04112021 first india lucknow

Yogi basks in Ayodhya’s limelight
First India Bureau
Ayodhya: The prelude
to the grand Deepotsa-
va when 9 lakh diyas
made by local potters
from the state of Uttar
Pradesh would illumi-
nate Ayodhya was no
less grand and spectac-
ular on Wednesday, on
the eve of Diwali. Chief
Minister Yogi Adity-
anath attended the col-
ourful programme and
also unveiled projects
worth Rs 661 crore for
the development of
Ayodhya.
Taking a dig at the
opposition parties, CM
Yogi remarked: “Five
years ago, Ayodhya de-
spite being the birth-
place of Lord Ram did
not have Deepotsav on
the occasion of Diwali.
Chanting Jai Shri Ram
was a crime then. Thir-
ty-one years ago Ram
bhakts were fired at in
Ayodhya and no one
can forget that inci-
dent. But today, the
same people are chant-
ing Jai Shri Ram and
the day is not far when
you will find them do-
ing karseva too. Lord
Ram has proved to be
the integrating force.”
CM Yogi with artists dressed up as Rama, Sita and Lakshman
during Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya on Wednesday.
—PHOTO BY SUMIT KUMAR
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Chief Minis-
ter Yogi Adityanath on
Wednesday announced
that a rare idol of Maa
Annapurna that went
missing from Kashi 100
years ago during the
British era is finally be-
ing returned from Can-
ada to its home, Vara-
nasi, and will be in-
stalled there.
Highlighting the ef-
forts made by PM Nar-
endra Modi to retrieve
and bring home the idol
of the goddess, CM Yogi
said, “100 years ago an
idol of Maa Annapurna
went missing from
Kashi and ended up at a
university in Canada.
The government of In-
dia has received that
idol from the university
anditisnowbeinggiven
to the Government of
Uttar Pradesh. It will be
placed in Kashi Vishwa-
nath temple on Novem-
ber 15 amid chanting of
Vedic hymns,” CM said.
Speaking at a press
conference, the CM
said, “It is an occasion
for joy and spiritual sat-
isfaction. This statue
will be transferred to
the state government in
a ceremony to be organ-
ised in Delhi on Novem-
ber 11, followed by its
journey in a grand pro-
cession from Delhi on to
reach Varanasi on No-
vember 14, en route
stopovers of one day
each in Soron, Kanpur
Nagar and Ayodhya.”
On the auspicious oc-
casion of ‘Devotthan
Ekadashi’ on November
15, a grand ceremony
will be held at Shri
Kashi Vishwanath
Dham and the statue
will be placed after the
appropriate rituals, he
added. “Maa Annapur-
na ke ashish se Kashi
me koi bhookha nahi
rehta. It is Goddess An-
napurna who gives food
to Baba Vishwanath. In
such a tradition, this
idol has special signifi-
cance,” he said.
CMYogiinformedme-
dia persons that on the
auspicious occasion of
‘Gopashtami’, the statue
will begin its journey to
Kashi with a four-day
grand procession.
Stolen idol of Annapurna returning to Varanasi
RESTORING HERITAGE

The idol will be
handed over to
UP govt on
Nov 11 after
stopovers in
Soron, Kanpur,
Ayodhya, and
installed at
Kashi
Vishwanath Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Varanasi. —FILE PHOTO
CENTRE RELEASES `17000 CR AS GST
COMPENSATION TO STATES/UTS
MAIDEN WIN FOR INDIA IN WT20
India won by 66 runs against Afghanistan on Wednesday wherein the men in blue scored
210 wherein openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma gave India a rapid start. In reply
Afghanistan lost early wickets ending up loosing the match.
New Delhi: The Central Government has released GST
compensation of Rs 17,000 crore to states, informed the
Ministry of Finance on Wednesday. As per the ministry,
the total amount of compensation released to the States/
UTs so far including the aforesaid amount during the year
2021-22 is Rs 60,000 crore. As per the decision of GST
Council, a back-to-back loan of Rs 1.59 lakh crore has
already been released in lieu of shortfall in the release of
GST Compensation during the current financial year, said
the ministry. —ANI
HOLIDAY NOTICE
The offices of First
India will remain
closed on November
4 and 5 on the
occasion of Diwali and
Goverdhan Puja. There
will be no edition on
November 5 and 6.
SLASHED!
New Delhi: Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi on
Wednesday said the vac-
cination drive against
Covid-19 needs a ‘Har
Ghar Dastak’ approach
to achieve its target. “So
far you have been work-
ing to take people to vac-
cination centres, now it
is time to reach every
house for door-to-door
vaccine. You can take
help of local religious
leaders to spread aware-
ness about Covid vac-
cines and to fight ru-
mours,” PM Modi told
District Magistrates of
low vaccination cover-
age districts during a
review meeting.
A total of 40 low vac-
cination coverage dis-
tricts have been identi-
fied across Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Chhat-
tisgarh, Delhi, Hary-
ana, Jharkhand, Maha-
rashtra, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland and Tamil
Nadu. The Chief Minis-
ters of these states
were also present at the
meeting.The meeting
was held via video con-
ferencing.
DENGUE SCARE: CENTRAL
TEAMS RUSH TO 9 STATES & UTs
EXCISE DUTY ON PETROL
BY `5, `10 ON DIESEL
New Delhi: The Central government has extended help to
nine states and union territories with a higher caseload
of dengue infection sending high-level teams to support
them in public health measures for control and manage-
ment of the infection. The states/UTs where the Centre has
rushed its teams are Haryana, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu
and Kashmir. “A total of 15 states/UTs are reporting
their maximum cases in the current year. These states
contribute 86 per cent of the country’s total dengue cases
till October 31,” the Health Ministry said.
New Delhi: In a relief to consumers on the eve
of Diwali, the central government on Wednesday
announced a reduction in excise duty on petrol and
diesel. The excise
duty on petrol will be
reduced by Rs 5 and
that on diesel by Rs
10 and new rates will
come into effect from
tomorrow. Govern-
ment sources said
that the reduction in
excise duty on diesel
will be double that of
petrol and will come as a boost to the farmers dur-
ing the upcoming Rabi season. They said that states
have also been urged to reduce VAT on petrol and
diesel to give relief to consumers. —ANI
PM Modi during virtual review meeting. —PHOTO BY ANI
‘HAR GHAR DASTAK’
MODI’S ‘DIWALI MANTRA’ TO
SPREAD VACCINE ‘HAPPINESS’!
A RECORD BREAKING
A RECORD BREAKING
DIWALI FOR AYODHYA
DIWALI FOR AYODHYA
Total of 40 low vax coverage districts identified
Devotees witness laser show on the bank of Saryu River during Deepotsav
celebrations in Ayodhya where, breaking the previous record of most diyas lit
on Diwali, Ayodhya witnessed 9 lakh diyas being illuminated —PHOTO BY PTI
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
LUCKNOW l THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/80229 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 321
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD, LUCKNOW & NEW DELHI
Many secrets in hotel
‘The Lalit’, says Malik
Mumbai: Upping the
ante Maharashtra Min-
ister and senior Na-
tionalist Congress Par-
ty leader
N a w a b
Malik on
Wednes-
day said
in a cryp-
tic tweet
that there are many
“secrets” hidden in Ho-
tel Lalit. The Minister
also said that he will
reveal the secrets on
Sunday. “Happy Deep-
awali. Happy Diwali to
all of you. There are
many secrets hidden in
Hotel ‘The Lalit’...see
you on Sunday,” tweet-
ed Malik.
‘PERSONAL VENDETTA’:
WANKHEDE’S SISTER
Mumbai: NCB Zonal Direc-
tor Sameer Wankhede’s
sister Yasmeen Wankhede
has hit back at the National-
ist Congress Party (NCP)
leader Nawab Malik for
sharing her purported
Whatsapp chats on social
media and accused the
Minister of taking out his
“personal vendetta for his
son-in-law’s arrest” by
dragging women into the
ongoing tussle between
him and the probe agency.

