05022025-TTB-01.qxd 2/5/2025 12:46 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 35 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI CHINA RETALIATES WITH TARIFFS ON US FIRMS WORLD /thetribunechd MASSIVE CRACKDOWN AFTER KULGAM ATTACK, 500 DETAINED J&K INDIA’S BORROWING TIME WE GOT ON WITH NEARLY FULLY ALLOCATED INDIA-EU TRADE PACT, TO CAPEX BUSINESS SAYS EAM BACK PAGE wednesday | 5 february 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com US military plane carrying 205 illegal migrants to land in Amritsar today Papers to be verified upon arrival | Punjab calls deportation serious issue Much hype over Tribune News Service MOST FROM REGION NewDelhi/Amritsar, February4 A US military plane, carrying 205 illegal migrants being deported to India, is scheduled to land at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, at 8 am tomorrow, sources said. The migrants reportedly took off from San Antonio, Texas. Most of the migrants being deported are from Punjab and neighbouring states. This is the first such deportation to India in Donald Trump’s second tenure as US President. He took oath on January 20. The US is using a C-17 Globemaster military plane to carry the 205 migrants. The plane is expected to refuel at the Ramstein air base in Germany during its journey to Amritsar. Upon arrival, the deportees ■ Most of the migrants being deported belong to Punjab and neighbouring states ■ Some suspicious elements too could be among them ■ The US is using a C-17 Globemaster military plane to ferry the 205 migrants The migrants will be allowed to leave the airport after thorough checks. POLICE TEAMS DEPUTED TO COLLECT DETAILS ■ Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said the govt would check the migrants’ criminal antecedents and take action accordingly ■ Teams have been deputed to collect details from the depor- tees regarding their illegal migration, including donkey routes and role played by travel agents in their journey will undergo verification of documents. However, no directions have been issued to detain these individuals. All necessary checks will be conducted before they are allowed to leave the airport. Sources said there could be some suspicious elements among them. A top police TIGHTENING LAWS: US The US is vigorously enforcing immigration laws and removing illegal migrants. These actions send a clear message: Illegal migration is not worth the risk. US embassy ❝ official said on condition of anonymity that special identification counters had been continued on page 8 edit: return of the natives deportationsunder new Trump regime AjayBanerjee Tribune News Service NewDelhi, February4 The much-publicised deportation of the 200-odd Indians from the US today has come just 10 days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the US. Deportations from the US have happened regularly over the past four decades, but such a publicised deportation appears to be the new normal for the Indian diplomacy under the Donald Trump regime. Such deportations have multiple implications for India, primarily due to the large diaspora abroad that sends remittances back home in billions of dollars annually. Deportations can disrupt the continued on page 8 Are you waiting for ‘muhurat’,SCasks Assamonsending back immigrants Delhi decides today; ruling AAP eyes return, BJP hopes to break 27-yr jinx Satya Prakash Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 4 The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Assam Government for its failure to deport 63 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh declared as ‘foreigners’ under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and keeping them in detention centres indefinitely. “You have refused to start deportation saying their addresses are not known. Why should it be our concern? You deport them to their country. Are you waiting for some muhurat (auspicious time)?” a Bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Assam Government. The Assam Chief Secretary attended the hearing virtually on a petition concerning the deportation of declared foreigners and the condition of detention centres in the state. “Once you declare a person foreigner, then you have to take the next logical step. You cannot detain them till eternity. continued on page 8 New Delhi, February 4 Delhi will vote today to decide the fate of 699 candidates as the ruling Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the opposition BJP and the Congress vie for the attention of the 1.56 crorestrong eligible electorate. While AAP is eyeing a comeback and the BJP hoping to break the 27-year jinx in the national capital, the RESULTS ON FEB 8 1.56 crore TOTAL VOTERS 699 CANDIDATES IN FRAY Polling stations 13,766 Sensitive booths 2,248 Congress is fighting for survival in Delhi where 63 of its 66 candidates had lost the deposit in 2020. EC ASSURED US OF FAIR POLL: KEJRIWAL Arvind Kejriwal alleged voter intimidation by the BJP and the Delhi Police, and demanded the EC’s intervention. After taking a delegation to the EC, he said the party had been assured of a level playing field. Of the 699 candidates in the fray, 96 are women. Among the voters, 83.76 lakh are men, 72.36 lakh women and 1,267 third-gender people, who will cast their ballot at 13,766 polling booths. As the D-Day approached, AAP and its INDIA bloc ally Shiv Sena (UBT) voiced concerns over “voter suppression” with Kejriwal, in an unprecedented move, petitioning the Election Commission on the issue during the silent period today. The EC, which met AAP leaders, issued a strong rebuttal of continued on page 8 AfterUttarakhand, Gujarat rolls out panel on UCC Bill New Delhi, February 4 After Uttarakhand rolled out its version of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), BJP-ruled Gujarat today announced the constitution of a committee to draft the UCC Bill. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the move in Gandhinagar. “To prepare the draft for the UCC and make the law, a fivemember committee under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai has been constituted. The committee will submit its report to the state government in 45 days, based on which the government will take a decision,” Patel said. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai had also headed the Uttarakhand UCC panel. Other members of the Gujarat committee include retired IAS continued on page 8 Carrying EVMs and other election material, officials arrive at a polling centre at Gole Market on the eve of the Delhi elections on Tuesday. PTI In LS, Modi targets Cong’s ‘3-MP family’ slams AAP , for ‘sheesh mahal splurge’ Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service NewDelhi, February4 Ahead of the Delhi elections on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi fired salvos at the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, accusing the two of being self-serving even as he prophesied that the BJP was here to stay for a long time to come. “Abhi toh yeh hamaari teesri hi term hai (this is only our third term yet). We are going to strive for many more years to fulfil our Viksit Bharat goal,” said the PM, concluding his 99-minute reply to the Lok Sabha debate on President Droupadi Murmu’s address. Earlier, Modi took several swipes at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Gandhis asking whether