FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms QUALITY AT VALUE FREE PRESS VOL. XXXX NO. 273 | INDORE | SUNDAY | MARCH 10, 2024 | PAGES 18 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; `4 r RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in - WORLD ASHWIN MAGIC DEMOLISHES ENGLAND SPORTS JOLT TO CONG: Ex-MPCC president Pachouri joins BJP 5 KILLED AS PARACHUTE FAILS TO OPEN DURING AID DROP IN GAZA WEATHER EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE 32.00c. 14.30c Sunrise : 06.40 Sunset : 06.34 YOGI WARNS OFFICIALS AGAINST LAXITY IN RESOLVING PEOPLE’S ISSUES NATION FREE PRESS AHILYA AWARD: CELEBRATING WOMEN'S EXCELLENCE WITH DISTINCTION Rajukhedi, Sanjay Shukla, Vishal Patel and many other leaders defect to BJP NEWS BRIEF DMK-Cong deal in TN, Puducherry CHENNAI: The DMK, which heads the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu, on Saturday completed the exercise of seat sharing with all constituents for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by allotting nine seats to the Congress. This is in addition to the lone seat in Puducherry. An agreement was signed between DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin and TNCC president K Selvaperinthagai on Saturday evening shortly after a discussion with an AICC delegation. OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal A senior leader of the Congress and former president of the MPCC Suresh Pachouri joined the BJP on Saturday . Along with Pachouri, former MP Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi, former legislator Sanjay Shukla, Vishal Patel, Arjun Palia and former president of the party's Bhopal Unit Kailash Mishra and several leaders switched over to the BJP. It is a big jolt for the Congress after Rahul Gandhiled Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passed through the state. Pachouri is considered close to the Gandhi family . Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, BJP's state unit president VD Sharma, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other leaders were present when Pachouri defected to the ruling party CONTD. ON P9 . Satyendra Kumar Singh is new Lokayukta OUR STAFF REPORTER BHOPAL TDP-Jana Sena & BJP alliance in AP AMARAVATI: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will together contest the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh. This was decided after talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu conveyed to party leaders during a teleconference from New Delhi that TDP will be contesting the elections in alliance with Jana Sena and BJP . Zardari elected Pak president ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party cochairperson Asif Ali Zardari was elected as Pakistan's 14th President on Saturday, becoming the head of state for a second time. Zardari, 68, was the joint candidate of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) while his rival Mahmood Khan Achakzai, 75, was the candidate of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Man shot dead over love marriage in UP BIJNOR (UP): A man here allegedly shot dead his 26year-old brother-in-law for marrying his sister disregarding the caste difference, police said on Saturday. Brajesh, the victim, was a native of Mirpur Khadar village under Chandpur Police Station jurisdiction. Brajesh belonged to a Scheduled Caste and had married Divya, a Saini, a year ago, because of which there had been tension between their families, Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar Jadaun said. A day after International Women's Day, Free Press honoured remarkable women with prestigious Ahilya Award, celebrating their outstanding contributions across diverse domains. The recipients later joined Chief Guest Indore Police Commissioner Rakesh Gupta, alongside special guests including DCBM principal Dr. Sonal Sisodia, and General Manager of Omaxe Ltd Praveen Verma at Free Press House in Indore on Saturday Former union minister Suresh Pachouri joins BJP on Saturday One who is not with Ram should be left: Pachouri Suresh Pachouri has said that the one who not with Ram should be left and this is the reason why he has quit the grand old party. The Congress not only refused the invitation to the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya but also used discourteous language which hurt him, Pachouri said. The Congress leader is only promoting caste struggle by talking about caste-based politics, he said. Patwari: Relieved of burden Reacting to Suresh Pachouri's switchover to the BJP, MPCC president Jitu Patwari said Pachouri had been given all important positions in the party. "May God not make him part of the crowd in the BJP," Patwari said, adding that since Pachouri is a senior leader, there should not be any reason to convince him. "May God bless Pachouri. The party is relieved of burden," MPCC president further said. SAINT IN CONGRESS POLITICS: VD BJP's state unit president VD Sharma has said that Suresh Pachouri is a saint in Congress politics. There is no stain on his long political career, and his joining the BJP will