Lucknow: CM Yogi
on Wednesday said
construction of a
grand Ram Temple
in Ayodhya and he
himself is proud to
be the third genera-
tion of the “Mandir
movement” or Ram-
j a n m a b h o o m i
movement.
In Ayodhya to at-
tend the Deepotsava
programme, the UP
CM said, “We have
made the impossible
possible with the be-
ginning of construc-
tion of Ram Temple
in Ayodhya. The
world said it was im-
possible. But we
made it possible.”
“Today, UP has be-
come the focal point
of faith as a spiritual
city while the cen-
tral and state gov-
ernments are work-
ing continuously for
the development of
Ayodhya,” he point-
ed out.
“When Lord Ram
incarnated in Ayod-
hya, then my ‘dadgu-
ru’ (guru’s guru) was
heading the move-
ment. When the
movement for con-
struction of Ram
temple began, my
guru was president
of the Ramjanmab-
hoomi Yagya Samiti.
I am also getting the
privilege to actively
participate in the
programme,” Yogi
Adityanath said.
UTTAR PRADESH
LUCKNOW | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021
02
AYODHYA DAZZLES AT DEEPOTSAV
Jailed MLA Vijay Mishra writes
to CM Yogi against officials
More than 11,000 lamps
illuminate Hanumangarhi on
Hanuman’s birth anniversary Agra: Jailed Bhadohi
MLA Vijay Mishra’s
letter to CM Yogi has
stirred the hornet’s
nest as he has accused
government officials
assigned with task of
implementing public
welfare schemes
through MLA funds,
have not been doing
their job.
In the 3-page long let-
ter Mishra, MLA from
Bhadohi’s Gynpur con-
stituency and current-
ly lodged at Agra Jail,
has accused the offic-
ers of not discharging
their work towards
public interest from
MLA fund and alleged
that the tender for the
MLA fund for the year
2020-21 and 2021-22
were deliberately not
carried out.
The MLA who has
been lodged in the jail
since October, 2020 in
his letter has held the
officials of the admin-
istrative and related
departments responsi-
ble for the delay and
further stated that he
would go onto fast until
death from November 1
if the tenders are not
held by October 31.
Senior Superinten-
dent of Jail VK Singh
speaking about the vi-
ral letter has stated
that the MLA is not
fasting while being
lodged in jail premises.
The letter also al-
leged that in the ten-
der of projects of pub-
lic interest, heavy
commission and pres-
sure are made so as to
get the tenders at
higher amount.
Ayodhya/ Lucknow:
Divya Deepotsav is be-
ing celebrated as a cele-
bration of the arrival of
Lord Shri Ram to Ayod-
hya after the victory of
Lanka.Itisalsothebirth
anniversary of Hanu-
man ji, an ardent devo-
tee of Lord Shri Ram.
On this occasion, a
continuous ‘sankirtan’
namedSitaramhasbeen
organized, which will
start on the occasion of
Narak Chaturdashi on
Wednesdayandwillcon-
tinue till Deepawali.
On the day of Narak
Chaturdashi, special
rituals, recitation of
Ramayana and Ram
Charit Manas started
from early morning,
which continued till
one o’clock in the night
at the time of birth of
Hanuman ji. At the
same time, the devotees
continued to enjoy the
discourses of the saints.
Yogi Speaks
Yogi Speaks
U
ttar Pradesh CM Yogi speaking
on Deepotsav announced the
continuation of free foodgrains
to ration card holders till Holi.
“Today is a sacred occasion and
to fulfil the dream of Ram Rajya,
we are extending the (PM-GKAY)
free ration scheme till Holi. Under
this, we’ll not only provide rice and
wheat but we’ll also give pulses,
salt & edible oil.”, he said.
CM Yogi performs ‘Rajyabhishek’ ceremony of Lord Rama
upon his return to Ayodhya in Ramleela.
Akhilesh enjoys patronage of
ISI, alleges Min Anand Shukla
First India Bureau
Lucknow : UP Minis-
ter Anand Swarup
Shukla has alleged that
SP chief Akhilesh Ya-
dav enjoys the patron-
age of Pakistan spy
agency ISI and said he
may even go for reli-
gious conversion to ap-
pease Muslims. He may
also be getting econom-
ic support from the
neighbouring country's
Inter-Services Intelli-
gence (ISI), the minister
alleged while talking to
reporters on Tuesday
.
"CM Yogi has become
a challenge for the Is-
lamic world. Samajwa-
di Party chief Akhilesh
Yadav is getting all sup-
port from them. Akh-
ilesh is getting 'sanrak-
shan aur sujhav' (pa-
tronage and advice)
from the ISI. It is possi-
ble that he might also be
getting economic sup-
port from it," Shukla,
who a BJP leader, said.
The remarks come
after Yadav in a speech
spoke of Mahatma Gan-
dhi, Sardar Vallabhb-
hai Patel, Jawaharlal
Nehru and Pakistan
founder Muhammad
Ali Jinnah in the same
breath as leaders who
fought for India's inde-
pendence.
"To appease Muslims,
Yadav had performed
'namaz' and observed
'roza' (fast). He can also
go for 'matantaran' (re-
ligious conversion) and
'khatna' to get their
votes," he said.
“On the directions of
the ISI, Yadav is glorify-
ing Jinnah”, he said.
‘Proud to be third
generation of Ram
Mandir movement’
Crowd mesmerised with laser light show in Ayodhya on the occasion of Deepotsav. —PHOTOS BY SUMIT KUMAR
The row of earthen lamps on Deepotsav.
12L lamps were lit on the occasion.
A magnificent display of Lord Rama, where he is
seen shooting an arrow, at Deepotsava. Students crafting Rangoli at Deepotsav venue in Ayodhya.
CM displays the Guiness Book of World Record certificate for Deepotsav, where 12L lamps were
illuminated on Wednesday. State BJP Chief Swatantra Dev Singh, State Tourism Minister Neelkanth
Tiwari, Jal Shakti Minister Mahendra Singh, ACS (Home) Awanish Awasthi and others were present.
A view of fireworks, crowds and
earthen lamps on Deepotsav.
Fireworks team up with laser lights to put
up an impressive show on Wednesday.
CM Yogi with Ramleela actors in Ayodhya.
MLA Vijay Mishra
First India Bureau
Lucknow: While all
eyes are fixed on cru-
cial 2022 UP election,
the BJP apart from re-
taining power in the
state, has been quietly
working on dislodging
Nehru-Gandhi family
from UP.
After defeating Con-
gress leader Rahul
Gandhi from Amethi
in 2019 Lok Sabha elec-
tion, the BJP has been
making deft efforts to
wrest Rai Bareli from
AICC president Sonia
Gandhi in 2024. In this
connection the BJP
has been laying spe-
cial emphasis on win-
ning all five seats in
Rai Bareli in 2022. Un-
ion Minister Smriti
Iran, who had dis-
lodged Rahul Gandhi
from Amethi in 2019
election, has now been
intensively working in
Rai Bareli to widen the
BJP base.
Of the total ten as-
sembly seats in two Lok
Sabha constituencies-
Amethi, Rai Bareli- six
are already under the
control of the BJP.
Two Congress legis-
lators from Rai Bareli-
Aditi Singh and Rakesh
Singh- have switched
over to the BJP. Simi-
larly, Congress MLC
Dinesh Pratap Singh
from Rai Bareli had
earlier joined the BJP.
The BJP has also con-
trol over Zila Panchay-
ats of the two districts.
In the last Panchayat
elections, the BJP had
succeeded in capturing
Zila Panchayat chair-
manship when its can-
didate Sumita Rawat
had defeated the Con-
gress nominee.
While Smriti Irani
has consolidated the
BJP base in Amethi,
she has now targeted
Rai Bareli. Since Sonia
Gandhi, who has not
visited her constitu-
ency for more than
one-and-half-year due
to illness, Smriti Irani
replaced her as chair-
person of Rai Bareli
District Development
Coordination and
Monitoring Commit-
tee last July.
According to reports
though Congress had
good organisational
presence at the grass-
roots level because its
activities are being di-
rectly monitored by
AICC general secretary
Priyanka Gandhi, de-
sertion of some senior
leaders including two
sitting MLAs have
damaged the party in
the region.
