First India Mumbai 22012023.pdf

1. Have full faith in EC, says Sanjay Raut First India Bureau Jammu: Shiv Sena (Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Satur- day said their faction has presented its case for control of the party’s poll symbol “bow and arrow” before the Election Commission and it is confident that “pressure politics” will have no impact on the independent institution. “This question should not have arisen at first-hand because the party and its symbol and flag belong to Thackeray . Where there is Udhav, there is real Shiv Sena,” Raut, who was flanked by J-K party unit president Man- ish Sahni, told reporters here. Responding to a question on the fight in the EC over the poll symbol, the Member of Par- liament said it is unfor- tunate that five months have passed but the issue is still lingering. “We have presented our case forcefully and I am hopeful that the pressure politics will have no impact on the EC. We have full faith and trust in this institution and there will be only one Shiv Sena, the real one which is led by Thackeray,” he said. Without naming the Shinde-led faction, he said they are openly saying that they are Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi’s men and it is questionable how they can claim to be the real Shiv Sainiks. “Let the polls come, they will come to know which is the real Shiv Sena. All those going to the temples are not there to pray but some have intentions to steal the idol. The people still visit the temples for prayers,” he said, adding “some people are trying to steal the Idol of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray .” To a question about Uddhav Thackeray’s term as party chief ending on January 23, Raut said he is the chief of the party and will remain so. There exists a faction in BJP that defames Pankaja Munde: Bawankule Sandeep Shukla Mumbai: Amid reports of BJP national secretary Pankaja Munde’s displeasure with the party, the party’s state presidentChandrashek- har Bawankule has made a surprising comment and said that there is a faction in the BJP that defames Pankaja Munde and the party. He was talking to reporters in Beed on Sat- urday after a video went viral. Bawankule said, “Thereisafactioninthe BJP that defames Pan- kaja Munde and the party . Pankaja Munde spoke only with me during the entire journey with me yesterday . I gave first rank to Pan- kaja Munde, it is my responsibility, I have not done any favour. Panka- ja Munde is our leader, she is our national secretary , so the idea was to let her speak later.” On the question related to Pankaja Munde’s displeasure, Bawankule said that he regularly talks with Pankaja. “We had a dis- cussion the day before yesterday when her health was not good. Sometimes personal problems come up. No leader can be present in every programme. Today Devendra Fad- navis has gone to Beed as Deputy Chief Minis- ter. If an MLA could not reach that program, should it be taken to mean that he was ab- sent? After the depar- ture of one leader, what is the need for the other leader to be present? Why should four-five leaders get trapped in the same programme? It is always better to have separate programs. No other meaning should be taken from it. Pan- kaja Munde is a leader and she also has different programmes,” the BJP state chief said. Bawankule stressed that Pankaja Munde has BJP in her blood. “She can never go to the other party . All such words floating around are just rumours. The opposition should handle their parties. Rumors should not be spread about Pan- kaja Munde. She is in national politics. No one can mislead Panka- ja Munde,” he said. Even though the BJP state president has said that Pankaja Munde is not angry, but every now and then her displeasure appears. Ex- pressing displeasure in front of Bawankule, she said that outsiders should not interfere in Beed district and we should be allowed to handle our district. Pan- kaja spoke her mind in front of state president Bawankule in a program organized for the campaign of BJP candidate Kiran Patil for Marathwada teacher’s seat. There is a faction in the BJP that defames Pankaja Munde and the party. Pankaja Munde spoke only with me during the entire journey with me yesterday. I gave first rank to Pankaja Munde, it is my responsibility, I have not done any favour. Pankaja Munde is our leader, she is our national secretary, so the idea was to let her speak later. —Chandrashekhar Bawankule, BJP state president Sanjay Raut Even though the BJP state president has said that Pankaja Munde is not angry, but every now and then, her displeasure can be observed. Pankaja spoke her mind before Bawankule in a program organized for BJP candidate Kiran Patil’s campaign for Marath- wada teacher’s seat. Kids carrying Indian flags run across a mustard field ahead of the Republic Day 2023 celebrations, at a village near Balurghat in South Dinajpur district of West Bengal on Saturday. —PHOTO BY PTI CULTIVATING www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR MUMBAI MUMBAI l SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 256 New Zealand’s minister Chris Hipkins will replace Jacinda Ardern as PM after emerging as the only candidate nominated to lead ruling the Labour Party. The ED has arrested TMC youth wing member Kuntal Ghosh on Saturday in WB teachers recruit- ment scam after being questioned for two consecutive days. The office of Nizams, Chowmahal- la Palace on Saturday announced that Mir Mohammad Azmat Ali Khan Azmat Jah has been de- clared as 9th Nizam of Hyderabad. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Saturday approved the appt of Vikram Dev Dutt as next DG in DGCA. He will take over as head on February 28. 9 hurt in twin blasts amid high security in Jammu First India Bureau Jammu: Just two days before Congress leader RahulGandhi-ledBharat Jodo Yatra is scheduled to reach Jammu, two back-to-back explosions rocked a busy locality on the outskirts of the city onSaturday ,leavingnine people injured, officials said. Police suspect that IEDs were used to carry out explosions. JK LG Manoj Sinha strongly condemnedincidentand called for strict action. Thakur comes to rescue of wrestlers First India Bureau New Delhi: Protesting wrestlers decided to call off their three-day- old protest at Jantar Mantar against WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh following marathon talks with sports minister Anurag Thakur that ended post- midnight on Sat, with Singh being asked to step aside for 4 wks. P5 Anurag Thakur with Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia Babita Phogat addresses media at his residence, in New Delhi on late Saturday. MINS’ COMMITTEE TO PROBE ALLEGATIONS Sports Ministry will announce the names of its oversight committee members, who will probe the allegations of sexual harassment and corruption against WFI Prez Brij Bhushan Singh today. WFI Prez to step aside, Secy of WFI suspended; wrestlers call off stir Video of BBC propaganda against Prime Minister Narendra Modi blocked by Govt of India on Saturday. MODI TO NAME 21 ISLANDS AFTER PARAM VIR CHAKRA AWARDEES CENTRE’S STRONG STAND: ALL INDIAN NEWS PUBLISHERS NEED TO BE PAID FOR CONTENT Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually participate in a programme to- morrow to name 21 of the largest unnamed islands of Andaman Nicobar Islands after Param Vir Chakra awardees. New Delhi: Big tech companies that profit by funnelling news into their search results and feeds must give a “fair share of revenues” to publishers, Indian govt has said, citing a need to address “imbalance” in the relationship between the two. MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar emphasised importance of this issue for future of journalism and financial health of news industries. Moni Sharma New Delhi: The Centre has directed YouTube andTwittertotakedown multiple videos of the first episode of the BBC documentary titled “In- dia:TheModiQuestion” and tweets containing the web links, according to sources. Both You- Tube and Twitter have compliedwithdirection, sources added. Over 50 tweetshavebeenblocked. Multiple Ministries said the documentary is “anattempttocastasper- sions on authority and credibility of SC, sow di- visions among various Indiancommunities,and make unsubstantiated allegationsregardingac- tions of foreign GoI. Centre asks Twitter, YouTube to block BBC documentary critical of PM Modi The BBC documentary questions ‘integrity’ of India’s institutions BJP ATTACKS BBC KEY HIGHLIGHTS l BBC trying to interfere in our internal affairs, destroy India-UK ties: Former envoys on PM Modi documentary l TMC MP Derek O’Brien was among some Oppn leaders whose tweet on the documentary was removed by Twitter l India has called the documentary a “propaganda piece” that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset CRUCIAL READ INDIA CRUSH NEW ZEALAND BY 8 WICKETS TO SEAL THE SERIES Raipur: Hosts bowled out NZ for a paltry 108 in 34.3 overs. India’s relentless pace attack ran through a fragile NZ batting line-up as hosts cantered to an 8-wicket win to seal 3-match series here on Saturday. P6 Rape survivor waits for 12 hours in van 60 Indian pilgrims injured in accident Keonjhar: A gang rape survivor in Odisha’s Keonjhar district alleged that she had to wait in a police van for 12 hours for her medical examina- tion. 37-year-old woman had to wait as there was no lady doctor at Salania CHC to examine her. Triveni: A bus with Indian pilgrims returning from Nepal’s Triveni spun out of control and over- turned in a pit, injuring at least 60 passengers on Saturday. There were 70 devotees on the bus who were returning from the Triveni Dham in Nepal. Moscow-Goa flight diverted after bomb mail First India Bureau Panaji: A Goa-bound flight from Moscow with 240 passengers on board was diverted to Uzbekistan in the early hours on Saturday , after authorities at the Dabo- lim airport in State received an email, which claimed that there was a bomb on plane, police said. This is the second such incident on the Moscow-Goa route in- volving the same air- line in less than two weeks when they received bomb threat.

