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2 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017

CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON

Trump Calls PM Modi On Phone SaysIndia is A True Friend of USA

WATCH FULL COVERAGE OFPUNJAB ELECTIONS ON CHANNEL Y

MIDWEEK EXCLUSIVE

PUNJAB - For a detailed discussion on Punjab elections, watch Channel Y dailybetween 7pm to 9pm available on Rogers 857, Bell 828, Jadoo and Yupp TV.

AAP candidates say no to securitySidhu releases white paper on Badals' '10-year misrule'Sidhu complicit in corruption in Punjab: AAPTeach Amarinder, Congress a lesson, Sukhbir tellsAmritsar votersWe Are getting great response in Lambi: Akali DalCongressmen will not accept Navjot Sidhu as Deputy CM:Partab Singh BajwaWill support all Congress rebels: Jagmeet BrarSukhbir Badal insulted the whole Punjabi NRI communityby branding them as terrorists: Sanjay Singh40 star Congress campaigners in Punjab including Sonia,Rahul, Manmohan Singh, Azharuddin, Sonu Sood

I look forward to working veryclosely with the new US

administration: Chrystia FreelandBY SHAZIA MALIK

BRAMPTON - I look forward to working veryclosely with the new U.S. administration, andwith the United States Congress on issuesof mutual interest, including trade and in-vestment in var ious sectors . Th is wasstated by Chrystia Freeland, Minister of For-eign Affairs in an exclusive with Midweek.

I CONTD. ON PAGE 7

DESK REPORTWASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump Called Prime minister NarendraModi by telephone on Tuesday,four days after the Republican President took oathas the 45th President.Both leaders invited each other to their respectivecountries,Trump told Indian PM Modi-India a True Friend. Modi Agreed to workClosely in the coming days to further strengthen Indo-US Ties.He was the fifthword leader President Trump spoke to after coming to office. Before calling Modi,Trump has spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican PremierPena Nieto, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian PresidentAbdel Fattah el-Sisi. Quoting White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, newsagency Press Trust of India informed Trump held "telephonic conversation" withModi at 11.30pm IST, 1pm in Washington. PM Modi was one of the first leaders tocongratulate President Trump after his victory in November. Modi in his tweets hadsaid he looked forward to working with Trump to give boost to India-US ties.

O'LEARY HOLDS COMMANDING LEAD INCONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP CONTEST

BUT MORE THAN A THIRD OF RESPONDENTS WANT "SOMEONE ELSE"TORONTO - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by TheForum Poll among 1,332 Canadian voters, Kevin O'Leary is the pre-ferred candidate to lead the Conservative Par ty (27%). Maxime Bernieris in distant second, favoured by (11%), followed by with Lisa Raitt (7%) andMichael Chong (6%). More than a third of Canadians (38%) believe "someone else"would be a better choice to lead the Conservative Party than any of the eightidentified candidates. This is down from (53%) who desired someone else inDecember. For Conservative Party members O'Leary leads all leadership candi-dates (31%), and he has even more support with those who voted for the Conser-vatives in 2015 (49%). "Kevin O'Leary's entry into the Conservative leadership racehas propelled him to the front of the field, with more than double the support of hisnearest rival. Still, more than a third of interested voters don't support any of thecurrent candidates," said Forum Research President, Dr Lorne Bozinoff.

AAP WILL FORM THE NEXT GOVERNMENT IN PUNJAB - NRI'S FROM CANADA

Joban Randhawa, Surinder Mavi and Jaskirat Mann, supporters Aam Admi Party from Canada are in Punjab. They said they are notoutsiders as they still have families and friends in Punjab adding they are not bothered what Amarinder says, even if they are jailedfor supporting AAP. Thousands of NRI's are in Punjab to Support their preferred Political Parties . I DETAILS ON P4

Capt Amarinder Singh - CONGRESS

Send back OUTSIDERS fromPunjab: Amarinder to Election

Commission

Bhagwant Mann - AAP

There are NO OUTSIDERS amongNRIs. I invite more NRI's to

come and support AAP in Punjab

Sukhbir Badal - AKALI DAL

Foreign Based Terrorist groupsare funding AAP elections

in Punjab

Trump gives green signal to Keystone XLand Dakota Access pipelines

BY SHAZIA MALIKMISSISSAUGA - Canada wishes to boost trade and commerce withIndia. It desires to enhance business ties with that country and increasecapital investment. This was commented by Amarjeet Sohi, Minister ofInfrastructure and Communities in an exclusive discussion with YudhvirJaswal Group Editor and CEO of Y media on Southasian PULSE radio show.He was recently in India where he took around 150 business leaders andcompanies to attend the Vibrant Gujrat Summit. Sohi said Canada hasbeen a par tner of India at the political and trade level. The businesscommunity from here now wishes to invest in India's infrastructureand other areas and vice versa. Though trade between the two cur-rently till date stood at a little over $8 billion but Sohi said no targethas been set for now but since the Liberal government took over, ithas gone up by 30% which is only expected to increase in comingdays. Sohi said at least a 1,000 Canadian companies are working inIndia, 700 educational institutions have offices there and likewise a100 Indian companies are operating in Canada doing a business ofabout $15 million in the realm of pension funds. But more cooperationis required in the fields of logistics, energy and manufacturing also.

I CONTD. ON PAGE 4

MIDWEEK EXCLUSIVE

TRUDEAU TO MEET MODI DURINGINDIA VISIT: MINISTER SOHI



Improving GO Transit forFamilies in Peel RegionONTARIO - Ontario is building new transit infrastructure at theCooksville GO station to help manage congestion, providemore transit options and improve commutes for families. Infrastruc-ture Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have issued a Request for Proposals(RFP) to two prequalified teams to design, build and finance the CooksvilleGO Station project. This station, located along the Milton Corridor in theCity of Mississauga, requires upgrades to accommodate Metrolinx's planto provide more service on the GO rail network. Dipika Damerla, MPP forMississauga East-Cooksville said: "This is terrific news for the people ofPeel Region. Our community has asked for more GO Transit service andnew infrastructure and we are thrilled to provide more options to helppeople get where they need to go." Steven Del Duca, Ministerof Transpor tation said: "Our government is focused on deliv-ering better transit options that will help get Ontario moving.These improvements to the Cooksville GO station are proofthat we are committed to making your daily commute fasterand more convenient than ever before."

CONTD. FROM PAGE 3Sohi said the over 1.3 million people who have some connection withIndia, relate to that country on the cultural, language and traditional level.Thus ties with India are going from strength to strength.He also mentioned his meeting with the Indian Priem Minister NarendraModi during the Vibrant Gujrat Summit where he gave a presentation andexplained why Canada is the best place for investment and how otherarea of mutual interest can be explored. Sohi added as the middle classin both countries increases and gets stronger, the economy of both willgrow and trade ties enhance.As an infrastructure minister, Sohi said his focus is on smart cities inCanada also. The government desires that municipalities utilize

technology, encourage green energy, and have better transportationfacilities. India is also looking at these areas. He informed for severalyears global surveys on cities have ranked some of Canada's cities asthe best places to live. Thus in India his focus was to give thisinformation to the Indian businessmen to invest in Canada that will helpboth countries grow at the global level. Sohi also visited the facility ofBombardier Inc. in India, which is one of Canada's major multinationalaerospace and transportation company and the Brookfield Companiesthat have an equity of $230 billion. On the question of being invited as aVIP guest in a country where he was detained once, Sohi said the1980s was a bad chapter in Indian history adding he condemnsviolence in all its forms. As an elected official of Canada his job was torepresent his country in the best way but he loves India as he still hasfamily and friends there. He thanked the people of Gujrat for extendingsuch a warm welcome to him. Sohi said wherever he went, whether itwas Mumbai or Delhi, he was received very well by people. OnTrudeau's India visit, Sohi said no date or schedule has been set for hisvisit but Modi sent an invitation to Trudeau that he accepted.

MIDWEEK EXCLUSIVE

TRUDEAU TO MEET MODIDURING INDIA VISIT: SOHI

s p e c i a l r e p o r t

CANADIAN MINISTERS IN DAVOS WITH KLAUS SCHWAB, CHAIRMAN OF THE WEF.

DESK REPORTTORONTO - Though the jokes of AAP's Sangrur MPBhagwant Mann against the Badals are being en-joyed greatly but his assets have come drasticallyafter joining politics. Total assets of Mann who isfighting against Punjab Deputy Chief Minister SukhbirSingh Badal in Jalalabad, have come down to IRs1.99crore compared to IRs 4.30 crore declared at thetime of filing his nomination papers in 2014. Thisshows a drop of 54% per a repor t shown by Association for Demo-

cratic Rights (ADR). Mann's annual in-come is IRs9.34 lakh per his last in-come tax return. Meanwhile the assets ofNavjot Singh Sidhu, fighting for Congress fromAmritsar East have jumped of 217% in eightyears. He has total assets of IRs45.90 crorecompared to Rs 14.50 crore reported at thetime of the 2009 parliamentary polls.Meanwhile Punjab Deputy Chief Min-

ister Sukhbir Badal has joint assets with his wife wor th IRs102 crores.

HOW MUCH MONEY BHAGWANT MANNAND NAVJOT SINGH SIDHU HAVE?

Canadian politician Ruby Dhalla is in Punjab thesedays and spoke in favour of the ruling Akali Dal. She

said during a recent interview Punjab has seenimmense development under Akali rule.

DESK REPORTBRAMPTON - Canada-based AAP volunteers have said they are not outsiders. They own land and families in Punjab. They stated thisduring a press conference. The press conference saw Joban Randhawa, Surinder Mavi and Jaskirat Mann who were founders of 'ChaloPunjab' in Canada along with a large number of NRIs who condemned Capt Amarinder adding they have every right to campaign for AAP.Joban Randhwa, youth convener of AAP in Toronto said over 35,000 NRIs will campaign in Punjab. He said Capt Amarinder Singh wasfrustrated after NRIs refused to suppor t Congress. He visited USA and Canada to get suppor t from the NRIs but he could not even enterToronto and Vancouver. He said the NRIs were good as long as they funded Congress and Akali Dal but pronounced them terrorists ifnow they are suppor ting AAP. Surinder Mavi, AAP's convener in Canada said Capt Amarinder Singh was scared of NRIs and that waswhy he made the complaint to Election Commission. He said AAP will break the record of Delhi and win over 100 seats. Meanwhile,Jaskirat Mann said that a revolution was coming in Punjab against the corrupt. She also demanded an apology from Capt AmarinderSingh for his uncalled for comments.

NRIs: We are not outsiders and haveconstitutional right to campaign in Punjab

AAP UK VOLUNTEERS BRING FLAME OF HOPE FROM UK TO PUNJAB, AAP SENIOR LEADERS SANJAY SINGH & HIMMAT SHERGILLWERE ALSO PRESENT AT AMRITSAR AIRPORT.

Black Money in Indian Politics

Of Rs 11,000 crore politicalparties received in 11 years,

nearly 70% came fromunknown sources: ADR

A new repor t by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR)has shown that two-thirds of the income generated by six national and 51regional political parties be-tween 2004 and 2015 was fromunknown sources and henceuntraceable.Based on the analysis of in-come tax returns filed by politi-cal outfits, the ADR has put thetotal income of political partiesat Rs 11,367.34 crore over the11-year period under study. Ofthat, a whopping Rs 7,832.98crore was from unknownsources.Among the national parties(Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP, CPIand CPM), 83 per cent of thetotal income of the Congressand 65 per cent of the BJP camefrom unknown sources.Among regional parties, theSamajwadi Party received 94 per cent of its total income (in 11 years)from unknown sources. The second highest percentage (86) of incomefrom unknown sources is that of the Shiromani Akali Dal. At present,political parties are not required to reveal the name of individuals ororganisations giving less than Rs 20,000. The result: Bulk of the moneyreceived by political parties remains practically hidden."We demand that all political parties start accepting donationsdigitally and promote financial transparency," said JadgeepChhokar, founder member of the ADR, an NGO that works topromote electoral reforms. Chhokar also called upon parties tostop evading coverage under the Right to Information Act and topromote democracy in real terms.The analysis shows the income of national parties from unknownsources increased by 313 per cent from Rs 273.13 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 1,130.92 crore in 2014-15. The corresponding increasefor regional parties was much higher at 652 per cent from Rs37.393 crore to Rs 281.01 crore over the 11-year period.The BSP, a principal contender in UP, is the only party to consis-tently declare receiving nil donations above Rs 20,000 in 11years! This means 100 per cent of the BSP's donations camefrom unknown sources even as the total income of the Mayawatiled outfit rose by 2,057 per cent from Rs 5.19 crore in 2004 to Rs 111.96crore in 2014-15.Out of the 51 regional parties considered for the ADR report, 45 have notsubmitted their donations statements to the EC for at least one financialyear. Jammu and Kashmir's ruling PDP is one of the 12 regional parties tohave never filed their contribution report to the EC since 2004-05.Among national parties, the Congress has the highest total income of Rs3, 982.09 crore during the 11-year period under study, which is almost 43per cent of the total income of all six national parties. The BJP has thesecond highest income of Rs 3,272.63 crore over these years,which is 35.27 per cent of the total income of national parties. TheCPM declared the third highest income at Rs 892.99 crore, fol-lowed by the BSP at Rs 763.95 crore, the NCP at Rs 351.28 crore and theCPI at Rs 15.36 crore.Based on these findings, the ADR today said since a large percentage ofthe income of political parties could not be traced to original donors, theseshould be made available to the public under the RTI Act. Anil Sharma ofADR said, "In several countries, including Nepal, Bhutan, Germany, France,Italy, Brazil, the US and Japan, 75 per cent of the funding of political partieshas to be from known sources."

MidWeek 5MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


EXCLUSIVE SPONSORS



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017 c o m m u n i t y

BILL MORNEAU, FEDERAL MINISTER OF FINANCE DISCUSSING WAYS TO SUPPORT GLOBAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT WITHWORLD BANK AND GATES FOUNDATION. ALSO SEEN IN THE IMAGE IS BILL GATES.

Alberta receive over $1.7 million in celebrationof Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation

BRAMPTON MPS - RAJ GREWAL, SONIA SIDHU, RUBY SAHOTA AND RAMESH SANGHA HAD LUNCH WITH NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTEROF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

FORT MCMURRAY - Four teen communities in nor thern and centralAlber ta will receive a total of over $1.7 million through the Govern-ment of Canada's Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program,Canada 150 Fund and Canada Cultural Spaces Fund to help communi-ties modernize local recreation facilities, as well as improve socialand cultural infrastructure and programs.These funding programs are par t of Canada 150 Celebrates, the Gov-ernment of Canada's celebration of our country's 150th anniversary ofConfederation. Budget 2016 provided an additional $150 million overtwo years to Canada's Regional Development Agencies and $168.2million over two years through Canadian Heritage's Canada CulturalSpaces Fund to deliver community funding across the country.Through investments in community, social and cultural infrastructure

and programs, the Government of Canada is suppor ting the legacy ofmany Canadians who have invested their time, energy and spirit intoimproving the cultural and recreational opportunities for people of all ageswithin their communities. "The Government of Canada recognizes that cultural andrecreational activities bring communities together and contributes to our overallhealth and well-being. The renewed facilities and programs not only respond to thedemand for community infrastructure improvements, but also provide us anoppor tunity to celebrate the people of this great country." AmarjeetSohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities."The communities of Wood Buffalo have deep roots and a rich history.Investments like these help the people of our region connect witheach other and celebrate our unique history and culture." - MelissaBlake, Mayor, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

$100,000 to Improve St. Mary's Community TheatreSAULT STE. MARIE - The Government of Canada is investing $100,000to assist with enhancements to the Community Theatre located at St.Mary's College. The funding will enable the Huron-Superior CatholicDistrict School Board to modernize the facility and create a moreconducive environment to welcome local theatre performances andlearning. Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie,on behalf of Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Eco-nomic Development, and Minister responsible for FedNor, has an-nounced this Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program invest-ment. The new mid-sized theatre will allow festivals to bring in moreacts, and provide local performing groups with more space to per-form and hold productions. The Canada 150 Community Infrastruc-ture Program (CIP 150) funding, delivered in Nor thern Ontario throughFedNor, is part of the Government of Canada's coordinated approach

to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation. These investmentsacross Canada will help create jobs, boost economic activity,strengthen communities, and celebrate Canada's rich heritage andhistory. "The Government of Canada recognizes the impor tance ofinvesting in key community assets, such as the Community Theatreat St. Mary's College, which will provide an oppor tunity for residentsof all ages to enjoy and par ticipate in ar tistic and cultural activities."- Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic De-velopment, and Minister responsible for FedNor"In addition to being able to host a wide variety of celebrations tohonour and celebrate Sault Ste. Marie's cultural diversity and richhistory, the venue will also be used for educational oppor tunities inperforming ar ts and production technologies." - Terry Sheehan, Mem-ber of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie.

Ontario Provides Free Tuition for Eligible Students in MississaugaONTARIO - Ontario is making college and university more affordable for students and families in Mississauga and across the provinceby making tuition free for over 150,000 students. Amrit Mangat, MPP for Mississauga-Brampton South, met with Grade 11 and 12students and their teachers at Lincoln M. Alexander Secondary School to talk about how the province is transforming the OntarioStudent Assistance Program (OSAP).The new OSAP will make average tuition free for students whose families make less than $50,000 a year. Students from families thatearn more will also benefit from more generous grants and loans, and about 80 per cent of all OSAP recipients will graduate with lessprovincial debt. More Ontario students are now graduating from postsecondary programs than ever before, but some people hesitateto apply for college or university because they worry about the cost. The new OSAP will help more students seek an advancededucation, regardless of their family's income.By entering basic information at Ontario.ca/osap, in just a few clicks students will learn whether they qualify for free tuition and howmuch aid they could receive from the new OSAP. Expanding access to college and university is par t of our government's plan to createjobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives."We are leveling the playing field so more students from Mississauga can go on to college or university regardless of their financialbackgrounds. The new OSAP will build a more fair society by expanding access to education to help all people in Ontario- providingthem with the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow and building up Ontario's economy." - Amrit Mangat, MPP for Mississauga-Brampton South"We're moving forward with the most ambitious reform of student financial assistance in Nor th America because our governmentbelieves that a person's ability to access postsecondary education should be based on their ability to learn, and not on their ability topay. The new OSAP will provide over 150,000 students across the province with free average tuition." - Deb Matthews, DeputyPremier, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Digital Government.

Peel Police Arrests DarshanDhaliwal in Spiritual ScamPEEL - Investigators from the Peel Re-gional Police Fraud Bureau have arrestedand charged a 40 year-old Brampton manfor defrauding a resident of the City ofBrampton. In July 2016 the accusedDarshan Dhaliwal met with the victim andadvised her that he had won a lottery andthat he had a lot of good luck as he wasvery close to God. Dhaliwal obtained alarge quantity of money from the victimand told her that he would bury the moneyin the ground and pray to remove the evil spirits and would return her moneyafter the ceremony. Over a period of time the victim provided Dhaliwal witha large quantity of money and later was advised the evil spirits were con-tained in her jewelry and would need her jewelry to remove the evil spirits.The victim provided a large quantity of jewelry to Dhaliwal and after notreceiving her money or jewelry back, contacted the Peel Regional Police.Darshan Dhaliwal, a 40 year-old male from Brampton was arrested andcharged on Wednesday January 18, 2017 for Fraud Over $5000.00 andBreach of Recognizance. DHALIWAL was held for a Bail Hearing on Wednes-day January 18, 2017 and will appear before an Ontario Court of Justice inBrampton. Approximately $61,000.00 in cash and jewelry was defrauded byDarshan Dhaliwal in this incident. Investigators believe there may be furthervictims who have not come forward and are requesting they contact police.

PEEL REGIONAL POLICEWELCOME EQUITY AUDITPEEL - On Wednesday January 18, 2017, The Regional Munici-pality of Peel Police Services Board released a Request forProposal (RFP) seeking a vendor to conduct an employmentequity and diversity professional review and/or audit. Peel Re-gional Police (PRP) is a progressive police organization and are al-ways looking to improve. PRP have met and exceeded standards setby The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies(CALEA) and Excellence Canada which are quality and excellence basedprograms. We welcome the equity audit and we are confident it will onlyfurther complement existing processes and procedures. "One of the goalswe set in our 2014-2016 Strategic Plan was to attract and retain a profes-sional and skilled workplace that is reflective of our diverse community andaddresses community growth. I am proud of the progress we have madeover the past five years and welcome any recommendations that may helpus further our goal," said Chief Jennifer Evans. PRP has a number of initia-tives underway to help shape recruiting efforts within our community.

Ontario Taking Next Steps onUniversity Expansion inBrampton and MiltonONTARIO - Ontario is taking the next steps in its expansion of postsecondaryeducation in Brampton and Milton, by helping create two new universitysites and supporting new learning options for students and their families.The province is releasing a Request for Expressions of Interest, invitinguniversities to develop innovative proposals for the two sites. The govern-ment expects Ontario universities to demonstrate strong partnerships withcolleges, as well as local communities, business, and other institutions. Theschools will focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathemat-ics (STEAM), and these new university sites will help to develop Ontario'shighly skilled workforce by increasing experiential learning opportunities,assisting students to acquire the talent and skills they need to thrive in theknowledge economy, and encouraging partnerships in high-demand fields.These new sites mark the second phase of Ontario's major expansion ofpostsecondary infrastructure. In May 2015, Ontario announced the creationof the York University - Markham Centre campus in partnership with SenecaCollege. Increasing access to postsecondary education is part of our plan tocreate jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.Increasing access to postsecondary education is part of our plan to createjobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives."Our government is investing in postsecondary infrastructure by supportingthe creation of two new university-led postsecondary sites in the rapidlyexpanding communities of Brampton and Milton. In an effort to respond to achanging economy and ensure that Ontario's have the skills they need for thejobs of today and tomorrow, the sites will focus on science, technology,engineering, arts and mathematics?." - Deb Matthews, Ontario's DeputyPremier, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, and Min-ister Responsible for Digital Government

CONTD. FROM PAGE 3When asked what would be her role as Canada's new foreignaffairs minister in keeping relations with the US balanced, Chrystiasaid: "Canadians and Americans know that trade brings greaterprosperity to all of us, par ticularly the middle class. Our relation-ship is key to jobs and growth. We are clearly a pro-trade govern-ment and our deep people-to-people ties and strong integratedeconomies provide the basis for advancing our strong and pros-perous par tnership with our southern neighbour.When asked how does she see Canada's relations with the US in future,Chrystia added: "We are confident the new administration will see that Canada'spartnership with the US mutually strengthens our two nations and providesreal opportunities to grow our respective economies for the middle class. Wewill continue to work with the incoming administration on theinterconnectedness and to the mutual benefit of our two economies."On relations with Russia, she said: "This government will continue tohold Russia to account on its unacceptable behavior, including in Ukraine. Ourstrategy is one of deterrence and dialogue. There is no progress withoutdialogue. We need deterrence and dialogue if we are to be effectiveover the longer term, and advance on Canadian interests."

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKINGVERY CLOSELY WITH NEW USADMINISTRATION: FREELAND

MOST MIWAY FARES FROZEN –CHANGES TAKE EFFECT JAN 30BRAMPTON - Star ting on January 30, most MiWay fares willremain at 2016 rates, with the exception of adult and seniortickets. In addition, on May 1, the PRESTO single fare for post-secondarystudents will increase to $3 from $2.85, the same rate as the adult fare, whichaligns with neighbouring transit systems.


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Punjab polls: No cake-walk for Badals this timeBY JAIDEEP SARIN

SP-CONGRESS ALLIANCE: WILL THISHAND-SHAKE WARM UP VOTERS?

ANALYSIS

With the Punjab assembly polls turning into a three-horse race for thefirst time, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy,Sukhbir Singh Badal, face the most serious electoral challenge oftheir careers.Unlike on earlier occasions, when the contest was a straight fightbetween the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Par ty (SAD-BJP)combine and the Congress, the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Par ty(AAP) on Punjab's political scene has spiced up the poll scenario,with three-cornered contests on most seats. And to make things toughfor the ruling Akali Dal, the Congress and the AAP have fielded strongcandidates against the Badals.Thus, for the first time in Punjab's political history, the February 4assembly election will witness the biggest political fight for the Lambiassembly seat -- hither to the elder Badal's pocket borough -- withPunjab Congress president Amarinder Singh, a former Chief Minister(2002-2007), throwing down the gauntlet. Badal, 89, has been repre-senting the seat since 1997."I am contesting from Lambi as I want to teach a lesson to those whohave looted and ruined Punjab. I will make a man out of him (Badal),"said Amarinder Singh, who turns 75 in March and has announced thatthis is the last election of his political life. However, playing it safe,Amarinder Singh is also contesting his home seat of Patiala-Urban.The Akali Dal has tried to spice up the contest for this seat by fieldingGen J.J. Singh, the first Sikh chief of the Indian Army and formerGovernor of Arunachal Pradesh.It was the AAP which first upped the ante on the Lambi seat by fieldingDelhi lawmaker Jarnail Singh, who came into the limelight for throw-ing a shoe at the then Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, in Delhiin 2009, to take on Badal senior. Lambi falls in the Malout subdivisionof Muktsar district of southwest Punjab. It is par t of the Bathindaparliamentary constituency which is represented in the Lok Sabha byUnion Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal (Sukhbir Badal'swife and the Chief Minister's daughter-in-law). Badal village, wherethe Chief Minister hails from, is par t of this constituency.The AAP has made the election for the Jalalabad assembly seat, heldby Sukhbir Badal, interesting this time by fielding sitting Lok Sabha

MP from Sangrur, comedian-turned-politician Bhagwant Mann. TheCongress has stirred the pot fur ther by fielding Ludhiana MP RavneetSingh Bittu for the seat. However, both Mann and Bittu are playing itsafe as both will continue to remain MPs even if they lose againstSukhbir Badal. "I welcome them (to Jalalabad). They will lose their

security deposits. Let them have some fun by roaming around here,"said Badal junior, who is upbeat about his and the Akali Dal's pros-pects. At both Lambi and Jalalabad, the attempt by the Congress andAAP is to corner the Badals on their home turf, bog them down in theirconstituencies and cur tail their campaigning elsewhere.

The electoral pact between the ruling Samajwadi Par ty (SP) andthe Congress is a done thing now. But as both par ties work outthe finer details of the alliance, likely to be announced any timenow, the winnability of the combination in a state as complex asUttar Pradesh is in question.Will the combination keep the Muslim vote in toto? Will thealliance's premise of preventing fragmentation of Muslim votesnot polarise the Hindu community in favour of the BharatiyaJanata Par ty (BJP)? Will Bahujan Samaj Par ty (BSP) chiefMayawati be a mute spectator and allow her minority vote bankto slip out of her hands? The jury is still undecided on thelikely effects of the alliance. Though it has raised many ques-tions, it has, never theless, given a head-star t to both thebeleaguered par ties caught in problems of their own.While SP national president and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minis-ter Akhilesh Yadav, through the tie-up ,has emerged as the newstrategist in his par ty and also as a "largely acceptable leader"in the political spectrum, the Congress, which has been pushedto the sidelines of the state's politics since 1989, has comeback into the reckoning for some consolation returns.The Congress, after ruling the state for many decades, had thealarm bells first ringing in 1989 when its tally from a majoritypar ty dropped to 94 seats in the then house of 426. The numberfur ther dwindled to 46 in 1991, 28 in 1993, 33 in 1996, 25 in2002 and 2007 (when the house had 403 seats after the creationof Uttarakhand) and 28 seats in the 2012 assembly elections.The voting pattern over these years suggests that the traditionalsuppor ters of the Congress -- Dalits, Muslims and upper castes-- have deser ted it and shifted to parties like the SP (Muslims) andthe BSP (Dalits), while the upper caste Thakurs and Brahmins havemoved to the BJP. The party's high command has failed to inspire thestate unit or allow a strong local leadership to emerge.The Congress has been relegated to the fourth position in the state andits influence has been restricted to pocket boroughs like Amethi, RaeBareily and Sultanpur. In these three districts too, the SP won 12 of the15 assembly constituencies in 2012. The Peace Party -- a regionaloutfit -- won one and the Congress just two. This was after an exten-sive campaign by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Gandhifamily members. In the past few months, the Congress seemsto have gained some ground through its various missions likethe "Kisan Yatra" under taken by Rahul Gandhi and "27 saal, UPBehaal", which sought to send out a message to its traditionalvoters that the state has been ruined by BSP, SP and BJPgovernments. Of these 27 years, the SP ruled for a good 15years under Mulayam Singh Yadav.Now, to tie up with one of these, that too with a par ty which hasa fairly strong anti-incumbency factor, par ty insiders aver, wasgoing to hur t the par ty's "anticipated acceptance and upswing.It is a bad compromise, piggybacking Akhilesh Yadav will helphim but not us," a senior UPCC member contended. The Con-gress organisational structure, which was in tatters over the pasttwo decades, was shaken up this time, largely due to interven-tion of election strategist Prashant Kishor and his innovativeideas. The number of people seeking the Congress ticket toohad swelled this time."The par ty has decided to go with the "cycle" to stop theforward march of the BJP; let's see how much we succeed withthe idea," said a worried veteran who remained edgy about theability of both the par ties to transfer their votes in bulk to each

other. The state unit of the BJP said it is ecstatic about the SP-Congress coming together."We have always been saying that SP is the B team of athoroughly corrupt Congress, we have just been proved right,"said state BJP General Secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak. "Peoplehave still not forgotten the 2G, 3G, JijaG scams and are op-posed to anything and everything that has to do with Congress,"he added. A western Uttar Pradesh stalwar t of the BJP said thecoming together of the "two minority-appeasing par ties" willalso have a "polarisation of Hindus in its favour, specially inwestern Uttar Pradesh which will set the poll pattern in thestate in the first phase". For the combine to come anywherenear the finishing line, the traditional vote banks of thesepar ties must transfer en masse to each other and also rallybehind them, said a political observer here.State unit leaders of the Congress, especially state unit chiefRaj Babbar, is said to be not-too-comfor table with the allianceas he was once in the SP and thereafter had a frigid relationshipwith Akhilesh Yadav af ter he defeated his wife Dimple Yadav ina by-election for the Firozabad seat. For the SP too, the situationseems to have stemmed out of a compromise formula and adesperate bid to regain power, specially af ter the bitter feud inthe par ty. SP traditionally has been an anti-Congress par ty andits senior leaders like Mohd Azam Khan will find it difficult nowto canvass jointly with Congress leaders.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017 c a n a d a

Minister Bains welcomes $90-millioninnovation investment in Canada

OTTAWA - Canadians will develop next-generation solutions for elec-tric vehicles as a result of a $90-million investment by Swiss engi-neering firm ABB, which is establishing a new headquar ters and re-search and development centre in Montréal. Navdeep Bains, Ministerof Innovation, Science and Economic Development, welcomed theinvestment after meeting in Davos with Ulrich Spiesshofer, Presidentand Chief Executive Officer of ABB.The new Montréal headquar ters, set to open in 2017, will maintain700 jobs and consolidate ABB's research and development, manufac-turing, assembly and testing facilities under one roof. The new facilitywill also house the company's Nor th American Centre for Excellencein e-Mobility, which will focus on developing energy-managementsolutions for electric buses and trains.This investment will put Canada on the map in a number of emergingtechnologies, such as robotics and Internet-connected devices, thatwill power the industrial systems of the future. The Government ofCanada's Innovation Agenda aims to make this country a global cen-tre for innovation-one that drives economic growth and leads to betterskills, jobs and oppor tunities for all Canadians.Minister Bains and Dr. Spiesshofer discussed additional ABB invest-ment oppor tunities in research and development related to the Internet

of Things, robotics and the automation of food processing. The Minis-ter expressed his commitment to ongoing engagement with ABB oninvestment oppor tunities that will strengthen Canada's innovationecosystem and create jobs for the middle class and those workinghard to join it."When global companies look to invest, many seek the most innova-tive countries-the ones with the most creative and entrepreneurialpeople who can turn ideas into solutions. ABB's decision to selectCanada for its flagship North American operations is a clear vote of confidence inthe talent and expertise of highly skilled Canadians. As a result of this investment,Canadians will develop next-generation industrial systems and the skills neededfor the jobs of the future." - Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Scienceand Economic Development"As a pioneering technology leader, ABB is helping its customersunlock value from digitalization and the Energy and Four th Industrialrevolutions. With its excellent universities and associated ecosys-tem, Canada provides all the right ingredients for research and devel-opment needed to develop global technology platforms. There arehuge oppor tunities in making transpor tation systems smar ter andgreener. At ABB, we want to run the world without consuming theEar th."- Ulrich Spiesshofer, President and Chief Executive Officer, ABB

TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES CHIEFGOVERNMENT WHIPOTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has announced thatPablo Rodriguez, Member of Parliament for Honoré-Mercier,has agreed to serve as Chief Government Whip. Rodriguez was theMember of Parliament for Honoré-Mercier from 2004 to 2011 andreturned in 2015. He was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministerof Infrastructure and Communities in December of that year. A graduate inbusiness administration, Rodriguez worked in the field of internationaldevelopment for nearly 10 years for a Montréal based non-governmentalorganization. As a Member of Parliament, Rodriguez has taken on numer-ous responsibilities, including as the official spokesperson for culture,languages, economic development, and La Francophonie. He hasalso been closely involved in efforts to address climate change and toprotect and promote culture, language, and minority rights. "PabloRodriguez is an experienced parliamentarian who has shown great com-mitment to the important work we do on behalf of Canadians and theirfamilies. He will ensure our members in Parliament are on time and at theright locations, and that they remain focused on implementing the prioritiesof the Government of Canada. Pablo has the respect and confidence ofmyself and the whole caucus, and I know he will carry out his new dutieswith professionalism, dedication, and care." Justin Trudeau.

New Parliamentary Secretary to theMinister of Foreign AffairsOTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced theappointment of Andrew Leslie, Member of Parliament forOrléans, to the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Min-ister of Foreign Affairs. In this new position, Leslie will assumespecial responsibilities for the Canada-U.S. relationship and play a criticalrole in building ties with the new U.S. administration. Leslie was firstelected in the Orléans riding in 2015. As a retired Lieutenant-General, hehas a strong background in public service. His dedicated ser-vice has been recognized both domestically and interna-tionally on numerous occasions during his 35-year careerwith the Canadian Armed Forces. Leslie, currently the ChiefGovernment Whip, will take up his responsibilities as Par-liamentary Secretary on January 30, 2017. His successoras Chief Government Whip will be announced in the comingdays. Trudeau said: "I thank Andy for his outstanding ser-vice as Chief Government Whip, and I am delighted he has agreed to takeon the role of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs withspecial responsibilities for the Canada-U.S. relationship.

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Sujanpur(GEN) Kulbhushan Singh ManhasBhoa(SC) Amarjit ThekedarPathankot (GEN) Rajkumar MahajanGurdaspur(GEN) Amarjeet Singh ChahalDina Nagar(SC) Joginder ChinnaQadian (GEN) Kanwalpreet Singh KakiBatala(GEN) Gurpreet Singh WaraichSri Hargobindpur(SC) Advocate Amarpal SinghFatehgarh Churian(GEN) Gurvinder SinghDera Baba Nanak(GEN) Gurpar tap Singh KhushalpurAjnala(GEN) Rajpreet Singh RandhawaRaja Sansi(GEN) Jagjot Singh DhillonMajitha(GEN) Himmat Singh ShergilJandiala (SC) Harbhajan SinghAmritsar North Manish AgarwalAmritsar West (SC) Balwinder Singh SahotaAmritsar Central Dr. Ajay GuptaAmritsar East Sarabjot Singh DhanjalAmritsar South(GEN) Dr. Inderbir Singh NijjarAttari(SC) Jasvinder Singh JahagirTarn Taran(GEN) Kartar SinghKhemkaran (GEN) Capt. Bikramajit Singh PahuwindiaPatti (GEN) Ranjit Singh CheemaKhadoor Sahib (GEN) Bhupinder Singh BittuBaba Bakala(SC) Dalbir Singh TongBholath(GEN) Sukhpal KhairaKapurthala(GEN) Sukhwant Singh PaddaSultanpur Lodhi(GEN) Sajjan Singh CheemaPhagwara Jarnail Singh NangalPhillaur(SC) Swaroop Singh KhadianaNakodar(GEN) Sarwan Singh HayerShahkot(GEN) Dr. Amarjit Singh ThindKartarpur(SC) Chandan GrewalJalandhar West(SC) Darshan Lal BhagatJalandhar Central (GEN) Dr. Sanjeev Kumar SharmaJalandhar North(GEN) Gulshan SharmaJalandhar Cantt. (GEN) Harkrishan Singh WaliaAdampur(SC) Hans Raj RanaMukerian(GEN) Sulkhan Singh JaggiDasuya(GEN) Balbir Kaur PhullUrmar(GEN) Jasveer Singh GillSham Chaurashi(SC) Dr. Ravjot SinghHoshiarpur(GEN) Paramjit SachdevaChabbewal(SC) Raman KumarGarhshankar(GEN) Jai KIshan Singh RodiBanga(SC) Harjiot KaurNawan Shahr(GEN) Charanjit Singh ChanniBalachaur(GEN) Brid. Raj KumarAnandpur Sahib(GEN) Dr Sanjeev GautamRupnagar(GEN) Amarjit SinghChamkaur Sahib(SC) Dr. Charanjit SinghKharar(GEN) Kanwar SandhuSAS Nagar (GEN) Narinder ShergilBassi Pathana(SC) Santokh SinghFatehgarh Sahib(GEN) Lakhbir Singh RaiAmloh(GEN) Gurpreet SinghKhanna(GEN) Anil Dutt PhalliSamrala(GEN) Sarbansh SinghSahnewal(GEN) Harjot Singh BainsLudhiana East(GEN) Daljit Singh GrewalLudhiana (Central) Vipan Kaka SoodLudhiana West(GEN) Ahbaab Singh GrewalGill(SC) Jeewan SanghwalPayal(SC) Gurpreet SinghDakha(GEN) Adv. H S PhoolkaRaikot(SC) Jagtar Singh Jagga HissowalJagraon(SC) Sarvjit Kaur ManukeNihal Singh Wala(SC) Manjit Singh BilaspurBagha Purana (GEN) Capt. Gurbinder Singh KangMoga(GEN) Adv. Ramesh GroverDharamkot(GEN) Daljit SIngh SardarpuraZira(GEN) Gurpreet Singh GoraFirozpur City GEN) Narinder Singh SandhaFirozpur Rural(SC) Mohan SinghGuru Har Sahai (GEN) Malkiat Singh ThindJalalabad Bhagwant MannFazilka(GEN) Samarbir SinghAbohar(GEN) Atul NagpalBalluana (SC) SImarjit SInghLambi(GEN) Jarnail SinghGidderbaha(GEN) Jagdeep Singh SandhuMalout(SC) Baldev Singh AzadMuktsar (GEN) Jagdeep Singh BrarFaridkot(GEN) Gurditt SinghKotkapura(GEN) Kultar SinghJaito(SC) Master Baldev SinghRampura Phull (GEN) Manjit Singh SidhuBhucho Mandi(SC) Master Jagseer SinghBathinda Urban(GEN) Deepak BansalBathinda Rural(SC) Rupinder KaurTalwandi Sabo Prof. Baljinder KaurMaur(GEN) Jagdev Singh KamaluMansa(GEN) Nazar Singh ManshahiaSardulgarh(GEN) Sukhwinder Singh MannBudhlada(SC) Budhram PrincipalLehra(GEN) Jasvir KudaniDirba(SC) Harpal CheemaSunam(GEN) Aman AroraBhadaur(SC) Parimal SinghBarnala(GEN) Meet HayerMehal Kalan(SC) Kulwant Singh PandhuriMalerkotla(GEN) Arshad DaliDhuri(GEN) Jasvir Singh Sekhon(Jassi)Sangrur (GEN) Dinesh BansalNabha(SC) Gurdev Mann(Dev Mann)Patiala Rural(GEN) Karan TiwanaRajpura (GEN) Ashutosh JoshiDera Bassi(GEN) Sarabjit KaurGhanaur(GEN) Anu RandhawaSanour (GEN) Kuldeep Kaur TohraPatiala Urban Dr Balbir SInghSamana(GEN) Jagtar Singh RajalaShutrana(SC) Palwinder Kaur

Sujanpur Shri Dinesh Singh Babbu, Sitting MLABhoa (SC) Smt. Seema Kumari, Sitting MLAPathankot Shri Ashwani Sharma, Sitting MLADina Nagar (SC) Shri V.D. DhupadAmritsar North Shri Anil Joshi, MLAAmritsar West (SC) Shri Rakesh GillAmritsar Central Shri Tarun ChughAmritsar East Shri Rajesh HaniPhagwara (SC) Shri Somprakash, MLAJalandhar West (SC) Shri Mohindra BhagatJalandhar Central Shri Manoranjan Kalia, MLAJalandhar North Shri K.D. Bhandari, Sitting MLAMukerian Shri Arunesh ShakarDasuya Smt. Sukhjeet Kaur Sahi, Sitting MLAHoshiarpur Shri Tikshan SoodAnandpur Sahib Shri Parmindra SharmaLudhiana Central Shri Gurudev Sharma DeviLudhiana West Shri Kamal ChetliLudhiana North Shri Praveen BansalFirozpur City Shri Sukhlal Singh "Nannu"Fazilka Shri Surjeet Jyani, MLAAbohar Shri Arun NarangRajpura Shri Harjeet Singh GrewalGurdaspur Gurbachan Singh BabbehaliQadian Sewa Singh SekhwanBatala Lakhbir Singh LodhinangalSri Hargobindpur Mr. Manjit SinghFatehgarh Churian Nirmal Singh KahlonDera Baba Nanak Sucha Singh LangahAjnala Amarpal Singh 'Bony'Raja sansi Veer Singh LopokeMajitha Bikram Singh MajithiaJandiala Dr Dalbir SinghAmritsar South Gurpar tap Singh TikkaAttari Gulzar Singh RanikeTarn Taran Harmeet Singh SandhuKhem karan Virsa Singh ValtohaPatti Adaish Par tap Singh KaironKhadoor Sahib Ravinder Singh BrahmpuraBaba Bakala Mr. Malkiat SinghBholath Yuvraj Bhupinder SinghKapurthala Paramjit Singh PammaSultanpur Lodhi Upinderjit KaurPhillaur Baldev Singh KhairaNakodar Gurpar tap Singh WadalaShahkot Ajit Singh KoharKar tarpur Satpal MallJalandhar Cantt Sarabjit Singh MakkarAdampur Pawan Kumar TinuUrmar Arvinder Singh RasoolpurSham Chaurasi Bibi Mohinder Kaur JoshChabbewal Sohan Singh ThandalGarhshankar Surinder Singh Bhullewal RathanBanga Sukhwinder Singh 'Sukhi'Nawan shahr Jarnail Singh WahidBalachaur Nand LalRupnagar Daljit Singh CheemaChamkaur Sahib Nirmal SinghKharar Mr. Ranjit Singh GillS.A.S. Nagar Tejinder Pal Singh SidhuBassi Pathana Darbara Singh GuruFatehgarh Sahib Didar Singh BhattiAmloh Gurpreet Singh 'Raju' KhannaKhanna Ranjit Singh TalwandiSamrala Santa Singh UmaidpurSahnewal Sharanjit Singh DhillonLudhiana East Ranjit Singh DhillonLudhiana South Hira Singh GabriaAtam Nagar Gurmeet Singh KularGill Darshan Singh ShivalikPayal Isher Singh MeharbanDakha Manpreet Singh AyaliRaikot Inder Iqbal Singh AtwalJagraon Amarjit Kaur SahokeNihal Singh Wala SR KlerBagha Purana Teerath Singh MahlaMoga Mr. Barjinder SinghDharamkot Tota SinghZira Hari Singh ZiraFirozpur Rural Joginder Singh JinduGuru Har Sahai Vardev Singh MaanJalalabad Sukhbir Singh BadalBalluana Parkash Singh BhattiLambi Parkash Singh Badal (Punjab CM)Giddarbaha Hardeep Singh 'Dimpy' DhillonMalout Mr. Darshan Singh KotfattaMuktsar Kanwarjeet Singh 'Rozy' BarkandiFaridkot Parambans Singh 'Bunty' RomanaKotkapura Mantar Singh BrarJaitu Suba Singh BadalRampura Phul Sikander Singh MalukaBhucho Mr. Harpreet SinghBathinda Urban Sarup Chand SinglaBathinda Rural Mr. Amit RatanTalwandi Sabo Jeet Mohinder Singh SidhuMaur Janmeja Singh SekhonMansa Jagdeep Singh NakaiSardulgarh Dilraj Singh BhunderBudhlada Nishan SinghLehra Parminder Singh DhindsaDirba Gulzar SinghSunam Gobind Singh LongowalBhadaur Balvir Singh GhunasBarnala Surinderpal Singh SibiaMehal Kalan Ajeet Singh ShantMalerkotla Mohammad OwaisAmargarh Iqbal Singh JhundanDhuri Hari Singh (Preet Tractors)Sangrur Parkash Chand GargNabha Kabir DassPatiala Rural Satbir Singh KhatraDera Bassi NK SharmaGhanaur Harpreet Kaur MukhmailpurSanour Harinder Pal Singh ChandumajraPatiala Gen JJ SinghSamana Surjit Singh RakhraShutrana Vaninder Kaur Loomba

AAP SAD / BJP CONGRESS

Sujanpur Amit Singh MantoBhoa - SC Joginder Pal SinghPathankot Amit Vij S/o Anil VijGurdaspur Barindollt Singh PahraDina Nagar - SC Aruna ChaudharyQadian Fatehjang Singh BajwaBatala Ashwani SekhriSri Hargobindpur - SC Balwinder Singh LaddiFatehgarh Churian Tript Rajinder Singh BajwaDera Baba Nanak Sukhjinder Singh RandhawaAjnala Harpratap Singh AjnalaRaja Sansi Sukhbinder Singh SarkariaMajitha Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli MajthiaJandiala - SC Sukhwinder Singh DannyAmritsar North Sunil DattiAmritsar - West - SC Raj Kumar VerkaAmritsar Central Om Prakash SoniAmritsar East Navjot Singh SidhuAmritsar South Inderbir Singh BolariaAttari - SC Tarsem Singh DCTarn Taran Dharamvir AgnihotriKhom Karan Sukhpal Singh BhullarPatti Harminder Singh GillKhadoor Sahib Ramanjit Singh SikkiBaba Bakala - SC Santok Singh BhalaipurBholath Ranjit SinghKapurthala Rana Gurjeet SinghSultanpur Lodhi Navtej Singh CheemaPhagwara - SC Joginder Singh MannPhillaur - SC Vikramjit Singh ChaudharyNakodar Jagbir Singh BrarShahkot Hardev Singh LaddiKar tarpur - SC Ch. Surindor SinghJalandhar West Sushil Kumar 'Rinku'Jalandhar Central Rajinder BeriJalandhar North Avtar Singh SangheraJalandhar Cantt. Pargat SinghAdampur - SC Mohinder Singh Kay PeeMukerian Rajnish KumarDasuya Arun DograUrmar Sangat Singh GilzianSham Chaurasi- SC Pawan AdiaHoshiarpur Sunder Sham AroraChabbewal - SC Dr. Raj KumarGarhshankar Lov Kumar GoldyBanga Satnam Singh KainthNawan Shahr Angad SainiBalachaur Chaudhary Darshan Lal MangepurAnandpur Sahib Rana K. P. SinghRup Nagar Barinder DhillonChamkaur Sahib - SC Charanjit Singh ChanniKharar Jagmohan Singh KangS.A.S. Nagar Balbir Singh SidhuBassi Pathana - SC Gurpreet Singh GPFatehgarh Sahib Kuljeet Singh NagraAmloh Randeep Singh NabhaKhanna Gurkirat Singh KotliSamrala Amrik Singh DhillonSahnewal Satwinder Kaur BittiLudhiana East Sanjiv TalwarLudhiana South Bhupinder SidhuAtam Nagar Kamaljit Singh KarwalLudhiana Central Surinder Kumar DawarLudhiana West Bharat Bhushan AshuLudhiana Nor th Rakesh PandeyGill - SC Kuldeep Singh VaidPayal - SC Lakhvir Singh LakhaDakha Major Singh BhainiRajkot - SC Dr. Amar SinghJagraon SC Malkiat Singh DakhaNihal Singhwala - SC Rajwinder Kaur BhagikayBhagha Purana Darshan Singh BrarMoga Dr. Harlot KarnalDharamkot Kaka Sukhjit Singh LohgarhZira Kulbir SinghFirozpur City Parminder Singh PinkyFirozpur Rural - SC Satkar KaurGuru Har Sahai Rana Gurmeet Singh SodhiJalalabad Ravneet Singh BittuFazilka Davinder GubayaAbohar Sunil Kumar JakharBalluana - SC Nathu RamLambi Capt. Amarinder SinghGlddorbaha Amdndor Singh Raja WarringMalout - SC Ajaib Singh BhattiMuktsar Karon Kaur BrarFaridkot Kushaldeep Singh DhillonKotkapura Bhai Harnirpal Singh KukuJaltu - SC Mohd. SadiqueRampura Phul Gurpreet Singh KangarBhucho Mandi Pntam Singh KotbhaiBathinda Urban Manpreet Singh BadalBathinda Rural - SC Harvindor Singh LaddiTalwandi Sabo Khushbaj Singh JatanaMaur Harrninder Singh JassiMansa Dr. Manju BansalSardulgarh Ajit Rider Singh MofarBudhlada - SC Ranjit Kaur BhattiLehra Rajinder Kaur BhattalDirba - SC Ajaib Singh RataulSunam Daman Thind BajwaBhadaur - SC Nirmal Singh NImmaBarnala Kewal Singh DhillonMehal Kalan - SC Harchand KaurMalerkotla Razia SultanaAmargarh Surjoot Singh DhimanDhuri Dalvir Singh GoldySangrur Vijay lnder SinglaNabha - Sc Sadhu Singh DharamsotPatiala - Rural Brahm MohindraRajpura Hardiyal Singh KambojDera Bassi Deepinder Singh DhiltonGhanaur Madan Lal JalalpurSanour Harinder Singh MannPatiala Capt. Amarinder SinghSamana Rajinder SinghShutrana - SC Nirmal Singh



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY



TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017i n d i a

KEJRIWAL SELF-PROCLAIMEDCJ OF INDIAN POLITICS: BJP

PEOPLE IN TAMIL NADU PROTESTING AGAINST COURT RULING FOR JALLIKATTU.

Jallikattu law passed by assly; 20cops injured in violenceCHENNAI, (PTI) The six-day-old stir over jallikattu turned violent to-day after an early morning crackdown on the protesters here, leavingover 20 police personnel injured even as the Tamil Nadu assemblymoved swiftly and passed a bill replacing an ordinance for conduct-ing the bull taming sport.A senior police official told PTI that 90 per cent of the protesters atMarina beach, the epicentre of the agitation, predominantly by stu-dents and youth, had vacated the area by late evening and that nor-malcy was being restored. Reports said most protestors in otherparts of the state like Madurai, Erode and Coimbatore were eitherevicted or had left on their own, heeding the appeal of police.However, the crackdown had a ripple effect in the city and elsewhere,where normal life was affected, with protesters staging road blocksand state transport buses being withdrawn at many places. The gov-ernment moved quickly to get the amendment bill to replace thejallikattu ordinance promulgated two days ago, passed in the assem-bly in the evening session. The "Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(Tamil Nadu Amendment), Act, 2017", piloted by Chief Minister OPanneerselvam, was passed by voice vote with the support of oppo-sition DMK and other parties. It said the "Government of Tamil Naduhas decided to exempt jallikattu from the provisions of the Preventionof Cruelty to Animals Act." On an eventful day, police set on an earlymorning crackdown at Marina after issuing an advisory asking stu-dents to leave. They said students' protests had been successful asjallikattu had been held yesterday following the state issuing theordinance. Former Madras High Court Judge Hari Paranthaman alsospoke to the protesting youngsters, explaining to them the technicalspecifications of the state government's amendment to the PCA Act.According to a senior police official, "90 per cent of the protestersat Marina Beach have left."

INDIA, UAE HOLD FIRSTSTRATEGIC DIALOGUENEW DELHI, (PTI) India and the UAE today held their first strategicdialogue during which they finalised the Strategic Cooperation Agree-ment aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation to new key areasincluding energy, defence and security that will be signed during thevisit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi next week.During the dialogue, co-chaired by Minister of State for Foreign Af-fairs M J Akbar and his UAE counterpart Anwar Gargash, the twosides "agreed on a number of new initiatives to further strengthen thebilateral cooperation and on signing of fresh instruments of coopera-tion", External Affairs Ministry said.Noting that the first dialogue took place pursuant to the decision toelevate the relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership dur-ing the exchange of the visits at the highest level between India andthe UAE in August 2015 and February 2016, MEA in a release said thetwo sides were represented by strong delegations drawn from anumber of relevant ministries and departments.This is the second visit of the Crown Prince to India who travelledhere in February 2016. He will be accompanied by a high-level del-egation, including ministers, senior officials and captains of industry.During the visit, the two sides will also explore ways to strengthentrade ties. The two countries have been among each other's top trad-ing partners with a well-balanced bilateral trade of about USD 50billion in 2015-16. "UAE is among the top investors in India in terms offoreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India's en-ergy security and is the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in2015-16," MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said. Noting thatthere was about 2.6 million strong and vibrant Indian communityforms the largest expatriate group in UAE, he had also said, "Theirpositive and well-appreciated contribution in the developmentof their host country has been an impor tant anchor of our ex-cellent bilateral engagement.

Liquor worth Rs 16 lakh seizedon UP-Haryana borderMUZAFFARNAGAR, (PTI) Police have seized 360 car tons ofliquor, wor th Rs 16 lakh, in Kairana in Shamli district while theconsignment was being transpor ted from Haryana to poll-boundUttar Pradesh, police said. A truck containing the car tons ofliquor was intercepted at Yamuna bridge check post at Kairana inShamli district yesterday evening, Circle Officer of Police Bhushan Vermasaid. The liquor was being smuggled from neighbouring Haryana wherealcohol is cheaper than Uttar Pradesh, police said. Police have intensifiedvigil to prevent liquor smuggling ahead of the February-March Assemblypolls in Uttar Pradesh. A case has been registered and a search to nab theaccused is on, Verma said.

NEW DELHI, (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is a "self-proclaimed Chief Justice of Indian politics", the BJP today said as itaccused him of denigrating credibility of the Election Commissionand the voting process by his bribery remarks. "Kejriwal wants to beDelhi Chief Minister on odd days, Punjab Chief Minister on even daysand Goa Chief Minister on holidays. But, now when his desire tobecome Chief Ministers of three states at the same time has shat-tered, he is frustrated and saying all this," BJP spokesperson SambitPatra said. The Aam Aadmi Par ty supremo had stirred up a hornet's

nest during an election rally in Goa earlier this month where he hadasked people to accept money offered by the political par ties, butvote for AAP only. By asking voters to accept bribe, Kejriwal is insti-gating the people towards corruption, against which his entire politicsis based, Patra told repor ters here. "Kejriwal, a self-proclaimed ChiefJustice of Indian politics who also has a constitution bench of corruptministers, has again and again repeated his bribery remarks. By do-ing this he is not only denigrating the credibility of Election Commis-sion but also the entire voting process," he said.

KEJRIWAL 'NON RESIDENT CM' OF DELHI: BJPNEW DELHI, (PTI) With Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal busy campaigning for Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) in poll bound states, the BJP dubbed himas "non resident CM" of Delhi as he is rarely seen in the National Capital. Kejriwal who once talked about Janta Darbar has "no time to listento the greivances" of the Aam Admi in Delhi, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said in a statement. "People can go to Chhatrasaal stadiumtomorrow where they may get a glimpse of non-resident Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is otherwise rarely seen in Delhi." Kejriwal is the NationalConvener of the AAP and the party's main campaigner in the assembly election in Punjab and Goa. People of Delhi elected Arvind Kejriwal with great hopes of easyaccessibility but he remains out of Delhi "most of the times" and whenever he is here he lives under a "two tier security" with "no assess" for the people, Tiwari alleged."A man(Kejriwal) who is today raising hopes of Janta Darbar before the people of Punjab and Goa befooled the people of Delhi with similarpromises and after the first Janta Darbar of January, 2014, Delhi is yet to witness the Chief Minister hearing grievances of the Aam Aadmi,"he said. With Aam Admi Par ty hoping to form government in poll bound Punjab and Goa, Kejriwal and his ministers as well as party MLAs arebusy campaigning in the two states inviting criticism from BJP and Congress. The state level Republic Day celebration of Delhi governmentwill be organised at Chhatrasal stadium tomorrow where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will unfurl the national flag. Deputy CM ManishSisodia, ministers of the government and ruling par ty MLAs will be present on the occasion.

PRIYANKA CONGRESS' STAR CAMPAIGNER FOR UPNEW DELHI, (PTI) Priyanka Gandhi, being credited by Congress for playing an active role in stitching an alliance with Samajwadi Par ty, willbe her par ty's star campaigner along with Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh. Her name figures among the 40 star campaigners that the Congress

has finalised and forwarded to theElection Commission today forthe first phase of Uttar Pradeshpolls. Though she does not holdany political post in the Congress,Priyanka has turned active eversince her brother and par ty VicePresident Rahul assumed a lead-ership role after her mother andCongress president Sonia Gandhistar ted not keeping well. Her in-clusion in the star campaignerslist assumes significance as therehave been demands by partymen forher playing a more active role in UttarPradesh elections. Priyanka has con-fined herself to Rae Bareily and AmethiLok Sabha constituencies representedby Sonia and Rahul in the past, whichfall under the second phase of UP polls.Sonia and former Prime MinisterManmohan Singh are also amongthe star campaigners list for UP.



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Punjab Pradesh Congress committee chief Captain Amarinder addressing media with Navjot Singh Sidhu in Amritsar.

695 nominations rejected outof nearly 2,000 in PunjabCHANDIGARH, (PTI) As many as 695 nomination papersout of 1,941 have been rejected in Punjab after scrutiny bythe Election Commission for the February 4 assembly polls,an official said. During the scrutiny, 1,243 nominations werefound valid and 695 invalid while three cases were keptpending, one in Hoshiarpur and two in Mansa, an officialspokesman of the Punjab Chief Electoral Office said.He said 46 out of 58 nominations were found correct inPathankot, 73 out of 106 in Gurdaspur, 121 out of 196 inAmritsar, 34 out of 55 in Tarn Taran, 37 out of 76 in Kapurthala,91 out of 146 in Jalandhar, 79 out of 119 in Hoshiarpur, 31out of 45 in SBS Nagar, 27 out of 41 in Rupnagar, 37 out of 69 inMohali, 27 out of 37 in Fatehgarh Sahib and 138 valid out of 222 inLudhiana. He further said 49 out of 61 nominations were found valid inMoga, 51 out of 70 in Ferozepur, 48 out of 66 in Fazilka, 31 out of 68 inMuktsar, 28 out of 41 in Faridkot, 63 out of 110 in Bathinda, 32 out of 48in Mansa, 71 out of 115 in Sangrur, 31 out of 44 in Barnala and 98 out of148 in Patiala. For Amritsar bye-poll, 10 nomination papers were foundvalid out of 15 as five were rejected, the spokesman said.The last date of withdrawal of candidature is January 21 and the count-ing of votes will take place on March 11. Punjab, which has 117assembly seats, is set to witness a three-cornered contest betweenSAD-BJP, the Congress and new entrant AAP. Prominent among thosein the fray are Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his sonand Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Con-gress chief Amarinder Singh, cricketer-turned-politicianNavjot Singh Sidhu and AAP MP Bhagwant Mann.

