DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA BY UNNY POSTAL REGN. NO. JAIPUR CITY/001/2024-26 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024, JAIPUR, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL ● `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 NEW LOW IN BILATERAL TIES AFTER BRAMPTON ATTACK Freespeechhypocrisy,Canadablocked AussiebroadcastofJaishankar:Delhi Indian consular camps cancelled after Canadian authorities say can’t provide security NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 7 EXPLAINED SOLARALLIANCE STOCKTAKE PAGE 7 BILATERAL TIES between New Delhi and Ottawa plunged to a newlowafterCanadablockedan Australian news outlet which aired a press conference by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra where he made some 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 intelligencesharing alliancethat also includes the US, UK and New Zealand. The MEA also announced cancellation of some scheduled consular camps in Canada, say- E EXPLAINED DIVYA A 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. ing Canadian authorities had conveyed their inability to provide security to the organisers. Hours after Australia Today aired Jaishankar’s joint press conference with Wong in Canberra, where he voiced concern over the political space beinggrantedtoKhalistanextremists in Canada and noted that India had raised the matter with Australia,severalusersinCanada complained of the news outlet being blocked and questioned the timing. InNewDelhi,respondingtoa question on the blocking of Australia Today, Randhir Jaiswal, spokespersonfortheMinistry of ExternalAffairs,said,“Weunderstand that the social media handles and pages of this particular outlet, which is an important diasporaoutlet,havebeenblocked and are not available for viewers inCanada.Thishappenedjustan hour or a few hours after this particular handle carried the press conference CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ED searches 19 sites linked to Amazon, Flipkart vendors EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 7 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,EDmademultipleteams and decided to conduct raids after coordinating on Thursday morning,” an official said. A source said the ED examined documents seized during the searches at premises linked to eight vendors, who have not been named so far. Whencontacted,anAmazon spokesperson declined to comment, while Flipkart did not respond to requests for a comment. Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)welcomedthe ED action. “The CAIT, along with several other trade bodies, has been raising these issues for the past few years,” CAIT secretary general and BJP MP from Delhi Praveen Khandelwal said in a statement. He claimed that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had also issued penalty notices to the e-commerce platforms and their “preferred” sellers for engaging in anti-competitive practices that have adversely affected small traders and kirana stores. The CAIT and mainline mobile retailers' association AIMRA hadalsopetitionedtheCCIinthe past,seekingimmediatesuspension of operations of the platforms, alleging that the companies were engaged in predatory pricing andburningcashtooffer heavy discounts on products. Pulled up by SC, Centre doubles fines for stubble burning Punjab farmer unions oppose move NIKHIL GHANEKAR NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 7 TWO WEEKS after the Supreme Court pulled up the Centre for rendering the Environmental ProtectionAct,1986,“toothless”, the Union Ministry of Environment,ForestandClimate Change on Wednesday doubled penalties for stubble burning andnotifiednewrulesunderthe Act for filing complaints and holding an inquiry. The Centre notified the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas(Imposition,Collectionand Utilisation of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Amendment Rules, Says want to send message of peace to world when it is needed the most MIHIR VASAVDA MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 7 Marshals remove BJP MLAs after a ruckus in the J&K Assembly on Thursday. Shuaib Masoodi Ruckus in J&K House: Some MLAs bring another ‘tougher’ special status resolution BASHAARAT MASOOD SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 7 A DAY after the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution moved by the Omar Abdullah government seeking dialogue for restoration of J&K’s special status, five non-BJP Opposition MLAs submitted a resolution to the Speaker that JAMMU, NOVEMBER 7 2024,fordoublingenvironmental compensationimposedforstubble burning. Theamendedruleswere notified under the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 "unequivocally” rejected the decisions of August 5, 2019. Unlike Wednesday when most of the non-BJP Opposition parties supported the government resolution, with riders, the MLAs attacked the ruling National Conference (NC), hinting that it had an understanding with the Centre. Thefivelegislators–People’s Conference’sSajadLone,Peoples DemocraticParty'sWaheedPara and Fayaz Mir, and Independent MLAsSheikhKhursheedAhmad and Shabir Ahmad Kullay – said their‘People’sResolution’,which mentioned the contentious Articles 370 and 35 A, stemmed from public anger over the one movedbytheOmargovernment. Thursday also saw a scuffle break out in the Assembly after Independent legislator Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad, the brother of MPEngineerRashid,broughta banner that read: “We demand restorationofArticle370and35A and the release of political prisoners”. BJP legislators jumped into the Well of the House to snatch the banner, after which Sajad Lone, Waheed Para and NC’s Hilal Lone followed them into the Well to support Ahmad. 