FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 245 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2025 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL Sports fp Briefs NEW DELHI Yamuna clean-up begins Trash skimmers, weed harvesters and dredge utility units were in action as the Yamuna cleaning work, which dominated the headlines in the runup to Delhi polls, began on Sunday. The action follows a meeting between Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the Chief Secretary of the national capital, where an immediate directive was issued to clean the Yamuna river. According to a statement from the Lieutenant Governor's office, there is a "four-pronged strategy" to tackle the issue of pollution in the Yamuna. "To begin with, the trash, garbage and silt in the Yamuna River stream will be removed. Simultaneously cleaning operations in the Najafgarh Drain, Supplementary Drain, and all other major drains will start," read the statement. LUDHIANA AAP leader’s wife killed The wife of a local AAP leader was killed by robbers near a village here, police said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday night near Rurka village, around 40 km from here, they said. AAP leader Anokh Mittal and his wife Lipsy Mittal were returning home after having dinner at a hotel on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla road, said police. The robbers intercepted their car and attacked the couple with sharp-edged weapons. Lipsy Mittal, 33, died on the spot while her husband, who is a local trader, received serious injuries and was admitted to a private hospital, they said. MONEY IPL 2025: KKR vs RCB to ignite season P.10 UJJAIN Ayurveda, a blessing, but ignorance and apathy betrayed Indians, says senior scientist PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK Brand Sutra Simpler Claims P.12 Musk’s DOGE nixes $21 mn for ‘voter turnout in India’ DOGE in a post on X announced cancelling many programmes costing hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars NEW YORK The US Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk has announced a series of expenditure cuts, including USD 21 million meant to influence "voter turnout in India." US President Donald Trump chose Musk to head the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last month. Tasked with improving governance and curbing wasteful expenditures, the DOGE in a post on X on Saturday announced cancelling many programmes costing hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars. The department said, "US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all (of) which have been cancelled..." The list included USD 486 million in grants to the "Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening" including USD 21 million for "voter turnout in India" and USD 22 million for "inclusive and participatory political process" in Moldova. Another $29 million was slated for "strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh" - a country that witnessed political turmoil amid allegations of US 'deep state' involvement in the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. No further details on the funding were given in the post. Reacting to the post, senior BJP leader Amit Malviya termed the grant as 'external interference' in India's elections. He questioned who the beneficiary was, asserting that it was 'not the ruling party for sure'. "USD 21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India's electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!" the BJP's IT department head said on X. He claimed that the now cancelled programme was a pointer to the previous Congress-led UPA government allegedly enabling infiltration of Indian institutions by forces opposed to the country's interests. This comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to the US, during which he held talks with President Trump, as well as Musk. The SpaceX CEO met Modi with his family, including three children. The two discussed German Prez's X account hacked, changed to Bihar govt handle Online Report NEW DELHI The official X (formally Twitter) account of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been reportedly hacked and modified to look like a handle of the Bihar government's Water Resources Department. There has been no official communication from the German government regarding the incident, but media reports pointed out that earlier hackers made the account look like a verified page of the erstwhile Nazi Party's chief Adolf Hitler. The alleged hack was first flagged by several X users after the account's user name was changed to @adolf_gov. Its description was changed to "Make Germany Great Again", taking a leaf out of US President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign. "Make Germany Great Again. Decentralisation is what will help me to implement my plans," read the description of the account with 57 thousand followers. The verified X account of BRICS News posted that the account belonged to the German president and had been hacked. 4Continued on | P8 The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered a drone and two packets of narcotics at two different places in Ferozepur and Amritsar border area on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off regarding the smuggling of drugs by drone at two different places in (Ferozepur and Amritsar border area), the BSF's intelligence wing spurred into action. The BSF troops rushed to the suspected area and carried out extensive search operations. JAMMU Brief exchange of fire at LoC A brief exchange of fire occurred on Sunday on the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K’s Poonch district. Officials said that an Indian army post came under fire from a forested area across the LoC in the Gulpur sector of Poonch district.