Gurpreet Singh, Author at National Times

22 Mar

Punjab to amend anti-sacrilege law with strictest punishments in special Vidhan Sabha session on April 13

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingPunjab

AMRITSAR (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday announced that the Punjab government will convene a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on April 13 to amend the Jagt Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008 and bring in a stricter law against ‘beadbi’ (sacrilege). The proposed legislation will include stringent punishment, heavy fines, property confiscation and cover offences committed through digital content, with the draft being prepared in consultation with the Sant Samaj and legal experts. Asserting a zero-tolerance stance, the government said no one guilty of ‘beadbi’ will be spared. During a meeting with…

22 Mar

Suicide of PWC Officer Sparks FIR Against Former Minister, Deepens Punjab Political Row

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingLaljit Singh Bhullar, Punjab

Amritsar (Gurpreet Singh): The alleged suicide of a senior Punjab Warehousing Corporation official has taken a dramatic turn, with police initiating criminal proceedings against former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and two others. The case has rapidly escalated into a high-profile political issue, triggering outrage and calls for accountability. The deceased officer, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, was posted as a district manager and reportedly died after consuming a toxic substance at his Amritsar residence. Acting on a formal complaint submitted by his wife, authorities have named Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and his aide Dilbagh Singh in the FIR. Police…

21 Mar

CBI Examines Former Reliance ADA Group Executives in Rs 2,929 Crore Bank Fraud Case

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAnil Ambani, bank fraud, CBI probe, Gautam Doshi, RCOM, Reliance ADA Group, SBI complaint

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) intensified its probe into the Reliance ADA Group on Saturday, March 21, 2026, by examining two former group managing directors, Gautam Doshi and Sateesh Seth. The questioning, which took place at the agency's headquarters in New Delhi, is part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged bank fraud amounting to ₹2,929.05 crore involving Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom) and its promoter, Anil Ambani. This follows the examination of another former managing director, Amitabh Jhunjhunwala, earlier this week on March 18. The case originates from a formal complaint filed by the State…

21 Mar

275 Former Judges and Officials Slam “Motivated” USCIRF Report on India

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, World Newsformer judges, India religious freedom, MEA rejection, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, RSS Sanctions, USCIRF report

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): A coalition of 275 eminent Indian personalities—including former Supreme Court judges, senior bureaucrats, and high-ranking Armed Forces veterans—issued a scathing joint statement on Saturday, March 21, 2026, condemning the latest annual report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The signatories described the report, which recommended targeted sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), as "highly motivated" and a display of "intellectual bankruptcy." The 2026 USCIRF report had designated India as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC), alleging a deterioration in religious freedom and recommending that…

21 Mar

Indigenous Stealth Frigate ‘Taragiri’ to be Commissioned into Indian Navy on April 3

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaAatmanirbharta, Indian Navy, Mazagon Dock, Project 17A, Rajnath Singh, stealth frigate, Taragiri frigate

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Indian Navy is set to significantly bolster its maritime strike capabilities with the commissioning of the indigenous stealth frigate 'Taragiri' on April 3, 2026. Officials confirmed on Saturday that the ceremony will take place in Visakhapatnam and is scheduled to be presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. As the fourth potent platform of the Nilgiri-class (Project 17A), the vessel is being hailed as a "quantum leap" in naval design and a definitive symbol of India’s journey toward becoming a self-reliant naval power under the 'Aatmanirbharta' initiative. Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in…

21 Mar

PM Modi Urges Restraint in Call with President Pezeshkian Amid West Asia Infrastructure Attacks

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndia, World NewsIndia-Iran relations, infrastructure attacks, Masoud Pezeshkian, PM Narendra Modi, West Asia Conflict

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a significant telephonic conversation with Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, March 21, 2026, marking India’s latest high-level diplomatic effort to de-escalate the intensifying conflict in West Asia. During the call, the Prime Minister condemned recent attacks on critical energy and logistics infrastructure, warning that such actions pose a grave threat to regional stability and the fluid operation of global supply chains. The dialogue occurred against a backdrop of heightened volatility, with maritime security in strategic corridors like the Strait of Hormuz becoming a primary concern for international trade. Prime…

21 Mar

CM Bhagwant Mann Announces Rs 563 Crore Medical College for Malerkotla During Eid Celebrations

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Eid-ul-Fitr 2026, Malerkotla, medical college, Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, ₹10 lakh health insurance

Malerkotla (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday celebrated Eid with people in Malerkotla, joined prayers at the Eidgah and rolled out a major healthcare and welfare push, announcing a ₹563 crore medical college along with a network of hospitals aimed at expanding access to quality treatment in the region. During the celebrations, he also urged families to enrol under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna to avail cashless treatment up to ₹10 lakh, positioning the pro-people scheme as part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen public healthcare and deliver on-ground guarantees. Congratulating the people, CM Bhagwant…

21 Mar

Manish Sisodia Issues Stern Ultimatum to AAP MLAs: “Ensure Every Village is Drug-Free or Leave the Party”

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAAP Punjab, Amritsar rally, drug-free Punjab, Manish Sisodia, MLA accountability, Yudh Nashean Virudh

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Prabhari and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while addressing party leaders, MLAs, block in-charges and officials in Amritsar under the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign, asserted that “MLAs must take full responsibility and ensure daily accountability of every village to make Punjab drug-free.” He called for an uncompromising, mission-mode fight against drugs across the Punjab, underlining that AAP’s very foundation is rooted in struggle and sacrifice, not power or privilege. Addressing a packed gathering, senior AAP leader and Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia said, “The Aam Aadmi Party was born out of…

21 Mar

CM Bhagwant Mann Presents Law and Order Report Card; Slams Previous Regimes for “Patronising” Gangsters

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabAGTF, CM Bhagwant Mann, Drug Crackdown, Punjab Law and Order, Sadak Surakhya Force, Yudh Nashean Virudh

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday presented a focused report card on law and order under the AAP Government as part of the ongoing series ‘Shandaar Chaar Saal Bhagwant Mann De Naal’, aimed at placing a clear, sector-wise account of four years of governance before the people. He asserted that Punjab’s improving law and order is now visible on the ground, driven by a zero tolerance policy against drugs and a sustained crackdown on organized crime, alongside police reforms and rising investor confidence. The Chief Minister said the Punjab Government’s campaign ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ has…

21 Mar

Naveen Patnaik Suspends Six BJD MLAs for Rajya Sabha Cross-Voting

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsIndiaBiju Janata Dal, cross-voting, Dilip Ray, MLA suspension, Naveen Patnaik, Rajya Sabha election 2026

Bhubaneshwar (Gurpreet Singh): In a major disciplinary move following a turbulent Rajya Sabha election, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik suspended six Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The suspension follows a high stakes biennial poll held on Monday, March 16, where widespread cross-voting by opposition legislators handed a victory to the BJP-backed independent candidate, Dilip Ray. The suspended BJD legislators include Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishor Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol), and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki). These six, along with previously suspended MLAs Arvind Mohapatra and Sanatan…