First India-Mumbai Edition-3rd January 2023

COMMENTS AGAINST ‘DHARMAVEER’ SAMBHAJI

Sambhaji sets Sambhaji’s ‘record’ straight, hits back at Ajit Pawar!

Mumbai: While it seemed that opposition parties in Maharashtra had upper hand on government on issue concerning alleged ‘remarks’ on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, however, that ‘edge’ seems to have been lost after NCP leader Ajit Pawar recently claimed that Shivaji’s son - Sambhaji - was not a ‘Dharmaveer’.

On Monday, Shivaji and his son Sambhaji’s descendant and erstwhile Kolhapur royal - Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati - hit back sharply at the NCP leader and stressed that such comments ‘do not behove of a good leader’.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established Hindu Swarajya. This

WHAT DID AJIT PAWAR SAY?

Speaking in the winter session, Ajit Pawar had said, “We refer to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj as Swaraj Rakshak. But, some people are calling him Dharmaveer. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was not a religious hero. Sambhaji Maharaj never advocated religion. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj also established Hindu Swarajya.”

Hindu Swarajya was protected by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj, Chhatrapati Tarabai. No one can deny that Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj also protected Dharma,” the Kolhapur royal said.

“Sambhaji Maharaj is the protector of Swarajya and Dharma. Pawar should reveal evidence on basis of

READ Crucial BOMBSHELL FOUND NEAR RESIDENCES OF PUNJAB, HARYANA CMs

New

RELIEF FOR EX-MLA MUKHTAR ANSARI AS SC STAYS 7-YEAR JAIL

New Delhi: In a big relief to former UP MLA Mukhtar Ansari, SC on Monday stayed Allahabad HC verdict convicting former MLA Mukhtar Ansari and sentencing him to seven years imprisonment for threatening a jailer, pointing a pistol at him in 2003.

4 KILLED, 3 INJURED AS TWO HELICOPTERS COLLIDE IN AUSTRALIA

Melbourne: 2 helicopters collided in an Australian tourist hotspot Monday afternoon, killing four passengers and critically injuring three others in a crash that drew emergency aid from beachgoers enjoying the water during the southern summer.

63 SOLDIERS KILLED IN ONE OF THE WAR’S

DEADLIEST STRIKES

Kyiv (FIB): Russia acknowledged on Monday that scores of its troops were killed in one of Ukraine war’s deadliest strikes. Russia’s defence ministry said 63 soldiers had died in fiery blast. It said accommodation had been hit by 4 rockets fired from launchers.

which he has made this comment. Don’t comment on anything without study ing it. Ajit Pawar’s state ment is wrong and he has spoken half truth. It is true that he said Swarajya Rak shaks (for Sambhaji), but the statement that he was no Dharamveer is completely false,” explained Sambhajiraje and issued an appeal, “I re quest all the leaders that as far as history is con cerned, the statement being made is not cor rect. We should reflect on the analysis done by the historians. Still you cre ate controversy by saying something wrong. It does not behove responsible leaders.”

DeMo is

Moni Sharma

New Delhi: A fivejudge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the government’s 2016 decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, saying the decision was about executive policy and cannot be reversed.

The court rejected the 58 petitions challenging demonetisation and said that the decision-making process of the government was not flawed. The judgment, authored by Justice BR Gavai, was agreed to by Justices S Abdul Nazeer, AS Bopanna, and V Ramasubramanian. Justice BV Nagarathna faulted demonetisation in her dissenting judgment but did not quash it.

Gavai said though there was consultation between Modi govt, RBI for 6 months, indicating a “reasonable nexus between the measures undertaken and the object sought to be achieved” and, therefore, notes ban notification passed test or doctrine of “proportionality”. More on P5

l The 52-day window provided for the exchange of demonetised currency notes with legal tenders is not unreasonable and cannot be extended now.

l RBI does not have any independent power to bring in demonetisation and directed registry to place matter before CJI for directions and to answer other questions left open in

Demonetisation decision does not suffer from any legal or constitutional flaws. Petitions can be placed before an appropriate bench by CJI for deciding issues linked to main issue over validity of notes ban.

l Observing that there was no independent application of mind by RBI, the entire exercise was carried out in 24 hours and was an exercise of power, contrary to law, and therefore unlawful.

l The power of Centre being vast has to be exercised through a plenary legislation rather than by an executive act by issuance of notification.

l It is necessary that Parliament, which consists of the representatives of the people of the country, discusses the matter and thereafter, approves the matter.

l Proposal originated from Centre while RBI’s opinion was sought and such an opinion given by central bank cannot be construed as a “recommendation” under section 26(2) of RBI Act.

Ravi

It boosted income tax and cleansed economy, he claimed.

NCP

FOR SAVARKAR AND GOLWALKAR, SAMBHAJI IS AN ADULTERER: AWHAD SAMBHAJI MADE VARIOUS SACRIFICES: SCHOLAR

Awhad

“What have Savarkar and Madhav Golwalkar written about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj?” This hero was maligned many times by a section. Will anyone speak on this?” “Shambhu Raje was a protector of Swaraj and religion. Shambhu Raj worked to protect Swarajya that Shivaji Maharaj had created. For him, dharma meant Maharashtrian dharma, the inclusive Maratha dharma,” Awadh said.

SEND PAWAR TO PAKISTAN: NARENDRA PAWAR

Shrimant Kokate, a leader of progressive movement and a history scholar, has also rejected Ajit Pawar’s claim. “Ajit Pawar said that Sambhaji Maharaj was a swaraj rakshak, not a Dharmaveer. Ajit Pawar’s statement is half true. It is true that Maharaj was Swaraj Rakshak. He protected the Swarajya created by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. For this he also made sacrifices. He was a worshiper of Shakta tradition. Sambhaji Maharaj wrote four books namely Buddhabhushanam, Nakhashikhant (Nakhsikh), Nayikabheda, Satshatak. In that book Sambhaji Maharaj has described Shambhu Mahadev and Bhawani Mata.” he said.

‘Uddhav Thackeray backstabbed, but got befitting reply’

Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda on Monday alleged that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray “backstabbed” the BJP and compromised with his ideology for power, but got a befitting reply as a new government is now in place in Maharashtra.

Nadda was addressing a ‘Vijay Sankalp’ rally in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district. The rally was part of the BJP’s plan to win 18 “difficult” seats from Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Nadda said during the polls it was clearly mentioned that “Delhi mein Narendra...Maharashtra mein Devendra” and the Shiv Sena gave consent to it at that time, but, when

the election results came out, they (Sena and Thackeray) “backstabbed us” for becoming the CM.

He also targeted Thackeray over the incident of alleged lynching of three persons in Palghar district in April 2020.

“Uddhav, the son of Hindu Samrat (Sena founder Bal Thackeray), took a step back” by not handing over the probe into the case to the CBI under pressure from the Congress and NCP, he said.

Thackeray for the greed of power backstabbed the BJP and supported those against whom former RSS Sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras fought all his life.

—JP Nadda, Bharatiya Janata Party president

KANJHAWALA DEATH CASE 5 accused of dragging woman by car, sent to 3-day police custody

PM Modi to inaugurate Indian Science Cong today

First India Bureau

Nagpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate through video conferencing the 108th edition of the Indian Science Congress which is meeting here on Tuesday after a twoyear hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Jitendra Singh, CM Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis will attend the inaugural event.

The focal theme of this year’s Science Congress is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment.”

The annual Congress will see discussions on issues of sustainable development, women empowerment, and the role of science and technology in achieving these objectives.

DEATH PENALTY FOR

ACCUSED MEN: KEJRI

Calling the incident “rarest of rare”, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said the culprits should be given the strictest punishment.

“What happened to the woman is very shameful. The culprits should be punished severely. They should be hanged,” he said.

Jammu: A day after four people were killed by terrorists in J&K’s Rajouri, an explosion near the house of one of victims was reported on Monday in same district. 4-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl were killed and 6 people were injured in explosion. The injured people have been admitted to a hosp. The blast occurred in Dangri village where there was firing on some houses on Sunday evening. “A blast occurred near the house of the victim of yesterday’s firing incident in Rajouri’s Dangri village,” ADGP said.

Kartikey Dev Singh

MLA Jitendra Awhad made a sensational claim on Monday saying that freedom activists Savarkar and Madhav Golwalkar wrote that Sambhaji Maharaj was an adulterer and drug addict.

tweeted pages of Marathi and English books in which objectionable things have been written about Sambhaji Maharaj. He claimed that the pages are from the books of Savarkar and Golwalkar.

BJP MLA Narendra Pawar has demanded that if Ajit Pawar does not agree that Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was a religious hero, he should be sent to Pakistan. “He (Ajit Pawar) should be thrown out of India. He should be sent to Pakistan. He is not ready to accept Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj as a hero, so he has no right to be here. I will not oppose his statement, but directly demand that he be sent to Pakistan,” he said.

Don’t comment on anything without studying it. Ajit Pawar’s statement is wrong and he has spoken half truth, the Kolhapur

Sandeep Shukla

Sambhaji Raje

Top court rejects the 58 petitions challenging the demonetisation

There was consultation between Centre, RBI for 6 months: Bench

A five-judge Constitution bench of SC on Monday hearing petitions challenging govt’s 2016 decision to demonetise `500 and `1,000 notes.

CONSTITUTION BENCH OF THE SUPREME COURT SAID...

‘UNLAWFUL’ MOVE: JUSTICE NAGARATHNA IN HER VERDICT...

HISTORIC JUDGMENT IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST, WILL RAHUL SAY SORRY: BJP SC NOTE BAN

VERDICT SLAP ON THE WRIST FOR GOVERNMENT: CONGRESS

B JP hailed SC judgment upholding govt’s demonetisation exercise as “historic” and slammed Congress for its campaign against decision and asked if its leader Rahul Gandhi will tender an apology after the verdict.

Shankar Prasad asserted that demonetisation done in 2016 proved to to be “biggest blow” to terrorism by curbing terror funding.

S C’s

verdict on

demonetisation

deals only with decisionmaking

process, and it is “misleading” to say that the court has upheld the notes ban, Congress said. ‘The Supreme Court has only pronounced on whether Section 26(2) of RBI Act, 1934 was correctly applied or not before announcing demonetisation on Nov 8 2016. Nothing more, nothing less,” Jairam Ramesh head of Congress’s communication wing said.

Delhi: A bombshell was found within a few hundred metres of the official residences of Punjab and Haryana CMs in Chandigarh on Monday, triggering a scare. A bomb disposal squad was immediately dispatched to the spot from a helipad used by the Punjab CM.

