cmyk cmyk

THE ASIAN AGE

NATION| 3
NEW DELHI SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2023

WORLD| 6 DELHI AGE| 11

Amit Shah says BJP alone can Muizzu faces rift days after Paris Hilton, Carter Reum
bring in change in Telangana, forming govt in Maldives, welcome their second
AIMIM & Cong support BRS ex-Prez to form new party child, name her London
www.asianage.com RNI No. 57290/94, Regd No: DL-SW-05/4189/15-17 Vol. 30 No. 280 | 16 PAGES | `5.00

More trouble
WINDOWS
for Mahua as
‘Sense of pride’: Modi takes a sortie on Tejas
Over 68% vote in Raj;
CBI to probe
cash-for-query
AMRESH SRIVASTAVA
Cong, BJP fate sealed
NEW DELHI, NOV. 25 Stone-pelting, clashes in Sikar, Dholpur, Deeg
In a major development AGE CORRESPONDENT
in the cash-for-query with agency inputs
controversy, the CBI has NEW DELHI/JAIPUR,
begun a preliminary NOV. 25
enquiry (PE) against the
Trinamul Congress MP After a high-pitched cam-
Mahua Moitra on the paign, hard-hitting and
directions of the Lokpal. acrimonious debates, and
Taiwanese actress Lin Chi-Ling Bharatiya Janata a mega-propaganda blitz,
arrives at the 60th Golden Party MP Nishikant Rajasthan went to the
Horse Awards in Taipei on Dubey had approached polls on Saturday. Voting
Saturday. — AP the Lokpal with a com- was held in 199 of the 200
plaint against Ms Moitra Assembly seats in the
over allegations of tak- state. According to the
Soumya murder: 4 ing bribes to raise ques- Election Commission, 70
tions in Parliament. per cent voter turnout
convicts sentenced Mr Dubey had accused
Ms Moitra of asking
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chief of Air Staff V.R. Chaudhari after taking a was recorded
Rajasthan till 9 pm. The
in
sortie aboard the Tejas aircraft in Bengaluru on Saturday. Mr Modi said the experi-
to life by Delhi court questions in Lok Sabha
to target the Adani
ence has bolstered his confidence in the country’s indigenous capabilities. — PTI Election Commission is
expecting the final voting
Women wait to cast their votes for the Rajasthan
■ More on Page 4 Assembly poll in Ajmer on Saturday. — PTI
New Delhi: A court here on Group and Prime percentage to cross the 75
Saturday sentenced four Minister Narendra Modi per cent mark after the
convicts to life imprisonment
for killing TV journalist
at the behest of business-
man Darshan
■ PM in T’gana for 2 days to campaign for BJP final count. In the last
Assembly elections in Modi will be back as PM
Name change won’t hide
Soumya Vishwanathan in Hiranandani in 2018, the state had record-
2008 while the fifth convict
was sent to three years in jail.
exchange for gifts.
There was no formal
ed a voter turnout of 74.06
per cent.
in 2024 LS polls: Anurag
While sentencing Ravi statement from either While the ruling
Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet the CBI or the Lokpal on Congress, led by chief ‘BJP won’ 19 despite poor ‘18 results’
Malik and Ajay Kumar to life
imprisonment, the court of
additional sessions judge
Ravindra Kumar Pandey also
the issue.
“Neither has Lokpal
uploaded any referral
order on its website as
graft: Modi to BRS, Cong minister Ashok Gehlot, is
eyeing a return to power,
the BJP, led by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi,
SHASHI BHUSHAN
NEW DELHI, NOV. 25
Mizoram and Rajsthan
that were held months
before the general elec-
imposed a fine of `1.25 lakh per the Lokpal Act nor BALU PULIPAKA is trying to unseat the Union information and tions, Mr Thakur said
on each of them. The fifth has the CBI put out any- HYDERABAD, NOV. 25 incumbent. broadcasting minister that the BJP had regis-
convict, Ajay Sethi, was sen- thing official. Sources All parties contesting Anurag Thakur, in an tered an impressive victo-
tenced to three years of sim- telling journos as per Prime Minister Narendra the polls fielded their exclusive conversation ry in 2019 despite a poor
ple imprisonment along with usual media circus. Modi on Saturday “star campaigners”. with The Asian Age, showing in the Assembly
a fine of `7.25 lakh. The Hope `13,000 crore launched a blistering Besides the Prime made it categorically polls five years ago.
court, however, noted that Adani coal scam merits attack on the BRS and the Minister, Union minis- clear that the results of “Assembly polls have
he had already undergone CBI PE before my witch- Congress, declaring that ters Amit Shah, Rajnath the ongoing Assembly their local issues and the
more than 14 years of impris- hunt,” combative TMC their “public fights” dur- Singh and Nitin Gadkari, elections in five states Lok Sabha elections are
onment. MP posted on X on ing the ongoing party president J.P. "will have no impact on contested on national
Full report on Page 2 Saturday. Telangana Assembly elec- Nadda, former chief min- next year’s Lok Sabha issues. In the 2024 Lok
Ms Moitra said she was tions campaign were ister Vasundhara Raje, polls”. In 2024, Mr Thakur Sabha polls, people have
“amused to see how nothing more than among others, cam- asserted, people will already decided to make
CISF will take care of headless Lokpal with no “dramabaazi”. paigned for the BJP. again vote for Prime Mr Modi the Prime
Ram Mandir security full-time Chairman
referred” her case to the
Stressing that
Congress and the BRS
the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to his supporters
For the Congress, its
national president
Minister Narendra Modi
for the third term at the
Minister of the country
for the third term. People
New Delhi: The CISF has sub- CBI. were cut from the same during a public rally in Ranga Reddy district, Telangana, Mallikarjun Kharge, helm. want ‘Vikshit Bharat’ and
mitted a full-proof and The Ethics Committee cloth and were together, on Saturday. — PTI senior leaders Rahul Referring to the 2018 for that, they have made
detailed security plan to of Lok Sabha has sub- Mr Modi said, “If the peo- Gandhi, Priyanaka Assembly elections in up their minds to vote for
Uttar Pradesh for the protec- mitted its report into the ple blunder into giving Kamareddy -- where chief stituencies, pummelled Gandhi Vadra, chief Madhya Pradesh, Mr Modi,” he said.
tion of the Ram Mandir. An ‘cash for query’ allega- the Congress a chance, minister K. the BRS and the Congress ■ Turn to Page 4 Telangana, Chhattisgarh, ■ More on Page 3
elaborate management has tions against Ms Moitra then you will get a carbon Chandrashekar Rao and on the theme of their
been proposed taking threat to the Speaker and rec- copy of the BRS govern- state Congress president togetherness. The Prime
ommended her expul- ment.” A. Revanth Reddy are the Minister said he was con-

Gehlot in dual battle: BJP in

perceptions, crowd control
and contingency plan for sion from for accepting Mr Modi, speaking at principal contestants -- fident that the people had
emergency situations into “illegal gratifications”. public meetings in and Maheshwaram con- ■ Turn to Page 4
consideration.

polls, coup within Congress

Full report on Page 4
■ Auger machine breaks, CM says escape route work will resume manually
4 students die, 60 hurt in
Cochin varsity stampede
Kochi: Four students were
killed in a stampede that
U’khand tunnel ops to rescue 41 SANJAY BASAK
NEW DELHI, NOV. 25

As the Congress fights to

ensued during a university
annual festival here on
Saturday night. Students
inside the Cochin University
lives may take long time: NDMA retain power in Rajasthan
today, chief minister
Ashok Gehlot fights bat-
tles on two fronts. He’s
here were at a musical event PRITHVIRAJ SINGH hours, NDMA member Lt. not only fighting the BJP
of Nikita Gandhi which was with agency inputs Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain but also combating rivals
interrupted by sudden rains DEHRADUN, NOV. 25 (Retd) said, adding that within the party, particu-
that led the audience to the front part of the auger larly his bete noire
scamper for shelter. The attempt to rescue 41 machine was broken and Sachin Pilot. If the
Full report on Page 4 trapped workers hit a efforts are being made to Congress somehow man-
major hurdle after the retrieve those from the ages to retain power in
COUNTERPOINT blades of the auger
machine drilling through
tunnel. He indicated that
this was the quicker of the
the desert state, “the fight
for Mr Gehlot will be far
the rubble to make an two main options now from over,” a party func-
escape package inside the being considered. tionary claimed, adding Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s wife Sunita
collapsed Silkyara tunnel According to Lt. Gen. that the “G (Gandhi) fac- and daughter-in-law Himanshi show ink-marked finger
got stuck in the debris late Hasnain, this rescue oper- tor is still working after casting their votes in Jodhpur on Saturday. — PTI
Friday night, forcing offi- ation is getting technical- against him”.
cials to consider switch- ly more complex every Regardless of the overt polls could well be the fuelled speculations of his
ing to other options that day. “This operation display of solidarity, swan song of his political “reluctance” to back Mr
could drag on the rescue could take a long time,” machinations are at work career. He knows that Gehlot. Some leaders felt
operations by several An aerial view of ambulances and other vehicles on the NDMA member said in the corridors of power there will be no talk of that Mr Gehlot's earlier
weeks more. standby during the rescue operation of 41 workers at his media briefing. to replace Mr Gehlot with “collective responsibili- move to “sabotage” the
Late on Friday night, the trapped inside the tunnel in Uttarkashi on Saturday. — PTI At the disaster site, the much younger Mr ty”, but the onus of the Congress’ attempt to put
drill snout of the auger international tunnelling Pilot, if the Congress defeat will be on his Mr Pilot at the helm of
machine broke and got agency rescue mission, stretch of the rubble or, expert Arnold Dix repeat- returns to power, sources shoulders. affairs in the state could
stuck in the metal obsta- officials shifted focus to more likely, drilling down ed his promise of getting revealed. Senior Congress leader “return to haunt him.”
cle that prevented it from two alternatives -- manual 86 metres from above. the workers out “by The 72-year-old chief Rahul Gandhi’s initial For a section of the
drilling ahead. drilling through the The vertical drilling will Christmas”, which is a minister is aware of the absence from the Congress leaders, the
On day 14 of the multi- remaining 10–12-meter start in the next 24 to 36 ■ Turn to Page 4 fact that a defeat in the Rajasthan campaign ■ Turn to Page 4

WEATHER Manipur tense as ■ Militant group seeks aid trucks entry in Gaza, says Israel must respect deal
man, 21, shot dead Hamas’ plan to free more hostages suffers setback
Max : 26OC
Min: 16OC
RH: 55%
Rain: Nil
MANOJ ANAND sources believe it was Gaza/Jerusalem, Nov. 25: told France’s BFM televi- tured by Hamas fighter
Forecast: Cloudy GUWAHATI, NOV. 25 started by people who had The armed wing of Hamas sion station that, barring son a killing spree in
crossed the buffer zone said it had decided to last minute changes, 13 southern Israel on
In a fresh incident of fir- between territories domi- delay Saturday’s sched- Israeli hostages were October 7 — were
ASTROGUIDE ing, a 21-year-old youth nated by either communi- uled second round of expected to be freed. released.
Shobhakrut: Dakshinayana was killed in Kangpokpi ty. The deceased was iden- hostage releases until He said 39 Palestinian Twenty-four jailed
district of trouble-torn tified as Khupminthang Israel committed to allow- prisoners would be Palestinian women and 15
Tithi: Pushya Shuddha Manipur on Saturday. Haokip, a Kuki-Zomi vil- ing aid trucks to enter released in return. teenagers were released
Shashti till 8.49 pm Security sources said lage volunteer. Tensions northern Gaza. Under the truce deal, a from Israeli jails.
Star: Shatabhisham till 12.49 pm that the firing began remained in the village Hamas’ al-Qassam total of 50 hostages are to Saturday’s setback came
around 2.45 am near and surrounding regions Brigades said the hostage be exchanged for 150 just hours after Egypt,
Varjyam: From 6.57 to 8.29 pm Joupi, a village in the in the Bishnupur and releases would be delayed Palestinian prisoners, which controls the Rafah
Durmuhurtam: 11.56 am to Kuki-Zomi-dominated Kangpokpi districts. if Israel did not adhere to some of them convicted on border crossing into
12.39 pm Kangpokpi district, which Additional security the agreed terms for the weapon charges and vio- southern Gaza through
Rahukalam: Noon to 1.30 pm is about 8 km west of the troops have been dis- release of Palestinian lent offences, over four which vital aid supplies
Meitei-dominated patched to the area, an prisoners. There was no days. have resumed, said it had
SUNSET TODAY 5.24 PM Bishnupur district. official said, adding that immediate Israeli In the first exchange on received “positive sig-
SUNRISE TOMORROW 6.53 AM As the firing took place they are doing all neces- response to the statement. Friday, 13 Israeli women nals” from all parties over
MOONRISE TOMORROW 5.13 PM in a village within the sary steps to defuse the Earlier an Israeli mili- and children — out of a possible extension of A man hugs his family after their release by the
MOONSET TODAY 5.35 AM Kangpokpi district, tension. tary spokesperson had around 240 hostages cap- that deal. — Reuters Palestinian militant group on Friday. — AFP
 CITY
THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 26 NOVEMBER 2023 | NEW DELHI
pg 2

IN BRIEF ■ 5th convict Ajay Sethi sentenced to 3 years of simple imprisonment, `7.25L fine
L-G nod to appeal
MCD to prosecute
property tax evaders 4 get lifer, Soumya’s mom unhappy in SC against 6 let
New Delhi: Municipal authori-
ties in Delhi have identified
people whose property tax
due amount has crossed `25
BHASKAR HARI SHARMA
NEW DELHI, NOV. 25
Amit Shukla, Baljeet
Malik, and Ajay Kumar
under Indian Penal Code
off in ’84 riots case
AVINASH PRABHAKAR
lakh and will soon launch Almost 15 years after TV Section 302 (murder) and NEW DELHI, NOV. 25
prosecution against such journalist Soumya the Maharashtra Control
“tax evaders”, officials said Vishwanathan was shot of Organised Crime Act Delhi lieutenant-gover-
on Saturday. In a statement, dead during a robbery bid (MCOCA) provisions for nor V.K. Saxena has given
the Municipal Corporation of in 2008, a Delhi court on committing organised approval for filing a spe-
Delhi (MCD) also appealed to Saturday sentenced four crime resulting in the cial leave petition in the
all property owners whose convicts to life imprison- death of any person. Supreme Court against a
data is not available on its ment while the fifth con- Soumya Vishwanathan Ajay Sethi was convicted July 10 Delhi high court
website, to get their UPIC vict was sent to three under IPC Section 411 (dis- order that acquitted six
(Unique Property years in jail. During the proceedings, honestly receiving stolen accused in a 1984 anti-
Identification Code) ID While sentencing Ravi the victim’s mother told property) and MCOCA Sikh riots case.
through the portal. The last Kapoor, Amit Shukla, the court that she had provisions for conspiring The high court had
date to get the UPIC ID is Baljeet Malik, and Ajay been waiting for justice to abet, aid, or knowingly said that there was no
December 31, it said. The In this file photo, Soumya Vishwanathan’s parents are
Kumar to life imprison- for over 15 years. facilitate organised crime explanation for the inor- V.K. Saxena
MCD is fully committed to seen outside a court.
ment, the court of addi- Soumya Vishwanathan, and receiving proceeds of dinate delay of 28 years
providing better civic ameni- tional sessions judge years of imprisonment. suffer for life. I am satis- who was working with a organised crime. in filing the appeal dealt with in a “very casu-
ties to citizens. Working in Ravindra Kumar Pandey The court also ordered fied, but I will not say that leading English news According to the prose- against the trial court al and routine manner,”
this direction, its assessment also imposed a fine of that of the total fine I am happy. My husband is channel, was shot dead in cution, Ravi Kapoor shot verdict of March 28, leading to an “inordinate
and collection department `1.25 lakh on each of amount imposed on the in the ICU. He had a the early hours of Soumya with a country- 1995, and the grounds delay” in filing the
after analysing data related them. convicts, `12 lakh will be bypass surgery,” she said. September 30, 2008, on made pistol while chasing taken by the state were appeal, officials said.
to due property tax has iden- The fifth convict, Ajay paid to the victim’s family. Ordering the quantum of South Delhi’s Nelson the victim’s car to rob her. not justifiable. He said ‘inordinate
tified owners whose property Sethi, was sentenced to Madhavi Vishwanathan, punishment, the addition- Mandela Marg while she Amit Shukla, Ajay Raj Niwas officials on delays’ in such cases
tax due amount stands worth three years of simple Soumya’s mother, said al sessions judge said the was returning home from Kumar, and Baljeet Malik Saturday said that Mr should be viewed seri-
over `25 lakh, the statement imprisonment along with that she is “satisfied” with offence does not fall in the work. were also with Kapoor. Saxena also ‘slammed’ ously and stringent
said. “The MCD after match- a fine of `7.25 lakh. the court’s judgement but category of rarest of rare The police claimed the The police recovered the the prosecution depart- action should be taken
ing its property tax database The court, however, not “happy.” cases. So, the request for motive was robbery. car used in the murder ment of the Delhi gov- against the delinquent
with a third party’s data like noted that he had already “I wanted this. What I am the death penalty was On October 18, the court from the fifth accused, ernment for the alleged officers.
property registration, elec- undergone more than 14 suffering, I want them to refused. convicted Ravi Kapoor, Ajay Sethi alias Chacha. ‘callous delay’ in the mat- The L-G directed the
tricity bills, GST registration, ter. home department to iden-
and licensing registration has The case pertains to tify and fix the accounta-

As AQI improves slightly in Delhi,

prepared databases of prop-
erties which are not paying
property tax,” the statement
ED raids DLF looting and rioting dur-
ing the anti-Sikh riots in
the Saraswati Vihar
bility of officials respon-
sible for causing the delay
and sought a report with-
said.
premises in police station (now in seven days.

