12082025-TTB-01.qxd 8/12/2025 12:16 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 222 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI AUSTRALIA SET TO RECOGNISE PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD WORLD /thetribunechd HC SEEKS YASIN’S REPLY TO NIA DEATH PENALTY PLEA J&K RBI SAYS BANKS FREE TO DECIDE MIN A/C BALANCE BUSINESS PARL PANEL FLAGS SUBSTANTIAL RISKS FROM CHINA BACK PAGE tuesday | 12 august 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Punjab scraps land pooling policy after fierce backlash HC rap, Oppn-farmer protests, internal dissent force AAP govt to yield Ruchika M Khanna Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav jumps over a barricade during a protest march by INDIA bloc MPs in New Delhi on Monday. MANAS RANJAN BHUI Rahul, others detained as 300 Oppn MPs’ ‘vote chori’ march to EC office thwarted Ubeer Naqushbandi Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 11 High drama unfolded outside Parliament on Monday as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and several other MPs were detained as the Opposition’s march to the Election Commission’s (EC) office over “vote chori” was foiled by the authorities. Protesting MPs were whisked away in buses to the nearest Parliament Street Police Station, where they were released later. Nearly 300 Opposition MPs, wearing white caps marked with red-crossed words “SIR” and “vote chori”, tried to take out the march to the EC office, accusing the poll body of colluding with the BJP to facilitate its electoral goals through manipulation. The MPs raised their voice against the government and the EC over the Bihar elec- toral revision and “vote theft”. As the MPs tried to proceed towards Nirvachan Sadan — the EC headquarters — they were stopped by personnel of the Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force and the Central Industrial Security Force. Raising slogans “vote chor, gaddi chor” (vote thief, throne thief), “down, down, Modi down”, the MPs staged a sit-in on the road inside the barricaded area. Several MPs continued on page 8 Rahul Gandhi during a protest march by INDIA bloc MPs in Delhi. Chandigarh, August 11 Amid mounting pressure from farmers, landowners, party leaders and workers, and following a sharp rap from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday rolled back its land pooling policy. The move comes just days after the high court stayed the policy for four weeks, criticising the government for seeking to take over “the most fertile land in Punjab” without conducting any environmental or social impact assessment. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, it is learnt, signed the withdrawal order this evening after the proposal was formally placed before him. A notification will be issued shortly and the decision will be ratified by the Council of Ministers at the next Cabinet meeting, sources said. A communiqué from the Principal Secretary for Housing stated, “The government hereby withdraws the land pooling policy and its subsequent amendments. Conse- RAJESH SACHAR Tribune News Service Farmers take out a bike rally against the Punjab Government’s land pooling policy in Patiala on Monday. ACT AGAINST POLICY-MAKERS AAP RESPECTS PUBLIC OPINION Lakhs of rupees of state exchequer The action is yet another example of were spent on publicising the policy. AAP AAP’s unshakable commitment towards Punjab farmers. It shows the government leaders who framed the policy must be held accountable. Amrinder Raja Warring, CONG CHIEF respects public opinion. Malvinder Kang, AAP MP ❝ quently, all actions taken thereunder shall be reversed henceforth.” The announcement has been welcomed by farmers and landowners, while Opposi- ❝ tion parties claimed credit for forcing the rollback. Talking to The Tribune, Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said farmers had not taken to the policy positively. “We have always been a profarmer government and their interest has been paramount. continued on page 8 Giani Harpreet chief Nuclear sabre-rattling: India snubs Munir of Takht-backed SAD Says remarks reinforce doubts about integrity of Pakistan’s N-command Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 11 The Akal Takht-appointed five-member committee on Monday unanimously elected Giani Harpreet Singh as president of the breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) during a delegate session at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh in Amritsar. Satwant Kaur was chosen as chairperson of the Panthic Council. The panel, which included rebel Akali leaders and was formed through an edict issued by Akal Takht on December 2 last year, declared that it had fulfilled its mandate. The panel had been tasked with conducting a membership drive for the party and holding organisational elections. The group led by Giani Harpreet Singh, former