FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. 13 NO. 211 | BHOPAL | SATURDAY | JANUARY 13, 2024 | PAGES 16 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; `3 r RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in - A PARTY CAN’T HAVE 2 WHIPS: NARWEKAR Pg-8 NATION REDUCE INFLUENCE OF DYNASTIC POLITICS, PM MODI URGES YOUTH WEATHER EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE 25.00c. 15.10c Sunrise : 07.09 Sunset : 06.00 LLOYD BATS FOR ROHIT, KOHLI INCLUSION Pg-14 7 YEARS ON, DEBRIS OF MISSING IAF PLANE FOUND 29 PEOPLE onboard the AN-32 had died NEW DELHI NEWS BRIEF Army convoy attacked in Poonch, none injured SRINAGAR: Terrorists attacked Army vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch Friday evening, prompting the soldiers within to return fire. There are no reports of injuries or deaths so far. "At around 1800 today, a security forces convoy of vehicles was fired upon by suspected terrorists from a jungle near Krishna Ghati (in) Poonch sector. No casualties to own troops. Joint search operations by J&K Police and Indian Army in progress," the Army said. Industrial growth slumps to 2.4% in Nov NEW DELHI: India's industrial growth rate slumped to an 8-month low of 2.4 per cent in November from a 16month high of 11.6 per cent in October, data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Friday showed. In November 2022, the country's industrial production had grown by 7.6 per cent. The growth rate for November was dragged down by the manufacturing sector, which slowed to a crawl of 1.2 per cent on a year-on-year basis after having posted an increase of 10.2 per cent in October. Moni Baba to chant Ram's name on Jan 22 DATIA: Moni Baba, who took a pledge not to speak at the age of 10 and has been walking barefoot for years with a resolve to build the Ram Mandir, will break his silence by chanting Lord Ram's name on January 22.Moni Baba in MP has resolved not to wear slippers until the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the establishment of Ram Lalla. As soon as Ram Lalla is seated in the temple, he will give up the pledge of not wearing slippers and not speaking. Retail inflation at 5.69% in Dec NEW DELHI: Retail inflation rose at the fastest pace in four months in December 2023 at 5.69 per cent, on account of an increase in prices of vegetables, pulses, and spices, according to government data released on Friday. The annual inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at 5.55 per cent in November and 5.72 per cent in the year-ago month. As per the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the rate of price rise in the food basket, which constitutes nearly half of the CPI, increased to 9.53 per cent in December 2023, as against 8.7 per cent in the preceding month, and 4.19 per cent in December 2022. The National Institute of Ocean Technology has managed to locate the wreckage of a transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) that went missing seven years ago on July 22, 2016, with 29 people on board. The wreckage of an An32 aircraft has been located at a depth of around 3.4 km in the Bay of Bengal with the help of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) with deep-sea exploration capability . "The search images were scrutinised and found to conform to an An-32 aircraft. This discovery at the probable crash site, with no other recorded history of any other missing aircraft report in the same area, points to the debris as possibly belonging to the crashed IAF An-32," the ministry said in a statement. Large-scale search-andrescue operations involving aircraft and ships could not locate any missing personnel or the wreckage of the plane since it went missing. The National Institute of Ocean Technology, which functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, had recently deployed an AUV with deepsea exploration capability PM INAUGURATES COUNTRY’S LONGEST SEA BRIDGE Atal Setu a reflection of Viksit Bharat: Modi MODI GUARANTEE that country will change has come true, he declares MUMBAI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the country's longest sea bridge `Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu' which connects south Mumbai with the satellite city of Navi Mumbai, and said the completion of the Rs 17,840 crore project was the reflection of a changed India. When he laid the foundation stone of the project (then called Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL)) which had faced a lot of roadblocks on December 24, 2016, he had resolved that the country will undergo a change, the PM said at the program near Navi Mumbai, noting that the bridge's construction got completed despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The six-lane trans-harbour bridge is 21.8 km long MODI STARTS SPECIAL 11-DAY RELIGIOUS EXERCISE NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Modi on Friday began a special 11-day religious exercise preceding the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, as he spoke about experiencing feelings like never before in his life. "I am emotional. I am overwhelmed with emotions. For the first time in life, I am experiencing such feelings," he said, noting that the dream which many generations carried in their hearts like a resolve will be witnessed by him as it is being realised. The inner journey he is undergoing can only be felt and not expressed, Modi said in an audio message, adding that he is unable to articulate with words the depth, expanse and intensity of the feelings. with a 16.5 km sea-link. "(Earlier) People were fed up with mega projects getting stalled and had given up hope that such projects would ever be completed. It was Modi's guarantee that the country will change," the prime