Sanjay Singh’s bail

plea likely on Nov. 28
probe related hopes from weather for more relief Subhash Place) area in
Northwest Delhi involv-
ing the six accused—Hari
Lal, Mangal, Dharampal,
In its order on January
11, 2018, the Supreme
Court ordered the consti-
tution of a special investi-

New Delhi: A Delhi court is

likely to hear on November
to Supertech AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, NOV. 25
and slow wind speed at
night allowing the accu-
mulation of pollutants.
Azad, Om Prakash, and
Abdul Habib.
In a similar case, Mr
gation team (SIT) for fur-
ther investigation with
respect to 186 cases relat-
28 the bail application of New Delhi, Nov. 25: The Delhi’s air quality stood in On the other hand, Saxena had earlier grant- ed to the 1984 riots and
AAP MP Sanjay E n f o r c e m e n t the ‘severe’ category on NDMC said it has ed his approval for filing the instant case was a
Singh, arrested in a Directorate (ED) has Saturday morning with deployed an anti-smog a special leave petition in part of these cases, offi-
money laundering searched the premises the monitoring agencies gun with the largest tank the Supreme Court cials said.
case linked to the of realty major DLF in pinning hopes on a west- capacity as part of its anti- against the acquittal of 12 The SIT comprising
alleged Delhi Gurugram as part of a ern disturbance which pollution efforts in people in another anti- Justice (retd) S.N.
excise scam. The money laundering may improve meteorologi- Lutyens’ Delhi. Sikh riots case registered Dhingra and IPS officer
matter, which was investigation against cal conditions starting The new anti-smog gun at the Nangloi police sta- Abhishek was constitut-
scheduled to come real estate firm Sunday. However, later in is mounted on a 28-tonne tion. ed to examine the matter
up for hearing Sanjay Supertech and its pro- the day, the AQI improved CNG truck chassis with After going through the related to the riots
Saturday, was Singh moters, official sources to the ‘very poor’ category. the water tank having a chronology of litigation through a notification
adjourned by the said on Saturday. The The city’s air quality capacity of 17,000 litres for in the present case, the L- dated February 9, 2018.
court because the judge was central agency has index (AQI) stood at 421 at mitigating air pollution, G noted that though the The SIT submitted its
on leave. The anti-money recovered some docu- 8.00 am while it was 389 at the NDMC said in a state- approval for filing an report on April 15, 2019,
President’s Bodyguards show their skills during the
laundering agency had ments during the action 4.00 pm. ment, adding that it has appeal before the Delhi saying that the present
Polo Cup exhibition match in New Delhi on Saturday. case was a fit case where
arrested Mr Singh on October that was carried out It would be the 11th the largest tank capacity high court was accorded
over the last two days, severe air quality day in — PTI among all the anti-smog in December 2020, the the prosecution should
4. The ED has alleged that
Singh played a key role in the they said. November in Delhi if the it experienced 12 such seven in 2019, five in 2018, guns deployed in Delhi by appeal was filed in 2023, have filed an appeal
formulation and implementa- The action is linked to average air quality index days in 2021, the maxi- seven in 2017, 10 in 2016, various agencies. after a delay of more than immediately after the
tion of the now scrapped pol- the ED investigation remains above the 400 mum in the month since and six in 2015, according Due to the large water two years. judgement.
icy, which benefited certain against Supertech, the mark till the end of the the Central Pollution to CPCB data. tank capacity, the anti- Mr Saxena observed It also recommended
liquor manufacturers, whole- sources said. day. Control Board (CPCB) Air quality in Delhi smog gun can run for that it is a matter of that an appeal with an
salers and retailers, for mone- DLF, later in a stock Delhi recorded just three began monitoring. turned ‘severe’ again on three hours continuously. “grave concern” that application of condona-
tary considerations. Singh market filing, said “A ‘severe’ air quality days in There were nine such Friday with a drop in the It has a throwing capacity such cases of “crime tion of the delay may be
has strongly rebutted the team of ED officials vis- November last year while days in November 2020, minimum temperatures of 30 to 50 metres. against humanity” are filed, the officials said.
allegations. ited our premises seek-
ing information with
Property dealer
Law student jumps to death Punish accused: Kin of father,
respect to investigation
being conducted in the
matter of Supertech.”
shot at by 4 youths The officials sought
Faridabad: A 68-year-old
property dealer was allegedly
shot at by four youths at his
house on Friday late evening,
details of transactions
relevant to the said
investigation and the
company extended full
from 13th floor in Faridabad son who died working in hosp
the police said. The bullet hit cooperation by provid- Faridabad, Nov. 25: A 22- the 13th floor of a build- victim was rushed to a New Delhi, Nov. 25: The son of deceased Kunwar am a student. My father and
Naresh Mittal in the chest, ing them all relevant year-old law student ing in Omaxe Society. His nearby private hospital family members of a Pal, told PTI. brother were associated
leaving him critically injured documents in this allegedly died here on father Viresh Kumar where doctors declared father-son duo, who were As per police, Pal (40), his with this hospital for the
and he is being treated at a regard, it said. Saturday morning by worked as a manager in a him dead, the police said. allegedly electrocuted to son Raman (20), who was a last five years. Now see, how
hospital, the police said on The ED had arrested jumping from the 13th private bank in Patna A senior police officer death while carrying out a plumber by profession, and they (doctors at the hospi-
Saturday. It is being said that Supertech promoter floor of a building in and had recently come to said preliminary investi- repairing job in a water electrician Sarvesh Kumar tal) have fled, leaving every-
there was a dispute between R.K. or Ram Kishor Sector 46, the police said. meet them. gation has revealed that tank in a private hospital (59) died of an electric one behind,” Vipin said.
the accused and Naresh Mittal Arora in this case in The deceased has been According to the police, the deceased was under here on Friday, have shock while carrying out A case under sections 287
regarding the purchase and June. He is in judicial identified as Divyanshu, all the family members mental stress for a long demanded strict action motor-repairing work at (negligent conduct with
sale of land in Nainital custody at present. who hailed from were asleep when the time. He used to tell his against the hospital author- the Commander Hospital respect to machinery) and
(Uttarakhand). Following the It had then alleged Kadamkuan in Patna. No incident took place. mother that he had no ities. in Outer Delhi’s Ranhola. 304A (whoever causes the
complaint of the dealer’s son, that Arora was the suicide note was found Divyanshu jumped off interest in studying fur- “We got the bodies after 24 “There were five members death of any person by
an FIR was registered at the main controlling per- from the spot and a probe from one of the windows ther and did not want to hours. We were asked to in the family. My mother Raj doing any rash or negligent
Faridabad Central police sta- son of the group who is underway, they added. of the house around 8 go to college. stay away. I, along with my Kumari, father, elder sister, act not amounting to culpa-
tion and two accused were decided to “divert” Divyanshu, who was am. However, a probe is mother, stood helplessly Raman and me. Raman quit ble homicide) of the IPC
arrested, said the police. The crores of funds of studying law in Manav Several people who underway to ascertain outside the hospital, but no his studies after Class 10 to has been lodged at the
property dealer lives alone at investors and homebuy- Rachna University, were out for morning the exact reason behind one bothered to tell us what support the family and start- Ranhola police station
his house in sector 15 A, ers to various shell resided here with his walk noticed him when the alleged suicide, the had happened to my father ed working with my father. against unidentified peo-
where he has kept a woman companies. — PTI mother in a rented flat on he fell on the ground. The officer said. — PTI and brother,” Vipin, the My sister is married and I ple. — PTI
named Tulsi at home as a
domestic help, according to
the complaint filed by the vic-
tim’s son Ashok Mittal. — PTI Bike taxi drivers write to Saxena, say
DOCS TREAT RARE 50K riders jobless due to new scheme
FUNGAL INFECTION New Delhi, Nov. 25:
Delhi’s bike taxi drivers
The policy is likely to be
notified soon.
◗ APPRECIATING DELHI
government’s intent to
had written to the L-G
demanding that they be

RHINOSPORIDIOSIS have written to the lieu-

tenant-governor and the
AAP government, saying
The Apna Bike Taxi
Association, in an open
letter to L-G Saxena and
transition to electric
vehicles, drivers under-
given the same timeline
for conversion to electric
vehicles as their counter-
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, NOV. 25 nearly 50,000 of them the Delhi government, lined that the harsh parts in delivery servic-
have been rendered job- said it has appealed to the measures like allowing es.
A team of doctors at a hospi- less due to the approval of authorities several times only electric bike taxis While appreciating the
tal has treated a 37-year-old a scheme that mandates to get its grievances will take away their Delhi government’s
male professional swimmer aggregators offering pas- addressed but the pleas intent to transition to
senger services to switch have not been heard.
livelihoods electric vehicles and
suffering from rhinosporidio-
sis, a rare fungal infection and to electric two-wheelers. “We feel that the gov- reduce pollution levels
an inflammatory condition The file pertaining to the ernment should under- bike taxis available in the across the city, the driv-
that affects the nasal and res- Delhi Motor Vehicle stand that if someone is market nor do we have ers underlined that harsh
piratory passages. It is a rare Aggregator and Delivery riding a petrol motorcy- the money to buy them,” measures like allowing
granulomatous disease, Service Provider Scheme, cle, how can they sudden- the letter read. only electric bike taxis to
caused by the fungus rhi- 2023 was approved by ly get an electric bike. Last month, more than operate will take away
nosporidiosis seeberi, affect- Delhi L-G V.K. Saxena. Neither are there electric 1,500 bike taxi drivers their livelihoods. — PTI
ing mucous membranes of the
nose, eyes, and rectum.
Doctors said that the disease
occurs due to swimming in
To accuse lenders falsely,
contaminated and polluted
water bodies. The patient,
Barishan Ray, was admitted to
man gets himself shot at
Primus Super Specialty AGE CORRESPONDENT Seemapuri, had sus-
Hospital with a left nasal NEW DELHI, NOV. 25 tained a gunshot
blockage for 7-8 months and injury on his right
swelling at the back of his To implicate lenders in upper arm. His
throat. The investigation a false case, a 43-year- nephew, Himanshu
revealed that a reddish straw- old man allegedly got alias Anshu, was also
berry-like mass extending to himself shot in present with him.
the back of his nose, and the Northeast Delhi, the During the investiga-
diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis police said on Saturday. tion, it was found that
was confirmed. “This is a rare “On Friday morning, Sundar owed money to
condition. In this case, the we got a call that a man some people and was
patient was habitually swim- had been shot near an trying to implicate them
ming in local water bodies, so agricultural land at in the firing incident.
he was affected by this inflam- Kodhi Colony in Tahir- During interrogation,
matory condition. He is doing pur of Nand Nagri. A Anshu allegedly admit-
well now and is currently on team was sent to the ted that he had shot his
medicine and therapy,” says location,” DCP (Nort- uncle as part of their
Dr. Ankush Sayal, senior con- heast) Joy Tirkey said. conspiracy. He had
sultant and head, ENT and The police said that it planted an empty shell
cochlear implant, Primus was found that Sundar, at the spot to make it
Hospital. a resident of New look convincing.
 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 26 NOVEMBER 2023 | NEW DELHI
pg 3

SHORT
4 industrial estates
TAKES
‘Modi to make India Viksit Bharat’ BJP will win Raj polls
to come up in J&K People’s support for BJP visible and will reflect in Assembly poll results, says Thakur hands down: Shivraj
AGE CORRESPONDENT his electioneering at many
Jammu: The Jammu and Union minister for infor- false promises. In issues. Under Prime BHOPAL, NOV. 25 places in the desert state.
Kashmir administration on mation and broadcasting Madhya Pradesh, support Where the Opposition Minister Modi ji’s leader- “It will be a landslide vic-
Saturday approved the set- Anurag Singh Thakur for the BJP government alliance is? Every leader in ship and guidance, the Madhya Pradesh chief min- tory for the BJP in
ting up of four new industrial said that people have is visible across the state. country successfully ister Shivraj Singh Rajasthan,” he said.
estates in the Union territory already decided to re- Several welfare and
the INDIA bloc is speaking a hosted the G-20 summit, Chouhan on Saturday The chief minister
to boost investment and elect Narendra Modi as development schemes different language, and their differ- witnessed success of claimed that the BJP would addressed over a dozen elec-
promote local employment, Prime Minister in next like “Ladli Behana ences will widen further as they Chandrayaan mission win the Assembly elections tion rallies and held an
according to an official year’s Lok Sabha elec- Yojana” and “Seekho move closer to the Lok Sabha polls and India won highest in Rajasthan “hands down”. equal number of road
spokesperson. Approval for tions. In an exclusive Kamao Yojana” will be — Anurag Thakur medals in Asian and Mr Chouhan, who ended shows in several Assembly
the setting up of new indus- interview with SHASHI game changers. The BJP I&B minister other games. Now, India his two-day campaign for constituencies in Rajasthan
trial estates at Budhi in BHUSHAN on the side- government has made has become the fifth the BJP in Rajasthan on to drum up support for the
Kathua district, Medicity lines of the ongoing 54th Madhya Pradesh the largest economy in the Friday evening, said that he BJP during his recent
Jammu in Jammu district International Film largest producer and Everyone is calling oth- farmers. In 10 months, world. People want could sense a strong under- whirlwind tour of the state.
and Chandgam and Lelhar in Festival of India (IFFI) in exporter of wheat in the ers the “B-team” but Himachal Pradesh was in “Viksit Bharat” and for current in favour of the Rajasthan went to
Pulwama district was given Goa, Mr Thakur said that country and increased everyone knows who has debt of `11,000 crores. To that they have made up party in Rajasthan during Assembly polls on Saturday.
by the administrative council every election has its own irrigation facilities to 47 joined hands with whom. fulfil the freebies prom- their mind to vote for
(AC) that met under the issues and is fought dif- lakh hectares from seven The BJP has no “B-team”. ised by the Congress, Modi ji, most popular
chairmanship of lieutenant- ferently, and people have lakh hectares. Everyone knows about Karnataka needs `2.5 global leader.
governor Manoj Sinha here, already decided to see Asaduddin Owaisi and lakh crores in five years.
the spokesperson said. He Narendra Modi as Prime What would you say KCR’s closeness, and it is Will the Congress answer Do Assembly elections
said the new industrial Minister for a “Viksit about the BJP prospects an open secret. about the increased debt have any impact on
estates will be developed on Bharat.” in the Telangana of the Himachal govern- Opposition unity and
1,379 kanals of land with an Excerpts: Assembly polls? You talked about the false ment or from where alliance?
investment of `136.65 crores. Six months ago, our promises of the Congress money will be arranged Can you tell me where the
The projects will provide a Assembly elections are graph was on the rise, government in Rajasthan to fulfil promises in Opposition alliance is?
boost to local employment coming to an end in five and as the election and Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka? Nitish Kumar is speaking
and are expected to gener- states. What would you approached, a lot of once again, they are mak - his own language, and
ate over 11,497 private sector say about the BJP’s per- announcements were ing new promises in the Will the results of the neither Sonia Gandhi nor
jobs, he said. New industrial formance in the made by K. upcoming Assembly Assembly polls have any Rahul Gandhi spoke a
estates will be comprehen- Assembly polls? Chandrashekar Rao and polls. Your comment? impact on the BJP’s single word against Mr
sively developed in terms of The BJP has done a good his party. The BJP won Making promises is the chances in next year’s Kumar for his derogatory
infrastructure. — PTI campaign and received two out of five bypolls easiest thing to do during Lok Sabha elections? remarks against women
overwhelming support and lost one very closely. the election, and the If you see the results of inside the state Assembly.
Yogi: Muslim quota from people in all five
states. In Chhattisgarh,
We will register a stun-
ning performance in the
Congress is doing it with-
out any intention to fulfil
Assembly polls in these
five states in 2018, we did-
Mamata Banerjee is not
giving any importance to
in Telangana ‘illegal’ there is lots of anger
against the Congress gov-
Telangana
polls.
Assembly any one of them. In
Himachal Pradesh, the
n’t perform well. But in
the Lok Sabha election
Opposition leaders, and
Akhilesh Yadav closed
Hyderabad: Uttar Pradesh ernment over corruption Congress promised to next year we performed the door for the
chief minister Yogi and looting. Similarly, in In Telangana, your bring stars and moon to well. One must under- Opposition alliance.
Adityanath on Saturday Rajasthan, people are Opposition parties are electorates, but they nei- stand that every election Where is the INDIA bloc?
alleged that the “Muslim angry with the Congress calling others the ‘B- ther gave a promised is fought in a different Their differences will fur-
reservations” in Telangana government over exam team’ of the BJP; what monthly pension to way and Assembly polls ther widen before the Lok
are an insult to the paper leak incidents and would you say about it? women nor any benefit to have their own local Sabha elections.
Constitution made by Dr B.R.
Ambedkar. Addressing a poll

