First India-Mumbai Edition-06th November 2022

MUMBAI l SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 179

PUTIN PRAISES INDIA, CALLS ITS PEOPLE TALENTED, AND PURPOSEFUL

Moscow: For a second time within a week, Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised India’s growth story and said its people are “very talented” and “purposeful” and will help the country to achieve outstanding results in its development.

COUNTING OF VOTES ON 7 SEATS IN 6 STATES TODAY New Delhi: Counting of votes will be held on Sunday in the bypolls to 7 assembly constituencies in 6 states. Polling was held on these seats Haryana’s Admapur, Bihar’s Gopalganj and Mokama, Maha’s Andheri (East), Telangana’s Munugode, UP’s Gola Gokarannath, and Odisha’s Dhamnagar.

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, NEW DELHI & MUMBAI

TRASH ME ALL DAY, BUT IT WILL COST USD 8: MUSK ON BLUE TICK FEE

Washington: Seems like Twitter’s new boss Elon Musk does not get affected by the criticism he has been receiving over his decision to charge Twitter users to get verified accounts. On Saturday, Musk took to Twitter, reiterated his stance on blue tick fee.

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Uddhav asks party workers to be ready for mid-term polls in Maha Thackeray faction of the Sena has been demanding that the party MLAs who rebelled along with Eknath Shinde resign and face the electorate afresh First India Bureau Mumbai: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray has directed party workers to gear up for the midterm elections in Maharashtra.

Thackeray was speaking at a meeting

Crucial READ

ED ARRESTS ANSARI’S MLA SON ABBAS FOR MONEY LAUNDERING

of the party’s Assembly constituency-level functionaries at the party headquarters ‘Sena Bhavan’ here on Saturday.

The term of the Maharashtra Assembly is set to expire in 2024.

However, the Thackeray faction of the Sena has been demanding

that the party MLAs who rebelled along with Eknath Shinde resign and face the electorate afresh.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief spokesperson Arvind Sawant bwriefed reporters about the meeting.

Thackeray predicted mid-term Assembly elections in the state soon and asked the cadres to start preparations, Sawant said.

Mid-term polls were inevitable as Prime Minister Narendra

Uddhav Thackeray

‘BJP MEANS STABILITY’

CONGRESS NEVER PRIORITISED DEVELOPMENT, STRESSES PM MODI IN HIMACHAL First India Bureau

Prayagraj: ED has arrested Abbas Ansari, Suheldev BSP MLA from Mau and son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in a money laundering case, officials said on Saturday. Abbas, 30, was arrested after questioning in Prayagraj in UP, they said.

NIA FILES CHARGE SHEET AGAINST DAWOOD, HIS AIDES

Mumbai: The NIA stated on Saturday that it had filed a charge sheet against fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, his close aide Chhota Shakeel, and 3 others of “D Company,” which is name of Ibrahim’s transnational organised crime syndicate.

MISTRY’S DEATH: DR PANDOLE BOOKED FOR RASH DRIVING

Modi on Thursday announced projects worth Rs2 lakh crore for Maharashtra, Sawant said.

“Just like voters in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are being lured with packages and announcements, this announcement by the PM is also an indicator that Maharashtra will have elections,” said the South Mumbai MP. But there was no clarity about the details of the projects the PM was talking about,

Shimla: PM Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress never priritised the development of HP, but the BJP fulfilled all the promises it had made to the people of the hill state.

He made the statement during a rally of the BJP ahead of the upcoming Assembly election in the hill state.

At a public rally in Mandi’s Sundernagar, Modi said development will the first priority of the party. Expressing confidence that Himachal will vote for BJP on November 12, Modi said, every vote cast will define HP’s development journey for next 25 years.” BJP means stability and service in HP Modi added.

SHYAM SARAN NEGI: INDIA’S FIRST VOTER DIES AT 106 IN HIMACHAL

I

ndia’s first voter Shyam Saran Negi died on Saturday at his residence in HP’s Kinnaur. He was 106.

On November 2, Negi had cast his vote for the state’s Assembly polls through postal ballot, the Election Commission said. Modi expressed his condolences to Negi at a poll rally in HP.

PM Narendra Modi being presented a memento by CM Jai Ram Thakur during a public meeting at Sundar Nagar in Mandi district on Saturday.

PM Modi meets Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon during his visit to Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Pb.

During its regime, the Congress always took commissions in defence deals. It committed scams to the tune of thousands of crores.

—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

CONG RELEASES MANIFESTO; PROMISES FREE POWER, `1,500/MTH FOR WOMEN ongress on SatC urday released its party manifesto for HP

Assembly election. They promised free electricity up to 300 units monthly to all households, fin aid of `1,500 monthly to women between 18 to 60 years of age. Cong promised to restore OPS, 1L govt jobs.

MODI, NADDA AND THAKUR; BJP'S TOP BRASS AT MAMMOTH RALLIES IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

P5

he added.

The Eknath Shindeled Maharashtra government which came to power in June after his rebellion toppled the Thackeray-led government has been accused of letting several big-ticket projects go to Gujarat, including the Rs1.54 lakh crore Vedanta Foxconn semiconductor chip manufacturing project and Rs22,000 crore TataAirbus C-295 military transport aircraft project.

‘200 SEATS OUR TARGET’

is the number one in the state, but BweJPparty want to increase the

strength of the party further. As a result, no matter how many parties come together, we are always working to win. Our target is to win more than 200 seats in the upcoming assembly elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis - Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Maha BJP Chief.

PA arrested after ED raids, claims Manish Sisodia Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case: Raids at 5 places in Delhi, NCR New Delhi (ANI): Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Saturday claimed his personal assistant was arrested after the ED failed to find anything during the raid on his house and alleged that the BJP was behind the development. The ED on Saturday questioned Sisodia’s personal assistant in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the now scrapped excise policy, officials said.

The ED claimed that Sisodia’s Personal As-

Manish Sisodia

Devendra Sharma

sistant, Devendra Sharma alias Rinku, did not cooperate in the investigation. BJP people! So much fear of losing the election,” Sisodia tweeted in Hindi.

FELICITATION OF CJI UU LALIT AT MAHARASHTRA RAJ BHAWAN

CJI COULD BE GUBERNATORIAL CHOICE, SAYS KOSHIYARI Palghar: Two months after ex-Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry died in a car accident, police in Maharashtra’s Palghar on Saturday registered a case against Dr Anahita Pandole for alleged rash driving. A case under IPC sections 304(A), 279, 337, MV Act, police said.

EC: BYPOLL TO 1 LS, 5 ASSEMBLY SEATS ON DEC 5, RESULT DEC 8

New Delhi: Bypoll to Mainpuri LS seat which fell vacant after death of Mulayam Singh with 5 Assembly seats Rampur (UP), Padampur (Odisha), Sardarshahar (Raj), Kurhani (Bihar) and Bhanupratapur (Chhattisgarh) will be held on Dec 5, counting on Dec 8.

TOP STORY Had we not rebelled, NCP would have joined BJP: Gulabrao Patil P2

l Maharashtra has given me a lot. I will speak in Marathi because I have come to Mumbai where this program has been organized, CJI said l Maha governor hints at retiring Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari has been a verbal maverick and his comments and remarks have at times sparked controversies while also swaying heads towards important issues. On Saturday, Koshiyari passed a remark on Chief Justice of India UU Lalit, which, although passed in a jovial environment, shook the political realm of the state.

While Koshiyari indicated at living the re-

tired life, i.e. not indulging in Governorship in future, he added that in future, current CJI may also assume the office, he (Koshiyari) was holding currently.

A felicitation ceremony of CJI U Uday Lalit was held at Maharashtra Raj Bhavan on Saturday during which Governor Koshyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were present.

Speaking on the occa-

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari welcomes CJI UU Lalit as Chief Ministr Eknath Shinde look on.

sion, the Governor made a symbolic statement.

During his speech, Koshyari, referring to CJI Lalit, said, “I am in

Raj Bhavan now. You can also come to Raj Bhavan tomorrow or you can go to a bigger building after retirement.” On this, the en-

tire assembly broke into laughter and the ambience became jovial.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Uday Lalit won

hearts by giving a speech in Marathi. “I will speak in Marathi because I have come to Mumbai and the reception is taking place in Mumbai. I have traveled all over Maharashtra by bike. I have done the entire pandhari wari once. I have been in the Supreme Court for the last 37 years. My panchayat is such that my children cannot speak Marathi. But there is still a little Maratha atmosphere in my house,” he said, and further added, “When I was asked if I would like to come for Abhinandan, I immediately said yes. Maharashtra has given me a lot.”

Lalit also recalled that when Sushilkumar

Shinde was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, he used to handle all the affairs of Maharashtra in the Apex Court.

Meanwhile, praising the CJI, DyCM Devendra Fadnavis recalled the time in the year 2000, when the Mahanagar Palika case came up in the Supreme Court and said that during then CJI Lalit was the state’s lawyer. “Let me tell you the fitness story of CJI. Whenever I went to his office in Delhi, I noticed that we used to use the lift and Lalit sir always walked instead of using the lift. For these reasons his fitness is the same as 22 years ago,” Fadnavis said.

NEWS

Sharad Pawar slams PM Modi, says BJP rejected in many states

NCP chief flies to Shirdi from hosp for party meet; ‘angry’ nephew Ajit gives it a miss First India Bureau Shirdi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been rejected in most of the country and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the “lack” of the vision for “inclusive development”.

Pawar, who has been undergoing treatment in a Mumbai hospital for infection and fever since the last few days, flew to Shirdi from Mumbai with doctors and addressed the party convention briefly.

He said the BJP has been rejected in most of the country, except in few states, while in other states the saffron party has formed governments by “misusing” Central probe agencies.

Pawar appealed to NCP cadres to stay committed to progressive ideology and not fall prey to any “inducements”.

Speaking at the NCP meeting, the veteran

DELICATE STATE

Pawar called on NCP cadre to ‘‘remain united and fight to save democracy’’.

politician expressed confidence that the party workers would bring a ‘political change’ in the state.

Pawar said except in states like Gujarat, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and some Northeastern states, the majority of the country has rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the states of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, governments were toppled by (BJP) by misusing Central probe agencies, he alleged.

“A prime minister has to have a vision for the inclusive development of all and be broadminded but unfortunately this is not the prevailing situation. The PM should focus all his energies (to revive) the weakening economy and bringing down inflation.

“But the state (Maharashtra) and Central governments lack the vision of going beyond caste, religion and political affiliations to achieve the empowerment of women, workers, labour class, tribals, and backward

—FILE PHOTO

classes,’’ he said.

Pawar said projects like Vedanta Foxconn and Tata Airbus have been diverted to Gujarat right under the eye of the state government.

“This is shameful,” he added.

Instead of diverting the Tata-Airbus project to Gujarat, the Centre should have focused on making defence projects more efficient, the former Union minister said.

He alleged the incumbent state government was “narrow-minded” which is not a good sign

for Maharashtra.

Pawar said the NCP can change the politics of communalism and create awareness of progressive thinking among the people.

“We have to create new and strong leadership. The NCP should remain united and work as a strong political outfit, stay committed to progressive ideology, and not fall prey to inducements and allurement. We have to fight to save the Constitution and democracy,” he said.

MVA must stop maligning Commission issues Shinde-Fadnavis govt rep notice to activist over journo ‘bindi’ rebuke

First India Bureau Thane: Maharashtra chief of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition to stop maligning the image of the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government by spreading wrong messages.

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, on Saturday, said that if the smear campaign continued, the BJP will protest on the streets and give a befitting reply.

“MVA members should stop maligning the image of the ShindeFadnavis government…. The MVA government had put a spike in all the projects of the BJP-led central government to ensure that the

First India Bureau

—PHOTO BY PTI

Maha BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule at a rally.

benefits do not reach the citizens of Maharashtra,” Bawankule said.

He also claimed that the new government will practice good governance and clear the backlog of the last 2.5 years.

