Monday, June 9, 2025 | 26 Pages | `5 & for State `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. 211 | 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 Paswan clan’s ‘chirag’ in Bihar poll fray; evades naming seat Cinema Netflix CEO is definition of dumb: Anurag Kashyap IPL needs a 12-16 week window to match the likes of NFL, says PBKS co-owner Mohit Burman Edit Are journalists who question govt narrative anti-national? UNREST SPREADS | Meitei leader’s arrest triggers protests ■ Curfew imposed, Net cut ■ Guv, officials review security Manipur on edge again Digjyoti Lahkar GUWAHATI S ailesh Mishra is making ageing graceful through advocacy, care, and creative engagement. Turn to the Mumbai page to find out how. SEE P3 Briefs ‘Mutual respect to guide ties’ The spirit of mutual respect and understanding will continue to guide India and Bangladesh in working for people's welfare, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus has said in a letter to PM Narendra Modi. The letter was in response to Modi's message conveying Eid greetings to Bangladeshi people and the interim chief adviser. In his letter, Yunus said that Modi's "thoughtful" message "reflects the shared values" between the two countries. "I am confident that the spirit of mutual respect and understanding will continue to guide our nations to work together for the wellbeing of our peoples," he said. Tensions flared across Manipur on Sunday as protests over the arrest of a leader of the Meitei group Arambai Tenggol intensified, prompting the state administration to impose curfews, enforce prohibitory orders, and suspend internet services in five valley districts. Officials confirmed that demonstrators continued to defy restrictions, blocking roads and clashing with security forces. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla convened a high-level security review meeting at Raj Bhavan, attended by top officials including the security advisor, director general of police, and representatives of central forces. Later, a bipartisan delegation of 20 MLAs from both the BJP and Congress met the governor to express concerns over the escalating unrest. Protesters burnt tyres on roads at Uripok and Koirengei in Imphal West district and Khurai in Imphal East, defying the prohibitory orders, officials said. At Koirengei, demonstrators dug up the road and poured heaps of soil on the thoroughfares to prevent the movement of security forces. Similar agitations were also staged in Jiribam district, neighbouring Assam. Some of the protesters also threatened to self immolate themselves. Thieves target judge at shrine A gang of women thieves who targeted female devotees at temples in UP’s Mathura was busted in a police crackdown after a judge's mangalsutra was snatched, officials said on Sunday. Ten such women thieves were arrested. SSP Shlok Kumar said on June 1, Prema Sahu, an Additional District and Sessions Judge posted in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, was visiting Thakur Shri Radharaman Temple in Vrindavan with family members when her gold mangalsutra was snatched. "We launched a campaign to identify and apprehend women thieves and pickpockets active in the temples, leading to the arrest of 10 such female thieves on Saturday," he said. ‘No response unless Rahul writes formally on match-fix’ Agencies PTI NEW DELHI A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought a response from the EC over his allegations of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, sources in the poll panel said Sunday that the constitutional body will respond only if the Leader of Opposition formally writes to it. Gandhi had published an article accusing the EC of “match-fixing” the Maharashtra polls and suggested similar manipulation could occur in upcoming Bihar elections or anywhere the BJP is losing. Maharashtra and Karnataka accounted for 51% of the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the country during the last financial year 2024-25, according to the latest data of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Maharashtra attracted maximum foreign inflow at $19.6 billion and accounted for 31% of the total FDI during April-March 2024-25. Karnataka received $6.62 billion overseas investments during the last fiscal year, the data showed. The two states were followed by Delhi ($6 billion), Gujarat ($5.71 billion), Tamil Nadu ($3.68 billion), Haryana ($3.14 billion), and Telangana ($3 billion). According to experts, the main reason for the maximum inflows in Maharashtra and Karnataka was substantial improvement in infrastructure. Infrastructure has improved considerably and that is making them attractive destinations for FDI in India, an economist said. 4Contd on | nation Women, farmers in focus as Modi govt marks 11 yrs FPJ News Service NEW DELHI As the Narendra Modi-led government prepares to mark its 11th anniversary in power and the first year of its third consecutive term, the PM on Sunday showcased a decadelong record of reforms and welfare, with a sharp focus on women-led development and farmer prosperity. In a