Vol. 35 No. 34 | SUNDAY | MAY 19, 2024 | 30 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only The Impact Player rule in IPL has received mixed reactions from cricketers and fans Are you a lone wolf? BULLETIN MODI IS LYING, SAYS MVA T he Jharkhand High Court has imposed a fine of Rs1,000 on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for failing respond in time in a case challenging a non-bailable warrant issued against him for allegedly defaming Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Prayer for time is allowed subject to deposit of Rs1,000 by the petitioner with Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority within two weeks, failing which, this criminal miscellaneous petition shall stand dismissed without further reference to the Bench,” said Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary. RAJ BHAVAN STAFF BOOKED T hree employees of the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata were booked on Saturday in connection with the ‘outrage of modesty’ complaint against West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. The FIR has been registered after the complainant, a temporary employee at the Governor’s house, gave an in-camera statement to a judicial magistrate claiming that she was illegally detained by them on the day she filed the complaint. Of the three Raj Bhavan employees who have been booked, one is a woman, city police sources said. The cops are investigating whether the complainant was forcibly detained or not. VETERAN BANKER PASSES AWAY V eteran banker N Vaghul, who led the transformation of ICICI into a private sector lender, died on Saturday afternoon due to health complications. He was 88. Vaghul took over the reins of ICICI, then a public finance institution, in 1985 and turned it into a universal bank during his 11-year stint at the helm with the help of a young team as the economy liberalised. He fell down at his Chennai home a few days ago and had to be put on ventilator support at a private hospital, where he breathed his last, sources said. KANT CLEARS AIR ON EV POLICY I ndia cannot have individual EV policies for every company, Amitabh Kant said on being asked why Tesla did not come to India after the CEO announced an India visit in April but cancelled it at the last moment. India has drafted an EV policy and all the companies have to follow that policy, he said. “You can’t have policies for individual companies. The policy for EVs has been announced,” said Kant. CLIMATE PROTEST AT MUNICH G erman authorities closed down Munich airport temporarily on Saturday after six climate activists broke through a security fence and glued themselves to access routes leading to runways, officials and local media reported. The activists from the group Last Generation were protesting flying, the most polluting form of transportation, according to the German news agency DPA. Manthan returns to theatres Jayen Mehta, MD, GCMMF (Amul), talks about the cult classic re-releasing on World Milk Day Pakistan Occupied Kashmir will be India’s in six months, if Modi is re-elected, promises UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath C RAHUL FINED IN SHAH CASE Understanding the term, which has taken a new meaning in the modern world YOGI DANGLES POK CARROT THE FP ongress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said they have “never used a bulldozer on anyone”. The statement, made at a joint media interaction on Saturday, came in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charge on Friday that the opposition alliance would bulldoze the Ayodhya temple if voted to power. Kharge said Modi has the “habit of lying and inciting people about things which Congress will never do or which are impossible to be implemented”. INDIA bloc leaders, including Nana Patole and Prithviraj Chavan, said Modi has toppled governments by ignoring the Constitution, using ED, CBI, and Income Tax. SEE MUMBAI www.freepressjournal.in MEMBER: AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2023 EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper Impact on whom? Quality at Value Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 FPJ NEWS SERVICE MALEGAON, PALGHAR A STEP AHEAD OF AMIT SHAH: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath during a rally for Lok Sabha elections, at Nalasopara West in Mumbai on Saturday. – PTI "After PM Modi is re-elected for third term, within six months Pakistan Occupied Kashmir will become part of India," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has claimed. In giving this specific time frame, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was going a step ahead of the Home Minister Amit Shah who recently told ANI that “(Steps) will be taken at the right time while keeping in view the situation Kejriwal PA arrested GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR NEW DELHI Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal assistant Bibhav Kumar was arrested by the Delhi police on Saturday on the charge of assaulting former Delhi Commission for Women chairperson and Aam Aadmi Party MP Swati Maliwal at the CM’s residence on May 13. Meanwhile, the