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takht sri Hazur Sahib Board issue
Deficit rains leave farmers high and dry
SAD alarmed at BJP taking Gill into its fold
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Bhaini Sahib tense as Namdharis clash
Water dispute: Heavy force deployed as farmers protest
Local BJP leaders blame state govt for Juneja’s defeat
Beginning of the end for Akalis, says Capt
Resentment grows within Aam Aadmi Party
Three thermal projects may not take off
clu charges
Medical college sans approval,
students demand migration
Poll office gives clean chit to SAD leaders
BSF increases security in Ajnala Sector
Blanket factory gutted near Kohara
note-for-vote scam
Khaira dares PM to rein in Badals
MC employees block highway
Tehsildar found absent from duty
‘Detainee’ denies he was picked up by cops
No water supply, residents block road
Blue card scam: People block national highway
Counselling delayed, MD aspirants protest
Cheating at TET: Probe begins
Farmers protest irregular power supply
Allege inhuman treatment
Daduwal’s bail plea to be heard today
Five booked for selling Abohar girl
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takht sri Hazur Sahib Board issue
Chandigarh, August 26 Referring to the Maharashtra government's move to reduce representation of the SGPC on the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board, Badal said the decision was arbitrary. He said he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his help in restraining the Congress government in Maharashtra from doing so. In his letter, Badal said this was not an ordinary administrative decision as it concerned the sentiments and religious traditions of the Sikh community. "This anti-Sikh decision is a part of a deep-rooted conspiracy by the Congress to lower the dignity of the Sikh religious institutions, including the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib and the SGPC. Badal impressed upon the Prime Minister to direct the Maharashtra government to prevent the situation from getting worse and withdraw the decision. "I have also talked to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter," he told the media. The Chief Minister observed that the number of the Maharashtra government nominees had been doubled while that of SGPC representatives had been reduced to just one. Badal alleged the Congress leadership had always tried to either capture the SGPC or weaken it through political and government interference. The tension generated by their unwarranted interference in the Sikh religious affairs in Haryana was still raging, he added. Makkar flays M’rashtra govt Amritsar: Avtar Singh Makkar, president, SGPC, today lashed out at the Maharashtra government for curtailing representation of the SGPC on the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board. Talking to the media here, Makkar alleged the Congress had always meted out injustice to the Sikhs.
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Deficit rains leave farmers high and dry
Amritsar, August 26 Malkit Singh of Khabbe Rajputa village in Tarn Taran, said: “There is a deficit rainfall of 75 per cent as compared to last year. Our input costs have increased between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000 per acre as we are forced to run generators due to inadequate power supply. We have managed to save our crop, but it has come at a high price.” He said the drought-like condition had hit their fodder crop which had taken a toll on dairy production as the livestock was not getting proper feed. “In view of deficient rainfall, we are giving priority to save our paddy crop as a result of which fodder produce has suffered,” he said. Mohan Singh from Naushera Pannua said the state government had promised eight-hour power supply to the agriculture sector, but they were getting electricity for just four to five hours. “The canal water system has almost collapsed as a result of which many farmers who wanted to cultivate basmati had to give up their plan,” he said. Gurdayal Singh from Vairowal village said the farmers were usually relaxed in July and August as they did not need to water their fields much, but this year there had been no respite due to scanty rainfall. He said vegetable crops too had been adversely affected and their output had gone down by 50 per cent. Paramjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Agriculture Officer, Amritsar, said the farmers had mobilised their own resources to ensure that their paddy crop survived the dry spell. They had to spend Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 more per acre. He said deficient rainfall had also taken a toll on the depleting water table while adding that it had rained 60 to 65 per cent less as compared to the last year. He said paddy had been sown on 1.8 lakh hectares in Amritsar, of which 1.25 lakh hectares was under basmati cultivation. Rattan Singh Randhawa, a farmer leader, said the government should immediately announce drought relief for the farmers. He said they had to spend almost double the amount on their crop this time as apart from diesel for running generators, they had to pay more for labour due to its shortage. Grim scenario
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SAD alarmed at BJP taking Gill into its fold
Chandigarh, August 26 The SAD is upset with the BJP for “poaching” on Akali leader PS Gill. A retired Director-General of Police, Gill had hoped to get the party ticket for the Moga byelection in 2013, after he lost the 2012 Assembly elections. Disillusioned at being ignored, he joined the BJP at a function in Jammu yesterday. Rattled, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal reportedly told a Cabinet meeting this afternoon: “This is not good. The BJP should not take Akali leaders as BJP members. Nor will the Akali Dal ever try to take BJP leaders into its party fold. The good ties between the two should remain.” Sources say it is clear that the BJP is now trying social engineering in Punjab, by including Sikh Jats in the party which may not go down too well with the SAD. Other leaders in the Akali Dal say they have been left stunned at Gill’s decision to join the BJP. The SAD president, Sukhbir Singh Badal, chose to play down the matter, saying: “Gill did not join the BJP in Punjab, but in Jammu and Kashmir.” Cabinet Minister and SAD spokesman Dr Daljit Cheema said the party leaders would meet Gill to know why he had quit the party. Meanwhile, BJP leaders deny they have been poaching on the Akali turf. A senior BJP minister said: “Gill thought the BJP was a better party and decided to join it. Surely party leaders cannot be blamed for accepting him into party fold.” Over the past few months, the SAD has been finding the going tough with the BJP hardening its stand on several policy decisions, apparently in a bid to protect its urban vote base. A coordination committee formed earlier this month is expected to meet tomorrow and take up issues such as the “toned down property tax”, the new mining policy, VAT and changes to be made in input tax credit. The Deputy CM and the BJP state president are expected to meet tomorrow and sort out the issues.
