Capt Amarinder Singh, PPCC chief

Tribune News Service

New Delhi/chandigarh, Jan 14

The Congress today queered the pitch in Punjab with state party chief Capt Amarinder Singh announcing he was keen to contest against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi. In that case, a source said, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu may take on Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal in Jalalabad.   Meanwhile, former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu is likely to join the Congress on January 16.Capt Amarinder, who is also fighting from Patiala, phoned Rahul seeking his approval to take on Badal Senior. The ball is now in the high command’s court. The announcement  provoked a terse reaction from Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who asked whether he would fight from one segment or two.  “If you are fighting two, people will call you a coward,” he tweeted.January 18 is the last date of filing nominations. Re-strategising, the Congress is thinking of fielding bigwigs against the Badals to blunt the AAP rhetoric that the Congress and Akalis have a tacit understanding. The original plan was to field Bittu from Lambi and Sidhu from Jalalabad. The latter is learnt to have declined the proposal. He might contest from Amritsar East. After Bittu came on board “to fight from wherever asked”, Capt Amarinder today offered to contest from Lambi. Gidderbaha candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said he too was ready to contest “from any seat”.Meanwhile, Phillaur candidate Karamjit Kaur has been replaced with her son.

Father of all battles: Amarinder to take on CM Badal in Lambi bastion

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR: It’s an idea whose time had come. After first refusing to accept the dare of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal to contest against Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, state Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh seemed to have realised that it’s a masterstroke worth a shot.

“anti-Badal” credentials Show his pan-Punjab appeal to high command, boost cadres’ morale I won’t mind taking on Rahul Gandhi in Lambi… it will hardly change Congress fortunes.Restrict the CM to his seat by taking fight to his den Counter AAP propaganda and steal its thunder over PARKASH SINGH BADAL, Punjab chief minister

Amarinder on Saturday declared to take the fight to the Badal den, Lambi, while also contesting from home seat Patiala.

It would be the first time in the history of Punjab that a former CM will take on an incumbent one, that too in the latter’s bastion.

“I want to fight the CM on his home turf to defeat top Akali leaders responsible for destroying the state through their drugs, mafia and goonda raj, and guilty of ruining its trade, industry and agriculture. It would free Punjab from the vicious and destructive rule of the Badals,” Amarinder said in Amritsar. He later tweeted that he would make the formal announcement soon.

Meanwhile, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu has agreed to take on the CM’s son and deputy, Shiromani Akali Da (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, from Jalalabad. The Congress is, however, persuading Navjot Singh Sidhu to fight Sukhbir to further elevate its challenge.

Though Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was keen to field top guns against the ruling Badals, Amarinder had his reservations, mainly that it would confine him to one seat.

Now, behind the Congress strategy to pitch its tallest leader against CM Badal is also to checkmate the AAP, the third challenger in poll fray, which has been alleging a “Badal-Amarinder nexus”.

The Delhi CM and other AAP leaders have been citing that Amarinder opposed transfer of investigation into the multi-crore drug scam to the CBI after alleged kingpin Jagdish Bhola named Sukhbir’s brother-in-law and revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia. The AAP has fielded former Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh against the CM, and Amarinder had called him “small fry”.

CAPTAIN TO KICKSTART CAMPAIGN FROM NATIVE VILLAGE

BATHINDA: Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh will kickstart the party campaign for the February 4 assembly elections from his native village Mehraj in Bathinda district on Sunday.

After paying obeisance at the village gurdwara, Amarinder willl address a rally in support of Congress candidate from Rampura Phul assembly constituency, Gurpreet Singh Kangar. Mehraj village falls in this segment. Later, he will address another rally in Talwandi Sabo in support of local party candidate Khushbaz Singh Jatana.Party sources said Capt, who had been camping in Delhi for the past several days for deliberations over ticket allotment, will soon try to give a boost to the Congress campaign.

Sidhu looking for best deal: Badal

Our Correspondent

Garhshankar, January 14

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu a wheeler-dealer. “He will join a party when the best deal is struck,” Badal told reporters. He was here to address a rally in support of Akali candidate Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan.The CM said everyone wanted to contest against him from Lambi or against Sukhbir Badal from Jalalabad. “It’s just a gimmick to befool the people. Does it matter who contests from where? I don’t mind even if Rahul Gandhi is fielded from Lambi,” Badal added. He said AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal planned to oust Punjabi leaders by making them contest against senior leaders of other parties. “When they will lose, he will show them the door,” the CM said.

