29022024-TT-01.qxd 28-02-2024 22:54 13 TRUMP BEATS HALEY IN MICHIGAN PRIMARY WORLD /thetribunechd Page 1 thursday | 29 february 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Modi Sarkar ki Government of India 22201/13/0314/2324 Guarantee Scan for more information Hamara sankalp Viksit Bharat High speed internet connectivity y in every corner of the country 5G network expansion in India is fastest in the world Cong scrambles to save Sukhu govt, wants six rebel MLAs disqualified PTI Observers in Shimla |Vikramaditya quits, ‘placated’ Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, February 28 The Congress on Wednesday scrambled to save its government in Himachal Pradesh amid dramatic developments that included resignation by state minister Vikramaditya Singh and initiation of disqualification proceedings against six disgruntled MLAs, who defied the party whip on voting for the passage of the Budget proposals. Though the Congress managed to overcome immediate crisis by getting the Budget passed amid pandemonium in the Assembly which led to the suspension of 15 BJP MLAs from the House, the trouble for the Sukhu government is far from over. With the saffron party reportedly trying to poach some Options open, party first, not individuals:Top brass Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service CM Sukhvinder Sukhu with Congress observers Bhupesh Baghel, DK Shivakumar & Bhupinder Hooda, & state in-charge Rajeev Shukla. CONG 34 BJP+ 34 CONG REBELS BJP INDs 6 25 3 TOTAL 68 more ruling party MLAs to facilitate a split, the battle for political supremacy between BUDGET PASSED, 15 BJP MLAs SUSPENDED Congress manages to overcome immediate crisis by getting state Budget passed amid a pandemonium in the Assembly, which led to the suspension of 15 BJP MLAs the BJP and Congress in the continued on page 9 edit: Himachal crisis New Delhi, February 28 Hit by a massive political turbulence in Himachal, a beleaguered Congress on Wednesday said saving the government was its top priority and all options were open to achieve it. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge has instructed three observers appointed for crisis management in the state — former CMs Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Bhupesh Baghel and sitting Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar — to engage all party MLAs and recommend a solution “keeping party’s interests supreme”. A final call will be taken based on the observers’ report to be Tough stance amid calls to replace Sukhu presented “soon as possible”. “We will not hesitate in taking tough decisions should the need arise,” party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said amid calls from a section of Congress lawmakers to replace Sukhu. Importantly, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, keeping a close watch on the situation, attacked the BJP for attempting to “crush the mandate Himachal gave to the Congress in December 2022 and pushing the state into a political disaster while refusing to help it during a continued on page 11 IN BRIEF Cong ignored Virbhadra’s contribution; Disney, Reliance set to merge India media ops won’t take ‘shabby treatment’: Minister NEW DELHI: Walt Disney Co and Reliance Industries on Wednesday announced signing of binding pacts to merge their media operations in India to create a Rs 70,000 crore behemoth. INSIDE Shimla, February 28 The resignation and outburst by Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh at a time when the party is facing its worst-ever crisis seems to have worsened the woes of the Sukhu-led Congress Rajiv killing case: Freed convict Santhan dead CHENNAI: Santhan, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who was later freed by the SC, died here on Wednesday due to a cardiac arrest, an official said. PTI Govt bans 2 factions of Muslim Conference NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday banned two factions of the Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir for five years for anti-India & proPakistan propaganda. INSIDE Punjab dissolves gram panchayats CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government on Wednesday dissolved gram panchayats in the state. Taking lessons from the earlier mistake, it dissolved the bodies after seeking a legal opinion. This paves the way for holding the elections of the bodies, which are expected after the Lok Sabha elections. INSIDE TIME TO PUNISH DMK: PM IN TAMIL NADU BACK PAGE CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 59 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 HIMACHAL PRADESH regime even as he has, for the time being, been placated by party observers. The outbreak by him, though not unexpected, came at a time when the government was on the brink of collapsing amid a revolt by six MLAs. He openly aired his grouse against the CM as other senior leaders were frantically making efforts to salvage the situation. He was