social media post, Modi said the BJP-led NDA has redefined women’s role in India’s progress, turning empowerment into leadership. “In all sectors, including science, education, sports, Trump deploys troops to quell immigration stir Agencies LOS ANGELES National Guard troops began arriving in Los Angeles early Sunday on orders from President Donald Trump in response to clashes in recent days between federal immigration authorities and protesters seeking to block them from carrying out deportations. Members of California’s National Guard were seen staging early Sunday at the federal complex in downtown Los Angeles that includes the Metropolitan Detention Center, one of several sites that have seen confrontations involving hundreds of people in last two days. At 31%, Maha tops FY25 FDI hotspot list with $19.6 bn NEW DELHI 4Contd on | nation start-ups and the armed forces, women are excelling and inspiring several people,” he wrote on X. He highlighted flagship initiatives that have impacted women directly — from Swachh Bharat ensuring dignity, to Jan Dhan Yojana bringing financial inclusion, to WORLI HORROR Man kills wife over squabble, then shoots self Poonam Apraj MUMBAI The troops included members of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, according to a social media post from the Department of Defense that showed dozens of National Guard members with long guns and an armored vehicle. Trump has said he is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell the protests, which he called “a form of rebellion.” Early Sunday, the deployment was limited to a small area in downtown Los Angeles. The protests have been relatively small and limited to a downtown section. The rest of the city of 4 million people is largely unaffected. It was early Sunday morning when the quiet of Siddharth Nagar’s Pankaj Mansion in Worli was shattered. At 7 am, a milkman, a newspaper vendor, and the building guard, each going about their daily rounds, stumbled upon a gruesome scene. There, in their second-floor home, Rajmanohar Nampelli, 60, and his wife Lata, 52, lay motionless in a pool of blood. The cops were immediately alerted. According to police, Rajmanohar, an electrician by trade, had been locked in frequent domestic squabbles with Lata. The trigger for the violence, authorities say, was his growing frustration that Lata routinely sided with their 30-year-old son during arguments. Preliminary investigations suggest that between 5.30 am and 6.30 am, while his wife was still asleep in the hall, Rajmanohar used a country-made pistol to shoot at her at close range, the bullet piercing near her left eye. He then walked into the staircase passage outside the flat and turned the weapon on himself, shooting himself in the forehead. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Covid-19 cases cross 6K-mark India's active Covid tally crossed the 6,000-mark with 769 new infections being reported in the last 48 hours, according to the Union health ministry data released on Sunday. Kerala continues to be the most-affected state, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal and Delhi. Maharashtra reported 77 cases, 41 from Pune, 25 from Mumbai, six from Kolhapur, four from Navi Mumbai and one from Nagpur, health officials said. West Bengal reported 71 new cases. There are 6,133 active cases in the country, and six more deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, the ministry said. EC STAND Ujjwala Yojana, which provided over 10 crore gas connections for smoke-free kitchens. Housing for women under PM Awas Yojana and access to credit via MUDRA loans have also significantly boosted women’s agency, he noted. 4Contd on | nation FPJ News Service BENGALURU Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Sunday denied any direct involvement in organising the deadly felicitation event for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which led to a stampede killing 11 people and injuring 47. Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said, “The secretary and treasurer of KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) came and invited me to the event. We didn’t organise the function, the KSCA The first death that occurred due to the stampede happened at 3.50 pm but I was informed of it only at 5.45 pm. Siddaramaiah, Karnataka CM did.” He added, “They also informed me that the Governor is also coming, I only went there. I don’t know anything apart from that I only went there after I was invited, they didn’t invite me to the stadium.” The countdown has begun for a mission that’s about to launch India into a brandnew space era. As the clock ticks down to the Axiom Mission 4 (Mission Akash Ganga) launch on June 10 at 5.52 pm IST from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is being hailed as the “wicked smart”, “operationally savvy”, and “laserfocused” pilot set to guide the SpaceX Dragon capsule into orbit — and right into history. The capsule is set to dock with the ISS around 10 pm IST on June 11. In a video released by Axiom Space before the liftoff, he introduced himself with quiet