AAP claimed that she had staged the entire incident at the instance of the BJP which , "blackmailed" her over a pending corruption enquiry against her. AAP spokesperson and Delhi Minister Atishi charged that the entire case was a drama and released videos to claim that Maliwal was not in any distress at the CM's residence. Though the AAP had made Maliwal its Rajya Sabha MP in January this year, she had a falling out with the top leadership as she was not in India when Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and only returned from the United States, where she was attending to her ailing sister, a fortnight before his release on interim bail on May 1. Maliwal had not been able to meet Kejriwal on his release from jail and had gone to his residence without any prior appointment when the alleged assault took place. The AAP had picked on this aspect and its Delhi minister Atishi had alleged that BJP had hatched a conspiracy to defame Kejriwal and had sent Maliwal to his office as part of it. SEE NATION CONTD. ON NATION of the country and world. But we have set this target of taking back PoK.” Recently Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswal Sarma also said if Modi came back with 400 seats, it was inevitable that PoK would become India's. Addressing a rally at Palghar on Saturday Yogi ex, plained that Pakistan is facing difficulties in saving PoK. "In the last 10 years, we have seen a new India. Borders have been secured, terrorism and naxalism have been curbed. When the Mumbai blasts took place, the Congress-led UPA KEJRIWAL DARES MODI OVER ARRESTS D elhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday that he and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders would go to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters on March 19 “so that the Prime Minister can send anyone he wants to jail”. The BJP is saying they will send AAP MP Raghav Chadha and Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj to jail too, Kejriwal claimed hours after his aide Bibhav Kumar was arrested in connection with the alleged assault on his party's parliamentarian Swati Maliwal. CONTD. ON NATION Deve Gowda breaks Campaigning for silence, will reveal fifth phase ends all on June 4 FPJ NEWS SERVICE / NEW DELHI RAJASHEKARA S / BENGALURU Breaking silence on his grandson Prajwal Revanna's sex tapes more than two weeks after he fled the country former , prime minister HD Deve Gowda said that he did not have any objection to any legal action against him. He added, however, that “there are many people in this episode.” After a special pooja at the Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara temple in Jai Prakash Nagar in Bengaluru South to mark his 92nd birthday the former , PM said, ``An investigation is going on. Let him be punished if proven guilty .'' “Prajwal is out of the country It is the duty of the govern. ment to initiate action against him,'' he said, adding that there are many people in this episode. ``I will not reveal their names. The victims should be given justice and provided compensation.'' he said. Gowda alleged there was a conspiracy against his family . ``The almighty has given enough strength to fight these conspiracies and conspirators against his family I will not re.'' act now I will speak in detail on . June 4 and place several issues before you (media).'' Prajwal, who is seeking a reelection from Hassan Lok Sabha is accused of raping, sexually abusing and filming explicit videos on his mobile phone. He fled the country on April 26 Arrest warrant Bengaluru: The 17th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Court has issued an arrest warrant against fugitive Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna. The warrant was for the first case filed by a former domestic cook and a cousin of Prajwal's mother, Bhavani Revanna.  17 The ACMM court is hearing the bail petition of former minister and JD(S) MLA HD Revanna in the same case. The Judge J Preeth has reserved orders for Monday. He is accused number one, while his son is accused number 2. Based on a petition filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), judge  Preeth issued the warrant and also asked that Prajwal's passport be seized. and reached Frankfurt. Though he booked tickets several times to return, he either cancelled or didn't board the flight from Munich to Bengaluru. CONTD. ON NATION As many as 695 candidates are contesting in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, campaigning for which ended on Saturday . The phase will see 49 constituencies across six states and two Union territories go to the polls on May 20, which include 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 13 in Maharashtra, seven in West Bengal, five each in Bihar and Odisha, three in Jharkhand, and one each in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Key candidates in the fifth phase of the elections include former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who is contesting from Raebareli, Union minister Smriti Irani from Amethi, Defence minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's son