First India-Mumbai Edition-24th January 2023

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Maha Guv Bhagat Singh Koshyari expresses desire to step down!

Kartikey Dev Singh

Mumbai: Months after he was embroiled in a major controversy leading to the entire Maharashtra opposition breathing down his neck, on Monday, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari expressed his desire to step down from the position. Koshyari said he has expressed desire before Prime minister Narendra Modi to quit the post and ‘spend the remainder of his life in reading, writing and other activities.’

“During recent visit of Prime Minister to Mumbai, I conveyed to him my desire to be discharged of all political responsibilities. I have

always received the love and affection from the Hon’ble Prime Minister and I hope to receive the same in this regard,” a statement from the Raj Bhavan said.

“It was an absolute honour and privilege for me to serve as the Rajya Sevak or Rajya-

Pakistan feared only Balasaheb Thackeray:

CM Eknath Shinde

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Monday paid rich tributes to Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, saying he was the only Indian leader that Pakistan feared and though the late politician espoused the cause of Hindutva, he never hated the

Muslim community. Speaking at the inauguration of an oil portrait of Bal Thackeray in the central hall of Maharashtra legislative building in south Mumbai on the occasion of his 97th birth anniversary, he said the Sena founder never compromised on his values to gain power.

pal of a great State like Maharashtra the land of Saints, Social reformers and valiant fighters,” Koshyari added.

“I can never forget the love and affection that the people of the state have given me for three years,” he said.

Cong demands President sack Koshyari; ‘better late than never’, says Thackeray faction

Mumbai: The Congress on Monday demanded Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who has expressed the desire to quit, be sacked by the President and not allowed to quit while the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction took a dig saying “better late than never”.

The Congress and NCP, both members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) along with Shiv Sena (Thackeray) faction, also said Koshyari should have written

to the President to discharge him of all responsibilities if he believed the position of the governor is Constitutional and not political one.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole alleged when MVA was in power, Koshyari’s conduct and mentality as the governor was to break the Constitutional order.

“Instead of writing a letter to the President to whom the position of governor is connected, Koshyari wrote a letter to the Prime Minister. He should not be relieved of his responsibilities but sacked from the post,” Patole told reporters.

He alleged Koshyari

made objectionable statements against icons like Chhatrapati Shivaji, Savitribai Phule, Jyotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar and has turned the Raj Bhavan into a Bharatiya Janata Party office.

He said the Congress has been insisting on the removal of the governor over his controversial statements but the BJP was in agreement with the governor’s opinion.

“We request the President that the gov-

ernor should be expelled. Do not let him go voluntarily,” he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and spokesperson Arvind Sawant said Koshyari cannot be absolved of his extra-Constitutional acts.

Sawant questioned the basis on which the governor had administered the oath to an “extra-Constitutional” chief minister, a reference to CM Eknath Shinde, last June.

“It is better late than never,” Sawant said.

Thackeray-Ambedkar announce union ‘for democracy’

Sandeep Shukla

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi on Monday announced an alliance ahead of civic polls in several cities in Maharashtra. Addressing a joint press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said his grandfather Keshav Thackeray and Prakash

PARAKRAM DIWAS

Ambedkar’s grandfather, legendary social icon and jurist B R Ambedkar, were contemporaries who admired each other and worked to eradicate social evils and bad practices.

“The inheritors of these two leaders, and people around them, have come together to protect the country’s interest. We are coming together to ensure

GOLDEN TRIBUTE TO INDIA’S HEROES!

Mumbai:

P6

SPICEJET OFFLOADS 2

PASSENGERS FOR UNRULY BEHAVIOUR

New Delhi: Two passengers supposed to fly a SpiceJet flight from New Delhi to Hyderabad on Monday were handed over to the security agency. Male passenger touched the female cabin crew inappropriately. P6

SC DISMISSES CBI APPEAL AGAINST BAIL

TO ANIL DESHMUKH

New Delhi: In a major relief for former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the CBI’s appeal challenging the Bombay High Court order granting bail to NCP leader in a corruption case.

PAKISTAN SUFFERS

HUGE POWER OUTAGE AFTER GRID FAILURE

Islamabad: Millions of people were without electricity in Karachi, Islamabad etc as Pakistan experienced a nationwide power outage on Monday due to reduced frequency in national grid.

Andaman

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday named 21 Islands in Andaman and Nicobar after recipients of India’s highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra. The naming was done on occasion of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 126th birth anniv also known as Parakram Diwas.

“When history is being made, the future generations not just remember, assess and evaluate it, but also find constant inspiration from it,” Modi said. The first recipient of the award was Major Somnath Sharma, who lost his life while fighting against Pak in 1947. P5

INDIA 1ST COUNTRY

TO NAME ISLANDS

AFTER

SOLDIERS:

HM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, present on the occasion on Monday, said that India is the first country to have done this, as no other country in the world had named an island after the brave soldiers who fought for the nation.

democracy is alive,” Thackeray said.

Without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is ruling in Maharashtra as well as at the Centre, Thackeray said the country is heading towards autocracy.

Thackeray also dared the powers-thatbe to hold Assembly polls in Maharashtra at the earliest. The state is being ruled by

a faction of the Sena that broke away in June last year and the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Thackeray group has routinely called it a dispensation of “traitors”.

Speaking about the alliance, Ambedkar said the coming together of the VBA and Shiv Sena (UBT) was the start of the “politics of change”.

Five-member Oversight Panel to be led by Mary

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Legendary boxer Mary Kom will head five-member oversight committee formed by the Indian Sports Ministry to look into the allegations of sexual harassment of women wrestlers by Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan

Sharan Singh, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said on Monday. The other members of the committee include the Olympic medalist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former badminton player Trupti Murgun-

KL RAHUL, ATHIYA SHETTY TIE KNOT!

The WFI president will not discharge his duties and stay away from affairs of WFI. The working of WFI will be looked after by Oversight Committee till their mandated duration and it will also probe the serious allegations against WFI and its chief.

de, ex-TOPS CEO Crd (Retd) Rajesh Rajagopalan and former SAI executive director – teams – Radhica Sreeman. P6

P5

Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray with VBA leader Prakash Ambedkar and others celebrate their newlyannounced alliance at Ambedkar Bhavan in Mumbai on Monday.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari

‘SUPPORT US AND WE WILL RESTORE STATEHOOD IN J&K’

First India Bureau

Jammu: Cong leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday addressing a gathering at the Satwari Chowk said that the party will put all its might to restore statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and strongly accused the NDA Government at the Centre of snatching away the statehood.

Daughter of actor Sunil Shetty, Athiya Shetty and Cricketer KL Rahul’s wedding marks the first big fat celeb wedding of 2023. They tied knot in their Khandala farmhouse on Monday.

Indian Navy on Monday commissioned the fifth Kalvari class submarine Vagir at the naval dockyard in Mumbai in presence of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar.

PM Modi, HM Shah pay tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

21

& Nicobar Islands named after PVC awardees

Moni Sharma

PM Narendra Modi at naming ceremony of 21 islands of Andaman & Nicobar after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees, via VC, on Monday. Amit Shah and others present during the event in Port Blair on Monday.

Mary Kom Anurag Thakur

—Anurag Thakur, Union Sports Minister

Plea

in Del HC against wrestlers for levelling harassment charges against WFI President

3RD TEMPLE VANDALISED IN MELBOURNE

New Delhi: A new petition has called for an independent inquiry into a “serious breach” by BBC in its duties as a public broadcaster in UK over a controversial documentary series on PM Modi.

New Delhi: British High Commissioner to India Alexander Ellis said India’s G20 Presidency is an “opportunity” to tell the story of a “new and modern India,” it can tackle some of ‘world’s big problems’. P6

—PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Nana Patole

Shinde camp leader talks of NCP, Congress and Sena coalition going over with Balasaheb

Mumbai: On the occasion of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s birth anniversary, the Uddhav Thackerayled faction shared a video of Balasaheb on social media. In the video, Balasaheb Thackeray is seen saying, “If even one MLA of Shiv Sena is broken, trample him on the road.”

Speaking to mediapersons, (Chief Minister Eknath) Shinde faction MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, said, “If Balasaheb Thackeray was alive now, he would have trampled all the other leaders including Raut, who is in alliance with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).”

When asked about Balasaheb’s words in the video, Gaikwad said, “When Balasaheb Thackeray was alive, we also marched as Shiv Sainiks. Back then, the MLAs who

Uddhav Thackeray and CM Eknath Shinde both paid tribute to Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray in Mumbai on Monday.

had split had done so by betraying Hindutva. We (the Shinde faction) have split by taking with us the thoughts of Balasaheb Thackeray and not by betraying Hindutva.”

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray on Monday targeted former ally BJP saying it is trying to take the country towards dictatorship through the “sham” Hindutva.

Without naming BJP, he said they want to have an “iron grip” on India

and referred to China.

He was addressing party workers on the 97th birth anniversary of Bal Thackeray.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar said, “We should not forget to say that he (Balasaheb) was a Hindu ‘hriday samrat’ and respected other castes and religions as well.”

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray termed himself “rightful successor of Balasaheb’s thoughts.”

Mumbai: Remembering Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray on his birth anniversary, party leader Sanjay Raut paid tribute to him here on Monday. Speaking to media persons at Balasaheb’s memorial in the city, Raut said, “Today is Balasaheb’s birth anniversary. He was someone who gave a mantra to Maharashtra, especially the Marathi people that work for the state: “Live with self-respect”. “Balasaheb said that if I live in Maharashtra, I am a citizen of Maharashtra. I am a bhumiputra (son of soil), and I should stay right here. He always said that every state has its own identity and pride,” added the Rajya Sabha MP. On Balasaheb’s memory in the minds of the people of Maharashtra, he reminisced, “Balasaheb always raised the voice

SLOW AND STEADY

Thane (PTI): Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that post the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government realized that a lot of work is needed to be done in the healthcare sector and it has started working towards it.

BJP leader Chandrakant Patil

The bypolls to Chinchwad and Kasba Peth Assembly constituencies have been necessitated after the deaths of the sitting MLAs, both from the BJP.

The bypolls will be held on February 27 and the results will be announced on March 02, as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission.

Talking to reporters, the BJP leader said, “Everyone felt that the

bypolls for the Kasba Peth constituency should be unopposed. However, some leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) do not want this election to remain uncontested. Hence, our party workers have started working towards winning this election. We will not remain inattentive.”

