First India-Mumbai Edition-28th February 2023

MEGHALAYA AND NAGALAND ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

NE BATTLE EN ROUTE TO 2024 POLLS!

Moni Sharma

Shillong/Kohima:

The percentage of voter turnout in the Nagaland Assembly Elections was higher than Meghalaya at 82.42%, Meghalaya recorded 74.32%. Earlier in the day, PM Modi encouraged the voters, par-

Cops launch manhunt to trace ‘Paktrained’ man

First India Bureau Mumbai: Police here have launched a hunt to trace a man “trained in Pakistan” after they were alerted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) about his movement in the city, officials said on Monday.

“Mumbai police are searching for a dangerous man after an e-mail was received from the city unit of NIA about his suspicious movements,” an official said. He said the email was received on Sunday, following which all agencies are put on alert.

The NIA communication identifies the suspect as Sarfaraz Memon who has entered Mumbai, the official said, adding that as Memon hails from Madhya Pradesh, the police in that state are also alerted. “While informing about the suspect, NIA officials also shared details like an Aadhaar card, a driving licence and a passport. As per information received, the suspect has received training in China, Hong Kong, and Pakistan,” the police official said.

Budget Session

began with Guv’s address to members of both Houses

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The state will organize 600 job fairs in the financial year 2022-23, Governor Ramesh Bais told the state legislature on Monday. The Budget Session of the state legislature began with the governor’s address to members of both Houses.

“Memoranda of Understanding were

ticularly young & firsttime voters — in both States to come out and vote in record numbers. In Nagaland, over 13 lakh voters decided the electoral fate of 183 candidates contesting 59 out of a total of 60 seats. In Meghalaya, over 21.6L voters sealed fate of 369 candidates.

82.42% 74.32%

THE COUNTING OF THE VOTES FOR THE 2 STATES (NAGALAND, MEGHALAYA) INCLUDING TRIPURA, WHICH VOTED ON FEB 16, WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 2

SWEET ‘18’!

First time voters shows their ink-marked fingers after casting their votes for the Meghalaya Assembly Election, at a polling station, in Ri Bhoi district on Monday.

Court sends Sisodia to CBI custody till March 4

The AAP workers carried out nationwide protests against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s arrest in the Delhi liquor scam case

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Monday sent deputy CM Manish Sisodia to CBI remand till March 4.

Special judge MK Nagpal allowed the CBI’s plea for the custodial interrogation of Sisodia. The AAP is staging protests across the country against Sisodia’s arrest on Sunday in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor excise policy case on Sunday. The party also staged protests at the BJP’s headquarters at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in Delhi on Monday. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed that Sisodia was arrested due to political pressure on the CBI. More on P5

Probe agencies acting lawfully against corrupt, the AAP believes in neither court nor law. —BJP

Most of the agency officers were against arresting the AAP leader but they were “under pressure” from their political bosses.

—Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister

INTERIM BAIL OF KHERA EXTENDED BY SC TILL MAR 3

Supreme Court extended the period of interim bail granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case related to his alleged objectionable remarks against PM Modi till March 3.

A 3-judge bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud took note of submissions made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared in court on behalf of Assam govt, that the state police wanted to file its reply.

AGNIPATH SCHEME: HC ISSES PETITIONS, SAYS INTRODUCED IN ‘NATIONAL INTEREST’

Delhi High Court upheld the constitutional validity of the government’s military recruitment scheme Agnipath, saying it does not find any reason to interfere with the scheme. ‘Agnipath scheme was introduced in national interest and to ensure that armed forces are better equipped,’ bench said.

PIL FOR ‘RENAMING’ PLACES DISMISSED NEET PG EXAMINATION IS NOT POSTPONED!

SC dismissed a PIL seeking constituting of a ‘renaming commission’ to restore “original” names of ancient and religious places “renamed” by invaders, saying India can’t be a prisoner of the past. Bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna questioned motive of PIL by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, saying it will bring alive those issues, “which would keep country on boil”.

SC dissmissed the petitions seeking NEET PG 2023 postponement. It refused to entertain any pleas submitted for postponement of the National Eligibilitycum-Entrance Test 2023. Justices Dipankar Datta and SR Bhat was informed by ASG Aishwarya Bhati, representing NBE, that NEET PG admit card 2023 have been released on Monday.

OLD IS GOLD!

A 103-year-old voter named Jonathan Sekhose shows his ink-marked finger after casting vote for Nagaland Assembly elections in Chumoukedima on Monday.

Kisans get Holi bonanza!

l PM Modi releases over `16,000 crore to 8 crore farmers under PM-KISAN

First India Bureau

Belagavi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released the 13th instalment of over `16,000 crore, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN), through direct benefit transfer to more than 8 cr beneficiaries.

During the programme, PM Modi also dedicated the redeveloped Belagavi Railway Station building, to the nation. The railway station has been redeveloped at an approximate cost of about `190 crore to provide world-class amenities to the passengers. PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of six multi-village scheme projects under the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission in Belagavi. More on P5

l Eligible farmer families to get `6,000 per year in three installments of `2,000 each

FROM ‘HAWAI CHAPPALS’ TO ‘HAWAI JAHAZ’...

and other

l Those wearing ‘hawai chappals’ should travel in ‘hawai jahaz’. I’m seeing it happening”, PM Narendra Modi said India’s aviation market is growing rapidly.

strongman and four-time CM BS Yediyurappa, who hails from Shivamogga. l Airport has been developed at a cost of around `450 crore. The passenger terminal building of the airport here can handle 300 passengers per hour.

Oppn demands resolution of K'taka border row

—PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

signed with 45 companies to create 1.25 lakh jobs. Twenty four project proposals have been approved which amount to an investment of Rs87,774 crore, creating 61,000 jobs,” Bais said in his address.

The state govern ment signed MOUs with 19 companies for an investment of Rs1.37 lakh crore at the World Economic Forum meet in Davos last month, he said. “The government has successfully or ganized training for 4.85 lakh youth and 2.81 lakh farmers under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yoja

na,” the governor said. The state government has doubled the pension of freedom fighters and their spouses, from Rs10,000 to Rs20,000 per month, he said.

First India Bureau Mumbai: On the first day of the Maharashtra legislature’s budget session on Monday, Opposition members demanded a fair price to farmers for foodgrains, resolution of the border dispute with Karnataka and respect for historical figures.

Legislators of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction and other parties gathered at the Vidhan Bhavan steps and raised slogans to put forth their demands.

“The state government should ensure that historical figures are respected in the state. The government needs to come up with plans for ensuring fair prices for foodgrains as well as re-

Governor Ramesh Bais with CM Shinde, Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar and others as they arrive at Vidhan Bhavan for the start of the Budget Session, in Mumbai, on Monday.

solving the pending Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue,” said a legislator.

The opposition members also called the ruling Eknath ShindeBharatiya Janata Party

dispensation in the state as the “ED” government.

A controversy had erupted in November when then-governor

Bhagat Singh Koshyari said warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Ma-

haraj was an “icon of olden times” and personalities like Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to Nitin Gadkari were the modern icons of the state.

The border issue between Maharashtra and

—Legislator

Karnataka dates back to 1957, when the states were reorganized on the lines of laguages spoken there. Maharashtra had laid claim to Karnataka’s Belagavi district, and also laid claim to 814 Marathispeaking villages now in the southern state. Karnataka, however, considers the demarcation done as final.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia being taken to the CBI headquarters, in New Delhi on Monday. (Right) AAP’s Manish Sisodia sitting inside the car accompanied by the CBI officials.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicates multiple development projects to the nation in presence of Narendra Singh Tomar, Pralhad Joshi, Basavaraj Bommai and others in Belagavi on Monday.

The state government should ensure that historical figures are respected in the state. The govt needs to come up with plans for ensuring fair prices for foodgrains as well as resolving the pending Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue.

CM Shinde-led Shiv Sena issues whip for full attendance in House

The move is apparently aimed at cornering the rival Uddhav Thackeray faction

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has issued a whip to “all” its legislators to remain present full-time during the Budget Session of the Maharashtra legislature which began on Monday, in an apparent move to corner the faction headed by former CM Uddhav Thackeray.

The Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed in June last year after Shinde and 39 other MLAs rebelled against the party leadership.

The Election Commission recently allotted the “Shiv Sena” name and the “bow and arrow” poll symbol to the Shinde-led faction.

Amid the Shiv Sena row, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday said, “There is only one Shiv Sena with 55 MLAs which is led by Shinde and legislator Bharat Gogawale has been recognized as its chief whip.”

Notably, during a hearing in the Supreme Court last week, senior advocate NK Kaul, appearing for the Shinde bloc, assured the SC bench it will not

take steps like issuing whip or initiation of disqualification proceedings against lawmakers MLAs, MLCs and MPs of the Thackeray faction for the time being.

The court was hearing the Thackeray faction’s plea challenging the decision of the Election Commission recognizing the Shinde group as the ‘real’

BABY’S DAY OUT

“We have issued a whip to all MLAs of the Shiv Sena asking them to remain present full-time during the Budget session. If any legislator does not follow it, he/she will face action.”

Shiv Sena.

The assurance came after senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Thackeray, had

Supplementary demands of `6,383 cr presented

raised apprehension, saying “Tomorrow, if they issue a whip or a letter and if we do not do it then we will be

‘Delegation to meet PM over Marathi status’

Mumbai (PTI): Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday informed the state legislative Assembly that a delegation will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek classical language status for Marathi.

“A delegation of legislators will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a request seeking classical language status for Marathi. Along with officials, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and I will meet the prime minister demanding action over it,” the chief minister assured the House on the first day of the Budget Session.

NCP legislator Chhagan Bhujbal had raised the issue asking details about the long pending demand to accord classical language status to Marathi.

disqualified. Now they are the party. I have no protection. Your lordships should give us the status quo at least.”

When asked about it, Gogawale said, “The relief is only for two weeks. Asking legislators to attend the Session full-time is not an action against them. We will come to know who attends and who does not.”

First India Bureau Mumbai: The state government on Monday presented supplementary demands of Rs6,383.97 crore, with a thrust on rural areas on Day One of the Assembly’s Budget Session.

Supplementary demands are presented in the House to cover additional expenses over and above sums allotted in the annual budget. Most additional funds sought have been marked for village lighting bill payment and farm loan waivers. Of Rs6,383.97 crore, Rs2,224.72 crore is meant for the payment of pending bills to Maharashtra State Electricity Distribu-

tion Co. Ltd for street lights in villages, while an additional provision of Rs1,014 crore has been made for incentive benefit scheme under Mahatma Jyotirao Phule farmer loan waiver.

A sum of Rs267.73 crore has been earmarked as financial assistance to lossmaking Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, whose employees had gone on strike between November 2021 and April 2022 seeking regular salaries and hikes.

