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HSGPC ROW
SGPC warns actor over Gurbani tattoo
Clear dues to get birth, death certificates, Batala residents told
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Diphtheria alert in two villages
Schoolboy ‘beaten up’ by teacher, in hospital
Villagers lock school gate
Tattered infrastructure cripples rural healthcare
Unscheduled cuts back as power demand peaks
No train for Fazilka, NGOs on indefinite fast from today
Bhawan to be named after Bhai Mani Singh
Yannick case: Convicts’ passports impounded
Activists come together to save nine-year-old boy’s life
Reformed addict lends helping hand to disabled tailor
Militant appears in Khanna court
Police bust casino, seize
Rs 4.86 lakh
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HSGPC ROW
Chandigarh, July 10 The Punjab Government has dubbed the move as illegal; and Haryana Advocate-General Hawa Singh Hooda says he has so far not been consulted on it. As both the states slug it out on political grounds, The Tribune looks at the legal aspects of the move. The background The SGPC’s history is almost a century old. Often dubbed as the “mini-parliament of the Sikhs”, it was created under the Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925 for the upkeep of gurdwaras and Sikh places of worship. In terms of Section 42 of the Gurdwara Act, it is a “body corporate”, having perpetual succession and a common seal. The Board can be sued in its name and can even sue others. This is not all. Punjab Advocate-General Ashok Aggarwal says the SGPC is an “inter-state body”, as defined in Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966, indicating that its jurisdiction extends beyond the State of Punjab; and its members are also elected from places beyond the state’s boundaries. The controversy A section of legal eagles insist the move to set up a separate Board is in contravention with the provisions of the Reorganisation Act, as it affects the SGPC’s “inter-state” status. If all states covered under the Reorganisation Act were to come out with their own boards, the SGPC would no longer remain an inter-state body, they argue. Aggarwal also believes the Haryana Government’s move lacks legal sanctity as the state does not have the “legislative competence” to move a bill in the Assembly for the creation of separate SGPC. Referring to the Reorganisation Act, Aggarwal says the state governments cannot unilaterally meddle with it as it is a central Act. He says the law makes it clear that a state can pass legislation on subjects contained in the state list. The state can even pass legislation on matters in the concurrent list, but subject to the condition that no central law already occupies the ground. Before such a bill becomes an Act, it has to go to the state Governor and then to the President, who will look into its constitutional validity. Haryana’s stand Haryana Government, it seems, made the announcement without seeking its Advocate-General’s opinion in the matter. Refusing to comment on the issue, Hawa Singh Hooda says he is yet to go through the file. Hooda says so far he has not been consulted on the issue, and he would furnish his opinion to the state government once he is asked to do so. Legal issues Both Punjab and Haryana Governments, it seems, are interpreting Section 72 of the Reorganisation Act on “general provisions as to statutory corporations” in their own way in an apparent attempt to substantiate their stands. The Section, among other things, says, “where any body corporate constituted under a Central Act, State Act or Provincial Act for the existing State of Punjab or any part thereof serves the needs of the successor States or has… become an inter-state body corporate, then, the body corporate shall, on and from the appointed day, continue to function and operate in those areas in respect of which it was functioning and operating immediately before that day, subject to such directions as may from time to time be issued by the Central Government, until other provisions are made by law in respect of the said body corporate”. The Act goes on to say the provisions of this Section would apply to Panjab University, Punjab Agricultural University Act, and the “Board constituted under the provisions of Part III of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925”. It adds the successor states shall “make such grants as the Central Government may, from time to time, by order, determine”, so far as the Section relates to Panjab University and Punjab Agricultural University. The views Former Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Kuldip Singh, says Haryana is legally competent to come out with its own SGPC. Whether the move is in interest of the Sikh community is another issue. Justice Kuldip Singh says Section 72 talks of institutions and organisations operating in whole of the area under the Reorganisation Act; and describes SGPC as an inter-state corporation. Justice Kuldip Singh says the position is to continue, and the Central Government can issue directions from time to time, until other provisions are made by law in “respect of the said body corporate”. Punjab’s former Advocate-General Gurdarshan Singh Grewal says sub-Section four on grants makes it clear that a successor state can give grants as determined by the Central Government. But the Section talks of the two universities. “The SGPC is not covered in it,” he adds. “And the issue here is not of giving grants. Apparently, Haryana is reading in the Act, something which does not exist”. But that does not indicate Haryana cannot come out with an Act on the issue. If the state wants to enact a law, it can, provided there is no contradiction with the existing law and the President’s consent is in place. Expressing similar views, former Additional Solicitor-General of India-cum-Haryana’s ex-Advocate-General Mohan Jain says if the state wants to make law, it has to ensure that the statute is not in contravention with the Central Reorganisation Act; and the law has the President’s approval after it has been framed. The consent, he adds, will come only if there are no contradictions.
