Saturday, November 1, 2025 | Vol. 69 No. 23 | 38 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation GAMES NATION As Bihar vote war intensifies, big alliances are locking horns, but PK’s Jan Suraaj is hoping to make inroads Cinema B’wood cheers India women cricketers reaching WC final Hazlewood dismantles India as Australia romp home by 4 wickets in second T20I Edit Increasing levels of brutality don’t portend well for a nation NEW DECADE | The framework agreement is a ‘signal of growing strategic convergence’, says Rajnath Singh after signing the deal in Kuala Lumpur INDIA RENEWS 10-YEAR DEFENCE PACT WITH US Agencies NEW DELHI India and the US on Friday signed a 10-year defence framework pact that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described as a "signal" of growing bilateral strategic ties even as Washington vowed to work closely with New Delhi to ensure a free and an open Indo-Pacific. Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed the framework agreement for the 'US-India major defence partnership' pact following their wide-ranging talks in Kuala Lumpur that focused on boosting strategic ties across all its pillars. The signing of the agreement came amid efforts by the two sides to repair ties that have hit their lowest point in nearly two decades over Washington's slapping of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. The framework pact is intended to provide a broader vision and policy direction to deepen bilateral defence cooperation. It was firmed up as the validity of a similar pact signed in 2015 is coming to an end. The US designated India a "Major Defence Partner" about ten years ago, paving way for sharing of critical military equipment and technology. Describing his talks with Hegseth as "fruitful", Singh said the framework agreement will usher in a "new era in our already strong defence partnership". "This defence framework will provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the IndiaUS defence relationship. It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership," Singh said on social media. "Defence will remain as the major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region," he said. On his part, Hegseth said the agreement "advances our defence partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence." "We're enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger," he said. Hegseth and Singh are in Kuala Lumpur to attend a meeting of a grouping of nations comprising ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states and some of its dialogue partners. The meeting was constructive and the delegation-level talks were followed by a one-toone meeting. An Indian readout said Singh and Hegseth appreciated the continuing momentum in the bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to further build upon the mutually beneficial partnership across all its pillars. 4Contd on | nation Jobs for 1 cr youth, On Patel anniv, PM blames 1 cr Lakhpati Didis Nehru for Kashmir mess marhi district, believed to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita, will be renamed ‘Sitapuram’. The NDA on Friday released its The manifesto was released manifesto for the Bihar assem- at a press conference attended bly polls, unveiling a slew of by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish promises aimed at employ- Kumar, Deputy CM Samrat ment generation, women em- Choudhary, BJP president JP powerment, education and Nadda, Union ministers Dharinfrastructure development in mendra Pradhan, Jitan Ram the state. Manjhi, Chirag Paswan, and Among the key highlights of other alliance leaders. the 69-page manifesto are the “The NDA will provide more creation of jobs for one crore than 1 crore government jobs youth, making of one crore and employment opportun“Lakhpathi ities, conDidi”, metro NDA BIHAR MANIFESTO duct a skill train sercensus to vices in four more cities and promote skill-based employthe establishment of seven in- ment, and establish Mega Skill ternational airports across Centres in every district, which Bihar. The manifesto also in- will be further developed into cludes plans for seven express- Global Skilling Centres,” ways, 10 industrial parks, free Choudhary said. Under the quality education from KG to CM Women Employment PG, and Rs 2,000 monthly aid Scheme, the alliance promised for Scheduled Caste students financial assistance of up to Rs2 pursuing higher education. lakh to The ruling alliance also women for pledged to set up a world-class p ro s p e r it y medicity, one medical college and self-rein each district, free ration, free liance if retreatment up to Rs 5 lakh and turned to 50 lakh more pucca houses. power. Scan & Watch Additionally, the ‘Punaura 4Contd on | nation Dham Janki Mandir’ in Sita- PTI PATNA FPJ News Service MUMBAI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday invoked Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy to target the Congress and its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, accusing them of betraying Patel’s vision for a united India by allowing the partition of Kashmir. Speaking at the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, Modi said Patel wanted to integrate Kashmir fully with India, just as he did with other princely states, but was stopped by Nehru. Kashmir was divided, given a separate Constitution and a separate flag – and the nation suffered for decades because of Congress’ mistake, Modi declared, addressing thousands gathered near the Statue of Unity. The Prime Minister said Patel’s life embodied the spirit of national integration and urged citizens to renew their pledge to strengthen India’s unity and internal security. Sardar Patel believed that one should not waste time writing history but should work hard to create history, he said, adding that Patel’s leadership turned the impossible task of merging more than 550 princely states into a single nation into a reality. Modi also used the occasion to issue a stern warning against infiltrators, saying the government was committed to a decisive fight against illegal entry and demographic disruptions. Ravikiran Deshmukh The Maharashtra government has announced an elaborate year-long programme to mark 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram, penned by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875. The celebration, which will unfold in four phases across the state, begins on November 7 — the day the song completes a century and a half. The song, which became a rallying cry during India’s freedom struggle, was first sung publicly by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Indian National Congress session held in Kolkata, then Calcutta. During the pre-Independence years, its first two stanzas were routinely sung at every Congress session. On January 24, 1950, Dr Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, declared in the Constituent Assembly that Vande Mataram would enjoy the same status and honour as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. Following directions from the Centre, the state government has issued a Government Resolution (GR) to launch the sesquicentennial celebrations. PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to two senior lawyers and laid down crucial guidelines restricting probe agencies from calling advocates for questioning over the legal advice given to their clients.  A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria delivered the verdict in a suo motu case taken up after the ED summoned senior advocates Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal in connection with a money laundering probe. Justice Chandran said the bench had sought to “harmonise the exemption to the rule” protecting advocates and issued fresh directions to safeguard the legal profession from undue pressure by probe agencies. The bench ruled that probe agencies shall not issue summons to any advocate seeking details of clients unless it is covered under the relevant law. It further directed that digital devices of lawyers can be seized only before a jurisdictional court and may be opened only in their presence and that of the parties after objections are overruled.  Setting aside the ED’s earlier summons to the lawyers, the court observed that such actions infringed the fundamental rights of accused persons who had hired advocates. 4Contd on | nation Akbar era miniature sells for `119.49 crore PTI NEW DELHI A miniature depicting a family of cheetahs relaxing on a patch of luxuriant grass in a rocky landscape, attributed to one of Akbar's favourite artists, Basawan, has set the record for the most expensive classical Indian art at Christie's London auction on October 28. Sold for GBP 10,245,000 (approximately Rs 119.49 crore) at Christie's auction of "Exceptional Paintings from The Personal Collection of Prince & Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan", the painting, titled "A Family of Cheetahs in a Rocky Landscape" circa 1575-80, sold for 14 times over its estimate. The "highly important work" in the history of early Mughal art, sold close to M F Husain's 1954 Untitled (Gram Yatra), that became the most expensive In- DELHI RIOTS CASE ‘Our actions wrongly linked to violence’ At Statue of Unity event, PM says Nehru blocked Patel’s plan to unite Kashmir and calls for a renewed fight against infiltrators State announces year-long 4phase celebration to honour Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s timeless national song. SC junks ED summonses to 2 lawyers 4Continued on | P20 dian painting after selling for USD 13.75 million(Rs 118 crores) at a Christie's New York auction in March. According to the lot essay, this study of a family of cheetahs is "one of the most outstanding and unforgettable early Mughal paintings". 4Contd on | nation Azharuddin pads up as T’gana mantri T P Venu HYDERABAD Agencies misinterpreted and insisted that his client had only advocated peaceful protests. “I abhor violence. No calling out for violence at all. Only peaceful protests,” Imam’s lawyer submitted. Fatima, too, distanced herself from any acts of violence, asserting that none of the protest sites she was associated with had seen such incidents. “The allegations against me is that I set up protest site. No act of violence at any of those sites. No documentary or oral evidence of anyone carrying chilli powder, acid etc at any of the sites where I was present,” counsel for Fatima contended. Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister in Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy’s cabinet on Friday notwithstanding strong opposition to his swearing in from the BJP. Azharuddin’s switch from the pitch to politics just like his personal life has been a rocky affair. The journey from Mo radab ad to Hyderabad has been wrought by criticism. The ‘golden boy’ as he was called when he burst onto the cricketing firmament in the 80s has had a roller coaster ride. The 62year-old master of the flick, has reinvented himself physically, now with full head of hair, thanks to a hair transplant, he looks healthier and smarter. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation NEW DELHI MAHA MARKS 150 YRS OF VANDE MATARAM NEW DELHI NEW GUIDELINES All schools across Maharashtra have been asked to sing Vande Mataram to mark the commencement. However, the GR remains silent on whether schools should sing the full version or just the first two stanzas. District-level committees, chaired by the District Collector, will oversee the celebrations. 4Contd on | nation Activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Gulfisha Fatima, accused in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 North East Delhi riots, told the Supreme Court on Friday that they did not make any calls for violence and were only exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Appearing before a Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria, the petitioners argued that their actions were wrongly linked to the violence that broke out in the capital. Khalid’s counsel told the Court that he was not even present in Delhi when the riots took place. “Petitioner was not even in Delhi when the riots took place. If I am not there, how can the riots be connected to it,” Khalid’s counsel said. Imam’s lawyer maintained that his speeches had been offgrid God, Jemimah & the resurrection Faith, family and ambition collide for Vance, wife Usha Haridev Pushparaj NAVI MUMBAI "I knew I had to show up, and God took care of everything... Towards the end, I was just quoting a scripture from the Bible – to just stand still and that God will fight for me." When Jemimah Rodrigues produced the finest moment of her nascent career in the most extraordinary circumstances on Thursday, she wasn't facing the formidable Australian attack, the 25year-old Mumbaikar was waging a fierce, personal battle. On the pitch, she was battling anxiety stemming from her omission from the squad from the 2022 World Cup up until now. Off it, the prolific batter was in the eye of a storm last year when she and her family landed in a controversy after her Khar Gymkhana honorary membership was cancelled by the club. The ordeal was triggered by reports in some sections of the media that her father Ivan was involved in religious activities at the club in violation of its rules. The trials and tribulations deeply affected her and she fought the situation in her own way, finding strength in spiritual solace. "I was praying, I was talking to God because I feel that I have a personal relationship with Him and when I cannot carry myself, he always carries me," she said after her outstanding unbeaten knock of 127 in the Women's ODI World Cup semifinal propelled India to Sunday's summit clash with South Africa. 4Contd on | nation FPJ News Service MUMBAI From having days of “feeling numb”, to “crying a lot almost daily”, the fight for redemption wasn't easy. US Vice President JD Vance has walked into a theological and political minefield — with one offhand remark about his wife’s faith. Speaking to students at the University of Mississippi during a Turning Point USA event, Vance mused that he hoped his wife Usha, a practising Hindu, would one day convert to Christianity. “I do wish that,” he said, “because I believe ‘She has no plans to convert’ Vance has clarified remarks about his wife’s faith after facing backlash for suggesting he hoped she might convert to Christianity. In a post on X, Vance said his wife Usha, who was raised Hindu, “is not a Christian and has no plans to convert.” He condemned the controversy as “disgusting,” noting that being a public figScan & Watch ure meant he couldn’t avoid personal questions. in the Christian gospel and hope my wife comes to see it the same way.” It might have been meant as a confession of faith. Instead, it’s detonated like a political hand grenade. The Ohio-born VP, once proudly “agnostic” before converting to Catholicism, told his audience that Usha’s family “was not particularly religious” and that his wife “often comes to church” with him. He added that all three of their children — Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel — were being raised Christian and attend a Christian school. 4Contd on | nation