- Delhi's air quality has slipped into the "very poor" category ahead of the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan on October 15 to address rising air pollution levels. - Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that all gains made to combat pollution will be nullified if neighboring states do not stop crop burning. He urged all governments and agencies to work to stop crop burning. - A political blame game ensued between AAP and BJP, with each accusing the other of inaction. Meteorological department sources said smoke from crop residue burning in neighboring states was reaching Delhi and not dispersing due to calm winds. - On Sunday, Delhi's AQI was 270 ("poor" category)

1. Ahead of the Graded Res­
ponse Action Plan (GRAP)
that is scheduled to kick­in
on October 15 to check rising
air pollution in the Capital,
Chief Minister Arvind Kejri­
wal said all the gains
achieved so far to combat
pollution would be nullified
if neighbouring States do not
stop crop burning.
On a day when several
monitoring stations across
the city showed the Air Qual­
ity Index (AQI) as “very
poor”, Mr. Kejriwal tweeted:
“All the gains achieved so far
on pollution front will be nul­
lified. Whereas, we need to
do a lot in Delhi and we are
trying, however, all govern­
ments and all agencies need
to work to stop crop burning
also (sic).”
Blame game
A political blame game also
played out in the city as AAP
Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh
hit out at the Centre, saying it
has been caught napping. “I
want to tell the BJP that it is
time to stop the drama and
theatrics. Your Central go­
vernment has been caught
napping at the wheel once
again. Tell the Centre to stop
crop burning in Haryana and
Punjab. That will reduce pol­
lution, not your gimmicks,”
he said responding to an
event organised in the city
where Delhi BJP chief Manoj
Tiwari distributed masks.
Mr. Tiwari said it was the
responsibility of the State go­
vernment to reduce pollu­
tion, but the Kejriwal govern­
ment had completely failed
in this regard.
Smoke reaching city
Sources in the Meteorologi­
cal Department said smoke
from crop residue burning in
neighbouring States had
started reaching Delhi and
was not getting dispersed
due to calm winds creating a
haze over Delhi.
On Sunday evening, Del­
hi’s average AQI, based on 36
monitoring stations, was
measured at 270 which was
in the “poor” category. Gha­
ziabad, Greater Noida and
Noida were in the “very
poor” category with an AQI
of 320, 301 and 310 respec­
tively, according to Central
Pollution Control Board
data.
An AQI between 0 and 50
is considered ‘good’, 51 and
100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and
200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300
‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very
poor’, and 401 and 500
‘severe’.
The Centre­run System of
Air Quality and Weather Fo­
recasting and Research said
smoke from stubble burning
will make up 6% of Delhi’s
pollution by October 15,
when the GRAP comes into
force in Delhi­NCR.
Despite a ban on stubble
burning in Punjab and Ha­
ryana, farmers continue to
defy it and pollution moni­
toring bodies have shown
that Punjab has reported a
45% increase in such cases
till October 11 while Haryana
has shown a slight decrease.
Delhi’s air quality slips to ‘very poor’ category
We need to do a lot in the city and we are trying, says Chief Minister Kejriwal
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
Motorists seen driving through smog in New Delhi on Sunday
morning, *
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Bhim Army chief Chandrash­
ekhar Azad and scores of Da­
lits lodged in Tihar Central
Jail on Sunday sat on a hunger
strike protesting against the
authorities who allegedly de­
nied them permission to ob­
serve Maharishi Valmiki
Jayanti. However, jail authori­
ties denied the allegations
and said they were granted
permission to observe Valmi­
ki Jayanti. They also per­
formed ‘hawan’ and distri­
buted sweets.
The Dalit group threa­
tened to gherao Chief Minis­
ter Arvind Kejriwal’s resi­
dence on Monday on the
issue.
Bhim Army spokesperson
Kush Ambedkarwadi said
scores of Dalit inmates in Ti­
har had on Saturday demand­
ed that the jail authorities
provide them a poster of Ma­
harishi Valmiki to offer tri­
butes on the occasion.
“The jail authorities didn’t
give us a poster. Hundreds of
Dalit men lodged along with
Chandrashekhar Azad have
proceeded on a hunger strike
against this,” he said.
“It’s a violation of our Fun­
damental Rights. What’s
more disappointing is that
Delhi Jail Minister Satyendar
Jain and Social Welfare Minis­
ter Rajendra Pal Gautam have
been keeping mum,” he
claimed.
A tweet from Mr. Azad’s
read: “The Bhim Army will
gherao the residence of Kejri­
wal if he failed to make arran­
gements to observe Valmiki
Jayanti in Tihar Jail.”
They were denied permission to observe Valmiki Jayanti
Press trust of india
New Delhi
Dalit inmates at Tihar on hunger strike
Chandrashekhar Azad
monday, october 14, 2019 Delhi
City Edition
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Pope Francis canonises
Kerala nun Mariam
Thresia at the Vatican
page 8
Plastic waste from
foreign nations found
on Great Nicobar Island
page 9
China and Nepal sign
accords for all-weather
connectivity to Tibet
page 13
Bottas wins Japanese
GP, Mercedes bags
sixth straight title
page 21
EDUCATIONPLUS Ī PAGES 15 16
The Opposition should stop
shedding “crocodile tears”
over the withdrawal of Arti­
cle 370, Prime Minister Na­
rendra Modi said on Sunday
and dared these parties to in­
clude the restoration of the
special status for Jammu and
Kashmir in their manifestos.
Speaking at a public meet­
ing in Jalgaon as part of the
BJP’s campaign for the Mah­
arashtra Assembly election,
Mr. Modi claimed that both
men and women from the
Muslim community were
looking to a bright future be­
cause the BJP­led NDA go­
vernment had made good its
promise to do away with the
archaic practice of triple
talaq.
“The BJP­led NDA govern­
ment, by acting in accor­
dance with the wishes of the
people, took an unprece­
dented step on August 5 to
do away with Article 370.
Hitherto, women and Dalits
had been denied rights in
Jammu and Kashmir. Prior
to our abrogation of Article
370 and Article 35A, militan­
cy had reigned supreme in
this region,” Mr. Modi said,
remarking that Jammu,
Kashmir and Ladakh were
not just a piece of land but a
strategic region vital to the
country’s security.
Modi dares Oppn. on Art. 370
PM challenges parties to include restoration of JK’s special status in manifestos
Shoumojit Banerjee
Pune
On campaign trail: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing
a public meeting at Sakoli in Bhandara on Sunday. *
PTI
The country’s first private
train has contravened the
Railways Act, 1989, since the
Central government is the
competent authority to de­
cide on tariff and not the
IRCTC, say top railway offi­
cials.
The much­publicised
train service, flagged off on
the Lucknow­Delhi­Luck­
now route earlier this
month, charges a higher fare
than the existing Shatabdi
Express and other trains on
the same route.
More trains planned
The issue is being closely
watched in the context of the
move to run 150 more trains
in the private mode.
The Railways had entrust­
ed the IRCTC, its commercial
tourism and catering arm,
with the task of operating
two premium trains using
the fully air­conditioned
rakes of the semi­high speed
Tejas Express. The second
private train will soon be run
in the Mumbai­Ahmedabad­
Mumbai sector.
While the first corporate­
run train has received good
feedback from passengers.
who compared its amenities
and on­board services fa­
vourably with global stan­
dards, senior officials say the
tariff fixed is in violation of
the Railways Act. The fares
are higher but there is hardly
any change in the running
time. Also tickets are availa­
ble only online which is con­
trary to the rule book.
The Delhi­Lucknow Priv­
ate Train No 82502, IRCTC
Tejas Express takes 6 hours
and 30 minutes to cover the
511 km distance with stops at
Ghaziabad (two minutes)
and Kanpur Central (five mi­
nutes).
The train charges ₹2,450
for AC Executive Class and
₹1,565 for the AC Chair Car
including GST and catering.
First private train violates Railway tariff law
IRCTC can’t fix
its own fare,
say officials
S. Vijay Kumar
CHENNAI
The Lucknow­Delhi train
charges a higher fare than
Shatabdi and other trains.
CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 12
After a broad­based deceler­
ation in the initial quarters
of this fiscal, India’s growth
rate is projected to fall to
6%, the World Bank said on
Sunday.
However, the bank, in its
latest edition of the South
Asia Economic Focus, said
the country was expected to
recover to 6.9% in 2021 and
7.2% in 2022 as it assumed
that the monetary stance
would remain accommoda­
tive, given benign price dy­
namics. The report said In­
dia’s growth decelerated for
the second consecutive
year.
In 2018­19, it stood at
6.8%, down from 7.2% in the
2017­18 financial year.
While industrial output
growth increased to 6.9%
owing to an uptick in manu­
facturing and construction,
the growth in agriculture
and services moderated to
2.9 and 7.5% respectively.
