Faridabad, July 20
Residents of a colony in the Palla area of the city today attacked members of an anti-encroachment team and also set on fire a police Gypsy and a JCB machine, besides damaging several other vehicles.

Sources said the anti-encroachment drive turned violent around noon when hundreds of residents of the colony started assaulting officials and damaging machines engaged in removing the encroachments.

The colony had come up illegally on nearly 60 acres of land.

“The team managed to remove several illegal shops and buildings in Phase-I, but it was attacked by the residents as soon as it reached the Phase-II,” said District Town Planner (DTP) Renuka Singh, who was supervising the drive.

The DTP said the demolition drive was in response to the directions of the Supreme Court. She said the department had issued eviction notices to around 1,500 residents of the colony well in advance. The protesters who swelled into hundreds within minutes set on fire a police Gypsy and a JCB machine besides damaging several vehicles of the officials.

Windowpanes of four ambulances and three Jeeps were also smashed.

Police Commissioner AS Chawla said the police used a mild cane-charge to disperse the protesters. He said several policemen were also injured and a case had been registered against unidentified and unknown number of residents of the colony.

Jhajjar, July 20
Assailants shot dead the former vice-chairman of the Jhajjar Municipal Council (MC) here today.

The assailants fled in a car after killing Shri Kishan alias Shri. A property dispute is believed to be behind the killing. The police have started investigation after registering a case of murder on a complaint of Shri Kishan’s son, Ankush.

The attack took place around 11 am near Shri Kishan’s house at Delhi Gate. He was leaving home for some work and walking towards his car parked some distance away from the house. As he was approaching the car, some armed youths – also in a car — opened fire at him from close range, said the police.

Shri Kisan fell into a nullah, while the assailants fled. Hearing the sounds of gunshots, Shri Kisan’s family rushed to the spot and took him to hospital. The doctors declared him brought dead.

Jhajjar SP Balbir Singh said they were talking to Shri Kisan’s family “Statements of Shri Kishan’s kin are being recorded,” he said.

Ambala, July 20
Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) (ad hoc) leaders launched a “Shanti March” from here today to protest against the “illegal” occupation of state gurdwaras by Shriomani Akali Dal (SAD) activists.

Sikhs leaders and their supporters assembled at a private marriage palace near Kala Chowk before starting the march. Addressing the gathering, HSGPC (ad hoc) leader Jagdish Singh Jhinda said: “The SGPC had been illegally occupying the gurdwaras in the state. Sikhs of the state are against any confrontation and intend to take the possession of gurdwaras peacefully.”

Another leader Didar Singh Nalwi said, “The Akalis fear that the HSGPC, when it is in control of the shrines, will expose the financial wrongdoings of the SAD. And this explains its forcible possession of the shrines. They want to destroy the financial and other records of the gurdwaras.”

Senior Sikh leader Harpal Singh Pali said Akalis’ stance could lead to a showdown and to prevent the situation from flaring up, the state government should initiate measures.

Sant Samaj leader Baljit Singh Daduwal, who was also present, condemned SAD activists for forcibly taking over the gurdwaras after the Assembly passed the Bill.

SAD leaders, Nalwi said, had launched a false propaganda by saying that the Act was a “money bill” passed by the Assembly to take over golaks of the Sikh shrines.

The march passed through the city and ended after handing over a memorandum to the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC).

Jind, July 20
The INLD would leave no stone unturned to implement Akal Takht’s decision regarding the gurdwaras in Haryana after coming to power, said Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala.

“The party respects Akal Takht, which is a supreme body for all Sikhs. The Congress and its few supporters (Sikh leaders of Haryana) should understand the importance of Akal Takht and follow its directions,” he said. Dushyant was in the city today to attend a free medical check-up camp organised by INLD’s Jind MLA Harichand Middha.

After attaining power, the MP said, the party would form a committee for state gurdwaras as per the directions of Akal Takht. “The INLD will not play in the hands of a few Sikhs leaders,” he added.

