MONDAY CAN’T END WAR NOW AS IT WILL KEEP HAMAS IN POWER, SAYS ISRAELI PM 06 MAY, 2024 Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is willing to temporarily pause fighting to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza by the militant group epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard 45 DAYS X.com/TheMornStandard DURATION OF AL JAZEERA’S SUSPENSION, WHICH IS LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED AUSTRALIA COPS SHOOT TEEN WHO STABBED MAN CAIRO TALKS END; RAFAH OPS SOON, SAYS ISRAEL A 16-year-old boy armed with a knife was shot dead by police after he stabbed a man in the Australian west coast city of Perth on Sunday A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 11 NEW DELHI J8.00 Netanyahu’s remarks come as the Egypt-brokered talks in Cairo wrapped up without any remarkable progress. Hamas reiterated its demand that Israel end war and pull troops out of Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant accused the group of not being serious about reaching a truce deal and said Israel will launch its ground offensive in Rafah in the “very near future” | P11 PAGES 14 Prajwal was to arrive from Govt in talks to bring Kenyan cheetahs to MP Dubai? SIT draws a blank J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi The JDS leader seems to be changing places abroad, say officials EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru THERE was high drama at the Bengaluru international airport on Sunday following intelligence inputs that Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is wanted in sexual harassment cases, might arrive from Dubai. Officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the cases, camped at the Kempegowda International Airport for hours on Sunday, only to return empty-handed. Police sources said the SIT received credible information that the Janata Dal (Secular) leader would arrive anytime on Sunday and the SIT officials were all prepared to take him into custody as soon as he landed at the airport. It is learnt that the investigation agency got strong leads that the MP, who was believed to be in Germany kept changing places and , had moved to Dubai, from where he had booked a flight to Bengaluru. Following the information, a team of SIT officials arrived at KIA and camped there from 1 pm on Sunday The police offi. Prajwal Revanna cials were monitoring the status of the flight, in which the MP had purportedly booked a seat. But there was no sign of the MP alighting even after the said flight landed. After waiting for hours, the SIT officials left the airport in the night. Though Bengaluru has direct flights from Dubai, the SIT had What is Blue Corner Notice? A Blue Corner Notice is a part of Interpol’s colour-coded notices to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation. They are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. It is one of the eight types of notices published by the Interpol. Interpol, headquartered in Lyon, France fosters global police cooperation and crime prevention. It’s the largest international police organisation UTT ARA CHIN KHA EXPRESS READ A Family of accused in Salman case moves HC ND Almora UTT AR PRA DES NEP AL DUNAGIRI H The Doonagiri temple is located in Almora district. The fire suddenly spraed from nearby forests and reached the gates of the temple on Sunday| EXPRESS Narrow escape for devotees caught in forest fire in U’khand N A R E N D R A S E T H I @ Dehradun FOREST fires raging in parts of Uttarakhand took a turn for the worse on Sunday The . well-known Dunagiri temple complex in Dwarahat was engulfed in a fire. In a few moments, the fierce flames forced the screaming devotees to run helter-skelter to save their lives. Some people were seen running with their children in their laps. A stampede-like situation led shopkeepers in the temple complex to immediately shutter shops. Located 16 km from Dwarahat city in Almora district, the ancient Dunagiri temple of Aadi Shakti Vaishno Mata saw a horde of devotees ready for Sunday morning darshan. A gust of wind carrying flames from the forest was seen approaching the temple. Soon, panic ensued, prompting all pilgrims to swiftly rush to exit. There were at least 35 devotees present in the temple, sources said. In Uttarakhand’s rugged terrains, a vast swathe of forests is engulfed in fires. This season has already seen a staggering 886 incidents of forest fires, resulting in the death of five people and inju- alerted immigration officials at other airports across the country to keep track of arrivals from the Gulf. “There was also suspicion that he could opt for another flight and land at some other airport at the last moment. That was the reason this step was taken,” an official said. While most SIT members returned, some officials are still stationed at the airport to check on later arrivals from Dubai. Since the MP is still on the run, the SIT has continued their probe to find out where he is. Meanwhile, Kar nataka’s home minister G Parameshwara said the SIT had sought the assistance of the Interpol, through which a Blue Cor ner Notice was issued against Prajwal on Sunday . ries to as many others. Over 1,107 hectares of pristine forestland have been adversely impacted by these relentless blazes, government sources said. These fires have not only destroyed valuable forest resources but also obliterated rare species of flowers that bloom once every 12 years. Anup Sah, a member of the Uttarakhand Wildlife Board, told this newspaper that seeds of a rare species of a delicate flower, botanical name ‘Aechmanthera gossypina’ (Blue Trumpet Bush), have been lost. “In Nainital, several terraced fields have turned into ashes,” said Sah. He described the forest fires as a disaster predominantly caused by human activity. “The nesting habitats of birds, insects, frogs, toads, leeches, and rare vegetation have been decimated.” President of the Dwarahat Vyapar Mandal, Ashish Ver ma, said the ferocity of fires this season is the worst in two decades. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed chief secretary Radha Raturi to instruct district magistrates to continuously monitor the forest fire daily . The family of Anuj Thapan, who died while in police custody after his arrest in the case related to firing outside actor Salman Khan’s house in Mumbai, has moved the Bombay High Court seeking a CBI probe into his death. While police claim Thapan killed himself in the lock-up, his mother alleges foul play. ASI crushed to death by MP sandmine mafia An assistant sub-inspector of police was allegedly crushed to death by a tractor-trolley carrying illegally mined sand from a river in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday night. The ASI, Mahendra Bagri, had gone with two constables to arrest a man against whom a standing warrant was pending. WITH Project Cheetah facing criticism after seven cheetahs brought to India from Namibia and South Africa died at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, the Centre is in talks with the Kenyan government to bring a fresh batch of cheetahs to the country this time a , different ‘sub-species’. As per sources, the government is making arrangements, including fencing 80 sq km of land at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh to house East African cheetahs, known scientifically as acinonyx jubatus raineyi. They are different from acinonyx jubatus jubatus or the South African cheetahs that were brought to India South Africa and Namibia. However, experts have raised concerns. They point to the government’s Cheetah Action Plan (CAP) which underlines that cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia are best suited for transport and re-introduction to habitats in India rather than other cheetah subspecies. They say the CAP has no mention of the landscape required for free-ranging cheetahs. Arjun Gopalswamy, a wildlife and statistical ecologist, said CAP overestimated the carrying capacity of free- In my opinion, the government should stick to one sub-species until South African countries refuse to give any more cheetahs MK Ranjitsinh Jhala, wildlife conservationist Modi back in Ayodhya with bhakti, roadshow ranging cheetahs in Kuno. He added that an iconic, prey-rich ecosystem like Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, harbours only 18-24 cheetahs over 2400 sq km. Kuno National Park has an area of 750 sq km. There is also fear of mixing up two sub-species on the same landscape.“I fear Madhya Pradesh’s similar landscape would increase the chance of mixing up the two species as Kuno’s Cheetahs keep straying out regularly and cover a long distance to reach other forests,” he said. Rahul dares Modi to remove 50% ceiling on quotas N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow A HUGE crowd emerged to witness the 2-km roadshow held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the temple town of Ayodhya on Sunday evening. People lined up on both the sides of Rampath braving the sweltering heat since noon to get a glimpse of the PM who took darshan of Ram Lalla consecrated in the temple. The entire temple town was painted or draped in hues of saffron, orange and yellow with cutouts of Modi popping up on the streets and faces of youths who stood patiently for more than two hours waiting for the special rath of the BJP leader. Dividing Rampath into two sections, the administration allowed the crowd to gather till the divider, making more space for the crowd. People on both sides of the road showered rose petals on PM flanked by CM Yogi Adityanath and BJP’s Ayodhya candidate Lallu Singh, atop a decked up four-wheeler. Also the length of the roadshow was restricted to 2.2 kilometre and it culminated at Lata Mangeshkar chowk. In another advantage the devotees and pilgrims visiting Ayodhya and Ram temple from neighbouring districts and states were also keen on attending the roadshow through which the PM attempted to firm up the prospects of BJP candidates in Ayodhya and adjoining seats. To avoid excessive overcrowding at a single spot and better crowd management, the entire holding area for Modi fans was divided into more than 50 separate blocks. Each block was barricaded to restrict flow of the pedestrians and stage performers remained at the forefront facing the route where roadshow took place. A few metres ahead towards Hanuman Garhi, BJP workers and crowd stood waiting at the railings. Repeating slogans like ‘abki baar Modi Sarkar’ almost all individuals occupying the front row wore saffron BJP caps and stole with several holding large cutouts of Modi. Earlier, addressing rallies in Etawah and Dhaurarha, PM , while reminding people of his humble background, questioned the “dynastic credentials and the legacy” of the Congress and Samajwadi Party . Claiming that Congress and SP are fighting the polls for their future generation, the PM said that he and CM Yogi Adityanath have no kids and both are working day in and day out for the children of countrymen. M A N D A R A V I N D E R R E D D Y @ Hyderabad While my legacy is associated with every Indian, some consider Mainpuri, Kannauj, and Etawah as their rightful citadels and