DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES ARREST BYCBI ONLY TO FRUSTRATE THE CITY bail to CM in ED case: Justice Bhuyan PAGE 12 Port Blair is now Sri Vijaya Puram, Shah says removing slavery symbol VIKAS PATHAK NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 13 THE CENTRE on Friday renamed PortBlair,thecapitalofAndaman and Nicobar Islands, as Sri Vijaya Puram. Making the announcement,UnionHomeMinisterAmit Shah said the decisionwastaken as part of Prime Minister NarendraModi’svisionto“ridthe countryofallsymbolsofslavery”. AndamanandNicobarIslands had an “unparalleled place” in India’s freedom struggle, Shah said. He recalled that V D Savarkar hadspentyearsintheCellularJail intheAndamans,andthatNetaji SubhasChandraBosehadhoisted the Tricolour on the island. “Inspired by the resolve of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji to rid the country of all symbols of slavery, today the Home Ministry has decided to rename Port Blair as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’. The name ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’ reflects our struggle for freedom and the contribution of Andaman and Nicobar in it,” Shah said in a post on X. “This island has a unique placeinourcountry’sindependence and history. This island, which played the role of a naval baseintheCholaEmpire,istoday readytoacceleratethecountry’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BAILCONDITIONREIMPOSED: Can’t visit CM office, sign file only if needed Kejriwal is free after Supreme Court grants bail, judge puts CBI in the dock Trial unlikely to end in immediate future: Top court NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 13 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE EDITORIAL PAGE CALLING OUT THE PARROT Justice Bhuyan’s criticism of CBI strikes many a chord — should be heard by those who pull its strings PAGE10 Will withdraw Goa land use application if ‘illegalities’ found: Union Minister Naik PANAJI, SEPTEMBER 13 ANANTHAKRISHNAN G ENDING DELHI Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s nearly sixmonthstintincustodyfollowing hisarrestfirstbytheEDandlater by the CBI for his alleged role in the Delhi excise policy case, the Supreme Court granted him bail Friday in the CBI case, observing that “completion of the trial is unlikely to occur in the immediate future” and that he “satisfies therequisitetripleconditionsfor the grant of bail”. Kejriwal, who had been granted interim bail in the ED case on July 12, emerged from the Tihar Jail Friday evening and was welcomed by AAP leaders and supporters. He was arrested by the ED on March 21 and by the CBI on June 26. In separate but concurring orders, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan extended the bail conditions imposedintheEDmattertotheCBI case as well. This means that Kejriwal will not be able to visit the office of the Chief Minister and the Delhi Secretariat or sign official files unless it is required and necessary for obtaining clearance/approval of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Justice Bhuyan, who made strong observations against the CBI including remarks that the DAYS AFTER EXPRESS REPORT PAVNEET SINGH CHADHA Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal outside Tihar Jail in Delhi after his release on bail Friday. Abhinav Saha Caesar’s wife to caged Six months later, why parrot: Justice Bhuyan he walks out more a questions CBI role politician than a CM ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 13 EVEN AS he agreed with Justice Surya Kant on the question of granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, in a separate judgment, differed on the question of the AAP leader’s arrest by the CBI saying it “raises more questions than it seeks to answer” and that “it is in public interest that CBI must not only be above board but must also be seem to be so”. BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY MALLICA JOSHI & JATIN ANAND NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 13 NEARLYSIXmonthsafterhewas arrested by the ED, and later by the CBI in the Delhi excise policy case,DelhiChief MinisterArvind Kejriwalwalkedoutof jailFriday — with legal shackles. With bail conditions thatdonotgivehimcomplete freedom to perform his duties as Chief Minister, including the one that states he cannot visit the Secretariat or the CM Office or sign any files other than those that have to be cleared by the Lieutenant Governor, officials said the AAP government may havesomeproblemsinensuring Kejriwal is able to discharge his duties as CM. DAYS AFTER The Indian Express investigation reported that two state ministers, politicians cutting across party lines and severalrealestatecompaniesinGoa areallegedbeneficiariesof acontentious change in land use law, Union Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shripad Naik, one of the beneficiaries named, said Friday heis“readytowithdraw” hisapplication if “any kind of illegalities are found.” Or, if the provision under the contentious section 17 (2) of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act “is found illegal or if any discrepancy is found in the procedure”. As reported by The Indian Express on September 9, the TCP department approved change in land use for at least 