FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLI No. 327 | INDORE | MONDAY | MAY 5, 2025 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN MONEY Nation Akhilesh bats for caste census P.7 PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Brand Sutra The New Code Of Safety P.12 PM’S PARLEYS | Modi meets IAF chief days after giving the forces ‘complete freedom’ to hit back at Pak even as India tightens flow of water on Chenab river Countdown to counterstrike? NEW DELHI: Hectic parleys among the government’s top brass and service chiefs continued on Sunday as IAF chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh met PM Narendra Modi and was understood to have discussed the security situation amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. The meeting at the PM's office-cum-residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg took place hours after Navy chief Ad- miral Dinesh K Tripathi spoke to Modi on the situation in the northern Arabian Sea. Although there was no official word on the Modi-Singh meeting, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said it was his responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a "befitting reply" to those who cast an evil eye on India. The back-to-back conversations took place days after the PM chaired a meeting attended by defence minister Rajnath Singh, chief of defence staff Gen Anil Chauhan and three service chiefs. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was also present at the meeting. A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was held a day after the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed. 4Continued on | P8 Blackout rehearsal The Ferozepur Cantonment Board conducted a 30-minute blackout rehearsal on Sunday amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan. Ferozepur Cantonment Board to deputy commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said it was part of a routine preparedness exercise. Intel: Pahalgam attackers PAKISTAN FIRES eyed 60-80 minute window N-THREAT AGAIN Ashish Singh filtrated into Jammu and Kashmir by scaling the Pir Panjal Range, navigating through The ongoing investigadense terrain in the tion into the PahalKokernag forest, begam terror attack fore reaching the indicate that the scenic Baisaran assailants were Valley in South part of a larger, Kashmir where 26 E XC L U S I V E Pakistan-backed inpeople, mostly tourfiltration network that sists, were gunned has gained significant down on April 22. Their momentum since late 2024. infiltration was reportedly faAccording to classified intel- cilitated by training received at ligence accessed by The Free cross-border launch pads, a Press Journal, the attackers in- crucial element in the miliMUMBAI FP tant's preparation. Intelligence reports indicate that prior to the attack, the terrorists conducted extensive reconnaissance, analysing tourist footfall patterns and assessing the response time of nearby security forces. The investigators believe that the terrorists had calculated a 60-80 minute window in which they could carry out the attack before the nearest Army and CRPF units could respond. 4Continued on | P8 Agencies MUMBAI Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, has warned that his country would respond with its “full spectrum of power” if India launched a strike even as Islamabad banned Indian-flagged ships from entering its ports with immediate effect. "When it comes to India and Pakistan, we don't want to get involved into this debate of numerical strength. E-paper Edit Western bias against attack P.6 ‘Plumb mkt depths, but be ready to face rough waters’ Agencies MUMBAI We will use the full spectrum of power - both conventional and nuclear," he told Russian broadcaster RT. Jamali asserted that the armed forces, "supported by the people of Pakistan", would respond with "full spectrum of power". Pakistan's minister Hanif Abbasi had earlier openly threatened Delhi with nuclear retaliation, warning that Islamabad's arsenal _ 4Continued on | P8 INDIA CUTS CHENAB WATER FLOW PTI NEW DELHI India has stanched the flow of water through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River and is planning similar measures at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River, a source said. The source familiar with the matter said these hydroelectric dams -- Baglihar in Ramban in Jammu and Kishanganga in north Kashmir - offer India the ability to regulate the timing of water releases. India's decision to suspend the decades-old treaty follows the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960. The Baglihar Dam has been a longstanding point of contention between the two neighbours, with Pakistan having sought World Bank arbitration in the past. The Kishanganga Dam has faced legal and diplomatic scrutiny, especially regarding its impact on the Neelum River, a tributary of the Jhelum. Missile strikes Israel airport, AI halts flights Agencies NEW DELHI/ TEL AVIV An Air India flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday after a missile attack near the airport in the Israeli city, according to sources. The airline also suspended the Tel Aviv flights till May 6. The attack happened less than an hour before the Air India flight AI139, operated with a Boeing 787 aircraft, was to land at Tel Aviv, the sources said. "The flight has landed normally in Abu Dhabi and will soon return to Delhi," the airline said in a statement. Passengers having valid tickets for Air India's Tel Aviv flights between May 4 and 6 will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling or full refunds for cancellation, it said. Several European and US carriers including Lufthansa, Need partners, not preachers: EAM to West Agencies NEW DELHI India is looking for "partners" and not "preachers", external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday, in a veiled message to Europe in the context of the conflict in Ukraine as he explained nuances of New Delhi's "Russia realism" and why the relationship between the two sides is an "important fit". In an interactive session, Jaishankar, delving into broader geopolitical upheavals, said Europe has "entered a certain zone of a reality check" and must display some sensitivity and mutuality of interest for deeper ties with India. fp Briefs ALIRAJPUR Quake jolts Alirajpur An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 hit Alirajpur district on Sunday evening, as per the National Center for Seismology. According to the NCS, the tremor occurred at 5.10 pm at a depth of 10 kilometers in the district. Earlier, an earthquake of magnitude 3.1 struck Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district, said the National Center for Seismology (NCS). The tremor occurred at 9:30 AM at a depth of 10 kilometers. Just like I am an advocate of Russia realism, I am also an advocate of America realism S Jaishankar External Affairs Minister India always advocated for "Russia realism" and there is an "important fit" and "complementarity" between India and Russia as a resource provider and consumer, he said in remarks that came amid persistent efforts by the Trump administration to strike a ceasefire deal be- tween Moscow and Kyiv. In the course of the RussiaUkraine conflict, New Delhi remained engaged with Moscow and enhanced its procurement of Russian crude oil which triggered criticism from the West. India, however, maintained its ties