ACTOR JEREMY RENNER CRITICALLY HURT AFTER SNOW PLOW ACCIDENT

Los Angeles: Movie star Jeremy Renner known for Hawkeye in Marvel blockbusters, was in critical but stable condition following an accident on Monday. He was plowing snow when he suffered injuries.

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday was granted three-day custody of five accused in connection with the death of a woman after she was dragged by a car for a few kilometers in the city. The incident took place on Sunday. The woman (23), who was on her way home, was dragged by a car for around four kilometres from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala in Delhi on Sunday morning.

Day after shooting: 2 kids die, 6 hurt in Rajouri

Raut says Uddhav-led group is ‘real Shiv Sena’

Rajya

Sabha MP slams Opposition leader’s remark of introspection and unification of two Shiv Sena camps led by current CM Shinde and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena -Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut on Monday asserted the group led by Uddhav Thackeray is the “real Shiv Sena” and rejected a suggestion from a leader of the Eknath Shinde-headed camp for introspection by Thackeray for the unification of the two rival party factions.

Talking to the media, Rajya Sabha MP Raut said there is no need for introspection and such a suggestion shows the frustration of the rival group. Shinde led a revolt against the Sena

leadership in June last year following which the party split and the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed. Shinde later became the chief minister with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) support.

Deepak Kesarkar, Spokesperson of the Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, on

More than 4 lakh cases pending in Thane division

Thane (PTI): A total of 4,09,967 court cases were pending as of December 2022-end in Thane judicial division including Palghar out of the 49,82,911 cases pending in Maharashtra, according to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) dashboard.

The pending cases in Thane included 3,03,477 criminal and 1,06,490 cases, as per NJDG, which is a national repository of data relating to cases pending and disposed of in all district and taluka courts.

The dash board stated that 1,02,714 cases (or 25.05%) in Thane were pending for a period of five to 10 years, 87,249 cases (21.28%) for three to five years, 85,226 cases (20.7%) for one to three years, 73,113 (17.83%) for under a

year, 46,663 (11.38%) for 10 to 20 years and 10,742 (2.62%) for 20 to 30 years.

As per the data, the total 49,82,911 cases pending in courts across the state included 34,15,614 criminal cases and 15,67,297 civil cases.

The maximum number of 13,61,156 cases (27.32%) were pending for one to three years, according to the data.

Sunday said Thackeray should introspect which could lead to the unification of two groups.

Raut, a key associate of Thackeray, on Monday said, “His (Kesarkar’s) suggestion stems from frustration.

The people of the state have decided that traitors should not be sent to the Vidhan Sabha or the Lok Sabha.”

“The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray is the real Shiv Sena. If traitors are asking us to introspect, then it is difficult. There is no need to introspect. The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray is growing like it was growing before,” he said. Raut claimed there were groups within the Shinde camp that were at

BACK AND FORTH

Shinde-Fadnavis govt will come to power again: Patil

First India Bureau

odds with each other.

“This (Shinde-led) government will not last. Half of the MLAs will join the BJP and that's their aim because the Shiv Sena will not accept them and they don’t have another option,” he claimed.

Raut further claimed that 16 MLAs (of the Shinde faction), whose disqualification plea is before the Supreme Court, will be disqualified because the Thackeray faction's case is legally strong.

Mahajan asks for 15 days as 7K doctors go on strike

First India Bureau Mumbai: State Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan has asked more than 7,000 striking resident doctors to give the government a fortnight to address their issues, and to engage in a dialogue, rather than stretching the matter further.

The resident doctors at government colleges in Maharashtra went on strike on Monday over a range of issues, including the quality of hostels and filling of vacant posts of assistant as well as associate professors.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), which has called the strike, has claimed that students at government colleges were facing problems due to poor quality of hostels.

The resident doctors have also pressed for the recruitment of 1,432 senior resident doctors and demanded filling vacant posts of associate and assistant professors.

The minister said half of the demands of the striking doctors were being approved immediately. Mahajan furher informed that Rs12 crore has been given to the Public Works Department (PWD) for repair works.

“We are positive about everything. They (doctors) should have spoken to us be -

fore going on strike,” Mahajan said.

MARD President Avinash Dahiphale said the association has not received any proposal from the state government for talks.

Resident doctors are a crucial cog in the government and civic body-run hospitals, which see heavy footfall of patients.

RAISING DAY

Pune: Predicting the future of the state government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis government, Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil of the Shinde faction has said that the 2024 elections will be won by the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut had earlier commented that the current state government will not be able to stay in power for long.

Responding to the same, Patil said, “The 2024 elections will be won by the Shiv Sena Shinde camp and BJP. Raut will continue to shout that this government will fall. But in

2024, the Shinde-Fadnivas government will come to power again, and our government will remain in power until 2029. No one needs to take his statement seriously.”

Patil also expressed his belief that none of their leaders will join the BJP.

Speaking about the elections, he said, “In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the alliance will win in Shirur, which is my constituency. If I get a chance, I will definitely contest the election.

Patil had met BJP leader Chandrakant Patil to discuss various ongoing issues. He also commented on Nationalist Congress Party Ajit Pawar’s statement, regarding Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. “For hundreds of years, Shivaji Maharaj has been called dharmaveer. Ajit Pawar says he was not religious. He should be taught history again. He must have made the statement just to stay in the discussion,” said Patil.

Gondia police recruitment process starts

First India Bureau Mumbai: A consultancy has been appointed by The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) to work on the idea of completely phasing out non-air-conditioned (AC) locals.

Another plan to be explored is the introduction of 15-rake air-conditioned (AC) local trains on the suburban railway network.

Currently, 79 AC services run on the Western line and 56 on the Central section, and are 12-rake. Meanwhile, the Railway Board has already approved the procurement of additional 238 AC locals having 12 rakes each.

The newly hired firm started the work on the idea to phase out non-AC locals with minimal inconvenience to the com-

Study will be conducted based on existing data on traffic origindestination matrix, commuter profile

muters. “Consultant will develop a comprehensive plan, including proposed timetable, rake links and stabling plan, for a complete migration to AC local trains,” said MRVC Spokesman Sunil Udasi.

It will be analyzed how the proposed migration plan will impact crowding and what measures could be taken to mitigate the issue, he said.

Of these, tests were conducted for 34 candidates while 10 were disqualified during verification of documents, he added.

A total of 14,676 persons have applied for 194 police posts in the district. These posts comprise 172 for constables, for which 13,635 applications have come in, and 22 for drivers, for which 1,041 persons have applied, an official had said on December 31. The entire process will be completed by February, he said.

Proud to be governor of state with best police force: BS Koshyari

lll

He called upon the state police to use AI and other modern technological tools to tackle emerging challenges including cybersecurity

Mumbai: Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday said he felt proud to be the governor of the state that boasts of the best police force in the country and asked security personnel to use modern technological tools to tackle challenges coming from the coastal border and issues like cyber security, drug menace and Naxalism.

He was speaking at an event to mark the

Maharashtra police Raising Day where he inspected a ceremonial parade and received a salute by marching columns of the state police.

The function was organized by Maharashtra police at the State Reserve Police Force ground at Goregaon in Mumbai, to commemorate the presentation of the state police flag on January 02, 1961, by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

On the occasion, Ko-

shyari said, “I feel proud to be the governor of a state that boasts of the best police force in the country.”

He called upon the state police to harness Artificial Intelligence and other modern technological tools to tackle emerging challenges like cyber security, drug menace, Naxalism and the challenges coming from the coastal border.

The governor praised the state police personnel for being the frontline COVID-19 warriors

alongside doctors and nurses during the pandemic.

Maharashtra Director General of Police Rajnish Seth, Mumbai Commissioner of Police Vivek Phansalkar, other senior serving and retired police officers, jawans and their family members were present.

This year, the police band presented a musical ensemble while a team of 46 commandos presented the Silent Arm Drill.

First India Bureau

The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray is the real Shiv Sena. If traitors are asking us to introspect, then it is difficult. There is no need to introspect. It is growing like it was growing before.

—Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader

The resident doctors went on strike on Monday over a range of issues; strike to continue as they go on mass leave due to inaction from state government with regards to their demands

Work to phase out non-AC local trains in full-swing

Gondia (PTI): Fortyfour out of 1,041 applicants for 22 posts of police drivers appeared on the first day of the recruitment process on Monday in Gondia district, Superintendent of Police Nikhil Pingale said.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Resident doctors (sitting in the background) stage a protest at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Solapur on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil

24 hours on, fire at Nashik chemical factory still ablaze

Black smoke arising from the fire that broke out on Sunday could be seen at a great distance.

—PHOTO BY PTI

The fire has been controlled to a large extent, but is yet to be completely doused. The blaze at the ground level is still raging on as there are plastic granules which are catching fire.

— Police official

CONSTABLE SUSPENDED, SI FACES FATE FOR INACTION

12-year-old molested at Mumbai hotel on NY

First India Bureau

Nashik: Efforts were still on to douse a fire that claimed two lives, 24 hours after it broke out in a chemical factory in Nashik district, an official said. Nearly 10 fire tenders were still at the spot, he said, adding that it will take some more time to completely put out the blaze.

The massive fire in Jindal Poly Films Pvt. Ltd at Mundhegaon situated alongside NashikMumbai national highway in Igatpuri taluka triggered in the morning hours of Sunday.

Two persons were killed and 17 others injured in incident which took place at around 11.30 am on Sunday.

CRACKER FACTORY FIRE: DEATH TOLL NOW 4

personnel of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force are busy in the operation, the official said.

“It will take some more time to completely douse the fire. The cooling operations may continue till evening as the smoke is still emanating,” he added.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday visited the accident site, located about 30km from Nashik and 130km from Mumbai. He also met the injured persons admitted to a hospital in Nashik.

Mumbai (PTI): A constable was suspended for allegedly molesting an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) student in Navi Mumbai. A similar action was taken against a police sub-inspector as he did not register a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the incident, an official said on Sunday.

The action against them was taken by Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, he said.

ing in the area with her male classmate when the incident took place, he said.

Mumbai (PTI): A 12-year-old girl was allegedly molested by a man during New Year celebrations at a fivestar hotel in suburban Juhu here, police said on Monday.

According to the police, the girl had come to the hotel with her parents on New Year’s Eve and the 29-year-old accused was also present there.

The blast was so powerful that it was heard in nearby villages. The fire and smoke could be seen from a distance. The incident occurred around 11.30 am, officials said.

