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Modi meets Egypt’s Sisi

MONSOON HITS Freight trains collide in Bengal, none hurt
DELHI, MUMBAI
TOGETHER AFTER
62 YEARS: IMD

to deepen bilateral links Agencies

letters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI: The monsoon on

Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
CAIRO: Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi on Sunday met Egyp-
tian president Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi, the second stop of a two-
day trip that focused on elevat-
ing ties between the two coun-
tries.
Egypt and India share deep
ties that date back to the 1950s,
when the two nations played
key roles in founding the Non-
Aligned Movement, which had
sought an alternative path to
siding with either with commu-
nism or capitalism at the height
of the Cold War.
Modi, who arrived in Cairo
Saturday, is the first Indian
prime minister to pay a state
visit to Egypt in more than two
decades. His two-day stop came
six months after el-Sissi was in
New Delhi as an official guest at
India’s Independence Day.
El-Sissi welcomed Modi Sun-
day morning at the presidential
palace in Cairo. He awarded the
visiting prime minister the
Order of the Nile, Egypt’s high-
est state honor, according to
Arindam Bagchi, a spokesman
for India’s External Affairs Min-
istry.
Modi also visited Egypt’s his-
toric 11th century Al-Hakim
Mosque in Cairo, restored with
the help of India’s Dawoodi
Bohra community.
At the Fatimid era Shia
mosque, was received by Minis-
ter of Tourism and Antiquities
of Egypt, Mostafa Waziri.
Modi was shown around the
mosque whose latest restora-
tion was completed about three
months ago. He appreciated the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred with the ‘Order of the Nile’, Egypt’s highest state
honour, by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo .
intricate carved inscriptions on
the walls and doorways of the
mosque which was built in 1012.
“Honoured to visit the his-
toric Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo.
It’s a profound testament to
Egypt’s rich heritage and cul-
ture,” he tweeted in both Arabic
and English.
Modi’s trip to Egypt has
focused on strengthening bilat-
eral ties between Cairo and New
Delhi. The prime minister said
both countries have been mov-
ing swiftly to increase bilateral
trade to $12 billion annually
within five years —that’s up
from $7.3 billion in 2021-22.
“This is a remarkable year for
our shared relations,” Modi told
a meeting with Egyptian Prime
Minister Moustafa Madbouly on
Saturday.
Earlier this year, both coun-
tries agreed to boost trade coop-
eration. India, the world’s most
populous country, is one of the
top five importers of Egyptian
products, including crude oil
and liquefied natural gas, salt,
cotton, inorganic chemicals,
and oilseeds. Major Indian
exports to Egypt include cotton
yarn, coffee, herbs, tobacco, len-
tils, vehicle parts, ships, boats,
and electrical machinery.
El-Sissi and Modi, who came
to power in their counties in
ANI
2014, have in recent years culti-
vated closer relationship. And
over the last 16 months, they
resisted pressure form the West
to condemn the Russian war in
Ukraine. Both Egypt and India
have decades-old ties with the
Kremlin.
“There is a change in the
global geopolitical and geoeco-
nomic atmosphere wherein
both countries wish to play a
defining role,” India’s Defense
Minister Rajnath Singh said
during a visit to Cairo in Sep-
tember. “Egypt’s geostrategic
location acts as a connecting
link between Africa, West Asia,
continued on →7
Sunday covered both Delhi and
Mumbai together for the first
time since June 21, 1961, the India
Meteorological Department
(IMD) said. While it hit the
national capital two days before
schedule, its entry into the finan-
cial capital is two weeks late, the
Met office said.
“It is the first time since June
21, 1961, that the monsoon
arrived in Delhi and Mumbai at
the same time,” said DS Pai, a
senior scientist at the India
Meteorological Department
(IMD).
The Safdarjung Observatory,
Delhi’s primary weather station,
logged 48.3 mm rainfall in the 24
hours ending at 8.30 am on Sun-
day.
In Mumbai, the Colaba
Observatory, representative of
the island city, recorded 86 mm
rainfall in the 24-hour period
ending at 8.30 am on Sunday
while the Santacruz weather sta-
tion, representative of the sub-
urbs, registered 176.1 mm in the
same period, according to IMD.
“The southwest monsoon has
further advanced into the
remaining parts of Maharashtra,
including Mumbai, Madhya Pra-
desh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, some
parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and
Haryana, the remaining parts of
Uttarakhand and most parts of
Himachal Pradesh and some
more parts of Jammu, Kashmir
and Ladakh today (June 25),”
IMD said. →P4
HAD LAST
COVERED DELHI
AND MUMBAI
TOGETHER ON
JUNE 21, 1961
A goods train collided with another stationary freight train at Onda in Bankura district of
West Bengal on Sunday morning, a senior South Eastern Railway (SER) official said. No one
was injured in the accident, which affected train services in the Adra division of SER for over
four hours, said the official.
Russia lifts curbs
as mercenaries
continue retreat
Bloomberg
letters@hindustantimes.com
MOSCOW: Russia began lifting
emergency restrictions in an
effort to restore normality after
the dramatic end to an armed
uprising that posed the greatest
threat to President Vladimir
Putin’s almost quarter-century
rule.
Putin hasn’t been seen in
public since he denounced the
revolt led by Wagner merce-
nary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin as
“treason” in a short televised
address to the nation early Sat-
urday. Prigozhin’s forces
advanced to within 200 kilome-
ters (124 miles) of Moscow
before he pulled them back in a
deal brokered by Putin’s ally,
Belarus President Alexander
Lukashenko.
Under the agreement, the
Kremlin said Putin guaranteed
that Prigozhin could travel to
Belarus and would drop crimi-
nal mutiny charges against him
and the Wagner fighters
involved in the rebellion. It
came only hours after the presi-
dent told Russians that those
who took part had “betrayed
Russia and will answer for it.”
Prigozhin hasn’t commented
since announcing in an audio
message on Telegram late Sat-
urday that he was pulling back
continued on →7
PTI
ON EMERGENCY’S
ANNIVERSARY, PM
SAYS DARK DAYS
NOT FORGETTABLE
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi on Sunday paid
homage to all those courageous
people who resisted the Emer-
gency, and said those “dark
days” remain an unforgettable
period in our history, totally
opposite to the values India’s
Constitution celebrates.
Emergency was imposed on
this day in 1975 by the then Con-
gress government led by prime
minister Indira Gandhi. “I pay
homage to all those courageous
people who resisted the Emer-
gency and worked to strengthen
our democratic spirit,” tweeted
Modi, who is currently on a state
visit to Egypt.
“The #DarkDaysOfEmergency
remain an unforgettable period
in our history, totally opposite to
the values our Constitution cele-
brates,” he said. →P4

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MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023

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Applications are invited from Indian Citizens for appointment as Trustee on the Board of
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CHANGE OF NAME
EDUCATION I, SARITA Devi Biyani W/o Sanjay
Kumar Biyani, R/o Biyani Textiles,
Neemchand Road Biyani Complex,
Kishanganj, P.O., P.S & Distt.

SPOT ADMISSION
B.Ed. / D.El.Ed. 2023-25
Affiliated to MMHAPU, Patna, College Code - 371
MISSION ROAD, KURKURI, PHULWARISHARIF, PATNA-801505
Email: stcepatna@gmail.com
LNMU  B.Ed. Combined Entrance
Test 2023    SPOT ROUND
       
Kishanganj (Bihar) do hereby
solemnly swear and affirm declare
that I am known called and writes
my name as two types SARITA DEVI
BIYANI as well as RATNA KUMARI
DAGA. That before marriage I am
known as RATNA KUMARI DAGA is
mentioned in my all Educational
Certificates. That after marriage I
am known as SARITA DEVI BIYANI
which is mentioned in my Aadhar
Card bearing Sl. No. 7043 1629 5509
also mentioned in PAN Card bearing
ONLY FEW PAN No. ANCPB7671F. That SARITA
SEATS DEVI BIYANI @ RATNA KUMARI DAGA
AVAILABLE both the name are same and one
person. Affidavit No.-6244/2022

NCTE(ERC/Bihar) Serial No.-315 MMHAPU Website Serial No.- 26 I, SYED Yehya Hussaini Alias Syed
Shah Yehya S/O Shah Fakhre Alam
Call : 9525506666, 7759993111 R/O Shah Manzil Shah Market
Khalifabagh, PO +PS- Kotwali, Dist -
Bhagalpur. By Affidavit No.18
बी.एड. नामांकन स (SPOT ROUND) Dt.05.06.23 declare that by mistake
wrongly has been mentioned my
L.N.M.U., njHkaxk ds }kjk vk;ksftr B.Ed.CET-2023 name on my Passport No.
(S3531041) as Syed Shah Yehya
esa lQy fo|kFkhZ Spot Round esa ukekadu ds fy, 22.06.2023 ls while my correct name is Syed
26.06.2023 rd f'koe~ VhplZ Vfªsuax dkWyst] iVuk esa lEidZ djsaA Yehya Hussaini. Syed Yehya
Hussaini and Syed Shah Yehya both
ERC, NCTE Govt. of India ls ekU;rk izkIr ,oa name are same person who is my
self.
vafre volj ikVfyiq=k ;wfuoflV Z h] iVuk lhfer
26-6-2023 rd ls laca)rk izkIr laLFkku lhVsa
शवम् टीचस े नग कॉलेज
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email: sttcpatna@gmail.com Website - www.sttcpatna.org
ERC, NCTE SI. No. 35. Patliputra University Sl. No. PPU57
9162072854, 9470683605

