First India-Lucknow Edition-30 November 2020

LUCKNOW l MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 18

MODI’SS

date with karmbhoomi Varanasi on

VISHAL SRIVASTAV

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rime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Monday to dedicate a plethora of projects to the Devbhoomi, which is in turn PM Modi’s karmbhoomi also. It is believed that on Dev Deepawali the Gods descend on Earth on the full moon night of Kartik Purnima, which falls

15 days after Diwali (Kartik Amavasya). Dev Deepawali, is celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Shiva over demon Tripurasur. Hence, this Utsav is also known as Tripurotsav or Tripurari Purnima. Dev Deepawali this year on Kartik Purnima also coincides with the lunar eclipse or Chandra Grahan on Monday. With the arrival of PM Modi, it will be the first landing of special aircraft Boeing 777-300 ER at city’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Air-

port. Special marking has been done on the runway for the plane’s landing and take off. Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath has taken the reigns of the preparations in his own hands and visited Varanasi on Friday to take stock of arrangements while instructing officials to make the event even grander this time. Being the Chief Minister of UP, Yogi frequently gets opportunities to meet his ‘mentor’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi in one or the other way and

today’s function is one more similar opportunity for Yogi.

There are many legends associated with Kartik Purnima. Some say it marks the birth anniversary of Lord Kartik, warrior son of Lord Shiva, while others believe it is the day when Lord Vishnu assumed his first avatar - ‘Matsya’. Yet another legend says, Lord Shiva defeated the mighty demon Tripurasura on this day, hence the festival is also called Tripuri Purnima.

PERSPECTIVE LUCKNOW | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

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BRIG VETERAN ANIL GUPTA The author is a Jammu based veteran, political commentator, columnist, security and strategic analyst

T

With the Indian Army adopting a very strong and nearly impenetrable counter infiltration grid on LoC and equally impregnable counter terrorism grid inside the Valley, Pakistan Army has shifted focus to the IB sector with a comparatively higher success rate.

he successful encounter at Nagrota, near Jammu on NH 44, in which four heavily armed Pakistani terrorists were gunned down by the alert and diligent Indian security forces has once again exposed the fact that the Deep State in Pakistan continues to rule the roost with a singular agenda of bleeding India through thousand cuts. Similar encounters had taken place on the same National Highway (NH) in the past as well. Pakistan continues to use unabated the International Border (IB) sector as a preferred route of infiltration not only for terrorists but also for narco –terrorism as it provides the twin advantage of movement into J&K or Punjab. Also, the modus operandi adopted in most cases is near identical. After revocation of Article 370 in J&K, Pakistan’s desperation to create trouble has increased manifold. With the Indian Army adopting a very strong and nearly impenetrable counter infiltration grid on the Line of Control (LoC) and equally impregnable counter terrorism grid inside the Valley, Pakistan Army has shifted focus to the IB sector with a comparatively higher success rate.

Pakistan is going through the worst phase of its history since its formation in 1947 after a bloody partition of the Indian sub-continent based on Two-Nation theory. Ever since its formation Pakistan has suffered the dilemma of identity. The diversity in language and culture coupled with feudal society has prevented Pakistan to emerge as a single entity. Regional loyalties have surpassed the national identity leaving Pakistan Army alone as a symbol of national identity. This has been exploited by the Army to its advantage by becoming the virtual ruler. To ensure its continued hold over the nation’s defence and foreign policy, the Army has created a myth of India being an existential threat. At the same time it has promoted Kashmir as an unfinished agenda of partition and as the jugular vein of Pakistan. Despite Pakistan’s obsession for Kashmir costing it dearly both economically and strate-

NAGROTA ENCOUNTER WILL PAKISTAN RELENT

Security personnel inspect the site of the encounter, at Nagrota Ban toll Plaza in Jammu. —FILE PHOTO

gically it refuses to relent.

India continues to be an existential threat. Terrorism continues to remain an instrument of its state policy. Kashmir continues to be the raison d’etre for continued supremacy of its Army.

Politically and economically Pakistan is on verge of collapse. Imran Khan Niazi is the target of a domestic rebellion against his government by the conglomeration of 11 opposition parties under the banner of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The groundswell of protests against him has shaken Imran Khan. Even his mentor and saviour Gen Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff and his ISI chief are also not being spared by the public. Ex-PM Nawaz Sharif from exile in London has launched a frontal assault on the COAS. This has unnerved the Army as well. Army is quite conscious of its image among the people but that is gradually eroding due to involvement of senior army officers in cases of corruption and scam. The top army leadership including retired generals are owning large business houses including the real estate. While a common man is finding difficult to get two square meals

IT SHOULD RING THE WARNING BELLS OF SMELLING THE COFFEE AND PULLING UP OUR SOCKS. PAKISTAN IS NOT GOING TO RELENT OR CHANGE, WE WILL HAVE TO CHANGE OURSELVES IF WE WANT TO HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY AGAINST TERROR.

a day, the Army is eating up the large slice of national budget. The economy is in doldrums. Saudi Arabia, a liberal donor for Pakistan, is unhappy with Imran Khan due to his growing proximity to Turkey. Pakistan is neck deep in debt and is resorting to borrowings to service debt.

Unemployment, inflation and high price rise is the common thing for ordinary Pakistanis with Imran Khan doing nothing to resolve these. His total surrender to China is also being resented by the ordinary Pakistanis. Pakistan is closest to implosion at this stage due to growing turmoil in Baluchistan, increased unrest in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, revolt in POJK and Gilgit Baltistan and the growing dissent in Sindh due to the

ongoing protests by PDM. Attempts to integrate GB as its fifth province and holding of elections there has met with stiff opposition from the locals. The results of the elections are being contested terming them as fudged. Balawaristan Movement, an independent Gilgit-Baltistan, is gaining momentum.

With shaky and confused Imran Khan coupled with nervous Pakistan Army under tremendous pressure from China to tie down Indian Army, the time tested Pakistani formula of creating an India bogey at home has been put into practice to generate anti-India public opinion.

Repeated unprovoked ceasefire violations and attempts to push in terrorists have become a norm. Apart

from attempts to distract public attention at home, these are also being used to keep Kashmir in focus of the international community as a potential flash point. Pakistan’s nuclear black mail has been exposed and is no longer being used as a threat by its leadership. It has increased its dependence on terrorist activities and the Deep state is involved in spreading its tentacles in other parts of the country apart from Kashmir.

Though Kashmir for the time being continues to remain its main focus because of the realisation that with passing of each day peacefully Pakistan is losing its relevance in Kashmir. That was the main reason of infiltrating heavily armed group with about 750 kg of RDX to create mayhem in Kashmir on the pattern of 26/11 Mumbai attacks on the eve of the District Development Council elections being held in J&K. For Pakistan, China Factor has also become over riding.

China is egging Pakistan to continue its obsession and keep the pot boiling in Kashmir. It needs hold in GilgitBaltistan and does not want to part with Shaksgam and Aksaichin. Hence irrespective

Taking proper sick leave has never been more crucial!

N

ew South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian, who last week carried on working for up to two hours while awaiting the results of a rapid COVID test, wasn’t the first Australian to “soldier on” in the face of health concerns and a big day at work.

And she almost certainly won’t be the last, despite the COVID pandemic making it clearer than ever before it’s important to take time off if you’re sick or self-isolating.

Soldiering on — also known as “sickness presenteeism” — is alive and well even in 2020. Many people, from state premiers to minimum-wage workers, feel they have no choice but to show up and carry on. Those with precarious employment may feel as if their entire job hinges on it.

If a pandemic won’t get

02

workers to call in sick, then what will? What we need is for managers and leaders (state premiers included) to model responsible behaviour, and foster a healthy workplace culture in which soldiering on isn’t celebrated as heroic.

A 2016 report by Pathology Awareness Australia estimated the economic costs of workers turning up sick or putting in unnecessary extra hours at more than A$34 billion a year, due to productivity loss and the spread of infection to coworkers.

Since the advent of COVID, it has become a significant public health issue too. Cases have been traced to workers spreading the virus at work, including abattoirs and health-care facilities.

Presenteeism is found throughout the employment spectrum, but is

pay entitlements at all, or feel their job is at risk if they are absent. Coupled with the workload pressures typical of precarious work, these people face an almost impossible dilemma when sick or self-isolating.

more prevalent among “essential” workers, such as those in health care, who typically report feeling “socially obligated” to attend work.

A 2019 survey of 6,387 women in the public sector found 90% had gone to work while sick in the preceding 12 months. The main reasons included workload pressures (52%), and the perception they weren’t sick enough to stay

home (54%).

But why is sickness presenteeism still a thing in 2020? The sad fact is that even amid a pandemic, workers in essential services such as aged care and teaching report feeling pressured by their managers to turn up to work.

Another reason is the broader socioeconomic issue of job insecurity. Workers on temporary or casual contracts may not have sick

HOW WORKPLACES CAN HELP The onus is on businesses and organisations to ensure a safe working environment. This means establishing clear expectations and protocols regarding staying home when unwell, and should also include the opportunity for remote working when workers feel well enough to work but may still be infectious.

Workplaces should also provide appropriate personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, and social distancing measures.

Organisations should offer medical and well-being

support and care to employees at risk of suffering most under sickness presenteeism, such as essential workers and those in precarious employment.

More broadly, managers and organisations should understand that tacitly encouraging people to come to work while unwell impairs organisational performance. Leaders should not preside over a culture in which overwork and “always being on duty” are lionised. Instead, they should communicate that it’s OK not to come to work if you’re not well, and that it’s important to take a sick day if you’re sick.

A crucial element of this is to prepare contingency plans for absences, so employees know that work can still be done without them and their absence won’t be disastrous.

of the success achieved by us at Nagrota, Pakistan is not going to relent. We have to be pro-active and make the cost of such attempts prohibitive for the Deep state.

