29012025-ATR-01.qxd 1/28/2025 11:36 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune GANG INVOLVED IN THEFT OF TRANSFORMER OIL BUSTED MERA GHAM GIVES A PEEK INTO THE REAL MA(A)N Who would have thought Saaun Di Jhadi hitmaker Babbu Maan endured enough gham to write a book on it?. P4 MAINLY CLEAR SKY MAX 20°C | MIN 4°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 4°C SIKH ARTS AND FILM FEST RETURNS TO CHANDIGARH The farmers succeeded in nabbing one of the two motorcycle-borne thieves with 40 litres of oil. P2 FORECAST Sikhlens, celebrating 26 years globally, returns to Chandigarh for its sixth consecutive year. P4 » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 6.02 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 7.24 AM » WEDNESDAY | 29 JANUARY 2025 | AMRITSAR Three vehicles impounded, 23 challans issued Cong wants re-election of Mayor, says democracy eroded by AAP Our Correspondent Tribune News Service Tarn Taran, January 28 A team of the District Road Safety Committee, which ensures the safety of students by implementing the ‘Safe School Vahan Scheme’, impounded three vehicles and issued challans to 23 drivers of St. Francis Secondary School here on Tuesday. A drive to check school vehicles was started after the closing of the school. Most of the school students, especially girls, could not return their homes on time and worried parents approached the school to get to know about the reason behind the delay. Rajesh Kumar, District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), who was heading the checking team of the school vehicles, said some of the vehicles were issued challans for the fourth time in a row. He said there were many vehicles the drivers of which are to be presented to face challan at the office of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) where they would have to pay fine of up to ~15,000. He said three vehicles have been impounded. Amritsar, January 28 Congress leaders staged a protest at Bhandari Bridge here today, alleging foul play in the mayoral elections held yesterday. The demonstration saw participation from senior Congress leaders, including former Deputy CM OP Soni, district party president Ashwani Kumar, Raj Kumar Verka and Raj Kawal Preet Pal Singh Lucky, who addressed party workers and accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of undermining democratic principles. Speaking during the protest, former Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni said, “This is nothing short of a murder of democracy. AAP announced the Mayor without conducting a proper election. The Congress has the support of 41 councillors, while AAP has only 24. This is a clear defeat for democracy.” The Congress leaders alleged that AAP manipulated the electoral process and violated democratic norms to secure the Mayor’s position. The protestors demanded transparency and called for a re-election Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 28 Unidentified councillors reportedly damaged CCTV cameras and snatched a camera from personnel assigned to record the voting process during the mayoral election. The incident took place in the auditorium of Government Medical College yesterday. An FIR has been registered against the newly elected councillors, who remain unidentified, based on a complaint filed by Municipal Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh. In his complaint lodged at the Majitha Road police station, the MC Commissioner stated that the swearing-in ceremony and elections for the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor were held in the auditorium of Government Medical College on Monday. A Junior Engineer from the Street Light Department reported that unknown individuals had broken cameras installed in the auditorium and manhandled the camera personnel after the mayor’s election. Additionally, a camera was reportedly snatched from one of the cameramen. The MC Commissioner further alleged that the unidentified councillors shut the main gate of the venue, blocked the road, and created a ruckus. The police have registered a case PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Former deputy CM OP Soni, Navjot Kaur Sidhu and other Congress workers during a protest at Bhandari Bridge in Amritsar on Tuesday. for the post of Mayor to uphold democratic values Congress leaders claimed that the process was manipulated to bypass their majority. On the other hand, AAP leaders refuted the allegations, asserting that the elections were conducted in accordance with legal and procedural norms. This protest is not just about numbers, it’s about safeguarding the democratic rights of the people of Amritsar,” said Con- gress leader Raj Kumar Verka. The protest at Bhandari Bridge, a key intersection in the city, caused significant traffic disruptions for several hours. Long queues of vehicles were seen as commuters struggled to find alternative routes. To maintain law and order, heavy police force was deployed at the site. The officials ensured that the situation remained peaceful and the flow of traffic was streamlined. against unknown individuals under Sections 324(5), 304(2) and 190 of the BNS at Majitha Road police station. Although the FIR does not name individuals or political parties specifically, it is suspected that