FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 334 | INDORE | MONDAY | MAY 12, 2025 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in iii QUALITY @ VALUE INDORE EDITIONS: UJJAIN MONEY Sports PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Ceasefire and after P.6 2-wheeler sales to sustain growth momentum in FY26: TVS Motor Preity thanks heroes after Dharamshala evacuation P.10 fp ESTD-1983 Brand Sutra Future Proofing Insurance P.12 PM’S LOUD AND CLEAR MESSAGE | Modi tells Armed Forces to retaliate strongly against Pak’s aggression Briefs COLOMBO 21 killed in SL bus accident At least 21 people were killed and over 30 others injured after a passenger bus skidded off a cliff in Sri Lanka on Sunday, police said. The accident occurred in Kotmale in the Central Province when the bus driver tried to take a left turn on the hilly terrain. SRINAGAR SIA Kashmir raids 20 places The Jammu and Kashmir Police's State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Sunday conducted searches at 20 locations in the Valley and detained multiple suspects in connection with a UAPA case. "The SIA conducted searches at around 20 locations across all districts of South Kashmir in connection with the investigation of a case registered under UAPA," officials said. The officials said that substantial incriminating materials have been seized during the raids, and the suspects have been rounded up for further questioning. ‘Waha se goli chalegi, yaha se gola chalega’ There is a new normal in India's response to crossborder terrorism, with Prime Minister Naredra Modi instructing the armed forces that the country's response to every action by Pakistan should be more forceful, government sources said on Sunday. Following Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Modi told the armed forces that bullets must be responded to by artillery (Waha se goli chalegi, toh yaha se gola chalega), the sources said. They said Operation Sindoor is not concluded and there is a new normal in India's response to crossborder terrorism. The cost of cross-border terrorism will be raised, and Pakistan can't continue with terrorism while expecting cooperation in areas of its choosing. They also said that India will never accept mediation in the Kashmir issue and the only matter to discuss is Pakistan returning the territory which is under its illegal occupation. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Saturday evening announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect, after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. Meanwhile, It was Pakistani DGMO who reached out to Indian DGMO on May 10 to de-escalate situation, according to Govt sources. 4Continued on | P8 Putin proposes direct peace talks with Ukraine Agencies NEW YORK/WASHINGTON Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed holding direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 without any preconditions, a move welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who insisted that Moscow must agree to a ceasefire first. Putin said talks are intended to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict" and "reach the establishment of a long-term, durable peace." "We would like to start talks immediately, already next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held before and where they were interrupted," Putin said in an address. US President Donald Trump on Sunday praised the "strong and unwaveringly powerful" leadership of India and Pakistan for reaching a "ceasefire" and offered to work with them for a "solution" on the Kashmir issue. India has always maintained that the Kashmir issue is a bilateral matter and there is no space for any third party. India asserts that the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh are and always will be integral and inalienable parts of it. In Islamabad, Pakistan's foreign office said it appreciated Trump's "willingness to support efforts aimed at the resolution of the J&K dispute". PM Narendra Modi with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh during a meeting in New Delhi ‘ALL PILOTS SAFE’ ir Marshal AK Bharti said that the Operation Sindoor has met its objectives, all pilots safe. The Pakistan Army is reported to have lost 35 to 40 personnel between May 7 and 10, said the Armed Forces. In the strikes, more than 100 terrorists were killed, including high-value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudassir Ahmed — all of whom were involved in the IC-814 hijack and the Pulwama blasts, said Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai. A 'THEIR PLANES WERE PREVENTED FROM COMING INSIDE OUR BORDER' uring an Armed Forces Press Briefing, in response to a media query regarding the Indian Air Force shooting down Pakistani aircraft, Air Marshal AK Bharti stated, "As I said, their planes were prevented from coming inside our border. So, we don't have wreckage with us, but definitely, we have downed a few Pakistani planes; numbers, we would not like to hazard a guess out here, I have the numbers and we are getting into technical details to establish it. So, I would not like to put a figure at this time." D ur job is to hit the target, not to count the bodies. In case there have been casualties, that is for them to count, said DGMO O pay my solemn homage to my five fallen colleagues and brothers from the armed forces and civilians who tragically lost their lives in Operation Sindoor. Our hearts go out to the bereaved families...Their sacrifices shall always be remembered...We have thus far exercised immense restraint and our actions have been focused, measured and nonescalatory. However, any threat to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and safety of our citizens will be met with decisive force peration Sindoor delivered justice. It is a testament to India's firm resolve. This is a new India that will respond effectively to terrorism—on this side and the other side of the border. Our forces do not target innocent civilians, unlike Pakistan, which has attacked our temples, gurdwaras, churches, and civilian areas. But when the time comes, India knows how to strike with courage, precision, and restraint n Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, n Rajnath Singh, DGMO Defence Minister I O "I will work with you both to see if, after a "thousand years," a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir. God Bless the leadership of India and Pakistan on a job well done!!!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 4Continued on | P8 Delhi’s no to intervention India rejected any mediation on the Jammu and Kashmir issue after US President Trump's ofer to help in finding a solution, reaffirming that Islamabad needs to return the territory occupied by it. "We have a very clear position on Kashmir, there is only one matter left the return of PoK. WANG DIALS DOVAL, DAR Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi spoke to NSA Ajit Doval and expressed hope that New Delhi and Islamabad would address their differences through dialogue and achieve a lasting ceasefire. Doval told Wang that war was not India's choice but India needed to take counter-terrorism action after the Pahalgam attack, state-run Xinhua reported. Wang also spoke to Pakistan's PM Mohammad Ishaq Dar. MEANINGFUL STEP: UNGA UNITED NATIONS Top UN leaders have welcomed the understanding between India and Pakistan to stop all firings and military actions, calling it a "meaningful" and "positive step" toward ending current hostilities and easing tensions. President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly Philemon Yang wrote in a post on X that he welcomes the development, saying, "it is a meaningful step towards de-escalation reflecting the commitment of both nations to regional peace and stability." Yang urged continued diplomatic efforts and dialogue to resolve differences and achieve lasting peace and stability in line with the UN Charter and international law. 4Continued on | P8 new chapter Now, BrahMos Unit In Lucknow Biswajeet Banerjee LUCKNOW Rajnath Singh releases a book titled Brahmand World Defence Update 2025 as he virtually attends the inauguration of BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility, being held in Lucknow, in New Delhi he Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday said it has successfully executed its assigned tasks in Operation Sindoor with precision and professionalism, and the operation was still ongoing. In a post on X, the IAF said the operations were conducted in accordance with the national objectives and urged all to refrain from speculation and dissemination of unverified information. The government on Saturday said India has come to an understanding on the ceasefire and paused military action. Hours after truce, Pakistani drones were sighted and intercepted in various locations. India said Pakistan violated the ceasefire, adding that the armed forces were giving an "adequate and appropriate response". T Mediation move: Trump in quest of K-solution PTI MOSCOW OP SINDOOR STILL ON: IAF PTI NEW DELHI Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated the BrahMos missile manufacturing unit at Bhathgaon in Lucknow on Sunday, issuing a stern warning to Pakistan that terrorists can no longer consider themselves safe, even across the border. The newly inaugurated BrahMos unit is a major milestone for the Uttar Pradesh Defence Corridor. Built with an investment of Rs300 crore by BrahMos Aerospace, the facility is expected THE FACILITY IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE EMPLOYMENT FOR OVER 3,000 PEOPLE to generate employment for over 3,000 people. The BrahMos missile, one of the fastest supersonic cruise missiles in the world, is currently a vital component of the Indian Air Force and Navy’s arsenal. "The sound of our response echoed all the way to Rawalpindi, where the Pakistan Army headquarters is located," Singh said, referring to India's strong counter-terror operations. "We have shown the world that the Indian Army demonstrates both courage and restraint. We never target civilians, but when Pakistan attacked our civilian areas, temples, gurdwaras, and churches, we responded with strength and discipline." 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi during a meeting with the Army Commanders of western borders to review security situation Commanders get full authority for counter-action PTI NEW DELHI Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi has given full authority to the Army commanders for counter-action in the kinetic domain to any violation of the understanding reached between the Indian and Pakistani militaries. India and Pakistan announced reaching an understanding on Saturday to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect. "Consequent to the ceasefire and airspace violations on the night of May 10-11, the Chief of Army Staff reviewed the security situation with the Army Commanders of the Western Borders," the Army said. The Army Chief "has granted full authority to the Army Commanders for counteraction in the kinetic domain to any violation of the understanding reached vide the DGMO talks of May 10", it said. Cross-border firing ceases, political slugfest erupts BJP targets Indira for ’71 ‘mishandling’ Cong strikes back, cites Indira feats Situation in ’71 & now not same: Tharoor Guwahati: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma criticised former PM Indira Gandhi for her "mishandling" of the situation following the creation of Bangladesh after India's 1971 victory over Pakistan. In a post on X, Sarma said: "India's 1971 military victory was and historic. It broke Pakistan in two and gave birth to Bangladesh. But our soldiers delivered a stunning battlefield success”. New Delhi Asserting that it was time to remember Indira Gandhi's leadership, the Congress on Sunday cited her action in 1971 that led to the formation of Bangladesh when she remained undeterred by the US action of sending a nuclear-powered naval task force in the Bay of Bengal. New Delhi: Welcoming the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said India's 1971 war with Pakistan that led to the liberation of Bangladesh and today's situation are totally different. "1971 was a great achievement, Indira Gandhi rewrote the map of the subcontinent, but the circumstances were different.