cmyk
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Exams for class I to IX
to be over by April 13
Chennai: The school educa-
tion department has planned
to complete the examina-
tions for all the classes from
class I to IX before April 13
since the teachers are need-
ed for the Lok Sabha elec-
tion works. Besides, most of
the schools will function as
polling booths and they have
to be free for the poll prepa-
rations. The polling in all the
39 constituencies in Tamil
Nadu will be held on April 19.
(Bureau)
Former envoy to US
Sandhu joins BJP
New Delhi: Former Indian
ambassador to the United
States Taranjit Singh
Sandhu joined the BJP on
Tuesday, amid a possibility
that he may be fielded in
the Lok Sabha polls from
Amritsar in Punjab. Joining
the BJP, Mr Sandhu spoke
about the growth of the
India-US relationship and
said development has been
its focus area in a host of
fields such as the semicon-
ductor industry. The ties
between the two countries
have evolved into a part-
nership that is a win-win
situation for both of them,
he said. PTI
Initial enrolling period
of H-1B to end Mar 22
Washington: The initial reg-
istration period for the H-1B
visas, the most sought-after
by Indian IT professionals,
for fiscal 2025 closes on
March 22, a federal agency
has said. The US
Citizenship and
Immigration Services
(USCIS) said on Monday
that during this period,
prospective petitioners and
legal representatives must
use an online account of
the agency to register each
beneficiary electronically
for the selection process
and pay the associated
registration fee for each
beneficiary. Online account
users will also be able to
collaborate on registrations
and petitions
Full report: P8
COUNTER POINT
No seat; Paras quits Union cabinet
AMRESH SRIVASTAVA |DC
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19
Left in lurch, Union minis-
ter Pashupati Kumar Paras
resigned on Tuesday, accus-
ing the BJP of doing “injus-
tice” with his Rashtriya Lok
Janshakti Party (RLJP) by
excluding it from the seat-
sharing deal with allies for
the Lok Sabha polls in
Bihar.
Mr Paras’ resignation
came at a press conference a
day after the BJP-led NDA
announced its seat-sharing
pact and gave five seats to
the LJP (Ram Vilas), led by
his nephew Chirag Paswan,
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NDA will return as people
No stay; SC issues notice
want me back, says PM to Centre on CAA Rules
■ ‘DMK and Congress are two sides of the same coin’
DC CORRESPONDENT
SALEM, MARCH 19
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Tuesday said here
that the increasing popu-
larity of the BJP and the
NDA in Tamil Nadu is giv-
ing the DMK sleepless
nights and that the ruling
alliance will return to
power with more than 400
seats in the Lok Sabha as
the people wanted him
back as prime minister.
The INDIA alliance was
bent on insulting
Hinduism and had object-
ed to placing the Sengol in
Parliament, Mr Modi said,
adding that all those who
wanted to destroy the
power of worship in Hindu
dharma will perish.
The NDA must return to
power for India to become
self-sufficient and strong,
for Tamil Nadu
progress, for farmers to
to
benefit, for the infrastruc-
ture of the country to
develop and for India to
grow as the third largest
economy in the world, Mr
Modi said, addressing a
2023 warmest
in 174 yrs, says
WMO report
New Delhi, March 19:
Greenhouse gas levels,
surface temperatures,
ocean heat and acidifica-
tion, and sea level rise all
reached record highs in
2023, according to a new
report by the World
Meteorological
Organisation (WMO)
released on Tuesday.
The report, titled “State
of the Global Climate
2023”, confirmed that
2023 was the warmest
year in the 174-year
observational record,
with the global average
near-surface tempera-
ture at 1.45 degrees
Celsius above the pre-
industrial baseline (1850-
1900). “Sirens are blaring
across all major indica-
tors… ■ P9
SC asks EC to recognise
Pawar’s party, symbol
RAKESH K. SINGH |DC
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19
The Supreme Court on
Tuesday allowed the
Sharad Pawar faction to
use “Nationalist Congress
Party-Sharadchandra
Pawar” as its name for the
upcoming Lok Sabha polls
and Assembly elections in
some states.
A bench of Justices
Surya Kant and K.V.
Viswanathan also permit-
ted the NCP bloc led by the
veteran leader to use as its
symbol “man blowing
■ Mr Paras will consult with the
party’s office-bearers in Patna
before arriving at a decision about
the future course of action, the
RLJP sources said, adding that he
is also in touch with the leaders of
the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led
alliance.
ignoring his faction’s
claims.
Mr Paras made brief
remarks at the press confer-
ence about his resignation
but did not elaborate about
his future plans. He also
called Prime Minister
Narendra Modi a big leader.
WORLD | 8
20 killed in Gaza; Bibi
spurns Biden plea to
call off assault
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with party’s state leaders and AIADMK faction
leader O. Paneerselvam at a public rally in Salem on Tuesday
rally organised by the
party here.
He said the next five
years are crucial for the
development of Tamil
Nadu. “There will also be
strict action against cor-
ruption in the period,” he
said.Mr Modi recalled
DMK set to retain most
sitting MPs for LS polls
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, MARCH 19
The DMK is expected to
retain most of its senior
MPs including former
ministers T.R. Baalu, A.
Raja, Dayanidhi Maran, S.
Jagathratchagan besides
K. Kanimozhi for the
forthcoming Lok Sabha
elections in Tamil Nadu.
The party is likely to pro-
vide opportunities to a few
members of the DMK
youth wing to balance the
list with youth and experi-
ence.
The DMK is contesting
in all the three Lok Sabha
constituencies in Chennai
and all the three candi-
dates Dayanidhi Maran
(Central Chennai),
turha” (a traditional trum-
pet) during the polls.
“It is directed that the
petitioners shall be enti-
tled to use the name
‘Nationalist Congress
Party — Sharadchandra
Pawar’ for the purpose of
contesting the ensuing
Parliamentary and state
Assembly elections, along
with the symbol of ‘Man
blowing Turha’,” the SC
bench said. The bench fur-
ther directed, “Con-
sequently, the Election
Commission of India as
well as the state election
Expressing his displea-
sure at the treatment meted
out to him, the RLJP presi-
dent said he was thankful to
Mr Modi and asserted that
he had served the National
Democratic Alliance with
honesty.
“Injustice has been meted
CHENNAI I WEDNESDAY I 20 MARCH 2024
meeting Rathnavel, from
Salem some 40 years ago
when he was on a pilgrim-
age to
Mansarovar. “I
Kailash
have
known the glorious past of
Salem though hem,” Mr
Modi said, and recalled
BJP leaders the late K.N.
Kalanidhi Veerasamy
(North Chennai) and
T h a m i z h a c h i
Thangapandian (South
Chennai) are to be
retained, according to
party sources.
Former Union minister
and DMK treasurer had
sought a ticket to enter the
poll race from
Sriperumbudur again and
is expected to get another
opportunity. In
Thoothukudi, the candida-
ture of Ms Kanimozhi has
commissions to provision-
ally recognise the
‘Nationalist Congress
Party – Sharadchandra
Pawar’ along with ‘man
blowing turha’ as a
reserved symbol for that
party for the purpose of
contesting Par-
liament/state assembly
elections.” The SC also
ordered the poll panel that
the “man blowing turha”
symbol shall not be allot-
ted to any other political
party, independent candi-
date, and the same shall
not be used ■ P4
out to my party and espe-
cially me,” Mr Paras said.
However, he has not quit
the NDA so far.
Mr Paras will consult with
the party’s office-bearers in
Patna before arriving at a
decision about the future
course of action, the RLJP
sources said, adding that he
is also in touch with the
leaders of the Rashtriya
Janata Dal (RJD)-led
alliance.
Insiders claim that Mr
Paras is also exploring the
possibility of joining hands
with the Opposition
alliance in Bihar to fight
against ■ P4
SPORT | 12
Bumrah needs off-
season, says McGrath
Lakshmanan and Auditor
Ramesh. Mr Modi got emo-
tional and posed for a few
seconds while referring to
Auditor Ramesh, who was
hacked to death in 2013.
The decision of the PMK
to join the NDA will
strengthen ■ P7
become almost certain
while former Union minis-
ter A. Raja is to be
fielded from Nilgiris
again.
The DMK is contesting
in Erode which was allot-
ted to the MDMK in 2019
and a new face from the
youth wing is expected to
get a chance from the seat.
In Theni constituency
which was the lone seat
lost by the DMK front, for-
mer MP Thanga Thamizh
Selvan has sought a ticket.
EC REMOVES WB
DGP IN 24 HOURS,
APPOINTS JUNIOR
Kolkata, March 19: The
Election Commission on
Tuesday removed Vivek
Sahay as West Bengal
director-general of police
(DGP) less than 24 hours
after naming him for the
post, and directed the
state government to
appoint Sanjoy
Mukherjee, a year junior
to Mr Sahay in the IPS
cadre, in his place.
The move, unprece-
dented in recent memo-
ry, rendered Mr Sahay
the shortest-serving DGP
of West Bengal.
Curiously, while Mr
Sahay’s appointment
notification was made by
the state home depart-
ment in which it referred
to the ECI order, the cor-
responding notification
for Mr Mukherjee
a day later was made
directly by the
Commission.
Mr Sahay, an IPS offi-
cer of the 1988 batch, was
initially offered the
appointment since he
was the senior-most offi-
cer in the force. But
owing to his scheduled
superannuation on May
31, well ahead of the for-
mal conclusion of the
Lok Sabha elections on
June 4, the poll panel
considered naming Mr
Mukherjee, a 1989 batch
officer, as the DGP, a
senior official said.
■ P4
‘I will bring Mahesh
Babu to Japan’
Vol. 19 No. 355 Established 1938
CENTRE DEFENDS LAW
RAKESH K. SINGH |DC
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19
The Supreme Court on
Tuesday directed the
Union government to
respond within three
weeks to applications
seeking a stay on imple-
mentation of the
Citizenship (Amendment)
Rules, 2024, till the dispos-
al of the pleas challenging
the constitutional validity
of the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act, 2019, by
the apex court.
The apex court, however,
refused to stay the opera-
tion of the recently noti-
fied rules that opera-
tionalises the CAA, as
pressed for by a battery of
senior advocates repre-
senting the petitioners.
JMM’s Sita Soren
joins BJP; MNS
chief meets Shah
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19
MNS chief Raj
Thackeray on Tuesday
met Union home minis-
ter Amit Shah amid
ongoing speculation
about the Maharashtra
party joining the BJP-led
NDA fold ahead of the
Lok Sabha polls. The
MNS, which has only one
MLA in the
Assembly, could contest
state
two seats in the Mumbai
region.
Meanwhile, JMM
supremo Shibu Soren’s
daughter-in-law Sita
Soren joined the BJP on
Tuesday. Ms Soren, sis-
ter-in-law of former
Jharkhand chief minis-
ter Hemant Soren, quit
the JMM hours before
joining the BJP, claim-
ing that she was being
neglected and isolated in
the state's ruling party.
Ms Soren joined the
BJP in the presence of
national general secre-
tary Vinod Tawde and
Jharkhand in-charge
Laxmikant Bajpai at its
headquarters here.
The three-term MLA's
decision to join the BJP
is a shot in the ■ P4
TABLOID | 13
■ The court said it
was not expressing
any prima facie view.
“We have to hear the
petitioners and the
other side,” the
judges said.
A three-judge bench
headed by Chief Justice of
India D.Y. Chandrachud,
also comprising Justices
J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj
Misra, was hearing a
batch of petitions chal-
lenging the constitutional
validity of the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act and the
petitioners sought a stay
on the CAA Rules notified
recently.
During the hearing, the
Union government told
Cong manifesto
to focus on justice
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19
The Congress Working
Committee (CWC) met in
the national capital on
Tuesday and authorised
the party
Mallikarjun Kharge to
chief
give final approval to the
party's manifesto for the
ensuing Lok Sabha polls
and decide a date for its
release.
Asserting that the coun-
try is seeking a change,
the Congress president
said on Tuesday that the
"guarantees" touted by the
Narendra Modi govern-
ment will meet the same
fate as the "India Shining"
slogan of 2004. He said:
"The country is fervently
demanding a change. The
guarantees currently
being touted by the Modi
government will have the
same fate as that of the
BJP's India Shining slo-
gan of 2004.”
Addressing the meeting
of the CWC, the party's top
decision-making body, to
discuss and approve the
party's manifesto for the
Lok Sabha elections, Mr
Kharge urged all party
leaders and workers to
cmyk
| 20 PAGES| `3.00
the bench that the CAA
does not take away the cit-
izenship of any person.
The bench then issued
notice to the government
on the 20 applications
seeking a stay on the
implementation of the
Rules returnable within
three weeks.
“We are not expressing
any prima facie view… We
have to hear the petition-
ers, we have to hear the
other side,” the bench
observed and posted the
matter for hearing on
April 9.
The government had on
March 11 notified the
Rules to implement the
CAA passed by
Parliament in 2019 to fast-
track Indian citizenship
for undocumented ■ P7
take every issue raised in
the party's manifesto to
every village and town
and to every household
across the country.
Before making promises
in the manifesto, an in-
depth deliberation has
been made to ensure that
these promises are imple-
mentable, the Congress
president said, adding, “It
is because of this very fact
that, right from 1926, the
Congress party's mani-
festo has been regarded as
a 'document of trust and
commitment'."
Mr Kharge also lauded
the Rahul Gandhi-led
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,
saying through it the
Congress was able to draw
the country's attention to
the real issue faced by the
people.
The party is fighting the
elections on the issue of
"five nyay" (justices) --
"Bhagidari Nyay", "Kisan
Nyay", "Nari Nyay",
"Shramik Nyay" and
"Yuva Nyay". Giving 25
guarantees, five for each
nyay, which have been
announced by the
Congress president and
Mr Gandhi.
■ P4
 ELECTION 2024
DECCAN CHRONICLE | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024 | CHENNAI
pg 2

SHORT TAKES
Stalin demands
action against
Union minister
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, MAR 19:
Chief Minister M K Stalin strong-
ly condemned the ‘reckless state-
ment’ of Union Minister of State
for Agriculture Shobha
Karandlaje linking Tamil Nadu
with the Bengaluru Rameswaram
Café blasts and urged the ECI to
take note of the hate speech and
initiate stringent action immedi-
ately. In a message on his X page,
Stalin said, "One must either be an
NIA official or closely linked to the
#RameshwaramCafeBlast to
make such claims."’
Clearly, Karandlaje lacked the
authority for such assertions and
the divisive rhetoric of the BJP
would be rejected by both
Tamilians and Kannadigas alike,
he said "I also urge for an appro-
priate legal action against Shobha
for causing threat to peace, har-
mony and national unity. From
the Prime Minister to cadre,
everyone in the BJP should stop
engaging in this dirty divisive pol-
itics at once," he said .
Govt plans to complete all
school exams before April 13
Chennai, March 19: The school
education department has
planned to complete the examina-
tions for all the classes from class I
to 1X before April 13 since the
teachers are needed for the Lok
Sabha election work. Besides,
most of the schools will function
as polling booths and they have to
be free for poll preparations.
The polling in all 39 constituen-
cies in Tamil Nadu will be held on
April 19. The month of April also
happens to be the period of exami-
nations for school and college stu-
dents. The plus-2 examination had
already started and it would end
on April 22. The plus-1 examina-
tion too has commenced and it will
be completed on April 25.
The tenth standard public exam-
ination will commence on April 26
and it will go on till April 8.
Though the public examinations
for the tenth standard, plus-1 and
plus-2 students will start early and
end in April second week, the
examinations for other classes
from class I to IX will be usually
held till April fourth week.
However, the polling date in Tamil
Nadu has been fixed as April 19
and the teachers are required to be
trained for polling work. Besides,
most of the schools must be pre-
pared to function as polling
booths. So, the School Education
department has planned to com-
plete the examinations for all the
classes before April 13.
—DC
HC allows pujas in
Villupuram temple
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, MARCH 19:
The Madras high court has
directed the Hindu Religious
and Charitable Endowments
(HR & CE) department to con-
duct daily pujas at Dharmaraja
Draupadi Amman temple in
Villupuram district. The temple
was sealed following a conflict
when Dalits were not allowed to
enter it last year.
Justice N. Venkatesan who
heard a petition filed by two res-
idents G. Gandhi and Raji in
Melpathi village in Villupuram
district where the temple was
situated said no one but the
priest could enter the temple to
perform the pujas. The resi-
dents had challenged the
Revenue Divisional Officer’s
decision on 7 June last year to
close the temple due to a clash
over the entry of Dalits into the
temple.
DMK petitions CEO over use Battle lines clearly drawn for
of children in Modi roadshow 4-cornered LS election contest N. RAVIKUMAR | DC ● There were five fronts in the last Lok Sabha election, includ-
Chennai, March 19: The rul-
ing DMK on Tuesday demanded
Bharathi said that children
aged 12 to 15 were engaged for
elections by false propaganda,
thus violating the Model Code
CHENNAI, MARCH 19 ing actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiyam, which has
that the Election Commission campaign activities and were of Conduct and the Representa- Battle lines are clearly drawn joined the DMK alliance now. The Naam Thamizhar Katchi,
probe the use of school children made to wear clothes featuring tion of People's Act, 1951, for the Lok Sabha elections in which fought the polls on its own in the past, has already
by the BJP for Prime Minister BJP insignia. Further, they Bharathi contended. Tamil Nadu: It will witness a announced candidates for half the seats. Its leader Seeman
Narendra Modi's roadshow in were made to recite poems and "Union Minister Nirmala four-cornered contest among has asserted that his party would not form an alliance with
Coimbatore and also sought sing songs in a music display Sitharaman evoked the feelings the DMK, AIADMK and BJP
action against Union Finance organised by the BJP during of a particular religion by besides the Naam Thamizhar anyone in the coming Lok Sabha elections, too.
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman the roadshow on March 18, he appealing to the Hindus by Katchi, which is fighting on its
for delivering "hate speech". wrote in the petition. falsely claiming that the DMK own. The Salem meeting on gunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi.
Separately, Coimbatore "The said act by the BJP is is destroying temples, swin- Former Chief Minister O. Tuesday, attended by the rivals The Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai
District Collector Kranthi directly against the notification dling temples and destroying Panneerselvam and Amma of the AIADMK, has shown that Katchi, led by T. Velmurugan,
Kumar Pati said the adminis- of the ECI on February 5, 2024, the religion," he said. Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam the BJP has finally picked up Manithaneya Makkal Katchi
tration is inquiring into the which barred political parties This not only violates the leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, shar- the gauntlet to fight its former and Manithaneya Jananayaga
incident of the use of school from using children in any Model Code of Conduct but also ing the dais with Prime ally, the AIADMK, which broke Makkal Katchi of Thamim
children during Modi's road- capacity for election cam- attracts the provisions of sec- Minister Narendra Modi on its ties with the saffron party. In Ansari have expressed support
show. paigns, rallies, etc, and also a tion 123 (3) and section 125 of Tuesday at the Salem public the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, to the DMK alliance.
Reports have been sought direct violation of the Child the Representation of People meeting, ended all speculations the two parties fought together The AIADMK has only a few
from the Chief Education Labour and Prohibition Act," Act, 1951, he explained. of the saffron party patching up as a single front and the AMMK minor parties like the Puthiya
Officer and Joint Commissi- he said in the petition, substan- “Her speech was contrary to with the AIADMK. was ploughing a lone furrow. Thamizhagam, Puthiya
oner of the Labour department tiating it with a video clip of the the truth. The DMK govern- Though the Prime Minister There were five fronts in the Bharatham and SDPI in its fold
as well, he said in a tweet on incident. ment never worked against the addressed four public meetings last Lok Sabha election, includ- and the party is still holding
social media platform X, and In a separate petition, he interests of the temples. In fact, in his first visit to western and ing actor Kamal Haasan’s talks with the DMDK which
added that "suitable action will sought action against Nirmala it recovered lands belonging to southern Tamil Nadu, both OPS Makkal Needhi Maiyam, which polled only 0.5 per cent votes in
be taken based on the findings Sitharaman allegedly for violat- temples worth about thousands and Dhinakaran were not invit- has joined the DMK alliance the 2021 Assembly
of the inquiry". ing the Model Code of Conduct of crores of rupees from illegal ed to share the dais since it now. The Naam Thamizhar elections.
In a petition submitted to and delivering "hate speech" encroachment, besides renovat- would mean that the saffron Katchi, which fought the polls The BJP had roped in the
Chief Electoral Officer while speaking on the anniver- ed temples and performed the party had closed its doors for on its own in the past, has PMK, which had secured over 5
Satyabrata Sahoo here, DMK sary of Chanakyaa TV channel Kumbhabhishekam for over the AIADMK, headed by already announced candidates per cent votes when it contested
Organisation Secretary R S here on March 16, hours after 1,000 temples in two years," Edappadi K. Palaniswami. for half the seats. Its leader alone in the 2016 Assembly
Bharathi said appropriate the Election Commission of Bharathi stated in the petition. Some of the BJP leaders, Seeman has asserted that his polls, besides bringing in
action should be taken against India announced the schedule "The DMK is secular and no dis- including its national women’s party would not form an Panneerselvam, Dhinakaran,
the BJP for using children for a for the general election. crimination is done against any wing president Vanathi alliance with anyone in the the Tamil Maanila Congress,
political campaign. Nirmala had "made hate and religion... The state gov- Srinivasan, had been maintain- coming Lok Sabha elections, led by G.K. Vasan, New Justice
Steps should be taken to pro-
tect children from child labour
defamatory speech to diminish
the reputation of the DMK and
ernment and the people of
Tamil Nadu respect and uphold
ing that the saffron party was
keeping its doors open for the
too.
The DMK has completed its
Party, led by A.C. Shanmugam,
Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi of
and also prevent their partici-
pation in election-related work
its leader, with an ill motive" to
acquire personal gain illegally
secularism among other great
virtues," he added in the peti-
Dravidian party, during the
Prime Minister’s earlier visit in
seat-sharing process with allies,
the Congress, CPI(M), CPI,
T.R. Pachamuthu and Thami-
zhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazh-
and campaigns, he said. and with the hope of winning tion. —PTI February. VCK, MDMK, IUML and Kon- agam led by B. John Pandian.
PMK to contest in more seats, Corporation to receive
nominations from today
hopes to increase vote share
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, MARCH 19
N. RAVIKUMAR | DC the BJP and PMK had votes proved futile as the PMK lost As Tamil Nadu will be
CHENNAI, MARCH 19: in different regions and the by huge margins despite the going to polls in exactly a
alliance could not win seats presence of the AIADMK in month from now, Greater
Even while PMK president without intersection of votes those seats. In the BJP Chennai Corporation
Anbumani Ramadoss has in a specific constituency. alliance, the PMK is getting (GCC) has made all
described his party’s deci- However, PMK functionar- seats in double digits besides arrangements to receive
sion to join the BJP alliance ies cited the 2021 Assembly 8 constituencies in con- nominations which can
as a step towards ending the election results in which stituencies dominated by the be filed from Wednesday.
dominance of Dravidian par- their party secured just five Vanniyar community, the GCC Commissioner and
ties in Tamil Nadu and ush- seats and did not win the core vote bank of the PMK. District Electoral Officer
ering a in change, the constituencies in their stron- By fielding candidates in J. Radhakrishnan said
AIADMK leaders described ghold areas of Krishnagiri, more constituencies in their only five people along
it as a wrong move asserting Tiruvannamalai, strong areas, the party is with the candidate will be
that no other force could Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, aiming at securing a high allowed to enter the pre-
make a dent on the vote Cuddalore and Vellore. percentage of votes that will siding officer’s office.
share of the two major par- Though the AIADMK has a help to get back its status as a Only two vehicles will be
ties. big presence in the northern recognised state party. allowed to park within
The PMK ending the sus- region, the results revealed TNCC president K. 100 metres of the office.
pense and joining the BJP that the AIADMK voters did Selvaperunthagai, comment- The candidates can file
alliance a day before the fil- not support the PMK which ing on the PMK decision said their nominations from
ing of nominations has won Pennagaram, Dharmap- the PMK had boarded a sink- Wednesday.
sparked sharp reactions and uri, Salem (West), Mettur ing ship and it would also Candidates can file
a debate on what difference it and Mailam due to its own sink with the BJP. He also nominations at the office
will make on the election concentrated votes. said the Congress is the party of the Regional Deputy
results. The PMK functionar- Another factor is the for supporting social justice Commissioner (north) for
ies opined that the decision AIADMK will want to share and it is the party for sections Chennai North Parlia-
would increase their vote the Lok Sabha constituen- of people. Viduthalai ment constituency. For C-
share since they would con- cies in the northern region Chiruthaigal Katchi leader entral and South Parliam-
test in more seats, resulting with the PMK and the num- Thol. Thirumavalavan said ent constituencies, the
in the party regaining its sta- ber of seats will be less. the BJP and PMK are parties candidates can file their
tus as a recognised party. Allocating constituencies with similar thinking and nominations in the cen-
However, disappointed like Dindigul and Central their alliance would not have tral and south Regional
AIADMK functionaries said Chennai in the 2019 elections any impact in elections. Deputy Commissioner’s
offices respectively.
(Top) Students of Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts and Science College for Women paint
Nominations will be
received at the office till
DMK hit back at Modi their faces to create awareness for the first generation voters during an
election awareness campaign in the city on Tuesday. —DC
(Above) District Election Officer MS Sangeetha with election officials releases balloons to
create awareness among the public on 100 per cent voting in Madurai on Tuesday. —DC
March 27. Scrutiny will
be on the next day. The
last date for withdrawal
of nominations will be on
G. BABU JAYAKUMAR & D, SEKAR | DC the dignity associated with his position and March 30. Nominations
CHENNAI, MAR 19: not like a fourth rate platform speaker, he can be filed from 11 am to
referred to Modi mentioning about the 3 pm, he said.
DMK treasurer and leader of the party in death of Salem Auditor Ramesh and said He also said ballot
the Lok Sabha, T R Baalu, launched a that the BJP member was killed 11 years papers will be distributed
scathing attack on Prime Minister ago during the rule of J Jayalalithaa, who to handicapped persons
Narendra Modi for his remarks that the was praised to the skies by Modi at Salem. and elderly people above
DMK was losing sleep over the overwhelm- Baalu gave a long list of BJP members 85 years of age at their
ing reception that was getting in the State, who were killed during the rule of doorsteps. There are
saying that he was making a trip every Jayalalithaa and said Modi could check that 11,369 physically chal-
week to Tamil Nadu because he was unable out with the old BJP members in the State lenged persons and 63,751
to sleep. and also reminded him of Jayalalithaa’s voters above 85 years of
In earlier times, Prime Ministers would historic statement, ‘Gujarat’s Modi or Tamil age in Chennai.
visit the State once or twice for campaign- Nadu’s Lady,’ which was a challenge thrown GCC has also intensi-
ing but Modi had been making repeated at him. fied setting up of election
trips to places like Palladam, Madurai, Wondering as to why Modi was talking booths across Chennai.
Trichy, Chennai, Kanyakumari, about the 2G case when all the accused were Regional Deputy Com-
Coimbatore and Salem in such a short span acquitted of all charges by the Delhi CBI missioner (central) K.J.
though the people of not just Tamil Nadu court in 2017, he asked Modi as to who stole Praveen Kumar inspected
but the entire nation had decided to retire the money in the auction of the 5G band- the election booth works
him from the Prime Minister’s post, Baalu width in 2022 that fetched the government on Wall Tax Road and
said in a statement. just Rs 1.5 lakh crore when it should have Harbour constituency. He
Urging the Prime Minister to speak with brought Rs 5 lakh crore. visited the strong room
on Tuesday at Bharathi
Women's College in the
A mega kolam drawn to create awareness on 100 per cent voting at Tiruvannamalai citywhere the electronic
Pondy Dist Election Officer holds meeting on poll finances collectorate on Tuesday. —DC voting machines will be
kept.
OP. ARULN | DC activities. prioritise transactions from
CHENNAI, MARCH 19 Kulothungan issued direc- these election accounts, facil-