some others regard Amethi-Rae Bareli as their personal estates Narendra Modi, PM ‘Muslims close to BJP’ In Dhaurahra, Modi said Muslims have begun to understand that the Congress and INDIA bloc were using them as pawns. He said the community was coming along with the BJP after seeing the works done by the party CONTINUING the attack on the BJP over its stance on affirmative action policies, former AICC president Rahul Gandhi challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove the 50% ceiling on reservations. While the Congress is trying to protect the Constitution of India, the BJP and RSS are trying to destroy it, he opined. Addressing public meetings in Nirmal (Adilabad Lok Sabha constituency) and Alampur (Nagarkurnool constituency), the Wayanad MP said Modi wanted to snatch reservations from marginalised people. “The BJP does not wish to see people from Backward Classes (BCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) moving forward in life,” he added. Claiming that the saffron party was destroying the values enshrined in the Constitution, Rahul said, “Whatever the poor in the country have today is because of the Constitution. However, BJP leaders say they will change it if they win again. If the Constitution is changed, reservations for marginalised communities will end.” He said while the Prime Minister has not spoken about removing the 50% ceiling on reservations, the Congress, in its manifesto, has promised to do so and increase the quotas for deprived groups. Poonch terror attack: Dropped Hindutva firebrand leader could Search underway dent BJP’s chances in Uttara Kannada to track militants F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar A DAY after militants ambushed an IAF convoy , killing a jawan and injuring four others, the security forces on Sunday launched a manhunt in the forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district to track down the attackers. As per a security official, the Army police and , CRPF men have launched search operations in the forest areas of Shahsitar, Gursai, Sanai and Sheendara Top in Surankote and nearby areas in Poonch. “Security men are searching for the caves and possible hideouts of militants in the forest area. Army is using drones and helicopters for aerial surveillance to locate movement of militants, who fled to the forest area after Saturday evening’s ambush,” he added. The attack on the IAF convoy took place near the Shahsitar area in Poonch. “Militants had taken positions on the hilltop and fired on the IAF convoy Two vehicles were hit and five IAF . personnel injured,” a security official said. The injured were airlifted to Military hospital Udhampur, where critically injured IAF Corporal Vikky Pahade succumbed to his injuries. The deceased, who hailed from Madhya Pradesh and had attended his sister’s wedding last month, is survived by wife and a five-year-old son. S U B H A S H C H A N D R A N S @ Karwar the party brass, forced the BJP to disown it, and gave the Opposition the ammunition it was waiting for. Ever since, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others have assured the nation that the statute wouldn’t be disturbed, but the issue refuses to die down. And the BJP denied Hegde, 55, ticket and nominated former Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri instead. Hegde has gone into a deep sulk, which is hurting Kageri’s chances. The Congress camp sees in the BJP’s internal churn an opportunity for revival. Hoping to wrest the seat, it UTTARA Kannada is a constituency that was comfortably in the BJP pocket for 27 years, represented as it was in the Lok Sabha by firebrand Hindutva leader Ananthkumar Hegde. In 2019, he won the seat by a margin of 4.79 lakh votes. But controversy is his middle name. It often gets him into trouble though he manages to wriggle out on most occasions. Then came the blunder in the second week of March when the general election fever was gradually building up. He said the BJP’s pitch for 400-plus Lok Sabha seats was to change the Constitution to promote Hinduism. “Why does the BJP need 400+ seats? Congress leaders in the past made changes to the Constitution in a way that it doesn’t put Hinduism in front. We need to change it and save our religion. We already have two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, but not enough in the Rajya Sabha to amend the Constitution. 400+ will help us achieve that,” he reportedly said. ILLUSTRATION: That statement embarrassed MANDAR PARDIKAR gave ticket to Dr Anjali Nimbalkar, a former MLA. She is the spouse of a senior IPS officer in Karnataka and niece of former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, who is now with the BJP A medical practitioner . by training, Dr Nimbalkar hails from Maharashtra. She won the Khanapur assembly seat in Belagavi district in 2018 but lost it in 2023. Dr Nimbalkar is confident that the state gover nment’s guarantee schemes are vote catchers. She extensively uses social media to reach out to the people when she hits the campaign trail. The Congress is counting on the Ahinda, a Kannada acronym for minorities, OBCs, and SC/STs, who constitute 14.3%, 22.6% and 11.5%, respectively of the total voting , population of 12.48 lakh. As for Kageri, he is a six-time MLA. However, his campaign has been rather sluggish. Hegde’s inaction is another drag. Kageri is banking on Prime Minister N a r e n d r a M o d i ’s charm offensive. Would the scandal involving two leaders of its ally JDS be an X-factor? It’s up to the voters to decide.
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