31082024-TTB-03.qxd 8/30/2024 11:39 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 241 | 24 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI UN TEAM TO PROBE RIGHTS ABUSE IN BANGLADESH WORLD MAMATA AGAIN WRITES TO PM, SEEKS TOUGHER ANTI-RAPE LAW NATION /thetribunechd PM MODI APOLOGISES FOR GANGWAL, FAMILY TRUST OFFLOAD MORE SHIVAJI STATUE COLLAPSE INDIGO STAKE BUSINESS IN M’RASHTRA BACK PAGE saturday | 31 august 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com GOLDGLORY ■ Avani Lekhara (22) wins historic gold in women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) shooting ■ Becomes 1st Indian to win 2 successive Paralympics gold ■ Mona Agarwal bags bronze medal in the same event SILVER BULLET Manish Narwal takes silver in men’s 10m air pistol (SH1) event FIRST MEDAL IN TRACK Preethi Pal gets India’s first bronze in women’s 100m track event PARALYMPICS MEDAL TALLY HAUL AVANI LEKHARA INDIA 1 1 2 4 Sluggish agri, services sectors slacken GDP growth to 15-month low of 6.7% Agriculture records 2% growth, down from 3.7% witnessed in first quarter of 2023-24 Vijay C Roy Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 30 The slow growth in the primary sector and tertiary sectors such as trade, hotels, transport, communication, finance, real estate and professional services in the first quarter of the current fiscal has cast a shadow over the GDP growth. As a result, India’s economic growth slowed to a five-quarter low of 6.7 per cent in the first quarter of this fiscal from 7.8 per cent in the preceding March quarter, according to data released by the government today. The previous GDP low was REMOVED ANGEL TAX TO BOOST FINTECH: PM FISCAL DEFICIT HITS 17.2% OF FY25 TARGET PM Narendra Modi on Friday said the government was making necessary policy changes, like removal of Angel Tax, to promote the fintech sector, even as he asked the regulators to take additional measures to check cyber frauds, which can have a crippling impact on startups. The Centre’s fiscal deficit at the end of the first four months (April-July 2024) of the current financial year touched 17.2 per cent of the full-year target. In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit for the period touched ~2.77 lakh crore. 6.2 per cent in January-March 2023. The growth was subdued compared to the 8.2 per cent jump witnessed in Q1FY24. However, in comparison to China, India’s growth is better as China’s GDP growth in the April-June quarter was 4.7 per cent. According to government data, real GDP or the GDP at constant prices in Q1 of 202425 is estimated at Rs 43.64 lakh crore, against Rs 40.91 lakh crore in Q1 of 2023-24, showing a growth rate of 6.7 per cent. Nominal GDP or the GDP at current prices in Q1 of 2024-25 is estimated at Rs 77.31 lakh crore, against Rs 70.50 lakh crore in Q1 of 202324, showing a growth rate of 9.7 per cent. The agriculture sector recorded a 2 per cent growth, down from 3.7 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2023-24, as per the National Statistical Office (NSO) data released on Friday. Similarly, trade, hotels, transport, communication and services related to broadcasting recorded a 5.7 per cent growth in the April-June quarter of 2024-25, down from 9.7 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year. As far as financial, real estate and professional services category is concerned, against the growth of 12.6 per cent in the AprilJune quarter of 2023-23, it registered a growth of 7.1 per cent only in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. However, the growth in the manufacturing sector accelerated to 7 per cent continued on page 6 Akal Takht pronounces Sukhbir Era of uninterrupted Pak talks over: EAM tankhaiyaover ‘anti-Panth’ acts Says US ties indispensable, must pursue Russia relations sans intimidation Ajay Banerjee Summons him, other former Sikh ministers of Akali Dal GS Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 30 Akal Takht on Friday declared SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal “tankhaiya” (guilty of religious misconduct) for the “mistakes” committed by his party and the government run by it from 2007 to 2017. At a meeting of the five high priests, convened by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh at the Akal Takht secretariat today, it was unanimously decided to declare Sukhbir “tankhaiya” till he appears as a “nimana (humble)” Sikh and seeks atonement for “sins” before Akal Takht in the presence of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh (centre) declares SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal (inset) tankhaiya in Amritsar on Friday. VISHAL KUMAR Guru Granth Sahib and the five high priests. Sukhbir has appointed Balwinder Singh Bhunder as the working president of the SAD. On July 24, without specifically mentioning the “mistakes”, Sukhbir had owned up responsibility for these and continued on page 6 Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 30 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said the era of having an “uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over” even as he underscored the need to pursue the economic ties with Russia without intimidation. Speaking at a book release event, Jaishankar termed the ties with the US “indispensable” and said India was