Chandigarh, March 28
A rattled BJP has taken strong exception to the support extended by its alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to its bete noire Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in the run-up to April 10 parliamentary elections in Haryana.

Miffed at the violation of the coalition ‘dharma’ by its alliance partner, with which it runs a government in neighbouring Punjab, the state unit of the BJP today termed it as undesirable. “The open support to the INLD candidates by our alliance partner SAD is a serious matter and we have brought the matter to the notice of the party high command,” said state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma here today.

“The Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) is our alliance partner in Haryana and we have struggled together against the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government for over two-and-a-half years. We cannot tolerate that our alliance partner is working against our candidates in the state,” said Sharma.

Recently, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, while campaigning in favour of INLD candidate Dushyant Chautala, a grandson of INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala, in Hisar had given a clarion call to defeat HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi -- much to the chagrin of the BJP-HJC alliance leaders.

Earlier, there was speculation that the INLD-BJP would forge an alliance to take on the Congress, which is facing double anti-incumbency in the state. At one point of time, there were reports of a grand alliance comprising INLD, BJP and the HJC. In fact, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had tried his level best to cobble together an INLD-BJP alliance.

With revolt brewing in the state unit over the allotment of party tickets to parachute candidates and turncoats, the BJP’s uneasiness over the SAD support to the INLD candidates is understandable as Sikh and Punjabi 
voters could play a decisive role in the multi-cornered contests.

Badals and Chautalas share close family relations. Even Sharma blamed the “family relations” between the two families for the SAD support to the INLD candidates at the altar of the coalition ‘dharma’.

Jhajjar, March 28
For the first time during his election campaign in his home state, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal received no opposition while taking out a roadshow in support of his party nominee from Rohtak, Naveen Jaihind, here today.

After being shown black flags in Faridabad, Gurgaon and Rewari, Kejriwal was accorded a warm welcome by his supporters when he reached Badli village.

At 11 am, many youth and elderly men donning the AAP cap raised slogans to welcome their star. As soon as Kejriwal disembarked from his vehicle, his supporters garlanded him.

After some time, his cavalcade reached the Devilal gate of the village via the main market where he addressed a gathering. Kejriwal criticised BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for making a ‘fool’ out of the people for their vested interests. He also targeted Bhupinder Singh Hooda on farmers’ issues and alleged that he had done nothing except ruining the farmers by ‘selling’ their fertile land to corporate houses.

Later, his cavalcade moved towards Jahangirpur village, where some villagers and AAP MLA Surender were waiting for his arrival.

Here, an elderly woman presented him Rs 1,100. Kejriwal accepted the money saying that since the woman has contributed this from her hard-earned income, it is equivalent to Rs 11 crore of the Ambanis for the Aam Aadmi Party.

Later, he took an-hour drive from Jahangirpur village to reach Daak Khaana ground in Jhajjar city where a stage was set for a question-answer session. Some youth, led by Shyam Ahlawat, honoured him by offering a traditional turban. In the interactive session, people asked him why did he quit as the Delhi Chief Minister when he was performing well.

Answering them, Kejriwal said he could not compromise on his principles, so he resigned from the post of Delhi Chief Minister as the Congress and the BJP had joined hands. In his speech, he criticised the Congress and the BJP for spreading corruption and ignoring the interests of the common man.

At 3.30 pm, he reached Kosli town via Khativaas, MP Majra, Jahajgarh, Chhuchhakvaas, Matanhel, Ladayan, Jatauda and Babepur villages, but had to move ahead without addressing the gathering due to a heavy rainfall.

Chandigarh, March 28
Former Haryana Chief Minister Hukam Singh today joined the BJP in the presence of state party president Ram Bilas Sharma. Sharma said Hukam Singh’s entry would strengthen the party in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Interacting with mediapersons, Sharma parried questions on caste-based reservation.

However, he termed the Centre’s decision to include Jats in the other backward classes (OBC) an election stunt.

Hukam Singh said only the NDA government led by Narendra Modi could control corruption, bring back black money and deal effectively with external security threats.

