development in Haryana. He also lambasted the INLD leaders for unleashing a reign of terror and looting people by grabbing their property. He predicted that the INLD would be wiped out from the state after the results of the LS poll were out. The Chief Minister did not seek votes or support for Deepender, stating that he had handed his son to the people, implying that they would take care of him themselves. Hooda, however, sought people’s support towards ensuring a third consecutive term for his own regime in the state, listed the achievements of his government. Curiously, while CM Hooda and his son Deepender lashed out at Modi directly or indirectly, Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma equated Hooda with Modi. “What we have to do with Modi when we have our own Modi” he told the audience in his trademark style. Sharma made sharp attacks on the BJP, INLD and the HJC and also likened their leaders with characters in certain Haryanavi anecdotes. Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar, Rajya Sabha MP Shadi Lal Batra and Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal also addressed the gathering. Several other Haryana ministers, MLAs, Deepender’s mother Asha Hooda and wife Shweta were present. Deepender strikes emotional chord with people Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, who generally comes across as a suave young man with urbane demeanour, presented himself in a rustic avatar at today’s event. “Doctors had advised me to visit the venue in an ambulance and address you people while lying down. But I decided to stand up and walk on my own to be amongst my own people. Haryane ka chhora soo, Rohtak ka doodh pee rakhya sai,” he maintained. Continuing his dialogue with the masses in chaste Haryanavi, Deepender told them to have milk and choorma ready for him after he got well and came to mingle with them. “Doodh tarda ke raakhiyo ar choorma ghaal ke raakhiyo, theek hoye pachhey thaarey ghar ne aaunga,” he told the gathering, instantly striking an emotional chord.
— TNS Sidelights
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CM chides Oppn for ‘importing’ LS nominees
New Delhi, March 21 Before leaving the Capital on a tour of Haryana, Hooda said the opponents had not been able to build a base even after more than nine years of Congress rule. The BJP nominated Rao Inderjit Singh (Gurgaon) and Dharambir (Bhiwani) as its nominees immediately after they broke ranks with the Congress. The HJC fielded Sushil Indora (Sirsa) as soon as he quit the Congress. The HJC was on the verge of giving the ticket to Congress stalwart Venod Sharma after he quit the party, but the move was shot down by the BJP. Rubbishing suggestions that there was anti-incumbency against the government in Haryana, Hooda said the Congress could bag nine of the 10 Lok Sabha seats as in 2009.
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Faction-ridden Congress puts up united show for Shruti
Mahendragarh, March 21 It was for the first time in five years that senior leaders of a faction-ridden Congress put up a united show in Bhiwani and exhorted the party workers to work dedicatedly for ensuring the victory of the Congress candidate. Significantly, Haryana Health Minister Rao Narender, Housing and Cooperation Minister Satpal Sangwan, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) Rao Daan Singh and Anita Yadav, who had stayed away from Shruti’s campaign ever since she got the party ticket, came on a common platform and sought votes for her to carry on the political legacy of her grandfather Ch Bansi Lal, a former Haryana Chief Minister. Rao Narender, Satpal Sangwan, Daan Singh and Anita Yadav are the legislators from Narnaul, Dadri, Mahendragarh and Ateli, respectively, which are parts of the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh parliamentary constituency. They don’t have cordial relations with Shruti’s mother, Kiran Choudhry. Narender, Daan Singh and Anita are the prominent Ahir leaders in Mahendragarh district being dominated by Ahirs with highest numbers of voters in the Lok Sabha constituency, hence Ahirs play a vital role in deciding the fate of candidates. The presence of these leaders in the rally would certainly not only boost the morale of Shruti and her supporters, but will also help send the right message to the voters dispelling doubts of continued infighting in the Congress. Apart from them, Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh, AICWC member Satyavarat Chaturvedi, state Congress co-incharge Asha Kumari, Rajya Sabha MP Ch Birender Singh, Power Minister Capt Ajay Yadav, former CPS Ramkishan Fouzi, former MP Jai Prakash were among those present in the rally. |
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Shruti files papers
