14-jan-2013

C M Y K
C M Y K
CANADA | WEDNESDAY | 08-JANUARY-2014
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Chan, Virtue and Moir lead young Sochi
team that includes 14 first-timers
OTTAWA - Loaded with rookies,
but brimming with promise
— Canada's young figure
skating team for the Sochi
Olympics might turn out to be
its best ever.
Three-time world champion
Patrick Chan and Olympic ice
dance gold medallists Tessa
Virtue and Scott Moir headline
a 17-member Canadian
figure skating team for Sochi
that has 14 first-timers.
The team has set a goal for
three medals in Sochi — in
men's singles, ice dance, and
the new team event — which
would match its best ever result
of three in 1988 in Calgary.
But Canada's figure skating
team — the largest among all
countries at the Games —
has other podium threats in
Meaghan Duhamel and Eric
Radford, bronze medallists at
the 2013 world championships,
and ice dancers
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew
Poje, fifth at last year's
worlds.
"Do we have the potential to
possibly get more? Yes," said
Skate Canada's high performance
director Mike Slipchuk.
"But we don't want to set a
number that is possibly unattainable
but also puts undue
The Aam Aadmi Party awakening
If a litmus test was needed
for the impact of the Arvind
Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi
Party's victory in Delhi, it can
be found in how political leaders
across the land are now
falling over each other to
show that they're 'somewhat
common' too. For once in Indian
politics, it has become
fashionable to be ordinary.
Ba adab, ba mulhaiza, hoshiyar.
Zill-e-ilahi, Shahenshahe-Hind,
raunaq afroz ho rahe
hain! (Be respectful, be mindful,
be careful. His Royal
Highness, the Emperor of
India, is gracing us with his
presence.) More than half a
decade after the abolition of
princely states, Indian politics
still functions as an oligarchy,
where amplified credentials,
size of bungalow, nature of
security detail, and length of
cavalcade demarcate the
ruler from the ruled.
On a lazy afternoon in Lucknow
on January 4, therefore,
bystanders were nonplussed
when Uttar Pradesh Chief
C M Y K
pressure on skaters that don't
need to feel that burden.
"We see it at every Olympic
Games though, anything can
happen. So if that door opens
for an opportunity, then we're
ready to step right through."
The No. 1-ranked Canadians
are virtually a lock for a
medal in the team event,
which has a male, female,
pairs team, and ice dance
team from each country skate
a short and long program.
For Chan, and Virtue and
Moir, the team event that begins
two days before the
opening ceremonies, is the
perfect chance to deal with
Minister Akhilesh Yadav
drove past them with only
four cars in tow. Yadav's cavalcade,
eight cars long when
he assumed office in March
2012, had swelled to 16 and
often 20 in recent months. It
was still smaller than predecessor
Mayawati's infamous
35-car procession that sometimes
included three suvs
carrying mobile jammers and
three ambulances. In Ranchi,
on January 3, Jharkhand
Chief Minister Hemant Soren
ceremoniously discarded the
siren on his car. In Jaipur,
new Rajasthan Chief Minister
Vasundhara Raje graciously
refused to move into the official
bungalow. In Raipur,
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister
Raman Singh announced that
he and his ministers will no
longer be given customary
gun salutes. If a litmus test
was needed for the impact of
the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam
Aadmi Party's (AAP) victory
in Delhi, it can be found in
how political leaders across
the land are now falling over
some of the pressure they'll
be shouldering as gold medal
favourites.
"It would be cool to have a
medal in your pocket already
going into your individual
event," Chan said. "I think it
would be like 'Hey the medal
is really not that big of a deal.'
It's exciting, it's awesome, but
we still have a job to do,
there's still life after winning a
medal. It will relieve a lot of
pressure on us individually."
Virtue and Moir, who will have
six days between the end of
the team event and the beginning
of their individual
event, said there was never
each other to show that
they're 'somewhat common'
too. For once in Indian politics,
it has become fashionable
to be ordinary.
This belated urge of very important
people to shed VIPdom
is the tip of the iceberg.
A lot more is happening
below the surface as political
parties reorient themselves to
counter the 'AAP Effect' in the
run-up to the 2014 General
Elections. They are worried
that Kejriwal's merry band
may be a game-changer with
their anti-politics message
that harnesses the power of
the underdog-the middleclass
working man who had
felt like a spectator in the
country's larger political rumblings,
and the intellectual observer
who is willing to
mutate from cynic to mutineer.
"The Aam Aadmi Party has
involved a lot of people who
the traditional parties did not
involve. We're going to learn
any question whether they
would skate for a team
medal, even if it means skating
four times.
"Another shot on Olympic ice
in front of that crowd and to
get a shot at an Olympic gold
medal, you've got to take it,"
Moir said. "We're good for
that. We can do four performances.
"It's so exciting, what a privilege
to take the ice four times
and compete for an Olympic
medal," Virtue said. "It's also
our job to be there and be in
shape and represent Canada
to the best of our ability. So
that's something we take re-
from that and do a better job
than anybody in the country
to involve people in ways you
can't even imagine," Congress
Vice-President Rahul
Gandhi said at his party's
headquarters on December
8. "We're taking Aam Aadmi
Party seriously after Delhi,"
concurred former BJP president
Nitin Gadkari. "Our volunteers
will visit each and
every house to increase contact
with the people." Even
Arun Jaitley, BJP's savvy
leader of Opposition in the
Rajya Sabha, admitted there
were "lessons to be learnt"
from AAP's success.
Psephologists suggest that at
least 100 seats that were decisively
tilting towards BJP
and regional parties are no
longer 'safe'. AAP is expected
to contest over 300 Lok
Sabha seats across 20
states, including all 26 in BJP
prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi's Gujarat and
all 80 in Uttar Pradesh. Approximately
200 of the 543
C.African Republic's capital tense
as ex-leader heads into exile
Central African Republic's
president flew into exile in
Benin on Saturday and a new
interim team started the
process of identifying leaders
who might restore order to a
nation gripped by months of
inter-religious violence.
There were hopes that the
change of leadership might
provide a fresh start to peace
efforts but gunfire rang out,
mosques were attacked and
Muslim-owned shops and
houses were looted overnight
before violence eased during
the day.
The United Nations called for
calm and stepped up flights
out for foreigners. Governments
of other African countries
have evacuated nearly
30,000 of their citizens
caught up in the violence.
President Michel Djotodia
and Prime Minister Nicolas
Tiangaye quit on Friday under
intense international pressure
after they failed to halt cycles
of violence that have killed
thousands and driven a million
people, a quarter of the
country's population, from
their homes.
