FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 126 | INDORE | SUNDAY | OCTOBER 13, 2024 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Manjrekar weighs in on India’s BGT prospects P.16 fp Briefs NEW DELHI Iran warns oil rich US allies Iran has issued a stark warning to its Arab neighbours and US allies in the Gulf, threatening severe retaliation if their territories or airspace are used to aid Israel in any potential attacks on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported. The warning was conveyed through secret diplomatic channels, targeting oil-rich states like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Qatar, all of which host US military forces, the WSJ report claimed. SHIVPURI Minor raped by father, bro A 15-year-old girl was raped allegedly by her father and brother in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, a police official said on Saturday. The fatherson duo has been arrested, Dinara police station in charge Vinod Bhargava said. "As per the girl, her father started raping her after her mother left three years ago. Her elder brother also raped her and shot a video to blackmail her, He also issued death threats to the victim and warned her against telling her ordeal to anyone," the official said. "She later confided in her second brother and the duo approached police,” he said. CBSE disaffiliates 33 MP schools Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has disaffiliated 419 schools across the country, including 33 schools in Madhya Pradesh. Some of these schools have had affiliation revoked for the current academic session, while others will lose their affiliation in 20252026 session. The CBSE released the list of these disaffiliated schools on their official portal on Saturday. The disaffiliation comes over violation of norms established by CBSE. Among the disaffiliated schools in Madhya Pradesh four are from Bhopal, six from Indore, and three from Jabalpur. iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN WORLD PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper readers’ corner Sir, you will always live in our hearts P.8 North Gazans told to evacuate Cinema Alia’s anxiety struggle P.14 WORRISOME| India expresses serious concern over attack on Puja mandap, theft at Bangladesh temple, calls for safety of Hindus DEPLORABLE, FOLLOW SYSTEMATIC PATTERN HAL upgraded to Maharatna status, is 14th PSU to join elite group Agencies NEW DELHI Agencies 35 INCIDENTS SINCE OCT 1, 17 HELD NEW DELHI India on Saturday said it has noted with "serious concern" the reported attack on a Durga Puja pandal and theft at a revered Kali temple in Bangladesh, as it requested Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus, all other minorities and their places of worship in the neighbouring country. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the incidents as "deplorable events" and flagged that these follow a "systematic pattern of desecration" of temples and deities in Bangladesh. "We have noted with serious concern the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and the theft at the revered Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira," the MEA said. Bangladeshi daily "Prothom Alo" has reported an incident of a "crude bomb" allegedly thrown at a Durga Puja pandal in the Tantibazar Jain monk assaulted as girl elopes with follower, 8 held Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Eight people allegedly assaulted Jain monk Vishant Sagar in Ghuwara Nagar of Chhatarpur on Saturday, the police said. The accused were angry as one of monk’s followers had eloped with a girl of their family on Friday night. All the accused were arrested, the police added. Superintendent of Police (SP) of Chhatarpur, Agam Jain told Free Press that the incident took place in Ghuwara Nagar on Saturday morning. He added that all the eight accused belong to Jain community. After the accused received information about a girl from their family eloping with one of the followers of the monk, they reached his Ashram on Saturday and allegedly assaulted him. Following the incident, monk Sagar and his followers staged a sitin at a marketplace. Scores of people belonging to the Jain community flocked the area in support of monk Sagar and condemned the incident. They then reached Bhagwa police station demanding the arrest of the accused. Later in the day, the police registered an FIR against the eight accused and arrested them, the SP said. Bhagwa police station house officer (SHO) Ramswaroop Upadhyay said that the arrested accused were identified as Surendra Jain, Jinendra Jain, Mahendra Jain, Narendra Jain, and four of their sons. eventeen persons have been arrested and about a dozen cases registered after Bangladesh witnessed about 35 untoward incidents related to the ongoing Durga Puja celebrations across the country this month, police said in Dhaka. The development comes