17112024-TTC-01.qxd 11/17/2024 12:45 AM Page 1 123 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 318 | 20 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 TRUMP COULD END WAR WITH RUSSIA SOONER: ZELENSKYY WORLD /thetribunechd NC, CONGRESS FACE OPPN’S IRE OVER ART 370 REMARKS J&K REMEMBERING PROF GOSWAMY ON HIS DEATH ANNIV SPECTRUM ARMY CHIEF GENERAL DWIVEDI TO VISIT NEPAL NEXT WEEK BACK PAGE sunday | 17 november 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com 394, Hry Curfew imposed in Imphal as houses of Amid setbacks, Sukhbir JindAQIatschools may shut CM, ministers targeted; Net suspended quits as SAD president Fresh violence after bodies of six missing persons ‘recovered’ in Jiribam Animesh Singh Working panel meet tomorrow to chart out next course Tribune News Service Jupinderjit Singh New Delhi, November 16 Curfew was clamped on two districts of Manipur on Saturday after protesters went on a rampage in the Meitei-dominated Imphal valley region. The violence broke out following unconfirmed reports of recovery of bodies of six persons of a family who had gone missing earlier this week. Besides imposing curfew in Imphal West and Imphal East districts, the administration suspended Internet services in Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts for two days due to the prevailing tension in the state. The curfew was imposed as protesters attacked houses of political leaders, including that of Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his son-in-law RK Imo. The security forces had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the protesters outside the CM’s personal residence. Sources confirmed that the bodies of three of the six missing persons were found on Friday near a river in Jiribam district. The victims had gone miss- Tribune News Service Vehicles set on fire by protesters over the recent killings, in Imphal West, Manipur, on Saturday. REUTERS ENSURE PEACE, MHA TELLS SECURITY FORCES ❝ Security forces have been directed to take necessary steps to restore peace and order. — MHA ing soon after the November 11 encounter between CRPF personnel and suspected militants in Jiribam. As many as 10 militants were killed in the incident amid allegations by tribal Punjab farmers oppose land for Haryana House, threaten to launch sit-in BODIES OF 10 MILITANTS AIRLIFTED The bodies of the 10 suspected militants, who were killed in an encounter with the CRPF on November 11, were airlifted by the police to Manipur from Assam’s Silchar town, where the autopsies were conducted. Tribal groups clashed with police personnel at Silchar Medical College when the bodies were not reportedly handed over to them. groups that the deceased were village volunteers. Large-scale violence was reported in parts of the Imphal valley districts as mobs targeted residences of politicians, including minis- ters and MLAs. A group of persons attacked MLA Sapam Nishikant Singh’s house and destroyed the gate and bunkers. The protesters, mainly women, demanded continued on page 6 Chandigarh, November 16 Facing “tankhah” (punishment) from Akal Takht, rebellion within the party and repeated debacles in elections, Sukhbir Singh Badal today resigned from the post of SAD president. His five-year tenure as the party chief was to end on December 14 this year. The resignation ended his nearly 16-year tenure as the party chief and the reign of the Badal family. Sukhbir’s father and five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was the SAD president from 1995 to January 2008, when he handed over the reins to Sukhbir. Sukhbir had, on August 29 this year, handed over the charge of the party affairs to senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar by appointing him as the working president of the party. Bhundar has also been a loyalist of the Badal family, and he will continue to lead the party till the new president is elected. Party spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema, who announced Sukhbir’s resignation earlier today, said an LEGEND BEATEN TO THE PUNCH CLEARS WAY FOR PARTY POLL ■ SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema said the last election to the post of party president was held on December 14, 2019 ■ He said as the elections were due next month, Sukhbir had chosen to resign to clear the way for the conduct of this exercise ended his nearly 16-year tenure as the Shiromani Akali Dal chief and the reign of the Badal family emergency meeting of the working committee had been called on November 18 at the party headquarters here to consider Sukhbir’s resignation and chart out the next course of action, including the conduct of elections for picking the new president of the party. Cheema said the last election to the post of president and the organisational structure of the party was held on December 14, 2019. He said as the elections were due next month, Sukhbir had chosen to resign to clear the way for the conduct of this exercise. AP/PTI Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 16 Punjab farmers, under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal), today announced that they would soon launch a sit-in (morcha) in Chandigarh if the Centre handed over land in the city for a separate Vidhan Sabha for Haryana. Political parties from Punjab, including BJP leaders, are already opposing the proposed allotment of land. There is no final decision yet on the project as the Chandigarh Urban Planning Department has opposed it arguing that the Chandigarh Master Plan2031 does not provide for any policy for exchange of land. In a communication to the Administration, the department has stated that the land in question is not suitable from the town planning point of view. It stated that a drain was passing through the site which bifurcated it and would not be suitable for construction. Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of the union, which was among the main protesting farmer groups on the Delhi border against the now scrapped farm laws, said Chandigarh was part of Punjab and no transfer of land to Haryana Chandigarh part of our state, says Rajewal NO LAND SWAP CLAUSE IN MASTER PLAN: UT ■ The Chandigarh Urban Plan- ning Department has questioned the swapping of land with the Haryana Govt ■ It claims the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031 doesn’t provide for any policy to allow land swap ■ It says a drain is passing via the proposed site, making it unsuitable for construction could be allowed. He said the union would announce the protest plan after another meeting with members. BJP leaders, including Punjab unit president Sunil Jakhar and former president Manoranjan Kalia, have also opposed the move even though the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre and the BJP ledHaryana Government support the allotment of land in Chandigarh for the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) submitted a memorandum to the Punjab Governor today opposing the proposed transfer of land. Party spokesman Gopal Singh Sidhu said the move played with the sentiments of Punjabis. 