Ex-AAP leader joins Cong

Calls Kejri an anarchist, a threat to national security

PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh with party leader Om Parkash Soni and former AAP leader Dr Daljit Singh (left) in Amritsar on Saturday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 14

Noted eye surgeon and former AAP leader Dr Daljit Singh joined the Congress here today in the presence of PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh.Dr Singh had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections against Amarinder and BJP’s Arun Jaitley from Amritsar on the AAP ticket. He was expelled in 2015 for alleged anti-party activities.He said today, “Arvind Kejriwal is a threat to national security. He is an anarchist who should be refrained from grabbing power and disturbing peace. His success would be our failure.”Dr Singh, who had accused senior AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak of trying to ruin the party, said he was disillusioned by the way the party was being run.Amarinder said Kejriwal had been running a New Delhi-based NGO that was funded by the Ford Foundation which, in turn, received funds from US spy agency CIA.On when Navjot Singh Sidhu will join the Congress, Amarinder said, “Talks between him and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi are in progress. I can assure you that Sidhu will contest from Amritsar East on the party ticket.”

Vikramjit to replace mother in Phillaur

Vikramjit Chaudhary

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 14Punjab Congress incharge Asha Kumari told The Tribune today that the party had decided to replace Karamjit Kaur, the candidate from Phillaur, with her son, Vikramjit Chaudhary.“The decision was taken after Karamjit met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and expressed her unwillingness to contest, being a housewife. She requested that the ticket be given to her son instead. The party has agreed.” Vikramjit, former president of the Punjab Youth Congress, is the son of party MP from Jalandhar Chaudhary Santokh Singh. His cousin, Chaudhary Surinder Singh, son of former minister late Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, is contesting from the Kartarpur seat on the Congress ticket.

Property dealers’ body to back Cong

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, January 14

The Colonisers and Property Dealers Association has decided to go with the Congress in the Assembly elections.A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting held here today. The meeting was chaired by state president of the association Kultar Singh Jogi.Jogi, addressing the meeting, said, “Under the current government, the drop in real estate business has hit property dealers, colonisers and the people. Business has come to a halt and people are facing difficulties. Due to the wrong policies of the SAD-BJP government, business is on the verge of ruination. So the association has decided to go with the Congress.”It was also decided to help their colleague and Congress candidate Sunder Sham Arora win from Hoshiarpur.

TROUBLE BREWS IN CONGRESS

Ticket aspirants boycott Dutti’s candidature

Supporters of Congress ticket aspirant Karamjit Singh Rintu protest against the candidature of Sunil Dutti from Amritsar (North) constituency on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 14

With the Congress fielding Sunil Dutti from the Amritsar (North) constituency, the party has clearly tried to check opposition from within for its probable candidate from South Navjot Singh Sidhu, but at the same time has agitated the ticket aspirants from north.One of the aspirants, Karamjit Singh Rintu, who had unsuccessfully contested last elections, has already announced to boycott the candidature of Dutti.Giving a one day ultimatum to the Congress leadership, supporters of Rintu stated that they might take a big decision if the party did not correct its mistake.During previous election, Dutti had unsuccessfully contested from the South constituency against Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu. However, with Sidhu already joining the Congress and her husband expected to follow suit, the party is expected to field him from south.Other aspirant from the constituency, Ashwani Kumar Pappu, has decided not to support Dutti.Talking to The Tribune, Pappu said his supporters would not support Dutti. Pappu said he would chalk out his next strategy after consultation with his supporters. The three main aspirants from the constituency — Rintu, Pappu and Joginderpal Dhingra — also had a meeting last night to discuss their plans as they felt that an outsider was given the party ticket.While Captain Amarinder Singh was in the city and most Congress leaders from the city were present in his meeting, but the trio — Rintu, Pappu and Dingra — were conspicuous by their absence.During the 2012 Assembly elections, the party had first announced the name of Ashwani Kumar Pappu from the constituency. However, his name was dropped few days later and Rintu was announced as party candidate. The political observers in the constituency stated that opposition from within for the official party candidate may prove lethal as probable BJP candidate Anil Joshi was already on a strong foot due to large number of development works completed in the area.

