DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE Let people decide if there is God in you, says RSS chief EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE PUNE, SEPTEMBER 6 Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP K C Venugopal in Delhi. PTI Vinesh joins Cong, gets a ticket; Bajrang a post: ‘Understood our pain’ ASAD REHMAN NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 6 HOURS AFTER they joined the party, the Congress on Friday fielded Olympian Vinesh Phogat from the Julana Assembly constituency in Jind DECISION district for the 2024 October 5 Haryana HARYANA Assembly elections and appointed Olympian Bajrang Punia the All India Kisan Congress’s working chairman. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY RASHTRIYA SWAYAMSEVAK Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that no one should proclaim himself as God anditshouldbelefttothepeople to decide if there is God in you. Addressing an event late ThursdayatJejuriinPunetomark the centenary year of Shankar Dinkar Kane — popularly known as Bhaiyyaji — who worked in Manipurtowardschildren’seducation, Bhagwat said that when peoplepraisehimasaholyfigure oranationalicon,heensuresthat it does not get into his head. “If one has to rise to such a height, one should make efforts. We should not consider ourselves as God. Let people decide if there is God in you,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GUJARAT RELATED REPORT P12 `6.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 THE SYSTEM DIDN’T HAVE STRENGTH TO FACE SUCH FURY: PM ON FLOODS PAGE 3 RAJKOT DISTRICT Absconding for over 40 days after he was booked, BJP worker held for rape GOPAL KATESHIYA RAJKOT, SEPTEMBER 6 ON THE run for over 40 days after a woman accused him of rape, BJP worker Vijay Radadiya — a trustee of an educational institute at a village in Rajkot where the victim used to study — surrendered before the police and was arrested late Thursday. Radadiya,whosewifeDaksha isasittingmemberof Rajkotdistrictpanchayat,wasarrestedtwo days after a court denied his ap- plication seeking protection against arrest in the rape case. Radadiya and Madhu Thadhani, a former village sarpanch, were booked on July 25afterthewomanfiledapolice complaint alleging that the two men raped her on the campus in June 2023. Radadiya had been absconding since then. In her complaint, the 21year-old woman said that Thadhani was friends with Radadiyaandtheinstitute'sthen managing trustee and therefore used to frequent the campus. Olympians Manu, Lovlina are guests at Adda today EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 6 PARIS 2024 might not go down asIndia’sbest-everOlympics.Yet, itwashistoricnoless.Forthefirst time in the 100-plus years of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Shooter Manu Bhaker and boxer Lovlina Borgohain The woman said she was pursuing graduation atthe institute while also working as rector of a hostel on the campus. Last June, Thadhani and Radadiya allegedly started "winking and smiling" at her. As per the FIR, around 15 days later, Tadhani called her, asked not to gotocollegeandinsteadstayput in her room. The two men then allegedly went to her room, threatenedher and took turns to rape her. She alleged in the FIR that Thadhani said that the CONTINUEDONPAGE2 FIRST AFTER WITHDRAWAL A thaw in chill: Delhi, Male hold defence talks Defence Secy-level dialogue touches on bilateral military exercises AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 6 FOR THE first time since India withdrewitsuniformedmilitary personnel from the Maldives early this year, New Delhi and Male held a defence dialogue here Friday at the level of top officialswheretheydiscussed“ongoing defence cooperation projects” and “forthcoming bilateral military exercises”. This is significant since a chill has gripped bilateral relations since President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office last year on the plank of his “India Out” campaign. The last defence cooperation dialogue was held in March last year in Male when then President Ibrahim Solih was in office, months before Muizzu took over as President. According to an official state- E E X P L A I NE D SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES ● Renewal roadmap TALKS ARE a bid to renew the Delhi-Male defence co-operation after the strain in ties following Muizzu’s India-Out campaign. Over the years, India has given equipment, trained personnel and is working on strategic projects in the island nation. mentbytheDefenceMinistryon the 5th Defence Cooperation Dialogue between India and the Maldives, the Indian delegation was led by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane while the Maldiviandelegationwasheaded CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Ahmedabad