02092025-TTC-01.qxd 9/2/2025 12:28 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 242 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 SHAH VISITS FLOOD-HIT AREAS OF JAMMU REGION J&K /thetribunechd RAHUL TARGETS PM AS ‘VOTER ADHIKAR YATRA’ ENDS IN PATNA NATION GOLD HITS LIFETIME BRAHMINS PROFITEERING: HIGH OF ~1.05 LAKH ON NAVARRO’S DIG AT INDIA TARIFF JITTERS BUSINESS OVER RUSSIAN OIL WORLD tuesday | 2 september 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com THE TRIBUNE RELIEF FUND FOR J&K, PUNJAB & HP SCO leaders say those who planned, financed 18-page document reaffirms support for &shelteredterroristsmustbebroughttojustice multipolar world order, calls for UN reforms On summit sidelines, Modi calls for an immediate end to Russia-Ukraine war Tianjin Declaration denounces Pahalgam Nomoredouble standardson terror:PMModi Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service An Appeal to our Readers The devastating floods that have ravaged J&K, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in the past weeks have caused unprecedented destruction, sweeping away homes, crippling infrastructure, taking away lives, displacing families and leaving countless people in need for urgent relief and rehabilitation. In the past years, during such calamities, be it the floods in Kerala, the landslides in Uttarakhand, the floods in Jammu and Kashmir, the cloudburst in Ladakh, the Orissa Cyclone, the Kargil War or the Gujarat earthquake, Tribune readers have always come forward to make their valuable donations. The Tribune Trust appeals to its readers to do so once again. Their contributions will provide invaluable support for reducing the anguish of the families of those who have lost lives and their homes. The names of all those who donate ~500 and above will be published in the paper. These donations shall also qualify for deduction under the Income Tax Act, in accordance with the applicable provisions. Donations should be in the form of crossed cheques or demand drafts in favour of the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and sent to The Tribune Trust, Sector 29-C, Chandigarh160030, or to The Tribune offices in various cities. All donations received by us will be duly sent to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. — President and Trustees of The Tribune Trust, Chandigarh New Delhi, September 1 In a major diplomatic win for India, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday delivered a united condemnation of the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 people were brutally killed by a Pakistan-based terror outfit, and further declared that those who planned, financed and sheltered the terrorists must be brought to justice. The strong wording, part of the Tianjin Declaration adopted at the SCO summit in China, came with PM Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif at the table — underscoring the weight of the message. “The member states strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025,” the declaration read, while also denouncing attacks in Pakistan’s Khuzdar and on the Jaffer Express earlier this year. The statement reaffirmed that “double standards in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable” and stressed the need for collective global action under the UN. For India, the explicit condemnation marks a rare moment of solidarity at a forum that includes Pakistan, continued on page 8 Edit: Tianjin declaration Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said “double standards on terrorism will not be acceptable”, citing the Pahalgam attack as an example of the “gruesome face of terror” haunting the region. Says need to speak in one voice against menace Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping share a light moment on the sidelines of the 25th SCO summit in Tianjin, China, on Monday. PTI DIPLOMATIC VICTORY FOR INDIA ■ For India, the condemnation marks a rare ■ Officials described the language as a clear moment of solidarity at a forum that includes Pakistan, which has often been accused by New Delhi of sponsoring cross-border terror acknowledgment of India’s concerns, noting that the perpetrators were identified as The Resistance Force terrorists, operating from across the border In the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other global leaders at the SCO summit in Tianjin, Modi described terrorism as a “shared challenge to humanity” and pressed SCO states to act with “unity, consistency and determination.” “Itisnaturaltoask:cantheopen support to terrorism by some countries be acceptable to us? We must state clearly, and in one voice, that terrorism in any form, in any manifestation, will not be tolerated,”hesaid,inapointedreference to Pakistan. India has blamed a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy outfit, The Resistance Force (TRF), for continued on page 8 PM Modi joins Russian President Putin in his personal vehicle in Tianjin. Amid tariff