Thursday, November 20, 2025 | Vol. 69 No. 39 | 29 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation GAMES NATION In first trip since 2023 ethnic strife, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to visit Manipur today Cinema Big B faced career downfall before Sholay: Ramesh Sippy Shubman Gill is not exactly fit but desperate to play the 2nd Test in Guwahati Edit Maha on the boil once again as Fadnavis and Shinde spar LOCAL BODY POLLS | The process is already underway and the last date for withdrawal of nominations now is November 21 SC asks Maharashtra to defer nominations New Delhi PTI The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra government to consider deferring the nomination process for the upcoming local body elections until the court decides the issue of granting 27% reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). According to the State Election Commission’s schedule an- nounced on November 4, elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats in Maharashtra will be held on December 2, and votes will be counted on December 3. The last date to file nominations was November 17, scrutiny was scheduled for November 18, and November 21 is the deadline for withdrawal of nominations. Election symbols and the final candidate list will be published on November 26. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh suggested the postponement while posting the matter for hearing on November 25. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, sought time to submit additional documents related to the quota dispute. “Why can't you consider deferring the nomination process till we look into the issue?” the bench asked. Mehta informed the court PREZ ASSENT RULING TODAY The SC will pronounce on Thursday its verdict on whether timelines can be imposed on the President and governors on giving assent to bills passed by legislatures. SEE NAITON that only the nomination process was currently underway. However, advocate Amol B Karande, representing those opposing the 27 per cent OBC quota, argued that allowing the nominations to proceed would make the poll process “irreversible”. Justice Kant noted the concern and said the court was aware of the implications. He asked the petitioners to mention the matter on November 25, when the court would take it up for hearing. On November 17, the Supreme Court had directed the state not to exceed the 50 per cent reservation limit in the local body elections scheduled for next month and warned that it could stay the polls if the quota cap was breached. The court also said the elections must be held as per the situation that existed before the 2022 J K Banthia Commission report, which had recom- mended a 27% OBC quota. The court had issued notices on petitions claiming that reservation in some local bodies had reached as high as 70%. It clarified that the Banthia Commission report is still under judicial consideration, and its earlier orders on May 6 and September 16 only permitted the elections to be conducted as per the pre-report status. 4Contd on | nation TALAQ-E-HASAN SC frowns on validity of practice FPJ News Service NEW DELHI FPJ News Service FPJ News Service PTI PTI NEW DELHI NEW DELHI NEW DELHI NEW DELHI The SC on Wednesday urged all women, especially Hindu, to make a will to ensure their assets are distributed according to their wishes and to avoid conflicts between their parents and in-laws. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan made this appeal while hearing a PIL challenging Section 15(1)(b) of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. It declined to decide the validity of the provision but highlighted the importance of women safeguarding their property rights by making wills, Live Law reports. In a major development aimed at strengthening the independence and functioning of India’s tribunal system, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Union Government to establish a National Tribunals Commission (NTC) within four months. The order came from a Bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran while hearing the Madras Bar Association case, in which the Court also struck down multiple provisions of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021. The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to create a national policy and uniform rules for organ transplantation across the country, stressing the need for a transparent, fair and efficient system for organ donation and allocation. A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran issued the directions while hearing a PIL filed by the Indian Society of Organ Transplantation. The Supreme Court on Wednesday sharply criticised the CBI and market regulator SEBI for their “reluctance” to investigate allegations of “dubious transactions” involving Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited (IHFL), now renamed Sammaan Capital Limited. The court directed the CBI director to convene a meeting with SEBI, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to examine all accusations raised against the company. The SC on Wednesday questioned the validity of Talaq-eHasan, indicating that it may strike down the Islamic practice and could refer it to a fivejudge Constitution Bench. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh said the practice allowing a Muslim man to divorce his wife by saying “talaq” once a month for three months raises serious concerns of dignity, fairness and equality. The SC said it may have to step in if “gross discriminatory practices” are affecting women. “What kind of thing is this? How are you promoting this in 2025? Is this how the dignity of a woman is upheld? Should a civilised society allow this?” Justice Kant said while hearing journalist Benazeer Heena’s plea. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation SC RECOMMENDATION ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION NATIONAL TRIBUNALS COMMISSION INDIABULLS TRANSACTIONS Women should Set up body in 4 SC direction for SC flays CBI, SEBI prepare wills months, govt told national policy probe ‘reluctance’ Pothole claims panel notified Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI Acting on strong directions issued by the Bombay High Court (HC), the Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) has constituted a high-level committee to process and disburse compensation for accidents caused by potholes and manholes on roads under its jurisdiction. The three-member committee will be chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary (PWD). The Secretary (Roads) will serve as the member-secretary, while the secretaries of the respective District Legal Aid Authorities will act as members, ensuring both administrative oversight and legal scrutiny. The move stems from an HC order delivered on October 13 during the hearing of a suo motu PIL on pothole-related ‘China blitzed fake info during Op Sindoor’ COURT SENDS ANMOL TO NIA FPJ News Service MUMBAI MUMBAI deaths. The court had bluntly asked the state whether it could devise a compensation policy and emphasised that civic officials and agencies must be held accountable for preventable injuries and fatalities arising from poor road conditions. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an advisory body created by the US Congress, has accused Beijing of orchestrating a coordinated disinformation campaign following India’s Operation Sindoor. In its annual report to Congress released on Tuesday, the Commission said China deployed Grey Zone tactics by using fake social media accounts to circulate AI-generated images purporting to show aircraft debris, allegedly to undermine India’s military claims and promote its own weapons systems reported IANS. According to the report, China “initiated a disinformation campaign to hinder sales of French Rafale aircraft in favour of its own J-35s,” using fabricated images and posts to suggest that Chinese weaponry had destroyed foreign aircraft. The Commission said Beijing was attempting to exploit global defence narratives by pushing misleading material online through inauthentic accounts. The report also asserted that China had “opportunistically” leveraged the IndiaPakistan conflict in May to showcase the supposed sophistication of its weaponry. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Maharashtra Public Works Dept has constituted a highlevel committee to process and disburse compensation for accidents caused by potholes and man-holes on roads under its jurisdiction FPJ News Service A Delhi court on Wednesday remanded Anmol Bishnoi, younger brother and close associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, to 11 days of National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody, marking a significant breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing crackdown on the Bishnoi-led terror– gangster syndicate. Anmol, long wanted in a string of high-profile crimes including the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, the April 2024 firing outside actor Salman Khan’s residence, and the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, was produced amid unprecedented security at Patiala House Courts around 5 pm. He was arrested hours earlier following his deportation from the United States, where he had been detained since November last year. Special Judge Prashant Sharma granted the NIA 11 days’ custody against the agency’s plea for 15 days, with Anmol scheduled to be produced again on November 29. Outside court, Special Public Prosecutor Rahul Tyagi described him as a “very important member of the terror-gangster syndicate”, adding that investigators believe he holds “critical information” about the network’s operations, finances and international links. “He was running the syn- dicate and is a key member. We are trying to establish how he fled India, the source of funds, and the involvement of other operatives,” Tyagi said. The court complex saw heavy police deployment, including Agencies DUBAI Russia has signalled a major push to support India’s future air combat requirements, offering what it describes as unrestricted technology transfer for the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter. Russian officials said that any technical demand raised by New Delhi is “completely acceptable,” as the two nations prepare for President Putin’s visit to India next month. The assurance comes against the backdrop of several highlevel interactions, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Presi- dent Putin in Moscow. Indian and Russian delegations also engaged on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show 2025, where defence cooperation dominated discussions. Sergey Chemezov, CEO of the Russian state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec, underlined that Moscow has consistently stood by India’s security needs. 4Contd on | nation Dheeraj Kumar Trump in ‘Quiet, piggy!’ outburst on Epstein question Agencies While fielding questions on Air Force One on Friday, Trump sparked a row when he referred to a Bloomberg News correspondent as a “piggy.” It initially received little attention, but gained traction on Tuesday and drew criticism from journalists, including some previously targeted by Trump. Catherine Lucey, Bloomberg’s White House correspondent, had been asking about the Epstein scandal and US Congress clears file Both chambers of the US Congress have approved a measure ordering the Justice Department to release its files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, moving the long-awaited disclosures closer to reality. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly backed the bill in a 4271 vote, while the Senate said it would pass the measure even before it officially received it. Now President Donald Trump must sign off on the legislation. why Trump was behaving defensively “if there’s nothing incriminating in the files.” He answered her first question but when she attempted to ask a follow-up, he lost it. Be- fore she could finish, Trump bent his head down, pointed his finger at her and said: “Quiet. Quiet, piggy.” CBS News reporter Jennifer Jacobs was the first to 4Continued on | P19 Russia offers Delhi Sukhoi-57 Nitish to be sworn deal plus technology transfer in as 10th time CM offgrid WASHINGTON RAF units, and media was barred from the proceedings. According to officials, the NIA discreetly moved Anmol out of Delhi airport earlier in the day due to security concerns before presenting him in court. The agency said Anmol is the 19th accused arrested in its wider probe into the terrorgangster conspiracy case (RC 39/2022/NIA/DLI), which aims to dismantle the nexus between organised crime groups, terrorists and arms smugglers. Investigators allege that despite being based in the US since 2022, Anmol continued to operate the Bishnoi syndicate remotely, coordinating shooters, providing shelter and logistics, and running extortion rackets in India using gang members on the Scan & Watch ground. report that Trump used the slur, though she did not identify Lucey by name. “Disgusting and completely unacceptable,” CNN anchor Jake Tapper said on X, sharing a clip of the exchange. Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson also condemned the remark as “disgusting and degrading.” The insult echoed Trump’s past behaviour. Alicia Machado, Miss Universe 1996, has said Trump once called her “Miss Piggy” and pressured her to lose weight. In 2018, Trump administration official Lynne Patton referred to longtime White House correspondent April Ryan as “Miss Piggy” before apologising. Trump himself called Ryan a “loser” who “doesn’t know what the hell Scan & Watch she’s doing.” 4Contd on | nation PATNA Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar will be sworn in as chief minister of Bihar for a record 10th time on Thursday at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, several union ministers and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states are expected to attend the ceremony. This will be the first time PM Modi is present at an NDA government’s swearing-in ceremony in Bihar. During the election campaign, he had promised he would return to attend the oath-taking event. Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar visited Raj Bhavan to submit his resignation as head of the outgoing government and stake claim to form the new one. He was accompanied by NDA leaders and submitted letters of support from the elected MLAs of the coalition, who had unanimously elected him as leader of the NDA. The state cabinet had earlier recommended dissolution of the current assembly on November 19, and Nitish informed Governor Arif Mohammad Khan about the decision. After staking his claim, he said he had attended the NDA meeting held in the Central Hall of the Bihar legislature. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation