The Indian Panorama

Tag: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)

  • Punjab: precariously perched, politically and economically

    Punjab: precariously perched, politically and economically

    By Gurmit Singh Palahi

    “On the plank of Punjabi Suba (State) and other issues, first the Akalis alone and later with support from BJP ruled the State. Parkash Singh Badal occupied the throne for a record five times, totaling a quarter century. During his tenure, millions and billions of governmental debt accrued. The mafia ruled the roost. Betraying the people who elected them, the Akalis treacherously yielded all power to BJP who had a field day. Rivers issue was dispatched to cold storage. Dynastic rule and nepotism became prevalent.”

    The Center is really adamant about the black laws and is desperately trying to demolish and malign the farmers’ agitation by deployment of nefarious tactics and arm-twisting. Entire Punjab is in the worst crisis. A divide has been created between the farmers and the wholesalers, due to introduction of online trading of the produce. GST and other financial aid have been stopped by the Center with the ulterior objective of crushing Punjab and Punjabis.

    The gigantic maladies impacting Punjab have been, and are, massive yet the endeavors towards discovering remedies have always been below expectations. Since India’s independence, there has been no political outfit, worth its name, which has ventured, responsibly, into the arena of exploring viable cure to various afflictions. Political games have been played against Punjab, to reduce the martial race of Punjabis into reclusive, forcing them towards total annihilation. Major events continued unabated, leaving a bruised Punjab and instead of providing the much-needed succor, mere lip-service was provided and publicized.

    Come 1947 and millions of Punjabis, on both sides of the border, were not only uprooted, killed or injured but their souls tormented at the turn of events. Then, 1984 became witness to an era of a massive communal divide and the rise of militancy and terrorist activities. Police atrocities were rampant with fake encounters and rapes. The misadventure codenamed Operation BLUESTAR was launched by the army, under orders from the powers that be. The Delhi Sultanate deprived Punjab and Punjabis of their due rights. The most recent misdeed is the enactment of the three draconian laws against the farming community. The Congress ruled Punjab for several decades, becoming a rubber stamp in the hands of the Center, thereby hurting the economic interests of Punjab. In a State that is primarily agriculture-based, there was no agro-industries which were established here. No emphasis was laid upon procurement, management and marketing of the produce, rendering the occupation of agriculture a totally unprofitable enterprise. Suicides became rampant due to the mounting debts.

    Punjab was bifurcated on the basis of language, but a bulk of Punjabi speaking populace was separated from Punjab, when Chandigarh was snatched away and labeled as a Union Territory under Central rule, which also exercised control of the waterways. Punjab Congress leaders remained mute spectators. The writing of the saga of economic bankruptcy had started under Congress reign.

    On the plank of Punjabi Suba (State) and other issues, first the Akalis alone and later with support from BJP ruled the State. Parkash Singh Badal occupied the throne for a record five times, totaling a quarter century. During his tenure, millions and billions of governmental debt accrued. The mafia ruled the roost. Betraying the people who elected them, the Akalis treacherously yielded all power to BJP who had a field day. Rivers issue was dispatched to cold storage. Dynastic rule and nepotism became prevalent.

    The current Akali leadership has abandoned the original Akali ideology and has surely sidelined the pioneering and brave leaders of Akali history, thereby becoming a puppet in the hands of the land and construction mafia, brokers and wholesalers. The Akali image was tarnished as of the Congress. They ruled by rotation and it became sort of an unwritten agreement between them. Great hype was given to projects of public welfare, but it all remained on paper due to rampant bureaucratic red tape and allied corruption.

    Health and education sectors became big casualties of these evil times. The overall environment became polluted, metaphorically as well as literally. Power came to be centralized with the throne of the Chief Minister, surrounded by an army of nominated advisors, police and bureaucratic administrators. Real leaders and elected representatives became obsolete and were ignored. Municipal Corporations, Village Panchayats, Block Committees and District Councils were rendered redundant bodies and absolutely marginalized.

    All rights were usurped by the bureaucracy.

