DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2024, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES DIRECTED OFFICIALS TO FIND WAY TO ADOPT AYUSHMAN BHARAT: ATISHI P 4 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY 103-SEAT SURVEY IN OCTOBER SHOWED MAHAYUTI REVIVAL Disquiet in Cong over EVM blame, leaders cite survey that party was losing LS gains 82% of over 57,000 surveyed said Ladki Bahin beneficiary in family... Blaming EVMs suits some: Congress leader MANOJ C G NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 28 THERE IS a disquiet in a section of the Congress over the vocal “blame-the-EVM”campaignthe party leadership has started after its back-to-back defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra, two states where the BJP had suf- Lothal pit collapse that killed researcher: No ASI nod, trench dug within prohibited limits BRENDAN DABHI & RITU SHARMA LOTHAL, AHMEDABAD, NOVEMBER 28 BEHIND WEDNESDAY’S tragedy near the Harappan site of Lothal — where a researcher from IIT Delhi was killed when a trench she was working in collapsed on her — are a series of missteps. To begin with, the joint team of IIT Delhi and IIT Gandhinagar, which was carrying out a soil sample survey, hadn’t kept the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)intheloop.Two,thedigwas carried out within the 100-metreprohibitedlimitofanASI-protected site. And three, the researchers allegedly got an excavator working on a road Surabhi Verma, PhD student from IIT-Delhi , died at site project nearby to dig a 12-footdeeptrenchwithoutanticipating the high water levels in the soil. The four researchers — two from IIT-Delhi and two from IITGandhinagar — were at the site on Wednesday morning to collect soil samples as part of their ongoingresearchintotheimpact of climate change on the Indus Valley civilisation when the trench collapsed, burying Surabhi Verma, a 23-year old PhD student from IIT-Delhi, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 feredsetbacksinLokSabhapolls just five months ago. Many leaders have told The Indian Express that the Maharashtra defeat shouldn’t havecomeasabigshock—given that internal surveys carried out in the run-up to the November 20 elections in Maharashtra showed that the Maha Vikas CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 J P Nadda, Ajit Pawar, Amit Shah, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis in New Delhi Thursday. Express PAGE6 Bangla responsibility to protect minorities, India underlines; Hasina calls for Hindu monk release SHUBHAJIT ROY & DAMINI NATH NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 28 POINTING OUT that there were several instances of desecration of Hindu temples and deities in Bangladesh over the past few months, the Indian government toldParliamentonThursdaythat it was Dhaka’s responsibility to protect the lives and liberty of all its citizens, includingminorities. Meanwhile, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges and demanded his immediate release, saying the government must ensure religious freedom CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘HOT HASTE…THREATENS NATION’S FABRIC’ Supreme Court to hear petition today against Sambhal mosque survey CJI likely to hear; Masjid panel says keep survey report sealed E E X P L A I NE D THE CITY `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 LS EXTENDS TENURE OF WAQF PANEL P 6 NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 28 THEMANAGEMENTCommittee of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal has approached the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Civil Judge (Senior Division) allowing survey of the Mughal-era mosque which Hindus claim was built by destroying a Hindu temple. AbenchofChiefJusticeSanjiv KhannaandJusticeSanjayKumar CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MAMATA: WILL BACK CENTRE’S DECISION DEEPTIMAN TIWARY SAMBHAL, NOVEMBER 28 SITTINGUNDERdimlightsinthe main foyer of the Kaila Devi Temple, Mahant Rishiraj Giri reads out a poem: “Paanch sadi se jama rakt jab sholay ban kar khaulega, Babar bhi tab kabr se uth kar Harihar, Harihar bolega (When the frozen blood of five centuries comes to a boil, even Babarwillrisefromhisgraveand chant ‘Harihar, Harihar’).” Mahant Rishiraj Giri Giri’s followers, mostly from theYadavcommunity,nodinappreciation. His Uttar Pradesh Police security detail joins in. It is at this temple, around 25 km from Sambhal city, that the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DELHI GOVT HOSPITALS, MOHALLA CLINICS Damage ● in ties THE ARREST of a Hindu monk and denial of bail has prompted New Delhi to once again express concern about the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. Earlier, PM Modi too had spoken to Mohammad Yunus and raised the issue of attacks on temples and protection of minorities. PAGE 11 IN PARLIAMENT ANANTHAKRISHNAN G Behind faultline: Murder in 1976, breakdown of trust, role of a mahant ‘Spurious’ drugs: Panel gives clean chit year after L-G sought CBI probe ANKITA UPADHYAY NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 28 CM SOREN AGAIN JMM leader Hemant Soren took oath as the 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand in Ranchi on Thursday. This will be his fourth stint as Chief Minister. PTI REPORT,PAGE6 NEARLY A year after LieutenantGovernor (L-G) V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the procurement and supply of allegedly“spurious”and“substandard” drugs in Delhi’s government hospitals and mohalla clinics, an internal inquiry com- mitteeof theDirectorateGeneral of Health Services (DGHS) has found “no wrongdoing” under the provision of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, on the part of Central Procurement Agency (CPA)andDGHSofficials,governmentofficials,vendorsandfirms. As per a report submitted by Rajiv Bhargava, Assistant Drug Controller, Drugs Control CONTINUED ON PAGE 2