ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir,...

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DM ORDERS CHANGE IN SCHOOL TIMINGS Lucknow: In view the hot weather conditions prevailing in the state capital, District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma on Sunday issued directions for a change in timings of both government and private schools from Monday (April 30) till the start of summer vacations. All schools up to Class X will function from 7:30 am till 12 noon and Classes XI & XII till 1 pm. MODI GOT I-T REFUNDS FIVE TIMES, RAHUL SIX New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got income tax refunds at least five times in the last 18 years, while Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has received six refunds during the same period. SCORCHING HEAT IN NATIONAL CAPITAL New Delhi: The national Capital reeled under scorching heat on Sunday, with the maximum temperature recorded at 41.2 degrees Celsius, officials said. FIRE DESTROYS CROP IN AMETHI, FARMER DIES Etawah/Amethi: A major fire destroyed around 100 acre of wheat crop in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district following which a 55-year- old farmer died of shock. CAPSULE PNS n NEW DELHI T he voting for fourth phase of Lok Sabha (LS) elections for 71 seats in nine States on Monday would witness in the battle ring sons of Chief Ministers, royals, former Union Ministers, film celebrities as also a bitterly-found contest between fire-brand student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and BJP candidate and Union Minister Giriraj Singh. The fate of 961 candidates will be decided by about 12.79 crore voters, including in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mahrashtra, Mahdhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. In Madhya Pradesh bypoll to Chhindwara Assembly con- stituency where Chief Minister Kamal Nath is in the fray will also be held simultaneously with LS poll on Monday. LS elections in MP will be held in four phases on April 29, and May 6, 12 and May 19, the last phase. In the first phase, six LS constituencies of Sidhi, Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat and Chhindwara will go to polls in Madhya Pradesh. Chhindwara, the LS con- stituency held by Congress leader Kamal Nath would now see his son Nakul Nath seeking mandate from the seat, a pock- et borough of the Nath family. State BJP president Rakesh Singh and former Union Minister and BJP’s tribal face Faggan Singh Kulaste are con- testing from Jabalpur and Mandla, respectively. In Rajasthan, 13 of 25 seats will go to polls on Monday with 115 candidates in fray. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son, a member of erstwhile Jaipur royal fami- ly and two Union Ministers are among candidates whose fate will be decided in polling on 13 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan. The constituencies are — Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar- Baran. Ghelot’s son Vaibhav is contesting from Jodhpur on the Congress ticket and is pitted against sitting MP and Union Minister of State Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The Jodhpur constituency, which has been represented by Gehlot for five times since 1980, has become a prestige issue for him who conducted more than 90 rallies, public meetings, roadshows in the constituency during the cam- paigning period which ended on Saturday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah also held public meetings and roadshows in Jodhpur to ensure the victory of party candidate Shekhawat. In Barmer seat, former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh Manvendra is contesting election on Congress ticket against BJP’s Kailash Chaudhary. Former BJP MLA and ex- Jaipur royal family member Diya Kumari is making debut in the Lok Sabha election as a BJP candidate from Rajsamand while Union Minister of State PP Chaudhary is in the fray from Pali. The Tonk- Sawaimadhopur seat will see contest between former Union Minister and Congress candi- date Namonarain Meena and BJP MP Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria. Continued on Page 4 PNS n NEW DELHI T he India Meteorological Department (IMD) has recorded 27 per cent less pre- monsoon rainfall from March to April, a phenomenon criti- cal to agriculture in some parts of the country. IMD recorded 43.3 millimetres of rainfall across the country from March 1 to April 24 as against the nor- mal precipitation of 59.6 mil- limetres. This was 27 per cent less of the Long Period Average (LPA). The highest deficiency of 38 per cent was recorded in the northwest India division of the IMD, which comprises States of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the Southern peninsula division comprising all five States of the South India and the Union Territory of Puducherry, Goa and coastal Maharashtra, where the deficiency recorded was 31 per cent,” the IMD said. East and North-East India division recorded 23 per cent deficiency. The Central India division is the only one to have record- ed five per cent more rainfall than the normal. Pre-mon- soon showers, thunderstorms and lightening have killed more than 50 people in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan this month. Several parts of India receive pre-monsoon rainfall which is critical for those regions. The phenomenon, which is usually from March to May-end, is vital as it helps in bringing the temperatures down. The situation also appears to be grim as large parts of the country have been witnessing heating and there has not been any major relief since April 17, said Mahesh Palawat, Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change), Skymet. Continued on Page 4 RAJESH KUMAR n NEW DELHI F rom the day it announced the poll dates, the Election Commission’s role has been questioned by the Opposition parties, and finger-pointing has increased with each pass- ing day. On Sunday, while the Trinamool Congress approached the Commission alleging that “American” wrestler “the Great Khali” had taken part in the electioneering of the BJP, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram accused the EC of being “silent spectator” to the “excesses” of the BJP and to the utterances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the poll body has “large- ly failed” the people of India. According to Congress, it has given 37 representations to the EC of which 10 can be cat- egorised under “hate speeches, virulent, divisive, polarising” by Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, but the EC has so far not acted against both these lead- ers. The Congress threatened the EC to move court if the poll body fails to take action against the Prime Minister for violation of model code of conduct (MCC). In a letter to the EC, TMC has alleged that Dalip Singh Rana, also known as World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler ‘Khali’ campaigned for BJP candidate Anupam Hazra in Jadavpur despite being an American citizen. “Rana is not an Indian cit- izen and holds American citi- zenship. Therefore, a foreign- er should not be allowed to influence the minds of the Indian electors as he has little or no knowledge as to who should be an appropriate MP in India,” the letter to the EC reads. “The BJP is using Rana’s celebrity status to misguide Indian voters,” the letter adds. On his part, Chidambaram claimed that the EC has been asking for accounts of every Opposition candidate and even on their small spending like on a flag. Continued on Page 4 STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI T erming the allegation of Aam Aadmi Party’s Atishi that he has two voter identity cards in Delhi baseless, cricketer- turned-politician and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from East Delhi Lok Sabha con- stituency Gautam Gambhir asserted that he possessed only one voter identity card and said the ruling party in Delhi is making baseless allegations against him as it doesn’t have any vision for the people. Gambhir is fighting against AAP’s Atishi from the East Delhi this general elections. Retaliating to Gambhir’s charges, Atishi tweeted and asked former circketer what work he did in the constituen- cy to get the ticket. Earlier, Atishi had filed a criminal complaint against Gambhir, alleging that he has two voter ID cards in the city. Meanwhile, a Delhi court had on Friday decided to hear Atishi’s criminal complaint against Gambhir in this regard on May 1. Responding to Atishi’s claim that he had two voter identity cards from Rajender Nagar and Karol Bagh con- stituencies, Gambhir told PTI, “I have only one voter ID card from Rajender Nagar. I used to live with my maternal grand- parents as a child at Ramjas Road (in Karol Bagh), but I never voted from or applied for any voter identity card from there,” “When you have no vision for the people or nothing else to talk about, you make alle- gations like these,” Gambhir said. He said he believed in “positive politics” and would campaign with a vision to make East Delhi one of the best Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi, and avoid indulging in blame game with his opponents in the polls. Continued on Page 4 PNS n NEW DELHI T he National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids on Sunday at three places in Kerala and apprehended three youths for their alleged allegiance with ISIS Kasaragod module. The agency has also claimed to have seized diaries with handwritten notes in Arabic and Malayalam, DVDs of Zakir Naik besides untitled DVDs and digital devices, including mobile phones, dur- ing raids. The agency has also recov- ered compact discs of reli- gious speeches. “Digital devices will be forensically examined and analysed,” a senior IPS offi- cer in NIA stated. The agency has intensified generating intelligence on the ground and also its probe in wake of devastating series of bombings on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka that left more than 250 people dead and at least Continued on Page 4 AGENCIES n COLOMBO/KALMUNAI T he father and two broth- ers of the suspected mas- termind of Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday bombings were killed when security forces stormed their safe house two days ago, police sources and a rel- ative of the suicide bombers told on Sunday. Zainee Hashim, Rilwan Hashim and their father Mohamed Hashim, who were seen in a video circulating on social media calling for all-out war against non-believers, were among 15 killed in a fierce gun battle with the military on the east coast on Friday, police sources said. Niyaz Sharif, the brother- in-law of Zahran Hashim, the suspected ringleader of the wave of Easter Sunday bomb- ings that killed over 250 peo- ple in churches and hotels across the island nation, told the video showed Zahran’s two brothers and father. Sri Lanka has been on high alert since the attacks on Easter Sunday, with nearly 10,000 sol- diers deployed across the island to carry out searches and hunt down members of two local terrorists groups believed to have carried out the attack. Authorities have detained more than 100 people, including for- eigners from Syria and Egypt since the April 21 bombings. In the video, Rilwan Hashim is seen calling for all out ‘jehad’ while children cry in the background. “We will destroy these non-believers to protect this land and therefore we need to do jehad,” Rilwan says in the video, sitting beside his brother and father. Continued on Page 4 TN RAGHUNATHA n MUMBAI W ill actress Urmila Matondkar of the Congress do a 2004 Govinda against BJP’s formidable can- didate Gopal Shetty in Mumbai north constituency? Will two- time Congress MP Priya Dutt avenge herself of the humiliat- ing defeat that she suffered at the hands of late senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s daughter Poonam Mahajan in the 2014 polls or bite electoral dust once again? Will two-time MP Milind Deora recapture the presti- gious Mumbai south seat that he lost to Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant? Will ex-Sena func- tionary-turned-Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam who was sacked recently as the Mumbai party chief redeem himself with a victory in the polls in Mumbai north-west? Will the BJP pay for replacing its sitting MP and popular face Kirit Somaiya in Mumbai north-east under intense pres- sure from its ally Shiv Sena? Mumbaikars as well as pollsters are seeking answers to these and many other ques- tions, as 17 Lok Sabha con- stituencies — comprising all the six Lok Sabha seats, three in the neighbouring Thane district and constituencies like Nandurbar, Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Maval, Shirur and Shirdi — go to polls in the last phase of polling in Maharashtra on Monday. In Monday’s polls, en estimated 3,12 crore voters are slated to exercise their franchise in 17 constituencies. Unlike in the past, Mumbai is witnessing fierce electoral battles in all the six Lok Sabha constituency. Incidentally, there are direct contests between the BJP-Sena combine candidates and the Opposition Congress- NCP alliance in all six con- stituencies. Mumbaikars have been inconsistent when it comes to electing candidates to Lok Sabha. For instance, riding on the back of an intense Modi wave, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance had won all the six seats in Mumbai. Earlier in a no-wave 2009 elections, the Congress-NCP alliance had won all the six Lok Sabha seats in the metropolis. In 2004 polls when NDA ceded power to the Congress-led UPA, the Congress had won five seats in Mumbai and the Shiv Sena had walked away with the remaining one seat. In the 1999 elections that saw the Vajpayee- led NDA Government come to power, the BJP had won three seats, its ally Shiv Sena bagged two seats and the Congress had walked away with the remaining one seat. Notwithstanding the claims to the contrary being made by the ruling BJP, there is absolutely no wave in Mumbai or elsewhere in the State. The efforts by the BJP and Modi himself to render its candidates inconsequential and make the elections Modi vs the Opposition have failed in Mumbai, where the sitting BJP- Sena alliance MPs have been forced to seek votes on the basis of their performance in Lok Sabha. Unlike in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the Opposition was dwarfed by the larger than life image of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the Congress and NCP candidates are in a resurgent mood and are giving the BJP-Sena candidates run for their money. On his part, Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora, who himself is a party candidate from Mumbai south, has gone to town predicting that his party will win all the six seats. Deora’s enthusiasm notwithstanding, the Congress- NCP will definitely make gains in Mumbai, where it had failed to win even one seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Continued on Page 4 Aam aadmi to seal bigwigs’ fate today Royals, CMs’ sons, ex-Ministers among 961 in fray in 9 States 27% pre-monsoon rain deficit critical for Indian farming Highest 38% deficiency in northwest part this year Opp hits out at EC’s ‘silence’ on Modi, Shah’s utterances TMC moves EC for ‘US citizen’ Khali campaigning for saffron party Delhi Court to hear Atishi’s ID plaint against Gautam on May 1 Father, two brothers of Lanka suicide bombings mastermind neutralised Can Urmila do 2004-like Govinda against BJP’s Shetty? NIA arrests 3 youths in Kerala over ISIS links Gambhir raps AAP, says he has only one voter ID Polling officials carry EVMs and other election materials as they leave for poll duties from a distribution centre, on the eve of the 4th of phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Mumbai on Sunday PTI @TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneer Follow us on: www.dailypioneer.com } WORLD 12 TRUMP, US MEDIA IN OPEN WAR ON ANNUAL DINNER DATE OPINION 8 NURTURE TIES THAT BIND SPORT 16 SRH TO FACE KXIP IN IPL CLASH instagram.com/dailypioneer/ *Late City Vol. 155 Issue 116 *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable Published From DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL BHUBANESWAR RANCHI RAIPUR CHANDIGARH DEHRADUN HYDERABAD VIJAYWADA Established 1864 RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2019-21 LUCKNOW, MONDAY APRIL 29, 2019; PAGES 16 `3 RANBIR, ALIA ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY }

Transcript of ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir,...

Page 1: ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the ... Aam Aadmi Party’s

DM ORDERS CHANGE IN SCHOOL TIMINGSLucknow: In view the hotweather conditions prevailing inthe state capital, DistrictMagistrate Kaushal Raj Sharmaon Sunday issued directions fora change in timings of bothgovernment and private schoolsfrom Monday (April 30) till thestart of summer vacations. Allschools up to Class X willfunction from 7:30 am till 12noon and Classes XI & XII till 1pm.

MODI GOT I-T REFUNDSFIVE TIMES, RAHUL SIXNew Delhi: Prime Minister NarendraModi has got income tax refunds atleast five times in the last 18 years,while Congress chief Rahul Gandhihas received six refunds during thesame period.

SCORCHING HEAT INNATIONAL CAPITALNew Delhi: The national Capitalreeled under scorching heat onSunday, with the maximumtemperature recorded at 41.2degrees Celsius, officials said.

FIRE DESTROYS CROP INAMETHI, FARMER DIESEtawah/Amethi: A major firedestroyed around 100 acre of wheatcrop in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethidistrict following which a 55-year-old farmer died of shock.

CAPSULE

PNS n NEW DELHI

The voting for fourth phaseof Lok Sabha (LS) elections

for 71 seats in nine States onMonday would witness in thebattle ring sons of ChiefMinisters, royals, former UnionMinisters, film celebrities asalso a bitterly-found contestbetween fire-brand studentleader Kanhaiya Kumar andBJP candidate and UnionMinister Giriraj Singh.

The fate of 961 candidateswill be decided by about 12.79crore voters, including in UttarPradesh, Rajasthan,Mahrashtra, Mahdhya Pradesh,Bihar and West Bengal. InMadhya Pradesh bypoll toChhindwara Assembly con-stituency where Chief MinisterKamal Nath is in the fray willalso be held simultaneouslywith LS poll on Monday. LSelections in MP will be held infour phases on April 29, andMay 6, 12 and May 19, the lastphase. In the first phase, six LSconstituencies of Sidhi,Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla,Balaghat and Chhindwara willgo to polls in Madhya Pradesh.

Chhindwara, the LS con-stituency held by Congressleader Kamal Nath would nowsee his son Nakul Nath seekingmandate from the seat, a pock-et borough of the Nath family.

State BJP president RakeshSingh and former UnionMinister and BJP’s tribal faceFaggan Singh Kulaste are con-testing from Jabalpur andMandla, respectively.

In Rajasthan, 13 of 25 seatswill go to polls on Monday with115 candidates in fray.Rajasthan Chief MinisterAshok Gehlot’s son, a memberof erstwhile Jaipur royal fami-ly and two Union Ministers areamong candidates whose fatewill be decided in polling on 13Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan.

The constituencies are —Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Ajmer,Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore,Udaipur, Banswara,Chittorgarh, Rajsamand,Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran. Ghelot’s son Vaibhav iscontesting from Jodhpur on theCongress ticket and is pittedagainst sitting MP and UnionMinister of State GajendraSingh Shekhawat.

The Jodhpur constituency,which has been represented byGehlot for five times since

1980, has become a prestigeissue for him who conductedmore than 90 rallies, publicmeetings, roadshows in theconstituency during the cam-paigning period which endedon Saturday evening.

Prime Minister NarendraModi and BJP president AmitShah also held public meetingsand roadshows in Jodhpur toensure the victory of partycandidate Shekhawat.

In Barmer seat, formerExternal Affairs MinisterJaswant Singh Manvendra iscontesting election onCongress ticket against BJP’sKailash Chaudhary.

Former BJP MLA and ex-Jaipur royal family memberDiya Kumari is making debutin the Lok Sabha election as aBJP candidate from Rajsamandwhile Union Minister of State

PP Chaudhary is in the frayfrom Pali. The Tonk-Sawaimadhopur seat will see

contest between former UnionMinister and Congress candi-date Namonarain Meena and

BJP MP Sukhbir SinghJaunapuria.

Continued on Page 4

PNS n NEW DELHI

The India MeteorologicalDepartment (IMD) has

recorded 27 per cent less pre-monsoon rainfall from Marchto April, a phenomenon criti-cal to agriculture in some partsof the country. IMD recorded43.3 millimetres of rainfallacross the country from March1 to April 24 as against the nor-mal precipitation of 59.6 mil-limetres. This was 27 per centless of the Long Period Average(LPA).

The highest deficiency of38 per cent was recorded in thenorthwest India division ofthe IMD, which comprisesStates of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi,Punjab, Haryana, Jammu &Kashmir, Uttarakhand andHimachal Pradesh.

“This was followed by theSouthern peninsula divisioncomprising all five States of theSouth India and the UnionTerritory of Puducherry, Goaand coastal Maharashtra, wherethe deficiency recorded was 31per cent,” the IMD said. Eastand North-East India division

recorded 23 per cent deficiency.

The Central India divisionis the only one to have record-ed five per cent more rainfallthan the normal. Pre-mon-soon showers, thunderstormsand lightening have killed morethan 50 people in MadhyaPradesh, Maharashtra, Gujaratand Rajasthan this month.

Several parts of Indiareceive pre-monsoon rainfallwhich is critical for thoseregions. The phenomenon,which is usually from March toMay-end, is vital as it helps inbringing the temperaturesdown.

The situation also appearsto be grim as large parts of thecountry have been witnessingheating and there has not beenany major relief since April 17,said Mahesh Palawat, VicePresident (Meteorology andClimate Change), Skymet.

Continued on Page 4

RAJESH KUMAR n NEW DELHI

From the day it announcedthe poll dates, the Election

Commission’s role has beenquestioned by the Oppositionparties, and finger-pointinghas increased with each pass-ing day.

On Sunday, while theTrinamool Congressapproached the Commissionalleging that “American”wrestler “the Great Khali” hadtaken part in the electioneeringof the BJP, senior Congressleader P Chidambaramaccused the EC of being “silentspectator” to the “excesses” ofthe BJP and to the utterances ofPrime Minister Narendra Modisaying the poll body has “large-ly failed” the people of India.

According to Congress, ithas given 37 representations tothe EC of which 10 can be cat-

egorised under “hate speeches,virulent, divisive, polarising” byModi and BJP president AmitShah, but the EC has so far notacted against both these lead-ers. The Congress threatenedthe EC to move court if the pollbody fails to take action againstthe Prime Minister for violationof model code of conduct(MCC).

In a letter to the EC, TMChas alleged that Dalip SinghRana, also known as WorldWrestling Entertainmentwrestler ‘Khali’ campaignedfor BJP candidate AnupamHazra in Jadavpur despitebeing an American citizen.

“Rana is not an Indian cit-izen and holds American citi-zenship. Therefore, a foreign-er should not be allowed toinfluence the minds of theIndian electors as he has littleor no knowledge as to whoshould be an appropriate MP inIndia,” the letter to the ECreads. “The BJP is using Rana’scelebrity status to misguideIndian voters,” the letter adds.

On his part, Chidambaramclaimed that the EC has beenasking for accounts of everyOpposition candidate and evenon their small spending like ona flag.

Continued on Page 4

STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

Terming the allegation ofAam Aadmi Party’s Atishi

that he has two voter identitycards in Delhi baseless, cricketer-turned-politician and BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) candidatefrom East Delhi Lok Sabha con-stituency Gautam Gambhirasserted that he possessed onlyone voter identity card and saidthe ruling party in Delhi ismaking baseless allegationsagainst him as it doesn’t have anyvision for the people.

Gambhir is fighting againstAAP’s Atishi from the EastDelhi this general elections.Retaliating to Gambhir’scharges, Atishi tweeted andasked former circketer whatwork he did in the constituen-cy to get the ticket. Earlier,Atishi had filed a criminal

complaint against Gambhir,alleging that he has two voterID cards in the city.Meanwhile, a Delhi court hadon Friday decided to hearAtishi’s criminal complaintagainst Gambhir in this regardon May 1.

Responding to Atishi’sclaim that he had two voteridentity cards from RajenderNagar and Karol Bagh con-stituencies, Gambhir told PTI,“I have only one voter ID cardfrom Rajender Nagar. I used tolive with my maternal grand-parents as a child at Ramjas

Road (in Karol Bagh), but Inever voted from or applied forany voter identity card fromthere,”

“When you have no visionfor the people or nothing elseto talk about, you make alle-gations like these,” Gambhirsaid. He said he believed in“positive politics” and wouldcampaign with a vision tomake East Delhi one of the bestLok Sabha constituencies inDelhi, and avoid indulging inblame game with his opponentsin the polls.

Continued on Page 4

PNS n NEW DELHI

The National InvestigationAgency (NIA) carried out

raids on Sunday at three placesin Kerala and apprehendedthree youths for their allegedallegiance with ISIS Kasaragodmodule. The agency has alsoclaimed to have seized diarieswith handwritten notes inArabic and Malayalam, DVDsof Zakir Naik besides untitledDVDs and digital devices,including mobile phones, dur-ing raids.

The agency has also recov-ered compact discs of reli-gious speeches. “Digital deviceswill be forensically examinedand analysed,” a senior IPS offi-cer in NIA stated.

The agency has intensifiedgenerating intelligence on theground and also its probe inwake of devastating series ofbombings on Easter Sunday inSri Lanka that left more than250 people dead and at least

Continued on Page 4

AGENCIES n COLOMBO/KALMUNAI

The father and two broth-ers of the suspected mas-

termind of Sri Lanka’s EasterSunday bombings were killedwhen security forces stormedtheir safe house two daysago, police sources and a rel-ative of the suicide bomberstold on Sunday.

Zainee Hashim, RilwanHashim and their fatherMohamed Hashim, who wereseen in a video circulating onsocial media calling for all-outwar against non-believers, wereamong 15 killed in a fierce gunbattle with the military on theeast coast on Friday, policesources said.

Niyaz Sharif, the brother-in-law of Zahran Hashim, thesuspected ringleader of thewave of Easter Sunday bomb-ings that killed over 250 peo-

ple in churches and hotelsacross the island nation, toldthe video showed Zahran’s twobrothers and father.

Sri Lanka has been on highalert since the attacks on EasterSunday, with nearly 10,000 sol-diers deployed across the islandto carry out searches and huntdown members of two localterrorists groups believed tohave carried out the attack.Authorities have detained morethan 100 people, including for-eigners from Syria and Egyptsince the April 21 bombings.

In the video, RilwanHashim is seen calling for allout ‘jehad’ while children cry inthe background. “We willdestroy these non-believers toprotect this land and thereforewe need to do jehad,” Rilwansays in the video, sitting besidehis brother and father.

Continued on Page 4

TN RAGHUNATHA n MUMBAI

Will actress UrmilaMatondkar of the

Congress do a 2004 Govindaagainst BJP’s formidable can-didate Gopal Shetty in Mumbainorth constituency? Will two-time Congress MP Priya Duttavenge herself of the humiliat-ing defeat that she suffered atthe hands of late senior BJPleader Pramod Mahajan’sdaughter Poonam Mahajan inthe 2014 polls or bite electoraldust once again?

Will two-time MP MilindDeora recapture the presti-gious Mumbai south seat thathe lost to Shiv Sena’s ArvindSawant? Will ex-Sena func-tionar y-turned-Congressleader Sanjay Nirupam whowas sacked recently as theMumbai party chief redeemhimself with a victory in thepolls in Mumbai north-west?Will the BJP pay for replacingits sitting MP and popular faceKirit Somaiya in Mumbai

north-east under intense pres-sure from its ally Shiv Sena?

Mumbaikars as well aspollsters are seeking answers tothese and many other ques-tions, as 17 Lok Sabha con-stituencies — comprising allthe six Lok Sabha seats, threein the neighbouring Thanedistrict and constituencies likeNandurbar, Dhule, Dindori,Nashik, Palghar, Maval, Shirurand Shirdi — go to polls in thelast phase of polling inMaharashtra on Monday. InMonday’s polls, en estimated3,12 crore voters are slated toexercise their franchise in 17constituencies.

Unlike in the past, Mumbaiis witnessing fierce electoralbattles in all the six Lok Sabhaconstituency. Incidentally, thereare direct contests between theBJP-Sena combine candidatesand the Opposition Congress-NCP alliance in all six con-stituencies. Mumbaikars havebeen inconsistent when itcomes to electing candidates to

Lok Sabha. For instance, ridingon the back of an intense Modiwave, the BJP-Shiv Senaalliance had won all the sixseats in Mumbai.

Earlier in a no-wave 2009elections, the Congress-NCPalliance had won all the six LokSabha seats in the metropolis. In2004 polls when NDA cededpower to the Congress-led UPA,the Congress had won five seatsin Mumbai and the Shiv Senahad walked away with theremaining one seat. In the 1999elections that saw the Vajpayee-led NDA Government come topower, the BJP had won threeseats, its ally Shiv Sena baggedtwo seats and the Congresshad walked away with theremaining one seat.

Notwithstanding theclaims to the contrary beingmade by the ruling BJP, thereis absolutely no wave inMumbai or elsewhere in theState. The efforts by the BJPand Modi himself to render itscandidates inconsequential and

make the elections Modi vs theOpposition have failed inMumbai, where the sitting BJP-Sena alliance MPs have beenforced to seek votes on the basisof their performance in LokSabha.

Unlike in the 2014 LokSabha elections when theOpposition was dwarfed by thelarger than life image of BJP’sPrime Ministerial candidateNarendra Modi, the Congressand NCP candidates are in aresurgent mood and are givingthe BJP-Sena candidates run fortheir money.

On his part, MumbaiCongress president MilindDeora, who himself is a partycandidate from Mumbai south,has gone to town predictingthat his party will win all the sixseats. Deora’s enthusiasmnotwithstanding, the Congress-NCP will definitely make gainsin Mumbai, where it had failedto win even one seat in the 2014Lok Sabha polls.

Continued on Page 4

Aam aadmi to seal bigwigs’ fate today

Royals, CMs’ sons, ex-Ministers among 961 in fray in 9 States

27% pre-monsoon rain deficit critical for Indian farming Highest 38%

deficiency

in northwest

part this year

Opp hits out at EC’s ‘silence’

on Modi, Shah’s utterances

TMC moves EC for ‘US citizen’ Khali campaigning for saffron party

Delhi Court to

hear Atishi’s ID

plaint against

Gautam on May 1

Father, two brothers of

Lanka suicide bombings

mastermind neutralised

Can Urmila do 2004-like Govinda against BJP’s Shetty?

NIA arrests

3 youths in

Kerala over

ISIS links

Gambhir raps AAP, sayshe has only one voter ID

Polling officials carry EVMs and other election materials as they leave for pollduties from a distribution centre, on the eve of the 4th of phase of Lok Sabhaelections, in Mumbai on Sunday PTI

@TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneerFollow us on:

www.dailypioneer.com

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*Late City Vol. 155 Issue 116*Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable

Published From DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL BHUBANESWAR

RANCHI RAIPUR CHANDIGARH DEHRADUN HYDERABAD VIJAYWADA

Established 1864

RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2019-21

LUCKNOW, MONDAY APRIL 29, 2019; PAGES 16 `3

RANBIR, ALIA

ENJOY THEIR

MOVIE DATE

14 VIVACITY

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Page 2: ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the ... Aam Aadmi Party’s

city 02LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

PNS n LUCKNOW

With four Uttar Pradeshministers contesting the

ongoing Lok Sabha polls andhaving “good prospects” ofwinning their seats, the YogiAdityanath government mayhave to undertake its firstCabinet reshuffle soon after theelections are over.

The four Cabinet ministersin the poll fray are RitaBahuguna Joshi fromAllahabad, SP Singh Baghelfrom Agra, Satyadev Pachaurifrom Kanpur and Mukut BihariVerma from AmbedkarnagarLok Sabha constituencies.

“The names of ministerswere zeroed in on for fieldingin the Lok Sabha electionsafter seeing their track record,utility and effectiveness inrespective areas, dedicationtowards the party, communica-tion with party workers andtheir overall performance, BJPstate spokesperson Hero Bajpaisaid.

“They all stand brightchances of winning theirrespective seats,” he added.

On the possibility ofCabinet reshuffle after thepolls, Uttar Pradesh ChiefMinister Yogi Adityanath hadrecently said, “First let theelections get over.” The electionprocess will be completed byMay 27 after counting of voteson May 23.

Among the four state min-isters fielded by the BJP so farin the ongoing polls, the nameof Cooperative Minister MukutBihari figured in the party’s lat-

est list of candidates. Bihari hasbeen fielded fromAmbedkarnagar Lok Sabhaconstituency which goes topolls on May 12 in the sixthphase.

The BJP had earlier namedMinister for AnimalHusbandry, Minor Irrigationand Fisheries SP Singh Baghelin its first list as its candidatefor the Agra. reserved LokSabha seat. Polling in Agra washeld in the second phase ofelections on April 18.

Two others, Minister forWomen, Family, Mother andChild Welfare Rita BahugunaJoshi and Minister for Khadiand Village Industries,Sericulture, Textiles, Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises,Export Promotion, SatyadevPachauri, have been fieldedfrom Allahabad and KanpurLok Sabha seats respectively.

Joshi, who is presently alsothe Tourism Minister in the UPCabinet, had contested the2014 general election fromLucknow parliamentary con-stituency on Congress ticketand lost to Bharatiya JanataParty’s Rajnath Singh.

Polling in Kanpur will beheld on April 29, whileAllahabad will go to polls onMay 12.

PNS n LUCKNOW

Hitting out at oppositionleaders, BharatiyaJanata Party national

president Amit Shah said theNarendra Modi governmentwould throw out intruderseven though many politicalparties were shedding crocodiletears in the name of humanrights.

Addressing a series of elec-tion meetings in Barabankiand Mohanlalganj on Sunday,Shah said that when the gov-ernment introduced the citi-zenship bill, leaders like RahulGandhi, Mayawati, AkhileshYadav, Mamata Banerjee andChandrababu Naidu opposed itin the name of human rights.

“BJP is going to form thenext government and NarendraModi will be the prime minis-ter once again. We will throwout any intruder because we donot want outsiders to enjoy thefruits of hard work of our peo-ple,” Shah said.

The Vijay Sankalp rally inBarabanki was held in Nindura

village where Shah asked peo-ple to vote for Upendra Rawat.

“We have a Prime Ministerwho thinks about people andformulates the policies whichtalk about development. This isreflected in our election man-ifesto which talks about nation-al security. We are committedto ensuring that no infiltrationtakes place in the country anymore,” he said.

The BJP president said thatduring the last five years,Modiji had made it clear thatno one could take India forgranted any more.

“What happened inBalakot is now history. WhenIndian Air Force carried out anair strike, gloom descended ontwo places – one in Pakistanand two in the offices of theCongress, Samajwadi Party andBahujan Samaj Party.

“I do not know why theylooked sad? Was it becausetheir relatives were killed inthat air strike?” he said andadded that the oppositioncould play coy to terrorists butModi had made it clear that if

Pakistan fired a bullet Indiawould fire a bomb.

Shah said that there weresome leaders who wanted aseparate prime minister forKashmir. “They belong to thatparty whose leaders havechanted Pakistan zindabad.Congress is silent on theseleaders. Not even Bua andBhatija are talking about it. Thisclearly shows that these leadershave pro-Pakistan leaning,” theBJP president said.

Shah said Modi had nottaken a leave in the last fiveyears while Rahul Gandhi goesfor vacation to foreign countryevery year. “This is the commit-ment of Modi towards hiswork and I do not know whatwill you say about RahulGandhi,” he said.

Shah in all his speechestalked about achievements ofthe Modi government and howpeople stood benefited bythem. The response of thepeople made it clear that peo-ple again wanted to see Modias the next prime minister ofthe country.

PNS n LUCKNOW

Congress general secretaryin-charge UP east PriyankaGandhi Vadra asked theBharatiya Janata Party andNarendra Modi why issues likenationalism and caste of thePrime Minister were beingraked up during election cam-paigns instead of talking aboutwhat the BJP-led NationalDemocratic Alliance govern-ment had done in last fiveyears.

Addressing people at achaupal at Munshiganj inAmethi on Sunday just beforegoing for campaigning inBahriach and Dhaurahra LokSabha constituencies, Priyankasaid, “I do not know what theBJP means by nationalism whenit is not ready to hear the griev-ances of the farmers, youths,women and other people.”

“It is unfortunate that whenfarmers went to your doors younever cared to listen to them.Youth were given false assur-ance of jobs. Nationalismmeans peoples’ love for thecountry and country meanspeople. But when people areditched what will happen tonationalism,?” she asked.

The Congress general sec-retary also slammed PrimeMinister Narendra Modi forraking up his caste during anelection meeting in UP onSaturday.

“I did not know the caste ofthe Prime Minister till now.Opposition never used casteduring elections. It always madedevelopment the main issueduring polls. We did not wantto know his (Modi’s) caste norwe made any personal com-ment on the PM then whatmade him describe his caste isa serious matter,” Priyanka said.

Priyanka also made ascathing attack on UnionTextiles Minister and BJP can-didate from Amethi, SmritiIrani, alleging that she came justthe town 16 times in five yearsand was now showing her sym-pathy for the voters.

“She came here for just 4-5 hours with mediapersons justto distribute shoes and sarees.But I know very well that thepeople of Amethi have selfrespect and will never supportsuch a leader who treats themas beggars,” the Congress gen-eral secretary said.

Priyanka also said that shehad come to find out the prob-lem of the people and try tosolve them. “We have alwaystreated Amethi as our homeand people here as our ownfamily members,” she said.

Later, addressing a rally inBahraich in support ofCongress candidate SavitribaiPhule, Priyanka dubbed thePradhan Mantri Kisan SammanNidhi (PM-KISAN) as an“apmaan” (insult) to farmers.

“The BJP is insulting thefarmers in the name of KisanSamman Yojana, which thePrime Minister discusses verymuch, as it will give only `3.50per day to the beneficiary. Thisis ‘Kisan Apmaan Yojana’ (ascheme to insult the farmers).”

Comparing the PM-KISAN to the Congress’ min-imum income guaranteescheme, Nyay, she said: “Onthe other hand, the Congresshas announced that it will give`6,000 per month to the poorhouseholds (if voted topower).”

Printed and Published by Vijay Prakash Singh for and on behalf of CMYK Printech Ltd., 4th Floor, Sahara Shopping Centre, Faizabad Road, Lucknow-226016 and Printed at Tin Tin Printech Pvt Ltd., C-33 Amausi Industrial Area, Nadarganj, Lucknow. Editor: Chandan Mitra. Resident

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All intruders will be

thrown out: Shah

BJP president Amit Shah waves at the crowd at an election meeting in Barabanki

Poll success mayforce Cabinetrejig in UP

Ministers in frayRita Bahuguna Joshifrom Allahabad, SPSingh Baghel fromAgra, SatyadevPachauri from Kanpur,Mukut Bihari Vermafrom Ambedkarnagar

Priyanka hits out at Modi

over nationalism

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with party candidate SavitribaiPhule at an election campaign rally at Nanpara in Bahraich on Sunday PTI

Page 3: ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the ... Aam Aadmi Party’s

city 03LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

Elaborate security arrange-ments are in place for thefourth phase of Lok

Sabha elections in UttarPradesh in which over 2.38crore voters in 13 politicallycrucial constituencies of thestate will exercise their fran-chise on Monday. Around 1.5lakh security personnel havebeen deployed to conduct thepolls in a free and fair atmos-phere. Over 200 companies ofcentral forces have beendeployed to maintain orderduring polling and on Sunday,

the security forces took out flagmarches in the sensitive areasto instill confidence amongthe voters.

The 13 constituenciesgoing to polls in the fourthphase include Shahjahanpur,Kheri, Hardoi, Mishrikh,Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah,Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur,Jalaun, Jhansi and HamirpurExcept for Kannauj, the rest 12seats are currently held by theBJP. A total of 152 candidatesare in the fray in these 13 con-stituencies. Along with the LokSabha poll, polling will also beheld for the by-election to

Nighasan assembly seat inLakhimpur Kheri on Monday.The bypoll has been necessitat-ed due to the death of sittingBJP MLA Ram Kumar Verma.There are seven candidates inthe fray for the bypoll. In thepolling for this phase,2,38,88,367 voters —1,29,75,125 males, 1,09,12,012females and 1,230 of the thirdgender — will exercise theirfranchise in 27,513 pollingbooths. The fourth phasepolling in UP will decide thefate of SP candidate DimpleYadav who is the wife of SPpresident Akhilesh Yadav in

Kannauj, former Union minis-ters and Congress candidateSalman Khurshid inFarrukhabad and SriprakashJaiswal in Kanpur and seniorCongress leader Anu Tandon,who is pitted against BJP’sSakshi Maharaj in Unnao. UP’schief electoral officer LVenkateshwarlu said here onSunday that all preparation forsmooth conduct of polling hadbeen completed. He said thatover one lakh polling person-nel had been despatched totheir respective booths in these13 constituencies.

“We have asked the district

officials to to make arrange-ments for drinking water, shedand other basic amenities forthe voters in all the pollingbooths,“ the CEO said .

In most of the constituen-cies there is a direct fightbetween the BSP-SP allianceand the BJP, but Congress is inthe fight in a couple of seats likeKanpur, Unnao, Farrukhabadand Kheri. The highest numberof 15 candidates are in the frayin Kheri, followed by 14 eachin Shahjahanpur, Kanpur,Akbarpur and Hamirpur, 13each in Mishrikh andEtawah, 11 each in Hardoi and

Jhansi, 10 in Kannauj, nineeach in Unnao andFarrukhabad and five in Jalaun.

The SP-BSP alliance hasfielded six BSP and seven SPcandidates. While the BSP iscontesting from Shahjahanpur(SC), Misrikh (SC),Farrukhabad, Akbarpur, Jalaun(SC) and Hamirpur, the SP hasfielded candidates from Kheri,Hardoi (SC), Unnao, Etawah,Kannauj, Kanpur and Jhansi.

The Congress has fieldedcandidates from 12 parliamen-tary constituencies. It is not inthe fray from Kannauj. The BJPis contesting all these seats.

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

Despite the opposition par-ties having fielded light-

weight candidates against him,Union Home Minister and BJPcandidate from Lucknow,Rajnath Singh, is not taking anychances and is carrying outelectioneering at full throttle.

Even his wife and two sonsare holding election meetingsasking people to vote for Singh.

“This is election. You can-not take anyone lightly.Whoever has filed the nomina-tion paper is contesting electionand can win. This candidatemay be from a recognisedpolitical party or an indepen-dent. He is my opponent and Iconsider him as my politicalrival,” Singh told this reporteron the sidelines of a meetingheld at Indira Nagar here onSunday. The SP-BSP alliancehas fielded Poonam Sinha, wifeof cine star Shatrughan Sinhawho after deserting BJP hasjoined the Congress. On theother hand, Congress has field-ed Acharya Pramod Krishnam.Both the candidates are consid-ered lightweight in comparisonto Singh and the victory of theBJP candidate is considered aforegone conclusion.

Singh, however, does notsee the contest as a walkover.“Please do not spread this oth-erwise people will not come outto vote. Every election is a con-test because it is a big festivalof democracy. People shouldtake part in the festival. Myappeal to the people is to reg-ister a record polling this time

in Lucknow,” he said. LawMinister Brajesh Pathak, whoaccompanies Singh, said thatthis election was not a questionof victory as they were target-ing the biggest ever margin ofvictory in Lucknow this time.

“All the BJP workers, up tothe booth level, are working inthis direction,” Pathak said andadded, “The roadshow ofRajnathji before filing nomina-tion was a testimony of thingsto come as people from allcaste, creed and religion took

part in it.” Singh listens toPathak with intent and smilesand then that BJP workers aregoing to the people with myreport card and telling themwhat he has done as member ofParliament for Lucknow.

“Even I am telling themwhat my future programmesare, including two flyoverswhose construction has start-ed. The next minute he startstalking about Metro, OuterRing Road, flyover over Kukrailnullah and the sewage treat-

ment plants (STPs) as hisachievements. Then he looks atDiwakar Tripathi, his represen-tative in Lucknow, and asks,“Kuchh chhoot to nahi gaya?”

The campaigning so far hasbeen very decent in Lucknow.No personal attacks have beenmade so far. Shatrughan Sinhais a close friend of RajnathSingh and he had sought votesfor him when he was in BJP. “Itis my principle that I do not usefoul language against anyleader. There is a decorum

which should be maintained inpolitical and social life,” Singhsaid. On Sunday, Rajnath Singhheld a series of public meetings,including a meeting ofChitransh Mahasabha, inIndira Nagar area of Lucknow.“I have come here to ask peo-ple to vote on May 6. No oneshould be complacent,” he said.

BJP corporator and mainorganiser of the meeting, DilipSrivastava, assured Singh thatbooth level workers wouldensure record polling inLucknow this time.

Earlier, Singh met tradersof Uttar Pradesh AdarshVyapar Mandal and the tradersassured all support to BJP ingeneral and Singh in particu-lar. Polling in Lucknow will beheld on May 6.

Meanwhile, Sunni clericsand Muslim organisations metRajnath Singh at his residenceon Sunday. They were led by‘Alpsankhyak Morcha’ presi-dent Mohammed ShamimAdvocate. The clerics of 37madarsas and organisationswere a part of the delegationand they extended their sup-port to Singh.

Besides, traders in largenumbers, under the banner ofAdarsh Vyapar Mandal, metSingh at ‘Sankalp Patra AabharSamaroh’ at his residence. Thepresident of Adarsh VyaparMandal said they promised tomake him victorious. Thetraders demanded RashtriyaVyapari Kalyan Board, policyfor retailers, accident insurancefor 10 lakh traders under GSTand credit cards.

4th phase: Elaborate security for polling

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

As many as 21 percent ofthe candidates in the fray

for the 13 Lok Sabha seatsgoing to polls in the fourthphase in UP on Monday havecriminal cases registeredagainst them and 39 per centare crorepatis.

Among candidates withcriminal background, BJPleads with 58 per cent candi-dates followed by SamajwadiParty (43 per cent,

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party(Lohia) (38 per cent), BahujanSamaj Party (33 per cent),Congress (17 per cent) andIndependents (7 per cent).BJP candidate from UnnaoSakshi Maharaj tops the can-didates having criminal back-ground with four cases, fol-lowed by PSPL candidatefrom Farrukhabad Uday PalSingh and Alok Kumar of SabJan Party who is contestingfrom Kanpur.

Altogether 57 candidates

(39 per cent) have declaredassets worth over one crorerupees. All BJP candidates arecrorepatis, while 92 per centcandidates of Congress and 86per cent of SP-BSP alliancecoming in this category.

BJP candidate from JhansiAnurag Sharma is the richestcandidate in the fourth phasepolls with asset worth over Rs124 crore. Sharma is followedby Congress candidate AnuTandon from Unnao who hasassets worth Rs 81 crore.

21 pc candidates have

criminal background

Poll officials leave for polling stations with EVMs on the eve of the 4th phase of Lok Sabha polls in Unnao on Sunday

Cannot take any opponent lightly: Rajnath

Rajnath Singh meeting a delegation of Sunni clerics at his residence in Lucknow on Sunday Pioneer

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

Warm north-westerlywinds only added to

troubles as the maximum tem-perature continued the upwardtrend and was recorded at 42.7degree Celsius on Sunday. Itwas three notches above nor-mal. In the state, Bandaremained the hottest at 45.2degree Celsius. Met director JPGupta said the temperaturewas expected to rise furtherbecause of the local and north-westerly winds.

Meanwhile, doctors haveadvised precautions in view ofthe sweltering heat. Dr VinodJain from King George’sMedical University saidcoconut water was the bestdrink to have while steppingout in the scorching heat.“People can also opt for lemon-ade with a pinch of salt. Whilehaving lunch in the office, youcan also have cucumbers withsome salt sprinkled on them.When you perspire, not only isthere loss of water but also thatof sodium. The loss of sodiumcauses weakness and drowsi-ness. Besides, banana is the bestkind of fruit that one shouldhave because it adds to thepotassium in diet. One can alsohave a lot of fresh fruit juices,”he said. He pointed out that itwas important to have all sea-sonal fruits, including melons

and tomatoes. “It is importantto keep hydrated and oneshould urinate at least six timesa day,” Dr Jain said. He said itwas important to have properamount of sodium and potas-sium in the body.

In case of heatstroke, thepatients had to be brought in

air-conditioned atmosphereand given fluids. “If the patientsdon’t respond, they may needa cold sponge and intravenousfluids. In terms of food, oneshould follow what Ayurvedasays. Local food should betaken and in small quantitythroughout the day,” he added.

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

The incident in which ayouth, identified as Arvind

Nishad of Hasanganj, was setablaze allegedly by a girl andher mother, the police have yetto further the probe.

“Since the police are busywith election-related work,they could not work on thecase,” a spokesman said. Hesaid the condition of Arvind,who suffered 65 per cent burns,condition continued to be crit-ical. “Arvind suffered burns allover his face, chest and otherbody parts,” he said.

However, countering thepolice claim that Arvind gothimself drenched in petrol andthreatened to burn himself towin the consent of his girl-friend, sources said: “BothArvind and the girl belong tosame caste. It is beyond com-prehension as to why the girland her mother were againstthe marriage.”

Arvind’s mother Neelamclaimed that the girl and hermother duped Arvind of aboutRs 2 lakh besides gold orna-ments. “Arvind sensed foulplay and started distancinghimself from the girl. To keepArvind under their influence,the accused opted for black-mailing tactics due to whichArvind threatened to set him-self ablaze. However, he was seton fire by the girl on April 20,”she alleged.

Heat intensifies, no let-up soon

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

In order to ensure that themaximum number of voters

cast their votes on the pollingday on May 6 in Lucknow, thedistrict administration hasdecided that a voting carnivalwould be organised inHazratganj on May 3.

The administrative offi-cials of the district said that thecarnival would witness theparticipation of well-knownartistes from the field of musicwho would showcase their tal-ents. “Live screening of theprogramme will also be carriedout through an LED screen. Awall will be constructed for allthe voters who are voting forthe first time who can put theirsignatures on it,” he said. Theofficials said that the stallswould also be put up of thewell- known food items ofLucknow and in the eveningprogramme the public wouldbe motivated in a big mannerto vote.

Meanwhile, DistrictMagistrate Kaushal RajSharma, who is also the districtelection officer, said it hadcome to his knowledge thatsome of the polling personnelwho had cast their ballots onApril 25, 26 and 27 had not puttheir signatures on the secondregister and some had also notvoted.

He said that attendancewas to be marked on both theattendance registers and thosewho had not put their signa-tures on the second atten-dance register would be con-sidered absent. He said thatthose polling personnel whohad not put their signaturesshould cast their votes and puttheir signatures on the secondregister after showing theirfingers.

He said that an FIR wouldbe lodged against those whodid not attend the training onApril 15, 16 and 17, at theHussainganj police station. Hesaid that FIRs were lodgedagainst 180 such personnel.The DM said that after com-pleting the probe against thesepersonnel a chargesheet wouldbe issued against them.

Meanwhile, the districtadministration carried out therandomisation of the EVMs ofbooths along with 1,500 vot-ers on Sunday. CDO ManishBansal said that the randomi-sation was carried out in frontof the political parties. “Thereare 28 booths in Lucknow dis-trict where the number of vot-ers is above 1,500. Thesebooths are created when thereare surplus voters at one of thebooths so that the voting canbe carried out in a streamlined

manner,” he said. He said thatthey also carried out the com-missioning of the EVMs inwhich the photographs andthe symbols of the individualcandidates were loaded in theVVPAT. He said that theEVMs were currently kept inthe strong room.

Meanwhile, a rally for thedifferently abled was taken outfor encouraging the people tovote. It started from theConvention Centre and wentaround the entire old area.

Voting carnival to raise awareness in city

Police busy withpoll preps, noheadway ininvestigation

Armed men bargeinto ice creamparlour, run riot

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

Adozen armed men stormedan ice cream parlour in

Vikas Nagar on Saturday nightand opened fire to intimidatethe owner, his staff and others.A parlour employee sufferedallegedly gunshot wounds onhis leg. However, police disput-ed the claims of firing, sayingdoctors were yet to conclude ifthe injuries were caused by abullet or some other object.

Police were unsure of themotive hours after the incidentwas reported even as the icecream parlour owner allegedthat the group’s aim was to ter-rorise him. Seconding the par-lour owner’s claim, locals saidthe miscreants’ aim was torealise extortion by flexingmuscles. As per reports,Mohammed Ismail of KhurramNagar runs the ice cream par-lour at Apna Bazaar Market inVikas Nagar (Church Road).Around 9:30 pm on Saturday,Ismail was in the parlour whilehis staff was busy workingwhen the group of armed menreached there.

“Without any provocation,the group fired several shots. Astaff member, Sharib, sufferedfirearm injuries on his leg. Weraised an alarm after whichlocals assembled there. Seeinga huge number of peopleapproaching the parlour, theattackers left the scene and

opened fire again,” he said. Ismail said the entire inci-

dent was captured by theCCTV camera installed in theice cream parlour. “The policeare bullying us to know aboutthe motive for attack. I have noenmity with any person and amclueless about the attackers,”Ismail said. He added that themiscreants looted his mobilephone and also took awaysome documents.

Police spokesman AKDwivedi said a case (riotingand murderous assault) wasregistered against the uniden-tified attackers. “The incidentwas captured by the CCTVcamera but the identity of theattackers has yet to be ascer-tained,” he added. Dwivedisaid the attackers opened threerounds of fire inside the parlourand one while leaving. “Theclaim that the miscreants firedincessantly was not verified inthe initial probe. Further inves-tigations are on,” he said,adding the claim about loot wasalso not verified.

Meanwhile, a group ofyouths on Saturday night con-fronted a police team afterbeing fined for riding bikeswithout wearing helmets.Police detained three of theyouths, identified as Lalit, Rohit(both of Talkatora), and Shaniof Mohanlalganj. Reports saidthe bike-borne youths werespotted near a hotel in GomtiNagar and stopped by a policeteam consisting of sub-inspec-tor Om Hari and constablesMohit & Rocky around 1 amon Sunday. As they were fined,the youths indulged in a verbalwith the cops and also usedabusive language.

One injured in

firing, motive

not clear

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

Aman, in connivance withhis son, killed his father

over a property dispute inMaal on Saturday night. Boththe accused are abscondingwhile a case of murder has beenregistered against them.

The victim was identifiedas Saidullah (70) ofChamrakhda village in Maal.He was found dead with hishead smashed by a concreteslab. The police recovered theblood-stained slab and sentthe body for autopsy.

Saidullah, a milk vendor,was reportedly not on goodterms with his son Isaq after theformer registered his 1.25 bighaland in the name of his daugh-ter Khatoona, who is marriedto a Thakurganj resident, iden-tified as Barkat. Isaq runs adairy and lives with his familyconsisting of his wife and sonMushtaq in Thakurganj.

On Saturday evening, Isaqhis son Mushtaq reached theirparental house in Maal. A lit-tle later, Khatoona also reachedthere. In the meantime, Isaqasked Saidullah to get the pre-

vious registration of land can-celled and get a new one in hisname. As Saidullah refused, averbal spat ensued betweenthe father-son duo. However,other family members inter-vened and the issue subsided.

“Around 11:30 pm onSaturday, Isaq and his sonMushtaq attacked Saidullahseveral times with a concreteslab and fled the scene,” Barkatalleged and lodged a caseagainst both. “My mother-in-law was gifted 2.5 bigha land byher parents and she gifted it toIsaq. As Saidullah was a justperson, he registered his sharein Khatoona’s name. Isaq wasagainst this and he eliminatedhim with the help of his son,”he alleged. Police spokesmanAK Dwivedi said the policeregistered a case of murderagainst Isaq and Mushtaq. “Thepolice have yet to get an eyewit-ness to corroborate the allega-tions. Barkat reached the houseand he found Saidullah lying ina pool of blood. However,Barkat did not see Isaq andMushtaq attacking Saidullah.Police have launched a man-hunt for the accused,” he added.

Man killed by son, grandson

over property dispute

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city 04LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

Scientists and staff of theCentral Institute for

Subtropical Horticulture will becelebrating the World PeachDay on Monday. CISH direc-tor Shailendra Rajan said thatthe day would be featuring pre-sentations from experts as wellas peach field visits. Differentvarieties would be discussed byDr KK Srivastava and DrGundappa would discuss thepest problems, he said.

“Seeing is believing.”Farmers mostly accept a newcrop for cultivation when theysee it in the field being grownsuccessfully. “The geographicallocation is a limiting factor fordifferent groups of fruit cropsand restricts the cultivation dueto the climatic boundaries.Scientists developed varietiessuitable for certain agro-eco-logical regions and also to suitthe climates where not thoughtoff. One of the importantexamples is of low-chill peachvarieties which can be grown innorthern plains of Indiabecause of their low-chillingrequirements which are suffi-ciently available for flowering

of the tree,” he said. He said thatin India apples, peaches, plumsand almonds were being culti-vated in the plains also. “But itis only possible through specif-ic, low-chill varieties. TheCentral Institute for SubtropicalHorticulture introduced manypeach varieties which canflower and fruit underLucknow conditions. On the

Peach Day farmers or enthusi-asts can see these varietiesfruiting with their own eyesand know how to grow suchpeach varieties successfullyunder Lucknow conditions.

He said that such eventslike the Fruit Field Day werecommonly organised inEuropean countries and theUS.

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n LUCKNOW

Two bike-borne unidenti-fied miscreants lobbed a

crude bomb into the house ofan LMC employee in KailashKunj Colony under Ghazipurpolice station on Saturdaynight. The door of a room wasdamaged though no casualtywas reported in the incident.Police launched a probe toascertain the motive for attack.

Reports said Sanjay Kumarand his family members werepreparing to hit the sack whenthey heard a loud explosion.They later found the door of aroom lying uprooted. Sanjaysaid he was clueless as to whyhis house was attacked. Sourcessaid police found an eyewitnesswho told them that two bike-borne persons lobbed thebomb. A police spokesmansaid the cops were scanning theCCTV footage to identify theattackers.

Meanwhile, two bike-borne unidentified miscreantslooted the gold chain of a 70-

year-old woman in Madiaon onSunday. Reports said thewoman, identified as NirmalaTripathi of Bharatnagar, was ona morning walk and was target-ed near an overhead watertank. “A youth reached near meand snatched my gold chain.He ran towards a bike with aperson waiting for him. Bothsped off before I could raise analarm,” she told the police.

FOUNDATION DAYKabir Peace Mission cele-

brated its 29th FoundationDay on Sunday. A discussionon ‘Proactive contribution ofintellectuals in successfuldemocracy’ was organised onthe occasion. The chief guestwas West bengal GovernorKeshari Nath Tripathi while thekeynote speaker was formerChief Secretary (UP) AlokRanjan.

FOOTBALL The Inter-Command

Football Championship 2019was held at 11 Gorkha RiflesRegimental Centre on behalf ofArmy Sports Control Boardfrom April 22 to 26. Teamsfrom Eastern Command, SouthWestern Command, CentralCommand, WesternCommand and SouthernCommand took part in thechampionship. In a semi-finalmatch, Central Command tookon Western Command andwon 2-1. In the second semi-final, South WesternCommand defeated SouthernCommand 2-0. The final matchplayed on April 26 witnessed anail biting finish. SouthWestern Command defeatedCentral Command 2-0 andwon the championship for thefirst time.

BOOK RELEASE‘Gulnama’, Suhail Kakorwi’s

10th poetry book, was releasedat UP Press Club on Sunday .It has also been translated intoHindi and English. The chiefguest on the occasion was theerstwhile Raja of

Mehmoodabad Estate and oth-ers. Kishwari Konnect was theco-organizer of this literaryevent.

SAMAGAMUnderlying the princi-

ples of universal brother-hood and peaceful co-exis-

tence, Sant NirankariSamagam had a religious dis-course at Smriti Upvan onSunday. The programme wasattended by over 30,000 devo-tees of the mission, not onlyfrom al l par ts of UttarPradesh but Delhi, Bihar andMadhya Pradesh too.

CITYBRIEFS

CISH, others to celebrate

World Peach Day today

LMC employee’s

house attacked

with crude bomb

Eminent Hindi writers of Lucknow participated in a ‘Sahitya Sangoshthi’, organisedon board Lucknow Metro train on Sunday. During their travel from Munshipulia toCCS Airport and back, the writers recited poems, ghazals and short stories whichwere appreciated by fellow commuters.

Sanjay Kumar andhis family memberswere preparing tohit the sack whenthey heard a loudexplosion. Theylater found thedoor of a roomlying uprooted.Sanjay said he was clueless as to why his housewas attacked

Congress candidate from Lucknow Acharya Pramod Krishnam addressing mediapersons at party office on Sunday Pioneer

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE n ALLAHABAD

The Distr ict Elect ionOfficer has made all pos-

sible efforts to ensure that thedifferently- abled peoplecould cast their ballots in thetwin parliamentary seats ofAllahabad and Phulpur onMay 12.

Right from special volun-teers to wheel chairs andramps at every polling stationthe District Election Officerwill ensure better facilitiesthere. District ElectionOfficer/District Magistrate,Bhanu Chandra Goswami,while presenting detailedinformation regarding thepoll preparations before theC ommissioner AshishKumar Goel said necessarydirective at the booths andinstructions would be pastedon the walls to help the hear-ing impaired voters so thatthey could read and followthe instructions and cast

their votes. Special arrange-ments were also made for thevisually-impaired voters at allthe polling stations, he saidand added that the adminis-trative officials were regular-ly accessing the preparationsby conducting an on-the-spot inspection and throughreview meetings.

FALL IN NUMBER OFVALID CANDIDATES

After 20 years, Prayagrajdistrict’s Allahabad andPhulpur Lok Sabha seats havewitnessed a fall in the num-ber of valid candidates in the2019 general election. In the1999 Lok Sabha polls boththe parliamentary constituen-cies had 25 candidates each inthe fray. However, after thatthe number of candidateshad always been higher butthis time around after thescrutiny on April 23 only 28candidates were left in thefray from the two seats and

with none of them with-drawing their names till thelast date set for the exerciseon April 26, the final countremained 14 each for the twoseats. The fall in the num-ber of candidates has its ownbenefits at least for the offi-cials entrusted with the taskof conducting the voting.First of a l l the distr ictadministration will not haveto install an extra ballot unitfor the EVM at every pollingstation. The fall in the num-ber of candidates would alsodirectly affect the electionresults, a political analyst,Professor MP Dubey, said.The winning and losing dif-ference could also increase,he added. After the 1999elections, the 2004 generalelection had 45 candidateswhile there were 55 candi-dates in 2009 and 38 candi-dates in the fray in the 2014elections. The 2018 byelec-tions in the Phulpur assembly

constituency had 22 candi-dates, the ECI records men-tioned. Both the seats herehad the most number of can-didates in the 1996 elections.

Meanwhile, this yearcandidates vying to becomeMPs will not just have toadvertise their criminalantecedents on T V andnewspapers but also bearthe cost of the exercise as itcomes in the category ofpoll expenses. The ElectionCommission of India hasmade this clear in its recentorder, Chief Treasury Officerof Prayagraj and in-charge ofa monitoring the electionexpenses of the candidates inpoll fray, said. He said the EChad made it compulsory forcandidates in poll fray toadvertise their criminalantecedents on T V andnewspapers at least thricedur ing e lec t ioneer ing .Though orders in this regardwere issued on October 10,

last year the rule is beingenforced for the first time inthe ongoing parliamentaryelections. The political par-ties have been informedabout this, he explained.S ome par t ies hadapproached the poll panelurging it to allow the adver-tisement expenditure to beborne by them and not thecandidates following whichthe EC had made this standclear. The parties also willhave to advertise the crimi-nal records of the candi-dates they had fielded. Theexpenditure of advertise-ment by the parties would beborne by them, Singh added.These guidelines meant thatevery candidate and partycontesting the polls wouldhave to publicise their crimi-nal records at least on threedifferent dates in widely-cir-culated newspapers and pop-ular TV channels during thecampaign period.

Bid to facilitate differently-abled voters

OPP HITS...“They (EC) are adding what

it is called notional expenditure,to the expenditure account ofthe candidates. If you apply thesame standard, every BJP can-didate will be disqualified,” hesaid. The former Union Financeand Union Home Minister hasearlier on Saturday claimed thatthe spending on several ralliesof the Prime Minister had like-ly crossed the `10-crore mark,in violation of the regulations,and the EC was “simply reluc-tant and unwilling to take actionagainst the BJP.”

Also on Saturday, a delega-tion of the Opposition partiesapproached the EC allegingdisplay of party name onlyunder the BJP symbol on EVMsduring a mock poll in WestBengal’s Barrackpore con-stituency, but the poll panel hasmaintained that the sameinsignia was used for the partyin 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Congress leader AbhishekManu Singhvi also dubbed themodel code of conduct as theModi Code of Conduct. Takinga jibe at the poll panel, he saidthe Congress is saddened to saythat it seems that from the sec-ond word of ElectionCommission, ‘C’ has beendropped, and it has become“Election Omission” for theModi-Shah duo. “After beingprodded by the Supreme Court,the Commission did impose a‘time-out’ on Mayawati, AzamKhan, Yogi Adityanath andManeka Gandhi for violatingthe MCC through their speech-es. However, the Commissionseems to have refused to touchNarendra Modi and AmitShah,” Congress leader ChatarSingh said. “The EC’s trackrecord on combating hatespeech in the course of cam-paigning seems to be quitepatchy,” he added.

The Congress leaderaccused that from the timeelections were announced andthe MCC came into force, PMModi and Amit Shah haverepeatedly made speeches thateven at first glance have goneagainst the prescribed normsand, despite repeated com-plaints by concerned citizensand Opposition parties, thepoll body has not taken anyaction so far. The EC had issuedan advisory to all political par-

ties on March 9 saying that theyshould desist from displayingthe photographs of defence per-sonnel or using defence opera-tions as a part of their politicalcampaigns. The same was reit-erated on March 19. Yet onMarch 23, the Gujarat unit ofthe Congress submitted a com-plaint to the EC that the BJP hadbeen distributing pamphletswith the mention of Balakot airstrike and the surgical strike asa part of their campaign. Morethan 150 veterans of the defenceforces wrote to the Presidentand the EC to advise all politi-cal parties to desist from usingthe defence forces as a part oftheir election campaign. The let-ter was made public on April 11.That veterans wrote such a let-ter just ahead of polling wouldlead one to presume that theEC’s advisories were not exact-ly heeded. TDP supremoChandrababu Naidu had earli-er wrote to EC, accusing ofusurping the powers of hisGovernment and preventing itfrom discharging its duties.

Earlier, West Bengal ChiefMinister Mamata Banerjee hadtermed EC’s decision to trans-fer four West Bengal IPS offi-cers, including Kolkata PoliceCommissioner Anuj Sharmaand Bidhannagar PoliceCommissioner Gyanwant Singhahead of the Lok Sabha Election2019 as “highly arbitrary, moti-vated and biased towards BJP.”They were also barred from pollduty. The Opposition alsoaccused the poll body of beingsoft to Yogi Adityanath’s remarkon Modi ki Sena, RajasthanGovernor Kalyan Singh andNiti Aayog chief. TheOpposition had earlier accusedthe poll body that polls are beingheld during Ramzan. AfterApril 23, it’s only North Indiathat will have polling till May 19.This is also the period that willcoincide with the holy month ofRamzan. Did the ElectionCommission factor it? And willit ensure lower turnout of theminority community at booths?

AAM AADMI...Industrialist and Congress

candidate Riju Jhunjhunwalaand BJP’s BhagirathChaudhary will fight forAjmer seat. This seat in 2009was won by Sachin Pilot, whois now the state Congress chief

and Rajasthan’s deputy chiefminister. In Bihar, Begusaraiis to witness very keen contestbetween Kanaihya Kumar andGiriraj Singh. A number offilm artists, including ShabanaAzmi and Javed Akhtar, havecampaigned for Kumar. BJPhas described Kumar as thepart of ‘Tukde-Tukde gang’ asKumar has described Singh asan “outsider” in Begusarai.

In West Bengal eight LokSabha constituencies wouldgo to poll on Monday, whichwill decide the fate of 68 can-didates in the fray. The eightseats -- Baharampur,Krishnagar, Ranaghat (SC),Burdwan East (SC), Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur(SC) and Birbhum -- will seea four-cornered contestbetween the TrinamoolCongress, the BJP, theCongress and the Left Front.

An electorate of1,34,56,491 will decide thefate of 68 candidates in theseeight constituencies, theElection Commission said. InAsansol, Union minister andBJP sitting MP Babul Supriyowill contest against TMC’scelebrity candidate MoonMoon Sen. The CPI(M) hasnominated GourangaChatterjee and the CongressBiswarup Mondal for the seat.Another film celebrity candi-date Satabdi Roy is the TMCname from the Birbhum seatagainst BJP’s Dudh KumarMondal. The Congress hasnominated Imam Hossain andthe CPI(M) named RezaulKarim for the seat. The TMChas fielded Apurba Sarkar(David) against the CongressMP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhuryin the Baharampur seat. TheLeft Front constituent RSPhas nominated IdMohammad, while the BJP hasnamed Krishna Joyardar. InKrishnagar, the TMC hasfielded Mahua Moitra againstBJP’s Kalyan Chaubey, a foot-baller. The Congress has nom-inated Intaj Ali Shah and theCPI(M) Shantanu Jha.

Ranaghat (SC) will seeTMC’s Rupali Biswas lockinghorns with BJP’s JagannathSarkar. Congress has nominat-ed Minati Biswas and theCPI(M) Rama Biswas. In theBurdwan East (SC) seat,TMC’s Sunil Kumar Mondal

will contest against PareshChandra Das of the BJP. TheCongress has f ieldedSiddhartha Majumdar and theCPI(M) Iswar Chandra Das.

Mamtaz Sanghamita is theTMC candidate from theBurdwan-Durgapur seatagainst BJP’s S S Ahluwalia.The Congress has nominatedRanajit Mukherjee and theCPI(M) named Abhas RayChaudhuri.