    The 3rd and 4th Fronts were formed, from time to time, by leftist parties, Aam Aadmi party, People’s Party of Manpreet Singh Badal, Lok Bhalai Party of Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Bahujan Samaj Party, Akali Party of Simranjit Singh Maan, Akali Party 1920 of Ravi Inder Singh and Lok Insaaf Party of Bains Bros. from Ludhiana, with all of these making sincere endeavors to provide an alternative with support from the public, who were fed up and desired change. Amarinder Singh has lost the public confidence due to unfulfilled promises. Akalis got maligned in the aftermath of the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and other religious matters. BJP has been in the doldrums due to the three black laws against the farmers.

    Again, all of this is leading towards another major politico-economic crisis, all the new parties have failed to develop vote banks despite massive support from the Punjabi diaspora, worldwide.

    Today, a great vacuum is verily visible. The Center is really adamant about the black laws and is desperately trying to demolish and malign the farmers’ agitation by deployment of nefarious tactics and arm-twisting. Entire Punjab is in the worst crisis. A divide has been created between the farmers and the wholesalers, due to introduction of online trading of the produce. GST and other financial aid have been stopped by the Center with the ulterior objective of crushing Punjab and Punjabis.

    Now it’s only some months when Punjab is to go to the polls. All parties are vying to get votes of the farmers who have successfully kept all politicians, at bay from the agitation. The BJP finds itself at the lowest ebb in Punjab. So, the BJP may either compromise with the farming Unions or it may mend fences with the Dalits, OBCs and SCs by propping up their leader to become the face of the prospective CM or it may bring forward some prominent and popular Sikhs.

    The Akalis, AAP, Congress and BJP are all trying hard to woo the people. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and BSP are toying with the idea of forming a 4th Front. Election manifestos, public rallies, leaders Confabulations andworkers conclaves are in full swing.

    However, the pertinent query remains whether any political outfit or any conglomerate is empowered enough to stabilize the crumbling economy of Punjab, thereby filling the vacuum due to which the youth is restless and flying abroad and farmers are looking for avenues to safeguard their identity and existence. Punjab is in the throes of the menace of land mafia and overall corruption.

    (The author is President Punjabi KalamnaveesPatarkarManch(Regd.),Punjab, India, and Chairman Punjabi Virsa Trust (Regd.), Phagwara, Punjab, India. He can be reached at gurmitpalahi@yahoo.com)

    (Translated from Punjabi into English by Amarjit Singh Anand)

  • India Assembly elections: Change of guard on cards in Punjab, Goa

    India Assembly elections: Change of guard on cards in Punjab, Goa

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Punjab and Goa, which reported high voter turnout for assembly elections on February 4, could be looking at a change, an analysis of past poll data reveals. In around 80% of the state assembly polls whenever voting percentage has been higher than the previous election, there has been a change in the government, election commission data for the last 20 years reveal. The probability of change is even higher when women voters outnumber men.

    Also Read Related Story: PUNJAB RECORDS 77.37% VOTER TURNOUT & Goa notches record 83% turnout

    Punjab reported 77.37% polling, a shade lower than 78.57% in the 2012 election. Goa turnout was 82.23% against 81.73% the last time. In both the states, more women turned up at polling booths than men.

    High voting, a recent phenomenon, has led to change in governments in most states though there are exceptions. Voters in Punjab took everyone by surprise in 2012 when they returned SAD-BJP to power, a first for the state where Akalis and Congress took turns to rule the state.

    Last year, Mamata Banerjee was given a second successive term by voters in West Bengal. When she ended the Left’s three decades of rule in 2011, it was a new voting record for the state. Sheila Dikshit returned as the chief minister of Delhi with a higher majority in 2003.

    “Invariably the enthusiasm at polling booths is for a change,” said Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, which has been monitoring voting patterns of assembly elections for the last 20 years.

    Kumar said understanding voting pattern was a complex issue and could vary from state to state in a big country like India, as elections also have caste and community dimensions. “But what we observe from analyzing long-term data is that if people are satisfied with the incumbent government, they normally may not come out in large numbers,” he said.

    In the last 20 years, India has seen voters’ enthusiasm rise. Higher turnouts can primarily be attributed to three factors -weeding out of bogus names from poll rolls, the election commission’s efforts to encourage voting and bring polling stations closer to voters’ homes and adequate security. The number of polling stations has more than doubled in the last two decades. All polling booths now have a central election observer to ensure free and fair polling.