BJP alone can Cong flattened BJP’s tyres

rally in Kumuram Bheem
Asifabad district in
Telangana, he said the reser-
vation to Muslims is “uncon-

bring in change in T’gana, Delhi next: Rahul

stitutional” and it should not
be allowed to be implement-
ed at any cost. “But, both
the BRS and the Congress
want to take the country Hyderabad Nov. 25:
towards a new division,” he
alleged. “Dirty game of
appeasement politics can be
seen in Telangana now. We
in T’gana: Shah Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi on Saturday said
his party punctured all
four tyres of the BJP in
have seen in Telangana to Hyderabad, Nov. 25: poll-bound Telangana
what extent a government Asserting that only the and shall do it in Delhi
can go to divide the society BJP can bring change in soon.
when the BRS government Telangana, Union home Addressing poll rallies
announces Muslim reserva- minister Amit Shah on in Telangana, he said
tion in the state,” Mr Saturday said a vote for BRS chief K.
Adityanath said. — PTI either the Congress or Chandrasekhar Rao
AIMIM would be a vote should realise that it was
Chavan accuses PM for the BRS.
He alleged that the track Amit Shah
the Congress that built
the school and universi- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses to supporters
of toppling Opp. govt record of AIMIM and
Congress shows that the Congress’ charge that
ty in which he studied.
Describing the upcom-
during a rally at Bodhan in Nizamabad district,
Telangana, on Saturday. — PTI
Mumbai: Former chief minis- two parties had supported BJP-led Centre is protect- ing election as a battle
ter and Congress leader the BRS. ing the BRS vis-a-vis cor- between “Dorala mation of Telangana. leaders used to roam
Prithviraj Chavan on “Whenever Owaisi’s ruption, he said the Sarkar” (feudal govern- “It was the Congress arrogantly, but the
Saturday blamed Prime MLAs were elected, due issues which are in ment) and “Prajala party which trans- Congress party
Minister Narendra Modi and to appeasement politics, domain of the Centre, the Sarkar” (people’s gov- formed Hyderabad into “removed gas” from
BJP for overthrowing elect- they supported BRS. The process of investigation ernment), the Gandhi a major IT hub in the them and “punctured”
ed governments of Congress legislators who is underway. scion said while people world,” the Congress all the four tyres of saf-
Opposition parties in states. were elected, they later “But, probe cannot hap- dreamt of pro-poor and leader said. fron vehicle in
Mr Chavan alleged that the joined BRS. That means, pen as per the poll calen- farmers government, Taking pot shots at the Telangana.
BJP is toppling the elected your vote for change of dar,” he said. Mr Rao dashed their KCR family, he said they “BRS wants to inflate
government and indulging regime in the state would If BJP is elected to hopes. hold all “moneymaking their tyres. But they
into the buying and selling definitely be wasted if it power in Telangana, “KCR is asking what portfolios”. don’t realise that the
of MLAs with the full bless- is for Congress,” he said. there will be investiga- Congress has done. He also charged the Congress party has for-
ings of the Prime Minister. Reacting to Congress’ tion into each allegation KCR... the school in BRS MLAs with taking ever damaged BJP’s
Hitting back at the Congress allegation of a tacit of corruption and those which you studied and `3 lakhs cut from the tyres. Now we are going
leader, Maharashtra minister understanding between responsible for corrup- the university you stud- beneficiaries of Dalit to Delhi and puncture all
Deepak Kesarkar said that the BJP and BRS, he said tion would go to jail, he ied in, they were set up Bandhu scheme and four tyres of Modi’s
when politicians crossed both the parties cannot said. by the Congress party. grabbing lands in the vehicle,” he said mock-
over to Congress in the past, have any truck. Targeting the BRS gov- The airport from where name of computerisa- ingly.
Congress leaders did not see “Question does not ernment over its alleged your aircraft takes off tion and Dharani while Mr Gandhi stressed on
horse trading in it. Mr arise. I would like to make failures, Mr Shah said was built by the Congress party distrib- the need to defeat BRS in
Chavan’s remark came in the it clear, there can never be barring engaging in cor- Congress. The outer ring uted lands to the poor Telangana and then Mr
wake of ongoing polls in five any ideological under- ruption in the last 10 road on which your vehi- with rights during its Modi in Delhi.
states. Referring to MVA standing between BJP years, the chief minister cles are plying was con- tenure. KCR wants Mr Modi to
government, the Congress and BRS. There can nei- K. Chandrasekhar Rao- structed by the Alleging that the BJP be in power in Delhi and
leader said that if the PM did ther be political nor tacti- led dispensation has done Congress,” he said. and the BRS are one and the latter wants BRS
not give his nod, there cal alliance,” he said. nothing concrete for the He also gave full credit have tacit understand- chief in Telangana, he
would be no horse trading. To a question on people. — PTI to his party for the for- ing, he said earlier BJP alleged. — PTI

■ Options of manual drilling, vertical route being considered

Tunnel workers, families losing calm

Uttarkashi, Nov. 25: “He
looked very stressed and Workers get board
impatient and kept ask-
ing us when would they
come out,” Sunita, whose
games, phones to
brother-in-law Virender
is among the 41 workers
de-stress in tunnel
trapped inside the col- Uttarkashi, Nov. 25: With the
lapsed tunnel in Silkyara rescue operations at Silkyara
here for the past 13 days, tunnel facing hurdles, the
said on Saturday. authorities here have given
Virender’s plea mobile phones and board
summed up the mood games to the 41 trapped work-
among the trapped work- An aerial view of the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel from ers to alleviate their stress, an
ers and their relatives the Silkyara entrance during the rescue operation of official said on Saturday.
who have gathered here. 41 workers in Uttarkashi district on Saturday. — PTI The blades of the augering
As the rescue effort hits machine drilling through the
one after another hur-
dles, hope is gradually
giving way to impatience
Landline facility set up by rubble of the collapsed tunnel
were on Saturday stuck in the
debris, forcing officials to con-
and disappointment.
After her interaction
with Virender this morn-
BSNL for trapped workers sider switching to other
options that could drag on the
rescue by several weeks more.
ing, Sunita said, “Today Uttarkashi, Nov. 25: A “We have set up a tele- “The mobile phones have
we talked about 10 min- landline facility has been phone exchange. We will been given so that the workers
utes.... He did not eat this set up at the Silkyara give them a phone con- can play video games. Board
morning. He told me that tunnel in Uttarkashi to nected with the line via games like ludo, and snakes
he does not want to eat.... keep trapped workers the pipe being used for and ladders have also been pro-
We are very anxious now. connected with their sending food. They can vided to them,” an official
He looked very stressed family members, offi- talk to their family,” said.
and impatient. He kept cials said on Saturday. DGM, BSNL, Rakesh “These games will help them
asking us when would The facility has been Chaudhary said. bust their stress,” another offi-
they come out.” set up by the BSNL and a The exchange has been cer said.
Hailing from Bihar, she handset will be given to set up 200 metres away The drilling was at a stand-
has come to the site along the trapped workers, from the Silkyara tun- still for almost the entire day
with her husband they said. nel, he said. — PTI Friday, but the extent of the
Devender and Virender’s problem was known Saturday
wife. Virender’s elder something or the other been halted since Friday when international tunnelling
brother Devender said happens and the process as the the auger machine expert Arnold Dix told
the authorities are giving gets delayed,” Devender faced hurdles. reporters that the auger
them hope everyday but said. Rescuers are now machine was “busted”.
are yet to achieve success. Rescuers are now try- exploring options such Officials are now shifting
“For the last two days ing to push wider pipes as drilling the stretch of focus to two alternatives —
we are being assured by through the rubble to 10 to 12 metres manually manual drilling through the
officials that they create an escape passage. or creating a vertical remaining 10-12 metre stretch
(trapped workers) are Drilling at the collapsed escape passage for the of the rubble or drilling down
being evacuated soon but portion of the tunnel has trapped labourers. — PTI 86 metres from above. — PTI
 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 26 NOVEMBER 2023 | NEW DELHI
pg 4

SHORT TAKES
Modi flies Tejas, says have CISF will take care of Ram
Ex-servicemen sit on
Mandir security in Ayodhya
rail tracks for 12 hrs
Patiala: A group of ex-ser-
vicemen squatted on railway
tracks at the Shambhu rail-
belief in country’s potential AMRESH SRIVASTAVA
NEW DELHI, NOV. 25
◗ AN ELABORATE securi-
ty management has been
griha” (Sanctum
Sanctorum) in case of any
terror attack.
way station in this Punjab
district for nearly 12 hours
Indigenously built Tejas fighter jets & variants will form Air Force mainstay The Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF) has
proposed, taking threat
perceptions, crowd con-
The CISF experts have
also proposed for a regu-
on Saturday when they were PAWAN BALI Group Captain Debanjan submitted a full proof trol and contingency plan lar training of personnel
stopped from heading to NEW DELHI, NOV. 25 Mandal. Indian Air Force and detailed security plan for emergency situations involved in security & fire
Delhi for a protest over chief Air Chief Marshal to Uttar Pradesh govern- into consideration protection matters.
alleged anomalies in the In a big boost to India’s V.R. Chaudhari was on the ment for the protection of While preparing the
“One Rank One Pension” local Light Combat ground during the sortie. the Ram Mandir at requirements, security report, the agency also
(OROP) scheme, officials Aircraft (LCA) project, The PM has been push- Ayodhya. systems applications, discussed and took inputs
said. The protest affected Prime Minister Narendra ing for indigenous produc- According to the security and fire audit, from the Intelligence
the train movement on the Modi on Saturday took a tion of defence products, sources, an elaborate local intelligence gather- Bureau (IB) and Uttar
section, the Government maiden sortie on a Tejas and has highlighted his security management has ing, procedures for asset Pradesh police officials.
Railway Police (GRP) offi- fighter aircraft in government’s effort to been proposed, taking security and arrange- So far, the CISF has
cials said. After being Bengaluru, during his boost their manufacturing threat perceptions, crowd ments on the fire protec- given security consultan-
assured by officials from the visit to the Hindustan in India and their exports. control and contingency tion measures, the cy to Tirupati Balaji tem-
district administration Aeronautics Limited. Christened Tejas in 2003, plan for emergency situa- sources said, adding that ple in Andhra Pradesh,
that the governor would Mr Modi’s flying for the aircraft is a multi-role tions into consideration. all details of the arrange- Shirdi Sai Baba temple
meet them, the protesters around 36 minutes in platform that ranks The temple will be inau- ments can be shared due and Mahalaxmi temple in
lifted the dharna at about Tejas is a major thumbs amongst the best in its gurated on January 22. to security reasons. Maharashtra, Gorakh-
4:30 pm, they added. Some up from the top govern- Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a sortie aboard class. Light Combat Prime Minister They also said that an nath and Kashi Vish-
of the protesters said they ment leadership to the Tejas aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited site Aircraft (LCA) this year in Narendra Modi will join extensive “standard oper- wanath temples in UP.
were headed to Delhi on var- indigenous effort to make in Bengaluru on Saturday. — PTI June completed seven the function along with ative procedures” has The security audit is
ious modes of transport a top-notch fighter aircraft years of service in the UP CM Yogi Adityanath been laid out for crisis done by the force’s spe-
when they were stopped by in the country. “Successfully completed leaving me with a renewed Indian Air Force. and other leaders. management, crowd con- cialised wing which has
police from entering Haryana In years to come, the a sortie on the Tejas. The sense of pride and opti- The first version of the The report primarily trol and management pro- given security reports to
via the Shambhu border. The indigenously built LCA experience was incredibly mism about our national Tejas was inducted in IAF focused on the threat per- cedures. The experts have as many as 36 institutions
movement of trains to Delhi, Tejas fighter jets and its enriching, significantly potential,” wrote Mr Modi in 2016, and currently ceptions and risk analy- also suggested a contin- from 2019 to 2023 while it
Jammu and Amritsar was future variants will form bolstering my confidence on his X account. there are two IAF sis, access control and gency plan for securing has given security consul-
affected due to the protest, the mainstay of the Indian in our country’s indige- Tejas was flown by squadrons of Tejas that perimeter protection, main temple building tancy up to 226 institution
a GRP official said. — PTI Air Force. nous capabilities, and Indian Air Force test pilot are fully operational. assessment of manpower including the “garbh since its inception 2001.

U’khand tunnel Centre exempts top cyber ■ Sudden spell of rain causes tragedy, 4 critical: Sources India declared
rescue ops may security agency from RTI Act guilty of Nijjar
take long time AGE CORRESPONDENT The personnel ministry
4 die, 60 hurt in Kerala varsity stampede death without
has amended Section 24 of GILVESTER ASSARY been identified. They are
■ Continued from Page 1
month away. As the report was
NEW DELHI, NOV. 25

The Central government

the RTI Act, and put
“CERT-In under the list of
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
NOV. 25
Athul Thamby
Koothattukulam,
of probe: Envoy
being filed, the rescue opera- has exempted the organisations exempted Annruftha of North AGE CORRESPONDENT
tion to save 41 lives trapped Computer Emergency from the purview of the At least four persons Paravur and Sarah NEW DELHI, NOV. 25
under a collapsed tunnel for 14 Response Team (CERT-In) transparency law, an offi- including three students, Thomas of Thamarassery.
days was on hold, while Mr from the ambit of Right to cial notification dated died and 60 sustained The fourth person is yet to India was “convicted”
Dhami said that it will resume Information (RTI) Act, November 23 said. injuries in a stampede be identified. He said the by Canada in the Nijjar
after the drilling path was according to an official There are already 26 that occurred during a 60 injured people are murder case, even with-
cleared by Sunday afternoon. order. intelligence and security tech-fest “Dishna” on undergoing treatment in out completing any
Speaking to the media at The CERT-IN is the organisations exempted Saturday at the Cochin various hospitals. probe, Indian high com-
Silkyara, chief minister national nodal agency for from providing informa- University of Science and Though entry to the missioner in Ottawa
Pushkar Dhami on Saturday responding to computer tion under the RTI Act, Technology in Ernakulam show was restricted as Sanjay Kumar Verma
said that the passage work will security incidents and except for the matters district of Kerala. part of the security told a Canadian TV
now be done manually once works under the ministry related to the allegations The tragic incident took arrangements made by channel, asking if this
the crashed component of the of electronics and infor- of corruption and human place at around 7 pm on the organisers, an unex- was the rule of law.
equipment is disposed of mation technology. rights violations. Saturday when the music Police personnel at a hospital where students, injured pected spell of rain forced “There are two points.
using a plasma cutter supplied It has also been tasked The CERT-In has been concert led by Bollywood in a stampede during the anniversary celebrations at students and others who One is that even before
from Hyderabad. to perform emergency put at serial number 27 in singer Nikhita Gandhi Cochin University, are admitted on Saturday. — PTI were standing outside to the completion of the
“Nearly 20 metres of the measures for handling the list of the exempted was about to begin at the rush towards the auditori- investigation , India was
machine part stuck in the rub- cyber security incidents organisations under the open-air university audi- and they are on ventilator ical college. um to take shelter, result- convicted. Is that a rule
ble has been removed, with the besides issuing guide- RTI Act, according to the torium. Of the 60 injured, support in a private hospi- Ernakulam collector ing in sudden rush into of law?” the Indian high
remaining 25 metres being lines and advisories for notification issued by the the condition of two is tal. Two others are in ICU N.S.K. Umesh said three of the hall that caused commissioner said.
done by the experts. The pres- their prevention. personnel ministry. stated to be highly critical at the government med- the four dead persons have the stampede. Asked by the TV chan-
ent speed of cutting iron rod nel how India was “con-
obstacles is slow. A plasma cut- victed”, the high com-
ter is being brought from
Hyderabad for fast disposal of
the obstacles. It’s likely to be
Mahadev app case: ‘Courier’ Belagavi Cantt.
CE0 found dead
Body in 31 pieces of missioner replied, “As
India was asked to coop-
erate, and when some-

Aseem Das held with `5.39cr 21-yr-old girl found

over by Sunday afternoon,” one asks to cooperate,
said Mr Dhami. “Only a small
portion of the passage is left. in his residence which means you are
convicted and you better
We are leaving no stone cooperate.”
unturned in our efforts and RABINDRA NATH never delivered money to Minister’s Office (PMO), Belagavi, Nov. 25: The AKSHAYA KUMAR SAHOO persons have been taken Mr Verma had recently
hope to bring out our brothers CHOUDHURY Mr Baghel or any other stating that he has been Chief Executive Officer BHUBANESWAR, NOV. 25 into custody for interro- told a Canadian newspa-
trapped in the tunnel as early RAIPUR, NOV. 25 politician. framed in the case and of Belagavi Cantonment gation. We will soon zero per, “There is no specific
as possible,” he added. The ED had found cash officials had coerced him Board was found dead at The Odisha police on in on the accused and or relevant information
“I have also spoken to those In a new twist to the in his possession worth into signing a statement his official residence Saturday exhumed the establish the motive provided in this case for
inside the tunnel. All are fine online betting Mahadev `5.39 crores when he was in English, the language here on Saturday morn- chopped off body of a 21- behind the crime,” the us to assist them in the
and happy. They said, no mat- App case, a “courier” has arrested. he does not understand,” ing, police said. year-old girl from a forest Raighar police said. investigation.”
ter how much time it takes, but retracted his statement Das, along with another advocate Shoaib Alvi said. The incident comes a near Murumadihi in According to the It may be noted that,
evacuate us safely. We are given to the Enforcement accused in the case, con- After the arrest of Das, few days after CBI con- Nabarangpur district. deceased’s family mem- external affairs minister
working on all options. Work Director, probing the case, stable Bhim Singh Yadav, the ED said, “Forensic ducted raids at the The cops reportedly bers, Tilabati left her S. Jaishankar had main-
for vertical drilling has also saying that he has never were produced before the analysis and a statement Cantonment Board for found that the body was home on Wednesday say- tained India’s position
started. Satluj Jal Vidyut delivered cash to chief special Prevention of made by Das claimed that alleged irregularities in cut into 31 pieces. ing she was going to the before the Canadian gov-
Nigam Limit (SJVNL) has minister Bhupesh Baghel Money Laundering Act Mahadev App promoters the recruitment of The deceased woman, local market. When she ernment that Canada
started work on vertical or any other politician. (PMLA) court here on had paid about `508 crores employees in 2021. identified as Tilabati did not return till should present evidence
drilling while RVNL is The alleged “cash couri- Friday, which extended to CM Bhupesh Baghel”. K. Anand (40), who Gond, hailed from evening, the kin informed in support of its claims
engaged in horizontal drilling er” Asim Das, who was their judicial custody for The BJP on Saturday hailed from Tamil Nadu, Baghabeda village under the local police about the that “India is involved in
from Barkot end,” he) said. arrested by ED on seven days. cried foul over the “couri- was posted in Belagavi Raighar police limits. missing person. the killing of (pro-
The authorities have given November 3 in the case, “Das has written a letter er” making a turnaround, since last one year. He The police said it had The police along with Khalistan extremist)
mobile phones and board told the court that he has to the director of ED and saying that forensic tests lived alone here. No visi- launched an investigation the family members and Hardeep Singh Nijjar”,
games to the 41 trapped work- been made a scapegoat sent copies of the letter to should be done to estab- ble injuries marks were into the murder case. “We villagers searched for the as India is “not ruling
ers to alleviate their stress, an and framed as part of a higher authorities, lish the authenticity of found on his body, they have launched a probe girl in the neighbour- out an investigation” in
official said on Saturday. conspiracy, and he has including the Prime the letter. said. — PTI into the incident. Two hood. the matter.

