16122025-TTB-01.qxd 12/16/2025 12:24 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 346 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI NABIN TAKES CHARGE AS BJP WORKING PRESIDENT NATION /thetribunechd ‘VOTE CHORI’ CONG ISSUE, NOT INDIA BLOC’S: OMAR J&K GOLD SOARS ~4,000 TO LIFETIME HIGH OF ~1.37 LAKH BUSINESS PM MODI REACHES JORDAN, MEETS KING ABDULLAH II BACK PAGE tuesday | 16 december 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com VB-G RAM G to replace MGNREGA, LeT, Pak handler, 5 others in Oppn says why remove ‘Mahatma’ NIA Pahalgam chargesheet Govt to bring Bill in LStoday to overhaul 20-yr-old Act, promising 125 workdays Animesh Singh & Arjun Sharma Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service WHY THE NEW BILL Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 15 The government is all set to introduce a new Bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday to replace the existing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) Act. The move has sparked strong protests from the Congress-led INDIA bloc. It slammed the decision to drop Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the “only law dedicated to him” and said the new Bill would burden the states financially by changing the nature of the scheme from 100 per cent centrally funded to Centre-state fund sharing in a 60:40 ratio. The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Bill-2025, listed for introduction in the LS on Tuesday, proposes a major overhaul of the 20-year-old MGNREGA, with a guarantee of 125 (in place of the current 100) days of employment per rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. The draft legislation moots the following major changes — replacement of the current nomenclature dedicated to ■ Probe in 19 districts of West The Bill aims to create employment and durable rural infra. FILE SHANTI BILL TABLED TO OVERHAUL NUCLEAR SECTOR The government on Monday introduced the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, proposing a comprehensive new legal framework for the country’s nuclear energy sector and seeking to repeal two key existing laws. Meanwhile, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday, was referred to a joint parliamentary committee. Mahatma Gandhi with G Ram G; rise in daily wages from Rs 205 to Rs 240; shift from demand-based budget allocation to normative funding that uses pre-defined, objective norms like performance, enrolment and strategic goals, rather than just demand, to distribute funds; switch from 100 per cent centrally funded ‘Modi’s grave’ slogan at Cong rally triggers storm in Parliament Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 15 Parliament witnessed several adjournments on Monday as the ruling BJP demanded an apology from the Congress over “digging the grave” slogans raised against PM Narendra Modi during its “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” rally in the national capital on Sunday. The Congress, on its part, denied that any such slogans were raised during the rally. The Lok Sabha witnessed an uproar over the issue, leading to adjournments. The Rajya Sabha also saw heated exchanges, including an early adjournment, as Leader of the House JP Nadda condemned the Congress and sought an apology from senior party leader Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Mallikarjun Kharge. The Lok Sabha was first adjourned till 12 pm and then till 2 pm as BJP and Congress members were locked in a verbal duel over the issue. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the slogans and demanded an apology from the top leadership of the main Opposition party. “We are political opponents, not enemies. Congress workers have threatened to dig the PM’s grave at the party rally. This is the most unfortunate incident,” Rijiju said as the Lok Sabha convened for the day at 11 am, triggering protests from Congress members. Amid the turmoil, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon. When the House reassembled at 12 pm, Congress members were in the Well raising slogans against Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking an apology from the BJP over his alleged objectionable lan- BJP seeks apology from Sonia; Cong hits back CAN’T THREATEN PM Wearepoliticalopponents, ❝enemies. Congress not workers have threatened to dig the PM’s grave at the party rally. This is the most unfortunate incident. Kiren Rijiju, PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS MINISTER BID TO DIVERT ATTENTION such remarks were ❝ Nofrom the Cong rally made stage. The uproar is being used to block discussions, including those sought by the Opposition on rising pollution levels in Delhi Priyanka Gandhi, CONGRESS LEADER scheme to centrally sponsored scheme (CCS) model with standard Centre-state fund sharing in 60:40 ratio; mandatory unemployment allowance in case job is not given within 15 days of application; compulsory 60-day no work period to ensure the availability of agricultural labour during peak sowing and harvesting season. Bengal has found nonexistent works, fund misuse, leading to freeze ■ Monitoring in 23 states in FY 2025-26 showed works “not found or not commensurate with expenditure”, machine use where labour was required ■ In 2024-25, misappropriation was ~193.67 crore across states; only 7.61 per cent of households