“The disgruntled MVA constituent parties (Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress) are only interested in defaming and damaging the image of the new government

which will not be tolerated,” the leader said.

He said the BJP and the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will fight all elections together.

Bawankule said BJP leaders were touring the state to reach out to voters to strengthen the party with the aim to win more than 200 of the 288 seats in Maharashtra Assembly in 2024.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Commission for Women has issued a notice to Hindutva activist Sambhaji Bhide for refusing to give an interview to a woman journalistas she did not wear a ‘bindi’ on her forehead.

Commission Chairperson Rupali Chakankar has sought Bhide’s reply on the issue after sending him a notice in this regard.

“If he did not want to talk, he could have not talked but it was wrong to tell her to come after applying ‘bindi’. Bhide should apologize for that,” she said.

Bhide reportedly refused to reply to the

Land for new HC bldg to be allotted soon, says CM First India Bureau Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday assured that the state government would soon allot a tract of land in Mumbai’s Bandra for a new complex of the Bombay High Court.

Shinde and Fadnavis were speaking at a felicitation programme for Chief Justice of India (CJI) U U Lalit at the Raj Bhavan here. The CJI is set to retire on November 08.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Dipankar Datta were also present at the event.

“Our government is planning to bring transparency in the judiciary.

We are taking decisions for the betterment of the judiciary. A tract of land at Bandra will soon be allotted for the new high court complex. It is a need of the state,” Shinde said.

Speaking about the issue, Fadnavis said the land allotment for a new high court building was a long-pending concern of Chief Justice Datta, and assured that the same would be resolved soon.

“Our government has decided to boost the court infrastructure. A long-pending concern

Bhide reportedly refused to answer a question as the woman hadn’t worn a ‘bindi’ questions asked by a woman journalist as she had not worn a 'bindi' on her forehead.

The incident occurred on Wednesday after his meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the Mantralaya.

Taking dig at Shinde, Uddhav says memorial ‘to feature ‘Shiv Sena CMs, and not fake ones’ Mumbai: The construction of the memorial of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray in the city will be completed by the end of 2023, his son and Sena President Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday.

The memorial is coming up at the Mayor’s bungalow at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai As much as 58% of the work is complete, Uddhav Thackeray told reporters in Mumbai.

Jalgaon: Minister in Shinde government and Water Supply Minister Gulabrao Patil on Saturday, claimed that 10 to 12 MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are planning to defect to the rebel faction and only the timing of their joining is to be decided.

Patil further said that if the Shinde group had not revolted, the NCP would have gone with the BJP (and formed government).

The first phase will be completed by May and the whole project will be completed by 2023-end.

The Sena’s history and Bal Thackeray’s speeches will the highlights of the memorial.

It will feature only Sena CMs, not fake ones.

ist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress government in June this year by revolting against the party leadership along with 39 other MLAs. “Who knows, by the

time the project is complete there might be a photo of the Shiv Sena’s prime minister at the memorial,” Thackeray quipped.

Senior party leader

—FILE PHOTO

CM SHNDE TO NOW HAVE TIME-BOUND MEETINGS Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is known as the leader who likes to interact with the crowd. However, now his meetings with the common people will be time-bound. Now, Shinde will meet the general public and listen to their complaints, in person, from 2 pm to 4 pm on working days at his office. Moreover, letters addressed to CM in the Mantralaya will be deposited at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Postal Room on the ground floor, where they will receive acknowledgment Arrangements have been made at the CM’s Secretariat office, to accomodate the new schedule plan. of our HC Chief Justice Dipankar Datta of allotting a plot for the new complex of the high court is almost resolved.

All legal issues pertaining to the land in Bandra, Mumbai for the new complex (have been resolved). Soon a land parcel will be allotted,” the said the deputy CM. The present high court building in south Mumbai was very old, he said.

Calling CJI Lalit “Maharashtra’s son”, Shin-

First India Bureau

‘Bal Thackeray’s memorial to be completed by 2023-end’ “The first phase will be completed by May and the whole project will be completed by 2023-end,” he added. The Sena’s history and Bal Thackeray’s speeches will the highlights of the memorial, he said.

In a swipe at rebel Sena leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Thackeray also said that the memorial “will feature only Shiv Sena chief ministers and not the fake ones.” Shinde toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena-National-

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

de praised several important decisions he had taken during his tenure to bring transparency to court proceedings, such as live-streaming of constitutional courts.

Fadnavis also appreciated the CJI’s efforts during his short tenure to bring transparency to the Supreme Court’s roster and hear more cases.

During his tenure, CJI Lalit began live streaming of cases heard by the Constitution bench.

Had we not rebelled, NCP would have joined hands with BJP: Patil

FINISHING LINE

First India Bureau

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Subhash Desai said the memorial is the state government’s project and is getting necessary funds from the government.

The memorial project

—Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena president

will be spread across 6,056.82 sq km and is being built at a cost of Rs180 crore.

Approval for project was granted by the previous MVA government.

After the rebellion of Shiv Sena and independent MLAs led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state fell and the Shinde-Fadnavis government was formed in

June.

The minister’s claim has created a stir in political circles of the state. Targeting Uddhav Thackeray and the MVA government, he said, “If we had not revolted under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, then NCP would have joined hands with BJP.” Patil also alleged that such statements (on fall of government) are being made by the NCP to maintain the enthusiasm of the workers and to avoid a split between the MLAs.

CRUCIAL READ SHIV SENA DEMANDS OVERALL CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE DEVT IN KAMOTHE Navi Mumbai: Kamothe Deputy City President of Shiv Sena Sachin Trimukhe met Municipal Commissioner Ganesh Deshmukh on Saturday to discuss various civic issues of the city. From street lights to lack of gardens, Trimukh put all the demands before Deshmukh.

According to Truimukh, the population of every sector in Kamothe has increased but civic infrastructure has remained the same. “Sometimes suction machines break down and sewage cleaning work gets affected. As a result, residents have to face a lot of hardship,” said Trimukhe.

PANVEL MUNICIPAL CORPORATION INDUCTS 32 EMPLOYEES OF GRAM PANCHAYAT Navi Mumbai: The state Urban Development Department has permitted the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) to induct 32 employees from the Gram Panchayats that were merged with the civic body when it was formed in 2016. After the formation of PMC on October 01, 2016, 29 villages were included in it. Subsequently, 288 employees with the GPs associated were absorbed by the civic body. However, 32 employees of different GPs were yet to be recruited. According to civic officials, the remaining 32 employees could not be absorbed due to technical reasons.

MAHARASHTRA

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MUMBAI | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

FIRE IN PARCEL VAN OF SHALIMAR EXP; PASSENGERS ESCAPE UNHURT

Set Dec 31 as deadline for seat belts: Taxi union

Incident occurred onboard Mumbai-bound train at Nashik Road Rly station; services on CR route delayed First India Bureau Mumbai: A fire broke out in a parcel van of the Mumbai-bound Shalimar Express at Nashik Road railway station on Saturday morning. Nobody was injured in it, said officials.

The incident disrupted the services on this route of the Central Railway and caused delay for some trains, they said.

“The fire in the parcel van of the train was noticed around 8.43 am, soon after the train that runs between Shalimar (West Bengal) and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai pulled into the Nashik Road station’s platform number 3,” said a railway official.

The local fire brigade was immediately alerted, but before the arrival of the firefighters, the railway staff tried to douse the blaze with fire extinguishers. The fire

10 shops gutted on Fashion Street; no injuries reported

Firefighters douse a fire at Fashion Street in Mumbai on Saturday.

—PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Luggage compartment, which was next to the engine, was detached from the train. —PHOTO BY ANI

Mumbai (PTI): At least 10 shops located on the Fashion Street, a roadside apparel market in south Mumbai, were gutted in a fire on Saturday afternoon.

Nobody was injured in the incident, said a civic official.

The fire broke out in one of the shops on the Fashion Street near Churchgate at around 1 pm, and soon spread

to some of its adjoining stores.

“After the fire brigade was alerted about the incident, six fire engines were rushed to the spot,” the official said, adding that the blaze was extinguished in around 15 minutes. The cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained.

Black smoke rising high up in the sky was visible from afar.

was brought under control at around 9.30 am and completely put off after some time, he said.

Three fire tenders of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) were pressed into service to douse the flames.

“As a precautionary measure, the electricity supply in the overhead wire was immediately shut, due to which the

movement of other trains running in the section was affected,” said the official.

The parcel van was stored only with luggage and nobody was travelling in it, he added.

“All passengers on board the train are safe,” said Shivaji Sutar, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Central Railway.

The cause of the fire is

yet to be ascertained, he said, adding that the train proceeded on its journey to Mumbai at 11.57 am.

The Shalimar Express was already running more than eight hours behind its schedule and the fire incident caused further delay. Some other trains on the route also got delayed due to it, said railway officials.

Civic body starts resurfacing work on 18 roads in Mum

Tiger mauls elderly man in Chandrapur

BMC yet to complete audit of `1,000 crore nCoV works

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Chandrapur: A 75-yearold man was mauled to death by a tiger in the forest of the state’s Chandrapur district on Saturday, said a forest official.

The incident took place in north forest range of Bramhapuri division, some 128km from the district headquarters.

Jagan Panse, a resident of Lakhapur village, had ventured into the forest to collect firewood on Friday and failed to return home, he said.

Panse’s body was found in the forest this morning. The body was sent to a hospital for post-mortem, said the official.

An initial compensation of Rs20,000 has been given to the family of the deceased man.

According to officials, two persons have been killed in man-animal conflicts in the area in the last one month.

A woman was killed by a tiger in Torgaon (Buj) village under North Bramhapuri Forest Range on Thursday.

Mumbai: After almost a year since Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) then standing committee ordered a special review of 150 COVIDrelated projects, its chief auditor is yet to finish the audit.

This comes at a time when the state government has asked national auditor CAG to probe civic proposals worth Rs12,000 crore on suspicion of corruption by the previous administration. “We are working on that. Audit work is going on,” said Municipal Chief Auditor Sitaram Kale.

After Opposition members raised questions over expenditure in projects related to COVID-19, the then Standing Committee Chairman Yashwant Jadhav had on December 23, 2021, ordered an audit of proposals.

Sources said most purchases and tender work during the pandemic had been done by the BMC’s Central Purchase Department. “A 12-member team of the

BMC has started road work with verbal permission as written NOCs will take another 1-2 days. —FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau Mumbai: After receiving verbal approval from the traffic police, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken up the work to resurface 18 of the 449 bad roads in the city.

According to civic officials, it would take another day or two to get the written permissions, which are a must for road works.

“All the main roads have already been converted into cement concrete. These are small internal roads which need resurfacing as they developed potholes

during monsoon,” said an official from BMC’s road department.

He added that the process to get written permission from the traffic police would take another one or two days. “As we got verbal go-ahead from the traffic police, we started preparation for resurfacing. The work of other roads will start next week,” he said.

“Of the 18 roads which were taken up on Friday, three are in south Mumbai, one is in eastern suburbs and the remaining 14 are in western suburbs,” said Deputy BMC Commissioner Ulhas Mahale.

First India Bureau Mumbai: The Mumbai Taxi Union has written to the city’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), requesting to extend the time limit to wear seat belts till December 31, 2022.

The taxi union has welcomed the seat belt rule, as cops clarify that passengers are to be fined not drivers.

In the letter the union leader, AL Quadros has stated, “Many taxi operators have removed the seat belts. The seat belts are not available in the market and we have requested the car manufacturers to supply the seat belts.”

On November 01, the first day of the newly-made seat belt amendment, a total of 204 e-challans were issued by the Mumbai Traffic Police.

While the provision of wearing seat belts for

The taxi union has welcomed the seat belt rule, as cops clarify that passengers are to be fined not drivers everyone in a vehicle still stands strong, Mumbai Police has postponed its drive against those not wearing seat belts inside the car as of now.