The state govern-

MUM POLICE NABS MAN WHO THREATENED TO BLOW UP MOUNT MARY CHURCH IN CITY

Mumbai: Mumbai Police arrested a person who allegedly threatened to blow up Mount Mary Church in Bandra, officials said on Monday. The accused was arrested from Kolkata after police tracked his location through the IP address. On December 30, the Mount Mary church received a threatening email warning of an attack, followed by another email where the sender claimed to be the mother of the ‘mentally ill’ child who allegedly sent the threat mail.

COP KILLS SELF

BY JUMPING IN FRONT OF TRAIN

Nagpur: A 55-year-old Head Constable Pramod Raut allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train at a railway crossing in Nagpur, police said. The deceased cop arrived at Manish Nagar railway crossing on his motorcycle around 8 pm on Sunday. Raut parked his two-wheeler and walked to the crossing, where he jumped in front of a moving train, an official said. He was killed on the spot, he added.

20-YEAR-OLD MARRIED WOMAN COMMITS SUICIDE

Thane: A 20-year-old married woman allegedly committed suicide in Thane district, police said on Monday. The woman allegedly hanged herself from a ceiling fan at her residence at Mankoli Naka in Bhiwandi area on Sunday afternoon, an official from Narpoli police station said. As soon as they were alerted, police rushed to the spot and sent the body to a government hospital for post-mortem, he said without elaborating.

SAVITRIBAI PHULE’S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY SHOULD ALSO BE WOMEN’S DAY: JNU VC

New Delhi: JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit on Monday urged the Central government to declare social reformer Savitribai Phule’s birth anniversary on January 03 as Women’s Day, and celebrate it alongside March 08. “It is a historic moment for all of us at JNU that we are celebrating the 192nd birth anniversary of Mata Savitribai Phule. It is because of her work and contribution that I have reached where I am today. March 08 is celebrated as Women’s Day but we should celebrate Phule’s birthday also as women’s day,” Pandit, the first women VC of the university, said.

ment has decided to order a high-level probe to identify the exact cause of the fire.

“The fire has been controlled to a large extent, but is yet to be completely doused. The

blaze at the ground level is still raging on as there are plastic granules which are catching fire,” a police official who was present at the spot told reporters.

Along with police,

The CM said the next of kin of each deceased would get Rs5 lakh aid from the state government and the injured will get free medical treatment.

“A 19-year-old woman student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was molested by a police constable on Palm Beach Road in Sanpada area of Navi Mumbai in the early hours of Friday,” said the official.

The victim was stroll-

“After the episode, the victim went to the Sanpada police station to lodge a complaint. But a police sub-inspector, who was a duty officer at that time, did not register the FIR. Later, the victim lodged her complaint at the Powai police station,” he said.

Based on her complaint, an FIR under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered, said the official.

The girl and the accused were on the dance floor at around 3 am on Sunday, when the latter allegedly touched her inappropriately, said an official.

The girl informed her parents about it and the hotel staff was alerted. The accused was nabbed even as he tried to flee the scene, he said.

Based on a complaint, a case under relevant sections of the law has been lodged.

BMC’s desalination plant work to begin soon

DEBRIS-FREE MUMBAI SOON, TENDERS ISSUED

Mumbai: The Solid Waste Management (SWM) department has issued tenders to hire JCB machines, dumpers and workers in BMC’s step towards lifting debris from all across Mumbai. Often, people and contractors don’t manage the debris and leave it on roadsides, empty places and playgrounds. Dumpers use fake number plates or splash mud on the number plates to hide it, so they can throw the debris in public places without being caught.

To deal with the problem, in 2018, the civic body started 'Debris on Call Service'. Under the service, citizens can call BMC on a particular number and request to lift debris by paying some amount. But unfortunately, this scheme didn't get a good response. Now, the body has decided to implement it rigorously and a tender has been issued to hire machinery and equipment.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: In a fresh update, The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) significant project of constructing a desalination plant is expected to begin in 2023, as the municipal corporation aims to float tenders for the project by the end of January.

The plant would desalinate water from the Arabian Sea making it suitable for

drinking and irrigation purposes.

Mumbai at present gets its daily intake of water from seven lakes. Their catchment areas are filled during monsoon, following which, water is being supplied across the city through pipelines.

Though the city has a demand for 4,400 million of litres per day (MLD) of water, the civic body can only supply around 3,800

MLD — a shortfall of 500-600 MLD.

In a bid to curb the water crisis, BMC had floated the proposal to create a desalination plant that will help supply 200 MLD of water to the residents.

An additional provision of increasing the capacity to 400 MLD has also been kept open for this plant, considering the prospect of an increase in population spike in the years to come.

CIVIC BODY MULLING ON MECHANISM TO THROW OUT SMOKE DURING FIRE

Mumbai: In a bid to ensure more safety during cases of fire, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has invited tenders to install a mechanism that throws the smoke out if a fire erupts in hospitals. It will be installed at Sion, Nair and KEM hospitals with an expenditure of Rs12.57 crore. The BMC commissioner has given approval for the proposal recently.

It has been noticed that during a fire, smoke hinders visibility and creates obstruction in the rescue operation and many people die due to inhaling smoke. The new mechanism will increase visibility during a fire and will help the officials too.

BMC has selected one firm for the work which will supply, test, install and maintain the smoke-throwing mechanism.

Dhamne shows promise, but exits from Tata Open

First India Bureau

Pune (PTI): Manas Dhamne, all of 15, made an impression with his fearless approach before being overpowered by Michael Mmoh in the men’s singles first round of the Tata Open Maharashtra here on Monday.

Given a wild card entry into the premier tennis tournament, Dhamne got a taste of high level tennis on the opening day of the ATP250 event, before exiting the tournament with a 2-6 4-6 defeat against the world number 115.

Up against a physically stronger and technically superior opponent, Dhamne gave a glimpse of what he could bring to the table as he

showed a lot of heart for a fight and that vindicated his wild card entry. “I was not expecting that (fight). He caught me by surprise. He has a bright future ahead,” said 24-year-old Mmoh while praising the teenager.

grows up and matures. He did not have the legs to win those intense rallies and lacked power to trouble his rival consistently but

Dhame had the home fans interested in the fourth game of the opening set when he hit a stunning backhand passing winner and followed that up with a solid forehand which Mmoh netted to earn two break points.

The American

though came out serving strong to hold and made it a one-way traffic after that.

Dhamne also used drop shots and backhand slice, showing presence of mind but lacked execution at times. His intermittent winners prevented the match from being bland.

The American had an early break in the opening set and was soon close to finishing the contest but dropped his serve with a double fault and looked like feeling the heat, losing a few points in a row.

10 fire tenders still trying to douse blaze; 2 persons killed, 17 hurt in incident that occurred on Sunday

Mumbai (PTI): The death toll in the blaze in a firecracker factory in Solapur district has gone up to four after one more person succumbed to injuries on Monday, an official said. The blaze had erupted after a blast on Sunday at the unit located in Shirala village of Barshi taluka, around 400km from Mumbai. Three workers were killed after the incident and as many others injured, police had said. One of the injured persons died during treatment in the early hours of Monday, the official said. A worker was undergoing treatment at the Solapur civil hospital, while another injured person was discharged, he said.

A man gets a shave at a makeshift barber shop on a pavement at P Dimelo Road, against a backdrop of colourful graffiti in Mumbai on Monday. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

A 19-year-old woman student of IIT Bombay was molested on December 30

Manas Dhamne in action at a match. —FILE PHOTO

CONSTITUTION PARK

EMBODIMENT OF CULTURE AND IDEALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTITUTION

PRESIDENT DROUPADI MURMU TO INAUGURATE THE PARK AT RAJ BHAVAN TODAY

The President of the world’s largest democratic nation, Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate it and dedicate it to the state and the nation. This is truly a historic moment. I want that taking inspiration from the Constitution as a reflection of our culture, all the citizens should work while being aware of their constitutional rights as well as their basic duties

Every responsible citizen should keep an eye on how the governance is going on in a democracy and how it should be run. I agree, the Constitution makes it possible. The work of giving justice, freedom and participation in power to all the citizens of the country is done through someone, then it is the Constitution itself. The intention behind implementing the Constitution in the country on January 26, 1950 and adopting it has been that all Indians get the ideal of a universal democratic republic.

Our Constitution related to fraternity, self-respect and unity of the nation among the citizens is not only a law to govern the country, but also a kind of manifesto for economic and social transformation of the country. The faith of the Constitution is in the ‘democratic system of governance’. That’s why you see, the power of the Constitution lies directly with the people.

What ideals, aspirations the Constitution reveals, it can be understood clearly from the words contained in the preamble of the Constitution ‘We the people of India’. It is not just the words of the preamble of the Constitution but it is the life philosophy of our great Indian culture. If the Constitution has given us rights, it has also given us duties. In my every public function, I recite the fundamental duties along with the preamble of the Constitution.

This Constitution Park not only shows the historical journey of the Constitution making, but it is also a beautiful euphemism of Indian art-culture and rule of law. When the idea of this park came to my mind, the first thing I discussed was with our Chief Specialist Govind Ram Jaiswal. He gave very important suggestions after studying the culture related to the Constitution. When JDA started work under the Smart City Scheme of Central

I do that so that all should be alert to follow the basic duties along with the rights. I firmly believe that no democracy can be called vibrant unless its citizens are ready to actively participate in governance and shoulder responsibilities for the best interest of the country. Our nation is one of the few countries in the world where the glorious tradition of democracy has existed since ancient times.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna says that one should perform one’s duties without expecting the fruits. In this way, what other book can be bigger about performing one’s duty than the saga of Lord Shri Ram, the Supreme Per-

erly then we will not need to ask for rights. The Constitution balances the rights and duties of the citizens. I believe that the fundamental duties act as a kind of cautionary for the citizens of the country. It helps in achieving national goals by promoting a sense of discipline and commitment towards the nation as well as ensuring active participation of the citizens. The fundamental duties in the Constitution were needed because rights and duties are interdependent.

There are some moral duties in the Constitution and some others are civic duties. It is a moral ideal to cherish the noble ideals of the freedom struggle and it is the civic duty of all of us to respect the Constitution, the National Flag and the National Anthem.

Fundamental Duties are a part of Indian tradition, mythology, religions and practices.

Nation is not a geography.

