Chennai l friday l august 23, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 40 l late cITY EDITION SC tells Haryana, punjab to persuade farmers to vacate shambhu border The Supreme Court on Thursday told the states to persuade agitators to remove their tractors and trollies from the interstate border Panel being set up to solve their issues: Court states urged to engage with agitators The court told the Haryana and Punjab governments to inform the agitating farmers that a multi-member panel was being constituted for the redressal of their grievances “for all times”. The Supreme Court said the panel may have the power and authority to make recommendations to the state and, if need be, the Union governments on steps to resolve farmers’ grievances ■ The court was hearing Haryana’s plea against a high court order asking it to remove barricades erected at the Shambhu border near Ambala ■ The bench asked the representatives of both Punjab and Haryana to continue engaging with the farmers and directed them to apprise the court about the outcome of such meetings on the next date of hearing September 2 when the court will take up the matter for further hearing 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 Vijay unveils party flag, releases anthem SC says justice & E X PRE S S NEW S S ERVI C E @ Chennai Vijay with party flag | Ashwin prasath I don’t see this as merely the party flag. It’s a symbol of victory for the upcoming generations — Vijay, TVK president Actor-turned-politician Vijay unveiled the official flag of his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhag, am (TVK), and released the party’s anthem at the TVK headquarters at Panaiyur in Chennai on Thursday The two. coloured flag had maroon on top and bottom and a yellow horizontal stripe on the middle. The yellow band has two elephants facing each other with a flower resembling Siris (Albizia lebbeck) at the centre. The flower, known as vaagai in Tamil, is believed to signify victory . Speaking at the event, Vijay said he would disclose what the flag stands for, along with the party’s ideologies and plans, at its first state-level conference, which is expected to take place on September 22. “I don’t see this as merely the party flag. It’s a symbol of victory for the upcoming generations. I know you will have the flag in your hearts and in your homes even before I ask,” he said. The actor urged the functionaries of Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkham (TVMI) — the actor’s fan club — to hoist the flags at their houses after obtaining due permissions and by adhering to protocol. “So far we have worked for ourselves. It is now time to prepare ourselves as a party and work for the welfare of Tamil Nadu,” he said. A flag plaque was also unveiled at the event. An animated video accompanying the anthem released at the event begins with two men riding elephants tormenting hundreds of people in an open arena. Two new elephants that enter the arena knock down the other elephants, following which the party’s flag is hoisted. Fans, on social media, said that the two defeated elephants symbolise the two Dravidian majors — DMK and AIADMK. Continued on P7 No ‘satisfactory replies’ to sharp questions from Waqf bill JPC members P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Amid fierce attack from Muslim bodies, the first meeting of the Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill saw dissenting voices from various Opposition members as well as NDA allies on the proposed law. Though the Telugu Desam Party, a key ally of the NDA supported the bill in the Lok Sabha, it called for wider consultations during the JPC meeting, said sources. Early this week, TDP Parliamentary party leader and JPC member Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu told this paper that the party has begun consultations with all communities, including Muslims about their concerns. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board claimed that TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar have assured Muslim bodies that their parties would oppose the Waqf Bill. It also said it will launch a nationwide movement if the bill is not withdrawn. Another BJP ally, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), said that the Muslim community’s concerns should be ad- dressed and pitched for more consultations. Speaking to this paper, some of the MPs said that the ministry failed to give ‘satisfactory replies’ to the queries raised in the meeting. Though not part of the INDIA bloc, YSR Congress’ V Vijaysai Reddy also raised objections to several clauses of the bill, according to sources. Several opposition members questioned the proposed amendments such as empowering district collectors in deciding on the ownership of a disputed land, and to induct non-Muslim members on Waqf boards. Committee Chairperson Jagdambika Pal described the meeting, which went on for over six hours with a lunch break, as ‘fruitful’. He asserted that voices of different stakeholders would be heard. “We will discuss all 44 amendments and bring a comprehensive bill by the next session,” he said. He said the committee would call various Muslim bodies representing different sects to hear their views. AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi launched a scathing attack terming it as ‘unconstitutional’, said sources. e x p r e ss r e a d Karunanidhi’s books nationalised: CM Stalin Chennai: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday announced that all the books written by former CM M Karunanidhi have been nationalised without any compensation from the government. The DMK patriarch had written 15 novels, 20 plays, 15 short stories and 210 poems, and stories and screenplay for 75 films | P4 Six-year-old among three killed in TN road accident Dindigul: Three members of a family died after their bike collided with a school bus at Natham in Dindigul on Thursday. According to police, as the bushes on the median obstructed his view, K Murugan (40), who was riding the bike in the wrong direction with his wife on the pillion and six-year-old son, could not see the bus | P7 ties Polished Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk ahead of their summit meeting in Warsaw on Thursday | P9 1 2 3 Strategic partnership Defence production action plan announced India and Poland upgraded ties to the level of a “strategic partnership” and inked a social security pact to promote the mobility of skilled workers Donald Tusk expressed Poland’s eagerness to be a key partner in India’s aim to boost domestic defence production and modernise its armed forces 5-year action plan announced for strategic partnership in defence, trade, agri-tech, energy, green technology, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and mining med can’t stop, urges end to stir CBI status report says crime scene at RG Kar where doc was killed, was tampered with S u ch i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi The CBI in a status report on its probe into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on August 9 at the RG Kar Medical and College Hospital in Kolkata, told the Supreme Court on Thursday that the crime scene was altered and tampered with. Initially the Kolkata police told the parents that it was suicide, but later they said she was murdered. Taking the CBI report on record, a threejudge bench led by the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud appealed to the protesting doctors to return to work, saying justice and medicine cannot afford to be stopped. “We earnestly appeal to all doctors. We are here to ensure their safety and protection. Please trust us, that is why we have not left the matter to the (Calcutta) High Court,” the bench said. It also directed a Sealdah court to pass its order on the CBI’s application for a lie detector test on accused Sanjoy Roy by Friday . The court directed the states not to take any coercive steps and adverse action against the protesting doctors. “How can public health infrastructure function if doctors don’t return to work?” the court wondered. It asked the health ministry to convene a meeting with the Chief Secretaries of states and Directors General of Police to ensure the safety of the doctors willing to return to work. The meeting should be completed within a week and states shall take remedial measures within two weeks, the court said. While directing states not to disrupt peaceful protests, it said, “the order should not be misconstrued to mean that the authorities are precluded from exercising their regulatory powers in accordance with law.” The bench, however, categorically said peaceful protests should not be disrupted. Justice J B Pardiwala, a member of the bench, expressed concern at the manner in which the police handled the case. The postmortem was conducted on August 9 between 6.10 pm and 7.10 pm though the case of unnatural death was registered at 11.30 pm and the FIR recorded at 11.45 pm. Autopsy means unnatural death, yet the case was recorded later. “The entire procedure followed by the police is something I have not come across in my 30 years of career,” he remarked. What is the reason the FIR is lodged almost 14 hours after the discovery of the body? The most important thing is that the principal of the college should have come straightaway to the college and directed the filing of the FIR. Who was he in touch with? What was the purpose? SC bench to WB counsel consider all suggestions National Task Force formed by the SC will take note of the suggestions of all stakeholders while formulating a national protocol for the safety of healthcare professionals portaL to pool ideas The bench directed the govt to open a portal for stakeholders to submit their suggestions for the task force Al-Qaeda Delhi Police busts terror module, arrests 14 from 3 states UJWAL JALALI @ New Delhi THE Special Cell of Delhi Police, in coordination with its counterparts in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, busted an Al-Qaeda-inspired terror module and detained 14 people, including six who were undergoing training in handling weapons. Al-Qaeda is a banned terrorist organisation listed in the first schedule of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). It is proscribed under Section 35 of the UAPA. A senior police officer said the module, as per the current state of operations, was being led by one Dr Ishtiyaq based in Ranchi, Jharkhand. “It was aspiring to declare Khilafat and execute serious terrorist activities within the country the of,” ficer said, adding the members of the module had received “indoctrination” and weapons training at various locations. Police have also recovered arms, ammunition, and objectionable literature. The six individuals who were being trained in weapon handling were nabbed from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. Eight more persons were detained from Jharkhand and UP for questioning. Multiple teams of the anti-terror unit are interrogating the suspects at various locations. “As the interrogation is going on, more arrests are anticipated,” said the official cited above. Last year, a Delhi court had convicted four operatives of AlQaida in Indian Subcontinent for conspiracy to commit terror acts across the country and recruiting members for the terror group. WITH THIS ISSUE CHENNAI’S BEST WEEKEND GUIDE 40 PAGES, INCLUDING 24 OF INDULGE (TABLOID) Congress, NC finalise seat-sharing for J&K polls FAYA Z WANI @ Srinagar the Congress and National Conference on Thursday finalised seat-sharing for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. The announcement came after the meeting of top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi with NC leader Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah. “The Congress leadership deliberated with the Abdullahs on forging a pre-poll alliance for the Assembly polls. Both parties discussed the issue in detail and decided that forging alliance is a must to keep divisive forces away,” a Congress Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge at a press meet in Srinagar on Thursday | Zahoor Punjabi leader told this paper. While the exact number of seats allocated to both parties was not revealed, sources said the Congress will fight from most of the 43 seats in Jammu while NC will focus on the Valley . The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared on October 4. Of the 90 seats, 47 are in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu. Kharge and Rahul arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday. On Thursday they visited the Gup, kar residence of Farooq to meet him and Omar. During the meeting, Rahul stressed on the restoration of J&K’s statehood. Taking a dig at the Modi government for downgrading J&K state into a Union Territory he said it was , the first time in the country’s history that a state was converted into a UT. After the meeting, Farooq Abdullah told reporters that the Congress, NC and CPI(M) are on the same page and will fight the Assembly elections together. According to sources, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is likely to contest from Kulgam in south Kashmir. This seat will be spared for him by the NC. ASSAM bill to repeal Muslim marriage act To end child marriage, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led govt on Thursday tabled a bill in the Assembly to repeal a British-era law to register marriages and divorces of Muslims Chennai Hospital pays donor Dabur plans `400-crore plant at TN food park for Kidney, licence suspended f i r s t I N S O U T H i N DIA E X PRE S S NEW S S ERVI C E @ Chennai Dabur, one of India’s leading Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) giants, will invest `400 crore to set up a world-class manufacturing plant, its first ever in south India, at the Sipcot Food Park in Tindivanam in Villupuram district. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the project was signed between Guidance TN Managing Director and CEO Vishnu Venugopalan and Dabur India CEO Mohit Malhotra, in the presence of Chief An MoU was signed in the presence of CM MK Stalin | Express Minister MK Stalin, on Thursday The facility is expected to . generate over 250 jobs. Industries Minister TRB Rajaa and Chief Secretary N Mu- ruganandam were also present on the occasion. In a post in ‘X’, Rajaa said the plant will open up new opportunities for farmers in the delta region to sell agro-products to the facility. Dabur’s decision to choose TN is a testament to the state’s thriving industrial ecosystem and availability of a workready labour force, he said. The announcement comes after Dabur India’s board in January approved an investment of `135 crore for setting up a new facility in South India, which will manufacture a range of its Ayurvedic healthcare, personal care and homecare products like Dabur Honey, Dabur red toothpaste and Odonil air fresheners. P7 E X PRE S S NEW S S ERVI C E @ Chennai The Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) on Wednesday suspended the licences of two hospitals, one for allegedly carrying out commercial organ transplantation after paying the donor, and another for medical negligence in which a boy lost his leg. According to officials, in October 2023, Pride Superspecialty Hospital (also known as Muthu Hospital) on Pulianthope High Road near Pattalam in Perambur performed a kidney transplant. The donor from Pallipalayam in Namakkal district was paid for donating his kidney to a businessman from Sowcarpet in Chennai. Both kidneys of the businessman were dysfunctional. The hospital violated provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act and carried out the procedure without the approval of the transplant committee of Tamil Nadu and necessary documents. The hospital’s licences, including its licence to do transplants, were suspended. It was told to shut down all services including out-patient services and shift all the patients to other hospitals. Further investigation is on to ascertain if the hospital performed any more such illegal transplantations, officials added. Speaking to reporters, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said a committee formed by DMS officials conducted an investigation into the incident and it is proven that the hospital was involved in commercial sale of the donor’s organ. P7
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