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G
PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023
Fate hanging in the balance
Goats being sold on Bailey road in Patna on Sunday, ahead of Bakrid.
Proposed Oppn front’s
likely name: ‘Patriotic
Democratic Alliance’
Anirban Guha Roy
anirbanroy@htlive.com
PATNA: The name of the pro-
posed Opposition front to face
off the BJP in the 2024 parlia-
mentary polls could be “Patri-
otic Democratic Alliance” or
PDA, and a final decision on this
would be taken at the next
meeting of constituent parties
in Shimla next month, said peo-
ple familiar with the matter.
Communist Party of India
(CPI) general secretary D Raja
said this while addressing party
workers in Patna on Saturday, a
day after top leaders of 15 par-
ties met in Patna in their bid to
forge Opposition unity, accord-
ing to people privy to what tran-
spired at the CPI meeting.
When contacted, D Raja said,
“We can say the new alliance
could be named Patriotic Demo-
cratic Alliance (PDA). Here, I
must stress I am talking only in
generic terms, since we have
not taken a final decision on it.
Our primary objective is to
defeat the BJP-led NDA and all
the opposition parties have clar-
ity on this,” he said.
“In Tamil Nadu, there is the
Secular Democratic Front
whereas in Bihar, we have the
Mahagatbandhan. So, we will
have a name which would share
our commitment as a combined
Opposition,” he said.
Nurse from Rohtas held
for duping youths with
fake railways job offers
Prasun K Mishra
htpatna@hindustantimes.com
SASARAM: A 24-year-old auxil-
iary nurse and midwife (ANM)
from Rohtas, who has allegedly
duped 64 unemployed youths
from across the country of
around Rs 11 crore by providing
them fake appointment letters of
Indian Railways, was arrested by
the police early Sunday morn-
ing, superintendent of police
(SP) Vineet Kumar said.
According to police, the scam
surfaced on June 1 when four
youths — Suresh Deepak (37),
Paras Nath (30), Kartikeya (29),
all from Tamil Nādu, and Bhu-
pendra Sharma (24) from
Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir
— reached the office of divisional
railway manager (DRM) at Seal-
dah in West Bengal with
“appointment letters”.
“Their appointment letters
were found fake and a case for
Patna schools to stay shut till June 28
PATNA: The Patna district mag-
istrate has extended the closure
of all academic activities up to
Class 12 in the district till June
28 due to the ongoing heat
wave.
An earlier order, issued on
June 16, was effective till June
24.
At the Opposition unit meeting in Patna on June 23, which was attended by top leaders of 15 political
parties.
P the joint press conference after
We can say the new
alliance could be
named Patriotic
Democratic
Alliance, but a final
call is yet to be
taken.
D RAJA, CPI leader
Incidentally, West Bengal
chief minister Mamata Baner-
jee, during her address during
forgery, cheating and other
related offences was registered
with the Government Railway
Police (GRP) station at Baligaon.
The youths were arrested,”
investigating officer (IO) of the
case, sub-inspector Santanu
Paul, said.
During interrogation, the
youths said they had come in
contact with a girl who had
given them appointment letters
after collecting Rs 18 lakh from
each of them. Police said the fake
appointment letters were issued
to the youths for the post of sta-
tion master.
According to police, the
woman had come to Sealdah
along with the youths for their
joining but fled after officials got
suspicious and arrested them.
After obtaining her photo-
graph and scanning CCTV foota-
ges from Sealdah railway sta-
tion, police identified the woman
as Pinki Kumari of Suryapura in
“... it has been made to
appear to me that due to the
prevalent high temperature
with high humidity in the dis-
trict, the health and life of chil-
dren are at risk. Therefore, I
prohibit the academic activities
of all the private and govern-
ment schools (including pre-
the Opposition unity meet in
Patna, had insisted that “they
should not be called ‘opposition’
but “patriotic” as they were all
“citizens of the country”.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata
Dal (RJD) leaders, aware of dis-
cussions at the meeting, said
there has been no discussion on
the name of the new alliance
and all these matters would be
taken for discussion at the
Shimla meeting, likely on July
10-12. “We can say the meeting
was very fruitful,” RJD
MP Manoj Jha said, when asked
about the name of the proposed
front.
Rohtas district.
The IO reached Rohtas with a
police team on Saturday and
sought help from the local
police, after which Pinki Kumari
was arrested from her house
Balihar village in the wee hours
of Sunday.
She was working as an ANM
in Suryapura primary health
centre (PHC).
“She has revealed the name of
the mastermind and others
involved in the racket and the
West Bengal police are conduct-
ing raids for their arrest,” IO
Santanu Paul said.
SP Vineet Kumar said Rs 11
crore was found deposited in her
bank account that had been fro-
zen by the WB police.
“She confessed to having
duped 64 youths in different
states and giving them fake
appointment letters. She has
been taken to West Bengal on a
transit remand,” he said.
school and Anganwari centres)
of Patna district up to Class- 12
till June 28. The order will
come into force w.e.f. June 26,
2023, and will remain effective
till 28,” district magistrate
Chandra Shekhar Singh said in
an official notice.
ANI
03
My Patna
Bullet, fists fly at BJP meet
Aditya Nath Jha on his waist. He was rushed to
the Murliganj primary health
htpatna@hindustantimes.com
centre from where the doctor
MADHEPURA: A local BJP leader referred him to Madhepura dis-
and relative of former deputy trict hospital.
chief minister Tarkishore Prasad Soon after the incident, Bha-
was shot at and injured at a party gat’s supporters caught Patel
meeting being held in Bihar’s and thrashed him badly. “Had
Madhepura district on Sunday we not reached on time, Patel
afternoon to celebrate nine years would have been lynched,” a
of the Narendra Modi govern- Bhagat, who took a bullet hit on waist, at a hospital. HT PHOTO police officer said, adding that
ment at the Centre, police said. several party workers, including
The police have arrested the Kumar Bhagat, is undergoing According to eyewitnesses, district party president Deepak
suspect, also a BJP leader, and treatment at Madhepura district before the function was to begin Kumar, were injured in the fight
impounded his pistol, for which hospital, where he is said to be at Gol Bazar, Bhagat and Patel that broke out after the incident.
he carried a licence. out of danger. had an altercation over some Murliganj police station
Subdivisional police officer Yadav said the suspect, Pankaj financial transactions after house officer (SHO) Raj Kishor
(SDPO) Ajay Narayan Yadav said Kumar Nirala alias Pankaj Patel, which Patel took out his pistol Mandal said an FIR has been
the injured, identified as Sanjay has been arrested. and fired. The bullet hit Bhagat lodged and police are probing.
{ BRIDGE CAVE-IN } KISHANGANJ
Two engineers among
SANTOSH KUMAR/HT PHOTO
four suspended
Aditya Nath Jha the bridge being built at Gori-
chak on National Highway 327E
htpatna@hindustantimes.com
between Galgaliya in Kishanganj
KISHANGANJ: Two engineers and Araria had caved in.
and two project managers of pri- NHAI’s regional officer for
vate firms associated with the Bihar, Abdhesh Kumar, said two
construction of a bridge over engineers from M/s Chaitanya
river Mechi in Bihar’s Kishan-
ganj district has been suspended
pending probe in connection
with the cave-in on Friday, a sen-
ior official of the National High-
Project Consultancy Pvt Ltd and
two project managers of the con-
cessionaire, M/s GR Galgaliya
Bahadurganj Highway Private
Limited, have been suspended
way Authority of India (NHAI), “so that investigation can’t be
which is constructing the bridge, influenced”.
said on Sunday. Nobody was injured in the
On Friday evening, a span of cave-in, officials said.
HT FILE
Bihar Congress president
Akhilesh Prasad Singh could
not be reached for comment.
On June 23, top leaders of 15
parties opposed to the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP), including
Congress, RJD, JD-U, three
major Left parties, the DMK,
NCP, PDP, Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha and the Aam Aadmi
Part, had attended the mega
meet on the call of Bihar chief
minister Nitish Kumar at his
official residence where they
resolved to stay united and col-
lectively fight against the BJP-
led NDA government at the Cen-
tre headed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
MAN DIES IN GAS
LEAK AT DAIRY
IN HAJIPUR
Mukesh Kumar Mishra
htpatna@hindustantimes.com
PATNA: At least one person dies
and 32 others were injured in
an incident of ammonia gas
leak at a dairy in Hajipur town
in Bihar’s Vaishali district on
Saturday night, police said.
“Most of the injured persons
have been discharged from the
hospital after preliminary treat-
ment. The cause of the incident
seems to be a damaged gas pipe.
However, experts have been
called in to probe further,” dep-
uty superintendent of police
(DSP) of Hajipur (Sadar)
Omprakash said.
The DSP said the dairy has
been closed after the incident.
“No (FIR) first information
report has been lodged so far in
this regard,” he said.
DSP (fire department) Ashok
Kumar said fire tenders were
rushed to the spot as a precau-
tionary measure. “A Quick
Response Team (QRT) also
rushed to the spot from Patna,”
he said.
Rajiv Kumar, manager Raj
Fresh Dairy, where the incident
occurred, said, “The leak
occurred around 10.05 pm on
Saturday.
“Seven to eight workers were
exposed to the leakage but all
recovered. In the panic to rush
out, one of the workers fell
down and lost his life.”
Speaking to reporters after
the incident, some workers said,
“It was hard to breathe. Our
eyes were burning. We were
also suffocating. We jumped off
18 feet height to save our lives.
Four to five persons have frac-
tured their legs.”
04
After 62 yrs, monsoon hits
Delhi, Mumbai same day
Jasjeev Gandhiok
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The India Meteoro-
logical Department (IMD) on
Sunday declared the onset of
the southwest monsoon over
Mumbai and Delhi.
“Southwest monsoon has
advanced over Mumbai and
Delhi today, 25th June 2023,”
said the IMD in a statement on
Sunday morning, adding that
detailed coverage of the
monsoon and its progress will
be revealed later in the day.
While the monsoon was
delayed by 14 days in Mumbai,
it arrived two days early in
Delhi.
The normal date for mon-
soon onset (1961-2019) over
Mumbai is June 11, and for
Delhi, it is June 27.
However, this has made it a
highly unusual monsoon year
where both cities recorded an
onset simultaneously.
The last time both cities
were hit by monsoon at the
same time was on June 21, 1961.
Safdarjung, representational
of Delhi’s weather, recorded
48.3mm of rainfall in a 24-hour
period till 8:30am on Sunday –
most of it being recorded in the
early hours of the day.
Amid the continued rainfall,
the weather department has
declared an orange alert for the
remainder of the day, with
more rain in store.
A similar orange alert is in
place for Monday too, with the
IMD forecasting light to moder-
ate showers at most places,
officials said.
Among other stations, Lodhi
road received 59.6mm of rain-
fall till 8:30 am, Ayanagar
54mm, Ridge 27.4mm and
Palam 29.6mm.
Till 8:30am on Sunday, Delhi
recorded 71.4mm of rainfall so
far this month. The long-period
average (LPA) for Delhi for
June is 74.1mm, which is likely
to cross in the coming days.
The IMD classifies it as ‘very
light’ rainfall when it is
between ‘trace’ and 2.4mm in a
24-hour period.
Pak-based gangster
attempting to revive
the LTTE: Officials
Neeraj Chauhan
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Indian agencies
have found that Haji Salim, a
Karachi-based gangster, is
linked to underworld don
Dawood Ibrahim and playing a
key role in attempts to revive the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) insurgent group in Sri
Lanka and India through large-
scale smuggling of drugs and
arms, people familiar with the
development said.
Considered the brain behind
multimillion dollar drugs net-
work in Pakistan and the Indian
Ocean, Salim has been seen at
Dawood’s Clifton Road house in
Karachi often and it is suspected
they both use each other’s
resources for smuggling, with
support of Pakistan’s spy agency
Inter-Services Intelligence, they
said, seeking anonymity.
The agencies including the
Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB),
the National Investigation
Agency (NIA) and the Director-
ate of Revenue and Intelligence
(DRI) are working on identifying
Indian contacts of Salim as well
as Ibrahim’s D-Company to dis-
mantle the criminal network.
Last month, NCB and the navy
seized 2,500kg methampheta-
mine worth ₹12,000 crore
sourced by intercepting a
mother ship in the Indian ocean.
The consignment originated
from the death crescent (a term
coined by home minister Amit
Shah for the smuggling route of
Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan)
and was sent from Makran coast
in Balochistan province.
Last week, while filing a
charge sheet against 13 persons
in a probe related to LTTE
revival in India, NIA said Lankan
drug mafia members were sour-
cing drugs from Salim. “The
accused used various foreign
WhatsApp numbers to carry out
the clandestine trade,” it said.
Salim’s name also figured in a
charge sheet filed on Friday in
smuggling of 40kg heroin and
pistols using a boat, Al-Soheli, in
December last year, in which 10
Pakistanis were arrested by Guj-
arat Anti-Terrorist Squad.
“Even though D-Company’s
network was eliminated by
Monsoon has arrived two days early in Delhi, with the city recording a dip in temperature on
Sunday.
‘Light’ rainfall between
2.5mm and 15.5mm; ‘moderate’
between 15.6mm and 64.4mm
and ‘heavy’ rainfall when over
64.4mm is recorded in a single
day.
Forecasts show light show-
ers on Tuesday and Wednesday
too, some rain activity will con-
tinue in Delhi till Friday, mak-
ing it a wet end to the month.
Last year, the onset was
declared over Delhi on June 30.
In 2021, the monsoon reached
Delhi 16 days late on July 13 –
its slowest onset since 2002.
This is the earliest arrival of
the southwest monsoon in
Delhi since 2020 and 2015,
when it arrived on the same
date – June 25.
The last time it arrived ear-
lier than this was in 2013 when
it reached Delhi on June 16.
IT IS SUSPECTED
HAJI SALIM AND
DAWOOD USE
EACH OTHER’S
RESOURCES FOR
SMUGGLING OF
DRUGS AND ARMS
Indian agencies in the late 90s, it
is possible his old contacts may
be working with Salim’s syndi-
cate as the drug trade via mari-
time and land route has
exploded after Taliban’s take-
over of Afghanistan in August
2021. Salim has been seen at
Dawood’s residence in Karachi
and is protected by armed
guards,” said an officer, who
didn’t want to be named.
Salim works with ISI and ter-
ror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and
oversees the smuggling to India,
the Maldives, Sri Lanka and
some Middle East countries, HT
first reported on April 30.
His cartel operates many clan-
destine laboratories in Balochis-
tan, where heroin packets from
Afghanistan are labelled with
different symbols or inscriptions
such as ‘555’, ‘999’, ‘Unicorn’ and
‘Dragon’. It is estimated that 70%
of total drug trafficking in India
takes place through sea routes
and Salim’s network is behind a
majority of the consignments.
“The modus operandi used by
Salim’s cartel is similar to that of
D-Company’s in 90s, where
exchange of contraband took
place mid-sea from a mother
boat (large vessels) to small fish-
ing boats and dhows,” said a sec-
ond officer.
“The maritime drug traffick-
ing in Arabian sea and Bay of
Bengal poses new challenges to
drug law enforcement agencies
and they anticipate further
increase of this route by inter-
national drug trafficking syndi-
cates operating from Pakistan
and Afghanistan,” a special edi-
tion of NCB’s annual report 2022
said.
The government has given
additional funds to NCB and
other agencies for enhanced
monitoring of Indian waters,
and 100% checking of suspected
containers is being done at ports.
The rain also meant Delhi’s
minimum was recorded at
23.1°C – five degrees below nor-
mal. It was 30.4°C a day earlier.
Delhi’s maximum on Saturday
was 37.4°C, while Sunday’s
forecast shows it is likely to
hover around 32°C.
In terms of air quality,
Delhi’s air was recorded in the
moderate range. The average
air quality index (AQI) stood at
162 (moderate) at 10am on Sun-
day – a slight improvement
from a reading of 169 (moder-
ate) at 4pm on Saturday.
The AQI is forecast to touch
the satisfactory range by Mon-
day, dipping below 100.
The IMD, in its monsoon
bulletin on Saturday had said
that conditions were favoura-
ble for further advance of the
southwest monsoon over most
2 ELDERLY KILLED
IN MUMBAI AS
BALCONY CAVES IN
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: A woman and a man
died and two others were injured
after a part of the balcony of a
building collapsed in Vile Parle
in Mumbai on Sunday, a fire bri-
gade official said.
The incident took place on St
Braz Road at 2:27pm and the
deceased have been identified as
Priscila Misquita (65) and Rob-
bie Misquita (70), the official
said. “They were declared dead
on arrival at Cooper Hospital. A
part of the balcony on the first
floor of a ground-plus-two floor
building collapsed,” he said.
“Two fire engines, one quick
response vehicle, an ambulance
as well as police and civic staff
were deployed for the rescue
operation,” he added.
14 Oppn parties eye pact for ’24, Cong-AAP deal unlikely
Saubhadra Chatterji and
Alok KN Mishra
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: At least 14 Opposi-
tion parties will try to strike a deal
among themselves ahead of the
2024 general elections but any
pre-poll pact between the Con-
gress and the AAP (Aam Aadmi
Party) will be an uphill task, given
the complexity in their equation,
party leaders from both sides
indicated on Saturday.
A day after Friday’s mega
Opposition gathering in Patna,
AAP functionaries rued the fact
that despite Delhi CM Arvind Kej-
riwal requesting senior Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi “with folded
hands” during the meet to decide
a date for a meeting over tea
between leaders of both parties to
resolve differences, the latter
declined and refused to denounce
the controversial Delhi ordinance.
Congress leaders, however,
maintained that Gandhi did not
say a word on the ordinance and
that party president Mallikarjun
Kharge did not announce the
Congress position on the issue in
Patna, saying any decision has to
be first discussed within the party.
In the recent past, the AAP has
made appeals to the Congress to
denounce the ordinance. AAP
functionaries said Gandhi ques-
tioned the “eagerness” being
My India
PTI
parts of Maharashtra, includ-
ing Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh, remaining parts
of Bihar, Uttarakhand, Hima-
chal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir
and Ladakh, some more parts
of Haryana including Chandi-
garh and Delhi, some parts of
Gujarat, East Rajasthan and
Punjab during the next 48
hours.
Meanwhile, heavy monsoon
rain lashed various parts of
Uttarakhand on Sunday amid
an ‘orange alert’ issued by the
Meteorological office for sev-
eral districts.
The incessant rain triggered
landslides, blocking a number
of roads, while the water level
has risen in several rivers
including the Ganga.
With inputs from agencies.
Ahead of elections, BJP brass to hold meet with
two Telangana leaders amid internal rumblings
Srinivasa Rao Apparasu
letters@hindustantimes.com
HYDERABAD: The central leader-
ship of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) summoned two
party leaders from Telangana on
Saturday for talks in the wake of
reports that they might soon
shift their loyalties to the Con-
gress, people familiar with the
matter said.
Former minister and BJP
MLA from Huzurabad, Eatala
Rajender, and former MLA from
Munugode, Komatireddy Raja-
gopal Reddy, who have been
keeping away from party activi-
ties for some time, left for New
Delhi following a call from party
president J P Nadda.The leader-
ship also called Union minister
G Kishan Reddy to Delhi.
Thirty-two leaders from 15 Opposition parties came together at a mega meet in Patna on Friday.
shown to get the Congress to spell
out its stand on the ordinance.
Congress leaders did not corrobo-
rate any such exchange.
Kejriwal attended the Opposi-
tion meeting with three other
AAP leaders, Punjab CM Bhag-
want Mann, parliamentarians
Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh,
where senior leaders from vari-
ous parties urged the Congress to
denounce the ordinance, which
did not materialise, as a result of
which AAP leaders skipped a joint
press conference, people familiar
with the developments said.
Though Kejriwal wanted an
instant decision, leaders of other
parties were of the view that it
should be given time, the people
N Biren Singh
MANIPUR CM CALLS
ON AMIT SHAH TO
REVIEW ‘EVOLVING
SITUATION’ IN STATE
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Manipur chief min-
ister N Biren Singh on Sunday
briefed Union home minister
Amit Shah in Delhi about the
“evolving situation” in Manipur
and said the state and central
governments have been able to
control the violence to a “great
extent”.
Singh, who arrived in Delhi
this morning, went to meet Shah
at his residence.
“Called on Hon’ble Union
Home minister, Shri @Amit-
Shah Ji in New Delhi today and
briefed about the evolving situa-
tion on the ground in Manipur.
Under Amit Shah Ji’s close
supervision, the state and Cen-
tral govt have been able to con-
trol the violence to a great extent
in the past week,” he tweeted.
Singh said there has been no
report of casualties since June 13
due to the violence. He said the
home minister assured him that
the central government will take
all possible steps to bring back
normalcy in Manipur.
The chief minister said Shah
“advised us to strengthen our
work towards achieving ever-
lasting peace” and also sought
the cooperation of every stake-
holder in Manipur to ensure
peace prevails.
“I was joined by BJP National
spokesperson Shri @sambitswa-
raj Ji, Hon’ble MP Rajya Sabha
Shri @MaharajaManipur Ji and
Hon’ble speaker Shri Th Satya-
brata Singh Ji,” he said.
This comes a day after the
home minister chaired an all-
party meeting in Delhi over the
Manipur situation. Shah told the
all-party meeting that PM Nar-
endra Modi has been monitoring
the situation in state since day
one and also sought the coopera-
tion of all the political parties to
restore peace in Manipur.
HUZURABAD,
EATALA RAJENDER,
KOMATIREDDY
RAJAGOPAL REDDY
ARE IN DELHI FOR
DISCUSSION WITH
THE BJP
LEADERSHIP
Nadda is expected to meet
with the two disgruntled leaders
on Sunday, a party leader privy
to the development said, seeking
anonymity. The high command
has entrusted Kishan Reddy
with the task of negotiating with
Rajender and Rajagopal Reddy
and convincing them to stay
back in the party, he added.
Ever since the BJP received a
cited above said. Later, the AAP
said it will be difficult for it to
attend future meetings of
Opposition parties where the
Congress is present if the latter
doesn’t publicly denounce the
ordinance.
Two senior Congress leaders
indicated on Saturday that chan-
ces of any pre-poll adjustment
with the AAP were almost nil and
the party will be looking to
strengthen its existing alliances in
states such as Tamil Nadu, Bihar,
Kerala, Maharashtra and Jhark-
hand and will strive to seal a pact
with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar
Pradesh.
“The way AAP has been trying
to corner the Congress in many
{ ANNIVERSARY OF 1975 EMERGENCY }
BJP attacks Cong for
imposing Emergency
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: On the anniversary
of the 1975 Emergency, BJP lead-
ers on Sunday went on a tweet-
ing spree to turn the table on the
Congress which has been accus-
ing the Narendra Modi govern-
ment of suppressing dissent, sti-
fling democracy, and curbing
freedom of speech in the coun-
try.
On June 25, 1975, the Indira
Gandhi-led Congress govern-
ment imposed Emergency,
which lasted for the next 21
months, during which funda-
mental rights of the people were
provisionally suspended and
curbs were put on the press.
“I pay homage to all those
courageous people who resisted
the Emergency and worked to
strengthen our democratic
spirit. The dark days of Emer-
gency remain an unforgettable
period in our history, totally
opposite to the values our Con-
stitution celebrates,” Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi said in a
tweet.
Union Home Minister Amit
Shah alleged that the imposition
of Emergency was a “selfish”
power struggle and continues to
remain a symbol of Congress’s
“dictatorial mentality.”
“On this day in 1975, a family
imposed an Emergency in the
country, taking away the rights
{ NIRMALA SITHARAMAN } FINANCE MINISTER
P OVERFLOWS, LOCALS
For the second time for a
PM to be called to address
a joint session of the
#USCongress and to have
received such a standing
ovation is a matter of
A
pride for all of us...
drubbing in the assembly elec-
tions in neighbouring Karna-
taka, the party in Telangana has
been facing a silent revolt from
leaders, including Rajender and
Rajagopal Reddy, who have been
opposing the leadership of state
BJP president Bandi Sanjay.
“They have complained to the
high command a couple of times
in the recent past that Sanjay has
not been giving due importance
to them and not taking them into
confidence while taking up vari-
ous party programmes,” he said.
Rajender held discussions
with former Khammam MP
Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and
former state minister from
Mahabubnagar Jupally Krishna
Rao, both of whom quit the Bha-
rat Rashtra Samithi last month,
to bring them into the BJP.
PTI
states, it will be difficult for us to
consider an alliance with it,” said
a senior Congress leader. “They
fought in Goa and Karnataka
only to help the BJP. In Delhi and
Punjab they are our main rival.
We can’t give away seats to AAP
in these two places.”
In Goa, the BJP retained
power while the Congress swept
Karnataka.
The Congress’s Delhi unit is
vehemently opposed to the AAP
and any possible adjustment is
unlikely to get its support.
Ajay Maken, former Union
minister and a key face of the
Congress in Delhi, said, “We
should have no understanding
with the Aam Aadmi Party.”
P “It was the defining political
The dark days of
Emergency remain
an unforgettable
period in our
history, totally
opposite to values
our Constitution
celebrates.
NARENDRA MODI, PM
of the people and killing democ-
racy, fearing losing power from
their hands,” Shah said in a
tweet in Hindi.
“Imposition of Emergency for
selfish power struggle is a sym-
bol of Congress’ dictatorial men-
tality and an indelible taint on
the party,” he said.
Shah said that lakhs of peo-
ple struggled to revive democ-
racy facing many tortures. “I
heartily salute all those
patriots.”
External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar said the days of
Emergency were a “defining
political experience” of his gen-
eration and “a lifelong lesson.”
“On the anniversary of the
declaration of Emergency, recall
those dark days and how the
nation overcame this challenge,”
“They put forth certain condi-
tions to join the BJP, such as
party tickets to their followers
for assembly elections in their
respective districts, but Sanjay
rejected their demands,” the
leader said. “As a result, Srinivas
Reddy and Krishna Rao have
decided to join the Congress.”
On the other hand, Rajagopal
Reddy has been under pressure
from his elder brother Komatir-
eddy Venkat Reddy, a Congress
MP from Bhongir, to return to
the grand old party. There is also
a talk a few other leaders, such
as former Chevella MP Konda
Vishweshwar Reddy and former
minister D K Aruna, might shift
loyalties to the Congress.
After holding talks with the
rebels, Nadda will address a rally
in the state on Sunday.
Maken also alleged that, “Time
and again, it has been established
that AAP has deep-rooted links
with the BJP-RSS. Even before he
formed AAP, he took support
from Kiran Bedi (BJP’s CM face
for Delhi in the last election), Gen
VK Singh (now a Union
minister).”
A senior Opposition leader said
in the Patna meeting, Kejriwal
tried to shift focus away from
Opposition unity and a common
agenda by raising the ordinance
issue.
People close to the AAP, how-
ever, said that at the beginning of
the Patna meeting leaders spoke
on Opposition unity. Kejriwal was
the second to speak after Bihar
CM Nitish Kumar and he shared
his thoughts on Opposition unity
and what the formula should be
to defeat the BJP, they said, add-
ing that the AAP’s main issue was
the ordinance and it was
imperative that the CM spoke on
it extensively.
“The ordinance is against
democracy and the Constitution.
And anyone in favour of democ-
racy and the Constitution cannot
stand in favour of the ordinance.
We believe that the Congress
party cannot stand in favour of
the ordinance. And when you
cannot stand in support of the
ordinance, denounce the
ordinance publicly,” a senior AAP
PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023
Jaishankar tweeted.
experience of my generation and
a lifelong lesson to strengthen
our democratic fabric,” he
added.
Union Finance Minister Nir-
mala Sitharaman tweeted news-
paper clippings to remind her
followers about the press’ strug-
gle against curbs on it and the
freedom of speech during the
Emergency.
“Media protested curbing the
freedom of speech and Press
freedom under the Emergency.
Power hungry Congress muzzled
the media, jailed the entire oppo-
sition and amended the constitu-
tion unilaterally,” she said in her
tweet.
The Congress serves the
dynasty and not the people of
India, Sitharaman said.
BJP chief J P Nadda in a tweet
in Hindi said the Congress’
“ruthlessness left behind even
the tyranny of hundreds of years
of foreign rule.”
“I bow down to all the patriots
who fought for the establish-
ment of democracy in such diffi-
cult times enduring immense
tortures,” he added.
Emergency was declared for a
21-month period from 1975 to
1977 by the then Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi. It is considered
one of the most controversial
periods of independent India’s
history.
CAR SWEPT AWAY
AS HARYANA RIVER
RESCUE WOMAN
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
CHANDIGARH: A woman who
had come to a temple in Hary-
ana’s Panchkula on Sunday was
rescued by locals after the car
she was sitting in was swept
away in a river, officials said.
The woman had come to
offer prayers at a temple in Kha-
rak Mangoli and parked her
vehicle on the river bank. Sud-
denly the water level in the river
rose and her car was washed
away in a flash flood while she
was still inside it.
Some locals took the woman
out of the car amid a strong cur-
rent of water and rushed her to a
local hospital, officials said.
A video of the rescue efforts
was circulated on social media.
In another incident, eight
people who were stuck near the
Ghaggar river in Panchkula
were rescued by a team of the
National Disaster Response
Force, an official said.
The water level in the river
increased due to rain in its catch-
ment areas.
Many parts of Haryana and
Punjab received rains, leading to
a drop in the minimum tempera-
ture, the weather department
said on Sunday.
In the past 24-hours ending at
8:30 am Sunday, Ambala, Kar-
nal, Narnaul, Rohtak, Bhiwani,
Gurugram, Kurukshetra and
Mohali received rains, according
to a report of the MeT office.
leader said, quoting Kejriwal.
The AAP has in the past projec-
ted itself as an alternative to the
BJP and the Congress and its rise
in Delhi and Punjab came at the
cost of the Congress. The AAP
is also planning to contest
upcoming assembly elections in
the Congress-ruled Rajasthan
and Chhattisgarh, as well as in
Madhya Pradesh where the Con-
gress is seeking to return to
power.
Last month, the BJP-led Centre
promulgated an ordinance restor-
ing to itself the power over servi-
ces in Delhi by making a raft of
major amendments in the Gov-
ernment of National Capital Terri-
tory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 1991.
The ordinance effectively rolled
back a Constitution bench
judgment of the Supreme Court
that handed over control of the
bureaucracy in the Capital to the
elected government, excluding
those connected to police, public
order and land.
The ordinance is likely to be
brought before Parliament in the
upcoming monsoon session for
approval, presenting a key
challenge for Opposition unity.
While several parties such as the
Trinamool Congress, Left parties
and Bharat Rashtra Samithi have
assured the AAP of support, the
Congress is yet to make a public
declaration.
PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023
{ IN MANIPUR }
G20 delegates get a warm welcome
Tackling stolen arms a challenge for forces
Prawesh Lama
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Joint combing oper-
ations by the army and Assam
Rifles to retrieve stolen weapons
and munitions started on June 7,
however, the forces have man-
aged to recover only 170 weap-
ons so far in the ethnic clashes-
hit Manipur, where miscreants
continue to use the stolen weap-
ons to launch attacks in different
parts of the state, officials famil-
iar with the matter said.
As per the state police’s esti-
mates, at least 3,500 weapons
and over 500,000 ammunitions
were stolen by mobs last month.
The most recent incidents of
miscreants using looted weap-
ons were reported at two places
Delegates being welcome at Dehradun’s Jolly Grant airport on Sunday. HT PHOTO in Imphal West and Kangpokpi
districts on Thursday. In Imphal
West, officials said, the forces
recovered an Insas rifle and an
{ G20 MEET } Insas light machine gun stolen
My India
Police personnel patrol during
a combing operation in a
village near Imphal on June 20.
from Manipur police’s armoury
last month.
Over 150 columns of the two
forces are deployed in the state
— where at least 115 people have
been killed and nearly 40,000
displaced in ethnic violence
since May 3 — to restore nor-
malcy. While there are around
60-65 columns (some 60 person-
nel in each column) of the army
and Assam Rifles for combing
operations and retrieving weap-
ons, the non-availability of mag-
istrates at short notice to con-
duct operations in de-notified
areas, miscreants attacking vil-
lagers in notified areas under
Armed Forces (Special Powers)
Act but returning to de-notified
areas, and blockades led by
women are affecting the opera-
tions, officials said.
Security agencies cannot con-
duct operations in non-disturbed
areas without the presence of
magistrate or the local police. Of
the 92 police stations in the state,
at least 19 are not under AFSPA.
An official cited the example
of Thursday’s attack at the N Bol-
jang village in Kangchup, which
is under AFSPA, where the
attackers after firing on two sol-
diers fled back to parts of Imphal
West, not under AFSPA.
“Security forces engaged in a
shootout at N Boljang, where the
forces are allowed to function as
it is a disturbed area. But the
armed miscreants quickly
returned to Imphal West, which
is a de-notified area. The security
teams could not enter the area
where they fled. This was a case
of hot pursuit,” the official said,
requesting anonymity.
“Now, even in a case of hot
pursuit like this, the teams have
to take a magistrate and local
police as legal cover to operate in
the area,” he added. “Our teams
have to wait for the assigned dis-
trict magistrate before launching
the operation there. Crucial time
is lost in getting the magistrates.”
There are instances of secu-
rity forces being unable to reach
the spot on time, the official said.
Then there is a third problem
05
related to women protesters
resisting operations across the
state. The most recent incident
took place on Friday and has
been tweeted by the Army.
“Group of armed miscreants
sneaked into the area from YKPI
towards hill side today after-
noon. Miscreants firing auto-
matic weapons towards the villa-
ges of Urangpat & Gwaltabi.
Security Forces Columns
deployed in these vacant villages
responded in a calibrated man-
ner to avoid any collateral dam-
age. A large group of women
part of the mob in YKPI & Sei-
jang area preventing movement
of additional columns into the
area,” the SpearCorps of the
Army wrote on Friday.
The police, other central
armed police forces and security
forces have managed to recover
1,100 weapons and 14,500
ammunition, including weapons
surrendered by citizens, so far.