The Constitution is also not just an idea or just a book. This is an ideal and for this we all need to keep working continuously. That’s

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna says that one should perform one’s duties without expecting the fruits. Just like this, what other book can be a bigger one about performing one’s duty than the saga of Lord Shri Ram, the Supreme Personality of Godhead!

why after assuming the post of Governor in Rajasthan, I started working keeping constitutional awareness as a priority. I initiated the tradition of reciting the preamble and basic duties of the Constitution in the speech in the State Legislative Assembly, took the initiative to build a Constitution Park in all funded universities of the state and the construction of a Constitution Park in the Raj Bhavan is the culmination of that.

The main intention behind the construction of the Constitution Park has been that people can experience the tangible explanation of the ideals related to our Constitution like a movie. The

Governor is not a person but a constitutional institution. Anyone who comes to the Raj Bhavan, special or common, can come face to face with the high ideals enshrined in the Constitution, for this purpose the Indian Constitution has been realised here through sculptures, pictures, installations and other mediums.

By looking at the sculptures, models and images displayed here, it will be known how the dream of constitutional democracy, socialism, secularism, freedom, equality, fraternity, goodwill, unity and integrity have been included in the Constitution by the makers of the Constitution. Mahatma Gandhi had once said that nation is an abstract concept which is made concrete by the citizens of the nation. This belief is created by the culture, civilization, thinking tradition, religion, worship, way of life etc. of that group of people.

If we go in the light of this saying of Gandhiji, then it will also be known that our Constitution was prepared keeping the ideals of Indian culture at the centre.

Renowned artist Nandlal Bose was called from Santiniketan and paintings were made in all the 22 parts of the Constitution

in the light of ancient Indian culture, tradition and geography.

It is a matter of pride that Kirpal Singh Shekhawat, a renowned artist of Rajasthan, has also contributed in the making of these paintings. The Constitution Park, which has been prepared in the Raj Bhavan, is important in the way that it is very beautiful, saluting the journey of Constitution making, Constituent Assembly committees, the picture of the Constituent Assembly of 1950, the Constituent Assembly model and the contribution of women in the Constituent Assembly. Sculptures have been displayed.

Here the names of the members of the Constituent Assembly are engraved, then historical photographs related to the making of the Constitution and the statue of presenting the Constitution book to the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad by Dr BR Ambedkar. Apart from that, images of public heroes associated with the Constitution and democracy have been displayed.

This Constitution Park not only shows the historical journey of the Constitution making, but it is also a beautiful euphemism of Indian art-culture and rule of law. When the idea of this park came to my mind, the first thing I discussed was with our Chief Specialist Govind Ram Jaiswal. He gave very important suggestions after studying the culture related to the Constitution. When the Jaipur Development Authority started work under the Smart City Scheme of the Central Government, Architect Anoop Bartaria worked to bring alive the concrete form of the Constitution.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took full interest in it and it was completed in less than a year after its foundation stone was laid on January 26, 2022. The President of the world’s largest democratic nation, Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate it and dedicate it to the state and the nation. This is truly a historic moment. I want that taking inspiration from the Constitution as a reflection of our culture, all the citizens should work while being aware of their constitutional rights as well as their basic duties.

KALRAJ MISHRA

The writer is Governor of Rajasthan

EVERY RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON HOW THE GOVERNANCE IS GOING ON IN A DEMOCRACY AND HOW IT SHOULD BE RUN

Governor Kalraj Mishra inspects the statues installed at the newly-constructed Constitution Park in Raj Bhavan, Jaipur.

COURTYARD in the

“MOVE HC FOR NOD TO REGISTER FIR AGAINST SUVENDU”

Fake currency notes’ circulation continues to pose challenge: NCRB

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea by West Bengal minister Birbaha Hansda challenging the Calcutta High Court order which banned registration of fresh FIRs against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari without prior permission of the court. A bench asked the Trinamool Congress leader to approach the Calcutta High Court, which is seized of a similar matter and is scheduled to hear it on January 10.

URBAN LOCAL BODY POLLS: SC TO HEAR UP’S PLEA ON JAN 4

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on January 4 the UP govt’s appeal challenging an Allahabad High Court order quashing its draft notification on urban local body elections and directing it to hold the polls without reservation for other backward classes. A bench took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state govt, saying the matter needed an urgent hearing.

MLAs POACHING: T’GANA HC UPHOLDS LOWER COURT ORDER

New Delhi (PTI): Circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) in the country continues to pose a challenge even after the 2016 demonetisation, whose one of the key objectives was to eradicate counterfeiting of notes.

According to report of the National Crime Control Bureau (NCRB), FICN with the face value of Rs 245.33 crore has been seized by the law enforcement agencies across the country since 2016 -- the year the Centre demonetised Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.

The highest amount of FICN with the face value of Rs 92.17 crore was seized in 2020 while the lowest with the face value of Rs 15.92 crore was seized in 2016.

In 2021, FICN of Rs 20.39 crore face value was seized in the country, of Rs 34.79 crore in 2019, Rs 26.35 crore in 2018 and Rs 55.71 crore in 2017, the NCRB data showed.

According to the RBI annual report, published in May 2022, the number of fake currency notes of 500 denomination detected by the banking system more than doubled to 79,669 pieces in 2021-22 fiscal over the previous year.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday dismissed an appeal by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) challenging order of a special Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) court which had aside a memo to array BJP national General Secretary B.L. Santhosh and three others as accused in the MLAs’ poaching case.

The ACB special court had last month rejected the memo and the SIT had challenged this in the High Court.

CBI REPORT LINKS

MONDAL’S NAME WITH BOGTUI CASE

Kolkata: The CBI on Monday submitted a report to the Calcutta High Court, wherein it linked the name of TMC strongman and the party’s Birbhum district president, with the Bogtui carnage that took place in the same district in March last year.

In March last year, the murder a local Trinamool Congress leader, Bhadu Sheikh, had triggered violence in Bogtui in Birbhum district that led to the death of nine persons.

VERDICT CANNOT BE INTERPRETED AS UPHOLDING DEMONETISATION, SAYS CPI(M)

New Delhi: The Left on Monday noted that the Supreme Court has not endorsed the consequences of the Centre’s decision on demonetisation, but merely upheld its right to do so, and demanded a white paper on the exercise. The reaction comes on a day the apex court, in a 4:1 majority verdict, gave its stamp of approval to the government’s 2016 decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination currency notes, saying the “decision-making process was neither flawed nor hasty”. The CPI(M) said the dissenting opinion of one of the judges maintained that the RBI must recommend to the govt to initiate demonetisation.

FOR THE GOVT: P CHIDAMBARAM

per cent, 16.5 per cent, 11.7 per cent, 101.9 per cent and 54.6 per cent in the counterfeit notes detected in the denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 200, Rs 500 (new design) and Rs 2,000, respectively,’’ said the RBI’s annual report for 2021-22.

The counterfeit notes detected in the denominations of Rs 50 and Rs 100 declined by 28.7 per cent and 16.7 per cent, respectively.

China doing same to India as Russia to Ukraine: Rahul

New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said China is adopting the same principle with India as Russia is with Ukraine, as it is threatening to alter India’s boundaries.

He also claimed that the Sino-Indian border conflict has a link with a weak economy, a confused nation without any vision, hatred, anger and the Chinese sitting in Indian territory.

CONGRESS’ PLENARY SESSION IN FEB

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday announced that its 85th plenary session will begin from February 24 in Raipur.

“Once the Hon’ble Supreme Court has declared the law, we are obliged to accept it. However, it is necessary to point out that the majority has not upheld the wisdom of the decision; nor has the majority concluded that the stated objectives were achieved,” Chidambaram said in a

WRONG TO SAY SC HAS UPHELD DEMONETISATION: CONGRESS

New Delhi: It is “misleading and wrong” to say the Supreme Court has upheld demonetisation, the Congress declared on Monday, adding that the majority apex court verdict on the matter deals with the limited issue of the process of decision making not with its outcomes. The verdict has nothing to say on whether the stated objectives of demonetisation were met or not, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

in the previous fiscal.

The number of counterfeit notes of 2,000 denomination detected in the system was 13,604 pieces during 2021-22, up 54.6 per cent from the preceding financial year.

Sack Sandeep Singh or face stir, Khaps warn Haryana govt

Jhajjar (PTI): A ‘khap panchayat’ here on Monday threatened to launch a big agitation if Haryana minister Sandeep Singh, who has been booked for sexually harassing a woman coach, is not sacked.

Singh on Sunday gave up his Sports portfolio, saying he has taken the step on moral grounds, and claimed that the charges against him are baseless.

The former India hockey captain said he has handed over the charge of the sports department to CM Khattar. However, he has not resigned from the ministry.

A panchayat of “12 Dhankar khaps”, or caste councils, was held in a village in the district and attended by representatives of khaps’ and

social organisations.

A khap representative said, the meeting urged the state government to ensure justice for the coach at the earliest and sack the minister. If the government fails to do this, the khaps will launch a “big movement”, he said.

The meeting demanded that Singh should be sacked immediately as he could “influence” the investigations if he continues to be a minister.

After declining in 2020-21, the total number of FICN of all denominations detected in the banking sector increased to 2,30,971 pieces from 2,08,625 pieces

During 2021-22, out of the total FICN detected in the banking sector, 6.9 per cent was detected at the Reserve Bank and 93.1 per cent at other banks, the RBI report said.

During 2019-20, the number of FICN stood at 2,96,695 pieces.

‘’Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 16.4

One of the major objectives of the 2016 demonetisation of the then prevailing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was to curb circulation of fake currency notes. On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes would cease to be legal tender in India from that midnight. Modi had said that the decision had been taken to ‘’fight corruption, black money and terrorism’’. The Rs 2,000 notes and Rs 500 notes with a new design had been introduced after demonetisation.

“Essentially, what the Russians have done in Ukraine is that they have said we do not want Ukraine to have a strong relationship with the West and they have basically told the Ukrainians that if you will have a strong relationship with the West, we will alter your geography.

“That is the same principle that can be applied to India. What the Chinese are saying

Shah to visit 11 states this month as part of BJP’s ‘LS Prawas’ exercise

New Delhi (PTI): Senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah will travel to as many as 11 states this month as part of his party’s “Lok Sabha Prawas” programme, which is aimed at boosting its prospects in targeted parliamentary constituencies ahead of the general election in 2024.

Party sources said Shah will be in Tripura on January 5 and Manipur and Nagaland on January 6. He will be travelling to Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on January 7 and Andhra Pradesh on January 8.

He will be in UP on January 16, in West Bengal on January 17 and at Hubli in Karnataka on January 28. The home minister will be in the northern states of Haryana and Punjab on January 29, sources said.

