VOICE OF EX-SERVICEMEN PUNJAB

Let us stand by our soldiers in Kashmir

Capt Amarinder Singh

The situation in J&K is such that the Army is damned if it acts and damned if it does not. It needs the government’s backing. AFP

A few days ago, a picture was posted on Facebook showing a young CRPF jawan lying on the ground being kicked by gloating hooligans who believe they have the right to treat our security forces as such, and are the answer to Kashmir’s problems. That was for me a case of “enough is enough”.

These hooligans seem to believe that India will succumb to their macho instincts. By now they should have realised that Kashmir is a part of India, as Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession on August 18, 1947, long before they were born. That was then the condition laid down for all Indian princely states, and that signature made Kashmir an integral part of India, notwithstanding the regular hiccups from Pakistan or from their sympathisers in the Valley.

Recently, a mobile patrol of 14 RR near Bandipura was attacked. Tomorrow it may be some other military establishment. The headquarters of 5 Corps at Srinagar was attacked in the past. The pattern is consistent, when military activity is curtailed or subdued, militancy rises. History has on so many occasions shown us that unless the writ of the government is firmly established, negotiations are futile.

This phenomenon of the Valley turning out for a militant’s funeral will happen and will grow unless the government acts. The past is full of incidents which have strengthened militancy through appeasement. We today have Mehbooba Mufti as the Chief Minister, whose penchant for playing with fire is well established. We had militants being released in the past for her sister Rubaiya Sayeed; the first act of appeasement.  Her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was then the Union Home Minister. We then had the Delhi-Kathmandu flight hijacked to Kandahar in 1999. Three prominent militants in custody were released, including Maulana Masood Azhar of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. This was followed by an attack on our Parliament in December 2001, with Azhar being the mastermind. Appeasement only leads to the strengthening of the militants’ morale, while demoralising that of one’s own forces

It was after the failure of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s Operation Gibraltar in 1965, that the ISI escalated its involvement in Kashmir. When the holy relic of the Prophet was stolen in Srinagar in 1964 and riots broke out, all that was required to quell the riots were four Punjab Armed Police battalions. Look at the force level today? This is not the fault of the Army or the other security forces, but a confused Kashmir policy that has brought the current situation to the fore. The Army can contain a situation to a point, it is then for the Government of India (GoI) to take whatever political initiatives are required. The trouble is that before the Army brings Kashmir to the point necessary for negotiations, dabbling commences and the first casualty is the Army itself.

Those who do not have any experience of counter-insurgency operations seem to comment the most and do untold harm to the system. These are not riots, as the PDP MP, Muzaffar Baig, would make us believe by quoting a Supreme Court ruling, but full-fledged insurgency. This procedure is not possible in a full-fledged battle and I believe, has not been the intention in the SC’s judgment.

The Army must be allowed to bring militancy under control to a point where those professing it realise that the time has come to talk. Yes, people will die in the ensuing action, then so be it. Kashmir is Indian territory.  If those owing allegiance to Pakistan’s ISI continue to create instability then they must face the music. The Burhan Wanis may be the glamour boys for many, to India they are the perpetrators of violence and separatism. Let them not live with a mistaken belief that they have the upper hand.

The Government of India must allow freedom of action to the Army. The directive must be just one: “Bring a situation in the state where the writ of India runs and not that of the ISI”. Yes, in the ensuing clashes collateral damage will take place. No soldier likes such action. He is trained to face the enemy, not protecting his back against treacherous elements. We have had this experience in Nagaland, Manipur etc. The British army considered their Northern Ireland commitment prior to peace with the IRA, in the same light. It was the IRA which finally decided to talk peace when they could not face growing military pressure.