Kasba Peth has traditionally been a BJP constituency and voters love the party, he said.

While speaking at the inauguration of a private hospital in Navi Mumbai, Fadnavis said that medical treatment is made available at a relatively low cost in India as compared to other counties, and the health sector is giving a big boost to the country’s economy.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, an insurance cover of up to Rs5 lakh and a cover of Rs2 lakh under Mahatma Phule Jan

Arogya Yojana are offered to the poor and needy, efforts should be made to increase the health insurance cover for citizens the deputy chief minister said.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government had come to realise that a lot of work needed to be done in the healthcare sector and it is working to-

ANTILIA

wards the same, Fadnavis added.

The deputy chief minister also noted that the use of modern technology and robotics through artificial intelligence has started in the health sector. This has the potential to expedite the quality and growth of healthcare services in the country exponentially.

BOMB SCARE CASE

Rival Shiv Sena factions mark Balasaheb’s birth anniversary in Mumbai

CM Eknath Shinde paying floral tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray at the portrait unveiling in Mumbai on Monday.

Mumbai: Both factions of the Shiv Sena marked Balasaheb Thackeray’s birth anniversary in Mumbai on Monday.

dra Fadnavis, a senior BJP leader, unveiled the portrait in the Central Hall of Vidhan Bhavan.

Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya, a former minister and the MLA from Worli in Mumbai, and other family members stayed away from the official event, where Raj Thackeray was also present.

The father-son duo, along with other prominent members of the Shiv Sena -Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, offered floral tributes to Balasaheb’s statue located a few kilometres away from the Vidhan Bhavan building.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads a faction of the Shiv Sena, and Deputy Chief Minister Deven-

They later attended a programme at Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion.

Tunisha suicide: Sheezan Khan moves HC for bail and quashing of FIR

Mumbai (PTI): Actor Sheezan Khan, arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of his co-star Tunisha Sharma, has moved the Bombay High Court seeking bail and quashing of the case. Khan in his petitions said to have a relationship and break-ups are normal facets of life and hence he cannot be held responsible for Tunisha’s death.

While Khan’s plea seeking bail would be heard by a single bench of Justice MS Karnik on Tuesday, his second petition for quashing of the FIR and release on interim bail is likely to be heard by a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and PK Chavan on January 30.

Tunisha (21) was found hanging in the

Sheezan Khan —FILE PHOTO

washroom on the set of the serial near Vasai in Palghar district on December 24, 2022.

Khan (28) was arrested the next for alleged abetment. He is currently lodged in a Thane jail.

His plea said, there is nothing to even suggest that he had done any act with the specific intention of compelling Tunisha Sharma to commit suicide.

THE CASE

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to grant bail to former policeman Pradeep Sharma arrested in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and the killing of businessman Mansukh Hiran, but expressed anguish about the manner in which

the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had probed the case.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and RN Laddha noted that the NIA’s probe was silent on the co-conspirators involved with dismissed policeman Sachin Waze in planting gelatin sticks in an SUV parked outside the residence of indus-

Former cop Pradeep Sharma —FILE PHOTO

trialist Mukesh Ambani. The agency has not done an “in-depth” investiga-

tion, it said. “We express some anguish in the manner in

which the NIA has investigated the charge of conspiracy of parking of

the Scorpio vehicle near the residence of a prominent businessman and planting of gelatin sticks in the said vehicle, on February 24 and 25, 2021,” the court said. It further noted that the NIA was silent on persons with whom Waze had conspired to plant the gelatin sticks. The bench further said that several questions were unanswered by the NIA with respect to the case pertaining to the parking of the vehicle laden with gelatin sticks.

“We hope and trust that the NIA, in right earnest, will investigate this aspect further,” HC said.

While refusing to grant bail to Sharma, the bench noted that as per evidence submitted by the NIA in the Hiran murder case, it prima facie points to the complicity of Sharma. “The possibility of the appellant, a retired police officer, having clout, tampering with the witnesses, cannot be ruled out,” the court stated.

Village boasts of 150 people, but only single student attends classes

Kishore Mankar said he has been teaching at this school in Ganeshpur, a village with a population of 150 for the last two years. “I’m the only teacher in school for the last two years. I have been teaching during this period,” Mankar added. He has been showing up every day on his bike for two years to teach all the subjects by himself to just one student.

“From 10.30 am to 12 pm, I follow all the rules and regulations of the school including morning assembly, and singing the national anthem. All other facilities for the student provided by the government are also being fulfilled,” Mankar stated.

‘CORRIDOR CRUCIAL READ

LIKE PUNE EXP FOR

Thane: The Mumbai-Goa Highway will be developed on the lines of the expressway between the metropolis and Pune as well as the recently inaugurated Samruddhi Corridor to Nagpur, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said. Addressing the concluding function of the ‘Malvani Mahotsav’ on Sunday night, Shinde said the expressway between Mumbai and Goa will be a greenfield one (fresh construction) and will be access controlled.

SOON’ MAN

Thane: A 26-year-old man has been arrested from Bhiwandi city in Thane district on Monday for allegedly raping and killing a three-year-old girl a day before, police said. The accused is a powerloom worker. He lured the girl who was playing outside her house on Sunday evening under the pretext of showing her a mobile phone. He sexually assaulted her at his house and then strangled her to death.

Mumbai: The newly commissioned Metro lines together recorded over one lakh ridership on the second day after starting commercial operations.

Cites prima facie evidence pointing to his involvement in the Hiran murder; pulls up NIA over investigation of case

BJP working

Pune (PTI): State minister Chandrakant Patil on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had wished for an unopposed election in the Kasba Peth bypoll, but is working towards ensuring a win. He cited the Opposition’s intention to contest the byelection as the reason.

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis —FILE PHOTO

—FILE PHOTO

‘Balasaheb wouldn’t be okay with alliance’

Sandeep Shukla

The video is being shared on multiple social media platforms since it was posted on Monday.

of labourers and hard workers. He was certainly the emperor of the hearts of the Marathi people. It is because of the work that he has done for Hindutva that people consider him as the ‘emperor’ of Hindu hearts.”

BALASAHEB WAS ‘EMPEROR’ OF HINDU HEARTS; LIVED FOR MAHA: RAUT

First India Bureau

An oil portrait of the late politician was also unveiled in the Maharashtra legislative building here in an event boycotted by his son and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. This was because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Eknath Shinde-led camp sought to lay claim on the late Hindutva icon’s political legacy.

Ganeshpur govt school has only one student

Ganeshpur (Agencies): Kishore Mankar who is teaching at a Zila Parishad Primary School in Maharashtra’s Ganeshpur village says the school has had only one student in the last two years and that he is the only teacher there.

‘Woman’s right to choose to continue pregnancy or not’

Bombay High

NO CONSIDERATION

3 cyber fraudsters arrested for duping people through fake insurance schemes

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday allowed a married woman to terminate her 32-week pregnancy after the foetus was detected with severe abnormalities.

“A woman has the right to choose whether to continue her pregnancy or not and the decision is hers and hers alone to make,” said a division bench comprising Justice Gautam Patel and Justice SG Dige, in its judgment of January 20.

A copy of the order was made available on Monday. The court refused to accept the medical board’s view that the even though the foetus has serious abnormalities it should not be terminated as the pregnancy is almost at its fag end.

The woman had approached HC seeking to terminate her pregnancy after a sonography

revealed the foetus had severe abnormalities and that the baby would be born with physical and mental disabilities.

“Given a severe foetal abnormality, the length of the pregnancy does not matter. The petitioner has taken an informed decision. It is not an easy one. But that decision is hers, and hers alone to make. The right to choose is of the petitioner’s. It is not the right of the medical board,” the court said in its order.

Refusing termination of pregnancy only on grounds of delay would not only be condemning the foetus to a less than optimal life, but would also be condemning the mother to a future that will almost certainly rob her of every positive attribute of parenthood, said the HC.

The petitioner’s foetus is detected with both microcephaly and lissencephaly, and this

NEIGHBOUR RAPES 20-MONTH-OLD BABY ON FINDING PARENTS AWAY, ARRESTED

Mumbai: A 20-month-old girl was allegedly raped by a neighbour in Worli, police said on Monday. The child’s parents approached the police to file a complaint on Sunday, according to which their 35-yearold neighbour had allegedly raped the toddler when the parents were away a couple of days ago, an official said. The parents realised something was wrong when the child kept crying and complaining about being in pain, the official said. An FIR was registered and the accused has been arrested, he added.

UNIDENTIFIED DEAD BODY OF MAN FOUND IN LAKE

Thane: An unidentified dead body of a man was found in a lake in Thane district on Monday, police said. The deceased, aged around 45 years, was found in Shil lake around 11.30 am, said Avinash Sawant, chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC). Local firemen and RDMC team fished out the body, which has been sent to a government hospital for postmortem, he said.

8-YO GIRL HURT IN BLDG COLLAPSE DIES IN HOSPITAL

Mumbai: An 8-year-old girl who was injured after a portion of a groundplus-24-storey building fell on her, died in a hospital in the early hours of Monday, an official said. The incident had taken place on Sunday evening at Shripati Apartments in Chandanwadi, he said. “The girl, Krisha Patel, was injured when a piece of plaster fell on her. She was rushed to a hospital in Girgaon where she died at 1:30 am in the ICU,” he said.

MAN GETS EXTORTION CALL THREATENING TO LEAK OBSCENE PHOTOS OF WIFE, CASE FILED

Thane: The police registered an offence following a complaint by a man who allegedly received phone call by an unidentified person threatening to post obscene photographs of his wife on social media if he did not pay him money, officials said on Monday. According to the complainant, someone had hacked into his wife’s mobile phone and gained access to her photographs. He later received calls threatening him to post edited photographs of his wife on social media if he did not pay him Rs5 lakh, an official said.

14-YEAR-OLD GIRL

RAPED BY PRIVATE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Mumbai: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by the principal of a private school in Nagpada, police said on Monday. An FIR has been registered in the case. The 50-year-old principal of a trust-run school had allegedly raped the victim last month and had again attempted to take advantage of her on Saturday after which the victim went home and informed her mother about the incident and a complaint was lodged with the police, an official said. The accused is still absconding, he added.

