The Congress&#39;s Sunil Jakhar has won the Gurdaspur bypoll by close to two lakh votes.&nbsp;

The BJP came in second, and the AAP third.&nbsp;

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Punjab: Congress&#39;s Sunil Jakhar wins <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll</a> by 1,93,219 votes <a href="https://t.co/rZMlF9qTvX">pic.twitter.com/rZMlF9qTvX</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/919461034070380544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Punjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Punjab</a> Congress: 4,99,752, BJP 3,06,533, AAP 23,579 votes.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll</a>
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Counting began this morning. The bypoll -- necessitated by the death of the BJP&#39;s Vinod Khanna -- took place on October 11.&nbsp;

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Punjab: Congress workers and leaders celebrate as party leads by more than 1 lakh votes in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll</a> <a href="https://t.co/gYlPec5EKG">pic.twitter.com/gYlPec5EKG</a>
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The Gurdaspur bypoll is being seen as a referendum on Punjab&#39;s six-month-old Congress government.&nbsp;

Jakhar himself had billed the bypoll as a referendum on the Narendra&nbsp;Modi-led government at the Centre and its policies.&nbsp;

&quot;People of Gurdaspur have sent a strong message of their resentment to policies pursued by Modiji-led Centre,&quot; ANI reported Jakhar as saying.&nbsp;

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Ppl of Gurdaspur have sent a strong message of their resentment to policies pursued by Modi Ji led Centre: Sunil Jakhar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GurdaspurByPoll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GurdaspurByPoll</a> <a href="https://t.co/6JMxqdHK0k">pic.twitter.com/6JMxqdHK0k</a>
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&quot;This is a beautiful Diwali gift, packed with a red ribbon, for our would-be party president Rahul Gandhi,&quot; ANI reported Navjot Sidhu, who recently joined the Congress from the BJP, as saying.&nbsp;

The Congress's Sunil Jakhar has won the Gurdaspur bypoll by close to two lakh votes. The BJP came in second, and the AAP third. Punjab: Congress's Sunil Jakhar wins #GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll by 1,93,219 votes pic.twitter.com/rZMlF9qTvX — ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2017 × #Punjab Congress: 4,99,752, BJP 3,06,533, AAP 23,579 votes.#GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll — ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2017 × Counting began this morning. The bypoll -- necessitated by the death of the BJP's Vinod Khanna -- took place on October 11. Punjab: Congress workers and leaders celebrate as party leads by more than 1 lakh votes in #GurdaspurLokSabhaBypoll pic.twitter.com/gYlPec5EKG — ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2017 × The Gurdaspur bypoll is being seen as a referendum on Punjab's six-month-old Congress government. Jakhar himself had billed the bypoll as a referendum on the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and its policies. "People of Gurdaspur have sent a strong message of their resentment to policies pursued by Modiji-led Centre," ANI reported Jakhar as saying. Ppl of Gurdaspur have sent a strong message of their resentment to policies pursued by Modi Ji led Centre: Sunil Jakhar #GurdaspurByPoll pic.twitter.com/6JMxqdHK0k — ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2017 × "This is a beautiful Diwali gift, packed with a red ribbon, for our would-be party president Rahul Gandhi," ANI reported Navjot Sidhu, who recently joined the Congress from the BJP, as saying.

Gurdaspur bypoll: Congress's Sunil Jakhar wins, says voters have rejected PM Modi's policies

A former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) minister has been booked for allegedly repeatedly raping a woman, police said today.

Sucha Singh Langah was booked last night after a woman, a widow, lodged a complaint that the Akali leader had raped her on several occasions since 2009 and had threatened her not to disclose the matter to anybody, they said.

&quot;The victim filed an affidavit and gave a pen drive with a video recording to support her accusation,&quot; SSP Harcharan Singh Bhullar said.

Langah has been booked under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, he said.

Sucha Singh Langah was booked last night after a woman, a widow, lodged a complaint that the Akali leader had raped her on several occasions since 2009

A former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) minister has been booked for allegedly repeatedly raping a woman, police said today. Sucha Singh Langah was booked last night after a woman, a widow, lodged a complaint that the Akali leader had raped her on several occasions since 2009 and had threatened her not to disclose the matter to anybody, they said. "The victim filed an affidavit and gave a pen drive with a video recording to support her accusation," SSP Harcharan Singh Bhullar said. Langah has been booked under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, he said.

Former SAD minister booked for rape

&nbsp;An eight-year-old boy died after he was thrashed by a school teacher for stammering during a lesson in Phullanwal village, police said today.

The boy was identified as Bindu Ram alias Guddu.

Bindu&#39;s family has alleged that a lady teacher on Saturday dragged him by the hair and harshly pulled his ears, Dugri Police Station SHO said today.

Guddu, a class I student at Government Primary School here, fell ill after the incident.

He was admitted to a private hospital where he succumbed to the injuries yesterday, Singh said.

District Education Officer (Elementary) Jaspreet Kaur said an inquiry has been marked and necessary action would be taken after receiving the inquiry report.

The boy was identified as Bindu Ram alias Guddu.

An eight-year-old boy died after he was thrashed by a school teacher for stammering during a lesson in Phullanwal village, police said today. The boy was identified as Bindu Ram alias Guddu. Bindu's family has alleged that a lady teacher on Saturday dragged him by the hair and harshly pulled his ears, Dugri Police Station SHO said today. Guddu, a class I student at Government Primary School here, fell ill after the incident. He was admitted to a private hospital where he succumbed to the injuries yesterday, Singh said. District Education Officer (Elementary) Jaspreet Kaur said an inquiry has been marked and necessary action would be taken after receiving the inquiry report.

Class 1 thrashed to death for stammering

Four states, all non-BJP ruled, moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to intervene in the hearing on whether the Right to Privacy can be declared as one of the Fundamental Rights under the Indian Constitution.&nbsp;

The states include Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Puducherry.&nbsp;

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal is representing the four states. He initiated his arguments before a nine-judge Constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar and said that the court needs to take a fresh look on the Right to Privacy in the light of technological advancements.&nbsp;

&quot;Privacy cannot be an absolute right. But it is a Fundamental Right. This court needs to strike a balance,&quot; he submitted before the bench, PTI reported.&nbsp;

The top court had set up a Constitution bench on July 18 after the issue was referred to a larger bench by a five-judge bench.&nbsp;

The petitioners have claimed that the collection and sharing of biometric information under the Aadhaar scheme is a breach of the &quot;fundamental&quot; right to privacy.

The Central government on July 19 submitted a report before the Supreme Court saying that Right to Privacy is a common law right and not a Fundamental Right. 
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The states include Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Puducherry.

Four states, all non-BJP ruled, moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking to intervene in the hearing on whether the Right to Privacy can be declared as one of the Fundamental Rights under the Indian Constitution. The states include Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab and Puducherry. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal is representing the four states. He initiated his arguments before a nine-judge Constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar and said that the court needs to take a fresh look on the Right to Privacy in the light of technological advancements. "Privacy cannot be an absolute right. But it is a Fundamental Right. This court needs to strike a balance," he submitted before the bench, PTI reported. The top court had set up a Constitution bench on July 18 after the issue was referred to a larger bench by a five-judge bench. The petitioners have claimed that the collection and sharing of biometric information under the Aadhaar scheme is a breach of the "fundamental" right to privacy. The Central government on July 19 submitted a report before the Supreme Court saying that Right to Privacy is a common law right and not a Fundamental Right.

Four non-BJP ruled states move Supreme Court in favour of Right to Privacy

Uttarakhand will be open defecation free by this month-end, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has asserted. He said his government has given maximum emphasis on Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s call for a &#39;Swachh Bharat&#39; and has taken a number of steps for cleanliness.

&quot;By the end of May, Uttarakhand will be open defecation free, barring a few areas in Haridwar,&quot; Rawat told PTI in an interview.

The 56-year-old chief minister said a plan is being chalked out to rejuvenate the two rivers in Dehradun - Song and Tons - so that clean water flows through them.

&quot;The confluence of the two rivers is already free from smell. Birds have started drinking water there. It is an encouraging news,&quot; he said.

Earlier, the Centre had announced that Sikkim was the first state to become open defecation free followed by Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

It was anticipating four more states -- Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab -- to achieve the target of open defecation free by this year.

Rawat assumed the charge of chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 18 after the BJP stormed to power winning 57 of the 70 assembly seats, by ousting the Congress.

He also highlighted the BJP government&#39;s transfer policy for state bureaucrats and police officers saying it was completely transparent and balanced.

&quot;There has been not a single complaint regarding the transfers we have done. There was no corruption in the transfers, these were balanced and transparent,&quot; he said.

(PTI)&nbsp;

The Centre said it had anticipated the same for four more states, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab

Uttarakhand will be open defecation free by this month-end, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has asserted. He said his government has given maximum emphasis on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a 'Swachh Bharat' and has taken a number of steps for cleanliness. "By the end of May, Uttarakhand will be open defecation free, barring a few areas in Haridwar," Rawat told PTI in an interview. The 56-year-old chief minister said a plan is being chalked out to rejuvenate the two rivers in Dehradun - Song and Tons - so that clean water flows through them. "The confluence of the two rivers is already free from smell. Birds have started drinking water there. It is an encouraging news," he said. Earlier, the Centre had announced that Sikkim was the first state to become open defecation free followed by Himachal Pradesh and Kerala. It was anticipating four more states -- Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab -- to achieve the target of open defecation free by this year. Rawat assumed the charge of chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 18 after the BJP stormed to power winning 57 of the 70 assembly seats, by ousting the Congress. He also highlighted the BJP government's transfer policy for state bureaucrats and police officers saying it was completely transparent and balanced. "There has been not a single complaint regarding the transfers we have done. There was no corruption in the transfers, these were balanced and transparent," he said. (PTI)

Uttarakhand to be open defecation free by May 31: CM Rawat

Tractor sales in India are likely to grow&nbsp;in double digits in the fiscal year that started on April 1, following a decision by at least two states to waive some loans to farmers, India&#39;s biggest tractor maker said on Wednesday.