In such situations, the government must support any military action taken. Unfortunately, this has not been the situation. For instance, in Budgam when a car broke through a military checkpoint in November 2014, the soldiers manning the post opened fire, as was their duty. One officer and eight jawans were court-martialled and imprisoned. Penalising soldiers for doing what was expected of them is unacceptable. It is for the Chief and his Northern Army Commander to stand by their men in the difficult duty they are performing and not succumb to political pressures. A patrol was mobbed in the Qazigund area and an effort was made by the mob to snatch weapons from the soldiers, the patrol had to open fire to extricate itself, in which one man and two women were killed. The Army says it “deeply regretted” the incident and an inquiry has been ordered. This is ludicrous. Are we becoming an army of girl guides? What would have happened to the patrol leader had they managed to snatch the weapons? It seems the current policy is that you are wrong if you do and you are also wrong if you don’t – an absurd situation.

In the late 1950s, my battalion was in Nagaland. The orders were that no Naga would be dressed in khaki and would carry a weapon. One day, in the early morning mist an NCO-led patrol came across a Naga in khaki with what looked like a weapon (it was a staff). When challenged, he panicked and ran and the patrol opened fire killing him. It so happened, his daughter worked in the PMO. In the rumpus that followed, the PM demanded the battalion be disbanded. The Army Chief, General Thimmaya, refused to comply. He stood by his battalion and his NCO. Here we are today still serving the country. This is what the Army expects from our Chief and our Army commanders. It would be appropriate to end with a quote from President Obama’s statement on the recent violence against the police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana: “I want to be clear: there is no justification for violence against law enforcement. None. These attacks are the work of cowards who speak for no one. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes”. This in full applies to Kashmir.

The writer, the Congress MP from Amritsar, is a military historian.

Video on Parliament security sparks row, Mann ‘to explain’

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 21

Aam Aadmi Party member Bhagwant Mann may soon become the first parliamentarian to be called by the Lok Sabha Speaker to explain why he streamed live Parliament’s internal security details and procedures.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is learnt to have taken cognisance of the 11 minute-52 second video detailing Parliament’s entry, passage and security points, which Mann posted online on social media while travelling from his house to the Lok Sabha today.

The video shows security checks at Parliament that witnessed a terror attack in 2001. “Does my video pose a security threat to Parliament?” asked a defiant Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur, insisting he had not done anything wrong and that the people who sent him to Parliament had the right to know of its functions.

The controversial video shows Mann narrating security procedures MPs have to clear as they enter Parliament, besides the processes during Question Hour and Zero Hour references.

Sources said the Speaker had taken note of the video and might soon call the MP for an explanation. The Speaker might also seek a report from the Parliament security establishment on whether the video compromised safety. “The Speaker has always said Parliament belongs to MPs and it is for them to maintain its dignity and decorum,” an LS source said. Mann’s video invited large-scale criticism with Akali Dal’s Prem Singh Chandumajra describing the video as a “breach of security and of the faith of other members”. “What Mann did amounts to betrayal of MP’s faith,” Chandumajra said.

BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi sought to know Mann’s intentions behind the video. “It needs to be checked whether this was just another unreasonable act from an AAP MP or was this done at the behest of some agencies.”

Former Home Secretary and incumbent Lok Sabha member RK Singh was livid at Mann’s act and said, “He should have had some sense before doing this, considering Parliament has already been attacked once.”

https://youtu.be/lotqJBr1B9c

Mann was, however, unapologetic and said: “I will do this again. Let the Speaker serve me a notice. Is it wrong to tell the people how MPs get to speak in Parliament, how request for questions are submitted and how MPs get a chance to raise Zero Hour matters? I said at the start of my video that in any democracy people are larger than the leaders. How a lucky draw is decided in Parliament and how MPs speak is something people should know,” he said.

No names for CM’s post yet, says Chhotepur

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 21

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Navjot Kaur Sidhu has met Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi at least thrice since February.

This was confirmed by party’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, who held a meeting of party workers here last night.

He said given her dedication to the welfare of Punjab as was reflected in her stand on the issue of lack of development in her constituency and on the issue of drugs, AAP would surely welcome her in the party.

On rumours following the resignation of Navjot Singh Sidhu from the Rajya Sabha, Chhotepur said: “Sidhu is not being considered as the party’s CM candidate. The party has no names at the moment. In fact, it has been decided that he will not contest the elections.”

Though he did not comment on reports of Sidhu joining AAP, he said: “Navjot Sidhu will carry out a public contact programme.” He even said in case, people showed absolute faith in his leadership, the party might ask him to lead as the CM candidate.

