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THE ASIAN AGE NATION| 4

NEW DELHI FRIDAY 23 JULY 2021

WORLD| 8 TABLOID| 11
Rain fury brings Maha to China dy health minister Angry netizens called out
its knees; 6,000 railway Zeng Yixin rejects WHO cricketer Suresh Raina for his
pasengers stuck in Konkan plan to audit Wuhan labs ‘I am also Brahmin’ comment
www.asianage.com RNI No. 57290/94, Regd No: DL-SW-05/4189/15-17 Vol. 28 No. 157 | 16 PAGES | `5.00

WINDOWS ■ Opp. forces repeated adjournments, paralyses Parliament

Pegasus row continues in both

Houses, TMC MP tears papers
AGE CORRESPONDENTS
NEW DELHI, JULY 22 TMC MP complains
Amid high drama in the
Hardeep Puri had
Rajya Sabha, the Pegasus
snooping issue rocked
‘abused’ him in RS
both Houses of Parliament New Delhi, July 22:
on Thursday. In the Rajya Trinamul Congress MP
Sabha, the Opposition Santanu Sen on
Northern Ireland artist Hannah protested over a range of Thursday alleged that
Peel during the announcement issues, but things got par- Union minister Hardeep
of the shortlist of nominations ticularly heated when Singh Puri abused him in
for the Mercury Prize Albums of Trinamul Congress MP the Rajya Sabha and was
the Year at the Langham Hotel Santanu Sen snatched the on the verge of physically
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait addresses farmers during a ‘Kisan
in London on Thursday. — AP statement paper from elec- assaulting him before he
tronics and information was rescued by col- Sansad’ at Jantar Mantar as part of their protest against the Centre’s three farm
reform laws in New Delhi on Thursday. — PTI
K’taka CM: Exit is technology minister
Ashwini Vaishnaw as he
leagues.
Mr Sen, who snatched

imminent, waiting rose to speak on the snoop-

ing controversy.
A view of the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session
of Parliament in New Delhi on Thursday. — PTI
papers from electronics
and information technol- ■ Govt seeks fresh talks ■ ‘Kisan sansad’ daily
for Delhi’s signal
Both Houses were ogy minister Ashwini

Bengaluru: Amid height-

ened buzz over his continu-
adjourned till Friday after
several adjournments in
the course of the day. The
Lok Sabha was adjourned
some media groups, the
alleged Pegasus spyware
controversy and the han-
dling of the Covid-19 pan-
speak on the Pegasus
snooping controversy. Mr
Sen tore the paper and
threw it towards the
Vaishnaw in the Rajya
Sabha and tore them as
he was making a state-
ment on the snooping
Farmers’ dharna begins at
ation as chief minister of
Karnataka, B.S. Yediyurappa
on Thursday indicated that
his exit was imminent and
repeatedly
Opposition
after

vociferously and refused

the
protested

to relent despite repeated

said he will remain in the
post till the BJP’s central
leadership asks him to step
down. The 78-year-old
Lingayat strongman said he
had offered to resign two
months ago with an inten-
tion to make way for others
and asserted that he won’t
name a possible successor
even if asked to.
■ More on Page 4
requests from the Chair.
The Upper House too saw
several adjournments and
could not transact any
business as the
Opposition cornered the
government on a number
of issues. These included
the income-tax raids on
Lawyer moves
demic by the government,
among others.
High drama unfolded in
the Rajya Sabha after
lunch as the Opposition
staged a protest over these
issues. Things got particu-
larly heated when
Trinamul MP Santanu
Sen snatched a statement
paper from electronics
and IT minister Ashwini
Vaishnaw as he rose to
Pegasus’ snooping worse than
deputy chairman, Mr
Harivansh, who was in
the Chair.
As soon as Mr Vaishnaw,
who was due to make a
statement on the phone
tapping issue, rose to
speak, the Opposition MPs
rushed to the Well of the
House and raised slogans
against the government.
Mr Harivansh urged the
■ Turn to Page 4
issue, claimed that Mr
Puri even rudely gesticu-
lated at him. Mr Puri has
so far not reacted on the
issue.
“The Union minister
(Puri) threatened and
abused me. He was about
to assault me when my
other colleagues came to
my rescue,” alleged Mr
Sen at a press conference.
— PTI
Jantar Mantar, to continue
SANJAY KAW and Tikri and Ghazipur since
BHASKAR HARI SHARMA November last year, plan
NEW DELHI, JULY 22 to protest against the gov-
ernment and hold “kisan
After eight months of a sansads” on each working
harsh winter and the day of Parliament until the
unforgiving summer, the Monsoon Session ends.
farmers protesting against The Delhi police has grant-
the three controversial ed permission for a gather-
agricultural reform laws ing of only 200 protesters
on Thursday reached
Jantar Mantar, close to
on any given day till the
session is over.

PIL, seeks SIT

Parliament where the Outside Parliament, agri-
Bodo outfit members Monsoon Session is under culture minister Narendra

surrender in Assam monitored by Nixon’s Watergate: Mamata way, unrelenting in their

Guwahati: In a significant
development, all the mem-
bers of a fledgling Bodo rebel
outfit National Liberation
Front of Bodoland, including
its chief Binod Mushahary
alias M Batha on Thursday
demand that the new laws
be scrapped. This is the
Agriculture minister N.S.
Tomar at Parliament in
New Delhi on Thursday.
Singh Tomar said the
Narendra Modi govern-
ment was ready to discuss
SC on Pegasus Kolkata, July 22: West
Bengal chief minister
heard they tapped the
phones of several RSS peo-
first time since the tractor
rally on January 26, 2021,
when violence broke out
hold such a protest.
The agitating farmers,
“all issues” with the
protesting farmers with an
open mind. “The country
PARMOD KUMAR Mamata Banerjee on ple”. The West Bengal BJP in the national capital, who have been protesting has seen that these farm
NEW DELHI, JULY 22 Thursday claimed the has, meanwhile, claimed that the authorities had against the new laws at laws are beneficial and are
snooping on Supreme the Mamata Banerjee gov- permitted the farmers to Delhi’s borders at Singhu, ■ Turn to Page 4
A Delhi-based lawyer, Court judges, journalists ernment had been using

India records Truce in Punjab?:

surrendered before the police
in the Mazbat police station
of Udalguri district.
■ More on Page 4
UK and Indian navies
hold mega wargames
New Delhi: Indian Navy and
UK Royal Navy’s carrier strike
group led by its newest and
Manohar Lal Sharma,
has moved the Supreme
Court seeking a court-
monitored probe by a
Special Investigation
Team into the alleged
snooping by the govern-
ment and its agencies
using the Israeli spyware
Pegasus on judges, jour-
nalists, activists, politi-
cians and many others.
and political leaders, the same Israeli snooping
among others, using the software to put her politi-
Pegasus spyware was cal opponents, journalists,
“worse than the Mamata Banerjee government officials and
41,383 new
Watergate scandal” which
broke in America during
the presidency of Richard
Nixon in the 1970s. Ms
impartial institutions
have been politicised by
the BJP-led government.
even her own party lead-
ers and ministers under
surveillance.
BJP state chief Dilip
Covid cases Amarinder to join
Banerjee likened the scan-
dal, which allegedly
involved spyware devel-
oped by an Israeli firm to
“Pegasus is worse than
the Watergate scandal; it
is super emergency,” Ms
Banerjee said at a press
Ghosh claimed his party
doesn’t believe in phone
tapping, which he said
was part of “Congress cul-
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, JULY 22

India saw a single day

most powerful 65,000-tonne
aircraft carrier HMS Queen
His PIL describes the
Pegasus scandal as a
Elizabeth also called “Big matter of grave concern
Lizzie” carried out a two day since it is a serious
exercise in the Bay of Bengal. attack on India’s democ-
After US, UK is now focusing racy, judiciary and
on the Indo-Pacific to chal- national security as the
“widespread and unac-
Sidhu event today
infect the mobile phones
of hundreds of Indians to
conference at the state
secretariat here.
ture”. The TMC denied
the snooping charge, say-
rise of 41,383 coron-
avirus infections taking
CM invites all MLAs, MPs for tea
snoop on them to the “They (BJP leadership) ing only a national gov- the total tally of Covid- AGE CORRESPONDENT Earlier in the day,
imposition of a “super- don’t trust even their own ernment was allowed 19 cases to 3,12,57,720, NEW DELHI, JULY 22 Navjot Singh Sidhu and
emergency in the coun- officers and ministers,” to buy the Pegasus tech- while the active cases four other working presi-
try”. The CM said that all she said, adding: “I have nology. — PTI registered an increase After months of infight- dents of the state
for the second consecu- ing in the Punjab Congress sent a special
tive day and were Congress, the first signs invitation to Capt.

Delhi, NCR on alert for drone

lenge Chinese dominance.
countable” use of sur-
COUNTERPOINT veillance was “morally
disfiguring”.
“Pegasus is not just a
surveillance tool, but a
cyberweapon unleashed
on the Indian polity.
Even if authorised,
which is doubtful, the
use of Pegasus poses a
national security risk”,
reads the PIL by Mr
Sharma. “Privacy is not
about the wish to hide
something, as is often
asserted. It is having a
space of one’s own
where the thoughts and
being are not the instru-
ment of someone else’s
purpose. It is an essen-
tial component of digni-
ty,” the PIL said.
recorded at 4,09,394, of a truce emerged on Amarinder Singh to
according to the Union
health ministry data
Thursday. Punjab chief
minister Capt.
attend the installation
ceremony that is due on
attack threat ahead of Aug. 15 updated on Thursday.
The country’s Covid-
19 death toll rose to
4,18,987 with 507 fresh
Amarinder Singh, after
receiving multiple invita-
tions, agreed to attend the
ceremony on July 23 in
Friday. The CM was
handed the special invita-
tion at his farmhouse by
two of the working presi-
AGE CORRESPONDENT sources said these “inputs dropping of weapons and fatalities. Further more which Navjot Singh dents, Kuljit Nagra and
NEW DELHI, JULY 22 were being taken very narcotics, terror groups than 3.20 crore Covid-19 Sidhu will officially take Sangat Singh Gilgian,
seriously” as Pakistan- want to target the national vaccine doses are cur- charge as the new presi- who made a special trip
Delhi and the surrounding based terror groups have capital and its adjoining rently available with dent of the Punjab from Chandigarh on
National Capital Region repeatedly used drones for areas”. states, union territories Pradesh Congress Thursday morning for
has been put on high alert subversive activities in Officials claimed that and private hospitals Committee. Insiders say this purpose.
following intelligence both Kashmir and Punjab massive surveillance, for inoculation. States Congress president Sonia Accepting the invita-
inputs of a drone attack in the past few weeks. both human and techni- and union territories Gandhi persuaded the tion, Capt. Amarinder
after these targeted key The Intelligence Bureau cal, has been mounted by have so far received a Punjab CM to be present Singh in turn invited all
defence and installations in an alert informed the the security agencies total of 43,79,78,900 vac- at the installation cere- Congress MLAs, MPs and
in the Jammu sector close home ministry that follow- along with the Delhi police cine doses through all mony. Also, the AICC’s senior party leaders from
to the India-Pakistan bor- ing the “recent experimen- to constantly monitor the channels and a further Punjab in-charge, Harish the state for tea at 10 am
der recently. With tation with drones in ter- movement of drones in 7,00,000 doses are in the Rawat, will also be pre- on Friday. They will then
Independence Day on ror activities like target- Delhi and its adjoining pipeline, it said. sent on the occasion of the all go together to the
August 15 just a few weeks ing defence installations areas. Security is in any ■ More on Page 3 new state unit president Punjab Congress Bhavan
away, home ministry near border areas and the ■ Turn to Page 4 taking over. ■ Turn to Page 4

WEATHER
Max: 32OC
Min: 27OC
RH: 83%
Rain: 70%
Forecast: Thunderstorm
ASTROGUIDE
Plava: Dakshinayana
Tithi: Ashada Shuddha
Chaturdasi till 10.44 am
Star: Purvashada till 2.27 pm
Varjyam: 9.52 pm to 11.21
pm
Durmuhurtam: 8.30 am to
9.22 am; 12.48 pm to 1.39 pm
Rahukalam: 10.30 am to 12
noon
SUNSET TODAY 5.25 PM
SUNRISE TOMORROW 7.04 AM
MOONRISE TOMORROW 4.10 PM
MOONSET TODAY 2.51 AM
Games begin today, India’s hopes high
Sense of dread in Tokyo as Covid cases rise, protesters seek cancellation
RAMASWAMY MOHAN
with agency inputs
CHENNAI/TOKYO, JULY 22
There is a sense of dread
as the Covid-hit Tokyo
Olympics are set to open
formally on Friday with
the opening ceremony to
be held at 4.30 pm India
time. New coronavirus
cases in Tokyo hit close to
2,000 in a six-month high
even as stray protests
erupted in the Japanese
capital on Thursday
demanding cancellation of
the Games while critics
attacked Prime Minister
New Zealand and India teams of the men’s 49er men class sail in the Enoshima Yacht Yoshihide Suga’s govern-
Harbour during a training session on the occasion of the 2020 Summer Olympics in ment for prioritising the
Tokyo on Thursday. — PTI ■ Full coverage on Page 8 Olympics over the
nation’s health.
With athletes taking the
knee in arenas in early
competitions and the
Olympics opening ceremo-
ny director Seiko
Hashimoto being sacked
on the eve of the Games
over a Holocaust joke he
made in 1998 during a com-
edy show, the Olympics
are not going to be short of
drama either.
The International
Olympic Committee would
like the world to believe
this is going to be the
“Games of Hope”, but at
least a strong Indian con-
tingent is hoping that it
comes true with shooters,
boxers and wrestlers
LIVE ON TV
OLYMPICS 2021
Opening Ceremony
4.30 pm IST today
Live on DD Sports &
Sony Ten 2, Sony Six
expected to lead an early
medal rush. With 120 ath-
letes — 68 men and 52
women — having trained
to the minute in India and
other countries despite the
constraints of the Covid-19
restrictions, Indian sport
is more optimistic than
ever.
Six medals in the 2012
London Games were
India’s best ever haul in
the Olympics and that half
a dozen medals should be
the first mark that Indian
athletes will be hoping to
obliterate.
The shooting contingent
believes they have medal
winning prospects among
them like 19-year-old
Manu Bhaker, Elavenil
Valarivan (20), Divyansh
Singh Panwar (18)
Aishwary Pratap Singh
Tomar (18) and they begin
competing as early as
Saturday. The archers,
weightlifters, wrestlers
and boxers, including six-
time world champion
Mary Kom, are among
■ Turn to Page 4