completed 100 days post-Covid ■ Leakages, weak verification, poor compliance required a new framework, not minor tweaks ■ MGNREGA was built for 2005, but rural India has transformed ■ Poverty fell from 25.7% (2011-12) to 4.86% (2023-24) ■ MGNREGA’s open-ended model had become outdated The dropping of Mahatma Gandhi’s name has generated political heat, with the Congress dubbing PM Narendra Modi’s gestures of homage to the Father of the Nation as “hollow, hypocritical”. The government rejected the accusations and said the overhaul of continued on page 7 edit: job scheme rejig NewDelhi/Jammu, December 15 Almost eight months after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 persons, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-based terrorists, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday chargesheeted six accused in the case, along with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and its proxy outfit The Resistance Front (TRF) as single entity. The chargesheet, which details Pakistan’s conspiracy, the roles of the accused and supporting evidence, has charged the banned LeT and TRF for their role in planning, facilitating and executing the Pahalgam attack. Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt has been named as an accused in the 1,597-page chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court in Jammu. The NIA’s chargesheet also names the three Pakistani terrorists killed by Indian security forces during Operation Mahadev at Dachigam in Srinagar in July, weeks after the deadly attack. The three have been identified as Faisal Jatt, alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir, alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani. JAMMU: A Special Operations Group (SOG) jawan was killed and a terrorist believed to be injured in a gunfight in a remote forest village in Udhampur district of J&K on Monday. “The gunfight has stopped, but the area has been put under tight security cordon and all escape routes have been plugged to neutralise the holed-up terrorists,” officials said. — OC ED grillsYes Bank co-founder Kapoor NEW DELHI: An NIA team carries a trunk containing the chargesheet in the Pahalgam terror attack case to a special court in Jammu on Monday. PTI The LeT/TRF as well as the , four abovementioned terrorists, have been charged under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; the Arms Act, 1959; and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The NIA has also invoked penal provisions related to waging a war against India. Through a meticulous scientific probe spanning nearly eight months, the NIA traced the conspiracy to Pakistan, which has been unabatedly sponsoring terrorism against India, sources said. Two accused — Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothatd — who were arrested by the NIA on June 22 for harbouring terrorists, have also been chargesheeted. During interrogation, the two disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack and confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed LeT terror outfit. In Jammu, special security arrangements were put in place when NIA officials reached the special court to file the chargesheet. LeT commander Sajid Jatt, born in continued on page 7 The ED on Monday questioned Yes Bank cofounder Rana Kapoor as part of a money laundering investigation against Reliance Anil Ambani group companies, officials said. His statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. — TNS Hearing in Wangchuk case deferred to Jan NEW DELHI: The SC on Monday adjourned to January 7 the hearing on a plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, against his detention under the National Security Act on September 26. A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria deferred the matter due to paucity of time. INSIDE Clock ticks for Amritpal asparolehearing put off Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Kanwar Digvijay Singh Team promoter shot at kabaddi meet in Mohali Mohali, December 15 Unidentified assailants on Monday evening shot a kabaddi team promoter in the head from point-blank range during a tournament in Sector 82 here. The victim has been identified as Kanwar Digvijay Singh (30), alias Rana Balachauriya, a kabaddi player and promoter of the Shakkarpur kabaddi team. The police said two unidentified youths approached Singh around 6 pm on the pretext of taking a selfie, took him aside towards the parking lot and fired four rounds at him, hitting him in the head. His friends rushed him to a private hospital, where he was declared brought dead. As the armed assailants fled the spot, they fired shots into the air to scare youths who tried to chase them. — TNS People pay respects to victims of the shooting during a Jewish holiday event at Bondi Beach in Sydney. REUTERS Man, son behind Sydney beach shooting; toll rises to 15, 6 critical Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 15 The Australian authorities on Monday confirmed that the two terrorists behind the attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach were actually a father and a son, while four critically injured victims succumbed to their injuries in hospitals, taking the toll to 15. The incident is one of the deadliest public shootings in the country in several years. Investigators said the