27092024-TTB-01.qxd 9/26/2024 11:47 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 268 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA ISRAEL TURNS DOWN US-BACKED LEBANON CEASEFIRE PLAN WORLD /thetribunechd IN UDHAMPUR, SHAH PROMISES TO MAKE UT TERROR-FREE J&K GOLD PRICES HIT ALL-TIME HIGH OF ~78,000 BUSINESS LAVROV: DISCUSSED US INFLUENCE IN ASIA-PACIFIC WITH EAM BACK PAGE friday | 27 september 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Rahul flags drugs, lack of jobs as Haryana Cong projects unity Hooda, Selja, Birender share stage for first time since ticket allocation Parveen Arora/ Deepender Deswal CONG MLA’S 31 FLATS, LAND ATTACHED BY ED Tribune News Service Karnal/Hisar, September 26 Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi today sought to present a united front at his maiden rally in Karnal’s Assandh by bringing together warring Haryana Congress leaders — former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Birender Singh — on the same platform for the first time since the announcement of the state Assembly elections. Selja who appeared for the first time at a party rally after the allocation of seats, however, skipped Rahul’s second event in the Barwala Assembly segment of Hisar, her home district. Amid Selja’s continued absence from recent Congress events, BJP leaders, including former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, had invited her to join the saffron fold. She had later snubbed the BJP . Gandhi at his twin rallies highlighted the growing menace of drugs in the state as he accused the PM Narendra Modi-led government of sys- ■ The ED has attached Con- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being welcomed by party leader Kumari Selja at Assandh in Karnal as ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda looks on. PTI tematically dismantling job opportunities, resulting in the exodus of youth, and bringing in controversial farm laws that had impacted farmers. Gandhi further targeted big corporate houses — Adani and Ambani — by accusing the BJP government of catering to the interests of a few wealthy people and neglecting the needs of the common man. He vowed party’s support to farmers by assuring them the minimum support price (MSP) for crops while also expressing solidarity with the youth and athletes of the state. The former Congress president underscored the need for protecting the Constitution, which he believed was under threat. “The Constitution protects the poor, but there are efforts to undermine it. We will protect the Constitution,” he said while gress’ Mahendragarh MLA Rao Dan Singh’s immovable assets worth ~44 cr ■ The assets include 31 flats in Gurugram and land parcels in Delhi, Gurugram, Rewari and Jaipur ■ The development is part of an ongoing money laundering probe against the MLA ■ Probe revealed entities linked to the MLA reportedly received ~19 crore of diverted bank funds and the same was invested to buy flats and land parcels targeting the RSS. In Karnal, Hooda and Selja sat in silence on either side of Gandhi as state chief Udai Bhan delivered his address. Birender, however, briefly left his seat and walked up to Gandhi to interact with him and Hooda. Selja later chose to hold a simultaneous rally at Saniana village in the adjoining Tohana Assembly constituency of Fatehabad as continued on page 8 India must get permanent UNSC PREZ IN SIACHEN seat, says France New York, September 26 French President Emmanuel Macron has supported India’s bid for a permanent membership of a reformed United Nations Security Council, while advocating the expansion of the powerful UN body. “We have a Security Council that is blocked...Let’s make the UN more efficient. We have to make it more representative,” Macron said at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. “That’s why,” he said, “France is in favour of the Security Council being expanded. Germany, Japan, India and Brazil should be permanent members, as well as two countries that Africa will decide to represent it.” India has been at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for urgent long-pending reforms in the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member. At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries, which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the US. These countries can veto any substantive resolution. — PTI Tribune News Service Pratibha Chauhan Shimla, September 26 Facing flak over Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh’s announcement on mandatory display of names by all vendors, the Congress high command as well as Himachal Pradesh Government on Thursday went into a damage control mode and said no such decision had been taken. Even the minister, apparently under duress, issued a clarification on the matter as the party feared his remarks would snowball into a major controversy and impact its poll prospects in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. “Everyone is welcome to work in Himachal Pradesh. Says no decision yet, policy in the works But it is the responsibility of the state government to ensure peace and harmony, especially in the wake of the recent developments where locals demanded proper identification and registration of people coming here to work,” Vikramaditya Singh