Desperate move
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Bhaini Sahib tense as Namdharis clash
Bhaini Sahib, August 26 Dera spokesmen Lakhvir Singh and Kaka Kang said four Namdhari youths sustained injuries due to "hurling of stones by Thakur Dalip Singh's supporters". Refuting the allegations, Thakur Dalip Singh's supporters alleged the house of one of their supporters was attacked by the group owing allegiance to Satguru Uday Singh, a charge denied by the dera spokesmen. Sahnewal ACP Lakhvir Singh Tiwana said the group owing allegiance to Thakur Dalip Singh was going to Bhaini Sahib by a car. Trouble started when they reached near the dera. Some confrontation took place as the rival group apprehended that Thakur Dalip Singh's supporters might barge into the dera. The windowpanes of the car were damaged in the confrontation. Both groups have different stories to tell. They buttressed their allegations and counter-allegations with details that the police failed to verify. Dera spokesmen said the four injured youths were initially admitted to a hospital at Koom Kalan and later referred to Apollo Hospital in Ludhiana city. "A fire had broken out at Suba Harbhajan Singh's factory near Kohara and several sect members had gone there to assist in the rescue operations. It was during that time that the youths were attacked," dera spokesmen said. The group owing allegiance to Thakur Dalip Singh faction said about 50 persons of the group owing allegiance to Satguru Uday Singh attacked the house of Gurdeep Singh, a supporter of Thakur Dalip Singh. They claimed that one of their supporters was injured in the attack and admitted to a hospital. ACP Tiwana said the situation was tense, but under control. He said policemen had been deployed and nakas set up around Bhaini Sahib to deal with any situation. Old rivalry
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Water dispute: Heavy force deployed as farmers protest
Abohar, August 26 In a bid to maintain law and order, the government deployed the Special Task Force (STF) and Rajasthan Armed Constabulary personnel under the command of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and seven Station House Officers (SHOs). The protests had become violent at Gharsana in 2004 and in 2006, when six people were killed in police firing. The authorities had set up barricades around the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s (SDM) office in view of the Kisan Mazdoor Beopari Sangharsh Samiti’s threat to lay siege to it. Het Ram Beniwal and Pawan Duggal, former CPM legislators slammed the Vasundhra Raje-led BJP government for not mounting pressure on the Punjab Government and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to release water as per Rajasthan’s share. They alleged the state government had not sent a member to the BBMB even when the BJP was in power in Jaipur and New Delhi. “Our agitation will remain peaceful as long as the government doesn’t try to stop it,” Beniwal said. The farmers’ leaders demanded at a meeting with the Water Resources Department and Sub-Divisional Officers that an indent for 11,000 cusecs should be submitted immediately for the meeting of the BBMB tomorrow. They said if the order was not placed, the samiti would on August 28 give a call for a “chakka jam” all over the district.