GAMBHIR RAPS AAP...In a series of tweets, Atishi

slammed Gambhir, and askedhim to share his vision for theconstituency. “In 4.5 years,AAP Government built 2 newschools of excellence, 2 talentschools, 2 university campus,25 mohalla clinics in East Delhiand 32 are under construction.Hundreds of new jobs. Tellyour vision too,” she said in atweet. “I told what we did in5 years. Now it’s your turn, letme tell you that: 1. What didyour party MP @MaheishGirrido for East Delhi in 5 years?What did you do for EastDelhi in five years which BJPgave you the ticket from here,”she asked.

She said no voter wouldvote for Gambhir as he wouldbe disqualified soon. “It is pos-sible @GautamGambhir that Ido not have vision, but at least,every vote I get will not be invain! No voter in East Delhiwill vote for you, because yournomination will get cancelled.So by voting for a disqualifiedcandidate, no votes will bewasted,” she said.

She also claimed thatGambhir is not denying thecharge of possessing two voterIDs. “If my charge is wrongthen @GautamGambhir, denythat charge, present the facts inorder to prove the wrong! Whyare you avoiding the ques-tion,” She said.

Atishi said under section155(2), a complaint was filed atthe Tis Hazari Court, seekingdirection for police investiga-tion into offences punishableunder sections 17 and 31 of“The Representation of thePeople Act, 1950 and section125A of the same act, 1951.

As per section 17 of “The

Representation of the PeopleAct” 1950, no person is entitledto be enrolled as a voter inmore than one constituency,she said, adding that section 31makes false declaration in thematter of inclusion or exclusionof voter rolls punishable withup to one year in prison. Shehad also raised objection overthe nomination papers filed bythe former cricketer whichwere rejected by the returningofficer of the polls. Congresshas fielded former Delhi min-ister Arvinder Singh Lovelyfrom the seat.

27% PRE-MONSOON...One of the reasons for a

pre-monsoon rainfall is exces-sive heating from March toJune which several parts of thecountry witness. The moisturefrom the Arabian Sea and theBay of Bengal aids in creationof thunderstorms, MritunjayMohapatra, AdditionalDirector General of the IMDsaid. “Pre-monsoon rainfall isimportant for horticulturecrops in some parts of thecountry. In States like Odisha,ploughing is done in the pre-monsoon season,” he said.

Laxman Singh Rathore,former Director General ofthe IMD, said in parts ofNorth-East India and theWestern Ghats, pre-monsoonrainfall is critical for planta-tion of crops. There will be“moisture stress” in case of adeficit, he said. Crops likesugarcane and cotton, plant-ed in central India, survive onirrigation, but also requiresupplement of pre-monsoonrain, Rathore added. “In theforested regions of Himalayas,pre-monsoon rainfall is nec-essary for plantations likeapple. Due to moisture, pre-monsoon rainfall also helps inminimising the occurrenceof forest fires,” he said.

FATHER, TWO...“We need to teach a prop-

er lesson for these non-believ-ers who have been destroyingMuslims.” Authorities suspectthere may be more suicidebombers on the loose. Defenceauthorities have so far focusedtheir investigations on interna-

tional links to two domesticgroups they believe carriedout the attacks, the NationalThawheedh Jamaath andJammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim.

ISIS has claimed responsi-bility for the Easter bombings,and on Sunday the group saidthree of its members clashedwith Sri Lankan police for sev-eral hours in Friday’s gun bat-tle on the east coast before det-onating their explosive vests,the ISIS linked Amaq newsagency said. The group said 17policemen were killed orinjured in the attack, but the SriLankan military has deniedthis. A police source told thattwo policemen were slightlyinjured in the fight. Policehave said six children wereamong the other 12 people whodied in the gun battle, but havenot released further details.

CAN URMILA DO...Being a glamorous actress,

Urmila of “Rangeela” fame isattracting eyeballs in the media.The Congress’ decision to fieldUrmila from Mumbai northconstituency in place of SanjayNirupam who was shifted theneighbouring Mumbai north-west constituency came as asurprise to Mumbaikars. Hercandidature from Mumbainorth brought back the mem-ories of the Congress pitting anequally popular dancing actorGovinda Ahuja, better knownas Virar ka chokra, againstveteran five-time BJP MP RamNaik in the 2004 elections.Considered a novice, Govindahad trounced Naik by a marginof 48,271 votes.

Unlike Govinda who wasa mere actor, Urmila is a beau-ty with brain. Despite herbeing new to politics, shemarshalled her resources wellduring her campaigning.Apart from putting theCongress workers to effectiveuse, she succeeded in roping inthe NCP and Raj Thackeray-led MNS workers for her elec-tioneering. So much so thatNCP chief Sharad Pawaraddressed an election rally atBorivli on the last of her cam-paign. A Maharashtrian mar-ried to Kashmir-based busi-nessman and model Mohsin

Akhtar Mir, she has been draw-ing good crowds. Contestingagainst a strong candidateGopal Shetty who had defeat-ed Sanjay Nirupam of theCongress by a staggering mar-gin of 4.46 lakh votes in the2014 Lok Sabha polls, Urmilais not unnerved and making allout efforts to reach out to allsections of the society. Withher aggressive campaigning,Urmila kindled her party’shope to bag the Mumbai northseat, an optimism that a con-fident Shetty dismisses outrightand says his winning marginwould cross 5 lakh votes in the2019 polls. Another crucialelectoral fight is being foughtin Mumbai north-central,where BJP’s Poonam Mahajanis seeking re-election againstCongress’ two-time MP PriyaDutt, who was persuaded byCongress president RahulGandhi two months after shehad decided to “take a breakfrom active politics” and “expe-rience and explore otheraspects of my life too”.

Fifty two-year-old Dutt,who is the daughter of the lateactor couple Sunil Dutt andNargis, and sister of Bollywoodactor Sanjay Dutt, had earlierbeen elected twice to LokSabha-- once from Mumbainorth-west constituency in2005 and for another termfrom Mumbai north-centralconstituency in 2009. She washowever, defeated by the BJP’sPoonam Mahajan fromMumbai north-central con-stituency in the 2014 LS pollsby margin of 1.86 lakh votes.

Though both the Congressand Dutt herself have their sup-port base in the constituencywhich has both the cosmopoli-tan voters and slum dwellers,the BJP has consolidated itssupport base during the last fiveyears. Both Poonam Mahajanand Dutt are campaigningintensely. Actor Sanjay Dutthelped his sister Priya in theelectioneering.

In south Mumbai, anoth-er key battle is being fought isbeing fought between formerunion minister and two-timeCongress MP Milind Deoraand Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant.Deora has made the lack ofperformance and criminalrecords of his rival Sawant andhis own contribution to the

constituency as issues for hiscampaigning. On his part,Sawant has been claiming thathe “is the voice of masses andclasses” and he was always tohelp out his constituent - aclaim that Deora disputes andsays that such is the lack of thevisibility of his rival people stillthat people continued toapproach him with their griev-ances thinking he was the sit-ting MP of the constituency.

Equally intense are thecontests in three other con-stituencies of the metropolislike Mumbai north-west whereCongress’ Nirupam is pittedagainst Shiv Sena’s GajananKirtikar and Mumbai south-central where Shiv Sena’s sittingMP Rahul Shewale is seekingre-election against EknathGaikwad of the Congress.

NIA ARRESTS...500 wounded has allegedconnect ion with a fewunknown terrorists holdingthem in India’s southernStates. Sources said one ofthree suspected ISIS membersapprehended is identified asRiyas Abu Bakar and he wasin touch with with AbdulRashid Abdulla, leader of thegroup of Keralites who trav-elled to Afghanistan to joinISIS in 2016. The agency notrestrained themselves fromrevealing names of two othersuspects alleged to owe alle-giance with ISIS. The threesuspects - two of them inKasargod and one inPalakkad - and are currentlyunder detention are beinginterrogated. “The three sus-pects are being questioned,”said NIA in their statement.The agency also said theyhave not found anything sofar to link the Kasargod mod-ule of the Islamic State to theexplosions in Sr Lanka. “Weare questioning them andprobe in still going on,” saidthe officer adding that primafacie seems that they arelinked with the Islamic State’sAfghanistan module. Theagency alleged that the sus-pects have links with accusedin 2016 case in which 14 peo-ple from Kasaragod left Indiaor their workplaces in theMiddle East to to Afghanistanand Syria to join IslamicState.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Page 5: ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the ... Aam Aadmi Party’s

LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019 nation 05

PNS n NEW DELHI

Promoted by former FinanceMinister P Chidambaram's

son, Karti, Ziqitza HealthcareLtd (ZHL), which was alleged-ly involved in the Rajasthanambulances services scam, hasnow been accused of pilferinghuge amount of money inOdisha.

The Odisha AmbulanceServices Employees Unionalleged that more than `300crore was pilfered by theZiqitza Healthcare Ltd (ZHL),which is already facing CBI'sprosecution in similar illegal-ities in Rajasthan. The Unionhas submitted piles of vouch-ers of over invoicing to siphonthe money over a period of fiveyears by the firm.

Based on the allegationsmade by Union to Odisha stateauthorities, Income TaxCommissioner, Noida, SKSrivastava lodged a complaintwith CBI, Director General

(Investigation) of Income andEnforcement Directorate, urg-ing the agencies to take up theprobe into matter since theCBI was already investigating"similar fraud" executed by thesame firm in Rajasthan.

In the Rajasthan ambu-lance scam, the agencies hadquestioned senior Congressleader Sachin Pilot and formerUnion Minister Vaylar Ravi'sson, Ravi Krishna, for theiralleged involvement. The Courthas taken cognisance of thechargesheet and trail is goingon in Rajasthan.

"During my stay atBhubaneswar in connectionwith some official work, I washanded over some documents

collected by the officials ofOdisha Ambulance ServiceEmployees Union alleging mis-appropriation and pilfering ofGovernment money to theextent of about `300 crores bythe Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd(ZHL). The company is con-trolled by Karti Chidambaramwho is one of its Directors. Hewas named as accused in a FIRfiled by the Rajasthan Police aswell as the CBI along with oth-ers.," said Srivastava.

The complaint pointed outthat the money was pilfered byinflating the wage bills, fabri-cating forged and fake triprecords of ambulances andvouchers. Karti-linked-firmengaged contracts with manyState Governments for provid-ing service to the "108Ambulance calling scheme".In many States, it was foundthat bills were over invoicedand fake trips were created tocollect money from the Statehealth departments.

RAJESH KUMAR n NEW DELHI

The Consumer ComplaintsCouncil (CCC) of the

Advertising Standards Councilof India (ASCI) has foundover 140 advertisements whichare misleading, based on exag-geration of products efficien-cy and exploitation of con-sumers’ lack of knowledge.

The advertisements coversParle Products Pvt. Ltd (ParleMagix Biscuit), Gujarat Co-Operative Milk MarketingFederation Ltd (Amul MemoryMilk-Tropical Fruit), the 'TrueRoots Botanical Hair Tonic'

The advertisement of ParleProducts Pvt. Ltd (Parle MagixBiscuit) shows a kid dressed inthe police uniform pulling thetrigger and firing a bullet(through an audio cue) at theshopkeeper saying in angrytone "Koi bhi cream biscuitMagix ki jagah chipkaoge". Thehumorous TVC, though notobjectionable, manifests a dan-

gerous practice, exploits thevulnerability of minors andmore importantly encouragesminors to emulate the modusoperandi of any crime.

"The advertisement'sclaims by Gujarat Co-Operative Milk MarketingFederation Ltd (Amul Memory

Milk-Tropical Fruit) that 'Milkwith goodness of Ayurveda'and 'Contains variousAyurvedic herbs that are tra-ditionally known to boostmemory', were not substanti-ated as the advertiser did notprovide data of any scientificrationale or published litera-

ture references to support theclaimed benefits. The claimsare misleading by exaggeration.

In the 'True RootsBotanical Hair Tonic' adver-tisement, celebrity RadhikaApte was featured endorsingthe product with claims like""Stop new grey hair", "Jo naye

safed balon ka aana roke, jadse", "True roots ke 100 % nat-ural extracts balonke jadonmejakar melanin bhadaye. 90 daystak regularly lagayen taki safedbalon ka aana band ho jaye","Safed baalon ka jaldi aana jadse rokiye, with TRUEROOTS.","No New Greys in 90 days, getrid of premature grey hairsfrom the root". "These claimswere not adequately substan-tiated. The product may causedarkening of grey hair byvirtue of Kesh Ranjak ingredi-ents the claims were found tobe misleading by ambiguityand implication. The adver-tisements were in violation ofthe ASCI Guidelines forCelebrities in advertising," theASCI said.

The ASCI said that major-ity of the flagged advertise-ments were upheld for "exag-geration of product efficacyand exploiting consumers' lackof knowledge." This was fol-lowed by violation of the Drugs

and Magic Remedies Act(DMR Act).

Upholding the complainton Vivo Mobile India Pvt, theASCI said that the advertise-ment's the claim, "Dual RearCamera with Dual PixelTechnology", was not sub-stantiated, and misleading byexaggeration. The advertiserdid not provide any technicaldata or test reports for VivoV11 Pro having feature of dualrear camera with good picturequality.

The ASCI said that theadvertisement (in Hindi) byLord Dhanvantari Ayurvedichospital, claiming cure of kneepain and joint pain by showingsimilar testimonials and sameX-ray reports for two separateindividual patients and claim-ing progress on first day oftreatment, and treatment afterthree and six months. Theseclaims were not substantiatedwith supporting clinical evi-dence and are misleading by

gross exaggeration and exploitconsumers' lack of knowledgeand are likely to lead to gravewidespread disappointment inthe minds of consumers.

For the food & beverages(F&B) sector, the ASCI founda couple of well-known brandsreferring to ayurvedic orherbal ingredients known fortheir memory enhancingproperties; however, the asso-ciated claims were not sub-stantiated. "The advertise-ment's by One97Communications Ltd. (PayTMclaim on their website that"`50,000 redeemable on pur-chase of diamond preciousjewellery with diamond jew-ellery voucher worth `50,000"was misleading by omission ofadditional terms and condi-tions of cashback offer. Thewebsite advertisement is like-ly to lead to grave or wide-spread disappointment in theminds of consumers," it said.

Another advertisement's

claims, "CAT 2019 and 2018Toppers", and "Maximum 99+Percentilers in Lucknow arefrom CaTaPult" with pho-tographs of students and theirsecured percentile were notsubstantiated with supportingevidence. The claim (in Hindi),'IIM jaana hai toh CATaPultaana hai' and 'Sure shot entryinto IIMs' (If you want to go toIIM then you must come toCATapult), are misleading byexaggeration and are likely tolead to grave or widespreaddisappointment in the mindsof consumers.

Of these 145 advertise-ments, 83 belonged to thehealthcare sector, 33 to theeducation sector, ten to thefood & beverages sector, one topersonal care and 18 werefrom the 'others' category. Alarge number of these adver-tisements were digital, i.e,advertisers' own websites car-rying the objectionable claimsand visuals.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The BJP on Sunday announced the candi-dature of former MLA Siddharth

Kunkolienkar for the Panaji Assembly bypollscheduled for May 19 putting an abrupt end tothe speculation that former Chief MinisterManohar Parrikar’s son Utpal could also beparty’s candidate.

The bypoll was necessitated following thedeath of Parrkiar, a sitting MLA from the seat,on March 17.

While there was speculation that Parrikar'selder son Utpal would be given a ticket, a state-ment on the BJP's website about Kunkolienkar'scandidature put an end to it.

The BJP's Central Election Committeesecretary Jagat Prakash Nadda announced thecandidature of Kunkolienkar on Sunday after-noon.

Incidentally, Kunkolienkar had won the seatin the 2017 Assembly polls before vacating iton May 10 that year to allow Parrikar to con-test and enter the 40-member Goa LegislativeAssembly.

Parrikar, who was then Union defence min-ister, was brought back to helm the state gov-ernment after the BJP fell short of a simplemajority and had to ally with other parties likeGoa Forward Party and MaharashtrawadiGomantak Party, as well as Independents.

Ziqitza was also involved in Raj ambulance scam

Karti-linked-firm accused of

ambulance scam in Odisha too

PNS n NEW DELHI

With increasing demandfor alternate traditional

medicines and therapy indomestic and global market,Union Ministry of Ayush andcountry's premier researchagency, Council of Scientificand Industrial Research(CSIR), have joined hands forcooperation in research andeducation in areas of herbaldrugs and its integration withmodern science for their wideracceptance.

As per the pact inkedbetween the two organisations,stress will be on to pursue R&Dcovering fundamental research;ayush specific diagnostic tools;linking micro-biome, geneexpression and prakriti; multi-ingredient herbal formulations,including their standardisa-tion; exploring modern scien-tific methods for integrationwith traditional drugs and link-ing disease signatures amongothers.

The collaboration in pre-serving and protecting tradi-tional knowledge related tothe Indian systems of health-care will also be strengthened,through the existing TKDLplatform and development ofinternational standardized ter-minologies (disease-morbiditycodes) in Ayurveda, Siddhaand Unani (ASU), database

on medicinal plants, foods,etc, said a senior official fromthe Ministry.

The MoU was signed byVaidya Rajesh Kotecha, AyushSecretary and Dr Shekhar CMande, Director General, CSIRin the presence of senior offi-cials from both the organisa-tions.

Kotecha said that in view ofthe growing interest of tradi-tional medicines worldwide,there is a need of multiprongedand innovative approaches forthe acceptance of this science.He further said that the com-bination of traditional health-care and modern basic sciencehas a huge possibility to doinnovative and path-breakingresearches which can be usedfor the explanation of variousbasic concepts.

Dr Mande pointed out thatenhancing the collaborationthrough joint R&D efforts

ranging from fundamental sci-ence to validation and there-after product development,will significantly help in thegrowth of the Indian contri-butions to this important sec-tor, not only nationally butinternationally as well.Futuristic efforts of this inter-ministerial cooperation shallinclude pursuit of data mining& analytics and artificial intel-ligence to enable and facilitateconcepts such as "Traditionalknowledge inspired drug dis-covery and development" and"Food as Medicine".

In fact, various labs underthe CSIR had already taken ini-tiatives in this direction in thepast too.

For instance, anti-diabet-ic herbal drug BGR-34 hasbeen developed by two CSIRlaboratories - The CentralInstitute of Medicinal &Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) and

the National BotanicalResearch Institute (NBRI).Approved by the AyushMinistry, BGR-34 is being mar-keted by Delhi-based AIMIlPharmaceuticals.

Meanwhile, the CSIR's yetanother laboratory, the Centrefor Cellular and MolecularBiology (CSIR-CCMB),Hyderabad have inked pactwith Ghaziabad-based IndianPharmacopeia Commission(IPC) of the Union HealthMinistry to facilitate the regu-latory process for biosimilarsand herbal drugs.

The scope of the MoU isdevelopment of biopharma-ceutical reference standardsand impurities therein, devel-opment of monographs forimportant MonoclonalAntibodies and identificationof herbal drugs based on DNABarcode analysis, a CCMBstatement said.

Use of biologics - biologi-cal products that function asdrugs against diseases - alsoknown as biosimilars, areexpanding their presencerapidly in the healthcare sector,including in India. As per areport by the Confederation ofIndian Industry (CII), thebiosimilars market in India,that is currently worth about Rs15,000 crore, is expected tocross the staggering Rs 2,50,000crore-mark by 2030.

Speculation ends,ex-MLA getsPanaji bypoll ticket

New Delhi: Fixed deposits and tax-free bonds seem to be among themost favoured financial investmentsfor the political leaders fighting the2019 Lok Sabha polls, while mutu-al funds and stocks also adorn theportfolios of many and some evenhave got shares of long-defunctfirms like Kingfisher Airlines.

Shares of Mukesh Ambani-ledReliance Industries Ltd (RIL), thecountry's most valued companywith a market capitalistion of over`8.82 lakh crore, can be found in theportfolios of several leaders, whilestocks and mutual fund units of thefirms from younger brother AnilAmbani-led Reliance Group arealso a common sight, as per disclo-sures made in election affidavits ofthe contestants.

However, some top leadersincluding Prime Minister NarendraModi have no stock market ormutual fund exposure at all andtheir financial savings are limited todeposits in banks, tax-free bonds,insurance policies and instrumentslike National Savings Certificate.

The direct equity investmentsfor a few are limited to unlisted com-panies, including those owned bytheir families.

BJP president Amit Shah hasdisclosed a long list of listed andunlisted shares in his name and inthe name of his spouse. The listedshares in his name, totalling over`17.5 crore, include companies fromAditya Birla Group, Bajaj, L&T,Tata and both Reliance groups, asalso several PSUs.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhihas disclosed equity holding inYoung Indian and investments inseveral mutual funds. The portfolioof his mother and senior partyleader Sonia Gandhi includes equi-ty shares of Young Indian and MarutiTechnical Services Pvt Ltd andmutual fund units of HDFC, Kotak,Motilal Oswal and Reliance MF.

NCP's Supriya Sule, daughter ofveteran leader Sharad Pawar, has gotunlisted shares worth over `1 croreand listed shares worth over `6

crore, besides some mutual funds.The listed shares include those

of Adani Group firms, the twoReliance groups, several Tata firmsand even Kingfisher Airlines asalso of some other companies fromthe erstwhile UB Group, includingUnited Spirits which was sold bydefaulter businessman Vijay Mallyato global liquor giant Diageo Plc.

Kingfisher shares have longbeen delisted from the stockexchanges, though they quoted atabove `300 apiece once. The stockseventually slipped below `1 andtrading was eventually suspended in2014-end after mounting troublesfor the erstwhile luxury airline hadled to its closure.

Union Minister and BJP candi-date from Nagpur Nitin Gadkari hasequity shares of Purti Power andSugar Ltd, among other invest-ments.

Poonam Mahajan, BJP candi-date from Mumbai North Central,has disclosed listed equity invest-ments by her spouse in KingfisherAirlines, as also in RelianceIndustries, TCS, Vodafone IdeaCellular and Reliance Power.

Her Congress rival Priya Dutthas listed several mutual fund andportfolio schemes totalling about`14.92 crore, while the listed sharesdisclosed in the name of her spouseinclude Reliance Industries, RelianceInfra and Reliance Power.

Congress candidate from

Mumbai South, Murli Deora, hasdisclosed multiple bonds, struc-tured market products, PMSaccount, mutual funds and FMPs(fixed maturity plans).

Actress- turned-pol it ic ianUrmila Matondkar, Congress can-didate from Mumbai North, has dis-closed `28.28 crore worth invest-ment in shares, bonds and mutualfunds and PMS (portfolio manage-ment service) investments worthabout `6 crore, but the individualstocks/units were not disclosed.

Jaya Prada, another formeractress and the BJP candidate fromRampur in Uttar Pradesh, has alsodisclosed investments in some list-ed companies such as EnergyDevelopment Company Ltd (whichhas got her political mentor AmarSingh as a promoter), Coal India,HDFC Bank, ITC, MCX andReliance Industries.

Actor-politician Raj Babbar, theCongress candidate from FatehpurSikri, has investments in IL&FSTransportation Networks Ltd.

Among other Uttar Pradeshcandidates, Union Minister and BJPleader Satyapal Singh has disclosedinvestments worth `1.5 lakh inmutual funds and bonds in hisname and some equity shares heldby his spouse including of RelianceCapital and Reliance Industries.

Another Union Minister VKSingh and his spouse have alsoinvested in various mutual funds.

WHAT POLITICAL LEADERS INVEST IN

Mutual funds, Reliance sharesand even Kingfisher Airlines

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Congress on Sunday askedwhy the Central Government

was not giving a one-line directiveto the RBI to disclose informationabout annual inspection report ofbanks and list of wilful loan default-ers.

The party's remarks came afterthe Supreme Court on Friday gavethe banking regulator "a last oppor-tunity" to reveal these details underthe RTI Act.

"Under Banking RegulationAct and RBI Act, it takesGovernment of India 15 seconds todirect the RBI to disclose... Thereare specific provisions of 35A, 35Band 35AA (of Banking RegulationAct) that gives this power to thecentral Government...Why is the

Government not giving a one-linesimple directive to disclose," askedCongress spokesperson AbhishekMany Singhvi.

Addressing a press conferencehere, he said, "The Supreme Courtdirected in 2015 that you must dis-close. After that for four longyears, the RBI under the directionof this government, clearly wanti-ng to hide things, has procrasti-nated, has obstructed and hasderailed, has avoided, and has

given excuses.""Why is the RBI not disclos-

ing...Is it protecting someone," hequestioned.

Singhvi asked if the BJP wastrying to protect "crony capitalists"whose names are in the list of RBI'swilful defaulters.

About wilful defaulters who areon the internal RBI list, he said,"Nobody is asking for them to besent to jail. We are only asking fornames...We (Congress) are notafraid of it, so why are you afraid?"

"We had told you a few weeksago that within 5 years of this (BJP)government, the defaults and NPAs(non-performing assets) haveincreased...We ask the BJP to giveinformation about all loan default-ers," he said.

On Friday, the top court made

it clear that RBI was "duty-boundto furnish all information relatingto inspection reports and othermaterial" under the Right toInformation (RTI) Act, 2005, exceptthose which pertained to "mattersof national economic interest".

On December 16, 2015, theapex court had asked the RBI todisclose such information underRTI Act. However, the regulator didnot do so. Therefore, on Friday, theapex court said that the RBI is in"contempt of this court by exempt-ing disclosure" of such information.However, the court granted RBI "alast opportunity" to rectify it.

Meanwhile, Singhvi alsoclaimed that Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's use of caste ref-erences during the election cam-paign is a sign of nervousness.

‘Why Govt is not directing RBI to disclose annual inspection report’

PNS n NEW DELHI

Afresh row has eruptedover Prime Minister

Narendra Modi’s caste, anissue first ignited by BSP chiefMayawati a week ago. A dayafter PM Modi claimed hebelonged to the most back-ward castes, Congress gener-al secretary Priyanka GandhiVadra said she was not awareof the PM’s caste whereasLeader of Opposition in BiharAssembly Tejashwi Yadav saidhe had seen such claim com-ing from the PM.

“I had said on April 20,2019 that @narendramodi ji,after portraying himself asfake OBC, will call himself aperson belonging to extreme-ly backward caste. He did soyesterday (in Kannauj rally inUP).

Finance Minister ArunJaitley hit back on those rak-ing up row over PM's caste bysaying Modi never indulged incaste politics and only caredfor development.

"How is the PrimeMinister's caste relevant? Hehas never done caste politics.He has only done develop-mental politics. He is inspired

by nationalism," Jaitley saidjoining the war of words onTwitter over Modi comingfrom the "most backwardcaste".

He further said those whoare deceiving the poor in thename of caste will not succeedand added that "they haveonly amassed wealth in thename of caste politics. ThePrime Minister's assets are noteven 0.01% when compared tothe First Family of the BSP orthe RJD."

The Minister wasresponding to tweets of seniorCongress leader and formerFinance Minister PChidambaram and RJD leaderTejashwi Yadav with regard toa statement made by thePrime Minister at an electionrally at Kannauj.

At the poll ral ly onSaturday, the prime ministerhad said, "Mayawatiji, I am themost backward...I request withfolded hands not to drag meinto caste politics, 130 crorepeople are my family… Thiscountry did not know mycaste till my detractors abusedme.. .I am thankful toMayawatiji, Akhileshji, theCongress people and the

'mahamilavatis' that they arediscussing my caste...I believethat taking birth in a back-ward caste is an opportunityto serve the country."

"The fact is that he is anupper caste (person) by birthand backward

on papers. He (PM) willsay so many things just tofetch votes," Tejashwi Yadavtweeted.

Criticising Modi over hisstance on caste and his "ori-gins as a chaiwala",Chidambaram asked if thePM considers people a "bunchof idiots" who have sufferedmemory loss.

"Mr Narendra Modi is thefirst person who became PMlater who campaigned wearinghis caste on his sleeve (2014):''I am an OBC''. Now, he sayshe has no caste!"Chidambaram tweeted.

"In 2014 and thereafter, hesaid repeatedly that he isproud that the people electeda chaiwala as PM. Now hesays, he never mentioned hisorigins as a chaiwala! Whatdoes the PM take us for? Abunch of idiots who havelarge memory losses?" heasked.

Opposition rakes upModi caste issue again

PNS n NEW DELHI

The IMD's Cyclone Warningdivison on Sunday said

that Cyclone 'Fani' is very like-ly to intensify into a "severecyclonic storm" in the next 12hours and further soar into a"very severe cyclonic storm" inthe next 24 hours.

In its 1 pm bulletin, theCyclone Warning Division said'Fani' currently lays over 745kilometres east-southeast ofTrincomalee (Sri Lanka), 1,050kilometres southeast ofChennai (Tamil Nadu) and1,230 kilometres south-south-east of Machilipatnam (AndhraPradesh).

"It is very likely to intensi-fy into a severe cyclonic stormduring next 12 hours and intoa very severe cyclonic stormduring subsequent 24 hours,"the IMD said.

Heavy falls at isolatedplaces are very likely overKerala on April 29 and 30.

The system will not makelandfall in Tamil Nadu, but maybring light rain in some north-ern parts, it said. Earlier, it wasexpected to cause heavy rainsin northern Tamil Nadu,including Chennai.

Cyclone ‘Fani' to

intensify into

‘severe cyclonic

storm', says IMD

Ayush Min, CSIR join hands for herbal drug research

ASCI finds over 140 advertisements misleading, exploitative

Representational image

Page 6: ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the ... Aam Aadmi Party’s

LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019 06

Kanpur: The Kanpur Lok Sabhaconstituency, which has over 16lakh eligible voters, will go topolls on Monday with largely atwo-way contest between theBJP and the Congress for thiscrucial seat. While Congressleader and former UnionMinister Sriprakash Jaiswal isvying to regain this crucial seathe lost to sitting BJP MP MMJoshi in 2014, BJP candidateSatyadev Pachauri is hoping towin it, riding on what he claimsa “bigger Modi wave” this time.

Though there is a seethingresentment against party veter-an Joshi, a section of voters andPachauri claimed that “nation-al security” was the “biggestissue” in this elections and notlocal issues.

Joshi had defeated Jaiswal in2014 with a margin of 2,22,946votes and people had severalexpectations from him, includ-ing finishing of the long-stalledCOD Flyover project and revivalof the famous Lal Imli mill.Neeraj Rastogi, a cloth merchantwho lives in Mall Road area, said,“People are unhappy with Joshiji.We all respect him as a seniorleader, but as an MP he neverreally talked to us these five years.We are not unhappy that he isnot fighting the elections.”

Vivek Shukla, a sweet shopowner and Abdul Gani, anautorickshaw driver alsoclaimed that “nothing reallyhappened” during Joshi’s tenure.Pachauri, a Cabinet Minister inthe Yogi AdityanathGovernment, however, coun-tered that a “lot of work” hap-pened during Joshi’s tenure andthat if he is elected this time, hewould ensure that COD flyovergets completed in one year of hisassuming office.

“It is poll time and ‘netas’will make big promises, I am notsure how much of that wouldbe translated to reality in thatpromised time,” said Rastogi,who often takes this semi-fin-ished flyover for travelling outof Kanpur. PTI

SAUGAR SENGUPTA nKRISHNANAGAR

Even as Bengal prepared forthe fourth and perhaps the

most challenging phase — ofpolling for the ElectionCommission of India — onMonday the election body hasdecided deploy a record 580companies of central forces asenior ECI official said.

Though officially thisamount of forces will cover

more than 98 per cent, in prac-tice, ‘’we are targeting 100 per-cent booths,’’ the official said.

In the third phase the ECIhad deployed about 324 com-panies of CAPF. ‘’Consideringthe political history of violencein these areas in the recentyears the EC will take full pre-caution to avoid unpleasant sit-uation for which anythingrequired to be done will bedone,’’ another official said.Earlier an additional 228 com-panies of Central police forceswere sent to Bengal.

Monday will see eight con-stituencies of Behrampore inMurshidabad district, Ranaghatand Krishnagar in Nadia district,Birbhum and Bolpur in Birbhumdistrict, Burdwan Asansol,Burdwan Durgapur andBurdwan East in Burdwan dis-trict. Out of these constituencies,Birbhum, Bolpur, Behramporeand Asansol are particularlytrouble-prone witnessing mas-sive electoral violence in the past.

In a related developmentthe State Chief Electoral Officerordered a re-poll in threepolling stations in Raiganj par-liamentary constituency.

BISHWADEEP GHOSH nLALITPUR

Aiming to save their wom-enfolk from age-old water

related harassment, nearly6,500 inhabitants of five mostparched villages of Lalitpurhave decided to abstain frompolling in the ongoing LokSabha elections on Monday.

The ire of these villagers isnot without reason.

The cluster of villages com-prising Lalaun, Gulenda, Kasa,Chakra and Rajpur are ironi-cally close to water-abundantRaghat canal and Kheranrivulet which flow barely akilometre-and-a-half away.Despite the proximity to thesewater bodies, local officialshave not taken any pain to con-nect these villages to a steadysupply of water.

What is more worrying forthe villagers is that by themiddle of May, the handful ofhand pumps found there willgo dry, forcing local womenand children to trudge a kilo-metre or more to fetch waterfor daily chores. The trauma ofthe womenfolk does not endhere. To collect water for thenext morning’s chores, theywait for their turns by the handpump through the night,expecting some replenishmentin the water level, which againis for a limited time and inad-equate for all the families.

With a population of3,200-3,500 each, there arenearly 1,400-1,500 voters ineach of these villages and theyhave decided not to exercisetheir right to franchise to drawthe attention of the authorities,and the “government” in

Lucknow, to their woes.A simple query on well-

being made a villagers’ groupat a tea stall near Gulenda,erupt. Amid the din and indis-tinct chatter in Bundeli dialect,a contractor with Jal Nigam,Shyam Thakur, took the cen-tre stage to explain the gravi-ty of the situation.

“Water scarcity inBundelkhand has become partof our lifestyle. We live close totwo major water bodies whichflow through the year withoutdrying up. Our grouse is thatpoliticians and district author-ities have abandoned us tonature’s mercy and haverefused to look into the prob-lem, let alone redress it. I hadto shift 10 km away to Talbehattehsil headquarters to avoid thedaily trauma, but not everyonecan afford it.”