Supplementary demand of Rs763.77 crore has been made for various incentives to small, medium, large and mega projects under package schemes, Rs452.47

crore for maintenance and repairs of roads and bridges, and Rs331.56 crore for the construction of ring road around Pune city undertaken by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.

A sum of Rs598.17 crore is needed for interest on provident fund of teaching and non-teaching staff of aided non-government vocational education and training institutes.

During the Winter Session of the state legislature, the government had presented supplementary demands of Rs52,327 crore for 2022-23, which were the highest ever sought in recent years.

‘Some wrong info in Guv’s Budget Session speech’

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Shiv SenaUBT leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday said state governor Ramesh Bais’ speech had some “wrong information” and that several projects mentioned were started by the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government. He was speaking to the media at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan on the first day of the Budget session of the state legislature.

“Statements in the governor’s speech regarding the World Economic Forum meeting held at Davos were slightly wrong as most of the projects were either started by us or progressed when we were in power. Looks like someone has mis-

UNINTENTIONAL?

led him (the governor),” said Additya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray. The governor said the state government (of Eknath Shinde and BJP) signed MOUs with 19 companies for an investment of Rs1.37 lakh crore at the WEF meet last month.

“The minutes of the

December 13, 2022 meeting are not yet finalized but the same companies went to Davos later and signed MoUs with Maharashtra again. Whatever this government says, it cannot be taken at face value,” said Aaditya.

Commenting on the arrest of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI,

Aaditya Thackeray said, “I have not gone into details of the case but whoever speaks what the Union government doesn’t want to hear, such people are targeted through probe agencies. We have seen a similar pattern regarding many leaders from the Opposition who chose to speak the truth”.

Uddhav aide ‘mistakenly’ enters hall meant for legislators

Surprisingly, not a single security guard objected to Milind Narvekar entering the central hall

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Milind

Narvekar, a close confidant of Shiv Sena - UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday “mistakenly” entered the central hall, meant only for Maharashtra legislators, at Vidhan Bhavan here.

Narvekar was supposed to watch the governor’s address to the members of both Houses on the first day of the

Budget Session from the visitors’ gallery.

However, he entered the central hall with other legislators before

Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Aaditya Thackeray pointed out to him that only MLAs and MLCs

can enter the hall.

Narvekar later told reporters that he entered the central hall by mistake while looking for the visitor’s gallery.

However, it was surprising that not a single security guard objected to Narvekar entering the central hall.

Eknath Shinde camp MLA Sanjay Shirsath didn’t miss the opportunity to take a dig at the Thackerays.

“Narvekar knows he

is no longer a close aide of (former CM) Uddhav Thackeray. He is eager to become a legislator.

But the path to the Assembly or Council goes via CM Eknath Shinde,” he said.

Aaditya Thackeray responded by saying, “If he (Narvekar) wants to become a member of the legislature, I will have to check with him.

However what happened today was unintentional on his part.”

SHIV SENA - UBT LEGISLATORS SHIFTED TO OPPOSITION BLOC IN MAHA ASSEMBLY

Mumbai: Closely avoiding a potential squabble, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar gave Sena - UBT leader in the house Ajay Choudhari and Aaditya Thackeray front-row seats next to Congressmen Dilip Walse Patil and Ashok Chavan in the opposition block on the first day of the Budget Session. Thirteen other MLAs of the Thackeray

group were also seated in the opposition block, even as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is seated on the treasurer’s benches. Meanwhile, after losing the Shiv Sena party office to the Eknath Shinde-led faction, the Thackeray camp has decided to work out of Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve’s cabin for the time being.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and other MLAs arrive at Vidhan Bhavan on the first day of the Budget Session of the Maharashtra Assembly in Mumbai on Monday. —PHOTO BY PTI

—Bharat Gogawale, Chief Whip, Shiv Sena

Governor Ramesh Bais receives a Guard of Honour on the first day of the Budget Session. CM Shinde and other functionaries were also present. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Nationalist Congress Party MLA Saroj Ahire was the cynosure of all eyes on Monday, when she arrived carrying her four-month-old son on the first day of Budget Session of the Maharashtra Assembly. While there is a Hirkani unit, or nursing station, on the premises of Vidhan Bhavan, Ahire complained that these were dusty. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Jaykumar Gore, who was injured in a car accident in December, arrived using a walker.

—PHOTO

BY PTI

Shiv Sena - UBT legislator Aaditya Thackeray arrives at the Vidhan Bhavan with his faction leaders for the Budget Session on Monday. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Price drop: Farmers now stop onion auction at Lasalgaon APMC

On Monday, onions fetched an average price of `400-450 per quintal--or about ` 2 per kg at Asia’s biggest onion market

First India Bureau

Nashik: With prices falling consistently, angry onion farmers on Monday stopped the auction of the kitchen staple at the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC)--Asia’s biggest onion market--in Nashik district.

In the latest decline, the per-kilogram price of onion dropped by half to Rs2. This led angry growers to demand that that the government immediately declare a grant of Rs1,500

per quintal of onions and purchase their produce at Rs15 to Rs20 per kg. Else, they threatened, they would not let the auction resume.

As soon as the auction process began as the market opened for the week on Monday, onions fetched a minimum price of Rs200 per quintal, the maximum rate

CRUCIAL READ

3 HELD FOR SERIES OF MOTORCYCLE THEFTS IN PALGHAR

Palghar: Police have arrested three persons allegedly involved in a series of motorcycle thefts in Palghar, an official said. At least 35 stolen motorcycles, worth Rs19.6 lakh, were recovered from accused. The police team had intercepted the accused with two-wheelers without number plates near Castline Naka on February 20 and recovered a sickle, an iron chopper and other items, he said.

Procurement centres offline over ‘miscommunication’

First India Bureau

During the ongoing Budget Session of the state legislature, the government should immediately declare Rs1,500 per quintal grant for onions and purchase the produce--currently being sold for Rs3-5 per kg--at a price of Rs15 to Rs20 per kg. If these two demands are not met today, the onion auction at Lasalgaon APMC will not start at all.

—Bharat Dighole, MRKUS leader

of Rs800 per quintal and an average price of Rs400-450 per quintal.

As a result, farmers led by the Maharashtra Rajya Kanda Utpadak Sanghatana (MRKUS) stopped the auction of onions and started an agitation.

On Saturday 2,404 quintal onions arrived at the APMC and the

79-YO SINGER ATTACKED, ROBBED IN THANE DISTRICT

Thane: A 79-year-old singer was attacked and robbed by two unidentified chain snatchers in Thane, police said on Monday. The incident took place in Dombivli around 9 pm on Sunday, when singer Shubhada Pavgi was walking home with her son, an official said. Two accused on a two-wheeler hit the old lady and stole her gold chain worth Rs2 lakh. The lady sustained minor injuries, he added.

POLICE POSE AS HOUSE OWNERS TO NAB UNDERTRIAL WORKING AS PAINTER

Mumbai: Kasturba Marg policemen posed as house owners looking for a painter for their home in order to nab an undertrial in a murder case who had jumped parole and was working as a painter. Badal Verma (25) undertrial absconding for 3 years, was nabbed from Palghar recently. He will be sent back to prison. In 2020, Covid-19 pandemic broke out and several prisoners were released either on parole or furlough to decongest prisons. Verma was one of them. But when it was time to report back to the prison, Verma had vanished.

MAN'S BODY FOUND IN LAKE IN THANE DISTRICT

Thane: The body of an unidentified man was found in a lake near the central jail in Thane district on Monday, a civic official said. A body of a man in his 40s was found floating in a lake at 8 am, and the local fire station was alerted. The body has been sent to the Thane civil hospital for postmortem and the police have registered a case of accidental death.

MAN HELD FOR BLUDGEONING FRIEND TO DEATH

Palghar: A 20-year-old man was arrested for allegedly bludgeoning his friend to death during a quarrel while inebriated in Palghar district, police said. The incident took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, senior inspector Shailendra Nagarkar of Tulinj police station said. The duo got into a quarrel over a minor issue while drinking alcoho, official added.

prices were Rs351 minimum, Rs1,231 maximum and Rs625 average per quintal.

“During the ongoing Budget Session of the state legislature, the government should immediately declare Rs1,500 per quintal grant for onions and purchase the produce, being currently sold for

Rs3-5 per kg, at a price of Rs15 to Rs20 per kg. If these two demands are not met today, onion auction at Lasalgaon APMC will not start at all,” MRKUS leader Bharat Dighole said. Recently, a farmer at Naitale village destroyed his ready to harvest crop fearing poor returns.

Amravati: Crop procurement centres in Amravati on Monday went offline to conduct registration and other formalities after several thousand farmers gathered there over the last 24 hours alleged miscommunication and mismanagement.

Farmers said a letter from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd, which oversees such procurement, that registration would start at 7 am on Monday, for farmers who wanted to sell their chickpea produce to the state had been widely shared on social media.

However, on reaching the facilities, they found that some procurement centres had not got orders to start the process. Those that had, were poorly managed and chaotic, the farmers further

alleged.

Police personnel had to be deployed at some of the centres in Dhamangaon Railway, Nandgaon Khandeshwar and Chandur railway talukas, to avoid any untoward incident arising out of the distress caused to farmers, officials said.

Later in the afternoon, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that while registration and other processes are usually done online at these procurement centres, a directive has been given for offline mode but due to the extraordinary circum-

Thousands of farmers got ‘official’ message on social media claiming chickpea procurement would start at 7am; many centres didn’t get memo

stance caused by the crowding of farmers.

Meanwhile, officials said the number of farmers at these centres is so huge that crowding continued through the day despite the deputy CM’s assurances.

Mumbai police issue preventive order ahead of Holi

First India Bureau

Mumbai: With festival of Holi around the corner, Mumbai police on Monday issued a preventive order for citizens.

The list of acts prohibited by the police include sprinkling coloured water indiscriminately and obscene utterances in public places that are likely to lead to communal tension and breach of public peace.

Man falls prey to sextortionists, defrauded of more than `3 lakh

Mumbai (PTI): A 30-year-old man from the western suburb of Andheri allegedly lost more than Rs3 lakh to unidentified persons who claimed to have posted nude videos of him on social media, police said on Monday.

The victim, who works in a private firm, claimed that he received a video call from an unidentified number on WhatsApp on the night of February 22.

On receiving the call, the complainant saw a naked woman, whose face was not seen, and he disconnected the

call, the official said.

The next day, the victim received a call from another number and the caller claimed that he has uploaded a nude video of him on YouTube and he would have to pay Rs31,500 to remove it, he said.

Precautionary measures undertaken by cops to ensure peace and safety of citizens

To prohibit such acts is considered necessary for the preservation of public peace and public safety, stated the order.

In order issued by Deputy Commissioner

of Police (Operations)

Vishal Thakur, acts disallowed include public utterances of obscene words or slogans, or singing of obscene songs, use of gestures or mimetic representations and the preparation, exhibition or dissemination of pictures, symbols, placards or any other objects or things which may offend dignity, decency or morality.

