Chandigarh:

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday called Punjab his state’s “elder brother” and urged it to share water from the Ravi and Beas through the Sutlej Yamuna link (SYL) canal.

He made the suggestion while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Earlier in the day, he also visited the Radha Soami Satsang in Beas and met the sect’s chief, Gurinder Singh Dhillon, at his residence.

While Haryana has built its portion of the canal, Punjab is reluctant to complete the stretch in its territory, saying it has no water to spare.

Speaking to reporters on the SYL canal issue, Saini said, “Punjab is our elder brother, and it is the duty of the elder brother not to let the younger brother be disappointed.”

He also stressed the familial bond between Punjab and Haryana, stating, “Punjab-Haryana is one family and I appeal to our elder brother to share water with us.”

Recently, after the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi accused Haryana of not releasing the national capital’s share of water, Mr Saini maintained that Haryana is releasing water to the city over and above the agreed-upon quantity.

Mr Saini had then said that there is also an AAP government in Punjab, and they should ask Punjab to give SYL canal water so that Haryana’s water shortage can be overcome and Delhi can also get more water.

During his visit to the Golden Temple, Mr Saini partook of ‘langar’ and offered “sewa” (voluntary service) by washing utensils.

The Gurudwara Committee presented him a ‘siropa’ (robe of honour), the statement said.

Speaking to reporters after paying obeisance at the Golden temple, Mr Saini said, “Today, I have found great peace of mind by visiting the holy city Amritsar”.

We should pledge to follow the path shown by the Gurus, Mr Saini said, adding that he prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the people of the state and the country.

“The sacrifice of our Sikh Gurus for the protection of the nation and religion is embedded in every particle of this holy land, which inspires the entire country to serve the nation,” he said in a post on X.

According to an official statement, the Haryana chief minister’s visit to Radha Soami Satsang at Beas was a “courtesy” meeting.

“Met Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon Ji, the spiritual head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas. Under his able leadership, RSSB has been at the forefront of many community service efforts. On this occasion, received guidance from Baba Gurinder Ji on various spiritual and social issues,” Mr Saini said in another post on X in Hindi.

He later visited the Ram Tirth temple near Amritsar city.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has expressed grave concern over the allegations made against Punjab minister Balkar Singh of engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct and sought a prompt and impartial probe into the matter.

The allegations were brought to light by BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who accused Balkar Singh, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), of engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct.

According to Mr Bagga, Mr Singh was involved in a sexual activity during a video call with a woman seeking employment.

The NCW, led by its chairperson Rekha Sharma, has vehemently condemned the purported behaviour.

The NCW said in a post on X that Ms Sharma called for urgent intervention from the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) to ensure a prompt and impartial investigation into the matter.

The NCW has requested a comprehensive report on the incident to be submitted within three days.

“The National Commission for Women is gravely disturbed by a Twitter post alleging inappropriate conduct by Punjab MLA Mr Balkar Singh. The reported acts, if substantiated, constitute serious violations under IPC sections 354 and 354B, directly affronting a woman’s dignity. @sharmarekha vehemently condemn such behavior and call for urgent intervention from @DGPPunjabPolice to ensure a prompt and impartial investigation. A comprehensive report to be submitted in 3 days,” the NCW said in a post on X. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

Her own home was made a living hell for a 73-year-old woman by none other than her son, whom she cared for and educated enough for him to become a lawyer. Videos show the woman being tortured and mercilessly thrashed by her son, daughter-in-law and even her grandson. The lawyer was finally arrested based on evidence from a CCTV camera that he himself had installed in his mother’s room.​

Before his arrest, the lawyer said that he had been serving his mother. 

Asha Rani stayed in Punjab’s Rupnagar with her son, daughter and daughter-in-law. Her husband had died of a heart attack recently and she had told her daughter, Deepshikha, that her son, Ankur Verma. and his wife, Sudha, used to assault her. The daughter managed to get hold of footage from the CCTV camera installed in Asha Rani’s room and was stunned by what she saw.

