New York: A statue of Ma hatma Gandhi in New York City was destroyed by 6 men in a second attack on the me morial in two weeks. In latest incident, the Gandhi statue, standing outside the Tulsi Mandir in South Richmond Hill, was smashed to pieces using a sledgehammer. MAHATMA’S STATUE VANDALISED IN NY BSE SENSEX 59646.15 651.85 | NSE NIFTY 17758.50 198.00 SHAMEFUL ACT
Tiruchirappalli: Tamil Nadu police on Friday searched the premises of the Special Camp here where foreign nationals facing criminal cases are housed. A revenue official said that many mobile phones were seized from the inmates. DOLO MAKERS DENY FREEBIES CHARGES
Renni Abraham Mumbai: Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ el evation to the central election committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come as a shot in the arm for the party’s designated lead er (as next chief minis ter of Maharashtra) for the 2024 state Assembly polls. This development has come even as Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan have been relegated by the party.A person familiar with the development said, “Unlike what is be ing bandied about in the news media about Fad navis being readied for a Central government role in the near future, fact is that the party high command has des ignated him as the BJP CM not only for the 2024 state assembly elec tions, but also for a cou ple of terms thereafter.”
New Delhi: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia over the alleged “liquor corruption” that the party indulged in under its revamped excise policy. Thakur’s comments came on the day CBI carried out searches at 21 loca tions in Delhi and NCR. SISODIA THE BEST EDUCATION MINISTER, CBI WILL FIND NOTHING: ARVIND KEJRIWAL
io, Justice Bhatkar said, “I don’t understand why people are protesting against the judiciary. Rather, the judiciary has tried its best to protect the rights of the people. We feel bad when we are criticised and we cannot defend ourselves.” The bench of justices Vijaya Tahilramani and Bhatkar had reserved the order after a day-today hearing on appeals since July 2016.
Three AK-47 rifles and ammunition were found onboard the vessel. —PTI PHOTO
New Delhi: Amid ongoing turbulence around the CBI raids on the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed his deputy the best education minister and said “the central investigative agency will find nothing.”
MANISH SISODIA CRIES FOUL CONG BACKS RAIDS ON AAP LEADERSHIP “NOT THE FIRST CASE OF CORRUPTION AGAINST AAP LEADERSHIP,” SAYS THAKUR New Delhi: As the CBI action started on Friday, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, cried foul. Sisodia tweeted about the raids saying he welcomes them but added it is unfortunate that people “doing honest work are being harassed.”
WANKHEDE GETS ONLINE THREAT
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI
Excise policy: CBI raids Delhi Dy CM’s residence Raids in 7 states; searches at 21 locations in Delhi-NCR, including premises of Manish Sisodia
HIGHLIGHTS z Alleged excise scam: Manish Sisodia among 15 accused named in CBI FIR z The FIR against Sisodia, 14 others alleges ‘diversion of funds to public servants’ z The FIR says a liquor trader paid `1 cr to a firm managed by Sisodia’s associate z In raid, confidential files about new excise policy were seized from a public servant TN POLICE SEARCH SPECIAL CAMP
‘It was govt’s decision to release Bilkis Bano gang-rape convicts’
tenureGadkarimentpayee-ledtheUnionJatiyaingcalphasedhan,ofcounterbalancehasSatyanarayanSimilarly,state.JatiyabeeninductedtotheexitShivrajsinghChauwhohasbeenoutofthepolitischemeofthingsgoaheadbytheBJP.hadservedasaministerunderlateAtalBihariVajNDAgoverntill2004.“BothChauhanandhavehadalongingovernment and were removed from their respective perches in a conscious move that had been apparent for the last couple of years. Gadkari’s health and age were a deciding factor that worked against him. On the other hand, former Kar nataka CM and senior BJP leader BS Yedi yurappa was inducted into the committee keeping in mind the forthcoming elections in the state. This is be cause his Lingayat blies.”rolecaste)litically-dominant(powillplayapivotalinthestateassem
His inclusion into the committee which fea tures no other deputy CM is the planned infu sion of young blood at the highest political level by the party, he added.Along with Fadnavis --who will play a crucial role in the forthcoming elections in Maharash tra in 2024-- the BJP has also inducted Om Prakash Mathur, na tional vice president into the central commit tee with an weye on im pending elections in his home state of Rajasthan in 2023. Similarly, Na tional General Secre tary of BJP, Sudha Ya dav’s induction is a fo cussed move with elec tions due in Haryana. She has been acknowl edged for her long ser vice for the BJP from the
Bengaluru: A day after it was alleged that Bengalurubased Micro Labs was distributing Rs 1,000 crore worth freebies to doctors for prescribing Dolo-650 tablets during COVID, the company’s marketing VP reportedly told a media organization that the allegations were baseless. READ Crucial
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Friday greeted the people on the auspicious occasion of festival.theinHeJanmashtami.postedatweetHinditogreetpeopleonthe
New Delhi: The Congress said, “It is surprising the CBI raids didn’t happen earlier. Be it liquor case, construc tion of rooms in schools, teachers recruitment, there should’ve been not one but 10 CBI raids,” Cong leader Sandeep Dikshit said.
PM JANMASHTAMIPEOPLEGREETSON
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, NEW DELHI & MUMBAI 2 RUSSIAN VILLAGES EVACUATED AFTER FIRE Kyiv: The residents of two villages in Russia’s Belgorod region on Ukraine’s northeastern border were evacuated after a fire at a munitions depot near the village of Timonovo. The fire is the latest in a series of destructive incidents on Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine or inside Russia itself. Nation remembers and pays tributes to former Prime Minister Late Rajeev Gandhi on his 78th Birth Anniversary FUGITIVEHOUSEMODI’SNIRAVHCLTOBEAUCTIONED Mumbai: The Debt Recovery Tribunal-I (DRT-I) has ordered the auction of a prime property belonging to fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi in one of the cases filed by PNB to recover a part of their whopping outstanding of over Rs 2,133-crore.
Narendra @narendramodiModi Hearty greetings to all the countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami. May this festival of devotion and gaiety bring happiness, prosperity and good fortune in everyone’s life. Jai Shri Krishna! (Translated from Hindi)
Damage to Gandhi’s portrait: 4 Congmen held Thiruvananthapuram: In an embarrassment to the Congress, four of its workers were arrested on Friday for allegedly damaging a Mahatma Gandhi portrait kept at party MP Rahul Gan dhi’s office in Kerala. The incident had oc curred on June 24, when members of the CPM student wing SFI vandal ised the Congress MP’s office in Wayanad. Dur ing the mayhem, Mahat ma Gandhi’s portrait was found pulled down from the office wall.
Fadnavis to play double role in state, national politics?
Even as the deputy CM has saddled up to shoulder more remainsourcesresponsibilities,politicalsayhemayinMaha Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. —ANI Photo www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia MUMBAI l TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l No. 105
New Delhi (ANI): The CBI officials on Friday arrived at the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as part of the investiga tive agency’s raids at 21 places in Delhi and NCR. The raids were con ducted in seven states of country in connec tion with investigation into the alleged irregu larities in formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy brought in Nov 2021. Sisodia took to Twitter to post: “CBI has ar rived. We are honest, building a future for lakhs of children. Un fortunate that in this country, whoever does good work is hassled just like this.”
It’s easy to form govt, but BJP chose to build nation: PM’s jibe at Oppn
EXTENSION FOR HOME SECY BHALLA New Delhi: Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla was on Friday given one-year extension in service till August 22, 2023, a Personnel Ministry order said. This is his third extension in the post.
New Delhi (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the Opposition parties term ing them “people who do not care about the coun try, and stay indifferent to nation’sLaudingproblems”.theefforts by the NDA govt in last eight years, he said that it is easy to form a gov ernment, but the BJP has “chosen the path of building the nation... which takes hard work.” “It doesn’t take that much effort to form a government, but to form a country, hard work is essential,” PM Modi said while addressing the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ event. “We (BJP govt) have chosen the path of build ing the nation. Hence, we are continuously work ing towards addressing and solving the challeng es of both - the present and the future,” he said. Taking a dig at the Op position, he continued, “People who do not care about the nation don’t show any concern or in terest towards these prob lems. They can make big promises for the provi sion of water, but will never work towards it with a vision.” P5PM Modi virtually addresses the ‘Har Ghar Jal Utsav’, in New Delhi, on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI CBI officials during a raid at the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with alleged irregularities in Delhi Excise Policy, in New Delhi on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI
Modi lauds the efforts by the NDA government in the last eight years
Pilots fall asleep at 37,000 feet, miss landing Addis Ababa (Agen cies): Two Ethiopian Airlines pilots fell asleep while flying a flight from Sudan’s Khartoum to Ethiopia capital Addis Ababa and missed landing. The incident took place on Monday, as per Avia tion Herald, which add ed that the Air Traffic Control (ATC) raised an alert when flight ET343 approached the airport but did not start the de scent. While the pilots fell asleep, the Boeing 737’s autopilot system kept the plane cruising at 37,000 feet, the outlet furtherFortunately,said. no one was harmed and later the plane landed safely. Mumbai: Justice Mrid ula Bhatkar, who had upheld the conviction of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case, urged people not to blame the judiciary for the release of the con victs, saying it was the government’s decision. The judicial officers connected with this case at various stages have said that the deci sion to give remission to the accused was a de cision taken by the gov ernment and judiciary cannot be blamed for it. Refraining to com ment on current scenar
Issue
Yacht with weapons: Maha ATS files FIR Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra Anti-Ter rorism Squad (ATS) on Friday registered a case against unidenti fied persons in connec tion with the yacht that was found off the Raigad coast near Mumbai with AK-47 ri fles and live rounds on board.The 16-metre-long boat, meanwhile, is still stranded near the coast. A First Information Report (FIR) under the Arms Act has been reg istered against uniden tified persons and the Navi Mumbai unit of the state ATS is investi gating the case, said an official.Theyacht, with three AK-47 rifles on board, was found off the coast of vardhanHarihareshwar-ShriinRaigaddistrictonThursdaymorning,causingascare,thoughofficialsstatedthattherewasnoterrorangletoit.
Mumbai: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede on Friday lodged a complaint here after receiving threat from an unidentified Twitter user. Wankhede, former Mumbai zonal NCB director lodged the complaint with the Goregaon Police. P6
CourtunofficialquestionsPetitionerordergivenbyBMCCommissionerChahal;BombayHighaskshimtofileanaffidavitforMaharashtragovernment’sreply
BANNER DEBATE lll
Women police personnel deployed in naxal area of Gadchiroli district interact with locals. —PHOTO BY ANI
First India Bureau Nagpur: State’s Agri culture Minister Ab dul Sattar during a review meet on Fri day said that assess ment of damage to crops during the rains that took place in July is over. He added that the de tails along with the mechanism of compen sation will be informed in the Maharashtra As sembly.Themonsoon session of the state assembly is currently underway.. Sattar, while speak ing to reporters after the meeting revealed that a new pest was af fecting crops in Os manabad, Beed and La tur districts and will soon combated.
Independent MLA wants anti-defection law to be scrapped Funds for 20 police stations in Gadchiroli dist released Satish Nandgaonkar Mumbai: The Maha rashtra government on Friday disbursed Rs9.3 crore from Cen tral and state fund ing for construction of 20 fortified police stations in naxal-af fected Gadchiroli dis trict. The approval was granted under a special infrastruc ture scheme formu lated by the Centre. According to the Gov ernment Resolution (GR) issued by the state Home Department, the Centre had proposed construction of 250 for tified police stations in states affected by leftwing extremism under a special infrastructure scheme. Out of these, 20 fortified police stations will be constructed in Maharashtra as part of capacity enhancement of the Special Task Force and Special Intel ligence branch. In 2021-22, a sum of Rs10.20 crore from Cen tre’s share and Rs7 crore from Maharash tra’s share was dis bursed fully. For 2022-23, the Centre accounts for a share of Rs11.31 crore, while the state’s share is to be Rs7.54 crore. Nearly 50% of this Rs18.8 crore investment for the project has been disbursed to the state director general of po lice, including Rs5.61 crore from Centre’s share and Rs3.74 crore from the state’s share.