As the model code of conduct

took effect on March 16 in
Puducherry, District
Election Officer-cum-District
Collector A. Kulothungan
chaired a crucial meeting at
the collectorate on Tuesday,
focusing on the management
and oversight of cash trans-
actions in candidates’ and
political parties’ bank
Food distributed at Santhome CSI accounts.
School for Deaf by Mylapore MLA The meeting brought
Mylai Tha. Velu and S.Murali to together bankers and fina-
mark the birthday of Chief MInister ncial institution representa-
M. K. Stalin. The programme was
tives to tighten the scrutiny
organised by Mylapore youth wing
joint secretary D. Jagadish Babu.
on election-related financial
tives to ensure stringent
monitoring of
expenditure. Key instr-
election
uctions included the man-
date for each candidate to
open a separate bank
account specifically for elec-
tion expenses, to be estab-
lished at least a day before fil-
ing nomination papers.
These accounts are permit-
ted across all banks and post
offices in the state, with a rec-
ommendation for dedicated
counters to streamline the
account opening process for
candidates.
The banks are required to
itating prompt withdrawals
and deposits.
Additionally, these
accounts must either be in
the candidate’s name or
jointly with their election
agent, explicitly excluding
any family members not
serving as election agent.
To combat financial mal-
practices, district election
officers are tasked with gath-
ering data on any suspicious
cash transactions exceeding
Rs. 1 lakh, or large transfers
without previous history,
especially during the elec-
tion period.
Flying squad seizes gold jewels, silver articles worth ` 12 cr in Kanchi
N RAVIKUMAR &
P.A. JEBARAJ I DC
CHENNAI, MARCH. 19
The flying squads
appointed by the Election
Commission of India have
seized gold jewels and sil-
ver articles worth `12
crore taken in the vehicle
of a popular jewellery
shop in Kanchipuram dis-
trict.
The vans were stopped
at Vaiyavur and Walaj-
abad in Kanchipuram dis-
trict on Monday night and
taken to the Collector’s
office in Kanchipuram.
The officials carried out
inquiries on why the jew-
ellery was taken after 6
pm and checked if there
are proper documents for
the jewels.
Since the model code of
conduct has come into
force, cash exceeding Rs
50,000, jewels and other
materials without docu-
ments are being checked.
When the flying squad
members were checking
the vehicles at Vaiyavur,
they found gold jewels
weighing 18 kilograms
and silver articles weigh-
ing 100 kilograms. The
vehicle was taken to the
Kanchipuram Collector’s
office and enquiries are
being carried
out.
In another instance of
seizure, non-stick cooking
utensils worth Rs 10 lakh
were seized by the flying
squad near Sriperumbu-
dur in Kanchipuram dis-
trict. When the squad
members were checking
the vehicles on Tuesday
morning, they stopped a
container lorry and
checked it. They were
seized on suspicions
that they were being
taken to be distributed to
the voters. Further
inquiries are on.

Four babies rescued, two traffickers held by Thoothukudi district police

M. ARULOLI | DC
THOOTHUKUDI, MARCH 19
The Thoothukudi district
police rescued four babies
who went missing, and
arrested two traffickers.
Based on the complaint of a
pavement-dweller that her
four-month-old infant was
abducted when she was
asleep on March 9 on beach
road, Thoothukudi district
police superintendent, L.
Balaji Saravanan, constitut-
ed special police parties to
look into the issue.
A couple of days ago,
police picked up a 47-year-old
suspect, identified as Samy
alias Karuppasamy, son of N-
agappan of Alangulam, Te-
nkasi district. Inquiry with
Karuppasamy revealed that
he, along with Rajan alias
Raja (53) of Karumbanoor,
near Alangulam, kidnap in-
fants and sell them to people
wanting children, for money.
Further investigation with
the two accused nabbed by
the Thoothukudi police
revealed that they had so far
kidnapped four children.
Acting swiftly on the infor-
mation, Thoothukudi police
rescued a two-and-a-half-
year-old baby who went miss-
ing from Tiruchendur tem-
ple premises on December 21,
2022, a two-year-old baby
reported to have been miss-
ing from Kulasekarapattin-
am on October 21, 2023, the
four-month-old infant
abducted from Thoothukudi
on March 9, and another
child, whose missing, accord-
ing to Thoothukudi district
police superintendent, has
not been reported.
The SP also said all the four
rescued children have been
handed over to the district
child welfare committee and
would soon be reunited with
their parents. Madurai south
zone IG Kannan and Tirun-
elveli range DIG Pravesh
Kumar on Tuesday lauded
the police personnel who res-
cued the babies and gave aw-
ay cash prizes in apprecia-
tion of their work.
 STATE
DECCAN CHRONICLE | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024 | CHENNAI
Online delivery platform fined `15K Bomb hoax at 2
OP. ARULN | DC
CHENNAI, MARCH 19
The District Consumer
Disputes Redressal Forum
in Tiruvallur slapped a
penalty of `15,000 on an
online food delivery giant
for delivering the wrong ice
creams to a customer last
year. The complainant, S.
Sujith Sundar from
Ambattur, had placed an
order with Swiggy
Instamart, a popular online
food and grocery delivery
platform, for Kwality Walls
double chocolate ice cream
and Kurkure chaat paapdi
chips, totalling Rs. 50, on
October 29, 2023.
After confirming his order
at 7:21 pm, Sundar was noti-
fied that his order had been
accepted by Swiggy
Instamart near Ambattur,
with a promised delivery
time of 31 minutes.
However, upon receiving
his order, he discovered that
the products delivered were
not what he had ordered.
Instead of Kwality Walls
double chocolate ice cream,
he received Amul tri cone
choco crunch ice cream, and
the ice cream had already
melted upon delivery.
When Sundar raised this
issue with the delivery per-
son, he was directed to
report the problem through
pg 3
3 dead after TN
tourist vehicle
WRONG ICECREAM: Upon receiving his order, the
complainant discovered that the products delivered
were not what he had ordered. Instead of Kwality
the commission, led by pres-
ident, Dr. S.M. Latha
Maheswari, and members P.
Vinodh Kumar and P.
Ooty schools falls into gorge
Idukki (Kerala), March
Walls double chocolate ice cream, he received Amul Murugan, deemed Swiggy’s B. RAVICHANDRAN | DC disposal squads, which 19: Three persons,
tri cone choco crunch ice cream, and the ice cream actions as a clear case of OOTY, MARCH 19 rushed to the schools, including a child, were
had already melted upon delivery deficiency in service and conducted a thorough killed when a tempo trav-
unfair trade practice. Bomb threat to two search in all the buildings eller carrying a tourist
the mobile application. refund for the order. The forum held Swiggy schools here in this hill of both schools and on the group from Tamil Nadu
Following the protocol, Feeling aggrieved by accountable for the wrongful town created a flutter but premises. Finally, they fell into a gorge near
Sundar submitted photos of Swiggy’s actions, Sundar delivery, emphasising that it proved to be a hoax. found it to be a hoax, Adimaly in this hilly dis-
the wrongly delivered prod- filed a formal complaint the company’s failure to Sources said two private bringing relief to the trict on Tuesday evening.
uct and also sent an email to seeking redressal. He refund or replace the order, schools, located in school management, An officer from
Swiggy’s support team seek- demanded a refund of `40 despite admitting the mis- Theetukal and Muthorai teachers, students and Adimaly police station
ing a refund. After repeated for the ice cream and com- take, constituted a breach of Palada limits, near here, their parents. said there were 14 people
requests, Sundar received a pensation of `1.50 lakh for consumer trust. received bomb threats Police sources said the in the vehicle and of
response from Ashutosh of the mental agony and hard- The commission ordered through e-mail messages cops here registered a them three died and
the Instamart support team ship caused. In the absence Swiggy to pay Sundar a com- on Tuesday afternoon. case and investigation is around 10 others were
on October 31, 2023, stating of a response or appearance pensation of `10,000 along The school managements under way to trace and injured in the acci-
that they were unable to from Swiggy’s managing with litigation expenses of ` immediately informed nab those responsible for dent."The accident
process a replacement or director or corporate office, 5,000. the police. sending the threat mes- occurred around 6 pm.
The police and bomb sages to the schools. —PTI
 NATION
DECCAN CHRONICLE | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024 | CHENNAI
pg 4

■ No place senior party leader, former home minister Vij

SHORT TAKES
249 roads closed as
snow & rain lash HP
Shimla: A total of 249
roads, including four
national highways, are
closed for vehicles in
Himachal Pradesh due to
recent rain and snow, and
the MeT office Shimla has
predicted a wet spell in the
state from Thursday. The
local MeT office on
Tuesday issued yellow
warning of thunderstorm
with lightning in four to
seven districts from
Thursday onwards and pre-
dicted rain in low hills and
rain and snow in middle
and high hills of the state
from Thursday. A western
disturbance is likely to
affect the Western
Himalayan region from the
night of Wednesday and
another from March 23, the
MeT said. As per
the data of the state emer-
gency operation centre, a
maximum number of 230
roads are blocked in
Lahaul and Spiti, six in
Kinnaur, five in Chamba,
four in Kullu, two in Mandi,
and one each in Kangra
and Shimla districts. Mild
rains were witnessed in
few parts of the state.
There was no significant
change in the minimum
and maximum tempera-
tures, and Keylong at
minus 5.3 degree Celsius
was coldest at night.
while Una with 30.4
degree was hottest during
the day.
— PTI
Saini carries out first Cabinet
expansion, inducts 8 ministers
Chandigarh, March 19:
Haryana chief minister
Nayab Singh Saini on
Tuesday inducted eight
BJP MLAs into his coun-
cil of ministers, seven of
them new faces, in its first
expansion a week after he
took charge replacing
Manohar Lal Khattar.
Senior BJP leader and
former home minister
Anil Vij did not find a place
in the Saini-led Cabinet,
though his name was said
to have figured in the ini-
tial list of ministers.
Mr Saini and five minis-
ters took oath last week.
Haryana can have a maxi-
mum of 14 ministers, inc-
luding the chief minister.
Governor Bandaru
Dattatreya administered
the oath of office and
secrecy to the new minis-
ters at Raj Bhavan.
Chief Minister Saini and
his predecessor Mr
Manipur govt
favours UPSC
exam centres
outside state
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19
Nayab Singh Saini
Khattar were present in
the ceremony.
BJP MLA from the Hisar
constituency Kamal
Gupta was the first one to
be administered oath as
Cabinet minister.
Seven new faces, includ-
ing Badkhal MLA Seema
Trikha, were inducted as
ministers of state (inde-
pendent charge). Trikha is
the lone woman in the
council of ministers.
The remaining new min-
isters are Panipat Rural
MLA Mahipal Dhanda,
◗ IN A surprise move
last week, the BJP
replaced Manohar Lal
Khattar with OBC
leader Nayab Singh
Saini as Haryana CM
in a swift switch in the
state, just weeks ahead
of the Lok Sabha polls
Ambala City MLA Aseem
Goel, Nangal Chaudhary
MLA Abhe Singh Yadav,
Thanesar MLA Subhash
Sudha, Bawani Khera
MLA Bishamber Singh
Balmiki, and Sohna MLA
Sanjay Singh.
On March 12, five minis-
ters who had taken oath
were BJP’s Kanwar Pal
(Jagadhari), Mool Chand
Sharma (Ballabhgarh),
Jai Parkash Dalal
(Loharu) and Banwari Lal
(Bawal), and Independent
MLA Ranjit Singh
Chautala (Rania in Sirsa).
These five, who took oath
last week, and Kamal
Gupta were also ministers
in the previous Khattar-
led Cabinet.
In a surprise move last
week, the BJP replaced Mr
Khattar with OBC leader
Mr Saini as Haryana chief
minister in a swift switch
in the state, just weeks
ahead of the Lok Sabha
polls.
Among the ministers in
the Khattar Cabinet who
did not find a place in the
Saini ministry are Mr Vij,
Kamlesh Dhanda and
Sandeep Singh.
Besides, three ministers
including former deputy
chief minister Dushyant
Chautala were part of the
Khattar cabinet.
Mr Chautala’s JJP and
the BJP are set to contest
the polls separately now.
— PTI
6 Maoists gunned down in
C’garh & Maha encounters
RABINDRA NATH
CHOUDHURY
with agency inputs
RAIPUR/GADCHIROLI,
MARCH 19
Six Maoists were gunned
down on Tuesday in two
separate encounters with
security forces in Chhatti-
sgarh and Maharashtra.
While two Maoists,
including a woman, were
killed in Chhattisgarh's
Dantewada district, four
rebels, carrying a collec-
tive bounty of `36 lakhs,
were killed in an
encounter with the police
in Maharashtra's
Gadchiroli district.
The encounter in
Dantewada took place
when a joint search party
comprising personnel of
district reserve group
(DRG), Bastar Fighters,
the newly-raised counter-
insurgency wing of the
Chhattisgarh police, and
the CRPF came under
attack in a forest near
India targets China
on Arunachal claim
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19
In the second time in a
week, India once again
lashed out at China on
◗ WHILE 2 Maoists
were killed in Chhatti-
sgarh’s Dantewada dist,
four rebels, carrying a
collective bounty of
`36L, were gunned
down in an encounter
with the police in
Maha’s Gadchiroli dist
Purangel village on Tues-
day morning, the police
said. A gunbattle ensued
between them which last-
ed around 25 minutes, the
police said.
The Maoists later fled to
the jungle.
Security forces later
recovered bodies of two
Maoists, including a the Kolamarka moun-
woman, and two weapons
and huge quantities of
explosives at the
encounter site.
The slain ultras were yet
to be identified, the police
said.
Ground situation sug-
gested that several
Maoists were injured in
Modi’s visit to the north-
eastern Indian state.
According to these
reports, the Chinese def-
ence ministry spokesman
Senior Col. Zhang
the incident, the police
said. With this, the num-
ber of Maoists killed in
encounters at different
places in Bastar in the last
five days increased to five.
Meanwhile, acting on a
tip-off received on Mon-
day afternoon that some
Maoists had entered
Gadchiroli from neigh-
bouring Telangana by
crossing the Pranhita
river, multiple teams of
the Gadchiroli police and
the CRPF’s quick action
team were sent for a
search in the area.
While one of the teams
was conducting a search
on Tuesday morning in
tains, near Repanpalli, the
Maoists fired at them
indiscriminately to which
the security personnel
retaliated, the official
said.
After the firing stopped,
the area was searched and
bodies of four rebels were
found, he said.
SC disposes
of plea over
HC’s order in
Idgah dispute
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19

Youth run over by

train while shooting
Bhubaneswar: A youth lost
his life after getting hit by a
train near Sabira railway sta-
tion in Odisha’s Balasore on
Monday evening, reports
said on Tuesday. The
deceased was identified as
Akshay Patra from Banitia
village in Bhadrak district.
According to reports,
Akshay was shooting for
social media reels on the
railway track with some of
his friends when Neelachal
Express hit him from behind.
He reportedly died on the
spot while his friends fled
the spot. Following the
mishap, Railway Protection
Force personnel reached the
spot and recovered the
body. They also launched a
The Delhi high Court
was on Tuesday infor-
med that the Manipur
government is in favour
of having centres out-
side the troubled north-
eastern state for holding
civil services prelimi-
nary examination,
which are scheduled to
be held on May 26.
The counsel appearing
for the Manipur govern-
ment told the court,
which was hearing a
plea seeking setting up
of additional examina-
tion centres there for
civil services and Indian
Forest Service aspi-
rants, that the chief sec-
retary has said the gov-
ernment would provide
monetary assistance to
these aspirants for trav-
el to centres outside the
state which is in the grip
Tuesday over its “absurd”
claims over Arunachal
Pradesh in another sign
that ties between the two
Asian giants remain
strained. The fresh war of
words over Arunachal
comes even as Chinese
troops have yet to pull
back from all of the fric-
tion points in the Ladakh
People take part in a protest at Nagarathpete in Bengaluru on Tuesday after a shop- sector to the North where
keeper was assaulted by a group of men for allegedly playing “Hanuman Chalisa” they had amassed four
over a loudspeaker in his shop during “Azaan”. — PTI years ago in violation of
border pacts with India.
According to recent
■ In a fix as majority arrived without docus news agency reports from
Beijing, the Chinese mili-
tary had reiterated its
Don’t apply under CAA till new claim over Arunachal
Pradesh, calling the area
an “inherent part of
China’s territory”, days
govt’s formation: Mathua body after India rejected
Beijing’s objection to
Prime Minister Narendra
Kolkata, March 19: The ◗ MATUAS, ORIGINALLY tried to fill up online
Xiaogang said that the
southern part of Xizang
(the Chinese name for
Tibet) is an inherent part
of China’s territory, and
Beijing “never acknowl-
edges and firmly oppos-
es” the “so-called Arunac-
hal Pradesh illegally
established by India”.
In response to Beijing’s
provocative utterances,
New Delhi on Tuesday
said, “We have noted the
comments made by the
spokesperson of the
Chinese defence ministry
advancing absurd
claims... Repeating base-
less arguments in this
regard does not lend such
claims any validity.
Arunachal was, is and
will always be an integral
and inalienable part of
India.”
The Supreme Court on
Tuesday disposed of a
fresh plea challenging
the Allahabad high
court order for consoli-
dating 15 suits related to
the Sri Krishna
Janmabhoomi-Shahi
Idgah Mosque dispute.
A bench of Justices
Sanjiv Khanna and
Dipankar Datta said,
“The petitioner has
called for recall of
impugned judgement of
Allahabad high court.
We dispose of the pres-
ent SLP (Special Leave
Petition) with liberty to
revive the recall petition
before the high court.”
Counsel for the com-
mittee said the applica-
tion for recall of the
January 11 order is
pending before the high
court and she requested

Court set to hear Gyanvapi

probe in this connection. “I of a protracted ethnic Matua community’s ini- applications. But they the court to direct listing
want to caution all young- from East Pakistan, are a
strife. tial jubilation over the faced problems since of the application before
sters to use phones respon- In view of the stand implementation of the weaker section of Hindus while filling up column 5, the high court on a spe-

basement petition April 11

sibly. I was recently watching
a video where a girl died
while making reels on a
Ferris wheel,” said a local
Basant Kumar Rout.
Another local Lambodar
Maharana said, “The youth
was wearing earphones
while shooting for reels. I do
not know whether he failed
to hear the honking of the
train or stayed on the rail-
way track to display an act
of daredevilry, but he was
finally run over by the train.”
Youths continue to endanger
their lives to get some likes
and views on social media
despite repeated warnings
from government, media and
social organizations, added
Lambodar.
taken by the Manipur
authorities, a bench
headed by acting Chief
Justice Manmohan
observed that the exami-
nations may be held out-
side the state, as held
last year, and asked the
UPSC counsel to take
instructions.
“Take a call. Follow the
2023 pattern then. We
will ask UPSC to take
instructions. Prima
facie we are of this
view,” the bench said.
Petitioner Zomi
Students Federation had
moved the high court
last week, seeking set-
ting up examination cen-
tres in Churachandpur
and Kangpokpi in the
state.
CAA has been dampened
as its key organisation
advised its members not
to apply for citizenship
under the new law for now
as many of them do not
have documents required
to prove their previous
residential address in
Bangladesh.
The All India Matua
Mahasangha has asked its
members to apply for Ind-
ian citizenship only after
the formation of a new
government at the Centre.
Matuas, originally from
East Pakistan, are a weak-
er section of Hindus who
migrated to India during
the Partition and after the
creation of Bangladesh
following religious perse-
cution.
who migrated to India
during the Partition and
after the creation of
Bangladesh following
religious persecution
Rules of the CAA were
notified last week.
All India Matua Mahas-
angha general secretary
Mahitosh Baidya said a
communication has been
sent to all the members of
the community “not to file
applications for citizen-
ship till the formation of
the next government”.
The Centre has launched
a portal for applying for
citizenship under the
CAA.
“After the rules were
framed, several members
of the Matua community
they have been asked to
fill it with address proof
or documents related to
their residence in Bang-
ladesh,” Mr Baidya said.
Mr Baidya highlighted
that the Matuas face a
catch-22 situation, as the
majority either arrived
without documents from
Bangladesh or discarded
them after obtaining some
in India.
“They destroyed the old
documents after manag-
ing voter cards and
Aadhaar cards here since
it is dangerous for a per-
son to carry documents
from two countries.
If caught, they would
be booked under the
Foreigners Act,” Mr
Baidya said. — PTI
Varanasi (UP), March
19: The Varanasi district
court has fixed April 11
for hearing a plea seeking
to stop Muslim devotees
from walking on top of
the Gyanvapi mosque's
southern cellar, where the
court recently allowed
Hindu prayers.
According to the coun-
sel for the Hindu side,
Madan Mohan Yadav, the
Muslim side told the
court of in-charge district
judge Anil Kumar on
Tuesday that they were
fasting because it was the
month of Ramzan.
Therefore, they should
be given time to present
their side, he said.
On this, the court fixed
April 11 as the date of
hearing, he said.
The plea filed by the
Hindu side has stated that
the cellar’s roof is very old
and weak. It also said the
pillars of this basement,
also known as “Vyas
Tehkhana”, needed repair.
The fresh plea was filed
days after the Allahabad
HC said Hindu prayers
will continue in the “Vyas
Tehkhana”, while dis-
missing the mosque com-
mittee’s plea that had
challenged the district
court’s order to this
effect. — PTI
cific date. However, the
bench declined to pass
such an order.
On January 11, the
high court directed that
the 15 suits on an appli-
cation filed by the Hindu
plaintiff be consolidated
“in the interest of
justice.”
In the application, the
Hindu plaintiff submit-
ted before the high court
that after the original
suit was filed before the
civil judge (senior divi-
sion), Mathura, on
September 25, 2020, sev-
eral other suits were
filed with regard to the
13.37 acre land.
The Hindu side claims
it has signs suggesting it
was once a temple.