Bhiwani, March 21 Hooda slammed the BJP, which had fielded many turncoats, stating that it did not have a single able candidate in Haryana. He alleged that the BJP had sold the ticket to opportunists who had switched sides. "The bubble of the Gujarat development model has burst. The BJP tried to create the illusion of a Narendra Modi wave. The BJP has no issue to seek votes from the people. It is depending on rebels from other parties. The INLD is on the brink of extinction as its leaders had indulged in land grab while in power," he alleged. The five MLAs whose segments were a part of the Lok Sabha constituency jointly dismissed any rift in the party. They stated that the upcoming General Election would be a befitting reply to those spreading rumours about factionalism in the Congress in the region. Recounting the contribution of former Chief Minister and Shruti's grandfather Bansi Lal in the development of Haryana, Birender Singh stated that this region could never forget the work done by Bansi Lal. "People like Dharambir Singh, who made money while in power when they were in the Congress and then joined the BJP, would be taught a lesson by the people," he said. Chaturvedi condemned the attack on Shruti's mother and Haryana minister Kiran Chaudhry, terming it as a cowardly act. "The incident indicated the criminalisation of politics, which must be condemned in the strongest terms," he said. |
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Filing of nominations gives tough time to commuters
Faridabad, March 21 "With several nominations filed in the last six days, a huge rush of vehicles and supporters of candidates has resulted in a nightmare for residents and commuters," said Sanjay Kumar, a local lawyer practising at the district courts on the Mini-Secretariat premises, housing the office of the district returning officer. He said hundreds of clients arriving at the district courts had become a victim of traffic congestion and chaos in the last few days due to inability of the authorities concerned in controlling heavy flow of vehicles in the area. "I was stuck in a traffic jam for over an hour today due to a roadshow by a candidate who arrived at the premises along with hundreds of supporters," said Sharad, a businessman residing in Sector 9. He said he was on his way to meet an important client at the NIT, but could not reach his destination in time due to traffic bottlenecks due to vehicles and supporters of the candidate who came to file his papers. Expressing resentment over traffic mismanagement during the nomination process at the district headquarters, Yogesh Sharma, a local advocate, said the district administration and the police should tackle the issue and ensure that the poll process did not hamper movement of residents and cause inconvenience to commuters. "Traffic chaos has proved a bottleneck for movement of ambulances of a hospital opposite the Mini-Secretariat in the last few days," said a resident of Sector 10. The authorities pointed out that only three vehicles accompanying a candidate were allowed to enter the 100-metre area of the office of the returning officer at one time and other vehicles were stopped by the police at barricades put up at various points. They said only five persons, including the candidate, were allowed to enter the office of the returning officer for filing papers and at least four candidates, including those of the AAP, the Congress and the BJP, filed their papers today. |
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Ranjit miffed over Speaker’s remarks about Chautalas
Sirsa, March 21 Ranjit Singh had left the rally venue after Sharma’s speech and now it had come to light that he had boycotted the meeting in protest after
apprising Hooda about his displeasure. In his address, Sharma had said as a Speaker,
he was not supposed
to address political
meetings. However, Ranjit Singh said Sharma had further remarked that he had been noticing that “ghosts of Chautalas were still wandering in Sirsa” even after the Congress had finished them politically and that he was “there as a Brahmin to perform their ‘pind dan’”. “Is this the way a political leader is supposed to speak?” an irked Ranjit asked. “I have told Hooda
as well as Ashok
Tanwar that I have never minded the Chautalas being criticised for
corruption, for their conviction, for dynastic politics, or their tyrannical style of functioning. But I will never tolerate my family members being
hit below the belt like this,” the Congress leader, who is an aspirant for Rania Assembly seat in Sirsa, said. Sources said efforts to placate Ranjit had met with little success so far and he had not been participating in Tanwar’s poll campaign so far. Asked what would be his strategy now, Ranjit Singh said he would work in Rania only and would not seek votes for Tanwar in other Assembly segments of Sirsa or Fatehabad. Repeated efforts to contact Kuldeep Sharma did not succeed.
