FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 240 | BHOPAL | THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 12, 2026 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports ONE SUPER OVER IS DRAMA, TWO IS DESTINY P.12 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL MONEY Sold Bharat Mata, have you no shame: Rahul Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday criticised the Centre for allegedly surrendering the country’s interests in the interim trade deal with the United States saying, “You have sold India, you have sold our mother – Bharat Mata”. Speaking during the discussion on the Union Budget, Gandhi alleged that the deal was “one-sided” and had hurt the interests of Indian farmers as well as several sectors, like textiles, which he claimed was “finished”. The Congress leader, who got an opportunity to deliver a complete speech in the House, after a week of protests during which the Opposition stalled proceedings to decry his being stopped from speaking on India-China relations while reading from a memoir of former Army chief General MM Naravane, also charged that through the India-U.S. trade deal, the government has buckled up on tariffs. Moreover, he said, it has handed over our data to the United States, given a 20-year tax holiday to foreign companies while leaving the country’s farmers at the mercy of mechanised American farms. Gandhi said India’s energy security has also been compromised and now “the US will decide who we will buy our oil from”. He said the deal was lopsided as the US imports will go up from $46 billion to $146 billion, India’s tariffs have gone up from 3 percent to 18 percent while those of the US have come down from 16 percent to zero. 4Continued on | P8 Cong sold country, not Modi: Sitharaman F inance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, saying that it was the Congress-led UPA government which surrendered India's interest before international organisations including the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and "sold" the interest of poor and farmers. She said it was the Congress which not only sold the interest of the poor and farmer of this country but the country itself. Echoing sentiments of her Cabinet colleague Kiren Rijiju, the finance minister said, "Koi mai ka laal paida nahi hua jo humare desh ko bech de ya kharid le (no one has the audacity to sell or buy out India)." Sitharaman also referred to the Sharm elSheikh Joint Statement, accusing the previous regime of diluting India's position on sovereignty and security in its engagement with Pakistan. Stressing that those who want to negotiate with Pakistan at Sharm-al-Sheikh are now giving us suggestions on negotiations, Sitharaman said, "it is the Congress which sold the government, farmers, the poor and the nation. It was you who hyphenated India with Pakistan." "Kiren Rijiju said it rightly not a single person has been born till date who can sell India. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi will never do such a thing," she added. 4Continued on | P8 WILL MOVE PRIVILEGE NOTICE AGAINST RAHUL, SAYS RIJIJU nion Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that Bharatiya Janata Party members in Lok Sabha will give a privilege notice against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi "for misleading the House and also making baseless statements". He said Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, has made useless and false allegations against the government and against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. U fp Briefs worry for hosts Abhishek Sharma's stomach infection poses a bigger threat to India than their World Cup opponents Namibia. After a stuttering batting performance on a tacky Wankhede track in the opener against the USA, the Indian batting line-up would like to go all guns blazing on a Feroz Shah Kotla track that could be called a belter for quality teams. At the receiving end would be Namibia, who are not expected to cause much trouble to the dominant defending champions in their second group A game of the T20 showpiece here on Thursday. Property worth over `1cr seized Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL In a late-night raid at Irani Dera in Aman Colony, police teams led by Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar nabbed 31 notorious criminals. Police also arrested 8 women who tried to obstruct the raid while attacking personnel. Those arrested include offenders wanted by police in other states. Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said acting on inputs that criminals wanted in multiple cases across districts and states were hiding in the locality, police formed a large coordinated team led by DCP Zone-4 Mayur Khandelwal. INDORE NASHIK olice seized large quantities of stolen property, including 17 twowheelers, 39 mobile phones worth around Rs 8 lakh, gold ornaments weighing 644.56 grams estimated at around Rs 1 crore, silver ornaments of 240 grams, and cash of Rs 1.35 lakh. Police also recovered 1.7 kg of illegal marijuana from a woman accused. PTI NEW DELHI The Union Home Ministry has directed that all six stanzas of the National Song Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, shall be sung first when the National Song and National Anthem Jan Gana Man are to be played together. In an order dated January 28, the home ministry gave the first set of protocols for singing the National Song, directing that six stanzas of it, having a duration of 3 minutes 10 seconds, shall be sung on official PTI NEW DELHI The Delhi Police's Special Cell has