Let this encounter at Nagrota not meet the same fate like the similar encounters of the past. It should ring the warning bells of smelling the coffee and pulling up our socks. Pakistan is not going to relent or change, we will have to change ourselves if we want to have a zero tolerance policy against terror.

Border Security Force (BSF) has failed repeatedly to prevent infiltration from the IB sector. A serious review of command and control of all border guarding forces on the LAC and IB is an urgent requirement. What happened on the LAC during the ongoing standoff with PLA Army is quite fresh in our minds? To have greater coordination and effective command and control these need to be placed under Ministry of Defence and the local Army formation. The present system has been found wanting time and again. Let not this important aspect of national security become a victim of turf wars.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Today got the privilege of having darshan and blessings of the world famous Ma Pitambara Peeth in Datia, Madhya Pradesh along with Honorable LG Jammu and Kashmir @manojsinha_ and senior colleague @girirajsinghbjp. May Ma Pitambara bless everyone with happiness, prosperity and health.

Anand Sharma @ AnandSharmaINC Prime minister Shri Narendra Modi visit to Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadilla was a recognition of Indian scientists and their work to produce the vaccine for COVID-19 That alone will lift morale of frontline warriors and reassure the nation.

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Vol 1 Issue No.18 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Amar Ujala Ltd. B-5 Amausi Industrial Area Kanpur Road Lucknow.

Published at 98, Friend’’s Colony, Raheem Nagar, Dudouli Road, Madiyaon, Lucknow (UP). Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

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Home Minister Amit Shah waves to his supporters during his roadshow, in Secunderabad. —PHOTO BY PTI

‘WILL TURN HYDERABAD INTO

Addressing a public rally on the final day of campaigning before the December 1 polls, Amit Shah also said the BJP wanted to “rid Hyderabad of the Nawab-Nizam culture”

On Dev Deepawali, PM to welcome Goddess back home Key feature of Dev Deepawali this year is the return of a stolen sculpture of Goddess Annapurna from Canada after 100 years: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Vishal Srivastav Lucknow: The grandeur of the Ganga Ghats has risen manifolds.

The streets are spick and span. The otherwise carefree cows roaming freely on the streets, have been shoved behind barricades for a while. Roads leading to Raj Ghat are beaming with new street lights. Florists are seen rushing through the thin lanes to fetch more stocks.

The priests are busy buying a new pair of Dhoti-Kurta for themselves. A few years ago, passers-by including foreigners at Godowlia, would be amused seeing such transition on the face of Varanasi, but now they know, when all this hullabaloo takes place, someone special is coming to the city.

A big hoarding of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen as the preparation for his visit begins, at Mirzamurad in Varanasi on Sunday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

All of this and much more is in transition at Varanasi to welcome country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will light up the first Diya on Dev Deepawali here on Monday.

The Prime Minister’s parliamentary constitu-

ency and world’s oldest city known to humanity, Varanasi, is all in readiness to witness stars on earth on the occasion of Kartik Purnima when Dev Deepawali is celebrated here with more than 11 lakh diyas being lit on the 80

Ghats of the holy city.

The prime minister will start the festivities by lighting an earthen lamp on the Raj Ghat of Varanasi, which will be followed by lighting of 11 lakh diyas on both sides of the holy river Ganga, it said. Turn to P6

cunderabad as part of campaign for BJP for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections to be held on December 1, said Hyderabad had become an integral part of India, thanks to first home minister Sardar Vallab-

hbhai Patel.

“Give one chance to the BJP in GHMC elections. We shall transform from dynasty rule to democratic rule, from corruption to good governance, from secrecy to transparency. We shall transform Hyderabad

into a Mini Bharat and not be stuck in Nawabi and Nizami culture,” Shah said, while speaking to reporters at the party state headquarters after the roadshow.

Reacting to Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s

Farmers reject talks offer; set new terms BJP prez JP Nadda, Amit Shah, Narendra Tomar & Rajnath Singh held a meeting to discuss the issue New Delhi: Rejecting the Centre’s offer to hold talks once they move to the Burari ground, agitating farmers who have been staying put at Delhi’s borders for four days said on Sunday they will not end the blockade and will continue their stir against the new farm laws.

After a meeting of over 30 farmer groups on Sunday, their representatives said they will not move to the Burari ground as it is an “open jail”.

Turn to P6

I never called the farmers’ protest politically motivated; neither am I calling it now. In a democracy, everyone has a right to have different views on the same thing. All three laws are beneficial for farmers.

Politically motivated opposition can go against it.

—Amit Shah, Home Minister

A large number of farmers gather during their protest against the farm laws at Singhu border in New Delhi on Sunday.

Recent agri-reforms have opened the doors of new opportunities for farmers.

Decades-old demands of farmers which were promised by many political parties have now been met. Under this law, it is mandatory to pay farmers within three days of purchasing the produce. If payment is not made, then the farmer can lodge a complaint. —Narendra Modi, PM

COVIDSHIELD TRIAL PARTICIPANT ALLEGES NEURO BREAKDOWN, SII REJECTS CHARGES Chennai: A 40-year-old man who took part in the ‘Covidshield’ vaccine trial here has alleged serious side effects, including a virtual neurological breakdown and impairment of cognitive functions and has sought `5 crore compensation in a legal notice to Serum Institute and others, besides seeking a halt to the trial. Meanwhile SII on Sunday rejected charges that a Covid-19 vaccine candidate has serious side effects, and threatened to seek heavy damages for “malicious” allegations. Alleging that the candidate vaccine was not safe, the man has also sought cancelling approval Turn to P6

CM Yogi’s plant bears fruit, UP registers first ‘love-jihad’ case 3 years ago, the accused had started exerting pressure on the girl to undergo religious conversion but when she opposed, the boy threatened her Vishal Srivastav Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s hardwork to tackle the menace of ‘love-jihad’ has started paying dividends as Uttar Pradesh registered its first case under the new anticonversion law.

The maiden case was

registered in Bareilly district based on a complaint from the father of a young woman. The case was registered at the Devarniyan police station on Saturday, officials said.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said a case was registered

by Tikaram, a resi-

GUARDING THE FREEDOM The ordinance mainly envisages that no person shall convert, either directly or indirectly from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage nor shall any person abet, convince or conspire such conversion.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

comment that several BJP leaders were flooding Hyderabad to campaign for the gully elections only to attack him, Shah said they had come to improve the conditions in Hyderabad, not to attack somebody.

Turn to P6

—PHOTO BY ANI

MINI BHARAT’

Hyderabad: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday vowed to get Hyderabad rid of the culture of Nizam, who had once sought to merge the city with Pakistan. Shah, who held an hour-long road show at Warasiguda in Se-

dent of Sharif Nagar village under Devarniyan police station (in Bareilly), who accused a man Uvaish Ahmed of the same village of trying to convert his daughter through “allure-

ment” (bahla-phuslaakar).

The case was registered against Uvaish Ahmed under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the new anticonversion law.

Senior Superinten-

dent of Police Rohit Singh Sajwan said four police teams have been formed to arrest the accused.

According to the complaint, Tikaram’s daughter and Ahmed studied together in Class 12.

Three years ago, the accused started exerting pressure on her to undergo religious conversion and perform ‘nikaah’ (marriage).

But when the woman opposed, he threatened to kidnap her, Tikaram alleged.

Turn to P6

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Varanasi dons new attire to welcome PM First India Bureau

Lucknow: Varanasi is glittering with towering lights, freshly painted dividers, clean ghats and loads of flowers to welcome Prime Minis-

ter Narendra Modi on Monday on the occassiion of Dev Deepawali.

On the other hand Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered officials to make sure things remain in place

as final touches were being given to Raj Ghat, the venue for PM’s welcome.

He also gave instructions that the people in Varanasi should be constantly made aware

through the public address system to comply with the prescribed protocol of Covid-19 during the programme of Dev Deepawali.

He said that Kashi being an important centre

of religious ,spiritual , education and tourism activities has special importance at national and international level and massage generated here goes across the globe.

Ganga Ghats in Varanasi glitter with illuminations ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city on Monday on the occasion of Dev Deepawali.

CM to pitch India’s biggest film making Yogi unveils projects worth facility to filmmakers in tinsel town `204 cr under PMGSY The filmmaking facility is slated to come up in the western part of the state First India Bureau Lucknow: What would an ideal state in India require the most? An efficient taskmaster at the top who can wade it against the tide to take it on top.

The race is quite cutthroat with some of the most expeditious BJP leaders helming the CMs post across various states but, for now, the name that has stood out is of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who in true sense, is an all-rounder.

While on one hand, Yogi’s to-do list has the

CM Yogi is no stranger to Bollywood. He often meets actors, producers, directors when they visit UP.

poverty-stricken daily wagers who need attention, he also features in it those related with the creative world of

Cinema.

After a recent banter with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Septem-

ber, CM Yogi had announced Mumbai would soon see a dramatic shift of Bollywood from Tinsel town

to Western UP with country’s biggest film making facility being set up here.

The Chief Minister is slated to meet a delegation of Bollywood filmmakers next week to discuss prospects of the the proposed film city, producer Rahul Mittra said on Sunday.

Mittra, who has produced films including the “Saheb Biwi Air Gangster” series and “Sarkar 3”, said he has also been invited to participate in the meeting that is to be organised on December 2.

First India Bureau

Lucknow: Pushing forward the growth of rural economy in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath virtually inaugurated various projects worth Rs 204 crores under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana on Sunday.

“I’m happy about works done to push forward rural economy by constructing roads in villages by Union Ministry of Rural Development,” Adityanath said.

The CM also interacted with district panchayat presidents.