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SGPC warns actor over Gurbani tattoo
Amritsar, July 10 He said Sippi's move had hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs. He cautioned him to get
the tattoo removed and apologise to the Sikh community. In another instance, Akal Takht has warned an England-based gurdwara against going ahead with a programme scheduled from July 24 to August 1, contending that only programmes related to Gurbani could be organised inside a gurdwara premises. The Akal Takht Jathedar has directed the gurdwara committee chief to cancel the
programme.
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Clear dues to get birth, death certificates, Batala residents told
Batala, July 10 Deputy Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha claimed that he had not heard of any such order. He said he would order an inquiry into the matter. “If such an order exists, it violates the fundamental rights of citizens. A citizen has the right to get birth and death certificates and nobody can stop him or her from procuring such a document,” he said. Batala Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Lovejit Kalsi, who is also the administrator of the council, refused to comment on the matter. The issue is snowballing into a major controversy with the MC authorities refusing to divulge the details of the order. However, advocate Kanwaljit Singh procured it through an RTI application. The order was issued on April 25 last year, but council officials claim it was a continuation of an order issued on three earlier occasions. “We know the order violates the norms, but we had to take this step to mop up revenue for the fund-starved municipal council,” said a senior official on the condition of anonymity. Sources said only the state government had the powers to issue such a notification and the Batala Municipal Council had no powers to ask the residents to apply for a No-Dues Certificate, which pertains to their sewerage, house tax and water supply dues. Sources said the employees working in the birth and death section of the municipal council are under the jurisdiction of the Health Department and are not bound to take orders from the municipal council. “However, senior council officers have asked the two employees dealing with these documents not to issue these certificates till residents either pay their pending bills or show them a No-Dues Certificate,” said Harinder Singh, a former councillor from Ward number 18. An official said if a resident had not paid his dues, the council should proceed against these ‘erring’ residents legally. “They have no right to stop issuing birth and death certificates to residents,” he said. The municipal council is flooded with requests to issue these documents as schools have now made it mandatory to attach these during admissions. Even the Regional Passport Officer has asked applicants to attach birth certificates with their forms. “My land cannot be transferred to me despite the fact that I am the legal heir to my father’s property. The revenue officials are demanding a death certificate, but the municipal council is asking me to first clear my dues,” said Rajinder Singh. Batala halqa in charge LS Lodhinangal said he would soon take up the issue with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal
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Punjabi woman to contest Oz Assembly poll
Chandigarh, July 10 Amita Gill had resided in Chandigarh before migrating to Australia in 2005. She is now based in Melbourne. Her husband hails from Rania village in Moga district. Her late father was a Brigadier in the Indian Army and was the first recipient of the sword of honour from the batch that passed out from the IMA immediately after Independence. Amita worked in the education sector in Australia and was running a private organisation, the Victorian Institute of Culinary Arts and Technology with mainly overseas students. She was a member of the Liberal Party and a host of multi-cultural organisations in Melbourne. She has been actively participating in party debates on various issues. The Bundoora constituency in Victoria is situated on the northern side of Melbourne. It has a multicultural character as its population comes from diverse ethnic backgrounds and a large number of Punjabis are settled in this constituency which is now represented by the main opposition, the Labour Party.
Chandigarh link * Was based in Chandigarh before moving to Melbourne *
Has been nominated by the Liberal Party of Australia (Victoria Division) to represent the Bundoora seat *
Her husband belongs to Rania village in Moga district
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Diphtheria alert in two villages
Chandigarh, July 10 Health officials of Bathinda district have already vaccinated 1,200 children in Jai Singh Wala village where a case of diphtheria was detected recently. A senior health official said: "Such a case has been detected after several years in the state. The girl was admitted to the PGI. After it was confirmed that the girl was suffering from diphtheria, the Bathinda district authorities were told to start the process of vaccination in the village having a population of 5,500." Bathinda Deputy Commissioner said all children of Jai Singh Wala had been vaccinated. The Ferozepur district health authorities had also been told to take preventive measures after a girl with similar symptoms fell sick at Mudhki village. He said specimen of secretion of some children had also been collected for laboratory examination. Punjab has been almost free from this disease for the past several decades. At the time of birth, all infants are compulsorily given a DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) vaccine dose. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, used to be a common among infants.