‘U’khand becoming a Stop auction of nine coal Trials in Yamuna for navigability of river
picture of new India’ blocks: C’garh to govt
in Hasdeo Arand forest, which
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy on

Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand chief
minister Pushkar Singh Dhami
said that the state has shown the
whole world its rich tradition,
culture and all-round develop-
ment by successfully hosting two
G-20 meetings.
The third G-20 Infrastructure
Working Committee meeting is
also being organised in the state
of Uttarakhand from Monday.
The chief minister said,
“Under the guidance of the
Prime Minister of India, Naren-
dra Modi, today Uttarakhand is
becoming a picture of new India
due to world-class infrastruc-
ture.” He said that there has
been rapid development in the
tourism sector with the “All
Weather Road”.
“Traffic is becoming smooth
with the construction of high-
ways, expressways, flyovers,
ropeways and new bridges,” he
said. The chief minister said that
with the gift of the Vande Bharat
train, the ‘Rishikesh-Karnprayag
Rail Line’ is going to make the
dream of rail in the mountains
come true. Work on the Tanak-
pur-Bageshwar rail line is also
going to start soon.
He said that along with public
welfare schemes like providing
electricity and water connec-
tions to every household, his
government is committed to the
development of basic infrastruc-
ture facilities in the state.
Earlier on Saturday, the three
delegation members from Brazil
who arrived at Jollygrant Airport
on Saturday early morning to par-
Financing cities theme of 3rd
G20 IWC meet starting today
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
DEHRADUN: Sixty-three dele-
gates including 16 from G20
member countries and eight
from guest countries will
participate in the third G-20
Infrastructure Working
Committee (IWC) meeting in
Narendranagar near Ris-
hikesh, starting on Monday.
The delegates will prima-
rily deliberate on the theme
of financing future cities dur-
ing the three-day meeting,
officials said.
Sharing this in a press
briefing at Narendranagar
near Rishikesh, Solomon
Arokiaraj, joint secretary,
infrastructure policy and
planning division and G20,
department of economic
affairs said “Four delegates
who won’t be able to attend
physically will attend the
deliberations virtually.”
Arokiaraj said, “Total of 63
delegates from G20 member
countries, invitee countries,
and international organisa-
tions will participate in the
meeting to further the dis-
cussions on the 2023 Infra-
structure Agenda under the
Indian G20 Presidency and
garlands as they arrived at the
Jollygrant Airport in Uttara-
khand’s Dehradun.
The foreign guests also did
follow up on the discussions
held during the second IWC
meeting held in March 2023.
He said the third IWC
meeting, substantive
progress will be discussed
towards the various work-
streams of the 2023 Infra-
structure Agenda.
“The flagship priority to be
discussed in this meeting is
‘Financing Cities of Tomor-
row: Inclusive, Resilient and
Sustainable’, along with
other priorities”.
He said the G20 IWC
deliberates on various
aspects of infrastructure
investments, including devel-
oping infrastructure as an
asset class, promoting qual-
ity infrastructure investment,
and identifying innovative
instruments for mobilizing
financial resources for infra-
structure investment.
He said during the three-
day schedule, various official
meetings and cultural pro-
grammes have also been
planned for the delegates.
In addition to the formal
discussions, the delegates
will experience Rishikesh’s
rich culture and beautiful
landscapes, the official
added.
danced beautifully with the art-
ists on the songs and music of
Uttarakhand.
The third meeting of G-20 is
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh.Mishra@hindustantimes.com
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh has asked
the Union government to stop
auctioning nine of the 23 coal-
fields located in pristine forests
around the Hasdeo Arand and
Mand River catchment since
mining in these areas would
harm local ecosystems.
The auction of the nine coal
blocks will impact the lives of
people in 24 villages and would
destroy local ecology, the state
government said in a June 23 let-
ter to the Union coal secretary.
“Chhattisgarh assembly on
July 26, 2022, had resolved to get
coal blocks in the Hasdeo area to
be cancelled. The coal ministry
was informed about the resolu-
tion on September 19, 2022,” Jai
Prakash Maurya, special mining
secretary of the Chhattisgarh
government, said in the letter. “I
have been directed to inform the
state government’s objection to
the proposed auction of nine
block blocks in the area.”
In March, the Union govern-
ment announced the 7th round
of its coal mine auctions, in
which 101 fields were to be auc-
tioned, including the Tara block
ANTI-DRUGS
AWARENESS RALLY
HELD IN DEHRADUN
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
has a canopy cover of 81%.
Another six coal blocks are in
the catchment area of Mand
River, a tributary of the Hasdeo
River. Both rivers have their ori-
gin in the dense forests of north-
ern Chhattisgarh, which have up
to 80%. The region has a signifi-
cant presence of elephants and is
an important site for migratory
birds, officials said.
“A total of 24 villages will be
directly affected by the mining of
these nine coal blocks, and the
total coal reserve area (geologi-
cal block area) is 16,810 hectares
meaning that many forests will
be lost,” said a forest official. The
state government was awaiting a
response from the Centre, an
official at CM Bhupesh Baghel’s
office said. “Once that comes, we
will decide further course of
action, but these nine blocks
should be exempted for the sake
of environment,” he said.
It was good to see Chhattis-
garh objecting to auction of
densely forested coalfields situ-
ated in river catchments, said
Sudiep Shrivastava, a Bilaspur-
based advocate, who has been
filing lawsuits against mining in
Hasdeo Aranya.
Saturday carried out a naviga-
bility assessment of the
Yamuna in Delhi by taking the
“work boat” — named Baras-
ingha — it recently brought
from Kochi in Kerala, officials
from the lieutenant governor
(LG) secretariat said. The
assessment covered an 11-km
distance from Signature Bridge
to the ITO barrage, officials
added.
An official said that such
trials were planned earlier as
well but could not be done due
to issues like lack of required “Barasingha” was brought by road from Kochi on June 3. HT PHOTO
depth, floating debris in the
water, and the unhygienic bank metres displacement of about the river was less than the
conditions in the Yamuna. 12 tonne, cruises at a speed of required 1.7m. Thereafter,
“The boat was brought to 14 knots and has a capacity of locally available amphibious
Delhi by the Naval authorities 35 passengers. It was brought desilting equipment was
after an initiative by the LG by road from Kochi on June 3, deployed to carry out the desilt-
who has been actively monitor- and moored at Signature ing of the identified patches,
ing the rejuvenation of Yamuna Bridge jetty. Earlier, there were and a channel of approximately
as the chairman of the NGT-ap- reports that the boat was stuck 30m width was created by 20
pointed high-level committee,” in muck. However, HT could June,” official said.
the official said. not independently verify the “The boat will continue to
The LG requisitioned the details. carry out further detailed navi-
boat after completing the phys- “Thereafter, a detailed gability trials in Yamuna so as
ical cleaning of the river and its hydrographic survey was car- to earmark proper channels on
floodplains between Signature ried out by the special Naval which boats carrying passen-
Bridge and ITO Barrage. The team from Karwar and Deh- gers and goods could success-
Navy work boat which is 11 radun. The survey revealed that fully run in the near future,”
metres long with a draft of 1.7 in certain patches, the depth of the official said.

THE
ticipate in the G20 conference. Cholia dance on traditional going to be held at Muni Ki Reti DEHRADUN: An “anti-drugs”
On Friday, the delegates were instruments and along with the of Tehri Garhwal district from rally was taken out from

ESSENCE OF
warmly welcomed with tilak and women, the male delegates also 26 to 28 June. Dehradun’s Ballupur Chowk
under ‘Freedom from Drugs’
pakhwada on the eve of Inter-

1 Nigerian man arrested in cyber national Day Against Drug

Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
on Sunday, under the aegis

fraud case, notice sent to 7 others
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand state
police’s special task force (STF)
Reshma Dewan, she alleged that
she was duped of ₹19 lakh by an
unidentified person who identi-
fied himself as a UK citizen on
WhatsApp in May. On the pre-
CrPC to seven others. The search
for other members of their gang
is underway.” He said, “The
accused used 21 different mobile
phones, five laptops to commit
ESSENTIAL
of the Anti-Narcotics Task
Force, Special Task Force
(Uttarakhand Police) and Nar-
cotics Control Bureau, Deh-
radun.
Through the bike rally, the
ANTF and NCB personnel
spread a message against

on Saturday arrested one Nige-
rian national and issued notices
to seven others for their alleged
involvement in cyber frauds
across the country, officers
aware of the matter said. The
accused, identified as Chijioke
Ndimkaoha(40) who came to
India on a medical visa but over-
stayed, was arrested from
Mohan Garden in New Delhi,
they added.
The STF said that some Nige-
rian nationals have allegedly
committed cyber frauds in vari-
ous parts of the country by
impersonating as Britishers.
In a complaint filed by one
text of getting gifts sent from
abroad cleared, Custom officials
purportedly made her call to pay
the money, her complaint said. A
case in this regard was regis-
tered at Cyber Crime police sta-
tion under section 420 (cheating
and dishonestly inducing deliv-
ery of property) of the IPC.
Senior superintendent of
police (STF) Ayush Agarwal
said, “After evidence was col-
lected, we busted the gang of
Nigerian nationals allegedly
involved in duping people from
across the country. We arrested
one accused and issued a notice
of appearance under section 41
the cyber offences.”
On the modus operandi, the
SSP said: “The accused used to
befriend people using virtual
numbers and identify them-
selves as UK citizens. They then
asked their targets to pay for cus-
toms duty and taxes in order to
get clearance for gift items from
abroad. They also used to
threaten the targets with a police
case through Customs officials
for ordering gifts from abroad
without paying any customs
duty. Then to settle the matter,
they used to ask targets to send
money in their different bank
accounts.”
NEWS ON PAGE 2
drugs, said senior superintend-
ent of police Ayush Agarwal.
“People should stay away from
drugs and not indulge in its
smuggling for greed. Drug
addiction is a slow poison, and
children need to be kept safe
from it...,” said the senior
police officer.
In a bid to tackle drug abuse ead Page One Plus.
ver miss out on crucial stories.
in the state, In August last year,
the state police had constituted
a three-tier anti-narcotics task
force (ANTF) at police station
(PS) level, district level and
state level. A monthly review
meeting of the force is by the
state police chief.

Attendees asked to carry their ID cards, officials

say after interstate meet ahead of Kanwar Yatra
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
HARIDWAR: Garhwal police
commissioner Sushil Kumar on
Saturday said that it is recom-
mended that kanwar yatris carry
their government-issued ID card
with them during the Kanwar
Yatra 2023, officials said.
The kanwar yatris will also be
showered with petals using a
helicopters near Har-Ki-Pauri,
officials said, adding that cabinet
minister for tourism and reli-
gious affairs Satpal Maharaj
directed officials to plan the
same and chalk out a schedule,
officials said.
Speaking after the inter-state
meeting held to discuss the prep-
arations and coordination ahead
of the yatra, the Garhwal com-
missioner said, “A meeting with
all officials including those from
Kanwar Yatra is expected to begin on July 4, 2023.
neighbouring states was held
today for preparation and coor-
dination between states, ahead
of Kanwar Yatra 2023. It will be
suggested the yatris carry their
government issues ID cards with
them during the Yatra.” He said
that the ‘kanwariyas’ are
requested to make smaller ‘kan-
wars’ to avoid accidents.
“Kanwariyas are requested
not to make ‘kanwars’ higher
HT PHOTO/FILE
than 12 feet to avoid accidents
and not cause noise pollution.
This time, the police will pay
special attention to those who
ride motorcycles without silenc-
ers”, the commissioner added.
The commissioner called it a
big challenge to complete the
Yatra successfully without any
untoward incidents and added
that all preparations have been
made and overseen for the
peaceful conduct of the event.
Garhwal deputy inspector
general of police (DIG) Karan
Singh Nagnyal told media, “We
have requested 10 companies of
paramilitary forces personnel
for the smooth conduct of the
Kanwar Yatra in the State.”
DIG also urged the devotees to
follow the instructions issued by
the administration so that the
Yatra be conducted in a peaceful
manner.
On Saturday, an inter-state
meeting regarding preparations
and coordination ahead of the
Kanwar Yatra 2023 was held in
Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district.
The meeting was attended by
concerned officials of the state
and also officials from neigh-
bouring states including Hary-
ana and Uttar Pradesh. hindustantimes htTweets www.hindustantimes.com
(With agency inputs)
06 PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023

Opinion

{ OUR TAKE }
E STA B L I S H E D I N 1 9 24

A SWOT analysis
A big blow for of Oppn prospects
Putin’s image A meeting of Opposition
parties in Patna was a
and prefer issue-based arrangements. West Bengal will surely dent the BJP,
And, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi is but the quantum of the loss is not yet
unlikely to show its cards until the known. It could be very small like in
Telangana assembly elections later Uttar Pradesh (UP) in 2019, where the
Mr Putin’s aura of invincibility has suffered due good start. But to put up this year. The Opposition camp, too, coming together of the Mandal giants,
to the revolt. It may be tough to recover from a credible challenge to needs to make certain decisions about the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the
allies. A good example of this is the BSP, was undone by grassroots con-
the BJP, the alliance Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which tradictions, the BJP’s social coalition,

S
ince he first took office in 2012, President
Vladimir Putin appeared to face the strongest must study its strengths has made some noises about joining and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
the coalition despite backing the BJP popularity. Nonetheless, there is little
challenge to his rule over Russia so far during the and weaknesses in Parliament in the past.This is doubt that the Opposition alliance is Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Hemant Soren and Rahul Gandhi
important because the Congress will better placed to challenge the BJP in during the Opposition meeting in Patna on Friday. HT PHOTO
weekend as the head of the Wagner Private

