14022021-TT-01.qxd 2/13/2021 11:07 PM Page 1 123 chandigarh | gurugram | jalandhar | bathinda | vol.141 no.44 | 16 pages | ~6.00 | regd.no.chd/0006/2021-2023 established in 1881  haryana KHATTAR GOVT TO REPLACE ‘PB’ WITH ‘HRY’ IN 163 LAWS HARYANA /thetribunechd ROHIT POWERS TEAM INDIA TO 300 ON DAY 1 BACK PAGE TUNNEL VISION: THE ROAD FORWARD SPECTRUM /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com sunday, february 14,2021 J&K to getstatehoodat righttime: Shah Reform push to make nation Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 13 The government today said full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be restored at the appropriate time and 6,000 Kashmiri Pandits would be resettled in the Valley by 2022. Speaking in the Lok Sabha before the passage of The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Amendment Bill, Home Minister Amit Shah said the Bill aimed to merge the J&K cadre of officers with the all-India AGMUT cadre for better administration. He defended the abrogation of Article 370, saying it had enabled large-scale development and facilitated the extension of 170 laws, including the quota policy. “Nowhere does the current Bill say statehood will not be RESCIND ABROGATION OF ART 370, DEMANDS OPPN ❝ OUR GOVERNMENT WORKS ON SENTIMENTS ❝ The Modi government does not work on laws, schemes and planning. It works on sentiments. We believe J&K is ours, people are ours. Amit Shah, HOME MINISTER You are continuously increasing confusion...What is the objective of this (J&K reorganisation) Bill?... You are taking J&K towards uncertainty. Appointed officers should have connect with the ground realities. Hasnain Masoodi, NATIONAL CONFERENCE FIRST PHASE OF BUDGET SESSION CONCLUDES, PARLIAMENT TO RECONVENE ON MARCH 8 granted. The statehood will be given at the appropriate time,” Shah said after Opposition MPs Hasnain Masoodi (NC), Manish Tewari (Congress) and Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) opposed the Bill and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s statutory resolution seeking its withdrawal was rejected by a voice vote. The minister attacked “three families that ruled J&K for 70 years” and asked, “Did these three families that ruled J&K for 70 years ever give an account of their work? We will give an account, but let these people look within and ask whether they have the right to ask others for accounts.” Listing a range of works undertaken in the UT after August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was scrapped, the government said it would defend the move in the apex court which had referred 15 petitions challenging the abrogation to a Constitutional Bench. “Had the move been unconstitutional, the SC could have stayed it. But there is no stay. Should development be suspended till the matter is decided? Nowhere does the legal status say the move can’t be implemented,” Shah said after Masoodi called for halting the implementation of the move till the matter was sub judice. On Tewari’s suggestion that the government seek an early hearing in the SC, Shah said, “The Congress is not even before the SC. It has no position — yes or no. The hearing has been delayed because such a sensitive matter cannot be heard virtually.” On the post Article 370 phase in J&K, Home Minister continued on page 6 self-reliant, says Sitharaman Cong questions ‘U-turn’ on MSP Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 13 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, responding to a discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, today lambasted the Congress, calling party leader Rahul Gandhi as “Doomsday Man” and accusing the Congress of having joined the “break India fringe group.” The minister also claimed Rahul was constantly insulting constitutional functionaries. She praised PM Narendra Modi for leading the country in times of the Covid-19 pandemic with a “clear-headed approach,” emphasising that challenges posed by the pandemic had not deterred the government from undertaking reforms for attaining longterm goals. Defending the Budget, Sitharaman said the New Delhi, February 13 Days after the Centre accused the Opposition of U-turn on farm reforms, the Congress hit back citing an old report by a panel led by the then Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi. that had suggested legalisation of the MSP regime. “What about this U-turn Madam Finance Minister?” Congress whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh asked. Quoting the 2011 report of the Working Group on Consumer Affairs, Jairam said, “The committee recommendation was that we should continued on page 6 continued on page 6 RAHUL DOOMSDAY MAN ❝ The Modi govt doesn’t work for cronies; Rahul is becoming ‘Doomsday Man’ Nirmala Sitharaman, FINANCE MINISTER Right to protest can’t be Parl panel plans LAC visit; Rahul skips meet anytime, everywhere: SC Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 13 The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed a petition seeking review of its