About the disease
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Schoolboy ‘beaten up’ by teacher, in hospital
Sangrur, July 10 Emergency Medical Officer Dr Gaurav Mittal said Manpreet had an abrasion on his finger. He said there was no external injury. "Since Manpreet has been complaining of pain in various parts of his body, we have recommended that x-ray be performed," he said. Manpreet’s mother Mohinder Kaur said the teacher had “beaten up” her son mercilessly as he had not done his homework. "The teacher threatened Manpreet not to tell anybody about the incident. So he did not tell us anything till Wednesday night when he complained of pain," she said. She said that accompanied by other village residents, she met headmaster Budh Ram, but did not get a satisfactory response. When contacted, Kamlesh Kumari's son said his mother was unwell and was "resting". The headmaster said Kamlesh Kumari had denied that she had thrashed Manpreet. He said he had asked her to give a clarification in writing. He had also asked Manpreet’s parents to submit a complaint.
Villagers lock school gate
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 10 The villagers alleged that the Education Department had not initiated any action against Gurmail Kaur, the schoolteacher in charge of the mid-day meal, for embezzlement and for "misbehaving" with the school head. They alleged that they had brought the matter to the notice of the school head and the District Education Officer, but to no avail. Parveen Kumar, District Education Officer (Secondary), said Gurmail Kaur had been transferred twice before. He said he had submitted a report to higher officials in this regard. Arun Sekhri, Deputy Commissioner, said a delegation of villagers had met him and he had recommended action against the schoolteacher and the school head. "It is up to the Education Department to take action," he added. — OC
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Tattered infrastructure cripples rural healthcare
Jalandhar, July 10 A majority of such dispensaries in Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar are being run from dilapidated buildings which pose a threat to the life of doctors and patients. Besides poor infrastructure, the dispensaries are facing acute shortage of medical equipment and medicines. There are 1,186 rural dispensaries in the state. Earlier, these used to function under the Department of Health and Family Welfare. In 2006, the rural dispensaries were brought under the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats. Since then these are being run by the zila parishads concerned. Each dispensary caters to seven to eight villages with a combined population of 10,000 to 15,000. Rural Medical Officers (RMOs) state that the dispensaries are in utter neglect but the department is least bothered its tattered infrastructure and maintenance. A dispensary at Budhi Pind village in Hoshiarpur is functioning from a building which is crumbling. There are cracks in its walls and the roof. The staff say the building is unsafe and it seems that the authorities are waiting for a disaster to take place before initiating any action. The condition of dispensaries of Khanpur and Langeri villages in Hoshiarpur and in different parts of Jalandhar is no different. The buildings of the rural dispensaries of village Kotli Jamit Singh, Bhoor Mandi and Dhaliwal in Jalandhar are in deplorable state. In the name of furniture, there are only broken chairs and tables. In many dispensaries, RMOs have bought chairs on their own. In Harkowal village in Hoshiarpur, even a short spell of rain inundates the dispensary premises, which leads to unhygienic conditions. Instead of providing healthcare, the place becomes a health hazard. A majority of the RMOs and pharmacists say their medical equipment is outdated. The blood pressure apparatus, stitching material and other such equipment required for routine medical examination have worn out, but the department is least bothered to replace the same, the RMOs maintain. They say for the past two years, the government has not even supplied medicines to the rural dispensaries. Medicines required for patients suffering from asthma, hypertension, diabetes, allergy, cardiac problems and antibiotics are out of stock. Dr Aslam Parvez, president, Rural Medical Service Association has sought the immediate intervention of CM Parkash Singh Badal. "To review the problems being faced by RMOs, the association will convene its general body meeting in Ludhiana next week. We will chalk out our future course of action. We will launch an agitation in case the government fails to do the needful,” he said.
