Page 31 - Haryana

Nafe Singh Rathee, INLD Haryana president assassinated: Who was he?

Nafe Singh Rathee was shot dead by unidentified assailants when he was travelling in his SUV in Bahadurgarh near Delhi. An INDL party worker was also killed in the firing

INLD Haryana president Nafe Singh Rathee shot dead in Jhajjar's Bahadurgarh

Unidentified assailants shot dead the Indian National Lok Dal's Haryana unit president Nafe Singh Rathee in Jhajjar district on Sunday, according to a senior party leader. Rathee, a former MLA, was travelling in an SUV when the assailants, who were in a car, attacked him in Jhajjar's Bahadurgarh town. INLD leader Abhay Chautala told PTI that Rathee was shot dead in Jhajjar district. He accused the government of failing to provide Rathee with security despite their being threat to his life, and demanded the resignation of the chief minister and the home minister. Police said the investigation in the matter was underway.

Farmers' protest: Mobile internet services restored in 7 Haryana districts

Mobile internet services were restored in seven Haryana districts on Sunday, almost two weeks after they were suspended in the wake of farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' agitation, officials said. The services were suspended in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa on February 11 and the suspension was extended on February 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23 and 24. Officials said no fresh order has been issued to extend the suspension of the mobile services in the seven districts. According to an earlier order issued by the Home Department, the curbs were imposed "to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in jurisdictions of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa, including Dabwali, districts in Haryana". Residents welcomed the government's decision. "Restoration of mobile internet services after a gap of several days is a big relief," said Kamal, a resident of Ambala. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha a

Haryana's identity is dhakkad kisan, jawan and pehalwan: CM Khattar

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Saturday said the identity of Haryana is associated with "dhakkad kisan, jawan and pehalwan" (powerful farmers, soldiers and wrestlers). Special attention is being given to infrastructure to promote sports in the state, and athletes are being secured of their future not only through financial assistance, but also through reservation in jobs under category A, B, and C, he said. The chief minister was speaking as the chief guest at the "Sansad Khel-Kood Spardha" organised here. Encouraging athletes to play with the spirit of sportsmanship, Khattar said that in order to promote sports in the state, 1,100 sports nurseries are already operational, and a decision has been taken to open 400 more sports nurseries in this budget. In Haryana, winners of international competitions are given the highest cash reward in the entire country, he said. Olympic gold medalists are given a prize of Rs 6 crore, which is the highest among all states, he added. He said

Failed budget of a failed government in Haryana: Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday dubbed the Haryana budget, presented in the Assembly by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, as a "failed budget of a failed government". There is nothing much in the budget and it has disappointed every section of the society, Hooda, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, said. Khattar on Friday announced waiver of interest and penalty on certain crop loans and did not hike taxes as he presented a Rs 1.89 lakh crore budget for the 2024-25 financial year. Criticising the government over the budget, Hooda said, "Everyone in the state will have debt on their head, responsibility will be only with the people, all employment will become private." "The public was hopeful that since it was an election budget, at least in the announcement, people would get some relief this time from inflation, unemployment, exorbitant taxes and economic recession. But the government dashed the public's expectations," he said. He said the BJP-JJP coalition

Govt has taken various measures to enhance social security net: Khattar

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said the state government has taken various measures to enhance the social security net for people. While presenting the budget for 2024-25 in the Assembly, Khattar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the 'Old Age Samman Allowance' and related pensions are now Rs 3,000 per month, higher than Rs 1,000 in December 2014. The provision for social security pensions has been increased from Rs 1,753 crore in 2013-14 constituting 3.2 per cent of the total budget expenditure to Rs 10,971 crore in FY 2024-25, constituting 5.78 per cent of the total budget expenditure, he said. The total number of beneficiaries is now over 31.51 lakh increasing from 22.64 lakh in December 2014, said Khattar. "We have taken the government to the doorstep of the beneficiary with the implementation of the 'Old Age Samman Allowance', 'Divyang Pension', and widower pension for those above the age of 40 years and have been widowed and unmarried pension fo

Don't think any other state has done as much for farmers: Haryana CM

Khattar said that farmers in his state face no problems but they are protesting because they want to stand in solidarity with their fellow farmers in Punjab

Haryana Police backtracks on invoking NSA against Ambala farm leaders

The Police have urged farmers to cooperate with the authorities in maintaining law and order

Aam Aadmi Party, Congress set to clinch seat-sharing in three states

It would also mean that the Congress is set to contest the least number of seats since 1952

Amid ongoing protest, govt should hold talks with protesting farmers: Hooda

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said the Centre should immediately hold talks with the protesting farmers to resolve their issues, terming the prevailing situation arising out of the stir as "worrisome". The former chief minister also appealed to the farmers to maintain peace. "The situation which prevails is worrisome. The government should immediately hold talks with farmers and resolve the issue," Hooda, who is Leader of the Opposition in Haryana, told reporters here on the sidelines of the ongoing Budget session of the state assembly. Farmers leaders on Wednesday put the 'Delhi Chalo' march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and about 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri, one of the two protest sites on the Punjab-Haryana border. Thousands of farmers will remain camped at the two border points during the pause in the agitation over their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt ..