Cong manifesto to focus on justice JMM’S SITA SOREN JOINS

■ Continued from Page 1
Congress’s communica-
tions head Jairam Ramesh
said the party is ready for
the elections. “Our mani-
festo will state our objec-
tives and agenda. Ours is a
nyay (justice) agenda. This
is nyay patra (justice mani-
festo), not ghoshna patra
(poll manifesto),” said Mr
Ramesh. Congress general
secretary K.C. Venugopal
said the manifesto will be
released soon. He added
BJP; MNS CHIEF MEETS SHAH
held on how to inform peo-
ple about the party's guar-
antees.
“We will have a massive
guarantee to take the guar-
antees to the people of this
country,” Mr Venugopal
said, adding that the
Congress is confident of
defeating the BJP. “In a
democracy, people are mas-
ters, not (Prime Minister
Narendra) Modi. People
will decide who will rule.”
Meanwhile, the central
election committee of the
Sikkim,
Chandigarh,
Puducheri,
West Bengal,
Andaman,
Karnataka,
Telangana, MP, Gujarat ■ Continued from Page 1 case linked to an alleged land
and Rajasthan were dis- scam, as the new chief minis-
cussed. arm for the party's efforts to ter.
Insiders claim that a total boost its connect with the In her resignation letter
of 30 seats were approved. Scheduled Tribes, a communi- addressed to JMM supremo
Eight seats in Bengal and ty which has been the main Shibhu Soren, her father-in-
15 seats in Karnataka were vote base of the JMM. law, Ms Soren said after the
finalised. Discussions also Ms Soren had openly demise of her husband, the
took place regarding opposed any move to make party failed to provide ade-
Arunachal Pradesh and Kalpana Soren, wife of quate support to her and her
Sikkim Assembly elec- Hemant Soren, who is behind family.
tions. The CEC cleared 18 bars over a money-laundering
Sikkim Assembly. The next

EC removes WB
that at the last CWC meet- Congress also met on meeting of the CEC will be
ing before the Lok Sabha Friday evening. Sources held on March 21.
polls, which lasted for said that about 86 seats, The third list of the
about three-and-a-half including seats from Congress is expected on
hours, discussions were Arunachal Pradesh, Wednesday.

DGP in 24 hours, Supporters cheer ahead of a rally to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
in Salem, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday. — PTI

SC asks EC to recognise appoints junior NO SEAT; PARAS QUITS

Pawar’s party, symbol ■ Continued from Page 1

Mr Mukherjee, the director-

■ Continued from Page 1
by the respondents (Ajit
Pawar-led faction).
The state election commis-
sion of Maharashtra shall
comply with the directions
forthwith, the bench said.
“The respondents are direct-
ed to issue a public notice in
the newspapers in English,
Hindi and Marathi editions
notifying that the allocation
of ‘clock’ symbol is sub-
judice before this court and
the respondents have been
permitted to use the same
subject to final outcome of
these proceedings. Such a
declaration shall be incorpo-
rated in every pamphlet,
advertisement, audio or
video clip to be issued by the
respondent political party,”
the bench said.
The SC order came on a
plea by the Sharad Pawar
group seeking to restrain
the Ajit Pawar faction from
using the “clock” symbol for
the polls on the ground that
it is disrupting the level
playing field.
general of the state fire &
emergency services, was the
second on the list of the three
officers recommended by the
state government for the post
of DGP to the ECI after the
poll panel directed the
removal of Rajeev Kumar
from that position in the run-
up to the elections.
Explaining the
change of mind about the
sudden
appointment of the state’s top
cop, a senior EC official said
Mr Sahay’s was only an
“interim appointment”. He
did not justify, though, why an
appointment was notified by
the state government would
be toppled in less than 24
hours.
—PTI
UNION CABINET
■ Continued from elections.
Page 1 Speaking to this news-
paper, the party’s
his nephew for the spokesperson Shravan
Hajipur seat. They also Agarwal said the RLJP
hinted that the RLJP leaders will meet soon to
will also evaluate its decide its next course of
option of going solo in action but made it clear
the ensuing Lok Sabha that Mr Paras will con-
test elections.
Taking a dig at Mr
Paswan, Mr Agarwal
said that he worked
against the NDA in the
last Assembly elections
in Bihar, but even then
the BJP gave him five
Lok Sabha seats.
 NATION
DECCAN CHRONICLE | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024 | CHENNAI
pg 5

SHORT
JD-U gen secy quits,
TAKES
may return to RJD
Patna: JD(U) national gener-
al secretary Mohammed
Ali Ashraf Fatmi on Tuesday
resigned from the party, trig-
gering speculations that the
former Union minister might
be eyeing a return to the
RJD. In a hand-written letter
addressed to the JD(U)
national president and Bihar
chief minister Nitish Kumar,
Mr Fatmi said he was giving
up the party post as well as
the primary membership for
“protecting my moral val-
ues”. Talking to PTI over
phone, Mr Fatmi said, “I have
quit JD(U) and do not wish
to say much more in the
matter. As regards my future
course of action, it will be
Probe cash-for-query charge Sandhu, former
Indian envoy
against Moitra: Lokpal to CBI to US, joins BJP
DC CORRESPONDENT six months from the date
NEW DELHI, MARCH 19 of receipt of this order.
The Lokpal on Tuesday
The CBI shall also file
periodical reports regard-
ordered Central Bureau of ing the status of the inves-
Investigation to probe tigation, every month,”
TMC leader Mahua Moitra the Lokpal order reads.
under Section 20(3)(a) for The anti-corruption
“quid pro quo” regarding ombudsman’s directive
questions raised in came while deciding a
Parliament. complaint by BJP Lok
“We direct the CBI, Sabha member Nishikant
under Section 20(3)(a) to Dubey alleging that Ms
investigate all aspects of Moitra had asked ques-
the allegations made in tions in the Lower House
the complaint, and submit of Parliament in exchange
a copy of the investigation for cash and gifts from
report within a period of Dubai-based businessman
Mahua Moitra
Darshan Hiranandani.
“After careful evaluation
and consideration of the
entire material on record,
there remains no doubt
regarding the fact that the
allegations levelled
against the RPS (respon-
dent public servant), most
of which are supported by
cogent evidence, are
extremely serious in
nature, especially in view
of the position held by
her,” reads the order.
It has referred to Ms
Moitra as the RPS in the
order. “Therefore, in our
considered opinion, a
deeper probe is required
to establish the truth. This
is vital in view of the posi-
tion and status held by the
RPS at the relevant point
of time,” said the order of
the Lokpal bench compris-
ing Justice Abhilasha
Kumari (judicial member)
and members Archana
Ramasundaram and
Mahender Singh.
“The responsibility and
burden are heavier on the
shoulders of a public rep-
resentative. Corruption is
a malaise that is adversely
affecting the legislative,
administrative, social and
economic functioning of
this democratic country,”
the order said.
May contest LS from Amritsar
New Delhi, March 19:
Former Indian ambassa-
dor to the United States
Taranjit Singh Sandhu
joined the BJP on
Tuesday, amid a possibili-
ty that he may be fielded
in the Lok Sabha polls
from Amritsar in Punjab.
He joined the party in
the presence of its gener-
al secretaries Tarun Taranjit Singh Sandhu
Chugh and Vinod Tawde,
who highlighted Mr reach Amritsar too, he

Rahul has no understanding

known in a few days.” The
development comes a day Sandhu’s distinguished added.
after the NDA announced its family lineage. His father The former ambassador

of Hindu religion: CM Yadav

seat-sharing formula for
Bihar, where the BJP will be
contesting from 17 seats,
including Darbhanga — Mr
Fatmi won four times — and
Madhubani, which he may
have settled for had it gone
into the JD(U) kitty. — PTI
NIA arrests accused
in RSS leader killing
New Delhi: The National
Investigation Agency (NIA)
has arrested Shafeekh, a key
accused in the 2022 murder
case of RSS leader Srinivasan
in Kerala, according to an
official statement issued
on Tuesday. Mr Shafeekh,
who had been absconding
since the targeted killing of
Srinivasan in Palakkad on 16
April 2022, was traced by the
NIA’s absconder tracking
team in the state’s Kollam
district, it said. He was taken
into custody by the anti-ter-
ror agency for his involve-
ment in the case on Monday,
the NIA said in the state-
ment. Mr Shafeekh was a key
absconding member of the
banned Popular Front
of India (PFI), it said. A total
of 71 people have been iden-
tified as being part of the
conspiracy, and the NIA has
already filed two charge-
sheets in the case. — PTI
RABINDRA NATH “Mr Gandhi hardly
CHOUDHURY knows what he speaks. He
BHOPAL, MARCH 19 should introspect. He has
no understanding of
Madhya Pradesh chief either Hindu religion or
minister Mohan Yadav on
Tuesday hit out at
democracy”, he said.
Mr Yadav also ques-
Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi for his recent
tioned Mr Gandhi’s lead-
ership, saying that
remarks on Prime “Congress leaders should
Minister Narendra Modi, ponder if Mr Gandhi, in
saying, “He (Mr Gandhi) his current state of mind,
has no understanding of should be accepted as
either Hindu religion or their leader”.
democracy”. He also took a jibe at
Mr Yadav was reacting Rahul’s yatras, saying
to Mr Gandhi’s recent that the party witnessed
remarks that Mr Modi exodus of the senior lead-
cannot win an election ers wherever the yatras
without EVM. passed.
Baghel: Modi’s EV charging pts to be set up
400 paar claim
hollow, Opp. to along Char Dham routes
form next govt PRITHVIRAJ SINGH
DEHRADUN, MARCH 19
New Delhi/
Rajnand- Uttarakhand government
g a o n , will set up series of elec-
March 19: tric vehicle charging
Terming points en route Char
P r i m e Dham shrines this pil-
People during the “Lathmar Holi” celebrations at Nandgaon in Mathura district on
Tuesday.
Srinagar, Nandprayag,
Gauchar, Pipalkoti,
Karnprayag, Auli,
Guptkashi, Sonprayag,
Barkot, Badrinath and
other important locations
identified by the trans-
port department and
Bishan Singh Samundri
was a well-known educa-
tionist and founding vice-
chancellor of the Guru
Nanak Dev University.
Joining the BJP, Mr
Sandhu spoke about the
growth of the India-US
relationship and said
development had been its
focus area in a host of
fields such as the semi-
conductor industry. “The
ties between the two
countries have evolved
into a partnership that is
a win-win situation for
both of them,” he said.
Mr Sandhu lauded PM
Modi as a development-
focused leader and said
development is very
much needed today. This
— PTI development should
shr-ines. “All 28 charging
points will be functional
before the start of pil-
grimage season
2024,” Dehradun regional
transport officer Sunil
Sharma said. In-forma-
tions such as real time
said tha is for the BJP
leadership to decide on
his candidature for the
Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Sandhu thanked
Prime Minister Modi,
home minister Amit Shah
and BJP president J.P.
Nadda for his political
innings. He also met Mr
Nadda after his joining.
External affairs minis-
ter S. Jaishankar posted
on X to welcome Mr
Sandhu to the BJP, and
also shared a photograph
with him. “Welcome to
@BJP4Indi, Ambassador
@SandhuTaranjitS. Our
close association gives me
fullest confidence that you
will continue contributing
to the nation’s develop-
ment,” he said. — PTI

No point in voting for Minister

Narendra Bhupesh
grimage season starting
on May 10. Cost of charg-
Garhwal Mandal Vikas
Nigam (GMVN) - key tour
distance and other details
of the stations like wait-

Cong picks: Himanta Modi’s “400

Guwahati: Assam chief min-
ister Himanta Biswa Sarma
on Tuesday said there is no
point in voting for the
Congress candidates,
as they will ultimately go on
to join the BJP. Several
paar” claim
as “hollow”, senior
Baghel ing will be ‘15-20 per unit.
State transport depart-
ment has worked out an
operating agency of the
state government.
According to the trans-
ing time for charging, etc.
will be provided to the
tourists and pilgrims
Congress leader action plan to set up 28 port department officials, travelling on Char
Bhupesh Baghel on charging points along one charging station will Dham routes through an US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti along with Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval
Tuesday said the BJP’s entire Char Dham pil- be set up at every 30-35 app. Command, Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendherkar and officials from both the Navies join the hands at
Ram temple pitch grimage route. Besides kilometres distance on The app will be unveiled the Opening ceremony of the Bilateral Tri-Service HADR onboard INS Jalashwa inside the Naval
“would not make much Haridwar and Rishikesh, Char Dham routes to in coming days," Dockyard in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. — P. NARASIMHA MURTHY
of a difference” in the electric charging stations Gangotri, Yamunotri, Dehradun regional trans-
Lok Sabha polls and will be set up at Kaudiala, Badrinath and Kedarnath port officer.

‘BJP is an extortionist gang, CHINESE VESSELS MONITORED IN BAY: CNC

Congress leaders have
defected to the BJP recently.
“Whether they win or lose is
a different matter, but the
exuded confidence that
the INDIA bloc will get a
clear majority to form
the next government.
K.M.P. PATNAIK | DC

steals other parties’ leaders’

question is whether the can-
didate will remain in the
Congress,” Mr Sarma told
reporters, after campaigning
for the BJP in the two con-
stituencies of Barak Valley-
Silchar and Karimganj. He
said now nobody wants to
remain in the Congress; they,
on the other hand, are eager
to join the BJP. This is Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s
credit that they want to join
the BJP. “The PM is the Sun
and we are all moons around
him”, the CM said. — PTI
In an interview with
PTI, the former
Chhattisgarh chief min-
ister also claimed that
the Lok Sabha polls
would be between
Narendra Modi and
“whole of India”.
He expressed confi-
dence that the Indian
National Developmental
Inclusive Alliance
(INDIA) will get a major-
ity to form the govern-
ment at the Centre,
while the Congress
would be victorious in
BHAGWAN PARAB
MUMBAI, MARCH 19
Shiv Sena UBT chief
Uddhav Thackeray on
Tuesday slammed the
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) calling it “a party
of extortionists”. The
BJP has been inducting
all the corrupt people in
their party and wiping
out their crimes by mis-
cising him over his open-
ing “patriot” remarks
while addressing the
INDIA bloc rally in
Mumbai in the presence
of Rahul Gandhi and
other leaders of the
Opposition. Mr
Thackeray had addressed
the audience as his
“deshbhakt and deshpre-
mi brothers and sisters”
instead of the traditional
Mujahideen to the INDIA
bloc. Hence I said “all my
patriotic brothers, sisters
and mothers.” What did I
say wrong?” he asked.
Mr Thackeray also took
a dig at deputy chief min-
ister Devendra Fadnavis
over his statement of
“breaking two parties”.
“Some people feel
proud of breaking two
parties in the state. They
VISAKHAPATNAM, MARCH 19
Indian Navy is closely
monitoring the movement
of Chinese research ves-
sels in Bay of Bengal and
any violations by them,
said Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief,
Eastern Naval Command,
Vice Admiral Rajesh
Pendherkar, here on
Tuesday.
Notably, days before India
planned the missile tests,
Chinese research vessel
Visakhapatnam.
Pendherkar and US
Ambassador Eric Garcetti
were talking to the media
aboard INS Jalashwa at
the naval harbour after the
opening ceremony for the
Indo-US bilateral tri-serv-
ice humanitarian assis-
tance and disaster relief
entitled Tiger Triumph-24.
Answering questions, the
US ambassador said this
exercise would enable both
the US and Indian navies to
share their expertise and
foster long-term associa-
the robust strategic part-
nership between the two
countries and aimed at
sharing best practices and
standard operating proce-
dures in undertaking
multinational HADR oper-
ations.
The harbour phase of the
exercise began here on
Tuesday and would contin-
ue till March 24. This
would include pre-sail dis-
cussions, subject matter
expert exchange on profes-
sional subjects and deliber-
ations on planning and exe-

NO TRUST DEFICIT
more than half of the 11 using power, he said on invocation of “Hindu should be given a license Ziang Yang Hong-01 was tion. The ENC chief said cution procedures of vari-
Lok Sabha seats in Tuesday. brothers and sisters” at for house-breaking. seen 460 nautical miles off the exercise represented ous tasks.
Chhattisg arh.Asked “The BJP has officially the Shivaji Park gather- Their (BJP) poll sym-

WITH BJP OVER about if the INDIA bloc

was still strong enough
become a gang of extor-
tionists. They steal peo-
ing. “We are patriotic.
Leaders of the INDIA
bol should be changed
from the lotus to a

SEATS, SAYS HDK

Bengaluru, March 19: A day
after indicating unhappiness
over the seat sharing issue
with the BJP for the upcom-
ing Lok Sabha polls in
to take on the BJP,Mr
Baghel said, “Our natu-
ral alliance partners are
with us, in fact, our
alliance has expanded
with Uddhav Thackeray,
Prakash Ambedkar, etc.
ple from other parties bloc had come to the hammer,” Mr
and break opposition rally. I always begin with Thyackeray added.
parties,” Mr Thackeray “all my Hindu brothers, Fadnavis had said he
said. sisters and mothers” was mocked for his
The Sena chief also hit remarks, and I have not 2019 Assembly
out at chief minister left it out. Modi had given poll campaign punch-
Eknath Shinde for criti- the name Indian line.

EC appoints Mukherjee as Bengal’s

Karnataka, JD(S) leader H.D.
Kumaraswamy on Tuesday
said it did not mean that
there is a trust deficit
between the two parties. He
asserted that
there was no
confusion
in the ties
between BJP
and JD(S), as he
expressed hope
that the issue
over giving H.D.
Kolar seat to the Kumaraswamy
regional party
“will be clear”. Mr
Kumaraswamy on Monday
said he had faith that his
party would get three to
four seats, amid reports that
the saffron party may cede it
only two. He also said his
party leaders have asked
him to communicate to the
BJP leadership about the
need to treat the JD(S)
“respectfully” and make
them understand its strength
in at least 18 Lok Sabha seg-
ments. “Yesterday after
JD(S) core committee mem-
bers and leaders meeting, I
shared information regard-
ing discussions held in our
party regarding communica-
tion gap between both par-
ties regarding — BJP and
JD(S) working together with
trust in all the 28 Lok Sabha
segments,” Mr
Kumaraswamy said. — PTI
DGP, shunts out Sahay within a day
Kolkata, March 19:
The Election
Commission on Tuesday
removed Vivek Sahay as
West Bengal DGP, within
24 hours after naming
him for the post, and
directed the state gov-
ernment to appoint
Sanjoy Mukherjee — a
year junior to Mr Sahay
in the IPS cadre — in his
place.
The move, unprece-
dented in recent memo-
ry, rendered Mr Sahay
the shortest-serving
DGP of West Bengal.
Mr Sahay — an IPS offi-
cer of the 1988 batch —
was initially offered the
appointment since he
was the senior-most offi-
cer in the force. But
owing to his scheduled
superannuation on May
31, well ahead of the for-
mal conclusion of the
Lok Sabha elections on
June 4, the poll panel
considered naming Mr
Mukherjee — a 1989
batch officer — as the
DGP, a senior official
An electoral officer demonstrates the functioning of
an electronic voting machine and voter verifiable
paper audit trail during a training programme in
Guwahati on Tuesday.
said.
Mr Mukherjee, the
director general of the
state fire & emergency
services was the second
on the list of the three
officers recommended
by the Bengal govern-
ment for the post of DGP
to the ECI, after the poll
panel directed the
removal of Rajeev
Kumar from that posi-
tion in the run-up to the
notification was made by
the state home depart-
ment in which it
referred to the ECI order.
the corresponding
notification for Mr
Mukherjee a day later
was made directly by the
commission.
Explaining the sudden
change of mind about
the appointment of the
state’s top cop, a senior
EC official told PTI that
Mr Sahay’s was only an
“interim appointment”.
He did not justify,
— PTI though, why an appoint-
ment was notified by the
state government would
elections. be toppled in less than 24
On Monday, following hours. Another official
an instruction of the ECI of the poll panel, howev-
to post Rajeev Kumar to er, said that Mr Sahay
a “non-election related was named the DGP
assignment”, and, as an based solely on his sen-
interim arrangement, iority and experience.
post an officer immedi- “But since he is sup-
ately junior to him as posed to retire in May
DGP, the Bengal govern- even before the final
ment had named Mr round of polls on June 1,
Sahay as replacement. the ECI decided to make
Curiously, while Mr this change,” he
Sahay’s appointment said. — PTI
 EDIT
DECCAN CHRONICLE | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024 | CHENNAI
pg 6

Subhani

20 MARCH 2024

SBI can no longer avoid

full disclosure on bonds
T
he excuses that the State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest bank
in which the Union government holds 57 per cent stake, comes out
with on a daily basis to dodge its responsibility of complying with
the Supreme Court’s order to disclose all data, including the
alphanumeric codes and serial numbers, pertaining to the electoral bonds
it sold between April 12, 2019, and February 15, 2024, are unacceptable.
What’s more, the information furnished appears to confirm fears
expressed in the court order itself that the donations were made on the
basis of quid pro quo.
The Supreme Court had to issue a third directive to the bank on Tuesday
calling for full disclosure of the donor and recipient details, specifying that
only this would fulfil the requirements of compliance with its original
order that had held electoral bonds to be unconstitutional on the ground
that the scheme violated the citizens’ right to information. A frustrated
court had to remind the bank that its attitude of “you tell us to give the
details and then we will give them” is by no means acceptable. The bank
has undoubtedly the access to the best legal brains in the country but it
comes up with arguments that would prompt a right thinking person to
question the seriousness of its approach to the whole exercise. Is not SBI

ONOE logistics challenge; LETTERS

compromising its own impeccable professional standards?
It may be remembered that the SBI requested the court for four long
months to reconcile the data of the 22,217 electoral bonds it sold during the
period of reference. There is a set of two records for each bond, kept sepa-
rately, and it is labour-intensive to reconcile them, the bank had offered by
GOLD LOANS SCRUTINY
way of reason. In other words, the SBI had admitted in the court that it had
all the details that would enable it, or for that matter anyone with the same
data, to know who gave how much money to whom and at what time. It
must now stop playing hide and seek with the judiciary and disclose the
data, keeping in mind that the court had not taken the bait of reconcilia-
tion. Any further delay will not only invite the wrath of the court and the
people, while sullying its own image as a professional entity, but the com-
threat to India’s diversity The ‘civilisational expectation that the will of
It is heartening to learn
that the Union Finance
Ministry has directed all
PSU banks to review their
gold loan portfolio as
pliance with the court’s order is also its responsibility, and not a favour. the nation, expressed
While only an analysis of the full data can throw light on whether the
bond scheme was made operational with the stated intent that it was con-
Parsa moment’, a phrase
that has gained vulgar
through a billion people, is
one. This is the ominous
instances of non-compli-
ance with regulatory
ceived, the available information already points to some murky deals. Venkateshwar prominence in the aspect of the desire and norms have been noticed
boastful talk of the aspiration of “One Nation,
Rao Jr
Reports have already appeared about several corporate firms that found by the government. It
themselves on the wrong side of the law or were under investigation by One Election”. This is just
law enforcement agencies having been the biggest benefactors. There are
Hindutva chatterati, a short step away from a should be appreciated for
also reports about the questionable timing of the purchases. Since the gov- especially after the leader enjoying the trust its earnest effort to pru-
ernment insists on the transparent nature of the scheme, it would be in its inauguration of the of the endorsement and dently lend the public
interest, too, that doubtful deals are made public and investigated so that Ram Mandir, is an trust of the billion people.
funds and prevent the