“Women as district panchayat presidents

Rajnath Singh to land in Lucknow today

J&K guv lands in UP on a personal visit

First India Bureau

Lucknow: Jammu Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor and former Member of Parliament (MP) Manoj Sinha arrived in Uttar Pradesh on a personal visit.

Sinha reached Jhansi after landing at the Gwalior Road situated defence airstrip. He then headed to worship Goddess Pitambara at Datiya. From here, he

Lucknow: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will arrive in his parliamentary constituency Lucknow to review the development work on Monday. Singh was slated to reach Lucknow on Sunday but due to an important meeting, his programme had to be altered.

He is expected to reach Lucknow airport from where he will later go to his residence in Dilkusha.He will review several development works and will fly back to Delhi in the evening.

Singh is an MP from Lucknow and has won seat in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. from the city.

First India Bureau

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

went to Ramraja Temple in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. The Lt. Guv

then flew back to Delhi.

Born in the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh,

Sinha began his political career as a student leader from the Banaras Hindu University Students Union in 1982.

Soon, he joined the BJP and grew close with then another worker — who went on to become the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

For the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Sinha was also party incharge of PM’s Varanasi constituency.

A road constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna.

are working towards development in as many as 45 districts. PM Gram Sadak Yojana has completed several phases and connected many vilages,” he said.

The CM added that a revolutionary change was seen in the connectivity of villages

under PM Gram Sadak Yojana.

“Through a common service centre and village secretariat in villages, not only public grievances can be addressed but banking, electricity and other facilities can also be provided,” Yogi added.

Akhilesh Yadav takes on BJP for terming farmers as ‘terrorists’

SP Supremo Akhilesh Yadav

GOOD WORK

First India Bureau

CM praises Forest Corp for planting 25 cr plants lll

The State Forest Corporation reached the magical mark despite hindrances due to the novel coronavirus spread in Uttar Pradesh

First India Bureau Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday congratulated the state’s forest corporation for planting 25 crore plants this year.

“I want to congratulate the state’s forest corporation for planting 25 crore plants this year despite COVID-19 spread. We have to think about their growth. Last year we planted 23 crore plants.

Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

It is a big movement for the environment. We have to achieve a new

milestone in the coming years,” Adityanath said while addressing offi-

cials at meeting of the UP Forest Corporation.

The Chief Minister advised the council to take the help of technology and improve the communication between stakeholders of the forest.

“Council should take help from technology.

People who are involved in forest activities should be engaged in various programs. The online portal should be developed to hear the views of the people.

Eco-tourism should be promoted in the state,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department Dara Singh Chauhan, Principal Secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department Sudhir Garg, Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh Forest Corporation Ajay Kumar and other officials were present during the meeting.

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) for allegedly “humiliating the farmers by calling them terrorists” and said that if this is the case then they should stop consuming farmers’ yield.

“Humiliating the farmers by calling them terrorists is BJP at its worst. BJP, supports the rich and wants to mortgage small-businesses, shopkeepers, roads

transport everything to big corporates. If farmers are terrorists, then the party should swear that they will not consume the produce grown by farmers,” Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

Earlier, AAP MLA Raghav Chadha had said: “The farmer of our country is neither a criminal nor a terrorist. Right to protest peacefully is enshrined in Indian Constitution - Article 19(1) and protests are the hallmark of a free, democratic society.”

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BRIEF Cold conditions to prevail in UP The weather remained dry across Uttar Pradesh with shallow to moderate fog occurring at isolated places in the past 24 hours, the meteorological office here said on Sunday. The day temperatures fell appreciably in Varanasi division and rose significantly in Bareilly division but there was no large change in the remaining divisions of the state. The maximum temperature in the state was 28 degrees Celsius recorded at Lucknow and Prayagraj.

30-yr-old shot dead in market A 30-year-old man was shot dead in a crowded market in Civil Lines area here after he allegedly refused to lend Rs 200 to an acquaintance, the police said on Sunday. Ansar Ahmad, a father of three, owned a tyre repair shop at Shamshad Market under Civil Lines Police Station and was killed on Saturday by Asif.

The accused is a drug addict, SP (City) Abhishek Kumar said.

Govt to build more night shelters To ensure proper implication of COVID-19 related safety measures this winter, the UP Government has initiated to build more night shelters. In an order to the DMs, state’s department of revenue has asked for sanitisation of shelter homes, while provisioning sufficient sanitisers and masks, free of cost.

Mills & Boon: Sugarcane gets sweeter in Yogi raj

05

Increased capacity of mills, Khandsari units and ethanol add value

ACS Home Awasthi tells cos: Expedite work of Gorakhpur Expressway

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Lucknow: The sweetness of sugarcane, which has been bitter for farmers due to mounting arrears during the BSP and SP governments, has now returned, thanks to the policies of the Yogi government.

State-of-the-art new mills, increased capacity of old mills, Khandsari units and ethanol are spurring this success story. The outstanding cane dues were a major issue before the Yogi government was voted to power in March 2017. With the coming of the farmer-friendly government, the first focus was on payment of dues.

In the past three years, the Yogi government has paid over Rs 1.12 lakh crore so far.

Along with the payment, the government placed maximum emphasis on modernisation of old mills and establishing of new mills.

Capacity of 11 mills was increased and new mills with state-of-the-art capacity were installed at Pipraich in Gorakhpur, Mundera in Basti and Ramala in Baghpat.

It is noteworthy that

Lucknow: One of the most prominent and preferred members of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s team-Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to ensuring efficiency and follow-up of the assigned tasks.

Though Sunday is a usual holiday in the state bureaucracy, Awasthi was seen brainstorming with his juniors during a review of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway.

Awasthi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Uttar Pradesh Express-

The government under Yogi Adityanath has placed maximum emphasis on modernisation of old mills along with setting up of new mills.

GREEN GOLD SURGE

opening of new mills and modernisation of old mills was a historic step in the interest of farmers in view of 29 mills which were closed between 2007 to 2017 under the earlier governments.

Also, for the first time after 25 years, a government made an arrangement to issue online li-

censes to Khandsari units within 100 hours to crush sugarcane at the local level. It also had units already under its purview. According to the government, at present, licenses have been issued to 105 units. This has increased the crushing capacity to 27850 TDS. To make jaggery more useful through pro-

cessing, the government has declared jaggery a one district one product in Muzaffarnagar and Ayodhya.

To get a higher price for sugar, the work of making sulphur-free sugar has also started in some mills. To make the mills self-reliant in terms of energy, co-generation plants are also being set up in them.

The co-generation plant of about six dozen mills is producing 2000 MW of power.

Along with crushing and payment, the government also set a record in the area of sugar recovery (11.46 per cent).

Awanish Awasthi directed the officials of the companies to speed up the construction of the expressway

ways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), reviewed the construction work of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway on Sunday.

In this meeting, Awasthi while reviewing the progress of construction works, directed the officials of the companies to speed up the construction of the expressway keeping in view the quality standards.

Giving instructions, Awasthi said that the bridge being constructed on the Ghaghra River, should be built with quality material and should be completed within the stipulated time frame.

Along with this, Awasthi gave instructions to resolve problems related to acquisition of land for expressway as soon as possible.

So far, about 19 percent of the work on the expressway and about 84 per cent of the work of clearing and grubbing has been completed. The bridge and the project on the Ghaghra River are targeted to be completed in a time bound manner.

CM Yogi Adityanath with ACS Home Awanish Awasthi at an event.

UP readies storage for vaccine on war footing First India Bureau

Municipal Commissioner Ajay Kumar Dwivedi and Mayor Sanyukta Bhatia along with other officials at the launch of the Bartan Bank on Sunday.

Nagar Nigam Bartan Bank to lend utensils for progs First India Bureau Lucknow:Lucknow Municipal Corporation will soon be lending utensils for small parties and gathering to discourage use of single use disposables, especially plastic.

The Bartan Bank of LMC was launched on Sunday at Jiamau Kalyan Mandap by Mayor Sanyukta Bhatia and Municipal Commissioner Ajay Kumar Dwivedi.

The Corporation is starting this campaign with 500 steel utensils.

The utensils have been given to it by Amarnath Mishra, Vinod Aggarwal as part of CSR. These utensils will be available to all residents for use in small to large programmes or gatherings. The service is being provided free by the Corporation. In place of money, the corporation will take back 101 utensils after lending 100 utensils so that this mission can run for a long time.

If anyone wants to donate utensils in this utensil bank or wants to book

utensils, they can contact - 6389300139,137 and also use the Lucknow One app. In case of a lost or damaged utensil, only replacement by a fresh piece is acceptable; no cash will be accepted. At the time of return, the utensils should be cleaned properly.

This campaign will help the people of middle income because utensils will be given to them free of cost from the utensil bank and it will help reduce the garbage piles after weddings and events.

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has launched a massive exercise to create storage space for the Covid-19 vaccine as and when it arrives.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued instructions to prepare a 1.23 lakh litre cold chain storage capac ity in the state by mid-

December.

Cold chain spaces are designed to keep Covid-19 vaccines at

the recommended temperature from the time of its manufacture till it reaches

First India Bureau Lucknow:UP officials are lauding the state’s Mission Shakti Programme as more and more girls are now being adopted by childless couples from other countries.

According to a government spokesman, orphan girls are being

adopted by couples from countries like Belgium, Spain, Italy, Canada, France and Malta. This trend shines as a beacon of hope for many young lives, as this reflects a changing mindsets.

In 2019, 67 children were adopted by foreigners, out of which 45 were girls. However, in 2020, the number of domestic

adoption soared to 131 despite the raging pandemic, which included 88 girls.

Foreigners adopted 22 girls out of total 35 children adopted from January 1, 2020 to November 22, 2020, an official said.

At least 456 girls have been adopted by domestic and foreign couples in last two years.

