eye THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE Between you and the skies LUCKNOW,LATECITY JULY7,2024 Monsoons in Goa are lessons in solitude and the power of friendship 12+4PAGES,`6.00 DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA INSIDE UTTAR PRADESH 13 KILLEDIN RAIN-RELATED INCIDENTS IN 24 HOURS PAGE 3 Budget on July 23: Boosting demand key goal, GST rate cut being explored E Sitharaman prepares to present the first Budget in the third term of the BJP-led NDA government on July 23, policymakers are pushing for a revision in indirect taxratestogiveafilliptoflagging consumption. Sources in the government said there is broad consensus 17 reported that rationalising the incometaxstructure,especiallyat lower income levels, was also an optionunderconsideration. Policymakers acknowledge that while cutting income tax rates was easier and can happen in the Budget itself, the move to CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 E X P L A I NE D RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das calls on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi. PTI Indirectvs direct tax ● rate cuts A BOOST to consumption is seen as crucial for reviving demand, which in turn is central to restarting the investment cycle, especially rekindling private capex in consumer-focused sectors. Rationalising GST rates will have a larger impact on demand than cutting direct tax rates. PM Modi speaks to Hathras stampede deaths: Police to Starmer, invites him probe ‘political’ link to satsang funds to India; both agree to 2 more held, main accused Madhukar remanded in 14-day judicial custody work on sealing FTA EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NOIDA, JULY 6 SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, JULY 6 A DAY after Keir Starmer led the Labour landslide to end 14 years of Conservative rule in the UnitedKingdom,PrimeMinister NarendraModispoketothenew British Prime Minister Saturday and the two leaders agreed to work towards an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-UK free trade agreement. Modi congratulated Starmer on assuming charge and on the remarkable victory of his Labour Party in the election. He also invited Starmer to India. According to 10, Downing Street,theBritishPrimeMinister, whilediscussingthe FTA,said he stood ready to conclude a deal “that worked for both sides”. Starmer also looked forward tofurtherdeepeningthe“strong and respectful relationship” between both countries, and welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s leadership on key global challenges such as climate change andeconomicgrowth,theBritish THE WORLD New UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer; Prime Minister Narendra Modi PM CONGRATULATES IRAN PRESIDENT P 6 government’s statement said. DowningStreetsaidtheleadersagreedtherewasawiderange of areas across “defence and security,criticalandemergingtechnology, and climate change” for the two countries to deepen cooperation on — this reflects the Starmergovernment’spriorities. Theirconversationtookplace two days before Modi travels to Russia and Austria on bilateral visits,hisfirstbilateralvisitinthe third term. His visit to Russia on CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 THE UTTAR Pradesh police on Saturday arrested two more accused in the Hathras stampede case, a day after the main accused, Mukhya Sewadar Devprakash Madhukar, was nabbed from Najafgarh in Delhi. Claiming that some political parties had recently contacted Madhukar, the police said political connections and money trail would be probed and "strictest possible"actionwouldbetakenif anypartyisfoundinvolvedinthe activities. The two accused — Ramprakash Shakya and Sanju Yadav — were arrested from KailoraintersectionandGopalpur KachoriinHathrasonSaturday.A totalof ninepeoplehavebeenarrested in the case since the stampede on July 2. The main accused, Madhukar,wasproducedbefore the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Hathras on Saturday and sent to 14-day judicial custody. According to Hathras police, during interrogation, Madhukar revealedthatheandothersatsang Devprakash Madhukar in police custody on Saturday. PTI organisers were contacted by some political parties some time ago. An in-depth investigation is being conducted regarding the collection of funds during satsangs to see if such programmes are funded by any political party, said the police. Hathras SP Nipun Aggarwal said Madhukar was associated with the 'godman', Suraj Pal alias BholeyBabaaliasNarayanSakaar Hari, for a long time. “Madhukar wasthemainorganiserofthesat- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE TWO ENCOUNTERS were underway in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday night, with officials saying four militants have been killed and one soldier has lost his life. As per the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the first encountertookplaceinModergam village on Saturday afternoon, while in the