First India Mumbai 06032023.pdf

First India Mumbai 06032023.pdf
Not involved in talks held between Uddhav, Ambedkar: Sharad Pawar First India Bureau Mumbai: Sharad Pa- war,presidentof theNa- tionalist Congress Party (NCP), which makes up one-third of the tripar- tite Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharash- tra, on Sunday said he was not involved in any kind of talks between Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Agha- di (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar. The Shiv Sena - Ud- dhav Balasaheb Thack- eray (UBT) and Con- gress are the other two parts of the MVA alliance. O n J a n u - ary 23, the Shiv Sena-UBT and VBA announced an alli- a n c e ahead of the civic polls in several cities--a move was seen as an attempt by Thackeray to consoli- date support among Dalit groups. A few days after the Sena - UBT and VBA forged an alliance, Pawar had said that no talks had been h e l d a m o n g the MVA c o n - stitu- e n t s a b o u t taking the Ambedkar- led outfit on board. “I am not involved in any kind of talks between them (Thackeray- led Sena and VBA). My point of view is that Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) should contest elections jointly,” PawarsaidonSunday ,in response to a question on whether NCP will tie up with Ambedkar. “The elections are not far away, so things will be clear soon,” Ambed- kar said, reacting to Pa- war’s statement. ‘My point of view is MVA should contest elections jointly’ Pawar conveniently ignoring NE poll result: CM Mumbai (PTI): CM Eknath Shinde on Sun- day said NCP president Sharad Pawar is conveniently ignoring the poll outcome in three North- eastern states but pro- jecting the Kasba Peth Assembly bypoll result as an indicator of change. Pawar had said the defeat of Bharatiya Janata Party in its bastion of Kasba Peth in Pune city to the Congress in the recently-held bypoll indicated that winds of change were blowing across the country . “Pawar is selectively looking at the poll re- sults. He is ignoring the outcome of three states from the North East region but is talking only about the Kasba Peth assembly segment,” Shin- de said, adding “I hope Pawar won’t doubt EVMs after the Kasba result.” The BJP has retained Tripura in the recently- held Assembly polls and it will continue to be a ruling alliance partner in Nagaland. In Megha- laya, the BJP has supported the National Peo- ple’s Party (NPP) of Con- rad Sangma to form a government. In Maha- rashtra, the BJP shares power with the Eknath Shinde faction. INDIA’S RUSSIAN OIL IMPORTS HIT RECORD HIGH IN FEBRUARY New Delhi: India’s imports of crude oil from Russia soared to a record 1.6 mn barrels/day in February and is now higher than combined imports from traditional suppliers Iraq, Saudi Arabia. Russia continued to be the largest supplier of crude oil. OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & MUMBAI www.firstindia.co.in https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia instagram.com/thefirstindia HOLIDAY NOTICE The offices of First India will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday on account of Holi. There will be no issue of the newspaper on Tuesday, March 7 and Wednesday, March 8. For the latest news and updates, visit www.firstindia.co.in —Editor 8 PARTIES WRITE LETTER TO MODI Moni Sharma New Delhi: 9 leaders of eight political parties on Sunday wrote to Prime MinisterNarendraModi accusing the BJP government at the centre of misusing the seat of the Governor and central agenciestotargettheop- position parties and their leaders, which has transitionedthecountry from being a democracy toanautocracy .Thelead- ers alleged that the timings of the lodging of cases or arrests of the oppositionleaders“coincided with elections” which makes it clear thattheactiontakenwas “politically motivated”. However, there was no representation from Congress, JDS, JD (U), CPU, CPM in the letter. Referring to the arrest of Manish Sisodia, the opposition leaders said the allegations against him arebaseless and smack of a political conspiracy . His arrest has enraged people of the country . FORMER PAKISTAN PM IMRAN ‘EVADES’ AR- REST IN T’KHANA CASE Lahore: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan seemingly evaded arrest on Sunday after a team from the Is- lamabad police reached his Lahore residence to detain him in Toshakhana case. He said officials that he will appear at court on March 7. ADANI HAS $2 BN BONDS DUE FOR REPAYMENT IN 2024 New Delhi: The Adani group, whose mostly debt-fueled breakneck expansion saw gross debt doubling in four years, has almost USD 2 billion worth of foreign- currency bonds coming up for repayment in 2024, according to sources. READ Crucial Crucial KEY BJP MEET AT AMIT SHAH’S HOME TO FORM GOVT IN 3 NE STATES New Delhi: The BJP held a crucial meeting on Sunday at HM Amit Shah’s home regarding govt formation in 3 northeastern states where the party hopes to form government in the coming days. The big question was Tripura, where call needs to be taken on the CM post. P5 l Oppn parties write to Modi on Sisodia’s arrest, ‘misuse’ of central agencies l There was no representation from Con- gress, JDS, JD (U), CPU, CPM in the letter PM MODI TO ATTEND SWEARING-IN CEREMO- NIES OF MEGHALAYA, NAGALAND TRIPURA COURT ACQUITS MAN ACCUSED OF THREAT- ENING TO KILL MODI After a commendable win in the recently held Assembly elections in 3 NE States, PM Modi is all set to attend the oathtaking ceremonies of the CMs of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. The swearing-in ceremony in Tripura will be held on March 8, while in Meghalaya and Nagaland, it will be held on March 7. Conrad Sangma will be sworn-in as Meghalaya CM. A Delhi court has acquitted a man accused of threaten- ing to kill PM Modi in a phone call to police helpline 100, saying the prosecution had “miserably failed” to show any evidence to prove any threats to kill anyone was ever made by him. Anand Parbat police filed a chargesheet against MM Ali. Another ‘peeing’ incident on New Delhi- bound flight, ‘drunk’ Indian student held New Delhi (FIB): In another incident of un- ruly behaviour on air, a passenger was taken into custody on Sunday for allegedly urinating on a fellow passenger on a New York-New Del- hi American Airlines in “drunken” state. It happened on an American Airlines flight AA292, which took off from New York on Friday and landed at IGI airport in Delhi on Saturday, after a journey of 14 hours. “The accused was in a state of inebriation and urinated while he was asleep,” DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla said The victim, a male passenger, however was not keen on reporting the matter as the accused issued an apology and cited threats to his reputation and career. The airline, on its part, reported the matter to the ATC at the IGI airport. —Airlines official American Airlines bars Indian student from flying after urinating on US citizen Another attack on media, say scribes’ bodies First India Bureau New Delhi: A day after a group of SFI activists allegedly barged into the Kochi office of Asi- anet News and intimi- dated channel staff over a news report, journalists’ bodies condemned the incident and called it yet another example of growing attacks against media and scribes. P6 THE LETTER STATES... THE SIGNATORIES ARE... l Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) l Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (BRS) l West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC) l Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann (AAP) l National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah l Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar l Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray l Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav l Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav (RJD) l BJP government of softening the investigation against the opposition leaders who are being probed on different cases after they joined the BJP. l Key politicians booked, arrested, raided, or inter- rogated by probe agencies under the BJP government since 2014, the maximum belongs to the Opposition. l Referring to the arrests of Lalu Prasad, Nawab Mallik, Azam Khan and others, the central agencies were working as extended wings of the BJP. l Timings of many cases lodged or arrests made have coincided with polls making it clear that they were politically motivated. l Offices of Governors in many States are acting in violation of constitutional provisions and frequently hindering governance. MUMBAI l MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 298 International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 every year in support of women’s rights and global peace. BE A “WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE” ‘Slave’ to those in power, EC can never take Shiv Sena: Uddhav Thackeray First India Bureau Khed (Ratnagi- ri): Addressing the public for the first time since he lost the Shiv Sena name and election symbol to the rival faction of the party led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, former CM Ud- dhav Thackeray on Sunday termed the Election Commission a “slave” of people in power. Dubbing the EC a “chuna lagav” commission weeks after it allotted the “Shiv Sena” name and “bow and arrow” symbol to the Shinde faction, Thackeray said the poll body can never take away the party- -founded by his father late Bal Thackeray- -from him. He said it was Bal Thackeray who stood with the Bharatiya Ja- nata Party when it was politically “untoucha- ble”, and dared his former ally to seek votes in Maharashtra using the Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi’s name, and without mentioning Thackeray senior. “You (the EC) have taken away the party name and the symbol from us, but you can’t take away Shiv Sena from me,” he said, addressing a massive rally here. “I have nothing to offer to you. I have come to seek your blessings and support,” he added. Khed constituency in Ratnagiri district in the coastal Konkan region is the home turf of former Thackeray loyalist Ramdas Kadam, who has since moved to the Shinde faction. In a show of bravado, Thackeray said, “If the EC is not suffering from cataract, it should come and see the ground situ- ation. The EC is a ‘chuna lagav’ commission and a slave of those in power. The principle based on which the EC took this decision is wrong,” he said. Thackeray said the party has appealed in the Supreme Court. He said the BJP was trying to finish off Shiv Sena brutally and cru- elly but won’t succeed. He said the move to destroy Shiv Sena was akin to the attack on the unity of Marathi people as well as Hindus. While he refused the EC’s decision, Thack- eray said he would accept the “people’s decision” if they decided not to give his party a mandate. “People will have to decide whether they want me or Eknath Shinde. I will accept the verdict of the people but not of the EC. If people say they don’t want me, I will leave just like I left ‘Varsha’ (the official residence of the CM, after resign- ing from the post)”, he said. When you see someone with a bow and arrow, he is a thief. Will you vote for him (a reference to Shinde)?…. Earlier, the BJP's dais used to be full of sadhus and sants but now it is full of opportunists. I dare the BJP to seek votes in Maharashtra only in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not Balasaheb Thackeray. —Uddhav Thackeray Former CM addressed his first rally since losing party name, symbol to Shinde-led group ‘I have nothing to offer to you. I have come to seek your blessings support,’ he said