minister further said. Before 2014, mega scams were a topic of discussion while now mega projects getting completed is a topic of discussion, Modi said, adding, "Dreams are coming true ten years later. The sea bridge is a reflection of `Viksit Bharat' (developed India)." The upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport, Mumbai coastal road, AURIC (Aurangabad Industrial City) in central Maharashtra's Marathwada region, the Mumbai-Delhi Industrial Corridor and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project will boost Maharashtra's economy in the years to come, the prime minister said. The Atal Setu was an important part of his government's "Viksit Bharat Sankalp" (resolve to make India a developed country), he said, adding that not just the country but the whole world was "looking at the bridge." Each mega project is crucial for the country's development, Modi said, adding, "for us, it is not a day's event or something for publicity in the media". The projects he launched in the Mumbai region on Friday were linked to "rail, road, metro and water," he said. CONTD. ON P8 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said the state will send five lakh laddus from Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar shrine to Ayodhya for the consecration of the Ram temple on January 22. The chief minister and other ministers performed 'Surya Namaskar' and yoga SC seeks HC reply on sacking of six women judges in MP NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Friday took cognisance of termination of the services of six women civil judges by the Madhya Pradesh government for their unsatisfactory performance and issued notice to the registrar general of the high court seeking a response. The court also issued notice to the axed judicial officers, asking them to place on record their contentions. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol noted in the order that Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had taken cognisance of the matter which was registered as writ petition. Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, who has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter, said three of the six former judges who approached the top court last year after their services were terminated, have also moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court against their dismissal and their petition is pending there. He said the three former judicial officers had filed a writ petition in the apex court last year but later withdrew it. CONTD. ON P8 ‘Decision not to attend Ram temple event to cost Cong in LS polls’ LAKSHMAN SINGH seeks reason for declining the invite OUR STAFF REPORTER BHOPAL The Congress leaders have opened a front against the party high command for declining the invitation to idol consecration ceremony at Ram temple in Ayodhya. The brother of former chief minister Digvijaya Singh and party's former MLA Lakshman Singh has criticised the Congress high command for it. The party has to face problem in the Lok Sabha election for turning down the invitation, Lakshman said, adding that those who fought for construction of Ram temple had the right to perform the consecration ceremony of the idol of Ramlala at the temple and to invite others to the occasion. Lakshman wanted to know from the high command the reason for taking such a decision. The leaders of the present generation have no Wife’s refusal Aishwary Singh bags gold and silver to have sex is cruelty: MP HC OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in VALID GROUND FOR DIVORCE BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has held that a wife’s refusal to consummate marriage or have physical relationship with her husband amounts to mental cruelty and is a valid ground for the husband to seek divorce. A division bench of Justices Sheel Nagu and Vinay Saraf set aside a Bhopal family court order of November 2014 that refused to grant divorce to a man who contended that his wife was subjecting him to mental cruelty by refusing to have sexual relations with him. “We are unable to accept the findings of the trial court on the issue of absence of consummation of marriage or physical intimacy. The trial court has wrongly held that failure on the part of the wife to consummate the marriage cannot be a ground for divorce…,” the High Court said in its order passed on January 3. The HC noted that the wife had denied consummation of marriage from the date of the wedding on July 12, 2006, until the husband left India on July 28, 2006. “The appellant (husband) solemnised the marriage… was hopeful to consummate the marriage but the same was denied by the respondent (wife) and certainly the said act of the respondent amounts to mental cruelty,” the order read. CONTD. ON P8 Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar clinched individual silver and contributed to Team India’s gold in the 50m rifle 3 positions men event at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday . Aishwary’s teammate, Akhil Sheoran, secured the top spot with a gold ASIAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS medal, completing a onetwo for India. The duo also TEAM INDIA ARRIVES IN INDORE during an event at a school to mark the National Youth Day observed on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, "We are going to send five lakh laddus from the famous Mahakaleshwar Mandir, Ujjain, to Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple on January 22." Yadav said Mughal emperor Babar demolished the temple in Ayodhya. Now that it has been rebuilt, how can Madhya Pradesh be left behind in celebrating the occasion, he asked. People will be sent to Ayodhya from different states for darshan at the Ram temple on specific