ONE HURT AS PART OF UNFINISHED BLDG COLLAPSES

Mumbai: A part of an under-construction building allegedly collapsed in Girgaon on Sunday injuring one person. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the building in Kattar lane collapsed. The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained. One person was reported injured in the incident. Last month, as many as five people were injured after the bamboo scaffolding of an under-construction high-rise building collapsed in the Lower Parel area of the city.

It would be a denial of her right to dignity, and her reproductive and decisional autonomy. Accepting the medical board’s view is not just to condemn the foetus to a substandard life but is to force on the petitioner and her husband an unhappy and traumatic parenthood. The effect on them and their family cannot even be imagined. ~ -Bombay High Court

is what the future portends, the bench said. Asserting that the rights of the woman should never be compromised in the “blind

application of a statute”, the court said, “Justice may have to be blindfolded; it can never be allowed to be blindsided. We are ag-

Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai police have arrested three persons allegedly involved in duping people through fake insurance schemes, job opportunities and other activities, an official said on Monday.

The arrested accused allegedly operated a fake call centre in Noida and contacted the victims over the phone and through social media, the official said.

around Rs4.5 crore in an insurance scheme, he said. The accused had siphoned off the money from the complainant’s account between November 2021 and August 2022, the official said.

The fraud came to light after a dry fruit trader informed cops that he had lost around `4.5 cr

nostic about the relative positions of parties. We can never be agnostic about where justice needs to be delivered.”

The fraud came to light after a dry fruit trader from Ghatkopar approached the cyber police alleging that he had lost

After going through the details of different bank account in which the victim transferred the amount, the cyber police nabbed one of the accused from Noida earlier this month and subsequently apprehended two others, he said.

The gang was involved in 14 cases and has duped people of

more than Rs5 crore so far, he said. At least 18 debit cards, passbooks of different banks, mobile phones, laptop, diaries and other materials have been recovered and more than Rs20 lakh in their bank accounts have been frozen, the official said.

No action against Rakhi till Tuesday: Court directs cops

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed city police to not take any action against actor Rakhi Sawant till Tuesday in connection with a case lodged against her by a model for allegedly circulating and displaying her obscene and objectionable video. Sawant

moved the HC seeking pre-arrest bail.

Her lawyer on Monday told a single bench of Justice MS Karnik that Sawant had been cooperating with the police in its probe since the FIR was lodged in November 2022.

Justice Karnik posted the matter for hearing on Tuesday and directed the police to not

Fire breaks out near Shivaji Mandai in Mumbai's Kurla West, no one hurt

Mumbai (PTI): A level-2 fire broke out near Shivaji Mandai in Kurla West, and spread to multiple shops, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Sunday. No one was reported hurt in incident.

According to latest report, blaze which erupted at around 10.15 PM on Sunday spread to 25

shops. As soon as they received information, teams of fire brigade and police personnel rushed to spot to take stock of the situation.

Efforts to douse flames were on however it was not yet clear whether anybody was trapped inside the shops, according to the latest inputs given by

the officials. The level 2 fire is usually of moderate flame length and rate of spread, according to BMC.

Earlier, the officials of the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) had doused a level-one, an easily inflammable fire, that broke out in a two-storeyed building, in Mumbai’s Byculla area.

take any action against her until then. The bench was informed by the additional public prosecutor that Sawant had appeared before the police last week for questioning but before handing over her phone, she deleted the said video.

The police would now also charge Sawant with the destruction of

evidence, he said. Justice Karnik asked Sawant’s lawyer to take instructions on this.

Based on the model’s complaint, the suburban Amboli police had booked Sawant and her lawyer Falguni Brahmbhatt on November 8, 2022, under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional

insult) and 509 (insulting modesty of woman by act, word or gesture) of the Indian Penal Code and section 67 (transmission of obscene content in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act. Sawant approached the HC after a sessions court last week rejected her anticipatory bail application.

Actor Nawazuddin’s wife booked for trespassing, voluntarily causing hurt

Mumbai (PTI): The wife of actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui was booked for alleged trespass and voluntarily causing hurt on the complaint of his mother, a Mumbai police official said on Monday. The FIR against the actor’s wife Zainab was registered on Sunday, the Versova police

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

station official said.

“The complainant Mehrunisa Siddiqui, who is the actor’s

mother, has alleged Zainab trespassed into her home and assaulted her after picking up an argument. Zainab has been questioned in the case,” he said.

A case under Indian Penal Code sections 452, 323 and other offences has been registered against Zainab Siddiqui, he said.

Battling social stigma, man gets widowed mother remarried

panionship and to battle social stigma.

Yuvaraj Shele, 23, lost his father in a road accident five years ago and death took a toll on his mother Ratna. “It was a major shock for me to lose my father when I was just 18 years old. But the death took a real toll on my mother, who had to battle loneliness and felt socially isolated,” Shele said.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: A man has got his 45-year-old widowed mother remarried in Kolhapur after realizing her need for com-

Shele noticed a marked difference in the number of social events his mother was invited to after his father’s death, and it affected

her psychologically.

When Shele became a breadwinner for his family, he realized his mother’s need for companionship, as she would be alone at home with minimum interaction with neighbours.

“My mother was married to my father for

nearly 25 years. If a man loses his wife, the society thinks it is natural for him to remarry. I wondered why the same belief was not applicable to a woman, and I decided to convince her to remarry,” said Shele, who is a small-time worker.

In a city like Kol-

hapur, which is steeped in traditional values, it wasn’t easy to convince his close-knit community of relatives and neighbours, Shele said.

However, with the help of a few friends and relatives, Shele began the uphill task of groom hunting for his mother.

“Luckily, Maruti Ghanwat came along and we got to know about him through some contacts. We discussed the marriage proposal and after initial talks with her, the alliance was fixed,” said Shele.

The

Court allows termination of 32-week pregnancy with foetal abnormalities, slams medical board for denial of ‘right’

SUPPORTIVE SON

Yuvaraj Shele fixed alliance after convincing his mother to remarry after she lost her husband in an accident

NEW DAWN

Rakhi Sawant

MODI’S PRIDE ‘RASHTRADOOTS’

NaMo: The PM who bonds with the Indian diaspora

The narrator shares with us how Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to fully understand the real strength of the NRI community and the bond that he shares with them is terrific. Read this story to know how Narendra bhai visited and interacted with NRI families and Sangh volunteers developing a deep connect with them during his visits abroad.

went to the Maninagar Ahmedabad Gujarat State Sangh Karyalaya in Ahmedabad. At that time we had late Vakil Saheb there and I went to meet him. He was in a meeting when I arrived at the office. We had heard a lot about him as the emergency had just been lifted and all those who had been underground were gradually coming out in the open. Several Sangh pracharaks were connecting with us and passing on messages incognito. One of these pracharaks living in disguise was Narendra bhai and he was very popular.

Sometime a sardar, sometime a sadhu - Narendra bhai had been travelling throughout Gujarat with the messages of the Sangh. But we had only heard about him, never met him. Well, I will always re-

member my visit to the Sangh Karyalaya that day as it was the first time I got to meet Narendra bhai. A very simple, young guy — I was completely taken in by his magnetic persona. I introduced myself to him and he knew all about my father, his work and everything. In 1993 when he visited USA the first time, wherever we travelled, we rode in the subway, the buses or the metro. What I observed about him was that he was always reading something. Whatever instructions would be posted on the walls, he would make sure to not pass by without reading them and he would continue to talk to you at the same time. His interest was Central Park, Brooklyn Museum and his goal was to grab as much experience as he could in his short visit. Not just this, Narendra bhai has a penchant for photography. Even today he has a big library in Gandhinagar dedicated to the photographs he has clicked and the memories he has created over the years.

One great quality about Narendra bhai is that whosoever he would stay with, rather than becoming a burden on the household, he would turn into an asset, in fact he would live like he belonged to the family itself! As a Sangh pracharak, he would not just connect with the main person of the house but would interact with each and every member of the family and endeared himself to all of them. He would enter the kitchen and offer his help in cooking if needed. “Bhabhiji, Mataji, let me know how I may help you today”, he would say. And with his smiles and jovial nature, he won everyone over. Well, he is a fantastic cook himself! Not just this, he was willing to contribute to other household chores as well. This is how Narendra bhai connected with several families and

formed a strong bond of love and affection with all the members of the these families where he would put up as Sangh pracharak.

He carried a diary with the details about thousands of volunteers or karyakartas of the Jan Sangh, of the BJP and

he would know their sons and daughters too living in the USA. He would try and call up as many people as he could during his visit. As to me, Narendra bhai is the one who understood from day one the strength of the NRI. All NRIs have a strong connect in their

native villages and if they spread good word about you, thousands of people know everything about your accomplishments. Even today very few people understand the strength of the NRI. But Narendra bhai was the best and remains the best Statesman we could ever have!

In 1997, we visited the States once again. At that time he was the National General Secretary of the BJP and incharge of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. He always wanted to meet the community so we organised a community gathering at Bombay Plaza. One of our Gujarat MLAs, a young guy elected for the first time, Pankaj Desai was there too. Today he is a senior and seasoned BJP member. Narendra bhai said to him “Pankaj bhai, tell me about your constituency!” And that is how Narendra bhai gathered complete information about the people, their problems and

the way ahead. The point here is that at that time Narendra bhai was not looking after Gujarat, but the urge to know as much as possible about the people from those he meets comes naturally to him. Narendra bhai gains a lot of insight and perspective from his general interactions with people. Any karyakarta he would meet, he would ask questions to test the level of his or her connect with the Sangh. “So what is Bharat Mata? How many shakhas are there? Who is your Zila Pracharak?” — these are the sort of questions he would ask the volunteers and such discussions would help everyone stay current and augment their knowledge. This is the reason why people love him and he has a strong hold over them. His power to communicate with people with diverse backgrounds is terrific.

Post this interaction, we took him for an interview with TV Asia. You know, the tunnel that connects New York to New Jersey is always over crowded. Mostly there is a bumper to bumper traffic jam there. And he was discussing with us what the other venues for the interview could be besides this! So Narendra bhai has always been a visionary. He is always thinking out of the box and trying to look for alternatives that improve the efficiency of governance.