“The solution to our prob-lem is not at all cost-extensive.You see, the perennial flow inKheran river is due to seepageof water from Rajghat canalbuilt on Betwa river. That riverwater could be lifted by heavyduty motors and channelled toa common distributing cham-ber at Gulendi and later dis-tributed to the parched villagesnearby. We requested officialson this score several timesand also drew up a planencompassing various aspects,especially cost which waspeanuts as compared to otherirrigation facilities. But thefile was shelved,” Thakur said.

“Only last month, about1,000 residents from these vil-lagers approached the districtmagistrate of Lalitpur, only tobe handed out an assurance.Earlier we had met the local

BJP legislator, only to bepromised quick redressal of theproblem. We are tired of theseassurances. Are we expend-able?” Thakur asked.

Taking over from Thakur,Kamal, a Sahariya tribal,pointed out, “Look, with lim-ited water and irrigation, weare unable to harvest morethan one produce. Sahariyatribals were given 4.68 acres ofland by the government forsustenance. But some of thesetracts are rocky and even locat-ed in hills. Those who haveland, do not have the addi-tional resources for irrigation,in case of scanty rainfall. Andwe cannot do a thing about itas the officials just don’t listento our grievances. This alsoresults in migration of able-bodied tribals for employ-ment.”

Seventy-year old MunniSahariya is one of the manyunfortunate families whosemale members have migratedfor employment.

“I have enough land butdue to scant rains last year wecould not grow much corn ordal (pulse). We could notafford the irrigation. To feed us,my son Khabbu migrated withhis wife and son to Indore andis working at a brick kiln there.I am left alone and feel mis-erable, but what to do,” lament-ed the woman with tearswelling in her eyes.

Summing up the commonrefrain, Thakur explained, “Wehave been cheated by thepoliticians for decades. Theofficials have not been kind tous due to lack of political fol-low-up. After days of discus-sions with local villagers in

recent days, it has beendecided that we will notvote. Maybe this should actas a wake-up call for thepowers that be and put ourtroubles to end.”

Voters in five Lalitpur villages to boycott poll over water woes

BIHAR

BegusaraiKanhaiyaKumar, CPM vs Giriraj Singh,BJP

DarbhangaAbdul BariSiddiqui, RJDvs Gopal JeeThakur, BJP

UjaiapurUpendraKushwaha,RLSP vs Nityanand Rai, BJP

Samastipur(SC)Ashok Kumar,Congress vsRamchandra Paswan, LJP

MAHARASHTRA

Mumbai SouthArvind Sawant,Shiv Sena vs Milind Deora,Congress

Mumbai North WestGajanan Kirtikar,Shiv Sena vsSanjay Nirupam, Congress

Mumbai North CentralPoonam Mahajan,BJP vs Priya Dutt,Congress

Mumbai NorthGopal Shetty, BJPvs UrmilaMatondkar, Congress

MADHYA PRADESH

ChhindwaraNakul Nath,Congress vsNathansaha Kawreti, BJP

UTTAR PRADESH

KannaujDimple Yadav, SPvs Subrat Pathak BJP

UnnaoAnnu Tandon,Congress vsSakshi Maharaj,BJP

FarrukhabadSalman Khurshid,Congress vs MukeshRajput, BJP

KanpurSriprakash Jaiswal, Congress vsSatyadev Pachauri, BJP vs RamKumar,SP

RAJASTHAN

JodhpurGajendra SinghShekhawat, BJP vs VaibhavGehlot, Congress

ODISHA

BalasoreNavajyoti Patnaik,Congress vsPratap Chandra Sarangi,BJP vs Rabindra KumarJena, BJP

KendrapadaAnubhavMohanty, BJD vsDharanidharNayak, Congressvs Baijayant Panda, BJP

TOP CANDIDATES

WEST BENGAL

BirbhumSatabdi Roy,TMC vs Dudh Kumar Mondal,BJP vs Imam Hossain, Congressvs Rezaul Karim, CPM

AsansolBabulSupriyo, BJPvs MoonMoon Sen, TMC vsBiswarup Mondal,Congress

SAUGAR SENGUPTA nDEBOGRAM/KRISHNAGORE

True, the land of Bhakti saintChaitanya Mahaprabhu or

for that matter KrishnanandaAgambagis — the sage whogave shape to Goddess Kali’spresent portrait — had neverwitnessed two sets of flowers,Trinamool Congress’ “GrassFlower’’ and BJP’s Lotus,involved in a dogfight as fierceas this for ‘supremacy’.

People of Krishnanagar theprincely town of Bengal onceruled by the Maharaja ofKrishnagar also famous for“His Excellency’s’’ his own col-lection of nine gems amongwhom Gopal Bhand (theBengali version of Birbal ofTenali Raman) apart from ter-racotta toys, handloom or Tantsarees, onion, licchhi, and agreen bucket full of yearlycrops are literally ‘’torn betweenthe three.’’

On one side is the wave ofBJP represented by former Indiasoccer star Kalyan Chowbey, onthe other is the organisationalprowess of Trinamool Congressrepresented by party YoungTurk and on the third is the“pricking conscience’’ which isasking all and sundry to vote forthe “gentleman and downrighthonest person’’ Shantanu Jha ofthe CPI(M).’’

Still Krishnagar once cul-tivated by State BJP presidentand senior advocate JoluMukherjee who once polledabout 2 lakh votes againstCPI(M)’s Jyotirmoyee Sikdarhas once again woken up inrevolt: against the ruling outfit.

They have however notingagainst Mohua Mita. “We knowshe is well-bred, suave, goodperformer, but her only draw-back is that she represents aparty that has not allowed us tovote freely for years, literallyrobbing us off our democratic

right,’’ says Swadesh Roy alocal retired public servant.

Amiyo Tarafdar a lawyer’sclerk in the district court said“We have been a CPI(M) voterout and out We will continueto remain so. But this time letus vote for the BJP as they canonly remove this Governmentof the lumpens, by the lumpensand for the lumpens.’’

Like him Suprotim Jha alocal bank employee is also ‘’nothopeful of the BJP. We are notfans of Narendra Modi, weknow that he has no basic dif-ference with Mamata Banerjeeas a dictator. Notwithstandingwe will back him because it isonly through him we canexpress our voting rights.’’

True, perhaps that is thepower of democracy, said alocal auto-rickshaw driver.

But then has the ChiefMinister Mamata Banerjee’spersonal charishma no effect?Or have her schemes likeKanyashree, Rupashree,Swasthya Saathi, Sabuj Saathi— some winning internation-al awards — lost their appeal?

“Not really,” Irfan Ali, alocal Tant worker said.“Remind Nadia is the first dis-trict in the country to attain

hundred percent success inending public defecation. Wehave voting for her and willcontinue to do so because wecannot punish her for the faultsdone by the local level leaders.After all she herself came to usseeking votes.’’

Banerjee has twice come tothe district and conducted acouple of road shows here withpeople pouring in from allquarters. On whether this willconvert to votes, local CPI(M)leader said “even when wewere in power in 2009 and2011 we witnessed such crowdsbut we failed to understand thatthey were leaving us.’’

Silence was the best med-icine, many thought perhaps.But this silence is turning outto be too deafening for the par-ties, experts said.

This particularly at a timeof a communally polarisedatmosphere. The locals said“We have never seen such apolarised atmosphere beforenot even during Partition. Thepolitical parties both the BJPand the TMC will answer forthis as history will never forgivethem.’’ It is this call of con-science from many a voter thatthe Marxists are banking on.

IANS n JAIPUR

Caught between the cacoph-ony of nationalism and

regional vision — on issues offarm distress, unemployment,water crisis and poor connec-tivity — the voters in Rajasthanseem to be dwindling towardsthe former.

“It’s Modi versus all (issuesand candidates) in Rajasthan.(Prime Minister Narendra)Modi has made his image larg-er than life. And in the post-Pulwama political scenario,Rajasthan seems highly takenin by the Indian Air Force(IAF) strikes in Balakot inPakistan,” says political analystNarayan Bareth.

“This is because many fam-ilies in the state have their sonsin the armed forces guardingthe borders, and they seem tobe the most impressed by thePrime Minister’s tough stanceon national security.Nothing except nation-alism seems tobe influencingthem at thispoint.

“The State’sruling Congresslooks confused as tohow to fight this debatebetween nationalism andregional vision. It may getaround 5-7 seats, while the BJPcan win 18-20 seats,” Barethadded. For decades, theRajasthan Assembly has beenalternating between theCongress and the BJP every fiveyears. Following the sametrend, the Congress dethronedthe BJP in 2018.

The State is also known togive the party winning theAssembly elections the mostnumber of Lok Sabha seats.Banking on this trend, theCongress is hoping to take itstally up from zero in the 2014Lok Sabha elections, even as theBJP attempts to repeat its suc-cess of winning all the 25 par-liamentary seats in the state.

As both parties claim toachieve “Mission 25” in 2019,IANS takes an overview of thekey issues and seats in the state:

Of the 25 Lok Sabha con-stituencies in Rajasthan, 13 willvote in the fourth phase onMonday while the remaining 12will go to the polls in the fifthphase on May 6. At present, theBJP represents all the 25 seats.The total number of electoratein the state stands at 4.84 crore.

Out of the 200 Assemblyconstituencies in the state, theCongress had won 100 in the2018 State elections.

The BJP had won 73,Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)six, Independents 13 while theremaining eight seats went tothe Rashtriya Loktantrik Party(3), Communist Party of

India-Marxist (2), BharatiyaTribal Party (2) and RashtriyaLok Dal (1).

KEY ISSUESFarm distress: The desert state,which once reeled under longspells of drought, now makesnews for flash floods every nowand then. The changing weath-er pattern has wrecked havocon farming.

The Congress hadpromised farm loan waiver ofRs 2 lakh within 10 days ofcoming to power in the state.While Chief Minister AshokGehlot kept the promise, theBJP alleges that the farmers areyet receive the ‘no objectioncertificate’ (NOC) for the clo-sure of their loan accounts.

Says Shambhu Singh fromShahpura, “We voted out ourtwo-time BJP MLA because theCongress had promised farmloan waiver. But four monthson, there is still no clarity on

how and when ourloans will be waived.”U n e m p l o y m e n t :

Keeping its Assemblypoll promise, the

Gehlot governmentfrom March 1 intro-

duced an allowance of Rs3,000 per month to educatedunemployed boys and Rs 3,500per month to girls as monthlyunemployment allowance.However, the youth are yet toget the allowance as the modelcode of conduct came intoforce on March 10.

Says Abhimanyu, a uni-versity student: “We all expect-ed to benefit from thisallowance, but there are manyriders in the scheme. Oneneeds to be a resident ofRajasthan and a graduate froma university in the state with afamily income of up to Rs 2lakh to avail the allowance.Hence the promise looks fake.”Caste: Caste is the biggest fac-tor at play in Rajasthan wherethe equations between com-munities like Rajputs and Jatsand Meenas and Gujjars havebeen exploited to the hilt togarner votes. The BJP has beentrying newer forms of socialengineering to gain supportfrom the Gujjars and the Jats.

This time the saffron partyhas allied with the RashtriyaLoktantrik Party (RLP) con-venor Hanuman Beniwal, who iscontesting as an NDA candidatefrom Nagaur. The BJP agreed toleave the seat for him expectingJat votes in Barmer, Nagaur,Jodhpur, Pali and parts of Sikar.

However, Beniwal’sprospects may be dented by theloyalists of former ChiefMinister Vasundhara Raje —with whom he has had differ-ences in the past — to benefitCongress’ Jyoti Mirdha, saysBareth.

WB voters between

devil, deep blue sea

Fourth phase todaywith 100% CAPF

As Kanpur goes

to polls today;

many voters

unaware of ‘NOTA’

It’s nationalism vs regional vision

RAJASTHAN

Poll officials collect Electronic Voting Machines andother material in Jabalpur on Sunday PTI

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LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

PTI n MOTIHARI

Coming down heavily on theCongress for its promises to

amend AFSPA and quash thesedition law, if voted to power,Uttar Pradesh Chief MinisterYogi Adityanath Sunday said the“hand symbol of the grand oldparty denotes that it was hand-in-glove with traitors”.

Addressing a rally inSheohar Lok Sabha con-stituency near here, Adityanathclaimed that “no nationalist ordignified person” would sup-port the Congress or its allieshaving gone through its LokSabha poll manifesto.

“I was shocked to see theCongress manifesto. It saidthat the party will do away withthe sedition law and amendAfspa, the law which givesspecial power to the Army inJammu & Kashmir and thenortheast States. It seems‘Congress ka hath hai desh-drohiyon ke sath’ (Cong hasextended its hand to the traitorsof this country),” he insisted.

Referring to IAF air strikein Balakot, Adityanath saidthat the Indian Army alwayshad the courage and valour to

carry out such attacks, but the“erstwhile governments lackedresolve and willpower to makepowerful decisions”.

“The Narendra Modi gov-ernment showed its determi-nation to eliminate terroristsand allowed forces to carry outair strikes inside Pakistan.Terrorists are now fleeing theirhideouts,” he said, adding that

“both terrorism and naxalismwould be completely wipedout from the country afterModi becomes the PM foranother term.”

When it comes to theprime minister’s post, the BJPand its allies have unanimous-ly chosen Modi as their leader,while the Congress, RJD and itsallies are still struggling with

their choice for the top post,their policies and intentions,the senior saffron party leadersaid.

“It seems they (oppositionparties) just want to createpolitical instability in the coun-try and hamper the momen-tum of growth generated by theModi government,” the UttarPradesh CM, who had recent-ly stirred a controversy byreferring to Indian Army as‘Modiji ka sena’, said.

Enumerating the welfareschemes introduced by theNDA government, he assertedthat Modi has lived up to theBJP’s age-old slogan of ‘devel-opment of all, appeasement tonone’ by doling out benefitswithout discrimination.

Claiming that the Congresspolicies were biased and prej-udiced, Adityanath noted,“Former prime ministerManmohan Singh, who head-ed the UPA government from2004 to 2014, had said thatMuslims have the first right onnation’s resources. The factremains that all 130 crore peo-ple in the country have equalrights on the resources.”

The senior BJP leader alsopraised NDA candidate and sit-ting MP Rama Devi for her“initiatives to usher in devel-opment” in the constituencyand appealed to the people toassociate themselves with “FirEk Baar Modi Sarkar” slogan.

IANS n LUCKNOW

Mafia don-turned-politi-cian and former MP Atiq

Ahmad has moved a bail appli-cation before a special court,seeking a short-term bail tocontest parliamentary electionsfrom Varanasi.

District GovernmentCounsel (Criminal) GulabChandra Agrahri said the bailapplication will be taken up bythe court on April 29.

The special court is alreadyhearing as many as 26 criminalcases against Atiq Ahmad, whois presently lodged in the NainiCentral Jail in Allahabad.

According to Atiq’s coun-sels, the former MP hasobtained nomination papersfor contesting the Lok Sabhaelection from Varanasi.

However, he would not beable to campaign for himself ashe is lodged in jail. Hence hemoved the present applicationrequesting the court to release

him on short term bail, so thathe could campaign.

The PragatisheelSamajwadi Party Lohia state

General Secretary Lallan Raisaid Atiq Ahmad will contestelections on his party ticketprovided he gets parole.

snippets

poll

ART 370, 35A SHOULD BE REVIEWED, SCRAPPED: RAJNATHUnion Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said Articles 370and Article 35A should be seriously reviewed and scrapped. WhileArticle 370 gives autonomous status to Jammu & Kashmir, Article35A allows the Himalayan State’s legislature to define permanentresidents of the State. Speaking at a voters’ awareness programmehere, Singh attacked National Conference leader Omar Abdullah forhis recent remarks that there should be a separate Prime Minister forKashmir. “When a person, who has occupied a Constitutional postsays such things, then Articles 370 and 35A should be seriouslyreviewed. Since these (provisions) have mostly caused losses,Article 370 and 35A should be scrapped.”

SECURITY BEEFED UP IN KULGAM Stringent security arrangements are in place in Kulgam district ofJammu & Kashmir, part of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency,which is going to the polls on Monday in the second leg of thethree-phased poll schedule for the Lok Sabha seat. The AnantnagLok Sabha constituency is spread over four districts of Anantnag,Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama with 16 assembly segments. TheLok Sabha polls to this constituency are being held in three phasesdue to security reasons. A multi-layered security set up has been putin place for protection of polling booths, handling of law and orderproblems and thwarting the designs of anti-national elements todisrupt the polls, officials said.

‘VOTERS SHOULD GET PAID LEAVE ON POLLING DAY’Voters working in the private sector should get paid leave on pollingday as it is a fundamental right and they should not face anyrestriction in exercising their franchise, said an Election Commissionofficial on Sunday. Seventeen Lok Sabha constituencies inMaharashtra, including six in Mumbai, will go to polls on Monday.

RAHUL TO ADDRESS POLL MEETINGS IN RAJASTHAN TODAYCongress president Rahul Gandhi will be in Rajasthan on Monday toaddress public meetings for the 12 Lok Sabha constituencies of thestate, which will go to the polls on May 6, the party said on Sunday.Rahul will address a public meeting at Sepau in the Karauli-Dholpurparliamentary constituency at 11 am, followed by meetings at 2.10pm in Churu and at 4.10 pm in Kotpuli town of the Jaipur Ruralconstituency, State Congress vice-president Archana Sharma toldreporters here.

Congress candidate from Patna Sahib seat Shatrughan Sinha with his sonvisits Patna Sahib Gurdwara during his election campaign in Patna onSunday PTI

Hina Shahab, Rashtriya Janta Dal Lok Sabha candidate from Siwan and wife of party’s convicted leader MohammedShahabuddin, with party leader Tejashwi Yadav during an election campaign rally in Siwan, on Sunday PTI

BJP president Amit Shah with party candidate Rajiv Pratap Rudy waves at crowdduring an election rally for the Lok Sabha polls, in Chhapra district of Bihar, onSunday PTI

No nationalist will support Congafter reading its manifesto: Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath intracts with a child during anelection rally for Lok Sabha polls, in Sugauli, East Champaran, on Sunday PTI

Mafia don seeks parole to

contest from Varanasi

The special courtis already hearingas many as 26criminal casesagainst AtiqAhmad, who ispresently lodged inthe Naini CentralJail in Allahabad

According to Atiq’scounsels, theformer MP hasobtainednomination papersfor contesting theLok Sabha electionfrom Varanasi

07

STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)Candidate from Chandni

Chowk Lok Sabha constituen-cy and Union Minister DrHarsh Vardhan has said thatDelhi has always been a bastionof nationalist ideologues andtheir supporters. He took awhirlwind tour of the manylocalities in the constituencythat he had won in 2014.

“Voters in Delhi will neverforgive the party promising torepeal sedition Act and thoseelements who openly sidedwith JNU student leader asso-ciated with ‘tukde, tukde gang’.Dr Harsh Vardhan also saidsuch elements should notexpect any support and votefrom electors”, he said.

“BJP has been consideringIndia and nationalism as firstcommitment, the personalinterests are being given the lastpriority. He added that AAPGovernment-headed by ArvindKejriwal has been sitting over afile which deals with grant ofpermission for taking the mat-ter to court of law in respect ofmain student leader directly

involved in ‘tukde-tukde’rhetoric. BJP would never allowsuch forces to damage the unityand integrity of the country. Incase such forces create furthertrouble then the country willface chaos”, the Minister added.

Attacking Congress forpromising to repeal SeditionLaw in its election manifesto,Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “Itlooks that both AAP andCongress have been in leagueon the issue of weakening thecountry and its unity. Their pri-ority is to safeguard their polit-ical interests”.

“The BJP candidate onSunday intensified his re- elec-tion campaign in different partsof Chandni Chowk Lok Sabhaconstituency by leading ‘JanSampark and Padyatras’. Hevisited Railway Colony,Kishanganj Market, Moti Bagh,

GAYATHRI MANI n NEW DELHI

Famous mountaineer SantoshYadav, the first woman in the

world who inscribed her namein the record books for climb-ing world’s highest peak, theMount Everest twice and alsothe first woman to climb theMount Everest from theKangshung Face has found hername missing from the electoralrolls of the national Capital.

The Delhi Chief ElectoralOfficer (CEO) has also made theYadav the brand ambassador ofthe Election Commission tospread awareness about Right toVote and to encourage the peo-ple to cast their vote for the LokSabha Elections 2019. The gen-eral elections in Delhi will heldon May 12.

Requesting the Delhi ChiefElectoral Officer Ranbir Singh toadd name of the mountaineerSantosh Yadav on Saturday, therepresentatives of Yadav stressedthat despite being the worldchampion twice and the brandambassador of Lok SabhaElections appointed by the DelhiCEO, her name is missing fromthe electoral roll. As per sources,they also submitted a letter toDelhi CEO to add Yadav’s namein the voters’ list.

Sources in the EC said thatthe issue is brought to the noticeof Deputy ElectionCommissioner Sandeep Saxenawho advised them to take up thematter with CEO of Delhi.

Yadav was earlier a resident

of Chanakyapuri in New Delhibut has shifted to Dwarkarecently. Her name in the voters’list neither reflected on her oldresidential address nor on thenew address. According to elec-toral rules, any family membercan submit Form 7 meant todelete a name, but Form 6 mustbe submitted by the concernedvoter for inclusion of his name in the vot-ers’ list.

However, according to anofficial of poll body, Yadav’sname is next to impossible toadd in the electoral list at thistime as the deadline for regis-tering for the Lok Sabha elec-tions is over. “Yadav shouldhave updated her new address orre-registered for the voterIdentity Card, if she had anyproblem, the issue would havebeen solved earlier. Moreover,the Commission will checkfrom where she had registeredfor the voter ID and action willbe taken by the office of theDelhi CEO but it is quite impos-sible to add her name in the vot-ers list,” said an official request-ing anonymity.

‘Voters in Delhi will never forgivethe party promising to repeal

sedition Act and those elementswho openly sided with JNU

student leader associated with‘tukde, tukde gang’. Dr Harsh

Vardhan also said such elementsshould not expect any support

and vote from electors’

Mountaineer Santoshfinds her name deletedfrom Delhi electoral roll

Vardhan holds Padyatra in Chandni Chowk

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In 2015, after the India-Nepal ties hitthe lowest point during the promul-gation of Nepal’s new Constitutionand anti-India sentiment saw a newhigh due to an India-backed Madhesi

economic blockade, bilateral ties betweenthe two have moved from static to steady.Recovery has been through India’s hands-off-Nepal policy and New Delhi’s focus ondelivery and development, in sync withKathmandu’s prime objective of econom-ic prosperity. The only known hiccup waslast month when India’s Ambassador,Manjeev Singh Puri, met King Gyanendraat Hotel Sitasharan at Janakpur, Nepal,where the latter had gone to inaugurate theJanakpur railway project. This meetingblew up into a political row with theKathmandu press reporting that PrimeMinister KP Oli lost his cool and called offa previously accepted engagement with theIndian embassy.

With his no-show, Oli, who was toinaugurate the international Sanskrit con-ference a few days later at Kathmandu, leftthe embassy embarrassed, his displeasureover Puri meeting Gyanendra made in nouncertain terms. The accidental encounterin the lobby of Hotel Sitasharan became astorm in a teacup with Oli signalling thatany Indian effort to rehabilitate Gyanendraor monarchy was not welcome. The mis-understanding was brushed aside. Somedays later, India announced the visit ofForeign Secretary Vijay Gokhale toKathmandu — days before Nepal’s presti-gious international investment summit —to review the progress made on India’sdevelopmental projects in Nepal. This is forthe first time that such an exercise has beenundertaken, signifying India’s earnestnessto deliver on Nepal’s development.

But just then, Nepal’s ForeignSecretary, Shankar Das Bairagi, wasscheduled to hold a long-delayed meetingwith his Pakistani counterpart inKathmandu. He postponed the meet toaccommodate Gokhale. Not just that, ascheduled and again delayed visit ofPakistan’s Speaker of the House, AsadQaiser, was also postponed. In India’sneighbourhood, two countries, whichhave been historically sensitive to NewDelhi’s discomfort with their hostingPakistani political and military dignitariesimmediately before or after an importantIndian visitor, are Nepal and Sri Lanka.

This de-hyphenation of India andPakistan, especially in the post-Pulwama/Balakot environment, was seenas a friendly gesture by Kathmandu, prob-ably intended to make up for the Sitasharanmisunderstanding and appreciation ofNew Delhi’s reset in India’s Nepal policy.The Nepali media, which treats India withsuspicion, saw its Foreign Ministry actingunder New Delhi’s pressure.

India has wisely recognised that theruling Communist Party of Nepal

Government enjoys wide andpopular support — an unprece-dented nearly two-third major-ity at the Centre, majorityGovernments in six of sevenprovinces and a lion’s share inlocal Government posts. TheNo 2 Madhesi-led province islending issue-based supportto the Government. While thelongevity of the Government isnot in doubt, its edifice of sta-bility is widely questioned,mainly from dissidents withinthe ruling party. Oli is keepinghis opponents guessing byperiodically announcing animminent Cabinet reshuffle tokeep alive their hopes of aMinisterial berth.

Still, never in the politicalhistory of Nepal — except inthe short-lived experience withmultiparty democracy in 1959— has the country witnessedsuch an overwhelming politi-cal majority. Periodically, thestability of Oli’s health is ques-tioned but if one meets him,the Kissinger quip that poweris the biggest aphrodisiac,comes alive.

Still, there is Prachanda,the co-chairman of the CPN,whose prime ministerial ambi-tions never subside even for athird term. The integration ofthe Unified Marxist Leninistand Maoists in the merged

CPN is essentially superficial.The joint policy document isstill awaited.

A regime change is possi-ble under two scenarios: a) anailing Oli falling critically ill; b)after two-and-a-half years,when the power-sharing agree-ment between Oli andPrachanda kicks in. Till then,Nepal will see strategic stabil-ity despite undercurrents oftactical turbulence.

Last month, US Secretaryof State Mike Pompeo congrat-ulated Oli for completing oneyear in office at a time whenAmerica is revamping its inter-est in Nepal through its antiTibet reciprocal move andIndo-Pacific strategies.Kathmandu is Washington’slong-standing window onTibet.

A key political success ofthe Oli Government is de-fanging the secessionist FreeMadhesh-America-trainedleader CK Raut through an 11-point agreement. His politicalplatform, Alliance forIndependent Madhesh, hasbeen re-named as the JanmatParty. The main Opposition,the Nepali Congress, is accus-ing Oli of releasing from jail atraitor like Raut and banningunderground Maoist NetraBikram Chand (Biplav), who is

demanding good governance,strengthening of institutionsand probity but resorting toviolence.

The Biplav group — esti-mated to have 300 to 2,000cadres with 500 weapons — isthe only breakaway under-ground Maoist entity, whichwas declared a criminal grouplast month, outlawed andserved notice to surrender in35 days, a deadline which haspassed. It had disturbed the2017 elections with the use ofexplosives and firearms, result-ing in several casualties. It hasalso promulgated partially suc-cessful countrywide bandhs.The last of these coincided withthe international investmentsummit. Fear of Biplav is pal-pable. Even Prachanda hasadmitted he could be Biplav’sNo 1 target and sarcasticallyadvised to keep one bullet forPrachanda when he does any-thing wrong.

Most political parties wantthe Government to negotiatewith the Biplav group butHome Minister Ram BahadurThapa (Badal), an erstwhilemilitary commander of theMaoists along with Biplav andNand Kishore Pun (now VicePresident of Nepal), has saidthat military/police action willbe taken to bring Biplav to

book. Surprisingly, the Nepal

Army reportedly issued a state-ment expressing that dialogueand not force should be thepreferred option. The NepalArmy remains a highly respect-ed and trusted institution in thecountry. Earlier it had alsoobjected to Oli arrogating tothe Prime Minister the author-ity to mobilise the Army in caseof emergency, abridgingConstitutional procedures.This is cited as yet anotherinstance of Oli centralisingpower in the Prime Minister’sOffice.

New Delhi is playing by therule book in reclaiming itsprimacy in Nepal whose poli-cy — amity with all, enmitywith none — is being show-cased by Foreign MinisterPradeep Gyawali. Despite theWuhan spirit, the Chinese havebeen very active in grabbingthe space vacated by India fol-lowing the avoidable econom-ic blockade. India has to winback Nepalese hearts andminds which Prime MinisterModi had captured through hismemorable oratory in Nepal’sParliament in 2014. In 2019,that will take some doing.

(The writer has been visit-ing Nepal since 1959 and waslast there last month)

This is what even Bollywood has not man-

aged to achieve despite a familiar cul-

ture legacy as its bedrock — make a

mammoth hit of an over three-hour epic film,

cutting across generations and triggering a col-

lective expiation of all kinds of emotions. At

the time of writing, Avengers Endgame had

generated a massive weekend collection of

`2,130 crore across the world and had wait-

ing queues of fans wanting to know if exis-

tence itself could be saved by superheroes

or if a doomed future could be malleable and

rectified with time travel. In a world of post-truths, the characters created by the

Marvel Cinematic Universe have held up hope that we don’t need urban myths

but possibilities through science, which is our new god. So why is it that we fall

for the Avengers with such gusto? Is it because the idea of time travel to fix things

is intrinsically linked to the Oriental philosophy of transforming our past karma

with current corrective actions? Or is it that they demonstrate that man can be

superman if he should so want? Creator Stan Lee answered this question in

his own battle to emerge out of the gloom and doom of the post-war years and

question man-made biases and bigotry. So his superheroes were really scrawny

in real life, oddities even, weren’t infallible, had personal burdens and motives

and would have feet of clay at times. An angry, raging Hulk could turn on mankind

itself, Spider Man had self-doubt and Iron Man ironically needed a mechanical

heart to feel the emotions he had ignored over the years. The villain Thanos, too,

sheds a tear and is a conflicted, tormented soul who, despite acquiring infinite

powers, wonders “To what end?” But a solo superhero cannot save today’s com-

plex world. Superhero, in its evolutionary journey then, is collective humanity.

And unfinished business is not despair but about getting up again as evidenced

by the penultimate Avengers’ film Infinity War. Meanwhile, the superheroes are

breaking out of White supremacist constructs and embracing global diversity.

The commercial success of the Black Panther of Wakanda has made Marvel

consider more inclusions. Black Widow and Captain Marvel are more than just

women empowerment, they are the carriers of the future.

So why is it that Bollywood cannot create such realistic superheroes instead

of making bad copies in Krrish and Ra One? We have our own comic book super-

heroes in Doga, who doesn’t draw planetary powers but has developed his own

human strength through training. He’s not rich like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne

conjuring up futuristic tools and war machines, but a regular guy who scores

with his brain. Dhruva is a stunt biker, acrobat and martial artist whose best kept

secret is his ESP, his ability to communicate with the animal world. There’s Shakti

too, a desi avenging woman who can travel at the speed of light. Fortunately,

they are all believable Indians who score not with unreal physical prowess or

borrowed aerodynamics but with that very Indian characteristic called mindplay

and wit. Unfortunately, our filmmakers haven’t looked at these possibilities. Though

we do not know what Ranbir Kapoor’s Brahmastra will be like, we hope that his

superhero is not simply gifted and static in that cosmic giftedness. Part of the

deficient appeal of our superheroes is that they do not have a shelf life or brand-

ing beyond the home-grown comics, which have been replaced by glossy con-

sumables from the DC and Marvel Inc. Most importantly, they seem to be con-

fined to their appeal among children who don’t carry their images into adulthood.

And although India is now the FX backroom for Hollywood, nobody has thought

about using that skill set for our versions. Yet Black Panther has shown that the

African warrior tribe is as comfortable electrifying a defence shield while sport-

ing their cultural costumes in athleisure formats. So no excuses for creativity.

With the Supreme Court making it clear

that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

must heed Right To Information (RTI)

requests for its Annual Inspection Reports

(AIR), which would reveal the names of those

who have wilfully defaulted on loans, it seems

we have taken a crucial step in ensuring finan-

cial transparency. While the RBI asserted that

this would imperil banking secrecy laws, its

argument was dismissed by Justices

Nageswara Rao and MR Shah with some

exceptions. They clarified that the statements

of the bank, reports of the inspections and

information related to the business obtained

by it does not, in fact, fall under the pretext of confidence or trust. However, the

question remains about whether naming and shaming will do any good.

One potential prospect is that many of those, who are afraid that their names

will be revealed once the Supreme Court order is implemented, will make an

offer to pay up to keep their good name. There is no doubt that there are a large

number of people who owe money to the Indian banking system and have the

ability to pay, but often, sometimes in connivance with bank officials, as hap-

pened with Nirav Modi and Punjab National Bank, they do not pay back, know-

ing full well that they will not get prosecuted. However, many ‘wilful’ defaulters

are often individuals who have not quite bankrupted themselves but have failed

in their business ventures. In that ambiguity, there are some aspects of privacy

that are also violated, and some modifications might be necessary in the clas-

sification of wilful and ‘non-wilful’ defaulters. Then again, naming and shaming

people who break the law is possibly one of the only ways to get them to repent.

Unlike the Panama Papers, this data, once released, will have perfect provenance

and that will mean that many of the excuses that people make when caught will

be just that, excuses. There is the possibility of another major risk. Much like

the hundred plus individuals, who have run away from India, some even acquir-

ing foreign citizenship using their ill-gotten gains, will many more take pre-emp-

tive flights out of the country? Will the fear of knowing that they might be exposed

make several hundred rich fraudsters run away from Indian banks and the law?

