FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. XXXX NO. 251 | INDORE | SATURDAY | FEBRUARY 17, 2024 | PAGES 16 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; `3 r RNI No. 38281/83 QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in - EDIT ALL SET TO PLAY DY PATIL T20 TOURNEY BEFORE IPL SPORTS TRANSPARENCY VS PRIVACY WEATHER EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE 27.20c. 16.20c Sunrise : 06.59 Sunset : 06.23 ALL IN 60 MIN: CONG BANK A/C FROZEN, DEFROZEN NEWS BRIEF Ashwin withdraws from 3rd Test RAJKOT: India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday withdrew from the ongoing third Test against England as he flew back to Chennai to attend to his ill mother. BCCI provided an update on the development but did not mention that the medical issue relates Ashwin’s mother. However, BCCI President Rajeev Shukla posted on X that it’s off-spinner’s mother, who has fallen sick. A few minutes later, Shukla posted on X, “Wishing speedy recovery of mother of @ashwinravi99. He has to rush and leave Rajkot test to Chennai to be with his mother.” RBI gives 15 more days to PayTm MUMBAI: The RBI on Friday gave 15 days more till March 15, 2024 to Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) to stop deposits, credit transactions or top-ups in any customer accounts, wallets, and FASTags, keeping in view the interest of customers, including merchants. As per a January 31 order of the central bank, PPBL was asked to stop further deposits, credit transactions, or top-ups in any customer accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, FASTags, and National Common Mobility Cards, after February 29. Caste survey in Telangana HYDERABAD: The Telangana Legislative Assembly here on Friday passed a resolution to take up a comprehensive doorto-door household caste survey in the state so as to plan and implement various plans for the progress of backward classes, SC and ST citizens and other weaker sections. The resolution, moved by Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, was adopted after a debate in the House. The resolution was adopted as per the decision of the state cabinet meeting held recently. 20 stray dogs shot in Telangana HYDERABAD: As many as 20 stray dogs were found shot dead by unidentified persons in Mahabubnagar district of Telangana, police said on Friday. In the incident which took place in Ponnakal village late on Thursday night, five more dogs were found injured, they said. Unknown persons shot at stray dogs with weapons and police were informed about the incident on Friday morning, a police official said, adding that 20 dogs were found dead and five dogs were injured in the incident. An investigation is underway to identify the culprits, he said. I-T DEPT FROZE A/C, APPELLATE TRIBUNAL DEFROZE IT NEW DELHI The Congress' main bank accounts were frozen on Friday over an income tax demand of Rs 210 crore but an I-T appellate tribunal later allowed it to operate them pending a further hearing next week, a huge relief for the party which said the move had impacted all political activity . Congress treasurer Ajay Maken, who had earlier addressed a press conference to announce that Income Tax authorities had frozen its accounts, said the tribunal has put a lien of Rs 115 crore on its accounts and the party has been allowed to spend over and above that. Party leader Vivek Tankha, who appeared before the tribunal against the order, said he told the Party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, expressed their outrage and alleged that the govt's move was an attack on democracy tribunal that the Congress would not be able to participate in the "festival of elections" if its accounts remain frozen. The tribunal will hear the matter next Wednesday before a final decision is taken on the matter. Maken, who said democracy was in danger in the country, detailed the tribunal's order. "On our petition, Income Tax Department and the Income Tax Appellate Tri- bunal (ITAT) has said that we have to ensure that Rs 115 crore have to be kept in the Banks. This 115 crore is the lien marked in the Bank Accounts," he said. "We can spend an amount over and above that," he said in a post on X using the hashtag "#DemocracyFrozen". "This means that Rs 115 crores have been frozen. This Rs 115 crores is much more than we have in our Current Accounts," he ex- FARMERS’ PROTEST: DAY FOUR Tear-gassed at Shambhu border, talks with Centre on Sunday A 63-year-old farmer dies of heart attack Rs 115 cr frozen, don't have that much: Cong CHANDIGARH Haryana Police on Friday fired tear gas shells to disperse protesting farmers when they moved towards the barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala, a day after talks between Union ministers and farmer leaders remained inconclusive. The fresh confrontation comes on the fourth day of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march, called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Amid the impasse, the Farmers from various unions prepare langar during their Bharat Bandh call at the Punjab Haryana Shambhu Border, in Patiala on Friday Union ministers and farmer leaders will meet on February 18 for the fourth round of talks. The two sides met on February 8, 12 and 15 as well but Naughty Boy to launch weather satellite today NEW DELHI: When India launches its latest weather satellite on Saturday, it will be using a rocket that has been dubbed the "naughty boy" of the Indian space agency . The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), which is scheduled to lift off with the INSAT-3DS satellite from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 5.35 pm on Saturday, was called "naughty boy" by a former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) since the rocket has not performed adequately in six of its 15 flights - a failure rate of 40 per cent. The last launch of the GSLV on May 29, 2023, was successful , but the one before that - on August 12, 2021 - was a failure. In comparison, the GSLV's heavier cousin, the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 or the 'Bahubali rocket', has completed seven flights and has a cent-percent success record. The Congress issued a clarification stating that the party is mandated to ensure that a sum of ? 