First India-Mumbai Edition-7th December 2022

11 SOLAPUR VILLAGES NOD TO MERGE WITH K’TAKA

MAHARASHTRA-KARNATAKA BORDER DISPUTE

FRANK, THOUGHT PROVOKING: KANT

SHERPAS TALK

Tussle between states turns violent politically motivated mob damages trucks, buses!

Kartikey Dev Singh

Mumbai: In a ‘violent turn’ of events related to the ongoing Maha rashtra-Karnataka bor der tussle, activists of ‘Kannada Rakshana Ve dika Sanghatana’ pelted stones at a truck coming from Maharashtra at the Belgaum-Hirebag wadi toll booth in Kar nataka. Some trucks of Maharashtra were dam aged in the stone pelt ing. As the news about the incident spread like wildfire, the opposition parties’s political agen da in Maharashtra re ceived a shot in the arm, as they tried to corner the Shinde-Fadnavis government stressing that the neighbouring BJP ruled state of Kar nataka had been aggres sive in its approach while the government in Maharashtra sat idle.

The windscren of trucks were damaged in the attack. Meanwhile, the The Karnataka po lice took president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Narayana Gow da, and hundreds of

workers into custody fol lowing the violence.

On the other hand, af ter the incident in Bel gaum, a reactionary ap proach was taken by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena as the Thack eray group activists blackened Karnataka vehicles at Pune’s Swar gate bus depot. Number plates of Karnataka buses parked at Pune’s Swargate bus depot were blackened as work ers of the Thackeray faction raised slogans of ‘Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji’ with saffron flags in their hands. Along with this, photo graphs written ‘Jai Ma harashtra’ have also been pasted on the buses coming from Karnata ka.

On receiving infor mation about the inci dent, Swargate police reached the spot. Senior police inspector of Swargate police station Ashok Indalkar said that the police have de tained seven activists and appropriate legal action will be taken against them.

Bommai’s aggressive stand will be a blow to nation’s stability, claims Pawar

Mumbai: Senior politi cian from Maharashtra and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar reacted strongly on the attack on Maharashtra regis tered vehicle and issued a warning to the Karna taka government.

Talking to media on Tuesday, he said, “What happened is highly condemnable. This matter is going on since last few weeks. I have been associated

with the border area for many years. The Chief Ministers of both the states should have taken the initia tive and tried to re solve the matter. The prevailing situation should clear up in the next 24 hours. Other wise Karnataka CM Bommai will be re sponsible.”

Pawar further said, “If the Karnataka CM takes an aggressive

I WILL HAVE TO GO TO KARNATAKA: SAMBHAJIRAJE

With Maharashtra leaders attacking the Karnataka government and also targetting the Shine-Fadnavis government, Kolhapur royal and descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati - has now directly warned the Karnataka government.

Sambhaji mentioned Shivrai while reacting to these attacks and warned, “The vandalism of vehicles with the picture of Chhatrapati Shivaraya by Kannadigas is unacceptable and will be given a befitting reply in Maharashtra.

Lakhs of pilgrims are here at Saundatti for Renukadevi Yatra. The Karnataka government should protect them, otherwise I will have to come to Karnataka at an appropriate time.”

ity. Central govern ment will not play a passive role. Parlia mentary session is starting tomorrow and I am going to ask state

“THEY RAN TO OTHER STATES FOR THEMSELVES”, AADITYA

Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray has criticized Chief Minister Eknath Shinde regarding the border row and the attack on Maharashtra vehicles. On Tuesday, Aaditya tweeted and said, “On one hand, farmers are suffering. Violence against women is on the rise. Industries have been shifted from Maharashtra to one state. Now efforts are being made to shift our Maharashtra villages to another state. But why is the Chief Minister silent on all this?” He further said, “You fled to other states for yourself, but you are not heading to Belgaum for Maharashtra?

MODI GOVT PLANS TO INTRODUCE 16 BILLS

New Delhi: The results of the Assembly elec tions in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Dec 8are likely to play out during the Winter session of Parliament beginning today. The government plans to in troduce 16 bills during 17 sittings in the ses sion, while the Congress will seek to corner the government over a host of issues, including the situation on the border with China.

Meanwhile, an allparty meet was con ducted on Tuesday to discuss the issues that might come up during the sessions over the next few days. RS Sec retariat has released a Code of Conduct for its members. In the meet, Congress raised ques tions on hasty appoint ment of ECI, ChinaIndia border, GST and other issues. While the BJD demanded pas sage of women reser vation bill, the Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction wanted the population control bill. Leaders from m ore than 30 par ties took part in the meeting.

hicles coming from Ma harashtra are being checked,” he said. Warning the Karna taka government, Pa war said,“If the matter

What is the state govern ment doing after this incident? The rulers of Maharashtra have become so weak that they are ignoring the problems of the state. The central government should pay attention to this immediately.

—Supriya Sule, NCP leader

gaum to reas sure the people there. If this happens on the border of Kar nataka then people can get agitated.”

Strong protest in Karnataka against the attack on vehicles in Ma harashtra! “Is this being done deliberately keeping in mind the upcoming elections? If this is not stopped immediately, we will have to cross the border once again for the safety of Marathi people.

— Dhananjay Munde, NCP MLA

I strongly condemn the cowardly attack by Kannada goons on Maharashtra vehicles in Marathi speaking Belgaum region. The attack is an attack on the self-re spect of Maharashtra. Attempt to create panic in the minds of Marathi speaking people in the border areas by such cowardly attacks will never succeed. The Maharashtra gov ernment should not tolerate such cowardly attacks.

— Ajit Pawar, NCP

‘Unconstitutional govt’ in Maha claims Uddhav faction as SC hearing on Jan 13!

First India Bureau

New Delhi: The Ud dhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that a “completely un constitutional govern ment is being run” in Maharashtra.

A bench of Chief Jus tice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasim ha said it will hear a batch of petitions on the Maharashtra political crisis on January 13 as it will not be possible for the five-judge Constitu tion bench to sit next week, which will be for miscellaneous matters.

On November 1, the

top court had said that it will hear the batch of pleas on the Maharash tra political crisis filed by the Shiv Sena fac tions led by Thackeray and Eknath Shinde on November 29, when it is likely to issue some

directions. The five-judge bench headed by the CJI had asked both the parties to file their written sub missions and a joint compilation on the is sues to be adjudicated by the constitution

bench.

On August 23, a threejudge bench of the top court headed by then chief justice N V Ra mana had formulated several questions of law and referred to a five-judge bench the pe titions filed by the fac tions raising several constitutional ques tions related to defec tion, merger and dis qualification.

It had said the batch of petitions raise impor tant constitutional is sues relating to the 10th schedule of the Consti tution pertaining to dis qualification, power of the Speaker and Gover nor and judicial review.

Pune: Eleven villages in Akkalkot tehsil of Maharashtra's Solapur district have asked the district administration to provide them basic facilities or grant them permission to merge with adjoining Karnataka, if they fail to meet their demands.

“...OTHERWISE

Uddhav Thackeray

Moni Sharma

Rajnath Singh, Prahlad

Arjum Ram Meghwal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Derek O Brien, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, TR Baalu and others attend an all-party meeting in the Parliament Library Building, on the eve of the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

leaders

Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stands in front of portrait of Dr

during the

tribute ceremony

Ahmedabad: Noted economist and former union minister Yoginder Kumar Alagh, 83, passed away on Tuesday at his residence in Ahmedabad after a brief age-related illness. PM Modi expressed anguish over death of Yoginder Kumar Alagh.

CALLS G20

Udaipur: Frank and thought-provoking discussions were held with the G20 Sherpas who participated in the very first G20 Sherpa meeting in Udaipur under India’s Presidency, said India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant who is presiding entire meeting.

MAHAPARINIRVAN DIN: Ambedkar memorial will be the world’s envy

BMC sets up imp public facilities as pilgrims converge on Chaityabhoomi

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Brihan mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has put up 200 mobile bathrooms that are supplied with water around-the-clock in anticipation of large crowds in Dadar’s Shivaji Park on the occasion of Ma haparinirvan Diwas on December 06.

This year, followers of Dr Babasaheb Ambed kar will be congregating in the city to honour the icon after a gap of two years due to the pandem ic, so masses are expect ed to visit Chaityabhoo mi from all parts of the state in large numbers.

Mumbai: At an event held to pay tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar on his 67th death anni versary, Chief Minis ter Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said the work to set up an in ternational standard memorial for the late leader at Indu Mill Compound in Mum bai will be completed at the earliest.

It will be a magnifi cent monument which the world will envy, he said.

Addressing a gather ing after paying floral tributes to Ambedkar at

his memorial ‘Chaity abhoomi’ in Dadar area of Mumbai, Shinde also said all memories and history pertaining to the ‘Architect of the Constitution’ will be preserved.

Apart from the CM, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fad navis and other state leaders also paid hom age to Ambedkar at ‘Chaityabhoomi’, which is located at the Shivaji Park.

Shinde said Dr Ambedkar’s memorial being built on the Indu Mill land (in Dadar area) is a magnificent

divine monument which the “world will envy” and it will be completed at the earliest.

He also termed Ambedkar’s residence ‘Rajgruh’ in Dadar a “historic treasure.”

All the things related to Dr Ambedkar there will be preserved, and the place of Dr Ambed kar’s (another) memo rial at Lower Parel in Mumbai will be inspect ed, he said.

“Legends create his tory, but Babasaheb changed the history by instilling self-respect among those who were living disrespectful lives,” said the CM.

ODE TO BABASAHEB!

A large number of people have started coming since December 04. It is estimated that more than eight lakh followers will pay their respects at the site.

According to a BMC official, this year the civic body is providing 200 washrooms with showers. There are around 1 lakh square feet of waterproof pan dals for pilgrims to rest. Also, charging points have been installed for mobile phones. The BMC has kept ambulanc es on standby at three spots and the Mumbai Fire Brigade is also pre pared for emergencies. Lifeguards and rescue boats are present at the Mahim-Dadar beach.

BAIL GRANTED TO 2 IN KOREAN VLOGGER HARASSMENT CASE

Mumbai: A court granted bail to two men arrested for allegedly harassing a South Korean vlogger and YouTuber while she was live streaming on a street in the Khar area. The Bandra metropolitan court granted bail to the duo here on Tuesday on a cash bond of Rs15,000 each and asked them to cooper ate with the investigation, said their lawyer Zamir Khan. The detailed order was not available yet. The accused have been booked under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to wom an with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The duo were arrested hours after a video surfaced on social media last week showing the woman being sexually harassed in Khar area of Mumbai city.

BIZMAN DUPED OF `55L OVER CRICKET LEAGUE FRANCHISE

Pune: A 41-year-old busi nessman from Pune was allegedly cheated of Rs55 lakh on the pretext of get ting a franchise of a team in USA Cricket League, police said on Tuesday. A case has been registered against five persons from Mumbai, who allegedly cheated the complainant, an official said. The com plainant Aashish Kante met the accused, who lured him into getting a franchise of a cricket team in USA Cricket League and assured him 40% shares in the league, he said. A case under sec tions 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Alankar police station, he said, add ing that no arrest has been made so far.

TV actor Maera Mishra shares glimpse of Raj Bhavan at ‘shoot’

Mumbai: Television actor Maera Mishra was fortunate enough to hold a photo shoot at the Raj Bhavan (Governor’s house) in Mumbai on Tuesday. She took to her Insta gram account to share pictures of the shoot and mentioned her lo cation as Raj Bhavan. This incident may cre

ate some problems for Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, as he is al ready facing backlash over his recent state ments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Raza Academy demands President Murmu’s approval for reconstruction of Babri

Mumbai: Imploring President Droupadi Murmu to give assent for reconstruction of Babri Masjid, mem bers of city-based is lamist group Raza Academy raised an “azan” on Tuesday.