2. NEWS MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 02 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia MAN HELD FOR MOLESTING, HARASSING MODEL Mumbai: Police have arrested Surjeet Singh Rathore, the national vice-president of the Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly molesting, abusing, harassing and defaming a 27-year-old model and actress on social media. Rathore was produced before the Boriv- li Metropolitan Magistrate court. The woman said Rathore created a fake Instagram account in her name. SPL SQUAD TO CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL BLDGS Mumbai: The Thane Mu- nicipal Corporation (TMC) has formed a team to act against illegal construc- tions, based on a draft by civic chief Abhijit Bangar. Aassistant municipal com- missioners (AMCs) will be responsible for these. “A special team under the AMC will have the authority to collect information about and act against encroachments in their wards, with help from the police,” said Bangar. MAN HELD WITH HEROIN WORTH `1.3 CR IN MUMBAI Mumbai: The anti-nar- cotics cell of the Mumbai police has arrested a 27-year-old man who was found in possession of heroin worth Rs1.3 crore, an official said on Satur- day. ANC officials detained the man who was seen roaming suspiciously near Vakola bridge on Friday evening. A search of his bag yielded 325g heroin. The accused had come to Santacruz to deliver the contraband to his clients, he said. AURANGZEB ROW: SP MLA GETS DEATH THREAT Mumbai: Samajwadi Par- ty’s Maharashtra chief, Abu Asim Azmi, received death threats for his statements supporting Aurangazeb. His personal assistant received the call. The person who made the call allegedly hurled abuses on the call and threatened to kill Abu Asim Azmi. An FIR was registered at Mumbai’s Colaba Police Station and a case has been filed against the unknown person under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. `1.28L GANJA SEIZED IN LATUR; 1 ARRESTED Latur: Police have seized 3.6kg of ganja worth Rs1.28 lakh and arrested a 60-year-old man following a raid at a farm in Latur district on Thursday, police said on Saturday. The contraband had been stored in a sack concealed under a pile of grass, inspector Gajanan Bhatlawande said. A case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 has been registered against three persons. CRICKETER DUPED OF `44 L BY EX-MANAGER Nagpur: Ace Indian pacer Umesh Yadav has been allegedly cheated of Rs44 lakh by his friend-turned-manager Shailesh Thakre (37), under the pretext of purchasing a plot in the former’s name in Nagpur, police said on Saturday. While the police have registered a case, no arrest has been made. Yadav had asked Thakre to look for a piece of land, and Thakre located a plot in a barren area. “He told Yadav he would get it for Rs 44 lakh. Yadav deposited Rs44 lakh in Thakre’s bank account. However, Thakre purchased the plot in his name,” an official said. DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL SAND DREDGING Thane: Maharashtra revenue department officials on Friday raided a creek in Kalyan town of Thane district as part of a drive against illegal dredging, the local administration said on Saturday. During the drive, the officials destroyed two barges and an equal number of suction pumps—cumulatively worth about Rs50 lakh—which were illegally dredging sand in the creek. At Retibunder in the Ghodbunder area, the officials threw 130 brass of sand again in the creek and seized 97 brass of sand (1 brass is equivalent to 4,528 kg), the official added. CRUCIAL READ Mumbai (PTI): Hin- dAyan, a multi-stage cycle race along the lines of the famed Tour De France, has begun participation registra- tions, an organizer said on Saturday . Chief Minister EknathShindelaunched the website of the event at his official residence Varsha earlier this week,organizerVishnu- das Chapke informed. The race will be flagged off from New Delhi’s National War Memorial on February 05 and culminate 1,600km away at Sinha- gad near Pune on Feb- ruary 19 to coincide with the birth anniversary of warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. At present, India does not have a long distance cycling race, which results in professional cy- clists, members of the Olympics and national teams as well as adven- ture cells of the armed forces traveling to the United States of Ameri- ca, the United Kingdom and France to participate in long distance cy- clingraces,Chapkesaid. “In order to promote the culture of cycling and give an opportunity to our teams to practice outdoors, we have organized HindAyan. Apart from the multi- stage race for professional racers, there will also be joyrides in the country’s financial capital where the common public can participate,” he said. Chapke said the Na- tional Highways Au- thority of India has given “in principle ap- proval” to organize the event on express and national highways, while the road route will be finalized with the help of local police and district administrations. The route will be Del- h i - A g r a - J a i p u r - Bhilwara-Udaipur- Ahmedabad-Surat- Thane-Mumbai and Pune, he added. The race is limited to the countryside, while in urban areas, the event will be designated as an expedition and not a race, he informed. “The full race will have 60 participants. Shortlisted teams will cycle 250km per day . Be- sides the full race, cy- clists can also take part in one-day pro inter-city race and one-day 30km joyride,” Chapke said. CM Shinde launches registration website for 1,600km cycle race HINDAYAN lll Race will start at New Delhi’s National War Memorial on Feb 05 and end at Sinhagad on Feb 19 to coincide with the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj In urban areas, the event will be designated as an expedition and not a race. —FILE PHOTO MVA leaders considering contesting Pune Assembly bypolls: Ajit Pawar First India Bureau Pune: Senior National- ist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Satur- day said the Maha Vi- kas Aghadi allies are of the view to contest the upcoming bypolls to the Chinchwad and Kasba Peth assembly seats in Pune, which fell vacant recently after the death of sitting Bharatiya Ja- nata Party (BJP) MLAs. The leader of the opposition in the state As- sembly , Pawar said Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, Maharash- tra Congress chief Nana Patole, his NCP counterpart Jayant Pa- til, and other senior leaders will meet in Mumbai on Tuesday to discuss the issue. “Many NCP function- aries from Chinchwad told me we need to contest the by-polls,” he said. Chinchwad and Kas- ba Peth seats were rep- resented by BJP MLAs Laxman Jagtap and Mukta Tilak, respectively. Tilak died last December and Jagtap, earlier this month. The bypolls will be held on February 27 and the results will be announced on March 02, according to the sched- ule announced by the Election Commission. “MVA leaders think we should contest bypolls for Kasba Peth and Chinchwad Vidhan Sab- ha constituencies,” the former Deputy Chief Minister told reporters. Maha Vikas Aghadi, formed after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, comprises the Shiv Sena - Uddhav Bal- asaheb Thackeray faction, Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party , and the Congress. Pawar said the ruling BJP might give a ticket to the late Jagtap's wife or his brother Shankar Jagtap for the Chinch- wad by-election. “I have heard that the names of Shankar Jag- tap and the wife of the late MLA have been sent to the BJP high command,” he said. For the Kasba Peth bypoll, several names including that of Ganesh Bidkar are on the BJP's list, he said. “I also heard that members of the late Mukta Tilak’s family are also interested. The BJP decides the final names. We should not pokeournoseintoBJP’s business,” he added. Chinchwad, Kasba Peth seats vacant after deaths of sitting BJP MLAs, Laxman Jagtap, Mukta Tilak, respectively First India Bureau Jammu: Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader San- jay Raut on Saturday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra is capable enough to be India's prime minister and that no third front can succeed sans the grand old party . Raut, who walked for nearly 13km alongside Gandhi amid rain on Friday, said the BJP has spread a wrong no- tion about the Con- gress leader but this Yatra has busted all their myths about him. “Why not?” he said when asked whether Gandhi is capable of becoming the PM. “Ideological and political differences apart, he (Gandhi) will show his leadership qualities and will be a big chal- lenge (for the ruling BJP in 2024 general elections). He will make a miracle,” the MP said. Raut said the purpose of Gandhi's Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kash- mir is to remove ‘hatred andfear’andnottounite the opposition under the Congress banner. Sena MP Raut walked with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the latter’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu on Friday. —FILE PHOTO RaGa capable of becoming ‘miracle’ PM: Raut Ex-NCP councillor to join Shinde faction? Hoarding sparks rumours Pawar’s contribution can’t be ignored, CM affirms First India Bureau Pune: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Satur- day praised Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, saying his contribution to the cooperative sector cannot be ignored. Shinde was speaking at the 46th annual general meeting of the Vas- antdada Sugar Institute (VSI) in Pune, where Pawar shared the dais with him in his capaci- ty as VSI chairman. “Pawar is an experienced leader at the state and national level. His contribution to the cooperative sector is huge and cannot be ignored,” Shinde said. In the interest of the peopleandwelfareof the state, Pawar is always available for guidance and suggestions to who- ever is in power, he said. “He often calls me over the telephone to make suggestions and give ad- vice,” Shinde said. CM Shinde said his government was committed to protecting the interests of the cooperative sector. A total of 2.5 lakh hectares will be brought under irriga- tion in the next few years, he said. The NCP chief introduced several reforms when he was union agri- cultureminister,andhis contribution in the cooperative sector is im- mense, he said, adding, “I spoke what is true.” Notably, party chief Uddhav Thackeray’s de- cisiontojoinhandswith the NCP and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, was a core reason for Shinde’s rebellion last year. VSI chairman Sharad Pawar shared the dais with CM Shinde and LOP Ajit Pawar on Saturday. Sharad Pawar is an experienced leader…. He often calls me to make suggestions and advise. —Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister ‘Ideological political differences aside, Gandhi will show his leadership qualities’ First India Bureau Thane: A hoarding greeting former Thane councillor of the Na- tionalist Congress Party Najeeb Mulla on his birthday has sparked rumours that he may soon switch sides, since it features photographs of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Bal- asahebanchi Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske. However, Mulla has downplayedthespecula- tion, saying most leaders in the Thane region were friends despite political differences among parties. According to persons close to the development, the hoarding was put up by six former NCP councillors. councillors greeting Mulla, who is one of the party’s leading fig- ures in the district’s Mumbra region. “It is welcome if the hoarding put up by former NCP councillors has our photographs. Mulla is a popular and experiencedleader.If he joins us, it will be good but we don’t have information on any such move,” Mhaske said. Former Thane mayor Mhaske, aligned with Shinde—the region’s strongman—following thesplitintheShivSena last year. The hoarding is believed to have been put up by six former councillors of the NCP. I have heard that the names of Shankar Jagtap and the wife of the late MLA have been sent to the BJP high command (for the Chinchwad seat). Several names including that of Ganesh Bidkar are on the BJP’s list for Kasba Peth. I also heard that members of the late Mukta Tilak’s family are also interested. The BJP decides the final names. We should not poke our nose into BJP’s business. —Ajit Pawar, NCP leader

3. MAHARASHTRA MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 03 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Thane police: Detection rate improved in 2022 First India Bureau Thane: In an improve- ment, the crime detection rate of the Thane policeCommissionerate went up from 67% in 2021 to 70% in 2022. Over 8,383of the11,961crimes registered were solved by cops, a senior official said on Saturday . However, the number of rapes, molestation, murders, chain snatching, extortion as well as incidents of offenders posing as policemen to dupe citizens saw a rise, revealed the Commis- sionerate data. In 2021, Thane police had detected 7,298 of the 10,869 cases registered, Additional Commis- sioner of Police (Crime) Ashok Morale said. “This is a rise from 67% in 2021 to 70% in 2022. While 89 murders were registered in 2021, it increased to 93 in 2022, with the detection rate remaining 97% in both years. Chain snatching cases increased by 81% in 2022 but we managed to solve 52% cases against 43% in 2021,” said the Additional CP. A total of 755 house breaking thefts were registered in 2022, though the detection rate fell marginally by 1% when compared to 2021, he said. “Motor vehicle thefts dropped by 66% in 2022 when compared to 2021 and stood at 1917, and police managed to increase the detection rate from 35% in 2021 to 37% in 2022. Rape cases increased from 340 in 2021 to 432 in 2022, while its detection rate was constant at 97%,” said Morale. “The 432 rapes com- prise 261 on girls below the age of 18 and 171 on those in the 18 plus seg- ment. Molestation cases increased from 520, including 435 where the victims were above 18 years of age, in 2021 to 620in2022.Thedetection ratewas90%,”informed the senior official. The detection rate of kidnapping cases was 90%. The number of cases of assault on public servants dropped from 94 in 2021 to 91 in 2022. We managed to solve 98% of these incidents. —Ashok Morale, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) ALLEGATIONS Of the 11,961 crimes reported in 2022, 8,383 were solved by Thane cops. —FILE PHOTO However, as per latest report, rape, molestation and murder cases saw a rise last year Pune cops seized 79 pistols, held 90 in ’22 First India Bureau Pune: The Pune police have seized 79 pistols in connection with 68 criminal cases and arrested 90 persons in 2022. Whereas they had recovered 92 pistols in connection with 83 criminal cases, arrested 111 persons, and confiscated 554 cartridges during searches and anti- crime operations carried out by the crime branch in 2021. According to crime branch officials, the decline in the recov- ery of firearms in 2022 is due to various fac- tors such as persistent crackdown on gangs, invocation of the amended Arms Act, and a rise in MCOCA cases enabling the police to keep such crim- inals in jails for longer terms. First India Bureau Mumbai: A cop posted at Kalamboli police station in Navi Mumbai was booked for assault- ing a 28-year-old Dalit man inside the station premises on Thursday. Assistant Police Inspec- tor, Dinesh Patil, has also been booked under the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe) (Pre- vention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly hurl- ing casteist abuses against the victim, Vikas Ujgare. Patil is alleged to have spat on Ujgare’s face and forced him to lick his shoes at the police station. According to reports, the cop is said to have held a grudge against Ujgare, who had complained to senior police officers about the hesi- tancy shown by officers of Kalamboli police station to register his complaint, after he was duped in a cyber scam. Ujgare was allegedly identified as the person who had complained against the cops after Kalamboli police officers showed up at a Chi- nese restaurant on January 06. The 28-year-old and his friend were assaulted by the owner. Instead of a hospital, the duo was taken to Kalamboli police station. “Holding a grudge, Patil started beating me on my face and neck. He then dragged me towards a room, where I was brutally assaulted. The officer then asked me about my caste… when I said I am a Dalit, he abused my caste and spat on me for belong- ing to a lower caste,” Ujgare said, adding that Patil forced him to lick his shoes. He claimed that at around 3 am on Janu- ary 07, the cops took him to MGM hospital in Kamothe, dropped him there and left. “Once I was discharged, I hired an advocate and lodged a complaint. My statement was recorded on January 14 by the zonal deputy commissioner and the assistant police commissioner,” Ujgare said. Cop ‘spits’ on Dalit man, forces him to ‘lick’ shoes; booked UNACCEPTABLE The accused is said to have held a grudge against the 28-year-old for complaining to senior officers PMC to arrange free skill training for its residents First India Bureau Navi Mumbai: The Panvel Municipal Cor- poration (PMC) will now provide skill training to its residents under the Deendayal An- tyodaya Yojana Nation- al Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM). Ganesh Deshmukh, Chief of PMC has appealed to the citizens to take full advantage of the programme. The citizens from lower income groups, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities, widows, and disabled among others living under the PMC area can get skill trained to be- come account execu- tives, graphic designers and multi-skill techni- cians (electrical), among others. For this training, the beneficiary should have a minimum qualifica- tion of passing the Grade 12 with the age limit between 18 to 45 years. Kailas Gawde, Deputy Commissioner, has said that government certificates will be given to those who complete the training. Interested residents can get more details from Vinaya Mhatre, DAY-NULM administra- tor and Wipra Skill In- dia Pvt Ltd. The documents required to register for the programme are a xerox copy of the Aadhaar Card, Ration Card, Photo, Education Certificate, Caste Re- cord, and Income Proof. Football turf on playgrounds draw ire from CIDCO Navi Mumbai: Notices have been issued to several educational institutions by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) for the alleged misuse of playground given on lease for development of sports culture. According to officials, the facility is being used for commercial purposes by many who have installed a football turf and are charging rent. Sandesh Dongre, City President of Maharash- tra Navnirman Vid- yarthiSena,raisedissue beforeSocialServiceDe- partment of CIDCO and also submitted a com- plaintlastyear.Basedon complaint, CIDCO car- riedoutagroundinspec- tion and found violation by lessee. Theeducationinstitu- tions issued notices include Shikshan Prasar- ka Mandal, Nerul, The Bombay Salesian Socie- ty, Nerul, Aatpadi Edu- cation Society, Nerul, Ramrao Adik Rao Edu- cation Society, Belapur, Delhi Public School So- ciety , Nerul, Terna Pub- lic Charitable Trust, Nerul among others. “The educational institutions haveinstalled a football turf and are using them for commercial purposes. They give it on rent for Rs700 to Rs2000 per hour,” said Dongre. Local edu institutions have been giving out the facility on rent for `700 to `2,000 per hour Agency has given 15 days for removal of turf from playground. ‘Police least bothered to take action against Sherlyn Chopra’ First India Bureau Mumbai: After Rakhi Sawant’s interrogation by Amboli Police on Thursday , actor Sherlyn Chopra is also likely to be summoned by the Os- hiwara police for questioning. Both actors have filed FIRs against each other in the respective police stations. Sawant, who was grilled for 5 long hours recently at Amboli police station, refused to talk about the case and remained subdued. Speaking on the issue, her lawyer Falguni Bhrahmbhatt stated that all the charges against her client are bailable offences. She added why Oshi- wara police did not call Chopra for questioning, “The Oshiwara police are least bothered about taking action on the FIR against Sherlyn filed by Rakhi but the Amboli police were quick to de- tain Rakhi,” alleged Brahmbhatt. According to senior police officials, Sawant was brought to Amboli Police station after her anticipatory bail was rejected by the Din- doshi Sessions Court on Wednesday and allowed to return home in the evening as her mother was in ICU while the Oshiwara case against Sherlyn was still under investigation and she would be called to join the probe soon. Now, elevated road proposed from highway to Grant Road First India Bureau Mumbai: To reduce the travel time between South Mumbai and Eastern Highway from 30-50 minutes to five to seven minutes, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corpora- tion (BMC) is finaliz- ing an elevated road from the highway to Grant Road. With the dispersal arm of the Mumbai Trans Harbour link (MTHL) also merging with the highway at Sewri, areas such as Grant Road, Malabar Hill, Tardeo will get quick access to this link and thus, to the Navi Mumbai Air- port. The civic body plan follows the decision by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Author- ity (MMRDA) to build a tunnel connecting the highway and Ma- rine Drive. P Velarasu, Addi- tional Municipal Com- missioner, BMC said, “This new bridge is important to connect the northern area of South Mumbai for quick disbursal to Grant Road, Malabar Hill and Tardeo. “While MMRDA is planning a tunnel from the highway, our elevated road is useful for other south Mum- bai residents. I have cleared this on techni- cal and financial as- pects. This will now go to the municipal commissioner for final ap- proval,” he said. Once the plan is approved by Commissioner IS Chahal, a tender will be issued by BMC in 10 days, said officials. Generally, the route takes 35-40 minutes to commute but once the project is complete, it is likely to take 5-7 min Rakhi Sawant (seen here) and Sherlyn Chopra have filed FIRs against each other. —FILE PHOTO

4. PERSPECTIVE MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 04 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia l Vol 1 l Issue No.256 l RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, No.22, Dighe MIDC, Vishnu Nagar, TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi Mumbai-400701. Published at Plot No. 3 Scheme C of Manglorean Garden Home, CHS Limited, Survey No. 5, 6C (Part) Ville Parle East, Mumbai 400057. Phone 022-46031417. Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Kartikey Dev Singh responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Warm greetings to the people of Manipur, Meghalaya Tripura on their Statehood Day. These culturally rich vibrant states are contributing invaluably to our nation’s economy growth story. Praying for their continued progress development. Kiren Rijiju @KirenRijiju Minorities, or for that matter every community in India is moving ahead positively. India’s image cannot be disgraced by malicious campaigns launched inside or outside India. PM @ narendramodi Ji’s voice is the voice of 1.4 billion Indians. SPIRITUAL SPEAK Because an original is always better than a copy! —Bhagavad Gita IN-DEPTH THE TWIST IN SC COLLEGIUM, GOVT FACEOFF OVER APPOINTMENTS n a first, the Supreme Court revealed the Union Law Minis- try’s reasons for re- jecting advocates SaurabhKirpalandSomasekhar Sundaram--- recommended by the collegium for appointment as high court judges--- and its own reasons for overruling those ob- jections. Led by India’s Chief JusticeDYChandrachud,thecol- legium has again sent these two names, along with three others which were returned by the ministry , for reconsideration. In the case of Kirpal the Cen- tre’s objection was that he is an openly gay advocate with a Swiss national as his partner, a no-no for those holding constitutional positions. The collegium said that there are others holding constitutional offices with a foreign spouse. On Kirpal being gay , the collegium stated that his conduct and behaviour have been above board. The argu- ments hold water. It also defended Sundaram who, in the government’s view, is “highly biased and opinion- ated.” Expressing views does not disentitle him to hold a constitutional post, the collegium said. Neither side seems willing to blink. TOP TWEETS I restlers have won Round One against Wrestling Federation of In- dia (WFI) and its boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP MP from Kaiser- ganj in Gonda district of UP. The protesting wrestlers are yet to win the battle which may still go in favour of the WFI chief. He has been asked to step aside for four weeks. The allegations of sexual harassment will now be in- vestigated by a seven-member committee which does not include Singh. In a letter to the Union Sports Ministry, the WFI has refuted all the allegations against Singh and coaches saying that the protesters have a hidden agenda. The investigation will be carried out by the Indian Olympic Association-appointed committee which has boxing Olympian Mary Kom as chairperson. Others on the panel include IOA joint secretary Alaknanda Ashok, former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, archer Dola Banerjee, IOA treasurer Sahdev Yadav and one male and one female lawyer. In the meantime an oversight committee is being formed to address the issue. The WFI being dismissive of the allegations by women wrestlers cannot be taken se- riously. Those who have taken up cudgels against the powerful Kaiserganj MP must have been pushed to desperation. The wrestlers also face action for not at- tending national wrestling camp in Gonda where only Singh’s writ runs. The problem for wrestlers lies with the political clout which Singh enjoys due to his winnability, an important criteria for getting a ticket. A seven-time MP from Kaiserganj, Singh wields considerable influence in ad- joining areas and the BJP will not ignore the aspect before 2024. ROUND-1 GOES TO PROTESTERS Wrestlers have won Round One against WFI and its boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP MP from Kaiserganj in Gonda of UP. Protesting wrestlers are yet to win the battle which may still go in favour of the WFI chief W eads of State and government seldom voluntarily re- tire. Most hold on to the job even if they are in poor health or too old. Jawaharlal Nehru should have retired after he had a stroke on 6th January 1964, at the AICC session at Bhubaneswar. He neglected his deteriorating health and died on 27th May 1964 in his 75th year. I could give several other examples of leaders convinc- ing themselves of their mo- rality . Joseph Stalin was Gen- eral Secretary of the Com- munist Party of the USSR from 1922 to 1953 when he died in mysterious circum- stances. For the last few years of his life he was a stricken man, if not a semi-invelia. Neither his doctors, nor any member of the Politburo had the courage to approach him during his illness. New Zealand Prime Minis- ter, Jacinda Ardern shocked her country and the World by her decision to resign. Had she not she would have been re-elected in October. Prime Minister Ardern became a world figure. A gunman targeted a Mosque, 51 people killed and 40 injured in 2019 in Christchurch. She swiftly changed the gun laws. She won a second term in Octo- ber 2020. Of her resignation she said, “She had no more in the tank”. She added, “… Politicians are human. We give all that we can, for as long as we can, and then it is time. And for me it is time.” She is in her early forties. WRESTLERS PROTEST India’s top wrestlers-30 of them, young girls and youth- ful men, have been protesting inbittercoldagainsttheunac- ceptable conduct of the Presi- dent of the Wrestling Federa- tion of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a sitting Mem- ber of Parliament. He has held the post for 13 years. His TVperformanceonThursday must have done him much harm. He was seen twice slap- ping a young man. He also said he would not resign. The lady Wrestlers have complained of “sexual harassment”. The well-being of the Wrestlers is of para- mount importance. “Wres- tling is India’s most success- ful individual Olympic sport. It deserves better”, wrote a leading newspaper in its centre page. The energetic Sports Min- ister should act soon to address the grievances of the Wrestlers. It will take some doingasBrijBhushanSharan Singh is an influential Mem- ber of Parliament and a well- known UP politician. R-DAY CELEBRATIONS Republic Day is round the corner. The day has a special significance. On this day sev- enty three years ago India became a Republic. Few out- sideIndiagaveIndiaachance for Democracy surviving more than a few years. Win- ston Churchill was one of them. He called Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Rajaji and other Congress leaders “men of straw”. In 1942 President Roosevelt asked Churchill to make meaningful steps to accept India’s demands for ending British Raj in the country. Churchill told the US Presi- dent that he would resign if pushed further by the US President. “I have not be- come the First Minister of the King to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire.” Five years later the British Indian Empire was indeed liquidated. The splendour of the Re- public Day parade cannot be exaggerated. The setting is breath-taking. This year’s Guest of Honour is President Sisi of Egypt. The Rashtra- pati Bhavan, North and South Block, Parliament House and India Gate were built between 1920 and 1930. Mercifully, Shastri and Vig- yan Bhawans are to be pulled down, so also the hideous Ministry of Defence, built in the 1950’s. BRITISH ISSUES The British Monarchy is con- fronted with a strange problem. One of its members, the erratic and unpredictable, Prince Harry has written a book (it has sold 3.2 million copies in a month) which is highly critical of the Monar- chy. He may have made a lot of money, but he is in the Royal dog house. He has let the Firm down. The British Royal Family is privately called the Firm. On Friday evening nearly one hundred former Stepha- nians met for dinner at the Taj Palace hotel. I was the Chief Guest, being the senior most ex-Stephanian. Almost all had taken to Golf. The annual golf tournament was over. I was asked to speak first. I related this story . In 1950, King Tribhuvan of Nepal came to Delhi, Nehru invited the King for Lunch. The first three courses were without any conversation. Finally the King asked Prime Minister Nehru if he played golf. “Not yet your Majesty . I am only 62 years old”, was Nehru’s witty reply . In those days golf was considered a game for old men. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL H In 1950, King Tribhuvan of Nepal came to Delhi, Nehru invited the King for Lunch. The first three courses were without any conversation. Finally the King asked Prime Minister Nehru if he played golf. “Not yet your Majesty. I am only 62 years old”, was Nehru’s witty reply. In those days golf was considered a game for old men PRIME MINISTER ARDERN BECAME A WORLD FIGURE. A GUNMAN TARGETED A MOSQUE, 51 PEOPLE KILLED AND 40 INJURED IN 2019 IN CHRISTCHURCH. SHE SWIFTLY CHANGED THE GUN LAWS. SHE WON A SECOND TERM IN OCTOBER 2020 K NATWAR SINGH The author is Former Minister of External Affairs of India JACINDA ARDERN’S SHOCK RESIGNATION AS NZ PM

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6. MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 05 INDIA www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi, Home Minis- ter Amit Shah and other leaders on Saturday extended greetings on the statehood day of Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya. Appreciating the natural beauty, rich tradi- tions, and culture of these northeastern states, the President wroteonTwitter,“Greet- ings on the statehood day of Manipur, Megha- laya, and Tripura. The rich culture, natural beauty and abiding tra- ditions of these states enrichourdiversity .The people of these states are known for their tal- ent and spontaneity . I wish a very bright future to all of them.” PM Modi, in three separate tweets, wished the people of these states. “Statehood Day greetings to the people of Manipur. The state has been progressing on several counts during the last few years. I pray that the aspira- tions of the people of this state are fulfilled and Manipur keeps strengthening India’s growth trajectory,” he wrote, wishing Ma- nipur on the occasion. Admiring Megha- laya’sculture,musicand art,hewrote,“Greetings to the people of Megha- laya on their Statehood Day . This state is known for its vibrant culture, particularly music, art and passion towards sports. People from Meghalaya have ex- celled in diverse fields. I pray for Meghalaya’s continuous progress in the years to come. (sic)” President, PM Modi, Shah send greetings TRIPURA, MEGHALAYA MANIPUR’S STATEHOOD DAY WFI CLAIMS PROTEST IS MOTIVATED In its reply to the Government, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) rejects all the allegations New Delhi (PTI): The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has rejected all the allegations, including that of sexual harassment against its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and claimed that the wrestlers’ protest was motivated by a “hidden agenda to dis- lodge the current management”. The WFI denied all the charges in its response to the government’s notice and asserted that “there is no scope for arbitrariness and mismanagement “ in the federation. The Sports Ministry had sought an explana- tion from WFI after the country’s top wrestlers sat on a dharna and alleged that the federation chief sexu- ally harassed women wrestlers and acts like a “dictator”. The WFI sent its reply on Friday evening and, few hours later, the wrestlers called off their protest after the government announced that it will form an oversight committee to probe the charges. It also said the WFI chief will step aside till the investigation is over. “The WFI is managed by an elected body as per its constitution, and therefore, there is no scope for arbitrariness and mismanagement in WFI by any one indi- vidually, including the president,” the WFI said in its response to the Sports Ministry . “The WFI, in par- ticular, under the sitting president has always acted keeping the best interests of wrestlers in mind. “The WFI has en- hanced the image of wrestling sport nation- ally as well as internationally and for the record of this ministry, it is not possible without fair, supportive, clean and strict management of WFI,” it added. WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh speaks with the media regarding recent allegations of sexual harassment against him, in Gonda district, on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI ‘MISBEHAVING’ UP POLICEMAN SUSPENDED Shahjahanpur: The inspector in-charge of the cyber cell in UP’s Shahjahanpur district has been suspended for allegedly misbehaving with a BJP leader and a probe has been ordered in the matter, a senior police officer said on Saturday. It has been alleged that Neeraj Kumar, the inspector-in-charge of the cyber cell, went to the residence of BJP leader and former district panchayat chairman Virendra Pal Singh Yadav on Thursday night and misbehaved with him. Cong’s ‘charge sheet’ against Modi govt Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal at a press conference on a campaign launch ‘Hath Se Hath Jodo’, in New Delhi on Saturday. New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Saturday released a “charge sheet” against the Nar- endraModigovtalleging that its mantra was ‘kuch ka saath, khud ka vikas, sabke saath vish- wasghaat’ (for the benefit of few, development for self and betrayal of everyone)”. The Opposi- tion party also said that Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra, will hoist the na- tionalflagatthePradesh Congress Committee office in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk area followed by a public meeting at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadi- um which will mark the culmination of the Kanyakumari to Kash- mir march. RAHUL LAUDS WAYANAD ON RARE ACHIEVEMENT New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday congratulated Kerala’s Way- anad on becoming India’s first district to digitise basic documents of all tribals. “An empowered tribal community is the cornerstone of a strong India,” Rahul, Wayanad MP, tweeted. “Proud that Way- anad is India’s 1st district to provide digitise basic documents for all Tribals,” he said. He lauded the collective efforts of district admin, local bodies, and people’s representatives for the initiative. Yogi flags off ‘Run for G20 Walkathon’ to spread awareness about summit Lucknow (PTI): UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Saturday flagged off the ‘Run for G20 Walka- thon’ organised simul- taneously in four cities to spread awareness about the summit. Adi- tyanath flagged off the walkathons in Luc- know, Agra, Varanasi and Gautam Buddh Na- gar from his residence. Uttar Pradesh will host 11 meetings during the G20 conference, through which it has got the opportunity to promote its image, culture and food, Adityanath said. He also praised PM Narendra Modi and said, “The world is ac- cepting the fact that in this era of global crisis, India and PM Narendra Modi are the only ones who can save the world and realise the sacred spirit of India towards the welfare of the common man.” Yogi Adityanath flags off G-20 Walkathon, in Lucknow on Saturday. Mysuru (PTI): Senior Congress leader Sid- daramaiah, who has decided to contest the upcoming a s s e m b l y election in Karnataka from Kolar s e g m e n t , asserted on Saturday that he will surely win even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Un- ion Home Minister Amit Shah were to campaign against him. The former Chief Minister decided to shift his constituency from Badami in Bagalkote district in North Karnataka to Kolar citing age factor and the distance. “Let (BJP national general secretary) B L Santhosh come, BJP national president J P Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah and campaign against me. I will surely win from Kolar,” he told reporters. Siddaramaiah was reacting to a query that a negative campaign has begun ever since he expressed his desire to contest from Kolar. Siddaramaiah claims he will win Kolar seat despite all odds Guwahati (PTI): “Who is Shahrukh Khan? I don’t know anything about him or his film Pathaan”, was Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s curt answer to queries by re por ters here on Sat- urday. Me- diapersons had raised questions on the vio- lent protest by Bajrang Dal activists, who stormed a theatre at Narengi in the city on Friday where the film is slated to be screened. The far right wing group’s volunteers tore down the film’s posters and burnt them. Who is Shahrukh? asks Assam CM Himanta Sarma Kolkata (PTI): Amidst the fanfare over Rash- triya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) plans to celebrate Netaji Sub- has Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary in the city on January 23, his daughter Anita Bose-Pfaff has said that it is being done to “partially exploit” her father’s legacy . RSS’s ideology and the nationalist leader’s ideas of securlarism and inclusiveness are “poles apart and do not coincide”, she said. As far as ideology is concerned, the Con- gress has lot more in common with Netaji than any other party in the country, Bose- Pfaff said. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will address a public programme at Shahid Minar ground in the city to commemo- rate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary . Bose-Pfaff said the BJP and RSS do not re- flect the idea of respecting all religions as preached by Netaji, who was a devout Hindu but believed in respecting other faiths. He was in favour of a productive cooperation between members of different religions, she said. PlanofRSSto“partiallyexploit” Netaji’slegacy,sayshisdaughter WFI rejects wrestlers’ allegations against its prez BB Sharan Singh New Delhi: The WFI has rejected all the allegations, including that of sexual harassment against its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, saying “there is no scope for arbitrariness and mismanagement “ in the sports body . “The WFI is managed by an elected body as per its constitution, and therefore, there is no scope for arbitrarinessandmis- management in WFI by any one individu- ally , including the president,” the WFI said in its response to sports ministry . “The WFI, in par- ticular, under the sitting president has always acted keeping the best interests of wrestlers in mind. “The WFI has en- hanced the image of wrestling sport na- tionally as well as internationally and for the record of this ministry , it is not possible without fair, supportive, clean and strict management of WFI,” it added. New Delhi (Agencies): Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, who was allegedly molested and dragged for 10-15 meters by a drunk driv- er after her hand got stuck in his car’s win- dow around 3 am on Thursday, reacted sharply to the allegations that the whole incident was fake. Swati Maliwal, on Saturday, called the allegations “dirty lies” and that she would fight till her last breath. She tweeted, “Let me tell those who think that they will scare me by telling dirty lies about me. I have done many big things in this short life by tying a shroud on my head. I was attacked many times but I did not stop. With every atrocity, the fire inside me grew stronger. No one can suppress my voice. I will keep fighting as long as I am alive!” “Iwillkeepfightingtillamalive”, Maliwalreactsto‘fakesting’claims New Delhi (ANI): The CBI has recovered Rs 94.37 lakh in cash after conducting several raids at 18 places in Mumbai and Bhopal in three cases connected with illegal forexremittancesduring 2014-2016. Several in- criminating documents and electronic gadgets were also recovered. As per statement, CBI registered three separate cases against the accused which included private persons, unknown officials of multi-state cooperative societies and unknown public servants. It was alleged that during 2014-2016, a huge amount was remitted in foreignexchange(Forex) abroadfromtheaccounts of nine entities through eight nationalised banks by submitting fake im- port documents such as bills of entry , bills of lad- ing, among others, without any actual trade. CBI recovers `94.37L in several raids at 18 places NGO OPPOSES CRIMINALISATION OF MARITAL RAPE 17 HELD AFTER TMC,ISF WORKERS CLASH IN KOLKATA New Delhi: An NGO has moved the Supreme Court opposing the criminalisation of marital rape, saying it would destabilise the institution of mar- riage. The petition filed by NGO Purush Aayog Trust through its president Barkha Trehan has sought the court’s intervention in a batch of petitions per- taining to criminalisation of marital rape. Kolkata: Workers of the Indian Secular Front, or ISF, were lathicharged by the police in Kolkata’s Esplanade area this evening as they blocked roads in the area. ISF claimed they were attacked by the TMC workers on their way to a rally in the area and demanded the arrest of Trinamool leader Arabul Islam for orches- trating an earlier attack on them this morning. New Delhi: A Delhi court is likely to hear on March 25 a criminal complaint filed by actor Nora Fatehi against Jacqueline Fernandez for allegedly defaming her by “unfairly dragging” her name into a Rs 200 crore money laundering case. Fatehi, a Cana- dian citizen, has also arrayed 15 media organisations as accused in her complaint. The matter, which was scheduled to come up for hearing on Saturday, was adjourned since the judge was on leave, Fatehi’s lawyer said. Morbi: A sessions court here on Saturday adjourned till February 1 the hearing in the anticipatory bail application filed by Ajanta Manufacturing Limited’s managing director in connection with the collapse of the suspension bridge here on October 30 that killed 135 persons. The court of principal district and sessions judge P C Joshi deferred the hearing of the anticipatory bail plea moved by Jaysukh Patel to February 1 as the public prose- cutor was not present. COURT ADJOURNS ACTOR NORA FATEHI’S DEFAMATION CASE AGAINST JACQUELINE MORBI: HEARING ON OREVA GROUP MD’S PRE-ARREST BAIL ADJOURNED TILL FEB 1 NEWS DIGEST DCW chief Swati Maliwal. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s daughter Anita Bose-Pfaff. Prez Droupadi Murmu PM Narendra Modi HM Amit Shah WRESTLERS’ PROTEST

7. MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 06 INDIA www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia New Delhi (PTI): Ahead of assemblypollsinthree northeastern states and various byelections, the Election Commission has reminded its field machinery and political parties of a law and pro- visionsof themodelcode whichprohibittheuseof places of worship as a forum for election propaganda “in any manner”. In a letter to its chief electoral officers in all states and union territo- ries on January 19, the poll panel reminded them of its 2012 instruc- tions on the issue which had noted that the exist- ing provisions of the model code of conduct prohibit the use of “places of worship as a forum for election propaganda in any manner”. “Further, Sections 3, 5 and 6 of The Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse)Act,1988,prohibit the use of religious institutions or funds of religiousinstitutionsfor the promotion or propa- gation of any political ideasorpoliticalactivity or for the benefit of any political party ,” letter read. Contravention of the provisions of any of these sections is pun- ishable by imprison- ment up to five years and with a fine, it pointed out. A copy of the letter has been sent to leaders of all national and state parties. Bhopal (PTI): Paleon- tologistshavereporteda rarediscoveryof closely located dinosaur nests and 256 eggs of the her- bivorous titanosaurs in the Narmada valley in Madhya Pradesh. Re- searchersfromtheDelhi University and Indian Instituteof ScienceEdu- cation and Research in Mohanpur-Kolkata and Bhopal have also report- eddiscoveryof ovum-in- ovo or multi-shell eggs in Bagh and Kukshi areas in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. The findings were published in PLoS One research journal this week by Harsha Dhi- man, Vishal Verma, and Guntupalli Prasad, among others. A study of the nests and eggs has revealed intimate details about the lives of the long-necked sau- ropods that walked the region more than 66 million years ago. “The eggs were found from the estuary formed at a place where the Tethys Sea merged with the Narmada when Seychelles had broken away from the Indian plate. The sepa- ration of Seychelles had led to the incursion of the Tethys Sea 400 kms inside the Narma- da Valley,” Verma, who works in the Higher Secondary School, Ba- kaner, Dhar, said. He said the nests found in the Narmada valley were close to each other. Generally the nests are located at some distance from each other. Verma, considered the driving force behind a series of discoveries of dinosaur fossils in Narmada, said the reason behind multi-shell eggs could be the inability of the mother to find favoura- ble conditions for lay- ing eggs. Rare dinosaur nests found in Narmada valley PALEONTOLOGISTS’ DISCOVERY During the field investi- gations carried out between 2017 and 2020, we found extensive hatcheries of dinosaurs in Bagh and Kukshi areas in Dhar District, MP. —Vishal Verma, A Researcher —Pic for representational purpose only NGT PANEL CHALKS OUT YAMUNA ACTION PLAN SKELETON FOUND FROM BUILDING GUTTED IN FIRE New Delhi: The high level panel formed by NGT for rejuvenation of Yamuna has chalked out a six month action plan till June, with monthly targets, and the same will be monitored on weekly basis. After taking stock of the prevalent situation of water quality in river Yamuna and the various drains in the city, along with the status of Sewage Treatment Plants Common Efflu- ent Treatment Plants. Hyderabad: Making a breakthrough, rescue workers on Saturday found a human skeleton in a six-storeyed commercial building which was gutted in a massive fire on Thursday. The rescue teams, which continued their efforts to collect clues of three missing persons, found the skeleton on the first floor of the building at Nallagutta on Ministers Road in Secunderabad. Bhubaneswar: Nine mega piped water supply projects will be implemented in Odisha’s Malkangiri, Nayagarh and Jajpur districts at a cost of Rs 1,287 crore in next two years. This was decided at the state cabinet chaired by CM Naveen Patnaik on Saturday. The Cabinet approved three tenders worth Rs 1,287 crore for execu- tion of these projects. Giving details about the cabinet decisions, Development Commissioner PK Jena said supply of safe drinking water to the people living in the rural areas is one of the priority areas of the state govt. ODISHA CABINET APPROVES DRINKING WATER PROJECTS WORTH `1,287 CR Kolkata: The CISF on Saturday arrested a US citizen with a Chinese satellite phone while he was attempt- ing to board a Delhi-bound flight at the Bagdogra airport near Siliguri in West Bengal. The arrested person has been identified Thomas Esroh Seitz (45). According to Bagdogra airport sources, three US citizens, including Seitz, arrived at the airport on Saturday afternoon to board a Delhi-bound flight. However, CISF jawans, while checking the luggage of Seitz, detected a Chinese satellite phone. US CITIZEN WITH CHINESE SATELLITE PHONE HELD AT BAGDOGRA AIRPORT CRUCIAL READ REPUBLIC DAY PREPARATIONS JOSHIMATH LAND SUBSIDENCE ENDUSETHROWFORSOCIETY’S BETTERMENT: RAJNATH SINGH First India Bureau New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday called upon the youth to eliminate the concept of ‘use and throw’,pointingoutthat the society and environment suffer the most due to this malpractice. He said that no stone is left unturned by the government to equip the nation to deal with challenges that may arise due to the fast- evolving global security scenario. Saying that destruction of the environment means destruction of life, he appealed to the youth and the nation at large to reuse goods as far as possible and work for the conservation of nature. He also encour- aged the youth to not let the ‘use and throw’ concept enter their personal lives, urging them to respect the elders, family and friends. He stated that while knowl- edge and education are important, values hold equal relevance. This year, the Rak- sha Mantri Padak was awarded to Under Of- ficer Tinggeuchile Nri- ame of North Eastern Region Directorate and Cadet Avinash Jangir of Rajasthan Directo- rate. The Raksha Man- tri Commendation Cards were awarded to Captain Pratap Kesha- ri Harichandan of Odi- sha Directorate, Cadet Under Officer Jenny Francina Victor Anand of Tamil Nadu, Pu- ducherry Andaman Nicobar Directorate, Cadet Fiza Shafi of Jammu Kashmir Ladakh Directorate and Cadet Sehwag Rana of Uttarakhand Directorate. Dehradun (PTI): Dem- olition of ‘unsafe’ buildings in subsidence-hit Joshimath in Uttara- khand resumed on Sat- urday as the weather improved. Snowfall and rain in various parts of Uttarakhand on Friday had intensified the cold, adding to the woes of people living in temporary relief camps. “Dismantling of unsafe hotels and houses in Joshimath has been temporarily halted due to bad weather,” Cham- oli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana had said. According to officials, 849 houses in Joshimath have devel- oped cracks following land subsidence and 269 families have been moved to temporary relief centres. On Saturday, drilling machines and bulldoz- erswerebacktodisman- tle hotels — Malari Inn and Mount View — and the PWD’s inspection bungalow as weather cleared in the morning. “Providing relief to affected people in Joshi- math is among the top priorities of CM Push- kar Singh Dhami at present,” a release said. Says Govt is leaving no stone unturned to equip nation to meet new challenges Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visits NCC Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantt on Saturday. DEFENCE MINISTER GIVES AWAY RAKSHA MANTRI PADAK CARDS TO NCC CADETS PETS AND CATTLE DISPLACED AS OWNERS NAVIGATE SUBSIDENCE FALLOUT New Delhi (FIB): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantt and gave away Raksha Mantri Padak Commendation Cards to cadets for their exemplary performance and devotion to duty. This year, the Raksha Mantri Padak was awarded to Under Of- ficer Tinggeuchile Nriame of North Eastern Region Directorate and Cadet Avinash Jangir of Rajasthan Directorate. Joshimath (PTI): As land sinks in Joshimath, buildings are razed and hundreds of families forced out of their homes, there is another trag- edy playing out in this Hima- layan town many dogs, cattle and other domestic animals left untended as their owners navigate the life-changing crisis. Some animals have been left behind in houses, desolate and deserted as the cracks on their walls deepen, and some smaller pets have been crammed into shelter homes along with families forced into one room. The snow and the dipping temperatures have ex- acerbated the many woes. The displacement is at many lev- els, say animal rights activists who have rushed to the once bustling town of Joshimath to keep the voiceless safe. Mizoram forms group to collect info on border row India beat NZ in 2nd ODI; take over series Aizawl (PTI): The Mizoram government has formed a study group headed by an expert from Mi- zoram University (MZU) to study and collect relevant information on its claimed border areas to be furnished to Assam government, an official statement said. The group was the follow-up of a decision made during the border talks between Mizoram and Assam held at Guwahati in November. The meeting of a boundary committee chaired by Mizoram minister Lalchamli- ana on Friday appointed Prof J Doun- gel, a political sci- ence teacher from MZU as the study group’s convener, while joint secretary in the Home department Lalthiamsanga was appointed as member secretary . The study group will study and collect the list of villages, their areas, geo-spa- tial extent, and eth- nicity of the people and other relevant information to sup- port its claim on the state’s boundary . During the border talks held on Novem- ber 17 last year, both states had decided that Mizoram will furnish the list of villages and their areas. Raipur (ANI): India se- cured a comprehensive eight-wicket win against New Zealand in the second ODI on Sat- urday to clinch their seventh consecutive One Day International (ODI) series at home. Rohit Sharma’s fifty coupled with a fiery performance from the In- dian bowlers made sure that the hosts cruised to victory , chasing a paltry 109 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Interna- tional Stadium, here. The group was formed to study Mizoram-Assam border areas. Workers demolish a house that got damaged due to land subsidence, at Joshimath, on Saturday. Demolition of unsafe buildings resumes in ‘sinking’ Joshimath RESPONSIBILITY OFTEN COMES TO PEOPLE NOT IN POSITION TO HANDLE IT: RAWAT Dehradun (PTI): BJP leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said that in a democracy, responsibility often comes to people who are not in a position to handle it. In a video that has gone viral on social media, Rawat purportedly says in reply to a question on the land-subsidence crisis in Joshimath that “the onus rests on everyone in a democracy, some of them are wise, some less wise and some still less wise”. “It is an irony and even beauty of a democracy that people in this system elect their representatives. So, sometimes the onus or the responsibility comes to people who cannot handle it. That leads to problems,” Rawat said. ECI reminds parties of law, poll code provisions TRIPURA: EC ASSURES CPI(M), CONGRESS OF ALL STEPS FOR PEACEFUL POLLING Agartala (PTI): The Election Commission on Saturday assured a CPI(M)-Congress delegation that all possible steps will be taken for conducting free, fair and peaceful polling in Tripura. The assurance was given to a nine-member team of the CPI(M) and the Congress when the delegation met the state Chief Electoral Of- ficer (CEO), Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao. Elections to the 60-member Assembly will be held on February 16.

8. MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 07 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Commodity Price Change % Chg GOLD 56,659 113.00 0.02 (Per 10g) SILVER 68,570 211.00 0.31 (Per 1kg) COMMODITIES Currency Price Change % Chg USDINR 81.12 0.25 0.00 GBPINR 100.1204 0.2616 0.00 CURRENCIES business BRIEFS Chennai: The American India Foundation (AIF) in the august presence of Thiru Anbil Mahesh Poyy- amozhi, Minister for School Education, Govern- ment of Tamil Nadu, inau- gurated India’s first STEM Innovation and Learning Center (SILC) under the scheme of Vanavil Man- dram at the Government Higher Secondary School, MMDA Colony, Chennai. AIF’s award-winning flag- ship education Program - Digital Equalizer has de- signed the Center to be a one-stop solution for STEM among students and teachers. Consisting of Innovation Corner for students, the Center will introduce students to a transdisciplinary learning approach through robot- ics, AI, Space technology, and Incubation workstation. —ANI AIF INAUGURATES INDIA’S FIRST STEM INNOVATION CENTER Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is witnessing an unprecedented investment boom in the industrial sector with over one lakh new Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) opening units in the current fiscal, gener- ating thousands of jobs in the southern state, In- dustries Minister P Ra- jeev said. Projecting Ker- ala as an investment- friendly destination, the minister claimed that as part of the state government’s ‘Year of Enterpris- es’ initiative, more than 1.24 lakh new MSMEs were set up in Kerala so far in the current financial year, attracting an investment worth over Rs8,000 crore. “It is much higher than the target set by the Industries Department as part of its ‘Year of Enter- prises’ initiative”, Rajeev told. —PTI KERALA WITNESSING INVESTMENT BOOM IN IND SECTOR: MIN New Delhi : Yes Bank on Saturday posted a drop of 80 per cent in its net profit to Rs52 crore for the quarter ended December, against Rs266.43 crore in the corresponding quarter the previous year. The lender said it was largely impacted due to ageing- related provisions. The bank said its operating profits grew 17 per cent year-on-year to Rs914 crore in Q3FY23 and the Mumbai-headquartered lender said it is the highest in the past seven quarters. The cost-to-income ratio improved to 70.7 per cent from 72.8 per cent in the third quarter (October-December), according to the bank statement released on Saturday. The bank said advances grew 10 per cent y-o-y, deposits’ growth was 16 per cent y-o-y and its balance sheet was up 13 per cent y-o-y. —ANI YES BANK’S NET PROFIT DROPS 80% TO `52 CR IN Q3 *Rates till the edition went to print. MY BUDGET 2023-24 The Union Budget for the FY 2023-24 is all set to be presented by Finance Min- ister Nirmala Sitharaman on the 1st of Feb. All eyes are on this space as this will be the last budget before the 2024 general elections. There is a lot of de- bate about whether this budget will have a flavour of populism to woo the In- dian voters for one last time before the general Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Let’s look at some key fig- ures to keep our eyes on. z The fiscal deficit figure z The CAPEX planned and their sectoral allotments z Money raised from divest- ment and privatization z Tax reforms and revenue collections z Subsidies and welfare schemes z Healthcare, education, sustainability, and urban reform outlays WHAT ABOUT THE COMMON INDIANS? Clearly, budget discussions are full of hopes and big promises. It’s a complex document of even bigger numbers on how the government is likely to function for the forthcoming year. But when it comes to a common man, the demands are often very simple and basic. MY BUDGET 2023 Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said, “I belong to a middle class, understand their pres- sures”. This has raised hopes among Indians that the Budget FY2024 might reward the middle class. The past year has proven to be highly challenging for the middle class and expect the government to do something big to help ease some of their tensions. With purchasing power drying out over COVID, doubled with soaring inflation and un- employment rates, the common man has been hit the hardest. Let’s look at some basic demands of a common Indian man from this year’s budget. MORE MONEY IN MY WALLET Any budget talk is incom- plete without a demand for tax benefits. The salaried class seems to have hardly benefited from the New Taxation Regime of 2020, and they have big expectations from the budget. There are expectations that the highest tax rate of 30% to be reduced to 25% and the threshold limit for the highest tax rate increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. There is also an expected revision in the deductions offered under section 80C to somewhere between Rs2- 2.5 lakhs, with medical in- surance provisions being increased to cover the ef- fect of inflation. However, with inflation concerns taking up much of FY 2023, the possibility of any change in income tax slabs looks unlikely . BETTER HOUSES Soaring inflation and ris- ing interest rates have harmed the purchasing power of homebuyers. Ex- perts in the real estate sector feel that the tax deduc- tion limit on the interest paid on home loans should be increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Another demand is for a separate section on principal repay- ment of housing loans other than Section 80 C to be introduced for Rs 4 lakh. LOWER FUEL AND FOOD PRICES Inflation was a trouble all common man faced last year. In 2022, food inflation, as measured by the CPI, averaged 6.8%, more than double the 3.1% it averaged in 2021. Inflation for basic products like milk products has averaged more than 8% since the middle of 2021. Domestic diesel prices have gone down by only 3% since June 2022, despite the price of India’s crude basket falling by a third during this time. A relief to help cut down day-to-day living expenses for the common man is thus on the wishlist of most Indians. POPULIST VS. PRUDENCE All in all, the Indian con- sumer has had it tough these last few years. Given that the demand revival is crucial to boost the private investment cycle, measures to reduce the price burden or enhance dispos- able incomes can be beneficial for the individual and may have a multiplier ef- fect on the economy . It all looks so easy no? But it ain’t so. Too many dole-outs and populist measures could fuel inflation again and that’s something which the government will dare not do this year. Plus government has been working on the path of fiscal prudence and has committed to a medium- term target of 4.5% of GDP by FY 2026. Considering that the deficit was budg- eted at 6.4% for FY 2023, there is an expectation of a staggered reduction of the deficit by around 0.5- 0.75% of GDP in the next three years. With covid and lock- downs concerns well behind us, and tax collections handsomely beating budget estimates, Budget FY24 is expected to make marked progress in improving its finances. So the government will be walking on a very tightrope of populist vs. prudence and we shall soon find out whether it will maintain a balance or bend. WishlistofacommonIndian Union Budget 2023-24 FISCAL DEFICIT OVER THE YEARS FY (` in lakh crore) (% of GDP) 2022 16.61 6.4 2021 15.86 6.7 2020 18.21 9.3 2019 11.58 4.6 2018 6.45 3.4 Source: RBI ‘Foreign shipping lines may stop services’ Islamabad (PTI): Ship- ping agents have warned the cash-strapped Pakistan government that all exports could come to a halt as foreign shipping lines are considering stopping their services for the country after banks stopped re- mitting freight charges to them due to a lack of dollar availability, according to a media report on Saturday . Apart from bordering countries, almost all the international logistics from Pakistan are catered by sea and any disruption could create serious issues for the country’s international trade, Pakistan Ship’s Agents Association (PSAA) chairman Abdul Rauf warned Finance Minister Ishaq Dar through a letter. “If international trade is stopped, the economic situation will worsen,” the association warned, adding that the foreign shipping lines are already considering winding up their services in Pakistan due to reduced cargo volumes. The PSAA chairman also wrote letters to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Gover- nor Jameel Ahmed, Com- merce Minister Syed Naveed Namar, and Mari- time Affairs Minister Fais- al Sabzwari, the Dawn newspaper reported. Rauf requested ministries and departments concerned to intervene to en- sure continuity in Paki- stan’s seaborne trade by al- lowing outward remittance of surplus freight amounts to respective foreign shipping lines forthwith. “Due to discontinuation of outward remittance of surplus freight amounts to respective foreign shipping lines, was hampering Pakistan’s seaborne trade which is heavily dependent on foreign shipping lines,” letter added. However, crisis re- lates to export cargoes as all outward trade from Paki- stan is container-based, as there are no liquid or grain exports from the country . The state-owned Paki- stan National Shipping Company (PNSC) only han- dles imports of crude oil and other petroleum fuel through its 12 vessels. FOR CASH-STRAPPED PAKISTAN Norms eased for few sectors under EPCG New Delhi (ANI): The government has announced a one-time relaxation from maintaining average export obligation and an option to extend export obligation period for certain sectors under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme. The sectors that are eligi- ble for this relief are hotel, healthcare and educational. For the years 2020-21 and 2021-22, these sectors will not be required to maintain average export obligation for EPCG authorisations issued to them. These sectors will also have option to extend export obligation period for a longer duration, without having to pay any additional fees. For EPCG authorisations issued for hotel, healthcare and educational sectors, export obligation period would be extended from date of expiry for duration equivalent to number of days export obligation period falls between February 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022. This extension will be granted without payment of composition fees. However, for EPCG authorisations issued for sectors other than hotel, healthcare and educational, the export obligation period may be extended.

9. MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 08 2NDFRONT www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Words have power! Have the conviction to speak aloud your highest goals and dreams, your dedication will increase. — Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India First India Bureau Mumbai: A judge’s ex- pertise lies in interpret- ingthetextof theConsti- tutionwiththechanging times while keeping its soulintact,Chief Justice of India DY Chandra- chud said while speaking at the Nani A Palkh- ivala Memorial Lecture here on Saturday . “The identity of the Indian Constitution has evolved through the in- teraction of Indian citizens with the Constitu- tion, and has been ac- companied by judicial interpretation. The craftsmanship of a judge lies in interpreting the text of the Con- stitutionwiththechang- ing times while keeping its soul intact,” he said. “The basic structure of our Constitution, like the north star, guides and gives certain direc- tion to the interpreters and implementers of the Constitution when the path ahead is convo- luted. The basic structure or the philosophy of our Constitution is premised on the su- premacy of the Consti- tution, rule of law, sepa- ration of powers, judicial review, secularism, federalism, freedom and the dignity of the indi- vidualandtheunityand integrity of the nation,” he added. The emerging world economy has erased national boundaries, and companies no longer stop at the border, the CJI said. “In recent decades, India's legal landscape has also undergone a significant change in favour of removing strangulating regula- tions, augmenting con- sumer welfare and supporting commercial transactions. Legisla- tion, such as the Com- petition law and the In- solvency and Bankrupt- cy Code, have been en- acted to promote fair market competition. Similarly, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has sought to stream- line indirect taxation on the supply of goods and services in India,” he said, adding, “If you look at the Constitu- tion, it does not favour unbounded economic liberalism. Rather, our Constitution seeks to find the right balance.” CJI Chandrachud said the Constitution al- lows the state to change and evolve its legal and economic policies to meet societal demands, adding that the doctrine of basic structure has shown that it might be beneficial for a judge to look at how other juris- dictions have dealt with similar problems for them. Skill is interpreting Constitution while keeping its soul intact: CJI Also observed that India’s legal landscape has undergone a significant change in the recent decades CJI DY Chandrachud with Justice BR Gavai of the Supreme Court at a felicitation ceremony organized by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, in Mumbai on Saturday. —PHOTO BY PTI When individuals have the opportunity to exercise their liberties and to be fairly rewarded for their efforts, then economic justice becomes one of the many inter-related dimensions of life. Ultimately, we share common faiths and destinies to the point that development of each individual fosters social justice in the entire world.. —DY Chandrachud, Chief Justice of India Man held for forging NSG ID card to enter PM Modi’s rally venue First India Bureau Mumbai: A 35-year- old man, who allegedly tried to enter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public rally on Thursday using a forged identity card in the name of National Security Guard (NSG), has been arrested by the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The accused, Rameshwar Mishra, has worked with the NSG in the past, said an an official. He was intercepted by a team of personnel manning an entry point at the MMRDA grounds. “Mishra was clad in a suit and had an ID card around his neck, which he showed us when he tried to enter. We examined it as per protocol and saw that it was valid from 2022 to 2025. However, these dates looked like they had been added after scratching out some content that had been on the card earlier. Further, the ribbon at- tachedtothecardsaid, ‘Delhi Police Security (PM)’, which raised our suspicions,” said an officer. Mishra has been re- manded in custody till January 24. Dates written after scratching out content on identity card gave him away CleanchitforBMCinBJPleader Somaiya’sRemdesivircomplaint First India Bureau New Delhi: The Maha- rashtra Lokayukta on Saturday exculpated the Brihanmumbai Mu- nicipal Corporation (BMC) of any “irregularity” or “non-transparency” in a complaint filed by Bharatiya Ja- nata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya. Earlier Somaiya alleged corruption in pro- curing Remdisivir injections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lokayukta Justice VM Kanade passed the order. The order stated, “It has not been estab- lished and proved by the complainant that there was any corruption in the purchase of injection Remdesivir by the respondents. It is also not proved that there was irregularity and non-transparency in the purchase of this injection by them.” The order comes after the Enforcement Di- rectorate (ED) recently questioned BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal regarding allegations of malpractices in awarding COVID-19 care centre contracts. The order said, “It is abundantly clear from the documents produced by the respondents, including the letter issued by the Central government, that there was a sharp variance in the purchase price of injection Remdesivir in a couple of weeks after March 2021.” Taking to his Twitter handle, Somaiya tweeted, “Lokayukta Obser- vations on My Petition, Remdesivir, Black marketing during COVID. During this period, rumours were afloat that lifesaving drugs were sold on the black market. Effective machinery should have been prepared to tackle black marketing through Po- lice and BMC officials.” “Maharashtra Gov- ernment ought to have brought an ordinance directing manufactur- ers to make the supply of lifesaving drugs available at a reasona- ble rate,” added the BJP leader. Maharashtra Lokayukta cites lack of evidence over alleged irregularities in purchase of injections Kirit Somaiya —FILE PHOTO Dy CM’s wife recorded reel in official residence: NCP Mumbai (PTI): The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday claimed Amruta Fad- navis, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Deven- dra Fadnavis, has shot a reel of her new video at her residence, a government bungalow. It also sought to know if she had taken permission from authorities concerned for recording the clip inside official residential premises. The bungalow, Sagar, situated in Malabar Hill in south Mumbai, is the official residence of Deputy CM Fadnavis. NCP Spokesperson Hema Pimpale alleged Amruta Fadnavis shot the reel of her new video on Instagram in the bungalow allotted to her husband. “The video shooting took place in a government residential bungalow. Was permission taken from the state Public Work Depart- ment (PWD) or the culture ministry for it,” she asked. “If permission was not taken, then Deven- dra Fadnavis should take moral responsibility (for alleged lapse) and resign,” said Pimpale. Amruta Fadnavis was not available for comment on the issue. The NCP leader said Amruta Fadnavis, who has been given Y-grade security--which comes with an escort vehicle and five police personnel--also has a traffic clearance vehicle which is allotted only to persons holding constitutional posts. Asks whether she was given permission by PWD or culture ministry for it Amruta Fadnavis —FILE PHOTO Mirch Masala FIRST INDIA SUNDAY SPECIAL BY TRIDIB RAMAN The author is a journalist and political commentator and views expressed are his personal ...AND FINALLY The difficulties of SP Su- premo Akhilesh Yadav are going to increase. Ear- lier, petitioner Vishwanath Chaturvedi had filed an application in CBI Court, stating that no ‘closure report’ has been filed by CBI in Mulayam family’s disproportionate assets case. In 2009, a section of media claimed that CBI had closed probe by filing its ‘closure report’ regarding the FIR filed against the family. Sources reveal that some TV person- alities have also been questioned as to ‘from where did they get this fake report.’ So, journos told that ‘someone had sent them this report in a sealed envelope.’ Now, they may be asked about their source via inquiry. Court has also asked CBI to find out ‘Those involved in theconspiracy to create fake documents pass them on to media.’ CBI has been given time till March 24 has to file a supplementary report. That means, the ‘genie’ of Mulayam family’s disproportionate assets case has come ‘out of the bottle,’ this is what is weighing on Akhilesh’s face. The way has been paved for CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury to enter the Rajya Sabha from Bihar. Although many seats of Rajya Sabha are getting vacant in April and May and among these, 6 RS seats are getting vacant from Bihar. Out of these, 2 seats will come in the share of RJD, 2 in BJP, and 1 in JDU. RJD, JDU and Congress together want to crown Yechury on the remaining sixth seat. These three parties believe that ‘Yechury can shine like a comet in the sky, much like the charisma that CPI(M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjit had once done.’ These three parties want Yechury to be the new leader of the united opposition. To play a key role in setting the stage, JDU wants Yechury to ‘write a new script for Nitish Kumar’s Delhi politics.’ However, Yechury can also make it to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala, which has a Marxist government led by Penarayi Vijayan. But former CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat is said to be not ready for this. Anyway, it is an accepted tradition of CPI(M) that ‘no leader of the party can stay in Rajya Sabha for more than two terms’. Yechury has completed two terms in Rajya Sabha, i.e. if he reaches the Upper House once again this time, it will be a violation of the accepted tradition of the party. The BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain has been accused of rape by a woman and the matter is going on in the Supreme Court. A long army of big lawyers is ready from Hussain’s side. When Shahnawaz’s lawyers said in the court that ‘this case is false’, the court said- ‘Let the investigation happen, the truth will come out.’ Then Sandeep Singh, the Sports Minister of Haryana’s BJP government, was accused of sexual harassment by a female coach and Singh had to resign from his post. Now India’s well- known women wrestlers have opened a front against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the ‘Bahubali’ of Kaiser- ganj. Singh is also the Chair- man of the Indian Wrestling Federation and internationally renowned wrestlers are sitting on a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, accusing him of sexual harassment. This is a time of crisis for the BJP. Gujarat BJP State President CR Patil is going to get something big amidst the rumblings of a reshuffle in the BJP organisation and the Union Cabinet. The PM, elated with the results of the Gujarat elections, patted Patil’s back, first in the Parliament House, then at the luncheon for MPs at the Gymkhana Club and then at the National Executive meeting and heaped praises upon him. So, now Patil can be given the charge of UP by making him the General Secretary in the organisation, or, he can be given the dual responsibility of UP in charge by making him a minister at the Centre. Dinesh Sharma, who has been on exile for a long time, can be sent back to Gujarat. Recently, a meeting of BJP’s National Executive was convened in Delhi. PM Narendra Modi was seated on the stage and all the senior leaders of the party were sitting in the front row. Then Karnataka BJP’s senior leader BS Yeddiyurappa entered the hall and realised that all the chairs were full, so where would he sit? Only then the PM saved him from this crisis and immediately called, “Piyush...” and Piyush Goyal left his front row chair for Yeddiyurappa and went to sit at the back. PICKPOCKETS HAVE A FIELD DAY DURING PM MODI’S ROADSHOW IN NEW DELHI RAHUL GANDHI TO CONTEST CWC POLLS? On the occasion of BJP’s National Executive, PM Narendra Modi conducted his mega road show in Delhi. In this roadshow, a huge crowd had gathered and there was a scuffle that dozens of people’s pockets were cut, many mobiles were stolen, and an expensive lens of a photojournalist was stolen, the cost of which is said to be more than Rs two lakh. More than 18 FIRs have been registered with the police. This raised questions about the promptness of the Delhi Police. But what can anyone do in such a crowd? Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge is walking along with Rahul Gandhi in his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ everywhere. Whatever Rahul says to him during the journey, his neck just nods in ‘yes’. These days Priyanka Gandhi is on a visit to Kharge’s home state Karnataka, but Kharge was seen with her during Rahul’s Yatra in Punjab. Rahul Gandhi is adamant about the Congress Working Com- mittee elections, so now there is an opinion in the party that ‘Rahul will contest the elections in the Working Commit- tee,’ while Priyanka Gandhi will be nominated by Party President Mallikarjun Kharge for this. PM’S PRESENCE OF MIND AKHILESH’S PROBLEMS MAY INCREASE CAN SITARAM HEAD FOR A THIRD TERM IN THE UPPER HOUSE? IS THIS A WELL-THOUGHT-OUT CONSPIRACY?

10. MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/ thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09 IDEAS STORIES he third day of the multi-faceted and ex- uberant Jaipur Lit- erature Festival began with a soulful performance by the Indian classical en- semble, The Anirudh Varma Collective. The Quintet performed Vansanthi raga, which was led by pianist, com- poser, and producer, Anirudh Varma. The festival on Saturday fea- tured Booker Prize winning Srilankan author Shehan Karunatilaka in conversation with writer Nandini Nair. International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree, well- known Rajasthani and Hindi writer Nand Bhardwaj, Sahitya Akademi Award recipient and novelist Anamika, Managing Di- rector and CEO of Bank of Baro- da Sanjiv Chadha and author- translator and columnist Push- pesh Pant focused on the diversity of Hindi and the difficulty of ‘purifying’ it. a session on ‘A Nation To Pro- tect’, talked vigorously about India, how the covid took a toll, and how we mastered it all and learnt some important lessons. “But did we make a mistake between first wake and delta wave? Did we let our guard down soon?,” asked Naresh Tehran as the session started. An expert panel consisting of renowned journalists Praveen Swami, Manoj Joshi, and Nish- tha Gautam were in conversation with author C Raja Mo- han, to discuss In Hard Times, an important collec- tion of essays edited by them, highlighting the significant challenges India faces today . The Jaipur Music Stage is a 3-day programme that runs parallel to the lit fest will be focused on showcasing world music with a diverse mix of genres and artists. Living up to its motto of variety discovery, the music stage transcends bor- ders, genres and geographies through electrifying perfor- mances that range from world music, ghazals and jazz to rock and the blues. MITALI DUSAD mitalidusad01@gmail.com T —PHOTOS BY SUNIL SHARMA As the Pink City, Jaipur geared up for Day 3 of the 16th edition of world’s grandest literary festival, the Jaipur Literature Festival, the directors and founders are keen on keeping up with its tradition of uncovering a gamut of ‘stories’ from not just in India but across the world. City First highlights some mind blowing glimpses! CAUGHT IN A CANDID: Gourangi, Sifty Sandhu, Ayesha N Gupta, Chhavi, Astha and Vidhi FASHION BONANZA: (L-R) Yashasvi, Roshni and Aarti JLF NEWS ALERT: Literature enthusiast Runjhun captured reading City First’s Saturday edition SAY CHEESE: Himanshi Vahi and Ishita Rami following the phrase, ‘If you must be candid, be candid beautifully’

11. 10-11 ETC MUMBAI | SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia T he 16th Jaipur Literature Festi- val (JLF), which will take place from January 19 to Jan- uary 23 at the Hotel Clarks Amer in Jaipur, includes a variety of women writers and their outstanding works. Authors Shaili Chopra, Minnie Vaid, and former IFS officer and Ambassador Lak- shmi Puri spoke in a session titled “Women and Work” alongside Susan Ferguson, the UN Women Country Repre- sentative. This panel of female experts from various backgrounds talked about the reasons for and effects of the obsta- cles that have stood in the way of working women’s careers in the past, present, and future. Katy Hessel, an art historian and cura- tor, is developing a rem- edy to end the lengthy dominance of males in the art world. In combination with her blog, The Great Women Artists, The Story of Art Without Men revives the herit- age of women artists from the 1500s to the 21st century, encom- passing key moments in art history such as dadaism, civil rights, and antiracism. Hassel explored her efforts to end patriarchy in the art world in dialogue with art historian Xavier Bray. EMPHASISING WOMENINLITERATURE O n the third day of the Jaipur Litera- ture Festival, a very deep conversation took place between literature critics and authors, Amit Choudhary , Deepti Ka- poor, Ruth Ozeki, and Shehan Karunatilaka. When asked about why they all read fiction, everyone has varied an- swers. Shehan said, “You always love inside your own head. To get out of your own head, you need to read fiction. And that’s why I read fiction.” On the other hand, Amit Choudhary had to say that he never read fiction, and that he was always inclined towards poetry . “My tutor at UCLA questioned me, why don’t you read fiction. I was drawn to the idea of narrative, a transforma- tive account of poetry. But my tutor said if I wantedtoAcemycourse, I must read fiction, and that’s how it began.” Ruth said, “I was an only child and had no one to talk to. So I engaged in books to have conversa- tions with characters. It was a way of living inside their skins for a while.” Talking of the writing process, Deepti said,” The process of writing a novel for me is a complete cut off from the world. THE MYSTERY OF FICTION! C ontemporary authors of Delhi’s Ja- mia Millia Islamia Prof. Khalid Javed with Baran Farooqi re- viewed the award-winning book ‘THE PARADISE OF FOOD’ written by Prof. Khalid on the magnificent third day of the JLF on Saturday. Khalid Javed was in a conversation with Pragya Tiwari, a journalist who has written extensively on politics, identity, policy, and culture. In conversation with Pragya Tiwari, Jawed and Farooqi dive into this saga of food, lust, loss, and vulnerabilities. He described his love and hate relationship with food. He also forcefully drew our attention to what goes unnoticed, about which he said “No other rooms of the home con- tain as deadly double- faced beings as those found in the kitchen, and no other room of the house do women look so out of their minds, broken and jealous, so full of furious energy and small-minded- ness as they do in the kitchen. Two square meals every day and the hunger of human intestines mask a strange sensual energy. This energy only goes in the direc- tion of blood and dark- ness. The result is ob- scene and deceptive cov- etousness. He further added, “Rich people have royal food in their Neamat Kha- na (Paradise of food) and in poor’s Neamat Khana, there is no sight of any roy- alty, still even after not being blessed enough to have a paradise of food they still call it their Neamat khana. So, the value they are giving to the food is equal to both whether he is a beggar or a king.” G ulzar is one of In- dia’s most respect- ed scriptwriters, directors, and leading poets, and has been one of the most popular lyricists in main- stream Hindi cinema for over five decades. In an amazing book launch, celebrated poet, author, music and cinema schol- ar Yatindra Mishra and one of India’s most re- spected scriptwriters, directors and leading poets Gulzar, was in conversation with celebrated author and screenwriter Anu Singh Choudhary which focused on Mishra’s new book, Lata Mangeshkar: A Life in Music. This panel of speakers discussed the making of the book and the limita- tions of using English as the sole language for writing it. The decision to write the book in Hindi and then translate it to English was also informed by the different readerships that both languages attract. Speak- ing about his interac- tions with Lata Man- geshkar, Gulzar Sahab said, “If there are two creative minds, they can’t be parallel lines, they have to cross each other”. THE PARADISE OFDELICACIES LATA JI: A LIFE IN MUSIC @JLF MRIDULA SHARMA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in Jaipur Literature Festival is the world’s largest gathering of literary writers and path-breaking thinkers. The audience were able to savour a range of language diversity in the programme on Day 3 too, along with exploring various fun spots and getting clicked! THE LIT REJUVENATION —PHOTOS BY MUKESH KIRADOO AND SUNIL SHARMA Deepti Kapoor, Ruth Ozeki, Amit Chaudhuri Shehan Karunatilaka in conversation with Alexandra Pringle Shaili Chopra, Minnie Vaid and Lakshmi Puri in conversation with Susan Ferguson Khalid Jawed and Baran Farooqi in conversation with Pragya Tiwari Yatindra Mishra in conversation with Gulzar, Anu Singh Choudhary Arun Maheshwari Gulzar addressing the audience Laura Rose O’Connor, Khushboo Jain Jhilmil Shekhawat with other visitors at the festival Dilip Singh Solanki Visitors initiated a small campaign of ‘Free Hugs’ to spread love harmony Ridhi Astha A happy guest reading City First newspaper Deepti Kapoor during the session ‘WHERE DOES FICTION COME FROM’ The keen literature enthusiasts at the ‘Book Store’ Shipra Jain Saubhagya Jain Amish Tripathi Shruti (top), Tripti Pallavi Krishan Prasad with their group (School of Business) from Australia International guests at JLF 2023 Shalini Soni and Anjana Singhi (L-R) Kanak Jain, Sona Sharma, Madhvi Pathak, Ritika Mehta, Isha Kashyap, Dia Gambhir and Akshita Bhatt ADITI KUSHWAHA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in SALONI KHANDELWAL cityfirst@firstindia.co.in UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

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