Mete’s death: Maha CID gets probe papers from Raigad cops
FADNAVISGRANDEUR:FESTSUPCOMINGCELEBRATEWITH
—PHOTOS BY PTI/ANI Bachchu efficacycallsKaduoutofnotbeingabletospeakupagainstownparty,ifneeded
First India Bureau Mumbai: arepeople”tiesfromhibitstionofcalledKaduentisterMaharashtraFormerminandIndependMLABachchuonThursdayforscrappingtheanti-defeclaw,asitprolegislatorsopposingparincase“anti-decisionstakenbythem.
First India Bureau Mumbai: A petitioner informed the Bombay High Court on Friday about a newspaper re port claiming that Bri hanmumbai Munici pal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Chahal has di rected civic officials to refrain from taking down hoardings and banners of Chief Min ister Eknath Shinde. A division bench, comprising of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik, was hearing a bunch of petitions against ille gal hoardings, posters and banners in public places. The HC had pre viously instructed the state and local organi zations to make sure that no illegal hoarding or banner is permitted to be put Advocateanywhere.Manoj Shirsat, appearing for one of the petitioners, on Friday informed the court about a newspa per article that claimed that the BMC chief had issued an unofficial di rection asking munici pal officers not to re move any hoarding or banner of the CM. “What kind of in structions or order is this? We need to ques tion the seriousness of the state government in tackling the issue of il legal hoardings,” Shirsat said. To this, the bench said it cannot go by just a media report and asked Shirsat to place the same on record in an affidavit.
Thane: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday urged citi zens to celebrate all upcoming festivals in a grand manner in the state. Fadnavis was addressing a large gathering at a ‘Dahi Handi’ pro gramme organized in Thane city, in the presence of Thane MLA Sanjay Kelkar and the BJP’s city unit President MLC Niranjan Davkhare. “People have waited two long years for this day. Now that the floor is open for ‘govindas’, there will be no turning back,” said Fadnavis, ap pealing to people to celebrate all the up coming festivals in a grand manner. ‘Dahi Handi’ programmes had not been held in the state due to the COVID-19 lastrestrictionspandemicinthetwoyears.
‘BMC chief directed not to remove CM hoardings’
First India Bureau Mumbai: Raigad po lice has handed over documents related to the investigation into the death of former Maharashtra MLC Vi nayak Mete in a road accident to the Crime Investigation Depart ment (CID), which is now handling the case, officials said on Friday. Mete (52), a promi nent Maratha leader, was killed when his car was hit by a vehicle on the Mumbai-Pune Ex pressway on Sunday. An accidental death case was registered at the Rasayani Police Sta tion in connection with the crash.
JAI KANHAIYA LAL KI!
The MLA from the Achalpur constitu ency in the Vidarbha region has backed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde since his rebellion against the Shiv Sena leader ship in June, state.floodsfectedplighttheresolutiontheingtheforplecountablement?Whattheofagainstofagainstnotmovedlaw(MVA)MahabroughtsubsequentlywhichdowntheVikasAghadigovernment.“Theanti-defectionshouldbereatonce.Icanevenspeakthepoliciesmypartyiftheygotheinterestsmyregionandifpartyhaserred.isthisarrangeArewenotactothepeowhohavevotedus?”saidKaduinAssembly.HewasparticipatinadiscussioninLowerHouseonamovedbyOppositionontheoffarmersafbytherecentinpartsoftheKadu,whowasa minister of state in the previous voterthennotberth.wecannotagainstwementedcies“DespiteMLAs,JanataSenadeonedwhentheer,theShindeingswitchedgovernment,Thackeray-ledUddhavMVAsidesfollowtherevoltbyandbackedCM.Kadu,was,howevnotinductedintostatecabinetitwasexpandforthefirsttimeAugust09.TauntingtheShinfactionoftheShivandBharatiyaParty(BJP)Kadusaid,wrongpolibeingimpleinfrontofus,cannotspeakthem.”WespeakbecausewantacabinetButifwedoraiseourvoice,wherewillthego?heasked.
‘Damage assessment for July rains over’
17 ‘govindas’ were treated at the civ ic-run KEM Hospital, followed by 11 at GT Hospital, 10 at Rajawadi Hospital and nine at Nair Hospital, among others.Groups of ‘govindas’ were seen moving around in cities and competing with each other for breaking ‘dahi handis’ and winning prizes. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was on a tour of ‘Dahi Handi’ programmes held in Thane—his home turf, while Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis was present at events in Mumbai. The state govern ment had last month an nounced that there would be no restric tions on celebrating re ligious festivals, includ ing ‘Dahi Handi’ and Ganesh Chaturthi, this year.In the last two years, the celebrations were hampered due to the COVID-19 curbs. On Thursday, Shinde had informed the state Legislative Assembly that the government has decided to accord adventure sport status to Dahi Handi. The adventure sport tag will allow young participants at these events to apply for gov ernment jobs under the sports quota, the CM had announced.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis broke a symbolic ‘dahi handi’ at an event in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai on Krishna Janmashtami on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI 78 ‘govindas’ injured during festival, most discharged after treatement, 11 are hospitalized and their condition is said to be stable
The Bombay High Court had previously instructed the state government and local organizations in Maharashtra to make sure that no illegal hoarding or banner is permitted to be put anywhere
First India Bureau Mumbai: Dahi Handi, which is part of Krishna Janmashta mi festival, was cele brated on a grand scale across Maha rashtra, especially in Mumbai and its neighbouring areas, on Friday after the COVID-19 pandemicinduced gap of two years. As part of the festi val, youngsters (called ‘govindas’), dressed in colourful attire, make human pyramids to reach an earthen pot containing buttermilk suspended mid-air, and break it. It symbolizes victory through unity. The festival is cele brated on a large scale in Mumbai metropoli tanAccordingareas. to civic au thorities in Mumbai, 78 people were reported to have sustained injuries during the festivities till 6pm. Of them, most were treated and dis charged from hospitals, while 11 are hospital ized and their condition is Aroundstable.
Groups of ‘govindas’ formed human pyramids to break ‘handis’ hung in the air as part of the Janmashtami festival to mark the birth of Lord Krishna in Mumbai on Friday. Devotees from all walks of life celebrated the festival by singing bhajans, playing musical instruments or dressing up in finery.
Maha celebrates ‘Dahi Handi’ festival with pomp and show
Maharashtra’s Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar inspects crop damage due to rains in a village situated in Nagpur district on Friday.
“You (Shirsat) file an affidavit placing this ar ticle on record. We will then ask the govern ment to respond to it,” Chief Justice Datta said.The state govern ment also submitted a report providing details of the action it has tak en against illegal hoard ings and suggestions on how to tackle the issue further.
NEWS MUMBAI | SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 02 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
MUMBAI POLICE BOMB DETECTION SQUAD’S CANINE HERO RANA DIES UNSAFE CHILDHOOD
MAN DRIVES AUTORICKSHAW ON FOOT OVERBRIDGE, VIDEO GOES VIRAL
Mumbai: ‘Rana’, a labrador serving with the Mumbai police’s Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), died at a veterinary hospital at the age of seven, an official said on Thursday. The sniffer dog, who was inducted in the BDDS in 2016 and was involved in various operations such as scrutiny of bomb threat calls and anti-sabotage checks during VVIP movement, breathed his last on Wednesday. It was undergoing treatment since July 22 due to stomach-related ailments.
Fire brigade personnel at the site after the building’s collapse in Borivali area of Mumbai on Friday.
First India Bureau Mumbai: A vacant and dilapidated fivestorey building col lapsed in Borivali area of Mumbai on Friday afternoon, but there was no re port of any casualty so far, a civic official said. “Gitanjali Building near Saibaba temple in Saibaba Nagar in Bo rivali west collapsed around 12.30pm. At least eight fire engines, two rescue vans and other vehicles of Mum bai fire brigade were rushed to the spot along with the police and civ ic ward staff,” he said. The fire brigade per sonnel are checking whether anyone was trapped under the de bris, an official said. As per the informa tion given by the R-Cen tral ward of the Bri hanmumbai claredtheCorporationMunicipal(BMC),buildingwasdedilapidatedand had been vacated, an other official said. “The fire brigade is checking whether any one is trapped,” he said.
MAHARASHTRA MUMBAI | SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 03 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
lll Karan Pawar, a resident KannadVitthalwadiofvillageintehsilofAurangabad,diedwhileundergoingtreatmentatagovthospital
—Shivaji Sutar, Chief PRO, Central Railway Ambergris (whale vomit) is used in the manufacture of luxury perfumes.
The TuesdayatChildren’sDavidtookincidentplaceatSassoonhomeMatungaonevening
JOURNALIST ARRESTED FOR KILLING LOVER, HACKING HER BODY TO PIECES
MAN BREAKS INTO PALGHAR COURT, ATTEMPTS TO STEAL CASE RECORDS
First India Bureau Thane: A two-year-old boy whose mother had come to Maha rashtra a few days ago from Bihar was rescued after being abducted allegedly by a man and woman from Solapur and Marathwada, a police official said. “The child’s mother had left home in Bihar after a fight and had landed here. She was re siding at Kalyan rail way station and was do ing odd jobs in the vicin ity. At around 03:30 am, she left the child sleep ing on the platform and went to get something to eat,” Kalyan Railway Police Inspector Archa na Dusane said. “When she returned, the child was not to be seen. After she ap proached police, we checked the CCTV foot age of the platforms and the vicinity. In one clip, we found a man and woman walking away with the child. We traced the child to a shanty in Ulhasnagar and have reunited him with his mother,” she added.
Palghar: A man drove his autorickshaw on a foot bridge above the busy Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway to cross lanes, a video of the incident that went viral on social media alerting police to the act, an official said on Friday. The incident took place in Virar in Palghar district and efforts were underway to arrest the driver, the Mira-BhayanderVasai-Virar (MBVV) police official said. “We are studying the video footage to find out more. The driver drove his autorickshaw on the deck of the foot overbridge using the ramp,” he said.
Aurangabad: A 35-year-old journalist has been ar rested in Aurangabad district for allegedly killing a married woman with whom he was in a relationship and hacking her body to destroy evidence. The victim, a 24-year-old woman with a three-year-old child, lived in Shiur in the district. She had an affair with Saurabh Lakhe (35). She recently left her family and was living in a rented house in Hudco area, where Lakhe used to visit her. The accused allegedly strangled her on August 15 and hacked her body into pieces because he was fed up with her demand that they marry.
Protesting passengers demanding resumption of non-AC local train services.
Man dies hours after collapsing while running during physical test
CR general manager Anil Kumar Lahoti had announced that 10 air conditioned (AC) locals will replace the existing non-AC locals on the mainline in his Independence Day speech. However, the commuters, particu larly those who had to commute in the morn ing hours, were not happy with the move. The protesting com muters at the Kalwa shed have demanded that non-AC locals be restored on the route from Kalwa to Chhatra pati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), an other official said. The railway police then swung into action and had a tough time removing the protest ers from the track, he further added. It has become a prac tice for many commut ers to board the nonAC local trains at the car shed in Kalwa. The police have been tak ing actions against such commuters, who find it to board over crowded trains at the railway platform. A video of irate commuters squatting on the tracks and the police action also went viral on social media.
Commuters protest, demand resumption of non-AC local services
Five-storey building collapses in Borivali, no casualties reported 2 held with ambergris worth ` 1.6 crore in Thane district
First India Bureau Mumbai: A 16-yearold boy was allegedly beaten to death by four inmates at a children’s home in central Mumbai, po lice said on Friday. Four minors have been detained in con nection with the inci dent that occurred on Tuesday evening at the David Sassoon Chil dren’s Home in Matun ga, an official said. The victim, identi fied as Hansvaan Raj kumar Nishad, was as saulted in the facility’s isolation room by four children ranging in age from 12 to 17 years. He fell unconscious and was rushed to the civicrun Sion hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
The Shivaji Park po lice had initially regis tered a case of acciden tal death, but after ex amining the CCTV foot age from the isolation room, they found that Nishad was brutally as saulted, the official said. The boys allegedly kicked and punched the victim. A case un der section 302 (mur der) of the Indian Pe nal Code has been reg istered against the mi nors, who were de tained and lodged at the Dongri correction centre.Nishad was found roaming at Girgaum Chowpatty in south Mumbai and was brought to the chil dren’s home by the po lice on August 06. The police had suspected him to be mentally un stable.Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the chil dren’s home created an isolation facility for newcomers, where they have to spend 15 days. Nishad and the ac cused, were all new comers and kept in the same room, the official added.