The Babri Masjid was demolished on De cember 06, 1992.

Raza Academy has written to President

Murmu with their de mand for the mosque’s reconstruction.

They have also called for punishment to ‘cul prits’ who were respon

sible for the Masjid’s demolition in 1992.

Raza Academy men tioned in their letter that the events of that day represent the nadir of Indian democracy.

“The demolition of the Babri Masjid also sig nified the demolition of the Indian Cnstitution.

To restore faith in Indian democracy and send a message to those trying

Masjid

to subvert its function ing, it is imperative that the culprits who had openly admitted to their role in the demolition be brought to justice at the earliest,” mentioned the letter.

They also asked Babri Masjid be recon structed at the same site because, once built, a mosque cannot be moved to another place.

100 gens of those who insult Shivaji will be ruined: BJP MLA

First India Bureau

Jalna: Bharatiya Ja nata Party (BJP) MLA, Babanrao Loni kar, on Monday said a “hundred genera tions” of those who insult Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be ruined.

The strong reaction came against the back drop of a BJP MLC’s statement that Chhatra pati Shivaji was born in

Konkan and the surfac ing of an old video of Union minister Raosa heb Danve talking about the 17th century warrior king.

Last month, Gover nor Bhagat Singh Ko shyari kicked up a row dubbing Chhatrapati Shivaji as an “icon of olden times”.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a role model for the entire world. Pol iticians of all parties

should follow the exam ple of Shivaji Maharaj in their lives. He is a king, not only for Maha rashtra but also for In dia and the rest of the world,” said Lonikar.

“Those people who insulted Shivaji Maha raj....hundred of their generations would be ruined. It is shameful that political leaders used such words about the great king,” said the former state minister.

After the video sur faced, Danve had clari fied it was a two-year-old clip for which he had al ready apologized. In the video, Danve purported ly referred to Chhatra pati Shivaji Maharaj without a due honorific.

Recently, BJP MLC Prasad Lad stoked a controversy by saying the Maratha king was born in Konkan region. He later apologized for his ‘mistake’.

Followers of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar have been gathering at ‘Chaityabhoomi’ since December 04. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

It is estimated that more than 8 lakh followers will visit Dadar’s Shivaji Park to pay homage to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on the occasion of Mahaparinirvan Diwas

First India Bureau

CM Shinde, Dy CM Fadnavis and Governor BS Koshyari inspect a police salute.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis pay tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar at ‘Chaityabhoomi’ in Dadar area of Mumbai on Tuesday. —PHOTOS BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE Other political leaders including Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar (centre) remember Ambedkar.

IN MEMORIAM

SEVEN HABITUAL OFFENDERS EXTERNED FROM THREE DISTRICTS OF MAHARASHTRA Thane: The police have externed seven habitual offenders hailing from Bhiwandi town in Thane district, an official said on Tuesday. As per an order issued by Deputy Commis sioner Zone-II Bhiwandi Navnath Dhawale, the accused have been externed from the limits of Thane, Raigad and Mumbai districts. The accused are residents of Kongaon, Shantinagar, Bhoiwada, and Nizampura police station limits, the official said.

CRUCIAL READ

CM Shinde promises work to be completed expeditiously, vows to preserve history of the ‘Architect of Constitution’

To mark the 67th death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar, followers of the late leader gathered at Shivaji Park’s ‘Chaityabhoomi’ in Mumbai to pay their respects to him. Buddhist monks and people of all age groups thronged the memorial in remembrance.

—PHOTOS BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

First India Bureau

Obscene film racket busted, cops nab 1; 3 absconding

Accused lured model by offering her role with ‘bold’ scenes in web series

Mumbai: One person was arrested after Charkop police busted a racket involved in making obscene films on the pretext of web series and uploading them on different sites.

A case was registered after a 29-year-old mod el complained to the po lice that she was duped on the pretext of doing “bold” scenes for a web series meant for foreign clients. She was arrest ed a year-and-a-half ago, for allegedly being part of a porn racket, said an official.

“The exploits of a gang making porno graphic films in the name of a web series for foreign clients were re vealed by a female ar tiste after she was asked to act in a pornographic film,” said Charkop po lice in a statement.

The woman lodged a case against four people identified as producer and director Yasmin Khan, Anirudh Prasad Jangde, Amit Paswan and Aditya at the Charkop police station.

Police have arrested Jangde, but the other three accused are ab sconding. A search op eration has been launched. “The accused Yasmin was arrested 1.5 years ago by the Mum bai Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) in connec tion with a similar case”, said sources.

As per the model’s complaint, a person named Rahul Thakur

CRUCIAL READ

WOMAN KILLS SELF AT CONSTRUCTION SITE IN CHANDRAPUR

Chandrapur: A 27-year-old woman committed suicide by hanging herself using a dupatta at the construction site in Chandrapur district on Tuesday, police said. The victim has been identified as Pournima Lade, a resident of Desaiganj tehsil in Gadchiroli, an investigation was launched after sending body for post-mortem.

The death came to light in morning when workers found the body at the site in Bramhapuri city around 120 km from the district headquarters, said police.

FIRE AT INCENSE STICK UNIT IN PUNE; NO CASUALTY SO FAR

Pune: A fire broke out at an incense stick manufacturing unit in Pune on Tuesday, officials said. A fire brigade official said that around 11 am, a fire broke out at the unit located in Akurdi area of Pimpri Chinchwad. More than 10 fire brigade vehicles were rushed to the spot. Efforts were on to douse the flames. There has been no report of any casualty so far. The cause of the fire is not yet known, he added. Efforts were on to douse the fire as fire tenders were pressed into service.

POLICE RAIDS LODGE IN THANE; 6 HELD FOR PROSTITUTION, 5 WOMEN RESCUED

Thane: A lodge owner, its manager and four other staff members have been arrested for allegedly allowing flesh trade at the premises in state’s Thane district, police said on Tuesday. The police conducted a raid on a lodge located in Mira Bhayander area. Five women, who were being engaged in prostitution, were also rescued from the premises and sent to a rescue home, said Jayant Bajbale, Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone-1, Jayant Bajbale said. Offences were registered against the six arrested accused under relevant provisions, the police said.

4 HELD IN THANE FOR WIELDING SWORDS IN PUBLIC

Thane: In connection to a video that went viral on December 03, police have arrested four persons, for allegedly wielding swords during a function in Thane, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused included two builders aged 35 and 40 years, a 38-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, and a 23-year-old local resident, the police said. The ShilDaighar police carried out an investigation after taking notice of the said video and registered offences under relevant provisions.

3 LEOPARD CUBS FOUND & REUNITED WITH MOTHER

Nashik: Three leopard cubs were found in the fields of Pathardi village in Nashik district and reunited with their mother. As per reports, a local named Kailash found the 10-12 day-old cubs abandoned in the fields. He informed the Forest Department, who cordoned off the area and rescued the cubs. Pankaj Garg, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Nashik (West) said, “The area was cordoned off & cubs were kept safe. Later, the mother leopard took the cubs away.”

Mumbai: A 28-year-old employee of an IT company was allegedly duped of Rs50.68 lakh by fraudsters who lured him with promise of returns in an investment scheme, police said. Based on a complaint, the Cyber police registered a case, an official said. The victim found an advertisement about investment opportunities in November 2020. After getting in contact with company over calls, the victim had invested Rs76.11 lakh by June 2022 and received Rs 25.24 lakh. When the victim sought the remaining amount, he was threatened, the official said.

approached her for a film. He asked her to get in touch with Keshav, who took her portfolio and referred it to an other person identified as Rahul Pandey.

When informed about the “bold scenes” in the web series and its release in India, she re fused the project. “As the web series was to be released in India, I re fused,” she stated in her

complaint.

She further said that she accepted the project after some convincing and was taken to a flat in Malad West by Anirudh, where she met Yasmin, Anirudh and Aditya.

In her complaint, the woman said that she was asked to undress and face the camera and was threatened with a Rs15 lakh defamation case when she refused.

THE CASE

“The exploits of a gang making porno graphic films in the name of a web series were revealed by a female artiste after she was asked to act in such a film,” said police in a statement.

The woman lodged a case against four people identified as producer and direc tor Yasmin Khan, Anirudh Prasad Jangde, Amit Paswan and Aditya at the Charkop police sta tion. Following the model’s complaint, a case has been lodged against the accused under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

On October 22, a rela tive of the victim in formed her about her videos being uploaded on pornographic sites. She asked Yasmin to remove them from the sites but she demanded money. When she got no response from her, the woman approached the police.

50 NICU beds added to four civic hospitals in Navi Mumbai

First India Bureau

Thane: Fifty more beds have been added to the Neonatal Inten sive Care Units (NI CUs) of four hospitals of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corpora tion to provide better health care services to children.

Navi Mumbai Munic ipal Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar con ducted a review of the health care facilities at the civic hospitals and instructed that addi tional NICU beds be provided there, the civ ic body said.

Following his direc tions, 50 NICU beds have

been added to four civic hospitals, taking the to tal availability of beds to 82, it said. In the last four months, 276 newborn babies were treated at the

civic hospitals in Navi Mumbai. They included three children below 1 kg and nine having weight in the range of 1 to 1.20 kg.

Two children were provided heart-related treatments. Also, 60 pre term babies were screened and given the Retinopathy of Prema turity treatment, the release added.

Maha logs 34 new COVID-19 cases; active tally 273

Mumbai (PTI): Maha rashtra on Tuesday re corded 34 fresh corona virus cases that raised the tally of infections to 81,36,033, an official from the state Health Department said.

The toll remained un changed at 1,48,407, while the count of re coveries reached 79,87,353, the official said. The state had on Monday recorded 22 cases. With this, the state is now left with 273 active cases, the official said.

The fatality rate stood at 1.82%, while the recovery rate was 98.17%, he said. As many as 10,323 tests were conducted in the state in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of tests to 8,57,01,917.

Meanwhile, Mumbai reported eight new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the overall tally to 11,54,951, an official said.

Longest double-decker viaduct: Nagpur Metro creates world record

Nagpur (PTI) : Nagpur Metro has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for cre ating the longest dou ble-decker viaduct metro measuring 3.14 km on Wardha Road.

Brijesh Dixit, Manag ing Director, Maharash tra Metro Rail Corpora tion Limited received a certificate for the achievement from Rishi Nath, judge and adjudi cator of Guinness World Records during an event at Metro Bha wan on Tuesday.

Earlier too, the dou ble-decker viaduct has been certified as the longest structure in Asia and India by Asia Book of Records and India Book of

Hoteliers duped by two posing as food officers

Mumbai(PTI) : Two persons have been ar rested for allegedly dup ing Mumbai-based ho teliers by posing as food safety officers, police said. Fake identity cards, a car and other items were seized from the possession of the two accused, aged be tween 25 and 28 years, who were arrested on Monday, an official from Kasturba Marg po lice station said.

The duo entered a ho tel in suburban Borivali allegedly masquerading as food safety officerws, and took Rs 5,000 from its manager, he said. However, the hotel man ager soon got suspicious

BEAUTIFICATION PLAN

of their activity and alerted the police, who later nabbed the two, said the official. The ac cused, residents of sub urban Kandivali, had also taken money earli er from another citybased hotel, he said.

They were arrested under relevant Indian Penal Code sections, in cluding 420 (cheating) and 170 (personating a public servant), the of ficial added.

