18012026-TTC-01.qxd 1/18/2026 12:27 AM Page 1 c m y b 123 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 10 NO. 18 | 24 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 US SLAPS 10% TARIFF ON 8 EU NATIONS OVER GREENLAND WORLD /thetribunechd COLD CONDITIONS INTENSIFY IN VALLEY, WET SPELL LIKELY J&K NIA CHARGESHEETS 5 OVER ONLINE TERROR PROPAGANDA NATION INDIA, JAPAN DISCUSS DEFENCE EQUIPMENT PROJECTS BACK PAGE sunday | 18 january 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com TMC converting infiltrators into voters: DGCAslaps ~22.2-cr fine on IndiGo over Dec flight mess PM calls for change of guard in Bengal Shekhar Singh Says Gen Z & youth increasingly trusting BJP, cites victory in Brihanmumbai MC Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 17 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress for “converting infiltrators into voters” as he gave a clarion call for change of guard in West Bengal. In Malda to flag off India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train and several other developmental projects, the PM said the TMC and its “syndicate” were patronising infiltrators for vote-bank gains. “Infiltration is a major threat for Bengal because illegal entrants snatch rights, jobs and security from citizens, disrupting demographic balance and fuelling crime and communal tensions. The TMC ecosystem is patronising infiltrators for vote-bank benefits. But the BJP government when elected will take strict action against infiltration and infiltrators,” the PM said urging voters to break the “politicianinfiltrator” nexus and restore Bengal’s pride through the power of their vote. Making a strong case for the contribution of eastern states to India’s development, the PM Narendra Modi interacts with students as he flagged off country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Howrah & Guwahati in Malda. PTI PM said after Odisha, Assam and Bihar, it was West Bengal’s turn to elect the BJP . The PM also cited the BJP’s victory in India’s richest Municipal Corporation, Bri- hanmumbai MC, to say that Gen Z and youth were increasingly trusting the saffron outfit. Speaking in Bangla, Modi gave a call for a change of guard in Bengal and said, “Paltano dorkar… chai, BJP shorkar (Change of guard and election of the BJP is the need of the hour in Bengal).” He also referred to the recent trend of eastern and northeast- ern states electing the BJP and NDA allies to make a case for saffron surge in Bengal. “For the first time, Odisha has elected a BJP government. continued on page 7 New Delhi, January 17 The aviation regulator, DGCA, has imposed a penalty of Rs 22.20 crore on IndiGo and ordered the airline to furnish a Rs 50-crore bank guarantee for nationwide flight disruptions in December 2025 that stranded over three lakh passengers. The action comes after a government-directed inquiry found that systemic failures, weak oversight and aggressive over-optimisation of crew and aircraft led to the chaos. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had constituted a four-member committee on the directions of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to examine the large-scale delays and cancellations between December 3 and 5 last year, during which IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 flights across the country. The committee’s findings, now accepted by the DGCA, concluded that the primary causes for the disruption were “over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness along with deficiencies in system software support and shortcomings in management structure and operational control on the part of IndiGo”. The inquiry observed that FILE PHOTO Tribune News Service TOLD TO FURNISH ~50-CR BANK GUARANTEE ■ DGCA has directed the airline to furnish ~50-crore bank guarantee to ensure compliance with its directives and long-term reforms ■ It has cautioned InterGlobe Aviation CEO Pieter Elbers for inade- quate oversight of flight operations and crisis management ■ The aviation regulator has directed the airline to act against erring officials identified in internal probe and submit a compliance report the airline’s management failed to identify planning deficiencies, did not maintain sufficient operational buffer and was unable to effectively implement the revised flight duty time limitation (FDTL) provisions. It noted that IndiGo’s “overriding focus on maximising utilisation of crew, aircraft and network resources significantly reduced roster buffer margins”, which compromised operational resilience and resulted in large-scale delays and cancellations. Crew rosters Relief for farmers as fence to move Atishi video not doctored: Delhi Speaker closer to IB: Mann after Shah meet Claims will order CBI probe | No comment on Gurus, BJP lying: Mann Anshita Mehra Tribune News Service New Delhi/Chandigarh, Jan 17 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday claimed a major relief for farmers in the state’s border belt, saying the Centre had agreed in principle to shift the security fence closer to the International Border (IB). Mann made the announcement