TUESDAY 03 SEPTEMBER, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard H O S TA G E R E L E A S E GOVT SUMMONS NETFLIX CONTENT HEAD AMID ROW OVER IC-814 SERIES NETANYAHU NOT DOING ENOUGH: US The Netflix series on the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight triggered an uproar over Hindu names of two of the hijackers US President Joe Biden said that the Israeli PM was not doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages taken by armed Hamas EXPLANATION TO BE SOUGHT ON ALLEGED DISTORTION : A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 NEW DELHI J8.00 RSS backs caste census, but with a rider S H YA M P V @ Palakkad IN a clear message to the BJP which is yet to declare its stance on the contentious caste census issue, the RSS said on Monday that it has no objection to collecting data on specific communities or castes to ensure effective delivery of social welfare schemes. However, the Sangh Parivar fountainhead added a rider: “Don’t use the census data as a political tool.” The RSS statement comes amid extensive campaigning by the opposition parties led by the Congress seeking a nationwide caste census. Addressing the media after Samanway Baithak, a three-day national coordination conclave, in Kerala’s Palakkad, RSS publicity in-charge Sunil Ambekar said: “The RSS thinks that for all welfare activities, particularly those targeting such communities or castes which are lagging behind... if the government needs the numbers, it is a wellestablished practice. But it should be done only for the wel- fare of those communities and castes. It should not be used as a political tool for elections. So we put this forth with a line of caution for everyone.” As a Hindu society, caste and caste relations are sensitive issues in India, he said. “It is an important issue for our national unity and integrity. The RSS and our affiliated organisations have always kept the national interest first. So, the caste census should be dealt with very sensitively and not on the basis of elections or electoral practices and politics,” he added. Ambekar said the Sangh Parivar organisations have noticed a large number of religious conversions in Tamil Nadu by missionaries. “It’s very worrisome. We will conduct a ground study and formulate a strategy,” he added. The conclave condemned the rape and murder of a female doctor in a Kolkata hospital. It was necessary to revisit laws and penal actions to expedite swift justice for women who suffer atrocities, he said. Ahead of polls, Cabinet okays 7 farm schemes Manmad-Indore rail line and new semiconductor plant get approval EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi LOST & FOUND A bronze statue ‘Diana of Versaille’ found in the wreckage of Titanic that sank in the Atlantic in 1912 | AP | P9 SC grants bail to Bibhav in Mailwal case S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar in the Swati Maliwal assault case, noting that he has been in custody for more than 100 days and the chargesheet has been filed in the case. “You cannot keep a person in jail for over 100 days when the injuries are simple. See the medial report. You have to balance both and not oppose bail here,” a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said. The bench also took into account that the prosecution has proposed to examine more than 51 witnesses and said the trial will take time to conclude. It noted that since the chargesheet has already been filed, Kumar’s release will not cause any prejudice to the investigation. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police, opposed the grant of bail. “There are certain important witnesses who are under his influence. Let them be examined first,” Raju submitted while claiming that CCTV footage has been tampered with. Kumar’s counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the injuries are simple and invocation of the offence under Section 308 of IPC (attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was not justified. On the concerns about the possibility of Kumar influencing witnesses, the bench said that he will not be reinstated as a personal assistant to Kejriwal or given any official assignment in the CMO. The SC also restrained Kumar from entering the CM’s residence till all witnesses are examined. Kumar allegedly assaulted Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal’s official residence. He was arrested on May 18. AHEAD of the crucial Haryana and J&K elections, the Centre on Monday approved seven new schemes to improve farmers’ lives and increase their incomes with a total outlay of `14,235.30 crore. As for Maharashtra, which will go to polls in the next few months, the Union Cabinet approved a new Railway line between Mumbai’s Malad and Indore covering 309 km at a cost of `18,036 crore. The Centre also approved a proposal of Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd to set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat. The seven schemes for the farmers are Digital Agriculture Mission, Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security, Strengthening Agricultural Education, Management and Social Sciences, Sustainable livestock health and production, Sustainable development of Horticulture, Strengthening of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Natural Resource Management. Briefing the media, Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, the objective of the Digital Agriculture The semiconductor plant by Kaynes will come up in 46 acres in Sanand. It is a big plant and a large portion of the production will go for Kaynes Industries —Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister KAYNES PLANT CAN CHURN OUT 63L CHIPS A DAY The Kaynes semiconductor plant with an investment of `3,307 crore can produce as many as 63 lakh chips per day. It is the fourth semiconductor plant in Gujarat. Its chips will cater to a wide variety of applications, including industrial, automotive, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom and mobile phones, Vaishnaw said | P10 Mission is to create a digital database related to soil profile, digital crop estimation, and yield modelling. “It also facilitates crop loans with use of modern technologies like AI and big data and helps connect farmers with buyers and bring new knowledge on mobile phones.” The scheme on Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security with a , total outlay of `3,979 crore, would prepare farmers for climate resilience and provide for food security by 2047. As for the railway line between Manmad and Indore, the project will require more than a crore human days and will be completed in the next eight years. It is expected to significantly enhance connectivity across key regions in Maharashtra and MP, Vaishnaw said. “Manmad-Indore rail line will currently be built as single track, but it is being designed in such a way that in future it would easily be converted into double line,” he said. “The project will generate 12 lakh employment. We are looking at connecting it to the hinterland in Maharashtra, MP, and UP.” PAGES 12 1st Nitesh wins maiden gold at Paralympics Several social media users claimed the makers of IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack changed the names of the hijackers to ‘Shankar’ and ‘Bhola’ to play down their Muslim identity. They also criticised the series for its “humane projection” of the terrorists. Sources said the I&B ministry will seek an explanation on these aspects from the content head of Netflix India | P7 DUE PROCEDURE I still don’t feel it. Maybe when I go to the podium and the national anthem is played, it will sink in —Nitesh after match Nitesh Kumar wins gold at the Paralympics WHEN KARGIL SOLDIERS HELP NITESH PLAY F I R O Z M I R Z A @ Chennai O N that fateful Sunday in 2009, Vij e n d e r S i n g h ’s world came crashing down when he received a call from 108 (emergency number). His only son, Nitesh Kumar, had lost his left leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. A junior commissioned officer with the Indian Navy, Vijender saw his son bedridden for the next six months and life lost meaning. Motivation came from unexpected quarters — amputee soldiers of the Kargil War — during a visit to the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune, where the soldiers were playing. “I kept him motivated during that period but the Kargil War amputee soldiers helped me out,” Vijender told this daily “Nitesh . saw them playing and he joined in after some time.” Nitesh was 15 then. Those six months left an indelible mark on Nitesh, who not only went on to clear the IIT entrance test and completed electrical engineering from IIT Mandi, Himachal Pradesh but also became a para-shuttler. On Monday, at the Paris Paralympics, Nitesh won gold in para-badminton. He defeated Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in a gripping men’s singles SL3 final. With the win, India retained the SL3 gold, which Pramod Bhagat had won three years ago when badminton made its Paralympic debut in Tokyo. It was also Nitesh’s first win over Bethell in the previous 10 attempts. “I still don’t feel it. Maybe when I go to the podium and the national anthem is played, it will sink in,” Nitesh said after the match which lasted an hour and 20 minutes, with the final scoreline reading 21-14, 1821, 23-21. The SL3 category is reserved for players with severe lower limb disabilities and the matches are played P11 on a half-width court. HEALTH RECOS SWEDEN BARS TV OR SCREENS FOR TODDLERS Children under the age of two should be kept away from digital media and TV completely, Sweden’s Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed said on Monday | P9 SC panel to break Shambhu After 2-wk of questioning, CBI arrests border blockade as farmers RG Kar ex-principal in corruption case hold march in Chandigarh E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi 1,000 farmers hold protest march in Chandigarh Unblock bottleneck A 2-judge bench asked the panel to convince the farmers to remove the blockade at the Shambhu border and refrain from politicising their agitation or making unreasonable demands. It also said protesters are free to shift their agitation to an alternate site identified by the authorities S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y & H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ New Delhi/Chandigarh THE Supreme Court on Monday constituted a five-member high-powered committee, headed by former Punjab & Haryana HC judge, Justice Nawab Singh, to formulate issues and negotiate with farmers to resolve the MSP and other issues, including the Shambhu border blockade. A two-judge bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the panel to convince the farmers to remove the blockade at the Shambhu border immediately and refrain from politicising their agitation or making unreasonable demands. It added that the protesters are at liberty to shift their agitation to an alternate site identified by the authorities. The bench heard a petition filed by Haryana against an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the removal of the Shambhu border blockade. Since a sizeable population of agricultural communities in Punjab and Haryana belong to marginalised communities and live below the poverty line, they deserve empathy, the bench said, adding that it felt the necessity of forming a neutral committee to look into their issues. Meanwhile, around 1,000 farmers in Chandigarh commenced a five-day protest to pressure the AAP-led Punjab government to fulfill their demands, including the swift implementation of a comprehensive agriculture policy Thirty. two farmer unions of the Samyukat Kisan Morcha of Punjab held a Mahapanchayat. After marching from Sector 34 to Matka Chowk, the farmers handed over a memorandum to Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian. THE CBI on Monday evening arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh in connection with alleged financial irregularities at the state-run institution during his tenure. The CBI had been questioning Ghosh for 15 days in connection with the horrific rape-murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor on August 9. Three others who have been arrested are Ghosh’s security guard Afsar Ali (44), and hospital vendors Biplav Singha (52) and Suman Hazara (46). From the CBI’s Salt Lake CGO Complex office, Ghosh Guidelines soon on bulldozer justice, says SC S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday questioned the practice of ‘bulldozer justice’ in some states, wherein properties of the accused or those convicted in criminal cases are demolished, saying even if a person is convicted, his or her property cannot be demolished without following the procedure prescribed by the law. The top court said it will soon lay down guidelines on the issue. “How can anybody’s house be demolished just because he is an accused? Even if he is a convict, it (house) can’t be demolished. Even after telling SC Bar, we don’t find any change in attitude,” a two-judge bench comprising justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said. The bench was hearing a joint petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind and others seeking directions to various state governments to ensure no further demolition of properties of those accused in cases of rioting and violence takes place. Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, appearing for one of the petitioners, said even properties rented out have been demolished. He highlighted that some houses were destroyed because the tenant was involved in a criminal case. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, referred to an earlier affidavit filed by the state in the matter. Mehta said the state has said that demolition of immovable property can take place “only for violation of and in accordance with the procedure prescribed in the respective applicable municipal law or law governing development authorities of the area”. Responding to this, the court said, “You are saying demolition only if violation of municipal laws. There is a need for guidelines, it needs to be documented,” the bench said, adding it will not protect any unauthorised construction. EXPRESS READ ‘Stephen’s exceeded Christian quota limit’ The Delhi University on Monday accused St Stephen’s College of exceeding the sanctioned quota for Christian candidates in its revised seat list, and leaving some seats in a few BA courses vacant despite candidates meeting criteria based on CUET scores. P3 Bail to Vijay Nair in excise policy case Sandip Ghosh being taken to CBI office after his arrest in Kolkata on Monday | PTI (53) was taken to the agency’s Nizam Palace office, which houses its anti-corruption wing, and was arrested. RG Kar Hospital’s former deputy superintendent Akhtar Ali lodged complaints of financial irregularities on multiple counts during Ghosh’s tenure as principal. P8 In a relief to former communication in-charge of AAP Vijay Nair, the Supreme Court granted him bail after 23 months of incarceration in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam, observing liberty is “sacrosanct” and needs to be respected in cases involving even stringent laws. P3 ED gets 4-day remand of AAP’s Amanatullah SHEKHAR SINGH & U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi THE Rouse Avenue Court late Monday night remanded AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan to four-day Enforcement Directorate custody in a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board and illegally leasing its properties. Earlier in the day the ED had , arrested Khan from his resi- dence. Special Judge Rakesh Syal directed the ED to produce Khan on September 6. The ED said that Khan is required to be interrogated with respect to the statements wherein critical aspects of the investigation, which are specific to him. “This has to be considered in view of his deliberate and continued physical absence during the investigation and also his conduct of defying the summons,” the ED told the court. Dramatic scenes were witnessed at his Okhla residence where ED sleuths reached in the early hours. The legislator posted a video on ‘X’ where he could be seen talking about his imminent arrest. Another video showed his sister arguing with an officer standing outside the gate of his residence. “What do you want to search for at my house? What do I have? 1000% you have come to arrest me. I have sought four weeks’ time due to my motherin-law’s operation,” Khan told the ED officer. The MLA was questioned four months back after the Supreme Court refused to entertain his bail plea and directed him to join the probe from April 18. The ED had earlier raided Khan’s premises.
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