06072024-TTC-01.qxd 06-07-2024 00:47 Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 8 NO. 186 | 22 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 BJP REPLACES HARYANA, HP IN-CHARGES, RETAINS RUPANI IN PUNJAB NATION /thetribunechd SHAH, NADDA MEET UT BJP LEADERS, DISCUSS POLL READINESS J&K PRICES OF TOMATOES SURGE TO ~70-80/KG IN CAPITAL BUSINESS AT ~1.27L CR, DEFENCE PRODUCTION HIT ALL-TIME HIGH LAST FISCAL BACK PAGE saturday | 6 july 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com In Hathras, Rahul says Sunak exits10 Downing, Starmer new UK not out to play politics, premier after landslide win for Labour Party but flags admn lapses Animesh Singh Tribune News Service Hathras, July 5 Days after 121 persons were killed in a stampede during a congregation organised by selfstyled godman Bhole Baba in Hathras, Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday met with the families of some of the deceased in the western Uttar Pradesh town, and sought greater compensation for them. Gandhi, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai, spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, Saharanpur MP Imran Masood and former MP Danish Ali, said he didn’t want to politicise the tragedy, but these families should be given their due. “There is no point in giving the victims’ families inadequate compensation and that, too, not on time.” He said the families had told him that adequate police arrangements had not been made for the religious event, leading to the stampede. “These are difficult times for the families. They are poor, therefore the Uttar Pradesh Government should give the Leader of Opposition bats for adequate compensation for stampede victims’ kin London, July 5 Keir Starmer became UK’s new Prime Minister on Friday and vowed to rebuild Britain, hours after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in a general election in which the weary voters inflicted a “sobering verdict” on Rishi Sunakled Conservatives, who suffered their worst drubbing. Starmer, 61, assumed charge as the 58th PM after his customary audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, following Sunak’s meeting with the monarch. MODI GREETS KEIR ON ‘REMARKABLE’ WIN PM Modi congratulated Labour leader Keir Starmer on his party’s landslide win and said he looked forward to their positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership. Modi also praised outgoing PM Sunak for his admirable leadership and contribution to deepen the India-UK relations. << Britain’s Labour Party PM Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria at 10 Downing Street in London. AP/PTI RECORD 28 BRITISH-INDIANS ELECTED TO UK PARLIAMENT Rahul Gandhi with Mukesh Kumar and his daughter in Hathras on Friday. Mukesh’s younger daughter Lata died in the stampede. MR BHUI MAIN ACCUSED SURRENDERS IN DELHI Devprakash Madhukar, main accused in the stampede case, was taken into custody after he surrendered before the police in Delhi, his lawyer claimed late on Friday. Madhukar, mukhya sevadar of the satsang, is the only accused named in the FIR. PTI compensation magnanimously. It is apparent that the arrangements were inade- quate at the ‘satsang’, the administration should look continued on page 9 The Labour Party secured 412 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, up 211 from 2019. Sunak’s Conservatives won 121 seats, down 250 seats from last election. While the Labour had a vote share of 33.7 per cent, the Conservatives had 23.7 per cent. “Our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics for public service,” said Starmer in his inaugural address from a lectern outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. As leader of a new continued on page 7 edit: Labour all the way 12 MPs with Punjab roots Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service Bathinda, July 5 A record 12 Punjab-origin politicians entered the UK’s House of Commons on Friday as the Labour Party registered a historic victory in the parliamentary elections. The count stood at five in 2019. Of the 12 MPs, which includes six women, 11 belong to the Labour Party while Gagan Mohindra is from the Conservative Party. The prominent faces include Preet Kaur Gill from Birm- Out on parole, Amritpal, Won’t be rational to scrap NEET, Rashid take oath as MPs will hit honest students: Govt to SC Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 5 Jailed radical Amritpal Singh (31) and Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid (56), who were granted parole to take oath as members of the Lok Sabha, were sworn in as MPs on Friday amid heavy security presence in and around the Parliament complex. Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail in a terrorfunding case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, while Amritpal was kept at a Dibrugarh prison in Assam for offences under the National Security Act. They were brought to Parliament by security personnel this morning. The MPs-elect took oath in the chamber of the Lok Sabha Speaker after completing formalities. Amritpal and Rashid won the recent continued on page 9 Satya Prakash Brought to Parliament amid heavy security Amritpal’s father Tarsem Singh (L) in New Delhi on Friday. AMRITPAL’S MOTHER SAYS HE’S NOT PRO-KHALISTAN New Delhi, July 5 Amid demands for cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 examination over alleged paper leak, the Centre on Friday opposed before the Supreme Court petitions seeking scrapping of the May 5 examination, saying it will seriously “jeopardise lakhs of honest candidates who didn’t adopt any unfair means”. “In the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality, it will not be NTA too opposes cancellation| CJI-led Bench to hear petitions on July 8 NEET-PG ON AUGUST 11 NEET-PG will be held on August 11 in two shifts. The cut-off date for eligibility will remain August 15. The exam was scheduled for June 22, but was postponed. INSIDE rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared,” the Union Ministry of Education said in ■ Satvir Kaur Southampton ■ Harpreet Kaur Uppal Huddersfield ■ Sonia Kumar Dudley ■ Warinder Juss Wolverhampton West Preet Kaur Gill Seema Malhotra ingham Edgbaston, Seema Malhotra from Feltham and Heston and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi from Slough. The trio have their roots in Jalandhar. Seema has won for record fifth time while Tanmanjeet Dhesi Gagan Mohindra it’s third term for both Gill and Dhesi. Gill is said to be a frontrunner to be a minister in the new UK cabinet. “An honour and a privilege to be re-elected again as an MP for continued on page 7 Arvind Kejriwal. FILE OVER 150 LAWYERS FLAG ‘CONFLICT OF INTEREST’, WRITE TO CJI INSIDE CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case filed by the ED. He has already challenged his arrest in the CBI case. Earlier the CM, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was granted bail by the trial court, but the order was stayed by the HC. — TNS Tribune News Service Jalandhar/Chandigarh, July 5 “I am here by choice. And the choice is to serve you. I am not like leaders of the previous governments, where they revelled in being called Kaka ji or Raja sahib… here you just reach out to me, hold me by my sleeve and feel connected with me by calling me your ‘Bai ji’,” says Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party state president Bhagwant Mann in his public meetings in different wards CM Bhagwant Mann after a meet with doctors in Jalandhar. MALKIAT SINGH of Jalandhar West, as he campaigns intensively for party candidate Mahinder Bhagat for the July 10 bypoll. The hot and humid weather the last few weeks has certain- ■ Jas Atwal Ilford South ■ Jeevun Sandher Loughborough ■ Kirith Ahluwalia Bolton North East ■ Gurinder Singh Josan Smethwick ■ Gagan Mohindra South West Herts (Gagan Mohindra a Conservative, rest are from Labour Party) Haryana state poll to be my last bow, Hooda tells Cong Chandigarh, July 5 The October Assembly poll in Haryana will be the last election that Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Leader of Opposition and former Congress CM, contests. Though he is mum on the issue in public, and even refused to answer a question pertaining to his future at a media briefing, Congress sources said he conveyed his decision to the party top brass at a recent meeting of the state leaders. The meeting was held to deliberate on the strategy for the Assembly elections. INSIDE As ‘Bai ji’ CM battles it out in Jalandhar West , Deepkamal Kaur & Ruchika M Khanna ■ Seema Malhotra Feltham-Heston ■ Tanmanjeet Dhesi Slough A video grab of the three men attacking the Shiv Sena leader. 3 Nihangs attack Sena leader with swords in Ludhiana, 2 arrested Nikhil Bhardwaj Chandigarh: Amritpal’s mother Balwinder Kaur has sought her son’s release and said he is “not a Khalistan supporter”. “By speaking about Punjab’s rights and saving youth (from drugs), can anyone become a Khalistan supporter?” she said, adding “he fought the poll within Constitution’s ambit and has now taken oath”. PTI HC seeks CBI response on Kejriwal’s bail petition New Delhi, July 5 The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to the CBI on CM Arvind Kejriwal’s petition seeking bail in a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. Asking the CBI to respond to the plea, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna posted the matter for further hearing on July 17. On behalf of