BMC proposes facelift of 125-year-old Dhobi Ghat, awaits heritage panel nod

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Dhobi Ghat, the 125-year-old openair laundromat in Ma halaxmi, is scheduled to get a much-needed makeover from the Bri hanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

According to a civic of ficial from G (South) ward, the BMC had plans to paint the walls, con struct roofs over the washing lines and neaten up the passageways. There are also plans to remove encroachments, restore observation gal lery, and open the entire laundromat to the sky, one-third of which is cur rently covered by sheets.

However, the civic body’s proposal is cur rently awaiting clear

TO REACH OUT TO 40,000 HAWKERS FOR PM SVANIDHI LOAN SCHEME

ance from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, as the stones or wash pens on

which the dhobis flog, scrub and dye clothes fall under the Grade II-A heritage category.

to pass on the stone to another dhobi, they have to keep the BMC in the loop and pay the req uisite fees,” said the of ficial. According to the Chairman of the Dhobi Kalyan & Audhyogik Vi kas Cooperative Society Santosh Kanojia beauti fication was a second ary concern for washer men as there are other pressing issues.

Records respectively. Speaking on the occa sion, Dixit said that ex ecuting the project on Wardha Road was a ma jor challenge. It is part of a three-tier struc ture, with metro rail on top, highway flyover in the middle and the ex isting road at the ground level.

As per the release, the double-decker viaduct measuring 3.14 km is the longest such struc ture across any metro rail system in the world and has three stations.

Maha Metro had ear lier entered Asia and India Book of Records too for maximum metro stations constructed on a double-decker via duct, the release said.

People affected by Mum-Goa hwy project seek jobs

There are 731 heritage stones at Dhobi Ghat, and each stone is owned by a dhobi. “If they want

“We sometimes face water shortage and have to send the clothes outside for laundering. And when we boil water in the ‘bhatti’ to clean hard stains, we are fined for turning the environ ment smoky. The BMC would do better to pro vide basic water and gas lines and restore the heritage stones.”

The villagers have formed an association named ‘Karnala Divi sion Highway Project Victims Development Association’, under the guidance of social ac tivist Santosh Kumar

“A number of works will be carried out as part of the highway de velopment such as beau tification, painting, planting trees, repairing side strips, concrete work among others. Lo cals who lost their land for the highway project should be given priority as co-contractors or workers or at Kharpada toll booths,” Kumar said.

He added that the Na tional Highway Author ity of India officials should call a meeting of the officials of the pro ject-affected organiza tions and the stakehold ers as soon as possible in their presence.

First India Bureau

MAN DUPED OF `50.68 LAKH ON PRETEXT OF GOOD RETURNS BY ONLINE FRAUDSTERS

One of the accused in Charkop police custody.

The exploits of a gang making pornographic films in the name of a web series for foreign clients were revealed by a fe male artiste after she was asked to act in a pornographic film.

—Charkop police

Brijesh Dixit, MD, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited received the certificate during an event at Metro Bhawan. —PHOTO BY PTI

The total availability of the NICU beds has now reached 82

First India Bureau

Karnala: The people of the Karnala stretch of the Mumbai-Goa high way (NH-66) have de manded employment in highway construction work and toll booths.

to put their demands.

BMC

Mumbai: Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad has given a target to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of reaching out to over 40,000 hawkers in the next 10 days for the Prime Minister Street Vendor Atma Nirbhar Nidhi Scheme (PM SVANidhi scheme). Dr Karad, on Monday, reviewed the Central Government’s PM SVANidhi scheme which is being implemented by the BMC. “Till now, the BMC has received 60,000 applications from hawkers for this scheme. I have asked BMC officials to reach another 40,000 hawkers in the next 10 days,” he said.

There are 731 heritage stones at Dhobi Ghat, and each one is owned by a dhobi. —FILE PHOTO

Villagers have formed an association under the guidance of a social activist

—FILE PHOTO

NARENDRA (2022) DEFEATS NARENDRA (2017);

BATTERED’ CONG 2ND, AAP RISING

MODI 2022

n our presentation this week when we talk about the exit polls of different agencies which have pre dicted massive win by the BJP in Gujarat, we also focus on how these exit polls have shown the posi tion of the Grand Old Par ty vis-à-vis the AAP and thereby what is means for the Opposition politics in the country given the fact that the Lok Sabha is scheduled for 2024.

Aam Aadmi’s entry in the fray in 2022 has made the election all the more interesting as the party is on an upswing since win ning Punjab early in 2022 especially post the results which were announced on march 10. While the exact picture and the perfor mance of AAP (in the Gu jarat Assembly Elections 2022) will be known only on December 8, let’s present a percentage vote share, rise and dip scenario thereby as predicted by these exit polls. It will also give a pic ture of how the Opposition parties are placed and what it means during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Compared to 2017, the Congress, as per exit poll outcomes, may see a significant reduction in vote share. Axis MyIndia and ETG predict the most drastic decrease for the Congress, pegging the fall at 15.4 and 18 percentage points in respective orders

BUT IN MCD POLLS...

AAP TO EMERGE AS A LANDSLIDE WINNER!

AAP’s entry in the fray in 2022 has made Gujarat polls all the more interesting as the party is on an upswing since winning Punjab early in 2022 especially post results which were announced on march 10

UPHILL TASK FOR OPPOSITION

PARTIES TO GIVE A FIGHT TO BJP

Going by the exit polls and the massive outcome of the Saf fron might and the fractured “mandate” of the Opposition Congress and AAP…basically parties eating into each other’s votes would only indicate that before the 224 Lok Sabha, it would be an uphill task for the Opposition parties to come together to give a fight of any kind to the BJP. Even 2023’s poll calendar is impressive, but Opposition parties are fragmented as far as the third front is concerned.

While News24 -Today’s Chanakya has predicted big gains for the Saffron might compared to other parties, the survey predicts BJP may be headed for a mas sive win with around 50% votes. Congress may get up to 26% votes while AAP may get up to 20% votes.

News24-Today’s Chanakya has predicted that BJP may win around 150 seats while Congress may be reduced to 19 seats. AAP may win 11 seats. If BJP manages to win over 150 seats, it will be its big gest-ever win in the state.

However, a closer look will clearly reveal that the

lion’s share of AAP’s in crease in vote share in Gu jarat appears to have come at the expense of the Con gress itself rather than that of the BJP.

While psephologists pre dict through several exit polls that the Saffron might’s vote share will not drop much, the Congress, as per the exit polls, is esti mated to witness a severe drop in vote share, matched by a boosted rise in vote share for Arvind Kejri wal’s Aam Aadmi Party.

Compared to 2017, the

Congress, as per exit poll outcomes, may see a sig nificant reduction in vote share. Axis MyIndia and ETG predict the most dras tic decrease for the Con gress, pegging the fall at 15.4 and 18 percentage points in respective orders.

ETG estimates a 24.2% vote share for AAP, pre dicting a larger vote share for Kejriwal’s party than even the Congress, which has been pegged at 23.4%.

While the Axis MyIndia is giving AAP a 20% vote share in the Gujarat elec

tion, the Congress has been given only 6 percentage points ahead of AAP. CVot er and PMARQ have marked AAP’s vote share around 15% and Jan Ki Baat pegs it at a 12-19% range.

Axis MyIndia pegs the Congress’ decrease in vote share from 2017 at 15.4 per centage points, which equals 77.4% of AAP’s in crease in vote share.

ETG places the Con gress’ decrease in vote share from 2017 at 18 per centage points, which is 74.7% of AAP’s increase

ECONOMY IS ON RIGHT TRACK

The World Bank’s forecast for India’s growth pros pect in 2023 has come as a boost for the economy and the Central government. Those doubt ing the performance of the Indian economy amidst global gloom would be ef fectively silenced unless numbers prove them right.

From its earlier projection of 6.5 percent the World Bank in its India Develop ment Update has revised the growth rate for 2022-23 to 6.9 percent with the gov ernment meeting the fiscal deficit target of 6.4 per cent. India is also projected as one of the fastest grow ing economies by the World Bank’s Update.

At 6.9 percent the growth will be lower th an finan cial year 2021-22 when it stood at 8.7 percent. The

lower growth can be attrib uted to high commodity prices and the Reserve Bank of India’s tightening of monetary policy like other central banks.

Given the resilience of India’s economy the pro jection is neither surpris

ing nor improbable. What may need to be factored in is inflation. At 7.1 percent it will, however, be a spot of bother for the Reserve Bank of India and consum ers in the current fiscal. It had dropped from 7.41 per cent to 6.77 percent in Oc

tober but was considered high above the RBI’s com fort level.

The RBI’s monetary pol icy committee is expected to further hike interest rates to fight inflation. Some of the Indian econo my’s performance will

At 6.9 percent, the growth will be lower than financial year 2021-22 when it stood at 8.7 percent. The lower growth can be attributed to high commodity prices and the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) tightening of monetary policy like other central banks

hinge on global develop ments based on the Ukraine war. With cheap Russian oil India has been able to face the headwinds so far, though the benefit of the deal has accrued more to oil companies and not ordinary consumers.

whereas Congress has been driven to margins and it is predicted to secure fewer seats than even the Independents. Congress

in vote share. In compari son, the scale of BJP’s vote share decrease is only 10% of the scale of AAP’s vote share increase.

CVoter puts the Con gress’ decrease in vote share from 2017 at 8.4 per centage points, which is 56.4% of AAP’s increase in vote share. As per the same exit poll, the amount that the BJP’s vote share has decreased by is only 0.7% of the amount AAP’s vote share has increased by.

Going by the exit polls and the massive outcome

is predicted to win three to seven seats whereas ‘Others’, which include In dependents, are expected to secure 5 to 9 seats.

of the Saffron might and the fractured “mandate” of the Opposition Congress and AAP… basically par ties eating into each other’s votes would only indicate that before the 224 Lok Sab ha, it would be an uphill task for the Opposition parties to come together to give a fight of any kind to the BJP. Even 2023’s poll calendar is impressive, but Opposition parties are fragmented as far as the third front is concerned.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

TOP TWEETS

Babasaheb Ambedkar gave the country a justice-oriented, progressive and all-inclusive constitution, which ensured the protection of the rights of every class. Babasaheb’s struggling life, thoughts and achievements are a source of inspiration for all. Today, on his Mahaparinirvan day, I remember him and bow down to him.

Bhupender Yadav @byadavbjp

New India is unstoppable! India’s GDP growth estimates have now been revised upwards by the @ WorldBank from 6.5% to 6.9%. The country has the resilience and internal robustness to fuel higher growth rates.

Amongst thousands of persons, hardly one strives for perfection; and amongst those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows me in truth. Bhagavad Gita

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

Amit Shah @AmitShah

ROBIN ROY

The writer is Senior Journalist and former Managing Editor, First India

MODI 2017

The AAP has emerged as a landslide winner in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi exit polls (MCD exit polls) conducted by India Today-Axis My India and Times Now. MCD exit polls reveal that the BJP stands a distant 2nd in MCD elec tions and the Congress could be reduced to single digits. Of the 250 MCD wards, AAP is predicted to win 149-171 seats, accord ing to India-Today Axis My India MCD exit poll. BJP is predicted to be a distant second with 69-91 seats,

VOTING FALLS PERCENTAGE

Lalu in better condition post kidney transplant

Patna (ANI): Rashtri ya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Misa Bharti on Tuesday extended gratitude to the people for their wishes on the behalf of her father Lalu Prasad Yadav who underwent a kidney transplant sur gery in Singapore on the previous day.

2017

2022 65.22% 69.99%

Ahmedabad (PTI): A voter turnout of 65.22 per cent was recorded in the second and final phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections in 93 seats, as per the latest data shared by the Election Commis sion on Tuesday.