As per the notifica-

tion, the practice of spraying or throwing colored water, dyes or powder on pedestrians, preparation and / or throwing of balloons filled with colored or plain water or any liquid on people has been prohibited.

Order also states that whoever disobeys or abets disobedience shall be punished under Section 135 of Maharashtra Police Act 1951.

Five held for poaching; organs of animals seized

First India Bureau Gondia: The police and forest department have arrested five persons during raids for their alleged involvement in poaching in Gondia district, an official said on Monday.

Officials recovered snares, nails and organs of wild animals

The victim paid the caller through an online transaction. After making the payment, he received two more calls in which the caller asked for an additional Rs62,500 to delete two more videos, the official added.

The authorities had received information about poaching of a melanistic (black) leopard a month ago and investigation led them to two villages, range forest officer Sachin Dongarwar said. Police and forest department personnel

conducted raids in two Naxal-affected villages in Deori tehsil on Sunday morning.

Officials recovered snares, nails and organs of wild animals, and more than Rs21.49 lakh cash from the accused, the official said.

A team was assembled to conduct raids at Palandur Jamindari

and Mangazari village, resulting in recovery and seizure of nails and animal organs, country liquor valued at Rs84,000 and over Rs21.49 lakh in cash. An offence under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 was registered against accused and more arrests are likely, official said.

Government tables bill to hike nominated councillors at BMC

State Industries

Minister Uday Samant proposed that the number go up from five to 10 councillors

First India Bureau

Mumbai: A bill to increase the number of nominated councillors in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from five to 10 was tabled in the state

Assembly on Monday. If approved, the move will help the ruling party to accommodate additional people from their group as councillors in the cash-rich BMC body.

Tabled in the Assembly by Industries Minister Uday Samant, the bill stated, “A person having knowledge and experience in the municipal administration is nominated as a councillor for more effective administration of municipal corporations in the state. With a view to qualitatively improve

the function of the corporations by utilizing the knowledge and experience of the members nominated, the

government considers it expedient to increase the number of nominated members from five to ten, in Brihan-

mumbai Municipal Corporation.”

Welcoming the bill, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said, “The bill will help the BMC administration to improve the quality of business. It will get more knowledgeable persons to participate in the decision-making process.”

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena – Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sunil Prabhu said his party will reveal its stand on the floor of the House during discussion.

`

2.1K CR TO BE SPENT IN 20 YEARS TO DUMP DEBRI

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has signed a 20-year contract to spend a total of ₹2,100 crore on debris dumping. A proposal on the same was recently passed by the municipal commissioner. The civic body has invited tenders and appointed contractors to lift debris, and transport it for scientific dumping. The civic body has divided Mumbai into two groups,

Group A and Group B to enable smooth procedure. Around 15 administrative wards of eastern suburbs and the

city have been pooled into group A and nine administrative wards of western suburbs into Group B.

Freshly harvested onions wait to be transported for sale.

—FILE PHOTO

India’s Secularism Needs Better Interpretation to Retain Relevance

The second of this three-part article examines Indian secularism and its unique characteristics. The article makes the case that this secularism must be relevant in the context of a formerly colonized Hindu-majority country

ward, embrace the Sufi beliefs of the subcontinent, reject ghettos and divisive ideas, come down firmly on Jihadism, adopt modern education, and compete openly for the top positions in India’s corporations. Currently, the Muslim community, 75% of whom are Dalits, lags on every socio-economic development indicator, especially in the Hindi heartland. It is true that with partition the political and intellectual elite class of Muslims mostly migrated to Pakistan and there is a real scarcity of leadership. As a result, Madrassa-educated clerics with a limited worldview have ruled the roost.

FOR THE CONGRESS ONE ‘UNIFYING’ YATRA IS CLEARLY NOT ENOUGH

Lastly, to help dispel fears that the RSS is a Hindu supremacist and patriarchal body, it would do well to actively recruit prominent Muslims into its Muslim wing and prominent women into the women’s wing. They should be given a seat at the table to chart a common course for Indian society based on shared values. Let some of these discussions be telecast live so that Indians can see the synergies

Jawaharlal Nehru’s secular India was largely derived from our colonial masters and only took root in larger cities. It was incompatible with a Hindu-majority population that had been ruled by foreigners—Islamic invaders, and the British—for 1200 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi refers to this as “the slave mentality of 1,200 years.” Hence, secularism must recognize the legitimate and unmet needs of its majority Hindu population.

Contrary to what The New York Times consistently argues, Narendra Modi’s BJP is correcting Nehruvian excesses instead of imposing majoritarianism.

How to Make India’s Secularism Work: The idea of secularism enshrined in the Indian constitution is admirable. It means that all religions are treated equally under the eyes of the law. Secularism does not, however, imply that all philosophies are equal. Jihadism obviously cannot be accepted as it poses serious threats to the way of life of the Hindus, the Sufi Muslims, and all other nonMuslims. Legally it falls under “hate speech”, “sedition” and likely even “treason”.

SC ORDER MAY NOT STOP NAME CHANGES

It needs to be monitored and nipped in the bud wherever it rears its ugly head, particularly in mosques and madrassas. In this regard, AIbased monitoring technology should be utilized, including online tools. Wahhabism/ Salafism has nearly eradicated Sufism from the Kashmir valley. This needs immediate attention as well. Select Indian Sufi saints should be recognized as ‘Cultural Icons’ and Sufism should be recognized as “India’s Islam”. You-

Tube videos on Indian Sufism, incorporating Rumi and Imam Ali’s teachings, should be disseminated freely.

Also, the Supreme Court has ruled that politicians cannot use religion or caste to seek votes. This is secularism in practice. Similarly, the exchange of confidential matters of the state (if at all) between the unelected RSS and the elected BJP, would be legally incorrect. Compliance can only be achieved if it is self-enforced by both parties.

The Tricky Issue of Conversion and Freedom of Religion: Religious conversion has always been a sensitive topic in caste-ridden Hindu rural India. According to Article 25 of the Indian constitution, “all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion.” In 1977, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that the “right to propagate” refers to a right to transmit or spread one’s reli-

Supreme Court’s order dismissing lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay’s PIL on constituting a renaming commission to restore the original names of historical and religious places should put a stop to the renaming culture. But will it? The petition sought a renaming commission which was not granted. State governments may still have the freedom to rename “cultural and religious places” and cities after Hindu gods, kings and luminaries. There are several proposals in the pipeline to remove the name of invaders and it will have to be seen if the Supreme Court’s order will prevent governments and religious fundamentalists from imple-

Nehru’s secular India was largely derived from our colonial masters and only took root in larger cities. It was incompatible with a Hindu-majority population that had been ruled by foreigners—Islamic invaders, and the British—for 1,200 years. PM Modi refers to this as “the slave mentality of 1,200 years.” Hence, secularism must recognize the legitimate and unmet needs of its majority Hindu population

gion but not a “right to convert.” This has been the standard since.

In 1999, Graham Stuart Staines with his two young sons were gruesomely murdered in Odisha. According to right-wing activists, Staines and his family were allegedly converting Adivasis to Christianity under the guise of his missionary activities. He had been working in India since 1965.

Muslims in Secular India Need to Change: For secularism to be effective, it needs two hands to clap. Muslims in India must come for-

Supreme Court’s order dismissing lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay’s PIL on constituting a renaming commission to restore the original names of historical and religious places should put a stop to the renaming culture

menting their plans.

Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna found the petition to be against the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution. “You are relooking at the past selectively. India is today a secular country. Your fingers being pointed at a particular

K Rahman Khan, a member of the Indian National Congress, says in his book, Indian Muslims: The Way Forward, that Indian Muslims have “an emotional, rather than a rational,” approach to issues. Many suffer from “superficial religiosity” and have an “uncompromising attitude and lack of an accommodative approach”. “Religious superiority” is a feature among some. Certain sections uphold “exclusivist and narrow thinking” that is completely unacceptable, especially in a plural society.

Khan comes down heavily on Muslim clerics for wasting two decades defending Triple Talaq. He makes the point that “Muslims cannot progress if they remain wedded to some centuries-old interpretations, notions, and practices that are not in accordance with the spirit of Islam and that impede their creative presence in the contemporary world.” He asks Muslims to adopt genuine spirituality with a focus on humanity and human values. He asks Muslims to learn about democracy and duties as a citizen in a plural society and to set up interfaith dialogues.

Muslims should ask themselves what makes small minorities like the Sikhs and Parsis so successful in India. Sikhism is also a very conservative religion. Yet Sikhs are openly felicitated for their contribution to nationbuilding. The Parsis survived for over 1000 years and built modern India. These are extraordinary stories worthy to study and emulate. At the core of both these stories is the message of service to society irrespective of religion. Islam has always had that tradition. It’s time that Muslims adopted it.

SOURCE: FAIR OBSERVER

community, termed barbaric. Do you want to keep the country under boil,” Justice Joseph asked.

Importantly, the court said that Hinduism has no place for bigotry as it is a great religion. “Perhaps Hinduism is (the) greatest in terms of metaphysics. Please do not belittle it,” Justice Joseph said as he asked the petitioner not to use it for a particular purpose. Indeed, the Supreme Court has said in several of its previous judgments also that Hinduism is a way of life which does not allow bigotry. It is a fact which some forces need to be reminded of repeatedly. If only a better sense prevails and the forces for name change give up attempts at creating schism in society!

The electoral dividends of Bharat Jodo Yatra are still awaited but that hasn’t stopped the Congress from planning another march--from Arunachal to Gujarat. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the party was considering the East to West yatra from Arunachal Pradesh to Porbandar. The timing of the yatra is not yet confirmed as it could happen before June or November this year. The yatra would be multi-modal. The hope is that this second yatra would further invigorate the party before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

At the plenary, Rahul Gandhi described the Bharat Jodo Yatra as a “four-month tapasya” which brought the party alive and requested party president Mallikarjun Kharge to plan a “tapasya ka programme”. Despite its previous attempts to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it continues to attack him in the hope of making political gains. The Bharat Jodo Yatra’s version of inclusive politics may still be unacceptable to most electorates who are strong adherents of Modi’s ideology.

Detachment

TOP TWEETS

The new India is flying high!! Under the leadership of PM Shri @ narendramodi Ji, 74 new airports have been developed in the past 9 years. This not only lessens the distance but also generates new opportunities.

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

The #ShivamoggaAirport is a gift from Hon. PM @narendramodi ji to the people of Malnad region. Its inauguration today will boost air connectivity, unfold opportunities and propel Karnataka’s growth. Gratitude to PM Modi for fulfilling dreams and aspirations. @BSBommai

ROHAN BEDI

The writer is a consultant, former banker based in Singapore

Exit Polls: BJP winning Tripura & Nagaland; hung House in Meghalaya

First India Bureau New Delhi: The BJP will easily gain majority in Tripura and its alliance government will come to power in Nagaland, exit polls have predicted. The race for Meghalaya will be tight, with Conrad Sangma’s NPP likely to emerge as the single largest party.

