25062025-CT-01.qxd 6/25/2025 12:42 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune CHANDIGARH-LEH FLIGHT DELAYED BY 2 HOURS LATE-NIGHT ATTACK ON CAR IN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY BEYONCÉ GRABS EYEBALLS IN MANISH MALHOTRA OUTFIT Passengers had another shock waiting for them as some found their baggage missing at Leh airport. P2 In a suspected robbery bid, youths attacked a car near Parshuram Chowk late on Monday night. P2 Here's a close look at the famous designer, who once dreamt of dressing up stars. P4 » » GENERALLY CLOUDY MAX 31°C | MIN 27°C YESTERDAY MAX 34.1°C | MIN 27.4°C SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.28 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.23 AM » WEDNESDAY | 25 JUNE 2025 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE Next Mayor to be elected by show of hands Kataria approves amendment, says will bring transparency Tribune News Service WHAT’S ON APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 15, 40, 46 Panchkula: Sector 25 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com 2 arrested for firing at car in Ram Darbar Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 24 The Crime Branch has arrested two suspects in connection with the recent firing incident in Ram Darbar, Phase II, here. The incident occurred on the intervening night of June 20 and 21. The complainant, Samdarsh Kumar reported that an unidentified person fired at his parked car outside his residence, shattering the driver-side windowpane. A bullet shell was recovered from the scene. Following a tip-off on yesterday, the police intercepted two youths who were on a motorcycle near Ziri Mandi Chowk. The accused, identified as Monu Jaiswal (25) of Hallo Majra and Pawan (22) of Maloya, were arrested. During interrogation, they confessed that they fired at the vehicle to intimidate Monty, a friend of the complainant, with whom they wanted to settle a personal score. A country-made pistol with four cartridges and a “desi kata” with one cartridge were recovered from them. Monu was earlier involved in a 2022 murder case registered at the Sector 17 police station. Both accused were produced before the court and remanded in two-day police custody. Investigations are underway to trace the source of the illegal weapons and uncover further links in the case. Chandigarh, June 24 To curb cross-voting and tampering with votes, the mayoral elections of the Municipal Corporation (MC) will now be held by a show of hands, instead of the traditional secret ballot system. Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has approved an amendment to Regulation 6 of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1996. Going forward, the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor will all be elected through show of hands. Kataria said the new system will bring greater transparency in the election process and make the role of elected representatives more clear and accountable. He expressed hope that this change will help improve the functioning and governance of the Municipal Corporation and will further strengthen trust in democratic processes. A video grab returning officer Anil Masih checking votes. VOTE TAMPERING IN 2024 POLL During the mayoral elections held on January 30, 2024, presiding officer Anil Masih was caught on camera allegedly invalidating eight votes cast in favour of the AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar. The BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar was declared the winner. Later, the Supreme Court overturned the result, declaring Kuldeep the rightful winner. Notably, the mayoral elections held in January last year were mired in controversy after nominated councillor and presiding officer Anil Masih was allegedly caught tampering with the votes on camera. The amendment was first passed in the House meeting of the Municipal Corporation. It was proposed under the legal powers granted by Section 398(2) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 (as extended to the Union Territory of Chandigarh under the Chandigarh UT Act, 1994). The proposal was then sent to the Administrator for approval, which has now been formally granted. On October 30, 2024, the MC House passed a resolution that the method of show of hands be used for the future mayoral elections, instead of the provision of secret ballot. According to the agenda tabled in the House, “To facilitate a transparent and equitable election process for the coming years, it is proposed that the existing Regulations of 1996 be amended. It is recommended that the election to the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor be conducted by a show of hands. So, it is requested to amend Regulation 6 of the Chandigarh MC (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1996, and the elections be held by show of hands.” The UT Administrator had directed the officials concerned to initiate the amendment process in the wake of repeated complaints from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress alleging the Continued on page 2 Parties welcome move, seek anti-defection law Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 24 The Congress has welcomed the move to junk secret ballot in favour of electing the Mayor by a show of hands. The city unit president, HS Lucky, thanked the Administrator for the “bold” step, saying the party and MP Manish Tewari had been pushing for the switch for a long time. “This will pave the way for cleaner politics and help in enhancing the image of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh and its councillors, who have constantly been facing charges of horse trading,” Lucky said, further calling for an anti-defection law to be implemented for the Municipal Corporation House as well. Jatinder Pal Malhotra, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) local unit, also supported the decision, say- WHAT LEADERS SAY Former Mayor Subhash Chawla said the Administration must consider comprehensive changes in the Act, whereas Social activist RK Garg added that the amendment was not complete without implementing the antidefection law. He said if a councillor of one party raises hand for the candidate of other party, no action can be taken against them. ing that the move was a welcome change. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chandigarh president Vijay Pal Singh, party spokesperson and councillor Yogesh Dhingra also hailed the decision, saying it will bring transparency to the election-process. They said democracy was “murdered” in the last mayoral election and hurt the image of the city. Presently, no political party is in the position to elect a Mayor on its own in the House. A party requires 19 votes to elect the Mayor, senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the 35-elected member House. At this point, the BJP has 16 councillors, the Congress six and the AAP 13. The Chandigarh MP also has one vote. Former Mayor Subhash Chawla said the Administration must consider comprehensive changes in the Act, whereas Social activist RK Garg added that the amendment was not complete without implementing the antidefection law. He said if a councillor of one party raises hand for the candidate of other party, no action can be taken against them. Since the formation of the Municipal Corporation in 1996, mayoral elections had been conducted through secret ballots. Class XI girl jumps to ~11-cr budget okayed for PGI-PU underpass death from 13th floor Monsoon advances, rain likely today Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Tribune News Service HAD LEFT FOR SCHOOL Mohali, June 24 A 16-year-old girl of Kharar reportedly jumped to death from the 13th floor of the Jal Vayu Towers (Block-J) around 6 pm yesterday. The deceased, Imanpreet Kaur, a student of Class XI, was residing with her family in a society of Sector 125 here. Family members said Imanpreet had left for school in the morning but did not return home. When the family members started searching for her in the area, they found her scooty parked near the Jalvayu Towers. Some distance away, a crowd had gathered. People informed them that the girl had jumped off the building. She can be seen climbing the stairs in the CCTV footage. Local residents said the girl’s Family members said Imanpreet had left for school in the morning but did not return home. When the family members started searching for her in the area, they found her scooty parked near the Jalvayu Towers. Some distance away, a crowd had gathered. People informed them that the girl had jumped off the building. slippers were found on the 13th floor. The keys were in her scooty but her mobile phone and purse were missing. The police shifted the body to the mortuary of Phase-6 Civil Hospital for post-mortem. The police said no suicide note had been found on her. Family members said the girl’s behaviour was normal in the past days. Chandigarh, June 24 After years of delays and planning hurdles, the longpending underpass connecting the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) and Panjab University (PU) is set to see the light of day. The UT Administration has approved the revised budget of Rs 11 crore paving the way for the Engineering Department to float tenders for the project. The proposed underpass will be 15.7 metre wide and 32.77 metre long —making it wider than the existing Sector 17 Rose Garden underpass. The structure will also have eight commercial booths, each measuring 2.5 metre by 2.5 metre. Originally cleared by the then UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore in November 2019, the project cost was initially estimated at Rs 7 crore. People cross the road between the PU and the PGI in Chandigarh. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR DIMENSIONS The proposed underpass will be 15.7 metre wide and 32.77 metre long —making it wider than the existing Sector 17 Rose Garden underpass. The structure will also have eight commercial booths, each measuring 2.5 metre by 2.5 metre. However, repeated administrative hold-ups and hurdles faced in land acquisition delayed the project and consequent hike in the cost to Rs 11 crore. The project has been in the pipeline since 2017. In the early stages, the departments of engineering and urban planning shuffled files while both the PGI and the PU hesitated to part with land. Initially, 80 square feet was sought for the project, but Continued on page 2 Chandigarh, June 24 The south-west monsoon advanced over Chandigarh and some parts of Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday with favourable conditions for it further movement into some more parts of the region during the next two days, said the weathermen. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted an increase in rainfall activity over Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana from June 25 to 30. “The south-west monsoon has further advanced over parts of Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana,” the Weather Department said. It has predicted light to moderate rain at many places in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana on Continued on page 2 ‘When Sec 29 cops gave me electric shocks during the Emergency' SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE Satya Pal Jain I T has been 50 years since the Emergency was imposed in the country on June 25, 1975, but the memories of those dark days are still fresh in the mind. On June 12, 1975, Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha, a Judge of Allahabad High Court, set aside the 1971 Lok Sabha election of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Due