with Russia are driven by Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A three-member inquiry committee from the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited the city on Sunday to interact with victims of a high-profile rape and blackmailing case. The committee praised the courage of survivors who came forward and registered complaints, and assured them of full support in their fight for justice. The NCW team, led by former Jharkhand DGP Nirmal Kaur, also included Jabalpur High Court lawyer Nirmala Nayak and NCW RAPE AND BLACKMAIL CASE Under Secretary Ashutosh Pandey. They held discussions with police officials and reviewed the progress of investigations in the five FIRs registered in the case. During their visit to Bag Sewania police station, where the zero FIRs were initially filed before being transferred to appropriate jurisdictions, the panel reviewed relevant documents and met Special Investigation Teams (SITs) handling the case. 4Continued on | P8 PTI RAMBAN/JAMMU rain mayhem 4Continued on | P8 The case so far l 3-member panel from National Commission for Women visits Bhopal l Committee meets rape and blackmailing survivors, assures support l SIT progress reviewed; directions issued for deeper probe l 5 arrested; 6th absconding, reward announced l Financial trail, patron network, and victim protection l NCW to submit detailed report with recommendations Commuters wade through waterlogged 60 Feet Road at Palhar Nagar after heavy rain and hailstorm lash Indore on Sunday PIC BY ANAND SHIVRE Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday unveiled the first genome-edited rice varieties 'DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1' developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to address challenges of climate change and boost rice yields by up to 30 per cent. "It is an important day for us... Soon, these two new rice varieties will be made available to farmers," Chou- han said, adding that the new varieties will enhance rice yields by 20-30 per cent, conserve water, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation. These varieties are recommended for major rice-growing states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Ram myth? Row erupts RAHUL ON CONG'S 1984 RIOTS 'MISTAKE' The BJP attacked Rahul Gandhi for calling Lord Ram "a mythological figure" during an interaction at the Brown University in the US. "Bhagwan Ram is not a mythological figure, he embodies the values, culture, and spiritual essence of Bharat," BJP's Amit Malviya said. PTI NEW DELHI Responding to a question related to 1984 riots and the Congress' relationship with the Sikh community, Rahul Gandhi has said that a lot of the "mistakes" the party committed happened when he was not there, but added that he was more than happy to take responsibility for everything it has ever done wrong in its history. Gandhi pointed out that he has publicly stated that what happened in the 1980s was "wrong". The remarks by Shivraj unveils genome-edited rice PTI Three Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were killed when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a 500-metre deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district on Sunday, officials said. The Army truck was part of a convoy moving from Jammu to Srinagar along national highway-44. The accident occurred near Battery Chashma at around 11.30 am, the officials said. The deceased were identified as Naib-Subedar Sujeet Kumar, driver Amit Kumar and sepoy Man Bahadur. ‘Wasn’t there, but take responsibility’ offgrid NEW DELHI 4Continued on | P8 3 soldiers killed as Army vehicle falls into gorge national interests. The minister also criticised earlier attempts by the West to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict without involving Russia, saying it "challenged the basics of realism". "Just like I am an advocate of Russia realism, I am also an advocate of America realism," he said at the 'Arctic Circle India Forum'. "I think the best way to engage today's America is also through finding mutuality of interests rather than putting ideological differences upfront and then allowing it to cloud the possibilities of working together," he said. NCW panel meets victims, pushes for speedy justice Delta, ITA Airways and Air France, also cancelled flights for the next few days. The development came after a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels landed near Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main international airport, sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among passengers in the terminal building. The attack happened as Israeli ministers were reported to be close to signing off on plans to expand the military operation in Gaza, prompting the Houthis to hit Israel with more missiles. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who claimed responsibility for the missile strike, have recently intensified missile launches at Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal. Scientists developed these varieties by enhancing two widely grown rice types -Samba Mahsuri (BPT5204) and MTU1010 (Cottondora Sannalu) -- with improved stress tolerance, yield, and climate adaptability, while retaining their original strengths. Both varieties exhibit superior drought tolerance and high nitrogenuse efficiency. 4Continued on | P8 Gandhi were made on April 21 during an interactive session at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at the Brown University in the US. The video of the interaction was uploaded on the YouTube channel of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs on Saturday. A Sikh student asked a question about what attempts Gandhi was making to reconcile with the Sikh community and referred to the 1984-Sikh riots. He student also referred to Gandhi's remark during an earlier visit to the US during which he had said the fight he was waging was about whether Sikhs would be allowed to wear a turban in India or not. In his reply, Gandhi said, "I don't think that anything scares the Sikhs. The statement I made was that, do we want an India where people are uncomfortable to express their religion? As far as mistakes of the Congress party are concerned, a lot of those mistakes happened when I was not there, but I am more than happy to take responsibility for everything that the Congress party has ever done wrong in its history." 4Continued on | P8 DRDO creates milestone with first flight of stratospheric airship FP News Service SHEOPUR Amidst ongoing India-Pakistan tension, the  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)  has marked a significant achievement with the successful first flight of its stratospheric airship platform. The test flight was conducted from a site in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, showcasing India's advancing defence technologies. Developed by Agrabased  Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, the airship was launched with an instrumental payload, reaching an altitude of approximately  17 kilometres. The flight lasted around 62 minutes and the test team successfully recovered the system post-flight. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh  congratulated DRDO for the remarkable progress. He also highlighted that the airship will greatly enhance India's  earth observation and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. 4Continued on | P8