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Bishen Bedi has Jaitley in a spin
BJP promises help to border farmers
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Sukhbir blames Centre for drug flow into state
CM bats for Vinod Khanna
radical shift
Sathi accuses Moga DEO of helping SAD
from the war room
Not opposed to Ram Temple: Bhattal
AAP’s Bidlan keeps supporters waiting
Rain-hit farmers fight govt apathy
Porters strike work at Attari ICP
In Muktsar, almost all arms deposited with police
Lord Paul unveils daughter’s statue in hometown
Now, amber beacons for new VIP category
Seven suspended for Bathinda coop bank scam
Can’t prove Sehgal is guilty: Forensic lab
Arhtiyas, truck union resolve dispute
Seven persons killed in mishaps
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Bishen Bedi has Jaitley in a spin
Amritsar, April 18 Bedi's aide targeted BJP candidate Arun Jaitley, levelling serious allegations against him dating back to his stint as the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) chief. Addressing a press conference along with Amarinder and his colleagues from New Delhi, Bedi said Amarinder was the “best leader to represent Amritsar”. The former captain of the national cricket team said Jaitley was “no match for Amarinder’s charisma”. “Jaitley has only practised boardroom politics while Amarinder has extensive experience lasting five decades. I remember him being the Punjab Chief Minister for five years, which were the best years for the state,” he said. Bedi said Amritsar’s development had come to a halt whereas the youth were in the grip of drug addiction. He exhorted the youth to support Amarinder. Though Bedi did not utter a single word against Jaitley, his associate Ashok Arora (the duo have formed an NGO) alleged that Jaitley’s record was not at all clean. He alleged that Jaitley had “messed up the affairs of the DDCA whose working was being investigated by the Serious Fraud Investigation Cell”. “A man who could not efficiently manage a small cricketing club has no right to represent the people of a holy and historic city like Amritsar,” he remarked. He alleged that for a long time, Jaitley had established monopoly over the DDCA and was winning the election by managing proxy votes. He said when the tide started turning against him, he opted out and got one of his close associates elected. He claimed that the Supreme Court had passed serious strictures against the DDCA functioning under Jaitley and also questioned the rationale of non-cricketing people controlling the body. Arora asked Jaitely as to why he chose not to contest from Delhi. Referring to Jaitley’s claims of being a Punjabi, he wondered, “West Delhi too is Punjabi-dominated, why didn’t he opt for that constituency?” It was simply because he did not have the moral courage to face the people of Delhi as they knew him very well and would have exposed him there, he alleged. Amarinder supplemented Arora’s charges, asking Jaitley to explain the exponential multiplication of his wealth between 2006 and 2012 from Rs 26 crore to Rs 158 crore. He pointed out that “Jaitley had himself admitted that he had already stopped practising law in 2009 and his only source of income afterwards was his salary as the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha”. SAD-BJP bringing criminals to Amritsar: Cong to EC
Amarinder raises ASI’s killing issue While targeting the SAD-BJP government over its alleged misrule, Amarinder referred to the broad daylight killing of an ASI who was shot dead by an Akali leader when he tried to resist harassment to his daughter. He alleged that there was resentment against Cabinet Minister Bikram Majithia not just in Amritsar but in his home constituency Majitha too. He acknowledged the presence of people in Congress rallies despite the “arm-twisting” and “intimidating” tactics of the Akalis.
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BJP promises help to border farmers
Amritsar, April 18 Interacting with farmers in Dhariwal-Udder village, he promised them adequate compensation if the NDA was voted to power. He praised the farmers’ spirit to sacrifice their produce and earnings for the cause of the nation. Addressing rallies in Bachiwind and Chogawan villages, Jaitley hit out at the UPA government for allegedly discontinuing a compensation scheme started by the NDA government for farmers having their land along the border. Jaitley asked Amarinder to explain to the farmers as to why the scheme was stopped. He alleged the move showed the “anti-farmer” approach of the UPA government. He claimed it was the incumbent SAD-BJP government in Punjab that resumed the disbursal of relief to the border farmers. In his 'Campaign Diary', Jaitley has stressed the need to cut the supply line to check the drug menace. “Drugs are not grown in Punjab. Narcotics are smuggled from across the border. Some indigenous drugs, cultivated in Rajasthan, are also available here. There is no solution to this problem except strictest of enforcement. All drug availability must be cut out at its very source. Narco-terrorism is the new form of insurgency. The borders have to be sealed completely to check the menace completely," he stated. Modi visit put off by a day Bathinda: The BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, will address four rallies in Punjab on April 25. He was earlier scheduled to address a rally on April 24. He will seek votes not only for Harsimrat Badal, but also the SAD-BJP candidates from Faridkot, Sangrur and Ferozepur candidates. Kamal Sharma, state BJP chief, said Modi would on April 25 morning address a rally in Bathinda. His daylong visit would conclude with a rally in Amritsar. He would also visit Pathankot and
Hoshiarpur.