I
those who violated its very purpose are brought to book. Without such an n the 75-minute press
exercise, the cleanup operation that the Supreme Court has started with conference held by
respect to the scheme will not be completed. chief election com-
missioner Rajiv
Kumar, flanked by
two newly-appointed elec-
tion commissioners
BJP looks South: DMK to fight Gyanesh Kumar and
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu,
and other officials on
T
he alliances in Tamil Nadu are all but tied up as the date for filing nom- March 16, Mr Kumar
inations to the Lok Sabha elections is upon us. The traditional answered a question
Dravidian duopoly state saw a few minor changes in alliances once about the lengthy span of
again after the ruling national party, the BJP, took unusual interest in Tamil seven phases, which is
Nadu, perceived to be the key to the south. alleged to be favouring the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ frequent visits have raised the profile of ruling party, the BJP. He
the party for whom its local chief K. Annamalai has considerable ground- said that it takes time to
work. The least expectation is that the BJP’s vote share will go up as opposed shift the troops, the Cen-
to it drawing a blank in seats in 2019 when the DMK, on a comeback trail, was tral armed police forces,
the dominant force after the death of AIADMK’s supremo, J. Jayalalithaa. from one place to another
There is every likelihood of the BJP finishing second in terms of vote share across the country where
in the state, regardless of whether that share would translate into winning voting is to take place, and
any of the 39 seats on offer. To that extent, the BJP may have stolen a march that is the reason for the
over Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s AIADMK, which has been largely friendless seven phases lasting from
in the pre-poll scene. April 19 to June 1.
Alliance arithmetic has always been thought of as important, if not crucial, Surprisingly, no one
in the Dravidian duopoly that stretches back to the 1970s with the birth of asked about the number of
AIADMK after DMK’s sensational victory in 1967. That may be a reason why CAPF personnel pressed
the BJP welcomed an ally in the caste party PMK representing the into election duty, and
Vanniyars. The likes of PMK, VCK, MDMK and DMDK, besides the Left, may what were the more sensi-
not be imposing players capable of sweeping elections, but their numbers tive places.
have always added to the winner’s tally either way. It is interesting that on
It is the ruling DMK and its imposing front that includes the Congress, now March 14, a committee
a constant DMK piggyback rider for the last 20 years, that may be severely headed by former Presi-
tested in repeating its 38-1 performance. Anti-incumbency, mismanagement dent Ram Nath Kovind
of four northern and four southern coastal districts during the massive had sent a “One Nation,
floods of 2023 and a perceived weakness in the state’s western belt, besides One Election” recommen-
unwarranted comments against Sanatan Dharma, may add up to the front dation to President
losing a few seats. It would be interesting to see if, in the process, the BJP is Droupadi Murmu. If the
the gainer in a state that has, along with Kerala, always been thought of as election to the existing 543
the last bulwarks against the ‘northern’ party. seats of the Lok Sabha and
four state Assemblies
involved elaborate securi-
ty preparations, apart
the present 543, as well as
Assembly elections in all
28 states and eight Union
Territories. If a Lok Sabha
election involving 968 mil-
lion voters is a gigantic
task, one involving voting
in all the states and UTs in
addition would be on a
much higher scale. The
Minotaur’s Maze would be
child’s play compared to
the logistical labyrinth
that a “One Nation, One
Election” would involve.
It will be argued that
from 1952 to 1967, the “one
election” concept for
Parliament and the state
Assemblies was done
without much ado, and
that India after 70 years of
elections can handle it,
whatever be the scale.
And it is a plausible argu-
ment. It can be done. One
of the reasons that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
is sold on the idea is
because he loves the huge
spectacle of a nation of a
billion-plus people exer-
cising their franchise in a
rhythmic pattern similar
to the contingent of sol-
diers marching with exact
rhythm in the Republic
Day parade in the national
capital. Many others have
suggested that the stag-
gered elections to different
state Assemblies is a big
distraction in the political
calendar of the country,
assertion of muscular
nationalism
the masters of the world.
The Chinese emperors of
old believed theirs was the
centre of the world though
the extent of the empire
stopped at the Great Wall.
Indian rulers with big
empires, the Mauryas, the
Mughals and the British,
did not allow the size of
the country and their con-
trol over it let their imagi-
nation of glory run riot.
The Indian empire-
builders were keenly
aware of the political,
social and geographical
diversity of the country.
The unity of the country
was not based on the idea
of a single sovereign
power but in the con-
sciousness of a common
cultural thread running
through the country. The
unity was a subtle, deli-
cate one, based on a
shared value system of
human solidarity. The
sense of unity was not
based on strength and
might.
The “civilisational mo-
ment”, a phrase that has
gained vulgar prominence
in the boastful talk of the
Hindutva chatterati, espe-
cially after the inaugura-
tion of the Ram Mandir in
The totalitarian underpin-
ning of “One Nation” can-
not be overlooked. The
cultural unity that held
India through the cen-
turies was rooted in diver-
sity, and diversity is not
the fashion kaleidoscope
of what many countries
boast of, even as ruthless
political unity and unifor-
mity is imposed. The
diversity of costumes and
arts was the basis of the
once mighty Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics
(USSR) under the rule of
the Communist Part of the
Soviet Union (CPSU), und-
erpinned by dictatorial po-
wer of the State. Diversity
is not simply about vari-
ety. It is also about contra-
dictions. Political diversi-
ty has to be based on a
clash of ideologies and
clash of ideas. The striv-
ing for national unity by
the BJP and the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh is
one of uniformity.
An election in a democ-
ratic system is not just a
mechanical process. It is
also a reflection of the cul-
ture of democracy where
fierce disagreements form
the order of the system.
The “One Nation, One
Election” needs to be
assessed beyond the sense
of order it lends to the elec-
toral system. There is a
possibility that it will
misuse. PSU banks are
sanctioning several crores
of public money as loans
to big corporates and
influential big shots bla-
tantly defying RBI norms,
due to which many of
them became NPAs.
M. Govindaraj
Gudiyatham
LEGAL HEIR CERTIFICATES
TN CM is waiting to induct Ponmudy
as a minister again continues since
Governor RN Ravi has sought opinion
of legal experts on whether inducting
him back into the cabinet would be cor-
rect when the conviction was not set
aside by the apex court. On the other
hand, there was a HC order towards
issuance of Class 2 legal heir certificate
to parties who are waiting at the
Thasildar office for more than a year
and the court ordered the state to frame
rules to clear the pendency. When a
matter of public importance has been
brushed aside, Ponmudy is on top of
the agenda than the public waiting for
more than a year to be cleared by
respecting the order of the HC bench.
Will CM look at it to take it along with
the issue of Pondmudy to clear the way
for people first by bringing in a change
in gazette as ordered by the HC for issu-
ing the certificate.
A.P. Thiruvadi
Chennai

KAUSHIK MITTER
DECCAN CHRONICLE

K. SUDHAKAR
from the election machin-
ery of more than 10 lakh
and there is a need to
reduce its occurrence. The
Ayodhya built on the site
of the razed Babri Masjid,
induce the people towards
fear and shun differences
DMK ALLIANCE
Editor Printer & Publisher polling booths, over five desire for simplifying the which is alleged to have in the name of national The DMK in Tamil Nadu deserves acco-
R. MOHAN lakh electronic voting electoral process is under- been built on the site of the unity. lades for its magnanimity in seat shar-
Resident Editor standable. Mr Modi, how- ruins of an earlier temple, Independent India is not
DECCAN CHRONICLE offices are located at: machines (EVMs) and ing for the coming elections. It has
Chennai: SP 3 Developed Plot, Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600032. Phones: (044) 22254750, tens of thousands of peo- ever, thinks beyond mere is an assertion of what has to be confined to the inde- offered 9+1 seats for Congress whose
222547451 ple in charge of the booths, convenience. His is the been come to be known as pendence of the nation- winning chances depend on the elec-
Coimbatore: No. 2/22 Sengalipalayam Road, N.G.G.O. Colony Post, Kurudampalayam Village, checking the voters’ iden- sensibility of totalitarian muscular nationalism. state. It is the indepen- toral work to be done by the DMK
Coimbatore-641022. Phone: (0422) 2231255, 2231256 aesthetics. Everything has There is no pretence of dence of the 140 billion
Hyderabad: 36, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad 500 003. Phone: (040) 27803930-4. Fax: (040) tity and getting their sig- cadre. In addition, the DMK is not stub-
27805256. natures before they can to be done on a mega scale civilisational value. It is a people, of 140 billion free born in sticking to the rising sun sym-
Visakhapatnam: Survey No. 1/3A Beach Road, Near Kailasagiri Ropeway, Sector-9 MVP Colony, press the button, and because it is one way of crude flexing of national- choices. The freedom bol for certain not-so-important parties
Visakhapatnam - 530 017. Phones: (0891) 2552333/2552334, Fax (0891) 2755285 seven phases spread over showcasing the prowess of ist muscle. movement was about free- to contest in it but has given a free hand
Vijayawada: No. C 3 & 4, Patamata, Industrial Estate, Auto Nagar, Vijayawada (A.P.). Phones: (0866) the nation. So, a single national elec- ing Indians, and not just
2555284/ 2555287, Fax (0866) 2555234 six weeks, then just con- on the symbol.
Rajahmundry: Vemagiri, Dhawleswaram Rd, Rajahmundry 533125. Phones: (0883) 2417208, 2417618 sider the magnitude of the Big is majestic in the tion day where a billion an abstract entity called Rajakumar Arulanandham
Anantapur: Thapovan Colony, Bangalore Bye-Pass Road, Anantapur 515004. Phones: (08554) 276903, preparations and the time political arena. It is an people would cast their India. Tirunelveli
Fax: 08554-276904 it would take to hold elec- ancient concept of power vote is seen as the might of
Nellore: Survey No. 527/2, Burranpur Village, Venkatachalam (M), Chemudugunta Panchayat, Nellore. and glory. The Roman the nation, an expression The writer is a Delhi-
Phone: (0861) 2348581/ 82, Telefax (0861) 2348580 tions to the Lok Sabha,
Karimnagar: H .No. 1-21-12/1, Cheralabhutkur Road, Mugudhumpur Village, Karim Nagar - 505186 whose number is expected rulers and soldiers of the will of the nation. based commentator and Mail your letters to
Phone : 9121181123 to go up to 800 seats from believed that they were There is the implied analyst chennaidesk@deccanmail.com

O
n March 11, 2024, under “Mission
Divyastra”, India successfully carried
out the test launch of its long-range
strategic missile, the indigenously-
developed Agni-5, which employs Multiple
Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle
Kamal Davar (MIRV) technology. Once it deploys these mis-
siles in its Strategic Forces Command (SFC),
India would have joined the elite and exclusive
group of nations like the United States, Russia,
Britain, France and China which possess the
MIRV capability. India thus is well on its way to
acquire strategic nuclear deterrence, a mission
become India’s President, finally got government
approval on June 26, 1983 and has strived since
then, at times with great difficulties, to make
India self-sufficient in the constantly developing
missile technology. The development was man-
aged under Dr Kalam’s leadership by the Defence
Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) and the Ordnance Factories Board and
in partnership to some extent with private indus-
try in India.
The DRDO formally announced in January
2008 the successful conclusion of the develop-
ment and production of five type of ballistic mis-
had a successful launch. In 2018, India’s DRDO
and SFC had conducted extensive joint user tri-
als of the canister-launched Agni-5 successfully
and the Indian armed forces inducted the missile
system in 2019. The effort to MIRV these missiles
began, and has now been successful, conferring a
much-needed MIRV capability to the armed
forces. It goes without saying that India will take
the necessary steps to upgrade the platform and
warhead technology, besides working on hyper-
sonic missiles, which I recall, was an obsession
with Dr Kalam.
Though the induction of Agni-5 missiles with
cially if its plutonium production capability can
make use of the unsafeguarded breeder reactors
that are currently under construction”.
However, an Indian nuclear scholar, Debalina
Ghoshal, has rubbished Dr Krisensen’s progno-
sis. She contends that “for India, the MIRV tech-
nology will strengthen the no-first use doctrine.
Having capabilities in missile systems that can
evade missile defence systems negates the con-
cern of a ‘use them or lose them’ dilemma”.
Those who try to wrongly bracket India with
China or Pakistan — both nuclear weapons
states — must realise that since India’s entry into

How MIRV makes which it has been pursuing since the past 40
years or so under its Integrated Missile
Development Programme (IGMDP). The Agni-5
reportedly has a range of over 5,000 km and with
siles for the nation, namely the surface-to-surface
short range Prithvi 1, 2 and 3, the anti-ship mis-
sile Dhanush, surface-to-surface medium range
missiles Agni 1, Agni P, Agni 2 and 3, surface-to-
MIRV capabilities has long been sought, yet
India’s recent test raised some eyebrows among
the scientific community within our strategic
partners, particularly the United States. Unlike
the nuclear weapons nations club, India has con-
sciously taken the decision of the “no first use”
doctrine, which adequately speaks of India’s
maturity and non-aggressive attitude. As an

a difference: Agni-5 further improvements will be able to match the

threat from the Chinese Dong Feng interconti-
nental ballistic missile, which boast of a range in
air missiles Akash and a host of others, including
the Trishul and Nag. Officially, the Agni-5 was
first tested in 2012 and is an intermediate-range
China and Pakistan, India has a clear-cut “no
first use” nuclear policy. Some of these scientists
say that MIRV technology, which increases the
emerging global power, India has consistently
displayed a sense of geopolitical balance and adh-
erence to UN-promulgated norms and