NEWS MUMBAI | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 02 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia More than two dozen sugar mills close early in Maha First India Bureau Mumbai: More than two dozen of Maharash- tra’s sugar mills have stopped crushing cane, leading to worries that the state will fall short of its estimated production of 13.8 million tonnes this year, a senior state government official said. Last year, mills in In- dia’s top sugar producing state were crushing sugarcane until April, thanks to a bumper crop.Thisyear,however, the National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories Ltd (NF- CSF)—an umbrella or- ganization of sugar co- operatives from across the country—has pre- dicted that Maharash- tra—and, by extension, India—could see a drop due to an extended mon- soon and a “lack of sun- light” last year. Lower sugar output could prevent the world's second-biggest exporter from allowing additional exports, po- tentially allowing rivals Brazil and Thailand to increase their exports. Maharashtra, which accounts for more than a third of India's sugar output, has produced 9.51 million tonnes of sugar in the 2022-23 marketing year that began on October 01— down from 9.73 million tonnes at the same point last season. In Solapur division, 13 mills have closed and another 20 will close in a fortnight, the state government official, who did not want to be identified, said. All mills in the state, except around two dozen, will close operations by the end of March, the official said. Sugar mills in Maha- rashtra were operational until mid-June in 2021-22 as they harvest- ed a record crop. The closures come mere weeks after Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah assured leaders from the state that the Centre would increase the export quota sugar and take steps to help the ailing sugar industry in the state. “The export quota (for sugar) has been ex- hausted. Since Maha- rashtra is a coastal state, we can export sugar through our ports. The minister also took a constructive approach on the issue and assured us to increase the quota or take an appropriate decision in this regard,” Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had told the press after his meeting with Shah in January. Maharashtra accounts for more than a third of India’s total sugar output. —FILE PHOTO It does not bode well for India’s top sugar producing state WORRYING TREND Latur (PTI): An81-year- old relative of former Union minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar allegedly committed suicide at the latter’s residence in Latur on Sunday, a police official said. Chandrasekhar, also known as Hanmantrao Patil, shot himself dead with his licenced re- volver at around 8.30 am, the official said. “He is a cousin of former Union Home Min- ister Lok Sabha Speak- er Shivraj Patil Chakurkar. Hanman- trao lived close to the former minister’s “Devghar” residence and would visit often. He was apparently dis- tressed with some ail- ment he was suffering fromforseveralyears,” the official added. The minister's son was present when the incident happened, and senior officials, including Additional Superin- tendent of Police Dinesh Devre, Deputy SP Jitendra Jagdale and others are at the spot as part of the in- quiry, he added. Former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s cousin Chandrasekhar alias Hanmantrao Patil Chakurkar commited suicide in Latur on Sunday. —PHOTO BY PTI Former Union min’s cousin shoots self dead with pistol First India Bureau Mumbai: Indian crick- eter Harmanpreet Kaur’s knock of 65 off 30 balls in the opening match of the Women’s Premier League against the Gujarat Giants on Sunday night led Mum- bai Indians to a terrific victory . While talking in the post-match press conference, the Indian women’s team captain shed some light on how she was able to over- come pressure and score runs effortlessly . “Well, I am someone who thinks a lot. You know my mind is con- tinuously giving out thoughts and ideas to me. I think when I am more calm and in the moment, it always gives me a lot of clarity. What I have to do and to be in that zone is not easy for me, but, you know I just keep talking to myself. I keep backing myself and then I am more clear on which areas to pick at the time,” she said. “It was one of those days when I was more relaxed because our team is brilliant and everybody is so positive. They only talk about what we have to do and back each other. I think when you have a character like that, you can go and enjoy yourself, and I think that is what really helped us today,” Har- manpreet said in the post-match conference. As a captain, Harman- preet recognized how crucial it was to win their first game of the campaign in such a fashion. She also received the man of the match award for her heroics in the first innings. Acknowledging the team’s effort, she said, “Obviously, it’s a great win for us. The approach of all the players was brilliant and I think we should give credit to them.” After securing the first victory of their campaign, Mumbai In- dians will now face Roy- al Challengers Banga- lore on March 06 at Bra- bourne stadium. All-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur shares secret of her terrific form WPL 2023 Harmanpreet Kaur —FILE PHOTO First India Bureau Chandrapur: In order to curb incidents of man-animal conflict, the Maharashtra government has decided to relocate 30 tigers from Chandrapur to otherpartsof thestate. Making the an- nouncement,statemin- ister Sudhir Munganti- war said that five fe- lines will be relocated to the Navegaon-Nagzi- ra Tiger Reseve in Gondia district in the first phase. In the second phase, 25 animals will be shifted to other places in the state, he added. Mungantiwar, who is the state Forests and Cultural Affairs Min- ister as well as Chan- drapur District Guard- ian Minister, was speaking on Saturday evening during a programme on ‘Opportu- nities and activities in fish business sector’ at Saoli tehsil in Chan- drapur. “The number of human beings dying in tiger attacks (in Chan- drapur) is increasing by the day. Therefore, it has become impera- tive to take measures towards reducing the human-wildlife conflict. The count of tigers has increased in the district and they are intruding into human habitats,” he said. “The tigers in Chan- drapur district will be relocated in two phases. In the first phase, five of them will be shifted to Navegaon- Nagzira Tiger Reserve in Gondia. In the second phase, 25 other tigers will be relocated to Sahyadri, Melghat and Sambhajinagar,” he added. The state government has taken necessary permission from the Centre, the minister added. Mumbai (PTI): A 31-year-old accountant working in a share-trading firm here was arrested for allegedly si- phoning off Rs2.73 crore from a client’s demat account, police said on Sunday . The Mumbai crime branch arrested the accused from Kandivali on Saturday based on a complaint lodged by his employer at MRA Marg police station in Janu- ary last year, an official said. As per the complaint, a person had opened a demat account through the share-trading company and the accused had helped him with the same, he said. However, the accused did not carry out any transaction in the client’s account between 2019 and 2021 and em- bezzled around Rs2.73 crore, the official said. The accused, who had been on the run, was apprehended based on a tip-off, while another person involved in the crime is absconding, he said. A case under section 420 (cheating) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technolo- gy Act has been registered, the official added. First India Bureau Mumbai A 70-year-old mentally challenged man was rescued by fire brigade personnel from the 22nd floor of a 32-storey building in suburban Kandivali on Sunday . He said the local Fire Brigade received a call at around 5.15 pm that a man was sitting in the refuge area on the 22nd floor of the skyscraper. The refuge area is a separate space in high- rise buildings, where residents can take shel- ter in case of fire or other emergencies. Meanwhile, the man climbed the four-foot- high safety wall. He was found lying uncon- scious on the parapet wall located six feet down by rescuers, the official added. He was rescued safe- ly using a safety har- ness, a rope and other tools with fire brigade personnel descending on the parapet wall, said the official. Accountant held for embezzlement siphons `2.73 crore from client 30 tigers to be relocated to reduce man-animal conflict The count of tigers has increased in Chandrapur district and they are intruding into human habitats, Min Mungantiwar said It was one of those days when I was more relaxed because our team is brilliant and everybody is so positive. They only talk about what we have to do and back each other. I think when you have a character like that, you can go and enjoy yourself, and I think that is what really helped us today. —Harmanpreet Kaur, Captain, Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians skipper led her team to a win against Gujarat Giants in opening match of tournament Many attacks by big cats have been reported recently. Mumbai court accepts Akhtar’s plea for early hearing ELDERLY MAN RESCUED FROM 22ND FLR OF BDLG First India Bureau Mumbai: A magistrate court in Mumbai has accepted a plea for early hearing filed by lyricist- poet Javed Akhtar in the defamation case proceedings against actor Kangana Ranaut. Based on a complaint filed by Akhtar, a hearing was scheduled for April 19. However, after nod to the request made by the lyricist, the case will now be heard by the Andheri magistrate court on March 23. Akhtar, through his lawyer Jay Bharadwaj, had filed an application stating that the case was last heard on No- vember 23, 2022 and was listed for hearing after five months. On Febru- ary 13, Akhtar moved the plea seeking an earlier hearing date. In his plea, Akhtar sought for proceedings to commence soon in the interest of justice. He said that it was a summary case and he is a senior citizen as reasons for his application. The court then sought a response from Ranaut on the plea, who opposed the application stating that another plea seeking the examination of her sis- ter and manager, Ran- goli Chandel, was yet to be decided. Ranaut is facing charges of defamation based on a complaint filed by Akhtar alleging the actor had made de- famatory statements against him in 2020 after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Actor Kangana Ranaut —FILE PHOTO —FILE PHOTO
MAHARASHTRA MUMBAI | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 03 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Maharashtra woman rescued from Oman flesh trade racket First India Bureau Thane: The promise of a better life abroad led a Thane woman into a nightmare, in which she was sold, tortured and extorted. But her ordeal could well be at an end, now that two persons havebeenarrestedforal- legedlyluringherwitha job offer and handing herovertosexracketop- erators in Oman, officials said on Sunday . According to her police complaint, the 43-year-old single moth- er applied for a job she came across in an ad- vertisement on an on- line employment site. Thereafter, the accused contacted her with several job offers, including one in the Gulf kingdom, in July last year, Kashimira police station Senior Inspector Sandeep Kadam said. “Once she reached the Gulf country, she was taken to a bunga- low from the airport. She realized a sex racket was being operated there. When she tried to escape, she was beaten up. The two agents here who sent her to Oman started giving her eva- sive replies,” he said, citing the complaint. “The woman realized the two agents, who have an office in Navi Mumbai, had taken Rs3 lakh from their Oman counterparts to send her there. She was not allowed to leave until last August, after she arranged for the Oman- based agents to be paid Rs1.65 lakh,” he added. The woman recently filed a police complaint, after which the two accused have been arrested, the official also said, adding that the police are continuing to inves- tigate the case. Notably , despite some differences, the woman’s story bears a re- semblance to the case of another Thane na- tive, Ashish Dubey . The 31-year-old’s brother had filed a police complaint in October last year claiming he was being tortured by his Thai employer, who was demanding $3,000 for his release. Accord- ing to the complaint, Dubey was being “mentally and physically tortured” to complete “his performance target” of convincing people to buy cryptocurrency . Two persons have been arrested for luring the woman with the promise of a job and then ‘selling’ her to agents in Gulf kingdom WHAT HAPPENED 11 Mumbai wards to face 10% water cut March 09-11 First India Bureau Mumbai: The Brihan- mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday announced a two-day 10% water supply cut in 11 municipal wards of Mum- bai. Reason for the low water supply