Friday, May 30, 2025 | 28 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 203 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) GAMES NATION Shivakumar asks Chief Secy not to transfer water resource dept engineers without informing him Briefs 42k troops to guard yatra The Centre has sanctioned the deployment of 580 companies—approximately 42,000 personnel—from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.. The yatra, beginning July 3 and ending August 9, follows the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed .The cave shrine sits 3,880 metres high. SEE NATION Three judges join SC Three senior justices—N V Anjaria, Vijay Bishnoi, and A S Chandurkar— have been appointed to the Supreme Court. Their appointments fill vacancies created by the recent retirements of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Abhay Oka, and Hrishikesh Roy. Justice Anjaria, formerly chief justice of the Karnataka High Court, is known for his expertise in civil and constitutional law. Justice Bishnoi, until now Gauhati High Court CJ, hails from Rajasthan. Justice Chandurkar served in the Bombay High Court. Garbage fee on hold The BMC has paused the proposed ‘User Fee’ for garbage collection after CM Fadnavis and Dy CM Shinde ordered a review, citing the burden of revised property taxes. The fee ranged from ₹100– ₹7,500 monthly. Duplexes fetch ` 864.8 cr In a record Mumbai property deal, Leena Tewari of USV Ltd bought two Worli duplexes for ₹639 crore, while Tanya Dubash of Godrej Group purchased one for ₹225.8 crore. The apartments are in Naman Xana, a 40-storey luxury tower. SEE CITY Cinema Ajay Devgn weighs in on the 8-hour debate Gill’s fumbling Gujarat Titans face mighty Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator Edit Have news channels become propaganda platforms? BEFITTING REPLY GIVEN | PM Modi invokes Bengal’s Sindoor Khela to rally support for anti-terror offensive. Vows more strikes if terror persists, says Pakistan hit ‘three times at home’ Operation Sindoor far from over, says Modi FPJ News Service KOLKATA Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday declared that Operation Sindoor was “not over yet,” warning that India would continue to exact a heavy price from those who sponsor terrorism. Addressing his first rally in West Bengal since the launch of the operation earlier this month, Modi said Pakistan had already been hit “three times inside its home.” The Prime Minister drew upon the region’s cultural significance of ‘sindoor’ — the red vermilion worn by married Hindu women — to strengthen his message. Speaking in the heartland of From this land of Bengal, I, on behalf of 140 crore Indians, declare that Op Sindoor is not over yet. Narendra Modi Prime Minister Durga Puja celebrations, he invoked the ritual of Sindoor Khela, saying it symbolised the nation’s resolve against terrorism. “Now that I am standing on the sacred land of 'Sindoor Khela', it is only right that we speak about a new resolve against terrorism — Operation Sindoor,” Modi said to loud cheers from the crowd. He referenced the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, calling it a national tragedy that resonated deeply in Bengal. “On April 22, the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam shook the nation. 4Contd on | nation INDIA HIT WITH BRAHMOS BEFORE WE COULD ACT, SAYS PAK: India's preemptive BrahMos missile strikes on key Pakistani military installations, including Noor Khan and Murid airbases, during Operation Sindoor thwarted a planned offensive, Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif has said, admitting that the strikes caught them off guard, as their retaliation was set for 4.30 am after Fajr prayers. “But before that hour even arrived, India once again launched a missile attack using BrahMos, targeting various provinces of Pakistan, including the airport in Rawalpindi,” he said at Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan trilateral summit held in Azerbaijan’s Lachin. Operation Sindoor inflicted heavy damage, including the destruction of Pakistan’s AWACS at Bholari airbase. SEE WORLD PM tears into TMC over Murshidabad riots, teachers scam Aritra Singha KOLKATA Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government on Thursday, accusing it of fostering violence, corruption, and betrayal of the poor. Speaking at a rally in Alipurduar, north Bengal, Modi cited the recent communal riots in Murshidabad and Malda, describing them as examples of a “cruel and indifferent” regime. “Bengal doesn’t want this nirmam sarkar (heartless govt) anymore,” Modi declared. “The people are desperate for change and good governance.” Referring to the communal clashes sparked by protests against the Waqf Amendment Act, Modi said the ruling party allowed hooligans to roam freely while the police remained mute spectators. “Homes were marked out and set ablaze. The silence of the police is testimony to the lawlessness under TMC,” he alleged. This marked Modi’s first visit to Bengal since the April riots, which claimed at least three lives. With state elections due next year, he sought to capitalise on growing public discontent. Modi listed five major crises plaguing Bengal under PoK will return to India, says Rajnath Singh FPJ News Service NEW DELHI Accuses Mamata govt of cruelty, corruption, and betrayal of the poor TMC rule: rampant violence, insecurity among women, youth unemployment, widespread corruption, and selfserving politics. He said the judiciary had to intervene repeatedly because “people no longer trust the government to deliver justice.” 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday asserted that the people of PakistanOccupied Kashmir (PoK) are part of India’s “own family” and expressed confidence they would one day return to the Indian mainstream by “listening to their inner voice.” Addressing the CII Business Summit, Singh said India has “redesigned and redefined” its approach to terrorism, making it clear that any future dialogue with Pakistan would be limited to terrorism and the status of PoK. 4Contd on | nation Musk announces exit Don can collect tariffs, for now Agencies Agencies WASHINGTON NEW YORK Elon Musk on Wednesday announced he is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy. His departure ends a chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the removal of government agencies and litigation. Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur A federal appeals court on Thursday allowed US President Donald Trump to continue collecting tariffs under an emergency powers law for now, as his administration appeals an order striking down the bulk of his signature set of economic policies. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted an emergency motion from the Trump administration arguing struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped. 4Contd on | nation that a halt is “critical for the country’s national security”. Earlier on Wednesday, a federal court froze most sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump on virtually every foreign nation, ruling the levies exceed the president's legal authority, CBS News reported. The ruling—by a panel of judges on the New York-based US Court of International Trade —halted the 10 % tariffs Trump assessed on almost all of US’s trading partners on “Liberation Day” last month, with higher tariffs threatened for dozens of countries. The court also blocked a separate set of tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada by the Trump administration, which has cited drug trafficking and illegal immigration as its reasoning for the hikes. The administration will appeal the verdict to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. It justified the tariffs citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, or IEEPA, AIR CHIEF FLAGS DELAYS IN DEFENCE PROJECTS Agencies NEW DELHI Chief of Air Staff and Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Thursday raised serious concerns over persistent delays in defence projects, highlighting the systemic issue of unrealistic timelines and their impact on operational readiness. Addressing the CII Annual Business Summit 2025, Air Chief Marshal pointed to the recurring pattern of delays in project execution and criticised the practice of committing to unachievable deadlines. "Timelines is a big issue... Not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. This is something that we have to look at," Singh stated, adding, "Why should we promise something that cannot be achieved? While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up. But we just sign the contract. Then the process gets vitiated," said Air Marshal Singh. “Deliveries of Tejas Mk1 are delayed. The prototype of Tejas Mk2 is yet to roll out. There is no prototype yet of the stealth AMCA fighter.” “We cannot just talk about producing in India, we need to talk about designing. We Hike in R&D promised Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Dr Samir V Kamat, on Thursday, revealed that the while we spend five per cent of the Defence budget on R&D, “the Raksha Mantri has promised us that in the next five years, this will increase gradually to 10% of the Defence budget, "ANI reports. He was addressing the CII. need to have trust between the forces and industry. 4Contd on | nation PMLA court summons Wadhawans on June 13 Doc booked for ‘order to kill Covid patient’ Charul Shah Joshi PTI MUMBAI LATUR The special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has taken cognisance of a recent chargesheet by the ED against Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan of erstwhile DHFL and summoned them on June 13. The ED filed a chargesheet against the Wadhawans and 15 others for money laundering to the tune of Rs34,615 crore, claiming that diversion of funds began in 2005-06 through their 225 entities. While Dheeraj Wadhawan is out on bail, Kapil Wadhawan is still in jail in connection with another CBI case. The ED has claimed that the Wadhawans spent the laundered funds to maintain an extravagant lifestyle and bought properties, paintings, diamonds, jewellery, sculptures, a heli- copter, and a 20% stake in M/s Varva Aviation. The special court noted that the accused were helped by their employees in preparing inflated books of accounts of DHFL through thousands of fake home loans by inducing a consortium of 29 banks (which later reduced to 17). The consortium led by Union Bank of India had agreed to give credit facilities to DHFL on July 29, 2010. In July 2020, several banks exited from the consortium but the quantum of credit extended to DHFL was Rs42,871.42 cr, which the group failed to fulfil, causing a loss to the tune of Rs34,614.88 cr. Police have registered an FIR against a senior doctor of a government hospital in Maharashtra's Latur district for allegedly instructing a colleague to "kill" a COVID-19 patient during the pandemic in 2021, officials said on Thursday. An audio clip recently surfaced on social media of the purported conversation between the accused, Dr Shashikant Deshpande, who was then additional district surgeon at the Udgir Government Hospital in Latur, and Dr Shashikant Dange, who was posted at a COVID-19 care centre. The clip, now widely circulated on social media, is purportedly of the time during the COVID-19 4See also | city 4Contd on | nation INVESTING UNDER INFLUENCE? Letting influencers dictate your investment decisions is a serious mistake. 4Contd on | nation 40% of FDI comes to Maharashtra: CM Prajakta Pol MUMBAI Amid ongoing criticism that industries are shifting out of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday countered the narrative with data highlighting the state’s top position in attracting foreign investment. Taking to social media, Fadnavis revealed that Maharashtra accounted for 40% of all foreign direct investment (FDI) received by India over the past year. He also noted that the state saw a 32% rise in FDI compared to the previous year. The figures aim to silence critics of the Mahayuti government, who have raised concerns about the state’s industrial competitiveness. Fadnavis emphasized that Maharashtra remains the country’s most preferred destination for global investors. According to the latest figures for the fourth quarter of FY 2024–25 (January to March 2025), Maharashtra attracted a total of ₹1,64,875 crore in foreign direct investment (FDI) over the year accounting for a remarkable 40% of the ₹4,21,929 crore FDI received by India as a whole. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted the achievement, stating, “This year, Maharashtra saw a 32% increase in FDI compared to last year. In the final quarter alone, the state received ₹25,441 crore in foreign investment. This has been a record-breaking year for Maharashtra in the last decade—and we had already surpassed previous records in just the first nine months.” Fadnavis congratulated the people of Maharashtra for the milestone and credited the leadership of Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with the state cabinet, for ensuring the state’s continued momentum in attracting global investment. FDI in Maha over last 10 yrs Don’t follow stock tips, advice, or tall promises, as this may lead to major financial losses. 2015–16 `61,482 cr 2016–17 `1,31,980 cr 2017–18 `86,244 cr 2018–19 `57,139 cr Report such practices to us on Feedbk_invg@nse.co.in or Apr–Oct 2019 `25,316 cr call us on 1800 266 0050 2020–21 `1,19,734 cr 2021–22 `1,14,964 cr 2022–23 `1,18,422 cr 2023–24 `1,25,101 cr 2024–25 `1,64,875 cr Smart investors always do their own research before investing. Visit: www.nseindia.com/invest/be-a-smart-investor FOLLOW US ON nseindia.com or scan the QR code.