An aggregate of two exit polls indicate that the BJP may get 35 seats — a shade above the majority of 31 in 60-seat assembly. The Left, which ruled the state for more than 30 years, is likely to get only 12 seats — the Congress, its unexpected ally for this election, unlikely to add anything to the tally.

Tipra Motha, the new

BIG INFRA PUSH FOR POLL-BOUND KARNATAKA

PM MODI INAUGURATES NEW AIRPORT IN SHIVAMOGGA

First India Bureau

Shivamogga: In a major infrastructure push, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple development projects worth more than Rs 3,600 crore at Karnataka’s Shivamogga on Monday.

PM Modi inaugurated the Shivamogga Airport and took a walkthrough of the facilities.

According to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the new airport is developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore.

The Passenger Terminal Building of the airport can handle 300 passengers per hour and will improve connectivity and accessibility of Shivamogga and other neighbouring areas in the Malnad region.

Referring to the newly inaugurated airport in Shivamogga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the needs of the citizens have been fulfilled today after a long time.

Shivamogga: PM Narendra Modi, in a special gesture towards BS Yediyurappa who is celebrating his 80th birth anniversary on Monday, asked the people to turn on the flashlights of their mobile phones to extend birthday greetings to the former chief minister. “Today is special for one more reason. It’s the birthday of Karnataka’s popular leader BS Yediyurappa. I pray for his long life. He dedicated his life to the poor and farmers’ welfare,” the Prime Minister said.

MP annual budget on March 1; session begins

Bhopal: The Budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly began on Monday with Governor Mangubhai Patel addressing the session, during which he praised the BJP-led state government’s relentless efforts to make the state self-reliant.

The Guv said PM Narendra Modi has set off on a mission to make India “prosperous, self-reliant and developed” and MP was moving ahead towards fulfilling this resolve step-by-step with Cen-

Himachal CM wants timely clearances for devp projects

New Delhi (Agencies): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder

Singh Sukhu on Monday urged Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav for timely forest clearances for expediting ongoing development projects in the state.

party floated by erstwhile royal Pradyot Kishore Debbarma with the core demand of Greater Tipraland -is likely to bag 12 seats. Exit polls, though, can often get it wrong.

The BJP, according to India Today, will win between 36 to 45 seats in Tripura. Zee NewsMatrize predicts the BJP would get 29-36

seats, and a slightly better scenario for the Left Front -- 13-21 seats.

Zee News-Matrize has also predicted the BJP-NDPP (Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party) alliance will win 35-43 of Nagaland’s 60 seats.

In Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma’s NPP is likely to emerge as the single largest party

with 21-26 seats, predicted Zee NewsMatrize. The BJP, which won only two seats in the state in 2018, will expand its tally with 6-11 seats. New entrant Trinamool Congress will open its account with 8-13 seats. The counting of votes for all three states will take place on March 2, Thursday.

“Sisodia arrested to divert attention from Adani issue”

tre. “My govt is committed to make Madhya Pradesh self-reliant.

The Global Investors Summit (GIS)-2023 (held in Indore last month) was a milestone. Investment proposals to the tune of Rs 15.42 lakh crore.”

PM NARENDRA MODI ADDRESSES BUDGET

WEBINAR ON ‘REACHING THE LAST MILE’

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Monday addressed a Budget Webinar on the subject of ‘Reaching the last mile’. It is the fourth of a series of 12 post-budget webinars organized by the govt to seek ideas and suggestions for the effective implementation of the initiatives announced in the Union Budget. While acknowledging the importance of debate on Budget, he said that the govt has gone a step further and for the last few years have started the new tradition of brainstorming with the stakeholders.

‘PM HAS BECOME A TOURIST’, SAYS CONGRESS AS MODI VISITS K’TAKA

Bengaluru: The Congress on Monday took a jibe at PM Modi over his visit to the poll-bound southern state, saying the PM has become a tourist. The Congress said: “He never bothered to visit when Karnataka faced the flood fury. When the lives of people were affected, and properties were damaged, PM Modi did not bother to turn towards the state and did not care to release a single rupee to the state. Thanks to elections, PM Modi has become a tourist in the state.”

Sukhu urged him to ensure early forest approvals in a time-bound manner for construction of heliports and green corridors as mandated by the state government for making Himachal ‘Green Energy State’ by 2025 and other major ongoing projects.

New Delhi (PTI): Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Monday lashed out at the BJP and the Centre and alleged Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s arrest was “nothing but the BJP’s dictatorship” and that it was done to divert the public attention from the Adani issue. “The leader who has been working hard for the development of poor children has been arrested by the CBI. Manish Sisodia’s house was thoroughly raided but nothing was found. This is happening to divert the attention of the public from the outrage over Adani,” Singh said.

BJP to strengthen 10 lakh booths across country as it gears up for 2024 LS polls

New Delhi (ANI): A high-level organizational meeting of the BJP national general secretary was chaired by BJP national president JP Nadda was held at BJP headquarters to review the implementation of the public outreach programme to strengthen all the booths at the grassroots level as it gears up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

As per a senior BJP source, the main agenda and focus were on strengthening the organization at the grass-

roots level and strengthening the booth and reviewing the upcoming six state elections. According to a senior BJP source, the party is going to strengthen 10,000,000 booths across

G20 COMMITMENTS

the country. Along with this, President Droupadi Murmu’s pre-budget speech would be narrated in 2,00,000 Shakti Kendras in the second week of March, party sources added.

BJP’S ‘PRAGATHI RATHA’ FLAGGED OFF IN K’TAKA’S MANGALURU

Mangaluru: The ‘Pragathi Ratha’ yatra of the BJP Dakshina Kannada district unit was flagged off from Kadri grounds here on Monday by BJP district chief Sudarshan Moodbidri and Vedavyas Kamath MLA. The yatra is aimed at creating awareness among the people about the achievements of the BJP govts at the Centre and State ahead of the Assembly polls, Moodbidri said.

India will counter corruption globally: Dr Singh

First India Bureau

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Personnel and Public Grievances, Jitendra Singh on Monday said that India will reaffirm unified action to ensure zero tolerance against corruption and deepen G20 commitments towards countering corruption globally at the first AntiCorruption Working Group Meeting (ACWG) of G20, being held at Gurugram, Haryana, from

March 1-3.

In a statement issued ahead of the first ACWG, Singh added

The first AntiCorruption Working Group Meeting of G20, is being held at Gurugram from March 1-3

ic outlook, India has emerged as a bright spot as described by the IMF and other global agencies and therefore, India will play its rightful role to bridge the North-South divide on contentious issues.

that India’s G20 presidency is marked by unprecedented economic, geopolitical and climate

challenges. The Minister, however, said that amid the global gloomy econom-

tailed deliberations on strengthening international anti-corruption mechanisms.

The Union Minister added that during the three-day event at Gurugram, more than 90 delegates from 20 member countries, 10 invitee countries and nine international organisations will engage in de-

“GIVE ME CBI, WILL ARREST MODI, ADANI WITHIN 2 HOURS”, SAYS SANJAY SINGH

New Delhi: AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was released from detention on Monday, said the BJP was trying to sully the image of Arvind Kejriwal, claiming further that he would have PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and industrialist Gautam Adani “arrested within two hours” if the ED and the CBI were with him.

CHANDIGARH: AAP

LEADERS PROTEST OUTSIDE BJP OFFICE

Chandigarh: AAP leaders held a protest outside the BJP headquarters on Monday against the arrest of senior AAP leader and Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. AAP leaders and workers, including Punjab government ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Anmol Gagan Mann, Lalchand Kataruchak, among others, participated in the protest.

KERALA CM VIJAYAN CONDEMNS SISODIA’S ARREST BY CBI

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday taking to Twitter, said, “The arrest of @msisodia by CBI is another example of how @ BJP4India misuses the Union Government’s agencies to intimidate the opposition.”

IN THE COURTYARD

EXTENSION OF ED CHIEF’S TENURE ILLEGAL, AMICUS CURIAE TELLS SC

New Delhi: Senior advocate KV Viswanathan, the amicus curiae in the petitions challenging the extension of the tenure of Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED) Sanjay Kumar Mishra, told the Supreme Court on Monday that the extension was illegal. He cited the apex court’s decisions in Vineet Narain & others Vs Union of India and Common Cause Vs Union of India to support his contention. He submitted that the issue was not about the in cumbent Director at all, rather it was about the principle.

8 YRS AFTER FIR, MAN ACQUITED IN MOM’S MURDER

New Delhi: A local court here has acquitted a man accused of murdering his mother in 2014, saying the guilt of the accused could not be inferred from the evidence and that the prosecution failed to prove its case. The court was hearing a case against Vinod, who was accused of assaulting his mother Maya Devi with a hammer on July 15, 2014, at Tigri jhuggi jhopri (JJ) camp in South Delhi.

The delegates will experience India’s culture through specially curated yoga sessions, visit to historic sites, cultural events and local cuisine.

Dr Singh said that since its inception in 2010, G20 ACWG has been at the forefront of guiding the anti-corruption initiatives of G20 countries.

HC: SEIZE TMC LEADER’S ALL PROPERTIES

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the CBI to confiscate all properties in the country and abroad of Trinamool Congress legislator and former president of the WBBPE Manik Bhattacharya, who is serving judicial custody in the multi-crore teachers’ recruitment scam case. The court took a strong note of the event of Bhattacharya missing the deadline of paying the penalty of Rs 7,00,000.

DELHI COURT SUMMONS LALU PRASAD, RABRI DEVI IN LAND-FOR-JOB SCAM

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday summoned former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and 14 others in connection with the alleged landfor-job scam. The case relates to alleged appointments made in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to Prasad’s family when he was the minister of railways between 2004 and 2009. Special judge Geetanjali Goel directed the accused persons to appear before the court on March 15.

PM Narendra Modi being presented his portrait at the foundation stone laying and dedication to the nation multiple development projects, in Belagavi on Monday. —PHOTO BY ANI

Security personnel detain an AAP supporter during a protest against the arrest of Manish Sisodia, in New Delhi, on Monday.

Punjab Minister Harpal Cheema being detained in Chandigarh.

Dr Jitendra Singh with British delegation led by Christina Scott at 4th WCSSP-India Annual Science Workshop in New Delhi on Monday.

ON BSY B’DAY, MODI ASKS PEOPLE TO FLIP ON MOBILE TORCHES TO GREET HIM

Guv Mangubhai Patel being welcomed by CM Chouhan.

Himachal CM Sukhu with Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi, on Monday.

BJP chief JP Nadda interacts with Delhi University students on Monday. BJP leaders Anil Baluni and Rakesh Sinha also present.

Election officials return along with EVMs after conducting voting in Meghalaya.

