SAD writes to EC : Demands Strict Action Against Maharani Parneet Kaur and Capt. Amarinder Singh

Chandigarh April 17

Shiromani Akali Dal today filed a complained to the EC of India for seeking strict action against Maharani Parneet Kaur and Capt. Amarinder Singh Chairman, Congress Campaign Committee for gross violation of modal code of Conduct in view of forth coming Lok Sabha Elections-2009. In a complaint address to Chief Election Commissioner Sh. N.Gopalaswami, the secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema had pointed out that Manarani Parneet Kaur entered in the office of returning officer Patiala for filling her nomination papers alongwith more than 50 persons in clear violation of model code of conduct. As per EC’s instructions, whereas according to EC’s instructions maximum number of persons that will be allowed to enter the office of Returning Officer at the time of filling nomination shall be the candidate plus four other individuals which may include any proposer." Thus the number of persons including candidate allow to be present in the office of Returning Officer for all intents and purposes, is five but Maha Rani Parneet Kaur & Capt. Amrinder Singh have no regard for the model code of conduct. Capt. Amrinder Singh even addressed media persons inside the office of Returning Officer in violation of Model code of conduct. Maha Rani Parneet Kaur was accompanied by Capt. Amrinder Singh, daughter in law Rishama Kaur, their daughter Jai Inder Kaur, Jeet Mohinder Singh MLA Talwandi Sabo, Balbir Singh MLA Kharar, Lal Singh President PPCC, Sh. Brahmahindra M.LA. Samana, Modan Lal M.L.A Ghanaur, Kaka Randeep Singh M.L.A Nabha, Hardial Kamboj, Major Amardeep Singh, K.K Sehgill, Prem Krishan Puri, Mr. Tarvedi, Satpal M.C, Monti M.C, Rajbir Singh Padiala and other leaders of Congress Party in blatant violation of Code of Conduct.

BADAL ASKS PM TO INTERVENE IN THE TURBAN ISSUE

CHANDIGARH APRIL 17

The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today asked Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to intervene “personally, effectively and immediately” to sort out the turban issue in US Army where two Sikhs inducted in Army on completion of their training programme had been asked by the US Army to remove their turbans and shear off their hair to enable them to discharge their duties.

The CM also urged the Government of India to take up the issue of the extortion of jazia from Sikhs in Swat and other areas in Pakistan.

Mr. Badal asked the Prime Minister to take up the issue at the highest level with the US authorities as the matter “is agitating the minds of the Sikhs and all right thinking people all over the world.

“Considering the highly sensitive nature of the issue, the matter was agitating the minds of the Sikhs all over the world. In view of the sensitive nature of the matter, urgent and immediate action was required,” said the Chief Minister.
Mr. Badal said that it was unfortunate that the Sikhs had been facing various forms of discrimination in several countries as they were forbidden to don turban in US Army and the ban on wearing turban in France was only symptomatic of this. He said that the Centre should show greater concern over these issues.

Regretting that religious intolerance was being allowed to become the norm in international affairs, Mr. Badal said that the ban on wearing one’s religious symbols “militates against the internationally accepted norms of human rights and preservation of religious and cultural freedom. It is amazing that such a retrograde step has been taken in a country like US and France which prides itself on its liberal traditions on freedom of conscience.”

The Chief Minister said that Dr. Singh, as a Sikh himself, would be well aware that turban “is one of the inalienable symbols of the Sikh religion.” As such, any ban on this amounted to crushing the right to freedom of religion and conscience.

UPA INSENSITIVE TO NATIONAL SECURITY-HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL

Chandigarh, April 17

Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal SAD-BJP candidate from Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency today accused Congress led UPA government for failing to guarantee the life and property of people and being insensitive to the core issue of national security.
In a statement issued here, Mrs. Badal said that it was due to indecisive and inapt handling of threat to security of nation, anti national elements have raised their ugly heads during the UPA rule as the government failed to convict any accused during last five years. She said that it was matter of great shame that during last five years alone there were 72 bomb blasts through out the country resulting in loss of hundreds of lives of innocent citizens and security personnel and Union Government failed to anticipate these blasts and afterward crack any significant module.
Accusing the Congress party for going soft on anti national elements just for the sake of vote bank politics, Mrs. Badal said that during five year UPA misrule, ordinary citizens were feeling paranoid with fear psychosis, as nobody was sure of the fact whether he would survive to see the sun next day.
Condemning the Congress led UPA for failing to rise to the challenge of direct war by Pakistan in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Mrs. Badal said that soft handling of this critical issue has made mockery of all of us in the international diplomatic circles. She said that nation cannot be secured by exchanging 'love letters' with your enemy as it was the duty of the government to pay back the foe of the nation in the same coin. She also accused Congress government of deliberately weakening the prosecution trial of Kasab, the Pakistani accused with an eye on vote bank.
She said that Home Minister Mr. P. Chidambram must take the blame for fiasco of sending of wrong DNA reports to Pakistan in the dossier of evidence sent to Pakistan and resign from the post owing morale responsibility for this failure. She said that by justifying it as a 'clerical error', Union Home Minister was making light of nation's security.
Mrs. Badal also charged UPA in mishandling the economy after post melt down era. She said that nation wants an explanation from the UPA for loss of 5 lac jobs during last six months alone.

