FREE PRESS VOL. 11 NO. 216 | BHOPAL | TUESDAY | JANUARY 18, 2022 | PAGES 14 - Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; Panchayats get back power to carry out devpt works EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE EDIT WWW.FREEPRESSJOURNAL.IN ELECTORAL POLITICS IS NOT FARMERS’ CUP OF TEA Pg- 8 FOR 24X7 UPDATES News Brief India may begin giving vaccine jabs to 12-14 yrs group from March NEW DELHI: The Covid vaccine inoculation drive for children in age bracket for 12 to 14 years may begin from March this year, sources said on Monday. As per the Health Ministry report, over 45 per cent of adolescents of 15 to 18 years have received their first dose of vaccines.According to a source, the decision to inoculate the children aged 12 to 14 could be taken in the next National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India's (NTAGI) Covid-19 group meeting which is scheduled to be held next month. As India has enough vaccine production capacity, the decision is likely to be taken in the next meeting, the source said. Spurious liquor kills 3; 7 cops suspended BHIND: Three persons died after they allegedly consumed spurious liquor in Indurkhi village under Roun police station limits in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind, an official said on Monday. The incident took place on Sunday night when siblings Manish Jatav (25) and Chotu Jatav (22), after working in an illegal liquor unit situated in Swatantra Nagar, consumed liquor from a bottle they had carried on the way back home, he said. Man kills 9-year-old daughter over family feud ANUPPUR: A man allegedly killed his 9-year-old daughter over a domestic feud in Anuppur in Madhya Pradesh on Monday and then reached the local police station to turn himself in, an official said.The accused has been identified as Anandram Maravi (45) and the incident took place in Bargi Tola village here in the morning, After Didi, Stalin writes to PM as R-Day tableau row intensifies CHENNAI: The controversy over the rejection of the Republic Day parade tableaux of some states intensified on Monday with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin joining his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's immediate intervention. While some leaders from the non-BJP ruled states including Kerala alleged that it was an "insult" by the Centre, sources at the Union government rejected the charge and decried the "wrong precedent" by chief ministers to portray the outcome of an objective process carried by an expert committee as a ''flashpoint'' between the Centre and the states. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday announced to return necessary administrative powers to all the three tiers of panchayats in the state. The chief minister was addressing members and office bearers of panchayats through a video conference here. “Panchayat Raj institutions have to pay attention to duties and rights. Panchayats will be fully utilised for welfare of the state. They will execute development and construc- tion works in rural areas, ofemployfer ment-oriented works to needy and prevent spread of third Covid wave,” Chouhan said. further He said that panchayats should play an active role in public welfare. “Make sure that development works go smoothly at all places. Wherever necessary, the ponds, step wells should be repaired, revived. This is a right time to execute such Panworks. chayats should also keep an eye on ration distribution and ensure that beneficiaries of housing schemes get installments on time,” he added. He said water conservation, implementation of wateraugmentation schemes and self-help motivation of groups should also be priorities of panchayats. Chouhan called for coopcontrolling in eration Incidents like Indore put humanity to shame: CM CM for strictest action in crimes against women and punishment through fast tract courts OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan instructed authorities on Monday to take strictest action in crimes against women. The CM’s instructions came during a review meeting over the crime situation held in view of certain gruesome incidents reported in some parts of the state. Terming the incident that took place in Indore as one that puts humanity to shame Chouhan said property of criminals involved in such crimes should be confiscated. He asked authorities to take action through the fast track courts in such heinous crimes particularly in four cases that took place in Indore, Sehore, Gwalior and Shivpuri. “Follow-up of such cases should be done continuously to take those who have committed such inhuman and heinous acts of crimes to the gallows”, said the CM. Referring to the Indore incident in which a man made his friends to gang rape his wife and used to force her to do nude dance in their parties Chouhan directed the authorities to take strict action against the culprits. He said criminal proceedings against the culprits should not be limited . to arrest only Senior police officer of Indore Rural informed the CM that 5 people had been arrested in this case. On this, the CM asked the authorities to immediately file charge-sheet in the case and take the matter to the fast track court. Taking a serious stand on the Sehore incident, Chouhan said the culprits should be punished through the fast track court. CONTD. ON P6 Covid. If someone has cold, fever, he should get himself . tested immediately Cooperate in vaccination. It is your responsibility that no one is left out,” he said. The chief minister commended the role of panchayats in last two years in curbing Covid like running quarantine and isolation centres, forming crisis management committees at village, tehsil and district panchayat levels. “Once again, similar situation has risen, so alert people around you to take precautions. Get them to follow guidelines,” Covid Chouhan added. INDORE GANG RAPE Accused's farmhouse demolished INDORE A day after the alleged brutal gang rape of a woman came to light in Indore dist, the police on Monday demolished the illegal farmhouse of the main accused. The