With barely 36 hours to go for the elections, Punjab was rocked by at least seven bomb blasts, killing three girls, injuring one and damaging about six vehicles used for electioneering. They were set off by highly sensitive “magnetic time bombs” kept in cars. A constable of the Border Security Force, H B Anjaiya, reportedly apprehended an alleged terrorist, Sandhu Singh, who had planted the bomb at Amritsar.
UP CM Resigns
The dramatic resignation of Narayan Datt Tiwari, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, heralds a major reshuffle in the central cabinet. Tiwari announced his resignation and its acceptance by the Governor at a hurriedly convened press conference. His successor continues to be a mystery. The name of Brahm Dutt, member of the Lok Sabha and a close confidant of Tiwari, has reportedly been proposed for the post.
A Close Election
The Punjab poll may witness a close race between the Congress (I) and the Akali Dal. The situation remains fluid even 48 hours before the polling day. If the voting percentage is low in urban areas, it will affect the Congress (I)’s prospects adversely. The Akali Dal stands to lose if the turnout is low in rural areas.
Bride Burning Case
The Supreme Court sentenced the mother-in-law and husband of Sudha Goel, who was murdered by her in-laws on a winter night in 1980, to life imprisonment. Earlier, S M Aggarwal, additional sessions judge of Delhi, had sentenced them, along with Sudha’s brother-in-law, to death. This was the first death sentence for bride burning in the country. However, on appeal, the Delhi High Court had acquitted all three, raising protests from various women’s organisations.
