Bharat Jodo Yatra resumes after 24-hr break in respect of Santokh Singh
Moosewala's father joins march in Jalandhar
Jalandhar, Jan 15: Hundreds of people including the late singer Sidhu Moosewala's father joined the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra as it resumed from the Khalsa College Ground here on Sunday after remaining suspended for 24 hours in respect of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary.
Chaudhary died on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest during the yatra. He was cremated at his native Dhaliwal village in Jalandhar on Sunday. Gandhi also attended the cremation.
He also offered prayers at Devi Talab temple in Jalandhar before resuming the march around 3 pm.
As the march began, Singer Sidhu Moosewala's father Balkaur Singh walked with Gandhi for some distance. They walked hand-in-hand and hugged each other.
Later, Gandhi in a tweet shared his photo with Balkaur Singh and said he saw amazing courage and patience in him.
"Today in Jalandhar, famous Punjabi singer and Congress leader, Late Sidhu Moosewala's father, Balkaur Singh ji attended the yatra. I saw amazing courage and patience in him. There is pride in his eyes for his son, and immense love in his heart. I salute such a father!" he said in his tweet in Hindi
The Congress party also put out a tweet, saying, "Today in #BharatJodoYatra, Balkaur Singh Sidhu ji, father of famous Punjabi singer Late Sidhu Moosewala, along with @RahulGandhi ji gave a befitting reply to forces spreading hatred, fear and violence."
Later, two youths presented Gandhi with a portrait of Moosewala.
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead in Punjab's Mansa district in May last year. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 assembly polls on Congress ticket from Mansa seat.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, MLA Pargat Singh and other party leaders took part in the march.
Gandhi waved to people waiting to take a glimpse of him as his march passed through Jalandhar. Many clicked pictures of Rahul Gandhi. One of the highlights was Gandhi clicking picture with an elderly woman and a girl.
The yatra will halt for the night in Adampur.
The Punjab leg of the march began on Wednesday from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib. The yatra took a break on Friday in the wake of the Lohri festival.
The march, which started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, will conclude in Srinagar by January 30, with Gandhi hoisting the national flag in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
It has so far covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
आज #BharatJodoYatra में प्रसिद्ध पंजाबी गायक स्वर्गीय सिद्धू मूसेवाला के पिता बलकौर सिंह सिद्धू जी ने @RahulGandhi जी के साथ कदम मिलाकर नफ़रत, डर और हिंसा फैलाने वाली ताकतों को मुंहतोड़ जवाब दिया।
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 15, 2023
सिद्धू मूसेवाला की पंजाब के मानसा में दिनदहाड़े हत्या कर दी गई थी। pic.twitter.com/FnjwUIm6xa
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Bengal elections: Bhangar tense during polling, ISF claims voters, agents threatened
Kolkata (PTI): Tension gripped South 24 Parganas' Bhangar and its adjoining areas during the second phase of polling in West Bengal on Wednesday, with the Indian Secular Front (ISF) accusing TMC of trying to intimidate polling agents and influence voters.
NIA officials have been deployed in at least seven Assembly seats of West Bengal, where the second phase of polling is underway on Wednesday, after the Election Commission asked the federal probe agency to ensure bombs are not used to disrupt polling.
On April 26, police recovered crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, in Bhangar. Later, on a directive by the Union Home Ministry, the NIA registered a case to probe the recovery of 79 crude bombs in the state.
Trouble was reported from several pockets of Bhangar and Canning Purba constituency since morning, prompting heavy deployment of central forces, state police and NIA teams in sensitive areas.
At Hedia in Canning Purba constituency, the ISF alleged that one of its polling agents received death threats from TMC supporters.
ISF candidate Arabul Islam rushed to the spot after receiving the complaint and accused the administration of failing to ensure a fair election.
"Votes are being looted in Canning Purba. Our agents in booths are being driven out of several booths after snatching their cards and documents," he alleged.
Since morning, Islam was seen visiting booths and asking security personnel to clear gatherings within 100 metres of polling stations, while also assisting ISF polling agents in entering booths.
ISF chairman and Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddiqui also alleged that party workers and agents were being intimidated by ruling party supporters, but claimed that the overall atmosphere in Bhangar was comparatively peaceful compared to previous elections.
The fresh allegations and tension came a day after several areas of Bhangar, including Kochpukur and Joypur under Bhangar-II block, witnessed clashes between TMC and ISF supporters.
ISF supporters alleged that workers of the ruling party roamed through neighbourhoods on Tuesday night and threatened locals. When ISF workers protested, clashes broke out, leaving at least four of their compatriots, including a woman, injured.
Later, Siddiqui said, "The people of Bhangar are finally exercising their democratic rights. Earlier, bombs, bullets and pistols decided elections here. This time, people are choosing ballots and voting with a smile."
He alleged that "political dealers" and local goons loyal to TMC leader and Bhangar candidate Saukat Molla were trying to provoke ISF workers and create tension in certain areas.
"Agents are being threatened and prevented from functioning freely. We repeatedly informed the administration, but police are acting in favour of the ruling party and not cooperating," Siddiqui alleged.
Later in the day, the ISF leader also claimed that voters were prevented from exercising their franchise freely during the 2023 panchayat polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, the situation has improved this time, he said.
The TMC denied the allegations and accused the ISF of trying to create unrest in the constituency to influence polling.
Security was significantly tightened in Bhangar, where, apart from state police and central forces, a special team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was also deployed to monitor sensitive pockets.