Over 68% vote in Raj; Cong, BJP fate sealed Gehlot fights dual battle in Raj
■ Continued from Page 1 the BJP in Rajasthan, Mr his image”. Besides coming out
■ Continued from Page 1 continued till 6 pm. The Tijara death of a candidate. The voters against the Congress and the two-time Lok Sabha MP and sit- Gehlot leads the charge for the with catchy slogans like
minister Ashok Gehlot and oth- Assembly seat recorded the will decide the fate of 1,862 can- party will form the government ting MLA from Tonk, Mr Pilot Congress,” a party functionary “Bachat, Rahat, Badhat” (sav-
ers participated in the high- highest polling till 5 pm at 80.85 didates. The Election in the state again, Mr Gehlot (46) could still be Rajasthan's pointed out. ings, relief and progress), huge
pitched campaign. per cent and the number is Commission made elaborate said in Jodhpur. chief minister in waiting. In the Indicating that he was in the hoardings with Mr Gehlot's pho-
While the Congress has been expected to go even higher after arrangements to ensure smooth “There seems to be an under- last stretch of the campaign, the race for a fourth term, Mr tos were put up all over the state
banking on its promise of the final count. polling. More than 1.70 lakh current. It looks like the high command reportedly per- Gehlot's wife, Sunita Gehlot, to publicise his welfare
implementing the old pension In Sanwler village of Kaman security personnel were (Congress) government will be suaded Mr Gehlot to tweet a pro- told the media on Saturday that schemes. His budget speech was
scheme, the caste census and in Deeg district, two persons, deployed across the state. repeated,” he said. motional video of Mr Pilot “if Mr Gehlot becomes chief streamed live in colleges and
other promises in the mani- including a policeman, were The election in the desert state Talking to reporters in describing him as the minister again, he will take for- academic institutions for the
festo, the main Opposition BJP injured in stone-pelting. is a direct contest between the Jhalawar, Mr Gehlot's predeces- “Congress' young leader”. ward the work done by him dur- first time. A massive propagan-
is relying on campaigning “Police fired 12 rounds in the ruling Congress and the sor, Ms Raje, agreed with him Fighting one of the most cru- ing his first three terms as chief da blitz was unleashed by the
against the “misrule” of the air to disperse the crowd. Voting Opposition BJP. The Congress is but said it would benefit the cial battles of his political life, minister.” Gehlot team on social media.
Gehlot government and the was disrupted for a few minutes aiming to buck the trend of the BJP. Mr Gehlot is aware of the tricky Playing the sub-nationalism “Till the last stretch of cam-
promise of its leaders to turn due to the incident,” Deeg ruling party being voted out “I agree with him. There is terrain both inside and outside card on the voting day today, Mr paigning, neither the Congress
the state from “number one in superintendent of police every five years, while the BJP indeed an undercurrent, but in his organisation. In his bid to Gehlot released a teaser titled high command nor any state
corruption and crime” to a Brijesh Upadhyay said. is eyeing a return in the state favour of the BJP. The lotus take the bull by its horns, Mr “Kyonki dil hain Rajasthani”. leader figured anywhere in the
“developed state”. In Sikar’s Fatehpur, two ahead of the Lok Sabha polls (BJP's poll symbol) will bloom Gehlot made the elections cam- Trying to buck the trend, Mr publicity blitz,” the Congress
The counting of votes will groups clashed and a jawan was next year. on December 3,” she said. paign in the desert state virtual- Gehlot is banking heavily on functionary pointed out. As the
take place on December 3, along injured in the violence. The AIMIM and the AAP are In Jodhpur, Mr Shekhawat ly a one-man show. Some party the slew of welfare schemes he curtain falls on the highly
with the counting of the other “Stone pelting occurred out- also contesting the assembly said, “The BJP is coming to leaders indicated that the chief has launched as the chief min- charged battle for the desert
four states — Madhya Pradesh, side a polling booth. One jawan polls in the state. power with a huge majority. minister made the entire cam- ister of the state. state, it remains to be seen if Mr
Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and was injured in the stone-pelting. Many voters, youngsters as This time people will vote keep- paign between him and Prime Reports emanating from Gehlot, often called the “Jadugar
Telangana. No civilian was injured. Around well as the elderly, queued up at ing in mind crimes committed Minister Narendra Modi. Rajasthan spoke of Mr Gehlot's of Jodhpur”, can pull off anoth-
On the day Rajasthan went to 5-7 persons have been detained,” polling centres well before 7 am. against women, paper leak inci- “While Mr Modi is the face of “mega PR drive” to “promote er trick to stay at the top.
polls, the BJP accused Mr Fatehpur DSP Ram Pratap said. Ms Raje’s grandson, a first-time dents and corruption during the
Gandhi and Ms Vadra of violat- An altercation occurred voter, also cast his vote at a five-year rule of the Congress.”
ing poll guidelines with their
posts on X. The BJP urged the
between a polling agent and a
person outside a polling booth
polling booth in Jhalawar.
Mr Gehlot, Union Ministers
Earlier in the day, the Prime
Minister, Mr Kharge and sever-
Name change won’t hide graft: Modi to BRS, Cong
Election Commission to seek in Dholpur's Bari seat. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and al other leaders appealed to the ■ Continued from Page 1 changed their names, with the Maheshwaram. You elected a
suspension of the Congress “Two vehicles were damaged Kailash Chaudhary, Mr Raje people of Rajasthan to vote in seen through the nexus between TRS becoming the BRS and the Congress candidate who joined
leader's social media account in the ensuing violence. Polling and Mr Pilot were among the large numbers. the two parties and were ready UPA becoming the I.N.D.I. the BRS and became a minister.
and initiate other actions was stopped for some time and first ones to cast their votes. Mr The Election Commission has to “reject the BRS’ Alliance. “People understand This means every vote to the
against them. resumed later,” Dholpur collec- Gehlot and Mr Shekhawat cast set a target of at least 75 per “Nizamshahi” and Congress’ these tricks and changing Congress will be a vote for the
In their posts, both the tor Anil Kumar Agarwal said. their votes in Jodhpur, Mr cent turnout in each constituen- “Sultanshahi” attitudes. names doesn’t erase their histo- BRS,” Mr Modi said.
Congress leaders urged people In Uniara, Tonk district, 40–50 Chaudhary in Balotra, Ms Raje cy this time. Mr Modi will stay overnight in ries of vote bank politics and It is only the BJP, with the
to vote for their party. people tried to enter a polling in Jhalawar and Mr Pilot in Selfie points were put up at Hyderabad and campaign in corruption,” he said. “Modi guarantee”, that will take
The BJP wrote to the Election booth. However, the situation Jaipur. polling booths and people, par- Telangana for two more days for Mr Modi said that the BRS- Telangana and its people to the
Commission, saying their posts was brought under control, SP Rajasthan BJP president C.P. ticularly young voters, took self- the November 30 elections. He is Congress ties began with Mr heights they aspire to and
violate the 48-hour silence peri- Rajarshi Raj said. Joshi exercised his franchise in ies after casting their votes. also scheduled to travel to Rao starting his political career deserve.
od in the run-up to the polls, a Two people — a polling agent Chittorgarh and party MPs In the 2018 Assembly polls, the Tirumala on Sunday for the dar- in the Congress and being made “Elect the BJP in the coming
period during which most of a candidate and an elderly Diya Kumari and Rajyavardhan Congress wrested power from shan of Lord Venkateswara in a Union Cabinet minister by elections, bring a double-engine
forms of campaigning are voter — died of cardiac arrest at Singh Rathore voted in Jaipur. the BJP and formed the govern- the temple town and return that party. “After Telangana was sarkar and I guarantee that this
barred. polling booths in Pali and Ms Kumari and Mr Rathore are ment with Mr Gehlot as chief here on Monday. formed, KCR met the Congress will happen. To remove the BRS
The party accused the former Udaipur districts. among the seven BJP MPs who minister for the third time. The The Prime Minister said: “The leaders. He supported the from power and to make your
Congress president and his sis- At Charvali village in the are contesting the Assembly Congress had won 100 seats and people of Telangana are exas- Congress in the President and dreams come true, your most
ter, a general secretary of the Pindwada Abu constituency in elections. the BJP 73 then. perated with nine years of the vice-president elections and trusted partner is the BJP,” he
party, of violating the Sirohi district, people boycotted In their interactions with the In the 2013 Assembly elections, BRS rule and want to be freed of during the no-confidence declared.
Representation of the People voting. There are more than 5.25 media, the leaders expressed the BJP formed the govern- its control and also that of the motion against our govern- “The BRS and the Congress
Act and the model code of con- crore registered voters in 199 confidence that their respective ment, with Ms Raje becoming Congress, which ruled this ment,” he said. chiefs are contesting from
duct and sought the EC's action. seats, out of a total of 200 in the parties will get the mandate of the chief minister for a second region for decades but neglected “More proof that the BRS and Kamareddy, which shows how
Polling began at more than state. Polling in one constituen- the people. time. In 2013, the BJP had won it.” the Congress are two sides of much they fear losing from
51,000 polling booths at 7 am and cy was postponed due to the There is no anti-incumbency 163 seats and the Congress 21. The two parties, he said, had the same coin is in their own constituencies.
 EDIT
THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 26 NOVEMBER 2023 | NEW DELHI
pg 5

Subhani

26 NOVEMBER 2023

Shreya Sen-Handley
Off the beaten track

Confessions of an
armchair cricketer
I
ndia may have lost the World Cup, but their exuberant progress to the final
won my heart again. After nearly fifteen years of cool indifference, finding
my interest in cricket rekindled felt like rediscovering an old flame.
What lured me back? India’s all-round brilliance in the run-up/the cool tac-
tician combo of Sharma and Dravid plotting their ascendance/the comedy pro-
vided by the likes of umpire (and aspiring Bollywood baddie) Marius
Erasmus/the razzmatazz of the event, or all of the above?
I couldn’t tell you for sure what flipped the switch back to its old fervent set-

Inner-party democracy is LETTERS

ting, but in the course of this World Cup, I realised I was in full cricketing mode
again when I felt affronted by the throwaway comment of a young English-
man, who joked that cricket was the most dangerous of sports as “you could die
of boredom” from watching it. I could’ve told him his was a case of sour grapes, GRIPPING SERIES
considering how his team had fared, but replied with the kindly smile of the
older and wiser instead, “Then you haven’t watched Asian teams play!”

vital, along with elections

There’s no doubt that my affinity to this game is down to my Indian heritage. Netflix has released a four-
Never a sporty person, with a track record of having the strangest accidents episode series called The
at school sporting events, after our return to India from the Philippines in my Railway Men. The true-
preteens, I took to cricket as a way to anchor myself in my new environment.
I pestered my parents into subscribing
story inspired events
to sports magazines, decided I liked Ga- Mature democracies, powerful high command is revolve around four railway
vaskar and read every book written in like the the US or the the unquestioned and final men who rescued several
his name, and even started playing ap- arbiter of chief ministers of people on the day of the
artment cricket. You know, the kind you Pavan K. Varma UK, have open and
vigorous inner party
the party, and democratic
Bhopal gas tragedy. Kay
play in the corridors of your family’s discussion and debate has
flat, where landing a ball in the toilet elections. In America, transformed into a frozen Kay Menon, the station
bowl means you’ve got a six but also the both Republican and peace in favour of only the master, R. Madhavan, the
icky job of fishing it out. When my appa- Chanakya’s View Democratic parties leader.
GM (inspection) and Babil
rently-sturdy bat melted in the heat of Unquestionable authori-
that summer, I swapped playing for the
have internal tarianism at the helm may Khanna, a railway mechan-
more hygienic activity of armchair primaries, in which give the illusion of strong ic, all do their best to save