Karan Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Rohini Acharya, who is the daughter of party chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, from Saran, Chirag Paswan from Hajipur, Union minister Piyush Goyal from Mumbai North, and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah from Baramulla, will also contest the elections. CONTD. ON NATION government used to say that the terrorists were from across the border. So what was the use of your missile then?" he said. "A big British newspaper wrote that in the last three years, there were many terrorists in Pakistan who were killed and Indian agencies are behind it. We will not worship our enemy If someone kills . our people we will not worship them but give them an answer that they deserve. It has become difficult for Pakistan to save Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Let PM Modi MOB VIOLENCE IN BISHKEK Indian students told to stay indoors FPJ NEWS SERVICES / NEW DELHI Indian students in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, have been asked to stay indoor following violence that erupted after a brawl between locals and foreign students. Violence broke out after a video of a brawl between locals and foreign students from May 13 circulated online. Despite the police arresting the foreign students over charges of hooliganism, locals believed the treatment to be too lenient and took to the streets in protest on Friday The . demonstrations soon morphed into targeted attacks on a few hostels of medical universities and private residences housing students from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Following the violence, the Indian embassy in Kyrgyzstan and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday urged Indian students to 9 killed as bus catches fire in Haryana FPJ NEWS SERVICE GURUGRAM At least nine people were burnt alive and 15 injured when a moving bus caught fire near Tauru in Nuh district of Haryana around 2 am on Saturday police said. , The bus was carrying around 60 people, all residents of Punjab’s Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana, who were returning from pilgrim towns of Mathura and Vrindavan, according to police officials who added that all the passengers are relatives. “Nine people — six women and three men — were killed in the accident. Fifteen people were injured and have been hospitalised. All the injured are stable,” said Inspector Jitendra Kumar, Station House Officer, Sadar Tauru. Survivors said they smelled smoke around 1.30 am on Saturday when the bus was on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal become the Prime Minister for the third time and within six months PoK will become part of India. Courage is needed for such work," CM Yogi added. He was referring to reports in the British media that Indian an intelligence agency could be possibly behind the deaths. "Those who are praising Pakistan, I want to tell them that PM Modi has lifted more people out of poverty than the entire population of Pakistan. If they lived in India they would not have died of Expressway . Residents of the area said that some people noticed the fire at the back of the bus, chased the bus on a motorcycle and asked the driver to stop. The locals also informed the police and fire department. “We had hired the bus to go on a pilgrimage to holy sites for 10 days. We were going home on Friday night. We smelled smoke while we were sleeping. The bus stopped after the motorcycle rider alerted the driver,” one of the survivors said. Residents of the area then tried to extinguish the fire and rescue people. CONTD. ON NATION remain indoors and stay in touch with the embassy . “Monitoring the welfare of Indian students in Bishkek. Situation is reportedly calm now. Strongly advise students to stay in regular touch with the Embassy ,” Jaishankar said on X. “We are in touch with our students. The situation is presently calm but students are advised to stay indoors for the moment and get in touch with the Embassy in case of any issue. Our 24×7 contact number is 0555710041,” the Indian Consulate said on ‘X’. Kyrgyz police said they had mobilized forces in the nation's capital on Friday to quell the violence, Reuters reported. Both foreigners and locals involved in the mob violence were detained and none are believed to be seriously injured, as per a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic. CONTD. ON NATION hunger and would have received free ration," he said. Earlier, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) will be included in India under the leadership of PM Modi. Aurangzeb's soul: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also took a swipe at the Congress over its alleged proposal to introduce inheritance tax, saying that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's soul has crept into the grand old party . CONTD. ON NATION Nepal loses taste for Indian spice mix products FPJ NEWS SERVICE KATHMANDU Nepal has banned the import and sale of certain Indian brands of spice-mix products over alleged quality concerns. This comes in the wake of similar bans imposed by Singapore and Hong Kong. Four spice-mix products by MDH and