15012025-TTB-01.qxd 15-01-2025 00:09 Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 15 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA HAMAS ACCEPTS GAZA CEASEFIRE DRAFT AGREEMENT WORLD /thetribunechd NATURAL CAVE OF VAISHNO DEVI OPENED FOR DEVOTEES J&K WPI INFLATION RISES TO INDIA AMONG FEW NATIONS 2.37%, ALL EYES ON RBI THAT CAN TALK TO RUSSIA, RATE DECISION BUSINESS KYIV: EAM BACK PAGE wednesday | 15 january 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com J&K incomplete without ParlpaneltocallMeta overchief’s poll claim PoK: Rajnath targets Pak AWASH IN FAITH New Delhi, January 14 The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology and Communications on Tuesday said it would summon Meta over its chief Mark Zuckerberg’s false statement that the incumbent Indian Government lost the 2024 elections due to “poor” Covid response. Panel chairman Nishikant Dubey said the social media firm would have to apologise for the incorrect remarks. “My committee will call Meta for this wrong information. Wrong information in any democratic country tarnishes the image of the country. That organisation will have to apologise to Parliament and the people here for this mistake,” Dubey said. He tagged Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw who had yesterday dismissed Zuckerberg’s remarks that the incumbent government in India had lost national elections following a weak Covid-19 response. “PM Modi’s decisive thirdterm victory is a testament to good governance and public trust. @Meta, it’s disappointing to see misinformation continued on page 10 6 soldiers injured in Rajouri mine blast MEAflagsconcernas IndiandiesinRussia JAMMU: NEW DELHI: Tribune News Service Asks it to dismantle terror infra or face consequences Our Correspondent Jammu, January 14 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday reiterated India’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir being incomplete without Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), and that Islamabad must stop using the territory to sponsor terrorism or be ready to face consequences. Addressing an event on the occasion of Armed Forces Veterans Day at Akhnoor in Jammu, the minister said, “For Pakistan, PoK is nothing more than foreign territory. The people living there have been deprived of a dignified life. Efforts are being made by Pakistan to mislead and provoke the people against India in the name of religion.” The retort is being viewed as a reply to PoK Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq, who had recently called for jihad against India. Rajnath said Pakistan must immediately dismantle its terror infrastructure. “PoK is being used as a base for terror training camps, which act as launch pads for infiltration. The Indian Government is well aware of the situation. Pakistan A seer from an ‘akhara’ during the first ‘Amrit Snan’ at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Tuesday. Nearly 3.5 crore devotees, including members of 13 ‘akharas’, took a dip to mark Makar Sankranti. PTI INSIDE Amritpal supporters float political outfit Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) Balwant Garg FINALISED AFTER POLL PANEL NOD Tribune News Service Muktsar, January 14 Radical Sikh leaders and supporters of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh floated a new regional political outfit, Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), during a conference at the Maghi Mela here on Tuesday. Faridkot MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, son of one of the two assassins of former ❝ Though our first preference was SAD (Anandpur Sahib), we decided to go with the name approved by the Election Commission of India. Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, FARIDKOT MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT PM Indira Gandhi, and Tarsem Singh, father of the jailed MP were among those , present at the conference. Amritpal, who is currently lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh Jail under the National Security Act (NSA), was declared the “chief sewadar” of the party. A five-member executive committee, comprising Khalsa, continued on page 10 Omar praises forces for safeguarding country TERROR LAUNCH PAD ❝ Neither in the 1965 war nor during the peak of terrorism did the J&K people side with Pakistan. Even today, over 80% of the terrorists infiltrating into India are born in Pakistan. Rajnath Singh, DEFENCE MINISTER will have to put an end to its nefarious designs,” he said. The minister said Pakistan had been fostering terrorism and infiltration since 1965, but had repeatedly failed to Kasauli police register Haryana gets tough on gangrape case against doping in sports, event Hry BJP chief, singer organisers to face ban Tribune News Service Solan, January 14 The Kasauli police have booked Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli and singer Rocky Mittal, alias Jai Bhagwan, on the charges of gangrape and criminal intimidation on a complaint filed by a woman on December 13, 2024. According to the FIR, accessed by The Tribune, the case pertains to July 3, 2023, when the victim, who is from Haryana, had come to Himachal Pradesh along with her friend and employer. After they checked out of a hotel at Kasauli on July 3, 2023, they met Badoli and Rocky who struck a conversation with them, said the FIR. Badoli introduced him- ALLEGATIONS FALSE ❝ The allegations are false and far