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Local BJP leaders blame state govt for Juneja’s defeat
Patiala, August 26 The BJP now accuses the state government of not releasing development funds for Patiala and then relying on BJP workers to get votes for the alliance. Barring the appearances by a few senior BJP leaders, local party workers remained aloof and did not campaign for Juneja. The charge is vehemently denied by BJP leaders. Juneja secured 10,000 votes in nine wards under the BJP command. During campaigning, the SAD leadership in Patiala faced criticism for “ignoring” the local BJP cadre following which several coordination meetings were held between the allies. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, during a press conference, announced that the “alliance is firm”. The BJP has a firm base in Patiala where about 60 per cent voters are Hindus. “We performed our duty with devotion, but the government failed to release grants in time and it became difficult to face the voters,” claimed Patiala BJP unit president Anil Bajaj. “The government failed to appoint a municipal commissioner for almost a month and to spend a penny on the city,” he said. The BJP’ feels the SAD has been ‘invading’ its territory by fielding Hindu candidates. There are already 11 Hindu MLAs representing the SAD. The BJP is now trying to make inroads into the SAD base. The inclusion of former state police chief PS Gill is seen as the first step in that direction. Also, there are grudges over issues such as property tax, VAT and poor civic conditions. Uneasy alliance The BJP feels the SAD has been ‘invading’ its territory by fielding Hindu candidates. It is now trying to make inroads into the SAD vote bank. The inclusion of former police chief Gill is seen as a step in that direction
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Beginning of the end for Akalis, says Capt
Chandigarh, August 26 He said: “What you did at Talwandi Sabo on August 21 used to happen in
Bihar long time ago”. He asked Badal not to gloat over a “stage-managed”
victory and apologise to the people of Punjab for “hijacking the electoral
process.” On Badal’s claim that the byelection results had shown that the
Congress was on the decline, Amarinder Singh the Patiala byelection results
marked the beginning of the end for the Akalis. “If you were so confident of
your popularity, why then did you need to fortify Talwandi Sabo with men,
muscle and money? The margin of victory itself indicates the extent to which
power was abused in Talwandi Sabo,” the former Chief Minister said, adding
that “manipulating the margin by abusing power only betrays Badal’s
insecurity.”
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Resentment grows within Aam Aadmi Party
Patiala, August 26 “We had informed his office yesterday that we would visit him today. However, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi did not come out of his house and the security staff did not allow us in,” said Gogia who had announced to contest the Patiala Urban byelection as an Independent, but did not do so. "As senior leaders were part of selection process, it is their duty to resign on moral grounds as their candidate has been rejected," he said. Sources said one of the main reasons for the AAP losing ground in Patiala was Dr Dharamvira Gandhi's inaccessibility. Talking to The Tribune, Dr Gandhi said he had campaigned tirelessly in favour of Harjit Singh Adaltiwala. He claimed he had held 400 election rallies and meetings. “As far as my being inaccessible is concerned, I can't be around when I am attending the Lok Sabha in New Delhi or when I am unwell,” he said.
Huge setback
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Three thermal projects may not take off
Jalandhar, August 26 Though Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has cited coal linkage as the major hurdle in the functioning of the Gidderbaha plant, highly placed sources say the developer, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), is no more interested in the project. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Gidderbaha project, the estimated cost of which was Rs 15,000 crore, was signed in 2010. But thereafter there has been no development. When approached, power corporation's Chief Managing Director (CMD) KD Chaudhri said: “The NTPC will purchase land only after they get coal linkage for the plant.” But reliable sources in the corporation said the NTPC was not interested in going ahead with the Gidderbaha project. “Besides coal linkage, there are other issues because of which the NTPC will not execute the project,” said a top government functionary. Similarly, the 1,320-MW thermal power project at Kot Shamir in Bathinda is unlikely to take off. The MoU between the PSPCL and Lanco Infratech Ltd, Hyderabad, expired long ago. The Indiabulls Group is not interested in setting up the 1320-MW Gobindpura plant in Mansa. “The MoU for the Gobindpura plant was extended twice and has now expired. The developers want a change in land use so that they can set up some other commercial project,” said a PSPCL functionary. President of the PSEB Engineers’ Association Baldev Singh Sran said: “The decision to augment power generation by setting up thermal projects through private players has proved a failure.” He said Punjab must start construction on at least two new thermal plants in the state sector as sufficient coal was available in captive mines allocated to Punjab in Jharkhand and West Bengal. Gidderbaha Thermal Power Plant
Kot Shamir Thermal Power Plant
Gobindpura Thermal Power Plant
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clu charges
Chandigarh August 26 While reviewing ongoing power projects with Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Sikander Singh Maluka, Renewable Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and senior officers, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked the Housing and Urban Development Department to issue a notification to exempt projects being developed by PEDA under the built, operate and own basis from CLU and EDC charges. Sikhbir said 29 sites had been identified for solar power projects and PEDA had handed over approval letters for 250 MW projects estimated to cost Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 crore. Power projects with a capacity of 250 MW would be commissioned by January 31, 2014. The Deputy CM, discussing the gram panchayat land lease policy, directed the committees headed by deputy commissioners to determine the lease rates. It was also decided at the meeting to levy an additional 6 per cent yearly compounding charge on projects owners to recompense the spiralling prices of land.