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Sukhbir blames Centre for drug flow into state
Rajpura, April 18 Calling Capt Amarinder Singh a “part-time politician,” Sukhbir blamed the Government of India for ‘failure’ to check the flow of drugs into the state owing to porous borders. He held Amarinder responsible for Operation Bluestar and the drug trade in the state. He addressed three rallies in support of SAD-BJP candidate Deepinder Dhillon in Patiala, Sanaur and Rajpura. Claiming that the BJP manifesto, which promises interlinking of rivers, would not harm Punjab’s interests, Sukhbir said his party would sort out the matter with its ally (BJP). He claimed that both Arun Jaitley and Dhillon would win their seats. “It was the Congress government at the Centre that planned Operation Bluestar in 1984. And now, under the Congress rule, central forces protecting the borders have failed to check drug smuggling,” he claimed. He said Congress candidate from Patiala Preneet Kaur had failed to solve the Ghaggar problem, despite holding the rank of Minister of State in the Union Government. If voted to power, the NDA would solve the problem within six months of taking charge, Sukhbir told the voters.
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CM bats for Vinod Khanna
Mirthal (Patahnkot), April 18 His meetings at Mirthal (Pathankot), Pangoli Chowk (Sujanpur) and Taragarh (Bhoa) assume significance as they form the home turf of PPCC chief and sitting Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa. Political observers say that BJP leadership’s objective of asking the Chief Minister to campaign in the three Assembly segments is that these seats hold a massive chunk of the Rajput votebank. The community has nearly 2 lakh votes in these segments. Sujanpur MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu, who is also the Deputy Speaker in the Vidhan Sabha, is the most prominent Rajput face of the BJP in the area. Observers, however, claim that despite Badal addressing rallies in the Rajput strongholds, it would not not be easy for the saffron party to garner community’s votes as Bajwa had asked his confidant Capt Kunwar Vikram Singh, a prominent Rajput leader, to camp in the constituency till the elections are over. “Capt Kunwar Vikram has the ability to sway the Rajput votes in Bajwa’s favour . He owns one of the India’s largest security agencies and is known to have recruited hundreds of unemployed Rajput youths in his firm, a development which augurs well for the PPCC chief,” said an MLA.
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radical shift
Patiala, April 18 Having filed her nomination papers as an Independent, she hopes to get sympathy votes. Her primary aim is to secure her brother’s release from jail. “I know my task is tough as I am competing with Preneet Kaur and Deepinder Dhillon who are backed by strong political outfits. But I am sure, the people will not forget my brother’s sacrifice,” she claims. She moves lane to lane, urging the people to vote against the Congress and SAD-BJP candidates. “I am also focusing on lack of development and facilities in villages,” she says, raising slogans in support of Rajoana. Kamaldeep may pocket enough votes to spoil the applecart of either of the two main candidates. “At every village that I visit, I tell the people that my brother respects all religions. Hindus living in several villages have assured me that they will vote for me,” she says. Hailing from Rajoana village in Ludhiana, Kamaldeep has assets worth Rs 79.67 lakh. Her movable income is Rs 34.49 lakh. Monitoring her poll expenditure is her husband Daljeet Singh, an accountant. “My husband is my main support,” says Kamaldeep who has covered 1,000 villages in the nine assembly segments of the Patiala constituency. “I am aware that I am under surveillance. But this does not bother me. My sole aim is the defeat of the corrupt Akalis and the Congress”, she adds.