BJP WILL COME TO POWER IN NEXT ELECTION BASED ON GOVERNANCE:

WOMAN CONSTABLE

‘HARASSED’ AT DMK

WISHES

“I

According

PLEA FOR PEACE

EVENT; BJP CONDEMNS Chennai: A woman constable was allegedly harassed by two DMK party’s youth wing functionaries during a public meeting at the Virugambakkam area of Chennai on December 31. A complaint was lodged by the woman constable at the Valasaravakkam Police Station on Sunday in this regard. However, the police is yet to register a case. The BJP has termed the incident as “disgraceful”.

Unemployment rate among Kerala youth huge: Tharoor

Kottayam (PTI): Unemployment rate among the youth in Kerala is huge and there is a need to make the state more attractive for its younger generation to prevent them from going outside for jobs, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Monday.

Tharoor, speaking at the 146th Mannam Jayanthi celebration here, said unemployment among the youth in Kerala was 40 per cent in June 2022. Mannam Jayanthi is held to celebrate the birth anniversary of NSS founder and social reformer Mannath Padmanabhan. He said only J&K was in such a situation, but that was due to militancy problems there.

Concerned India urges Russia, Ukraine to return to dialogue & diplomacy

Vienna (PTI): Voicing “very deep” concern over the ongoing Ukraine conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that India is on the side of peace and since beginning New Delhi’s effort has been to return to dialogue and diplomacy as differences cannot be settled through violence.

Jaishankar, who arrived here from Cyprus on the second leg of his two-nation tour, made the remarks while ad-

dressing the members of the Indian diaspora.

“This (Ukraine) conflict is really a matter of very, very deep concern… Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared in September (that) we actually genuinely believe that this is no longer an era of war. You cannot settle differences and issues through violence,” he said.

“So from the very beginning, our effort has been to urge (Russia and Ukraine to) return to di-

We know this is not (an) easily resolvable situation. But it’s important that countries who believe (in)…negotiation, speak up clearly in that regard… we’re on the side of peace and a large part of the world thinks like us.

—S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister

alogue and diplomacy… The Prime Minister himself has spoken on nu-

merous occasions with President (Vladimir) Putin and President (Volo-

dymyr) Zelensky. I myself talked to my colleagues in Russia and

Ukraine,” he said.

“We know this is not (an) easily resolvable situation. But it’s important that countries who believe (in)…negotiation, speak up clearly in that regard…,” he said, adding that “we’re on the side of peace and a large part of the world thinks like us.” India has repeatedly called on Russia and Ukraine to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue and end their ongoing conflict.

PM Modi has spoken

to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions and urged for immediate cessation of hostilities and return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue for the resolution of the conflict.

In his bilateral meeting with Russian President Putin in Uzbekistan on September 16, Modi said “today’s era is not of war” and nudged him to end the conflict.

India has not yet criticised the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been

maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.

Jaishankar also said that India and Austria would sign some agreements on Monday and some of them are of interest to Indian diaspora – one on migration and mobility for Indians who want to come here as students/professionals and another on ‘Working Holiday’ programme which will enable Indian students in Austria to work for six months.

An NCRB report has revealed that even after demonetisation, fake currency is being circulated in the country. —FILE PHOTO

SLAP

ON APEX COURT VERDICT Chennai: Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the majority verdict by the Supreme Court has steered clear of the question whether the objectives of the demonetisation exercise were achieved at all.

tweet.

At a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress general secretary in-charge Organisation KC Venugopal announced this.

AKHILESH

SUCCESS FOR BJY Lucknow: Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for inviting him to his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and wished it a success, even as the party said he will not be attending it. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary announced it on Monday.

MAYAWATI THANKS RaGa FOR BJY INVITE Lucknow: Ahead of the resumption of the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is on a winter break, BSP chief Mayawati on Mon-

K’TAKA CM BOMMAI

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated that BJP will come back to power based on ‘governance and good work’. He was answering to reporters after visiting Venkateshwara temple in Bengaluru on the occasion of the Vaikunta Ekadashi festival on Monday. When asked if he prayed for BJP’s victory, Bommai said generally he will not pray for such things.

have confidence.

to me, people are gods. What is on their mind is going to happen. The governance and good work by BJP will help the party to attain power,” the Chief Minister said.

MAHADAYI DISPUTE: GOA DELEGATION TO MEET PM AND SHAH Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said he will soon lead an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat opposing the approval granted by the Centre to Karnataka government for detailed project reports (DPRs) of two dams on the Mahadayi River.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar interacts with the Indian community, in Vienna on Sunday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Sheezan's sister claims Tunisha's picture in Hijab is from a shoot

Mumbai (ANI): The family of Sheezan Khan, the boyfriend of popular television actor Tunisha Sharma arrested on the charge of abetting her suspected suicide, on Monday refuted the allegation’s of the actor’s uncle that she started wearing a hijab (headscarf worn by Muslim women) from the time she met Sheezan.

Her uncle’s remark hinted at a love jihad angle behind her death.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Sheezan’s sister and coactor Shafaq Naaz said the image of Tunisha in a hijab, which is being circulated online, is from the shoot for a show.

“The picture of Tunisha in a hijab being circulated online is from the set of a show she was shooting for. It can be clearly seen in the image that it was from a set. We never made her wear a hijab,” Shafaq said.

Tunisha’s uncle, Pawan Sharma, claimed on December 28 that her behaviour and lifestyle changed after she met Sheezan and that she even started wearing a ‘hijab’.

Earlier, Sheezan’s ad-

TUNISHA'S TIES WITH HER FAMILY WERE NOT GOOD: SHEEZAN'S LAWYER

Mumbai: Family of TV actor Sheezan Khan, who has been in jail since December 25 in connection with Tunisha Sharma’s death case, on Monday named an “uncle” who the late actress was in mortal fear of. TV actor Tunisha Sharma, who allegedly died by suicide on Christmas eve, was in frightful awe of her uncle from Chandigarh, who instigated her mother, Vanita, to strangulate Tunisha, Sheezan’s advocate told the media. Sheezan’s sisters also accused Tunisha’s mother of causing her childhood trauma and making the late actor “beg before her for every penny”.

vocate Shailendra Mishra alleged that Tunisha’s uncle was also her

4 KILLED AS TRUCK OVERTURNS IN WEST BENGAL

West Bengal: Four people were killed as a truck overturned in West Bengal’s Bankura district, police said on Monday. The accident happened near Janata More on Bishnupur-Patrasayar Road on Sunday night, they said. The truck was on the way to Raina in Purba Bardhaman district with rice bags when one of its tyres punctured, following which the driver lost control and the vehicle overturned, police said.

JILTED LOVER STABS STUDENT TO DEATH IN B'LURU

Bengaluru: A jilted lover stabbed an engineering student to death in Bengaluru on Monday for rejecting his proposal, police said. The deceased was identified as Layasmitha, while the accused, Pavan Kalyan, also stabbed himself after the crime. He had been rushed to the hospital, where his condition is said to be serious. The incident occurred at the Presidency University College.

‘former manager’ and was fired because of his ‘harsh behaviour’.

Sheezan’s advocate alleged that Tunisha was scared of another ‘uncle’ from Chandigarh, as he had instigated her mother, Vanita, to strangulate her.

“Tunisha used to panic a lot upon hearing the name of Sanjeev Kaushal (another uncle). On his instigation, Tunisha’s mother broke her phone and tried to strangulate her. Sanjeev Kaushal and Tunisha’s mother used to control her life,” Sheezan’s advocate alleged.

KHAN'S MOTHER SAYS 'YOU WANT MY SON TO COMMIT SUICIDE TOO?'

New Delhi: Tunisha Sharma’s death has come as a shock to everyone. The actress died by suicide on December 24, 2022.

The actress hanged herself in the make-up room of her co-star and former boyfriend Sheezan Mohammed Khan. The actor's judicial custody has been extended for 14 days, after he was arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of Tunisha Sharma. The 27-year-old actor was arrested by Valiv Police in Palghar district on December 26.'

Now, on January 2, Sheezan Khan's lawyer, Adv. Shailendra Mishra and his sisters Falak Naaz, Shafaq Naaz and his mother, spoke up for the first time after facing several allegations. They held a press conference and spoke to the media about the case. Tunisha Sharma died by suicide on December 24.

Didi launches new campaign ‘Didir Suraksha Kavach’

Kolkata (Agencies): With an eye on West Bengal panchayat polls due this year, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday launched a new campaign "Didir Suraksha Kavach" to reach out to the people.

The campaign was launched by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in the presence of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and state president Subrata Bakshi.

"The party will start the campaign on January 11 and will continue with it for 60 days. Our party workers will reach out to the people across the state and ensure that everyone can avail of the welfare schemes of the state government," Abhishek Banerjee said at a press conference.

"The party will start the campaign on Janu-

Mamata Banerjee

WON'T BOTHER BEREAVED PM WITH STATE'S DUES NOW: MAMATA BANERJEE

Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she will not bother Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the state's financial dues in his moment of personal grief as he lost his mother last week. Banerjee on several occasions has written to Modi requesting him to clear the MGNREGA dues of the state government. "I have already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about this on previous occasions. It's time for his mourning; I won't say anything more now," Banerjee told a press conference here.

ary 11 and will continue with it for 60 days. Our party workers will reach out to the people across the state and en-

Gujarat: BSF nabbed 22 Pak fishermen, seized 79 boats

Gujarat (ANI): The BSF apprehended 22 Pakistani fishermen and seized 79 fishing boats in the most inhospitable, marshy and difficult terrain of Creeks and Harami Nalla in Gujarat's Bhuj sector in 2022.

Pointing the achievements of Gujarat BSF, a statement issued by force, mentioned: "BSF Gujarat is further strengthening its hold along Sir Creek and Harami Nalla area by establishing permanent bases".

The BSF, which guards the 7,419 km India-Pakistan border, also informed that 50 packets of Heroin worth

Rs 250 crore and 61 packets of Charas worth Rs 2.49 crore were also recovered from the coastal and creek region of Gujarat.

The statement also credited BSF Gujarat, for being responsible for securing the 826 km

long India-Pakistan international border from Barmer in Rajasthan to Rann of Kutch and Creek area, including 85 kms of the Coastal area of Gujarat through effective domination of its entire area of responsibility.

NCC'S REPUBLIC DAY CAMP WITH 2,155 CADETS BEGINS IN DELHI

New Delhi (ANI): The NIA is likely to visit Upper Dangri village in J&K's Rajouri district where five people, including a child, were killed and many more were injured in two separate terrorist attacks since Sunday evening, sources said.