is repair work undertaken by the civic body . The water cut will be implemented from 10 am on March 09 to 10 am on March 11. A new bridge is being constructed by the Thane Municipal Cor- poration at Kopari in Thane (West). During this construction work, BMC’s Mumbai - II trunk main pipe- line has been damaged and water is leaking, the civic body said in a statement. Owing to repair work, water supply in some areas and wards will be affected. The civic body has also ad- vised citizens to store water and use it wisely . The areas that will face a 10% water cut include Mumbai west and east wards, Mu- lund East and West areas in T ward, Bhan- dup East, Nahur, Kan- jurmarg and Vikhroli East areas in S ward, Vikhroli East, Ghat- kopar east and west areas in N ward and Kurla east area in L ward. On the island city, the entire B, E, F south and F north areas will experience water cut and the Bombay Port Trust and Naval areas in A ward as well. Notably, Holi, the ‘festival of colours’ will be celebrated across the country on March 08 Loose slabs, cracked pillars see 250 families displaced First India Bureau Thane: As many as 250 families had to vacate their homes after pillars in a residential complex with five buildings in Dombivli in Thane district developed cracks, fire brigade officials said on Sunday . Some of the buildings’ slabs had started coming loose as well, an official added. The loose slabs and cracked pillars were no- ticed around 11pm on Saturday , after which fire brigade, police and civic personnel arrived at the site and vacated the residents, he said. “These buildings were constructed in 1998. They are not on the list of dangerous buildings maintained by the Kalyan Dombivali Mu- nicipal Corporation. The ward officer will take a call on its future after structural checks are carried out,” civic sub fire officer Namdeo Chowdhary said. There are no reports of anyone getting injured, and residents who have been vacated are finding alternate accommodation on their own, Chowdhary added. 8 HURT IN GHATKOPAR WALL COLLAPSE Mumbai: Eight persons received minor injuries after the wall of an under-construction ground-plus-one house collapsed in suburban Ghatkopar on Saturday evening, a fire brigade official said. The incident took place on RB Kadam Marg in Bhatwadi area. Three women from among those injured were taken to hospital but were later discharged. FIRE AT MUMBAI’S SHRI RAM COLLEGE; NO CASUALTIES Mumbai: A massive fire broke out at Shri Ram College of Science and Commerce on Sunday morning in Mumbai’s Bhandup area, Fire Department officials said, adding that four fire tenders were dispatched to the spot to control the blaze. As of Sunday evening, no injuries have been reported in the incident, the reason for which is yet to be ascertained. TUSSLE OVER FOOTWEAR GETS THANE MAN KILLED Thane: A woman has been arrested in Thane’s Naya Nagar for alleging killing her 54-year-old neighbour following a scuffle over the placement of slippers near their adjacent front doors, an official said on Sunday. The woman’s hus- band—also accused in the incident which took place on Saturday night—is absconding, Naya Nagar police station Inspector Jilani Sayed said. MAN CHASED DOWN, NABBED BY COPS WITH 3,000 E-CIGARETTES WORTH `66 LAKH Mumbai: A man was arrested allegedly with e-cigarettes worth Rs66 lakh after his car was stopped for checking at a police road block (nakabandi) in Masjid Bunder area of south Mumbai, an official said on Sunday. Ten boxes, each containing 300 e-cigarettes, were found in the car, after which a case was registered at Dongri police station, he added. The accused had tried to flee from the nakabandi but was pinned down following a chase, the official said. FOUR PEOPLE HELD FOR ASSAULTING FIRM MANAGER WITH IRON RODS IN THANE DIST Thane: Four persons have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a man with iron rods in Thane district on Feb- ruary 15, leaving him seriously injured, a police official said on Sunday. According to Senior Inspector Kishore Shirsat, the four persons arrested on Friday told the police that one of them had lost a furniture supply contract in the company where Surendra Mourya was a manager. Mourya was attacked as the main accused believed that he was the reason for the business setback. Manpada police are investigating further. CRUCIAL READ Class XII Maths paper leak: 3 students among 4 booked Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai police have registered an offence against four persons after a Class XII student got the Maths question paper of the Maharashtra Higher Secondary School Cer- tificate about 30 minutes before the exam commenced, police said on Sunday . The incident took place at Dr Antonio D’Silva High School and Junior College in Dadar area on Friday, when an exam mod- erator found a student with the Maths question paper on his mobile phone, an official said. The student had for- warded the question paper to another person to get all the an- swers on his mobile phone minutes before the exam commenced, he said. The student was handed over to the police and an offence was registered under relevant sections of the In- dian Penal Code (IPC) against four persons, threeof themstudents, the official said. All-women teams to manage 2 Mum Metro stations First India Bureau Mumbai: Champion- ing women ahead of In- ternational Women’s Day, the Mumbai Metro has announced that two stations—Akurli on Yel- low Line 2A and Eksar on Red Line 7, will now be supervised by an all- women staff. Operations at Akurli and Eksar stations will bemanagedbyateamof 76 female employees. Ac- cording to an official, all personnel from the sta- tionmanagertothesecu- rity staff will be women. “This initiative aims to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women in the transportation industry and promote gender diversity and inclusivity in the workplace and the transportation sector,” he said. Staffers at the two Metro stations will be deployed for posts such as station controller, excess fare officer, ticket sales officer, shift super- visor, customer care officer. Their duties will includelookingafterthe efficient operation of the Metro system and assisting passengers. Additionally, women security and housekeep- ing staffers will ensure asafeandcleanenviron- ment at the stations. “This initiative will highlight women’s capa- bilities in the transportation industry and inspire others to pursue careers in this field,” said the official. “We are proud to an- nounce Mumbai Met- ro’s first all-women stations, run and man- aged by our female employees. We believe that gender diversity in the workplace is es- sential for driving in- novation and achiev- ing success. We hope that this initiative will inspire more women to take leadership roles in the transportation sector,” said SVR Srin- ivas, MMRDA Metro- politan Commissioner. AHEAD OF INT’L WOMEN’S DAY… Move aimed at promoting gender diversity, recognizing contribution of women. —FILE PHOTO Operations at Akurli and Eksar stations on Red Line 7 to be manned by only female personnel TRIUMPH OF GOOD OVER EVIL This festive season, Mumbaikars take a stand against corruption, dirty politics, and inflation by creating a 40-foot personification of the ills plaguing society today, in lieu of the traditional ‘Holika Dahan’ bonfire, seen here in the city’s Worli area on Sunday. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE There are no reports of anyone getting injured, and residents who have been vacated are finding alternate accommodation on their own
PERSPECTIVE MUMBAI | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 04 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia l Vol 1 l Issue No. 298 l RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, No.22, Dighe MIDC, Vishnu Nagar, TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi Mumbai-400701. Published at Plot No. 3 Scheme C of Manglorean Garden Home, CHS Limited, Survey No. 5, 6C (Part) Ville Parle East, Mumbai 400057. Phone 022-46031417. Editor-In-Chief: Dr Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Kartikey Dev Singh responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act Narendra Modi @narendramodi On his birth anniversary, I pay homage to Biju Babu, a remarkable leader and institution builder. He was a dynamic and multifaceted personality who has made an unparalleled contribution towards Odisha’s progress. His role in fighting the Emergency is also notable. Amit Shah @AmitShah Happy birthday to the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri @ ChouhanShivraj ji. Your passion and dedication towards the development of Madhya Pradesh is commendable. May you keep working for the welfare of the people of the state with this dedicated spirit. I pray to God for your good health and long life. SPIRITUAL SPEAK Death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. —Bhagavad Gita IN-DEPTH PINARAYI GOVT CURBS MEDIA LIKE SOME OTHER PARTIES IN POWER opying a script used by some of the state governments against the media, the Kerala Policesearchedtheof- fice of Asianet News’ Kozhikode office. The news channel is seen as being anti-Pinarayi Vijayan government of the state. The channeliscreditedwithexposing the government’s nexus with SwapnaSuresh,anaccusedinthe gold smuggling racket. The raid onAsianetofficecameadayafter the Student Federation of India (SFI)ransackeditsofficeinKochi earlier. The SFI is a students’ wing of the CPI-M, the ruling party . Chairman of Asianet NewsRajeshKalrasaidthatsuch attempts to browbeat the media won’t succeed. Asianet News be- longstoAsianetNewsOnlinePri- vate Ltd. which was launched in 2008 by Rajeev Chandrashekhar, who is now the minister for elec- tronics and information technology .ThisfactexplainstheSFIand Pinarayi government’s action against Asianet News. It cannot be justified as it also is an attack on press freedom. TOP TWEETS C orruption in Kar- nataka’s power corridor refuses to go away. From the days of former Chief Minister BS Yedi- yurappa to Congress’ Sid- daramaiah to the present in- cumbent Basavaraj Bommai whose regime has gained in- famy as “40 percent commission government” for allegedly taking a 40 percent cut from contractors who are given any government work. This tag was given by the Congress after a contractor, who was unable to pay the required amount, levelled the allegation against Horti- culture Minister Munirath- na last year. Five contractors were arrested after the minister filed a defamation case against the accuser and four other members of the Karna- taka State Contractors’ As- sociation. With elections a couple of months away the state government is staring at another embarrassing corruption case. This time the option of filing a defamation case is not available to BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa who, along with his son Prashant, is accused of seeking bribe for approving a contract. The Karnataka Lokayukta’s police, whose powers were withdrawn by the Siddara- maiah government, got its bite back under Bommai and raided the MLAs office and residence and recovered over Rs 8 crore. The MLA, who is absconding, is close to Yeddiyurappa and belongs to the Lingayat sub-caste like BSY and Bom- mai. With the corruption narrative continuing to haunt the BJP, it is expected that the Lokayukta police would now aim at Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. The BJP would be able to claim that it is earnest about fighting corruption only when the Con- gress is also pushed into a corner. That, however, will not guarantee eradication of political corruption. IMPORTANCE OF RAID ON K’TAKA BJP MLA WITH ELECTIONS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AWAY THE STATE GOVT IS STARING AT ANOTHER EMBARRASSING CORRUPTION CASE C UNIFORM CIVIL CODE – A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE hould India have a Uniform Civil Code (hereinafter re- ferredtoasUCCinshort),aset of religion and gender neutral common family laws on marriage, separation, adoption, inheritance and so on? This poser was keenly debated by the Constituent Assembly of Indiainthetwilightof nascent republic.Article35of thedraft Constitutionof Indiaprovided that “the State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.” The Con- stituent Assembly took up Draft Article 35 for