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Haryana model of development better than Gujarat’s: Hooda
Kurukshetra, March 21 Jindal has declared movable assets of about Rs 20,787.12 lakh and immovable assets of Rs 888.95 lakh. His company Naveen Jindal and sons HUF has movable assets of Rs 6,774.28 lakh while his wife Shalu Jindal has movable assets of Rs 1,252.36 lakh. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, while addressing a workers meeting at the new grain market here to seek support for Jindal, lambasted the INLD and the BJP. Hooda said the BJP claimed to have Modi- wave but could not find its own candidates. It had given tickets to those whom the Congress had rejected. Criticising the Gujarat model of development, he asked, “Why are people talking about the Gujarat model of development? If they want I will implement that model in Haryana but then the security pension would come down to Rs 400 from Rs1,000, as is being given by the Modi government. We have been giving elderly persons pension to 81 per cent people against 22 per cent in Gujarat. Let the people compare the Gujarat model with that of Haryana,” Hooda said. He also commented on Abhaya Chautala’s claim that the INLD had bought BJP Kurukshetra candidate Raj Kumar Saini for Rs 25 lakh to form its government and said “How can you expect your welfare from a leader who has the tendency of getting sold.” He further said, “there will be no existence of INLD after the Lok Sabha elections”. State Minister Randeep Surjewala, who also attended the meeting, criticised the INLD and said, “The INLD leaders are not in jail because they gave employment but because they gave it to their uneducated party workers. In the INLD regime, people were not safe”. Kuldeep Sharma, Shalu Jindal, Anil Dhantodi, Subhash Sudha and several other leaders also addressed party workers on the occasion. |
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No compensation for drunk driver’s death: HC
Chandigarh, March 21 The ruling by Justice Navita Singh came on an appeal filed by Harnam Kaur and another appellant. They had challenged the dismissal of their petition in June, 2008, by the Ambala Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. They were seeking compensation for the death of motorcyclist Kuldeep
Rai. The appellants had claimed that Kuldeep Rai had gone to Mahesh Nagar in Ambala Cantonment to enquire about his mother-in-law's health in October 2007. On his way back to Ambala City on a motorcycle, he met with an accident near Hari Palace in Ambala City. The appellants had claimed that the accident occurred after a bull suddenly appeared on the road. The victim, in an effort to save the bull, applied the brakes but lost balance. He fell down and received multiple injuries before he was taken to the Civil Hospital by the National Highway Police. He was then referred to the
PGI, Chandigarh, where he succumbed to his injuries. The tribunal held that the appellants failed to prove that the accident was caused due to the use of motorcycle. Challenging the order, counsel for the appellants argued that use of the motorcycle stood proved. Counsel for the insurance company, on the other hand, referred to the statement of a doctor, who medico-legally examined the deceased. He pointed out that the doctor had categorically admitted in the medico-legal report that mentioned the deceased was under the influence of liquor. It was contented that the accident occurred due to drunken condition of the victim and not in the manner pleaded by them. Justice Navita Singh asserted: "It can never be the intention of the legislator to award compensation for the death of a drunken driver, because in such case people will not be dissuaded from driving under the influence of liquor. The accident, if any, took place on account of the fact that the deceased was drunk at the relevant time and he died on account of his own fault. No-fault liability, thus, does not come into play”. |
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BJP plays Punjabi card in Karnal, HJC unhappy