Military Company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, suddenly seized
control of Rostov-on-Don, one of the main cities in the
country’s south, and sent his fighters marching
towards Moscow. The move was all the more stunning
since Mr Prigozhin, a former petty criminal turned
head of a mercenary organisation that has been
covertly used by Russia in hot spots in Africa and the
Arab world, owes his current standing entirely to Mr
Putin. Mr Prigozhin acted after months of bickering
with Russia’s military top brass, especially defence
minister Sergei Shoigu, over the conduct of operations
in Ukraine and contended his actions were aimed at
effecting a change at the top of the defence
establishment. Wagner, whose ranks include
thousands of former prisoners and some of the most
battle-hardened fighters in Russia, broke through
blockades on highways during their march, leading Mr
Putin to warn of the possibility of civil war in an
address to the nation. With Wagner fighters 200
kilometres from Moscow, their advance was halted late
on Saturday after Belarusian leader Alexander
Lukashenko brokered a truce with Mr Prigozhin.
For now, a charge of armed mutiny was dropped
against Mr Prigozhin, who agreed to go to Belarus on
the condition that no action would be taken against
Wagner fighters. Reports suggest the rebellion may
have been triggered by Russia’s decision to bring
Wagner under the military command structure. As
things stand, Russian military chiefs are unlikely to rely
on Wagner forces in Ukraine, given the lack of trust.
Despite the Kremlin’s plans to assimilate Wagner
fighters who didn’t join the mutiny, it remains to be
seen how Russia will deal with such a potent force.
Mr Putin’s aura of invincibility has taken a blow that
A
mega meeting of 15
Opposition parties last
week in Patna was sig-
nificant, despite the dis-
cordant note struck by
the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) and the diminishing possibility
of a tie-up between the Arvind Kejri-
wal-led party and the Congress. It
made three things clear. First, with
less than a year to go for the 2024
polls, the idea of a Third Front, or a
regional grouping without the Con-
gress, seems like a thing of the past.
The Congress is likely to be at the cen-
tre of any credible Opposition coali-
tion, making 2024 a contest between
coalitions led by the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) and the Congress. In the
next few months, India is likely to see
a realignment of political forces
across the board.
Second, parties that didn’t attend
the event cannot be clubbed together.
The Janata Dal (Secular), Telugu
Desam Party, Akali Dal and All India
Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam,
for example, are tilting towards the
BJP. The YSR Congress Party and Biju
Janata Dal may not join any group
{ STRAIGHT FORWARD }
Shashi Shekhar
Time to breathe life
into the India story
be keen to get its support in Madhya several states than in fragmented
Pradesh and Rajasthan, where the fights. last 12 months have highlighted that the edge because it can mobilise
Mayawati-led party won a handful of Weakness: Chemistry. The Opposi- economic distress remains a concern around the religious-nationalism
seats in 2018. And, of course, the AAP tion doesn’t yet have a credible alter- for many Indians, and young voters axis. Even in the absence of such a
question remains open. native ideological vision and govern- are less enamoured with the BJP than platform, the Opposition’s prospects
Third, the Congress has ance blueprint. The Modi in 2019 and 2014. The Axis-My India rest on the performance of the Con-
shown signs of being more hatao (remove Modi) rhe- exit poll in the 2022 UP elections gress in central and western India.
accommodative to allies toric is unlikely to work, reported only a one percentage point The BJP’s strike rate against the Con-
than in the past. Reports especially as the Opposition’s gap between the BJP and SP in the gress in direct heartland contests was
indicated that the party did charge of crony capitalism 18-25 category, but a wider gap 90% in 2019. If the BJP repeats this
not press to be the “natural and democratic backsliding among older segments. Similarly, the performance and retains its base in
leader” of the coalition. But Rahul has not yielded major elect- Mood of the Nation Survey by India UP, it will be within striking distance
will this resolve remain if oral benefits. The Opposition Today and CVoter earlier this year of a majority, notwithstanding its
Verma
some of the regional parties does not have any leader found many respondents expressing showing elsewhere.
squeeze the Congress in who can match Modi in pan- concern about the job situation, and In Patna, the Opposition took its
their respective states and don’t offer India appeal. This presents a conun- this was the highest in the 18-34 first step before 2024. When it meets
too many Lok Sabha seats to it? The drum: Should they present a face, group. in Shimla, it must work urgently to
national party’s bargaining heft will turning the elections more presiden- In several states, the record of BJP figure out its message, targeted con-
be determined by its performance in tial, which has benefited the BJP in governments is mixed, and the party stituency, messenger and organisa-
the heartland assembly elections later the past? Or should they refrain from has lost 29 of 57 state polls since 2014, tional mechanics. The states are no
this year. naming a challenger, potentially showing that local leadership mat- longer the principal theatre of Lok
The parties will again meet in allowing the BJP to paint the alliance ters. The Karnataka elections were Sabha elections. The Opposition must
Shimla in July to discuss a blueprint as opportunistic? Modi has already the latest example of this phenome- bring itself in sync with the changing
for taking on the BJP. They might attempted to paint the fledgling non. Thus, the Opposition should vocabulary of India’s national politics.
want to conduct a thorough SWOT efforts as a contest between the son- make every effort to make the elec- Otherwise, the mega meetings will
analysis to maximise their chances. of-the-soil versus dynastic parties, a tions more localised and a state-by- yield little more than photographs.
Strength: Arithmetic. If the coali- hardworking 24x7 politician versus state affair.
tion formalises, its brute social arith- those charged with corruption. Threat: Geography. If the Lok Rahul Verma is fellow at the Centre for
metic in states such as Maharashtra, Opportunity: Economics. A string Sabha elections become more Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi.
Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and of opinion polls and surveys over the national than regional, the BJP holds The views expressed here are personal
{ VINAY KWATRA } FOREIGN SECRETARY
P
Both leaders focussed on enhancing
political and security cooperation,
defence and collaboration, trade
and investment ties...

A
After PM Narendra Modi’s meeting with Egyptian
may be tough to recover from, especially at a time president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
hat makes June 21, 2015, differ- Successful partnerships cannot be formed

W
when questions are increasing within Russia about the ent from June 21, 2023? When
unpopular war in Ukraine. The rebellion by Mr Prime Minister (PM) Narendra
Prigozhin was shortlived but it raised questions about Modi performed yoga with
thousands as part of Yoga Day eight years
Mr Putin’s grip on power. Both the war in Ukraine and
solely based on necessities.
Take Pakistan for example. We fought
four wars against that country. It continues
to wage a shadow war against us, costing

the ascendance of men such as Mr Prigozhin are of Mr
Putin’s making. Despite the isolation of both Russia and
Mr Putin in the world, instability within a nuclear-
ago, others dismissed it as a “show” by a
political “showman”. The significance of
such showmanship in politics, diplomacy,
and public life was evident in New York this
Wagner’s attempted
billions of dollars and human lives each
year. Despite this, why have our social ties
with Pakistan remained? Language, culture,
cuisine, and people-to-people relationships

coup flags risks for

armed State wouldn’t be welcomed in world capitals.
Authoritarian States often find it difficult to pull back
from their aggressive strategies. It is too early to predict
the political demise of Mr Putin, but the crack in his
strongman image could encourage a churn.
time around.
Modi practised yoga with delegates from
183 countries on the North Lawn of the
United Nations (UN) Headquarters on that
day. Until recently, his predecessors used to
utilise their overseas trips to promote
domestic politics. Through Indian immi-
grants and Indian traditions, Modi has now
begun to influence the internal politics of
never change.
Similarly, the way the Indian diaspora
has reinforced its standing in nations such
as the US, Australia, and the United King-
dom has made dialogue between the gov-
ernment in New Delhi and their leaders
easier.
I was in Singapore and Malaysia last
Russia’s strongman
week. On this five-day trip, I had to deal with thunderstorm gathered and then dis- eliminated by the Kremlin, which holds a centu-

Manipur peace process

other democracies throughout the world.
As yet, prior to him, no Indian PM has rec-
ognised this power.
Its first impressions began to emerge
four interpreters. Those with me in Singa-
pore were of Chinese ancestry. They kept
emphasising that we have more than 9%
Tamils here, who make significant contribu-
A persed, leaving in its wake a trail of ries-old tradition of ruthless exercise of power.
uncertainty and doubt about the The Prigozhin saga – where an ex-convict and
soundness of Russia’s State structure chef turned into an oligarch and an interna-
and the prospects of its grinding war in Ukraine. tional warlord – may end up the same way. But

needs to be accelerated shortly after ‘Howdy Modi’ was held on Sep-

tember 22, 2019, in Texas. Addressing an
Indian crowd in the presence of then United
States (US) President Donald Trump, the PM
tions to the country. They brought up PM
Modi’s name often during the conversa-
tions. This has never happened before. The
The shortlived mutiny of the Wagner paramili- more important than the fate of Prigozhin are
tary group against Russia’s military establish- the high stakes in the Ukraine war and the fail-
ment briefly raised fears of a coup d’etat or civil ures of the Russian military to professionally
same was true about Malaysia. In reality, war, and was mysteriously aborted later and effectively execute its goals there. Can Putin

A
lready struggling to control simmering ethnic
clashes that have driven a deep wedge between
communities, the security forces in Manipur
are now dealing with a new problem – mobs,
some of them led by women, blocking the path of
personnel trying to reach violence-hit villages and even
thwarting combing operations. This newspaper
reported on Sunday that security forces were forced to
let go of 12 militants after a mob of around 1,200-1,500
people led by women surrounded them and blocked
combing operations in Imphal East district. The report
said that the 12 militants apprehended included the
alleged mastermind of a 2015 ambush that killed 18
army personnel, but the local women surrounded the
area and prevented the security forces from going
ahead with the operation. The standoff ended only after
the 12 members were allowed to go. Such incidents
were reported earlier too. On June 22 , a mob blocked a
central agency team in Imphal. The next day, the Army
tweeted that groups led by women stopped security
personnel from reaching an area where armed
militants were firing with automatic guns.
These incidents highlight the difficult road that lies
ahead for the northeastern state, and the need for an
urgent reconciliation process. The peace panel set up
by the central government has run into rough weather
after prominent Kuki and Meitei groups distanced
themselves from it. Against this backdrop, Union home
minister Amit Shah’s assurance to 18 political parties is
a good start. At an all-party meeting, Mr Shah cited his
long experience in dealing with crises and assured
them that the Union government was committed to
ending the violence. But the Centre must consider doing
more to get a grip on law and order, and take strong
steps to kickstart the political reconciliation process.
demonstrated to the entire world for the
first time that these are the days of Indian
pride. Modi was aware that the number of
non-resident Indians in the US is close to 4.5
million. They play a vital role in the local
political, social, and economic landscape.
This is why, like Trump, Biden has indicated
his resolve to deepen ties with these voters
via Modi. In a democracy, nothing is more
vital than the voter and his/her vote.
Consequently, India and the Indian dias-
pora are becoming increasingly significant
to western countries, including the US.
Indian immigrants in Africa were already
powerful enough.
The US is the most powerful country in
the world, and we are the largest democ-
racy. It is easy to argue that, in the shifting
global geopolitical landscape, the US needs
India and India needs the US. Can you envis-
age such relations between the US and
Afghanistan, or between the US and Russia?
Through Indian immigrants and Indian
traditions, Modi has now begun to
influence the internal politics of other
democracies throughout the world. REUTERS
the Indian diaspora has a strong sense of
optimism about India today. If you don’t
believe me, look at the news from last
Thursday. There were two more news pie-
ces, both of which were prominently pub-
lished along with Modi’s yoga event. The
Indian stock market had reached a new
high, and gold prices had dropped by ₹360.
The data from the last three years show
that, despite Covid and the Russia-Ukraine
war, the Indian economy outperformed
expectations. Despite rising prices and
unemployment, the Indian market and buy-
ers remain optimistic. Covid-19 and the Rus-
sia-Ukraine war have pushed Europe into a
recession, but the Indian markets have
returned to glory.
It’s no surprise that many economists
believe India will dominate for the next 15
years.
Indeed, India and people of Indian origin
have come a long way. I recall the time
when Mahendra Pal Chaudhary, a person of
Indian origin, was elected PM of Fiji in 1999.
His government survived just a year in
power with great difficulty. On May 27,
2000,the majority of his cabinet and he him-
self were captured by Opposition leader
George Speight and rebel forces.
At present, Rishi Sunak is the PM of Brit-
ain, making Indians all around the world
feel proud. The country that left us poor 75
years ago is now in the hands of an Indian.
Today, CEOs of Indian origin lead 25 of the
world’s top 500 corporations. People of
Indian origin have a voice in parliaments,
ministries, and in big institutions on every
continent. There is no better time than now
to breathe new life into the “India story”
that former PM Manmohan Singh once
crafted.
PM Narendra Modi is doing an exemplary
job in this regard.
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan.
The views expressed are personal
through backroom deals. But the dramatic epi- achieve battlefield success with a post-Wagner
sode revealed a hollowed out polity which lacks fighting force? The odds are that Russia will
institutional strength and dynamism. lose some, but not all, its occupied territories in
To understand the revolt, basic questions Ukraine in the face of the western-backed coun-
must be asked. What exactly is Wag- ter-offensive by the Ukrainians.
ner and how did it rise to the stature of Defending and holding on to approxi-
a parallel authority in a country where mately 17% of Ukraine’s landmass, not
power is supposed to flow from the to mention annexing additional
top and President Vladimir Putin pur- Ukrainian land, will get harder for
portedly has an iron grip? Moscow after the chaos and turmoil
The answer lies in the game of Sreeram of the Wagner affair.
thrones that Putin has orchestrated to As a former Silovik (member of the
remain in power as Russia’s longest- Chaulia Russian State security apparatus) with
serving leader since Joseph Stalin. legendary paranoia about the threats
American political scientist Timothy to his regime, Putin will also be wary
Frye labels Putin a “weak strongman” who of further eruptions of disloyalty, including even
deliberately keeps institutions such as the mili- putsches, from within the fragmented oligar-
tary, bureaucracy and business community frail chic Russian establishment. More traitors will
and compartmentalised, so that none amasses be purged. Yet, the shrinking Russian economy
too much power and he retains ultimate control (with an estimated Gross Domestic Product
via personalised relationships. below $2 trillion) and continued losses in
Staying above the fray as an arbitrator or Ukraine do not bode well for the business-as-
dealmaker while elites vie for the spoils is not usual mechanisms of the patron-client distribu-
Putin’s invention. Authoritarian playbooks tion of plum State resources.
worldwide use this ploy. Putin’s strategy is a Western powers – which consider Putin an
classic manifestation of the art of political sur- existential challenge to the liberal order in
vival by keeping the State institutionally fragile Europe – will not be passive bystanders as Rus-
and making the country dependent on the sia’s intra-elite machinations worsen. As a pri-
leader’s individual discretion. His mass popu- vate military firm, Wagner’s motivating factor
larity also derives from this game where the to sacrifice tens of thousands of mercenaries
military, the civil service, private corporations, and fight relentlessly in Ukraine was money.
governors and local administrations are viewed Expecting western intelligence agencies to not
as incompetent and greedy, while he remains capitalise on Russian disarray and destabilise it
the nation’s saviour. using incentives and inducements would be
Wagner was allowed to become too big for its naïve.
boots and its chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, given the Russia is in uncharted waters today. The sys-
freedom to wash the battlefield’s dirty linen in tem that kept the lid on disaffection for so long
public to ensure there was no military coup has developed cracks, and the genie threatens to
against Putin and to compensate for mass slip out of the bottle. The chickens of Ukraine’s
desertions among regular Russian soldiers suf- war have come home to roost and no one can
fering from sagging morale in Ukraine. What confidently place bets on the destiny of a regime
went wrong with this divide-and-rule strategy struggling with its structural flaws.
was that Prigozhin turned into Frankenstein’s
monster, and tried to bite the hand that fed him. Sreeram Chaulia is dean, Jindal School of
In the past, confidants and loyalists who International Affairs.
crossed red lines were cut down to size or even The views expressed are personal

R.N.I. No. 44352/86

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EDITOR: KUNAL PRADHAN
PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023
{ INSURGENT GROUP IN SRI LANKA AND INDIA }
Pak-based gangster with links to Dawood
Ibrahim trying to revive LTTE, say officials
Neeraj Chauhan
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Indian agencies
have found that Haji Salim, a
Karachi based gangster, is linked
to underworld don Dawood
Ibrahim and playing a key role in
attempts to revive the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
insurgent group in Sri Lanka and
India through large-scale smug-
gling of drugs and arms, people
familiar with the development
said.
Considered the brain behind
multimillion dollar drugs net-
work in Pakistan and the Indian
Ocean, Salim has been seen at
Dawood’s Clifton Road residence
in Karachi often and it is sus-
pected they both use each other’s
resources for smuggling, with
active support of the Inter-Servi-
ces Intelligence, Pakistan’s spy
agency, they said, seeking ano-
nymity.
IT IS SUSPECTED
HAJI SALIM AND
DAWOOD USE
EACH OTHER’S
RESOURCES FOR
SMUGGLING OF
DRUGS AND ARMS
amphetamine worth Rs 12,000
crore sourced by intercepting a
so-called mother ship in the
Indian ocean. The consignment
originated from the death cres-
cent (a term coined by home
minister Amit Shah for the
smuggling route of Iran, Paki-
stan and Afghanistan) and was
sent from Makran coast in Balo-
chistan province.
Last week, while filing a
charge sheet against 13 people in
a probe related to revival of
LTTE in India, the NIA said Sri
P such as ‘555’, ‘999’, ‘Unicorn’ and
Modus operandi
used by Salim’s
cartel is similar to
that of D-
Company’s in 90s
AN OFFICER,
ist Squad.
“Even though D-Company’s
network was eliminated by
Indian agencies in the late 90s, it
is possible his old contacts may
be working with Salim’s syndi-
cate as the drug trade via mari-
time and land route has
exploded after Taliban’s take-
over of Afghanistan in August
2021. Salim has been seen at
Dawood’s residence in Karachi
and is protected by armed
guards round the clock,” said an
My India 07
Prayers for peace
‘Dragon’.
It is estimated that 70% of
total drug trafficking in India
takes place through sea routes
and Salim’s network is behind a
majority of the consignments.
“The modus operandi used by
Salim’s cartel is similar to that of
D-Company’s in 90s, where
exchange of contraband took
place mid-sea from a mother
boat (large vessels) to small fish-
ing boats and dhows,” said a sec-
ond officer.
“The maritime drug traffick-
ing in Arabian sea and Bay of
Bengal poses new challenges to
drug law enforcement agencies
and they anticipate further
increase of this route by interna-
tional drug trafficking syndicates
operating from Pakistan and
Afghanistan,” a special edition of Prayers were held outside Buddha Smriti Park in Patna on Sunday for peace and harmony in Manipur. SANTOSH KUMAR/HT
NCB’s annual report 2022 said.
The government has given
additional funds to the NCB and

J’khand tribal bodies

The agencies including the
Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB),
the National Investigation
Agency (NIA) and the Director-
ate of Revenue and Intelligence
Lankan drug mafia members
were sourcing drugs from Salim.
“The accused used various for-
eign WhatsApp numbers to
carry out the clandestine trade,”
officer, who didn’t want to be
named.
Salim works with ISI and ter-
ror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and
oversees the smuggling to India,
other agencies for enhanced
monitoring of Indian waters,
and 100% checking of suspected
containers are being done at
ports.

oppose move on UCC

(DRI) are working on identifying
Indian contacts of Salim as well
as Ibrahim’s D-Company to dis-
mantle the entire criminal net-
work.
In a joint operation last
month, the NCB and the navy
seized 2,500kg high purity meth-
MODI IN EGYPT
the Mediterranean, and Europe
and is also an important coun-
try from the Indo-Pacific point
of view.”
Modi arrived in Cairo Satur-
day after a four-day trip to the
United States, where he held
talks with President Joe Biden
and top administration officials,
addressed the Congress and met
with top American executives.
WAGNER RETREAT
his forces to avoid bloodshed.
Video on social media showed
crowds cheering him and shak-
ing his hand as he was driven
away from a military installa-
tion in the southern Russian
city of Rostov-on-Don that
it said. the Maldives, Sri Lanka and
Salim’s name has also figured some Middle East countries, HT
in a charge sheet filed on Friday first reported on April 30.
in the smuggling of 40kg of her- His cartel operates many clan-
oin and pistols using a boat destine laboratories in Balochis-
called Al-Soheli in December last tan, where heroin packets from
year, in which 10 Pakistanis were Afghanistan are labelled with
arrested by Gujarat Anti-Terror- different symbols or inscriptions
{ }
Wagner had taken over early in Russia left the US and Europe
the mutiny. to try to understand the politi-
The mercenary group’s for- cal implications of an uprising
ces left Rostov-on-Don and that appeared to undermine
were heading to their field Putin’s previously unques-
camps, regional Governor Vas- tioned authority in the Kremlin.
ily Golubev said early Sunday. The crisis unfolded amid bitter
Regional officials in the Voron- divisions in Russia over the fal-
ezh and Lipetsk regions also tering war in Ukraine that’s the
reported that Wagner troops biggest conflict in Europe since
had left their territories. World War II, as a Ukrainian
Hastily-installed roadblocks counteroffensive continues to
were also dismantled on Sun- try to push Russian forces out
day on highways leading into of occupied territories.
Moscow. Monday will remain a The showdown had echoes
non-working day for most resi- in Russian history, where lead-
dents that Mayor Sergei Sobya- ers including Tsar Nicholas II
nin announced after the impo- and Soviet President Mikhail
sition of a “counter-terrorist Gorbachev were ousted after
regime” in the capital. military misadventures. Putin
The rapid chain of events in himself, in his televised
The NCB has also identified
locations to install mobile vehi-
cle scanners at international
borders and inland locations,
said the first officer cited earlier.
Subsequently, the home ministry
is exploring technology to scan
containers.
address, drew a comparison
with divisions in Russia during
World War I that led to the 1917
Bolshevik Revolution and civil
war.
Prigozhin, 62, has for
months attacked Defense Min-
ister Sergei Shoigu and top
army officials in Moscow, alleg-
ing they failed to adequately
support Wagner troops fighting
in Ukraine, particularly during
battles for the eastern Ukrain-
ian city of Bakhmut.
He has also repeatedly called
for the authorities to introduce
tougher measures including
full mobilization and martial
law to prosecute the war in
Ukraine, warning that Russia
risked defeat without them.
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
RANCHI: More than 30 tribal
organisations in Jharkhand on
Sunday decided to urge the Law
Commission to withdraw the
idea of Uniform Civil Code
(UCC), as it may put tribal iden-
tity in danger in the country.
They also decided to launch
an agitation against the fresh
consultation on the UCC by the
Law Commission.
Representatives of more than
30 tribal organisations gathered
in Ranchi under the banner of
Adivasi Samanwai Samiti (ASS)
to discuss UCC. They expressed
strong doubt that the UCC
might dilute several tribal cus-
tomary laws and rights. The
22nd Law Commission of India
on June 14 sought fresh sugges-
tions from various stakeholders,
including public and religious
organisations on the UCC.
“In the meeting, we have
decided to write to the Law
Jharkhand has a significant tribal population.
Commission urging it to with-
draw the idea of UCC, as it may
put the identity of tribal in dan-
ger across the country,” ASS
member Dev Kumar Dhan told
PTI.
The tribal bodies would stage
a demonstration against the
UCC near Jharkhand Raj Bha-
van on July 5 and submit a
memorandum to the Governor.
“We will urge the governor to
request the Centre for with-
drawal of the idea of UCC,” he
HT FILE
said. Dhan, who is also the con-
vener of Adivasi Mahasabha,
alleged, “It appears to be a con-
spiracy to abolish tribal custom-
ary laws, Chotanagpur Tenancy
(CNT) and Santhal Pargana Ten-
ancy (SPT) Acts, Wilkinson
Rule, PESA law, rules for Fifth
Schedule Area, marriage and
divorce laws of tribals on the
pretext of UCC.” Dhan said that
if their demand was not consid-
ered, the tribals from across the
country would also stage a dem-
onstration in New Delhi. Adi-
vasi Jan Parishad (AJP) presi-
dent Prem Sahi Munda said tri-
bals are deeply connected with
their lands. “We fear that two
tribal laws -- the Chota Nagpur
Tenancy Act and the Santhal
Parganas Tenancy Act -- may
get affected due to UCC. The two
laws provide protection to tribal
lands.”
He said several attempts have
been made in the past to amend
the two laws.
“The government should
clarify the fate of the two laws in
the backdrop of the UCC.” Sahi
added that they would not allow
any law that may snatch land
from tribal.
“As per our customary laws,
women are not given ancestral
land rights after marriage. After
UCC, this law may get diluted,”
he said.
He added that tribals have
several other customary laws,
including for marriage and
divorce.

