15092025-TT-01.qxd 9/14/2025 11:49 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 255 | 12 PAGES | ~6.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH RUBIO IN ISRAEL IN WAKE OF QATAR ATTACK AS GAZA STRIKES INTENSIFY WORLD /thetribunechd PILGRIMS SLAM DELAY IN RESUMPTION OF VAISHNO DEVI YATRA J&K EC SHOULD’VE PROBED CRIMINAL ACTS WON’T GO VOTE THEFT CHARGES: UNPUNISHED, SAYS NEW QURAISHI NATION NEPAL PM BACK PAGE monday | 15 september 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com THE TRIBUNE RELIEF FUND FOR J&K, PUNJAB & HP Congress has long stood with Pak-groomed terrorists: Modi Says it echoed Islamabad’s propaganda during Op Sindoor, didn’t back Army Nation of 1.4 bn won’t buy US corn: Lutnick warns of ‘tough time’ Ujwal Jalali Shekhar Singh Tribune News Service An Appeal to our Readers The devastating floods that have ravaged J&K, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in the past weeks have caused unprecedented destruction, sweeping away homes, crippling infrastructure, taking away lives, displacing families and leaving countless people in need for urgent relief and rehabilitation. In the past years, during such calamities, be it the floods in Kerala, the landslides in Uttarakhand, the floods in Jammu and Kashmir, the cloudburst in Ladakh, the Orissa Cyclone, the Kargil War or the Gujarat earthquake, Tribune readers have always come forward to make their valuable donations. The Tribune Trust appeals to its readers to do so once again. Their contributions will provide invaluable support for reducing the anguish of the families of those who have lost lives and their homes. The names of all those who donate ~500 and above will be published in the paper. These donations shall also qualify for deduction under the Income Tax Act, in accordance with the applicable provisions. Donations should be in the form of crossed cheques or demand drafts in favour of the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and sent to The Tribune Trust, Sector 29-C, Chandigarh160030, or to The Tribune offices in various cities. All donations received by us will be duly sent to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. — President and Trustees of The Tribune Trust, Chandigarh Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 14 US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has warned India of a “tough time” doing business with Washington if it fails to bring down tariffs, saying a country of 1.4 billion people does not import even “one bushel of US corn” but enjoys access to the American market. In a sharp critique during an interview, Lutnick accused India of “taking advantage” of the US by maintaining high tariffs on American goods while freely selling their own products to US consumers. “They sell to us and take advantage of us. They block us from their economy while we are wide open for them to come in... The President says fair and reciprocal trade — bring down your tariffs, treat us the way we treat you.” Lutnick said. Hitting out at India for its “unfair trade practices”, Lutnick said New Delhi’s refusal to buy US farm products exemplified the imbalance. “India brags that they have 1.4 billion people. Why won’t their 1.4 billion people buy one bushel of US corn? Doesn’t that rub you the New Delhi, September 14 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of siding with terrorists groomed by Pakistan instead of supporting the Army, and hailed the Assam Government for “evicting infiltrators from encroached land”. Modi said he had endured personal attacks and abuses from the Congress, including insults directed at his late mother Heeraben, but as a devotee of Lord Shiva, he would “drink the poison” of abuses and continue to serve the people. Speaking at a rally in Assam, he said the people of India were his only “remote control” and the only authority before whom he bowed. Modi recalled the 1962 Chinese aggression and said the scars left on the North-East by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s handling of the war had “yet to heal”. He accused the Congress of continuing to “sprinkle salt” on those wounds, betraying Assam’s trust for decades in pursuit of vote bank politics. The PM alleged that the Congress had long stood with Pakistan-trained terrorists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma during the inauguration of several development works in Darrang, Assam. PTI ‘NEHRU’S HANDLING OF 1962 WAR LEFT SCARS ON NORTH-EAST’ ■ Modi recalled the 1962 Chinese aggression and said the scars left on the North-East by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s handling of the war had ‘yet to heal’ shielded infiltrators, and had even mocked Assam’s cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika. “During Operation Sindoor, when our forces destroyed terror bases