Yogi govt’s online FIR system gains popularity ADG Dawa Sherpa said online FIR was being promoted and police stations had been asked to spread info on this in the public

First India Bureau Lucknow: If you are a victim of crime and the police are reluctant to register complaint, you need not worry because there is the facility of online FIR, which goes directly to the top officials of the police department, who then instruct the police station concerned to expedite the process of police action. This saves the hassle of taking the rounds of the police station.

Recently one Rana Pratap Singh of Sikriganj under Geeda police station was hit by a gunshot in a marriage and the police were noncooperative.

The youth then filed an online FIR and now without any hassle the case has been taken up by the police on orders from the higher ups.

One can download the UP Cop app and register by filling in one’s name, address and other required personal details

pur Kheri, Basti, Kanpur Dehat, Hathras, and Siddhartha Nagar already have sufficient storage space in place for keeping ice-lined refrigerators holding 36,901 litres.

Arrangements in other districts are also being made in a phased manner and the entire exercise to build cold chain space of 1,23,205 litres will most likely be completed by December 15.

More girls find homes abroad

SMART MOVE



the target beneficiary.

Slight changes and flunctuations in temperature can adversely affect the efficacy of the vaccines.

Officials are hopeful that Uttar Pradesh may receive four crore doses of the vaccine in the initial phase and adequate storage space is needed to ensure the vaccines are not rendered ineffective.

Lucknow, Lakhim-

The police have been asked to spread information on online FIR.

before choosing the right option for the type of complaint to be filed.

However, named FIR cannot be filed through

this system because the police feel by allowing this, innocent people can be framed. The police file named FIRs af-

ter its probe. Cases of lost and found or missing persons, accidents, incidents, thefts or triple talak cases can be filed through this app.

FIRs can also be lodged on UP Police website uppolice.gov.in. In both cases the complainant will receive the copy of the FIR and the police station location.

ADG Dawa Sherpa said online FIR was being promoted and police stations had been asked to spread information.

The gunny bags containing the tortoises in police watch.

Over 2,500 tortoises seized, 4 arrested First India Bureau Lucknow: The police on Friday night confiscated 2581 tortoises being transported in gunny bags by a truck at Etawah. Their price is estimated to be Rs 1 crore. Saifai police arrested four people in this regard.

Saifai police station in-charge Satish Chandra Yadav said during checking, a van followed by a truck were moving towards Karhal from Mainpuri and despite being asked to stop for checking, they tried to speed of. Later they

were chased and caught, though the driver of the truck, identified as Munna Singh, managed to give the police a slip.

The persons in the van said the tortoises were collected from different parts of Mainpuri to be supplied to Kolkata.

Etawah resident Kaptan Singh and Jagdish while Mainpuri residents Kalicharan and Suresh were arrested and interrogated by the police. They said Kalicharan was the mastermind of the crime who had bought the tortoises from different places to send them to Kolkata.

INDIA LUCKNOW | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

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Situation remains tense around Delhi-UP border and beyond Hundreds of farmers from Rajasthan & Punjab continued to join the farmers’ protest at the border areas

Gold worth Rs 1.57 cr seized at Chennai Airport Chennai: The Chennai Air Customs officials have seized 3.15 kilogram of gold worth Rs 1.57 crores from Chennai International Airport and arrested three accused in connection with the recovery. As per a tweet by Chennai Air Customs on Sunday, gold sheets or foils were recovered from LCD monitors, 12 gold sheets from a laptop and a trolley bag and three packets of gold paste were recovered from the pant of the accused. —ANI

—PHOTOS BY ANI

New Delhi: After spending another night in the cold, thousands of farmers continued to protest against the Centre’s new agri laws on the fourth consecutive day on Sunday, staying put at the Singhu and Tikri border points. # “We do not accept the condition of their (govt) proposal. We are ready to talk but will not accept any condition now,” said Gurnam Singh Chadhoni, Haryana unit president for the Bhartiya Kisan Union.

Darshan Pal, Punjab president of Krantikari Kisan Union, said, “The government has invited us to talk with conditions. The environment should be created for a conversation. We will not talk if there are any conditions”.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to the farmers to shift to the Burari ground and had said the Centre was

A large number of farmers gather during their protest against the farm laws at Singhu border in New Delhi on Sunday.

ready to hold discussions with them as soon as they move to the designated place. A delegation of the farmers has been invited for a discussion on December 3, he said, adding now that

some of their unions have demanded that talks should be held immediately, the central government is ready to do so as soon as the protesters shift to ground in Burari.—PTI

MiG debris located in search operation Panaji: The Indian Navy has recovered some debris of the MiG-29K aircraft that went missing 3 days back in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast, a spokesperson said on Sunday, adding the search continued with ships and aircraft for missing pilot Cdr Nishant Singh. In addition to nine warships and 14 aircraft engaged in search efforts, Indian Navy’s Fast Interceptor Craft

also deployed to search waters along the coast, a defence release said. The MiG29K trainer aircraft crashed into the Arabian sea on Thursday.

One of the pilots on board the aircraft was rescued while an operation is still underway to locate Commander Nishant Singh. The Mig-29 aircraft operate from the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. —PTI

A women farmer holds a stick during their protest against the farm laws at Delhi-Ghaziabad border in New Delhi on Sunday.

Heavy rains likely in Kerala over next few days Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the State Disaster Management Authority has directed the public to be vigilant as the impact of the lowpressure area formed in the Bay of Bengal may cause extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds in parts of Kerala. “Going to sea from the coast of Kerala will be completely banned from midnight on November 30 as the sea is likely to be very rough from December 1. —PTI

Urmila Matondkar set to Wajid ’s family tried to join Shiv Sena today convert me to Islam: Wife New Delhi: Bollywood actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar, who exited Congress just 5 months after contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on its ticket, will join the Shiv Sena on Monday. In her statement, Urmila Matondkar said, “My political and social sensibilities refuse to allow vested interests in the party to use me as a means to

‘TALK TO FARMERS UNCONDITIONALLY’

Urmila Matondkar

fight petty in-house politics instead of working on a bigger goal in Mumbai Congress.” —PTI

Mumbai: Late music composer Wajid Khan's wife, Kamalrukh Khan, has claimed she was subjected to "scare tactics" & was made an "outcast" by her in-laws after she refused to convert to Islam.Wajid Khan of duo Sajid-Wajid passed away in June.

Opening up about her experience through an Instagram handle, Kamalrukh said she is a

Wajid Khan’s wife Kamalrukh

Parsi who got married to the "Dabangg" composer under the Special Marriages Act. —PTI

06

MP loses 26 Tigers; birth rate rore than deaths, says govt Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh, which is known as the "tiger state" of India, has lost 26 striped animals so far this year, as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

Reacting to it, Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Vijay Shah told PTI that the average death rate of tigers was less compared to their birth rate in the state in last six years.

According to the National Tiger Conservation Authoritys (NTCA) website, out of the 26 tiger deaths reported since April this year, MP lost 21 felines inside the tiger reserves, including 10 in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.

No tiger death was reported in the first three months of this year, as per the data.

In 2019, the state lost 28 tigers while three cases of seizures of body parts due to poaching were also reported.

Karnataka, which is on the second position in the number of tigers

in the country, registered eight deaths and two seizures of tiger body parts this year, as per the data. The state lost 12 big cats last year.

"Right now, MP has 124 tiger cubs. The cubs were not counted during the last census (in 2018). In the next count, we are going to have more than 600 tigers," Mr Shah said.

"We have more tigers than the area for them.

Take the example of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve-it has 125 tigers whereas it has the territory to house only 90," he said. The minister attributed the big number of tiger deaths in Bandhavgarh to the territorial fight among the big cats for space and dominance. —PTI

Coronavirus: Cause for worry as cases rise steadily in 8 states & UT New Delhi: Nearly 71 per cent of the 496 new COVID-19 fatalities reported in a span of 24 hours from 8 states and union territories with Delhi recording the highest number of 89 deaths followed by Maharashtra with 88 and West Bengal with 52, the Union health ministry said on Sunday. It said 22 states and UTs have recorded case fatality rates lower than the national average of 1.46 per cent.

The total cases mounted to 93,92,919 with 41,810 new infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,36,696 with 496 new fatalities.

The active COVID-19 caseload remained below 5 lakh for the 19th consecutive day.There are 4,53,956 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 4.83 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 88,02,267

People wearing face masks stand in line to enter a station in New Delhi.

HOLY DIP BANNED ON KARTIK PURNIMA

pushing the national recovery rate to 93.71 per cent. India’’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and 40 lakh on September 5. It went past 50 lakh on September 16,

60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, and surpassed 90 lakh on November 20.

As per ICMR, over 13.95 crore samples have been tested up to November 28

lane stretch of the national highway between the city and Prayagraj.

He will also undertake a site visit of Kashi Vishwanath temple corridor project and go to the Sarnath archaeological site as well.

The 73-km stretch of the newly widened and six-lane NH19, which has been made with a cost of Rs 2,447 crore, is expected to reduce the travel time between Prayagraj and Varanasi an hour, it added.

CM Yogi, who lead the arrangements in Varanasi has said that the return of the Goddess from Canada is one of

the greatest moments on Dev Deepawali.

—FILE PHOTO

with 12,83,449 samples being tested on Saturday. The 496 new fatalities include 89 from Delhi, 88 from Maharashtra 52 from West Bengal, 30 from Haryana, 28 from Punjab, 25 from Kerala and 21 from Uttar Pradesh.

1,36,696 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 46,986 from Maharashtra, 11,750 from Karnataka, 11,694 from Tamil Nadu, 8,998 from Delhi, 8,322 from West Bengal, 7,718 from UP, 6,981 from Andhra Pradesh, 4,765 from Punjab, 3,953 from Gujarat and 3,237 from Madhya Pradesh. —PTI

FROM PG 1 CM Yogi’s...