COMPILED AND EDITED BY SHASHIKANT SHARMA AND SHWETA SHARMA

‘MODI GAINS PERSPECTIVE FROM HIS INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE’ Modi gains a lot of insight and perspective from his general interactions with people. Any karyakarta he would meet, he would ask questions to test the level of his or her connect with Sangh. “So what is Bharat Mata? How many shakhas are there? Who is your Zila Pracharak?” — these are sort of questions he would ask the volunteers and such discussions would help everyone stay current and augment their knowledge.

‘NARENDRA BHAI UNDERSTANDS THE STRENGTH AND VALUE OF THE NRI’

Narendra bhai is the one who understood from day one the strength of the NRI. All NRIs have a strong connect in their native villages and if they spread good word about you, thousands of people know everything about your accomplishments. Even today very few people understand the strength of the NRI. But Narendra bhai was the best and remains the best Statesman we could ever have!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

One great quality about Modi is that whosoever he would stay with, rather than becoming a burden on the household, he would turn into an asset, in fact he would live like he belonged to the family itself!

RaGa vows to get J&K’s statehood reinstated

Jammu (PTI): The demand for statehood is Jammu and Kashmir’s biggest issue and the Congress will use “our full power” to get it reinstated, party MP Rahul Gandhi said on Monday as his Bharat Jodo Yatra arrived here to a grand welcome.

Gandhi, who met a cross section of people from Jammu and Kashmir during his yatra, said J&K has the highest level of unemployment in the country.

“The Congress party will fully support you and your statehood (demand). To reinstate statehood, the Congress will use our full power,” Gandhi told a gathering at the Satwari Chowk here.

“Statehood is your biggest issue. There is no big issue as big as statehood. Your right has been snatched,” he said.

Gandhi said he spoke to a cross section of people from J&K during his yatra and they raised their issues. He said they told him that their voices are not being heard by the administration. “The entire trade is being run by outsiders and people of J&K watch them sitting haplessly,” he said.

Gandhi said Jammu and Kashmir has the highest level of unemployment in the country.

Youngsters aspire to be-

come engineers, doctors and lawyers but they find they cannot, he said.

“There was another way (to get employment) earlier. It was with the Army. It has also been closed now by a new scheme, called Agniveer, introduced by BJP. That path is also now closed,” he said.

In August 2019, the NDA government revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed the state be divided into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

IN THE COURTYARD

HIJAB BAN: SC ASSURES TO CONSIDER LISTING MATTER BEFORE 3-JUDGE BENCH

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday assured the petitioners to list the matter of ban on Hijab in the educational institutes in Karnataka. Advocate Meenakshi Arora mentioned the matter related to the headscarves before a bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud. Arora said that many girls have lost out on the entire year because they have refused to take off their hijab. She also apprised the court about practicals in educational institutes in February and sought an early hearing for interim directions.

DELHI COURT GRANTS EXEMPTION FROM PERSONAL APPEARANCE TO JACQUELINE

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday granted exemption from personal appearance to Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez for the day in a money laundering case against her and alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. The judge, who was scheduled to hear the arguments on framing charges in the matter, adjourned the matter for February 15. The court will hear arguments on January 25 on an application moved by the actor seeking permission to go abroad.

GYANVAPI: HEARING ON PLEA DEMANDING SURVEY OF 2 BASEMENTS ON MARCH 21

Varanasi: A local court on Monday fixed March 21 for next hearing on a petition seeking to open and survey two basements in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex. Varanasi District Judge AK Vishvesh posted the matter after almost two months as the Allahabad High Court last week postponed hearing in a related matter by eight weeks. The High Court on January 19 had granted eight more weeks to the Archaeological Survey of India for filing its response on the matter.

“ISSUE ORDERS ON APPOINTMENT OF IPS OFFICER RUPIN SHARMA AS DGP”

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday told the Nagaland govt to pass orders within one week on the appointment of senior IPS officer Rupin Sharma as the DGP of the state. A bench refused to consider the plea of the Nagaland government that the UPSC be asked to relax the 30 years service criteria rule to 25 years for IPS officers for being empanelled in the UPSC list of three for appointment as the state police chief.

FOREIGN TOURS: DELHI HC GIVES ‘LAST OPPORTUNITY’ TO CENTRE, LG TO REPLY

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted a “last opportunity” to the Centre and the Lt Governor to respond to Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot’s plea challenging a provision which requires state govt ministers, including the CM, to seek political clearances from the Centre for foreign visits. The petition was filed last year in the backdrop of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal being denied permission for his visit to Singapore for the 8th World Cities’ Summit from July 31 to August 7, 2022.

Addressing a public meeting during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir,

that the government did not agree to the CRPF request of flying its personnel from Srinagar to Delhi and 40

their lives in Pulwama in 2019 to a terror attack.

“They talk of surgical strikes. They claim to have killed so many people but no proof is given. They are ruling by peddling a bundle of lies,” the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, who has often courted controversy with his comments, said.

Judges don’t have to face scrutiny: Rijiju

New Delhi: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that judges do not have to contest elections or face scrutiny by the public. Rijiju was speaking at an event of the Delhi Bar Association. The law minister stated that even though judges are not elected by people, but still public is judging them from the orders they passed and their actions.

“After becoming judges, they don’t have to face elections or scrutiny by the public...Public is watching the judges, their judgements and the way they deliver justice, and make their assessments...In this era of social media, nothing can be hidden,” Rijiju stated.

Rajouri: The security forces recovered two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Rajouri district which were defused. The IEDs were detected on Sunday.

Police said on Monday, “On 22-01-2023 at 6 p.m. a joint search operation was launched by police, special operations group, 225 field Regiment of Army and CRPF 72 battalion at Dassal and adjoining areas.

“During searches two IEDs were recovered. Later on IEDs were

MP schools to teach Hindu scriptures

Bhopal (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said that excerpts from Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other religious books will be taught in the schools across the state.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the above announcement while addressing the Sughosh Darshan program organized by the Vidhya Bharti organization at Old Campion ground in the state capital Bhopal on Monday. Chouhan said, “Ramayana, Mahabharat, Vedas, Upanishads and Shrimad Bhagavad Gita are our priceless books. These

books have the ability to make man moral and to make man perfect. Therefore, the teaching of our religious books will be implemented in the government schools of the state. I am saying this as the Chief Minister of the state.”

Bharat Jodo Yatra gets a warm welcome in J&K

Jammu (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra received a warm welcome as it entered Jammu from the adjoining Samba district Monday afternoon with authorities further strengthening the security cordon around him. The yatra started from Samba’s Vijaypur along the JammuPathankot highway at around 7 am Monday and was received warmly by

We’re not allowed to raise issues in Parl, hence

BJY

Jammu (PTI): Defending Congress’ decision to start Bharat Jodo Yatra to “unite” India, Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Opposition party was forced to undertake the 3500-km foot march after it was not allowed to speak on the public issues in Parliament. He slammed the BJP government at the Centre for demonetisation, “hasty implementation” of GST and the recently launched Agniveer scheme.

Gandhi alleged that the government is “facilitating” flight of money into the coffers of a few corporators and ruining the small businesses across the country.

a massive crowd as it crossed Bari Brahmana in Jammu’s Parmandal.

“The democracy in the country is under attack which is a major challenge for the nation. Before the commencement of the Yatra, we tried to raise the issues like demonetisation, GST, farmers’ bill and China’s aggression in Parliament, both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, but we were not allowed and the mikes were being switched off,” he said.

SRK messaged that he wants to talk: Himanta

Guwahati (ANI): A day after Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that he had assured actor Shah Rukh Khan over the phone that the state govt will ensure no untoward incidents happen during the release of his film ‘Pathaan’, the Assam CM on Monday said the actor had requested for the phone call.

At a presser on Monday, Sarma said, “Shah Rukh Khan sent me a message introducing himself and saying that he wants to talk to me.”

“I had many requests for phone calls, so after completing my queues, we spoke at 2 am. He said that some problems have taken place regard-

TRIBUTE TO SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE

I am not much interested in movies and only know film stars from my boyhood. I didn’t know Shah Rukh Khan. I saw that our phone call was trending on social media. So many ‘Pathaans’ come and go, we have more burning issues to care about.

ing his film’s release. I asked the name of his film, to which he replied it was ‘Pathaan’. Then, I

told him that there would not be any disturbance over the film in the state,” he said.

Netaji fiercely resisted colonial rule: PM Modi

New Delhi (ANI): Recalling Netaji’s “unparalleled contribution to India’s history”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid homage to Subhas Chandra Bose on his 126th birth anniversary today.

“Today, on Parakram Diwas, I pay homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose & recall his unparalleled contribution to India’s history. He will be remembered for his fierce resistance to colonial rule. We are working to realise his vision for India,” PM Modi wrote in his tweet. The Government had de-

clared January 23 as Parakram Diwas in 2021 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Born on January 23, 1897, Netaji played a crucial role in India’s freedom movement.

Subhash Chandra Bose established the Azad Hind Fauj. While there is a controversy over Bose’s death in a plane crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945, the Central government had in an RTI (Right to Information) in 2017 confirmed that he had died in the incident.

“RSS & Netaji’s goals similar for the Nation”

Kolkata (PTI): RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said the goals of RSS and that of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose are similar — making India a great nation. His comment came amid the criticism that the ideologies of the RSS and Netaji were not the same. Critics pointed out that Netaji believed in secularism which is “against the ideology of RSS”. Lauding Netaji’s contribution to India’s

freedom struggle, Bhagwat urged everyone to imbibe the qualities and teachings of Bose and work towards making the country “vishwa guru” (world leader).

PM Narendra Modi, LS Speaker Om Birla and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after paying tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

SUPPORT ME IN REPATRIATING NETAJI’S REMAINS FROM TAIWAN: ANITA BOSE PFAFF Stadtbergen: As Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s 126th birth anniversary was celebrated on January 23, his daughter Dr Anita Bose Pfaff on Monday requested all Indians to help in repatriating Netaji’s last remains from Taiwan. “I request all Indians to support me to repatriate Netaji’s remains,” Dr Anita Bose Pfaff said while speaking to ANI.

Mohan Bhagwat speaks during a meeting in Kolkata.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addresses a press conference after a State Cabinet meeting regarding child marriage, at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister, Assam

“Statehood is your biggest issue. There is no big issue as big as statehood. Your right has been snatched,” Congress leaders tells public in Jammu

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with supporters during the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, in Jammu district on Monday. (R) Rahul Gandhi leads ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, in Samba district on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

RaGa:

DIGVIJAYA QUESTIONS SURGICAL STRIKES; BJP ACCUSES CONG OF INSULTING FORCES 2 IEDS RECOVERED IN J&K’S RAJOURI DISTRICT, DEFUSED

defused by Bomb Disposal Squad”.

