FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 110 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | OCTOBER 3, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports DEVINE TON SPARKS GRIT, NOT GLORY P.12 FP News Service KHANDWA Briefs GUWAHATI Murder charge on Zubeen’s manager Rescue operation underway CM ANNOUNCES RS 4L EX GRATIA hief Minister Mohan Yadav was in Delhi when he came to know about the incident. He announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to next of kin of every deceased and directed the district administration to ensure proper treatment to survivors. C handed over to their family members for last rites. The search operation for missing persons has ended with the body of a minor being retrieved, taking the toll to 11. An additional SDRF team has been sent to the spot. ‘We have learnt that five to six devotees survived,’ an official said. According to information received, 20-25 people from Jamli and Ardla villages were aboard the trolley, which was overcrowded. 4Continued on | P8 Rajnath’s stern warning to Pak... ...any misadventure in Sir Creek will invite decisive response BAREILLY (UP) Security was beefed up across four districts in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly division on Thursday in view of Dussehra, with security personnel out on the streets and drones in the air, while the government has also ordered suspending internet services in Bareilly district for 48 hours, officials said. BHOPAL UJJAIN PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Trump’s Gaza gamble P.6 Cinema Four years of love P.14 Us vs Them mentality unacceptable, says Bhagwat in RSS centenary address Bats for ‘swadeshi’, need to enhance security capabilities; flags unrest in neighbourhood PTI NAGPUR Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the inherent strength and character of Hindu society guarantee national unity and development, asserting that it is an inclusive force free from the divisive mentality of "us and them." Addressing the annual Vijayadashmi rally in Nagpur, which marked the organisa- India, China direct flights to resume from October 26 tion's centenary, he said global interdependence shouldn't become a compulsion and there is no substitute for `swavalamban' (self-reliance). The RSS chief also called for increasing security capabilities, stating that the international response to the Pahalgam terror attack showed the true nature of India's global friendships. Speaking on a wide-range of issues at the function attended by former president Ram Nath The Hindu society is upholder and guardian of the noble idea of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (world is one family) n Mohan Bhagwat RSS chief Kovind as chief guest, he called for harmonious and respectful attitudes toward each other, urging citizens not to disrespect the beliefs, icons, or places of worship of others. 4Continued on | P8 Attack on democracy biggest threat to India: Rahul in Colombia PTI Ex-President Ram Nath Kovind and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat during RSS Vijayadashami Utsav in Nagpur, Maharashtra Gangsters contracted to kill Munawar Faruqi held NEW DELHI The Assam Police invoked murder charge against Zubeen Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta in connection with the death of the singer in Singapore last month, a senior officer said on Thursday. High alert in Bareilly EDITIONS: MONEY IDOL IMMERSION tragedy KILLS 11 fp iii QUALITY @ VALUE ZOMATO, HDFC PENSION JOIN HANDS KHANDWA MISHAP | Tractor-trolley carrying idols of Goddess Durga for immersion on Vijayadashmi plunges into a lake At least eleven people including men, women and children drowned when a tractor-trolley carrying devotees for idol immersion plunged into a river while crossing a culvert in Jamli village under Pandhana police station area on Thursday. The three injured in the accident were referred to Khandwa District Hospital for treatment. The information was confirmed by Khandwa SP Manoj Rai. All the bodies had been retrieved with the help of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers. The deceased were taken to Pandhana Community Health Centre. The post-mortem of the deceased might be carried out on priority basis so that the bodies could be ESTD-1983 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the Shastra Pooja on Vijayadashmi, in Bhuj Sector PTI NEW DELHI/BHUJ In a stern warning to Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said any misadventure by Islamabad in the Sir Creek sector will invite a "decisive response" that could be strong enough to change both "history and geography". Singh's remarks from a military base near the India-Pakistan border in the city of Bhuj in Gujarat came against the backdrop of the neighbouring country expanding military infrastructure in the disputed region. The defence minister celebrated Dussehra with soldiers and performed "Shastra Puja" (worship of weapons) on the occasion. He also said the Indian military successfully achieved all the objectives of Operation Sindoor and that starting a war with Pakistan by escalating the situation was not its intention. The operation "exposed" Pakistan's air defence and proved India's "decisive capability", Singh said. However, his comments on the disputed Sir Creek sector drew much attention. "If Pakistan dares to act in the Sir Creek sector, the reply will be so strong that it will change both history and geography," the defence minister said. 4Continued on | P8 PTI NEW DELHI Direct flights between India and China will resume this month after more than four years, with IndiGo set to restart services connecting Kolkata and Guangzhou from October 26. The civil aviation ministry on Thursday said direct air services between India and China will resume by the end of October, following continuous technicallevel engagement between civil aviation authorities as part of broader efforts to normalise bilateral ties. Direct flights were operational between the two countries till early 2020 before being suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Indian and Chinese carriers had direct services. 