The complainant’s daughter married someone else in June this year. However, Ahmed continued to harass her family members, he said. According to the complaint, Ahmed went to Tikaram’s house on Saturday and asked him to bring his daughter back from her in-laws’ house.

Threatening her family, the accused told Tikaram that the woman will have to undergo religious conversion and marry him, according to the complaint.

Tikaram subsequently approached the po-

lice, and a case was registered against the accused. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Bareilly range, Rajesh Kumar Pandey told reporters that the case was being investigated.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Saturday gave assent to an ordinance against forcible or fraudulent religious conversions that provides for imprisonment up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 50,000 under different categories.

The promulgation of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion

Ordinance, 2020, came four days after the Yogi Adityanath government approved the draft of the legislation which also curbs religious conversions only for the sake of marriage.

Under the law which deals with different categories of offences, a marriage will be declared “null and void” if the conversion of a woman is solely for that purpose, and those wishing to change their religion after marriage need to apply to the district magistrate.

‘Will turn...

“The BJP will not un-

dermine any election, whether they are gully or national elections.

We have come to Hyderabad because you don’t come out of your farmhouse and your government has not cleaned up even a single gully,” he said.

Referring to the allegations that the BJP ministers had not come to call on people when Hyderabad was in floods and the Modi government had not given a single rupee towards flood relief, Shah sought to know whether KCR or All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders had

visited any flood-affected areas. Reacting to MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi’s question as to what the Centre was doing when Rohingyas were staying illegally in the country, Shah said everybody had watched on television sets as to who had made a hue and cry in Parliament, when the Centre was bringing a bill to repatriate Rohigyas. “Let Owaisi give it in writing. We shall drive away Rohingyas immediately,” he said.

On Dev...

On the work front, PM will inaugurate a six-

Farmers reject...

They said the farmers will not accept any conditional dialogue and will block all five entry points to Delhi.

“The condition laid down by Home Minister Amit Shah is not acceptable to us. We will not hold any conditional talks. We reject the government’s offer. The blockade will not end.

We will block all five entry point to Delhi,” Surjeet S Phul, Bhartiya Kisan Union’s Punjab president, told reporters.

Covidshield trial... for its testing, ‘manufacture and distribution’, failing which legal action would be taken.

The legal notice has been sent to Pune based Serum Institute of India (SII), which has collaborated with Oxford University and Astra Zeneca, a pharmaceutial company, in connection with making of the vaccine, ‘Covidshield.’

ICMY, one of the sponsors besides SII & Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, which administered the vaccine to the man, have been served with the notice.

NEWS LUCKNOW | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

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CM lays foundation of

data centre in Gr Noida CM Yogi Adityanath also orders setting up of hospital near Jewar First India Bureau Noida: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday laid the foundation stone for a data centre to be developed at Greater Noida.

The chief minister also directed officials to establish a 100-bed hospital and a trauma centre near the Yamuna Expressway at Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar.

Adityanath virtually joined the ceremony for the ambitious data centre project from the state capital along with Cabinet Minister Satish Mahana, among others.

The state government had on October

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

24 given its approval to the data centre which will be set up by Mumbai-based real estate group Hiranandani on a 20-acre plot and would cost approximately Rs 600 crore, according to officials.

In the absence of adequate data centres, data is largely stored in locations outside the country but with this data park it will now be safely kept within the state, the officials added.

DEATH OF BUSINESSMAN

Crusher businessman Indrakant Tripathi, resident of Mohalla Jawahar Nagar in Kabrai, had made a video go viral on social media on September 7 accusing the then SP Manilal Patidar of demanding bribe.

The businessman also sent the video and letter to CM and DGP. In the video, the businessman had expressed his inability in paying the money demanded due to a dip in the kabarai stone market. The businessman had also accused the SO and expressed a fear of his likely murder.

Meanwhile, the next morning Indrakant was found injured in his car.

A bullet was shot on his throat. He was sent to the Regency Hospital in Kanpur for treatment but he died on 13 September.

On September 11, on the direction of the government, the police registered a case under section 302 of the IPC against IPS Manilal Patidar, Kabrai police station incharge Devendra Shukla, Constable Arun Yadav and two traders.

WILL FREE RATION COST DEAR?

I

t is a known fact that the Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh had made elaborate arrangements for free ration distribution for the poor and needy during the peak Covid crisis in Lucknow This is altogether different story that many affluent and resourceful people feasted on this free ration by using their connections to get ration card made in their name during the crisis period. All these people who feasted on this free & unethical ration should now be ready to shed some of their precious body weight as the UP government

Wife of scribe, who was charred to death,

threatens self-immolation in Balrampur First India Bureau Balrampur/Lucknow: The case of the alleged murder of journalist Rakesh Singh Nirbheek and his fellow Hinduist leader Pintu Sahu being burnt and killed, is gaining attention.

Before the funeral of the journalist, his wife Vibha Singh said that she does not trust the police at all. If all the culprits are not arrested within two days, then she will commit self-immolation with her two daughters in front of the Collectorate office.

Sadar MLA Paltu Ram, who reached the spot, assured the journalist’s wife of getting the accused arresting within two days and said that Vibha Singh would be provided job

and her daughters would be granted financial assistance. After the MLA’s assurances, the body of the journalist was taken for cremation amidst heavy security.

On Friday night, Rakesh was in his house with his friend Pintu Sahu (36). A sudden fire broke out in the room at midnight. One wall of the room was also damaged with the explosion. Pintu Sahu died on the spot whereas Rakesh was taken to the district joint hospital for treatment.

Rakesh was ostensibly screaming in the hospital, that he was about to break some big news and that’s why the Panch and the Pradhan etc. have burned him alive. He was later referred to Lucknow and succumbed during

Slain journalist Rakesh Singh Nirbheek’s wife Vibha Singh.

treatment at the Civil Hospital there.

The room in which the incident happened was reportedly locked from the outside and the mobiles of these two were placed on the table outside that room.

SP Devaranjan Verma said that two police teams have been set up to reveal the case. Five people are being interrogated. Many important clues have been found in the inquiry.

Anyone involved in the incident will not be spared.

The Commissioner Devipatan Mandal, DIG Devipatan Range, Honorable Sadar MLA Palturam Ji, District Magistrate Balrampur and Superintendent of Police Balrampur, visited the family of the deceased journalist Rakesh Singh Nirbheek and offered a check of Rs. 5 lakh was passed to his wife.

The management of Balrampur Sugar Mill has promised an immediate job to Mrs. Vibha Singh. Adequate arrangements regarding the further education of both his girls have been ensued by the administration.

24×7 security has also been to the family of Late journalist Nirbheek.

Cops, locals loot petrol alike after tanker turns turtle in Goarkhpur

WINTER IS HERE!

`25,000 reward declared on IPS officers on the run Mahoba: SP Arun Kumar Srivastava, on Monday announced a reward of Rs 25 thousand each on IPS Manilal Patidar and Sepoy Arun Yadav, who are both absconding in the suspected death of crusher businessman Indrakant Tripathi of Kabrai in Mahoba.

At the same time, there may soon be another FIR registered against IPS Patidar.

Prosecution officers are being consulted for the FIR in the case of illegal recovery. Preparations are also underway for the distrainment of the property of both.

Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Srivastava said that three policemen, including IPS Manilal Patidar, were declared fugitives by the Special Court of Lucknow on November 15.

On Wednesday, the police arrested Devendra Shukla, then incharge of Kabrai police station, from Jhansi border. This was the first arrest of a policeman in the case; 84 days later.

Earlier, two crusher traders were arrested.

“A 100-bed hospital and trauma centre should be built near Yamuna Expressway: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath,” his office tweeted.

Responding to the development, Greater Noida-Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh said the setting up of a hospital in the region would benefit the local residents.

“This is a unique gift from the chief minister to the Jewar assembly constituency.

The hospital will give relief to local residents from the arbitrary and costly treatments given by private facilities,” Singh tweeted.

07

First India Bureau

Birds take flight in the backdrop of Taj Mahal engulfed in a thick fog in Agra.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Police nab man impersonating as Amit Shah’s nephew & trying to meet MLA First India Bureau Agra: Police took a young man custody who came to meet the BJP MLA Yogendra Upadhyay in Agra.

The young man called up the MLA and introduced himself as the nephew of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He had been calling the MLA for several days and was talking about coming to Agra. On Sun-

has ordered the Lucknow DM to scrutinize all the ration cards issued from March to September. Anybody having a two wheeler/four wheeler/ air conditioner/ generator/ his own house (more than 100 sq meters) or an annual income more than Rs three lakh will be made to cough up the cost of free goodies they had consumed clandestinely. Now the gossip in the capital is that since the free ration somehow made to some really influential people also so will the government be able to get something out of this shameless brazen lot?

—Ahtesham Siddiqui

day afternoon, he came to meet the MLA. The youth told the MLA that he was not aware of Agra’s geography and requested some-

one to accompany him.

The MLA sent his son with the young man.

After shopping at a clothing showroom on MG Road, the young

man looked at the MLA’s son for payment of Rs. 40,000. This made the MLA’s son suspicious and he informed his father.

The MLA inquired on his level and found that the man declaring himself a nephew of Shah had duped earlier too.

He called the Naayi mandi police and handed over the young man to them. The Police is interrogating him.

Goarkhpur: The tanker, carrying petrol from Baitalpur oil depot in Deoria district lost control and overturned in front of Kowabagh police post in Gorakhpur. As soon as the incident happened, the filled petrol started flowing on the road. Seeing the prized petrol flowing on the road, locals and even some policemen began to fill gallons.

Umesh Kahar, a driver from Lumbini (Nepal), drove from the Baitalpur depot with a petrol filled tanker at dawn on Saturday.