The BJP, aiming
complete rout of
Nehru-Gandhi family
from its bastion, has
deployed well-oiled
machinery to widen
its base.
There is feeling in
the party if the BJP
succeeds in winning all
five assembly seats in
Rai Bareli in 2022 its
journey to capture Lok
Sabha in 2024 would be-
come easy.
In 2019 Lok Sabha
elections the BJP had
fielded a former Sonia
loyalist Dinesh Singh
against her.
Though Singh lost,
he subsequently played
vital role in defeat of
the Congress in zila
panchayat. Now at pan-
chayat level elected
machinery is under
the control of BJP,
which would play sig-
nificant role in 2022 as-
sembly elections.
BJP making deft move to root out Congress in Amethi, Rai Bareli
ATTACKING MODE
Smriti Irani, who has consolidated the BJP base in Amethi, has
now targeted Rae Bareli.
MLA Anand Swarup Shukla People at Deepotsav in Ayodhya.

First India Bureau
Kanpur: Panic was
triggered in the area
after 25 more cases
were confirmed of Zika
virus in Chakeri area
here, following which
high alert was an-
nounced in the area.
Dr Nepal Singh, chief
medical officer here
,said after confirma-
tion of 25 more cases
the number of total
cases of Zika virus was
mounted to 36.
The persons from
Pokharpur area in
Chakeri, Adarsh Na-
gar, Shyam Nagar, Kali-
badi, Ompurwa, Lal
Kurti, Kaji Kheda and
Poonam Talkies area
were infected from
Zika virus.
He said that first
case of infection from
Zika virus was con-
firmed on October 23,
three more were con-
firmed on October 30,
six confirmed on Octo-
ber 31 and 25 new per-
sons were found to
be infected from
Zika virus on No-
vember 3.Health de-
partment has re-
leased advisory and
health workers were
spreading awareness
to protect individu-
als from deadly Zika
virus.
It was propagated
that Zika virus is
spread by daytime-
active Aedes mosqui-
toes such as A. ae-
gypti and A. albopic-
tus which spreads
dengue also. In most
cases, there are no
symptoms while in a
few cases, Zika can
trigger paralysis. In
pregnant women, it
may cause subsequent
birth defects.
When present, symp-
toms are mild and last
less than a week. They
include fever, rash,
joint pain and red eyes.
ika virus spreads
through the bite of the
Aedes Aegypti mosqui-
to, which is also a car-
rier of Dengue and Chi-
kungunya. Its most
common symptoms are
fever, body aches, rash,
conjunctivitis, muscle
and joint pain, malaise
or headache. Symp-
toms generally last for
two to seven days and
most people infected do
not develop symptoms,
according to the WHO.
UTTAR PRADESH
03
36 cases of Zika virus in Kanpur now
First India Bureau
Lucknow:Dengue
menace is continuing
to grow in the length
and breadth of the
state with both east-
ern and western dis-
trict reeling under it.
On Wednesday,
Western district of
Meerut reported as
manyas31caseswhile
Varanasi reported 17
cases of Dengue. Agra
and Lucknow too add-
ed to the tally with the
Taj City reporting 36
cases and the state
capital reporting 27
fresh cases. The re-
quirement for plate-
lets have also gone
with surge in every-
day-patient count
here. An official while
speaking to First In-
dia said that due to
change in weather
conditions the vector
borne diseases are on
the rise and there’s
continuous fogging be-
ing done by the Nagar
Nigam. In Lkw, among
those tested with den-
gue,16wereadmittedto
hospitalsof thecityfol-
lowing depletion of
platelets below 25,000,
whileotherswererecu-
perating at home, hos-
pitalsourcessaidwhile
speaking to First India.
IN 5 LOCALITIES
MAN SENTENCED TO 5 YRS IN PRISON
FOR OFFENCES UNDER GANGSTER ACT
UP STF ARRESTS NOTORIOUS
CRIMINAL FROM MEERUT
THREE GET LIFE SENTENCE IN
DOWRY DEATH CASE
Ballia: A court here has sentenced three people
to life imprisonment in a four-year-old dowry
death case. Additional Sessions Judge Hus-
sain Ahmad Ansari awarded life sentence to
Purvanchal Chauhan, his father Keshav Chauhan
and mother Rukmani Chauhan. The court also
imposed Rs 11,000 fine on each of them. An FIR
in this regard was registered by the victim’s fam-
ily against the three, following which the accused
were arrested.
CRUCIAL READ
Muzaffarnagar: A special court here has convicted
a man and sentenced him to five years imprison-
ment for offences under the Gangster Act. Special
Judge Radhey Shyam Yadav also imposed a fine of
Rs 10,000 on Gangaram on Tuesday. Prosecutor
Sandeep Singh said Gangaram was booked under the
Gangster Act after he was found involved in highway
robberies. He used to rob people along with his gang.
Lucknow:UP Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a
notorious criminal carrying reward of Rs 50k on his
arrest from Meerut. STF sources here said that acting
tip-off STF team arrested notorious criminal Sand-
eep near Kharkhauda bus station in Meerut. Several
criminal cases including murder charges were regis-
tered against Sandeep and reward of Rs 50,000 was
announced on his arrest by Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Dengue cases continue
to rise across the state
A patient of dengue in a hospital in UP. —FILE PHOTO
More samples have been sent for examination.

PERSPECTIVE
04
l Vol 1 l Issue No. 321
l RNI NO. UPENG/2020/80229.
Printed and published by
Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of
First Express Publishers. Printed
at Amar Ujala Ltd. B-5 Amausi
Industrial Area Kanpur Road Luc-
know. Published at 98, Friend’’s
Colony, Raheem Nagar, Dudouli
Road, Madiyaon, Lucknow (UP).
Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra.
Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan
responsible for selection of news
under the PRB Act
Promoted by First India
News International Pvt. Ltd.
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
Our life is shaped by our
mind; we become what we
think. Suffering follows an
evil thought as the wheels of
a cart follow the oxen that
draw it. Our life is shaped
by our mind; we become
what we think. Joy follow a
pure thought like a shadow
that never leaves.
—Buddha
IN-DEPTH
Piyush Goyal
@PiyushGoyal
The best in a decade! Service sector
marks October with the best PMI of
58.4 in over ten years. Growing demand
amid easing restrictions translates into
a festive bonanza for the job market.
Kiren Rijiju
@KirenRijiju
On this occasion, handed over the
‘Ganga Mashal’ to Indian Army which will
travel along the river Ganga. It is indeed
our collective responsibility to rejuvenate
and preserve our rivers. Every Indian
should contribute to the cause of rivers.
TOP TWEETS
WHO’S DIWALI GIFT
TO INDIA: COVAXIN
GETS APPROVAL BUT
AFTER LONG WAIT
etting World Health
Organisation’s ap-
proval for India’s in-
digenouslydeveloped
Covaxin had become
a prestige issue for the govern-
ment as the global health body
kept delaying its nod. The reason
it said was insufficient data pro-
vided by Bharat Biotech, the de-
veloper, and awaited a report
from its technical experts. All
this while India kept administer-
ing Covaxin to the people as it
was in desperate need of jabs.
Bharat Biotech also said that it
was working with WHO for the
emergency use authentication
for Covaxin and was hopeful of
an early approval.
Finally, the approval for the
vaccine’s emergency use came
on the eve of Diwali and its time
for double celebration. It is a per-
fect Diwali gift after WHO’s
Technical Advisory Group and
Strategic Group of Experts con-
cluded that Covaxin’s efficacy
outweighs the risks. This will
pave the way for other countries,
including those from the Euro-
pean Union, to recognise Covax-
in and lift travel restrictions on
Indians who have taken the jab.
G
A DIWALI BUSTLING WITH
HOPE & PROSPERITY!
eepawali is arguably the
most important festival of
India and Hindus worldwide.
After last year’s of ‘coronic’
lustreless and lightless festi-
val, this year it has brought
a ‘ray of hope’ and expecta-
tions! Deepawali visibly im-
pacts the nation, from the
religious, social, political to
the economic, from the mac-
ro government to the micro-
individual.