secured a team gold in the 50m 3 positions event. With Tomar finishing with a score of 459 and Sheoran on the podium with a score of 460.2, they outshone their competitors, with Thailand’s Thongphaphum Vongsukdee earning the bronze. In the team event, Tomar, Sheoran, and Swapnil Rohit Sharma leads Team India out of Devi Ahilyabai International airport in Indore on Friday for second T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday dates, which the Centre will provide, he said. The chief minister said Swami Vivekanand's life was inspirational. "We are privileged that Bharat has the highest youth population in the world," he said, adding that a hundred years ago, Swami Vivekanand declared that the 21st century would belong to India, he said. India is transforming and achieving numerous milestones, from Chandrayaan to Gaganyaan, and even Aditya L-1 spacecraft, India's first space-based mission to study the Sun, Yadav said. "India is crafting its destiny with various accomplishments," he added. Kusale secured a gold medal with an aggregate of 1,758 points. This accomplishment placed them ahead of China and South Korea, establishing India’s dominance in the competi, tion. Individually Tomar secured the third position in the qualification rounds with a total score of 588, while Sheoran finished sixth with 586. DETAILED REPORT ON P-15 Destiny chose PM Modi for Ram temple construction, says Advani NEW DELHI ‘Malakal to send 5L laddus for Ram temple consecration’ BHOPAL at the last known location of the missing An-32 aircraft. "This search was conducted at a depth of 3,400 metres using multiple payloads, including a multi-beam SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging), synthetic aperture SONAR and high-resolution photography," the defence ministry said. "Analysis of search images had indicated the presence of debris from crashed aircraft on the sea bed approximately 140 nautical miles (3.10 km) from the Chennai coast," it said. Destiny had decided that a grand temple of Lord Ram will be built in Ayodhya and it chose Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this, BJP stalwart L K Advani has said in an article to be published in a special edition of the 'Rashtra Dharma' magazine next week. In his article 'Ram Mandir Nirman, Ek Divya Swapna Ki Purti', Advani referred to the 'Rath Yatra' he took out 33 years ago for Ram temple construction and said he believes the Ayodhya movement was the "most decisive and transformative event" in his political journey which allowed him to "rediscover India and, in the process, re-understand himself". The BJP veteran, who was at the forefront of the Ram temple agitation, also remembered former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying he is feeling his absence ahead of the grand consecration event at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. "Today the Rath Yatra completed 33 years. When we started the Rath Yatra on the morning of September 25, 1990, we did not know that the faith in Lord Ram with which we were starting this Yatra would take the form of a movement in the country," a source quoted Advani as saying in his article. In his article to be published in a special edition of the 76-year-old Hindi magazine 'Rashtra Dharma' on January 16, sources said Advani has noted that current prime minister Narendra Modi was with him throughout the Rath Yatra. right to reject the decision of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who got the lock of the temple opened. If the party leadership continues to count on such people as advised it to decline the invitation, the Congress will face more electoral losses, he said. When Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi got the lock of the temple opened, the then chief minister of UP Veer Bahadur Singh said 46 acres would be given for construction of the temple, but it did not happen, Lakshman said. Afterwards, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, he said, adding that Sants had launched the campaign for construction of Ram temple. The intellectuals and the political parties joined the campaign afterwards, he said. They fought for a long time and then got the success, he said, adding that Digvijaya is a wise man. Lakshman did not say anything more about its brother. Lakshman said everyone should go to Ayodhya, and he would go there every year, because he is dedicated to Lord Ram. CONTD. ON P8 Stray dogs drag infant from hut, maul him to death OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Stray dogs dragged a sevenmonth-old from his hut in Ayodhya Nagar locality of the city and killed him on Thursday morning, the police said. The kin of the deceased infant said they had found his half-eaten, mutilated body, which was buried by them later. The police said they are investigating the case. Ayodhya Nagar police station house officer (SHO) Ritesh Sharma said that the incident took place in the hut owned by Mahendra Balmiki. He used to reside in Shiv Nagar slums located close to Minal Residency. In the early hours of Thursday, Balmiki had gone out for work and his wife too had stepped outside. Their seven-month-old infant was asleep inside the hut. During this, several stray dogs barged into the hut and dragged the infant’s body out of the hut. They took him to some distance, where they mauled him to death and ate up one of his hands. The incident was spotted by some people who informed the infant's kin of the same. The kin rushed to the spot to find the baby dead. They then buried his body without informing his parents. The case escalated when the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) team went to the area to catch stray dogs, and the residents of the slum created a ruckus there. CONTD. ON P8