AMARINDER TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON IF CONG USES MUSCLEMEN: BHUNDER

Chandigarh: December 9, 2008

Senior Akali leader and Shiromani Akali Dal General Secretary Mr. Balwinder Singh Bhunder said here today his party would give a befetting reply to any attempt by the Congress Party or its corrupt and frustated leaders like Capt. Amarinder Singh to inject violence into politics in the State.

"Amarinder's political desperation is driving him to talk of violence, but he would be the first to run away from the field when confronted by Akalis. His threats reveal a criminal mindset and a total disdain for civilised and dignified political conduct. But we dare him to bring his "gooda armies" anywhere near the polling booths , and he will see what he will see," said Mr. Bhunder.

The Akali leader said that if Amarinder tried to put his threats into practice, he would be taught a lesson which he would find hard to forget for the rest of his life. Mr. Bhunder also asked the Congress party to tell the Punjabis whether it subscribed to the politics of violence being advocated by the former Chief Minister in utter disregard of democratic values.

Mr. Bhunder's statement came in the wake of highly provocative threats issued by the former Chief Minister at a gathering of his party workers in Sangrur yesterday. Capt.Singh had threatened to set up armed bands of Congress musclemen to be used during the elections.

In a statement here, the SAD General Secretary said that Amrinder was in the habit of indulging in empty bravado of this nature and was yet to understand the difference between a responsible leader and a petty street "Gunda". He said that the former Chief Minister was in fact 'a moral and political coward' and had a history of running away from the State whenever he apprehended trouble for himself, leaving his party workers stranded and exposed. Mr. Bhunder recalled how Amarinder had fled the country when faced with possible arrest in the wake of filing of a case against him in the Rs. 2100 crore Ludhiana City Center Scam. He said that this was in sharp conrast to the courageous manner in which the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, SAD President Mr.Sukhbir Singh Badal and many other Akali leaders had faced Amarinder's onslaught and vendetta during the Congress regime. Mr.Badal and Mr. Sukhbir Singh had refused to apply for anticipatory bail even when it was certain that the Amarinder regime was bent upon sending them to jail. On the contrary, Amarinder had been running from court to court seeking pre-arrest bail even when the Chief Minister Mr.Badal had repeatedly declared that his Government had no intention of putting Capt.Singh behind the bars. The former Chief Minister had in fact 'run away' to the U.K. and returned only after his lawyer had secured anticipatory bail for him.

Mr. Bhunder further said that Amarinder's latest threat of use of force against peaceful Akali workers was aimed at disturbing the hard earned atmosphere of peace in the State. He said that there was absolute normalcy and absence of tension in the political and social atmosphere of the State and Amarinder was conspiring to set it on fire by bringing back the politics of confrontation. "But he should be ready to face the consequences in case he tried to use Congress musclemen for cheap political gains. No one, including Amarinder, will be allowed to play havoc with peace and normalcy in the State," said Mr. Bhunder.

Justice Ajit Singh Bains honored at Seminar in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Dec. 06, 2008
Jagmohan Singh, Coordinator for the Sem

Justice Ajit Singh Bains (retd) being honoured with the first Guru Tegh Bahadur Life Time Achievement Award in the field of Human Rights at a seminar conducted under the aegis of Voices For Freedom to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The award was presented by Bibi navkiran Kaur, the daughter of renowned Rights activist, late Jaswant Singh Khalra. Scholar activist Braj Ranjan Mani delivered a paper on "Neo Brahmanism, Human Rights and Social Democracy" on this occasion which was followed by an interactive discussion session.