Vol. 67 No. 117 | WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 14, 2024 | 27 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Quality at Value www.freepressjournal.in EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL Celebrity couples who got married on the day of love EDIT EXODUS WOES FOR CONGRESS A ‘TEARFUL’ SIGHT Protesting farmers are reined in with teargas shells and water cannons RAJESH MOUDGIL/ GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR / CHANDIGARH, NEW DELHI A multitude of farmers from Punjab, trying to force their entry into Haryana, clashed with the police on Tuesday at the Shambhu barrier on Ambala-Patiala border, even as tear gas and water cannons rained on them. The skirmishes brought back images of the 2020-21 farmers’ protests against the three farm laws with the authorities barricading the borders of Delhi with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, leading to traffic snarls all across the National Capital Region. While the main demand of the farmers this time is making the Minimum Support Price mechanism legally binding, the tension was palpable with the Lok Sabha elections on the horizon and every move of the farmers, security agencies and the police being watched closely Given the poor visibility with the . , entire area shrouded in huge plumes of smoke, hundreds of farmers and their supporters, as well as media personnel, were seen scurrying as the sound of popping tear gas shells brought them to their toes. Dramatic visuals, primarily at the Shambhu border, showed police and se- The use of tractors -- as `weapons of mass disruption’ by protesting farmers -- is a major cause of concern for security agencies and the civil authorities; recent intelligence reports suggested Mumbai lad is JEE topper SIMPLE VISHWAKARMA / MUMBAI 17-year-old Aryan Prakash, a student from Mumbai who is all set to take his Class 12 boards this year, has emerged as the topper in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains 2024, scoring in the 100th percentile at his very first attempt and bringing pride Aryan Prakash and joy to not just his family but the whole city , . An elated Aryan told The Free Press Journal, ‘‘It was my first attempt. My preparation was good, and I was expecting a good result.’’ CONTD. ON NATION 3 from state among 23 with perfect scores curity personnel dropping smoke bombs from drones to disperse the farmers. The momentarily dazed protestors, with layers of scarves around their faces, tried to scale the concrete barriers. The green fields enveloped in smoke (from tear gas guns) made a grim sight with a few farmers hurling stones from their hideouts. FARMERS CAME `PREPARED’ The protesting farmers had come prepared this time to counter police action. So much so, they carried water tanks along so as to repeatedly keep the scarves wet and cleanse their faces to mitigate the adverse effect of the teargas. CONTD. ON NATION TRACTORS AS WEAPONS OF ‘MASS DISRUPTION’ GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR / NEW DELHI $2 TN PER YEAR NEEDED TO TRIPLE GLOBAL RENEWABLES BY 2030 that over 2000 vehicles, including 1500 tractors, were possibly on their way to Delhi as part of the farmers’ “Delhi Chalo” protest; to thwart the menacing advance, heavy barricading had been undertaken on the borders of Haryana and Rajasthan with Punjab. The authorities appear to have learnt some lessons from the 2020-21 protests when farmers had used tractors to break through barriers. On Republic Day January 26, 2021, some trac, tors made it all the way from the borCONTD. ON NATION ders of Delhi up to MEGHA CHOWDHURY/ MUMBAI 23 students scored at the 100th percentile in the first session of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains 2024, the results for which were announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday Dwija Dharmeshkumar . Patel from Gujarat is the only female topper, with an NTA score of 99.99. Results of the Session 1 test conducted for BE and BTech students, were declared, along with the list of toppers. CONTD. ON NATION Asia is the only region broadly on course to meet the goal, says a report Cab driver asks doc to chant Jai Shri Ram DHARMESH THAKKAR / MUMBAI In a shocking case, a senior doctor wanting to book an intercity cab online, was asked by the driver to chant “Jai Shri Ram” if the trip was to be confirmed. Dr AK Pathan booked an inDrive appbased cab service for his journey to Nashik during the weekend to attend a wedding. However, the oncologist had a rude shock when the driver asked him — in a message received through the inDrive app — to chant “Jai Shri Ram” to confirm the booking. “I asked to be picked up from Haji Ali in the afternoon and the driver replied that he was a ‘Ram bhakt’ and would accept the booking only if I agree to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. I have no issue with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ or any other salutations but it should not be forced,” said the cancer specialist. “Sir Ram Bhakt Sanatani Hu Jay Shree Ram Bolna Padega To Confirm Karu” reads the text message from the driver on the inDrive app. “I chose to ignore the message and not respond to the provocation by the driver. It reflects a growing intolerance in society I did not take the ride. . It is crucial for us to promote understanding and acceptance among diverse communities,” Pathan explained. According to Pathan, the driver cancelled the ride when he tried to report the incident on the inDrive app support option. “We need to build a more inclusive society with dialogue and empathy to prioritise respect and compassion in our interactions,” said the veteran oncologist. Online transport aggregator inDrive offers city intra city freight and courier , , services and claims to be free from algorithms and manipulation to offer fair price directly to drivers. The transport aggregator did not respond to mail from The Free Press Journal for comments. ADANI CASE VERDICT: REVIEW PLEA FILED ONLINE REPORT / NEW DELHI A review petition has been filed against the Supreme Court’s recent judgement refusing to interfere with the probe by the Securities and Exchange Board of India into the plummeting of Adani Group stock prices following the Hindenburg Research report. The application by Anamika Jaiswal, one of the petitioners in the case, states that there are multiple apparent errors in the verdict under challenge. "There are mistakes and errors apparent on the face of the impugned judgment/order dated 03.01.2024, and in light of certain new material that have been received by the counsel of the petitioner, the petitioner respectfully submits that there are sufficient reasons which require review of the impugned order," it is stated. As per the applicant, new material shows that the Adani Group has been violating Rule 19A of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules (SCRR) of 1957. The provision states that private listed companies must maintain a minimum public shareholding of 25 per cent, within specified periods. In this light, the plea states, "This Hon’ble Court in its judgment dated 03.01.2024 failed to appreciate that while the issue of over-invoicing may have not been proved, the aspect of Adani promoters investing into Adani group stocks in Indian stock market, has never been investigated and calls for a thorough CONTD. ON NATION probe...