removed from truth. The case is a sinister ploy to harm my reputation and political career. Mohan Lal Badoli, HARYANA BJP PRESIDENT self as a politician, Rocky told them he was a singer, it said. Later, the duo asked the victim and her friend to accompany them to their room where Rocky offered the victim a role continued on page 10 THE TRIBUNE IMPACT Drug use suspected during boxing c’ship Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service event organised from December 16-18 last year. About 250 players from the state’s 22 districts and the SAI centre had participated in the event, Haryana State Elite Men’s Boxing Championship, which was organised by the Haryana Boxing Federation (HBF). The Boxing Federation of India has sought an explanation on the issue from the HBF For its part, the HBF has . written to the National AntiDoping Agency to take samples of the winners at the event. The Haryana Sports Department has, meanwhile, continued on page 10 edit: india’s dope shame Hisar, January14 The Haryana Government has issued a strict warning to sports bodies of the state, threatening a ban if any incident of doping was detected at events organised by them. The action follows a report published in The Tribune highlighting the recovery of a large number of used syringes and empty vials in a washroom at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre at Haryana Agricultural University here. The syringes and vials had raised suspicion of doping and use of performance-enhancing steroids during a boxing Govt picks Rashtriya Smriti Sthal for MMS memorial, family seeks clarity on proposal THE TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE Aditi Tandon New Delhi, January 14 In the first remarks since the issue of the Manmohan Singh memorial came up, the late Prime Minister’s family on Tuesday said it needed more time to consider how to create a meaningful memorial to the departed leader. Speaking exclusively to The Tribune today, Daman Singh, daughter of the late PM, confirmed that the government had earmarked a site at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and engaged the family on the same. “The government has earmarked a specific site within the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal where our family may wish COURTESY X Tribune News Service NEED TO UNDERSTAND TERMS & CONDITIONS ❝ We have asked the government for certain clarifications & are waiting for a response. We still need to understand the precise terms and conditions. Daman Singh, DAUGHTER OF LATE PM MANMOHAN SINGH to construct and manage a suitable memorial for Dr Manmohan Singh,” Singh told this correspondent. She also told The Tribune that the family still needs to understand the precise terms and conditions of the proposal of the Centre and had sought clarity from the Centre on this issue. “In fact, we have asked the government for certain clarifications and are waiting for a response,” she said. The family’s first response on the Manmohan Singh memorial issue comes six days after Union Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said good news on the issue was around the corner. Daman Singh also added that Dr Manmohan Singh passed away only over two weeks ago and the family has hardly had time to grieve. “We need some more time to think seriously about how to create a meaningful memorial for him,” she said in signs that the matter of finalisation of the Manmohan Singh memorial was in the preliminary stages. The Rashtriya Smriti Sthal where the Centre has proposed a specific site for continued on page 10 c m y b influence the people of J&K. “Neither during the 1965 war nor when terrorism was at its peak did the J&K people side with Pakistan. Even today, over 80 per cent of the terrorists infiltrating into India are born in Pakistan,” he said. Rajnath said terrorism would have ended in 1965 itself had the then Indian regime “not given away the strategic advantages gained on the battlefield”. “The situation on the ground has significantly improved after the abrogation of Article 370,” he said. Describing the scrapping of Article 370 as a crucial step towards bridging the gap between J&K and the rest of the nation, he said the veterans’ day event in Akhnoor was a testament to the fact that J&K would always remain an integral part of India. L-G Manoj Sinha, CM Omar Abdullah and Army Chief Gen Anil Chauhan were among those present at the event at Tanda Artillery Brigade. Rajnath interacted with ex-servicemen and expressed gratitude to the armed forces’ personnel, both retired and serving, for safeguarding the country’s borders. Six Army personnel were on Tuesday injured in a landmine explosion in a forward village in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. The troops were on patrol duty when a soldier accidentally stepped over the landmine near the Khanba Fort area in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri at 10.45 am, triggering the explosion. The injured were rushed to hospital. Their condition was stated to be stable. — OC Smart India has sought early release of its nationals from Russia following the death of its national and injury to another in a battlefield in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Both persons hail from Kerala and are said to be relatives who had been working for the Russian army. Binil Babu (32) is said to have been shot dead while fighting. The injured man was identified as Jain TK (27). BACK PAGE