Yamunanagar, March 28
The Assistance Returning Officer (ARO), Radaur Assembly constituency, has served notices on Congress candidate Naveen Jindal and BJP candidate Raj Kumar Saini, who are contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Kurukshetra, for violating the model code of conduct.

“We have issued notices to Naveen Jindal and Raj Kumar Saini to seek their explanations for violating the model code of conduct,” said Satish Bhardwaj, ARO, Radaur segment.

Sources said Jindal’s brother had held a public meeting at Toderpur village located in the Radaur Assembly constituency yesterday without obtaining prior permission from the election officer concerned.

Interestingly, brother of Raj Kumar Saini had also held two public meetings at Nagal and Naharpur villages in the same Assembly constituency yesterday without permission.

Sources said Nodal Officer-cum-Deputy Director, Agriculture, Aditya Pratap Dabas had been asked to inquire into the matter and to submit a report to the District Election Officer.

The Radaur Assembly constituency in Yamunanagar district is a part of the Kurukshetra Parliamentary segment.

Meanwhile, a team headed by Duty Magistrate (Flying Squad) recovered Rs 12 lakh from a person last evening.

Sources said Duty Magistrate, Junior Engineer, Virender Singh stopped a scooterist near Kalanaur police post.

During checking, Rs 12 lakh was recovered from the scooter. When the scooterist failed to explain the source of the money, the seized currency was deposited with the Treasury.

Rohtak, March 28
The future of hundreds of young doctors who have passed the BAMS course from six government-run and privately managed ayurveda colleges located in different parts of the state hangs in balance as their degree has not been recognised by the authorities concerned.

To register their protest against the apathetic attitude of the authorities concerned, BAMS passouts of Shri Baba Masthnath Ayurvedic College in Asthal Bohar village of the district staged a demonstration on the Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences (UHS), Rohtak, campus here today.

These colleges, including Shri Baba Mastnath Ayurvedic College, Ashtal Bohar (Rohtak), Shri Krishna Government Ayurvedic College, Kurukshetra, Gaur Brahman Ayurvedic College, Brahmanwas (Rohtak), Murari Lal Rasiwasia Ayurvedic College, Charkhi Dadri (Bhiwani), CDL College of Ayurveda, Bhawangarh (Jagadhri), and Ayujyoti Ayurvedic College and Hospital, Jodhpuria (Sirsa), were earlier affiliated to Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, or Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra.

These were affiliated to UHS, Rohtak, after its inception in 2008. However, for reasons best known to the authorities concerned, the BAMS degree offered by these colleges is yet to be recognised by the Central Council of Indian Medicine after the switchover.

The matter came to light when some BAMS passouts were denied registration by the Central authorities in New Delhi. When persuaded, they were issued provisional permission in place of regular registration.

The protesters said they had been making rounds of officials at their college and the university, but to no avail.

“We are feeling cheated at the callous and indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned. This has left us high and dry even after spending lakhs of rupees and putting in persistent efforts for five and a half years,” said a protesting student. 

Sirsa, March 28
Students of degree colleges from Sirsa and Fatehabad districts, affiliated with Chaudhary Devi Lal University, who have been agitating against poor results of their semester examinations, are unlikely to get any relief. Even after completion of two rounds of re-checking of answersheets, the university has stated that there was nothing wrong with its marking.

Angry students of Government National College had ransacked some offices of the university and smashed windowpanes on March 18 after the results for semesters I, III and V were declared.

The result of Arts students was particularly poor, as barely 29 per cent students had passed the examinations.

Vice-chancellor Radhe Sham Sharma had announced random re-checking of answersheets in presence of teachers of respective colleges and subject specialists from the university.

Praveen Aghamkar, controller of examinations and Suresh Gahlawat, Dean of colleges, said after random re-checking of nearly 6,000 answersheets of science and commerce students, the university had found no discrepancies in its earlier marking.

The re-checking of answersheets of Arts students was still pending and it would take some more time, said Aghamkar.

A teacher from a college affiliated to the university alleged that the students were getting poor results ever since the university had made it mandatory to get pass marks in the internal assessment as well as external examinations.

