08042025-TTB-01.qxd 4/8/2025 12:31 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 96 | 20 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI E-SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM BEING DEPLOYED ON PAK BORDER: SHAH J&K /thetribunechd TEL AVIV TAKES CONTROL OF 50% OF GAZA WORLD ADANI’S COLOMBO TERMINAL BEGINS OPERATIONS BUSINESS WILL PROTECT SACKED BENGAL TEACHERS: MAMATA BACK PAGE tuesday | 8 april 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com LPG price up ~50; Sensex, Nifty record steepest single-day fall excise duty hiked in 10 months as trade war triggers recession on petrol, diesel fears; investor wealth erodes by ~14 lakh crore Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 7 The domestic cooking gas (LPG) price on Monday was hiked by a steep Rs 50 per cylinder across India and CNG by Re 1 per kg, while the government raised taxes on petrol and diesel to shore up its revenues. Retail fuel prices not to be affected, says govt This tax hike aims to generate Rs 32,000 crore annually, offsetting oil companies’ LPG losses, though the timing of reimbursement remains uncertain. However, there will be no change in retail prices of fuel as the increase will be adjusted against the price cut that was warranted because of falling international oil prices. “The increase in the cooking gas price will be for the Ujjawala — poor beneficiaries who got LPG connection free of cost — and general users. continued on page 12 Such things happen, says K’taka minister on molestation case Bengaluru, April 7 A big city like Bengaluru does witness incidents like “molestation of women here and there” though there is peace in the city due to the police presence, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Monday. In the wake of the alleged molestation of a woman, he said whenever such an incident happened, it drew public attention. The minister said he gave instructions to the Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda to strengthen patrolling and monitoring system. He was responding to the incident where a woman was molested at a secluded place in Bengaluru. “The police are working continuously round-the-clock ignoring rain and cold. That is why there is peace in Bengaluru. continued on page 12 Over $10 trillion wiped off globally as Trump warns of additional 50% tariffs on China if it did not withdraw its retaliatory duties on the US TARIFFIED MARKETS IN GLOBAL MELTDOWN New York/New Delhi, April 7 Major stock indices fell again in volatile trading across the globe on Monday as US President Donald Trump said he will impose an additional 50% tariff on China if Beijing did not withdraw its retaliatory tariffs on the US. Also, the White House denied a report that Trump was considering a 90-day pause in tariffs for all countries except China. The report, which the White House said was “fake news”, had briefly turned US stocks positive earlier. Hours before Trump’s announcement, Sensex and Nifty logged their worst single-day decline in 10 months amid fears that the US President’s policies on reciprocal tariffs may lead to a recession. The wealth of Indian investors eroded sharply by Rs 14 lakh crore. In a horrible day for investors, the 30share BSE benchmark Sensex tanked 2,226.79 points, or 2.95 per cent, to settle at 73,137.90. During the day, the continued on page 13 edit: tariff bloodbath India,USagreeon earlyconclusionof bilateraltradepact Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Traders look at a screen outside the Bombay Stock Exchange following a market crash in Mumbai. REUTERS HONG KONG SEES WORST CENTRE FORMS GROUP OIL PRICES ARE DOWN, DECLINE SINCE 1997 TO TRACK IMPORT SURGE THERE IS NO INFLATION Hong Kong’s Hang Seng’s 13% one-day slump was the largest since 1997. Japan’s Nikkei fell 8%, Germany’s DAX 6.5, Paris’ CAC 40 5.7% while Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 4.5% to 7,694.00. The govt has set up an inter-ministerial group to monitor a possible surge in imports from China, Vietnam and Thailand following the imposition of high US tariffs on these nations. BACK PAGE Mohit Khanna Tribune News Service Patiala, April 7 The state Agriculture Department has issued instructions to strictly implement the prohibition on the sale of Pusa-44, also known as Peele Pusa, a long-duration water-guzzler paddy variety, during the upcoming kharif season. This move comes amid speculation that advancing the date of paddy sowing to June 1 may Last week, govt decided to advance date of sowing encourage sowing of longduration paddy varieties. The government’s recent decision to advance the date of sowing of paddy had caused quite an uproar. Experts termed it a devastating move in the wake of declining water table in the state. According to the latest report by Central Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 7 At the end of the fourth session of the 18th Lok Sabha, performance statistics from the Parliament portal reveal that most MPs from the region preferred working over shirking. Between the first and the fourth sessions of the Lower