across the border, the Congress leadership echoed Pakistan’s propaganda instead of backing our Army. ■ He accused the Congress of continuing to ‘sprin- kle salt’ on those wounds, betraying Assam’s trust for decades in pursuit of vote bank politics They protected infiltrators who seized land, threatened women and girls, and sought to change Assam’s demography. Those days are over,” he said, praising Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for reclaiming farmland from encroachment. The PM also brought up Congress’ dismissal of Hazarika when he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. “They mocked it as an honour for ‘singers and dancers’. That insult still hurts the people of Assam,” he said, arguing that the cultural pride of the state had been trampled continued on page 8 WEB OF SPIN CHOKES PAK China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has rebuffed US call to G7 nations to impose tariffs on countries purchasing oil from Russia, saying war cannot solve problems and “sanctions only complicate them”. “China doesn’t participate in or plan wars, and what China does is to encourage peace talks and promote political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue,” Wang said. wrong way? They put tariffs on everything,” he said. The remarks come against the backdrop of the ongoing trade tensions between Washington and its allies after the US imposed steep tariffs on countries it accuses of maintaining protectionist barriers. Lutnick defended the move, saying it was aimed at correcting “years of wrongs” and ensuring American exporters get a level playing field. “Now we’ve got to right years of wrong. So we want a tariff continued on page 8 RahulinPunjabtoday, tovisitflood-hitareas CHANDIGARH: Leader of Oppo- sition Rahul Gandhi will visit Punjab’s flood-affected areas on Monday. After landing in Amritsar at 9.30 am, he will tour Ajnala, Dera Baba Nanak, Dinanagar and Gurdaspur. PPCC chief Raja Warring said Rahul would meet affected families and review relief operations before returning to Delhi. INSIDE Aman ‘overweight’, outofwrestlingc’ship (CROATIA): India’s campaign at the World Wrestling Championships suffered a setback on Sunday after Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat was disqualified for failing weight test. Aman, competing in the 57kg freestyle, was found to be 1.7kg overweight and was forced to withdraw. INSIDE ZAGREB NIA files chargesheet against 3 over Amritsar grenade attack ASI arrested for tampering with proof in Negi case Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Shimla, September 14 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested suspended ASI Pankaj Sharma for allegedly tampering with the pen drive that was found from the body of Vimal Negi, former Chief Engineer, Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL). Negi, who went missing earlier this year, was found dead in the Gobind Sagar lake in Bilaspur on March 18. This is the first arrest in the case since it was handed over to the CBI by the Himachal Pradesh High Court in May. Sources said a 10-member CBI team on Sunday raided Sharma’s house in Ghumarwin, Bilaspur district, and took him into custody. The accused will now be presented in a court. Earlier, the special investigation team (SIT), constituted by the CBI, had called Sharma for interrogation on various occasions. Negi’s death triggered a massive outrage from his family as well as employees of the HPPCL, leading to a massive protest outside the HPPCL office. continued on page 8 CHINA REJECTS US PUSH FOR TARIFFS Indian players celebrate the wicket of Mohammad Haris as they restrict Pakistan to 127/9 during an Asia Cup 2025 tie at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. India registered a convincing seven-wicket victory in the one-sided Group A league match. ANI New Delhi, September 14 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against three men in connection with the grenade attack on the Thakurdwara Sanatan Temple in Chheharta, Amritsar, earlier this year, a senior official said here on Sunday. In its chargesheet submitted before the Special NIA Court in Mohali, the agency named Vishal Gill, Bhagwant Singh and Diwan Singh for their roles in the Probe reveals transfer of funds from abroad conspiracy and execution of the March 15 attack. Gill was identified as one of the two bike-borne assailants who lobbed the grenade in the early hours of March 15. His associate, Gursidak Singh, was killed in a police encounter two days later. According to the official, Bhagwant Singh provided shelter, concealed grenades, arranged motorcycles for reconnaissance and extended logistical support, both before and after the strike. Diwan Singh has been chargesheeted for harbouring a co-accused and destroying evidence. Another key accused, Sharanjeet