Social Media Pakistan 0345-6738217

 CITY
THE ASIAN AGE | FRIDAY | 23 JULY 2021 | NEW DELHI
pg 2

IN BRIEF
4 held for taking `20L
loan using fake docus
New Delhi: A gang of four
men were arrested for
allegedly availing a car loan
of Rs 20 lakh through a bank
in West Delhi’s Vikaspuri
area by using fake and
forged documents, police
said on Thursday. Police
identified the arrested gang
members as Rajeev (32),
Azhar Khan (32), Ravi
Sharma (27) and Shakti
Rawal (32). The loan was
availed in the name of Shakti
while Rajeev acted as a
mediator. Two among them,
Rajeev and Azhar, are found
to be previously involved in
12 cases of bank frauds
across the city, they said.
The Assistant General
Manager, Bank of Baroda,
West Delhi filed a written
complaint at Vikaspuri police
station in April this year
after their inquiry revealed
that all the addresses of
offices and residence provid-
ed by the accused men were
found to be fake, police said.
In his complaint, the bank
official alleged that the
accused had taken a car loan
of `20 lakh from their
Vikaspuri branch on the
basis of documents which
were found to be fake and
forged.
DSGMC elections to
be held on Aug 22
New Delhi: Directorate of
Gurdwara Elections informed
the Delhi High court on
Thursday that elections to the
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara
Management Committee
(DSGMC) will be held on
August 22 and the result
would be announced by
August 31. Advocate
Satyakam, appearing for the
Directorate and its officials,
told a bench of Chief Justice
D N Patel and Justice Jyoti
Singh that entire process of
the DSGMC elections would
End protest, come for talks, Tomar asks farmers
After getting special permission from L-G, farmers reach Jantar Mantar to protest against farm laws
New Delhi, July 22: With
a group of farmers reach-
ing Jantar Mantar here to
protest against the three
new farm laws, Union
Agriculture Minister
Narendra Singh Tomar
on Thursday urged them
to leave the path of agita-
tion and come for talks.
Mr Tomar said farmers
across the country have
favoured the three farm
laws.
After getting special
permission from Delhi Lt
Governor Anil Baijal, a
group of 200 farmers
reached Jantar Mantar —
adjacent to the
Parliament Complex — in
central Delhi to protest
against the Centre's three
contentious farm laws
amid the ongoing
Monsoon session of
Parliament.
They have got permis-
sion to protest till August
9 amid heavy security.
Asked about the farm-
ers’ protest at Jantar
Mantar, Tomar said, “I
want to tell through you
(media) that farmers
should leave the path of
protest and come for dia-
logue. We are ready for
talks if they come with
issues in the bills....If
they come with their pro-
posal, we are ready to dis-
cuss,” he told reporters.
Asserting that the gov-
ernment is sensitive
towards farmers, the
minister said in the last
seven years under the
leadership of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi,
major steps have been
‘No dual system of ■ Asks Delhi govt to decide on giving rent for poor during Covid
justice, 1 for rich, CM’s promise to citizens enforceable: HC
taken in the agriculture
sector, the benefits of
which are reaching culti-
vators across the country.
“The three farm bills
are also a step in this
direction. Farmers
across the country have
favoured the bills,” he
asserted.
Mr Tomar, in a written
reply in the Lok Sabha on
Wednesday, had reiterat-
ed that the government
will remain open to dis-
cussions with protesting
farmers’ unions to
resolve issues over the
three agriculture laws
passed by Parliament in
September last year.
“The government has
been engaged in serious,
sensitive and active dis-
cussions with the farm-
ers’ unions to resolve the
issues. During various
rounds of discussions,
the government continu-
ously requested the farm-
ers’ unions to discuss the
provisions of the farm
laws, so that if there is an
objection to any provi-
sion, the advancement
can be made towards res-
olution of those,” the
minister had said.
But the farmers’ unions
insisted only on the
repeal of the farm laws,
he added.
Thousands of farmers,
mainly from Punjab,
Haryana and western
Uttar Pradesh, have been
camping at Delhi's bor-
ders for over seven
months now in protest
against the three laws.
— PTI
Activist Yogendra Yadav during Kisan Sansad at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on
Thursday.
News channel cameraperson attacked
by freelance journalist during protest
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, JULY 22
The cameraperson of a
leading Hindi news chan-
nel was injured after he
was allegedly attacked by
a freelance journalist on
Thursday at Jantar
Mantar where the farm-
ers are protesting the new
agri laws, police said.
The cameraperson has
been identified as
Nagendra Gosain, they
said.
A senior police officer
said Gosain was attacked
by Prabhjot Singh, a free-
lance journalist.
Singh has been detained,
the officer said.
Gosain said Singh was
abusing mediapersons in
the morning and was also
recording it. Singh also
used foul language
against a woman journal-
— G.N. JHA
ist, he said.
When other journalists
objected and there was a
tussle, Singh attacked
them with a tripod. He
attacked me thrice, he
said, adding his hand was
injured.
The medicolegal case
(MLC) has been conducted
and a written complaint
submitted at the
Parliament Street police
station, Gosain said.
Govt: Concerned
about well-being
of women farmers
New Delhi, July 22: The
gover nment is “very
concer ned” about the
well-being of women
far mers protesting at
Delhi borders, Women
and Child Development
Minister Smriti Irani
told the Rajya Sabha on
Thursday.
Replying to a question,
Irani said the agricul-
ture ministry has
appealed to the protest-
ing far mers'' unions
that women should be
requested to go home
keeping in view the
severe weather condi-
tions and Covid pan-
demic.
“The government has
been very concer ned
about the well-being of
women far mers. The
Ministry of Agriculture
and Far mers Welfare
during discussions with
the far mers” unions
appealed to them that
children and elders,
especially women,
should be requested to
go home keeping in
view the severe weather
conditions and the
Covid pandemic,” Irani
said in a written reply.
“Basic amenities for
taking care of the con-
dition of citizens,
including that of
◗ THOUSANDS OF
protesting farmers from
across the country have
been agitating at three
Delhi border points —
Singhu, Tikri and
Ghazipur — against the
three farm laws that
they claim will do away
with the minimum sup-
port price system, leav-
ing them at the mercy
of big corporations.
women far mers, are
provided by the con-
cerned local body and
state/UT government,”
she added.
Thousands of farmers
from across the country
have been agitating at
three Delhi border
points — Singhu, Tikri
and Ghazipur — against
the three farm laws that
they claim will do away
with the minimum sup-
port price system, leav-
ing them at the mercy of
big corporations.
Over 10 rounds of
talks with the govern-
ment, which has been
projecting the laws at
major agricultural
reforms, have failed to
break the deadlock
between the two sides.
— PTI
UP govt clears
illegal Rohingya
camps from its

be over by August 31, with
counting scheduled to begin
on August 25. “We are duty
bound to conduct the elec-
tions. We would have done it
but for the pandemic,”
Satyakam said. The lieu-
tenant-governor, who heads
the DDMA, has already grant-
ed a special permission for
conducting the elections and
a notification would be pub-
lished soon, he added.
another for poor’
PARMOD KUMAR
NEW DELHI, JULY 22
The Supreme Court on
Thursday said India can't
have a dual system of
justice — one for the rich
and another for the poor
tion into the murder.
Speaking for the court,
Justice Chandrachud
said, “There is no gain-
saying that the judiciary
should be immune from
political pressures and
considerations. A judici-
New Delhi, July 22: A chief
minister’s promise to citi-
zens is clearly “enforce-
able”, the Delhi High
Court ruled on Thursday
while directing the AAP
government to decide on
Arvind Kejriwal’s
announcement that if a
poor tenant was unable to
pay rent during the Covid
pandemic, the state would
pay it.
frame a clear policy in this
regard. Justice Prathiba
M. Singh said that against
the backdrop of the com-
mitment made, it is not the
positive decision making
which is arbitrary, but the
lack of decision making or
indecision which this
court holds to be contrary
to law. Once the chief min-
ister had given a solemn
assurance, a duty was cast
said, adding that it was not
clear why the government
chose to completely disre-
gard the promise made by
its CM and not effectuate
it.
“A statement given in a
consciously held press con-
ference, in the background
of the lockdown
announced due to the pan-
demic and the mass exodus
of migrant labourers, can-
ment needs to answer the
question but it has failed to
do so, it said.
The verdict came on a
petition by daily wagers
and workers seeking to
enforce the promise made
by Kejriwal on March 29
last year that if any tenant
was unable to pay the rent
due to poverty, the govern-
ment would pay his or her
rent on their behalf.
land in Delhi
Noida, July 22: The
Uttar Pradesh govern-
ment on Thursday got a
piece of its land alleged-
ly encroached by
Rohingya refugees in
Delhi cleared, according
to officials.
The 2.10 hectare land
estimated worth `97
crore lies in Madan

2 held for killing

property dealer
New Delhi: Two men have
been arrested for allegedly
killing a property dealer last
month in northwest Delhi's
Khyala area, police said on
Thursday. Sohail (22) and
Aas Mohd (20), both resi-
dents of Raghubir Nagar
here, were wanted in the
as it pulled up the
Madhya Pradesh Police
attempting to shield
Govind Singh Parihar, the
husband of a Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) MLA
Ram Bai, in the case of a
2019 murder of Congress
leader Devendra
Chourasia in Hata town
of Damoh district.
A bench Justice D.Y.
Chandrachud and Justice
M.R. Shah in a judgment-
ary that is susceptible to
such pressures allows
politicians to operate
with impunity and incen-
tivizes criminality to
flourish in the political
apparatus of the state.”
An independent and
impartial judiciary is the
cornerstone of democra-
cy, the court said that
Judicial independence of
the district judiciary is
“cardinal” to the integri-
The high court said the
decision, which has to be
taken within six weeks,
would keep in mind the
larger interest of the peo-
ple for whom the benefit
was intended as per Delhi
Chief Minister’s state-
ment and thereafter, the
AAP government would
49 new Covid
on the Delhi government
to take a stand as to
whether to enforce the
promise or not, the court
said.
The promise was to act as
a balm on the wounds of
landlords and tenants, who
were severely affected as a
class of citizens in Delhi, it
Sushil Kumar close aide held in
not be simply overlooked.
Proper governance
requires the government
to take a decision on the
assurance given by the
CM, and inaction on the
same cannot be the
answer,” the court said in
its 89-page verdict. On this
“indecision”, the govern-
The petitioners claimed
to be tenants who were
unable to pay monthly
rent, and a landlord who
has not been able to receive
the rent from his tenant.
They all sought recovery
or payment of the monthly
rent, as per the chief min-
ister’s promise.
Khadar area of the
national capital near
Noida and belongs to the
irrigation department
of UP, the officials said.
UP Jal Shakti Minister
Mahendra Singh, who
instructed the removal
of the encroachment,
shared a video of the
early morning action on
social media.
“Illegal Rohingya
camps removed from the

murder case of property
dealer Vinod Bhati that took
place on June 25, they said.
Police said the accused
killed Bhati to take revenge
from him for their uncle,
Mohd Riyaz's, murder in
2018. Bhati was accused of
killing their uncle but was
acquitted and released from
jail in April this year. Deputy
commissioner of Police
(Northwest) Usha Rangnani
said, "On Wednesday
evening, our staff got a tip-
off that Sohail and Babu,
who had committed the
murder recently at Khyala,
were roaming near a hotel in
Pitampura, and they may
commit another offence. The
team laid a trap and the two
men were overpowered and
nabbed.”
GHAZIABAD MAN
RESCUED ALIVE
said, “India cannot have
two parallel legal sys-
tems, “one for the rich
and the resourceful and
those who wield political
power and influence and
the other for the small
men without resources
and capabilities to obtain
justice or fight injustice.”
“The existence of a dual
legal system will only
chip away the legitimacy
of the law. The duty also
falls on the State machin-
ery to be committed to the
rule of law ….”, the court
said.
Having underlined that
the application of law is
same - both for the rich
and poor – the court said
that the judiciary must
remain free from political
pressures and influences,
as it cancelled the bail of
Singh, with a remark on
“abject failure” of police
to complete the investiga-
ty of the entire system.
Exhorting to shed the
colonial mind-set in the
treatment of subordinate
judiciary, the top court
said, “The colonial mind-
set which pervades the
treatment meted out to
the district judiciary
must change. It is only
then that civil liberties
for every stakeholder – be
it the accused, the victims
or civil society – will be
meaningfully preserved
in our trial courts which
are the first line of
defense for those who
have been wronged.”
The court pulled up the
state's Director General of
Police (DGP) for inaction
of the police force under
him, taking a strong
objection to the fact that
police officials tried to
pressurize the trial court
judge to shield the
accused.
cases, 1 more
death in city
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, JULY 22
The national capital
recorded 49 fresh Covid
cases and one death due
to the disease on
Thursday, while the posi-
tivity rate dropped to 0.08
per cent, according to
data shared by the health
department here.
The single new fatality
has pushed the death toll
in the city to 25,040,
according to the latest
bulletin. On Wednesday,
Delhi had recorded 62
cases and four fatalities
and a positivity rate of
0.09 per cent, while on
Tuesday the city had
logged 44 cases .
Chhatrasal Stadium brawl case
New Delhi, July 22: The
Delhi Police’s Special Cell
has arrested a close associ-
ate of two-time Olympic
medallist Sushil Kumar, in
connection with the
Chhatrasal Stadium brawl
that led to the death of a 23-
year-old wrestler, officials
said on Thursday.
The accused, Surjeet
Grewal, also a wrestler, has
represented Delhi at the
national level and won his
last gold medal in 2018. He
represented India at World
Wrestling Championships
thrice and also took part in
Pro-Wrestling League.
Police said so far, 13 people
have been arrested in the
case, including Sushil
Kumar, who is facing
charges of murder, culpable
homicide and kidnapping,
and is currently lodged in
Tihar jail in connection
with the case.
DCP (Special Cell) Sanjeev
Kumar Yadav said,
“Grewal is a close associate
of Kumar and was carrying
a reward of `50,000 on his
arrest.” “Information was
received on Wednesday that
the accused would come to
his native Bamla village in
Haryana’s Bhiwani district.
Accordingly, a trap was laid
and he was arrested.”
During interrogation,
Grewal narrated the
sequence of events on the
intervening night of May 4
and 5 at Chhatrasal stadium
where Sushil Kumar and
his associates allegedly
assaulted wrestler Sagar
Dhankar and two of his
friends Sonu and Amit
Kumar over a property dis-
pute, the police officer said.
“He disclosed that Kumar
first scolded and then beat
Vikas, Arvind and
Ravinder. Thereafter,
Kumar left and later
returned to the stadium
along with his armed asso-
ciates. They then went to
Shalimar Bagh, dragged
Amit and Ravinder into
their cars and came back to
the stadium,” he said. “In
the stadium, Kumar and
other associates, including
Grewal, beat them up. Then
they went to Model Town
and dragged Sonu Mahal,
Sagar Dhankar and Bhagat
Singh in their cars returned
to the stadium and beat
them up with sticks and
batons to settle scores,” the
DCP said. — PTI
land belonging to the
Irrigation Department
in Madanpur Khadar at
4 am. Illegal occupants
removed from the 2.10
hectare land of the
Uttar Pradesh irrigation
department,” Singh
tweeted.
Officials involved in
Thursday’s anti-
encroachment drive
said a team of the UP
government had held a
meeting with the Delhi
administration on July
20 during which this
action was planned.
— PTI
◗ THE 2.10 hectare
land estimated worth
`97 crore lies in Madan
Khadar area of the
national capital near
Noida and belongs to
the irrigation depart-
ment of UP

FROM U’KHAND Tihar allows HC seeks response from Centre, govt on

Kotdwar: A man from
Ghaziabad who had acciden-
tally fallen into a gorge two
SC unlikely to cancel bail for Sushil a TV to plea against uniform for auto, taxi drivers
New Delhi, July 22: The Delhi on drivers in the national
days ago here in
Uttarakhand was rescued
JNU, Jamia student activists watch Tokyo High Court Thursday sought
response from the Centre and
capital for not wearing uni-
forms even though the law

alive on Thursday. Upendra
Tyagi (29), who had come to
Kotdwar on a personal visit,
was returning to Ghaziabad
on his scooty when the acci-
dent occurred. He had
stopped by the roadside to
urinate when he slipped off
the edge of the road and fell
into an 80-metre deep
gorge near Amsaur on
Tuesday, State Disaster
Response Force (SDRF) sub-
inspector Saukar Singh said.
Tyagi sustained injuries on
the head and leg due to the
fall and could not clamber
out of the gorge himself. He
kept crying for help but no
one could hear him, Singh
said. Locals grew suspicious
when they saw the scooty
parked at the same place for
two days and informed the
police. An SDRF team start-
ed searching for the man,
who was found lying in the
bushes in the gorge on
Thursday. — PTI
Olympics
Delhi government on a peti- on the subject was vague and
tion challenging mandatory ambiguous.
PARMOD KUMAR ◗ THOUSANDS OF of law and giving its orders denying bail to uniforms for auto rickshaw The petition moved by
NEW DELHI, JULY 22 Adjourning the matter, interpretation on that, the three students in AGE CORRESPONDENT and taxi drivers. A bench of Chalak Shakti, a drivers''
which was unwarrant- custody since May 2020 NEW DELHI, JULY 22 chief justice D.N. Patel and union, an auto rickshaw
The Supreme Court, on
the court, however, ed, senior advocate in the case of violence Justice Jyoti Singh also driver and a taxi driver
Thursday, indicated that made it clear that it Kapil Sibal, appearing in Northeast Delhi. Delhi Prison authori- issued notice to Delhi Police alleged that labelling drivers
it is “very unlikely that won’t give more than for the students, got the “We are constrained to ties on Thursday on the petition which said by way of uniform violated
it will be persuaded to two hours during the hearing adjourned for say, that it appears, that allowed two-time that heavy challans of upto fundamental rights guaran-
cancel the bail granted next hearing to the four weeks pointing out in its anxiety to sup- Olympic medallist Rs 20,000 were being imposed teed under Articles 14. — PTI
to student activists complete arguments in that the charge-sheet press dissent and in the Sushil Kumar, lodged in
Devangana Kalita, the case. runs into 20,000 pages morbid fear that mat- Tihar jail in connection
Natasha Narwal of and he would have to go ters may get out of with the Chhatrasal
Jawaharlal Nehru (Prevention) Act (UAPA) through it before argu- hand, the state has Stadium brawl, to
University (JNU), and by the high court?” ing. blurred the line watch television in the
Asif Iqbal Tanha of asked Justice Sanjay Adjourning the matter, between the constitu- common area of his
Jamia Millia Islamia Kishan Kaul, heading a the court, however, tionally guaranteed ward ahead of the
University in the Delhi bench also comprising made it clear that it ‘right to protest’ and Olympic games, which
riots case as it Justice Hemant Gupta. won’t give more than ‘terrorist activity.’ If is set to begin on July
adjourned by four weeks “We are on both the two hours during the such blurring gains 23, officials said.
the Delhi police’s plea issues,” replied solicitor next hearing to the com- traction, democracy On July 2, Kumar
for challenging the general Tushar Mehta, plete arguments in the would be in peril,” the through his advocate
Delhi high court order appearing for the Delhi case. high court had said, had urged prison
granting them bail.” police. A Delhi high court blasting the prosecution authorities to provide
“Is the police When the court said bench of Justice for prima facie not dis- him a television to
aggrieved of the bail that it is “troubled” by Siddharth Mridul and closing the commission remain updated about
granted or to the inter- the lengthy judgment of Justice Anup Jairam of any offence under wrestling matches and
pretation given to the the Delhi high court dis- Bhambhani had set Section 15, 17, and 18 of other happenings out-
Unlawful Activities cussing the provisions aside the trial court’s the UAPA. side the jail.