confidence: “Namaste. I am Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.” The 39-year-old IAF pilot who goes by the nickname “Shux”, will be the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma undertook a spaceflight in 1984 onboard erstwhile Soviet Union’s Soyuz N Chithra MADURAI Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the NDA would form governments in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal in 2026 Assembly elections. Addressing a packed hall of BJP workers in Madurai, Shah launched a scathing attack on the Stalin-led government in TN, accusing it of corruption, misgovernance, and ignoring the will of the people. “This Karyakarta Sammelan will be remembered as the starting point of DMK’s downfall,” Shah said. “In 2026, Tamil Even if my story is able to change one life, it will be a huge success for me. Shubhanshu Shukla IAF Group Captain on Axiom Mission 4 spacecraft for an eight-day stay in orbit. Shukla’s international crewmates are seriously impressed. “He’s just wicked 2 $6.62 bn Karnataka 3 $6 bn 4 $5.71 bn 5 $3.68 bn 6 $3.14 bn 7 $3 bn Delhi Gujarat Tamil Nadu Haryana Telangana Total FDI, which includes equity inflows, reinvested earnings and other capital, grew 14% to $81.04 billion during the last financial year. It is the highest in the last three years. The same stood at $71.3 billion in 2023-24. Nadu will elect an NDA government led by the BJP and AIADMK.” Taking a swipe at Chief Minister MK Stalin’s jibe that the BJP cannot defeat the DMK, Shah responded, “You are right, Stalin ji — I cannot defeat the DMK. But the people of Tamil Nadu can and will.” Shah listed alleged scams involving the DMK regime, including a ₹4,600 crore sand mining scam, a ₹39,000 crore TASMAC liquor scam, and irregularities in nutrition kits meant for the poor. “This stolen money could have built classrooms in every school smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies,” said NASA veteran Peggy Whitson, who’s commanding the mission. “Having him as my pilot in the Dragon capsule is great. He already has that operational savvy.” “He is very focused,” added Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Winiewski. “He will basically go one, two, three, four in record time. I don’t even know how he gets there so fast.” Hungarian crewmate Tibor Kapu took it a step further: “Shukla’s wisdom, the knowledge he possesses — he could be 130 years old.” Shukla, meanwhile, stays grounded. “These are the moments that really tell you "I am hurt, the entire government is hurt. The first death that occurred due to the stampede happened at 3.50 pm but I was informed of it only at 5.45 pm," he said. His comments came after it emerged that a letter written on the day of the tragedy by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) MN Karibasavana Gowda on June 4had cautioned top bureaucrats about possible overcrowding and lack of security during RCB felicitation at Vidhana Soudha. 4Contd on | nation EAM begins Europe tour to bolster strategic ties Shah vows 2026 NDA sweep in TN, Bengal FPJ News Service NEW DELHI across the state. But the DMK chose to loot,” he alleged. He also accused the DMK government of ignoring rising caste-based violence and crimes against women and senior citizens. “Law and order is deteriorating while the state government looks the other way,” Shah said. 4Contd on | nation ‘Wicked smart’ Shux set for Space Odyssey FPJ News Service 1 $19.6 bn Maharashtra ‘I’m hurt’: Sidda denies stampede role up, up & away MUMBAI SUPER SEVEN that you are a part of something much larger than yourself,” he said. “Even if my story is able to change one life, it will be a huge success for me.” A fighter pilot by training, Shukla has logged over 2,000 flight hours across aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, and Jaguar. He was selected for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission in 2020 — and now, he’s set to represent India on a global platform. From the skies over India to the stars beyond, Shukla is ready to fly. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday departed on a week-long visit to Europe, where he is scheduled to hold high-level discussions with leaders from France, the European Union, and Belgium. The trip aims to bolster bilateral and strategic partnerships while reiterating India’s firm stance on terrorism. The visit comes in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, which prompted the Indian government to launch Operation Sindoor, a major security and diplomatic response. Jaishankar is expected to brief European leaders on India’s zero-tolerance policy against cross-border terrorism and underscore New Delhi’s commitment to global counterterrorism cooperation. In the first leg of the visit, Jaishankar will travel to France, a long-standing and reliable partner of India. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), “The minister would travel to Paris and Marseille where he would be holding bilateral discussions with his counterpart Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Noel Barrot.” 4Contd on | nation