FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 155 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | NOVEMBER 18, 2024 | Pages 12 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports McGrath urgesAussies to go hard on ‘emotional’ Kohli ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL PTI SHILLONG/IMPHAL Briefs NEW DELHI Delhi 2nd most polluted city in India Delhi's air quality worsened further on Sunday, with an AQI of 441, making it the second-most polluted city in the country. The city's 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm daily, stood at 441, in the "severe" category. On Saturday, the AQI was 417. TEL AVIV Hezbollah's main spokesman killed The main spokesman for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group was killed in the first Israeli airstrike on central Beirut in more than a month on Sunday, an official with the militant group told The Associated Press. Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip had earlier killed 12 people, Palestinian medical officials said. PUNE Pawar's bags checked NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar's bags were checked by the poll personnel at Baramati helipad in Maharashtra's Pune district on Sunday morning, according to his associate. Pawar was on way to attend a poll rally in Solapur, the associate said. The model of code of conduct is enforced in the state for the assembly elections scheduled on November 20. Page 6 Security personnel check a vehicle in a sensitive area of Manipur Shah reviews situation Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reviewed the security situation in Manipur and directed top officials to take all possible steps to ensure peace in the Northeastern state, sources said. Shah is expected to hold another detailed meeting with top officers on Monday. BJP wants Manipur to burn: Kharge As fresh violence erupted in Manipur, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleged the ruling party deliberately wants the border state to burn as "it serves their hateful divisive politics". "@narendramodi ji, Under your double engine governments, 'neither Manipur is one, nor is Manipur Safe'," the Congress president said in a post on X. innocent lives have been lost and people in the state are "going through immense suffering", the NPP claimed in a letter to BJP president J P Nadda. "We strongly feel that the Manipur state government under the leadership of Shri Biren Singh has completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy. "Keeping the current situation in mind, the National People's Party has decided to withdraw its support to the Biren Singh government in state of Manipur with immediate effect," the letter said. Notably, the Kuki People's Alliance (KPA), a political party formed ahead of the 2022 Manipur election, had earlier withdrawn support from the BJP-led government in the state in view of ethnic violence. 4Continued on | P6 Delhi min Gahlot quits AAP, takes ‘sheeshmahal’ jibe Kejriwal refuses to comment PTI NEW DELHI In a jolt to AAP ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, senior leader and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot quit the party on Sunday, alleging "political ambitions" have overtaken its commitment towards people. "Instead of fighting for people's rights we have increasingly only been fighting for our own political agenda," the 50-year-old said in his resignation letter to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal. Gahlot, a prominent figure in the party, also took a jab at Kejriwal as he flagged some "awkward" and "embarrassing" controversies like 'sheeshmahal', saying it makes everyone doubt if "we still believe in being the 'Aam Aadmi'". The BJP had dubbed Kejriwal's former official residence at 6 Flagstaff Road as 'sheeshmahal', alleging that he spent 15 held after communal clash in Murshidabad At a press meet to welcome former BJP MLA Anil Jha into AAP, Kejriwal was asked about Gahlot's surprise exit, the former CM promptly turned the microphone towards senior party leader Durgesh Pathak, seated next to him. crores on luxury items and modern facilities. AAP leaders said Gahlot was facing ED probe and had no option but to join the BJP. 4Continued on | P6 4-month-old tiger cub found dead in Pench PTI Our Staff Reporter KOLKATA BHOPAL Two groups of people clashed over an alleged objectionable message on a digital display board at a temporary gate at Beldanga in Murshidabad district, prompting the authorities to clamp prohibitory orders in the area, police said on Sunday. Fifteen people allegedly involved in the clash were arrested, while internet services were suspended in the affected area. A few people suffered minor injuries during the clash that occurred after the message on the display board on a gate set up near a Kartik Puja pandal came to the notice of the members of one of the groups, a police officer said. The BJP has accused the Mamata Banerjee administration of inaction as, the party claimed, the miscreants "belonged to a certain group". Trouble began late Saturday night when a group of youths assembled near a Kartik puja pandal alleging that an objectionable message hurting their sentiments popped up on the digital display board on the gate erected for the festival. A tiger cub of around four months was found dead in camp number 188 of Ari Buffer range in Pench Tiger Reserve. All vital organs of the cub are safe. Help of dog squad is being taken to probe the case. Intense search exercise is being carried out. Field Director of Pench Tiger Reserve, Deva Prasad said that the sample of the dead cub was collected and being sent for forensic probe. 