Kurukshetra, July 20
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Prem Singh Chandumajra accused Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of interfering in the Sikh religious matters on the directions of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

“The Congress has always adopted indifferent attitude towards the Sikh community. It has always hurt the community’s sentiments and this is what Hooda is doing,” Chandumajra told the media at Chhati Patshahi gurdwara here today.

“I fail to understand how our few brothers have become Congress’ puppets,” he said in a reference to Didar Singh Nalwi and Jagdish Singh Jhinda.

The Centre had termed Haryana Government’s move unconstitutional, but Hooda seemed not bothered, the Anandpur Sahib MP said.

Chandumajra claimed that the Haryana Government, not the SAD, was responsible for disturbing the law and order situation in the state.

Drawing an analogy to hit out at the Haryana CM, the SAD leader said: “Hooda brought the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Bill on account of alleged discrimination by the SGPC with the Sikh community of the state. Since he is accused of discriminating against northern Haryana, will he bring any Bill to separate northern Haryana?”

Chandigarh, July 20
The BJP has decided to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections by naming its chief ministerial candidate, who is likely be a non-Jat. An indication to this effect was given by BJP national president Amit Shah in a meeting with state BJP leaders in Delhi earlier this week.

Sources in the BJP said the party high command had come to the conclusion that the party would do better if it declares its chief ministerial candidate before the elections.

Keeping the fate of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC)-BJP alliance a closely guarded secret, the central leadership told state leaders to concentrate on the elections at the booth-level, while Amit Shah and senior leaders such as Sushma Sawraj, Vijay Goel, Krishan Pal Gurjar, Jagdish Mukhi (BJP’s Haryana in charge) will deal with the issues of alliance and ticket distribution.

The party high command has even kept the state leadership in the dark on the issue of inducting former Finance Minister Birender Singh and his followers into the BJP. Haryana BJP chief Ram Bilas Sharma has said, “We will welcome him if he joins the BJP.” But beyond this, the state BJP leaders have not been told what the high command proposes to do if Birender Singh shows any interest in joining the BJP.

Though Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s cousin, Birender has refused to contest the election under his leadership.

Some changes in the BJP’s organisational setup are expected in the next few days as a non-Jat would be named as the chief ministerial candidate. Probable candidates include Ram Bilas Sharma, Manohar Lal Khattar and Anil Vij. Consequently, the BJP may have a Jat as the party president.

Amit Shah has been entrusted with making a strategy for Haryana along with Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir that are scheduled to go to the poll later this year. The party has already formed a team to do the ground work for identifying possible candidates.

No party ticket will be given to either any sitting MP or any relative of a MP or an MLA. Besides this, no new face will be inducted into the party as a candidate where the BJP already has a candidate.

Panipat, July 20
Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh today hinted at the BJP severing ties with ex-MP Kuldeep Bishnoi led Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) and fielding candidates on all 90 seats in the Assembly elections.

Addressing a meeting of BJP workers of Panipat city on Sunday, Rao Inderjit said, “We do not want to form our government in Haryana with help from anyone (hum kisi ka sahara le ke Haryana me sarkar nahin banana chahte).” He, however, did not name the HJC.

When asked to elaborate on his statement, Rao Inderjit said, “The BJP won seven out of eight seats it contested in the LS election in the state. We maintained the lead in 53 Assembly segments whereas our alliance partner HJC lost both the seats it contested. In the changed scenario, BJP MPs and its core committee submitted its recommendations to the central leadership, which will soon decide about the BJP-HJC alliance.”

Accompanied by state vice-president Rajiv Jain, Rao Inderjit refused to divulge the recommendations made to the central leadership. “We will abide by the decision taken by BJP president Amit Shah on the alliance,” he said.

On the importance of Panipat in the poll scenario, Rao Inderjit said, “There is a common saying that whoever wins Panipat wins Delhi. It has again been proven in the recent Lok Sabha elections when Karnal BJP MP Ashwani Kumar won after maintaining a considerable lead of 70,000 votes in the Panipat city Assembly segment.”

In reply to a question on the Hooda government’s decision to form a separate the Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC), he said, “Hooda formed the separate HSGPC for political gain.

This issue falls under the concurrent list and it would have been better had the Haryana Government consulted the Centre before taking any decision.” MP from Karnal Ashwani Kumar was not present during BJP worker’s meeting.

Narnaul, July 20
Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Krishan Pal Gurjar has said that the Centre is not contemplating to reduce the toll tax in Haryana.

“As the toll companies are charging tax as per the terms and conditions laid down in agreements, the Centre cannot interfere,” he told the media at state BJP chief Ram Bilas Sharma’s house in Mahendragarh yesterday.

“Since the computation of toll tax is a policy matter and it is decided at the time of preparing the agreement, the Union Government cannot force the companies to reduce the taxes. The Centre will step in if any company is found charging more than the stipulated tax,” the minister said.

On charging tax for under construction six-lane roads, Gurjar said: “The Centre has received complaints regarding companies charging toll tax for incomplete six-lane roads. The firms have been directed to charge toll as applicable to four-lane roads till roads are converted into six lanes,” he added. Taking note of the complaints, the companies have been directed to charge toll tax as per four-lane road by then the work of six-lane is not completed,” said Gurjar.

Chandigarh, July 18
With the Haryana Assembly elections drawing closer and candidates busy weighing their options, “outsiders” seem to have returned to haunt the Congress.

The Congress had cobbled up a majority in the Vidhan Sabha after five Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) MLAs “merged” their party into the Congress and seven Independents extended support.

Sources said in nearly a dozen of the 90 Assembly seats, resentment was brewing up among aspirants from within the Congress against sitting “outsider” MLAs who had contested the 2009 Assembly election against party candidates. Later, they supported the Congress-led Bhupinder Singh Hooda government and Congressmen fear that some of them may even stake claim to the Congress ticket in the coming Assembly elections.

After formation of the government, local Congress leaders from these constituencies had repeatedly aired their grievances during meetings, claiming that they were being ignored by these MLAs who were surrounded by their own people.

Though the Congress has invited applications from ticket seekers from all constituencies, local leaders said it was very unlikely that they would be considered against sitting MLAs and were exploring other options.

Sources said trouble brewing up between Satpal Sangwan, Dadri MLA and a minister in the Hooda Cabinet who won the 2009 Assembly elections on the HJC ticket and Maj Nirpender Sangwan (retd), who was fielded by the Congress from Dadri. Maj Sangwan is sore over being given step-motherly treatment despite being the “insider”. While the two leaders don’t see eye-to-eye since the “merger”, the party too has made no attempt to sort out their differences. At a rally organised by the minister and chaired by Hooda, Maj Sangwan left in a huff after being denied the opportunity to address the rally. Considering the situation, he is learnt to be exploring various options available and may quit the party.

Sources said similarly in other constituencies, the divide between the “insiders” and the “outsiders” was as stark and some of the Congressmen had put in their applications for the party ticket but were hobnobbing with other parties as well.

Former MLA Chhatarpal Singh is in a similar situation in Hansi which is represented by Chief Parliamentary Secretary Vinod Bhayna, while HJC-turned Congress leader Dharam Singh Chhoker defeated former state youth chief Sanjay Chhoker from Samalkha. While former CPS Zile Ram Sharma represents Assandh, the Narnaul Assembly segment is represented by Rao Narender. Both of them contested the 2009 elections on the HJC ticket against the Congress.

Hisar, July 20
In a rare show of unity, all 21 Congress ticket seekers from Narnaund Assembly segment vowed to fight the poll jointly.

During a meeting, which was attended by central party observer K Laxma Reddy, state observer for Hisar Krishan Murti Hooda, former MLA Rambhagat Sharmaand others, all ticket seekers vowed not to revolt against the party’s decision on allocation of the ticket to anyone of them.

Krishan Murti said all 21 ticket aspirants vowed to contest the poll collectively. Prominent aspirants include Rambhagat Sharma, Vazir Singh Poonia, Satish Panu, Ranbir Sandhu, Dinesh Sheoran, Ajay Mirchpur, Kulwant Mor, Kamlesh Sheoran and Kuldeep Gautam.

Rohtak, July 20
Thousands of government employees from different parts of the state assembled here today to participate in ‘lalkaar rally’ organised by the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, a conglomerate of different unions and associations of state government employees.

The employees, enraged at the non-fulfilment of their longstanding demands, marched through different roads in Rohtak, the hometown of the Chief Minister, and held a rally to register their resentment against the state government.

The employees’ leaders lamented that the state government had not fulfilled their demands despite mutual agreement.

The main demands of the employees that remain unfulfilled include regularisation of temporary employees, filling up of vacant posts, scraping of contract system, grant of pay scales on Punjab pattern and dearness allowance on the Central pattern, and provision of cashless medical facility among other.

The employees’ leaders threatened that if the demands were not met forthwith, they would launch a statewide stir.

Sonepat, July 20
First she was allegedly raped by her father and then gang-raped by some others. Just when life was beginning to limp back to normal for this minor from Raipur village, she has alleged torture at the hands of women police personnel deployed for her safety.

The police had arrested the girl’s father and other accused. They sent her and her mother to live in the Bal Gram, Rai, a home for destitute children, on the directions of court. Her mother has been given a job at the home.

Taking cognizance of the girl’s alleged torture and non-compliance of summons to produce her in court yesterday, Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum- Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DSLA), Harshali Chaudhary reached Bal Gram yesterday.

She pulled up the women cops for allegedly keeping the girl locked up in a room during the night. When Chaudhary asked why the victim was not produced in court, the police personnel and the in-charge of the home said they had not received the summons.

Chaudhary took serious note of the victim’s complaint that she was not being allowed to meet her mother and warned of strict action.

DSP Ajit Singh confirmed the women police personnel were put on duty for the security and safety of the victim and her mother on the directions of the court.

Panipat, July 20
Several police personnel, including a woman cop, allegedly misbehaved with family members of the BJP state industry cell co-convener and thrashed their chowkidar during a raid at her house in Sector 12 here late last night.

The police raided the house of BJP councillor Rohita Rewri to arrest her husband Surendra Rewri, who was granted anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 17.

Talking to The Tribune, Surendra Rewri alleged, “The police wanted to teach me a lesson as I made it public that DSP Tanya Surjewala had demanded Rs 15 lakh from me. She had called me to her office on July 2 for exonerating me in a case lodged against me on the complaint of former district BJP vice-president Savita Taneja regarding a clash at the party election office in Gohana on April 1.”

Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh brought the matter to the notice of DGP Shriniwas Vashisht. Rohtak IG Anil Rao has called Surendra Rewri to his office tomorrow to get the details.

“Their allegations will be looked into and appropriate action will be taken on the basis of inquiry report,” said Rao.

DSP Tanya Surjewala denied the Surendra Rewri’s allegations . “He had levelled allegation of demanding bribe the day his anticipatory bail application was rejected by sessions court. Had there been any truth in his allegations, he would have submitted a formal complaint earlier,” said the DSP.

Meanwhile, issuing CCTV footage, Rewri demanded registration of an FIR against the police personnel who misbehaved with his family members and thrashed their chowkidar, Dinesh.

Sirsa, July 20
Residents of Sukh Sagar and Preet Sagar colonies today blocked the Begu road near Shah Satnam Singh Chowk problem of water shortage.

Traffic remained blocked for several hours and officials of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department had to intervene to pacify the protesters. They assured regular water supply to the villagers.

Residents alleged that they had not received drinking water for four days. They alleged that the officials had told them that their supply had been disrupted due to some technical snag. However, no efforts had been made to get the repair it, the residents alleged.

Chandigarh, July 20
The woman councillor from Pehowa, who accused Finance Minister Harmohinder Singh Chattha of “misbehavior”, today alleged that the police were not investigating the allegations at his behest.

Addressing a press conference here today, she said she had sent letters to the President, the Prime Minister and the Human Rights Commission besides the Haryana Police stating that the minister was hampering investigation.

She alleged Chattha had “misbehaved” with her on July 15. She approached the police but the cops did not register any case.

The minister has already refuted the allegations.