This Week Punjab

The Chief Minister’s nephew, Manpreet Badal, recently compared his movement with Anna Hazare’s before the media and raised the hackles of the ruling party. The Shiromani Akali Dal has urged the Election Commission to take action against the PPP president “for issuing false and misleading advertisements in the form of paid news”. Party spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the comparison would embarrass Team Anna too. “The path and aim of Anna Hazare and Manpreet Badal are the same,” the latter had said; the Akali Dal alleged that the Anna movement was being used as a tool by “lesser-known political leaders” to mislead the public. The party said Anna rose against the UPA, while Manpreet was working in collusion with the Congress.

No to separate marriage Act

The Centre’s refusal to a separate marriage law for Sikhs has upset the SGPC, whose president has written to the Prime Minister that the Act was needed because getting Sikh weddings registered under the Hindu Marriage Act “affects religious sentiments”. He said the “unfortunate” decision would create a feeling of alienation. The community, which has been seeking an amendment to the Anand Karaj Act of 1909, wants a special provision for registration of marriages as per Sikh rites. The Law Ministry turned down the demand, saying it would invite similar requests from other communities and there was no justification for a separate law. The SAD, which last year urged the Centre to expedite an Act, and the Dal Khalsa too are upset by the refusal.

The Congress has been working overtime to seal cracks that threaten it in poll season. Such cracks became visible when reports surfaced that state party chief Capt Amarinder Singh had blocked a statewide tour by G S Charak, AICC leader-in-charge of Punjab, to gauge the ground situation and take feedback. Sensing that the rift would not augur well for the party, Charak and Amarinder appealed to party workers to be wary of “false and concocted reports being circulated as part of a conspiracy by rivals.” They clarified they had no differences over Charak’s visit. The tour started again.