FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLI No. 245 | INDORE | TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 11, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD Sports One knock doesn’t change anything: Skipper Rohit P.14 UJJAIN PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Biren out, will peace return to Manipur? P.6 ‘THEY LOOKED LIKE HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS’ Cinema 50 years of Sholay Vs Deewar P.16 MASSIVE MAHAKUMBH RUSH | Several kilometres long snarl-ups in Rewa, Katni, Satna and Mahoba bordering UP Maha gridlock disrupts holy dip plans Crowd management puts a question mark on Prayagraj police and administration Delay travel to Prayagraj via Rewa route: CM to pilgrims Nitendra Sharma PRAYAGRAJ Our Staff Reporter Mahakumbh, going on in Prayagraj, has led to a massive traffic gridlock on the UP-MP borders. There are traffic snarl-ups on the borders of Rewa, Katni, Satna and Mahoba, too. Traffic jams resulted from a huge gathering of crowd, but the police and administration are also responsible for it. The police and administration are unable to manage the crowds of people who have congregated at Prayagraj.   The crowd swelled up because of Ekadashi on Saturday and the next day being Sunday. A large number of people have begun to flock to Prayagraj for Shahi Snan on Maghi Poornima on February 12. After the stampede that led to the death of so many people on Mauni Amavasya, the Prayagraj police and administration did not expect that such a huge crowd would gather again. The major problem in Prayagraj is that the police are not able to open the way out of the city for the people going back after bathing. Several roads in the city have been shut. The police and administration do not seem to be keen on clearing the traffic gridlocks. This is the reason why the people are moving from one fp Briefs RIYADH Saudi ban on kids at Hajj The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has banned children from accompanying pilgrims during the 2025 Hajj season. This decision aims at safeguarding children’s safety and well-being and preventing any risks they might face during the pilgrimage associated with the intense crowding that occurs every year, the Dhaka Tribune reported on Monday. Individuals from 14 nations, including India, will only be eligible for single-entry visas. This adjustment aims to curb the practice of undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage without proper authorisation. Besides, the ministry emphasized that, as in previous years, priority for Hajj participation will be given to those performing the pilgrimage for first time. BHOPAL Massive traffic congestion near Mahakumbh site as devotees arrive in large numbers towards Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj on Monday. IANS place to another to come out of the city. Traffic snarl-ups are cleared for those coming to this type of event, but it can be done only when the roads are cleared for visitors. Lakhs of people are unable to come out of Prayagraj. Because they are caught in the city, there is a jam-like situ- ation on the borders. There are three roads to reach Prayagraj from MP: from Rewa via Chakghat, from Chhatarpur via Mahoba and Chitrakoot, and from Mahoba to Banda via Rajapur. Besides Chakghat, Katni and Maihar, there is traffic gridlock in Chitrakoot. There was a heavy Ganga, Jamuna: 12 babies born in Maha Kumbh hosp PTI MAHAKUMBH NAGAR Welcome to the world Basant and Basanti, Ganga and Jamuna, and Kumbh of course... 12 babies have been at the Central Hospital here during the Maha Kumbh. A fortuitous happenstance for their parents who came for the grandest of all Hindu pilgrimages and chose names that would seal their tryst with the Sangam. The 12th baby, a boy, was born at the Central Hospital at the Maha Kumbh area on Sunday night. All 12 were normal deliveries, said Dr Manoj Kaushik, chief medical superintendent of the hospital. Neha Singh from Sarai Chandi, Phulpur, went into labour on Sunday and was rushed to the hospital, hospital matron Rama Singh said. The father Deepak insisted on naming him Kumbh but there was a hitch. Another baby born on December 29 had already been given that name and the hospital staff suggested he be called Kumbh-2. "Even if the hospital is not naming my son Kumbh, I will name him Kumbh because he is born in this Maha Kumbh," an overjoyed Deepak said. 4Continued on | P8 Prez takes holy dip at Sangam Biswajeet Banerjee BHOPAL Two Class IX students, on their way to school for an exam, jumped from a moving bus in Damoh after allegedly being sexually harassed by the conductor, driver, and OOPS! Did I say that Monday madness over YouTuber’s 'Latent' remark Megha Kuchik MUMBAI and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing. The summit has brought under one roof major players such as  Google,  Microsoft and OpenAI. What do you get when a YouTuber with 4.5 million Instagram followers tries to flex his comedic muscles on an "edgy" platform—and ends up writing the script for a controversy? A police inquiry, a deluge of angry hashtags, and a public apology that would make even the most seasoned PR person wince. Cue Ranveer Allahbadia, the YouTuber who can chat with Priyanka Chopra one moment and offend an entire nation, the next. This time, he's the newest 'star' to make waves with a cringe-worthy remark on Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 FP News Service Aero India PTI Russia's Sukhoi 57 and United States of America's Lockheed Martin F35 stole the show during the Aero India-2025 with their dazzling performance here on Monday. In a first, the Aero India mega event witnessed the participation of two of the world's most advanced fifth- generation fighter aircraft equipped with stealth capabilities. The inaugural day of the five-day event witnessed the two advanced combat air- craft taking to the sky with huge roar and performing the jaw-dropping manoeuvres in the midair. The Su-57 thrilled the audience with its stunning two passengers. The incident took place on Monday morning, with the girls sustaining head and other injuries as a result of the jump, according to Damoh police. The incident took place around 10 am under the jurisdiction of Tejgarh police AP WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump has said that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminium imports starting Monday. He added that the metals tariffs would apply to “everybody,” including Canada and Mexico, America’s allies and its largest trading partners. Trump also said he planned to announce massive new reciprocal tariffs  this week, which could match other countries’ tariffs on US goods dollar-for-dollar. However, he did not specify which nations would be targeted, or if there would be any exemptions. "If they charge us, we charge them," Trump said. 4Continued on | P8 Russian Su-57 and the American F-35 Lightning II," the Defence Ministry said on Sunday. It marks a "milestone in global defence collaboration" and technological advancement, offering aviation enthusiasts and defence experts an unparalleled prospect to witness these state-of-the-art warplanes, the ministry said. 4Continued on | P8 French President Emmanuel Macr o n , meanwhile, told CNN in an interview that he would not have any qualms about confronting Donald Trump head-on should the US president make good on his threats to impose tariffs on Europe. Macron also warned that Americans would feel the pinch of any tariff measures in the form of higher prices. Canada and Mexico are key steel suppliers to the US, with Canada being the top exporter and Mexico the third largest. 