Dismal scenario *
A majority of such dispensaries in Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar are being run from dilapidated buildings *
There is acute shortage of medicines and medical equipment * In the name of furniture, there are only broken chairs and tables *
Rural medical officers say medical equipment is outdated and even medicines are in short supply
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Unscheduled cuts back as power demand peaks
With thermal plants in the state short of coal and not running full to their capacity, the state is likely to face tough days ahead. Senior officials of the PSPCL said since the unrestricted power demand had touched 9,350 MW, they were in a helpless situation on account of state’s limited power transfer capacity from the Northern Grid. The availability of power in the state was 2,000 lakh units (LUs) today as against the demand of around 2,400 LUs. Low generation at the private thermal plants and fault-ridden state plants have further led to the shortage of power. The officials said while the Rajpura thermal plant was running below its capacity providing only 500 MW, a 210 MW unit at the Lehra Mohabbat plant had been shut for repairs since July 6. It would take 15 to 20 more days for it to function, they said. “There is only five days of coal stock left at Lehra. The Talwandi Sabo plant is not functional due to coal shortage leading to a shortfall of another 600 MW,” claimed a senior officer. Meanwhile, all districts in the state today faced power cuts ranging from four to seven hours following a fault in the units at Ranjit Sagar Dam. “The fault took a little over a couple of hours to be rectified. The state had to impose cuts to meet the shortfall,” an official said. KD Chaudhri, CMD, PSPCL, said a sudden increase in demand for power due to rising temperatures and poor monsoon had forced the PSPCL to go for load shedding. Besides, there was less availability of power from new private thermal plants and hydel generation, he said. This had reduced the availability of 1,560 MW of power from independent power producers, forcing the PSPCL to impose temporary regulatory measures on all categories of consumers. The CMD said the situation was likely to improve in a few days when coal supplies would start reaching independent power plants. “I appeal to people to cooperate with the temporary regulatory measures,” he said.
Shock treatment * With thermal power plants short of coal and not running up to their capacity, PSPCL has imposed regulatory measures *
The availability of power was 2,000 lakh units on Thursday as against the demand of around 2,400 lakh units *
Low generation at private thermal plants and fault-hit state plants have further led to the shortage of power PSPCL Blames it on poor monsoon
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No train for Fazilka, NGOs on indefinite fast from today
Fazilka, July 10 The representatives of different NGOs held a meeting here today under the banner of Northern Railway Passengers Samiti. They constituted a “Sanjha Morcha” to run the agitation. Dr Amar Lal Baghla has been appointed its convener. The morcha had earlier led an agitation against non-completion of the railway track between Abohar and Fazilka two years ago. The department had succumbed to pressure from the protesters and completed the project. Baghla said the border town had no direct rail link with the state and the national capital. He said both Fazilka and Muktsar districts had not been allotted any train. The residents and the traders have to go to nearby Abohar and Ferozepur towns to catch trains for distant areas, he said. He said a list of about 50 organisations that wanted to join the fast had been prepared. Baghla said the samiti even presented a demand charter to the Union Railway Minister before the budget, but none of their demands were accepted. They had demanded setting up of a washing line at Fazilka. In the absence of a washing line and maintenance facility, the Railways could not allow any train to start from Fazilka. The morcha members said the railway department had spent over Rs 250 crore for setting up the track between Fazilka and Abohar, but only two trains were running on the link. “The department has failed to utilise the track to its optimum capacity. Hence, there is need to introduce more trains,” said Fazilka Beopar Mandal president Ashok Gulbadhar. The samiti members have sought two more trains from Abohar to Ferozepur and Abohar to Kotkapura through Fazilka. They have demanded that the newly announced Ferozepur-Chandigarh express train should commence from Fazilka for the convenience of the commuters who had to visit the state capital frequently.
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Chandigarh, July 10 Sukhbir emphasised the need to revive the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering College, Patiala. He said the Centre must review the policy to give further approval to the institute. He said the college had produced talented aircraft engineers. Sukhbir also stressed on resuming flights from Pathankot and Sahnewal. — TNS
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Bhawan to be named after Bhai Mani Singh
Chandigarh, July 10 The Chief Minister met a delegation of the Punjab Baazigar Front in his office. It was led by Jathedar Labh Singh Devinagar. The Chief Minister directed the Secretary, Social Welfare Department, to co-ordinate with the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) for selecting a suitable site to construct the bhawan. He asked the officer to complete the formalities in this regard so that work on the project could begin soon. On the demand by the communities that they be regarded as Scheduled Tribes, the Chief Minister said the state government had already sent a proposal in this regard to the Union Government. Among those at the meeting were Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, Secretary, Social Welfare, Seema Jain, Special Principal Secretaries to Chief Minister, KJS Cheema and Ajoy Kumar Sharma, and the Director, Social Welfare, Paramjeet Singh.