looking at “mutuality of interests” with Bangladesh, which recently witnessed the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina amid unrest. Referring to Islamabad’s continued support to crossborder terrorism, the EAM said “actions have conse- WILL LOOK FOR MUTUAL INTERESTS WITH B’DESH ❝ We have to recognise there are political changes, which can be disruptive. Clearly we have to look at mutuality of interests. S Jaishankar, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER quences”. “The issue remains as to what kind of relations we can contemplate with Pakistan… we are not passive. Whether events take a positive or negative direction, either way, we will react,” he said, while asserting Article 370 was “done” in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan had yesterday sent an invite to PM Narendra Modi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad in October. On ties with Russia, the EAM said there was an “economic complementarity” between the two sides and that “we should not be intimidated” in pursuing its advantages. This comes nearly a week after Ukraine questioned New Delhi’s economic ties with Moscow. Jaishankar said their trade had gone up five-fold, but asserted it was not a simple crude oil relationship. Moscow, he said, was following its own look-East policy. After the conflict with Ukraine began in 2022, there had been a profound shift in the way Russia looked at the world. “We need to take advantage of it rather than get clouded by a larger narrative, which is not our narrative,” the minister said. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had recently pointed to how India was supporting Russia’s “war economy”. continued on page 6 Vistara to fly into sunset on Nov 11 NEW DELHI: The nearly 10year-old Vistara will fly into the sunset on November 11 as part of the merger with Tata Group-owned Air India, with the deal moving closer to completion after the Centre approved Singapore Airlines' Rs 2,058.5-crore FDI in Air India Group. The merger, announced in November 2022, will see Singapore Airlines snapping up a 25.1 per cent stake in the Air India Group. — PTI Guv briefs Shah on situation in Bengal NEW DELHI: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday met Home Minister Amit Shah and is learnt to have discussed the law and order situation in the state. Bengal has been witnessing protests following the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar hospital. Bose is likely to provide a report on the situation in West Bengal to the Centre amid speculations of the government evaluating various options. INSIDE Clash halts traffic on Ropar highway RUPNAGAR: Traffic on the Ropar-Anandpur Sahib road remained affected for over five hours on Friday after two factions of a dera clashed over a memorial gate in Bunga Sahib. The police created diversions at Ghanauli and at Nalagarh road to ensure safe passage for commuters. After a clash between the two factions of Satguru Brahma Nand Bhuriwale Sect, over 400 residents blocked the road. — TNS Haryana BJP president Badoli opts out of election 1984 riots: Delhi court asks CBI race, confirms CMSaini to contest from Ladwa to frame charges against Tytler Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service ‘Tiger of Kolhan’, Jharkhand ex-CM Champai joins BJP New Delhi, August 30 In a major boost to saffron morale on the eve of the state Assembly poll, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and veteran JMM leader Champai Soren joined the BJP on Friday. “‘The tiger of Kolhan’ has joined us today. He has signalled that he will not provoke anyone, but if he is provoked, he will not spare them,” BJP Jharkhand poll incharge and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in Ranchi, welcoming Soren into the party fold, along with several supporters. Champai is popularly hailed as a ‘tiger’ for his aggressive advocacy of separate statehood for Jharkhand as part of the JMM’s movement. A visibly emotional Champai, once a close aide of JMM founder Shibu Soren, today lamented being “spied on” by his leader’s son and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. “After I was put under surveillance by the Jharkhand Government in Delhi and Kolkata, continued on page 6 Chandigarh, August 30 The ruling BJP has decided to field Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa in Kurukshstra district, considered to be a ‘safe seat’, in the upcoming October 1 Assembly election. However, BJP’s Haryana unit chief Mohan Lal Badoli, a first-time sitting MLA from Rai in Sonepat district, has opted out of the electoral race, saying that he wanted to focus on election management of all 90 seats across the state. “While Saini will contest from Ladwa, I have decided not to be contest the Assembly SAINI VOWS TO FIGHT FROM KARNAL TOO Responding to a query about fighting election from Ladwa during a roadshow in Karnal, Saini vowed to contest from Karnal too. “As the party president, Badoli will have better knowledge about the party candidates.... However, I will contest from Karnal too,” Saini said, giving credence to the reports that he might be fielded from more than one constituency. poll as it is my responsibility to coordinate Assembly elections as the BJP chief,” Badoli told reporters in New Delhi. The choice of Ladwa for