Chhajjalwaddi’s move changes equation in Baba Bakala

Congress leader Ranjit Singh Chhajjalwaddi (left) with PPCC president Captain Amarinder Singh. A file photo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 14

The political scene in Baba Bakala constituency changed after rebel Congress leader Ranjit Singh Chhajjalwaddi today announced to contest Assembly polls as an independent candidate in protest against ticket to Santokh Singh Bhalaipur.Poll experts have been observing that SAD candidate Malkit Singh AR may benefit from the current situation. The anti- incumbency vote will be divided between the Congress, Aam Adami Party and Chhajjalwaddi. Also in 2012, the position was same. It favoured Manjit Singh Mianwind, the Akali candidate.Although there is factionalism among SAD activists, it is not on the forefront. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has transferred sitting MLA Manjit Singh Mianwind from Baba Bakala to Shri Hargobindpur, but his group in the constituency is yet to support Malkit Singh AR. Meanwhile, Baljit Singh Jalalusma, the SGPC member and Akali leader, is not on good terms with Malkit. He may not extend support to AR.The Congress candidate will again suffer due to the factionalism in the party. In 2012, Akali leader Manjit Singh Mianwind had defeated Chhajjalwaddi, the rebel Congress leader, who had contested independently.Only one political party, which is not facing any factionalism, is the Aam Adami Party (AAP). Although, AAP candidate Dalbir Singh Tong is not a popular face in the party, people are supporting him.Master Arjan Singh, a retired government teacher from village Nagoke said,” The Congress will defiantly suffer due to factionalism. Everything is not good in Akali Dal too, but there is no open opposition to its candidate. The AAP candidate is getting good response from towns and villages.”Harnek Singh, an activist said, “The Congress has announced the ticket after much delay. The party candidate has no time to visit all villages in the constituency.”

BATTLE FOR PUNJAB

Blow to SAD as senior leaders join Congress

Senior vice-president of district, other SAD leaders say they were feeling ignored; 500 families may join Cong soon

Chamkaur Mann, Bhupinder Singh Bhullar and Pirthipal Singh Jalal with Manpreet Badal after joining the Congress in Bathinda on Saturday. Tribune photo: Pawan sharma

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, Janaury 14

In a major blow to the Shiromani Akali Dal, its leaders Chamkaur Mann, senior vice-president, Bathinda district, Bhupinder Singh Bhullar, former municipal council president and Pirthipal Singh Jalal, along with their supporters, today joined the Congress in the presence of Gurdas Badal and Manpreet Badal at the residence of Pirthipal Singh Jalal.While addressing a gathering, Pirthipal Singh Jalal said he was with SAD since 1962. He said he had even remained in jail.“Veteran leaders had been ignored by SAD for the last five years. We are feeling suffocated due to which we have decided to join the Congress,” he added.He also appealed to the people to vote and support Manpreet so that if Congress formed the government then Manpreet Badal would be the deputy chief minister.Chamkaur Mann and Bhupinder Singh Bhullar claimed that Sarup Chand Singla was surrounded by four-five aides and because of them SAD had lost ground in the city.They said for their personal gain, these aides had sidelined veteran SAD leaders in the city.Mann said in the coming days, 500 families in the trans-railway line area, previously supporting SAD, would join the Congress.The first case of infighting in sad surfaced when Sarup Chand Singla and SAD city president Sudhir Bansal released a list of new office-bearers of the Bathinda unit on September 16, 2015.In the list, SAD Canal circle president Chamkaur Mann was made the vice-president of the city unit.As Nirmal Singh Sandhu was made the Canal circle president in his place, a large numbers of SAD office-bearers from five wards lodged a protest over this and tendered their resignations.Chamkaur had even announced not to accept the new responsibility assigned to him by the party.At that time, they held a meeting in which they announced to boycott Sarup Chand Singla and submit their resignations.In a joint statement issued by them, they had alleged that all senior posts were being given to businessman, rich, Congressmen and non-SAD workers.They also alleged that CPS Sarup Chand Singla was directly responsible this situation.They had appealed to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to rein in the situation or the party would have to face huge loss in the upcoming 2017 Assembly elections.Later, things were resolved as Sarup Chand Singla held a meeting with Chamkaur Mann and appointed him district SAD senior vice-president.