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Sathi accuses Moga DEO of helping SAD
Moga, April 18 Seeking his transfer, Sathi urged the Election Commission to check Thind’s phone call details (both landline and mobile). He claimed Thind also held secret meetings with the local Akali leaders, including a couple of MLAs, at odd hours in the past few days. “It is an open secret in Moga that Thind is openly helping the Akali candidate in the elections,” he said. Sathi alleged that Thind had prepared a list of government employees by unofficially summoning records from all district heads of the departments and “undue pressure” was allegedly being exerted on the government employees to cast their votes in favour of Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, sitting Akali MP from Faridkot. He alleged the election duties of hundreds of influential government employees in various departments had been cancelled so that they could influence the voters in favour of the Akali candidate. “There are only a handful 30 genuine cases of pregnant women employees who should have been granted exemption from poll duty but Thind has granted exemption to more than 650 government employees in Moga district, which raises doubts over his credibility”, he said. Sathi alleged most of these employees who were campaigning for the ruling party in their respective circles. Thind, however, denied the allegations and claimed the exemptions had been granted as per Election Commission guidelines. “I have conducted five elections in my career and there has not been a single complaint against me,” he said.
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from the war room Abohar, April 18 Jakhar’s nephew Ajay Vir Jakhar is the overall in charge. He is campaigning in the Malout, Balluana and Muktsar Assembly segments. Jakhar’s younger nephew Sandeep Jakhar is camping in the Ferozepur Assembly segment, 110 km from here. Behind the glass doors of this air-conditioned office, Jakhar’s aides Sanjeev Chahar, Ajit Saharan, Jaspal and Sukhdev meet party workers and after a feedback, finalise his campaign strategy. In a cabin on the ground floor, supporters of the Jakhar family have installed a dummy electronic voting machine (EVM). They educate voters on how to use the machine. Ajay Vir sits on the first floor. “Leaders, relatives and close friends have been given charge of each assembly segment. “We finalise the tour programme here,” says Ajay Vir. “Time is running out and we want Sunil ji to spend at least two days in each assembly segment. We remain connected with one another on the phone,” he explains. Ajay Vir says they are not operating a social media account on his uncle’s name. The eldest son of former Governor Balram Jakhar, Sajjan Kumar, has been given the task of a trouble-shooter, meeting estranged colleagues, friends and relatives. An army of Jakhar’s relatives has arrived here from Rajasthan to lend him a hand. Balram Jakhar, whom the locals address as “Bade Chaudhary Sahib”, is not canvassing owing to poor health. The Jakhar women are not campaigning this time too.
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Not opposed to Ram Temple: Bhattal
Jalandhar, April 18 She, however, condemned the BJP for “politicising” the issue during every election. Bhattal, who was in Jalandhar for a roadshow in favour of party nominee Chaudhary Santokh Singh, said: “Ram Temple is a matter of faith for the people and we respect that. But it is unfortunate that the BJP has again made an attempt to draw political mileage from the issue by mentioning it in its election manifesto.” The former Punjab CM asked why Ram Temple was not built when the BJP was in power at the Centre for six years. She demanded that SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal should clarify his party’s stand on the abrogation of Article 370. “By including the issue in its manifesto, does the BJP want to divide the nation and destroy the country,” she asked, alleging that BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was pursuing the RSS agenda. Terming the SAD-BJP alliance “unholy ”, Bhattal said both the parties were “communal” and “opportunist”. There were several issues on which the two disagreed, but had forged an alliance only to grab power, she added.
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AAP’s Bidlan keeps supporters waiting
Patiala, April 18 Bidlan failed to arrive for party candidate Dr Dharamvir Gandhi’s roadshow at the scheduled time (3.30 pm) at Baran village. After waiting for almost an hour at the village, Dr Gandhi and party workers decided to go ahead with the scheduled programme since party workers and residents had gathered in different parts of the city to join the roadshow. The cavalcade led by Dr Gandhi went to the Tripuri area and halted at Shankar Kariana Store where Shankar Lal, former BJP municipal councillor, joined the party along with other supporters. The slogan “Na bete ka na baap ka, Punjab hoga AAP ka (AAP will wrest control of Punjab)” resonated in the streets of Patiala. “Bhrashtachar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal,Kejriwal (Kejriwal is the only solution to corruption)” was another slogan which echoed through the markets. Dr Gandhi addressed a huge gathering at Rattan Nagar and talked about the party’s future plans related to Patiala and works he would carry out if he was elected MP.