India&#39;s tractor industry posted 18 per cent volume growth in the fiscal year that ended March 31.

Nearly two-thirds of farmers in India buy tractors via bank loans and a waiver by two states on loans to farmers whose crops have been hit by poor weather for crops will make them eligible for fresh borrowing. Other states are considering similar moves.

&quot;The farm loan waiver is certainly a positive enabler for the industry,&quot; Rajesh Jejurikar, the head of Mahindra &amp; Mahindra&#39;s farm equipment division, told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference.

On Wednesday, Mahindra launched new tractor platform Jivo, aiming to boost its sales of small tractors, Jejurikar said.

India&#39;s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, said on Tuesday it would waive $5.6 billion of loans to help millions of farmers reeling from losses after unfavourable weather in the past few years hit their crops.

The southern state of Tamil Nadu has also waived farm loans, while the western state of Maharashtra and northern state of Punjab are considering writing off loans to smallholders.

(Reuters)

Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have both waived some loans to farmers, while Punjab and Maharashtra are considering doing the same

Tractor sales in India are likely to grow in double digits in the fiscal year that started on April 1, following a decision by at least two states to waive some loans to farmers, India's biggest tractor maker said on Wednesday. India's tractor industry posted 18 per cent volume growth in the fiscal year that ended March 31. Nearly two-thirds of farmers in India buy tractors via bank loans and a waiver by two states on loans to farmers whose crops have been hit by poor weather for crops will make them eligible for fresh borrowing. Other states are considering similar moves. "The farm loan waiver is certainly a positive enabler for the industry," Rajesh Jejurikar, the head of Mahindra & Mahindra's farm equipment division, told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference. On Wednesday, Mahindra launched new tractor platform Jivo, aiming to boost its sales of small tractors, Jejurikar said. India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, said on Tuesday it would waive $5.6 billion of loans to help millions of farmers reeling from losses after unfavourable weather in the past few years hit their crops. The southern state of Tamil Nadu has also waived farm loans, while the western state of Maharashtra and northern state of Punjab are considering writing off loans to smallholders. (Reuters)

Indian tractor sales seen rising as regions waive farm loans

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Sources: <a href="http://www.indiatvnews.com/politics/national-exit-poll-assembly-elections-five-states-india-tv-371824">IndiaTV &ndash; Cvoter</a> ; <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/live-blogs/exit-poll-2017-assembly-elections-result-up-results-/199.html">India Today - Axis My India</a> ; <a href="http://www.newsx.com/national/58142-live-newsx-mrc-exit-polls-the-most-accurate-break-up-of-numbers?pfrom=tags">NewsX - MRC</a> ; <a href="http://www.timesnow.tv/india/article/exit-polls-bjp-win-projected-in-4-states/57316">Times Now- VMR</a> ; ABP &ndash; Lokniti <a href="http://www.abplive.in/india-news/bjp-set-to-sweep-uttarakhand-may-get-34-42-seats-abp-news-exit-poll-503210">1</a>, <a href="http://www.abplive.in/india-news/punjab-exit-poll-live-updates-congress-aap-or-bjp-sad-503122">2</a>, <a href="http://www.abplive.in/india-news/abp-news-exit-poll-live-updates-wholl-be-victorious-in-up-uttarakhand-punjab-goa-502918">3</a>, <a href="http://abpnews.abplive.in/india-news/assembly-elections-exit-polls-2017-know-which-party-is-going-to-win-the-election-574390">4</a> ; <a href="http://www.todayschanakya.com/">News24 - Today&#39;s Chanakya</a> &nbsp;

Party abbreviations: INC: Indian National Congress, AAP: Aam Aadmi Party, SAD: Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP: Bharatiya Janta Party, BSP: Bahujan Samaj Party, SP: Samajwadi Party.&nbsp;

Note: Only the seat totals given by various agencies were compared, not the predictions for individual constituencies. Also, if an agency had given out a seat range as opposed to a specific seat total for any party/alliance, the mid-point of the range was used for comparison.&nbsp;

Update: Images were modified to accurately reflect the exit poll results.

Which polling agencies got the Indian state election results right? And which got it badly wrong? Check the graphics below to find out.

Sources: IndiaTV – Cvoter ; India Today - Axis My India ; NewsX - MRC ; Times Now- VMR ; ABP – Lokniti 1, 2, 3, 4 ; News24 - Today's Chanakya Party abbreviations: INC: Indian National Congress, AAP: Aam Aadmi Party, SAD: Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP: Bharatiya Janta Party, BSP: Bahujan Samaj Party, SP: Samajwadi Party. Note: Only the seat totals given by various agencies were compared, not the predictions for individual constituencies. Also, if an agency had given out a seat range as opposed to a specific seat total for any party/alliance, the mid-point of the range was used for comparison. Update: Images were modified to accurately reflect the exit poll results.

Indian Assembly elections: Did anyone get their predictions right?

The Congress came back to power winning 77 seats in the 117-member state assembly&nbsp;riding a strong anti-incumbency wave against the ruling SAD-BJP combine&nbsp;which won just 18 seats.&nbsp;Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal&#39;s Aam Aadmi Party, which debuted in Punjab for the first time, picked&nbsp;up just 22&nbsp;seats&nbsp;although many exit polls had predicted AAP to finish on top.

The Congress&nbsp;was just one short of 78 -- the figure required for two-thirds majority in the assembly.

With&nbsp;Congress victory quite apparent, Punjab chief minister&nbsp;Parkash Singh Badal, who defeated Congress&#39; chief ministerial candidate&nbsp;Captain Amarinder Singh in Lambi, decided to resign.&nbsp;

&quot;Tomorrow I will submit my resignation to the governor,&quot; Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal told reporters.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal won from Jalalabad, defeating AAP&#39;s Bhagwant Mann. His brother-in-law, Punjab cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia won from Majitha.

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We will discuss the reasons in the core committee meeting &amp; analyse each aspect of our performance in the elections: Prakash Singh Badal <a href="https://t.co/jnSI6VEvn1">pic.twitter.com/jnSI6VEvn1</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/840466850433585156">March 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Congress was&nbsp;riding&nbsp;the victory wave led by Captain Amarinder Singh who won&nbsp;from Patiala urban assembly seat by a margin of over 51,000 votes,&nbsp;beating Akali&#39;s General JJ Singh.

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu won from Amritsar East, beating his&nbsp;BJP and AAP rivals by a huge margin.

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PM Narendra Narendra Modi speaks to Captain Amarinder Singh, congratulates him on the win in Punjab <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionResults?src=hash">#ElectionResults</a> <a href="https://t.co/2ZYPcoPj9c">pic.twitter.com/2ZYPcoPj9c</a>
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WATCH: Congress&#39;s Navjot Singh Sidhu talks about role of his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionResults?src=hash">#ElectionResults</a> <a href="https://t.co/LKmnD1E1NF">pic.twitter.com/LKmnD1E1NF</a>
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Counting of votes for the high- stakes assembly elections in UP, Punjab, Manipur, Goa &amp; Uttarkhand have begun. Here&#39;s the latest update and ground-report analysis. (WION)
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Congress candidate and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh retained his Jalandhar Cantt seat by defeating Akali candidate Sarabjit Singh Makkar by 29,124 votes.

Pargat, an Olympian, polled 59,349 votes while SAD candidate got 30,225 votes. AAP candidate Harkrishan Singh Walia got 25,912 votes. Pargat had won the 2012 assembly polls on a SAD ticket. Last year, Pargat switched over to Congress after he raised a banner of revolt against the Akali Dal.

From Dakha, AAP candidate and noted Supreme Court lawyer H S Phoolka won, defeating his nearest rival Akali candidate Manpreer Singh Ayali by 4,169 votes.

From Dirba, AAP candidate Harpal Cheema defeated Congress candidate Ajaib Singh by 1,645 votes and from Garhshankar, AAP candidate won by 1,650 votes by trouncing SAD candidate Surinder Singh.

In Jaitu, AAP candidate Baldev Singh defeated Congress candidate Mohammad Sadique by 9,993 votes.From Abohar seat, BJP candidate Arun Narang defeated Congress candidate and party&#39;s senior leader Sunil Jakhar by 3,279 votes.

Former Punjab CM and Congress candidate Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was defeated by Akali candidate and cabinet minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa by 26,815 votes. 
 
BJP candidate Tarun Chugh was defeated by Congress candidate O P Soni from Amritsar Central by margin of 21,116 votes.

Congress candidate Kanwarpal Singh won Anandpur Sahib seat by defeating his nearest rival BJP&#39;s Parminder Sharma with a margin of 23,881 votes.

The seat was earlier held by cabinet minister Madan Mohan Mittal of the BJP.&nbsp;Congress candidate Kanwar Pal Singh polled 60,800 votes while BJP candidate Parminder Sharma got 36,919 votes from Anandpur Sahib.

Aam Aadmi Party candidate Sanjeev Gautam secured 30,304 votes from this segment. 
 
From Jalandhar-West, Congress candidate Sushil Kumar Rinku defeated Mahinder Pal Bhagat, who is BJP candidate and son of Cabinet Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat with a margin of 17,334 votes. Rinku polled 53,983 votes while Bhagat got 36,649 votes.

AAP candidate Darshan Lal Bhagat secured 15,364 votes.&nbsp;From Bholath, AAP candidate Sukhpal Khaira won with a margin of 8,202 votes by defeating SAD candidate Yuvraj Bhupinder Singh.Khaira polled 48,873 votes while Yuvraj got 40,671 votes.&nbsp;From Chabbewal seat, Congress candidate Raj Kumar won by a margin of 29,261 votes as he defeated his nearest rival SAD candidate Sohan Singh Thandal.Raj secured 57,857 votes while Thandal got 28,596 votes. However, AAP&#39;s Raman Kumar won 20,505 votes.

From Fatehgarh Sahib, Congress candidate Kuljit Singh Nagra defeated SAD candidate Didar Singh Bhatti by a margin of 23,867 votes.Nagra polled 58,205 votes while Didar got 34,338 votes. AAP&#39;s Lakhvir Singh secured 29,393 votes.

In Bhadaur, AAP candidate Pirmal Singh Dhaula defeated SAD candidate Balvir Singh Ghunas by 20,784 votes.From Jalandhar North, Congress candidate Avtar Singh Junior defeated BJP candidate K D Bhandari with a margin of 32,291 votes.

In Ludhiana Central, Congress candidate Surinder Dawar defeated BJP candidate Gurdev Sharma by 20,480 votes. From Pathankot, Congress nominee Amit defeated BJP candidate Ashwani Kumar by 11,170 votes. 
In Rupnagar, AAP candidate Amarjit Singh Sandoa defeated Congress candidate Brinder Singh Dhillon by 23,707 votes.

From Tarn Taran, Congress candidate Dharambir Agnihotri defeated SAD candidate Harmeet Singh by 14,629 votes while from Amloh, Congress candidate Randeep Singh defeated SAD candidate Gurpreet Singh by 3,946 votes.&nbsp; 
 
Congress candidate Kanwarpal Singh won the Anandpur Sahib seat by defeating his nearest BJP rival Parminder Sharma by a margin of 23,881 votes. The seat was earlier held by cabinet minister Madan Mohan Mittal of BJP.

Counting of votes opened in Punjab this morning with the state witnessing a three-way fight between the Congress, BJP,&nbsp;its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Admi Party(AAP).

(WION)

The Congress won 77 seats in the 117-member state assembly. The ruling SAD-BJP combine?won just 18 seats

The Congress came back to power winning 77 seats in the 117-member state assembly riding a strong anti-incumbency wave against the ruling SAD-BJP combine which won just 18 seats. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, which debuted in Punjab for the first time, picked up just 22 seats although many exit polls had predicted AAP to finish on top. The Congress was just one short of 78 -- the figure required for two-thirds majority in the assembly. With Congress victory quite apparent, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who defeated Congress' chief ministerial candidate Captain Amarinder Singh in Lambi, decided to resign. "Tomorrow I will submit my resignation to the governor," Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal told reporters. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal won from Jalalabad, defeating AAP's Bhagwant Mann. His brother-in-law, Punjab cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia won from Majitha. We will discuss the reasons in the core committee meeting & analyse each aspect of our performance in the elections: Prakash Singh Badal pic.twitter.com/jnSI6VEvn1 — ANI (@ANI_news) March 11, 2017 × Congress was riding the victory wave led by Captain Amarinder Singh who won from Patiala urban assembly seat by a margin of over 51,000 votes, beating Akali's General JJ Singh. Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu won from Amritsar East, beating his BJP and AAP rivals by a huge margin. PM Narendra Narendra Modi speaks to Captain Amarinder Singh, congratulates him on the win in Punjab #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/2ZYPcoPj9c — ANI (@ANI_news) March 11, 2017 × WATCH: Congress's Navjot Singh Sidhu talks about role of his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu. #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/LKmnD1E1NF — ANI (@ANI_news) March 11, 2017 × Counting of votes for the high- stakes assembly elections in UP, Punjab, Manipur, Goa & Uttarkhand have begun. Here's the latest update and ground-report analysis. (WION) × Congress candidate and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh retained his Jalandhar Cantt seat by defeating Akali candidate Sarabjit Singh Makkar by 29,124 votes. Pargat, an Olympian, polled 59,349 votes while SAD candidate got 30,225 votes. AAP candidate Harkrishan Singh Walia got 25,912 votes. Pargat had won the 2012 assembly polls on a SAD ticket. Last year, Pargat switched over to Congress after he raised a banner of revolt against the Akali Dal. From Dakha, AAP candidate and noted Supreme Court lawyer H S Phoolka won, defeating his nearest rival Akali candidate Manpreer Singh Ayali by 4,169 votes. From Dirba, AAP candidate Harpal Cheema defeated Congress candidate Ajaib Singh by 1,645 votes and from Garhshankar, AAP candidate won by 1,650 votes by trouncing SAD candidate Surinder Singh. In Jaitu, AAP candidate Baldev Singh defeated Congress candidate Mohammad Sadique by 9,993 votes.From Abohar seat, BJP candidate Arun Narang defeated Congress candidate and party's senior leader Sunil Jakhar by 3,279 votes. Former Punjab CM and Congress candidate Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was defeated by Akali candidate and cabinet minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa by 26,815 votes. BJP candidate Tarun Chugh was defeated by Congress candidate O P Soni from Amritsar Central by margin of 21,116 votes. Congress candidate Kanwarpal Singh won Anandpur Sahib seat by defeating his nearest rival BJP's Parminder Sharma with a margin of 23,881 votes. The seat was earlier held by cabinet minister Madan Mohan Mittal of the BJP. Congress candidate Kanwar Pal Singh polled 60,800 votes while BJP candidate Parminder Sharma got 36,919 votes from Anandpur Sahib. Aam Aadmi Party candidate Sanjeev Gautam secured 30,304 votes from this segment. From Jalandhar-West, Congress candidate Sushil Kumar Rinku defeated Mahinder Pal Bhagat, who is BJP candidate and son of Cabinet Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat with a margin of 17,334 votes. Rinku polled 53,983 votes while Bhagat got 36,649 votes. AAP candidate Darshan Lal Bhagat secured 15,364 votes. From Bholath, AAP candidate Sukhpal Khaira won with a margin of 8,202 votes by defeating SAD candidate Yuvraj Bhupinder Singh.Khaira polled 48,873 votes while Yuvraj got 40,671 votes. From Chabbewal seat, Congress candidate Raj Kumar won by a margin of 29,261 votes as he defeated his nearest rival SAD candidate Sohan Singh Thandal.Raj secured 57,857 votes while Thandal got 28,596 votes. However, AAP's Raman Kumar won 20,505 votes. From Fatehgarh Sahib, Congress candidate Kuljit Singh Nagra defeated SAD candidate Didar Singh Bhatti by a margin of 23,867 votes.Nagra polled 58,205 votes while Didar got 34,338 votes. AAP's Lakhvir Singh secured 29,393 votes. In Bhadaur, AAP candidate Pirmal Singh Dhaula defeated SAD candidate Balvir Singh Ghunas by 20,784 votes.From Jalandhar North, Congress candidate Avtar Singh Junior defeated BJP candidate K D Bhandari with a margin of 32,291 votes. In Ludhiana Central, Congress candidate Surinder Dawar defeated BJP candidate Gurdev Sharma by 20,480 votes. From Pathankot, Congress nominee Amit defeated BJP candidate Ashwani Kumar by 11,170 votes. In Rupnagar, AAP candidate Amarjit Singh Sandoa defeated Congress candidate Brinder Singh Dhillon by 23,707 votes. From Tarn Taran, Congress candidate Dharambir Agnihotri defeated SAD candidate Harmeet Singh by 14,629 votes while from Amloh, Congress candidate Randeep Singh defeated SAD candidate Gurpreet Singh by 3,946 votes. Congress candidate Kanwarpal Singh won the Anandpur Sahib seat by defeating his nearest BJP rival Parminder Sharma by a margin of 23,881 votes. The seat was earlier held by cabinet minister Madan Mohan Mittal of BJP. Counting of votes opened in Punjab this morning with the state witnessing a three-way fight between the Congress, BJP, its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Admi Party(AAP). (WION)

Punjab Assembly Elections: Congress wins big, Captain Amarinder Singh to be chief minister

A total of 36 bombs were found in Ludhiana&#39;s Harnampura village on Tuesday.

The army was also intimated of the incident.&nbsp;

Sub-Inspector Dalbir Singh said that the bombs were planted at different places but the police managed to reach on time.

&quot;When we were standing at the spot of the first bomb, a man told us that there are other bombs planted at other place. We reached the other spot immediately and informed our senior officers. 36 bombs were found,&quot; Singh told the media here.

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The police official said that bombs were planted at different places but the police managed to reach the spot on time. (ANI)
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(ANI)

The Indian Army has also been informed about the incident

A total of 36 bombs were found in Ludhiana's Harnampura village on Tuesday. The army was also intimated of the incident. Sub-Inspector Dalbir Singh said that the bombs were planted at different places but the police managed to reach on time. "When we were standing at the spot of the first bomb, a man told us that there are other bombs planted at other place. We reached the other spot immediately and informed our senior officers. 36 bombs were found," Singh told the media here. The police official said that bombs were planted at different places but the police managed to reach the spot on time. (ANI) × (ANI)

