FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 95 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in World Israeli soldiers push deeper into Gaza City P.10 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY GST REFORMS TO INJECT `2L CR INTO ECONOMY... UJJAIN PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK Cinema Bollywood mourns Robert Redford P.14 On B’day, PM urges ‘buy Swadeshi’, launches textile park in Dhar GIFTS PUBLIC DHAR Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday made a strong pitch for Swadeshi while addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for the Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park in Bhensola village of tribal Dhar district. Modi said, "This is the season of festivals and we must remember the mantra of Swadeshi and incorporate it into our lives." "I have a humble request to my 140 crore fellow countrymen that whatever you buy, it should be made in our country and should bear the sweat of some Indian or the other. It should carry the fragrance of the soil of my India, Modi said. "Shops selling 'made in India' goods should have 'Garv se kaho yeh swadeshi hai' boards," he said. In his second visit to the state on his birthday – he had come on the same day in 2022 to release nine cheetahs at Kuno Sanctuary- Modi also praised Madhya Pradesh's iconic Maheshwari sarees. Recalling the legacy of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, he said she had commissioned the first Maheshwari saree by asking artisans to weave a nine-yard fp Briefs NEW DELHI Das is new envoy to South Korea Gourangalal Das, currently the joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as India's next envoy to the Republic of Korea, the MEA announced on Wednesday. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly. PM launched the SWASTH NARI SASHAKT PARIVAR ABHIYAAN (SNSPA), a Union Government initiative aimed at improving women’s health through comprehensive screenings and services. The campaign runs until Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. PM also launched the 8TH RASHTRIYA POSHAN MAAH campaigns and transferred its fund through single click. 'AADI SEVA PARV' was also inaugurated in the series. CM Mohan Yadav presents 10th-Century Lord Varaha idol to PM Modi on his 75th birthday at Dhar on Wednesday. PM laid foundation stone of 'PM MITRA Park' and also launched multiple social welfare schemes NOTHING BIGGER THAN MAA BHARATI’S AAN, BAAN, SHAAN PM also recalled the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on HYDERABAD LIBERATION DAY (SEPTEMBER 17) and hailed the "iron-strong will" of the country's first Minister of Home Affairs, in making Hyderabad a part of the Indian Union post-Independence. There is nothing bigger than Maa Bharati's (Mother India) aan, baan, aur shaan (dignity, splendour and pride, he said. TERRORIST CRYING PROOF OF NEW INDIA Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the success of Operation Sindoor, saying a viral video of a Pakistani terrorist crying and admitting defeat shows the power of New India. “Our brave forces brought Pakistan to its knees in the blink of an eye,” he said. Modi asserted that New India doesn’t fear nuclear threats and “enters the enemy’s house to strike,” sending a strong message of zero-tolerance against terrorism. BHOPAL GAS TRGEDY CASES HC to monitor pending criminal appeals FP News Service JABALPUR High Court principal seat will monitor hearing on monthly basis of the criminal revision appeals of Bhopal Gas tragedy cases pending in the district court at Bhopal. The court issued the direction while disposing of a PIL filed by the  Bhopal Gas Peedith Sangharsh Sahayog Samiti sought direction for delay in hearing of criminal revision appeal (CRA) Nos.365, 366, 368, 371 & 487 of 2010. The petition said due to delay in hearing the criminal revision appeals are pending before the District & Sessions Court, Bhopal for the last fifteen years. A division bench Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf directed the subordinate court to submit monthly report of the cases to the high court’s registrar general related to the criminal revision appeals. The registrar general in turn will table the reports before the Chief Justice for monitoring of the hearings, the petitioner’s counsel Rajesh Chand said. 4Continued on | P8 TOKYO Neeraj in World C’ship finals Defending champion Neeraj Chopra will face Pakistan's Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem in the World Championships finals in a much-anticipated clash between the two cross-border rivals as the duo made the cut in contrasting styles in the qualification round here on Wednesday. EVMs to have SC seeks Centre, NTCA’s colour photos of candidates ORGANISED TIGER POACHING reply on CBI probe demand PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and others on a PIL demanding a CBI probe into an alleged organised tigerpoaching and wildlife-trafficking racket in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran issued notice on a plea by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who flagged the threat posed by poaching syndicates operating across state and international borders. Bansal highlighted that nearly 30% of India's tigers live outside designated reserves, making them vulnerable. He cited media reports and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report exposing widespread poaching activities and illegal trade of tiger parts. The plea pointed to the arrest of several individuals, seizure of tiger skins, bones, weapons, and financial documents, establishing the existence of a transnational network involving poachers, smugglers, and hawala operators. 