Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

Cong, AAP refrain from conference­s, leaders pay obeisance

- Sarbmeet Singh

MUKTSAR :The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday refrained from holding political conference­s on the occasion of Maghi Mela in Muktsar, in the wake of the Akal Takht’s edict not to hold such events during Jor Mela in Fathegarh Sahib last month.

Congress leaders, including Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal, deputy speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and former

MLA Karan Kaur Brar, paid obeisance to ‘40 muktas’.

Talking to mediaperso­ns, Manpreet Badal said, “It is high time that political parties refrained from politicisi­ng religious occasions. The Congress has taken an initiative in this direction.” About the party’s poll promises, he said, “There were 428 promises in the Congress manifesto. Of these, 125 promises like eliminatin­g the VIP culture and introducin­g reforms in the civil and administra­tive set-up have been fulfilled. The promises like debt waiver and jobs to the youth need funds and these will be fulfilled soon.”

On the sacrilege incidents, he slammed the SAD, which he said, is afraid of the findings of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission.

HOW COPS ZEROED

IN ON SIMMA

The Faridkot police are learnt to have got lead about Simma’s presence in Dehradun from his aide who was recently arrested by their Patiala counterpar­ts.

During his interrogat­ion, the police came to know about various places in Dehradun where Simma lived. Now, Faridkot police have been completing the legal remedies to bring the Simma and his aides to Faridkot

on production warrant.

HE DIDN’T VISIT HIS VILLAGE SINCE 2015 Simma has not visited his native Behbal Kalan village in the district since 2015 when he allegedly killed a close relative Beant Singh.

It happened after Simma and his family started pressurisi­ng

Beant Singh to arrange the marriage of his niece, who lived in Canada, with him (Simma). But Beant refused to mediate, Simma planned to kill him.

The villagers said that Simma’s family owned 18 acres of land. The family house is abandoned. While his father is in jail, his mother lives at her paternal place.

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