However, this is a risk that we must take, considering some countries like the

United Kingdom, have opened their doors willingly to financial fraudsters. Yet other

nations are very strict with such individuals and extradite them promptly. Clever

fraudsters tend to hide in nations where they know their chances of prosecu-

tion are limited. They are the worst type of criminals, knowingly not paying their

dues and, thus, making life harder for everyone else who pay back their loans

for homes, cars and everything else properly. As the saying goes, the hands of

the law are very long. But those hands should know who to catch. Lest there

be any objections, remember that the banks’ total non-performing assets amount-ed to `11.2 trillion in FY18.

Reveal the cheats

The Supreme Court wants the Reserve Bank of India toname wilful loan defaulters in RTI requests

The Avengers series has given us unprecedented hits over adecade, mapping the contemporary human condition

Silent victory

Sir — While it is spectacular thatGomathi Marimuthu, who hailsfrom an economically backwardfamily, has won gold in theAsian Athletics Championshipat Doha, it is strange that noneof our political leaders applaud-ed the girl. Has the heat of elec-tioneering got to them? Suchtouches do matter a great deal,especially when an individual’sefforts have brought glory.

Tharcius S FernandoChennai

One-man story

Sir — The massive roadshow byPrime Minister Narendra Modiand the cavalcade as part of thenomination gala took Varanasiby storm. Of course, the BJPcannot be blamed or envied forevents choreographed and tele-cast to appeal to the wider audi-ence. There is no denying thefact that the spectacle was stagedto present him as a larger-than-life character.

Prime Minister Modi mustbe made to tower over other lead-ers as he runs his party’s cam-

paign as a one-man brand andattempts a recreation of the 2014Modi wave. Perhaps he deemedhis unapologetic Hindutva pitchas necessary. The perception isthat his popularity has slipped onaccount of unfulfilled promisesand unmitigated distress. Butdid that merit bringing a wholecity to a halt?

G David MiltonMaruthancode

Election gimmick

Sir — This refers to the report,“Rahul regrets misquoting SC”(April 23). The Congress presi-dent Rahul Gandhi is reportedto have expressed regret in theSupreme Court over his remarks‘Chowkidar chor hai’, claimingthat it was made with rhetoricalflourish in the heat of the elec-

tion campaign. His defence isunacceptable. He should haveused restraint while levellingcharges against the PrimeMinister without ascertainingfacts.

It is quite unbecoming of aparty head to have passed suchremarks against the PrimeMinister. This is not going tohelp him win the elections. Suchan attitude, in fact, underscores

the negative style of his cam-paigning. The BJP is no excep-tion to making statements dur-ing poll campaigns that stircontroversy. Political parties andtheir leaders must maintain acertain amount of decency, dis-cipline and decorum during thecourse of their speeches.

Sravana RamachandranChennai

Protect the judiciary

Sir — This refers to the article,“Establish the rule of law” (April26) by Anju Kapur. The sancti-ty of the highest court of theland must not be jeopardised.The case against the ChiefJustice of India Ranjan Gogoimust be sorted out sooner ratherthan later after having studiedthe case in detail and in animpartial manner. The dignity ofour courts cannot be sullied inthe process and the supremacyof the law must be establishedbeyond any doubt. People’s faithin the judiciary must be upheld.

SrinivasBengaluru

P A P E R W I T H P A S S I O N

www.dailypioneer.com

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op nionLUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

08

Nurture ties that bind

ASHOK K MEHTA

Post the economic blockade of 2015, relations between India and Nepal have moved

from static to steady. The next Government must do all it can to win Nepalese hearts

Whatever I said yester-day was a slip of tongue.I wanted to say MaulanaAzad but utteredMuhammad Ali Jinnah.

Congress candidate—Shatrughan Sinha

There is always enoughroom for good actors.There has not been asingle year where I havenot had a release.

Actor—Richa Chadda

S O U N D B I T E

L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

Congress’ indecisiveness mar its prospects

This refers to the editorial, “Priyanka backtracks” (April27). After having sparked speculation whether sheshould contest from Varanasi, Congress general sec-

retary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had made it clear that shewas ready to do so only if her party wanted her to. Nowthat the Congress has fielded Ajay Rai from this con-stituency, it is clear that Priyanka would not be fightingfrom this seat. The reason for this volte-face are multi-faceted and are not difficult to understand.

First, had Priyanka gone ahead with her intentionto fight the election against Modi, she would have givena tough fight to the latter but chances were that she couldhave ended up becoming a runner-up. Second, as theCongress scion has gone to Wayanad in Kerala for green-er pastures, looking at his possible defeat at the handsof Smriti Irani in Amethi, the tough fight in Varanasi byhis sister to Modi would have further dented his polit-ical graph. Third, the ever rising image of Modi, partic-ularly in Varanasi, has made the Congress leave the seat

to the person who stood third in the 2014 elections andhad also forfeited his security deposit. The Congress isalso not in unison over Priyanka leaving the election fray.While some members said that the final decision wastaken by the party, others were of the opinion that thedecisiveness to backtrack from the field was hers.

Sagar SinghMuzaffarnagar

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Success has no endgame

Fielding her (Pragya Singh) is atactical mistake for which theBJP will have to pay a heavyprice. People don't like absoluteright-wingers and hate-mongers.

NCP general secretary —Jitendra Awhad

As an alliance, the Congressand its allies have a signifi-cant lead over the BJP andits allies. Mark the word ‘significant'.

Senior Congress leader—P Chidambaram

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No more dying to give life

MY PARTY'S POLICY IS TO REPLY WITH A BOMBSHELL

IF PAKISTAN FIRES A BULLET, WHILE THE CONGRESS

JUST PLAYS ILU-ILU WITH TERRORISTS.

—BJP CHIEF

AMIT SHAH

WHO HAD RELEASED TERRORISTS AND TAKEN THEM

TO KANDAHAR IN A PLANE? THE BJP IS SPREADING

LIES TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM REAL ISSUES.

—CONGRESS LEADER

AVINASH PANDE

POINTCOUNTERPOINT

Dr Himaja is worried. Tests conducted dur-ing Chandrakala’s routine antenatal visit tothe telemedicine centre in the tribal man-

dal of Paderu in Visakhapatnam district, AndhraPradesh, indicate the 17-year-old is down withmalaria for the second time. This is not good news,especially as Chandrakala is in her ninth month ofpregnancy. Dr Himaja knows Chandrakala is a highrisk case, having treated her for severe anaemia andmalaria just a month ago when she came for herthird antenatal visit. Then, the team at theTelemedicine Centre (TMC) had rushed her to thedistrict hospital in Visakhapatnam, 96 km away fromPaderu, and ensured she was given a blood trans-fusion to boost her plummeting haemoglobin. Theyhad pooled in their own money to pay for her hos-pitalisation, realising it would be fatal to let theimpoverished woman return to her village withouttreatment for want of funds. This time, too, a quickdecision has to be taken if the lives of Chandrakalaand her unborn baby have to be saved.

Within minutes, Dr Rajyalaxmi, the empanelledsenior gynaecologist based in the State capital ofHyderabad, is contacted through video conferenc-ing and apprised of Chandrakala’s condition. Sincerecords of all patients of the TMC have already beenuploaded, it did not take Dr Rajyalakmi much timeto pull out Chandrakala’s past history. She asksChandrakala, sitting alongside Dr Himaja in frontof the monitor, a few questions. But Chandrakala,who belongs to the Kondadora tribe, categorised asparticularly vulnerable tribal group by theGovernment, is unable to understand Telugu. Sheonly speaks local tribal dialect. Dr Rajyalaxmi advis-es Dr Himaja to take Chandrakala to the hospitalimmediately. Chandrkala does not understand thelanguage and is reluctant to stay in the hospital asshe feels it is unnecessary. But the TMC health work-ers make sure that she stays and gets a blood trans-fusion. It is this speedy action and personalised carethat ensured that Chandrakala and her 18-year-oldhusband could welcome their first child without fur-ther complications.

Hundreds of miles away in the tribal domi-nated West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, apregnant 20-year-old Saibani Juanga is also downwith malaria. Her marital family, as is the tradi-tion, prefers to seek help of the local faith healer.Not surprisingly, their rituals prove ineffective.When members of her village, the women Self-Help Group (SHG), learn about Saibani’s plight,they convince her husband and in-laws to take herto the district hospital. They arrange a vehicle totake her there. According to doctors at the hos-pital, had the women not taken immediateaction, Saibani wouldn’t have survived.

India has recorded 22 per cent reduction inmaternal mortality rate since 2013. Although thismeans nearly 1,000 fewer women now die of preg-nancy-related complications each month in thecountry, an estimated 44,000 women continue todie annually due to preventable pregnancy-relat-ed causes. For both, Chandrakala and Saibani, itwas a near miss. They would have become justanother statistic had they not been brought to thehospital in time.

For Chandrakala, it was Asara, a free health-care programme working to eliminate preventablematernal and neonatal deaths in the tribal mandalsof Araku, Paderu and Chintapalle in Visakhapatnam

district, which made the differencebetween life and death.

Started in 2011 by Piramal Swasthya,the Hyderabad-based not-for-profitorganisation working to deliver primaryhealthcare to the marginalised, Asara hasreached out to over 4,900 pregnantwomen living in far-flung hamlets inAraku in the last six years. In a regionwhere maternal mortality rate in 2011 was400 per 100,000 live births (the nationalaverage then was 215 per 100,000 livebirths) and neonatal mortality was over60 for every 1,000 live births (nationalaverage being around 44 per 1,000 livebirths then), this intervention is a lifelinefor women.

In fact, no maternal deaths have beenreported in last two years in Araku’s 181hard-to-reach hamlets where the pro-gramme has been working, according toVishal Phanse, CEO, Piramal Swasthya.Even institutional deliveries increased inproject intervention areas — from 18 percent in 2011 to 68 per cent in 2017.

While central to this remarkableturnaround has been the innovative tele-health project design conceptualised byPiramal Swasthya, it is a different yet effec-tive intervention that has brought downmaternal deaths in West Singhbhum. Byusing a unique approach to empowerwomen through a monthly ParticipatoryLearning and Action (PLA) cycle, Ekjut,a Chakradharpur-based not-for-profit,managed to bring a massive decline inmaternal and child mortality.

Such has been the efficacy of the PLAmethod that the national Governmentannounced its decision in 2016 to use theEkjut model to bring down maternal andneonatal deaths in eight Indian States. Atpresent, PLA meetings are being conduct-ed by Government frontline workerstrained by Ekjut in 40,000 villages all over

the country and empowering approxi-mately one million women to take chargeof their own health.

But it wasn’t always so. Health aware-ness among the community was abysmalwhen two doctors, Prasanta Tripathy andNirmala Nair, gave up their jobs in 2002to move to Chakradharpur in the back-ward and tribal-dominated WestSinghbhum district in Jharkhand. Statehealth indicators were very poor. WhileNeonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) per1,000 live births was 49 in Jharkhand, theMaternal Mortality Rate (MMR) per100,000 live births was 371 — both muchhigher than the national figures. So in2003, the husband and wife duo found-ed Ekjut to reach out to indigenous pop-ulation living in remote and inaccessibleparts of the region, especially to vulner-able women and children.

By using a unique approach toempower women on maternal and new-born health through a monthly partici-patory learning and action cycle — dur-ing which women first identify, prioritiseand analyse local maternal and neonatalhealth problems and then come up withstrategies to address them — they wereable to bring about a substantial declinein MMR and NMR.

What began with just 20 women inthree villages around Chakradharpurwas scaled to eight districts, involving over20,000 women over the next five years.The women participating in the PLA usedthis knowledge to bring about 20 per centreduction in maternal deaths and 30 percent reduction in neonatal deaths in 600villages in rural Jharkhand and Odisha,pointed out Dr Prasanta Tripathy.

In Araku, a lack of awareness, cou-pled with inaccessibility of the tribalmandals, meant that the Asara pro-gramme had to provide services at the

doorsteps. At the forefront of this cam-paign are the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives(ANMs), who traverse forests and steephills and walk several kilometres toensure no woman dies while giving birth.Once they reach the village, the ANMconducts basic tests like blood andurine, records weight, height and bloodpressure as part of the initial examina-tion. With anaemia and eclampsia (highblood pressure with seizures) being themost common prenatal complicationsprevalent among pregnant women in thedistrict, particularly in the tribal belt, theoutreach service also involves compre-hensive risk profiling of the pregnantwomen and counselling on health seek-ing behaviour. Free calcium and iron folicacid tablets (IFA) are also given.

The next day, all registered pregnantwomen are picked up from the point clos-est to their village. Here, at the TMC, a staffnurse records a more detailed history.Once the data collated is digitised at theTMC, these electronic health records notonly help keep track of the pregnantwomen but are also shared with theGovernment’s health facilities at the timeof institutional delivery.

Both these interventions have shownthat it is possible to end preventablematernal death among tribal women.While the Asara model is in the processof being introduced in all 11 mandals inthe tribal belt of Visakhapatnam andEkjut, a winner of the 2015 WHO IndiaPublic Health Champion Award for itsinnovative PLA initiative is using thestrategy to address gender-based vio-lence. Initial findings in Jharkhand,where about 40 per cent of the marriedwomen aged 15-49 years have experi-enced some form of violence by theirhusbands, have been encouraging.

(The writer is a senior journalist)

Robust cost-effective strategies and interventions by health organisations havehelped Andhra Pradesh end maternal death among tribal women

analysis 09F I R S T C O L U M N

Rootless wonders

of skill design

VINAYSHIL GAUTAM

The time has come to restore some coherence inthe skill formation system. This is one sector that

the new Government has to address

SWAPNA MAJUMDAR

INDIA HASRECORDED 22

PER CENTREDUCTION IN

MATERNALMORTALITY RATE

SINCE 2013.ALTHOUGH THISMEANS NEARLY

1,000 FEWERWOMEN NOW

DIE OFPREGNANCY-

RELATEDCOMPLICATIONSEACH MONTH IN

THE COUNTRY,AN ESTIMATED44,000 WOMEN

CONTINUE TODIE ANNUALLY

DUE TOPREVENTABLEPREGNANCY-

RELATEDCAUSES

There is so much talk about start-ups, entrepreneurship, skill

formation and employability — the list can go on — that they

have almost lost sight and purpose. The situation is compound-

ed by the fact that notwithstanding good intentions and pious

approaches, there is little to show on the ground. Aspirationally,

the search for degree dominates the learning market. Access to

higher education has received almost a cult status. Whether employ-

ability or livelihood follows the degree seems to be the moot point.

The UPA must be credited for having propagated a simple propo-

sition: The more institutions you set up with high-flying brand names,

the more desirable it is — more IITs, IIMs, Central universities and

AIIMS-like institutes. It did not matter much if the existing institu-

tions in these chains were already starved of good faculty. The

irony was that the UPA was led formally by a person, who at some

stage had some credentials to be an academic. In the competi-

tive bidding of political combinations, the NDA was not to be left

far behind. Whatever the UPA could do, the NDA thought it could

do better. The result is there for all to see.

Notwithstanding multiple attempts by seemingly varying polit-

ical combinations to abolish the University Grants Commission,

it is still going strong. The plethora of so-called national institu-

tions, such as universities of Urdu, Hindi, not to forget the Institute

of Foreign Languages, Central Institute of Hindi, academic calen-

dars have strange twists. Even holding of regular convocations

in its complete form is an event. Talk of research, contribution to

knowledge and pushing of boundaries of learning is a far cry. In

light of such aberrations, to stay silent would itself be a flaw. This

does not belie significant positive changes in areas such as nation-

al mission on education through (Information and Communication

Technology) ICT. Even there, one would hasten to add that their

mode of administration is sometimes far from logical. There are

very few institutions where class room methods are blended har-

moniously with the ICT method.

If this is the state of affairs in higher education, the scenario

of school education is best typified by the premium put on pri-

vate educational institutions over Government schools in public

psyche. Clearly, money is no constraint because parents and

guardians pay fancy amounts if it can help their status display.

The number of institutions in the private sector, which runs schools

in buildings for part of the day and double them up as institutions

of higher learning — read colleges and universities — is rising.

The regulator is knowledgeable but blissfully unaware. In such

an ecosystem, the role and status of vocational institutions almost

match a comic opera. Many know that the formal Indian Vocational

Education and Training (VET) Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) sys-

tem started in 1950s with requirements of industrialisation. The

National Council for Vocational Training came in 1961. Today, there

are 14,449 ITIs affiliated to NCVT.

The last decade of the preceding century and the first decade

of this century was the era of fancy use of the word ‘modular’.

Courses and degrees were going modular, and so the employabil-

ity schemes also went modular. The UPA should be given the ‘cred-

it’ for doing this in 2007. In 2008, with former Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh’s slogan of ‘PPP’ saw action on skill develop-

ment with private participation. By 2009, NSDC began riding sec-

tor skill councils. The institution provided avenues for the well-con-

nected and the high-heeled. Nobody wanted to map what was hap-

pening on the ground. When the NDA came to power, the Ministry

of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was notified on

November 10, 2014. It was nobody’s concern that there was already

in existence a Ministry dealing with Small and Medium Enterprises.

A whole architecture of aspirational skill formation scheme was

released on the country with the entire package of National Skill

Development Agency; Directorate General of Training; Skill

Development Fund; National Skill Development Corporation. The dia-

gram was complete with Sector Skill Councils; Skill Universities.

The opinion of UGC on the last stated institution was not of much

concern. Five years down the line, if one sector does not have a

report card, it is this. A smart Government could not be unaware

of this and the lay of the land. One hopes that after the parliamen-

tary elections, a little more attention is bestowed on this critical sec-

tor of national development.

Amazingly in the first years of its existence, the process did

not have any indigenous skill in its inventory to be upgraded. The

friendly barber, who in the mofussil and villages not only trimmed

hair but served as a go between for potentially marriageable men

and women; the blacksmith who kept the villages going by keep-

ing the wheels of the bullock cart and the push cart moving, went

by default. This list can go on. The time has come to restore some

coherence in the skill formation system and root it in the soil.

(The writer is a well-known management consultant)

India’s underemployment crisis isboth a challenge and an oppor-tunity. A report by the the

International Labour Organisationpredicted in 2018 that by 2019, over18.9 million people in our countrywill be unemployed. A third of thisfigure will constitute the highly edu-cated young people. The problem isexacerbated by the fact that India isset to be the world’s youngestnation by 2020 and is home to theworld’s largest base of young job-seekers.

Alleviating the problem bestowsa superpower status if India’s mas-sive workforce is fully activated.Thus, we need to enable youngIndia’s ambitious, tech-savvy andresourceful talent with access toentrepreneurship. We are fortu-nate that this demand has comewhen the country’s digital revolu-tion is transforming the way peo-ple think about work and income.Modern professionals need morethan money to be content with theircareer. They need autonomy, fair-ness, evolving challenges and fulfil-ment. This shift in mindset is also

behind the rising popularity of anindustry that has always intrinsical-ly offered these benefits — directselling.

Cornerstones of direct sellinglike independence, ownership andentrepreneurial experience, havebecome key motivations behindpeople’s occupations. Analysts pre-dict that the Indian direct sellingmarket will be valued at $8.96 bil-lion, creating nearly 20 millionjobs in just over five years. Directselling has already substantiallyimpacted employment in India,especially in the area of helpingwomen re-enter the workforce.

Access to training, clear com-pensation plans and flexible work-ing hours have always been centralto the industry and these traitsempower women and impart valu-able skills to young entrepreneurs.

Unfortunately, in recent times,industry growth has been hampereddue to misconceptions and falseaccusations. But this scenario isgradually changing. Several HighCourts have consistently squashedallegations of malpractice and ille-

gality against the industry. Thefocus is shifting to possibilitiesthat direct selling affords distribu-tors, consumers and the domesticeconomy. Gradually, the widespreadlegal support is creating a safeenvironment for direct selling andits distributors.

A crucial component of directselling that combats the underem-ployment crisis is the democratisa-tion of opportunity. Anyone can bea direct seller, irrespective of age,gender, experience, skill, race oreducation. Companies in this spaceare empowering aspiring entrepre-neurs from all walks of life to startbusinesses by providing trainingand professional support. Thismodel gives rise to millions ofentrepreneurs, inspired by anopportunity to script their financialfuture through access to inventory,mentors, back office support andtraining programmes. Indian tech-savvy millennials, who are at thecentre of the country’s digital trans-formation, are also waking up to thebenefits of direct selling. The indus-try was seen as just an opportuni-

ty for home-makers and retireeslooking to make a supplementaryincome but is fast becoming amainstream choice for youngIndians seeking autonomy and a fairchance over an uncertain journeyup the corporate ladder.

Delivery is at the heart of thedirect selling model and this iswhere India’s young and energeticworkforce is best suited for theindustry. Delivering high qualityunique products to consumers at afair price through word-of-mouthremains the central characteristic ofall direct selling. For that reason,India must move beyond falsestereotypes and understand thatdirect selling is not a foreign concept.

Every vegetable cart, street bar-ber, or dhobi is an example of tra-ditional direct selling. Moderndirect selling uses technology tobenefit distributors and consumers.Direct selling companies have inte-grated e-commerce into their plat-forms to offer entrepreneurs andsmall businesses a gateway to reachmillions of people and exploreuntapped markets.

So what can India do to usedirect selling to create jobs? It isimperative to implement compre-hensive legislation that ensuresdiligent governance to drive mod-ernisation and job growth. Greyareas in current policy have result-ed in confusion and extensive rep-utational damage. The establish-ment of a dedicated industry body,committed to regulation, lobbying,advocacy and complaints will go along way.

Gaps in the current system haveresulted in cursory interventionswith grave consequences, the admin-istration of civil matters throughcriminal proceedings being anexample. The global industry high-ly commends the Direct SellingGuidelines from the Department ofConsumer Affairs in legitimisingand validating the business model.However, it remains essential toinstitute a unified trade body. Thisbody should be dedicated to moni-toring and addressing issues in con-junction with a Government nodalauthority. Law enforcement agenciesmust also be given factual clarity

about the direct selling industry toavoid confusion. The failed attemptsat applying the Prize Chits andMoney Circulation Schemes(Banning) Act, created for lotteryschemes, is an example of this con-fusion. Such interventions don’tbelong in fair and legal business ven-tures or a modern economy.Legitimate and reputed direct sell-ing businesses deal in products thathave value. Marketing these productswill create opportunities for millionsof consumers and distributors.

Entrepreneurship is crucial toaddressing India’s unemploymentconcerns and industries such asdirect selling have a significantrole to play. However, to do thiseffectively, the industry will needthe support of strong governanceand a legal mandate. I believe thatthe Indian youth can move fromdemanding employment to creatingprogress in a supported and estab-lished direct selling model thatrewards diligence, dynamism anddedication.

(The writer is Regional Director,South Asia, of a direct selling firm)

Entrepreneurship: A solution to joblessnessIndian youth can move from demanding employment to creating progress in a supported and established

direct selling model that rewards diligence, dynamism and dedication, says RISHI CHANDIOK

LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

www.dailypioneer.com

F O R E I G N E Y E

The malevolent critic,motivated by envy ofcreativity, is a tired tropekept alive for the benefit ofthe artists it flatters. True,reviewers can begratuitously mean. Criticismis the exercise of judgment,and this applies to what issaid but also how and towhom; as a rule, novicesshould be treated moregently. Yet performers whoresent harsh words shouldbe careful what they wishfor. Critics are part of theproof that culture matters.

(The Guardian editorial)

THIN-SKINNEDARTISTS BEWARE

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money 10LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

Business Corner

Ahmedabad Division of Western Railway recently hosted a very well organised interRailway Documentary Competition at Sabarmati, Ahmedabad wherein 20 teams ofdifferent Zonal Railways and Production Units, including Northern Railway,participated. After the screening of all Short Documentaries team of NorthernRailway, representated by Kultar Singh, Erut Narayan Saxena & Ramesh Chandrawas facilitated besides other teams by the top officials of Western Railway

A national conference on strategic planning for faster execution of signal andtelecom interlocking works in Rail Infra Projects was held under the aegis of RVNLat Bengaluru from April 25 to 27 to discuss the speedy delivery of the infrastructureprojects on Indian Railways. The conference deliberated on the strategies forprovision of state of art signal and telecommunication systems in the ongoingprojects over Indian railways by RVNL

The India Pavilion at the 29th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair was inauguratedby Deputy Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates, Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahayan onApril 24, 2019 in the presence of UAE’s Minister of Culture and KnowledgeDevelopment, Noura Bint Mohd Al Kaabi; Indian Ambassad or Navdeep Suri andChairman of National Book Trust Prof. Govind Prasad Sharma. India has beendesignated as the Guest of Honour for the Book Fair, which is being held from 24thto 30th April, 2019

The Sirifort Auditorium experiences the mesmerising musical journey — the truesoul of desert Folk Music by Kutle Khan. ShowCase events curated anunforgettable musical evening and lifetime experience by taking the audiencethrough a journey of the true soul of Rajasthani Folk music. The Show concludedwith the dancers and musicians moving their feet to the all-time favorite songNimbooda Nimbooda to give the complete feel of the culture tour at The SirifortAuditorium. This was the second edition of the show of ‘Sounds From The Desert’,a folk musical tour by ShowCase events and they are looking forward to havingmany more shows with different artists all over the country

PTI n NEW DELHI

GST officers are working ona system where businesses

above a certain turnoverthreshold will have to generate‘e-invoice’ on Government orGST portal for every sale,thereby effectively reducingthe room for tax evasion.

To start with, businessesabove a specified thresholdwill just get a unique numberfor every electronic invoice ore-invoice generated. This num-ber can be matched with theinvoices reported in the salesreturn and taxes paid, an offi-cial said.

Going forward, businesseswill be required to generate fullelectronic-tax invoice or e-invoice recording entire valueof sales.

The official said that busi-nesses beyond a turnoverthreshold would be provided asoftware which will be linkedto GST or a Government por-tal for generating e-invoice. Thethreshold can also be fixed onthe basis of the value of invoice.

“The requirement of e-invoice generation could beeither on the basis of turnoverof the registered person orvalue of invoice. The thinkingis, ideally, it should be based onturnover threshold so as toavoid splitting of sales,” anofficial told PTI.

Giving example, the officialsaid that if the minimuminvoice value is fixed at ̀ 1,000,there is a possibility of busi-nesses of splitting the bills toavoid the invoice-based thresh-old cap.

E-invoice generation

method will be similar to theone being followed for e-waybill on the ‘ewaybill.Nic.In’portal or payment of Goodsand Services Tax on the GSTNportal.

The proposed system of e-invoice will eventually replacethe requirement of generationof e-way bill for movement ofgoods, as invoices would begenerated through a centralisedGovernment portal. Currently,e-way bill is required for mov-ing goods exceeding `50,000.

The official further saidthat once full e-tax invoice startsgetting generated, it would sig-nificantly ease burden of returnfiling by businesses as invoicewise data would be auto-popu-lated in the return forms.

“We will have to studyglobal models followed bycountries like Latin America,South Korea and Europe. Wewill also look at ways to incen-tivise businesses to adopt themethod of e-invoice genera-tion,” the official said.

An officers committee,comprising central, state taxofficials and GST Network

Chief Executive, has been set upto look into the feasibility ofintroducing e-invoice system tostreamline generation of invoic-es and easing compliance bur-den. The committee will finalisean interim report next month.

The proposed ‘e-invoice’ ispart of the exercise to checkGST evasion. With almost twoyears into GST implementa-tion, the Government is nowfocussing on anti-evasion mea-sures to shore up revenue andincrease compliance.

There are over 1.21 croreregistered businesses under theGST, of which 20 lakh areunder composition scheme.

AMRG & Associates PartnerRajat Mohan said e-invoicingwould help in avoiding duplica-tion of efforts and minimisemanual intervention in filing andchecking of tax returns.

“To incentivise businessesto adopt new system, the taxdepartment could limit thefrequency of mandatorydepartmental audits in caseprocurements are made onbasis of e-invoices,” Mohansaid.

GST e-invoice generation

system on Govt portal on avail

PTI n NEW DELHI

The Government has hikedthe customs duty on wheat

to 40 per cent from 30 per centto curb imports and protect thedomestic industry.

The Government wants torestrict overseas purchase sothat domestic prices of wheatdo not come under pressure asthe country’s wheat output isexpected to scale a record highthis year.

The Central Board ofIndirect Taxes and Customs(CBIC), through a notification,has hiked the basic customsduty (BCD) on wheat to 40 per cent.

In May last year, theGovernment had hiked BCDon wheat to 30 per cent from20 per cent.

The Government has fixedwheat’s minimum supportprice (MSP) or the price atwhich it buys from farmers, at`1,840 per quintal, up from`1,735 a year earlier, as part ofits decision to fix the supportprice at a minimum of 1.5times the production cost.

The country’s wheat pro-duction this season might cross100 million tonnes, an all-time high. The output stood atrecord 99.70 million tonnes inthe 2017-18 crop year (July-June).

Govt hikescustoms duty onwheat to 40%

PTI n NEW DELHI

The Model Code of Conductfor the Lok Sabha polls is

unlikely to have any bearing onissuance of a revised frame-work for resolution of stressedassets by the Reserve Bank andthe guidelines are expected tobe announced before May 23,sources said.

Against the backdrop ofthe Supreme Court quashingan RBI circular, issued onFebruary 12, 2018, a revised setof rules is under works andwould be released soon, theysaid.

Earlier this month, theSupreme Court had quashedthe RBI’s February 12 circularon stressed loan recognitionand resolution of large bor-rowers over `2,000 crore,terming it as “ultra vires”.

“The model code of con-duct exempts RBI’s monetarypolicy. It is unlikely to attractany action if the RBI issues therevised (February 12) circular,”sources said.

They said the central bankis in very advanced stage andthe revised circular should beout before declaration of gen-eral elections result.

The counting for the ongo-ing Lok Sabha elections willtake place on May 23.

The RBI is looking into allthe concerns raised by various

s t a k e h o l d e r sincluding banksand power sectorcompanies andmay look totweak the circu-lar without dilut-ing it completelyso that them o m e n t u mtowards resolu-tion of stressedassets is not affected, sourcessaid.

The February 12 circularhad mandated banks to refer anNPA account for insolvencyproceedings in case a resolutionis not found within 180 days.This was for accounts wherethe outstanding dues was atleast `2,000 crore.

Under the RBI norms, anaccount is classified as a nonperforming asset (NPA) if it isnot serviced for 90 days.

Sources said variousoptions are being explored forrejigging the NPA framework.One of the options is giving 30-60 days more time in additionto existing 90 days before ini-tiating resolution process forstressed accounts, they added.

While the 90-day periodfor recognising an account asNPA would remain, the centralbank would be looking at pro-viding more leeway for theentities concerned to repay theloans, they said.

Sources said that providingadditional time for repaymentwould help in mitigating hard-ships faced by micro, small andmedium enterprises (MSMEs)to some extent.

In a report last year, theGovernment had favouredadditional 180 days to be pro-vided for resolution of 34stressed power projects with aview to avoiding potential valueerosion of operating plants.The Supreme Court quashedthe circular following a petitionfiled by around 70 stressedcompanies from the power,shipping and textiles sectors.

A parliamentary panel wasamong the critics of the nowimpugned circular.

“Although the new guide-lines have been termed as har-monised and simplified gener-ic framework, yet they are farfrom being so,” the standingcommittee on energy said in itsreport tabled in Parliamentlast year.

RBI’s revised guidelines for resolutionof stressed assets likely before May 23

PTI n NEW DELHI

Financial costs are likely toclimb further for airlines in

the near term, with newaccounting standards on leas-es set to create “significantvolatility” in their profit andloss accounts.

Indian AccountingStandard 116 or Ind AS-116has come into effect from April1 and pertains to principles forrecognition, presentation anddisclosure of leases.

The standard, notified bythe corporate affairs ministry,would have a significant impacton various industries such asairlines, where aircraft operat-ed are mostly on lease.

It also comes at a timewhen the domestic airlineindustry is grappling withtough times due to rise in fuelprices, intense competition,financial issues and infra-structure woes.

Sandip Khetan, NationalLeader and Partner (FinancialAccounting Advisory Services)at EY India, said that many air-craft leases are denominated inUSD, which is likely to be acurrency different from thefunctional currency of mostdomestic airline companies.

“Ind AS requires foreigncurrency lease liabilities to beretranslated at each reportingdate and resulting gain or lossis typically recognised in P&L(Profit & Loss). This will cre-ate significant volatility in theP&L of Indian airline compa-nies,” he told PTI.

However, he noted thatcompanies might wish to assesswhether they are able to applyhedge accounting to address

this volatility and reconsidertheir treasury strategy.

In the airline industry, leas-ing of planes is a commonpractice rather than outrightpurchase and the new account-ing standard requires entities toshow all leases on their respec-tive balance sheets.

With Ind AS 116, expertssaid that net income would benegatively impacted in theearly years of operating leasearrangement on account ofhigher interest costs while therewould be a positive impact inthe later years of lease lifecycle.

Besides, there would be animpact on various key ratios ofcompanies such as EBITDA(Earnings Before Interest, Tax,Depreciation andAmortisation) and net income.

Under the account-ing standard, leases which werepreviously treated as operatingleases would now be recog-nised on balance sheet.

“A lessee will recognise a‘right-of-use asset’ and a cor-responding ‘lease liability’. Theconsequence is that instead oflease rental recognised earlier,it will now recognise depreci-ation and interest expense inits Statement of P&L. This willlead to increase in EBITDAand an increase in interestexpense in the P&L,” Khetannoted.

The new standard wouldnot differentiate the account-ing treatment that lessee isrequired to follow for operat-ing or finance leases but gen-erally, total costs related tolease arrangements are unlike-ly to change over its entire lifecycle.

Airlines likely to see ‘volatility’in profit & loss accounts on new accounting standard

PTI n NEW DELHI

Foreign investors were netbuyers in the Indian capital

markets for the third straightmonth in April, pouring in`17,219 crore on favourablemacroeconomic conditionsand ample liquidity.