We have seen record GST
collections for October, the
beginning of a demand-
boosting festive season, came
in at Rs 1.30 lakh crore, com-
pared with Rs 1.17 lakh crore
in September. October GST
collections were not only the
second highest for the fiscal
year, but the second-highest
monthly collections since the
introduction of the nation-
wide tax in 2017.
In fact, the four legs of eco-
nomic growth that is private
consumption, government
expenditure, private invest-
ment and net exports, are re-
sponding to the festive sea-
son and catching up, at their
won pace. Post the Covid-19
pandemic, the Indian econo-
my is showing signs of
bouncing back which is be-
ing aided greatly by the fes-
tive season. On another level,
we have laws and rules with
arguments flowing back and
forth about pollution, green
crackers and more.
TheDiwalifestivalsinclude
Dhantrayodashi, Narak
Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali),
Lakshmi Puja (Diwali), Go-
vardhan Puja, and Bhaiyya
Dooj. Diwali has a varied rel-
evance to each person, but
what remains common about
the festival is the fact that it
brings joy
, peace and happi-
ness. This is perhaps the only
occasion where everyone
comes together without inhi-
bition.Itisalsoamongthefew
Indian festivals where people
of all faiths come together in
celebration. Diwali has a deep
rooted tradition and is very
rich in significance. What has
perhaps made Diwali as spe-
cialasitistodayisthefactthat
its genesis has been traced
back to as far as the treta yug.
In its own way
, that Diwali
demonstrates how ancient
tales in epics become part of
religious practice. There are
many stories around what
exactly Diwali commemo-
rates and why it is celebrated.
The festival celebrates the
defeat of the evil demon king
RavanabyRama–anincarna-
tionof theGodVishnuandthe
heroof Ramayanaepic.Rama-
yana still holds a power over
each Hindu, even the so-called
atheistsinitsstoryandtheles-
sons therein. It is victory of
good over evil and even the
most deep-rooted metaphor
we can find spiritual solace.
In a later age, the festival
commemorates the defeat of
the demon Narakasura by
Lord Krishna. Like Rama,
Krishna is an incarnation of
the god Vishnu, who has
come to assist humanity in
its time of need.
Other traditions associate
the festival with the birth of
the goddess Lakshmi and her
marriage to Vishnu. In the
Hindu tradition, Lakshmi is
worshipped as the goddess of
wealth, while Vishnu is seen
as the preserver of humanity
.
In southern India, we cel-
ebrate the defeat of the de-
mon Hiranyakshipu by Nar-
asimha, the lion-headed in-
carnation of Vishnu.
The Diwali tradition is cel-
ebrated by Jains and Sikhs as
well, who have their own in-
terpretations of the festival.
For Jains, Diwali celebrates
the nirvana, or enlighten-
ment, of Mahavira, the 24th
spiritual teacher of the Jain
path and the contemporary
tradition’s founder.
Sikhs consider Diwali a
commemorationof therelease
of Guru Hargobind, the sixth
of 10 spiritual leaders, and 52
other men who were impris-
oned by the Mughal Empire
thatruledtheIndiansubconti-
nent from 1526 to 1857.
The diverse origin stories
of Diwali are a reinforce-
ment of our belief system
that good will necessarily tri-
umph over the evils of de-
mons, injustice and igno-
rance. It historically symbol-
izes the victory of good over
evil and celebrates light and
life on both community and
personal levels. On the one
hand, it is a time to rejoice
and feast with friends and
family. Homes are cleaned
and decorated with bright
earthen lamps in every cor-
ner, and delicious meals are
prepared and shared with all.
Old accounts are closed, and
arguments are settled.
On a more personal level,
however, Diwali is a time to
turn inward and light the
lamps of knowledge and
truthinourheartsandminds
so that we can dispel the forc-
es of darkness and ignorance
within us and allow our in-
nate brilliance and goodness
to shine forth.
As part of the festivities,
ensure that these stories are
toldandretoldtochildrenand
grandchildren. Keep the reli-
gious and spiritual power of
Deepawali alive through re-
membrance. The spiritual
power behind the Deepawali
traditions is important and
one must empower self and
othersthroughremembrance.
Happy Deepawali!
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
D
On a more personal level,
however, Diwali is a time to
turn inward and light the
lamps of knowledge and
truth in our hearts and
minds so that we can dispel
the forces of darkness and
ignorance within us and
allow our innate brilliance
and goodness to shine forth.
As part of the festivities,
ensure that these stories are
told and retold to children
and grandchildren.
In its own way, Diwali
demonstrates how
ancient tales in epics
become part of religious
practice. There are many
stories around what
exactly Diwali
commemorates and why
it is celebrated. The
festival celebrates defeat
of evil demon king
Ravana by Rama—an
incarnation of God
Vishnu and the hero of
Ramayana epic
ANITA HADA
THE WRITER IS
EXECUTIVE EDITOR FIRST INDIA

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INDIA
06
New Delhi: The WHO
on Wednesday granted
Covaxin an emergency
use listing, or EUL,
which means the 'made-
in-India' vaccine will
finally be recognised by
other countries and In-
dians who received
the shot need not
self-quarantine or
face restric-
tions when travelling
abroad.
"Available data on
vaccination of preg-
nant women with Cov-
axin are insufficient to
assess vaccine safety or
efficacy in pregnancy;
studies in pregnant
women are planned, in-
cluding a pregnancy
sub-study and a preg-
nancy registry," WHO
said. The approval is
also likely to clear way
for India to commit vax
supplies to COVAX.
—ANI
Kedarnath temple
decorated with 8
quintal flowers
Rudraprayag: Prepa-
rations are in full swing
in Kedarnath ahead of
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi's visit on No-
vember 5. The Prime
Minister will offer
prayers at the Kedar-
nath Temple and there-
after inaugurate Shri
Adi Shankaracharya
Samadhi and also un-
veil the statue of Shri
Adi Shankaracharya
here. A devotee, who
came to visit the Kedar-
nath temple, said, "Af-
ter 2013, PM Modi has
done a lot of develop-
ments in here. I want
some hotels to come up
in Kedarnath." —ANI
New Delhi: Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi on
Wednesday hit out the
Centre saying that infla-
tionisatitspeakaround
Diwali and added that
he wished the govern-
ment had a sensitive
heart for the people.
"It's Diwali. Inflation
is at its peak. It's not a
joke. I wish the Modi
government had a sensi-
tive heart for the pub-
lic," Gandhi tweeted in
Hindi. His statement
comes amid rising fuel
prices. Petrol and diesel
prices remained con-
stant today after con-
stantly rising for seven
consecutive days. Con-
gress party have been
extremely critical of the
government over the
rise in fuel prices. —ANI
CRUCIAL READ
SBI Q2 CONSOLIDATED
PROFIT SURGES 69 PC
TO RS 8,890 CRORE
New Delhi: The
country’s largest lender
SBI on Wednesday
reported a 69% jump in
consolidated net profit
to Rs 8,889.84 crore
for the second quarter
ended September 30,
mainly due to a decline
in bad loans. The
bank’s net profit was Rs
5,245.88 crore in the
July-September quarter
of the previous fiscal,
SBI said in a regulatory
filing. The bank’s net
profit was Rs 5,245.88
crore in July-September
quarter of previous
fiscal, SBI said report.
KARNATAKA BJP
LEADER SLAPS COP
DURING PROTEST
Bengaluru: Karnataka
BJP leader and former
MLA A Papareddy
allegedly slapped a
police constable in
Raichur district on
Wednesday after he
was stopped from
burning an effigy of
Congress leader and
former chief minister
Siddaramaiah during
a protest. A video clip
of Papareddy arguing
and slapping constable
A Raghavendra, who
was in civilian clothes,
is being shared on
various social media
platforms.
AFTER BY-POLL SUCCESS, MURLIDHAR
RAO SAYS ‘MADHYA PRADESH MEANS BJP’
New Delhi: BJP won by-elections on Jobat and Prith-
vipur assembly seats
along with Khandwa LS
seat, party leader P Mu-
ralidhar Rao on Tues-
day said “MP means
BJP”. Rao said, “We are
not going to look back
in MP. We will now win
in new areas of state too. In Jobatm, Prithvipur, we had
secured fewer votes in previous polls. But this time, we
won here which means people are building faith in us.