Jammu/New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday questioned the surgical strikes and accused the government of peddling lies, drawing furious reaction from the BJP which said the Opposition party was blinded by its “hate” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has “insulted” armed forces.

Singh alleged

soldiers sacrificed

Rahul Gandhi lookalike person in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan pays floral tribute to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

UNRULY BEHAVIOUR ON SPICEJET FLIGHT AT DELHI AIRPORT

New Delhi: Two passengers supposed to fly a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Hyderabad on Monday were handed over to the security agency at the origin airport. According to sources, one of the passengers allegedly inappropriately touched the foreign cabin crew of this wet-leased aircraft (where the airline rents the plane with the operating crew).

YETI CRASH: ALL FIVE BODIES OF INDIANS IDENTIFIED

Kathmandu: The bodies of all five Indians, who were killed in the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Nepal’s resort city of Pokhara, have been identified and handed over to their respective family members, hospital sources said on Monday. The five Indians were among 72 people on board when the Yeti Airlines plane crashed on the bank of Seti River.

ED ATTACHES `7.90

CRORES ASSETS IN PUNJAB DRUG CASES

New Delhi: Assets worth Rs 7.90 crore have been attached under the antimoney laundering law in connection with a probe linked to two narcotics trafficking cases of Punjab, ED said on Monday.

The money laundering case stems from separate FIRs filed by the Punjab Police under various sections of NDPS Act against Gurdeep Singh Rano and Rajesh Kumar.

20 INJURED AS TN GOVT BUS FALLS INTO CANAL

Chennai: At least 20 passengers were injured when a state transport bus overturned and fell into a canal at Komangalam near Virudhachalam in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district on Monday, the police said.

The injured are admitted to Virudhachalam General hospital, where the condition of a few is stated to be serious, the police added.

WOMAN PUSHES HER 2 KIDS INTO RIVER, KILLS SELF

Hyderabad: A woman pushed her two children into Godavari river in Telangana on Monday before jumping into it to die by suicide.

The shocking incident occurred in the Basara town. The police pulled out all three bodies. The woman, identified as Manasa, 27, pushed her son Baladitya, 8, and daughter Navasri, 7, into the river near the ghat.

“UK supports India’s bid for UNSC permanent seat”

New Delhi (ANI): The United Kingdom supports India’s candidacy for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), British High Commissioner Alexander Ellis said while adding that New Delhi’s push for reforms will make the institution more effective in dealing with the realities of today.

In ANI Podcast, the British High Commissioner said, “We certainly support India becoming the member of the UNSC as this is why the UNSC reforms are the institutional that reflects to the realities of today.”

“Change in the institution (UNSC) is hard and we need to make them work. Some of them come after the second World War like UN and UNSC, some came later like World Trade Organization (WTO)... zenith of globalization, the mid 90s and what we want from India is actually to make the effective institution,” he added.

He also gave the example of the International Financial Institutions (IFI) which is the product of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and said that the countries are adapting those to realities of today. He also said that India, for example had also lend money.

He also said that the vulnerable states like island nations need greater support so that they can create the im-

Lucknow: German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, met UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence in Lucknow on Monday. Ambassador Philipp said that under the leadership of PP Narendra Modi, India now plays an important role in international forums. Big changes have been seen in Uttar Pradesh in the last six years. Law and order has improved significantly. Work in the area of infrastructure development has been unprecedented. All efforts are being made to modernise the transport system including airport, expressway, waterway and metro. Fruitful discussions regarding industrial investment in Uttar Pradesh were held between the CM and German Ambassador. They also talked about the strong economic ties between India and Germany. The CM said that with a trade history of more than 500 years, India and Germany are bound by a common history of economic cooperation.

pact in the world and hardwork is the key to that lock.

“Change in the multilateralisation is hardwork. What we are seeing is the creation of new institution which we will start more,” Ellis said in a podcast with ANI.

He also gave the ex-

OSDMA, Mizoram’s fire station bag central award

New Delhi (PTI): The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority and the Lunglei Fire Station in Mizoram have been selected for a central award for their excellent work in disaster management in the institutional category, the Union Home Ministry announced on Monday.

The Modi govt has instituted an annual award, called Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar, to recognise and honour the invaluable contribution and self-

less service rendered by individuals and organisations in India in the field of disaster management. For 2023, the OSDMA and the Lunglei Fire Station (LFS) in Mizoram have been selected for the award in the institutional category, according to a statement of the home ministry said.

ample of Clinical Trials Registry - India, which is majporly created with the support of UK.

“India will increasingly be part of all of those (Indo-Pacific group, minilateralism) things and including in panel so UK and India but also with other countries try to solve

the particular problem,” British High Commissioner said.

On December 1, India assumed the monthly rotating presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the second time in its two-year tenure as an elected member of the Council in 2021-22.

Army Chief visits posts along LAC in Arunachal

New Delhi (PTI): Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande carried out a comprehensive review of India’s military preparedness along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh in his first visit to the border state after recent clash between Indian and Chinese forces in the Tawang sector.

Gen Pande visited various forward posts along the de-facto border with China in the Rest of Arunachal Pradesh (RALP) as well as some other strategically key posts during his visit.

They said senior commanders in

Arunachal Pradesh briefed the army chief about the overall security scenario in the border areas.

“Gen Manoj Pande #COAS visited units & formations along LAC in Eastern #ArunachalPradesh & was briefed on operational prepar-

edness & security situation. #COAS complimented troops for maintaining sharp vigil & exhorted all to continue working with same zeal & devotion,” the Army tweeted.

On Saturday, Gen Pande reviewed Army’s preparedness along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim during his visit to the headquarters of the eastern Army command in Kolkata. Gen Pande’s visit to the crucial command came six weeks after the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in an area along the LAC in the Tawang sector of Arunachal.

R-Day: Full dress rehearsals organised at Kartavya Path

New Delhi (ANI): With only three days left for Republic Day, preparation for the occasion has been intensified as full dress rehearsals are underway at the Kartavya Path in Delhi.

With the Garud Special Forces of the Indian Air Force will be marching on the Kartavya Path during the parade for the first time, the country is all set to showcase Special Forces.

Squadron Leader PS Jaitawat will be leading the Garud team as part of the IAF contingent and Squadron Leader

Sindhu Reddy will be the contingent commander.

A military contingent from the Egyptian Army will also participate in the Republic Day parade.

“Neither me, nor my men filed any petition”

New Delhi (ANI): Brij Bhushan, who was recently asked to step aside as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, pending an inquiry by an Oversight Committee into the allegation of sexual harassment and financial impropriety, on Monday clarified that no petition has been filed by him or by any person authorized by him in the Delhi High Court against the Delhi government, the wrestlers who protested and against the news channels.

Brij Bhushan in his statement further clari-

fied that I deny the news of filing a petition in the name of Vicky showing my Delhi residence address on the news channel. I have not authorized any advocate, law agency or representative to file a

petition in any court of law. Earlier today, a Petition was moved in Delhi High Court against Players/Wrestlers, who recently staged a protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)

‘INS Vagir’ commissioned into Indian Navy

Mumbai (ANI): The Indian Navy on Monday commissioned INS Vagir’ the fifth submarine of Project 75 Kalvari class at the naval dockyard here in presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar.

Launched and named ‘Vagir’ on November 12, 2020, the submarine in its new avatar has the distinction of having the lowest build time among all indigenously manufactured submarines to date. ‘Vagir’ undertook her maiden sea sortie in February 2022, marking the commencement of sea trials and has gone through a se-

ries of comprehensive acceptance checks and stringent and demanding sea trials prior to being commissioned, according to the defence ministry. The submarine was delivered to Indian Navy by MDL on December 20, 2022.

‘Vagir’ will boost the Indian Navy’s capability to further India’s maritime interests and is capable of undertaking diverse missions including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and surveillance missions.

“Vagir is a lethal platform with a formidable

weapon package. Vagir is the third submarine inducted into the Navy in a span of 24 months. It is also a shining testi-

mony to the expertise of our shipyards to construct complex and complicated platforms,” said Admiral Kumar.

to face any threat if war breaks out between India and China.

While talking to ANI, Singh said, “This submarine is the latest technology of the Indian Navy. It is a silent submarine. It has good anti-submarine weapons like the advanced version of mines. It has advanced versions of combat and advanced version of sonar, and radar systems.”

WILL FILE DEFAMATION CASE AGAINST WFI

president

Lawyer Sharikasnt Prasad after filing the

plea claimed that the petitioner in the matter is Vicky, whose address is 21, Ashoka Road, the official residence of Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Sharan and is working as his cook.

People’s consent must for Aadhaar authentication

New Delhi (Agencies): Consent of Aadhaar holders will be required before carrying out Aadhaar authentications.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has highlighted in its new guidelines for Requesting Entities (REs) that they are required to obtain residents’ informed consent either on paper or electronically before carrying out Aadhaar authentications.

Coxswain of the fifth Kalvari submarine ‘INS Vagir’ Daljinder Singh on Saturday said that the submarine is ready

“All the technology used in the submarine is Indian. If there is a war between India and China, then we are ready to face it,” Singh added.

It has urged REs, which carry out online authentications, to ensure that residents understand the type of data being collected

and the purpose of Aadhaar authentications. It has underlined that logs of authentication transactions, including the consent taken, are kept only for the period as prescribed in the Aadhaar Regulations.

Purging of such logs after expiry of the said time period shall also be done as per the Aadhaar Act and its regulations.

Naval officers onboard the fifth Kalvari-class submarine 'INS Vagir' during its commissioning ceremony, at the Naval dockyard in Mumbai, on Monday. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Wecertainly supportIndia becomingthe member of the UNSCasthisiswhy the UNSC reforms are the institutional that reflects to the realitiesoftoday.

Alexander Ellis, British High Commissioner

INDIA NOW PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLE AT INT’L FORUMS UNDER PM MODI, SAYS GERMAN AMBASSADOR

German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann calls on UP CM Yogi Adityanath at his residence, in Lucknow on Monday.

This is for the first time that the President of Egypt has been invited as Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations.