A horrific video shows the victim’s grandson pouring water on Asha Rani’s mattress and then complaining to his parents that she had wet the bed. Ankur and Sudha are seen coming to investigate and Ankur is then seen assaulting the woman as she lies on the bed. He punches her back, slaps her repeatedly and alternates between the two, all while appearing to be screaming at her. This goes on for nearly a minute.

Ankur leaves and Sudha and the grandson are then seen coming into the room. Sudha points and says something and Ankur walks in again, holds his mother by the hair and jolts her head repeatedly. He is seen slapping her and punching her head while he does this. His wife and son leave the room but he keeps assaulting his mother. 

Another video shows Sudha slapping Asha Rani and the grandson dragging her and placing her right on the edge of the bed. The videos of the assault are from September 19, October 21 and October 24. 

Based on a complaint by Deepshikha, a police team and some people from an NGO reached Asha Rani’s house and rescued her on Saturday. During the rescue, Ankur said that he had been serving his mother, who “wasn’t in the right mental state”. 

A police official said, “Ankur has been arrested and a case has been registered under sections linked to voluntarily causing hurt to extort property, wrongful confinement and Section 24 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.”

New Delhi:

The Punjab government and its police were at the receiving end of sharp rebuke from the Punjab and Haryana High Court today over “non-action in the drug menace facing the state.  Pointing out that the police personnel seldom turn up to give statement as witnesses, the court said, “It is clearly visible that there is collusion between the drug mafia and the police”.

“When the government witnesses, who are police personnel, are not appearing for years to testify, then suspicion will definitely be raised against the police,” the judges said.

As the state police chief appeared in the court in drug-related case, the High Court reprimanded him as well as the state government.

“Punjab is a border state and also very sensitive. Despite this, the government and police have failed and have broken the trust of our entire country,” the judges said.

“We are continuously seeing that the government is not taking any action. It seems that the police are in collusion with the drug mafia. Your DGP is completely ineffective and so is the government,” the judges said, demanding that the police chief first “apologize and then take immediate action”.

The government, the judges said, should not give any assurance to the High Court. “Show it by doing something,” the judges said.

The government should first put its house in order, the judges added, and gave a time frame on how action will be taken.

Chandigarh:

 The Punjab government will attach the properties of everyone who built these assets by indulging in corruption, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Thursday and added that a crusade has been launched in the state against graft.

CM Mann was addressing a gathering after handing over job letters to 272 newly-inducted cooperative inspectors, according to an official release.

During the address, Mr Mann slammed the opposition parties’ accusation that the state government is indulging in political vendetta and said his dispensation has launched a crusade against corruption and no corrupt leader will be spared.

These leaders constructed palatial farm houses but the common man is running pillar to post to make both ends meet, he alleged.

“We will attach the properties of all those who built those with corruption money,” he said.

Every single penny will be recovered from these corrupt leaders and utilised for the welfare of the public, CM Mann asserted.

The chief minister said his government has so far completed the process of handing over recruitment letters to 36,796 youngsters in various departments, adding that all appointments were made completely on merit.

The sole agenda of the AAP dispensation from day one has been to empower the youngsters by providing government jobs, Mr Mann said.

The state government is also opening eight centres to train students for competitive exams, he added.

The chief minister exhorted the new recruits to judiciously use their positions for the welfare of the people and securing justice for them rather than harassing them.

Punjab has emerged as the most preferred investment destination in the country due to the state government’s concerted efforts, Mann claimed.

The state has attracted investments worth Rs 50,871 crore, which will create 2.89 lakh jobs, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reprimanded the Punjab government for ignoring a 21-year-old direction to construct its side of a canal linking the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers, and warned the ruling Aam Aadmi Party to comply with its orders on pain of further action. A bench led by Justice SK Kaul told the Punjab government it “has to accept maryada (decorum) of the Supreme Court”.