acting Jathedar of the Akal Takht, is seen as a parallel entity to the SAD, led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, while the Panthic Council is Stakes claim to Akali Dal, vowsjusticeinsacrilegecases Giani Harpreet Singh termed as the party’s religious wing. Of 528 delegates, 478 participated in the session. The leaders called their faction as the “real” SAD. When asked about the name of the faction, Giani Harpreet Singh said it would be the Shiromani Akali Dal. Asked whether they would get it registered with the Election Commission, he said, “We will make every possible effort. If any need arises to continued on page 8 New Delhi, August 11 nukes in Pakistan, saying: “It The Ministry of External Affairs also reinforces the well-held (MEA) has reacted sharply to doubts about the integrity of Pakistan army chief Field Mar- nuclear command and conshal Asim Munir’s remarks trol in a state where the milidirected at India, saying the tary is hand-in-glove with tercountry will not succumb to rorist groups.” “nuclear blackmail”. It accused The MEA spokesperson said Islamabad of “nuclear “it was regrettable that sabre-rattling” and the remarks have been called upon the intermade from the soil of a national community to friendly third country” take note the “irrespon— the US. The Paksibility” emanating istan army chief, on a from such threats. visit to the US — his MEA spokesperson second since Operation Randhir Jaiswal, Sindoor — had yesterresponding to Field Marshal day cited the nuclear Munir’s statement prowess of Islamabad, Asim Munir made in the US, today saying “if we go down, said: “We will continue to take we will take down half the all steps necessary to safe- world”. He was speaking at an guard our national security.” event hosted by a Pakistan “Nuclear sabre-rattling is national at Tampa, Florida. Pakistan’s stock-in-trade,” The Field Marshal also quesJaiswal said as he called upon tioned India’s decision to hold the international community the Indus Waters Treaty in to “draw its own conclusions abeyance. “We will wait for on the irresponsibility inher- India to build a dam, and when ent in such remarks (of it does so, we will destroy it Munir)”. Jaiswal referred to with 10 missiles,” he was the fears about the safety of reported as saying. — TNS Modi speaks with Zelenskyy, reaffirms support for peace New Delhi, August 11 interest, a statement from the Prime Minister Narendra Prime Minister’s Office said. Modi on Monday spoke to Zelenskyy shared his views Ukrainian President on the recent developVolodymyr Zelenments related to skyy and reaffirmed Ukraine, the statement India’s consistent said. Modi reaffirmed position for a peaceIndia’s steadfast and ful settlement to the consistent position for ongoing Russiaa peaceful settlement Ukraine conflict. of the conflict and sup“India supports all port for efforts aimed at efforts aimed at the the earliest restoration Volodymyr earliest restoration of of peace. The PM reitZelenskyy peace,” Modi told erated India’s commitZelenskyy. The telephone con- ment to extend all possible supversation between the two lead- port in this regard. ers comes just four days ahead Meanwhile, Zelenskyy also of the planned Alaska summit put out a statement on X about between US President Donald his phone call with PM Modi. Trump and his Russian coun- “I am grateful to the PM for his terpart, Vladimir Putin. warm words of support for our Modi and Zelenskyy people,” he said. Zelenskyy reviewed progress in the bilat- said, “We agreed to plan a eral partnership and discussed personal meeting in Septemways to further enhance coop- ber during the UN General eration in areas of mutual Assembly (session).”— TNS Broke alumnus abducted Bishop Cotton boys No debate, LS approves new Used virtual SIM for ransom calls, cited school link to lure boys into car Navneet Rathore Tribune News Service Shimla, August 11 The kidnapper of three Bishop Cotton School students turned out to be an alumnus of the institution. Caught in financial trouble, Sumit Sood, a former Cottonian with an engineering background, devised a plan to abduct the students to ease his monetary woes. On Saturday, he kidnapped three Class VI students from outside the school and took them to Kotkhai, from where the police rescued them the next day. Investigations revealed that Sood, who had faced repeated failures in business, had been planning the abduction for about a week and executed it on Raksha Bandhan. A senior police officer said, “He was familiar with the school’s town-leave and day-out protocols. Parking his car at Khalini, 2 km from the school, he waited for students walking towards the Mall Road. Spotting the three boys, he introduced himself as a former BCS student and offered them a lift.” “Once they got in, he drove towards Dhalli instead of the Mall Road. He threatened the boys with a revolver and took