Karnal, March 21 It is the second time in the history of Karnal BJP that a Punjabi candidate has come in election battlefield. According to an estimate, there are almost 2.53 lakh Punjabis (Arora, Khatri Punjabis, Sikhs and Jat Sikhs), 1.96 lakh Jats, 1.39 lakh Brahmins, 1.36 lakh Harijans, 1.06 lakh Rors, 1.01 Balmikis, 79,000 Jhimers, 74,000 Rajputs, 62,000 Mahajans/Banias, 41,000 Sainis, 38,000 Muslims, 33,000 Kumhars, 27,000 Kambojs, 25,000 Khatis, 24,000 Odhs, 21,000 Nais and 17,000 Lohars in this constituency. These statistics show that Punjabis and Jats could turn out to be the deciding factor in this election. Political analysts said Karnal parliamentary constituency is considered as a ‘Brahmin seat’, but their presence may not be in majority. Arvind Sharma, ID Swami, Bhagwat Dayal Sharma and Chiranji Lal, who have won from this seat earlier, belonged to Brahmin community. Only Bhajan Lal and Mahinder Singh Lather were the non Brahmins to win this seat. The Punjabi community is in majority in the constituency but it is surprising that a Punjabi leader has never been elected from here, they added. Congress has fielded a Brahmin candidate, while the BSP fielded a Ror community candidate, BJP-HJC alliance played a Punjabi card, the INLD gave ticket to a Jat Sikh community candidate and AAP gave the ticket to a Punjabi candidate. Seeing the past experience in Karnal, the BJP has fielded Minna to get maximum mileage in this election, but he has the tag of an outsider too, which could affect his prospects, experts added. BJP District President Ashok Sukhija said Minna belonged to a family of freedom fighters and had a political background also. He was not an outsider and was always with them. HJC members oppose decision
However, a dominant section of the HJC has opposed the ticket to Minna. District president of the party Pawan Sahpur said the BJP had ignored the sentiments of HJC leaders as former Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan withdrew his name for giving the seat to a local and Brahmin leader, but the BJP gave it to an outsider and a non-Brahmin leader, which was not acceptable. He added that they had informed party chief Kuldeep Bisnoi about their decision. On the other hand, Minna reached Karnal this afternoon. BJP workers from throughout the district welcomed him and held a roadshow. He said he would reside in Karnal to know the problems of the constituency. |
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Education dept distributes funds for 2013-14 now
Sirsa, March 21 The Block Education Officer, Sirsa, had on March 19, sent a March 13 letter of the District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO) to all Assistant Block Resource Coordinators of the district, informing them that funds for purchase of school bags for non- Scheduled Caste children of class I to VIII had been deposited in bank accounts of school management committees (SMCs). The letter further said all school in-charges should be directed to distribute the funds to the schoolchildren and send certificates of utilisation of funds to his office within a week. Children from class I to V are to be given Rs 120 each while those from class VI to VIII are to get Rs 150 each for school bags. “The state government has played a joke with poor schoolchildren by sending them funds for purchase of school bags for year 2013-14 when the session is already over and the department is preparing to start the next session,” alleged Kartar Singh, a whistleblower and an RTI activist. Suresh Sharma, DEEO, Sirsa, said the transfer of funds was delayed as bank account IDs of some of the SMCs were generated late. The delayed action
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2 cases of rape reported in Faridabad
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, March 21 The kin of the victim lodged a complaint with the police that the accused had raped her several times on the pretext of marrying her. The accused, identified as Pawan Kumar of the Lakadpur locality, befriended the girl, residing in his neighbourhood, a couple of months ago with the help of his sister-in-law, with whom he had been residing. It was reported that the kin of the accused helped him rape the victim initially and the crime continued till the victim revealed the matter to her parents. The police registered a case in this connection and have started investigations. In the second incident, the victim, a Dabua Colony resident, reported that Mukesh, a youth working as helper at the drill machine workshop at her house, raped her on the night of December 18 when her husband was away. She reported that the accused asked for tea after work, but laced the milk with sedatives and made her drink it, leaving her unconscious. She reported that the accused not only raped her, but prepared a video of the crime on his mobile phone as well and threatened her to make it public if she revealed the incident to anyone. The victim added that Mukesh continued to blackmail her till she told her husband about the incident yesterday. The police registered a case in this connection but the accused is yet to be arrested.
