Country Advice India Treatment of India National Lok Dal members – Haryana – Kakrala Sikh Welfare Organisation – Treatment of Sikhs 15 December 2009 1. Please provide an update on the results of the 2009 elections in relation to the INLD candidates in Haryana. Outcome of the National Election in May 2009 in Haryana The 2009 Indian National (Lok Sabha) election took place over five weeks with voting in different areas of India between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009.1 Voting for all ten of Haryana‟s Sabha seats took place on 7 May 2009.2 The INLD failed to win even a single seat in Haryana.3 The Congress Party won nine out of the ten seats except for the Hisar seat which was won by Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) leader Bhajan Lal. 4 The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana is led by former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala. In order to challenge the ruling Congress party in this year‟s national election, the INLD formed a new alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).5 The INLD nominated five candidates for the Lok Sabha seats it would share with the BJP in Haryana. The BJP announced nominees for the districts of Ambala, Karnal, Sonepat, Gurgaon and Faridabad whilst the INLD nominated candidates for Hisar (former Finance Minister Sampat Singh), Kurukshetra (INLD State President Ashok Arora), Sirsa (Dabwali MLA Sita Ram), Rohtak (Nafe Singh Rathee), and Bhiwani-Mahendragarh (INLD Secretary General Ajay Singh Chautala).6 Defections from INLD 1 Election Commission of India 2009, General Elections – 2009 Schedule of Elections, 2 March, p.12 http://eci.nic.in/press/current/pn020309.pdf – Accessed 20 April 2009 – Attachment 2; „Haryana‟s Lok Sabha battle is for a bigger war‟ 2009, Indo-Asian News Service, 20 April – Attachment 3. 2 Election Commission of India 2009, General Elections – 2009 Schedule of Elections, 2 March, p.12 http://eci.nic.in/press/current/pn020309.pdf – Accessed 20 April 2009 – Attachment 2. 3 „Congress repeats 2004 sweep in Haryana (Third Lead)‟ 2009, Thaindian News, source: IndoAsian News Service, 16 May http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/congress-repeats-2004-sweep-in- haryana-third-lead_100193509.html – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 1. 4 „Congress repeats 2004 sweep in Haryana (Third Lead)‟ 2009, Thaindian News, source: IndoAsian News Service, 16 May http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/congress-repeats-2004-sweep-in- haryana-third-lead_100193509.html – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 1. 5 „INLD announces candidates for 2 LS seats‟ 2009, United News of India, 27 March – Attachment 4; Ahuja, R. 2009, „INLD names candidates for polls‟, The Hindu, 30 March – Attachment 5; „210 in fray for 10 seats in Haryana‟ 2009, The Hindu, 23 April – Attachment 6. 6 „INLD announces candidates for 2 LS seats‟ 2009, United News of India, 27 March – Attachment 4; Ahuja, R. 2009, „INLD names candidates for polls‟, The Hindu, 30 March – Attachment 5; „210 in fray for 10 seats in Haryana‟ 2009, The Hindu, 23 April – Attachment 6 Page 1 In July 2009 it was reported that Sampat Singh, the nominated INLD candidate for the Hisar seat in Haryana, had joined the Congress Party citing differences over the way the party was being run by the family of former chief minister Chautala.7 In addition to Sampat Singh, it was also reported that Sushil Kumar Indora (INLD‟s deputy leader in the Haryana assembly), M.L. Ranga, Bahadur Singh, and Krishan Chand Karsa (head of the INLD‟s intellectual cell) had also left INLD and joined the Congress party.8 INLD-BJP Alliance In August 2009 it was reported that the BJP had severed its alliance with INLD.9 According to media reports, both parties were said to be at loggerheads over seat sharing for the Haryana Assembly election held in October 2009.10 Outcome of the 2009 State Assembly Election in Haryana On 13 October 2009 elections to the Haryana Assembly were held.11 The INLD won 31 seats (out of 90) in this state election with Congress winning 40 seats.12 2. Please provide any reports of INLD supporters in Haryana being targeted by Congress Party supporters after the elections, given that Congress won the election. Indian media reports indicate that, barring minor clashes between supporters of various parties, polling in the May 2009 national election in Haryana occurred generally peacefully.13 No available information was found to support the claim that INLD supporters were targeted by Congress supporters in the weeks which followed the May 2009 national election. However, during the subsequent Haryana Assembly election on 13 October 2009: 7 „Former Lok Dal leader joins Congress‟2009, Thaindian News, source: IndoAsian News Service, 27 July http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/former-lok-dal-leader-joins- congress_100223519.html -Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 7. 8 „INLD a sinking ship, Haryana Congress strides confidently‟ 2009, Thaindian News, source: IndoAsian News Service, 20 July http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/inld-a-sinking-ship- haryana-congress-strides-confidently_100220260.html – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 8. 