World Bank cuts India’s
growth projection to 6%
But it’s likely to recover to 6.9% in 2021
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
WASHINGTON
CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 12
In his first election rally in
Maharashtra, Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi
criticised the Narendra Modi
government for its “false”
promises and the media for
“merely showcasing” the
Prime Minister, diverting
attention from the issues of
the people. Ī page 12
Rahul targets
Modi, media
‘FORGET KASHMIR’ Ī PAGE 12
Under water: Bullet trains are submerged in muddy waters in Nagano, central Japan, after Typhoon Hagibis hit the city on
Sunday. Thirty­three people were killed by the typhoon, which unleashed heavy rain and landslips in Japan. *
AP (REPORT PAGE 14)
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CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Typhoon halts bullets
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 12
REPORTS ON PAGE 20
CM
YK
A ND-NDE
Illegal immigrants behind
80% of crimes: Tiwari
NEW DELHI
Delhi BJP president Manoj
Tiwari on Sunday held illegal
immigrants responsible for
80% of crimes in the city. He
said his demand for National
Register of Citizens exercise
in Delhi is for identifying and
evicting such illegal
immigrants. “As many as
80% of crimes involve illegal
immigrants in Delhi.
Whenever I demand NRC,
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
rises as their shield,” he said.
CITY Ī PAGE 3
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Two held for snatching
handbag of Modi’s niece
NEW DELHI
Two men were arrested on
Sunday for allegedly
snatching the handbag of
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s said niece Damyanti
Vikas Modi, the police said.
The two had snatched her
bag near the Gujarati Samaj
guest house in Civil Lines on
Saturday morning. Her bag
contained ₹56,000 in cash,
two mobile phones and some
documents.
CITY Ī PAGE 3
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
NEARBY
Mizoram, one of the least
populated States in India, re­
ports nine positive cases of
Human Immunodeficiency
Virus/Acquired Immune Def­
iciency Syndrome (HIV/
AIDS) a day.
The virus “strike rate” has
made Mizoram top the list of
States with an HIV preva­
lence rate of 2.04% followed
by two other north­eastern
States — next­door neigh­
bour Manipur with 1.43%
and Nagaland with 1.15%.
Data compiled by the Miz­
oram State AIDS Control So­
ciety (MSACS) show that
67.21% of the positive cases
from 2006 to March 2019
have been transmitted sex­
ually, 1.03% of the transmis­
sion route being
homosexual.
The next major cause, ac­
counting for 28.12% cases, is
infected needles shared by
intravenous drug users.
The Christian­majority
State bordering Bangladesh
and Myanmar has battled
drug trafficking and abuse
for a long time.
Narcotic substances such
as methamphetamine and
heroin are smuggled in from
Myanmar.
Mizoram Chief Minister
Zoramthanga said the State
could do without the du­
bious record of being the
highest HIV­prevalent State
in the country.
“The present scenario is
indeed alarming. We have to
from a high of 4.8 during the
previous fiscal.
It kept rising sharply since
to become 7.5 during 2017­18
and touch 9.2 during the last
fiscal ending March 2019.
“Analysis of the HIV posi­
tive cases confirmed at the
testing centres show that pe­
ople in the age group of 25­
34 years are the most vulner­
able in Mizoram followed by
those in the age brackets of
35­49 years and 15­24 years,”
Dr. Lalthlengliani said.
The HIV/AIDS prevalence
rates in these three age
groups are 42.38%, 26.46%
and 23.03% respectively.
increase the level of aware­
ness about the virus and fo­
cus on the treatment and
prevention of the disease,”
he said, while launching an
HIV/AIDS sensitisation cam­
paign in Aizawl on October
11.
Dr. Lalthlengliani, the
MCACS project director, said
that an average of 9.2 cases
are detected across Mizo­
ram’s 44 standalone Inte­
grated Counselling and Test­
ing Centres on each of the 25
days a month they remain
open.
The prevalence rate had
dipped to 3.8 during 2012­13
With 9 cases a day, Mizoram is top State with HIV prevalence rate
People aged between 25 and 34 are most vulnerable, followed by those between 35 and 49, officials say
RAHUL KARMAKAR
GUWAHATI
We have to
increase the level
of awareness about
the virus and focus
on the treatment
and prevention of
the disease
Zoramthanga
Mizoram Chief Minister
The ruling Bharatiya Jana­
ta Party on Sunday re­
leased its manifesto for the
Haryana Assembly elec­
tions with a focus on farm­
ers, youth, women and
healthcare.
Party working president
J.P. Nadda said the manif­
esto Mhare Sapne Ka Ha-
ryana had been prepared
keeping in mind every sec­
tion of society.
BJP releases
manifesto for
Haryana polls
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
CHANDIGARH
DETAILS ON Ī PAGE 12

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DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 20192EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CM
YK
A ND-NDE
CITY
S
ameer Singh had been count­
ing down the days to the bitter­
sweet moment when he would
bid adieu to his best friend who is go­
ing abroad for studies. But when the
day finally arrived, the 22­year­old
found himself at the Patiala Courts
Complex instead of the Delhi
airport.
On October 8, Sameer was pulled
over by the police on Barakhamba
Road. He was driving his motorcycle
without a learner’s licence and failed
to produce any vehicle documents.
Despite his pleas to settle the heavy
fine on the spot, Sameer’s bike was
impounded and he was handed over
a court challan.
While he blamed himself for get­
ting into the mess, Sameer reserved
some angst for the procedural “de­
lays and complexities” of the court.
“If it weren’t for the delays, I could
have wrapped things up here and
bid farewell to my friend,” he said.
‘I am clueless’
“This is the first time I have been in a
court, I am clueless as to how I will
get my registration certificate back.
The policemen who issued me the
challan gave me some tips, but
things are not so easy here. I request­
ed the policemen for an on­spot
challan but they refused citing the
new Motor Vehicles (MV) Act,” said
Sameer, who was wandering the
complex looking for the right room.
As he was roaming around, a man
wearing a black coat approached Sa­
meer and introduced himself as an
advocate. Sensing that Sameer was
lost, the man took the challan from
his hand and after a brief glance said
he could get the matter settled for
₹1,000, including fees.
Sameer thought he had struck a
deal and asked the man to help him.
After going in and out of several
rooms, the man came back and
asked for ₹4,000.
Confused, Sameer asked the ‘la­
wyer’ to return his challan slip say­
ing he would find his own way. The
man, however, told Sameer that the
challan had already been submitted
and now he would have to appear
before a magistrate.
After several hours, Sameer was
finally able to pay his challan by de­
positing ₹4,000 to the court and pay­
ing ₹1,000 to the man.
Though Sameer had a harrowing
time, others had a more straightfor­
ward and simple experience.
‘Do not accept help’
“It is always better to appear before
a magistrate without any external
help and accept your fault if you
have violated traffic rules... and if
not then contest your case by pro­
ducing necessary proof or docu­
ment to establish your claim,” said
Raghav Chandra, who paid his chal­
lan without assistance of any
advocate.
Mr. Chandra said it was his third
time in court. The first two times
was to help out his friends.
“I know the procedure, so I made
photocopies of the required docu­
ments before coming... first­timers
have to roam around searching for
photocopy shops inside court pre­
mises,” said Mr. Chandra, who was
in court to get his vehicle released.
Most traffic violators have to come
to evening courts, especially as­
signed to deal with traffic challans.
While acknowledging the problems
being faced by those trying to pay off
their challan, the Delhi police claim
to have come up with several
solutions.
Virtual court
“To make things smoother for moto­
rists who visit the courts to pay chal­
lan, we have a facility called ‘Virtual
Court’ at the Tis Hazari Courts
where motorists can pay their chal­
lan without visiting the court,” said a
traffic police official.
In a virtual court, the violator gets
an SMS with a weblink, which redi­
rects to a virtual court web portal.
Thereafter, the violator can opt to
pay the challan online or contest the
challan. However, the option is not
available to all.
“The option is only for non­se­
rious traffic offences, for offences
like drunk driving or red­light jump­
ing or violations under which the
vehicle gets impounded falls under
serious traffic offences,” added the
official.
A traffic policeman said that after
the implementation of the new MV
Act, only court challans are being is­
sued in Delhi.
“It is a time­consuming process
but not complicate,” he said, adding:
“Traffic violators do not need any le­
gal assistance to pay the challan in
court. The SMS sent to the violator
contains the address of the court
with the date and time where he or
she has to appear before a magis­
trate,” said the policeman.
“If the motorist has all the docu­
ments that he failed to produce dur­
ing the challan, then he/she can con­
test the challan and the magistrate
might exempt him/her from paying
any fine,” he added.
Hefty fines
Procedure, however, is not the only
problem. Many seek reduction in
fines.
Autorickshaw driver Ram Sharan,
who was caught jumping a red light
while having extra passengers in Sa­
ket, pleaded before a magistrate at
the District Court Saket that he
would not be able to pay the ₹5,000
fine. “I am unable to pay the fine
amount as it is huge for me. The doc­
uments of my vehicle were confiscat­
ed during the challan. I will wait for
the next Lok Adalat scheduled next
week where the court will further re­
duce the fine amount in a way to
clear pendency,” said Mr. Sharan.
Advocates, such as the one Sa­
meer met, see the confusion and
chaos as an opportunity to make an
extra buck. “We never harass or
force a visitor to take our service.
Visitors come to us to make their
work easy as not everyone is legally
sound or knows court procedure,”
said an advocate in the Patiala
Courts Complex.
Dip in challans
A court staffer who coordinates with
the Delhi Traffic Police said that after
the new MV Act, there has been a sig­
nificant dip in court challans. “Ear­
lier, the entire gallery used to be full
of visitors trying to settle their chal­
lans but now it is less crowded. It
might be due to high fines... people
have started obeying traffic rules,”
said the staffer.
