07032025-TTC-01.qxd 3/7/2025 12:38 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 65 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 MACRON PROPOSES N-DETERRENCE AGAINST RUSSIA WORLD /thetribunechd GSDP EXPECTED TO GROW AT 7%, REVEALS ECONOMIC SURVEY J&K ZOMATO, SWIGGY FACE ANTITRUST CASE OVER DISCOUNTS BUSINESS MARATHI LANGUAGE OF MUMBAI: CM ON ROW BACK PAGE friday | 7 march 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Provocative: India to UK as Khalistani protester targets EAM’s convoy Serves demarche on envoy| London too slams breach Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 6 A pro-Khalistani protester tried to breach the security perimeter outside Chatham House in London as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar left the think-tank, an incident that drew sharp criticism from India, which asked the UK to “meet its diplomatic obligation” of ensuring the safety of visiting foreign leaders. India also served a demarche on the British charge d’affaires lodging a strong protest. A small group of protesters, raising pro-Khalistan slogans and waving separatist flags, had been barricaded by the police outside the venue on Wednesday night when one of them ran past the barricade and tried to block the path of the minister’s car while pulling at an Indian flag. The protester was restrained and swiftly taken aside by Metropolitan Police officers. The UK too strongly condemned the security breach, saying such attempts to Engineers drafting faulty DPRs must be arrested for road deaths: Gadkari Tribune News Service 1.8L FATALITIES EACH YR New Delhi, March 6 Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday publicly blamed civil engineers for rising road accident deaths in the country and said those drafting faulty detailed project reports (DPRs) should be booked and arrested. Terming as “embarrassing” the large number of road accident fatalities in the country, Gadkari equally blamed the “government system for lack of sensitivity and delayed reporting and rectification of black spots”. Gadkari expressed frustration over 1.8 lakh annual road accident deaths with 66.4% of them involving 18 to 45-year-old people who left behind elderly dependents. “I equally blame the govt system for lack of sensitivity and delayed reporting and rectification of black spots.” “It will not be appropriate for me to criticise people, but it is my responsibility to tell the truth. The main culprits in these events (accident deaths) are civil engineers. I don’t blame anybody, but Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 6 Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian national accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has filed an urgent plea before the US Supreme Court, seeking an emergency stay on his extradition to India. Rana claimed that he faced a significant risk of torture by Indian authorities, if extradited. Rana, a close associate of prime accused David Coleman Headley, is currently under supervised detention at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. He continued on page 10 A video grab of a pro-Khalistan activist blocking S Jaishankar’s convoy. ‘K-RESOLUTION IF PAK RETURNS PoK’ NO MOVE TO REPLACE DOLLAR: JAISHANKAR S Jaishankar has said complete resolution of the Kashmir dispute was possible only if Pakistan vacated PoK. He was responding to a query whether India could take US’ help to resolve issue. INSIDE Jaishankar reiterated India’s stand on retaining US dollar for international trade, saying, “Our ties with the US are at their best… I don’t think there’s any policy on our part to replace the dollar.” “intimidate, threaten or disrupt public events were completely unacceptable”. “We strongly condemn the incident that happened outside Chatham House. The Metropolitan Police acted swiftly to address the situa- tion and we remain fully committed to ensuring the security of all our diplomatic visitors, in line with our international obligations,” a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and continued on page 10 Shahpurkandi dam ready, capacity testing underway Aman Sood MUCH-DELAYED PROJECT Tribune News Service Patiala, March 6 The much-awaited construction of the ambitious Shahpurkandi dam project has been completed and the filling of the reservoir is in the final stages, paving way for its operationalisation soon. The dam has been constructed after much delay. The work on the project started in 2013, but the J&K Government suddenly stopped it ■ The project was launched in Tribune News Service Fight with Centre, but forced to confront state: Lakhowal March 10. Harinder Singh Lakhowal, president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), announced this following a meeting of the union wherein “a detailed plan of action has been outlined”. “Farmers will stage dharnas outside the residences of ruling party MLAs from 11 am to 3 pm on March 10 to express their resentment water supply to canal system 2013, but J&K suddenly stopped work on it in 2014. The work resumed only in 2018 ■ The Shahpurkandi dam will regulate and ensure uniform ■ Will provide irrigation facility in 2014. The work resumed only after an agreement was ratified by J&K and Punjab in September 2018. Once functional, the project will meet irrigation requirements of Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab. In addition, it will supply 206 MW electricity to Punjab. The dam, located on the Ravi river, will enable continued on page 10 Sit-ins lifted, SKM to now gherao MLAs on Mar10 Ludhiana, March 6 The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday decided to withdraw all ongoing dharnas in Punjab and said its activists would gherao ruling party MLAs across the state on today I am publicly naming them (civil engineers) because after 10 years of experience, I have reached the conclusion that those who make DPRs in which there are thousands of mis- takes are responsible for it (accident deaths),” he said. The quality of DPRs was so bad that persons responsible for these should be booked and taken into custody, said Gadkari, expressing frustration over 1.8 lakh annual accident deaths in the country and 66.4 per cent of them involving 18 to 45-year-old people who left behind elderly dependents. The minister was addressing an event on safer roads organised by International Road Federation India Chapter. He attributed his anxiety continued on page 10 Will be tortured: Rana seeks stay on extradition with the government,” Lakhowal stated. Additionally, they will gather in Chandigarh on March 15 to protest outside the Chief Minister’s residence. “We are prepared to engage in a debate regarding our continued on page 10 Haryana girl ends life after ‘sexual abuse’ Tribune News Service Sonepat, March 6 A Class XII student allegedly ended her life by jumping in front of a train at Gannaur on Wednesday. The victim’s father alleged that three youths of the village had sexually abused and harassed his daughter, forcing her to take the extreme step. ONE ACCUSED ARRESTED The body of the victim was handed over to her family after a medical board conducted post-mortem examination at the Bhagat Phool Singh Medical College for Women, Khanpur Kalan, on Thursday. Based on the complaint of the victim’s father, the Government Railway Police have registered a case against the three youths for allegedly sexually abusing continued on page 10 Hoshiarpur jail supdt suspended over drug racket HOSHIARPUR: The Superintendent of Central Jail, Hoshiarpur, Baljit Singh Ghuman, has been suspended after it came to light that a drug smuggling racket was being run in the prison. The matter came to light following a probe into a scuffle that took place between inmates a few days ago. INSIDE c m y b to 5,000 hectares in Punjab and 32,000 hectares in J&K ■ Supply silt-free water to existing & proposed power houses The Shahpurkandi dam reservoir is being filled to the designated level.