India has been one of thetop recipients of foreign fundflows among emerging marketssince February 2019 on theback of positive global senti-ment, improving growth out-look, supportive macros anddovish stance taken by theRBI, experts said.

Overseas investors had putin a net sum of `45,981 crorein March and `11,182 crore inFebruary in the capital markets(both equity and debt).

According to the latestdepositories data, foreign port-folio investors (FPI) pumped ina net sum of `21,032.04 croreinto equities but pulled out anet amount of `3,812.94 crorefrom the debt market duringApril 1-26, taking the total netinvestment to ̀ 17,219.10 crore.

“Expectation of a slowdownin the global economy led sev-eral central banks to adopt adovish stance towards interestrates in order to provide a boostto their dwindling economies.

“This augured well for theemerging markets as itimproved global liquiditywhich has been making itsway into the emerging marketsand India is getting its sharefrom that,” said HimanshuSrivastava, senior research ana-lyst, manager research atMorningstar.

PTI n NEW DELHI

People in Bengaluru mayface call drops and dis-

ruption in internet services asthe local municipal body andtelecom players are at log-gerheads over paymentissues.

The Bruhat BengaluruMahanagara Palike (BBMP)has ordered to cut telecomcables laid over the ground,citing them to be non-com-pliant with existing norms,and has demanded fees fromcompanies to lay themunderground.

However, telecom serviceproviders said the cables werelaid overhead temporarilydue to road constructionwork and they have alreadypaid the fees for laying themunder the ground.

A BBMP official told PTIthat it was disconnecting onlythose optical fibre cableswhich were unauthorised.

“We have incurred hugefinancial losses because of theunauthorised cables. Several

times we had warned thetelecom companies to get thecables regularised and shouldbe laid in as per regulationsbut they ignored our warn-ings. We were left with nooption but to disconnectthem,” theofficer said.

He added that telecomcompanies still have thechance to disclose the cablesthey have laid and get themregularised by paying theprescribed fees.

The officer said most ofthe cables were laid overheadand were dangling from trees,which had caused many acci-dents in the past.

Me anw hi le , te l e comindustry body COAI saidthey were authorised tem-porarily to lay cables aerial-ly as road construction workwas going on that frequent-ly damaged cables and theyhave already paid fees forlaying them underground.

“BBMP is demandingright of way charges again tolay telecom cables under-

ground. We have already paidfees and the cables were laidoverground temporarily afterpermission from BBMP.

“We asked them to putthe order on hold and give ustime to put them under-ground as cable cut will leadto disruption in serviceswhich is already on red alertafter terror attack in SriL anka ,” COAI Direc torGeneral Rajan S Mathewssaid.

The Cellular OperatorsAssociation of India (COAI)has approached TelecomSecretar y ArunaSundararajan over the issue.

“After telecom secretary’sinter vent ion, we metKarnataka State ChiefSecretary along with repre-sentatives from Reliance Jio,Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

“The chief secretary hasasked BBMP to resolve thematter. We will be meetingBBMP commissioner onTuesday and hope the matterwill be resolved amicably,”Mathews said.

Bengaluru may face disruption in telecom servicesas municipal body, industry spar over payments

PTI n NEW DELHI

Hindustan Petroleum CorpLtd’s plans to acquire

Mangalore Refinery andPetrochemicals Ltd (MRPL)has hit a cash hurdle, with par-ent ONGC preferring a cashdeal rather than a share-swap,sources aware of the develop-ment said.

Oil and Natural Gas Corp(ONGC), India’s biggest oiland gas producer, last yearcompleted acquisition ofHindustan Petroleum CorpLtd (HPCL) for `36,915 crore.

After this takeover, ONGChas two refining subsidiaries -- HPCL and MRPL.

Since then, HPCL is keento get MRPL in its fold citingoperational synergies. It hasbeen talking of a combinationof cash and share-swap for thedeal that will make it India’sthird-largest oil refiner.

But now, ONGC wantsonly cash as HPCL shares areon the slide.

ONGC acquired theGovernment’s 51.11 per centstake in HPCL in January 2018at `473.97 per share. The sameshare of HPCL on Friday closedat `282.60, a massive 40 percent loss in value in 15 months.

Sources said HPCL hasnot yet come up with a concrete

proposal for acquiring MRPLand has been talking about thedeal mostly through the OilMinistry and the media.

ONGC, they said, wantsHPCL to make a compellingoffer to it for the merger talksto begin.

ONGC holds 71.63 percent stake in MRPL.

HPCL can acquire MRPLby buying out ONGC’s shares,which at Friday’s trading priceis worth about `9,300 crore.

The other option is share-swap, wherein ONGC will getmore shares in HPCL in lieu ofit giving up control in MRPL.A third option and more prefer-able is a combination of the two.

Sources said ONGC feels itdoes not want to end up withmore shares of HPCL whosevalue has been on the declineon the stock market.

HPCL currently holds16.96 per cent stake in MRPL.

HPCL Chairman andManaging Director MukeshKumar Surana has been sinceJanuary 2018 talking of the syn-ergy MRPL acquisition willbring to the company.

For one, HPCL sells morepetroleum products than itproduces and bringing MRPL’s15 million tonne a year refin-ery under the fold would helpbridge the shortfall.

FPIs stay bullishon India for thirdconsecutivemonth

AFP n PARIS

China’s investment strategyof throwing money at

developing countries appears tohave hit a snag in the Republicof Congo as the central Africannation is seeking an IMFbailout.

While the funding it pro-vided to Congo wasn’t part ofthe Belt and Road Initiative(BRI), which China was pro-moting this week, it serves asa cautionary tale of the troubleBeijing could face with its planfor massive investments inmaritime, road and rail projectsacross 65 countries from Asiato Europe and Africa.

When the plunge of glob-al oil prices in 2014 blew a holein the Congolese government’sfinances, it was China thatstepped in to help.

But despite the recoveryof oil prices, the country,a lso known as Congo-Brazzaville, has had troublegetting back on top of itsfinances and has asked theInternational Monetary Fundfor help.

The IMF places conditionson its loans to forceGovernments to take measuresto boost their finances. Inaddition, as the IMF can onlylend if it judges that a country’sdebt load is sustainable, abailout may be accompanied bya restructuring of Governmentdebt.

“It’s certainly the first time

China has found itself con-fronted with this kind of situ-ation,” said a specialist in rela-tions between China and Africawho asked her name not beused as the discussions withIMF were still underway.

“The Republic of Congo isseeking IMF protection inorder to avoid a possibledefault on its payments,” sheadded.

“China, which holds morethan a third of its foreign debt,is not really comfortable withthat.”

Julien Marcilly, chief econ-omist at Coface, a firm thatprovides payment insurancefor French companies, saidthat China “went full-tilt onlending in recent years, often tocountries which produce andexport raw materials, in par-ticular oil.” It is only now that“Beijing is beginning to realisethat problems can build up”, inparticular after Venezueladefaulted.

The situation is all themore worrying as the Republicof Congo in 2005 was one ofthe countries that benefitedfrom an international debtrelief initiative for the world’spoorest countries.

Its foreign debt was boughtdown from 119 percent ofannual economic output tojust 33 percent.

But like other oil-produc-ing nations, Congo-Brazzavilletook a beating from the 2014plunge in oil prices.

Vast investment ofChina in Africa hitsa snag in Congo

AFP n WASHINGTON

US sanctions came intoeffect Sunday to block

Venezuela’s economic lifelineof oi l exports , in whatWashington hopes will be amajor blow in its fledglingcampaign to topple leftistPresident Nicolas Maduro.

As of 12 :01 amWashington t ime (0401GMT), the United States willtake action against anyonewho deals with state-ownedPetroleos de Venezuela, orPDVSA, or any entity inwhich the company holds atleast a 50 percent stake.

It is among a volley ofsteps by President DonaldTrump’s administration tooust Maduro and installopposit ion leader JuanGuaido, who is recognized bymore than 50 countries,including most in LatinAmerica.

Just Friday, the Trumpadministration said it wouldblock any US assets of ForeignMinister Jorge Arreaza, con-

firming it has no desire tonegotiate with Maduro, asocialist firebrand who pre-sides over a crumbling econ-omy but has withstood threemonths of intense pressure.

Until the crisis, Venezuelaexported 500,00 barrels a dayto the United States, its largestcustomer, with PDVSAomnipresent, if not highlyvisible, through ownershipof the Citgo refining and gasstation chain.

The United States hasalready moved to put Citgounder the control of Guaido,who appointed his ownboard.

Even though sanctionslegal ly came into forceSunday, “the reality is that theoil trade between the UnitedStates and Venezuela has beenabsolutely limited and fallensharply,” said Mariano deAlba, a Washington-basedinternational law expert fromVenezuela.

But the sanctions will stillhave an ef fect, withWashington vowing to enforce

them against any foreign com-pany with interactions in theUnited States — includingthe US financial system, whichdominates the globe.

As of Sunday, “there is nodoubt that the sanctions are inforce and that any companyassumes bigger risks thanthey did before this date,” deAlba said.

Energy-hungry India wasthe third-biggest buyer ofVenezuelan oil in 2017 afterthe United States and Chinaand until recently had been amajor source of cash.

But Indian companieshave backed off in the face ofUS sanctions, making Chinaand Russia the crucial eco-nomic and political backers ofMaduro — whose re-electionlast year was widely criti-cized for irregularities.

The sanctions take effectjust as global oil markets aretrending higher after theUnited States s imilarlydemanded that all countries,notably India and China, stopbuying oil from Iran.

US oil sanctions take effect onVenezuela as crisis intensifies

HPCL-MRPL mergerhits cash hurdle; ONGCrules out share-swap

Page 11: ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the ... Aam Aadmi Party’s

Scheme NAV 1Yr%Reliance US Equity Opp 15.51 23.10Fund(G)ICICI Pru US Bluechip Equity 28.25 19.73Fund(G)Franklin India Feeder - 32.05 19.43Franklin U.S. Opportunities Fund(G)DHFL Pramerica Global 18.75 19.43Equity Opp Fund(G)SBI Banking & Financial 18.08 15.85Services Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram World Brand 15.51 14.71Fund-Sr II-Reg(G)Sundaram World Brand 15.70 14.66Fund-Sr III-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Intl. Equity 21.50 13.62Fund-A(G)HDFC Top 100 Fund(G) 502.47 13.47HDFC Index Fund-Sensex(G) 345.29 13.38Tata Index Fund-Sensex 95.79 13.34Plan(G)Reliance Index Fund - 19.18 12.51Sensex Plan(G)UTI Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G) 76.48 11.83Franklin India Technology 168.51 11.76Fund(G)IDFC Nifty Fund-Reg(G) 24.21 11.72HDFC Index Fund-NIFTY 106.59 11.6850 Plan(G)Aditya Birla SL Global Real 19.43 11.66Estate Fund(G)ICICI Pru Banking & Fin Serv 65.77 11.63Fund(G)Tata Index Fund-Nifty Plan(G) 70.72 11.55DSP US Flexible Equity 25.31 11.51Fund-Reg(G)SBI Technology Opp 66.58 11.46Fund-Reg(G)SBI Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G) 100.66 11.29Franklin India Focused Equity 41.79 11.27Fund(G)Baroda Banking & Fin Serv 23.04 11.20Fund(G)Reliance Index Fund - Nifty 19.62 11.01Plan(G)ICICI Pru Nifty Index Fund(G) 113.16 11.00Aditya Birla SL Index 114.88 10.82Fund-Reg(G)IDBI Nifty Index Fund(G) 21.62 10.68Franklin India Index 92.73 10.67Fund-NSE Nifty(G)Kotak US Equity Fund(G) 16.88 10.65HDFC Equity Fund(G) 675.63 10.58Reliance Large Cap Fund(G) 35.55 10.48Mirae Asset India Equity 51.39 10.03Fund-Reg(G)Axis Bluechip Fund(G) 28.70 9.96Tata Digital India Fund-Reg(G) 15.47 9.87Parag Parikh Long Term 25.36 9.83Equity Fund-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Growth Fund-1(DP) 11.27 9.31ICICI Pru Technology Fund(G) 60.21 9.25Reliance Pharma Fund(G) 154.44 8.75Franklin Build India Fund(G) 42.76 8.65SBI Magnum Equity ESG 105.73 8.57Fund-Reg(G)Invesco India Financial 56.69 8.56Services Fund(G)ICICI Pru Growth Fund-2(DP) 12.06 8.45Kotak Standard Multicap 35.64 8.01Fund(G)Canara Rob Equity Tax Saver 65.56 7.97Fund-Reg(G)Mirae Asset Tax Saver 17.69 7.91Fund-Reg(G)Canara Rob Bluechip Equity 24.81 7.87Fund-Reg(G)Axis Multicap Fund-Reg(G) 11.45 7.82Sundaram Fin Serv Opp 41.29 7.79Fund(G)Aditya Birla SL Digital India 54.20 7.71Fund(G)JM Core 11 Fund(G) 9.27 7.62Canara Rob Equity Diver 134.57 7.58Fund-Reg(G)Kotak Tax Saver Scheme(G) 44.39 7.47ICICI Pru Multicap Fund(G) 295.64 7.44ICICI Pru Global Stable 15.16 7.43Equity Fund(G)Reliance Banking Fund(G) 283.44 6.88ICICI Pru LT Equity Fund 381.94 6.73(Tax Saving)(G)ICICI Pru Value Fund-15(G) 10.92 6.54Sundaram Select Focus(G) 179.58 6.51Mirae Asset Emerging 53.19 6.44Bluechip-Reg(G)ICICI Pru FMCG Fund(G) 242.84 6.31Tata Banking & Financial 18.71 6.27Services Fund-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Focused Equity 30.69 6.27Fund(G)Reliance Multi Cap Fund(G) 98.82 6.19HDFC Growth Opp 114.20 6.18Fund-Reg(G)Baroda Large Cap Fund(G) 14.62 6.17ICICI Pru Bluechip Fund(G) 42.52 5.98Kotak India EQ Contra 53.13 5.90Fund(G)DSP World Agriculture 16.51 5.60Fund-Reg(G)

Kotak Bluechip Fund(G) 235.58 5.51Franklin India Bluechip 473.74 5.50Fund(G)Tata Large Cap Fund(G) 220.20 5.39DHFL Pramerica Large Cap 12.65 5.19Fund-2-Reg(G)Tata India Pharma & 9.25 5.17Healthcare Fund-Reg(G)Canara Rob Consumer 39.02 5.12Trends Fund-Reg(G)Principal Focused Multicap 64.17 4.97Fund(G)Edelweiss Large Cap Fund(G) 35.71 4.94Aditya Birla SL Focused 59.76 4.83Equity Fund(G)UTI Mastershare-Reg(G) 123.13 4.79Aditya Birla SL Banking & 29.31 4.79Financial Services Fund-Reg(G)Kotak Equity Opp Fund(G) 120.79 4.68IDFC Large Cap Fund-Reg(G) 32.59 4.47UTI Banking and Financial 100.54 4.47Services Fund-Reg(G)BNP Paribas Large Cap 88.30 4.47Fund(G)JM Large Cap Fund(G) 66.80 4.42DHFL Pramerica Large Cap 168.19 4.38Fund(G)

DSP Tax Saver Fund-Reg(G) 48.48 4.25DSP Global Allocation 12.31 4.21Fund-Reg(G)Edelweiss Emerging Markets 12.93 4.19Opp Eq. Offshore Fund-Reg(G)L&T India Large Cap 27.40 4.17Fund-Reg(G)UTI Equity Fund-Reg(G) 143.61 4.15Invesco India Largecap 28.78 3.94Fund(G)Aditya Birla SL Frontline 226.19 3.89Equity Fund(G)Franklin India Taxshield(G) 572.23 3.76Edelweiss Gr China Equity 28.25 3.57Off-Shore Fund-Reg(G)JM Multicap Fund(G) 31.34 3.52Mirae Asset Great Consumer 34.47 3.48Fund-Reg(G)Franklin India Equity Fund(G) 603.38 3.46Reliance Capital Builder 13.03 3.41Fund-II-B(G)HDFC TaxSaver(G) 527.88 3.34ICICI Pru Value Fund-9(G) 12.49 3.31SBI Tax Advantage 24.32 3.18Fund-III-Reg(G)Sundaram Large and Mid 34.48 3.06Cap Fund(G)UTI Value Opp Fund-Reg(G) 61.60 2.94SBI Large & Midcap 222.63 2.83Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL India GenNext 82.06 2.74Fund(G)DSP Equity Fund-Reg(G) 39.26 2.64DSP Top 100 Equity 207.57 2.63Fund-Reg(G)UTI Dividend Yield 65.68 2.59Fund-Reg(G)Axis Long Term Equity 44.29 2.57Fund(G)Tata Large & Mid Cap 202.55 2.31Fund(G)SBI Tax advantage Fund-II(G) 35.50 2.31JM Tax Gain Fund(G) 16.95 2.29Axis Midcap Fund(G) 36.09 2.06SBI Focused Equity 141.46 2.02Fund-Reg(G)Invesco India Tax Plan(G) 50.85 1.99DSP Focus Fund-Reg(G) 23.16 1.95SBI Magnum Multicap 48.93 1.91Fund-Reg(G)Franklin Asian Equity Fund(G) 22.55 1.89ICICI Pru Bharat 10.26 1.89Consumption Fund-1-(G)Franklin India Opportunities 74.97 1.82Fund(G)Reliance Quant Fund(G) 25.96 1.81Tata India Tax Savings 18.13 1.78Fund-Reg(G)SBI Magnum 144.61 1.66TaxGain'93-Reg(G)

Aditya Birla SL Intl. Equity 18.65 1.63Fund-B(G)Reliance Close Ended Equity 18.59 1.56Fund-II-A(G)Sundaram LT Tax Adv 13.74 1.52Fund-Sr I-Reg(G)ICICI Pru Value Discovery 146.37 1.49Fund(G)Principal Dividend Yield 53.95 1.41Fund(G)ICICI Pru Large & Mid 324.88 1.39Cap Fund(G)Sundaram Value 16.12 1.34Fund-II-Reg(G)Invesco India Growth Opp 34.16 1.27Fund(G)HDFC Capital Builder Value 299.40 1.24Fund(G)ICICI Pru Value Fund-8(D) 10.62 1.24UTI Healthcare Fund-Reg(G) 86.48 1.21DHFL Pramerica LT Equity 14.39 1.20Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Tax Adv 14.77 1.08Fund-Sr II-Reg(G)Reliance Focused Equity 47.75 1.08Fund(G)SBI BlueChip Fund-Reg(G) 39.40 1.04Axis Focused 25 Fund(G) 27.62 0.91

Aditya Birla SL CEF-Global 23.43 0.90Agri-Reg(G)DHFL Pramerica Tax Plan(G) 31.21 0.84Aditya Birla SL Equity 729.22 0.76Fund(G)Reliance Japan Equity 12.86 0.59Fund(G)JM Value Fund(G) 32.37 0.53BNP Paribas Long Term 37.94 0.50Equity Fund(G)Franklin India Equity 79.95 0.32Advantage Fund(G)IDBI India Top 100 Equity 23.81 0.25Fund(G)DSP Equity Opportunities 220.80 0.24Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL MNC Fund(G) 767.70 0.16UTI LT Equity Fund 87.03 0.12(Tax Saving)-Reg(G)Motilal Oswal Focused 21.69 0.0325 Fund-Reg(G)Invesco India Feeder - 12.90 -0.03Invesco Global Equity Income Fund(G)Edelweiss Multi-Cap 14.56 -0.12Fund-Reg(G)Invesco India Contra Fund(G) 47.92 -0.13DHFL Pramerica Diversified 13.41 -0.37Equity Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram Global Advt(G) 17.06 -0.43SBI LT Advantage 13.51 -0.49Fund-III-Reg(G)SBI Healthcare Opp 122.26 -0.56Fund-Reg(G)Reliance Value Fund(G) 74.03 -0.72ICICI Pru R.I.G.H.T Fund(G) 42.79 -0.77Principal Nifty 100 Equal 72.67 -1.10Weight Fund(G)Aditya Birla SL Tax 31.78 -1.12Relief '96(G)Edelweiss Large & Mid Cap 31.03 -1.18Fund-Reg(G)Reliance Consumption 64.59 -1.25Fund(G)Templeton India Equity 47.27 -1.40Income Fund(G)Canara Rob Emerg Equities 94.28 -1.45Fund-Reg(G)Reliance Vision Fund(G) 535.93 -1.53IDFC Core Equity 44.85 -1.81Fund-Reg(G)IDFC Multi Cap Fund-Reg(G) 92.98 -1.99Invesco India Midcap Fund(G) 48.32 -1.99Tata Mid Cap Growth Fund(G) 138.29 -2.18Principal Global 29.08 -2.19Opportunities Fund(G)Edelweiss Long Term Equity 46.40 -2.21Fund (Tax Savings)-Reg(G)L&T Equity Fund-Reg(G) 82.25 -2.33UTI Focussed Equity 13.51 -2.44

Fund(G)Motilal Oswal Long Term 16.96 -7.93Equity Fund-Reg(G)Kotak Global Emerging 15.51 -8.15Mkt Fund(G)UTI LT Adv Fund-IV(G) 10.54 -8.34L&T Large and Midcap 46.90 -8.39Fund-Reg(G)SBI PSU Fund-Reg(G) 10.22 -8.45HDFC Small Cap 43.57 -8.58Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Dividend 159.18 -8.58Yield Fund(G)SBI Magnum Comma 36.19 -8.66Fund-Reg(G)Invesco India Multicap 46.70 -8.75Fund(G)BNP Paribas Mid Cap 31.18 -8.93Fund(G)Kotak Infra & Eco Reform 20.05 -8.96Fund(G)Invesco India Feeder - 10.73 -9.11Invesco Pan European Equity Fund-Reg(G)Canara Rob Infrastructure 44.65 -9.41Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram Infra Advantage 32.59 -9.61Fund(G)L&T Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 132.56 -9.83IDFC Sterling Value 51.43 -10.23Fund-Reg(G)L&T Infrastructure 15.88 -10.23Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Midcap 286.13 -10.69Fund(G)Aditya Birla SL Mfg. Equity 12.85 -10.76Fund-Reg(G)SBI Magnum MidCap 73.52 -10.94Fund-Reg(G)L&T Business Cycle 15.09 -11.04Fund-Reg(G)IDBI Midcap Fund(G) 10.74 -11.39Franklin India Smaller 54.24 -11.44Cos Fund(G)Aditya Birla SL 31.94 -11.57Infrastructure Fund(G)DHFL Pramerica Midcap 18.04 -12.17Opp Fund-Reg(G)Sundaram Mid Cap Fund(G) 461.93 -12.38Kotak Small Cap Fund(G) 71.01 -12.84ICICI Pru Smallcap Fund(G) 24.85 -13.17Reliance Small Cap Fund(G) 40.04 -13.48HDFC Infrastructure Fund(G) 16.76 -13.48Edelweiss Mid Cap 26.20 -13.48Fund-Reg(G)SBI Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 51.60 -13.66L&T Emerging Businesses 24.40 -13.76Fund-Reg(G)Kotak World Gold Fund(G) 7.68 -13.94Baroda Mid-cap Fund(G) 8.83 -14.02Reliance Power & Infra 98.39 -14.25Fund(G)IDBI Small Cap Fund(G) 9.41 -14.45UTI Mid Cap Fund-Reg(G) 98.27 -14.72DSP Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 55.31 -16.61Aditya Birla SL Emerging 14.77 -16.79Leaders Fund-4-Reg(G)Sundaram Select Micro 13.67 -17.47Cap-Series X-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Small Cap 34.65 -17.67Fund(G)IDFC Infrastructure 15.08 -17.93Fund-Reg(G)Aditya Birla SL Pure Value 51.11 -19.13Fund(G)Aditya Birla SL Emerging 12.67 -21.01Leaders Fund-7-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Micro Cap 8.80 -21.52Tax Adv Fund-Sr V-Reg(G)Sundaram LT Micro Cap 10.61 -22.02Tax Adv Fund-Sr III-Reg(G)Sundaram Small Cap Fund(G) 82.54 -22.40Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax 8.99 -22.78Adv Fund-Sr IV-Reg(G)UTI Transportation & Logistics 96.14 -23.69Fund-Reg(G)

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funds 11LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

Page 12: ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the ... Aam Aadmi Party’s

LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

TROTTINGTROTTING

4 GERMAN SKIERS DIE IN AVALANCHE Berlin: An avalanche in southernSwitzerland has killed fourGerman skiers, police said onSunday. Police in the canton(region) of Valais said the groupwas buried by the avalanche onFriday near the village ofFieschertal.

CRANE FALLS ON BUSYSEATTLE STREET, KILLING 4Seattle: A construction crane fellfrom a building on Google's newSeattle campus during a stormthat brought wind gusts, crashing down onto one of thecity's busiest streets and killingfour people. One female andthree males had died by the timefirefighters had arrived Saturdayafternoon, Fire Chief said.

SERIOUS FLOODING IN MOZAMBIQUEPemba (Mozambique): Seriousflooding began on Sunday inparts of northern Mozambiquethat were hit by Cyclone Kenneth three days ago, with waterswaist-high in places, after theGovt urged many people toimmediately seek higher ground.

BENIN VOTES, WITHJUST ONE CHOICEPorto-Novo (Benin): The peopleof Benin voted on Sunday for anew Parliament but without asingle Opposition candidate to choose from, as rights groupswarn of a crackdown in acountry once seen as a modelfor democracy.

GLOBE

world 12

AP n KALMUNAI, SRI LANKA

Suicide bombings at a mili-tants’ safe house have shak-

en the simple homes of this eastSri Lankan town as well as therest of this idyllic coast, as theinvestigation into the IslamicState-claimed Easter bomb-ings has spread here.

Police and military check-points dot the coastal roads,with people emptying out ofbuses to present their identitypapers. On streets lined withshuttered shops, police officerswith assault rifles look warily atpassers-by. Whispers persistabout the leader of the ISIS-pledged terrorist group, whichpreached the promise of heav-en through the killing of oth-ers both here and online.

The scale of the explosivesseized following Friday night’sviolence, as well as the contin-ued warning of authorities thatmore militants remain on theloose, only add to the dread.

“Even though the securityforces are here, it’s not like ear-lier,” said ChandimaKrishanthi, a 42-year-old mar-

ket vendor in nearby Ampara.“We are living in fear. It’s noth-ing like it used to be.”

Sri Lanka’s eastern coastwas a battleground in the island

nation’s 26-year civil war withthe Tamil Tiger rebels, a groupof secular nationalists wholaunched over 130 suicidebombings themselves. The warultimately ended in 2009 withthe Government crushing theTigers, with some observersbelieving that tens of thousandsof Tamils died in the last fewmonths of fighting alone.

Violence here in Kalmunai,some 225 kilometers (140miles) northeast of the capital,Colombo, shattered nearly 10

years of peace on Friday night.One neighbor, AhamedMohammed Rizwan, told TheAssociated Press that leaders athis mosque asked him and twoothers to go the terrorists’house and check on them as heknew the people living there.

As they approached, oneman opened the gate and said,“Peace be upon you,” Rizwansaid. He replied the same wayand they entered the com-pound and began talking.Suddenly, another man

appeared with a Chinese vari-ant of the Kalashnikov assaultrifle and aimed it at Rizwan’schest, saying, “God is the great-est.”

Rizwan and the other menfled and found two trafficpolice officers, who then start-

ed walking toward the house.The terrorists opened fire,sparking the confrontation,Rizwan said. Those inside laterdetonated suicide vests, killingthemselves and others.

AP journalists walkingthrough the neighborhood

Sunday found evidence of thefirefight. Spent 7.62 mm car-tridges littered the ground,likely from the assault rifle oneof the terrorists carried. Downthe street, bullet holes punc-tured the cement block walls ofneighbors’ homes.

East Lanka on edge after bombers linked to region

Police officers collect evidence from a site of a gunbattle between troops and suspected terrorists as neighbors gather to watchin Kalmunai on Sunday AP

AFP n COLOMBO

Sri Lankan forces have killedor arrested most of the rad-

ical Islamists linked to theEaster suicide bombings andthe country is ready to returnto normality, Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe said onSunday. But the Prime Ministersaid the Government hadplanned tougher laws to dealwith Islamist extremists andthat foreign clerics teaching inSri Lanka illegally will beexpelled.

The Easter Sunday bomb-ings that left 253 dead were car-ried out by a “small, but a wellorganised group,”Wickremesinghe said in a state-ment.

“Most of them have beenarrested. Some have died,” hesaid. “Now we are able to

return to normality.” “Weshould all now help restore thenormal life of the community.”Three churches and threehotels were targeted by suicidebombers in the attacks in whichat least 40 foreigners werekilled.

More than 100 people havebeen detained since the attacks.Authorities have said there areabout 140 followers of theIslamic State group in thecountry.

Wickremesinghe con-firmed that a number of would-be suicide bombers had takentheir lives when confronted bysecurity forces on Friday nightin the east of the country.Fifteen people died in a clashwith security forces when threesuicide bombers blew them-selves up at a jihadist safehouse on Friday night.

“Jehad terrorism shouldbe ended immediately. For thatwe will bring new and tougherlaws,” the Prime Minister said.

“There are several foreign-ers working as teachers in ourcountry without work visas. Inconsultation with the Muslimreligious affairs ministry andthe Home Ministry, we willexpel them from the country,”he added.

Wickremesinghe did notgive a number nor the nation-alities of the clerics. The primeminister also thanked theminority Muslim communityfor tipping off authorities aboutradical groups.

The Government onSaturday used emergency lawsto ban the extremist NationalThowheed Jamath (NTJ),which was accused of carryingout the Easter attacks.

Most Islamist radicals killedor arrested: Wickremesinghe

PTI n COLOMBO

Nearly 1,600 refugees fromabout 15 countries, most-

ly from Pakistan, are facingthreats and have been attackedin Sri Lanka following theEaster Sunday bombingswhich killed over 250 people,an official said on Sunday.

Sri Lanka on Sundaymarked a week since the coor-dinated blasts hit three church-es and three luxury hotels,killing 253 people and inuringover 500 others. The IslamicState (ISIS) terror group hasclaimed the April 21 coordi-nated blasts, but the govern-ment has blamed local Islamistextremist group NationalThowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) forthe attack.

There are about 1,600 ofthem from about 15 countriesand from various religiousbeliefs. They had arrived hereto avoid persecution in theirown countries. A majority ofthem are Pakistani Christians,a welfare official working with

the refugees said.A majority of them were

living in the western coastaltown of Negombo where oneof the Churches, St Sebastian’s,came under attack by an ISIS-linked suicide bomber.

“They have come underattack and threats, some ofthem have been subject tophysical violence. Their land-lords have been pressed toevict them,” the official said.

The moves to shift themelsewhere have been met withresistance by respective localpoliticians.

“At least 4 times they hadbeen taken in buses out ofNegombo only to be broughtback due to protests,” the offi-cial said.

He said the state protec-tion for them and collabora-tion with the UN refugeeagency were important.

“The Government’s publiccommitment is needed toexplain the temporary natureof their stay and why we needto support and protect them,”

Refugees, asylumseekers harassed inSL after Easter blasts

AFP n MADRID

Spain voted on Sunday in anuncertain snap general elec-

tion marked by a resurgence ofthe far-right after more thanfour decades on the outer mar-gins of politics.

Opinion polls give outgo-ing socialist premier PedroSanchez a win but without thenecessary majority to governalone, meaning he will have toseek alliances in a politicalenvironment that has souredsince Catalonia’s failed seces-sion bid.

By far the novelty of theseelections is the emergence offar-right party Vox, which burstonto the scene in Decemberregional polls in southernAndalusia and looks set tomake its first-ever entranceinto the national parliament.

Polls predict it could takemore than 10 per cent of the

votes in a country that had nofar-right party to speak of sincethe death of dictator FranciscoFranco in 1975, in what is like-ly to cause further concern inEurope.

“What I ask Spaniards is tosend a clear majority that canprovide stability,” Sanchez toldreporters after he cast his bal-lot at a cultural centre in anaffluent Madrid suburb short-ly after polling stations openedat 9:00 am (0700 GMT).

Polling stations will close at8:00 pm local time, with resultsannounced later Sunday.

Sanchez, who took powerin June after ousting conserv-ative prime minister MarianoRajoy in a no-confidence vote,has warned against Spain repli-cating what happened inFinland’s elections two weeksago.

There, the far-right FinnsParty came second, closely tail-

ing the leftist Social Democrats,after polls initially predicted itwould end up in fifth position.

In Spain, polls also forecastthat Vox, with its ultra-nation-alist rhetoric that advocates the“defence of the Spanish nation

to the end,” will come in fifthplace.

But analysts believe it coulddo better, saying there may bemany “hidden” Vox supporterswho lie when asked by pollsterswho they will be voting for.

“There is a real, true risk,”Sanchez said this week, warn-ing that a right-wing govern-ment supported by Vox couldemerge in Spain after the elec-tions, even if opinion polls saythis is unlikely.

Founded by a formermember of the conservativePopular Party (PP), with astrong stance against feminismand illegal immigration, Voxhas risen thanks to its hard lineagainst separatists in Catalonia.

The region in northeasternSpain was the scene of a seces-sion attempt in 2017 thatsparked the country’s biggestcrisis in decades and causedmajor concern in Europe. Sincethen, the crisis has continuedto cast a pall over Spanish pol-itics.

Sanchez was forced to callSunday’s early elections afterCatalan pro-independence law-makers in the national parlia-

ment, angered at the trial oftheir leaders in Madrid, refusedto give him the support heneeded for his 2019 Budget.

Right-wing parties havefor their part lambastedSanchez, at the head of aminority government, for hisattempts to negotiate withCatalan separatists who stillgovern the region, accusinghim of being a traitor.

