The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. XXXX NO. 152 | INDORE | WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 8, 2023 | PAGES 16 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; `3 - EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE EDIT BOLD ENOUGH Pg-14 GOVERNORS’ DELAYS CALL FOR REFORM Cong hates Dalits, skipped CIC appointment meeting: PM SIDHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress boycotted a meeting on the appointment of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) because they “hate Dalits”. On Monday, Heeralal Samariya became India’s first Dalit CIC, and was administered the oath of office by President Droupadi Murmu. Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury the Opposi, tion member in the Prime Minister-headed high-powered selection committee, wrote to President Murmu on Monday saying he was , “totally kept in the dark” about the CIC’s selection. Speaking at a public rally in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, Modi said: “When the BJP decided that a tribal daughter should become the country’s President, Congress trying to push country back towards slavery: Yogi SHUJALPUR: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday spoke of Congress 'malicious attempt' to push country towards slavery and distortion of history.Addressing a public meeting in Shujalpur of Shajapur district, Adityanath said the Congress gifted "terrorism, extremism, Naxalism and corruption to the country." "While the BJP upholds country's self-respect and confidence, the Congress is trying to push the country towards slavery," It's involvement in corruption has dented country's image," he said. BJP candidate and state school education minister Inder Singh Parmar is in the fray from the Shujalpur seat. Page 2 the Congress had opposed it. It is the BJP which respects the aspirations of the SC, ST and OBC. Today, you must have read in your newspaper that for the first time in the country… I cancelled my election programme and attended a meeting in Delhi – we decided to appoint a Dalit as the Chief Information Commissioner. Look at the Congressmen, they had to come to the meeting, they were invited much before time, we had spoken to them over the phone. But as soon as they came to know that a Dalit is going to become the CIC, they boycotted the meeting. They hate Dalits so much. When the President is tribal, they oppose that, CIC is Dalit, they oppose that also, and then spread lies and do drama for sympathy .” Modi was speaking in Sidhi district, where the party faced a political firestorm in July when a video emerged of a man with alleged links to the BJP urinating on a tribal man. CONTD. ON P9 71% POLLING IN CH'GARH, MIZORAM RECORDS 77.3% 60,000 security personnel deployed in Bastar OUR BUREAU NEW DELHI News Brief NATO freezes Cold war-era security pact after Russia pulls out BRUSSELS : NATO member countries that signed a key Cold War-era security treaty froze their participation in the pact on Tuesday just hours after Russia pulled out, raising fresh questions about the future of arms control agreements in Europe. Putin to run for president again MOSCOW: Vladimir Putin has decided to run for the President again in the upcoming 2024 Russian elections, a move that will keep him in power till 2023, according to a report in The Telegraph. However, his office has not confirmed the news yet. The report is based on Kremlin sources, who added that a public announcement will be made "soon". MAX DOUBLE TON LIFTS OZ Maharaja of erstwhile Dhar state passes away FPNS/ Dhar: Current titular Maharaja of erstwhile Dhar State Hemendra Singh Rao Pawar of erstwhile Pawar (Puar) dynasty passed away on Tuesday morning. He was battling cancer for long. Known for his efforts to preserve rich cultural heritage of the region, his demise was mourned by many. He was married to Shaila Raje Pawar and has a son Prathmeshwar Singh Rao Pawar. CONTD. ON P9 In what is seen as a mini general election in the assemblies in 5 states, as many as 77% voted in the Mizoram assembly elections for 40 seats while 71% voted in the first phase of the Assembly elections in Chhattisgah for 20 seats while the polling for the remaining 70 seats will vote on Nov 17. Of the 20 seats, 12 are reserved for the ST and one for the SC. Polling in 10 constituencies began at 7 AM and the rest from 9 AM and it will continue till 3 PM and 5 PM respectively Around . 60,000 security personnel, 8 NAXAL ENCOUNTERS, IED BLAST IN 1ST PHASE RAIPUR : An IED blast carried out by Naxalites and 8 encounters between them and security forces marred the first phase of polls held in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. Four security personnel were injured in an encounter in Sukma district while a commando of CoBRA sustained injuries in an IED blast in the same district. A BSF jawan,injured in an IED blast in Kanker district on Monday during poll duty succumbed at a hospital in Raipur on Tuesday. Ex-Naxal-turned cop votes for first time Voters standing in a queue outside a booth in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur constituency waited patiently for their turn and when a woman constable walked out after exercising her franchise, they didn't take note as there was no apparent reason to do so. For constable Sumitra Sahu, 34, this was the first occasion in her life, which took a turn for the better in Dec 2018, to participate in the poll process as a voter. Sahu was an active commander of Aamdai Area Committee of Maoists in Narayanpur. 40,000 of them belonging to the Central Armed Police Forces and 20,000 state police, have been deployed for the polls in the Bastar division . CONTD. ON P9 IT raids 50 Som group premises Union Minister Patel's SUV overturns: 1 die, 3 kids among 6 injured SEARCHES in 5 states including MP OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Just ten days before the elections in Madhya Pradesh, the Income tax department raided the premises of Som Group (mainly in the business of distilleries and breweries) in poll bound MP and Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. It is also learnt the premises of the group located in Maharashtra, Orissa and Karnataka were also covered in the raid. Sources said the IT teams, which conducted simultaneous raids during dawn, included officials from Delhi, J&K, Indore, Mumbai, Chhattisgarh and Kolkata. In Madhya Pradesh, the IT department covered the premises of the group spread in Bhopal, Raisen, Jabalpur and Indore. Around 50 premises including the house of group owner Jagdish Arora have been covered under the raid. Large number of incriminating documents, suggesting possible tax evasion in large amounts, have been found in the raid and IT officials are going through the documents to ascertain the actual tax evasion. CONTD. ON P9 A 35-year-old teacher died while six persons including three children were injured when an SUV in which Union Minister Prahlad Patel was travelling to Narsinghpur after attending road show in Chhindwara met with an accident 15 km from Chhindwara on Tuesday . The minister attended the road show in Chhindwara on Tuesday . After the accident, minister who was given first aid left for Narsinghpur in another vehicle. Chhindwara DIG Sachin Atulkar said minister's convoy was heading towards Narsinghpur. CONTD. ON P9 Rat 'arrested' in MP for 'guzzling down' booze at police station BHOPAL Do rats drink alcohol? Well, it seems so, at least in Madhya Pradesh, where a rodent has been 'arrested' for emptying liquor bottles at a police station, and will now be produced before the court as proof ! This bizzare incident was reported from a police station in Chhindwara district, where the cops had seized illegal liquor packed in plastic bottles and put them in a store room. However, when time came to produce the seized liquor in the court, the police found that at least 60 bottles were empty. The clueless cops concluded that the large quantity of alcohol was gupled down by rodents! As per the police, the building is too old where rats are often seen moving around, even destroying records. The police also claimed to have 'arrested' one of the 'accused' rats, which will now be produced before the court as proof.However, the police are yet to confirm as to how many rats were involved in the liquor party! The case in which the liquor bottles were seized is still pending before the court. The police are now trying to find a way to explain the situation as the seized liquor needs to be produced in the court. CONTD. ON P9 r RNI No. 38281/83 QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in WEATHER FP 31.40c. 17.20c Sunrise : 06.34 Sunset : 05.47