issued a notice to Penguin Random House India seeking clarifications over the circulation of the unpublished book of former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on social media, an official said on Wednesday. The notice was served as competing claims over the 4Continued on | P8 ccording to the order, the official version of the National Song shall be played accompanied by mass singing on these occasions: n On the unfurling of the National Flag n On cultural occasions or ceremonial functions other than parades n On the arrival of the President at any government or public function, among others. A functions such as the arrival of the President, unfurling of the tricolour, and speeches of governors. "When the National Song and the National Anthem are sung or played, National Song BHOPAL Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "passing innuendo" against him, asserting that he had met Jeffery Epstein on a "few occasions" but his interactions with him had nothing to do with the crimes the convicted American sex offender was involved in. Puri's clarification came after Gandhi claimed that the Union minister's name has also figured in 'Epstein Files' released in the US. 4Continued on | P8 pose a penalty. ACC Cement violated environmental law by mining without the required clearance. Following the NGT order, the regional office of environment, forest and climate change formed a joint committee to assess environmental damage. The committee observed that documents submitted by the project proponent (PP) showed no communication with SEIAA regarding the transfer of environment clearance until 2018, indicating negligence on the part of PP. According to available documents, the project pro- ponent began mining at Badari mine on 31.12.2014. The 5.82-hectare mine is located among other ACC Kymore mines spanning approximately 1561.874 hectares. Mining operations were carried out for the entire area, but the smaller Badari mine was not formally amalgamated with adjoining mines. The committee also noted that six-monthly compliance reports submitted by the project proponent were incomplete, lacking information or updates on several conditions of the environment clearance. HC raps 4-year delay in civil judge recruitment CM launches, lays foundation for projects worth over Rs 1,133cr in Ujjain Our Staff Reporter Madhya Pradesh State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 2,30,20,000 on ACC Cement Company for conducting excavation without obtaining environment clearance in Katni district. The penalty covers the period from 2014 to 2018. SEIAA took this decision after detailed discussion. An officer of SEIAA said the case had earlier gone to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which clarified that SEIAA had the power to im- Our Staff Reporter Police raid at Irani Dera in the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday permanent warrants were pending. Many are wanted by police in other states, with rewards declared on some, officials said. Verification of criminal records is on, and further recoveries or arrests may follow. 4Continued on | P8 The High Court, principal bench of Jabalpur, on Wednesday expressed disappointment over a four-year delay in civil judge recruitment in Madhya Pradesh. The court said that it has initiated coaching for SC and ST candidates at its own expense, with over 1,000 candidates already registered. It expressed regret that civil judge recruitment is running four years late despite Supreme Court directives to conduct the exams on time every year. The 2022 recruitment exam is currently embroiled in controversy. Preparations are being made for the upcoming recruitment to fill all BIRLA STEPS IN TO FIX FLAWED BID TO OUST HIM PTI NEW DELHI The opposition notice for removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla could have been rejected due to flaws in drafting, but he directed officials to get it rectified so that it can be listed at the earliest, parliamentary sources said. As many as 118 opposition MPs had signed the notice submitted to Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh on Tuesday after- noon. Later in the day, the opposition withdrew the notice and replaced it with another one correcting the date. "The notice reportedly mentions the events of February 2025 four times, on the basis of which it could have been rejected as per the rules," the sources said. The Speaker directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to have the defective notice corrected and then proceed with it. "Birla ordered prompt action as per the rules," a functionary said. Sources said upon receipt of the revised notice, a speedy review will be conducted as per the rules. Opposition parties on Tuesday put in motion the process to oust Birla as Lok Sabha speaker, alleging that he had acted in a "blatantly partisan" manner in the House and prompting him to step aside from chairing the proceedings till the matter is settled. 