ANGER AGAINST TERRORISM

PROTESTS AGAINST KASHMIRI PANDIT’S KILLING IN PULWAMA

People demand justice and strict action against Pak terrorists

Pulwama (ANI): Dogra

Front organised a protest on Monday against the killing of 40-year-old Kashmiri Pandit here.

Scores of people participated in protest demanding justice and strict action against Pakistani terrorists. “We’re protesting in thousands demanding strict action against the culprits involved in the murder of Pandit Sanjay Sharma.

We request the Lieutenant Governor administration to arrest the accused,” a local said.

Another local, Asim Masudi said, “We’ve always lived in unity in Jammu and Kashmir and today we protest against the killing of Sanjay Sharma. No matter what the reli-

gion or caste of the poeple being killed is, justice must be served.”

Earlier on Sunday, terrorists attacked and fatally shot Sanjay Sharma when he was

Accused in Umesh Pal murder case killed in encounter

on his way to a local market in Pulwama. The critically injured Sharma was rushed to a nearby hospital, with the help of locals. However, he succumbed to

Mining mafia tries to ‘run over’ constable in Dehradun

ACCUSED WILL BE PUNISHED SOON: LG ON KP’S KILLING

U’khand DGP orders arrest of 4 men identified for attacking the cop

Dehradun (PTI): A police constable was allegedly run over by a tractor trolley engaged in illegal mining in a forest in the Jaitanwala area here, leaving him critically injured, the police officials said.

incident and submit a report soon.

his bullet injuries.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti slammed the BJP at the centre over the killing of the Kashmiri Pandit in the Pulwama district.

Srinagar: J&K Lt Guv Manoj Sinha has condemned the targeted killing of a Hindu Kashmiri pandit by terrorists. While talking to the media JK LG Sinha said, “I condemn this act. Those who have done this will be punished soon.” LG Sinha stated that security forces are currently working on a strategy that will help them neutralize such events in near future. “For those who have committed this act, our security forces will be after them. Our forces are also working on a 360-degree security approach in this regard,” Sinha said.

The incident occurred on Sunday, the police officials added.

Uttarakhand’s Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar on Monday ordered the immediate removal of the Cantonment police station in-charge as the incident took place under his jurisdiction. The DGP also ordered the arrest of the four people identified for fatally attacking constable Manoj.

He asked Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dalip Singh Kunwar to conduct a probe into the

Congress leaders and workers ready for Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0

Raipur (PTI): Their bags are packed and they’re ready to go, waiting just for a signal to begin walking the breadth of India. With Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 appearing a distinct possibility, several Congress leaders and workers say they are raring to get back on the streets to quickly take forward the gains from the first one.

Prayagraj: A shooter involved in Umesh Pal murder case has been shot dead by the police after an encounter.

The Special Operations Group of the UP Police and the district police shot the accused, identified as Arbaz, at the Nehru Park in Prayagraj on Monday.

Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, was shot dead on Friday evening at his residence in Prayagraj.

Umesh Pal was shot dead by an unidentified man while he was getting out of the backseat of an SUV in Prayagraj. Pal was rushed

to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, where he succumbed during treatment. Pal’s autopsy report revealed that he was shot seven times.

Following the murder, Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya Pal approached police and filed an FIR.

A case under IPC and Explosives Act was registered against former MP Atiq Ahmed’s brother, wife Shaista Praveen and his sons and several others.

There has been talk of another Bharat Jodo Yatra ever since the Kanyakumari to Kashmir campaign ended in Srinagar. The buzz escalated on Sunday when former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi appealed to party president Mallikarjun Kharge at the plenary session here to formulate a new plan to carry forward the “tapasya” (penance) undertaken through the march.

“The Bharat yatris, as those who completed the entire journey are known, are ready. Our bags are packed and we will leave as soon as we get orders from the party,” said Vaibhav Walia, AICC delegate and one of those who walked 4,000 km from India’s southern tip to Kashmir.

WEATHER FORECAST

CONG TO STEP UP ATTACK ON GOVT OVER ADANI-HINDENBURG ISSUE

Raipur (PTI): To step up its attack on the govt over the Adani-Hindenburg issue, the Congress has asked its state units to hold press conferences on the issue across states and subsequently organise protests at various levels. In a statement, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal said the party has decided to intensify its agitation and take the issue directly to the people. All Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) have been asked to arrange press conferences in all districts which will be addressed by senior state leaders, and subsequently, all state units will organise the agitational activities at various levels, he said. Block-level agitations will be organised in front of offices of public banks and LIC between March 6 and 10 all over the country, he said.

“Many of us now wish for a second phase of the yatra so it can go to states it hasn’t been to,” Walia said.

Lhinkim Haokip Shingnaisui of Manipur, the only woman from the northeast who participated in the Bharat Jodo

Cold may grip Himachal again: MeT

The weather forecast by the Meteorological Department said the western disturbances would remain active in the region till March 1

Shimla: Cold is likely to grip Himachal Pradesh again with heavy rain forecast in the next two days by the Met office on Monday. “Some areas in the state are likely to experience rainfall or thunderstorms with squall or hail from February 28,” a Meteorological Department official said. He said chances of heavy rainfall and snowfall likely to occur in the districts of Chamba, Kan-

gra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and LahaulSpiti on March 1. The Met depart -

ment’s forecast said the western disturbances — storm systems originating from

WE HAVE GOT NEW DIRECTION, SAYS DK SHIVAKUMAR

Police said Manoj, who was posted at the Cantonment police station, received a tip-off on Sunday that a mining mafia was getting illegally-mined material loaded on a tractor trolley in the Jaitanwala area.

He rushed to the spot and asked the tractor trolley driver, Vaseem, to come to the police station along with him.

As the driver refused to oblige, the constable alerted the Cheetah police unit, which deals with street crimes, and asked its personnel to rush to the spot, the po-

CRUCIAL

lice officials said. When the Cheetah personnel arrived at the spot, they found Manoj lying on the road with a bleeding injury. The constable was allegedly pushed to the ground and run over by the tractor trolley. He sustained injuries on his head and feet. He was rushed to a hospital where his condition continues to be critical, police said. Taking serious note of the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami asked the DGP to take immediate action in the matter and bring the culprits to book.

READ

GUJARAT: WOMAN ATTEMPTS SUICIDE AFTER POISONING TWO DAUGHTERS

Surat: A woman allegedly attempted suicide after poisoning her two daughters in Surat, an official said on Monday. The woman identified as Asmita, on Sunday afternoon, first poisoned her two daughters — Ritanshu and Divya, and later herself consumed poison. The woman and her two daughters have been admitted to a Surat hospital. The Pandesara police have booked the woman in an attempt to murder case and have started investigating the matter.

MINOR KILLED AFTER SODOMY, ACCUSED HELD

5, INCLUDING 2 MINORS, HELD FOR RAPING GIRL

the Mediterranean Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region — would remain active in the region till March 1. Meanwhile, Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district was the coldest town in the state with a low of minus 5.1 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Shimla was 8.2 degrees, while it was 1.8 degrees in Manali and 11.2 degrees in Dharamsala. Shimla saw a high of 16.6 degrees.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Monday said that the Raipur convention has given a new direction to the party, with discussions on how the opposition should move unitedly and how to prepare for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Speaking to media, Shivakumar stated the convention has also been discussed to implement decisions taken during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. “But, the matters related to Karnataka were not discussed. The focus was on the policy of the party at the national level,” he said. He said that senior high command leaders will come down to Karnataka for campaigning.

Yatra, said there is a lot of enthusiasm among the northeast people after Rahul Gandhi’s comments on Sunday.

Gurugram: A 24-yearold man has been arrested here for allegedly kidnapping, sodomising and killing a 10-year-old boy, the police said on Monday. The arrested individual has been identified Prince. He used to earlier reside near the victim’s house. The boy’s body was found in the bushes in the IMT Manesar area on the intervening night of Sunday, the police said.

Ranchi: The Jharkhand police on Monday arrested five persons, including two minors accused of gang raping a minor girl when she was returning from a wedding in Dewaki village of Gumla district. Three of the accused have been sent to jail while the two minors have been sent to a juvenile home on the complaint of the victim lodged at the Ghaghra police station.

J&K L-G MANOJ SINHA SAYS 40% PEOPLE TO PAY NO PROPERTY TAX

Srinagar: J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said on Monday that 40 per cent people in the Union Territory will have to pay no property tax. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function here on Monday, Sinha said that the amount of property tax fixed in J&K is 10 times less than that of Dehradun, Ambala and Shimla. “Shopkeepers will have to pay nominal property tax annually. People must come forward to build a better J&K,” Sinha said.

Master chef Sanjeev Kapoor hits out at Air India over flight meals

New Delhi: Renowned chef Sanjeev Kapoor on Monday hit out at Air India after he was served unsatisfactory meals on a Nagpur-Mumbai flight.

He shared photos of his meal, describing the food items as “cold” chicken tikka, sandwich with very little filling and a dessert terming it “sugar syrup”.

“Wake Up @airindiain. Nagpur-Mumbai 0740 flight. Cold Chicken Tikka with watermelon, cucumber, tomato & sev Sandwich with minus-

cule filling of chopped cabbage with mayo Sugar syrup Sponge painted with sweetened cream & yellow glaze,” Kapoor

tweeted.

“Really! Is this what Indians should eat for breakfast?” he said in another tweet.

Sanjeev Kapoor had shared photos of his meals on the flight.

(Clockwise from top) Last rites of Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Sharma being held in Pulwama; Shiv Sena Dogra Front protest against Pakistan & BJP supporters burn an effigy during a protest on Monday.

INDIA’S

FERTILIZER IMPORTS ROSE

3.9% TO 19.04 L TONNES

TO BECOME SIGNIFICANT PLAYER

AIR INDIA HAS ‘ENORMOUS’ POTENTIAL: CEO

the fleet this year.

New Delhi (PTI): The country’s fertilizer imports rose by 3.9% to 19.04 lakh tonnes in January this year compared to the year-ago period, according to the Fertilizer Ministry data. Of the total imports of 19.04 lakh tonne, 10.65 lakh tonnes of urea, 5.62 lakh tonnes of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), 1.14 lakh tonnes of Muriate of Potash (MoP) and 1.63 lakh tonnes of complexes were imported. The domestic fertilizer production during January this year also rose to 39.14 lakh tones.

BHARTI AIRTEL 5G CROSSES 10 MN UNIQUE USERS

New Delhi (PTI): Air India, which is set to buy 470 planes for about $70 billion, has ‘enormous’ potential and efforts are on to make the group a significant international player in the aviation space, according to the airline’s chief Campbell Wilson.

Against the backdrop of incidents of unruly passenger behaviour onboard flights and the airline’s decision to amend its alcohol serving policy, Wilson said strong action is being taken against such instances of intoxication which is also a multi-faceted issue.