Akash Army Launcher passes through Kartavya Path during full dress rehearsal of Republic Day Parade, in New Delhi on Monday.

Gen Manoj Pande

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, levelling serious charges of sexual harassment against him, and coaches of the federation.

WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. —FILE PHOTO

CHIEF: CONGRESS MP DEEPENDER HOODA New Delhi: Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda on Monday said that he will file a defamation case against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after the latter claimed that the allegation of sexual harassment against him by wrestlers was made at the behest of the former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and his son and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda.

`74,536

New Delhi (PTI): Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) on Monday launched a new version of its Activa scooter which conforms to the upcoming stricter emission norms, with price starting at `74,536 (ex-showroom Delhi). The new Activa is compliant with on board diagnostics (OBD 2) and is being offered in three trims tagged at `74,536, `77,036 and `80,537. The new Activa comes with various new features like the smart key which enables the customer to easily locate the vehicle.

6.29 L

India FTA can be clinched this yr

New Delhi (PTI): The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) is expected to be clinched this year but it won’t involve any boost of free movement visa offers for Indians, British trade minister Kemi Badenoch ,in charge of the negotiations has said.

The UK Secretary of State for Trade also ruled out any major similarities between the FTA the UK had struck with Australia - one of the first post-Brexit trade deals - and that with India.

“We left the EU (European Union) because we didn’t believe in free movement, we didn’t think it was working. This is not a deal that’s negotiating some kind of free movement with India,” Badenoch said, with reference

to more visa offers.

The minister indicated a willingness to make concessions on issues like business mobility, but ruled out the prospect of Indians getting the same kind of deal as with Australia. “We have to make

sure that each trade agreement we sign is tailored to the specific country. The kind of mobility offer I can do to a country like Australia is not going to be the same kind of mobility offer I can do with a country like India, which has got

Markets advance on gains in IT, financial shares and global cues

New Delhi (PTI): Hyundai Motor India on Monday said it has launched an updated version of its compact sedan Aura with price starting at `6.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The company said it has introduced the model with introductory prices ranging between `6.29 lakh and `8.57 lakh. The new Aura comes with petrol and CNG trims with diesel variants discontinued in the new range. The company said it is offering the car with over 30 safety features.

CANARA BANK Q3 PROFIT SURGES 92% TO

`2,882 CRORE

Mumbai (PTI): Benchmark BSE Sensex rose by 319 points on Monday on gains in IT and financial stocks after positive quarterly results amid supportive global cues.

The 30-share BSE barometer rose by 319.90 or 0.53% to close at 60,941.67.

The index opened higher and gained more than 400 points to scale the 61,000 level. It touched a high of 61,113.27 and a low of 60,761.88 in the day.

The broader NSE Nifty gained 90.90 points or 0.5% to settle at 18,118.55 as 32 of its stocks advanced while 18 declined.

Among Sensex stocks, Hindustan Unilever rose the most by 1.89%. Sun Pharma, Tata Motors, Info-

sys, TCS, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, SBI, Kotak Bank, HDFC twins, and Nestle were among major gainers.

On the other hand, UltraTech Cement was the biggest loser, falling by 4.62%. NTPC, L&T, Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, and Titan were also among the laggards.

RUPEE FALLS 21

PAISE TO 81.38 AGAINST US DOLLAR

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee fell 21 paise to close as 81.38 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday amid rise in crude prices. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened stronger at 80.92 to a dollar against the previous close of 81.17. The local unit moved in a range of 81.47 to 80.93 during the day. On Friday, the rupee had appreciated by 19 paise to close at 81.17 against the US dollar.

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

z Kemi Badenoch, who was in New Delhi last month to kick off the sixth round of FTA talks with Piyush Goyal, said that former PM Boris Johnson’s “deal by Diwali” deadline last year was not feasible and had to be changed

z She also ruled out any major similarities between the FTA the UK had struck with Australia

many times the population,” said Badenoch. “And what people from the UK want to do when they travel to Australia is probably slightly different from what they do when they travel to India, and vice versa as well,” she said.

Indigenously-developed 5G, 4G tech roll out this year, says Telecom Min

Gandhinagar (PTI): Indigenously-developed 5G and 4G telecom technology stack will be rolled out in the country this year and the platform will be offered to the world from next year, Union telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

Vaishnaw said that only five countries in the world have end-to-end 4G-5G telecom technology stack but now with the public-private partnership, India has developed its own technology which has been tested to handle 10 million simultaneous calls.

“Our private and public partnership approach has given us a solution where the core was developed, invested by the public sector, public funds, and every-

SAYS N CHANDRASEKARAN

thing else sitting on it comes from the private partners. In this entire 2023, we will be rolling it out on about 50,000 to 70,000, towers, sites and then in 2024 will be offering it to the world,” Vaishnaw said.

The minister also elaborated on four broad approaches directed towards economic management, digital economy, regulation in digital economy and development of new technology.

‘B20 CAN BE VALUE ADDING’

Gandhinagar (PTI):

The Business-20 forum during India’s leadership has a unique opportunity and a very important role to play in working out agenda that can be value adding for all G-20 nations and the rest of the world, B20 India Chair N Chandrasekaran said.

The B20 is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community. It is among the most prominent engagement groups in G20.

Chandrasekaran, who is also the Chairman of Tata Sons, said during India’s leadership of the forum, various initiatives would be taken up in several areas, including global supply chain, creative skills, circular economy,

digital transformation and financial inclusion.

“India is in a very unique position in the world at a time (when) we are seeing several moving parts, and B20, during India’s leadership of G20, has a unique opportunity and has a very important role to play,” he said.

“So, we’ve had the opportunity to look at the

evolution and the progress (of B20) over the years and have been able to relate it to the context in which the world is functioning today and able to work out an agenda which we think is very exciting and can be value adding for all G20 nations or in fact for the rest of the world not only to India,” he asserted.

New Delhi (PTI): Canara Bank on Monday reported 92% jump in profit at `2,882 crore for the quarter ended December 2022, helped by a rise in interest income and decline in bad loans. Its net profit stood at `1,502 crore in the same quarter of the preceding financial year. Total income increased to `26,218 crore in the quarter from `21,312 crore in the year-ago period, the state-owned bank said in a regulatory filing. At the same time, interest income rose to `22,231 crore as against `17,701 crore in the same quarter a year ago.

Apple looks to scale up mfg in India: Goyal

Gandhinagar (PTI): iPhone-maker Apple is looking to scale up its manufacturing in India as the business environment is helping global firms make the country their base, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said. He said Apple already have about 5-7% of their manufacturing in India. “They are targeting to go up to 25% of their manufacturing. They launched their most recent models from India, manufactured in India.”

Zomato winds up 10-min delivery

New Delhi (FIB): Zomato is shutting down its 10-minute food delivery service Zomato Instant less than a year after it was launched as it chases profitability amid tough market conditions.

The company has recently told its restaurant partners it would look to close down the service.

“It didn’t look like it would turn profitable. The company was not getting the daily volume required to even pay the fixed costs. It wasn’t scaling up to that level,” a source

WOMEN’S IPL TEAM BID

New Delhi (FIB): Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia on Monday said it has signed a new multiyear agreement to license its 5G patents to Samsung following the expiry of the previous pact in Dec. Samsung will make payments to Nokia from Jan 1, but the companies did not disclose the terms of the deal. Nordic rival Ericsson last year also reached an agreement on 5G patents with Samsung, ending a dispute that hit its quarterly revenue.

told ET Prime.

“The plan is to now pivot to a new product,” he said, adding that Zomato is experimenting with low-value packed meals – thalis or combo meals. It has not

been decided if Zomato will retain the 10-minutes preposition for this. However the new offering will be launched in 7-10 days, one of the sources said.

However, Zomato said it was not shutting down Instant but rebranding the service. “Instant is not shutting down. We are working on a new menu with our partners and rebranding the business. All finishing stations remain intact, and no people are impacted by this decision.”

OTHER STORIES

INVESTMENT THROUGH P-NOTES DROPS TO `96,292-CR IN DEC 2022 ON PROFIT BOOKING

New Delhi (PTI): Investment in the Indian capital markets through participatory notes slightly dropped to `96,292 crore at the end of December 2022 from the preceding month on higher valuation of domestic markets. Before the decline, the investment through the route had been on an increasing trend since July because of a slump in prices of oil and other commodities and relative outperformance of Indian equity markets.

The value of P-note investments in Indian markets —equity, debt, and hybrid securities —stood at `96,292 crore at December-end.

REFUTES

BCCI set for another `4,000 cr windfall

New Delhi (PTI): The BCCI is all set to get richer by at least `4000 crore with some of the top business houses set to bid aggressively for the five Women’s IPL (WIPL) teams that would be auctioned on Wednesday. According to market experts, the teams are expected to shell out in the “range of 500 to 600 crore INR” per team in the closed-bid auction.

“WIPL has huge potential but most of the legacy teams would like to mix optimism with pragmatism,” an industry insider, who has previously worked

on men’s IPL team bid said.

“Expect a few bids in the range of ` 500 crore upwards. ` 800 crore plus

could be a bit ambitious but BCCI won’t complain,” he added.

More than 30 odd compa-

AUCTION ON WEDNESDAY

z The BCCI is all set to get richer by at least `4000 crore with some of the top business houses set to bid aggressively for the five WIPL teams that would be auctioned on Wednesday

z The teams are expected to shell out in the “range of 500 to 600 crore INR” per team

nies have bought the bid documents worth ` 5 lakh including all the 10 men’s IPL team.

AMAZON AIR DEBUTS IN INDIA FOR FASTER DELIVERIES

Hyderabad (PTI): Amazon India on Monday launched Amazon Air in the country to further enhance its transportation network and enable faster deliveries to customers. Ama-

AS LAYOFFS CONTINUE, GOOGLE FREEZES KEY GREEN CARD PROCESS FOR WORKERS

New Delhi (FIB): As if the news of mass layoffs at top tech firms wasn’t causing anxiety enough for Indian techies working in the United States, latest reports suggest Google has paused its Program Electronic Review Management (PERM), a key step in acquiring an employer-sponsored green card. Google has sent an email to foreign employees, notifying them that the tech giant will pause any new filings of PERM, leaving workers in a limbo.