With no party expected toget anywhere near an absolutemajority in what will be thethird elections in three-and-a-half years, Spain’s fragmentedpolitical landscape looks set tocontinue.

If, as opinion polls predict,Sanchez wins without a major-ity, he will have to forgealliances with far-left Podemos— as he did over the past 10months — but also possiblysmaller groupings like Catalanseparatist parties.

Spain votes in early election marked by far-right resurgence

A woman hands her ID card at a polling station to vote in Spain’s general electionin Madrid on Sunday AP

AFP n WASHINGTON

It’s meant to be the annualWashington love-in, a dinner

where White House journalistsand the president yuk it up ina hotel ballroom. But thisSaturday, President DonaldTrump stood up his dates.

Members of the WhiteHouse Correspondents’Association, or WHCA, weredecked out in bow ties andgowns at the downtownWashington Hilton.

Trump, however, was 685miles (1100 kilometers) away inGreen Bay, Wisconsin, for arally with his baseball cap-wearing supporters.

As usual, he devoted por-tions of his speech — likemost of his speeches — toharanguing the “fake news

media” or “enemy of the peo-ple.” “They are fakers,” he saidof the media to a typically bois-terous crowd.

“I’ll tell you, you knowwhat sucks? Their ratings suckbecause people don’t believethem.” Back in Washington, theWHCA’s president OlivierKnox told attendees he did notwant to dwell on Trump — butcalled for a rejection of thepresident’s rhetoric.

“Fake news and enemies ofthe people are not punchlines,pet names or presidential. Andwe should reject politicallyexpedient assaults on the menand women whose hard workmakes it possible to hold thepowerful to account,” he said.

Although there’s nothingobligatory about attendingWHCA dinners, presidents

have usually done so at somepoint during their time inoffice since the inaugural ver-sion in 1921.

Ronald Reagan was thelast absentee in 1981 and hehad a decent excuse: beingrecently shot in an assassina-tion attempt.

Trump, however, has boy-cotted what he calls the “bor-ing” and “negative” party forthree years in a row — hisentire presidency so far. Thegala used to be a glamorousaffair where hundreds of jour-nalists, Hollywood celebritiesand the president were enter-tained by a top-drawer come-dian or other talent.

Now the celebs havedrained away and this yeareven the comedian was missing.

Los Angels: A gunman openedfire at a synagogue in California,killing one person and injuringthree others including the rabbias worshippers marked the finalday of Passover, officials said onSaturday.

The shooting in the townof Poway came exactly sixmonths after a white suprema-cist shot dead 11 people atPittsburgh’s Tree of Life syna-gogue — the deadliest attack onthe Jewish community in thehistory of the United States.

“During the shooting, fourindividuals were wounded andtransported to Palimar hospi-tal. One succumbed to theirwounds. The other three are instable condition,” San DiegoCounty Sheriff Bill Gore told aPress conference. AFP

AFP n DHAKA

ABangladesh court onSunday sentenced three

Rohingya extremists of a nowdefunct militant group to 10years in jail for possessingbomb-making materials, aprosecutor said.

The trio were arrested in2014 in Dhaka with materialsto be used for making impro-vised explosive devices (IEDs),said Salahuddin Howlader, aprosecutor at the MetropolitanSpecial Tribunal in the capital.

They were found guiltyand sentenced immediatelyunder the country’s explosiveslaws, the prosecutor said,adding one of them was sen-tenced in absentia as he was onthe run.

“They were involved withseveral international militantoutfits including the RSO,” hetold AFP, referring to theRohingya Solidarity

Organisation, a small militantgroup that was active inMyanmar’s northern Rakhinestate in the 1980s and 1990s.

Local media, citing thepolice charge-sheet on the case,said the three men were sus-pects in the 2014 Burdwan blastin the neighbouring Indianstate of West Bengal that killedat least two people and wound-

ed several while they wereallegedly making IEDs.

“The charge-sheet read theaccused admitted planningsabotage in Bangladesh withthe assistance of internationalIslamist extremist outfits,” theonline edition of the mass cir-culation Bengali daily ProthomAlo said.

In recent years, the Arakan

Rohingya Salvation Army hasemerged as the main Rohingyamilitant group operating inMyanmar’s troubled Rakhinestate that borders Bangladesh’ssoutheast.

In August 2017, ARSAattacked several police posts inRakhine prompting a massivemilitary crackdown that forcedsome 7,40,000 RohingyaMuslims to flee to Bangladesh,where they are housed insqualid refugee camps.

The refugees joined some3,00,000 Rohingya who havebeen living in the camps foryears and even decades.

Bangladeshi security offi-cials say no extremist groupssuch as ARSA or RSO operatein the camps, but this week theInternational Crisis Group saidmilitants were increasing theirgrip on the settlements andwere responsible for the mur-der of at least one Rohingyacamp leader.

AFP n WASHINGTON

Two top Saudi royal advisershave been linked to jour-

nalist Jamal Khashoggi’s mur-der. One has been labeled the“ringleader” but questions areswirling over the absence of theother in the closed-door trial of11 suspects, multiple sourcestold AFP.

Saudi prosecutors have saiddeputy intelligence chiefAhmed al-Assiri oversaw theWashington Post columnist’skilling in the kingdom’sIstanbul consulate last Octoberand that he was advised by theroyal court’s media czar Saudal-Qahtani.

Both aides were part ofCrown Prince Mohammed binSalman’s tight-knit inner circleand have formally been sackedover the killing but only Assirihas appeared in the five courthearings since January, accord-ing to four Western officialsprivy to the information.

“Qahtani is not among the11 facing trial,” one of the offi-cials told AFP.

“What does his absencemean? Are the Saudis keen toprotect him or discipline himseparately? No one knows.”The kingdom’s public prose-cutor last November indicted11 unnamed suspects, includ-ing five who could face thedeath penalty over the murder.

Diplomats from the UNSecurity Council’s permanentmembers — the US, Britain,France, China, Russia — as wellas Turkey are allowed to attendas observers of the legal pro-ceedings that are held entirelyin Arabic.

They are not allowed tobring interpreters and are usu-ally summoned at short notice,the sources said.

A representative of theKhashoggi family — whichthis month rejected reports ofa settlement with the SaudiGovernment — has attended at

least one court session, theysaid.

Maher Mutreb, an intelli-gence operative who frequent-ly traveled with the crownprince on foreign tours, foren-sic expert Salah al-Tubaigyand Fahad al-Balawi, a mem-ber of the Saudi royal guard, areamong the 11 on trial whocould face the death penalty,the officials said.

The defendants are allowedlegal counsel.

Many of them havedefended themselves in courtby saying they were carryingout orders by Assiri, describinghim as the “ringleader” of theoperation, according to theofficials.

The kingdom’s media min-istry did not respond to AFP’srequest for comment. Thedefendants’ lawyers could alsonot be reached.

Assiri, lionized in Saudimilitary ranks as a war hero,does not face the death penal-ty, the Western officials added.

Believed to have previous-ly worked closely with USintelligence, he is also notnamed in two American sanc-tions lists of Saudis implicatedin the murder.

Qahtani, who led fierysocial media campaigns againstcritics of the kingdom and wasseen as a conduit to the crownprince, is on both lists.

PTI n BEIJING

Chinese President Xi Jinpingmet Prime Minister Imran

Khan on Sunday and expressedhope that Pakistan and Indiacan meet each other halfway toimprove their strained relationsfollowing the Pulwama terrorattack by a JeM suicide bomber.

Both leaders alsoexchanged views on the situa-tions in South Asia, an officialChinese statement here saidabout the meeting between Xiand Khan.

The India-Pakistan rela-tions reportedly figured promi-nently in the meeting. Xiexpressed hope that Pakistanand India can meet each other

halfway and promote the sta-bilisation and improvement ofIndia-Pakistan relations, it said.

Khan arrived in China onApril 25 and attended China’s2nd Belt and Road Forum(BRF) held on April 26-27.

The BRF meeting was heldto highlight the achievement of the trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) started by Xi in 2013 inwhich USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) is an important com-ponent.

India skipped the meetingfor the second time, protestingover the CPEC which is beinglaid through Pakistan-occu-pied Kashmir (PoK).

Kiev: President-electVolodymyr Zelensky dismissedan offer by Vladimir Putin toprovide passports toUkrainians, and pledgedinstead to grant citizenship toRussians who “suffer” underthe Kremlin’s rule.

The Russian president onSaturday said Moscow was con-sidering plans to make it easi-er for all Ukrainians to obtainRussian citizenship, after it ear-lier moved to grant passports inthe country’s separatist east.

Kiev has been fightingMoscow-backed rebels in east-ern Ukraine since 2014 in a warthat has killed 13,000.

Zelensky, a comedian whowon Ukraine’s presidential elec-tion last week, responded toPutin’s offer by releasing astatement on Facebook late onSaturday.

“We know perfectly wellwhat a Russian passport pro-vides,” he said, listing “theright to be arrested for a peace-ful protest” and “the right notto have free and competitiveelections.” He pledged insteadto “give citizenship to repre-sentatives of all nations thatsuffer from authoritarian andcorrupt regimes.

“But first and foremost tothe Russian people who suffermost of all”.

He said that one of the dif-ferences between Ukraine andRussia is that “we Ukrainianshave freedom of speech, free-dom of the media and theinternet in our country.”

A political novice, Zelenskyhas pledged to “reboot” peacetalks with the separatists thatalso involve Russia and theWest. AFP

Trump, US media in open

war on annual dinner date

1 dead, threeinjured in USsynagogueshooting

Xi meets Imran, callsfor improvement ofIndo-Pak relations

Saudi royal adviser in

Khashoggi trial no-show

B’desh jails 3 Rohingya extremists for 10 yrsUkraine’s President-elect

offers passports to Russians

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LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019vivacity {mindspace} 13

MAINTAIN A BALANCE

BETWEEN MATERIAL AND

INTANGIBLE RESOURCES

Shivratri, the night of Shiva, whichsignifies the darkness of spiritual

ignorance in Kaliyuga. Shiva is theincorporeal supreme soul. He impartsthe truth about soul, The creation byGod inspires humans to purify them-selves by linking their heart and mindwith him and by doing pure deeds. Hedoes not live, eat, or indulge in sensu-al experiences like human do. He is theone who never comes in the bondageof actions and their fruits. The supremesoul is remembered in all faiths as Shiva,God, Allah, Jehovah, Ishwar and bymany other names. He is praised as thealmighty, omnipotent, omniscient beingwho can liberate human beings fromthe cycle of sin and suffering. The bestthing to realise is that humans can nowexperience God’s wisdom and blessingsas never before because the time hascome for him to guide the process of thetransformation of the world fromKaliyuga to Satyuga. So what are youwaiting for? Let’s join him and be a partof the great transformation of old worldinto new one. There is no doubt in it thatdevelopment of science and technolo-gy during the last 100 years or so hasadded to the material power i.e. physi-cal energy. But one has to accept the factthat so far it has not been able to addmuch to the mental power or thepower of silence and peace of mind. Yet,science and the scientific technologyexist through the power of mind and thelevel of thought which is the result ofself-consciousness, which again very fewof us know. We must understand thatour thoughts, intentions, attitude, emo-tions and actions are the reflection of ourself-consciousness. The implementationof technology and the material powermay lead to beneficial purposes if mindremains in a state of silence and peaceand it may lead to harmful or destruc-tive results. Hence technology is a toolto be used according to one’s wisdom,will-power and the state of mind.

The scientific studies done over theyears have been and are still beingadvanced and planned to provide com-forts to human body. With the passageof time, people have become moreattracted and motivated towards scien-tific inventions which provide physicalcomfort and temporary happiness.However, what we do not notice is thatthere has been a change in our lifestyle,food-habits and personal activity withdisharmony in routine life. Our lifetoday has become fast, miserably expen-sive and competitive and our thoughtsare loaded with strong negativity result-ing in stress and tension. As a result ofall this, we have started considering our-selves as physical body and thereby thebody-consciousness dominates our life.On the other hand, while bodily-com-forts are increasing, spiritual power isdeclining. The confidence of life hasbeen diminished which has led to dis-equilibrium and disharmony in person-al and social life. Peace, purity, happi-ness, divine insight, moral values andspiritual strength have been depletedand the attention for spiritual aspects hasbeen neglected. Thus, it is significant, atsuch a time, to learn spiritual knowledgefor attaining mental stability and puri-ty of thought. Not many of us know thatthe soul consists of three metaphysicalpowers — mind, intellect and resolves.

The soul is the basic source of everyaction performed through body and itcan be termed as the storehouse ofpower and energy. However, most of usincluding psychiatrists, physical yogateachers and clinicians do not know thathypothalamus is the locus of mind orsoul which is the real culprit in thiswhole game of creating stress, tension,anxiety within us. The soul or mind isan intelligent and conscient entitywhich thinks, thus when soul hasthoughts of worry or fear, its inner har-mony gets disturbed and this in turn dis-turbs various nuclei in the hypothala-mus, which in turn disturbs the wholesystem of endocrine glands, the hor-monal balance and the autonomic ner-vous system along with visceral func-tions. However, if soul or mind with-draws itself from the adverse outer envi-ronment and negative attitudes byfocussing its thoughts on its originalnature which is peace and divinity, anddirects its attention towards highersource i.e supreme, whose nature isabsolute peace, it would then attaincalmness and tranquility. This focussingof mind on a higher source is what wecall ‘meditation’ or ‘rajyoga’ that releas-es tension on the nuclei of the hypothal-amus due to peaceful thoughts and thestate of withdrawal from body and influ-ences it through continuous feedback ofslow, rhythmic impulses. It also activatesthe functions of various endocrineglands and set up useful homeostaticbalance between various hormones,thereby leading to good health andmuch more.

So flexible is this unique techniqueof rajyoga that there is no need to liedown or sit in a particular posture topractise it. One can easily practise iteven when one is at work or maybewhile walking or doing any activity. Thewhole idea is to set our mind in thisposture, practising withdrawal anddetachment when faced with problemswhich lead to hypertension and othermental-physical disorders. What isrequired of one is to cogitate andruminate the knowledge of soul in orderto withdraw mind from the memoriesof evil persons and events of this unac-ceptable world and expose the mind tosupreme, the ocean of peace. By doingthis, the body and mind are then auto-matically harmonised and this state ofharmony, happy feelings, noblethoughts, holy emotions and properoutlook cures man of many diseases orreduces many ailments and helpshim/her to recover easily and speedi-ly. Doesn't this sounds easy?

BEING TOO HARSH COULD LEAD TO OCD EATING FOOD IN STRESS WILL ADD EXTRA KILOS

A specially designed smartphonegame can detect Alzheimer's, sayresearchers.

The game called Sea HeroQuest, downloaded and played byover 4.3 million people worldwide,helped researchers from theUniversity of East Anglia (UEA) better understand dementiaby seeing how the brain works in relation to spatialnavigation. The game has been developed by DeutscheTelekom in partnership with Alzheimer's Research UK,University College London (UCL) and the University of EastAnglia.

“Dementia will affect 135 million people worldwide by2050. We need to identify people to reduce their risk” saidLead researcher Professor Michael Hornberger from UEA'sNorwich Medical School.

As players made their way through mazes of islandsand icebergs, the research team translated every 0.5 secondsof gameplay into scientific data. The team studied howpeople who are genetically pre-disposed to Alzheimer's playthe game compared with those who are not.

FAMILIAL BREAST CANCER MAY BE PREVENTABLE

Breast cancer passed down infamilies may be preventable by themedication Denosumab, which isundergoing a five-year study inAustria.

The Austrian Breast andColorectal Cancer Study Group isleading the work as it examines the drug's effectiveness on2,950 patients with a hereditary disposition to thisparticular form of cancer, according to an Austria PressAgency report.

Professor Christian Singer from the Vienna GeneralHospital said the study will also examine the effects ofDenosumab on healthy women who have a mutation in theBRCA1 gene. These women have a 1.8 per cent chance ofdeveloping breast cancer each year, or about an 80 per centchance during their lifetime. In addition, they have a 50 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer.

Up to now the only preventative measure has beensurgical removal of the affected breast tissue or the ovaries.Earlier Austrian studies have given strong indications thatDenosumab is effective against breast cancer, experts said.

Eating too much high-calorie food isanyway bad for health but under stress,sugary and high-fat diet can lead to moreweight gain than in normal situations, saysa study.

During an experiment on mice, theteam discovered that a high-calorie dietwhen combined with stress resulted in more weight gain than thesame diet caused in a stress-free environment.

“This study indicates that we have to be much more consciousabout what we're eating when we're stressed, to avoid a fasterdevelopment of obesity,” said Professor Herbert Herzog said, Head ofthe Eating Disorders laboratory at the Garvan Institute of MedicalResearch.

According to the findings published in the journal-CellMetabolism, some individuals eat less when they are stressed butmost will increase their food intake and crucially, the intake ofcalorie-dense food high in sugar and fat. To understand whatcontrols this ‘stress eating', the researchers investigated differentareas of the brain in mice. While food intake is mainly controlled by apart of the brain called the hypothalamus, another part of the brain,the amygdala, processes emotional responses, including anxiety.

Overeating has been found to impairblood sugar (glucose) control andinsulin levels but a new study suggeststhat the duration of a bout of overeatingcan affect how the body adapts toglucose and insulin processing when calorie intakeincreases.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes have increasedsignificantly worldwide within the past 30 years. Lifestylefactors such as overindulging in high-calorie foods play alarge role in the development of these two serious healthconditions.

For the study, researchers from Deakin University inAustralia studied a small group of healthy and lean menwith an average age of 22. Volunteers participated in ashort-term trial consisting of five days, indicative ofhumans overeating during festivals and holidays and along-term model of chronic overeating lasting 28 days.

The “overfeeding” portion of the diet included high-calorie snacks such as chocolate, meal replacement drinksand potato chips to add approximately 1,000 more caloriesto the men's normal food consumption each day.

BODY CAN ADAPT TO OCCASIONAL OVEREATING

People who reportintense feelings ofresponsibility are proneto develop ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder(OCD) or generalisedanxiety disorder (GAD),warn researchers.

OCD-like behaviour, such as checking if the door islocked, are common in the general population.However, it is the frequency and intensity of thesebehaviours that mark the difference between acharacter trait and a disorder.

The goal was to find a common cause and simplifythe theories behind them. The research groupcombined tests used to study OCD and GAD as therehad been no previous work that compared these testsin the same study.

The researchers found that respondents whoscored higher in questions about responsibility weremore likely to exhibit behaviours that resemble those ofOCD or GAD patients.

A GAME CAN HELP DETECT ALZHEIMER'S RISK

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.—Albert Einstein

Peace, happiness and moral values have been depleted.Thus, it is significant to learn spiritual knowledge forattaining mental stability and purity of thoughts, says RAJYOGI BRAHMAKUMAR NIKUNJ JI

As Nelson Mandela says, aperson’s development isvery much dependent on

education. It is only through liter-acy that a person can changehimself/herself into a better one.It is only through the wheel ofeducation that a peasant’s daugh-ter can transform into a doctorand a mine worker’s son canbecome the head of a mine.Knowledge plays a very crucialrole in designing and shaping anindividual’s life. As per a survey,there exist only 34 million peoplein India’s organised sector whichforms only a small fragment of ourtotal population. Even if India’s lit-eracy rate is going up, will we ableto cultivate a kind of educationwhich we can call — quality edu-cation? The answer would not bevery pleasing. In India, a majorchunk of educational institutionsare focused on bringing up the lit-eracy rate without considering theimportance of quality education.There are multiple roles that aqualitative education can play:

Making our society peacefuland just: The overall goal of edu-cation should be to shape humans,who can further contribute to thecreation of a peaceful and just soci-ety. Given the vulnerable times weare living in, it is very crucial forus to promote peaceful societieswhich can boost sustainable devel-

opment, justice and equality in thesociety. This goal can be attainedonly if accountable citizens can becurated with the help of education.

Eradicating poverty andhunger: There can be no secondthought to the fact that educationis the main vehicle riding, whichthe human civilization can combat

problems like poverty and hunger.As per UNESCO, one extra year ofschooling uplifts a person’s incomeby 10 per cent adding to averageannual gross domestic product by0.37 per cent.

Promotes gender equality:To be an ideal society, it is veryimportant to achieve gender equal-

ity and encourage womenempowerment. A country cannot be fully developed and achieve100 per cent literacy rate unlesseducation is promoted among itswomen too. Quality educationenables women to unleash theirfull potential in all the spheresthey are present into. As shownby a study of Plan International,

a country is on the risk of losingmore than $1 billion a year iffailed to educate girls and boys atthe same level. The gender dis-parity that begins at the schoollevel, prevails through out the life.Hence, it is important to promotegender equality right from theeducational level so that we cancreate an unbiased society atlarge.

Economic growth of thenation: To better understand theworth of quality education, wemust look at nations l ikeAustralia, Japan and USA, whichare extremely rich and comewith high per capita income.These countries also come withhigh literacy rate. On the otherhand, the underdevelopednations fight with problems likepoverty, high crime rate, low percapita income are the ones withlow literacy rate too. There arevarious global studies which haveshown that an additional year ofschooling to its citizens canincrease the average annual grossdomestic product growth by 0.37per cent. Hence, this clearlyimplies that a country’s econom-ic growth is much dependent onthe literacy rate.

Makes an individual a self-dependent person: The mostimportant purpose that qualityeducation serves is that of mak-ing us a self-dependent person.Not only does it make us finan-cially independent but alsomakes us wiser, enabling us tothink critically and take the rightdecisions for ourselves and theones around us.

Each one of us are entitled tothe right to education but it istime that we start moving aheadof just imparting education andfocus on quality education so thatbetter results can be reaped.

(The author is the founder ofthe Ritesh Rawal Foundation.)

Seedlings raised on win-dowsills or in green-houses have been cod-

dled to some degree andaren’t ready to face the greatoutdoors. A temporary peri-od called “hardening-off ”can prepare these plants formore intense sunlight, windand varying temperatures.

Make this transitiongradually, over the course ofa week or two. A good placeto harden off seedlings is ina somewhat sheltered spotoutdoors, such as in a cold-frame (basically an open-bottomed box with a clear,removable cover) or near awall in dappled shade. Oroffer the seedlings full expo-sure for limited, but increas-ing, periods.

ACCLIMATION TOTEMPERATURE

The changes that lowertemperatures during thehardening-off period willinduce in coddled seedlingsdepend on the nature of theseedlings themselves.

Seedlings of cabbage,lettuce, snapdragon, pansyand other plants that caneventually laugh off coldeven well below freezingdevelop that tolerance forcold by building up sugars intheir cells. Cold also changesthe composition of their cellmembranes.

Seedlings of tomatoes,marigolds, zinnias and otherplants that cannot toleratetemperatures much belowfreezing suffer from so-called chilling injury even attemperatures below 50

degrees F. Changes in plantmembranes from chillinginjury interfere with sunlightdriving photosynthesis, soinstead damaging toxinsbuild up in leaves.

As a tomato or otherwarmth-loving plantbecomes hardened offthrough gradual exposure tocooler temperatures, it

becomes better able to repairand prevent such damage.

AVOID SUNBURNEven in the absence of

cold, outdoor sunlight —which can be as much as 10times more intense thanlight streaming through asunny, south-facing win-dow — can injure coddled

seedlings’ leaves.Gradual exposure to

more intense light, begin-ning in dappled shade orwith just a few hours eachday in full sun, thickenscell walls, fibers, and cuticleson both existing and newleaves.

With increasing lightexposure, chloroplasts, the

green, light-trapping energyfactories in leaves, also movearound and align themselvesin such a way that the leavesturn darker green. Andstomata, which are the tinypores in leaves throughwhich water is lost and car-bon dioxide and oxygen areexchanged, become morequickly able to open and

close in response to chang-ing conditions.

SHELTER FROMWIND

Stomatal response alsoplays a role in a plant’s grad-ual adaptation to wind.During the hardening-offperiod, plants become able torespond more quickly todrying winds by closing theirstomata. Even movement ofthe plant, whether from windor anything else, plays a rolein making stomata moreresponsive.

Movement of plants hasyet another effect: It slowsstem elongation, which con-tributes to that stocky, lushgreen look that shows aplant has been well hardenedoff.

So blow on, shake orgently brush your seedlingsregularly to toughen themup and encourage them tobecome stocky plants betterable to handle the real worldof the garden. That, alongwith spending a week or sooutdoors in a sheltered spotor for only part of each day,will ease your seedlings’transition to the garden sothey hardly know they’vebeen moved. Which is as itshould be.

—AP

RITESH RAWAL says that it’s time we start moving ahead of just imparting literacy and focus onquality education so that better results can be reaped

UNLOCK THE DOOR OF KNOWLEDGE

Give your seedlings some tough lovePlants inside your homes have been coddled to some degree and aren’t ready to face the great outdoors.A temporary period called hardening-off can prepare them for more intense temperatures

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Bollywood couple RANBIR KAPOOR

and ALIA BHATT went on a moviedate to watch Avengers: Endgame.Alia looked chic in a flo-ral top and blue jeans.She had her hairloose and was seenholding a denimjacket. Ranbirsported a checkedshirt and white T-shirt along withjeans and a cap tocomplete hiscausal look.Reports aboutRanbir andAlia datingeach otherfirst surfacedlast year.They havesince madeseveralappearancestogether — beit walking handin hand at anawards showor shopping on the New Yorkstreets.

After days of recce in Romania,the makers of Sadak 2 havedecided to shoot the film in India.Actress POOJA BHATT, whostarred in the original 1991 filmSadak will also bea part of thesequel, wrote onsocial media toshare the reasonsbehind the changein the shootinglocations.She said,“Romania is a stunningly beautifulcountry. We were very happy withthe locations but logistics andemotional IQ of local crew are keyfactors in determining a locationfor a film. Eventually no one isbigger than a film and the filmdemanded we shoot only inIndia.”The film will see director MaheshBhatt back in the director’s chairafter almost twenty years.

Game of Thrones star EMILIA

CLARKE transformed into JonSnow to prank unsuspecting mem-bers of the public.The actress, who essaysthe role of DaenerysTargaryen in the fanta-sy series, wasunrecognisable asshe donned a bushybeard and mous-tache paired with araven curly wig toget into the charac-ter of her on-screenlover and nephew,played by KitHarington. With the activity at theTimes Square, shewas promoting hernew Omaze experi-ence, which will letone lucky fan watch the HBOseries' final episode with her.

Ranbir, Alia enjoytheir movie date

The show SavdhaanIndia has beeninstrumental increating awareness,educatingtheaudienceabout thecrimes thatarehappeningin thesociety and urgingthem to rise and fightback for justice. Withevery new season, theshow aims to instillconfidence in viewersto stand up for theirrights and fightagainst crimes.—Tisca Chopra

LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019vivacity 14

TECH TALK

Clarke goesundercover

W E B B E D

DESPITE EVERYTHING

After their mother’s death, four sisters learn ashocking family secret and embark on an

adventure to discover the truth about their geneal-ogy. Starring Blanca Suárez, Macarena García andAmaia Salamanca, the Spanish film is set to releaseon Netflix on May 3.

THE WANDERING EARTH

Alooming collision with Jupiter threatens Earthas humans search for a new star. The planet’s

fate now lies in the hands of a few unexpectedheroes. Starring Jing Wu, Chuxiao Qu and JinmaiZhao, the Chinese sci-fi film is slated to release onApril 30 on Netflix.

MUNAFIK 2

Haunted by terrifying visions, a Muslim heal-er finds his faith tested when he helps a

woman locked in battle, body and soul, with a dia-bolical leader. Starring Syamsul Yusof, Maya Karinand Nasir Bilal Khan, the film is set to release on May 1 on Netflix.

When a robot “dies,” does it makeyou sad? For a lot of people, the

answer is “yes” — and that tells ussomething important, and potential-ly worrisome about our emotionalresponses to the social machines thatare starting to move into our lives.

For Christal White, a 42-year-oldmarketing and customer service direc-tor in Bedford, Texas, that momentcame several months ago with thecute, friendly Jibo robot perched in herhome office. After more than twoyears in her house, the foot-tallhumanoid and its inviting, roundscreen “face” had started to grate onher. Sure, it danced and played funword games with her kids, but it alsosometimes interrupted her duringconference calls.

White and her husband Peter hadalready started talking about movingJibo into the empty guest bedroomupstairs. Then they heard about the“death sentence” Jibo’s maker hadlevied on the product as its businesscollapsed. News arrived via Jibo itself,which said its servers would be shut-ting down, effectively lobotomising it.

“My heart broke,” she said. “It waslike an annoying dog that you don’treally like because it’s your husband’sdog. But then you realise you actual-ly loved it all along.”

The Whites are far from the firstto experience this feeling. Peopletook to social media this year to sayteary goodbyes to the MarsOpportunity rover when NASA lostcontact with the 15-year-old robot. Afew years ago, scads of concernedcommenters weighed in on a demon-stration video from robotics compa-ny Boston Dynamics in whichemployees kicked a dog-like robot toprove its stability.

Smart robots like Jibo obviouslyaren’t alive, but that doesn’t stop usfrom acting as though they are.Research has shown that people havea tendency to project human traitsonto robots, especially when theymove or act in even vaguely human-like ways.

Designers acknowledge that suchtraits can be powerful tools for bothconnection and manipulation. That

could be an especially acute issue asrobots move into our homes — par-ticularly if, like so many other homedevices, they also turn into conduitsfor data collected on their owners.

“When we interact with anotherhuman, dog or machine, how we treatit is influenced by what kind of mindwe think it has,” said Jonathan Gratch,a professor at University of SouthernCalifornia who studies virtual humaninteractions. “When you feel some-thing has emotion, it now merits pro-tection from harm.”

The way robots are designed caninfluence the tendency people have,to project narratives and feelingsonto mechanical objects, said JulieCarpenter, a researcher who studiespeople’s interaction with new tech-nologies. Especially if a robot hassomething resembling a face, its bodyresembles those of humans, animalsor just seems self-directed, like aRoomba robot vacuum.

“Even if you know a robot hasvery little autonomy, when somethingmoves in your space and it seems tohave a sense of purpose, we associatethat with something having an innerawareness or goals,” she said.

Such design decisions are alsopractical, she said. Our homes are built

for humans and pets, so robots thatlook and move like humans or petswill fit in more easily.

Some researchers, however, worrythat designers are underestimating thedangers associated with attachment toincreasingly life-like robots.

Longtime AI researcher and MITprofessor Sherry Turkle, for instance,is concerned that design cues can trickus into thinking some robots areexpressing emotion back towards us.Some AI systems already present associally and emotionally aware butthose reactions are often scripted,making the machine seem “smarter”than it actually is.

“The performance of empathy isnot empathy,” she said. “Simulatedthinking might be thinking but sim-ulated feeling is never feeling.Simulated love is never love.”

Designers at robotic startups insistthat humanising elements are criticalas robot use expands. “There is a needto appease the public, to show that youare not disruptive to the public cul-ture,” said Gadi Amit, president ofNewDealDesign in San Francisco.

His agency recently worked ondesigning a new delivery robot forPostmates — a four-wheeled, bucket-shaped object with a cute, if abstract,

face; rounded edges; and lights thatindicate which way it’s going to turn.

It’ll take time for humans androbots to establish a common lan-guage as they move throughout theworld together, Amit said. But heexpects it to happen in the next fewdecades.

But what about robots that workwith kids? In 2016, Dallas-basedstartup RoboKind introduced a robotcalled Milo designed specifically tohelp teach social behaviors to kids whohave autism. The mechanism, whichresembles a young boy, is now in about400 schools and has worked withthousands of kids.

It’s meant to connect emotional-ly with kids at a certain level, butRoboKind co-founder RichardMargolin says the company is sensi-tive to the concern that kids could gettoo attached to the robot, which fea-tures human-like speech and facialexpressions.

So RoboKind suggests limits in itscurriculum, both to keep Milo inter-esting and to make sure kids are ableto transfer those skills to real life. Kidsare only recommended to meet withMilo three to five times a week for 30minutes each time.

—AP

Amonk once said, keeping in mindMahatma Gandhi’s philosophyof nonviolent resistance, “Peace

cannot be built on exclusivism, abso-lutism and intolerance. But neither canit be built on vague liberal slogans andpious programmes gestated in the smokeof confabulation. There can be no peaceon earth without the kind of innerchange that brings a man back to hisright mind.”

At the Indian pavilion in its second-ever participation at 58th VeniceBiennale, the group presentation entitledOur Time for a Future Caring, will crit-ically engage with the many facets ofGandhi, considering his philosophicalideas and their place in today’s complexworld, in which violence and intoleranceare still prevalent.

The presentation will feature worksby Nandlal Bose, MF Husain, AtulDodiya, Jitish Kallat, GR Iranna, AshimPurkayastha and Shakuntala Kulkarnicurated by Robin Karode of KNMA.

ZAMEENFrom the NGMA collection, Zameen

1955-56 is at best MF Husain’s magnumopus — it is a summation of the firstdecade of his work as an artist. It is anexperiment which still has relevance andvalidity, though it has compositionalcharacteristics of Pablo Picasso whomHusain admired.

“In the format of a long continuousfrieze, it reads like a mural with a hor-izontal orientation and continuity, whichalso makes it revolutionary and remindsus of the long friezes in rock cut cavesand in temple architecture, besides thepainted murals in Ajanta caves,” says DGAdwaita Gadanayak. “It evolves as a setof compartments, with an ensemble offorms, symbols, emblem, pictographs ofIndia, placed in hierarchies, occupyingspaces prominently in the centre or inthe margins.”

BROKEN BRANCHESGandhi or “Bapu” as he was loving-

ly called, plays a prominent role in manyof Atul Dodiya’s works. Atul has workedon Gandhi as An Artist of Non-Violence,in 1999 when he attempted to tell thestory through a lost biography, paintingthe most mundane details of the life ofthe legend, such as receipts and pagesfrom his diary.