debate on 23rd November, 1948. Progressive as well as con- servative views were expressed as on the floor of the Constituent Assembly. The debate on this Draft Article triggered conflict in the Con- stituent Assembly. Muslim members opposed the Draft Article and proposed amend- ments to keep personal laws out of Draft Article’s scope. Mr Mohamad Ismail Sahib (Madras) proposed a proviso as an amendment to the following effect: “Provided that any group, section or community of people shall not be obliged to give up its own personal law in case it has such a law.” Mr Naziruddin Ahmad proposed that the following proviso be added to draft Ar- ticle 35: “Provided that the personal law of any community which has been guaranteed by the statute shall not be changed except with the previous approval of the community ascertained in such manner as the Union Legislature may determine by law.” Mahbood Ali Baig Sahib Bahadur moved that the following proviso be added to article 35: “Provided that nothing in this article shall affect the personal law of the citizen.” B Pocker Sahib Bahadur (Madras) supported the mo- tion moved by Mr. Mohamed Ismail Sahib to the effect that the following proviso be added to article 35: “Provided that any group, section or community of people shall not be obliged to give up its own personal law in case it has such a law.” Hussain Imam (Bihar) felt that “it would be all right and a very desirable thing to have a uniform law, but at a very distant date. For that, the country should first await the coming of that event when the whole of India has got educated,….when their economic conditions are better, when each man is able to stand on his own legs….” All Muslim members pleaded that the Draft Article be enforced only with the prior assent of their community. Their arguments were: a) that UCC violated freedom of religion; b) the Draft Arti- cle would create disharmony and c) it was wrong to inter- fere with personal laws without the approval of religious communities. It was argued that the right to adhere to one’s own personal laws was one of the fundamental rights and that personal laws were part and parcel of religion and culture. They em- phasized that UCC should not include family law and inheritance. KM Munshi expressed that “it must also be remembered that if this clause is not put in, it does not mean that the Par- liament in future would have no right to enact a Civil Code.” He felt that article guarantee- ing religious freedom gave state the power to regulate secular activities associated with religion. He further expressed that certain communities amongst Muslims, for example, Khojas and Cutchi Memons, did not want to fol- low the Shariat, but they were forced to do so under the Sha- riat Act, 1937. He further pro- pounded that European coun- tries had uniform laws applied even to minorities and that religion should be di- vorcedfrompersonallaws.He said for Hindus, too, personal laws were not uniform, there was the law of Mayukha applied in some parts of India; Mithakshara in others; and the law of Dayabhaga in Ben- gal. He further said “there is one important consideration which we have to bear in mind—and I want my Muslim friends to realise this—that the sooner we forget this isolation- ist outlook on life, it will be better for the country. Religion must be restricted to spheres which legitimately appertain to religion, and the rest of life must be regulated, unified and modified in such a manner that we may evolve, as early as possible a strong and consoli- dated nation.” Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar expressed that “the ob- jectionwasthatreligionwasin danger , that communities can- notliveinamityif thereistobe auniformcivilcode.Thearticle actually aims at amity.” Concluding the debate, Dr BR Ambedkar did not accept theamendmentsanddefended the right of the state to inter- fere in the personal laws of different communities. He mentioned that many civil laws, such as, IPC, CrPC, CPC, transfer of property , negotia- ble instruments, law of con- tracts, etc., had already been made uniformly applicable to all.Besides,MuslimsinNorth- West Frontier followed Hindu law of succession till 1937. He cited example of Muslims of North Malabar following MarumakkathyamHinduma- triarchal law to stress that Muslim personal laws were not immutable. He concluded by saying that “it is perfectly possible that the future Parlia- ment may make a provision …………thattheCodeshallap- ply only to those who make a declaration that they are pre- pared to be bound by it.” Despite opposition, the Draft Article 35 (now Article 44) found support of the ma- jorityof memberswhoargued thattheUCCwasimportantto bolstertheunityandintegrity of the country . The argument that UCC would violate religious freedom was rejected andtheConstituentAssembly paved the way for this social reformlegislationtostrength- en secularist and nationalist fabric of the country . THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL S SHRAWAN SAWHNEY The writer is IAS (Retd.) Despite opposition, the Draft Article 35 (now Article 44) found support of the majority of members who argued that the UCC was important to bolster the unity and integrity of the country. The argument that UCC would violate religious freedom was rejected and the Constituent Assembly paved the way for this social reform legislation to strengthen secularist and nationalist fabric of the country Article 35 of the draft Constitution of India provided that “the State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.” The Constituent Assembly took up Draft Article 35 for debate on 23rd November, 1948
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MUMBAI | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 05 INDIA www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia First India Bureau New Delhi: Union Min- ister Bhupender Yadav said that under the leadership of Prime Minis- ter Narendra Modi border villages will be developed comprehensive- ly through the Vibrant Villages Programme and said that stronger border villages will lead to a stronger nation. As a part of Vibrant Villages Programme, 1400bordervillageshave been identified and Un- ion Ministers will visit and spend a night at the bordervillagestounder- stand the issues faced by the people there and take steps to address them. Yadav was on a two-day visit to Ladakh on 3-4 March 2023 as a part of the Vibrant Vil- lagesProgrammewhere he visited the border villages of Tsaga pasture, Rezang-La, Chushul among others. At Changthang village, Tsaga pasture, Ya- dav was given a traditional welcome and witnessed Jabro dance, a traditional dance per- formed by Ladakhi women. The Union Min- ister interacted with the nomadicRebotribe,who live in tents and make the finest Pashmina wool. Yadav enquired about the problems faced by them and assured them that benefits of Union Govt schemes will reach them. Addressing the gathering, the Union Minis- ter said after the formation of the Union Terri- tory of Ladakh, several road projects have been completed and long pending ones have been fast-tracked. Yadav said that funds have been earmarked for Green Hydrogen Projects in Ladakh and Rs 27,000 crores have been sanc- tioned to develop Solar Power projects to tap the untapped solar en- ergy potential in Ladakh and generate employment opportuni- ties for the people. “Border villages to be developed under Vibrant Villages Programme” UNION ENVIRONMENT MINISTER SAYS... lll Connected, Educated and Developed Ladakh will be achieved through Vibrant Villages Programme, says Union Minister New Delhi: The BJP held a crucial meeting on Sunday regarding government formation in the three northeastern states where the party hopes to form government in the coming days. The big question was Tripura, where call needs to be taken on the Chief Minister post. Sources indicated that Manik Saha is the front- runner, though a section in the state party is rooting for Union minister Pratima Bhowmik. The meeting at the home of party’s chief strategist Amit Shah was attended by the party chief JP Nadda, As- sam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio. Rio, whose party won 25 seats remains the Chief Minister. In Meghalaya too, the senior partner Nation- al People’s Party headed by Conrad Sangma will be in the driving seat. Sangma will remain in the top post. The other crucial question for the meet was the number of berths to be allotted to the BJP in Mehghalaya and Nagaland. Sources indicated that in Meghalaya, one of the two BJP MLAs will get a ministerial berth. In Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha submitted his resigna- tion on Friday. Though the BJP had indicated that he will continue in the top post if the party returned to power. Key meet at Shah’s home to form Govts in 3 NE States BJP chief JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio and others at a meeting in New Delhi, earlier last week. —FILE PHOTO Naveen Patnaik unveils Dakota aircraft of Biju Patnaik for public display on his 107th birth anniversary, in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav meets local residents in Ladakh during his 2-day visit to the UT. “WE ARE READY FOR TALKS WITH BJP OVER TRIPURA’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE” BJP chief Nadda, Assam and Nagaland CMs attend meeting LOKAYUKTA RAID: KARNATAKA BJP MLA REMAINS ELUSIVE ATIQ AHMAD’S MEN HAD GRABBED UMESH PAL’S LAND IN ALLAHABAD UMESH PAL CASE: `2.5 L REWARD EACH ANNOUNCED FOR INFO ABOUT ACCUSED Agartala: The Tipra Motha on Sunday said it is ready to sit with the BJP for a “face-to-face meeting” to find a “constitutional solution” to Tiprasa people’s problems, after Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the party’s concerns should be addressed. Taking to Face- book, former royal scion Pradyot Manikya Deb- barman, who helms the regional outfit, also gave assurance that his party will not let down people who had voted for him. “If we are respectfully invited for talks on constitutional rights - economic, political, language — we will participate ... We are ready for talks to find a constitutional solution to the problems of indigenous people,” he said. Bengaluru: BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa remained elusive on Sunday, three days after Lokayukta police caught his son Prashanth Kumar MV allegedly taking a bribe for a govt contract. Lokayukta police are making all efforts to trace the Chan- nagiri legislator, who is the prime accused in the case. Officials had said, they will be issuing him a notice for questioning, in connection with the corruption scandal. Prayagraj: Umesh Pal, the slain lawyer who was also a witness in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal in 2005 in which jailed gangster Atiq was named as accused, was also at dag- gers drawn with the gangster’s associates over a plot of land that he owned in Dhoomanganj. Allegations are that Atiq’s aides in 2022 had taken possession of a plot of land that Umesh owned and were demanding Rs 1 crore to allow the lawyer its possession. Umesh Pal had lodged an FIR in this connection against five persons allegedly associated with Atiq with the Dhoomanganj police station on August 24, 2022. Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police Sunday announced a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh each for giving information about the five people, including gangster and former MP Atiq Ahmad’s son Asad, allegedly involved in the killing of Umesh Pal -- the prime witness in the 2005 BSP MLA murder case. Besides Asad, the other four accused are Gulam, Guddu and Sabir, a senior official said. Umesh Pal, the key witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, and his police security guard Sandeep Nishad were shot dead on February 24 outside his home in the Dhoomanganj area of Prayagraj. India’sdemocracyisunder brutalattack:RahulGandhi Rahul Gandhi in conversation with the Indian Journalists’ Association in London. —PHOTO BY PTI London (PTI): Stepping up his attack on the BJP govt, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the structures of Indiandemocracyare under “brutal attack” and there is a full-scale assault on the institu- tions of the country . Gandhi, who is in London, said there are conversations ongoing within the Opposition to unitearoundanalterna- tive vision for India and act upon an “undercur- rent of anger” over pressing issues such as unemployment, price rise, the concentration of wealth and violence against women. He said recent income taxsurveyactionagainst the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai was an example of the “sup- pression of voice across the country”, a motivat- ing factor behind his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ whichhedescribedasan expression of voice against the ruling BJP’s attempt to silence India. BJP falls back on BSY,makes him“Mascot”for K’taka polls Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP seems to be falling back on its seasoned oarsman BS Yediyurap- pa making him a key poll mascot, along with Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi, as it shores up campaign in poll- bound Karnataka. The octogenarian, who has already announced his retire- ment from electoral politics, is sought to be put on the pedestal by the governing party’s central leaders. The reasons are not far to seek as to why Yediyurappa has been pushed to the top of the campaign plank, the four-time Chief Minis- ter, who built the party from grassroots level, has a mass appeal and connect — particularly the political influen- tial Lingayat community — that no other party leader in the State commands. Chennai: Chen- nai’s Cyber Crime Unit registered a case against Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai over his remark linking the DMK to recent spread of fake news that Bihar’s mi- grant workers were attackedinthestate. In a statement, Annamalai had blamed the DMK and said the party’s efforts in “mock- ing” the work done by North Indians is the reason why the fake news spread so quickly . “Since DMK’s or- igin, it has been spewing hate against a particular community. Since the DMK came to power, the party’s ministers and MPs have mocked (North Indians) in their speeches countless times,” said Annamalai. FIR against TN BJP chief for his remarks on ruling DMK Ghazipur (ANI): Uttar Pradesh govt on Sunday removed illegal por- tions of a residential structure belonging to deceased Kamlesh Sin- gh “Pradhan”, who was a gang member of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in the Ghazipur district. The removal action was carried out amid heavydeploymentof the police force. The admin- istration’s crackdown came amidst the State government’s ongoing drive against notorious criminals and goons. Earlier last month, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during his address at the state As- sembly, said that the UP government will destroy the mafia nexus in the state [Mafiaon Ko Mitti Me Mila Denge]. Launching a scathing attack on Samajwadi Party for nurturing the mafia in the state CM had said the UP government would destroy the mafia. Chief Minister Yogi also held the previous Samajwadi Party led- government responsible for nurturing and patronizing criminals and mafia in the state. Property of Ansari’s gang member razed in UP ❍ UTTAR PRADESH GOVERNMENT’S CRACKDOWN CONTINUES AGAINST THE MAFIA NEXUS Hathras murder case: Congress pulls up police for ‘shoddy’ probe New Delhi: The Con- gress on Sunday attacked the BJP over the acquittal of three accused in the Hathras rape-murder case and alleged that it has exposed “shoddy” probe done by UP Police and later by the CBI. A special court in Hathras on Thursday last sen- tenced the main accused in 2020 Hathras rape-murder case to life imprisonment, while acquitting the three other accused. Con- gress said the heinous crime in Hathras and then the govt’s role has exposed the BJP. Bhubaneswar (ANI): Odisha CM Naveen Pat- naik on Sunday unveiled former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik’s iconic “Dakota” DC3 (AT-AUI) aircraft for public display at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubane- swar, said a statement. As per CM’s office, “The iconic Dakota Air- craft belongs to erst- while Kalinga Airlines and was founded by Ex- CM of Odisha (Late) Biju Patnaik. The said airlines operated nearly a dozen Dakotas and Late. Biju Patnaik was its Chief Pilot.” The statement further added, “This Aircraft was used by him to rescue formerIndonesianVice- PresidentMd.Hattaand former Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir. For his effort, Late Biju Patnaik was given honorary citi- zenship of Indonesia and awarded the title of “Bhumi Putra” by the Indonesian Govt, a rec- ognition rarely granted to a foreigner.” Biju Patnaik’s Dakota aircraft opened for public view in Odisha LS PANEL CALLS BJP MP DUBEY OVER HIS NOTICE AGAINST RAHUL New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha’s committee of privileges has called BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on March 10 to hear him on his breach of privilege notice against Congress member Rahul Gandhi. According to a notice issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Dubey has to appear before the committee, chaired by BJP MP Sushil Singh, in person on March 10. The secretariat had sought reply from Gandhi on the breach of privilege notices given by BJP MPs Dubey and Pralhad Joshi. MODI TO VISIT K’TAKA ON MARCH 12; CONG PRESSES FOR CODE OF CONDUCT Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Karnataka on March 12 to dedicate the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Dharwad.PM Modi has already visited the poll-bound state five times this year for various developmental programmes. He is participating in public rallies and road shows. Congress party has objected to the repeated visits of central leaders, including PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Karnataka. THE ROLE MODEL PM Narendra Modi with BS Yediyurappa. —FILE PHOTO Property of Ansari’s gang member being demolished in Ghazipur.
First India Bureau New Delhi: INS Tri- kand is participating in the International Mari- time Exercise/ Cutlass Express 2023 (IMX/CE- 23) being held in the Gulf region. The exercise began on February 26 and it will continue till March 16. The INS Trikand is participating in the exercise with participants from over 50 nations and international maritime agencies with the common aim of enhancing maritime security and keeping sea lanes in the region safe for maritime commerce. IMX/CE-23 is one of the largest multinational maritime exercises in the world. While this is Indian Navy’s maid- en IMX participation, it also marks the second occasion where an In- dian Naval ship is participating in an exercise conducted by the CMF. Earlier, in November last year, INS Trikand had participated in the CMF led Operation Sea Sword 2. Participation in exercises like Sea Sword 2 and IMX/CE-23 enables the Indian Navy in strengthening relationships and enhancing interoperability and collective maritime ca- pability with maritime partners in the IOR. It also enables the Navy contribute construc- tively to regional stabil- ity and security . INDIA MUMBAI | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 06 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Rahul Faujdar Mumbai: Tara Norris, hailing from Philadel- phia sealed the fate of the match in just two overs. In her WPL de- but, she took wickets of some renowned batters in the world and be- came the first player to take a fifer in WPL, to guide Delhi Capitals to a 60-run victory over Royal Challengers Ban- galore here on Sunday . RCB tried hard with a valiant knock from Megan Schutt (22) but her efforts went in vain. RCB finished the match with a boundary and their final score was 163/8. Delhi’s Tara Nor- ris took a five-wicket haul. Norris took wickets of Ellyse Perry (31) and Disha Kasat (9) in a single over. In the second match of the day, Harris, Nav- gire half-centuries drive UP Warriorz to thrillingvictoryagainst Gujarat Giants in a what can be called a nail-biting match. Earlier, Harleen De- ol’s hard-hitting knock and her combination with Australian all- rounder Ashleigh Gard- ner enabled Gujarat Gi- ants to a respectable total of 169/6 in their match against UP War- riorz at DY Patil Stadi- um here. Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz march ahead WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE COUPLE FINED `6 LAKH FOR INTER- CASTE MARRIAGE FIRST EDITION OF NAVAL COMMANDERS’ CONFERENCE OF 2023 TO BEGIN TODAY RAJNATH SINGH TO ADDRESS TOP NAVAL COMMANDERS ONBOARD INS VIKRANT Chamarajanagar (Agen- cies): In Karanataka`s Chamarajanagar district, a couple was fined and faced a boycott in their village for their inter-caste marriage. The incident had taken place at Kunagalli village in Kollegal taluk in the district. According to police, the couple got married five years ago but the villagers came to know about their different castes recently. New Delhi (FIB): The first edition of the Naval Com- manders’ Conference of 2023 will begin on Monday. The conference serves as a platform for Naval Commanders to discuss important security issues at the military-strategic level as well as interact with Senior Government function- aries through an institutional- ised forum. The novelty of this year’s conference lies in the fact that the first phase of the Commanders’ Confer- ence is being held at sea, and for the first-time, onboard India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and top commanders of the Indian Navy will on Monday carry out a comprehensive review of India’s maritime security chal- lenges at a key conclave onboard indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on the high seas. It is for the first time that the biannual commanders’ conference is taking place onboard an aircraft carrier, a move seen as a symbolic reflection of India’s priority to the maritime sphere amid China’s increasing presence in the Indian Ocean region. MAN TURNS CYBER STALKER AFTER RELATION ENDS, HELD New Delhi (Agencies): A cyber stalker was arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly harassing his former female friend by creating a fake account of her father on Instagram and sending obscene messages to her relatives, officials said on Sunday. Both were in a relationship earlier, and due to some reason broke up. Police said that the accused was identified as Vivek (21). MINOR GIRL RAPED IN HOOKAH BAR IN UP’S KANPUR DIST Kanpur (Agencies): Minor daughter of a doctor couple was raped in a Hookah Bar under Barra police station circle in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. The father of the girl has lodged an FIR against 8 including 3 named accused. The doctor told the police that his 16-year-old daughter had been called by one Vinay Thakur to the MG Cafe (Hookah Bar) on Friday where he gave her soft drink spiked with sedatives. TWO HELD FOR CHAIN SNATCHING IN NEW DELHI New Delhi (Agencies): The Police on Sunday said that they have arrested 2 Youtube inspired snatchers, including a national level basketball player, who were com- mitting snatchings and robberies to repay their debt. Police said that the accused were identified as Rohit Chhillar and Shantunu Rathi alias Ghora who is a national level basketball player from Haryana. MONEY TRANSFERRED TO BEAUTY SALONS IN BENGAL TEACHERS SCAM, FINDS ED PROBE Kolkata (Agencies): The ED probing the money-trail angle in the multi-crore teachers’ recruitment scam in West Bengal has found bank accounts registered in the names of beauty salons were used to divert the proceeds of crime. The central agency sleuths while checking the transaction details of arrested youth Trinamool Cong leader, Kuntal Ghosh came across certain transactions from these accounts, which showed an amount of Rs 50 lakh was transferred in phases to different bank accounts of one, Soma Chakraborty. CRUCIAL READ INS TRIKAND PARTICIPATES IN IMX/CE-23 2023 IN GULF REGION Kolkata(Agencies): The adenovirus menace in West Bengal seems to be assuming alarming proportions as deaths of four more children, admitted in a Kolkata hospital with its symptoms, were reported in the last 6 hours, taking the death toll of children to 40 in nine days. By Sunday morning, the deaths of two children - Atifa Khatun (18 months) and Aarman Gazi (4 years) - were reported from the B.C. Roy Children’s Hospi- tal. However, by 4 p.m., four more child deaths had been reported from the same hospital, taking the