Late on Friday, thousands of
people took to the streets of
Bangui, the country's crumbling
riverside capital, to celebrate
the departure of
Djotodia, who was swept to
power by mainly Muslim
rebels, known as Seleka, last
March.
Abuses by Seleka forces had
led to the creation of Christian
self-defence militia and
killings that evoked memories
of Rwanda's genocide 20
years ago.
Djotodia landed in Benin on
Saturday afternoon after Central
African regional leaders
asked the country to host
him, according to a statement
by Benin's government.
The choice is unsurprising as
Djotodia knows Benin. He
spent several years there
during the last decade of turmoil
and has family in the
West African nation.
Joy over Djotodia's departure
gave way to violence late on
Friday and African and
French peacekeepers reported
overnight clashes between
Seleka fighters and
Christian militia.
"But I can confirm that a good
part of the shooting was
warning shots from us to disperse
looters who were targeting
Muslim homes and
shops," an officer in the
African peacekeeping mission
said, asking not to be
named.
The local Red Cross said it
had collected three bodies
from the streets after violence
overnight.
"We don't understand why we
keep killing each other, looting
and sowing destruction
amongst civilians, even after
the politicians people wanted
out had stepped down," said
Ahamat Deliriss, vice president
of the Islamic Council.
"Mosques in the Petevo,
Yapele and Bimbo neighbourhoods
were destroyed. It is a
shame."
The streets of Bangui were
largely quiet on Saturday.
"TIME FOR PAYBACK"
Former colonial power
France, which had sought to
stay out of the latest crisis in
a country where it has often
intervened, dispatched hundreds
of soldiers last month
to bolster a beleaguered
African peacekeeping force
as killings spiralled.
Yet violence has continued,
killing 1,000 in December.
French and Chadian troops
were among the victims and
international pressure
mounted on Djotodia to step
aside at an emergency summit
hosted by neighbouring
Chad this week.
Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet,
the head of Central
African Republic's (CAR)
transitional assembly (CNT),
is officially in charge of the
country until the body can select
a new leader to guide
CAR to elections, which are
due later this year.
While Djotodia went into
exile, Nguendet and other
Central African politicians returned
to Bangui. Addressing
the nation for the first time,
Nguendet said the assembly
would start work on identifying
new leadership immediately.
Security is precarious despite
the presence of 1,600 French
and some 4,000 African
peacekeepers on the ground.
European Union governments
broadly backed proposals
on Friday for the EU to
quickly send troops to help.
The International Organisation
for Migration on Saturday
began airlifting stranded foreigners
out of the country,
where 60,000 people from
neighbouring countries have
asked to leave.
Some 27,000 people, mainly
from Mali, Senegal, Niger and
Chad, have already been
evacuated by their governments.
Tensions are running high
among those who will remain.
"They (Muslims) killed us,
looted and mistreated us.
Now it is time for payback,"
said Igor Moumini, a resident
in the Sica 2 neighbourhood.
PM marks start of construction
on histoic roadway
Prime Minister Stephen
Harper today participated in a
groundbreaking ceremony
marking the beginning of construction
of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk
highway in the
Northwest Territories, effectively
extending the Dempster
Highway through to the Arctic
coast. He was accompanied
by Bob McLeod, Premier of
the Northwest Territories, Nellie
Cournoyea, Chair and
Chief Executive Officer of Inuvialuit
Regional Corporation
as well as Robert Alexie Jr.,
President of the Gwich'in
Tribal Council.
"I am tremendously proud
that our Government's investment
in this job creating, all–
season Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk
Indian diplomat tells of anguish
at leaving US without children
An Indian diplomat at the centre
of a bitter row with the
United States told Sunday of
her "immense stress" at leaving
behind her young family in
New York, and vowed to clear
her name.
Indian consulate official Devyani
Khobragade was allowed
to leave the United
States on Friday after a
month-long dispute over her
arrest and strip-search on
suspicion of visa fraud involving
her domestic servant.
Khobragade was granted full
diplomatic immunity and allowed
to fly back to India --
just hours after charges were
filed in court alleging she
lodged false documents to
obtain a visa for her servant
and then underpaid her.
Khobragade, 39, told an Indian
newspaper of her anguish
at leaving behind her
daughters, aged seven and
four, in New York along with
her husband, a US citizen,
who works as an academic.
"I wonder if I will be able to
ever reunite with my family,
my husband, my little kids. I
miss them," Khobragade told
The Sunday Express.
"What if my children choose
highway will, for the first time
by road, connect and unify
Canada from sea to sea to
sea. This historic project realizes
the visionary initiative of
Canadian Prime Minister
John Diefenbaker back in the
1960's," said Prime Minister
Harper. "Prime Minister
Diefenbaker knew then what
our Government is undertaking
today: constructing a
highway will improve the lives
of people living in the North
for generations to come, facilitating
economic development,
creating jobs and
enabling cost–effective, safe
and reliable transportation of
goods to and from Northern
communities."
The Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk
to study and work in the US?
What if I can never return to
the US, which I cannot now.
Does it mean we will never be
able to live together as a family
again?" she said.
"I know I am honest, and I will
come out clean. But we do
not know how much time it
will take and for how long my
family will have to suffer due
to this," she added.
Her arrest on December 12
outside her children's school
and treatment in custody,
where she said she was subjected
to a cavity search, outraged
India which claimed
she benefited from full diplomatic
immunity.
US prosecutors disputed this,
and filed charges in New York
accusing Khobragade of
sometimes forcing the Indian
maid to work 100-hour
weeks, even when sick and
often without a day off, for
pay as little as $1.22 an hour.
Khobragade did obtain diplomatic
immunity when last
week New Delhi asked Washington
to grant her a G1 visa
given to diplomats at India's
UN mission, which is also in
New York.
highway will be the very first
year–round road between the
Arctic coast and the rest of
the country. Once completed,
the 137–kilometre all–season
highway will link the Town of
Inuvik and the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk,
an Arctic community
currently accessible only by
an ice road, barge or air.
The new stretch of highway,
which is expected to be completed
in 2018, will provide
more efficient transport of
northern products and resources
to southern markets,
will better connect Northerners
to high quality, well–paying
jobs, and will help bring
lower cost supplies and materials
up to northern communities
and families. Also,
The row between the two
countries, which had embraced
each other as strategic
partners, saw weeks of
feisty exchanges that strained
bilateral ties and left resentment
on both sides.
