FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 348 | BHOPAL | SUNDAY | JUNE 1, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL WORLD Sports Khelif must undergo genetic sex... P.14 US raises steel tariffs to 50% UJJAIN PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Nation Army conducts trials... P.7 Weekend Culturally connected P.10 FIERCE RESOLVE | PM says Op Sindoor made it crystal clear that proxy war through terrorists is unacceptable. Those who support terrorists will have to pay a heavy price ‘GOLA FOR EVERY GOLI’ Terrorists challenged Nari Shakti, now facing doom: Modi Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL In a fiery address at the Women Empowerment Mega Convention at Jamboree Ground on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a stern warning to Pakistan and terror groups, saying, “Now every citizen of India, all 140 crore of them, say that if you fire a bullet, the reply will be given with a bomb.” Referring to the recent antiterror operation, he said, “Operation Sindoor has made it crystal clear that proxy war through terrorists will not continue. Now, we will attack by barging inside the house, and those who support terrorists will have to pay a heavy price.” Modi said terrorists in Pahalgam not only caused bloodshed but also attacked India’s culture and tried to divide society. "The biggest thing is that they challenged Nari Shakti of India. That challenge has now become their doom (Kaal). Operation Sindoor is the biggest and most successful anti-terror operation in India’s history,” he declared. He said going beyond Pakistan’s imagination, the Indian Army struck deep inside enemy territory, destroying terrorist bases located hundreds of kms away. fp Briefs GUWAHATI/ITANAGAR 27 dead in NE rain fury At least 27 people died in six northeastern states while normal life in the region was badly affected for the second consecutive days on Saturday due to moderate to heavy rain triggered by a depression in the Bay of Bengal. Nine died in Arunachal Pradesh, six in Meghalaya, five each in Assam and Mizoram, and one each in Tripura and Nagaland. MAU Ansari’s son gets 2-yr jail Uttar Pradesh MLA Abbas Ansari, son of gangsterturned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was sentenced to two years imprisonment in a 2022 hate speech case by a special MP-MLA court on Saturday. Inaugurates Indore Metro, Datia & Satna airports virtually Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL PM Narendra Modi takes out road show during Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Mahila Sashaktikaran Mahasammelan in Bhopal. CM Mohan Yadav, BJP state chief VD Sharma were also present. Under PM’s leadership, Army taught a lesson to terrorists & Pak: CM hief Minister Mohan Yadav praised Operation Sindoor, saying that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Indian Army gave a befitting reply to terrorists and Pakistan. He also highlighted India’s recent achievement of surpassing Japan to become the fourth-largest economy. Yadav said the Madhya Pradesh government, with the Centre’s support, is working for welfare of the poor, farmers, youth and women. Paying tribute to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar on her 300th birth anniversary, he praised her as an ideal daughter-in-law, wife and ruler. He said she maintained a clear distinction between public and private wealth. He also recalled Rani Avanti Bai’s victories against Akbar and Rani Durgawati’s resistance against Mughals. C Active Covid cases in country rise to 3,395 PTI NEW DELHI The number of active COVID19 cases in India has crossed 3,000, with Kerala accounting for the highest at 1,336, followed by Maharashtra and Delhi, Union health ministry data released on Saturday showed. According to the data, four deaths -- one each in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh -- have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours. Official sources said the COVID-19 situation in India is being closely monitored. The severity of infections is low, with most of the patients under home care. There is no reason to worry, the sources said. There were 257 active cases in the country on May 22. The figure rose to 1,010 by May 26 and reached 3,395 on Saturday. Kerala has 1,336 active cases, Maharashtra 467, Delhi 375, Gujarat 265, Karnataka 234, West Bengal 205, Tamil Nadu 185 and Uttar Pradesh 117. The PM also released a commemorative coin on the occasion of the 300th birth anniversary of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar. The coin bears an embossed image of Ahilyabai. Praising the role of women in Operation Sindoor, Modi highlighted the exemplary courage of BSF women personnel deployed along the Rajasthan and Gujarat borders. “From command and controls to destroying enemy posts, BSF women showed outstanding bravery,” he said. 4Continued on | P6 AP US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reassured allies in the Indo-Pacific on Saturday that they will not be left alone to face increasing military and economic pressure from China, while insisting that they also contribute more to their own defence. He said Washington will bolster its defences overseas to counter what the Pentagon sees as rapidly developing threats by