The Asian Age – Teacher slapped by Akali sarpanch

Asian Age Corespondent

Chandigarh, 6 December 2011. The slapping of a protesting teacher by an Akali sarpanch on Sunday in a sangat darshan (Public Interaction) programme of Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has spiralled into a major controversy in poll-bound Punjab.

In a programme attended by Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who happens to be the wife of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, at Gidderbaha, a delegation of 40 protesting teachers wanted to hand over the memorandum of their demands to the MP. However, as the activists reached the venue, they were told by Akali workers to leave. But adamant delegation members decided to wait for the MP outside the venue. At this, a few policemen thrashed their leader Jarnail Jalandhari.

After this, when angry teachers raised slogans against the government, a village sarpanch, Balwinder Singh Toti, slapped a teacher named Varinder Kaur several times and also pulled her hair. When the delegation tried to stage a protest march, senior officials, including the local police, reportedly intervened to hush up the matter.

However, the incident turned into an embarrassment for the Shiromani Akali Dal, which tried to distance itself from the incident. Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal clarified that she had already left the venue when the incident occurred. “The incident is condemnable and guilty would be punished.” Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has said that action would be taken as per the law and the guilty will not be spared.

The Congress has taken a dig at the SAD and former CM Amarinder Singh has described it as a testimony to the “mess” in Punjab. He said that it is shameful that teachers pressing for demands are thrashed in front of senior Akali leaders.

However, the police said that it had not received any complaint in the matter and will take action if the matter is reported.

http://www.asianage.com/india/teacher-slapped-akali-sarpanch-434

The Tribune – Jobless linemen, teachers storm into Sangat Darshan

Balwant Garg, Tribune News Service

Lambi (Muktsar), October 23. Till some days back, former Punjab Chief Minster Surjit Singh Barnala was not “important” enough to require a comment in the political speeches of SAD (B) in this area. But now for the past few days after Barnala joined hands with Manpreet Badal, forming the Sanjha Morcha, while the Congress has been relegated to second position, the frontrunners are Barnala and Manpreet in the Akalis political diatribes.

Time and again, Badal claimed that the Sanjha Morcha has no political or social base, but now he is dubbing both Manpreet and Barnala as traitors and political defectors, bereft of credibility.

The people will teach these defectors a lesson, said Badal, while addressing a public gathering during the Sangat Darshan programme in Lambi constituency villages today. “People know that if these leaders were not faithful to their own party than how they can be faithful to them”, Badal said.

It was only after a bitter verbal attack on Manpreet and Barnala that the CM turned to the Congress-led UPA government, blaming it for all problems confronting Punjab.

Criticising the Congress, Badal alleged the party was hand in glove with petroleum companies to the disadvantage of the common man. He said 30 per cent increase in the petroleum prices during the current regime of UPA speaks about the ideology of the government which claims to be the votary of the common man.

However, the Chief Minister avoided the reply to a question about Punjab charging maximum, 33.36 per cent VAT and sales tax, on petrol in the country. Though the CM blamed the Congress for unemployment in the country but Badal himself faced a protest by unemployed youths today during the Sangat Darshan programme in Middu Khera. Over one dozen unemployed linemen barged into the barricaded and cordoned-off area and raised slogans against the state government and the CM.

While the police had just controlled the linemen, another batch of protestors, led by three unemployed women computer teachers, entered the Sangat Darshan area, demanding the CM to provide them employment. The police faced a tough time in controlling the protestors and rounded up 50 of them.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111024/punjab.htm#6