Around four o’clock he reached the Kauwa police post. In an attempt to save a high speed truck coming from the front, the tanker lost control and turned over. Thankfully, there was no major accident.

As the tanker overturned, petrol started flowing on the road.

On getting this information, the nearby people reached with buckets and gallons to collect the flowing petrol from the tanker.

The outpost in-charge gave information to the fire brigade. Later, two fire engines reached the spot.

A policeman stealing petrol.

Three cranes were also called from Transport Nagar but the tanker could not be lifted due to its weight.

The police had to use force to remove the increasing crowd at the spot.

Traffic on Mohdipur-Asuran road was disrupted from 4 am to 3 pm due to this tanker overturning in the middle of the road.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, the tanker was straightened up with the help of a 40-tonne crane. A foam shower was poured over the tanker to ensure safety from sparking fire emanating from the crane. Officers breathed a sigh of relief when the tanker woke up.

Army officer found hanging at his house in Muzaffarnagar EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY!

O

ne particular dog is making news in the up bureaucracy these days. The popularity of this dog is not restricted to the bureaucracy alone but also has a tremendous reach on the social media as well because it is no ordinary dog since it is a pet of a woman IAS officer. This IAS officer is currently posted as DM of one of the districts of Western Uttar Pradesh.

The pet and the owner have a tremendous level of affection for

each other. The privileged pet is often seen travelling along with the DM madam in her official car while she is on her official visits. No matter how hectic the schedule of DM madam is, she somehow finds time for her favourite pet. The two-way story of the selfish love between the pet and the owner is also often visible on Twitter as well. UP bureaucracy officers are often heard saying that if someone is having a good time during Covid then it’s the DM madam and her doggy.

—Vishal Srivastav

First India Bureau Muzaffarnagar: A 36-year-old Army officer was found hanging at his house on Sunday in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh in a suspected case of suicide, police said.

Kuldeep, 36, was found hanging from the ceiling at home with no suicide note left behind, they added. According to Circle Officer Pradeep Singh,

his wife was not present when the incident took place and the cause behind the step has not yet been identified.

The soldier was posted in Leh with the Jat Regiment of the Indian Army and had come home on leave for a month on November 13. The body has been sent for a post-mortem while an investigation is on.The jawan leaves behind his wife and two children.

A mind will either wear out or rust away. We have to decide ourselves what our mind will doit is purely a decision not a chance.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

08

UTTAR PRADESH

14,62,945 6,28,72,202 1,37,151 94,30,705 7,742 5,41,873 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 47,071 DEATHS 18,20,059 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 2,292 DEATHS 2,65,386 CASES

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

KARNATAKA 11,765 DEATHS 8,83,899 CASES

DEATHS

DELHI 9,066 DEATHS 5,66,648 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

GUJARAT 3,969 DEATHS 2,08,278 CASES

asks Centre to MNREGA Scam: CBI gets govt nod to Maya reconsider farm laws prosecute former IAS officer Dubey First India Bureau

The CBI had sought permission from the state govt to prosecute Sachidanand Dubey under the new rule First India Bureau Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has given its nod to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute the then District Magistrate (DM) retired IAS officer Sachidanand Dubey for his involvement in MNREGA scam in Balrampur.

The CBI had sought permission from the state government to prosecute Dubey under the new rules after he was found guilty in its investigation. With this decision of the state government, the problems of Sachchidanand Dubey are sure to increase.

A scam in Mid Day Meal Scheme had also come to the fore in 2014 when Dubey was the

Former IAS officer Sachidanand Dubey (Right) The CBI office.

DM in Mainpuri. After filing a case against him, the CBI had raided the house of Dubey on July 21, 2014 and seized about Rs 51 lakh placed inside envelopes in several almirahs. It was found that the amount was bribe amount the officer had collected while he was the DM of Balrampur.

After that the CBI had arrested him and sent

Two women among 3 killed in mishap

WHAT CBI FOUND

him to jail.

The CBI had got proofs that Sachidanand had also spent MNREGA budget on purchase of stationery, gen-

erator set and awareness campaigns during his tenure as Balrampur DM between 2007 and 2009.

The purchases were

made not from Central agencies but NGOs, wherein there were financial discrepancies worth crores of rupees.

The investigation agency has already filed charge sheets in four cases of Balrampur while many cases are under investigation.

Likewise, Dubey was also reportedly involved in corruptions in Mid Day Meal scheme

CALL OFF THE DOG!

First India Bureau Lucknow: Three people, including two women, were killed while two others seriously injured when a van they were travelling in collided headon with a Uttar Pradesh roadways bus on Sunday.

The deceased have been identified as Maya Devi (42), Ram Kali (39) and Rinku (21) all residents of Saurikh in Kannauj.

Circle Officer (Bilhaur) Santosh Singh said the accident took place on the GT Road near Dhamni Nivada village in Shivrajpur when the roadways bus and the van, ferrying five people, collided head-on.

BSP supremo Mayawati

were being appealed to shift their demonstration to Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari on the outskirts of the national capital.

“Protests happen at Ramlila ground, then why should we go to Nirankari Bhawan, a private facility? ” BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said. This comes hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to the farmers’ union to gather on Nirankari Samagam Ground, saying the Centre was ready to hold talks even before the scheduled day of December 3.

First case against ‘love jihad’ gets VHP chief pat First India Bureau

The bus was on its way to Hardoi, while the van was heading towards Kannauj Local residents rushed to the site and immediately took the people out. The three people had died on the spot itself, the CO added. The injured persons, including the two seriously injured -- Puran Lal (37) and Ram Prakash (18)-were admitted to Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital, where their condition is said to be critical. The bus and the van were travelling at a high speed and that led to the accident, officials said.

while serving as Mainpuri DM. In this apart from the then CDOs JB Singh and Uday Shankar Chaturvedi, the former BSA KDN Ram and supply firm was accused by the CBI. The Enforcement Directorate had also registered eight cases in the MNREGA scam, in which Sachidanand Dubey was also questioned.

The ED is probing the MNREGA scam and also searching for different properties of the accused officials. It might attach such properties.

Given the strict anticorruption stance of the Yogi Adityanath government in the state, the difficulties of Sachidanand are sure to rise and he might have to surrender in the court soon.

Lucknow: Amid farmers’ protests against Union government’s agricultural laws, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati said it would be better if the Central government reconsiders the three newly-enacted legislation.

“Farmers are quite angry and agitating throughout the country, expressing their disagreement about the recently enacted three laws related to agriculture by the Central government. In view of this, if the Union government reconsiders these laws, made without the consent of the farmers, it would be better,” Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.

As farmers on Sunday continued their protest against the Central farm laws at the Ghaziabad-Delhi border, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) asked why they

Due to the cutting of the forest by humans, animals living in the wild often turn towards the city. When one of the tigers tried to come into to a populated area from Pilibhit tiger reserve and started to attack cows and other cattle, a dog confronted him and forced him to return.

—PHOTO BY SUMIT KUMAR

New Delhi: International Working President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Alok Kumar on Sunday congratulated the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government for registering the first case under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020.

“I am very satisfied and must congratulate UP Chief Minister for becoming the first state in the country to have an effective law in the matter of ‘Love Jihad’, and religious conversions brought about by force, deception and deceit,” Kumar said. The first case has been registered

International Working President of the VHP Alok Kumar

under the newly-promulgated ordinance at the Deorania police station in Bareilly. The man, who was accused of pressuring a woman to convert her religion is absconding, the police said.

The VHP president said that forceful conversion through deceit and force was ‘becoming a pandemic’ in many states including UP.

“This is becoming a pandemic problem in many states. Hindu girls are being harassed. It cannot be tolerated in any civilised society,” he added.

He further appreciated the speed at which the ordinance had been passed and promulgated, and said that the Bareilly police’s quick action was a sign of determination and effectiveness.

IN FULL SWING

Amid covid precautions, Jaunpur gears up for teacher MLC polls 

A total of 94 booths have been set up for the election.

Teacher MLCs have got 22 booths and 72 booths are for graduate MLCs

First India Bureau Varanasi: Preparations have been completed for the graduation and teacher MLC elections. The polling is scheduled on December 1 in Jaunpur.

Polling parties will be dispatched from the Collectorate from 8 am on Monday morning.

Assistant Returning Officer Dinesh Kumar Singh held a meeting in this regard and allocated responsibilities to

all. A total of 94 booths have been set up for the election. Teacher MLCs have got 22 booths and 72 booths are for graduate MLCs. Voting will be held from 8 am to 5 pm on December 1. While there are 6706 teacher voters across the district, the number of graduate voters is 48418.Special arrangements are being made at all polling stations of the district, the responsibility of which

A poll official preparing for the MLC elctions to be held tomorrow.

has been given to the BDO. The voters will also be given flowers.

Chairs and drinking water would be provided to the voters.

After the polling is over by 5 pm, the election ballot, ballot account etc. will be submitted at the Collectorate. After this, on behalf of the District Election Department, a team will be sent to submit these to Varanasi under the leadership of the designated officer.

There, these will be kept in the strong room of the commissioner.

Covid-19 Help Desk has been set up at all polling stations and polling places. The temperature of the voters will be checked through a thermal scanner. Hand gloves and hand sanitizers will be provided.

After this, voters will vote on the form according to their order of preference with the pen given by the polling personnel.

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09

LUCKNOW, MONDAY NOVEMBER 30, 2020

POSITIVE CHANGE

Priyanka Chopra Jonas shared the news with her fans about her recent honour of being named the British Fashion Council’s Ambassador for ‘Positive Change’.

She will be working in London for the same, over the coming year.