war, Modi & Putin vow to firm up ties Ajay Banerjee 60-MIN LIMO CHAT Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 1 In the backdrop of India facing punitive tariffs for its crude oil purchase from Russia, the two countries on Monday reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen partnership and expressed satisfaction over the growth made in the economic, financial and energy sectors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China. Both of continued on page 8 In ‘first contact’PM dials Mann on floods India offered to cut tariffs to nothing: , JupinderjitSingh Tribune News Service 29 DEAD, 2.56 LAKH HIT Chandigarh, September 1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening called up Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take stock of the flood situation in Punjab, in what was the first communication by the Centre with the state that has been battling nature’s fury for a week. Official sources said the first thing the PM did after landing in Delhi from China was to dial the Punjab CM. “Immediately after landing in Delhi, the PM called up CM Bhagwant Mann to discuss the situation arising out of the rain and flooding in Punjab. He assured the state of all help,” the sources said. The PM is also likely to soon hold a meeting with the Centre’s inter-ministerial teams to review the situation in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The phone call came a day after CM Mann wrote to the PM seeking the release of the state’s pending dues of Rs The floods have so far claimed 29 lives in Punjab, the maximum in Pathankot district, besides impacting the lives of over 2.56 lakh people, officials said on Monday. Twelve of the 23 districts have been hit in the floods, one of the worst in decades. COLLEGES CLOSED TOO CM Bhagwant Mann talks to a girl affected by floods in Hoshiarpur. 60,000 crore. No central minister or a top BJP leader has so far visited Punjab to take stock of the floods, which have claimed 29 lives and submerged over 1,000 villages. A Punjab Government official said, “The state has asked the Centre through the CM to relax norms under the Disaster Management Act for the payment of relief. With floods being included as ‘disaster’ under the Act, there is no need for a separate declaration or a notification (as done by Himachal by declaring the entire state as ‘disaster-hit’).” Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced in New Delhi that the Centre was “addressing the devastating floods in Punjab”. He also assured the state of full support. “Punjab farmers affected After schools, Punjab on Monday announced the closure of all colleges, universities and polytechnic institutes till September 3 in the wake of incessant rain across the state. Several districts of the state have been witnessing rain since Sunday. by the floods should not worry as the Centre stands firmly by them in this hour of natural calamity,” Chouhan said. Punjab BJP leaders, however, didn’t appear amused by Chouhan’s statement. A few leaders said the BJP may already have “lost a big opportunity to connect with Punjab’s rural population”. continued on page 8 Edit: open the purse Trump terms ties ‘one-sided disaster’ Kuldeep Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 1 Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that India had now “offered” to cut its tariffs to nothing, but cau- tioned that “it’s getting late”. Trump, in a post on social media, termed the trade ties between the two countries “one-sided disaster”, saying the Indian offer should have come “years ago”. India has not given a formal response to Trump’s claim. Trump asserted that the US did “very little business with India” owing to high tariffs. “They sell massive amounts of goods to the US, but we sell them very little. Until now, a totally one-sided relationship, and it has been for many decades,” the US President said. “The reason is that India has charged us, until now, such high tariffs, continued on page 8 AP/PTI 800 KILLED IN AF QUAKE ■ At least 800 people were killed Rescue work underway at >> Mazar Dara in Afghanistan. AP/PTI Tribune News Service Shimla, September 1 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today announced that the entire state had been declared “disaster-hit” due to the widespread rain devastation, with losses exceeding Rs 3,000 crore. Speaking in the Assembly during the monsoon session, the Chief Minister said a related notification was issued on Monday. “The losses due to cloudbursts, flashfloods and landslides have 5 DEAD IN LANDSLIDES Five persons were killed in landslides triggered by heavy rain in two HP districts. A man and his daughter along with two women were killed in three house collapse incidents in Shimla district while one death was reported from Sirmaur. been estimated at Rs 3,056 crore. The maximum damage has been caused to roads, bridges and water and power supply schemes,” he said. The notification has been issued by the Disaster