Latest news with #KultarSinghSandhwan
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Punjab Speaker Sandhwan seeks public suggestions for Amritsar Sahib, Guru Teg Bahadur's celebrations.
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 1 (ANI): Punjab Legislative Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan announced that the State government will grandly celebrate the 450th foundation day of Shri Amritsar Sahib, emphasising the significance of the Golden Temple. He also stated that the government will seek public suggestions on this matter. 'Golden Temple is the centre of faith of the Sikh religion, and people of all religions pay obeisance here... The state government will celebrate the 450th foundation day of Shri Amritsar Sahib State government will also commemorate the 350th Martyrdom Day of Shri Guru Teg Bahadur government wants to take suggestions from the public regarding it,' he said. After India and Pakistan came to an understanding on cessation of hostilities, the border areas of Punjab gradually returned to normal. Several districts, including Ludhiana, Moga, Ferozepur, and Jalandhar, faced significant threats during the periods when Pakistan deployed drones and missiles, resulting in damage to various areas due to shelling incidents. On May 7, the Indian Army struck key militant sites, including a major terrorist headquarters in Muridke, Pakistan, and PoK. Expecting retaliation against air bases and military installations, they instead faced kamikaze drones and missiles targeting the Golden Temple. After three days of unsuccessful attacks on military targets, civilian areas, including Gurdwara Sahib, were hit with drones and rockets. All air raids were intercepted and neutralised with precision. Following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, including a Nepali national, were killed, the Indian forces have intensified their operation against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. In retaliation for the terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, in which precision strikes destroyed terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (POJK) and eliminated nearly 100 terror operatives at key bases in Pakistan. Among the targets were Bhawalpur, the headquarters of Jaish, and Muridke, a key training base of Lashkar. After this, on May 10, an understanding of the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced. (ANI)
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Why this silence in our son's case?': Agniveer's family questions Punjab government for not honouring him after his death
The family of Agniveer Akashdeep Singh, who died of a bullet injury on May 15 while on duty in Jammu, has decided not to immerse his ashes until the Punjab government gives him the honour they believe he deserved. Despite the presence of Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan at the cremation on May 16, no official statement or compensation has been announced by the state to date, the family has said. Akashdeep, 20, hailed from Kothe Chahal village in Kotkapura constituency of Faridkot district. He joined the Indian Army two years ago under the Agnipath scheme, which allows youth to serve for a four-year period as Agniveers, and was posted in the Punjab Regiment. Speaking to The Indian Express, his father Balwinder Singh said, 'We are upset with the Punjab government's approach. No announcement has been made so far. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan did come to our house and even attended the cremation, but there has been no word from the chief minister.' Akashdeep's mother Karamjit Kaur said, 'My son died while on duty. People who die after drinking spurious liquor get government jobs and Rs 10 lakh compensation, but my brave son, who left his BCom studies to serve the nation, has not even been acknowledged. The CM has not said a single word.' The family also questioned the purpose of the Agnipath recruitment scheme if those who die in service are not recognised as martyrs. The case has drawn comparisons to an earlier incident from October 2023, when India's first Agniveer death occurred in Kotli Kalan village of the Mansa district. Amritpal Singh, 19, reportedly died by suicide, but his death turned into a major political issue, prompting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to visit the family personally and announce Rs 1 crore compensation along with a government job for one family member. Ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal had also stated that the Punjab government took care of the soldier and his family when the Centre failed to do so. The issue remained in headlines for a long time in Punjab as AAP leaders regularly spoke in their political speeches. 'The contrast in treatment is shocking. Why is this silence in our son's case?' asked Akashdeep's father When contacted, Poonamdeep Kaur, Deputy Commissioner, Faridkot, said, 'The Army has initiated a court of inquiry to determine the exact cause of death, which reportedly was due to a bullet injury to his head.' Kaur said the tehsildar visited the family when the body was brought back, and the sub-divisional magistrate of Kotkapura had attended the cremation. 'The cause of death is under inquiry by the army, and as such, we await the findings. I am not aware of any precedent regarding compensation for Agniveer deaths by the Punjab government,' she said. 'We stand with the family in their hour of grief,' Kaur added.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Police stop protesting farmers from heading towards Faridkot
Bathinda: Activists from the farmer forums Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) clashed with police on their way to a venue where Punjab assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and ministers Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, Laljit Singh Bhullar, and Baljit Kaur were in attendence. The farmers, under a joint call from both forums, assembled in various districts to deliver memorandums seeking compensation for damage to wheat crops due to fires and untimely rains, as well as for items that went missing from protest sites at Shambhu and Khanauri on March 19. The activists gathered in Faridkot while the speaker and ministers were in town for a programme under the 'Yudh Nashia Virudh' (War Against Drugs) campaign. The activists aimed to reach the venue to deliver their memorandum but were stopped at a distance. When the farmers attempted to proceed, the police used force to stop them and detained several activists. In the ensuing chaos, some farmers opposed the use of force. Activists claimed that the previous Punjab govt betrayed them by arresting farm leaders after a meeting with central and Punjab ministers and dismantling the morchas on March 19. They argued that farmers suffered due to fires in the fields and untimely rains. The activists added that despite the 'Yudh Nashia Virudh' campaign by the govt, drugs remain available in hotspot areas across districts. Meanwhile, the assembly Speaker and the ministers resolved to eradicate drug abuse and claimed that the campaign is yielding desired results. MSID:: 120822691 413 |