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 ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ — a Sanskrit phrase that means ‘the world is one family’ — and to seek peace, friendship and collective progress among all nations. This is India’s and our Olympic bid’s message to the world at a time when it is needed most,” it says, according to sources. The “desire to host the Olympics is a national priority” and “enjoys incredible support at all levels of government, our CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD WON’T CONCEDE THE FIGHT THAT FUELED CAMPAIGN: HARRIS AFTER TRUMP WIN PAGE 10 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 2 village defence guards The Shaina effect: Congress candidate killed in J&K, militant makes a show of ‘respect for women’ outfit claims credit SADAF MODAK & ARUN SHARMA The new rules will come into effect immediately. File In 2036 Olympics bid, India underlines religious diversity, silk and spice routes 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 room confirmed the killings. Securityforceshavebeenrushed to the area. According to district officials, the victims were reported missing earlier in the day. Sources said the victims had gone to the forests in Chatroo’s Kuntwara area to graze their sheep in the morning, but did not return in the evening. The militant outfit later released a statement on social CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SIDDHANT KONDUSKAR MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 7 ON WEDNESDAY afternoon, during his roadshow in GrantRoadareain the Mumbadevi DECISION constituency in 2024 South Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA the Congress's sitting MLA Amin Patel waves to local residents from an open vehicle. He is flankedbywomenactivistsofthe UddhavThackeray-ledShivSena (UBT). Most of his supporters thronging the rally are also Amin Patel campaigns in Mumbadevi. X women, some leading the roadshow,sometrailingit,allof them shouting slogans in his favour. In the course of his campaign overthelastseveraldays,Patel,61, has been asserting that he “re- spects women”, going on later to highlight his “accomplishments” as the MLA of this seat for three consecutive terms since 2009. Patel has resorted to this “firefighting” in the face of a backlash over the alleged derogatoryremarksmadebyhis ally Uddhav Sena's South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant against his rival Shaina N C, the fashion designer and former BJP national spokesperson contesting the Mumbadevi seat on a ticket of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Sawant faces an FIR registered by the Mumbai police on Shaina's complaint, following CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 On your marks, get set, tsunami: An ocean institute executes mega drill PAGE 1 ANCHOR ANJALI MARAR & SUJIT BISOYI HYDERABAD, PURI, NOV 7 IT IS 8:44 am and 15-odd oceanographers and scientists are chattering away, preparing for a long day. In 45 minutes, their phones and monitors will be buzzing incessantly, sending out tsunami warnings and advisories through SMS, fax, and emails to 250 offices — ranging from state disaster managers and district administrations to the India Navy, Coast Guard, ports and harbours. The scene played out at the Synergistic Ocean Observation OperationsServices(SYNOPS)at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) on November 5, when the centre, which issues tsunami warnings in India, simulated an earthquake measuring 9.3 — enough to trigger massive tsunami waves in the Indian Ocean — with its epicentre in Indonesia’s northern Sumatra. The mock drill, incidentally held on World Tsunami Awarenessday,lastedfourhours and saw participation from 25 coastal villages in Andhra Pradesh (6), Andaman and Nicobar (4), Gujarat (2), Goa (2), Kerala (4), Odisha (1), Puducherry (2), Tamil Nadu (2) and West Bengal (2). “These exercises will provide a great opportunity for all stakeholders to test their tsunami warningprocedures,standardoperatingprocedures,enhancepublic awareness and preparedness. It will help us identify and fix any gaps in the warning chains and eventually be fully prepared for future events,” TM Balakrishnan Nair, director (in charge), INCOIS, told The Indian Express. December26thisyearmarks 20 years since the monstrous Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, which had been generated by a massive earthquake near Sumatra measuring 9.3 in magnitude — the second strongest everrecorded.Tsunamiwavesas tallas100feettallwerereported. The disaster killed over 2.3 lakh peopleandaffected14countries, including India. Series of alerts Disaster management teams during the tsunami mock drill on Tuesday. INCOIS Inside the SYNOPS office, the dashboard flashes the warning at 9:30 am: “Mock Drill is about to commence”. Eight minutes later, the scientists inside issue Jaipur thefirstbulletin—anearthquake measuring 8.8 has hit north Indonesiaandcouldtriggerapotential tsunami. The simulation has commenced. The second bulletin at 9.46 am upgrades the warning — the earthquake actually measures 9.3,andareassuchasIndiraPoint, CarNicobarandseverallocations in the Andaman and Nicobar are placed as “potential threat”. Thescientistsnowgettowork. Themonitoringandcontrolroom isabuzzwithphonecalls,withscientistscoordinatingwithvarious coastal centres to get updates on their preparedness. Meanwhile, with the earthquake sensors and tidalgaugesdeployedtomeasure any changes in land or sea, the dashboard continues to get updated with the latest data. At 10 am, the third bulletin declares the inevitable — a tidal gauge at Sabang station in Indonesiahasmeasuredtsunami waves at 7.5 metres and some coastal areas must be ready for evacuation.'Red'warnings,orserious risk warnings, are now issuedforIndiraPoint,CarNicobar, Little Andaman, Diglipur, Havelockislands,NorthSentinel island along with Marakannam, Cuddalore, Puducherry, Mahabalipuram, Nagapattinam CONTINUED ON PAGE 2