Chandigarh 16 April:

The Punjab Govt. has declared May 07 and May 13, 2009 holidays under Negotiable Act 1881 to enable the people of Punjab to exercise their right to vote in Lok Sabha Election 2009. Disclosing this here today a spokesman of Punjab Government said that all the offices, boards, corporations, public undertaking Educational Institutions in the State would remain closed on both these days.

Sarv Shri Jagpal Singh, IAS Financial Commissioner, Rural Development and Panchyats and Sh. Gurdev Singh Sidhu, Director, Rural Development & Sh. S.Karuna. Raju, Joint Development Commissioner’s charge has been given to Smt. Tejinder Kaur, IAS, Principal Secretary, Technical Education ; Sh. Satish Chandra, Secretary, Planning’s charge has been given to Sh. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Irrigation ; Sh. T.R.Sarangal, Secretary, Welfare of SC/BC’s charge has been given to Sh. D.S.Bains, Principal Secretary Local Government ; Sh. Rahul Bhandari, Executive Director Punjab SCs charge’s Principal Secretary would make adequate arrangements internally ; Sh. Kulbir Singh, Secretary, PWD charge has been given to Sh. S.S.Channi, Secretary, Industrial & Commerce ; Sh. P.S.Aujla, Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation charge has been given to Sh. Ashok Kumar Gupta, Secretary Agriculture ; Sh. Harjit Singh, Secretary , Social Welfare, Women and Child development’s charge has been given to Sh. Kirandip Singh Bhullar, Secretary Home, Sh. Surinderjit Sandhu, Secretary, Defence Welfare’s charge has been given to Smt. Gitika Kalha, Principal Secretary Tourism and CEO Anandpur Sahib ; Sh. HIS Grewal, Secretary, Grievances and Pensioner’s and Sh. Ashok Kumar Singla, Director Grievances and Pensioner’s & Sh. S.S.Gurjar, Special Secretary, Grievances and Pensioner’s charge has been given to Sh. R.C.Nayyer, Financial Commissioner, Forest ; Sh. Sarup Singh Dhillon, Secretary, Parliamentary Affair’s charge has been given to Sh. Ashok Kumar Goyal, Secretary Co-ordination and Implementation.

SAD SEEKS STRICT ACTION AGAINST AMARINDER SINGH FOR MAKING INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES

Chandigarh 16 April: The Shiromani Akali Dal today demanded a strict action against the Chairman Congress Campaign Committee Capt. Amarinder Singh for vitiating the peaceful and harmonious atmosphere in the state by making inflammatory speeches during election rallies.
In a letter addressed to Mr. N. Gopalaswami, the Chief Election Commissioner by the Secretary SAD Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema cited few instances of gross violation of model code of conduct by Capt. Amarinder Singh during his party’s campaign. Capt. Amarinder Singh in a press conference addressed at the residence of MLA Talwandi Sabo Jit Mohinder Singh Sidhu on April 15 (Wednesday) made unverified allegations and presented a distorted version that 42 Congress Workers had been killed and more than 700 had been injured. Capt.Amrinder Singh has further threatened to take revenge and such provocative utterances by him were bent upon to disturb peace and harmony at the time of elections. He was creating a divide amongst the classes of the people and making such inflammatory speeches at various election rallies without caring for the election code.
Dr. Cheema further mentioned that on 13th April Capt.Amrinder Singh made similar remarks of taking revenge at a rally in Sangrur. Once again Amarinder Singh repeated his revengeful rhetoric at a rally in Talwandi Sabo on 14th April, 2009. His provocative speeches were disturbing the congenial atmosphere and creating ill will and hatred against a class of people and the same was also detriment to peaceful elections. Thus Amarinder Singh has violated the Model Code of Conduct by making such wild and omni bus allegations which have nothing to do with the public activities of the leaders and workers of the other parties in violation of clause (2) of General Conduct of Model Code of Conduct.
Dr. Cheema further said that it showed the political bankruptcy of the Congress party, the former President of the Punjab Congress had to stoop so low to make imaginary and false allegations. The Congress party has no policy, programme, past record or work to counter the development work undertaken by the Shiromani Akali Dal except such acts of fiction. As a testimony to the violation of model code of conduct by Capt. Amrinder Singh, the ‘Jagbani’ published the news item on April 16th with a heading 'Congressi Workran De 42 Katlan Da Akali Dal To Hisab Lia Javega-Capt'.
Dr. Cheema also urged the Election Commissioner of India to seek a factual report from the Returning Officer Bathinda to take strict action against Capt. Amrinder Singh for violating Model Code of Conduct.