Last month, in a span of less than a week, aviation regulator DGCA had penalised Tata Group-owned Air India twice related to inci-

Full-service carrier to be known as AI post Vistara merger

New Delhi (PTI): Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Monday announced that it has crossed the 10 million unique 5G user mark on its network. In a statement, the company said it is well poised to cover every town and key rural areas with Airtel 5G services by the end of March 2024. The company informed it has surpassed the 10 million unique 5G user milestone, on its network. In November 2022, Airtel became the first operator to have 1 million unique customers.

ESSAR TO INVEST

$3.6 BILLION IN ENERGY TRANSITION

New Delhi (PTI): As the group works on becoming a significant international aviation player, Air India chief Campbell Wilson on Monday said the full-service carrier post the merger of Vistara will be known as Air India which is much more recognised outside the country.

While the resultant fullservice carrier will be known as Air India, Wilson emphasised that efforts will be made to retain some of the “Vistara heritage in that new manifestation”.

dents of unruly passenger behaviour.

On February 14, Air India announced placing an order for 470 planes, including 70 wide-body aircraft.

About funding for the purchase of 470 aircraft, Wilson said it would be a combination of many things, including cash flow and financing by share-

470 JETS AT LIST PRICE OF $70 BN

z Air India had placed an order for 470 planes, including 70 wide-body aircraft. About funding for the purchase of 470 aircraft, Wilson said it would be a combination of many things, including cash flow and financing by shareholder equity.

z Out of the firm order for 470 planes, 250 are from Airbus

funding sources and likely to be a combination of various sources,” he added.

holder equity.

“We will be exploring other opportunities such as sale and lease back of aircraft. It suffices to say that there are a number of

When asked about the list price of the aircraft ordered, Wilson said that if the numbers published on the manufacturers’ websites are taken, it will be around $70 billion.

While noting that the opportunity for Air India as well as India are really quite unprecedented, he said the country has very attractive economic growth, significant population, attractive demographics and a geography that is suited for international aviation connectivity.

New Delhi (PTI): The Essar group on Monday announced a $3.6 billion investment in low carbon energy transition projects in the UK and India including the production of green hydrogen and ammonia over the next five years, as it looks at a new phase of growth. “EET plans to invest a total of $3.6 billion in developing a range of low carbon energy transition projects over the next five years, of which $2.4 billion will be invested across its site at Stanlow, between Liverpool and Manchester and $1.2 billion in India,” the company said in a statement.

BY

PLUNGES

GOLD

`185; SILVER RATES

FALL BY `798/KG

Since taking over the loss-making Air India in January last year, Tata Group has been working on transforming the airline group and has announced that Vistara will be merged with itself, while AIX Connect, earlier known as AirAsia India, is getting integrated with Air India Express. “The intention is to have one full-service airline and one low-cost airline in the group. The fullservice airline will be an amalgam of Air India and Vistara,” Wilson said.

New Delhi (PTI): Gold prices declined by `185 to `55,520 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday amid weak global trends, according to HDFC Securities. The yellow metal had ended at `55,705 per 10 grams in the previous trade (Friday, February 24). Silver also plummeted by `798 to `63,227 per kg. In the overseas market, gold and silver were trading lower at $1,811 per ounce and $20.75 per ounce, respectively.

Out of the firm order for 470 planes, 250 are from Airbus and 220 from Boeing. Among them, 70 are wide-body aircraft. All six wide-body A350s will join

“We see Air India has enormous potential and we see Air India being able to provide huge opportunities for professionals to realise their ambitions,” he said.

Advt disclosures should be displayed prominently: Centre

New Delhi (PTI): The Centre on Monday said disclosures in advertisements should be displayed prominently and not in the form of hashtags or links, in the interest of consumers.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh also stressed the importance of conducting social media advertising responsibly at a time when there are 50 crore social media users in India. There is a need for influ-

encers and celebrities to disclose any material con-

India Inc’s profit margin narrows in Dec qtr

Mumbai (PTI): India Inc’s operating profit margin narrowed by a sharp 2.37% in the December quarter to 16.3% on an annual basis due to inflation and rising energy costs, a domestic ratings agency said on Monday.

When viewed se quentially, the operating profit margin for the December quarter expanded by 1.80% over the preceding September quarter, Icra Ratings said, attributing the same to the easing in input costs and also price hikes by many companies.

Going forward, while

BLOODBATH ON DALAL STREET

price hikes and sequential input cost reduc- tions can boost margins in the near term, geopolitical ten-

sions, recessionary concerns, and forex volatility continue to pose risks, the agency said.

The revenue of companies, excluding those in the financial sector, grew 17.2%, which was as per expectations, the agency said, adding that hotels, oil and gas, auto, airlines, and power sectors led the way.

However, the revenue growth was a muted 1.4% from a sequential perspective due to inflationary headwinds weighing on consumer sentiments.

Sensex, Nifty close in red for seventh straight session on weak global trends

Mumbai (PTI): Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty slid for a seventh straight session on Monday, logging their longest losing run in the past five months, following a bearish trend in global markets amid concerns over aggressive rate hikes by developed economies.

ments.

The BSE Sensex declined by 175.58 points or 0.30% to close at 59,288.35 with 17 of its shares posting losses.

The NSE Nifty fell 73.10 points or 0.42% to end at 17,392.70 as 33 of its stocks ended in the red.

From the Sensex pack, Tata Steel, Infosys, TCS, Tata Motors, M&M, HCL Technologies, Larsen & Toubro, Bharti Airtel, Wipro and Bajaj Finance were the big-

nections with advertisers that may affect the credibility of their representation, Singh said.

“Disclosures must be hard to miss and not mixed with a group of hashtags or links,” he noted.

For endorsements in pictures, the secretary said disclosures should be superimposed over the image, and for endorsements in videos, disclosures

should be made in both audio and video formats. In live streams, disclosures should be continuously displayed and prominently placed, an official statement said.

He emphasised the duty of manufacturers, service providers, advertisers, and advertising agencies to ensure that their advertisements do not mislead consumers.

EPFO members can apply for higher pension until May 03

New Delhi (PTI): The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Monday set May 03 as the deadline for subscribers to opt for a higher pension.

The Supreme Court on November 4 allowed another change for employees who were existing EPS members as on September 1, 2024, to contribute up to 8.33% of their actual salaries - as against 8.33% of pensionable salary capped at `15,000 a month - towards pension.

The apex court gave a four-month window to enable opting for higher pen-

OTHER STORIES

sions. The deadline accordingly should have been around March 03, 2023

“The joint option for employees who were in service prior to September 1, 2014, and continued to be in service on or after September 1, 2014, but could not exercise joint option under the Employees’ Pension Scheme can do so now on or before May 03, 2023.”

RETAIL MUTUAL FUNDS ASSETS BASE GROWS

9.3% TO OVER `23 LAKH CRORE IN JAN 2023

New Delhi (PTI): Retail investors’ interest in the Indian mutual fund industry has seen an uptick with the value of assets held by them witnessing a rise of 9.3% to `23.4 lakh crore in January this year.

Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated by 10 paise to close at 82.85 (provisional) against the US currency on Monday as a stronger dollar in the overseas market and a muted trend in domestic equities weighed on investor sentiments. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 82.87 against the greenback and closed at 82.85, registering a fall of 10 paise over its previous close of 82.75. During the session, the domestic unit witnessed an intra-day high of 82.82 and a low of 82.94.

` FALLS 10 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.85/$ INVESTORS' WEALTH PLUNGES `10.42 L CR

New Delhi (PTI): Seven consecutive sessions of decline in the equity market has eroded the wealth of investors by a whopping `10.42 lakh crore and the benchmark Sensex has tumbled more than 2,000 points during this period. The Sensex has tumbled 2,031.16 points or 3.31% since February 16. During this period, the combined market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms has eroded by `10,42,790.03 crore to `2,57,88,195.57 crore.

In comparison, the value of assets held by retail investors in mutual funds stood at `21.40 lakh crore in January 2022, latest data with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed. However, the value of institutional assets has marginally decreased to `17.42 lakh crore in January 2023, from `17.49 lakh crore in January 2022.

CARLYLE AVIATION TO PICK UP 7.5% STAKE IN SPICEJET

Mumbai (PTI): No-frills carrier SpiceJet on Monday said it has restructured over $100 million outstanding dues to aircraft leasing firm Carlyle Aviation Partners, into equity shares and compulsorily convertible debentures (CCDs).

The Board of Directors of SpiceJet Ltd on February 27 approved issuing fresh equity shares of $29.5 million to Carlyle Aviation Partners at `48/ share or the SEBI determined price, whichever is higher.

ADANI POWER BID FOR KORBA WEST POWER UPHELD BY NCLAT

New Delhi (PTI): The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has upheld the 2019 Resolution Plan of Adani Power’s bid for Korba West Power and has asked Shapoorji Pallonji & Co to pursue arbitration proceedings for pending claims. A two-member NCLAT bench said “there is no illegality in the order of the approval of the resolution plan by the NCLT and it does not see any reason to set aside the resolution plan by Adani Power.

We all have been given priceless gifts and talents- so not squander them on a life of below average efforts.

Jagdeesh

‘Hope W20 can help us leverage tech to promote women-led biz’ Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani inaugurated the two-day W20 inception meeting in Aurangabad

First India Bureau

Aurangabad: Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday said she hopes that the W20 (Women 20)--an official engagement group under G20 that was established during the Turkish presidency in 2015--could show the way to using best practices from each country to leverage technology to encourage womenled businesses.

The women and child development minister inaugurated the twoday W20 inception meeting in Aurangabad as part of India’s presidency of the G20 forum.

The primary objective of W20 is to ensure

gender considerations make their way to mainstream discussions, and are translated into the G20 Leaders’ Declaration as policies and commitments that foster gender equality and wom -

en’s economic empowerment, an official said.

On women’s participation in the agrarian sector, Irani said, “Today we have a workforce of 100 million women across about

Shinde’s Sena grabbing shakhas, alleges UBT MP

Thane (PTI): Shiv Sena

- Uddhav Balasaheb

Thackeray (UBT) leader and Thane Lok Sabha

MP Rajan Vichare on Monday said functionaries of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena had usurped a “shakha” (local office) that had been for running here for several years when the party was undivided.

Despite an undertaking in the Supreme Court and public statements by Chief Minister Shinde that neither he nor his supporters are keen to claim Sena properties, “shakhas” were being grabbed, Vi-

Despite statements by CM Shinde that neither he nor his supporters are keen to claim Sena properties, “shakhas” were being grabbed, says Vichare

6.22 lakh villages in (India’s) agrarian society. We have 17 million women who devote their time to animal husbandry.”

India has 800 million Internet users. Will we reduce women only to

KASBA PETH Case filed against BJP’s Rasane for violating poll code

First India Bureau

I hope W20, the amalgam of best minds across the world, can also give us guidance on how to use best practices from each country so that we can leverage technology to build more on women-led businesses, for women in agrarian societies.

—Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development

users of technology, or shall we “leverage technology to bring equity”, she asked.

Of the three million women who are elected to political offices in the world, 1.4 million are Indian, she noted.