    At least 10% of the names on polls rolls were found to be bogus or duplicate and were struck off, EC has said. “The ECI has worked a lot on this and it is showing results,” former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi said. These factors have helped build voter’s confidence. In around 160 assembly polls, including those for union territories, held since 1990, higher voter turnout was reported in about 122 elections, leading to change in the government in about 79.4% cases. Moreover, data also show that it is getting increasingly difficult for the ruling parties to retain power when compared to early years of Independence.

     

  • The Serenading over, the silent voter holds the key

    The Serenading over, the silent voter holds the key

    A do or die battle for the three contenders-Parkash Singh Badal, Capt. Amarinder Singh and Arvind Kejriwal.

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): Two days before the polling on February 4, campaign din ended on February 2. The three main contenders for power- the ruling SAD-BJP combine, the Congress Party and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held impressive roadshows to give a final push to their campaigns. As loudspeakers went silent at 5 pm, on February 2, party cadres were seen going door-to-door to persuade the voters. SAD-BJP combine is trying to retain power which the Congress Party and the AAP are trying to wrest from it. AAP is fighting the Assembly elections in Punjab for the first time.

    Election campaign in Punjab has always been marred with violence. It was no different this time. Often shrill and at times nasty, it was marred by the twin blasts at Maur Mandi in Bathinda on January 31 in which six persons were killed and several injured.

    In the first round, the electioneering revolved around the issues of drugs, unemployment, agrarian crisis and incidents of sacrilege. It was reduced to mere rabble-rousing in the last phase, with leaders making wild allegations against one another. What stood out was the participation of the Punjab youth in a big way.

    Polling for the 117 Assembly constituencies in Punjab on February 4 will decide the fate of 1,145 candidates in the fray. There is a stiff triangular contest among the SAD-BJP, Congress and AAP candidates in most constituencies. Other parties, such as the BSP, too, are in the election arena.

    On the last day of campaigning, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi chose to focus on Malwa, including Lambi, where PPCC chief Capt. Amarinder Singh is pitted against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal held a roadshow in Lambi. The AAP convener, Arvind Kejriwal, held one in Ludhiana. Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal spent the day in Jalalabad, her husband’s constituency.

    AAP’s Bhagwant Mann and Congress’ Navjot Singh Sidhu drew huge crowds during campaigning. Among the key campaigners were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP chief Mayawati, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and a number of senior leaders from various parties.

    The Prime Minister addressed two rallies in Jalandhar and Kotkapura where he sought votes on the “stability” plank, saying Pakistan was trying to disturb the state’s peace.

    On the other hand, Rahul claimed Punjab, a front-ranking state, had fallen behind as the ruling Akalis had “plundered” it to serve their own interests. He promised tough laws to curb the drug menace.

    New entrant AAP accused the SAD and the Congress of “hobnobbing” with each other and vowed to put the Badal family behind bars on the issue of drugs. All parties wooed the Dalits who constitute over 30 per cent of the electorate.

     

     

  • Dalit to be deputy CM if AAP wins Punjab: Kejriwal at manifesto release

    Dalit to be deputy CM if AAP wins Punjab: Kejriwal at manifesto release

    JALANDHAR (TIP): With an eye on nearly 32% Dalit voters in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday playing the masterstroke by declaring that if his party formed the government in Punjab, the post of deputy CM will go to a Dalit. The announcement was made at a rally here during which he also unveiled the party’s 19-point manifesto meant exclusively for the Dalits.

    Kejriwal said it was a historic announcement by a political party wherein Dalits have been promised a high place in the corridors of power.

    “Saari partiyan kehti hain hum Daliton ko ye denge, wo denge…lekin koyi kursi nahin deta. They only give you choice for MLAs, that too because of the reservation. But AAP is not here to exploit you for votes. We will share the power with you . Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram had stated that Dalits can only be brought in the mainstream if power is shared with them,” said Kejriwal, addressing a gathering in Dalit-dominated Doaba region.

    Even as the gathering was less in comparison to other AAP rallies, Kejriwal managed to steal the show with his announcement. AAP’s all Dalit candidates from across the state were present on the stage. He said it will be difficult for the traditional parties

    (Akali Dal and Congress)?to match what AAP has announced for the Dalits.