Joint Commissioner of Police
(Traffic) Narendra Singh Bundela
said that before September 1, Delhi
Traffic Police used to issue around
20,000 challans a day. After the new
MV Act came into force, the figure
has come down to around 7,000
challans per day.
“It is good that people are follow­
ing traffic rules. Most of the challans
are referred to the virtual court for
speedy redressal. The challans un­
der which a vehicle is impounded
are referred to regular courts,” said
Mr. Bundela.
Once a motorists has paid the
challan, he/she can show the receipt
to the concerned traffic police offic­
er to get seized documents and veh­
icles.
“Vehicles are only impounded if
the driver does not have any docu­
ments, including driving license, or
the driver is unfit to drive, or the
vehicle is unfit,” said Mr. Bundela.
The ordeal after the challan
Being issued a traffic
challan is harrowing,
but a trip to the
courts to settle the fine
can be even more
distressing despite
attempts by authorities
to make the process
simple and quick
SAURABH TRIVEDI
NEW DELHI
* FILE PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
The Delhi High Court has de­
clined to give relief to a man,
suffering from loss of hear­
ing, who challenged the can­
cellation of his candidature
for the post of sailor in the
Navy on the grounds of med­
ical unfitness.
“Given the nature of the
tasks that a sailor is expect­
ed to perform, including div­
ing, the insistence of the res­
pondents [Centre] that there
should be no loss of hearing,
and their decision finding
the petitioner unfit on that
basis, does not call for inter­
ference,” a Bench of Justice
S. Muralidhar and Justice
Talwant Singh said.
Several examinations
The man was found to be
suffering from loss of hear­
ing, first by the Medical
Board and then by the Re­
view Medical Board of the
government. After this, the
man got himself checked at
Sawai Mansingh Hospital in
Jaipur and then at Safdar­
jung Hospital in Delhi in sup­
port of his plea that at pre­
sent he suffers from no loss
of hearing.
After perusing the coun­
ter­affidavit of the govern­
ment, the HC noted that the
initial medical examination
and the review medical ex­
amination confirmed that
the man suffered from loss
of hearing.
“The report of a specialist
on the basis of which the se­
cond report was given has
also been enclosed. It shows
that there is a very thin and
scarred membrane in the
ear and the scarring is per­
haps due to some surgery
and that it is ‘not mobile’,”
the HC noted while dismis­
sing the petition.
No HC relief for man
seeking job in Navy
‘Applicant suffering from hearing loss’
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
The swift action of the pol­
ice in launching mobile and
website applications that al­
low the general public to re­
gister online reports of mis­
sing persons, including
children, has been praised
by the Delhi High Court.
A Bench of Justices Man­
mohan and Sangita Dhingra
Sehgal remarked that with
the online registration of re­
ports of missing persons,
the human interface, which
normally causes delay in re­
gistration of FIR, could be
obviated.
In a status report, the
police stated that the web
and mobile application (An­
droid based) have been de­
veloped by the System Inte­
grator, Tech Mahindra. The
Bench was also informed
that the police launched the
app on September 13.
The apps are available
within the ‘Citizen Services’
link on the Delhi Police
website — www.delhipoli­
ce.nic.in.
Delhi government’s se­
nior standing counsel Ra­
hul Mehra said that the mo­
bile app for Apple phones
will be launched within six
weeks.
“This court places on re­
cord its appreciation for the
alacrity with which the Del­
hi Police has introduced the
mobile and web apps for
missing persons,” the
Bench noted. It was also in­
formed that the Delhi Pol­
ice will take steps to popu­
larise the applications
among the general public.
The HC’s direction for a
missing persons app came
during a case where the
court was informed that a
missing girl had been res­
cued from the home of man
who was working as a dom­
estic help in the neighbour­
ing house of the victim.
Missing persons app
wins court’s praise
HC appreciates alacrity of Delhi Police
Staff Reporter
new delhi
Talk: “Karna: The anti hero”, an
audio visual presentation and open
house discussion on Karna inspired
by Tagore's poem, “Karna Kunti
Samvad” will be presented by Sujit
Sanyal and Anushree Ghosh at
Amaltas Hall, India Habitat Centre
(IHC), 7 p.m.
Dance: Kathak 2.0 - Deconstruct-
ing the ‘thumri’ form by Ashavari
Majumdar at The Stein Auditorium,
India Habitat Centre (IHC), 7 p.m.
Theatre: 16th edition of the annual
festival 'The IIC Experience: A Fest-
ival of the Arts' will feature “Shabd
Leela” a theatre presentation con-
ceived, designed and scripted by Ila
Arun. Directed by K.K. Raina will be
presented by Surnai Theatre and
Folk Arts Foundation at C.D. Desh-
mukh Auditorium, India Interna-
tional Centre (IIC), 4 p.m.
Dance: India International Rural
Cultural Centre (IRCEN) presents a
Kathak dance by Parul Mishra at
Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya,
Kondli, 9 a.m. and Government
Girls Senior Secondary School, New
Kondli, 11 a.m.
(Mail your listings for this column
at cityeditordelhi@thehindu.co.in)
DELHI TODAY
NHAI to ask Delhi Police
to raise speed limits
NEW DELHI
Delhi commuters travelling
to Indirapuram, Greater
Noida and Hindon may soon
be able to zoom down the
Delhi-Meerut Expressway at
120 kmph as the National
Highway Authority of India is
going to write a letter to the
Delhi Police for raising the
speed limit. Currently, the
speed limit at the expressway
is 70 kmph for Light Motor
Vehicles and 40 kmph for
goods carrier. This will be
raised to 120 kmph and 100
kmph, respectively.
IN BRIEF
Ghaziabad gets
new SP City
GHAZIABAD
Maneesh Mishra, an officer of
the Uttar Pradesh Provincial
Police Service, on Sunday
took over the charge of
Superintendent of Police
(city) here. He has replaced
Shlok Kumar who was
transferred as the SP of
Hamirpur district on Saturday.
Before the reshuffle, Mr.
Mishra was posted as the SP
(rural) of Bulandshahar
district.

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THE HINDU DELHI
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2019 3EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CM
YK
A ND-NDE
CITY
Two men were arrested on
Sunday for allegedly snatch­
ing the handbag of Prime Mi­
nister Narendra Modi’s said
niece Damyanti Vikas Modi,
the police said on Sunday.
Ms. Modi had complained
that two men on a white
scooty had snatched her
handbag near Gujarati Sa­
maj guest house in Civil
Lines on Saturday morning.
Her bag contained up to
₹56,000, two mobile
phones and some docu­
ments, she had told the
police.
The incident took place
when the victim, said to be
the daughter of Prahlad Mo­
di, brother of the Prime Mi­
nister, was de­boarding an
autorickshaw near the resi­
dences of the Chief Minister
and the Lieutenant­Gover­
nor. She said she was sche­
duled to take a flight to Guja­
rat from the Capital. Based
on her complaint, a case was
registered. Multiple teams
were formed under ACP
(North) and ACP (Civil Lines)
for investigation. The teams
scanned footage from CCTV
cameras installed in and
around the area, scrutinized
dossiers of criminals with si­
milar modus operandi,
tasked informers, appre­
hended and interrogated a
few robbers and snatchers
during the probe, the police
said.
Spotted on CCTV camera
The suspects were seen rid­
ing a white scooty carrying a
purse on a CCTV footage, an
officer said. They were not
wearing helmets. Next, se­
cret informers identified the
two men as 21­year­old Gau­
rav alias Nonu from Sadar
Bazar and Akash alias Badal
from Sultanpuri, the police
added.
Raids were conducted on
their known hideouts and
Gaurav alias Nonu (21), who
was in possession of the sto­
len items, was nabbed from
a relative’s house in Harya­
na’s Sonepat. His co­ac­
cused, Badal (22) was arrest­
ed from Sultanpuri here
later in the evening, said
DCP (North) Monika Bhard­
waj said. Meanwhile, the
scooty, used in the commis­
sion of the crime, was reco­
vered from Sultanpuri, the
police said.
Two held for snatching
handbag of Modi’s niece
Stolen items, including ₹56,000, mobile phones, recovered
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
Gaurav in police custody on Sunday. The scooty (in picture),
used in the crime, has also been recovered, the police said.
*
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
A day after Damyanti Vikas
Modi from Surat, who claims
to be Prime Minister Naren­
dra Modi’s niece, was target­
ed by snatchers in north Del­
hi’s Civil Lines, AAP hit out at
the BJP saying that it had
failed to maintain law and or­
der in the Capital.
AAP said the police could
identify the snatchers be­
cause of the CCTVs installed
across the city by the govern­
ment.
“Today, the criminals,
who robbed Mr. Modi’s
niece, have been identified
and nabbed because of these
cameras,” said AAP leader
and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay
Singh.
The party said strong
steps need to be taken to stop
crime in the Capital. Mr.
Singh on Sunday alleged that
the Centre, which is respon­
sible for ending crime in Del­
hi, is indulging in “dirty polit­
ics” to hide its failure by
trying to spoil the name of
Chief Minister Arvind Kejri­
wal at every step.