Ex-SAD leader joins Cong

Harmeet Pathanmajra joined the party in presence of Preneet Kaur

Preneet Kaur welcomes Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra after joining the Congress in Patiala on Saturday. photo: Rajesh Sachar

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 14

After quitting the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) a few months ago, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, a youth leader from Sanaur, joined the Congress here in the presence of Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur.Welcoming Pathanmajra into the party fold, Preneet Kaur said the joining of the young Turk, who had a strong base in Sanaur would improve the Congress prospects in Patiala. With Lal Singh’s son Rajinder Singh getting ticket from Samana, the Congress could opt for a new leader in Sanaur, the home constituency of Lal Singh. Preneet further said the inclusion of the former SAD leader indicated that not only the people of Punjab but Akali leaders and workers were also feeling suffocated under the misrule of the Badals. “The way senior Akali leaders are deserting leaving their party to to join the Congress vindicates the fact that only the Congress, under the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh can bring Punjab back to the path of progress,” she added.Expressing full faith in the leadership of PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh, Pathanmajra said he  joined the party unconditionally. Pathanmajra, who was a member of the Youth Akali Dal Core Committee before quitting the party in September last year, said the Badals had been looting Punjab with both hands.“Only Capt Amarinder Singh can bring back the heydays of Punjab,” he said, after his formal induction into the Congress at the Moti Bagh palace. Along with Pathanmajra, hundreds of his supporters also joined the Congress.Associated with SAD for two decades before quitting the party, Pathanmajra was the former Patiala Youth Akali Dal president and had also been chairman of the Bhunerheri Bock Samiti.

About Pathanmajra

• Associated with the SAD for two decades before quitting the party, Pathanmajra was the former Patiala Youth Akali Dal president and had also been chairman of the Bhunerheri Bock Samiti.

General Bipin Rawat interacts with officers at the Northern Command headquarters. Tribune Photo

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 5

On his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after taking over as the 27th Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat called for evolving a dynamic strategy to handle the proxy war and defeat the enemy’s nefarious designs.He doesn’t want the Army to be reactive to events but to think two steps ahead of the enemy and terrorists so that their plans are shattered before they are implemented, said sources.“The Army Chief emphasised the need for evolving a dynamic strategy to handle the proxy war and defeat the enemy’s nefarious designs,” the defence PRO said, giving details of the visit.Commending the soldiers for strongly reciprocating the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan, General Rawat said every soldier of the Army played an important role towards the security of the nation and it was the contribution of every soldier that made the Army efficient and strong, the PRO added.The Army Chief today began his three-day visit to the state by visiting Jammu, Northern Command headquarters at Udhampur, Army formations in Rajouri and Poonch and 16 Corps headquarters at Nagrota. He was briefed on operational preparedness by top Army officers.Sources said the Army Chief was also briefed on the November 29 fidayeen attack in Nagrota, LoC situation and the ceasefire violations in the past few months.Within a week of taking over as Army Chief, General Rawat chose the Northern Command for his debut visit, making his priorities clear. “General Rawat lauded the role of the Northern Command in restoring peace and normalcy during the recent unrest in the Valley,” the defence PRO said.General Rawat will be visiting 15 Corps headquarters in Srinagar, and formations at Kupwara, Anantnag and Siachen during his tour.The Army is fighting Pakistan-sponsored proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir since the early 1990s and many of its soldiers have laid down their lives fighting militants in the hinterland and the Pakistani army on the Line of Control.

BSF commandant Murari P Singh and Pakistani Wing Commander Afzal Mehmood Chaudhary shake hands at a meeting. Tribune Photo

Fazilka, December 23

To welcome the New Year, the security forces of India and Pakistan have decided to conduct the Retreat with a ceremonial parade daily till January 1. Official sources said that this was decided in a flag meeting between the officials of the two countries. The Indian side was led by Border Security Force Commandant Murari Prasad Singh and the Pakistani side by Wing Commander Afzal Mehmood Chaudhary. The meeting was held in Pakistan territory. Border Security Force officials exhorted the residents, particularly schoolchildren, to come to Joint Check Post, Sadiqi, to witness the flag-lowering ceremony. The two sides reportedly discussed various means to maintain peace at the international border. — OC

An out-of-turn promotion always creates ripples in the organisation with extreme loyalties coming to the fore. It has happened in this case too. However, there is a serious side to what will just blow over as emotional rhetoric. The intensity of inter- Arm and Service rivalry has never been so intense.