    The Delhi CM also said that even seven decades after the Independence, the Dalits are deprived off their rights. “Look at the plight of Dalits in Punjab. A journalist just told me that 18 lakh students study in government primary schools in Punjab, of which 14 lakh belong to Dalit families,” said Kejriwal. He said AAP enjoyed full confidence of Dalits in Delhi where it won all the 12 reserved seats. “In Delhi, we delivered what we promised for the Dalits. We have started regularising all safai sewaks,” he said, adding Dalits are being given free education and health care facilities in the national capital.

    Dalit manifesto: Old wine in new bottle?

    Except for promising deptuy chief minister’s post to a Dalit, the Aam Aadmi Party manifesto lacks innovation. Most promises in the document are more or less the same as those of rival parties.

    Concept of ‘mohalla clinic’ in Delhi has a mention in the document under the ‘Modern Pind Sehat Clinic’,, besides ?5 lakh health insurance. The promise to provide free gas connection, along with burner and stove, to all Dalit families is already being implemented in Punjab under the Pardhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna. The party also announced free education for Dalit girls up to Class 12.

    Why Dalit vote counts

    • ? 32% of Punjab’s population is Dalit – the highest in the country.
    • ? 33 of 117 seats in the state assembly are reserved.
    • ? With 23 seats, the Dalit-dominated Doaba is a decisive factor in power sweepstakes. Source: HT
  • Old and new faces, turncoats figure in SAD’s first list of 69

    Old and new faces, turncoats figure in SAD’s first list of 69

    Greenhorns, turncoats, industrialists and party’s old war horses are all there in the first list of 69 candidates released by the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal on Wednesday for the Assembly elections due early next year. As per seat-sharing arrangement with ally BJP, SAD will contest 94 out of the total of 117 seats. While BJP and Congress are yet to announce their lists, AAP has announced its candidates for 79 seats.

    The first SAD list has focussed on seats reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates where either new faces have been given party tickets or sitting legislators have been shifted to other constituencies.

    Punjab’s Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa would contest from Lehra instead of Sunam, the constituency he currently represents. All other ministers who figure on SAD’s list on Wednesday will contest from their current constituencies. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who represents Lambi constituency, and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who represents Jalalabad constituency, do not figure in the first list.

    Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal has been dropped from Payal (SC) constituency, from where Isher Singh Meharban has been fielded by SAD. However, in a balancing act to placate Atwal, the party has given ticket to his son and former MLA Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal for Raikot (SC) constituency. Isher Singh Meharban had contested as Congress candidate from Jagraon, also an SC constituency, in the 2012 Assembly polls and lost by merely 206 votes to SAD’s S R Kler.

    SAD has decided to field S R Kler from Nihalsinghwala (SC) constituency, currently represented by Akali MLA Rajvinder Kaur. Kaur had defeated Congress’s Ajeet Singh Shant in the 2012 Assembly polls by a margin of 591 votes. In the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Shant joined SAD in August 2013. Akali Dal will field Shant from Mehal Kalan, the SC reserved seat Akali Dal had lost to Congress in 2012 polls where Harchand Kaur, contesting on Congress ticket, defeated SAD nominee Gobind Singh by a margin of over 7,000 votes.

    With Kler being shifted to Nihalsinghwala, SAD has given ticket to Amarjit Kaur Sahoke for Jagraon. Currently Moga Zila Parishad Chairman, she is contesting Assembly polls for the first time.

    In Phillaur (SC) constituency, SAD has decided to drop sitting MLA Avinash Chander, instead fielding Baldev Singh Khaira, a former BSP heavyweight from Phillaur who joined SAD in July this year. Seth Satpal Mal, a prominent activist of Dera Sachkhand Ballan who had quit Congress as party’s state general secretary in October to join SAD, would be the ruling party’s candidate from another SC reserved constituency of Kartarpur. Mal replaces sitting Akali legislator Sarwan Singh Phillaur. Chander and Phillaur were questioned by Enforcement Directorate in multi-crore Jagdish Bhola drug racket case.

    To consolidate its position on yet another SC constituency that SAD lost badly in 2012 polls, the party has chosen Kabir Das as its candidate from Nabha. Das, formerly with Congress leader and key activist of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, joined SAD only last month. In 2012, SAD nominee Balwant Singh Shahpur had lost to Congress’s Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in Nabha by a margin of over 22,000 votes.