main accused is the victim's husband, who along with four associates allegedly sexually abused her and brutalised her private parts. During the investigation it emerged that the farmhouse was illegally constructed, which was demolished on the direction of the district collector on Monday, said the Indore district police in an official statement on Monday. PRIYANKA NAVALKAR / Mumbai The 26-year-old was under treatment for depression and has left behind a suicide note The police have recovered a note from his room, which said that nobody should be blamed for his action. The Powai Police have registered an accidental death reportnd . the probe is under way According to the police sources, the incident occurred , around 5.15 am on Monday when the hostel's security guard heard a noise and saw the victim lying in a pool of blood. He was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead. A preliminary probe has revealed that the student, from Madhya Pradesh, was battling depression even before securing admission in the IIT, and was being counselled by the in-house faculty as well as other doctors. CONTD. ON P6 Devotees gather to take a holy dip in Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers, on the occasion of Paush Purnima festival during Magh Mela in Prayagraj. Two Indians among three killed in likely drone attack in UAE AGENCIES/Dubai Two Indians and a Pakistani national were killed and six suffered injuries on Monday after a fire caused by “small flying objects”, possibly drones, triggered an explosion that hit three petroleum tankers in the UAE's capital Abu Dhabi. Another minor fire broke out in the new construction area of the Abu Dhabi International Airport, according to the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM). It said that the fire that broke out in the Musaf- fah ICAD 3 area near the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company resulted in the explosion of three petroleum tankers. “Preliminary investigations suggest that the cause of the fires are small flying objects, possibly belonging to drones, that fell in the two areas,” it said, adding that the fire has been brought under BIRJU MAHARAJ: FEB 4, 1938-JAN 17, 2022 control. The Abu Dhabi police identified the dead as two Indian nationals and one Pakistani. Another six persons sustained mild and moderate injuries, the police said, without disclos. ing their identity The Indian Embassy in UAE said that the mission is in close touch with concerned UAE authorities for further details. “The UAE authorities have informed that the explosion at Mussafah, near ADNOC's storage tanks, has led to three casualties, which includes 2 Indian nationals. A life dedicated to dance and pursuit of classical excellence FPJ BUREAU/ New Delhi He romanced Kathak like few others ever did, his mastery over the classical dance form writing him into lasting fame as one of India's greatest performing artistes. Birju Maharaj lived as he died. He grew up with the ghungroo, tabla and harmonium striking rhythms of harmony, and as took his last breath in the early hours of Monday, his home was quite fittingly alive with the sound of music – this time old songs he so loved. “He had his dinner and we were playing antakshari because he loved old his Suddenly music. breathing became uneven. We think it was cardiac arrest as he was also a heart patient. He was laughing and smiling in his last moments,” said his granddaughter Ragini recalling WEATHER 22.60c. 9.50c SUNRISE : 07.09 SUNSET : 06.04 EC APP TO GIVE INFO ON TAINTED CANDIDATES NEW DELHI Even while mandating the political parties to make public the criminal antecedents of their candidates, the Election Commission has created its own dedicated App to give details of such tainted candidates, following a Supreme Court ruling last year. One can check it on a dedicated mobile application called "Know Your Candidate" that provides the criminal antecedents as declared by the candidates themselves. The EC has also created a dedicated fund for the voters' awareness campaign in this regard. It is now mandatory for the political parties to upload on their website the detailed information of the individuals with pending criminal cases, including the nature of offences, whether charges have been framed, the concerned court and the case number. They have to also provide reasons for selecting such candidates and not choosing individuals with clean image. For ensuring periodic awareness of voters during the poll campaign, the EC has prescribed the timeline for publicity of the criminal background of candidates by parties within first 4 days of withdrawals of nomination as also between the next 5th-8th days and from the 9th day till the last day of campaign, i.e. second day prior to the polls. CONTD. ON P6 the last moments of a life dedicated to dance. The legendary dancer, a guru in the traditional sense who not just took Kathak to the world but also passed on his craft to generations of students, would have been 84 on February 4. He was the consummate artiste, a poet, writing under the pen-name Brijshyam, a vocalist who had mastered thumri and other forms too, and also an instrumentalist. But it was Kathak, that most graceful Indian classical dance form, which became his calling in life. CONTD. ON P6 The demise of renowned dancer Pt Birju Maharaj is a big irreparable loss. He also had authority on the tabla pakhawaj. During his visit to Nathdwara, he made a program memorable with his exceptional performance. The entire artistic world is shocked to know about his demise. May God grant eternal peace to the departed soul. -- Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri Acharya Goswami Gokulotsavji Maharaj Punjab poll postponed to Feb 20 in view of Ravidas Jayanti OUR BUREAU NEW DELHI The Election Commission on Monday revised the polling in Punjab to February 20, instead of February 14, in view of representations from the state government and parties to change the date in lieu of movement of a large number of devotees from Punjab to Varanasi to participate in celebrations