“Indian army soldiers retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted for a very brief period. There was no damage on the Indian side. It was not clear whether the Pakistan army was behind the firing, or it was terrorists hiding in the forests,” officials said. Unable to board, people vandalise Kumbh spl train PTI AMETHI Two coaches of the special train running for Maha Kumbh were vandalised by passengers at the Guru Gorakhnath Dham railway station here after they were unable to board due to locked doors, officials said on Sunday. The incident occurred around 1:15 am when Kumbh Special Train number 04255, travelling from Lucknow to Prayagraj, arrived at the station. According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), nearly 300 devotees were waiting to board the train. However, passengers inside allegedly kept the doors locked, preventing new passengers from entering. 4Continued on | P8 Hands cuffed, legs chained, deportee shares ordeal US DEPORTATION PTI HOSHIARPUR Daljit Singh left his native village in Punjab for the US last year in a desperate bid to provide a better future for his family. On Saturday night, he landed in Amritsar in a US military aircraft, his hands cuffed and legs chained. A native of Kurala Kalan village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, Daljit was among 116 illegal Indian immigrants who were brought back in a US aircraft that landed at the Amritsar airport late on Saturday night. "Our legs were chained and hands were also cuffed throughout the journey. There were three women and three children on board who were US plane with 3rd batch of deportees lands A US military aircraft carrying 112 Indians landed at the Amritsar airport late on Sunday night, the third such flight bringing deportees as part of a crackdown by the Donald Trump administration against illegal immigrants. The plane landed at the airport at 10:03 pm, said sources not cuffed," Daljit told reporters after reaching his hometown, adding that the shackles were removed before the aircraft landed at Amritsar. 4Continued on | P8 BJP likely to choose next Delhi CM today PTI NEW DELHI PM sets Rs 9L cr target for textile export by 2030 opportunities in space, mobility, technology, and energy and exchanged notes on efforts at good governance in India and the US. In its post, the DOGE also cancelled USD 29 million allocated to "strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh", as well as USD 20 million for "fiscal federalism" in Nepal and USD 19 million for "biodiversity conversation" in the Himalayan nation. It also announced cutting a USD 10 million grant for "Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision", USD 2.3 million for "strengthening independent voices in Cambodia", USD 32 million to the Prague Civil Society Centre, USD 40 million for "gender equality and women empowerment hub" and USD 14 million for "improving public procurement" in Serbia, among other expenditure cuts. It also included USD 47 million for "improving learning outcomes in Asia". The newly-elected MLAs of the BJP are likely to meet here on Monday to choose the new chief minister of Delhi, party sources said. The national leadership of the BJP will send its observers for the legislature party meeting, in which the leader of the House in the Delhi Assembly will be elected, they said. The leader of the House will be the new chief minister of Delhi. The sources also said the new government in the national capital is likely to be formed with the oath-taking ceremony of the chief minister and council of ministers around February 19-20. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in Delhi after a gap of more than 26 years, winning the Assembly polls held on February 5. It ended the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) 10-year rule in Delhi. The saffron party won 48 of the 70 Assembly seats in the capital. The names of several newly-elected MLAs are doing the rounds for the posts of chief minister and ministers. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Stampede at New Delhi Rly Stn: Death toll climbs to 18 2 Gwalior abductors nabbed after shootout in Morena Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Passengers at New Delhi Railway Station FEROZEPUR BSF seizes drone, narcotics E-paper Edit Stampede semantics P.6 ELON’S LATEST MOVE | Grant was part of $486 million to Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening Agencies MUMBAI PTI NEW DELHI The death toll in the overnight stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station climbed to 18 on Sunday, with a senior railway official saying the incident occurred after some passengers slipped and fell on others while coming down from a footover bridge. More than a dozen people were also injured in the stampede at the railway station which witnessed a surge of passengers waiting to board trains for Prayagraj -- where the Maha Kumbh is underway -- on platform number 14 and 15 of the station. Hospital and police sources said the death toll has climbed to 18. Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay said that at the time of incident the Patna-bound Magadh Express was standing at platform number 14 and the New Delhi-Jammu Uttar Sampark Kranti Express was stationed at platform number 15. 4See also | P7 In a dramatic turn of events, Morena police arrested two men accused of kidnapping a six-year-old child from Gwalior after an encounter on Saturday night. The arrest followed a tense shootout near Kotwal Dam, where the suspects attempted to flee after firing at the police. The kidnapping took place on Thursday morning in Gwalior’s Morar area, when two men on a motorcycle abducted the child, identified as the son of Rahul Gupta, a local sugar merchant. The boy was on his way to school with his mother when the criminals attacked them, PTI NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he is optimistic that the textile sector will achieve the Rs 9 lakh crore annual exports target ahead of the 2030 deadline. This assumes significance in view of the General Budget 2025 announcement of a fiveyear Cotton Mission to increase cotton productivity especially of extra-long staple varieties. It allocated Rs 500 crore for the National Cotton