The Traffic Police on Tuesday provided a breather for people for the next 10 days, in order to make them more aware and gear up for the enforcement of the rule.

CRUCIAL READ MAN ARRESTED FOR BLUDGEONING 24-YR-OLD TO DEATH

CIVIC BODY OFFICIAL BOOKED FOR TAKING `50 LAKH BRIBE

Mumbai: A 24-yearold man was allegedly attacked and bludgeoned to death with a cement block during a scuffle in the Worli area. The incident took place on the eighth floor of a building at Dr Annie Besant Road in Worli on Thursday morning. The victim Deepak Shashlal Yadav was involved in a scuffle with the 18-year-old accused, over some minor issue, police said on Saturday.

Mumbai: A 57-year-old employee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of Rs50 lakh to stop action against a company for illegal construction in the western suburb of Andheri. A team from the Anti-Corruption Bureau caught an executive engineer posted at the BMC’s K-east ward while accepting the bribe amount at his office on Friday, an official said on Saturday.

Over 15,518 swab samples tested in state in the last 24 hours.

TWO BOOKED FOR STEALING MOBILE PHONES

MUMBAI SEES 40% RISE IN CASES; ACTIVE TALLY FALLS BELOW 500-MARK Mumbai (PTI): Mumbai on Saturday reported 66 COVID-19 cases, even as Maharashtra recorded 219 new cases and three fatalities, taking the tally of infections to 81,33,173 and toll to 1,48,394, said an official from the state health department. The addition to Mumbai’s tally was 40% higher than the 47 cases detected on Friday, said a audit department is on the job. Work is underway to gather more information about all these proposals,” said a source.

Between April and December 2021, the BMC

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official. The recovery count increased by 132 in the last 24 hours and reached 11,34,119, which brought the active caseload below the 500mark at 482, he said.

Meanwhile, the state witnessed a slight dip in the daily cases, as it had reported 230 infections on Friday. used its special powers to spend around Rs2,500 crore to tackle COVID-19. In such cases, the administration does not need to take approval from the standing committee.

Latur: Two people have been arrested for allegedly stealing a mobile phone from a school boy in Latur city, police said on Saturday. Based on a complaint, the police on Thursday arrested Pawan Siddheshwar Kamble (23) and Vishal Gautam Jogdand (19) for allegedly accosting a boy near a school and snatching his mobile phone, an official said. A case under section 392 (robbery) of the IPC has been registered at Shivaji Nagar police station. The police have recovered the mobile phone and a motorcycle worth Rs62,000 from the duo.

MAN ARRESTED FOR KILLING PERSON WHO INTERVENED IN FIGHT

GANG INVOLVED IN HOUSE-BREAKING BUSTED IN LATUR

Thane: One person was arrested for allegedly killing a man who intervened to break up a fight in Thane district. The accused and one more person were fighting in a room in a slum colony in Kalwa on Friday afternoon, and victim Omprakash Tiwari (42) was stabbed when he intervened, Inspector YJ Shirsat said on Saturday. He has been charged for murder and attempt to murder as well as other offences.

Latur: A gang allegedly involved in several house-breaking thefts was busted in Latur in Maharashtra, and gold and silver ornaments worth Rs2.68 lakh were recovered. The three accused were held from Sugav village in Chakur tehsil after Crime Branch teams were formed to solve HBT cases. A hunt is on for more members of the gang by teams from Shivaji Nagar and MIDC police stations.

BIG CLEAN-UP

Mumbai discards 15-20% more waste during this festive season lll

On the first day of the Diwali season this year, more than 1,300MT of additional waste was collected in the city

First India Bureau Mumbai: In India, spring cleaning happens in monsoon and autumn—what with a slew of festivals, people start cleaning houses, as per tradition.

As a result, waste disposal in Mumbai during this festive season, increased by 1520% this year.

“People clean their house days before Diwali, and usually throw

—FILE PHOTO

Mumbai on average generates about 6,250MT of waste daily.

away things such as broken shoes, torn clothes and old furniture. So, we see an increase in the daily

waste in this period. If the segregated dry waste is of any use, it can be given to needy people from remote ar-

People clean their house days before Diwali, and usually throw away things like broken shoes, torn clothes and old furniture. So, we see an increase in the daily waste in this period. If the segregated dry waste is of any use, it can be given to needy people from remote areas.

—Official of Solid Waste Management Department eas. Some of the wards had also initiated a campaign called ‘Swachhta Rath’ during Diwali. In this cam-

paign, vehicles from our department visited the wards and collected discarded items,” said an official from the Sol-

id Waste Management Department.

On the first day of the Diwali season this year, more than 1,300MT of additional waste was collected in the city.

“A large number of firecrackers were also burnt in the city during Diwali week. But that waste is minimal, so it did not need to be dumped separately,” he added.

On average, the city generates about 6,250MT of waste daily.

However, from October 21-26, the daily waste collection increased by 400-1,320MT. On the three days of Diwali, the city generated an average of 7,200 metric tonnes of waste, even though, since 2017, the overall garbage in the city has reduced by 3,000-4,000MT. Around 5,500MT of waste is sent to the processing plant at Kanjurmarg, while the rest is dumped at Deonar dumping ground.

PERSPECTIVE MUMBAI | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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Dr Karan Singh: Youngest Minister in Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet in 1967

bridge collapsed, several hundred people were on it.

Why was the contract given to the Oreva Group? It has been revealed that there were serious lapses in the repair work. Material from the collapsed bridge was used for repair work. What was the load capacity of the bridge?

Not more than 125 people. In fact there were 400 to 500 people on the bridge that evening. Apparently the bridge was opened without the obligatory fitness certificate.

There seems no limit to ignoring rules and regulations.

K NATWAR SINGH

The author is Former Minister of External Affairs of India

M

In Sri Lanka President Bandaranaike was killed by a Buddist monk, President Prem Dasa and my friend Gamani Disanayake, a Presidential candidate were blown up by bombs in 1992.

In 1963, President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in Texas. A chilling record. Imran Khan should be careful

y wife’s grandfather, Maharaja Bhupinder Singhji and Dr Karan Singh’s father Maharaja Hari Singhji were close friends. Succeeding generations of the two families have insatiably followed the tradition of cordiality. Dr Karan Singh is a scholar, fluent in Sanskrit and three other languages. He became Sadar-I- Riyasat at the age of 18 and the youngest Central Cabinet Minister in Shrimati Indira Gandhi’s cabinet at 37.

We have known each other for decades. In my view he would have made an ideal Rashtrapati, but fate willed otherwise.

A few days ago a little known Minister of State in Prime Minister Modi’s government made fanciful statement on Nehru’s erroneous role on Kashmir in 1947. The Minister suggested that Nehru refused to accept Maharaja Hari Singh’s wish to accede to India in June 1947 or was it April. Dr Karan Singh, in my judgement should have taken no notice of what the Minister of State said. A day or two later he wrote a somewhat long winded article perhaps provoked by the Minister’s comments, in the Hindustan Times praising his father’s role in the 1947 events in Jammu and Kashmir. With my regard for Karan Singhji I shall refrain from commenting on it.

Two days later the intellectual Jairam Ramesh (Sonia

Dr. Karan Singh is a scholar, fluent in Sanskrit and three other languages. He became Sadar-IRiyasat at the age of 18 and the youngest Central Cabinet Minister in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet at 37. We have known each other for decades. In my view he would have made an ideal Rashtrapati, but fate willed otherwise

Gandhi’s speech writer) produced a rejoinder in the Hindustan Times making not so subtle fun of Maharaja Hari Singh. That should have ended the matter. Unfortunately Karan Singhji commented on Jairam Ramesh’s article. He termed Jairam Ramesh’s remarks as “unacceptable”.

Jairam is a high class intellectual but not yet a national eminence as Dr Karan Singh is. Both should read chapter ten of VP Menon’s “The Story of The Integration of the Indian States” and end the unseemly debate.

HORRENDOUS TRAGEDY IN MORBI On 30th October a horrendous man made tragedy took place in Morbi in Gujarat.

The pedestrian bridge collapsed over the river Mach-

A RAY OF HOPE D IN DELHI’S SMOG

elhi’s air quality remained “severe” for the third straight day on Saturday despite some improvement with an AQI of 431. Noida recorded an AQI of 529 and Gurugram at 478. These are much beyond the permissible limit set by the government and the World Health Organisation and cause respiratory diseases in humans and are also responsible for climate change. These facts are now commonly known. What is also a familiar annual occurrence is the finger-pointing between the Centre and Delhi. Other states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh join in to pronounce the guilty verdict on Arvind Kejriwal. Hardly ever political leaders sat together to discuss and find a

chu. Over 135 people lost their lives, including women and children. The bridge was constructed by a British engineer in 1879. It was under repair for seven months , being made usable four days before the tragedy occurred at 6.30 in the evening on 30.10.2022. The Oreva Group, which renovated the suspension bridge, its big shots are absconding. The Hindustan Times on 1.11.2022 wrote, “…how a company more famous for making watches and clocks than civil engineering was given a contract to renovate the bridge.”

Why was there no crowd control? The local people were complaining that people were entering the bridge with no one to stop them, inspite of the fact that there is a ticketing system to preventing overcrowding. When the

Delhi’s air quality remained “severe” for the third straight day on Saturday despite some improvement with an AQI of 431. Noida recorded an AQI of 529 and Gurugram at 478. These are much beyond the permissible limit set by the government and the WHO and cause respiratory diseases in humans and are also responsible for climate change solution to the problem.

Good sense seems to have dawned on them after they were hit by severe air pollution in Delhi. Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister, justifiably said at a press conference that not only Delhi and

MOHAN KUNDARIYA LOST 12 RELATIVES What does one say to Lok Sabha member from Rajkot, Shri Mohan Kundariya who lost 12 relatives in bridge tragedy. How many tears will he shed and with whom. How long will the enquiry take. It should be time bound. The P.M.O should keep an eye on it. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and among the outstanding cricketer of all time, Imran Khan narrowly escaped being killed by an assassinator earlier in the week. He was leading a huge procession of his enthusiastic followers when he was fired at.

We of the sub continent are not strangers to assassinations. Gandhiji was allergic to security, when Sardar Patel told him that after the failed bomb attack at Birla House on 20th January. Security arrangements were being made at Birla House to protect him.

Gandhiji said, “If you do that I shall leave for Wardha tomorrow”. Ten days after Nathuram Godse shot him.

Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi were both killed by assassins. Both were impatient with security arrangements to protect them. In Pakistan Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951was assassinated, ZA Bhotto was hanged in 1979, President Zia ul Haq was blown up in a plane in 1988. In Bangladesh President Mujibur Rahman and his entire family were killed in 1975, except his daughter, the present Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

In Sri Lanka President Bandaranaike was killed by a Buddhist monk, President Prem Dasa and my friend Gamani Disanayake, a Presidential candidate were blown up by bombs in 1992. In 1963, President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in Texas. A chilling record. Imran Khan should be careful.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

NCR air in several northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh was also unbreathable without the stubble burning and it was time the Central government took the lead in finding measure to solve the problem. “If they say Kejriwal is responsible and we say they are responsible, this will not solve the problem of smog in NCR. Fortunately, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar took the cue and advised all stakeholders to stay away from political debates over stubble burning and have a discussion on how to solve the problem as this is a “collective responsibility of everyone”. Having come this far the Central government must not lose time in addressing the problem.

04

IN-DEPTH

SITHARAMAN SENDS POSITIVE SIGNAL ON CRYPTOCURRENCY

T

he uncertainty surrounding the legality of crypto currency in India is likely to go soon with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman giving crypto regulation top priority before the G20 summit to be helmed by India. The finance minister recently said that global crypto asset regulation should be an international priority.

This is a positive signal but it is the nature of regulations that will decide the future of crypto in the country. Explaining why India does not have crypto-specific legislation, she said that all G20 members and the IMF have to be on board.