4Continued on | P6 4Continued on | P6 fire power boost Major success for DRDO on missile front IANS This hypersonic missile is designed to carry various payloads for ranges greater than 1,500 km for all Indian Armed Forces wings NEW DELHI The DRDO has conducted a successful flight trial of a longrange hypersonic missile off the Odisha coast. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a post on X on Sunday announced the significant achievement and said that this has put the country in the group of select nations having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies. The flight trial of the longrange hypersonic missile was INDORE NASHIK conducted from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The trial was carried out in the presence of senior scientists of DRDO and the Armed Forces. The Defence Minister congratulated the Armed forces and the Industry for the suc- cessful launch. "India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting flight trial of long range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off-the-coast of Odisha. 4Continued on | P6 MUMBAI E-paper Edit No escaping the Trumpian chaos P.8 India’s FTAs not paused, all talks progressing as per schedule: Official NPP withdraws support from BJP-led Biren govt fp PUNE MONEY MANIPUR VIOLENCE FALLOUT: No immediate threat to govt as BJP enjoys absolute majority in the house with 32 members The National People's Party (NPP) on Sunday withdrew support from the BJP-led government in violence-hit Manipur, claiming that the N Biren Singh dispensation has "completely failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy" in the northeastern state. The NPP currently has 7 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur assembly, and the withdrawal of support will not affect the stability of the government as the BJP enjoys absolute majority in the House with its 32 legislators. The saffron camp has also support of five MLAs of the Naga People's Front (NPF) and 6 JD(U) legislators. In the last few days, the situation in Manipur further deteriorated and many more UJJAIN PRESS Brand Sutra Classrooms Of The Future P.12 Jawan hurt in exchange of fire with Naxals Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Jhansi hosp fire was accidental: Sources Agencies In a gunfire exchange between left wing extremists and security forces, a Hawk Force jawan received gunshot wounds in Balaghat, police said on Sunday. The police informed that based on intelligence input, Hawk force teams lay siege of Kundul forest area which falls under police station Roopjhar on Sunday morning. When the police reached the spot, around 10-12 LWE extremists opened fire on them. The police team also got engaged in cross firing. In the fight, constable Shivkumar Sharma received a gunshot. 4Continued on | P6 NEW DELHI The fire at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh that killed 11 newborns, was entirely accidental and not deliberate, a twomember committee investigating the matter has found. There is no criminal conspiracy or negligence in the incident, due to which no FIR has been registered till now, sources said, quoting the findings of the two-member panel. The fire broke out around 10.45 pm on Friday in the neonatal wards of Jhansi's Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, one of the largest government hospitals in the state's Bundelkhand region. The doctors told the committee that water sprinklers are not installed in the NICU ward due to the presence of newborns, sources said The committee of Jhansi Commissioner Vipul Dubey and DIG Range Kalanidhi Nathani - which was expected to file its report within 24 hours - found that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the switchboard and could not be brought under control as sprinklers were not installed in paediatrics ward. At the time, six nurses and other staff and two doctors were present in the NICU ward. One of the nurses sus- tained burns on her legs while attempting to douse the fire. The fire from the switchboard had rapidly started spreading towards the oxygen concentrator when a paramedical staff and two others went in with fire extinguishers. But by then, the fire was beyond control, sources said, pointing to the findings of the committee. Within minutes though, fire tenders reached the spot. 4Continued on | P6 38 hurt as cylinder explodes at Chhatarpur bus stand Flames engulf 100-metre radius FP News Service CHHATARPUR A gas cylinder exploded at Bijawar bus stand on Sunday afternoon, which left 38 people injured, including women and children, the police said. The blast occurred at a food stall selling patties, where gas leakage preceded the explosion. According to the bystanders, the flames engulfed a 100-metre radius, causing panic and chaos in the crowded marketplace. Of the injured, 34 have been referred to the Chhatarpur district hospital, with six in critical condition suffering burns over 40% of their bodies. They are being sent to Gwalior for advanced treatment. Four individuals with minor injuries were treated at a private clinic in Bijawar, the police said. Eyewitnesses told the media that the food stall had three cylinders, one of which exploded during the busy Sunday market. The explosion triggered a stampede as people tried to escape the flames, but many sustained injuries while fleeing. Local MLA Rajesh Shukla Bablu visited the victims at Bijawar hospital and assured them of support. Chhatarpur Collector Parth Jaiswal stated, “All injured are receiving the best possible treatment. Strict action will be taken against the use of domestic gas cylinders by vendors.” 4Continued on | P6