number of deaths to six in the day . The common symptoms for this are flu-like including cold, fever, breathing problems, sore throat, pneumonia, and acute bronchitis. New Delhi: Joining the Centre’s efforts to promote millets, the Kashi Vishwanath temple in PM Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi will now offer devotees ‘prasad’ made from millets. The ‘laddu prasad’ will now be known as ‘Sri Anna prasad’, a official said on Sunday. Recently, PM Modi termed millets “Sri Anna”, which means “the best among all the foodgrains”. The decision to introduce ‘Sri Anna prasad’ was taken on the instructions of the UP government, the official said. Women self-help groups associated with the National Rural Livelihood Mis- sion prepare ‘prasad’ for the temple. New Delhi(Agencies): The Customs officials on Sunday recovered four gold bars worth ap- prox 2 crores from the toilet of an international flight at Indira Gan- dhi International (IGI) Airport on Sunday . Officials said that on the basis of input received and further developed by Customs officers at IGI Airport, an aircraft utilized for international Flight was rummaged on comple- tion of its subsequent domestic trips at Termi- nal 2 of IGI, New Delhi. The customs officers recovered a grey pouch found affixed with adhe- sive tape below the sink installed in the wash- room. The grey pouch containedfourrectangu- largoldbarstotalweigh- ing around 3969 grams. The rectangular gold bars are estimated to cost Rs 1,95,72,400, said an official statement. New Delhi (PTI): A day after a group of SFI activists allegedly barged into the Kochi office of AsianetNewsandintim- idatedchannelstaff over a news report, journalists’ bodies condemned the incident and called it yet another example of growing attacks against media and scribes. Barging into media offices is “illegal” and should be considered as “an attack on press freedom”, the Press Club of India, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Delhi Un- ion of Journalists and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists saidinajointstatement. “We expect the Kerala government to take strict action against those who attacked Asi- anet,” they said. A group of Students’ Federationof India(SFI) activists allegedly tres- passed into the office of Malayalam news channel Asianet News in Kochi on Friday and in- timidated the staff over areportaboutthesexual assault of a girl, according to Kerala Police. A case was later registered against 30 SFI activists, the students’ wing of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, on the basis of a complaint lodged by the channel. Condemning the incident, the journalists’ bodies said, “We protest the attack on the TV channel Asianet News’ office in Kochi by the activists of the Students Federation of India.” “This is yet another example of the growing attacks against media organisations and journalists in the country .” The journalists’ bodies said Asianet News hadused“amockvideo” to bring out the issue of drug and sexual abuse of ayounggirlinKerala. “Stamping such a programme as fake news suggests igno- rance of the professional ways used by news organisations to protect the identity of victims of sexual assault,” they said. Here’s how Holi is celebrated in diverse parts of India T he festival of colours Holi is knocking on our doors and so is the spring equinox. India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions and Holi is one of the country’s festivals that fill one with jubilation and festive cheer. Holi is essentially the festival of colours, which signifies the victory of good over evil, but it is celebrated across the country in varied ways. Here are some of the inimitable and popular ways of celebrating Holi in different parts of the country UTTARAKHAND Holi celebrations are called Kumaoni Holi. Going by the name, it is apparent that the celebrations take place in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. The common names for the festival are Kahila Holi, Khadi Holi and Baithaki Holi. During the festivities, people make a ‘toli’ (gathering of people) and sing and dance to folk tunes going around the city, while sporting traditional attires. The musical affair also signifies welcoming the spring season– the start of the sowing season for the farming community. A night before Holi, people also gather around to light the Holika pyre. RAJASTHAN Popularly known as ‘Royal Holi’, Holi in Rajasthan is observed at a grand level and is organized by the royal Mewar family of Udaipur. People practise the traditional rituals of Holika Dahan a night before Holi, followed by the royal cavalcade including several deco- rated horses and the royal band proceeding through the city. PUNJAB Hola Mohalla, a popular three-day-long fair that is observed at Punjab’s Shri Anandpur Sahib is a big festive event for Sikhs around the world. The festivities include a display of martial arts, horse-riding, and reciting poetry, primarily to pay homage to the bravery of Sikh warriors. Later the festival is followed by dance, music and spray- ing of colours. UTTAR PRADESH Here, Lathmar Holi is one of the most famous Holi celebrations that take place around the country. In Ma- thura and Vrindavan areas, that are known as the towns of Radha and Krishna, Holi begins from Basant Pancha- mi and continues for more than a month. Thousands of devotees and tourists visit the towns to witness this frenzied version of Holi. On the day of Holi, women run after men with ‘lathis’ or sticks and playfully hit them during this celebration. KERALA The traditional manner how people celebrate Holi in Kerala is known as ‘Ukuli’ or ‘Manjal Kuli’. People visit the temple on the first day and continue with the festivities on the second day. Instead of gulal, the people of Kerala play Holi with turmeric or natural colours. Also, It may come as a surprise that Holi is not as widely celebrated in the southern states as it is in the north. MAHARASHTRA With great gusto and anticipation, the people here celebrate ‘Rang Panchami’ or ‘Shigma’. Festivities start after the sunset on Purnima with Holika Dahan, symbol- izing the victory of good over evil. The next day, people apply gulal and spray water on each other. The celebrations are incomplete without the preparation of ‘Puran Poli’, a sweet buttery flatbread made with chana dal with the stuffing of jaggery, coconut, cardamom, and butter or ghee. Prasad made of millets at Kashi Vishwanath temple Adenovirus: 4 child deaths reported from Kolkata, toll rises to 40 in 9 days Journalists’ bodies cry foul as SFI activists barge into Asianet office 4 gold bars worth `1.95 crore recovered from aircraft’s toilet NO CHILD ADMITTED IN NBMCH WITH ADENOVIRUS SYMPTOMS: SILIGURI MAYOR IMX/CE-23 is one of the largest multinational maritime exercises in the world. Delhi Capitals players celebrate Shafali Verma’s spectacular catch against RCB. UP Warriorz bowler Deepti Sharma celebrates the wicket of Gujarat Giants player Ashleigh Gardner. New Delhi: Even as Kolkata and its adjoining districts in south Bengal reels from respiratory distress-related illnesses among toddlers, there is so far no child admitted at North Bengal Medi- cal College and Hospital (NBMCH) with adenovirus symptoms, the facility’s patient welfare committee chairman Gautam Deb has said. Deb, who is also the Mayor of Siliguri, said that spe- cialised facility for testing presence of adenovirus in a person’s body will be operational at NBMCH within 7 to 10 days.
65% women prefer investing in real estate New Delhi (PTI): Real estate consultant Anarock has conducted a survey that suggests that 65% women respondents prefer to invest in real estate, 20% in stocks and only 8% of them in gold. The sample size of the consumer survey was 5,500, out of which 50% respondents were women. At least 65% women respondents prefer to invest in real estate, followed by 20% favouring the stock markets. Just 8% of women respondents favour gold, and 7% prefer FDs (fixed deposits), the report said. Among other findings, Anarock said that 83% of women respondents are looking at homes priced above `45 lakh. “The `45-90 lakh budget range is the ‘sweet spot’ for 36% of women home seek- ers, and 27% prefer premi- um homes priced from `90 lakh to `1.5 crore. 20% prefer luxury homes priced more than `1.5 crore.” ANAROCK SURVEY TOP TALKING POINTS z At least 65 percent women respondents prefer to invest in real estate, followed by 20% favouring the stock markets z Just 8 percent of women respondents favour gold, and 7percent prefer FDs z 83 percent of womens are looking at homes priced above `45 lakh business BRIEFS New Delhi: Top chief fi- nancial officers (CFOs) have warned about job cuts across the board in the education market over the next six months, as tech media sectors bear the brunt of global economic slowdown. Ac- cording to a survey of 600 CFOs by Coupa 100% of CFOs in education sector responded with “reduce workforce” for actions they need to take in the next six to 12 months to drive growth in the event of a recession, as per Fox Business.—PTI CFOs WARN ABOUT JOB CUTS IN EDUCATION SECTOR New Delhi: India’s imports of crude oil from Russia soared to a record 1.6 million barrels per day in February and is now higher than combined imports from traditional suppliers Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Russia continued to be the single largest supplier of crude oil, which is converted into petrol and diesel at refin- eries, for a fifth straight month by supplying more than one-third of all oil India imported. From a market share of less than 1% in February 2022, Russia’s share of India’s imports rose to 1.62 million barrels per day in February. —PTI INDIA’S RUSSIAN OIL IMPORTS HIT RECORD HIGH IN FEB New Delhi: India’s policy of facilitating trade in rupee is gaining momentum with the total number of Special Rupee Vostro Ac- count (SRVA) touching half a century mark. As many as 49 accounts have been opened so far and some are awaiting regulatory approval, sources said. These accounts would facilitate overseas trade in rupee with Russia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, My- anmar, Singapore, Israel and Germany. —PTI ` TRADE POLICY GATHER TRACTION; SRVA NEARS 50 New Delhi: Five of the top 10 valued firms together added `88,604.99 crore to their market valuation last week, with State Bank of India and ICICI Bank emerging as the biggest gainers. While HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, HDFC and Bharti Airtel witnessed gains in their market valuation, Reliance Industries, TCS, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever and ITC were the laggards. In the top-10 ranking, Reliance Indus- tries retained the tag of the most-valued firm followed by TCS. —PTI MCAP OF FIVE TOP COMPANIES CLIMBS `88,605 CRORE MUMBAI | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 07 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia *Rates till the edition went to print. Currency Price Change % Chg USDINR 81.96 0.00 0.00 GBPINR 98.45 0.00 0.00 CURRENCIES = = Commodity Price Change % Chg GOLD 56,550.00 00.00 0.00 (Per 10g) SILVER 66,900.00 00.00 0.00 (Per 1kg) COMMODITIES = = GOVERNMENT REMOVES IMPORT DUTY ON WHOLE TUR New Delhi: The government has removed the basic customs duty of 10% on whole tur or pigeon peas as part of steps to check the local prices of the lentil. In a notification dated March 3, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said import duty on Tur (whole) will be ‘Nil’. The reduced duty is effective from March 4. However, import of tur, other than whole tur, continues to attract basic customs duty of 10%. —PTI ROAD TRANSPORT HIGHWAYS SEC HAS MAX DELAYED PROJECTS New Delhi: The road transport and highways sector has the maximum number of delayed projects at 460, followed by railways at 117 and the petroleum industry at 90, showed a government report. In the road transport and highways sector, 460 out of 749 projects are delayed. In railways, out of 173 projects, 117 are delayed, while in the petroleum sector, 90 out of 152 projects are run- ning behind schedule, as per the latest flash report. —PTI MSI EXPECTS CHIP SHORTAGE TO GO ON FOR NEXT FEW QTRS New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India expects semiconductor shortage to continue for the