In other universities, as also in the CDL University till a few years back, students had to get pass mark in the aggregate.

Meanwhile, RK Sharma, principal of Government College for Women, Bhodia Khera, Fatehabad, said he had given a suggestion to the university to set up a committee to search for the root cause of poor results ever since the colleges had come under Chaudhary Devi Lal University.

While several other colleges have been complaining of poor results, the Government College for Women, Ratia, Fatehabad, has achieved excellent results under the same university.

“As many as 62 of our girls got first division and nine got distinction in BA semester I, while 67 got first division and six got distinction in BA semester III in our college,” said Yashpal Rose, principal of the college.

Gurgaon, March 28
High drama prevailed outside a local export house today when enraged workers attacked the police and company officials, leaving around 15 policemen injured. The workers were protesting against the alleged negligence of management of Udyog Vihar- based export house Orient Craft, which led to death of a worker, Sunil.

The worker was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the first floor of company office and was rushed to a nearby private hospital. The management had claimed that he had died of cardiac arrest while the workers insisted that he died of electrocution, a result of poor safety measures.

The report of a worker dying of electrocution spread around the company and about 100 workers abandoned work and went on a rampage. They smashed the cars of company officials. The police was informed and they rushed to the spot, only to face the wrath of the workers who attacked them with stones. This left 15 policemen injured.

Additional forces were then called and deployed making the workers retrieve.

"They are least bothered about our lives and every other day somebody gets injured due to electrocution. They have been approached many times but in vain. We called the police after the death of the worker but they also supported the managemnt and so we had to resort to this protest," said one of the workers.

Sirsa, March 28
A team of the Bar Council of India (BCI) today inspected the facilities in the Law Department of Chaudhary Devi Lal University where students are facing uncertainty due to non-recognition of its LLB course.

The team comprising BCI members Rajinder Singh Rana, Ramesh Chandra G Shah, Rajiv Kaswan and Punjab and Haryana Bar Council chairman Randhir Singh Badhran inspected library facilities, records of faculty members, class rooms and computer labs.

They met Registrar Manoj Siwach, Law Department chairperson JS Jakhar and other faculty members and gathered information from them.

“The team will submit its report to the BCI for taking further action with regard to the recognition of courses run by the university,” said Badhran.

He said the report of the committee was confidential and it would be submitted to the BCI in a sealed cover.

Owing to an adverse report by a team that inspected the department in 2009, the BCI had barred the university from making any fresh admissions to its LLB course.

However, the university continued with its admissions thereafter.

Last year, the Bar Council of the Punjab and Haryana High Court refused to enrol students passing LLB degree from this university in or after 2013, as their degrees were rendered invalid due to non-recognition by the university.

This led to discontent among the students and on March 10 this year, four students began an indefinite fast on this issue.

However, Jakhar persuaded them to end their fast and sought time till March 31 for addressing the problem.

Meanwhile, the team also inspected Hans Raj Phutela Law College, Sirsa.

Ambala, March 28
After hearing the views of both sides on the PIL on encroachments in the Ambala sadar excise area, the Punjab and Haryana High Court pulled up officials of the Municipal Corporation as well as the appellants.

It said the encroachments were ruthless and needed to be removed in a similar way.

Petitioner advocate S K S Bedi said after the orders of the court, the Municipal Corporation was taking necessary action and some encroachers had removed the encroachments.

Taking very serious view of the issue, the court observed that it was very objectionable that after encroaching 10 to 50 feet, the encroachers had removed encroachment only by three feet.

The court took to task the Municipal Corporation officials and passed the orders that those hampering their work should be dealt with strictly and if need be, they be even sent to jail.

The next hearing of the case is on April 11 and before that, the officials have been asked to file action-taken report.

During the next hearing, besides the present officials, the previous officials of the administration have also been summoned to the court.

In October 2013, the then Deputy Commissioner KM Pandurang, along with the officials of the corporation, had got the encroachment removed in the markets and had given the offenders strict warning not to indulge in encroachments in the future. But the request of the senior officials was not heeded to by the encroachers. 