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08
Russian prez survives Wagner
revolt but forced to strike deal
Putin denounced
Wagner chief’s action
as treason but forced
to accept a rapidly
cobbled-together
agreement to avert
most serious security
crisis in decades
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
MOSCOW: Wagner mercenaries
were returning to base on Sun-
day as their mutinous leader
agreed to go into exile after
President Vladimir Putin was
forced to accept an amnesty
deal.
The agreement appears to
end the immediate threat that
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s private
army could storm Moscow, but
analysts said Wagner’s revolt
had exposed a fragility in
Putin’s rule.
Security measures imposed
under an “anti-terrorism opera-
tion” were still in place in Mos-
cow on Sunday, and Prigozhin’s
exact whereabouts were
unclear.
But his troops had left a mili-
tary headquarters they had
seized in southern Russia, and
the governor of Voronezh on
their route northwards to Mos-
cow said Wagner units were
leaving the region and move-
ment restrictions being lifted.
The long-standing feud
between Prigozhin and military
top brass over the conduct of
the Russian operation in
Ukraine boiled over on Saturday
when Wagner forces seized the
base in Rostov-on-Don and
embarked on a long advance
towards Moscow.
Putin denounced the action
as treason and vowed to punish
the perpetrators, accusing them
of pushing Russia to the brink
of civil war — only to then
accept a rapidly cobbled-to-
gether agreement to avert Mos-
cow’s most serious security cri-
sis in decades.
‘Russian blood’
Within hours of Prigozhin’s sur-
prise announcement that his
forces would return to base to
avoid “spilling Russian blood”,
the Kremlin announced that
Putin’s former ally would leave
for Belarus and Russia would
not prosecute him or Wagner’s
troops.
By early Sunday, Wagner had
ISLAMIC STATE
GROUP CLAIMS
KILLING SIKH
MAN IN PAK’S
NORTHWEST
Associated Press
letters@hindustantimes.com
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN: Gunmen
shot and killed a member of
Pakistan’s minority Sikh com-
munity in an overnight attack in
the northwestern city of
Peshawar, police said on Sun-
day.Gauher Khan, a local offi-
cer, said the attack on Manmo-
han Singh, 35, appeared to be a
targeted killing. A police investi-
gation continues, Khan said,
into the motive.
Khan said the assailants
opened fire at Singh while he
was returning home from a sub-
urban area. The assailants fled
the scene.
The Islamic State group in a
statement claimed responsibil-
ity for the killing, saying Singh
had been a follower of what it
called a “polytheistic” Sikh sect
in Peshawar. It also claimed
wounding a Sikh in the north-
western city the previous day.
It’s the third killing of a Sikh
community member this year in
Pakistan. Last month, assailants
gunned down Sardar Singh in a
drive-by shooting in the eastern
city of Lahore. In April, gunmen
shot and killed Dayal Singh in
Peshawar. In the same city in
May 2022, gunmen killed two
members of Sikh community.
Most Sikhs migrated to India
in 1947, the year British rule of
the subcontinent ended and
Pakistan was created as a home-
land for Muslims in the region.
Thousands of Sikhs stayed in
Pakistan, where they generally
live peacefully. But isolated
attacks on minority Sikhs,
Christians and members of the
Ahmadi sect have continued.
Members of Wagner group prepare to pull out from the headquarters of the Southern Military District to return to their base in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Saturday.
pulled out of Rostov-on-Don,
the regional governor said, but
before they left dozens of resi-
dents were see cheering them
and chanting “Wagner! Wag-
ner!”.
Analysts also said the deal
had exposed weakness in the
Russian president’s grip on
power. Belarusian leader Alex-
ander Lukashenko said he had
negotiated the truce with Pri-
gozhin. Moscow thanked him,
but observers noted that an
intervention by Lukashenko,
usually seen as Putin’s very jun-
ior partner, was itself an embar-
rassment.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov later said the criminal
case against Prigozhin will be
dropped and he would go to
Belarus, while members of
Wagner who had taken part in
what authorities dubbed an
“armed rebellion” would not be
prosecuted.
In Ukraine, President Volo-
dymyr Zelensky’s senior aide
Canada begins Titanic
sub implosion probe
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
MONTREAL: Canadian authori-
ties on Saturday began a probe
into the implosion of the Titan
submersible, whose disappear-
ance near the wreckage of the
Titanic with five men aboard
had set off a multinational
search-and-rescue operation.
“Our mandate is to find out
what happened and why and to
find out what needs to change
to reduce the chance or the risk
of such occurrences in the
future,” said Transportation
Safety Board (TSB) chair Kathy
Fox.
“We know everybody wants
answers, particularly the fami-
lies and the public,” she told
reporters in St John’s, New-
foundland.
Th full probe could take
between 18 months to two years.
TSB investigators on Satur-
day boarded the Canadian-
flagged Polar Price cargo ship,
which had set sail from St
John’s last weekend to bring the
ill-fated Titan to its launch point
in the north Atlantic.
The Transportation Safety
Board routinely probes air, rail,
marine and pipeline accidents
with the aim of improving
transportation safety. It does
not assign fault or determine
civil or criminal liability.
Fox said she understands the
international interest and that
the TSB will share information
they collect with other agencies,
like the US National Transporta-
tion Safety Board and the US
Coast Guard, within the limits
of Canadian law. Voice record-
ings and witness statements are
protected under Canadian law,
Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted:
“Prigozhin humiliated Putin/the
state and showed that there is
no longer a monopoly on vio-
lence.”
Independent political analyst
Konstantin Kalachev told AFP:
“The crisis of institutions and
trust was not obvious to many
in Russia and the West yester-
day. Today, it is clear.
“Putin’s position is weak-
ened,” he said. “Putin underesti-
mated Prigozhin, just as he
underestimated Zelensky before
that ... He could have stopped
this with a phone call to Prigoz-
hin but he did not.”
The Institute for the Study of
War, a Washington-based think
tank, said Lukashenko’s direct
role in negotiating the truce
would be “humiliating to Putin”.
“The Lukashenko-negotiated
deal is a short-term fix, not a
long-term solution, and Prigoz-
hin’s rebellion exposed severe
weaknesses in the Kremlin and
Russian MoD.”
This undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows
the company’s Titan submersible.
she said. “Our investigation will
go where the evidence leads us,”
she added. “We don’t want to
duplicate efforts. We want to
collaborate.”
The US Coast Guard said on
Thursday that all five people
aboard the submersible had
died after the vessel suffered a
“catastrophic implosion.”
A debris field was found on
the seafloor, 500 metres from
the bow of the Titanic.
Meanwhile, the Royal Cana-
dian Mounted Police (RCMP)
was looking into whether any
criminal laws had been broken
in the chain of events that led to
the deaths of the Titan adven-
turers.
The investigators’ job is to
determine “whether or not a full
investigation by the RCMP is
warranted,” said Newfoundland
and Labrador Superintendent
Kent Osmond. “Such an investi-
gation will proceed only if our
World
US spy agencies detected early
signs of Russia revolt: Report
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: US spy agencies
picked up signs days ago that
mercenary chief Yevgeny Pri-
gozhin was preparing to rise up
against Russia’s defence estab-
lishment, US media reported on
Saturday.
Intelligence officials con-
ducted briefings at the White
House, the Pentagon and on
Capitol Hill about the potential
for unrest in nuclear-armed
Russia a full day before it
unfolded, the Washington Post
and New York Times reported.
Spy agencies first began
tracking indications that Prigoz-
hin and his Wagner mercenary
force intended to move against
AP
examination of circumstances
indicate criminal federal or pro-
vincial laws may possibly have
been broken.”
One question that seems at
least partially resolved is when
the implosion likely happened.
After the Titan was reported
missing, the Navy went back
and analysed its acoustic data
and found an “anomaly” on
Sunday [June 18] that was con-
sistent with an implosion or
explosion in the general vicinity
of where the vessel was operat-
ing when communications were
lost, said a senior US Navy offi-
cial.
The Navy passed on the infor-
mation to the US Coast Guard,
which continued its search
because the data was not con-
sidered definitive, according to
the official, who spoke on condi-
tion of anonymity to discuss a
sensitive acoustic detection sys-
tem.
A local resident speaks with a
member of Wagner group in
Rostov-on-Don, Russia. AFP
the Russian military leadership
in mid-June, the Post said.
The Times said the informa-
tion was both solid and alarm-
ing by mid-week, leading to the
Greece votes again as conservatives
under Mitsotakis eye parl majority
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
ATHENS: Greek voters headed to
the polls again on Sunday in an
election where conservative
front-runner Kyriakos Mitso-
takis is seeking a second term
and an absolute parliamentary
majority to form a “stable gov-
ernment”.
The 55-year-old Harvard
graduate, who steered Greece
from the coronavirus pandemic
back to two consecutive years of
strong growth, had already
scored a thumping win in an
election just a month ago.
But having fallen short of five
seats in parliament to be able to
form a single-party government,
Mitsotakis chose to ask 9.8 mil-
lion Greek voters back to the
ballot boxes.
{ JUDICIAL REFORMS } PROPOSALS LIKELY TO WEAKEN THE SUPREME COURT
Israelis protest as PM vows legal reform moves
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
TEL AVIV: Israelis kept up their
months-old protests against the
government’s judicial overhaul
Saturday, days after Prime Min-
ister Benjamin Netanyahu
vowed to press on with the con-
troversial programme.
Brandishing banners reading
“Israel is burning” and deeming
Netanyahu an “enemy of
democracy”, demonstrators
thronged the heart of the com-
mercial hub of Tel Aviv.
While there was no immedi-
ate turnout figure, the weekly
rallies have regularly drawn
tens of thousands.
Demonstrators have been
AFP
flurry of briefings.
In an uprising that played out
with dizzying speed, Prigozhin’s
forces moved from their camps
in Ukraine into Russia Friday
and took over a regional mili-
tary command in the southern
city of Rostov-on-Don, before
advancing towards Moscow.
As US intelligence officials
pinned down information that
Prigozhin was preparing mili-
tary action, they grew con-
cerned about chaos in a country
with a powerful nuclear arse-
nal, the Times reported.
US spy agencies believe that
Putin himself was informed that
Prigozhin, once a close ally, was
plotting his rebellion at least a
day before it occurred, the Post
reported.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis REUTERS
Casting his vote, Mitsotakis,
who hails from one of Greece’s
most influential political fami-
lies said the country is “voting
for a second time in a few weeks
to get a stable and effective gov-
ernment”.
With surveys ahead of the
election giving the conservative
leader a comfortable margin
protesting since January
against the government’s pro-
posals to weaken the Supreme
Court and grant politicians
more powers in the selection of
judges. After a brief general
strike prompted the govern-
ment to halt the legislation in
March, Netanyahu vowed on
Sunday to get the reform pack-
age back on track and “begin
the practical measures”.
His announcement, lacking
in detail, came after opposition
leaders Yair Lapid and Benny
Gantz pulled out of cross-party
talks on the reform. Netanyahu
returned to power in December
at the head of a coalition with
ultra-Orthodox Jewish and
extreme-right parties.
Russian diplomat flies
to China as Putin faces
major challenge at home
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
BEIJING: Russia’s deputy for-
eign minister Andrei Rudenko
flew to Beijing for talks with
China on “international” issues,
amid a major challenge by Rus-
sian mercenaries to President
Vladimir Putin’s grip on power.
Rudenko on Sunday
exchanged views with China’s
foreign minister Qin Gang in a
meeting in the Chinese capital
on Sunday on Sino-Russian
relations as well as “interna-
tional and regional issues of
common concern”, China’s for-
eign ministry said in a one-line
statement on its website.
It was unclear when Rudenko
arrived in Beijing, or whether
his visit to China, a key ally of
Russia, was in response to the
apparent rebellion by heavily
armed mercenaries on Friday.
China has yet to publicly
comment on the rebellion that
Putin said threatened Russia’s
very existence.
“China will support Russia
while stressing no interference
of its internal affairs,” promi-
Chaos in Russia works
to our advantage: Kyiv
Reuters
letters@hindustantimes.com
KYIV: Chaos in Russia works to
Kyiv’s advantage, Ukraine offi-
cials said on Saturday, but it
remains to be seen whether
President Volodymyr Zelensky
and his army can capitalise on
the disorder caused this week-
end as mercenaries marched
towards Moscow.
“Today the world saw that the
masters of Russia do not control
anything. Nothing at all. Just
complete chaos,” Zelensky said
in his nightly video address,
urging Ukraine’s allies to use
the moment and send more
weapons to Kyiv.
The Prigozhin unrest, the big-
gest internal challenge to Presi-
dent Vladimir Putin as Russia’s
paramount leader for 23 years,
has spurred global security con-
cerns and a frenzy of calls
between Washington and its
allies to coordinate actions.
“Any chaos behind the enemy
lines works in our interests,”
State-run Ukrinform news
agency quoted Ukraine’s foreign
minister Dmytro Kuleba as say-
ing on Saturday.
Kuleba said it was too early to
speak of consequences for
Ukraine, but later in the day he
held a call with US secretary of
ahead, his nearest rival, former
leftist prime minister Alexis Tsi-
pras, urged voters not to give
Mitsotakis such a big majority
that would allow his party to act
without checks and balances.
The vote will decide “whether
we will have an uncontrolled
government or balance in our
democracy and political sys-
tem”, Tsipras said.
Mitsotakis trounced Tsipras
by more than 20 percentage
points in the May election.
As election rules this time
round would accord up to 50
bonus seats to the winner of the
vote, Mitsotakis’s New Democ-
racy party is widely projected to
emerge victorious.
The main danger facing him
would be a larger no-show rate
at the polls because of the per-
ceived foregone outcome.
Demonstrators wave national flags during a rally to protest the
government’s judicial overhaul plan, in Tel Aviv on Saturday. AFP
PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023
nent Chinese military expert
and TV commentator Song
Zhongping told Reuters.
The rebellion has been
closely followed by Chinese
media which has refrained from
comment ahead of any official
remarks, whereas many Chi-
nese citizens have spoken up in
support of Putin on social
media. “You can do it, Russia!”
many Chinese citizens wrote in
social media posts.
China’s Embassy in Russia
told Chinese media outlet
Southern Metropolis Daily on
Saturday that the region around
Moscow was calm.
N Korea supports Russia
North Korea offered its full sup-
port for Russia in dealing with a
recent mutiny, state media
reported on Sunday.
At a meeting with the Rus-
sian ambassador to Pyongyang
Alexander Matsegora, North
Korea’s vice foreign minister Im
Chon Il “expressed firm belief
that the recent armed rebellion
in Russia would be successfully
put down”, the official Korean
Central News Agency said.
Volodymyr Zelensky REUTERS
state Antony Blinken to discuss
the events and Kyiv’s counterof-
fensive efforts.
Ukraine’s military reported
on Saturday an offensive near
villages ringing Bakhmut,
which was taken by Wagner for-
ces in May after months of fight-
ing. Kyiv also claimed the liber-
ation of Krasnohorivka village
in Donetsk, but gains were
incremental.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of
Ukraine’s National Security and
Defence Council, said there was
no immediate withdrawal of
Russian forces from the front-
line to Moscow.
“They ... all remain in their
places. They continue their
resistance,” Ukrainian state
media quoted Danilov as saying.
RUSSIAN STRIKES
KILL AT LEAST 11 IN
REBEL-HELD SYRIA
JISR AL-SHUGHUR, SYRIA: Rus-
sian airstrikes on Sunday on
Syria’s northwest killed at least
11 people including seven civil-
ians, in retaliation for deadly
drone attacks blamed on rebel
forces, a war monitor said.
“Six civilians were killed in
Jisr al-Shughur and three rebel
fighters were killed nearby by
Russian airstrikes,” Rami Abdel
Rahman, who heads the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights,
told AFP.
Ahmed Yezidi of the civil
defence in Jisr al-Shughur, a
city in rebel-held Idlib province,
said the strikes killed nine peo-
ple, without specifying whether
fighters were included in the
toll. A fruit and vegetable mar-
ket in the city was hit by the
Russian strike, said the Observ-
atory and an AFP correspond-
ent at the scene. AFP
PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023
El Nino remains a challenge
for food inflation: RBI guv
The central bank
strives to bring
headline inflation
down to its 4% target
Press Trust of India
feedback@livemint.com
MUMBAI: Governor Shaktik-
anta Das has said the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) will strive
to get headline inflation to its
4% target but flagged El Nino as
a challenge to its efforts.
In an exclusive interview
with PTI Bhasha, Das exuded
confidence that the economy
will grow at 6.5% in FY24, as
estimated by the RBI earlier.
The central bank’s rate hikes by
a cumulative 2.50% since May
last year, coupled with supply-
side measures from the govern-
ment, have helped get the infla-
tion down to 4.25% in May
from a peak of 7.8% in April
last year, Das said.
“We continue to be watchful
on the inflation front. We
expect inflation to be at 5.1% in
FY24, and we will continue to
strive and get it down to 4%,”
he added.
On the high borrowing costs,
Das said interest rates on loans
According to the ministry report, the average time overrun in
these 814 delayed projects is 37.04 months.
408 infra projects
show cost overruns FPIs continue to bet on Indian GO EC Autotech to install 1k EV
of ₹4.80L cr in May equities; put ₹30,600 cr in Jun charging stations across India
Press Trust of India
feedback@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: As many as 408
infrastructure projects, each
entailing an investment of ₹150
crore or more, have been hit by
cost overruns of more than
₹4.80 lakh crore in May 2023, an
official report said.
According to the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Imple-
mentation, which monitors
infrastructure projects worth
₹150 crore and above, out of 1,681
projects, 408 reported cost over-
runs and as many as 814 projects
were delayed.
“Total original cost of imple-
mentation of the 1,681 projects
was ₹24,16,872.28 crore and
their anticipated completion
cost is likely to be ₹28,96,947.15
crore, which reflects overall cost
overruns of ₹4,80,074.87 crore
(19.86% of original cost),” the
ministry’s latest report for May
2023 said.
According to the report, the
expenditure incurred on these
projects till May 2023 was
₹15,23,957.33 crore, which was
52.61% of the anticipated cost of
the projects.
AIFs liquidation to aid in deriving maximum value
Press Trust of India
feedback@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: The introduction of
liquidation scheme for alterna-
tive investment funds (AIFs) by
market regulator Sebi provides
an additional avenue for manag-
ers and investors to derive the
maximum value for unliqui-
dated investments, experts said
on Sunday.
The new scheme provides
flexibility to AIFs to deal with
investments that are not sold
due to a lack of liquidity during
the winding-up process.
Also, it allows such unliqui-
dated investments to be either
sold to a new scheme of the
same AIF (liquidation scheme)
or to be distributed in-specie to
investors of the AIF.
The regulator, on June 15,
amended rules to permit AIFs to
launch a liquidation scheme.
Sebi, last week, laid out the
Governor Shaktikanta Das explained that the Russia-Ukraine war, which led to a shoot-up in the
commodity prices, led to a surge in inflation.
may have a direct relation with
inflation, and if inflation cools
down on a durable basis, peo-
ple can expect lower interest
rates on loans. The governor
explained that the Russia-
Ukraine war, which led to a
shoot-up in the commodity pri-
ces, led to a surge in inflation,
but added that crude prices are
not a concern from an inflation
perspective now as they’ve
come down to $75-76 a barrel.
Food inflation has also come
MINT
However, it stated that the
number of delayed projects
decreased to 607 if delay was cal-
culated on the basis of the latest
schedule of completion.
Further, it stated for 419 pro-
jects neither the year of commis-
sioning nor the tentative gesta-
tion period has been reported.
Out of the 814 delayed pro-
jects, 200 have overall delays in
the range of 1-12 months, 183
have been delayed for 13-24
months, 300 projects for 25-60
months and 131 projects have
been delayed for more than 60
months. The average time over-
run in these 814 delayed projects
is 37.04 months.
Reasons for time overruns as
reported by various project
implementing agencies include
delay in land acquisition, delay
in obtaining forest and environ-
ment clearances, and lack
of infrastructure support and
linkages.
Delay in tie-up for project
financing, finalisation of detailed
engineering, change in scope,
tendering, ordering and
equipment supply, and law and
order problems were among the
other reasons.
For launching a liquidation scheme, the AIF is required to obtain
the consent of 75% of investors by the value of their investments.
modalities for launching the
scheme and in-specie distribu-
tion to investors.
Dipen Ruparelia, head of
products, Vivriti Asset Manage-
ment, said these regulatory
changes are a long-term positive
for the corporate governance in
the debt and AIF industries and
down, Das said, adding that
measures like the Food Corpo-
ration of India (FCI) releasing
wheat and rice stocks have also
helped.
Targeted cuts in duties on
certain products have also
helped, he added. When asked
about the challenges on the
inflation front, Das pointed to
2-3 factors like the volatile
international situation due to
geopolitics and the monsoon
situation domestically.
Future’s CoC re-constituted, admitted over ₹12,265 cr claims
Press Trust of India
feedback@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: Taking a step for-
ward for debt resolution, the
interim resolution professional
of debt-ridden Future Enter-
prises Ltd (FEL) has reconsti-
tuted the Committee of Creditors
and claims of more than ₹12,265
crore have been admitted from
both secured and unsecured
financial creditors.
The interim resolution profes-
sional (IRP) has received claims
of ₹7,014.83 crore from 22
Press Trust of India
feedback@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: Foreign portfolio
investors (FPIs) continue to
show confidence in Indian equi-
ties and pumped more than
₹30,600 crore in June so far, as
they bet on the country’s stable
macroeconomic profile and
sturdy corporate earnings out-
look.
This came following a nine-
month high investment of
₹43,838 crore in equities in
May, ₹11,631 crore in April and
₹7,936 crore in March, data
with the depositories showed.
Before that, FPIs had pulled
out over ₹34,000 crore during
January-February.
Going forward, fund inflows
could turn volatile, especially
after the US Fed reiterated its
stance that more interest rate
hikes may be needed to bring
inflation below its target, albeit
at a slower pace, Shrikant Chou-
han, head of equity research
(Retail), Kotak Securities, said.
Further, the Bank of England
hiking interest rates by 50 basis
points (bps) could caution
investors, especially the FPIs, as
will go a long way toward inves-
tors’ confidence in the AIF.
“While the amendment and
the Sebi circular aim to benefit
the investors, some aspects lack
clarity, such as benefits to
schemes that have already
exceeded their tenure, and con-
sequences where the AIF/ man-
Business
AP
“Although there is an expec-
tation of a normal monsoon,
there are concerns around El
Nino. We will have to see how
serious it is. Other challenges
are primarily weather-related
events, which can have an
impact on food inflation,” Das
said, adding that they will grap-
ple with these uncertainties.
Meanwhile, on the growth
front, Das said the RBI has
taken all the factors into con-
sideration while arriving at its
secured financial creditors of
FEL. A total of ₹6,952.42 crore of
claims have been admitted as of
June 5, 2023.
The IRP also received claims
of ₹8,880.50 crore from unse-
cured financial creditors, of
₹5,313.27 crore of claims have
been admitted.
In the CoC, Centbank Finan-
cial Services Ltd has the highest
voting percentage of 27.22%.
Union Bank of India and Axis
Trustee Services have 10.97% and
10.92% voting percentages,
respectively.
So far in 2023, FPIs have put in
over ₹59,900 crore in the
Indian equities.
the rising valuation of Indian
markets could become a chal-
lenge, he added.
According to the data, FPIs
invested a net sum of ₹30,664
crore in Indian equities during
June 1-23.
FPIs are showing confidence
in Indian equities, pouring
money primarily due to India’s
stable macroeconomic profile
and sturdy corporate earnings
outlook, Hitesh Jain, lead insti-
tutional Equities at Yes Securi-
ager fails to achieve the mini-
mum bid of 25% of the unliqui-
dated assets,” Punit Shah,
partner, Dhruva Advisors, said.
Also, one needs to consider
the tax implications arising from
the transfer of unliquidated
assets by the original scheme in
exchange for units of the liquida-
tion scheme. This could lead to
capital gains in the hands of the
unit holders liable to taxation, he
added. Under the scheme, AIFs
are required to transfer assets
not sold during the winding-up
process to a new liquidation
scheme or distribute such unliq-
uidated investments in-specie
after being subject to a 75% con-
sent by the value of investors in
each case.
For launching a liquidation
scheme, the AIF is required to
obtain the consent of 75% of
investors by the value of their
investments and will have to
arrange a bid for a minimum of
Powered by
estimate of a 6.5% expansion in
real GDP and is confident of the
economy attaining the same
even though other watchers
like IMF estimate it to be much
lower. He said the bank credit
growth of around 16% is sus-
tainable, and the central bank
is watchful of the developments
on this front.
There is a lot of demand for
credit from corporates as well,
including for project loans as
well, he said, underlining that
the overall credit growth is
broad-based. The rupee has
been less volatile in the calen-
dar year 2023, and the domes-
tic currency has strengthened
against the dollar, Das said,
reiterating that the RBI will
continue with its efforts to
reduce volatility.
Das said he is confident that
the rupee will not get impacted
even if the US Fed hikes rates,
pointing out that the domestic
currency has been stable, even
in the face of a 5 percentage
points increase in rates in the
US. The governor said the cur-
rent account deficit (CAD) will
be “eminently manageable” in
FY24, as there are positives like
higher services exports and
lower crude prices working in
our favour.
Centbank Financial Services
Ltd had claimed an amount of
₹3,344.81 crore as due, which
has been fully admitted.Axis
Trustee Services has claimed
₹1,341.96 crore, which has been
fully admitted. FEL is going
through Corporate Insolvency
Resolution Process (CIRP) after
the Mumbai bench of the
National Company Law Tribunal
(NCLT) admitted a plea from one
of its operational creditors in
February this year and
appointed Jitender Kothari as
IRP suspending the board.The
ties, said.
Himanshu Srivastava, associ-
ate director, manager research,
Morningstar India, said senti-
ments have been boosted after
the US Federal Reserve pressed
the pause button on its rate hike
cycle, triggering flows into
emerging markets like India.
This indicates that FPIs are
expecting better growth from
the Indian markets.
Another factor that has aided
flows into Indian shores is the
concern over China’s economic
recovery. There has also been
an uncertain environment in
the US and UK, he noted.
The flows in recent times can