In 2017, these constit uencies had registered 69.99 per cent turnout.

The voting on Mon day covered the 93 seats spread across 14 dis tricts of north and cen tral regions of Gujarat.

The first phase of elections held on De cember 1 covered 89 As sembly seats and record ed 63.31 per cent polling.

Gujarat, having a total of 182 Assembly seats, had registered 68.41 per cent voting in 2017.

In second phase polls on Monday, Ahmedabad district, which has 21 seats, registered the lowest voter turnout of 59.10 per cent, while Ba naskantha was on top at

BATTLEGROUND GUJARAT

72.49 per cent.

Sabarkantha district of north Gujarat was on second spot with 71.43 per cent turnout, fol lowed by Kheda 68.55 per cent, Panchmahal 68.44 per cent, Anand 68.42 per cent, Arvalli 67.55 per cent, Gandhi nagar 66.90 per cent, Mehsana 66.42 per cent,

COURTYARD In the

DELHI HC TO HEAR PLEAS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGES ON APRIL 24 NEXT YEAR

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court said on Tuesday it will hear on April 24 a batch of petitions to recognise same-sex marriage under various laws. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramoni um Prasad was informed by the parties that a similar issue is pend ing before the Supreme Court. Senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal, who appeared for one of the petitioners, urged the bench to give a date in the matter as a similar issue was coming up for hearing before the top court on January 6. The central government counsel also informed the court about the petitions pending in the apex court seeking similar relief.

ODISHA COURT SENTENCES MAN TO 20 YEARS JAIL TERM FOR RAPING MINOR

Baripada: A court in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Tuesday sentenced a 58-year-old man to 20 years rigor ous imprisonment for raping a minor girl. Mayurbhanj District Fast Track Court Judge Durga Charan Mishra convicted Dulal Singh for raping a 16-year-old girl in 2019 and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him. The incident took place in the forest near the village Kachhim bila under Betnoti Police Station on May 20, 2019. Dulal took the minor girl to the nearby forest and raped her.

Patan 66.07 per cent, Chhota Udepur 65.48 per cent, Vadodara 65.24 per cent, Mahisagar 61.69 per cent and Da hod 60.07 per cent.

A total of 87 ballot units, 88 control units and 282 voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) were replaced during the second phase of voting, which took place between 8 am and 5 pm on Monday across 14,975 polling stations in 14 districts.

Comments that triggered row and grabbed headlines

Ahmedabad (PTI):

Strong comments cheered by supporters, slammed by rivals and deemed controversial by others are always head line-makers during poll campaigns and the Gu jarat assembly elections were no exception.

As people are waiting for the results on Thurs day, here is a list of such remarks and the lead ers behind them.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma drew crit icism from the Con gress but was feted by the BJP’s Hindutva base after he took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi by likening his new bearded look to that of former Iraqi dictator

NITISH DUCKS QUERIES ON EXIT POLLS PREDICTIONS

Patna: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Tuesday ducked queries about exit polls predicting wins, in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, for his former ally BJP which he has vowed to defeat with the help of a united opposition in the next general elections. Most exit polls have predicted a huge victory for the BJP in Gujarat, the home turf of PM Narendra Modi.

Saddam Hussein.

UP CM Yogi Adity anath’s swipe at Arvind Kejriwal at a public meeting on November 26 also drew criticism.

Murmu, Dhankhar, others pay tributes to Dr Ambedkar

New Delhi (ANI): Be sides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Presi dent Droupadi Murmu, Vice Presdident Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Bir la and several leaders on Tuesday paid floral tributes to Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his death anniversary at his stat ue in the Parliament.

“President Droupadi Murmu paid floral trib utes to Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar on his Mahaparinirvan Diwas at Parliament House Lawns, New Delhi,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted. President Murmu was accompa nied with Prime Minis ter Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha speaker Om Bir la and other leaders and

dignitaries at the Par liament premises.

Besides, BJP chief JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, former UP CM and BSP supremo Mayawati, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami, Delhi CM Arvind Kejri wal and several Con gress leaders paid trib utes to Dr Ambedkar.

UP GOVT TO BUILD MEMORIAL OF AMBEDKAR: CM YOGI

Lucknow: UP CM Yogi Adity anath on Tuesday paid tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar, the ar chitect of India’s Constitution, on his death anniversary, and said his efforts gave inspira tion to the downtrodden. CM Yogi announced that his govt will build a grand cultural centre and memorial named after Dr BR Ambedkar.

She took to Twitter and said in Hindi, “Your prayers boosted my fa ther’s morale and made him feel better today! Papa has said Thanky ou to all of you.”

She also attached a video where Lalu Yadav could be heard saying: “Aap logo ne sab dua kiya, acha feel kar rahe hain hum, acha feel kar rahe hain hum (You all prayed, I am feeling bet ter).”

Lalu’s son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Monday informed that the party chief under went kidney transplant surgery successfully at a hospital in Singapore.

“After the successful operation of my fa ther’s kidney trans plant, he was shifted from the operation the atre to ICU. Donor elder sister Rohini Acharya and the party national president are both healthy. Thank you for your prayers and good wishes,” tweeted Tejashwi Yadav.

GIRIRAJ PRAISES LALU’S DAUGHTER ROHINI WHO DONATED HER KIDNEY

Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya, who donated a kidney to her father, has earned the praise of Union minister Giriraj Singh, one of the most strident opponents of the former Bihar chief min ister. Singh, who represents the Begusarai Lok Sabha seat of the state, expressed his sentiments on Twitter, sharing a picture of Acharya fast asleep on her hospital bed after the surgery in Singapore. “Beti ho to Rohini Acharya jaisi (Rohini Acharya is the kind of daughter one should have),” Singh tweeted in Hindi, adding that the Singapore-based daughter of Prasad, in her early 40s, “shall serve as an example for the future generations”.

PM MODI SPEAKS TO TEJASHWI, ENQUIRES ABOUT LALU’S HEALTH AFTER SURGERY

Patna:

Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav who underwent a kidney transplant surgery in Singapore. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on phone this morning and inquired about the health of RJD National Presi dent Lalu Prasad Yadav after the kidney transplant operation,” according to RJD. Lalu’s son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Monday

We will win the legal battle: Bommai on border dispute with Maharashtra

Bengaluru (ANI): Kar nataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday as serted that Karnataka will win the legal battle with Maharashtra over the border issue be tween the two states.

“Karnataka’s stand had nothing to do with elections, it is a long dragged issue by Maha rashtra. These tensions are created because of Maharashtra. There is prosperity among the people of both states, this (Border issue) is in Supreme Court and I am sure that we will win the legal battle” Bom mai said, a day after ap pealing to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to fight the border dispute issue legally. Reacting to

Uddhav Thackeray’s re marks questioning if it is their (Karnataka’s) strategy to transfer vil lages before the elec tions in Karnataka, Bommai said: “We are committed to safeguard ing our borders and peo ple. Not only that we are also committed to safe guarding the Kannadi gas in Maharastra, Ker ala and Telangana.”

MP cops

on hunt

to nab author of controversial book

Bhopal (PTI): The Madhya Pradesh Police on Tuesday constituted several police teams to arrest the author of a controversial book against whom a case was registered last week, state Home Min ister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday.

The case was regis tered after activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vid yarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest on the premises of the govern ment Law College in Indore alleging the book, being taught to students, has very ob jectionable contents against the Hindu com munity and the Rash triya Swayamsevak Sangh, which encour ages religious funda mentalism.

Will Rahul Gandhi’s BJY ‘companions’ bond with him in politics?

Several allies have given open support to Yatra eversince it was started in Sep

New Delhi: Allies are openly supporting Con gress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra. The allies of the states through which the Yatra is going on under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi have supported the yatra, but the leaders of the allies of the states where the yatra is not going are also joining the yatra. Earlier it seemed that UPA’s allies in the states where the Yatra would not go, would only give moral

support to the Yatra. But as the Bharat Jodo Yatra progressed and it got a response, it seems that the opinion of the allies changed and they decid ed to give open support to the Yatra.

The Jharkhand Muk ti Morcha, a major ally of the Congress, sent its leader to join the yatra. Keep in mind that Bharat Jodo Yatra is not going to Jharkhand. That’s why Jharkhand Congress leaders had reached Madhya Pradesh to join the yatra. At the same time Congress’ ally JMM sent its senior leader and state minister Mith ilesh Kumar Thakur to join the yatra. On the

GOOD PERFORMACE SO FAR IN OVER

LAST 100 DAYS

When the yatra reached Maharashtra, leaders of both the allied parties joined the yatra after initial hesitation. Many big leaders including Supriya Sule, daughter of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar also attended the yatra. On behalf of the Shiv Sena, Aditya Thackeray, son of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and former minister of the state government, participated in the yatra.

sidelines of the visit, Rahul Gandhi posed for photographs with Jharkhand Congress and JMM leaders and

the same was released on social media. Signifi cantly, Jharkhand has JMM government with the support of Congress

Similarly,

eral senior party lead ers joined him and praised Rahul’s yatra. Keep in mind that the Goa Forward Party was earlier an ally of the BJP. But ahead of the last election, Sardesai had aligned with the Congress after the par ty was split by the BJP.

However, the leaders of the allied parties from the states through which the Congress yatra passed, joined the yatra and walked with Rahul.

When the yatra started from Kanyakumar in Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK leader in the state and Chief Minister MK Stalin attended the pro gramme. After that, lead ers of Congress’s allies in

Kerala also participated in the yatra. Congress has no allies in Karnata ka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. But when the yatra reached Maha rashtra, leaders of both the allied parties joined the yatra after initial hesitation. Many big leaders including Supri ya Sule, daughter of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar also attended the yatra. On behalf of the Shiv Sena, Aditya Thack eray, son of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thack eray and former minis ter of the state govern ment, participated in the yatra. Supriya Sule even participated in the Con gress rally held in Maha rashtra.

Polling officials monitor strong room through CCTV footage ahead of counting for the Gujarat elections, in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

BSF personnel stand guard at a strong room ahead of counting, in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday to enquire about the recovery of Rashtriya

informed that the party chief underwent kidney transplant surgery successfully at a hospital in Singapore.

President Murmu, VP Dhankhar, PM Modi arrive to pay homage to Dr Ambedkar. Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge also seen.

Shamsher Singh

and Hemant Soren is the Chief Minister.

the Con gress yatra is also not going to Goa, but Vijay

Sardesai, the head of Goa Forward Party, an ally of the Congress in Goa, joined the yatra in Madhya Pradesh. Sev

Rahul Gandhi with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, her husband Robert Vadra during the Yatra.

K’taka CM Basavaraj Bommai

At high-level meet, Home Secy reviews J&K security situation

Sources said it was a monthly review meeting to take stock of security in Jammu and Kashmir as well as ongoing development projects there

New Delhi (ANI): Un

ion Home Secretary

Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday chaired a highlevel security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir, sources said. They said it was a monthly review meet ing to take stock of se curity in Jammu and Kashmir as well as on going development pro jects there. The offi cials told ANI that the Home Secretary was apprised about the pre vailing security situa tion in Jammu and Kashmir and other is sues pertaining to the Union Territory.

The meeting lasted for over two-and-a-half hours in the Ministry of Home Affairs in a hy brid mode with senior officials in the ministry joining it in the pres ence of Director Intel ligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Research and Analysis Wing chief Sa mant Kumar Goel, Na tional Investigation Agency Director Gen eral Dinkar Gupta and J&K Director General of Police Dilbag Singh.

CRUCIAL

Central Reserve Po lice Force (CRPF) Direc tor General Sujoy Lal Thaosen was also pre sent in the meeting.

Senior Jammu and Kashmir Police and ad ministration officials attended the meeting via video conference.

The meeting was held days after The Resist ance Front (TRF) — an offshoot of Pakistanbased terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba— is sued a threat letter to 56 employees of the Educa tion Department from

the Srinagar district.

Various Kashmiri Pandit organisations termed it a serious mat ter and sought a highlevel probe into it as to how the names of the employees working un der the PM package in the Education Depart ment with their names and place of posting got leaked to a terror outfit.

They have urged the government to ensure the safety of employees appointed under the PM's package in Kash mir Valley.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addresses annual convocation of ILBS

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate three National Ayush Institutes on December 11. The institutes to be inaugurated by PM Modi include All India Institute of Ayur veda (AIIA), Goa, National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Ghaziabad and National Institute of Ho moeopathy (NIH), Delhi.

BIHAR MAN CHOPS OFF WOMAN OVER DEBT ISSUE

Bhagalpur: The Bihar Police have arrested two persons for allegedly attacking a woman and chopping off her body parts, leading to her death, in the Pirpainti police station limits of Bihar’s Bhagalpur. The arrested persons have been identified as Shakeel Miyan.

BSF SEIZES DRONE, CONTRABAND IN TARN TARAN

Tarn Taran: The Border Security Force recovered a drone carrying contraband suspected to be heroin weighing 2.4 kg near the Kalia village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, an of ficial said. According to the PRO, BSF, Punjab Frontier, the troops deployed at the border recovered the contraband on Monday.

TWO COLLEGE STUDENTS HELD FOR FRAUD

New Delhi: Two finalyear college students were arrested from Haryana for allegedly cheating people on the pretext of providing them with player IDs for a popular online game at discounted rates, police said on Tuesday. Bunty and Sagar, both 21, were arrested from Sonipat.

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla ad dressed the 8th annual convocation of the In stitute of Liver and Bil iary Sciences (ILBS), here on Tuesday.

Congratulating the students, Birla said that ILBS is a place dedicated to education, research and treatment, where thousands have received state-of-the-art treat ment at affordable rates.

Referring to the contri

bution of ILBS in the field of liver transplanta tion, he said ILBS has increased awareness about organ donation among the general public and has worked to take the idea related to organ donation to the masses.

He said that ILBS is playing the role of a guide across the country in liver related issues and ILBS has a major role in spreading infor mation about this dis ease to every nook and corner of the country.

CENTRAL

ASIAN COUNTRIES,

NSAS CALL CHABAHAR PORT VERY ‘IMPORTANT’

New Delhi (ANI): National Security Advisors and Securi ty Councils of the Central Asian coun tries emphasised the ‘importance’ of the Chabahar Port and discussed further de velopment of this transport corridor as it played a crucial role during the hu manitarian crisis in Afghanistan and in the delivery of hu manitarian goods to the Afghan people by international organi zations, according to the Joint Commu nique of 1st IndiaCentral Asia meeting of National Security Advisers/Secretaries of Security Councils.

The Central Asian nations were urged to take into account join ing the International North-South Trans port Corridor and Ashgabat Agreement on International Transport and Tran sit Corridor, as well as India. “India and Cen tral Asian member countries of the Inter national North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), as well as the Ashgabat Agreement on International Transport and Tran sit Corridor, called upon other Central Asian countries to consider joining these initiatives,” a Joint Communique of the meet said.

Others keen to replicate our digital transformation: Kant

Udaipur (PTI): India’s initiatives in digital public infrastructure such as Aadhaar, unique payment infrastructure and direct benefit trans fer have been lauded at the G20 Sherpa meeting here, with several mem bers stressing on the "need to replicate the model" in other develop ing countries, G20 Sher pa Amitabh Kant said.

He highlighted the digital initiatives taken in healthcare such as the Cowin app for imple menting the Covid vac cination drive and Ayushman Bharat scheme that has extend ed health insurance cov er to 500 million people at first meeting of Sherpa under India’s Presidency.

With Ukraine conflict festering on, Kant said all countries were ap preciative of PM Modi’s emphasis on peace and harmony in the article he had penned for news papers across the world on the day India as sumed G20 Presidency.

Kant said developing nations holding the G20 Presidency for the next three years would help emerging economies set their narrative on the global stage.

Udaipur: Different groups of G-20 countries will have more than 200 meet ings in India under the Indian Presidency. G-20 Prime Ministers’ meetings will be held in Delhi in Sep 2023. Before that, a series of meetings of various working groups will be held in every state of the country with an objective is to promote the culture of the state along with the policy of the country, G-20 Operation Head Muktesh Pardeshi said.

This series began with the first Sherpa meeting in Udaipur. He said that the meeting of the Develop ment Working Group will be held in Mumbai from Dec 13 to 16 and that

of the Finance Group in Bengaluru from December 16 to 18. Apart from this, Rajasthan will be such a state where meetings of different groups will be held in three cities of Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur. Pardeshi visited the Passport Seva Kendra in Subhash Nagar and met the officers and employ ees there. He took stock of the work. He said that it was because of him that Udaipur got the Passport Seva Kendra.

UP: 5 SENIOR IPS OFFICERS SET TO RETIRE NEXT YEAR

Ahtesham Siddiqui

Lucknow: In the Uttar Pradesh bureaucracy, year 2023 will bring in a ‘flood of retirements’ as five senior IPS offic ers will retire. With the retirement of 5 officers of DG rank, ADG offic ers will definitely get the benefit of promo tion. However, every one’s is more con

cerned about only one issue: Who will be the next UP DGP.

Presently acting UP DGP Dr D S Chauhan will retire in March and according to sources, it is very difficult for IPS Devendra Singh Chau han to get extension from the center because UPSC has already re turned his file. Sources further reveal that in the

new year, the center will finalize who will become the new DGP of Uttar Pradesh.

At present, some of ficers of the bureau cracy are busy helping both the central and the state government. Among those who will retire in the new year are IPS Gopal Lal Mee na DG Cooperative who will retire in January.

IPS Dr Rajendra Pal Singh DG Training will retire in February, IPS Dr DS Chauhan DGP & DG Intelligence and Di rector Vigilance will retire in March while IPS Dr Raj Kumar Vish wakarma will retire in May, as will IPS Chan dra Prakash DG Spe cial Inquiry.

Interestingly, for choosing the next DGP

of Uttar Pradesh, the exercise will start in February and efforts will be made once again to stamp the name of DS Chauhan through another extension. With 2024 slated for Lok Sabha election, in such a situation, the better coordination between the state and the center will finalize the name of the DGP’s chair!

German Foreign Minister Baerbock visits ECI

First India Bureau

New Delhi (FIB): Inau gurating “Women Lead ing Change in Health and Science in India” conference in here in the presence of Melinda French Gates, Co-chair and Trustee Bill and Melinda Gates Founda tion, MoS Dr Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday that Indian women are gradually evolving from participatory to leader ship role and constitute an essential component of nation’s inclusive

growth as envisaged by PM Modi. He said, wom en leaders are a crucial part of the new India growth story, as projects, programmes and poli

DRONE YATRA BEGINS

cies are now moving from women-specific to women-led, or we can say from an era of women participation to an era of women leadership.

New Delhi: A German delegation led by An nalena Baerbock, For eign Minister of Ger many met Chief Elec tion Commissioner Ra jiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel at Nirva chan Sadan in New Delhi on Tuesday. The German Foreign Minis ter was accompanied by four Members of Parlia

India will become a hub of drone technology: Thakur

Launch

First India Bureau

Chennai: India will be come a hub of drone technology and India will require at least 1 lakh drone pilots by next year, said Union Information and Broad casting Minister Anur ag Thakur. He was ad dressing the gathering after flagging of the ‘Drone Yatra 2.0’, in

Chennai on Tuesday.

Technology is truly transforming the world at a rapid rate and it has never been more rele vant than now as its ap plications are solving some of the most press ing problems on the planet, said the Minis ter. He said “Prime Min ister Modi once re marked that ‘India has a billion solutions to a

million problems.’ As the country of a billion plus people, India is in creasingly leveraging

technology to stay ahead of the curve”. Detailing the ad vancements in drone

technology in India, he said that during the Beating Retreat, the en tire nation was mes merised by the spectac ular display of 1000 ‘Made in India’ drones by Indian start-up ‘Bot lab Dynamics’ led by an IIT alumni. As a part of the SWAMITVA scheme (Survey of villages and mapping with impro vised technology in vil lage areas), the survey of the land and houses are being prepared through drones in the villages, he added.

Drones are increasingly being used to sprinkle pesticides and nano fer tilizers in the fields in rural villages.

He said that recently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had granted condition al exemption to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the deployment of drones for live aerial cinematography of the India Cricket Season in 2021.

ment namely Agniesz ka Brugger, Thomas Erndl, Ulrich Lechte, Andreas Larem, Dr Philipp Ackermann, German Ambassador to India and other officers from her Foreign Office.

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Union Edu cation Minister Dhar mendra Pradhan on Tuesday invited stu dents, teachers and par ents to participate in the 6th edition of “Pariksha Pe Charcha 2023” and get a chance to be mentored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In this pro gramme, students, par ents, teachers across the nation and also from overseas interact with the Prime Minister.

Ravi Sharma

NSA Ajit Doval at India-Central Asia meeting of national security advisors and secretaries, in New Delhi, on Tuesday.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla leaves after chairing the MHA security review meeting, at North Block, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

India’s G20 Sherpa highlights digital initiatives taken for healthcare like Cowin app and the Ayushman Bharat scheme

DIFFERENT G-20 COUNTRIES GROUPS TO HAVE OVER 200 MEETS UNDER INDIA’S PRESIDENCY

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, with his wife Ranjeeta Kant, arrives to attend cultural programme at G20 Sherpa meet, in Udaipur.

of 1st Drone Skilling & Training Conference & Flag-off of Drone Yatra held at Garuda Aerospace, Agni College

Union Minister Anurag Thakur after flagging-off the ‘Drone Yatra 2.0’, in Chennai on Tuesday.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addresses annual convocation of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Indian women are evolving from participatory to leadership role, says MoS Dr Jitendra Singh

MoS Dr Jitendra Singh addressing the conference in New Delhi.

BRIEFS

INDIA’S THERMAL POWER GENERATION RISES BY 16.28%

World Bank raises India’s GDP forecast to 6.9 percent

New Delhi: India’s ther mal power generation registered a growth of 16.28% at 87,687 MU in November this year as compared to 75,412 MU generated in the corre sponding month of previ ous fiscal. The overall generation of power in the country also in creased by 14.63% from 1,02,968 MU to 1,18,029 MU in the reporting month yoy. Power utili ties’ despatch went up by 3.55% to 62.34 MT dur ing November this year as compared to 60.20 MT in the year-ago month. —PTI

GOLD FALLS `473; SILVER PRICE ALSO TUMBLES BY `1,241

New Delhi (PTI): The World Bank on Tuesday re vised upwards its GDP growth forecast for India to 6.9% for 2022-23, saying the economy was showing higher resilience to global shocks.

In its India Development Update, the World Bank said the revision was due to higher resilience of the In dian economy to global shocks and better-than-ex pected second quarter numbers. India’s economy grew at 6.3% in September quarter 2022-23 as com pared to 13.5% in the pre ceding June quarter, main ly on account of contrac tion in output of manufac turing and mining sectors.

This is the first upgrade of India’s growth forecast by any international agen cy amid the global turmoil.

In October, the World Bank had cut India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.5%

OTHER STORIES

from 7.5% earlier. Now, it has upgraded the projec tion to 6.9% for 2022-23 (April 2022 -March 2023).