Sonepat, March 28
Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP Narendra Modi’s proposed maiden visit to Haryana will further hot-up the ongoing political battle in the Jat-belt of the state.

Modi is scheduled to address a public meeting on Saturday at Gohana, falling under Sonepat parliamentary segment, where a multi-cornered contest is expected among BJP candidate Ramesh Kaushik, Congress nominee Jagbir Malik, INLD contestant Padam Singh Dahiya, AAP candidate advocate Jai Singh Thekedar and BSP nominee Suman Singh Sharma.

Though the rally is being organised at Gohana in Sonepat segment, the candidates and workers of adjacent Rohtak and Karnal Assembly segments will also be present there.

Modi’s visit holds significance as BJP rebel leader Pradeep Sangwan had recently joined the Congress after expressing resentment over ticket distribution.

However, state BJP vice-president Rajiv Jain has claimed, “Already a wind of change is blowing in Modi’s favour and it will turn into a storm in which all candidates of other parties will bite the dust”.

On the other hand, Congress leaders are joyous over Pradeep’s joining their party. While CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda has already held two road shows in various areas falling under Sonepat segment on March 24 and 27, he also addressed a rally in favour of party candidate at Gohana on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that a star campaigner of Congress will address an election rally at Panipat on March 31, where Karnal and Sonepat candidates and workers will be present.

The INLD is banking on its state leadership, including Abhay Chautala and Ashok Arora, for pulling in the numbers. “While they have already addressed a number of public meetings in various parts of Sonepat segment, they will hold various other public meetings here during the campaigning,” said Padam Singh Dahiya.

New Delhi, March 28
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today issued a notice to the District Magistrate (DM), Sonepat, in connection with the death of a three-year-old girl after she fell in an open manhole in the city.

The minor died after she fell in an open manhole of a sewer pipeline in Saraswati Vihar, Sonepat, on March 20.

The commission observed that the development raised a serious issue of the violation of human rights and sought a detailed report on the issue from the District Magistrate within four weeks.

On Wednesday, the NHRC issued a notice to the Haryana Government for running schools in insufficient and non-salubrious accommodation in Kaithal.

The notice has been served to the Principal Secretary, Education, which is to be responded within four weeks. The commission slapped the notice taking suo motu cognisance of a report on Shakti Nagar Government Primary School in Kaithal town carried in The Tribune on March 11.

It observed that the contents of the report, if true, raised an issue of the violation of human rights of the children, the staff and the teachers of the school. The “one- room school”, which is alleged to be already unsafe, with an attached verandah for over 400 students from Classes I to V, is also used to store 200 chairs and 80 benches. Moreover, there is only one toilet for the teachers, staff and students, including boys and girls.

Also, classes are held in the open ground and verandah and also in two chaupals, 500 yards from the school. The drinking water is stored in a tank during supply hours, but in the absence of the supply, water has to be fetched from hand pumps to submersible pumps in the vicinity of the school.

Kurukshetra, March 28
Four men allegedly tried to rape a 25-year-old woman in the Jhansa Road area today. Following the incident, the agitated family and community members blocked the road for almost two hours.

Three women and a minor girl of the Deha community had gone to answer the nature’s call when the incident took place. While two of them turned in the other direction, the victim and her daughter went near a house where four men allegedly pulled the woman in and tried to rape her. The victim’s daughter managed to reach her house and narrated the incident to her family.

The family and community members reached the spot and thrashed the accused before the police reached. Three accused were rounded up by the police, while the fourth accused managed to flee.

The victim’s family members also had an altercation with the police.

Sajan, victim’s brother, alleged that the police had beaten him and some other boys of the community.

The agitated community members blocked the road and pelted stones at police. Two police vehicles got damaged in the incident and two-three policemen got minor injuries.

The community members also demanded construction of toilets in their ‘basti’.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shital Singh reached the spot and pacified the protesters, after which they lifted the blockade.

Chandigarh, March 28
The Haryana Government has issued transfer and posting orders of seven HCS officers. GL Yadav, SDM, Kosli, has been posted as Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Palwal and Mewat.