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Medical college sans approval,
students demand migration
Faridkot, August 26 Urging the BFUHS to migrate them to some other medical institution, the students said the MCI had declined to recognise their degrees as there approval to their college had not been renewed since 2012. "This is third time that we have approached the university in the last two years, but the authorities paid no heed to our requests," they said. They alleged since some senior politicians had high stakes in CMC, Pathankot, the university was not migrating them under political pressure. They said they spent the entire day in front of the university, waiting for a hearing from the vice chancellor, but the official left the campus from the back gate leaving them in the lurch. Sources said the students and their parents continued their protest till late last night. Later, the Faridkot SDM and DSP reached the spot and pacified the protesters and assured them of a meeting with the VC. A delegation of parents met Dr SS Gill, vice chancellor, today. Dr Gill assured them of taking up the matter with the state government. The students said a delegation of students had met Ved Prakash Mishra, chairman, academics, MCI, in Delhi on August 20. He told them that CMC had been barred from making fresh admissions since 2012 and that their degrees would not be recognised by the MCI. Dr Gill said the university would forward their demand to the Department of Medical Education so that the state government could take up the matter with the MCI and Union Government. Swaran Salaria, chairman, CMC, claimed the degrees of all 150 students would be recognised by the MCI. "As the annual exams of the college are conducted by the BFUHS and the certificates are also issued by the medical university, there is no doubt about the credibility of these degrees," he claimed. Crux of the matter
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Poll office gives clean chit to SAD leaders
Bathinda, August 26 Describing media reports and photographs as “baseless”, the poll office has given a clean chit to Rural Development Minister SS Maluka, his son and Zila Parishad chief GS Maluka, Bathinda MLA Sarup Chand Singla, Bathinda (Rural) MLA Darshan Singh Kotfatta, former Bathinda mayor Baljit Singh Beer Bheman and SAD district youth president Balkar Singh, who were reportedly seen in the constituency when polling was on. A senior officer said: “We received phone calls from various political parties against the presence of SAD leaders in the constituency who were not voters. We received similar complaints against the leaders of other political parties. We did not find Maluka holding a meeting of Akali workers at Takht Damdama Sahib.” Chief Election Officer VK Singh said he was yet to receive the report and, hence, could not comment on the matter.
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BSF increases security in Ajnala Sector
Gurdaspur, August 26 Brig NK Mishra said if Pakistani Rangers opened fire in Gurdaspur district, which shares a long porous border with Pakistan, the BSF would retaliate. "Our jawans are in a state of preparedness and we will retaliate, if provoked. We are reconstructing bunkers near the border and constructing new ones. We are keeping a tight vigil on all border outposts to ensure there is no infiltration attempt," he said. "From the Bamiyal Sector till the Ajnala Sector in Amritsar district, we have deployed three additional battalions,. Each battalion comprising 1,000 men are equipped with the state-of-the art weapons to counter Pakistani Rangers," Mishra said.
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Blanket factory gutted near Kohara
Machhiwara, August 26 Though no loss of life has been reported so far, the financial loss is estimated to run into crores of rupees. One story of the building and a huge stock of blankets were destroyed in the fire. The fire broke out while the workers of Uday Craft factory were out for lunch. Some workers noticed the fire and raised the alarm. A short circuit is believed to be the reason behind the fire. The fire spread so fast that almost the entire first floor of the factory (around 30,000 sq ft) was affected. Factory owners Harbhajan Singh Namdhari and Jagmohan Singh Namdhari said a big stock of blankets meant for sale during the coming season was destroyed. Two factory workers suffered minor injuries during the rescue operations.
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note-for-vote scam
Muktsar, August 26 In a letter to Sumedh Singh Saini dated August 4, VK Singh stated that after a report on money being distributed among voters during the Lok Sabha elections appeared in The Tribune, the District Election Officer, Muktsar, was asked to look into the matter. "The man in a video tape seen distributing money has been identified as Harbans Lal, security guard of SGPC member Navtej Singh Kauni. I will be thankful if you take disciplinary action against the guilty employee," the letter states. The Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab, had uploaded two videos having on its official Facebook page in May, claiming to be shot at Kauni village in Gidderbaha, allegedly showing Akalis distributing money among the voters. A senior police officer said: "As the security guard was not deployed with the SGPC member by the district police, we have no knowledge if any action needs to be initiated against the guard."