4Continued on | P8 other passengers joined in. In panic, the girls jumped from the moving bus, injuring themselves. Villagers who witnessed the incident stopped the bus and informed police. 4Continued on | P8 Mamta Kulkarni resigns from spiritual post Biswajeet Banerjee PRAYAGRAJ Former Bollywood actressturned-spiritual figure Mamta Kulkarni has voluntarily stepped down from her recently appointed role as Mahamandaleshwar of the Kinnar Akhara. Announcing her decision through a video on social media, she emphasized her commitment to a spiritual life and asserted that she remains a Sadhvi, as she has been for the past 25 years. Kulkarni cited growing opposition within the Akhara as a key reason for her resignation. 4Continued on | P8 Sonia Gandhi urges Centre to complete population census Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar agility as it took off after a short run on the runway and turned swiftly in the air at ease requiring little space. The F35 too required little time on the runway for a quick take off. Its agility was quite impressive. "For the first time in history, Aero India 2025 will witness the participation of two of the world's most advanced fifthgeneration fighter aircraft -- the station. Police station incharge Abhishek Patel said that the two girls were waiting by the roadside for a bus when one arrived. After boarding, they were reportedly harassed by the conductor, and it is alleged that the driver and two NEW THREAT: 25% TARIFF ON STEEL NEW DELHI Russian SU-57, US F-35 come face-to-face BENGALURU paved the people’s path to the holy city. This is the reason why those who have come to Prayagraj want to take a holy bath at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. They are not ready to return home empty-handed. But women and children are more harassed than anyone.  Despite this, there is no dearth of vehicles going towards Prayagraj, which has turned into a sea of humanity. 2 girls jump from bus to escape molestation Our Staff Reporter President Droupadi Murmu took a sacred dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj on Monday during the Mahakumbh Mela. She offered prayers at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, promoting unity and social harmony. Before entering the water, she performed rituals by offering flowers and a coconut. She also prayed to Lord Surya by performing Arghya and took multiple dips in the holy waters. After her bath, she participated in a puja with Vedic recitations and aarti. She also performed a Dugdh Abhishek, offering milk at the confluence, and presented akshat, naivedya, flowers, fruits, and a red chunri. MUMBAI lion Stargate AI project, supported by tech giants like OpenAI and SoftBank. High-profile attendees at the summit will include US Vice President JD Vance, on his first overseas trip since taking office, Only Kalpavas is ending on Poornima (full moon), but people think this is the day when Mahakumbh will end, but the administration has failed to check this canard. And because of this, the number visitors to Prayagraj swelled up.   Faith prevails over jamsAlthough there was a massive traffic snarl-up, it could hardly deter the crowd from going to Prayagraj. It seemed faith PRAYAGRAJ Modi pads up as AI player At the invitation of President Macron, Prime Minister Modi has arrived in France for a three-day visit to co-chair the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris. French President Macron is poised to announce a monumental $112.5 billion in private AI investments, positioning France as a formidable player in the global AI race. This move is widely seen as a direct response to the U.S.’s $500 bil- traffic snarl-up of several kilometers near Mahoba on Sunday night when vehicles got stuck up for more than ten hours. Kumbh to end on February 26; misconception about Feb 12- Mahakumbh in Prayagraj will end on February 26 with the bathing on Mahashivratri. Nevertheless, there is a misconception among people that Mahakumbh would end with bathing on February 12. In view of the ongoing traffic chaos on the RewaPrayagraj route, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has urgedpeople travelling to Mahakumbh to wait for one or two days before proceeding. He advised them to check whether the road is clear in Rewa before continuing their journey. With a significant number of devotees from Madhya Pradesh, especially the Rewanchal region, and neighbouring states heading to Prayagraj, the surge in traffic has put a strain on the roads. In his message, CM acknowledged the challenges posed by the heavy influx of people but assured that the state government, in coordination with local authorities, is working diligently to manage the situation and ensure smooth travel for all. The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of checking road conditions before travelling and reassured that the government is fully prepared to manage the flow of traffic efficiently. Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi on Monday urged the Centre to complete the population Census at the earliest saying the delay in its completion was depriving around 14 crore people of the country of the benefits of the National Food Security Act. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the Zero Hour, Gandhi said the NFSA was introduced by the UPA government in 2013 to ensure nutritional security for the country’s population. She said under the scheme, 75 Insists delay has deprived 14 crore people of food security benefits per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population are entitled to receive subsidised food grains. However, Gandhi, who was the chairperson of UPA, said the benefits of NFSA were not flowing to all the intended beneficiaries since they are still being identified on the basis of the 2011 Census and not the actual population numbers now. This discrepancy, she said, has arisen because the new Census has not been completed. “The quota for beneficiaries is still being determined based on the 2011 Census which is now over a decade old. The decennial Census has been delayed for more than four years. Though it was originally scheduled to be completed by 2021, there is still no clarity on when it would be conducted,” she said. She added that an early conduct of the Census appeared unlikely in view of the allocations made in the Union Budget.