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Yannick case: Convicts’ passports impounded
Jalandhar, July 10 The guilty were sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment on October 23 last year. Sources said the passports of two convicts, namely Sumant Rahlan and Sahildeep, had been impounded. Sumant was on bail while Sahildeep was on parole for 28 days. The police have contacted the families of the other convicts too. Sahildeep was reportedly issued a passport on April 9, 2012, just twelve days ahead of the attack on Yannick. Sumant had got his passport issued in December 2007. A senior officer said it was sheer negligence on the part of police officials who ought to have impounded the passports of the convicts.
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Activists come together to save nine-year-old boy’s life
Abohar, July 10 Prof Suman Chawla, one of the activists, said immune disorders were often categorised as either congenital or acquired. “When you’re born with a disorder, it is called a primary disorder, while acquired disorders are called secondary disorders. Secondary disorders are more common than primary disorders,” she said. Social activist Raju Ramgarhia said Aman’s father had abandoned Aman and his mother long time ago. So his mother Indira Devi had to sell their ancestral land to bear the heavy cost of his treatment. Raju said Indira also looked after Aman’s 14-year-old sister. Aman has been on oxygen support 24x7 and receives an injection every month that costs Rs 25,000. She was now finding it difficult to feed the family. On the recommendation of District Medical Officer Preetmohinder Singh, District Collector Puran Chand Kishan has submitted Aman’s file to Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje’s office, seeking financial assistance for him. Municipal Council administrative chief Sharwan Bishnoi and former sarpanch Liaqat Ali have also come forward to save Aman’s life. In difficult times * Since his birth, Aman has been suffering from immunodeficiency disorders that prevent him from fighting infections *
His father had abandoned Aman and his mother long time ago * His mother Indira Devi had to sell their
ancestral land to bear the heavy cost of his treatment * Aman has been on oxygen support 24x7 and receives an injection every month that costs
Rs 25,000
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Reformed addict lends helping hand to disabled tailor
Malout/Muktsar, July 10 On June 16, he met Tinku Kumar of Guru Nanak Nagar in Malout. Tinku, who is afflicted with polio, was crawling on a road. Tinku worked as a tailor. Mintu spoke to him and went to his house. He found that Tinku was the lone breadwinner of a family of six. He has two younger brothers, a divorcee sister, and his parents. Thereafter, he posted Tinku’s photo on his Facebook account, appealing everyone to contribute money to buy a tricycle for him. “Though Tinku already had a tricycle that was handed over to him by the state government around four years ago, it was in a poor shape. Moreover, it was very difficult for him to run a manual tricycle, as his lower body is paralysed,” said Mintu. “Within no time, I started getting response from friends. Once I received nearly Rs 40,000, I decided to buy a motor-tricycle for Tinku,” he said. He said he bought an old Honda Activa scooter for Rs 32,000 and spent Rs 9,000 to modify it into a tricycle at a local workshop. He then handed the tricycle to Tinku on Tuesday. Mintu said Tinku’s father too worked as a tailor, but stopped working some time ago since he suffered from depression. “Tinku then started working as a tailor to feed his family,” said Mintu. Mintu and his friends are even planning to hand over a modern sewing machine to him as they have collected some extra money.
