06012025-TTC-01.qxd 1/6/2025 12:24 AM 13 LOP SEEKS BHARAT RATNA FOR EX-PM PUNJAB /thetribunechd Page 1 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 6 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 monday | 6 january 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Contempt plea on Dallewal’s health in top court today Tribune News Service Three Coast Guard air crew killed in Guj chopper crash Tribune News Service PM Narendra Modi, Union Minister ML Khattar and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva at a party rally ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections. Party candidate Ramesh Bidhuri (second left) is also seen. MANAS RANJAN BHUI PM: Won’t discontinue Delhi welfare schemes Seeks change in govt to weed out graft Bidhuri regrets Tribune News Service Priyanka ‘cheek’ DELHI DEHAT remark after row New Delhi, January 5 AWAITS REVENGE Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said no existing public welfare scheme would be discontinued if the BJP was voted to power in Delhi. Addressing a rally in the Rohini area here, the PM said the ruling Aam Aadmi Party was “spreading fear” that the BJP would discontinue the welfare schemes introduced by the AAP government in Delhi. “No public welfare scheme will be withdrawn... The BJP will ensure better implementation of the schemes by weed- ❝ Delhi Dehat is waiting to take revenge on the BJP for failing to bring in land reforms & implement land-pooling policy. Arvind Kejriwal, EX-CM ing out corruption,” he said. The PM said if the BJP was voted to power in Delhi, it would also implement central schemes that had been stalled by the AAP government. “Central schemes such as Ujjwala are very popular continued on page 8 New Delhi, January 5 BJP candidate from Kalkaji Ramesh Bidhuri on Sunday triggered a controversy with remarks against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi. Bidhuri later expressed regret over his comments against Priyanka after drawing flak. Addressing an event here, Bidhuri said, “Lalu Yadav once famously said he would make the roads of Bihar as smooth as Hema Malini’s cheeks. He failed to deliver continued on page 8 BUMRAH’S 36 WICKETS FAIL TO SAVE SERIES SPORT New Delhi, January 5 Amid reports about the deteriorating health condition of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the Supreme Court will on Monday take up a petition seeking contempt of court against Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav for their “failure” to implement its order on shifting him to a hospital. Dallewal has been on a fastunto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press for the acceptance of farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee for the continued on page 8 New Delhi, January 5 Three Coast Guard personnel, including two pilots, were killed in a helicopter crash at Gujarat’s Porbandar airport on Sunday. The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the Indian Coast Guard was returning from a routine sortie when it crashed while trying to land on the runaway, killing Commandant Saurabh, Deputy Commandant SK Yadav and Navik Manoj Pradhan. This is the second fatal crash of the Coast Guard’s ALH fleet in four months. In September last year, three continued on page 8 Four Naxals, cop die in Bastar encounter Four Naxalites were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, the police said on Sunday. A head constable of the District Reserve Guard was also killed in the encounter. The gunfight broke out on Saturday evening. — PTI DANTEWADA: Bangla CEC: 180 mn denied voting right Rescue workers at the helicopter crash site at Porbandar airport. PTI DHAKA: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of Bangladesh, AMM Nasir Uddin, said on Sunday that almost 180 million people had been denied their voting right and the Election Commission wanted to end their deprivation, The Dhaka Tribune reported. INSIDE Policy to battle drug menace in Nitish snubs Lalu, says Punjab in works, rehab priority earlier tie-up a mistake Ruchika M Khanna AAP GOVT STUDYING MANIPUR MODEL Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 5 The AAP government is all set to bring out a policy to take on the lingering menace of drug abuse in the state. With focus on prevention, enforcement, de-addiction and rehabilitation, the policy will be rolled out within twothree months. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has already formed a State Steering Committee, headed by Chief Secre- ■ The AAP government is exam- ining if the Manipur policy on substance use can be replicated in the state ■ This policy focuses on genderspecific problems and community-based detoxification ■ Steps include easy availability of medicines that can prevent drug overdose deaths tary KAP Sinha with Principal Secretary Rahul Tiwari as its nodal officer, to monitor and c m y b coordinate the de-addiction and rehabilitation programme. continued on page 8 Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 5 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday declined RJD patriarch and former Union Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s “offer” of returning to the grand alliance comprising the RJD, the Congress and Left parties, indicating that he had made a “mistake” earlier of joining hands with him. Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) was once a partner in the grand alliance. The JD(U) chief had left the grouping due to differences and rejoined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “Those who were in power before us... did they do anything? People used to fear stepping out of their homes after sunset. I had “galti se” (by mistake) aligned with them a couple of times,” Nitish Kumar told reporters at Muzaffarpur on the sidelines of an official function. continued on page 8