Meanwhile, Chhotepur held discussions on the prospective candidates with party workers and also noted public expectations in the nine Assembly seats in the area.

A senior party leader said: “The Bains brothers (Independent MLAs Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains from Ludhiana) had also met Kejriwal, but they were told that no two candidates from the same family will be given the party ticket.”

Outsider’ AAP not bothered about state: Dy CM

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 21

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said here today that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was contesting the Punjab Assembly elections only to further its political ambitions.

He said the party of ‘outsiders’ was least concerned about the state’s development.

When asked about the rebellion by Akali MLAs Pargat Singh and Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Sukhbir said it was no longer an issue with him.

The Deputy CM was non-committal on the denial of a special financial package to the state. He claimed that all mega projects sanctioned by the Centre were part of the ‘special package’ given to the state.

SAD: Kejriwal making malicious phone calls

• Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Thursday accused Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of adopting “coercive methods in the form of malicious phone calls levelling the most vicious allegations against the SAD-BJP government.” In a statement released here, senior SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said Kejriwal was giving a veiled threat to the masses, adding that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) should take immediate notice of this “unscrupulous” practice. — TNS

Two Akali panchayats approach HC, seek direct funds from govt

Flay release of grants to agencies for village development

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 21

In a major embarrassment to the ruling SAD, two Akali panchayats in the Gidderbaha Assembly segment have filed petitions in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking direct allocation of funds to the panchayats.

The panchayats of Dhulkot and Butter Shrinh villages, led by the ruling SAD, have challenged the practice of the distribution of grants to various agencies for development works in villages.

The sarpanches of both villages accused SAD’s Gidderbaha constituency incharge Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy’ Dhillon of not allowing the authorities to give them funds.

Surjit Singh, sarpanch of Dhulkot village, said, “The panchayat of this village, which was elected in 2013, got just Rs 5 lakh for the construction of a gym in the last about three years. The halqa incharge did not allow any development work through the village panchayat. Even the grants sanctioned during the CM’s sangat darshans did not come to the panchayat’s account.”

Bikkar Singh, sarpanch of Buttar Shrinh village, claimed, “After getting the grants for development works once, we have not got a single penny. Development works are done through some departments and not by the panchayat. We want that the funds should be given to the village panchayat so that the money is utilised more judiciously.”

The sarpanches claimed that as per norms, the funds should have come to the panchayat’s bank account. The high court has clubbed both petitions and the first hearing will take place on August 16.

Why PM mum on Dalit atrocities, asks Capt

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 21

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh today condemned the incidents of violence against Dalits across the country.

“There appears to be a dangerous pattern in the verbal and physical abuse and violence against the Dalits everywhere, which is either being ignored or encouraged, at the peril of sparking off a caste war in the country,” he said in a statement issued here. He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the matter.

Amarinder announced to hold statewide protests against the anti-Dalit violence on Sunday. He will lead the protest at Kartarpur in Jalandhar district. 

AAP exhorts workers to stay united, work in unison

Gagan K. Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 21

AAP leader Sanjay Singh addresses a gathering during a rally at Rajpura on Thursday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Asserting that Navjot Singh Sidhu, who recently resigned from the Rajya Saba, will be joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) shortly and the AAP will form the government in Punjab with his help, in-charge of the party’s political affairs Sanjay Singh has exhorted the party rank and file to stay united and work in unison for ensuring the AAP government in Punjab in 2017.

He said the AAP would soon announce the news of Sidhu joining the party and it would certainly be a big boost for the party.

He admitted that Sidhu was a clean politician who had been raising his voice against the SAD-BJP alliance despite staying in the party, which speaks volumes about the strength of his character.

Singh said the party was going all guns blazing in Punjab and they would teach the ruling SAD-

BJP alliance and Congress a lesson in the forthcoming polls.

Addressing two jan sabhas in Rajpura and Patiala for traders, along with Patiala zone coordinator Dr Balbir Singh, Sanjay said people from other parties joining the AAP was actually a reason to rejoice. Earlier, politicians did not have any option, but with the formation of the AAP, all genuine politicians, who were feeling suffocated in the “mainstream parties,” now are keen to join us to realise their dream of a clean politics, he said.

