28022024-TTC-01.qxd 2/28/2024 12:27 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 8 NO. 58 | 20 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 ISRAEL TO PAUSE WAR IF HOSTAGE DEAL REACHED, SAYS BIDEN WORLD /thetribunechd CONG CHALLENGES NC: ALL SEATS UP FOR TALKS, NOT JUST 3 J&K VODA IDEA GETS BOARD NOD TO RAISE ~20K CR BUSINESS HOCKEY INDIA CEO ELENA NORMAN RESIGNS SPORTS wednesday | 28 february 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Sukhu govt totters after BJP’s RS victory CAA rules likely to be issued before poll code Mahajan pips Singhvi in draw of lots post tie| 6 Cong MLAs cross-vote, 3 Independents too go with saffron party New Delhi, February 27 The rules for the implementation of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, for fast-tracking citizenship to undocumented nonMuslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are likely to be issued before the model code of conduct for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections comes into effect. To grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants The model code gets enforced immediately after the election schedule is announced, which is likely in the next fortnight. The rules for the CAA are likely to be issued before the model code comes into effect, sources privy to the development said. When the rules for the CAA are issued, the Modi government will start granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants — Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians — from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who had come to India till December 31, 2014. The CAA was passed in December 2019 and it got the President’s assent subsequently. — TNS Tribune News Service Shimla, February 27 In a high-voltage political drama, the BJP today sprung a surprise by winning the lone Rajya Sabha seat that went to the polls as party candidate Harsh Mahajan won despite the Congress enjoying a comfortable majority, with 40 MLAs in the 68-member House. With both Mahajan and Congress nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a Supreme Court lawyer, polling 34 votes each, the victory was decided through a draw of lots, which went in favour of the BJP . In a day marked by hectic political activity leading to a major embarrassment for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, it became evident the six disgruntled Congress MLAs who crafted the BJP’s victory had left for Panchkula. What is even more critical is the election has brought the Sukhu-led Congress government under threat with six party legislators cross-voting in favour of the BJP candidate. The worry for the CM now is to ensure the Budget is passed on February 29 to prove he still enjoys the support of majority MLAs. The desperation in the Congress continued on page 6 SC slaps contempt notices on Patanjali for misleading ads Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 27 The Supreme Court on Tuesday restrained, till further orders, yoga guru Ramdevfounded Patanjali Ayurved from advertising or branding products meant for treating medical conditions. The SC also issued contempt notices against the company, as well as its Managing Director, Acharya Balakrishna, for violating an assurance given to it in November 2023. While hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association seeking to control the alleged smear campaign and negative advertisements against the Covid-19 vaccination drive and modern medicines, a Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah noted that prima facie the company had violated the undertaking given to the top court. “The entire country has been taken for a ride. You wait for two years when the BJP likely to urge Governor Shukla for floor test today Pratibha Chauhan COURT’S WARNING ❝ You (Patanjali) have flouted this (November 2023) order…You have the courage to come up with this advertisement even after the Supreme Court’s order… We are going to pass a very strict order now. SC Bench Act says this (misleading advertisements) is prohibited,” Justice Amanullah told Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, who said it was for the concerned states to take action under the Act. “You (Patanjali) have flouted this (November 2023) order… You have the courage and guts to come up with this continued on page 6 Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 27 After the victory of its candidate in the Rajya Sabha poll on Tuesday, Himachal Pradesh witnessed frenzied political activity with the state BJP legislature party set to meet Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Wednesday morning in a bid to urge him to call for a floor test. BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan celebrates his victory in the RS poll at the Vidhan Sabha complex in Shimla; and (right) nine Himachal MLAs — six of Congress & three Independents — leave the PWD guest house in Sector 1, Panchkula, on Tuesday evening. PTI/TRIBUNE PHOTO SPLIT VERDICT IN HOUSE OF 68 PARTY MLAs VOTES CONG 40 34 BJP* 25 34* *INCLUDES 6 VOTES OF CONG & 3 INDEPENDENTS CONG TO CHALLENGE NO-TRUST VOTE IN 2 DAYS In next two days, we will bring a no-confidence motion against Sukhu regime as the Congress government has been reduced to a minority. ❝ Jai Ram Thakur, LEADER OF OPPOSITION BACKSTABBED OWN PARTY ❝ Congress president Mallikarjun There is always dissent Kharge said the party will chalin a party, but having been lenge the Rajya Sabha election elected on Cong ticket, result in Himachal Pradesh, as they have backstabbed both candidates polled 34 their ownparty. votes each and the decision was delivered after a lottery. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, CM CONG TAKES THREE SEATS IN K’TAKA, BJP 8 IN UP BACK PAGE Hours after P’kula halt, 9 MLAs leave for undisclosed location Panchkula, February 27 Security arrangements were stepped up on Tuesday evening as six Himachal Congress MLAs arrived at the PWD rest house, Sector 1, here amid speculation of their defection from the party. They were reportedly accompanied by three Independents. Security personnel, including CRPF men and Haryana Police officials, maintained strict vigil as the MLAs left the premises for an undisclosed destination within hours of their arrival. Heightened activity was witnessed in the evening as Congress lawmakers Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chaitanya Sharma and Devender Bhutto of the Congress reached the city under security cover. They refrained from talking to mediapersons and left around 8.15 pm. — TNS CONG BRASS TAKES STOCK OF SITUATION BJP sources told The Tribune that the party had “enough evidence to show to the Governor that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led dispensation had lost the mandate to rule”. “The BJP has ample proof to request the Governor for a floor test. We also learn that the Congress government in the state was mulling sine die adjournment of the ongoing session on Wednesday itself. We have met the Speaker and urged him for passage of the Budget after a division of continued on page 6 New Delhi, February 27 The government has declared the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir as an unlawful association for a further period of five years under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. Lingappa Narayana Swamy | Justice Sanjay Yadav | Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi NON-JUDICIAL MEMBERS Justice AM Khanwilkar Sushil Chandra | Pankaj Kumar | Ajay Tirkey Supreme Court in July 2022. Former Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Lingappa Narayana Swamy, former Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Yadav and former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi have been appointed as judicial members of the Lokpal, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué stated. Justice Awasthi is currently the Chairman of the Law Commission of India. Former Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, former Gujarat Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar, and Madhya Pradesh Cadre IAS and former Women and Child Development Secretary Ajay Tirkey will be non-judicial members. The appointments will take effect from the dates they assume charge of their respec- Examine NewsClick founder, SC asks AIIMS NEW DELHI: The SC on Tuesday directed AIIMS to set up a medical board to examine NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, lodged in Tihar Jail in a case registered under the UAPA. TNS Kejriwal gets summons from ED for eighth time NEW DELHI: The ED has issued summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the eighth time in the excise policylinked money laundering case to appear on March 4. INSIDE AAP announces its nominees for 4 Delhi seats, one Haryana SHAH: ZERO TOLERANCE AGAINST TERRORISM JUDICIAL MEMBERS RAIPUR: Four Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in a forest under the Jangla police station area in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. PTI NEW DELHI: Veteran Samajwadi Party leader and five-time MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq died on Tuesday. He was 93 and was a sitting MP from Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh). TNS PM Modi pins astronaut ‘wings’ on Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap and Shubhanshu Shukla, who have been selected to be on India’s first crewed mission to space, ‘Gaganyaan Mission’, at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. PTI PM reveals names of Gaganyaan astronauts Shubhadeep Choudhury INDIA’S FIRST MANNED SPACE MISSION Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 27 Making a historic announcement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the names of four astronauts who are currently undergoing training for India’s first-ever human space flight mission — Gaganyaan. Addressing a gathering at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thiruvananthapuram, the PM introduced to the nation the astronauts: Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, The Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human space flight capability by sending astronauts to an intended low earth orbit for a 3-day mission and bring them back to the earth, according to ISRO. BEING TEST & FIGHTER PILOT SELECTION CRITERIA BACK PAGE Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. They are all IAF fighter pilots. Bestowing them with the prestigious ‘astronaut wings,’ Modi hailed the astronauts as “four forces” representing the aspirations of India’s 140 crore population. He emphasised the signifi- cance of the mission, noting that after four decades, an Indian was poised to venture into space. “This time around, the countdown, the timing, and even the rocket would be ours,” he declared. Lauding the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the PM said the space agency was playing a key role in sowing the seeds of scientific temperament among young generations. The PM