Congress councillors may be implicated, as they had staged a demonstration and blocked the entrance to the medical college. It may be mentioned that Congress councillor Mithu Madan had earlier filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to ensure videographic recording of the election process. Aam Aadmi Party leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal claimed that the entire process was recorded under the directions of the court, and the Municipal Commissioner has access to the video evidence. Meanwhile, Congress councillor Mithu Madan denied the allegations, stating, “More than 1,000 police personnel, led by senior officers, were present at the venue. How is it possible for councillors to damage the cameras? The truth is that they did not record the election process, thereby violating the High Court’s orders. Now, to cover up their failure, they have fabricated this story. We have procured CCTV footage from the medical college and submitted it to the court for the next hearing, scheduled for tomorrow.” Farmers to assemble at Beas today, march towards Shambhu border tomorrow Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 28 A day ahead of their scheduled march towards Shambhu border, the farmers remained busy in preparing their trolleys for the journey and making arrangements for long stay at the protest site. The farmers are preparing their trolleys in such a way that these could be used as a makeshift area for sleeping during the night. In the earlier protest at Delhi borders, the farmers had used their trolleys to stay there for over a year. “We do not have much means and resources. We cannot afford to stay in hotels and due to cold weather we cannot sleep in the open. So we are covering our trolleys with tarpaulin sheets and making other small adjustments which would help us,” said Harjit Singh of Khabe Rajputtan village near here. The farmers stated that they were also taking along sacks of wheat flour and pulses which would be used to cook and feed Narco-terror module busted, two held with hand grenade Tribune News Service FIR lodged as video recording of mayoral poll disrupted; Cong, AAP deny charges Charanjit Singh Teja ATTACK ON GUMTALA POLICE POST Amritsar, January 28 The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, busted a Pak-ISI backed narco terror-module being operated by US-based Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passian, and the US-based notorious drug smuggler Sarwan Bhola with the arrest of its two members for their involvement in lobbying hand-grenade at the Gumtala police post in Amritsar, said Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday. Those arrested have been identified as Bagga Singh of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar in Sirsa, Haryana, and Puskaran Singh, alias Sagar, of Amarkot in Amritsar. Police teams also recovered a hand grenade and two sophisticated pistols along with ammunition from their possession. As per information, some The seized hand grenade and pistols in custody of the Amritsar police on Tuesday. persons hurled a hand grenade at the Gumtala police post in Amritsar Commissionerate on January 9 this year. Following the incident, terrorist organisation BKI had used social media platform to claim the responsibility for this terror act. DGP Gaurav Yadav said investigations revealed that accused Bagga Singh is a relative of Sarwan Bhola, who is the brother of notorious smuggler Ranjit Singh, alias Cheeta, currently lodged in Bathinda jail in 532 kg heroin recovery case. Pertinently, accused Sarwan Singh is also wanted in 532 kg heroin recovery case and carries Rs 2 lakh reward announced by National Investigation Agency (NIA). He said that Accused Sarwan Bhola, who has been operating drug smuggling network from USA, has City’s development will be top priority, says Mayor Bhatia afford cars or other vehicles. Moreover, 16 to 20 people can easily sleep in a trolley during the night and this makes it the preferred mode of transport.” Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), said that the farmers would gather near Beas on Wednesday and move towards Shambhu bor- der on January 30. “A year ago, we had started our journey from Beas and we are now again gathering at the same place. If the government thinks that we are tired, it should know that we are not as we are used to hard work in the fields.” He said that the protest would continue till the demands of farmers are met. c m y b AAP outsmarts rivals to get its mayor elected Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal (right) welcomes newly-elected Mayor Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia in Amritsar on Tuesday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 28 The newly elected Mayor of Amritsar, Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia, assumed office at the Municipal Corporation head office in Ranjit Avenue here today. He was accompanied by Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, MLA Jasbir Singh Sandhu, and other senior party leaders. Addressing the media, Mayor Bhatia emphasised that the development of the city was his top priority. He assured that all 85 wards of Amritsar city would be treated equally and that development would take place without political bias. He