Touching story * On June 16, he met Tinku Kumar of Guru Nanak Nagar in Malout *
Tinku, who is afflicted with polio, was crawling on a road * Mintu found that Tinku, who worked as a tailor, was the lone breadwinner of a family of six *
He then gathered the funds to buy the tricycle through his Facebook account *
Mintu and his friends are even planning to hand over a modern sewing machine to him
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Militant appears in Khanna court
Khanna, July 10 Lahoria’s counsel Jagmohan Singh said Lahoria’s presence was noted in the court today and the next hearing in the case was fixed for July 22. Singh said the next hearing of Lahoria would be held through video conference. Lahoria had allegedly robbed a branch of Bank of India in Khanna in 1987. Lahoria’s wife Kamaljit Kaur, sister Sukhwant Kaur and other relatives were present in the court. — OC
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Police bust casino, seize
Rs 4.86 lakh
Abohar, July 10 The team seized currency notes totalling Rs 4.86 lakh and arrested Malout residents Raj Kumar Panniwala, Jaskaran Singh, Tarsem Mahajan, Baljinder Singh and Parkash Singh, Kundal village resident Avtar Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Bachan Singh of Pakki village and Ajay Aggarwal of Chak 3E under the Gambling Prevention Act. Yadav had last week busted another casino in Sadulshehar, 30 km from Abohar, and seized Rs 6.5 lakh from 10 persons. Investigations indicate that well-off farmers from Abohar and Malout and neighbouring Haryana areas are frequent visitors to the casinos being run in Sriganganagar district. Yadav told mediapersons that Baljaur Singh of Pakki village was facing 16 criminal cases. He said in a raid on the border town of Srikaranpur, the police had nabbed six persons and two women. One of the women belonged to Khuyiansarwer village in the Abohar subdivision. Further investigations are on.
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Nepalese worker killed in Abohar, 2 held
Abohar, July 10 Sources said after stealing the whisky, Naresh invited Ram Prasad and Dhote for drinks at the farm house on College Road on Tuesday. The three got into a brawl and Ram Prasad and Dhote killed Naresh with a spade. Yesterday, Naresh’s wife Rajbala, who also worked as a domestic help at the farm house, went to the farm house and couldn’t find Naresh. She then informed the city police, who recovered the body of Naresh Kumar. Rajbala accused Ram Prasad and Dhote for the crime. The two have been arrested and a case has been registered.
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Manpreet Singh (13), a Class VII student of Government High School, Benra village near Dhuri, was admitted to the local Civil Hospital today after he complained of chest pain. He was allegedly “beaten up” with a log by his teacher, Kamlesh Kumari, yesterday.
Emergency Medical Officer Dr Gaurav Mittal said Manpreet had an abrasion on his finger. He said there was no external injury. "Since Manpreet has been complaining of pain in various parts of his body, we have recommended that x-ray be performed," he said.
A large number of subsidiary health centres or rural dispensaries are in a state of neglect, which belies the claims of the government of strengthening the healthcare facilities in rural areas.
A majority of such dispensaries in Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar are being run from dilapidated buildings which pose a threat to the life of doctors and patients. Besides poor infrastructure, the dispensaries are facing acute shortage of medical equipment and medicines.
Some social activists in Hanumangarh, 65 km from here in Rajasthan, today made arrangements to get 9-year-old Aman Poonia shifted to
Jaipur-based super speciality hospital. Since his birth, the boy has been suffering from immunodeficiency disorders that prevent him from fighting infections and diseases. The disorder has made him considerably more susceptible to catching viruses and bacterial infections.
Chandigarh: Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh, has turned to the social media to drum up support for the SAD on the issue of a separate gurdwara panel for Haryana shrines. In an appeal to the Sikhs, Harsimrat says: “The Congress has always tried to demoralise, divide and finish the Sikhs. First, the Congress attacked Sri Darbar Sahib to demoralise the Sikhs; then they did ‘Qatl-e-Aam’ in Delhi (1984 massacre of Sikhs) to finish the Sikhs and now they are trying to once again divide the Sikhs by bringing a separate gurdwara Committee.” On her Facebook page, Harsimrat accuses the Congress of once again "declaring a war" on Akal Takht. "I appeal to Sikhs all over the world to be united in this war initiated by the Congress against Akal Takht. All Sikhs across party lines, regions should come together and stand united,” she says. Responding to Harsimrat's remarks, Parneet Kaur Kooner, says: “What do you think about Bhajpa (BJP)? Did you ever read Advani's book in which he mentions what was BJP's role during the1984 riots? It is not possible to attack Harmandir Sahib without BJP's support and you know this very well. And you still support BJP......Shame on you." Another Facebook user Daljit Singh says: ” Kujh janta layi vi kardo”. On the proposed Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC), one Daviner Sandhu says: “Badal Sahib, you will feel the pinch as a large part of your income is going out of your hands". Facebook user Jaskaran Singh Bindra says: “If the Akali Dal had taken Sikh matters seriously in Punjab rather than just playing politics, this day wouldn't have come. High time maam, you should come up with some plans for Sikhs.” “ Asi tuhade naal haan. All the best,” says supporter Gopi Wadalia.
Patiala, July 10