Mahabir Parsad, Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Mewat, at Nuh and Palwal has been posted as SDM, Kosli.

O P Sharma, Additional Director (Administration), Sports, has been posted as SDM, Beri, relieving Mahender Pal.

Vikram Singh Malik, Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh, has been posted as City Magistrate, Mahendragarh, at Narnaul and Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh.

Suresh Kumar, Zonal Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Hisar, has been posted as SDM, Loharu and Zonal Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Hisar.

Narender Pal Malik, Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Sirsa and Fatehabad, has been posted as City Magistrate, Sirsa.

The government also relieved Inder Pal Bishnoi, Zonal Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Gurgaon and General Manager, Haryana Roadways, Gurgaon, of the charge of GM, Haryana Roadways. These orders have been issued with the approval of the Election Commission. — TNS

Hisar, March 28
The police have arrested three more youths in the alleged abduction and rape of four Dalit girls at Bhagana village in the district. The police said all five accused had been arrested in the case.

A police spokesperson said here today that Sumit Kumar of Bhagana village and Parmal of Kungar village in the district were arrested last night from Hansi, while the fifth accused was arrested today.

He said Sumit and Parmal were produced in a court which sent them to two days police remand. "The accused are being interrogated and we are likely to get crucial evidence to establish their involvement in the crime. The vehicle used in abducting the girls would also be recovered soon," he said.

Meanwhile, families of the victims, who have been sitting on a dharna at the Mini-Secretariat here, refused to go back, fearing threat to their lives in the village.

Satish Kumar, who have been sitting on the dharna, said they would not lift the dharna unless the administration ensures safety and security of the Dalit residents in the village. He said more Dalit families could migrate in a few days as the situation was not conducive for their stay in the village.

A Deputy Superintendent of Police visited the families and assured them of full security in the village.

Four Dalit teenaged girls were allegedly abducted by a group of five youths at Bhagana village on March 23. Villagers traced the girl to Bathinda on March 25. The accused had reportedly gang-raped one of the girls.

Sonepat, March 28
A woman of Lath village today tore off her clothes at sadar police station, Gohana, to protest against the booking of her husband Krishan in a case of alleged beating of a village woman.

However, she was taken into custody and on the complaint of ASI Devi Singh, a case under different sections of the IPC was registered against her.

A woman from the same village informed the police on the helpline number yesterday that she was allegedly beaten up by Krishan. ASI Devi Singh went to the village and the villagers assured him that Krishan would be produced in the police station on Friday.

Krishan's wife also accompanied the villagers to the police station. After reaching there she protested against the booking of her husband in the case and allegedly tore off her clothes before all present there.

Station House Officer Kuldeep Deswal confirmed that she had been arrested as she was indulging indecent activities to exert pressure on the police.

Rohtak, March 28
Congress candidate from the Rohtak parliamentary constituency Deepender Singh Hooda has written an open letter seeking support from the voters of the constituency.

Conveying gratitude to the voters, Deepender assured them that he would put in more hard work for the development of the region after he recovers from illness.

“I have tried to live up to your expectations after being elected as MP for two consecutive terms and wish to continue the project to put the Rohtak Lok Sabha segment on the world map,” he maintained in the letter.

He asked the people to beware of the political masquerades and not be misled by their propaganda.

Hoardings torn, Cong lodges complaint

The Congress has lodged a complaint with the District Returning Officer, seeking action against “politically motivated unsocial elements” for tearing off some hoardings seeking vote and support for party nominee Deepender Singh Hooda.

Copies of the complaint, along with photographs of the torn hoardings, have also been provided to the Central Election Observer and State Chief Electoral officer.

Local Congress leaders, including MLAs Anand Singh Dangi, Bharat Bhushan Batra and Shakuntala Khatak and District Congress Committee president Jaideep Dhankhar, have condemned the incident and lamented that the “opposition had stooped so low”.

They alleged that the incident indicated that the leaders involved therein had no faith in the democratic norms and values and by resorting to such acts.