I
cricket. n the excitement of the Congress leaders would candidates test their leadership, but it is defini-
Till watching our cricketing idols on What lured me back? five Assembly elec- have been annoyed, embar- democratic support. tively undesirable. Firstly,
trapped passengers.
TV felt far too tame and my university tions, and the build-up rassed or indifferent to a it affects policy making. Divyanshu Sharma of
friends and I stormed Kolkata’s Grand India’s all-round brilliance to the parliamentary slogan like ‘India is Indira, When decisions that affect Mirzapur fame plays a ban-
Hotel to meet them for ourselves. The in the run-up/the cool elections next year, it Indira is India’, Mrs Gandhi transparent elections were the lives of millions are dit who undergoes a
nicely-turned-out young women that we tactician combo of Sharma seems that democracy in welcomed it. In 1959, when held in which MPs could taken without discussion
were then, we slipped past security with and Dravid plotting their India is robust and thriv- Nehru was asked by the freely choose who the next and debate, they can often change of heart. The men
the ease of secret agents. The cricketers, ascendance/the comedy ing. It is, but in all the cam- media if he is grooming incumbent should be. Rishi be arbitrary, whimsical and do not get any help from
including a nineteen-year-old Tendul- provided by the likes of paigning and wooing of vot- Indira to succeed him, he Sunak became PM through ill-informed; but the party their bosses in Delhi. The
kar, proved friendly young people them- ers, we seem to have happi- said that he was “mentally precisely such an election. supremo is hostile to dis-
selves, with Kambli the warmest. Even umpire (and aspiring ly accepted an unacceptable opposed” to the idea of polit- Other real democracies senting views that could flaw in the script lies in
their manager Venkataraghavan, the Bollywood baddie) Marius paradox — India must be ical dynasties in a democra- have similar processes. add the necessary balance that the state govern-
legendary spinner, though pretending to Erasmus/the razzmatazz of one of the few democracies cy. Nevertheless, Indira, In India, however, intra- and corrective. Secondly, it ment’s ineptitude is not
shoo us away, couldn’t hide a smile at the event, or all the above? where the voter has free after the short interregnum party elections are mostly a seriously devalues the
our winning stealth. choice, but members of of Lal Bahadur Shastri, farce. The electing forums development of a genuine
exposed. The series stands
Guile was no longer necessary when I became a television journalist and was political parties have became Prime Minister have already been hand- meritocracy. The leader out due to its wonderful
officially invited to matches at Eden Gardens, from my ringside seat in which almost none. The lack of (PM), and after her untime- picked to support only one wants yes men, not neces- acting and crisp dialogues.
I could eyeball everything from Azharuddin’s elegant centuries to the mint- inner-party democracy has ly killing, her son, Rajiv candidate, legislators fear sarily those with talent and D.B. Madan
green five-o-clock shadow on Imran Khan’s chin. I even got to interview the become a universal feature Gandhi — a good man but to stand against the a mind of their own. Most
era’scricketing creme-de-la-creme; Kapil Dev, Steve Waugh, Sourav Ganguly of our polity. There is a complete outsider to poli- ‘ordained’ leader or his or importantly, the leader’s New Delhi
and Rahul Dravid, amongst them. In Kapil’s interview to me, conducted as he ubiquitous ‘high command’ tics — succeeded her. After her choice, the successor is abilities are beyond interro-
publicised a children’s charity, he fondly called the tykes“terrible” when he
meant “terrific”, proving his English as wonky as his heart was in the right
whose writ is final, and any
views to the contrary are
Rajiv’s tragic assassination,
his wife, Sonia Gandhi,
already chosen, and the
party endorsement just a
gation. He may not even
have passed school, or HELP THEM!
place. neither welcome nor go remained the longest serv- tokenistic formality. The repeatedly shown political THE MISSION to rescue the 41
Anil Kumble was the one that got away. Despite having his phone number unpunished. In the legisla- ing president of the Congress party recently ineptitude, but there can be trapped workers in Uttarkashi
vouchsafed to me by Dravid himself, I never managed a chat with the spinner, ture there is a whip, in the Congress Party. Her son, had an election to choose its no challenge. appears to be jinxed! The US auger
glimpsing only the sleek soles of his shoes at Trent Bridge as he outran the mob party a fiat. The simultane- Rahul, is now the de facto party president. Thirdly, it leads to the machine that ground to a halt on
of fans on his scent. ous presence of democracy head of the party. Mallikarjun Kharge — an empowerment of an Thursday after colliding with a
Foolishly, I didn’t join the Pakistani and Australian sides for the glitzy team and the absence of The example of the able man but an unabashed unhealthy coterie, that metallic object resumed drilling on
dinners to which I was invited, because I didn’t think I had anything suitable it is a glaring feature Congress has many emula- acolyte of the ‘family’ — even without merit, exercis- Friday afternoon but ran into a
to wear! I have no such Cinderella hang-ups nowadays, and would turn up in of the world’s largest tors. Today, across India, an was known to be the es disproportionate power metal rod and stopped. With the
my bathrobe if the occasion was of interest. democracy. ugly rash of undemocratic dynasty’s choice. Shashi and influence solely auger machine encountering
Cricket also played a part in my decision to settle in Britain. In steering me This was not always the political dynasties has pro- Tharoor chose to stand for because of its obsequious umpteen hurdles, work on vertical
to a match on an idyllic village green on an early ramble through Robin Hood case. During the freedom liferated. True, there is the elections in accordance proximity to the leader. drilling is in full swing. One prays
country, a scene straight out of a pastoral painting and blending of some of my movement, and after, open nothing wrong in the proge- with the party’s constitu- This prevents the emer- the trapped labourers are rescued
favourite things— art, literature, history, and cricket — it was telling me to dialogue and dissent was ny of a political leader fol- tion. Although his loss was gence of alternative rungs soon.
stay. the norm within the lowing in the footsteps of a foregone conclusion, he of leadership and future N.J. Ravi Chander
A few years later, I knew I’d married the right man too, when my English Congress. Mahatma parents. What is undemoc- managed to get over a thou- leaders, who are, in fact, Bengaluru
husband ran his annual British marathon in his India cricket team t-shirt, like Gandhi’s views may have ratic is that the child of the sand votes, which was no considered a threat to the
a knight sporting his lady’s favour, romantically declaring his allegiance.
Bemused initially by the cheers he got from Indian runners along the way, and
mostly prevailed, but it was
not through diktat, but the
dynastic patriarch is auto-
matically ordained to be the
mean achievement. But his
temerity to stand against
supremo. And, fourthly, it
leads to a despicable and CURE WITHIN REACH
wondering at his sudden popularity with them, he discovered, to his amuse- moral pressure he legiti- heir to the party ‘throne’. the chosen one had its con- pervasive atmosphere of THE PROHIBITIVE cost for medi-
ment, that it was the effect of his India blue jersey on his fellow marathon men. mately exercised. Even Mature democracies, like sequences. He was, it sycophancy. Praise of the cines of very rare disease ensures
But then, our two children were born and we drifted away from cricket. after Independence, the the US or the UK, have appeared, ostracised for his party chief has to be that most will be unable to afford
There just wasn’t enough time or energy to do anything else after looking after although Jawaharlal Nehru open and vigorous inner audacity, and those who emphatically effusive, his them, leaving death as the only
our toddlers, doing justice to our jobs, and, incredibly rarely, catching forty was the Prime Minister, party elections. In America, supported him were report- name should be endlessly option. Therefore, the news that
winks. As they grew and we had a smidgeon more time on our hands, those lit- there was scope for an unin- both the Republican and edly victimised. Only invoked, and all credit must India is going to launch medicines
tle windows of opportunity were given over to reading, writing, theatre, trav- hibited exchange of differ- Democratic parties have recently some balm has always be given to him. for four rare diseases which would
el, food and films, conscious that we were shaping the citizens of tomorrow ences of opinion between internal primaries, in been applied to his bruised This is the test of loyalty, be available at a small fraction of
even as we enjoyed ourselves. him and Sardar Patel, and which candidates for the soul by making him a mem- the passport to upward what they would otherwise cost
The siren song of cricket, however, was still heard now and then. We began between other senior lead- leadership test their democ- ber of the Congress mobility, and there is no must come as a life saver for many
to take our kids to T-20 matches at Trent Bridge, and though they haven’t (yet) ers, both in party forums ratic support, and partici- Working Committee dearth of courtiers vying to who are suffering or likely to suffer
embraced the game like their parents, they enjoy the festive feel, the picnics up and the Cabinet. pate in public debates on (CWC). outdo competitors. from these rare diseases. Not just
in the heavens, and the spectators’ eccentricities (our most recent visit was Alas, all of this ended with what they stand for, giving Such a state of affairs For a dialogic civilisation, Indians but people from other
enlivened by a wizened old man producing piercing bird calls through his the ascendance of Indira voters a choice of whom seems to be true even for this undemocratic state of nations, too, would benefit with
team’s innings; encouraging them to take wing!). What, I suspect, would real- Gandhi. That inaugurated a they want to see as the the BJP today, whereas ear- affairs among those sup- this reduction in cost. Children
ly convert the children would be the electric atmosphere of a match at Eden new era of absolute leader- leader of their party. In the lier it was not only non- posed to protect democracy suffering from sickle cell anaemia,
Gardens. ship, absolute adulation, UK, when an incumbent dynastic, but had a healthy is a matter of deep concern. too, will find life a lot more easier
Tips, anyone, on how to snag tickets? and absolute conformity. PM steps down — as hap- collegium at the top — Atal with the introduction of oral sus-
Her undoubted leadership pened most recently in the Behari Vajpayee, L.K. The writer is an author, pension costing `400 instead of the
Shreya Sen-Handley is the author of the award-winning Memoirs of My qualities were marred by a case of Boris Johnson and Advani, Murli Manohar diplomat and former current `70,000 for 100 ml.
Body, short story collection Strange and travelogue Handle With Care. propensity for unqualified Liz Truss of the Joshi and many others — to member of Parliament Anthony Henriques
Her Twitter and Insta handle is @shreyasenhan. obeisance. If in the past, Conservative Party — take decisions. Now an all- (Rajya Sabha) Mumbai

I T
s the Bharatiya Janata Party hough the Madhya Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya was not seen Bharatiya Janata Party leadership B.Y. Vijayendra as state party chief
preparing the new cricketing election is long over, chatter alongside chief minister Yogi indicating that Mr Chouhan is as well as his loyalist R.Ashoka as
star, Mohammed Shami, for a about the poll campaign has not Adityanath at the Deepotsav pro- unlikely to get another term in case leader of opposition in the
Anita Katyal political career? This is being died down. Former and present stu- gramme organised on Diwali day at of a victory, there is uncertainty Assembly. According to the political
avidly discussed in Delhi’s political dents of Indore’s prestigious Day Ayodhya. He was also absent from about the party’s plans for him. The grapevine, the alliance was being
Political circles following a series of recent
incidents. After his spectacular per-
College are busy speculating about
the possible winners, particularly
the first Cabinet meeting held at
Ayodhya earlier this month. The offi-
experience of other former BJP chief
ministers does not hold out much
pushed by B.L. Santosh, a known
Yediyurappa baiter, but now that the
Gup-Shup formance in the recent World Cup
series, Uttar Pradesh chief minister
since 12 former students, represent-
ing both the Bharatiya Janata Party
cial explanation given was that Mr
Maurya was busy with scheduled
hope for Mr Chouhan. Except for for-
mer Karnataka chief minister B.S.
former has lost out to his bete noire,
there is a possibility that the pact
Yogi Adityanath, not known to be and Congress, contested these elec- election meetings in poll-bound Yediyurappa, who remains political- could unravel. The former chief min-
partial to members of the minority tions. As expected, the school alumni Madhya Pradesh though the same ly relevant long after he left office, the ister, who is a commanding figure of
community, declared that a cricket is divided on political lines, between could not be said about the deputy experience of other former BJP chief the Lingayat community, believes
stadium would be constructed at a Congress camp loyal to Digvijaya chief minister not showing up for the ministers does not hold out much the party does not need to pander to

Is BJP grooming Shami’s native village in Amroha.

Then, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi made a point of hugging Shami
when he visited the cricket team’s
Singh and a BJP camp led by the
Dewas royal family of the late Tukoji
Rao Puar (former BJP leader whose
wife Gayatri Puar is a BJP candidate
grand Diwali show at Ayodhya. It is
said that this is but a reflection of the
tense relations between Yogi and Mr
Maurya. It is also believed that Mr
hope for Mr Chouhan. For instance,
where are Uma Bharati, D.V.
Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar
and Basavaraj Bommai today? There
the Vokkaliga caste base of the JD(S)
and that the BJP is capable of recov-
ering lost ground on its own. There is
also a rethink in the JD(S) about this

Shami for polls? dressing room to console its mem-

bers after they lost the final. The
PM’s publicists ensured the photo-
from Dewas). The run-up to the elec-
tion witnessed some absurd fights on
the school WhatsApp groups between
Maurya is being encouraged to nee-
dle Yogi by the Bharatiya Janata
Party’s central leadership, as it does
is literally no trace of them as they
appear to have disappeared without a
trace. The big question is whether the
alliance now that B.L. Santosh has
been sidelined. It is clear Mr
Yediyurappa will call the shots in the

Maurya sent to graph went viral. Last week, Shami

was the star attraction at the “Iglas”
programme hosted by the BJP’s
national spokesperson Anil Baluni.
rival camps with some going as far as
to rake up old stories about the candi-
dates when they were students like
who habitually borrowed money for
not want anyone to eclipse Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and take
ownership of the Ram Temple pro-
ject. Mr Modi will be leading the con-
party will acknowledge
Chouhan’s contribution and rehabili-
tate him honourably or will he meet
the same fate as other former chief
Mr run-up to the next year’s Lok Sabha
elections as he has demonstrated that
he remains a force to reckon with.
The BJP Central leadership has, over

clip Yogi wings? Shami was especially escorted to

meet Union home minister Amit
tuck and never returned the cash,
and who was the school bully and has
secration ceremony at the under-con-
struction Ram Temple at Ayodhya on
ministers. the years, tried to marginalise him
but to no avail. After losing the

M
Shah who blessed him and asked him not changed. January 22. eanwhile in Karnataka, the state in the last Assembly polls, the
to get down to work. The buzz is that proposed alliance between party has finally surrendered to

T T
Shami could be promoted by the BJP here has been considerable he four-time Madhya Pradesh the BJP and the Janata Dal him.
to take on Danish Ali of the Bahujan speculation in Lucknow’s polit- chief minister Shivraj Singh (S) is on shaky ground following the
Samaj Party, the present Lok Sabha ical circles ever since Uttar Chouhan has reason to worry appointment of former Karnataka Anita Katyal is a Delhi-based
member from Amroha. Pradesh deputy chief minister about his political future. With the chief minister Yediyurappa’s son journalist

EDITOR: KAUSHIK MITTER, PRINTER & PUBLISHER: K. SUDHAKAR; THE ASIAN AGE office is located at: New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi-110002. Phone: (011) 23211124;
Published and Printed on behalf of and for; Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited, Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi 110 002 at BFL Infotech Ltd., C-9, Sector-III, Noida -201301;
London: Quickmarsh Ltd, 8th Floor, Block 2, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London, SE1 7NQ; RNI Registration number: 57290/94
 WORLD
THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 26 NOVEMBER 2023 | NEW DELHI
pg 6

SHORT

13-YEAR-OLD PIO
TAKES
Helped broker release of Ahmadi worship place
WINS YOGA GOLD
IN SWEDEN
London, Nov. 25: A 13-year-old
Indian-origin Yoga prodigy
Thais held in Gaza: Iran minarets razed in attack Lahore, Nov. 25: More
than three dozen people, IMRAN MOVES SC FOR GRAFT CASE BAIL
from south-east England with Hamas to release 14 hostages, Israel to set free 39 prisoners said to be activists of a ra-
several awards under his belt
has added another Gold Medal Tehran, Nov. 25: Iran said
ECUADOR V-P’s PEACE DEAL
dical Islamist party attac-
ked a place of worship of 2of upretired Pakistani Army officers have been court-
martialed and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment
to 14 years for inciting sedition, it was
to his tally at the European on Saturday it helped bro- the Ahmadi community
Yoga Sports Championship in ker the surprise release of and demolished its mina- announced on Saturday, indicating that military court
Sweden. Ishwar Sharma, from Thai nationals who had Over three dozen rets and terrorising them trials of those accused of violence against military
Sevenoaks in Kent, started tak- been held by Palestinian Palestinian prisoners in Pakistan-occupied Kas- installations on May 9 have begun. Major (Retired)
ing up Yoga when he was three militants in war-ravaged returned home to a hmir, an official from the Adil Farooq Raja and Captain (Retired) Haider Raza
years old after seeing his father Gaza since their shock hero’s welcome in the minority community said Mehdi, who live abroad and are critical of the senior
practise daily and went on to attack on Israel. occupied West Bank on Saturday.
Army leadership, were sentenced in absentia.
win several World Yoga Cham- On Friday, Hamas unex- on Friday following The attack is the latest
pionships. Last weekend, he pectedly released 10 Thais in the series of such inci-
bagged the Europe Cup 2023 in
the Boys 12-14 category.
and a Filipino, along with
the 13 Israeli women and
their release from
Israeli prisons as part
of a ceasefire deal
dents — at least 40 betw-
een January to October
11 KILLED
IN FIRE
IN KARACHI
● Alleging “complete
connivance” to keep it
away from general
children that were part of this year — the Jamaat-e-
a temporary truce deal between Israel and Ahmadiyya Pakistan said. SHOPPING MALL, elections, jailed
5 MOUNTAINEERS with Israel.
Israel in turn freed 39
Hamas. The
procession of freed
“Over three dozen mis-
creants believed to be me-
SEVERAL FEARED
TRAPPED
former Pakistan prime
minister Imran Khan’s party has
KILLED, 4 HURT IN Palestinian women and
children from its prisons.
prisoners, some
accused of minor Raghad Fan (C) a Palestinian prisoner held in an Israeli
mbers of the Tehreek-e-
Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)
A massive
fire tore
moved the Sindh High Court
against the election
IRAN AVALANCHE “The issue of Thai pris-
oners was jointly pursued
offences and others
convicted in attacks,
prison is greeted by her family on her release under a
truce deal between Israel and Hamas in exchange for
attacked the Ahmadi pla-
ce of worship in Doliyan
through a
shopping
commission's directive to hold
intra-party elections within 20
Tehran, Nov. 25: An avalanche by the Islamic Republic of hostages held in Gaza, in Baytunia in the occupied West Jatan in Kotli district on
killed five mountain climbers Iran and Qatar,” Iran’s for- at a checkpoint Friday. The Ahmadis pres- mall in Pakistan’s days to retain ‘bat’ as its
Bank. — AFP
and injured four others in west eign ministry spokesman outside of Jerusalem ent in the worship places Karachi city on electoral symbol.
Iran, state media reported on Nasser Kanani told the of- stoked massive The Israeli military has gotten to the heart of ran for their lives while Saturday, killing at ● Imran Khan has moved the
Saturday. ficial IRNA news agency. crowds of Palestinians Hamas’ military assets and plans to the miscreants demolish- least 11 people Supreme Court for bail in the
A report by the state-owned The releases took place into a chanting, continue active fighting once a
ed its minarets and nic- and injuring six, Al-Qadir Trust corruption case
IRNA news agency said rescue as a temporary truce pau- clapping, hand- President he,” Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya officials said. it in which Pakistan's jailed
teams recovered the bodies of sed fighting in Gaza for cease-fire ends, Israeli defence forces Pakistan official Amir
waving, screaming spokesman Daniel Hagari said. Joe Biden said was not clear what former prime minister and his
five climbers from San Boran the first time since Octob- frenzy. that he believes Mahmood told PTI on caused it. Chief
peak, some 300 kilometres er 7 when Hamas gunmen Saturday. The miscreants wife are accused of receiving
(about 186 miles) southwest of attacked southern Israel,
putting conditions came on motorcycles and
Fire Officer Mubin land worth billions of rupees as
The World Health Ecuador’s vice president on military aid Ahmed said that
the capital Tehran. killing at least 1,200 peop- Organisation voiced Veronica Abad will take after destroying the min- a bribe from a real estate
The other four injured were le, most of them civilians, to Israel is a arets and niche of the 42 people were tycoon, according to a media
concern on Friday up a post in Tel Aviv to “worthwhile rescued.
taken to hospital. and taking 240 more host- worship place left while report.
The report said the 9-member age, said Israeli figures. about the fate of the head of pursue a peace thought”, and chanting religious sloga-
team of climbers began their Israel has responded Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital, agreement between he hopes the ns, he said.
journey on Thursday despite a with a withering bombing Mohammad Abu Salmiya, Israeli and the Palestinians Gaza ceasefire will This worship place was tered against the suspects Islamists or their mina-
warning by local authorities campaign on Gaza, that whom Israeli forces detained after being assigned the last longer than built in 1954. The said as yet. Mahmood said at rets and arches demol-
about possible risk. has killed more than over the facility’s alleged use peace portfolio by President four days. incident occurred within least 40 worship places of ished by police in differ-
15,000 people, most of by Hamas. Daniel Noboa. the jurisdiction of police the Ahmadi minority ent parts of Pakistan dur-
them women and childr- station Narr in Kotli but community have either ing the first 10 months of
PIO STUDENT IN en, according to the Ham-
as-run government. on Saturday, saying the 10 truce, Hamas is expected stopping war crimes com-
no FIR has been regis- been attacked by radical this year. — PTI

