FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 254 | INDORE | THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 20, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports India look to rise above selection challenges P.12 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD Dilli Ki Bhagya Rekha NEW DELHI The BJP has chosen former South Delhi Mayor, first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, and three-time councillor Rekha Gupta as the 9th Chief Minister of Delhi. At 50, Gupta will become the fourth woman to hold this position, following Sushma Swaraj of the BJP, Sheila Dikshit of the Congress, and Atishi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Alongside Gupta, who was elected MLA from Shalimar Bagh, the party has also named former MP and New Delhi MLA Parvesh Verma as Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi. Verma, the son of former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma, emerged as a "giant killer" after defeating AAP national convener and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency. Sources indicate that Rekha Gupta will lead a six-member council, ensuring representation for all castes and communities that supported the BJP, including Jats, Baniyas, Punjabis, and Dalits. By appointing Gupta, the BJP has opted fp Briefs BENGALURU Kashmiri medico ragged A second-year MBBS student was allegedly assaulted at a medical college in Karnataka's Vijayapura. The victim, Hameem, a second-year MBBS student at AlAmeen Medical College is from Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag. The student has alleged that he was subjected to brutal ragging and threats by senior students from the 2019 batch which reportedly began on Tuesday evening during a cricket match. MOSCOW Putin, Trump meet this month Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could meet as early as this month, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday. "The Western media write a lot, our media write a lot ... Maybe, or maybe not," said Peskov when asked whether Putin and Trump could meet before the end of February. The meeting would require some preparation from the Russian foreign ministry, he said.Russian and US officials held talks on Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. for a representative from the Baniya community to succeed Kejriwal. Interestingly, like Kejriwal, Gupta also hails from Haryana. A former student leader who held various positions in the Delhi BJP unit, Gupta brings significant administrative experience, having served as Mayor of South Delhi in the trifurcated Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The selection of Verma as Deputy CM sends a strong message to the Jat community in Delhi and neighboring Haryana, signaling the BJP's continued support for them, contrary to the narrative projected by some opposition parties following the farmers' agitation in North India.Additionally, the BJP has appointed former Delhi unit president Vijender Gupta, who previously served as Leader of the Opposition, as the next Speaker of the Delhi Assembly. These decisions were finalized during a meeting of the BJP’s highest decision-making body, the Parliamentary Board, held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. Four women Naxals Delhi HC: killed in Balaghat Allow teen romances Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL/BALAGHAT FP News Service Sangam water fit for snan: Yogi The police operation against other Naxals is on. I congratulate Madhya Pradesh Police for this achievement in the fight against Naxalism vent fleeing Naxals from crossing into the neighbouring state. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav congratulatedcops for their swift action in neutralising Naxals. He said that the state government is committed to eliminating Naxalism by 2026, in line with Union Minister Amit Shah's national campaign. "Today, women Naxals were killed in Balaghat, and weapons were recovered from the encounter site. The police operation against other Naxals is on. I congratulate Madhya Pradesh Police for this achievement in the fight against Naxalism," CM Yadav said. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Chief Minister RRCAT unveils Indus-3 synchrotron accelerator PTI Our Staff Reporter LUCKNOW INDORE The water at the Sangam is fit for both bathing and ritual drinking (aachman) as confirmed by some recent reports, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Wednesday, amid claims it may contain high levels of faecal bacteria. He told the state assembly that the Uttar Pradesh Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board are continuously monitoring the water quality at the Sangam. On its 41st Foundation Day, the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) unveiled a groundbreaking project—Indus-3, a fourthgeneration synchrotron accelerator set to be 300 times more powerful than its predecessors, Indus-1 and Indus2. Director UD Malshe said that initial work on the project has already begun, with completion expected in the next decade. The ambitious ?10,000 crore project will position India alongside global leaders like 4See also | P7 NEW DELHI In a recent observation, while handling a POCSO case, the Delhi High Court highlighted the importance of allowing adolescents to engage in consensual romantic relationships without the fear of criminalization. Justice Jasmeet Singh emphasized that adolescent love, when consensual and respectful, is a natural part of human development. He remarked, “Society and the law should focus on the right of young individuals to engage in relationships that are free from exploitation and abuse.” He further asserted that love is a fundamental human experience and adolescents should not be denied the opportunity to form emotional connections. The law, according to the Court, should evolve to recognize and protect these relationships, provided they are consensual and free of coercion. Mohan Yadav France, Brazil, and Sweden in advanced synchrotron technology. The Indus-3 will not only enhance scientific research but also drive industrial innovation, demanding new technologies and creating opportunities across various sectors. The event also featured discussions on emerging technologies, with chief guest Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India, emphasising the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). 