FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 120 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | OCTOBER 13, 2024 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 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. Our Staff Reporter 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 2025-2026 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. The Bhopal schools which are disaffiliated include International Public School, Radcliffe School, The Mayoor School, and Sardar Patel Public School. EDITIONS: INDORE NATION UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Swearing-in of new Hry Cabinet on October 17 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 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 took place on Friday night. Friday marked the ninth and last day of Navratri, the nine-day sacred period for BJP is a party of terrorists, says Kharge, sparks row Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday created a political stir by describing BJP as a “party of terrorists” while responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that the Congress has been taken over by “urban Naxals”. Kharge’s strong comments came when he was asked to respond to Modi’s remarks at a rally in Washim in pollbound Maharashtra where he had said, “The Congress wants to keep Dalits as Dalits, the poor as poor; so, beware the Congress.” The Prime Minister had added that “Urban Naxals are running the Congress. The party wants to divide the nation and it is trying to divide us. Therefore, remain united PROGRESSIVE people are being called urban Naxals, they also call the Congress urban Naxals, this is their habit THEY LYNCH people, they urinate in the mouths of scheduled caste people, rape tribal women. So the terrorist party is theirs to foil the design of the Congress. This is the time to stay put together.” Kharge reacted by saying that “Progressive people are being called urban Naxals, they also call the Congress urban Naxals, this is their habit. They are themselves a party of terrorists. They lynch people, they urinate in the mouths of scheduled caste people, rape tribal women. So the terrorist party is theirs.” Kharge also charged that the BJP “supports people who commit all these atrocities and then on top of it they blame others.” He said “Modi has no right to say all this. Wherever his government is in power atrocities are being committed on scheduled castes and especially on tribals.” The Congress president said the BJP also complains that nothing is being done. “Is the ‘hukumat’ (government) ours? It is your government, you can control these things.” 4Continued on | P6 Run riot The carnage finally ends. Twenty-two sixes, 25 fours, and a total of 297 runs. All kinds of records have fallen by the wayside. This is the second-highest T20I total. The highest by a full member team. A smooth hundred by Samson, innovation and power from Suryakumar, and then the lower middle order took no time. Three half-centuries in that bowling card. Hindus. Durga Puja is also celebrated during this time. 4Continued on | P6 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. Optimus robot, humanoid friend who can do anything 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 attendees at Tesla's ‘We, Robot' E-paper Cinema Alia’s anxiety struggle P.14 offgrid ONLINE REPORT MUMBAI readers’ corner DANCING TO THE TUNES OF GARBA P.8 DEPLORABLE, FOLLOW SYSTEMATIC PATTERN Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar BHOPAL iii QUALITY @ VALUE WORRISOME| India expresses serious concern over attack on Puja mandap, theft at Bangladesh temple, calls for safety of Hindus NEW DELHI CBSE disaffiliates 33 MP schools ESTD-1983 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.” Optimus will cost $20,000 to $30,000 in the long term, Musk said. 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 Ahilya Lok, textile tourism village in Maheshwar: Yadav CM honours tradition with Shastra Puja FP News Service MAHESHWAR/ KHARGONE 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 Rahman records 30-min show to boost Kamala’ campaign Agencies WASHINGTON Legendary music composer A R Rahman has recorded a 30minute performance video in support of Vice President Kamaal 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 S Asia to have endorsed Harris, who is of mixed Indian and African origin. "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. "This is more than just a musical event, it's a call to action for our communities to engage and vote for the future we want to see," he said after AAPI Victory Fund announced that Rahman, the globally renowned Indian composer and musician, has recorded an exclusive 30-minute performance in support Harris's 2024 presidential campaign. This powerful endorsement by one of the most iconic voices in the South Asian community underscores the vital role of AAPI voters in this election and the growing momentum behind the Harris-Walz ticket, AAPI Victory Fund said. The exclusive performance is set to be broadcast on AAPI Victory Fund's YouTube but also across major South Asian networks, including AVS and TV Asia, as part of a strategic push to galvanise support for Kamala Harris among South Asian voters worldwide. It will be broadcast on AAPI Victory Fund's YouTube on October 13 at 8 pm ET. The 30-minute show will feature some of Rahman's most beloved songs, interspersed with messages highlighting Kamala Harris's historic candidacy and commitment to the AAPI community, a media release said. 4Continued on | P6 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 Ex-cricketer Ajay Jadeja named as next Jam Saheb of Nawanagar Agencies NEW DELHI Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja has been declared the next Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, also known as Jamnagar the princely state in Gujarat. The development was confirmed by Maharaja Jam Saheb of the erstwhile Nawanagar Royal family in a statement. "Today, on Dussehra, I am equally happy, because I have found a solution to one of my problems and its success is Ajay Jadeja, who has accepted to be my heir. Ajay Jadeja taking up the responsibility of serving the people of Jamnagar is truly a boon for the people of Jamnagar," the statement read. Ajay Jadeja has played 15 test matches for India from 1992 to 2000, scoring 576 runs at 26.18 with four half-centuries to his name and a best of 96. 4Continued on | P6