29082026-ATR-01.qxd 8/28/2026 10:53 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune STATE WORKERS PROTEST GOVT ACTION OVER ‘MAHA HARTAL’ BABA BAKALA: A SACRED TOWN IN SIKH HISTORY The historic town holds a special place in history, draws thousands of devotees during Rakhar Punya fair. P3 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 36°C | MIN 28°C YESTERDAY MAX 36°C | MIN 28°C EVERY FILM REVEALS A NEW ME: SHARVARI The workers gathered at the Tarn Taran District Administrative Complex and burnt an effigy of the govt. P2 FORECAST The celebrated actor talks about finding her groove with Main Vaapas Aaunga. P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 7.07 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 6:04 AM » SATURDAY | 29 AUGUST 2026 | AMRITSAR Six held with 2.9 kg heroin, eight high-end pistols seized Bond of trust, love Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla ties a rakhi on the wrist of a BSF officer at the Attari-Wagah border post in Amritsar. Govt staff threaten bigger stir over pending demands Neha Saini Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 28 The standoff between Punjab Government employees and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appears to have escalated, with the Joint Coordination Committee Punjab, formed by the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and the Joint Employees Forum Punjab, announcing plans to intensify its agitation across all districts. Today, while CM Mann addressed a state-level rally at the Rakharpunya Jor Mela in Baba Bakala, state Hold protest outside DC office; burn CM’s effigy government employees staged protests across the district and burnt an effigy of the Chief Minister outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office complex in Amritsar. Alleging that the Punjab Chief Minister was rattled by the protest dharna organised by employees on August 27, district convenors Ashwani Awasthi, Gurdeep Singh Bajwa and others claimed that he had “run away from the meeting and from his previous poll promises”. “The Chief Minister of Punjab left in panic and is running away from the issues of employees and pensioners. The Mann-led government, forgetting the promises made before the elections, is implementing anti-employee and antipensioner policies more aggressively than previous governments. Instead of providing employment, the government is making the people of Punjab freeloaders merely to retain power. They are not even paying heed to orders issued by the Hon’ble High Court regarding dearness allowance,” said Rajesh Kumar Parashar. The leaders, while twisting the Punjab Government’s slogan ‘Rangla Punjab’ into ‘Kangla Punjab’ (bankrupt Punjab), warned that Aam Aadmi Party candidates would face opposition from employees, pensioners and farmers during the upcoming Assembly elections. Local unit leaders also warned of another large-scale statelevel agitation if the government fails to address their demands or offer a resolution to their issues. Amritsar, August 28 The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, and Counter Intelligence (CI), Amritsar, in two separate operations, have busted alleged cross-border weapons and narcotics smuggling modules with the arrest of six persons and the recovery of 2.9 kg heroin, eight sophisticated high-end pistols and six live cartridges. The accused have been identified as Inderpal Singh and Sikandarjit Singh, both residents of Bhindi Aulakh village; Happy Singh alias Veerpal Singh of Kakkar village; Sunil Masih and Rajan Masih of Mahal in Gurdaspur; and Pardeep Singh of Noorpur village in Amritsar. Sharing details, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused were allegedly involved in cross-border smuggling and had received consignments of weapons and narcotics through drones. The consignments were subsequently meant for distribution among criminal elements in Punjab. The police have also impounded a Hyundai Venue car and a Splendor motorcycle allegedly being used for smuggling activities. Counter Intelligence cops with the seized pistols in Amritsar. In the first operation, CI Amritsar received reliable information that Sunil and Rajan had received a large consignment of illegal pistols and were expected to deliver the weapons to their associate, Pardeep Singh, in the Noorpur area. Acting on the input, police teams intercepted the trio and recovered seven pistols. Similarly, SSOC Amritsar teams apprehended Inderpal, Sikandarjit and Happy Singh and recovered 2.9 kg heroin and a pistol from their possession. The police are now probing the forward and backward linkages of the modules to identify other members involved in the cross-border network. The DGP said further arrests and recoveries were likely in the coming days. Two separate FIRs have been registered at Police Station SSOC Amritsar in connection with the operations. Meanwhile, the Amritsar Rural Police have arrested two alleged members of an arms smuggling gang and recovered 10 pistols and an equal number of magazines from their possession. The accused have been identified as Jagjit Singh, a resident of Dinanagar in Gurdaspur, and Davinder Singh, a resident of Dorangla village in Gurdaspur. A case has been registered against the duo under the relevant provisions of the law. According to the