India has removed extra security
barriers at the US embassy
in New Delhi,
demanded contract details for
domestic staff employed by
American diplomats and even
stopped the mission importing
duty-free food and alcohol.
On Wednesday, it ordered an
embassy leisure centre popular
with American expatriates
in the capital to stop admitting
non-diplomatic members,
while scheduled visits by US
officials to India have been
cancelled.
In a fresh retaliatory measure
late Friday, India asked the
United States to withdraw an
embassy official in New Delhi.
The expelled American diplomat
was a "similar rank" to
Khobragade and is thought to
have helped the family of her
maid travel to America where
they were granted protection
by prosecutors.
US prosecutors say the family
studies have shown that the
extension will significantly reduce
the cost of living in Tuktoyaktuk
while boosting the
local economy. It is estimated
that hundreds of jobs will be
created during the four–year
construction period in addition
to an estimated 51 permanent
careers after its completion.
The road has been identified
as a priority by the governments
of Canada and the
Northwest Territories, and will
have a direct impact on the
regional economy. The initiative
is in keeping with two key
objectives of Canada's Northern
Strategy: 'Promoting Social
and Economic
Development' and 'Exercising
our Arctic Sovereignty.'
of the maid were evacuated
to the United States because
of attempts to intimidate
them.
In her newspaper interview,
Khobragade said she would
continue a legal fight to clear
her name, including attempting
to have her case in New
York officially dismissed in a
federal court.
"I have come to India but my
stand still needs to be vindicated.
And of course, I have
been separated from my family,
and I am under immense
stress for my children," Khobragade
said.
"I spoke to my kids for hours
last night, and they are already
missing me. The fouryear-old
asked me, 'Mommy,
when will you be back home',
and I had no answer."
She cannot return to the
United States unless she surrenders
to the court on arrival,
and her name is being
placed on US immigration
watch lists "to prevent the
routine issuance of any future
visa", according to US officials.
C M Y K

ਬਿਕਰਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਜੀਠੀਆ ਨੂੰ ਤੁਰੰਤ ਗ੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰ
ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ-ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ (ਅ)
ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਡਰੱਗ ਰੈਕਟ ਵਿਚ ਫਸੇ
ਸਾਬਕਾ ਪਹਿਲਵਾਨ ਜਗਦੀਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੋਲਾ
ਵਲੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਮਾਲ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਬਿਕਰਮ ਸਿੰਘ
ਮਜੀਠੀਆ ਦਾ ਨਾਂ ਇਸ ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰ 'ਚ ਲਏ
ਜਾਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਤ੍ਹਾ ਵਿਰੋਧੀ
ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਰਾਜਸੀ ਪਾਰਟੀਆਂ ਵਲੋਂ ਇਸ ਦਾ
ਜ਼ੋਰਦਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ
ਅਤੇ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਪਾਰਟੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ ਹੈ ਕਿ
ਮਜੀਠੀਆ ਨੂੰ ਤੁਰੰਤ ਗ੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ
ਜਾਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਪਾਰਟੀਆਂ ਨੇ
ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ ਰੋਸ ਪ੍ਰਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਦੀ
ਮੁਹਿੰਮ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ। ਇਸੇ ਲੜੀ
ਅਧੀਨ ਸ਼ਨੀਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਇਥੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ
ਦਲ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਨਾਲ ਸੰਬੰਧਿਤ ਆਗੂਆਂ
ਨੇ ਬਿਕਰਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਜੀਠੀਆ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ
ਜ਼ਬਰਦਸਤ ਰੋਸ ਪ੍ਰਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਮੰਗ
ਕੀਤੀ ਕਿ ਡਰੱਗ ਮਾਫ਼ੀਏ ਅਤੇ ਲੈਂਡ ਮਾਫ਼ੀਏ
'ਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਵਜੀਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਸੀ.
ਬੀ. ਆਈ. ਤੋਂ ਕਰਵਾਈ ਜਾਵੇ।
ਇਥੇ ਰੋਸ ਪ੍ਰਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ
ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੇ ਜ਼ਿਲਾ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ
ਹਰਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੁੱਸਾ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ
ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੀ ਨਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਨੀਤੀ ਸਾਫ਼
ਨਾ ਹੋਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਨਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਮੰਡੀ
ਬਣ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਭਿਆਨਕ
ਨਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਕਰਕੇ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਆਪਣੀ ਸਰੀਰਕ
ਸਮਰੱਥਾ ਗੁਆ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਪੰਜਾਬ
ਦੀ ਸੱਤ੍ਹਾਧਾਰੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ
ਚਿੰਤਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ 'ਚ ਨਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਦਾ
ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰ ਵੱਡੇ ਪੱਧਰ ਅਤੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ
ਅਣਗਹਿਲੀ ਕਰਕੇ ਪੈਰ ਪਸਾਰ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।
ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ
ਸਹੀ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਸੀ. ਬੀ. ਆਈ. ਹੀ ਕਰ
ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ।
ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਜੱਥੇਬੰਦੀ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ
ਰਾਜਪਾਲ ਸ਼ਿਵ ਰਾਜ ਪਾਟਿਲ ਤੋਂ ਵੀ ਮੰਗ
ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ 'ਚ ਡਰੱਗ ਮਾਫ਼ੀਏ,
ਲੈਂਡ ਮਾਫ਼ੀਏ 'ਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਵਜੀਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ
ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਸੀ.ਬੀ.ਆਈ. ਤੋਂ ਕਰਵਾਈ ਜਾਵੇ।
ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵਲੋਂ ਇਸ
ਮਾਮਲੇ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਸੀ.ਬੀ.ਆਈ ਤੋਂ ਕਰਵਾਏ
ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਦੇਰੀ ਇਹ ਸਪੱਸ਼ਟ
ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਦੇ
ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ ਗੰਭੀਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ
ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਐਨ.ਆਰ.ਆਈ. ਸੰਮੇਲਨ ਅਤੇ
ਕਬੱਡੀ ਕੱਪ ਦੇ ਢੌਂਗ ਰਚਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਸਰਕਾਰ
ਦੇ ਵਜੀਰ ਆਪ ਨਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਕਾਰੋਬਾਰ ਵਿਚ
ਕਥਿਤ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹਨ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਇਹ
ਵੀ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸੁਨਿਹਰੇ ਭਵਿੱਖ
ਲਈ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਰਾਜਪਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਇਹ ਮੰਗ
ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਤੁਰੰਤ
ਸੀ.ਬੀ.ਆਈ .ਰਾਹੀਂ ਕਰਵਾਈ ਜਾਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਜੋ
ਸਿਆਸੀ ਆਗੂਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਅਫ਼ਸਰ ਸ਼ਾਹੀ 'ਤੇ
ਲੱਗੇ ਰਿਸ਼ਵਤ ਖੋਰੀ, ਘਪਲੇ ਅਤੇ ਨਸ਼ੀਲੇ
ਪਦਾਰਥਾਂ ਦੀ ਤਸਕਰੀ ਦਾ ਸੱਚ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਆ
ਸਕੇ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਮਨਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਮੱਲਾ
ਕਨਵੀਨਰ ਯੂਥ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ,
ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਾਣੂੰਕੇ, ਬਲਰਾਜ ਸਿੰਘ,
ਹਰਮੇਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਟਵਾਣੀ, ਹਰਭਜਨ ਸਿੰਘ
ਢਿੱਲੋਂ, ਲਸ਼ਕਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਖੋਸਾ, ਜੋਗਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ,
ਸੁਖਦੇਵ ਸਿੰਘ, ਬਲਦੇਵ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਗੜਾ ਵੀ
ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਸਨ।
From Page 1 14 first-timers
ally seriously."
