07032024-TTC-01.qxd 3/7/2024 12:39 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 8 NO. 66 | 24 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 NAVY RESCUES VESSEL TARGETED IN GULF OF ADEN NATION /thetribunechd PM TO INAUGURATE PROJECTS WORTH ~6,400 CRORE J&K SENSEX SETTLES ABOVE 74K FOR 1ST TIME BUSINESS REPUBLICAN NIKKI BOWS OUT OF US PREZ RACE WORLD thursday | 7 march 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com dies fighting for Russia, PM tears into Trinamool’s ‘mafia raj’, Indian Punjab, Hry send SOS 7 from meets Sandeshkhali assault victims Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service Slams Mamata govt for ‘bid to protect accused’ CBI gets custody of Sheikh after fresh HC directive Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service Kolkata, March 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the “Sandeshkhali storm” would sweep West Bengal with ominous consequences for the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Addressing the “Nari Shakti Vandan” rally of the BJP in Barasat near Kolkata, the PM said Bengal’s women were angry with the TMC’s “mafia raj” and the anger would spill beyond Sandeshkhali. “Sandeshkhali jhor uthbe sampurna Bangla te (Sandeshkhali storm will sweep through Bengal),” he said. The PM also met a group of women from Sandeshkhali shortly after the rally in Barasat. Modi met five women, continued on page 7 PM Modi interacts with Metro staff after unveiling multiple connectivity projects in Kolkata. PTI OPENS COUNTRY’S FIRST UNDERWATER METRO LINE ■ PM constructed beneath the Hooghly river ■ Built at a cost of ~5,000 cr, these will connect Howrah Maidan with the Esplanade Metro station inaugurates multiple Metro rail projects in Kolkata, including India’s first underwater facility ■ Twin tunnels for up and down trains have been Give users option to pick credit card network: RBI Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 6 The West Bengal Police on Wednesday handed over the custody of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh to the CBI following a fresh directive from the Calcutta High Court. The development took place after the HC once again ordered the West Bengal administration to hand over the custody of Sheikh to the agency by 4.15 pm. A CBI team had arrived by that time to take his custody. Sheikh was finally handed over to the CBI custody around 6.45 pm, sources said. Besides, the CBI will also take over the case of the attack on ED officials that took place at Sandeshkhali on January 5. The ED officials had gone to Sheikh’s house for a raid in connection with the ration “scam”. — TNS Tepid response to Dilli Chalo call, unions now prepare for ‘rail roko’ Traffic chaos at Delhi borders after police tighten vigil New Delhi, March 6 The RBI on Wednesday directed banks to provide their eligible customers with an option to choose from multiple card networks at the time of issuing credit cards, a move which will benefit customers. The RBI also barred credit card issuers (banks and nonbanks) from entering into any arrangement or agreement with card networks such as American Express, MasterCard Asia, Diners Club and Rupay that restrain them from availing the services of other card networks. For existing cardholders, the RBI said they should be provided the option at the time of the next renewal. This direction shall be effective six months from the date of this circular, it said. It said the step was taken in Neeraj Mohan Tribune News Service DIRECTIVE TO BANKS ■ The RBI has told banks to give option to customers to choose from multiple card networks ■ Bars them from entering into pact with card networks that restrain them from opting for other platforms public interest as its review showed some arrangements between card networks and issuers were not beneficial for customers. The order would not be applicable to issuers with 10 lakh or less active cards. Entities issuing credit cards on their own authorised card network are also excluded from the circular. New Delhi, March 6 The “Dilli Chalo” call by protesting farmer leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) witnessed a subdued response on the first day. There were no reports of farmers converging anywhere in Delhi for an indefinite protest at Jantar Mantar. Sources said the development belied the claim of the unions, leading the agitation at the Punjab-Haryana borders, that they had the support of farmers across states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. As the protesting farmers’ march towards Delhi remains halted at the Haryana’s borders with Punjab, SKM and Security personnel at the Delhi-Ghazipur border on Wednesday. PTI KMM leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher had appealed to farmers to reach the Capital via public transport to press the Centre for their demands, including MSP guarantee and debt waiver. Meanwhile, with the Delhi Police tightening security at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders, traffic remained hit in the Capital on Wednesday. A huge jam was witnessed at Delhi-Haryana’s Singhu border and Delhi-Noida border due to heavy police deployment. The police have installed barricades at these continued on page 7 New Delhi, March 6 An Indian has been killed fighting for Russia in its conflict with Ukraine even as more Indians, including seven from Punjab and Haryana, have appealed to the government to extricate them from the battlefield. A video has gone viral on X in which a group of seven men from Punjab and Haryana claimed that they had gone to Russia to celebrate New Year, but were sent to the battlefield instead. The seven Indians are Gagandeep Singh (24), Lovepreet Singh (24), Narain Singh (22), Gurpreet Singh (21), Gurpreet Singh (23), Harsh Kumar (20) and Abhishek Kumar (21). While five of them say they are from Punjab, the remaining two claim to be from Haryana. As per their version, they arrived in Russia on December 27 to celebrate New Year and were taken around by a person, who then offered to take them to Belarus. “We were not aware we needed a HP Cong chief quits, rebel secy shown the door Shimla, March 6 Sending out a stern message to six disqualified rebel MLAs in Himachal