First India Bureau Thane: Two persons were arrested with ambergris (whale vomit) worth Rs1.6 crore in Dombivili town of Thane dis trict, said police offi cials on Friday. Acting on a tip-off, the police laid a trap near a hotel in the town late on Wednesday night. They intercepted the accused, who arrived there with a bag, an official said. Ambergris weighing 0.750gm was seized from the accused, who have been identified as Nandu Kisandev Rai (28) and Arjun Harishchandra Nirmal (26). Both the ac cused have revealed the name of one more per son involved in smug gling the banned com modity, said the official. Ambergris, which is created by the bile duct of the sperm whale, is often called floating gold because of the im mense price it fetches in the international markets for its use in luxury perfumes. An offence under rel evant sections of the Wild Life (Protection) Act has been registered against the duo and fur ther probe is underway. Recent seizures of am bergris by police and forest department offi cials have raised fear of whale poaching.
Two-yr-old abducted from Kalyan rly station rescued
First India Bureau Thane: Hundreds of commuters sat on a railway track near the Kalwa station in Thane and blocked the way of an empty local air-conditioned (AC) train for 20 minutes to demand resumption of a nonAC service during the peak hours in the morning, officials said. The protest that took place at the car shed in Kalwa, however did not affect the services of the main line of the Central Railway (CR), as it took place at the car shed in Kalwa, in formed the officials.
CRUCIAL READ
After the postmortem, Pawar’s body was handed over to his investigationmembers;familyanintohisdeathwillbeconducted
UNIMPRESSED An air-condirakeemptyof tioned local going out from the car shed was detained by people for about 20 08.10minutes—fromto08.30am.”
—FILE PHOTO
AGNIPATH RECRUITMENT
Palghar: An unidentified person broke into the premises of a court in Palghar district and attempted to steal case records. According to Palghar police PRO Sachin Navadkar, an offence of theft has been regis tered based on a complaint lodged by court officials for the incident that occurred on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The incident came to light the next morning, when the court staff found that the records pertaining to an abetment to suicide case had been tampered with and someone had tried to steal it.
First India Bureau Aurangabad: A 22-year-old man died on Thursday, hours after collapsing while running as part of a physical test for the ‘Agnipath’ defence re cruitment scheme in Aurangabad city, a police official said. Karan Pawar, a resi dent of Vitthalwadi vil lage in Aurangabad’s Kannad tehsil, died in the wee hours of the morning while under going treatment in a government hospital here.Pawar had travelled to Aurangabad to par ticipate in the ‘Ag niveer’ recruitment program. This process has been underway in Dr Babasaheb Ambed kar Marathwada Uni versity campus since the last couple of days, the official said. “Pawar, who was running as part of one of the fitness tests for the recruitment pro cess, collapsed on the ground around 01 am on Thursday. He was taken to the Govern ment Medical College and Hospital for treat ment, but died in the morning during treat ment,” he said. After the post-mor tem, his body was handed over to his fam ily members this even ing, a senior official of Begumpura police sta tion said, adding that an investigation into his death will be con ducted.TheAgnipath scheme was announced by the Centre on June 14 for recruitment in the three armed forces. Those recruited under the new scheme will be called Agniveers. The scheme seeks to recruit youngsters in the age bracket of 17-and-a-half to 21 years for a four-year period, with a provision to re tain 25% of them for 15 more years. For 2022, the upper-age limit has been extended to 23 years.Several parts of the country had witnessed violent protests against the scheme that largely provides for a four-year tenure on a contractual basis and does not offer pensions and other ben efits that regular sol diers are given.
—PHOTO BY PTI Cops reunitedUlhasnagartracedsuccessfullythechildtoashantyinandhimwithhismother
Teen beaten to death by inmates at children’s home; four detained
Ukraine will not be able to finance its huge onreconstructionpostwarneedsitsownandshouldnotcountonreparationsfromRussia.
E MARCUS FEDDER
H
stimates of Ukraine’s post war reconstruction costs vary widely. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmy hal recently put the likely bill at $750 billion, while Eu ropean Investment Bank President Werner Hoyer thinks the country may need $1.1 trillion. Every day that the war continues, the figure increases.Ukraine will need to re build power stations, elec tricity grids, and critical wa ter, sanitation, and transport infrastructure. Industry will require investments, and houses will need to be rebuilt and repaired before the win ter – although many cities, towns, and villages have been completely destroyed. But Ukraine will not be able to finance such a massive investment program on its own and should not count on reparations from Russia. Fi nancing must therefore also come from multilateral devel opment institutions such as the World Bank, the Europe an Investment Bank, and the European Bank for Recon struction and Development. Western governments will have to contribute as well, as will the European Union. The biggest problem is that Ukraine will need the money as soon as the war is over. Be cause the country does not have sufficient reserves of its own, it will have to borrow. But its sovereign creditwor thiness will be at rock bottom after the war, even though Fitch Ratings recently up graded Ukraine from RD (re stricted default) to CC. Furthermore, Western governments will not be able simply to transfer an initial $100 billion overnight to Ukraine. Their finances are still reeling from fiscal meas ures to counter the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the newfound realization that they need to spend more on defence. Germany alone intends to invest an addition al Euro 100 billion ($101 bil lion) in its military. But innovative financing mechanisms can help to bridge at least some of Ukraine’s massive funding gap. Policymakers should consider two recent prece dents in particular. One promising option is to set up an International Fi nance Facility for the Recon struction of Ukraine (IFFRU). This would be modelled on the International Finance Facili ty for Immunization (IFFIm), which was established in 2006 by several donor governments under the leadership of the United Kingdom to provide up-front money to vaccinate children in the world’s poorest countries.TheIFFIm received legally binding multiyear pledges totalling over $6 billion from highly rated governments, enabling it to obtain a AAA rating and start borrowing in international bond markets. The borrowed funds – the IFFIm’s first bond issue amounted to $1 billion – were sent to Gavi, the Vaccine Al liance to finance immediate large-scale immunizations. The tax-exempt IFFRU would be based outside Ukraine and function in ac cordance with best-practice operational and governance standards. And rather than diverting huge sums of mon ey out of their current budg ets, many Western govern ments will be able to make legally binding commit ments over 20 years. If cor rectly structured, the sums would be included in the re spective government budgets only in the year they are due. Depending on the donor countries’ credit ratings and the facility’s financial poli cies, the IFFRU could have a rating of AA or better. That would enable it to tap inter national bond markets and front-load financing for Ukraine, disbursing money as and when the country needs it. In this way, infra structure and desperately needed housing for Ukraine’s displaced population can quickly be rebuilt. A second possibility is for Ukraine to issue Brady bonds, following the example of some emerging markets –including several Latin American countries, Bulgar ia, Morocco, Nigeria, Poland, and the Philippines – when they defaulted on commer cial bank loans three decades ago. To resolve the crisis, the banks accepted a haircut, or certain loss, on the loans, and the remaining debt was con verted into tradable sover eign bonds, with principal repayments collateralized and thus secured by specially issued government securi ties. In the case of dollar-de nominated Brady bonds, the US Treasury issued special 30-year zero-coupon securi ties to provide such collater al, making the bonds attrac tive to investors.
A DISTANT GOAL, BUT ACHIEVABLE
TOP TWEETS
mong the five vows Prime Min ister Narendra Modi appealed to Indians to take for the country’s 100 years of in dependence included making India a developed country in the next 25 years. At present India is counted as a develop ing country and has been try ing to move out of that brack et. One of the important yardsticks followed by the World Bank is to classify a country as developed and de veloping is to measure its per capita gross national income (GNI) which, in India’s case, is US $ 2170. It is thus catego rised in the Lower Middle Income, below Bangladesh which has a GNI of $2620. But skewed distribution of wealth makes catching up with the developed nations difficult for India. Human Development In dex is another parameter on which India has made tre mendous improvements, be it health, mortality or educa tion but it still has a long dis tance to Reachingcover.the goal of mak ing India a $ 5 trillion economy is still a work in progress. Ac cording to Amitabh Kant, the CEO of Niti Aayog, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has to grow at a consistent rate of more than 8 percent to touch the $5 trillion mark. At present India is a $ 2.9 trillion economy, nearly half of the target fixed by the prime minister. Despite being one of the biggest econo mies in the world, India is way behind the US and China. The deadline for becoming a $5 trillion economy is 2024, and that should be the prior ity. Covid has gone but the Ukraine conflict could still come in the way.
The writer is a Former Director of the International Finance Facility for Immunization and a Former Treasurer of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, structured Brady bonds when he worked for the World Bank in 1990-91
INNOVATIVE FINANCE CAN HELP REBUILD UKRAINE
But two innovative and recently proven mechanisms can help to bridge at least some of the funding gap
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l Vol 1 l Issue No. 105 l RNI TITLE MAHENG/2022/14652NO.Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, No.22, Dighe MIDC, Vishnu Nagar, TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi Mumbai-400701. Published at Plot No. 3 Scheme C of Manglorean Garden Home, CHS Limited, Survey No. 5, 6C (Part) Ville Parle East, Mumbai 400057. Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
CBI RAIDS MAY CRIPPLE AAP BEFORE HIMACHALGUJARAT,POLLS igh flying Aam Aad mi Party is in the pro cess of being ground ed before the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections with the CBI conducting searches at the premises of Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and several others on allegations of graft in its liquor policy. Siso dia, who transformed Delhi’s government schools to bring them almost at par with some good private schools, has been a prominent face of the party over the recent years. The CBI raids came on the day the New York Times carried a front page lauda tory article on Delhi govern ment’s education policy. Manish Sisodia is credited with over hauling Delhi’s education sys tem. That also made him a prom inent face of his party after Arvind Kejriwal. As in the case of another AAP minister Satyender Jain, the CBI is unlikely to stop with search operations. Sisodia’s ar rest cannot be ruled out. And that would effectively cripple AAP from campaigning in Guja rat where it was offering free education and jobs to voters.
At present India is a $ 2.9 trillion economy, nearly half of the target fixed by the Prime Minister. Despite being one of the world,economiesbiggestinthe India is way behind the US and China A
The power of God is with you at all times; through the activities of mind, senses, breathing, and emotions; and is constantly doing all the work using you as a mere instrument. Bhagavad Gita IN-DEPTH Rajnath @rajnathsinghSingh Had a heartwarming interaction with the Armed Forces personnel at Imphal in Manipur today. Lauded them for performing their duty with courage and conviction. It’s a matter of great pride to stand amongst the Indian Army and Assam Rifles troops. Dharmendra@dpradhanbjpPradhan Good conversations with Shri @ DilipGhoshBJP ji in Kolkata. We discussed several organisational matters, including strengthening the Party at the grassroots.
The biggest problem is that Ukraine will need the money as soon as the war is over. Because the country does not have sufficient reserves of its own, it will have to borrow. But its sovereign creditworthiness will be at rock bottom after the war, even though Fitch Ratings recently (restrictedUkraineupgradedfromRDdefault)toCC
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Srinagar(ANI): In a joint operation between Delhi Police and Jam mu and Kashmir Police in assistance with Cen tral agencies, a Hawala operator has been ar rested, said officials on Friday.The accused was al legedly involved in the funding of Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) and AlBadr terror outfits. Accused Mohd Ya seen was arrested from Jammu bus stand along with the terror funding amount of Rs 10 lakh. “Working as an agent in Hawala transactions related to the funding of terror outfits LeT and Al Badr Mohd Ya seen has been appre hended. On 17th Aug 2022, Mohd Yasin gave around Rs 10 lakh to a terror operative Abdul Hamid Mir of Jammu and Kashmir for fur ther use in terrorist ac tivities in the state,” a statement said. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal addressing on Friday. —Twitter LoP, Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah.