Social Media Pakistan 0345-6738217

 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | FRIDAY | 23 JULY 2021 | NEW DELHI
pg 3

SHORT TAKES
Plea in top court to
set up GST tribunal
New Delhi: A public interest
litigation (PIL) has been
moved by activist lawyer
Amit Sahani urging the
Supreme Court to order con-
stitution of the Goods and
Services Tax (GST) Tribunal,
which has not been set up
even after four years of the
GST Act coming into force
since 2017, leaving the par-
ties in lurch in wrong tax
orders slapped on them with
no remedy. It cited Section
109 of the Act that man-
dates the constitution of the
appellate tribunal. “The con-
stitution of national and
other benches of appellate
tribunal under Section 109 of
the CGST Act, 2017 is an
absolute necessity of the
hour and the respondents
cannot drag its constitution
for an indefinite period,”
said the PIL. It said that in
absence of an Appellate
Tribunal, the litigants are not
able to get justice within a
reasonable period and the
same is causing extreme
hardship to the litigants
across the country.
‘Pak denying ■ ‘Rebels mutilated scribe’s body after learning he was Indian’
‘3.20cr vaccine jabs
abduction of
Af envoy kin Taliban killed Danish: India with states and UTs’
a new low’
AGE CORRESPONDENT in the active Covid-19
SRIDHAR
Delhi avoids direct reply on military support to Af
NEW DELHI, JULY 22 caseload in a span of 24
KUMARASWAMI hours.
NEW DELHI, JULY 22 India saw a single day As many as 17,18,439
SRIDHAR AGE CORRESPONDENT has consistently been fol- aware of any invitation to rise of 41,383 coronavirus tests were conducted on
KUMARASWAMI India on Thursday con- NEW DELHI, JULY 22 lowing a policy of not it from the United States infections taking the total Wednesday taking the
NEW DELHI, JULY 22 firmed it was the Afghan deploying troops in to join a “quadrilateral” tally of Covid-19 cases to total cumulative tests
insurgent group Taliban With the Pakistan-backed Afghanistan, but at the connectivity initiative 3,12,57,720, while the conducted so far for detec-
Hitting back, India on that had killed Indian pho- Taliban making sweeping same time training comprising the US, active cases registered an tion of Covid-19 in the
Thursday said Pakistan tojournalist with Reuters military advances in Afghan military cadets at Pakistan, Afghanistan increase for the second country to 45,09,11,712.
had sunk to a “new low” and Pulitzer Prize-winner Afghanistan and ahead of Indian military training and Uzbekistan. consecutive day and were The daily positivity rate
by denying the harrow- Danish Siddiqui in the visit of the Afghan institutions and there are In response to a media recorded at 4,09,394, was recorded at 2.41 per
ing account of Silsila Kandahar last week amid Army Chief to India next no indications so far of query, MEA spokesperson according to the Union cent. It has been less than
Alikhil, daughter of Afg- intense fighting between week, New Delhi on any departure from this Arindam Bagchi said, “As health ministry data three per cent for 31 con-
han ambassador to Pak- the Afghan security forces Thursday evaded a direct policy. New Delhi has a contiguous neighbour, updated on Thursday. secutive days, the min-
istan Najibullah Alikhil, and the Taliban. reply to a media query on always strongly backed India supports the govern- The country’s Covid-19 istry said, adding the
who was reportedly At his weekly media any possible military sup- the Afghan government ment and the people of death toll rose to 4,18,987 weekly positivity rate was
abducted and tortured briefing on Thursday eve- port to bolster the belea- led by the increasingly- Afghanistan in realising with 507 fresh fatalities. recorded at 2.12 per cent.
by unknown men recent- ning while responding to a guered Afghan security embattled President their aspirations for a Further, more than 3.20 The number of people
ly in Islamabad. query on Siddiqui’s death forces after the American Ashraf Ghani. peaceful, democratic and crore Covid-19 vaccine who have recuperated
New Delhi said it and whether his body had troop pullout. New Delhi India also said it was not prosperous future.” doses are currently avail- from the disease surged
would normally have not been mutilated by the able with states, Union to 3,04,29,339 and the case
commented on the inci- Taliban, MEA spokesper- territories and private fatality rate stands at 1.34
dent as it involved two son Arindam Bagchi said, Taliban killed him.” The Indian photojour- Afghan security forces. hospitals for inoculation. per cent, the data stated.
other countries, but “As regards the incident According to media nalist was reportedly shot His death had been con- States and Union terri- Cumulative vaccine
added that it was doing itself, it was in Afghani- reports, the Taliban rebels first in an ambush by the firmed by Afghan ambas- tories have so far received doses administered so far
so due to the attempt to stan. I don’t have any par- mutilated Siddiqui’s body Taliban on Afghan Special sador to India Farid a total of 43,79,78,900 vac- has reached 41.78 crore
“drag” India into it by ticular comment to make after learning that he was Forces on the night of Mamundzay the next day. cine doses through all under the nationwide
Pakistan interior minis- regarding the investiga- an Indian. The Taliban is July 15 in the Spin Boldak The Indian government channels and a further vaccination drive.
ter Sheikh Rasheed tions... We know the cir- widely considered to be area of Kandahar when he had also last week con- 7,00,000 doses are in the India crossed the grim
Ahmed. According to cumstances in which the backed by Pakistan. was embedded with the demned the killing. pipeline, it said. milestone of two crore on
reports, the Pakistani The active cases com- May 4 and three crore on
minister had denied that prise 1.31 per cent of the June 23.
it was a case of kidnap-
ping and had accused
Centre never sought info on Raj urges CM total infections, while the
national Covid-19 recov-
The 507 new fatalities
include 165 from

HC not to quash FIR

India and Afghanistan of
twisting facts. Uddhav to start ery rate was recorded at
97.35 per cent, the data
Maharashtra and 105
from Kerala.

against Deshmukh
Mumbai: The Bombay high
MEA spokesperson
Arindam Bagchi said,
“This is of course a
shocking incident. This
O2 deaths: C’garh minister Mumbai local
SONU SHRIVASTAVA
updated at 8 am showed.
An increase of 2,224
cases has been recorded
A total of 4,18,987 deaths
have been reported so far
in the country.

court on Thursday refused to
quash the first information
report (FIR) registered by
the Central Bureau of
Investigation against former
Maharashtra home minister
Anil Deshmukh. The court
also dismissed the petition
filed by the state govern-
ment against CBI probe into
transfers, postings of police
officers by Mr Deshmukh.
The CBI can legitimately
enquire into the transfer and
posting and reinstatement of
Sachin Waze to the extent
that it is in connection with
Mr Deshmukh, the high court
said. The HC also refused to
stay its order till the state
government decides on the
further course of action. The
division bench of Justices
S.S. Shinde and N.J. Jamadar
allowed the CBI to inquire
into the aspect of transfer
and posting of police offi-
cers and also reinstatement
of Shri Vaze after 15 years.
involves two other coun- RABINDRA NATH
tries — Afghanistan and
Pakistan — and usually
we would not comment
CHOUDHURY
RAIPUR, JULY 22
on it. However, since the
interior minister of Pak-
istan has dragged India
Chhattisgarh health min-
ister T.S. Singh Deo on
Thursday accused the
into it, I would only like Centre of “misleading”
to say that even by their Parliament on oxygen
standards, Pakistan’s scarcity deaths, contend-
denial of the victim’s ing, “The Central govern-
account is stooping to a ment has never sought
new low.” data on deaths due to lack
He added, “As regards of oxygen from states.”
security of Indian high In a Twitter post, Mr Deo
commission personnel explained that the Centre
in Pakistan, I would not asked the states to provide
like to get into specific data on number of deaths
securing measures.” (due to Covid-19) on a day,
According to Ms data on deaths with co-
Alikhil’s statement as morbidity and without co-
per media reports, she morbidity and details on
was returning home in a type of co-morbidity.
taxi after visiting a bak- “GOI deliberately MIS-
ery in Islamabad when LED THE PARLIAMENT
the driver picked up without checking with the
another man. That man states,” the post read.
verbally abused and The minister’s statement
assaulted her. comes a couple of days
T.S. Singh Deo
after the Union minister of
state for health and family
welfare, Bharati Pravin
Pawar, told Rajya Sabha:
“Detailed guidelines for
reporting of deaths have
been issued by the Union
health ministry to all
states/ UTs. Accordingly,
all states/ UTs report
cases and deaths to the
Union health ministry on
a regular basis.
However, no death due to
lack of oxygen has been
specifically reported by
the states/ UTs.” Her
statement had triggered
an uproar in Parliament.
“When GOI says no one
died due to lack of oxygen
during 2nd wave, they
probably are referring to
Chhattisgarh — a state
with surplus O2. However,
it’s also a fact that in
states like Delhi & UP peo-
ple did die due to lack of
oxygen and those gory
visuals cannot be forgot-
ten,” Mr Deo maintained.
The BJP in Chhattisgarh
had earlier referred to Mr
Deo’s purported state-
ment that no one died due
to lack of oxygen in the
state.
Mr Deo, however, sought
to justify his stand on
“zero oxygen scarcity
death in Chhattisgarh”,
saying “Chhattisgarh was
one of the primary states
which maintained surplus
oxygen during the crisis”.
MUMBAI, JULY 22
Maharashtra Navnirm-
an Sena (MNS) chief Raj
India gave 663L doses to
Thackeray on Thursday
urged Maharashtra
chief minister Uddhav
other nations in 1st wave
Thackeray to resume the AGE CORRESPONDENT It may be recalled that
suburban train services NEW DELHI, JULY 22 during the second wave,
in Mumbai for the com- the government had faced
mon people. India had supplied a severe criticism for sup-
In a letter to the CM, whopping 663 lakh doses plying so many lakh
Raj has asked him to of Covid vaccines, includ- doses of vaccines to for-
explain the logic behind ing grants (free of cost), eign nations when an
the local trains being commercial contracts and overwhelming number of
closed for commoners through the international the 1.3 billion Indian pop-
while buses are operat- Covax initiative, to over ulation was yet to be vac-
ing with overcrowding. 90 foreign nations from cinated.
The MNS chief deman- January to April this India’s neighbouring
ded that the government year, figures submitted by country Bangladesh got a
should allow at least the Indian government significant chunk in the
those citizens who have before Parliament on form of 103 lakh doses of
taken both vaccine doses. Thursday have shown. vaccines from India.
Meanwhile, sources said This was just ahead of Other large recipients
that in view of the third the rampaging Covid sec- were Morocco (70 lakh),
wave of Covid, the state ond wave that battered Brazil (40 lakh), Saudi
would not want to allow India this summer, result- Arabia (45 lakh), Nigeria
all Mumbaikars to travel ing in a huge number of (40 lakh), Britain (50 lakh)
in local trains. deaths. and Myanmar (37 lakh).

Social Media Pakistan 0345-6738217

 NATION
THE ASIAN AGE | FRIDAY | 23 JULY 2021 | NEW DELHI
pg 4

SHORT TAKES
YEDIYURAPPA
HINTS HIS EXIT
IS IMMINENT
Bengaluru: Amid heightened
buzz over his continuation as
Karnataka chief minister
B.S. Yediyurappa indicated
that his exit was imminent
and said he will remain in
the post till the BJP’s central
leadership asks him to step
down. The 78-year-old
Lingayat strongman said he
had offered to resign two
months ago with an inten-
tion to make way for others
and asserted that he won’t
name a possible successor
even if asked to. The central
BJP leaders did not talk
about his replacement dur-
ing his recent Delhi visit, he
said. “The party high com-
mand is likely to give direc-
tions on July 25 regarding
my future as the chief minis-
ter and I will continue to
perform my duties till the
last minute and thereafter
will work for strengthening
the BJP with an aim to bring
it back to power.” “I will
abide by the Centre’s deci-
sion, I have said this in the
past and I’m saying it once
again,” Mr Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters here,
he said, “Whether in power
or not, I will travel across the
state and work towards
strengthening the organisa-
tion and bringing the party
back to power. As long as
I’m asked to be the chief
minister, I will remain in the
post, when I’m told they
don’t want me in the post I
will work towards strength-
ening the organisation.”
— PTI
SHAH TO MEET
Pegasus spying Rain fury brings Maha to its
story ‘concocted, knees; Chiplun submerged
fabricated’: BJP 6,000 passengers stranded as train services hit in Konkan; rivers in spate
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, JULY 22
Describing news reports
on the alleged snooping
through Israeli spyware
Pegasus as “concocted,
fabricated and evidence-
less”, the BJP Thursday
claimed that the reports
were an attempt to under-
mine Indian institutions
and also linked to a par-
liamentary committee
report on data protection.
Insisting that the Indian
government is “serious
about personal data pro-
tection”, Union minister
Meenakshi Lekhi, who
was heading the parlia-
mentary committee, said
the new reports alleging
snooping by the govern-
ment of individuals call
for “defamation.”
“Data protection is
going to become the law of
the and. This is directly
related to that. This is to
undermine Indian insti-
tutions that such kinds of
stories are being floated,”
she said while addressing
a press conference and
added that the govern-
ment is creating a “new
ecosystem” to secure the
data and rights of
Indians, and the row is
meant to damage it.
The minister cited
reports claiming that
Amnesty International,
the human rights group
associated with Pegasus
Project, has denied the
existence of a list of
potential targets of the
Meenakshi Lekhi
Pegasus to claim that the
“fake” list of individuals
is like a collection of
mobile numbers drawn
from yellow pages and
those have been used for
“yellow journalism”.
Amnesty International,
however, said in a state-
ment that it “categorical-
ly stands” by the findings
of the Pegasus Project
and asserted that the data
is irrefutably linked to
potential targets of
Israel-based NSO Group’s
Pegasus spyware.
Ms Lekhi said 10 coun-
tries have been named as
places where this spy-
ware was used and hit out
at Opposition parties,
including the Congress
and TMC, suggesting that
rival parties other coun-
tries have not behaved the
way they have in India.
“This is not a story. This
is a non-starter across the
globe because based on a
concocted, fabricated, evi-
dence-less story, nobody
does story. Because that
story itself calls for for-
gery and defamation.
Leaked data is an offence
and that leads to further
complications for people
BHAGWAN PARAB
MUMBAI, JULY 22
Incessant rains created a
mayhem in Konkan
region of Maharashtra on
Thursday. Hundreds of
people were evacuated as
the downpour caused
flooding and huge proper-
ty damage across the
coastal belt. The Konkan
railway services were also
badly affected with over
6,000 passengers left
stranded at various places
due to rains.
Overnight heavy rains
led to flood-like situations
in several parts of
Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane,
Palghar and Kolhapur dis-
tricts. Major rivers in
Ratnagiri district, includ-
ing Jagbudi, Vashishthi,
Kodavali, Shastri, Bav
were flowing above the
danger level. As a result of
this, Khed, Chiplun, Lanja,
Rajapur, Sangameshwar
towns witnessed severe
water-logging.
Chiplun city in Ratnagiri
was the worst affected
with the entire town going
under the water. The local
market, bus station and
railway station were all
flooded. In scary scenes,
the homes and buses were
seen completely sub-
merged under water.
The situation was grim
in Khed town too with the
Jagbudi river flowing
above the danger mark.
Mahad town in Raigad dis-
trict also witnessed flood-
A residential locality at Badlapur flooded after heavy rains in Mumbai. Housing soci-
eties adjoining the Ulhas river have been witnessing heavy waterlogging for the past
two days, forcing residents to wade through waist-deep water. Residents from some
of the low-lying areas have also been shifted to safer places.
dents that occurred in
Wardha district following
heavy rains on Thursday,
officials said.
A woman got swept away
in Waghadi river in
Samudrapur tehsil, while
a man going on a bullock
cart got swept away in a
swollen nullah at Tas vil-
lage in the same tehsil,
they said.
An official said that two
persons died due to a land-
slide near Parshuram ghat
in the district during the
day.
Shiv Sena’s Anil Parab,
the guardian minister of
being moved to safety by
the Indian Coastguard.
The Mumbai-Goa highway
has also been shut due to
severe flooding.
“There is difficulty in
reaching these places
since all roads are closed.
Rescue teams from munic-
ipality, Coast Guard,
Customs are using their
boats to shift people from
the low-lying areas. We
have opened marriage
halls, school buildings so
that the evacuated people
can spend their night
there,” said Mr Parab.
The National Disaster
— DEBASISH DEY
and one each in Thane and
Palghar districts. One
team has been sent to
Chiplun whereas two
teams have also been dis-
patched to Kolhapur.
Heavy rains led to inun-
dation at several places
and disruption of rail and
road transport services.
Nearly 6,000 passengers
were stranded due to sus-
pension of train services
on the Konkan railway
route.
Maharashtra chief min-
ister Uddhav Thackeray
held an emergency meet-
ing to take stock of the
All members
of Assam
Bodo outfit
surrender
MANOJ ANAND
GUWAHATI, JULY 22
In a significant develop-
ment, all the members of
a fledgling Bodo rebel
outfit National
Liberation Front of
Bodoland (NLFB),
including its chief
Binod Mushahary alias
M Batha on Thursday
surrendered before the
police in the Mazbat
police station of
Udalguri district.
Pointing out that peo-
ple’s trust on the govern-
ment policies reflected in
the NLFB’s decision to
return to the main-
stream, chief minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma in
a social media post said,
“We reiterate our com-
mitment for all-round
development of
Bodoland and to protect
the unique socio-cultural
and political identity of
Bodo people and welcome
their homecoming.”
The NIA had
announced a `10 lakh
reward for Mr Batha’s
capture. He is reported to
be hiding in Arunachal
Pradesh along with
around 22 cadres. They
laid down their arms at
Mazbat in Udalguri dis-
trict in presence of spe-
cial DGP G.P. Singh.
Informing that two
Cabinet ministers Pijush
Hazarika and Jayanta
Malla Baruah were also
present during the cere-
mony, sources said that
Bodoland Territorial
Council chief Pramod

N-E CMs, DGPs, alleged snooping and also

the statement of the
who base their stories on
leaked data. it only hap-
ing due to heavy rains.
Two persons were swept
Ratnagiri district, said
that rescue operations are
Response Force (NDRF)
has deployed nine rescue
flood situation. He
instructed officials to pro-
Boro played the key role
in persuading Mr Batha,

CS TOMORROW
Israeli company, which pens in India,” said Ms away by strong currents of still on in these flooded teams in Maharashtra, vide relief to the affected a dreaded militant, to
has created the spyware Lekhi. water in separate inci- cities with stranded locals including four in Mumbai people at the earliest. join the mainstream.

