08022025-JTR-01.qxd 2/7/2025 11:38 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune JARNAIL SINGH MEMORIAL FOOTBALL MEET BEGINS SATINDER SARTAJ, SIMMI CHAHAL ENTHRAL STUDENTS ‘CINEMA HAS ITS OWN DISTINCT LANGUAGE’ The 22nd state-level tournament began at Babbar Akali Memorial Khalsa College. P2 Satinder Sartaj and Simmi Chahal, leading stars of the film ‘Hoshiar Singh’, visited HMV College. P2 ActorSwapnilJoshi&producerAnandPandit feel a well-told story in any language has potential to be pan-India success. P4 » » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 20°C | MIN 5°C YESTERDAY MAX 21°C | MIN 9°C SUNSET SATURDAY 6.08 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 7:14 AM SATURDAY | 8 FEBRUARY 2025 | JALANDHAR State govt should rehabilitate Pbi deportees: BJP leaders INBRIEF SCOOTERIST KILLED Phagwara: A scooterist was killed when a speeding truck bearing the registration number HP-D-1709 hit his two-wheeler near Phagwara on the national highway on Thursday night. The deceased, identified as Jaspal Singh, a resident of Dhannowali village near Rama Mandi, was returning home. The truck driver, however, managed to escape leaving his truck behind. The police have registered a case under Sections 304-A, 279 and 427 of BNS. OC Tribune Reporters TWO THIEVES ARRESTED Phagwara: The police have arrested two migrants from Uttar Pradesh and recovered two large-size LCDs stolen from the guest house of Harshit Madan near Law Gate, Miherru. The accused were identified as Munshi and Pawan, residents of Nurpur (UP). A case under Sections 454, 380 and 411 of the BNS has been registered against the arrested thieves, who have confessed to their crime. OC District Congress Committee office-bearers and supporters burn effigies of USA, its President Donald Trump and PM Narendra Modi at the District Administrative Complex in Jalandhar on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH Cong holds protest, burns effigies over shackling of deportees Tribune News Service 3 BOOKED FOR ASSAULTING MAN Phagwara: The Nakodar police have booked three persons on the charge of assaulting a villager. Investigating officer Rajindar Pal Singh said the accused had been identified as Kulwant Singh, his son Sahil and Bhinda, all residents of Nagal Jiwan village. The complainant and the accused had a verbal duel, followed by an assault over the parking of a motorcycle. OC Phagwara Mayor, 2 Deputy Mayors to take charge today Phagwara, February 7 Newly elected Mayor of Phagwara Municipal Corporation Ram Paul Uppal, along with Senior Deputy Mayor Tej Paul Basra and Deputy Mayor Vikki Sood, will take charge of the MC office on Saturday morning. This was stated by AAP halka in charge Joginder Singh Maan here today. Uppal won from ward No. 18, Basra from ward No.14 and Vikki Sood contested from ward No. 16 . — OC ‘VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS’ Jalandhar, February 7 The District Congress Committee lodged a protest, alleging that the gullible Indians who had entered the US through illegal means were paying a price for the friendship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Carrying a plane made of paper with US written on it, modelled on the US military aircraft in which 104 deportees had been brought back, the Congress leaders led by DCC Hoshiarpur: Savera, an organisation working for social awareness, has termed the forceful sending back of handcuffed Indians from the USA as ‘violation of human rights’. It is very unfortunate that the flag-bearer country of human rights, USA, is violating human rights, the organisation said. It further said the statement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was condemnable in which he said that earlier also people who had gone to the USA illegally had been sent back. “Earlier, Indians living illegally were sent back to India by a chartered ship, and without handcuffs,” it said and added that why was it not done this time. chief Rajinder Beri alleged that the way the Indians were brought back in hand and feet shackles was extremely shameful for the country. “These people had already lost lakhs of rupees and the treatment meted out to them had further shattered them,” said MLA Bawa Henry. He further said, “We do not blame the US for any depor- tation. But the inhuman treatment given to the deportees is not acceptable.” The Congress leaders, including Surinder Kaur, Jasleen Sethi and Ashwani Jangral, said, “Trump has shown no mercy or leniency towards the Indians. He should have at least taken into account the good relations he had with the Indian PM and the kind of hospitality given to him during his visit to the country a few years ago. Even Modi could have held talks with Trump and sent an Indian plane to bring them back.” Phagwara, February 7 BJP leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal has urged the Punjab government to take