Punjab: 36 bombs found in a village in Ludhiana

All that remains of Pargat Singh is a framed photograph and memories of him held dear by his family. The 30-year-old, who started taking drugs a few years back, died last December leaving behind a eight-year-old daughter, an inconsolable mother and two siblings, one of whom has now suddenly found himself in the shoes of the family&rsquo;s breadwinner. &nbsp;This is not an isolated case. It is taking place in village after village in Punjab. Drug abuse is obliterating a whole generation of youth and devastating thousands of families. 
&nbsp; 
Kazikot&mdash;a small village in Punjab&rsquo;s border district of Tarn Taran&mdash;is where Pargat Singh lived&hellip;and died. His death and that of so many others is a recurrent theme. Many who fell prey to drugs did reform but drugs still flow freely here. 
&nbsp; 
Three hundred rupees is all it takes for youngsters like Jimmy (name changed) to procure a shot each of a muscle relaxant called norgesic and an anti-allergic called pheniramine maleate - controlled drugs that cannot be bought over the counter but are available in the village. Once Jimmy manages to procure the dose, he looks for a deserted corner in the village, mixes both drugs and injects them into his veins. Many outsiders routinely come to Kazikot to get their fix. Those with money prefer to inject heroin. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Around 10-15 youngsters from our village are serving sentences in jail after being arrested for drug abuse,&rdquo; says Kazikot&rsquo;s Sarpanch Harpal Singh. He hastens to add that the situation is much better now and that drug abuse in Kazikot has indeed come down because of a massive crackdown by the police. What rankles the residents of this village is the &ldquo;bad name&rdquo; their village has got because of the drug menace. 
&nbsp; 
Punjab&rsquo;s drug problem first came under the spotlight when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in 2012 that seven of 10 Punjabi youth were hooked on drugs. His remarks were based on an affidavit filed by the Punjab government in the High Court in 2009 which was based on a 2006 study conducted by Dr Ranvinder Singh Sandhu, a professor of sociology at Amritsar&rsquo;s Guru Nanak dev University. 
&nbsp; 
The affidavit quoted Dr Sandhu&rsquo;s study as having said that drug addiction in Punjab was 70 per cent but it blundered by not mentioning that the study had been done on a sample size of just 600 drug addicts. Despite the controversy over figures, the affidavit was not too off the mark when it stated that the whole of &ldquo;Punjab is in the grip of drug hurricane which weakens the morale, physique and character of its youth&rdquo; and that the &ldquo;vibrant punjab that had ushered in the green revolution is today living in dazed stupor as 67 percent of the rural households in the state have at least one drug addict&rdquo; and also that &ldquo;drug addiction has become a stigma that belies claims of prosperity in the state&rdquo;. 
&nbsp; 
The government&rsquo;s affidavit had further said that &ldquo;the vibrancy of Punjab is virtually a myth&rdquo; and that &ldquo;many sell their blood to procure daily dose of deadly drugs, even beg in streets to satisfy their addiction&rdquo;. &nbsp;It went on to add that opiates, their derivatives and synthetic opiate drugs are the most preferred drugs in almost 70 per cent of the addicts and that 7 out of 10 college going students abuse one drug or the other, three out of 10 girls have abused one drug or the other and 66 per cent of the school-going students abuse gutkha or tobacco. It added that 16 per cent of the state was hooked on hard drugs. 
&nbsp; 
The same affidavit stated that drug traffickers had changed their overland route and that of all the narcotics drugs transited through India, around 40 percent were going through Punjab. &ldquo;Punjab alone accounted for roughly over one-fifth of the total recoveries of heroin in the country. The traffickers are using porous areas on the Punjab border, trains and buses for smuggling afghan heroin coming via Pakistan which is moved for distribution within and outside the country,&rdquo; it added. 
&nbsp; 
A drive to some border villages in Tarn Taran district is illuminating. All that separates India and Pakistan is a barbed wire fence over vast tracts of land. While there are Border Security Force (BSF) outpost set-up all along the border, there are huge areas which are not under surveillance. That also explains why neatly wrapped packages containing heroin are simply thrown over the fence into India and are quickly collected. In villages like Bidhi Chand Chhina and Naushahra--two of the many Indian villages located just meters away from the international border with Pakistan--the smuggling and availability of drugs like heroin is an open secret. 
&nbsp; 
The numbers speak for themselves. &nbsp;Since 2014 and until January 24 this year, the Punjab Police arrested close to 37,000 people for drug abuse under the Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances act. Close to 31,000 cases under the NDPS act were registered in Punjab during the same period.

Year &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Case registered under NDPS Act &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Persons arrested 
2014 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;14482 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;17001 
2015 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;10178 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;12193 
2016 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5836 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6971 
01-01-2017 to 24-01-2017 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;457 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;529

A look at the quantum of drug seizures by the border security force in Punjab in the past five years underscores the gravity of the situation. Between 2012 to 2016, a staggering 1,547 kilograms of heroin was seized on the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. This roughly translates into an average 309 kilograms per year. At 362 kilograms, year 2014 saw the highest seizures. This year, already 8 kilograms of heroin has been seized from the border areas. 
&nbsp; 
In 2015, a study titled &quot;Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey (PODS)&quot; was conducted by Society For Promotion Of Youth &amp; Masses (SPYM) and a team of researchers from National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of Delhi&rsquo;s All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in collaboration with Department Of Health And Family Welfare of the Punjab Government. 
&nbsp; 
The study was carried out in the 10 districts of Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur, Tarn Taran. Together these 10 districts comprise about 60% of the population of Punjab and are representative of the entire state on many parameters like population, male:female ratio, urban:rural ratio, and location at international or inter-state border. 
&nbsp; 
This study was conducted over a three-month period and data for this study was collected from 3,620 opioid dependent individuals across 10 districts at government de-addiction centres by trained counsellors under the supervision of psychiatrists and nodal-officers working with the Punjab government. &nbsp;Informed consent was obtained from all the respondents and clearance was obtained from the institute ethics committee of AIIMS, New Delhi. The data was collected in the digital format and was subsequently analysed by the researchers at AIIMS using special analytical techniques. 
&nbsp; 
Here&rsquo;s what the study found out: 
--the study estimated the size of the opioid-dependent population in Punjab at a staggering 2.32 lakh. 
--76% opioid dependent individuals are in the age group of 18 to 35 years 
--99% are males and 54% are married 
--89% are literate and have some hold college degrees 
--most are employed as unskilled workers or labourers and farmers. 
--56% belong to rural areas and almost all (99%) report Punjabi as their mother tongue. 
&nbsp; 
The study found that heroin was the most common drug used by this group, followed by opium, doda or bhukki. Around 14 per cent drug users were found to be using a variety of pharmaceutical opioids. It also said that about one-third take their opioid drugs through injections and among them almost 90% inject heroin. 
&nbsp; 
While &#39;peer-influence&#39; was the found to be the main reason for taking drugs, the study also said that an average heroin using individual spends about Rs 1,400 a day on drugs--an opium users spends Rs 340 per day while a pharmaceutical-opioid user spends Rs 265 per day. It also found that a large majority of drug users cited suffering from physical, mental or social adverse consequences as reasons for their addiction. &ldquo;While only a minority report having been arrested and having been jailed, almost everyone who had been to jail reports continuing drug use, while inside the jail,&rdquo; it added. 
&nbsp; 
The study&rsquo;s findings also indicated that there is a huge illegal market of opioid drugs in Punjab. After multiplying the figures on expenditure with the estimated number of dependent users in the state, the study has projected that opioid dependent people are spending around Rs 20 crore per day on opioid drugs in the state--this amounts to an annual expenditure of rs 7,575 crore annually on opioid drugs. 
&nbsp; 
At the Swami Vivekanand Drug Deaddiction &amp; Treatment Centre in Amritsar&mdash;one of the biggest in the state, there&rsquo;s a steady stream of patients coming for treatment. In fact, ever since it was set up in 2012, this centre has already treated about 23,000 patients. On an average ten new patients come in every day, officials say. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;The number of patients coming in for drug de-addiction treatment steadily rose in the past few years. In fact, in 2014, around 9,500 patients came in for treatment, &rdquo; says Dr P.D Garg, Professor &amp; Head Of Department Of Psychiatry, Swami Vivekanand Drug Deaddiction &amp; Treatment Centre in Amritsar. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;In school, we started off with cigarettes, then moved on to liquor and then to drugs. &ldquo;White&rdquo; or &ldquo;Chitta&rdquo; is the craze in Punjab these days&hellip;the whole state is after it. The government is involved in the sale of these drugs because how can such a trade flourish with the government&rsquo;s support,&rdquo; says a young drug addict visiting this de-addiction centre, accompanied by his mother. &nbsp;&ldquo;I have picked up bodies of my friends who died after injected drugs, at times because they used the injection incorrectly,&rdquo; he says, adding that there are thousands like him in the state. 
&nbsp; 
Then there are localities like Maqboolpura in the heart of Amritsar which are constant reminders of the havoc drug abuse has wreaked on Punjab. Maqboolpura is now known as the &ldquo;colony of widows&rdquo; because a large number of women living here are said to have lost their husbands to drug abuse. 
&nbsp; 
For the first time, an election in Punjab witnessed the issue of drug abuse being talked about so vociferously. A lot of politics was also played over it. Leaving aside the rhetoric, the fact that this great human tragedy is finally being acknowledged is probably the only silver lining in this cloud.

(WION)

According to a government document opiates and synthetic opiate drugs are the most preferred among the youth in Punjab