New Delhi: Union home min-

ister Amit Shah will hold a
meeting of all chief minis-
ters, chief secretaries and
DGPs of Northeastern states
on July 24 during which he
is expected to take stock of
the law and order and
Covid-19 situation in the
region. During the two-day
visit on July 24-25, the home
minister will also inaugurate
a cryogenic oxygen plant,
visit the headquarters of the
Assam Rifles in Shillong and
attend an event in Guwahati.
He will chair a meeting of
chief ministers, chief secre-
taries and DGPs of all north-
eastern states in Shillong on
Saturday, a home ministry
official said. Mr Shah is
expected to take stock of the
law and order and Covid-19
situation there. The meeting
will held held at the North
Eastern Space Applications
Centre where he will also
review the functioning of the
space science and technolo-
gy centre of the region.
Union minister for science
and technology and space
Jitendra Singh and minister
for development of the North
Eastern Region G. Kishan
Reddy will also accompany
him during the trip. — PTI
‘Privacy is a right that has to be respected’
Shahid is on India visit in official capacity as UNGA Prez-elect
MANASH PRATIM
BHUYAN
NEW DELHI, JULY 22
Privacy is a right protect-
ed by constitutions of all
civilised countries and it
has to be respected, presi-
dent-elect of UN General
Assembly Abdulla Shahid
said on Thursday, refer-
ring to concerns arising
out of the Pegasus snoop-
ing row.
Mr Shahid, the foreign
minister of the Maldives,
is on a three-day visit to
India in his official capaci-
ty as the President-elect of
the 76th session of the UN
General Assembly.
In an interview, he also
said that the digital
regime that governs digi-
tal communications is an
area that needs to be seri-
ously looked into.
“Privacy is a right pro-
tected by constitutions of
all civilised countries and
it has to be respected,” he
said.
◗ IN HIS interview, he also said that
the digital regime that governs digital
communications is an area that needs
to be seriously looked into
◗ ASKED WHETHER there was a need
to enhance the existing framework to
address issues relating to privacy, he
Abdulla Shahid replied in affirmative
Asked whether there was others in a number of
a need to enhance the exist- countries, including India
ing framework to address triggered concerns over
issues relating to privacy, issues relating to privacy.
he replied in affirmative. Politicians, rights
“The digital privacy activists and journalists
regime that rules digital were among those target-
communications is an ed with phone spyware
area which needs to be sold to various govern-
seriously looked into (by ments by an Israeli firm,
the global community),” according to an interna-
he said. On whether the tional media consortium.
issue may be discussed at To a question on con-
the UN General Assembly, cerns over violation of
he said it is for the mem- human rights in various
ber nations to decide. parts of the world, Mr
The alleged use of the Shahid said “respecting
Pegasus software to spy on the rights of all is one of
journalists, human rights the five ‘rays of hope’ that
defenders, politicians and I am bringing in.” — PTI
Terrorism a scourge, need to
address it soon: Abdulla Shahid
New Delhi, July 22: In fac-
ing the scourge of terror-
ism, the United Nations
and the international com-
munity need to start
speaking in “one voice”
and demonstrate a “visi-
ble” political will by com-
pleting the ongoing work
relating to dealing with
the challenge, President-
elect of UN General
Assembly Abdulla Shahid
said on Thursday.
Mr Shahid, the foreign
minister of the Maldives,
told PTI in an exclusive
interview that as the pres-
ident of the 76th session of
the UN General Assembly,
he will focus on expediting
work towards a conven-
tion against terrorism and
even rued that a definition
of terrorism was yet to be
reached.
“The United Nations and
the international commu-
nity need to start speaking
in one voice in facing the
scourage of terrorism. We
need that united political
will and it should be
demonstrated by complet-
ing the work that has been
ongoing at the UN on the
convention against terror-
ism,” he said.
“We have still not been
able to reach a definition
of terrorism,” he said,
hoping that the work at
the relevant committee
dealing with the issue
expedited so that much-
needed unity in con-
fronting the scourge at the
political level will be visi-
ble.
Referring to various
aspects of the coronavirus
crisis, he described the
emerging “vaccine nation-
alism” as “worrying” and
said the UN and all its 193
members should come
together to address it.
— PTI
Scribes protest, lock
MLAs in DC office
AKSHAYA KUMAR
SAHOO
BHUBANESWAR, JULY 22
Tension ran high on
Thursday at the office of
Kendrapara district col-
lector as a group of jour-
nalists locked five MLAs
of the ruling Biju Janata
Dal (BJD) for over two
hours in the building
protesting inaction to the
administration to take
action against a police
woman who beat a scribe
mercilessly on Wednesday.
According to reports, a
woman police on
Wednesday assaulted a
journalist of a digital
media on the premises of
the collector’s office as
the reporter shot a video
of the cop violating
Covid-19 guidelines by
not wearing a face mask.
Being infuriated over the
scribe’s action, the lady
police slapped and
thrashed the journalist.
The victim and other
◗ A WOMAN police on
Wednesday assaulted a
journalist of a digital
media on the premises of
the collector’s office as
the reporter shot a video
of the cop violating
Covid-19 guidelines
journalists of the district
had a discussion with the
MLAs at the office over
the issue while they
demanded action against
the erring cop.
Alleging that the legisla-
tors didn’t pay heed to
their demands, the jour-
nalists detained and
locked the MLAs at the
office for nearly two
hours. They later
released the lawmakers
after they assured to take
up the matter with senior
police officials.
The victim journalist
has demanded suspen-
sion of the lady constable
and stringent action
against her.

Olympic Games begin today Farmers’ dharna begins at Jantar Mantar

■ Continued from Page 1
diehard believers that the
Olympic tide is about to turn
for India.
Once famous for wizardry
with the hockey stick, the
men’s team will be praying
for a kind of renaissance,
with the women’s team hop-
ing to make a splash. In ath-
letics, where India has not
won a medal since an
Englishman ran for the
British Empire in 1912,
javelin thrower Neeraj
Chopra’s performance could
end the agony of near misses
that the likes of P.T. Usha and
the late Milkha Singh
endured.
Sports fans are betting that
world badminton champion
P.V. Sindhu, silver medallist
in Rio, will deliver back-to-
back medals, an achievement
that could put her among the
all-time greats of Indian
sports.
Perhaps as a sign of India’s
growth as a sporting nation,
the country would have rep-
resentation in fencing (C.A.
Bhavani Devi) and equestrian
(Fouaad Mirza) too after
more than 20 years. It’s also
for the first time that two
swimmers — Sajan Prakash
and Srihari Nataraj — made
the Olympic cut with “A”
qualification marks.
India is hoping that the
gloom of the Covid-19 pan-
demic would be lifted by the
brightness of its athletes’ per-
formances at the Games. The
only caveat is that these
expectations have been blown
to bits before.
■ Continued from Page 1
in favour of farmers. We
had discussions about
these laws. If they express
their issues with the laws
point-wise, we can discuss
it.”
As the minister entered
the House, SAD MPs stood
with placards in support of
the protesting farmers.
Congress’ Rahul Gandhi
and several MPs from the
Left parties, DMK and RJD
also held a dharna in front
of Mahatma Gandhi’s
statute in the Parliament
complex in solidarity with
protesting farmers as
“hooligans” while talking
about an alleged attack on
a mediaperson during the
“kisan sansad” at Jantar
Mantar. She alleged that
the Opposition was pro-
moting such activities.
“They are not farmers,
they are hooligans... These
are criminal acts. What
happened on January 26
was also shameful crimi-
nal activities. The
Opposition has promoted
such activities.”
Targeting Ms Lekhi,
Bharatiya Kisan Union
are the ones who have
nothing. It is wrong to
make such remarks on
farmers. We are farmers,
not hooligans. Farmers are
the ‘anndatas’ of the land.”
The protest at Jantar
Mantar started at around
11 am with a van carrying
farmers’ leaders reach the
spot. It was followed by
several buses which
brought about 200 farmers
from the Singhu border.
Farmer leader Shiv Kumar
Kakka said the police halt-
ed them at three places on
the way and their Aadhaar
three laws.
The protesters had lunch
at around 2 pm, which was
organised by the Delhi
Sikh Gurdwara
Management Committee.
They ended the day with
the national anthem and
said they will keep return-
ing to Jantar Mantar in
batches.
Mr Kakka said the farm-
ers suspect they were
being snooped on by the
government using the
Israeli software Pegasus.
“It is an unethical govern-
ment. We suspect that our
traction. We know they are
keeping an eye on us too.”
Swaraj India president
Yogendra Yadav said the
phone numbers of the
farmer leaders will figure
in the data of the year 2020-
21. “When this data is made
public, our numbers will be
there, of course… He said
that the protesting farmers
have come to Jantar
Mantar to prove to the gov-
ernment that they are not
fools,” he said, and added:
“The British Parliament
debated our issues, but not
the Indian Parliament.”

Delhi, NCR on alert over drone hit the protesting farmers.

■ Continued from Page 1
case usually strengthened in
Delhi and its neighbourhood
in the run-up to
Independence Day.
The intelligence agencies
have in their inputs claimed
that a module of the Lashkar-
e-Tayyaba terror group could
possibly target some areas in
Delhi and nearby areas in the
next few weeks. A detailed
data of drones with private
individuals is also being scru-
tinised by the Delhi police.
“We have concrete informa-
tion that Lashkar is feeling
encouraged by the successful
attempt on the Air Force
Station in Jammu and the
dropping of weapons in bor-
der villages of Punjab. They
now want to try the same in
Delhi before the Independence
Day celebrations to create a
bigger impact. But we have
started technical and human
surveillance to deal with the
fresh threat,” a senior intelli-
gence official said.
The sources said a detailed
audit of drones and other
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAVs) available with private
individuals was being done
not just in Delhi but also in
the surrounding areas like
Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida
and Ghaziabad.
Minister of state for
external affairs Meenakshi
Lekhi triggered a fresh row
as she referred to the
Pegasus row continues in both Houses
■ Continued from Page 1
protesting MPs to desist
from “unparliamentary
behaviour” and go back to
their seats and let the min-
ister complete his state-
ment.
leader Rakesh Tikait said
the farmers are “anna-
datas” (providers) and to
call them such names is
inappropriate. “Hooligans
adjourned. But before
that, a heated exchange
took place between Union
minister Hardeep Singh
Puri and the Trinamool
MP and marshals had to
intervene to bring the situ-
cards were checked.
On reaching Jantar
Mantar, farmers raised
slogans, demanding that
the government scrap the
minister V.
Muraleedharan is expect-
ed to move the motion, the
sources said.
“We are approaching the
Rajya Sabha Chairman
seeking action against
numbers are also on list of
those being snooped on…
The government is behind
the snooping. That’s clear
and the issue is gaining
“In India, there is a well-
established procedure
through which lawful
interception of electronic
communication is carried
out for the purpose of
national security, particu-
Mr Yogendra Yadav
demanded a debate on the
issues raised by farmers
protesting against the new
farm laws.
monitoring has to be
approved by the competent
authority… There is an
established oversight
mechanism in the form of
a review committee head-
ed by the Union Cabinet

Capt. to join Sidhu event today As Mr Vaishnav began

■ Continued from Page 1
for the installation of the new
PPCC team. This was tweeted
by the Punjab CM’s media
adviser on Thursday.
The last two months have
been tumultuous for the
Punjab Congress unit. The
utterances of Navjot Singh
Sidhu against the Punjab gov-
ernment and the sitting chief
minister had made the situa-
tion uncomfortable for many
Congressmen from the state.
After much deliberation and
many rounds of negotiations,
Mrs Sonia Gandhi earlier this
week appointed Mr Sidhu as
the president of the Punjab
PCC, replacing Sunil Jakhar.
At the moment the Punjab
Congress appears united, but
with the Assembly elections
due early next year, it seems
to be an uneasy calm.
Mr Sidhu will formally
assume charge of the Punjab
PCC, along with four working
presidents, at Punjab
Congress Bhawan. Incharge
of Punjab affairs at the AICC,
Harish Rawat, is also expect-
ed to attend the event.
delivering his statement,
TMC MP Santanu Sen
went to his seat and
snatched the paper from
the minister and tore it
apart, thus preventing
him from speaking for a
while. As papers were
flung into the air, the min-
ister could not complete
his statement and instead
laid another copy of it on
the table of the House and
the House had to be
ation under control.
“Members seem to be not
interested in discussing
the people’s issues,” Rajya
Sabha Chairman M.
Venkaiah Naidu said
while adjourning the pro-
ceedings for the day in
Rajya Sabha.
The government plans to
move a motion in the
Rajya Sabha on Friday
seeking the suspension of
Mr Santanu Sen, sources
said late Thursday. Union
them (Opposition MPs) as
their behaviour is a blow
to parliamentary deco-
rum,” said a Union minis-
ter who sought anonymity.
Mr Vaishnaw’s state-
ment on the alleged snoop-
ing allegations was a
repeat of what he said on
Monday. He reiterated that
“illegal surveillance is not
possible” in India “with
the checks and balances in
our laws and our robust
institutions”.
larly on the occurrence of
any public emergency or
in the interest of public
safety, by agencies at the
Centre and the states. The
requests for these lawful
interceptions of electronic
communication are made
as per relevant rules under
the provisions of Section
5(2) of Indian Telegraph
Act 1885 and Section 69 of
the Information
Technology Act 2000. Each
case of interception or
Secretary… The proce-
dure, therefore, ensures
that any interception or
monitoring of any infor-
mation is done as per the
due process of law. The
framework and institu-
tions have withstood the
test of time,” Mr Vaishnaw
said in his statement, that
was tabled. He added that
the Israeli company whose
technology had been
allegedly used had denied
these claims outright.

Social Media Pakistan 0345-6738217

 EDIT
THE ASIAN AGE | FRIDAY | 23 JULY 2021 | NEW DELHI
pg 5

23 JULY 2021

Let the Games begin in Subhani

Tokyo as Covid lingers
T
he modern Olympic Games, held in three different centuries, were dis-
rupted only by the World Wars while surviving global economic and
political strife and sporting boycotts. No edition since 1896 may have
been so fraught with the sheer tensions of a global pandemic. Organisers are
still struggling to assure the citizens of Tokyo and Japan that 11,000 athletes
from 200 countries, their support staff, officials, administrators and delegates
will not worsen the spread of Covid-19 by holding the 2020 Olympic Games
after a year’s postponement. Athletes as well as teams are being sidelined with
the virus catching in its net close to 100 people associated with the Games even
as the caseload in Tokyo has been rising with new infections.
Protests in Japan are not only regarding the Games becoming a super-
spreader. They have sprouted in the arena as well with athletes taking the
knee in a gesture that has been spreading globally after the killing of George
Floyd 14 months ago in the United States. The right of expression has been
granted to athletes to make their symbolic gestures of protest as Rule 50 of the
IOC charter that banned “demonstration of politi-
There was a time cal, religious or racial propaganda” has been

Pegasus expose: Will the LETTERS

watered down. Protests are also expected to crop
when participation up Friday at the Opening Ceremony, which many
in the Olympics of the athletes would be avoiding for fear of con-
itself was tracting the infection and so losing their one sport- DRDO REDEEMS SELF
considered an ing opportunity in five years for an Olympic
honour for Indians. medal.

govt order a real probe?