Highly placed sources indicated that a team led by a senior NIA official may visit the spot any time today or tomorrow following a new modus operandi adopted by the agency to visit places where such terror incidents happen. The team will be sent from NIA's Jammu branch, which will note down details of the incidents along with the sleuths of J&K police in order to keep a tab on the methods of killings of civilians in two terror attacks.

New Delhi: The NCC Republic Day (RD) Camp 2023 commenced at the Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantt. A total of 2,155 cadets, including 710 girls, drawn from all 28 States and eight Union Territories, are participating in the nearly month-long camp, which will culminate with PM’s rally on Jan 28th. It also includes 114 cadets from J&K and 120 cadets from the North-Eastern Region.

During the camp, the cadets will participate in a number of activities, including cultural competitions, national integration awareness programmes and institutional training. A number of dignitaries, including the Vice President of India, Raksha Mantri, Raksha Rajya Mantri, Delhi Chief Minister, Chief of Defence Staff and the Service Chiefs will also pay a visit to the camp.

Railways earns `1,20,478 cr from freight loading this FY till Dec 2022

New Delhi: The Indian Railways' earnings from freight loading for the first nine months of financial year 2022-23 have surpassed those of the same period last year, the ministry of railways said on January 2.

71% INCREASE IN PASSENGER SEGMENT

INDIAN-AMERICAN

TAKES OATH AS COUNTY JUDGE

Houston: Three Indian-American Democrats have taken oath as Fort Bend County Judges in the United States. Juli A. Mathew, K.P. George, and Surendran K. Pattel were sworn in as Fort Bend County judges, along with other newly elected and re-elected officials.

Juli A. Mathew, the first Indian-American woman to be elected to a judge’s bench in the US four years ago.

of journalists.

KERALA: SI CAUGHT TAKING BRIBE IN VIRAL VIDEO

Kochi: A Sub-Inspector (SI) grade official of Ayyampuzha police station in Kerala’s Kochi was allegedly seen taking money in a purported viral video. The inquiry order has been given by the Superintendent of Police (SP), Ernakulam Rural, Vivek Kumar after the SI of Ayyampuzha police station was seen, in the video, demanding more money from a person for allowing to transport soil.

sure that everyone can avail of the welfare schemes of the state government," Abhishek Banerjee said.

On a cumulative basis, from April to December 2022, freight loading of 1,109.38 metric tonnes has been achieved, as against loading of 1,029.96 metric tonnes during the same period last year.

BREAKING RECORD

This marks an improvement of 8 percent.

The earnings of Indian Railways from freight loading operations are Rs 1,20,478 crore so far this fiscal.,

New Delhi: The total earnings in the passenger segment for Indian railways from April to Dec 2022 were at Rs 48,913 crore, an increase of 71 per cent in comparison to Rs. 28,569 cr during the same period last year. In the reserved passenger segment, the total approximate number of passengers booked from 01 April to 31 Dec 2022 was 59.61 cr.

Dabolim records highest ever per day flight traffic

Goa (Agencies): Goa’s Dabolim airport handled a record 104 flights over a 24-hour period on January 1 owing to thousands of tourists and others who arrived in the state to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said. The AAI, which handles the passenger terminal at Dabolim, said the airport on Sunday beat its previous record of 102 flights, clocked on January 2

last year.

“On 1 January 2023, Goa International Airport handled 104 arrivals and 104 departures with 13,147 arrival passengers and 17,335 departure passengers,” the AAI said.

The figure is expected to return to 95 on Monday, including scheduled domestic and international flight, as well as chartered flights. The airport on most days handles anywhere between 85 and

95 flights over a 24-hour period.

The first tourism season after Covid-19, which was blighted by

the resurgence of the Omicron variant, has shown encouraging signs and the number of tourists is likely to

surpass that of pre-pandemic days.

Tourism in Goa peaks in the week between Christmas and New Year’s when millions of travellers from across the country wish to celebrate the occasions in Goa. “We strive to ensure a hassle-free transit experience for our esteemed guests at the airport,” the AAI said.

Flights to and from Goa witness a huge demand during the New Year’s weekend, with

flight fares soaring up to four times than the usual prices.

Later this month, with the Mopa international airport also scheduled to commence flight operations, the load at Dabolim airport is expected to ease, though the latter will remain functional for civilian operations. Several airlines, including IndiGo, GoFirst, Akasa Air and Oman Airways, have announced flights from the new airport.

Sheezan's lawyer alleged that Tunisha's mother had control over her daughter's life

NIA to visit Upper Dhangri village in J&K's Rajouri district

Tunisha Sharma's death accused Sheezan Khan’s sisters Shafaq Naaz and Falaq Naaz during a joint press conference at Andheri, in Mumbai on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Cadets present at the Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantt in Delhi on Monday.

Chennai: K V Srinivasan, a senior photographer of a national English daily passed away here on Monday, following a heart attack. The photojournalist is survived by his wife and two sons. Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, CM M K Stalin and Information Minister M P Saminathan expressed grief over Srinivasan’s death and conveyed their condolences. Stalin, in a statement said, he has ordered release of Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to the kin of the deceased from a State fund for the welfare of families

SENIOR PHOTOJOURNALIST K V

SRINIVASAN PASSES AWAY IN CHENNAI

with PM Narendra Modi. —FILE PHOTO

CIL'S COAL SUPPLY TO POWER SECTOR

UP 11% AT 433 MT

SIX YRS AFTER DEMO

CASH IN CIRCULATION UP 83%

First India Bureau

New Delhi (PTI): CIL’s coal supply to the power sector rose 11% to 432.7 million tonne in the AprilDec period of current financial year. In the yearago period, the supply was 390.2 MT. The supply to the non-power sector last month was 10.5 MT due to increased output.

New Delhi: Six years after the shock move to ban 86% of the currency in circulation in the country, cash is still the king with official data showing close to doubling of cash with the public.

According to Reserve Bank data, the value of the currency in circulation (or public holding of cash) stood at `32.42 lakh crore as on December 23, 2022.

This compares to ` 17.74 lakh crore worth of notes in circulation (NiC) on November 4, 2016, days before PM Narendra Modi announced outlawing of old 1,000 and 500 rupee notes to target black money and fight corruption.

NiC fell to about ` 9 lakh crore after demonetisation.

Compared with January 6, 2017, the cash in circulation has seen a more than 3-fold

ACCORDING TO RBI DATA

z According to RBI data, the value of the currency in circulation stood at `32.42 lakh crore as on Dec 23, 2022. This compares to `17.74 lakh crore worth of notes in circulation (NiC) on Nov 4, 2016.

or 260% jump, while from November 4, 2016, it has seen about 83% rise.

After the shock announcement, the govern-

India’s mfg PMI hits 13-month high in Dec

New Delhi (PTI): Stateowned NMDC on Monday announced that it has hiked the prices of iron ore lumps by `200 to `4,300 per tonne. The country’s largest iron ore miner has also increased rates of iron ore fines by `500 to `3,410/tonne, NMDC said in a regulatory filing. The prices are effective January 1, and exclude royalty, district mineral fund (DMF), National Mineral Exploration Trust (DMET), cess, forest permit fee and other taxes, the company said.

SAW OVER 4.5 LAKH BOOKINGS ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

New Delhi (PTI): India’s manufacturing sector activity rose to a 13-month high in December, supported by healthy inflows of new business and strong demand conditions, according to a monthly survey.

The seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Manufacturing PMI stood at 57.8 in Dec, up from 55.7 in November, as business conditions improved to the greatest extent in over two years.

The December PMI data pointed to an improvement in overall operating conditions for the 18th straight month. “Following a promising start to 2022, the Indian manufacturing industry maintained a strong performance as time pro-

gressed, wrapping the year with the best expansion in production seen since November 2021,” Pollyanna De Lima, Economics Associate Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said.

Hiring activity was stretched to December, while more inputs were acquired as firms sought to supplement production and add to their inventories.

Demand resilience boosted sales growth in December.

z The total value of notes returned by the public was `15.3 lakh crore or 99.3% of the total of `15.4 lakh crore of NiC on Nov 8, 2016.

z The outlawed currency notes were replaced by new 500 & 2,000 rupee notes.But 1,000 rupee note was not reintroduced.

ment gave a limited-time window for the public to return the banned currency. According to the RBI, almost the entire amount

GTRI suggests seven steps to make full use of Australia FTA

New Delhi (PTI): Indian traders should follow seven steps, including knowing trade policy and rules of origin of respective products in Australia in order to take full advantage of the recently implemented free trade agreement, according to a study by GTRI released on Monday.

“We have suggested a seven-step process to ensure that the firms do not miss critical details while exporting or importing under ECTA,” it said.

of currency withdrawn was turned in.

The total value of notes returned by the public was `15.3 lakh crore or 99.3% of the total of `15.4 lakh crore of notes in circulation on November 8, 2016.

According to a written reply, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman furnished in the Lok Sabha on December 19, 2022, the value of NiC fell over 20% at end of March 2017 to ` 13.1 lakh crore but has been on the rise since.

It rose by 37.67% to `18.03 lakh crore on March 31, 2018. The value of NiC soared to ` 21.10 lakh crore on March 31, 2019, `24.20 lakh crore on March 31, 2020, ` 28.26 lakh crore on March 31, 2021, and ` 31.05 lakh crore on March 31, 2022.

As on December 2, 2022, the value of NiC was `31.92 lakh crore.

Recession will hit 1/3rd of world this year: IMF

Washington (PTI): A third of the global economy will be in recession this year, the IMF chief has said, and warned that 2023 will be "tougher" than last year as the US, EU and China will see their economies slow down.

Kristalina Georgieva, the chief of the IMF made these grim assertions during a CBS news programme "Face the Nation."

It comes at a time when the ongoing conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of abating after more than 10

months, with spiralling inflation, higher interest rates and the surge in coronavirus infections in China fuelled by the Omicron variant.

"We expect one-third of the world economy to be in recession," Georgieva said.

The year 2023 will be tougher than last year because the economies of the US, the EU and China will slow down, she said.

"Even in countries that are not in recession, it would feel like a recession for hundreds of millions of people," she explained.

Markets climb on first day of trade of New Year 2023

Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmarks started the first day of trade of the New Year on a positive note and ended with smart gains, propelled by buying in index majors Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank amid a firm trend in European markets.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 327.05 points or 0.54% to settle at 61,167.79 on Monday. During the day, it jumped 382.05 points or 0.62% to 61,222.79. The broader NSE Nifty advanced 92.15 points or 0.51% to end at 18,197.45.