a day after it was discovered that a hand-crafted golden mukut (crown) gifted by PM Narendra Modi was stolen from a Hindu temple in Bangladesh's southwestern Satkhira district amid Durga Puja celebrations, a theft over which India expressed concern. S ‘India portrayed as threat in B’desh’ hagwat said that a narrative is being spread in Bangladesh that India is a threat and they should join Pakistan as a defence against Bharat. Who is spreading such a narrative, he asked. The RSS chief said a tyrannical fundamentalist nature exists in Bangladesh. A sword of danger hangs over minorities, including Hindus. Hindus have come out to defend themselves, he said, adding that they will need the help of all those favouring humanity and harmony, especially Indian government. B Chief Adviser Yunus visits Dhakeshwari temple uhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, on Saturday visited the centuries-old Dhakeshwari temple amid reports of attack on another prominent Durga Puja celebration in the national capital. The government wants to build Bangladesh in such a way "where each and every citizen's right will be ensured," he said. M area of Old Dhaka. Though the bomb caught fire, nobody was injured, the report said, adding that the incident Two shooters held, one is from UP, another from Haryana. The third is on the run. Megha Kuchik MUMBAI Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-Ajit Pawar) leader and former minister Baba Siddique, 66, was shot dead in Bandra East on Saturday evening. Baba Siddique's family has confirmed his death. According to sources, another in the name of Islam much to the anger of the Pak- the shooting occurred near Ram Mandir, close to Baba Siddique's office in Bandra East, and not far from his son Zeeshan Siddique's office around 9:15 p.m. Firecrackers were going off in the Nirmal Nagar area when three assailants who had come on two wheelers fired at Siddique as he was getting into his car. Rahman’s desi tadka to Harris’ campaign PTI WASHINGTON Legendary Indian music composer A R Rahman has recorded a 30-minute video performance in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, which is expected to give a big boost to her presidential campaign ahead of the November 5 general elections. Rahman, 57, is the first major international artist from South Asia to have endorsed Harris, who is of mixed Indian and African origin. The 30-minute show will feature some of Rah- istani population, specially the educated ones. The 59-year-old Deobandi scholar, who is wanted on terror finance charges by the Indian government, fled to Malaysia and now he is on a month-long visit to Pakistan addressing large gatherings in Karachi and other cities. S Balakrishnan MUMBAI took place on Friday night. Friday marked the ninth and last day of Navratri, the nine-day sacred period for Hindus. Durga Puja is also celebrated during this time. 4Continued on | P6 Maharatna companies in India: The Government of India (GoI) has granted the ‘Maharatna’ status to the Indian PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The Department of Public Enterprises informed us about HAL's upgrade to the 14th Maharatna company in India from its official ‘X’ channel account (formerly known as Twitter). The DPE said on Saturday that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has given her nod to upgrade the Indian PSU to Maharatna status. The Department of Public Enterprises informed about the development regarding HAL from its official ‘X’ channel account saying, “Hon’ble Finance Minister has approved the upgradation of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to 14th #Maharatna CPSE. The proposal has earlier been recommended by Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) headed by Finance Secretary and Apex Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary. NCPCR TO STATES Stop madarsa funding till RTI compliance PTI NEW DELHI The apex child rights body has raised serious concerns about the state of functioning in madrassas and called for stopping state funding to them unless they comply with the Right to Education Act. In its latest report titled 'Guardians of Faith or Oppressors of Rights?', the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said religious institutions operating outside the purview of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 had a negative impact. According to the report, the exemption of madrassas from the RTE Act has deprived children attending these institutions of quality education. While Articles 29 and 30 of the Indian Constitution protect the rights of minorities to preserve their culture and establish educational institutions, NCPCR asserts that these provisions have inadvertently led to discrimination against Religious education cannot come at the expense of formal education NCPCR Report children in madrassas, who miss out on formal education mandated by the RTE Act. The report pointed out that while the primary focus of madrassas is religious education, many do not provide the essential components of formal education such as adequate infrastructure, trained teachers, and proper academic curricula. This leaves students at a disadvantage compared to their peers in mainstream schools. The report also noted instances where madrassa students have been denied basic entitlements such as textbooks, uniforms, and access to midday meal scheme. 