24092026-ATR-01.qxd 9/23/2026 11:25 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY SAD’S SUKHBIR BADAL TAKES SWIPE AT CM MANN FOOD SAFETY DEPT TIGHTENS NOOSE AROUND EATERIES NORTH-EAST FINDS VOICE ON SCREEN WITH DRAMA ANGH SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s “Mann Da Munafa” campaign. P2 Ahead of the festive season, the Food Safety Department has stepped up its checking drive. P3 MAX 33°C | MIN 25°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 24°C As Konyak-language drama Angh enters the Oscar race, the spotlight turns to films from North-East. P4 » » SUNSET THURSDAY 6.30 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:16 AM » THURSDAY | 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR Man falls off bike, crushed under tipper Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, September 23 A 45-year-old man died in a road accident near Mahindra Colony in Tarn Taran city last night. The police said the deceased, Mahinder Pal Singh, a resident of Palasaur village, lost balance of his motorcycle and was crushed under a sand-laden tipper. Police personnel examine the spot where the exchange of fire took place in Mattewal, Amritsar. Notorious criminal held after crossfire with cops Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 23 The Amritsar rural police claimed to have arrested a notorious criminal after he suffered bullet injuries following an exchange of fire with a police party during a naka in the Mattewal area on Wednesday. The accused, Harmanjit Singh, a resident of Boparai village, allegedly opened fire at the police party after he was signalled to stop. In retaliation, the police team, led by SHO, Mattewal police station, shot him in the leg and arrested him. Later, he was shifted to hospital. Amritsar rural SSP Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal said that the police got a tip off that Harmanjit, wanted in three cases, including that of a hand grenade attack, was spotted in the area for carrying out some criminal activity. Already on the list of the Mattewal and Mehta police, the accused was declared a proclaimed offender in the hand grenade case registered under Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act at the Gurdaspur city police station in April this year. He was also accused of opening fire in the Mattewal police station area, following which he was booked under the Arms Act and slapped with charges of attempt to murder on September 2. The police said a probe and legal proceedings in all three cases were in progress. Driver flees, vehicle impounded The police reached the spot and impounded the heavy vehicle, the driver of which managed to flee. Crackdown on drug traffickers Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 23 As part of its ongoing drive against drug traffickers, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police conducted a cordon and search operation (CASO) in the Patti Bagge Wali area falling under the Verka police jurisdiction in the early hours today. The operation was conducted by teams of Zone-3, East subdivision. Sharing details, Jaskaranjit Singh Teja, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said action was taken against 13 persons during the search and checking exercise. Two cases under the NDPS Act were registered and the accused arrested. The police said five persons found to be addicted to drugs 902 gm of heroin seized; one arrested Our Correspondent Cops during a checking drive in Verka, Amritsar, on Wednesday. during the operation were identified and referred to deaddiction centres for treatment and rehabilitation. Such CASO operations would continue across areas identified as vulnerable to drug-related activities, the offi- cial said. He added that strict action would be taken against those involved in drug trafficking and other offences under the NDPS Act. Information about the drug supply chain was being gathered, the police said. Tarn Taran, September 23 The police here have arrested a resident of Dal village with 902 gm of heroin. Divulging details, ASI Baljinder Singh said the accused, Sukhwinder Singh, had links with Pakistanbased smugglers. A probe has been launched to track down the source and other people involved in the smuggling network, he added.The police also recovered two mobiles from the accused. A case under Sections 21-C, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. Bitta visits slain ASI’s kin, says attack handiwork of terrorists Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 23 All India Anti Terrorist Organisation chairman Maninderjit Singh Bitta on Wednesday visited the family of slain ASI Harjit Singh, who was shot while on patrol duty at Dana Mandi, Bhagtanwala, on September 19. Condemning the killing, Bitta said security personnel who worked round the clock to protect people also needed to be protected. He added that elements linked to Pakistan’s ISI and foreign-based terrorist organisations and gangsters were behind such incidents. Referring to recent attacks on police stations and the killing of police personnel near the Gurdaspur border, Bitta said the nexus between gangsters, smugglers and terrorists had emerged as a major threat to the country. The Punjab Police had made sacrifices during the period of militancy and played a key role in restoring peace in the state. “We should respect our police personnel,” he said. He called upon political parties and social organisations to come together and raise their voice against terrorism and other anti-national activities. He also urged intelligence agencies and security forces continued on page 2 All India Anti Terrorist Organisation chairman Maninderjit Singh Bitta at slain ASI Harjit Singh’s residence in Amritsar. An evening to remember at GNDU: Classical music Anomalies in voter notes strike right note amid campus life’s hustle &bustle list under shadow for long: MP on SIR row Neha Saini Tribune News Service Gurdaspur SSP Aditya during a ‘public darbar’. ‘Public darbar’ by Gurdaspur SSP applauded Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, September 23 Gurdaspur SSP Aditya has started holding a “public darbar” to address the grievances of locals. On the initiative, the SSP said: “The objective is to ensure that all complaints are taken up and residents don’t have to go through a tough time.” This new public outreach and grievance redressal mechanism has come in for appreciation. A majority of the complaints received these days by the SSP pertain to unscrupulous travel agents. “The residents have lost lakhs of rupees to such fraudsters. We have formed a special cell to trace such agents. Another objective of the “public darbar” is to build confidence among the masses so that they remain connected with the department, thus conveying a message to subordinates to be responsive to public issues,” added the district police chief. The residents said such events fostered public transparency, accountability and community-oriented policing. “Such meetings allow residents to directly voice their concerns, report local issues and track the progress of