DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● POSTAL REGN. NO. JAIPUR CITY/001/2024-26 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024, JAIPUR, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 PARTY SEEKS PROBE INTO ALLEGED ‘MANIPULATION’ OF EVMs IN HARYANA INSIDE Cong’s EVM remarks are undemocratic rejection of the will of people, says EC CHEMISTRY NOBEL GOES TO TRIO OF Cong delegation meets panel, submits PROTEIN PIONEERS written complaints from constituencies HEZBOLLAH CLASHES WITH ISRAELI and regulatory electoral frameASAD REHMAN work, uniformly applied across TROOPS ON BORDER RITIKA CHOPRA NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 9 & DAMINI NATH PAGES 12, 14 Two soldiers abducted in J&K, body of one found BASHAARAT MASOOD SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 9 THE BODY of a Territorial Army (TA) soldier, who was reported to have been abducted by militants on Tuesday, was recovered from the South Kashmir forests on Wednesday morning. According to police sources, two TA soldiers, Hilal Ahmad Bhat (26) and Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh (36) — both local residents — were on a “reconnaissance mission” on Tuesday, when they were abducted by militants. While Sheikh managed to escape, Bhat’s body was recovered duriang a search operation in the morning. The two soldiers were associated with the 162 Battalion of the TA, sources said. According tosources,Sheikhsufferedabullet injury on his shoulder, and was admitted to the Army's 439 Field Hospital. There were three to four militants, including two foreigners, said sources. “There were some inputs about militant movement in the forest area,” a senior police officer said. “The Army had sent the two TA personnel to gather information and pin the forest location. However, they were abducted by the militants there,” he said. all elections in the country, inNEW DELHI, OCTOBER 9 cluding J&K and Haryana.” Meanwhile, a Congress delEVEN AS the Election egation met the EC later in the Commission (EC) said the evening and demanded a probe. Congress’sstatementon“notac- The delegation, which included cepting” the Haryana verdict AICC leaders K C Venugopal, was a step towards “undemoc- Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken and ratic rejection of the will of the Pawan Khera, former Haryana people”,theOppositionpartyon CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Wednesday reiterateditsallega- state party chief Udai Bhan and tion of “glaring discrepformer Rajasthan CM ancies” in some Ashok Gehlot, submitElectronic Voting ted a memorandum, Machines (EVMs) in along with written comHaryana and demanded plaints from seven cona “thorough probe”. stituencies. VERDICT A day after the Speakingtoreporters 2024 Congress alleged “maafterthemeeting,Khera, nipulation” of EVMs and who heads the party’s rejected the Haryana results,the mediaandpublicitydepartment, EC, in a letter to party president said: “We have informed the EC Mallikarjun Kharge, said: “Such about 20 complaints. Of these, an unprecedented statement as seven written complaints were aboveinagenericsense,unheard from the constituencies, espeintherichdemocraticheritageof cially about the EVMs showing the country, is far from a legiti- 99 per cent battery. The rest of mate part of free speech and ex- the machines were showing 60pression and moves towards an 70 per cent batteries... We have undemocratic rejection of the demanded that the machines will of the people expressed in which we have complained accordance with the statutory CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY National Conference president Farooq Abdullah with his son and party vice-president Omar Abdullah at their residence in Srinagar on Wednesday. PTI How does getting into fight (with L-G) help me address J&K’s concerns: Omar NAVEED IQBAL SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 9 AFTER LEADING the National Conference (NC) to victory in the J&K Assembly elections, party vice-president Omar Abdullah, 54, is set to take over as the J&K Chief Minister. The NC-led alliance secured 49 seats out of 90, withtheNCwinning42seatsand the Congress just six. Omar bagged both the Kashmir constituencies — Budgam and Ganderbal—fromwherehecontested. In an interview with The Indian Express, he spoke on various issues ranging from takeaways from the poll outcome to his party’s roadmap ahead. Excerpts: CHANDIGARH, OCTOBER 9 A DAY after the BJP stunned the Congress to win a record third consecutive term in Haryana, Chief MinisterNayabSinghSaini met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi Wednesday and the party awaited word from the leadership on the compositionof thenewstatecabinet. Haryana can have 14 ministers,includingtheChief Minister. The BJP has to look for new faces becauseonlyChief MinisterSaini CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAGE 1 ANCHOR E EXPLAINED THE RESERVE Bank of India’s newly reconstituted Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) left the repo rate, the key policy rate, steadyat6.5percentWednesday