MP means BJP.” He said, “Future will be in favour of
BJP in WB too as govt ruling there is temporary.”
PAK DISALLOWING AIRSPACE TO SRINAGAR-
SHARJAH FLIGHTS UNFORTUNATE, SAYS OMAR
Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah on Wednesday termed Pakistan’s
decision to disallow the usage of its airspace for the
Srinagar-Sharjah flights as “unfortunate”. Taking to
Twitter, he said: “Very unfortunate. Pakistan did the
same thing with the Air India Express flight from
Srinagar to Dubai in 2009-2010. I had hoped that
@GoFirstairways being permitted to overfly Pak
airspace was indicative of a thaw in relations but alas
that wasn’t to be.”
COVAXIN GETS WHO NOD!
OVER 107.29 CRORE
DOSES ADMINISTERED
114 CR VACCINE DOSES
GIVEN TO STATES, UTS
New Delhi: As per the provisional
reports, till 7 am on Wednesday,
the country administered 41,16,230
vaccine doses in the past 24 hours,
taking the overall number of doses
to 1,07,29,66,315. This has been
achieved through 1,07,96,018
sessions. Meanwhile, India reported
11,903 new Covid cases in the last 24
hours, said the Union Health Ministry.
New Delhi: More than 114 crore
vaccine doses have been provided
to states and union territories so far,
out of which, more than 14.68 crore
balance and unutilised doses are still
available with them to be administered,
informed the MoHFW on Wednesday.
“Over 14.68 crore (14,68,60,146)
balance and unutilised doses are still
available with states/UTs,” release said.
NO VACCINATION IN MUMBAI FOR 4 DAYS
Mumbai: The BMC on Wednesday announced that no Covid vaccination will
take place at civic and government-run centres in Mumbai between No-
vember 4 to 7 owing to Diwali celebrations. The vaccination will resume on
November 8. According to the BMC, it has a sufficient stock of vaccine doses.
Meanwhile, Maha on Tuesday recorded 1,078 new cases and 48 deaths.
Covaxin has demonstrated 77.8% effectiveness
against symptomatic Covid-19 and 65.2 per
cent protection against the new Delta variant
However, no recommendation
has been made for use on chil-
dren, and available data on use
of Covaxin on pregnant women
is insufficient to assess safety or
efficacy.
—WHO OFFICIAL SAID
WORLDHEALTHORGANIZATION@WHO
Covaxin was also reviewed by
WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of
Experts on Immunization (SAGE),
and recommended use of this vac-
cine (is) in two doses, with a dose
interval of four weeks, in all age
groups 18 and above.
PM TO SPEND DIWALI
WITH ARMY PERSONNEL
IN J&K'S RAJOURI
New Delhi: The forward
area of Nowshera sector in
Jammu & Kashmir's
Rajouri is gearing up for
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's Diwali visit on
Thursday, November 4.
Prime Minister Modi is
expected to visit the
border outposts to spend
Diwali with the troops.
Ever since he became the
Prime Minister in 2014,
Modi has been a regular
visitor to the border
outposts on Diwali. He
gifts sweets and other
gifts to the jawans. Modi
had spent Diwali with the
troops in Rajouri in
2019 as well.
Inflation at peak around Diwali, wish
Centre was sensitive to people: RaGa
Rahul Gandhi
@RahulGandhi
It's Diwali. Inflation is at
its peak. It's not a joke.
I wish the Modi gov-
ernment had a sensitive
heart for the public.
New Delhi: SC judge
Justice DY Chandra-
chud on Wednesday
pushed for digitisation
of legal processes, stat-
ing that delay in com-
munication of bail or-
ders to jail authorities
is a “very serious defi-
ciency” as it “touches
upon human liberty” of
every under-trial and
convict.
Speaking at an online
event by Allahabad HC
to inaugurate virtual
courts and ‘e-Sewa ken-
dras’, udge referred to
an initiative being
launched at Orissa HC
by CJ Murlidhar,‘e-cus-
tody certificate’. —ANI
Delay in communication of bail
orders affects‘liberty’: SC Judge
That certificate will give us all the req-
uisite data with regard to that particu-
lar under-trial or convict, right from
initial remand to the subsequent progress of
each case. This will also help us in ensuring that
bail orders are communicated as soon as they
are made, from the place they are communicat-
ed, to the jails for immediate implementation..
—Justice DY Chandrachud, Supreme Court judge
IN THE COURTYARD
SC TO EXAMINE IF EDU
IS WITHIN CONSUMER
PROTECTION ACT
New Delhi: The SC has
agreed to examine the issue
whether education is a
service within the Consumer
Protection Act. A bench of
Justices D Y Chandrachud
and B V Nagarathna noted
that a similar legal issue
is pending adjudication in
another case and tagged the
matter along with it. “Having
regard to the pendency of
Civil Appeal No 3504 of
2020 (Manu Solanki and
Others vs Vinayaka Mission
University), the issue as
to whether education is a
service within the CPA, is
pending before this Court,”
the bench said.
ANTI TERROR LAW: SC
QUASHES HC ORDER
DISCHARGING MAN
New Delhi: SC has quashed
the Kerala High Court
order which discharged an
accused, arrested for his
alleged Maoist links, for the
purported offences includ-
ing sedition and under the
provisions of the anti-terror
law, the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, in 3 cases.
Dealing with the appeals
filed by Kerala and others,
SC said the high court’s
September 2019 was passed
by a single judge which can
be said to be “absolutely
contrary” to the statutory
provision under the NIA Act
and the law laid down earlier
by top court.
DON’T HAVE MORE
EVIDENCE AGAINST
DESHMUKH: PARAM
Mumbai: Former Mumbai
Police commissioner
Param Bir Singh has sub-
mitted an affidavit before
an inquiry commission
probing his corruption
allegations against former
Maharashtra home minister
Anil Deshmukh, saying he
does not have any further
evidence to share in
the matter. Param
Bir Singh’s lawyer
here on Wednesday
confirmed that senior
Indian Police Service
(IPS) officer submit-
ted the affidavit in a
previous hearing of
the commission.
HC restrains
heads of 9
JNU centres
New Delhi: Delhi HC
has restrained Chair-
persons of 9 centres in
JNU from taking any
major decision and held
that their appointment
by the JNU’s V-C is pri-
ma facie without any
authority. “We are pri-
ma facie of the view
that respondent no.2 (
JNU VC) is not vested
with the power to ap-
point Chairpersons of
Centres/ Special Cen-
tres, “ said a division
bench .
Mumbai: The Cricket
Advisory Committee
comprising Sulakshana
Naik and RP Singh on
Wednesday unanimous-
ly appointed Rahul
Dravid as the head
coach of Team India
(Senior Men).
The former India cap-
tain will take charge
from the upcoming
home series against
New Zealand. The BCCI
had invited applica-
tions for the said posi-
tion on October 26 to
appoint Ravi Shastri’s
successor, whose term
gets over after the ongo-
ing ICC T20 World Cup.
The Board congratu-
lates Shastri (former
Team Director & Head
Coach), B. Arun (Bowl-
ing Coach), R. Sridhar
(Fielding Coach) and
Vikram Rathour (Bat-
ting Coach) on a suc-
cessful tenure.
Sourav Ganguly,
President, BCCI in a re-
lease said, “The BCCI
welcomes Rahul Dravid
as the Head Coach of
India’s senior men
team. Rahul has had an
illustrious playing ca-
reer and is one of the
greats of the game. He
has also served Indian
cricket as Head of Na-
tional Cricket Academy
(NCA) with distinction.
Rahul’s effort at the
NCA has nurtured sev-
eral young cricketing
talents who have gone
on to represent the
country at the interna-
tional stage. I am hope-
ful that his new stint
will take Indian cricket
to new heights.”
