Vol. 33 No. 37 | SUNDAY | JANUARY 16, 2022 | 15 Pages | ` 4* THE LINES GENOCIDE CALL: SEER ARRESTED Yati Narsinghanand -- one of the religious patrons of an event in Haridwar last month that called for the genocide of Muslims - was arrested on Saturday, becoming the second person to be taken into custody following an intervention by the Supreme Court, reports NDTV. In the last two weeks, the saffron-robed seer has gone from chuckling with cops about how a police officer "will be on our side" to cursing them -- "all of you will die," he had said on Thursday after the first arrest. Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi, who was Waseem Rizvi before he converted, was the first accused to be arrested in the hate speech case involving the Haridwar "Dharma Sansad" or religious assembly. Narsinghanand is among more than 10 people named in the FIRs lodged over speeches that called for the use of arms against Muslims. PM DUBS IT AS INDIA TECHADE In an interaction with start-ups, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that this decade will be called India’s 'Techade' – ‘technical decade’ for greenhorns. Highlighting the massive changes that the government is making this decade to strengthen innovation, entrepreneurship and the start-up ecosystem, the Prime Minister said that it has three important aspects. First, to liberate entrepreneurship, innovation from the web of government processes, bureaucratic silos. Second, creating an institutional mechanism to promote innovation. And third, handholding of young innovators, youth enterprise. NEW UNIFORM FOR COMBAT The Indian Army on Saturday unveiled a new combat uniform that is comfortable, climate friendly and features a digital disruptive pattern. A contingent of commandos of Parachute Regiment, wearing the new uniforms, took part in the Army Day parade that was conducted at the Cariappa ground in New Delhi. The uniform, which features a mix of colours, including olive and earthen, has been designed taking into considerations aspects like areas of deployment of the troops and climatic conditions in which they operate. The new uniform has been designed after analysing combat uniforms of armies of various other countries, in collaboration with the National Institute of Fashion Technology, sources said.This uniform is comfortable and would be worn in all types of terrains. The digital disruptive pattern is designed with the help of computers. The shirt does not have to be tucked in the trouser, sources said, as was the case earlier. The new uniforms would not be available in the open market. 2,68,833 COVID METER 6,041 10,661 4,85,780 Test saviour steps down VOLCANO ERUPTS IN PACIFIC; WEST COAST UNDER TSUNAMI ADVISORY BETWEEN Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 An undersea volcano erupted in spectacular fashion near the Pacific nation of Tonga on Saturday CORONAVIRUS DEATHS CASES 36,850,962 Source - Worldometer AS AN ACTOR, I HAVE LOVED THE WORK OF YUSUF SAAB: SALMAN FPJ SPORTS DESK CAPE TOWN Judges’ immunity challenged in HC NARSI BENWAL Mumbai A petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the "absolute immunity" conferred upon the judges from civil or criminal proceedings, as provided under the Judges (Protection) Act, 1985. The petition has been filed by Sabina Lakdawala, the estranged wife of renowned builder Ejaz Lakdawala, who died in prison last year owing to illness. She has sought a limited relief by striking down section 3 of the Act, to the extent that such immunity isn't provided to judges, if they act maliciously and wilfully deny justice to anyone. Sabina has claimed that this provision grants "absolute immunity" to the judges, even when they act "maliciously and wilfully deny justice; on extraneous and corrupt considerations." Notably section 3 of the Act, , states that no court can entertain civil, criminal proceedings against a judge for his or her acts or words spoken by him or her while performing official duty as a judge. But it allows the Supreme Court, High Courts, the Union government and also the state governments to take such action against a judge. In her plea, Sabina has claimed that she cannot seek any damage or institute criminal proceedings against the Magistrate of Bandra court, who wilfully denied justice to her. She is basically aggrieved with the Magistrate denying her ex parte or interim relief against her inlaws in a Domestic Violence plaint, that she filed before the court. According to Sabina, she had moved the Magistrate’s court last October, seeking relief against her in-laws, after the demise of her husband. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE The writing was on the wall but the inevitable came a bit early as Virat Kohli on Saturday quit as India's Test captain, saying he did his job with "absolute honesty" and time was right to quit the leadership role. Kohli's abrupt announcement came a day after India suffered an embarrassing Test series defeat against South Africa. The announcement ends Kohli's tenure as captain across all three formats of international cricket. The 33-year-old was the longest serving Indian Test captain ever – he had been at the job for seven years, with 68 Test matches under his belt. With 40 victories, he is also the country’s most successful Test captain, and the fourthmost successful captain in Test cricket history . Despite the pressures of being in the leadership role, Kohli's 20 centuries are the most by an Indian captain. Revised guidelines issued; individual or entity can set up public charging stations without license EV owners can plug them at home/office SANJAY JOG Mumbai In a bid to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) by ensuring safe, reliable, accessible and affordable charging infrastructure and ecosystem, the Union ministry of power has issued revised consolidated guidelines. To begin with, owners of EVs can now charge them at their residence/offices using their existing electricity connections. Any individual/entity is also free to set up public charging stations (PCS) without the requirement of a license, provided that such stations meet the technical, safety as well as performance standards and protocols laid Fadnavis runs down Sharad Pawar’s national forays SANJAY JOG Mumbai The NCP’s national foray es, pecially in UP and Goa, has rubbed the BJP on the wrong side. On Saturday Maharashtra , deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis had an animated exchange over the NCP’s role in national politics. The immediate provocation was Fadnavis’ swipe at NCP chief Sharad Pawar; the latter remarked that a party cannot have preten- sions about being ‘national’ just because it has the word ‘nationalist’ in its name. To buttress his contention, Fadnavis claimed that the NCP’s footprint is restricted to only three and a half districts of Maharashtra. Taking umbrage, Ajit Pawar shot back and slammed Fad- But, of late, he was dealing with one controversy after another, especially his unceremonious removal as ODI captain by the BCCI after he decided to step down as Twenty20 captain. His decision to quit as Test skipper has come at a time when his relations with the BCCI are so strained that he preferred to announce his decision on social media. Nonetheless, in a statement, the BCCI thanked Kohli for 'his admirable leadership qualities that took the Test team to unprecedented heights.' Kohli was appointed Test captain back in 2014 when M S Dhoni stepped down in the middle of the series against Australia. "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me, as Test captain, it is now," Kohli wrote in a statement which he posted on Twitter, taking most by surprise. "There have been many ups and some downs along the journey but there has never been lack of effort or lack of belief." CONTD. ON NATION PAGE navis saying that he should show respect and restraint while criticizing Sharad Pawar, considering his stature in national politics. Fadnavis, who is in charge of BJP poll management in Goa, refused to hold back his punches, ‘‘The NCP is a party confined to Western Maharashtra; it professes to be a national party but it has to restrict itself to neighbourhood catchment areas.’’ He further added, ‘‘The NCP has no existence of its own. That is, it has not assumed power on its own.” CONTD. ON NATION PAGE down under the guidelines. A revenue-sharing model has been also put in place for land use for making a charging station financially viable, said the ministry . As per this model, land available with the Government/Public entities shall be provided for installation of public charging station on a ECI extends rally ban till Jan 22 T he Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday extended the ban on physical rallies and road shows till January 22; however, it has allowed political parties to hold indoor meetings of a maximum of 300 persons or 50 per cent of the capacity of the hall, or the prescribed limit set by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). The decision came after the Election Commission held separate virtual meetings with the Union Health Secretary Chief Secre, taries and Health Secretaries of Goa, Manipur, CONTD. ON NATION PAGE revenue sharing basis -- Rs 1 / kWh; this is to be paid to the land-owning agency on a quarterly basis. Further, timelines have been prescribed for providing connectivity to public charging station and rollout of EV Public Charging Infrastructure. A PCS shall be provided connection within seven days in metro cities, fifteen days in other municipal areas and thirty days in rural areas. The guidelines have been made further technology-agnostic by providing for not only the prevailing international charging standards available in the market but also the new Indian charging standards. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE NEW COVID CASES The city witnessed a marginal dip in the number of Covid positive cases, after recording 10,661 new patients and 11 deaths on Saturday The dip comes as a . relief for the BMC, after a steady rise in cases in the past week. The death toll, though, is the highest recorded in the OMICRON CASES MUMBAI CASES, 5.8% LOWER last six months. On July 29, 2021, the city had reported 13 deaths and since then the mortality figure had started declining. "There is no doubt that the cases are declining, and the hospitalisation rate is going down too, but we will have to monitor the situation till Wednesday If this trend per. sists till Wednesday we , might later call the city a ‘safe zone’. But we will have STAFF REPORTER Mumbai T AMIT SRIVASTAVA Mumbai he security of coastal areas in Navi Mumbai is at god’s mercy All the seven high. speed boats available with Navi Mumbai Police are inoperative and the force relies on two rented trawlers to patrol the coastal areas. These high-speed boats were purchased 8 to 10 years ago. However, over a long-drawn period, in absence of upkeep, all seven are Navi Mumbai Police now relies on two rented trawlers defunct and lying idle at different jetties, including at Ulwe jetty . The Navi Mumbai police are responsible for protecting the 144km coastal area, which includes a 44-km creek from Airoli to Vashi and a 62-km deep sea coastal belt. The police said these boats were operational till 2018; however, one of them is beyond repair now, while the others are being restored. Navi Mumbai police commissioner Bipin Kumar Singh confirmed that the repair of two high-speed boats is underway and these will be operational in a few months. The state government had sanctioned these boats to check illegal activities like sand mining, oil smuggling and also eliminate any terrorist threats across the coastal areas. During monsoon, these boats are stationed at strategic locations to keep a vigil on any suspicious activity along the coastal areas. In 2019, the Navi Mumbai police had received two trawlers on rent that are being used at two strategic locations. Although the speed YOGI SAFE AT HOME Earlier, it was said that he (Adityanath) will contest from Mathura, Prayagraj, Ayodhya or Deoband. I am happy that the BJP has sent him home (Gorakhpur).Now, he should stay in Gorakhpur and there is no need for him to return (to Lucknow). Heartiest congratulations S — SP LEADERS AKHILESH YADAV OUR BUREAU New Delhi/Lucknow etting aside speculation of Chief Minister Yogi Adit-yanath contesting from Ayodhya assembly seat, the top leadership has announced his candidature from home turf Gorakhpur. The buzz was that Yogi, who has never contested an Assembly election earlier, would be fielded from either of the two temple towns -Mathura or Ayodhya. The gambit would have helped the party weave the Hindutva narrative in the run-up to the poll with Ram temple as a focal point and hopefully make a dent in the Awadh region where Samajwadi Party is strong. However, the central election committee of the BJP seems to have overruled Home Minister Amit Shah who had first indicated that Ayodhya was on their radar. The names were finalised on Thursday night by the party's central election committee, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, as BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda is down with Covid-19. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE A total of 17 people, including students and warden of a medical college hostel in central Mumbai, have been booked in connection with a case filed by a student who had alleged last month that he was subjected to caste slurs and ragging in the college hostel for three years. The 24-year-old, whose name has been withheld to protect his identity is a third , year student of occupational therapy at GS Medical College and KEM Hospital; he is originally from Hingoli district. In December, he had made allegations that since 2019, some students of the college had been harassing him physically and mentally He had complained of verbal . to remain alert and take all COVID precautions," said Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner of the BMC. On Saturday 21,474 pa, tients recovered from Covid infection. As per a BMC report, a total of 722 patients were admitted to the hospital on Saturday with a recovery rate reaching 91 per cent. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE Seven high-speed boats defunct, coastal security goes for a toss LAST WORD Will contest from Gorakhpur which he has represented in Parliament five times and not Ayodhya, as the core group would have liked Ticket denied to only 20 MLAs RASHMI SHARMA / Lucknow The BJP on Saturday released the first list of 111 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections but could muster courage to deny tickets to only 20 sitting MLAs. Incidentally, of these, five have already left the party, while two have crossed the age of 75 – the party’s threshold for retirement. Earlier, the buzz was that the BJP would deny tickets to at least 30 to 40 per cent of its sitting legislators to counter anti-incumbency. However, possibly rattled by the recent exit of three OBC ministers and a clutch of legislators, the party has refrained from over-reaching itself. Rather, on the defensive, 44 tickets have been given to backwards – which are critical seats for the party -and 19 to Dalits. Only 10 women candidates have been named; the candidates for the other 296 seats in UP's 403member Assembly will be announced later. Medical student ragged at city hostel; 17 booked City logs 11 deaths, highest toll in 6 months KALPESH MHAMUNKAR Mumbai Superstar Salman Khan reveals who are his favourite Bollywood actors of these two trawlers is less, they have the capacity to carry more people. In 2016, there was a combing operation in Uran after students noticed suspicious activity in the vicinity which the Navi Mumbai police had overlooked. Apart from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT), one of the busiest ports in the country the world her, itage site of Elephanta Caves along the coastal area fall under the Navi Mumbai police jurisdiction. abuse, caste slurs and threats from hostel roommates and other students. He said he had repeatedly complained to the warden and the dean’s office, but there was no action. However, when the allegations first surfaced in mid-December 2021, The Free Press Journal had contacted the KEM authorities. KEM Dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh had then termed the allegations as baseless. He had said that as soon as the student’s complaint was received, an antiragging committee meeting was convened and his allegations were not established. The committee report was sent to the university he said. The student’s family had , thereafter approached the SC-ST commission for justice. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE Sena okays Rs 38-cr tabs project despite BJP refusal TECH SAVVY KALPESH MHAMUNKAR Mumbai Despite facing tough opposition from BJP corporators, the ruling Shiv Sena has approved a Rs 38-crore proposal for procurement of tablets for BMC-run schools. The civic administration had planned to purchase 19,401 tablets for the SSC students studying in Marathi, English, Hindi and Urdu medium schools. The standing committee had approved a proposal wherein a company was offered each device for Rs 20,000. The BMC had introduced the tablet policy in 2015, when it had spent Rs 6,850 per tab; following which they had bought 22,799 tabs for Rs 15.06 crore. In 2017, the body earmarked Rs 7.08 crore in the civic budget – which worked out to Rs 10,000 per tab. Looking at the spiralling cost, the BJP opposed the proposal and sought details of each tab. They said that the BMC administration had failed to provide them with technical information like the size of screen, the battery RAM, the internet , facility the learning soft, ware installed, and information about the manufacturer. Hence BJP demanded a discussion on the aforesaid, but standing committee chairman Yashwant Jadhav approved the proposal by majority vote. "Students should get good quality tabs on time and that was our only intention. We will not allow any irregularities in the procurement," said Prabhakar Shinde, group leader of BJP in the BMC. CONTD. ON NATION PAGE