There is no knowing which athletes or teams Congratulations to
Not anymore — will be hit by the march of the pandemic in the DRDO for their success-
India expects its next fortnight in Japan where a national emer-
athletes to perform gency has been declared. No athlete in the Games ful testing of the Gen
and win medals. can say he/she was not affected psychologically by Next Akash missile. This
the events since the lockdowns began worldwide the Pegasus expose has Does the list of actual or
around March 2020. Tokyo’s excellent sporting infrastructure will, however, been done in revenge for potential targets suggest will enhance the nations
be offering a level playing field for all of them. There can be no excuses on med-
ical grounds and all athletes will also have to make do with a distinct lack of
Karan Thapar the government’s han-
dling of Covid-19. I’m not
a foreign government or
agency would be interest-
defence capability and
deter those who are int-
atmosphere in the absence of spectators on-site. That would mean a further sure what he means. For ed in hacking their
loss of $1.20 billion for the organisers who have had to go ahead with the a start, does he believe phones or does it corrob- ent in their adventurism
Games or risk losing all $30 billion that has been ploughed into hosting the
Games. As I See It the handling was good or
bad? He did not say. But
orate the belief this is the
work of our government
to damage India. It also
Indian athletes will be facing the additional burden of expectations which either way, why would or one of its agencies? gives a boost to the
their vast national following bestows on them. The chances of Indian athletes this be grounds for The list includes Rahul arms manufacturing
may have been hyped up in typically high aspirations. Hopes must, however, revenge? And by whom? Gandhi and his friends, a sector and reduces dep-

H
be tempered by the fact that only one Indian athlete, ace shooter Abhinav ow should we
Bindra, has won a gold medal (in Beijing in 2008) outside of field hockey. A judge the Nar-
haul of two silvers and four bronzes in London in 2012 was India’s biggest in endra Modi
history while the Games in Rio in 2016 were a disappointment but for P.V. government’s
Sindhu and Sakshi Malik winning silver medals. The shuttler will be India’s response to
best bet for a gold. the Pegasus expose
If there are many athletes in India’s contingent who could strike medals this which is the most impor-
time may be owed to more scientific preparation over the years besides oppor- tant and most shocking
tunities to train abroad in recent months with Tokyo in mind and despite the news of the month? Is it
pandemic. There was a time when participation in the Olympics itself was the thoughtful stand we
considered an honour for Indians. Not anymore — India expects its athletes to would expect of a democ-
perform and win medals. ratic government firmly
committed to defending
its citizens’ constitution-
al rights? Or does it
This is all made up.
Let’s now come to the
government’s response.
First, former informa-
tion technology minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad
says there isn’t a shred of
evidence connecting the
government to Pegasus.
But given that Pegasus
hacks phones and hack-
ing is explicitly illegal in
India and cannot be
authorised by the gov-
ernment, can the govern-
Frankly, this is utter
nonsense.
Then there’s the argu-
ment put forward by the
home minister. “Chrono-
logy samajhiye”, he says.
He claims the fact the
story broke on the eve of
the Indian Parliament’s
Monsoon Session proves
it’s designed to target
India and is a report “by
disruptors and obstruc-
tors”. But why on earth
would 16 other media
former election commis-
sioner, private secre-
taries of former chief
ministers and Union
ministers, a top virolo-
gist, an election analyst,
a woman who accused a
former Chief Justice of
India of sexual harass-
ment and several mem-
bers of her family, a
director of the Bill and
Melinda Gates
Foundation, Mamata
Banerjee’s nephew,
endency on foreign sup-
pliers. The DRDO has
been able to shrug off
much criticism against it
for not fulfilling its
potential with its latest
creation. The manufac-
turing wing should pull
up its socks in produc-
tion so that India could

Own up to oxygen mess amount to prevarication,

denial and what I politely
call utter nonsense?
T
he BJP’s chest-beating that the Opposition is “doing politics” over the Let’s start with the bru-
deaths of patients in hospitals due to lack of availability of medical oxy- tal facts. At least 1,000
gen during the second wave of the pandemic, Covid-19, reflects the cal- Indian phone numbers
lous way the party, and at some time the government it leads, approach the are on the list of potential
pandemic and its fallouts. It may be techno-legally right that no death was cer-
tified as having caused by the dearth of oxygen, but that does not account for
targets. Of these, 300
have been verified and 22
the reports of agonising attempts by doctors in many cities to stretch the have been subjected to
depleting supply of oxygen to the dying patients under their care till the next forensic analysis by
oxygen tanker arrived. In fact India’s shortage of medical oxygen made inter- Amnesty International
national headlines resulting in a global effort to source it for us. The affidavits and then double-checked
the Maharashtra and Delhi governments submitted in courts cannot be used by the University of
for settling political scores nor to wish away the reality that the governments Toronto’s Citizen Lab. In
at the Centre and in many states were not prepared for oxygen shortage the case of 10, it was
despite early warning. clearly established they
That the Union government has picked the right signals from the tragedy of had been targeted by
citizens dying due to lack of oxygen has been reflected in the way it has been Pegasus. In a further
taking precautionary measures to avoid a repeat of it, should a third wave visit eight, the results were
us. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his interactions with chief ministers inconclusive. One of the
and officials, has been insistent on getting the oxygen plants ready and func- confirmed 10 is Prashant
tioning in very part of the country. The PM-Cares Fund has been liberally Kishor. His phone was
funded for the setting up of such plants across the country. In fact, the other hacked as recently as
day Mr Modi presided over a review meeting on oxygen availability in the July 14.
country. Three things stand out.
The BJP’s lamentation over politicking fails to cut much ice for another rea- In 10 cases we have con-
son. The Prime Minister has, the other day, told BJP MPs to resist what he firmation of hacking.
called the Opposition campaign against the government’s response to the sec- Second, the people whose
ond wave. The BJP must realise it’s the ruling party, take criticism in the right phones were hacked or
spirit, and guide the government. Opposition-bashing as an agenda has only were potential targets
limited value in a democracy. are not national security
risks or terrorists. They
are Opposition leaders,
scientists, secretaries of
ministers, friends of
Rahul Gandhi, a former
election commissioner,
journalists and activists.
Third, this has to have
been done by an official
government agency —
either Indian or foreign.
NSO has confirmed that
THE ASIAN AGE it only sells to “vetted
governments” and their
agencies. A total of 60 in
KAUSHIK MITTER K. SUDHAKAR
Editor Printer & Publisher 40 countries. So, if the
Indian government is not
THE ASIAN AGE office is located at:
New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi-110002. Phone: responsible, some other
(011) 23211124. foreign government
Published and Printed on behalf of and for clearly is. But there’s no
◗ Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited, Jawaharlal Nehru National Youth Centre, 219 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, way you can claim that
New Delhi 110 002 at BFL Infotech Ltd., C-9, Sector-III, Noida -201301.
nothing happened.
◗ London: Quickmarsh Ltd, 8th Floor, Block 2, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London, SE1 7NQ.
RNI Registration number: 57290/94 There’s been no hacking.
ment admit to buying
Pegasus? If it does, it will
incriminate itself. So,
this defence doesn’t hold
water.
For those who want a
bit of detail, leading
Supreme Court lawyer
Shadan Farasat tells me
that Section 43 read with
Section 66 of the IT Act
makes it clear the gov-
ernment cannot hack
phones, even on grounds
of national security. It’s
quite simply a cyber-
crime. This is reinforced
by Sections 66C, 66D, 66E
and 66F.
However, the New York
Times reports “a person
familiar with NSO con-
tracts” has told the news-
paper that Pegasus was
sold to India along with
six other countries. Now
the NYT is not only high-
ly regarded but meticu-
lous for checking what it
publishes. Many might
believe the paper rather
than Mr Prasad.
However, for argu-
ment’s sake let’s accept
that the government has-
n’t bought Pegasus and
see where that takes us.
Since hacking has clearly
been done, this would
mean either a foreign
government or its agen-
cies are involved. Isn’t
that still a matter of
grave concern? At the
very least, a democratic
government committed
to defending the rights of
its citizens would imme-
diately order a full
inquiry. France has
already done so.
At this point, let’s
return to three other gov-
ernment responses. Ravi
Shankar Prasad claims
organisations consider
the eve of India’s
Monsoon Session the
right time for them? In
fact, Le Monde, the
Washington Post and the
Guardian often decided
the publication date. And
remember, the biggest
revelation is the claim
the French President,
Prime Minister and 14
members of the country’s
Cabinet were targeted.
That clearly overshad-
ows the Indian side of the
story. Does the home
minister really believe
French journalists would
time this to coincide with
the start of the Indian
Parliament?
Finally, there’s what
the new IT minister said
in Parliament. He claims
NSO has said some of the
countries listed in the
Pegasus expose as its
clients are incorrect.
Perhaps. Even, very pos-
sibly. But so what? That
doesn’t mean India is not
a client. And if he thinks
it does, then he has to
face the reality of foreign
governments and agen-
cies hacking the phones
of Indian citizens.
Now, let’s approach
this differently. Let’s ask:
Frankly, there’s
only one thing the
government should
do and as quickly
as it can: take the
chief executive of
NSO, Shalev Hulio,
at his word and
demand an
immediate
investigation
industrialists
Kashmiri and Naga sepa-
ratists. Could anyone
and
really believe a foreign
government or agency
would want to hack their
phones? To ask is to
answer the question.
Frankly, there’s only
one thing the govern-
ment should do and as
quickly as it can: take the
chief executive of NSO,
Shalev Hulio, at his word
and demand an immedi-
ate investigation. He’s
told the Washington Post
he’s “very concerned”.
His company statement
says it will “investigate
all credible claims of mis-
use and take appropriate
action”. To the Post, Mr
Hulio said two clients
have earlier been sus-
pended for misuse. Other
newspapers report the
number is five. All of this
is an excellent basis for
insisting that Mr Hulio
and NSO thoroughly
investigate the Indian
side of the story, reveal
the full truth and take
effective action.
But will the Narendra
Modi government do
this? I doubt it. In 2019,
when the IT ministry
confirmed to Shashi
Tharoor’s parliamentary
standing committee that
121 people were affected
by Pegasus, including it
seems members of the
department of atomic
energy and the
Kudankulam nuclear
plant, it did nothing. I
expect a very similar
response this time.
The writer is a
television commentator
and anchor
become a leading pro-
ducer of weapons.
Anthony Henriques
Mumbai
THE OPEN SECRET
AFTER THE RECENT change of
guard in the Union health min-
istry, admittedly due to the inept
handling of the pandemic by Harsh
Vardhan, the new incumbent
Mansukh Mandaviya, specially
handpicked by the Prime Minister,
started with a lot of promise. But
all expectations from him came to
nought when he declared in
Parliament that no deaths had
occurred due to shortage of oxygen.
What's worse, his statement was
based on the specious argument
that no state government had
reported any such deaths. The
world knows the truth. It is unfor-
tunate that the health ministry
continues to be in unsafe hands.
Bhaskar Roy
New Delhi
NO MORE INFIGHTING
GLAD TO READ that Punjab CM
Capt. Amarinder Singh has agreed
to attend Friday’s July 23 ceremo-
ny in which Navjot Singh Sidhu
will formally take over the reins of
the state Congress. The develop-
ment comes following intervention
of the party high command and it is
learnt that Punjab affairs in-charge
Harish Rawat will accompany the
CM to Congress Bhavan. With this,
the infighting in the Punjab
Congress has come to an end, much
to the disappointment of the SAD
and the BJP.
Bhagwan Thadani
Mumbai
Every Monday the best letter of
the week wins `500. Email:
asianage.letters@gmail.com.

T
he high-stakes peace talks
ended with just a promise of
the rival sides meeting again.
The two-day weekend parleys
in Doha between the Taliban and the
Kabul government failed to break the
stalemate as the fighting raged on in
Zahid Hussain Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s recent military victo-
ries seemed to have led to a headiness
in their ranks, while the fractious
Afghan ruling coalition with its fast-
losing authority didn’t have much to
Stalemate stays
offer. There’s no clear framework for
future negotiations.
It’s apparent the Taliban seek to
restore the old order before engaging
some hope of negotiations moving
forward. But at the end of the recent
discussion, there was no indication
of a ceasefire as both sides merely
agreed to “work to prevent civilian
casualties”.
A joint statement said that the two
would work to provide humanitarian
assistance across Afghanistan. But
with no sign of hostilities ceasing, the
work of aid agencies has been made
all the more difficult. A major imped-
iment in the way of a breakthrough
are the differences between the two
sides vis-a-vis priorities. While the
Afghan side insists on a ceasefire
before there can be any real dialogue,
rights, particularly on women’s right
to education and to work, has
remained extremely vague. Their
demand for the restoration of an
“Islamic emirate” contradicts their
claim that they believe in a pluralis-
tic political system.
Growing fractiousness within the
Afghan government and other anti-
Taliban groups has also been a rea-
son for their not coming out with a
coherent policy in peace talks. The
situation has exacerbated with the
dwindling authority of President
Ashraf Ghani in the face of the
Taliban’s military offensive.
Many Afghan leaders blame Mr
they pledge their allegiance to the
government in Kabul, these private
armies are meant to protect the fief-
doms of local strongmen. That has
raised the fear of fragmentation of
the country, making the peace
process more difficult. More worri-
some are reports of some of these
warlords having links with certain
regional countries.
In recent weeks, ahead of the Doha
talks, the Taliban blitz has been more
spectacular than expected. Heavy
casualties suffered by Afghan gov-
ernment forces underscore the fierce-
ness of the insurgents’ assault. The
group now controls border crossings
national community. Despite battle-
field gains, the insurgents have not
been able to take control of any major
Afghan town. It may be either part of
their strategy or a lack of capacity or
both. But more important, it’s also
the consensus among the United
States and regional countries against
the restoration of an Islamic emirate
in any form that would deter the
Taliban from going for a military
solution. The Taliban cannot think of
ruling Afghanistan without interna-
tional legitimacy.
Meanwhile, the withdrawal of for-
eign troops doesn’t mean that the US
is completely out of the Afghan scene.

in Afghanistan in any power-sharing talks on their

own terms. The Taliban’s push for
victory has brought Afghanistan
the Taliban want a firm commitment
regarding the establishment of their
version of a Sharia system.
Ghani’s obstinacy and temperament
for the growing divide. Unsurp-
risingly, there have been increasing
and main trade routes with all neigh-
bouring countries, denying the
Afghan government a major source
More important, however, will be the
role of regional countries to push
both warring sides towards result-
closer to a full-blown civil war that There is also a huge gap between calls for the President to step down of income from customs duties and oriented negotiations. While the
as Taliban hope can suck regional countries into the
conflict. The recent talks marked the
highest level interaction yet between
their respective views on an inclu-
sive government comprising all seg-
ments of Afghan society and ethnic
and give way to a more acceptable
interim administration. But there
seems to be no uncontroversial
transit fees. Fierce fighting is going
on in large swathes of Afghanistan.
Such strategic military gains have
Doha talks may have failed to break
the deadlock, the agreement between
the two sides to return to the table

to seize control the two sides. Taliban supreme

leader Haibatullah Akhundzada’s
statement that his group “strenuous-
ly favours a political settlement”
despite victories on the ground gave
groups. The Taliban haven’t come
out clearly about their interpretation
of an inclusive system and whether
they believe in elected democracy.
Similarly, their views on human
leader who could unite the disparate
Afghan factions.
The rise of regional militias led by
warlords has further diminished the
Afghan government’s writ. Although
certainly given the Taliban an edge
over the Afghan government. But
their objective of a military takeover
soon for more constructive discus-
sions gives some hope of a break-
through.
of the country is neither achievable
nor will it be acceptable to the inter- By arrangement with Dawn