Shaheen Bagh verdict that said roads and public spaces couldn’t be blocked indefinitely and demonstrations had to be in designated places. “The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere. There may be some spontaneous protests but in case of prolonged dissent or protest, there cannot be continued occupation of public places affecting the rights of others,” a three-judge Bench headed by Justice SK Kaul said. “We have considered the earlier judicial pronouncements and recorded our opinion that the Constitutional scheme comes with a right to DISMISSES REVIEW PLEA IN SHAHEEN BAGH CASE ■ SC dismisses plea seeking review of its Oct 7 verdict on anti-CAA protesters ■ It had said public space can’t be blocked indefinitely and protest has to be held in designated places ■ Petitioners allege the court stance appears “giving way to unrestricted sanction to police action” protest and express dissent but with an obligation to have certain duties,” said the Bench, which also included Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Krishna Murari. Maintaining that “democracy and dissent go hand in hand”, the SC had on October 7 last year ruled that roads and public space couldn’t be blocked indefinitely and demonstrations expressing dissent had to be in designated places. However, review petitioner Kaniz Fatima and 11 other Shaheen Bagh protesters had requested the top court to reconsider its ruling, saying the judgment “appeared to be giving way to an unrestricted sanction to the police to take action by misusing these observations.” The protesters, who had blocked the Kalindi KunjShaheen Bagh stretch in Delhi since December 15, 2019, were removed on March 24 after Covid lockdown was enforced. New Delhi, February 13 Members of the parliamentary standing committee on defence have proposed a fiveday tour to forward areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Panel chairman Jual Oram said the visit would be subject to clearance from the government and the Lok Sabha Speaker. Oram said the committee OFFICIALS QUESTION FREQUENT ABSENCE ■ Official sources questioned Rahul Gandhi’s frequent absence from the panel meetings ■ Rahul has attacked the Union Government for allegedly ceding Indian territory to China ■ The Congress leader has also raised questions on the disengagement agreement with China members at this week’s meeting expressed a unanimous view to visit the Gal- wan valley and Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, which saw violent stand-off TRIBUNE PHOTO: PAWAN SHARMA Recall Guv, Shiv Sena urges Centre MUMBAI: Accusing Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari of toeing the BJP's line, the Shiv Sena has urged the Centre to recall him. If the Centre wants the Constitution to be upheld, it should recall him, stated Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’. — PTI Top TRF terrorist arrested in Samba JAMMU: A top terrorist affiliat- ed with The Resistance Front (TRF), wanted in connection with the killing of three BJP workers and a policeman in south Kashmir last year, was arrested in Samba district, the police said on Saturday. — PTI Air travel set to be costlier from April 1 NEW DELHI: Air travel is set to get costlier from April 1 with the Director General of Civil Aviation revising airfare bands sensing recovery of the sector and air traffic nearing pre-Covid levels. BACK PAGE Petrol rate hiked for fifth day in a row NEW DELHI: The petrol price in Mumbai neared Rs 95 mark as fuel rates were hiked for the fifth day in a row. It was Rs 88.4 a litre in Delhi while diesel rate climbed to Rs 78.74. — PTI SKM: We want court to High-stake elections, will indicate probe R-Day violence votermood in Punjab’s urban areas Tribune News Service Jupinderjit Singh Ghazipur, February 13 The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has called for a judicial probe by a high court or a Supreme Court judge into the January 26 violence and the arrest of farmers. Prem Singh Bhangu, Morcha’s legal cell convener, said: “A high-level judicial inquiry is a must to unravel the conspiracy behind the events.” After Deep Sidhu and Iqbal Singh, the Delhi Police arrested three more persons, Sukhmeet Singh, Gundeep Singh and Harvinder Singh, for the violence at Burari on January 26. Tribune News Service DELHI COPS TAKE DEEP, IQBAL TO RED FORT Actor-activist Deep Sidhu and Iqbal Singh (in blue turban), arrested by the Delhi Police for R-Day violence, were taken to Red Fort on Saturday to recreate the crime scene. continued on page 6 Chandigarh, February 13 Ahead of the civic body polls in Punjab on Sunday, an edgy Opposition accused the ruling Congress of “tampering” with voter lists and “misusing” government machinery. Denying the charges, PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar observed: “It seems the Opposition has already conceded defeat.” While SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal decried “attempts to kill the Opposition,” BJP state president Ashwani Sharma said he apprehended CIVIC POLL