From the Sensex pack, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank,

Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Industries, NTPC and Bharti Airtel were the prominent winners. However, Asian Paints, Titan, Tech Mahindra, Nestle and Hindustan Unilever were among the major laggards.

RUPEE FALLS 14 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.75 AGAINST $

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee started the New Year on a muted note, declining 14 paise to close at 82.75 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday as rising crude oil prices and sustained foreign fund outflows weighed on investor sentiment. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened lower at 82.66 against the greenback and witnessed an intra-day high of 82.56 and a low of 82.78. It finally settled at 82.75, down 14 paise over its previous close.

New Delhi (PTI): OYO witnessed a record 4.5 lakh-plus bookings on New Year’s eve, its highest bookings per hotel per day for India in the last 5 years, Founder and Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal said. Agarwal spoke about the “busiest day of the year” for the travel technology company and shared that OYO saw higher bookings in Varanasi as compared to Goa. “Over 450k-plus bookings were made on this New Year’s Eve globally. This is 35 per cent more than last year. We are also seeing the highest bookings per hotel per day for India in the last 5 years,” Agarwal informed.

PRODUCTION FALLS 18% IN DECEMBER

‘Betting on results not allowed’

New Delhi (PTI): Online gaming companies will not be allowed to engage in betting on the outcome of games under the principle laid in draft rules, MoS for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.

The minister said that as of now, all permissible online gaming will need to be registered with a self-regulatory organisation that will be accountable to the online gaming rules.

"As per the principles laid under the rule, wager-

ing on the outcome of game will not be allowed. All online gaming companies will have to register with

ACCORDING TO CMIE DATA

New Delhi (PTI): Maruti

Suzuki India’s production in Dec 2022 was lower by 17.96% at 1,24,722 units, according to a regulatory filing. The company had a total production of 1,52,029 units in the same month a year ago.

Production in mini cars and compact segment, comprising models such as Alto, S-Presso, Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift and WagonR, was lower at 83,753 units in Dec 2022 as compared to 1,06,090 units in Dec ‘21.

the self-regulatory body that will decide on the action required to be taken as per the rules," he said.

Mumbai (PTI): The RBI on Monday said stateowned SBI, along with private sector lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank continue to be Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) or institutions which are ‘too big to fail’. SIBs are perceived as banks that are ‘too big to fail’. This perception creates an expectation of govt support for these lenders in times of distress.

Unemployment rate surges to 8.3% in Dec

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The rate of unemployment in India has zoomed to a high of 8.3% in December, the highest in 2022, according to data from CMIE. The unemployment rate during November was at 8%, while in September it was the lowest at 6.43% and was at the second highest level during the year at 8.28% in August.

While the urban unemployment rate was at 10% during the last month of 2022, rural joblessness stood at 7.5% during December.

Among the states, unem-

ployment continued to be the highest in Haryana at 37.4% in December, followed by Rajasthan at

28.5%, Delhi 20.8%, Bihar 19.1% and Jharkhand 18%.

CIEL HR Services managing director and CEO

HIGHEST IN 2022

z The unemployment rate during November was at 8%, while in September it was the lowest at 6.43% and was at the second highest level during the year at 8.28% in August, the CMIE data stated.

z The urban unemployment rate was at 10% during the last month of 2022.

Aditya Narayan Mishra said there were no significant new employment opportunities in December.

OTHER STORIES

INDIAN ECONOMY LIKELY TO NAVIGATE ROUGH GLOBAL WEATHER IN 2023: ASSOCHAM

New Delhi (PTI): India’s economy is expected to navigate rough global weather in 2023 due to resilient consumer demand, better corporate performance and abating of inflation, even as the year is likely to be full of challenges and opportunities, Assocham said on Monday. “While the global outlook seems rather tough, the Indian economy is set to stay on steady ground, helped by strong domestic demand, a healthy financial sector and improved corporate balance sheets. Early signs point towards a robust performance of agriculture,” its Secy General stated.

COAL MINISTRY TO TAKE UP ADDITIONAL 19 PROJECTS

New Delhi (PTI): The Centre on Monday said an additional 19 first mile connectivity projects of state-owned CIL and SCCL will be implemented by 2026-27. “The Ministry of Coal will be taking up additional 19 First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects for Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) with a capacity of 330 million tonnes (MT) and these projects will be implemented by FY26-27.”

New Delhi (PTI): Coffee shipments from India rose 1.66% to 4 lakh tonne in 2022 on rise in instant coffee exports and re-exports, according to the Coffee Board. Exports stood at 3.93 lakh tonne in 2021. In value terms, coffee export was higher at `8,762.47 crore in 2022 as against `6,984.67 crore in the previous year. India ships both Robusta and Arabica varieties, besides instant coffee.

TEA INDUSTRY FACING MULTIPLE CHALLENGES IN WAKE OF COVID PANDEMIC: EXPERTS

Kolkata (PTI): The tea industry has been no exception to the ravages of the Covid pandemic over the last two years, as it grapples with low prices and high input costs, with stakeholders calling for more focus on quality and boosting exports. Production, too, has seen a decrease in the last few years since the onset of the pandemic due to restrictions on plucking -- from 1,390 million kg in 2019 to 1,258 million kg in 2020, 1,329 million kg in 2021 and 1,050 million kg till October this year.

NMDC HIKES IRON ORE LUMP RATES BY `200 PER TONNE

OYO

MARUTI SUZUKI'S

SBI, ICICI & HDFC Bank continue to remain D-SIBs: RBI

NOTE BAN

2016 move hit economy, people: Congress, NCP slam Centre

CLAIMS

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Recently, NCP leader Ajit Pawar fanned a controversy claiming Sambhaji Maharaj was not a Dharmaveer. Now another NCP leader has made yet another startling claim.

Mumbai (PTI): The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress on Monday slammed the Narendra Modi government for demonetization. The statements came on a day when the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the 2016 move saying the decision did not suffer from any legal or constitutional flaw.

The two parties said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre cannot absolve itself of the blame for the distress the people of the country suffered due to the decision to scrap high-value currency notes.

"Despite the (SC) ver-

dict, the BJP government must be held accountable for the downfall of the economy due to demonetisation and the loss of many lives due to the disastrous, illplanned process," NCP national Spokesperson Clyde Crasto said. He said the move failed in exposing black money as 99% of demonetised notes came back to the banks.

"Where did the black money disappear?

There is more currency in circulation in the market today than before. So what happened to digital payment if the idea was to minimize cash transactions,'' Crasto questioned.

He said the move was "bad and hasty" and broke the "backbone of the economy, led to the loss of human lives and hurt citizens in so many ways".

Maharashtra Congress Spokesperson Sachin Sawant said

some questions raised in the SC verdict were "overarching".

"It is inconsequential now to see if demonetisation was legal or not. The decision was inhuman, haphazard, high-handed and far away from meeting targets," he said. Sawant called demonetisation a "manmade disaster" and claimed 98% currency returned, more than 100 persons died and the economic growth nosedived from

8.1% to 3.7% in eight consecutive quarters, which indicates deep wounds inflicted on the lives of the people.

Justice BV Nagarathna dissented from the majority judgment on the point of the Centre's powers under section 26(2) of the RBI Act and said the scrapping of the Rs500 and Rs1,000 series notes had to be done through legislation and not through a notification.

NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad has said that Aurangzeb was not a Hindu hater and claimed that “If Aurangzeb had been cruel and anti-Hindu, he would have destroyed the temple of Vishnu.”

“We call Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Swaraj Rakshak from the very beginning. He was in Sardesai’s palace at Sangameshwar. Who gave this news to Aurangzeb? This is where the real history lies.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was taken to Bahadurgarh where his eyes were gouged out. There is a Vishnu temple adjacent to that place. If Aurangzeb was cruel ruler and Hinduhater, he would have destroyed the Vishnu tem-

Nitesh Rane shares video, shows Roopkumar carrying the dead body

First India Bureau

Sangli: On Monday, Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale targeted Uddhav Thackeray and Prakash Ambedkar in a press conference held in Sangli. He has warned that it will not take long for their alliance to break down. Athawale said that even if Thackeray and Ambedkar come together, ‘it will not have much political impact as Bhimshakti is behind us’. There will still be differences between the Congress and the Nationalists over seat allocation, he claimed.

“The Shinde government in the state is strong and will last for the full term. It will come to power in 2024 with

great strength. The government is not unstable, as Sanjay Raut says. In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, 350 MPs of the BJP and 450 of the NDA will be elected. Rahul Gandhi will not be the Prime Minister,” said Athawale. He also commented that Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra will break India. On the occasion of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj’s centenary, the Republican Party of India convention has been organized at Kolhapur on the 5th and 6th of May.

The lieutenant colonel is facing trial for blast that killed six and injured 100+ people in September 2008

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday rejected an appeal filed by Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit seeking discharge in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Purohit and six others, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Prgaya Singh Thakur, are facing trial in the case of the blast that killed six people

and left more than 100 injured in September 2008. All the accused are currently out on bail.

Among other grounds for seeking discharge, Purohit had claimed lack of sanction under relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to prosecute him.

However, a bench of Justice AS Gadkari and Justice Prakash Naik rejected his plea, say-

Mumbai: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s (SSR) death case seems to be heating up again. BJP leader Nitesh Rane shared a video in this regard on Monday, claiming that the video is of Sushant Singh Rajput’s body being taken for postmortem. Rane has also claimed that Roopkumar Shah was seen carrying the dead body.

Roopkumar Shah, who worked in the mortuary and was present during the postmortem had recently claimed that Sushant Singh Rajput did not commit suicide and that it was a

murder as there were many injuries on the dead body. Rane tweeted to say that Roopkumar Shah was on duty in the mortuary of Cooper Hospital from the 13th to the 14th of June 2020. He warned that the truth will come out soon.

Roopkumar Shah is considered the key witness in the Sush-

ant Singh Rajput case. He alleged that political pressure was used in the postmortem report. Some BJP leaders are alleging that Aaditya Thackeray is involved in the death of the Bollywood actor and his manager Disha Salian. The state government has ordered an investigation of the matter

through SIT. In addition, Roopkumar Shah has been given special security.

On June 14, 2020, the news of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death came to light. The police found his body hanging from the fan in a suspicious condition. It was suspected that he was murdered, and it was also alleged that his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was behind it. Finally, the report showed that the actor had committed suicide.

Now, after Roopkumar Shah has claimed that there was a mess during the postmortem report, the matter has taken a different turn.

ple. From there Chhatrapati Sambhajiraj was taken to Tulapur. What happened next is known to all. I say don’t go into that history. History gives birth to controversies,” Awhad said on Monday.