Technology Mission. Speaking at the Bharat Tex 2025, Modi said, "We are currently ranked as the 6th largest exporter of textiles and apparel in the world, with textile exports valued at approximately Rs 3 lakh crore. Our goal moving forward is to triple this figure and achieve exports worth Rs 9 lakh crore. "This success is attributed to the hard work and consistent policies implemented over the past decade, which have led to a doubling of foreign invest- throwing chili powder into the mother’s eyes before abducting the child. The child was eventually found 14 hours later in a village near Morena, safely returned after being held captive for the duration. The abduction triggered a swift response from the police, leading to the arrest of the two suspects, Rahul Gurjar (28) and Bunty Gurjar (35), both from Morena. According to Superintendent of Police Sameer Saurabh, the breakthrough came after the police received a tip-off about the two suspects, who were believed to be plotting a robbery near Kotwal Dam on Saturday night. When the police team Jaishankar, Oman minister discuss investment, energy PTI MUSCAT External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held wideranging discussions with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi on bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and energy security. Jaishankar is in the Omani capital here to attend the 8th Indian Ocean Conference. "Delighted to meet FM @badralbusaidi of Oman this morning. Appreciate his personal efforts in successfully hosting the 8th Indian Ocean Conference," Jaishankar posted on X. "Held wide-ranging discussions on our cooperation in trade, investment and energy The Taj Mahal, a symbol of love, witnessed another kind of love story—one filled with loss, despair, and an unrelenting hope that stretched across 104 agonizing days. What began as a dream vacation for Dipayan and Kasturi Ghosh turned into a nightmare when their beloved Greyhound vanished, only to return in a twist of fate that defied all odds. Dipayan, an Air India officer, and Kasturi, his wife, had planned a short getaway to Agra, carrying with them not just their luggage but the love of their lives—their dog. The couple, originally from Delhi but now residing in Gurugram, checked into Hotel Taj View on November 1, 2024. They had visited Agra before, but this trip was different—this time, it was meant to be a celebration of their anniversary. November 3 started like any other day. The couple set off for Fatehpur Sikri, entrusting their dogs to the hotel staff. But by noon, their world crumbled. Their beloved Himachali Desi Grey- hound had gone missing. Panic set in. Calls were made, frantic searches began, but the dog had vanished like a whisper in the wind. Dipayan and Kasturi didn’t rest. They combed the streets, questioned vendors and rickshaw pullers, pasted posters across the Tajganj area, and reviewed endless CCTV footage. With every passing hour, hope dwindled. They accused the hotel of negligence, but the tried to arrest them, the accused opened fire. In response, the police returned fire, injuring the two men before taking them into custody. They were immediately admitted to the Morena district hospital for treatment. Further investigation revealed that the arrested suspects were part of a larger gang involved in the kidnapping. Rahul Gurjar, one of the suspects, disclosed that two other accomplices were involved in the crime. A manhunt has been launched to apprehend the remaining suspects, and authorities are confident of making their arrests soon. 4Continued on | P8 Woman alleges in-laws injected HIV-infected syringe over dowry demands PTI security," he said. The two leaders jointly released the logo celebrating the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations. They also jointly released a book titled 'Mandvi to Muscat: Indian Community and the Shared History of India and Oman'. 4Continued on | P8 Lost dog’s miraculous return after 104 days Biswajeet Banerjee 4Continued on | P8 SAHARANPUR emotional reunion AGRA ment in the textile sector during this period. He said, "The way work is being done, I think we will achieve this target ahead of the 2030 deadline." This success is attributed to the hard work and consistent policies implemented over the past decade, which have led to doubling of foreign investment in the textile sector during this period, he said. The sector is a major employment generator and contributes 11 per cent to the manufacturing sector. The Union Budget provided for an outlay of Rs 5,272 crore (in Budget Estimates) for the Ministry of Textiles for 2025-26. blame game did not matter—what mattered was finding him. The couple announced a reward of Rs 50,000, hoping that money might succeed where their tears had failed. Yet, days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The trail went cold. Friends told them to move on. Even family members gently urged them to accept the worst. 4Continued on | P8 A woman here has alleged that her in-laws administered an HIV-infected syringe to her after their dowry demands were not met, police said on Sunday. The allegation made by the woman's parents are under investigation, officials said. The woman's father told police that his daughter, Sonal, was married to Abhishek, from Haridwar in Uttarakhand on February 15, 2023, Station House Officer Rojant Tyagi said. He alleged that he had given cash, jewellery, and a car as dowry beyond the means, but her in-laws were dissatisfied and demanded a bigger car and an additional of Rs 25 lakh, the officer said citing the complaint. When the demand was not met, the groom's family allegedly harassed the woman mentally and physically before throwing her out of the house, the SHO added. After her health deteriorated, Sonal's parents admitted her to a hospital, where it was found that she was HIV positive, Tyagi said. Her parents alleged that she was given random medicines and was also administered an HIV-infected injection, which put her life in danger, the officer said.