THE MONTH THAT WAS CITY FIRST BRUSHES UP THE HAPPENINGS OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IN BOLLYWOOD; COME WHAT MAY... LIFE GOES ON! ED-A-MAMMA

Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt officially launched her own conscious clothing apparel brand for children, ‘Ed-a-Mamma’ this month. The brand caters to children aged 2 to 14 years.

DDLJ BACK AGAIN TYING A KNOT SOON

Gauhar Khan and Zaid Darbar announced that they will be tying a knot on 25 December. They will be having a private and intimate ceremony with just close friends and family, due to the pandemic.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge (DDLJ) started playing at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir Theatre once again this month after the theatres finally reopened in Maharashtra after almost eight months of being shut during COVID. DDLJ has been playing in the Maratha Mandir since its release on 20 October, 1995.

JUG JUG JEEYO

Karan Johar kickstarted the shooting of his upcoming film ‘Jug Jug Jeeyo’ in Chandigarh this month, with actors Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani and Prajakta Kohli.

The comedy entertainer marks Neetu Kapoor’s comeback in movies after seven years.

51 YEARS STRONG

Amitabh Bachchan completed 52 years in the Bollywood industry and shared a unique artwork made by a fan to commemorate the star’s major contribution to Indian cinema.

WORKING HARD

BLESSED

Bollywood actor Amrita Rao and husband RJ Anmol welcomed their first child and were blessed with a baby boy earlier this month.

Taapsee Pannu has been preparing really hard for her upcoming film ‘Rashmi Rocket’. She has been sharing her fascinating fitness workouts from the practice field, as she has been following strict fitness regimes to prepare her body like an athlete.

LICENSED SCUBA DIVER Sonakshi Sinha, who was on a vacation to the Maldives recently, announced that she is now a licensed scuba diver and attained a 100 percent score in the open water diver course test.

DURGAVATI TO DURGAMATI

Bhumi Pednekar revealed the poster of her upcoming film ‘Durgamati’ which will be released on 11 December on the OTT platform.

It was earlier titled ‘Durgavati’. Bhumi will be portraying a horror character in the film.

—COORDINATED BY NEHAL NAYAR

ETC LUCKNOW | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

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10

THREE BAGS FULL: THE SAD REALITY MARIAM ABUHAIDERI thepersianladki@gmail.com

L

activist, my dad would speak highly of Maneka Gandhi. I was told she is the only hope the animals of our country have. This incident has tarnished the image I hold of her. Politics is rife with politics.

Honestly, as a member of the ruling party, she could have done

FA CE OF TH ED AY

ast week was eventful.

The highlights: I intervened in a dog abuse case, I went hunting for land to help solve the ‘cow on the road’ problem, and I attended a royal wedding.

I received a frantic call from a young girl. She told me that some members of her residential colony had beaten 30 dogs and puppies with hockey sticks. Infuriated, I called upon other activists from the area to intervene. Every so often, I receive calls like this where animals are subjected to cruelty. I am unable to get involved with every case that comes my way.

This time I decided to send others to be the first responders as I was nursing a sick kitten.

They reported back to me saying the situation was beyond their control and that we would have to get the police involved. This is when I got involved and accompanied the girl to the police station so she could file a formal complaint.

Sadly, the police showed no interest in the pleas of the eyewitness.

Despite our visit to the police station and our complaint they chose not to investigate. It has been 4 days now. The police have not shown up and the abuse continues.

Such is the state of our Police.

The girl was advised to contact Maneka Gandhi by another activist. Much to my surprise, instead of supporting the girl, her and her assistant screamed back at the young lady and blamed her for the action of the colony residents. Perhaps our honorable minister is caught up in her legal battles but is there a need for her office to frighten and cause mental trauma to a young animal lover? She was blamed for not having sheltered the dogs, and called a “mental case”. Is this what we expect from the elected leaders of our country?

Are these the people we vote for? I remember in my initial days as an

so much more in making the laws more favorable toward animals.

Yet she only responds to individual cases, a strategy I consider futile. India needs to revisit its archaic laws altogether. Am I straying away from my optimistic attitude? Perhaps, this and many

YOUR DAY Horoscope by

Saurabbh Sachdeva

other cases have made me wonder if India’s political fabric is so deeply stained that it can’t be whitewashed. We seriously must reconsider who we nominate, and to which post.

In one of my previous columns, I have mentioned the problem of cows dying due to plastic consumption that we humans very conveniently discard on roads. In that piece, I did mention that a few activists and myself are working to find a solution. So this week we set off to find government land to create Gauchar Bhumis or Chara Gaas. I made a startling discovery during our meeting with the local Graham Panchayat. We were informed that the government has allocated land as Gauchar Bhumis and Chara Gahs, except as you may have guessed by now, it is all been encroached and sold to colonies, and by none other than the

ARIES

TAURUS

This is one of your luckiest days in which you are poised to achieve the unachievable! This is a rewarding day to grab the benefits.

Your performance on a specific task is likely to come up for praise by those who matter. Salary increase may become a reality for some.

Those trying to raise a loan will meet with success.

Moonlighting promises to earn good money for some. Choosing healthy alternatives over junk food is likely to have a positive effect on your health. Handle an off-mood family elder with tact.

You will be appreciated.

GEMINI

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

Be a little proactive on the professional front and volunteer to take more responsibilities. Students are likely to add a feather in their cap by bringing in brilliant results in the studies. Financial front grows stronger as you come across big money. Right timing is the key for you.

Someone can ask you for a favour on the professional front. You are likely to settle well in your work routine today. At times it is best to keep your opinions to yourself. A positive influence on health by changed lifestyle and self-discipline will be quite apparent.

A financially sound investment is likely to come your way. Your hard work is likely to be recognised and get you back into the rat race. Initiatives taken by you on the professional front are likely to be appreciated by all. Good earning is set to improve your quality of life.

SAGITTARIUS Stars indicate a strong possibility of a windfall. You continue to excel on the academic front. Appreciation comes to you for something achieved on the professional front. A deeper understanding with the one you love can be expected and help strengthen the loving bonds.

MAR 21 - APR 20

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

NOV 23 - DEC 22

ROSHNI BHATIA, Influencer

Jaipur Development Authority.

Land reserved for cows and other free-roaming animals, snatched away by our very own government. Thieves!

How far have we humans gone in encroaching on nature? India is a country that revers the cow as a mother. And this is the state they are in. I feel for the poor bovines.

Government, you bring shame to the country. And shame on the people who do business with the government knowing well that this land belongs to the animals.

Now you may ask what angle a royal wedding adds to all of this.

The hall in the palace was decorated with portraits of Maharajas and Maharanis. There were also the remains of the wild animals shot by members of the family and displayed as trophies, albeit many decades ago. I could tell from the conversations that these posses-

AUG 24 - SEP 23

Property related transactions should be postponed to a later date. A get together with cousins and friends will bring in the fun element.

Those looking for jobs may have to pull up their socks to prepare for the upcoming interviews. Your hard work will be quite visible.

sions are a matter of great pride for the family. They are part of their family history. I too listened to the stories of how each animal was hunted with great interest.

Would I support hunting now, absolutely not! But I also know I can’t change the past. And it was not my place to tell the guests that hunting is wrong. Each one of the guests regarded himself and herself as an animal lover. Yet hunting was not considered animal abuse. For me, these were just stories. These animals have already become part of the royal hallways. All we can do is hope no more walls get decorated with animals.

I hope this week brings brighter things for the animals of our country. May there be more animal lover births! May more parents say of their newborn child, “Mere beta/beti badah hoke acha/achi insaan banegi!”

CANCER

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

You are likely to remain socially active by meeting whoever you can and expanding your circle. A property owned by you is likely to give you good returns. Job seekers may be in for a long wait for getting a suitable job. Your friend’s circle is set to increase.

SCORPIO

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

A dream you had harboured for long is about to be realised. This is an excellent day that promises to boost your image both on the social and professional fronts.

Winning a lucrative deal on the business front is indicated and will help in furthering your interests.

Your standing on the social front may get the boost it deserves. A comparatively cooler time at work may come as a big relief to some. Someone with his or her self-interest in mind is likely to appease you. You cannot help but appreciate your rival on the social front for his or her achievements.

Your sincere efforts on the academic front are likely to bring success. You manage to keep people who matter on your right side on the social front. There are many who will support you when you really require them. Acquisition of property is in the pipeline for some.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

Professionally, you may feel on the top of the world as things move favourably.

Excellent showing on the academic front will help you join the lead pack. Your image shines bright, as you remain at your helpful best.

Marriage of someone close in the family is likely to get fixed.

FEB20 - MARCH 20

ETC LUCKNOW | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

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11

Realm of challenges H

athaway has sons Jonathan and Jack with husband Adam Shulman, and she opened up about motherhood during an interview with a magazine.

Talking about her biggest challenge as a mother during lockdown, she said it was the “laundry”.

However, she went on to share how motherhood has provided her with “tonnes of opportunities”.

“I’m always hesitant to frame things in the realm of challenges because I think it sets a tone.

As a mum, I’ve found tonnes of opportunities,” she said.

—Agency

...her post

Dedication, on point

A

nushka Sharma is back in town and although pregnant and counting down days to delivery, she clearly has no issues shooting during the pandemic! Anushka also announced that she intends to start shooting for films as soon as she delivers her child, due in January 2021.

Anushka, who is currently shooting back to back endorsements after creating a protective, full-proof bio-bubble with her staff, says, “It’s been great being on the set actually and meeting my entire team and soaking in the madness of shoots. In fact, I have loved being back on the sets and shooting.

This year has been tough for our industry but I’m happy to see it restarting again with the same amount of passion and energy.”