“Shambhu Raj followed the principles set by Shivaji for the people. After the death of Shivaji Raje, his son Sambhaji Raje ascended the throne. After that he was moving forward in the tradition of Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji Maharaj’s definition of religion was woven into three, Maharashtra Dharma, Maratha Dharma and Swarajya.

Maratha was a broad term. Everything was included in this. That is why the state was called the state of people. Sambhaji Maharaj was the successor of that kingdom. Therefore, there is no such historical context that they came out to protect any religion. All the historians who are his contemporaries and foreign historians have written very well about Sambhaji Maharaj. Sambhaji Maharaj was Swaraj Rakshak. The whole society came under Swarajya. No ancient historian has called him Dharmaveer anywhere,” Awhad said.

ing the sanction was not needed as “he was not on official duty”.

On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and more than 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went

off near a mosque in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Nashik district.

According to the Maharashtra Police that conducted an initial probe into the case, the motorbike to which the

explosive was strapped was registered in Pragya Thakur’s name, which led to her arrest.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) later took over the probe into the case.

“If the contention of the appellant that he was directed to perform an official duty to gather information regarding Abhinav Bharat is to be accepted then the question remains to be answered that, why he did not avert the bomb blast in the civilian locality of Malegaon which caused loss of life of six innocent per-

sons and severe to grievous injuries to about 100 persons,” said Purohit’s counsel.

The judgment added that indulging in an activity of a bomb explosion causing the death of six persons is not an act done by Purohit in his official duty.

It added that a perusal of prosecution records clearly indicates that Purohit was never granted permission by the government to float the Abhinav Bharat organization despite being a serving commissioned officer of the Armed Forces of India.

Mumbai: After the corona period, the employment situation in the country has not improved yet, so claims the opposition parties.

On Monday, Maharashtra Congress state president Nana Patole criticized PM Narendra Modi over the rise in unemployment.

“Unemployment has hit its highest level in the last 16 months.

Prime Minister Modi, if you can’t give jobs to the youth, at least don’t ruin the lives of those who have jobs,” said Patole.

Patole also criticized the Shinde-Fadnavis government in the state.

“Apart from this, due to the meager funds received from the state government, the Provi-

dent Fund, the gratuity amount has not been paid by the ST Corporation to the ST Trust for the last four to five months. This amount is around Rs. 500 crore, which affects over 88,000 employees,” added Patole.

“The ‘E-D’ government has been giving insufficient funds to the ST Corporation for the past few months, due to which the PF of the employees is not being deposited,” tweeted Nana Patole.

MUSICAL TRYST

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

‘Purohit was not on official duty during terror acts’

2008 MALEGAON BLAST CASE

Bombay High Court

“Where did the black money disappear? There is more currency in circulation in the market today,” he said

Sachin Sawant

—FILE PHOTO

Jitendra Awhad —FILE PHOTO

‘HARSH’

If Aurangzeb was anti-Hindu, he would have destroyed Vishnu temple: Awhad

If you cant give jobs, don’t ruin other’s lives, Patole fires at PM

‘Thackeray and Ambedkar coalition wont affect much’

SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT DEATH CASE

Ramdas Athawale

Nana Patole

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta is set to release her single “Mood Banaleya” on January 06. The actor-cum-singer has collaborated with T-Series for the song.

eople around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia.

Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the new year and watching fireworks displays. A similar get-together was witnessed on December 28, Saturday.

Jagdeesh Chandra graced the occasion as a special guest.

Gaurav Gaur, director of Elite Miss Rajasthan along with supermodels were also present to make the evening more special.

The celebration witnessed various fun activities including musical

games, and dumb charades, among others. While some beauties grooved on Bollywood music, others were seen shaking legs on hit Punjabi tracks too.

Everyone eased into their conversations and enjoyed the mood with great company, wonderful food, and music. The lip-smacking food and energetic crowd made for an exuberant party.

Jagdeesh Chandra greeted everyone with a Happy New Year in advance and wished them huge success. He also motivated everyone to lead a healthy life.

The magnificent party witnessed the ravishing models in sequin pieces, fluffy frocks and furry coat and neck wraps.

It is natural for people to show up in high spirits, eager to start the year on a positive note. Therefore, the stunning beauties flaunted their new year outfits to reflect

energy and positivity. From sequin, bodycon and cocktails dresses, to jumpsuits, crop tops, long

DREAM, SPARKLE & SHINE

A NEW YEAR GET-TOGETHER WAS CELEBRATED WITH MUCH FERVOUR ON DECEMBER 28, SATURDAY. THE BEAUTIES WERE SEEN FLAUNTING GORGEOUS ATTIRE AS IT WAS A SHEEN AND THE PERFECT OCCASION FOR A FRESH START WHILST MAKING NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION AN IDEAL REPRESENTATION OF COLOUR, FERVOUR, ZEST AND ENTHUSIASM. THE HOUSE-PACKED REVELLERS RAISED THE TOAST TO THE JOY OF A NEW YEAR AND ADDED A LITTLE SPARKLE TO THE END OF THE YEAR 2022. CITY FIRST BRINGS TO YOU SOME GLIMPSES!

TUNISHA SUICIDE CASE:

SHEEZAN’S FAMILY ADDRESS accusations

Tunisha Sharma passed away by suicide on December 24, 2022. The actress hanged herself in the make-up room of her co-star and former boyfriend Sheezan Mohammed Khan. The actor was later arrested by Valiv Police in Palghar district for allegedly abetting the suicide of Tunisha.

The family of accused Sheezan Khan held a press conference on Monday to address the alleged accusations levelled against them by the family of late actor Tunisha Sharma.

Accompanied by Sheezan's lawyer, Shailendra Mishra, his sisters Falaq Naaz, Shafaq Naaz and his

mother shared details about Tunisha's past when she was allegedly mistreated by her family. They refuted the claims set across by Tunisha's mother, Vanita Sharma, about Sheezan having a 'secret girlfriend' and that Tunisha was 'forced' to wear a hijab.

Sheezan's sister played a voice note for the media where Tunisha had an emotional interaction with the mother of Sheezan Khan. A voice recording of Tunisha being extremely emotional and in a broken voice can be heard expressing her feelings for Sheezan’s mother.

At the press confer-

ence, Sheezan’s Lawyer Mishra stated, "Tunisha's so-called uncle Pawan Sharma was her former manager, he was fired 4 yrs ago because he used to interfere a lot & behave harshly with her." He went on to say, "Tunisha & Sanjeev Kaushal (an uncle in Chandigarh) had terrible relations. Sanjeev Kaushal & her mother, Vanita used to control Tunisha's finances. Tunisha often pleaded in front of her mother for her own money."

Mishra added, "Tunisha used to panic a lot upon hearing the name of Sanjeev Kaushal. On the instigation of San-

ATHIYA AND KL RAHUL WELCOME NEW YEARS

Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul rang in the new year together in Dubai as they partied with friends on New Year's Eve. Athiya and Rahul are seen kissing at the celebration in pictures that her friends have posted. Early in 2023 is when the couple wants to get married. For the upcoming matches against Sri Lanka, the cricketer reportedly asked the Board of Control for

jeev Kaushal, Tunisha's mother broke her phone & tried to strangulate her. Sanjeev Kaushal & Tunisha's mother used to control Tunisha's life." The lawyer claimed Tunisha's family used to control her finances and were responsible for her anxiety attacks and depression.

She also cleared the air on her brother cheating on Tunisha, "Sheezan didn't have any other girlfriend. That girl was called for recording her statement. There's no secret girlfriend." She added, "Tunisha's mother accepted that she has been neglecting Tunisha & that she didn't

take care of her. Tunisha's depression was due to her childhood trauma. We could never see her in trouble. All these talks about hijab and dargah are baseless. Following a religion is our own choice. It is our personal space. We never force anyone. It is not our right.”

Cricket in India (BCCI) for a leave of absence in December.

Athiya uploaded images of herself and Rahul from her friends' Instagram Stories to mark the end of 2022. Rahul was dressed in a black shirt and black leggings, while Athiya was wearing a strapless black corset. In one picture, the actress is holding Rahul in her arms; in the other, she is encircling him from behind.

Ayushmann starts his new year with a bang DEEPVEER’S

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh made their first public appearance of the year 2023 at the Mumbai airport Monday morning. Both were twinning in black and walked hand in hand at the airport. While Deepika flashed a big smile while posing for the paparazzi, Ranveer was his unusual self as he quietly posed for the cameras.

Deepika was all smiles as she walked hand in hand with Ranveer towards the entry gate. While Deepika was in a long black shirt dress paired with a long black overcoat and white shoes, Ranveer was twinning with her in a white tee and black pants paired with a long black overcoat and white shoes. She was all smiles while Ranveer kept a low profile as they paused for a mo ment to pose.

The couple cele brated Christmas in Alibaug and were spotted leaving for the place on a jetty.

ti. Zinda jawaani hai. Jaane kaun si bahaar laaya hai janvari. Mujhe toh December bhi naya sa lagta tha. #happynewyear" Ayushmann Khurrana was last seen in 'An Action Hero' in 2022. While they may not have done exceptionally well at the box office but it did leave people surprised and a huge section of the audience who saw the film thought it was Ayushmann's best work so far. The actor was seen in a larger-than-life avatar for the first time in it.

Kareena wraps up New Year with family

and a tie. Jeh was dressed in black jeans, a patterned shirt, and a puffy jacket. The photo appears to have been taken during a lavish occasion. Additionally, performers and artists were posing in the background of the family picture.

Celebrities like Karisma Kapoor and Mozez Singh ex-

their love for the actor in response to the picture.

pressed

Falaq Naazz, in her latest Instagram post, clarified that Sheezan Khan and Tunisha Sharma had indeed broken up and that they had mutually decided on it for the sake of their careers she added that the chats are proof of it and had been duly submitted to the police.

Deepika Padukone

Kareena Kapoor

Her post...

Ayushmann’s post...

Tunisha Sharma and Sheezan Khan

Vanita Sharma

Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul

New Year Christmas celebrations were held at the NOIDA office of Bharat24-vision of New India, a National Hindi News channel during the festive season. Jagdeesh Chandra wished all members of the Bharat24-Vision of New India family a very happy New Year and a cake-cutting ceremony was also done.

Jagdeesh Chandra was caught in a candid shot during a carefree moment at the beachside in Mumbai on New Year’s eve.

ASHISH TIWARI