The team was unveiled in a
ceremony Sunday following
the Canadian championships
that saw a couple of surprises.
Fifteen-year-old
Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket,
Ont., won silver in
women's singles and was
named to the team, while
Liam Firus, a 21-year-old
from North Vancouver, B.C.,
snuck in to grab the third spot
in men's singles.
There were hugs and tears as
each skater was called up
one by one and presented
with a red and white Canada
team jacket.
"We're right here smack dab
in the middle of our dream
come true," said Duhamel
who won her third consecutive
national pairs title with
Radford. "We're living our
dream, and there's nowhere
that I or Eric would rather be
right now and I think that
we're a little bit in shock and
excited, elated, and relieved."
Duhamel and Radford are
also thrilled to kick off their
From Page 1
Lok Sabha seats are considered urban. Of the
725 million total electorate in 2014, nearly 150
million are first-time voters, which is statistically
Kejriwal's strongest vote bank.
This fear of the known has sparked off copycat
policies and decisions, ranging from cutting
perks to offering subsidies, while AAP's
membership numbers swell at an unprecedented
rate-from a few hundred to tens of
thousands in cities from Chandigarh to Chennai
and Mumbai to Kolkata. In Lucknow, the
ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) is so rattled that
it has asked its cadres to wear a traditional
red cap at public functions, instead of the staple
white Gandhi topi, which has now been
appropriated by Kejriwal's 'Main Hoon Aam
Aadmi' (I'm the common man) legend.
Rise of the new candidate
But political parties are not worried only about
the emergence of aap as a direct rival. They
know that the spirit of Delhi may not be easy
to replicate in other cities. Here, Kejriwal's
party had a strong structure in place. Factors
such as Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal movement
of 2011 and the Delhi gang-rape agitation of
2012 had charged a furious electorate. More
than the threat of AAP itself, politicians are
losing sleep over the clamour for clean, committed,
no-frills, no-perks leaders that the
party has managed to create. Any deviation
from what is perceived as the straight and narrow
is now being questioned-be it extravagant
offices with air-conditioners in abundance or
five-star junkets to "study" the Amazon rainforest.
Traditional parties weighed down by years
of historical baggage are being forced to contend
with the rise of the Outsiders.
"By coming to power in Delhi, AAP has challenged
the political structure within our own
party," says a senior BJP leader. "They've
shown that our traditional forms of campaigning
may be redundant. That the need of the
hour is to tap into a new army of professionals
who are willing to align with us and to integrate
them better into our system." BJP, for
example, has roughly one million part-time
volunteers who may not be members of the
party but are committed enough to spread its
message either through door-to-door visits or
online. "These people were on the periphery
of the party. We are now changing our strategy
to empower them," the BJP leader says.
Tribal workers protest against Himachal
Pradesh power project
Distressed workers of the Sorang
Power Project organised
a mass protest rally over the
weekend against the project
management at Chaura village
in Shimla District of Himachal
Pradesh.
A majority of the employees
are tribal villagers who have
not been given their salaries
for months. Neither have the
villagers whose land was acquired
for the project been
given appropriate compensation.
The employees have threatened
a complete shutdown of
the power project if their demands
are not addressed as
soon as possible.
"No representative from the
company has come forward to
listen to our demands. We are
unable to find out who is the
actual owner of the power
project. If nobody comes forward
to talk to us, then we will
ਪੁਰਸ਼ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਲਈ ਸੰਗਠਨ ਨੇ ਕੀਤੀ
ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ
ਕੋਲਕਾਤਾ- ਪੁਰਸ਼ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਲਈ ਕੰਮ
ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਗੈਰ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਸੰਗਠਨਾਂ ਦੇ
ਇਕ ਫੋਰਮ ਨੇ ਮੰਤਰਾਲਾ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ
ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ। ਫੋਰਮ
ਦਾ ਕਹਿਣਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਦਾਜ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਦੀ
ਦੁਰਵਰਤੋਂ ਅਤੇ ਯੌਨ ਉਤਪੀੜਨ ਸੰਬੰਧੀ ਝੂਠੇ
ਮਾਮਲੇ ਦਰਜ ਕਰਵਾਏ ਜਾਣ ਨੂੰ ਮੁੱਖ
ਰੱਖਦਿਆਂ ਹੋਇਆ ਪੁਰਸ਼ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ
ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ। ਨੈਸ਼ਨਲ
ਕੋਏਲੀਸ਼ਨ ਫਾਰ ਮੈਨ (ਐਨ. ਸੀ. ਐਮ.) ਨੇ
10 ਸੂਤਰੀ ਮੰਗਾਂ ਵਾਲਾ ਇਕ ਚਾਰਟਰ ਜਾਰੀ
ਕਰ ਕੇ ਇਹ ਮੰਗ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ
ਕਿ ਸਿਆਸੀ ਦਲਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ‘ਤੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ
ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਐਨ. ਸੀ. ਐਨ. ਪੁਰਸ਼
ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਲਈ ਲੜ ਰਹੇ ਤਕਰੀਬਨ 50
But more significant is the realisation of competitive
myopia (to borrow a marketing term) in
a transformed political landscape. BJP and
Congress are aware that what they considered
their core strength-the bloated, khadiclad
loyalist who has won from the same constituency
two or three times-may now be their
biggest liability. That these are exactly the kind
of people the public now wants to defeat.
