Former minister gheroaed

AMBALA, MARCH 22: Irate women gheraoed former Haryana Minister Phool Chand Mullana for about two hours at village Panjal, about 30 km fro...

AMBALA, MARCH 22: Irate women gheraoed former Haryana Minister Phool Chand Mullana for about two hours at village Panjal, about 30 km from here yesterday. The Congress leader had gone to the village in connection with the new membership campaign of the party. The former minister had to face the ire of the women, as the women were attending a meeting organised by local BJP leader Mange Ram, who had contesting elections against Mullana from the Mullana reserved Assembly constituency and was defeated by the former.

According to information reaching here, as soon as Mullana approached the women, they started questioning him about what had he achieved for the constituency. They wanted to know about what development and welfare works had he initiated for their village. They complained that their village had been neglected by him during his tenures as minister.

Since the policemen accompanying the former minister were unable to keep the protesting women away, he remained a helpless hostage for two hours and was rescued only when more police force reached there. Mullana later said that the BJP was instrumental in harassing Congress leaders and workers. He said that the women were instigated by local BJP leaders.

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BJP FLAYED: The Indian National Lok Dal president Om Prakash Chautala while criticising the BJP, the alliance partner of the HVP in the state, alleged that it was no more interested in abolishing the octroi, that was promised during the April 1996 Assembly elections.

He said that the BJP leadership had lured the people, especially traders, by telling them that octroi would be abolished, if it came to power. He said that the BJP was not in a position to press Chief Minister Bansi Lal to oblige by abolishing octroi. Chautala criticised Local Bodies Minister Kamla Verma for "deceiving" traders. He charged that she was busy inaugurating octroi barriers and that had recently opened one such barrier in her constituency of Yamunanagar. He said that the businessmen in the state were totally disillusioned with the BJP and also the HVP, that had not met their demand.

Chautala was here yesterday to pay tributes to a former CPM leader and social worker, Dhava Ram Baghi, who had died alongwith his wife, Raj Rani, when the car in which they were travelling plunged into the Sirhind Canal near Nabha (Punjab) on March 10 last.