FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 218 | INDORE | TUESDAY | JANUARY 14, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Cinema Wamiqa Gabbi Vs Influencer P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit A New White House Beckons P.8 Man dressed as firefighter caught robbing LA houses Sports Sinner’s strong title defence P.16 MAHA KUMBH | Chants of ‘Har Har Gange’ & ‘Jai Shri Ram’ fill the air on Paush Purnima 1.65 CR PEOPLE TAKE HOLY DIP Biswajeet Banerjee MAHAKUMBHNAGAR Hindu pilgrims taking a holy dip in the sacred waters of Sangam, the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj on Monday Govt mulling liquor ban in religious cities Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL fp Briefs INDORE Local holiday today There would be a local holiday in the district in view of Makar Sankranti, collector Asheesh Singh announced on Monday. Accordingly, there will be a local holiday on the occasion of Rang Panchami on March 19 and on the second day of Dussehra on October 3. Also, a half-day holiday has been declared on August 22 on the occasion of Ahilya Utsav. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that his government is contemplating to implement liquor prohibition in religious cities of the state. The liquor prohibition will be enforced by amending the policy. He added that complaints often pour in that atmosphere in religious cities gets affected. Therefore, government is serious over suggestions given by saint community for liquor prohibition. ‘Our effort is that the sanctity of religious cities remains intact,’ he said. He added that the state government will shortly take a concrete decision in this regard. BJP and ministers have welcomed the announcement of the CM to ban liquor in religious cities. Sources said that now the government will go for amendment in the excise policy to ban sale and consumption of liquor in religious cities of the state. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A day after appointing presidents of Ujjain and Vidisha districts, the BJP announced names of 18 more district presidents on Monday. Ravindra Yati has been appointed as Bhopal (City) district president. Yati is close to BJP state president VD Sharma and the latter played a pivotal role in getting the post for him. The party finalised the names as per the choice of Sangh and other big leaders. 4Continued on | P6 Indore sees ‘severe cold day’, visibility drops to 200 metres WEATHER WATCH Neemuch Indore 0 6.1 C 7.60C Dhar Pachmarhi 0 6.4 C 7.90C NEW DELHI India summons B’desh envoy Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, Nural Islam was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday. The summon to the Bangladesh envoy comes a day after the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka, Pranay Verma was summoned by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry on Sunday. BJP announces 18 district prezs Shajapur Ratlam 0 6.8 C 8.00C Rajgarh Bhopal 0 7.0 C 100C Our Staff Reporter INDORE Indore witnessed a ‘severe cold day’ on Monday as the icy winds gripped the city. Moreover, the night temperature went down to 7.6 degrees Celsius, making it the fifth coldest city in the state. The day temperature also dropped to 19.5 degrees Celsius from 22.4, the previous day. Dense fog reeled the city on Sunday with visibility dropping to 200 metres at 12.30 am. 4Continued on | P6 offgrid ‘Have 4 children, get Rs 1 Lakh’ Our Staff Reporter INDORE Stoking a potential controversy, Madhya Pradesh Parshuram Kalyan Board chief Vishnu Rajoria called on young couples to have at least four children, offering a monetary incentive of Rs 1 lakh to encourage larger families within the community. "Couples having just one child despite having good jobs is certainly not in good taste. I appeal to young couples of Sanadhya Samaj to produce at least four children. Those who have four children in the community will receive a reward of Rs 1 lakh from the Parashuram Kalyan Board, regardless of who is in the chair," he said while addressing Sanadhya Brahmin Samaj Parichay Sammelan here on Sunday. In a video that went viral on social on Monday, Rajoria was seen expressing concerns over the declining population of Brahmins emphasising the urgency of reversing this trend. "The population of ‘non-Hindu’ communities is increasing rapidly in our country because we have almost stopped focusing on expanding our families. I have great expectations from the youth. The protection of future generations is in their hands," he said. Rajoria urged the youth to prioritise increasing their family size highlighting that those achieving prominence often limit their family to a single child which he described as “problematic”. 4Continued on | P6 Around 1.65 crore devotees took their first holy dip of the Maha Kumbh on the occasion of Paush Purnima, at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, on Monday.  Pilgrims braved the biting cold – the temperature was 10 degrees Celsius at 7.30 am -to partake in the spiritual spectacle, with offerings in their hands; chants of ‘Har Har Gangeʼ and ‘Jai Shri Ramʼ filled the air, creating an atmosphere that was simultaneously electrifying and serene. Devotees began arriving at the Sangam at midnight, having traversed long distances through the biting cold. Wrapped in woollens, many carried belongings on their heads as they moved with unwavering resolve. “When I took a dip, it felt like a burden has lifted from my soul,’’ said Savitri Devi, 65, a pilgrim from Rajasthan, her face glowing with devotion after emerging from the sacred waters. The ghats became a vibrant mosaic of faith and festivity. Pilgrims of all ages, dressed in colourful traditional attire, waded into the waters, while children laughed and splashed in the shallows. Elders sat in quiet meditation, murmuring prayers, while younger visitors captured the moment on smartphones. “It’s a proud moment for us to be here, celebrating our culture with the world,” said 22-year-old Aniket Mishra from Prayagraj, selfie stick in hand, as he stood at the water’s edge. 4Continued on | P6 ‘Ram Mandir symbol of nation’s honour’ RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat confers Devi Ahilya National Award on general secretary of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust Champat Rai in Indore on Monday Our Staff Reporter INDORE RSS Chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat said that the path to India's livelihood passes through the Ram Mandir, emphasising its central role in the nation's spiritual and cultural identity. Speaking as the chief guest at the Devi Ahilya National Award ceremony on Monday, Dr Bhagwat explained that India's self is embodied in Ram, Krishna, and Shiva. He said that Ram connects South India to North India, Krishna unites the East with the West, and Shiva is present in every corner of the nation. "The way to India’s livelihood goes through Ram Mandir," he said, highlighting the significance of the temple in Ayodhya as not just a religious monument, but as a symbol of the nation’s honour and values. 4Continued on | P6