Social Media Pakistan 0345-6738217

 WORLD
THE ASIAN AGE | FRIDAY | 23 JULY 2021 | NEW DELHI
TAKES
SHORT
14 KILLED IN PAK
RAIN-RELATED
INCIDENTS
Peshawar, July 22: At least 14
people were killed and 26 oth-
ers injured in rain-related inci-
dents in Pakistan’s Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province in the
last 24 hours, officials said on
Thursday.
The Provincial Disasters
Management Authority
(PDMA) said that incessant
monsoon rain stuck various
parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and inundated low lying areas
in the province’s Dera Ismail
Khan, Hazara and Malakand
divisions and resulted in the
complete damage of four hous-
es and partial damage of 21
others.
RIOTS AT TWO
ECUADOR JAILS
CLAIM 18 LIVES
Quito, July 22: Riots at two
prisons in Ecuador on Wednes-
day left at least 18 dead and
more than 50 injured, includi-
ng police officers, authorities
said, updating an earlier toll.
Elite police units have regai-
ned control of the two prisons,
one in the southwest province
of Guayas and the other in the
central Andean province of
Cotopaxi, the SNAI prisons
management body said in a
statement late Wednesday.
Ten inmates died and 35 oth-
ers were injured, along with
six police officers, in the vio-
lence at the Cotopaxi prison.
Eight inmates lost their lives
and three police were injured
at the Guayas facility.
U.S., GERMANY
SEAL DEAL ON
RUSSIAN PIPELINE
Washington, July 22: The
United States and Germany
have announced a deal to allow
the completion of a controvers-
ial Russian gas pipeline to Eu-
rope without the imposition of
further US sanctions. The agre-
ement aims to stanch fears ab-
out European dependence on
Russian energy, but it was im-
mediately assailed by critics
who said it doesn’t go far enou-
gh. Under the terms of the
deal, the US and Germany com-
mitted to countering any Rus-
sian attempt to use the Nord
Stream 2 pipeline as a political
weapon. And, they agreed to
support Ukraine and Poland,
both of which are bypassed by
the project and fear Russia’s
intentions, by funding alterna-
tive energy and development
projects. “The US and Germa-
ny are united in their determi-
nation to hold Russia to accou-
nt for its aggression and mal-
ign activities by imposing costs
via sanctions,” they said.
WEBSITES HIT BY
GLOBAL OUTAGE
OF SERVICES
London, July 22: Many popular
websites fell offline on Thu-
rsday in a widespread global
outage of service. Visitors atte-
mpting to reach some sites re-
ceived DNS errors, meaning
their requests could not reach
the websites. Affected services
included HSBC bank, British
Airways and the PlayStation
network used for online games.
Internet outage monitoring
platform DownDetector report-
ed thousands of problems from
its users across dozens of
hugely popular sites. The cause
of the problem is not yet clear.
However, one hugely popular
DNS provider, Akamai, report-
ed “an emerging issue” with its
Edge DNS service. It has now
tweeted that the issue has been
fixed and “the service is resum-
ing normal operations”.
ZUMA ALLOWED
OUT OF JAIL FOR
BRO’s FUNERAL
Johannesburg, July 22: Jailed
former South African presi-
dent Jacob Zuma was granted
compassionate leave by prison
authorities on Thursday to att-
end his brother’s funeral.
Zuma arrived at his late broth-
er Michael Zuma’s residence
under security escort to attend
the latter's funeral.
Michael died on Sunday after
battling an undisclosed illness
for seven years. He was the
spokesman for the family dur-
ing his elder brother’s two ter-
ms of office as president of the
country. Zuma, 79, has been in-
carcerated at an Estcourt cor-
rectional facility since July 7
when he started a 15-month co-
ntempt of court prison senten-
ce imposed on him by the coun-
try’s apex court. Zuma was ja-
iled after he refused repeatedly
to return to the Commission of
Inquiry into State Capture. De-
partment of Correctional Se-
rvices spokesperson Singabak-
ho Nxumalo confirmed that
the permission was granted
under section 44 (1)(a) of the
Correctional Services Act.
Israel lens on Pegasus maker
Sets up panel to review allegations of surveillance software misuse union members
Jerusalem, July 22: Israel
has established a commis-
sion to review allegations
that NSO Group’s contro-
versial Pegasus phone sur-
veillance software was
misused, the head of par-
liament’s Foreign Affairs
and Defence Committee
said Thursday.
“The defence establish-
ment appointed a review
commission made up of a
number of groups,” lawm-
aker Ram Ben Barak said.
“When they finish their
review, we’ll demand to
see the results and assess
whether we need to make
corrections,” the former
deputy head of Israel’s
Mossad spy agency added.
Pegasus has been impli-
cated in possible mass sur-
veillance of journalists,
human rights defenders
and 14 heads of state.
Their phone numbers
were among some 50,000
potential surveillance tar-
gets on a list leaked to rig-
hts group Amnesty Inter-
national and Paris-based
Forbidden Stories.
$150 MN AT LEAST
FOR FLORIDA
CONDO VICTIMS,
RULES JUDGE
Surfside, July 22: Victi-
ms and families who suf-
fered losses in the col-
lapse of a 12-story ocean-
front Florida condomin-
ium will get a minimum
of $150 million in com-
pensation initially, a jud-
ge said. That sum inclu-
des about $50 million in
insurance on the Cham-
plain Towers South bui-
lding and at least $100
million in proceeds from
the sale of the Surfside
property where the stru-
cture once stood, Miami-
Dade Circuit Judge Mic-
hael Hanzman said at a
hearing on Wednesday.
“The court’s concern
has always been the vic-
tims here,” the judge
said, adding that the gro-
up includes visitors and
renters, not just condo
owners. “Their rights
will be protected.”
The $150 million does
not count any proceeds
from the numerous law-
suits already filed since
the June 24 collapse,
which killed at least 97
people. Those lawsuits
are being consolidated
into a single class action
that would cover all vic-
tims and family mem-
bers if they choose, the
judge said.
“I have no doubt, no st-
one will be left unturn-
ed,” Hanzman said of
the lawsuits. So far, 95
victims have been iden-
tified, many of them usi-
ng DNA analysis. Relat-
ives and friends of three
missing people say they
are awaiting word on
their loved ones believed
to have been in the build-
ing, meaning the overall
toll could potentially go
up to 98.
Officials have not yet
announced an end to the
recovery effort. A receiv-
er appointed by Hanzm-
an to handle the Champ-
lain Towers board’s fina-
nces said the site has
been completely cleared
of debris under the wat-
chful eye of investigato-
rs from the National
Institute of Standards
and Technology — the
agency leading a federal
probe into the collapse.
Rubble considered key
evidence is being stored
in a Miami-area wareho-
use, with the rest in ne-
arby vacant lots, said the
receiver, attorney Mich-
ael Goldberg.
All of that will be pre-
served as possible evide-
nce for the lawsuits and
for other experts to rev-
iew, he said. “It may take
years for their report to
become public,” Goldbe-
rg said of the NIST pro-
be. The building was just
undergoing its 40-year
recertification process
when it collapsed.
— AP
● THE $150 million does
not count any proceeds
from the numerous law-
suits already filed since
the June 24 collapse,
which killed at least 97
people. Those lawsuits
are being consolidated
into a single class action
that would cover all vic-
tims and family mem-
bers if they choose, the
judge said.
Macron calls meet, held for sedition
The defence establish-
ment appointed a
review commission made up
of a number of groups.
When they finish their
review, we’ll demand to see
the results and assess
whether we need to make
corrections
— RAM BEN BARAK
Former deputy head of Israel’s
Mossad spy agency
NSO has said the leak is
“not a list of targets or
potential targets of Pega-
sus.” NSO chief executive
Shalev Hulio said Thurs-
day that he would “be very
pleased if there were an
investigation, so that we’d
be able to clear our name”.
He also alleged there was
an effort “to smear all the
Israeli cyber industry”.
NSO has said it exports
to 45 countries, with appr-
oval from the Israeli gov-
ernment. Hulio said the
company could not disclo-
se the details of its contra-
China car pile-up after floods
An aerial view shows cars sitting in floodwaters at the entrance of a tunnel after heavy rains hit the city of
Zhengzhou in China’s central Henan province on Thursday.
WHO lab audit in virus origin
probe arrogant, says China
Beijing, July 22: China on
Thursday said a WHO pro-
posal to audit Chinese labs
as part of further probe
into the origins of the
Covid pandemic showed
“disrespect” and “arro-
gance towards science”.
Last week, the World He-
alth Organisation said a
second stage of the inter-
national probe should inc-
lude audits of Chinese
labs, amid increasing pre-
ssure from the United Sta-
tes for an investigation
into a biotech lab in Wuh-
an. The proposal outlined
by WHO chief Tedros Ad-
hanom Ghebreyesus incl-
uded “audits of relevant
laboratories and research
institutions operating in
the area of the initial hu-
man cases identified in
December 2019” — referri-
ng to the Chinese city of
Wuhan.
But China’s vice health
minister Zeng Yixin told
reporters Thursday that
he was “extremely surpri-
sed” by the plan, which he
said showed “disrespect
for common sense and arr-
ogance towards science”.
Long derided as a right-
wing conspiracy theory
and vehemently rejected
by Beijing, the idea that
Covid-19 may have emerg-
ed from a lab leak has
been gaining momentum.
— AFP
LATAM | FIRST
Argentina creates non-binary ID option
Buenos Aires, July 22: Pe-
ople obtaining a national
identity document in Ar-
gentina were able to mark
their gender with an “X”
beginning Wednesday,
under a presidential dec-
ree that puts the nation at
the forefront of such issu-
es in Latin America. This
new option, which extends
beyond the standard male-
/female binary, is meant to
safeguard gender identity,
and comes after such a
Social Media Pakistan 0345-6738217
Five HK trade
cts due to “issues of confi-
dentiality,” but said he wo-
uld offer full transparency
to any government seek-
ing more details.
“Let any state entity
come along — any official
from any state — and I’ll
be prepared to open every-
thing up to them, for them
to enter, to dig around
from top to bottom,” he
said. Ben Barak said
Israel’ s priority was “to
review this whole matter
of giving licences.”
Pegasus had “exposed
many terror cells”, he
said, but “if it was misus-
ed or sold to irresponsible
bodies, this is something
we need to check.” Paris-
based Reporters Without
Borders on Wednesday
called for a moratorium on
cyber surveillance soft-
ware. Pegasus can hack
into mobile phones with-
out a user knowing, enab-
ling clients to read every
message, track a user’s
location and tap into the
phone’s camera and
microphone. — AFP
Australia PM sorry
for slow vax rollout
Sydney, July 22: Australi-
a’s prime minister on
Thursday apologised for
the country’s glacial vacc-
ine rollout, as Sydney rec-
orded a record jump in
new Coronavirus infec-
tions. Scott Morrison is
under fierce public press-
ure to improve a vaccinat-
ion rate currently langui-
shing around 11 percent,
among the lowest rate of
any rich nation.
Germany’s virus rise
worries Merkel
Berlin, July 22: German
Chancellor Angela Merkel
said Thursday she was
concerned about Germa-
ny’s rising Covid-19 infec-
tions, urging Germans to
get vaccinated.
“The infection figures
are rising again and with
a clear and worrying dyn-
amic,” Merkel said at a pr-
ess conference in Berlin.
“We are seeing exponen-
tial growth,” she said,
Prez Fernandez celebrates the decree with event at Bicentennial Museum
move has been under con-
sideration since 2012.
A decree published in the
country’s official gazette
stated that an “X” could
signify a number of statu-
ses ranging from “non-bin-
ary” or “indeterminate” to
“another meaning which
can be used to identify a
person who does not feel
understood under the ma-
le/female binary.”
President Alberto
Fernandez celebrated the
weighs govt action
Paris, July 22: French
President Emmanuel Mac-
ron held an emergency cy-
bersecurity meeting Thu-
rsday to weigh possible
government action after
reports that his cellphone
and those of government
ministers may have been
targeted by spyware.
Macron changes his
phones regularly and is
“taking the matter very
seriously,” government sp-
okesman Gabriel Attal
said Thursday on France-
Inter radio. A global
media consortium report-
ed this week that Pegasus
spyware made by Israeli
company NSO Group may
have been used to target
politicians, activists and
journalists in several
countries. French newspa-
per Le Monde, a member
After months of boasti-
ng about his “gold standa-
rd” pandemic response
and insisting vaccine roll-
out was “not a race”, Mor-
rison bowed to critics.
“I’m sorry that we have-
n’t been able to achieve
the marks that we had
hoped for at the beginning
of this year. Of course I
am. I take responsibility
for the vaccination pro-
gramme,” he said. — AFP
adding that “every vacci-
nation... is a small step
towards a return to nor-
mality”.
Germany has seen low
infection numbers over
the summer compared to
many of its European
neighbours, but cases
have been creeping up
over the past two weeks,
largely fuelled by the
Delta variant.
— AFP
decree with a ceremony at
the capital’s Bicentennial
Museum.
“The state should not
care about the sex of its
citizens,” the president
said, adding that there are
“a thousand ways to love,
be loved and be happy.”
“There are other identities
besides that of man and
woman and they must be
respected,” he said.
The Argentine LGBT
Federation celebrated
of the consortium, report-
ed that a Moroccan securi-
ty agency had the cell-
phones of Macron and 15
then-members of the
French government on a
list of potential targets of
the spyware in 2019.
Morocco’s government
denied wrongdoing. Inves-
tigations are under way to
determine whether the sp-
yware was actually instal-
led on the phones or whet-
her data was retrieved,
Attal said. He stressed the
importance of broader cy-
bersecurity efforts to pro-
tect public facilities, such
as hospitals, that have
been targeted by malicio-
us software in the past. An
official with NSO, Haim
Gelfand, said that Macron
was not a target.
— AP
— AFP
DELTA PRESENT IN
75% SPECIMENS,
ASSERT W.H.O.
United Nations/Geneva,
July 22: The prevalence of
the highly-transmissible
Delta variant of Covid-19
among specimens seq-
uenced over the past four
weeks exceeded 75 per
cent in many countries
worldwide, including
India, China, Russia,
Israel and the UK, the
WHO has said.
In the Covid-19 Weekly
Epidemiological Update
published July 20, the
World Health Organisati-
on said that despite efforts
to extend vaccination cov-
erage, many countries ac-
ross all six WHO regions
continue to experience su-
rges in Coronavirus cases.
Over the past week, the
highest numbers of new
cases were reported from
Indonesia (350,273 new
cases; a 44 per cent incre-
ase), the UK (296,447 new
cases; 41 per cent increa-
se), Brazil (287,610 new
cases; 14 per cent decre-
ase), India (268,843 new
cases; 8 per cent decrease)
and the US (216,433 new
cases; 68 per cent incre-
ase). — PTI
what it called a “historic
advance in the matter of
rights”. “Although the use
of ‘X’ is not totally inclusi-
ve in recognition of the
wide range of identities
that exist, it is an importa-
nt step on the way to real
equality of rights,” it said
in a statement.
Fernandez said that he
believed his country’s em-
brace of same-sex marria-
ge under a law in force sin-
ce 2010 “was the beginning
Hong Kong, July 22: Hong
Kong police on Thursday
arrested five trade union
members over children’s
books they described as
seditious, and a court
denied bail for four ed-
itors and journalists held
on charges of endanger-
ing national security, as
part of a widening cra-
ckdown on dissent in the
city. The five who were
arrested are members of
the General Association
of Hong Kong Speech
Therapists, according to
local media reports.
The association publish-
ed three children’s books
that Li Kwai-wah, a sen-
ior superintendent of the
national security depart-
ment, said have seditious
intent. The books feature
stories that revolve arou-
nd a village of sheep that
has to deal with wolves
from a different village.
The sheep take action like
going on strike or escapi-
ng by boat, according to
the synopses published
on the association’s web-
site. Li said that the stori-
es referenced the 12 Hong
Kong activists who were
arrested at sea while try-
ing to flee the city, after
most of them were char-
ged in connection with
massive anti-government
protests in 2019.
There was also a story
about wolves who are
“cruel and try to occupy
the area” where the sheep
live, and try to kill them,
Li said. The 2019 rallies
calling for more civil rig-
hts and universal suffr-
age shook Hong Kong for
months, often descending
into violence between po-
lice and protesters. Beij-
ing responded last year
with a sweeping national
security law that critics
say restricts freedoms pr-
omised to the former Bri-
tish colony that are not
found on mainland
Sherman in China
to improve ties
Washington, July 22: US
Deputy Secretary of State
Wendy Sherman will
travel to China this week-
end to address deteri-
orating ties, the two coun-
tries announced Wednes-
day, in the highest-level
visit under President Joe
Biden. The trip is going
ahead despite near-daily
new rifts between the two
powers, including on hu-
man rights and cybersec-
urity, with both sides say-
ing they at least want to
try to bring more stability
in a relationship often
described as the most con-
sequential to the world.
Sherman hopes to show
China “what responsible
and healthy competition
looks like,” State Depart-
ment spokesman Ned
Price said.
“We welcome that stiff
competition, but we also
want to make sure that
the playing field is level
and, importantly, that
competition doesn’t veer
into conflict. We want to
make sure that this is a
relationship that has
guardrails,” Price said.
China’s state-run Global
Times, a tabloid that refl-
ects nationalist views,
quoted an expert saying
that “a more stable China-
US relationship will bene-
fit the world,” but also
warning there may be no
further talks depending
on what Sherman tries to
discuss. If the United Sta-
tes brings up concerns ab-
out rights in Hong Kong
and Xinjiang, “they have
to know they are wasting
time,” it quoted another
of this whole path towards
diversity.” Argentina also
recently passed a law esta-
blishing a transgender qu-
ota for jobs in the national
public administration.
The new “X” category
will be a possibility not
just on Argentina’s nation-
al identity document
(DNI) but also its passport.
The move is similar to
measures in Canada, Aust-
ralia and New Zealand.
— AFP
pg 6
FOUR APPLE DAILY
SCRIBES CHARGED
WITH COLLUSION
Hong Kong, July 22: Hong
Kong police charged two
top editors and two edito-
rial writers at Apple
Daily with collusion
weeks after the city’s
largest pro-democracy
newspaper was forced to
cease publication and its
assets were frozen. Exec-
utive Editor-in-Chief
Lam Man-chung was the
eighth executive or journ-
alist at the shuttered new-
spaper arrested in recent
weeks as city authorities
cracked down on dissent
and China’s central gov-
ernment brings the semi-
autonomous territory
more under its control.
Lam was arrested Wed-
nesday, according to the
South China Morning
Post newspaper, which
cited an unnamed source.
Associate Publisher and
Deputy Chief Editor
Chan Pui-man and edito-
rial writers Fung Wai-
kong and Yeung Ching-
kee were also detained
Wednesday after their
bail was revoked, local
media reported. All four
were charged with consp-
iring to “collude with a
foreign country or with
external elements to end-
anger national security”
under the city’s year-old
national security law. Po-
lice confirmed four peop-
le were charged but did
not identify them. — AP
China. The publishing of
such books “brings
hatred against the gov-
ernment and administra-
tion of justice, and
(incites) violence to oth-
ers,” Li said. — AP
expert as saying.
The trip will not have
the trappings of a full-fl-
edged official visit. Sher-
man will not go to Bei-
jing, but instead spend
two days starting Sunday
in Tianjin, an eastern
port city.
She will meet senior
officials in Tianjin, incl-
uding Foreign Minister
Wang Yi, the State Depar-
tment and Chinese forei-
gn ministry said.
John Kerry, the former
secretary of state turned
US climate envoy, is the
only other senior official
from the Biden administr-
ation to have visited Chi-
na, as the world’s two lar-
gest emitters pledged to
work together on the pla-
netary crisis, despite the-
ir differences.
Kerry did not hold talks
in the capital either, but
met with his climate cou-
nterpart in Shanghai,
where there were few pu-
blic sightings of the usu-
ally media-friendly form-
er senator. US Secretary
of State Antony Blinken
and Jake Sullivan, nation-
al security advisor, met in
March in Alaska with
Wang and top official
Yang Jiechi in a tense
meeting in which the Chi-
nese side berated the US
in front of the cameras.
