The Tribune – Spat between Badal, Dikshit escalates; Punjab CM says Cong playing a dangerous game

Tribune News Service

Anandpur Sahib, November 17. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reiterated his claim that the Delhi Government was to blame for the recent clash at Gurdwara Rakabganj in the national capital.

Badal also cautioned that any alleged interference in the affairs of the Sikh community could vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state as well as the country.

It was on Thursday that several persons were injured in clash between the supporters of the Delhi unit of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the Akali Dal (Delhi). SAD leaders Daljeet Singh Cheema and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar had then blamed the Congress and the Union Government for the violence.

The Chief Minister, who was here to inaugurate the annual athletics meet of Sri Dashmesh Academy, alleged that the Delhi Government was hand in glove with the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Paramjeet Singh Sarna.

“They are hell bent upon holding direct elections to the post of DSGMC president despite the fact that there is no such provision in place for other constitutional posts, including President, Prime Minister or a Chief Minister. This is being done with the sole motive to help the ruling Congress recapture power in the next Assembly elections,” he said.

About the verbal spat between Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal and Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Health) Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu over recent sting operations to nab government doctors indulging in private practice, the Chief Minister said both of them had amicably resolved the issue.

Ramoowalia too joins fight

In New Delhi, SAD leader Balwant Singh Ramoowalia appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to stop Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit from “intervening” in the religious affairs of the Sikh community. He also appealed to the Prime Minister to hold DSGMC elections before December 31 and withdraw cases registered against members of the Delhi SAD (Badal) unit.

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The Tribune – Ramoowalia: HC must come to rescue of deserted wives

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 9. As many as 55 women duped by their NRI husbands were produced before the media by SAD leader Balwant Singh Ramoowalia here this evening. Each narrated her tale of woes.

At least six of them said they had been fighting for justice in courts since the last 12 years. One of them, Harpreet Kaur of Gurdaspur, alleged that she had suffered harassment at the hands of personnel in the police women’s cell. Ramoowalia prayed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take suo moto notice and order a speedy trial of such cases.

He alleged that the Crime Against Women Cells were only harassing the victims and the High Court should appoint a sub-committee to hear
complaints against its officials.

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The Tribune – Rajoana case: Contempt charges against Patiala jail superintendent dropped

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 22. Patiala Central Jail superintendent L S Jhakhar is out of the contempt lattice. Accepting his unconditional apology, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today dropped the contempt of court proceedings against him. The proceedings were initiated for not executing death warrants of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a co-conspirator in Punjab’s former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the Division Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant after Jhakhar claimed he was followed the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of “Harbans Singh versus the State of UP”.

The judgment says prior to execution of death sentence, “the Jail Superintendent should ascertain personally whether the death sentence imposed upon any of the co-accused of the prisoner who is due to be hanged has been commuted and if it has been commuted, the Superintendent should apprise the superior authorities of the matter” so that it could be brought before the court concerned.

Taking a note of his statement, the Bench observed that the jail superintendent had also submitted an unconditional apology before the district court and again before the High Court.

Appearing on his behalf, Punjab’s Additional Advocate-General Anupinder Singh Grewal argued that the Additional District And Sessions Judge had issued contempt notices to Jhakhar, while it could only be issued by the High Court.

Balwant Singh was sentenced to death for his role in the former Chief Minister’s assassination and it was upheld by the Division bench headed by Justice Mehtab Singh Gill after he refused to contest the same.

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The Tribune – Hit by acquisition, Gujarat Sikh farmers seek Badals’ intervention

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 2. A delegation of Sikh farmers from Gujarat has sought the Punjab Government’s intervention to save their land from acquisition. Hailing from Bhuj area of Kutch district, the delegation called upon Shiromani Akali Dal spokesman Balwant Singh Ramoowalia.

The farmers claimed their property papers had already been confiscated by the Kutch district administration. Surinder Singh Bhullar, an affected farmer, said, “The Gujarat Government is in the process of evicting us from our land. We fought a case against eviction in the Gujarat High Court and won. Now, the government has appealed in the Supreme Court.”

The farmers claimed Punjabis had been allotted agricultural land in border areas of Gujarat in 1965-66 by the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri due to security reasons. “The former Prime Minister settled us there so that we act as a wall against the enemy on the border. The land was virtually barren. We worked hard to make it fertile. But the Gujarat Government has now decided to cancel the allotment of land and wants to evict the farmers under provisions of an old and abandoned law (Bombay Act, 1958),” a farmer said.

The move is likely to affect over 4,000 farmers. Over the last two years, the Bhuj Collector had already evicted 1,000 Sikh families after seizing their land papers.

Satpal Giri, an affected farmer with his roots in Haryana, said, “We have proof of land ownership. Still the collector’s office is holding us to ransom.”

Ramoowalia said he would take up the issue with Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and urge him to raise the matter with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to work out a solution to the problem.

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The Tribune – Patiala Jail Superintendent may land in trouble; High Court issues notice to him for not executing Balwant Singh’s death warrants

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 10. Patiala Central Jail Superintendent LS Jhakhar appears to be in trouble for not executing the death warrants issued against Balwant Singh in the Beant Singh assassination case. Balwant Singh was sentenced to death for his role in the former Chief Minister’s assassination. The sentence was upheld by a Division Bench headed by Justice Mehtab Singh Gill after he refused to contest the same.

A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a show-cause notice to Jhakar for August 7. He has been asked by the Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice RP Nagrath to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him under the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act. He has been exempted from personal appearance before the court.

The notice came on a reference to the High Court by UT Additional Sessions Judge Shalini Singh Nagpal. In the reference, Nagpal had sought action against Jhakhar. She had submitted that the warrants of execution of Balwant Singh’s death sentence were sent to the Jail Superintendent on March 5.

But these were not executed on the plea that the Patiala jail had no territorial jurisdiction to execute the warrants. The plea was declined and the warrants were returned.

On March 24, the warrants were again returned. Just about three days later on March 27, the Superintendent was directed to execute the warrants. Simultaneously, a show- cause notice under the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act was issued.

The Superintendent, who was present in the court, was directed to receive the death warrants. Despite the directions, the death warrants were not received and the Superintendent left the court.

The reference said the court then directed the death warrants be sent through a special messenger. But he reported back that the jail sentry had refused to receive the warrants.

A show-cause was then ordered to be issued to the Superintendent to appear in person on April 25 and explain under what circumstances the death warrants were not received by the jail staff.

The Judge said through an order dated June 7, it was held that Jhakar’s conduct amounted to interference with the due course of the judicial process and obstruction of the administration of justice and lowered the authority of the court. A reference was accordingly being made to the High Court for taking action against Jhakhar.

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The Tribune – SGPC yet to give a fair deal to women

Amarjit Thind, Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 16.  Bibi Jagir Kaur, the first women president of the SGPC, has been espousing the cause of gender equality in performing ‘seva’ in gurdwaras, but with little success.

“I had got the the Dharam Parchar Committee to pass a resolution, paving the way for women to perform kirtan inside the sanctum sanctorum and the ‘seva’ of carrying the Palki Sahib in the mornings. Our Gurus preached equality of man and women. Who are we to decide otherwise?

“But the controversy that erupted over the decision in 2004 was so acerbic that we decided that till a consensus was evolved, the matter be referred to a sub-committee headed by a senior vice- president.”

She said it was unfortunate that the committee had failed to resolve the issue and a report, if any, was yet to see the light of the day.

Bibib Jagir Kaur pointed out that during the time of Guru Hargobind, all spiritual and temporal issues were successful dealt with by Mata Ganga.

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