said because of the ISRO’s success in carrying out difficult missions, many children now wanted to become scientists when they grow up. “The countdown of the rocket inspires lakhs of children in India, and those making paper planes today dream of becoming scientists,” Modi said. India’s space economy will grow five-fold and touch US $44 billion in next 10 years, said Modi, adding that India continued on page 6 Justice Khanwilkar is Lokpal chairperson Another farmer dies, sixth in 15 days New Delhi, February 27 Close to two years after Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose retired as the chairperson of the anticorruption ombudsman, Lokpal, former Supreme Court judge AM Khanwilkar was on Tuesday appointed as his successor. After Justice Ghose completed his term on May 27, 2022, Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty, a judicial member of the Lokpal, has been functioning as its acting chairperson. President Droupadi Murmu was pleased to appoint Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar as the chairperson of the Lokpal, the Rashtrapati Bhavan announced. Justice Khanwilkar retired from the Four Naxalites killed in Chhattisgarh encounter Veteran Samajwadi Party MP Barq dead Centre extends ban on J&K’s Jamaat by 5 years Home Minister Amit Shah in a post on X wrote, “Pursuing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji's policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and separatism, the government has extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir for five years. The organisation is found continuing its activities against the security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation.” “The outfit was first declared an ‘Unlawful Association’ on February 28, 2019. Anyone threatening the security of the nation will face ruthless measures,” he added. The last ban on the Jamaat-eIslami Jammu Kashmir was imposed on February 28, 2019. — TNS IN BRIEF tive office. The chairperson and members of the Lokpal are appointed by the President after obtaining the recommendations of a Selection Committee with the Prime Minister as its Chairperson. Apart from that, the Lokpal can have eight members — four each judicial and non-judicial. Enacted in 2013, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act received Presidential assent on January 1, 2014, and came into force on January 16, 2014. However, it had taken more than five years to appoint Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose – a retired judge of the Supreme Court – as the first Chairperson of Lokpal in March 2019. — TNS ‘DILLI CHALO’Got lung infection after tear gas shell firing: Family Mohit Khanna Tribune News Service Patiala, February 27 Another farmer, who was protesting at the Khanauri border, died after suffering a heart attack at the Government Rajindra Hospital here on Tuesday. According to representatives of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Krantikari), its activist Karnail Singh (62) from Arno Khurd village near Patran died on Monday morning. With Karnail’s death, six farmers have died during the ongoing ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest at the Punjab-Haryana border in the last 15 days. Today’s issue is of 20 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. c m y b UNDER DEBT OF ~8 LAKH A marginal farmer, Karnail Singhis survived by wife, two sons and three daughters. Union leaders said Karnail owned 1.5 acres and had a debt of around ~8 lakh. According to a statement issued by BKU (Krantikari) chairman Surjeet Singh Phul, Karnail got lung infection due to smoke of a tear gas shell that was fired by the Haryana Police at protesters on the Khanauri border on February 21. A marginal farmer, Karnail is survived by wife, two sons and three daughters. The representatives of the union said Karnail owned 1.5 acres and had a debt of around Rs 8 lakh. Karnail’s youngest son Gurpreet Singh said his father had left the house to join a dharna on February 13. “During the protest on February 21, a tear gas shall exploded near him. After inhaling the gas, he developed serious breathing issues. Many other farmers were also injured in the incident. continued on page 6 New Delhi, February 27 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday announced its four candidates for Delhi and one for Haryana for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party announced Somnath Bharti from New Delhi, Sahiram Pahalwan from South Delhi, Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi and Kuldeep Yadav from East Delhi. In Haryana, AAP and the Congress have mutually decided that the former will contest in one seat — Kurukshetra. Former Rajya Sabha member Sushil Singh will contest the Kurukshetra seat. — TNS RATHI MURDER CASE 3 more named in FIR, no arrest yet JHAJJAR: The Bahadurgarh police on Tuesday added three more names to the FIR lodged in connection with the murder of INLD state chief Nafe Singh Rathi. No arrest has so far been made in the case. "The names of Bahadurgarh MC's former chairman Bijendra Rathi, his son Sandeep Rathi and MC vice-chairman Pale Ram Sharma have been added to the FIR after Rathi's son alleged that they might also be involved in the conspiracy to kill his father," said a police officer. With this, a total of 15 persons have been booked in the case. Meanwhile, the police on Tuesday provided security to the family members of Rathi. TNS edit: rathi’s murder
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