them to his house at Chaithla village, Kotkhai, about 50 km from Shimla. He kept them in confine- Sumit Sood, alleged kidnapper ment on the top floor of his multi-storeyed home. The accused used a Californiabased virtual number, which he purchased recently, to make ransom calls to their parents,” the officer said. Shimla SSP Sanjeev Gandhi said the police initially had no concrete leads as students and teachers claimed to have last seen the missing boys at different locations. “We decided to check every vehicle travelling from BCS towards Khalini. A Delhi-registered car displaying suspicious movements was identified. It was later seen heading towards Theog and Kotkhai,” he said, adding that two Kotkhai residents provided crucial leads. The students were brought safely back to Shimla, he said. Meanwhile, Bishop Cotton School’s management announced it would tighten its town-leave and day-out protocols. Headmaster Mathew P John said no student would be allowed to leave the campus without supervision. I-T Bill amid Oppn’s protest Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 11 The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Income Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace the Income Tax Act, 1961, and makes the law simple and easy for taxpayers, without discussion amid opposition parties’ protest over the electoral roll revision in Bihar. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Bill, incorporating most of the recommendations from the select committee. The Bill was initially introduced in February and referred to the select committee for wider scrutiny. The committee, headed by BJP leader Baijayant Panda, Today’s issue is of 16 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b SPORTS, ANTI-DOPING BILLS PASSED The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the National Sports Governance Bill and National AntiDoping (Amendment) Bill. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya described the sports Bill as “the single biggest reform in Indian sports since Independence” submitted its report on the Bill to Lok Sabha on July 21. The government on Friday withdrew the old version of the Bill to table the new one incorporating the select committee’s recommendations. The Bill simplifies the decades-old tax structure continued on page 8 SC orders immediate shifting of Delhi-NCR stray dogs to shelters Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 11 Describing the stray dog menace as “extremely grim”, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Delhi Government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council, and the Noida and Gurugram authorities to pick up all strays from all localities at the earliest and put them in dog shelters. “Start picking up all stray dogs at the earliest in all possible manner and shift them to a far-off place…whether sterilised or not, society should be free from stray dogs. You should not find a single stray dog moving around in any locality of the city or on the outskirts,” a Bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala said, terming it the first step towards solution to the problem. “This is the time to act. All these animal activists and all these so-called animal lovers…will they bring back all those children who have fallen prey to rabies? Will they put life back in those children? Let’s take a practical view of the matter. When the situation demands, you have to act,” the court said, refusing to entertain intervention applications of animal rights activists. The Bench, which also included Justice R Mahadevan, ordered that dog shelters with CCTV cameras should be created to accommodate around 5,000 stray dogs and COURT TALKS TOUGH ■ Authorities can use force, if necessary, to pick up stray dogs ■ Contempt case against animal activists, if they obstruct removal ■ Not a single stray dog to be released; stern action if order not followed ■ Helpline in a week to report dog bites; CCTV-monitored shelters in eight weeks ■ Authorities to publish details of places where rabies vaccine is available sufficient personnel should be deployed there to sterilise and immunise them. Dog shelters will be monitored by CCTV cameras to ensure no dogs were taken out, it said. “We have noticed one very absurd and unreasonable rule, if you pick up a stray dog from one part, you sterilise the dog and put him in the same place. That’s absolutely absurd and doesn’t make any sense at all. Why should that stray dog come back to the locality and for what?” it wondered. The top court warned that if any person or organisation obstructed the removal of stray dogs by the civic authorities, strict action will be taken against them. The authorities can use force, if necessary, to pick up stray dogs, it said, seeking a report before the next hearing. “Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies. continued on page 8