    Replacing its sitting MLA From Balluana (SC) constituency, Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, SAD will field Parkash Singh Bhatti, the current constituency in-charge of Jaito (SC) constituency who had unsuccessfully contested the 2012 Assembly polls from Balluana.

    Meanwhile, SAD has dropped liquor baron and sitting Faridkot MLA Deep Malhotra, replacing him with youth leader and Students Organisation of India coordinator Parambans Singh Bunty Romana, one of the 17 new faces who would contest polls on SAD tickets for the first time.

    Bunty is contesting Assembly polls for the first time. So does Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra who has been given ticket from Sanour in Patiala district. Harinderpal is the son of sitting Lok Sabha MP and senior Akali leader Prem Singh Chandumajra.

    Another new face of Akali Dal is Gurpreet Singh Raju Khanna, who has been fielded from Amloh.

    Dilraj Singh Bhunder, son of Rajya Sabha MP and senior Akali leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder, has also got party ticket from Sardulgarh.

    Punjab Police’s Deputy Inspector General Ranbir Singh Khatra’s son Satbir Singh Khatra would also contest on a SAD ticket for the first time. He has been chosen as the party candidate for Patiala Rural. Khatra was appointed as Patiala Rural constituency in-charge of Sanour by SAD, replacing late Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s daughter Kuldeep Kaur Tohra, in June this year. Contesting as an Independent in 2012 polls, Khatra had finished third in Patiala Rural segment.

    Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, who is a transporter, will contest on SAD ticket from Gidderbaha.

    Another new face who would be contesting Assembly polls for the first time is Gurmeet Singh Kular. A big industrialist in Ludhiana, Kular will be party’s bet from Atamnagar constituency. Another noted industrialist from Doaba, Jarnail Singh Wahid, has been given party ticket for Nawanshahr.

    The cabinet ministers who figure in Wednesday’s list of SAD include Bikram Singh Majithia (Majitha), Gulzar Singh Ranike (Attari), Sikander Singh Maluka (Rampura Phul), Janmeja Singh Sekhon (Maur), Sohan Singh Thandal (Chabbewal), Ajit Singh Kohar (Shahkot), Tota Singh (Dharamkot), Daljit Singh Cheema (Ropar) and Adaish Partap Singh Kairon (Patti).

    Source: The Indian Express

  • PUNJAB EX-MINISTER PHILLAUR QUITS SAD, LIKELY TO JOIN CONG

    PUNJAB EX-MINISTER PHILLAUR QUITS SAD, LIKELY TO JOIN CONG

    JALANDHAR (TIP): In a jolt to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), six-time MLA and former minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur has resigned from the party and also as legislator after he was denied ticket from his Kartarpur constituency in the first list of party candidates released on November 16.

    Sources in the Congress said  Phillaur is likely to join the party on Friday in the presence of its state chief Captain Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh. He has been in touch with the Congress for the past few days.

    Phillaur, who had to resign as tourism and jails minister in April 2014 after his son Damanvir Singh’s name cropped up in the Bhola drug case, has been sidelined in SAD for the past two years.

    He was also summoned and quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the drug case twice because of his alleged “business association” with Goraya-based businessman Chunni Lal Gaba, whose properties worth more than `100 crore were attached by the ED in the drug case. The former minister saiud he submitted his resignation as SAD member to party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and as MLA to assembly speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal on Thursday morning through his “representative”, but did not disclose his future course of action. “I will give all details, especially why I left the SAD, in a press conference in the coming days,” he said.

    Phillaur, who became MLA for the first time in 1977 when he was just 26, was considered among the tallest leaders of the SAD in Doaba region and a staunch loyalist of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

    He represented Phillaur constituency of Jalandhar district five times before he was shifted in 2012 to Kartarpur where he managed to win by a narrow margin of around 800 votes.

    Source: HT

  • Chautala meets supporters despite Delhi HC notice

    Chautala meets supporters despite Delhi HC notice

    JIND (TIP): Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, out on bail on health grounds, met his supporters, days after he and the CBI were put under notice by the Delhi high court on a plea seeking directions to the politician to surrender. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief went to residences of his supporters in Jind besides visiting the party’s election office.

    INLD is fighting a battle for the October 15 assembly polls in alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) after being out of helm of affairs for a decade. “Chautala arrived here last night. He met party workers and this morning left for Uchana to take a round of the village,” said a party spokesman.