The report titled ‘Navi gating the Storm’, said while the deteriorating ex ternal environment will weigh on India’s growth prospects, the economy is relatively well positioned to weather global spillo vers compared to most other emerging markets.

Impact of a tightening

global monetary policy cy cle, slowing global growth and elevated commodity prices will mean that the Indian economy will expe rience lower growth in 2022-23 compared to 2021-22 (8.7%), it said.

Despite these challenges, it said, the update expects India to register a strong GDP growth and remain one of the fastest growing major economies in the world, due to a robust do

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

z In October, the World Bank had cut India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.5% from 7.5% earlier. Now, it has upgraded the projection to 6.9% for 2022-23

z This is the first upgrade of India’s growth forecast by any international agency amid the global turmoil

mestic demand.

“The World Bank has re vised its 2022-23 GDP fore cast upward to 6.9% from 6.5% (in October 2022), con sidering a strong outturn in India in second quarter (July-September) of 2022-23 financial year,” the India Development Update said on Tuesday.

The report projected that the Indian economy will grow at slightly lower rate of 6.6% in 2023-24.

‘Eco growth to slip to 4-4.5% in 2HFY23’

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Economic re covery in FY23 has been resilient and encouraging, but challenges such as high inflation and weak demand (both internal and external) are expected to pull down the economic growth to 4-4.5% in 2HFY23 from 9.7% in 1HFY23, In dia Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said.

The agency says as per the latest estimates of the National Statistical Organ isation, the GDP grew 6.3% yoy during July-September 2022 (2QFY23). “The data indicates that despite the geopolitical uncertainty and fear of a global growth slowdown, the Indian econ omy has shown resilience.

In fact, the 2QFY23 GDP growth print remains next only to Saudi Arabia (8.6% yoy) among the major econ omies,” says, Paras Jasrai, Analyst, Ind-Ra. Given that Saudi Arabia is a key ben eficiary of the current oil

SAYS KIRIT PARIKH PANEL

price boom, India’s GDP growth is indeed a shining spot across the globe.

The biggest worry stems from India’s merchandise exports that contracted by a massive 16.7% yoy to $29.8 billion in October 2022. This is the first con traction in 19 months. Mer chandise imports grew 5.7% yoy in the month, tak ing the trade deficit in goods to a three-month high of $26.9 billion in Oc tober 2022. Favourably, the trade surplus of services continues the buoyancy reaching a record high of $12.3 billion, growing by 40.7% yoy (10-month high) in October 2022.

New Delhi: Gold price fell by Rupees 473 to `53,898 per 10 gram in the national capital on Tuesday amid weak global trends, according to HDFC Securities. In the previous trade, the pre cious metal had touched `54,371 per 10 gram. Sil ver also tumbled by `1,241 per kg to Rupees 65,878 per kilogram. In the international market, gold was trading lower at $1,770.75 per ounce while silver was down at $22.38 per ounce. —PTI

SUZUKI INDIA TO RECALL 9,125 VEHICLES

GLOBAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY TO POST 6.9 BILLION

US

DOLLAR LOSS IN 2022: IATA

Geneva: The global airline industry is projected to report a lower loss at $6.9 billion in 2022, mainly due to stronger passenger yields and cost control by carriers amid rising fuel prices, according to industry body IATA. In June, the IATA projected the industry loss at $9.7 billion. In October 2021, it forecast a loss of $11.6 billion for this year. On Tues day, IATA said the global airline industry is expected to return to profitability in 2023 and post a small net profit of $4.7 billion. After being significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the airline industry is on the recovery path. —PTI

UPI TRANSACTIONS SEE 650% RISE AT RURAL, SEMI-URBAN STORES

New

Nov 2-28, 2022.

“It is suspected that there is a possible defect in one of the child parts of shoulder height adjuster assembly of front row seat belts, which in a rare case, may lead to seat belt disassembly,” it said. The company has decided to recall the vehicles for inspection and replace ment of the faulty part, free of cost. —PTI

SEIZURE OF HIGH VALUE DRUGS RISES MANIFOLD IN FY22

New Delhi: The unified pay ments interface (UPI) transac tions witnessed a meteoric 650% rise at the semi-urban and rural stores in India this year, a report showed on Tuesday. There was a growth of 25% and 14% in value and volume, respectively, in assisted financial transactions across semi-urban and rural retail counters in the country in 2022. While there was a 25% increase in the demand for micro-ATMs and mPOS. —ANI

FERTILISER SUBSIDY

BILL IN FY’23 SEEN AT `2.3-2.5 LAKH CR: FAI

New Delhi: The government’s fertiliser subsidy will rise to `2.3-2.5 lakh crore in this fiscal but the bill may fall by 25% in the 2023-24 financial year with moderation in global prices, according to industry body FAI. It expressed concern that the fixed cost of urea has not been increased affecting the viability of urea plants. It also pointed out that the industry is running on a very thin margin, which is ham pering new investments. —PTI

TOP PALM OIL BUYER INDIA’S NOVEMBER IMPORTS

JUMP 29% TO 1.14

MILLION TONNES: DEALERS

New Delhi: India’s palm oil imports jumped 29% in November from a month ago, as a steep discount to rival soyoil and sunoil made buying of the tropical oil lucrative for local refiners. Higher imports by India reached 1.14 million tonnes last month, the average estimate from five dealers with trading firms showed. In November 2021, India had imported 539,639 tonnes of palm oil. For November shipments, buyers mostly placed orders in October, when palm oil was nearly $500 per tonne cheaper than rival soyoil and sunflower oil. —FIB

Fitch Ratings on Tuesday said it expects the five-month-old tax on windfall profits made by oil companies to be phased out in 2023 on the back of moderating oil rates.

The government had on July 1 levied a new tax on domestically-produced crude oil as well as on the export of petrol, diesel and jet fuel (ATF) to take away windfall gains accruing to oil companies from a global surge in energy prices fol lowing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The tax rates are revised every fortnight based on prevailing international rates. The levy on petrol export has since been abol ished. “We expect the wind fall taxes on domestic crude oil production levied by the government in 2022 to be phased out in 2023 with moderating prices,” Fitch said in its APAC Oil & Gas Outlook 2023.

ALONG WITH 3 OTHER INDIAN BILLIONAIRES

Cut excise duty on CNG till gas is included in GST

New Delhi (PTI): The Un ion government should moderate the excise duty it levies on CNG till such time that the environmentfriendly natural gas is in cluded in the one-nationone-tax GST regime, Kirit Parikh Committee has rec ommended.

Natural gas is currently outside the ambit of GST, and existing legacy taxes —central excise duty, state VAT and central sales tax —continue to be applicable on the fuel.

While the central gov ernment does not levy ex cise duty on natural gas when sold in gaseous form, it charges a 14% tax on CNG. States levy VAT as high as 24.5% on gas.

The Parikh Committee, which was formed to rec ommend fair price of gas to

TOP TALKING POINTS

z Natural gas is currently outside the ambit of GST, and existing legacy taxes — central excise duty, state VAT and central sales tax — continue to be applicable on the fuel

z The central govt does not levy excise duty on natural gas when sold in gaseous form

the end consumer and a “market-oriented, trans parent and reliable pricing regime”, in its report to the Oil Ministry last week sug gested that “gas should be brought under the GST re gime”. “The committee rec ognise that this requires consensus among the states,” it said.

MSMEs grow

New Delhi: High-value drugs like cocaine, meth amphetamine and heroin have witnessed record seizures by revenue intel ligence officers in the last fiscal. Signalling a dis turbing trend, the figures revealed that the seizure of highly addictive party drug cocaine has shot up 36-fold to 310 kg in 2021-22. Another highvalue party drug metham phetamine saw a 14-fold increase in seizures by DRI officers at 884.69 kg in 2021-22. —PTI

Adani features in Forbes’ philanthropy list

GAUTAM ADANI’S COMMITMENT

z Adani was listed for having pledged `60,000 crores ($7.7 billion) when he turned 60 in June this year

The

Adani was listed for hav ing pledged ` 60,000 crores when he turned 60 in June this year.

The pledge makes him

z The money will address healthcare, education, and skill development

one of India’s most gener ous philanthropists, the release said.

The money will ad dress healthcare, edu cation, and skill de velopment and will be channelled

through the family’s Adani Foundation, which was founded in 1996.

Self-made billionaire and philanthropist Shiv Nadar counts among the top do nors in India,

ing

channelled close to $1 bil lion of his wealth over a few decades to various so cial causes through the eponymous Shiv Nadar Foundation.

This year he donated `11,600 crore to the founda tion he established in 1994, intending to create an eq uitable, merit-based socie ty by empowering individ uals through education.

Tech tycoon Ashok Soota has pledged ` 600 crore to the medical re search trust he founded in April 2021 for the study of ageing and neurological illnesses.

New Delhi (PTI): Walmart and Flipkart on Tuesday joined hands with the Na tional Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) to ac celerate capacity building for micro, small and medi um enterprises (MSMEs) across India, help them unlock export potential and become part of retail supply chains locally and globally.

The agreement was signed at a summit here to mark the milestone of 20,000 MSMEs completing their training under the Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Programme, of which Swasti is a pro gramme partner.

The Vriddhi programme also includes training, seminars and mentoring sessions conducted regu larly for MSMEs. Tens of thousands of MSMEs have registered for the pro gramme from metros and Tier II and III cities.

Mkts settle lower on Tue; Sensex falls for third day

Mumbai (PTI): Bench mark indices ended the day in the negative territory on Tuesday amid weak global market trends and rising crude prices.

Falling for the third day running, the 30-share BSE benchmark ended 208.24 points or 0.33% lower at 62,626.36. During the day, it tumbled 444.53 points or 0.70% to 62,390.07.

The broader NSE Nifty declined 58.30 points or 0.31% to end at 18,642.75.

HUL, UltraTech Cement, Power Grid and Nestle were among the winners.

` SLUMPS 76 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.61

AGAINST US DOLLAR

Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday said it is recalling 9,125 units of its models Ciaz, Brezza, Erti ga, XL6 and Grand Vitara to fix possible defects in a part of the front row seat belts. The affected vehi cles were manufactured between

MARUTI

New Delhi (PTI):

Fitch expects windfall tax on oil to be phased out in next year

Walmart, Flipkart join hands with NSIC to help

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee declined by 76 paise to close at 82.61 against the US dollar on Tuesday due to heavy selling pressure in domestic equities and rising crude prices. During the day, the local unit witnessed an intraday high of 81.94 and a low of 82.63.

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Indian billion aires Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, and Ashok Soota were named in the 16th edi tion of Forbes Asia’s He roes of Philanthropy list released on Tuesday.

unranked list “high lights leading altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who demonstrated a strong personal commitment to philanthropic causes.”

Malik denied bail for ‘possessing tainted property’

in continuous posses sion of tainted prop erty” through a firm, owned by his family.

for acquisition of Goawala Compound

First India Bureau

Mumbai: While deny ing bail to former Ma harashtra minister Nawab Malik in mon ey laundering case last week, a special court held that he “is

The case is linked to a land deal in which fu gitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides were involved.

Prima facie, there was evidence to indi cate that there was a “conspiracy” between Hasina Parkar (Ibra him’s sister), Salim Patel (alleged associate of Ibrahim) and Malik to grab the land owned by Munira Plumber and her moth er Mariyum Goawala,

said RN Rokade, spe cial judge for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The judge rejected Malik’s bail plea on No vember 30. A detailed order was made avail able on Tuesday.

The Enforcement Di rectorate (ED) arrested Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Malik in February this year.

He is in judicial cus tody and currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai.