4Continued on | P8 Agencies NEW DELHI The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised the existing guidelines under Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, for the design and printing ofEVM Ballot Papers to enhance their clarity and readability, as per an official statement released on Wednesday. The poll body said that the photographs of candidates will be printed in colour on the EVM Ballot Paper, and the candidate's face will occupy three-fourths of the photo space for better visibility. 4Continued on | P8 offgrid No vidharmis in Garba events Hindu Utsav Samiti mulls Aadhaar check, puja & Panchgavya to keep event purely religious SMITA BHOPAL The Hindu Utsav Samiti has announced a detailed plan to ensure that people from other faiths, referred to as ‘vidharmis’, are not allowed to participate in the upcoming Navratri Garba events. The Samiti has also urged Garba organising committees to maintain religious purity of the event and avoid any vulgarity in clothing or song selection. The Samiti has instructed that no non-Hindu should be allowed at Garba venues in any capacity, whether as a participant, trainer, service provider or bouncer. Organisers have been told to verify Aadhar card of all attendees thoroughly. “No Salim should be allowed entry just because he is carrying an Aadhar card under another name like Bablu, or has a tilak on his forehead or a kalawa tied to his wrist. This will prevent Love Jihad,” said Chandrashekhar Tiwari, president of the Hindu Utsav Samiti. To prevent entry of outsiders, the Samiti has recommended that puja and aarti of Goddess Durga should be performed before Garba begins and all participants must join in. “Naturally, those against idol worship will stay away,” Tiwari said. Moreover, Panchgavya – a combination of five sacred products derived from cows, including milk, curd, ghee, urine, and dung – should be offered to all participants. “A Hindu will willingly consume it, others won’t,” he said. As an extra precaution, an idol of Varaha Avatar of Lord Vishnu should be placed outside the venue and worshipped. “Lord Vishnu took the form of a pig and lifted the earth with his tusks. Since Muslims dislike pigs, they will avoid worshipping it,” Tiwari said. 4Continued on | P8 E-paper Edit It certainly smells like genocide P.6 BUY INDIAN| Narendra Modi says every purchase should carry the ‘fragrance of Indian soil’; praises Maheshwari sarees, unveils welfare schemes and `450 cr maternity aid FPNS\Agencies MUMBAI drape inspired by the forts of Maheshwar. "Madhya Pradesh has a rich tradition of Maheshwari textiles and Devi Ahilyabai Holkar gave them a new dimension. Some time ago, we celebrated the 300th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai. Now, through PM Mitra Park in Dhar, we will carry forward her heritage," the Prime Minister said. He added that the park would serve as an integrated hub for spinning, designing, processing, and exports. "Essential things like kapas (cotton) and resham (silk) will be available in the PM Mitra Park. 4Continued on | P8 World leaders laud Modi’s global leadership on his 75th birthday PTI MOSCOW/LONDON/NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a flood of birthday wishes from world leaders and prominent figures as he turned 75 on Wednesday. Born on September 17, 1950, in Vadnagar, Gujarat, Modi was lauded for his leadership, vision, and contributions to global development. Russian President Vladimir Putin personally called PM Modi to extend his greetings, telling his cabinet, “I congratulated our friend, the Prime Minister of India, on his 75th birthday.” Putin praised Modi’s "great personal contribution" to India-Russia ties and hailed India's achievements under his leadership. “India has made impressive progress in the social, economic, scientific, and technical fields,” he said. A day earlier, former US President Donald Trump also called Modi, commending his leadership and thanking him for his support in ending the Ukraine war. Trump’s call sparked speculation about a potential reset in bilateral ties. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called Modi a “good friend” and praised his accomplishments for India and IndoIsrael relations. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni posted a picture with Modi, calling his leadership “a source of inspiration.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen extended greetings, recalling her last interaction with Modi during the EUIndia strategy launch. She expressed hope for progress in trade talks and joint support for Ukraine. See Nation Pycroft stays Gandhisagar gets Dheera as 3rd cheetah match referee for Pak-UAE tie OUR STAFF REPORTER Agencies BHOPAL DUBAI Cheetahs brought from Kuno National Park were released in Gandhisagar reserve forest on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on Wednesday. Female cheetah Dheera was brought from Kuno. Gandhisagar has been made another centre for cheetahs. On April 20, two male cheetahs were released in Gandhisagar. Now, a female cheetah was released there. Modi released cheetahs in Kuno on his birthday three years ago, giving a big boost to the cheetah project. At that time, 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa to Kuno. A team from the forest department released the cheetahs from a specially designed cage. According to the forest officials, some more cheetahs will be released in Gandhisagar. 4Continued on | P8 UAE captain Muhammad Waseem won the toss and opted to bowl against Pakistan in the group stage match of the Asia Cup. Pycroft is serving as the match referee in the match. After winning the toss, UAE skipper Waseem explained his decision to bowl first. The toss was delayed by an hour as Pakistan team left late for the stadium and waited for clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). See sports page