Kumar, was arrested in Gaya, Bihar, on September 5. “Investigations are ongoing against him and absconding accused Badalpreet Singh, who is believed to be abroad,” the official said. The agency said its probe has uncovered the transfer of terror funds from foreign handlers to local operatives through UPI and MTSS channels. Malik threatened officials during Op Sindoor: Dossier Arjun Sharma Jammu, September 14 In its dossier on Mehraj Malik, who has been detained under the J&K Public Safety Act (PSA), the Doda administration has claimed the AAP MLA had allegedly issued threats to government officials during Operation Sindoor when the authorities were trying to counter elements attempting to divide the nation along religious and regional lines. The dossier said, “During Operation Sindoor, an initiative aimed at countering elements attempting to divide the nation along religious and regional lines, the subject (Malik) openly issued threats to government officials in his constituency and sought to incite public hostility against the administration. Multiple FIRs have been registered against him for unlawful acts, including forcibly locking government offices and verbally and physically attacking NET RESTORED IN DODA Authorities on Sunday restored broadband Internet services in Doda district where the situation started returning to normal after nearly one-week long restrictions following detention of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, officials said. INSIDE public servants on several occasions.” Prepared by the Doda SSP , the dossier was forwarded to the J&K Home Department by Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh. It said Malik, a resident of Doda, was a history-sheeter and had become a habitual offender, with a number of criminal cases registered against him at various police stations across the union territory. The dossier was prepared before slapping the PSA on Malik. He was detained and sent to Kathua District Jail. “He is currently serving as an MLA from the Doda constituency and is known to assert himself as a self-styled leader, frequently resorting to unlawful means to subdue the government procedures, rules and laws, while making irresponsible statements as if the law of the land does not apply to him being a lawmaker. He disturbs the public peace and tranquillity to get his ill designs implemented by force, threats and violence,” the document said. It further said Malik used social media handles, especially Facebook Live, to mount continued on page 8 Pb’s flood-hit animals get Humane touch Manav Mander Tribune News Service Activists of Humane World of Animals rescue a dog in a flood-hit area. Ludhiana, September 14 As devastating floods wreaked havoc across Punjab, displacing people and impacting more than 2.5 lakh animals, Humane World for Animals India has mobilised an urgent disaster response operation to assist stranded and suffering animals. In collaboration with the Indian Red Cross Society (Punjab), Compassion for Group offers feed, vet care to affected districts Animals Welfare Association and the Animal Husbandry Department, the organisation is delivering emergency aid to the worst-affected districts, including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Muktsar. The recent floods, reported to be the worst since 1988, have caused widespread loss of livestock. Companion animals like dogs and cats have also been left without food, shelter or medical care in affected areas. Sharing grim accounts from the field, Jaihari AK, senior coordinator of disaster response at Humane World for Animals India, said, “We’ve seen street dogs scavenging through debris. In many villages, animals have gone without food for days. Our team delivered the c m y b first batch of fodder and companion animal feed in Jalandhar and Amritsar.” The team’s priorities include distributing emergency feed to prevent starvation, supplying veterinary medicines for injured and sick animals and providing basic care for companion animals. Despite high water levels preventing access to some remote areas, feed was distributed to local caregivers to sustain animals temporarily. continued on page 8 Jaismine Lamboria, who won gold in the 57kg category on Sunday. ANI Hry girls pack a punch, win 2 gold, silver, bronze Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, September 14 Haryana girls have won laurels at the international boxing circuit, with two pugilists from the state winning gold medals for the country in their respective weight categories at the ongoing World Boxing Championships being held in Liverpool, UK. The first gold medal was bagged by Bhiwani girl Jaismine Lamboria in the 57 kg weight category by defeating continued on page 8 Minakshi on winning gold (48kg category) at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. ANI