4Continued on | P8 Claiming that there is a "wholesale attack on the democratic system" in India currently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said allowing different traditions to thrive is important for the country, as "we cannot do what China does, which is to suppress people and run an authoritarian system". Speaking at the EIA University in Medellin, Colombia, Gandhi said India has a much more complex system as compared with China and India's strengths are very different from that of the neighbouring country. 4Continued on | P8 Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from central India, including Madhya Pradesh, is likely to begin around October 9, as persistent lowpressure systems over the Bay of Bengal continue to delay its retreat, according to latest In a first-of-its-kind tradition, the Border Security Force (BSF) Academy at Gwalior celebrated this year's Vijayadashami on Thursday by worshipping drones as weapons, reflecting the changing dynamics of modern warfare. This year's Dussehra cel- ‘DEFAMING INDIA ON FOREIGN SOIL’ The BJP on Thursday came down heavily on Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks made during his visit to Colombia, accusing him of defaming India on foreign soil and showing “affection for China.” Senior BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was unfortunate that on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami, instead of extending greetings to Indians, Rahul Gandhi chose to criticise the country abroad. Two members of the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar-Virender Charan gang, allegedly tasked with eliminating stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqi, were arrested after a gunfight on Jaitpur-Kalindi Kunj Road here on Thursday, police said. Identified as Rahul and Sahil, the two hail from Panipat and Bhiwani of Haryana, they said. According to investigators, both men had been taking instructions from foreign-based gangster Rohit Godara, who was working with Goldy Brar and Virender Charan, to kill Faruqi. 4Continued on | P8 forecasts. The monsoon is yet to withdraw completely from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Meteorological officials said that fresh low-pressure formations in the Bay of Bengal are still bringing rain to eastern, central and western regions of the country, preventing full withdrawal of the system. The official monsoon season ended on September 30, but its retreat from central India is now expected nearly 10 days late. The delay could result in above-normal rainfall across many parts of the region during October. Conditions are expected to turn favourable for withdrawal from parts of central India and Uttar Pradesh around October 9. A yellow alert has been issued for several districts. Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning are likely at isolated places in Anuppur, Umaria, Dindori and Katni. 4Continued on | P8 Classical vocalist Channulal Mishra dies PTI NEW DELHI Hindustani classical singer Pandit Channulal Mishra died of age-related ailments at his daughter's home in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur in the early hours of Thursday. He was 89. "He was admitted to the hospital for the last 17-18 days with age related issues. He passed away at home this morning at around 4 am," his daughter Namrata Mishra told PTI. He is survived by his son, tabla player Ramkumar Mishra, and three daughters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed his grief at the death of Pandit Channulal Mishra, and said he made an invaluable contribution to establishing Indian musical traditions on a global stage. BSF Academy’s first-ever drone puja ANI n Rahul Gandhi PTI NEW DELHI Monsoon likely to exit from MP around Oct 9 modern warfare meets tradition GWALIOR I am very optimistic about India, but at the same time, there are fault lines within the Indian structure, there are risks that India has to overcome. The single-biggest risk is the attack on democracy that is taking place in India ebrations took a historic turn when BSF Academy Director Shamsher Singh, along with BSF personnel, performed weapon worship of drones, marking their inclusion in India's evolving security arsenal. BSF Additional Director General and Director of the academy Shamsher Singh was seen putting tikka on various weapons, and putting the mala on the drones in the presence of other officers. Officials highlighted that the step symbolises the dawn of a new strategic era, with BSF recently establishing a 'School of Drone Warfare' at the academy an initiative that aims to equip troops with cutting-edge capabilities in line with emerging threats along India's borders. 4Continued on | P8 Triumph of good over evil Effigies of Ravan, Meghnadh and Kumbhkaran burnt at TT Nagar Dussehra Maidan in Bhopal on Thursday Madhya Pradesh HC denies bail to ‘journos’ in SC/ST case IANS JABALPUR The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail pleas of individuals who claimed to be journalists and were accused of blackmailing and physically assaulting a Dalit woman teacher in Dhar’s Sardarpur. A single-judge bench of Justice Gajendra Singh denied re- lief to Mukesh Kumawat and Mohit Jat, who were accused in a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The judge observed that the statutory bar on grant of anticipatory bail under Section 18 of the Act applied, as the allegations in the FIR disclosed a prima facie case of castebased insult and humiliation. Allegedly, the accused not only blackmailed and physically assaulted a Dalit woman teacher, but also demanded Rs 1 lakh and threatened to circulate videos defaming her. During the altercation, they also used casteist slurs. 4Continued on | P8