05092024-TTC-01.qxd 9/5/2024 1:01 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 246 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 ZELENSKYY ORDERS GOVT REJIG TO GIVE UKRAINE ‘NEW ENERGY’ WORLD /thetribunechd 2 TRIPURA INSURGENT GROUPS INK PEACE PACT WITH GOVT NATION GOVT EYEING $1 BN EXPORTS OF INDIAN SPIRITS BUSINESS SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT, NOT EXPANSIONISM: MODI IN BRUNEI BACK PAGE thursday | 5 september 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com BJP names 67 in 1st list for Haryana; Newcluesinsacrilegecases, report to be out soon:Mann Saini from Ladwa, Vij Ambala Cantt Says govt will ensure exemplary punishment to the guilty 3 ministers, including Ranjit Singh, 4 MLAs dropped | Capt Abhimanyu fielded Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 4 The BJP on Wednesday fielded CM Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa and rewarded at least 10 turncoats with the party ticket as it released the first list of 67 candidates for elections to the 90-member Haryana Assembly. In Karnal, which is currently represented in the Assembly by CM Saini, the BJP has fielded Jagmohan Anand, a Punjabi face and a loyalist of Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar. BJP sources said keeping winnability in mind, the party had reposed faith in most senior party leaders. Only three ministers — Ranjit Singh (Rania), Bishamber Balmiki (Bawani Khera) and Sanjay Singh (Sohna) — and four MLAs — Sandeep Singh (Pehowa), Nirmal Rani (Gannaur), Sudhir Singla (Gurugram) and Deepak Mangla (Palwal) — have been dropped. As expected, Arti Singh Rao, daughter of Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, will make her political debut from Ateli. The ministers continued on page 7 Nayab Singh Saini (Ladwa) 10 PARTY HOPPERS REWARDED ■ Devender Babli (Tohana) | Sanjay Kablana (Beri) | Shruti Choudhry (Tosham) | Shakti Sharma (Kalka) | RK Gautam (Safidon) | RK Kashyap (Indri) | Nikhil Madan (Sonepat) | Anoop Dhanak (Uklana) | Sunil Sangwan (Dadri) | SS Rana (Radaur) Ex-principal of RG Kar moves SC against HC order NEW DELHI: Facing a CBI probe for alleged financial irregularities during his tenure, former principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh has moved the SC challenging the Calcutta HC order dismissing his plea to be added as a party to a petition on the issue. The HC had on August 23 transferred the probe into alleged financial irregularities from a special investigation team up by the state government to the CBI. Ghosh has contended that the investigation was transferred by the HC without giving him an opportunity to present his side. The matter is listed before a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud on September 6. The murder and rape of a trainee doctor at the staterun hospital has triggered nationwide protests. — TNS Gian Chand Gupta (Panchkula) POLITICAL DYNASTS ON LIST ■ Shruti Choudhry, daughter of party’s Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Choudhry, to contest from Tosham; Bhavya Bishnoi, son of Kuldeep Bishnoi, from Adampur; Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh's daughter Arti Singh Rao from Ateli. Arti Singh Rao (Ateli) BJP KISAN CELL CHIEF QUITS ■ Soon after the release of its first list of candidates, the BJP suffered a setback with party’s state kisan cell chief Sukhvinder Sheoran resigning from his post. He was denied ticket from the Badhra Assembly constituency Dissent, conflicting surveys delayed selection The suspense ended late on Wednesday, but not before the week-long delay triggered insinuations and rumours in a party known for its discipline. Speaking to The Tribune, BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli said the names couldn’t have been announced before the conclusion of the discussions. He refused to comment on whether infighting Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 4 Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has claimed his government has got major clues in the 2015 sacrilege cases and a watertight case, incorporating the fresh evidence, is being prepared. Speaking on the concluding day of the three-day Punjab Vidhan Sabha session on Wednesday, the CM said the findings had been sent for vetting by legal experts to ensure the guilty were not let off. “The AAP government is firmly committed to ensure exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of the crime and a fresh report on the matter will be filed soon,” he said. CLP Leader Partap Singh Bajwa had on Tuesday accused the AAP government of delaying prosecution sanction in the sacrilege case against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim. On concerns raised by the