Punjab will create history onFeb 4: Bhagwant MannSANGRUR (PB), (PTI) The people of Punjab will create his-tory by voting out a "corrupt" government (Akalis) and form-ing the dispensation of common people on February 4, AAPleader Bhagwant Mann said. Hitting out at the ruling Akalifor "destroying" Punjab, known as golden state, he saidAAP will form the next government in the state with a thump-ing majority and corrupt politicians will be put in jail imme-diately. Ministers Bikram Majithia, Tota Singh and SikanderSingh Maluka will be the first to go to jail, Mann, who is theChairman of AAP's election campaign committee, said. Lash-ing out at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, he said theBadals have looted the state and were responsible for thepresent state of Punjab.Mann said that SAD claims to be a panthic par ty, but no-body was arrested even after 95 cases of desecration wererepor ted. "The AAP government will arrest those respon-sible for desecration incidents and exemplary punishmentswill be given," he said. "The people are always superior indemocracy and they know how to correct the incorrect withthe power of vote," he said.

Sidhu working as paid employee of Congress: Sukhbir BadalCHANDIGARH, (PTI) SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today alleged that nothing Navjot Singh Sidhu says can be taken at face valueas he is working as a "paid employee" of Congress. Claiming that Sidhu has always been ready to "sell himself to the highest bidder",he alleged, "Sidhu is working as a paid employee of Congress. Yesterday he was with BJP, after that with AAP and now with Congress.Tomorrow he may be with someone else." "Like his political parties, Sidhu has also changed his political Gurus repeatedly," Sukhbir said in astatement. "Earlier he used to call Arun Jaitely as his political guru. But when his guru came to Amritsar to contest the Lok Sabha elections heabandoned his guru," the SAD president alleged. "Then he made AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal his guru for a shor t period beforechoosing Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. This is the same Rahul whom Sidhu used to call 'Pappu'," he alleged.

Kejriwal ask Jalalabad residents to defeat SukhbirJALALABAD(PB), (PTI) Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today asked theresidents here to defeat "corrupt" SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in the February 4 Punjab assembly polls. He said the people ofJalalabad will be remembered for rising against corruption and misrule by defeating Sukhbir.Kejriwal said that Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal have been contesting elections"collectively" for long and with the emergence of AAP in Punjab, they have been exposed. He claimed that AAP has fielded its one of the"strongest" candidate, Bhagwant Mann against Sukhbir. He alleged that Amarinder and Badal have again planned to contest collectivelyby fielding Ravneet Singh Bittu from Jalalabad and himself from Lambi. He claimed that their plan to divide anti-incumbency votes will"fail" in the elections and Punjabis will choose AAP over these "corrupt" parties. He promised that after the results on March 11, Majithiawill be sent behind the bars before March 15. Kejriwal criticised Badal government for allegedly ignoring the youth of Punjab and takingno step to generate employment in state. He claimed that if elected the AAP government will provide jobs to 25 lakhs youth in the state.


TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017w o r l d

ACTRESSES CHELSEA HANDLER AND CHARLIZE THERON MARCHED IN AN ANTI-TRUMP PROTEST IN WASHINGTON DC ANDWERE JOINED BY THOUSANDS MORE AROUND THE WORLD.

US media, Trump administration on collision courseWASHINGTON, (IANS) An angry US media has lashed out at DonaldTrump for terming the media "dishonest", as the unapologetic new USPresident entered his third day in office. Both The New York Timesand Washington Post, among others, slammed Trump's "false claims"on the inauguration-day crowd, which he put at around 1.5 million, and alsoslammed his Press Secretary Sean Spicer for making "false statements".Kellyanne Conway, counselor to Trump, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sundaythat the White House had put forth "alternative facts" to ones reported by the newsmedia about the size of Friday's inauguration crowd. To Trump saying about theinauguration crowd, "It looked honestly like a million and a half people, whatever it

was, it was, but it went all the way back to the Washington Monument" - The NewYork Times said Trump's crowd was "significantly smaller and less than the 1.5million people he claimed"."Aerial photographs clearly show that the crowd did not stretch to the WashingtonMonument," said NYT, adding "An expert hired by The Times found that Mr.Trump's crowd on the National Mall was about a third of the size of Mr. Obama'sin 2009." Spicer also came in for criticism for stating on Sunday that: "This was thelargest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person andaround the globe." NYT made a point-by-point rebuttal of Trump's claims oncrowd size, TV viewership of the event, and also ridership on the Washington

Metro System on Friday - as com-pared to the crowds that thronged dur-ing the 2009 and 2013 inauguration ofBarack Obama as President. Wash-ington Post columnist MargaretSullivan, in a piece titled 'The tradi-tional way of reporting on a presidentis dead. And Trump's press sec-retary killed it' - wrote causti-cally: "The presidency is not areal i ty show, but PresidentTrump on his first full day in of-fice made clear that he's stillobsessed with being what heonce proudly called "a ratingsmachine."He cares enough about it tosend his press secretary, SeanSpicer, out to brazenly lie to themedia in his first official brief-ing." Rebutt ing the newPresident's claims on crowdsize and other issues, shewrites: "Trump wants a flat-outwar with the nation's media forone well-calculated reason: Be-cause he believes it will con-tinue to serve his political pur-poses, as it has for months.

ADB to give $196 mn for PakistanISLAMABAD, (IANS) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) willprovide $196.9 million to Pakistan for improving its roads, themedia repor ted on Monday. The agreement for Post-Flood Na-tional Highways Rehabilitation Project was signed here by TariqBajwa, Secretary in the Economic Affairs Division, and WernerLiepach, the ADB country director, said Radio Pakistan. Theproject will contribute to the economic recovery of flood-af-fected areas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh prov-inces. Under this project, the NHA will rehabilitate 212 km ofroads and 33 bridges of the national highways network. Theproject will be completed in three years. The total cost of theproject is $218.8 million dollars.

TALIBAN ASKS TRUMP TOREVIEW AFGHANISTAN POLICYKABUL, (IANS) The Taliban has asked US President DonaldTrump to review America's policy in Afghanistan and withdrawall foreign forces from the insurgency-plagued country, a mediarepor t said. In a statement released on Saturday following Trump's inau-guration on Friday, the group said violence in Afghanistan will continue if thenew administration continued to follow the approaches of the previousgovernments led by former Presidents Barack Obama and George.W.Bush, Khaama Press said in the report. The Taliban also claimed that theUS-led invasion supported by the coalition forces resulted in destruction,loss of lives, and billions of financial loss in the past 16 years. It also resultedin to increasing hatred towards Afghanistan. Afghanistan's Chief ExecutiveAbdullah Abdullah has welcomed Trump's commitment to the US forces inAfghanistan and the fight against terrorism. The war in Afghanistan beganwith the invasion of the US-led coalition forces against the Taliban regime,accused of harbouring the then Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, thealleged mastermind of September 11, 2001, attacks in America.

Turkey dismisses 367 officials,closes 2 TV channelsANKARA, (IANS) The Turkish government on Monday issued a decreeclosing down two television channels and dismissed 367 officials forendangering national security. The decree also announced the cre-ation of a commission of investigation as part of the state of emer-gency in force since July 2016, to deal with cases of officials dis-missed by this measure, Efe news reported. In addition, 124 otherpublic employees, expelled in previous decrees, were re-admitted inthe new decree. The majority of the dismissed employees come mainlyfrom the ministry of the interior, municipal governments and the de-partment of religious affairs. Kanal 12 and On4 TV, two local televisionchannels, were closed for "working against the national security" andtheir ownership was transferred to the state treasury.

Russia bombs IS targets inSyria amid Astana talksMOSCOW, (IANS) Six Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bombershave successfully destroyed the Islamic State targets in Syriaas intra-Syrian talks are underway in Kazakh capital Astana, the Rus-sian Defence Ministry said on Monday. The aircraft took off from Russia andflew over Iraq and Iran before dropping bombs on IS command posts andammunition depots near the Deir Ezzor settlement, Xinhua reported. Es-corted by Su-30SM and Su-35S from the Hmeimim airfield in Syria, the sixbombers have destroyed all the intended targets and returned toRussia, the ministry said. Last week, Russia and Turkey carriedout their first-ever joint air operation against the IS militants inSyria's northern Aleppo province, destroying 36 facilities. Russiaand Turkey brokered a nationwide truce in war-torn Syria from Decem-ber 30 and they also serve, together with Iran, as guarantors for the two-dayAstana peace talks that kicked off on Monday.



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