Daily Despatches 8212; Chandigarh

Jain Acharya lambasts BJPAmbala: Digamber Jain temporal head Acharya Pushapdant Maharaj today asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to stop ex...

Jain Acharya lambasts BJP
Ambala: Digamber Jain temporal head Acharya Pushapdant Maharaj today asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to stop exploiting the sentiments of the people on the issue of Congress president Sonia Gandhi8217;s citizenship. He said Gandhi had completely absorbed herself in Indian culture and was no more a foreigner. He criticised the BJP for abandoning its commitment to swadeshi and for not implementing the common minimum programme, including a ban on cow slaughter. He charged the BJP with encouraging criminals to enter politics. The Jain Acharya and his five disciples was accorded a rousing reception on his arrival here yesterday.

Three sarpanches suspended
Ambala: Deputy Commissioner Navraj Sandhu suspended Surinder Singh, sarpanch of Khojkirpur village panchayat, for his involvement in beating up the district town planner and interfering in government work. The sarpanch of Alkawalpur village in Sarara block was suspended for allegedly assaulting a woman, while the sarpanch of Rachhari village in Shehzzdpur block was suspended for irregularities in panchayat funds.

BJP objects to auction of octroi posts
Patiala: The business and industrial district cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party has objected to the Municipal Corporation8217;s move to auction octroi posts to private contractors. Inder Kumar, general secretary of the cell, said that in a meeting today, the cell decided to present a memorandum to the Local Bodies Minister to stop the move.

Tohra8217;s expulsion illegal: Chandumajra
Chandigarh: Senior Akali Dal leader Prem Singh Chandumajra today said campaign would be launched for the ouster of Parkash Singh Badal from the Akali Dal presidency. Reacting to the expulsion of former SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra from the party for six years, he said Badal had no right to sack Tohra who was one of the oldest Akali leaders. He warned Badal would have to pay for this harsh step. Instead of learning a lesson from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee elections, the Chief Minister was working against the interests of the Akali Dal.

Cong leader says reports were planted
Patiala: Senior Congress leader and former legislator Brij Lal Goyal discounted reports in a section of the press that were attributed to him. In a statement, Goyal said that certain persons who wanted to create factionalism in the state Congress were planting reports in certain Punjabi papers and were attributing them to him.