COMA AFTER “A list of names of these individuals — nine men to free 50 Israeli hostages mitted... by the Zionist re-
U.S. DESTROYER
Split in Maldives
prisoners was given to and one woman — had in exchange for 150 gime against Palestinian
ASSAULT IN OZ Hamas officials to review
and assist with the issue
been taken to Israel via
Egypt. It added that roug-
Palestinian
under a deal.
prisoners, people.” Iran, which supp-
orts Hamas financially
Melbourne, Nov. 25: An Indian- from a humanitarian per- hly 20 Thais are among On Thursday, Kanani and militarily, has hailed IN TERRITORIAL
ruling coalition
origin student in Australia is in spective,” Kanani added. the estimated 215 people welcomed the temporary the Oct. 7 attacks as a “su-
a medically induced coma after
he was assaulted and a suspect
The Thai foreign minis-
try confirmed the releases
still held hostage in Gaza.
During the four-day
truce as “the first step in
the path of completely
ccess” but denied any dir-
ect involvement. — AFP
WATERS: CHINA
has been taken into custody Shanghai, Nov. 25: The
and charged with criminal Chinese military said on

Iranian drone hits Israeli ship

assault, according to a media Saturday that American Male, Nov. 25: Maldives
report. naval destroyer USS ex-president Abdulla Ya-
The student, who has not Hopper entered China’s meen will form a new pol-
been identified, is in his 20s. He territorial waters with- itical party, his lawyer
is pursuing a master’s degree out the approval of the said, splitting from his su-
at the University of Tasmania. Dubai, Nov. 25: An Israeli- said, confirming the atta- ed company, which was thern Red Sea. Ambrey Chinese government. ccessor’s ruling party and
The incident took place on Nov. owned cargo ship was ck on Friday and adding assessed to be the reason said in a separate incident According to a post on posing the new President
5 at a precinct in Tasmania and damaged in a suspected that “the ship incurred why it was targeted,” Am- on Friday the Houthis cau- the official WeChat acco- a major setback ahead of
the victim had extra jural blee- drone attack by Iran’s minor damage” and there brey said, adding that in tioned a tanker southwest unt of the Chinese Peo- parliamentary polls.
ding that caused his brain to Islamic Revolutionary Gu- were “no injuries”. the days before the attack, of Yemen’s Red Sea port ple Liberation Army’s Primarily known as one
shift, Sydney-based Special Br- ard Corps in the Indian Maritime security com- the ship’s tracking trans- city of Hodeida “to change Southern Theatre Com- of the most expensive hol-
oadcasting Service reported. Ocean, a US defence offi- pany Ambrey said the Ma- missions had stopped sho- course and warned that an mand, the Chinese mili- iday destinations in Sou- Mohamed Muizzu
cial said on Saturday. lta-flagged, French-operat- rtly after departing port in attack would follow if they tary deployed its naval th Asia, with pristine wh-
“We are aware of reports ed container ship was the United Arab Emirates. did not follow the instruc- and air forces to “track, ite beaches and secluded
FIRST BIRD FLU that there was a suspected
IRGC-initiated Shahed-136
reportedly damaged when
the unmanned aerial vehi-
The reported attack com-
es almost a week after Ye-
tions”. The security firm
said warning was issued
monitor and
away” the vessel.
warn resorts, the strategic Indi-
an Ocean island nation
CASE: JAPAN TO UAV (that) struck a civil-
ian motor vessel in the In-
cle exploded close to it.
“The vessel was man-
men’s Iran-backed Houthi
rebels seized an Israel-lin-
several times, adding it is
“likely a Houthi operati-
It went on to say that
the incident “proves that
has also become a geopo-
litical hotspot.
CULL 40K BIRDS dian Ocean,” the official aged by an Israeli-affiliat- ked cargo ship in the sou- on”. is imminent”. — AFP the United States is an
out-and-out ‘security
Global east-west shippi-
ng lanes pass the nation’s
Tokyo, Nov. 25: Japan detected risk creator’ in the chain of 1,192 tiny coral
the first case of highly patho-
genic H5-type bird flu this sea-
son at a poultry farm in the
south of the country, public
COP WHO KILLED
GEORGE FLOYD
Sex assault claims against South China Sea."
The announcement co-
mes days after China
accused the Philippines
islands, stretching arou-
nd 800 kilometres (500
miles) across the equator.
President Mohamed Abdulla Yameen
broadcaster NHK reported.
The local government in Saga
prefecture will cull about 40,000
birds on the farm, NHK said,
citing agriculture ministry
STABBED IN JAIL
Washington, Nov. 25:
Derek Chauvin, the US
Cuomo, rapper Combs
Albany, Nov. 25: Former
of enlisting “foreign for-
ces” to patrol the South
China Sea, referring to
joint patrols held since
Tuesday by Philippines
Muizzu, 45, was sworn in
last week after being elec-
ted in September as a pr-
oxy for his pro-China pre-
decessor Yameen, who
Yameen “chose to resign
from the PPM and Pres-
ident Muizzu’s coalition”,
the 64-year-old ex-leader’s
officials it did not name. police officer whose mu- New York governor Andr- and US. — Reuters was disqualified from the lawyer Mohamed Jameel
Ministry officials were not rder of George Floyd sp- ew Cuomo is being sued polls because he was serv- told AFP late on Friday.
immediately available for com- arked massive racial jus- by a former aide who says ing an 11-year jail term “Yameen is now form-
ment outside of business hou-
rs. PM Fumio Kishida will con-
tice protests in 2020, was
stabbed in prison on Fri-
Cuomo sexually harassed
her while he was still in LANKA TO OKAY for corruption.
On Friday, Yameen loy-
ing a new political party
and a significant portion
vene Cabinet ministers to disc- day, the New York Times office. alists accused Muizzu of of the party is rallying
uss measures to prevent sprea-
ding of the virus, NHK said.
reported citing unnam-
ed sources.
Cuomo’s former execu-
tive assistant Brittany
CHINA’S $4.5 BN seeking to hijack the lead-
ership of their Progre-
behind him.” Muizzu
needs to win a majority in
Chauvin knelt on the
46-year-old Black man’s
Commisso filed the case
against the ex-governor in
Andrew Cuomo Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
REFINERY OFFER ssive Party of Maldives
(PPM), and the former
parliamentary elections
slated for next year to
INDONESIAN COPS, neck for more than nine
minutes on a Minneap-
state Supreme Court in
Albany on Wednesday.
year window for sexual
assault claims to be filed
seeking a jury trial and
compensation, according
Colombo, Nov. 25: Sri
Lanka will likely appro-
president will now form
his own party.
implement his legislative
programme. — AFP
FISHERS PATROL olis street despite the
dying man’s pleas.
The filing, a three-page
summons, came just befo-
that otherwise happened
too far in the past to liti-
to a court filing.
Commisso was one of at
ve on Monday a proposal
from Chinese state refin-
TO STOP ROHINGYA
Record 75 drone
Floyd’s cries of “I can’t re the expiration for law- gate. least 11 women who accu- er Sinopec to build a
breathe” were a rallying suits under the Adult Sur- Other high-profile fig- sed Cuomo of sexual mis- $4.5-billion-dollar refine-
Lhokseumawe, Nov. 25: Indon- call for demonstrators vivors Act, a special law ures facing claims under conduct, leading to his ab- ry, the South Asian isla-
esian police and fishermen domestically and abroad which gave victims of sex- the law, which expired rupt 2021 resignation in a nd nation’s energy min-

strikes by Russia
said on Saturday they have beg- who took to the streets ual abuse a one-year win- Friday, include US actor #MeToo-era scandal that ister said on Saturday.
un patrolling parts of the coun- in the aftermath of the dow for claims that would Jamie Foxx, Guns N' marked a severe fall from “It’s on the agenda for
try’s westernmost province to killing. otherwise be barred by Roses frontman Axl Rose grace for the Democrat. Monday. Once the Cabi-
prevent Rohingya refugees The United States time limits. and New York City Mayor He has denied the allega- net gives approval, we
from landing on its shores, Federal Bureau of More sexual assault cla- Eric Adams. tions. Commisso’s lawsuit will invite the Chinese
after nearly 1,100 members of Prisons confirmed an ims have been filed aga- A lawsuit filed Thursday alleges sexual harassment company to sign the Kyiv, Nov. 25: Ukraine’s
the persecuted Myanmar mino-
rity arrived this month.
assault to AFP without
naming the person
inst Sean Combs in New
York, after the rap mogul
by Joi Dickerson-Neal
alleged she had been
and unwanted touching
from Cuomo and said she
agreement,” power and
energy minister Kanc-
capital suffered what offi-
cials said was Russia’s la-
PUTIN’S FIRST
Thousands from the mostly
Muslim minority make sea
wounded.
“An incarcerated indi-
known as “Diddy” and
R&B singer Cassie settled
“drugged, sexually
assaulted and abused” in
was punished for report-
ing the incidents.
hana Wijesekera told
Reuters. Sri Lanka, try-
rgest drone attack of the
war on Saturday, leaving PM IN ‘FOREIGN
journeys from refugee camps
in Bangladesh in flimsy boats
to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
vidual was assaulted at
the Federal Correctional
Institution (FCI) Tucs-
a suit alleging physical
abuse and rape last week.
The suits have been sub-
1992 by the rapper, also
known as “Puff Daddy,”
and that he had filmed
The case seeks monetary
damages. Her allegations
led to a criminal charge
ing to recover from its
worst economic crisis in
more than 70 years, is
five people wounded as
the rumble of air defenc-
es and explosions woke
AGENT’ LIST
As sailing conditions eased on,” in the southwestern mitted under the New and distributed the acts as against Cuomo that was hungry for new invest- residents at sunrise. Moscow, Nov. 25: Russ-
this month, half a dozen boats state of Arizona, it said York Adult Survivors Act, “ r e v e n g e eventually dismissed last ment and local fuel sup- The attack began hitting ia’s justice ministry add-
carrying hundreds of Rohing- in a statement. — AFP a law that opened a one- porn.”Dickerson-Neal is year. — Agencies plies. — Reuters different districts of Kyiv ed Mikhail Kasyanov,
ya from Bangladesh arrived in in the early hours of Sa- President Vladimir Puti-
Aceh province. turday, with more waves n’s first prime minister
WATER | MONSTER Adoptaxolotl campaign to protect endangered species coming as the sun came
up. The air raid warning
but then became one of
his opponents, to its regi-
MADAGASCAR’S lasted six hours. ster of “foreign agents”.

Ecologists seek funds to save axolotls

Ukraine’s air force initi- Russian law allows for
RAJEOLINA WINS ally said 71 of the 75 dr-
ones had been shot down,
figures and organisations
receiving money or supp-
RE-ELECTION but subsequently revised
the number of downed
ort from outside the cou-
ntry to be designated as
Antananarivo, Nov. 25: Mad- Mexico City, Nov. 25: In their main habitat the eying less well-known spe- craft to 74. Its spokesper- foreign agents. It is a
agascar President Andry Rajo- Ecologists from Mexico’s population density of cies of axolotls for the gov- son said on television that term whose pejorative
elina has won re-election in the National Autonomous uni- Mexican axolotls (ah-ho- ernment’s environment 66 of those had been dow- connotations could unde-
first round of a ballot boycott- versity on Friday relaunc- LOH'-tulz) has plummeted department. ned over Kyiv and the sur- rmine the designee’s
ed by nearly all opposition can- hed a fundraising campa- 99.5% in under two decad- “We lack big monitoring rounding region. credibility. — AP
didates in the Indian Ocean ign to bolster conservation es, according to scientists of all the streams in Mex- Air force chief Mykola
island nation, the election com- efforts for axolotls, an ico- behind the fundraiser. ico City,” let alone the wh- Oleschuk praised the effe-
mission said on Saturday. nic, endangered fish-like Last year’s Adoptaxolotl ole country, said Calzada, ctiveness of ‘mobile fire’ ross the city. Fragments
Rajoelina won 58.95 per cent type of salamander. campaign raised just over who leads a team of nine units — usually fast pick- from a downed drone had
of the votes cast in the Nov. 16 The campaign, called 450,000 pesos ($26,300) tow- researchers. “For this lar- up trucks with a machine started a fire in a chil-
presidential election, accord- “Adoptaxolotl,” asks peop- ards an experimental cap- ge area it is not enough.” gun or flak cannon mou- dren’s nursery, he said.
ing to the results presented by le for as little as 600 pesos tive breeding programme Despite the creature’s nted on their flatbed. President Volodymyr
the poll body which need to be (about $35) to virtually ad- and efforts to restore habi- recent rise to popularity, According to him, these Zelenskyy said that the
validated by the Constitutional opt one of the tiny “water tat in the ancient Aztec almost all 18 species of downed nearly 40% of the attack came in the early
Court. Turnout was just over 46 monsters.” canals of Xochimilco, a axolotl in Mexico remain drones. Mayor Vitali Klit- hours of the day when
per cent, down on the previous Virtual adoption comes southern borough of critically endangered, schko, writing on the Tel- Ukrainians commemora-
presidential election in 2018, with live updates on your Mexico City. threatened by encroach- egram app, said the atta- te their worst national tr-
which the election commission axolotl’s health. Still, there are not enou- ing water pollution, a ck had injured five peop- agedy — the 1932-33 Hol-
blamed on “ambient political For less, donors can buy gh resources for thorough deadly amphibian fungus Mexico’s National Autonomous University ecologists le, including an 11-year- odomor famine in which
climate” and “manipulation of one of the creatures a vir- research, said Alejandro and non-native rainbow have relaunched a fundraising campaign to bolster con- old girl, and damaged bui- several million people sta-
opinion”. tual dinner. Calzada, an ecologist surv- trout. — AP servation efforts for the axolotls. — AP ldings in districts all ac- rved to death. — Reuters
 BOOKS
THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 26 NOVEMBER 2023 | NEW DELHI
pg 7

INDIAN TOP 10
BESTSELLERS
NON-FICTION
Counter-narrative on Pakistan On being
an organic
1 YOU MUST KNOW YOUR
CONSTITUTION
Fali S. Nariman
Hay House
`899
dishes out unpalatable facts knew no bounds. He desperate- Hindus nor Muslims formed ern units of India, Punjab,
intellectual
2 ARYANS
Charles Allen
ly wanted to enlist in the
Pakistani Air force — after all,
separate nations until their
political and religious leaders
North-West Frontier Province
Afghan
(A Pro-
Aloke Roy
Hachette
`799
Shubhda Chaudhary he was a warrior child, filled encouraged them to do so. He vince), Kashmir, Sindh and Chowdhury
with the libidinous instinct for quotes Romila Thapar’s work, Balochisttan.
aggression, territoriality and which states that “the word Secondly, the book should

3 HarperCollins
ASHOKA war. “We don’t take boys with
spectacles,” said a major at the
Hindu is not to be found in any
holy text, its root derived from
have included the debate start-
ed by Aqeel Abbas Jafiri, the
review
Patrick Olivelle
review barracks and he was chucked the proximity to a river — the current head of the Urdu

T
`799 away. But, in 1965, Hoodbhoy re- Indus”. Pre-modern Indians Lughat Board (or the “Board for his rich, and complex essay is part of an
alised he had been lied to, when were far too fragmented to asso- Urdu Dictionary”) who has ongoing series of “presentations and inter-

