Chandigah under Centre: Punjab CM after blast
CHANDIGARH, April 2: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday responded sharply to BJP criticism over the blast outside its Chandigarh office, emphasizing that the city is a Union Territory under the Administrator, not the state government. The explosion, caused by a suspected crude device, occurred Wednesday evening, triggered panic, but caused no casualties. Mann accused BJP leaders of making “absurd” statements and blaming him for incidents in Chandigarh, highlighting the city’s separate administrative status. On other issues, Mann defended the AAP’s decision to replace MP Raghav Chadha with MP Ashok Mittal as the party’s Rajya Sabha deputy leader, saying it was an internal decision. He also criticised the Congress-led Himachal government for hiking vehicle entry taxes, contrasting it with Punjab’s abolition of tolls. Mann reiterated his government’s support for farmers, promising to raise Arthiyas’ demands for a 2.5% commission with the Union government and ensure smooth procurement, underscoring the AAP’s commitment to agricultural welfare and the farming community. (PTI)
ED raids I-PAC execs in WB coal scam
NEW DELHI, April 2: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided I-PAC executives, including former AAP communication chief Vijay Nair and co-founder Rishi Raj Singh, in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal. Searches were conducted in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The case stems from a 2020 CBI FIR alleging multi-crore coal pilferage in Eastern Coalfields mines near Asansol, with hawala funds worth around ₹20 crore allegedly routed to I-PAC, which has been providing political consultancy to the TMC and West Bengal government since 2021. The TMC described the raids as a BJP attempt to disrupt its election campaigns ahead of the April 23–29 assembly polls. ED also claimed interference by CM Mamata Banerjee during earlier Kolkata raids and has sought a CBI probe into the alleged obstruction, currently under Supreme Court consideration. (PTI)
EC appoints new DGP for TN
Chennai, April 2: The ECI on Thursday appointed senior IPS official Sandeep Rai Rathore as the new DGP of Tamil Nadu, replacing G Venkataraman, hitherto serving as in-charge DGP and head of police force. Venkataraman has been serving as in-charge Director General of Police for Tamil Nadu and HoPF since September 2025 following the superannuation of Shankar Jiwal. Rathore, a 1992 batch IPS officer, has been appointed as the new DGP and HoPF ahead of the April 23 Assembly election to the state. Previously, he was DGP Training, Chennai. Other key transfers include Sanjay Kumar (ADGP, Coastal Security Group), Abhishek Dixit (IGP Traffic and Road Safety, Chennai) and R V Ramya Bharati (IGP Crime, Chennai). They have been posted as Commissioner of Tambaram, Commissioner of Madurai, and IGP West Zone, Coimbatore, respectively, a release said. (PTI)
