31012023-TTB-01.qxd 1/31/2023 12:40 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 143 NO. 30 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA PUTIN THREATENED ME WITH MISSILE STRIKE, SAYS JOHNSON WORLD /thetribunechd SALARIED CLASS EXPECTS RELIEF IN TAX SLABS BUSINESS INCLEMENT WEATHER GROUNDS ALL SRINAGAR FLIGHTS J&K FORMER INDIA OPENER MURALI VIJAY RETIRES FROM INT’L CRICKET SPORT tuesday | 31 january 2023 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com 61 killed as Taliban suicide bomber targets Pak mosque Peshawar, January 30 A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque packed with worshippers during afternoon prayers on Monday in the high-security zone in Pakistan’s restive Peshawar city, killing 61 persons and wounding nearly 150 others, mostly policemen, officials said. The blast occurred inside the mosque in the Police Lines area around 1.40 pm when worshippers, which included personnel of the police, Army and bomb disposal squad, were offering Zuhr (afternoon) prayers. The bomber who was present in the front row blew himself up, officials said. Lady Reading Hospital officials said 61 persons had died so far. However, the Peshawar Police have released a list of 38 victims. There were mostly policemen and security officials among the dead and injured. continued on page 9 Session set for stormy start, Opposition calls for debate on Adani, BBC series, Governors 27 outfits attend all-party meeting | Flag 14 discussion points | Economic Survey today Aditi Tandon OPPOSITION RAISES... Tribune News Service Rescue workers carry a victim’s body after the blast in Peshawar. REUTERS SEVERAL COPS, ARMY MEN AMONG DEAD PESHAWAR AFGHANISTAN INDIA ISLAMABAD PAKISTAN ‘REVENGE ATTACK’ FOR COMMANDER’S KILLING Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan called it a revenge attack for the killing of its commander Omar Khalid Khorasani in Aug 2022 ■ Several of those killed were from the police and Army ■ Bomber crossed four layers of security to enter the mosque where 400 cops were among those present ■ A similar attack in a Peshawar mosque killed 63 in 2022 ■ Same group killed 131 pupils at an Army school in 2014 New Delhi, January 30 The Budget session of Parliament appears set for a stormy start with the Opposition on Monday demanding a debate on the role of Governors and Lieutenant Governors, Adani stock crash and the BBC documentary on Gujarat riots. It also wants a discussion on the nationwide caste-based economic census, revival of the Women’s Reservation and the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, price rise and unemployment. At a meeting called by the government ahead of the session starting on Tuesday, 37 leaders from 27 political parties flagged 14 discussion points with two dominant issues emerging in the end—scope of cooperative federalism in the wake of recent Price rise | Unemployment | Cooperative federalism | Adani stock crash | BBC series | Caste-based economic census | Women’s Reservation Bill | NJAC Bill | MSP | Safety of KPs | LAC intrusions | Absence of Punjab representative on government’s MSP panel READY FOR ANY DEBATE Leaders attend an all-party meeting on the eve of the Budget session of Parliament in New Delhi on Monday. ANI DEMAND TO REVIVE NJAC BILL PAROLE TO DERA HEAD RAISED A pitch to revive National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill and Women’s Reservation Bill made by M Thambidurai of the AIADMK face-offs between some Governors and L-Gs with non-BJP state governments and crash in Adani shares following US short seller Hindenburg Research’s accusations that the Citing paroles to Ram Rahim, SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal said PM’s commitment to free ‘Bandi Singhs’ had not been kept company manipulated stocks. The Congress was absent with leaders away to Kashmir for the culmination of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. They sent a letter informing the govern- AAP TO SKIP PREZ ADDRESS Bharat Rashtra Samithi and Aam Aadmi Party will boycott President's Address to both Houses of Parliament, BRS’ Keshav Rao said ment about their absence. The Trinamool Congress, which spoke first at the meeting, raised the need for a discussion on cooperative federalism, an agenda which AAP (ruling in ‘Report attack on India’ Adani Group in 413-page reply , Tribune News Service UNGA president Csaba Korosi being welcomed by Indian Council of World Affairs DG Vijay Thakur Singh in New Delhi on Monday. ANI Compromise must for Security Council reforms:UNGA prez Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 30 UN General Assembly president Csaba Korosi on Monday criticised the slow process of the UN Security Council reforms and suggested some sort of a compromise. “It is up to the member states to come up with some kind of shared understanding. Some kind of compromise. I very strongly asked the member states to think very hard. Do you want to spend another 17 years on a process or do you want to see