HYUNDAI DRIVES IN AURA WITH PRICE STARTING AT `

NOKIA SIGNS 5G PATENT AGREEMENT WITH SAMSUNG

HONDA LAUNCHES NEW ACTIVA AT STARTING PRICE OF

SENA-VANCHIT ALLIANCE WON’T LAST LONG, CLAIMS MLA SANJAY SHIRSAT

Uddhav Thackeray and Prakash Ambedkar do not have a heart-toheart connect

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The alliance between Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and the Thackeray group was announced on Monday.

Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Prakash Ambedkar had made the announcement by holding a joint press conference. Shinde group leader Sanjay Shirsat has reacted to this alliance and claimed that this alliance will not last for long.

“The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi of Uddhav Thackeray and Prakash Ambedkar does not have a heart-to-heart alliance. I have seen Prakash Ambedkar, he

has a distinct identity as a strong leader. Today he has gone with Uddhav Thackeray. I sincerely feel that this alliance will not last,” said Shirsat.

“We have worked with Uddhav Thackeray. Many people have allied with him before. But we have also seen where Thackeray has placed the people who have

joined the alliance. I think Prakash Ambedkar will not tolerate it as he is an aggressive leader. That is why this alliance will not last. Now, Uddhav Thackeray has less following, and NCP and Congress have also gone away. So they have tried this alliance in order to attract the crowd. They want people now,” added Shirsat.

E-governance to usher Good governance in state: Shinde

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said good governance will be provided to citizens through e-governance.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a two-day regional conference on “e-governance” in Mumbai, Shinde said e-governance is being widely implemented in the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

The two-day conference has been jointly organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with the state government.

The conference, being held in a hybrid mode, has been attended by 500 delegates from 30 participating states and Union Territories.

“E-governance is being widely implemented in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two-day

conference being held by the Centre and state governments is a welcome initiative to update the administrative system and exchange innovative ideas,” the chief minister said.

He said through this conference, information about the activities taking place under egovernance across the country will be made available to all states and UTs.

“E-Governance is being widely implemented across the country and good governance will be provided to citizens through e-governance,” the chief minister said, adding India is getting significant participation at the global level under PM Modi’s

leadership.

DARPG Secretary V Srinivas said that one of the objectives of the conference is to translate Maharashtra’s core strengths in governance into e-governance to enable the digital transformation of institutions and the digital environment of citizens.

He said the Good Governance Index of India recognizes Maharashtra’s strong performance in several sectors, like agriculture, commerce and industry, public infrastructure, social welfare and development, judiciary and public safety.

“Maharashtra stands well ahead of the Indian states in terms of the 58 parameters across ten sectors,” Srinivas added. Speaking about the adoption of e-office version 7.0, he said it’s an initiative for increasing efficiency in decision-making through de-layering, delegation and digitization of the state secretariat and other measures.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The alliance between Shiv Sena (Thackeray group) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi was announced on Monday by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar. Congress state president Nana Patole has welcomed this decision. He said that the Congress is positive about the alliance with Vanchit Aghadi.

What did Nana Patole say?

“Speaking as Maha Vikas Aghadi, we do not have any proposal regarding the inclusion

of the Vanchit Aghadi. What exactly is Prakash Ambekar saying? It is clear that we will discuss it and take a decision. Basically, our position in this regard is positive. I had also said yesterday that BJP is the party that is destroying the constitutional system. It is our job to stop it.

No impact of UddhavAmbedkar alliance on BJP, Shinde camp: Rane

Mumbai: Union minister Narayan Rane on Monday said the newly minted alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Dalit leader’s Prakash Ambedkar’s outfit VBA in Maharashtra will not have any political impact on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Eknath Shinde faction. “Their alliance would not make any political dent to the ruling coalition in the state (BJP and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena). I do not understand, why people (in the media) are giving so much importance to Ambedkar and Uddhav Thackeray...they do not have any political backing,” Rane said

“They both lack political stature to criticise PM Modi. Tell me, how many people are behind them?” he asked Rane maintained Uddhav

FAKE DOCUMENT VISA FRAUD

Thackeray has lost support of a majority of his MLAs post rebellion by a section of legislators in June last year.

“Thackeray once had support of 56 Sena MLAs, now there are not even 12. What is Prakash Ambedkar’s contribution in the upliftment of Scheduled Caste people in the state? Can he give me some number, because I can tell you how many people I have helped,” said the BJP leader. “Both the leaders are losing ground and are at the end of their political career,” Rane claimed.

Congress is a national party. So our role is to take small and big parties together”, said Nana Patole.

Notably on Monday, Uddhav Thackeray and Prakash Ambedkar announced an alliance of Shivshakti and Bhimshakti in the state.

Meanwhile Uddhav Thackeray had said that the alliance of Vanchit Thackeray faction was discussed with Congress and this was also confirmed by Nana Patole. “I had a discussion with Uddhav Thackeray. However, what is the proposal of Vanchit Aghadi? We will clarify the situation only after it is known,” he said.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: An oil painting of former Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray will be unveiled in Vidhan Bhavan, but the Thackeray group has expressed its displeasure about it. Former minister and leader of the Thackeray faction, Aditya Thackeray, made a statement saying, “Balasaheb must be saying that these traitors are unveiling my oil painting.” Speaking on the matter, Sanjay Shirsat has expressed his anger.

“This kid has not even sat on Balasaheb’s lap. He does not know what happened to Balasaheb Thackeray. Being the grandson does

not mean that he has common sense. He should have thought that my grandfather’s oil painting is being displayed in Vidhan Bhavan. Who is putting up that oil painting is a different issue,” said Shirsat.

“Aditya Thackeray should be proud to think that a hospital is being opened today in the name of my grandfather. People are calling you Aditya Saheb because of Balasaheb Thackeray. He should be conscious when he speaks. Balasaheb Thackeray is not only his grandfather. He is our Shiv Sena chief. That’s why we will do anything for him,” added Shirsat.

Shinde hints at starting OPS in Maharashtra!

Mumbai.

campaigning

the polls

graduate and teacher seats in the state has started in full swing. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has given a signal to implement the old pension scheme in the state.

Additional burden of `55 thousand crores on state government

If the old pension scheme is implemented in the state, then there will be an additional burden of about 55 thousand crore rupees on the state government, and there is a possibility that there will be a big gap in the pension amount of the old employees and the new employees. The old pension scheme can be implemented. This decision of the government will benefit the ruling partyShinde faction and BJP - in the elections.

There are about 16 lakh 10 thousand government employees in

Malik’s son, daughter-in-law get pre-arrest bail

According to the police, Hemelin, a French national, had submitted forged documents while applying to convert her tourist visa into a longterm visa

Mumbai (PTI): A sessions court here on Monday granted prearrest bail to former Maharashtra cabinet minister Nawab Malik’s son Faraz and French daughter-in-law Laura Hemelin alias Ayesha in connection with a case of submission of al-

leged forged documents to extend her visa.

Judge MG Deshpande granted the couple anticipatory bail.

The suburban Kurla police had registered a complaint of cheating and forgery against the duo last week. According to the police, Hemelin, a

French national, had submitted forged documents while applying to convert her tourist visa into a long-term visa.

The duo has denied the criminal charges and claimed to be victims of fraud at the hands of an agent who they had appointed to obtain a marriage certificate, which is at the centre of the case. The couple has said the agent had cheated 18 other people.

The couple, who had

approached the court for anticipatory bail, claimed no cheating or forgery case was made out against them as they are neither the authors of the alleged forged marriage certificate nor had they caused any wrongful loss to any person.

An FIR (first information report) was lodged against the two under sections 420, 465, 468, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

the state. 58 thousand crore rupees are spent on their salary per year. Now if the old pension scheme is in effect and it is decided to implement it from 2004, then there will be an additional burden of 50 to 55 thousand crore rupees on the exchequer of the state government. The state government will spend an additional 4 to 4.5 thousand crore rupees on teachers' pension. In the state, if the old pension scheme is implemented, the employee

will get 50 percent of the salary after retirement till death. Also, after his death, an employee's spouse will get 30 percent of the amount as pension till his death. But in the new pension, the pension will be given on the accumulated amount by deducting the money from the salary and not according to the salary of the employees. Since this scheme is based on market investment, pension will be given on the accumulated amount.

Baba’s challenger gets death threats!

Mumbai: Dhirendra Krishna Shastri Maharaj of Bageshwar Dham who has made headlines was recently challenged by Shyam Manav, the founder of the ‘Andhwishwaas Unmulan Samiti’. However, now Shyam Manav has received a death threat.

Word is that Manav had said that he would give thirty lakh rupees to Bageshwar Baba to undergo tests, however,

Baba left the program in Nagpur halfway. Thereafter, Shyam Manav got a call threatening to kill him. After the call was received, Shyam manav approached the Alyawar police and now his security has been beefed up.

First India Bureau

Nawab Malik

Sandeep Shukla

The

for

for

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Shyam Manav —FILE PHOTO

Eknath Shinde —FILE PHOTO

Eknath Shinde —FILE PHOTO

Narayan Rane —FILE PHOTO

Sanjay Shirsat

—FILE PHOTO

‘Being a grandson doesn’t mean he will have sense’

Congess is positive over SenaVanchit alliance, claims Patole

Nana Patole —FILE PHOTO

Congregation

aipur Litera ture Festival 2023 includes opportunities to meet your fa vourite authors and brush up on your writing skills (aid ed by enthusiastic profes sional authors). In order to foster a true love of reading, most of the festi vals offer extensive pro grams of story-telling and other fun activities for children and young adults.

With the rise in the digital age, it has been tough to maintain the love for traditional publishing. The biggest

revival of books is the large swathe of literary festivals mushrooming up in every part of the world.

16th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival at tracted huge numbers of people from all back

MITALI DUSAD mitalidusad01@gmail.com

SWEET SMILES: Manika Kaul, Nikita Goyal, Aditi Shukla, Rishika Jain and Apurva Singh

CAPTURE THE MOMENT: Sakshi and Hetal

ELEGANT, DASHING AND DARING:

Clockwise: Neha, Riddhi, Siddhi and Nandini Kadam

Lovely International guest posing for the camera

In the final day, of the mega literature festivalthe JLF 2023, William Dalrymple, one of the best-selling book authors and Anita Anand in conversation with Bee Rowlatt discussed the idea behind the Empire: The Story of a World Conquering podcast including the rise of The East India Company, exploring how a small corporation

The final and fifth day of the Jaipur Literature Festival opened with a scintillating Morning Music programme, followed by awe-inspiring sessions from the intellectual brains of all times.