Congress and various Sikh religious bodies over “tardy progress” of probe into the sacrilege cases, the CM said, “Instead of filing the report in a hush-hush manner and leaving loose ends, as hap- CM Bhagwant Mann at the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh. POST-CABINET MEET, CM TO MEET FARMERS STATE’S FINANCES UNDER STRESS: CAG ■ CM Mann has called a meeting ■ A mismatch between receipts of the Cabinet on Thursday to discuss issues of farmers ■ He will later meet leaders of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union ■ Unions protesting in Sector 34, Chandigarh, seeking implementation of draft agriculture policy ■ Other demands include debt waiver and steps to check corporatisation of agriculture and expenses indicates a rising fiscal stress in Punjab, states CAG report for 2022-23 ■ Though revenue increased by 10.76%, expenditure has grown at a much faster pace of 13% ■ In 2018-19, subsidy bill (mainly on account of free power) was ~13,361 cr. The same increased to ~20,607 cr in 2022-23 after AAP govt offered 300 free units Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 4 For the past one week, the BJP high command had been dragging its feet on releasing the list of 67 candidates for the Haryana Assembly elections even as the names are said to have been cleared at the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on August 29. OLYMPICKHEL/X delayed the list or there were any last-minute changes. Sources, however, said the state leadership was involved in hectic parleys with the high command until the names were made public. More so as scores of ticket aspirants continued visiting the Delhi houses of party bigwigs, including Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda. Several factors were at play, said a few BJP leaders on anonymity. They said the import of prominent leaders from other parties triggered discontent among the BJP cadre, who feared the new inductees might influence the ticket allotment at the cost of old-timers. The Rao Inderjit Singh factor too contributed to the continued on page 7 pened during the tenure of the previous governments, we are ensuring that all facts are supported by evidence. Ensuring justice in the sacrilege cases is not only our guarantee, but also our responsibility.” Mann said the SIT probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing cases had continued on page 7 HP passes Bill to deprive defecting MLAs of pension Will ensure J&Kstatehood: Rahul Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency fails to get relief from HC Pratibha Chauhan Pradeep Sharma January onwards, Historic gold get EPS pension from any bank NEW DELHI: Pensioners under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995, run by the EPFO, will be able to get pension from any bank or branch across India from January, Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday. Mandaviya, who is also the chairperson of the Central Board of Trustees, EPFO’s apex decision-making body, has approved the proposal for a centralised pension payment system (CPPS) for the EPS, a labour ministry statement said. “The approval of the CPPS marks a milestone in modernisation of the EPFO. By enabling pensioners to receive their pensions from any bank in the country, this initiative addresses the challenges faced by pensioners,” the minister said. — PTI Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt) Rajmeet Singh Arjun Sharma LoP says L-G Sinha acting like ‘21st century monarch’ Tribune News Service ■ Tokyo Games bronze-winner Harvinder Singh (33) became the first Indian archer to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, beating Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in a lop-sided final ■ The archer, whose both legs are impaired owing to the side effects of the dengue treat- ment he underwent as a toddler, put up a dominant show to knock out Ciszek ■ Hailing from a family of farmers from Ajit Nagar in Haryana, Harvinder, who is pursuing PhD in economics, won five back-to-back matches in a single day Shimla, September 4 The Vidhan Sabha today passed the Himachal Pradesh Legislative (Allowances and Pension) Amendment Bill, 2024, to deprive MLAs disqualified under the anti-defection law of pension benefits and other allowances. Defending the Bill, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said it was a landmark amendment, which was necessary to uphold democratic norms. “This Bill will prove to be a deterrent for those wanting to use unfair means, including use of money power or other allurements, to topple democratically elected governments. It has been brought to uphold clean democratic norms and traditions,” said Sukhu. The Bill also has a provision to recover