House from June 24, 2024, to April 4, 2025, there were 68 sittings in all. An analysis of the attendance of the Lok Sabha MPs from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh places Congress MPs at the top of the charts. Congress MPs Amar Singh (Fatehgarh Sahib) and Varun Chaudhary (Ambala) recorded their presence in the attendance register on each day the House sat. Both posted a cent per cent attendance in the current Lok Sabha since it commenced. The duo is closely followed by Congress MP from Chandigarh Manish Tewari, down, there is no inflation. Donald Trump Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 7 The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider listing for urgent hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act- 2025. President Droupadi Murmu had given the assent to Waqf Bill on April 5. “All the matters (against the Waqf Amendment Act) will be placed before me in the afternoon. Why are you mentioning it when we have a system in place,” the CJI told senior counsel Kapil Sibal after he mentioned Jamiat Ulama-iHind’s petition against the amendment for urgent listing. As some other lawyers also submitted that they had filed petitions against the Act, CJI Khanna told them to wait for him to take a call on listing of these petitions as per the norms. Almost a dozen petitions have already been filed in the top court against the amendment and the matter was likely to be taken up for hearing during this week. The Waqf Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha during the wee hours of Friday with 128 members voting in its favour and 95 opposing it. On Thursday, the Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha. Under the amended law only Amid groundwater crisis, Punjab bans Mann, Sisodia kick off drive to boost water-guzzling Pusa-44 paddy variety edu infra; MLA Jouramajra stirs row Ground Water Board (CGWB), the last drop of usable groundwater in Punjab would finish in just 14 years. Acting on the recommendations of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, the Agriculture Department has banned both Pusa-44 and unauthorised hybrid seed varieties of paddy. It has emphasised the promotion of certified, shortduration and water-efficient continued on page 13 Working, not shirking: Ex-SSP, SP slapped with Most region MPs post 5-yr RI in Moga sex scam decent Parl attendance Aditi Tandon ❝ Oilpricesand food prices are New Delhi, April 7 Amid global uncertainty triggered by reciprocal tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has spoken to his US counterpart Marco Rubio and the two “agreed” on the importance of an early conclusion to the ongoing discussions for a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between the two countries. Jaishankar tonight posted on X about the talk he had with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and added, “Agreed on the importance of the early conclusion of the Bilateral Trade Agreement.” “Good to speak with @SecRubio (Marco Rubio), exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, the Indian subcontinent, Europe, Middle continued on page 13 SC to consider listing Waqf pleas for urgent hearing CONG MEMBERS ON TOP ■ Cong’s Amar Singh (Fatehgarh Sahib), Varun Chaudhary (Ambala) attended all sittings ■ Manish Tewari is next best with over 97% attendance ■ At 36.76%, Ind MP from Faridkot SC seat Sarabjeet Khalsa had lowest attendance ■ Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut clocked 76.47% who clocked 97.05 per cent attendance, missing only two of the 68 sittings. Deepender Singh Hooda (Rohtak) and Satpal Brahmchari (Sonepat) of the Congress and Dharambir Singh (Bhiwani-Mahendragarh) of the BJP have an attendance of 95.58 per cent each, clocking 65 sittings. Among the four BJP MPs from Himachal, Anurag Thakur (Hamirpur) and Rajeev Bharadwaj (Kangra) have a high attendance of 94.11 per cent each, having missed only four of the 68 sittings. Actor-politician Kangana continued on page 12 Mohali, April 7 A CBI court here today sentenced former Moga SSP Devinder Singh Garcha (73) and SP (Headquarters) Paramdip Singh Sandhu (61) to five years of rigorous imprisonment under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) in connection with the 2007 Moga sex scandal case. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 2 lakh each on Garcha and Sandhu, who rose to the rank of Additional Inspector General before retiring from the Punjab Police. Inspector Amarjit Singh (72) and Sub-Inspector Raman Kumar (61), both dismissed from service, were sentenced to eight years and six and a half years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 3 lakh and continued on page 12 SIKHYA KRANTIFacilities at 12K schools to be unveiled by May 31 Tribune News Service Jalandhar/Patiala, April 7 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday launched the state government’s ‘Sikhya Kranti’ drive by unveiling a plaque at the School of Eminence (SoE) in Nawanshahr. He was accompanied by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state incharge Manish