The Editorial Page: Trump’s Ukraine peace plan is audacious. India has a stake in its success 10 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2025 JOuRNALISM of COuRAgE MuMbAI, lATE CITy, 20 PAgES ₹5.00 l www.indianexpress.com DA I ly f R O M : A h M E DA b A D , C h A N D I gA R h , D E l h I , j A I P u R , kO l k ATA , l u C k N O W , M u M b A I , N Ag P u R , PAT N A , P u N E , vA D O DA R A REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 AT AYODHYA TEMPLE FLAG-HOISTING CEREMONY NOTE SENT TO LEADERS ON NOV 22 Day before rollback of Chandigarh Bill, Punjab BJP was sent points in its favour Wounds of centuries healing, says PM, links Ram to nation Manoj C G note explaining in detail the reasons for bringing such a Bill and its benefits was circulated THETIMINGof,andthereason toseniorPunjabBJPleaderson behind,theCentre’sdecisionto Saturdayitself,butthefeedback bring a Constitution amend- from them was that the party ment Bill that would have wouldnotbeabletoexplainthe allowedittodirectlygovernthe decision and convince the Union Territory of Chandigarh people of Punjab, given their remainsunknown “sentimental atbut the governtachment” with ExpRESS ment, before Chandigarh and aborting the plan the fact that there for the time being is already a “sense in the face of of suspicion and political backlash and resis- distrust” among a large section tance even from within the oftheSikhcommunitytowards Punjab BJP, did try to reason it the Centre after the attempt to out—themainargumentbeing push through three controverthat while the status of Chandi- sial farm laws in 2020-21. garhwouldremainunchanged, The Centre was told that the bringing it under Article 240 of rationale behind such a decithe Constitution would help sion, even if it was genuine, frame laws tailored for the UT’s would be lost on the Punjabiunique needs. speakingpopulationasitwould Sources said an informal »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 New Delhi, November 25 After Maharashtra state poll defeat, 43 MVA runners-up have switched to Mahayuti exclusive Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the Dhwajarohan ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Tuesday. PTI RELATED REPORT, PAGE 6 Democracy in our DNA, country needs to get rid of slavery mindset: Modi Maulshree Seth 1983 Nellie massacre: 2 reports, one blames it on polls, other differs Sukrita Baruah Guwahati, November 25 FORTY-TWO YEARS after Assam was ravaged by violence amidst the contentious 1983 state elections — most prominently, the Nellie massacre, which was one of the worst incidentsofmassviolenceinpost-IndependenceIndia—two inquiry reports,oneofficial andanother »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 26/11/2025 97 125 154 92 Business as Usual By EP UNNY E. ExplainEd Ayodhya, November 25 PARTICIPATING IN the flaghoisting ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, 22 months after he joined rituals for the consecration of the idol of Ram Lalla in the sanctum sanctorum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday that “centuries-old wounds are being The killings healed, centuries of pain are findingrespite,andacenturiesold resolve is attaining fulfillment today”. The Prime Minister, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Dhwajarohan ceremony, symbolising completion of the construction of THE BIG PICTURE The massacre in Assam’s Nellie is one of the biggest acts of mass violence in India. Officially, 1,800 people — mostly Bengali Muslims — were killed. The unofficial toll was around 3,000. No one was arrested. 