FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 339 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | MAY 23, 2025 | PAGES 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in P.14 fp ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI Pak proposes neutral venue for talks Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday proposed Saudi Arabia as a neutral venue for talks with India, stating that the United States could take lead as a mediator between the two countries. Talking to journalists in Islamabad, Sharif said that if there are going to be talks between India and Pakistan, they will be at the National Security Advisors (NSA) level, adding that the agenda of the talks would be focused on Kashmir, water, terrorism, and trade. JAMMU Ex-JK Guv chargesheeted The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed a charge sheet against former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik and five others in the Kiru hydroelectric power project kickbacks case. In 2022, the Jammu and Kashmir government requested a CBI investigation into the alleged corruption in the allotment of a Rs 2,200 crore contract for civil works in the Kiru hydroelectric power project. JAMMU Soldier killed in gunfight A soldier was killed and two others injured on Thursday in an ongoing gunfight between the joint security forces & terrorists in J&K’s Kishtwar district, officials said. Officials said that the soldier was martyred in the encounter in the Singhpora Chatroo area of Kishtwar."Army jawan martyred in ongoing Kishtwar encounter has been identified as Sepoy Gaykar Sandip Pandurang, resident of village Karandi tehsil, Akole, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. ATHENS Greece struck by quake An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck off the coast of Crete in Greece on Thursday, said the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The earthquake also prompted the European authorities to issue a tsunami warning. The tremor struck at 6.19 a.m, 58 km north-northeast of Elounda in northeastern Crete, and was 60 km deep, according to initial estimates. iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN NATION Sports From IPL sparks to India flame Briefs ESTD-1983 PUNE INDORE NASHIK Cinema Aishwarya’s sindoor moment P.13 No blood, only ‘Mutual respect, interest, hot sindoor in my veins: Modi sensitivity key to ties’ DON’T BACK TERROR | MEA’s blunt warning to China, Turkey for supporting Pakistan and cross border terrorism PTI Chinese side is aware that mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity remain the basis of India-China relations, says MEA NEW DELHI India on Thursday reminded China that "mutual" trust, respect and sensitivity are the basis of its ties with China -- in remarks that came against the backdrop of Pakistani military using several Chinese weapons systems during its four-day confrontation with the Indian armed forces. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said NSA Ajit Doval spoke to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 10 and conveyed India's resolute stance against cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Asked whether China's military support to Pakistan will have adverse impact on New Delhi's ties with Beijing, Jaiswal underlined the importance of "mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity" for the relations. The spokesperson was responding to a question at his weekly media briefing. "Our National Security Advisor (NSA) and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had spoken to each other on May 10 when the NSA conveyed India's resolute stance against crossborder terrorism emanating from Pakistan," Jaiswal said. "The Chinese side is aware that mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity remain the basis of IndiaChina relations," he added. Following the four-day-long military clashes between India and Pakistan, the Indian military released images that showed the Pakistan military's use of Chinese weapons in- STATE GETS 6 REDEVELOPED AMRIT BHARAT STATIONS PM virtually dedicates the project to nation FP News Service Shajapur, Seoni, and Orchha. These stations will lay a strong foundation for modern India, Modi said. The railway stations will be equipped with all modern facilities, he said. The government will develop 1,300 stations under the project. According to Yadav, the Amrit Bharat Station Yojna will make India self-reliant. The modernisation of the ED crossing all limits: SC on probe against TN liquor retailer PTI NEW DELHI The Enforcement Directorate is crossing "all the limits" and violating the federal concept of governance, the Supreme Court on Thursday said and stayed the money laundering probe against Tamil Nadu-run liquor retailer TASMAC over alleged corruption in grant of wine shop licences. Issuing notice to the ED on the plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government and Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih told Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the anti-money laundering probe agency, that "Your ED is crossing all the limits." The anti-money laundering probe agency has been rapped by several benches of the top court for allegedly 4Continued on | P8 Justice Sanjeev appointed acting CJ of HC Our Staff Reporter AP "Turn the lights down," President Donald Trump said. It was showtime in the Oval Office. Sitting next to him on Wednesday was South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was visiting in hopes of reaching new agreements on trade. But Trump wanted to talk about baseless allegations that white farmers in his country were being systematically singled out for persecution and murder. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that India, after Operation Sndoor, made it clear that Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack and said that "there is no blood flowing in Modi's veins, but hot Sindoor." "Pakistan has forgotten one thing: that now Modi, the servant of Mother India, is standing here with his head held high. Modi's mind is cool; it stays cool, but Modi's blood is hot. Now there is no blood flowing in Modi's veins, but hot Sindoor. Now there will be neither trade nor talk with Pakistan. If there will be talk, it will only be about Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)," PM Modi said at a public rally in Bikaner. "Now India has made it clear... Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack. And this price... will be paid by Pakistan's army... will be paid by Pakistan's economy... Ye shodh Agencies AMSTERDAM pratishodh ka khel nahin, ye nyay ka naya swaroop hai, ye Operation Sindoor hai. This is not just an agitation; this is the 'Raudra Roop' of a strong India. Ye Bharat ka naya swaroop hai. Pehle ghar mein ghus ke kiya the vaar, ab seene pe kiya prahar hai. (First, we entered their house and attacked; now we have attacked them on their chests)... This is the policy and the strategy to destroy the fangs of terrorism... This is new India," PM Modi added. The PM said that those who had shed the blood of innocent Indians had now been accounted for. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 BHOPAL BHOPAL/ NARMADAPURAM Six railway stations of Madhya Pradesh have become part of the Amrit Bharat Station Yojna virtually dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Bikaner in Rajasthan on Thursday. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was in Narmadapuram to inaugurate the Narmadapuram railway station, which is part of the Amrit Bharat Station Yojna. Besides Narmadapuram, there are five other stations which have become part of the project. These stations are Katni South, Shridham, cluding PL-15 missiles in targeting Indian military installations. Pakistan has been an "all weather friend" of China and Chinese fighter jets and missiles were used by the Pakistan military during the clashes. The use of Chinese platforms by Pakistan against India came at a time New Delhi and Beijing have been looking at normalising their ties following the eastern Ladakh standoff. India and China initiated a series of steps to repair their ties following the disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. US was in the United States: EAM on Trump’s truce claim External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the cessation of firing and military action was negotiated directly between India and Pakistan. He said that India had made it clear to every nation, including the US, that Pakistan needs to call India's general and say that if it wants to stop the firing. In an interview with the Netherlands-based NOS, Jaishankar said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to him, and US Vice President JD Vance talked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stressed that it is natural that nations call up when there are two nations involved in a conflict. When asked whether both armies talked to each other, initiated by the Pakistani army, Jaishankar said, "Yes, we have a mechanism to talk to each other as a hotline. So, on the 10th of May, it was the Pakistani army which sent a message that they were ready to stop firing, and we responded accordingly." Agencies BIKANER Opposition parties too have protested against the alleged abuse of PMLA provisions by the ED against the government's political opponents misusing the rigors of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Questioning the ED raids over TASMAC, a state government body, CJI Gavai said, "The Enforcement Directorate is violating the federal concept (of governance)." The CJI-led bench took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Amit Anand Tiwari, appearing for the state government and the TASMAC, and stayed ED's probe against TASMAC in the meantime. railway stations is the first phase of this development. He also said that Narmadapuram will be developed into a Mahanagar. The railway services have improved in the past few years, and the railway travellers will see more developments in the coming days, Yadav said. 4Continued on | P8 Apex court reserves interim orders in Waqf case PTI NEW DELHI High Court judge Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has been appointed acting Chief justice (CJ) of Madhya Pradesh High Court. The Central government on Thursday notified the appointment of Justice S anjeev Sachdeva as Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. His appointment will be effective from May 24 as present Chief Justice Suresh Kait is set to retire on May 23. He was transferred to the Madhya Pradesh High Court with effect from May 30, 2024. He directed everyone's attention to a television that had been wheeled into the room, and a video began to play. Sexual assault case against shooting range director widens Two more victims speak out; new rape, molestation cases registered Our Staff Reporter INDORE Two more FIRs for rape and molestation have been registered against the director of a shooting range, who is currently in jail for allegedly molesting a girl. The fresh cases were filed after two more vic- Uploads a post on social media in minister’s support Our Staff Reporter Reiterating its observation on the presumption of constitutionality in favour of the law, the Supreme Court on Thursday reserved interim orders on three key issues after hearing both sides in the waqf case. One of the issues relate to the power to denotify properties declared as "waqf by courts, waqf-by-user or waqf by deed" prescribed in Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Before reserving the interim order, a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih heard senior advocates including Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Abhishek Singhvi and Huzefa Ahmadi for those challenging the amended waqf law and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, on three consecutive days. 4Continued on | P8 Even for a president who has transformed the Oval Office from a diplomatic venue into a gladiatorial arena, it was an extraordinary scene. Trump stared at the screen while Ramaphosa looked away. For roughly four minutes, the video showed Black politicians - none part of Ramaphosa's government or political party - using anti- Residents protest outside academy, demanding strict action Local residents gathered in large numbers outside the shooting academy and staged a protest on Thursday. They demanded strict action against the accused. tims came forward with complaints. Leaders of Hindu outfits have claimed that the scandal is larger than those reported in Bhopal and Ujjain, alleging that the accused Mosin Khan—who ran the Dream Olympic Shooting Range in Silver Oaks Colony—targeted nearly 150 Hindu girls. They Vijay Shah’s nephew and Cong MLA Abhijeet supports uncle BHOPAL The nephew of Vijay Shah and Congress legislator, Abhijeet Shah, has come in support of his uncle, breaking the party line. Abhijeet has uploaded a post on his Instagram, saying the words may be wrong, but a person from Makrai Riyasat cannot be anti-national. He also posted a video of Shah. In the video, Shah is seen praising the Indian soldiers. The video is related to Kashmir. Before independence, Makrai Riyasat was one of the rare estates that gave all the land to the Government of India without any protest or conditions, Abhijeet wrote. The decision to give land to the government was not political, but it was a symbol of sacrifice for the motherland, he wrote. The Congress is demanding the resignation of Vijay Shah for his comments on Colonel Sofia Qureshi. The Congress’s central leadership also demanded Shah’s resignation from the ministry. After Vijay Shah’s comments went viral, Abhijeet kept mum. His post is against the party’s demand for Shah’s resignation from the cabinet. Efforts were made to take Abhijeet’s reaction to his post, but it was not available. Chairman of the Congress’s media committee Mukesh Nayak has said Abhijeet is a Congress legislator who has sent a post in praise of the Indian Army. The Congress sticks to its guns over Vijay Shah, Nayak said. alleged that he molested and raped the girls after recording objectionable videos of them. Some of these videos have gone viral on social media. However, police have refuted these claims based on their preliminary investigation and said that the accused’s 4Continued on | P8 Two staffers of Israeli Embassy killed in DC AP WASHINGTON Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, "Free, free Palestine" after he was arrested, police said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Lischinsky was a research assistant, and Milgrim organised visits and missions to Israel. 4Continued on | P8 SC mandates pre-counselling fee disclosure PTI NEW DELHI Expressing concern over widespread seat blocking in postgraduate medical admissions, the Supreme Court has mandated precounselling fee disclosure by all private and deemed Lights, video and confrontation WASHINGTON E-paper Edit SC relief for Ali at what cost? P.6 Storm ravages Uttar Pradesh, claims 33 lives offgrid Trump's meet with South African leader takes dramatic turn MUMBAI apartheid chants about attacking white South Africans. The politicians have said their comments aren't meant to be taken literally; conservative media use them to advance widely rejected claims that there's a genocide underway in South Africa. 4See also | World universities for NEET-PG. one governed more by A bench of Justices J B chance than merit. Pardiwala and R Mahadevan "Seat blocking is not merely said the malpractice of seat an isolated wrongdoing - it reblocking disflects deeper systorted the actual temic flaws NEET PG availability of rooted in fragseats, fostered inequity mented governance, lack of among aspirants, and often transparency, and weak policy reduced the process to the enforcement. Although regu- latory bodies have introduced disincentives and technical controls, the core challenges of synchronisation, real-time visibility, and uniform enforcement remain largely unaddressed," the bench's April 29 order said. 4Continued on | P8 SC seeks Centre’s response to plea over national guidelines on heatwave PTI NEW DELHI Taking note of a PIL highlighting more than 700 heatwave deaths last year, the Supreme Court has sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking directions to strictly implement national guidelines to prepare an action plan on the management of heatwave conditions. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, National Disaster Management Authority and others, seeking their response within two weeks. The top court was hearing a plea filed by environment activist Vikrant Tongad, who also sought direction to provide facilities for "forecast, issuance of heat alert/early warning systems, and round-the-clock redressal helplines, among others. 4Continued on | P8