20 lakh sq m of land over the past 18 months, converting “green zones” into “settlements” — allowing construction activity for both residential and commercial purposes, pushing up the land’s value manifold. The changes were allowed after a March 2023 amendment, Section 17 (2), to the Goa TCP Act 1974, which allows conversion of plots without public consultation if the owner approaches the department with a request to “correct inadvertent errors” or “rectify inconsistent/incoherent zoning” in Goa’s Regional Plan 2021. As reported by The Indian The differing judges CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 The Indian Express report published on Sept 9; (left) Shripad Naik Express, on July 25, 2023, an application from the six-time BJP MP from North Goa was received for rezoning of 14,225 sq m of orchard and natural cover to settlement in Panelim village in Tiswadi taluka. The application was corrected and notified in the Official Gazette on February 15, 2024. In a press statement, Naik said on Friday, “Upon the advice of my family, friends, well-wishers and respecting the sentiments of my Goan brothers and sistersandinthelargerpublicinterest, I have decided to withdrawmyapplicationandsurrender the approval granted to me for my property for change of zone to settlement, if any kind of illegalitiesarefoundandbrought to my notice. I am ready to withdrawmyapplicationevenif provision under 17(2) of TCP Act, which was passed by the state CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD Justice Surya Kant, in his judgment, cited the “terms and conditions imposed by a coordinate bench of this Court… are ● imposed mutatis mutandis in the present case” – mutatis mutandis means that a E EXPLAINED DELHI NCR GOES UNDER: DOWNPOUR FLOODS ROADS, TRAFFIC CRAWLS `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 TRUMP RULES OUT ANOTHER DEBATE AGAINST HARRIS RUSSIA EXPELS SIX UK DIPLOMATS AHEAD OF STARMER, BIDEN TALKS PAGE 20 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPLAINED, PAGE 18 Umar Khalid begins 5th yr in jail amid debate on what’s terror Rajkot: No global flights PM IN ADJOINING DODA TODAY Manipur town looks to the skies yet, AAI mulls discount Two soldiers killed, in fear — for improvised rockets in charges for airlines 2 injured in Kishtwar; SUKRITA BARUAH APURVA VISHWANATH GOPAL KATESHIYA UMAR KHALID, a “veteran of sedition,” as a Delhi Police chargesheet in March 2020 described him, entered his fifth year in jail this week on terror charges. “A veteranof sedition, the investigationof thiscasehasestablished how far accused Umar Khalid has travelled from 2016…,” the 40-page chargesheet begins against the 37-year-old former JNU student. At the heart of the case against Khalid is what constitutes a “terrorist act” and who determines that. In the last five years, courts — twicebythetrialcourt(inMarch 2022,May2024)andoncebythe Delhi High Court (July 2024) — have indicated that courts have WITH AIRLINE companies not seeming to show much interest in starting international flights from Rajkot International Airport (RIA) despite more than ayearhavingpassedsincePrime MinisterNarendraModiinauguratedit,theAirportsAuthorityof India (AAI) is considering a scheme to provide “substantial” incentives to the airlines for three years to start global operations. TheIndianExpresshaslearnt that AAI is in the process of deciding the contours of Incentive Scheme for Scheduled International Passenger Airlines at Rajkot Airport, a scheme to offer discount to airlines in various charges levied by the RIA. As per the draft document of the scheme,theAAIproposestogive NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 13 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAGE 1 ANCHOR RAJKOT, SEPTEMBER 13 discountsinlandingchargesand route navigation facility charges (RNFC). The AAI charges airlines in lieu of allowing landing of aircraft on its airports besides providing RNF through its air traffic control (ATC) towers, terminal navigation landing charges (TNLC), user development fee collection charges (UDFC), parking charges and night parking charges,aviationsecurity feeetc. Landing fee, which is decided based on the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of an aircraft, and RNFC are among the costliest of these charges. The AAI has developed the RIA at the cost of Rs 1405 crore at Hirasar village, around 30 km east of Rajkot city on National Highway 27. The PM had laidthe foundation stone of this greenfield airport in October 2017 and inaugurated it on July 27, 2023. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 polls there in 4 days ARUN SHARMA JAMMU, SEPTEMBER 13 TWO ARMY personnel were killed and two others injured in a gunbattle Friday between security forces and terrorists in theChatrooareaof Kishtwardistrict in Jammu and Kashmir. The Nagrota-based White KnightCorpssaidfourArmypersonnel had been injured in the firefight. Sources said that two personnelsuccumbedtoinjuries whilebeingtakentotheChatroo hospital. The gunbattle in Kishtwar — it will vote in the first phase of the Assembly elections in the UnionTerritoryonSeptember18 — took place a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to adjoining Doda. He is FIREFIGHT SITE Doda Srinagar J&K Kishtwar CHATROO Jammu scheduled to address a public meeting in Doda Saturday. Giving details of its ‘Op Shahpurshal’, the White Knight Corps, in a post on X, said a joint operation with J&K Police was launched in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar following intelligence inputs. It said contact was established with terrorists at 3.30 pm. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MOIRANG, SEPTEMBER 13 CLOSE TO midnight on August 10, residents of Pansang village nearMoirang towninManipur’s Bishnupur district woke up to a booming sound that rattled the windows of their homes. “Most people were sleeping; they rushed out in panic. It was like an explosion. Some people who were awake said they saw a light just before the sound,” P Basanta Singh (53), a farmer and a resident of the village, told The Indian Express. The police were called and, along with the local residents, they started looking for the source of the sound. “It took us an hour to find it. It looked like a big pipe in the middle of the paddy fields,” Basanta said. The paddy fields of Pansang start just beyond the part of the village where the houses are located. There is now a crater, In Moirang town, the house of former CM M Koireng Singh that was hit by a rocket a week ago. Sukrita Baruah devoid of paddy stalks, where the “pipe” had landed. This was the first “improvised rocket” that landed close to Moirang. According to the records at Moirang police station, the rocket weighed 23.8 kg, was nine feet in length, and had a diameter of 14.2 cm. An FIR was registered, but as it caused no injuries and minimal damage, it did not make the news. It did, however, strike panic among residents of Moirang and adjoining villages, who till then had believed their homes were too far away from the “fringe” or “vulnerable” area for a deadly weapon to land at CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GST ‘row’ around FM, restaurant chain makes TN BJP eat its words ARUN JANARDHANAN CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 13 A MATTER involving buns and cream and a famous Coimbatore restaurantchainhaslefttheTamil Nadu BJP with egg on its face. It started with D Srinivasan, the Managing Director of Coimbatore’s Annapoorna Hotels, cracking a joke about the “absurdity” of GST rates at an industry meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala SitharamanhereonWednesday. After that was picked up by BJP critics, Srinivasan had a separate meeting with Sitharaman Thursday to “clear the air”. This time, BJP leaders eagerly put out the video on social media as Srinivasan issuing an “apology”, not anticipating the backlash thatwouldcometheirwaygiven theiconicstatureof Annapoorna that grew into a chain from a humble tea shop. Finally, BJP president K Annamalai, who is on a threemonth sabbatical in the UK for an academic programme, had to step in to douse the fires and chide his overeager partymen. At the meeting with Sitharaman on September 11, Srinivasan who was part of the industry delegation — he is also the honorary president of the Tamil Nadu Hotels Association – had the room in splits when he commented: “The problem is that GST is applied differently to each item. For example, there is noGSTonabun.If youputcream in it, the GST becomes 18%. Because of this, customers now say they want the bun and the cream separately so that they can apply the cream themselves to save money.” Srinivasan evoked more laughter, and some understanding nods, when he added: “In Tamil Nadu, we eat sweets and namkeen and drink coffee together. Please charge a uniform From the clip that shows Annapoorna Hotels MD D Srinivasan ‘apologising’ to Nirmala Sitharaman GST for these. The computer itself is getting stuck because of this GST confusion.” Sitharamandidn’tcontesthis observations at the meeting, while adding that the Modi government has been continuously reviewing GST-related grievances. “Even at the recent GST meeting,Ipromisedthatagroup of ministers is reviewing all grievances. Just because someone asked the question in an impressive manner, it will make people who are staunch opponentsof GSTfeelvindicated.Ican only say that we are taking steps toreducetheburdenonpeople,” she said. However, as the video went viral, with many praising Srinivasan for his “candour”, it was denounced by BJP sympathisersasan“attack”ontheUnion government’s taxation policies. The next day, key leaders of the state BJP’s digital wing put outavideoof aseparatemeeting SrinavasanhadwithSitharaman, along with BJP Coimbatore MLA Vanathi Srinivasan. In the exchange,Srinivasanisseentalking toSitharaman,andbrieflygetting up with folded hands to say something to her. Tamil Nadu BJP convenor Balaji M S posted on X that Srinivasan had “apologised” to the Finance Minister for his “indecent” speech, and that the video had been released to clear the air on the industrialist’s GST remarks. Butthevideowasobjectedto by many in the state, who took offenceatthis“treatment”of the respected industrialist, who belongs to the influential Naidu community. This led to the ruling DMK and Congress getting into the act, accusing the BJP of “coercing” Srinivasan into an “apology”. DMK MP Kanimozhi accused theBJPof“humiliating”Srinivasan by making the video public, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad