FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 328 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | MAY 12, 2025 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in iii QUALITY @ VALUE BHOPAL EDITIONS: UJJAIN MONEY Sports PUNE INDORE 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. The state transport body-owned bus was taking 75 passengers from the southern pilgrim site of Kataragama to the northwest town of Kurunegala when it went down 100 meters off the cliff, police said. Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena said that 21 people died in the accident. 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 MOSCOW sparks outrage Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL 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. In a shocking lapse of hospital protocol and security, a stray dog reportedly mutilated the body of a 21-year-old accident victim left unattended outside the mortuary at the District Hospital in Narmadapuram. The incident, captured in a viral video, has prompted swift administrative action, including removal of security personnel and a show cause notice to mortuary in-charge. The deceased, Nikhil Chourasia, a resident of Banapura, was returning from a wedding in Palanpur late Friday night with friends Hrithik 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 SHEER NEGLECT n VICTIM: Nikhil Chourasia (21), Banapura resident n ACCIDENT SITE: Dolriya Road, returning from Palanpur n INCIDENT: Body Rajput and Rohit Mehra when their bike was hit by a speeding vehicle on Dolriya Road. Nikhil died on the spot, while the other two sustained critical injuries and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital. His body was sent to the district hospital for post-mortem, but due to standard protocol prohibiting autopsies at night, the family was asked to wait until morning. Accord- mutilated by stray dog outside mortuary n HOSPITAL LAPSE: No freezer; outdated 100-yr-old infrastructure n ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION: Security removed, mortuary head served notice Awami League rejects ban by Bangladesh’s interim govt Vows to continue operations DHAKA/NEW DELHI ing to officials, the family kept the body outside the postmortem (PM) room claiming they were waiting for other relatives to arrive. By morning, the body was found to be partially mutilated, allegedly by stray dogs. The hospital, which is over 100 years old, lacks modern storage infrastructure like body freezers. Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League on Sunday rejected "with disgust" the interim government's decision to ban the party and vowed to continue its operations despite the restriction. The Muhammad Yunusled interim government's Council of Advisers or the Cabinet on Saturday night slapped a ban on "all activities of Awami League", including in cyberspace, under an anti-terrorism law. 4Continued on | P8 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 Stray dog mauls body outside Narmadapuram mortuary direct peace talks Viral video with Ukraine PTI 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, RAHUL, KHARGE DEMAND SPECIAL PARLIAMENT SESSION 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. ‘1971, 2025 NOT SAME’ s the Congress showcased Indira Gandhi's leadership during the Bangladesh liberation he leaders of opposition in both Lok Sabha war to take a swipe at the Narendra and Rajya Sabha have written to PM Narendra Modi demanding an immediate special Modi government, senior party leader Shashi Tharoor said the cirsession of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam tercumstances in 1971 and 2025 are ror attack, Operation Sindoor. Leader of Opposinot the same. He was asked about tion (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, the Congress's social and his counterpart in RS, Mallikarjun QUICK READ media campaign to Kharge, have written to the PM, reitershowcase Indira Gandhi ating their demand to convene a after the government announced special session of both Houses of Parliament to the ceasefire pact. Without directly demonstrate the collective resolve against terrorcommenting on the campaign, Thaism. "I reiterate the unanimous request of the Oproor replied, "The fact is that, to my position to convene a special session of Parliament immediately. It is crucial for people and their repre- mind, we had reached a stage where the escalation was needlessly sentatives to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, getting out of control. Peace is Operation Sindoor and the ceasefire, first announced by Trump. This will also be an opportunity necessary for us. The truth is that the circumstances of 1971 are not to demonstrate our collective resolve to meet the the circumstances of 2025. There challenges ahead," Rahul Gandhi said in his letter. are differences." T A