FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLII No. 111 | INDORE | SUNDAY | SEPTEMBER 28, 2025 | Pages 18 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports 7 MAA KATYAYANIE COLOUR: ORANG Mishra declares ‘India miles ahead of Pak’ ahead of final P.18 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD UNSC fails to adopt resolution on Iran nuclear deal extension UJJAIN PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Readers’ Corner Biological Age vs.... P.8 Cinema Rani: Just the beginning P.16 FREE PRESS Pic by Pintu Namdev & Anand Shivre CHAOS AT KARUR | Actor Vijay’s roadshow turns fatal with over 50 rushed to hospitals following overcrowding Over 36 die in TN stampede N Chithra CHENNAI JHARSUGUDA Swadeshi 4G launched In a major boost to telecommunication infrastructure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated BSNL's 'Swadeshi' 4G stack, marking India's entry into a coveted league of nations that manufacture telecom equipment. Modi also commissioned more than 97,500 mobile 4G towers. In one of the worst tragedies at a political roadshow, over 36 persons including several children were killed following a stampede at actor-politician Vijay’s roadshow in Karur in western Tamil Nadu on Saturday night. With many more being rushed in a critical condition in ambulances to various hospitals – at the time of filing of this report at 9 pm – the casualty is likely to go up. Health Minister Ma Subramanian confirmed 29 persons were brought dead to the Karur Government General Hospital and over 50 others were undergoing treatment. Independent reports from the ground suggested at least 33 were dead. The Karur Government General Hospital was overflowing with the arrival of patients and wailing relatives. Subramanian said 24 doctors from neighbouring Tiruchi district and 20 doctors from Salem were being rushed to Karur to handle the situation. Chief Minister M K Stalin, who expressed serious concern over the development, directed Health Minister Ma Subramanian and School Education Minister, local legislators and the district administration to monitor and handle the tragedy on a warfooting. The stampede occurred around 7.30 to 8 pm when Vijay, who is the reigning superstar of Tamil cinema, arrived to address a gathering of thousands of supporters and curious onlookers who had been waiting at the spot since morning. Vijay, the founder of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), had been undertaking a roadshow of sorts, in select districts, every Saturday. The Karur visit was his third such weekend show. Although he was supposed to address the crowd at the spot at 3 pm, he arrived there around 7.15 pm after travelling in his campaign caravan from the neighbouring Namakkal district, where he addressed a meeting earlier in the day. 4Continued on | P10 Probe on Wangchuk’s ‘links with Pakistan’ No burning of Sonam effigy on Dussehra: HC Our Staff Reporter/ INDORE M Saleem Pandit SRINAGAR Director General of Police of Ladakh, S D Singh Jamwal, on Saturday claimed that Sonam Wangchuk was being probed for alleged links with Pakistan during last year's agitation over the incorporation of the Sixth Schedule in the Constitution to give more rights to the Union Territory of Ladakh. He disclosed that the police had arrested a Pakistani intelligence operative last month, who was found sending videos of his protests across to his mentors in Pakistan. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) on Friday, and he provoked youth to violence demanding statehood for the Union Territory, which resulted in the deaths of four youths and injuries to 80 others on Wednesday last, DG Jamwal said. Wangchuk was on hunger strike over the inclusion of the Sixth Schedule and the restoration of statehood for Ladakh after it was carved out of Jammu and Kashmir and shaped as a UT on August 5 2019. Ladakhis have been demanding a separate region for themselves, which could be under direct control of New Delhi for decades. Two days after the violence, Leh police detained Wangchuk near his residence under the NSA, 1980, which allows detention for up to 12 months without trial. The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Saturday prohibited the burning of effigies of Sonam Raghuvanshi and other women accused in criminal cases during Dussehra celebrations in Indore. The ruling came in response to a petition filed by Sonam’s mother, Sangeeta Raghuvanshi, after a local organisation announced plans to burn effigies of several women, including Sonam. The group, named Paurush (People Against Unequal Rules Used to Shelter Harassment), had planned an “11-head effigy” event symbolising “Surpanakha dahan,” featuring women accused of murdering their husbands. Sonam gained nationwide attention earlier this year after being accused of plotting her husband Raja Raghuvanshi’s murder during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Raja went missing on May 23 and his mutilated body was later discovered on June 2 in a ravine near a waterfall in Cherrapunji (Sohra), East Khasi Hills. 4Continued on | P10 EAM flags tariff volatility ANI NEW YORK External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called upon BRICS to defend the multilateral trading system amid tariff volatility during a meeting of the BRICS Foreign Ministers here on the sidelines of t h e UN General Assembly session. Addressing the gathering, Jaishankar said that “when multilateralism is under stress, BRICS has stood firm as a strong voice of reason and constructive change.” He emphasised that in a turbulent world, BRICS must reinforce the message of peacebuilding, dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international law. Concerns over rising trade barriers took centre stage at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting. The meeting, held on Friday and chaired by the External Affairs Minister, highlighted India’s upcoming BRICS Chairship in 2026, a strong stand against terrorism, and calls for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms. The meeting saw unanimous support for India’s presidency next year. 4Continued on | P10 State panel to rework holiday calendar Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Hear petitions in recruitment case: SC tells MP HC Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Madhya Pradesh high court to hear petitions of the candidates selected on 87% posts of the recruitments held by the forest and jail departments. The MP HC had refused to hear the petitions as the Advocate General (AG) office had said that the petitioners were selected against 13% posts which were on hold. A special leave petition (SLP) was filed in the Supreme Court against the HC order dated June 20 this year. Senior advocate Rameshwar Thakur, who appeared on behalf of the petitioners, said that due to irregularities in the direct recruitment examination for the posts of forest department and assistant jail superintendent etc. The state government has set up a committee to review general, public and optional holidays. The committee will examine the holidays and rearrange them. The committee, set up in coordination with the Additional Chief Secretary (GAD), consists of ACS (Finance) and Home and the Principal Secretary (Revenue). When Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Ganesh Chaturthi as the state holiday, he said the holidays would be reviewed. Earlier, Ganesh Chaturthi was a local holiday. There are 26 general holidays in the state besides optional holidays. The collectors have the power to declare three local holidays on the basis of the importance of any festival.There are some general holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, which are applicable to the bank and treasury employees. 4Continued on | P10 4Continued on | P10