115 crore has to be maintained in their bank accounts. The amount has to remain untouched in compliance with the directive from the tax authorities, implying a freeze on these funds. "This means that ? 115 crore have been frozen. This ? 115 crore is much more than we have in our current accounts," the Congress said. those talks remained inconclusive. The farmers from Punjab began their march to the national capital on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana. CONTD. ON P8 plained. The Congress treasurer had earlier said the freezing of its accounts on "flimsy grounds" had affected all political activity of the party barely two weeks before general elections are announced. The accounts, including that of the Indian Youth Congress, were frozen on an Income Tax demand of Rs 210 crore for 2018-19, an election year, Maken said. According to him, the party filed its Income Tax returns for the concerned year a few days late and that is why this action. The matter, he said, also pertains to a discrepancy in cash receipts of Rs 14.4 lakh given to the party by its MLAs and MPs as donations made from their salaries. He said the IT authorities' orders freezing the accounts had come on Wednesday While . Maken said four main bank accounts were frozen, sources later put the number at nine. CONTD. ON P8 No change in exam schedule: CBSE NEW DELHI:The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Friday said that there is no change in the examination schedule and also issued a stern warning against the fake notice over re-scheduling of exams in wake of farmers' protests. "The misguiding notice has been issued on fake letterhead of CBSE. Such notices are completely fake. There is no change in the class X and XII board exams," the CBSE said. Earlier, Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj has said that it has been observed in the past also that during exam time certain unscrupulous elements make an effort to spread rumours on social media platforms about paper leak and claim to have access to question papers of exams. CONTD. ON P8 SONIA'S RAJYA SABHA AFFIDAVIT CHALLENGED OUR BUREAU NEW DELHI Yogendra Singh Tanwar, a local BJP leader, has complained to the returning officer that Sonia Gandhi did not completely disclose the details of her shares in her ancestral Italy property and as such her RS nomination form Rajasthan is incomplete. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has declared assets of Rs 12.53 crore in her affidavit; she also has shares in her father's property in Italy worth Rs 27 lakh. Apart from these, she has 88kg silver, 1,267 gram of gold and jewellery . The Congress leader owns three bighas of agricultural land in Dera Mandi village, New Delhi. Her income has been mentioned as her salary as Member of Parliament, royalty income, capital gains etc. She doesn't own a car. ‘‘...crucial details such as the specific location of the property, whether it is situated in Rome, Florence, Milan, Trento, or any other city, have been united. Additionally, pertinent information regarding the percentage share in the feathered property, whether it is 25% or more, has not been disclosed," the BJP leader wrote. Sonia Gandhi mentioned in her poll affidavit she has cash of Rs 90,000. CONTD. ON P8 Marriages between NRIs, Indian citizens must be registered: Law panel AGENCIES New Delhi The 22nd Law Commission, chaired by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi (Retd), has recommended that all marriages between NonResident Indians (NRIs)/Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) and Indian citizens should be compulsorily registered in India. The commission said that there has been a rapid rise in legal issues arising out of inter-country marriages taking place between NRIs and foreign citizens of Indian origin on one hand and Indian citizens on the other. In its report, the panel observed: “The rising occurrence of fraudulent marriages involving NRIs marrying Indian partners is a worrisome trend. Several reports highlight an increasing pattern where these marriages turn out to be deceptive, putting Indian spouses, especially women, in precarious situations. Deceptive practices like false assurances, misrepresentation, and abandonment are commonly associated with these fraudulent unions, causing distress to the Indian partners.” It said that the intercountry nature of these marriages further intensifies the vulnerability, making it challenging for affected individuals to pursue legal remedies and support. Pitching for a comprehensive central legislation, the commission said that the proposed law should include provisions on divorce, maintenance of spouse, custody and maintenance of children, serving of summons, warrants, or judicial documents on the NRIs and OCIs. CONTD. ON P8 MODERN GEN-Z ROMANCE CINEMA Putin’s bitter critic Alexei Navalny dies in prison MOSCOW: Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests, died in prison Friday, Russia's prison agency said. He was 47. The Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement that Navalny felt unwell after a walk on Friday and lost consciousness. An ambulance arrived to try to rehabilitate him, but he died. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Putin was informed of Navalny's death and the prison service was looking into the death in line with standard procedures. Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the politician's team had no confirmation of his death so far and that his lawyer was travelling to the town where he was held. Navalny who was serving a , 19-year sentence on charges of extremism, was moved in December from his former prison in the Vladimir region of central Russia to to a "special regime" penal colony - the highest security level of prisons in Russia above the Artic Circle. His allies decried the transfer to a colony in the town of Kharp, in the Yamalo-Nenets region about 1,900 kilometers (1,200 miles) northeast of Moscow, as yet another attempt to force Navalny into silence. CONTD. ON P8 SANDESHKHALI VIOLENCE NCSC recommends Prez rule in Bengal NEW DELHI NCSC chief Arun Halder on Friday said the commission has recommended the imposition of President's rule in West Bengal in its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu on alleged harassment of women by TMC supporters in Sandeshkhali. A delegation of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) had visited Sandeshkhali on Thursday after a large number of women claimed that TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters captured swathes of land by force and also sexually harassed them. Speaking to reporters after submitting the report to the President, Halder shared a brief account of "atrocities and violence endured by the people of Sandeshkhali". "We have recommended that President's rule should be imposed in West Bengal over the situation there under Article 338 that aims to safeguard rights of SCs," Halder said. According to the mandate given to the NCSC under Article 338 of the Constitution, it is the duty of the Commission to present to the President annually and at other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of the constitutional safeguards of the 500 SCALPS FOR ASHWIN No entry to Cong, BJP teams KOLKATA: Police on Friday bloakced visits by Congress and BJP teams, including Union ministers, to the restive region citing prohibitory orders. The BJP and Congress, allies with the TMC in the anti-BJP opposition bloc INDIA at the national level, criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for what they termed as fostering a "lawless situation" and attempting to "communalise the issue". Couldn't be more disgusting: Mithun KOLKATA: Veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty on Friday lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government in connection with the Sandeshkhali incident and said political parties need to transcend their differences in addressing atrocities. "There couldn't be a more disgusting thing than this. With women, you're playing such a kind of game? This is unbelievable. We all do politics, but this is beyond politics. This shouldn't happen. Scheduled Castes. He said the President assured the commission that she will look into the matter and take proper action. CONTD. ON P8 Biden working to stop attacks against Indian students WASHINGTON Ravichandran Ashwin after taking the wicket of England's Zak Crawley, his 500th Test wicket, during the second day of the third Test cricket match between India and England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Friday US President Joe Biden and his administration are working very hard to thwart and disrupt attacks on Indian and Indian American students, the White House has said. The announcement by John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House comes amid a slew of attacks on Indian and Indian American students in various parts of the country. “There is no excuse for violence, certainly based on race or gender or religion or any other factor. That’s just unacceptable here in the United States,” Kirby told reporters here when asked about the series of attacks on students from India and also those from the Indian American community. CONTD. ON P8 No end in sight to speculations about Nath, son joining BJP Former CM and son feel neglected in Congress OUR STAFF REPORTER BHOPAL There is no end in sight to the speculations that former chief minister Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath are joining the BJP. The BJP is holding a twoday national conference in Delhi on Saturday Those . who are close to Nath said there might be some sur- ‘DOORS OPEN TO PEOPLE FOLLOWING BJP'S IDEOLOGY’ BJP's state unit president VD Sharma said on Friday that the party's door would be open to those who had faith in the BJP's ideology and in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Sharma made the statement over the speculations of Nath's joining the BJP. According to Sharma, the Congress leaders who are feeling hurt after the party's refusal to take part in the consecration ceremony of Ram Lala are being welcomed to the BJP. prises in next 48 hours. There are speculations that Nakul Nath alone may join the BJP. Along with Nath, some legislators may defect to the ruling party . According to sources, Nath is angry with the party high command for not sending him to the Rajya Sabha. Nakul Nath may have to struggle to win the Lok Sabha election from Chhindwara this time. So, there are speculations about his joining the BJP. After the outcome of the assembly election, Nath is being neglected in the Congress. Nath has been removed, and Jitu Patwari appointed MP PCC president. Neither the party discussed anything with him about the appointment of leader and deputy leader of the opposition in the House. The senior leaders of the party blamed Nath for the Congress's defeat in the state.