4Continued on | P6 NCP leader Baba Siddique shot in Mumbai, 2 shooters held Unmarried women are public property: Naik Dr Zakir Naik, the Islamic preacher from Mumbai, is causing enormous embarrassment to the Pakistani government at whose invitation he is currently touring that country. He has been making one controversial statement after ESTD-1983 4Continued on | P6 man's most beloved songs, interspersed with messages highlighting Kamala Harris's historic candidacy and commitment to the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) community, a media release said. "With this performance, A R Rahman has added his voice to a chorus of leaders and artists who are standing up for progress and representation in America," said Shekar Narasimhan, chairman of the AAPI Victory Fund. 4Continued on | P6 With their faces covered they approached his car and fired at him. One of the bullets struck his chest. Because of the firecrackers it was not immediately noticed that he had been shot. One of Siddique's associates was also struck in the leg. He was immediately rushed to Lilavati Hospital for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries. Upon receiving the information, the police arrived at the site. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar contacted the hospital for information. The police have arrested two assailants one from UP and the other from Haryana. 4Continued on | P6 Iranian oil: Indian firm sanctioned PTI WASHINGTON victory of good over evil People in the city gathered at Dussehra maidan on Saturday for Ravan dahan Pic By Anand Shivre Ahilya Lok, textile tourism village in Maheshwar: Yadav CM honours tradition with Shastra Puja FP News Service MAHESHWAR/ KHARGONE An Indian shipping firm is among the dozen-odd companies sanctioned by the US for allegedly carrying Iranian oil for sale to buyers in Asia days after slapping restrictions targetting Iran's energy trade for its October 1 attack on Israel. Gabbaro Ship Services, the India-based company, was involved in the transport of Iranian petroleum as the technical manager of crude oil tanker Hornet and knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the transport of petroleum from Iran as part of a 'Ghost Fleet', the State Department alleged. On Dussehra, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav performed a ceremonial Shastra Puja in Maheshwar, honouring the ancient tradition of arms worship. Addressing attendees, he emphasised that weapons symbolise self-defence and the relentless fight against injustice, reaffirming their essential role in safeguarding both religion and the nation. During the ceremony, the Chief Minister announced several significant development projects for the region, including the CM Mohan Yadav performs Shastra Puja in Maheshwar on Saturday FP Photo construction of a Textile Tourism Village and 'Ahilya Lok', dedicated to the legacy of Lokmata Devi Ahilya Bai. His commitment to enhancing local infrastructure is expected to boost tourism and employment opportunities in the area. CM Yadav praised Devi Ahilya’s exemplary model of good governance, highlighting her commitment to public welfare and effective governance practices. 4Continued on | P6 offgrid Optimus robot, humanoid friend who can do anything ONLINE REPORT He can serve. He can dance. He can take selfies. He can talk. He can do anything “you want”. That is Tesla's Optimus robot, who can be your humanoid friend. Several humanoid Optimus robots were seen walking the ramp and serving drinks to the atten- dees at Tesla's ‘We, Robot' event held in California, United States of America, on Thursday. “It will basically do anything you want. It can be a teacher. It can babysit your kids, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, and serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do and it's going to be awesome,” said Tesla CEO Elon Musk while introducing the latest launch. In a demo video displayed at the event, Optimus was seen picking up packages and doing household chores like watering plants, cleaning the kitchen top, unloading groceries, and playing with children. Proving his claims, Musk brought along a bunch of Optimus robots to the party and requested people to be nice to them. “You will be able to walk right up to them and they will serve drinks at the bar. It's a wild experience just to have humanoid robots. They are there, just in front of you.”