police, they had received specific information that the accused were in Illegal de-addiction centre Only BJP can pull Punjab out of crisis: Bittu sealed in Bhikhiwind, 4 held ❝ Tribune News Service Gurbaxpuri Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 28 Acting on the instructions of the Deputy Commissioner, a joint team of the Health Department, District Administration and the police raided an illegally operated de-addiction centre in Bhikhiwind and sealed the facility late on Thursday night. Civil Surgeon Dr Sandeep Dhawan supervised the operation. Inspector Harpreet Singh, SHO of Bhikhiwind Police Station, said that Harbir Singh of Bhikhiwind, Arshpal Singh of Poohla and Pritpal Singh of Saido, who were allegedly running the centre illegally, have been arrested. Sandeep Singh Sajan of Valtoha, who allegedly supplied narcotic drugs to the centre, has also been arrested. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted in the matter included Dr Rupam Chaudhary, Deputy Medical Commissioner; Jagdeep Singh, SDM Bhikhiwind; Atul Soni, DSP Bhikhiwind; Dr Pawandeep, Nodal Officer, DeAddiction Centre; and counsellor Parminder Singh. Jagdeep Singh said that the investigation revealed that the de-addiction centre was being run without the necessary permissions and registration. No qualified staff members were present at the facility, nor could its operators produce any documents authorising them to run the centre. The inquiry also found viola- tions of basic standards relating to patient care, treatment, accommodation and security. During the operation, 16 patients were found at the centre and were allegedly being kept there against their will. They were rescued and shifted safely to the Government DeAddiction Centre at Tharu (Tarn Taran), where they will receive the required medical care and treatment. Officials further found that the operators neither possessed any authorisation issued by the government nor were they qualified doctors. Following the raid, the district administration sealed the centre and initiated appropriate legal action against those responsible. Amritsar, August 28 Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, while addressing the BJP’s Rakhar Puniya political conference at Baba Bakala today, said Punjab stands at a decisive crossroads and that only the Bharatiya Janata Party can pull the state out of the crisis created by the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government. Appealing to the people of Punjab, Bittu said, “You have given every political party an opportunity. Give one opportunity to the BJP and Narendra Modi ji. The people of Punjab have seen the model of development in BJP-governed states. The same transformation can be brought to Punjab through a Double- GIVE US A CHANCE You have given every political party a chance. Give one opportunity to the BJP. The real transformation can be brought to Punjab through a double-engine govt. Ravneet Singh Bittu ❞ Engine Government.” Launching a sharp attack on the AAP government, Bittu said the situation in Punjab had reached an unprecedented stage, with almost every section of society protesting against the state government. He said government employees, farmers, teachers and various other sections of society were repeatedly taking to the streets with their grievances. “Four years ago, the same Secretariat employees were showering flowers on Bhagwant Mann when he became Chief Minister. Today, those very employees are standing against his government. This tells you how much the people’s perception of this government has changed.” Referring to the ‘Chaupal interaction’ held by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan with farmers at Umranangal today, Bittu said, “The Agriculture Minister is here in Punjab. He is available. Meet him, present your concerns and find solutions through discussion. Farmers and the Union Government should not be separated by political barriers.” Bittu also attacked CM Bhagwant Mann over the controversy surrounding allegations against his wife. He said the issue should not be reduced to political accusations and counter-accusations and demanded that the facts be presented before the appropriate legal forum. Referring to recent remarks by former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who had publicly condemned Sajjan Kumar, Bittu said: “If Congress leaders today feel compelled to condemn Sajjan Kumar, then the question is simple: why was there silence earlier? If Charanjit Singh Channi is serious about his position, then as a member of the Congress Working Committee, he should raise the matter formally in the CWC.” He further challenged Channi to seek an unequivocal clarification from the Congress leadership when Rahul Gandhi visits Punjab. possession of a consignment of weapons allegedly dropped by Pakistani smugglers and were preparing to move it to another location. Acting on the input, the police set up a checkpoint and intercepted the two suspects. During a search, the police recovered 10 pistols and 10 magazines from their possession. The accused were subsequently taken into custody for questioning. The police are now investigating the source of the weapons and the intended recipients of the consignment. Officials suspect that the arrested men may have been working as part of a larger network involved in the supply of illegal weapons. The police sources said the criminal antecedents of both accused were being verified. Preliminary investigations have revealed that neither had any previous criminal case registered against them. However, the Amritsar Rural Police are in contact with their counterparts in Gurdaspur to gather further information about the accused. Raids are being conducted at suspected locations to trace and arrest other members of the gang. The police are also probing the possible involvement of Pakistanbased smugglers in the supply chain. 