‘A matter of concern’
Mr. Singh added: “The law
and order situation in Delhi
is deteriorating rapidly. This
is a matter of concern. The
Chief Minister had written a
letter to the Centre, appeal­
ing them to take effective
steps. Recently, nine mur­
ders took place in 24 hours,
there have been thousands of
rape and sexual harassment
cases, and multiple snatch­
ing cases reported. And now,
the niece of the Prime Minis­
ter of the country has been
robbed by miscreants.”
“Regardless of who com­
mitted the crime, irrespec­
tive of religion or caste,
whether it was an infiltrator
or a local, they need to catch
the perpetrators and punish
them. The BJP should not
hide its failure,” Mr. Singh
said.
He said if the police were
under Mr. Kejriwal today
then Delhi’s law and order
would not have been in such
a poor state.
‘Snatchers held because of CCTV cameras’
Special Correspondent
New Delhi
BJP has failed to maintain
law and order in city: AAP
A 35­year­old man was found dead inside
his home in Narela on Sunday morning, the
police said on Sunday.
His brother, Ajim, alleged that Javed had
a fight with his wife and that she has killed
him, they said.
“It was revealed that Javed was a drun­
kard and his wife Salma used to quarrel
with him over it,” said an officer. Javed was
drunk when he returned on Saturday night
and got into a quarrel with Salma who alleg­
edly beat him up. He then went to sleep,
the officer added. Based on Ajim’s com­
plaint, a murder case has been registered
against Salma under Section 302 (punish­
ment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
Woman kills husband
after fight over drinking
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
Delhi BJP president Manoj
Tiwari on Sunday held illegal
immigrants responsible for
80% crimes in the city, refer­
ring to the incident of chain
snatching with Prime Minis­
ter Narendra Modi’s niece.
Mr. Tiwari said his de­
mand for national register
for citizens (NRC) exercise in
Delhi is for identifying and
evicting such illegal immi­
grants. “As many as 80%
crimes involve illegal immi­
grants in Delhi. Whenever I
demand NRC, Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal rises as their
shield,” he said.
Recently, Mr. Kejriwal on
a question about NRC imple­
mentation in Delhi said Mr.
Tiwari will be the first to be
evicted if the exercise is
started here. Mr. Tiwari said
the responsibility of law and
order lies with the police
and he was not trying to pro­
tect it by naming the illegal
immigrants. “But it needs to
be worked out how is the
police is going to control
crime when a large number
of illegal immigrants are liv­
ing here,” he said.
‘Illegal immigrants behind 80% of crimes’
Press Trust of India
New Delhi
NRC exercise in Delhi will evict such elements, says Tiwari
The Environment Pollution
(Prevention and Control)
Authority on Sunday criti­
cised the Delhi and Haryana
governments for not con­
trolling plastic burning as
well as road and construc­
tion dust, which are respon­
sible for causing pollution.
EPCA Chairman Bhure Lal
and other officials on Sunday
visited Mundka and Tikri Ka­
lan in Delhi, and Bahadur­
garh in Haryana, and asked
the officials to take imme­
diate action. On July 21, The
Hindu had reported on these
illegal plastic scrap markets.
“We visited areas in and
around Mundka and found
heaps of plastic in multiple
locations and directed the
municipal authorities to re­
move all of it,” Mr. Lal said,
adding: “There should not
be any burning of plastic at
any cost.” He also said there
were reports of plastic being
set on fire.
Despite a National Green
Tribunal ban and ₹25 crore
fine on the Delhi government
in 2018 for failing to crack
down on illegal plastic mar­
kets in Tikri Kalan and near­
by villages, several such mar­
kets are still running openly.
Special Secretary of Envi­
ronment Department of Del­
hi Arun Mishra said, “The
PWD has been directed to
sprinkle water on the roads
throughout the winter to
control dust pollution. Also,
the corporation has been
asked to clear plastic scrap
yards.”
Over ₹1 crore in fines
He added that the govern­
ment is taking action against
violators and on Sunday
more than ₹1 crore in fines
were imposed during the in­
spection. Mr. Lal also direct­
ed the Bahadurgarh District
Magistrate to hand over a
piece of land to the illegal
scrap market running in agri­
cultural land near Geetanjali
Colony. The market segre­
gates scrap plastic.
“The process of handing
over land and traders build­
ing temporary structures to
run the business should be
completed within 15 days,”
Mr. Lal directed the DM.
Where does plastic go?
The EPCA chief termed the
market as “mountains” of
rubber and plastic and di­
rected the administration to
inform him about what trad­
ers are doing with the plastic
that is of no use to them and
to whom the plastic is being
sold.
Tikri Kalan has a legal PVC
market on Delhi Develop­
ment Authority land which
deals with scrap plastic.
Officials said this market is
the “seed”, which has grown
and spread to nearby areas,
unchecked by authorities.
Scrap plastic from these mar­
kets is taken to the agricultu­
ral fields in Haryana and
burnt there.
Dusty roads
The EPCA chief also directed
the PWD to sprinkle water
on the roads in Mundka.
“Arrange tankers and
make sure that the roads are
sprinkled regularly,” he told
PWD officials.
On Sunday, the main
roads in Mundka were dusty
and marked with potholes.
In many parts, the service
lanes were kachha (un­
paved) roads and residents
said it was difficult to breath
when they walk through the
area.
Illegal plastic scrap markets and dusty roads under scanner
Nikhil M Babu
New Delhi
Despite an NGT ban and ₹25 crore fine on the government in
2018 for failing to crack down on illegal plastic markets in
Tikri Kalan and nearby villages, several such markets are still
running openly. *
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Pollution body criticises Delhi,
Haryana govts. over ‘inaction’
We visited areas in
and around
Mundka and found
heaps of plastic in
multiple locations
and directed the
municipal
authorities to
remove all of it
Bhure Lal
EPCA Chairman
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday
said the government will meet the entire
expenditure on education of Valmiki com­
munity children after Class 12. He accused
the previous governments of keeping the
community bereft of developmental
opportunities.
He also alleged that various political par­
ties wanted the Valmiki community chil­
dren to become only cleaners and sanita­
tion workers. Mr. Kejriwal made the
allegations while addressing the communi­
ty members at a Valmiki Jayanti celebration
function at Lal Quila here and claimed it
was his government only which worked for
ameliorating the community’s plight.
“The AAP government is the first one to
work in the interest of the community. I
dream of seeing Valmiki students become
doctors and engineers,” said Mr. Kejriwal.
‘Govt. to help Valmiki
children after Class 12’
Press Trust of India
New Delhi
The Ghaziabad administration appointed a
separate Magistrate to ensure the cleaning of
the Hindon river and supervise the ongoing
renovation and beautification work of its
banks, an official said on Sunday.
Additional City Magistrate Satyendra Ku­
mar Singh has been designated as ‘Hindon
Magistrate’ to ensure quick cleaning of water
hyacinth and renovation of its “dilapidated
banks” before Chhath Puja, said Ghaziabad
District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey.
Magistrate appointed for
Hindon river cleaning
Press Trust of India
Ghaziabad

4. The Archaeological Survey of India has carried out
illumination work on several age­old monuments
dotting the city, much to the delight of tourists
Illuminating
HISTORY
Night tour of the city: (Clockwise from left) Qutub Minar, the famed 13th century minaret in
Mehrauli; Humayun's Tomb in Nizamuddin, the first garden tomb in the Indian subcontinent;
Safdurjung Tomb, built in 1754; Red Fort, constructed in 1639 by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah
Jahan; and Purana Quila, one of the oldest forts in Delhi. * PHOTOS BY V. V. KRISHNAN
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DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 20194EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CM
YK
A ND-NDE
CITY
With substantial increase in
social media users, especially
the youth, since the last As­
sembly polls in Haryana in
2014, the online campaign
has become an important
tool for electioneering in the
State this time around.
Though the political parties
in the State have presence
across different social media
platforms, Facebook and
WhatsApp have emerged as
the most popular mediums.
The increase in the video
content with live telecast of
rallies on Twitter and Face­
book is the latest trend in Ha­
ryana Assembly elections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party
seems to be way ahead of its
political opponents in the
State measured in terms of
followers to its party pages
and leaders.
BJP Haryana (IT cell) Head
Arun Yadav told The Hindu
that the party had 18,900
WhatsApp groups created for
around 19,000 polling
booths. “Around 28 lakh par­
ty workers are connected
with these WhatsApp groups.
We can connect with these 28
lakh people in less than 30
minutes though these groups.
We provide them good quali­
ty videos, graphics and other
content to be spread in their
area,” said Mr. Yadav. The
party State unit has a team of
around 500 people in the IT
cell, with an average of 30 pe­
ople in each district, besides
the volunteers.
Congress believed in work­
ers­driven social media cam­
paign over the “paid cam­
paign”, said Chairman, INC
Social Media, Rohan Gupta,
adding that the party had
conducted workshops to en­
courage its workers to propa­
gate the messages on social
media platforms. “Earlier
Congress had a fragmented
approach towards social me­
dia. Individual leaders had
their own social media pages,
but there was little stress on
the party’s account. It is
changing now,” said Mr.
Gupta.
Jannayak Janta Party (JJP),
another important player in
Haryana’s politics, too has a
lot of emphasis on social me­
dia campaign .The party has a
15­member team to create,
analyse and approve the con­
tent for social media and 150­
odd WhatsApp groups
ments of the previous Con­
gress governments in the
State and its manifesto. “Peo­
ple need to vote on issues
which concern them in their
daily lives. We are talking
about those issues,” said Mr.