said. State Congress in-charge Rajeev Shukla said there was no move by the government to make it mandatory for vendors to display their names and identification. “The issue is being unnecessarily raked up. It is wrong to draw parallels continued on page 8 edit: polarising diktat Bilkis case: Top court bins Gujarat’s plea for review of adverse comments Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 26 The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the Gujarat Government’s petition seeking a review of the January 8 verdict indicting it for “acting in tandem” with one of the 11 men convicted of gang-raping Bilkis Bano and killing her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots. While quashing the remission granted to the 11 convicts, the top court had slammed the Gujarat Government for being “complicit” with one of the convicts. In its review petition filed in February, the state government had said the top court’s adverse comments had caused “serious prejudice” to it. However, a Bench of Jus- ‘ACTED IN TANDEM’ WITH A CONVICT Blow to BJP, Jakhar quits as Punjab unit chief ahead of panchayat poll Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 26 Punjab president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunil Kumar Jakhar is learnt to have resigned as the state chief of the saffron party, just over a year after he was named to lead the party in the state. The state BJP has been rendered headless ahead of the panchayat elections on October 15. Multiple sources close to Sunil Jakhar and in the SC to review Rajoana’s plea to commute death penalty Facing flak, Sukhu govt firefights Vikramaditya’s directive on vendor IDs Tribune News Service President Droupadi Murmu with soldiers during a visit to the Siachen base camp on Thursday. PTI INSIDE Mann in Mohali hospital with inflamed artery Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Mohali, September 26 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who was rushed to the emergency ward of a private hospital in Sector 62 around 12.30 am on Thursday, has been placed under observation at the hospital. Throughout the day, the state government termed his visit to the hospital for “routine checkup and tests” with an update coming late in the evening. According to a statement issued by the CMO, “Various tests are being conducted to assess Mann’s health. Doctors say the Chief Minister is absolutely fine right now and is not facing any problem. The doctors have found signs of inflammation in an artery of a lung, which is creating pressure on the heart. As a result, the blood pressure starts fluctuating. Some more continued on page 8 New Delhi, September 26 More than 16 months after refusing to commute the death penalty of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh murder case convict, Balwant Singh Rajoana, to life imprisonment, the Supreme Court has agreed to examine the issue afresh. A Bench led by Justice BR Gavai has asked the Centre and the Punjab Government to respond to Rajoana’s fresh petition for commutation of his death penalty on the ground that the Centre has failed to take a decision on his March 25, 2012, mercy petition till date. Convicted of assassinating Beant Singh in 1995, Rajoana has been in jail for 28 years, awaiting his execution. The former Punjab Chief Minister and 16 others were killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. Rajoana was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court. His mercy petition has been hanging fire for more than 12 years. On May 3, 2023, the top court had refused to commute his death sentence to life impris- Balwant Singh Rajoana. FILE HANGING FIRE FOR 12 YRS ■ Former Punjab CM Beant Singh and 16 others were killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. ■ Rajoana was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court. ■ His mercy petition has been hanging fire for over 12 years. onment and asked the Centre to take a decision on his mercy plea “as and when it is deemed necessary”. However, it had directed “that the competent authority, in due course of time, would again as and when it is deemed necessary, may deal with the mercy petition, and take a further decision.” “We also find that the Ministry of Home Affairs, upon material consideration of various reports from its dif- ferent branches, has come to the conclusion that the consideration may be deferred as it could have an impact of compromising the security of the nation or creating law and order situation. It would not be within the domain of this court to delve upon the decision of the competent authority to defer taking any decision at present. It is within the domain of the executive to take a call on such sensitive issues. As such this court does not deem it appropriate to issue any further directions,” it had said. In his fresh petition, Rajoana submitted that “about one year and four months have now elapsed since disposal of the petitioner’s (Rajoana’s) first writ petition, and a decision on his fate still hangs under a cloud of uncertainty, causing deep mental trauma and anxiety to the petitioner every single living day, which by itself is a sufficient ground for exercise of this court’s Article 32 powers to allow the reliefs sought.” Contending that Rajoana has been in