5 booked for abducting minor girl Tarn Taran, August 28 The Sadar Police Station, Patti, has registered a case against five persons for allegedly abducting a minor girl on the pretext of marriage. The accused have been identified as Gurjivan Singh, a resident of Bahmaniwala village; Puran Singh; Ramandeep Kaur; Surjit Singh alias Baba; and Sukhmanpreet Singh. The victim’s father lodged a complaint with the police in this regard. According to the complaint, the girl had been travelling to Algo Kothi village for tailoring classes as usual about a month ago when she was allegedly abducted by the accused on the pretext of marriage. A case has been registered under Sections 137, 96 and 61(2) of the BNS. — OC Rakhi binds civilians, soldiers at Attari, Asal Uttar DC refutes voter deletion claim Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 28 Former Punjab Health Minister and BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla continued her long-standing tradition of tying rakhis to BSF jawans at the AttariWagah border on Raksha Bandhan, a practice she has followed since 1969. Like every year, Chawla, along with a number of girl students from various schools, celebrated the festival by tying rakhi threads on the wrists of Border Security Force jawans at the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post here today. Chawla said these brave soldiers guard the nation’s borders so that their fellow citizens can sleep in peace. She noted that they INTACH Tarn Taran convener Dr Baljit Kaur ties a rakhi to a BSF jawan at the Asal Uttar military heritage site. remain far away from their families and sisters, who would otherwise have tied rakhis to them on the occa- sion. She said it was an honour to tie rakhis on the wrists of these jawans who do not hesitate to lay down their lives for the nation. Meanwhile, INTACH Tarn Taran convenor Dr Baljit Kaur also celebrated c m y b Raksha Bandhan by tying the sacred thread to BSF personnel at the Asal Uttar Military Heritage Site, symbolising the bond between soldiers and the people they protect. The gesture at the historic battlefield, where Indian troops halted Pakistan’s armoured advance during the 1965 war, carried special significance as the site continues to be developed as a centre of military heritage and remembrance. Dr Kaur, who has been closely associated with INTACH’s heritage initiatives in the border district, expressed gratitude to the BSF personnel for their dedicated service and for safeguarding the country’s borders. Amritsar, August 28 The Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, has issued a clarification regarding allegations made by Simranjit Kaur, a voter from the Amritsar South Assembly constituency, who claimed that her vote had been deleted. The administration stated that NoMapping notices were issued to Simranjit Kaur, her mother and her brother after their details could not be mapped with the 2003 electoral roll during the verification process. DC-cumDistrict Election Officer Dalwinderjit Singh clarified that the issuance of a No-Mapping notice does not mean that a voter’s name has been deleted or that the vote has been cancelled. “The purpose of the notice is to provide the voter an opportunity to submit the required documents so that the electoral Simranjit Kaur, a voter of Amritsar South constituency, had alleged deletion of her name from electoral roll record and the voter’s eligibility can be duly verified,” he said. He added that, in the present case, the concerned Booth Level Officer (BLO) contacted the family and requested them to submit the necessary documents. “The Assistant Electoral Registration Officer also provided information regarding the documents required, while the Electoral Registration Officer personally assisted Simranjit Kaur in identifying the documents to be submitted for verification,” he said. According to the latest update, Simranjit Kaur has submitted her matriculation certificate, which is a valid document for establishing the required linkage and eligibility in her case. Howev- er, her mother and brother have so far submitted only Aadhaar cards and bank passbooks, which were issued after July 1, 1987. “These documents, by themselves, are not valid for establishing the required linkage or eligibility. As per the applicable verification requirements, another relevant document is required to be submitted along with these documents,” he clarified. The District Election Officer further stated that Simranjit’s name continues to remain in the Draft Electoral Roll. As per the prescribed procedure, if required, the hearing may also be rescheduled once, thereby providing her with an additional opportunity to complete the verification process. — TNS