Gupta.
Mr. Saharan said that JJP,
besides reminding the electo­
rate about its promises,
stressed upon the failures of
the BJP.
The BJP preferred to create
publicity material on social
media keeping in mind the
language of the area, like the
messages along the Grand
Trunk Road belt, comprising
Karnal, Panipat, Ambala and
Kurukshetra, were mostly in
Punjabi. Mr. Yadav said the
party’s social media cam­
paign also gets support from
its celebrity candidates such
as wrestlers Babita Phogat
and Yogeshwar Dutt and
hockey player Sandeep
Singh.
JJP spokesperson Deep Ka­
mal Saharan said the party
had strong presence on social
media with its leader and
former Hisar MP Dushyant
Chautala having more than 7
lakh followers on Facebook.
and other leaders including,
Digvijay Chautala and Naina
Chautala also having pre­
sence on Facebook.
“All the important rallies
are telecast live on Mr. Dush­
yant Chautala’s Facebook
page. We have not placed any
advertisement in the print
media so far,” said Mr.
Saharan.
Focus areas
While the BJP has its social
media campaign focused on
the clean image of Chief Mi­
nister Manohar Lal Khattar
and the party’s claims of tran­
sparent and corruption­free
governance, the Congress
propagates messages mostly
revolving around the achieve­
Haryana parties go click-happy this time
Live telecast of rallies on Twitter and Facebook is the latest trend in election campaign
Ashok Kumar
GURUGRAM
A fake loan racket involved
in duping several people
from across the country and
being operated from a resi­
dential colony in Vikaspuri
was busted by the Cyber
Crime Cell of Delhi Police,
officials said on Sunday.
Police said that they have
got inputs about a “fake loan
assurance call centre” oper­
ating from Vikaspuri for a
long time. After receiving
complaint from a resident of
Pune, Kadir Hussain Madri,
who had allegedly been
duped of ₹40,000 in the
name of loan from one “Va­
sundhara Finance”, an FIR
was registered under va­
rious Sections of the IPC
and the IT Act.
Caught after raid
Based on information gath­
ered and developed, a raid
was conducted at DDA flats
in Budhela village where
two persons — Gaurav Ka­
poor (37) and Karan Kumar
(25) — were found operating
a fake call centre and were
arrested. Several mobile
phones, registers, bank
passbooks, cheque books,
debit cards and laptops
were seized from their pos­
session.
On scrutiny of the regis­
ters and bank documents,
police said that details of the
complainant were found
with them. Besides this,
ATM cards, passbooks and
cheque books of the ac­
counts in which the illegally
obtained money was trans­
ferred were recovered from
Karan.
During interrogation, co­
accused Gaurav allegedly
confessed that he along with
a few others, who are ab­
sconding, cheated several
people in the name of loan
and made lakhs of rupees.
He also told the police that
the bank accounts used for
receiving the money were
provided by Karan.
Police said that the ac­
cused would collect data on
loan seekers from their
sources based on the Credit
Information Bureau of India
Limited (CIBIL) score of in­
dividuals.
“Those who were reject­
ed loans from financial
agencies because of their
low credit score would be
called up and assured of a
loan. Then, on the pretext of
various fees such as login
charges, security or insu­
rance charges, they were
told to transfer money to
the accused. After receiving
the money, the accused
would cut off all the commu­
nication with the victims.
Using this modus operandi
they have cheated several
people, details of which are
being scrutinised,” officials
said.
Fake loan racket busted
in Vikaspuri, two arrested
Accused cheated many through call centre
Staff Reporter
New Delhi Those who were
rejected loans
would be called up
and assured of a
loan. Then, on the
pretext of various
fees, they were told
to transfer money
to the accused
Officials
Five students of Jamia Millia
Islamia on Saturday were
served show cause notice by
the university administra­
tion for participating in a
protest on the campus on
October 5.
They were protesting
against the event “Global
Health Zenith: Confluence
‘19”, organised by the Facul­
ty of Architecture and Ekis­
tics that was carried out in
collaboration with Israel as a
country partner.
Two students affiliated to
the AISA and three others
were sent notice by the Proc­
tor of the university.
“We have been seeing that
Modi government is crimina­
lising dissent across the
country . This show cause
notice is one such attempt to
stifle the voices of students,”
AISA said in a statement.
Notice to 5 Jamia students
for staging stir on campus
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI
A court here has modified the
sentence of 15 days imprison­
ment and ₹2,600 fine of a 21­
year­old collegiate in a case
of multiple traffic violations.
Additional Sessions Judge
Suresh Kumar Gupta re­
placed his imprisonment for
a fortnight to punishment for
sitting in the court till it rose
for the day and enhanced the
fine to ₹3,000. He also sus­
pended his driving licence
for three months.
The judge reduced the
punishment allowing argu­
ment by the accused that any
substantive sentence would
affect his career.
“The appellant is a first
time offender and is young.
The appellant is a college­go­
ing student and any substan­
tive sentence will affect his
future prospects. Keeping in
view these facts, the order on
sentence qua Section 185 of
MV Act is modified,” the
judge said.
“He is sentenced to under­
go imprisonment till rising of
the court with a fine of
₹3,000. In default of pay­
ment of fine, he will have to
undergo simple imprison­
ment for seven days and rest
of the sentence for different
offences is upheld. The driv­
ing licence of the appellant is
suspended for a period of
three months from today and
intimation to this effect be
sent to the authority con­
cerned,” Mr. Gupta ordered.
The traffic police had chal­
laned the convict for drunk
driving, not producing pollu­
tion certificate and insurance
paper. Besides, they also al­
leged that he was driving the­
car in a zig­zag manner and
tried to hit the vehicle against
a constable, when he was sig­
nalled to stop.
Appellant is a student and any substantive sentence will affect his future: judge
Nirnimesh Kumar
New Delhi
Court shows leniency to student, reduces punishment

5. CM
YK
A ND-NDE
NORTH
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THE HINDU DELHI
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2019 5EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 and Printed by S. Ramanujam at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. 201306, on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., Chennai-600002. Editor: Suresh Nambath (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act).
Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 ● RNI No. UPENG/2012/49940 ● ISSN 0971 - 751X ● Vol. 9 ● No. 243
DELHI Timings
Monday, Oct. 14
RISE 06:21 SET 17:53
RISE 18:28 SET 06:29
Tuesday, Oct. 15
RISE 06:21 SET 17:52
RISE 19:02 SET 07:23
Wednesday, Oct. 16
RISE 06:22 SET 17:51
RISE 19:38 SET 08:18
As the Congress party aims
at wresting power from the
BJP, dissidents in two of the
four Assembly constituen­
cies in Haryana’s northern
district of Ambala are deter­
mined to play spoilsport.
The district has four As­
sembly constituencies — Nar­
iangarh, Ambala Cantt, Am­
bala City and Mullana (SC) —
which the BJP had won in
2014.
In Ambala Cantt., Health
Minister Anil Vij is again in
the fray and the Congress
has fielded Venu Singla Ag­
garwal against him. Mr. Vij
had won from the consti­
tuency in 1996, 2000, 2009
and 2014. As the Congress
prepares to take on the BJP
candidate in his stronghold,
the decision of rebel Chitra
Sarwara, who was a munici­
pal councillor, to contest as
an independent could dent
its electoral prospects.
Ms. Sarwara is the daught­
er of former Minister and
four­time former Congress
MLA Nirmal Singh and both
had revolted against the par­
ty after being denied the tick­
et. Mr. Singh is contesting
from the neighbouring Am­
bala (City) seat as an inde­
pendent candidate.
Rajesh Kapoor, who runs
a tyre repair shop, feels that
while the BJP candidate is al­
ready a strong contestant,
the Congress will suffer on
account of the infighting.
“Anil Vij is easily accessi­
ble. Also, during the last five
years the condition of the
roads has improved, the civil
hospital has better facilities
than before. To give him a
fight, the Congress should be
united. With a rebel candi­
date, it’s going to be difficult
for the BJP candidate to
win,” said Mr. Kapoor.
Shyam Sundar, a tailor,
believes that the BJP candi­
date will easily sail through
as he has delivered on deve­
lopment work. “Roads are
better now, street lights are
there... moreover he is avail­
able whenever needed,
that’s the best part,” he said.
In the Ambala seat, BJP
MLA Aseem Goyal is seeking
re­election. The Congress
has fielded Jasbir Malour
who is having a tough time as
Mr. Nirmal Singh is contest­
ing as the rebel candidate.
Mr. Singh and Ms. Chitra Sar­
wara were recently expelled
from the Congress for violat­
ing the provisions of the par­
ty constitution and contest­
ing the elections as rebels.
‘Changed scenario’
Ashok Kumar, who works at
a meat shop, said: “The Con­
gress was in fight but after
Nirmal Singh announced he
would contest, the scenario
has changed a bit. He will cut
into the Congress vote which
will benefit the BJP.”
The Naraingarh consti­
tuency sees a direct fight bet­
ween BJP’s Surender Rana
and Congress party’s Shalley
Chaudhary. However, Gul­
shan Kumar, candidate of
the Loktantra Suraksha Par­
ty floated by former BJP MP
Raj Kumar Saini, is capable
of changing the equations.