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Flex boards put up in Sonepat to motivate voters
Sonepat, March 21 The boards have been installed at a number of places, including mini-secretariat, Murthal dhabas and other important places in the district. These have been attracting a significant number of people for the last two days. After signing the board here today at the mini-secretariat, advocates Dharmender Singh, Naresh Dahiya and Yuva Mehra said exercising their franchise was an opportunity for people to have the representative of their own choice. They appealed to the voters to cast votes in all circumstances. "This is part of our awareness programme, exhorting voters to cast their votes and motivate others to exercise their franchise," said Deputy Commissioner-cum- District Election Officer Samir Pal Srow. He hoped that the voters would respond enthusiastically on the polling day. |
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Substandard gunny bags
Chandigarh, March 21 Yesterday, Hafed had rejected the consignment of nearly 1,300 “mutilated, torn and unbranded” gunny bales from the company. The lid of the alleged multi-crore scam was blown off when the JK Jute Mills Mazdoor Ekta Union, Kanpur, complained to the Haryana Government that a consignment of “substandard” gunny bales had been sent to Hafed through train from Kanpur to Ambala. Earlier, A committee headed by the District Food and Supplies Controller, Ambala, was constituted to inspect the consignment when it landed at Ambala from Kanpur on March 18. The committee found that the consignment violated certain mandatory guidelines of the Director-General Supplies and Disposals(DGS&D). |
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Bishnoi files papers from Hisar
Hisar, March 21 His income has gone up to Rs 98,53 777 during the financial year 2012-13 as compared to Rs 22,43,601 in the financial year 2009-10. Talking to mediapersons after filing the nomination papers, Bishnoi targeted his opponents, especially the INLD, stating that corruption had been a major issue in this election. People would not accept any candidate from a party whose top leadership had been convicted on corruption charges. He stated that regional discrimination in development had been another major issue in his constituency as the people were fed up with the Congress regime which had ignored the region's interest and even faced discrimination in
jobs. |
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Inderjit files papers from Gurgaon
Gurgaon, March 21 AAP candidate Yogendra Yadav filed his nomination yesterday. He said he was out to steer the constituency away from caste politics. "We talk of ground level issues that affect and benefit voters. We urge the people not vote for somebody just because he is a Yadav or an Ahir, but because he can serve them and get them infrstructure that they deserve. We wish to uproot corruption. The educated and aware voter would go with us," he said. Congress candidate Dharmpal Yadav and INLD candidate Zakir Hussain filed their nominations yesterday. Dharampal expressed confidence on the basis of his experience of being a three-time legislator and the good work of the Congress. The INLD, apparently assured of Jat votes, was out to woo Meo voters. |
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3-year-old girl falls into manhole, dies
Sonepat, March 21 The girl had gone out of her house in the locality last evening around 6:30 pm but did not return. However, after around two hours of search, her body was recovered from the manhole. The girl was rushed to the civil hospital where the doctors declared her brought dead. After post-mortem examination, her body was handed over to her family members. Amit Khatri, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sonepat, said he had ordered an inquiry into the incident and sought a report on the open manholes in the town as he had received complaints in this regard from various areas of the town. |
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Deepender took on Gujarat Chief Minister and BJPprime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at a public meeting here today.
The presence of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other senior Congress leaders at a rally organised by Congress nominee and outgoing MP Shruti Choudhry in Bhiwani today has given a fillip to her election campaign in the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency.
Karnal, March 21
HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi's movable assets have registered an impressive increase in three years while his annual income too grew four times in the same period.
In an affidavit submitted to the Election Commission while filing his nomination papers, Bishnoi revealed that his assets valued Rs 75,23,23,139, including movable assets worth Rs 58,70,73,139.
Sonepat, March 21