—Agency

VIRAL SCENE Anushka Sharma

Anne Hathaway

C Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello

GLIMPSES OF LOVE

amila Cabello and Shawn Mendes do not shy away from indulging in PDA. The couple has spoken about their love in interviews and given the world glimpses of their love story via photos and videos. However, Camila revealed it’s not all

‘KIND SOULS’

I

n an unexpected development, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut on Saturday called her rumoured ex-boyfriends Hrithik Roshan and Aditya Pancholi kind souls. Kangana used the adjectives w h i l e talking about her recent experience with the government of Maharashtra.

The actress

tweeted from her verified account on Saturday, “The amount of legal cases, abuses, insults, name calling I faced from Maharashtra government in these few months make Bollywood mafia and people like Aaditya Pancholi and Hrithik Roshan seem like kind souls... I wonder what is it about me that rattle people so much.”

—Agency

hunky-dory! The international singer took to Instagram to talk about her relationship with her beau. In a lengthy post, she shared on the platform, the Cinderella star said although it seems simple in the pictures, “sometimes, it’s messy and uncomfortable and ugly lol.”

Nevertheless, “there’s nothing like the pull, the FORCE that is love, to be the light in the darkness- to be the gravitational pull that gives you the relentless strength to be braver,wiser, and better than you were yesterday,” she writes.

—Agency

IT’S A WRAP

...her post

B

ollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez on Sunday announced a wrap of the Dharamshala schedule of her next horror-comedy ‘Bhoot Police’ Jacqueline Fernandez

and shared a picture of herself holding a rose. Announcing a wrap on the film’s schedule from Dharmshala,the ‘Race 3’ star wrote in the caption, “Schedule wrap #dharamshala #bhootpolice what a crazy ride that was!!!! I’m missing the team already!! #saifalikhan @arjunkapoor @yamigautam @pavankirpalani @ akshaipuri @ rameshtaurani @tips @jaya.taurani @savleenmanchanda @ shaanmu @abhishek4reel @ marcepedrozo @ t r a v e l lingchef_sk @ nat_chava @manishamelwani see you all soon!!!!”

—ANI

S Kangana Ranaut

transplant in 2017. Her friend Francia Raisa stepped up to donate one of her kidneys to Selena. The writers included two instances about Selena’s surgery in the sixth episode of the series.

—Agency

V

arun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan launched the trailer of Coolie No 1. While netizens have been lauding their on-screen chemistry, their underwater kissing scene went viral. The three-minute trailer of the David Dhawan directorial has actor Paresh Rawal going gaga about how his daughter has found the world’s richest man, who is so wealthy that he can also buy the White House.

Cut to Varun, shown mouthing the line, “I am on a confer...still from the trailer ence call with ATM -- Ambani, Trump, Modi.” Hilarity ensues as Rawal finds Varun working at a railway station as a coolie. —Agency

THE STORY

Poster of the film

A

s his directorial debut ‘The Last Colour,’ is all set to release in theatres in select states in India on December 11, renowned chef-turned-filmmaker Vikas Khanna on Saturday penned down an appreciation post for the lead star of the film -- Neena Gupta. Khanna took to Instagram to share a few stills from the film featuring the ‘Badhaai Ho’ actor and revealed the “story” of the saree that Gupta wore in the stills. He began by sharing how the team had shot the Holi sequence —ANI

BOLD LOOK

S

he often goes for nude lip colour in her photos on social media, but in her latest Instagram photo, she has opted for red lips to promote her make-up range. In addition Victoria Bekham’s post to her bold lips, she wore a vest top with a pair of dark skinny jeans. Victoria and her family showed support for singer Elton John’s AIDS Foundation as they donned charity T-shirts on Friday, ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1. She designed the T-shirt along with the foundation.

—Agency

Transplant joke

aved By the Bell reboot stepped on the wrong foot of Selena Gomez fans recently. The show, which recently began streaming on a streaming service in the US, left fans of the singer upset after they joked about her kidney transplant. For the unversed, Selena underwent a

Poster of the film

Selena Gomez

CITY BUZZ LUCKNOW | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020

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12

CONGRATULATIONS & CELEBRATIONS!

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS Jagdeesh Chandra greeted Mahipal Singh of the First India family on the occasion of his birthday at the former’s residence on Sunday morning.

POSTER LAUNCH Jagdeesh Chandra launched the poster of the second season of Ms and Mrs India Glam, which will take place in Jaipur on 31 December. This time, the motto will be to spread awareness about COVID-19, to as many people as possible. Seen here with him are Show Director Pawan Tak, and models Dr Manpreet Tanega, Jyoti Singh, Rakhi Soni, Kirti Raina, Palak and Anup Choudhary.

BEST WISHES Jagdeesh Chandra greeted Tripti Sharma on her birthday at his residence on Sunday. Seen with them are (from left) Swati Jangid, Gaurav Gaur and Akanksha Bhalla.

GURU NANAK JAYANTI

DURING THE DAY!

PINKY SINGH

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Ahmedabad Mayor Bijalbel Patel with Aarya Chavda

Young Talent CITY FIRST, GUJARAT

A

arya Chavda, an 11-year old author and illustrator of 4 books till now, has been fundraising and donating her art proceedings for the welfare of underprivileged cancer patients since she was 8. Through her books she raises awareness on relevant topics like heritage preservation, current climate crises, while leaving the message of peace, non-violence and equality by depicting the ideologies and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.

Her books are patron-

HAPPY B’DAY!

age and published by UNESCO, introduced

by United Nations India and published in digital platforms like UNESCO Digital library and UNESCO Global Citizenship Education hosted by APCEIU. Through these platforms her books are read by readers of all age and are acclaimed worldwide. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

G

uru Nanak Jayanti marks the birth of the first of the ten Sikh Gurus – Guru Nanak Dev ji. Born in 1469 in Talwandi, he laid the foundation of Sikhism. Guru Nanak is well known for travelling far and wide to spread the message of ‘ik onkar’ which means One God. For Nanak, God is one and formless (‘nirakar’).

Guru Nanak’s teachings, based mainly on the praise of virtues and condemnation of vices, can be found in the sacred Sikh scripture ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ as a collection of verses recorded in Gurmukhi.

In the present day, when we are all facing unprecedented chal-

UP: IAS Dr Rajshekhar, Kanpur was seen enjoying the ‘Rajma Tacos’ made by his son Leo, also known as Aryan, The Little Master Chef. “Feeling happy and proud for his interest and performance in the Culinary Arts,” he said.

Golden Temple

lenges, some of Guru Nanak’s teachings have become all the more significant. On the pious occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, here are the three pillars or golden rules of Sikhism we must practice in our daily lives to make the world a better place: 1. Vand Shakko (Share and Consume) – Sharing with others and helping those in need 2. Kirat Karo (Work Honestly)

– Earning an honest living without exploitation or fraud 3. Naam Japo (Recite God’s Name) – Meditating on God’s name 4. Furthermore, Guru Nanak believed in restraining the five evils of passion – ego, anger, lust, greed and attachment. His message of love, peace and brotherhood holds special relevance in today’s times of intolerance and strife. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

MISS ICONIC RAJASTHAN 2020 The auditions of the renowned beauty pageant Miss Iconic Rajasthan were held on Sunday at the FacePro Fashion Academy, Jaipur. Ravi Sharma shared that the theme of this year is‘I am also a Winner’.

—PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

Participants of the pageant

AAGAAZ AT SKIT

SPLASH OF COLOURS CITY FIRST

A T IAS Dr Jitendra Kumar Soni, IAS Dr Khushaal Yadav and IAS Rahul Jain celebrated their birthdays on 29 November, Sunday. We wish them all the best!

he Club Orientation event was organised

by ECA Cell of Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management & Gramothan, Jaipur under ‘Aagaaz-2020’ on Sunday. The program was started with the speech of Prof. (Dr.) Ramesh Kumar Pachar, Principal- SKIT. The event was conducted in online mode through ‘CISCO WEBEX’. The information presented during orientation provides a foundation

for new members. It helps them understand how the club functions, what their role will be and gives them the big picture of their past work and achievements.

Clubs under MHRD like EBSB guided new members about social welfare and motivated them to work towards the nation, Technical clubs like robotics provided practical ideas about new emerging technologies, and other clubs enlightened both academic and social aspects. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

n art competition was organised during the Digital Baal Mela by LIC on Sunday, where the children sent in entries from across the state.

The theme of the competition was ‘Corona Awareness’, and the little corona warriors, Garvita Dave and Mahesh Chaudhary participated in the same with their stunning masterpieces. The Digital Baal Mela was initially put into action for the children in the state of Rajasthan, but eventually, the

A NEW LIFE

CITY FIRST

RAJ: The wedding ceremony of Ranu and Viren was held at Siyaram Banquet in Jaipur on Saturday. Seen here from left to right are Kavita, Khushboo, Muskan, Tripti, Vijendra Singh, Ranu, Gaurav Gaur, Akanksha and Swati.

RAJ: The series of Net Theat’s live shows successfully staged the drama ‘Romancing with Life’, directed and written by Anurag Raizada on Saturday. Rajendra Sharma Raju of Net Theat shared that in this drama based on the life of journalists, the important role of the family and wife of the journalists can never be ignored. Actor Anurag Raizada demonstrated the suffering of journalists through his acting.

—PHOTO BY NAIM KHAN

Garvita

team received entries from children across the country. This digital fair for children will end on 14 December. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

RAJ: The exotic black carbon birds were seen sailing in the beautiful Man Sagar Lake of Jalmahal, Jaipur on Sunday morning.

Mahesh

T

he Gitanjali Medical College and Hospital, Udaipur is treating its patients with the utmost will and power even during the COVID times, and making sure they are in their best of health. Recently, they had a case of a pair of twins, who were battling their lives.

People were seen using the joint mask, resorting to any usage which will work as a mask to avoid being penalised but one should understand that this is no safety and is a violation of Corona protocol guidelines.