Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | 31 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 171 | www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) NATION Murshidabad violence orchestrated by 'outsiders', will visit troubled areas in May: Mamata GAMES Cinema Actor Kartik Aaryan’s naag-roop unveiled Resilient MI will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an away game today Edit Regional linguistic spirit may not work politically in Maha TARGET KASHMIR | Hit comes as US Vice President is visiting, the tourist season is picking up. It pierces the claims that normalcy has returned to the region 27 die in terror attack M Saleem Pandit PAHALGAM (J&K), Terrorists opened fire on tourists at a famed meadow at Baisaran near Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon killing 27 people in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019. The toll could go higher. The dead included two foreigners and two locals, a high ranking official said. It comes even as US Vice President J D Vance is visiting India and just as the tourist and trekking season is picking up momentum, took place around 3 pm, officials said. It also comes ahead of the Amarnath Yatra. Baisaran, about six kilometres from the resort town of Pahalgam, is an expansive meadow ringed by dense pine forests and mountains and a favourite with visitors from across Briefs Gold breaches `1 lakh Gold prices rocketed by ₹1,800 to ₹1,01,600 per 10 grams in Delhi on Tuesday, breaching the ₹1 lakh mark for the first time, driven by festive demand ahead of Akshaya Tritiya and wedding season. Prices of 99.5% purity gold soared even higher to ₹1,02,100. The rally is underpinned by global economic uncertainty, a weakening dollar, and tensions between President Donald Trump and US Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Comex gold crossed $3,500 for the first time. Despite record levels, demand remains firm due to strong cultural sentiments. Silver prices stayed flat at ₹98,500 per kg in domestic markets. Pope funeral on Saturday Pope Francis will be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major following his funeral on Saturday at 10 AM. His body will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica starting Wednesday. A solemn procession will escort his coffin from Casa Santa Marta, with prayers led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell. The funeral Mass, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will be held at the parvis of St. Peter’s. As per his wishes, the rites will be simple and faith-focused. The 88-year-old Pontiff, who died on Easter Monday, had earlier approved revised papal funeral liturgies emphasising humility and pastoral service. Hospitals liable The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission’s ruling, holding a hospital vicariously liable for the medical negligence of its doctor, which led to a patient's death. The NCDRC had awarded ₹20 lakh in compensation—₹15 lakh from the hospital and ₹5 lakh from the doctor. The hospital’s appeal was dismissed by Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih, who found sufficient evidence of negligence. Considering the deceased was a young B.Tech graduate with modest earnings, the Court accepted ₹10 lakh already deposited by the hospital, with interest, as just compensation, deeming it adequate to serve the interests of justice. PM cuts visit short Prime Minister Modi cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and was to leave Jeddah on Tuesday night. There were reports he had skipped some of the official engagements. He is to chair the cabinet meeting on security on Wednesday morning. the country and the world. The remote area is close to the Amarnath Yatra base camp. Armed terrorists came into the grassland, referred to as 'mini Switzerland', and started firing at tourists milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking, officials and eyewitnesses said. 4Contd on | nation 4Trump, Putin, Vance U-TURN ON HINDI FROM CLASSES 1-5 Prajakta Pol MUMBAI Following strong opposition from various quarters to the decision of making Hindi compulsory from Classes 1 to 5, the state government on Tuesday announced that Hindi would no longer be mandatory but optional. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse faced a barrage of questions from journalists at the Mantralaya regarding the controversial move. He said there had been discussion on the subject for an hour and a half after which it was decided to withdraw the term "compulsory.” He further stated that, in light of the widespread opposition, Hindi will now be treated as an optional subject. A revised Government Resolution would soon be issued, allowing students to choose their third language. 