Imagine an average first-time voter harbouring
deep antipathy towards the political class.
Imagine him growing up in a constituency
where the legislator has been in power for
over a decade. Will this voter choose the
same candidate again, no matter how deeply
connected he may be in the area's local politics?
Or will she want a new, younger, more
dynamic alternative? These are the fundamental
questions that political parties are
being forced to ask themselves.
"Kejriwal has redefined what an ideal candidate
should be by pitching the quintessential
old-timer who speaks like a politician against
the young professional with a local presence
who talks in the language of the voters," says
a senior Congress leader. AAP is asking political
parties to tick certain boxes before fielding
a winnable candidate. Boxes such as, 'no corruption
charges', 'clean record', 'educational
qualifications', and 'local understanding',
which have rarely been ticked before during
the candidate selection process.
Kejriwal smartly matches his idealism with a
politicians' instinct, as was evident during the
Delhi campaign, where religion, caste and
class subtly played a part. He fielded Muslim
candidates in constituencies dominated by
Muslims, and his party won 8 of the 13 seats
dominated by Kejriwal's Bania community.
"Clever selection of candidates is the only way
to counter the AAP effect," says the Congress
leader. "We must be seen as doing the right
thing."
New, unified support base
first Games with the team
event, which will see the top
five countries after the short
program advance to the long
program.
"We're going to win a gold
medal in the team event and
that's the most amazing thing,
and Eric and I will skate 10
times if we need to to take a
part of it," Duhamel said.
Teams can switch up to two
members between the short
and long programs. Because
of the quick turnaround with
men's singles and pairs,
Canada will probably use its
substitutions in those events.
The 10 teams competing,
based on world ranking, are:
Canada, Russia, the U.S.,
Japan, Italy, France, China,
Germany, Ukraine, and Great
Britain.
Canada won two medals four
years ago in Vancouver:
Virtue and Moir's gold in ice
dance, and a bronze by Joannie
Rochette in women's singles.
The 24-year-old Virtue and
Moir, 26, are expected to retire
after the Games, closing
the curtains on a competitive
partnership that has spanned
almost two decades.
The veterans have gladly
taken on the responsibility as
leaders of this young team.
"It's something we take pretty
seriously," Moir said. "It's
going to be a very different
Games, so for Tessa and I
preparing, part of our process
is to kind of start brand new
and not expect it to be Vancouver.
"But we do have some experiences
that some of the other
team members don't have.
We're going to help them as
much as we can. Figure skating
is unique, you go there as
a team, you live together, it's
a family feeling. Tessa and I
take that role very seriously."
Skate Canada officials felt the
Canadian championships provided
plenty of optimism not
just for Sochi, but for international
competition down the
road.
"It was a great week of skating
and just felt really good
A clear example of aap's growing significance
can be found in Mumbai, where the Jan Lokpal
movement, the anti-rape agitation, and the
India Against Corruption drive had so far had
only a limited impact. The most telling reminder
of Mumbai's frostiness towards the
happenings in other parts of the country, particularly
its great modern-day rival Delhi, was
when only few hundred supporters had turned
up for Anna Hazare's grand rally at the Bandra-Kurla
Complex in December 2011. AAP's
national executive member Mayank Gandhi
says thousands of people are enrolling with
the party in the city every day in the aftermath
of the Delhi elections. Such is the response
that they expect to cross 1 million members in
the state by the end of January.
shutdown the project," a protester,
Ashok, said.
The manager of the Sorang
Power Project, Anup, said the
salaries were not paid due to
issues within the company.
"The employees who have
been working here have not
received their salaries for the
past four months. We admit it.
Out of these four, two months'
salary has been issued to the
employees. There are some
issues going on within the
representatives of the company
and they are sorting
them out. As soon as the issues
are resolved, then the
pending salaries will be given
top the employees," he said.
This 100 MW hydro power
project is being constructed
by the HP Sorang Power Limited
in two phases. Sorang
Power Limited is a subsidiary
of NCC Infrastructure Holdings
Limited.
ਸੰਗਠਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਮੰਚ ਹੈ।
ਐਨ. ਸੀ. ਐਨ. ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਨਿਰਦੋਸ਼
ਵਿਆਹੁਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਵਿਆਹ ਦੇ ਪੁਰਸ਼ਾਂ ਦੇ
ਯੌਨ ਸੰਬੰਧੀ ਪੱਖਪਾਤ ਵਾਲੇ ਕਾਨੂੰਨਾਂ ਦਾ
ਸ਼ਿਕਾਰ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਵਧਦੀ ਦਰ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਦੇ ਨੂੰ
ਉਠਾਉਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਸੰਗਠਨ ਦੇ
ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਅਮਿਤ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ
ਸੰਗਠਨ ਵਲੋਂ ਜਾਰੀ ‘ਮੈਨ-ਆਈ-ਫੇਸਟੋ’
ਵਿਚ ਪੁਰਸ਼ਾਂ ਲਈ ਮੰਤਰਾਲਾ ਅਤੇ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨ
ਬਣਾਏ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਵਿਆਹੁਤਾ
ਪੁਰਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਲੋਂ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ
ਆਤਮ ਹਤਿਆਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਲਈ ਕਾਰਜ
ਬਲ ਦੇ ਗਠਨ ਅਤੇ ਪਰੇਸ਼ਾਨੀ ‘ਚ ਘਿਰੇ
ਪੁਰਸ਼ਾਂ ਲਈ ਇਕ ਹੈਲਪਲਾਈਨ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰਨ
ਦੀ ਵੀ ਮੰਗ ਕੀਤੀ ਗਈ ਹੈ।
about the momentum the
team has right now and for
the next two weeks before we
get to Sochi," Slipchuk said.
Slipchuk was pleasantly surprised
by the men's competition
— third place, which
Firus claimed, was a virtual
toss-up going into the event.
The women's event also held
plenty of promise, with
teenagers dominating the
field.
"Again, the six ladies that
were in the last flight (of six
skaters), it could of went anywhere,"
Slipchuk said. "That
was another positive for us to
see. And more encouraging. .
. there's just a lot coming up
through there. What has been
established by Kaetlyn two
years ago, these girls have
just picked up and they're
challenging her, and that's
what we want to see."
Figure skating events run
every day of the Games except
for on the days of the
opening and closing ceremonies.
The Aam Aadmi Party awakening
This surge has the ruling Congress-ncp government
worried. Emboldened and perturbed,
perhaps in equal measure, Congress MP Sanjay
Nirupam wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister
Prithviraj Chavan threatening to launch an
agitation if power tariffs in the state were not
reduced. Electricity rates are now being cut by
15 to 20 per cent. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit
Pawar of NCP, allegedly involved in the 2009
irrigation scam, has, in the meantime, turned a
new leaf by promising to return the Rs 27 lakh
spent by the state PWD on his official bungalow.
Several other governments are feeling the
heat of the groundswell of pro-Aam Aadmi
sentiment. In Bhopal, AAP has opened a small
office in business hub Maharana Pratap
Nagar. One of the rooms has a giant portrait
of Kejriwal with the slogan: Niklo bahar
makanon se, jang lado beimanon se (Get out
of your homes, wage a war against the corrupt).
Among prominent citizens who have
gravitated towards the party are former state
lokayukta Arun Gurtoo and retired irs officer
Narendranath Trivedi. Little wonder then that
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan went to the Marinador-Ambar road
in Vidhisha for a surprise visit on January 4.
On finding the road potholed due to sub-standard
raw material, he immediately suspended
the region's executive engineer Yogendra
Kumar, assistant engineer Dinesh Kumar Barala
and sub-engineer D.K. Sahu.
In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, where the aap office
has run out of membership forms after a sudden
surge of recruitments, Chief Minister
Raman Singh had a meeting with BJP MLAs
on January 6, when he told them they should
live like "aam aadmis" (common men). Raman
Singh has also launched a toll free anti-corruption
helpline for people to lodge complaints
against government officials who ask for
bribes. In Kerala, where AAP had formed a
unit in February last year, and has a functioning
executive committee led by Manoj Padmanabhan,
a 45-year-old engineering
graduate with an MBA in finance, the likes on
the party's Facebook page have suddenly
started to climb, hitting the 197,000 mark on
January 6. Though aap is yet to recruit a
leader of stature in the state, senior leader
Prashant Bhushan has been wooing former
chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan of CPI(M).
Bhushan, who represents Achuthanandan in
various anti-corruption cases, called on him
on December 31 at his Cantonment House
residence, purportedly for "blessings and guidance".
CANADA | WEDNESDAY 08 JANUARY 2014
Manmohan's stint as PM worst
period in country's history: Modi
Bharatiya Janata Party's
prime ministerial nominee
Narendra Modi on Sunday
tore apart the Congress-led
UPA government at the Centre
over corruption, price-rise
and misrule, saying it's time
"we rid the country of a disease
called the Congress".
Launching a vitriolic attack on
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, Modi said the last
years of his rule have been
the worst period of the nation's
history, when the right
hand didn't know what the left
was doing. Whenever there
was a scam, Singh said he
would find out, Modi alleged.
In an apparent reference to
the media blitzkrieg around
the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP),
the BJP's prime ministerial
candidate Narendra Modi
supported decentralisation of
power, while toeing his "vote
for the country, not for the
party" line during his rally in
Goa.
"We believe in decentralisation
of power. We believe in
giving power to the people,"
Modi told a rally of one lakh
odd people near Panaji on
Sunday in the presence of
BJP president Rajnath Singh.
Taking jibes at Congress during
his speech, he appealed
to the people "to vote for the
country and not for the party".
"Vote for India. Don't vote for
any particular group or a party
or any individual," he said,
making a pitch that voting for
In Gujarat, where AAP members have risen
sharply from 5,000 to 100,000 in December,
the state BJP is refusing to acknowledge its
growing influence. "Not to react is our strategy,"
says a BJP leader. "It's the only way any
government or party led by a strong leader
should behave."
The key trend across most of the states, however,
is that an amorphous, floating, middleclass
voter, disillusioned with political leaders
but temporarily aligning with a party on local
issues, may now be gravitating towards an
identifiable Third Force.
What lies ahead
the BJP means voting for
India's brighter future.
"We (BJP) have only one religion
and that is, India first.
We have only one religious
book and that is the Indian
constitution. We only have
one worship and that is worship
of the nation," Modi said,
during his hour-long speech.
Modi also tried to refute AAP
leaders' simple lifestyles
claiming that despite being in
public life for several years
and ruling the country, former
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
has no house of his
own to stay.
"Do you want any other example
of simplicity?" he
asked.
Modi said that Goa Chief Minister
Manohar Parrikar has
been hailed for his simplicity
and administrative capabilities.
"Imagine what would have
happened if Parrikar was in
Delhi. The media cannot see
anything other than Delhi," he
said.
He said that the BJP has the
power to make leaders out of
the commonest of men. .
"A person like me who belongs
to a poor family has
been given such a huge responsibility
by the BJP. Who
could have imagined that a
boy who used to sell tea in
the train could stand in front
In the midst of these happy tidings, one place
where AAP is getting a taste of how squalid
traditional politics can be is Tamil Nadu. On
January 7, the party's local unit had barely finished
celebrating Kejriwal's Delhi victory when
an internal split between the state Treasurer
Anand Ganesh and state Secretary Balakrishnan
turned into a public spat. The two are now
squabbling over which of them is the "real"
AAP.
Though fulfilling their ambition of being a factor
across the country will not be easy, there is
little doubt that the momentum is with the Aam
Aadmi movement. In an India Today Group-C
Voter Opinion Poll across 24 cities on January
7, 75 per cent of the respondents said they
want a chief minister like Kejriwal in their
state. What's more, 53 per cent believed that
aap will either "get a majority" or "put up a
tough fight" in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections
(see box).
of you one day? But it has
happened because of the
BJP's strength to groom the
poor into capable leaders,"
Modi said, referring to his
past.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister
Raman Singh who belong
to very ordinary families now
serve the nation.
Held at Merces village near
Panaji, the rally was also addressed
by BJP president Rajnath
Singh and Goa Chief
Minister Manohar Parrikar,
besides others.
The rally kicked off BJP's
campaigning for elections in
the state which has two Lok
Sabha seats.
He said the 2014 Lok Sabha
polls will become a watershed
in the history of India, when
people will vote not for any
caste or community, but for
the progress and overall
growth of the country, where
women will get their due respect
and there will be food
available to the poor and
down-trodden. "Vote for
India," Modi exhorted the
huge crowd gathered to listen
to him.
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/narendramodi-goa-congress-bjp-pm-n
ominee-manoharparrikar/1/335837.html
ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ- ਦੇਸ਼ ਦਾ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡਾ ਅਸਿੱਧਾ
ਟੈਕਸ ਸੁਧਾਰ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਵਸਤੂ
ਅਤੇ ਸੇਵਾ ਟੈਕਸ (ਜੀ. ਐੱਸ. ਟੀ.) ਕਾਫੀ
ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਪੈਂਡਿੰਗ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਲਈ ਹੁਣ ਇਸ
ਸਾਲ ਆਮ ਚੋਣਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਹੀ ਲਾਗੂ ਹੋਣ
ਦੀ ਆਸ ਹੈ। ਜੀ. ਐੱਸ. ਟੀ. ਇਕ ਵਿਆਪਕ
ਟੈਕਸ ਪ੍ਰਣਾਲੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਮੌਜੂਦਾ
ਅਸਿੱਧੇ ਟੈਕਸ ਢਾਂਚੇ ਦੀ ਜਗ੍ਹਾ ਲਵੇਗਾ।
ਫਿਲਹਾਲ ਭਾਰਤ ‘ਚ ਕਈ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ
ਟੈਕਸ- ਕੇਂਦਰੀ ਉਤਪਾਦ ਫੀਸ, ਐਡੀਸ਼ਨਲ
ਉਤਪਾਦ ਫੀਸ, ਬਰਾਮਦ ਫੀਸ, ਮੁੱਲ ‘ਚ
ਵਾਧਾ ਫੀਸ, ਸੇਨਵੈਟ, ਸੇਵਾ ਆਦਿ ਹੈ।
ਸਵਿਟਜ਼ਰਲੈਂਡ ਦੀ ਸੰਸਾਰਕ ਵਿੱਤੀ ਸੇਵਾ
ਕੰਪਨੀ ਯੂ. ਬੀ. ਐੱਸ. ਨੇ ਖੋਜ ਨੋਟ ‘ਚ
ਕਿਹਾ,”ਵਿਵਾਦਤ ਮੁੱਦਿਆਂ ‘ਤੇ ਆਮ ਤੌਰ ‘ਤੇ
ਸਹਿਮਤੀ ਬਣ ਗਈ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਮੌਜੂਦਾ ਦੇਰੀ
ਕਾਰਨ ਸਿਆਸਤ ਲੱਗਦੀ ਹੈ।” ਰਪਟ ‘ਚ
ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ,”ਜੀ. ਐੱਸ. ਟੀ. ਪੇਸ਼ ਕੀਤਾ
ਜਾਣਾ ਸੁਧਾਰ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਮੁੱਖ ਪਹਿਲ ਹੈ ਜਿਸ
ਦਾ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਵਾਧਾ ਦੀ ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ ‘ਤੇ
ਜ਼ਿਕਰ ਅਸਰ ਹੋ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ।” ਵੱਡੀਆਂ-
ਆਰਥਿਕ ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾਵਾਂ ‘ਤੇ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡਾ
India's diversity, caste equations, social engineering,
and parliamentary structure may not
ਗਾਜ਼ੀਆਬਾਦ- ਦਿੱਲੀ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ
allow something as dramatic in such a short
ਅਰਵਿੰਦ ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਦੀ ਜਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਖਤਰਾ
period of time. But the idea of empowering the
ਹੈ। ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਦੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਲੈ ਕੇ
aam aadmi, if not the Aam Aadmi Party, is certain
to play a part when the post-2014 destiny
ਖ਼ੁਫੀਆ ਬਿਊਰੋ ਨੇ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਪੁਲਸ ਨੂੰ ਅਲਰਟ
ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਪੁਲਸ ਨੂੰ ਖ਼ੁਫੀਆ ਬਿਊਰੋ ਤੋਂ
of India is written.
ਮਿਲੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਮੁਤਾਬਕ ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ
ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਮੁਹਿੰਮ ਤੋਂ ਨਾਰਾਜ਼ ਧੜਿਆਂ ਤੋਂ
Kejriwal had said in his address to the Delhi
ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਨੂੰ ਖਤਰਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ
Assembly on January 2 that politicians had
ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਦੇ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਨਾ ਲੈਣ ਦੇ
dared the aam aadmi to fight elections and
ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਗਾਜ਼ੀਆਬਾਦ ਪੁਲਸ ਨੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ
enter the legislature and frame laws. "Those
ਸੋਮਵਾਰ ਤੋਂ ਜ਼ੈੱਡ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ ਦੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਦੇਣ
leaders forgot that the aam aadmi tills the
ਦਾ ਫੈਸਲਾ ਕਰ ਲਿਆ ਹੈ। ਜ਼ਿਲਾ ਪੁਲਸ ਦੀ
land, netas don't. Aam aadmi goes to the
ਯੋਜਨਾ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ
moon, netas don't. Left with no option, aam
ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਹਰ ਸਮੇਂ 30 ਜਵਾਨ
aadmi decided we will fight elections." Delhi
ਤਾਇਨਾਤ ਰਹਿਣਗੇ। ਜ਼ਿਕਰਯੋਗ ਹੈ ਕਿ
has been won. But is this the end, or the start
ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਅਜੇ ਗਾਜ਼ੀਆਬਾਦ ਦੇ ਕੌਸ਼ਾਂਬੀ
of something extraordinary?