responsibility for the rehabilitation and employment of Punjabis who have been deported from the United States. Speaking on the issue of illegal Indian immigrants being detained and deported by the US authorities, Grewal emphasised that these individuals are first and foremost Indian citizens before being identified as Punjabis, Gujaratis or belonging to any other state. He pointed out that many of them were lured by agents with the promise of a better life abroad, often taking heavy debts to fund their journey. However, after being caught and serving their legal sentence under US laws, they have now been sent back to India. Grewal asserted that it is now the responsibility of the state governments concerned to ensure the rehabilitation of these individuals. He urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to focus on addressing Punjab’s issues instead of prioritising his association with Delhi. Hoshiarpur: Former Rajya Sabha MP of the BJP Avinash Rai Khanna has said that people who were deported from the USA had gone abroad after spending lakhs of rupees, and had wasted their time and money by getting trapped in the clutches of unregistered travel agents. Khanna said that the Punjab government should take action against the travel agents who had sent these Punjabis abroad, who had been deported by the USA. Khanna said that nowadays the trend of going abroad was in full swing among the people, due to which people were getting trapped in the clutches of unregistered travel agents and going abroad illegally. They were later facing a lot of trouble, financial loss, jail and even losing their lives. He appealed to the people to always go abroad through government registered travel agents and legal ways. Khanna said that now it was the responsibility of the Punjab government to take necessary steps for the rehabilitation of deported Punjabis. Seechewal to raise inhuman treatment issue in Parliament Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 7 Rajya Sabha member and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal has strongly condemned the US practice of sending Indians back in shackles. He said sending Indians back in this manner had tarnished India’s image across the world as 104 Indians were sent back on a military plane after being kept in chains for 35 to 40 hours. He said instead of doing politics on the issue of Indians returning from the USA, they should be supported. He also urged the government to tell the US government that the Indians living there were not criminals or terrorists who had to be sent in shackles. He said the treatment meted out to the deportees by the US government was very unfortunate as these people were not criminals, but had reached there through wrong agents in search of employ- ment. He also demanded that the government should take strict action against the real culprits, i.e. travel agents, who were misleading people and sending them abroad through wrong means. He also said that it was very important to take strict action against these rogue travel agents to check human trafficking. Seechewal said he would raise the issue of this atrocities on Indians, particularly, Punjabis in the Parliament. Pensioners go on hunger strike, to give memos to MLAs on Feb 8, 13 & 18 Tribune Reporters Jalandhar, February 7 On the call of Punjab Government Pensioners Joint Front, a group of 11 pensioners led by Jit Lal Gohalon, Karnail Singh Rahon and Ajit Singh Barnala went on a hunger strike in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office today and submitted memorandums to the Deputy Commissioner to be forwarded to the Chief Minister, Finance Minister, Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, Finance. The pensioners on hunger strike included Karnail Singh Rahon, Jeet Lal Gohalon, Sohan Singh, Jasvir Moron, Joga Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Ram Pal, Ram Lal, Des Raj Bajjon, Rachpal Singh and Gurdial Singh. Addressing the protest, Kuldeep Singh Durka, Joga Singh, Som Lal Takla, Rawal Singh, Harbhajan Singh Bhawra and Varinder Kumar appealed that the Constitution, democracy, unity and integrity of the country must be protected, and sought response to the demands of the pensioners, which had been pending for years. As per the decision of the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front, on Febru- Pensioners on hunger strike outside the District Administrative Complex in Jalandhar on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MALKIAT SINGH ary 8, a memorandum will be submitted to Banga con- stituency MLA Sukhwinder Sukhi, on February 13 to Nawanshahr MLA Nachhattar Pal and on February 18 to Balachaur MLA Santosh Kataria They said the memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister will include all demands. Pensioners have been requested to be ready as per the announcement to participate in the four-day