In its order, the court said, “Having regard to the statements record ed under Section 50 of the PMLA pertaining

to the conspiracy for usurpation/acquisi tion of prime property Goawala Compound and the material col

Man gets five years RI for attempting to kiss minor

First India Bureau

Mumbai: A special court here has sen tenced a 25-year-old man to five years of rigorous imprison ment for kidnapping and forcibly trying to kiss a minor girl in Dharavi area of cen tral Mumbai.

Rahul blows kisses to group shouting ‘Modi’ slogans

Jhalawar (PTI): In the last leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Madhya Pradesh, a group of people in a town in Agar Malwa district raised slogans hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi after spotting Rahul Gandhi, who responded by giv ing flying kisses.

The incident oc curred on December 4 evening in Soyat Kalan town when the Yatra was headed towards the Rajasthan border.

A video clip of the in cident surfaced on Mon day evening and went viral. The video shows a group of persons standing on the terrace and the balcony of a mall and shouting

“Modi”, “Modi” in di rection of Gandhi when he reached the market area of the town. Gan dhi pointed towards the group and asked them to shout more loudly. He was seen blowing kisses and smiling.

Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra re

sumed from Khel Sankul in Jhalawar, Ra jasthan, on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the party high command appoint ed senior Punjab Con gress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa as the Rajasthan in-charge af ter Ajay Maken ten dered his resignation.

Special judge Jayshri Pulate on Monday found the accused guilty of the offences committed un der section 363 (kidnap ping) of the Indian Pe nal Code and relevant provisions of the Pro tection of Children from Sexual Offences (POC

SO) Act for aggravated sexual assault.

At the time of the inci dent in 2015, the victim was nine years old and was studying in a civic school. She, in the depo sition, said that the ac cused took her to the top floor of a building on the pretext of giving her a dress, pulled her towards him and tried to kiss her.

MED RELIEF

ed property through Solidus Investments Private Limited.”

Solidus Investments is a company owned by Malik’s family members.

lected during the inves tigation, I am inclined to hold that the appli cant is in continuous possession of the taint

The judge said con sidering the role attributed to the applicant (Malik) and the prima facie mate rial placed on record, he was of the consid ered view that the ap plicant failed to “satis fy twin conditions for enlargement on bail” as per provisions of the PMLA.

The court held that

“prima facie, there is evidence to indicate that there was a con spiracy” between de ceased Parkar, Salim Patel and Malik to grab the land owned by Munira and her moth er Mariyum.

It further said hav ing regard to the entire gamut of the circum stances and transac tions entered into by Salim Patel and the ap plicant, it was of the “considered view that the Enforcement Direc torate is justified in in voking provisions of the PMLA.”

Mumbai’s Koli fishermen allege harassment by BMC officials

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Koli fishermen’s commu nity has accused Mumbai Municipal Corporation D ward of harassing them on the instructions of the Indian Navy.

According to the Koli fisher folks, their en gines and fishing boats were allegedly removed from the Girgaon Chow patty. The local fisher men said that civic offi cials picked up the en gines of their fishing boats and other equip ment from the Girgaon Chowpatty which is a

fisher folks said their engines and fishing boats were allegedly removed from the Girgaon Chowpatty —FILE PHOTO

notified Koliwada by the Fisheries Department.

Although the Indian Navy holds events and exercises at Marine Drive frequently, but never in the past such action has been taken by the BMC.

KURLA GANG-RAPE

According to Godfrey Pimenta of Watchdog Foundation and Bombay East Indian Association, the local fishermen are not at all against holding any events by the Indian Navy, but one has to be humane in its approach.

1 ACCUSED ARRESTED, TWO ABSCONDING

First India Bureau

Mumbai: A 40 year-old man has been arrested in connection with the gang-rape and torture of a woman in subur ban Kurla area of the city, while two other accused in the case are still at large.

This comes a day after First India’s exclusive story on police lodging a First Information Re port (FIR) against the 42-year-old woman who accused three persons of raping and burning her

with cigarettes.

According to the FIR, the woman was in volved in the drug trade. Moreover, the woman’s claim of being raped has also been found to be a lie, on the basis of her medical examina tion report. There were no signs of rape or burn marks on her private parts, stated the report.

In fact, after filing the FIR against the woman, cops initiated a search for the ‘victim’ on Mon day, who reportedly went missing.

MUMBAI’S AQI SLIPS TO ‘VERY POOR’, SMOG COVERS SKYLINE

AIR POLLUTION

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The city’s skyline witnessed a blanket of smog on Monday morning as the overall Air Qual ity Index (AQI) of Mumbai fell to the ‘very poor’ category on account of change in weather condi tions and slow wind speed.

The city’s AQI in the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecast and Research (SAFAR) dashboard on Monday morning was 301, which is ‘very poor’.

The AQI, however, improved to 297 in the evening, which was

three short of the ‘very poor’ category.

Several pockets of the city continued to record poor air quality.

Mazagaon recorded an

AQI of 349, followed by 314 in Colaba and 313 in Malad. BKC record ed 321, while Chembur was 311.

Bhandup recorded

256, followed by 239 in Andheri and 201 in Bo rivali. Worli recorded an AQI of 162.

“The present air quality in Mumbai is

the result of pollutants that have accumulated in its lower atmos phere for the past few days,” said weather and climate experts.

A probe revealed that the accused were alleg edly involved in theft of

Police acts a week after crime was reported; hunt on for other perpetrators

diesel, electricity and other petty crimes, said an official.

The trio has been charged under sections 376 (rape), 376D (gang rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by danger ous weapon) of the In dian Penal Code.

Elite NSG surveying Mumbai Metro to assess threat perception

First India Bureau

Mumbai: To assess threat perceptions to the public transporta tion system in the city, a team of the elite National Securi ty Guard (NSG) has initiated a survey of different Mumbai metro lines.

The team has come from Delhi to conduct the eight-day survey of sensitive installations and structures on Met ro corridors.

Speaking over the de velopment, an official from the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) said, “A team of the National Securi ty Guard has planned a reconnaissance survey at some sensitive loca

tions, including the Aarey Depot site of Co laba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro 3 corridor, which they will visit on Tues day (today).”

During their visit that began on December 01, the Metro lines to be cov ered include VersovaAndheri-Ghatkopar Metro 1, Dahisar to DN Nagar Metro 2A, Cola ba-BandraSEEPZ Metro

3, and Dahisar EastAndheri East Metro 7. The operations branch of NSG is visit ing various Metro sites and assessing the threat and security measures undertaken or planned by the executing agen cies. A review of secu rity preparedness and standard operating pro cedures (SOPs) will also be done.

Court holds evidence to ‘indicate conspiracy’

Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik —FILE PHOTO

NO

Two teams were formed to apprehend the accused, one of whom was arrested from Nag pada area of south Mum

bai, said an official from Kurla police.

Koli

The city’s AQI on Monday morning was 301, which is ‘very poor’. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

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

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waves to a group of BJP supporters during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY PTI

‘WILL FIND WAY TO RESOLVE INFIGHTING’

www.firstindia.co.in

EMPRESS OF HER KINGDOM

SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

Beauty and brains, pleas ure and usability – they should go hand in hand as beauty gets the attention and Personality gets the heart. From handling her little dreams to wearing the crown of First India Queen Victoria has proved that atti tude, knowledge and skills are the best foundation of real Victoria’s inimitable style transformation from freshfaced girl to modelling powerhouse shook every one, when asked about her struggle the crowned beauty comes from a humble background which instilled in her the virtue of being kind and giving. She spends a day every week in commu nity service to give back to society in small ways.

As an elder daughter growing up she was backed with responsibili ties and challenges to set an example, and to make her family proud, cer tainly, she has. Being born and brought up in Mumbai she has a bach elor’s degree in Mass Media from St Andrew’s

She started her pro fessional life as Social Media Marketing In tern at Reliance Nip pon Life Insurance and Currently is working as an Account Execu tive at an Advertising Firm. Victoria started a small business page on Instagram (@vii_crochet

clothing). during the lockdown “It’s a hobby turned into a small business” she says with pride.

The elegant queen further said, “I am extremely grateful to Dr Jagdeesh Chandra and First India Queen for making my dream come true, something great like this can only be visualized by JC sir, he has opened open the gates of opportunity for many deserving girls like us.”

Victoria Fernandes, a supermodel hailing from Mumbai and one of the finalists of First India Queen shares he inspiring journey with City First!

UTTKARSHA

Victoria Fernandes, First runner-up during the grand finale of First India Queen

Ahuman brain is a unique machine which can think endlessly and talk with itself on so many subjects in cluding bizarre and familiar. The mind which is like cloud storage in a digital device and is beyond scope of any definition, can talk with itself or rather itself talks continuously.

This self-talk can be posi tive or negative. A positive internal dialogue makes a person feel good about self and situations while nega tive self-talk is a product of intense anxiety, lack of con fidence and self-belief. Think ing is easy and spontaneous but positive thinking needs training as well as guidance.

A person capable of posi

LEARN TO TALK WITH YOURSELF

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20

Listening to someone’s advice on the professional front will be in your interest. You are very generous by nature and also you are the backbone of your family. Be careful of the words that come out of your mouth. Your lover may finally say yes to get married to you.

TAURUS

APR 21 - MAY 20

It will be in your interest to guide a family youngster on the academic front.

Scrumptious food is what you are craving for today.

You may start a side business to earn extra money. You are not a jealous kind and you feel happy for others. You are a very grounded person.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

logue is a natural cognitive process which helps in im proving mental health, work performance and relation ships. Very recent studies and observations by alert clinicians have shown that people who had positive selftalk fared better on the ground of anxiety and death during Covid 19 pandemic.

There were lesser inci dents of obsessive-compul sive behaviour regarding extreme hygiene of hands and mouth. The positive selftalk helped them cope better than others as far as emotion al storms were concerned. As per a school study, the stu dents who had a habit of selftalk did better in school de bate and speech competitions as it boosted their morale.

A 2022 study concluded that athletes who were talk ing with themselves gave a superior and consistent per formance on the ground and even enjoyed the tremendous stress they underwent.

One more thing that came to light was that the athletes who used words like you or their first name as a second person to talk showed im proved and steady progress

Your spouse is someone who can do anything for your happiness. You are happy spending whole day at home.

Tensions on the family front may sorted out. Help your mothers at home today and give them a reason to smile. You are opportunist and this will make you successful one day.

CANCER

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

Fortunes are set to rise for those in trade and business. You love to live close to your family. You are a child at heart and never let this child die.

You have a big heart and you always help someone if you can. Expected payments are likely to get released soon.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

Family will be supportive of your ideas, but only to an extent. You give tough competition to people. You will get special treatment from your dear ones. Good health is assured through own efforts. Meeting people you get along with well is likely to make the day enjoyable for you.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 - DEC 22

Whatever you have in mind, you will manage to implement it at work. You are likely to feel much healthy and energetic today. Visit a doctor if you have any doubts about your health. You want to have your own house and you will work hard to make your dream come true.

CAPRICORN

DEC

LEO

AQUARIUS

tive self-talk can think opti mistically to get motivated. As a result of this optimism, it becomes easier to tide over the crisis and find a better solution even if the situation or problem is beyond total resolution. This way, our thinking becomes introspec tion and contemplation. In trospection may bring out our strength to cope with ad versity and helps in finding a solution. This internal dia

than the group which used the word I as a second person. This indicates that an egois tic attitude is a hindrance to improvement and upgrade.

