DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES BY UNNY MP AND 2024 CANDIDATE PRAJWAL REVANNA LINKED TO ‘2,976 SEX CLIPS’ Sex abuse case snowballs, JD(S) set to suspend Deve Gowda’s grandson Congress says Centre let JD(S) MP escape from India; his father claims he hasn’t fled, ready to join questioning ‘DOCTORED’ VIDEO OF AMIT SHAH Delhi Police summons Telangana CM, Cong worker held in Assam Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at a rally in Yadgir district, Monday. PTI EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, NEW DELHI, GUWAHATI, APRIL 29 COMPLAINTSBYtheBJPoverthe circulation of an allegedly doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaking about reservation has led to the Delhi Police on Monday issuing summons to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the Assam Police arresting a Congress worker, and an FIR being filed in Rajasthan. While Shah has previously said the BJP would remove the 4 percentreservationforMuslims in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the video being circulated was allegedly doctored usingdeepfaketechnologytomake it seem like Shah was saying all CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 KIRAN PARASHAR & VIKAS PATHAK BENGALURU, NEW DELHI, APRIL 29 FORCED ON the backfoot after allegations of sexual abuse emergedagainstJD(S)MPandits Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan, Prajwal Revanna, the party Monday said he would be suspended, while his father and JD(S) MLA H D Revanna insisted Prajwal had not fled the country and was ready to face the law. This,evenasaBJPleaderfrom Karnatakaclaimedhehadalerted the state BJP president as well as MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, APRIL 29 JUST BEFORE a mob paraded nakedtwowomenfromtheKukiZomi community and assaulted them sexually in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, the two had“managedtositinsidethepolice Gypsy” parked on the roadside, but the police driver told them “there is no key” as they requestedthepolicetostartthevehicle, according to a chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Two other male victims were also seated in the police Gypsy. All the policemen pres- 2024 THE EXPRESS CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 PRIYANKA: WHY IS PM SILENT? PAGE 5 BENGALURU, APRIL 29 THE STORY of how hundreds of sexvideosallegedlyshotbyJD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna (33) on his cellphone came to light is steeped in intrigue, alleged blackmail and conspiracy. Finding the technical origin of the videos — the phone from which these were shot and sources of copies — is crucial to the Karnataka Police Special ● Constitution, quota will not be touched, come what may, says PM ● PM not even saying ‘150 paar’ now, says Rahul PAGES 7 & 8 Investigation Team’s probe against the MP, who is also the party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan and the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. Thereareseveralkeypersons from Hassan, including friendsturned-foes and political rivals of Prajwal, who are likely to be investigated as part of the process to establish that the videos are genuine and not morphed, as is being claimed by the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 At Mandal Ground Zero, plea for jobs, education, ‘real social justice’ DEEPTIMAN TIWARY MURHO (MADHEPURA), APRIL 29 ABOUT 10 km from Madhepura town,asoneturnsrightfromthe Purnia-Saharsa highway and crosses the railway line, a row of kutcha houses with tin roofs greet you. At the end of the village, Murho, stands a memorial of former Bihar Chief Minister Deeptiman Tiwary Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal renowned for the Mandal Umesh Rishidev, grandson Commission report. of Bhagalpur region’s first Barely 100 m off the Mandal MP Kirai Musahar. memorial, in a corner of the Musahar tola, lies a mud hut, where the grandsons caste survey released last of the first Member of year and Congress leader Parliament from the reRahul Gandhi pledges a DECISION gion, Kirai Musahar, live. nationwidecastecensusas 2024 AsBiharCMandJanata part of the Congress plank Dal (United) supremo in the Lok Sabha elections, Nitish Kumar rides on the state’s their words find hardly an echo VOTESHARE(%) Madhepura BIHAR Party 2014 JD(U) 30.22 54.42 2019 RJD 35.65 28.14 BJP 24.4 — Note: JD(U) and BJP were allies in 2019 Source: Election Commission here — it appears development has clearly bypassed Mandal’s village. A key torchbearer of the country’s social justice politics, Mandal’s vision spawned a slew CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 My mother’s daughter: In her first poll battle, Bansuri Swaraj underlines this message NEW DELHI, APRIL 29 ● Modi popularity props up BJP in Telangana, Cong rides high on Assembly win PAGE 1 ANCHOR ent then left the spot as a large mob pulled out the victims from inside the vehicle, the chargesheet said. TheCBIinvestigationrevealed that the violent incident happenedinChurachandpuronMay 3. The chargesheet was filed against six people and a juvenile beforeaspecialcourtinGuwahati in October. When contacted, DGP (Manipur) Rajiv Singh told The Indian Express, “Departmental action has been already taken against the police personnel.” When asked about any criminal actionagainstthem,hesaid,“We are not probing the case, the CBI is probing.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 JOHNSON TA SAMAN HUSAIN INTERVIEW BJP GUNA CANDIDATE & UNION MINISTER the central leadership about the allegations on December 8 last year — before the JD(S) and BJP entered into an alliance. Speaking to reporters in Shivamogga, JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy said Manipur chargesheet: Women made it to police Gypsy but told no key, left to the mob DECISION JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, Prajwal Revanna Prajwal, the grandson of former PrimeMinisterHDDeveGowda, would be suspended following the party’s core committee meeting on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, he had said, “We are not shielding anyone and an SIT has been formed to probe the matter. Let the truth come out.” The party has been at the receiving end of criticism, both from the Opposition and its own members. Congress general secretary Gag order to warning letter to pen drives — how the case unfolded “I AM the embodiment of SushmaSwaraj’ssanskaars,Iwill never let you down.” As Bansuri Swaraj, 40, campaigns for her first electoral battle as the BJP’s candidate from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, she