2 states, 1 day — tracking the BLOs PAGE 9 From a 2022 drug case to Bollywood’s door, via a Sangli factory and UAE Onedies,19 injureddueto chlorinegas leakinPalghar Mohamed Thaver Express News Service ON MARCH 24, 2024, a team from the Mumbai Crime Branch busted a factory in Sangli, located over 350 km from Mumbai city, allegedly leading to seizure worth Rs 253 crore of 122 kg of high-quality mephedrone, cash, gold ornaments and a car. Six people were arrested. The Sangli factory was also beinglookedatbytheAntiNarcotics Cell, as part of a lesserknown, 2022 case, in which it had made two arrests. Now, officers believe that the 2022 case trail leads to Bollywood, with summons issued so far by the Anti Narcotics Cell tothespianShaktiKapoor’sson Siddhanth Kapoor and Orhan Awatramani, a social media influencer and a friend to the A LOCAL resident died and 19 others were injured following a chlorine gas leak at Vasai in PalghardistrictonTuesday. According to disaster managementofficialsinVasaiVirarCity Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), the leakage was reported around 3.30 pm at DiwanmanareaofSunCity,where maintenance work of a water tankwasunderway.Localauthorities said the leakage took placeinonecylinderinstalledin thetankersincechlorineisused for purification of water. "These cylinders were at least 10 years old and were installed when the tanker was constructed. While carrying outthemaintenancework,one of these cylinders collapsed, Mumbai, November 25 Mumbai, November 25 Siddhanth Kapoor at the Anti-Narcotics Cell office in Ghatkopar, Tuesday. DEEPAk jOShI stars better known as Orry. Earlier, police had secured deportation from the UAE of at least three persons, including the son of alleged drug lord Salim Dola, who is believed to take care of the narcotics business of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. According to sources, summons are being »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 l ‘MANJUMMEL BOY’ AMONG UNLIKELY CANDIDATES In Kerala local polls: First woman IPS, porotta maker & a movie inspiration pagE 1 anchor Shaju Philip Thiruvanananthapuram, November 25 FROM KERALA’S first woman IPS officer who finished her career right at the top as DGP (fire and rescue) and a woman known for making porottas at a roadside thattukada (roadside stall)tothemanwhoseharrowing experience inspired the movie Manjummel Boys, next month’s local body elections in (Clockwise from above) Porotta-maker Naisya Latheef; former DGP (fire and rescue) Sreelekha and Subash Chandran, whose escape from the Guna Caves in Tamil Nadu inspired the Manjummel Boys Kerala will see a diverse and colourfularrayofcandidatesin the fray. The elections from December9to11,whichwillbecontested by 72,005 candidates, are acrucialtestforboththeCPI(M)ledLeftDemocraticFront(LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) before they face off in next year’s Assembly elections. In Thiruvananthapuram, theBJPhasfieldedformerDGP (fireandrescue)Sreelekha,who was recently appointed a state vice-president of the party. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 the temple, as the moment of “fulfilment” and “satisfaction” for all devotees. Addressing the gathering, ModilinkedLordRamto“rashtra” and gave a call for creating anIndiainspiredbyRamRajya. “AajsampoornBharatsampoorn Vishwa Ram-may hai. HarRambhaktkehridaymein aaj adwitya santosh hai, asim kritagyata hai, apar alokik anand hai. Sadiyon ke ghav bhar rahe hain, sadiyon ki vednaaajviramparahihai,sadiyon ka sankalp aaj siddhi ko prapt ho raha hai.” (Today, all of India and the whole world are steeped in Ram. In the heart of every Ram devotee today, there is unique satisfaction, infinite gratitude, and boundless divine joy. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Alok Deshpande Mumbai, November 25 A YEAR after its defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is struggling to keep its flock together, with 43 of its runner-up candidates having crossed over to the ruling Mahayuti, most of them to the BJP. Three Independent candidates have also since joined the Mahayuti. Ananalysisshowsthatofthe total 46, 26 have switched to the BJP,13totheAjitPawar-ledNCP, andseventotheEknathShinde- led Shiv Sena. Additionally, a former candidate of the ruling NCP has also shifted to the BJP. In the 2024 Assembly polls, the Mahayuti won 235 of the state's288seats.TheBJPbagged 132seats,whiletheShindeSena and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) secured 57 and 41 seats, respectively.TheMVAmanagedtowin just 50 seats -- the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) got 20, Congress got 16, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP got 10. These defections have largely takenplaceinbeltstraditionally seenasSena(UBT)strongholds. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2