19122024-ATR-01.qxd 12/18/2024 10:40 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 4°C YESTERDAY MAX 19°C | MIN 4°C SIKH OUTFITS SLAM SGPC CALL TO OSTRACISE CHAURA KULJINDER’S FILM IS ABOUT FIGHT OF A COMMON MAN FILM LAAPATAA LADIES OUT OF OSCARS’ RACE Sikh organisations have opposed SGPC’s recommendation for excommunication of Narain Singh Chaura from Panth. P2 Kuljinder Sidhu’s film Gurmukh-The Eyewitness explores the relentless fight of a humble yet resolute man. P4 Film Laapataa Ladies, India’s official entry at the 97th Academy Awards, is out of the Oscars’ race. P4 » » » SUNSET THURSDAY 5.30 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 7:25 AM THURSDAY | 19 DECEMBER 2024 | AMRITSAR One shot dead, another injured as farm dispute takes ugly turn Significant breakthrough in Islamabad police station blast DC constitutes task force to combat TB in dist Amritsar, December 18 Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sakshi Sawhney today constituted a task force to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in the district. She instructed officials of the task force to maintain record of every TB patient. She said every needy patient should be referred to specialists. She said proper diet should be given as per advice of doctors to patients. In a meeting held today, it was also decided that patients who were financially unable to get healthy and nutritious diet, would be helped through various social and religious organisations in this connection. The DC also requested philanthropists to help such patients in getting proper diet during their medical treatment. The DC directed the administration to seek cooperation from all government officials, employees and other individuals in this regard. Setting an example, she also offered to give financial assistance for diet of 10 TB patients on her behalf. Sawhney said Amritsar was first district in the country where TB was eliminated. — TNS PK Jaiswar Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 18 A day after ‘blast’ at the police station, the police have found vital clues about perpetrators, who hurled explosives inside the police station, located in the densely populated Islamabad locality here on Tuesday. “We have clues, but can’t share details at the moment as it will hamper probe,” said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. He said the type of explosive material would be ascertained only after the arrival of forensic examination reports. Nevertheless, a police official privy to the investigation revealed that they had almost cracked the case by identifying suspects and raids were on to nab them. “We are near cracking the case. Those involved will be in The Islamabad police station is located in densely populated locality. the police net soon,” said the official wishing not to be named. Germany-based gangster Jeevan Fauji had claimed the responsibility for the blast at the police station. A purported voice message of Fauji went viral on social media in which he claimed the respon- sibility for the blast. Yesterday, Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police, also visited Amritsar district which had witnessed four out of six ‘blasts’ in Punjab during the last 25 days. He took stock of the security arrangements besides directing police officials to use technical and human intelligence to solve the case and arrest perpetrators of the crime. Yadav today held a meeting of senior police officials and gazetted officers to chalk out further strategy in view of the spurt in attacks on police establishments. He said the police in civvies would keep a close eye on the late night movements near police establishments. Higher officials would coordinate with uniformed cops through walky-talky sets, he said. Besides, the police have also started night domination operation which would continue in the future also. During the operation last night, the police detained 16 persons under preventive action apart from impounding 32 vehicles under Section 207 of Motor Vehicles Act and challaned 172 individuals. PHOTOS: GURBAXPURI Cops to keep eye on movements near police establishments The deceased (Inset); and his family members at the Civil Hospital in Tarn Taran. Tarn Taran, December 18 One person was shot dead while his brother received serious injuries when a group of 14 armed men opened fire over a land dispute in the Mand area, across river Beas in Chamba Kalan village on Tuesday night. The deceased has been identified as Shamsher Singh (24) of Chamba Kalan village and the injured as Devinder Singh, his brother. The condition of the injured is stated to be serious. The Chohla Sahib police led by Sub-Inspector Raj Kumar reached the spot and collect- ed details about the incident. Mohinder Singh, an uncle of the victim, said he along with his nephews Shamsher Singh and Devinder Singh, had gone to their fields on a tractor. One Palwinder Singh of Chamba Kalan village was ploughing his fields. They tried to stop him from doing so. Meanwhile, his other armed supporters too appeared on the spot and opened fire at them. Bullets hit Shamsher Singh in his stomach and he died on the spot. Mohinder Singh’s other nephew Devinder Singh also received bullet injuries and was admitted to a local pri- vate hospital. SHO Raj Kumar said Palwinder Singh. Jagtar Singh, Balwinder Singh, Arashdeep Singh, Jagrup Singh, Veer Singh, Nishan Singh, Yodhbir Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Avtar Singh, Joban Singh, Daljit Sing and Harjinder Singh, all of Chamba Kalan village and Kagga Singh of Kambo Dhai Wala village were booked in this connection. He said the accused absconded from the spot with the victim’s tractor. Raids were on to arrest them, he added. — OC Rail tracks blocked in Tarn Taran dist for 3 hours Farmers give call for Punjab bandh on Dec 30 KMSC says tracks blocked at over 50 places in 23 districts during stir Farmers and labourers stage a dharna on rail tracks in Tarn Taran on Wednesday. PHOTO: GURBAXPURI ing dharna on the Tarn Taran-Khemkaran rail route here on Wednesday. Hundreds of farmers and the mazdoors (labourers), including men and women, participated in the dharna under the leadership of Satnam Singh Manochahal, district president, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), Punjab, today. Satnam Singh Pannu, Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, December 18 On the three-hour call for “rail roko” given by different farmers and mazdoor (labours) organisations fighting for their demands at Shambhu and Khanauri border under the joint forum of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, trains were stopped by stag- state leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), Harjinder Singh Shakri were among others who addressed protesters on the occasion. Leaders besides demanding legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for 23 major crops in the country stressed on their demands which include waiving-off loans of the farmer-maz- door community. Leaders sharply condemned indifferent attitude of the Union Government for not implementing their demands which Centre had accepted at the end of the Delhi morcha in the year 2021. They condemned atrocities committed on farmers and mazdoors by the Haryana Government on the alleged instructions of Union Government. Amritsar, December 18 Farmers across the region held a dharna at railway stations and rail tracks to protest against the Central government over the use of brutal force against farmers and workers marching towards Delhi and the government’s silence on hunger strike of farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal since November 26. The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-politcial), while announcing their future course of action, have also given a call for Punjab bandh on December 30. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, who is spearheading the protest, said, “Rail tracks were blocked at over 50 places in 23 districts of the state for three hours.” A massive gathering of farmers was witnessed at Devidaspura near here where Pandher exhorted farmers to get ready for the fight against the Central Government and Farmer union members sit on rail tracks at the Amritsar railway station on Wednesday. VISHAL KUMAR corporate houses. Farmers also staged protest at the railway station here due to which rail services remained crippled for three hours. The Railways rescheduled many trains due to which passengers had to face inconvenience. “The government is trying to bring back three agricultural laws under the pretext of Agricultural Marketing Policy. The Minister of Agriculture is telling lies in parliament. Even the state government is silent,” he said. Pandher also asked businessmen and traders to support farmers in their protest by participating in the Punjab bandh on December 30. He said all services except those of the emergency nature, would be shut. Pandher said Ranjodh Singh of Ratanheri village near Khanna had consumed Celphos at Shambhu border due to indifferent attitude of government and died. “Ranjodh, in his last letter, had accused the Central government and Home Minister of his death. We demand from the Punjab Government to register an FIR against Home Minister on the basis of Ranjodh’s statement,” said Pandher. — TNS Nostalgia hits streets as loudspeaker-mounted rickshaws NorthMLAKunwarVijayPratapmissing make a comeback in municipal corporation elections from posters, hoardings of MC elections Charanjit Singh Teja Manmeet Singh Gill Amritsar, December 18 Even as the focus of election campaigns has shifted to digital platforms, one can still feel nostalgic while hearing political slogans blaring from loudspeakers mounted on auto-rickshaws as is evident from these three-wheelers roaming in the city during the campaigning for the Municipal Corporation (MC) elections. Until the 2012 Assembly elections, regular announcements echoed in every corner of the city through loudspeakers installed on auto-rickshaws or rehris (Hand-drawn carts) which displayed party symbols and pictures of candidates. With social media and digital platforms gaining prominence during the election campaigning, loudspeaker- PHOTO: SUNIL KUMAR Tribune News Service A three-wheeler mounted with loudspeaker during campaigning for the MC polls in Amritsar. mounted auto-rickshaws were not seen in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. However, in the elections for the local bodies, candidates are still using auto-rickshaws to send personal mes- sages to voters in their respective wards. Besides the trend of weighing candidates with coins and sweets is no more in vogue due to restrictions on candidates regarding their election expenditure. “If a candidate is weighed with sweets, the cost of eatables will be included in his election expenses and for weighing with coins a candidate will have to submit c m y b details to the authorities concerned. Candidates themselves are wary of getting weighed with sweets or coins nowadays,” said a local leader. More than two decades ago, the trend of spreading recorded messages through loudspeakers by candidates was so popular that a person from Fatehgarh Churian was named Om Puri by people as his deep voice was in high demand during election campaigns. Old timers say Om Puri was so much in demand that even candidates from other districts contacted him for recording their messages his voice. In contrast, present day candidates prefer personalised messages in their own voice, which are delivered to voters in their respective areas through automated calls, in a bid to touch a personal chord with them. Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 18 In a strange move, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is vocal about civic issues and matters concerning the government, has not been active in the ongoing campaign for MC polls. His face was missing from posters and hoardings of the AAP candidates, but visible on posters of some Independent candidates. He is even holding meetings for some Independent candidates. Kunwar Vijay Pratap even missed the event in which AAP state president Aman Arora, Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and local MLAs announced five guarantees for city residents. Responding to a query about his absence, Dhaliwal said, “What if one MLA was missing? Rest of all were present.” The party has allotted most tickets to supporters of former Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu in the North constituency which is represented by Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. Some close aides of Kunwar Vijay Pratap claimed that he didn’t demand tickets from the party for his supporters, but there were several in his camp who were aspirants for the MC polls. Meanwhile, Rintu managed to get around 15 tickets for his supporters . Kunwar Vijay Pratap was vocal about civic issues and often criticised his government for supplying contaminated water, choked sewers and garbage heaps in localities. He raised civic issues in the Punjab Assembly too, but to no avail. Differences with CM Bhagwant Mann on desecration issues were already there, but Kunwar Vijay Pratap was side-lined from local political activities too. When contacted, MLA Kun- war Vijay Pratap Singh said, “My picture has been displayed by candidates of AAP and Independents in all constituencies of the city. I didn’t ask anyone to contest as an Independent candidate. But I am supporting those who have good character and deal with us whether they are contesting from the AAP or as an Independent.” He further said, “I am a member of the “original AAP” which belongs to Kejriwal. We don’t have any group, but are working to strengthen the AAP Some elements created . groupism in AAP Some crim. inals joined the party in the past. this doesn’t match with the ideology of Kejriwal. I have ideological difference with those people, who created groups in the party. I joined AAP after being inspired by Kejriwal, I am still with him and support his original party.”