after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, stating that Shah had informed him the issue was under active consideration. The move would clear the way for unhindered cultivation of thousands of acres of farmland currently trapped beyond the fence towards the IB, Mann told mediapersons after the meeting. The IB stretches across 523 km in Punjab and over 90 per cent of it—excluding riverine stretches along the Ravi and the Sutlej, and some marshy patches—is fenced. Mann said farmers had long been forced to cross the fence with identity cards and under the BSF escort to access their own fields, and that too with restricted timing daily. Along the IndiaPakistan border, the fence is located deep inside Punjab’s territory. As per international norms, construction should be beyond 150 metres of the zero line. But in several areas of Punjab, the fence is located 2-3 km inside. Consequently, thousands of acres of agricultural land lie beyond the fence, leading to farmers facing hassles in continued on page 7 ‘DANGEROUS POLITICS’ Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 17 The row involving Delhi Leader of Opposition and AAP leader Atishi’s purported remarks on the Sikh Gurus intensified on Saturday, with Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta saying a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report had concluded that the footage of Atishi had not been tampered with. Gupta said he would also order a CBI probe into the matter. Senior AAP leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhag- Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar accused the AAP government of “misusing” the police to protect leaders, hurting Sikh sentiments and playing dangerous politics on a sensitive issue. SAD chief Sukhbir Badal urged the Delhi Speaker to disqualify Atishi from the Assembly. ‘GURUS INSULTED, PB ACTION REEKS OF CONSPIRACY’ INSIDE want Mann hit back at the Speaker and the BJP government, saying Atishi had not spoken anything against the Gurus and it was the BJP that was indulging in sacrilege by lying on the issue. Mann said the forensic investigation in Punjab had established that Atishi did not say anything disrespectful. “It is the BJP that insulted Guru sahibs by adding subtitles to the video,” Mann said, adding that a court in Punjab had also made its position clear on the issue. “If the BJP believes the CBI is above even the (Punjab) forensic laboratory, then it should go ahead and order a CBI probe as well,” said Mann. Earlier, displaying the FSL report, Gupta said, in view of serious concerns over parallel investigations (in Delhi and Punjab) and alleged misuse of continued on page 7 Balachauria murder accused Shinde moves corporators to hotel as Ahead of R-Day, terror threat escapes police custody, shot Uddhav reveals BMC ‘mayor dream’ from B’desh, Khalistani outfits dead in Mohali encounter Tribune News Service Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service Gaurav Kanthwal Tribune News Service On the run for 7 hours as police van ‘hits divider’ Mohali, January 17 One of the alleged shooters arrested for the recent killing of kabaddi promoter Rana SHOs and CIA in-charge — to Balachauria was shot in an a location near Rurki Kham early morning encounter, village in Kharar around 6 hours after he reportedly fled am, the police said. Pathak, a the Crime Investigation resident of Amritsar with Agency (CIA) custody. links to Uttar Pradesh, The Punjab Police said gang- allegedly fired six to eight ster Karan Pathak, rounds from a pistol. alias Karan DefaultThe police retaliated er, 23, who had been by firing eight to 10 in CIA custody for rounds. Pathak was the past few days, hit in the leg but had complained of kept firing in a bid to severe chest pain late escape, the police last night. While said. A police officer, being shifted in a Sapinder Singh, was police van to the Civinjured in the firing. il Hospital, Phase 6, The accused was Karan Pathak, accused Pathak managed to subsequently nabbed flee after the vehicle hit a and taken to a private hospital median amid dense fog. The from where he was shifted to accused was in handcuffs and the Civil Hospital, but he sucwas being escorted by three cumbed to his injuries during CIA men at the time. treatment. Asked about how A manhunt was launched an accused in handcuffs manand the accused was traced by aged to get hold of a pistol in continued on page 7 three policemen — two local New Delhi, January 17 As the race for the mayorship of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began on Saturday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ignited suspense by moving the victorious Shiv Sena corporators to a high-end hotel in Mumbai. “They need to recharge and refresh after a hectic election schedule,” said Shiv Sena leaders. The reaction came moments after Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv SenaUBT, the second largest party in the BMC, said, “It’s my dream to install a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor in Mumbai, and if God is willing, this dream will be realised.” While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP quickly dismissed Uddhav’s remarks as “wishful think- ing”, his ally in the Municipal Corporation elections, Eknath Shinde, reacted by moving his victorious candidates to a resort. Fadnavis, however, exuded full confidence of wresting the mayorship of India’s richest MC after the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won 118 of the corporation’s 227 seats (BJP 89, SS 29). Cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, whose 25-year hold over the continued on page 7 New Delhi, January 17 Intelligence agencies have issued an alert ahead of the upcoming Republic Day celebrations that Khalistani and Bangladesh-based terror outfits may try to target the national capital and other cities across the country. According to intelligence sources, Punjab-based gangsters were increasingly acting as foot soldiers for Khalistani and radical handlers operating from abroad. The handlers were allegedly using criminal networks to further their agendas and disrupt internal security, they said. The sources said the gangsters were active across Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and were gradually establishing links with pro-Khalistan terrorist elements. 5,690 held under UAPAin 5 years, just 5% convicted, none in Pb Animesh Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 17 A total of 5,690 people were arrested between 2019 and 2023 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act across all 28 states, but only 288 — a mere 5 per cent — were convicted. In 2023, of the 1,686 persons arrested under the law, just 84, or 4.98 per cent, were convicted. In Punjab, 259 persons were arrested under UAPA in these five years; however, none have been convicted so far, according to official Union Home Ministry figures. In 2023, Punjab ranked fifth among states with 50 arrests under UAPA, but recorded zero convictions. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir too showed almost negligible conviction rates during the five-year period as well as in 2023. Uttar Pradesh topped the Only 0.62%sentenced in Jammu & Kashmir states in 2023 in arrests under UAPA, with 1,122 persons taken into custody, of whom only 75 — 6.68 per cent — were convicted. Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya followed with 154, 130 and 71 arrests, respectively. However, except for one conviction in Assam, Today’s issue is of 24 pages, including six-page Spectrum and four page Jalandhar Tribune. c m y b these states recorded no convictions under the law. In Punjab, arrests under UAPA rose from 30 in 2019 to 44 in 2020 and 49 in 2021, before surging to 86 in 2022. The figure dropped to 50 in 2023. Despite this rise, there were no convictions in the state over the five-year period. In J&K, 3,662 persons were arrested under UAPA between 2019 and 2023, but only 23 — 0.62 per cent — were convicted. In 2023, 1,206 persons were arrested and 10 convicted, reflecting a conviction rate of 0.8 per cent. Since 2019, when J&K was reorganised as a UT, arrests under UAPA have steadily increased — from 227 in 2019 to 346 in 2020, 645 in 2021 and 1,238 in 2022. In 2023, arrests marginally declined to 1,206. Convictions remained low: zero in 2019 and 2021, two in 2020, 11 in 2022 and 10 in 2023. were stretched to maximise duty periods and relied heavily on dead-heading, tail swaps and extended duty patterns, weakening the airline’s ability to recover from disruptions. Based on these findings, the DGCA has initiated enforcement action against senior officials of InterGlobe Aviation. CEO Pieter Elbers has been cautioned for inadequate oversight of flight operations and crisis management. The accountable manager and COO has been continued on page 7 Indians return from Iran amid deadly protests,crackdown NEW DELHI: Several Indians, including students, have arrived here in commercial flights from Iran amid widespread protests in the Islamic nation and Tehran’s crackdown that has so far killed more than 2,500 people. The flights arrived at the Delhi airport late on Friday night. While many seemed to be gripped by a sense of anxiety, they said the Indian Embassy in Tehran had been reassuring all Indian nationals there. BACK PAGE 5 Gujarat tourists killed as SUV hits divider in Bathinda BATHINDA: Five young tourists from Gujarat, including a woman constable, who were reportedly returning to their home state from Shimla, died after their SUV rammed into a divider on the BathindaDabwali national highway near Gurthari village amid dense fog on Saturday morning. While three of them died on the spot, two were declared brought dead at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda. INSIDE Injusticedonetonun in Mulakkal rape case: Prosecutor KOCHI: The special public prosecutor (SPP), appointed by the Kerala Government in the nun rape case against former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, on Saturday said an “injustice” was done to the victim in the matter. Senior advocate BG Harindranath said while he had not read the entire case material, from what he had seen, “a lot of mistakes were made. I believe we have a good chance in the appeal”. BACK PAGE