El Salvador is the only country where Bitcoin, a crypto, is legal tender while others like Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Spain have proper regulations in place and Bitcoin is allowed in transactions. India, on the other hand, is looking at crypto as an asset and not a currency which comes under the purview of the RBI. Fear of crypto assets’ misuse has been holding back India’s decision.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK Arise, slay thy enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom.

—Bhagavad Gita

TOP TWEETS Nitin Gadkari @nitin_gadkari

Birthday greetings to former captain of the India national cricket team Mr. @imVkohli. I pray for your good health and long life.

Kiren Rijiju @KirenRijiju

Remembering Bharat Ratna Dr #BhupenHazarika on his death anniversary. His contribution in making the first feature film of Arunachal Pradesh will forever remain in our hearts. Nation will remember Bhupen Da for his immense contribution to India’s music industry. l Vol 1 l Issue No. 179 l RNI TITLE NO.

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BATTLEGROUND HIMACHAL PRADESH

SET ‘NAYA RIVAJ’ TO RE-ELECT BJP GOVT IN HIMACHAL: MODI Sundernagar (Agencies): Launching election campaign, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday pleaded electorates in this Himachal Pradesh town with a promise to set ‘naya rivaj’ (new tradition) to re-elect the BJP govt in the state.

Eyeing to woo female voters, who outnumbered male voters in every election, he asked them to visit door to door in this area to convey “my greetings” to them as this time elections are very crucial.

“The people of Himachal are determined to make a strong comeback of the BJP govt. This land of soldiers, this land of brave mothers, when it takes a resolution, it only shows it by proving it,” said Modi, who wore a Himachali cap, in his address in this town in Mandi — home district of CM Jai Ram Thakur.

Modi was extended rousing reception by party workers and sympathizers, some donning traditional dresses. PM Modi said this time Himachal’s election is special. “This time, one vote each, to be held on November 12, will decide the development journey of Himachal for the next 25 years.”

CONG IGNORED HIMACHAL AS IT IS SMALL STATE, MADE FALSE PROMISES: MODI AT MANDI RALLY Sundernagar (PTI): In a scathing attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused it of neglecting Himachal Pradesh as it was a small state that sends only four MPs to Lok Sabha and playing with many lives by indulging in corruption in defence deals. Stressing that every single vote cast on November 12 will define the development journey of the hill state for the Trying to build an emotional bond, Modi said: “I have visited Sundernagar several times before. I have also trekked inaccessible ar-

WON’T QUASH CASE AGAINST MAN IN SEX CRIME CASE: HC

U’KHAND HC STAYS EX-DGP’S ARREST IN LAND GRAB CASE

Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash a case under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against a 44-year-old man from Kasaragod in neighbouring Kerala, who claimed he was a customer in a brothel and should be let off.

Dehradun (PTI): The High Court here has stayed the arrest of former DGP BS Sidhu in a case in which he is accused of encroaching upon reserve forest land in Mussoorie division and felling more than two dozen trees.During the hearing on Friday, senior judge Justice Sanjay Mishra, however, asked him to cooperate in the investigation.

BORROWER CAN’T CLAIM EXTENSION OF TIME UNDER OTS SCHEME AS RIGHT: SC

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has said a borrower cannot claim further extension of time as a matter of right for making payment under the one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. The court said the borrower has to establish any right in its favour to claim the extension as a matter of right. It quashed the Punjab & Haryana High Court judgement of March, which had granted further six weeks to a borrower, a company, to make the payment of balance amount with interest to State Bank of India according to the sanctioned letter of OTS .

Lucknow (PTI): A court has framed charges against famous dancer Sapna Choudhary and four other accused in connection with a cheating case. The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shantanu Tyagi has framed charges under section 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code.

Choudhary and other accused were present in the court at the time of hearing.

Mandi (ANI): Stepping into the BJP’s poll campaign in Himachal, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the Congress party and stated that the party has not only been “against national security” but also the development of the country.Addressing the first election rally in Himachal’s Mandi, the Prime Minister raised the issue of defence deals during the Congress regime at the Centre and said that the party always “wanted a commission” in every deal which led to the delay in the procurement of weapons for the armed forces.

Prime Minister Narender Modi with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and BJP candidates being garlanded during the Vijay Sankalp rally at Sunder Nagar, in Mandi on Saturday. —PHOTO BY ANI

IN THE COURTYARD

CHEATING: CHARGES FRAMED AGAINST SAPNA CHOUDHARY

PM ATTACKS CONGRESS IN HIS POLL SPEECH

MLAs’ POACHING: PLEA IN SC SEEKS PROBE BY SIT

New Delhi (PTI): A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct probe into allegations of poaching of MLAs in Telangana and prosecute those involved in it. The plea claimed that “horse trading” is not easy to detect and this has become a serious threat to the basic structure of the democratic country.

Congress never wanted the country to become self-reliant in terms of defence equipment. It wanted a commission in every deal and wanted to fill its own leaders’ treasure. This is why the procurement of weapons was delayed.

next 25 years, Modi, at an election rally here, urged the people to start a new tradition by voting back the BJP into power to ensure stability and progress. With the state having the precedent of the incumbent being voted out, Modi said whenever Congress came back, all development works came to a standstill.

eas of Siraj, Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba and Kangra. The roads here, such a beautiful BBMB lake of Sundernagar, how can anyone forget.”

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

BJP launches ‘agresar Gujarat’ campaign Gandhinagar (Agencies): The BJP on Saturday launched ‘Agresar Gujarat ‘ (leading Gujarat) campaign aimed to strike a chord will people of the state and seek their opinion on points to be included in the party manifesto for the state assembly polls.

People of Gujarat can share their views either by leaving notes in sug-

gestion boxes to be put up in public places, or by messaging on cell number given by the party and sharing their views on the website.

BJP state chief CR Patil said the party will not nominate candidates who are 75 year old or above. It will also not nominate family members of BJP leaders, MLAs, and MPs.

man for advice on if there is a legal solution to their tussle.

Even as the state is passing through one of

Thakur takes dig at Congress over its poll promises Shimla (PTI): Union minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Saturday took a swipe at the Congress over the promises made in its Himachal poll manifesto, claiming no one will take its guarantees seriously as the opposition party itself has “no guarantee”.

Addressing a series of election meetings in the poll-bound state, Thakur reminded the people of various promises made by the Congress in the past, claiming they remained unfulfilled.

In 2003, Thakur said, Congress had made people fill out forms promising employment for one person in each family. “Did you get the job?

Anurag Thakur

No, you did not,” the Union Minister said.

He further said that in 2012 again it promised unemployment allowance, but never delivered. “Neither did they provide jobs nor unemployment allowance,” he said in his public meetings at Chintpurni and Nadaun assembly segments.

Cong releases manifesto for Himachal Pradesh elections

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Congress incharge Rajeev Shukla and Cong state chief Pratibha Singh and others release manifesto, in Shimla, on Saturday.

Shimla (PTI): The Congress on Saturday went all out to make a religious pitch in its poll manifesto in Himachal, rolling out ambitious

promises ranging from a free once-infour-years pilgrimage for all elderly to a dedicated budget for the promotion of religious tourism.

AAP brings cash in chartered flights: Guj Cong

BJP chief Nadda intensifies poll campaign in Himachal

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Congress on Saturday alleged that despite the AAP managing to bring Rs 20 crore into Gujarat through various means, the BJP has maintained a stoic silence. The Congress said whenever AAP leaders land in chartered flights, they carry huge cash with them to meet the election expenses.

Shimla (ANI): Ahead of Assembly Elections in the state, BJP president JP Nadda held a road show in Shimla.

As per the visuals, he was welcomed by hundreds of BJP workers.

“Mitti Ka Haq Ada Karna Hoga,” (People of the state have to pay back to their land), Nadda had said earlier during this week.

The BJP chief was addressing a public rally at Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the state polls.

Hitting out at former Prime Ministers, Nadda said, “It has been 75 years of independence.

Who used to care about us? At that time, Prime Minister used to come here for political tourism in the summer season- never caring about or worrying about the state.”

Kerala CM to legal route to take on Guv Thiruvananthapuram (Agencies): With the battle lines drawn between Kerala Governor Arif Mohd Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the former showing no signs of backing down, CM Vijayan has now approached the best legal brains in the country including Fali S Nari-

05

its worst-ever financial crisis, a sum of Rs 46.90 lakh has been sanctioned for Nariman and his team.

The Government Order, that has now found its way to the public domain, says this is the professional fee for providing written legal opinion with regards to Kerala legislative bills.

JP Nadda during a public meeting in Bilaspur on Saturday.

PM MODI, KHARGE, OTHERS MOURN DEATH OF INDIA’S FIRST VOTER Shimla (PTI): Three days after casting his vote for the 34th time, India’s first voter Shyam Saran Negi died on Saturday at his home in Kalpa. He was 106. Negi, who was the Election Commission’s brand ambassador, voted for the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls through postal ballot on November 2. His death was condoled by leaders across the spectrum, including PM Narendra Modi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as well as Rahul Gandhi. “I learnt about the death of Shyam Saran Negi when I was leaving from New Delhi in the morning. The 106-year-old had voted more than 30 times in his life,” Modi said at a rally in Sundarnagar in Mandi district.

The BJP and Congress, too, condoled Negi’s death.

MOS DR SINGH IN U’KHAND

‘Need to blend ancient knowledge with science’ Dehradun (PTI): Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday stressed on the modernisation of indigenous texts of ancient knowledge as India seeks to assert its scientific prowess in the world.

Inaugurating the national conference on ‘Akash Tattva Akash for Life’ here, Singh said India’s indigenous knowledge and ancient texts

were ignored as students of science pursued their studies based on texts written by authors of other countries.

“There is a scientific basis to this linking of ancient knowledge with modern science. What India has, others are not aware of it. We are also not aware of what we have because we have been reading their literature,” Singh said

Dr Jitendra Singh delivering keynote address at 4-day National Conference at Uttaranchal University, in Dehradun on Saturday.

at the conference where former RSS general sec-

retary Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi, Uttarakhand

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, secretaries of science departments of the central government were also present.

“Our textbooks were written by authors of other countries. We did not have the kind of resources and hence could not appreciate our own knowledge,” he said.

PM Narendra Modi has been encouraging all streams of sciences

since he came to power, Singh said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the idea of a series of conferences blending the ancient knowledge of ‘pancha maha bhoota’ or five basic elements of life with modern science was first mooted by Joshi and it was a challenge to ensure that the message did not slip into the realm of superstition.

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06

Inter-state water disputes favour none: Vice Prez Dhankhar VP says natural resources such as water and fuel should not be wasted New Delhi (PTI): The time has come to take proactive steps to resolve all inter-state water disputes as these favour none and are against the interest of the country and people at large, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said

on Saturday.

He also reminded people that natural resources such as water and fuel should not be wasted as the country can ill afford to do so.

Addressing the valedictory function of 7th India Water Week in

Noida, Dhankhar stressed the need to rejuvenate water bodies.

“In the true spirit of federalism, the time has come now that we take proactive initiatives to resolve inter-state water disputes,” he said underling that these disputes are “in favour of none” and go against the interest of the country and people at large.

The water disputes between states in the country are settled under the provisions of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956, under which the Centre sets up a tribunal which hears the various sides before adjudicating the matter.

He said a country’s economic strength cannot be correlated to the consumption of natural

Vice Preisdent Jagdeep Dhankhar

AFTER MURDER OF HINDU LEADER IN AMRITSAR

PUNJAB COPS TIGHTEN SECURITY Security outside the hospital also tightened hours before the post-mortem of Sudhir Suri Amritsar (ANI): The dead body of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri, who was shot dead by an assailant on Friday, has been brought to the Post mortem unit Majitha Road here.

The security outside the post-mortem unit has also been tightened, hours before the conduct of his post-mortem. On Friday, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that all angles and conspiracies into the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar will be investigated thoroughly.