All that remains of Pargat Singh is a framed photograph and memories of him held dear by his family. The 30-year-old, who started taking drugs a few years back, died last December leaving behind a eight-year-old daughter, an inconsolable mother and two siblings, one of whom has now suddenly found himself in the shoes of the family’s breadwinner. This is not an isolated case. It is taking place in village after village in Punjab. Drug abuse is obliterating a whole generation of youth and devastating thousands of families. Kazikot—a small village in Punjab’s border district of Tarn Taran—is where Pargat Singh lived…and died. His death and that of so many others is a recurrent theme. Many who fell prey to drugs did reform but drugs still flow freely here. Three hundred rupees is all it takes for youngsters like Jimmy (name changed) to procure a shot each of a muscle relaxant called norgesic and an anti-allergic called pheniramine maleate - controlled drugs that cannot be bought over the counter but are available in the village. Once Jimmy manages to procure the dose, he looks for a deserted corner in the village, mixes both drugs and injects them into his veins. Many outsiders routinely come to Kazikot to get their fix. Those with money prefer to inject heroin. “Around 10-15 youngsters from our village are serving sentences in jail after being arrested for drug abuse,” says Kazikot’s Sarpanch Harpal Singh. He hastens to add that the situation is much better now and that drug abuse in Kazikot has indeed come down because of a massive crackdown by the police. What rankles the residents of this village is the “bad name” their village has got because of the drug menace. Punjab’s drug problem first came under the spotlight when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in 2012 that seven of 10 Punjabi youth were hooked on drugs. His remarks were based on an affidavit filed by the Punjab government in the High Court in 2009 which was based on a 2006 study conducted by Dr Ranvinder Singh Sandhu, a professor of sociology at Amritsar’s Guru Nanak dev University. The affidavit quoted Dr Sandhu’s study as having said that drug addiction in Punjab was 70 per cent but it blundered by not mentioning that the study had been done on a sample size of just 600 drug addicts. Despite the controversy over figures, the affidavit was not too off the mark when it stated that the whole of “Punjab is in the grip of drug hurricane which weakens the morale, physique and character of its youth” and that the “vibrant punjab that had ushered in the green revolution is today living in dazed stupor as 67 percent of the rural households in the state have at least one drug addict” and also that “drug addiction has become a stigma that belies claims of prosperity in the state”. The government’s affidavit had further said that “the vibrancy of Punjab is virtually a myth” and that “many sell their blood to procure daily dose of deadly drugs, even beg in streets to satisfy their addiction”. It went on to add that opiates, their derivatives and synthetic opiate drugs are the most preferred drugs in almost 70 per cent of the addicts and that 7 out of 10 college going students abuse one drug or the other, three out of 10 girls have abused one drug or the other and 66 per cent of the school-going students abuse gutkha or tobacco. It added that 16 per cent of the state was hooked on hard drugs. The same affidavit stated that drug traffickers had changed their overland route and that of all the narcotics drugs transited through India, around 40 percent were going through Punjab. “Punjab alone accounted for roughly over one-fifth of the total recoveries of heroin in the country. The traffickers are using porous areas on the Punjab border, trains and buses for smuggling afghan heroin coming via Pakistan which is moved for distribution within and outside the country,” it added. A drive to some border villages in Tarn Taran district is illuminating. All that separates India and Pakistan is a barbed wire fence over vast tracts of land. While there are Border Security Force (BSF) outpost set-up all along the border, there are huge areas which are not under surveillance. That also explains why neatly wrapped packages containing heroin are simply thrown over the fence into India and are quickly collected. In villages like Bidhi Chand Chhina and Naushahra--two of the many Indian villages located just meters away from the international border with Pakistan--the smuggling and availability of drugs like heroin is an open secret. The numbers speak for themselves. Since 2014 and until January 24 this year, the Punjab Police arrested close to 37,000 people for drug abuse under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances act. Close to 31,000 cases under the NDPS act were registered in Punjab during the same period. Year Case registered under NDPS Act Persons arrested 2014 14482 17001 2015 10178 12193 2016 5836 6971 01-01-2017 to 24-01-2017 457 529 A look at the quantum of drug seizures by the border security force in Punjab in the past five years underscores the gravity of the situation. Between 2012 to 2016, a staggering 1,547 kilograms of heroin was seized on the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. This roughly translates into an average 309 kilograms per year. At 362 kilograms, year 2014 saw the highest seizures. This year, already 8 kilograms of heroin has been seized from the border areas. In 2015, a study titled "Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey (PODS)" was conducted by Society For Promotion Of Youth & Masses (SPYM) and a team of researchers from National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of Delhi’s All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in collaboration with Department Of Health And Family Welfare of the Punjab Government. The study was carried out in the 10 districts of Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur, Tarn Taran. Together these 10 districts comprise about 60% of the population of Punjab and are representative of the entire state on many parameters like population, male:female ratio, urban:rural ratio, and location at international or inter-state border. This study was conducted over a three-month period and data for this study was collected from 3,620 opioid dependent individuals across 10 districts at government de-addiction centres by trained counsellors under the supervision of psychiatrists and nodal-officers working with the Punjab government. Informed consent was obtained from all the respondents and clearance was obtained from the institute ethics committee of AIIMS, New Delhi. The data was collected in the digital format and was subsequently analysed by the researchers at AIIMS using special analytical techniques. Here’s what the study found out: --the study estimated the size of the opioid-dependent population in Punjab at a staggering 2.32 lakh. --76% opioid dependent individuals are in the age group of 18 to 35 years --99% are males and 54% are married --89% are literate and have some hold college degrees --most are employed as unskilled workers or labourers and farmers. --56% belong to rural areas and almost all (99%) report Punjabi as their mother tongue. The study found that heroin was the most common drug used by this group, followed by opium, doda or bhukki. Around 14 per cent drug users were found to be using a variety of pharmaceutical opioids. It also said that about one-third take their opioid drugs through injections and among them almost 90% inject heroin. While 'peer-influence' was the found to be the main reason for taking drugs, the study also said that an average heroin using individual spends about Rs 1,400 a day on drugs--an opium users spends Rs 340 per day while a pharmaceutical-opioid user spends Rs 265 per day. It also found that a large majority of drug users cited suffering from physical, mental or social adverse consequences as reasons for their addiction. “While only a minority report having been arrested and having been jailed, almost everyone who had been to jail reports continuing drug use, while inside the jail,” it added. The study’s findings also indicated that there is a huge illegal market of opioid drugs in Punjab. After multiplying the figures on expenditure with the estimated number of dependent users in the state, the study has projected that opioid dependent people are spending around Rs 20 crore per day on opioid drugs in the state--this amounts to an annual expenditure of rs 7,575 crore annually on opioid drugs. At the Swami Vivekanand Drug Deaddiction & Treatment Centre in Amritsar—one of the biggest in the state, there’s a steady stream of patients coming for treatment. In fact, ever since it was set up in 2012, this centre has already treated about 23,000 patients. On an average ten new patients come in every day, officials say. “The number of patients coming in for drug de-addiction treatment steadily rose in the past few years. In fact, in 2014, around 9,500 patients came in for treatment, ” says Dr P.D Garg, Professor & Head Of Department Of Psychiatry, Swami Vivekanand Drug Deaddiction & Treatment Centre in Amritsar. “In school, we started off with cigarettes, then moved on to liquor and then to drugs. “White” or “Chitta” is the craze in Punjab these days…the whole state is after it. The government is involved in the sale of these drugs because how can such a trade flourish with the government’s support,” says a young drug addict visiting this de-addiction centre, accompanied by his mother. “I have picked up bodies of my friends who died after injected drugs, at times because they used the injection incorrectly,” he says, adding that there are thousands like him in the state. Then there are localities like Maqboolpura in the heart of Amritsar which are constant reminders of the havoc drug abuse has wreaked on Punjab. Maqboolpura is now known as the “colony of widows” because a large number of women living here are said to have lost their husbands to drug abuse. For the first time, an election in Punjab witnessed the issue of drug abuse being talked about so vociferously. A lot of politics was also played over it. Leaving aside the rhetoric, the fact that this great human tragedy is finally being acknowledged is probably the only silver lining in this cloud. (WION)

Punjab's drug menace: 7 in 10 college students abuse drugs

Here's an interactive look at the Indian states going to the polls over the next few weeks

Making sense of India's state elections

By Iftikhar Gilani

The Election Commission has announced the schedule of the high-stakes Assembly polls in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, which are being touted as a mini-general election. Since polls are being held exactly around the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes his half-term in office, they are also seen as a referendum on his policies and programmes, ahead of his big battle to seek mandate for another term in 2019.

The current elections are particularly a test of Modi&rsquo;s popularity among the middle class and business community as they come soon after the demonetisation decision. His latest strategy to build new social support base for the BJP also faces a litmus test. His decision to demonetize the higher denomination currencies and his welfare schemes have caught the imagination of the poor. Though Modi had been underlining his government&rsquo;s focus on &lsquo;antyodaya&rsquo; (the last man in the queue) and focusing on Babasaheb Ambedkar &mdash; the Dalit icon &mdash; for over a year now, his November 8 announcement of banning high-end notes has somewhat broken the barrier between classes. It has found resonance amongst the poor and the downtrodden as they were the biggest victims of corruption.

This is not an election campaign, it is a historic battle between rich and poor. &ldquo;Kaante ki takkar hai (it&rsquo;s a neck-and-neck fight),&rdquo; says Ram Naresh, a taxi driver from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. It makes him feel important when he sees his former employer queue up outside an ATM and later at a bank to get cash.

These elections are a battle of nerves for the BJP, because out of the five states, it rules Goa and is an alliance partner in Punjab. Though it has been out of power for over past 14 years in UP, it had swept Lok Sabha elections winning 71 of the 80 seats (its ally Apna Dal won two) in the 2014 general election. In Uttarakhand, it is directly pitted against the ruling Congress.

An opinion poll conducted a couple of months ago had shown an overwhelming majority (as high as 90 per cent in UP, 88 per cent in Punjab and 77 per cent in Uttarakhand) supporting these strikes. About 67 per cent of those polled in UP and 76 per cent in Uttarakhand said the strikes have made the BJP electorally strong. But the mood was somewhat opposite in Punjab, where the ruling Akali Dal-BJP combine is fighting a strong anti-incumbency factor. The Congress till a few years ago was a frontrunner in Punjab, banking upon upper caste Hindu voters (38 per cent) and Scheduled Castes (34 per cent of SC Hindus and 35 per cent of SC Sikhs) to return to power. But of late, its pitch has been queered with the entry of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The drugs problem continues to be on top of the agenda in the border state. Many top leaders of the government had been allegedly found involved in the drug racket.

In UP &mdash; with a population of over 200 million &mdash; often considered to be an election bellwether in India, the BJP had got just 15 per cent of the votes in 2012. But keeping in view its performance in the last Lok Sabha polls, it is now set to win 31 per cent, an unprecedented 16 per cent swing in its favour as the opinion polls suggest. But that may not be a guarantee to form a government on its own, say analysts. But capturing Lucknow is an important and critical milestone for Modi to be able to gain control of Rajya Sabha, as well as turn the Presidential election scheduled to be held in July in his favour. A lack of a majority in the Upper House has hit Modi&rsquo;s economic reforms agenda and delayed passage of a key tax legislation &mdash; the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill.

The state with 403 Assembly seats will test Modi&rsquo;s popularity after he abruptly pulled 86 per cent of the currency out of the system. The Congress said it will also highlight the cash crunch aspect of note ban.

&ldquo;The notes ban has caused the maximum pain to each of the 125 crore Indians,&rdquo; said party spokesperson Manish Tewari.

