FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 66 | INDORE | THURSDAY | AUGUST 14, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports HITMAN STRIKES AGAIN P.14 fp Briefs NEW DELHI J&K statehood hearing today The Supreme Court would on Thursday hear a plea for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. A bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran is likely to hear the matter, according to the causelist. On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370, even as it ordered that assembly elections be held in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024 and its statehood be restored "at the earliest". JAIPUR Pak spy arrested The guest house manager of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Jaisalmer, who was detained on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, has been arrested by Rajasthan police on grounds of substantial evidence. Mahendra Prasad, the accused, was produced before a court in Jaipur on Wednesday and was sent to a two-day police remand. JAIPUR 11 killed in road accident A pickup van crashed into a parked truck in Rajasthan's Dausa district in the early hours of Wednesday, killing 11 Uttar Pradesh residents, including seven children, and injuring eight others, police said. The passengers of the pickup vehicle were returning to their village in Uttar Pradesh's Etah after visiting Khatu Shyam and Salasar Balaji temples when the accident occurred on Manoharpur highway around 4 am, Dausa SP Sagar told PTI. EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN WORLD PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Our Staff Reporter Leakage of chlorine gas at a factory in the Industrial area on JK Road on Wednesday afternoon caused panic among locals and workers, leaving many with eye irritation and breathing difficulties for some time.  DM Kaushalendra Vikram Singh has ordered a joint inquiry into the incident by the Chief Medical and Health Officer and the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, instructing that the report be submitted within two days.  The incident occurred around 3.30 pm at a factory manufacturing chlorine tablets. It is reported that chlorine gas started leaking from a storage used for keeping raw materials at the factory. The gas quickly spread outside the premises, forcing the locals and workers to move away while using masks and other protective gear. Piplani police station Incharge Inspector Chandrika Yadav said the factory was closed on Wednesday. Police received information regarding the incident from workers of adjoining factories. The adjoining buildings and factories were evacuated, and senior officials were informed. SDM, Govindpura, Ravish Kumar Srivastava, also reached the spot, and SDRF and NDRF teams, along with the fire department, were roped in to contain the leakage.  ARMY CAPABLE OF TAKING BACK PAKISTAN PUNJAB Our Staff Reporter INDORE Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav here on Wednesday said that the Indian Army is capable enough to take back that part of Punjab which went to Pakistan at the time of partition. ‘If Pakistan did any misadventure again, it will get strongest reply ever. Our Army is capable of reclaiming the partitioned part of Punjab,’ he said while addressing a Tiranga Yatra in the city and blaming Congress for partition in 1947. He also attacked Congress for attacking constitutional bodies for its failure to win CM Mohan Yadav leads Tiranga Yatra in Indore on Wednesday elections. ‘They put a question mark on Supreme Court and Indian Army. Congress lost elections because of its wrong policies but it holds Election Commission responsible,’ he said. The CM also claimed that Congress leaders issue such statements which please people of Pakistan and China. Post Kothari, Uma transfer, SEIAA holds 5 meetings, 100 cases get EC SC hearing on deemed permission has been put off Our Staff Reporter The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) is back on track after the transfer of Principal Secretary Navneet Kothari and IAS officer Uma Maheshwari. The government transferred both the officers on July 23. Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal was given the additional charge of the environment department. The charge of Environmental Planning and Coordination Organisation (EPCO) was given to Deepak Arya. The executive director of EPCO is the member secretary of SEIAA. After the transfer of the two officers, the dispute between the chairman of SEIAA, SN Singh Chouhan, and the officers of the authority came to an end. After the change in the environment department, more than five meetings have been MPBSE Class 10, 12 exams from Feb 7 Agencies WASHINGTON DC 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Temple desecrated in US BHOPAL The signboard of a Hindu temple was defaced in the US city of Indiana, an incident described by the Indian consulate as "reprehensible". The "hateful act" took place at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Greenwood city, the temple's official public affairs account said in an X post on Tuesday. This was the fourth time in less than a year that a BAPS temple has been targeted, it said. The Indian Consulate in Chicago took strong note of the act and called it "reprehensible". "Desecration of main sign- Trump’s ‘severe consequences’ warning if Putin continues war after Alaska meet board of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Greenwood, Indiana is reprehensible," it said in an X post, adding that it has raised the matter with the law enforcement authorities for "prompt action". 