results as soon as possible,” he said while speaking at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). “Does it have a time frame? No, I think it does not. Does it have a negotiated text, no it does not.... Have you ever seen a negotiated process that has no text to negotiate? Have you ever seen a negotiating process that has no clear-cut time frame for when to deliver,” he asked while stating that this state of New Delhi, January 30 The share prices of most of the Adani Group’s firms, barring those of the flagship Adani Enterprises, continued to fall on Monday despite several measures to bolster investor confidence, including a 413-page response to the allegations of wrongdoing by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research and an announcement by Gulfbased International Holding ~5.56L CR TOTAL LOSS IN 3 SESSIONS Change in Adani firms’ stock prices: Adani Total Gas (-20%) | Adani Green Energy (-19.99%) | Adani Transmission (-14.91%) | Adani Power & Adani Wilmar (-5% each) | Adani Enterprises (+4.21%) TOTAL MARKET CAP LOSS: ~5.56 LAKH CRORE Exposure less than 1%: LIC | Keeping a close watch: PNB Company that it would invest $400 million in Adani Enterprises’ FPO (follow-on public offer). For the third straight trading session, the share prices of most of the group firms declined, with Adani Total Gas tumbling 20 New Delhi, January 30 old Australian submitted his resIndian men’s hockey team ignation to Hockey India presichief coach Graham Reid on dent Dilip Tirkey, a day after the Monday resigned from conclusion of the World his position following Cup in Bhubaneswar, the host nation’s disaswhere Germany beat trous outing in the justBelgium in a penalty concluded World Cup. shootout to emerge as Reid, who was champions. “It is now appointed India coach time for me to step in April 2019, led the Graham Reid aside and hand over SHARED UNDERSTANDING It is up to the member states to come up with some kind of shared understanding. Some kind of compromise. I very strongly asked the member states to think very hard. ❝ Csaba Korosi, UNGA PRESIDENT affairs may be because some members find the current dysfunctional stage more preferable. “They will have to make compromises, they will have to make agreements. May be partial agreements. Maybe a step-by-step approach. Otherwise, it will be very difficult,” he suggested. Interestingly, the Hungarian diplomat’s suggestion is close to his country’s position which favours examining all practical proposals aiming for interim solutions whereas India as well as other aspirants are not prepared for a veto-less permanent membership. “To quote the old Indian proverb, we cannot change the direction continued on page 9 Instagram profile deactivated | Probe on creants were demanding money using a fake account created in his name and asked people to be aware and not entertain their demands. Following his tweet, the cyber cell officials swung into action and got the fake Instagram pro- per cent, Adani Green Energy 19.99 per cent, Adani Transmission 14.91 per cent and Adani Power and Adani Wilmar 5 per cent each. However, the stock of Adani Enterprises climbed 4.21 per cent. All its listed companies lost nearly Rs 5.56 lakh crore (over $70 billion) since the January 24 Hindenburg report that red-flagged high debt levels and alleged the use of offshore entities to artificially pump up the group’s share prices. Despite the hammering of its shares, the group was confident that its Rs 20,000 crore FPO won’t continued on page 9 Hockey team chief coach resigns after WC debacle MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the concluding event of the Bharat Jodo Yatra amid snow in Srinagar on Monday. ANI team to a historic bronze medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The 58-year- the reins to the next management,” Reid said, announcing his retirement. INSIDE atmosphere. We are ready for any debate under rules. Pralhad Joshi, PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS MINISTER Delhi and Punjab), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (Telangana), DMK (Tamil Nadu), BJD (Odisha) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena backed. continued on page 9 SC agrees to hear PIL against ‘ban’ on documentary New Delhi, January 30 The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up next week petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to block a BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. “It will be listed on Monday (February 6),” a Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said after advocate ML Sharma and senior advocate CU Singh sought urgent listing of their PILs on the issue. BBC WAGING INFO WAR, SAYS MOSCOW INSIDE Sharma mentioned the plea for urgent listing, saying some people had been arrested. Singh mentioned a petition filed by noted journalist N Ram and lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan and pointed out that tweets by Ram and Bhushan were allegedly deleted by using emergency powers. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju hit out at those approaching the Supreme Court against the “ban” on the BBC documentary. “This is how they continued on page 9 Air surcharge: Leh and beyond Rs 2.00 Judge recuses from Punjab’s plea against bail to Majithia Illegal mining in Yamuna , NGT sets up probe panel CJI to set up Bench Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 30 Justice Surya Kant of the Supreme Court on Monday recused himself from hearing the Punjab Government’s appeal against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order granting bail to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a drugs case. As a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice JK Maheshwari took up the gov- Fraudsters fake HP Governor’s identity Shimla, January 30 Cybercriminals created a fake Instagram account of Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and sought money in his name. The state police got the account deactivated after taking up the matter with its parent company, Meta. Earlier, Arlekar took to Twitter and said some mis- Hindenburg sticks to ‘fraud’ charge | Share prices slide further ❝inToday’smeetingwas held a very productive file deactivated. Bhupinder Negi, Additional Superintendent of Police, Cyber Cell, said, “We instantly raised a complaint with the US-based social media company and got the account removed. We have so far not received any complaint of any major financial transaction conducted through the said account.” continued on page 9 to hear petition ernment’s appeal, Justice Kant said he was part of the High Court Bench which had set up a Special Task Force to probe the case. “Let the matter be listed before a Bench in which one of us (Justice Surya Kant) is not a member,” the Bench ordered. The matter will now go to CJI DY Chandrachud who would set up an appropriate Bench to hear the matter. Majithia was booked on the basis of a 2018 report of the antidrug Special Task Force (STF) of the state. The STF report was based on confessional statements given to the Enforcement Directorate by some accused, including Jagjit Singh Chahal, Jagdish Singh Bhola and Maninder Singh Aulakh. The government has challenged the August 10, 2022, IN BRIEF Poll panel withholds Lakshadweep byelection The Election Commission on Monday said it had decided to withhold the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha bypoll following the Kerala High Court suspending the conviction and sentence of sitting NCP MP Mohammed Faizal in murder bid case. BACK PAGE NEW DELHI: ‘Godman’ Asaram convicted in 2013 rape case GANDHINAGAR: Sessions court judge DK Soni on Monday convicted self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in a rape case filed in 2013. He is likely to pronounce the sentence on Tuesday. Six other accused, including Asaram’s wife and daughter, were acquitted. PTI order of the High Court following which Majithia was released after spending more than five months in the Patiala jail. The High Court had said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that Majithia was not guilty even as it clarified that its observation was only for deciding the bail application and the trial court should proceed independently of the observations made by it. VB begins evaluating ex-Dy CM Soni’s assets Amritsar: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has started evaluating the properties of Congress leader and former Deputy CM OP Soni in connection with a complaint of disproportionate assets received against him in November last year. Soni’s assets saw a 1,300 per cent rise from Rs 1.93 crore in 2007 to Rs 27.98 crore in 2022. INSIDE Bhartesh Singh Thakur Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 30 To investigate illegal mining in the middle of the Yamuna riverbed on the HaryanaUttar Pradesh border, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a team with officials from both states under a Joint Secretary-rank officer of the Jal Shakti Ministry. The NGT order came on January 25 in response to a petition filed by a Yamunanagar resident in 2021 against private company Star Mines, alleging illegal mining in Belgarh village of Yamunanagar. The Haryana Government, in its report sent to the NGT dated January 23, confirmed that illegal mining was being conducted “in the middle of the Yamuna” along its border with UP . The area illegally mined in the Yamuna riverbed is 300 CRIMINAL NEXUS Haryana confirms unlawful excavation COMPLAINT AGAINST STAR MINES ■ NGT directive came last week after a plea was filed against Star Mines for “illegal mining” in Yamunanagar ■ Haryana report confirmed that illegal mining was being conducted “in middle of the Yamuna”, 300 metres from area leased to Star Mines in Saharanpur (UP) metres from the area leased to Star Mines for mining in the adjoining Saharanpur district of UP The report . added that an FIR on June 3, 2021, was lodged in this regard and action had continued on page 9