next few quarters leading to further increase in order backlog of certain models. The country’s largest carmaker has seen its pending bookings stretch to 3.69 lakh units with Ertiga leading the pack with close to 94,000 bookings. Other models like Grand Vitara and Brezza have an order backlog of around 37,000 and 61,500 units, respectively. —PTI BRITANNIA LOOKS TO RAISE ITS WOMEN WORKFORCE TO 50% New Delhi: FMCG major Britannia Industries is aim- ing to increase its women workforce to 50% from the present 41% by 2024. With 15 company- owned plants and 35 contract and franchisee units across India having a workforce of over one lakh people, Britannia currently has 41% women employees and would increase the strength to 50% by the end of 2024, Head of Manu- facturing, Owned Factories, Indranil Gupta said. —PTI FMCG, DAIRY FIRMS BETTING ON STRONG DOUBLE-DIGIT SALES GROWTH THIS SUMMER New Delhi: Demand for ice creams and cold beverages like Cola have surged because of the onset of early summer and sales are likely to grow in strong double- digits this season, according to top executives of FMCG and dairy firms. The summer season will also get a tailwind in the form of an abatement of the pandemic with increased consumer mobility. This will also help the out-of-home (OOH) segment, where the companies expect a sharp rise in sales after a slump of two years. —PTI OTHER STORIES SINCE 2014-15 India’s per capita income doubles New Delhi (PTI): India’s per capita income in nominal terms doubled to `1,72,000 since 2014-15 when the Narendra Modi-led NDA came to power but un- even income distribution remains a challenge. As per the National Sta- tistical Office (NSO), the annual per capita (net national income) at current prices is estimated at `1,72,000 in 2022-23, up from `86,647 in 2014-15, suggesting an increase of about 99%. In real terms (constant prices), the per capita income has increased by about 35% from `72,805 in 2014-15 to `98,118 in 2022-23. “You are looking at GDP in current prices, but if you account for inflation, the increase is much less,” said noted development economist Jayati Ghosh on doubling of per capita income in nominal terms. She further said distribution is critical. “Most of this increase has accrued to the top 10% of the popu- lation. By contrast, median wages are falling, and pos- sibly even lower in real terms,” said the former JNU professor. As per the NSO data, the per capita income dipped during the Covid period, both in real and nominal terms. However, it has picked up in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Former director of premier economic re- search institute NIPFP Pinaki Chakraborty said as per the World Develop- ment Indicator data base, average growth of India’s per-capita income in real term for the period from 2014 to 2019 was 5.6% per annum. “This growth is significant. We have seen im- provements in outcome related to health, education, and economic and social mobility . Covid impacted us badly. However, we have seen significant economic recovery after Covid. MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS z As per the NSO, the annual per capita (net national income) at current prices is estimated at `1,72,000 in 2022-23, up from `86,647 in 2014-15, suggesting an increase of about 99% z In real terms (constant prices), the per capita income has increased by about 35% from `72,805 in 2014-15 to `98,118 in 2022-23 z As per the NSO data, the per capita income dipped during the Covid period, both in real and nominal terms Mumbai (PTI): India saved over $27 billion in key central government schemes through direct benefit transfer as it is swift and eliminates corruption, Ajay Seth, Secre- tary of Department of Economic Affairs said on Sunday. “And since the transfers are all direct, end to end, and swift, there is little scope for corruption and leakages and removal of duplicate/ fake beneficiar- ies. In our own experience, DBT has entailed a saving of more than $27 billion just across key central government schemes,” the official said of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). ‘Centre saved $27 billion in schemes using DBT’ Colombo (PTI): India and Sri Lanka are exploring the possibility of using the In- dian Rupee for economic transactions and have dis- cussed the initiative that will help in building a stronger and closer part- nership through trade and investment-led measures. The High Commission of India had a discussion on the use of the INR for transactions. “Representatives from the Bank of Ceylon, State Bank of India and the In- dian Bank shared their ex- periences and informed the audience that they had started carrying out INR- denominated trade transactions through respective Vostro/Nostro accounts after the creation of ena- bling framework by the RBI and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in 2022,” the High Commission said. The participating banks also outlined the benefits of settlementsdenominatedin INR which includes shorter timelines, lower exchange costs and easier availability of trade credits. The beneficial impact of this initiative on the tour- ism and hospitality industry was also highlighted including its role in help- ing increase collections which could be utilised by other sectors. INDIA, SL MULL USING ` FOR TRANSACTIONS India ‘dangerously close’ to Hindu rate of growth: Rajan New Delhi (PTI): Sound- ing a note of caution, former Reserve Bank Gover- nor Raghuram Rajan has said that India is “dangerously close” to the Hindu rate of growth in view of subdued private sector investment, high interest rates and slowing global growth. Rajan said that sequential slowdown in the quar- terly growth, as revealed by the latest estimate of national income released by the National Statistical Of- fice (NSO) last month, was worrying. Hindu rate of growth is a term describing low In- dian economic growth rates from the 1950s to the 1980s, which averaged around 4%. The term was coined by Raj Krishna, an Indian economist, in 1978 to describe the slow growth. “Of course, the optimists will point to the upward revisions in past GDP numbers, but I am worried about the sequential slowdown. With the private sector unwill- ing to invest, the RBI still hiking rates, and global growth likely to slow later in the year, I am not sure where we find additional growth momentum,” Rajan said. The key question is what Indian growth will be in fiscal 2023-24, Rajan said Global trends, FPIs trading activity to drive mkts this week: Analysts Mumbai (PTI): Equity markets would be mainly driven by global trends and foreign fund trading activity in the holiday-short- ened week, analysts said. The BSE and the Nation- al Stock Exchange have listed March 7 (Tuesday) as a holiday on account of Holi. “Indian stock markets may remain volatile amid fear that the US FED will keep raising interest rates to control inflation. Rising US bond yields and macroeconomic numbers will keep the market mood subdued in the near-term. Investments by FIIs, who are turning out to be small net buyers at the margin, and DIIs will be monitored. On the global front, the Bank of Japan will decide on interest rates and the US macroeconomic data will be scheduled for release on March 10, while on the domestic front, India’s industrial production data will also be unveiled on March 10, Gour added. Industrial production data for the month of Janu- ary will be released post- market hours on Friday . Market investors will also keep track of the movement of the rupee against the US dollar. FinMin monitoring daily receipts and expenses New Delhi (PTI): The finance ministry on Sunday said it has started daily monitoring of the revenue receipts, including tax collections, as well as expend- iture beginning March 1, with an aim to keep fiscal deficit in check during the current fiscal. Accordingtoofficials,the daily monitoring of tax and non-tax revenue collections will help the government in taking timely corrective actions, wherever needed. “In order to keep a close track of receipts, expendi- ture and involving fiscal position of the central government in the month of March, 2023, it is necessary to have updated information on a day-to-day basis,” the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) under the finance ministry said in an office memorandum dated March 1.
MUMBAI | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 08 2NDFRONT www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Greetings on the occasion of Holika Dahan and Dhulendi! May all our troubles burn in the holy fire and our lives be filled with the colours of joy. Happy Holi! — Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India With CM by its side, BJP kicks off Mumbai ‘Aashirwad yatra’ Mumbai (PTI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched its “Aa- shirwad yatra” to connect with people in all six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai on Sunday, the party’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar said. Day One covered two Lok Sabha seats, while the next two will be cov- eredonMarch09andthe remainingtwoonMarch 11, with party leaders visiting key temples and other sites to connect to people, the Bandra MLA told reporters. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and then ally, Shiv Sena (un- divided), had won three constituencies each in Mumbai. The BJP won Mum- bai North, Mumbai North East, and Mum- bai North Central seats, while the Shiv Sena emerged victorious in Mumbai South, Mum- bai South Central, and Mumbai North West. Of thethreeShivSena MPs from Mumbai, MPs from Mumbai South Central, Rahul Shewale, and Mumbai North West, Gajanan Kirtikar, are with the Eknath Shinde faction. Mumbai South MP Arvind Sawant is part of the Ud- dhav Thackeray faction. Aurangabad’s new name: AIMIM MP spearheads protest First India Bureau Aurangabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Mus- limeen (AIMIM) MP Im- tiaz Jaleel on Saturday began an indefinite fast to protest against the renaming of Aurangabad city to Sambhaji Nagar bythestategovernment. Several AIMIM party workers and their supporters also staged a demonstration in front of the collector’s office on the issue. On the other hand, the Maharashtra NavnirmanSena(MNS) launched a signature campaign to gather support for the move. Jaleel has clarified that the protest was not led by his party, but by “Aurangabadkars” (citizens of the city/district)—individualsfrom various professional, religious, and ideologi- cal backgrounds. “We have started our protest in a democratic and peaceful manner. People from different walks of life will join us. Nobody should give a casteist or religious col- our to our agitation. Our protest is simply a voice of dissent of residents against the renaming of the historic city in an illegal manner,” he said. Protestors were seen carrying banners bear- ing the message “I Love Aurangabad”. Meanwhile, the MNS signature campaign was headed by city unit President Sumit Kham- bekar. “A few elements are trying to create a hurdle in the renaming process. To foil their plans, we have started a signature campaign,” he said. Imtiaz Jaleel —FILE PHOTO First India Bureau Thane: The Motor Ac- cident Claims Tribunal here in Thane has awarded Rs70,000 to a 12-year-old Palghar student who was severely injured in a road accident in 2018. Nutan Kusal, a resi- dent of Virar in Palghar district, had been on her way home from school on September 11, 2018, when a tempo rammed into her. The accident, which took place on Vajreshwari- Shirsad road, left her severely injured. Her parents had to shell out Rs1 lakh for her medical treatment, Nutan’s advocate SL Mane said. MACT chairperson and Principal District Judge Abhay J Mantri ruled that the girl receive Rs70,000 in com- pensation, including Rs5,000 towards hospital and medical bills, Rs25,000 towards con- veyance, attendance and special diet and Rs40,000 for pain, suf- ferings and permanent disability, trauma and loss of amenities. Teen to get `70K comp for crash injury ‘Vindictive politics not good for BJP’ First India Bureau Mumbai: Less than a week after he pulled the rug out from under the Bharatiya Janata Party by winning the Kasba Peth Legislative Assem- bly seat, Ravindra Dhangekar is taking on Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis— the