11092025-TTB-03.qxd 9/11/2025 12:56 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 251 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA COURT RESERVES ORDER ON PLEA FOR FIR AGAINST SONIA IN POLL ROLL CASE NATION /thetribunechd SANJAY SINGH JOINS PROTEST AGAINST MALIK’S ARREST J&K POLAND SHOOTS DOWN ABHISHEK MOVES HC TO ‘RUSSIAN’ DRONES IN PROTECT PERSONALITY ITS AIRSPACE WORLD RIGHTS BACK PAGE thursday | 11 september 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com THE TRIBUNE RELIEF FUND FOR J&K, PUNJAB & HP PM calls India, US natural allies after Trump’s trade overtures France erupts after Nepal REUTERS Cong takes dig at Modi, asks what about truce claim ‘35 times’ An Appeal to our Readers Kuldeep Singh 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. New Delhi, September 10 Amid escalating trade frictions, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that the US and India were “continuing negotiations” to resolve longstanding trade barriers and expressed optimism about finalising a bilateral trade pact announced in February, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming the two countries “close friends and natural partners”. “I am pleased to announce that India and the US are continuing negotiations to address the trade barriers between our two nations,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, PM Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our great countries!” The announcement marked a notable shift in tone from Trump’s earlier criticism of India as a totally “one-sided disaster” in trade relations, particularly following the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports in late August. The tariffs, including 25 per cent for trade imbalance, effective from August 1, and an additional 25 per cent penalty for India’s 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. INDIAN NEGOTIATORS MAY VISIT US NEXT WEEK Tribune News Service Reports suggest that Indian negotiators may visit the US for trade talks next week, though the Ministry of Commerce has not confirmed any such schedule. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed that India was in active dialogue with the US for trade negotiations. He said a trade pact with Oman was likely to be concluded within weeks and negotiations with the EU were on the fast track. US President Donald Trump with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. FILE KEEN ON SPEAKING WITH FRIEND MODI I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, PM Modi. I feel certain there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion... ❝ LIMITLESS POTENTIAL OF PARTNERSHIP We are close friends. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. PM, MELONI DISCUSS INDIA-EU TRADE PACT ❝ — President and Trustees of The Tribune Trust, Chandigarh Narendra Modi, PRIME MINISTER friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our peoples,” Modi said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned Modi’s remarks describing India and the US as “natural partners”, pointing to repeated claims by Trump that he had brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. “...Are they so natural that Trump has said over 35 times he brokered IndiaPakistan ceasefire…,” Ramesh posted on X. Where’s ~12K-cr disaster fund, Pb Oppn asks govt day after PMvisit 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. PM Modi on Wednesday spoke with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on the phone and discussed the proposed free trade pact between India and the EU. They also talked about Ukraine. Shiv Sena leader’s ‘murderer’ brutally attacks ex-DSP, 2 othersinPunjabjail Donald Trump, US PRESIDENT purchases of Russian oil, had strained bilateral ties and threatened nearly 50 per cent of India’s $86.5-billion merchandise exports to the US. Modi responded swiftly, emphasising the “limitless potential” of the India-US partnership. He also asserted that both sides were working to conclude the discussions at the earliest. “India and the US are close A protester holds a red flare during a demonstration in Paris on Wednesday against the country’s political class. Over 250 people were arrested with 80,000 police personnel deployed nationwide. INSIDE Army takes charge of Nepal, woman ex-CJI leads PM race SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE NAMRATA SHARMA IN KATHMANDU N EPAL’S army took charge of the country overnight, shutting down the extraordinary violence that swept the streets of Kathmandu on Tuesday and opening a dialogue with several representatives of the Gen-Z movement that demolished the ancient regime over the last 48 hours. On a day on which an uneasy calm prevailed in Kathmandu, families mourned over 30 SUSHILA KARKI, ANTI-GRAFT CRUSADER, IS BHU ALUMNA MORE ON BACK PAGE persons who had died in the protests while 1,000 have been injured. In the midst of this political and social turmoil, a handful of young Nepali men and women picked their first interim PM, via several online Aman Sood Tribune News Service AAPMLA,7others convicted in 2013 molestation case Gurbaxpuri Tarn Taran, September 10 Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar on Wednesday convicted Khadoor Sahib AAP MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura and seven others in a 12-yearold case of molestation and assault involving a local woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste community. The MLA and other accused who were present in the court were arrested and sent to the Patti sub-jail. The court will announce the quantum of the sentence on September 12. The incident took place when the victim was at a wedding function on March 3, 2013, at a venue on the Goindwal Sahib road continued on page 8 Chandigarh, September 10 Opposition parties, including the Congress, BJP and SAD, demanded a central probe on Wednesday into the alleged misuse of Rs 12,000 crore allocated to the state under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The issue came up a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a visit to flood-affected areas of Punjab, announced a financial package of Rs 1,600 crore and mentioned the earlier allocation of Rs 12,000 crore for disaster relief. State BJP chief Sunil Jakhar accused the AAP government of squandering the disaster fund received from the Centre on publicity stunts and other purposes instead of flood mitigation. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring claimed the state government had diverted the entire fund to other purposes, PTI Manjinder Singh Lalpura Volunteers place sandbags to repair a damaged bundh in Amritsar. MONEY WITH CENTRE, NOT STATE: OFFICIAL The money is not accumulated with the state, but remains with the Centre. Any withdrawal is treated as a loan, which reduces the state's borrowing limit. Punjab Govt functionary ❝ such as paying staff salaries, leaving nothing for disaster relief. He alleged the BJP was aware of the fact that Rs 12,000 crore had been misutilised. He said the PM’s aid package was insufficient and demanded a white paper on the fund’s status. Warring also called for a criminal case against the state government for diverting the disaster relief funds. He also blamed reckless mining for altering river courses and exacerbating flooding. The SAD also demanded a central investigation, citing contradictory statements from the state government. SAD leaders Harsimrat Kaur Badal continued on page 8 Bhartesh Singh Thakur Patiala, September 10 A former DSP and two exinspectors were seriously injured when they were attacked by Sandeep Singh, alias Sunny, the accused in the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri, inside the Central Jail, Patiala. The condition of all three injured police officials, two of whom have been convicted in fake encounter cases, is stated to be critical and they are reportedly admitted to an ICU. Sunny allegedly attacked former DSP Gurbachan Singh, retired Inspector Subba Singh and dismissed Inspector Inderjit Singh. A senior jail official said the incident took place in the high-security barrack where the accused and the victims were lodged separately, as all of them face threats. A jail official said Sunny attacked the three former policemen continued on page 8 Tribune News Service Months after Khemka flagged ~180-cr ‘loss’ Hry , travel scheme under lens Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 10 A free travel card scheme in Haryana, launched under former Chief Minister ML Khattar, is now a major concern for the government. Transport Minister Anil Vij has asked Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to order an investigation, months after then Additional Chief Secretary of the Transport Department Ashok Khemka flagged several “irregularities” in the scheme. The allegations centre on the Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana (HAPPY) card scheme, launched in March 2024. The scheme offers free travel up to 1,000 km per year to families with an annual income of up to Rs 1 lakh, covering an estimated 84 lakh people. In December 2024, Khemka found the project had been approved “without competitive bidding” and pegged the potential loss at Rs 180 crore due to an “opaque process” in awarding the contract. On December 19, he wrote on file that the Transport Minister or Chief Minister “may take a decision regarding the fixing of INR 159.30 per card”. This cost per card was related to the state Transport Department’s approval from former CM Khattar in February 2024 to pay Mumbai-based firm Aurionpro Rs 159.30 per card after the first 10 lakh free cards. The firm was guaranteed 50 lakh cards. Annual maintenance charges were set at Rs 79.06 per card from the second year onwards, while beneficiaries paid only Rs 50 for their first card. Khemka’s file noting calculated that for the minimum guarantee of 50 lakh cards, the first-stage issuance would cost Rs 63.72 crore (excluding the first continued on page 8 After Imam & Gulfisha, Umar Khalid HP does rethink, to lease out only 6 of 14 hotels moves SC for bail in Delhi riots case LOSS-MAKING UNITS Pratibha Chauhan tribune News service Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 10 Former JNU student Umar Khalid on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order rejecting his bail plea in the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Khalid is the third accused after Sharjeel Imam and Gulfisha Fatima to approach the top court for bail in the case. They have challenged the Delhi High Court’s September 2 order rejecting their bail plea in the larger conspiracy case linked to the riots. A Bench led by Justice Naveen Chawla of the high court had also rejected the bail pleas of co-accused Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed and Abdul Khalid Saifi. The bail plea of another continued on page 8 JNU ex-student Umar Khalid. FILE Shimla, September 10 The uncertainty over the government decision to hand over 14 hotels of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) to private players has ended as only six of these properties will be leased out. The decision to rope in private players for running these 14 loss-making units was taken by the Cabinet at its meeting on June 28 this year. However, HPTDC ■ The HPTDC had segregated FILE Satya Prakash Hotel Kashmir House in Dharamsala now houses the HPTDC office. Chairman Raghubir Bali had expressed reservations, seeking a rethink on the issue. The online booking for c m y b these six hotels will be disabled from December 1 as these are likely to be handed over to private players. its 56 hotels and restaurants into three categories — profitable, less profitable and loss-making units ■ The decision to rope in private players for running 14 loss-making units of the corporation was taken by the Cabinet on June 28 this year “The online booking for six facilities — Hotel Hilltop (Swarghat), Hotel Baghal continued on page 8 conversations between 5,000 people across the country. Her name is Sushila Karki (73), whose reputation as a fierce anti-corruption crusader precedes her. She was Nepal’s first woman chief justice of the supreme court from July 2016 until June 7, 2017. She is widely respected for her integrity and her firm stance against political interference during her tenure as the chief justice, despite the challenges she faced from powerful political parties. Balen Shah, the much-talked continued on page 8 Fitch raises India FY26 GDP growth forecast to 6.9% NEW DELHI: Fitch Ratings on Wednesday raised India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.9 per cent for current fiscal year, from 6.5 per cent earlier, citing strong June quarter growth and domestic consumptionled demand. Fitch is the first global rating agency to have upped India’s GDP growth estimates for current fiscal year after the string of downward revisions by various agencies earlier this year. INSIDE May be forced into Ukraine war: 2 Hry youths send SOS SIRSA: Two youths — Ankit Jangra (23) and Vijay Poonia (25) — from Kumharia village in Fatehabad, stranded in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine, have made a desperate plea for help, fearing they may be forced into war. Ankit said he and 12 other Indians were trapped under Russian military control, surviving in harsh, inhumane conditions. Both had gone to Russia on student visas. INSIDE Pathanmajra’s anticipatory bail petition rejected PATIALA: A local court here on Wednesday rejected an anticipatory bail plea of Punjab AAP MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, who has been booked in a rape case. Pathanmajra’s counsel Simranjit Singh Saggu said Additional Sessions Judge Navdeep Kaur Gill dismissed the MLA’s application. The MLA will now approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for relief, he added. PTI