Man- agement Cell of the Revenue Department under sub-section (e) of Section 24 of the Disaster Management Act, 2025. Sukhu said 161 persons had died while 40 others were missing in 45 cloudbursts, 91 flashfloods and 105 major landslides since the beginning of the monsoon on June 19. The worst-affected districts include Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, Shimla, Kangra and Kinnaur. The CM also said there was no conflict in number of casualties during the Manimahesh continued on page 8 New Delhi, September 1 Amid demands from opposition political parties for extension of time for filing claims and objections with regard to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, the Election Commission on Monday told the Supreme Court that it could be done even after the September 1 deadline. Senior counsel Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the poll panel, however, told a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant that The month-long period to demand inclusion and deletion of names from the electoral rolls of Bihar ended on Monday, with more than 36,000 electors filing pleas to get names added while over 2.17 lakh demands have been made for the removal of names. such claims and objections filed beyond the deadline would be considered after finalisation of the electoral rolls. Any extension of the deadline would lead to disruption of the entire SIR exercise and finalisation of final electoral roll, Dwivedi told the Bench, which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Dwivedi requested the c m y b GST revenue rises 6.5%to~1.86Lcr on higherAugustsales NEW DELHI: GST collection in August rose 6.5 per cent to over Rs 1.86 lakh crore with increased domestic sales, and the upcoming festive season is likely to swell the kitty going forward. The August Goods and Services Tax (GST) mop-up is, however, lower than Rs 1.96 lakh crore collected in July. In August 2024, the collection was Rs 1.75 lakh crore. The gross domestic revenue grew 9.6 per cent to Rs 1.37 lakh crore. BUSINESS DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a PIL challenging the rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol, alleging millions of motorists were forced to use the fuel not designed for their vehicles. A Bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai rejected the petition after Attorney General R Venkataramani said the decision benefited sugarcane farmers. BACK PAGE NEW Satya Prakash Tribune News Service RUBIO HAILS INDIA TIES Nearly 10 minutes ahead of Putin and Modi’s bilateral talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described India-US ties as “a defining relationship of the 21st century”. Rubio’s message was shared by the US embassy through X. BACK PAGE PIL against rollout of ethanol-blended petrol junked by SC and over 2,800 hurt as a 6.0magnitude quake jolted eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday ■ The quake hit towns in Kunar province near Jalalabad, causing extensive damage ■ India has started delivering relief material, with EAM S Jaishankar assuring his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi of more supplies 161 deaths & ~3,056-cr losses, Sukhu Deadlineover, but can file SIR claims: EC declares entire Himachal ‘disaster-hit’ 2.17L PLEAS FOR REMOVAL, 36,000 INCLUSION Pratibha Chauhan Putin and Modi spent nearly an hour talking to each other while seated in the Russian President’s limousine. Putin desired that Modi and he travel together to the venue of their bilateral talks. Putin waited for 10 mins for the PM to join him. BACK PAGE Bench not to extend the deadline, saying it may become a never-ending process, if extended. In view of Dwivedi’s statement, the Bench chose not to pass any orders on pleas filed by the RJD and the AIMIM. “The process (of filing claims and objections) will continue until the last date of nominations and all inclusions and exclusions are integrated in the final rolls. In light of this stand, let the claims, objections and corrections be continued to be filed. Meanwhile, political parties and petitioners may submit their affidavits in response to the note,” it said, posting the matter for further hearing on September 8. Terming the confusion over the SIR largely a trust issue, the top court asked the state legal services authority to deploy paralegal volunteers to assist individual voters and political parties in filing claims and objections to the draft electoral rolls published continued on page 8 PM Modi likely to visit Manipur on September 13 AIZAWL: Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi is likely to visit Manipur — his first since the ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023 — on September 13, officials in Aizawl said. The PM will first visit Mizoram to inaugurate the new Bairabi-Sairang railway line, they said. Officials of the Mizoram Government said they had received information that from Aizawl that the PM would fly to Manipur. INSIDE