4Contd on | nation condemn attack | nation Dhankhar takes aim at SC again SC to see if TN case GOVERNOR'S ASSENT TO BILLS applies to Kerala Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Agencies Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday again took a plunge into the judiciary versus legislature debate when while addressing a Delhi University meet he criticised the overreach of the judiciary and declared that “Parliament is supreme”. Addressing the celebrations of the 75 years of the Constitution, which took place at the University of Delhi, the Vice President further stated that the elected representatives are the ultimate masters as to what the Constitution's content would be. He said: “There is no visualisation in Constitution of any There is no visualisation in Constitution of any authority above Parliament. Parliament is supreme and that being the situation, let me tell you, it is as supreme as every individual in the country. authority above Parliament. Parliament is supreme and that being the situation, let me tell you, it is as supreme as every individual in the country.” 4Contd on | nation NEW DELHI The recent judgement in the Tamil Nadu's Governor's case which laid down timelines for the assent to Bills, will not cover the case of Kerala, the Attorney General and the Solicitor General told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The submission was made to a bench comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Joymalya Bagchi which was considering a writ petition filed by the State of Kerala in 2023 against the Governor's delay in deciding on the Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly. Senior Advocate K K Venugopal appearing for the Kerala Gov- GOVT TURNS SCREW ON CHARITY HOSPITALS Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI Stung by public outrage over the recent death of a pregnant woman denied treatment at a Pune hospital, the Maharashtra Law and Judiciary Department has issued strict directives to all charity hospitals registered under the Maharashtra Public Charitable Trust Act. These hospitals must now prioritise emergency admissions and treatment for patients from poor and weaker sections, even in the absence of advance payments. The sweeping directives follow the findings of a state-appointed committee probing the death of 26-year-old Tanisha State mandates emergency care, slams denial of treatment. Hospitals must report indigent fund use online Bhise, who was turned away by Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital for failing to deposit a hefty advance of ₹10 lakh. The committee, led by the Joint Charity Commissioner of Pune, has submitted a set of recommendations that the state has promptly begun enforcing. Under the new rules, all hospitals registered as charitable in- stitutions must now obtain prior clearance from the Charity Hospital Relief Section (CHRS)—a dedicated cell at Mantralaya— for surgeries, treatments, and to allot beds reserved for the underprivileged. Hospitals are expected to admit emergency cases and immediately register them online, following which the proposal for assistance will be escalated to CHRS. Though not compulsory, hospitals are also urged to enrol in state and central schemes such as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jana Aarogya Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, and Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram. 4Contd on | nation ernment, told the bench that the judgment delivered in the Tamil Nadu Governor's case covered the case of Kerala as well, Live Law reported. "Matter covered by the recent judgment. The issue is what is the timelimit for reference to the President. That is held to be three months. That is based on a circular issued by the Govt of India," Venugopal said. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta  said that he needed time to examine the impact of the judgment. "Solicitor General has to say if it is covered directly or not," Venugopal submitted. To which SG said, "It is not covered." 4Contd on | nation Hearing on plea against Dubey he Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear next week a plea which flagged BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's recent criticism of the apex court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, and sought removal of derogatory videos from social media platforms. The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih. The bench said the matter would be listed for hearing next week. T US push to yield on Walmart, Amazon FPJ News Service MUMBAI US President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to press Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for full access to the country’s booming $125 billion e-commerce market for American giants Amazon and Walmart. The demand, revealed in a Financial Times (FT) report on Tuesday, marks a key point of contention in ongoing trade negotiations between the world’s largest and oldest democracies. Adding political heft to this pressure campaign, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said in Jaipur on Tuesday that the Trump administration sought trade partners on the basis of fairness and shared national interest. "We are especially excited to formally announce that America and India have officially finalised the terms of reference for the trade negotiation. I think this is a vital step towards realising President Trump's and PM Modi's vision, because it sets a roadmap towards a final deal between our nations. I believe there is much that America and India can accomplish to- Gen Joel Bowll with Waker-Uz-Zaman, the Bangladesh army chief and (R) Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar. US Vice President gether," he said.