Sudhir Suri was shot dead on Friday outside Gopal Mandir on Majitha Road, one of the busiest places in the city, where he and some oth-

FORMER CM AMARINDER SINGH WARNS OF RETURN OF DARK DAYS OF 1980S

Police personnel at the site after Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri was shot dead in Amritsar; (Inset) deceased Sudhir Suri.

er leaders of the party were holding a protest.

He was then taken to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

The Punjab DGP further said that they have arrested the person accused in the matter and have booked a case of murder under section 302 of the IPC.

CRUCIAL READ NAVY CHIEF BEGINS 5-DAY VISIT TO JAPAN

New Delhi (PTI): Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Saturday began a five-day visit to Japan to attend the International Fleet Review, the inaugural ceremony of the Malabar exercise and hold talks to further expand bilateral maritime ties. The Indian Navy’s two frontline warships, Shivalik and Kamorta, have already arrived in Yokosuka to participate in the IFR to be held at Sagami Bay on Sunday.

7 WOMEN DEAD IN KARNATAKA ROAD ACCIDENT

Bidar (Agencies): Seven women were killed and 11 people injured in a road accident on Saturday in Bidar district. The accident took place in Bemalkheda village when an auto carrying the victims collided with a truck.

The deceased were included Parvathi (40), Prabhavathi (36), Gundamma (60), Yadamma (40), Jaggamma (34), Easwaramma (55) and Rukmini Bai (60).

5 INDIAN-AMERICAN POLITICIANS IN RACE FOR US CONG IN MIDTERM POLLS

Washington (PTI): Five prominent Indian-American politicians are in the race for the US House of Representatives when the country goes for its midterm polls on November 8. If the pollsters and opinions of political pundits are to be believed, Indian-American candidates are likely to have a 100 per cent strike rate for the House of Representatives. The four incumbents – Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal - are likely to be re-elected. All four are from the Democratic Party.

SIM IN QURAN: FIR PAK YOUTH HELD IN GUJARAT WHILE AGAINST JAIL TRYING TO ELOPE INMATE’S KIN Palanpur (Agencies): The Railway police here have arrested a Pakistani youth from a station while trying to elope with a girl from Kutch. Head constable Ashokbhai Aal and his team were patrolling at the Bhildi railway station when they spotted the couple. Upon inquiring, the police found that the youth, identified as Prabhuram Desai, 24, was holding a Pakistani passport.

Thrissur (Agencies): The local police have registered a case against relatives of a PFI activist, presently lodged in Viyuur jail in Thrissur district, for smuggling in a sim card hidden in Quran. The incident occurred on October 31, when the father of TN Sainuddin, who was arrested by the police after the swoop down on PFI leaders began after it was banned last month.

“It is an unfortunate incident and we condemn it strongly. I have come to review the situation on the spot where the unfortunate incident happened. The assailant has been arrested on the spot and an FIR under Section 302 has been against the accused,” said DGP Yadav.

Chandigarh (PTI): Former CM Amarinder Singh on Saturday warned against the return of the dark era of 1980s in Punjab, saying “the way things are unfolding in the state today is quite worrisome” and cautioned the AAP government against any “laxity”. He also condemned the “complete failure” on the part of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state, claiming that it has not taken any action so far even after 24 hours of murder of the Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar on Friday. Suri (58) was shot dead in broad daylight while taking part in a protest.

SECURITY BEEFED UP IN LUDHIANA TOO AFTER SHIV SENA LEADER’S MURDER Ludhiana (ANI): Security has been tightened in Punjab’s Ludhiana city after Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri's broad daylight murder in Amritsar on Friday, the police said. Ludhiana police commissioner Dr Kaustubh Sharma said that a strict vigil was being maintained in and around the city to avoid any untoward incident. A strict vigil is being maintained in the busy markets of the city, the Ludhiana police commissioner added.

COURT SENDS SUDHIR SURI MURDER ACCUSED TO 7-DAY POLICE REMAND

Amritsar (PTI): A court here sent the main accused in the murder case of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri to seven-day police remand on Saturday. The accused, Sandeep Singh, 31, was presented before the court amid tight security. Suri was shot dead in broad daylight on Friday while taking part in a protest.

resources such as water, petrol and gas.

“We cannot exploit these resources on the plank that we can afford it,” he said reminding the audience of the Directive Principles of State Policy which state that there should an equitable distribution of natural resources.

Dhankhar said the rejuvenation of water

bodies will be “very impactful”. With a view to conserving water for the future, the prime minister launched ‘Mission Amrit Sarovar’ on April 24 this year. The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country as a part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations.

ED summons to Soren: RJD skips JMM, Cong’s protest Ranchi (PTI): Differences within the ruling UPA in Jharkhand came to the fore on Saturday when its partners JMM and Congress took to the streets here against the ED’s summons to CM Hemant Soren but RJD stayed away. RJD, which has only one member in the state Assembly, said it had not received any official communication on the protest.

“We have not been communicated anything about the protest by our alliance partners. JMM takes its own decisions and executes them with the Congress. Nothing is discussed with us. So, we decided to stay away from the protest,” RJD state chief Sanjay Singh Yadav said.

The ED had sum-

JMM supporters take out a march in Ranchi on Saturday.

moned Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren for questioning on November 3 in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state. Soren, however, skipped summons and went to Chhattisgarh on Thursday to attend a pre-scheduled programme and is stated to have sought three weeks’ time to appear before the central probe agency.

NIA conducts raid at residence of SDPI leader in Karnataka

Rahul booked for unauthorised use of KGF-2 music in Yatra

If I am biggest thug, then Kejri is ‘maha thug’, says Sukesh

Hubballi (ANI): The NIA on Saturday conducted a raid at the residence of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leader Ismail Nalband in Hubballi.

Besides Hubballi, NIA on Saturday conducted searches at several locations in Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru districts and arrested three PFI cadres in connection with the murder of BJP’s Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru.

The arrested accused persons have been identified as K Mahammad Iqbal, K Ismail Shafi and Ibrahim Sha, all having links with the banned Popular Front of India. “The three accused were arrested for their active involvement in the conspiracy hatched to murder Praveen Nettaru,” the NIA said in a statement.

Yashwanthpur police register FIR against Congress leader

New Delhi: Incarcerated conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar has come down heavily on Delhi CM and AAP Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, asking him a series of questions in an open letter.

“If I am the country’s biggest thug on what basis did you accept Rs 50 crore from me and offered me a Rajya Sabha seat,” he asked the Delhi CM in a letter released by him on Friday.

Sukesh said he had also filed a fresh complaint with the Delhi Lt Guv against Kejriwal, AAP leaders Kailash Gehlot and Satyendra Jain.

Through his letter, he asked Kejriwal a series of questions. “In 2016, Kejriwal Ji, why did you force me to bring 20 to 30 more individuals to contribute Rs 500 crores in cash to the party in return for seats.

Bengaluru (PTI): A case has been registered against three senior Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi for alleged unauthorised usage of the music from the blockbuster Kannada film ‘KGF-2’ during the party's ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

The FIR was registered in the Yashwanthpur police station on Friday under the provisions of Copyright Act, the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code against Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and Supriya for using KGF-2 music for the ongoing Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi on

NH CASE: FRESH ED SUMMONS TO DK SHIVAKUMAR

Rahul Gandhi during ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Jogipet, Telangana.

“I AM OCCUPIED...” SAYS DK SHIVAKUMAR AFTER ED ISSUES FRESH SUMMONS Bengaluru (ANI): After the Enforcement Directorate issued a fresh summons to Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar asking him to appear before it on November 7 in connection with the ongoing money laundering case, the latter said that he was occupied with party National President’s programme on that day.

a complaint lodged by M Naveen Kumar, who manages MRT music.

The complainant al-

leged that Jairam Ramesh had on his official twitter handle posted two videos of the

New Delhi (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to Karnakata Congress state president DK Shivakumar in connection with the ongoing money laundering case, sources said. The investigative agency summoned the Congress veteran to appear before the agency on November 7. The senior Congress leader has been asked to appear at the Delhi headquarters of the federal agency, which conducts probes into financial crimes. yatra, in which popular songs from KGF-2 film were used without permission.

MANY MILES TO GO

Lot more needs to be learnt: Vaishnaw on bullet trains Varanasi (ANI): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said while the country has made significant progress in bringing bullet trains to the country, a lot more needs to be learnt before the new technology is implemented in the country.

The railway minister said, “A lot needs to be learnt upon initiating a new project with new

technology. Everyone is absorbing the system and learning from it.”

Vaishnaw added that once further progress is made in the country’s very own bullet train project, newer corridors will be announced.

“Once there is further development in the project, new corridors across the country will be taken up.”

While work is ongo-

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during his visit to inspect Kashi railway station in Varanasi, on Saturday. —PHOTO BY PTI

ing on the MumbaiAhmedabad high-speed rail or bullet train project, a raft of ‘Vande Bharat’ trains are already in service in multiple corridors. The fourth ‘Vande Bharat’ train, which is to connect Una in Himachal Pradesh to Chandigarh and Delhi was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October this year.

For the MumbaiAhmedabad high-speed Rail corridor, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) recently invited bids for the tunnelling work for 21 km (approx) long tunnel including a 7-km undersea tunnel using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM).

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

Commodity

Price

Change

% Chg

Currency

Price

Change

% Chg

GOLD

50,869.00

604.00

1.18 (Per 10g)

USDINR

82.35

0.53

0.64

SILVER

59,477.00

2061.00

3.46 (Per 1kg)

GBPINR

92.57

0.71

0.76

*Rates till the edition went to print.

MUMBAI | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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business BRIEFS

GOVT ALLOWS SUGAR EXPORTS OF 6 MILLION TONNES

New Delhi: The government on Saturday allowed export of 6 million tonnes of sugar on quota basis till May 31, according to a food ministry notification.

As per the notification, the ministry has allocated a uniform export quota of 18.23 per cent of the three years average production of the sweetener in operational sugar seasons. Sugar mills can export themselves or through exporters or swap with domestic sale quota of any other mills, it said. Sugar season runs from October to September.

—PTI

CEMENT COMPANIES MULL PRICE HIKE OF ` 10-30/BAG

Chennai: Cement companies are planning to hike the price between Rs 10 and Rs 30 per bag in November after a increase of about Rs 3-4/bag last month, said Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd. Emkay in a report said the average pan-India cement price increase was about Rs.3-4/bag in Oct 2022.

On a month-on-month basis, prices rose by 2-3% in the East and South, and 1% in the West; while declining 1-2% in the northern and central regions, the report said.

—PTI

AMD TO PUSH LIMITS OF GAMING INNOVATION: CEO

Las Vegas: As mobile and PC gaming explodes globally including in India, chip-makers have a daunting task at hand and according to AMD CEO Lisa Su, the company is building next-generation hardware that will meet the high-end gaming demand.

The goal, she said, is to push the limits of gaming innovation. Towards this goal, graphics chip giant AMD has introduced new graphics cards that are built on the high-performance and energy-efficient RDNA 3 architecture for a high-end gaming experience. “RDNA 3 enables the first chiplets gaming GPU,” Su told said. —PTI

TATA MOTORS TO HIKE PRICES OF PASSENGER VEHICLES

New Delhi: Auto giant Tata Motors has said that it will marginally hike the prices across its passenger vehicles from November 7. In July, the auto major had announced a marginal price hike of 0.55 per cent for its PV range. A few changes were made in January and April 2022. ”Effective November 7, 2022, the weighted average increase will be 0.9 per cent, depending on the variant and model,” the company said in a statement. —PTI

‘Promote startups in technical textiles’ New Delhi (ANI): With an aim to boost the technical textiles and bring the same into the mainstream, Union minister of commerce, industry, and textiles Piyush Goyal, said startups and young scientists working in such niche fields must be encouraged.

He made this remark during a review meeting of Textile Research Associations (TRA) earlier this week on November 3, an official statement from the Ministry of Textiles said quoting the minister.