Since last week, the
United States publicly
accused Beijing of carry-
ing out the massive hack
in March of Microsoft
Exchange and issued a
business advisory warn-
ing of risks in Hong
Kong. — AFP
● ARGENTINE PRESIDENT
Fernandez said that he
believed his country’s
embrace of same-sex mar-
riage under a law in force
since 2010 “was the begin-
ning of this whole path
towards diversity.”
Argentina also recently
passed a law establishing
a transgender quota for
jobs in the national public
administration.
 FRIDAY | 23 JULY 2021 | NEW DELHI
quick RBI plans digital
BITES currency rollout
INDICATORS % day approved a Rs 6,322-
Sensex 34677.30 0.76
Nifty 50 52837.21 1.22
S&P 500* 4,354.60 -0.09
Dollar (`) 74.46 0.20
Pound Sterling (`) 102.38 0.63
Euro (`) 87.83 0.23
Gold (10gm)* (`) 46,452▼264 0.56
Brent crude ($/bbl)* 73.00 1.07
IN 10-Yr bond yield 6.138 0.00
US 10-Yr T-bill yield* 1.280 -0.002
* As of 8:30 PM IST
Over 13L MSME
loan accounts
reacast by PSBs
As many as 13.06 lakh MSME
loan accounts with an aggregate
amount of Rs 55,333 crore have
been restructured by public sec-
tor banks till June 25 this year,
MSME minister Narayan Rane
told Parliament. He also said Rs
2.73 lakh crore have been sanc-
tioned till July 2 under the
ECLGS. In a separate reply, he
said since the inception of the
PMEGP, 6,97,612 units have been
set up till July 9 with margin
subsidy of Rs 16,688.17 crore.
FinMin officer
among 25 experts
in UN tax panel
Rasmi Ranjan Das, a joint secre-
tary in the Ministry of Finance,
is among a distinguished group
of 25 tax experts from around
the world appointed as mem-
bers of the UN tax committee
for the 2021 to 2025 term. The
committee, formally known as
the UN Committee of Experts
on International Cooperation in
Tax Matters, guides countries'
efforts to advance stronger
and more forward-looking tax
policies.
Road ministry
built 13,327 km of
highways in FY21
The Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways constructed
13,327 km of National Highways
in 2020-21, which works out to
about 37 km per day. In a writ-
ten reply to the Lok Sabha,
Gadkari said the cost of ongo-
ing projects may increase due
to site, local and project-specif-
ic factors or other factors,
including price escalation dur-
ing the project time cycle. In
BOT projects, escalation cost is
absorbed by the concessionaire.
UltraTech Q1
profit up 2-fold
to `1,700 crore
Aditya Birla group firm
UltraTech Cement Ltd reported
a more than two-fold jump in
its consolidated net profit to Rs
1,700 crore in the June quarter,
against Rs 793.08 crore a year
ago, helped by volume growth
and increased operational effi-
ciencies. Its revenue from oper-
ations was up 54.21 per cent to
Rs 11,829.84 crore from Rs
7,671.05 crore. Total expenses
were at Rs 9,508.26 crore, up
43.22 per cent.
Printed & Published by
K. Sudhakar on behalf of
Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited.
Printed at BFL Infotech Ltd, C-9 Sector
3, Noida-201301. Published at 219, N D
Tiwari Bhawan, Deen Dayal Upadhyay
Marg, New Delhi-110002.
Editor: Kaushik Mitter, RNI
Registration number 30074/09,
Air surcharge Re 1. © All rights
reserved. Reproduction in whole or
in part without written permission of
The Editor,
Financial Chronicle ® is prohibited.
„Pilot tests, phased introduction mulled
FALAKNAAZ SYED
MUMBAI, JULY 22
The Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) is working towards a
“phased implementation
strategy” for a central
bank digital currency
(CBDC) and would be con-
ducting pilot tests in
wholesale and retail seg-
ments, RBI deputy gover-
nor T. Rabi Sankar said on
Thursday.
Batting for the introduc-
tion of RBI’s own digital
currency, the deputy gov-
ernor said that “CBDC is
likely to be in the arsenal
of every central bank
going forward. Setting this
up will require careful cal-
ibration and a nuanced
approach in implementa-
tion. Drawing board con-
siderations and stakehold-
er consultations are
important.
“Technological chal-
lenges have their impor-
tance as well. As is said,
every idea will have to wait
for its time. Perhaps the
time for CBDCs is nigh.”
In his keynote address at
a webinar organised by the
Vidhi Centre for Legal
Policy, New Delhi, Sankar
said the central bank is
working on the scope and
legal framework of the pro-
posed CBDC that will like-
ly co-exist with cash and
digital forms of payments.
A CBDC is the legal ten-
der issued by a central
bank in a digital form.
It is the same as a fiat cur-
rency (currency note) and
is exchangeable one-to-one
with the fiat currency. Only
its form is different.
However, it is not compara-
G-20 ministers set for Cotton prices surge, defy demand and global trends
tepid climate pledges
JESSICA SHANKLEMAN,
ALESSANDRO SPECIALE
& ALBERTO NARDELLI
JULY 22
Group of 20 ministers are
likely to end talks this
week without an ambi-
tious deal on climate
change, another setback
in the fight against rising
temperatures ahead of
key negotiations this year.
Energy and environment
ministers at a G-20 meet-
ing in Naples, Italy, are
stuck on a number of
issues, according to sever-
al officials and diplomats
familiar with the discus-
sions. They will kick a
final decision to a meeting
of their leaders in
October.
The parties haven't been
able to agree on specific
actions and firm timeta-
bles needed to reach net-
zero global emissions by
2050 and keep global
warming at 1.5 degrees
Celsius, according to a
draft communique and the
officials.
Despite major net-zero
commitments from the
world's largest polluters in
the past 12 months -- and a
backdrop of dramatic
weather events -- two peo-
WESTERLY | FLOWS
Heat, floods, wildfires: Blame it all on jet stream
LAURA MILLAN LOMBRANA,
HAYLEY WARREN & BRIAN K
SULLIVAN
JULY 22
Devastating floods destroyed
towns in Germany and
Belgium. A ruthless heat wave
broiled the western US and
Canada. Heavy rains paralysed
a Chinese industrial hub home
to 10 million people. These
recent weather phenomena are
being intensified by the chang-
ing climate.
But the link between these
far-flung extremes goes beyond
warming global temperatures.
All of these events are touched
by jet streams—strong and
narrow bands of westerly
winds blowing above the
Earth's surface. The currents
are generated when cold air
from the poles clashes against
hot air from the tropics, creat-
Every idea
will have
to wait for
its time.
Perhaps the
time for CBDCs
is nigh
— T. Rabi
Sankar,
RBI deputy
governor
ble to the private virtual
currencies such as Bitcoin
or Ethereum that have
mushroomed over the last
decade. “Private virtual
currencies sit at substan-
tial odds to the historical
concept of money,” Sankar
said.
The deputy governor said
the RBI is currently work-
ing towards a phased
implementation strategy
and examining use cases
which could be implement-
ed with little or no disrup-
tion. “Some key issues
under examination are: (i)
the scope of CBDCs
–whether they should be
used in retail payments or
also in wholesale pay-
ments; (ii) the underlying
technology– whether it
should be a distributed
ledger or a centralized
ledger, for instance, and
whether the choice of tech-
nology should vary accord-
ing to use cases; (iii) the
validation mechanism–
whether token based or
account based; (iv) distri-
bution architecture
–whether direct issuance
by the RBI or through
banks; and (v) degree of
ple familiar with the talks
said it would be extremely
difficult to reach a sub-
stantive agreement given
the scale of the differ-
ences. Securing an ambi-
tious plan is one the main
goals of the G-20 this year,
ahead of international cli-
mate talks in Glasgow in
November.
For a second time this
month, G-20 ministers will
once again fail to agree on
net zero greenhouse gas
emissions or keeping glob-
al warming to 1.5 degrees
Celsius - the lower end of
the goal agreed in Paris in
2015. Instead the ministers
only recognised "the
impacts of climate change
at 1.5 degree Celsius are
much lower than at 2
degree Celsius."
Phasing out coal, the
dirtiest fossil fuel, is one
sticking point, as G-20
chair Italy is pushing for a
phase-out to be included
in the communique for the
first time. But the draft
document shows the
group won't commit to
ending the use of coal
domestically, and only
urges its members to fol-
low the G-7 in ending over-
seas coal finance.
— Bloomberg'
Currents are generated when cold air from the poles clashes against hot air from the tropics
ing storms and other phenome-
na such as rain and drought.
"Jet streams are the weather-
they create it and they steer it,"
said Jennifer Francis, a senior
scientist at the Woodwell
Climate Research Center.
"Sometimes the jet stream
takes on a very convoluted pat-
tern. When we see it taking big
swings north and big dips
southward we know we're
going to see some unusual
weather conditions."
Meteorologists worry when-
ever those swings and dips
form omega-shaped curves
that look like waves. When that
happens, warm air travels fur-
ther north and cold air pene-
trates further south. The result
is a succession of unusually
hot and cold weather systems
along the same latitude. Under
these conditions, winds often
weaken and dangerous weath-
Social Media Pakistan 0345-6738217
anonymity, etc. However,
conducting pilots in whole-
sale and retail segments
may be a possibility in
near future.”
With this, India joins the
likes of China, Russia and
the UK among major
economies evaluating the
issuance of their own digi-
tal currency.
Citing a study by the
Bank of International
Settlements (BIS), Shankar
said that 86 per cent of cen-
tral banks in the world are
researching CBDC while 60
per cent are experimenting
with it. As much as 14 per
cent of central banks are
in the pilot testing phase.
Sankar further said
CBDC is needed to protect
consumers from the
"frightening level
volatility" seen in some of
the virtual currencies
of
which have no sovereign
backing.
He said the introduction
of CBDC has the potential
to provide significant bene-
fits, such as reduced
dependency on cash, high-
er seigniorage due to lower
transaction costs, and
reduced settlement risk.
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, JULY 22
Raw cotton prices have
seen over 8 per cent rise in
the past 15 days, jumping
by Rs 2,000 per bale in the
futures market and Rs
4,000 per candy at the
Cotton Corporation of
India auctions. Down-
stream industries find that
the price rise is not in line
with the supply-demand
situation and the interna-
tional rate trend.
“The MECH cotton prices
quoted by Cotton Corpor-
Ford rolls out automatic variants of Figo
FC BUREAU
HYDERABAD, JULY 22
Ford India on Thursday
introduced two automatic
variants of its flagship
hatchback Figo AT. The
new variants, Titanium
and Titanium+, are avail-
able at an introductory
price of Rs 7.75 lakh and
Rs 8.20 lakh, respectively.
“The new Figo AT offers
segment-best six-speed,
torque converter automat-
ic transmission that is
paired to Bharat Stage 6-
compliant three-cylinder
1.2L petrol engine. The
er can remain stuck in the
same place for days or weeks at
a time-rather than just a few
hours or a day-leading to pro-
longed rains and heat waves.
"It's just like when waves in
the ocean get to a beach, over-
turn and break," said Tess
Parker, a research fellow at the
ARC Centre for Excellence for
Climate Extremes at Monash
University in Melbourne.
pg 7
OVER `6,300 CR
PLI SCHEME HUL net profit rises
9.5%, volumes up 9%
FOR SPECIALTY
STEEL CLEARED
SANGEETHA G
New Delhi, July 22: The
government on Thurs-
CHENNAI, JULY 22
BAJAJ AUTO Q1
crore production linked
A relatively less stringent
lockdown helped con- NET DOUBLES
incentive (PLI) scheme to sumer goods leader
boost domestic manufac- Hindustan Unilever post a MICHAEL GONSALVES
turing of specialty steel. 9.5 per cent growth in net PUNE, JULY 22
The approval was profit in the June quarter
granted by the Union year-on-year. The compa- by 1.78 per cent, from Rs Bajaj Auto, the two-
Cabinet, which met ny's revenue from opera- 12,132 crore in the March wheeler major, on
under Prime Minister tions rose nearly 13 per quarter. Thursday reported a Q1
Narendra Modi, infor- cent and volumes grew 9 From a volume contrac- standalone net profit of
mation and broadcasting per cent compared with tion of 8 per cent in the Rs 1,061 crore, more
minister Anurag Thakur the numbers a year ago. June 2020 quarter, this than doubled from Rs
time volumes grew 9 per
said. "In a challenging con- 528 crore in the year-
He said that incentives text of Covid wave 2, HUL cent. The volume growth ago quarter, owing to a
worth Rs 6,322 crore will delivered a strong per- was 16 per cent in the low base.
be provided over five formance with domestic March quarter against a The Pune-based
years and it would create consumer growth of 12 contraction of 7 per cent firm’s revenues rose
over 5.25 lakh jobs. per cent, underlying vol- in March 2020. nearly 140 per cent to
In a statement, the ume growth of 9 per cent HUL’s earnings before Rs 7,386 crore from Rs
Ministry of Steel said the
scheme will also attract
and profit after tax
growth of 10 per cent,"
interest, tax, deprecia-
tion and amortisation
3,079 crore year-on-
year. However, its profit
an additional investment HUL said in a post-earn- (Ebitda) was up 7.7 per and revenue fell
of about Rs 40,000 crore ings statement. cent at Rs 2,847 crore sequentially as the net
and lead to a capacity HUL’s June quarter against Rs 2,644 crore on profit in the previous
addition of 25 million
tonnes. The duration of
standalone net profit
stood at Rs 2,061 crore
a year-on-year basis, but
Ebitda margin was down
quarter stood at Rs
1,332 crore and revenue
the scheme will be five compared with Rs 1,881 at 23.9 per cent versus 25 at Rs 8,596 crore.
years, from 2023-24 to crore in the same quarter per cent. The maker Pulsar
2027-28. —PTI last year. However, the net On a yearly compari- model said it continues
profit was down 3.8 per son, home care grew at 12 to be a leader in the
cent from Rs 2,143 crore per cent, fuelled by dou- domestic market with a
100% FDI IN in the March quarter.
Similarly, the company's
ble-digit growth in fabric
wash. Hair care and skin
share of 65.3 per cent.
IPO-BOUND OMCs total revenue from opera-
tions increased to Rs
care led the 13 per cent
growth in beauty and
strong performance and
grew at 12 per cent.
New Delhi, July 22: The 11,915 crore from Rs personal care. Foods & However, revenues of all
Union Cabinet on 10,560 crore year-on-year refreshment delivered the three segments were
Thursday approved rais- but was marginally down, another quarter of lower sequentially.
ing the foreign direct
investment (FDI) limit
in privatisation-bound
public sector oil refin-
ers, a move that will aid
the proposed disinvest-
ment in BPCL.
Stocks rally on earnings, global cues
Officials said the RAVI RANJAN PRASAD upswing in the global mar- All the sectoral indices
Cabinet has approved
the proposal to allow
MUMBAI, JULY 22 ket. The Sensex gained
638.70 points, closing at
ended in the green, led by
metals, realty and IT.
FDI limit in public sec- The market remained 52,837.21 while the Nifty-50 However, there was no
tor refineries that are volatile with Sensex and gained.191.95 points, clos- change in foreign portfolio
disinvestment candi- Nifty-50 surging by 1.2 per ing at 15,824.05. investors' stance, but sell-
dates to 100 per cent cent each after falling in Asian Paints, Ultratech ing got reduced to Rs 247.59
from the current 49 per previous three sessions Cement and Tech crore, but the domestic
cent. — PTI amidst domestic earnings Mahindra results made institutions were net buy-
triggers and following an investors bullish. ers by Rs 942.55 crore.
STAR HEALTH
FILES IPO PAPERS
ation of India have gone up
by Rs 4,000 from Rs 48,000 a
candy (356 kg) on July 5 to
around 52,000 per candy on
around Rs 2,000 per bale or
more than 8 per cent, said
Ajay Kedia, MD, Kedia
Commodities. Less sowing
dem with the international
movement, global prices
have been under pressure
in the past few days,” said
FALAKNAAZ SYED
MUMBAI, JULY 22
Thursday—a rise over 8 in some of the cotton-grow- an industry veteran.
per cent in a matter of 15 ing states raising concerns He said Cotton Corpor- Chennai-based standalone
days. All the other vari- about this year’s produc- ation prices have been health insurer Star Health
eties also have seen 7 to 8 tion and expectation of determining the rates in and Allied Insurance Co
per cent rise in these days,” increased consumption of the market as it is the Ltd, owned by a consor-
said K. Selvaraj, secretary textile products in FY22 largest stockist. According tium of investors includ-
general, South Indian Mills are the key factors fuelling to him, there is no natural ing Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
Association. the price rise, he said. shortage in the market. and Westbridge Capital, on
During the same period, “Cotton prices have “The stock levels were Thursday filed a draft red
in the Multi Commodity moved up from Rs 36,000 comfortable in April and herring prospectus
Exchange, cotton prices per candy in July last year the consumption of down- (DRHP) with Securities
have moved up from to Rs 52,000 now. While dur- stream industries have not Exchange Board of India
around Rs 24,500 a bale (170 ing the past few months, picked up well after the to raise funds through an
kg) to Rs 26,500—a rise of the price rise was in tan- lockdown,” he pointed out. initial public offering.
The public offering will
comprise a fresh issue of
shares aggregating to Rs
2,000 crore and an offer for
sale of 6 crore shares by
existing shareholders.
Among the promoters and
promoter group share-
AUDI LAUNCHES 3 E-TRON ELECTRIC SUVs IN `1 CR RANGE holders, the Big Bull
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
will not be selling his
MICHAEL GONSALVES
Motown Buzz
at Rs 1.17 crore at pan- shares, the DRHP said.
PUNE, JULY 22 ndia showroom. Existing investors, includ-
At its introductory ing Sai Satish,
Audi, India’s third biggest priced at Rs 99.99 lakh, price, the base Audi e-tron Venkatasamy Jaganna-
luxury car maker, on the higher spec Audi e- undercuts the entry-level than and Berjis Minoo
Thursday introduced tron 55 at Rs 1.16 crore versions of both its rivals Desai will be selling a part
three electric SUVs—the and the snoopy Audi e- – the Mercedes-Benz EQC of their shares in the IPO.
entry-level Audi e-tron 50 tron Sportback 55 coupe and Jaguar I-Pace. Star Health will be the
first standalone health
new variants, with a of peak torque,” the com- matic technology for cus- insurer to get listed on the
greater value for money, pany said in a statement. tomers in the mass-market bourses and the third non-
continue to be a perform- “Ford is committed to segment,” said Vinay life insurance company,
ance leader in the compact serving customers in Raina, executive director after ICICI Lombard and
car segment, delivering India and is proud to intro- for marketing, sales & New India Assurance. GIC
96PS of power and 119 Nm duce the world-class auto- service at Ford India. Re is also listed on the
bourses.
"Of course the events in in three days to Zhengzhou, the making its path curvier and
Germany had to do with the world's biggest manufacturing extreme events over one area
position of the jet stream," said base for iPhones and a major more persistent.
Johannes Quaas, a meteorolo- hub in central China for food "We're somewhere between
gist and a professor at Leipzig production. hypothesis and theory at this
University. At the same time, Most scientists agree that cli- point," Francis said. "There's a
he said, there's evidence that mate change is making events lot of supporting evidence,
the atmosphere can hold 7 per driven by the jet stream worse, because it's such a complicated
cent more moisture for every but there's debate over how atmosphere, it's really hard to
degree of Earth's warming. much global warming is direct- determine very clearly what's
Global average temperatures ly impacting the currents. making any one weather event
are already about 1.2 degree Researchers have already con- more extreme."
Celsius above pre-industrial nected the jet stream to several Today, researchers are focus-
levels. natural disasters over the last ing their efforts on predicting
When movements in the jet two years. swings in the jet stream. It's a
stream, which was first docu- Francis, from the Woodwell complex task, and much of the
mented by US bombers flying Climate Research Center, stud- research has focused on the
to missions to Japan in World ies how warming in the Arctic Northern Hemisphere.
War II, coincide with climate- is influencing weather else- Impacts in the south, particu-
driven extremes-heat, drought, where on the planet. She larly in South America and the
intense rainfall-the conse- thinks one consequence is a southern tip of Africa, are less
quences can be catastrophic. weakening of the jet stream. well understood because
That may have what hap- As the Arctic warms faster there's less research and raw
pened in China this week. A than areas farther south, the data from that part of the
record rainstorm brought a temperature difference gets world.
year's worth of precipitation smaller, weakening the winds,
— Bloomberg