Sharat K Verma New Delhi: ansaPrimeactlyStadiumtionwalMinisterthedressedNarendraDay.casionplacedevelopmentsAmazingtookinDelhiontheocofIndependencePrimeMinisterModiadthenationfromRedFortandChiefArvindKejriaddressedthenafromChhatrasalinDelhi.ExinthestyleoftheMinister,hegavespeechtoalltheIndiandrepeatedlytook
South Salmara Mankachar: The District and Sessions court of South Salmara Mankachar district con victed two Bangladeshi nationals and sentenced them five years imprison ment for entering India illegally. The court also im posed a fine of Rs.10,000 each. The failure in the payment of fine will lead to imprisonment of another six months for both. The two convicted accused are Abdul Hai and Niranjan Ghosh.
Goa CM Pramod Sawant along with (L) Union Jal Shakti Minister GS Shekhawat on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI PM MODI PRAISES GOA’S ACHIEVEMENT
Missed call number for ‘Make India no 1’ drive
Kochi: In a setback to key accused in the diplomatic gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh, the Kerala HC rejected her pleas to quash cases by the state police against her alleging conspiracy in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad. HC observed that probe was in a prelimi nary stage but the complainant can approach the court after the chargesheets are filed in the cases.
SC SETS ASIDE MP HIGH COURT ORDER TOP COURT QUASHES RAPE CHARGES
the name of India. He talked about Delhi and the people of Delhi in a nominal way, his entire focus was on the people of the country. It was as if he was giving a speech from the Red Fort and thus it seems that he used this speech as a means of fulfilling his national ambition. Kejriwal also men tioned this ambition in his speech. He said that the way he has fixed the system of Delhi, in the same way he will also fix the system of the country in five years. In this way he asked for the country for five years so that the system could be fixed. For this, he explained in detail the shortcomings of the existing system. He gave a speech like the main opposition leader of the country, and comparing it with countries like Japan, Germany etc. said that these countries were ruined in the second world war but today they are developed countries then why In dia could not become a developed country. He said that the people of India are the best peo ple in the world, yet In dia is backward be cause the system here is bad.
NBW BOBBYBODYBUILDERAGAINSTKATARIA
Chennai: Over 8 kg gan ja and other illegal drugs were seized in the past one week here as part of the drive against drugs and 12 men were arrest ed in this connection, police said. Following tip-off and stampsAcidtablets,amine,gramsmatelysurveillance,continuingapproxi8.5kgganja,15Methamphet1,200analgesic200LysergicDiethylamide(LSD)wereseized.
Pithoragarh: Mild tremors were felt in the Pithoragarh area of Uttarakhand which was hit by an earthquake of 3.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale on Friday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said. The earthquake occurred at 12:55 IST. “Earthquake of Magnitude:3.6, Occurred on 19-08-2022, 12:55:55 IST, Lat: 29.96 & Long: 80.12, Depth: 5 Km, Location: 43km NNW of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand,” the NCS tweeted. Earlier in the day, another earthquake of magnitude 3.1 on the Richter Scale hit South-Southwest of Jammu and Kashmir’s Hanley village, the NCS said.
HONEY-TRAPPED PUNJAB STUDENT RESCUED FROM KIDNAPPERS MILD TREMORS AT PITHORAGARH IN U’KHAND, HANLEY IN KASHMIR CRUCIAL READ
Centre help to AP for dist good gov portal
AFGHAN GIRL’S APPEAL TO PM Kabul: Afghan girl Fatima, a college student, ap pealed PM Narendra Modi regarding the unavail ability of visa to study in India. “I, college girl Fatima from Afghanistan, appeal to the Prime Min ister of India to give me a scholarship for studies in India. We love India it is like our family,” she said. About 5000 students in different cities of Afghani stan studying in India are stuck in Afghanistan for the last year and are unable to do their studies due to the non-availability of visa. After the Taliban entered Afghanistan, Af ghan students enrolled in Indian institutes are still awaiting visas to continue their education.
MoS Jitendra Singh with (L) Arunachal CM Pema Khandu. Arvind Kejriwal at Chhatrasal Stadium on Independence Day.
New Delhi (ANI): The Centre has planned to collaborate with Arunachal Pradesh government to develop a “district good govern ance portal” for moni toring the performance of each district of the state on a monthly basis and help in benchmark ingTheperformance.planisto help the state in upgrading the e-office version 5.6 to e-office version 7.0 in a phased Departmentmanner.of Ad ministrative Reforms and Public Grievances will develop the good governance portal.
New Delhi: A Parlia mentary Delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and consisting of Anurag Sharma, MP (Lok Sabha) & CPA Ex ecutive Committee Member; MPs Sunita Duggal, Neeraj Shekhar, Santosh Kumar, Anub hav Mohanty, Kani mozhi NVN Somu and UK Singh, Secretary General, Lok Sabha will attend the 65th Com monwealth Parliamen tary Conference sched uled to be held in Hali fax, Canada from 20 to 26 August, 2022.
New Delhi: The Su preme Court has termed as “utterly incompre hensible” an order of Madhya Pradesh HC discharging an accused of rape essentially on the ground of delay in FIR. SC said the facts of this litigation was quite “heart-breaking” and set aside the HC order.
New Delhi: The SC quashed rape charges by a woman against a man, saying she had a consensual relationship with him that continued prior to her marriage with another man.
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi said over 10 cr rural households had been connected to clean water through pipes, with 7 cr rural families get ting connected in last 3 years. He said Goa had become the first state in India to become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified. “The country and especial ly Goa has achieved a milestone today. Today Goa has become the first state in the country, which has been Har Ghar Jal certified. Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have also become Har Ghar Jal certified,” PM Modi said.
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Kakinada: A fire broke out in a sugar factory here, killing two people and injuring six others in the incident. The injured were rushed to the hospital for immediate treatment. Soon after the incident, the fire atheAccordinginspectedandelectricaldepartment,departmentpoliceofficialsthearea.toanofficial,firebrokeoutduetoshortcircuit.
SIBAL ATTACKS CENTRE ‘GOVT LOOTED DELHITES’
New Delhi: Attacking the Centre on ‘the rise of Arvind Kejriwal ‘, former Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal said it is time for Bharatiya Janata Party to destabilise. Terming the Central Bureau of Investiga tion and Enforcement Directorate the “long est arms of govern ment” Sibal tweeted, “Now that Kejriwal is on the rise, Time for BJP to destabilise”. He further mentioned in his tweet that earlier ‘the target was Satyender Jain , now it is Sisodia.’
New Delhi: Calling it the “most corrupt” govern ment, BJP leader Harsh Vardhan accused AAP of looting people in the name of liquor in Delhi. “The corrupt, dishonest and liar Kejriwal gov ernment has no right to stay in governance,” he said. “Kejriwal...has pushed women and youth to intoxication for selfish deeds,” he added.
Parl delegation to attend C’wealth meet in Canada
Chandigarh: Punjab Police rescued an engineering student honey trapped and kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 50 lakh, officials said. The case was cracked in less than 48 hours after the arrest of 3 people who had honey trapped him, DIG, Ropar, GS Bhullar said. Mohali SSP VS Soni said the woman, Rakhi, had made fake social media profiles and after befriending the target, lured him into meeting her.
Dehradun: A nonbailable warrant was issued by a local court noticesdidn’tissuedThetorpolicearrestsentandNBWhavepublicingheretheKatariabodybuilderagainstBobbyforsittingonmiddleofaroadandconsumliquorinfullview.“WeobtainedanagainstKatariaateamisbeingtoHaryanatohim,”CanttstationinspecRSRawatsaid.NBWhadtobeasKatariarespondto3tohim.
IN THE COURTYARD TWO BANGLADESHI INFILTRATORS SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS IN JAIL HC DISMISSES SWAPNA’S PLEA SEEKING TO QUASH FIRS IN CONSPIRACY CASES
Water security is one of the biggest issues being faced globally: PM Modi ‘70M PIPED WATER CONNECTIONS IN 3 YRS, MILESTONE ACHIEVED’
KEJRIWAL EYES MORE
FIRE IN KAKINADA SUGAR FACTORY KILLS TWO TN POLICE CRACK WHIP ON OFFENDERSDRUG
New Delhi (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister and national conven or of AAP Arvind Ke jriwal on Friday urged people to join the ‘Make India num ber 1’ campaign and issued a missed call number for the gen eral masses. “I am issuing a number today, missed call number — 9510001000. Those who want to join this mission, those who want to see India as the number 1 nation in the world, the most powerful nation, the best nation, should join this,” he said. His remarks came after the Central Bu reau of morning.tweetteridence,ManishMinistertheconductedInvestigationraidsonDeputyChiefofDelhiSisodia’sreswhichthelatconfirmedviaaonFriday
Siddaramaiah calls protests against him‘state sponsored’ Chikkamagaluru (PTI) : A day after eggs were hurled at his car and black flags were waved during his visit to Koda gu, Leader of Opposi tion in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramai ah on Friday termed it a “state sponsored” pro test.Alleging that those who pelted eggs at his car were from “an or ganisation to which Ma hatma Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse be longed,” the senior Con gress leader and former Chief Minister won dered whether such people will spare him, as he was speaking against“Yesterdaythem.at Titima ti there were about 10 youths shouting slo gans; after that at four places they had gath ered, Couldn’t the po lice have stopped it? If the Chief Minister comes, will they let peo ple protest with black flags? Won’t they carry out preventive arrests? What was wrong with the Superintendent of Police (SP)?” Siddara maiah said. Aizawl: Hundreds of people from Myanmar crossed over to India over the last few days after violence rocked the country’s Chin state, a local leader said. Zokhawthar village council president Lal muanpuia said hun dreds from Myanmar entered Mizoram since Sunday. The latest crisis was triggered by the My anmar army torching Haimual village in Chin state and “abducting” five people, he said. Myanmar nationals crossover to India after fresh violence Hyd Rape: ‘Loopholes helped accused get bail’ 1 held for involvement in J&K terror funding Hyderabad (PTI): Loopholes in the Juve nile Justice Act, the In dian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Crimi nal Procedure (CrPC) have resulted in the al leged rapists getting bail in the Jubilee Hills minor girl gangrape case, Telangana Minis ter for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao said on Friday. “Loopholes in Juvenile Justice Act, IPC & CrPC have result ed in the rapists getting out on bail in the rape case. That’s why I am demanding that these Acts be amended so no rapist gets bail and when convicted re mains in jail till death,” he said in his post on the social Slammingmedia.therelease of the 11 men in the Bilkis Bano case, the Minister had earlier in a tweet asked PM Nar endra Modi to inter vene and rescind the Gujarat government’s decision to grant remis sion to the convicts.
Self proclaimed PM, targets ‘bad system’
New Delhi: Prime Min ister Narendra Modi on Friday said his govern ment provided piped water connection to seven crore rural fami lies in the last three years under the Jal Jee van Mission, which helped the country achieve the milestone of 10 crore such connec tions in villages so far. Describing water se curity as one of the big gest issues being faced globally, he said it could prove to be a major cha lenge for the country in its march towards ‘Vik sit Bharat’ (developed India).Apparently targeting the Congress, Modi said those who were not bothered about the pre sent and future of the country only talked about water conserva tion, but never took any steps to address the is sue. He was addressing via video link a pro gramme organised by the Goa government to mark 100 per cent piped water supply coverage in rural households of the state. Union Minis ter of Jal Shakti Gajen dra Singh Shekhawat and Goa CM Pramod Sawant were present for the function in Panaji.
