27022024-TTC-01.qxd 2/27/2024 12:33 AM Page 1 13 MARYAM IS PAKISTAN’S FIRST WOMAN CM WORLD /thetribunechd CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 8 NO. 57 | 20 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 tuesday | 27 february 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com HARYANA INLD CHIEF’S MURDER INDIA BEAT ENGLAND IN 4TH TEST, WIN SERIES 3-1 SPORT MUKESH AGGARWAL Development on fast track: PM unveils ~41K cr rail, road projects 553 stations to be revamped | Overbridges in 24 states/UTs Shubhadeep Choudhury YOUR DREAM, MY RESOLVE Tribune News Service INLD workers protest in Bahadurgarh seeking arrest of the killers. SUMIT THARAN BJP ex-MLA among 12 booked, no arrest yet Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service Jhajjar, February 26 The police today booked 12 persons, including former BJP MLA from Bahadurgarh Naresh Kaushik and five unknown persons, in connection with the murder of INLD state chief and two-time former MLA Nafe Singh Rathi and his aide Jai Kishan Dalal. Both were shot dead by assailants in Bahadurgarh on Sunday evening. Six others who have been named in the FIR are Ramesh Rathi, husband of Bahadurgarh Municipal Council (BMC) chairper- Got vital leads, rounded up some persons: SP WILL ORDER CBI PROBE, VIJ ASSURES ASSEMBLY ■ Home Minister Anil Vij on Monday told the Assembly that a CBI probe would be announced into the murder ■ The announcement came after the Congress demanded a high court judge-monitored CBI probe into the killing son Saroj Rathi, former BMC chief Karamvir Rathi, former minister Mange Ram Rathi’s continued on page 10 New Delhi, February 26 In a major step towards providing world-class amenities at railway stations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of 553 stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Exuding confidence of retaining power for the third term, PM Modi said the mega drive launched today was a symbol of the new work culture in the country. “The scale and speed with which new projects have begun have left everyone baffled. We dream big and work tirelessly to realise these,” the PM said. The 553 railway stations, spread across 27 states and union territories, will be upgraded at a cost of over Rs 19,000 crore. The stations are designed to act as city centres having food courts, ❝ Youngsters have the maximum say in deciding how the country will shape up... Your dream, your hard work and Modi’s resolve will guarantee Viksit Bharat. Narendra Modi, PRIME MINISTER STATIONS IN REGION TO GET INFRA BOOST At least 30 railway stations in Punjab, 29 in Haryana and three in HP will be revamped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme children’s play areas and other mall-like facilities. The PM also laid the foundation stone and inaugurated 1,500 road overbridges and underpasses spread across 24 states and union territories. The total cost of these projects is around Rs 21,520 crore. PM Modi, who kicked off these projects virtually, also inaugurated Gomti Nagar station in Uttar Pradesh, which was upgraded at a cost of Rs 385 crore. This centrally air-conditioned station has modern amenities like an air concourse, food courts and a two-level parking lot. BJP complains to EC over HP Cong’s whip for RS poll Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Farmers hold a tractor march in support of their demands in Amritsar on Monday. VISHAL KUMAR Farmers in 3 states hold tractor march against WTO, seek MSP Neeraj Mohan Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 26 The solidarity among farmers for the ongoing agitation resonated beyond Punjab as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana farmers joined the tractor march on the call of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) today. The protesting farmers also burnt effigies of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which, they said, was prevent- MAY PITCH TENTS ON HIGHWAYS: TIKAIT have come ❝ Tractorsfarmersmayout on roads and also pitch tents on highways, if required. The government should accept our demands. Rakesh Tikait, BKU (TIKAIT) LEADER ing the Indian Government from procuring farm produce on MSP beyond a certain limit. This is for the first time that VIJAY STEPS DOWN AS PAYTM BANK CHAIRMAN Vijay Shekhar Sharma has quit as part-time nonexecutive chairman of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) & bank board has been recast. INSIDE the SKM, an umbrella body of around 40 farmer organisations, has lent support to Punjab farmers, who have been protesting under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) since February 13. The SKM had given a call for the nationwide tractor march from 12 pm to 4 pm in around 400 districts of the country under which farmers were instructed to park their tractors along the highways to continued on page 10 CISCE puts off Class XII chemistry examination NEW DELHI: Two hours before the ISC chemistry paper 1 (theory) exam, the CISCE postponed the exam to March 21 at 2 pm citing “unforeseen circumstances”. TNS Driverless train: Six rly employees suspended JALANDHAR: Six railway employ- ees have been suspended in the case of a driverless freight train running from Kathua to Unchi Bassi in Hoshiarpur. INSIDE DIDN’T DO IT: CONG; VOTING TODAY The election to the lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal has become interesting with the BJP fielding former Congress leader Harsh Mahajan against Congress candidate and Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The seat has fallen vacant on the completion of BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda's term. Mahajan has sought intervention of the ECI by issuing a show-cause notice to the Congress as he termed the issuing of the whip as unethical and an continued on page 10 obituary PANKAJ UDHAS (MAY 17, 1951 — FEBRUARY 26, 2024) Sonorous voice, gentle persona that made ghazal accessible to all Nonika Singh IN BRIEF Shimla, February 26 The BJP today filed a complaint before the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the Congress for issuing a whip to the party MLAs to vote in favour of the party candidate in the Rajya Sabha poll tomorrow. Y ET another melodious voice has fallen silent. Renowned ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas breathed his last on Monday. The world would certainly remember Jagjit Singh as the Ghazal Samrat. However, the contribution of Pankaj, a Padma Shri recipient, in popularising ghazals was no less significant. If in the heyday of ghazal singing his incredibly hummable ghazals reverberated in every nook and cranny of the country, more than one film’s music became richer with his musical presence. Chitthi aai hai from film “Naam” remains evergreen and continues to touch an emotional chord, especially among those separated from their loved ones. While critics might have been tempted to dismiss his “maikhana” songs like Sharaab cheez hi aisi hai as attention-seeking gimmick, the singer often reminded how Urdu poetry has always been teeming with references to intoxication and that the poets aren’t literally talking about sharaab, but using it as a metaphor for life itself. Besides, ghazals such as Thodi thodi piya karo are only a tip of the vast repository of exhilarating melodies he leaves behind. Whether audiences understood the deeper meanings of Urdu poetry or not, he made ghazals accessible to all. continued on page 10 Today’s issue is of 20 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. c m y b “Today, the foundation stones for more than 2,000 railway projects have been laid. The third term of this government is going to start in June,” the PM asserted. People had seen a new India being built in the last 10 years, he said, underlining the transformation of the Railways, including the launch of Vande Bharat trains. He said facilities that used to appear a distant dream to Indians had now become a reality. In a swipe at previous governments, PM Modi said the government headed by him put a brake on the loot of public money. Stating that the Railway Budget increased from Rs 45,000 crore 10 years ago to Rs 2.5 lakh crore today, the PM said the increase in the allocation to the Railways would not have an impact on the ground if revenue leaks and scams were not plugged. Congress leaders Sachin Pilot, Pawan Khera and Deepender Hooda at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. Agnipath injustice with youth, will junk it: Cong Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 26 The Congress on Monday alleged gross injustice was done to two lakh aspirants from across the country, who were selected for the armed forces but were denied the job following the introduction of Agnipath scheme. All such aspirants be allowed to join the services immediately, it said. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue with President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her intervention in her capacity as supreme commander of the armed forces. Don’tcreateparallelcadre, Kharge writes to Murmu In a letter to Murmu, Kharge said these young men and women were selected for the services, but were “cruelly denied the opportunity” following the introduction of the Agnipath scheme. Party leader Rahul Gandhi said the Congress would continue to support the brave and patriotic youth of the country. Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot, Haryana MP Deepender Hooda and spokesperson Pawan continued on page 13
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).