also be passive ahead of the
rebalancing of the MSCI Index,
which could lead to additional
flows into Indian equities.
Apart from equities, FPIs
invested ₹3,051 crore in the debt
market during the period under
review due to the attractive
yields offered by Indian debt
securities.
So far in 2023, foreign inves-
tors have put in over ₹59,900
crore in Indian equities
and close to ₹4,500 crore in the
debt markets.
25% of the value of the unliqui-
dated investments. Further, they
have to offer a full exit to the dis-
senting investors out of the bids
arranged by the AIF/ manager.
For the value at which the
unliquidated assets will be sold
by the original scheme to the liq-
uidation scheme — which can be
one rupee if the AIF/ manager
fails to arrange the minimum
bid. The payment to the original
scheme will be in the form of the
units of the liquidation scheme,
which will onward be distrib-
uted in-specie to the investors of
the original scheme.
In case the AIF decides to dis-
tribute unliquidated investments
in-specie, similar to the process
under the liquidation scheme,
the AIF will have to obtain the
consent of 75% of investors by
the value of their investments
and will have to arrange a bid for
a minimum of 25% of the value
of the unliquidated investments.
Byju’s turmoil escalates
concern among staff
Reuters
feedback@livemint.com
BENGALURU: Fresh troubles at
edtech startup Byju’s this week
have escalated concerns among
employees who were already
uncertain about their future
after several rounds of job-cuts,
more than a dozen current and
former staff told Reuters.
Auditor Deloitte and three
prominent board members
severed ties with the Bengaluru-
headquartered firm on Thurs-
day, raising further questions
about the once high-flying com-
pany’s financial health and gov-
ernance practices.
Byju’s has already let go of
several thousand employees this
year due to slowing demand and
it is locked in a legal battle with
its lenders and faces regulatory
scrutiny, even as its valuation
has been slashed by at least one
marquee investor.
“Morale is at an all-time low.
Every person has a job portal
open on their laptop at all times.
Everyone wants to leave desper-
ately before they are asked to
pack up overnight,” said a senior
manager at Byju’s, requesting
anonymity. “Right now the situa-
tion is so dismal, subordinates
are sitting with their managers
and job hunting.”
Several employees, all of
whom requested anonymity,
said they had received no
IRP has received claims of ₹2.58
crore from employees, of which
it has admitted ₹2.24 crore,
according to the latest regulatory
update by FEL.
Besides, it has also received
statutory dues totalling ₹14.75
crore from the state tax depart-
ment and GST authorities.
The IRP has reconstituted the
Committee of Creditors (CoC) for
the Corporate Debtor Future
Enterprises Ltd (FEL) on May 10
and an interlocutory application
has been filed with the NCLT,
Mumbai said a copy of the report
Press Trust of India
feedback@livemint.com
KOCHI: Kerala-based start-up GO
EC Autotech Pvt Ltd has
announced the installation of
1,000 electric vehicle (EV) super-
fast charging stations across the
country. The company is cur-
rently operating 70 charging sta-
tions in Kerala and over 33
across India.
“With the new project, we
plan to expand our footprint by
strategically positioning the
charging stations in capitals,
state highways, and national
highways along with Tier-2, and
Tier-3 cities and rural places in
the country,” the company said
in a release.
The company also aims to
Vedanta donates ₹155 crore
to political parties in FY23
Press Trust of India
feedback@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: Billionaire Anil
Agarwal’s mining conglomerate
Vedanta Ltd donated ₹155 crore
to political parties through elect-
oral bonds in the fiscal ended
March 2023, according to the
company’s latest annual report.
The donation was higher than
₹123 crore the firm gave in
2021-22 (April 2021 to March
2022), the annual report for
2022-23 said.
It did not give the names of
the beneficiary political parties.
The Modi government had, in
2017-18, introduced the system of
electoral bonds for electoral
funding. This was to provide an
alternative to the cash dona-
tions. Anyone could buy elect-
oral bonds from the State Bank
of India (SBI) and donate them to
any political party. Political par-
ties then encash them.
The scheme does not require
political parties to mention the
names and addresses of those
contributing by way of electoral
bonds in their contribution
reports filed with the Election
Commission of India annually.In
the last five years, Vedanta has
donated a cumulative ₹457 crore
Byju’s has already let go of
several thousand staff this
year on slowing demand. MINT
memos about the exits of auditor
Deloitte and the board members.
A Byju’s spokesperson did not
respond to Reuters queries on
staff morale, the lack of commu-
nication from management or
other issues raised by staff.
“It’s all been eerily quiet so
far,” said the manager, adding
that the lack of communication
from the company’s leadership
was heightening employee
concerns. Two of the employees
that spoke to Reuters said per-
formance incentives, bonuses
and appraisals had stalled amid
the turmoil.
“The general sentiment is that
the company is struggling,” said
one analyst at the company.
“Almost 90% of us, myself
included, are waiting for a per-
formance appraisal which hasn’t
happened.”
which was updated with the
bourses.The Interim Resolution
Professional has “received
claims from 803 Unsecured
Financial creditors, 22 Secured
Financial creditors (other than
financial creditors belonging to
any class of creditors) and 10
Unsecured Financial creditors
(other than financial creditors
belonging to any class of credit-
ors) upto 5 June 2023.”
Besides, the IRP has also
received claims from “42
employees of Corporate Debtor
(FEL), 4 Operational Creditors
The firm is currently operating
70 charging stations in Kerala
and over 33 across India. MINT
cater to the needs of customers
residing in remote locations,
making it easier for them to
adopt electric vehicles, it said.
“This momentous project marks
a significant milestone for the
The donation was higher than
₹123 crore the company gave
in 2021-22. BLOOMBERG
to political parties via electoral
bonds.
In the annual report, Vedanta
said it made donations of ₹160
crore in the 2022-23 fiscal. These
“include contributions through
electoral bonds of ₹155 crore”.
In the previous financial year,
the donations totalled ₹130
crore, including ₹123 crore con-
tribution through electoral
bonds.
The donations to political par-
ties were more than Vedanta’s
corporate social responsibility
(CSR) spending of ₹112 crore in
2022-23 and ₹37 crore in the pre-
09
Will file 2022
earnings by Sept:
Byju’s to investors
Reuters
feedback@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: Byju’s, which
lost its auditor after
delaying financial state-
ments, has told investors
it will file 2022 audited
earnings by September
and 2023 results by
December, a person with
direct knowledge of the
matter said.
Byju’s leadership,
including founder Byju
Raveendran and CFO
Ajay Goel, briefed about
75 shareholders on Satur-
day to address their con-
cerns about the firm’s
financial affairs, said the
source, who attended the
meeting.
Goel told the investors,
Byju’s will submit 2021-22
audited results by Sep-
tember and 2022-23 earn-
ings by year’s end.
Deloitte said on Thurs-
day it was severing ties
with Byju’s over its “long-
delayed” financial state-
ments for the year ended
March 2022.
(Government dues) and 161
Operational Creditors (other
than ‘Workmen and Employees
and Government Dues)” within
90 days of CIRP, the report said.
FEL is engaged in the business
of manufacturing, trading, leas-
ing of assets and logistics servi-
ces. It used to develop, own and
lease the retail infrastructure for
the Future Group. It also holds
the group’s investments in sub-
sidiaries and joint ventures
including in sectors like insur-
ance, textile manufacturing, sup-
ply chain and logistics.
startup, which has already estab-
lished a remarkable track record
by deploying over 103 charging
stations within a year in India.
GO EC is committed to trans-
forming the EV charging experi-
ence and has partnered with
major restaurants and shopping
malls, to ensure that EV users
are able to easily charge their
vehicles while enjoying their
visit,” it said.
P G Ramnath, the CEO and
executive director of GO EC said
the company’s mission is to pro-
vide sustainable charging solu-
tions that empower electric vehi-
cle users and accelerate the tran-
sition to a greener future. “GO
EC has embraced the mission of
establishing charging stations
across the entire nation,” he said.
vious year, the report showed.
Vedanta’s Janhit Electoral
Trust is one of the over dozen
electoral trusts floated by corpo-
rates for making donations to
political parties. Other corpo-
rates that own electoral trusts
include Progressive Electoral
Trust of Tatas, People’s Electoral
Trust of Reliance group, Satya
Electoral Trust of Bharti Group,
MP Birla Group’s Paribartan
Electoral Trust and KK Birla
Group’s Samaj Electoral Trust
Association. Bajaj and Mahindra
also have electoral trusts.
In the annual report, Vedanta
identified Janhit Electoral Trust
as one of the entities “over which
key management personnel/
their relatives have control or
significant influence”. It did not
give details.
According to Association for
Democratic Reforms (ADR), a
total of 22,641 Electoral Bonds
worth ₹12,979 crore were sold in
26 phases between March 2018
to April 2023. As many as 22,458
bonds worth ₹12,955 crore were
redeemed during this period.
Almost 28% of the total value of
electoral bonds were purchased
in two months alone — March
and April 2019 — the period of
general elections.
10
Staying the calm influencer
Named vice-captain
for the West Indies
Tests, Rahane has
been understated yet
highly successful as
stand-in skipper
Sanjjeev K Samyal
sanjjeev.samyal@htlive.com
MUMBAI: The vice-captain’s role
is often underrated in cricket.
With all the focus on the captain,
not much thought is given to
appointing his deputy. Few would
know the importance of a good
captain-deputy combination bet-
ter than India coach Rahul Dravid.
The way he used to stand in, and
deliver, when Sourav Ganguly
was unavailable is in the record
books.
Ajinkya Rahane was a superb
deputy for Virat Kohli. When he
lost form and was removed as
vice-captain, it hurt the Indian
team.
There are two major examples.
On the 2021-22 South Africa tour,
when Kohli sat out the second
Test at Wanderers, India missed a
seasoned deputy. Rahane was
playing but was not the vice-cap-
tain and KL Rahul was found
wanting at crucial moments. India
lost the game and went on to lose
the series.
India missed a smart leader in
the postponed fifth Test against
England (July 2022). When Rohit
Sharma fell ill, Jasprit Bumrah
was asked to lead. It left one won-
dering how India would have
done under Rahane instead of a
rookie captain.
Had these two results gone in
India’s favour, Dravid knows the
narrative of his tenure would
make for a much better reading.
Rahane as captain has a feel for
the game. His record as a leader
reflects the success of his instinc-
tive calls. Standing in for Kohli, he
has won four out of six Tests, with
no defeats.
Dropped for the 2022 home
Tests against Sri Lanka and writ-
ten off by most, Rahane has defied
the odds to return to the leader-
ship role, as vice-captain for the
two Tests in the West Indies from
July 12 to 24.
This marks a fine comeback for
the middle-order batter. He was
selected for the World Test Cham-
pionship final only due to injuries.
“With his humility and charac-
ter, he commands respect from
teammates. He has shown us in
When the 2005 Edgbaston Test sparked an England revival in the Ashes
File picture of Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee at the end of
the Edgbaston Test in the 2005 Ashes series.
Ganemat and Darsha
make Asian Games cut
Agencies
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Ganemat Sekhon,
the 22-year-old shotgun expo-
nent to win India’s first skeet
medal at a World Cup, and Dar-
sha Rathore have been included
in the proposed list of shooters
for the ISSF World Champion-
ships in Azerbaijan and the
Asian Games scheduled in
Hangzhou, China from Septem-
ber 23.
The third skeet shooter in the
women’s category for both
major events is Parinaaz Dhali-
wal.
Ganemat, the first Indian
woman skeet shooter to win a
medal in the junior World
Championships and the first to
win a World Cup bronze, had
last month added a World Cup
silver in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Darsha has made the outing
even more memorable, clinch-
ing bronze in Almaty, which
meant that India had two senior
individual medals in women’s
skeet at the World Cup for the
rd
eco
er
is
-w
ar
Ye
10
Mat 3
Will Rahane
get a long run?
The middle-order batter has been
appointed vice-captain for the West
Indies series after returning to the Test
team for the WTC final
Overall Test record
Matches played 83
RUNS 100s/50s
5,066
BEST
188
AVERAGE
38.96
Australia (2020-21) why he is the
best choice for vice-captain. Who
will forget how he won the series
with net bowlers (when main
players got injured),” said former
India player Pravin Amre, who
coaches Rahane from time to
GETTY
first time. The men’s skeet team
for the Asian Games and World
Championships comprises 2014
Asian Championships silver
medallist in junior category
Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Angad
Vir Singh Bajwa and Gurjoat
Singh Khangura.
Veteran Indian skeet shooter,
Olympian and multiple time
national champion Mairaj
Ahmed Khan has not made the
cut for the two competitions.
As per the National Rifle
Association of India (NRAI)
norms, the scores of four trials
and a few international competi-
tions in the first half of 2023
were taken into consideration
for the selection of the team.
In the men’s trap section,
Prithviraj Tondaiman, veteran
Zoravar Singh Sandhu and
Olympian Kynan Chenai have
made the cut, while 2006 World
Champion Manavjit Singh San-
dhu has been unable to secure a
berth, finishing fifth in the over-
all tally. Tamil Nadu’s Prithviraj,
in fact had emerged winner in
the fourth national selection
trials for shotgun held in Bhopal.
11
10
9
12/26
time.
India didn’t name a vice-cap-
tain for this month’s WTC final.
How Rohit Sharma would have
loved to have Rahane in his ear
when India ran out of ideas in
dealing with the Steve Smith-Tra-
Vivek Krishnan
vivek.krishnan@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: As the final day of
the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston
neared its climax on Tuesday,
one couldn’t help but hark back
to the humdinger at the venue in
2005. Australia’s target then was
282 in the fourth innings. They
needed 281 for victory last week.
When they were eight wickets
down in 2005, they needed 107
runs for victory. When Shane
Warne fell on 42, they were still
62 runs away with one wicket
remaining. When they lost eight
wickets this time, 54 runs were
needed.
So, could Pat Cummins and
Nathan Lyon pull off what
Warne, Brett Lee and Michael
Kasprowicz agonisingly couldn’t
18 years ago when they lost by
GAUHATI HIGH
COURT STAYS
WFI ELECTIONS
Press Trust of India
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High
Court on Sunday stayed the WFI
elections, scheduled for July 11,
on a petition filed by the Assam
Wrestling Association.
Assam Wrestling Association,
in its petition filed against the
WFI, IOA ad-hoc body and the
Sports Ministry, said that though
it was entitled to be an affiliated
member of WFI, it was not
granted one “despite recommen-
dation made by then WFI Execu-
tive Committee at WFI’s General
Council in Gonda, on November
15, 2014.
The petitioner contended that
unless their body is affiliated to
WFI, and they can nominate
their representative to the elect-
oral college, the election process
should be stalled. The court
directed the respondents -- WFI
ad hoc body and the Sports Min-
istry — that till the next date is
fixed for hearing they should not
proceed with the elections. The
next date for hearing is July 17.
Sport
12
8 wickets in 18 Tests). Ashwin has
4 Australia. On the 2020-21 tour,
13
AJINKYA
RAHANE
vis Head partnership on the first
day.
India missed a trick by leaving
out off-spinner R Ashwin from the
playing XI. Usually, the vice-cap-
tain is part of the team manage-
ment on tours and has a say in
two runs?
Although they did last week,
the 2005 Edgbaston epic will
never fade from memory given
the part it played in renewing the
oldest rivalry in cricket. The
Ashes had been reduced to one-
sided contests all through the
1990s and early 2000s. To bor-
row from Gary Lineker’s com-
ment about the Germany foot-
ball team, the English cricket fra-
ternity may have felt, “Test
cricket is a simple game. Twen-
ty-two men play for five days,
and in the end, the Australians
always win.”
Australia had gained such
psychological advantage after
winning 28 and losing just 7 of
the 43 Tests from 1989 to 2004.
They not only won every series
but did so with an ease that
underlined their status as the
Ponting offers advice to Labuschagne, Head
Agencies
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
LONDON: Former captain Ricky
Ponting has offered technical
advice to Australia batters Mar-
nus Labuschagne and Travis
Head to counter England’s bowl-
ing attack ahead of the second
Ashes Test starting Wednesday
at the Lord’s. Australia won the
opening Test at Edgbaston, Bir-
mingham by two wickets in
what was the first match of the
new ICC World Test Champion-
ship cycle. There were a number
of impressive individual per-
formances, but Labuschagne
and Head struggled in the Ashes
opener. Ponting wants Labus-
chagne to go back to basics to
find success, and has offered
one-on-one time to the 28-year-
old right-hander.
“I’ll wait for them to come and
ask me. It’s not my place, I’m not
one of the coaches, I’m just a
past player that’s sitting back
and analysing what a lot of these
guys are doing,” Ponting said in
the ICC Review. “But I would like
to catch up with him (Labuscha-
gne) and have a chat about his
Runs
Average
100s
50s
2
1
Home record
Matches Runs
32 1,644
Average Best
35.73 188
100s/50s
4/8
Overseas record
Matches Runs
49 3223
Average Best
40.28 147
100s/50s
8/17
picking the XI. Had Rahane held
that role, there’s a chance he
would have backed the ace off-
spinner’s inclusion. After all, one
of the features of his brilliant lead-
ership in the three Tests of the
2020-21 Australia tour after skip-
best in the business.
If the balance has been
restored in the past two decades,
the heroics of the Michael
Vaughan-led England in 2005
have played no small part. From
eight consecutive series wins for
the Aussies leading up to that
series to England leading 5-4
with one drawn series since
then, the change is evident. The
2005 Ashes also occupies an
exalted position in recent crick-
eting history, for no series has
had the sustained intensity that
was on display through that five-
match duel. Barring the first Test
at Lord’s which the Aussies won
by 239 runs, every Test was edge-
of-the-seat stuff with little to
choose between the teams.
Australia did miss pace spear-
head Glenn McGrath, their
10-wicket hero at Lord’s who
Australia's Marnus Labuschagne at a nets session at Lord's Cricket Ground on Sunday .
batting, because I think what I’ve
seen over the last couple of
weeks, as far as I’m concerned, I
think he’s over complicating
things a little bit.
“I think he has to trust and
believe in what’s made him the
No.2-ranked Test batsman for
per Virat Kohli flew back was how
he used the off-spinners to control
the Tests at Melbourne, Sydney
and Brisbane, first through Ash-
win and then Washington Sundar,
to make a comeback in the series.
Australian batters’ weakness
against off-spin is not new; ask
Erapalli Prasanna, who has 57
wickets in 13 Tests against them,
Shivlal Yadav (55 wickets in 13
Tests) or Harbhajan Singh (95
114 wickets in 22 Tests against
Ashwin took 13 scalps in three
Tests. More importantly, backed
by Rahane’s astute leadership, he
had the measure of Steve Smith,
getting him thrice in five innings.
After Ashwin got injured, Rahane
countered the threat of Smith with
debutant offie Washington Sun-
dar, who took four wickets in the
famous series-clinching win at
The Gabba.
With Ashwin left out at The
Oval, Smith hit a century, so did
left-hander Travis Head. Ashwin
has a great record against left-
handers. In the 2020-21 series, he
got Head in the first Test and the
batter was dropped after the first
two Tests.
Calm style
Rahane, who stays focused on his
job as a player, transforms into a
live wire on the field with a clear
thought process when leadership
responsibilities are thrust on him.
Those traits were first noticed in
the 2017 series decider against
Australia at Dharamsala. The
MCG and Brisbane Tests take his
record against the Aussies to three
wins in four Tests.
The West Indies series will
mark the start of the new World
Test Championship cycle. When
the 2025 WTC final comes
around, Rahane will be 37. But his
ability to play back-to-the-wall
kind of innings has kept him rele-
vant in Indian cricket — his defi-
ant 89 and 46 helped India stay
alive in the WTC final till the last
day.
“He is an inspiring story for any
youngster. Nobody gave him even
one percent chance of a come-
back. He was not offered the
annual BCCI contract. Very sad we
lost, but he fought it out, showed
character. The way he guided
Shardul Thakur in the middle, his
leadership quality again came out,
which has been acknowledged
(with vice-captaincy),” Amre said.
“He is very popular among
youngsters, he goes to their level
and talks to them,” said Amre.
stepped on a ball during
warm-up at Edgbaston and was
injured. He never played again in
the series.
After the Edgbaston Test, the
series moved to Old Trafford,
Manchester. By the end of that
pulsating draw, every player was
emotionally drained. None more
than Australia captain Ricky
Ponting, who batted almost the
entire final day for a knock of 156
off 275 balls. Chasing 423, Pon-
ting’s marathon effort helped
Australia finish on 371/9 and
escape unscathed going into the
final two Tests. England were on
the right end of another thriller
at Trent Bridge before Kevin
Pietersen’s 158 at The Oval
helped the hosts close out a 2-1
series win, their first since
1986/87.
“It’s probably the best Test
the last couple of years and go
back to trusting that. I would
actually tell him to watch some
video of when he’s actually
played his best, and remember
those things and do that all over
again.” Ponting also believes
Head needs to work out a plan to
PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023
‘No reason to
believe Pujara
cannot return’
Rasesh Mandani
rasesh.mandani@htlive.com
MUMBAI: Hours after losing his
place in the Indian Test team for
the West Indies tour, Chetesh-
war Pujara did what he does
best. He took a fresh guard, hit-
ting the nets at his father Arv-
ind’s academy on the outskirts of
Rajkot.
Comebacks are hard, espe- Cheteshwar Pujara. PTI
cially when you are 35. But in
their mind, the Pujaras believe score, but with the collective
there is more top-flight cricket middle-order failure suggested
left in the tank. Not sulking after something had to give.
being dropped from the squad The word from the selection
named on Friday, the 103-Test room is that change was inevita-
veteran made himself available ble and facing West Indies, a rel-
and has been picked in the West atively weaker opponent, at the
Zone squad for Duleep Trophy, start of the new World Test
which will kick-start the new Championship cycle was the
domestic season. right time to groom younger bat-
It isn’t an unfamiliar situation ters.
for Pujara, who has shown steely Sunil Gavaskar vehemently
resolve in the past to make disagrees. “Why has he (Pujara)
comebacks. been made the scapegoat for our
“He is mentally very strong,” batting failures. He has been a
says his father, a former Sau- loyal and quiet servant. But
rashtra cricketer, who has because he does not have mil-
guided his son through his lions of followers on platforms
career. “I can’t comment about who will make a noise in case he
selection. But from what I have gets dropped you drop him.
seen, he is batting at his best. What is the criterion for drop-
Even after the West Indies
team was announced,
he did not change
ping him and keeping the
others who failed?” he
told India Today.
his practice rou-
tine. He was
soon batting at
29.69
Cheteshwar Pujara’s
This is the sec-
ond time in the
last 18 months
the nets.” that Pujara has
And it is
average in Tests since
lost his place.
unlikely Pujara
2020. He has scored 1,455
Unlike Wriddhi-
would have
runs in 28 Tests in this
man Saha and
period with just one
played a shot in Ishant Sharma,
anger in the ses-
sion. His unwaver-
ing spirit has stood out
hundred
who were told by
head coach Rahul
Dravid that India wanted
even in the fiercest of Test bat- to look towards the future, the
tles. Indian selectors though message to Pujara from Dravid
have decided to look for young and the selectors has been
blood. mixed. “For this series, the
Pujara’s numbers have dipped selectors were looking at more
post-Covid. Before 2020, his options. If Pujara continues to
average was within touching dis- score runs in domestic cricket,
tance of 50 in 75 Tests. In the last like with Rahane, that’s what he
28 Tests though he’s averaged will be judged by,” said a BCCI
29.69. Virat Kohli’s average in official. The 21-year-old Yashasvi
the period, across 25 Tests, is Jaiswal of Mumbai will be keen
identical. Ajinkya Rahane’s aver- to cash in his opportunity in the
age across 20 Tests is only 26.50. two-Test series. Arvind Pujara
The World Test Champion- says Cheteshwar won’t stop try-
ship (WTC) has changed the ing. “As a father and coach, I
rules of the game. Even at home, have no reason to believe he can-
pitches constantly challenge the not come back. After the Duleep
batter’s technique (against spin). Trophy, he will also play in the
Counter-attacking batters like remainder of the county season,”
Rishabh Pant found a way to he said.
series I ever played in. If you ask din and James Pattinson?
most of the players, whether Even if these games don’t res-
they are English or Australian, onate readily, what does is Ben
they will say it’s the best series Stokes’s role in delivering one of
they played in. Even us who were the great Tests in Headingley
on the losing end. The level of four years ago. With 73 runs
cricket that was played in that needed in a chase of 359 when
series was incredible. It was just No. 11 Jack Leach came in, the
proper Test cricket,” Ponting all-rounder miraculously took
recalled in an interview with England past the finishing line
Cricket Australia two years ago. with an unbeaten 135, evoking
While the Aussies prevailed comparisons to Ian Botham’s
easily at home in 2006/07, Headingley heroics in 1981.
2013/14, 2017/18 and 2021/22, con- All these close contests have
tests in England have been on revitalised a rivalry that was
knife edge. Remember the Car- meandering at the turn of the
diff Test in 2009 when the last century. Never mind the dress-
pair of James Anderson and ing rooms these players may
Monty Panesar hung on for 12 share in T20 franchise leagues
overs in fading light to salvage a around the world, they acquire a
draw? Or the Trent Bridge Test mean edge as soon as the urn is
in 2013 when England scraped to at stake. It will be on display
a 14-run win despite a last-wicket again when the second Test
stand of 65 between Brad Had- begins at Lord’s on Wednesday.
mind. What’s the best way for
him to combat that type of bowl-
ing? Is it going to be to take it on?
Is he going to have success if he
tries to hook and pull balls that
are into his body? Does he find a
way to be able to duck and
weave and get out of the way a
bit better and try and wear bowl-
ers down?” Ponting believes
going into the second Test the
main threat for Head will be the
pace of Mark Wood if England
decides to field him. “Stuart
Broad was probably their quick-
est bowler last week. Ben Stokes
has been the enforcer for
England in the past doing that,
but his body is not going to allow
him to do that role for England
either.
“Coming into Lord’s, it could
be Mark Wood. They might
AP bring Wood into the team, which
offers something a bit different.
get through that initial phase of Hes obviously a lot quicker and
bouncy attacks from England bowls a really good short ball,”
bowlers. he said. “He (Head) has to be
“Firstly, he’s now going to be aware of it, and if there is only
aware that it’s going to happen. the one bowler in the team that
He’s going to expect that,” said he thinks can do it, then find a
the legendary batter. “I think he way to get through that one
has to work at it in his own spell.”
PATNA
MONDAY
JUNE 26, 2023
time out 11