takes India into a excess of 8,000 km. That nuclear-armed Pakistan

is also endeavouring to MIRV its Ababeel type of
missiles is well known. Thus, India has to remain
ever watchful on such developments among its
new strategic level likely adversaries.
The MIRV capability allows weapon systems to
deliver multiple conventional and/or nuclear
warheads against different targets spread across
hundreds of kilometres simultaneously, if
required, thus making the defender’s task
extremely difficult to stave off multiple missiles
attacking it.
The IGMDP, conceived by then leading missile
technologist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who went on to
ballistic missile with an acknowledged range of
5,000 km-plus. Unlike the earlier class of missiles,
the Agni-5 is launched from a sealed canister on
a road-mobile launcher which reduces the time
required for launch. It is also pertinent to point
out that built with Russian collaboration, the
now globally renowned cruise missile Brahmos
has also been a welcome and much needed addi-
tion to the Indian armed forces’ arsenal. India too
has the underwater launched missiles and medi-
um range surface-to-air capability achieved
through indigenous production.
While work had begun in 2008 to develop the
Agni-5, it was only in April 2012 that the missile
survivability of its nuclear-tipped missiles, could
also be useful for first-strike capabilities.
The director of the Nuclear Information Proj-
ect, Federation of American Scientists, Hans
Kristensen, had earlier said that if India succeeds
in developing an operational MIRV capability for
its ballistic missiles, it will be able “to strike
more targets with fewer missiles”. He further
warned that Indian missiles with MIRVs would
become more important targets for an adversary
to destroy before they could be launched to
reduce the damage could inflict. He has further
said that the MIRV capability would “allow India
to add to its nuclear stockpile in the future, espe-
values.
India has no hegemonistic inclinations and
thus the induction of missiles of various capabil-
ities is only for its legitimate defence needs in a
volatile neighbourhood and region. Never-
theless, with our growing nuclear capabilities
and factoring in China and Pakistan’s intent
towards us, India too needs to think afresh about
its nuclear doctrine, including the continuation
or otherwise of the “no first use” policy.
The writer, a retired lieutenant-general, was the
first head of India’s Defence Intelligence Agency,
and is a strategic analyst
 NATION
DECCAN CHRONICLE | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024 | CHENNAI
RAMZAN TIMINGS
IFTAR: Today 6.33 pm
SEHRI: Tomorrow 4.59 am
IN BRIEF
Tihar to install 15
jammers at 6 spots
New Delhi: The Tihar prison,
Asia’s largest prison, is under
the process of installing 15
jammers at six new locations
to prevent the inmates from
using mobile phones from
inside the jail. A mobile
phone jammer is a device
that blocks the transmission
of signals between the
phones and base towers.
The officials said the project,
which costs about `11.5 crore,
will help in jamming the sig-
nals of all kinds of phones
having 2G, 3G and 4G net-
works in the jail. A senior
Tihar jail official said these 15
jammers will be the addition
to three currently installed
Towers of Harmonious Call
Blocking (THCB) systems, a
kind of technology that dis-
continue the call as soon it
begins. “15 new static towers
of jammers, which works in
noise technology, will com-
pletely prohibit the inmates
from using phones in the
prisons,” the officer said.
The work of installation of
these towers began two
months ago. and is expected
FIR filed in ‘deepfake
video’ of hosp chief
Gurgaon: The Gurgaon cyber
police has registered a case
in connection with a social
media clip publicising a drug
with a fake testimony of
Medanta Hospital chairman
Dr Naresh Trehan, officials
said on Tuesday. The FIR in
the matter is against
“unknown persons”, they
said. In the video, Mr Trehan
is shown participating in a
TV show and recommending
an anti-obesity medicine, the
officials said. In the com-
plaint, the hospital’s assistant
vice president for marketing,
Harish Aswani, said a fabri-
cated video has surfaced on
social media that contains
misleading information about
a medical treatment. The
officials said that the FIR was
registered at the Cyber
police station. — PTI
‘Toolkits given to
khadi workers’
New Delhi: In alignment with
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s aspiration of forging a
‘Developed and Atmanirbhar
Bharat,’ Khadi and village
industries commission (KVIC)
facilitated the provision of
provinding toolkits to the
artisans of the Delhi region
under its mission of strength-
ening artisans round the
nation with all the required
tools and equipment. KVIC
chairman Manoj Kumar,
under Gramodyog Vikas
Yojana and in the presence
of KVIC member (north
zone) Nagendra Raghuvanshi
distributed 100 bee boxes to
10 beneficiaries, required to
work efficiently in order to
earn their livelihood and live
with dignity.
MAN CHARRED TO
DEATH IN BUS
FIRE IN GURGAON
Gurgaon: A man was charred
to death in the IMT-Manesar
area when several vehicles
parked in a lot caught fire,
the police said on Tuesday.
According to the police, three
vehicles, including a double-
decker bus, caught fire late
Monday night. It took five fire
tenders to bring the blaze
under control. At around 11
pm, the police received infor-
mation that a bus parked
outside plot number 56 of
Sector 3 in IMT-Manesar had
caught fire. By the time
police reached the spot, the
fire had spread to two other
vehicles, completely gutting
all three of them. Owing to
the dark, the police deferred
the search of vehicles till
morning. In the morning,
when a police team searched
them, it found a charred
body inside one of the vehi-
cles. The police is yet to iden-
tify the person and ascertain
the cause of fire. They are
interrogating the locals
around for any clues in the
cause of the fire, as well as
exploring the CCTV footage
of the area. “We are investi-
gating the reason for the
fire. At present, the body
has not been identified. It
has been sent to the mortu-
ary,” ACP Manesar Surender
Singh said. — PTI
■ India has 3rd worst AQI out of 134 countries after B’desh, Pak
Delhi is world’s most polluted schemes to curb pollution
capital city again, says report
New Delhi, March 19:
Bihar’s Begusarai
emerged as the world’s
most polluted metropoli-
tan area while Delhi was
identified as the capital
city with the poorest air
quality, according to a new
report.
With an average annual
PM2.5 concentration of
54.4 micrograms per cubic
metre, India had the third
worst air quality out of
134 countries in 2023 after
Bangladesh (79.9 micro-
grams per cubic metre)
and Pakistan (73.7 micro-
grams per cubic metre),
according to the World Air
Quality Report 2023 by
Swiss organisation IQAir.
In 2022, India was ranked
the eighth most polluted
country with an average
PM2.5 concentration of
53.3 micrograms per cubic
metre.
Begusarai stood out as
the most polluted metro-
politan area globally with
an average PM2.5 concen-
tration of 118.9 micro-
grams per cubic metre.
The city did not even fig-
ure in the 2022 rankings.
Delhi’s PM2.5 levels
worsened from 89.1 micro-
grams per cubic metre in
2022 to 92.7 micrograms
per cubic metre in 2023.
The national capital was
ranked the most polluted
capital city in the world
four times on the trot
starting in 2018.
It is estimated that 1.36
billion people in India
experience PM2.5 concen-
trations exceeding the
World Health
Cong to highlight Atishi: ED’s case against Jain political a
failures of BJP’s conspiracy, ‘hawala operators still free’
Delhi MPs: Lovely
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 15
The Congress will reach
out to people and high-
light the failures of the
seven BJP MPs in Delhi
during their tenures, the
party’s Delhi unit chief
Arvinder Singh Lovely
said on Tuesday.
The move comes a day
after the BJP’s seven can-
didates in Delhi listed
their 100-day “priorities,”
including improving
health and education
facilities if elected.
“We will go to every Lok
Sabha constituency and
highlight the failures of
the respective BJP MP in
the past 10 years,” Mr
Lovely said at a press con-
ference.
The Congress is also
likely to release a “charge
sheet” against the BJP
MPs next week, he added.
Under Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s rural
development scheme, the
MPs were expected to
adopt 56 villages but only
12 were adopted, Mr
Lovely alleged.
“The Congress, during
its ‘Pratigya’ rally held at
every Assembly con-
stituency under the
‘Hissab Do, Jawab Do’
campaign, demanded that
the BJP MPs provide a
list of works executed by
them using their MPLAD
funds,” he said.
“Delhi’s toxic air has
reduced the lifespan of
every citizen and the pol-
luted Yamuna has become
an eyesore and a source of
despair. The BJP MPs are
sighted near the Yamuna
only briefly during
Chhath Puja,” he alleged.
The Congress leader
claimed that the BJP MPs
did not contribute to set-
ting up new schools, hospi-
NDA WILL RETURN AS PEOPLE WANT ME BACK, SAYS PM NO STAY; SC ISSUES NOTICE
■ Continued From Page
1
the alliance as the expe-
rience of the party’s
founder Dr S. Ramadoss
and the talent of its
leader Dr Anbumani
Ramadoss will give a new
push for the development
of Tamil Nadu, he said.
Referring to Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi’s
reference to ‘shakti’ at
the INDIA meet in
Mumbai on Sunday, Mr
Modi said the people of
Tamil Nadu worship
Mata Mariamman as ‘Om
Shakti’. Tamil Nadu has
Rai: Delhi govt working on
Men collect coins from the polluted Yamuna river at Kalindi Kunj in New Delhi on
Tuesday.
Organisation (WHO) rec-
ommended annual guide-
line level of 5 micrograms
per cubic metre, the
report said.
Also, 1.33 billion people,
i.e. 96 per cent of the
Indian population, experi-
ence PM2.5 levels more
than seven times the WHO
annual PM2.5 guideline.
This trend is reflected in
city-level data, with more
than 66 per cent of the
country’s cities reporting
annual averages greater
than 35 micrograms per
cubic metre.
IQAir said the data
utilised to create this
report was aggregated
from the global distribu-
tion of more than 30,000
Arvinder Singh Lovely
◗ THE CONGRESS
leader claimed that the
BJP MPs did not con-
tribute to setting up
new schools, hospitals,
or other infrastructure
in the national capital
during past 10 years
tals, or other infrastruc-
ture in the national capital
during the past 10 years.
The BJP is instead tak-
ing credit for projects
such as the expansion of
the Delhi Metro network
and construction of the
Signature Bridge that
were started by the
Congress government.
It only delayed these
projects, resulting in the
escalation of construc-
tion costs, Mr Lovely
alleged.
The AAP, which is con-
testing the Lok Sabha
polls in an alliance with
the Congress in Delhi, on
Monday also dared the
BJP to release a “white
paper” on what its MPs
had done in the last 10
years for the national cap-
ital.
Polling for Delhi’s seven
Lok Sabha seats will be
held on May 25 in the
sixth phase of the general
elections, with 1.47 crore
people eligible to exercise
their franchise, according
to the schedule
announced by the
Election Commission of
India (ECI).
‘shakti peethas’ such as
Kanchi Kamakshi,
Madurai Meenakshi,
Kanyakumariamman
and Samayapuram
Mariamman, he said,
adding, “We worship
Shakti in female form.
We cannot allow our-
selves to say that we will
bring down this much
power.” People of Tamil
Nadu will on April 19
ensure that those who
want to destroy the sym-
bol of shakti will be
severely punished, he
said.
Mr Modi referred to
Union government
regulatory air quality mon-
itoring stations and low-
cost air quality sensors
operated by research insti-
tutions, governmental bod-
ies, universities and educa-
tional facilities, non-profit
non-governmental organi-
sations, private companies,
and citizen scientists.
The 2022 World Air
Quality Report included
data from 7,323 locations
in 131 countries, regions,
and territories.
In 2023, those numbers
have grown to include
7,812 locations in 134 coun-
tries, regions, and territo-
ries.
Causing an estimated
one in every nine deaths
worldwide, air pollution is
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 15
The Aam Aadmi Party on
Tuesday alleged that the
money laundering case
against party leader
Satyendar Jain was a
“political conspiracy”
and claimed that the
Enforcement Directorate
was “relying on state-
ments from hawala opera-
tors” without recovering
any proceeds of the
crime.
In a statement, Delhi
Cabinet minister and AAP
leader Atishi said,
“Yesterday, the Supreme
Police rescues
abducted child
from UP, 1 held
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 15
The Delhi police has
arrested a 46-year-old
man from Bulandshahr
in Uttar Pradesh for
allegedly kidnapping a
seven-year-old child in
the northeast Delhi area,
an official said on
Tuesday, adding that the
kidnapper even forced
the child to call mother
in order to extort money
and tried to drown the
child in Ganga river.
The accused was iden-
tified as Viresh a.k.a
Veeru a.k.a Bhagat.
“On the basis of infor-
mation gathered from
technical surveillance
and locally deployed
sources, the police team
managed to identify the
suspected person.
Through technical
inputs, the location of
the suspect was traced
to the Kalkatti Mandir,
Sambhal on the Ganga
river bank area,” said
DCP Joy Tirkey.
schemes for women such
as such as Ujjwala,
Ayushman and Jal
Jeevan. “Girl power is my
shield,” Mr Modi said.
“This is also BJP's shield.
Women will get more
facilities in the next 5
years.”
Mr Modi said INDIA
alliance treats women as
vile and said the DMK
insulted AIADMK leader
J. Jayalalithaa. “They
opposed the Women's
Reservation Bill,” he
said. “There are more
crimes against women in
Tamil Nadu than any
other part of the country.
— PTI
the greatest environmen-
tal threat to human
health.
According to the WHO,
air pollution is responsi-
ble for an estimated 7 mil-
lion premature deaths
worldwide every year.
Exposure to PM2.5 air
pollution leads to and
exacerbates numerous
health conditions, includ-
ing but not limited to asth-
ma, cancer, stroke, and
lung disease.
Exposure to elevated lev-
els of fine particles can
impair cognitive develop-
ment in children, lead to
mental health issues, and
complicate existing ill-
nesses, including diabetes.
— PTI
Court decided to decline
bail to Jain. We respect
the Supreme Court and
due procedure of law but
respectfully disagree with
the apex court’s decision.
The case in which he has
been incarcerated is com-
pletely false.”
The ED arrested Mr Jain
on May 30, 2022, on the
charge of laundering
money through four com-
panies allegedly linked to
him.
Delhi minister, however,
claimed that Mr Jain was
neither the director nor
the owner during the time-
frame for which this case
KMC slams police action
against protesting farmers
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 15
The Kisan Mazdoor
Commission on Tuesday
slammed the police
action against farmers
protesting at the
Shambhu border point
and demanded a com-
plete loan waiver for
farmers and land rights
for women agricultur-
ists.
The Kisan Mazdoor
Commission (KMC) is a
Delhi-based organisation
that works with more
than 23 farmers and
labour committees for
their rights and welfare.
Presenting the agenda,
All India Kisan Sabha
(AIKS) chief Ashok
Dhawle said, “The KMC
agenda has been divided
into three parts—the
first part focuses on the
right to land and water
while the second part
demands the right to
food, employment, edu-
The DMK and the
Congress are like two
sides of a coin. One side
of it is corruption and the
other is family rule.
Their regime is equipped
with 5G technology: they
want the 5th generation
of their family return to
power.”
The Prime Minister
said one of the two mili-
tary logistics industrial
corridors being set up in
the country is coming up
in Tamil Nadu. The state
will host one of the seven
textile industrial parks in
the country, Mr Modi
said.
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 15
The Delhi government is
working on various
schemes to curb pollution
and the results will be vis-
ible soon, environment
minister Gopal Rai said
on Tuesday, following the
publication of a report
that identified the city as Gopal Rai
the capital with the poor-
est air quality. Air Quality Report - 2023
With an average annual by Swiss organisation
PM2.5 concentration of IQAir.
54.4 micrograms per In 2022, India was
cubic metre, India had ranked as the eighth-most
the third worst air quali- polluted country with an
ty out of 134 countries in average PM2.5 concentra-
2023 after Bangladesh tion of 53.3 micrograms
(79.9 micrograms per per cubic metre.
cubic metre) and “I have not seen the
Pakistan (73.7 micro- details of the report and I
grams per cubic metre), do not know what time
according to the World period it has covered.
Kejriwal moves HC against Police against
ED summons in excise case Sharjeel’s bail
in UAPA case
DC CORRESPONDENT against the
NEW DELHI, MARCH 15 latest sum-
mons, the
Chief minister Arvind ninth issued
Kejriwal on Tuesday by the ED
moved the Delhi high Arvind asking him
court challenging the to appearing
Kejriwal
summonses issued to him before it for
by the Enforcement questioning under the
Directorate in an excise provisions of the
policy-linked money laun- Prevention of Money
dering case. Laundering Act (PMLA).
The petition of the AAP Earlier on March 16, a
national convenor, who magisterial court granted
has been asked to appear bail to CM Kejriwal in
before the agency on complaints filed by the ED
March 21, is listed for over non-compliance with
hearing on Wednesday the agency’s summons to
before a bench of Justices him in a money launder-
Suresh Kumar Kait and ing case related to the
Manoj Jain. now-scrapped excise poli-
He has moved the court cy case.
legally liable. He has
been arrested for a deci-
sion by a company in
which neither was he the
director, authorised sig-
natory, nor shareholder.
He was not at all respon-
sible for any decision
made by the company,”
she claimed.
Satyendar Jain “Ironically, the ED
makes statements through
was made out against him
while his wife had an
insignificant sharehold-
known hawala operators,
but without recovering a
ing.
“So, as per the law, if
single rupee of proceeds
of crime from Jain. While
the company had taken ED has arrested him, the
known hawala operators
any decisions during this
are still roaming freely,”
time, Jain and any of his
she alleged.
family members can’t be
Barricades being removed from the Ghazipur border
in New Delhi on Tuesday. — PTI
cation, health, and social need to grant them land
protection. The third rights and secure their
part focuses on the right tenancy rights over
to public and bank leased land.
finance, production Speaking about the
inputs, knowledge and police action against
market (access).” farmers near the
Emphasising the national capital’s bor-
importance of a com- ders, senior journalist P.
plete loan waiver for Sainath said, “There
farmers and ensuring a were reports of tear gas
minimum wage for farm being dropped from
workers, he also demand- drones on the farmers,
ed recognition for who were peacefully
women involved in farm- protesting and it was
ing as “farmers” and the not needed.”
TO CENTRE ON CAA RULES
■ Continued From Page 1 there is no prejudice to the
petitioners because none of
non-Muslim migrants from the petitioners as such are
Pakistan, Bangladesh and affected parties, not that I
Afghanistan who came to am challenging the locus, it
India before December 31, (CAA) does not take away
2014. citizenship of anyone. The
Solicitor-general Tushar law which they are seeking
Mehta, representing the a stay of, does not take
Union government, said away the citizenship of any
there are over 230 petitions person,” Mr Mehta said,
in the matter, and after the while seeking four weeks to
rules came into force, 20 respond to the applications.
applications seeking stay Senior advocate Indira
have been filed. Jaising, representing the
“Just to satisfy your lord- petitioners, said the gov-
ships’ conscience that ernment.
pg 7
Since 2014, PM10 and
PM2.5 levels have been
analysed and they have
shown a constant decline.
In 2022, the average PM10
was 223 and it declined to
219 in 2023. The PM2.5
level increased from 103 in
2022 to 106 in 2023,” Mr Rai
said.
“We are working on var-
ious schemes and the
results will be seen,” he
added.
Delhi’s PM2.5 level
worsened from 89.1
micrograms per cubic
metre in 2022 to 92.7
micrograms per cubic
metre in 2023, according
to the report. The nation-
al capital has been
ranked the most polluted
capital city in the world
four times on the trot,
starting 2018.
New Delhi, March 19:
The city police on
Tuesday
opposed in
the Delhi
high court
student
activist
Sharjeel Sharjeel
Imam’s plea Imam
seeking bail
in a UAPA case linked to
the alleged larger con-
spiracy behind the 2020
communal riots here.
The police relied on the
speeches made by Mr
Imam to contend that he
mobilised persons from
the minority community
and “propagated” ‘chak-
ka jam’ as a mode of dis-
ruption with “no win-
dow
protest”.
Mr
for
Imam,
peaceful
United
Against Hate founder
Khalid Saifi and several
others, including Umar
Khalid, have been booked
under the anti-terror law
Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act (UAPA)
and provisions of the
Indian Penal Code for
allegedly being the “mas-
terminds” of the
February 2020 riots in
Delhi which left 53 people
dead.
Special public prosecu-
tor Amit Prasad contend-
ed that the protests were
part of a conspiracy of
the accused persons to
cause violence at the
time of the visit of then
US president Donald
Trump. — PTI
LS elections:
Delhi cops to
watch social
media, SMSs
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, MARCH 15
Appointment of a nodal offi-
cer, issuance of a complaint
number and email address
are among the steps taken by
the Delhi police to prevent
the spread of “objectionable
messages” through SMSs or
social media platforms dur-
ing the Lok Sabha polls.
Joint commissioner of
police B.S. Jaiswal has been
appointed as nodal officer
(social media monitoring
and cybercrime) to deal
with “matters concerning
objectionable messages
transmitted through SMSs
or various social media plat-
forms during the Lok Sabha
elections 2024”, said the
Delhi police.
The police has also issued a
number ‘8130099025’ and an e-
mail address ‘nodalsmmc.
Election24@delhipolice.Gov.I
n’ where people can report
objectionable content.
“It is important to note that
such messages have potential
to disrupt the electoral
process by contravening the
election laws, the model code
of conduct, and directives
issued by the (Election)
Commission,” the notice
read.
It also urged individuals
encountering such objec-
tionable messages to
promptly report the matter
to nodal officer Jaiswal.
“They can forward the objec-
tionable message(s) to the
Nodal Officer at 8130099025
or via email
‘nodalsmmc.Election24@del-
hipolice.Gov.In’ providing
relevant details such as
phone number, URL, etc.,
from which the
messages/content.
 WORLD
DECCAN CHRONICLE | CHENNAI | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024
SHORT
13 RUSSIAN
TAKES
MINERS TRAPPED
IN GOLD MINE
Moscow, March 19: At least 13
miners have been trapped in a
collapsed gold mine in far east-
ern Russia, regional officials
said on Tuesday.
Part of the mine collapsed in
Zeysk district, authorities said.
The emergencies ministry
reported that 13 miners were
trapped, but the regional prose-
cutor’s office said that up to 15
could remain underground. A
rescue operation has been
launched. Emergency respon-
ders were trying to reach the
miners, who were trapped at a
depth of 125 metres, via a ven-
tilation shaft.
TWO INDIANS
NABBED IN NEPAL
FOR THEFT BID
Kathmandu, March 19: Two
Indian nationals along with
weapons have been arrested by
authorities here while they all-
egedly made a robbery attempt
in Southern Nepal.
The wanted criminals were
arrested from the Sarlahi dis-
trict in Southern Nepal. The
suspects, identified as Jitendra
Raut and his accomplice Shani
Singh, both from Motihari in
Bihar, were intercepted by the
police while they allegedly
made a robbery attempt on
Monday, according to district
police office Sarlahi. The police
had to open fire to arrest them
as they attempted to flee.
PREPARE FOR
PREZ POLL, RANIL
TELLS CABINET
Colombo, March 19: Sri La-
nkan President Ranil Wickrem-
esinghe has instructed his Cab-
inet to prepare for the presi-
dential election to be held later
this year, as the cash-starved
nation strives to recover from
its worst economic crisis.
The next presidential election
must be called by the elections
commission by September and
must be held by mid-November.
The Parliament election is
not due before August of 2025
but President Wickremesinghe
has the power to hold it any-
time now by dissolving the 225-
member Assembly elected in
August 2020.
SIX KILLED AS
TRUCK RAMS INTO
CHECKPOINT
Madrid, March 19: A freight
truck ploughed into a police
checkpoint in southern Spain
early on Tuesday, killing six
people. The dead included two
officers, the regional govern-
ment said.
Three other people were
injured in the accident, which
happened at around 4:30 am
(0330 GMT) on a highway near
the town of Los Palacios in the
province of Seville, the govern-
ment of Andalusia said in a
statement.
All three injured belong to the
Civil Guards police force, the
force said in a message on X,
formerly Twitter.
SK SUSPENDS 2
DOCS’ LICENCES
OVER WALKOUTS
Seoul, March 19: South Korea
has suspended the medical
licences of two doctors, the
Korean Medical Association
said on Tuesday.
It is the first punitive action
against the doctors over a
month-long strike that has
caused healthcare chaos.
Thousands of junior doctors
stopped working from Feb. 20 to
protest government reforms
aimed at creating more medics
to end shortages and deal with
a rapidly ageing population,
forcing hospitals to cancel cru-
cial treatments and surgeries
including chemotherapy and C-
sections.
KIM OVERSEES
‘SUPER-LARGE’
ROCKET LAUNCHER
Seoul, March 19: North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un
oversaw firing drills involving
“newly-equipped super-large”
multiple rocket launchers,
state media said on Tuesday, a
day after Seoul said Pyongyang
had fired several short-range
ballistic missiles.
The United States and South
Korea wrapped up one of their
major annual joint military
exercises last week, prompting
angry retorts and live-fire
drills from nuclear-armed
Pyongyang, which condemns
all such exercises as rehearsals
for invasion.
20 killed in Gaza; Bibi spurns Initial enrolling
Biden plea to call off assault to end March 22
Hamas’ No. 3 ‘dead’; Hezbollah arms depot hit; US pushes for new truce
Cairo, Rafah, Gaza Str-
ip, Jerusalem, Amman,
March 19: Twenty Palest-
inians were killed in the
early hours of Tuesday in
Israeli air strikes on Rafah
and Gaza Strip, Gaza
health officials said even
as Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
spurned a plea from Joe
Biden to call off a planned
ground assault of Rafah,
the last refuge in Gaza for
more than a million dis-
placed people, where Isra-
el believes Hamas fighters
are holed up.
Israel launched missiles
at several military targets
outside the Syrian capital
Damascus on Tuesday, Sy-
ria’s defence ministry
said, in what regional in-
telligence and Syrian sou-
rces said were stepped up
strikes on fortifications of
Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Marwan Issa, the elusive
Hamas number three com-
mander has been ‘killed’
by Israel.
Qatari officials were cau-
tiously optimistic after ta-
lks with Israel’s intelli-
gence chief in Doha aimed
at trying to reach a cease-
fire, Qatari foreign minis-
try spokesperson Majed al-
Ansari said on Tuesday as
Washington has launched
a new diplomatic push for
a ceasefire in the nearly
six-month-old war to free
hostages and bring in food
aid to stave off famine.
Meanwhile, US secretary
of state Antony Blinken
announced a trip to the
Middle East, where he
would hold meetings with
senior leaders of Egypt
and Saudi Arabia to “dis-
cuss the right architecture
Antony Blinken
U.S. TO DEFEND
PHILIPPINES,
SAYS BLINKEN
Manila, March 19: US
secretary of state Anto-
ny Blinken underscored
Washington’s “ironclad
commitment” on Tuesd-
ay to help defend the
Philippines in case of an
armed attack against its
forces after clashes bet-
ween Chinese and Filipi-
no Coast Guards in the
disputed South China
Sea recently turned
more hostile.
Blinken, the latest
high-level official to vis-
it the United States trea-
ty ally, met his Philipp-
ine counterpart Enrique
Manalo on Tuesday
before planned meetings
with President Ferdina-
nd Marcos Jr and other
top officials in Manila.
“We stand with the Ph-
ilippines and stand by
our ironclad defence co-
mmitments, including
under the Mutual Defen-
ce Treaty,” Blinken said
in a news conference
with Manalo. — AP
U.S., JAPAN,
PHILIPPINES TO
COUNTER CHINA
Washington, March
19: US President Joe Bi-
den will hold the first
three-way summit with
the leaders of the Phili-
ppines and Japan next
month, the White House
said, as the United
States boosts alliances
against China.
Biden’s meeting with
Philippines President
Ferdinand Marcos and
Japanese PM Fumio Ki-
shida at the White Hou-
se on April 11 is the lat-
est in a series of meeting
with Asia-Pacific allies.
It also comes against a
backdrop of clashes
between Philippines and
Chinese vessels in the
South China Sea, where
the countries have con-
tested maritime claims.
“The leaders will adva-
nce a trilateral partner-
ship built on deep histor-
ical ties of friendship”
including a “shared vis-
ion for a free and open
Indo-Pacific.” — AFP
period of H-1B
People inspect destroyed vehicles following overnight Israeli bombardment of Gaza
Strip’s Rafah refugee camp, on Tuesday.
for a lasting peace”.
In the southern Gaza city
of Rafah near the Egypt-
ian border, where over 1
million Palestinians have
sought shelter, 14 people
were killed and dozens
others wounded in strikes
that hit several houses and
apartments, Gaza medical
officials said.
Six more people died in
another air strike on a ho-
use in Al-Nuseirat refugee
camp in Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu said on Tues-
day he had made it “supr-
emely clear” to Biden
“that we are determined to
complete the elimination
of these battalions in Raf-
ah, and there’s no way to
do that except by going in
on the ground”. — Reuters
Arms funding stalled but Austin
says US will not let Ukraine fail
Ramstein Air Base, Bru-
ssels, March 19: US de-
fence secretary Lloyd Aus-
tin vowed on Tuesday that
the US will continue to su-
pport Ukraine’s war effort
against Russia, even as
the US Congress remains
stalled over funding to
send additional weapons
to the front.
European Union foreign
policy chief Josep Borrell
said on Tuesday he will
propose that the EU uses
90 per cent of the revenues
from Russian assets froz-
en in Europe to buy arms
for Ukraine via the Euro-
pean Peace Facility fund.
He told reporters in Bru-
ssels he would propose
that the remaining 10 per
cent be transferred to the
EU budget to be used to
boost the capacity of Kyi-
v’s defence industry.
“The US will not let
Ukraine fail,” said Austin,
addressing more than 50
defence leaders from aro-
und the world at the
Ramstein Air Base in
Germany. — Agencies
Row as Nawaz chairs Punjab govt meets
Lahore, March 19: Naw-
az Sharif, the supreme le-
ader of the PML-N, assu-
med a “de-facto” role of
Punjab chief minister, a
post officially held by his
daughter Maryam Nawaz,
and presided over three
administrative meetings
of the provincial govern-
ment, raising eyebrows.
Maryam Nawaz took
over as the first woman ch-
ief minister of Punjab
Trump making Jan. 6 attack cornerstone of WH bid
Washington: Republican
Donald Trump has
launched his general elec-
tion campaign not merely
rewriting the history of
the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol
attack, but positioning the
violent siege and its failed
attempt to overturn the
2020 election as a corner-
stone of his bid to return
to the White House.
At a weekend rally in
Ohio, his first as the pre-
sumed Republican Party
presidential nominee,
Trump stood onstage, his
hand raised in salute to
the brim of his red MAGA
hat, as a recorded chorus
of prisoners in jail for
their roles in the Jan. 6
Houthis target vessel in
the Red Sea, says Yemen
Sanaa, March 19: Yeme-
n’s Houthis said they have
targeted a tanker, MADO,
in the Red Sea with naval
missiles and Israel's Eilat
region with winged mis-
siles, the group’s military
spokesman Yahya Sarea
said on Tuesday.
MADO is a Marshall-Isl-
ands flagged LPG tanker
heading to Singapore from
Saudi Arabia, maritime
shipping trackers showed.
The Houthis described it
as American.
Iran-aligned Houthis
A Russian tank fires its cannon at Ukrainian troops from
a position near the border with Ukraine in the Belgorod
region of Russia, on Tuesday.
AFTER WIN, PUTIN’S FIRST STOP IS CHINA
● Estonia said on Tuesd-
ay that it had expelled a
diplomat from the Ru-