The court told Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration “… don’t compel us to issue tough orders”, and directed the centre to oversee talks between Punjab and the Haryana governments on this topic; the latter has completed construction of its half of the canal.

A bench that also included Justice CT Ravikumar and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia also told the centre to take over and complete pre-construction land surveys and re-listed the matter for January.

“We are concerned with (non-)execution of a decree for construction of a canal (in the) Punjab portion. We would like the Union of India to survey the portion of land allocated… An estimate has to be made for extent of construction (needed)…” the court said.

At today’s hearing, counsel appearing for the Punjab government blamed the delay on pressure from opposition parties and problems acquiring land from farmers.

“There may be political implications (but) something has to be done. Canal will have to be constructed in Punjab… do not compel us to issue tough orders,” an irate top court replied.

Earlier, the Haryana side had said, “The only thing that remains is construction. Punjab, of course, has to co-operate. That is what federalism is about… we have to move forward.”

“You (the two states) solve matter together… do not force us to issue strict orders,” the court said, “We cannot get into it… you will have to find a solution.” The court then turned to the centre’s representative and asked, “Yes, Union of India, what are you doing?”

Today’s hearing comes a week after Mr Mann met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Amritsar and strongly opposed construction of the canal from his side. He called the canal as a “highly emotive issue” for Punjab and said building it may lead to law-and-order issues.

READ | Give Chandigarh To Punjab, No Spare Water To Share: Bhagwant Mann

Congress, AAP, BJP Respond

In a rare show of unity, the Congress and BJP have both backed the AAP government.

Congress leader Amarinder Raja Warring said, “We respect the Supreme Court but Punjab has no water to give to anyone. We cannot give water by killing rights of our people.”

ਅਸੀਂ ਸੁਪਰੀਮ ਕੋਰਟ ਦੇ ਹਰ ਫੈਸਲੇ ਦਾ ਸਤਿਕਾਰ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ ਪਰ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕੋਲ ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ ਕੋਈ ਪਾਣੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ। ਅਸੀਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਕ ਮਾਰ ਕੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਪਾਣੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਦੇ ਸਕਦੇ।
ਮੇਰੀ @BhagwantMann ਜੀ ਨੂੰ ਅਪੀਲ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਵਧੀਆ ਤੋਂ ਵਧੀਆ ਵਕੀਲ ਆਪਣਾ ਪੱਖ ਰੱਖਣ ਲਈ ਸੁਪਰੀਮ ਕੋਰਟ ਭੇਜੇ ਜਾਣੇ ਚਾਹੀਦੇ ਹਨ।…

— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) October 4, 2023

Mr Warring appealed to Mr Mann to send “the best lawyers” to plead Punjab’s case to the Supreme Court. “Earlier, due to this issue, Punjab saw a dark period, so it should be solved.”

The BJP’s Punjab chief, Sunil Jakhar, who was earlier a Congress leader, tweeted, “Let me reiterate – Punjab doesn’t have a drop of water to share – period!”

In response to the court’s rebuke, the AAP government underlined that point – that it “doesn’t have enough water to spare for other states” – and that availability of water had to be reassessed.

“… the underground water level has changed in the last 70 years. A tribunal should reassess availability of water in Punjab… thousand acres of land (are) already (in) dark zone. Land has been denotified so we have neither land or water to spare for the canal,” spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said.

“We will put forward our point in the Supreme Court and share it with the centre.”

What Court Said Earlier

In the last hearing in this case – in July four years ago – the court ordered the Punjab and Haryana chief ministers (then Amarinder Singh of the Congress and Manohar Lal Khattar of the BJP, respectively) to meet and find an amicable solution to the dispute.

Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal Row

The problem stems from a controversial 1981 water-sharing agreement drawn up Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. For effective allocation, the canal was to be constructed and the two states were required to construct respective portions within their territories.

In 2004, the then Punjab government passed a law scrapping the SYL deal and similar pacts.