the pension already drawn by an MLA continued on page 7 Jammu, September 4 In a direct attack on Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he was acting like a “21st century monarch, who is giving all benefits to people from outside the UT”. “An L-G should be responsible for the smooth functioning of the administration. But in J&K, he is like a monarch, who functions as per his own whims and fancies. The people here do not get employment or any other benefit. They are even deprived of basic rights. This monarch is giving all benefits to outsiders,” Rahul alleged. He was speaking at the first joint rally of the Congress-NC alliance at Dooru in Anantnag. NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Mian Altaf and Congress leaders Tariq Hameed Karra, Ghulam Rahul Gandhi with wrestlers Vinesh Phogat & Bajrang Punia in New Delhi. They may contest the Haryana poll on the Congress ticket. PTI INSIDE Ahmad Mir were among those present. Rahul earlier held a rally in Ramban. “It was for the first time in modern history that a state was downgraded to a UT. Our alliance is going to form the government in J&K and our first step will be to restore its statehood,” he assured people at both rallies. He alleged while people of J&K were suffering due to continued on page 7 MUMBAI: Kangana Ranaut’s film Emergency will miss the September 6 scheduled release date, with the Bombay HC on Wednesday refusing to grant any urgent relief by directing the censor board to certify the movie immediately. A Division Bench of Justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla said it could not grant any urgent relief at this stage in the wake of the directive issued by the Madhya Pradesh HC directing the censor board to consider objections to the movie before certifying it. The Bench said if not for the Madhya Pradesh HC, it would have directed the central board to issue a certificate to the movie “today” itself. Scheduled for release on September 6, the biographical drama is caught up in a controversy after Sikh organisations objected, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong. — TNS In tribal Kinnaur, schoolteacher helps girlspack a punch SC to Dhami: If CM, can’t Subhash Rajta Tribune News Service Shimla, September 4 The picturesque Sangla valley in tribal Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh is emerging as a powerhouse in women boxing, courtesy a schoolteacher whose own journey in the sport was cut short by an eye injury. Over the past few years, four women boxers from Sangla have won medals in international events and several others have knocked out their opponents in national and Khelo India games. Opinder Negi, who joined the government middle school at Sangla as a trained graduate teacher in 2012, was forced to quit boxing after the injury. Yet, he couldn’t give it TEACHER’S DAY SPECIAL: Opinder Negi to be felicitated by Himachal Govt today just do anything you like Satya Prakash Tribune News Service Opinder Negi (fourth from left) with medal-winning boxing students at Sangla in Himachal’s Kinnaur district. TRIBUNE PHOTO up altogether. Back in the village, he started training schoolchildren before and after school hours. Young boxing enthusiasts started turn- ing up in droves. Girls outnumbered boys — and eventually outshone them too. “Four of our girls have won medals for India. Several oth- ers are progressing well, winning medals in national events. We have now set our sights on Asian Games and Olympics,” says the 46-year- c m y b old teacher. In view of his spectacular achievements, the Education Department has chosen Negi for the HP continued on page 7 New Delhi, September 4 The Supreme Court on Wednesday took a strong exception to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami’s decision to appoint as Director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, Rahul, who was earlier removed from Corbett Tiger Reserve over allegations of illegal tree felling. “We are not in a feudal era, jaisa Rajaji bole waisa chale... The Chief Minister should have given reasoning. The least expected is to give an application of mind with reasons in writing when he differed from his Minister and Questions top posting for ‘tainted’ IFS officer in Rajaji Tiger Reserve the Chief Secretary,” a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai said. “There is a specific note to the Deputy Secretary that the departmental proceedings are initiated against him (Rahul)… that the CBI inquiry is there, therefore, he should not be posted anywhere in the tiger reserve. That is endorsed by the Deputy Secretary, Principal Secretary and the Forest Minister, and this is all ignored by the Chief Minister,” said the continued on page 7