Gandhi’s Ideas and connectionsconstantly flow through Dodiya’s mind.The artist also created cabinets in his2011 solo exhibition at ChemouldPrescott Road which gave viewers aninsight into his complex practice. Dodiya

used the motif of the cabinet in a pow-erful 2004 work, Broken Branches whereDodiya created colonial style vitrinesthat served as “emblem of vigil againstindifference and amnesia,” encasingsigns of pain and suffering such ascrutches and prosthetic legs to highlightthe high human cost of political histo-ry. In the 2011 cabinets, motifs from ear-lier works, art historical texts andimages filled glass vitrines created asense of excitement about what the artistwould produce next. This work willemulsify the idea of a contemporary for-mat and Dodiya’s brilliance at connect-ing memory and history.

PHOTO PERFORMANCE Shakuntala Kulkarni had exhibited a

celebrated body of work, Of Bodies,Armor, and Cages in 2012 at ChemouldPrescott Road, the Kiran Nadar Museumof Art, the MMKA in the Netherlands andArt Unlimited at Art Basel. Kulkarniexplored the idea of women in publicspaces and created sculptural armors outof cane that not only protected the femaleprotagonist but also elevated her to a god-dess-like stature. However, there is a ten-sion between the notion of being protect-ed and being trapped. In a series of per-formance documented in photographs, theprotagonist stands in different historical-

ly important locations in Bombay that arein danger of being destroyed, using herarmor, will protect the city from culturalinvasion. Kulkarni’s Photo Performance willbe a stunning spectacle of sorts for visi-tors to the Biennale.

NAAVU AND FARMERSGR Iranna’s Naavu, a mixed media

work attract attention for the subject of thepaduka — the sandals worn by the saad-haka, the one who serves as he is a prac-titioner of non violence. “I used differentkinds of padukas to show different peo-ple,” says Iranna in an exclusive to Vivacity.“Gandhi was about forging togethernessand I use that concept of we are togetherbecause in Kannada Naavu means ‘we aretogether.’ My work looks at the bondingof so many different kinds of people butwe share a belief of wanting to live as onein an understanding of shared values.”

Ashim Purkayastha’s stamps ofFarmers completes a scenario of theshared distinctions in values and races andthe credo of sustenance in simplicity. ArunGoel, Secretary Ministry of Culture sumsit up, “The curated presentation Our Timefor Future Caring is a call for understand-ing of Gandhiji’s ideas for a solution tomodern day complexities. The Pavilionexhibition weaves together contemporaryartworks by eminent artists, emphasisinghistorical moments concerning Gandhijior invoking critical thinking in an imag-inary staged encounters.”

A significant new partnership betweenthe public and private sectors in India hasenabled the India Pavilion in 2019. It hasbeen spearheaded by the India Ministryof Culture and co-organised with theConfederation of Indian Industry (CII). Itis curated by the KNMA, the Pavilion’sPrincipal Partner; the Director General ofthe NGMA is the Commissioner of theproject.

(The biennale is opening on May 7.)

Experts suggest yoube cautious aboutrobot emotions

‘Simulated feeling is never love’

THE MAHATMA’S JOURNEYThe 58th Venice Biennale will critically engage with the many facets of Gandhi, including his philosophical ideas and their place intoday’s complex world, in which violence and intolerance are still prevalent. By UMA NAIR

Broken Branches by Atul Dodiya

Zameen by MF Husain

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sport 15LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

SINGLES

AFP ■ BARCELONA

Lionel Messi clinched aneighth La Liga title forBarcelona in 11 seasons on

Saturday as he scored the only goalin a 1-0 win at home toLevante.The Argentine star struckhis league-leading 34th goal of thecampaign after coming off thebench for the second half to helpBarca wrap up the title with threegames remaining.

Barca hold a nine-point leadover second-placed AtleticoMadrid, but the Catalans cannot beovertaken thanks to their superi-or head-to-head record.

It is Barca's 26th league titleand nudges them closer to RealMadrid's record of 33 in Spain.

"To win the title with a distanceand gap is difficult with the rivalswe have. We've done it two yearsin a row," Barca coach ErnestoValverde told Movistar.

"We're happy and to see peo-ple enjoying it makes us proud. Butwe still have challenges ahead."

Valverde initially left Messi onthe bench with Wednesday'sChampions League semi-final firstleg against Liverpool in mind, buthe replaced Philippe Coutinho atthe break at the Camp Nou.

Coutinho and Luis Suarezpressed Levante goalkeeper AitorFernandez into action early on, theBrazilian coming closest to break-ing the deadlock when his free-kick rattled the crossbar shortlybefore half-time.

He was sacrificed for Messithough, and it proved an inspireddecision as the Argentine swept inthe winner on 62 minutes follow-ing a frantic scramble inside theLevante area.

The visitors, not yet safe fromthe threat of relegation, respond-ed and put Barca on the defensivebut were denied a last-gasp equalis-er when the ball hit the post androlled into the grateful arms ofMarc-Andre ter Stegen.

"In the end he scored thegoal. He always scores goals every-where," Valverde said of Messi,who celebrated winning his 10thleague crown.

Atletico had delayed Barca'stitle party earlier in the day as they

scraped past strugglers RealValladolid 1-0 after surviving lateVAR penalty drama.

Joaquin Fernandez's own goalput Atletico ahead midwaythrough the second half, but theyhad to endure a nervy final fewminutes in which Jan Oblak had tobe at his best and they survived alate VAR check over what lookedlike a clear Santiago Arias handballin the area.

"It's controversial, a ball thathits the hand and the referee's deci-sion is to see if it's voluntary ornot," said Saul Niguez, whosecross led to their fortunate winner.

Diego Simeone's side are ninepoints ahead of local rivals andreigning European champions RealMadrid, who travel to RayoVallecano on Sunday amid increas-ing speculation they will respondto a disappointing season byswooping for Eden Hazard andNeymar.

"It's what we deserve, no more,no less. We've come so far," addedSaul.

"There were moments whenwe wanted to be first and othersthat I would say no, that's what wedeserve."

Valladolid meanwhile stay17th, just one point and a placeaway from the relegation zone aftera match they will feel they wereunlucky to lose.

Earlier on Saturday, AthleticBilbao and Alaves did their chancesof European football next seasonno favours with a 1-1 draw in theBasque Country.

Seventh-placed Bilbao are fivepoints away from the Championsleague places — with Alaves a fur-ther three points.

AFP ■ BURNLEY

Sergio Aguero's 20th Premier Leaguegoal of the season left Manchester Cityjust two wins from the title after a

hard-fought 1-0 victory over Burnley atTurf Moor on Sunday.

Aguero, who has now scored ninetimes in his past eight appearances againstBurnley, struck in the 63rd minute, witha shot that only just crossed the line despitethe best efforts of defender Matt Lowtonto keep it out, although goal-line technol-ogy was needed to award the goal.

The win takes City on to 92 points, oneahead of Liverpool, with two games to play.

Victories at home to Leicester a weekon Monday, and away at Brighton the fol-lowing Sunday will see Pep Guardiola's sideretain their English title.

For the first time in months, City'selimination from the Champions Leaguemeans they will crucially have a free mid-week to prepare for those key matches.

By contrast, Liverpool must travel toNewcastle next weekend, either side of thetwo legs of their Champions Leaguesemi-final against Barcelona, before host-ing Wolves on May 12.

City have now won 12 consecutivePremier League games but they had towork to maintain their composure againstthe Clarets.

HEATON FRUSTRATES CITYGuardiola's side enjoyed the bulk of

possession, but found creating clearchances difficult. When they did, Burnleygoalkeeper Tom Heaton was in excellentform.

Heaton, a former Manchester United

reserve, made two excellent saves in theopening minutes of the second half. Hewas alert at his near post to beat awayAguero's shot, after Raheem Sterling's neatflick had created the opening, before beat-ing out Bernardo Silva's snap shot at theend of a goalmouth scramble.

Sean Dyche's side knew before kick-off they were mathematically certain ofPremier League survival, yet played as ifthey too were fighting for the title.

Burnley even caused City the occa-sional first-half problem.

The Clarets' best opening fell to ChrisWood, who was left to rue a poor firsttouch that denied him his big moment.

In the closing moments of the first half,Aguero over-hit a pass down the left forLeroy Sane, resulting in the ball rolling outof play, and the German responded byturning to his team-mate and flinging hisarms out in despair.

Eventually, though, City's patience wasrewarded. Bernardo Silva's low ball into themiddle found Aguero, who, with his backto goal and minimal space to work with,managed to fashion a shot that beatHeaton.

Few players were more committedthan Burnley's Ben Mee, the boyhood Cityfan who used to captain their youth team.He produced an extraordinary goal-lineclearance to deny the visitors a secondgoal, stretching to hook the ball clear aftersubstitute Jesus collected Kyle Walker’scrossfield pass, and had gone roundHeaton to shoot towards what he thoughtwas an empty net.

After that, City were content to rundown the clock as they kept their cool toleave their rivals with all three points.

AFP n LEICESTER

Jamie Vardy scored twice asArsenal's hopes of Champions

League football suffered anotherserious setback as familiar failingssaw the 10-man Gunners lose 3-0 atLeicester on Sunday.

It was the third time in sevendays that the north London side,once renowned for an impregnabledefence, had conceded three goalsfollowing 3-2 and 3-1 PremierLeague league defeats by CrystalPalace and Wolves respectively.

Leicester's Youri Tielemansopened the scoring at the KingPower Stadium in the second halfand Vardy netted twice for the Foxesafter the visitors had defenderAinsley Maitland-Niles dismissed fortwo bookable offences before half-time.

The winning goals, however,owed little to that dismissal.

Arsenal failed to stop JamesMaddison's cross or mark Tielemansas he stole in to head home the first,then were embarrassingly outwittedby a goal-kick from which Vardypoached the second with the help ofa rebound off the crossbar.

It left Unai Emery's men facing

an uphill battle to force their wayback into the top four, although vic-tory in the Europa League could alsosecure a Champions League place.

Three defeats in a row, howev-er, have left Emery with a clear pic-ture of the failings that linger fromArsene Wenger's reign.

Maddison had a curling shotfrom the edge of the Arsenal penal-ty area deflected wide early onbefore Tielemans volleyed off targetfrom a similar position.

Arsenal had shown little attack-ing threat but, when Maddisonsquandered possession on 22 min-utes, the Gunners built a quick

counter-attack from which theycould have opened the scoring.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang'ssmart turn and pass fed Alex Iwobiand his cross from the left foundAlexandre Lacazette, who volleyedwide under pressure from HarryMaguire.

At the other end, Arsenal goal-keeper Bernd Leno made a superbsave to push Wifred Ndidi's headerfrom a corner over the crossbar.

Then, 13 minutes from theinterval, Arsenal were nearly undoneby Marx Albrighton's straightforwardball over the backline.

Vardy beat Sokratis to collect it

but lofted a shot over the bar.Suddenly, though, Leicester were

hit by a rapid counter-attack from thevisitors, ending with a neat pass fromAubameyang to Iwobi and a good,low save from Kasper Schmeichel tokeep out his shot.

Despite Arsenal's introduction ofan extra defender and Leicester's ofan extra forward at the interval, theopening moments of the second halfbrought an evenly-matched contest.

That was until the 59th minute,when poor defending allowedLeicester to take the lead.

Emery was warned by refereeMichael Oliver after his temperthreatened to boil over as Arsenalwere angered by some hefty Leicesterchallenges, notably whem LucasTorreira was caught by Jonny Evans'sarm as the pair contested a corner.

But the game was up with fourminutes remaining as Arsenal's fal-lible defence failed to meet a longgoal-kick by Schmeichel and Vardylobbed against the crossbar beforeheading in the rebound.

The final goal, with the last kickof the game, was even more embar-rassing for the Gunners as theyallowed Ricardo to stroll past andsquare for a Vardy tap-in.

AFP ■ FRANCE

Kylian Mbappe was sent offfor a shocking tackle as

Paris Saint-Germain werestunned by Rennes inSaturday's French Cup final,losing 6-5 on penalties after adramatic game finished 2-2 atthe end of extra time.

PSG substitute ChristopherNkunku blazed his sudden-death spot-kick over the bar inthe shootout, sparking scenesof joy among the Rennes fansat the Stade de France as theywon a first trophy in almosthalf a century.

"It has been talked aboutenough at the club in the lastfew weeks for us to realise thatwe have achieved somethinghistoric," said Rennes coachJulien Stephan.

It was a remarkable come-back from the Brittany side,who had seen Dani Alves andthe returning Neymar giveLigue 1 champions PSG a 2-0lead midway through the firsthalf.

Thomas Tuchel's sideappeared poised to wrap up adomestic double, but PresnelKimpembe's own goal gaveRennes hope and Edson Mexerheaded them level in the 66thminute to take a gripping final-- attended by PresidentEmmanuel Macron -- to extratime.

Penalties were alreadylooming when Mbappe, whoendured a frustrating evening,was shown a straight red cardin the 118th minute for adreadful challenge on DamienDa Silva. The France starcaught the Rennes defender onthe knee with his studs, and canexpect a lengthy ban.

"He had a slight muscleinjury yesterday, he stoppedtraining early and went to hos-pital for tests. Maybe that wasin his head," said Tuchel.

"You got the feeling hewas lacking confidence anddidn't feel free. The red card atthe end, it's not him."

Without him, PSG fellshort of securing the double inTuchel's first season in charge,which will also be rememberedfor the Qatar-owned club'sChampions League exit to

Manchester United in the last16.

"I am sad," said Neymar."We weren't quite up to it, butthere is no point crying aboutit now. There is nothing we cando."

They had been looking towin the Cup for the fifth yearrunning, but instead it is tra-ditional underachievers Rennes-- owned by luxury goodsmogul Francois Pinault, one ofFrance's richest men -- whocelebrate a famous victory.

It is their first silverwaresince the 1971 French Cup andalso means a return to theEuropa League next season.

"We can stop talking aboutbeing losers. This title willchange the history of the club,"added Stephan.

PTI n BEIJING

India drew blank on the final daybut still topped the chart for the

second consecutive ISSF World Cup,third time in two years, by baggingthree Gold and a Silver at the Beijingedition of the Rifle/Pistol event here.

India topped the medals tallyahead of hosts China (2 Gold, 2Silver, 1 Bronze), who won fivemedals in total.

For India, while Anjum Moudgiland young Divyansh Singh Panwarstarted the medal hunt with a Goldin the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Teamcompetition, the teenaged pair ofManu Bhaker and SaurabhChaudhary backed them up withanother yellow metal in the 10m AirPistol Mixed Team Pistol event.

Divyansh then won India's firstindividual medal by clinching aSilver in the men's 10m Air Rifle.

On Saturday, Abhishek Vermawon India's third Gold in men's 10mAir Pistol event.

The concluding day of the ISSFWorld Cup Rifle/Pistol Beijing 2019edition however, belonged to twowomen legends of the sport, two-time former Olympic championMaria Grozdeva of Bulgaria andCroatian Rifle legend Snjezana Pejcic,

who won the two scheduled finals ofthe day, the 25m Pistol and the 50mRifle 3 Positions (3P).

In the first final on Sunday, the46-year old Maria, champion in the25m Pistol at the Sydney 2000 andBeijing 2004 Olympics, shot 36 in thefinal to beat a couple of young ris-ing stars — world number oneAnna Korakaki of Greece and

Veronika Major of Hungary, whowas fresh from a double gold in theNew Delhi World Cup.

The Hungarian settled for Silverwhile Anna was pushed to theBronze medal position.

Indian interest in the event waslimited to the qualifying stage of thecompetition where Manu Bhaker'sfinals hopes were dashed when she

shot 586 in qualifying to finish17th.

Asian Games champion RahiSarnobat managed 579 for a 26thplace finish while Chinki Yadav, thethird Indian in the competition, shot570 to end in 56th position.

In the women's 3P, BeijingOlympics Bronze medallist and win-ner of 17 World Cup medals includ-ing eight Golds, Snjezana Pejcic ofCroatia triumphed with a finalround score of 464.

Bae Sang Hee of Korea wonSilver with 459.5 while JeanetteHegg Duestad of Norway wonBronze with 447.1. The Korean andthe Norweigian also walked awaywith the two quota places.

Among the three Indians in thefray, N Gaayathri finished 19th witha score of 1169 in qualificationwhile Sunidhi Chauhan shot 1160 toend in 42nd.

Lionel’s only goal helps Barcelona beat Levante and clinch eighth La Liga title

MESSI FIRES BARCA TO WIN

Man City edge pastBurnley to return to top

Lionel Messi celebrates holding the La Liga trophy after beating Levante 1-0 AP

Kylian Mbappe walks off the pitch afterreceiving a red card AP

Sergio Aguero, left, celebrates with Bernardo Silva after scoring his side's opening goal AP

THE VISITORS, NOT YET SAFEFROM THE THREAT OF

RELEGATION, RESPONDED ANDPUT BARCA ON THE DEFENSIVE

BUT WERE DENIED A LAST-GASPEQUALISER WHEN THE BALL HITTHE POST AND ROLLED INTO THE

ARMS OF MARC-ANDRE

PSG suffer FrenchCup defeat

Vardy’s brace helps Leicester beat Arsenal

India top medal

tally in shooting WC

MEDHANSH, SAANVI EMERGE WINNERS

Medhansh Saxena and Saanvi Agarwal wonthe 14th Lucknow District U-15 Chess tourna-ment in the boy’s and girl’s category respective-ly at Excellia School on Saturday. MedhanshSaxena split the point with Tanishq Gupta andSaanvi defeated Swastika to win the selectiontournament and berth for state championshipto be held at Noida from May 14. Prithvvi Singhdefeated Divyansh Pandey while Aditya Pantbeat Aryan Singh to seal the state tournamentberth as well. Director Excellia School AsheeshPathak and Lucknow District Chess SportsAssociation hony secretary AK Raizada gaveaway the prizes.Lucknow team to represent in state-Boy”s: Medhansh Saxena, Tanishq Gupta,Prithvvi Singh and Aditya Pant; Girls’: Saaniv,Simran Sadhwani, Adrika Mishra and Swastika.

PUNEET WINS TOURNEYPuneet Gurnani defeated Ashu Verma in the

final round to win the 15th Avijay Open ChessTournament on Sunday. Vamsi Krishna finishedsecond while Ashu Verma settled for third place.Ayush Mishra lift the Under-16 trophy while U-12 trophy went to Sanyam Srivastava.

VIRAJ, ANANDESHWAR RE-ELECTED

Viraj Sagar and Anandeshwar Pandeywere re-elected as preseident and general sec-retary of Uttar Pradesh Olympic Associationin the Annual General Meeting held at UPBadminton Academy on Sunday. ManishKakkar was also re-elected as treasurer. AbhijitSarkar and Navneet Sehgal were appointed assenior vice-president while RP Singh were giventhe charge of senior joint secretary.

CANARA BANK BEAT PNBCanara Bank beat Punjab National Bank by three

wickets in a league match of the 1st Bank PremierLeague at KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium on Sunday.BRIEF SCORES:PNB: 161 (Amrendra 51, Ashish Pal 41,Shekhar 31; Anshuman 22/2)CB: 165 (Shashwat 51, Anshuman 29, Ankur27; Sumit 13/2, Ashish 23/2).

Page 16: ENJOY THEIR MOVIE DATE 14 VIVACITY Aam aadmi to seal ... · Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. “This was followed by the ... Aam Aadmi Party’s

LUCKNOW | MONDAY | APRIL 29, 2019

16

}RUNS 611 David Warner (SRH)

WICKETS 25 Kagiso Rabada (DC)

6S 605

4S 1327{LEADERBOARD

Although we wanted may be 10 runs more, if wewould have been able to pick up early wickets,then we thought that the totals would be verydifficult to chase. — KANE WILLIAMSON

Up Next

HARSHIT BISHT ■ NEW DELHI

Sherfane Rutherford brilliantbatting display in the slogovers and his maiden IPL

wicket of Ab de Villiers in the 12thover of Bangalore’s run chase helpDelhi Capitals beat Virat Kohli’sRoyal Challengers Bangalore by 16runs to regain top spot in IndianPremier League season 12 pointstable and secure playoffs berth forthe first time since 2012 here atFeroz Shah Kotla Stadium onSunday.

Batting first after winning tossat tricky Kotla track, Delhi ride onfifties from skipper Shreyas Iyer (52off 37 balls, 2 fours and 3 sixes) andMan of the Match Shikhar Dhawan(50 off 37 balls, 5 fours and 2 sixes)which was complemented by 20-year old Rutherford’s quick 13-ball28 runs (1 fours and 3 sixes) in theend to post 187 runs for the loss of5 wickets.

Chasing 188 runs to win andkeep their hopes alive of advancingfurther in the tournament, RoyalChallengers Bangalore were off toa flying start, courtesy ParthivPatel’s explosive start. The duo ofKohli and Patel made full use of bat-ting powerplay and added 63 runsfor the first wicket in 5.5 overs.

Left-hander Wicketkeeper bats-man Parthiv was more aggressive ofthe two at the start and scored 39runs in just 20 balls to lay a strongfoundation for the chase. He wasout in the second ball of the sixthover bowled by Kagiso Rabad afterAxar Patel took a brilliant catch tosend him back to the pavilion.

During his stay at the crease, in-form Patel smashed 7 fours and 1six. But the big setback for the vis-itors came in the eighth over bowledby Axar Patel, when in process oftrying to go for a big hit, Virat wascaught for 23 runs in 17 balls bySherfane Rutherford. At the time ofhis dismissal, RCB was 68 for 2 in7.2 overs.

After that, all eyes were onSouth African Ab de Villiers toguide RCB to yet another memo-rable win and keep their hopes aliveof making into this year’s playoffs.

But the former South Africaninternational too failed to do muchand was out in the third ball of 12thover for mere 17 runs in 19 balls.He was caught by Axar offRutherford.

After his dismissal, RCB’s hopeswere almost dashed out and in thenext over when Amit Mishra dis-missed Heinrich Klaasen (3) andShivam Dube (24 runs in 16 balls,2 sixes) in span of four balls, itbecame a formality for Delhi to winthe tie and advance into the knockout stage of the tournament for thefirst time since 2013.

For Delhi, Purple cap holderKagiso Rabada (4-0-31-2) and AmitMishra (4-0-29-2) clinched twowickets each, while Ishant Sharma

(40/1), Axar Patel (26/1) andSherfane Rutherford (6/1) also gota wicket each.

Earlier batting first, Capitalsopeners Shikhar Dhawan andPrithvi Shaw added 35 runs in 3.3overs for the first wicket.

Prithvi was the first to go afterhitting 18 runs in 10 balls with 4boundaries during his short stay atthe crease. He was caught by ParthivPatel behind the wickets.

After Shaw’s departure, skipperShreyas Iyer joined Dhawan at thecrease and the in-form duo keepsthe scorecard running by addingsingles and doubles.

Delhi completed first 50 runs in4.5 overs and 100 runs came in 11.3overs.

But after completing his thirdconsecutive fifty-plus score,Dhawan was sent back to the pavil-ion by Yuzvendra Chahal ending 68runs second wicket stand.

After Dhawan’s departure,Rishabh Pant joined the picture anda lot was expected from the youngexplosive wicket-keeper batsmanbut he failed to continue his goodform into a big score and was outleg before by Chahal in the secondlast ball of 15th over for 7 runs inas many balls.

At the end 15 over, Delhi was127 for 3 looking set for 200 parscore, with set Shreyas and hard-hit-ting Colin Ingram at the crease.

But their dismissal in the suc-cessive overs cast questions over the

reliability of Delhi’s inexperiencedmiddle order. From 127 for 3 in 15over Delhi was soon reduced to141-5 at the end of 17th overs.

But then Sherfane Rutherfordand Axar Patel came into the pic-ture.

While Axar scored 16 runs innine balls with the help of 3 fours,Rutherford smashed 3 biggies andone four to provide Delhi that fin-ishing touch which could turn outvital during run chase. They added46 runs in the last three overs outof which 20 came in the last overbowled by Navdeep Saini.

For Delhi, Chahal picked 2wickets for 41 runs while Umesh,Washington Sundar, and Saini gota wicket each.

PTI n KOLKATA

Kolkata Knight Riders beatMumbai Indians by 34 runs in

the a high-scoring match of IndianPremier League here on Sunday.

Kolkata Knight Riders batsmenfired on all cylinders to post the sea-son's highest total — 232 for two.

Staring at elimination followinga six-match losing streak, theembattled KKR got off to a fierystart with Shubman Gill (76) andChris Lynn (54) putting on a 96-runopening stand, their highest thisseason, after Rohit Sharma opted tobowl in his 100th match as captain.

Andre Russell, KKR's biggestimpact player of the season, wasfinally seen higher up the order atNo 3.

The West Indies power-hitterensured that KKR finished on a highwith an unbeaten 80 off 40 balls.

Russell hammered six fours andeight sixes including one off the lastball after he denied a couple of sin-gles to skipper Dinesh Karthik inthe last over as KKR creamed 75runs from the last five overs andscored 135 in the final 10.

Fielding let down MumbaiIndians big time with both Lynn andRussell dropped early in theirinnings by Kieron Pollard and EvinLewis respectively.

The top-order batting was all

about the sheer class of the 19-year-old Gill, who showed why he isbilled as the future star of Indiancricket. Gill smashed six fours andfour sixes en route to his secondhalf-century of the season andforged a crucial stand with Russell.The duo shared 62 runs from 35balls of which Gill had a share of 34,while Russell scored 24.

Gill was at his best againstRahul Chahar and three of his foursixes came against the leg-spinner.

Such was the sheer class of Gillthat Russell was glad to play secondfiddle and was six off 12 balls afterbeing dropped on one.

On a belter of a track, KKRopeners got off to a sensational startand survived the powerplay withoutlosing a wicket for their highestopening stand — 96 — this season.

Slow to start with, Lynn was 18off 15 balls when Kieron Pollardspilled a chance from the Aussie atmid-off.

Lynn took off from there on,hammering the spin duo of KrunalPandya and Chahar to race to hisfourth IPL fifty this season off just27 balls.BRIEF SCORES:KKR: 232 for 2 in 20 overs (AndreRussell 80 not out, Shubman Gill 76,Chris Lynn 54; Hardik Pandya1/31)MI: 198/7 in 20 overs (HardikPandya 91; Russell 2/25).

PTI ■ HYDERABAD

David Warner will be aiming to finish hisscintillating campaign on a high even

as Sunrisers Hyderabad's brittle middle-order face a tricky test against Kings XIPunjab in a 12th round IPL encounter hereon Monday.

With both teams locked on 10 pointsfrom 11 games, a win will give either somebreathing space ahead of their final twomatches.

For Hyderabad, KXIPencounter is the last gamewhere they can avail the ser-vices of Warner before heleaves home for Australia'sWorld Cup preparationsalongside Steven Smith andMarcus Stoinis.

Since his comeback fromball tampering ban, Warner has scored 611runs in the tournament so far and is the cur-rent 'Orange Cap' holder.

With IPL's second highest scorer JonnyBairstow (445) already back home, Sunrisers'will face the problem in the last two gamesas they will miss their set opening pair.

In all the five games that they have wonthis season, Warner-Bairstow combinationworked wonders, and their defeats had beenmuch about middle-order collapses andpoor death bowling.

Kings XI Punjab led by their mercurial

skipper Ravichandran Ashwin will be aim-ing to be more consistent in winning keymoments of the game.

Ashwin and the wily MohammedShami will like to pose a few tough questionsfor the Sunrisers middle-order, where saveManish Pandey's odd knock, has been attheir worst in the tournament.

Sunrisers' skipper Kane Williamson,who has been out in most games due toinjury, will like to get the best out of Warner,one last time this season which will be like

a shot in the arm as far astheir qualification is con-cerned.

Just like Sunrisers, evenKings XI Punjab's batting topheavy which has been reflect-ed in their performancethrough out the season.

Openers Chris Gayle(444 runs) and KL Rahul (441 runs) havedone bulk of the scoring apart from MayankAgarwal (262), who has come good occa-sionally.

David Miller (202 in nine games) andSarfaraz Khan (180 in eight games) got theirchances but didn't perform in most gamesmaking it extremely difficult for Ashwin.

However the skipper will feel goodabout young Nicholas Pooran's show in thelast game against RCB, where he kept theteam in the hunt at the back end of theinnings.

PTI ■ NEW DELHI

His side all but out of the reck-oning for a play-off berth in

this IPL after losing to DelhiCapitals on Sunday, RoyalChallengers Bangalore captainVirat Kohli on Sunday admittedthat the home side played betterin crunch moments.

"We started off really well withthe bat. Powerplay was outstand-ing and then I got going, but meand AB (de Villiers) getting out toballs that you don't get out to.That's how the game goes sometimes. Delhi played better than usin the crunch moments," Kohlisaid after his side lost by 16 runs.

Delhi Capitals qualified for

the IPL play-offs for the first timesince 2012 while it is all but overfor the Kohli-led RCB, followingtheir eighth loss in 12 games.

Kohli said RCB allowed Delhito score 20-odd runs more than anideal total after the home sideelected to bat.

"It was a very important tossspecially with how the wicketplayed. We showed a lot of char-acter even after losing the toss, butit got away a little bit in the end.We were thinking 160-165 but 185on that sort of a pitch, with threespinners, was always going to betough," the India captain said.

After a disastrous start, RCBkept themselves in the hunt for aplay-off berth by winning four out

of last six games."We put ourselves under too

much pressure in the first sixgames and then it is always hardwork in the latter half. So, we justdecided to have a lot of fun andthat's why we won four out of thelast six games we have played,"Kohli said.

"The important thing now,with two games left, is to go outthere and have fun. Not take toomuch pressure. Obviously wewant to perform as best as we can,but the fun factor should not goaway. We have to go out there andplay positive cricket. Once the lasttwo games are done, we will sitdown and see where the tourna-ment had gone for us," he added.

AFP ■ BAKU

Valtteri Bottas resisted an attackingfinal charge by his Mercedes team-mate

Lewis Hamilton to win Sunday’s AzerbaijanGrand Prix and regain the lead in the 2019drivers title race.

In a thrilling, closely-fought and dra-matic race, the Finn came home 1.5 secondsahead of Hamilton as Mercedes swept to afourth successive one-two finish, the firstteam to do so since Ferrari in 1952.

It was the second win of the season forBottas and fifth of his career and deliveredhim some redemption after leading lastyear’s race until his car suffered a puncturewith three laps remaining.

“Yes, ha!” said the delighted Bottas.“Amazing job guys. Really, really strong. Iam so proud to be part of this team.”

“We are all performing really, reallywell,” said Bottas of the Mercedes team.

His win lifted him one point clear ofHamilton in the embryonic championshipcourtesy of his fastest lap in Australia. Bottashas 87 points, Hamilton 86 and Vettel has52.

The two Mercedes men came homeahead of Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, MaxVerstappen who was fourth for Red Bulland, after a storming effort, Ferrari new boyCharles Leclerc, who started eighth on thegrid and scored the fastest lap after a latepit stop.

Sergio Perez finished sixth for Racing

Point ahead of the McLarens of Carlos Sainzand British rookie Lando Norris, LanceStroll in the second Racing Point and KimiRaikkonen, who was 10th for Alfa Romeoafter starting from the pit lane.

PNS ■ NEW DELHI

India’s Greco-Roman wrestlers finishedtheir campaign on a high with two

more medals — a Silver throughHarpreet Singh (82kg) and a Bronzethrough Gyanender (60kg) as the AsianWrestling Championships 2019 came toan end at Xi’an, China on Sunday. Withthis, India earned three Silver and oneBronze in Greco-Roman wrestlingwhich bettered their tally of two Bronzefrom the last edition and is India’s bestever showing in this discipline so far atthe Asian Championships.

After a strong show, Harpreet Singhhad to settle for the second-best posi-tion to get his first Silver medal afterthree consecutive Bronzefrom this prestigious tour-nament. In the final, Iran’sSaeid Morad Abdvali, aformer world championand Olympic medallist,never allowed the Indian to settle andregistered an 8-0 win by TechnicalSuperiority.

In 60kg, Gyanender stamped hisauthority over Taipei’s Jui Chi Huang ina dazzling 9-0 result to take the Bronze.He had earlier beaten Ali Abed AlnaserAli Abuseif of Jordan 9-1 in the quar-

ters but lost his semi-final bout 0-9 toIslomjon Bakhramov. With the Uzbekmaking it to the final, Gyanender got achance to contest the bronze medal play-off and made the most of it.

In 72kg, Yogesh missed the Bronzeas he went down 0-8to Kyrgyzstan’s RuslanTsarev.

While in 97kg,Hardeep failed toovercome the quar-

ter-final hurdle, Ravinder could notmake it past the qualifications in 67kg.

The 30-member Indian wrestlingcontingent thus had an impressiveshowing at this six-day continentalevent, winning a total of 1 Gold, 6 Silverand 9 Bronze.

ASIAN

WRESTLING

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Live on Star Sports 1& 2

HYDERABAD

SRH vs KXIP

MONDAY | 8:00 PM

HEADTO

HEADM 13

SRH 9

KXIP 4

KKR beat MI in a

high-scoring affair

Andre Russel and Dinesh Karthik celebrate after winning IPL

Delhi Capitals players celebrate after taking the wicket of Virat Kohli AP

Virat Kohli bowls during the match against Delhi Capitals on Sunday IPL

Delhi beat RCB by 16 runs to secure playoffs berth for first time since 2012

CAPITALS ON TOP

SRH, KXIP eyevictory in Hyderabad

DC played better than us in crunch time: Kohli

Harpreet bags Silver,

Bronze for Gyanender

Bottas regains top spot

Valtteri Bottas poses with the trophy after winning AP

Sunrisers Hyderabad players arrives at the pitch before the match IPL