Kejriwal, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the CM was not a terrorist or a flight risk and that the CBI arrested him after he got bail in the case lodged by the ED. CBI’s counsel DP Singh objected to Kejriwal directly moving the high court without first filing a bail plea in the trial court. The AAP convener was arrested by the Tribune News Service an affidavit filed in the top court. “It is submitted that in any examination, there are competing rights that have been created whereby the interests of a large number of students who have taken the examination without adopting any alleged unfair means must not also be jeopardised,” the affidavit read. “The Union of India remains committed to protecting the interests of lakhs of students who have attempted the question paper fairly and after continued on page 7 MAKING THEIR MARK ABROAD TASTING SUCCESS ■ Preet Kaur Gill Birmingham Edgbaston ly taken its toll on politicians across the spectrum. But the Chief Minister, who has literally shifted to Jalandhar from Chandigarh to spearhead this key political battle in the wake of AAP losses in the Lok Sabha election, is keenly aware that this is a crucial election, where the stakes are high. So in his trademark yellow turban and white kurta-pyjama, he sets out every morning to showcase the government’s schemes to voters across the socio-economic spectrum — 300 units continued on page 7 Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 5 In a broad daylight assault, Shiv Sena leader Sandeep Thapar, alias Gora Thapar, was seriously injured when he was attacked by three Nihangs with swords near the Civil Hospital here on Friday. The police have arrested two suspects. Thapar, 48, was targeted when he was going back after attending a memorial function of BJP leader Ravinder Arora at Samvedna Trust, located in the Civil Hospital. Addressing the media on Friday night, Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal said two of the attackers were arrested near Guru Attackers claim affiliation with Baba Buddha Dal Granth Sahib University, Fatehgarh Sahib, after a joint operation was conducted with the Khanna and Fatehgarh Sahib police. Thapar’s scooter had been recovered from them. The arrested suspects are Sarabjit Singh Sabha (34) of Tibba road and Harjot Singh Jota (35) of Bhamian, Ludhiana. Third accused Tehal Singh of Amritsar is absconding. Chahal said, “The accused claimed they were associated with the Baba Buddha Dal. The motive behind the attack continued on page 7 ‘Overburdened’ seven Haryana cops apply for demotion , Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, July 5 Already reeling under an acute staff crunch, the Haryana Police now face a peculiar problem as some employees have requested their higher-ups to demote them from their current ranks, citing depression and other stress-related ailments. According to police sources, there are seven applications with the Additional Director General of Police’s (ADGP) office in Hisar from police personnel requesting demotion from their current posts such as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and Head Constable. In his application for demotion, an ASI posted at the City police station in Fatehabad stated that he had been suffering from ailments such as depression, sugar and blood CITE STRESS-RELATED AILMENTS ■ Seven applications received at the ADGP office in Hisar ■ The police personnel say they won’t claim seniority, Assured Career Progression in future pressure, making it tough for him to handle case investigations. “I request to be demoted to a lower rank. I will never stake a claim for seniority or Assured Career Progression c m y b ■ Cite depression and other stress-related ailments ■ Haryana Police have 50,000 personnel against sanctioned strength of 70,000 (ACP) in the future,” he stated. A Head Constable from the Civil Lines police station in Hisar, while requesting a demotion, stated that he was suffering from depression and was unable to carry out investigations. “My father is suffering from cancer and my wife is also employed with the police. I too am suffering from ailments and there is no one at home to take care of our children,” he explained. Another Head Constable from Fatehabad district submitted a similar application to the higher authorities. While ADGP M Ravi Kiran was unavailable for comment despite attempts to reach him on his official mobile phone and at his residence, Fatehabad SP Astha Modi declined to comment on the matter. Dilawar Singh, president of the Haryana Police Sangathan, an organisation of retired police personnel, told The Tribune that he had received information about 20 police personnel “applying for demotion” and an equal continued on page 7
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).