Dissidents may play spoilsport
for Cong. in two Ambala seats
Father­daughter duo in fray from Ambala (City) and Ambala Cantonment
VIKAS VASUDEVA
AMBALA
Minister Anil Vij will contest
from Ambala Cantt. seat
Unhappy over delay in main­
tenance work on National
Highway­27 here, Congress
MLA Bharat Singh on Sun­
day accused a Minister in the
Gehlot government of cor­
ruption and hindering the
work.
Mr. Singh, who represents
Sangod Assembly consti­
tuency in Kota district, has
written a letter to Chief Mi­
nister Ashok Gehlot alleging
corruption in the State’s
mining department.
‘Save govt. from corrupt’
In the letter he has request­
ed Mr. Gehlot to save the go­
vernment from the “corrupt
people” to mark the 150th
birth anniversary of Mahat­
ma Gandhi.
He also referred to the
Chief Minister’s budget
speech in which Mr. Gehlot
had said his government
would work to put an end to
“the flowing Ganga of cor­
ruption”.
The central government
wants to repair the highway
stretch but the State mining
department is raising obsta­
cles, the letter said.
He alleged that funds
worth ₹208.54 crore have
been sanctioned for mainte­
nance work on NH­27, but an
assistant engineer of the
mining department in Baran
is apparently raising hurdles
on the directions of the Mi­
nister and not issuing the re­
quisite permission letter to
the contractor for the main­
tenance work.
“What honesty is there in
a department where its head
is already corrupt“?, he said
in the letter without naming
the Minister. The MLA furth­
er said in the letter that the
contractor himself has nar­
rated his ordeal to him.
Mining Minister
Notably, Pramod Jain Bhaya,
the MLA from Anta area of
Baran district is the Mining
Minister.
Speaking to PTI on Sun­
day, Mr. Singh said, “The
amount has been sanctioned
and the work will begin but
hindrance is being caused by
the Minister who should be
expediting the work,” he
said.
He said Union Transport
Minister Nitin Gadkari has
responded positively to the
work but the ground reality
was “very unfortunate”.
Congress MLA raises graft
charges against Minister
‘NH­27 repair work getting delayed due to hurdles’
Press trust ogf india
Kota (Rajasthan) What honesty is
there in a
department where
its head is already
corrupt
Bharat Singh
Sangod MLA
Ornamental plants placed on boats to decorate the Golden Temple as part of the celebrations to mark the 485th birth
anniversary of Guru Ramdas, in Amritsar on Friday. * PTI
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Celebration time
Chief Minister Amarinder
Singh on Sunday hit back at
Union Minister Harsimrat
Kaur Badal, saying it was the
previous SAD government
that had “shamelessly and
willfully heaped humilia­
tion” on the Jathedar of the
Akal Takht, the highest tem­
poral seat of the Sikhs.
Ms. Badal had on Satur­
day slammed the Congress
government over the issue of
joint celebrations of 550th
birth anniversary of Guru
Nanak Dev, accusing it of
having “gone blind in arro­
gance” to the extent that it
“considers” itself above the
Akal Takht.
For 10 years, the Akalis,
including Ms. Badal, had
been “totally drunk on pow­
er”, sparing neither the Akal
Takht nor the people of Pun­
jab from their “tyrannical
control”, Mr. Singh said.
He said the Union Minis­
ter should stop indulging in
“such blatant falsehoods”
for her “petty political
gains”.
Ms. Badal had also
charged Mr. Singh with
“challenging” the suprema­
cy of the Akal Takht by de­
ciding to hold a parallel
stage to mark the 550th ‘Par­
kash Purb’ celebrations at
Sultanpur Lodhi next
month.
Mr. Singh said his govern­
ment has always treated the
supreme Sikh temporal seat
with “exemplary respect”.
‘Sheer arrogance’
“Everyone knows how you
(Akalis) maliciously ill­treat­
ed Akal Takht Jathedars, out
of sheer arrogance, and con­
tinue to abuse the Shiromani
Gurdwara Prabandhak Com­
mittee by dictating terms of
them,” he said, reacting to
Ms. Badal’s allegations.
“The previous SAD go­
vernment had shamelessly
and willfully heaped humi­
liation on the Jathedar of the
Akal Takht,” Mr. Singh
alleged.
“She (Badal) has no scru­
ples, none of the Akalis
have,” the Chief Minister
further alleged.
Akalis humiliated Akal Takht
Jathedar, says Amarinder
Chief Minister hits back at Union Minister Harsimrat Badal
Punjab CM amarinder Singh
Press trust of india
Chandigarh
The strategic Jammu­Srina­
gar national highway reo­
pened for traffic on Sunday
after remaining closed for
the past two days due to a
massive landslide in Ramban
district, traffic department
officials said.
Light motor vehicles were
allowed to ply on the high­
way from both Jammu and
Srinagar around 9.30 a.m.
after getting clearance from
the agencies responsible for
its maintenance, they said.
The 270­km highway, the
only all­weather road linking
Kashmir with the rest of the
country, was closed late on
Thursday following the land­
slide, which was triggered
during widening of the road
at Nihard —­ two kms from
Ramban towards Jammu.
Thousands of vehicles
were left stranded on either
side of the highway due to
the blockade.
No passenger vehicle from
Jammu or Srinagar was al­
lowed on the highway on Fri­
day and Saturday as the fo­
cus was on clearing the
stranded vehicles, mostly
trucks, the officials said.
Clearing the trucks took
time due to continuous land­
slides and shooting stones
from hills overlooking the
highway, they said.
“The road was cleared of
debris by the concerned
agencies this morning, pav­
ing the way for the resump­
tion of normal passenger
traffic,” the officials said, ad­
ding that traffic on the high­
way would be regulated in
accordance with the new
schedule.
According to the new
schedule, LMVs would ply
on both sides, from Jammu
to Srinagar and vice­versa,
during the day.
Heavy motor vehicles
(HMVs) and load carriers
from Zig (Qazigund) will ply
between 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
and from Jakheni (Udham­
pur) between 6 a.m. and 11
a.m., the officials said.
Traffic dept. advisory
The traffic department head­
quarters also advised com­
muters to avoid travelling on
the highway during night
hours in view of the threat of
landslides.
“The public is advised to
undertake journey on the
highway only after confirm­
ing the status of the road
from traffic control units,”
the officials said.
Crucial Jammu­Srinagar highway reopens to traffic after two days
Road was closed on Thursday after a massive landslide in Ramban district; thousands of vehicles were left stranded
Press trust of india
Jammu
Stranded trucks along the highway on Sunday. *
PTI
Passengers on board the Va­
ranasi­Delhi Vande Bharat
Express were on Sunday
stranded inside the train for
around an hour without fan,
air conditioning and lights
when its auxiliary converter
failed, officials said on Sun­
day. The train’s AC stopped
working 10 minutes before
reaching Allahabad station
at 4:50 p.m. The defect was
rectified, cooling ensured
and it left at around 6.00
p.m., they said.
Without basic facilities
During this time, the train
was without basic facilities
stranded at Allahabad.
In an earlier incident in
March, a minor fire broke
out in the transformer of a
coach of the railways’ ambi­
tious train.
Earlier this year, the pro­
duction of this self­propelled
engine­less train sets was
stopped over allegations of
favouritism and lack of tran­
sparency. In July, Railway
Minister Piyush Goyal met
representatives of manufac­
turers and promised a tran­
sparent level­playing field to
all of them.
On February 15, Prime Mi­
nister Narendra Modi
launched the New Delhi­Va­
ranasi Vande Bharat Ex­
press, popularly known as
Train 18.
It is an indigenous electric
multiple unit (EMU) manu­
factured by the Chennai­
based Integrated Coach Fac­
tory. The semi­high speed
train that can run up to a
maximum speed of 160 km/
hour has electrically operat­
ed, automatic sliding doors
similar to those in metro
coaches. Built at a cost of
₹100 crore, each train has 16
compartments, with two
first class coaches.
Air conditioning stops as auxiliary converter fails
Vande Bharat Express
Press trust of india
New delhi
Passengers aboard Vande Bharat
Express stranded after snag
The paddy harvesting sea­
son has started in Punjab
and the State has already re­
corded a 45% increase in
stubble burning incidents till
October 11, but the adminis­
tration hopes the farm fire
counts will come down gra­
dually as a result of intensive
interventions made this
year.
The period between Oc­
tober 15 and November 15 is
considered critical as most
farmers harvest their paddy
crop during this period.
According to data from
the Punjab Pollution Control
Board (PPCB), the State had
recorded 435 incidents of
stubble burning till October
11 last year. This year, the fi­
gure has shot up to 630.
Amritsar alone has report­
ed 295 incidents of farm fires
during the period. Tarn Ta­
ran and Patiala have record­
ed 126 and 57 cases, respec­
tively.
Punjab Agriculture Secre­
tary K.S. Pannu said the fires
detected by satellites don’t
give a clear picture of the
stubble burning incidents.
“Satellites data also in­
clude fires at cremation
grounds and dump yards.
The number of farm fires in
Punjab at present is almost
negligible. The overall count
this year will be less than last
year,” he asserted.