TERE VAASTE THE RAGE ON REELS, CREATORS REACT

Composers
rwhelm ed , b ut so cia l Sachin-Jigar and lyricist A song for ‘romantics
‘Ove for us’ Amitabh Bhattacharya on
who are sincere yet lazy’
media not a lan dm ar k Tere Vaaste raking in over
Syeda Eba Fatima
3 million reels and Phir Aur
Sachin-Jigar eba.fatima@hindustantimes.com Kya Chahiye topping the Abigail Banerji
Billboard India list

E
ven as Tere Vaaste from Zara Hatke Zara abigai.banerji@hindustantimes.com
Bachke continues to rule social media, Amitabh

Phir Aur Kya Chahiye, Sachin-Jigar’s
other love anthem from the film, has
topped the Billboard India list. However,
the music producer duo don’t want this success
to get to their head.
“We’re happy but we cannot allow the results
to change the purity of what we do,” says
Sachin, adding, “We are coming from a
time where Instagram wasn’t a thing
and a radio jockey would tell if the
song was a hit or not. So, we feel happy
and hope every song we compose is
received well, but if we make this
achievement our standard,
we are not going to enjoy
the process.”
About Tere Vaaste
becoming a hit on
social media reels, they
say it’s “overwhelming”
to see the response but
for them, social media
isn’t an inspiration for
making music. “We
create a four-to-five-
minute song
keeping in mind
our audience. If we
start making music
thinking ye trend
karega, we will end
up adulterating it,”
ends Jigar.
W
ith over 3 million reels and way Bhattacharya
more than 100 million views, Tere
Vaaste from Zara Hatke Zara
Bachke has surely caught on
online. And despite “not
being social media savvy”, writer
Amitabh Bhattacharya is over the
moon. “I am glad that people listened
and connected with the lyrics,” he
says. The 46-year-old, who never
anticipated it to go through the roof
in this way, says, “One can never be
sure. Every song has its destiny, which
lies in the hands of the listeners.”
Bhattacharya shares what
went on in his mind while
writing the Sachin-Jigar
track that features vocals
by Varun Jain and Shadab
and Altamash Faridi: “I
wanted to write a song
for romantics who are
sincere and ready to walk
that extra mile for their
beloved, yet are lazy. If
you hear the lyrics in the
chorus and the antara,
Vicky Kaushal and you will realise that he is
Sara Ali Khan ready to do the work for
his lover only if she isn’t
PHOTO: FACEBOOK/
convinced by his logic of AMITABH
not going to actually get BHATTACHARYA
the stars and moon for her.”

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ SONUNIGAMOFFICIAL

Sona Sona was an

impactful inclusion
in my song list Sonu
Nigam
{ DAILY HOROSCOPE }

Monday, June 26, 2023

for concerts: Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer and Vaastu expert) can be contacted at: Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat
to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874 (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)
PREMASTROLOGER PREMASTROLOGER ASKPREMASTROLOGER

Sonu Nigam ARIES

MAR 21-APR 20
LEO
JUL 23-AUG 23
SAGITTARIUS
NOV 23-DEC 21

A L
#25YEARSOFMAJORSAAB Wasteful expenditure will
need to be curbed. Health
will remain good by eating
right. A family event can
A still from keep you totally engrossed today.
the song Sona Stars for travel look bright. A
Sona property may be acquired by some.
LOVE FOCUS: You can plan out a fun
evening with your beloved.
LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR:
Purple
All issues pertaining to
money will need to be
sorted out. You will
resolve to impose strict
self-discipline in food matters.
Alertness on road is essential today.
LOVE FOCUS: Lover is likely to give you
good advice, go by it rather than
resisting it.
LUCKY NUMBER: 15 LUCKY COLOUR:
Yellow
s
Positive steps to conserve
money may get results.
Health remains good as
you resume physical
activities. Plans for overseas travel
may be in final stages, so pack your
bags and fly off!
LOVE FOCUS: Love life will be
satisfactory, but may need attention.
LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR:
Brown

concerts,” shares Nigam. the song before Sudesh ji took

TAURUS VIRGO CAPRICORN
APR 21-MAY 20 AUG 24-SEP 23 DEC 22-JAN 21
The singer recalls being in over for Bachchan sahab. The

Soumya Vajpayee
soumya.vajpayee@hindustantimes.com
esides actor Amitabh
As Major Saab clocks 25
years, singer Sonu Nigam talks
about the cult song, which
the studio when the track,
composed by late music
director Aadesh Shrivastav,
was played to Bachchan.
“Aadesh bhai shared a very
informal and personal
T I c
atmosphere was festive. I You will feel energetic and A friend or relation is A change of job is set to
remember I had pointed out to active today. There can be likely to help you out have a positive effect on
Dev Kohli ji (lyricist) that he some tensions on the financially. You will get your finances. An ailment
was using the words Peg family front, but you will the chance to implement that had been troubling
Patiala again in this song, as I be able to sort them out. Some of you your plan at work. Property owned by you for long is likely to disappear.
had just sung a song written may take a break from the routine to you is likely to give good returns. New skills acquired by you will work

B Bachchan’s iconic
dance steps, the song
Sona Sona from Major
Saab (1998) is remembered
by music aficionados for its
playback.
also featured vocals by singers
Sudesh Bhosle and Jaspinder
Narula. “I didn’t have a lot of
songs at that time so Sona
Sona was a very impactful
inclusion in my song list for
relationship with Bachchan
sahab. They both spoke
throughout in a very funny
and strange nasal tone and I
was awestruck,” says Nigam,
adding, “I was asked to open
by him for Anand-Milind
(composer duo) and the words
were Roop Tera Hai Kudiye
Peg Patiale Da. He then
replaced it with Ye Ishq Piya
enjoy a vacation.
LOVE FOCUS: Cupid is likely to smile on
some and usher in romance.
LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR:
Yellow
LOVE FOCUS: Those finding a dip in
their marital love life are likely to
rekindle it.
LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR:
Maroon
wonders on the professional front.
LOVE FOCUS: A steady relationship
with the one you love is likely.
LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR:
Silver
La.”

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK (FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY) GEMINI LIBRA AQUARIUS

MAY 21-JUN 21 SEP 24-OCT 23 JAN 22-FEB 19
#instastyle
If safar =
G l a
PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM You may need to increase Professional problems are You are likely to enhance
your earning to repay a likely to be resolved your earning and begin
. ► Ram loan. Health remains good efficiently. Condition of saving. There is a good

suffer for Charan and

Upasana
Kamineni
Konidela
through your efforts. Stars
look bright for an overseas journey.
LOVE FOCUS: Lover may be in a
romantic mood, so don’t let the
those not feeling well is
likely to improve. You will succeed in
stabilising your financial front.
LOVE FOCUS: You are likely to win the
chance of travelling
abroad to meet a family member.
LOVE FOCUS: You are likely to do
something special to rejuvenate your

you, it may We could never

thank our fur-
opportunity go waste!
LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR:
Dark Blue
heart of the one you desire.
LUCKY NUMBER: 15 LUCKY COLOUR:
Purple
love life.
LUCKY NUMBER: 17 LUCKY COLOUR:
Green

be travel ever companions

enough for all the
love and
CANCER SCORPIO PISCES
happiness they

anxiety bring into this

JUN 22-JUL 22 OCT 24-NOV 22 FEB 20-MAR 20

o you feel overwhelmed by the
C S P
world! Actor Ram Some wise investments Some of you are on the You are likely to acquire
Charan and wife may be required to make verge of financial something expensive
Upasana you financially secure. independence. Expect soon. A new branch or
Kamineni Keeping parents informed things to move as planned office will start giving
Konidela, who about your whereabouts will be on the professional or academic good returns. Someone on the family
welcomed important today. You may opt out of front. Buying a luxury item is on the front may unburden your woes.
l Constantly double-checking travel their first child a planned out of town trip. cards for some. LOVE FOCUS: Sharing your feelings

D thought of travelling? With a trip

due in the upcoming days, do you
feel that you are not ready yet? You
may be suffering from travel anxiety.
Therapist Carolyn Rubenstein explains
in her Instagram post, “Vacation or
travel anxiety refers to the feelings of
stress or unease that some experience
before or during a holiday. Coping with
it involves several strategies to manage
and reduce your stress and anxiety
levels.”
Here are a few signs of travel
anxiety:
l Feeling overwhelmed with the
thought of transportation, itinerary,
accommodation and safety
l Difficulty falling asleep or taking rest
before the actual travel happens
l Constantly thinking of scenarios
where things can go wrong
l Feeling irritated with the pressure of
planning and preparing for the trip
details, dates and other things.
l Seeking assurance from others and
researching excessively about the
recently, took to
social media to
share their first
LOVE FOCUS: You will derive much
satisfaction from the way things are
moving on the romantic front.
LOVE FOCUS: Lover will be receptive to
your ideas today, so rejoice!
LUCKY NUMBER: 1 LUCKY COLOUR:
with the one you love will give you
immense satisfaction.
LUCKY NUMBER: 8 LUCKY COLOUR:
trip family photo with LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR: Red Golden Orange
However, travel anxiety can be fans and well-
handled with a few simple strategies: wishers. Their
Plan in advance: Take slow and doggo, Rhyme,
steady steps in understanding and can also be seen { CALVIN AND HOBBES I BILL WATTERSON }
researching the trip well in advance. posing with the
Seek support: Speak to a family duo and their
member or a supportive friend about baby girl. Actor
anxiety and understand how you can Rashmika
handle it better. Mandanna shared
Set realistic expectations: an adorable
“Understand that not everything will picture with her
be as per plan. There will be doggo and wrote,
unexpected challenges or deviations “She just makes
from the itinerary. Flexibility and everything
adaptability can help you navigate better.”
such situations,” shares Rubenstein.
. ► Rashmika
Tapatrisha Das Mandanna
Monday, June 26, 2023 n.
f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES

With fans questioning

Gauahar Khan’s
weight loss, friends in
Surveen
the industry ask how Chawla

City
it is anyone’s
Tere Vaaste trends, business

creators react
As Phir Aur Kya Chahiye and Tere Vaaste make people
groove, composer duo Sachin-Jigar and lyricist
Amitabh Bhattacharya get candid on the BTS of
working on the viral song and social media trends

Patna
We come from a time I am not social
when a radio jockey media savvy, but
told us if a song was a from what I can
hit or not. So we don’t
get into the concept of
Insta reels and trends.
gauge, these days, it
plays a significant role
in how songs reach and

YS, 10K G
It’s overwhelming to
see the response both
connect with people. I
wanted to write a song
10 DA A HA R:
U
these songs received, for those romantics,
but how much a song
trends on social media
doesn’t affect our
working process. If we
who are sincere and
ready to walk the extra
mile for their beloved
yet are lazy. I am glad
GA
FOR WONDER,
FANS DS DEFEND
start making music that people listened and
thinking ‘Ye trend connected with the
karega’, we will lyrics.

FRIEN
adulterate it.
→more on timeout

PHOTO: FACEBOOK/AMITABH BHATTACHARYA

Munna Bhai 3 may Sugandha Rawal

sugandha.rawal@hindustantimes.com

not happen: Arshad ctor Gauahar Khan,

PHOTOS: YOGEN
SHAH AND
INSTAGRAM A 39, who gave birth
to her son in May,
recently revealed
she shed 10kg of her
post-delivery weight in just 10
days. After she posted a
picture of herself on Insta,
many fans called it unhealthy
and said it set unrealistic
standards for new mums.
Coming to her defence is actor
Surveen Chawla, who believes
it’s nobody’s business how or
when a new mother loses her
pregnancy weight.
The 38-year-old says, “It’s
bizarre to discuss a person’s
weight. Motherhood has just
hit them and whether you lose
10kgs in 10 days or 100 days, it
has nothing to do with that.”
(Inset) A still from the film; (right) The actor, who herself
Arshad Warsi became a mother in April
2019, stresses that a “woman’s
ans of the Munna Bhai franchise may body undergoes a lot of

F be in for a heartbreak. Actor Arshad

Warsi, in a recent interview, hinted
that the much anticipated third
instalment of the films “may not happen”.
Calling it the “weirdest thing”, the 55-
‘Let’s not
criticise a
Gauahar Khan;
(inset) The picture
she posted on
Instagram
changes during pregnancy
and as they enter a new phase
in life”. This isn’t the first time
an actor’s post-pregnancy
weight gain has become a
year-old told India Today, “We have a
director (Rajkumar Hirani), who wants to
woman’ topic of conversation as actors
such as Aishwarya Rai
make it, a producer, who wants to produce Actor Charu Asopa, mum to Bachchan and Neha Dhupia
it, an audience, who wants to see it, actors, a one-year-old girl, says, have faced trolling as well.
who want to act in it and still it is not “There’s no harm in losing The Rana Naidu actor
happening.” weight if you can achieve it believes people need to be
In the film co-starring Sanjay Dutt in the through healthy ways. Uske more sensitive towards new
titular role, Warsi essayed the role of his
best friend and confidante, Circuit, that
liye crazy ho jaana is not
good. Moreover, it differs
‘I’m sure Gauahar didn’t mums before judging their
bodies. She says, “As actors,
went on to become one of the most popular
characters in the franchise that comprises
from person-to-person,
because we all have
starve herself’ we can influence the world,
but people need to understand
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) and Lage Raho different body types. For Mother to two toddlers, actor Debina Bonnerjee says, that social media is far more
Munna Bhai (2006). me, it wasn’t easy, but for “Gauhar was able to lose weight because her body influential than us. You can
Elaborating on the probable reason PHOTO: someone else, it might be. criticise us, our work and
YOGEN SHAH allowed her to shed fat easily. I’m sure she didn’t starve
behind the delay, the actor shares, “Raju is But this topic doesn’t herself to achieve it. We’re in no place to criticise a relationships, it’s fine, because
insanely perfectionist. He has three scripts, require a discussion. We woman if they’ve lost weight or haven’t been able to. we are in the public eye. But
which are brilliant, but there are some can’t be criticising anyone You won’t understand what their journey is until you’ve [talking about] a woman’s
glitches. Till the time he’s not 100-200% sure for losing or gaining weight. experienced it. I was badly criticised when I couldn’t shed body, at a time when she has
of the script, he won’t start it. When you ask my pregnancy weight as I had a different pregnancy and gone through an
him, he will say, ‘Yes, never say no... Main recovery. People need to understand and respect that. unfathomable change, is
kar raha hoon. Ek baar script fix ho jaaye’. Inputs by Syeda Eba Fatima stooping to a new low.”
Once he crosses that stage, he will
(hopefully) start [shooting].”
PHOTO: FACEBOOK/NANDITA DAS

STOP Don’t
Happy for Riaar PRESS

Saab: Obsessed call us

hitmaker Abhijay arty-farty
Riar Saab;
(right) Abhijay
Sharma
PHOTO:
INSTAGRAM

P
Riar Saab and I PHOTOS: Actor Al
TWITTER
collaborated during Pacino doesn’t
my college days and
when I came up with
want to marry
the hook, we knew it girlfriend, Noor Alfallah, Sugandha Rawal Cannes, among others. But, it
P
could cross borders. after the couple welcomed was her first time as a juror in Film festivals
andita Das, who was in an Asian country. She was
Soumya Vajpayee
soumya.vajpayee@hindustantimes.com

resh out of college with a

ABHIJAY SHARMA,
Musician
released, Riar Saab has been the
face of it, and he says, “It’s the way
people see things. Personally, I feel good
that the song is doing so well and for Riar
their son. He wants a
‘financial settlement’ as he
feels trapped in their
N Shanghai (China) as a
juror at the recently
concluded Shanghai
International Film Festival,
proud to represent India on a
global stage, but felt it wasn’t
fair to allow “her national
identity” affect her decision-
are a wonderful
place to meet
film enthusiasts

F bachelor’s degree in music, Abhijay

Sharma’s song, Obsessed, has become the
country’s latest obsession. While working on
the song, the musician was confident that the track
would create waves. “Riar Saab (singer) and I
Saab. Currently, we’re on a 22-city tour in India
followed by one in Dubai. With each day of the tour,
we are getting closer to our fans,” says the 21-year-
old, who has “done all the Hindi parts” in Obsessed,
composed the hook line and gave music to the song.
relationship, reports
Radar Online.
says, “Film festivals provide a
great space to creators”,
something India lacks. The
actor-filmmaker adds, “In our
country, we either think of
making ability. The 53-year-
old says, “We were seven
jurors, who had to judge films
from the world over. We
brought our life experiences,
as it can lead to
stimulating
conversations
collaborated during my college days and when I The number is not just topping music charts, but festivals as the ultimate taste in films, world views and and, at times,
came up with the hook, we knew it had the potential is also a rage on social media, which “made our benchmark for films or look way of looking at cinema.”
to cross borders in the country. But I’m thrilled to track go viral”. He adds, “All the reels created a big NOTE TO READERS: Some of the down on them, as a space for The Zwigato (2022) director even result in
coverage that appears on our pages
see it crossing borders across countries, too. It feels difference and drove the whole song. It is not only a is paid for by the concerned brands.
the arty-farty elite.” also says, “These days, fests collaborations.
great that a song you made in your bedroom is favourite among Bollywood celebrities, but has No sponsored content does or shall Das, a veteran at global film are also drawing youngsters,
topping charts worldwide,” he says. produced some of the most creative and hilarious appear in any part of HT without it festivals, has had several who are exposed to world NANDITA DAS, Actor-
Ask if it bothers him that since the song has memes.” being declared as such to our valued movies showcased at Toronto cinema, thanks to OTT filmmaker
readers. International Film Festival, platforms.”