DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 NEW LOW IN BILATERAL TIES CanadablockedAussie siteshowingJaishankar, showshypocrisy:Delhi DIVYA A NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 7 BILATERAL TIES with Ottawa took another hit Thursday with New Delhi saying that Canada blocked an Australian news outlet which aired a press conferencebyExternalAffairsMinister BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY E E X P L A I NE D Indian consular camps cancelled after Canadian authorities say can’t give security Crisis derails ● ties THE CANADIAN move to block Jaishankar’s remarks is the latest in the row between the two countries that has seen diplomats being recalled and some serious charges being traded. S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra where he made some CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ED searches 19 locations linked to vendors selling on Amazon and Flipkart EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 7 DINANATH BATRA, WHO FOUGHT CASE AGAINST DONIGER BOOK, DIES PAGE 12 strong remarks on the IndiaCanada standoff. Stating it was “surprised” over the “strange” Canadian move, the Ministry of External Affairs said the action “yet again highlights the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech”. Incidentally, Canada and Australiaarepartof theFiveEyes intelligence sharing alliance that also includes the US, UK and New Zealand. The MEA also announced cancellation of some scheduled consular camps in Canada, saying Canadian authorities had MULTIPLE TEAMS of the Enforcement Directorate Thursday conducted searches at 19 premises of vendors selling their products on e-commerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart. The raids were conducted in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Panchkula. An official said ED decided to initiate its investigation under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) based on complaints that the e-commerce platforms are violating India’s FDI (foreign direct investment) rules by directly or indirectly influencing the sale price of goods or services and not providing a level playing field to vendors. “On the basis of their complaints,EDmade multipleteams and decided to conduct raids after coordinating on Thursday CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ON THE FLOOR , IN J&K HOUSE A scuffle broke out in the J&K Assembly on Thursday following protests and counter-protests over restoring special status. Some BJP MLAs were marshalled out. Shuaib Masoodi PAGE7 The Shaina effect: Cong candidate makes a show of ‘respect for women’ 2 village defence guards killed, J&K militant outfit owns up SADAF MODAK & SIDDHANT KONDUSKAR ARUN SHARMA JAMMU, NOVEMBER 7 MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 7 ON WEDNESDAY afternoon, during his roadshow in GrantRoadareain Mumbadevi conDECISION stituencyof South 2024 Mumbai, the MAHARASHTRA Congress'ssitting MLA, Amin Patel, waves to local residents from an open vehicle. He is flanked by women activists of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). Mostof hissupportersthronging the rally are also women, some leadingtheroadshow,sometrailing it, all of them shouting slogans in his favour. Amin Patel campaigns in Mumbadevi. X Inthecourseof hiscampaign over the last several days, Patel, 61,hasbeenassertingthathe“respectswomen”,goingonlaterto highlighthis“accomplishments” as the MLA of this seat for three consecutive terms since 2009. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TWO VILLAGE Defence Guards (VDGs) were killed by militants in Chatroo area of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, police said. The victims have been identified as Kuldeep Kumar and Nazir Ahmad, both residents of Kuntwara. In a post on social media, the KashmirTigers,anoffshootof the Jaish-e-Mohammad which mainly operates in the Kashmir Valley,claimedresponsibilityfor thekillings.Italsopostedwhatit saidwerephotographsof thevictimswiththeireyesblindfolded. The Kishtwar police control CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 In 2036 Olympics bid, India underlines its religious diversity, silk and spice routes MIHIR VASAVDA MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 7 FROM THE country’s religious diversitytosendingamessageof peace to the world “at a time when it is needed the most”, India's “strategic position along theancientsilkandspiceroutes” to its “continued rise on the global stage” — all these form part of the Indian Olympic Association's pitch for the 2036 Olympic Games, The Indian Express has learnt. The IOA's letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sent last month, declaring its “intent to hosttheOlympicandParalympic Games in Bharat (India)”, was drafted in consultation with the government. It marks an important step in India's bid for the 2036 Games. Other countries in the race include Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Confirming the contents of the letter, two officials involved in India's 2036 bid said it has dipped into the country's “vast cultural diversity, shaped by thousands of years of history”. “Our society is a mosaic of religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, each contributing to our rich cultural heritage and society,” the letter is learnt to say. “The entire nation is united in this dream by the spirit of CONTINUED ON PAGE 2