F
irst we are born to law. And, above all, he rips open President Field Marshal Ayub ciate themselves with a readily written a detailed piece to ventions” encompassed by the term
4 EWalter
LON MUSK
Isaacson
Simon & Schuster
man and a wife. Then
they give our names.
the wounds of Balochistan,
which was wedded at gunpoint
Khan had ordered military
incursion — Code-named Oper-
identifiable Hindu identity.
Equally, there was no sense of
establish that it was a Kashmiri
journalist, Ghulam Hassan
“Literary Activism”. The context needs to be
understood. The term gains clarity when con-
Those names then our and forcibly made to accede to ation Gibraltar — into “India- Muslim-ness and it was steadily Shah Kazmi, who used the trasted with corporate/market activism. Amit
`1,499 prison make. Of Pakistan. His textured critique occupied” Kashmir. With 4,000 cultivated. The author does word, “Pakistan”, for the first Chaudhuri illustrates the nature of corporate
inflexible religious frames. But of multiple poisonous fallacies dead on each side, both coun- state while Arab Muslims time in 1929, when he applied activism by relating the sequence of events lead-
5 Gautam
UNSEALED COVERS
Bhatia
HarperCollins, `699
I that a “Hindu” am, might well
have a “Muslim” been. Had the
unravels every myth behind
Pakistan’s evolution with
tries claimed victory. This guid-
ed Hoodbhoy towards a brave
exposé, a bracing and counter-
entered as traders, the Turks
and Afghans who came to
Northern India were invaders.
for a declaration of an Urdu
weekly newspaper with this
ing up to the publication of Arundhati Roy’s
God of Small Things and Vikram Seth’s A
sperm and egg that wrought panache. name. He wanted to Suitable Boy. Both books were literary and com-
me, come from as Aslam and Well, he should know, with his intuitive interpretation of his As India was filled with idols publish Pakistan from mercial successes. What then is the “Literary
Nasreen,” wrote Indian aca- half-century long experience as country’s nationalist history. and temples, it provided the Abbottabad. Activism” pushback? A term that Amit
6 HDNeerja
OW PRIME MINISTERS
ECIDE
Chowdhury
demic Badri Raina in his
longish poem ‘Frozen in Birth’.
a teacher and professor in
Pakistan. A nuclear physicist
The book starts with exposing
the fallacies in the two-nation
holy justification for conquest
because shirk (polytheism) is a
The book should have also
dug deeper and factored the
Chaudhuri uses is that it is an act of champi-
oning: a cause worth defending or supporting.
Aleph Well, even such imagination who is opposed to nuclear theory and in both Indian and cardinal sin in Islam, while impact of the emergence of the This then is the background of the essay being
`999 today is blasphemous with the weapons, Hoodbhoy is a science Pakistani history textbooks by shikinee (idol-breaking) is con- two-nation theory on women reviewed which is subtitled ‘The Organic
chest-thumping religious populariser in the science- empirically stating that neither sidered a virtuous act. He does and minorities such as trans- Intellectual, Mystical Poetry and Lineages of
nationalism slowly eroding rea- unfriendly country, a rational- agree that “early Muslim inva- genders, Christians, Sikhs and Indian Rationalism’.
7 Indira
LEST WE FORGET
Varma
Westland
son, compassion and common-
sense in both India and
ist who debates hearsay and a
peace activist between India
sions of India were propelled by
missionary zeal just as much as
Buddhists as well as the eco-
nomic-structural inequalities
Chaudhuri’s craft lies in taking the reader
with him in search of the meaning of the phrase
Pakistan. and Pakistan. That makes him by the normal urge for con- created under British rule. “organic intellectual” a phrase used first by the
`599 Pervez Hoodbhoy’s book a persona non grata for many. quest, plunder and expansion of The book is divided into chap- Italian philosopher, Antonio Gramsci, who per-
Pakistan: Origins, Identity and His scrupulous honesty when it trade”, but then asks, “does that ters dealing with social dynam- ceived the role of the intellectual in society as

8 IRAanchal
N THE LANGUAGE OF
EMEMBERNING
Malhotra
Future tries to engage in a
Gedankenexperiment, which is
German for “thought experi-
comes to looking at South
Asian history has earned him a
ban from several educational
mean Hindu kings did not plun-
der the riches of other Hindu
kings or destroy their
ics before Partition, a close look
at Syed Ahmed Khan, Mu-
hammad Iqbal and Muhammad
the glue that binds it together, not a class apart
as the traditional
intellectual com-
HarperCollins ment”, to investigate the truth campuses in Pakistan. temples?” Ali Jinnah, the internal dynam- munity perceives
`799 behind how nations lie, exag- As a first-generation Pakis- Hoodbhoy states that the ics of the Pakistani establish- itself. According
gerate and invent false narra- tani born in Karachi three name “Pakistan” was invented ment, the fall of Dhaka in 1971 to Gramsci, “all
tives. The focus of the book is years after Pakistan, Hoodbhoy, in 1933 at the University of and a replacement of two- men are intellec-
9 GM.J.
ANDHI: A LIFE IN
THREE CAMPAIGNS
Akbar
Pakistan, even though
Hoodbhoy admits that a count-
too, was greedily absorbed into
militarism and nationalism. In
Cambridge by a young law stu-
dent Chaudhary Rehmat Ali.
nation theory.
In today’s deeply polarised
tuals”. The discov-
ery of “the organ-
er-narrative like this, would fact, he was a hugely thrilled But he does not discuss two cru- world where mere questioning ic intellectual” in
Bloomsbury hardly fetch readers. After all, eight-year-old in 1958 when cial facts. traps us in a spiral of silence, it most unexpected
`799 he questions whether Pakistani General Ayub Khan seized The first of these refers to the is a must-read for those who circumstances is a
Muslims are one nation or power after a military coup. It pamphlet “Now or Never; Are especially disagree with the theme that runs

10 THE INDIAN CAT

B.N. Goswamy
Aleph
could ever become one. He high-
lights the plight of minorities
like Ahmadiyyas, Zikris,
was a high-point in his life,
when he crawled through the
barbed wires in Soldier Bazar,
PAKISTAN: ORIGINS,
We to Live or Perish Forever?”
which came to be later known
as the Pakistan Declaration
author – if only to foster debate,
an exercise that is slowly taking
its last anonymous breath in a
through the book.
Chaudhuri takes
the reader back to
Ismailis and Shias. He even and was allowed to touch a
IDENTITY AND FUTURE that was addressed to the world of post-truth and distort- the recent events
`1,299
challenges the two-nation theo- Bren gun by a friendly soldier. By PERVEZ British in the Third Round ed reality. in India’s history ON BEING INDIAN
ry — which is mandatory in Three years later, when General HOODBHOY Table Conference by Ali. to illustrate the
Pakistani schools and civil Eisenhower promised 12 B-57 Routledge Therein, the term Pakistan, a Dr Shubhda Chaudhary is a meaning of the By AMIT
service curriculum — even Canberra bombers to Pakistan, Persian and Urdu word, was teacher and scholar of term, He takes us CHAUDHURI
though it is treasonable under the aircraft lover in Hoodbhoy pp. 454; `1,795 chosen to denote the five north- Middle Eastern studies back to a pejora- Westland
tive term coined
in 2014; “the tukda pp. 88, `399
tukda gang”, a
gang intent on breaking up the country. But
when the home minister of India used it at a

LOVE STORY PASSES AS JUICY MURDER MYSTERY rally in 2019, an activist put in an RTI enquiry to
disclose the names of the members of the gang,
The ministry of home affairs responded after
had a mad crush on. Poor little If it’s a murder mystery nature, possibly because she several months that it had no information of
rich girl Jhoomar Rao had never that turns you on, sorry, reads a lot of WhatsApp for- such a gang. This was an example of an organic
noticed him before, but one can wards from the Right Wing. You intellectual’s intervention leading to the truth.
Rupa Gulab hope, right?
but your adrenaline don’t shed tears over Haider’s Thus the author threads his way through the
The murder pops up now and remains stubbornly plight however, because he’s foggy maze of recent history, picking up exam-
then, but the bulk of the book is unmoved — even when thinking about more pressing ples of battles lost and won, more lost than won.
taken up by the shenanigans of ACP Bhavani Singh does issues like love sweet love. Also, Two other interesting examples of actions of
review a standard Agatha calm and collected ACP Bhavani organic intellectuals, one by an Indigo pilot and
Christie drawing room Singh is on the job so do “nat” a Zomato executive help the reader understand
worry, simply enjoy! the distinction between the organic intellectual
revelation at the end of

T
he residents of Banga- not the moon? Another body is discovered, and the traditional intellectual. The former are
FICTION lore’s Habba Galli are not The neighbourhood is in the book... but yet again, you’re not biting comparatively ordinary people within the sys-
a happy, united bunch. It’s shock when the top cop on the the neighbours. Each one has a your nails, because there’s love tem ready to test its boundaries. “The tradition-
1 ROMAN STORIES
Jhumpa Lahiri
Penguin, `499
not religion that divides them,
but local stray dogs. There are
job, ACP Bhavani Singh, sug-
gests that it may well be murder
story that deserves to be told.
Secrets too, delicious ones!
in the air, light-hearted repartee
and dirty secrets. If it’s romance
al intellectuals, even in jail, retained their self-
definition as activist or intellectual.” The organ-
those who dote on them, and oth- and not an accident. On the edge Meanwhile, a mean old aunty you’re interested in, this book ic intellectual is taking a much bigger risk: Self-
ers who consider them a men- of your seat now? Relax. rushes to a tremendously popu- could well make your hormones definition and livelihood.
2 SAKINA’S KISS
Vivek Shanbhag
Penguin, `499
ace. Why, one of the most vocif-
erous dog-haters, batty old
Because just like in a Bollywood
movie, all that tension is broken
lar Islamophobic news channel
and tells them she thinks Haider
do a little jig. But if it’s a murder
mystery that turns you on, sor-
The author was a participant in the anti-CAA
(Citizenship Amendment Act) protests in
Dondi Pais, threatens to shoot with pages and pages of singing did it. An anchor who sounds as ry, but your adrenaline remains Kolkata. These were protests by ordinary people
them, and actually carries out and dancing around trees. Well pompous and ridiculous as stubbornly unmoved — even particularly Muslim women showing astonish-
when ACP Bhavani Singh does a
3 THE EXCHANGE
John Grisham
Hachette, `499
her threat on the auspicious
night of Karwa Chauth.
Dondi’s shooting spree turns
not actual singing and dancing
(with or without trees), but pret-
ty close. See, one of the Habba
Arnab Goswami (incidentally,
this the third or fourth time
Goswami has been parodied in
standard Agatha Christie draw-
ing room revelation at the end of
ing courage and resilience. There was no politi-
cal leadership involved. Those who spoke were
ordinary people including burqa clad women,
out to be terribly inauspicious Galli lot happens to be the prodi- Indian fiction — the dear old the book, and airs every susp- “religion was an indispensable component of
for her meek middle-aged neigh- gal son of the neighbourhood. THE FAST AND THE DEAD man must be over the moon) ect’s dirty linen — a bit mean- the secular”.
4 THE EDGE
David Baldacci
Pan Macmillan, `750
bour who finds her husband
dead the morning after. Had a
Haider Sait returns after many
years and is now a smoking hot
By ANUJA CHAUHAN
HarperCollins
takes the bait and Haider
becomes a prime time target.
spirited, that. All in all, it’s a
happy book, so happy reading!
Towards the later part of the book Amit
Chaudhuri explores themes in religion to
bullet accidentally hit him Bollywood star. And he’s still The mean old aunty firmly demonstrate the tradition of rationality within
because she’d broken her fast hoping he will catch the eye of pp. 406, `499 believes that those who eat non Rupa Gulab is an author and it. And so on. It is a challenging book, replete
5 TRAITORS GATE
Jeffrey Archer
HarperCollins, `499
when the sun was shining, and the girl (now woman) he always vegetarian food are violent by columnist with a freshness of thought with unexpectedly
new perspectives. On Being Indian is also a
brave book unsparing in its assessment of the
present dispensation.
In the end this reviewer is trapped because he
6 THE RUNNING GRAVE
Robert Galbraith
Hachette, `999
IN OTHER NEWS arrested at a checkpoint. A librarian, the 1993-born Mosab’s debut book of belongs to that predatory “gang” called the cor-
porate activist. “Having enjoyed it immensely,
A prominent Palestinian poet whose dispatches in The New Yorker and else- poetry, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear (2022) , won the Palestine
how on earth do we market this little gem?” Now
where captured daily life in Gaza during Israel’s ongoing siege has been Book Award and an American Book Award. His poem, “What Is Home?”, would that be an act of anti-literary activism?
7 THE BOOK OF
EVERLASTING THINGS
Aanchal Malhotra
released by Israel Defense Forces after his abrupt arrest. Mosab Abu Toha
was fleeing northern Gaza with his wife, brother-in-law and three children,
has been translated in 22 languages. In the caption to the poem, he writes:
“Please save this poem, recite it to the people around you and tell them Aloke Roy Chowdhury is a retired publisher
including his three-year-old son who is an American citizen, when he was what happened to my home, and the homes of so many other people.”
HarperCollins, `799

8 THE COVENANT
OF WATER
Abraham Verghese
Grove Press, `899
Real reason why women’s legs are attractive is they are stronger
9 THE LAST DEVIL
TO DIE
Richard Osman
work, mammalian muscle
cells shift and start metabo-
This particular pathway has
to do with using fat to give
are able to do this, having
muscles that are especially
fat isn’t the whole story
Female bodies may be
go about the whole business
is a bit different from men’s.
lizing fats and amino acids, muscle cells energy. Young good at it may be built into innately better than men’s Immediately after exercis-
Penguin, `799
Cat Bohannon too. That switch is a lot like
the “second wind”
women’s bodies are really,
really good at lipid beta- oxi-
our female body plan. A
more recent study showed
when it comes to long- term,
grueling tests of endurance.
ing, women lose more
strength in the relevant
10 CELESTIAL: A LOVE
POEM
Abhay K.
endurance athletes talk
about: when you start to get
tired, but then somehow you
dation: using our mitochon-
dria to take little molecules
of fat and break them down.
that genes related to this
particular sort of fat metab-
olism are more expressed in
Despite less muscle overall,
the muscles we do have give
us an advantage.
muscles than men do. If
you’ve ever tried Pilates,
you might recognise the
Mapin, `1,199 excerpt feel energized again. It’s And while all mitochondria young women’s muscle cells Skeletal muscles are made “jelly legs” feeling after
actually about fi ring up the than in men’s. up of large bundles of fi you’ve done a session. But
mitochondria — the power- brous tissue. Think of them we recover much more

T W
Bahrisons, New Delhi hough boys and girls short distances. In feats of houses in each cell. Women hen it comes to like twitchy rope, all packed quickly than men do. In
are relatively simi- strength, we likewise don’t of reproductive age may be large tests of together and anchored to studies from 1999 and 2001,
lar as children, adult generate as much force on better at utilizing that meta- endurance, the play- the bone by ligaments. some men took more than
men distribute mus- average. Being bigger ani- bolic switch. They’re not ing fi eld between the sexes These fibers are divided into two months to fully recover
cle mass over their upper mals, men also have bigger only better at getting to seems to even out. In fact, two primary types: fast- the strength they’d lost from
bodies much more than lungs and hearts, which their second wind, but once female bodies regularly win: twitch and slow-twitch. an elbow flexion exercise.
adult women. We women, helps to get that extra oxy- they’re there, they last Female runners typically Fast-twitch fibers contract They weren’t aware of it,
meanwhile, tend to have gen to working muscles. longer than men do. And log faster speeds in the very quickly and generate a though — subjects reported
very strong legs— as strong, But despite all these that may be because there’s longest ultramarathons. lot of power, but they tire feeling normal. The only
for our height and weight, advantages, when it comes something in the mitochon- Martin Strel aside, many of easily. Slow-twitch fibers way to gauge the truth was
as men’s, and in some cases to endurance sports, women drial metabolism in skeletal the world’s champion long- contract more slowly but to ask them to perform the
stronger. In evolutionary frequently perform as well muscles that’s controlled by distance swimmers are also are much slower to tire, same exercise at the same
terms, modern human as men. Once you get to female sex hormones. women. Some of that has to with an increased aerobic weight and tension. And
women’s muscle pattern ultra-endurance distances, In the mid-1990s, a group of do with the fact that women capacity. Sprinters have a lot they couldn’t. Women— rad-
changed more than men’s. we even beat them. Part of it orthopedists ran a study have more subcutaneous fat, of fast- twitch muscle fi ically more likely to lose
There’s a popular stereo- may be because women are comparing small samples of which is more buoyant than bers. Marathoners have a lot strength right after the exer-
type about how male ath- just a bit lighter and smaller, their patients’ skeletal mus-
EVE: HOW THE FEMALE BODY muscle tissue and helps of slow-twitch. cise— recovered much more
letes tend to be good sprint- which means it costs us cles. They found that a cer- DROVE 200 MILLION YEARS with insulation. It’s also a quickly.