5 Naxals killed in Bastar gunfight Raipur, November 16 Five Naxalites were killed and two security personnel injured in an anti-insurgency operation in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on Saturday, a senior police official said. The gunfight broke out around 8 am in a forest in north Abujhmad along the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, he said. Personnel belonging to the Border Security Force (BSF), District continued on page 6 Returning to the professional boxing ring after a 19-year hiatus, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson lost to 27-year-old social media influencer-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul by unanimous decision in Arlington, US. This was 58-year-old veteran’s first sanctioned fight since 2005. EC seeks reply on code violations by Shah, Rahul Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 16 The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday sought explanation from the BJP and Congress over comments made by Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in alleged violation of CONG, BJP ALLEGE INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES Nov 11: The BJP lodges a complaint with the Election Commission, accusing Rahul Gandhi of making inflammatory statements Nov 13: The Congress files a complaint against PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of making divisive and false statements during the ongoing election campaign the model code of conduct. The poll panel has sought responses from BJP presi- dent JP Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge by Monday. They have also been Fazilka man held in Baba Siddique case CHANDIGARH: FACING TANKHAH FROM AKAL TAKHT ■ Sukhbir’s resignation has asked to comment on complaints received by the poll panel against their star campaigners. The EC attached copies of the complaints in its communication to the parties. This comes after both parties filed complaints against each other with the EC. On November 11, the BJP continued on page 6 AMBALA: Amid poor air quality in the state, the Haryana Government has asked deputy commissioners to assess the situation and take a call on discontinuation of physical classes for students up to Class V . The air quality in Jind, Bahadurgarh, Bhiwani, Gurugram, Kaithal, Panipat, and Rohtak was “very poor”. INSIDE ■ Apart from repeated deba- cles in elections, Sukhbir was facing rebellion within the party and “tankhah” from Akal Takht “As part of this process, a membership drive will be conducted first, following which circle delegates will be elected. The circle delegates will in turn choose district delegates, who will elect state delegates,” Cheema said. He said the state delegates, who constituted the general house, would elect the president and the office-bearers as well as the working committee of the party. Sukhbir had appointed Bhundar as the working chief a day before he was scheduled to appear before continued on page 6 A Fazilka-based person was arrested by the Punjab Police in a joint operation with the Maharashtra Police in connection with the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique. DGP Gaurav Yadav said the accused had been identified as Akash Gill, a native of Pakka Chishti of Fazilka district. INSIDE Wellplacedtohandle globalspillovers:RBI KOCHI: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das has said the Indian economy and financial sector are well placed to handle any kind of spillovers from global events. “Today, the growth of the Indian economy presents a picture of stability and strength,” he said, adding the country’s current account deficit had remained within manageable limits. — PTI 4-member team to probe newborn deaths in UP fire; PM offers ~2L relief to kin Lucknow/Jhansi (UP), Nov 16 The UP Government on Saturday formed a four-member committee to probe the fire at the children’s ward of a medical college in Jhansi that killed 10 newborns as officials suspected electrical short circuit to be the cause of the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the loss of life and announced an assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased. The UP government also announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the parents of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those of the injured. CM Yogi Adityanath has directed the Divisional Commissioner of Jhansi, the fire department and the deputy inspector general of police to submit a report within 12 hours. Amid claims that the medical college had expired fire extinguishers, Deputy CM Brijesh Pathak asserted the firefighting equipment at the college was in order. A fire safety audit was carried out in February and a mock drill in June. College principal Dr Narendra Singh Sengar also termed the allegations “baseless”. Newborns after being rescued from fire at Jhansi medical college. PTI The committee, to be headed by the Director General of Medical Education and Training, has been tasked with identifying the cause of the fire and determining whether any negligence was involved. It will submit the report within seven days. “Sixteen children are undergoing treatment in other wards of the medical college. The children, who were three to four days old, have been kept on a warmer,” said Pathak. The blaze at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), continued on page 6 Looted decades ago, 1,400antiquities worth $10 mn given to India New York, November 16 A sandstone sculpture looted from Madhya Pradesh in 1980s and another in green-grey schist looted from Rajasthan in 1960s are among over 1,400 antiquities collectively valued at $10 million that the US has returned to India. More than 600 more antiquities looted from India are scheduled to be repatriated in coming months. The pieces were returned at a ceremony with Manish Kulhary from the Consulate General of India here and Alexandra deArmas, Group Supervisor from the Homeland Security Investigation of New York Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Group, according to a statement from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L Bragg, Jr. At least 1,440 antiquities collectively valued at $10 million were returned to India at the event, Bragg Most items returned by US from MP, Rajasthan said in a statement. The sandstone sculpture depicting a celestial dancer was looted from a temple in Madhya Pradesh in the early 1980s. The looters had cleaved the sculpture into two halves to facilitate smuggling and illicit sale and by February 1992, the two halves Today’s issue is of 20 pages, including six-page Spectrum. were illegally imported from London into New York, professionally reassembled, and donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met). It remained on display at the Met, until it was seized by the Antiquities Traffic Unit (ATU) in 2023. The second sculpture, Tanesar Mother Goddess, carved from green-gray schist, was looted from a village of Tanesara-Mahadeva in Rajasthan. First documented in the late 1950s by an Indian archaeologist along with 11 other sculptures of mother goddesses, Tanesar Mother Goddess and her fellow mother goddesses were stolen one evening in the early 1960s, the statement said. By 1968, the Tanesar Mother Goddess was in a Manhattan gallery and after passing through two other collectors continued on page 6 Celestial Dancer had been on display at Metropolitan Museum of Art until 2023. COURTESY: MANHATTAN DIST ATTORNEY’S OFFICE