ssian embassy in
Tallinn, accusing the
diplomatic mission of
interfering in its
internal affairs.
● Russia’s Navy has appointed Admiral Alexander
Moiseev as acting head of the Navy. Meanwhile, Mos-
cow said that it has made more gains after its forces
had taken control of Orlivka, a village in east Ukraine.
province last month.
However, her father
Sharif, 74, assumed a “de-
facto CM role” and issued
directions to the authori-
ties concerned and minis-
ters regarding different
projects in the province,
which used to be the bas-
tion of his Pakistan Mus-
lim League-Nawaz (PML-
N) party.
An official handout issu-
ed after the meeting said
attack sang the national
anthem.
An announcer asked the
crowd to please rise “for
the horribly and unfairly
— AFP
have repeatedly launched
drones and missiles at
global commercial ship-
ping in the Red Sea region
since mid-Nov., saying
they are acting in solidari-
ty with Palestinians.
The attacks have disru-
pted international ship-
ping, forcing firms to take
longer and more expen-
sive journeys around
southern Africa.
The US and Britain have
carried out strikes against
Houthi
response.
targets in
— Reuters
— AP
● Russian President Vla-
dimir Putin will travel to
China in May for talks
with Xi Jinping, in
what could be the Kr-
emlin chief’s first ov-
erseas trip of his new
presidential term.
the three-time ex-PM issu-
ed directions to ministers
and officials regarding dif-
ferent infrastructure proj-
ects, including the under-
ground train and Metro
bus, farmers’ plight, elec-
tric bikes for students and
Ramzan relief package.
However, the veteran
leader chairing the meet-
ings raised many ques-
tions since he holds no
official position. — PTI
treated Jan. 6th hostages.”
And people did, and sang
along.
“They were unbelievable
patriots,” Trump said as
JEWS WHO VOTE
FOR DEMS ‘HATE
ISRAEL’: TRUMP
New York, March 19:
Former president Donald
Trump on Monday charg-
ed that Jews who vote for
Democrats “hate Israel”
and hate “their religion,”
igniting a firestorm of cri-
ticism from the White
House and Jewish leaders.
Asked about Democrats’
growing criticism
Israeli PM Benjamin
of
Netanyahu over his han-
dling of the war in Gaza,
he said “I actually think
they hate Israel. And the
Democrat party hates
Israel.” — AP
ISRAEL USING
STARVATION AS
WEAPON: UN
Geneva, March 19: The
United Nations warned on
Tuesday that Israel’s sev-
ere restrictions on aid into
war-ravaged Gaza coupled
with its ongoing attacks
could be seen as using sta-
rvation as a “weapon of
war”. UN human rights
chief Volker Turk decried
the rampant hunger and
looming famine in Gaza.
“The situation of hung-
er, starvation and famine
is a result of Israel’s exte-
nsive restrictions on the
entry and distribution of
humanitarian aid and co-
mmercial goods.” — AFP
FRANCE READY
FOR ‘TOUGHEST’
ENGAGEMENTS
Paris, March 19: French
land forces are ready to
respond to any threat as
they prepare for even “the
toughest engagements”,
their commander said.
Ground Army chief of
staff General Pierre Schi-
ll’s statement comes after
President Emmanuel Mac-
ron said he would not rule
out dispatching ground
troops to help Ukraine
fight Russia. The French
Army “is ready”, Schill
wrote in an op-ed piece in
French daily Le Monde.
“However the internati-
onal situation may evolve,
French people can be cer-
tain that their soldiers
stand ready to respond,”
he said. Schill said a dis-
play of French military
capabilities would help to
“deter any attack on
France”. — AFP
IMRAN ACQUITTED IN 2 VANDALISM CASES PARL, CHARGED
Islamabad, March 19: In
some relief to Imran
Khan, a court in Pakistan
on Tuesday acquitted the
jailed ex-PM in two differ-
ent cases related to the in-
cidents of vandalism dur-
ing his anti-government
long march in March 2022.
District and Sessions
Court Judicial Magistrate
the recording ended.
Having previously vowed
to pardon the rioters, he
promised to help them
“the first day we get into
office.”
Initially relegated to a
fringe theory on the edges
of the Republican Party,
the revisionist history of
Jan. 6, which Trump
amplified during the early
days of the GOP primary
campaign to rouse his
most devoted voters,
remains a rally centre-
piece even as he must
appeal more broadly to a
general election audience.
In heaping praise on the
rioters, Trump is shifting
blame for his own role in
Washington, March 19:
The initial registration
period for the H-1B visas,
the most sought-after by
Indian IT professionals,
for fiscal 2025 closes on
March 22, a federal age-
ncy has said.
The H-1B visa is a non-
immigrant visa that allo-
ws US companies to em-
ploy foreign workers in
speciality occupations
that require theoretical
or technical expertise.
Technology companies
depend on it to hire tens
of thousands of employ-
ees each year from count-
ries like India and China.
“The initial registration
period for the most sou-
ght-after H-1B visas for
foreign guest workers for
fiscal 2025 closes at 12
noon Eastern Time (9:30
pm IST) on March 22,” the
US Citizenship and Im-
migration Services
(USCIS) said on Monday.
During this period, pro-
spective petitioners and
legal representatives
must use an online acco-
unt of United States
Citizenship and Immigra-
tion Services to register
each beneficiary electron-
ically for the selection
process and pay the asso-
ciated registration fee for
each beneficiary.
HK new law gives
govt more power
to quash dissent
Hong Kong, March 19:
Hong Kong lawmakers
unanimously passed a
new national security law
on Tuesday that grants
the government more po-
wer to quash dissent,
widely seen as the latest
step in a sweeping politi-
cal crackdown that was
triggered by pro-democra-
cy protests in 2019.
The legislature passed
the Safeguarding Nation-
al Security Bill during a
special session that lasted
Tuesday. It comes on top
of a similar law imposed
by Beijing four years ago,
which has already largely
silenced opposition voic-
es in the financial hub.
Hong Kong’s Legislative
Council, packed with Bei-
jing loyalists following an
electoral overhaul, exped-
ited the process. Since it
was unveiled on March 8,
a panel held daily meetin-
gs for a week, following
an appeal by HK leader
John Lee to push the law
through at full speed.
The law threatens strin-
gent penalties for a wide
range of actions authori-
ties call threats to nation-
al security, with the most
severe punishable by life
imprisonment. Lesser
offences, including the
possession of seditious
publications, could also
S’PORE OPPN
LEADER ‘LIES’ TO
Shaista Kundi accepted
his petitions and acquitted
him in cases registered at
Islamabad’s Lohi Bhair
and Sahala police stations.
“Several cases were regi-
stered in a single day,
PTI’s founder was [fram-
ed] in the same role,”
advocate Naeem Panjotha,
argued. — PTI
the run-up to the bloody
mob siege and asking vot-
ers to absolve hundreds of
them — and himself —
over the deadliest attack
on a seat of American
power in 200 years.
At the same time,
Trump’s allies are
installing 2020 election-
deniers to the Republican
National Committee, fur-
ther institutionalising the
lies that spurred the vio-
lence. That raises red flags
about next year, when
Congress will again be
called upon to certify the
vote.
And they’re not alone.
Republicans in Congress
are embarking on a re-
pg 8
● DURING THIS period,
prospective petitioners
and legal representatives
must use an online
account of US Citizenship
and Immigration Services
to register each benefici-
ary electronically for the
selection process and pay
the associated registra-
tion fee for each benefici-
ary. Online account users
will also be able to collab-
orate on registrations and
petitions.
Online account users
will also be able to collab-
orate on registrations and
petitions with enhanced
organisational account
features in their online
accounts, it said.
Form I-129, a petition for
a nonimmigrant worker,
for H-1B petitions and
Form I-907, a request for
premium processing serv-
ice, are now accessible in
USCIS online accounts, a
media release said.
USCIS will begin accept-
ing online filing of the
forms for H-1B cap peti-
tions on April 1. “We will
announce when online fil-
ing of non-cap H-1B peti-
tions is available,” USCIS
said. — PTI
John Lee
UN RIGHTS CHIEF
SLAMS NEW LAW
Geneva, March 19: The
UN rights chief denounc-
ed the “rushed” adoption
of a new national securi-
ty law in Hong Kong, call-
ing it “a regressive step
for the protection of hum-
an rights. It is alarming
that such legislation was
rushed through,” UN
High Commissioner for
Human Rights Volker
Turk said. — AFP
lead to several years in
jail. Some provisions
allow criminal prosecu-
tions for acts committed
anywhere in the world.
After the voting, Lee
announced at the coun-
cil’s chamber that the law
will take effect on
Saturday. — AP
Singapore, March 19:
Singapore’s Indian-ori-
gin Leader of Oppositi-
on, Pritam Singh, was
charged with lying und-
er oath to a parliamenta-
ry panel. Singh, secreta-
ry-general of the Worke-
rs’ Party, is accused of
falsely testifying at the
Committee of Privileges
hearings. — PTI
investigation of the Jan. 6,
2021, attack that seeks to
shield Trump of wrongdo-
ing while lawmakers are
showcasing side theories
about why thousands of
his supporters descended
on Capitol Hill in what
became a brutal scene of
hand-to-hand combat with
police.
Five people died in the
riot and its aftermath.
Taken together, it’s what
those who study authori-
tarian regimes warn is a
classic case of what’s
called consolidation —
where the state apparatus
is being transformed
around a singular figure,
in this case Trump. – AP
 SPECIAL
DECCAN CHRONICLE | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024 | CHENNAI
OTHER STORIES
Ashok Leyland
enters into
alliance with
Minus Zero
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI:
Ashok Leyland, leading com-
mercial vehicle manufacturer,
entered into alliance with
Minus Zero, an autonomous
driving technology startup to
revolutionise commercial
trucking through the deploy-
ment of autonomous solu-
tions at scale.
N. Saravanan, CTO, said:
"Ashok Leyland has been
looking for ways to reduce the
cost of logistics in India in
line with the Government’s
National Logistics Policy. We
see a role for autonomous
driving in select sectors in
achieving this and we have
been partnering pioneering
startups in this area. Minus
Zero’s capabilities and plans
impressed us, and we are
excited to be working with
them to develop India-specific
solutions that can be scaled
globally. We see spin-off bene-
fits in developing cost-effec-
tive active safety solutions to
reduce road accidents.”
Gagandeep Reehal, CEO and
Co-founder, Minus Zero said
"Ashok Leyland brings
decades of experience in
delivering high quality prod-
ucts at scale and we're excited
to partner with them in this
journey of accelerating
autonomous driving in India
and globally. With our Nature-
inspired AI, we are bringing a
paradigm shift by building
Foundational AI models for
autonomous driving. This
partnership marks the begin-
ning of India's Autonomous
Driving story.
The initial focus of the col-
laboration will be on develop-
ing tailored autonomous
trucking solutions for ports,
factory operations and corpo-
rate campuses. Future endeav-
ors include expanding into
hub-to-hub applications and
long-haul trucking, subject to
evolving regulatory frame-
works surrounding
autonomous driving.
Govt HS,
Kilambakkam
students win
insurance quiz
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI:
HDFC ERGO General
Insurance Company recently
organised the grand finale of
the first edition of the
Insurance Awareness Awards
Junior Quiz – Tamil Nadu and
Puducherry Chapter 2024,
marking a significant mile-
stone in promoting insurance
literacy among students in the
region.
Aligned with IRDAI's vision
of 'Insurance for All by 2047',
HDFC ERGO has been actively
involved in deepening insur-
ance awareness, especially
among the younger generation.
This initiative witnessed the
participation of 211 teams from
124 Government schools across
42 districts of Tamil Nadu and
Puducherry.
Anuj Tyagi, Joint MD of
HDFC ERGO General
Insurance, highlighted the
importance of instilling insur-
ance knowledge in students
during their formative years.
He emphasised the role of
insurance in providing finan-
cial resilience and protecting
individuals from unforeseen
events, reinforcing HDFC
ERGO's commitment to pro-
moting insurance awareness
and improving penetration of
General Insurance products in
the region.
The event saw P Akshaya and
V Lithika emerging as winners
from Government High School,
Kilambakkam, among eight
competing teams. The quiz,
now in its ninth year national-
ly, has positively impacted over
16 lakh students, aiming to
nurture insurance literacy and
inclusivity.
English court jails
first offender for
‘cyber-flashing’
London: A court in eastern
England on Tuesday became
the first in the country to jail
someone for a new cyber-
flashing offence, sentencing a
convicted sex offender to 66
weeks in prison. A judge at
Southend Crown Court hand-
ed Nicholas Hawkes, 39, the
jail term after he previously
admitted to the newly desig-
nated offence at an earlier
appearance. Cyber-flashing,
which can involve offenders
sending people an unsolicited
sexual image on social media,
dating apps or by other elec-
tronic communication.
PLANET ON THE BRINK, WARNS UN
Geneva: Global heat
records were “smashed”
last year, the UN con-
firmed Tuesday, with 2023
rounding out the hottest
decade on record, as heat-
waves stalked oceans and
glaciers suffered record
ice loss.
The United Nations'
World Meteorological
Organization issued its
annual State of the
Climate report, confirm-
ing preliminary data indi-
cating that 2023 was by far
the hottest year ever
recorded. And it came at
the end of “the warmest
10-year period on record”,
the WMO report said.
UN chief Antonio
Guterres said the report
showed “a planet on the
brink”. “Earth's issuing a
distress call,” he said,
pointing out that “fossil
fuel pollution is sending
climate chaos off the
charts”, and warning that
“changes are speeding
up”.
The WMO said the aver-
age near-surface tempera-
ture was 1.45 degrees
Celsius above pre-industri-
al levels last year - danger-
ously close to the critical
1.5 C threshold that coun-
tries agreed to avoid pass-
ing in the 2015 Paris cli-
mate accords.
“Never have we been so
DEATH SENTENCE CALLED Intermittent fasting linked to
FOR IN $12.5 BN FRAUD CASE death risk from heart disease
Hanoi: Vietnamese prose-
cutors called Tuesday for
a leading property devel-
oper to face the death sen-
tence as the "mastermind"
of a $12.5-billion swindle -
the country's biggest ever
fraud case.
Ms Truong My Lan,
chair of developer Van
Thinh Phat, is on trial
accused of illegally appro-
priating the money from
Saigon Commercial Bank
(SCB) over the course of a
decade, leaving more than
40,000 investors out of
pocket.
The state-run Tuoi Tre
newspaper reported that
other defendants in the
case have admitted their
crimes, but Lan has
remained "stubborn" and
blamed staff working
under her.
"According to the prose-
cutor's office, Lan played
the role of mastermind
and leader but did not
admit her crime, was stub-
born, blamed subordi-
nates, and did not repent,"
the newspaper reported.
Prosecutors have asked
the jury to hand her a
death sentence for embez-
zlement, as well as jail
terms of up to 20 years for
bribery and violating loan
regulations.
Death sentences for drug
convictions are routine in
Vietnam, but much less so
for economic crimes.
The country is notori-
ously secretive about its
executions - carried out by
lethal injection since 2013
instead of firing squad -
CITROËN, BLUSMART
MOBILITY COLLABORATE
IN ELECTRIC MOBILITY
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI:
A leading French
automaker Citroën has
partnered with BluSmart
Mobility, India's largest
born-electric eMobility
and EV charging service
provider. The collabora-
tion, solidified through a
MoU, paves the way for the
procurement of 4,000
Citroën ë-C3 vehicles by
BluSmart Mobility, mark-
ing a milestone in promot-
ing eco-friendly transport
alternatives.
Shishir Mishra, Brand
Director at Citroën India,
highlighted the strategic
partnership's significance,
emphasising their joint
commitment to fostering a
cleaner and greener trans-
portation ecosystem.
The ë-C3's smart design,
operational range, fast
charging capabilities, and
intuitive technology make
it an appealing choice for
passengers and fleet oper-
A representational image of what global warming induced by climate change has been doing to the planet.
close... to the 1.5C lower
limit of the Paris
Agreement,” WMO chief
Andrea Celeste Saulo
warned in a statement.
'Red alert': The report,
she said, should be seen as
a “red alert to the world”.
Going through the data,
the organisation found
that “records were once
again broken, and in some
Vietnamese real estate tycoon Ms Van Thinh Phat is on trial for appropriating money
from the Saigon Commerical Bank.
but Amnesty
International estimates
that "scores" are carried
out each year.
Alongside Lan, 85 others
are facing charges includ-
ing bribery and abuse of
power at the trial in the
southern business hub of
Ho Chi Minh City. Eight
are on the run, including
two Chinese nationals.
Lan, who is married to a
wealthy Hong Kong busi-
nessman, is accused of
creating nearly 1,300 fake
loan applications between
2012 and 2022 to withdraw
money from SCB, in
ators, aligning with
BluSmart's mission to
decarbonise cities and pro-
mote zero-emission urban
mobility.
The Citroën ë-C3, an all-
electric compact SUV,
boasts a range of 320 kms
as per ARAI standards and
features cutting-edge fast-
charging technology capa-
ble of achieving a full
charge in under an hour.
This collaboration aligns
seamlessly with the surg-
ing consumer demand for
sustainable mobility solu-
tions and positions
BluSmart as a frontrunner
in the electric ride-hailing
segment.
Anmol Jaggi, CEO,
BluSmart, expressed
enthusiasm about the col-
laboration with Citroën,
citing shared goals of
achieving net-zero mobili-
ty and delivering premi-
um, reliable, and safe ride
experiences. BluSmart's
comprehensive EV mobili-
ty ecosystem.
AFTER WARMEST DECADE
cases smashed”, warning
that the numbers “gave
ominous new significance
to the phrase 'off the
charts'.”
Saulo stressed that cli-
mate change was about
much more than tempera-
tures. “What we witnessed
in 2023, especially with the
unprecedented ocean
warmth, glacier retreat
which she owned a 90 per-
cent stake.
Police say the victims
are all SCB bondholders
who cannot withdraw
their money and have not
received interest or princi-
pal payments since Lan's
arrest in October 2022.
The value of Lan's
alleged asset appropria-
tion, which occurred
between 2012 and 2022,
was equivalent to around
three percent of Vietnam's
GDP in 2022.
The case has shocked
Vietnam and led hundreds
to stage protests in Hanoi
Trump unable to secure $464 mn bond
New York: In a fresh
appeal court filing, the
attorneys for former
President Donald Trump
stated that he is having
"insurmountable difficul-
ties" getting a bond to pay
the $464 million civil fraud
case, ABC News reported.
Because of the magnitude
of the judgment, he would
have to use real estate as
security.
In Feb., Judge Arthur
Engoron found Trump
guilty of conducting a
decade's worth of business
using false financial state-
ments that exaggerated
his real estate assets and
inflated his fortune, and
he sentenced him to pay
$464 mn in disgorgement
and interest.
A three-year ban on
Trump's ability to run any
New York-based corpora-
tion was also imposed.
Additionally, his sons,
Eric Trump and Donald
Trump Jr, each received a
$4 mn fine and a two-year
ban.
"Defendants have faced
what have proven to be
insurmountable difficul-
ties in obtaining an appeal
bond for the full USD 464
and Antarctic sea ice loss,
is cause for particular con-
cern.”
One especially worrying
finding was that marine
heatwaves gripped nearly
a third of the global ocean
on an average day last
year. And by the end of
2023, more than 90 percent
of the ocean had experi-
enced heatwave conditions
and Ho Chi Minh City - a
rarity in the one-party
communist state.
Lan's arrest and prosecu-
tion comes as part of a
nationwide crackdown on
corruption, which has
swept up senior officials
and members of the coun-
try's business elite in
recent years.
In a separate case, Do
Anh Dung - also a success-
ful property tycoon - went
on trial in Hanoi on
Tuesday, accused of cheat-
ing investors in $355 mil-
lion bond scam.
– AFP
mn," according to an affir-
mation by Trump
Organization general
counsel Alan Garten, ABC
News reported.
Garten's affirmation
states that as of now, none
of the surety bond compa-
nies that Trump has con-
tacted are prepared to take
real estate as collateral.
This includes Chubb, the
insurance giant that is
financing Trump's $91.6
mn bond to pay the $83 mn
judgement plus interest in
the E. Jean Carroll
defamation case. "For
Defendants, this presents
a major obstacle," Garten
wrote.
Trump's lawyers, who
have referred to the ruling
as "unconstitutionally
excessive," asked an appel-
late court once more to
permit Trump to
obtain a bond in a smaller
sum.
"Obtaining such cash
through a 'fire sale' of real
estate holdings would
inevitably result in mas-
sive, irrecoverable losses -
textbook irreparable
injury," defence lawyers
Alina Habba and Clifford
Robert wrote, according to
at some point during the
year, the WMO said.
More frequent and
intense marine heatwaves
will have “profound nega-
tive repercussions for
marine ecosystems and
coral reefs”, it warned.
At the same time, it
warned that key glaciers
worldwide suffered the
largest loss of ice ever
Chicago: The safety of
intermittent fasting, a
popular strategy to lose
weight by limiting food
intake to certain times,
was called into question
by a surprise finding from
research presented at a
medical meeting.
Limiting mealtimes to a
period of just eight hours
a day was linked to a 91%
increase in risk of death
from heart disease in the
study, which was released
on Monday in Chicago.
The American Heart
Association published
only an abstract, leaving
scientists speculating
about the details of the
study protocol. The study
was reviewed by other
experts prior to its
release, according to the
AHA.
Lifestyle interventions
aimed at weight loss have
come under scrutiny as a
new generation of drugs
help people shed pounds.
Some doctors questioned
the study's findings, say-
ing they could have been
skewed by differences -
such as underlying heart
health - between the fast-
ing patients and the com-
parison group, whose
members consumed food
over a daily period of 12 to
16 hours.
"Time-restricted eating
is popular as a means of
reducing calorie intake,"
Keith Frayn, emeritus
professor of human
metabolism at the
University of Oxford, said
in a statement to the UK
Science Media Centre.
Former US President Donald Trump is facing a problem in raising a bond to pay in the
$464 mn civil fraud case.
ABC News.
If Trump posts a bond,
which could be backed by
properties or other assets,
it stops the attorney gener-
al from seizing his proper-
ty, as reported by CNN.
since records began in
1950, “driven by extreme
melt in both western
North America and
Europe”.
In Switzerland, where
the WMO is headquar-
tered, Alpine glaciers had
for instance lost 10 percent
of their remaining volume
in the past two years alone,
it said. Antarctic sea ice
extent was also “by far the
lowest on record”, WMO
said.
Rising sea levels: In
fact, it pointed out, its
maximum extent at the
end of the southern win-
ter was around one mil-
lion square kilometres
below the previous record
year - equivalent to the
size of France and
Germany combined.
The continued ocean
warming combined with
the rapidly melting gla-
ciers and ice sheets also
drove the sea level last
year to its highest point
since satellite records
began in 1993, WMO said.
The agency stressed that
the global mean sea level
rise over the past decade
(2014-2023) was more than
double the rate in the first
decade of satellite records.
It highlighted that the
dramatic climate shifts are
taking a heavy toll on peo-
ple worldwide, fuelling
Represenational image projecting intermittent fasting.
"This work is very impor-
tant in showing that we
need long-term studies on
the effects of this practice.
But this abstract leaves
many questions unan-
swered."
The researchers, led by
Victor Zhong of the
Shanghai Jiao Tong
University School of
Medicine, analysed data
from about 20,000 adults
included in the US
Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention's
National Health and
Nutrition Examination
Survey.
The study looked at
answers to questionnaires
along with death data
from 2003 through 2019.
Because it relied in part
on forms that required
patients to recall what
they ate over two days, sci-
entists said there was
room for potential inaccu-
racies. About half of the
Trump could also ask the
appeals court to stay the
judgment or ask them to
not require him to post the
money until later.
According to some
lawyers, it is more com-
pg 9
extreme weather events,
flooding and drought,
which trigger displace-
ment and drive up biodi-
versity loss and food inse-
curity.
“The climate crisis is
THE defining challenge
that humanity faces and is
closely intertwined with
the inequality crisis,”
Saulo said.
'Glimmer of hope': The
number of people who are
considered acutely food
insecure around the world
has more than doubled,
from 149 million people
prior to the Covid-19 pan-
demic to 333 million at the
end of 2023, WMO pointed
out.
The UN's weather and
climate agency did howev-
er highlight one “glimmer
of hope”: surging renew-
able energy generation.
Last year, renewable
energy generation capaci-
ty - mainly from solar,
wind and hydropower -
increased by nearly 50 per-
cent from 2022, it said.
Guterres also empha-
sised that there was an
upside to the findings. The
world, he insisted, still has
a chance to keep the plan-
et's long-term temperature
rise below the 1.5C thresh-
old and “avoid the worst of
climate chaos”.“We know
how to do it.” – AFP
patients were men and the
mean age was 48.
It wasn't clear how long
the patients continued the
intermittent fasting,
though the researchers
assumed they kept it up,
according to Zhong.
The fasting patients
were more likely to be
younger men with a high-
er BMI and food insecuri-
ty, he said by email. They
also had a lower preva-
lence of hypertension,
diabetes and cardiovascu-
lar disease based on self-
reports. "We controlled for
all these variables in the
analysis, but the positive
association between 8-h
time-restricted eating and
cardiovascular mortality
remained," Zhong said.
The abstract was pre-
sented at the AHA's
Lifestyle Scientific
Sessions meeting in
Chicago.
– Bloomberg
mon for companies to have
to post judgments of this
amount, but the sheer size
of it for an individual is in
some ways uncharted ter-
ritory.
– AP
 CHENNAI | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024
quick Food price pressures
BITES deter fall in inflation
INDICATORS % Mumbai, March 19:
Sensex 72,012.05 -1.01
Nifty 50 21,817.45 -1.08
S&P 500* 5,145.06 -0.08
Dollar (`) 83.04 -0.14
Pound Sterling (`)
105.22 0.3
Euro (`) 89.98 0.42
Gold (10gm)* (`) 65,580▼91 0.14
Brent crude ($/bbl)* 87.30 0.47
IN 10-Yr bond yield 7.095 0.008
US 10-Yr T-bill yield* 4.322 -0.018
* As of 8:30 PM IST
Tata Motors
opens vehicle
scrapping unit
Tata Motors on Tuesday said it
has commissioned its fifth reg-
istered vehicle scrapping facili-
ty. Developed in partnership
with Johar Motors, the facility
has a capacity to disassemble
18,000 end-of-life vehicles
annually, Tata Motors said in a
statement. “The launch of the
facility marks a significant step
in making responsible vehicle
disposal more accessible,” said
Tata Motors executive director
Girish Wagh.
WeWork India
to open Chennai
centre in June
Co-working major WeWork
India on Tuesday said it has
entered Chennai market and
has taken on lease 1.3 lakh sq.ft
office space to open a centre
with a capacity of 2,000 desks.
In a statement, Bengaluru-
based WeWork India said, it
has taken space in ‘Olympia
Cyberspace’ developed by
Olympia Group. The new cen-
tre, will be operational in June,
according to Karan Virwani,
CEO, WeWork India.
DRL launches
cancer drug
Versavo in UK
Pharma major Dr Reddy's
Laboratories announced the
launch of its cancer treatment
drug Versavo in the United
Kingdom. Versavo is a biosimi-
lar of Avastin, a registered
trademark of Roche, and is
indicated for the treatment of
several cancers, including
metastatic colorectal cancer,
lung cancer, recurrent glioblas-
toma, metastatic renal cell car-
cinoma, advanced cervical can-
cer, and others, a filing said.
Inox Green arm
bags generator
restoration order
Inox Green Energy Services on
Tuesday said its subsidiary I-
Fox Windtechnik India has
bagged an order worth `39.5
cr for restoration of 33 wind
turbine generators from NLC
India. The scope of the con-
tract comprises supplies of
materials, spares and other
activities for the restoration
within eight months. The wind
turbine generators are located
in Tenkasi district of Tamil
Nadu, a statement said.
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Chronicle Holdings Limited. Printed &
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situated at SP-3 Developed Plot,
Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai.
Editor: Kaushik Mitter, RNI Reg. No.
TNENG/2008/25473 Air surcharge Re 1.
© All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part without written permis-
sion of The Editor, Financial Chronicle ®
is prohibited.
Structural demand, healthy corporate balance sheets visible
Food price pressures is an
obstacle in swifter fall in
retail inflation to the
Reserve Bank's target of 4
per cent, said an article on
the 'State of Economy' in
the central bank's March
Bulletin published on
Tuesday.
Retail inflation based on
Consumer Price Index
(CPI) is on a decline since
December and was at 5.09
per cent in February.
“Even as inflation is on
the ebb with broad-based
softening of core infla-
tion, the repetitive inci-
dence of short amplitude
food price pressures
India’s merchandise exports may hit $450 bn
New Delhi, March 19:
The country's merchan-
dise exports are expected
to reach $ 450 billion by
the end of this fiscal
despite geo-political chal-
lenges like the Red Sea cri-
sis, newly elected presi-
dent of apex exporters
body Federation of Indian
Export Organisations
(FIEO) Ashwani Kumar
said on Tuesday.
He said that the need of
the hour is to address the
Red Sea crisis challenges
by ensuring the availabili-
ty of marine insurance
and rational increase in
freight charges.
The exporting sector,
particularly, MSMEs,
needs easy and low-cost
credit, and marketing sup-
port to further boost the
country's exports, Kumar
said, adding early conclu-
Audi looking to begin Inclusion in global indices to fetch investments
local assembly of EVs
Ingolstadt, March 19:
Luxury automaker Audi
India is looking to com-
mence local assembly of
electric vehicles, a move
which would help it roll
out models at an afford-
able price helping expand
its customer base in the
country.
The automaker current-
ly imports its entire EV
range comprising Q8 50 e-
tron, Q8 55 e-tron, Q8
Sportback 50 e-tron, Q8
Sportback 55 e-tron, e-tron
GT, and RS e-tron GT, into
the country.
It, however, assembles
petrol models like Q3, Q3
Sportback, Q5, Q7, A4, and
A6 at its Aurangabad
(Maharashtra) based
manufacturing plant.
Audi India Head Balbir
Singh Dhillon said the
local manufacturing of
EVs is a work in progress
with active discussions
going on with its global
headquarters.
“We are working with
Audi AG very positively
and hopefully at some
point in time we will be
able to announce this
(local assembly of EV
models),” he noted.
Dhillon did not share
any specific date but stat-
ed that the India unit is
discussing the matter
with the global headquar-
ters very “positively”.
He further said, “I think
the next 2-3 years will be
New chip is multiple times faster at handling models that underpin AI
PULL | FACTOR
Nvidia unveils successor to its AI processor
California, March 19:
Nvidia Corp. chief execu-
tive officer Jensen Huang
showed off new chips
aimed at extending his
company’s dominance of
artificial intelligence com-
puting, a position that’s
already made it the
world’s third-most-valu-
able business.
A new processor design
called Blackwell is multi-
ple times faster at han-
dling the models that
underpin AI, the company
said at its GTC conference
in California.
That includes the
process of developing the
technology — a stage
deters a swifter fall in
headline inflation towards
the target of 4 per cent,”
said the article authored
by a team lead by RBI
deputy governor Michael
Debabrata Patra.
It further said the global
sion of free trade agree-
ments such as with the UK
and Oman will also help
push the outbound ship-
ments.
“I will focus on address-
ing issues of MSMEs as
they are going to play. a
key role in achieving the
$1 trillion goods export
target by 2030. They are
the backbone of the econo-
my and they are facing
certain issues pertaining
to credit. I would urge
