Friday, November 4, 2011

BJP, Akali Dal seek punishment for 1984 riots accused

New Delhi: A joint delegation of BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders on Thursday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought punishment of the Congress men accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu and Delhi BJP President Vijender Gupta led the delegation of MPs and office-bearers of the two parties to the Prime Minister on the 27th anniversary of the anti-Sikh riots and submitted a memorandum.
BJP and SAD are partners in government in poll-bound Punjab.
"More than 4,000 Sikhs were massacred in Delhi alone in the Congress sponsored massacre in 1984. Besides this, more than 7 thousand Sikhs were killed in other parts of India. The accused are still at large. Where is justice in this case?"
asked Naidu, after submitting the memorandum.
Naidu alleged that the Congress government in complicity with the Delhi Police were trying to save the leaders involved in the riots.
"The Delhi Police had prepared a chargesheet against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in April, 1992, but it has not been filed in the Court till date. It is evident the Centre is trying to save the accused," said Naidu.

with thanks : IBNLive : link above for detailed news.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Sikh body plans yatra to Haridwar on Nov 7

CHANDIGARH: In this season of yatras, a religious yatra is now on the anvil where the Sikh community would start a journey from Amritsar to Haridwar with the aim of reclaiming the land of a 450-year-old gurdwara at Har Ki Pauri, which was destroyed during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Announcing this here at a press conference, All India Sikh Conference (Babbar) leaderGurcharan Singh Babbar said the yatra would begin on November 7 and reach the site of Gurdwara Gyan Godri in Haridwar on November 10 where amid hymn singing, the congregation would take control of the gurdwara land, which is now under encroachment, to rebuild it.

with thanks : times of India : link above for detailed news.

Gill requests PM to honour Fauja Singh with Padma Award

NEW DELHI: Former sports minister MS Gillhas written a letter to Prime MinisterManmohan Singh, requesting him to honour iconic centenarian marathon runner Fauja Singh with a Padma Award

The senior congress leader heaped praise on Fauja Singh, saying he "has set the world imagination on fire, with his human endeavour, and never say die spirit." 

"I am writing this to once again request you (PM) and the committee, to honour Fauja Singh with a Padma Award. In doing so, frankly, we will be honouring ourselves," Gill wrote in his letter. 

The London-based 100-year-old Sikh, Fauja completed a 42km marathon in Toronto,Canada earlier this month, finishing the distance in eight hours, 25 minutes and 16 seconds. He also run in a Marathon in Frankfurt

with thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

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PM cancels Punjab trip, SGPC and Akalis upset

Chandigarh: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's much awaited visit to Punjab to inaugurate the ambitious Khalsa Heritage Complex (KHC) at Anandpur Sahib has been cancelled, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said Thursday.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had said the KHC, touted as a landmark monument of Sikhism, would be inaugurated by the Prime Minister between Nov 15 and 25.

Manmohan Singh, a Sikh himself, had agreed "in principle" to a request by the Chief Minister to inaugurate the KHC at Anandpur Sahib, 80 km from here, when the latter called on him in New Delhi in October.

The SGPC, considered the mini parliament of Sikh religion, and the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal have blamed petty politics of Punjab Congress leaders for the cancellation.

"The visit of the Prime Minister has been cancelled. The Sikh community had bestowed an honour on the prime minister, who is himself a Sikh, to inaugurate this great monument. But his visit has been sacrificed by petty politics," SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said in Patiala Thursday.

"The Prime Minister should not be so weak that he is influenced by others so easily," said Makkar, sounding bitter.

Punjab Congress president and former chief minister Amarinder Singh had last month written a letter to the prime minister to not come for the KHC project inauguration as it had already been 'inaugurated' in 2006.

Punjab Congress leaders were worried that the prime minister coming for an event for the Badal government and the SGPC so close to assembly elections could be detrimental to Congress interests.

Assembly Elections in the state are likely to be held February-March next year and parties in the state are already in election mode.

"It is unfortunate that he (PM) has said that I am not coming. It was an honour for him, being a Sikh, to inaugurate this prestigious project. The Punjab Congress and Amarinder Singh are responsible for this cancellation (of the visit)," Chief Minister Badal said.

with thanks : ZEENEWS : link above for detailed news.

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