DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ‘Apology can’t absolve Akali sins’: Attacker’s FB post earlier Accused a former militant, was at shrine Tuesday too, say police KAMALDEEP SINGH BRAR AMRITSAR, DECEMBER 4 KAMALDEEP SINGH BRAR & VARINDER BHATIA AMRITSAR, CHANDIGARH, DECEMBER 4 THE MAN who opened fire at former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday, as he sat on guard duty at Golden Temple, is a former employee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and an ex-militant. In recent years though, Narain Singh Chaura, 68, was known more as a political and Narain Singh Chaura (bottom left) tries to shoot at Sukhbir Singh Badal (in wheelchair) . ANI MOREREPORTS,PAGE6 shrine's entrance wall behind Badal, who escaped unhurt. Police later said a 9mm pistol was recovered from Chaura. Police sources said CCTV footage showed that Chaura was attheGoldenTempleonTuesday too, when Badal and other Akali leaders began the religious CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 5 years, 107 deaths in hospital fires, same story of zero accountability IN ONLINE ADDRESS TO SUPPORTERS IN NY, HASINA TARGETS YUNUS PAGE 12 SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT FACES IMPEACHMENT PAGE 12 Delhi Police arrests Balyan under MCOCA as he gets bail in extortion case The AAP MLA was first arrested on Nov 30 NIRBHAY THAKUR NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 4 AAM AADMI Party MLA Naresh Balyan, who was arrested by Delhi Police on Saturday in connection with an extortion case filed last year, was granted bail Wednesdaybutwasarrestedina separatecaselodgedunderprovisionsof theMaharashtraControl ofOrganisedCrimeAct(MCOCA). During the hearing of his bail plea in the extortion case, Delhi Police informed the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal that they will arrest the MLA in the MCOCA case. “We will be arresting Naresh Balyan in a different MCOCAFIR.We will be arresting him right now,” Special Public Prosecutor Akhand PratapSingh submitted before the Rouse Avenue Court. Earlier in the day, police moved an application before Additional Sessions Judge Vandana Jain in Dwarka Court, seeking permission to question Balyan in connection with the MOCOCA case while he was in custody. The Special Public CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 The Indian Express looked at hospital fires with a minimum casualty of 5 and found a pattern of cutting corners, lack of punitive action & cases stretching on ANONNADUTT, SOHINIGHOSH, PRATIPACHARYA, SREENIVASJANYALA &ANKITAUPADHYAY CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 MAHARASHTRA GOVT FORMATION Fadnavis to take oath as CM today, Shinde drags out suspense on his role Ajit Pawar to be sworn in as Deputy CM, no other ministers to be named as yet SHUBHANGI KHAPRE, VALLABH OZARKAR & ALOK DESHPANDE MUMBAI, DECEMBER 4 MORE than 10 days after the MahayutiswepttheMaharashtra elections, the suspense is finally over. At 5.30 pm on Thursday, DevendraFadnaviswillbesworn in as Chief Minister at Mumbai’s historic Azad Maidan. While it is confirmedthatAjitPawarwillbe taking oath as Deputy CM along with him, Eknath Shinde is also likelyto,thoughaconfirmationis still awaited. Inanotherindicationthatthe negotiations between Mahayuti partners BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP Mahayuti leaders Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar in Mumbai on Wednesday. Sankhadeep Banerjee HYDERABAD, DECEMBER 4 THE ANDHRA Pradesh CID has registered an FIR against three personsbasedonacomplaintby K Venkateswara Rao, CMD and shareholder in Kakinada Seaports Ltd (KSPL), who has alleged the forcible acquisition of the firm through Aurobindo Realty and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd attheinstanceof YSRCPchief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy when he was the chief minister. Hyderabad-based Rao filed his complaint at the CID police station at Mangalagiri on A rescued newborn is shifted from the NICU ward of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, where 18 newborns died last month. Vishal Srivastav NEW DELHI Status: Trial ongoing, two accused dead in judicial custody BHARUCH, GUJARAT Status: Trial ongoing, nine dead accused out on bail 6 18 AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT Status: Trial ongoing, three dead accused on bail Assam Govt bans beef at restaurants, hotels, festivals Andhra former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy December 2. Three people and two firms have been named in the FIR: Y V Vikranth Reddy, son of YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Y V Subba Reddy; YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP V Vijayasai Reddy; director of Aurobindo Pharma Sarath Chandra Reddy; PKF SridharandSanthanamLLP;and Aurobindo Realty and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Rahul stopped on way to Sambhal: ‘As Leader of Opp, right to visit’ JABALPUR, MP Status: Trial yet to begin dead 8 BY UNNY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ports firm at Jagan’s behest: Andhra CID FIR SREENIVAS JANYALA BUSINESS AS USUAL are still continuing, no other leader will be taking oath for now. Maharashtra can have a ministry of 43 members. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who helped pull off the BJP’s historic 132-seat win in Maharashtra, will be present for the swearing-in. Delhi to Mumbai, Rajkot to Dhanbad Forcible acquisition of NEW DELHI, MUMBAI, PUNE, AHMEDABAD, RANCHI, HYDERABAD, BHOPAL, DECEMBER 4 WHEN A fire at a government hospital killed 18 newborns in Jhansi last month, the headlines wereall too familiar —a possible shortcircuit,ahealthcaresystem operating beyond capacity, and high-level probes to fix responsibility. The Indian Express looked at the cause and aftermath of 11 prominent hospital fires in the lastfiveyears,whichclaimed107 lives,andfoundthatinallbutone casefromearlierthisyear,theaccused — hospital owners or heads — are out on bail. Significantly, in seven instances, court cases are still dragging on. The Indian Express looked at hospitalfiresthatclaimedfiveor more lives. To be sure, this is a fraction of the total hospital or clinicfiresinthepasthalf-decade — between January 2020 and October2024,therewereatleast 105 such reported incidents. Significantly,therewasanincrease in fatal fire incidents during Covid-19 — nine of the 11 incidentsTheIndianExpresslooked at took place in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Five took place in 2021 when the pandemic was at its peak and the healthcare system was overstretched. There were many other startling revelations — at least eight of the 11 fires were likely caused by short circuits, with improper maintenance of electrical lines andequipmenttoblame;several hospitals ignored basic safety measuresandlackedfirefighting equipment like extinguishers, hoses, sprinklers and welltrained staff; and the government agencies failed to keep a check on hospitals running on expiredfirecertificates,violating constructionnorms,andmissing key safety measures in place. `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Sukhbir Badal escapes attack on Day 2 of guard duty at Golden Temple, shooter held INSIDE POSTAL REGN. NO. JAIPUR CITY/001/2024-26 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2024, JAIPUR, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES PUNJAB’SFORMERDeputyChief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal (62) had a narrow escape on Wednesday as a man, identified as a former militant, attempted to open fire at him while the ShiromaniAkaliDal(SAD)leader was on “punishment” guard duty at the Golden Temple here. Theattackwasfoiledbyapolice officer who was part of Badal’s security detail — he is a Z-plus protectee. Even as the attacker,NarainSinghChaura(68), was overpowered, he managed to fire a bullet. The bullet hit the ● 8 RAJKOT, GUJARAT Status: Trial ongoing, five dead accused on bail 5 CM Sarma announced decision after Cabinet meting SUKRITA BARUAH GUWAHATI, DECEMBER 4 ASSAMCHIEFMinisterHimanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday announced a complete ban on the public consumption of beef in the state — including in restaurantsandcommunitygatherings. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held earlier in the day. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Sarma claimed that the move was prompted by a discussion on some recent statements by Congress leaders, who accused the BJP of wooing voters “with beef”inSamaguri—theMuslimmajority seat the BJP won in the bypoll last month. According to the latest decision,beef cannotbeservedinany hotels,restaurantorcommunity functions—whetherreligiousor otherwise. According to the CM, provisions to this effect will be added to the existing Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 VIRAR, MAHARASHTRA Status: Trial underway, two dead accused on bail DHANBAD, JHARKHAND Status: Owners deceased dead 15 5 VIJAYWADA, ANDHRA PRADESH Status: Trial ongoing, five dead accused on bail MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA Status: Trial ongoing, two dead accused on bail 10 11 AHMEDNAGAR, MAHARASHTRA Status: Prosecution sanction pending with dead government 11 BHANDARA, MAHARASHTRA Status: No criminal action dead 10 Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after being stopped by UP Police on Wednesday. Tashi Tobgyal NEETIKA JHA GHAZIABAD, DECEMBER 4 A CONGRESS delegation led by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party MPs Priyanka Gandhi and K C VenugopalwasstoppedbyUttar Pradesh Police from going to violence-hit Sambhal at the Ghazipur border with Delhi on Wednesday morning. After being stuck for around two hours on the six-lane DelhiMeerut Expressway, which saw deployment of over 200 police CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INSIDE NEW GOVT WILL MAKE MAHARASHTRA NO.1: SITHARAMAN PAGE 6 LIMITED SUCCESS IN CAPTURING ‘CHINA PLUS ONE’ CHANCE: NITI AAYOG PAGE 13 Indian-origin artist wins Turner Prize: ‘Weaves personal, political, spiritual’ VANDANA KALRA NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 4 INDIAN-ORIGINSCOTTISHartist Jasleen Kaur has won the prestigious Turner Prize 2024 for her exhibition, “Alter Altar”, that reflects on plurality, personal and political themes. The jury — chaired by Alex Farquharson, Director, Tate Britain — praised “the considered way in which Kaur weaves together the personal, political and spiritual… choreographing a visual and aural experience thatsuggestsbothsolidarityand joy.” It also highlighted Kaur’s “abilitytogatherdifferentvoices throughunexpected and playful combinations of material”. At 38, Kaur was the youngest nominee for this year’s award that includes a cash prize of £25,000. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the prize. The other shortlisted artists included Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson and Delaine Le Bas. Born in Glasgow, Kaur’s grandfather reportedly moved from Punjab in 1950, three years after Partition; her father owns ahardwarestoreinScotland.Her prize-winning exhibition “Alter Altar”, first shown in Glasgow lastyear,alsoreflectsonherown family history as migrants to Scotland and her upbringing. It featured, among others, a vintage red Ford Escort covered with a huge crocheted doily, a reference to her father’s migrant aspirations, worship bells, IrnBru orange resin, an Axminster carpet, and family photographs. Also playing were soundtracks that were part of Kaur’s growing up years, from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to N-Trance and the Indian harmonium. In several interviews, Kaur E EXPLAINED PAGE 1 ANCHOR Jasleen Kaur at the award ceremony in London. David Parry/PA Media Assignments The Turner ● Prize SINCE IT was established in 1984, the Turner Prize has emerged as one of the most prestigious art awards. Recognising the work of a British artist, it endeavours to highlight recent developments in contemporary British art. Indian-origin British artist Anish Kapoor won the prize in 1991. Jaipur has often discussed her multicultural upbringing and influences. If her 2021 series, “Gut Feelings Meri Jaan”, explored ideasaroundinheritanceandbelonging, history and archive, in the 2018 “I Keep Telling Them These Stories”, she used archival footageand recordings gathered from India and Scotland to explore culture as praxis, family, identity and origins. Her 2019 publication, “Be Like Teflon”, commissioned by Panel for GlasgowWomen'sLibrary,comprises conversations between Kaur and women of Indian heritage living in the UK. Herwebsitedescribesheras: “Anartistmakingwiththeslurry of life.Raisedamidstbetrayal,secrecyandbanishedoutsiders,her work is to make sense of what is out of view or withheld. She is called towards plurality, declassifications, polyphony, the blur. She is practising singing in the sediment till she is intoxicated.” In an interview on the Tate website, Kaur states: “There’s this particular theory that I grew up with from the Sikh tradition which talks about Miri Piri, which is this balance of the politicalandthespiritual.I’mreally interestedinthatdualityandI’ve becomequiteobsessedwiththis CONTINUED ON PAGE 2