Saini is considered to be a smart move by the saffron party as he was the MP from Kurukshetra, which comprises Ladwa, during 2019- 2024. Besides, Ladwa, which is currently being represented by Congress’ Mewa Singh, has a sizeable Saini population. A senior BJP leader said Saini was elected as the MLA from Karnal in the byelection held along with Lok Sabha poll on May 25, 2024, to fulfill the “constitutional requirement” of being elected as a member of the Haryana Assembly. Karnal, which was represented by Manohar Lal Khattar earlier, is primarily a Punjabi-dominated constituency and the Punjabi community was reportedly promised a seat in the 2024 Assembly poll in lieu of the support to Saini during the byelection. The BJP had reportedly “reserved” four constituencies — Karnal, Naraingarh, Ladwa and Radaur — for Saini, the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP in the upcoming Assembly poll. continued on page 6 Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 30 Holding that there was sufficient evidence against him to put him on trial, a Delhi court on Friday ordered framing of charges, including that of murder, against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case related to murder of three persons in the Pul Bangash area of the national capital during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. “Sufficient ground is there to proceed against the accused,” said Special CBI judge Rakesh Siyal, posting the matter for further proceedings to September 13 for formally framing the charges BOOKED FOR RIOTING, PROMOTING ENMITY The court ordered framing of charges against the accused for several offences, including unlawful assembly, rioting, promoting enmity between different groups, house trespass and theft. when the accused would be asked if he would like to plead guilty or face trial. The court ordered framing of charges against the accused for several offences, including unlawful assembly, rioting, promoting enmi- ty between different groups, house trespass and theft. Welcoming the development, BJP national spokesperson RP Singh wrote on X, “Albeit delayed, it appears justice is being done.” In its chargesheet filed on May 20, the CBI said Tytler “incited, instigated and provoked” the mob that had assembled at Pul Bangash Gurdwara in Azad Market on November 1, 1984, that resulted in the burning down of the gurdwara and killing of three persons — Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Guru Charan Singh. The offence entails the maximum punishment of death penalty in the rarest of rare cases. 17th Karmapa meets Dalai Lama in Zurich, triggers talk of return to India Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service The Karmapa with the Dalai Lama in Zurich, Switzerland. Dharamsala, August 30 Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa who has been out of India since 2017, met Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama during the latter’s brief stay at Zurich in Switzerland on August 25. It was the first time the Karmapa met the Dalai Lama after leaving India and taking up the citizenship of Dominican Republic. The Dalai Lama’s secretary, Tenzin Takla, confirmed the meeting, which has fuelled specu- lation of the Karmapa’s return to India in the near future. However, Tenzin said he couldn’t confirm the Karmapa’s return. The Karmapa, who heads the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, is the third-highest authority after the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. As Panchen Lama has been in Chinese custody following his recognition by the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa’s importance has increased. He has an important role to play in the selection of the next Dalai Lama in accordance with Tibetan customs. After Today’s issue is of 24 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b Left for Europe in 2017, has taken citizenship of Dominican Republic taking the citizenship of Dominican Republic, the Karmapa had applied for an Indian visa in 2018, which he was denied. In May 2017, the Karmapa had left on a threemonth visit to Europe. Sources said the Indian authorities initially tried to persuade him to return, but he kept on extending his stay, citing poor health and pending treatment in the US. It is learnt the Government of India had even offered the Karmapa land at Dwarka (near Delhi) to set up a monastery. The sources said the higher lamas of the Karma Kagyu sect weren’t too pleased with the Karmapa leaving India. As the Karmapa’s seat-in-exile is at the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim, lamas believe he “won’t be able to do justice to his position by staying outside India”. The sources also said Sikkim politicians had been urging the Centre to allow the Karmapa to return. In a recent post to his followers, the Karmapa shared that he had the blessed opportunity to once again see the Dalai Lama and listen to his teachings. “Seeing him in person this time, rather than watching on television, I noticed he appeared much older. Even while speaking, his voice was quite weak — very different from before. This was quite difficult to bear,” he posted. The Karmapa said noticing the Dalai Lama in such a frail condition filled him with “anguish and a renewed sense of gratitude for his kindness”.