Beijing, particularly in its aggressive stance toward Taiwan. China has conducted numerous exercises to test what a blockade would look like of the PTI SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI India rectified tactics and hit deep inside Pakistani territory after suffering losses of aircraft in the recent military clashes with Pakistan, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan said on Saturday while dismissing as "absolutely incorrect" Islamabad's claim of downing six Indian jets. Gen Chauhan, in an interview to Bloomberg TV, said India flew all its jets and carried out high-precision strikes to hit back at Pakistan after ascertaining the reasons for the ‘Steeped in provocations’ self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its own and the US has pledged to defend. China's army "is rehearsing for the real deal", Hegseth said in a keynote speech at a security conference in Singapore. "We are not going to sugarcoat it - the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent." The head of China's delegation accused Hegseth of making "groundless accusations". See World The Chinese Embassy in Singapore swiftly condemned the speech, saying in a statement posted on Facebook: "The speech is steeped in provocations and instigation." The statement continued: "Mr Hegseth repeatedly smeared and attacked China and relentlessly played up the so-called 'China threat'," accusing Washington of being the "biggest troublemaker" in the region I think what is important is not jet being downed but why they were being downed Elon Musk surprised reporters at a farewell event at the White House, appearing with a black eye. During a press conference with President Donald Trump, Musk announced his departure as a "special government employee." Reporters quickly noticed Musk's injury, prompting him to explain its origin. Responding to a question about French President Emmanuel Macron being pushed by his wife, Trump admitted ignorance but humorously suggested the couple ensure closed doors. Musk, pointing to his black eye, joked, “I’ve got a little shiner here," revealing it was caused by his 5-year-old son, X. He recounted that they were playing, and he playfully encouraged his son to punch him, which he did. Musk began to reflect on the experience but abruptly paused without completing his Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off the much-anticipated Indore Metro, marking a historic day for the Malwa region as it coincided with the 300th birth anniversary of the legendary queen, Devi Ahilyabai Holkar. The inaugural metro ride through the land of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar turned into a celebration, especially for the city’s women. As the metro’s accelerator was engaged, women passengers erupted in joy, dancing and chanting slogans in celebration of their maiden metro journey. Local residents expressed their excitement, capturing the moment with selfies and photographs during their HC rejects Lalu's plea to halt trial in land-for-jobs scam Govt cracks down on illegal walkie-talkie sales Gen Anil Chauhan Chief of Defence Staff Agencies NEW DELHI The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea by RJD chief and former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav seeking to stay trial court proceedings in the alleged 'land-for-jobs' corruption case, investigated by the CBI. Justice Ravinder Dudeja ruled that Yadav remains free to present his arguments before the trial court at the charge consideration stage, stating there were no compelling reasons to halt proceedings. Major e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, JioMart, Meta, and Chimiya, have removed several walkie-talkie product listings following new government rules to prevent the illegal sale of radio communication equipment online. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, recently issued detailed guidelines to regulate how such devices are listed and sold on online marketplaces. The move comes in response to rising concerns about unregulated walkietalkies that can interfere with 4Continued on | P6 IANS NEW DELHI 4Continued on | P6 thought. Musk's tenure at the White House concluded after 130 days, a duration allowed by his status as a special employee, which was rooted in the Trump administration. During his time, Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with ambitions of reducing government costs. He expressed a goal to save $2 trillion through various initiatives. not the jet being downed but why they were being downed," Gen Chauhan, currently on a visit to Singapore, said. Gen Chauhan was asked whether India lost combat jets during the four-day military clashes with Pakistan earlier this month. "So the good part is that we were able to understand the tactical mistakes which we made, remedy it, rectify it and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again targeting at long range," he said. The comments by the top military officer are the Indian military's first clear acknowledgement of losses in the fourday military clashes with the neighbouring country. "I think what is important is Musk shows up with black eye at farewell FP Online IANS BHOPAL initial losses. The Chief of Defence Staff declined to specify the losses in terms of numbers but clearly pointed out the fact that the Indian military struck deep inside Pakistani territory that, New Delhi said, forced Islamabad to plead to stop the hostilities. offgrid WASHINGTON DC PM Modi emphasised the need to strengthen India’s foundation by drawing inspiration from Devi Ahilyabai. He recalled contributions of great women leaders like Rani Kamlapati, Rani Durgawati, Rani Avantibai and Rani Chennamma, saying their names fill hearts with pride. Highlighting his government’s efforts toward women empowerment, he said that the majority of beneficiaries under the Mudra Yojana are women entrepreneurs. Over 10 crore women are associated with Self Help Groups and are earning independently. The government has pledged to turn three crore women into 'LakhpatiDidis'. Under the NAMO Drone Scheme, more than 1.5 crore women have already become LakhpatiDidis. He also said that number of girls studying maths and science is rising rapidly. Metro station named after Op Sindoor CDS acknowledges jet loss in Pak clash US defence secy warns Indo-Pacific allies of ‘imminent’ China threat SINGAPORE Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday virtually inaugurated the Indore Metro train along with Datia and Satna airports, while attending the Women Empowerment Mega Convention at Jamboree Ground. He also laid the foundation stone for Atal Gram Sushashan Bhawan. The Prime Minister said that the start of Indore Metro and air connectivity to Datia and Satna will enhance facilities in Madhya Pradesh, boost development and open up new employment opportunities. Indore, already the cleanest city in the country, has now received a new identity through the metro. To further expand transportation in the Malwa region, the Centre has approved development of new rail lines. With air services now reaching Datia and Satna, pilgrimage to Maa Pitambara and Maa Sharda will be more convenient. This step will also improve connectivity in the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand regions. With air services now reaching Datia and Satna, pilgrimage to Maa Pitambara and Maa Sharda will be convenient Musk’s unexpected appearance with a black eye sparked a flurry of speculation and theories online, capturing significant attention. Dressed in a "Dogefather" T-shirt and cap, the 53-year-old tech magnate stood next to Trump, a notable image that drove conversations in the media about both his physical state and his brief role in government. 4Continued on | P6 critical communication networks like those used by police and emergency services. The new rules, titled ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipment including Walkie Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms, 2025,’ were created in consultation with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 4Continued on | P6 first-ever metro ride. A significant number of women joined the occasion, shouting patriotic slogans like "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and celebrating the launch of a new era in public transportation for Indore. In a symbolic gesture linking India’s cultural heritage with its contemporary valour, a metro station has been named after the country's recent anti-terror operation, Operation Sindoor. 4Continued on | P6 Colombia U-turn on statement condoling Pak terrorists PTI BOGOTA Colombia has withdrawn a statement offering condolences to Pakistan for the loss of lives following India's military strikes in response to the Pahalgam attack after an Indian parliamentary delegation explained Islamabad's relentless support to cross-border terrorism. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party delegation to the South American country, confirmed Bogota's withdrawal of the controversial statement after meeting Vice Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio. In the last two days, the nine-member delegation held a series of meetings with Columbia's senior political brass, apprising India's policy of "zero tolerance for terrorism" and its retaliatory strikes against terror infrastructure on Pakistani soil following the April 22 Pahalgam attack. "Began today with an excellent meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, and her senior colleagues dealing with the Asia-Pacific," Tharoor said in a social media post. 4Continued on | P6 Centre to establish medical colleges in all ESIC hosps with over 200 beds IANS NEW DELHI Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday announced that the government has decided to establish medical colleges in all ESIC (Employee State Insurance Corporation) hospitals with 200 or more beds. Inaugurating a newly constructed 30-bedded ESIC Hospital in Himachal Pradesh’s Kala Amb, the Union Minister noted that “40 per cent of seats in these institutions will be reserved for the wards of insured persons”. This will ensure "greater educational opportunities for workers’ families,” he said.In a heartwarming gesture, Mandaviya also felicitated the construction workers who played a vital role in building the hospital, underscoring the government's commitment to honouring the dignity of labour. “This hospital is not just a walled structure -- it is a shrine that honours our Shram Shakti, the strength of our nation. 4Continued on | P6