of Sri Guru Ravidas Jayanti on February 16. Ravidas, a mystic poetsant, who was born in Varanasi in 1450 and died in 1540 there, is venerated by the people with his temples across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and mainly Punjab and Haryana. CONTD. ON P6 WB POST-POLL VIOLENCE: HEARING OFF TO THIRD WEEK OF FEBRUARY NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday adjourned to the third week of February the hearing on the lawsuit by the West Bengal Govt against the CBI probing the post-poll violence in the state, without securing its required nod. Justices L Nageswara Rao and B V Nagarathna noted that the pleadings in the matter are complete, but the parties may file written submissions. After the Court indicated to wrap up the hearing in a day in February, AG Venugopal sought two days to argue since it involves the questions of the constitutional law. Kapil Sibal, appearing for the WB govt, said the case need not take time since is a simple jurisdictional issue. THIS WILL BE MUSIC TO DJOKOVIC’S EARS No forced jabs in India CITIZENS CAN'T BE FORCED TO GET VACCINATED AGAINST THEIR WISHES, SC TOLD; NOT ISSUED ANY SOP THAT MAKES IT MANDATORY TO CARRY C-CERTIFICATE: GOVT FP BUREAU New Delhi IIT-B student from MP jumps to death from hostel roof A 26-year-old post-graduate student at IIT-Bombay died by suicide after jumping from the terrace of his hostel in Powai in the early . hours of Monday The second-year Masters student was purportedly battling depression for a long time and was under treatment. QUALITY AT VALUE AWESOMELY AFFABLE! Pg-14 Panchayat Raj institutions have to pay attention to duties and rights. They will be fully utilised for welfare of the state: CM OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal `3 RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 The Narendra Modigovernment on Monday told the Supreme Court that India’s Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry do not envisage “forcible vaccination without obtaining the consent of an individual”. The Health Ministry in an affidavit filed before the top court submitted that India's vaccination programme is the largest in the world and as on January 11, 2022, a to- UK police arrest two teens over synagogue siege in US London: Police in the UK said on Monday that they two questioning are teenagers as part of an ongoing investigation into the siege at a synagogue in the US state of Texas, which ended in the death of British hostage-taker Malik Faisal Akram. Manchester Police confirmed that the suspect shot dead by the FBI during the standoff at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville was 44-year-old Akram, originally from the Blackburn area of Lancashire in northwest England. He was demanding the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Afia Siddiqui, suspected of ties with Al Qaeda and currently serving an 86-year sentence after being convicted of trying to kill US military officers while in custody in Afghanistan. "We can confirm that the suspect, who is deceased, is 44-yearold Malik Faisal Akram, originally from the Blackburn area of Lancashire," said Assistant Chief Constable Dominic Scally for EngTerror Counter land's Policing North West. tal of 1,52,95,43,602 doses have been administered. It said that 90.84% of the eligible adult population has received its first dose of the vaccine and 61% has received their second dose as well. “Furthermore, a total of 23,768 doses have been administered to disabled persons who have voluntarily chosen to be identified as such by using their ID Disability Unique Card/Disability Certificate for registration at the time of their vaccination,” it said. On the issue of exempting persons with disabilities from producing vaccination certificates, the Centre told the apex court that it has not issued any SOP that makes it mandatory to carry the vaccination certificate for any purpose. The Centre said this in its affidavit filed in response to a plea by NGO Evara Foundation seeking door-to-door, priority Covid-19 vaccination for persons with disabilities. “It is submitted that the direction and guidelines released by the Government of India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare do not envisage any forcible vaccination without obtaining consent of the concerned individual. Vaccination for Covid-19 is of larger public interest in view of the ongoing pandemic situation,” the affidavit filed by the Health Ministry said. CONTD. ON P6 Imran praises Putin for 'emphatic statement' against Islamophobia ISLAMABAD Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday spoke to Vladimir Putin and exchanged views on bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues and also appreciated the Russian President's "emphatic statement" that freedom of speech could not be a pretext to abuse the Prophet. During a telephonic conversation with President Putin, Prime Minister Khan said he has regularly highlighted the appalling rise in Islamophobia and associated hatred in his addresses to the UN General , Assembly pointing towards its serious ramifications, the Foreign Office said in a statement. He "appreciated President's Putin statement that insulting Holy Prophet Muhammad does not count as an expression of artistic freedom", it said. Khan in a tweet said he spoke to Putin "primarily to express my appreciation for his emphatic statement that freedom of speech could not be a pretext to abuse our Prophet". "He (Putin) is the first Western leader to show empathy & sensitivity to Muslim sentiment for their beloved Prophet," said Khan, who frequently faces the wrath of hardline Islamists in the country over offensive caricatures of the Prophet in some western said publications.Khan they also discussed ways to move forward on trade and other mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and Russia and invited each other to visit their respective countries. During the conversation, the two leaders exchanged views on bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest, the Foreign Office statement said.