New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) been filed at the Patna High Court, challenging Nitish Kumar’s reap pointment as the Chief Minister of the state for the eighth time. A Patna-based social ac tivist Dharmsheela Devi and Supreme Court lawyer Varun Sinha filed the PIL claiming that his reappointment is “against the parliamen tary democracy,” media reported. “The act of Nitish Kumar is against the withinwhichhan’oftimeoathheadsNitishstatethegiventheAccordingdidn’tKumarreappointmenthavegovernorarticlecollegiums.mentandtheofresignedopined.thetiontution.principledemocracyparliamentaryandbasicoftheConstiItisalsoaviolaofbasicfeaturesofConstitution,”Devi“NitishKumarfromthepostchiefminister,leftmajoritycollegiumsformedthegovernwithminorityUnderthe163and164,theofBiharmayobjectedtotheofNitishagainbuthedoso,”shesaid.tothePIL,BJPandJD(U)werethemandatebypeopletorulethe2025,sheadded.KumarwhotheJD(U)tookforarecordeighthlastweek,asheadthe‘Mahagathband(grandalliance)ithaddumped2015,tojoinhandstheBJP.
Devotees celebrating Janmashtami festival, at Sri Krishna Janambhoomi temple in Mathura. Devotees of Lord Krishna’s were seen dancing to the tunes of Bhajans at various temples to celebrate the day that marks the birth of Lord Krishna. —PHOTO BY ANI Rajnath meets Assam Rifles men in Manipur Punjab Min to examine patients at eye camp
PIL OFREAPPOINTMENTCHALLENGESNITISHASCM
Vijayvargiya vs Nitish: JD (U) terms BJP as “insensitive”
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First India Bureau
Patna: Tej Pratap Yadav, the new environment and forest minister of Bihar, landed into controversy after Shailesh Kumar, the brother-in-law, attended an official meeting on Thursday evening. Follow ing the meeting, a pho tograph was circulated in the social media on Friday and BJP leaders targetted Nitish Kumar government for taking the dynastic politics forward in Bihar. Shailesh Kumar is the husband of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s eldest daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti. He was sitting alongside Tej Pratap Yadav and other officials of environment and forest department. “RJD is basi cally a family based politi cal party. Its leaders used to do all kinds of political drama by pointing out castes and religions only to save and promote the family. Tej Pratap Yadav takes his brother-in-law Shailesh Ji in an official meeting. I appreciated the efforts of Tej Pratap Yadav for including Shailesh Ji in the meeting.
Pratap’s bro-in-law attends meeting, BJP slams govtGaya/Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s heli copter made an emergency landing in Gaya on Friday because of bad weather conditions, a senior police officer said. Mr Kumar was on a scheduled aerial survey of drought-hit areas in Aurangabad, Jehanabad and Gaya districts. “While returning to Patna, the pilot of the helicopter executed an emergency landing at Gaya International airport due to bad weather conditions,” Vinay Kumar, Inspector Gen eral (IG) of Police, Magadh range, told reporters in Gaya. As the weather conditions did not improve, the Chief Minster took the road route to reach Patna, he said.
NITISH’S CHOPPER MAKES LANDINGEMERGENCYINGAYA PK LAUNCHES ONLINE POLL ON NEW GOVT HEADED BY NITISH 1 2
Accused availed and passed on fake ITC of `18 cr on invoicesbogusof`41 cr ONGOING CRACKDOWN
New Delhi (ANI): A day after BJP’s Kailash Vijayvargiya gave a bi zarre take on the sud den termination of the alliance with Nitish Ku mar, Janata Dal (Unit ed) on Friday slammed the BJP leader by call ing him an “insensitive person” who always stays on a “foreign tour” instead of focus ing on his work. “It is useless to make any comment on Vijay vargiya ji. A few days ago. the unemployed youth of the country felt agitated over the ‘Agniveer’ scheme. Re acting to this, the BJP leader said that if youths under ‘Agniveer scheme’ become unem ployed after four years, they will be given a job of a security guard in the BJP office,” JDU President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said to “WhatANI.answer can be given to the person whose statement to wards the youth of the country, towards unem ployment in the coun try can be so light and insensitive? He is not a serious person. He stays on foreign tours mostly. He was also the incharge of West Bengal during the Assembly polls. We all know what happened in West Ben gal during that time (election campaign ing),” he said. JDU President fur ther told ANI that the BJP leader Kailash Vi jayvargiya should also become in-charge of Bihar. He will then real ise the ground reality about BJP’s prospects for 2024 General elec tions and 2025 Bihar As sembly elections, JD(U) leader said Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab’s Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur will ex amine the eyes of pa tients at a medical camp being held on Saturday at the ‘Aam Aadmi Clin ic’ in Muktsar district’s Bhagsar village. The minister, a atgetallbeciety”.EducationalsupportgovernmentingsonAnfortreatmentagnosinghasantor-turned-politician,dociseyespecialistandbeenoperating,diandofferingtoresidentsthepastmanyyears.officialspokespersaidthecampisbeorganizedbythewiththeof“SankalpWelfareSoMedicineswillgivenfreeofcosttopatientswhocometotheireyescheckedthecamp.
availing Input Tax Credit (ITC) collec tively worth more than Rs20 crore. The arrest was made on Thursday after the fraudulent activities of the two firms were un earthed, said CGST Bhi wandi Commissioner ate in Mumbai zone. With the arrest, the Bhiwandi Commission erate has so far held 16 persons in such crimes in the last one year, it said.The officials busted a fake GST invoice racket, which was used to avail and pass on fake ITC of around Rs18 crore on bogus invoices of Rs41 crore. The proprietor of MM Buildcon/ Lam bodar Buildcon, was ar rested under the CGST Act, said the commis sionerate in a release. “Acting on specific in puts, the anti-evasion wing of the CGST Bhi wandi Commissioner ate initiated an investi gation against the firm. During the probe, the firm was found to be non-existing and fake. The proprietor said that he had vacated the reg istered premises/go down in 2018,” it added. Even after vacating the premises, the firm continued to use the same address in its all transactions, including sales and purchases. Based on material evi dence gathered during the investigation, the proprietor of the firm was arrested and sent to judicial custody till Au gust 30, it Incidentally,said. this is the 16th such arrest by CGST Bhiwandi Com missionerate in the past year.In the second case, the commissionerate had busted a fake GST invoice racket ofthroughITChaveprises.VishwakarmainvolvingEnterItwasfoundtoavailedineligibleofRs2.57crorebogusinvoicesRs14.30crore.The proprietor of the firm was the 15th person to be arrested by the com missionerate.“Actingonspecific in puts, the anti-evasion wing initiated an inves tigation against the firm. It was found that the principal place of business was residen tial premises and the taxpayer has availed in eligible ITC of Rs2.57 crore,” said the release. Following his arrest, the accused was released on bail by commissionerate.Bhiwaandi
Slamming BJP leader, JDU chief says he always stays on foreign tour ‘Vijayvargiya should be in-charge of Bihar so that he can realise the reality’
‘MIRWAIZ UMAR NOT UNDER HOUSE ARREST’
Imphal (ANI): De fence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday inter acted with jawans of Assam Rifles and 57 Mountain Division at Mantripukhari Army Station in Imphal and lauded their services and said that the Indian borders are protected and safe due to the sac rifice of the Indian Army and its troops. “Whenever I meet the jawans and officers of our armed forces, I feel happy, proud, and at peace. Everyone is serv ing the nation be it teachers, doctors and others but what our sol diers are doing is more than just profession and more than service,” Singh said. “No matter which government is there, the role of India’s security forces plays the main role in securing the bor ders which is more im portant than anything else,” he added.
Sajad Lone First India Bureau Mumbai: A day after fil ing an FIR at Mumbai’s Goregaon police station for defamation against incarcerated National ist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik, IRS officer Sa meer Wankhede began receiving threats from a bogus Twitter account. Wankhede confirmed that he and his wife, Kranti Redkar, had re ceived threats and that he had filed a complaint with the Goregaon po lice. On August 16, the unidentified person cre ated a Twitter account called ‘AmanA1A1’ and began making threats on the IRS officer’s Twitter posts. Wankhede initial ly ignored him, but when the threats persisted, he confronted the account holder on August 17, and the unidentified person deleted the account. The Twitter account holder threatened to “finish him” (Sameer Wankhede). The Gore gaon police, with assis tance of the cyber police, are attempting to obtain information about the deleted account. Inciden tally, just a day earlier on August 15, the police on a complaint from Wankhede had regis tered an FIR against Nawab Malik on charges of defamation and sec tions of the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Thane: Officials of the Central Goods and Services Tax legedlyThanebasedprietorhaveCommissionerate(CGST)arrestedtheproofafirminBhiwandiindistrictforalfraudulently
Srinagar: Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is not under house arrest, J & K Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha said on Friday. “We have neither arrested him nor is he under the house arrest, “ Sinha said. Noting that the father of the Mirwaiz was killed in an unfortunate incident, he said that police was placed around the separatist leader’s house for his protection. Patna (PTI): Political strate gist turned activist Prashant Kishor on Friday sought a feedback from Twitterati on the latest term in office of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar with whom he has had a long col laboration. Kishor launched an online poll on his official Twitter handle, asking users to vote yes or no, to his query, in Hindi.“This is the sixth experiment by Nitish in 10 years. Do you think, this time, the people of Bihar stand to benefit?”, asked Kishor. The founder of IPAC, a political consultancy group, has been skeptical of the new formation that has come into being with Kumar dumping the BJP and form ing Mahagathbandhan.
RELIGIOUS FERVOUR
slamseggSiddaramaiah’sattack:MoilyK’takagovt
Bengaluru (ANI): A day after an “egg at tack” against Opposi tion leader and Con gress leader Siddara maiah in Kodagu, for mer Karnataka CM and Congress leader Veer appa Moily on Friday said the rise of caste and communalism in Karnataka has stolen the peace of the people of the country. “In recent days, the rise of caste and com munalism in Karnata ka has stolen the peace of the people of the country. Former CM and Leader of Opposi tion Siddaramaiah was attacked by BJP in Kodagu. The activist rush is a symbol of hate politics at its lowest level. Perhaps, this mis hap has never happened in Karnataka politics,” Veerappa Moily said.
Srinagar: Inclusion of non-local voters in the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kash mir has heightened the fears of demographic change in the Union ter ritory, Peoples Confer ence chairman Sajad Lone said on Friday. He also appealed to the gov ernment to allay the ap prehensions of people. “The recent state ment by officials of the EC pertaining to allow ing non-locals to vote in the elections in J & K has created a new set of apprehensions amongst the people that the gov ernment of India must come out with unvar nished truth to allay their fears,” Lone said in a “Westatement.knowthe set of laws but what matters here is not the applica tion of law, but the in tentions of those imple menting law,” he said. ‘J&K people fear of demographic change’
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Assam Rifles Jawans. JDU President Rajiv Ranjan Singh speaking at an event. Rahul Gandhi
Wankhede, wife get threats on Twitter
FIRM OWNER HELD FOR `20 CR INPUT TAX CREDIT FRAUD
New Delhi (PTI): Will he, will he not? That is the question on every Congress leader’s mind as Ra hul Gandhi has still not indicated whether he is ready to take on the mantle of party president.Congress’ Central Election Authority chairman Madhusu dan Mistry said the Congress Working Committee, the par ty’s highest decisionmaking body, will de cide the date of the election of president and the exact sched ule. “The list of dele gates (who will vote) is ready. From our side, we are ready, it is the CWC that has to decide the date,” he toldMostPTI.party leaders, including those known to be close to Gandhi, are unable to say with confidence whether he would give into the demands of workers and con test the party presi dential poll or not. Sources said his stand of not taking on the mantle of party president was un changed till a few days ago. A party lead er said most people in the party want Rahul to become president again but there have been no indications from him that he has changed his stance on theAissue.school of thought is also emerging with in the party that in case Rahul does not agree to become presi dent, Sonia should continue at the helm. In that case she could be assisted by a couple of senior leaders who may be given an offi cial role like that of workingpresident, a senior leader said.