4Continued on | P8 striking admission ‘US used Pak worse than toilet roll’ IANS ISLAMABAD Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has made a striking admission regarding the country’s historical alignment with the United States, accusing Washington of exploiting Islamabad for its strategic interests before abandoning it once its objectives were achieved. Highlighting the fallout of the post-September 11, 2001, geopolitical shift, Asif said 4Continued on | P8 PTI / NEW DELHI BHOPAL ing women, allegedly tried to obstruct police but were overpowered and arrested. Police arrested 31 male and 8 female accused from the spot. Several were long absconding, including 5 permanent warrant absconders against whom 7 will be sung or played first," the order read. The assembly where the National Song is sung shall stand in attention, it said. "Whenever the official version of the National Song is sung or played, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the National Song is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand as standing is bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film and would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the National Song," it said. The work in school shall begin with the playing of the National Song. The Centre is observing the 150th year of Vande Mataram. MINING SANS GREEN NOD: ACC Cement slapped Rs 2.30 cr penalty T status of the book and the alleged circulation of unauthorised versions intensified, drawing the publisher, the former Army chief and senior political figures into a widening public dispute. According to police, the Special Cell has formally approached the publishing house through the notice, posing multiple queries and seeking detailed responses. "Delhi Police Special Cell has issued a notice to Penguin India. THE PROTOCOL Puri breaks silence on being named in Epstein files he Irani gang is active not only in Madhya Pradesh but also in 12 other states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Members of this gang carried out crimes using different methods. The special team included 9 Assistant Commissioners of Police, 16 Inspectors, and nearly 400 personnel. The area was surrounded in a planned manner before the search operation began in the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday. During the raid, some locals, includ- E-paper All six stanzas of National Song must before National Anthem P ALSO ACTIVE IN 12 OTHER STATES MUMBAI Cinema Salman, Ajay back Rajpal Yadav P.14 Valuable loot recovered Delhi Police issues notice to Penguin NARAVANE MEMOIR ROW As part of the 10-day ‘Shiv-Navratri Festival’ at Mahakaleshwar Temple, the presiding deity was adorned in 'Holkar Mughota' form on the sixth day in Ujjain on Wednesday FP Photo PUNE 39 arrested in Irani Dera raid NEW DELHI Abhishek’s health causes PRESS Edit Digital arrests need swift action P.6 SME IPO boom meets stricter regulatory scrutiny, disclosures INDIA-US TRADE DEAL| Speaking during discussion on Union Budget, Gandhi alleged that the deal was ‘one-sided’ RaGa insists India should have been treated like equals, not servants UJJAIN the price Pakistan paid for supporting the United States in its global war on terror was enormous. “Pakistan was treated worse than a piece of toilet paper and was used for a purpose and then thrown away,” he said. Speaking in Pakistan’s National Assembly, Asif acknowledged the country’s controversial past links with terrorism, describing them as errors made during periods of military rule. 4Continued on | P8 reserved category positions. The High Court clarified that reserved vacancies will not be filled from the general category and asked the petitioner to withdraw his petition. However, the petitioner’s lawyers requested that the court issue a decision on the merits of the issues raised. The High Court directed its Examination Cell to conduct the upcoming recruitment process regularly. Senior advocates Rameshwar Singh Thakur, representing PIL petitioners, argued that due to flawed rules, not a single candidate from the Scheduled Tribe category was selected in the 2022 exam. 4Continued on | P8 IANS UJJAIN Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday inaugurated and laid the foundation for several development projects, including the Hariyakhedi water augmentation scheme worth over Rs 1,133 crore, during an event in Ujjain. On the occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also launched a maternal and child nutrition project with a single click. He later inspected an exhibition on the water augmentation project organised at the Kalidas Academy in Ujjain. 4Continued on | P8 Revised fact sheet: US walks back on pulses ‘Indo-Pak war could have been nuclear...’ PTI NEW YORK/WASHINGTON The White House has removed "pulses" from a list of American products on which it said India will eliminate or reduce tariffs, in a revised fact sheet issued on the interim trade deal. On Monday, the White House had issued a fact sheet on 'The United States and India Announce Historic Trade Deal (Interim Agreement),' days after India and the US announced in a joint statement the framework for an Interim Agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. An initial version of the fact sheet had highlighted key terms of the agreement including, that India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried US President Donald Trump repeated the claim that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan last year, which he said could have turned nuclear, through tariffs. "I settled eight wars. Of the eight wars, at least six were settled because of tariffs. In other words, I said, 'if you don't settle this war, I'm going to charge you tariffs, because I don't want to see people getting killed," Trump said. “And they said, 'Well, what does this have to do?' I said, 'you're going to be charged'. Like India and Pakistan. It would have been a nuclear war, in my opinion. They were really going at it, 10 planes were shot down. They were going at it," Trump said. distillers' grains, red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, "certain pulses", soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products. 4Continued on | P8