help the party, Sharma said. Retired high court judge Justice Satyendra Kumar Singh appointed next Lokayukta of MP. Justice Singh worked as district judge in Ujjain, Bhopal and Alirajpur. He was principal secretary of the law and legislative department. The tenure of the present Lokayukta MK Gupta ended in October last year. If a new Lokayukta is not appointed, the serving Lokayukta can continue in office for one year according to an amendment in Section 5 of the Lokayukta Act 1981. This is the reason why Gupta, whose tenure has been over, is continuing on the post. Cong may declare candidates soon, several names decided OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal The Congress has begun to work for the list of candidates in Madhya Pradesh after its first list was released on Friday . In its second list, the Congress may declare candidates for one and a half dozen seats in MP. After an interaction between the MPCC leaders and the Congress high command, the party has decided to declare one candidate for each seat in the state. Names for several seats will be declared after the party's central election committee holds its second meeting. CANDIDATES AND CONSTITUENCIES The candidates who are likely to get tickets are: Nakul Nath (Chhindwara), Arun Yadav (khandwa), Hina Kanwre (Balaghat), Kantilal Bhuria (Ratlam), Bala Bachahan (Khargone), Govind Singh (Morena), Kamleshwar Patel (Sidhi), Praveen Pathak (Gwalior), Veerendra Raghuwanshi (Guna), Priyabrat Singh (Rajgarh), Ramu Tekam (Betul), Surendra Singh Baghel (Dhar), Vipin Jain (Mandsaur), Ajay Mishra (Rewa), Arunoday Choubey (Sagar), Narayan Singh Patta (Mandla) BJP MULLS OVER CANDIDATES FOR 5 SEATS On Saturday, the BJP leaders mulled over candidates for the rest of five seats - Chhindwara, Indore, Ujjain, Dhar and Balaghat. The party has already declared its candidates for 24 seats in MP. Candidates for these seats may soon be declared. Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi, who switched over from the Congress to the BJP, may be given a ticket from Dhar. A woman candidate may be fielded from Indore. Towering inferno in Mantralaya exposes administrative lapses Two faint due to thick smoke in the bldg Important documents, computers damaged Last year fire had broken out at Satpura Bhavan 7 member committee to probe incident OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in The fifth floor of Vallabh Bhawan 1 (old Mantralaya) building turned into a towering inferno on Saturday exposing a major lapse on the part of the administration, as this was the second such incident of fire breaking out in an important goverment building in the past one year. Last year, just before the assembly election, a fire broke out in Satpura Bhawan and destroyed many important documents. It was around 9.30 am that fire erupted on the fifth floor. On getting information of the fire incident, fire tenders of Bhopal Mu- Footage of Nijjar killing surfaces FP NEWS SERVICE / Ottawa A white sedan blocked the grey Dodge Ram driven by India Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the exit of a parking lot of a gurdwara in Surrey British , Colombia, minutes before killers sprayed him with bullets, shows CCTV footage that has surfaced. The video of the shooting on June 18, 2023, has been verified by more than one source. The footage of the incident shows the white car reaching the exit but pausing there instead of turning onto 112nd Street and blocking the path of Nijjar’s pickup. Two men then emerged from a structure on the left of the screen and fired at Nijjar’s vehicle for roughly 12 seconds as it idled behind the white car. CONTD. ON P9 Fire erupted at top floor of Mantralaya (Vallabh Bhavan) on Saturday nicipal Corporation immediately rushed to the spot. Likewise fire tenders of Raisen and Obaidullaganj were also pressed into service. Help also came from fire tenders of the Army . A thick cloud of smoke was billowing out from fifth floor of Mantralaya and it could be easily seen many kilometers away. Many passersby stood to watch the massive fire. CONTD. ON P9 One nation, one poll, one EC A few days before the announcement of poll dates and just when poll preparations are in full swing, EC Arun Goel tenders his resignation GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR / NEW DELHI Just when an announcement of the election dates  was imminent, Election Commissioner Arun Goel has resigned, taking the entire political establishment by surprise. No reason has been purportedly assigned for the resignation on the eve of elections. Goel is believed to enjoy good health. ARUN GOEL RAJIV KUMAR With Goel’s resignation, the EC, which is a threemember body, is left with only Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. There was already a vacancy in the EC after Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey retired last month. Now, the entire responsibility for the poll logistics, deployment of election machinery, especially EVMs, devolves on Rajiv Kumar. CONTD. ON P9 A seven member committee has been formed by the state government to probe the