    Chautala, however, maintained distance from the media. At the residence of an INLD supporter in the city he had breakfast. His supporters were seen touching his feet and offering him garlands. Chautala also visited the residence of a BJP leader on Gohana road where two saffron party politicians announced that they are joining the INLD.

    Ucahana in the Jat heartland from where his grandson and country’s youngest MP Dushyant is fighting his maiden assembly battle against Congress-turned -BJP leader Birender Singh’s wife Prem Lata.

    On October 1, the Delhi high court had issued notice to CBI and Chautala after senior advocate Vivek Tankha appearing for the petitioner lawyer contended that Chautala intends to
    “misuse the grace period of 17 days given to him to surrender” by planning to campaign during the period. While issuing notice to CBI and Chautala, the court had questioned, “Why has CBI not taken note of all this (election campaign)? CBI does not seem to be aggrieved by this.” The court also questioned the maintainability of the application. The petition had also contended that Chautala is “misusing the orders of the court and taking the court for a jolly ride, thereby abusing the process of law”.

    According to the petition, Chautala, who has been convicted and sentenced to 10 years jail term in a teachers’ recruitment scam case, was granted bail on medical grounds on May 21, 2013 and since then he has been out by extending it on the same ground.

  • Bhola sings on SAD leaders

    Bhola sings on SAD leaders

    PATIALA (TIP): Revelations by wrestler-turned-drug lord Jagdish Singh alias Bhola are apparently spelling trouble for ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Sources said that interrogation of Bhola has revealed involvement of two Akali leaders of Majha region in the drug cartel of Bhola, including one known in the region for flaunting his over a dozen vehicle bedecked with fancy registration number “0001” and the other for staking claim to fight 2007 assembly elections on SAD ticket. Following revelations by Bhola that both the leaders were supplying precursor drug to the former wrestler to process it into drugs, police on Thursday arrested Jagjit Singh Chahal, a resident of Romana Chack village in Amristar district and Manjinder Singh Aulakh alias Bittu Aulakh of Preet Larhi village of the same district. While Chahal was supplying precursor chemicals to the drug lord through a “go-between person”, Aulakh was operating an independent supply chain of the precursor chemicals for Bhola and was procuring these from the pharmaceutical sector and supplying them to Bhola, police said.

    Chahal, who comes from a humble business background and owns a large-scale business of tyres in the region, had shot into limelight around a year-andhalf ago when he purchased the fancy registration number CH-01-AN-0001 for Rs 17 lakh, the highest amount paid so far in the region to get the vanity number. The bid for the number was made at registration and licensing authority, Chandigarh, in June 2012. Flaunting his craze for fancy numbers, he then said that he owned a fleet of 10 luxury cars, all of which had “0001” registration number. He reportedly claimed that he also owned 10 motorcycles, all having registration number “1000” of different series, which are being used by employees working in his firm. On the other hand, Aulakh, who also holds a position in Shiromani Youth Akali Dal, was former sarpanch of Vairokae village and an aspirant SAD (B) candidate from Lopoke assembly constituency during last assembly elections. Aulakh is a prominent hotelier and owns Sanjog Hotel on Court Road in Amritsar. He had also been election campaign incharge of sitting SAD (B) MLA from Ajnala constituency. Interestingly, both the leaders come from fairly respectable backgrounds and were often seen with senior Akali leadership of the state.

    “Chahal is normally seen with SAD leaders in his luxury Pajero cars bearing 0001 registration number,” said former Congress MLA from Beas constituency, Jasbir Singh Dimpa. He said Aulakh also had gunmen for his security. “The gunmen were used for the smuggling racket,” alleged Dimpa. Police said Chahal was operating three factories using precursor chemicals — ephedrine and pseudoephedrine — which were diverted illegally from the medicine sector to manufacture synthetic drug ICE. Police added that 2 kg pseudoephedrine (worth Rs 2 crore) and 250 gm ICE (worth Rs 1.25 crore) have been recovered from Chahal and another 2 kg pseudoephedrine (worth Rs 2 crore) has been seized from Aulakh. Police have also uncovered three factories of Chahal — MBP Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Baddi, Montek Bio-Pharma Ltd, Baddi and Tulip Formulations, Damtal, near Pathankot — where he used to process the drugs.

  • Badals Meet Prez, Seek Mercy For Bhullar

    Badals Meet Prez, Seek Mercy For Bhullar

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on April 17 filed a review mercy petition with President Pranab Mukherjee seeking clemency for 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and cautioned that hanging of the death row convict could disturb peace and harmony in the state.

    The 17-page mercy petition filed by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal urges the President to go into “the merits of the case” and says “it does not fall within the definition of rare of the rarest cases”. Justifying the second mercy petition, SAD said “changed circumstances” necessitate a review and cites an SC judgment of 2010 to argue “there is no bar in filing a second clemency petition”. Emerging from the meeting, Badal told mediapersons, “We have sought clemency for Bhullar and the main reason is that the hanging will affect communal harmony and peace in Punjab.” On whether he was in favour of abolishing the death penalty, Badal said, “That is a big issue and needs a wider debate”. The petition says, “The Akali Dal is extremely concerned about the volatile law and order situation in the state. The fallout of the Supreme Court order has led to is a surcharged atmosphere in the state.

    Our apprehension is if the death sentence is executed, it will create serious law and order problem and will give fresh breeding ground to the people who are averse to the idea of peace and communal harmony”. The petition comes just three days after Badal met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on the same issue and submitted representations. Bhullar’s first mercy petition was rejected last year by former President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil.

    The Supreme Court had on April 12 rejected a plea that there had been a delay in deciding a mercy petition and upheld his death sentence. The petition said, “The Akali Dal is extremely concerned about the volatile law and order situation in the state. The fallout of the Supreme Court order has led to is a surcharged atmosphere in the state. Our apprehension is if the death sentence is executed, it will create serious law and order problem and will give fresh breeding ground to the people who are averse to the idea of peace and communal harmony”. SAD argued that Bhullar’s death penalty was confirmed following a split verdict of the Supreme Court. “Mr Justice MB Shah had dissented and held that if death sentence is altered to imprisonment for life, it would the sufficient to meet the ends of justice… the confession of the accused (Bhullar) is not voluntary.

    The main accused (Daya Singh Lahoria) has already been acquitted and further held that the accused is not guilty and deserves to be acquitted,” the SAD petition says while quoting the SC verdict. Badal’s plea is that the SC, while deciding Bhullar’s main appeal as well as review petition, had said “the President of India would keep in mind the view of Mr Justice MB Shah while deciding the clemency petition.” The Petition goes on to remind the President about powers under Article 161 of the Constitution of India: “The Constitutional powers are meant to do substantial justice.” Further citing a 1989 apex court judgment and referring to Article 72 of the Constitution, the petition says, “The President can go into the merits of the case decided by the courts and can take a different view. That would not amount to suppression of the judicial verdict”.

    The petition reminds the President how Daya Singh Lahoria, the principal accused for the 1993 Delhi blast in which Bhullar was convicted, was acquitted on the same set of evidence. “It is a travesty of justice that the person who is alleged to have only abetted is being hanged to death and the principal accused has been acquitted,” the SAD argument says.

    The party says Bhullar’s case is exceptional. He is mentally sick and under treatment. Further, India has assured Germany, from where Bhullar was extradited, of no death sentence.

  • SAD Sarpanch Held for Slapping Sanaur Superintendent

    SAD Sarpanch Held for Slapping Sanaur Superintendent

    PATIALA (TIP): The Civil Lines police arrested the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) sarpanch of Rathiya village late on December 12 night for allegedly slapping the superintendent of panchayat and rural development department posted in Sanaur office of department. Superintendent Jaspal singh had alleged on Wednesday that he was slapped by SAD sarpanch of Rathiya village Sukhjit Singh .

    “We have registered a case against sarpanch for assaulting government employee and arrested Sukhjit on Wednesday night,” said SHO Civil Lines police station Ranbir Singh. Sukhjit was sent in judicial remand by a court on December 13. Immediately after the incident, Tejinderpal Sandhu , area incharge of ruling SAD, had disowned the sarpanch and even said that he belongs to Congress party. But sarpanch himself and senior Congress leaders of Patiala said, sarpanch belongs to SAD as he joined it before last assembly elections and campaigned for Sandhu.

    Vice president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and former minister Lal Singh had also said, Sukhjit had leftCongress before last assembly elections and joined the SAD.