The minister said 320 million loans were given under the MUDRA scheme, which was not a gender financial scheme, and 230 million of the beneficiaries turned out to be women. She also expressed the need for a first response framework for helping women and children in the aftermath of climate change.

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, Chair of W20 Sandhya Purecha, Union ministers Raosaheb Danve, Dr Bhagwat Karad, state minister Atul Save and W20 chief co-ordinator Dharitri Patnaik were present during the event.

India took over the presidency from Indonesia on December 12.

PROTEST, INTERRUPTED

Pune: Hemant Rasane, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Kasba Assembly seat bypoll, has been booked for allegedly violating the model code of conduct, an official said on Monday. Bypolls to Kasba and Chinchwad Assembly seats, necessitated due to the death of their respective BJP MLAs Mukta Tilak and Laxman Jagtap, were held on Sunday. Rasane was seen sporting neckwear bearing his party symbol while casting his vote at Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya in Pune’s Kasba area on Sunday. Nationalist

Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Thombare filed a police complaint against Rasane for alleged breach of the model code of conduct and demanded action against him.

An official from Vishrambaug police station said the assistant returning officer for the bypoll also filed a complaint against Rasane, based on which a case was registered against him. Police have launched an inquiry.

ELGAR CASE:

First India Bureau

chare alleged at a press conference.

The Lokmanya Nagar “shakha” has been taken over by Shinde’s supporters by force, he alleged.

The Election Commission, earlier this month, recognised the Shinde faction as the

real Shiv Sena and allotted it the bow and arrow symbol.

Since then, there has been speculation over the ownership of the undivided party’s properties. Several of these “shakhas” are rented or given for use by party workers.

MARATHI BHASHA DIN

Raj Thackeray calls for unity to popularize the language

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday asked the people of the state to unite to popularise Marathi and make it a larger medium of communication.

Issuing a letter to

mark Marathi Language Day, the MNS chief said all speakers of Marathi had to stand up for it and claimed his party had worked to have the language as a medium in business, administration and telecommunication.

MNS has also put in efforts to ensure Mar-

athi is granted the status of “classical language” but this struggle

needs the support of the people who speak it, Thackeray said in the letter.

“If all Maharashtrians unite, then it will not take even a minute to have Marathi everywhere,” asserted the political leader.

Marathi Language Day is celebrated to

ON

honour the life and works of eminent poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer VV Shirwadkar, popular by his pen name “Kusumagraj”, and immortalized for his contribution to the language in a five-decade career through masterpieces like “Vishakha”.

MNS DISTRIBUTES BOOKS IN 100 HOUSING SOCIETIES

Navi Mumbai: On the occasion of Marathi Raj Bhasha

Din the Navi Mumbai unit of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) organized a ‘Book in every Society’. Under an initiative, a set of quality Marathi books by renowned authors were distributed to 100 housing complexes in Navi Mumbai by party workers. Navi Mumbai MNS city President Gajanan Kale attended the event as well. Books presented to locals included autobiographies, travelogues, children’s books, novels, competitive exam books, and cookery.

Mumbai: There is no allegation that Gautam Navlakha committed any “act of violence” in the charge sheet filed in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, the activist’s lawyer Yug Chaudhary told the Bombay High Court on Monday.

While arguing for the activist’s bail, the lawyer also said that there was no prospect of the trial in the case to commence in the near future.

A division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and PD Naik is hearing the arguments on the bail plea; it will next be heard on Tuesday.

Navlakha was arrested in April 2020 after he surrendered before the National Investigation Agency and is currently under house arrest.

The case pertains to alleged speeches delivered at the conclave held in Pune city on December 31, 2017.

Law cannot be instrument of oppression, says Bombay HC

lll

Quashes FIRs against man for video on minister; warns against misuse of IPC section promoting enmity between groups

Mumbai (PTI): The law cannot be used as an instrument of oppression to harass people and prevent them from expressing their views, the Bombay High Court said on Monday while quashing two FIRs registered against a man for posting a video of a Maharashtra minister making alleged objectionable remarks against social reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar.

The HC also said the onus was on the police and the State to ensure Indian Penal Code section 153A, pertaining to promoting enmity between groups through acts that are prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony, which was invoked against the man, is not misused by “anyone, much less, political parties”.

The HC directed the state government to pay a fine of Rs25,000 to the

man for his “unjustified arrest”, adding the amount be recovered from the salary of the Pune policemen responsible for registering the

FIRs.

Sandeep Kudale, who claims to be a Congress worker, had posted a video of Maharashtra minister and senior

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chandrakant Patil making allegedly objectionable remarks about Phule and Ambedkar.

Following this act, FIRs were registered against Kudale at different police stations in Pune under Indian Penal Code sections 153A(1)(a) (promoting enmity between two groups through words, written or spoken) and 153A(1)(b) (committing

any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities).

A division bench of Justices Revati Dere and Prithviraj Chavan, in their order quashing the FIRs, observed, “(The) law cannot be used as a tool or as an instrument of oppression, by registering FIRs, to harass people by preventing/

intimidating them, from expressing their views/ opinions/dissent, which the Constitution of India, guarantees to them.”

The right to express one’s views is a protected and cherished right in our democracy and cannot be taken away by imposition of Section 153A of the IPC and by arresting a person as was done in the present case, the HC further observed.

‘No allegation of violence against Navlakha’

Aam Aadmi Party workers were detained in Mumbai on Monday en route to a protest outside the Bharatiya Janata Party office, following the arrest of senior AAP leader and Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday in connection with alleged corruption. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

—Dr

Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India

Floating in a turquoise sea

TURQUOISE IS A STUNNING BLEND OF FOUR COLOUR WHEEL BEAUTIES AND HAS GREEN, BLUE AND YELLOW TONES. LET’S DIVE INTO THE WORLD OF TURQUOISE FASHION WITH CITY FIRST

MRIDULA SHARMA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

The stone of the same name inspired the colour turquoise. Turquoise radiates the serenity of blue, the growth of green, and the vibrancy of yellow. It is a calming, amiable, and happy hue. Moreover, turquoise can encourage calm and clear thinking. In addition to being a gemstone, turquoise also serves as a vernacular name for the Caribbean seas.

Every lady may be decorated with a stunning, distinctive, and slightly enigmatic hue of turquoise. Based on the other colours in a design, turquoise can have a warming or cooling impact. Turquoise comes out as a strong, bright accent when used with greys, subdued yellows, and pinks. For a striking combo, it can also be used with dark orange, which will make you stand out from the crowd, be more noticeable, and draw interests. The colour turquoise is stunning in all of its manifestations and comes in a variety of tints, from deep azure to delicate aquamarine.

There are a few combinations you can try to make your-

Organisational behaviour (OB) is the study of individual and group behaviour in organisational settings. OB looks at organisations as entities, the forces that shape them, and their impact on organisational members. The study of the OB involves the Individual, the Group or Team and the Organisation.

The OB is a very important phenomenon that facilitates the development of healthy relationships among employees and employers in any organisation. In present times, issues relating to organisational behaviour have influenced the performance of employees and their relationship with their employers.

The issues need timely redress so that organisations enjoy success occasioned by healthy association among employees and the management. The OB is about people in organisations and it covers a wide spectrum of human conduct with an ultimate eye on high productivity and ef ficiency in any organisation.

The individual level in volves organisational psy chology and understanding human behaviour and incen tives. The groups or teams involve social psychology and sociological insights into hu man interaction and group dynamics. The organisation al level undertakes systemslevel analyses and the study of how firms engage with one another in the marketplace.

The OB examines

Individual and Family Behaviours:

SEEDS OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOURS

attitudes, social climate, and performance within organisations by examining both individual and group behaviour on a regional, national, and global level. Researchers examine why people (individually or in groups) behave the way they do and how to manage these behaviours so that the organisation can achieve optimal performance. The take-off point is individual and each has a different level of education, background, abilities and beliefs. The individual personality and character traits are prime ingredients to their likely organisational behaviour. It’s the people within an organisation who are primary influences on the OB. Individual employees respond differently to various methods of communication and behave in certain ways due to the structure of the workplace and the organisa tion’s culture, values, and goals. They tend to align better with teammates and managers who mirror

sonalities are bound to have an impact on the OB and organisation environment. On the other hand, learning about organisational behaviour enables individuals to understand their own behaviours, attitudes, ethical views, and performance, as well as those of the people with whom they will be working.

The OB has its roots in the dynamics of any family life in our culture. Individual or collective personality, values, emotions and moods, motivation and communication are all visible and active in any Indian family. The OB investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within organisations for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving the organisation’s effectiveness.

It is here that the family

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20

You are very generous by nature and also you are the backbone of your family. Today is a favourable day for business. You may postpone your study plans. You are very fortunate to have a great friend circle. Be careful of the words that come out of your mouth. Your lover may say yes to get married.

TAURUS

APR 21 - MAY 20

You need a break from day to tensions and the way to cope up with stress is to meditate. You must create an environment of understanding at home. You will succeed in any sort of examination if you put your heart and soul to it. Promotion can be expected even if other are not.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

on the behaviour of individuals within families towards improving the family’s effectiveness.

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

Visit a doctor if you have any doubts about your health. Don’t attack stress even if you don’t have any. Let go of things that are not in your control. You want to have your own house and you will work hard to make your dream come true. Do not overthink about something not important.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

You make sure to make things work your way. Never demotivate someone even if someone is not capable of doing something. You are most wanted by your friends. You can have romantic affair in office and a serious one. You will invest money in clothes and accessories today. You are a God fearing person.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 - DEC 22

behaviour or environment which also deep impact on any individual in our society are two major contributors to the OB and the shape it takes to better the organisational effectiveness. The similarity is at times so visible in any or-

All individuals come into the world with diversities and their own personalities with important similarities and variations. Some are born rich, diverse, interesting, frustrating, humorous, demanding, difficult, and delightful and the job of parents or teachers/instructors is to accept the diversity and the personality characteristics of individuals and help them to learn about the world, teach them good values, and provide a paternal or supervisory cradle in which they can develop. The family and organisation are almost inclusive in their roles of shaping an individual’s life and bringing out the best in him or her. An employee's personality plays a critical role in deciding their workplace behaviour and interaction. It also decides an employee's ability to produce highquality work. Using the OB, companies can understand a candidate's personality and determine whether they are a good fit for the organisation and value the organisational culture, value and mission. It is not the skill or the intelligence of the employee alone that is important for the growth of the organisation. The personal life of the employee, his emotions, feelings etc. are equally important to get the best out of him. The manager cannot separate or isolate the home life of employees from his official life. It, therefore, goes without saying that unless steps are taken to satisfy the total individual, it is not possible to benefit fully from his potential. An organisation is a conglomeration of individuals who work for a common goal. The activity of each individual affects and is affected by

Your spouse may make you spend more than you expected. Fantastic day for investing money in stock market as you can make fortune. You need help on academic front and you should not shy away from asking. You miss your parents a lot and somewhere fear to loose them. Admit your faults in relationship.