evening, firing beganatFrisalvillage.Asoldiersustained fatal injuries in the first encounter, officials said. Accordingtoofficials,contact with the militants was established during a cordon-and- OBJECTING TO a remark by former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaraminaninterviewto The Indian Express on the new criminal laws, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, without naming him, said Saturday that the Rajya Sabha MP’s comment that “non-professional people have drafted the new laws” and that“theywerepart-timemembers of a committee” was an “inexcusable insult to the wisdom of Parliament”. Addressingthe12thconvocation of the Indian Institute of SpaceScienceandTechnologyin SRINAGAR, NEW DELHI, JULY 6 PAGE 8 sangprogrammeinPhulraivillage on July 2 and the permission for the satsang was taken by him. Two roles of Madhukar have come to light — the main organiser and fundraiser,” said the SP. “From the questioning done so far, it seems some political party is associated with them (the accused) for its political and personal interests. All the bank accounts, movable and immovable properties, money trail etc linked to the accused, Devprakash Madhukar, are being investigated; cooperation will also be sought from other agencies as per requirement,” said Aggarwal. The officer did not clearly state if any action will be taken against Suraj Pal in connection with the stampede. AccordingtotheHathrasPolice, duringinterrogationitalsocameto light that Suraj Pal's carwas driven amidthecrowdbyhissewadarsdespite being aware of the fact that therewouldbearushforcollecting the soil with tyre marks and the 'godman's'footprints. Police said during interrogation, Madhukar informed them that he was earlier working as a junior engineer in MGNREGA in Etah district. He had been associated with 'godman Bholey Baba' foryears. Policesaidanykindofinterference from the administration at thePhulraisatsangvenuewasprevented by the sewadars. “People were prevented from recording videosandtakingphotographsat the venue. Traffic movementwas often affected in violation of the conditions mentioned in the permission letter issued by the administration," said an official. Two encounters break OBJECTS TO REMARK ON NEW CRIMINAL LAWS out in Valley, 1 soldier Dhankhar to Chidambaram: Are and 4 militants killed we part-timers... insult to House ENS & PTI REFORMIST MASOUD PEZESHKIAN WINS IRAN’S PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF ELECTION ONLY ‘THE LORD ALMIGHTY’ CAN DRIVE ME FROM RACE, SAYS BIDEN ON DAY 1, STARMER DECLARES RWANDA DEPORTATION PLAN ‘DEAD AND BURIED’ FOUR-PAGE PULLOUT BUDGET SESSION STARTS JULY 22, CONCLUDES AUGUST 12 JUST LIKE AYODHYA, Cut in indirect tax rates will benefit CONG WILL DEFEAT BJP IN GUJARAT IN all; requires states to be on board 2027: RAHUL over the need for rate rationaliGANGSTER’S KILLING, AANCHAL MAGAZINE sation in a phased manner unBROTHER’S REVENGE: NEW DELHI, JULY 6 der the Goods and Services Tax POLICE CRACK TNBSP (GST) regime. CHIEF’SMURDER TheIndianExpresshadonJune AS FINANCE MINISTER Nirmala PAGE 5, 6 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM NEW DELHI, JULY 6 Security forces in Kulgam on Saturday. Shuaib Masoodi search operation in Frisal, leading to an exchange of fire. Sources said that in both locations, the militants were holed up inside a house. In one of the encounters, security forces had CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh Dhankhar with Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and CM Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. PTI Thiruvananthapuram,Dhankhar said the MP must hold himself accountable. “I appeal to him from this platform, please withdraw this derogatory, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Large industrial units are coming up in Kathua district’s Bhagthali industrial estate adjoining Punjab. Express Muralitharan to Emaar, big players queue for land to set up shop in J&K ARUN SHARMA KATHUA, JULY 6 FROM LEGENDARY Sri Lankan spinnerMuttiahMuralitharanto Dubai-based Emaar Group to India’s Kandhari Beverages Pvt Ltd and Welspun Group, Jammu and Kashmir has received requests from a wide spectrum of players for allotment of land to set up their ventures, which wouldpumpinvestmentsworth over `1.23 lakh crore into the Union Territory, officials have told The Indian Express. AsonJuly 3,asmany as 6,909 applications had been received on the single-window system established by the J&K government to process such proposals. While proposals worth `81,594.87 crore have been received in the Jammu division, proposals worth `41,633.09 crore have come in for the Kashmir division, officials said. While Jammu has received fewerapplicationsat1,902,itappears to be attracting larger industrial units, with a total land requirementof 39,484.94kanals (equivalent to 4,935.61 acres). A lot of the land in demand is in Kathuadistrict,givenitsproximity to neighbouring Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The