Punjab Sikh creating waves in Coimbatore urban elections
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Feb, 2022 11:57 AM
Chennai, Feb 10 (IANS) H. S. Anand Singh or Tony Anand Singh is no stranger to news as he became a newsmaker after his active campaign for restoring "Jallikattu" in Tamil Nadu.
In turn, the turban-wearing Sardar whose family had migrated to Coimbatore around 60 years ago has earned the sobriquet, "Thamizh Thozhan" or friend of Tamilians.
Anand Singh is a businessman living in RS Puram of Coimbatore and now he has hit the headlines after filing his nomination papers as an independent candidate from ward no 71 for the Urban local body elections in Coimbatore.
Tony Anand, Singh while speaking to IANS, said: Right from my childhood, I am rooted in Tamil and Tamil culture and are friends of this great society. I know all the issues plaguing my constituency and hence I am trying a hand at the elections I am sure that I can root out all the problems faced by the people in this ward".
His campaign gained momentum after noted Tamil filmmaker K. Bhagyaraj and famous south Indian actor 'Nizhal' Ravi released recorded speeches in support of him.
Tony Anand Singh said: "Bhagyaraj was my classmate in Mani higher secondary school in 1974, and Ravi and me were together in PSG College of Arts and Science (1975-77). I asked them whether they could support my campaign and both sent me recorded speeches in my support."
The actor and director highlighted the social activism of Anand Singh and his social support during the Covid -19 pandemic distributing food packets and masks to the people.
He said that, unlike other candidates, he would not make tall poll promises, instead he would try and address the demands of the people.
Tony Anand Singh has been allotted a lantern as his symbol and he told IANS that he would be commencing door to door campaign seeking votes in the constituency. He said that he had received complaints on the poor situation of roads, lack of parking facilities and drainage and drinking water issues and said that he would be giving these as his priorities.
Although the department has all infrastructural needs in place to deal with the large number of cases expected in case of the third wave becoming a reality, he also appealed to the people to get themselves fully vaccinated against the virus as it is the most potent tool to avoid Covid-19.
Regretting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to cancel his scheduled visit to Ferozepur midway, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Wednesday that there was no security lapse that led to the cancellation of the Prime Ministers visit to the bordering town.
Holding the Punjab government squarely responsible for the "gross security lapse" during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab, that eventually led to cancellation of all his programmes, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday demanded dismissal of the government and imposition of President's rule.
With the spike in Covid-19 cases, Punjab on Tuesday imposed statewide night curfew daily from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and ordered closure of all educational institutions till January 15.
The accused, identified as Ashish Kumar, tied his wife Ranjan Devi and son Vaibhav to the bed and set them on fire at his house in Mayurwa locality, which comes under the Triveniganj police station.
Nearly 100 students and resident doctors of the Government Medical College in Patiala in Punjab have tested positive for Covid-19, officials said on Tuesday. A retirement party and New Year Eve's party held on the college campus without following appropriate Covid-19 behaviour is blamed for alarming spike in the cases.