“Every party needs to expand its base and we, too, need more supporters in Punjab. But we are not ignoring our previous volunteers. Newcomers have joined us without any condition and we will examine everyone before distributing Assembly tickets for Punjab,” he said.

The sabhas received a huge response with hundreds of traders turning up to share their grievances with the senior leaders and pledging their support to the party.

Lashing out at the Badal Family and Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Sanjay said “while they are dreaming of sending us to jail, they will themselves be behind bars once the AAP government exposes their misdeeds after coming to power”.

AAP will soon announce news of Sidhu joining party

• Sanjay Singh said the AAP would soon announce the news of Sidhu joining the party and it would certainly be a big boost for the party. He admitted that Sidhu was a clean politician who had been raising his voice against the SAD-BJP alliance despite staying in the party, which speaks volumes about the strength of his character.

Sidhu will not be CM face, say Punjab AAP leaders

Our high command has made it amply clear that Sidhu will join the party and campaign. The question of how he will fare as the CM face does not arise. SUCHA SINGH CHHOTEPUR, Punjab AAP convener
Sidhu will join AAP and campaign, but he is not going to contest, hence cannot be the CM candidate of the party in the run-up to the assembly elections. BHAGWANT MANN, AAP MP, campaign panel head

CHANDIGARH/BATHINDA: Three days after cricketer-turnedpolitician Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the Rajya Sabha and has all but formally quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two frontline Punjab leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Thursday that Sidhu will join the AAP but he will neither contest the assembly polls due early next year nor be projected as the chief ministerial face.

“Our high command has made it amply clear that Sidhu will join the party and campaign. The question of how he will fare as the CM face does not arise,” AAP’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur told HT. Chhotepur told reporters in Bathinda too that Sidhu will not contest the elections, and indicated that the Sidhu couple was in touch with the AAP for long, saying that Sidhu’s wife, BJP MLA Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, had met AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi four months ago.

Echoing Chhotepur’s view, Sangrur MP and AAP campaign committee in-charge Bhagwant Mann said Sidhu will join and campaign, but “he is not going to contest, hence cannot be the CM candidate of the party in the run-up to the elections”.

The two leaders’ take on Sidhu underscored the potential sticking points in Sidhu’s formal entry to AAP, which had promptly made a flurry of welcoming overtures to the three-time Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar after his resignation bombshell.

Both, however, reiterated their divergent views on whether AAP should project a CM face at all. Chhotepur, a former Akali veteran, said, “Personally, I believe a CM face should not be projected in Punjab. The CM should be chosen by the winning MLAs after the elections, in line with the highest principles of democracy.”

Mann, on the other hand, said it was imperative that a CM candidate be announced during the campaign. “People who have to make a choice and vote for you have the right to know who they are associating themselves with. The CM candidate is the most important leader of the party, and he is also a source of inspiration for party workers.” Mann went on to say that the AAP should have been the first to declare their CM face “for an edge over others”. To buttress his point, he said, “In Delhi, for instance, we had posters of on auto-rickshaws saying ‘Arvind Kejriwal versus who?’ That showed the voters that we were confident of a win and had the courage to stick our neck out. I personally feel something similar should be done here.”sked who it should be, Mann said, “That’s for the party high command to decide.”

ਸਜ਼ਾਯਾਫਤਾ ਸਿੱਧੂ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੜ ਸਕਦੇ ਚੋਣ: ਛੋਟੇਪੁਰ

Posted On July - 21 - 2016

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* ਆਮ ਆਦਮੀ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਲਈ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ ਚੋਣ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ
* ਪਤਨੀ ਨਵਜੋਤ ਕੌਰ ਸਿੱਧੂ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ ਟਿਕਟ

ਸੁੱਚਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਛੋਟੇਪੁਰ ਬਠਿੰਡਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੀਡੀਆ ਨਾਲ ਗੱਲਬਾਤ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋਏ। -ਫੋਟੋ: ਪਵਨ ਸ਼ਰਮਾ