Sonepat, March 28
AAP’s state president, Ashawant Gupta and member of the national coordination committee, Gaurav Kumar were injured seriously when their Swift car collided with a Haryana Roadways bus near Kanwali on the Sonepat-Kharkhoda road this morning.

After receiving information, the police reached the spot and brought the injured to the Civil Hospital.

Later, both were referred to the PGIMS, Rohtak. According to Ravinder Malik, member AAP, both the victims were going from Sonepat to Badli in Jhajjar district to participate in Arvind Kejriwal’s road show in Rohtak. 

Fatehabad, March 28
BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will address an election rally at Fatehabad on April 7.

Jagdish Chopra, convener of the BJP for Sirsa parliamentary seat, said party’s state president Ram Bilas Sharma, former president Krishan Pal Gujjar and several other leaders would address the rally to seek votes for HJC candidate Sushil Indora.

The party has selected Fatehabad as venue for the rally so that people from Sirsa as well as Hisar parliamentary seats could be brought to the rally.

HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi is contesting the poll from Hisar. — TNS

Faridabad, March 28
The police have registered two cases of rape in Faridabad and Palwal districts in the past 48 hours. No arrest has been made so far.

An official said the Palwal police had registered a case against two youths, including a Class XI student, for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl. The victim, a student of Class VIII, was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped by the accused after lacing her drink with a sedative.

The official said the accused also threatened her with dire consequences if she narrated the incident to her parents.

In another case, a 17-year-old girl, a resident of Ahirwada locality in Old Faridabad town, alleged that Rahul Yadav, a resident of the same locality, sexually exploited and also thrashed her while she was taking a stroll in a nearby park.

She told the police that Rahul along with his two friends — Jhoni and Kishan — physically assaulted her and also threatened to kill her if she narrated the incident of sexual assault to anyone.

The police have registered a case against the accused.

Panipat/Karnal, March 28
Chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today made an emotional appeal to the Karnal residents to vote for him. “Give the Congress another opportunity and I will serve you,” said the CM.

He held a road show in Panipat and Karnal district in support of Congress candidate Arvind Sharma and sought votes for him.

Addressing a gathering at Machrolli village, Hooda accused the BJP of selling tickets and said those who had bought the ticket could bring no welfare to the people.

Taking a dig at the HJC and INLD, Hooda said the HJC was a divided house and the coming elections would be the end of the road for the INLD.

Starting from Mahavati village of Panipat, the convoy of Hooda covered Dehra, Dekadla, Atta, Jorassi, Sharmalpur, Biholi, Machrolli, Karhans, Manna, Shivah, Shyam, Dehr, Noltha, Shahpur, Ahar chowk, Sink, Adiyana and Matloura villages of Panipat district. He also visited Mor Majra, Ballah, Munak, Gagsina, Satundi, Ghogripur, Naru Kehri villages.

In Shivah village, Hooda addressed a gathering from the rooftop of a specially designed vehicle. He reached the venue almost one hour late.

Hooda listed the achievements of his government and said they would secure all 10 Lok Sabha seats.

The traffic on the Delhi-Chandigarh road was disrupted for sometime due to the road show.

Jind, March 28
While Congress leaders strongly believe they need the support of central leaders of their party to rejuvenate the cadre, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda appears to be thinking otherwise.

"Main chhota hoon kya?" (Am I small?); this was the CM's aggressive reply to a question on the absence of central leaders from the elections here today.

Contrary to HPCC president Ashok Tanwar’s statement that senior party leaders will campaign for its candidates, Hooda did not give any clear answer on whether or not he had received any confirmation about the visit of central leaders to the state.

Hooda also denied any rift with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Chaudhary Birender Singh, who did not attend CM’s function in the city today.

On Birender’s statement, claiming late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi wanted to make him the CM of Haryana, Hooda said he did not know about it.

"All allegations of regional discrimination are baseless as we have given equal funds to all areas. In Jind, from where we did not get even a single seat, we have given Rs 6,406 crore in our tenure. while the INLD had given only Rs 955 crore," said Hooda when asked about the allegations of regional discrimination.