Kashmir Valley, with 5,007 applications, has seen proposals for medium and small ventures, with a total land requirement of 29,375.89 kanals (3,671.98 acres). These ventures, officials said, could generate employment for 4,69,545 people — 2,17,760 in Jammu and 2,51,785 in Kashmir. Green shoots In the past one year, investments over `21,000 crore have alreadypercolatedtotheground in Jammu division, including 15 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 I am a Bahujan, not a sheep that follows… not with ruling side or Opp in House: Aazad DEEPTIMAN TIWARY NEW DELHI, JULY 6 AZAD SAMAJ Party (Kanshi Ram) leader and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Aazad, the party’sloneparliamentarian,has saidhewillremainanindependent voice in the House and not join ranks with either the Treasury benches or the Opposition. “We are not sheep that must follow. We are the hope of millions of our people,” Aazad said at The Indian Express Idea Exchange programme Friday. A detailed transcript will be published July 8. “When I went to Parliament for the first time, I sat alone on a vacant bench.Iwasnew,Ididn’t know. I thought my friends in the Opposition would ask me to come and sit with them. I thought they would say, ‘We are both fighting against the BJP and we must work together.’ But after sitting there for three days, I realised no one was bothered thatChandrashekharwassitting there,” he said. He said when the Speaker Chandrashekhar Aazad, chief of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram). Abhinav Saha elections came around, a senior Congressleadercalledhimtosay he must help them. “I told him, ‘Okay.’ But they didn’t press for a division (of votes). Whenthatdidnothappen, the matter ended there. The leader went his way and I mine. Then I decided that I would neither be Right nor Left. I am Bahujan and will stand alone with my agenda. That is why I did not stage a walkout with the Opposition. We are not sheep that must follow. We are CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 High up in Uttarakhand’s mountains, a first: 9 villages get polling booths PAGE 1 ANCHOR LALMANI VERMA NEW DELHI, JULY 6 ON JULY 9, 45-year-old Uday Singh Rawat and his wife Anju will make a 100-km car journey, followed by an uphill trek of 10 km,tothevillageof Dronagiri,locatedatanaltitudeof 12,000feet inUttarakhand’sChamolidistrict. Rawat is one of 3,838 migrants from nine hamlets in the district who can vote in their homevillages—forthefirsttime since the formation of the state in 2000 — in the July 10 Badrinath Assembly bypoll. The lack of polling booths in thesevillagesforalltheseyearsis explainedbyasimplebutcrucial consideration: the cold. Every year, residents of these ninehigh-altitudevillagesvacate their houses in the middle of October — when snowfall starts — and move to locations at a lower altitude, such as Gopeshwar, Karnaprayag, and Nandprayag. They return after April, when summer begins and theweatherimproves.Anumber of residentshavemovedout,too. So,inpreviousLokSabhaand Assembly elections, these migrant voters cast their ballot at polling stations that were closest to the locations they stayed in at that time, said Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana. Rawat, who is a health communication officer in Nandprayag, said: “This will be thefirsttimeIcastmyvoteinmy parental village for any election. Polling for Lok Sabha or Assembly elections has never been held in my village after Uttarakhandwascarvedoutasa CHINA (TIBET) Badrinath Assembly bypoll: July 10 UTTARAKHAND INDIA Uttarakhand’s Dronagiri village in Chamoli district is located at an altitude of 12,000 feet. Express separate state. I am excited to voteinmyparentalvillagewhere my parents reside these days.” All nine villages — Dronagiri, Malari, Kailashpur, Gamshali, Jelum, Kosha, Jumma, Niti, and Mana — are located near the international border with China. Mana, called the “first Indian village”, is also a tourist attraction. These villages are mostly made up of people from Scheduled Tribes (STs), most of whom belong to the Bhotiya community. TheBadrinathAssemblyseat fell vacant after Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Bhandari resigned from the House in March and joined the BJP. The BJP has fielded Bhandari while the Congress has fielded Lakhpat Singh Butola. There are two other candidates, including an independent. Rawat said the journey to his villagewilltakeatleast12hours. “As it is raining and the threat of landslides is ever present, I may have to make a few halts and thatwillincreasethetraveltime. Halts will also be required because the oxygen level dips at high altitudes,” he said. Each of these nine villages will have polling stations. Khuranasaidthepollingstaff deployed for them will have to follow the same travel pattern — a road journey followed by a trek to the polling station. They will leave on July 8 so that they can CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Lucknow