CANCER

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

You care about you lover but somehow hesitate in expressing that care. Don’t make friends for money and status rather make friends who will stick with you forever. On social front, you may have to spend some extra money in buying gifts for someone for some specific occasion.

LEO

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

You love to live close to your family. Best day to buy gold and silver or any precious metal for investment sake. You are a child at heart and never let this child die. You have a big heart and you always help someone if you can. Video gathering is possible as you miss your social circle like anything.

VIRGO

AUG 24 - SEP 23

You are a pro in your field and none can beat you. You give tough competition to people. Many people get inspired by you. You will get special treatment from your dear ones. Take stand where you need to, don’t run in the same direction where everybody else is going.

YOUR DAY

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Your spouse is someone who can do anything for your happiness. You are opportunist and this will make you successful one day. There may be delays in property possession and it won’t effect you. You are happy spending whole day at home. Help your mothers at home today.

CAPRICORN

DEC 23 - JAN 20

Scrumptious food is what you are craving for today. You always maintain cordial relationship with everyone. You workout daily to keep yourself fit. You may start a side business to earn extra money. You are not a jealous kind and you feel happy for others. You are a very grounded person.

AQUARIUS

JAN 21 - FEB 19

You will feel amorous towards your wife. This is the best time try something new with life give yourself a new purpose. Work on your limitations, there can be no better time than this. You have more opposite sex friends than the same and you may be judged sometimes but don’t care.

PISCES

FEB20 - MARCH 20 Spend time talking with likeminded people as it will make you feel good for now. Boisterous behaviour is what everyone needs right now, do whatever you can do to cheer everyone up. You will feel financially comfortable and in position to invest money in some new venture.

FACEOFTHEDAY

HIMANSHI, Influencer

GLAM-PACKED PARTY LOOK

Radiant morning selfie

Anushka Sharma is one of the most loved actresses in Bollywood and all eyes are on her ever since she announced her comeback film, Chakda Xpress. The actress is currently in Indore and keeps sharing pictures from her trip. On Monday, she blessed our feeds with a gorgeous selfie of her and wished all her fans a good morning from Indore. We have to admit that the actress looked flawless without makeup and you would find it difficult to take your eyes off her.

Taking to her Instagram handle, we can see Anushka Sharma looking radiant in a selfie. In the picture, she can be seen

The Bollywood actress dared to flaunt a stunning look as she rocked a Hana gown. Made in the Albanian world, Kiara Advani’s look for an awards event was styled by Tanya Ghavri. We cannot escape its sexy thigh-high slit, embellishments, and semi-sheer bodice. Her corseted, off-shoulder attire bore long sleeves and a train. Corsets of 2023 are just as fabulously modern as these were in 2022, new waves of abuzz are adding up to the list. Kiara Advani’s latest look too brought its sunshine and vibrant rays. We caught it with her strappy metallic stilettos too. The 30-year-old’s look had no emphasis on accessories. A ring became a talk of shine here. You cannot convince us that a sleek hairdo and peach makeup are never perfect.

Thirteen glorious years!

Samantha Ruth Prabhu has completed 13 glorious years in the film industry. She entered the world of cinema with the romantic drama Ye Maya Chesave in 2010 and since then, there has been no looking back. Sam is being showered with immense love and best wishes on social media as she celebrates this special occasion. She even received a bunch of flowers from The Family Man 2 makers Raj and DK.

‘To an amazing career and an incredible journey,’ wrote Raj and DK as they posted a photo of

them with Samantha on Instagram. Sam also penned a grat itude note that read, “The older I get… the farther I go… I just feel deeply thankful for all the love and affection… and for each new day and all the good things it brings. So many things that used to af fect me… don’t anymore. Just a wave of love and gratitude every day. Thank you.”

Alia raises the glam quotient

Alia Bhatt, who welcomed her first child with Ranbir Kapoor in November 2022, has been dishing out some amazing post-pregnancy looks.

Alia Bhatt was clicked at the award function, and for the occasion, she wore an opulent evening gown from the Resort 2023 collection of the fashion house Costarellos. The pistachio green georgette gown looked absolutely flattering on Alia and has an A-line silhouette. The fabric has an iridescent sheen that adds to the glam look and has a knot-like detail-

SONAM WISHES MOTHER-IN-LAW

ing at the waist that forms cut-outs on each side of the waist. Adding to the sultriness is the plunging neck line, and the daring side slit of the outfit. The billowing cape sleeves add a bit of drama, and the sil houette of the gown looked in teresting. The gown is available on the Costarellos website, for 1,965 euros, which is approxi mately rs, 1,71,740!

humi won everyone’s hearts with her classy perfor mance as an overweight yet supremely confident girl, Sandhya. On Monday, Bhumi took to Instagram and penned a beautiful note as she recalled the memo ries. She also wrote “Firsts are always special. Can’t be lieve it has been 8 years already! I was so fortunate to have started my career as an actor with a film that broke the stereotype of how heroines were presented in Indian cinema. Body shaming is a big social evil. Let’s celebrate every human being’s right to individuality. #8YearsOfDumLagaKeHaisha.”

‘Firsts are always special’

Anushka Sharma

Kiara Advani

Her story....

Her post...

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Her post...

Alia in an opulent evening gown

Alia Bhatt

Bhumi and Ayushmann from a still of the movie

Sonam Kapoor

Kiara dons the outfit

CELEBS GALORE AT THE ZEE CINE AWARDS 2023

ee Cine Awards 2023 ceremony took place in Mumbai on Sunday night and it was a starry affair with several B-Town celebs in attendance. From Shahid Kapoor to Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon, several stars from the tinsel villa were seen making their presence at the event.

It was a star-studded night that saw the who's who of Bollywood in attendance. In the end, it was Anupam Kher and Alia Bhatt who bagged the top honours of the night.

While Kher was adjudged Viewers' Choice Best Actor for ‘The Kashmir Files’, Alia won Best Actor Female and Viewers’ Choice Best Actress awards for her performances in Gangubai Kathiawadi and Darlings, respectively.

Ayan Mukerji’s Bhrahmastra: Part One Shiva has won multiple awards while Kartik Aaryan won for his performance in Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Vivek Agnihotri's Kashmir Files won several accolades including the Best Director award for Agnihotri. The Zee Cine Awards 2023 were hosted by Ayush -

mann Khurrana and Aparshakti Khurrana.

Among the attendees while Kiara Advani looked gorgeous in a red gown. Kriti Sanon stole the night in black, in deed both the divas were the stunners of the night.

Also, Alia Bhatt re turned to the stage after sev eral years to per form on some of the hit tracks from her films. While it was a winning night for the star, she en thralled the audi ence with her dance performance too.

SALMAN TEASES WITH A NEW SONG

Bollywood actress Kajol is known for her bubbly on-screen as well as off-screen personality.

The actress never shies away from expressing her unabashed opinions and calling spade a spade during her media interactions.

With the fad of filmmakers remaking iconic and classic movies, during a recent interview, Kajol shared that the audience will be disappointed if her movies Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G) were to be remade today.

starred in both ‘Dilwale Dul hania Le Jayenge’ and ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’, does not want the film to be reboot ed. When she was asked to share her views about the DDLJ remake, Kajol added, "My personal opinion is that I don’t think that films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge should be remade. I feel the same for K3G. I feel that magic can only be created once. If you recreate it, it just fizzles out and it won’t have the

Salman Khan on Monday announced the release of the second song, Billi Billi from his upcoming film, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. The movie is a remake of the Tamil movie Veeram, which chronicled the story of a man whose four younger brothers want him to get married.

In the new video, Salman khan dropped a few glimpses of the song

with an adorable video of cats on social media and it’s winning the hearts of his fans.

The nine-second teaser features nothing but two cats on a lawn, as the catchy Punjabi audio.

Teasing fans with the audio, the video feature two adorable cats playing in a garden, seemingly at Salman’s property, instead of the song's visuals. The song Billi Billi is his first collaboration with singer Sukhbir. The track is a quintessential, high-spirited Punjabi dance number. Reacting to the audio of the song on YouTube, one user wrote in the comments, “Where new Hindi movies are focusing on remake songs, Salman bhai is bringing the 90s era back with his new songs.”

A wedding to remember

Ananya Panday on Monday announced the wrap of her upcoming film, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane.

The actress shared pictures with the director and the entire crew and wrote a heartfelt note expressing her gratitude.

Vikramaditya is back in the director’s seat for this gripping, edge-ofthe-seat thriller after winning praise for critically acclaimed movies like Udaan, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, and AK vs. AK. The film which will be produced by Nikhil Dwivedi’s company Saffron has wrapped up on Mon-

Ananya, who had announced the film in February, took to her Instagram and wrote, “And that’s a wrap! @

motwayne I can never thank you enough but I hope I made you and continue to make you happy and proud and to every single member of this team who has given everything they have to this magical film, I love you guys and I can’t wait for the world to see it.”

Ananya wraps up Vikramaditya’s next A KISS OF LOVE

Hrithik Roshan has been dating actor and singer Saba Azad for some time now. Recently Hrithik Roshan was joined by his girlfriend Saba Azad at the Mumbai airport on Monday. Before walking towards the airport gate, Hrithik and Saba shared a goodbye kiss inside his car as the paparazzi captured them. Saba was there to see off the actor, who was flying with his team.

Before leaving his car to

make his way to the airport, the actor leaned in to kiss his girlfriend Saba as the camera snapped the actor. Later, Hrithik, looking dapper as ever, smiled and waved at his fans and the paps at the airport before turning to go inside the airport premise.

Hrithik Roshan and Saba Azad have been dating for a while now and made their relationship official on social media by sharing sweet posts for each other.

StarPlus’s 'Teri Meri Doriyaann’ has always kept the audience's excitement on the edge by bringing one or the other twist in the episodes. Having introduced the audience to a new twist in the story with it's interesting promos, the makers of the show have always made the audience ask for more.

The most anticipated Angad and Sahiba's wedding sequence is finally happening on February, 27-28 2023. The recently aired promo of the show looks dreamy, which depicts everything about how the makers of the show

have conceptualized every frame with sheer creativity and realness.

“When the promo was aired, we were hoping the audience to like it, but the response we received over it was overwhelming. From mandap to decorations to the outfits, everything felt like a real wedding. We had dhols like a typical punjabi wedding. While shooting for the Anand Karaj the vibes of the set felt magical. Shooting for this wedding sequence is going to be a memory that I will treasure for life", said Himanshi Parashar aka Sahiba from Star Plus show Teri Meri Doriyaann.

‘No magic in remakes’

Shahid Kapoor

Varun Dhawan Kriti Sanon

Bobby Deol Anil Kapoor

Anupam Kher Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel Pooja Hegde

Poster of the song

Kajol

Ananya Panday

Saba Azad and Hrithik Roshan

Himanshi Parashar

Her post...