Lt Gen Bipin Rawat

THE unseemly controversy concerning the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the next Army Chief is hopefully past. Time is now upon us to examine what his main challenges are going to be. In all probability, he will have a three-year tenure which is a good duration to produce results. However, before that a final word on his selection. It is still hoped that Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi the very fine General Officer who was bypassed will be finally appointed the equivalent of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) or whatever the final head of the joint system is going to be. General Rawat’s elevation was done on the basis of seniority-cum-merit with the five senior-most eligible Generals being considered and the third in seniority among them being picked by the civilian authority. Most knowledgeable people have always believed that the seniority system alone is insufficient but in the same breath have also projected the need for a credible system of selection by merit so that there is broad consensus and not the kind of divide which has occurred this time. It is hoped the government will examine this and consider the feasibility of a collegiate or some such system in which there can be representation of civil society, veteran community, the opposition and the government. Future generations will sing paeans to the wisdom of today’s political leaders if this is instituted. The Chief’s challenges are in so many domains that to cover them all in an essay with any detail is a task well-nigh impossible. It will be done in parts but there has to be a start point and that should necessarily be from the very reason why Gen Rawat is being elevated over the head of others; the domain of asymmetric and hybrid threats to India’s security, especially pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. It is his hands-on experience of dealing with counter-terrorism/militancy, LoC and LAC that has got the General the apex post. What exactly are these threats? The year 2016 has indeed been worrisome, with three major terrorist strikes at Pathankot, Uri and Nagrota. While terrorist strength is still sub-optimal as far the terror groups’ intent is concerned, this has been a successful year for them in terms of infiltration, the best in the past few years. The counter-infiltration grid, successfully based on the LoC fence as its focus, is now leaking and needs innovations and perhaps induction of new surveillance equipment on a fast track. The LoC ceasefire is just about holding. There have been large scale violations and unlike in the past we seem to be suffering casualties due to questionable quality of operational works assets and even the absence of snipers. Response to ceasefire violations have been intense so far and caused much damage to the other side but the casualties on own side are also unacceptable. The domain which is begging to be addressed is the security of garrisons in depth areas. It is not the Valley which is being subjected to this but the Jammu region and the same can go further into Punjab. The terrorists and their masters are aware that targeting soft elements of the Indian armed forces or police draws more mileage. It is well understood that armed forces and police cannot be strong everywhere but need to have credible response mechanisms to limit damage. The quantum of casualties we have suffered is not acceptable to the public. In the period between 1999 and 2006 we suffered a similar phase and overcame it through a series of very strong measures, training and awareness. The Army having conducted successful credible surgical strikes once is now under increasing pressure to respond similarly for every Pak-sponsored terror strike. The surgical strikes were misread by many as a deterrent action; they were not and were just conveyors of message of intent. The credibility will have to be maintained. All the above will need Gen Rawat to act quickly through a set of proficient advisors who are well versed with Jammu and Kashmir affairs. It will have to be done even as he wrestles with issues such as OROP,  Seventh Pay Commission and earlier anomalies, jawan and veteran welfare, the North-East and the Line of Actual Control and various equipment-related issues all of which place demands on the time of a Chief. He cannot root himself to Jammu and Kashmir affairs or be considered just as a Chief oriented to General Staff. There will be much on his plate from the Adjutant General (AG) and the Military Secretary (MS). Till March 2017, he will have the services of a hands on AG, who is his senior and is his ex-Commanding officer, Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma. Fortunately General Rawat is no stranger to the MS Branch having handled the policy desk himself. An out-of-turn promotion always creates ripples in the organisation with extreme loyalties coming to the fore. It has happened in this case too. However, there is a serious side to what will just blow over as emotional rhetoric. The intensity of inter-Arm and Service rivalry has never been so intense. It is all based on a set of promotion policies which are highly skewed in favor of the Infantry. While everyone recognises the need to compensate the Infantry for the hardship it endures perhaps the personnel managers of the past may just have gone overboard bringing light-hearted banter to a state of bad blood. This can only take the Army in one direction, downhill. There will be protests from different lobbies of the veterans who are strong on social media which too cannot be ignored but the new Chief would be well advised to review the entire gamut of promotion policy and not fall to pray to pressure from lobbies. This will need intense courage and impartiality, two qualities any Chief would be proud to wear on his sleeve. Perhaps General Rawat can start with what has been under severe criticism, the undue concentration of too many senior officers of the Gurkha Rifles in positions of importance at the Army Headquarters and select a deputy (Vice Chief) from a different Arm than his. It will send a tremendous message to the rank and file and drown out some of the negativity which has taken place on his appointment. General Rawat has proven himself in various challenging appointments in his 38-year-long career and it is not for nothing that he has built for himself the reputation of being a doer. The nation and the Army should wish him the best and stand by him in his earnest mission ahead.The writer is a former GOC of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps and Military Secretary. He is now associated with the Vivekanand International Foundation and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, December 19

The Supreme Court has ruled that desertion by security personnel amounted to “gross misconduct” that required suitable punishment.A three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur made the remark while ordering compulsory retirement of a constable of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for deserting the force for five days in 1999.Constable Abrar Ali had joined the force in September 1990. The CISF Commandant, Dhanbad, had dismissed Ali from service in November 2000. In August 2014, the Delhi High Court directed the CISF to reinstate the constable and pay him the entire arrears of his salary and other allowances in two months. The CISF challenged the HC ruling in the apex court.“Indiscipline on the part of a member of an armed force has to be viewed seriously. It is clear that the respondent (Ali) intentionally disobeyed the orders of his superiors and deserted the force for five days.Such desertion is an act of gross misconduct and the respondent deserves to be punished suitably,” the apex court Bench held. Justices DY Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao were the other members of the Bench.The apex court also ruled that the past conduct of a delinquent employee could be taken into consideration while imposing penalty. Prior to his dismissal, Ali had been awarded three punishments, two of these were major involving pay deduction.The apex court, however, reduced the punishment from dismissal to compulsory retirement. It asked the CISF to pay him pension by treating that he had notionally completed 10 years of service, the minimum period for the benefit.

Army personnel visit the Pampore attack site on Sunday where three soldiers were killed on Saturday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 18

The Army today released the identities of the three soldiers who were killed in an ambush yesterday in a town outside Srinagar city.In a statement, the Army said Naik Ratheesh C, 35, Gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar, 33, and Gunner Shashikant Pander, 24, were killed in yesterday’s attack near Pampore.The Army said Ratheesh had joined the Army in 2001 and hailed from Kotolipram village of Kerala, Nandkumar had joined the Army in 2004 and was from Bhekrai Nagar village of Pune, while Pandey had four years of service and hailed from Dhanabad district of Jharkhand.The three soldiers were killed on Saturday afternoon when militants opened fire on a convoy of Army vehicles on the Srinagar-Jammu highway near Pampore town. The identities of the martyred soldiers are withheld till the next of their kin are informed by the Army.The Army today paid “befitting tributes” to the three soldiers at a ceremony at Badamibagh cantonment, which houses the headquarters of 15 Corps. Lt Gen JS Sandhu, commander of the 15 Corps, led the tributes for the soldiers and offered wreath to them.“Many senior officials from the civil administration, including Divisional Commissioner Baseer Ahmed Khan, and other security agencies, including police, CRPF, BSF and SSB, joined Lt Gen JS Sandhu, Chinar Corps Commander, and all ranks in paying homage to the martyrs on behalf of a proud nation,” the Army said in its statement.

He wrote, “I am sacrificing my life for my country, my motherland and for my brave fellow jawans,” police said. ANI

New Delhi, November 2

The ex-serviceman, whose alleged suicide led to a huge political showdown with detentions of Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and many other AAP and Congress leaders, had written in his suicide note that “he is giving his life for his country and his fellow jawans”.The 70-year-old ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal wrote his suicide note on a document he wanted to submit to the Defence Ministry.He wrote, “I am sacrificing my life for my country, my motherland and for my brave fellow jawans,” police said.In an audio clip of Grewal’s last conversation with his son that was aired on news channels, he told his son that “he had consumed poison and was sacrificing for OROP and his fellow jawans who were not getting their due”. — PTI