Mr. Pannu said that ac­
cording to the Centre’s data,
stubble burning incidents in
Punjab from October 1 to 10
reduced from 1,714 in 2016 to
430 in 2019.
The Punjab government
gave 28,000 farm imple­
ments, such as happy seed­
er, super straw management
system, paddy straw chop­
per and mulcher, to farmers
and cooperative societies on
subsidised rates in 2018 and
has sanctioned 23,000 more
this year, he said.
PPCB campaign
The Punjab Pollution Con­
trol Board has also roped in
around 1.2 lakh NSS volun­
teers in the awareness cam­
paign against stubble
burning.
“We have formed around
6,000 teams, each compris­
ing 20 members, which have
been visiting every village in
the State and persuading
farmers against burning
crop residue,” PPCB chair­
man S.S. Marwah said.
Punjab records 45% increase in farm fires
State govt. says overall count will be less than 2018 due to intensive interventions
A farmer burns stubble in his field in Punjab. *
FILE PHOTO
Press trust of india
New Delhi
A ‘low intensity’ earth­
quake of 4.5 magnitude
shook Rajasthan’s Bikaner
district on Sunday, a Mete­
orological Department offi­
cial said. The earthquake
hit Bikaner around 10.36
a.m.
No casualty or damage
to property has been re­
ported so far in the earth­
quake, a district adminis­
tration official said.
People rushed out of
their homes in some areas
after feeling the tremors,
he said.
Earthquake
rocks Bikaner
press trust of india
Bikaner
In a bizarre twist of fate,
a trader here in Uttar
Pradesh found a
newborn girl in an
earthen pot, which was
buried almost three feet
below the ground, while
he had gone to inter his
daughter, who died
minutes after being
born prematurely.
Hitesh Kumar Sirohi,
the trader, rescued the
girl and fed her milk
using cotton. The girl is
currently admitted to a
private hospital.
According to SP
Abhinandan Singh,
Sirohi’s wife Vaishali is a
sub­inspector posted in
Bareilly.
“She was admitted to
a hospital after she
complained of labour
pain on Wednesday. On
Thursday, she gave birth
to a premature infant,
who died within a few
minutes,” Mr. Singh said
on Sunday.
Earthen pot
Mr. Sirohi had gone to
bury his daughter on
Thursday evening, the
officer said, adding, “As
the pit was being dug, at
a depth of three feet,
the spade hit an earthen
pot, which was pulled
out. There was a baby
girl lying in it.”
The girl was alive and
breathing heavily, the
SP said, adding that she
was rushed to the
district hospital.
Burial saves
buried alive
newborn
Press trust of india
Bareilly (U.P.)
Two, including a four­year­
old child, died as two mo­
torcycles collided head­on
in Hamirpur district on
Sunday, police said.
Dileep Ahirwar (21) and
the child Suraj died in the
accident that occurred in
the afternoon on the
Raath­Panwaarhi road and
left five others injured, Ad­
ditional Superintendent of
Police Santosh Kumar
Singh said.
Ahirwar was riding the
motorcycle with his sisters
when he tried to overtake a
tractor but crashed into an
oncoming bike which was
being ridden by one Bhaiy­
yalal, they said.
Bhaiyyalal’s younger
brother Suraj, fiancee Tulsi
and mother Nanhi were
seated on the motorcyle
when the crash occurred,
they added.
“All of them were rushed
to the nearest government
hospital where doctors de­
clared Ahirwar and Suraj
dead, while the other in­
jured persons were re­
ferred to Jhansi for treat­
ment,” Mr. Singh said.
2 killed as
motorcycles
collide in U.P.
Press trust of india
Banda

6. CM
YK
A ND-NDE
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DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 20196EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
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advertisements in this newspaper.
Over 260 people were ar­
rested by the police during
raids on illegal gambling
dens in Odisha’s Ganjam dis­
trict over the past 24 hours.
This hints at the extent of
gambling in the region from
Dussehra festivities till Ku­
mar Purnima festival on
Sunday. According to police
sources, since Saturday
night, 14 gambling dens
were raided in Berhampur
police district, 95 people
were arrested and over ₹4.24
lakh in cash seized. In Gan­
jam police district, 32 gam­
bling dens were raided dur­
ing the same period with the
arrest of 166 gamblers and
seizure of over ₹4.79 lakh in
cash. Ganjam revenue dis­
trict has two police districts.
Over the past one week,
the police have been raiding
illegal gambling dens in Gan­
jam district. On October 10
night, the police busted a
major illegal gambling den
in Berhampur with the sei­
zure of ₹7.68 lakh in cash
and arrest of 15 gamblers.
Those arrested include
two former corporators of
the Berhampur Municipal
Corporation and a branch
manager of a private bank.
Over 260 arrested for gambling
Staff Reporter
BERHAMPUR
The ‘One Nation, One Ration
Card’ scheme seems to be
not working in favour of ma­
ny in Odisha, according to a
survey that found that hun­
dreds of people have not
been provided rice through
the Public Distribution Sys­
tem for two months due to
non­seeding of Aadhaar. The
study also found that exclu­
sion due to Aadhaar linking is
more prevalent in tribal
areas.
A study of 63 villages in
Nabarangpur district found
that out of 1,271 people in 272
households surveyed, 435
have not been provided PDS
rice for September and Oc­
tober due to non­seeding of
Aadhaar. Out of these, 35%
are children between 0­10
years of age.
The survey was conducted
during the first week of Oc­
tober by the Odisha chapter
of the National Right to Food
Campaign, an informal net­
work of organisations and in­
dividuals working on right to
food issues.
PDS rice for two months
was distributed in Kalahandi­
Bolangir­Koraput area from
September 20 to 30, accord­
ing to Sameet Panda of the
food campaign.
Ineligible persons
Out of 272 families, there
were 17 households having a
total of 50 members who
have not received grain for
September and October as
none of the family members
were seeded in PDS­Aadhaar.
There are 255 such fami­
lies where Aadhaar of one or
more family members has
not been seeded. There are
385 persons across these 255
households who have not
been seeded into Aadhaar, so
their names have been
eliminated.
The survey found that
there are 17 persons who are
ineligible. They include those
dead; female members mar­
ried outside; and not availa­
ble in the village.
Out of 435 persons whose
Aadhaar has not been seed­
ed, 185 persons don’t have
Aadhaar. The survey team
met those who have applied
for Aadhaar several times but
have not received it so far,
said Mr. Panda.
There are 228 persons
who have an Aadhaar num­
ber but it has not been seed­
ed yet. Out of them, 72 per­
sons have submitted their
Aadhaar in the gram pan­
chayat but they don’t know
why it has not been seeded.
There are 17 such persons
whose Aadhaar number is re­
flected in the PDS card but
their name has been deleted.
Many denied PDS rice due
to non-seeding of Aadhaar
Survey in Odisha finds exclusion higher in tribal areas
Special Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR
West Bengal Governor Jag­
deep Dhankhar on Sunday
said it is not essential that
one should always agree to
the point of view of another
and that does not turn
them into adversaries of
each other.
The Governor’s state­
ment came three days after
his comment on a triple
murder in Murshidabad
district did not go down
well with the Trinamool
Congress.
“It is not essential that I
should agree to your views
and that does not turn me
your adversary, your oppo­
nent,” Mr. Dhankhar said at
a function in Howrah.
Two individuals have the
right to have different view­
points, he said without
naming anyone. “I am en­
titled to my judgment, you
are to yours. But we can
cope with such differenc­
es,” he said.
Not necessary
to agree with
others: Guv.
Press Trust of India
Kolkata
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LEGAL NOTICE
MR. S Krishnamurthy, 89, Retd.
AGM, Bank of Baroda attained Sival-
okhaprapthi on 13.10.2019 at 75,
Greenways Road Extension, R A Pu-
ram, Chennai 28. Final Rites on
14.10.2019 at 12 noon. Telephone:
044 24939032
OBITUARY
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THE HINDU DELHI
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2019 7EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CM
YK
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ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
Union Home Minister Amit
Shah on Sunday heaped
praise on Prime Minister Na­
rendra Modi for scrapping
Article 370, saying the pre­
vious governments never
had the courage shown by
the “man with 56­inch
chest” in integrating Jammu
Kashmir with India’s
mainstream.
Addressing an election
rally in Kolhapur district, he
said people should ask Con­
gress and NCP leaders, when
they come to seek votes,
whether they support the
NDA government’s decision
to remove the provisions
that gave special status to
Jammu Kashmir.
He targeted Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi and
NCP chief Sharad Pawar for
questioning the govern­
ment’s move to scrap Article
370. “After people of the
country and Maharashtra
voted him for the second
term, Modiji did something
for which the entire country
was waiting for 70 years...he
removed Article 370 on Au­
gust 5 and joined Jammu
Kashmir with the country’s
mainstream.”
Mr. Shah said since the
days of Jan Sangh, they have
been hearing that there can­
not be two prime ministers,
there cannot be two symbols
and two constitutions, but
“it was the Congress which,
by imposing Article 370,
stopped the process of inte­
grating Jammu Kashmir
with India for several years”.
“As a result, thousands of
our people lost their lives
due to terrorism, but still
there was no intention of any
party to remove Article 370,”
he said.
“Several governments
came and went, several
prime ministers came and
went; no one had the cour­
age to scrap Article 370. But,
the man with the 56­inch
chest scrapped it in one go,”
Mr. Shah said.