Will he, will he not: Cong’s Rahul Gandhi dilemma
Sensex snaps 5-day rally
New Delhi: Capital markets regulator Sebi has allowed India regis tered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and Venture Capital Funds (VCFs) to invest in foreign entities without having an India connec tion. Earlier, one of the conditions was that such overseas investments were al lowed only in those companies which had an Indian connection. Like, a company has a front office overseas, while having its back office operations in India. “The requirement of the overseas investee company to have an Indian connection... Has been done away with,” Sebi has said in a circular. PTI business BRIEFS
Inflation ‘unacceptably & uncomfortably
FOR TAXES PAID OUTSIDE INDIA RULES AT PRESENT z The CBDT has amended tax Rules providing relief to taxpayers in claiming Foreign Tax Credit (FTC). z So far, FTC could have been claimed only if Form67 along with necessary documents were filed within the due date for filing the original return.
I-T dept allows taxpayers more time to claim credit
—PTI GOLD FALLS `389; SILVER PLUNGES `1,607 New Delhi: Sebi on Friday made it mandatory for in vestors to block securities on their respective demat accounts for sale transac tions. Currently, the facili ty is optional for inves tors. The block mecha nism in the demat ac counts of clients under taking sale transactions would become mandatory from November 14, the Sebi said. Under the mechanism, shares of a client intending to make a sale transaction will be blocked in the client’s de mat account in favour of the clearing corporation concerned.
Mumbai (PTI): Equity benchmarks fell on Friday after a continuous rally, with the Sensex and Nifty declining over 1% each amid profit-taking and weak global market trends. The 30-share BSE Sensex, which had started the trade on a firm note, later gave up all the early gains and ended 651.85 points or 1.08% lower at 59,646.15. During the day, it tanked 823.43 points or 1.36 per cent to 59,474.57. The broader NSE Nifty fell 198.05 points or 1.10% to settle at 17,758.45. From the Sensex pack, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Fin serv, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, State Bank of India, Maruti, NTPC, Hindustan Unilever and Reliance In dustries were among the biggest laggards. On the other hand, Lars en & Toubro, Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services were the gainers.
Mumbai (PTI): Rajasthan accounted for the highest share in the total cost of projects sanctioned by banks and financial insti tutions in 2021-22, retain ing the top place for two consecutive years, as per an article published in RBI bulletin.Rajasthan was followed by Uttar Pradesh and Guja rat. "State-wise data reveals that during 2021-22, more than half (56.4%) of the projects were taken up in five states, viz., Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu," said the article ti tled 'Private Corporate In vestment: Growth in 202122 and Outlook for 2022-23'. The share of these five states increased signifi cantly from an average share of 40.7% during the period between 2012-13 and 2019-20 to more than 50% during the last two years. The article uses data on investment intentions by the private corporate sec tor based on the phasing plans (ex-ante) of their pro ject proposals to arrive at the aggregate investment intentions and assess the outlook for investment ac tivity in the near term. "After set back in pan demic period, announce ments of new investment projects increased signifi cantly during 2021-22, with total cost of project record ing an increase of about 90% over 2020-21, but still remaining below the prepandemic level," it said. Infrastructure sector continued to attract maxi mum capex projects, led by 'power' and 'road and bridg es' sectors.
` falls 20 paise to close at 79.84/$
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 20 paise to close at 79.84 (provisional) against the US dollar on Friday. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local currency opened at 79.75 and moved in a range of 79.73 to 79.84 dur ing the day. It finally ended at 79.84 against the Ameri can currency, down 20 pai se over its previous close of 79.64. The dollar index, which gauges the green back’s strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.18% to 107.67. For eign fund outflows from Indian equities also dragged the rupee down.
Windfall tax cut on oil producers was expected, say analysts
SAYS RBI GOVERNOR Mumbai (PTI): RBI Gov ernor Shaktikanta Das said the retail inflation is “unacceptably and uncom fortably” high and pro posed the 50 basis points hike in repo rate at the re cent monetary policy re viewThemeeting.othermembers of the Monetary Policy Com mittee (MPC) had ex pressed similar views, ac cording to the minutes of the meeting released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. At its meeting from Au gust 3 to 5, MPC decided to increase the benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points to 5.40 per cent with a view to tame inflation. The sequence of policy measures, Das said, “is ex pected to strengthen mon etary policy credibility and anchor inflation expecta tions”. “Our actions would continue to be calibrated, measured and nimble de pending upon the unfolding dynamics of inflation and economic activity,” he said. According to RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra, frontload ing of monetary policy ac tions “can keep inflation expectations firmly an chored, re-align inflation with the target and reduce the medium-term growth sacrifice as it is timed into the recovery underway.” New Delhi (PTI): Retail inflation for farm and rural workers increased to 6.60% and 6.82%, respectively, in July mainly due to higher prices of certain food items. In June retail inflation for farm and rural workers stood at 6.43% and 6.76% respectively. “Point-to-point rate of inflation based on the CPI-AL (Consumer Price Index-Agricultural Labourers) and CPI-RL (Consumer Price Index-Rural Labourers) stood at 6.60% and 6.82% in July, 2022 compared to 6.43% & 6.76% respectively in June, 2022 and 3.92% and 4.09% respectively during the corresponding month (July 2021) of the previous year,” a labour ministry statement said. Similarly, food inflation stood at 5.38% & 5.44% in July, 2022 compared to 5.09% & 5.16% respectively in June, 2022 and 2.66% & 2.74% respectively during the corresponding month of the previous year, it stated. The All-India Consumer Price Index Number for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers for July, 2022 increased by 6 points each to stand at 1131 and 1143 points respectively. The CPI-AL was 1125 points in June 2022, while CPI-RL was 1137 points in the month.
New Delhi (PTI): The in come tax department on Friday said taxpayers can claim credit for taxes paid outside India before the end of the assessment year if the I-T return is filed with in the stipulated deadline. So far, Foreign Tax Cred it (FTC) could have been claimed only if Form- 67 along with necessary docu ments were filed within the due date for filing the orig inal return, thereby re stricting the ability to claim credit for taxes paid outside India. The Central Board of Di rect Taxes (CBDT) has amended tax Rules provid ing relief to taxpayers in claiming Foreign Tax Credit (FTC). In a tweet, the income tax department said “the Statement in Form No. 67 can now be furnished on or before the end of the rele vant Asstt Year”.
’ high
MUMBAI | SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 07www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Commodity Price Change % Chg GOLD 51,995.00 389.00 0.74 (Per 10g) SILVER 56,247.00 1607.00 2.85 (Per 1kg) COMMODITIES Currency Price Change % Chg USDINR 79.84 0.20 0.25 GBPINR 94.7333 1.4359 1.4931 CURRENCIES
New Delhi (PTI): India's gold imports, which have a bearing on the country's Current Account Deficit (CAD), rose 6.4% to $12.9 billion during April-July this fiscal due to healthy demand, according to gov ernment data. In July 2022, however, imports of the precious metal fell sharply by 43.6% to $2.4 billion, as per the lat est data released by the commerceIncreaseministry.ingoldand oil imports during the first four months of this fiscal contributed to a record trade deficit of $30 billion, against $10.63 billion in April-July 2021. India is the world's second-biggest gold consumer after China. The imports mainly take care of the demand by the jewel leryTheindustry.gemsand jewellery exports during the first four months of the current fiscal grew by about 7% to $13.5 billion. A wider trade gap during 2021-22 expanded the coun try's current account defi cit at 1.2% of GDP. Gold imports up 6.4% to $13 bn in April-July
RETAIL INFLATION FOR FARM, RURAL WORKERS RISES TO 6.6%, 6.82% IN JULY
Highest share of projects okayed in Rajasthan: RBI AS PER RBI ARTICLE z State-wise data reveals that during 2021-22, more than half (56.4%) of the projects were taken up in five states, viz., Rajasthan, UP, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu z The share of these 5 states increased significantly from an average share of 40.7% to more than 50% New Delhi (PTI): Windfall profit tax on local oil pro ducers has been cut on ex pected lines but increasing the levy on jet fuel and die sel exports was a surprise as local markets are rea sonably well-supplied, ana lysts said on Friday. At the third fortnightly review, the government has increased the windfall prof it tax on the export of diesel to `7 per litre from `5 a litre and brought a `2 a litre tax on ATF Earlierexports.thismonth, the govt scrapped the windfall profit tax on ATF exports. Alongside, the tax on do mestically produced crude oil has been cut to `13,000 per tonne from `17,750. "India's fortnightly revi sion in windfall tax for oil producers was in line with our"Theexpectations.increasein jet fuel & diesel export tax, which reflects the recent rise in refining margins, sur prised us as local markets are reasonably well sup plied," Morgan Stanley said. The decline in oil prices led to a downward revision in windfall taxes on domestic oil production from $31 per barrel to $22. "The adjustments, while still adhoc, highlight pro ducer oil price cap of $70-75 a barrel and profitability of $20-21 per barrel.”
—PTI New Delhi: State-owned hydro power giant NHPC NHPC announced its plan to develop two hydroelec tric projects of 750MW & 450MW in Nepal, for which it has inked a pact. “NHPC Ltd signed an MOU with Investment Board Nepal (IBN) to develop 750 MW West Seti and 450 MW SR-6 Hydroelectric Projects in Nepal,” a statement said. With total installed capacity of 7,071.20 MW, NHPC is ranked as a premier organisation in India for development of hydropower.
—PTI BLOCK MECHANISM IN DEMAT ACCOUNTS MUST: SEBI *Rates till the edition went to print.
The amendment oper ates retrospectively, so this benefit is available to all FTC claims filed during the current financial year, it added. Nangia Andersen LLP Partner- Direct Taxa tion, Sachin Garg said the amendment has provided much-needed relief to tax payers who can now claim FTC by furnishing Form67 along with necessary documents before the end of the assessment year if the return is filed within the original due date or date of filing belated tax return.“The FTC can now be claimed even when filing an updated return of in come, provided Form 67 is furnished before filing such return.”
SBI SELLS KSK MAHANADI POWER LOAN ACCOUNT TO ADITYA BIRLA ARC New Delhi: SBI has sold the non-performing loan account of KSK BirlapanyPowerMahanadiComtoAdityaARCfor `1,622 crore, accepting a haircut of almost 58% against the total outstand ing. KSK Mahanadi Power Com pany had total loan outstanding of `3,815.04 crore towards SBI as of April 2022. SBI had received a total of 15 EoIs, while only one bid was received from Aditya Birla ARC for an amount of `1,544.08 crore in an auction in end-May. —PTI GRADUAL APPROACH TO PRIVATISATION FOR BETTER OUTCOMES: RBI Mumbai: RBI said a research paper favouring gradual privati sation of PSBs is not its view but that of the authors of the report. The research paper published in the August 2022 issue of RBI Bul letin said “the gradual approach to privatisation adopted by the government can ensure that a void is not created in fulfilling the social objective of financial inclusion”. It also highlighted that recent mega merger of PSBs has resulted in consolida tion of the sector. —PTI OTHER STORIES SEBI EASES NORMS ON AIF AND VCF INVESTMENTS IN OVERSEAS FIRMS
New Delhi: Debt-ridden Future Enterprises Ltd (FEL) said it has defaulted on payments of interest of two debenturesnon-convertibletotalling `12.68 crore. The due date for payment was Au gust 17, 2022, FEL said in a regulatory filing. “The company is unable to ser vice its obligations in re spect of the interest on Non-Convertible Deben tures (NCDs) due on Au gust 17, 2022,” it said on Thursday. The debentures are secured with a cou pon rate of 9.60% per annum.
—PTI NHPC INKS PACT TO DEVELOP 2 HYDRO PROJECTS IN NEPAL FEL DEFAULTS ON `12.68 CR INTEREST PAYMENT FOR NCDs New Delhi : Gold prices declined `389 to `51,995 per 10 grams in the na tional capital on Friday following weak global cues, acc to HDFC Securi ties. The yellow metal had closed at `52,384 per 10 grams in the previous trade. Silver also plunged `1,607 to `56,247 per kg from `57,854 per kg in the previous trade. In the international market, gold was trading lower at $1,753 per ounce while silver was flat at $19.23 per ounce.
z You did not lose any election? I did not due to God’s will and the love of the people, coupled with the support of the party workers.