accompanied by two legislators, Nand Lal (Rampur) and Mohan Lal Brakta (Rohru). His resignation has not been accepted as he later in continued on page 9 VIKRAMADITYA SINGH ~58-CR ‘UNDUE’ FAVOUR TO ALLOTTEE Probe HSIIDC ex-MD’s decisions:House panel Bhartesh Singh Thakur Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 28 The Vidhan Sabha Committee on Public Undertakings has recommended a Vigilance inquiry into all decisions taken during the tenure of a former Managing Director of the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC). The recommendation comes following the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) observation that an “undue” favour of Rs 57.77 crore was allowed to an allottee in Sector 16, Gurugram. The report of the committee was tabled in the state CAG OBSERVATION The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) concluded that granting extension beyond request for proposal (RFP) norms and non-levying of material extension fee were tantamount to granting undue favour of over ~57.77 crore to the allottee Assembly today. The HSIIDC allotted a 12.2-acre commercial plot in Sector 16 of Gurugram to an allottee for Rs 587.56 crore through an auction against a request for continued on page 9 CBI summons Akhilesh in illegal mining case New Delhi, February 28 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav in connection with an illegal mining case in Uttar Pradesh. The former UP Chief Minister has been asked to join the investigation as a witness on February 29. The summon was issued under section 160 of CrPC. The case pertains to the issuance of mining leases in alleged violation of the e-tendering process in UP It was . alleged that from 2012 to 2016, public servants, in criminal conspiracy with the other accused, facilitated illegal mining of minor minerals continued on page 9 22 firearms stolen from Tarn Taran gunhouse Theft ahead of LS polls leaves cops in tizzy | Team formed to nab suspects Gurbaxpuri The ransacked Meet Gunhouse in Tarn Taran. PHOTO BY WRITER Tarn Taran, February 28 A huge quantity of arms and ammunition has been stolen from Meet Gunhouse situated at the Amritsar-Chabal bypass here. The theft came to the fore when the owner, Manmeet Singh, opened his shop after a week on Wednesday. In his complaint to the police, Manmeet said the thieves entered his shop after breaking a portion of the rear wall. He said the thieves searched every inch of the gunhouse and took away a total of 22 firearms, besides ammunition. These included a gun of 30.06 bore, 16 rifles of 12 bore, four revolvers of 32 bore, one pistol of 32 bore and 58 cartridges of continued on page 9 c m y b ‘1 nation, 1 poll’ on cards in 2029; law panel report soon Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 28 The Law Commission is likely to recommend ‘one nation, one election’ i.e. simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state Assemblies and local bodies across India by mid-2029, sources said on Wednesday. Headed by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi (retd), the commission is expected to propose adding a new chapter to the Constitution on ‘one nation, one election’ to make it possible to hold the world’s largest democratic exercise, they said. The law panel’s report on the three-tier simultaneous polls is expected to be out soon as Justice Awasthi has been appointed as a judicial member of the Lokpal and the report has to be submitted to the government before he takes over his new assignment, they said. A NEW CHAPTER IN CONSTITUTION LIKELY ■ Law panel to recommend amendment to Constitution to add new chapter on simultaneous polls, say sources ■ Panel to propose synchronising terms of Assemblies in 3 phases in next 5 years so that first simultaneous polls are held in 2029 ■ Five-year period will be spread over 3 phases; first phase may deal with Assemblies whose period will be curtailed by 3 or 6 months high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind is also working on ‘one nation, one election’ and holding deliberations with various stakeholders, including political parties to make it a reality by effecting necessary continued on page 9 The contraband seized off the Gujarat coast on Wednesday. ANI 3,300 kg drugs seized by Navy New Delhi, February 28 In a coordinated operation on India’s west coast, the Indian Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) apprehended a suspicious vessel carrying almost 3,300 kg contraband (3089 kg charas, 158 kg methamphetamine and 25 kg morphine). Five foreign nationals have been arrested in this regard. FIVE FOREIGNERS HELD OFF GUJARAT COAST The operation got an important kick-off point when the Navy’s maritime surveillance aircraft located a suspicious dhow (small vessel). After NCB corroborated the sequence of possible smuggling, an Indian Navy warship, deployed for anti-piracy continued on page 9
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