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Rain-hit farmers fight govt apathy
Baghria Mandi (Patiala), April 18 The farmers while away the time in a grain market here, waiting for government officials to procure their produce. “We are waiting for the past five days. An official comes and tells us that ‘baardana’ (sacks) have not arrived. Another one comes and says that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will not procure wheat and only Markfed will,” Bhupinder Singh, a farmer from Amargarh village, said. The situation is no different in other grain markets. “Not just in Baghria Mandi, farmers in the neighbouring grain markets of Chanasal and Moolapur are facing the same problem,” Prem Singh, a local farmer, said. He points to the road lined up with hundreds of policemen for Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal’s four functions in the district. “None of the officers and ministers accompanying Sukhbir will travel our way,” Prem said. Markfed Managing Director Karamjit Sra told The Tribune: “Farmers are facing the problem because the FCI backed off from procurement, citing high moisture content as the reason. As a routine, the central agency is rigid in conforming to the standard moisture content of 11 per cent.” He further said Markfed, which was supposed to procure 20 per cent of the market share, usually lifted more than the prescribed limit to help farmers. “The other state agencies, including Punsup, Punjab Agro and Punjab Warehousing, made concessions in comparison to the FCI standards to accommodate farmers.” Sra said Markfed had to maintain certain standards of moisture content while procuring. “The norms cannot be flouted,” he added. But Bharpur Singh, a farmer, has one question: “It has been raining for the past few days. So will the entire produce go waste?” Sangrur: Irked over the tardy procurement of wheat by state agencies for the past four to six days, farmers blocked the main road here for about six hours, first near the grain market and later at the Railway
Chowk.
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Porters strike work at Attari ICP
Amritsar, April 18 Leading exporter Rajdeep Uppal said the import of items such as gypsum continued, while the ones in which manual labour was involved had stopped. The CWC manager at the ICP, Rameshwar, said no major issue was involved and the strike was due to the change in the service provider. The porters are yet to understand the tariff mode under the new agreement and the efforts are on to persuade them to return to work, he said, hoping normal work will resume tomorrow. — TNS
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In Muktsar, almost all arms deposited with police
Muktsar, April 18 In nearly 200 villages of the district, 100 per cent of the weapons have been deposited either with the police or private gun dealers. Many bigwigs, including Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Avtar Singh Vanwala, Tejinder Singh Middukhera, Gurcharan Singh, Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy’ Dhillon, Raghbir Singh Pardhan, Nathu Ram, Basant Singh Kang, Bhai Harnirpal Singh Kuku, Ajaypal Singh Marar, Jagmohan Fattanwala have deposited their weapons. Though Muktsar was initially lagging behind other districts when it came to people depositing their weapons, the special drive launched by the police has brought the desired results within a short period. Surjit Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Muktsar, said the Station House Officers (SHOs) were directed to procure all the weapons at the earliest. He said several police teams went to the houses of the weapon holders in this regard. “There are 18,546 licensed weapons in the district and 18,116 of these have so far been deposited. As many as 324 weapon holders have changed their address or died and 106 weapons are with the security guards, and these can’t be deposited,” he said. The SSP further said only 40 weapons hadn’t been deposited as of now. The Election Commission has instructed that arms be deposited before election to ensure a free and fair poll. Since several VIPs stay in this district, it is rare that so many arms are deposited before the elections.
Campaign pays off
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Lord Paul unveils daughter’s statue in hometown
Kapurthala, April 18 To observe the 46th death anniversary of Ambika Paul which fell today, Lord Paul had come here along with his youngest son Angad Paul, who is the CEO of the Caparo group; daughter-in-law Michelle Paul, a Briton and media lawyer, daughter Anjli Paul, an art connoisseur; granddaughter Shaila Paul, an interior artist; and grandchildren Emalya and Archie. His wife Lady Aruna Paul stayed back in Delhi owing to bad health. The family had come here for the first time with 82-year-old Lord Paul, who this time walked with a stick but seemed vibrant as always. “I have come here to show my grandchildren the house on the Tanda road in Jalandhar where I was born, my primary school, high school and college and to explain to them what makes me feel proud of India,” he said. Lord Paul, flanked by his son and grandchildren, participated in an interactive session with PTU students.