three members of any Scheduled Caste or any Scheduled Tribe family had ever been MPs at the same time. His veiled statement was for Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka, all MPs. In a strong rebuttal to Sonia’s “poor thing” reference to the continued on page 8 Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to the motion of thanks to the President’s Address in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. ANI Irresponsible: Rajnath on Rahul’s China comment New Delhi, February 4 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday termed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims that China was sitting in India’s territory “false” saying the words attributed to Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi “were never spoken by the officer at any point in time”. Participating in a discussion on the President’s Address during the Budget session in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Rahul had said the “Prime Minister was denying that the Chinese were inside India’s territory while the Army Chief was contradicting him”. In a post on X, Rajnath continued on page 8 Post-2015 premature retirees too eligible for one rank, one pension In SC, Punjab Govt opposes plea by Hawara to shift jail Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 4 The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has struck down a government order that denied the benefits of one rank, one pension (OROP) to armed forces personnel who opted for premature retirement after November 7, 2015, terming the denial to be unconstitutional and discriminatory. The premature retirees are placed in three categories — the first category comprises armed forces personnel who retired before July 1, 2014, with OROP benefits; the second category is of retirees between July 1, 2014. and November 7, 2015; and the third category covers those who retired after November 7, 2015, and were affected by the government’s decision. A group of 114 personnel from all three services moved the AFT against their exclusion from OROP benefits. “The actions of the government in inserting an exclusionary clause in the order for implementation of OROP for post July 2014 AFT terms denial unconstitutional, discriminatory retirees was not only illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable, but also against the existing policy issued by the government as well as the basic spirit of the Constitution,” Major SS Pandey (retd), the counsel for some of the petitioners said. The AFT Bench, comprising Justice Rajendra Menon and Rear Admiral Dhiren Vig, in its order dated January 31, observed that persons who opt for pre-mature retirement form a homogeneous class. Once it is found that every person in the Army, Navy and the Air Force who seeks premature retirement forms a homogenous category, no policy can be formulated which creates differentiation within this class on the basis of date and time of their retirement. The Bench said differentiating in the same category without any just cause or reason amounted to violation of the continued on page 8 NewDelhi, February4 The Punjab Government on Tuesday opposed ex-CM Beant Singh murder case convict Jagtar Singh Hawara’s petition seeking his transfer from Tihar Jail to a prison in Punjab, saying he couldn’t be shifted to the state as he was tried in Chandigarh. “In Punjab, he has no claim. If at all he is to be transferred, it is to the UT of Chandigarh,” Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai. He said a similar petition filed by Hawara was dismissed by the Delhi High Court in 2018. The Advocate General submitted that Hawara was tried in Chandigarh where he was involved in a jailbreak and the Punjab prison rules would not be applicable to Chandigarh. He said Delhi had taken a stand that Hawara couldn’t be transferred to Punjab as it was a border state. The Bench asked the Centre, Delhi Government and the Chandigarh Administration to respond within four weeks to Hawara’s petition and posted the matter for hearing after four weeks. continued on page 8 Punjab hands over probe into illegal sale of village pathways to VB Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 4 The Punjab Government has widened the ambit of its inquiry into the alleged illegal sale of village pathways to a private builder in New Chandigarh. Asking the state Vigilance Bureau to probe the alleged sale at Saini Majra village, the state government has directed it to verify similar land deals in seven other villages of Majri block of Mohali. In a letter to the Chief Direc- tor, VB, the Vigilance Department has asked the bureau to conduct a detailed investigation against officers and private persons (villagers) who were part of the land deal in 2018-19. The investigation will also be conducted into the alleged sanctioning of illegal sale of village pathways at Bansepur, Rani Majra, Dodemajra, Ghandauli, Rasulpur, Bharaunjian and Salamatpur villages, besides Saini Majra of Majri block. All these villages are now being developed by the Greater Mohali Area MORE LAND DEALS UNDER LENS ■ The Vigilance will investigate the alleged sale of pathways at Saini Majra village ■ Directed to verify similar land deals in seven other villages Development Authority (GMADA) as New Chandigarh. The village pathways or “rastas” cannot be legally sold unless these are declared “abandoned” by the Director, Consolidation, and the Director, Land Records. Land in New Chandigarh is among the of Majri block of Mohali ■ To conduct a detailed probe against officers and villagers who were part of the 2018-19 deal costliest in Punjab, with the market price of an acre here estimated at over Rs 4 crore. The Punjab Vigilance Department, headed by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, has already initiated an inquiry against two IAS officers — Dilraj Singh Sandhawalia and Paramjit Today’s issue is of 16 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b Singh — posted as the Secretary and Director, respectively, in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats in this regard. The two officers had enhanced the amount to be paid by the builder for buying the village pathways in November 2024, without these being declared abandoned. Notably, the issue was highlighted in these columns today. The letter sent to the VB reportedly also mentioned that the Personnel Department was already looking into the role of the officers at its own level. Originally, the sale of pathways was allowed by officers of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats in 2018-19, to facilitate the private builder getting a contiguous piece of land for his housing project. Till then, the builder owned land in patches around the pathways. Initially, the builder had cordoned off the pathways, which was objected to by the villagers. They went to a Kharar court and got inter- im protection. Later, some villagers agreed to sell the land. A few officers posted in the department in 2018-19 are alleged to have been given built-up properties in New Chandigarh by the private builder for facilitating him. However, certain villagers objected to the sale and moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court ruled in 2021 that the land could be sold only if it was declared as abandoned. Despite this not being done, the officers allowed the sale of the land.