9 „BJP breaks up with INLD in Haryana‟ 2009, DNA India, 24 August http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_bjp-breaks-up-with-inld-in-haryana_1284733 – Accessed 4 December 2009 – Attachment 9; „BJP snaps ties with INLD in Haryana‟ 2009, Andhranews, 24 August, http://www.andhranews.net/India/2009/August/24-snaps-ties-24774.asp – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 10. 10 „BJP snaps ties with INLD in Haryana‟ 2009, Andhranews, 24 August http://www.andhranews.net/India/2009/August/24-snaps-ties-24774.asp – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 10. 11 „INLD starts Haryana poll campaign with big rally‟ 2009, Thaindian News, source: IndoAsian News Service, 25 September http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/inld-starts-haryana-poll- campaign-with-big-rally_100252403.html – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 11. 12 Election Commission of India 2009, „Assembly Elections Oct 2009 Results: Haryana‟, http://eciresults.nic.in/ – Accessed 8 December 2009 – Attachment 12. 13 „Polling for Chandigarh seat starts in peaceful manner‟2009, PunjabNewsline, 13 May http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/16604/38/ – Accessed 20 May 2009 – Attachment 13; „Peaceful polling, 55% turnout in Faridabad‟ 2009, Hindustan Times, 8 May http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=83218f89-0a26-4ac1-bf0a- 864467d8197b – Accessed 20 May 2009 – Attachment 14; „Haryana, Punjab register nearly 65 percent voting (Round up)‟ 2009, Thaindian News, source: IndoAsian News Service, 7 May http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/haryana-punjab-register-nearly-65-percent-voting- round-up_100189673.html – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 15. Page 2 On 13 October 2009 4jat.com, a local Jat community website, reported clashes between supporters of the Congress and those of the INLD from Ferozepur Jhirka, leaving several injured. It also reported that in Mewat five people were injured in another clash between Congress and INLD activists.14 On 13 October 2009, DNA reported an allegation by the INLD, in a complaint to the Election Commission, that one of their activists had been abducted from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency in Rohtak district. It also reported that skirmishes took place at Sirsa, Ambala, Kaithal, Yamuna Nagar, Karnal and other places leaving some injured.15 On 14 October 2009, Hindustan Times reported that an INLD worker “Qasim” was injured when some people opened fire in the Ferozepur Jhirka assembly constituency. It also reported that a scuffle broke out between the supporters of the Congress nominee from Jind, Mange Ram Gupta, and the INLD candidate, Hari Chand Midha.16 3. Please provide available information on an election candidate Mr Arura (Arora?), including his history and activities. According to the INLD‟s official website, Mr. Ashok Kumar Arora is the current INLD President of Haryana State.17 He was also the nominated candidate for the Kurukshetra seat in the May 2009 Lok Sabha elections which he lost to Congress.18 Mr Arora was also the nominated candidate for Thanesar in Kurukshetra district in the October 2009 Haryana Assembly election.19 He won this seat.20 4. Please provide updated material, in the context of the post 2009 election period, on the extent of state protection available to members of the INLD in Haryana who may have experienced political violence. As outlined in Research Response IND34729, while India maintains reasonable free elections and accepts peaceful political activism, sources indicate that voters experience intimidation in some areas, and that corruption and criminality in politics undermines the effectiveness of 14 „69 per cent cast vote in Haryana‟ 2009, 4jat.com, 13 October http://www.4jat.com/jat_community_article.asp?jat_community=1454&category=News&keyword=IN LD – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 16. 15 „Haryana poll: Turnout 68%, violence leaves one dead‟ 2009, DNA India, 13 October http://www.dnaindia.com/mobile/report.asp?n=1298660 – Accessed 4 December 2009 – Attachment 17. 16 „70% turnout, clash leaves Polling agent Dead in Guhla‟ 2009, Hindustan Times, 14 October http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/haryana/70-turnout-clash-leaves-Polling-agent-Dead-in- Guhla/Article1-464980.aspx – Accessed 4 December 2009 – Attachment 18. 17 „Office Bearers‟ (undated), Indian National Lok Dal website http://inld.in/office.html – Accessed 10 December 2009 – Attachment 19. 18 „INLD announces candidates for 2 LS seats‟ 2009, United News of India, 27 March – Attachment 4; Ahuja, R. 2009, „INLD names candidates for polls‟, The Hindu, 30 March – Attachment 5; „210 in fray for 10 seats in Haryana‟ 2009, The Hindu, 23 April – Attachment 6; „Congress repeats 2004 sweep in Haryana (Third Lead)‟ 2009, Thaindian News, source: IndoAsian News Service, 16 May http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/congress-repeats-2004-sweep-in-haryana-third- lead_100193509.html – Accessed 2 December 2009 – Attachment 1.