MODI IS THE FIRST POPULAR PM, WHO COMMANDS NATION’S SENTIMENTS, LOVE AND AFFECTION!
The human spirit is the most amazing thing, it can plummet the darkest depths and rise to the shiniest stars in the breadth of a second.
I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
— Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India
z AAP was trying to project itself as con tender in Himachal. But later, all its lead ers came and sat with BJP. How did this miracle happen? We made some efforts. There were people, who felt that Arvind Kejri wal is a ‘Bag of lies.’ They felt that he is less of a Chief Minister and more of a ‘Jhooth-Man tri’. Spreading fake propaganda, spreading lies, throwing muck on other leaders, have be come Kejriwal’s identi ty. Look at their prom ise of free electricity in Punjab. When they came to power, instead of fulfilling their prom ise, he ran towards the Centre to seek help and papers even quoted that he wanted Rs 1 lakh crore from the Centre. We have helped Punjab in the past, are doing it in the present and will keep doing so in future as well. It is an extreme ly important part of our nation, but this some where shows the Kejri’s thought process of that he makes huge promis es to win polls, distrib utes ‘revadis,’ but after coming to power, he fails to fulfil them. z What is your thought behind this ‘revadi culture’ espe cially in context to what Supreme Court has said recently? Will you go further for appeal so that a law is made? Jagdeesh ji, I feel that senior individuals like you should hold debates and deliberations on TV as to what is the reason behind the Sri Lankan crisis. Why are such situ ations coming up in na tions across the world? Why has the debt in Bangladesh risen? If we look at the states of In dia, which till yesterday were cash rich, are now under debt, they are cash strapped. What are these policies that are causing this problem? It is impor tant to know this, re search and learn about them and take preven tive or corrective meas ures in this regard is ex tremely important. If we do not discuss about these issues, then vari ous parts of the nation will witness tension. That is why, I say that we should act when there is still time.
So how do you rate Narendra Modi as a PM? He is the leader of my party, he is the leader of the nation and I would say that I am thankful to the people of India that they have given this country a Prime Minis ter like Modiji, not once but twice and owing to this fact, Indians all across the world, hold their heads high.
z How do you per ceive PM Modi as a global leader? See, when one addresses global issues like global warming. We all say that glaciers are melting, sea level is rising, rains are erratic now and seasons have changed. This will result in deaths of mil lions of people, when ever the cataclysm oc curs. And we have start ed observing its impact. But the nations of the world aren’t bringing any change in their life style. No one wants to take major steps. In fact, they are not ready to fol low the Kyoto Protocol. But Modiji, displaying leadership, brought France together during COP-21 and formed the International Solar Alli ance. Its Headquarters is based in India and we fulfilled our target be fore time. And when COP-26 happened in England this time, Modi ji again gave direction and leadership to the world leaders. During the disaster, we followed our principal of Vasudhaiva Kutumb kam,’which means that the world is one family and provided vaccines and medicines to 150 na tions, when other na tions of the world were restricted to themselves.
z How would you like to explain Narendra Modi’s idea of ‘New India’ ? We can explain Modiji’s ‘New India’ in whichev er manner we may want and in as many words as we can. I keep on asking the youth of the nation as to what do they think the ‘New India’ should be like? So someone says SwachhBharat,SundarBharat,SashaktBharatorShantBharat.SowhenModijitalksabout‘NewIndia,’thereisanewrespecttowardsthenationandtheTricolour.Today,whenwearecelebrating‘AzadiKaAmritMahotsav,’andpeoplearewalkingwithTricolouronroadsandhaveunfurleditattheirrespectivehomes,thepeoplethroughtheiract,arerememberingthosemenandwomen,whogaveuptheirlivesforthefreedomofthenation.Theygavetheir‘Balidaan,’todaywemerelyaskpeoplefortheir‘Yogdaan.’
z When did you con test your first elec tion? Anurag Thakur: I con tested the election for 14th Lok Sabha and thereafter, contested for 15th, 16th and 17th and now serving as 4th time MP from Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency. For this, I thank the constit uents of Hamirpur, who have, time and again, expressed their trust & faith in me and handed over this responsibility to me.
z Perhaps that is why party workers want you to contest election and become face of the election? In PM Narendra Modi, BJP has got a face, which no one can match. He is the most popular leader of not just our na tion, but of the world. He considers Himachal his second home and when Modiji comes, the people will vote for BJP in unison. And as BJP workers, we will work to take party’s message to each and every individ ual and form the BJP government once again.
TO BE CONTINUED...
z When was the first time you met Modiji, or he set eyes on you? It was in 1995, when he was the in-charge of Himachal Pradesh and then, he went on to be come the National Gen eral Secretary.
z What is your take on the InsuranceHealthScheme? It is a huge scheme. ‘Ayushman Bharat’ is such a scheme under which, we are giving treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh free of cost to 60 crore people, i.e. even if we add the population of North and South Americas, ours’ would still be a larger popula tion cover. Poor do not have to look at anyone to acquire treatment.
z And Pradhan Man tri Awas Yojana? I want you to recall what Modiji had said in 201415 that when we cele brate the 75th year of Independence, if we talk even about the PMAY (Urban) we had prom ised 1 crore houses and till now, we have already completed work of 1 crore houses and by the year end, we will cross the figure and complete 22 lakh additional homes. This means, we will build 20 percent more homes. Even the target for the rural area under PMAY has been achieved. This goes on to show that Modiji does not merely do lip ser vice, rather his good governance, his ability to take decision and en force it, has truly em powered the nation.
z Assembly elections will take place in Himachal Pradesh. Don’t you feel like contesting? I feel like making people contest. When elections come, I feel like going amidst people and in form them about the achievements of the State as well as the Cen tral Governments & help form the BJP gov ernment in Himachal.
z How do you see the Direct Benefit Trans fer Scheme under which people are get ting money right at their homes? You have picked up an important point that money has reached to people while seated at their homes. There was a time, when Rajiv ji used to say that when I send Rs 100, only Rs 15 reach till the last end. This means, that the system of offi cials, employees and poli ticians used to gulp the poor peoples’ money dur ing the Congress’ regime. But Modiji opened 45 crore bank accounts and 28 crore people were giv en the facility of debit card. Not only this, he brought forward the best digital payment system -UPI BHIM- wherein, while other countries are signing cheques for the masses, Modiji just press es a button and the mon ey automatically gets transferred directly to the account of crores of people within seconds. This is the power of ‘Dig ital India.’
z How did the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ cam paign reach such a level? Did you ever fathom that it would be so grand? I think there is a huge change that has taken place after several dec ades, that when one per son in the nation says something and the en tire nation listens to that person and does what is requested. See, during first wave of Covid-19, when Modiji called up the people to stand with the frontline workers, so people clapped for them and did all that was asked, then people supported the vaccination drive and also used the Aaro gyaSetu App and CoW IN App when asked to. People of India and of the world trust Modiji blindly . z PM Modi’s single statement has that ‘magical effect’ on people. What’s your taken on this... When people stand be sides you, then there are expectations too. I want you to recall any mo ment from our history when an Indian PM has visited another nation, and the fanfare he has been accorded a wel come with and compare that with the warm wel come and support and strength that has been accorded to Modiji. Has that happened ever in the past? Even the NRIs get strength from the fact that a leader from their nation has gained such a massive support and strength. See a new world order is now com ing into existence and now India and its people have to make up their minds as to where do want to take the nation to? And if any nation wants to go to a better place, then it needs a new idea, a new thought, a decisive leader and then the nation needs to walk with the leader without thinking about other aspects. What has not happened in the past six decades, has hap pened in the past 8 years. ‘Saath se behtar Aath.’ And that is why, I say that people have put all their trust in Narendra Modiji’s actions. z I keep visiting Sri Nagar. There was a time, when the youth of the valley used to have stones in their hands at Lal Chowk and Modiji had un furled the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in the past, putting his life at stake. But now, the Tricolour was un furled at Lal Chowk. Is this the magic of 370? You are talking about the era of 90s, when Modiji went there. I will narrate you an incident of 2011. I undertook a Rashtriya Ekta Yatra from Kolkata to Kash mir, which was basical ly a ‘Tiranga Yatra.’ During that time, stones were pelted at soldiers and more than 2,000 sol diers sustained inju ries. The UPA Govern ment was changing the AFSPA and were talk ing about giving a great er autonomy to Kash mir and this would have been extremely danger ous. As the National President of BJYM, I travelled from the birth place of Dr Syama Pras ad Mukherjee to his Balidan-sthali and con nected crores of youth of the nation and reached Lal Chowk to unfurl the Tricolour. But I was arrested on January 25, 2011 and was jailed in Kathua, so that I could not reach Kashmir. Fencing was done on the border of Jammu & Kashmir so as to curtail my move ment. Arun Jaitley ji and Sushma Swaraj ji, who were Leaders of the Opposition, came to support my ‘Yatra,’ but they too were arrested and were put behind the bars. Hoisting or unfurl ing Tricolour used to be considered a crime in our own nation. But BJYM workers reached the Lal Chowk and hoisted the Tricolour. But this changed on Au gust 5, 2019. Dr Mukher jee carried out his ‘Yatra,’ followed by Murli Manohar Joshi and Narendra Modi and then myself. But noth ing changed. Change came into existence, only when the people of the nation gave a com plete majority and Modiji provided free dom to Jammu and Kashmir from Article 270 and 35 (A). Today Kashmir is peaceful, no stone pelting occurs there, Tricolour is re spected and the state is on development path.
CEO & Editor-in-Chief of First India & Bharat24, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra during The New JC Show, speaks to Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur about his political journey, the changing dynamics of politics, the coming of a new world order & most importantly, how India under PM Modi’s leadership is surging ahead of other nations & taking everyone along following the age old philosophy of Kutumbkam;’‘VasudhaivaHowModi’s vision of a ‘New India’ has wide acceptance of public & hence his word carries weightage & charisma to propel the nation forward & much more... (Part—I) Kejriwal, a ‘jhooth-mantri’: Thakur
MUMBAI | SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 082ND FRONT www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai
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Dr Jagdeesh Chandra in conversation with Anurag Thakur during The New JC Show. During the show #JCwithAnuragThakur trended toponAll-IndiaTwitter
Kavya Joshi with her mother Divya Joshi and Daksh Choudhary with his mother Pooja Choudhary and other family members during the competition
Jagdeesh Chandra greets Dr Mahesh Joshi
n the auspi cious occa sion of Kris han
2022day,Ramada,withBigorganisedPratiyogita‘Balmomentousmashtmi,JanaaGopal2022wasbyStudioBossinassociationFirstIndiaatHotelJaipuronThursBalGopalPratiyogitaisoneofthemostanticipatedBalGopalcompetitionsofthePinkcity.JagdeeshChandragracedtheoccasionastheChiefGuestandmotivatedtheyoungKrishnasandalsocongratulatedtheirparents.DrMaheshJoshi,CabinetMinisterwasalsopresentasthespecialguest.Duringtheoccasion,MinisterJoshisaid,“Iamverygratefultobeapartofthisenchantingcompetition,asthiscompetitionisatreasuredandpreciousopportunitytoputourchildrenintheshoesofNandLala.”Forthepast14years,onKrishnaJanmashtami,StudioBig Boss would give a chance to mothers, children and families to woo Lord Krishna by dolling up as the lord himself and hun dreds of kids in more than 5 categories would take part. The celebrations were an exquisite blend of faith, innocence and love. Ashok Singh, the founder, of Studio Big Boss, in formed everyone that we are organising this com petition for the last 25 years and try to bring back to life the special blissful memories of our most jubilant Janmashta mi Celebrations. It is ex citing to see the craze of youngsters and especially their creative and imagi native parents who me ticulously arranged all the beautiful and colour ful fancy dresses, ornate accessories, and special make-up. Kavya Joshi, granddaughter of Dr Ma hesh Joshi, Cabinet Min ister and Daksh Choud hary won the hearts of everyone with their charm and astonishing look and attire when they walked the stage as little Radha and Krishna.
UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in Cute Participants of Bal Gopal 2022 in Krishna-Radha Avtars
Atharva Toshniwal Cute little Makhanchors during the competition
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Aayo Nathkhat
O Bal Gopal 2022, by Studio Big Boss, is the celebration of Lord Krishna in his most precious form, that of an innocent and ‘natkhat’ child. Children dressed as little Krishnas and Radhas wooed and drew blessings from each one of the audience at Ramada on Thursday
Dr Mahesh Joshi and Jagdeesh Chandra felicitating Kavya Joshi and Bhavya Johar, as they charmed everyone with their adorable avatars. Also seen are Sanya Hissariya, Bhagyashree Mundra and Gaurav Gaur
KIRADOOMUKESHANDSHARMASANTOSHBY—PHOTOS
Rohan Barman
SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 - DEC 22
Some family issues may need urgent resolution, so don’t neglect them. Some of you are likely to enjoy an excursion with friends.You will feel financially comfortable. Your personality will attract many eligible bachelors. Spend time talking with likeminded people.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 19
Pending concerningpaperworkaproperty will be completed. Your spouse may make you spend more than you expected. Admit your faults in relationship. Fantastic day for investing money in stock market as you can make fortune. You miss your parents a lot and somewhere fear to loose them.
This is the best time try something new with life give yourself a new purpose. You will feel amorous towards your wife. Work on your limitations, there can be no better time than this. You have more opposite sex friends than the same and you may be judged sometimes.
You are very fortunate to have a great friend circle. 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 will have your own house.
SCORPIO OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22 You must create an environment of under standing at home. Your regular exercise routine promises to keep you fit and energetic. You will succeed in any sort of examination if you put your heart and soul to it. You need a break from day to day tensions.
YOURDAY
Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva arneet Sach dev is an author.sultantagementspeaker,complishedacmanconandHehas studied at prominent global institutions like the University of Mel bourne and Syracuse University among oth ers. During his 30 years of research into as pects of mind science, brain wave analysis, spirituality, dream analysis, paranormal, positive livesbookalwithsonalknowledgewantscretsprisonbrokeofbutonlyly.himselfandmasteredforainAsbyments,plingintremesonaldevthere,kissedtheretobemoneyofandwork.forceiveddigarh.WestIncomeCommissionerPrincipalworkingdevjourney.theirthousandshemeditationpsychology,etc.,hashelpedoninnerSachiscurrentlyastheChiefofTax,North-region,ChanHehasremanyawardshisoutstandingHisinnovativeindigenouswaysunearthingblackhaveprovedtoofimmenseutilitytheITDeptt."Onceuponatimewasasun-land.IlivedIstilldo”.Sachshareshisperprisonsofexsocialanxietyadditiontocripphysicalailcompoundedvariousallergies.therealisationsetthat"thereisneverplacedarkenoughdarkness”,hehisthoughtswasabletohealmiraculousItlaysbarenotthemagicinsidealsotheinfinitythehumansoul.Hefreefromthisusingthe‘SeofLife’andtosharethisandperexperienceshisreaders.'Prisons'isaspirituandphilosophicalthatweavestheoffivewomenliv
“We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slipTheout.”ancient science of Tantra recognises the power of human thought. You can call this Chi, Dev Atama, Shakti, or Visualisa tion- which enables you to experience the un limited power of your potential, This is how the ascended yogis cre name a few. Visualiza tion may be the most important part of your mental package as it uses explicit imagery and alters your neural pathways. This is ‘Achetan Kriya’- sitting in a relaxed meditative pose, with total focus on an image - keeping your goal in mind and visual ising it to come true.
FACEOFTHEDAY REET MUKHERJEE, Model LEO JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
CAPRICORN DEC 23 - JAN 20 Don’t make friends for money and status rather make friends who will stick with you forever. You care about you lover but somehow hesitate in expressing that care. On social front, you may have to spend some extra money in buying gifts for someone for some specific occasion.
ARIES MAR 21 - APR 20
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LIBRA SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
Today is a favourable day for business.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.
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.
ing different lives. Each is trapped in her personal prison of abuse, sickness, lack, poverty, jealousy etc. Based on dramatized, true-life incidents the book details how through simple trans formational tools these women broke free. Modern science has done a lot of research and found that con sciousness of gratitude enhances mental health, fosters mean ingful relationships, helps in catharsis, and improves the happiness quotient. When you start counting your blessings, your whole life turns around.If‘SurvivaloftheFittest’ was the only maxim, all species would hurt and kill, till only the stronger few survived. The fact is that sur vival depends on mu tual help because the “river that flows in you also flows in me”. This awareness of co existence is 'Empathy'which is programmed within but needs to be awakened. You, your self, as much as any body else in the Uni verse, deserve your love and compassion. The first step towards ‘self-love' is forgiving yourself physically, mentally, and emotion ally. One great way to express empathy is speech. It can inspire and change the world provided these words emanate from the vast stillness be yond. When we speak and theuplar‘mindfully’listensimineuronslightinthebrainofotherperson.
Tensions on the family front are likely to get sorted out. Your spouse is someone who can do anything for your happiness. You are happy spending whole day at home. Help your mothers at home today and give them a reason to smile. You will be successful one day.
CANCER JUNE 22 - JULY 23 You will enjoy good health by remaining regular in your workouts. 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 a very grounded person.
GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 21
VIRGO AUG 24 - SEP 23
PISCES FEB20 - MARCH 20 Family will be supportive of your ideas, but only to an extent. You give tough competition to people. Many people get inspired by you. You will get special treatment from your dear ones. Good health is assured through own efforts. Meet people you get along with well.
PRISONS: THE OFSECRETSSIXLIFEDEEPAK
Quoting Buddha “You are what you what you feel, you cre ate what you imag ine”. This is the ‘Pris tine Duo’- your visu alization followed by non-resistant action since “You will never plough a field by turn ing it over in your mind”. Perfect thought prepares the soil for creation and effort makes it a reality. “He who is not busy being born is busy dying”. "There are pris ons in life as well asafterconfinementsdeath.Nothingisunbreakable”.Thesoulisnotmeanttobeimprisoned,itsdestinyisfreedom.Youmustdoityourselfsince“inlife,youaretooheavyaloadforanyoneelsetocarry".TheMasterkeytoTHEULTIMATEFREEDOMisinyourownhands!!!Throughthisbook,Parneethassharedsimpleyetpowerfultechniquestotransformyourlife.Itisamust-read! deepaklifemusings@gmail.com
TAURUS APR 21 - MAY 20 You make sure to make things work your way. You are most wanted by your friends. You can have romantic affair in office and a serious one. You will invest money in clothes and accessories today. You are a God fearing person. Never demotivate someone.
Vivan
Akshay Pushya Dimpy Bagra
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The birth of Lord Krishna, also known as Janmashtami or Krishna Janmashtami, was commemorated throughout India with great fervour and enthusiasm on Friday, August 18. This celebration is only held in order to bring people together and build bonds of solidarity. Another significant component of this holiday, which is observed on the second day of Janmashtami, is Dahi Handi. Lord Krishna was known as “Makhanchor” or “the one who stole butter” when he was a child. He used to smuggle butter into every Gokul family. City First brings to you glimpses of the celebration from our readers across Jaipur, Delhi and Mumbai
Amar Kadam Satyam Sonkar Nihan Saini Sparsh Choudhary
and Tanishka Jiyana Deep Patil Adhira Kannan and Saisha Kannan Shivangi TiwariLaksh Patil Kiaan Hivare Abhimanyu Majumder Aarvi Kedia Mrignaini and Yuvragi Dimpy
Rudra Kharade Hetvik Joshi
Kathit Sain and Keerat Sain
Vruti Didwaniya
Ekta Jain and Prish Satra Hriday Tiwari Shiven Shukla Vikhyat and VeohmRonik
arlings and Vijay Varma, both shined brightly upon their release. But Vijay was initially sceptical about playing a negative role that would become a subject of public hatred. But it was the assurance of Shah Rukh Khan’s inter est in the role that made the actor take it up. Talking in an interview, Vijay revealed, “I remember somebody from Red Chillies had told me that when Shah Rukh sir read the script, he was like 'agar main young hota toh ye role main hi karta, which was interesting for me to hear. That was also one of the reasons I felt like I can do this role, because if Shah Rukh Khan thinks that he can do this role.”
Shivansh
12 MUMBAI | SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia CITY BUZZGETSTAYVACCINATEDMASKED
n the latest Koffee with Karan episode, the host turned to Sid harth to ask him about the things he wants to manifest. As Sid knew what was coming toward him, he tried to dodge the ques tion but all went in vain. Karan finally asked the Sher shaah actor about their fu ture plans now that he is dating Kiara Advani. To this Sid replied, “I am man ifesting it today. A bright er and happier future.” When Karan added if that future is with Ki ara Advani, the actor said, “If she would be in it, it would be great.” Before showing him an AV of Kiara Ad vani’s episode, Karan introduced her as Sidharththegirlfriend.Sidharth’sWithoutdenyingsaidthing,justrepliedwithan“Oh”.
F ilmmaker Anu rag ionsharedKashyaphisopinrecentlyon how he thinks The Kashmir Files, a film that took the country by storm should not be considered for the Oscars. Now, Ca nadian filmmaker Dy lan Mohan Gray too has joined the wagon. He posted Vivek Ag nihotri’s reply to Anurag Kashyap’s article where the filmmaker had called it a Lobby to out The Kashmir Files from the Oscars race. Gray wrote, “yeah, actually it’s garbage of no ar tistic merit and will be a further embar rassment to India if ‘selected’ by the ‘neu tral’ sovile“thoughRRRKashyap’s#KashmirFiles.”#yourewelcomecountry’swhat’stryingagkashyap72board…@anurisjusttopreserveleftofthegoodnameButhecontrastedideaofashewrote,#RRRisalsoandsadistic,notmuchofastepup”.
Kareena Kapoor Khan
example of Nikhil Sid dhartha who perspired and climbed the ladder of success. From doing supporting roles to now being the lead ac tor of a pan-India country by storm, Nikhil has had a tre mendous journey. In a candid chat with First India Filmy, he spoke about the success of Karthikeya 2, the panIndia concept, boycott culture and more. Talking about how he never anticipated the nationwide love he would get for love in South India but suddenly the whole na tion showering love on us is KarthikeyathatNikhilsurreal.”revealedalthoughmaking2was like Dwaraka city and Lord Krishna’s lega cy. So, we just thought that multiple people should watch it.” As Karthikeya 2 touches upon the sen sitive religious senti ments, on whether the fear of being boycotted loomed over him, Nikhil revealed, “We never intended to make anything that would hurt anyone’s senti ments. We made sure to be well-re searched on the topic and make sure that we portray the film sensi tively. Karthikeya 2 is a standalone film that is not really to any par ticular film industry. It just talks about the In dian culture and cele brates it. See, hashtags will come and go but good cinema will al ways flourish.”
NIKHIL SIDDHARTHA: I DON’T BELIEVE IN PAN-INDIA collaborationKareena-Rhea’s RRR AND CRITICIZEDTKF VIJAYSRK'SBAGGEDROLE Sid datingconfirmsKiara! JANMASHTMI CELEBRATIONS City First brings to you glimpses shared by our dear readers from their Janamashtmi celebrations Nikhil Siddhartha
Shirke Ansh Ajeet Shukla Upanshu Shah TanishaPostersShindeof the film
Rhea Kapoor Kiara Advani Sidharth Malhotra Vijay Varma Shah Rukh Khan
I t is public knowledge that Kareena Ka poor Khan will be collaborating with Rhea Kapoor for another banger film. It was reported that Rhea is working on the script of the sequel to her 2018 film, Veere Di Wedding. Shutting down these rumours, Kareena cleared that the film is not a sequel to Veere but a fresh script altogether. Further adding, the Heroine star mentioned that it will be a women-centric film with another two actors of the decade. However, she did not mention the names of the actor but did reveal