BJP’s most power- ful leader in the state. Talking to a local media house, Dhangekar called Fadnavis’s style of politics ‘vindictive’ and warned that it would spell doom for the saffron party in the long run. He said the state is known for “cultured” leaderssuchasYashwan- trao Chavan, Sharad Pa- war, Balasaheb Thack- eray and Prithviraj Chavan, the Indian Ex- press reported. “People praise Nitin Gadkari and Sharad Pawar even behind their backs because of their constructive and inclusive politics of development. This is not the case with Fadnavis. He does more to destroy opponents than to build up the public. I feel that this attitude and outlook will lead the BJP into the abyss,” Dhangekar told a Mar- athi news outlet. He also said that while the NCP chief and Union roadways minister continue to receive goodwill even when they are not in power, Fadnavis will not share this privilege. “People are watching everything, and they understand everything. There’s an end to all these things,” he said. “He may get momen- tary pleasure from these things, but it won’t last. When he’s out of power, people won’t even greet him,”Dhangekaradded. Under Fadnavis, Ma- harashtra BJP inducted politiciansfromtheCon- gress and the NCP by pressuring them using government agencies, Dhangekar also said. Notably, prior to Dhangekar’s win, the Kasba Peth seat had been a BJP bastion for 28 years. Dhangekar beat BJP’s Hemant Rasne by more than 10,800 votes in the bypoll necessi- tated by the death of BJP MLA Mukta Tilak. New Kasba Peth MLA Ravindra Dhangekar criticizes Dy CM Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar and supporters celebrate his victory in the Kasba Peth Assembly bypoll in Pune on Thursday. —FILE PHOTO ‘Article 370 abrogation only on paper, done to help BJP’ First India Bureau Mumbai: Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader San- jay Raut on Sunday criticized Prime Minis- ter Narendra Modi-led Central government for abrogation of Article 370, which ended the special status of Jam- mu and Kashmir. The Rajya Sabha MP said that abolishment of Article 370 was only on paper and done to serve the political interests of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Par- ty (BJP). In his weekly column “Rokthok” in party mouthpiece Saama- na, Raut said Kashmiri Pandits had not got their rights despite this move, and BJP leaders have no an- swers to their woes. A Kashmiri Pandit was killed by terror- ists in Pulwama recently, but the BJP poured water on the grief of the community by arresting Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia in the alleged excise scam (thereby diverting attention from the killing). “Jammu and Kash- mir was and will remain an integral part of India. The abrogation of Article 370 is only on paper and was done to serve the political interests of the BJP,” he said. In his column, Raut said he met Kashmiri Pandits during his recent visit to the north- ern Union Territory as part of the Rahul Gan- dhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, and community members told him about being forcibly relocated to the Valley, though the government was not ready to guarantee their safety. He also said the Hin- du Akrosh Morcha organized in Mumbai recently against Love Ji- had and other issues alleged by right wing out- fits, must be held in J-K to protest the killing of Kashmiri Pandits. He expressed con- cern at the re-emer- gence of pro-Khalistan elements in Punjab, adding it was an issue related to internal security that cannot be left in the hands of the state government there. Sena - UBT’s Raut rues plight of Kashmiri Pandits, accuses ruling party of diverting public attention from killings Shiv Sena - UBT MP Sanjay Raut —FILE PHOTO CM Shinde waves at the crowd during the Aashirwad Yatra, on Sunday. —PHOTO BY PTI BHARAT 24 HONOURS GUJARAT’S ‘SHOORVEERS’ There is a need to change attitude of people towards cops: Sanghavi Dr Jagdeesh Chandra speaking during the event on Saturday. Harsh Sanghavi addressing the audience in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Manish Desai Ahmedabad: In an event named ‘Shoor- veer’, Bharat 24’s channel honoured the Guja- rat police personnel who showed bravery and valour during duty . Gujarat Home Minis- ter Harsh Sanghavi participated in this program organized at the Sabarmati River Front, Ahmedabad on Saturday. Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO and Ed- itor-in-Chief Bharat24- Vision of New India and First India, and CMD First India News, and Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay were also present during the programme. “CM could not come in our midst because of some important work. But his good wishes and blessings are with us. And anyway there is any function in Gujarat and if we do not remem- ber PM Modi and HM Shah then function is incomplete so in their absence we salute their leadership,” said Dr Chandra. Sanghavi started his address by praising Dr Chandra saying that at the age people plan for retire- ment, he has been an inspiration for many youth like me. Harsh Sanghavi and Dr Jagdeesh Chandra with Ankit Trivedi, Rajesh Bhai, Vikas Sahay, Shailesh Bhandari, Manish Desai and others during lighting of lamp at Bharat24’s event titled, ‘Shoorveer’ to honour the Gujarat police personnel at the Sabarmati River Front in Ahmedabad on Saturday. l Sanghavi says Dr Chandra has been an inspiration for many youth including me l We salute great leadership of PM Modi and HM Amit Shah, says Dr Chandra
09 MUMBAI, MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/ thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia oli, the celebration of colours, is almost here, and we can hardly contain our enthusiasm. Like any other festival, this festival also commemorates the triumph of good over evil, the arrival of spring and the end of winter, and the chance to meet new people. People are brought together to joke and play, to forget and pardon, and to mend broken relationships. Religion, bonfires, and an excess of coloured chalk, it is one of the most gorgeous festivities on the planet but during this festival of sharing love most of the time, we are concerned with how to make our attire more enjoyable. However, Holi is an occasion whereyoumustchoosetheap- propriate clothing, shoes, and even accoutrements to avoid malfunction or pain. Of course, we’d all like to get drenched in colours while still lookingfantasticinthatattire. As a result, to make your Holi buying easier, we’ve compiled a list of dos and don’ts that youcanfollowtohaveasecure Holi and wear an ensemble that is both comfortable and stylish. The first and most important thing to do is to go out and buy a white dress, ideally ethnic; after all, we are hon- ouring a traditional holiday . So it’s a white kurta and py- jama for males and a white sari or churidar kurta for women. A white Salwar ka- meez or palazzo will not do because they will look slop- py when soaked, and the meaning of a ‘FILMY HOLI’ is to look glamorous despite, or rather because of, colours and water. If you are confident and at ease with your sexuality, go for a mus- lin fabric kurta and pair it with a carefully positioned patterned dupatta or stole to complete the ‘HERO- INE’ look. MEIN MEIN UDE UDE RE RE GULAL GULAL CITY FIRST SHARES A FEW GLIMPSES OF THE FESTIVAL OF COLOURS WHICH PROMOTES LOVE, TOGETHERNESS AND JOY UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in Khushi Vijay Akanksha Bhalla and Gaurav Gaur Shrishti Khatri Tripti Arora Karishma Tak
10 ETC MUMBAI | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia oli is a festival that marks the beginning of spring (season) in India, the end of winter, and the blooming of love. For many , it is a joyous day to social- ise with others, have fun and laugh, forget and forgive, and mend strained bonds. The ceremony also serves as a prayer foraprosperousspringharvest. SIGNIFICANCE OF HOLIKA DAHAN Holika Dahan (Choti Holi), also known as the night before Holi,istheofficialbeginningof theHolicelebrations.HolikaDa- han translates as burning the demon Holika, while Dahan denotestheactof lightingsome- thing on fire. Holika Dahan (Choti Holi) will take place on March7'sTuesdaynightin2023. People light a bonfire on the eve of Holika Dahan, the night before the Holi Festival, to symbolise the defeat of the demon Holika. When the blaze is burned to ashes, it symbolises the triumph of good over evil. The event honours the tale of Prahlada, a child follower of Lord Vishnu, and his ma- levolent father, Hiranyakashi- pu, according to Hindu my- thology. Hiranyakashipu was upset that his son wouldn't ac- cepthimasadeityandplanned to murder him for it. Hiranyakashipu was finally put to death by Lord Vishnu in the guise of Narasimha thanks to Prahlada's devotion to Lord Vishnu, who protect- ed him from his father's nefarious schemes. People congregate in public areas on the day of Ho- lika Dahan and ignite bonfires to rep- resent the burning. Holika Dahan has cultural value in ad- dition to religious significance. The major activity during the Holi celebration is playing with coloured powders and water while exchanging sweets and food. In essence, Holika Dahan is a significant Hindu festival that repre- sents the victory of virtue over evil. This is a time for people to get together, pray together, and rejoice with their loved ones. DELICACIES OF HOLI This festival of colours is linked with several traditional foods and desserts. For example, picture Holi without the delectable guji- yas and the chilled thandai. Dur- ing celebrating Holi, especially in North India, they are a need. To make things simple and time-saving so that you can fully enjoy the day, some advance plan- ning is a smart idea. Similarly, with samosas or kachoris, the dough or filling can be made ahead of time and chilled. The same is true for the thandai paste, which may be made a few days before the festival and fro- zen or refrigerated. UNIQUE POPULAR HOLI CUISINE These are the traditional foods that Holi is un- questionably incomplete without. You have the option to make one, two, or all of them. GUJIYA A dessert made of crisp, flaky pastry stuffed with sweet khoya (evaporated milk solids) and dried fruits, gujiya is well-known and traditional North Indian treat. They can be both baked and fried. Make a filling with your preferred dried fruits, jaggery, and khoya, wrap it in a sheet of repurposed flour, and fried it to serve. THANDAI During the Holi celebration, the traditional and well-liked North Indian beverage called Thandai is created. In classic Thandai cuisine, aromatic spices like green cardamom, fennel seeds, black pepper, saffron, and traces of rose are combined with nuts and seeds like almonds, pistachios, poppy seeds, and melon seeds. The milk is then added to the thandai pow- der or paste to create the reviving and cooling thandai beverage. DAHI VADA All of your favourite tastes and textures are combined in one delectable snack: fluffy, supple, soft, tangy, and sweet Dahi Vada. They are made up of handmade fried lentil dumpling fritters that are covered in sweet and sour chutneys and dipped in rich, whipped yo- ghurt. For a fun appetiser or sharing party dish, try my heir- loom and traditional Dahi Vada recipe with step-by-step photographs. SAMOSA A traditional and well-known Punjabi samosa dish with a crispy, flaky crust with a mixture of fla- vorful, tangy potatoes and green peas. As an alternative to deep frying, you may alternatively air fry or bake these samosas. EASY HARA BHARA KABAB Green peas, potatoes, and fresh spinach leaves are used to make hara bhara kabab. They are therefore tasty and nourishing. In In- dia, hara bhara kebab is a tasty appetiser or snack. Burger buns may also be used to make sand- wiches out of this green kabab. SOAK IN THE HUES SOAK IN THE HUES J JO OY Y OF People are joyful about the approach of the festival of colours. Holi this year will be observed on March 8 with Holika Dahan falling on March 7. The whole affair of this festival is very enjoyable and warm, as people dance to the tunes of breezy songs, play with colours and also eat popular Holi delicacies to celebrate the victory of good over evil! MRIDULA SHARMA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in H

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