for the 10th consecutive time as inflation continued to remain a sorepoint.Thelastchangeinthe repo rate was in February 2023 whentheRBIhikeditby25basis points to 6.5 per cent. The RBI retained the projections for gross domestic product (GDP) and consumer pricebased inflation (CPI) for FY2025 at 7.2 per cent and 4.5 per cent, respectively. The six-member MPC, however,changedthemonetary policystanceto‘neutral’,afterkeeping it as ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ for 28 straight months. The change in monetary policy stance to neutral indicates that conditions are now congenial for a reduction in the Pointing ● toacut THE CHANGE in stance to neutral suggests there could be a likely reduction in the repo rate in the near future. Most economists expect the RBI to cut the repo rate by 25 bps in its December monetary policy. repo rate — the rate at which the RBI lends money to banks — in the near future. Announcing the policy, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said, “It is with a lot of effort that the inflationhorsehasbeenbrought tothestable,i.e.,closertothetarget within the tolerance band compared to its heightened levels two years ago. We have to be very careful about opening the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ANDHRA PRADESH CHIEF MINISTER years after his Telugu Desam Party broke ties in mid-2018, Naiduacknowledgedtherewere ideological differences between thetwopartiesoncertainissues, but said, “We will have ideologicaldifferences,butwewillwork together. It’s simple. My party is a regional party, and theirs is a CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 2 days after moving in, Atishi made to vacate CM house, it’s locked Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini meets PM Narendra Modi in Delhi on Wednesday. PTI lays foundation stones for projects worth Rs 7,600 cr EXPRESS NETWORK CABINET NODTO 2,280 KMROADS INBORDER AREAS RAHUL SPEAKS ON RESULTS,SKIPS THORNY ISSUES PAGES 3, 5 GAYATHRI MANI NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 9 TWO DAYS after she moved into the Civil Lines bungalow earlier occupied by her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi was on Wednesday asked to vacate the premises by officials of the PWD — the department she heads. The episode marks a sharp escalation in the row around the CM’sresidence —whiletheAam Aadmi Party claims Atishi movedinaftertakingcareof formalities, the PWD says an offi- cial “handover” of the property fromKejriwaltothedepartment is yet to take place. It is also the latest in a series of confrontations between the elected government and the bureaucracy. PWD officials said the house has been placed under double lock. Calling the move unprecedented,theCM’sOfficesaid,“For thefirsttimeinthehistoryof the country, the Chief Minister has been asked to vacate her house. The L-G has forcibly removed CMAtishi’sbelongingsatthebehest of the BJP. Preparations are CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TN police detain Samsung union leaders, DMK faces heat from allies EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, OCTOBER 9 FRESH FROM the BJP’s victory in Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for a bigger mandate for the partyintheupcomingAssembly elections in Maharashtra, and targeted the opposition Congress, calling it a “factory of hatred” that pits one community against another. Shortly after laying foundation stones for various projects worth Rs 7,600 crore in Maharashtra via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said: “The results in Haryana and J&K haveshownthecountry’smood. The BJP has won the Haryana Assemblypolls.Itisahistoricwin for a third term. We have to en- INTERVIEW N CHANDRABABU NAIDU A video grab shows CM Atishi’s belongings being taken away from the Civil Lines residence in Delhi. 20 months on, policy Citing Haryana, PM says: Ensure rate at 6.5%, stance greater poll win in Maharashtra changed to ‘neutral’ Cong is a factory of hatred, says Modi; MUMBAI, OCTOBER 9 THE EXPRESS CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 HITESH VYAS A CASTE CENSUS should be conducted to “honour sentiments of the people” and should be used alongwitheconomicanalysisand askillcensustoreduceeconomic disparities, N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh, told The Indian Express. In a 90-minute interview at his 1, Janpath residence in New Delhi, Naidu, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the fourth time on June 12, and recently completed 100 days in office, justified the caste census and said, “Even if you belong to a weaker section, if you have money, society will respect you… Wealth is a big leveller.” Havingallied withtheBJPsix P7 Despite predictions of a hung House, the NC has clinched the elections. What is your reading of the poll verdict? Look, I was never big on predictions. And before the votes had even been counted, I told you that exit polls are a waste of time. The exit polls got it wrong in my Baramulla election, and CM Saini meets PM, gets backing of Jindal, 2 others: ‘Congress lies won’t work’ SUKHBIR SIWACH Caste census must to honour people’s sentiments, reduce disparity: ally Naidu Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during the airport event in Nagpur which was attended by PM Narendra Modi virtually. PTI sure a greater victory in the Maharashtra Assembly polls.” Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand are expectedtobeheldinNovember. Targeting the Congress, an ally in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc in the state, Modi said, “The Congress along with its urban Naxal groupsvehementlyconspiredby propagating false narrative against Dalits, instigated farmers, triggered split within communities for vote bank which proved futile.” This was reflected in the Assembly election results announced on Tuesday, he said, adding: “Despite their false narrative to mislead youth, women and farmers, all of them reposed their faith in the BJP.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ARUN JANARDHANAN CHENNAI, OCTOBER 9 AS THE labour strike at Samsung’splantontheoutskirts of Chennai enters its second month, threatening Tamil Nadu’s business-friendly reputationandexposingcracksinthe ruling DMK’s political alliance, there appears to be no immediate resolution to the stalemate. Early Wednesday morning, Tamil Nadu police detained 11 union leaders and allegedly dismantled protest tents. Since September 9, more than a thousand workers affiliated with the Samsung plant workers take a colleague for medical aid during their strike at Sriperumbudur, Wednesday. PTI Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have been pressing for recognition of their newly formed union and improved working conditions. Thepoliceactioncameahead of a visit by top leaders of DMK’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 37 yrs later, court acquits 8 held for glorifying Roop Kanwar death HAMZA KHAN JAIPUR, OCTOBER 9 THIRTY-SEVENYEARSafterthey were accused of glorifying the death of Roop Kanwar, India’s last known case of sati, a Jaipur special court on Wednesday acquitted eight persons giving them the benefit of doubt. Along with several others, the eight had allegedly held an event glorifying Roop Kanwar around the first anniversary of her alleged sati act. Sati Niwaran court special judge Akshi Kansal acquitted MahendraSingh,ShrawanSingh, NihalSingh,JitendraSingh,Uday Singh, Dasrath Singh, Laxman Singh and Bhanwar Singh. All eight were out on bail. Representing the accused, advocate Aman Chain Singh Shekhawat said, “We are yet to get the detailed order but the courthaspronounceditsverdict, acquitting eight persons today. The court said that the prosecution could not prove its case beyond doubt, and hence, giving the benefit of doubt to the eight, acquitted them.” The youngest of six siblings, Roop Kanwar, 18, had married Maal Singh from Divrala in Sikar in January 1987. The marriage was short-lived as Singh died of anillnessinaSikarhospitaleight months later. On September 4, 1987, Roop Kanwar is said to have sat on her husband’s funeral pyre and committed sati. The current case pertains to 1988 when, around the first anniversary of her death, 45 people allegedly held an event glorifying sati. This violated Section 5 (punishment for glorification of sati)of TheCommissionof Sati (Prevention)Act,1987,alawthat wasenactedafterRoopKanwar’s death. The punishment for violation of this section carries imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up to Rs 30,000. (Left) The site where Roop Kanwar (above) is said to have committed sati. Hamza Khan “Toprovetheviolationof section5,section3(attempttocommit sati) needed to be proved. However, the prosecution, the investigation agency, could not prove section 3 itself, that sati took place. There was no material evidence which could prove that sati took place and that it was subsequently glorified,” Shekhawat said. Of the45accusedinthiscase, 25 were acquitted in 2004 for lack of evidence, eight were acquitted on Wednesday, four are Jaipur absconding, while the remaining eight are dead, he said. “Sincethebeginningwehave been saying that she committed theactonherownandtherewas no incitement or abetment. No one in the family did anything wrong. And the government too hasn’t been able to prove anything in the courts in 40 years,” Gopal Singh Rathore, Roop Kanwar’sbrother,toldTheIndian Express. VillagersinDivralasaythaton September4,1987,afterherhusband’s death, Roop Kanwar recitedtheGayatriMantra,dressed upin“solahshringaar(16adornments)”whilethousandsof peo- ple from Divrala and neighbouringvillagestookouther“shobha yatra”throughoutthevillage,and then committed sati. The case had led to a public outcry and is also cited as one of the reasons for the ouster of the then Rajasthan chief minister Hari Dev Joshi of the Congress. Divrala also assumed a special place in Rajput pride, with some of those hailing from the village, adding the name of the village to their own, and parallels were drawn to Chittorgarh’s Padmavati, the one who is said to have jumped into a pyre to escape Alauddin Khilji’s advancing army.