ਟ੍ਰਿਬਿਊਨ ਨਿਊਜ਼ ਸਰਵਿਸ
ਬਠਿੰਡਾ, 21 ਜੁਲਾਈ
ਆਮ ਆਦਮੀ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੇ ਸੂਬਾ ਕਨਵੀਨਰ ਸੁੱਚਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਛੋਟੇਪੁਰ ਨੇ ਅੱਜ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਸੰਸਦ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਨਵਜੋਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਿੱਧੂ ’ਤੇ ਅਸਿੱਧੇ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਾ ਲਾਉਂਦਿਆਂ ਆਖਿਆ ਕਿ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੇ ਅਸੂਲਾਂ ਮੁਤਾਬਿਕ ਉਹ ਚੋਣ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੜ ਸਕਣਗੇ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀ ਹੀ ਸੌਂਪੀ ਜਾ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਆਖਿਆ ਕਿ ਨਵਜੋਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਿੱਧੂ ਇਕ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਜ਼ਾਯਾਫ਼ਤਾ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦਾ ਸਿਧਾਂਤ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸਜ਼ਾਯਾਫ਼ਤਾ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਣ ਮੈਦਾਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਉਤਾਰਿਆ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ।
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਛੋਟੇਪੁਰ ਨੇ ਇੱਥੇ ਆਖਿਆ ਕਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਸਿੱਧੂ ਦੀ ਪਤਨੀ ਨਵਜੋਤ ਕੌਰ ਚੋਣ ਲੜ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ ਜੋ ਚਾਰ ਕੁ ਮਹੀਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਅਰਵਿੰਦ ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲੇ ਸਨ। ਸਿੱਧੂ ਜੋੜੀ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਲਾਘਾ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ਨਿੱਤਰ ਕੇ ਦੋਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਦਲੇਰੀ ਵਾਲਾ ਫ਼ੈਸਲਾ ਲਿਆ ਹੈ। ਆਗਾਮੀ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿਧਾਨ ਸਭਾ ਚੋਣਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੈਰਿਟ ਦੇ ਆਧਾਰ ’ਤੇ ਟਿਕਟਾਂ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ ਦਾਅਵਾ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਬੇਦਾਗ਼ ਸ਼ਖਸੀਅਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਚੋਣ ਮੈਦਾਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਤਾਰਿਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਆਖਿਆ ਕਿ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ’ਚੋਂ ਕੱਢੇ ਗਏ ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਪਰਗਟ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ਉਹ ‘ਆਪ’ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸਿਫਾਰਸ਼ ਕਰਨਗੇ।
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਛੋਟੇਪੁਰ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ ਕਿ ਸੂਬੇ ਦੇ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਦਫ਼ਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਲੋਕ ਤੀਸਰੇ ਬਦਲ ਦੀ ਤਲਾਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ‘ਆਪ’ ਨੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਬਦਲ ਦੇ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ,‘‘ਹਾਕਮ ਧਿਰ ਨੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਮਨ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਲਏ ਹਨ ਜਿਸ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਬੌਖਲਾਹਟ ਵਿੱਚ ਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ‘ਆਪ’ ਨੂੰ ਬਦਨਾਮ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਨੀਵੇਂ ਪੱਧਰ ਦੇ ਹੱਥਕੰਡੇ ਵਰਤਣੇ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਹਨ ਜਦੋਂ      ਕਿ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੇ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਅਤੇ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਤੋਂ ਪੂਰੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਮੂੰਹ ਫੇਰ ਲਿਆ ਹੈ।’’ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਈਵੇਟ ਕੰਪਨੀ ਕਰਾਰ ਦਿੰਦਿਆਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ    ਕਿ ਇਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਬਾਦਲ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਹੀ ਪ੍ਰਮੁੱਖ ਹੈ।
ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੀ ਮਹਿਲਾ ਵਿੰਗ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਪ੍ਰੋਫੈਸਰ ਬਲਜਿੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ, ਸੇਵਾਮੁਕਤ ਪ੍ਰਿੰਸੀਪਲ ਨਰਿੰਦਰਪਾਲ ਭਗਤਾ, ਚੋਣ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਦੇ ਮੁਖੀ ਬੂਟਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਸ਼ਾਂਤ, ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਵਿੰਗ ਦੇ ਨਵਦੀਪ ਜੀਦਾ, ਵਪਾਰ ਵਿੰਗ ਦੇ ਆਗੂ ਅਨਿਲ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਅਤੇ ਮੀਡੀਆ ਇੰਚਾਰਜ ਨੀਲ ਗਰਗ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਸਨ।