The Supreme Court hit back in 2016, striking down the law. Punjab, however, went ahead and returned the land on which the canal was to be constructed to the landowners.

New Delhi:
The AAP is “fully committed to the INDIA” opposition bloc, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Friday, even as leaders from his party and the Congress are locked in a bitter row in Punjab over the arrest of MLA Sukhpal Khaira on drugs charges.

Here are the top 10 points in this big story:

Hoshiarpur:

 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Surjit Singh was allegedly shot dead by two unidentified assailants on Thursday evening, police said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Talwinder Singh said that the incident occurred when the deceased leader was sitting outside a grocery shop in a nearby locality.

“Around 7 PM, Surjit Singh was sitting outside a grocery shop in his locality. Two persons came on a bike and shot four rounds of fire towards Surjit Singh. He was taken to a civil hospital where he was declared brought dead.”

SAD leader Surjit Singh was a former Sarpanch of Megowal Ganjian village and currently his wife is holding the same position.

Police said that the reason behind the murder incident is unknown and a search for the unidentified assailants is ongoing. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

A team of officials from the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday raided the Patiala residence of Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, the former advisor to former chief minister Amarinder Singh, in a disproportionate assets case, official sources said.

The raid was conducted to nab Mr Chahal, they added.

Mr Chahal, a close aide of Mr Singh, was booked in August under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The bureau has found out that the income of Chahal and his family members from March 2017 to September 2021 was Rs 7.85 crore against an expenditure of Rs 31.71 crore – over 300% more than his known sources of income.

Mr Chahal had made properties in his own as well as his family members’ names, including the Dashmesh Luxury Wedding Resort (Alcazar) situated at Sirhind road and a five-storey commercial building on the Mini Secretariat road in Patiala.

Mr Chahal was the advisor to the former chief minister from 2017 till September 2021 and his media advisor from 2002 till 2007.

After Mr Singh was unceremoniously ousted from the chief minister’s post in 2021, he quit the Congress and floated his own party – Punjab Lok Congress (PLC). Chahal’s son had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 state Assembly polls from Sanaur on a PLC ticket.

Mr Chahal, along with Mr Singh, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

The BJP’s Punjab president, Sunil Jakhar, on Monday voiced concern over the state’s financial situation saying that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was heavily in debt.

Saying that he feared for the state’s future, the former Congress leader quoted the extent of the state’s debt at Rs 2,42,000 crores.

Mr Jakhar claimed that even PSUs in the state were in debt, adding that the Bhagwant Mann government was “misleading” the people.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Mr Jakhar said, “I can only see darkness ahead. There is a debt of Rs 2,42,000 crore debt on one side, and on the other hand, the PSUs of Punjab including Punjab Power Corporation and other undertakings are also under fiscal stress with a combined debt of Rs 3,50,000 crore. The Punjab government has taken the guarantee for bailing these undertakings out of distress but the money will be paid from the public exchequer,” the BJP state president said.

“There will be a Rs 12,000 debt on every person. A child born today will also have to bear the state’s debt burden. The AAP government’s dole of Rs 1,000 per person, every month, is a ploy to mislead the people about the state’s fiscal situation. While only Rs 1,000 will go to a family every month, the Punjab government has taken a loan worth Rs 50,000 crore for this purpose,” added Mr Jakhar.

Earlier, on Monday, Sunil Jakhar welcomed the Centre’s decision to suspend visas for Canadians in the light of the ongoing diplomatic spat over the Khalistan issue, saying that Canada has mortgaged its foreign policy for the sake of political advantage and (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau was running a “minority government”.

“Justin Trudeau is speaking his supporters’ language. Canada has mortgaged its foreign policy,” said Mr Jakhar.

The BJP leader said, “With the Trudeau govt continuing to support the separatist forces, the Indian government, for the time being, and upon careful consideration, has suspended visas (to Canadians) as part of a policy to uphold India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by stopping these forces from entering the country.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)