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Now, amber beacons for new VIP category
Chandigarh, April 18 The State Transport Department had issued a notification in this regard on April 17 after obtaining the Chief Minister’s approval, said official sources. The Supreme Court had in December last year ordered that those on constitutional posts alone be allowed to use the red beacon on their vehicles, leaving out IAS and IPS officers, MPs, MLAs and other high-ranked officials. The state government has now allowed amber beacons to a select group of officers and politicians such as the Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, District and Sessions Judge and police officers in the rank of DGP, Additional DGP, Zonal IGs, Range DIGs, Police Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police. The state government has, in fact, created three new categories of VIPs. The Transport Department notification dated February 28 says that only the Governor, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, former Governors, former Chief Ministers, Chief Justice and Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and State Planning Board Vice-Chairman have been allowed the use of the red beacon with a blinker. Those alowed a red light but without a blinker are the State Election Commissioner, Accountant Generals, Deputy Speaker, state ministers, Deputy Ministers, Advocate-Generals, the Chief Secretary, the DGP and heads of the Punjab Minority Commission, Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission and the Punjab Public Service Commission.
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Seven suspended for Bathinda coop bank scam
Bathinda, April 18 The scam was unearthed after the district manager formed a six-member committee under senior manager Gurdeep Singh and checked the record of accounts opened over the past two years (from 2011 to February 28, 2014). Those suspended include bank manager Darshan Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Harmail Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Iqbal Singh, Gurpreet Singh Dhaliwal (data entry operator) and sewadar Ranjit Singh. The bank’s inquiry team has informed the police. Gurdayal Singh, SHO, said he had received a complaint and had brought matter to the notice of the SSP. Gurmail Singh of Phulo Mitthi village and 14 other farmers had paid back the credit, but the bank employees continued to show money in thir accounts and withdrew the money themselves, sources alleged. Central Cooperative Bank manager Geetika Mani said the employees had embezzled
Rs 2 crore. Looking back
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Can’t prove Sehgal is guilty: Forensic lab
Faridkot, April 18 In the FIR lodged against Sehgal on October 14, 2013, the police had accused him of abetment to suicide. The police based its theory on a suicide note allegedly written by the victim. But the state forensic laboratory, SAS Nagar, in its report submitted to the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Faridkot stated it was not clear on who had written the suicide note. So it could not be proved that the note was written by the victim. Earlier in a complaint to the police, Mangal Singh, the father of the deceased, alleged that his son was badly beaten up by Sehgal in public. “Not tolerating the insult, my son ended his life,” alleged Mangal Singh. Naresh Sehgal, lodged in Faridkot Central Jail for the last over six months, alleged he had been framed by the police. Seghal in a complaint to the High Court said, “Since I am the main complainant in the FIR registered against Sukhbir Badal, the police booked me in the false case to force me to withdraw the case against Sukhbir.” On the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Kotkapura police had registered an attempt to murder case against Sukhbir Badal and a few others after Sehgal and his father had approached the HC. Sehgal had accused Sukhbir of assaulting him during the parliamentary election in 1999 in
Faridkot. Looking back
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Arhtiyas, truck union resolve dispute
Sangrur, April 18 Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gurpreet Singh Dhindsa said the two sides settled the dispute amicably. Dhindsa said the truck union had assured the SDIC members of not stopping them from using their own vehicles to transport wheat from the market.
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Seven persons killed in mishaps
Abohar, April 18 The body of Sultan Khan (50) was found hanging from a girder inside his house in Loonkaransar in Rajasthan. His siblings said he had a heated argument with his wife. Lilu Nayak (45) of Nehrana village reportedly hanged himself since his daughter-in-law died a few weeks ago. Surinder Kumar (27) was killed when his van collided with a truck on the Hanumangarh highway. Rohtas Bawri (30) died, when his motorcycle was hit by an Army truck.
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Rajpura, April 18
Baghria Mandi (Patiala), April 18
Kapurthala, April 18