‘ਆਪ’ ਵੱਲੋਂ 9 ਹਲਕਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਵਰਕਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਬੈਠਕ

ਬਠਿੰਡਾ: ਆਮ ਆਦਮੀ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਉਮੀਦਵਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਚੋਣ ਦਾ ਕੰਮ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਬਾਰੇ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਦਿੰਦਿਆਂ ਸੁੱਚਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਛੋਟੇਪੁਰ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਅੱਜ 9 ਹਲਕਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਵਰਕਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਮੀਟਿੰਗ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਜਾਣੇ ਗਏ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਹਲਕਿਆਂ ’ਚੋਂ ਲਈ ਗਈ ਫੀਡਬੈਕ, ਉਮੀਦਵਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਚੋਣ ਅਤੇ ਚੋਣ ਮਨੋਰਥ ਪੱਤਰ ਤਿਆਰ ਕਰਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਹਾਈ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ।

Will cancel 25K ‘out-of-turn’ tubewell connections: AAP

DISCRETIONARY BIAS’ Party leader Khaira says 4.2 lakh applications of farmers ignored to release connections on recommendations of Akali-BJP MLAs

The PSPCL chairman is a puppet in the hands of Badals, and has blindly accorded sanctions under his discretionary quota. SUKHPAL SINGH KHAIRA, AAP leader

CHANDIGARH: If the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) forms the government in Punjab, it plans to cancel more than 25,000 tubewell connections released “out of turn” on recommendations of Akali and Bharatiya Janata Party state legislators under the “discretionary quota” of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chairman.

AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira made this announcement during a press conference here on Thursday.

Showing constituency-wise data gathered by AAP’s Right to Information (RTI) wing incharge Dinesh Chadha, Khaira said while Badal government released these tubewell connections to their cronies, more than 4 lakh farmers were kept waiting for their connections.

“More than 4.2 lakh applications are pending with PSPCL for tubewell connections. Some were filed far back in 1996. Badal, in order to please his MLAs and halqa (constituency) in-charges and to reap quick political gains, has broken the long-pending queue of tubewell connections through backdoor gimmickry,” said Khaira.

The former Congress MLA alleged the PSPCL chairman was a “puppet” in the hands of Badals, and had blindly accorded large-scale sanctions under his discretionary quota. SUKHBIR, MAJITHIA’S CONSTITUENCIES GOT LION’S SHAREKhaira said out of 25,000 such connections, almost 10% had been released in Jalalabad and Majitha, the constituency of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia, respectively.

“Sukhbir and Majithia have allotted 1,055 and 1,461 connections, respectively, in their constituencies while in the rest of the constituencies the number is averaging around 250 each,” he said. When asked how come the number of connections under the chairman’s discretionary quota was only 4 in Lambi, the chief minister’s constituency, Khaira said the CM had probably not “understood” how it is done.

The AAP leader said the number of such connections in the constituency of CM’s sonin-law Adaish Partap Singh Kairon’s was also low, as probably his recommendations were “not given any significance”.Khaira alleged a large number of connections were also given in constituencies of Congress MLAs, pointing towards the fact that even they had been taken on board by the Akalis. “The Congress MLAs are allowed some connections; the rest are given on the recommendations of halqa in-charges,” he said.

