24082024-TTB-03.qxd 8/24/2024 12:03 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 234 | 24 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI DOES CONG BACK NC’s ANTI-QUOTA STANCE, ASKS SHAH J&K PRESIDENT VOICES CONCERN OVER RISING SPACE DEBRIS NATION /thetribunechd NO DEEWAAR IN SHOLAY DONS’ DOSTANA REVIEW KAMALA WARNS OF ‘SERIOUS’ OUTCOMES IF TRUMP WINS WORLD saturday | 24 august 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com India not neutral bystander, on side of peace, Modi tells Prez Zelenskyy Wants Russia, Ukraine to sit together for end to war | Delhi signs four agreements Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 23 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday conveyed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to end the ongoing war. He said India was ready to play an “active role” to restore peace in the region. Modi said India was not a “neutral or indifferent” bystander to the conflict, but was always on the side of peace. He cited Lord Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi to make his point against waging a war. Modi, who was on a visit to Kyiv, told Zelenskyy, “I have come carrying a message of peace and stand for upholding the UN Charter on territorial integrity”. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while addressing a press conference, defended India’s decision on continued sourcing of coal and crude oil from Moscow. He rejected any suggestions on imposing sanctions against continued on page 7 ‘INDIA CAN STOP PUTIN’ INSIDE India takes up with Qatar seizure of two ‘saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib New Delhi, August 23 The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said it has taken up with the Qatar government reports of seizure of two ‘saroops’ of the Guru Granth Sahib. “One saroop has been returned by the Qatari authorities and we have been assured that the other is being kept with respect,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. He said: “We had seen reports regarding the seizure of saroops of the Guru Granth Sahib by the Qatari authorities and the demand of their release by the Sikh community”. ONE COPY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE RETURNED, SAYS MEA Jaiswal said: “The two saroops were seized by the authorities from two individuals/groups who were charged with running a religious establishment without approval of the Qatar government.” “Our embassy has kept the Sikh community in Doha abreast of developments in this regard,” he said. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said: “We are thankful to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for taking prompt action on our submission. Now, we look forward to return of the second saroop from the Doha police soon.” Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee general secretary Jagdip Singh Kahlon said the action of Qatar authorities had hurt sentiments of the Sikh community. Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Vikram Sahney said the two ‘saroops’ were seized by the Qatar Police and kept at the Alwakrah police station in Doha. Sahney said he had raised the issue with the EAM and the Indian Ambassador to Qatar. — TNS Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the ‘Martyrologist’ Exposition in Kyiv on Friday. ANI CARRYING MESSAGE OF PEACE I have come carrying a message of peace and stand for upholding the UN Charter on territorial integrity. PM Modi ❝ HISTORIC VISIT BY PM MODI Today, history was made. The Indian PM made his first visit to Ukraine since our independence. Zelenskyy on X ❝ CBI gets sanction to prosecute Kejri SC defers excise case hearing to Sept 5 Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 23 The CBI today informed a Delhi court it has obtained the necessary sanction from the “competent authority” to prosecute Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case linked to the excise ‘scam’. The probe agency told Special Judge Kaveri Baweja it had also got sanction to prosecute AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak in the case as required under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Special Judge, who had on August 12 granted the CBI 15 days to get the requisite sanction, will consider on August 27 supplementary chargesheets/ complaints filed by the CBI and ED against him. Meanwhile, Kejriwal failed to get any immediate relief from the Supreme Court on Friday as it deferred to September 5 the hearing on his pleas seeking bail and challenging the June 26 arrest by the CBI in a corruption case linked to the excise policy ‘scam’. Kejriwal has filed two petitions, one challenging dismissal of his bail plea by the Delhi HC and the other SENSATIONALISING CASE Petitioner is attempting to politically sensationalise case before court…. Being very influential, may influence witnesses and hamper ongoing investigation. CBI affidavit in