protest being held in Chandigarh during the state budget session. Avtar Singh, Prince Ishwar Chandra, Charanjit, Ajit Singh, Tarsem Lal, Ajit Kumar, Balbir Singh, Bhajan Lal, Didar Singh, Pushpinder Kumar, Ajmer Singh, Piara Singh, Sham Lal, Hardiljit Singh, Major Singh, Jagdish Ram, etc. were also present on the occasion. Phagwara: The activists of Punjab Government Pensioners Joint Front, Phagwara, organised a hunger strike-cum- protest under the leadership of Mohan Singh, president, Punjab Pensioners Welfare Association, in front of the ADC office in Hargobind Nagar today. Addressing the media persons, the leaders stated that they had gathered to express their remorse against the AAP-led Punjab Government for the non-fulfillment of their demands. They demanded that as per the Sixth Pay Commis- sion, pension should be revised by 2.59 per cent without any delay, contract employees working under various departments of the state government should be made permanent, Rs 18,000 per month salary should be sanctioned for ASHA workers, Anganwadi and facilitators, payment of DA arrears should be ensured and orders given by courts in favour of pensioners and employees should be implemented. The protesters also demanded to dismiss cases registered against pensioners in various districts of Punjab. Later, they submitted a memorandum at the office of ADC Narinder Singh. Three-day Football Khed Mela in memory State powercom employee nabbed taking ~2,000 bribe of ex-minister Gurbinder Atwal kicks off Tribune News Service Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, FEBRUARY 7 With the aim of keeping the youth away from drugs and to convey the message to shun drugs, a three-day Football Cup Khed Mela started today in the memory of former Punjab minister and Congress leader Gurbinder Singh Atwal. The mela that started today will conclude on February 9. Football Academy, Phillaur, is organising the mela in which games like tug-of-war, kabaddi, basketball and football would be played. The games are being played on the ground of Government School (Boys), Phillaur. Rajpal Singh Atwal, son of Gurbinder Singh Atwal, said that the football tournament Players of two teams at the opening of the Football Cup Khed Mela at Phillaur on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO was started eight years ago by his father. “After his death in 2023, we decided to host a Khed Mela in his memory and it will be the second year of the mela. He loved sports and we want to keep this alive,” said an emotional son. Football matches in the (Open) and Under-16 category, basketball, kabaddi national style in the Under-19 category are among the events being held. In football (Open), as many as 14 teams are participating and in other games, eight teams are taking part. The first prize for the Football Cup winning team will be Rs 75,000 and the second prize will be Rs 41,000. c m y b For football in the Under-16 category, Rs 21,000 will be given to the winners while Rs 15,000 will be given to the second position holder. In basketball, Rs 31,000 will be given to the winning team and Rs 21,000 to the runners-up. Rs 15,000 cash award will be given to the winning team in Kabaddi (Under-19) and Rs 11,000 will be given to the team coming second. The sports fair will be attended by the former cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on February 8. The sole purpose of organising the event is to divert the young generation from drugs which have found their way everywhere, Atwal said. “We want to encourage the youngsters to take up sports,” he told The Tribune. Jalandhar, Februay 7 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has apprehended Charanjit Singh, assistant, Complaint Handling Branch, posted at the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) office, Barring village in Jalandhar Cantt, while accepting a bribe of Rs 2,000. An official spokesperson of the state VB said the accused had been arrested based on a complaint lodged by Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Sainik Vihar, Dhilwan, Jalandhar. He further stated that the complainant had approached the VB, alleging that the accused had demanded a bribe of Rs 5,000 for Junior Engineer (JE) Surjit Singh and Rs 500 for himself for installing a new meter for domestic supply at his rela- VB members with the PSPCL employee caught taking bribe. tive’s house at Rose Colony, Barring village, Jalandhar. The complainant further alleged that the accused had installed power meter at the house on January 31 and took Rs 3,500 from his relative while asking him to pay the remaining balance later. The accused was threatening the complainant and consumer to pay Rs 2,000 as balance money or else the meter could be removed. The spokesperson added that a VB team from Jalandhar range laid a trap, during which the accused was arrested while accepting Rs 2,000 as bribe.