More job recruitment under BJP than previous govts in Haryana: CM Khattar

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said there have been more recruitment to government jobs in the past nine years under the BJP as compared to previous government's tenure, and added that selections have been transparent and based on merit. Results for approximately 29,000 posts will be declared within the next eight days, Khattar said in the state assembly during the motion of thanks to the Haryana Governor's address. During his address, Khattar took on Congress leader Raghuvir Singh Kadian who had alleged wrongdoings in government recruitment. Asking Kadian to provide proof of his allegations, the chief minister told the Congress leader that if he failed to do so then he would move a privilege motion against him. Khattar said that the government has established Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) to protect the people employed on temporary jobs through contractors. "This initiative aims to allocate outsourced jobs to the youth while ensuring additional bene

Farmer dies as police fire tear gas to disperse protesters in Haryana

A farmer was killed and a few others injured on the Punjab-Haryana border as protesters resumed their 'Delhi Chalo' agitation, with Haryana Police firing tear gas shells to thwart attempts to breach barricades at Shambhu and Khanauri. Farmer leaders had rejected a proposal made by the government in the fourth round of talks between the two sides to break the deadlock and announced that thousands of Punjab farmers camping at these two border points would resume their agitation on Wednesday morning. Earlier in the day, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, who is among the three Union ministers engaging with the farmer leaders, called for further talks and appealed to the protesters to maintain peace. Farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa identified the victim as Subhkaran Singh (21), who died at Khanauri on the Sangrur-Jind border. Singh was a resident of Baloke village in Punjab's Bathinda district, he said. Patiala-based Rajindra Hospital's medical superintendent H S Rekhi told reporters t

Withdraw JCB machines, else action to be taken: Haryana Police to owners

The Haryana Police on Wednesday asked owners of excavators to withdraw their machines from the protest site, where farmers are set to resume their 'Delhi Chalo' march, else they will be held liable for action. According to police, these excavators might cause harm to security personnel deployed at the two border points of Punjab and Haryana if protesting farmers used them. "For owners and operators of Poclains,JCBs: Please do not provide your equipment to the protestors and withdraw them from the protest site if already done, as they may be used to cause harm to security forces. It is a non-bailable offence and you may be held criminally liable," said police in a post on X. Farmers, protesting at the two border points of Punjab and Haryana, will resume their 'Delhi Chalo' march on Wednesday after they rejected the BJP-led Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years. The Haryana Police on Tuesday urged its Punjab ...

Six months on, police add UAPA charges in cases connected to Nuh violence

Police have slapped charges under the stringent UAPA against the accused in three cases connected to the murder of two home guards and a Bajrang Dal member and an attack on a cyber police station six months ago. While the charges were not included in the initial FIRs related to the cases, court documents showed these were added to the challan presented in a court to oppose the bail petition filed by the accused. Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes that erupted in Nuh after a procession of the VHP was attacked by mobs on July 31 last year and spread to adjoining areas, including Gurugram. The imposition of UAPA in three FIRs came to light three days ago when lawyer Tahir Hussain Rupariya, representing some of the accused, filed their bail petitions before the court. Rupariya said after the bail application was filed, information was received from the court that charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) had been imposed on two o

Farmers to resume 'Delhi Chalo', Haryana asks cops to seize bulldozers

Haryana Police on Tuesday asked its Punjab counterparts to seize bulldozers which they say protesting farmers from Punjab have brought with them as they plan to resume their 'Delhi Chalo' from the interstate border. The farmers were set to begin their march again on Wednesday from two points on the Punjab-Haryana border after the failure of four rounds of talks with the Centre over a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Though the farmers are still over 200 km from the national capital, Delhi Police on Tuesday conducted drills to ensure that its heavily barricaded entry points are not breached. Thousands of farmers, who began the march to Delhi on February 13, were stopped at the Haryana border itself, where they clashed with security personnel. The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana since then. The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday orally asked the Punjab government not to allow the farmers to ..

Farmers rejected offer as they understood govt's mischief: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday claimed that protesting farmers have rejected another "false offer" as they have understood the government's "mischief" and asserted it is committed to providing legal guarantee of the MSP and take other necessary steps to provide justice to the tillers. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the legal guarantee for MSP will not make the Indian farmers a burden on the budget but ensure they become the drivers of GDP growth. He claimed that "lies" are being spread that the MSP guarantee is not feasible under the government's budget. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi claimed that ever since the Congress resolved to provide legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), "Modi's propaganda machinery and media friendly to him have spread a barrage of lies on MSP". "Lie -- It is not feasible to provide legal guarantee for MSP in the budget of the government of India. Fact -- According to CRISIL, giving MSP to farmers in 2022-23 would have resulted in an additional

Five crops at MSP for five years: Centre's offer to protesting farmers

The fourth round of talks between farmers and Union ministers concluded late Sunday night

Farmers' protest: Haryana extends suspension of internet till Feb 20

The Haryana government on Monday further extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts by a day till February 20 in the wake of the farmers' ongoing 'Delhi Chalo' agitation. These districts are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa, the government said in an order. The government had earlier extended the suspension on February 13, 15 and 17. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on a minimum support price (MSP) for crops and loan waivers. Thousands of protesting farmers continue to camp at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border to press for their demands. The farmers from Punjab began their march to Delhi on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri points. The protesters have stayed put at the two border points since then. The ..

Farmers' protest: Internet suspended in 7 districts of Haryana till Feb 19

The Haryana government on Saturday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts by two more days till February 19 in the wake of the farmers' agitation. The affected districts are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa. The government had earlier extended the suspension of mobile internet on February 13 and 15. Protesting farmers have stayed put at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana for the fifth day after their 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces which led to clashes. Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, ...

Ahead of meet with Centre, farmers demand ordinance for MSP guarantee

A day before the crucial meeting with Union ministers, farm leaders on Saturday asked the Centre to bring an ordinance on giving a legal guarantee to MSP, while a tractor march and dharnas were held in support of farmers protesting at the borders of Punjab. Union ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai and farmer leaders from Punjab will meet on Sunday for the fourth round of talks. The two sides met earlier on February 8, 12 and 15, but those talks remained inconclusive. On the fifth day of their 'Delhi Chalo' march -- called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- the farmers stayed put at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border as they press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday demanded that the Centre should bring an ordinance on giving a legal guarantee to MSP, a key demand of protesting ...