“We want to build relationships with countries that respect their workers and the value of their labour— not those who game the system by propping up national champions at the expense of foreign participants,” . 4Contd on | nation MUMBAI In a moment of triumph that has lit up Pune’s academic circles, 26-year-old Archit Parag Dongre has secured All India Rank 3 in the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024. A proud son of Maharashtra, Archit’s achievement not only places him among the top three in the country but also makes him the highest-ranking candidate from the state this year. 4Contd on | nation PTI MUMBAI JEDDAH Bengaluru’s morning calm which was shattered on Sunday by an ugly road rage incident has now taken a U-turn, threatening to spiral into a highprofile legal tangle. Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose of the Indian Air Force, en route to the airport with his wife, Squadron Leader Madhumita Dutta, found himself entangled—both literally and legally—with a local biker, Vikas Kumar, in the city’s Byappanahalli area. The encounter, initially painted by Bose as an “attack by Kannada- are believed to be in touch with Rohingya militants. These rebels, curiously, have been fighting against the Arakanese alongside the Myanmar army, even though it was the Myanmar military regime which turfed them out to Bangladesh. Some say the Rohingya ire against the Arakan Army may be because they were "paid" to fight them. Others believe the Rohingya rebels see the Arakanese, not the junta, as their bigger enemy. PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Jeddah on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he was to hold talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to strengthen the friendship between the two countries. "Landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This visit will strengthen the friendship between India and Saudi Arabia. Eager to take part in the various programmes today and tomorrow," Modi posted on X in English and Arabic along with pictures. This is his third visit to the Gulf kingdom, and the first to the historic city of Jeddah. As a special gesture, the PM's aircraft was escorted by F-15s of the Royal Saudi Air Force in Saudi airspace. It is being seen as deepening of defence cooperation between the two countries. In an interview to Arab News ahead of his visit, the PM hailed the "limitless potential" of bilaterla ties and said: "India and Saudi Arabia will keep moving forward together -- for peace, progress and prosperity, not just for our people, but for the entire world." 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation speaking locals,” has since morphed into a public brawl under intense scrutiny. What began with a clipped mirror and a few exchanged words quickly escalated into fisticuffs. Videos captured by bystanders show the decorated officer throwing punches and kicks, even as his wife tried to pull him back. 4Contd on | nation The growing B’desh-US-China-Myanmar tangle Last Sunday, Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar made a strange claim: the Arakan Army had entered the Chittagong Hill Tracts and organized Arakanese New Year functions with the tribal civilian population of that area, many of whom are tied to the Arakanese and tribals from northeast India by ties of blood, religion, and, of course,  history. Mia Parwar, in a strongly worded statement, condemned J D Vance BENGALURU ROAD RAGE PUNE PRIDE: LIMITLESS Archit ranks New twist: murder bid POTENTIAL UPSC third Vikrant Jha charge on IAF officer IN SAUDI TIES: PM FPJ News Service Arakan rebels in Chittagong Jayanta Roy Chowdhury We want to build relationships with countries that respect their workers and the value of their labour—not those who game the system by propping up national champions at the expense of foreign participants. what he termed an attack on his country’s sovereignty. Though many analysts thought that was a bit rich, seeing how his party had in the 1970s fought to keep Bangladesh under Pakistan’s yoke. The Yunus government— which Jamaat strongly supports—and the Bangladesh Army had either failed to detect these Arakanese intrusions or failed to push out the heavily armed soldiers of the rebel army.  Over the last year, the Arakan Army has routed the Myanmarese army from almost the whole of Arakan state and much of Chin state. There had been whispers of earlier intrusions and even the takeover of some border posts from the Bangladesh Border Guards by the Arakanese. The Jamaat's statement was the confirmation of what had long been suspected. The Jamaat is heavily invested in the Rohingya refugees from Arakan, who are camped in two divisions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts area – Cox’s Bazar and Ramu – and