At the review meeting, Union Minister Goyal asked Textile Research Associations (TRA) to submit proposals to the Ministry for any support they require to reach world-class levels of robust state-of-theart labs, and modern machinery, amongst others.

The Minister added that the Bureau of Indian Standards could provide necessary support in modernizing the labs of TRAs. In accordance with the vision to foster innovation and drive science-centric sustainable growth, he suggested creating a special fund to increase the number of scientists in TRAs, the statement said. Pointing out the need to assess

Union minister of commerce, industry, and textiles Piyush Goyal.

INDIA FACES GLOBAL SHOCKS WITH BETTER BALANCE SHEETS, SAYS CEA NAGESWARAN New Delhi (PTI): India is encountering global shocks with a position of strength backed by far better household, corporate and financial sector balance sheets and its medium term growth outlook is good, said Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran. “Overall, all things considered, including the risk of oil price, I do believe that the external situation will be manageable, of course with some anxious moments to come,” he said while speaking at an event organised by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) here. He further said that given all the short-term unknowns, it was better to focus on mediumterm prospects and what lies ahead of the country in the next six years until 2030. “The medium-term growth outlook is actually constructive very simply because we have paid our growth dues last decade and that was because we had to undergo balance sheet repair in the financial and non-financial sector,” he added.

the projects till their lastmile success, he added that the projects might be sanctioned accordingly to make them commercially viable.

Moreover, he noted that for medical textiles the re-

OTHER STORIES CCPA LEVIES ` ONE LAKH FINE ON CLOUDTAIL FOR SELLING PRESSURE COOKERS ON AMAZON

New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Saturday said it has levied a Rs 1 lakh fine on Cloudtail India as it was selling pressure cookers on Amazon by violating the mandatory BIS standards. The CCPA has told Cloudtail to recall 1,033 pressure cookers and reimburse customers the money as well. As per statement, CCPA head Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare has passed an order against Cloudtail India Pvt Ltd for “violation of consumer rights and unfair trade practice” by selling domestic pressure cookers in violation of mandatory standards. The standards are prescribed as per Domestic Pressure Cooker (Quality Control) Order, 2020.

—PTI

RENAULT MAY TARGET $10 BILLION VALUATION FOR ITS EV BUSINESS

New Delhi: Renault SA is aiming for a roughly Rs 10 billion ($10 billion) valuation for the electric-vehicle business the French carmaker is carving out as a standalone entity. The company is preparing the EV and software entity for a potential initial public offering on the Euronext Paris exchange sometime next year, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information is private and plans could still change.

—PTI

KERALA IS FIRST STATE TO LAUNCH ‘ONE INDIA ONE GOLD RATE’ POLICY

Kozhikode: Kerala becomes the first state in India to launch uniform gold prices based on the bank rate.

The decision to introduce a uniform price on 916 purity 22-carat gold has been taken at a meeting between officials of Malabar Gold and Diamonds, one of the largest gold and diamond retail chains in the country, and key members of All Kerala Gold and Silver Merchants Association which sets the board rate for gold. —PTI

NIIT acquires USbased St. Charles Consulting Group for $23.4 million New Delhi (Agencies): Global skills and talent development corporation NIIT Ltd on Saturday announced it has acquired USbased St. Charles Consulting Group for $23.4 million.

Headquartered in St. Charles, Illinois, St. Charles Consulting Group is a leading provider of consulting, design, and implementation solutions for strategic learning programmes to professional services firms and Fortune 500 companies.

The acquisition will help NIIT add significant presence in the professional services and management consulting sectors while strengthening its growing learning consulting practice. “St Charles Consulting Group brings deep expertise and experience in building strategic learning programs which are in high demand across our customer base,” said Sapnesh Lalla, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, NIIT Limited.

search is incomplete without clinical trials, therefore the costs associated with clinical trials may also be taken into account while recommending future projects in technical textiles.

Elon Musk, has completed his $44bn (£38.1bn) takeover of Twitter, according to a filing with the US government.

Twitter sacks ‘roughly 50%’ of staff as Musk launches overhaul San Francisco (Agencies): Twitter sacked half of its 7,500-strong staff on Friday as new owner Elon Musk launched his major overhaul of the troubled company just a week after his blockbuster takeover.

An internal document seen by AFP said “roughly 50 percent” of employees were impacted and would be denied access to company computers and email on an immediate basis.

Workers around the world were shown the door and took to Twitter to vent their frustration or disbelief and say goodbye to one of Silicon Valley’s most iconic companies.

“Woke up to the news that my time working at Twitter has come to an end.

I am heartbroken. I am in denial,” said Michele Aus-

Haryana CM inaugurates road projects worth ` 141crore Gurugram: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday dedicated two projects — a newly constructed flyover at Basai Chowk and the Mahavir Chowk underpass built near the main bus stand in Gurugram — at a cost of Rs 141 crore.

“After coming to power in 2014, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) was formed to expand the development and related schemes in the city so that development plans are made here only. The development of Gurugram has gained momentum with the formation of GMDA,” Khattar said.

Referring to other major projects being implemented through GMDA, Haryana Chief Minister Khattar said that the construction

07

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurates the newly constructed Basai Chowk flyover, in Gurugram on Saturday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

SOME OTHER DECLARATIONS z The CM also mentioned the projects of road infrastructure and metro expansion and said that the metro line expansion connecting the Palam Vihar area to Dwarka Sector-21 of Delhi has also been approved

of multi-speciality Sheetla Mata Medical College and Hospital with a capacity of

z The Southern Peripheral Road from Faridabad to the Delhi-Jaipur Highway is being strengthened and 8 flyovers will be constructed, he said

FOUNDER APOLOGISES z Twitter founder Jack Dorsey

apologised on Twitter to all the employees of the company, following the major layoff

z Twitter staff have been using

the platform to talk about their dismissal

tin, Twitter’s director of public policy for the United States and Canada.

“Regarding Twitter’s reduction in force, unfortunately there is no choice when the company is losing over $4M/day,” Musk tweeted Friday evening in his first comment on the subject, 24 hours after the company’s initial email notifying employees of forthcoming layoffs.

Power Grid Corp net profit up over 8% in Q2 New Delhi: State-owned Power Grid Corporation on Saturday posted over eight per cent rise in consolidated net profit at `3,650.16 crore in the September quarter of FY23, mainly on the back of higher revenues.

The consolidated net profit of the company was ` 3,376.38 crore in the quarter ended on September 30, a BSE filing showed.

The total income of the company rose to `11,349.44 crore in the quarter from `10,514.74 crore in the same period a year ago.

z The construction of multi-speciality Sheetla Mata Medical College and Hospital is underway at a cost of `542 cr

650 beds is underway in Sector-102 at a cost of about Rs 542 crore.

SBI’s loan growth stays PNB INTRODUCES DIGITAL MEASURES robust after record profit STRENGTHENING VIGILANCE MANAGEMENT

New Delhi (ANI): Punjab National Bank, nation’s leading public sector bank, is proud to announce its latest measures to strengthen vigilance management at the organization and promote a culture of honesty amongst its staff members. This initiative is a part of Vigilance Awareness Week, being observed at PNB from October 31 to November 6, in line with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) directives.

CVC, (Central Vigilance Commissioner) Suresh N Patel congratulated PNB for taking several digital

PNB VIGILANCE MANUAL 2022

The new initiatives were inaugurated during a formal ceremony at PNB’s Corporate Office in Dwarka, New Delhi.

initiatives for fighting corruption and increasing efficiency. Vijay Kumar Tyagi, CVO, stressed that all the new initiatives will help PNB to strengthen its efficiency and build an even more transparent and honest ecosystem.

Vigilance dashboard It is developed to empower dealing officers with decision-making and focused analysis of staff accountability in an efficient manner. Hard tasks have now been simplified by automated data presentation.

The latest version of the vigilance manual book is expected to serve as a useful tool to enhance the quality of good vigilance administration/governance in the bank. The advanced manual introduces e- vigilance, consists of updated Guidelines and Circulars issued by the bank, and carries adequate information.

A PORTAL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

It is a portal for an end-to-end staff accountability process with a focus on turn-around-time (TAT) reduction. The digitized process will help to systemize accountability and ownership at all levels.

Mumbai: State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, expects credit growth to remain in double-digits while it steps up efforts to attract more deposits, where it sees growth in line with the sector.

The bank reported a 74% surge in quarterly net profit on Saturday, driven by higher loan growth and improving asset quality. Net profit rose to a record 132.64 billion Indian rupees($1.62 billion) in June-September, beating analysts’ forecast of 105.30 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Net interest income,

DEMAND FROM MANY SECTORS

z The bank has a term loan

pipeline of 2.4 trillion rupees as it sees demand coming in from sectors such as infrastructure, renewables and services.

the difference between interest earnedand paid out, rose 13% to 3 51.82 billion rupees. Advances grew 18.15%, while deposits rose 9.99%. “We should have credit growth of 14-16% in the current financial year,” chief Dinesh Kumar Khara said in a press briefing.

To be truly positive in life, we must learn to constructively deal with negative situations while keeping our focus on the positive.

—Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India

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2ND FRONT MUMBAI | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

08

MAHARASHTRA GEARS UP FOR ‘BHARAT JODO YATRA’ Mirch Masala

Congress national leader Rahul Gandhi to address rallies on Nov 10 and 18

FIRST INDIA SUNDAY SPECIAL

BY TRIDIB RAMAN

The author is a journalist and political commentator and views expressed are his personal

WHY DID CONGRESS PUT ALL ITS MIGHT INTO ADAMPUR ASSEMBLY SEAT?

he Adampur assembly seat in Haryana has been ocTin 1996, cupied by Bhajan Lal’s family since 1968. Only once it slipped out of their hands. Bhajan Lal's son

Kuldeep Bishnoi was MLA from here, he left his seat when he joined BJP after being miffed with Congress, and by-polls were held here, where, Kuldeep's son Bhavya Bishnoi was in fray for a BJP ticket, where he faced a tough contest from Cong's Jaiprakash. Congress, excited by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, appeared united here for the first time. Deepender Hooda was also camping here. Dushyant Chautala of JJP too wanted Bhavya's defeat. Even BJP was halfheartedly campaigning for Bhavya. Both parties had their claims regarding 75% voter turnout. But BJP's LS MP from Hisar, Brijendra Singh, a former IAS officer of Assam cadre, is son of senior Haryana leader & ex- Union Minister Virendra Singh. BJP had promised Kuldeep Bishnoi that it will let him contest 24th LS polls from Hisar, so the biggest reason for Brijendra's displeasure was that his supporters didn’t go for Bhavya's campaign. The most surprising thing is that even late Sonali Phogat’s family didn’t come out in Bhavya’s support. So will Bhavya be able to keep family's fort safe by fighting so many contradictions, is a million dollar question?

IS SOREN PREPARING TO DISSOLVE THE JHARKHAND GOVT FOR EARLY POLLS? ike the 'Thriller Series' of OTT, 'Season Three' Lconducted has arrived in Jharkhand too wherein, IT has raids against two Congress MLAs

Anoop Singh & Pradeep Yadav this past Friday.

Pradeep Yadav is one of the formidable rivals of Godda's BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who has twice lost election by contesting against him. As there is no place for him in BJP, so joining Congress is a compulsion for him.

Anoop Singh has filed a case saying that BJP is 'investing money' to buy Congress MLAs. Two bizmen Amit Aggarwal & Vipul Agarwal, who are close to CM, also witnessed an IT raid on Friday. J’khand Guv Ramesh Bains in Raipur said that an 'atom bomb' could explode in Jharkhand govt. It is being deduced that Hemant Soren's membership to State Assembly may be cancelled, that’s why he is constantly challenging ED, he is preparing to convene a special Assembly session on 9th. Though 2 years left for polls in J’khand, observers claim that Soren may dissolve the Assembly & go to the polls.

WILL PRIYANKA’S NEW STRATEGY WORK IN HIMACHAL?

or Congress leader Ftime’s Priyanka Gandhi, this Himachal Pradesh

assembly election is like a ‘litmus test’. And for this purpose, she has put all her strength in Himachal. Priyanka has handed over the command of Himachal to her most special loyalist, Rajiv Shukla. Moreover, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is the Senior Observer of the hill state, along with Sachin Pilot and Pratap Bajwa, who have been given the responsibility of Poll Observers. In the last election, the Congress had to be satisfied with only 19 out of 68 seats here against 44 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party. In fact, it is said that Congress’ aggressive campaign in the State, may provide it an edge as the youth seems to be getting swayed in the party’s favour, however, not completely as yet.

So, all eyes are glued on Himachal now, not only to find out who finally wins, but also to find out, if Priyanka’s efforts have been fruitful in the hill state, the answer to which can be found only on December 8, 2022, when the results for Himachal Pradesh elections will be announced.

WHY IS DELHI FAR AWAY FOR SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN?

ven though Delhi may be far away for Madhya Pradesh, the fame Ebillboards of its illustrious CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is reflected in or hoardings in Delhi, wherein, his govt’s feats have been enumerated. Even though Shivraj has now failed to make his place among the leaders of the second line after Modi (in the line of Shah, Yogi), he hasn’t lost courage. So, these days, the responsibility to provide a new sky to his ambitious political flight has been taken up by his niece Ritu Chauhan’s husband, the 2010 cadre IPS officer, Ashutosh Pratap Singh. He often visits Delhi & invites journalists l for lunch & dinner to create a favourable atmosphere for Shivraj. As the age old adage goes, “Jo Khaenge, Wo Gaenge.”

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address two rallies in Maharashtra— on November 10 and 18—as part of the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ that will arrive in the state on Monday, said a senior party leader on Saturday.

The yatra that began on September 07 from Kanyakumari, is scheduled to reach Madnur Naka at Deglur in the state’s Nanded district from neighbouring state Telangana at 7 pm on November 07.

“Rahul Gandhi will address two rallies during the yatra in Maharashtra. He will address the first rally on November 10 in Nanded district, while the second one will be held on November 18 at Shegaon in Buldhana district,” said senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, who is the state coordinator for the yatra.

THE SCHEDULE

The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, led by Gandhi, will enter Maharashtra’s Nanded district from Telangana on November 07 at 7 pm.

—FILE PHOTO

The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, the Congress’s mass contact initiative, will traverse through 15 Assembly and six Parliamentary constituencies in the state during its 14-day sojourn. It will cover a distance of 382 km across five districts before entering Madhya Pradesh on November 20.

After its arrival in Nanded on Monday

PMC demolishes several rooftop restaurants in Baner-Balewadi area Pune: Several rooftop eateries in the BanerBalewadi area were recently demolished by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) as part of its anti-encroachments drive against illegal buildings in the city.

According to civic officials, a total area of over 6,400 sq ft has been demolished by the PMC in its latest antiencroachment drive.

Illegal constructions at Hotel Vintage, 7 Rooftop Hotel, Hotel Basuri, Hotel Soya Affairs and Hotel Rustle Nest were brought down by the Building Permission Department of the PMC. Speaking to the media, a senior official at the PMC said, “We have been conducting surveys and demolitions of illegal structures in the city. It is a regular

Previous witness too had said he was unable to recall testimony given to Maharashtra ATS New Delhi: With one more witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case turning hostile on Saturday, the total number of such testifiers reached 28.

Six people were killed and over 100 others injured when a motorcy-

The witness was to testify on involvement of Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, one of the accused in the case. —FILE PHOTO

was to depose about the roles of co-accused Lieutenant Colonel

Sharad Pawar is also likely to take part in the foot-march on November 09.

The state Congress leadership plans to highlight the participation of the NCP and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in the yatra as a show of solidarity of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KOHLI!

A fire broke out at a rooftop eatery at Lulla Nagar, in Pune on Tuesday. —FILE PHOTO

process. But after the recent fire incidents, we have prioritized illegal rooftop hotels,” More than 85 illegal rooftop restaurants have been identified in the city, many of them will soon be demolished. On November 01, a massive fire broke out on the rooftop of a restaurant named ‘Vegeta’ in the Lulla Nagar area of Pune.

28th witness turns hostile in Malegaon case cle, rigged with explosives, detonated in the state’s Malegaon city on September 29, 2008. The accused were charged with murder, abetment and conspiracy under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. This latest witness, who was declared hostile by the prosecution,

Thorat, who recently visited Nanded district to oversee the preparations for the yatra, said elaborate arrangements have been made in the state for it.

Another Congress leader said, “More than 100 prominent personalities from different walks of life will participate in the yatra.”

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President

First India Bureau

MEMORY FAIL

First India Bureau

evening, the yatra will resume at 6.30 am the next day from Deglur bus stand in the district. It will proceed through Nanded district for four days and enter Hingoli district on November 11, Washim district on November 15, Akola district on November 16 and Buldhana district on November 18, said party sources.

Prasad Purohit and Sudhakar Chaturvedi.

In court, however, the

witness stated he did not remember anything, thus forcing the prosecution to declare him hostile. The previous witness, too, had turned hostile stating the same reason.

The 27th witness for the prosecution in the case, on Thursday, told the special NIA court that he did not remember the statement he had given to the Maharashtra ATS, the previous investigating agency handling the case.

People pose for photographs in front of an art installation of Virat Kohli on his birthday in Mumbai on Saturday. It was created by artists from over 5,000 cricket balls. A man shows off a hairdo commemorating the Indian batsman. —PHOTOS BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE & PTI

NIA files charge sheet against Dawood, 4 others in Mumbai New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday filed a charge sheet against fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, his close aide Chhota Shakeel and three arrested persons in a special court in Mumbai.

The charge sheet was filed in a case related to a global terrorist network and a transnational organized criminal syndicate, namely D-Company, which is

Gangsters accused of unlawful activities, collecting money with intention to trigger criminal acts

involved in various terrorist and criminal activities in India, said a spokesperson of the NIA. “Investigations have established that the accused persons who are members of the D-Company, a terrorist gang and an organized crime syndicate, had conspired to further the criminal activities of the gang by carrying out various types of unlawful activities,” said the spokesperson.

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09

MUMBAI | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

CHECKS IN RADAR! The wintertime favourites are back, and the most well-known of them has returned: with a boom! Checks is that extra “touch” that gives your clothing a timeless appearance without ever feeling dated. City First brings to you glimpses from the timeless fashion of checks!

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR

uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

C

hecks have a much longer history than almost any other type of cloth design. Numerous variations have led to a style that continually renews itself and should therefore not be disregarded in terms of fashion. Although the square pattern is a year-round representative, the cold season is the greatest time to concentrate on it. From bold, huge patterns to subtle checks, the trend is with us from head to toe and is ideal as a winter

and fall fashion. In this manner, you can pull off a London style with Burberry flowing from every pore, portray a stouthearted Scot, or project a fashionable Parisian appearance. Let’s spend a moment introducing you to the world of checks.

Checks are made by weaving a pattern into the fabric using various threads of various colours or compositions. This technique offers countless opportunities for creating various checkered patterns. You are given a tour of the hottest patterns for this season by Fibre Mood.

This check is increasingly being seen on slim jeans, short skirts, or plush Tartan coats like those you’ll find over at Fibre Mood, where it’s known as a Roma jacket or a Hunter coat.

Visualize yourself in a world of bagpipes and kilts. The tartan check, which is constructed of wool, is the most well-known and traditional of the checkered designs.

The tartan pattern has often been given fresh life by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Numerous fashion com-

panies and designers have since imitated this trend, and just this past winter, tartan checks were also seen at several brands, including Victoria Beckham, Tommy Hilfiger, Mulberry, and Tory Burch. Red, green, blue, white, and black are the predominant tartan colours for this season.

Checked Fashionable clothing and accessories in the hip check pattern highlight our ensembles for the chilly days. This includes coats, pants, pullovers, scarves, and even shoes. Statement Pieces mixed with essentials, check from top to bottom, or just a check piece that ins t a n t l y spruces up a plain outfit: this autumn style leaves little room for imagination. We show you the hottest check patterns and how to best use them in scene.

ETC MUMBAI | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

10

FACE OF THE DAY!

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SAKSHI, Model

YOUR DAY

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

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Aries

Taurus

MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Good health is likely to keep you energetic today. Adventurous types need to be careful while experiencing a thrilling outdoor activity. An angry family member will need to be pacified by doing his or her bidding. This is a favorable day to seal a property deal.

Your efforts at work will be rewarded.

APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Your performance may leave you feeling good today on professional or academic front. A diet plan adopted recently will suit your system well. Maintain confidentiality regarding a property deal being negotiated by you. A chance for an outing with lover finally arrives.

Health will be satisfactory.

Gemini

Cancer

MAY 21 - JUNE 21 You may need to monitor your finances closely. A function at home can keep you busy and entertained.

Day seems favourable for builders and property dealers. Travel to a distant place is foreseen for some. Your love life promises to be immensely satisfying.

JUNE 22 - JULY 23 A new health routine may start giving health benefits right away. You gel well with a new acquaintance.

Opportunities to further your career will come only if you make efforts.

Self-discipline may help you achieve peak physical fitness. Financial scene is likely to stabilise.

Leo

Virgo

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23 Some of you may feel the home environment serene and restful.

There is a fair chance of some property getting allotted to you. Good opportunities are likely to appear on the academic front.

Good health is assured through own efforts. A healthy bank balance will allow you to buy a major item.

AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23 Some of you may plan to build a house or buy property shortly. A home remedy is likely to take you towards total health. Homemakers may find resetting the house tedious and may get tired doing so. A journey to a distant place can get you all excited.Your partner will finally say yes to you

Libra

Scorpio

SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 22 You may find it difficult to convince a family member regarding something you want to achieve. Clarity of mind and retentive power will help you forge ahead on the academic front. Some of you can safely say goodbye to depression, as positivity enters your life once again.

Sagittarius

OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 22 It will be in your interest to speed up a financial transaction. Positive steps may be required to be taken to restore perfect health. You will come out with flying colours in a competitive situation on the academic front. Appreciation for the work done on the professional front is in the pipeline for some.

Capricorn

NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22 Things are likely to move favourably on the professional front.

Health may become a concern. You will need to muster all your persuasive powers to swing a deal in your favour. Good negotiating skills are likely to bring a lucrative deal within your grasp on the professional front.

DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20 Your initiative will help mend fences with someone you were not in talking terms.

Academic pursuits will be fruitful. Taking up a regular fitness routine will help you get into shape.

Increase in household expenditure is possible, so take all steps to cut it down.

Aquarius

Pisces

JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19 You will benefit by taking a break from your regular exercise routine. You will be able to pacify a family elder, who is upset on someone. Stay clear of arguments, especially while travelling. A healthy debate with someone in the knows is likely to open up your mind to the possibilities.

FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20 An exciting time lies ahead as travelling with friends is foreseen. You are set to grow professionally and attract new clientele.Do not misunderstand the motives of someone trying to help you. Will power, will be your key to remain in shape. Think twice before investing in anything big.

ZUMBA: DITCH THE WORKOUT,

JOIN THE PARTY! CITY FIRST

Z

umba is a fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance, founded

by Colombian dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez in 2001.

Zumba is a trademark owned by Zumba Fitness, LLC. It includes four basic rhythms, Merengue, Reggaeton, Salsa and Cumbia.

But Zumba isn’t limited to these four basic rhythms. It incorporates rhythms from all over the world including Belly dance, Arabian, African, Bollywood, hip hop, samba, axe, swing, chacha, flamenco and much more. Each basic rhythm has four core steps which are easy to learn and follow.

During a traditional 60 minutes Zumba class, a person can learn 15-16 songs (including warmup and cooldown).

The songs are set up in a manner that the person shakes their body on a higher intensity song followed by a lower intensity song to provide you with an interval workout that torches tonnes of calories.

WHO CAN JOIN ZUMBA FITNESS CLASSES?