ਇਲਾਕੇ ਸਥਿਤ ਇਕ ਫਲੈਟ 'ਚ ਆਪਣੇ
ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ
2
ਮਲੇਸ਼ੀਆ 'ਚ ਕਤਲ ਹੋਏ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ
ਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ
ਬਲਾਚੌਰ (ਵਿਨੋਦ)-ਇਥੋਂ ਦੇ ਨਜ਼ਦੀਕੀ ਪਿੰਡ
ਗਰਲੋਂ ਬੇਟ ਦੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ 24 ਸਾਲਾ
ਮਹਿੰਰਪਾਲ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਓਮ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਦਾ 13
ਦਸੰਬਰ, 2013 ਨੂੰ ਮਲੇਸ਼ੀਆ 'ਚ ਕਤਲ ਹੋ
ਗਿਆ ਸੀ। ਮਹਿੰਦਰਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਤਾਬੂਤ 'ਚ ਬੰਦ
ਮ੍ਰਿਤਕ ਦੇਹ ਐਤਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਜੱਦੀ
ਪਿੰਡ ਪਹੁੰਚਣ ਉਪਰੰਤ ਪਿੰਡ 'ਚ ਸੋਗ ਦਾ
ਮਾਹੌਲ ਬਣ ਗਿਆ।
ਜ਼ਿਕਰਯੋਗ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਮ੍ਰਿਤਕ ਰੋਜ਼ੀ-ਰੋਟੀ ਦੀ
ਤਲਾਸ਼ 'ਚ 14 ਫਰਵਰੀ 2010 ਨੂੰ
ਮਲੇਸ਼ੀਆ ਪੁੱਜਿਆ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਵਰ੍ਹੇ ਉਹ
ਭਾਰਤ ਵੀ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਸੀ। ਮਲੇਸ਼ੀਆ'ਚ
ਉਸ ਦਾ ਭੇਦ ਭਰੀ ਹਾਲਤ 'ਚ 13 ਦਸੰਬਰ
ਨੂੰ ਕਤਲ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ। ਐਤਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ
ਮ੍ਰਿਤਕ ਮਹਿੰਦਰਪਾਲ ਦੀ ਦੇਹ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ ਰਾਜ
ਮੰਤਰੀ ਬੀਬੀ ਪ੍ਰਨੀਤ ਕੌਰ ਦੇ ਯਤਨਾਂ ਸਦਕਾ
ਉਸ ਦੇ ਜੱਦੀ ਪਿੰਡ ਵਿਖੇ ਪੁੱਜੀ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਦਾ
ਅੰਤਿਮ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ।
Dubai ruler
calls for easing
of Iran
sanctions -
BBC
Dubai's ruler has urged
the international community
to ease sanctions
against Iran, in an
interview broadcast by
the BBC on Monday.
Asked whether he
thought it was now time
to lift sanctions against
Iran, Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, who is also
the Prime Minister of
the United Arab Emirates,
told the British
broadcaster:
"I think so ... Iran is our
neighbour and we don't
want any problem," he
said.
The vast majority of
trade between Iran and
its Gulf Arab neighbours
is routed through
Dubai, home to tens of
thousands of ethnic Iranians
and one of seven
emirates making up the
United Arab Emirates.
A deal between Iran
and six major powers
intended to pave the
way to a solution to a
long standoff over
Tehran's nuclear ambitions
will come into
force on January 20,
the Iranian Foreign
Ministry and the European
Union said on
Sunday.
ਚੋਣਾਂ ਦੇ ਬਾਅਦ ਤੋਂ ਹੀ ਲਾਗੂ ਹੋ ਸਕੇਗਾ ਜੀ. ਐੱਸ. ਟੀ. ਸੁਧਾਰ
ਸਕਾਰਾਤਮਕ ਅਸਰ ਇਹ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ ਕਿ ਜੀ.
ਐੱਸ. ਟੀ. ਨਾਲ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦਾ ਟੈਕਸ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਹਿ
ਵਧੇਗਾ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਇਸ ਨਾਲ ਟੈਕਸ ਆਧਾਰ
ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ ਅਤੇ ਨਿਯਮਾਂ ਦੇ
ਅਨੁਪਾਲਣ ਦਾ ਪੱਧਰ ਵਧੇਗਾ। ਯੂ. ਬੀ.
ਐੱਸ. ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ,”ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਟੈਕਸ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਹਿ
ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਖਜ਼ਾਨੇ ਦਾ
ਘਾਟਾ ਘੱਟ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ ਅਤੇ ਅਰਥ ਵਿਵਸਥਾ
‘ਤੇ ਇਸ਼ ਦਾ ਸਕਾਰਾਤਮਕ ਅਸਰ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ।”
ਰਪਟ ‘ਚ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸੂਬਿਆਂ ਦਾ
2005-08 ਦੌਰਾਨ ਵੈਟ ਦੇ ਸੰਬੰਧ ‘ਚ ਜੋ
ਅਨੁਭਵ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ
ਟੈਕਸ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਹਿ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਮਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਥਨ
ਮਿਲਦਾ ਹੈ। ਰਪਟ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ 2005-08
‘ਚ ਵੈਟ ‘ਚ ਪੇਸ਼ ਹੋਣ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਸੂਬਾ ਪੱਧਰ
‘ਤੇ ਟੈਕਸ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਹਿ ‘ਚ ਵਾਧਾ ਹੋਇਆ।
ਟੈਕਸ ਸੂਚਨਾ ਨੈੱਟਵਰਕ ਲਾਗੂ ਹੋਣ ਤੋਂ
ਬਾਅਦ ਵਿੱਤ ਸਾਲ 2007-08 ‘ਚ ਭਾਰਤ
ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦਾ ਆਮਦਨ ਟੈਕਸ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਹਿ
ਸਕਲ ਘਰੇਲੂ ਉਤਪਾਦ ਦੇ 5.9 ਫੀਸਦੀ ਦੇ
ਬਰਾਬਰ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਜੋ 2003-04 ‘ਚ 3.7
ਫੀਸਦੀ ਸੀ।
ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਦੀ ਜਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਖਤਰਾ, ਦਿੱਤੀ
ਜਾਵੇਗੀ ਜ਼ੈੱਡ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ ਦੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ
ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਲੈਣ ਲਈ
ਗਾਜ਼ੀਆਬਾਦ ਦੇ ਐੱਸ. ਐੱਸ. ਪੀ. ਧਰਮਿੰਦਰ
ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਸਤਾਵ ਨੂੰ ਠੁਕਰਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਸੀ।
ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਦੇ
ਇਨਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਅਸੀਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ 24
ਘੰਟੇ ਜ਼ੈੱਡ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀ ਦੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ
ਫੈਸਲਾ ਲਿਆ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ
ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਦੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਅਸੀਂ
ਸੋਮਵਾਰ ਤੋਂ ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਦੇ ਘਰ ਦੇ ਬਾਹਰ
2 ਹੈੱਡ ਕਾਂਸਟੇਬਲ ਅਤੇ 8 ਕਾਂਸਟੇਬਲ
ਤਾਇਨਾਤ ਰਹਿਣਗੇ। ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ
ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਲਈ 2 ਨਿਜੀ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ
ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ ਵੀ ਤਾਇਨਾਤ ਰਹਿਣਗੇ।
ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਗਾਜ਼ੀਆਬਾਦ 'ਚ
ਪੁਲਸ ਦੇ 2 ਵਾਹਨ ਰਹਿਣਗੇ। ਸਿੰਘ
ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਸੂਬਾ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਹੁਕਮ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ
ਹੀ ਅਸੀਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ
ਫੈਸਲਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ।