CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ SAMBALPUR MONDAY AUGUST 12, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 12 CITY EDITION PM Narendra Modi on Sunday unveiled 109 high-yielding, climate-resilient seed varieties at three experimental agriculture plots at Delhi’s Pusa campus | P7 Hindenburg: Oppn seeks JPC probe against Sebi chief (From left) India shooter, and one of the flagbearers for the closing ceremony, Manu Bhaker (L) with her coach and other members of the contingent on Sunday; Neeraj Chopra’s medal was the silver lining as India finished with six medals | PTI IN THE END, INDIA’S CAMPAIGN A CASE OF GLASS HALF FULL T HE lights are dimmed. The curtains are slowly drawing close. The show is over. Tales of valour, extraordinary human feats, moments of joy and ecstasy losses and , despair are slowly being stored in the leaves of Olympic history Just like when a . theatre gets over, the lights switch on in the hall, it’s time for the audience to wake up to reality and discuss the acts each athlete played. Paris soaked in the summer sun. There was a feeling of emptiness as the grandest sporting show on the planet ended on Sunday. USA and China are firmly perched on the top. Somewhere in the bottom half was India, 71 with one silver and five bronze. For a country that won seven medals in Tokyo 2020 in 2021 including a gold, this seemed a case of one step backward. If one adds the six fourth finishes and VInesh Phogat’s heartbreaking dis- qualification, then one can ry objective would be to save say it was just about alright. and protect them. “They are Nothing to celebrate except the future of our country and for the medallists. we need to preserve them,” The backdrop under which she said. the athletes competed too Chef de mission Gagan should be considered. The Narang, London Olympic Sports Authority of India bronze medallist, said that it said they had spent about was a creditable perform`470 crore for the preparation ance. “There are 21 players of the athletes in the who medalled,” he last Olympic cycle. said alluding to the There was no lack of 16-member hockey support from SAI, na- TNIE @ OLYMPICS team. He also felt that tional sports federathe athletes should be tions (NSFs) and some guided well. “Wrap NGOs. Perhaps that them in cotton wool,” prompted India badhe said. minton team coach The sports adminINDRANEEL DAS Prakash Padukone to istrators right from PARIS say that the athletes SAI to NSFs must go also should take some into a huddle and find responsibility . where they went wrong. They Indian Olympic Associa- must find a solution to India’s tion president PT Usha, who inability to reach the doublehad finished fourth at the digit mark. Or else the six 1984 Games, felt that we here will count for nothing. should think about the fu- For a nation that wants to bid ture. There are quite a few for the 2036 Olympics, six debutants (about more than medals definitely won’t rehalf of the 117-strong contin- flect the sporting superiority gent). She felt that the prima- on the global stage. Buch had disclosed her investments, recused to avoid conflicts of interest, says regulator further alleged that recent amendments to Reit Regulations, 2014 were made to benefit Blackstone, where A day after US short-seller Hinden- Buch’s husband Dhaval is a senior burg Research levelled allegations advisor. against Sebi chairperson Madhabi Several other Opposition parties Puri Buch, the Opposition parties including TMC and AAP also dedemanded a joint parliamentary manded a probe into the matter. TMC committee probe against Buch and MP Mahua Moitra asked if Buch had her resignation from the post. disclosed her ownership stakes to Congress MP Rahul Sebi when she was a DO NOT Gandhi said the integrity whole-time member.AAP DISCREDIT of the market regulator, MP Sanjay Singh said the INDIA: BJP which is entrusted with SC should take note of the By endorsing the safeguarding the wealth fresh alle g ations by Hindenburg report, the of small retail investors, Hindenburg. Opposition is trying to has been compromised by Meanwhile, Sebi has “discredit the country’s the allegations against its urged investors to remain financial watchdog and chairperson. “Why hasn’t calm and do due diligence Sebi chairperson Mad- create instability through before reacting to the habi Puri Buch resigned wild allegations”, BJP MP Hindenburg report. It also yet? If investors lose their Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged cautioned investors that hard-earned money, who the US short-seller might will be held accountable—PM Modi, be holding short positions in the sethe Sebi Chairperson, or Gautam curities covered in the report. Responding to allegations of conAdani?” he said in a post on X. In its report released late on Satur- flict of interest, the markets reguladay night, the New York-based com- tor said: “Sebi has adequate interpany claimed that Buch and her hus- nal mechanisms for addressing band had stakes in obscure offshore issues relating to conflict of interfunds used in the alleged Adani mon- est, which include disclosure frameey siphoning scandal. It alleged that work and provision for recusal... Sebi had failed to take action against Relevant disclosures required in the Adani group despite allegations terms of holdings of securities and of financial irregularities and mar- their transfers have been made by ket fraud. It also questioned Sebi’s the chairperson from time to time. decision to issue a show-cause notice The chairperson has also recused to Hindenburg in June, alleging vio- herself in matters involving potenP10 lations of securities laws. The report tial conflicts of interest.” PREETHA NAIR & BENN K O C H U V E E D A N @ New Delhi / Mumbai US fuelled violence in Bangladesh, says Hasina Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi DAYS after she resigned as Bangladesh’s prime minister and fled the country, Sheikh Hasina blamed the US for the crisis that led to the fall of her government. In her undelivered speech, the transcript of which was shared with her party workers, Hasina said that had her government handed over the strategically located St Martin Island to the US, the situation would have been different. St Martin Island is located about 9 km south of Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula. “I could have remained in power if I had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal,” she said. Hasina had hurriedly left the country and could not deliver the speech. This newspaper had earlier reported on the alleged US role in the crisis. Protests continued in Bangladesh on Sunday even as the police force remained passive. “The policemen are sitting in civil clothes in their respective stations. They have a list of demands which includes setting up a separate ministry for them,’’ Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, a political commentator in Dhaka told this newspaper. Gunshots were fired at protesters outside Ismali Bank in Dhaka where a scuffle left five people injured.
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