eye THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE P. S. I love you NEWDELHI,LATECITY FEBRUARY11,2024 18+4PAGES,`7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, ` 12 SRINAGAR) DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA RAM TEMPLE DISCUSSION IN LAST SITTING OF 17TH LOK SABHA Pained, says Dhankhar as Opp questions Jayant speech on Bharat Ratna Modi played unparalleled role in uniting nation: House chairs Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar DEEPTIMAN TIWARY & AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 10 RAJYASABHAChairmanJagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said he was “pained” and “ashamed”, and even felt like resigning, after members of Congress and other oppositionpartiesquestionedhis decisiontoallowRLDchiefJayant ChaudharytospeakontheBharat Ratna conferred on his grandfather and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. Dhankhar also accused Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge of insulting Charan Singh and his legacy. As soon as Rajya Sabha proceedings began in the morning, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Cong plays safe, extols Ram’s values to slam govt The resolution will give constitutional powers to future generations to take pride in their heritage: Modi MANOJ C G NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 10 HARIKISHAN SHARMA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 10 THE CHAIRS of both Houses of Parliament Saturday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi forplayingan“unparalleledrole” in uniting the entire nation on the “auspicious occasion” of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Addressing the Lok Sabha after a discussion on Ram temple in which 26 members including UnionHomeMinisterAmitShah participated, Speaker Om Birla said,“January22,2024,hasfilled Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha on Saturday. PTI every corner of the country with amazing joy and enthusiasm... It has become a national festival, about which our generations willcontinuetobeenthralledfor ages... Our Honourable Prime Minister has played an unparalleled role in uniting the entire nation on this auspicious occasion associated with Lord Ram... Weallareveryproudtopassthis resolution related to the grand temple of Lord Shri Ram, which hasbecomea symbolof thesentiment of the people in Ayodhya.” The same address was read out in Rajya Sabha by its ex-officioChairmanJagdeepDhankhar in the presence of Prime Minister Modi. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 FORCED TO join a debate in Parliamentontheopeningof the Ram Temple, the Congress and a handful of other opposition parties — many from the INDIA bloc did not participate in the discussions in both Lok Sabha and RajyaSabha —accusedthe BJP of spreading hatred and animosity inthenameof Ramandusingreligion to secure power but skirted the issue of thinning of thelinethat demarcates religion and state. Congress leaders repeatedly CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM Declarations of love are not just for Valentine’s Day. From WhatsApp chats to notes on the fridge, from calls to emails, love letters are part of our everyday lives FOUR-PAGE PULLOUT EPFO board proposes 8.25% for 2023-24, highest in three years AANCHAL MAGAZINE NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 10 THE CENTRAL Board of Trustees oftheEmployees’ProvidentFund Organisation (EPFO) Saturday recommended a higher interest rate of 8.25 per cent for financial year2023-24foritsover29crore total subscribers. This will be the highest rate of interest for EPF subscribersinthelastthreeyears CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Recordincome, highersurplus THE HIGHER 8.25% interest rate for this year is mainly because EPFO expects to retain a higher surplus. This could probably be because of record high incomes due to lowerthan-expected claims. INSIDE HALDWANI STILL ON EDGE, INTEL WARNED DEMOLITION COULD SPARK VIOLENCE KEJRIWAL: AAP WILL CONTEST ALL SEATS IN PUNJAB AND CHANDIGARH PAGES 9, 6 In U-19 cricketers’ journey to WC final, meet those who laid ground for them PRATYUSH RAJ NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 10 THE FLIGHT from Mumbai to SouthAfricaforIndia’sUnder-19 cricketers was long and tiring. The trek to the final, where they will meet Australia on Sunday in a repeat of the senior men’s World Cup final, was also tough. A 7-year-old Sachin Dhas with his father Sanjay Their real journey, though, was several years in the making. Many of these young cricketers left the comforts of their hometown, and the warmth of their relativesandfriends,sothatthey could realise their cricketing dreams. Uday Saharan, the captain, was only 12 when he shifted CONTINUED ON PAGE 2