makes it a point to invoke her late mother in every speech. Speaking to The Indian Express, Bansuri acknowledged The BJP has fielded Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Tashi Tobgyal her mother’s influence in shaping her values and work ethics. But,shesaid,sheneverdiscussed her entry into politics with her. “My mother and I had never discussedmyentryintopolitics,but we discussed a lot about my entryintolaw,becausepoliticswas neveronthehorizonatthatpoint of time,” she said. “I am very grateful to see the affection that people have towards Ma. It is their love for her that they keep showering on me in the form of blessings,” she CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya with Congress candidate from Indore Akshay Kanti Bam (seated behind him). PTI After Surat, another jolt to Cong: Indore candidate opts out of race, to join BJP Cong says he was being pressured by ruling party; BJP says inspired by PM ANAND MOHAN J BHOPAL, APRIL 29 THE CONGRESS in Madhya Pradesh suffered a setback on Monday with its Lok Sabha candidate from Indore, Akshay Kanti Bam, withdrawing his nomination. He was expected to join the BJP. State Cabinet minister and BJPleaderKailashVijayvargiyain a post on X said: “Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Indore, Akshay Kanti Bam ji, is welcomed into the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national president Shri J P Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and state presidentVDSharma.”However, the party was yet to make an official announcement. E E X P L A I NE D BUSINESS AS USUAL `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Relief for Cong ● unlikely WITH THE last day for withdrawal of nomination having passed, Congress will go unrepresented in the election in Indore. Since the candidate’s withdrawal was in line with EC rules, the party is unlikely to get any relief. The sole option for the party is to back another Opposition candidate. The Congress alleged that Bam withdrew his nomination under pressure and that he had CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CITES NATIONAL, PUBLIC INTEREST Delhi HC on Kejriwal: CM shouldn’t be absent for ‘uncertain period’ Students of MCD schools yet to get benefits, court says their rights cannot be ‘trampled upon’ MALAVIKA PRASAD NEW DELHI, APRIL 29 WHILE AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s move to continue as the Delhi Chief Minister was his “personal decision”, the fundamental rights of students at Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools should not be “trampled upon” due to his unavailability, the Delhi HighCourt said on Monday. Citing national Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 THE CITY IN SC, KEJRIWAL QUESTIONS TIMING OF HIS ARREST PAGE 4 and public interest, it also said that no chief minister should remain absent for long or for “an uncertain period” of time. This comes days after the court,whilehearingaPILrelated CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Inside a small Taiwan city, a blueprint for India’s chip dreams SOUMYARENDRA BARIK TAIPEI (TAIWAN), APRIL 29 JUST ABOUT four decades ago, it was a town renowned for its tea farmsandinfamousforitssnakes. Today, it is home to global chipmaking excellence. A key driver of Taiwan’s economic turnaround,about80kilometresfrom itscapital,isthecityofHsinchu— and its famed Science Park. Hsinchu’sstoryholdskeylessons for India’s promised chip city of Dholera in Gujarat, a region roughly the size of Singapore on which New Delhi has pinned its hopes of creating its own Silicon Valley. At first glance, the scenery belies the notion that Hsinchu is part of what is called Taiwan’s “silicon shield”, a strategic city at the heart of keeping the island safe from Chinese aggression. A row of two-wheelers are neatly lined up on the roads, there are round-the-clock convenience stores,multi-cuisinerestaurants, parks,schools,universities,massive residential boroughs, and a lot of trees. But beyond the tree cover, the signageson the big buildings dotting the city give a sense of what makes Hsinchu one of the mostimportantplacesforglobal economy.Notallthenamesmay be popular, but they are important. And despite not being Taiwan’s diplomatic or financial centre, Hsinchu is perhaps its most global city. Taiwan produces over 90 per cent of the world’s most advancedsemiconductorchips,and Hsinchu is home to the world’s most valuable chip firm, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which accountsforasubstantialpartofthe total production. Mediatek, another Taiwanese firm which designschips,isalsobasedthere.So are the likes of Wistron (which brieflymadeiPhonesinIndiabe- TSMC, the world’s most valuable chip firm, has six fabs within Hsinchu and a research centre. Soumyarendra Barik fore selling its plant to the Tatas) and Taiwan’s first chip company United Microelectronics (UMC). Companies registered in the Hsinchu Science Park account for about 6-8 per cent of Taiwan's total gross domestic product and about 12 per cent of thetrade-reliantisland'sexports. A little over 150,000 people — close to 1 per cent of Taiwan’s population — work in Hsinchu, which has the island’s youngest average age of residents. In the 1980s, when Taiwan was looking to turn around its fledgling economy after losing its seat at the United Nations a decade ago and a major fuel cri- sis a few years later, the special high-tech zone in Hsinchu was established by government officials to woo the world’s best technological talentto whatwas thenapoortropicalisland.Atthe time, many engineers with Taiwanese connections lived in places like the United States, Japan and Europe. But when the government called on them to return and make Taiwan a tech manufacturing hub, many of them took the plunge. One of them was Morris Chang, who, after a long career in the US chip industry, moved to Taiwan in 1985. Two years later, when Chang was 55, he founded TSMC. The company pioneered the contract manufacturing route to make chips, where it would not have to design any of the chips. Thisprovedtobearevolutionary business model, paving the way for fabless companies including Apple and Nvidia, which are TSMC’sbiggestcustomerstoday. The Taiwanese government playedacrucialrolebeforeTSMC was set up. Aside from the subsidiestosetupfactories,itsetupthe Industrial Technology Research Institute(ITRI)aboutadecadebefore, which secured a technology transfer for chipmaking from the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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