attackers opened fire on a crowd at the popular beachfront on Sunday evening, triggering panic and a swift police response. One terrorist was killed in an exchange of fire with the police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son remains in hospital in critical condition under police guard. Australian Minister for Home AffairsTonyBurkeconfirmedthe familiallinkbetweenthetwogunmen but did not formally name them. Australian media, however, reported that the injured shooter was Naveed Akram, while his 50-year-old father, continued on page 7 edit: courage defies terror Chandigarh, December 15 Time is fast running out for Lok Sabha member Amritpal Singh to secure parole to attend the winter session of Parliament, with his plea remaining unheard today as lawyers abstained from work. With the session scheduled to conclude on December 19, the matter is now listed for hearing on Tuesday, leaving a narrowing window of barely three working days even if relief is granted. Amritpal Singh has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking temporary release to attend Parliament, where he represents the Khadoor Sahib constituency. The case could not be taken up on Monday due to the lawyers’ decision, pushing the hearing to December 16 and intensifying the uncertainty around his ability to “meaningfully participate” in the ongoing session. Punjab has already mounted a strong opposition to the parole plea, asserting that once a detained MP enters Parliament, neither the exec- Court rejects closure report in Chd BMW murder case Ramkrishan Upadhyay HIMACHAL EX-CM’S NEPHEW WAS RUN OVER IN 2017 Tribune News Service guage during the discussion on electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha last week. BJP member Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair, allowed the tabling of parliamentary papers and assured Congress members that he would allow them to raise their issues after Zero Hour mentions. With members remaining unrelenting in their protests, Saikia adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha as heated exchanges took place continued on page 7 1,597-page report filed in Jammu court SOG jawan killed in Udhampur gunfight Chandigarh, December 15 Rejecting the closure report of the Chandigarh Police against the prime accused, Balraj Singh Randhawa, in the eight-year-old high-profile Akansh Sen murder case, a local court has directed the police to investigate the matter further and submit the final report at the earliest. The police had filed an untraced report two months ago in the District Courts against Randhawa, who is absconding since 2017. Sen, nephew of a former ■ Akansh Sen, nephew of a former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, the late Virbhadra Singh, was killed on the night of February 9, 2017, after being run over by a BMW car in Sector 9, Chandigarh ■ Randhawa, who was allegedly driving the vehicle, fled from the spot, while his friend Harmehtab Singh, also in the car, was arrested later << UT Police recovered the BMW car, which ran over Akansh Sen, from Mandi Gobindgarh. FILE Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, the late Virbhadra Singh, was killed on the night of February 9, 2017, after being run over by a BMW car in Sector 9, Chandigarh. Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b Randhawa, who was allegedly driving the vehicle, fled from the spot, while his friend Harmehtab Singh, also in the car, was arrested later. As per the police, accused Randhawa ran his car over Sen thrice after being instigated by Harmehtab Singh, who was sitting on the front passenger seat. Randhawa is a son of a former sarpanch of Fatehgarh Sahib and has been absconding since the murder took place. Harmehtab Singh was arrested on February 16, 2017. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019 in the case. In the status report submitted before the court in October 2024, the police said Randhawa continued on page 7 HCto take it up today| Parl session ends on Dec 19 utive nor the judiciary can regulate, restrict or pre-condition what he might say on the floor of the House. Appearing for Punjab, senior advocate Anupam Gupta had told the Bench that any undertaking offered by Amritpal Singh regarding the subject of his speech would be legally unenforceable once he entered Parliament. Anchoring his submissions in Article 105 of the Constitution, Gupta maintained that the provision conferred absolute freedom of speech on MPs within the House, coupled with immunity from court proceedings for anything said or voted there. The state had also cautioned that even a single speech by the detained MP could set the five rivers afire. The Bench had previously asked Amritpal Singh’s counsel to indicate the subject he proposed to raise in Parliament. The response continued on page 7 Indiaproposestrade pactwithMexicoto dealwithhightariffs NEW DELHI: India has initiated discussions with Mexico on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to mitigate the impact of Mexico’s decision to sharply raise import tariffs on non-free trade agreement partners, a move that could affect nearly $2 billion worth of Indian exports. Mexico had recently approved a sweeping tariff overhaul that raised duties on a broad range of imports from countries without a free-trade agreement, including India. — TNS