their complaints through my office,” the official said. Amritsar, September 23 Amid the hustle and bustle of campus life, a musical evening turned out to be a sweet escape for students of Guru Nanak Dev University. As Hindustani classical vocalist Prof Subhendu Ghosh began his recital, the room seemed to settle into the music, one note at a time. The renowned artist, who once taught biophysics at the University of Delhi, walked onto the stage carrying with him a musical lineage that stretches across gharana traditions. Professor Ghosh, who also excels in folk and ghazal singing, is a vocalist of the Rampur Gharana and a disciple of Ramesh Nadkarni, who himself was a disciple of Padma Shri Ustad Hafiz Ahmed Khan and Aman Ali of the Bhindi Bazar Gharana. The contrast is striking: a career in science on the one side, and a lifelong engagement with the intricate grammar and emotion of Hindustani classical vocalist at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar. Hindustani classical music on the other. He describes music as a journey through India’s traditions of secular poetry, beginning with the 13th century and drawing on figures such as Amir Khusro, Kabir, Tansen, Bulleh Shah, Lalan Faqir, Tagore and Faiz. “Hindustani ragas and traditional folk forms are the soul of India’s musical history and studying them, one perceives through one’s own creative capacity. Like any work of passion, it requires precision, discipline and curiosity with to approach music as well,” he said in his address to students. Speaking at length about the Rampur and Bhindi Bazar gharanas, he explained their distinctive characteristics, giving listeners a sense of the traditions that had shaped his own musical journey. Then came the ragas: Ahir Bhairav, Todi, Hansadhwani, Yaman and Kirwani. Each unfolded differently, carrying its own mood and character. Through bandishes and taranas, Ghosh demonstrated how a raga can become more than a prescribed collection of notes — how it can acquire personality through interpretation, voice and improvisation. HarSimran Singh, a faculty member of the department, accompanied Ghosh on harmonium. Gunveer Singh provided the rhythmic framework on tabla, while a department student, Yogesh Sharma, played the tanpura, holding the continuous tonal thread beneath the performance. The tanpura’s sustained sound became almost like the quiet backdrop of the evening. Above it, the vocalist explored the ragas, while harmonium and tabla responded and reinforced the unfolding musical conversation. For the students in the room, the significance of the evening lay as much in seeing a musical tradition being demonstrated firsthand as in hearing the performance itself. “Indian classical music is often understood through the relationship between a teacher and a disciple, through listening, repetition and years of practice. Today, as an artist and an educator, I see both happening,” he said. the appointment, service conditions and tenure of the Chief Amritsar, September 23 Election Commissioner and Reacting to the SIR contro- other Election Commissionversy, Congress MP from ers. Under the law, the selecAmritsar Gurjeet Singh tion committee comprises Aujla said the Opposition the Prime Minister, the had repeatedly raised ques- Leader of the Opposition in tions over the deletion of the Lok Sabha and a Union names from electoral rolls, Cabinet Minister nominated duplicate votes and trans- by the Prime Minister. parency in the elecAujla said: “The tion process. Opposition has The alleged objectherefore been tions raised by Elecquestioning tion Commissioners whether the presSukhbir Singh ence of two governSandhu and Vivek ment representaJoshi have once tives on a MP Gurjeet Aujla three-member again brought into focus issues that the committee limits Opposition had been highlight- the role of the Opposition ing on public platforms for a member in the appointment long time, the MP said. process.” Aujla also referred to the “Leader of the Opposition changes made to the process Rahul Gandhi too has raised of appointing Election Com- questions over the missioners. He said the Cen- SIR and alleged irregularitral Government introduced a ties in voter lists many a new law in 2023 concerning time,” he added. Tribune News Service Will go all guns blazing, says BJP on rooting out drug problem Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, September 23 The BJP on Wednesday turned its “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra” into a full-scale political offensive against the AAP government, with Cabinet minister and senior party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa accusing Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of failing to fix the state’s drug crisis. Leading the BJP campaign through Amritsar’s sensitive border belt, Sirsa claimed that instead of saving the state’s youth from the clutches of substance abuse, the government was busy deflecting blame and saving its skin. “Only a BJP-led government can save the Punjab’s youth,” Sirsa said, as the 13day yatra commenced its Amritsar leg, moving through the border rural belt of Guru Ka Bagh (Kukranwala), Chogawan, Ranike, Rajasansi, Attari, Bhakna Chowk and Chheharta. At Attari, Sirsa launched a direct attack on Mann and Kejriwal, alleging that the AAP leadership had turned a serious issue into a “joke”. “You have a CM, who turns every public meeting into a They can throw eggs at us, show us black flags and even hurl stones. We will continue to work to rid Punjab of the drug menace,” he said. ‘Drug addiction purge of society; young lives lost’ BJP workers during the Nasha Mukt Yatra; and (above) Cabinet minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa speaks at a rally. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR comedy show, while Kejriwal is spending crores on advertising so-called achievements. The ground reality remains grim,” he said. c m y b ‘Won’t be deterred by protests; yatra will fructify’ Referring to the recent egg attack on BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu during the party’s anti drug yatra in Gurdaspur, Sirsa said the BJP would not be deterred by protests or opposition to its campaign. “It shows their desperation. Sirsa highlighted what he described as the devastating impact of addiction on rural families. He claimed that in several villages, families had lost two to four sons to drug overdose, while some young women had been widowed after their husbands succumbed to addiction. Sirsa also alleged that 20 to 25 young men had died in continued on page 2 Bhagwanpuria’s extradition sought Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, September 23 Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa today urged the Central Government to extradite a gangster lodged in an Assam jail to the US. The MP said the extradition should be based on terms agreed to between the two countries. “Once the US authorities are done with the interrogation, he can be sent back to India. I also request the Central Government to hold a comprehensive inquiry as to continued on page 2