very crucial (2024-2026).
These years will see many
more new electric cars
coming at different price
points. Then I think our
reach to our existing cus-
tomers or first-time buy-
ers will go up.”
The company's current
EV model lineup is priced
over `1 crore serving a
niche set of customers.
Currently, cars imported
into India as Completely
Built Units (CBUs) attract
customs duty ranging
from 60 per cent to 100 per
cent.
The country's customs
duty system currently
treats electric cars and
hyd r o c a r b o n - p owe r e d
vehicles equally.
To up sales, Audi India
would look out for models
which sit below the cur-
rent range in price terms.
It gets around 2 per cent of
its total sales from EVs.
The automobile compa-
ny reported 89 per cent
growth in sales in India at
7,931 units last year as
compared with 4,187 units
in 2022. — PTI
known as training – and
the running of it, which is
called inference.
The Blackwell chips,
which are made up of 208
billion transistors, will be
the basis of new comput-
ers and other products
being deployed by the
world’s largest data centre
operators — a roster that
includes Amazon.com
Inc., Microsoft Corp.,
Alphabet Inc.’s Google and
Oracle Corp. Blackwell-
based products will be
available later this year,
Nvidia said.
Blackwell — named after
David Blackwell, the first
Black scholar inducted
● GLOBAL ECONO-
MY is losing steam,
with growth slow-
ing in some of
resilient economies
and high frequency
indicators pointing
to further levelling,
said RBI's March
bulletin.
economy is losing steam,
with growth slowing in
some of the most resilient
economies and high fre-
quency indicators point-
ing to further levelling in
the period ahead.
In India, real GDP
● THE DRIVERS of
merchandise export
growth include engi-
neering and elec-
tronic goods, organ-
ic and inorganic
chemicals, drugs
and pharma, and
petroleum products.
banks to come forward in
extending support to these
units,” Kumar said.
Further, the FIEO presi-
dent said that the organi-
sation is also working on
exploring more opportuni-
ties for exporters in
regions like Latin
America and Africa.
“Though there are chal-
lenges, I am sure that we
will touch $450 billion
exports this fiscal,” he
added.
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, MARCH 19
India’s inclusion in the JP
Morgan Global EM Bond
Index and Bloomberg EM
Local Currency Govern-
ment indices will see
annual foreign investment
of $30-$40 billion over the
next five years and free up
equivalent amounts of
domestic capital invest-
ment by the private sector,
finds the World Bank.
Market falls on fresh selling
pressure due to negative cues
RAVI RANJAN PRASAD
MUMBAI, MARCH 19
Market faced fresh selling
pressure on negative cues
from the Asian market as
the Bank of Japan for the
first time raised interest
rate in 17 years. Sensex
and Nifty-50 fell more
than a per cent in broad
based selling.
The Sensex fell 736
points to close at 72,012.
The Nifty-50 also fell 238
points, slipping below
22,000 level to 21,817.
Broader market also fell
in tandem with the BSE
Mid-cap index down by
1.36 per cent and BSE
Small-cap down by 1.04
per cent.
into the National
Academy of Science —
has a tough act to follow.
Its predecessor, Hopper,
fueled explosive sales at
Nvidia by building up the
field of AI accelerator
chips. The flagship prod-
growth was at a six-quar-
ter high in the third quar-
ter of financial year 2023-
24, powered by strong
momentum, robust indi-
rect taxes, and lower sub-
sidies.
The high visibility of
structural demand and
healthier corporate and
bank balance sheets will
likely be the galvanising
forces for growth going
forward, the article said.
The central bank said
the views expressed in the
Bulletin article are of the
authors and do not repre-
sent the views of the
Reserve Bank of India.
— PTI
He also said that despite
issues, exports rose about
12 per cent in February to
$41.40 billion. During
April-February 2023-24,
exports reached $395 bil-
lion.
“This was an impressive
increase despite the Red
Sea crisis, tight monetary
stance by the developed
world and falling com-
modity prices.
This reflects the
resilience of the export-
ing community, who have
continuously been brav-
ing such odds since the
Russia-Ukraine war,” he
said.
The drivers of merchan-
dise export growth
include engineering
goods, chemicals, drugs
and pharma, and petrole-
um products.
— PTI
By 2023-end JP Morgan
announced India’s inclu-
sion in its Global EM
Bond and in March 2024,
Bloomberg made its own
announcement of India’s
inclusion into its EM
Local Currency
Government indices.
From June 2024, Indian
government bonds will
gradually climb the index
ladder, reaching a 10 per
cent share of the JP
Morgan index by March
Tata Consultancy
Services promoters Tata
Sons sold 0.64 per cent
stake, approximately 2.34
crore shares at `4,001 per
share in block deals in the
morning trade. TCS
shares fell 4.03 per cent to
close at `3,977.55 per share
on BSE.
This led to continued
decline in IT shares for
second session this week
and BSE It index fell 2.66
per cent as other IT heavy-
weights also fell including
HCL Technologies (-2.62
per cent), Infosys (-2.52 per
cent) and Wipro (-3.05 per
cent).
Uncertainty around the
US Federal Reserve's next
move on interest rate cut
● THE BLACKWELL
chips, which are
made up of 208 bil-
lion transistors, will
be the basis of new
computers and prod-
ucts being deployed
by large data centre
operators.
uct from that lineup, the
H100, has become one of
the most prized commodi-
ties in the tech world —
fetching tens of thousands
of dollars per chip.
The growth has sent
Nvidia’s valuation soar-
APPAREL EXPORTS
TO TOUCH $40 BN
WITH CAPACITY
EXPANSION
New Delhi, March 19:
Steps such as signifi-
cant ramp up in produc-
tion capacities, and
skilling of workforce
will help achieve the $
40 billion garment
exports target by 2030,
AEPC said on Tuesday.
Apparel Export
Promotion Council of
India (AEPC) chairman
Sudhir Sekhri said
skilled workers like tai-
lors and quality check-
ers are still not suffi-
cient as during the peak
season they go to their
native villages thereby
creating shortage.
“Our target to reach $
40 bn of RMG (ready-
made garments) export
by 2030 can be a reality
and my duty is to take
every possible step to
reach this target,”
Sekhri said.
He said “we need to
ramp up our capacities
as the export houses in
India are still unable to
handle core/basic prod-
ucts which are required
in huge quantities”.
He added that the
council is also focused
on skilling the work-
force.
“We are creating
about 1,50,000 skilled
workers every year but
it is still not enough. To
attain the growth that
we are targeting, we
need to empower our
workforce with skills,”
he added.
ATDC's degree pro-
grammes, which were
started in 2015, have
gained momentum.
About 10 per cent ATDC
candidates start their
own manufacturing, 8
per cent pursue further
studies. — PTI
● FROM JUNE 2024,
Indian government
bonds will gradually
climb the index ladder,
reaching a 10 per cent
share of the JP Morgan
index by March 2025.
For Bloomberg index,
process will start in ‘25.
2025. For the Bloomberg
index, a similar process
will start in January 2025
and go on until Oct. 2025.
that will be announced on
March 20, after Bank of
Japan raised rates led to
pessimism in the market,
leading to negative close
of all the sectoral indices.
Foreign investors were
net buyers of equities on
Tuesday by `1,421 crore
.“Selling pressure was
seen across the market
including mid and small
caps. Defensive names
witnessed profit booking
with IT, FMCG, and phar-
ma being the top laggards.
Investors remained on
edge as central Banks
globally are scheduled for
a meeting,” said
Siddhartha Khemka, head
- retail research, Motilal
Oswal Financial Services.
ing as well. It is the first
chipmaker to have a mar-
ket capitalisation of more
than $2 trillion and trails
only Microsoft and Apple
Inc. overall.
The announcement of
new chips was widely
anticipated.
Huang, Nvidia’s co-
founder, said AI is the
driving force in a funda-
mental change in the
economy and that
Blackwell chips are “the
engine to power this new
industrial revolution.”
Nvidia will realise the
promise of AI for every
industry, he said.
—Bloomberg
LNG imports to
drop to 45% on
local production
Mumbai, March 19:
With increasing local pro-
duction, the import
dependency of natural
gas in general and LNG in
particular, is likely to
come down to 45 per cent
by FY26, says a report.
According to a Care
Ratings analysis, with the
rise in domestic natural
gas production, the
dependency on imported
LNG (liquefied natural
gas), which stood at 53 per
cent in FY21, has gradual-
ly declined over the past
three years and is expect-
ed to remain at around 45
per cent by FY26, the
agency said.
Higher demand for natu-
ral gas is also expected to
be supported by sizeable
growth in domestic gas
production, wherein near-
ly 30 MMSCMD of new
domestic natural gas pro-
duction has gradually
come on-stream over the
past three years and
another 15 MMSCMD of
new domestic production
is expected to come on-
stream next fiscal alone.
There has been a steady
growth in natural gas con-
sumption till FY20.
However, following the
pandemic and a sharp
increase in imported LNG
prices due to geopolitical
situation, the demand for
natural gas declined since
fiscal FY21-23, the agency
said.
Hardik Shah, a director
at the agency expects the
trend to reverse and the
country is likely to record
the highest-ever gas con-
sumption in FY24.
The government aims to
increase the share of nat-
ural gas in its primary
energy mix from the pres-
Moving ahead, it is
expected that India will
enter other major indices,
such as the FTSE, which is
six times larger.
So far, India has mainly
relied on domestic fund-
ing by the public sector to
finance large initiatives,
making borrowing more
expensive, particularly for
ambitious infrastructure
projects - even more so for
eco-friendly efforts to
combat climate change.
BHEL BAGS ORDER
FROM NTPC FOR
SINGRAULI PROJECT
FC CORRESPONDENT
HYDERABAD, MARCH 19
Bharat Heavy Electricals
Limited (BHEL)
bagged an order from
has
NTPC under internation-
al competitive bidding
(ICB) for setting up the
2x800 MW
Supercritical
Singrauli
Thermal
Power Plant (STPP) Stage-
III on engineering, pro-
curement and construc-
tion (EPC) basis.
The plant will be set up
adjacent to the existing
2,000 MW thermal power
station at Singrauli of
Uttar Pradesh. Set up by
BHEL in 1982, Singrauli
TPS was NTPC’s first
power plant in Uttar
Pradesh. The machines
installed earlier by BHEL
at Singrauli have been
performing well since
commissioning.
Key equipment for the
project will be supplied by
BHEL’s manufacturing
units at Haridwar, Trichy,
Bengaluru, Hyderabad,
Ranipet and Bhopal.
BHEL is playing a cru-
cial role in bolstering the
nation’s energy security
with its technological
solutions. With more than
1,34,000 MW thermal
power plants installed in
the country, BHEL is the
market leader in thermal
utility projects as well as
a leading player for reno-
vation and modernisation
(R&M) of old sets for
increasing the lifespan
and for upgrading effi-
ciency and reliability.
So far, BHEL has con-
tracted 68 supercritical
steam generators and 63
supercritical turbine gen-
erators in the country.
pg 10
● GOVERNMENT AIMS
to increase the share
of natural gas in ener-
gy mix from 6% to
15%by 2030, focusing
on end-use sectors like
fertilizers, city gas dis-
tribution, power,
refineries, and petro-
chemicals.
ent 6 per cent to 15 per
cent by 2030, focusing on
key end-use sectors like
fertilizers, city gas distri-
bution, power, refineries,
and petrochemicals.
Despite high reliance on
imports in the past due to
falling domestic produc-
tion, significant growth in
domestic output from
FY22 onwards along with
expected increases in
FY24 and FY25 offer hope
for reduced imports.
Enabling regulatory
measures to adjust domes-
tic pricing, stabilising
imported gas prices, ade-
quate LNG capacity, and
expanding gas pipeline
infrastructure are expect-
ed to support this shift
towards a greater share of
natural gas, while keeping
the import dependency at
around 45 per cent by
FY26, Shah added.
— PTI
Now that more govern-
ment bonds can be bought
by foreign investors, a
larger share of domestic
financial resources will be
available for investment
in avenues beyond
Government Securities
(G-Secs). Over the next
five years, experts predict
an annual wave of foreign
investment of $30-40 bil-
lion, freeing up an equiva-
lent amount of domestic
capital for investment.
INDIA’S GOLD
RESERVES TOUCH
817 TONNES
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, MARCH 19
The RBI added 4.7 tonnes
of gold in February, tak-
ing its gold reserves to an
all-time high of 817
tonnes.
The RBI had added near-
ly 9 tonnes in January,
which was the first
monthly increase in its
gold reserves
October 2023 and the
since
largest since July 2022.
The gold holdings of the
RBI had gone up to 812
tonnes. With the addition
in the second straight
month in February, RBI
seems to be aiming at the
highest yearly increase in
2024 after 2009.
After buying 200 tonnes
in November 2009, the
reserves were stagnant at
557.7 tonnes for a long
time.
India had again started
buying gold in trickles
from the open market
since Q3 2017.
The Reserve Bank of
India bought 77 tonnes of
gold in 2021 and this was
the highest yearly addi-
tion since 2009.
Reserve Bank has been
buying gold even during
the pandemic. Its gold
reserves stood at 676.6
tonnes at the end of 2020
and in the next two years,
RBI bought 118 tonnes.
 GAMES
DECCAN CHRONICLE | CHENNAI | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024
SHORT
Rishabh named
Capitals captain
TAKES
New Delhi: Rishabh Pant was on
Tuesday appointed as the cap-
tain of Delhi Capitals for the
upcoming edition of the IPL,
marking a wonderful chapter in
his miraculous comeback saga.
The keeper-batter missed crick-
eting action for 14 months after
suffering a horrific car accident
in December 2022.
“We are delighted to welcome
Rishabh back as our captain.
Grit and fearlessness have
always dictated his brand of
cricket, and not surprisingly,
even his road to recovery. I
can't wait to see him walk our
team out once again as we look
forward to a new season with
renewed passion, vigour and
enthusiasm,” said DC chairman
and co-owner Parth Jindal in a
media release.
The left-hander has been a part
of the Capitals pre-season
preparatory camp in
Visakhapatnam, ahead of their
first IPL 2024 match against
Punjab Kings in Chandigarh on
March 23. Earlier, Pant was
given clearance by the BCCI to
play as a wicketkeeper batter in
this year’s IPL. — PTI
Advani inducted
into Hall of Fame
New Delhi: Legendary Indian
cueist Pankaj Advani achieved
yet another milestone in his
glorious career as he has been
inducted into the Hall of Fame
at the World Billiards Museum
in Shangrao City in China.
Last November, the 38-year-old
Indian star won his 26th IBSF
(the International Billiards and
Snooker Federation) title after
beating compatriot Sourav
Kothari who had threatened his
chances early on in the billiards’
long-format contest.
“I am deeply honoured to join
the Hall of Fame at the World
Billiards Museum. The love and
support I've received through-
out this incredible journey have
been overwhelming and I'm
extremely grateful for it,”
Advani said.
Advani’s unparalleled skill,
unwavering dedication, and
remarkable achievements have
strengthened his status as one
of the greatest champions in
the history of billiards.
“I am grateful to represent our
country and the entire billiards
community. I’ll continue work-
ing hard and dedicate myself to
the sport and do my best to
make everyone proud,” he
added. — PTI
Lakshya is now
world number 13
New Delhi: India's Lakshya Sen
on Tuesday jumped five places
to reach world number 13 in the
latest BWF rankings, following
his impressive run at the All
England Championships. The
22-year-old from Almora had
reached the semifinals in
Birmingham and his effort saw
him improve to world number
12 from the 15th spot a week
back in the Olympic Games
Qualification.
The top-16 in the world by
April-end will make the cut for
the Olympics.
H. S. Prannoy is at number 9 in
the Paris race and Sen too is
primed to make the cut.
Sen had reached a career-best
ranking of world number six in
November 2022 but saw his
rankings plummet to world No.
25 in April last year. He recov-
ered to 11th spot by August but
fell to 20 early this year follow-
ing a series of early exits.
His Olympic qualification too
was in doldrums after a series
of first round exit, including in
Malaysia and India this season.
But back-to-back semifinals in
French Open and All England
brought him back. — PTI
Manipur hockey
girls in quarters
Pune: Manipur progressed to
the quarterfinals with an 11-2
win over Uttarakhand in a Pool
‘G’ match as the league stage of
the Senior Women National
Championship concluded here
on Tuesday.
Karnataka also ended their
campaign on a high, beating
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and
Daman & Diu Hockey 13-0 in
another Pool ‘G’ game.
With the top team from each
Pool qualifying for the knock-
outs, the stage is set for some
high-octane action.
All the quarterfinals are sched-
uled to take place on March 20.
The first quarterfinal will be
played between defending
champions Madhya Pradesh and
Bengal, while hosts Maharashtra
will face off against Manipur in
the second quarterfinal.
The third quarterfinal will see
Jharkhand play Mizoram, while
Haryana will play Odisha in the
fourth quarterfinal.
For Manipur, it was their third
win in three matches as they
topped Pool ‘G’.
— PTI
NO SKY FOR OPENER
MI star batter is yet to get fitness clearance from NCA
Mumbai, March 19: Star
batter Suryakumar Yadav
is certain to miss Mumbai
Indians’ IPL opener
against Gujarat Titans on
March 24 as he is yet to get
fitness clearance from the
National Cricket
Academy.
The world No. 1 T20 bat-
ter Suryakumar has been
stationed at the NCA in
Bengaluru for his recov-
ery and rehabilitation fol-
lowing a surgery for
sports hernia.
Suryakumar, who has
been out of action since
December, had a fitness
test at the NCA on
Tuesday but PTI under-
stands that the 33-year-old
needs “further assess-
ment”.
His participation in the
subsequent matches for
Mumbai Indians ? against
Sunrisers Hyderabad on
March 27, Rajasthan
Royals on April 1 and
Delhi Capitals on April 7
— would be determined at
a later stage.
Suryakumar on Tuesday
posted a cryptic message
on his Instagram page
conveying a ‘heartbreak’.
WPL pushing boundaries!
Bengaluru, March 19:
Shafali Verma shim-
mied down the track and
deposited off-spinner
Ashleigh Gardner’s slot-
ball on the off-stump 91
metres over wide long-
on for a six, the longest
of this year’s Women’s
Premier League.
That nearly 20 seconds
of explosive moment
underlined the fast-
evolving landscape of
women’s cricket — the
increasing infiltration of
power and fitness.
But it has also accentu-
ated the talk about the
possibility of stretching
the boundary perimeter
similar to that in men’s
cricket. “Yeah, we have
seen some big sixes get-
ting hit this year in the
WPL, and a lot of chat is
going on about pushing
back the boundary lines
(in the tournament). The
increasing power limit
of players is obvious,
thanks to their focus on
fitness.
“But for that (increas-
ing the length of bound-
ary), detailed discussion
with players, coaches etc
is needed as ultimately,
they have the biggest say
in matters related to
playing conditions,” a
BCCI official said on
condition of anonymity.
Irrespective of the
future course of action,
there is a lot of merit in
the argument to stan-
dardise the boundary
size in women’s and
men’s cricket, consider-
ing the players’ increas-
ing ability to clear the
ropes.
The WPL 2023 saw a
total of 159 sixes.
The normal boundary
lengths at the
Chinnaswamy, where
the first part of this iter-
ation of WPL was held,
are 64-63m on the square
of the wicket, 76-68m in
the ‘V’ towards the
media box while 56m on
either flank behind the
wicketkeeper. But dur-
ing the WPL, the short-
est boundary mark was
shrunk to 47 metres, and
it had made the task of
captains harder as bat-
ters comfortably cleared
that distance. — PTI
Oz bat for women rights, scrap Afghan T20s
Sydney, March 19:
Australia on Tuesday
scrapped a T20 men’s
cricket series against
Afghanistan later this
year, saying the situation
for women in the Taliban-
ruled country was deterio-
rating.
Cricket Australia said it
had received advice “that
conditions for women and
girls in Afghanistan are
getting worse” and so had
postponed the three-match
series scheduled in August
at a neutral venue.
Cricket has surged in
popularity inside
Afghanistan in recent
years, fuelled by triumphs
over bigger nations on the
international stage.
But under the Taliban’s
brand of Islamic rule,
women are effectively
Mumbai Indians, mean-
while, are occupied with
closed-door practice
games here at the
Wankhede Stadium.
HASARANGA TO MISS
SUNRISERS 3 GAME
All-rounder Wanindu
Hasaranga is set to miss at
least the first three IPL
matches for Sunrisers
Hyderabad after he was
named in the Sri Lanka
squad for a two-Test series
against Bangladesh start-
ing March 22. Hasaranga
has played four Tests for
Sri Lanka. He had
announced his retirement
from the longest format in
August last year to focus
on white-ball cricket.
However, the 26-year-old
was named in Sri Lanka’s
17-man squad on Tuesday
along with uncapped spin-
ner Nishan Peiris.
The first Test will be
played in Sylhet from
March 22-26, while the sec-
ond tie is slated from
March 30 to April 3 at
Chattogram.
Hasaranga was roped in
by SRH at his base price of
`1.5 crore.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru players celebrate with the trophy after winning the WPL
final against Delhi Captals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. — PTI
No comparison with Kohli: Smriti
New Delhi, March 19:
RCB skipper Smriti
Mandhana feels it’s not
right for people to under-
mine Virat Kohli’s
achievements for the
Bengaluru franchise in
the wake of her side’s
Women’s Premier League
title win here recently.
The Mandhana-led RCB
defeated Delhi Capitals to
lift the WPL trophy in only
their second year, while
their male counterparts,
led by the charismatic
Kohli for nearly a decade
before he stepped down,
haven’t had success in the
16 years of IPL.
“The title is one thing,
but what he (Kohli) has
barred from the game.
Australia’s cricket gov-
erning body said its stance
continued a “strong com-
mitment to supporting
participation by women
and girls in cricket around
the world”.
It is the third time since
2021 that Australia has
refused to play
Afghanistan outside of
international tourna-
ments.
Cricket Australia can-
celled a one-off Test in
2021, months after the
Taliban swept back into
power. “If recent media
reports that women’s
cricket will not be sup-
ported in Afghanistan are
substantiated, Cricket
Australia would have no
alternative but to not host
Afghanistan,” officials
As per the IPL schedule
announced for the first
two weeks, SRH will take
on Kolkata Knight Riders
on March 23 in Kolkata.
achieved for India is
remarkable. So, I don’t
think that comparison is
right in terms of where
my career is and what he
has already achieved,”
Mandhana said.
“The reason why I do not
like the comparison is that
what he has achieved is
great; he has been an
inspirational person. A
title does not define a lot of
things; we all respect him
and I feel like the respect
has to be right up there for
Virat. So, there is nothing
different from me as well,”
she said.
Both Mandhana and
Kohli wear No. 18 jerseys
and the left-handed batter
Cricket Australia on Tuesday postponed a three-match
T20 International home series against Afghanistan’s
men’ team in August this year.
said at the time.
In 2023, Australia pulled
out of a three-match one-
day international series in
the UAE, with the
Afghanistan Cricket
They will travel
Hyderabad for the tie
to
against Mumbai Indians
on March 27 and then pro-
ceed to Ahmedabad for the
said drawing comparison
between the two based on
that was unwarranted.
“I would not term it as
an 18 comparison. The jer-
sey number is just a per-
sonal choice; my birth
date is 18th and I have 18
on my back... it does not
define how he plays or
(how) I play my cricket.
He’s been an inspiration
to us in a lot of aspects, so
I would not say title
should define anything,”
she added.
Mandhana felt that the
men’s counterparts had
always played good com-
petitive cricket but an IPL
title had eluded them.
“I think, to be fair, the
— PTI
Board in Kabul describing
the decision as “pathetic”.
Afghanistan’s best
known cricketer, leg-spin-
ner Rashid Khan, threat-
ened to boycott Australia’s
game against Gujarat
Titans on March 31.
It remains to be seen if
the right-arm spinner will
be available for SRH’s
home fixture against CSK
on April 5.
GUTTED TO MISS IPL:
BEHRENDORFF
Australia and Mumbai
Indians fast bowler Jason
Behrendorff on Tuesday
said he was gutted to miss
this year’s IPL after frac-
turing his leg in a “freak
training incident”.
Behrendorff, a left-arm
pacer, was on Monday
replaced by England’s
Luke Wood in MI squad.
“Unfortunately, there
was a freak accident at
training last week which
resulted in my leg being
broken. It wasn’t anyone’s
fault, just a very unlucky
incident,” Behrendorff
wrote in a social media
post.
“I have loved being a part
of the MI Family and I am
absolutely gutted to be
missing this year’s IPL.”
Though the 33-year-old
didn’t elaborate on the
incident. — PTI
RCB MEN’S TEAM
LINE UP FOR
WOMEN CHAMPS
Bengaluru, March 19:
Captains Faf du Plessis,
Smriti Mandhana and
batting icon Virat Kohli
on Tuesday unveiled the
new jersey of Royal
Challengers Bengaluru
(RCB) during the RCB
Unbox event at the M.
Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The team’s new name
and logo were also
unveiled. The team will
now be known as Royal
Challengers Bengaluru.
The Unbox was special
this time, after the
women’s team’s recent
triumph in the Women’s
Premier League.
The Mandhana-led tri-
umphant women’s team,
received a special guard
of honour from the
men’s team amidst huge
applause from fans.
Former India pacer
and RCB star R Vinay
Kumar was also induct-
ed into the RCB Hall of
Fame as he joined AB de
Villiers and Chris Gayle.
Vinay Kumar is the
third highest wicket-
taker of RCB.
The event provided
fans a memorable expe-
rience of watching their
favourite stars in action
live with the entire team
taking part in a training
session, showcasing
glimpses of what’s to
come this season.
men’s team has also
played good cricket in the
last 16 years; it is not like
they have not played well.
I don’t think the compari-
son is right. RCB is a fran-
chise; let’s treat the men’s
and women’s teams sepa-
rately because we don’t
want to be compared.
“They are good at what
they do. We are good at
what we do,” she added.
On how she scripted the
team’s super spell, where
RCB grabbed nine Delhi
Capitals wickets for just 43
runs, Mandhana said
Sophie Molineux taking
three wickets after the
strategic timeout was the
turning point. — PTI
Big Bash League as a
result.
Before the return of the
Taliban, Afghanistan’s
cricket board was slowly
making progress growing
the game among women —
even contracting a small
number of semi-profes-
sional players in 2020.
Most of those players
would eventually flee to
Australia.
The Taliban took control
of the country in August
2021, renaming it the
Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan and
installing an interim gov-
ernment they said would
rule according to sharia.
Teenage girls have been
banned from attending
most secondary schools
and women from universi-
ties. — AFP
Vinesh & Sakshi
WRESTLING | ROW
now write to PM
New Delhi, March 19:
Urging Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to “do
something” to oust
“oppressors” like Brij
Bhushan Sharan Singh
from Indian sports, the
protesting duo of Vinesh
Phogat and Sakshi Malik
on Tuesday denounced
the IOA’s decision to hand
back wrestling’s adminis-
trative control to the con-
troversy-marred national
federation.
In strongly-worded
posts on X, the two
wrestlers, who have
accused Sharan Singh of
sexually harassing
women grapplers, called
on the PM to intervene.
“The Prime Minister is
a spin master, knows how
to spin the issue by invok-
ing ‘women power’ to
counter the speeches of
his rivals. Narendra Modi
ji, let us also know the
real truth of women
power,” posted Phogat,
who is bound for the
Olympic qualifiers next
month in the 50kg catego-
ry.
“Brij Bhushan, who
exploited women
wrestlers, has again
taken over wrestling. It is
hoped that you (PM) will
not just use women as
shields, but will also do
something to oust such
oppressors from the
sports institutions of the
country,” the Asian
Games gold medallist
wrote.
Retired Olympic medal-
list Sakshi Malik too said
that the Wrestling
Federation of India (WFI)
office-bearers were acting
as if they were above the
law.
NAGAL MAKES WINNING
START IN MIAMI OPEN
New Delhi, March 19:
Indian tennis player
Sumit Nagal showed
great composure on way
to a straight-set win over
Canada’s Gabriel Diallo
to make a bright start on
his debut at the Miami
Open here.
The 26-year-old, play-
ing the first-round quali-
fier match, kept his
nerves in the crucial
stages to outwit the 6
feet 8 inches tall
Canadian Diallo 7-6(3) 6-
2 on Monday.
Nagal, who had broken
into the world’s top-100
last month after win-
ning the Chennai Open,
will face Coleman Wong
next. agal won the tie-
breaker in the first set
after saving a break
point in the seventh
game, while he dominat-
ed the second set, break-
ing Diallo in the first
and seventh game.
OLYMPIC SHOOTING | QUALIFIER
Shreyasi, Mairaj in
12-member team
New Delhi, March 19:
Commonwealth Games
gold medallist Shreyasi
Singh, seasoned Mairaj
Ahmad Khan and World
Cup winner Ganemat
Sekhon on Tuesday fig-
ured in a 12-member shot-
gun squad picked for the
final Paris Games qualify-
ing competition, to be
held in Doha from April
19-29.
The National
Association of
(NRAI) announced the
Rifle
India
squads for various impor-
tant international compe-
titions in the run-up to
the Olympics, which will
be held in July-August.
Four quotas, one each in
men’s and women’s trap
and skeet, will be up for
grabs in the Doha compe-
tition. The existing quota
holders have been kept
out of the tournament.
Prithviraj Tondaiman
and Vivaan Kapoor in
men’s trap, Shreyasi and
Manisha Keer in women’s
trap, Mairaj and Sheeraz
Sheikh in men’s skeet and
Ganemat and
Maheshwari Chauhan in
women’s skeet are the
common shooters in each
of the three squads
announced.
While Zoravar Sandhu
pg 11
● Their outburst
comes a day after the
Indian Olympic
Association dissolved
the ad-hoc committee,
which was running
wrestling in the
country, and handed
over the reins to WFI,
led by Brij Bhushan's
close aide Sanjay
Singh.
“History is witness to
the fact that powerful peo-
ple in this country have
played with the honour of
women for centuries.
“...the rich miscreant is
so powerful that he is
above the government,
the Constitution and the
judiciary,” she alleged.
“After the government
suspended the wrestling
association, Brij Bhushan
and Sanjay Singh kept
giving statements that
this suspension is just a
show, we will be reinstat-
ed after a few days and we
will have control over the
wrestling association for-
ever.
“This proved to be true
and this letter from the
Indian Olympic
Association officially con-
firmed this and proved
that even in this new
India, the age-old tradi-
tion of insulting women
will continue.”
Their outburst comes a
day after the Indian
Olympic Association dis-
solved the ad-hoc commit-
tee, which was running
wrestling in the country,
and handed over the reins
to WFI, led by Brij
Bhushan’s close aide
Sanjay Singh. — PTI
Sumit Nagal
He is likely to reach a
new career-high rank-
ing of world No. 92 after
this win.
In his last tournament,
Nagal had lost to Milos
Raonic at the Indian
Wells after qualifying
for the main draw fol-
lowing the last-minute
withdrawal of Rafael
Nadal.
Nagal had created
quite a flutter in
January when
advanced to the second
round of the Australian
Open.
he
— PTI
gets a crack in men’s trap
in Doha, Neeru in
women’s trap, Angad
Bajwa in men’s skeet and
Areeba Khan in women’s
skeet also get a shot at a
Paris quota.
For the final three
events leading up to Paris
— namely the Green Cup
Shotgun in Umbria, Italy,
the ISSF combined World
Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan
(both in May) and the
Shotgun World Cup in
Lonato, Italy (June) —
quota holders Bhowneesh
Mendiratta (men’s trap),
Rajeshwari Kumari
(women’s trap), Anant
Jeet Singh Naruka (men’s
skeet) and Raiza Dhillon
(women’s skeet) make a
comeback along with the
top rankers.
The Olympic shogtun
probables are currently
undergoing a technical
training camp in New
Delhi which will be fol-
lowed by preparatory
camps for both the trap
and skeet teams before
they depart for Doha.
India have so far won 19
quotas for the Paris
Games. The shotgun
squad has so far won the
highest number (4) of
Olympic quotas ever.
— PTI
 GAMES
DECCAN CHRONICLE | CHENNAI | WEDNESDAY | 20 MARCH 2024
pg 12