SC ❝ against his arrest by the CBI in the case. The Delhi HC had dismissed both his petitions on August 5. On July 12, the SC had granted Kejriwal interim bail in the money laundering case linked to the excise ‘scam’. Senior AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and former Manish Sisodia have already been enlarged on bail in the case by the SC. In an affidavit filed in response to Kejriwal’s petition, the CBI defended his arrest before the top court, saying it was necessary as he remained “evasive and non-cooperative” during his interrogation on his role in the excise policy ‘scam’ and that he was arrested on June 26 only after being examined on June 25. “This was necessary since he was to be confronted with the evidence on record, when continued on page 7 B’deshgovtcancels formerPM Hasina’s diplomaticpassport Dhaka, August 23 Bangladesh’s interim government has revoked ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s diplomatic passport. A statement by the Bangladesh’s home affairs ministry on Thursday said diplomatic passports received by the former PM, her advisers, former Cabinet members and all members of the recently dissolved Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) and their spouses would be revoked immediately, the official news agency reported. INSIDE AnilAmbaniamong 25barredbySebi fromcapitalmarket New Delhi, August 23 Markets regulator Sebi has barred industrialist Anil Ambani and 24 others from the securities market for five years on charges of diversion of funds from Reliance Home Finance Ltd. Additionally, Sebi has imposed a penalty of Rs 25 crore on Ambani and restrained him from serving as a director in any listed company or Sebi-registered entity for five years. Besides, a fine ranging Rs 21 crore to Rs 25 crore have been levied on 24 entities. INSIDE CBI to probe fiscal ‘String of holidays may hit voting’: bungling at RG Kar Hry BJP wants Oct 1 poll deferred KOLKATA HORROR Kolkata, August 23 The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during the tenure of its former principal Sandip Ghosh from a state-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI. The agency also got permission from another city court to conduct a polygraph test on Ghosh, main accused Sanjay Roy and four others in connection with the rape and murder of a doctor at the hospital earlier this month. Ghosh was removed from the post after the incident that sparked nationwide outrage. The high court’s decision to transfer the case to CBI came in response to a petition by a former deputy superintendent of the facility, Akhtar Ali, who sought an ED probe into alleged financial misconduct Pradeep Sharma TO HOLD LIE TEST ON EX-PRINCIPAL, ROY ■ CBI got court nod to conduct polygraph test on ex-principal Sandip Ghosh, accused Sanjay Roy, four others ■ A team of experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi, will conduct the polygraph tests at the state-run institute during Ghosh’s tenure. Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed the CBI to submit a progress report on the investigation within three weeks. The court will hear the matter on September 17 to review the report and has ordered that the case diary and other documents be handed over to the CBI. Meanwhile, Roy was produced in the court on Friday following the completion of his police custody. He was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. The agitating junior continued on page 7 LONG WEEKEND Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 23 The ruling BJP has demanded the postponement of the Assembly elections in Haryana fearing low voter turnout in view of a string of holidays before and after the voting date of October 1. In an official communication to the Election Commission (EC), state BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli contended that the elections should be put off “for a few days” for better turnout as people tended to go on vacation on long weekends. A copy of the communication has also been sent to the Haryana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Varinder Garg, a member of the party’s Haryana State Election Management Committee, said September 28 and 29 were Saturday and Sunday while October 1 was the poll holiday. October 2 is a holiday on account on Gandhi Jayanti and October ■ September 28 and 29 are Saturday and Sunday while October 1 is poll holiday ■ October 2 is holiday on account on Gandhi Jayanti & October 3 Agrasen Jayanti ■ By taking leave on September 30, people will be able to get a six-day break PUT OFF BY FEW DAYS The elections should be put off ‘for a few days’ for better turnout as people tend to go on vacation on long weekends. ❝ Mohan Lal Badoli, HARYANA BJP PRESIDENT 3 due to Agrasen Jayanti. “By taking leave on September 30, people would be able to enjoy a six-day break. This might affect the voting percentage in the poll-bound Haryana. We have many instances of dips in voting percentage on long week- ends,” Garg said, giving the rationale for the postponement of the elections. When contacted, Haryana CEO Pankaj Agarwal said they had received the BJP communication and would forward it to the Election Commission for appropriate decision. On August 16, the EC had declared the election schedule for Haryana with many in the ruling BJP saying that the announcement came in early as compared to the last elections. However, officially the BJP and other opposition parties have welcomed the EC decision. Facing anti-incumbency, the BJP which has been in , power for the past about 10 years, is locked in a tough contest with a resurgent Congress. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it won only five of the 10 seats. In 2019, the party had won all seats. The tenure of the current Haryana Vidhan Sabha ends on November 3. The bus with 43 on board fell into a river in central Nepal. REUTERS 27 Indian pilgrims die in Nepal bus mishap Kathmandu, August 23 At least 27 Indian pilgrims, who had arrived in Nepal from Maharashtra on a 10day tour, were killed and 16 others injured after a tourist bus veered off the highway and fell into the Marsyangdi river in central Nepal on Friday, the police said. The incident occurred in the Anbookhaireni area of Chitawan district when the bus from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, carrying 43 per- Punjab puts stalled NHAI projects on track, speeds up acquisition Nitin Jain TELLING NUMBERS Tribune News Service Work on to take possession of the acquired land in Ludhiana. Ludhiana, August 23 The Punjab Government has expedited the process for the resumption of work on stalled highway projects in the state. The government has assured farmers of enhanced compensation for their acquired land. It has also apprised them of legal provisions against illegal occupation. The development assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to review the status of the NHAI projects in Punjab and some other states on August 28. As the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway, one of the flagship projects of the NHAI, ■ Length of Delhi-Katra expressway in Punjab: 295 km ■ Land possession given: 255 km ■ To be given by Sept 30: 25 km ■ Under litigation: 15 km tops the agenda of the PM’s high-level meeting, the official machinery of the state is working overtime. Chief Secretary Anurag Verma held another marathon meeting with all deputy commissioners in Chandigarh this afternoon. “I have been reviewing the progress of the ongoing highway projects, especially the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway, and the action Today’s issue is of 24 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b taken to clear the hurdles in the way of construction work every Friday,” Verma told The Tribune over the phone. He disclosed that the possession of a 255-km stretch of land of the 295 km main expressway passing through Punjab had already been handed over to the NHAI till Friday and another 25 km would be handed over by September 30. “With this, almost 95 per cent of the total expressway stretch in the state will be cleared and the remaining 15 km, which is under litigation or facing other issues, will also be done in due course of time,” he said. Verma said the DCs had also been instructed to ensure peaceful possession of land under other stalled NHAI projects. “We are committed to providing land acquired for the highway projects and ensuring peaceful execution of the acquisition proceedings as well as the construction work, but the NHAI also needs to retain the land,” the Chief Secretary asserted, while blaming the NHAI for not starting construction work at several places even after getting the land long back. In one such case, the possession of a 6.2-km stretch of land falling in Chhappar, Dhurkot and Juraha villages of Ludhiana was taken for the construction of an expressway. continued on page 7 sons, including the driver and two helpers, was heading towards Kathmandu from Pokhara. While 16 persons died on the spot, 11 succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment, deputy spokesperson for the Armed Police Force Shailendra Thapa said. The 16 injured had been airlifted to Kathmandu and admitted to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, he continued on page 7 Drone drifts into Pak territory, Army seeks its return New Delhi, August 23 A mini tactical drone of the Army inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) along the Bhimber Gali area of Poonch after it developed a snag on Friday. An Army official said around 9.20 am, the UAV on a training mission well within the Indian territory lost control due to technical malfunction and drifted into the Pakistan’s Nikial sector. As per reports, Pakistani troops recovered the UAV. The Army sent a message on the hotline to the Pakistan army to return it, the official said. — OC