4Continued on | P8 NEW YORK The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) has announced the timetable for Class 10 and 12 examinations for the year 2026. According to an official notification, the examinations will be conducted from February 7 to March 3, 2026 in a single shift from 9 am to 12 noon at the designated examination centers across the state. Citing the success of Operation Sindoor, Yadav stated that today’s India not only hits targets within the country but also on foreign soil. US President Donald Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of "very severe consequences" if Russia doesn't agree to stop the war with Ukraine after their meeting in Alaska on August 15. "Yes. There will be consequences. I don't have to say (on the type of consequences). There will be very severe consequences," said Trump while answering a reporter's question at the Kennedy Centre on Wednesday. Both leaders are scheduled to discuss a potential ceasefire in the Ukraine war on August 15 at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska's Anchorage. The summit, scheduled for Friday, marks the first in-person meeting between the leaders of the US and Russia in over four years. If the first meeting goes well, a second meeting might be held soon, potentially involving Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. "If the first meeting goes okay, we will have a quick second one. I would like to do it almost immediately. PTI Our Staff Reporter held in the past 20 days and over 100 cases disposed of. The department has given green clearance in mining, construction and other cases. Because the SEIAA was not holding meetings, several cases were pending for green approval. SEIAA is regularly holding meetings to dispose of the cases pending for a long time. On the other hand, 237 cases, which were disposed of under the provision of deemed permission, are yet to be solved. Pic Anand Shivre offgrid As the US tariffs come into play, the biggest concern in India is for the textile sector. Government statistics show that the Indian textile and apparel market was valued at around $222 billion in 2024, and projections suggest it could reach $350 billion by 2030. The US is the largest market for the textile industry—which employs approximately 45 million people, an employment fig- ure second only to agriculture—making up 33% of India’s total exports. People The teams used caustic soda to neutralise the gas, and it took around 1-½ hours to contain the leakage, Inspector Yadav added. The gas caused tears and irritation in the eyes and breathing problems for those affected. However, none of them complained of any serious problems. The officials and personnel engaged in rescue work wore masks.  Inspector Yadav said primary investigations suggest that the raw material at the store got wet, triggering the leakage of chlorine gas.  3-judge SC bench to hear stray dog matter today in the trade warn that mass layoffs should be expected should the US tariffs take hold. “We request immediate government intervention to offset Analysis this huge setback. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday described India as “a bit reExporters have their calcitrant” in ongoing trade negotiations. Speaking to Fox Business Network’s back against the wall and “Kudlow,” Bessent said there were still some “big trade deals” to be concluded, will have to sell below cost to including with Switzerland and India, and expressed hope of finalising tariff nekeep their factories running gotiations by October. “There are big trade deals that aren’t done and aren’t and avoid mass layoffs,” Sudagreed. Switzerland is still around; India has been a bit recalcitrant. I think we hir Sekhri, Chairman, have agreed on substantial terms with all the substantial countries,” he said, adding, “That’s aspirational. I think we’re in a good position.” 4Continued on | P8 EAM heads to Moscow, Chinese FM to visit Delhi as RIC wakes up FP News Service MUMBAI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court's suo motu case addressing the stray dog crisis has been transferred to a three-judge bench after a two-judge panel issued controversial directions on August 11 ordering the relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters. The expanded bench, consisting of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria, is scheduled to hear the matter on Thursday The original relocation order was issued by the bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan on August 11, directing that stray dogs in the Delhi-National Capital Region be moved to designated shelters. The referral to a larger bench typically indicates the complexity or significance of the legal issues involved in the case. Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai assured that he will “look into” a plea relating to stray dogs after it was mentioned for urgent hearing in the Supreme Court. “I will look into it,” CJI Gavai assured. In a sign that the Russia–India– China (RIC) trio is stirring back to life, New Delhi and Moscow will see back-to-back high-level visits this month. On August 21, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will sit down in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to talk trade, security, and ways to work together on the global stage. The meeting follows NSA Ajit Doval’s recent trip to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin. Before that, on August 18, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in Delhi for talks with Doval. His visit comes just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first trip to China in five years for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Modi is expected to meet both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines. The flurry of meetings comes against a tense backdrop. US President Donald 4Continued on | P8 The renewed bustle comes as all three RIC nations—Russia, India and China—seek closer ties in the face of mounting global tensions and US trade pressure Trump has hit both India and China with steep import tariffs—50% on India, including a 25% “penalty” over its Russian oil and arms purchases— while also waging a trade war with Beijing. The friction has nudged India and China into tentative cooperation: scaling back troop tensions in Ladakh, reopening pilgrimages, and exploring direct flights and media exchanges. 4Continued on | P8 Modi may visit US next month Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the annual high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the UN here. The 80th session of the UNGA will open on September 9. The high-level General Debate will run from September 23-29, with Brazil as the traditional first speaker of the session, followed by the US Sonia became voter before getting Indian citizenship: BJP Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday sought to pin the allegations of “voter fraud” back on the Congress by sharing an extract of the electoral rolls of 1980 to claim that its Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi had become a voter in New Delhi when she had not yet even acquired the citizenship of India. The copy of the electoral roll extract was shared by BJP’s national information and technology department incharge Amit Malviya in a post ‘LS polls be considered null and void’ Hitting back at the BJP for claiming irregularities in seats contested by some top opposition leaders, the Congress on Wednesday said the data shared by the ruling party points to its collusion with the Election Commission (EC) and demanded that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls be considered "null and void" for being held on "fake voter lists" on “X”. The document showed that Sonia Gandhi figured on the electoral rolls in the New Delhi Parliamentary constituency. Along with the image of the electoral roll, Malviya posted that “Sonia Gandhi’s tryst with India’s voters’ list is riddled with glaring violations of electoral law. This perhaps explains ‘Terror threat’ scribbled near Jagannath Temple PTI Textile sector braces for US tariffs FP ‘INDIA RECALCITRANT’ Ashwin Ahmad E-paper Cinema ‘I am better than her’ P.13 TIRANGA YATRA | Warning that any future misadventure at border will receive strongest reply ever, CM Mohan Yadav says... 4Continued on | P8 NEW DELHI MUMBAI Edit Cards don’ tmake one Indian P.6 Trump keen to seal truce at Alaska meet: Macron BHOPAL URI One Indian Army soldier was killed while foiling an infiltration bid in the Uri sector on Wednesday morning, and search operations are still ongoing in the area, said an official. The Army had killed two terrorists in the same area a few days ago. According to an official statement, the Indian Army foiled an infiltration attempt in the Uri sector early this morning. A few days ago, the Army had eliminated two terrorists in the same area. iii QUALITY @ VALUE CHLORINE GAS LEAK SPARKS PANIC BHOPAL Infiltration bid foiled ESTD-1983 PURI Two graffiti threatening that "terrorists will demolish the Jagannath Temple" in Odisha's Puri were found on the wall of a small temple near the 12thcentury shrine on Wednesday, triggering resentment among devotees, police said. The threat written in the Odia language was found on the wall of Maa Budhi Thakurani's temple located at Bali Sahi, a senior officer said. 'Terrorists will demolish the Srimandir. Call me, or else there will be destruction', a threat was written in one graffiti. "There are several phone numbers mentioned on the wall of the temple. Words such as 'PM Modi', 'Delhi' were also mentioned," a Puri resident said. Puri SP Pinak Mishra, who visited the spot, said, "We have taken cognisance of the matter and are taking it very seriously. We have got some information, and police teams are being formed to arrest those who are behind such a threat." 4Continued on | P8 Rahul Gandhi’s fondness for regularising ineligible and illegal voters, and his opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Her name first appeared on the rolls in 1980 — three years before she became an Indian citizen and while she still held Italian citizenship. 4Continued on | P8 Rahul disowns threat plea filed in Pune court IANS PUNE In a dramatic turn in the ongoing defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader has publicly disowned a legal application filed in his name before a Pune court, which claimed he faced a threat to his life. The application, submitted on August 13 by Advocate Milind D. Pawar, cited grave apprehensions regarding Rahul Gandhi’s safety due to the lineage and ideological affiliations 4Continued on | P8