4Continued on | P8 Kumbh on Telegram Videos of women bathing sold online FP Online More than 550 million people from different parts of the country have taken the holy dip at Maha Kumbh so far. While women, elderly, and children are participating enthusiastically in the Mahakumbh festival, disturbing reports have emerged about the violation of privacy of women devotees who took holi dip in Sangam. According to a report by Hindi TV channel Aaj Tak, objectionable videos of women bathing at the Kumbh are being recorded and sold on Telegram channels. The report reveals that inappropriate videos are being shared on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram using hashtags like '#mahakumbh2025', '#gangasnan', and '#prayagrajkumbh'. These posts are being used to direct people to pornographic content channels on Telegram. Some videos being shared as Kumbh footage were not even recorded during the event, yet they are being falsely labeled as Kumbh-related content. According to the Telem- BHOPAL NASHIK etrio tool, there was a significant spike in searches for the term "open bathing" on Telegram between February 12 and 18. Several Telegram channels with names like "Ganga river open bathing group," "Hidden bath videos group," and "Open bath videos group" have been created where videos of women bathing and changing clothes are being sold. 4Continued on | P8 MUMBAI E-paper Edit Is outraging the public sentiment a crime? P.6 Cinema Rajshri’s enduring legacy P.14 Class 8 student found hanging in hostel, kin allege foul play Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL 4Continued on | P8 Four women members of the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) group were killed in an encounter with the Hawk Force and police in Balaghat district on Wednesday, officials said. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav praised the police force for their successful operation. ADG (Anti-Naxal) Pankaj Shrivastava said that the encounter took place between forces and Naxals near Raundaforestcamp in the Supkharforest range, under Garhi police station in Balaghat. During the operation, the forces recovered three weapons -- an INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifle, a self-loading rifle (SLR) and a 303 rifle, along with other daily-use items from the site. Shrivastava said that other Naxals were likely injured in the encounter and managed to escape using the dense forest cover. An extensive search operation is underway, with more than 12 teams, including Hawk Force, CRPF, CoBRA and district police, working together to track them down. Moreover, Chhattisgarh border has been sealed to pre- PUNE Pope’s condition remains ‘complex’ ATISH(I)BAAZI | Rekha Gupta is an old RSS hand and a former member of ABVP; Parvesh Verma to be Deputy Chief Minister Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar UJJAIN A 14-year-old student of Saint Joseph’s School was found hanging at the school’s hostel under the Parwalia Sadak police station on Tu e s day evening. C o p s found a written note at the scene, but it does not shed light on the reasons behind the boy's extreme action. The body was handed over to his family after a post-mortem examination on Wednesday, which confirmed that the boy hanged himself, according to a police official. The student, Utkarsh Kushwaha, also known as Vansh, was a resident of Aishbag and had been studying at theschool for the past two years, and was currently in class 8. Reports said that Vansh was playing with other students and returned to the hostel after yoga classes around 7 PM. Other students invited him to join them for dinner, but he declined, saying he would reach the mess soon. School authorities informed police after other hostel inmates raised an alarm when they found Vansh hanging from a window using a towel. 4Continued on | P8 TRUMP’S WAR ON ZELENSKY FP News Service TRUMP, TESLA AND TARIFFS KYIV US president Donald Trump has gone to war with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, calling the latter 'a modestly successful comedian' and 'a dictator without elections'. ‘‘Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 billion dollars, to go into a war that couldn't be won, that never had to start, but a war that he, without the US and 'TRUMP,' will never be able to settle,’’ Trump wrote on his social platform. The outburst came after Zelensky, miffed at being kept out of the talks on Ukraine, lashed out at the US for 'helping' Vladimir Putin 'to come out of isolation', warning that Trump 'is living in a disinformation space' created by Moscow. He also declared that his country is not for sale, disputing Trump's claims that the US has given Ukraine $500billion and calling the suggestion that Kyiv pay this back with a mineral exploration deal 'not a serious conversation.' In an interview on Fox News, US President Donald Trump has declared that it is “practically impossible” for Tesla to sell its cars in India due to the country’s 100% import tariffs on automobiles. Sitting next to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Trump argued that any attempt by Musk to establish a manufacturing base in India would put US interests at a disadvantage. “If he builds a factory in India, that’s unfair to us. It is very unfair,” the president asserted. This comes on the heels of Tesla’s strategic push into Indian market, a day after the EV giant posted job advertisements for roles in Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 PM Modi to stay at GIS Chhaava made venue for 90 minutes tax-free in MP Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inaugural session of the Global Investors Summit (GIS) on February 24, where he will be present for approximately 90 minutes. The PM will travel to the GIS venue, the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, from the Governor House, passing through Polytechnic Square and Boat Club. An officer from the Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC) Our Staff Reporter said that a short film showcasing the state’s industrial progress will be presented to the PM upon arrival. Modi will also visit the Madhya Pradesh Experience Zone, where the state’s heritage and various achievements will be highlighted. At the GIS venue, both PM Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will sit side by side, with two rows of invited industrialists seated on either side. Ministers and other VIPs will be accommodated in rows designated for guests. 4Continued on | P8 BHOPAL The state government on Wednesday announced to make Vicky Kaushal-starrer film Chhaava tax-free. The movie, which has taken box office by storm, Kaushal has played the role of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It was during a programme that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said Chhaava has been made tax-free in the state. He said why take tax from such a movie which showcases the struggle of Sambhaji Maharaj, who sacrificed his life to save religion.