There is no age limit. It doesn’t matter if a person is 20 or 50 years old. If they have the will to move to upbeat music in a high-

BENEFITS OF ZUMBA! Great for Weight loss Relieves stress Full body workout Tones your entire body Really great for cardio Enhances your mood Speeds up your metabolism energy, motivating environment, then Zumba is the right option.

Even non-dancers can do Zumba. It’s really good for beginners as well and it’s easy to join Zumba even if the person doesn’t have killer moves it hardly matters. It is important to forget that people are noticing you they are too busy worrying about themselves on what they are doing just focus on what you are up to. Zum-

Boosts up your heart health Last but not least, it makes you happy as well.

Overall, Zumba feels like a dance party disguised as a workout. Zumba is a safe, fun and effective workout for most people who want to enhance their cardiovascular fitness through dance.

ba helps in improving their coordination as well. Zumba celebrates the ability to learn the moves as you progress through the classes.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ZUMBA AND AEROBICS

Zumba is a mode of aerobic workout which involves Latin dance movements, while aerobics is basically a planned workout on every part of your body

individually.

WHO ARE ZINS?

ZIN is known as the Zumba instructor network. Zumba is a registered brand and only ZIN is authorised to take Zumba classes.

ZINS are trained professionals to provide valuable classes including Latin rhythms. Also, it’s illegal to run any Zumba classes without a Zumba license .

ETC MUMBAI | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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SHILPA SHETTY IN AN ANAVILA SAREE A

firm style-believer in giving many experimental looks, Shilpa Shetty had rather a subtle and no-drama serve in mind.

Your closest would never love a closure from a floral print. Keep its charm rolling even when Spring and Summer seasons have moved on. Autumn weddings are cosier in nature and these will urge you to bring back all things warm and nice as your lattes. The actress's recent look for an exhibition

11

Shilpa Shetty during the event

brought back the popularity of colours, prints, and a close-neck blouse, all that sounds like a mood.

Picked from Anavila, the Nikamma actress donned a linen-made saree from the designer's Kagaj Baha collection. The Mumbai-based brand's signatures are handwoven linen ensembles and this one is the very best of bets you can go with for a daytime wedding.

Shilpa Shetty

Priyanka relishes Indian delicacies

P

riyanka Chopra arrived in Mumbai a few days ago, and the actress has been super excited about this trip.

She has also been sharing glimpses on Instagram, and in her recent picture, she expressed her excitement as she enjoyed a home-cooked Indian meal.

Desi girl Priyanka Chopra took to her Instagram story to share a picture that shows her posing

on a couch with a table full of delicious Indian food in front of her. The actress can be seen as really excited as she pointed at all the food in front of her, and in her caption, she expressed her joy as she got to relish home-cooked Indian food every day since she returned. On the table, one can see various types of curries, paneer, aloo soya, rice, daal, naan and many other food items. “Every day. Every meal.

Friends and family have kept me well fed! #HomeFoodIsTheBest,” wrote Priyanka.

Her post...

Anushka shares 'best angles of her love'

V

Her story...

irat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are one of the cutest celebrity couples. These two never fail in setting couple goals and often grab all the attention with their mushy posts on social media. Yesterday was Virat’s birthday and social media was filled with wishes for the Indi-

an cricketer. Taking to her Instagram handle, the Chakda Xpress actress shared a couple of goofy pictures of her husband and wished him his special day. Sharing those cute pictures, Anushka wrote, “It’s your Birthday my love, so obviously, I chose your best angles and photos for this post.

Love you in every state and form and way @virat. kohli.”

Anushka Sharma

Shanaya Kapoor's Birthday Bash

S

hanaya Kapoor may not have made her big debut yet, but that does not stop her from having a huge fan following. The budding actress enjoys a massive fan following on social media and her fans love to see the pictures and videos which she posts on them.

It was her

Priyanka Chopra

ADMIRABLE ANANYA!

T

he Liger actress recently dropped a picture on her Instagram slaying in a one-shoulder printed dress by Aadnevik and we are obsessed. Ananya Panday casually reminds us why one-shoulder outfits are a must-have in every wardrobe. With just the right blend of glamour and grace, Ananya Panday’s Aadnevik one-shoulder printed dress

is a sartorial inspiration. The designer dress is worth $10030 or Rs.8,26,472.00 and is curated with a flowy mesh fabric with striking print and risqué cutout details at the neckline. The dress also features an exposed back zip and push-pin closures along with an exaggerated side slit at the hem and lacy knit trim at the side.

Glimpses from he Her post...

Ananya Panday

Shanaya Kapoor

r birthday party

birthday recently and social media was filled with wishes for the diva. But today Shanaya took to her Instagram handle to share a couple of pictures from her birthday bash.

In the picture, we can see Shanaya Kapoor sitting right in front of her yummy birthday cake with a knife in her hand and we can see Navya Naveli Nanda in the background.

From chilling in front of the pool with her girl gang, reading a novel, to playing squash, Shanaya seems to have had the perfect birthday.

CITY

STAY MASKED

GET VACCINATED

BUZZ

MUMBAI | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

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12

A LANDMARK MOMENT IN INDIA’S OLYMPIC MOVEMENT

CITY FIRST

N

ita Ambani, the IOC member, welcomed the newly amended draft constitution of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), terming it a landmark moment in India’s Olympic dream on Saturday. The final draft of the IOA’s amended constitution as prepared by a retired judge, Justice L Nageswara Rao, has laid down some key changes, which can then be for-

Nita Ambani

mally adopted in its general body meeting on November 10.

Nita. M. Ambani, an IOC member lauded the greater representation of athletes and women in the newly amended IOA draft constitution, “I congratulate Justice Nageswara Rao for a landmark moment in India’s Olympic movement as we move towards a more inclusive and promising future. The amended draft constitution of the IOA made in con-

sultation with my colleagues at the IOC makes me very optimistic, especially with the steps taken towards greater representation for athletes and women in the administration of Indian sport.”

2023 is a key year for India’s Olympic Movement, as India will host the IOC Session in Mumbai. This session will be the first time in 40 years that India will host an IOC Session and is an important step in India’s Olym-

MRT Music files a case against INC for copyright infringement ASHISH TIWARI

cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

M

RT Music, a Bangalorebased record label holding music rights to over 20,000+ Tracks in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil etc. Has invested huge sums of money to acquire classic old music to one of the biggest movies of the year ‘KGF Chapter 2’ in Hindi.

Now, according to a case filed by the recording label, the Indian National Congress has picked up the song from this movie and without seeking MRT Music’s permission/license in any manner whatsoever has used it to create marketing videos for their very latest “Bharat Jodo Yatra”

campaign featuring Rahul Gandhi. The statement passed by the label holds the Indian National Congress and its office bearers liable under both civil and criminal law for infringement of the copyright and are offences punishable under sections 425, 463, 464, 465, 471, 120B r/w Section 34 of the IPC and Section 43 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and under Section 64. Copyrights Act, 1957.

The Music Label's Counsel, Narasimhan Sampath said in his official statement, “The Complaint mainly pertains to the unlawful fraudulent and illegal actions of the members of the steering committee in so far as violating the copyrights owned by MRT Music. The INC has created a video by unlawfully downloading and synchronising as well as broadcasting the songs about the movie KGF – Chapter 2 in Hindi and portraying it to be owned by the INC. They

have also used a logo namely ‘Bharath Jodo Yatra’ in the said video and have broadcasted the same on their official social media handles.”

“These unlawful actions committed by a National Political Party reflect their blatant disregard for the rule of law and the rights of private individuals and entities while they are conducting this Bharath Jodo Yatra, to seek an opportunity to govern

the county and frame legislation for protecting the rights of the common man and businesses,” he added.

Official statement from the Music Label Partner, M Naveen Kumar stated, “In the digital world today our Intellectual property guarded by the Copyright Act is pivotal to us and our utter shock, we recently came across videos posted by the Indian National Congress (INC) party

wherein videos featuring Rahul Gandhi, Member, Steering Committee, Indian National Congress, without seeking our permission/license is used to further their political agenda for marketing and publicity. The infringed videos were also broadcasted/posted by the INC on their official social handles and can also be found on all social media platforms. An entity such as the INC has to set an example for the Indian citizens, however, in this scenario, it is violating the laws of the land and infringing our copyright and intellectual property rights, which we have acquired through huge investments. This act on the part of INC sends a completely wrong signal to the Indian public and is completely contrary to the efforts of safeguarding our copyrights. This grave infringement will be challenged by us to the fullest effort.”

V

Jagdeesh Chandra at the cake cutting ceremony with Ajay Kumar and Syed Umar also seen are Kush Kumar, Harsh, Sachin, Prasoon, Shashikant, Anu, Poornima, Amit, Shaiza, Sezal, Radha and Shamsher

Jagdeesh Chandra greets Amit Mittal, also seen are (L-R) Syed Umar, Ajay Kumar, Anu Shridhar and Sandeep Mishra

Jagdeesh Chandra extends a floral welcome to Shazia Ilmi, also seen are Syed Umar,Ajay Kumar, Prasoon Shukla and Anu Shridhar The joint celebration of the staff members whose birthdays fell in the month of October was held at the Bharat24- Vision of New India channel office on Saturday. Jagdeesh Chandra greeted all of them and a cake-cutting ceremony was also done. Jagdeesh Chandra also welcomed Shazia Ilmi, a brilliant anchor to the Bharat24 family.

arun Dhawan is one of the most sought-after actors in Bollywood with several projects lined up. In a recent interview, Varun revealed how everyone stepped into a rat race not long after the pandemic got over. Revealing how he also is a part of it, Varun mentioned that he pushed himself too hard while promoting his last film 'JugJugg Jeeyo'.

He said in an interview, "The

Natasha Moor, Founder of Natasha Moor Cosmetics promotes the noble cause of skin and organ donation, through which each one of us can save lives. Moor along with Akash Morrison, Founder and Managing Partner, Optio Ventures CEO and Co-Founder, Avesta76 Therapeutics were in Jaipur on Saturday at Mehr Jewellery. Bhavna Jagwani, Convener MOHAN Foundation Jaipur Citizen Forum and Founder Mehr Jewellery, Jaipur raised awareness for organ donation and they all promoted the cause via posters.

minute we opened doors, don’t you think we went back to the same rat race?

How many people here can say that they have changed? I see people working even harder! In fact, I started pushing so much harder (with) my film JugJugg Jeeyo, it felt like I was running for an election. I don’t know why, but I put so much pressure on myself."

Pia's beautiful poem

Shivam's excellent performance

W

hile Bollywood is filled with multi-talented personalities, some of our actresses can do more than just act. Pia Bajpiee, one of the most beautiful actresses in Btown, also writes great poems expressing her deepest emotions through soulful words.

Her recent one, which she has posted on her Instagram account, describes days spent in her hometown as really deep and moving.

Titled 'Parayapan' or 'Strangeness' the

T

Shivam Sharma

CELEBRATIONS!

Varun on his diagnosis

TO A GREATER CAUSE!

he song ‘Tere Jism Se’ was released recently and is blowing up on all kinds of social media. People are loving the chemistry shared between Shivam Sharma and Poonam Pandey along with Karanvir Bohra. The actor brings a certain charm and charisma to the video that would have been only basic without him in it.

pic journey. Commenting further on the new draft constitutional amendment she said “I strongly believe that this paves the way for India to achieve our true potential in sport. I look forward to working closely with the newly elected members of the IOA to fuel India’s Olympic ambitions, starting with the successful hosting of the 2023 IOC Session in Mumbai and the India House at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Jai Hind!”

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Pia Bajpiee

verses are heavy with meaning and remembrance for a place that has turned stranger to her that she once called home.

The lanes that were embedded in memory once, do not recognize her now and the voices which once spoke volumes now remain deadly silent.

She starts the poem by drawing an observation on how the windows of the past seem so short now that our ambitions have grown so much.

Varun Dhawan