With the family feud taking dangerous proportions within the ruling Samajwadi Party, the BJP and BSP are smelling a chance. The Congress, much depleted after a series of electoral losses, is looking to form an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav if he is able to gain control of the Samajwadi Party or form his own party. A potential gainer &mdash; apart from the BJP, which has not governed Uttar Pradesh for 14 years &mdash; is Mayawati, the 60-year-old Dalit icon who has served four times as Chief Minister. Muslims, who form 19 per cent of the state&rsquo;s population, have traditionally been loyal to the Samajwadi Party. She is now working to win them over to her Bahujan Samaj Party and has allotted the maximum number of seats to Muslim candidates.

Mayawati is calling on minority groups such as the Dalits, who constitute 22 per cent of the population, and Muslims to reject the BJP, raking up issues like Dadri lynching of Ilkhlaq Hussain, beef ban and riots in Muzaffarnagar. Many lower caste voters had deserted her party in 2014, allowing the BJP to win a majority of seats. Aware that Mayawati is emerging as the main opponent to Modi in Uttar Pradesh, BJP chief Amit Shah has made more than 150 visits to the state in the last two years to expand the BJP&rsquo;s appeal from its traditional base of prosperous and upper caste voters to the less privileged ones.

In the far-off North-Eastern state of Manipur, where elections will he held in two phases &mdash; on March 4 and 8 &mdash; a bitter tussle is expected between the ruling Congress and the BJP. The BJP, which won the elections in Assam last year, is hoping to unseat the Congress. Ahead of the elections, the state has witnessed large scale unrest over issues including the inner-line permit system, creation of seven new districts and the demand by various groups to be named as scheduled tribes.

The land locked state is currently under an economic blockade called by the United Naga Council &mdash; the top group of the Naga tribes in Manipur over the state government&rsquo;s decision of creation of seven new districts, which has already crossed 70 days. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has pointed out that it is the &ldquo;constitutional duty of the state government&rdquo; to restore normalcy. Dr Mohammad Imtiyaz Khan who teaches at Gauhati University says that even after three terms, Congress government in Manipur has failed miserably to execute plans which are in larger public interest.

A local journalist Aya Shimray believes that there is a huge disparity between the hills and the valley. &ldquo;It has only helped in creating a sense of alienation in the hills. The tribals in the state are peeved at the manner in which they are being prevented from enjoying the privilges of employment offered to them by the country&rsquo;s constitution. Various instances of discrimination against the tribals even in its bureaucratic set up have surfaced during Ibobi&rsquo;s rule,&rdquo; he adds. Ibobi Singh, who has been in office since 2002, faces a life-time challenge from Irom Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years to demand the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). She has formally announced to take on Singh in Assembly polls. Sharmila ended her fast against AFSPA on August 9 last year, and formed the People&rsquo;s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) with an aim to become the Chief Minister and repeal the act. Sharmila said: &ldquo;During his 15 years of leadership, he has not done anything to repeal AFSPA. Since I realise that no politician shall repeal it, I am planning to contest the election, become the Chief Minister and repeal it.&rdquo;

In Goa, where the BJP is in power with its pre-poll alliance partner of 2012 Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), it is facing a stiff resistance both from the Congress and the AAP. More than the PM, here the fortunes of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar are at stake, who has been utilising every opportunity he gets to spend time in his home state. Goa is perhaps the first state where the RSS has split ranks with the BJP. It&rsquo;s a different matter that the BJP leaders say that it is only a section of the RSS which has formed a party called Goa Surakhsa Manch (GSM).

The 2017 elections are definitely a big test for Modi. Their outcome will chart the course for the 2019 general elections. Although state elections are largely governed by caste and community equations and the political campaigns are centred around state-level issues, Modi has emerged as a propelling figure in BJP campaigns. It is an election between him and the rest of political forces. His supporters are also banking upon him rather the party machinery, projecting him as an honest, incorruptible leader, someone who, unlike the Congress, is capable of taking prompt decisions. Amidst a divided Opposition, it seems they have managed to sail their ship through muddy waters. But in India, elections are known for throwing surprises.&nbsp;

(This report first appeared in DNA)

The states go to the polls just as the PM completes a half-term in office, so they are being seen as a referendum on him

By Iftikhar Gilani The Election Commission has announced the schedule of the high-stakes Assembly polls in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, which are being touted as a mini-general election. Since polls are being held exactly around the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes his half-term in office, they are also seen as a referendum on his policies and programmes, ahead of his big battle to seek mandate for another term in 2019. The current elections are particularly a test of Modi’s popularity among the middle class and business community as they come soon after the demonetisation decision. His latest strategy to build new social support base for the BJP also faces a litmus test. His decision to demonetize the higher denomination currencies and his welfare schemes have caught the imagination of the poor. Though Modi had been underlining his government’s focus on ‘antyodaya’ (the last man in the queue) and focusing on Babasaheb Ambedkar — the Dalit icon — for over a year now, his November 8 announcement of banning high-end notes has somewhat broken the barrier between classes. It has found resonance amongst the poor and the downtrodden as they were the biggest victims of corruption. This is not an election campaign, it is a historic battle between rich and poor. “Kaante ki takkar hai (it’s a neck-and-neck fight),” says Ram Naresh, a taxi driver from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. It makes him feel important when he sees his former employer queue up outside an ATM and later at a bank to get cash. These elections are a battle of nerves for the BJP, because out of the five states, it rules Goa and is an alliance partner in Punjab. Though it has been out of power for over past 14 years in UP, it had swept Lok Sabha elections winning 71 of the 80 seats (its ally Apna Dal won two) in the 2014 general election. In Uttarakhand, it is directly pitted against the ruling Congress. An opinion poll conducted a couple of months ago had shown an overwhelming majority (as high as 90 per cent in UP, 88 per cent in Punjab and 77 per cent in Uttarakhand) supporting these strikes. About 67 per cent of those polled in UP and 76 per cent in Uttarakhand said the strikes have made the BJP electorally strong. But the mood was somewhat opposite in Punjab, where the ruling Akali Dal-BJP combine is fighting a strong anti-incumbency factor. The Congress till a few years ago was a frontrunner in Punjab, banking upon upper caste Hindu voters (38 per cent) and Scheduled Castes (34 per cent of SC Hindus and 35 per cent of SC Sikhs) to return to power. But of late, its pitch has been queered with the entry of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The drugs problem continues to be on top of the agenda in the border state. Many top leaders of the government had been allegedly found involved in the drug racket. In UP — with a population of over 200 million — often considered to be an election bellwether in India, the BJP had got just 15 per cent of the votes in 2012. But keeping in view its performance in the last Lok Sabha polls, it is now set to win 31 per cent, an unprecedented 16 per cent swing in its favour as the opinion polls suggest. But that may not be a guarantee to form a government on its own, say analysts. But capturing Lucknow is an important and critical milestone for Modi to be able to gain control of Rajya Sabha, as well as turn the Presidential election scheduled to be held in July in his favour. A lack of a majority in the Upper House has hit Modi’s economic reforms agenda and delayed passage of a key tax legislation — the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill. The state with 403 Assembly seats will test Modi’s popularity after he abruptly pulled 86 per cent of the currency out of the system. The Congress said it will also highlight the cash crunch aspect of note ban. “The notes ban has caused the maximum pain to each of the 125 crore Indians,” said party spokesperson Manish Tewari. With the family feud taking dangerous proportions within the ruling Samajwadi Party, the BJP and BSP are smelling a chance. The Congress, much depleted after a series of electoral losses, is looking to form an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav if he is able to gain control of the Samajwadi Party or form his own party. A potential gainer — apart from the BJP, which has not governed Uttar Pradesh for 14 years — is Mayawati, the 60-year-old Dalit icon who has served four times as Chief Minister. Muslims, who form 19 per cent of the state’s population, have traditionally been loyal to the Samajwadi Party. She is now working to win them over to her Bahujan Samaj Party and has allotted the maximum number of seats to Muslim candidates. Mayawati is calling on minority groups such as the Dalits, who constitute 22 per cent of the population, and Muslims to reject the BJP, raking up issues like Dadri lynching of Ilkhlaq Hussain, beef ban and riots in Muzaffarnagar. Many lower caste voters had deserted her party in 2014, allowing the BJP to win a majority of seats. Aware that Mayawati is emerging as the main opponent to Modi in Uttar Pradesh, BJP chief Amit Shah has made more than 150 visits to the state in the last two years to expand the BJP’s appeal from its traditional base of prosperous and upper caste voters to the less privileged ones. In the far-off North-Eastern state of Manipur, where elections will he held in two phases — on March 4 and 8 — a bitter tussle is expected between the ruling Congress and the BJP. The BJP, which won the elections in Assam last year, is hoping to unseat the Congress. Ahead of the elections, the state has witnessed large scale unrest over issues including the inner-line permit system, creation of seven new districts and the demand by various groups to be named as scheduled tribes. The land locked state is currently under an economic blockade called by the United Naga Council — the top group of the Naga tribes in Manipur over the state government’s decision of creation of seven new districts, which has already crossed 70 days. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has pointed out that it is the “constitutional duty of the state government” to restore normalcy. Dr Mohammad Imtiyaz Khan who teaches at Gauhati University says that even after three terms, Congress government in Manipur has failed miserably to execute plans which are in larger public interest. A local journalist Aya Shimray believes that there is a huge disparity between the hills and the valley. “It has only helped in creating a sense of alienation in the hills. The tribals in the state are peeved at the manner in which they are being prevented from enjoying the privilges of employment offered to them by the country’s constitution. Various instances of discrimination against the tribals even in its bureaucratic set up have surfaced during Ibobi’s rule,” he adds. Ibobi Singh, who has been in office since 2002, faces a life-time challenge from Irom Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years to demand the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). She has formally announced to take on Singh in Assembly polls. Sharmila ended her fast against AFSPA on August 9 last year, and formed the People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) with an aim to become the Chief Minister and repeal the act. Sharmila said: “During his 15 years of leadership, he has not done anything to repeal AFSPA. Since I realise that no politician shall repeal it, I am planning to contest the election, become the Chief Minister and repeal it.” In Goa, where the BJP is in power with its pre-poll alliance partner of 2012 Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), it is facing a stiff resistance both from the Congress and the AAP. More than the PM, here the fortunes of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar are at stake, who has been utilising every opportunity he gets to spend time in his home state. Goa is perhaps the first state where the RSS has split ranks with the BJP. It’s a different matter that the BJP leaders say that it is only a section of the RSS which has formed a party called Goa Surakhsa Manch (GSM). The 2017 elections are definitely a big test for Modi. Their outcome will chart the course for the 2019 general elections. Although state elections are largely governed by caste and community equations and the political campaigns are centred around state-level issues, Modi has emerged as a propelling figure in BJP campaigns. It is an election between him and the rest of political forces. His supporters are also banking upon him rather the party machinery, projecting him as an honest, incorruptible leader, someone who, unlike the Congress, is capable of taking prompt decisions. Amidst a divided Opposition, it seems they have managed to sail their ship through muddy waters. But in India, elections are known for throwing surprises. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: In states going to polls, it's Modi versus the rest

The election commission of India announced Wednesday the election schedule for five states going to the polls. It also said that it will implement the recent Supreme Court order barring religion, race, caste, community and language&nbsp;from being used at the time of elections to get votes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The states going to the polls are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand.