Everest were banned in the Himalayan nation from Friday over suspected ethylene oxide or ETO contamination, according to the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control here. These include Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Mixed Masala Powder, Mixed Masala Curry Powder of MDH and Fish Curry Masala of Everest. “ residue contents of ethAs ylene oxide are found to be exceeding the prescribed limit in these four products, the import and sale of these products are banned within the country as per Article 19 of the Food Regulation 2027 BS,” the government said, adding that “our attention has been drawn towards media reports about the sale of these sub-standard products in the market, and they are harmful for consumption”. The food quality control watchdog has urged importers and traders to recall these products from the market. Last month, Singapore and Hong Kong halted sales of some spices produced by MDH and Everest over suspected elevated levels of ETO linked with some cancers. CONTD. ON NATION EXPECT IT TO BE HOT AND HUMID RUCHA KANOLKAR / MUMBAI Mumbai and its suburbs are experiencing hot and humid weather conditions despite the recent pre-monsoon rains and stormy winds. The maximum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 34.9°C in Santacruz and 34.4°C in Colaba, with minimum temperatures at 29.0°C and 28.3°C, respectively . On Sunday the city and , suburbs can expect clear skies with hot and humid conditions prevailing. Maxi- mum temperatures are likely to be around 36°C, and minimum temperatures around 28°C. For the next 48 Hours similar weather conditions will continue. Maximum temperatures are expected to be around 35°C, and minimum temperatures around 27°C. An IMD Official said, "Despite recent pre-monsoon rains and stormy winds, the weather in Mumbai and surrounding regions has transitioned to hot and humid conditions. CONTD. ON NATION LAST WORD Stormy petrel Adhir Ranjan squares off with Kharge over Mamata ARITRA SINGHA KOLKATA The West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is at loggerheads with his own party leadership over the question of Mamata Banerjee, even after being slammed by the national president Mallikarjun Kharge. Kharge said in Mumbai on Saturday that “Mamataji first said she is supporting from outside… recently another , statement came from her that she will be part of the government (at the Centre) if it forms. Naturally it is clear that she is , with the alliance (INDIA).” Further he said Adhir is “is nobody to make decisions. A decision will be taken by us… Congress party is there, high command is there. That is why whatever decision we take will be right. What we decide, all will follow If someone does not . follow, he will go out.” Soon after Kharge's observation, Adhir said in Behrampore a constituency he has held over five Lok Sabha elections that, “It is a fight to save my party in West Bengal. I cannot welcome someone who is trying to finish my party It is . my ideological opponent and I am a soldier of Congress.” It is a fight to save my party in West Bengal. I cannot welcome someone who is trying to finish my party. It is my ideological opponent and I am a soldier of Congress. – Aahir Ranjan Chowdhury said to the media The open disagreement followed recent comments by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. On Thursday she had positioned herself , politically closer to the INDIA Bloc than she had on Wednes- day by declaring that she was very much a part of the antiBJP alliance at the national level and would continue to be in it and that the alliance was her brainchild. The previous day she had said that she “He is nobody to make decisions. A decision will be taken by us…Congress party is there, high command is there. That is why whatever decision we take will be right. What we decide, all will follow. If someone does not follow, he will go out. – Mallikarjun Kharge would give the INDIA alliance “outside support.” She also clarified, again, at a rally at Tamluk, that the TMC is not in alliance with the CPI(M) and the Congress in West Bengal. "At all India level, some people have misunderstood my statement yesterday I am very . much part of the INDIA alliance. The INDIA alliance was my brainchild. We are together at the national level and will continue to be together," she declared. "Do not count on the CPI(M) and the Congress in Bengal. They are not with us, they are with the BJP here. I am talking about that (INDIA bloc) in Delhi," she had said. Chowdhury had countered her stating that Mamata ‘has lost her credibility’. “What she will do staying outside the al- liance I don’t know. I don’t trust her. She can go to any side and can also run towards BJP . She left the alliance. If she had any problem she could have discussed it inside the alliance when it was created,” said Chowdhury . Calling her an "opportunist politician" he observed, “This clearly indicates that the India alliance is striding ahead and on the verge of forming the government and that's is why as an astute and opportunist leader, Mamata Banerjee has decided to extend her support well in advance." CONTD. ON NATION