fire incident The probe committee will submit preliminary report in three days, and detailed report within 15 days. Mohammad Suleman, ACS medical education department, is the chairman of the committee. The other members are: PS home Sanjay Dubey, PS urban development Neeraj Mandloi, PS PWD DP Ahuja, ADG fire Ashutosh Rai, Bhopal commissioner Pawan Verma and police commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra. The committee will look into the reason behind the fire, assessment of damage, will fix responsibility and damage to building and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future. Bengaluru blast suspect in Pune? FP NEWS SERVICE PUNE & BENGALURU The suspect involved in the blast at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe on March 1 is believed to be in Pune, according to a report by Lokmat. Several people were injured in the explosion that took place in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area during the busy lunch hour. After the explosion, the accused travelled to Ballari in Karnataka by bus and then to Pune via Bhatkal, Gokarna, Belgaum, and Kolhapur. CCTV footage had earlier captured the suspect boarding a bus approximately an hour after the blast. Another late night footage from the same day showed the suspect inside a bus station. CONTD. ON P9 PM inaugurates world’s longest 6 collectors among Indian tourists in Maldives bi-lane Sela Tunnel at 13k feet 12 IAS transferred drop by one third amid row ITANAGAR, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated to the nation the strategically-crucial Sela Tunnel, constructed at a cost of Rs 825 crore, in Arunachal Pradesh. It is the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel at 13,000 feet. The ambitious Sela Tunnel would boost India’s defences and lead to a faster response time for the armed forces to threats on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). After dedicating the tunnel to the nation, the PM urged the people to visit it and help boost trade and tourism in the region. “The Sela Tunnel should have been built earlier, but the previous Congress government did not take any such step,” said the PM, who also flagged off the first civilian convoy consisting of two buses from Tawang. The PM lauded the efforts of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in providing last mile connectivity to the border region and for constructing an engineering marvel in such difficult terrain under extremely trying conditions. Apart from the Sela Tunnel, the PM virtually inaugurated from Itanagar 123 key developmental projects and laid the foundation of 95 new projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in six northeastern states -- Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. An official said that on the road connecting Assam’s Tezpur to Tawang, the tunnel will enable “all-weather” connectivity . OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in As many as 12 IAS officers including six collectors were transferred by state government on Saturday night. Ratlam collector Bhaskar Lakshkar has been shifted as managing director, state seed and farm development corporation. Umashankar Bhargava, Vidisha collector, has been transferred as additional secretary Governor, Damoh , collector Mayank Agrawal as OSD cum controller, food and drug administration, Sidhi collector Saketh Malviya as director, employees selection board, Neha Meena, additional collector Neemuch has been posted as Jhabua collector. Jhabua collector Tanvi Hudda has been appointed as managing director, finance corporation, Indore. Buddesh Kumar Vaidh, collector Umaria, has been shifted as collector Vidisha. Swarochish Somvansi, deputy secretary to Governor has been transferred as collector Sidhi, deputy secretary personnel, general , administration department, Dharnendra Kumar Jain has been posted as collector Umaria. CONTD. ON P9 MALE [MALDIVES], The number of Indian tourists visiting the Maldives has dropped by 33 per cent as compared to last year, Maldivian website Adhadhu reported, citing data from the Maldives Tourism Ministry . This comes as the diplomatic row between New Delhi and Male continues to deteriorate. According to Tourism Ministry statistics for 2023, 41,054 Indian tourists visited the Maldives by March 4 last year. The number of Indian tourists India is now in sixth place on the list with a six per cent market share recorded as of March 2 this year was 27,224. This was 13,830 lesser than last year, Maldives-based Adhadhu reported. In the same period last year, India was the second largest source market for tourists to the Maldives with a 10 per cent market share. The row erupted after three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over his pictures from the visit to Lakshadweep. PM Modi had called for the Indian island cluster to be developed as a destination for beach tourism and promotion of domestic tourism. The matter snowballed into a major diplomatic row, with New Delhi summoning the Maldivian envoy and registering a strong protest against the viral posts. CONTD. ON P9