Pradesh, All-India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge today removed Sudhir Sharma as AICC Secretary with immediate effect. Shortly after, Rajinder Rana, one of the six disqualified MLAs, resigned from the post of the working president of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee. Sharma’s removal and Rana’s resignation make it clear that the possibility of their return to the Congress is all but over. The reactions and comments from both the leaders suggest that their exit from the party is imminent. In his post on social media today, Sharma took a dig at both the state government and the party high command by calling the central leadership continued on page 7 To control smuggling, registration of Effluents from Haryana draining into exotic birds, animals mandatory now plants supplying water to Prez, PM Aksheev Thakur Bhartesh Singh Thakur IGUANAS, LEMURS ON LIST Tribune News Service Iguanas, lemurs, civets, albino monkeys, coral snakes and tortoises are among listed as exotic under Schedule IV of Wildlife Protection Act, 2022 ISTOCK New Delhi, March 6 To control trade in products derived from various parts of wild animals and prevent illegal possession of exotic species, the government has made it mandatory for people to register with the environment ministry if they possess living specimens of animals listed in Schedule IV of Wildlife Protection Act, 2022. Many of these animals, such as iguanas, lemurs, civets, albino monkeys, coral snakes and tortoises, are included in the list. The government on Wednesday announced the notification of Section 49 M of the Wildlife Protection Act, which provides a legal framework for the protection of continued on page 7 TROUBLE SPOTS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 6 Neglect by Haryana authorities in checking water pollution in drain No. 8 in Sonipat/Kundli could affect water supply to Rashtrapati Bhavan and the PM’s House, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) submitted before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT is already hearing a case related to pollution Wazirabad and Chandrawal Water Treatment Plants, which supply potable water to the President and PM’s House, affected by effluents in drain No. 6, which overflows and leaches drain No. 8 that merges with the Yamuna river. It is claimed that drain No. 6 is filled with trash, garbage, silt, litter and Today’s issue is of 24 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. c m y b sludge. Not cleaned and dredged regularly, it is in a critical condition, the petitioner in the case has alleged. The DJB authorities noted, “The issue concerning Diversion Drain No. 6 (DD-6) in Haryana requires action by state authorities. However, their neglect is affecting the water quality in DD-8 (Diversion Drain No. 8), which in turn impacts the quality of continued on page 7 A video grab of the seven youths from the region stuck in Russia. EFFORTS ON TO BRING BODY TO HYDERABAD ■ The Indian Embassy in Moscow has confirmed the death of of a 30-year-old man from Hyderabad, Mohammed Asfan ■ It said efforts were being made to send his mortal remains to India ■ AIMIM chief Owaisi had raised issue of 18 Telangana youths being duped by agents into fighting for Russia THE YOUTHS STUCK IN BATTLE ZONE The seven Indians in the war zone who have sought help are Gagandeep Singh (24), Lovepreet Singh (24), Narain Singh (22), Gurpreet Singh (21), Gurpreet Singh (23), Harsh Kumar (20) and Abhishek Kumar (21). While five of them are from Punjab, two are from Haryana visa. When we reached Belarus, the agent demanded more money and then abandoned us. The police caught us and handed us over to the Russian authori- ties, who made us sign some documents,” said the narrator, Gurpreet, who says he is from Gurdaspur. The first continued on page 7 edit: cannon fodder IN BRIEF ~10L reward for info on Bengaluru blast suspect NEW DELHI: The NIA has announced a cash reward of ~10 lakh for information about the suspected bomber in the March 1 Rameshwaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru. A man seen entering the cafe on a CCTV camera has emerged as the prime suspect. TNS Navy commissions squadron of hunting copters NEW DELHI: The Navy on Wednesday commissioned the first squadron of submarine hunting helicopters MH 60-R in the presence of Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar at Kochi. INS Jatayu, a naval base at Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep, was also commissioned. INSIDE Man arrested for making hoax call to delay flight MUMBAI: A 42-year-old man, Vilas Bakade, has been arrested from Bengaluru for allegedly giving a bomb threat to Akasa Air as he wanted to delay a flight for his wife who had reached the airport late, the Mumbai police said on Wednesday. PTI Cong meet today, buzz on Rahul from Amethi, Priyanka Rae Bareli Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 6 The buzz around the Gandhi family and its key players is back on the eve of the 18th General Election with possibilities of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi recontesting from Amethi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra making a Lok Sabha poll debut from Rae Bareli, the seat her mother Sonia Gandhi recently vacated for a Rajya Sabha berth. Ahead of the Congress Central Election Committee meeting tomorrow, party circles were rife with talk that the Gandhi siblings could make an attempt to retain and reclaim traditional bastions and they were the best bets the Congress had for the BJP MAY NOT FIELD BOTH MANEKA, VARUN ■ BJP is yet to name candi- dates for Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Pilibhit, currently represented by Sonia Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi ■ Varun Gandhi, who had been on a defiance mode for long, has tempered his utterances of late ■ BJP is unlikely to field both Maneka and Varun this time, say sources two VIP segments. Although central Congress leaders did not confirm anything, Pradeep Singhal, Congress party’s Amethi district chief on Wednesday said Rahul Gandhi would be the party’s continued on page 7
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.
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