Sharma, Mukesh Kiradoo and Sunil Sharma

JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2023!

A HUB OF INSPIRATION!

Title: Empire The Story of a World Conquering Podcast

with only a handful of employees came to rule India.

The session began with the birth of the Company in Tudor England and culminates with Robert Clive and the Battle of Plassey. The Empire podcast started in August, went straight to no.1 and now has more than 1 million downloads every month. Characterised by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand’s easy camaraderie and contrasting personas, the podcast looks at how empires rise, why they fall and how they have shaped the world around us today. In discussion with Bee Rowlatt, Dalrymple and

Anand discuss why people everywhere are suddenly so interested in the business of the Empire.

During the session, they further talked about the editorial process and the re-

search behind it. Anand noted that the former part of the podcast is William’s and the latter is Anand’s.

On the occasion, William Dalrymple said, “About a third of a million!” He said

about the number of listen ers for each episode of his Empire podcast, which re cently concluded season one. The 18-episode series was voted No. 1 on the Ap ple 2023.

The incredible final day of the 16th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival witnessed literary critic and philosopher Martin Puchner in conversation with Anna Della Subin.

In the session, Harvard literature professor Mar-

Culture: The Story of Us, From Cave Art to K-Pop

tin Puchner stated that The rise of ''new media'' and the intermingling of cultures can be a few of the reasons behind the international appeal of Korean pop or Kpop. Perhaps the most enthusiastic proponent of the importance of arts and humanities, Martin Puchner brings together a delightful history of humankind in his latest book, Culture: The Story of Us, From Cave Art to K-Pop. In an attempt to document cultural crescendos from ancient Greece to a time capsule left on the moon, the book alludes to fundamental questions about identity, com-

munity and existence. Along with Anna Della Subin, Puchner elucidates the role of art in the propagation of knowledge and cultural discourses.

The academic cited the example of Korean rapper PSY's ''Gangnam Style'', which became a runaway hit in 2012 for its catchy tune, and dance choreography as well as for blending social satire and tongue-incheek vibe.

''Part of the K-pop story is the new media and its circulation, especially among young people. They are, of course, the K-pop audience," stated Pucher.uHe

FEEL, DEAL & HEAL

lies, or fulfill everybody’s expectations, we will surely end up exhausting ourselves.

He focused on prioritizing metime, having a part of every day where we do nothing, relax, be with our own thoughts, and give our minds and souls what they need.

further said the roots of Kpop's popularity could be traced back to Korean and American cultures during the Korean War in the 1950s

ore than

ability,

stability

said Gaur Gopal Das, an Indian monk, lifestyle coach and motivational speaker, while addressing a session, ‘First Edition: Energize Your Mind’ in conversation with Puneeta Roy, youth activist and filmmaker at Front Lawn in JLF on the concluding day.

With the ‘unconventional’ Monk Guruji Gaur Gopal Das, we delved into deeper parts of life, happiness, struggles and relationships. The session was charismatic and ignited a sense of personal belonging with his out-of-the-box motivational skills.

He gives us precious insights on how there are two things when it comes to being in the ashram, the first being around 80 monks living together and the second, how the essence of all relationships is the same. The principles of relationships are love, acceptance, tolerance, and giving respect while maintaining yours.

He was asked about how one should go about handling their life, relationships, ambitions, and themselves all at the same time. In response, he asserted that the two things he never compromises upon are self-care and his connection to his spiritual self. He further explained that if we neglect our own needs in favor of our jobs, and fami-

To keep ourselves fueled and capable of being efficient all our lives, we must all take care of ourselves instead of burning ourselves out.

When prompted with a question about his opinion on the saying “karam wahi karo jo karna hi fal lage (whether one should focus only on the goal, or focus only on the process that takes you towards it), he reminded us to always pay attention to the process, and not worry about the final outcome.

During the session, his book ‘Energize Your Mind’ was released. What started as a light conversation about routines and modern problems of the modern world soon turned more impactful and interesting. He managed to

UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in

when the US-backed

MRIDULA SHARMA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

“M

our

the

of our mind is important”,

empower us with positivity and hope in the most pleasant way possible.

GAJRAJ SINGH BHATI cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

William

Andleeb

Devisha K Singh

LUCKY TO BE A PART OF INCREDIBLE MOVIES TOGETHER: DEEPIKA

class professionals who come in and make us look the way we do!”

ASHISH TIWARI cityfirst.mumbai@firstindia.co.in

Two of the biggest megastars of the country Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are teaming up in Yash Raj Films’ Pathaan. They are one of the biggest and most-loved on-screen pairings in the history of Indian cinema, given their epic blockbusters Om Shanti Om, Chennai Express and Happy New Year. In a video shared by the production house, Yash Raj Films, Deepika speaks about her magical pairing with SRK which has always managed to deliver a blockbuster!

“Shah Rukh & I have been very lucky to have had the opportunity to work in some incredible movies starting with Om Shanti Om! I’m collaborating with my favourite co-star Shah Rukh. We have a beautiful relationship and I think the audience always sees that

in the movies that we do,” says Deepika.

SRK and DP are looking for a million bucks in Pathaan and she reveals the secret behind their electric chemistry in Pathaan! She says, “Well, he and I can both take credit for that. Again he was also on this intense diet and exercise. So, he and I can both take credit for the work we have put individually. But at the end of the day, it is the team that you work with.”

Deepika adds, “Whether it is the director (Siddharth Anand) and his vision or it’s the cinematographer (Satchith Paulose) and how he is envisioning lighting us, whether it’s the stylist (Shaleena Nathani) - how she envisions these characters, whether it is your hair and make-up team. So, it’s your entire team that sort of comes together, so sure you can put in the work and do the best you can but you also have incredible world-

For Deepika, Pathaan is a very special film in her filmography. She will play the role of a ruth less spy and will be seen pulling off jaw-drop ping action sequences.

She says, “The charac ter that I am playing in this movie is extremely exciting, it is something that I haven't done be fore and even the mov ie - just this kind of spy thriller, an outand-out action movie is something I haven't done be fore.“

The hype around Pathaan is unprec edented. All the assets of the film that YRF has re leased so far have turned out to be super-hits right from the teaser, the two songs - Besharam Rang & Jhoome Jo Pathaan - and the recently dropped trailer that has caused an internet meltdown!

Emraan Hashmi calls Akshay Kumar 'Farishta'

he teaser for Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi's upcoming film Selfiee was launched on Sunday. The actors that attended the trailer releasing event spoke with the media about a variety of subjects. Speaking about his time working with Akshay Kumar, Emraan reflected on the time he supported his family through a

Tdifficult moment. When his son was battling illness, Akshay was the first to phone Emraan Hashmi. For assisting his family and son during trying times, he called him Farishta.

Ayaan had a firststage cancer diagnosis in 2014, and after undergoing years of treatment and chemotherapy, he was declared cancer-free in 2019. Emraan Hashmi confessed that he loved Akshay Kumar and had been a fan of him. He had the opportunity to get to know the actor in the recent past when his

son Ayaan experienced health problems. Actor who played the murderer admitted that Kumar was the one to call and support his family. "A lot of people surround you in your good times, but bure waqt mein jo farishtey aate hai that's Akshay Kumar," the actor said when referring to his co-star. In the soon-to-be-released film Selfiee by Raj Mehta, the two are now cast together. In the movie, Akshay, who plays a superstar, squares off against Emraan, who plays an RTO officer.

At a big celebration on Monday, the much-anticipated romantic comedy "Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar" trailer was unveiled. The lead actors' chemistry was electric in the trailer, which also featured magnificent graphics and amusing language. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar appears to be the film that would bring romance back to the stage in 2023 fashion.

Anubhav Singh Bassi, the reigning stand-up comedian, took the stage to host the event. He brought the audience to their feet with his hilarious one-liners and prepared them for the release of the magnificent trailer.

Sara’s transformation

Bollywood’s ‘Bhai’ Salman Khan on Monday shared a still from his highlyanticipated movie Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan while announcing that a teaser of the film will be available for viewers to watch on a big screen on January 25, 2023. The promo will later be released on the internet, on various social media platforms. Bhai shared a still in which he was seen staring into the

distance intently with a hint of a smile on his face. He captioned the image, “#KisiKaBhaiKisiKiJaan Teaser ab dekho bade parde par on 25th Jan…”

It is a very special time for Suniel Shetty and his family as his daughter Athiya Shetty is getting married to the love of her life KL Rahul.

Suniel Shetty confirmed the news recently while interacting with the media. He also said that KL Rahul and Athiya will meet the media on Monday.

Meanwhile, his friend and actor Ajay Devgn on Monday gave a special shout-out' to him and wished 'the young couple a blissful married life.' Ajay took to his official Twitter handle and wrote,

"Congratulations to my dear friends @SunielVShetty & #ManaShetty for their daughter @theathiyashetty's marriage to @klrahul. Here's wishing the young couple a blissful married life.

And, Anna, here`s a special shoutout to you on this auspicious occasion. Ajay." Meanwhile, wedding preparations have begun at the Shetty household. Athiya and Rahul are reportedly getting married at the Shetty farmhouse in Khandala and, as per reports, it will be an intimate affair.

ject I’m going to work hard on. And most importantly, I’m going to cherish every day that I get to play an

Ahead of India’s 74th Republic Day celebrations, Prime Video launched the first look at the upcoming Amazon Original movie, Ae Watan Mere Watan, an inspiring tribute to the fearless heroes

Mishra serving as the co-producer. The first look of Sara Ali Khan from the Prime Video original movie was unveiled on Monday. She dons a new, unseen look for her role. Sara plays the character of a valiant freedom fighter in the film di -

Speaking on her character Sara said, "Working with Kannan Iyer sir is a sheer privilege as he is so vested in this story himself. And lenging to essay a character that is vastly different from anything

enigmatic freedom

This means that the Salman Khan-starrer teaser will be played during the screening of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan also fea-

tures Venkatesh Daggubati, Pooja Hegde, Jagapathi Babu, Siddharth Nig am, Jassie Gill, Palak Tiwari and Shehnaaz Gill etc.

Deepika Padukone

Emraan and Akshay from a still of the movie

Sara Ali Khan

Pooja Hegde

Poster of the movie

movie

Poster of the film

Poster of the movie

Athiya with father Suniel Shetty