FEB 14 & 17 DRY DAYS 7,000 EVMs TO BE USED 25,010 EMPLOYEES ON DUTY 19,000 POLICEMEN ON JOB 4,102 POLLING STATIONS violence during polling. But AAP’s Raghav Chadha claimed a groundswell of support for the party. The elections to eight municipal corporations and 109 municipal councils & nagar panchayats are being fiercely fought. These are being viewed as a prelude to the Assembly elections due early next year. While winning is a matter of prestige for Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and the Congress, the Akalis view the elections as an opportunity to retrieve lost ground. Sukhbir has been at the forefront of campaigning. In Jalalabad, he accompanied candidates to the poll office for filing nomination papers. continued on page 6 ❝ I am under some sort of surveillance… Upon enquiring, I was told cops from Barakhamba Road police station have been deputed for my protection. I never sought any protection. Mahua Moitra, TRINAMOOL MP Rescuers boring wider hole in Tapovan tunnel Tribune News Service A day before polling, an officer in Bathinda instructs police personnel deployed on election duty. IN BRIEF between Indian and Chinese troops. The aim is to get firsthand information of the ground situation amid the disengagement of troops. Committee sources said Congress leader and panel member Rahul Gandhi was absent from the meeting. He has been attacking the government on handling of the UNDER SURVEILLANCE, ALLEGES TMC’S MAHUA Joshimath, February 13 Rescuers today began boring a wider hole into the Tapovan tunnel in a bid to locate around 35 persons feared trapped inside for around a week. The Silt Flushing Tunnel (SFT) was reportedly punctured on Friday night by drilling a 75 mm-diameter hole into it, but now it was being widened to 300 mm so that a camera and a water flushing pipe could be inserted into the tunnel. A senior official of the Uttarakhand Government said there was no big breakthrough yet in the rescue work. “We have drilled a hole, but we can’t say it is a big breakthrough unless we find something concrete.” The official, however, maintained that the rescue work had been accelerated with the installation of some additional machines. The rescuers are working on two strategies — drilling a hole vertically down- New lake poses no danger: Experts ward and also digging and excavating debris and sludge inside the tunnel. According to district officials, 166 persons are still missing while 38 bodies have been found. “As only 12 bodies have been identified so far, we have taken DNA samples of the remaining 26,” a senior administration official said. Rescue work on at Raini village in Chamoli district on Saturday. PTI Cable metro part of plan to ease Shimla traffic Key accused in akhara shooting held, was sacked by coach: Cops Bhanu P Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, February 13 The Shimla police have come out with a 70-page document suggesting short and longterm measures to decongest the state capital roads. The Shimla City Traffic Regulation and Management Plan was released by Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj here today. Around 1.20 lakh vehicles are registered in the town that has public parking lots to accommodate 2,500 vehicles only. Around 24,000 vehicles 1.20L 2,500 24,000 vehicles registered in Shimla town can be accommodated in public parking lots remain parked on roadsides in town remain parked alongside roads. The exact data on private parking is not available. “Shimla city was designed to accommodate around 35,000 persons, but its present-day population has swelled to around 10 times of that limit,” said Shimla SP Mohit Chawla, the man behind the latest initiative. International and best practices were studied and it took around seven months to prepare the vision document, he said. The city has been divided into eight sectors for initiating various remedial measures. The short-term measures listed in the document include deployment of 119 additional traffic police personnel in the town, clearing encroachments, diversion of traffic from busy roads during continued on page 6 Tribune News Service Rohtak, February 13 Sukhwinder, prime suspect in the killing of wrestling coach Manoj Malik, his wife and three others, was arrested in a joint operation by the Delhi and Rohtak police from the Samaypur Badli area of Delhi today. Sukhwinder, also a wrestling coach, is being interrogated by members of the special investigation team (SIT) constitut- SUKHWINDER ed by the Rohtak police to probe the case. Rahul Sharma, SP said pre, liminary investigation revealed that Manoj had recently terminated the services of Sukhwinder following a complaint by a woman wrestler. Sukhwinder, who had been nursing a grudge against Manoj, allegedly opened fire at him, his wife Sakshi Malik and several others at an akhara here late Friday evening, killing five of them and injuring many others. Earlier, the Rohtak police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Sukhwinder, who is a native of Baroda village in Sonepat.