to this, the demand for her resignation was continuously gaining ground, but instead of resigning, Gandhi imposed Emergency in the country on the intervening night of June 25 and 26. It was the time when the movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan was at its peak. On the morning of June 26, all Opposition leaders, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Morarji Bhai Desai, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Chaudhary Devi Lal, etc. were arrested and put behind the bars under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). Dictatorship and autocracy only look at its own interests. Ideology has no importance for them. Proving this, Gandhi jailed not only the Opposition leaders but also the senior leaders of her own party, including the late Chandrashekhar and Krishan Kant. A large number of innocent people, who were jailed, lost their jobs, businesses were shut down and many families were on the verge of starving. But in spite of that, everybody fought against the Emergency bravely. I was only 23 at that time and was the General Secretary of the Panjab University Students Council and the President of the Punjab and Chandigarh Students Committee in the movement led by late Jai Prakash Narayan. On July 13, 1975, when I went to take admission in the Law Department of Panjab University, I was denied admission despite being in the merit list. On the contrary, when I came A grab of the front page of The Tribune dated June 27, 1975. out of the room after giving an interview, I was arrested. A false case was registered against me, alleging that I organised a student rally outside the Law Department on the day and said we would overthrow the Indira Gandhi government. In the month of December, the then Judicial Magistrate Hans Raj Nagara discharged me from the case and ordered my release. After that, I carried out “Satyagraha” in Panjab University on January 27, 1976, and offered myself up for arrest. I was arrested and in the night, I was taken to the police lines in Sector 29, and tortured. My fingers were tied by thin copper wires and I was subjected to electric shocks. For a moment, it seemed that this night might be the last night of my life. But by the grace of God, I survived. At the time, all fundamental rights were suspended and instead of bringing political prisoners from jail to court, Judges were ordered to hold court at jails itself. The police and the government had become completely autocratic and would put anyone c m y b in jail under false cases at any time. Bail for all such prisoners was legally banned. About six months after imposition of the Emergency, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Opposition leaders, Jan Sangh and all non-Congress organisations started a movement against it. Thousands challenged the dictatorship of the country’s Prime Minister by offering themselves up for arrests. Those dark days were truly very, very dark. Relatives, friends, everyone was scared of meeting us. There was an atmosphere of fear and terror everywhere. Radio was censored due to which people could get information only by listening to BBC news secretly. The whole country had become like an open prison where there was an atmosphere of terror, cruelty and dictatorship. Every person was afraid of the police. At one point, it seemed that democracy would never return to the country and Gandhi’s dictatorship would continue forever. Many times in jail, we used to think whether we would make it out alive or not. When Gandhi called a session of Parliament to pass the Emergency Bill, it was the first and last occasion in Indian Parliamentary History that all the Opposition benches were vacant, only the MPs of the parties supporting the government in the Emergency Bill were present in the House. It was also perhaps for the first time that Gandhi recommended the imposition of Emergency to the President without the approval of the Cabinet, which the then Pres- ident, Late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, accepted. It, otherwise, was a unconstitutional proposal. The Cabinet was informed about it only in the next morning. But Gandhi, full of arrogance that comes with power, in January 1977 thought that since no party or leader would be able to stand against her, decided to hold elections with the aim of giving another blow to the movement against the Emergency. The pressure had also mounted from other countries and the Opposition. But as soon as the elections were announced, the people’s patience broke and people openly rallied against her. The slogan given by Jayaprakash Narayan, “Every vote cast for Congress will prove to be a handcuff and a shackle for feet”, worked like a panacea. Gandhi and the Congress lost the election by a decisive margin. The Emergency was lifted from the country only after the crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha election in 1977. When Gandhi went to the then President BD Jati with her resignation after losing the Lok Sabha election, the latter advised her to withdraw the Emergency before resigning, otherwise the new government could use the laws made by her during same Emergency against her. Then, on the recommendation of Gandhi, the President lifted the Emergency even before the formation of the new government. Even today, the mind trembles remembering those days, but the people of India have a will power and a democracy strong enough to rise above any crisis. Today is the day that the country should take a vow, that governments will come and go, but no dictator would ever be able to think of imposing an Emergency with a view to thwarting and overthrowing the Constitution of India and democracy itself. (The author is the Additional Solicitor General of India and a two-time former Chandigarh MP)