Short takes
20 Indian athletes
to attend ceremony
A total of 20 Indian athletes
from seven sports and six
officials will participate in
the Olympics opening ceremo-
ny on Friday as Covid-19 con-
cerns and competitions lined
up the next day led to a major-
ity of the contingent deciding
to stay away from the event.
Athletes from sports like
shooting, badminton, archery
and hockey, will skip the cere-
mony as the Indian delegation
is not willing to expose them
to the risk of contracting the
virus with their events lined
up on Saturday. From hockey,
only flag-bearer, men’s team
captain Manpreet Singh, will
participate in the ceremony.
The list of 20 attendees
include four paddlers, includ-
ing Manika Batra and A.
Sharath Kamal, and as many
sailing team members. — PTI
`75 lakh cash prize
for gold medallists
T he Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) on
Thursday announced that it
would give the Tokyo
Olympics gold medal winners
a cash award of `75 lakh apart
from giving each of the par-
ticipating National Sports
Federations a bonus of `25
lakh.
The IOA Advisory
Committee has recommended
that silver medal winners will
be presented `40 lakh, while
the bronze winners will get
richer by `25 lakh. “It also
recommended a sum of `1
lakh to each athlete represent-
ing the country at the Tokyo
Olympic Games,” IOA said in
a statement.
The advisory group also rec-
ommended a pocket
allowance of $50 per day to
each member of the Indian
contingent for their actual
days of stay in Tokyo. — PTI
Nagal has date with
Denis the menace
IDenis
ndian tennis player Sumit
Nagal will face Uzbekistan’s
Istomin in the opening
round of the men’s singles
event at the Tokyo Olympics,
starting here on Friday.
Nagal, who qualified for the
Games last week after large-
scale withdrawals, was pitted
against the Uzbek in the draw
on Thursday.
A first-round win for the 23-
year-old Indian could see him
face second-seeded Russia’s
Daniil Medvedev, who takes
on Alexander Bublik in his
opening round match. In
women’s doubles, six-time
Grand Slam champion Sania
Mirza and Ankita Raina will
lock horns with the Kichenok
twins — Nadiia and
Lyudmyla — of Ukraine in
the opening round. — PTI
Vanishing Ugandan
was in India jacket
T he Indian officialdom in
Tokyo was left flummoxed
on Thursday when Ugandan
weightlifter Julius
Ssekitoleko, who was sent
back to his country four days
after he fled during pre-
Olympics training, was seen
wearing an India track jacket
at the airport.
The 20-year-old, who was
found in central Japan, was
seen clad in a red track top
with India written on the back
while making his way
through the Narita airport in
a report aired by NTV chan-
nel here. — PTI
Covid hits Dutch
and Czech camps
C zech beach volleyball play-
er Marketa Nausch and
Dutch taekwondo hope
Reshmie Oogink were on
Thursday forced out of the
Olympic Games after testing
positive for Covid-19, taking
the total number of infected
athletes in the city to 10.
Also, european 400m indi-
vidual medley champion Ilya
Borodin has been ruled out of
the Tokyo Olympics after test-
ing positive for Covid-19.
— AFP
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behalf of Deccan Chronicle Holdings
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LET THE GAMES BEGIN
New champs eye
big stage honour
Tokyo, July 22: When the
flame is finally lit at the
Tokyo Olympics on Friday,
a new era of athletes have
a chance to make history
in the absence of a host of
established stars.
So much has changed in
the Olympic landscape in
the five years since the Rio
Games — three-time dou-
ble sprint champion Usain
Bolt is now making music
and building a family in
Jamaica, while 28-medal
winner Michael Phelps has
retired from the pool.
In Tokyo, Caeleb Dressel
is the most likely successor
to Phelps in the medal-
gathering stakes.
He is aiming to become
just the fourth swimmer in
history to win seven
medals in a single Games.
Dressel is no rookie, hav-
ing already won two relay
golds at the 2016 Rio
Games, but now his focus
is firmly on individual
glory.
Bolt left a gaping hole in
the world of athletics when
he retired in 2017, but a
new generation of stars is
emerging.
Charismatic Norwegian
400 metres hurdler Karsten
Warholm smashed one of
the longest-standing men’s
track world records this
month and Sydney
McLaughlin overhauled
the women’s record in the
same event at the US trials.
Athletics-watchers look-
ing for a sprint gold medal-
list of the future will be
keeping a close eye on 17-
year-old Erriyon Knighton.
The fleet-footed
American erased the 200m
world age-group records
set by Bolt this year, run-
ning a dazzling 19.84sec in
the US trials to secure his
place at the Olympics.
In the field, Sweden’s
Armand Duplantis is the
undisputed new king of
the pole vault aged just 21.
Ethiopia’s Letesenbet
Gidey’s battle with Dutch
runner Sifan Hassan is
also keenly awaited after
each broke the 10,000m
world record within two
days. Gidey, 23, now holds
the marks at that distance
and 5,000m.
SKY’S THE LIMIT
Sky Brown will be just 13
years and 11 days old when
the Briton, who was born
in Japan, competes in the
skateboarding in Tokyo.
A strong performance by
the teenager who gained
Smooth sail for shining India now
Tokyo, July 22: There is
palpable tension, a sense of
dread actually, but the
Covid-hit Olympic Games
starting Friday or the
‘Games of Hope’ as the IOC
desperately wants the
world to believe, could
prove to be a watershed for
the biggest ever Indian
contingent with shooters,
boxers and wrestlers
expected to lead an unpar-
alleled medal rush.
The Games were post-
poned by a year because of
the Covid-19 pandemic
which hasn’t slowed down
as much as the world
would have wanted despite
the advent of multiple vac-
cines.
The fear of the virus is
omnipresent at one of the
globe’s most densely popu-
lated cities, playing host to
thousands of athletes,
their support staff and
officials while logging over
1,000 daily Covid-19 cases.
BILLION BEATS
India, a nation of over 1.3
billion, has just 28 Olympic
medals to its credit since
making a debut back in
1900. That tally features
just one individual gold
that Abhinav Bindra
picked up in 2008.
This country is definitely
more optimistic than
before of what its 120 ath-
letes — 68 men and 52
women — in Tokyo would
achieve.
The expectations are of a
fame in the US in 2018 by
winning the reality TV
show “Dancing with the
Stars: Juniors” would be
the perfect way to launch
skateboarding on its
Olympic debut.
American golfer Collin
Morikawa could cap a
heady few weeks by win-
ning an Olympic gold to
add to the British Open
title that the 24-year-old
scooped last weekend.
Viktor Hovland, the
Norwegian who is one year
younger, could also be in
with a shout.
While the new names will
shine, Simone Biles will be
one of the few returning
superstars from Rio, lead-
ing a team considerably
younger than the 24-year-
old. Biles, arguably the
greatest gymnast in histo-
ry, has a strong chance of
equalling Larisa
Latynina’s record of nine
Olympic gold medals.
In essence, the biggest
challenger to Biles is her-
self as she has not lost an
all-around competition
since 2013, re-defining her
sport along the way.
GOAT EMOJI FOR BILES
Win or lose, Simone Biles
has already claimed a slice
of history at the Tokyo
Olympics.
The reigning all-around
champion has become the
first athlete to be awarded
their own emoji on Twitter.
The social media plat-
form announced
Wednesday that it had
given Biles her own emoji
— a goat wearing a leotard
and a gold medal.
The symbol is a reference
to Biles’ status as the
“G.O.A.T: Greatest of all
time” — a tag the 24-year-
old Olympian has
embraced in recent years.
“Witness greatness.
Tweet with greatness,” the
official Twitter Sports
account wrote in announc-
ing the emoji.
The symbol is generated
by inputting #SimoneBiles
or #Simone in Tweets.
Biles recently began com-
peting in a leotard decorat-
ed with silver rhinestones
in the shape of a goat’s
head. The American star
says the leotard design is
meant to inspire others.
“I just hope that kids
growing up watching this
don’t or aren’t ashamed of
being good at whatever
they do,” she said in a
recent interview. — AFP
first ever double digit fig-
ure in the medals tally, sur-
passing the best haul of six
achieved in the 2012
London Olympics, none of
them gold. The foremost
among the contenders are
15 shooters.
Manu Bhaker, Elavenil
Valarivan, Divyansh Singh
Panwar, and Aishwary
Pratap Singh Tomar are
just some names from
whom medal hopes are sky
high.
They seem ready for the
pressure and come July 24,
there could well be a gold
rush that India has never
seen in the Games.
The jumbo shooting con-
tingent is on one side.
WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
On the other is a lone war-
rior — Mirabai Chanu
(49kg) in weightlifting. The
26-year-old has come a long
way since failing to record
a single legitimate lift in
the Rio Olympics five
years ago.
Since then, she has been
a world champion (2017)
and a Commonwealth
Games champion (2018)
and also holds the world
record in clean and jerk. If
all goes well, hers could be
among the first medals
that India would celebrate
this weekend.
BULL’S EYE
Another bunch to watch
out for is the archery team,
led by seasoned world
Social Media Pakistan 0345-6738217
Simone Biles of the United States trains on the beam during an artistic gymnastics
practice session at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday.
India team of the 49er men’s class sail in the Enoshima
Yacht Harbour during a training session in Fujisawa,
Japan, on Thursday.
number one Deepika
Kumari. Deepika would be
eager to exorcise the
ghosts of 2012 London
Olympics where too, she
entered as the world num-
ber one only to misfire and
go home empty-handed.
With husband Atanu Das,
a mixed team archery
THE ASIAN AGE | FRIDAY | 23 JULY 2021 | NEW DELHI
— AP
medal is being seen as a
real possibility for India.
The boxers are another
set of big contenders with
World No.1 Amit Panghal
(52kg), six-time world
champion M. C. Mary Kom
(51kg), Vikas Krishan
(69kg) being the strongest
medal hopes in the record
— AP
group of nine that has
qualified.
There are seven
wrestlers in fray and it
would be viewed as noth-
ing short of a debacle, dare
say a travesty, if the star
duo of Bajrang Punia
(65kg) and Vinesh Phogat
(53kg) don’t end up on the
podium after dominating
every tournament they
have been at in the past
three years.
Not to mention dark
horses like Ravi Dahiya
(57kg) and Deepak Punia
(86kg), who was a world
championships silver-
medallist in 2019. Dahiya
could well be the big star to
emerge from the Games.
HOCKEY STARS
The two hockey teams are
also going in with loads of
optimism after decent out-
ings in international tours
of the past one year.
The Manpreet Singh-led
men’s team and the Rani
Rampal-led women’s side
are in with a genuine
chance if they hold their
nerves on the big stage.
The last of India’s eight
hockey gold medals came
back in 1980 and for the
first time in many years,
there is actual hope that
the drought could finally
end for a new era to begin
in the sport.
There is some excitement
surrounding the paddlers
too with the mixed team of
veteran A. Sharath Kamal
pg 8
Archer Deepika
leads medal hunt
Tokyo, July 22: Up against
a familiar pre-Olympic India ACTION
hype and with history Archery: Deepika Kumari in
stacked heavily against women’s individual ranking
them, Indian archers will round at 5.30 am; Atanu Das,
have a feeling of deja vu Tarundeep Rai & Pravin Jadhav
when they begin their in men’s individual ranking
Tokyo Games campaign round at 9.30 am.
with the rankings round Opening Ceremony at 4.30 pm
here on Friday. SATURDAY
Notwithstanding the Shooting: Women’s 10m air
women’s team’s failure to rifle qualification at 5 am.
qualify, the quartet of
Archery: Mixed team Round of
Deepika Kumari, Atanu 16 at 6 am.
Das, Tarundeep Rai and
Pravin Jadhav entered the
mega-event with renewed
Hockey (men): India vs New
Zealand at 6.30 am.
hopes of winning the coun-
try’s first Olympic medal
Live on Sony Ten 1, 2, HD
in the sport.
The biggest prospects are
the husband-wife duo of
World Championships in
2009 and then bagging two
gold at the New Delhi
Das and Deepika who Commonwealth Games
would look to recreate the next year.
magic of the Paris World But in London 2012, she
Cup in the mixed pair com- made a first-round exit as a
petition that would make full strength Indian side
its Games debut on failed to make any impact,
Saturday at the and the outing was no bet-
Yumenoshima Park. ter in Rio de Janeiro four
Since the 1988 Games, years later.
India have produced many Competing in her third
champions in the sport successive Olympics, two-
with the likes of Limba time world No. 1 Deepika
Ram and then Dola has seen it all, from the
Banerjee winning at all lows of London to hitting
levels except at the rock-bottom at Rio 2016.
Olympics. Five years down the line,
Jayanta Talukdar had the firebrand archer from
become a World No. 2 in Ranchi is in the form of
2006, while Dola had raised her life. “It’s very impor-
the bar in 2007 by becom- tant because Indian
ing the world champion, archery does not have an
but they all fizzled out at Olympic medal so I want to
Beijing 2008. win. I want to prove to
What followed was a myself that I can win. So
meteoric rise of Deepika, it’s very important for me,
who turned many heads my entire archery team
around at a young age of
15, by winning the Youth
and my country,” Deepika
said. — PTI
BHAKER HAS FINGER ON
THE PULSE AND TRIGGER
New Delhi, July 22: In less than than three months of
training at the range, coach Ronak Pandit and Manu
Bhaker have “put in place a plan”, giving impetus to the
pistol prodigy’s hopes of a podium finish in Olympics.
Pandit has been guiding Bhaker since her split with
Jaspal Rana, one of India’s best pistol shooters and under
whom she blossomed into a world-class competitor after
a spate of excellent results in top international events.
“We have trained for about two and a half to three
months and put in a plan for her,” Pandit, a
Commonwealth Games gold medallist (paired with
Samaresh Jung in 2006), told PTI from Tokyo.
One of three pistol shooting coaches with the Indian
team, Pandit has full faith in Bhaker’s abilities and says
the huge expectations don’t bother either the shooter or
himself.
“There are pros and cons of expectations but Manu,
even at the age of 16 and 17, was shooting in World Cups
and winning medals. She is very level-headed and is used
to such pressure and expectations,” Pandit said. — PTI
MAGNIFICENT
MARY SET FOR
and the spunky Manika
Batra being given a shot at
LAST DANCE
a medal together. New Delhi, July 22:
In athletics, javelin India’s boxing queen
thrower Neeraj Chopra’s Mary Kom is mustering
spear could end the agony the grit and power to
of near misses that the make one last bid for an
likes of P. T. Usha and the Olympic gold medal in
late Milkha Singh Tokyo at the age of 38.
endured. Kom’s rags-to-riches
story became the stuff of
SHUTTLE SERVICE
legend when she won a
World champion P. V. bronze medal at the 2012
Sindhu is also looking London Games, the first
good for a second Olympic time women’s boxing was
medal of her career, an an Olympic event.
achievement that would “Magnificent Mary”, as
cement her place among the national treasure is
the all-time greats of
Indian sports.
Veteran Sania Mirza
known, repaid them when
she won a record sixth
world title in 2018.
spearheads the tennis chal- Now she will be India’s
lenge in her fourth flag bearer along with
Olympic appearance. She men’s hockey captain
will be seen in the women’s Manpreet Singh at the
doubles event alongside Tokyo opening ceremony
debutant Ankita Raina. before she competes in
In addition and perhaps a the 51kg flyweight compe-
sign of India’s growth as a tition.
sporting nation, the coun- Kom knows this will be
try would have representa- the last roll of the dice,
tion in fencing (C. A. but is determined.
Bhavani Devi) and eques- “Will step into the ring
trian (Fouaad Mirza) for to fight for the gold, to
the very first time. make us all proud again,”
It is also for the first time Kom, a mother of four,
that two swimmers (three said on Twitter.
in all) — Sajan Prakash “Tokyo will be my last
and Srihari Nataraj — Olympics,” she told the
made the Olympic cut with Olympic Channel.
‘A’ qualification marks. Mary will face fierce
So, India can certainly competition from Turkish
hope that the gloom of the favourite Buse Naz
pandemic would be lifted Cakiroglu but India is
by the brightness of its still willing on its darling
athletes’ performances. to bring home the medal.
— PTI — AFP