Sisodia, who is credited by his party with revolutionising Delhi’s school education system under the AAP government there. Former Health Minister and AAP leader Chetan Singh Jouramajra, however, courted controversy at a related event by publicly reprimanding the principal and teachers of the SoE in Samana for alleged mismanagement. Surprised at the lack of decorum and absence of teachers, students and their parents, Jouramajra said the event was a “complete failure”, as he threatened to lodge a complaint with the CM and Education Minister. At Nawanshahr, Chief Minister Mann said his govern- Almost a dozen petitions filed in top court CONG MP, DMK FILE PLEAS self-owned resources can be declared as Waqf after ensuring the inheritance rights of women and children. The Act also empowers state governments to nominate members, including representatives from backward classes and both Shia and Sunni communities to Waqf boards. However, alleging that “This Bill is a dangerous conspiracy to strip Muslims of their religious freedom,” Jamiat urged the top court to prevent the law from coming into effect. In its petition, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind described the amendment as a “direct attack on the country’s Constitution, which not only provides equal rights to its citizens but also grants them complete religious freedom”. Some other Muslim organisations — All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Indian Union Muslim League and Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama — have also moved the top court against the Act. The DMK has also filed a petition against the amendment through its party deputy general secretary and Lok continued on page 12 Tahawwur Rana’s petition against extradition rejected NEW YORK: The US Supreme Court has rejected 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s appeal seeking a stay on his extradition to India, moving him closer to being handed over to Indian authorities. Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is known to be associated with PakistaniAmerican terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks. — PTI HC ordersFIRagainst 5copsoverdeathof Badlapuraccused MUMBAI: Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP leader Manish Sisodia interact with a student at the School of Eminence in Nawanshahr. ment borrowed Delhi’s “readymade” model, which revolutionised the Capital’s school education. “Presently we are after two things — drug menace and educational revolution,” he said. Under the 54-day initiative, the government — till May 31 — is set to inaugurate infrastructure projects completed at around 12,000 schools of the state at a cost Rs 2,000 crore. The Nawanshahr school got a new block constructed at a cost of Rs 5.68 crore and named after former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Sisodia said the dream of a drug-free state encompasses excellent school education. The former Delhi Deputy continued on page 12 edit: real lessons needed The Bombay High Court on Monday ordered an FIR against five policemen for the custodial death of Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde, who was allegedly shot in a police van, and setting up of an SIT, noting that a prima facie offence was disclosed. A Division Bench rapped the Maharashtra Government for its “reluctance” to lodge an FIR, stating that such action undermined the state’s legitimacy. INSIDE North to face heatwave till April 10; yellow alert for Punjab, Delhi Aksheev Thakur & Vijay Mohan tribune news service Pedestrians cover their heads at the Kartavya Path in New Delhi. PTI NewDelhi/Chandigarh, April 7 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heatwave conditions in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. A yellow alert has been sounded for Punjab from April 7 to 10 and the national capital till April 9. Delhi recorded 40.2°C — 5.2 Today’s issue is of 20 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b notches above normal on Monday. The temperatures are likely to soar to 42°C on April 8 and 9. From April 10 to 13, Delhi may not experience heat wave conditions and the day temperatures are likely to hover between 37°C and 40°C. In the past 24 hours, Punjab has recorded the highest maximum temperature of 39.7°C. Day temperatures in the state were above normal by 3.1 to 6 notches. The IMD has also sounded yellow alert for Punjab from April 7 to 10. The weather department expects a further rise in the maximum temperature across Punjab by two to four notches over the next three days and fall by two to three degrees thereafter. The lowest minimum temperature recorded during this period was 17.1°C at Ludhiana’s Ballowal Saunkhri. Night temperatures, too, were above normal in all districts of the state, with the deviation ranging from 1.6 to 4.4°C. The IMD has also warned of a fresh western disturbance in the western Himalayan region from April 8. The system will bring down the day temperatures slightly in parts of North India. Under the influence of the western disturbance, parts continued on page 12