THE SUNDAY Vol. 36 No. 23 | Sunday, March 2, 2025 29 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only | Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper Weekend High Court ruling on unnatural sex raises questions on women’s safety GOOD LIFE Play & Pause Cheryl Bains stages opera on Indian goddesses Tracing Misan Harriman’s rise in the world of visual storytelling DIPLOMATIC MUGGING: Never in the past has an American president engaged in such a livid outpouring on a visiting foreign leader. For the first 23 minutes, it was a polite, if stiff meeting. Then, their differences surfaced and it became a verbal brawl. Sunday Read Jonathan Roxmouth shares his Phantom experience SHATTERED: The ugly showdown unnerved Europe, outraged Kyiv and delighted Moscow. It was clear that the three-year wartime partnership between Washington and Kyiv was shattered. DAMAGE CONTROL BID EUROPE BEHIND ZELENSKYY | Ukraine’s President looks at path forward, expects UK to be the bridge; wants US to stand more firmly on its side, is also amenable to signing the minerals deal FPJ News Service LONDON Western leaders  were in a scramble to voice support for Ukraine after the implosion in White House sharpened the cleavages between Washington and many of its traditional European allies. They were shocked and dismayed by President Trump’s blistering criticism at the White House on Friday where he told Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia "or we are out". At one point, Trump even told Zelenskyy he was not thankful enough for US military and political support during Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion, and that he was gambling with World War Three. European leaders wasted no time in lining up behind Ukraine’s embattled head of state. The statements of support came one after the other: from France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Finland and others. 4Contd on | Nation DON’T HAVE THE CARDS: Trump told Zelensky “you don’t have the cards” to deal with President Putin, even as Vice President JD Vance chided the Ukrainian leader as being “disrespectful” and ungrateful. THE LAST STRAW: Zelensky’s cup of woe was full when he was accused of being hostile towards the man who had invaded his country. Russians dubbed the incident as a ‘public political execution’ NATO –US rift deepens By invitation Dr. Garimella Subramaniam T RUSSIANS ECSTATIC: Gloating he writing has been on the wall for far too long—arguably since the turbulent first Trump administration. But the chilling reality of an imminent collapse in relations among NATO members is now registering loud and clear after Friday’s ugly confrontation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The verbal assault on Zelenskyy at the White House, where President Trump and Vice President JD Bance accused him of gambling with World War III, capped an extraordinary week in transatlantic relations, following a succession of visits to Washington by European leaders. Friday’s fraught encounter could not have ended on a gloomier note. The beleaguered Zelenskyy and his negotiators were unceremoniously forced out of the Oval Office— empty-handed, without securing an agreement on rare earths. A day earlier, Britain’s Labour Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, despite 4Contd on | Nation Ex-health minister in unholy mess Prajakta Pol MUMBAI Former Health Minister Tanaji Sawant has been accused of a major scam in the awarding of a contract for mechanised cleaning. Cleaning work in government hospitals and health centres, which previously cost `70 crore per year, was allegedly awarded to a favoured company, for `3,190 crore. This has landed Sawant in a mess.  Briefs No fuel for vehicles older than 15 years Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday said the Delhi government will stop providing petrol to vehicles older than 15 years at fuel stations across the city after March 31. The move is aimed at taking stringent steps to curb vehicular emissions and pollution. The decision was taken after a meeting with officials to discuss measures to combat air pollution in the national capital. Sirsa said the government is taking stringent steps to curb vehicular emissions and pollution. `70-cr hospital cleaning contract awarded for `3,190 crore The company chosen for the contract had no prior experience in mechanised cleaning and further, the work order was issued without cabinet approval, falsely presented as approved. De- spite the non-availability of funds, the contract was still given to the company. Orders must be issued by the deputy director of health and hospital department for cleaning services to begin in Ballot papers are not your domain FPJ News Service The question of holding elections using ballot papers does not fall under the purview of the parliamentary committee examining the two bills on simultaneous polls, the Union law ministry has stated. Reverting to the ballot paper system was merely a "suggestion" from some committee members, to which the ministry was expected to respond in writing. However, while the Legislative Department provided detailed answers to various queries, it 4Contd on | Nation SSC