He said during the UPA
rule, terrorists from Pakistan
used to infiltrate and kill In­
dian soldiers. “They used to
decapitate our soldiers, but
the then prime minister,
‘Mouni baba’ Manmohan
Singh, never used to utter a
single word. But after the Uri
and Pulwama attacks, Modiji
showed the courage of killing
terrorists in their den
through surgical strike and
air strikes.” He further hit
out at the Opposition over
the government’s decision to
ban the practice of triple ta­
laq. “When we banned triple
talaq, they opposed.”
On the devastating floods
in Kolhapur and Sangli after
heavy rains in August, the
minister assured people that
the Centre and the State will
transform both the districts
and make them even better
and more beautiful.
He said during the pre­
vious Congress­NCP regime,
₹70,000 crore was spent on
irrigation, but not a single
drop of water reached any
village. “But Devendra Fad­
navis, after taking charge as
the Chief Minister , spent just
₹9,000 crore and with the
help of the ‘Jalyukta Shivar’
(water conservation)
scheme, over 11,000 villages
were irrigated.”
Mr. Shah alleged that
there was corruption during
the Congress­NCP coalition
government in Maharashtra.
He asked Mr. Pawar what the
State received during the
previous UPA rule.
‘Man with 56-inch chest’
did what previous PMs
couldn’t, says Amit Shah
Press Trust of India
Kolhapur
ELECTION DIARY
Goa CM joins Fadnavis
for walk at Marine Drive
Mumbai
Goa Chief Minister
Pramod Sawant joined his
Maharashtra counterpart
Devendra Fadnavis for a
morning walk at Marine
Drive on Sunday. Mr.
Sawant has been touring
the State since last
Thursday to campaign for
the Bharatiya Janata Party
and has expressed
confidence that people
will support the party in the Assembly elections.
“Joined CM @Dev_Fadnavis ji for a morning walk
at Marine Drive, Mumbai. Great energy and
amazing response from the people.
#MumbaiChaliBhaJaPaKeSaath (sic),” he tweeted.
Mr. Sawant last week addressed public meetings in
Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and some parts of
Mumbai. PTI
Devendra Fadnavis
with Pramod Sawant
at Marine drive on
Sunday morning.
*
EMMANUAL YOGINI
‘Polls being held because
Cong. saved democracy’
Aurangabad
Congress leader and
former Lok Sabha MP
Mallikarjun Kharge on
Sunday claimed people
are able to vote and fight
polls because his party
saved democracy.
Addressing a rally at Ausa
in Latur, he lashed out at
the ruling BJP for questioning the contribution of
the Congress in the country’s progress. “The BJP
is asking what the Congress has done till now. We
can answer it. We saved democracy. Hence
people are contesting elections today. And we can
see Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah
campaigning in Maharashtra.” He said, “We have
saved the country and the Constitution. The BJP
should tell the country what it has done in the last
five years and we will tell them what we did in five
decades.” Hitting out at the State government, Mr.
Kharge said it promised to waive ₹35,000 crore
loans of 90 lakh farmers but had not managed to
reach even half the target. PTI
Mallikarjun Kharge
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
is set to fight the Assembly
elections with 24 contes­
tants, including six in the
Mumbai Metropolitan Re­
gion. Co­convener of the par­
ty’s Maharashtra unit, Kish­
ore Mandhyan, says the
dream is to win all the seats
but one has to be realistic.
The former political director
to UN secretary general Ban
Ki­Moon, Mr. Mandhyan
tells The Hindu that AAP is
aiming at much more than
simply winning the seats.
The contestants AAP has
chosen are mostly grassroots
workers. Will that help in
translating into votes?
■ Some of them are grass­
roots workers. Not all. There
are two kinds of people who
attract votes. People who
have worked in those areas
and people who have stature
and appeal. Of course in our
kind of system, it is believed
that if you spend a lot of mo­
ney and buy several people,
that will get you votes. We
don’t do the money bit. We
are not a very big party, so
we don’t have thousands of
people with us but we have
people who are very commit­
ted. A lot of people we have
given the tickets to also hap­
pen to be from the party be­
cause we wanted to develop
leadership. We are not look­
ing at this year; we are look­
ing at the long term. We had
about 200 applications, but
we chose about 24. So we
were very careful. They
come from different back­
grounds. We looked around
the State and thought about
where we would be fighting
elections next year: in zilla
parishads, local bodies,
municipal polls. So if we run
in those constituencies, we
will create a buzz with good
candidates.
In Jogeshwari East, for
example, AAP has fielded
tribal rights activist Vitthal
Lad against Shiv Sena leader
Ravindra Waikar who has a
strong base. Where does a
candidate like Mr. Lad stand
then?
■ We hope he does very well.
We always wish our candi­
dates won. But let us say if he
doesn’t win, the name of the
party will be popular, Mr.
Lad will be known better in
the area, and our message
will get out. With changes in
politics, the BJP is there to­
day; we know what is hap­
pening in the Congress and
NCP; people are going to ask
who next. And sooner or la­
ter, they will see a serious
party. We are in the process
of where the BJP was in the
’80s. They had two seats in
Parliament, we have four.
We are in the Opposition in
Punjab; we are in power in
Delhi with a world class pro­
gramme being implemented.
We look at ourselves not only
to come into power but also
to become a very strong op­
position because there is a
vacuum.
A section believes that AAP
will only divide votes but
may not come out a winner.
■ Today if you do an analysis
of the people who are run­
ning the BJP, Congress, NCP
or Sena, they are playing
musical chair. If the son is
here, the father is there, and
the wife is somewhere.
There are about 25­30
feudal families in
Maharashtra and
they are rotating
from one party to
other. AAP is not
dividing votes. It
is, in fact, provid­
ing a solution, an
alternative to this
collusion bet­
ween the
four
parties.
Where do you think the BJP
stands in this election?
■ I believe that it has done
some good work; it has some
good people. But it doesn’t
really have a way of reima­
gining and re­engineering
Maharashtra. It talks about
the ease of doing business,
but what about ease of doing
farming. The agrarian dis­
tress is a major thing. What
about environmental moder­
nisation, that can be a major
job creator; it can clean up
and preserve our soil, air,
and make our people
healthier. We are
looking at Mah­
arashtra not
just as a
State but as a
State that has
the potential
of connecting
beyond its
immediate
borders.
INTERVIEW | KISHORE MANDHYAN
‘AAP a solution, an alternative to
collusion between four parties’
Party co-convener says BJP doesn’t have a way of reimagining, re-engineering State
Jyoti Shelar
Mumbai
Drumming up support: Union Home Minister Amit Shah
waves at supporters during a rally with candidate Baburao
Pacharne of Shirur near Pune on Sunday. *
JIGNESH MISTRY
EmmanualYogini
Chief Minister Devendra Fad­
navis on Sunday attacked
NCP president Sharad Pawar
for a certain hand gesture ov­
er the former’s remark that
the Opposition was nowhere
in contest for the October 21
Assembly polls.
With Prime Minister Na­
rendra Modi in attendance
at the rally, Mr. Fadnavis
said BJP leaders do not
make gestures like Natrang
(a 2010 Marathi film centred
on a stage actor playing ef­
feminate roles). He said Mr.
Pawar’s “conscience” is
weakening sensing defeat in
the polls.
Addressing a poll rally in
Solapur’s Barshi on Satur­
day, Mr. Pawar had hit out at
Mr. Fadnavis over the lat­
ter’s remark that the BJP’s
“wrestler” (poll machine)
was ready to fight, but there
was no opponent. “The
Chief Minister said their
wrestler is ready, but there
is none (to fight). But you
fight with a wrestler, and not
with ‘such’ (making the
hand gesture) people.”
The CM said, “One’s con­
science weakens when faced
with defeat. Hence, we saw
yesterday, how Pawar Saheb
spoke, what kind of gestures
he made. We can reply, but
we don’t make such ges­
tures. The people of the
State will show who the true
wrestler is on October 24
(vote counting day).”
Mr. Fadnavis alleged Con­
gress leader Rahul Gandhi
knew his party was not go­
ing to win in the elections
and, hence, had gone to
Bangkok. “Mr. Gandhi came
back after a lot of persuasion
by party leaders...But whe­
rever Mr. Gandhi cam­
paigned, they faced defeat.”
Congress spokesperson
Rajiv Tyagi accused Mr. Fad­
navis of lying on the wherea­
bouts of Mr. Gandhi.
Press Trust of India
Jalgaon
Devendra Fadnavis
CM hits out at Pawar on hand gesture with Natrang jibe
Adityanath: our schemes
are for people’s welfare
Aurangabad
Initiatives of the BJP­Shiv
Sena government in
Maharashtra are about
people’s welfare while
those of previous
governments were about
grabbing public money
for the benefit of a few, Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath said at a poll rally in
Hingoli district on Sunday. “Funds allocated for
schemes and farmers were grabbed. Deals were
cut while providing jobs. Development was
limited to development of a family,” Mr.
Adityanath said. On the revocation of provisions
of Article 370 in Jammu Kashmir, he said the
move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a
tribute to icons like Babasaheb Ambedkar and
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who fought for
justice. “The Congress included Article 370 in the
Constitution in 1952 despite opposition from Dr.
Ambedkar.” PTI