Jay Shah, Honorary
Secretary, BCCI said,
“There is no better per-
son than Rahul Dravid
and I am delighted to
see him being appoint-
ed as the Head Coach of
the Indian Cricket
Team. With two World
Cups scheduled to take
place in the next two
years, it is important to
have a seamless transi-
tion, and the former In-
dia captain is the right
man for the job. The
Board will soon make
appointments of other
coaching staff, who will
support the Head Coach
in jointly achieving our
targets.”
Rahul Dravid, Head
Coach, Team India said,
“It is an absolute hon-
our to be appointed as
the new Head Coach of
the Indian Cricket
Team and I am really
looking forward to this
role. I look forward to
working with players
and support staff to
achieve our potential.”
—ANI
Rahul Dravid is Team India’s head coach
TAKE CHARGE FROM NOV 17 DURING NZ SERIES
TRUTH CAN'T BE HELD HOSTAGE: RAGA TO SRK
AHEAD OF PM MODI’S VISIT
COURT TAKES
COGNISANCE OF
CHARGE SHEET
New Delhi: A Delhi court
has taken cognisance of
the charge sheet against
14 accused including
conman Chandrashekhar,
his wife Leena Maria Paul
and others in an alleged
cheating case of 200 crores.
Additional Sessions Judge
Praveen said, “I have
perused charge sheet. From
a perusal of the charge
sheet, I find that prima facie
commission of an offence
under section 170/384/386
/388/419/420/406/409/186
/353/468/471/506(2)/120 B
IPC and section 66 D of IT
Act as well as section 3 and
4 of MCOC Act is taken.”
Rahul Dravid

NEWS
07
POLITICS UNITE
STRANGE
BEDFELLOWS
Ahead of high-stakes assembly
elections 2022, politics in the
country’s most populous state
seems to have united strange
bedfellow’s. And the man who
has gone in overdrive in this
season of alliances is none other
than the President of the
Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party
(SBSP) Om Prakash
Rajbhar. Spurned by the ruling
BJP, he has vowed to take
vengeance and after sealing a
tacit pact with Samajwadi Party
chief Akhilesh Yadav, the one-
time minister in Yogi Government
has appeared to have found a
new ally in mafia don-turned-
politician Mukhtar Ansari,
presently lodged inside the Banda
jail. The buzz is Rajbhar met
Mukhtar on Tuesday. He was
escorted by Abbas and Umar, the
two sons of Ansari. The SBSP
chief is understood to have
offered Mukhtar to contest the
2022 Assembly elections on the
SBSP symbol. Interestingly,
Mukhtar’s brother Sigbatullah
Ansari is with the Samajwadi
Party (SP) but Akhilesh Yadav is
reportedly averse to bringing the
mafia don into his party fold since
that would invite unnecessary
controversy and flak from other
political circles. Hence, an
understanding has been reached
under which Ansari could contest
the Assembly polls on an SBSP
ticket and he would automatically
get Samajwadi support since SP
and SBSP have already
announced their alliance for the
elections. Mukhtar wields
considerable influence in nearly a
dozen Assembly segments in
eastern Uttar Pradesh. The
coming together of Muslims,
Rajbhar and Yadav votes in the
region would undoubtedly prove
to be a winning combination and
could upset the ruling BJP’s
calculations in the area.Mukhtar
Ansari, who is presently a BSP
MLA, has reportedly agreed to the
proposal since party president
Mayawati has already said that
she would not give a ticket to the
Ansari brothers. Mukhtar’s elder
brother, Afzal Ansari, is a BSP MP
at present.
—M Tariq Khan
ALLIANCE BETWEEN
UNCLE & NEPHEW
ENTHUSES
WORKERS
The distance between Shivpal
Yadav, Chief of Pragatisheel
Samajwadi Party Lohia and his
nephew Akhilesh Yadav, Chief of
Samajwadi Party is diminishing
and the recent statement of
Akhilesh Yadav about joining
hands with his uncle Shivpal
Yadav has the workers of
Samajwadi Party and Pragatisheel
Samajwadi Party Lohia elated. The
leaders and workers of both the
party have already started calling
each other as a single family and
the alliance can actually hinder
BJP’s strategies chalked out for
the upcoming elections in Uttar
Pradesh. The increasing inflation
rate in the state could also play
into the hands of the Samajwadi
Party which is hoping to come to
back power in the state. Akhilesh
Yadav’s statement has all the
political parties take attention of
the developments in the
Samajwadi Party as an alliance
between Shivpal Yadav’s
Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party
Lohia and Akhilesh Yadav’s SP
could spell doom for the
opposition parties but its yet to be
seen how exactly the alliance will
be formed between uncle and
nephew duo. Akhilesh Yadav’s
statement just on the occasion of
Diwali has everyone in the SP and
Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party
Lohia camp jump in joy about the
prospective alliance.
—Ahtesham Siddiqui
FARMERS’CONDITIONUNDERBJP
RULE EXPOSES LIES OF GOVT: YADAV
The attack by the SP leader came after a farmer allegedly died by suicide on Tuesday at Biharipur village
Lucknow: Samajwadi
Party president Akhile-
sh Yadav on Wednesday
termed the alleged sui-
cide of a “debt-ridden”
farmer in UP ’s Baghpat
district as “heart
wrenching”andsaidthe
condition of farmers
under the BJP rule is
“exposingalllies”of the
government. The
45-year-old farmer alleg-
edly committed suicide
onTuesdayatBiharipur
village in Baghpat as he
was depressed for not
being able to repay his
loan,asperhisrelatives.
“The incident of sui-
cide by a debt-ridden
farmer in Baghpat, Ut-
tar Pradesh is extreme-
ly heart-wrenching!
Such conditions of
farmers under BJP
rule are exposing all
the lies of the govern-
ment. After all, till
when will the farmers
of the state endure all
this?,” Akhilesh said in
a tweet in Hindi with
hashtag #Nahi_Chahi-
ye_BJP. The farmer,
Chaudhary Anil Ku-
mar, was found hang-
ing from a tree in his
neighbour’s field.
Relatives of the de-
ceased had told report-
ers that he had taken a
bank loan of about Rs 7
lakh and Rs 3 lakh from
a local moneylender.
They said he was being
asked to repay his loan
but as he was not in a
condition to repay it,
he committed suicide.
Kotwali police station
incharge Ajay Kumar
Sharma had however
said they were told that
he was depressed but
nobody informed them
about his loan. In a sep-
arate tweet, Yadav ap-
pealed to the people of
Uttar Pradesh, well-
wishers of farmers,
workers of the SP and
its allies to observe
“Lakhimpur Kisan Sm-
riti Diwas”. “Light a
‘Kisan smriti deep’
(light an earthen lamp
in the memory of farm-
ers and honour them,”
the former chief minis-
ter said. The Samajwa-
di Party had on Tues-
day asked all its work-
ers and allies to observe
“Lakhimpur Kisan Sm-
riti Diwas” on the third
of every month to re-
mind people about the
October 3 Lakhimpur
Kheri violence and the
“brutality of the BJP”.
Eight people died in the
violence and four of
them were farmers, al-
legedly knocked down
by a vehicle carrying
BJP workers. Infuriat-
ed farmers then alleg-
edly lynched some peo-
ple in the vehicles.
The other dead in-
cluded two BJP work-
ers, their driver, and a
journalist. Farmers
claimed that Union
Minister Ajay Mishra’s
son Ashish Mishra was
in one of the vehicles,
an allegation denied by
him and his father who
say they can produce
evidence to prove he
was at an event at that
time. Several people ac-
cused in the case, in-
cluding Ashish Mishra,
are in the jail. Follow-
ing the incident, the
BJP, which is in power
in Uttar Pradesh and at
the Centre, is under at-
tack by the Opposition,
which is demanding
the sacking of the Un-
ion minister for a fair
probe into the matter.
—FILE PHOTO
Alliance, not merger
with PSP: Akhilesh
Yadav clarifies
First India Bureau
Etawah: Clarifying
that Samajwadi Party
will have alliance with
Pragatisheel Samajwa-
di Party (PSP) and all
workers of PSP along
with its president Shiv-
pal Singh Yadav will
get appropriate defer-
ence, Samajwadi Party
(SP) president Akhile-
sh Yadav put rest on
pending speculations
about merger of both
parties.