He said they would win all MP seats, as there was no anti-incumbency and there was a strong Congress wave in Haryana.

"It is our influence in the state that the BJP has failed to find suitable candidates from its party and it has to select it's candidates from the Congress. The BJP has been selling party tickets and no one will give vote to such a corrupt party," added Hooda.

Sirsa, March 28
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will address a series of meetings in the Sirsa parliamentary segment to seek votes for state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar.

A spokesperson for the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) said Hooda would arrive in Sirsa in the morning and address party workers in the Congress Bhawan.

Later, he will address meetings at Madhosinghana, Ellenabad, Jiwan Nagar, Goriwala, Dabwali, Kalanwali and Rori .

Senior Congress leaders of the district will remain with Hooda during road show.

Haryana Minister Savitri Jindal will address public meetings to seek votes for Ashok Tanwar at Dabwali, Ellenabad, Rania, Sirsa and Fatehabad on March 29.

Meanwhile, addressing a series of meetings during his campaign in Dabwali segment of Sirsa today, Ashok Tanwar alleged that the opposition parties had merely befooled people in the name of development.

Dabwali seat is represented in the state assembly by Ajay Singh Chautala, presently serving sentence in JBT teachers’ recruitment case.

Tanwar said when Chautalas were in power, they laid foundation stone of a railway over bridge at Dabwali knowing well that the work would never be started on it.

Tanwar said during his tenure as MP, not only the railway over bridge was started, but several other projects like “Centre of Excellence for Tropic Fruits” at Mangeana, four-laning of the NH 10 from Dabwali to Hisar via Sirsa and Fatehabad had been approved.

New Delhi, March 28
President Pranab Mukherjee today congratulated Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia for writing “From Margin to Mainstream”, a memoir. Indian Council for Cultural Relations chairperson and MP Karan Singh today released the 229-page book in a function at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Governor presented the first copy of the book to the President.

The book presents a panorama of Pahadia’s life and contemporary politics. It encompasses incidents relating to his early life and struggles till he bids adieu to active politics.

Speaking on the occasion, Mukherjee lauded Pahadia for penning down his wide spectrum of experiences in a book.

Pahadia’s life has been eventful. He has seen independent India unfolding and how democracy took roots in the country, Mukherjee said.

Dr Singh said Pahadia’s life was the “story of democracy”.

Addressing the gathering, Pahadia said, “It is a proud moment for me that the book of an ordinary person like me has been released by Dr Karan Singh.”

Sirsa, March 28
CPM MP Hannan Mollah said today that 10 per cent of the population in the country was becoming richer while the rest 90 per cent was still suffering. He blamed the Cong and BJP for the trend.

Supporters during a rally addressed by CPM leader Hannah Mollah in Fatehabad on Thursday. A Tribune Photograph

Addressing election meetings in favour of CPM candidate from Sirsa Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria, Mollah alleged that even a dog of a rich family was given food costing Rs 200 a day, while an ordinary man was surviving on less than Rs 20 per day.

He said the pathetic situation could be changed only by bringing about a major change in the economic policies, which only the Left parties were striving for.

Mollah alleged that there was no difference between the Congress and the BJP.

He said it was an insult to the democracy that people were being made to watch a stage fight between Modi and Rahul Gandhi instead of explaining what policies the two parties had for the people.

Inderjit Singh, state party secretary, alleged that the BJP in the state had turned the election as an animal fair by selling its tickets to the defectors.

Chandigarh, March 28
With a view to ensure peaceful conduct of General Elections, to be held on April 10 for 10 parliamentary constituencies in the state, the process of depositing licensed arms has been started and 81,907 arms has so far been deposited. Besides, 31,300 bottles of liquor have been seized from different districts of the state.

Chief Electoral Officer Shrikant Walgad said unaccounted money to the tune of Rs 31.40 lakh had been seized from various districts.aHe said the Income Tax Department was also informed in case the amount seized was above Rs 10 lakh. Apart from this, legal action would also be initiated in such cases. Also, 5,394 non-bailable warrants had been executed in different criminal cases.