BOWLING BLUES
INTER-COLLEGE | T20
SHORT TAKES
Brunson, Knicks
tame Warriors as Sivapriya scalps
Lakers romp
Los Angeles: Jalen Brunson
scored 34 points as the New
Bumrah needs off-season to avoid injury, says McGrath
seven in Ethiraj’s
York Knicks completed a wire-
to-wire 119-112 road victory over
the Golden State Warriors in
San Francisco on Monday. The
Chennai, March 19:
Jasprit Bumrah needs an
emphatic victory
Warriors, fresh from Saturday's ‘off-season’ since his bowl-
high-scoring win over the Los ing action with an ‘exten- DC CORRESPONDENT
Angeles Lakers, were always on sive effort’ could result in CHENNAI, MARCH 19
the back foot after New York ace India pacer suffering
sprinted into an early 20-6 first further injuries, warned K.M. Sivapriya scalped
quarter lead at the Chase legendary Australian seven wickets as Ethiraj
Center. Point guard Brunson pacer Glenn McGrath College thrashed
pulled the strings superbly to here on Tuesday. Chellammal by 10 wickets
guide an injury-hit Knicks line- Bumrah spent a lengthy in the pre-quarterfinal of
up to an impressive win that period on the sidelines for the 10th Pavit Singh
keeps them firmly on course for undergoing a surgery on Nayar Memorial T20
the playoffs. Brunson received his back in March 2023, inter-college tournament
scoring support from Miles while being already out of on Tuesday.
McBride, who finished with a action since September Brief scores
career-high 29 points in just his 2022. In between, he also Women: Pre-QF: Guru K.M. Sivapriya
sixth NBA start. missed the 2022 T20 World Nanak 300 for three in 20
"We keep finding ways to win," Cup in Australia as well as Jasprit Bumrah overs (K. Yogyasri 101,
Brunson said afterwards. the IPL 2023. Trisha Madhu 128) bt SSS
"Staying poised, staying confi- The right-arm pacer, Jain 36 in 15.4 overs
dent -- just sticking together." who returned to action a (Jayadhanyha Gunasekar
But the loss was another body little earlier than antici- two for eight, Jeni Plautila
blow for the erratic Warriors, pated to lead India in their two for six, Rithika Kalyan
who are 17-18 at home this sea- three-match T20I tour of two for seven, S. Anupriya
son. Golden State occupy 10th Ireland last August, hit two for 14). Chellammal
place in the Western the stride immediately 34 in 9.4 overs (K.M.
Conference — the last of the and went on to claim 20 Sivapriya seven for three)
four play-in berths. Stephen wickets in the 50-over lost to Ethiraj 38 for no
Curry led Golden State's scor- World Cup. loss in 2.4 overs (N.S.
ers with 27 points. McGrath said owing to Subhaharini 26 not out).
In Los Angeles, the Lakers his action and workload, Men: SMVEC, Puducherry
bounced back from Saturday's Bumrah needs time off 99 for six in 20 overs lost
defeat to the Warriors with an from the game given the to Gobi Arts & Science, K. Yogyasri
emphatic 136-105 win over the amount of effort that goes Coimbatore 102 for three
Atlanta Hawks. D'Angelo into his bowling. in 8.2 overs (K.
Russell drained six-of-10 from “The last two strides Sabareeswaran 27, S.
three-point distance to finish that he takes, he just pow- Giriharan 39 not out). Guru
with 27 points, while LeBron ers into the crease. Thus, Nanak 242 for four in 20
James finished with 25 points his momentum increases, Glenn McGrath overs (S. Arun 51, M.
and Anthony Davis 22. and that’s where he gets Boopathi Vaishna Kumar
The Lakers are ninth in the the pace,” McGrath said 87, S. R. Athish 41, Anirudh
West on 37-32. during an interaction Seshadri 50 not out, S.
In other games on with the media here at the Rishvanth two for 22) bt
Monday, the Cleveland MRF Pace Foundation. AM Jain 93 for eight in 20
Cavaliers fought back from a “Someone like Bumrah overs (Manchand Singh
15-point deficit to grind out a needs an off-season 35, V.S. Karthick
108-103 victory over the Indiana because he puts so much Manikandan). RKM
Pacers in Indianapolis. into every ball. With so Vivekananda 237 for five in
Jarrett Allen and much extensive effort, he 20 overs (A .Badrinath 28, Trisha Madhu
Caris LeVert led the Cavaliers needs a break. If he keeps Barath Srinivas 32 not out,
with 23 points apiece while the playing, the amount of Subhan Sridhar 135 not
Cleveland defense restricted pressure created given the out, Saiel Pol three for 53) Risheek Kumar 88, K.
Tyrese Haliburton to just 14 bowling action he has, he bt Pillai College, Mumbai Vishal 59, Mathew Richard
points. Cleveland improved to is bound to get injured, “We have Avesh Khan bought by Sunrisers done in the past. I don’t ing a win in the World Cup 82 in 14 overs (Ashwin three for 23, Mathew
43-25 with the win to remain in which he has in the past,” and many others in the Hyderabad for Rs 20 crore. think it (the price tag) will final last year against John 30, Nidhish S. Rodriguez two for 26) bt
third place in the Eastern said the fast bowling fray. We will see in the “For Starc, he chose not impact them even one per India, McGrath said play- Rajagopal three for 22, V. Mar Gregorios 60 in 17.1
Conference behind the first- great. future. Having so many to come to the IPL due to cent,” McGrath said. ers from Down Under still Sanjeev Kumar five for 18). overs (Krithick Babu four
placed Boston Celtics and sec- McGrath said having a good right-arm bowlers is personal reasons. But he McGrath cited the exam- struggle to cope with the Sri Ramakrishna College, for 18, D. Pradeep two for
ond-placed Milwaukee Bucks. good stable of right-arm the reason why we haven’t comes back and gets a ple of England’s 41-year- conditions. Coimbatore 173 for four in four, M. Subash Chandra
The Celtics, runaway leaders of pacers has not forced seen a left-arm Indian record price,” McGrath old James Anderson when “It’s just the attitude of 20 overs G. Ajitesh 39, S. Bose two for 14). Loyola
the Eastern Conference with a India to search desperate- pacer lately,” he added. said. it came to longevity while the Australian sports peo- Sachin 73 not out, R. 122 in 19.4 overs (S. Sri
54-14 record, strolled to anoth- ly for a left-arm bowler. Meanwhile, McGrath “He will be looking for- discussing what is ahead ple “they are very compet- Kishore 36, K.M. Rohith Abisek 41, S. Venkatesh
er routine victory with a 119-94 “The Indian fast bowling backed Australian quicks ward to it. On his day, if for Starc. itive and back themselves two for 32) bt Christ three for four, Meganathan
defeat of the Detroit Pistons at has been set for a long Mitchell Starc and Pat he is moving the ball “It all depends on what to perform on the big College, Irinjalakuda 139 Kumar three for 17) lost to
Boston's TD Garden. time and hasn’t had a big Cummins, two of the around, he will be as good he wants. He is 34, I stage,” he said. for eight in 20 overs (C.S. Kongu Arts & Science,
turnover. The way costliest player in IPL auc- as any other fast bowler. retired when I was 33, and “They used to adapt bet- Sibin 44, C.U. Krishna Erode 126 for four in 14.5
(Mohammed) Shami, tion history, to not get The money that they have Jimmy (James) Anderson ter before. India is always Prasad 49, M. Pranesh overs (Meganathan Kumar
Bumrah, (Mohammed) bogged down by the price received is incredible. But is still moving the ball at the toughest place for the three for 24, Rihan Ali two 39, S. Venkatesh 32 not
Shruthi qualifies Siraj and Umesh (Yadav)
have delivered, only when
tag.
Starc was roped in for a
they are both very experi-
enced players and know
41. It’s about how much
game time he gets and
Australians to adapt. They
haven’t been able to adapt
for eleven). Guru Nanak ‘B’
198 for five in 20 overs
out, Manav Parakh three
for 18). TKR, Hyderabad 85
for main draw of they move older, we can
think of having a change,”
whopping Rs 24.75 crore
by Kolkata Knight Riders
the game well,? he added.
“They are going to go out
how he and his body are
enjoying it,” he said.
to the spin conditions
here as better as other
(Adittya Varadharajan 89
not out, S. Santhosh
in 15.1 overs (Aryan Krishna
30, B. Iyappan three for 14,
All India snooker McGrath said. whereas Cummins was and play well as they have Despite Australia clinch- countries do,” he said. Kumar 76, Shivam
Gondhali two for 25, Viraj
S.J. Arunkumar two for 22,
A.D. Siyam Vikas two for
Chennai: L. Shruthi defeated her Patil two for 36) bt CKT eight) lost to KPR Arts &
group opponents Mayank and
Jabez Naveen Kumar to qualify
for the main draw of the Towers
Club- All Indian Open snooker
MARY AND SAKSHI SHARE LEAD AFTER SECOND ROUND
DC CORRESPONDENT her second win by defeat- RESULTS
College, Panvel 86 for
seven in 20 overs (G.
Vignesh two for six, S.
Jayant two for seven).
Science, Coimbatore 90
for two in 13 overs (K.T.A.
Madhava Prasad 46 not
out, A.D. Siyam Vikas 26
tournament on Tuesday. Pachaiyappas’ 194 for not out, Sheik Aaqib two
Qualifying round results: CHENNAI, MARCH 19 ing India's Rindhiya V Round 2: 1. WIM Bommini seven in 20 overs (S. for eighteen).
L.Shruthi (TN) bt Jabez Naveen with the black pieces, in Mounika Akshaya (India)
Kumar (TN) 3-0 (56-41, 47-43, Women Grandmaster what appeared to be a 0 lost to WIM Angela
closely contested French
56-37); Varoon Victor (kerala)
bt Nirmal Vel (TN) 3-1 (59-37,
Mary Ann Gomes and
Women International opening encounter.
Franco Valencia
(Colombia) 1; 2. WIM TDCA INTER-SCHOOL | CRICKET
30-76, 61-26, 56-49); Arshad Master Sakshi Chitlange In other matchups of the Monisha GK (India) 1 lost Vetriselvan hogs limelight
Ahmed (TN) bt D. Ganesh (TN) are sharing the lead with second round, Angela to WGM Mary Ann Gomes R.T. Vetriselvan slammed a century as Ebenezer
3-0 (75(30)-06, 45-14, 59 (37)- two wins apiece after the Franco of Colombia (India) 2; 3. WGM MHSS beat SBOA in the semifinal of the OCF (TCL)-
01); MK.Shemil (Kerala) bt second round of the secured her first victory Enkhtuul Altan Ulzii Thiruvallur DCA U-16 inter-school tournament on
Shriraam (TN) 3-1 (40-62, 77- Velammal AICF Women by defeating India's (Mongolia) 1 drew with Tuesday.
49, 76-38, 81-48); Ashish (TN) GM Round Robin tourna- Mounika Akshaya. WGM Nino Maisuradze Brief scores (SF): Velammal International
bt Nishanth (TN) 3-0 (66-23, 71- ment. Additionally, in the (France) 0.5; 4. WGM (Panchetti) 228 for 9 in 30 overs (R. Pranav 62, A
246, 55-10); Fahd Habibullah Mary initiated her cam- remaining matches, Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh Tamil Selvan 43, Amul Subash 35, Santhosh Saran
(TN) bt K. Lokesh (TN) 3-0 (52- paign by securing a victo- Enkhtuul Altan Ulzii of (Mongolia) 0.5 drew with three for 37) bt Velammal Bodhi (Ponneri) 95 in
17, 83-09, 46-26); Aditya (TN) ry in the first round GK Monnisha (left) and Mary Ann Gomes. Mongolia drew with IM Sedina Elena (Italy) 1; 24.1 overs (Amul Subash four for 15, R. Lokesh
bt Natesh (TN) 3-0 (65-12, 66- against Colombia's Women France's Nino Maisuradze, 5. Rindhiya V (India) 0 Kumar three for 11). Ebenezer MHSS (Korattur)
the black pieces in a triumph in the first round,
55, 71-33); Senthil Kumar (TN) International Master Uurtsaikh Uuriintuya lost to WIM Chitlange 232 for 4 in 30 overs (R.T. Vetriselvan 149, K. Tamil
Sicilian Opening, after a outplaying Mongolia's
bt Sarangarajan (TN) 3-0 (56-41, Angela Franco, while in shared points with Italy's Sakshi (India) 2; 6. Selvam 28, L. Anandharooban 40) bt SBOA 174
strategic 31-move battle. third seed, Uurtsaikh
54-16, 64-31); Syed Sikkander the second round, she con- Sedina Elena, and India's Velpula Sarayu (India) 1.5 for 5 in 30 overs (C. Lokesh 25, M.S. Ritheesvar 51,
On the other hand, Uuriintuya , in an impres-
(QBC) bt Ankit (SSA) tinued her winning streak Velpula Sarayu split the drew with WIM S.P. Ashwin 40).
Sakshi Chitlange com- sive endgame. In the subse-
3-1(66-23, 75-42, 30-64, 56-16); by defeating fellow Indian points with compatriot Mahalakshmi M (India)
menced her journey with a quent round, she secured
Pragnesh (Telungana) bt Smijith player Monnisha GK with Mahalakshmi M. 1.5.
(Kerala) 3-0 (63-44, 57-24, 76-
08)
Round 1: Naveen (TN) bt
Vijendra (TN) 3-0 (48-14, 63-16,
70-22); Smijith (kerala) bt
A.Basker (TN) 3-2 (55-46, 38-
60, 45-55, 52-16); Kunal Jain
Veerraviswa slams century for Egmore Recreation Club
(TN) bt Prasad (TN) 3-0 (52-23, DC CORRESPONDENT 60, S Keshav 3/55) beat
59-29, 57-27); Atul Kishore CHENNAI, MARCH 19 Grove Cricket Club 150 in
(KERALA) bt Laxmikanth (MUC) 42.1 overs (A Bavanithan
3-0 (47-30,78-12, 58-29); K. Veerraviswa’s century 37, S Klinton 4/30, N
VN.Arunkumar (TN) bt Nelson helped Egmore Recreation Kumar 3/32, A Z Laiqa
(TN) 3-0(51-25, 93-27, 52-18); Club beat National Ariz 3/39). Youngsters
Ajeesh (KERALA) bt Avinash Recreation Club by two Cricket Club 257 in 41.3
(TN) wickets in the second divi- overs (G S Gowsigan 67,E
3-1 (77-29, 38-48, 53-11, 59-32); sion of the TNCA league. Dhaneshwar 44,R
Nigel Lazar (TN) bt S.Karuna Brief scores: II Division: Chinnarasu 34,K Rahul
(TN) 3-2 (47-54, 52-10, 46-33, Madras Cricket Club 208 Raj 32,K Anandhan 4/60,
47-49, 38-20); Senthil Kumar in 46.4 Overs (V Hari A Vijay 3/75) beat
(CBE), bt Gowri Shankar (TN) 3- Ragavendra 47, A Ranjan Vepery Cricket club 250
1 (53-3,52-16,59-18,61-43); 43, A Karthik Sankar in 48 overs (M Prabhu 55,
K.Umar Raifan (KERALA) bt 4/36, Rahul Azariah M Senthil Vadivelraj 50, S
B.Sethuram (TN) 3-0 (63-39, 3/47) beat RKS Cricket K. Veerraviswa S. Mohamed Rafan Sumant Jain T. Pravin T. Vignesh Pathy Manikandan 39, M R
58-48, 58-25); Varoon Victor Academy 154 in 42.5 Madhan 35,K Vijayan
(TN) bt Damu Menon (TN) 3-2 Overs (R Nanda Gopal Alexandar 3/45) beat Garnet CC 324 for 4 in 50 G Vignesh 30, M Kalai Manikandan 4/53) beat Shyam 3/51). 4/59, D Saravanan 4/76).
(18-29, 70-48, 51-62, 08-58, 61- 40, A Ranjan 3/36, I Indian Bank Sports & overs (Sumant Jain 111 Selvan 3/29) ICI Sports & Recreation V Division ‘A’ Zone: Egmore Club 205 in 49.2
51); L.Shruthi (TN) bt Mayank Prakash 3/35). National Recreation Club 226 in n.o, 121 b, 3x4, 2x6, R V Division 'D’ Zone: Club 148 in 27 overs (R Universal RC 145 in 36.4 overs (V Vignesh 51, Syed
(TN) 3-0 (64-58, 67-52, 59-22); Recreation Club 281 for 4 47.1 overs (S Aravinthan Mithun 107 n.o, 80 b, Globe CC 45 in 22.3 overs Ahillan 30, R Prabhuram overs (C Karthick 59, L J Abdul Asif 38, C Rajesh
Thamil Vanan (TN) bt Prathap in 50 overs (R Pravin 115 52, Aditya Garhwal 62, V 10x4, 3x6, A Vignesh 57) (S Mohamed Rafan (las) 4/49, A Vivek 3/21). Mukund 3/27,G Varun 4/49) lost to
Anand (TC) 3-0 (49-10, 75-64, (99b, 11x4, 3x6), S Nepolian 34) Note: Match beat Reserve Bank RC 8/11) lost to Chennai P&T Sridhar Cricket Club 163 3/27) lost to St. Mary’s Nungambakkam SC 208
72-42). Santhosh Kumar 62, H reduced to 49 overs per 305 in 49.3 overs (T Audit RC 46 for 1 in 19.5 in 45.3 overs (V Sri Hari CC 148 for 6 in 34 overs for 7 in 48.2 (R.T.
Dinesh 39, T Kapil 49 n.o, side due to wet pitch. The Vignesh Pathy 125, 117 b, overs. Egmore Excelsiors 30, M Vasanth 33, P (S Yugesh 76,V Aiyappan Vetriselvan 64, S Aravind
R Kirubakar 3/59) lost to Jupiter Sports Club 304 15x4, 2x6, S Surender 50, 239 in 46.1 Overs (S M Mathivanan 3/27) beat 39 n.o). Kohinoor XI 189 4/60). Companions
Regd. No. TNENG/2010/35692 Egmore Recreation Club for 8 in 50 overs (S S Murali 41, R Raguram Beaulet Julin 86, Santu Unicorn Cricket Club 72 in 47.5 overs (L Cricket Club 200 for 9 in
284 for 8 in 49.4 overs (K Santosh Shiv 63,V 3/44, M Prabhu 3/68) Jose 37, S Sanjay in 24.4 overs (M Karthikeyan 42,C 50 overs (N
Printed & Published by K. Sudhakar on III Division 'B’ Zone: Sical Muneeshwaran 33, A
behalf of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited Veerraviswa 100 (91b, Satyanarayanan 61, R Bhardwaj 4/35) beat Gowtham 4/18, S Pasupathy 4/32) lost to
and Printed at Deccan Chronicle Presses 12x4), S Shyam Sundar Nilesh Subramanian 57, B RC 231 in 50 Overs (J NUC 86 in 27.5 Overs (S Inbarasu 4/27). Gandhi Air India SC 195 for 3 in Faiyaz Ali 29, T
situated at SP 3, Developed Plot, 32, M Raja 46 n.o, T Kapil Rahul 47) beat Southern Gowjith Subash 86, U M Beaulet Julin 6/33). Cricket Club 172 in 48.3 32.1 overs (M Darshan 60, Sundaramurthy 46 n.o,
Industrial Estate,
Guindy, Chennai - 600 032. 3/60). T I Cycles Sports Railway Institute 226 for Sasidev 72, A V R BSNL Chennai overs (S A Bhavik Dariyo M Kaushik 54, Yuvaraja Arish Ramalan 3/38) lost
RNI Registration No: TN ENG/2005/14987 And Recreation Club 249 6 in 50 overs (A Rakesh Rathnam 27 n.o, T Telephones Recreation 68, M Mohammed Younus Sreenivasan 55 n.o). to George Town United
Ph Nos: 22254747, 22254748, 22254750, for 9 in 49 overs (S Sri 61,Jafar Jamal 56,H Manojkumar 3/40) beat Club 235 in 48.3 overs (K 3/33, Vasantha Kumar Madras Indians Cricket Club 201 for 8 in 42.5
22254751
Editor: KAUSHIK MITTER Abisek 69, G Dilip 79, D Khadar Basha 35 n.o, R Perungalathur CC 192 in Ramji 63, S Madhan 4/32) lost to Shivaji Club 228 for 6 in 50 overs overs (B Siddharth 59,
Karthick 35 n.o, S G Thameem Ansari 3/48) 41.3 Overs (G Surender Kumar 48, R Rithik Cricket Club 176 for 8 in (S Vishnu Prabhu 34, V Arun Bala Sagar 33, A
Karneswaran 3/64, R III Division 'A’ Zone: 83, A R Siva Murugan 30, Varshan 3/44, M 46.3 overs (J R Ranga Adityakaran 65, S Saran Faiyaz Ali 3/51).