students get wrong exam paper avoided a direct response on this matter. The ministry clarified that the ballot paper suggestion was "out of scope" for the panel, whose mandate is to review the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill. These bills aim to create a legal framework for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections and align the terms of legislative assemblies in Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir. LATUR: Several students appearing for SSC exams were given the wrong question paper at a centre in Latur on Saturday, an official said. The incident took place at Vimalabai Deshmukh School, he added. "Some 21 students of the Urdu medium section were given First Language English (03) paper instead of English (17) paper. When students pointed out the mistake, they were made to wait at the exam centre for three hours while rectification measures were taken. It distressed the students since the paper handed over to them was not part of their syllabus," he said. 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation Law Ministry to parliamentary panel on simultaneous elections MUMBAI government hospitals. However, this process was given a miss and orders were issued directly. As a result, an order was issued to stop the implementation of the tender. Additionally, when the contract was made, the availability of funds was not considered and it has now emerged that the contract was handed over without the required funds in hand. offgrid ‘Ekanth Parv’ for Eknath Shinde Even though CM was on his home turf   Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI  The Mahayuti-2 government is likely to be remembered for redefining protocol—it is only on rare occasions that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde come face to face. Yet another episode along these lines played out on Saturday, with Shinde keeping his distance from Fadnavisʼs day-long Thane tour, though the former was on his home turf.  As per protocol, whenever the CM is touring the state, he is received by the district guardian minister and other ministers from the district. Accordingly, at Thane, Shinde, being the district guardian minister, was ex- pected to welcome the CM and accompany him on his scheduled programmes. But no such thing happened. On the CM’s itinerary was the annual conference of sen- ior police officers at 11am and the concluding ceremony of the 35th Maharashtra State Police Sports Event at 3.30pm. However, Shindeʼs itinerary had just one programme: ‘Eknath Parvʼ, a cultural show based on his life and achievements. However, Shinde’s party colleague Yogesh Kadam was present, as the minister of state for home.  4Contd on | Nation The Real Reason Behind Clash ensions were already running high before the press event, according to sources close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A Fox News report— widely seen as sympathetic to President Trump—revealed that the Ukrainian leader had been offered a minerals-for-security agreement by the Trump administration. However, the deal lacked any concrete security guarantees to defend Ukraine against another Russian invasion. Zelenskyy had made it clear ahead of his Washington visit that Kyiv would not agree to any mineral deal without ironclad security assurances. His refusal to sign the agreement reportedly enraged Trump and Vice President JD Vance. T 4Contd on | Nation PM Modi slams Lutyen’s Jamaat FPJ News Service MUMBAI Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a sharp dig at the Lutyens’ Jamaat and the Khan Market Gang on Saturday, questioning their prolonged silence over outdated British-era laws, including one that allowed the police to arrest the groom and others if more than ten people danced at a wedding. The people who are the 'thekedaar' of PIL, those who visit Courts every now and then, why they weren't worried about the Liberty back then," PM Modi said at NXT Conclave 2025 in the national capital. He pointed out that the law, introduced by the British 150 years ago, remained in force for 75 years after independence. “Even a wedding dance could lead to arrests. Our government abolished it,” he said. He questioned why previous governments allowed such laws to persist, adding that had 4Contd on | Nation HM: Free movement in Manipur from March 8 FPJ News Service MUMBAI Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday directed security forces to ensure the free movement of people on all routes in Manipur from March 8, warning of strict action against those obstructing roads. Chairing a high-level meeting to review the security situation in the violence-hit state, Shah reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to restoring lasting peace, assuring full support in this effort. This was the first such meeting since the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic violence since May 2023. The unrest has claimed over 250 lives. According to an official statement, Shah instructed security agencies to ensure unrestricted movement across Manipur’s roads starting March 8. He also stressed the need for decisive action against anyone attempting to create roadblocks. 4Contd on | Nation