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ECI will ensure level playing field for inclusive, free and fair elections, by curbing muscle power and abuse of money: CEC Nasim Zaidi <a href="https://t.co/QPxP22D3lF">pic.twitter.com/QPxP22D3lF</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/816538965100609538">January 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Elections in Goa and Punjab will be held on February 4, and in Uttarakhand on February 15.

Manipur will go to the polls in two phases, on March 4 and March 8.

Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases: February 11, 15, 19; 23, 27, March 4, and March 8.

Making the announcements, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, &quot;Model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect.&quot;

&quot;690 legislative assemblies will go to polls. Over 16 crore voters will participate in the election. Nearly 100% voters have electoral photo id cards. There will be complete accountability of photo voter slips and colourful voter guides will be distributed to each family,&quot; he added. .

Stating that there will be a voter assistance booth outside every polling station, Zaidi said, &quot;The height of voting compartments has been raised to 30 inch for secrecy and every polling station will have four posters for voting procedure and dos and don&#39;ts.&quot;

Zaidi added that the ECI is committed to curbing the misuse of black money, cash, liquor, and gifts to influence voters.

(This report first appeared in DNA)&nbsp;

The states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand. All votes will be counted on March 11

The election commission of India announced Wednesday the election schedule for five states going to the polls. It also said that it will implement the recent Supreme Court order barring religion, race, caste, community and language from being used at the time of elections to get votes. The states going to the polls are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand. ECI will ensure level playing field for inclusive, free and fair elections, by curbing muscle power and abuse of money: CEC Nasim Zaidi pic.twitter.com/QPxP22D3lF — ANI (@ANI_news) January 4, 2017 × Elections in Goa and Punjab will be held on February 4, and in Uttarakhand on February 15. Manipur will go to the polls in two phases, on March 4 and March 8. Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases: February 11, 15, 19; 23, 27, March 4, and March 8. Making the announcements, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, "Model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect." "690 legislative assemblies will go to polls. Over 16 crore voters will participate in the election. Nearly 100% voters have electoral photo id cards. There will be complete accountability of photo voter slips and colourful voter guides will be distributed to each family," he added. . Stating that there will be a voter assistance booth outside every polling station, Zaidi said, "The height of voting compartments has been raised to 30 inch for secrecy and every polling station will have four posters for voting procedure and dos and don'ts." Zaidi added that the ECI is committed to curbing the misuse of black money, cash, liquor, and gifts to influence voters. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Election Commission of India announces poll schedule in five states, says will follow apex court order

Harminder Singh&nbsp;Mintoo, the chief of the militant outfit the Khalistan Liberation Front and who had escaped along with five others from Nabha jail in the Indian state of Punjab on Sunday, was planning to travel to Germany via Malaysia, Indian newspaper The Times of India reported.

Mintoo was&nbsp;arrested by Delhi police today and&nbsp;has been sent to police custody for seven days.

Mintoo and the others had escaped after armed men in police uniform tricked the jail&#39;s sentries into opening the gates; the men in uniform and the inmates then bolted out in a hail of bullets.

Hours later, the alleged &quot;mastermind&quot; of the daring daylight jailbreak, Parminder Singh, was arrested from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Shamli district when his getaway vehicle -- a Toyota Fortuner -- was stopped at a police picket.&nbsp; 
He has been sent to a 14-day judicial remand, ANI reported.

A self-loading rifle (SLR), three rifles, and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from the SUV, UP&#39;s additional director general of police (law and order) Daljit Singh Chaudhary said.

Mintoo&nbsp;was wanted in 10 cases including the 2008 attack on the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and the recovery of explosives from the Halwara Air Force Station in 2010. He was arrested by Punjab Police in November 2014 after he was deported from Thailand. &nbsp;

The others who escaped with Mintoo were gangster Vicky Gaundar, Amandeep Dhotian, Gurpreet Sekhon, Nita Deol and Kashmira Singh, who is also a militant.

A high alert has been sounded in the states of Punjab and Haryana after the escape with security around railway stations, airports, and inter-state bus terminuses stepped up.

(WION)

&nbsp;

The secessionist leader was planning to escape to Germany via Malaysia

Harminder Singh Mintoo, the chief of the militant outfit the Khalistan Liberation Front and who had escaped along with five others from Nabha jail in the Indian state of Punjab on Sunday, was planning to travel to Germany via Malaysia, Indian newspaper The Times of India reported. Mintoo was arrested by Delhi police today and has been sent to police custody for seven days. Mintoo and the others had escaped after armed men in police uniform tricked the jail's sentries into opening the gates; the men in uniform and the inmates then bolted out in a hail of bullets. Hours later, the alleged "mastermind" of the daring daylight jailbreak, Parminder Singh, was arrested from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district when his getaway vehicle -- a Toyota Fortuner -- was stopped at a police picket. He has been sent to a 14-day judicial remand, ANI reported. A self-loading rifle (SLR), three rifles, and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from the SUV, UP's additional director general of police (law and order) Daljit Singh Chaudhary said. Mintoo was wanted in 10 cases including the 2008 attack on the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and the recovery of explosives from the Halwara Air Force Station in 2010. He was arrested by Punjab Police in November 2014 after he was deported from Thailand. The others who escaped with Mintoo were gangster Vicky Gaundar, Amandeep Dhotian, Gurpreet Sekhon, Nita Deol and Kashmira Singh, who is also a militant. A high alert has been sounded in the states of Punjab and Haryana after the escape with security around railway stations, airports, and inter-state bus terminuses stepped up. (WION)

Punjab jailbreak: Khalistani militant chief Harminder Mintoo was planning to flee country

A 20-year-old national handball player committed suicide on Saturday after college authorities denied her free hostel accommodation in India&#39;s northern Punjab state. 
 
Pooja Kumari was a second-year student at Khalsa College in Patiala city and hailed from an economically weaker family.&nbsp; 
 
She was disheartened on being denied a hostel room along with some other girls after returning from their summer break. 
 
Kumari&#39;s parents alleged foul play by the head of the physical education department, Gursharan Singh Gill. 
 
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Police recovered two suicide notes from near the body of the deceased. One of the letters was addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking for&nbsp;help for her family.
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&quot;The college was closed for summer vacations. When the classes resumed, students told Mr Gursharan Singh Gill (head of the physical education department) that they had come to the hostel to play. But he asked them to return to their homes. When students questioned him, he told them that students from wealthy families and from far off towns could only afford the hostel. But students who paid bribe to the administration are the ones who are staying there now. She (Pooja Kumari) was expelled from the hostel. When she came back home, she was upset about it and narrated the whole incident to me,&quot; Kumari&#39;s father, Prabhu Chauhan, said. 
 
However, college authorities refuted the allegations and said Kumari never asked them for hostel facilities. 
 
Police recovered two suicide notes from near the body of the deceased. One of the letters was addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking help for her family. 
 
A case of abetment of suicide has been lodged against Gill. Further investigation is underway in the case. 
 
Pooja, a handball player for six years, represented Punjab in the 2011-12 national games. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Authorities refuted the allegation, said Pooja Kumari had not asked for a hostel room

A 20-year-old national handball player committed suicide on Saturday after college authorities denied her free hostel accommodation in India's northern Punjab state. Pooja Kumari was a second-year student at Khalsa College in Patiala city and hailed from an economically weaker family. She was disheartened on being denied a hostel room along with some other girls after returning from their summer break. Kumari's parents alleged foul play by the head of the physical education department, Gursharan Singh Gill. Police recovered two suicide notes from near the body of the deceased. One of the letters was addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking for help for her family. "The college was closed for summer vacations. When the classes resumed, students told Mr Gursharan Singh Gill (head of the physical education department) that they had come to the hostel to play. But he asked them to return to their homes. When students questioned him, he told them that students from wealthy families and from far off towns could only afford the hostel. But students who paid bribe to the administration are the ones who are staying there now. She (Pooja Kumari) was expelled from the hostel. When she came back home, she was upset about it and narrated the whole incident to me," Kumari's father, Prabhu Chauhan, said. However, college authorities refuted the allegations and said Kumari never asked them for hostel facilities. Police recovered two suicide notes from near the body of the deceased. One of the letters was addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking help for her family. A case of abetment of suicide has been lodged against Gill. Further investigation is underway in the case. Pooja, a handball player for six years, represented Punjab in the 2011-12 national games. (Reuters)

India: Handball player commits suicide after she is denied free college hostel room

Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court has reportedly taken a grim view of media-related reports that claim that close to 600 children have been victims of abduction in the country&#39;s Punjab province. 
 
Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, has reportedly taken suo moto notice of these media reports regarding the abduction of 600 children in Punjab, approximately 300 of them from Lahore alone, reports Samaa TV. 
 
Justice Nisar last month ordered issuance of notice to the inspector general of police of Punjab to present details before the apex court&#39;s Lahore registry on July 28. 
 
&quot;Such large-scale abduction of children in a short span of time is a matter of immense concern and alarm,&quot; he was quoted, as saying.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI) 
&nbsp;

Close to 600 children have been victims of abduction in the Pakistan's Punjab province, approximately 300 of them from Lahore alone

Pakistan's Supreme Court has reportedly taken a grim view of media-related reports that claim that close to 600 children have been victims of abduction in the country's Punjab province. Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, has reportedly taken suo moto notice of these media reports regarding the abduction of 600 children in Punjab, approximately 300 of them from Lahore alone, reports Samaa TV. Justice Nisar last month ordered issuance of notice to the inspector general of police of Punjab to present details before the apex court's Lahore registry on July 28. "Such large-scale abduction of children in a short span of time is a matter of immense concern and alarm," he was quoted, as saying. (ANI)

Pakistan Supreme Court alarmed by large-scale abduction of children in Punjab province

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washed dishes today at Golden Temple in north India&#39;s Punjab state as a mark of &#39;repentance&#39; after his party received flak for depicting the image of the reverred Sikh shrine with the party symbol, a broom, in their election manifesto. 
 
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or the common man party, created controversy when they superimposed a broom&#39;s image on the cover of their youth manifesto for 2017 local elections alongside a picture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Golden Temple. 
 
AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan added fuel to the fire when he compared the party manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh religious scripture. 
 
Party chief Arvind Kejriwal offered voluntary service at the holy shrine to make up for the mistake. 
 
&quot;We made some mistakes while drafting our youth manifesto due to our ignorance. I have come here to apologise for them. We offered sewa (voluntary service offered by devotees in Gurudwaras) which gave us immense pleasure. Then we prayed before God,&quot; he said in Amritsar city. 
 
In its youth manifesto, AAP promised to free the region of corruption and end the widespread drug menace in Punjab. 
 
A three-way political contest is shaping up between the AAP, the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and opposition Congress party. 
 
(Reuters)

His party had created controversy by printing a broom's image with a photo of Golden Temple, the most revered Sikh shrine

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washed dishes today at Golden Temple in north India's Punjab state as a mark of 'repentance' after his party received flak for depicting the image of the reverred Sikh shrine with the party symbol, a broom, in their election manifesto. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or the common man party, created controversy when they superimposed a broom's image on the cover of their youth manifesto for 2017 local elections alongside a picture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Golden Temple. AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan added fuel to the fire when he compared the party manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh religious scripture. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal offered voluntary service at the holy shrine to make up for the mistake. "We made some mistakes while drafting our youth manifesto due to our ignorance. I have come here to apologise for them. We offered sewa (voluntary service offered by devotees in Gurudwaras) which gave us immense pleasure. Then we prayed before God," he said in Amritsar city. In its youth manifesto, AAP promised to free the region of corruption and end the widespread drug menace in Punjab. A three-way political contest is shaping up between the AAP, the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and opposition Congress party. (Reuters)

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washes utensils in Golden Temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today joined over 30,000 people here for the second International Yoga Day celebrations as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. 
 
Modi, dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, led over 30,000 participants, including defence forces personnel and school children, for the second International Day of Yoga celebrations here at the Capitol Complex amid tight security. 
 
The Prime Minister, who arrived here last night, participated in a mass demonstration of &#39;Common Yoga Protocol&#39;. A yoga enthusiast himself, he performed yoga &#39;asanas&#39; along with the people at the event. 
 
Over 30,000 people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga &#39;asanas&#39; on pink and blue coloured mats during the event. Separately, about 10,000 people also performed yoga at over 100 other locations in Chandigarh itself. 
Earlier addressing the gathering, Modi pitched for treating diabetes through yoga. 
 
&quot;I want to request trainers who are associated with yoga, from this public platform. From next year when we celebrate yoga day, in this one year, you continue to do what you do for yoga but focus on one subject and this is my subject -- diabetes -- Diabetes and yoga,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All people belonging to the yoga field, whatever knowledge they have, they must continue with the rest of their yoga activities but this (diabetes) must be the main focus,&quot; Modi said. 
 
Expressing concern over rising number of patients suffering from diabetes, Modi asked yoga trainers to help in controlling the disease. 
&quot;In India, patients suffering from diabetes are rising. We might be able to get rid of this disease or not but with the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes. 
 
&quot;It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. But I want that for good health, we should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease,&quot; he said. 
 
Yoga is not only a way to get rid of a disease but it also guarantees wellness. For holistic development of lives, yoga is a great way, he said. 
 
(PTI)

Says it's a great way to treat diseases like diabetes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today joined over 30,000 people here for the second International Yoga Day celebrations as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. Modi, dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, led over 30,000 participants, including defence forces personnel and school children, for the second International Day of Yoga celebrations here at the Capitol Complex amid tight security. The Prime Minister, who arrived here last night, participated in a mass demonstration of 'Common Yoga Protocol'. A yoga enthusiast himself, he performed yoga 'asanas' along with the people at the event. Over 30,000 people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga 'asanas' on pink and blue coloured mats during the event. Separately, about 10,000 people also performed yoga at over 100 other locations in Chandigarh itself. Earlier addressing the gathering, Modi pitched for treating diabetes through yoga. "I want to request trainers who are associated with yoga, from this public platform. From next year when we celebrate yoga day, in this one year, you continue to do what you do for yoga but focus on one subject and this is my subject -- diabetes -- Diabetes and yoga," he said. "All people belonging to the yoga field, whatever knowledge they have, they must continue with the rest of their yoga activities but this (diabetes) must be the main focus," Modi said. Expressing concern over rising number of patients suffering from diabetes, Modi asked yoga trainers to help in controlling the disease. "In India, patients suffering from diabetes are rising. We might be able to get rid of this disease or not but with the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes. "It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. But I want that for good health, we should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease," he said. Yoga is not only a way to get rid of a disease but it also guarantees wellness. For holistic development of lives, yoga is a great way, he said. (PTI)

Indian PM takes centre stage, leads 2nd International Yoga Day celebrations

The film, based on extensive drug abuse in India&#39;s northern Punjab state, ran into controversy for its expletives-laden dialogues. 
 
A Punjab-based NGO, Human Rights Awareness Association approached Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking stay on the release of the film claiming that it showed the state in bad light. The apex court had refused to entertain the plea and directed the NGO to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court. 
 
After hearing the petition a day ahead of the release, the Punjab and Haryana High Court gave a go ahead to the much anticipated film. 
 
&quot;He has given a very clear cut report that there is nothing in the movie which shows Punjab in bad light or which lowers the image of Punjab. He has written that drug menace can happen in any state, it&#39;s not just about Punjab. It does not glorify drugs. High court has taken a decision that this film will release tomorrow and the petition has been dismissed,&quot; said Sanjay Kaushal,&nbsp;a lawyer representing the &#39;Udta Punjab&#39; team,. 
 
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had last month grounded the Abhishek Chaubey-directed film and suggested 89 cuts in the movie along with the removal of the word &quot;Punjab&quot; from the title and throughout the film. 
 
The film&#39;s makers challenged the censor board&#39;s decision in the apex court and a bitter legal battle followed between the two sides. 
 
In a major embarrassment for CBFC head Pahlaj Nihalani, the SC on June 13 struck down all but one of the cuts suggested by the censor board and ordered the film board to issue an A - or adult - certificate for the film&#39;s screening immediately. 
 
India has a history of censoring sexually explicit and politically sensitive content, and Bollywood is increasingly finding itself under scrutiny. 
 
In a series of tweets last week, co-producer of the movie, Anurag Kashyap had called Nihalani an &quot;oligarch&quot; and compared India to reclusive North Korea. 
 
Nihalani had said the film defamed Punjab and he challenged its claim that 70 per cent of its population was involved in substance abuse. 
 
The movie stars Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor Khan in lead roles. 
(Reuters)

Human Rights Awareness Association approached the country's Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking stay on the release of 'Udta Punjab'

The film, based on extensive drug abuse in India's northern Punjab state, ran into controversy for its expletives-laden dialogues. A Punjab-based NGO, Human Rights Awareness Association approached Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking stay on the release of the film claiming that it showed the state in bad light. The apex court had refused to entertain the plea and directed the NGO to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court. After hearing the petition a day ahead of the release, the Punjab and Haryana High Court gave a go ahead to the much anticipated film. "He has given a very clear cut report that there is nothing in the movie which shows Punjab in bad light or which lowers the image of Punjab. He has written that drug menace can happen in any state, it's not just about Punjab. It does not glorify drugs. High court has taken a decision that this film will release tomorrow and the petition has been dismissed," said Sanjay Kaushal, a lawyer representing the 'Udta Punjab' team,. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had last month grounded the Abhishek Chaubey-directed film and suggested 89 cuts in the movie along with the removal of the word "Punjab" from the title and throughout the film. The film's makers challenged the censor board's decision in the apex court and a bitter legal battle followed between the two sides. In a major embarrassment for CBFC head Pahlaj Nihalani, the SC on June 13 struck down all but one of the cuts suggested by the censor board and ordered the film board to issue an A - or adult - certificate for the film's screening immediately. India has a history of censoring sexually explicit and politically sensitive content, and Bollywood is increasingly finding itself under scrutiny. In a series of tweets last week, co-producer of the movie, Anurag Kashyap had called Nihalani an "oligarch" and compared India to reclusive North Korea. Nihalani had said the film defamed Punjab and he challenged its claim that 70 per cent of its population was involved in substance abuse. The movie stars Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor Khan in lead roles. (Reuters)

Indian court clears release of controversial drug-based film

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