FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 258 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | MARCH 2, 2025 | Pages 18 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Niki hails Virat’s unwavering spirit P.16 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN PUNE INDORE NASHIK The 'she' line Cinema A deal, a dilemma and a lot... P.15 Trump’s support crucial, says Zelenskyy as EU backs Ukraine Agencies Volodymyr in UK Following the public spat with US President Donald Trump regarding the ceasefire in the ongoing war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised that his country wants peace but stressed that a "just and lasting peace" is not possible without Kyiv being provided with security guarantees. Zelenskyy stressed that it would be difficult for Ukraine to sustain in the war without Trump's support, but they need to remain strong. In a long thread of posts on X, the Ukrainian President expressed his gratitude to the US government and the American people for its support in the fp Briefs SUKMA 2 Naxals killed in encounter Two Naxalites, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, a police official said. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said 67 hardcore Naxalites have been neutralised in the last 60 days in the state's Bastar range and called the achievement proof of the courage and commitment of the security personnel. The gunfight broke out around 9 am in the forest of Gundrajgudem village under the Kistaram police station area when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said. AGARTALA B’desh smuggler shot dead A Bangladeshi citizen was shot dead by BSF in Tripura's Sepahijala district after a group of smugglers from both sides of the international boundary attacked the border guards, the force said on Saturday. The BSF said one of its employees was also injured in the attack by the smugglers. A group of 20 to 25 Bangladeshi miscreants entered the Indian territory at Putia under Kalamchoura police station and met several Indian associates late on Friday evening. elenskyy arrives in the UK ahead of schedule to meet with Starmer British Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to meet Saturday afternoon with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the dramatic blowout with President Donald Trump at the White House. Zelenskyy had been due to meet with Starmer on Sunday, hours before taking part in a London summit of European leaders to discuss how to ensure a peaceful end to the war and provide security across the continent Z war against Russia but also urged for a "strong US position" on its side. Blaming Russia, whom he called the "enemy", for bringing the war into Ukrainian territory, Zelenskyy expressed fear that Moscow might again violate ceasefire like it did "25 times in last 10 years". "We are very grateful to the United States for all the sup- port. I'm thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion. America's help has been vital in helping us survive, and I want to acknowledge that. Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners. But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals," Zelenskyy stated. Zelenskyy said that he is ready to sign the bone of contention between Ukraine and the US- the minerals agreement in exchange for security; however, he needs the guarantee that Washington is on Kyiv's side. Blaze in chemical factory triggers panic; none hurt 4Continued on | P8 Cause still unclear hile the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, police and fire officials suspect that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze at the factory. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team visited the site to collect samples to determine the origin of the fire. W Shah: Ensure free movement of people in Manipur PTI Out of scope: Law ministry on reverting to ballot paper Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI NEW DELHI Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday directed security forces to ensure free movement of people on all routes in Manipur from March 8 and also called for strict action against those creating obstructions. Chairing a meeting to review the security situation of Manipur, he said the Centre remains fully committed to restoring lasting peace in the state and is providing all necessary assistance in this regard. This was the first such meeting held after the imposition of President's rule in the northeastern state, which has The Union Law Ministry is learnt to have told the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the ‘One Nation One Election’ Bills that the issue of reverting to the ballot paper system was “out of scope” of its purview. been witnessing ethnic violence since May 2023. Over 250 people have lost their lives in the violence. The home minister directed that free movement of people should be ensured on all roads of Manipur from March 8, according to an official statement. He also said that strict action should be taken against those creating obstructions on the roads. Citing sources, PTI said in response to suggestions made by some members of the Committee, which is examining two Bills related to ONOE, the Legislative Department of the ministry said the issue of return to ballot papers did not fall in the ambit of the panel. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 ONOE BILLS offgrid Assaulted, confined in room: IIT Baba FP Online Abhey Singh, aka IIT Baba, who gained fame during the Prayagraj Mahakumbh Mela, was reportedly assaulted at the newsroom of a private TV news channel in Noida. IIT Baba shared his ordeal in an Instagram LIVE session. According to reports, IIT Baba had visited a private news channel in Noida to participate in a debate. During this time, he alleg- "It will be difficult without the US support. But we can't lose our will, our freedom, or our people. We've seen how Russians came to our homes and killed many people. Nobody wants another wave of occupation. If we cannot be accepted to NATO, we need some clear structure of security guarantees from our allies in the US," he said. Zelenskyy said that although Europe was ready to fund their large army, they do not have enough weapons to keep Russia at bay. Meanwhile, European leaders rallied behind Zelenskyy, expressing strong solidarity in the wake of his heated verbal clash with Trump. 4Continued on | P8 edly faced misconduct and physical assault. Following the incident, he staged a sit-in protest outside a police station, though police later persuaded him to leave. IIT Baba narrated the entire incident during his Instagram live session. A complaint letter he filed with the police regarding the assault has also gone viral on social media. In the letter, he wrote: "I was invited for a debate. During this time, some saffron-clad individuals who had come from outside entered the newsroom and physically assaulted me. At that moment, one person also struck me with a stick. Later, I was forcibly confined in a room. I somehow managed to escape." MP budget to be worth Rs 4.25 lakh crore Finance dept has prepared budget, which will be presented before the Cabinet Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The state government is getting ready to put up the budget in the House for the financial year 2025-26. The assembly session is beginning from March 10, and the budget will be put up on March 12. The officials of the Finance Department have swung into action to prepare it. According to sources, this time, the government is planning to table a budget worth Rs 4.25 lakh crore. Before tabling it the House, the budget will be Plans are afoot to allot a huge amount of money to the development of tourist places presented before the cabinet. The government is getting ready to bring several new schemes in it. Religion and tourism will be given priority. Simhastha, Shrikrishna path, allotment of funds for development of Chitrakoot, plans for Amarkantak, development of temples in Ujjain and its surrounding areas will be included in the budget. Plans are afoot to allot a huge amount of money to the development of tourist places. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the formula of three T s tourism, textiles, and technology at the Global Investors Summit in Bhopal for devel- opment. The impact of Modi s formula will be seen in the upcoming budget. Because the budget is being put up after the GIS, provisions will be made to develop industrial areas. The government is also going to make provisions for funds to run the new buses. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had announced that government buses would be run. So, the state is getting ready to start a pilot project to run the buses in 2025-26. According to sources, the Water Resources Department, the Urban Development Department, and the Energy Department may get big amount. The government may announce special provisions for women. Under the provision, the government is mulling over giving incentives to women workers in an industry on the basis of their numbers. U’khand avalanche: Of 50 rescued, 4 die PTI DEHRADUN Fifty workers have been pulled out of snow from the site of an avalanche-hit BRO camp in the Mana village in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, but four of them died on Saturday as rescuers raced against time to save the remaining five. The avalanche hit the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp between Mana and Badrinath between 5:30 am and 6 Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A towering column of flames and thick black smoke erupted from a chemical factory in the Govindpura Industrial Area on Saturday afternoon, causing widespread panic among local residents. The fire, which reached up to 40 feet high, spewed toxic fumes into the air, triggering a chaotic scene as panicked locals scrambled for safety. The chemical factory, Anand Organics, located behind the Tata Mahindra showroom on JK Road, manufactures paints and thinners. The facility, owned by Prem Chawla, had a large stockpile of chemicals, including 40,000 litres of flammable substances, which quickly fuelled the blaze and made it difficult to contain. The fire that broke out around 1:30 pm, quickly engulfed the premises and spread to the chemical drums stored in the factory's backyard. E-paper Readers’ corner A Myth or a Social Question? P.6 WEEKEND OVAL OFFICE SPAT | Zelenskyy ready to sign minerals deal in exchange for security KYIV MUMBAI am on Friday, burying 55 workers inside eight containers and a shed, according to the Army. Rain and snowfall hampered the rescue efforts on Friday and the operation was suspended as the night fell. As the weather cleared up on Saturday morning, the Army and ITBP personnel resumed the rescue operation, District Disaster Management Officer N K Joshi said. 4Continued on | P8 PM reviews rescue ops rime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday and took stock about the rescue operation. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has left for Joshimath from Dehradun to take stock of the situation P Rescue ops underway in Chamoli