D
ers and women athletes tend fewer calories to move our tain metabolic pathway (the OF HUMAN EVOLUTION very useful store of energy amage and healing
to be good endurance run- bodies over the same dis- “mitochondrial electron when muscles use up their are part of how mus- Excerpted from Eve: How
ners. While many women tance. But there may be transport complex III”) was CAT BOHANNON
ByC sugar reserves; as we’ve dis- cle and bone do their the Female Body Drove 200
are great explosive athletes, something else at work. signifi cantly more active in Knopf cussed, women’s bodies are job. That’s universally true Million Years of Human
they rarely approach the Instead of just using carbo- their younger women sub- pp. 624; `899 better at dipping into those of both men and women. Evolution with permission
same speed as men over hydrates for energy as they jects than in the young men. fat backups than men’s. But But how women’s muscles from Penguin
 GAMES
THE ASIAN AGE | SUNDAY | 26 NOVEMBER 2023 | NEW DELHI
pg 8

GO BALLISTIC
CHINA MASTERS | BADMINTON
SHORT TAKES
Uday to lead India
in U-19 Asia Cup Satwik-Chirag
duo reach final
Mumbai: Promising batsman
Uday Saharan will lead defend-
ing champions India in the ACC
Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup to be
played in the UAE from
December 8. Saharan, a 19-
year-old cricketer from Punjab,
Indian bowlers look for improved outing against Oz
Thiruvananthapuram,
Shenzhen (China), Nov
25: Star Indian duo of
● The former world
No. 1 Indian pair, who
has been on the selection radar Nov. 25: The young Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
for a while and he was also Indian bowling unit will and Chirag Shetty dished
had won their first
drafted in as a back-up player have to push behind the out another attacking BWF World Super 750
after the Indian squad was hit timid show in the series masterclass to stand one title at the French
by Covid during last year’s opener and find its flow step away from their sec- Open last year,
Under-19 World Cup in Antigua. against a forceful ond BWF super 750 title notched up a 21-15, 22-
Saumy Kumar Pandey was Australian batting line- after progressing to the 20 win over the newly-
named as vice-captain of the up in the second T20 men’s doubles final at the formed Chinese duo of
15-member side. here on Sunday. India China Masters here on He Ji Ting and Ren
India are the most successful had won the first game Saturday. Xiang Yu in an
team in the U19 Asia Cup hav- at Visakhapatnam by The former world No. 1
ing won the title eight times. two wickets to take a 1-0 Indian pair, who had won explosive semifinal
India are grouped with lead in the five-match their first BWF World that lasted 50 minutes.
Pakistan, Afghanistan and series, but their bowlers, Super 750 title at the
Nepal in the tournament. They except pacer Mukesh French Open last year,
will begin the campaign with a Kumar, looked incapable notched up a 21-15, 22-20 Chirag was unstoppable
match against the Afghans on of stemming the run- win over the newly- with his interceptions as
December 8 at the ICC flow. formed Chinese duo of He he patrolled the front
Academy Oval-1. — PTI The pitch and condi- Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu court and pounced on
India U19 squad: Uday Saharan tions at the Greenfield in an explosive semifinal anything remotely weak,
(Captain), Saumy Kumar Pandey International Stadium that lasted 50 minutes. while Satwik added some
(vice-captain), Arshin Kulkarni, will not be massively dif- The top seeds will face loopy returns at the back-
Adarsh Singh, Rudra Mayur Patel, ferent, and that makes it another Chinese pair in line along with his thun-
Sachin Dhas, Priyanshu Moliya, imperative for the the summit clash, the derous smashes.
Musheer Khan, Dhanush Gowda, Indian bowlers to fire winners of Chen Bo Yang The Indians didn’t put a
Avinash Rao (wk), M Abhishek, collectively. and Liu Yi and second foot wrong, leading from
Innesh Mahajan (wk), Aardhya Despite that, the man- seeds Liang Wei Keng and the start to move from 6-2
Shukla, Raj Limbani, Naman Tiwari. agement might not look Wang Chang. to 10-4 in a jiffy. The duo
to shake the order for The match saw some often created those tough
this match. exciting rallies as both angles for their oppo-
New Oly selection In the
encounter,
opening
pacers
the pairs played at a fre-
netic pace but it was the
nents.
The Chinese were no
rule for wrestlers Arshdeep Singh and
Prasidh Krishna went
Indians who had more
sting in their attack as
pushovers and produced
a barrage of smashes
New Delhi: The wrestling squad for 10.25 and 12.50 runs they penetrated the which were negotiated
for the 2024 Paris Olympics will per over while leg-spin- defence of their opposi- well by the Indians, who
be finalised through a two-step ner Ravi Bishnoi were tion. entered the break with a
selection process, where the carted around for 13.50 The world number 50 healthy 11-6 lead after
grapplers who have earned the runs per over. pair of He and Ren, who Satwik unleashed a boom-
quota places for the country, In a format like T20, it India players Ishan Kishan (centre), Rinku Singh (right) and Avesh Khan in a light mood during a practice session at had a title-winning run ing smash on a return to
will compete against a chal- is not an uncommon the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. — PTI last week at the Japan serve.
lenger in June and the winner sight to see bowlers get- Masters, did show their The Chinese duo tried to
will represent India in the quad- ting the stick, but those prowess, especially in the regroup and claimed four

Tilak learning ropes from Rinku

rennial showpiece. So far only three bowlers lacked second game but Satwik of the next five points
Antim Panghal, the world imagination and variety and Chirag displayed after resumption to cut
championships bronze medal- needed on such surfaces great mental fortitude to the deficit to 10-12.
list in 53kg category, has on that day. close the issue in straight However, once the
earned a quota place for the India’s ambition to games. Indians got back the
country and she too will have double the series lead Thiruvananthapuram, Playing the Chinese serve, they again mount-
to compete against a chal- will depend a lot on Nov. 25: Tilak Varma pair for the first time, ed their attack with
lenger on June 1 to know them significantly attained IPL stardom one Satwik and Chirag pro- Chirag often creating the
whether she will go to Paris or improving their produce season before Rinku Singh duced another attacking opportunity with his
not. here. but the Hyderabad young- game, their electric pace blocks for Satwik to pro-
The young Antim could end up It’s not an impossible ster wants to learn the art making life difficult for vide the finishing touch.
competing against arch-rival task either as Mukesh of finishing close T20 their opposition. — PTI
Vinesh Phogat for the Paris showed. The pace bowler games from his national
berth if the 2018 Asian Games mixed up his deliveries teammate, who is showing
gold medallist emerges a “chal- well — the yorkers, glimpses of his immense
lenger”, which will be deter- bouncers, wide deliver- potential at the interna-
mined on May 31.
The IOA constituted ad-hoc
committee stated in a state-
ies around off-stump and
so on — to contain the
Aussie batters.
tional level.
Rinku, the KKR left-han-
der, hailing from UP’s
VERSTAPPEN CLAIMS
ment on Saturday that all the
challengers will be determined
on May 31 and the “wrestle-off”
So, the other frontline
bowlers now have a
route map to follow in
Aligarh, has made a name
for himself at the fran-
chise level for finishing
12TH POLE OF SEASON
between the “Challenger” and the second match. games and is showing the Abu Dhabi (UAE), Nov. Lando Norris and Yuki
Olympic quota winner will take In their defence, one same temperament at the 25: Max Verstappen Tsunoda of Alpha Tauri
place on June 1. — PTI can say that many of international level. made light of earlier set- after Carlos Sainz failed
them were playing top- Although his winning up problems on to make it out of Q1 in
level cricket after a gap, hit for a six was not count- Tilak Varma plays a shot during the first Twenty20 match against Australia at the Y.S. Saturday by blitzing to the second Ferrari and
Oz spinner Lyon but such is the nature of
schedule these days the
ed due to the no-ball
bowled by Nathan Ellis in
Rajasekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. — AFP pole position for Red
Bull in an eventful qual-
seven-time champion
Lewis Hamilton was
mocks ‘Bazball’ players need to put their
best foot forward in the
the first T20 International
where India beat
“There is no pressure of
expectation on me. I just
areas during the time the
senior team was busy
in the opening ODI.
“I have already played
ifying session for this
weekend’s Abu Dhabi
unable to progress from
Q2 in his Mercedes.
Sydney: Lyon, who is just four first available opportu- Australia by two wickets, have a role and I have to playing the ODI World under Suryakumar Yadav. Grand Prix. “It’s all been very
wickets shy of 500 wickets in nity. Rinku’s composure while fulfil that role for the Cup. In IPL, he captained one The three-time world weird,” said a beaming
Test cricket, said he did not see It is particularly true batting in the death overs team. My role at No. 5 is, if “Before this series, I match for Mumbai champion clocked a best Verstappen. “All week-
‘Bazball’ in the two Ashes fix- in the case of someone has found appreciation it’s in my arc, I will go for played in the Mushtaq Ali Indians. He is very calm lap in one minute and end it’s been a struggle
tures he was part of last year like Bishnoi, who has from everyone. it or else just rotate Trophy and my perform- and clear in his thoughts, 23.445 seconds to out- but we improved a lot
before getting injured for the been talked about as one “I am learning how to strike,” said Tilak. ance was good and I was he did very good captaincy pace nearest rival and then pushed and I
remaining three. The term to look forward to as far finish games from Rinku He then explained what confident, so I haven’t and in the last match, Charles Leclerc of am happy to be on pole.
“Bazball” came into being after as the white ball formats as he is doing it consis- he was asked to do in the worked in any specific played in tough situation, Ferrari by a tenth of a The car felt more con-
Brendon McCullum, who is nick- are concerned. tently for India. I also last game. areas but aim is to contin- he managed well,” Tilak second ahead of nected in qualifying.
named Baz, was appointed But he was vastly dis- want to do and hopefully “Last match, in that situ- ue the good form,” said further added. McLaren’s Oscar “I have no clue how the
England Test coach last year. appointing at Vizag and in coming matches I will ation a leg-spinner was Tilak, who was his team’s There is a leadership Piastri. It secured car will go in the race so
“I’m 2-0 against Bazball so I am looked rudderless once be doing that,” Tilak said bowling, I wanted to take top run-getter with 288 streak in Tilak and he Verstappen’s 12th pole of let’s see, but I am very
happy,” Lyon joked on Channel Josh Inglis went on the ahead of India’s second charge as we needed 10 per runs at a healthy strike- doesn’t mind slipping in a the season, his fourth in proud of our achieve-
7’s Front Bar programme. “It’s a offensive against him. T20 International in the over in that situation, so it rate of 143, which also suggestion or two for sen- succession in Abu Dhabi ments this year.”
load of s***, if you ask me. It’s a Bishnoi will have to five-match series. was decided I will go at the included a hundred and a ior captains like Rohit and the 33rd of his Leclerc was also sur-
brand of cricket that the realise that he cannot Tilak, who is also a leg-spinner and for fast fifty. Sharma or Surya. career, drawing him prised at his success in
English want to keep going rely on a sequence of southpaw like Rinku, has bowler, settled batsman There is a certain “All 11 members need to level with 1992 world claiming a front row
with. Now, it’s in the dictionary, googlies to make an already made an impres- Surya bhai was batting,” amount of comfort level be involved, every player champion Nigel Mansell start. “I didn’t expect it
which is pretty extraordinary.” impact as it can lead to a sion in the 11 T20Is he has he said. that Tilak enjoys while gets thoughts and passes it in the record books. and I had to put it all
It was not the first time Lyon sense of familiarity in played for the country, While his main aim is to playing under on and it rests on the cap- George Russell was together so I am very
mocked ‘Bazball’ and here batters, and he will with two half-centuries remain consistent, Tilak Suryakumar Yadav and he tain, which suggestions he fourth for Mercedes happy to have second
again he termed aggression as require drastic course and a strike-rate of 140- also said that he hasn’t enjoyed his skipper’s per- wants to take.” ahead of McLaren’s place,” he said. — AFP
an ability to shift through the correction here. — PTI plus to his credit. worked on any specific formance (80 off 42 balls) — PTI
gears during the course of a
Test match. — PTI

Novak fumes over

dope test request
Hooda, Chahar headline Liverpool hit back to hold City
Málaga, Spain: Novak Djokovic
was furious after being asked to
undergo a dope test shortly
Rajasthan’s 5-wicket win Manchester
Kingdom),
Liverpool
Nov.
(United
25:
snapped
Manchester City’s 23-
before Serbia’s Davis Cup win Chandigarh, Nov. 25: as they went past the tar- made a hundred (104) and match winning run at the
over Great Britain, although the Deepak Hooda and get in 28.4 overs. Sanju Samson (55) played Etihad as a clash between
International Tennis Integrity Deepak Chahar under- around a batting collapse the Premier League’s top
MUMBAI OVERCOME
Agency (ITIA) said Saturday it lined their white ball cre- to take Kerala to 231 all two ended 1-1 on Saturday.
KERALA
was standard practice and he dentials with an unbeaten out in 49.1 overs. Trent Alexander-
had not been singled out. fifty and a six-wicket haul In a Group A match, Elsewhere, leg-spinner Arnold’s fine strike 10
The record 24-time men’s respectively, guiding Mumbai braved a gritty Suyash Sharma’s four- minutes from time sal-
Grand Slam winner revealed his Rajasthan to a five-wicket Kerala and a couple of wicket haul and Himmat vaged a point for the visi-
anger at being asked before the win over Gujarat in a rain delays to carve an Singh’s quickfire fifty tors after Erling Haaland’s
2-0 win on Thursday which sent Group D Vijay Hazare eight-wicket victory. powered Delhi to a facile 50th Premier League goal
Serbia into the Davis Cup semi- match here on Saturday. Angkrish Raghuvanshi eight-wicket win over put City in front.
finals, rather than after. Chahar’s 6/41 was (57)) and captain Ajinkya Mizoram in their Group C A share of the spoils
Djokovic said officials asked for instrumental in Rahane (34 n.o off 20 balls, match. means there remains just
samples 90 minutes before his Rajasthan bowling out 4x6) propelled Mumbai Sharma’s 4/25 enabled one point between the
straight sets 6-4, 6-4 win over Gujarat for 128 in 29 overs. past the revised target Delhi to bowl out sides and that Arsenal
Cameron Norrie. “I didn’t Rajasthan were in some (under VJD method) of Mizoram for 128 and then could now take top spot
believe that they could make early turmoil at 18/4, but 159 in 30 overs in 24.2 chased down the target in from City if they win at
such a decision, in 20 and more Hooda calmed the nerves overs. just 17 over, losing two Brentford later on
years of my career, it never with a gritty 76 off 79 balls Earlier, Sachin Baby wickets. — PTI Saturday.
happened to me that an hour- Liverpool boss Jurgen
and-a-half before the match, I Klopp made his displeas-
needed to go for doping con- BRIEF SCORES ure clear at the early kick-
trol,” Djokovic said. off time on the back of an
“I have my own routine — I Group A: Kerala 231 in 49.1 overs (Sachin Baby 104, not out; Deepak Chahar 6/41) lost to Rajasthan 129/5 international break where Liverpool players celebrate after Trent Alexander-Arnold scored against Manchester
Sanju Samson 55; Mohit Avasthi 4/24, Tushar in 28.4 overs (Deepak Hooda 76 not out, Mahipal
don’t need that distraction.” Deshpande 3/56) lost to Mumbai (revised target Lomror 26 not out; Arzan Nagwaswalla 3/31).
both sides had players City during the English Premier League match in Manchester on Saturday. — AP
— AFP under VJD method: 159 in 30 overs) 161/2 in 24.2 ■ Himachal Pradesh 276 in 50 overs (PS Chopra 61, who had been in World
overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 57, Ajinkya Rahane 34 Rishi Dhawan 48; Kartik Tyagi 3/46, Bhuvneshwar Cup qualifying action in off the hook by Phil ing out Haaland, who measure of amends by
Published by K. Sudhakar for and on n.o.). Kumar 1/36) lost to Uttar Pradesh 277/3 in 37 overs South America little over Foden’s weak shot after found the far corner with turning behind Foden’s
behalf of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Group B: Manipur 113 in 45.4 overs (Johnson 51 not (Swastik 117, Priyam Garg 74, Nitish Rana 42 not out). 72 hours ago. the Brazilian gifted away Alisson getting a hand to low drive from outside the
out; Rajaneesh Gurbani 3/36, Akshay Karnewar 4/18) Group E: Bengal 314/8 in 50 overs (Abhimanyu
Limited at Jawaharlal Nehru National
lost to Vidarbha 115/2 in 16.5 overs (A. Mokhade 49, Easwaran 141, Abhishek Porel 59, Anustup Majumdar Fatigue appeared a fac- possession inside his own his low shot. box that was arrowing
Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal tor as the expected fire- box. Haaland’s 50th Premier into the bottom corner.
S.R. Ramaswamy 30 not out). 41; Atit Sheth 3/51) beat Baroda 219 in 44.2 overs
Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi 110 002. Group C: Mizoram 128 in 42.1 overs (Jehu Anderson (Shashwat Rawat 59, Shivalik Sharma 39; Karan Lal works failed to materi- But the Liverpool goal- League goal in his 48th At the other end, Darwin
and Printed by him at BFL Infotech 38; Suyash Sharma 4/25) lost to Delhi 132/2 in 16.5 3/43, Pradipta Pramanik 3/46). alise. The best chances keeper was not so fortu- appearances smashed the Nunez was Liverpool’s
Limited, C – 9, Sector – III, overs (Ayush Badoni 45 n.o., Himmat Singh 52 n.o.). ■ Tamil Nadu: 296/8 in 50 overs (B Sai Sudarshan before the break came nate when his next sliced previous record for the biggest threat as
Noida – 201301. ■ Bihar: 112 (Pratap 46 not out; Harshal Patel 4/49, SP 125, Dinesh Karthik 47 not out; Darshan Mishal 2/44)
Kumar 3/25) lost to Haryana 117/0 in 19.1 overs beat Goa 263 in 50 overs (KV Siddharth 61, Snehal from City pouncing on clearance picked out quickest half century held Mohamed Salah failed to
Editor – Kaushik Mitter,
RNI Registration number 57290/94 (Yuvraj Singh 50 not out, Ankit Kumar 61 not out). Kauthankar 55; Sandeep Warrier 4/20, R Sai Kishore sloppy Liverpool passes Nathan Ake. by Andy Cole in 65 match- build on his impressive
Price in Nepal - Nep.Rs. 20.00 per copy.
Group D: Gujarat 128 in 29 overs (Chirag Gandhi 43 3/32). out from the back. The Dutch defender drib- es. record against City.
Alisson Becker was let bled forward before pick- Alisson made some — AFP