BJP holds demonstration

Chandigarh Tribune

CHANDIGARH, MAY 20: Workers of the BJP, led by Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, today held a demonstration at Matka Chowk, and courted arrest to protest against the Congress government in Punjab for not releasing water to the city from the fourth phase of Kajauli waterworks.

Around 500 BJP workers courted arrest today.

The party workers first gathered at the Municipal Corporation office in Sector 17, before marching towards Matka Chowk.

Addressing the party workers, Mr Satya Pal Jain, former MP, said a meeting of the state BJP would be held wherein a decision regarding the further action would be taken.

BJP workers court arrest, protest against Amarinder government

Chandigarh Newsline

CHANDIGARH, MAY 20: Led by president Yash Pal Mahajan, local BJP workers held a demonstration today and courted arrest to protest against the Congress Government in Punjab for not releasing water to Chandigarh from the IVth phase of Kajauli Water Works. Former MP Satya Pal Jain also courted arrest.

They gathered in front of the office of the Municipal Corporation and later marched towards the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. However, the Chandigarh Police stopped them at Matka Chowk where the party workers demonstrated peacefully and then courted arrest. The arrested party workers were taken to Sector 17 PS from where they were later released.

Addressing party workers, Jain said the citizens of Chandigarh were feeling betrayed by the present Congress government as they had to face acute shortage of water and electricity, apart from battling the price rise, demolitions and other anti-populist activities.

34 Cong MLAs uneasy following SC order

Office of profit row

The Tribune

CHANDIGARH, MAY 9: Though political circles in Punjab are confident that 34 Congress MLAs, facing disqualification for having allegedly held an "office of profit", will be saved by a state legislation framed in 1952, but these MLAs are keeping their fingers crossed.

        The outcome of a petition that is pending before the Election Commission of India, is expected to decide their political fortunes.

        The Supreme Court, pointed out senior functionaries of the government, has upheld the 1952 legislation in at least seven separate cases in the past.

        Yesterday's Supreme Court dismissal of a petition, filed by actress-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan challenging her disqualification as Rajya Sabha MP, has created a bit of anxiety among the political circles. ...

        ... Legal expert Satya Pal Jain of the BJP, who is contesting a similar case against Congress legislators in Himachal Pradesh, says: "If the salary of a Chairman of a corporation is more than an MLA's prescribed salary, then the MLA has to be disqualified even if he has not drawn the salary from the corporation". This will be deemed to be an office of profit as per the Supreme Court decision yesterday, Mr Jain added....

BJP holds protest against power cuts

Chandigarh Tribune

CHANDIGARH, MAY 8: The Chandigarh BJP Mahila Morcha staged a protest at Colony No. 5 here today. Members of the morcha were protesting against frequent water and electricity cuts.

Addressing the residents of the colony, Ms Asha Verma said the Congress government was not paying heed to the people's plight. The residents had to face power and water cuts for hours everyday. She said the items of daily use had become expensive and gone out of the reach of the common man. Ex-MP Satya Pal Jain also spoke on the occasion.

Intake on a high as UT says cheers to vends

Chandigarh Newsline

CHANDIGARH, MAY 3: WHILE the Supreme Court is concerned over the rise in liquor consumption among youngsters and has urged them to go slow, the Administration seems to be doing just the opposite: encouraging the sale of liquor with more vends in UT than ever before.

        Delivering a recent judgment, the two-judge bench of Justice S B Sinha and Justice P K Balasubramanyan had observed why the state should encourage liquor trade against the spirit of Article 47 of the Constitution.

        But many in UT, and not necessarily constitutional experts, said the Administration is encouraging consumption of liquor in the UT. According to them, the new excise policy, which came into effect on April 1 and replaced the auction system with the license system, has increased the number of liquor vends from 78 to 157. ...

        ... Former BJP MP Satya Pal Jain said liquor trade needed to be regulated in UT as it is "spoiling" the city. ...

City expresses grief over Mahajan's death

Yahoo India News

THE city's political units expressed shock and grief over the sad demise of All India General Secretary of BJP Pramod Mahajan.

   Immediately after the news of Mahajan's death came in, the party flag was flown at half mast and a condolence meeting was held at the BJP office in Sector 33 where the party workers paid floral tributes to Mahajan.

   The condolence meeting was attended by BJP Chandigarh President and former MP Satya Pal Jain, among other leaders.

   Addressing the condolence meeting, Jain said Pramod Mahajan's death was an irreparable loss not only to the party but to all the countrymen.

   He said Mahajan was a seasoned politician and a leader of the grass-roots level. Jain said he had lost a very sincere friend from the political arena from whom he used to get guidelines. ...

Army stays off Capt Kohli's last rites

Angry family, friends demand probe into death

He was killed: Ex-BJP MP

Chandigarh Newsline

CHANDIGARH, MAY 3: Capt Sumit Kohli may have served the tricolour and the Army but his cremation today was a 'lonely' affair, sans any military honours.

        Though numerous well-wishers turned up at the Sector-25 cremation ground today, the family members and friends were raging at the absence of any Army officer on the occasion.

        Capt Kohli allegedly committed suicide at Lolab near Kupwara on Sunday, though his family members refused to buy it, and called it a "cover-up" on part of the Army.

        "Capt Kohli, who served the country to his best and was awarded the Shuarya Chakra, has been treated badly by the Army," Dr B N Anand, a relative, said at the cremation. "The authorities should have allowed the cremation with full military honours."...

        ...Former BJP MP Satya Pal Jain today demanded a high-level probe into the "assassination of Capt Sumit Kohli". Criticising the "insulting and humiliating attitude of the ministries of Defence and Home Affairs towards the family and relatives of the deceased", he said Capt Kohli ought to have been given a state funeral.

BJP opposes Centre's volte face on Ayodhya issue

MSN News

New Delhi, May 1: Terming the UPA government's stand on Ayodhya demolition as "politically motivated", the BJP today opposed its final written submissions before the Liberhan Commission holding the Sangh Parivar responsible for it.

"The Government of India had three years ago contended in their submissions before this very authority that the demolition was a sudden act without any premeditation. Now, they have done a somersault by saying that the incident was the result of a well-planned conspiracy by the Sangh Pariwar," BJP counsel Satya Pal Jain submitted before the Commission.

BJP opposes Centre's volte face on Ayodhya demolition

The Hindu

NEW DELHI, MAY 1: Terming the UPA government's stand on Ayodhya demolition as "politically motivated", the BJP today opposed its final written submissions before the Liberhan Commission holding the Sangh Parivar responsible for it.

"The Government of India had three years ago contended in their submissions before this very authority that the demolition was a sudden act without any premeditation. Now, they have done a somersault by saying that the incident was the result of a well-planned conspiracy by the Sangh Pariwar," BJP counsel Satya Pal Jain submitted before the Commission. ...

BJP opposes Centre's volte face on Ayodhya demolition

Zee News- India

NEW DELHI, MAY 1: ..."The Government of India had three years ago contended in their submissions before this very authority that the demolition was a sudden act without any premeditation. Now, they have done a somersault by saying that the incident was the result of a well-planned conspiracy by the Sangh Pariwar," BJP counsel Satya Pal Jain submitted before the Commission.

On behalf of BJP, senior leaders L K Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi objected to the Centre's submissions and even opposed the same being taken on record as there was an inordinate delay in filing.

Another senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh, during whose tenure as Chief Minister of UP the demolition occurred, filed separate objections to the UPA government's submissions.

The commission will on May 10 consider the centre's plea for condonation of delay in filing the submission and the objections raised by the BJP leaders.

Terming the 396-page written submissions filed by the centre last month as "politically motivated", BJP contended that the government of India "cannot be allowed to make fresh submissions and change its stand at the fag end of the enquiry".

It highlighted the fact that the centre had already completed its submissions in July 2004 and absolved any political party of having a hand in the demolition. ...

BJP opposes Centre's volte face on Ayodhya demolition

AYODHYA-SUBMISSIONS

Outlook India

NEW DELHI, MAY 1: Terming the UPA government's stand on Ayodhya demolition as "politically motivated", the BJP today opposed its final written submissions before the Liberhan Commission holding the Sangh Parivar responsible for it.

"The Government of India had three years ago contended in their submissions before this very authority that the demolition was a sudden act without any premeditation. Now, they have done a somersault by saying that the incident was the result of a well-planned conspiracy by the Sangh Pariwar," BJP counsel Satya Pal Jain submitted before the Commission.

On behalf of BJP, senior leaders L K Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi objected to the Centre's submissions and even opposed the same being taken on record as there was an inordinate delay in filing. ...