jail for more than 28 years and on death row for continued on page 8 Sunil Kumar Jakhar Punjab and national organisation of the BJP have confirmed to The Tribune that Jakhar has put in his papers. He did not attend a crucial meeting of the state BJP here today to discuss and finalise the party’s strategy for the upcoming panchayat elections. Sources said a senior officebearer of the state unit called Jakhar over the phone to inquire if he was attending the meeting. Jakhar reportedly told him that he was not attending today’s meeting and would not be attending any meeting as the state continued on page 8 CBI biased: Karnataka revokes nod to agency to probe cases in state Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 26 Congress-ruled Karnataka on Thursday joined the growing list of non-BJP-ruled states to withdraw general consent to the CBI, thereby blocking the federal agency from conducting seamless investigations of alleged crimes in their jurisdiction. The Karnataka Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, took the decision at a time when the opposition BJP in the state is seeking a CBI probe into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam. The case involves alleged illegalities in MUDA’s allotment of 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife. Announcing the decision, Law Minister HK Patil rejected insinuations that the revocation of consent to the CBI was linked to the BJP’s call for a CBI probe into the MUDA scam. “It is clear that the CBI or the Union Government while using their instrumentalities are not using them judiciously. The CBI is biased. The notification granting general Claims move not linked to case against CM UNFAIR CONDUCT We have seen that the CBI works with prejudice. Its conduct has led us to come to the decision that it is biased. HK Patil, STATE LAW MINISTER ❝ consent to the CBI to probe criminal cases in Karnataka under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act 1946, has been withdrawn.” The consent would now be accorded to the CBI on a case specific basis, he said. Justifying the decision, Patil said, “We have seen that the CBI works with prejudice. Its conduct has led us to come to the decision that they are biased.” The decision follows a Special Court’s order on Wednesday allowing a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case. “On CM, there is a court order for a Lokayukta probe, so there is no such question,” Patil said when asked if the decision was continued on page 8 ■ On January 8, the SC had quashed the premature release of 11 men convicted of gang-raping Bilkis Bano. ■ It had slammed the Gujarat Government for being “complicit” and “acting in tandem” with one of the convicts tice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed the review petition, saying there was no merit in it. “Having carefully gone through the review petitions, the order under challenge and the papers annexed therewith, we are satisfied that there is no error apparent on the face of the record or any merit in the review petitions, continued on page 8 Can release Kangana’s Emergency with cuts: Censor board Mumbai, September 26 The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that a certificate would be issued to Kangana Ranuat’s film Emergency if certain cuts were made, as recommended by its revising committee. The movie, which was initially slated for release on September 6, has been embroiled in a battle with the censor board for non-issuance of certificate for its release. Ranaut, who has directed and co-produced the film, besides playing the lead role of former PM late Indira Gandhi, had accused the CBFC of stalling certification to delay the release. The biographical drama was caught in a controversy after some Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, objected to it, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong. A Division Bench of Justice BP Colabawalla and Justice ROW OVER BIOGRAPHICAL DRAMA ■ Sikh organisations, including SAD, objected to the Emergency movie, saying it misrepresents community ■ The film, set for release on Sept 6, was stalled for want of certificate from the CBFC ■ Producers moved the Bombay HC, which then told the censor board to take call by Sept 25 Firdosh Pooniwalla last week come down heavily on the CBFC for not taking a decision c m y b on the issuance of certificate for the movie. The HC had then said the censor board could not sit on the fence and had to take its decision one way or the other as it would otherwise amount to curtailing the freedom of speech and expression. The court had directed the CBFC to take its decision by September 25. The movie’s co-producer Zee Entertainment Enterprises had moved the HC, seeking a direction to the CBFC to issue a certificate for its release. On Thursday, the Bench asked the CBFC if it has “good news” for the movie. CBFC’s counsel Abhinav Chandrachud told the court that the board’s revising committee had taken its decision. “The committee has suggested some cuts before a certificate can be issued and movie can be released,” he said. Senior counsel Sharan Jagtiani, appearing for Zee Entertainment, sought time to take a decision on whether or not the cuts can be made. The Bench then posted the matter for further hearing on September 30. — PTI