further mentioned that a list of stalled projects has been prepared and new initiatives would be taken in the coming days. On the occasion, Cabinet Minister Dhaliwal dismissed the allegations levelled by the Congress party regarding unfair election of the Mayor. He stated that the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor were elected democratically with the majority support of councillors and MLA members, who voted by raising their hands. He accused the Congress of creating unnecessary drama after failing to secure the Mayor’s position. Dhaliwal emphasised that the elections were conducted as per the High Court’s directives, with videography evidence to ensure transparency. When questioned about the Congress party’s petition to the High Court seeking the cancellation of Mayor’s election, Dhaliwal responded confidently, saying, “It doesn’t matter, our lawyer will handle it.” In an unexpected development, Senior Deputy Mayor Priyanka Sharma and Deputy Mayor Anita Rani did not assume their positions alongside the Mayor today. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Priyanka Sharma, who was reportedly aspiring to become the Mayor, is unhappy with the party’s decision to nominate Moti Bhatia. It is speculated that a faction led by former Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu is dissatisfied with the nomination of Bhatia. When asked about this, Cabinet Minister Dhaliwal expressed confidence that Priyanka Sharma and Anita Rani would take charge soon. Farmers prepare tractor trolleys for the scheduled march towards Haryana borders in Amritsar. them during their stay at the dharna site. Another farmer from the same village, Mukhtar Singh, said, “Though the intensity of cold has decreased, still we would need shelter during the night.” When asked about why they were going on tractor-trolleys, Mukhtar Singh said, “Most of the farmers participating in the protest are poor and cannot handed over his relative Bagga Singh and his associate Pushkaran to Happy Passian and Harvinder Rinda to carry out terror activities in the border state. The DGP said that investigations are in progress in scientific manner to establish forward and backward linkages in this case and unveil the entire terror module. Sharing operation details, AIG SSOC Amritsar Sukhminder Singh Mann said following the attack at Gumtala Police Post, police teams have launched an intelligence operation and arrested Bagga Singh from Sirsa in Haryana and Pushkaran Singh from Amritsar area leading to recovery of explosives and weapons. Further efforts are being made to discover the previous crimes committed by the accused persons and arrest remaining members of this module, he added. Safety glass to protect Ambedkar’s statue Tribune News Service Amritsar, January 28 Following a mischievous bid to vandalise the statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on the Heritage Street here, the district administration has decided to provide security cover to it. Deputy Commissioner Sak- shi Swahney said that not only the statue in question, but all statues of Dr Ambedkar in the district would be secured to prevent any damage to them. She said that efforts were being made to make children in schools and colleges aware of the importance of Indian Constitution and the life and philosophy of Dr Ambedkar who wrote it. As a first step, it has been decided to cover Dr Ambedkar’s statue with toughened glass to check easy access to it. On the demand of various organisations, it was also announced to set up a statue of continued on page 2 Amritsar, January 28 Even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has maneuvered its way to get its mayor elected despite winning in only 24 wards as compared to 40 seats won by the Congress, it has failed its core supporters who expected morality and honesty in politics. The ruling party managed to convince seven Independents and two BJP councillors to come to its fold. Only one Independent candidate joined the Congress. With nine new inductions in the party, AAP still had only 33 in the 85-member Municipal Corporation House. However, MLAs are de facto members of the MC House. In the previous MC general body, it had 90 members as only five MLAs from constituencies in the city were deemed eligible. This time, as the ruling party in the state was short of numbers, it increased the number of eligible members from five to seven. With 24 AAP councillors, seven Independent councillors and two turncoats from the BJP and seven MLAs, all of whom are from the party, it managed to take its numbers to 40 in the MC House which had a total of 92 members (85 councillors and seven MLAs). As per 50 per cent plus one rule, it required 46 members in the House but was still short of six members. However, on the day of voting yesterday, the remaining seven BJP candidates abstained from voting and the number of eligible voters to elect the mayor got reduced to 85 from 92. Now, with AAP leaders having publicly thanked SAD councillors for lending support and the SAD councillors in turn denying it, people have been left flabbergasted. SAD leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia and councillor and former senior deputy mayor Avtar Singh Truckawala have already stated that AAP has killed democracy.