Addressing media
and party workers here
SP president Akhilesh
Yadav extended best
wishes for Deepawali
and requested to lit a
lamp in memory of de-
ceased farmers who
lost their lives over
scarcities of fertilisers,
crops and other rea-
sons. Akhilesh said
that SP will collaborate
with all small regional
parties for upcoming
assembly elections in
state. He claimed that
SP will form govern-
ment after bagging ma-
jority seats in UP.
Though PSP chief
Shivpal Singh Yadav
had asserted that he
was ready to merge his
party with SP if their
workers will get appro-
priate honour but Akh-
ilesh clarified that SP
will make alliance with
PSP and merger will
not be option.
Priyanka Gandhi slams BJP
govt for massive price rise
Accused of Shine city scam
claims innocence on video
First India Bureau
Lucknow: The AICC
general secretary Pri-
yanka Gandhi lashed
out at the central as well
as state government for
a massive rise in prices
of essential commodi-
ties in the state. In a
tweet, Priyanka Gan-
dhi said that during the
festival season, com-
mon people are facing a
lot of problems because
of the price hike. She
said instead of provid-
ing relief to the people
on the occasion of the
festival, the BJP gov-
ernment had increased
the prices of gas cylin-
ders, petrol diesel, edi-
ble oil, vegetables
other commodities.
She also said that at
the time of the election,
the BJP government
would try to reduce
prices by one or two ru-
pees since they want
the votes but this time,
the people will answer
them. She said that peo-
ple will not forgive the
BJP government in UP.
While extending Diwali
greetings to the people,
Priyanka Gandhi said
the time had come for a
change in the state and
without dislodging the
BJP government, the
problems of the people
will not resolve. Priyan-
ka, who has been re-
lentless campaigning
in UP has also made
several pratigyas to the
people in the state. In
this connection, the
UPCC had last month
rolled three Pratigya
Yatras which were con-
cluded at various desti-
nations on November 1.
First India Bureau
Lucknow: After the ar-
rest of Asif Naseem,
prime accused of Shine
City sam, Rashid Na-
seem has released a
video claiming his in-
nocence. It was report-
ed that About 500 cases
of cheating are regis-
tered against him in
Lucknow and more
than five thousand in
the country.
In Gomti Nagar po-
lice station, 374 cases
were registered against
Rashid and CBI has re-
leased notices for at-
tachment of assets in
82 cases. Also, Econom-
ic Offence Wing (EOW)
of UP police was prob-
ing 366 cases against
Shine city scam. It was
reported that EOW has
intensified its efforts
for arresting of Shine
City scam prime ac-
cused Rashid Naseem
and government had
initiated for deporta-
tion of Rashid to Unit-
ed Arab Emirates
(UAE) government.
Indian government has
requested to deport
Rashid Naseem after
cancelling his pass-
port. Yogi Adityanath
government had an-
nounced a reward of
Rs 5 lakh on informa-
tion leading to the ar-
rest of wanted accused
Rashid Naseem and
Asif Naseem, follow-
ing which Asif was ar-
rested from Prayagraj.
Also, Rs 1 lakh cash
reward each was an-
nounced against the
absconding accused
Ashish Kanojiya, Nitin
Jaiswal, Jasim Khan,
Abhishek Yadav and
Mohammed Shahid.
All these five are aides
of Rashid and Asif.
HC seeks state chief
secretaries’ affidavits
First India Bureau
Prayagraj: Stressing
that the state is not ex-
pected to take the land
of the people and not
pay the compensation,
the Allahabad High
Court on Tuesday
sought the personal af-
fidavits of Additional
Chief Secretaries of
the Uttar Pradesh state
regarding the griev-
ance of people who
seek compensation for
their land acquired by
the state government.
The court also di-
rected all the district
magistrates to specify
the details of such ap-
plications filed seeking
compensation/raising
objection and as to
what actions have been
taken in such applica-
tions. This petition
will be next heard on
February 25, 2022.
Hearing the writ peti-
tions filed by Jeet
Narayan Yadav and
two others, a division
bench comprising
Chief Justice Rajesh
Bindal and Justice Pi-
yush Agrawal fixed De-
cember 3, 2021 as the
next date of hearing.
Petitioners had sub-
mitted that their land
had been taken but no
compensation has been
paid to them. It was
pointed out before the
court that in such cas-
es, mainly the land is
acquired by either the
Revenue Department,
Public Works Depart-
ment or the Irrigation
Department.
Courtdeferstill
Nov15hearingon
bailpleaofMishra
Lakhimpur Kheri:
A court here on
Wednesday deferred
till November 15 the
hearing on the bail
application of Union
Minister Ajay
Mishra’s son Ashish
and two others in the
Lakhimpur Kheri
violence case. Eight
people were killed in
the October 3 vio-
lence, which took
place during a pro-
test over Uttar
Pradesh Deputy
Chief Minister Kes-
hav Prasad Maurya
visit to Lakhimpur
Kheri. Four farmers
and a journalist
were knocked down
by a car carrying
BJP workers.
Ashish Mishra,
Ashish Pandey and
Lavkush Rana are
among the 13 people
arrested in connec-
tion with the death
of the farmers. The
court of District and
Sessions Judge
Mukesh Mishra de-
ferred the hearing
on their bail appli-
cation till November
15, said District Gov-
ernment Counsel
Arvind Tripathi.
Tripathi said de-
fence counsels
moved an applica-
tion in the court for
an explanation from
the prosecution over
a purported photo
of an injured BJP
worker, Shyam
Sundar Nishad, seen
in police custody.
Later, he was de-
clared brought dead
at a hospital. He was
allegedly lynched by
the protesters after
the car mowed down
the farmers. The
prosecution objected
to the production of
the photograph, the
authenticity of
which is yet to be
verified, Tripathi
added.
LAKHIMPUR VIOLENCE
—FILE PHOTO
Asif Naseem, brother of Rashid Naseem was arrested by
Lucknow Police from Prayagraj on Monday.
Ashish Mishra
PSP chief Shivpal Singh Yadav

08
2NDFRONT
Greetings on the occasion of
Deepawali. May Lord bless us all
with good health, joy and prosperity.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
First India Bureau
Lucknow: Mainte-
nance awarded to 575
women by courts in two
major districts includ-
ingVaranasiandPraya-
graj has not been paid
by their husbands, ac-
cording to data submit-
ted to the Allahabad
High Court.
The district judges of
Varanasi and Prayagraj
submitted the informa-
tion in the court which
was hearing a case in
which the Varanasi po-
lice were unable to ex-
plain why they have not
been able to trace a man
missing for over four
yearsafteralowercourt
directed him to pay a
maintenancetohiswife.
The HC had directed
the two districts to sub-
mit the data while hear-
ingthecaseof Priyanka
Upadhyay whose hus-
band Arvind Upadhyay
has been untraceable
since 2017. Priyanka
had filed a case of do-
mestic violence against
her husband and a low-
er court directed him to
provide a separate liv-
ing room to her and
their daughter along
with a maintenance of
Rs 1,000.
First India Bureau
Kanpur: INTUC Con-
gress’s National Vice
President Vijay Singh
Martolia in an exclu-
sive interview with
First India criticised
the BJP government
for not being sensitive
to inflation and said
while the festival of
Diwali is celebrated
across India, it is not
so for the labourers of
UP
.
He further stated
the increased price of
diesel, petrol and food
items has plagued the
commonmanandthat
diesel along with pet-
rol has to be brought
under GST soon, so
thatsomerelief canbe
enjoyed by the com-
mon man.
He said the govern-
ment should under-
stand the plight of the
people of every sec-
tion and consider
theirsufferingastheir
problem and resolve
their problems.
Maintenance not paid to 575 women: HC
‘Govt not
sensitive
to inflation’
‘WillgivefullrespecttochachaShivpal’
First India Bureau
Lucknow: In a latest po-
litical development, SP
chief Akhilesh Yadav on
Wednesday said he will
ally with his estranged
uncle Shivpal Yadav’s
Pragatisheel Samajwadi
Party Lohia (PSPL) in
the 2022 elections.