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Khaira dares PM to rein in Badals
Chandigarh, August 26 He claimed that not content with the two luxurious five-star hotels at Gurgaon, the Badals had now started building another five-star resort, under the banner of Metro Eco Greens, near New Chandigarh. "A six-lane highway is being constructed on the PGI-Siswan-Kurali road to link the hotel to Chandigarh although there is much more traffic pressure on the Ludhiana-Kharar-Chandigarh road," Khaira pointed out. "The Badal-Majithia-Kairon clans are altering, tampering and tailoring government policies tosuit their large business empires. Therefore, the Congress dares the PM to set an example by reigning in the Badal clan. In case, Modi fails to do so, it will be presumed that his stance on conflict of interest is merely a farce and an attempt to hoodwink the country," said
Khaira.
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MC employees block highway
Moga, August 26 Tight security arrangements were put in place to ward off any untoward incident. The employees blocked the highway for about three hours. They raised slogans against the state government, Chief Minister Parkash Singh and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal. The state-wide strike by various employees' unions of local bodies entered the 23rd day today.
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Tehsildar found absent from duty
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 26 Issuing a warning, the DC directed the Tehsildar to reach office on time so that the public did not have to face any inconvenience. The DC said all other staff members, including Fatehgarh Sahib SDM Pooja Syal Grewal and others, were present in the office. The DC said the government had given instructions to maintain discipline in all government offices and that all officials should be in their offices on time.
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‘Detainee’ denies he was picked up by cops
Chandigarh, August 26 As the case came up for resumed hearing before Justice Amol Rattan Singh, alleged detainee Gursewak Singh told the court that he had "absolutely no allegations to make against any police official or police officer" and that he was also not under any threat or pressure. He further said that he was simply asked to come to the police station due to "some suspicion arising in the mind of some police officials". He did not wish to pursue the petition, he said. Justice Amol Rattan Singh said: "In view of what has been stated in the court, …..coming from the alleged detenue repeatedly, no matter how strong the suspicions to the contrary are, this petition has been rendered infructuous." Digging deep into the case, the court had, on a previous date of hearing, asked for the antecedents of the "detainee" and the identity of the officer at whose orders he was called to the police station for inquiry. The court had observed: "Certain issues require clarification. It has been submitted that Gursewak Singh was found roaming around in suspicious circumstances near the security zone of the Chief Minister, Punjab. He was, thus, called to the police station for questioning on the orders of a senior officer.” No threat
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No water supply, residents block road
Sangrur, August 26 They began their protest by putting up a tent on the road around 9 am and said it would continue till drinking water supply was restored to their houses. The blockade continued till the filing of this report. Residents said they had not been getting tap water for the past two months, so they had been bringing water from the houses that had submersible pumps. They said they had approached the authorities concerned several times in that regard, but to no avail. Manjit Singh, a resident of Haripura Basti, said a sum of Rs 80,000 had been deposited with the municipal council from the MPLAD fund of former MP Vijay Inder Singla for installing two submersible pumps in the locality, but the same had not been installed so far. He said the road blockade would be lifted only after the drinking water supply was restored to the area. Executive officer (EO) of the municipal council Chetan Sharma said the council had already deposited funds with the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) authorities for installing three new tube wells in the city. He said the work had started but it was yet to be completed.
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Blue card scam: People block national highway
Abohar, August 26 Led by Manjit Kaur, Veeran Bai, Baljinder Kaur and Gurdev Singh, the protesters said they felt cheated as the government had not fulfilled any of the assurances it had given on July 28. They said community leader Sher Singh Ghubaya, who had been elected Member of Parliament for the second term, had betrayed them. The protesters raised slogans against the state government and demanded a probe into the scam. The protesters lifted the dharna on the assurance of Tehsildar Darshan Singh and Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagdish
Bishnoi.
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Counselling delayed, MD aspirants protest
Hoshiarpur, August 26 The students protested when Dr Gurdip Singh Kalyan, chairman of the counselling committee, refused to conduct the counseling session. Kalyan said the session could not be held as no entrance test was conducted. However, Kalyan agreed to hold the counselling session, when Vice Chancellor Dr OP Upadhyay told him that an entrance test could only be held when the number of applicants was double than the seats available. Upadhyay said since the number of candidates was lower than the number of seats, there was no need to hold the test. He said only 13 candidates applied for the 19 seats in MD Ayurveda and 26 applied for 18 seats in MD Homoeopathy.
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Cheating at TET: Probe begins
Fazilka, August 26 The Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS), the Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) and the Special Trainer (STR) teachers had submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner, Fazilka, yesterday. They had alleged that several candidates were allowed to cheat during the examination at a private school centre. The DC asked the SDM to look into the matter. The teachers met the SDM today to register the complaint.
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Allege inhuman treatment
Gurpreet Singh of Kot Fatuhi village in Hoshiarpur district is another youth duped by unscrupulous travel agents. He was part of a group of 40 youths sent illegally to the US. They ended up in a detention centre. They had to go on a hunger strike in April alleging pitiable living conditions at the centre. Some relief was given to them but their plight has not changed much. At the root of the problem is a "multi-national" group of travel agents. Sources say the agents operate from different countries and take the immigrants to the US or other countries through a circuitous route that starts from Punjab to Russia, Dubai and several other countries. Harkirat Singh of Koomkalan in Ludhiana, Sarabjit Singh of Kharkuwal in Nawanshahr and Gurpreet Singh, all lodged at a detention Centre at El Paso, have, in letters sent to the North American Punjabi Association and The Tribune, written about their plight and the names and addresses of the travel agents who had duped them. California-based NAPA has taken up their case with the US and the Indian government. The youths wrote how their family sold off land and jewellery for their better future abroad. They also revealed the route they were taken through before ending up at the US detention centre. Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director, NAPA, said the Punjab Government did not come to their aid nor did it take action against the travel agents. "There are several youths at detention centres in various parts of the US who had sent complaints to the Punjab Police and the NRI Commission, but no action has been taken against the agents so far," he said. Justice Anand Kumar (retd), chairperson, Punjab Commission for NRIs, said the commission had sent several directives to the state government for taking action against the travel agents but nothing much had been done. Chahal said he recently visited the El Paso detention centre and found that the detainees there were living in miserable conditions. They were not given proper food and medical facilities, he said. Chahal said the youths told him that they had started their journey from New Delhi to Dubai, Moscow, Hawana, and Guatemala from where they were taken in police vans to Mexico. "They were handed over fake ID cards and every time they were under the supervision of persons donning uniforms of the Mexican police. They stayed in Mexico for about 10 days after which they were told to cross the US-Mexico border. They were arrested while trying to cross over to the US," he said.
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Daduwal’s bail plea to be heard today
Mansa, August 26 The court of Mansa Additional and Sessions Judge will hear Daduwal’s anticipatory bail plea tomorrow. Daduwal, in his bail plea, has said that the Mansa police will eliminate him. Booked under the Arms Act, Daduwal is lodged in the Faridkot Jail. The Faridkot police claim to have seized a laptop from his residence carrying photographs of AK-47 rifles hidden in Gujarat. His supporters Harjinder Singh and Randhir Singh are co- accused in the case. The police claim to have seized seven rifles, two pistols and 300 cartridges from them.
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Five booked for selling Abohar girl
Abohar, August 26 The victim’s complaint stated her neighbour Chhinder Kaur sedated her on April 3, 2014. Thereafter, two youths took her away in a mini truck and raped her. She alleged that she was then sold to Nirmal Singh. She then escaped after stealing some money from Nirmal Singh two days ago. The police got the victim medically examined and booked Chhinder Kaur of Daulatpura village, Jag Singh and Dana Singh of Khuyiansarwer village, Nirmal Singh and his brother Jiwan Singh of Chotian village today. The accused are at large and the police are conducting raids to nab them. The victim reportedly told the police that Chhinder Kaur had been selling poor girls to people in remote areas.
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Hundreds of farmers held a day-long protest in Gharsana segment of Sriganganagar district on the Rajasthan border, demanding the release of more water in the Indira Gandhi Canal. Another protest was held at Rawatsar in Hanumangarh district.
Machhiwara, August 26
Chandigarh, August 26
Sangrur, August 26
The BJP should not induct Akali leaders as BJP members. Nor will the Akali Dal ever try to take BJP leaders into its party fold. The good ties between the two partners must
continue.
What
you (Badal) did at Talwandi Sabo on August 21 used to happen in Bihar long
time ago. Instead of gloating over a stage-managed victory, you should
apologise to the people of Punjab for hijacking the electoral process
Chandigarh, August 26