Then there is a huge group of people perpetually in volved in negative self-talk. This is, in fact, an almost to tal majority in many groups of human societies. Their behaviour of negative selftalk is detrimental to self-es teem and self-worth. They

always underestimate their capabilities. This leads to self-fulfilling prophecies of doom and a vicious cy cle of negativism. In their talk with them selves, they repeat again and again that they won’t succeed, and that things are be yond their control. This behaviour puts them at a disadvantage as they won’t put their full effort to achieve a goal or change a situa tion. Because of this temperament, they won’t succeed but con clude that I already told you, I already knew" This self-inflicted failure may push them towards depres sion and anxiety.

The whole situation can be changed by proper training by an experienced mentor or behaviour therapist with a philosophical inclination. As a negative attitude is a habit so it can be changed. A diffi cult situation can be taken as a challenge rather than an

obstacle. I can’t do situation can be perceived as an oppor tunity to prove one's worth. We all mess up life at one point or another. A posi tive talk is capable of con verting messed up incidents as part of experience and learning. One may fail but the potential to succeed hasn’t been lost by this single failure if one is ready to try again.

Life might be miserable but always remember that it could have been in the worst situation.

People may dislike but you need not worry till you love and like yourself. Self-love has no baggage and condi tions. Learn to love yourself. You might not be knowing a lot of things but everything is fine if you want to know and put your best efforts in that direction. We all suc cumb to negativity off and on but if it becomes a dominant behaviour pattern, you need help and should seek it at the earliest without any hesitation.

VIRGO

PISCES

DAY

FACEOFTHEDAY

RITIKA KHANNA,

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

DR RAMAWTAR cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Simple sweet

Vicky Kaushal, Ki ara Advani, and Bhumi Pednekar are currently gearing up for the re lease of their upcoming film, Govinda Naam Mera. It is directed by Shashank Khaitan and will be released on Dis ney+ Hotstar on Decem ber 16. The film is being produced by Karan Jo har’s Dharma Produc tions. Ahead of the film’s release, on Tues day, the makers of Go vinda Naam Mera unveiled the third song titled Kyaa Baat Haii 2.0 which is recreated version of Harrdy

hu’s hit Punjabi song Kya Baat Ay. In the three-minute-elevenseconds long video, Vicky and Kiara can be seen flaunting their ‘dancer’ moves as they grooved to the track. Kyaa Baat Haii 2.0 is composed by B Praak and recreated by Tan ishk Bagchi, it is written by Jaani. Sung by Harrdy Sandhu and Nikhita Gandhi. Sharing the song, Vicky captioned it: “Yeh sirf gaana nahi hai, it’s a whole vibe and it’s all yours now!

#KyaaBaatHaii 2.0 song out now.” Ki ara, on the oth er hand, wrote: “Get ready for the groovi est tune in town!”

Katrina Kaif is current ly enjoying her mar ried life with Vicky Kaushal. After keep ing their relationship under wraps, the love birds got mar ried in December last year in an intimate ceremony in Ra jasthan. Now, ahead of their first anniversary, the actress was seen making a style state ment at the Mumbai airport earlier today. Katrina never fails to impress when it comes to fashion.

Katrina was seen entering the Mumbai airport on Tues day morning. She decided to opt for a casual outfit. In the video, the ace actress is seen sporting a blue oversized tshirt with a pair of ripped

ith December 25 just around the corner, excite ment for Christ mas is at its peak. The lat est celeb to embrace the festive mood is Pooja Hegde. The Radhe Shyam star took to her Instagram handle and shared a hap py post with the caption, “My most favorite time of

jeans. She styled her look with mini mal makeup, chic sunglasses and soft curls. The actress sure ly looked like a breath of fresh air in an-all blue look.

It’s a pink and pretty world right now and we’re happy to be its desi mem bers. Need a good five-minute look at what we’re

Yashoda’s OTT debut

After taking the cinema halls by storm, Sa mantha Ruth Prab hu’s new-age thrill er Yashoda is all set to entertain the movie buffs on the OTT platform. The much-appreciated drama will be pre miered on 9th De cember this year.

For those who have not witnessed the film yet, it talks about a woman named Yashoda, who opts to become a surrogate mother

in an attempt to raise funds for her sister’s surgery. During her stay at the surrogacy cen tre, she uncovers a deep-rooted medical scam. The film will be premiered in 240 countries world wide in multiple languages including Telugu, Tamil, Kan nada, Hindi, and Malayalam on Ama zon Prime. Sharing the news, the OTT platform Tweeted, “unravel this oh-somysterious trap with Yashoda.”

Helmed by director

the year is here and San ta’s squad was back in ac tion to help set the mood... Joy and good vibes only# happypuppy.” The video featured her having a

good time decorat ing the Christ mas tree. Re cently, Pooja Hegde informed through social media that she has started using spec tacles. Dropping some stills of herself in specs on the photo-sharing app, she wrote, “Guess who’s a chashmish now?”

avya Naveli Nanda is one of the most fa mous star kids. She has not entered Bol lywood but still enjoys a huge fan following. Her show What The Hell Navya on the podcast is very popu lar among fans. Well, Shweta Bachchan and Nikhil Nanda’s daugh ter are celebrating her birthday today. Her friend Ananya Panday took to her Instagram stories and wished her. She also shared a pic ture from their vacation.

Sand

loving today and forever? Shraddha Kapoor’s latest airport look features all our favourites from head to toe. She fully is a doll and it’s also the total blast of glamour we dig here. Attend ing weddings and family gatherings sounds like a December lifestyle so we’re here to talk about something note-worthy right now. Give a head start to the ethnic season with this fresh inspiration that came just in time. It’s been a while since we spotted the Kapoor girl at the airport. Thank you for this gem, Shraddha. Dressed in what could be deemed as a hero pick, the Bollywood actress’s Anarkali is as flawless as it comes. Made to play fabulous and remain versatile, it got us in a minute. She donned a Gopi Vaid monotone pink set which was utterly regal with a midi kurta and its features like scoop neckline.

Shraddha Kapoor

Ananya Panday

Ananya’s

Shraddha in Gopi Vaid monotone pink set

Ranveer Singh’s Emotional Connect

ship goals ever since.

Akshay

Kumar as Shivaji Maharaj

Akshay Kumar is unstoppable. He is on a roll when it comes to shooting for films. The actor has had backto-back releases this year and every film was different from the other.

Well, after having a successful year in Bol lywood, the actor is all set to make his Marathi debut. Yes! You heard that right. Khiladi Ku mar is all set to make his Marathi debut with Mahesh Manjrekar's next based on Shivaji. The actor will be play ing the role of Chhatra

Akshay recently post ed a picture of the look. In the post that Akshay Kumar shared we can see him dressed exactly like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Be it the make up, the body language or everything else, Akshay makes us feel that he is actually Shivaji Maha raj. Sharing the first look, the actor wrote, “जJai Bhavani, Jai Shiva ji!” The moment Akshay shared this video, fans cannot stop praising the actor and his look.

Ranveer Singh, who doesn’t need any in troduction, is one of the most popular actors in Bol lywood. He has made a special place through his perfor mances in films like 83, and Gully Boy and has come a long way in his career. His re cently released Cirkus trailer has left fans excited. Well, he has always been very open about his struggles in life and during an interview with the magazine Esquire Singapore, he re vealed how his sister photoshopped his face on YRF posters.

Talking about his struggling days, Ran veer Singh recalled an incident and said, “My sister had photo

two posters of Yash Raj Films and she had even photoshopped my face onto a person holding a Filmfare award. This was years before I even got the call to work with Yash Raj. So, I did mani fest it. I hustled hard and created my own luck.”

The actor also re vealed why he was able to connect with Deepika Padukone, and how both of them had to work their way up in the entertain ment business.

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are one of the most promi nent and loved cou ples in Bollywood. Both actors are at the pinnacle of their ca reers and have amassed massive fan bases. After dating for a few years, the cou ple married in No vember 2018 and have

Speaking about it the actor shared "She’s that classic sto ry of packing a suit case and coming to the big, bad city. We’ve both connected over the rejections, the hu miliations, the strug gle, the reliance on one’s supportive family, etc." He add ed, "She’s also had to work her way up in the entertainment business."

The actor further shared about the peo ple around him who keep him grounded. He stated that he has a close-knit community of family and friends. He further stated that Deepika is equally grounded and that her family stays out of the spotlight. "They’re like, as you said, a very simple middleclass to an upper-mid dle-class family, and they’re centred and grounded people."

Malaika’s future with Arjun kapoor

riage or pregnancy in her future. “I don’t know what the future holds for me.

These are things, which of course, you discuss with your partner. Of course, you discuss these things.”

“I don’t feel inse cure. Just because I have been through a divorce or some

thing, I am not bitter. I have a lot to feel and I think I have a better person in a relation ship. Whatever choic es or decisions I made, I made purely and at the end of the day, this man in my life makes me happy. Whatever else the world says, whatever they feel, I don’t care,” she said.

ACE Business and Influencers Awards 2022

The 2022 edition of the ACE Awards, took place on the 27th of November and was the grandest of events. Held at the Hotel Saha ra Star, Mumbai, the event brought out many celebrities in the best of their attires and fashion. The biggest and brightest stars stepped in at the event in style to celebrate all of the fearless content developers, risk-takers and trailblazers in en tertainment, sports, in fluencers and more in dustries. Chief Guests Malaika Arora and Amee sha Patel bright ened the event and felicitated the muchdeserving candidates.

ACE Awards reward ed and appreciated award-winning person alities and spread a feel ing of positivity. Awar dees included Chahatt Khanna, Nikita Rawal, Payal Ghosh and many more actors and influ ential people.

Shelly Lather, the or ganizer of the event who herself has won more than twenty awards for promising entrepreneur to a fast est growing business woman says, "The Busi ness and Showbiz in dustry has made a lot of progress in the last few years. The graph of this in dustry has shown tre mendous success and individuals keep add ing to this great spirit.

ACE Influencers and Business Awards initia tive recognize such in dividuals and Business Agencies and their peo ple for their work and their contribution to all Industries."

During

Interestingly,

and

Balki

the first time,

your

just

this

Marathe Veer Daudale Saat.

2022 on the OTT giant, Netflix. The four filmmakers on the project are Konka na Sen Sharma, Amit Ravindernath Sharma,

R Balki and Sujoy Ghosh.

R Balki has roped in Angad Bedi and Mrunal Thakur for his short film. "Mrunal

Angad’s short film has elements of drama and romance with a touch of a slice-of-life element in it. The main theme of the film is lust, as in not sexu al, but the emo tion of lust.

has a pe culiar way of storytelling, so it will be interesting to see his take on lust," the source added.

ASHISH TIWARI cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

oon-to-be-released film 'Kutch Express’ trailer was released on Decem ber 6, with much fanfare at PVR Icon in Mumbai.

the launch of the trailer not only the star cast of the like Ratna Pathak Shah, Manasi Parekh, Darsheel Safary, Viraf Patel, Dharmendra Gohil, director Viral Shah & Producer Parthiv Gohil, film but also Man jari Fadnavis, Anant Desai and many others graced the occa sion with their presence.

for

Ratna Pathak Shah is doing a Gu jarati film along with Manasi Parekh. The trailer promises an intriguing family drama, Ratna Pathak Shah, Manasi Parekh & Darsheel Safary outshine. When your universe is your family and

world is your husband's life seems perfect. But when

per fect life is

an illusion, where else do you seek solace? This is a film about relationships, ro mance and art. The three ele ments stand for the expression of human emotions.

Akshay Kumar

Malaika Arora

Glimpse of the trailer launch

R Balki

Angad Bedi and Mrunal Thakur

Ameesha Patel with Shelly Lather

Malaika Arora with Shelly Lather

Malaika Arora felicitating Faizan Ansari

Ranveer Singh