Akhilesh Yadav said
that SP would also enter
intoallianceswithsmall-
er parties. Asked wheth-
er he would give respect
to his uncle, Akhilesh
said that Shivpal would
get full respect in the al-
liance.Yadav’sstatement
is expected to put an end
of five years of strife be-
tween him and his uncle.
While Shivpal Yadav
had been consistently
seeking an alliance with
SP, Akhilesh had re-
mained non-committal
on the issue. Initially
, he
had offered only one seat
-Jaswantnagar-for Shiv-
pal. Yadav’s statement
comes a day after Shiv-
pal Yadav said that he
would even consider
merging his party with
the SP if his supporters
were given due respect.
Shivpal told reporters in
Aligarh on Monday
night that he wanted not
only himself, but also his
workers and supporters
to be treated with dignity
and respect if the SP
wants to take him in.
When I was in SP, the
partyusedtoworkonthe
ground while in the cur-
rent scenario leaders
working in an office,” he
said. Meanwhile, UP
Minister Anand Swarup
Shukla has alleged that
SP chief enjoys the pa-
tronage of Pakistan spy
agency ISI and said he
may even go for religious
conversion to appease
Muslims. He may also be
getting economic sup-
port from the neighbour-
ing country’s ISI, the
minister alleged on
Tuesday
.
Gyanendra Kumar Shukla
Lucknow: Political
parties are trying their
best to win the upcom-
ing assembly elections
in UP. Efforts to get di-
rect and indirect sup-
port from Bahubali
leaders have also inten-
sified. The meeting of
Suheldev Bharatiya
Samaj Party (SBSP)
chief Omprakash Rajb-
har with gangster-
t u r n e d - p o l i t i c i a n
Mukhtar Ansari, the
Bahubali MLA of
Purvanchal in Banda
Jail, has created a po-
litical stir.
According to politi-
cal analysts, Akhilesh
Yadav has followed a
multi-pronged strategy
of making inroads
among Rajbhar voters
by forming an alliance
with SBSP. At the same
time, Akhilesh is also
trying his best to woo
Muslim voters. In
Purvanchal, the
Mukhtar Ansari’s fam-
ily have had a signifi-
cant impact on the
Muslim community as
well as the upper
castes. Ansari has won
three consecutive as-
sembly elections from
Mau. His brother Afzal
Ansari is a BSP MP
from Ghazipur while
brother Sibghatullah
Ansari is a former
MLA from Moham-
madabad constituency
in Ghazipur.
In some assembly
seats of Purvanchal,
the Muslim communi-
ty with 10 to 11 percent
population has a sig-
nificant impact. Their
inclination has been
towards SP. But it is be-
lieved that because of
Mukhtar Ansari, the
BSP’s claim on a large
part of the minority
voters was strength-
ened. Now SP wants to
make this base vote in
its favour.
In 2016, Akhilesh
had opposed the inclu-
sion of Ansari broth-
ers in the SP. Recently,
uncle Shivpal has ad-
vised his nephew Akh-
ilesh not to open the
doors of SP to mafia
elements. But now the
SP is toiling hard to re-
peat the electoral suc-
cess of 2012.
For which the party
desperately needs to
expand its vote base
and the Ansari family
can play a decisive role
in this context. There-
fore, the strategy of
backdoor channels is
being worked on. Ac-
cording to sources, if
all goes well, Mukhtar
can be the candidate of
the SP-SBSP alliance
from Rajbhar’s party
ticket. The meeting of
Rajbhar is being seen
from this perspective.
However, BJP is in an
aggressive posture re-
garding this issue. Ac-
cording to party
spokesperson Manish
Shukla, “In the ab-
sence of any concrete
issue, Akhilesh is do-
ing politics of appease-
ment, trying to tie up
with Mukhtar, Atiq or
praising Jinnah”.
while the Yogi govern-
ment works on a cam-
paign to protect the
general public by
strictly cracking down
on the mafia, the SP’s
attachment with the
mafia elements has al-
ways been visible, he
added.
ALLIANCE WITH ‘BAHUBALI’
LEADER TO ENSURE WIN!
SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar and Mukhtar Ansari.
IN SEARCH OF SAFE POLITICAL HIDEOUT
FILE PHOTO

eepawali – isn’t
it more than
just a festival?
As we light up
the diyas today
after the dev-
astation of Co-
rona, we light up lights
of hope and the sparkle
of togetherness of fam-
ily and friends, we make
rangolis mixed with
colors of happiness and
missing our loved ones
whom we lost in the past
year, with prayers of as-
pirations and hopes
along with
gratefulness and thank-
ful for the blessings – we
also commit to a better
world with green crack-
ers, kindness, and com-
passion.
This Diwali let us
promise ourselves to be
there for each other
and understand that
we all need to
stand by each
other for life to
have any meaning. Co-
rona took a lot from us
but also gave valuable
lessons. For every 10 di-
yas that we light- let us
donate one for someone
whose life is in dark-
ness. For every box of
sweets bought, let us
keep a piece aside for
the one whose life is bit-
ter. For every green
cracker bought to burst
today, let us add sparkle
to one underprivileged
life!
And more than ever,
draw your family and
friends close to you,
spend time together, vis-
it each other, share love
and joy and sweets and
gifts – this is the spirit
of Deepawali – ensure
that the elderly are
cared for in your home
and the children are se-
cure and loved!
We all wish you and
your loved ones a happy
and prosperous Deep-
awali!
Shubh Deepawali!
D
ANITA HADA
anita.hada@firstindianews.com
A Happy Deepawali to all our readers. We pray for the
success, happiness and good health of all of you!
LUCKNOW, THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 4, 2021
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia
facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09

10-11
SIYAVAR RAMCHANDRA KI JAI LUCKNOW | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021
FIRST INDIA- JAIPUR. AHMEDABAD. LUCKNOW. DELHI.
www.firstindia.co.in www.firstindia.co.in/newspaper /thefirstindia /thefirstindia /thefirstindia
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CREDIBLE NEWS | CREDIBLE JOURNALISM
NEWS FOR THE DISCERNING READER

12
CITY BUZZ
GET VACCINATED
STAY MASKED
his year, especially, all of us
have put in extra efforts to
make this Diwali special,
since we were not able to
celebrate it in a full-fledged
way for the past one year
because of the pandemic,
now that we are stepping into the
new normal, photographer Tarun
Gupta shares his insights about
how his latest photoshoot is a way
to bring back what had been amiss
in the past.
Tarun shares, “The very essence
of Diwali is what governs our world
especially right now. Everybody
was anticipating the arrival of
Ram, Seeta, and Laxman after four-
teen years, and the dark night was
lit with the presence of diyas and
lanterns. Ram Darbar, therefore is
a source of celebration for us.
Hence, Deepawali became one of
the biggest festivals in India.”
Looking at the images, one may
perceive that the local calendar
image of Ram Darbar has been
depicted through the photoshoot.
Tarun further adds, “The artists
who have been a part of this pho-
toshoot, have kept in mind the
minute details to give
importance to the ancient
values. Little things like
jewellery and mukut have
been curated from various
cities, for example, the mukut
is a very old Himachali tribal
design which is rarely seen
nowadays, the only flowers that
are used are Lotus, the only
light that is used is that of di-
yas. Everything about this
photoshoot contributes to the
feeling of Diwali.”
Bybringingthesimplicityof
RamandSita,thephotoshoot
is presenting the joy and
fullness of the spirit
of Ram Darbar.
RAM AND SITA...
FOREVER!
CITY FIRST IN CONVERSATION WITH
CITY FIRST IN CONVERSATION WITH
PHOTOGRAPHER TARUN GUPTA, WHO WITH
PHOTOGRAPHER TARUN GUPTA, WHO WITH
HIS LATEST PHOTOSHOOT REIMBIBES THE
HIS LATEST PHOTOSHOOT REIMBIBES THE
TRUE MEANING OF RAM DARBAR!
TRUE MEANING OF RAM DARBAR!
MITALI DUSAD
mitalidusad01@gmail.com
T

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