Congress trying to poach, but Sidhu out of bounds

HUNTING SEASON Party trying to approach BJP rebel through friends; also keen on getting SAD rebels Pargat, Bolaria on board

Dushman ka dushman dost hota hai. SAD-BJP is our enemy, which makes Sidhu, Pargat, Bolaria our friends. Before the battle, every general wants to strengthen his army. CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, Punjab Congress chief

CHANDIGARH: Three rebels from the ruling Akali-BJP alliance are ‘on the loose’ and it is the Congress that is trying to catch them. The party has been witnessing a flurry of activity after resignation of former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu from Rajya Sabha on Monday triggered speculations of his joining the Aam Aadmi Party. It is also attempting to ‘poach’ the two Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLAs, Pargat Singh and Inderbir Bolaria, who have been suspended from the party a day after Sidhu’s exit.

After Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh formally invited Sidhu to join the party on Tuesday, hectic parleys have been on to lure the firebrand leader over fears that his foray into AAP can greatly benefit the latter to the detriment of the Congress. However, Sidhu, who was in New Delhi on Wednesday, remained out of bounds for the media and political leaders.

Though Amarinder and his team denied they had formally approached Sidhu, sources within the party revealed the Congress is trying to get all the three SAD-BJP rebels on board. “The party has sent feelers to Sidhu through his friends in Amritsar and local leaders. We are also trying to get Pargat Singh into Congress. As for Bolaria, he has been in touch with us,” party sources said.

Amarinder said he had already stated he would be happy to have Sidhu and Pargat in the party. “Sidhu came to Delhi on Wednesday and I have learnt from the media that he (Sidhu) has locked himself up in his apartment. I have already issued a statement inviting him to join the party as his father was a general secretary when my mother was Patiala district Congress committee president. Likewise, Pargat was director, sports, when I was Punjab CM and Bolaria’s father was an MLA in my government. All three are fed up and disillusioned by Akali-BJP combine and I invite them all to join the Congress. Dushman ka dushman dost hota hai. SAD-BJP is our enemy, which makes Sidhu, Pragat and Bolaria our friends. Before the battle, every general wants to strengthen his army,” Amarinder told HT.At Wednesday’s meeting in Delhi with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the party discussed the impact of SidhuAAP pact on its poll prospects. Owing to suspense on Sidhu’s next move—neither he nor his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu have yet resigned from the BJP—the party felt it was worth trying to lure Sidhu away from the AAP, which has thrived on waning fortunes of both SAD-BJP and the Congress in Punjab.

But in its bid to poach dissidents of other parties, the Congress will have to encounter resistance from some of its own. Jalandhar Cantonment, the seat Pargat represents, has Jagbir Brar as contender. Brar has now mended fences with Manpreet Badal and would not like to be edged out by Pargat’s entry. Similarly, in Amritsar (south) constituency of Bolaria, Jasbir Dimpa and Harjinder Singh Thekedar are contenders for the party ticket.

‘SIDHU WON’T AGREE TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE’

But even leaders trying to get Sidhu on the Congress ship see little reason in his choosing it over the AAP. “He will not like to work as second fiddle in the Congress (to Amarinder) when he can become the CM face in the AAP. He was keen on joining the Congress during Captain’s tenure as CM but it was Amarinder who did not support the idea then,” one of Sidhu’s close associates said.

The Congress too knows it and has prepared a counter-narrative. “Sidhu’s entire political career has been at Delhi. He was missing from Amritsar as its MP. Nobody knows him in Sangrur, Bathinda and other areas of Punjab. So, the Congress will not be ruffled if he joins AAP. But we want him to join us as he has old Congress ties,” Amarinder said.

According to party insiders, the offer is being made also as they feel AAP may be exerting “pressure” on Sidhu to join it as was “evident from the timing of his resignation” that came when Arvind Kejriwal was looking for a face-saver after the unsavoury controversy over party’s youth manifesto. It also believes Sidhu will face resistance from Punjab AAP leaders, most of whom have CM aspirations. “The AAP will see a lot of upheavals after Sidhu’s entry and many might jump its ship. The Congress might as well benefit from the uprising,” a senior MLA said, requesting anonymity.