DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee ‘Khalistani’ slur: IPS officer hits back at Bengal BJP leaders, says keep faith out Police blame Leader of Opp; he says prove BJP said it or face legal action KOLKATA, FEBRUARY 20 UPSET OVER a “Khalistani” slur hurledathim,aSikhIPSofficerhit backatagroupofprotestingWest Bengal BJP leaders and workers, who were being led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, askingthemnottotypecastpeople and leave his faith alone. The incident, which snowballed into a new confrontation between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, took place Monday when a police contingent stoppedBJPleadersandworkers from visiting Sandeshkhali, at the centre of a political storm, at Dhamakhali in North 24 Parganas district. AstherowescalatedTuesday, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee targeting the BJP, the West Bengal Police released a statement on X, saying it was “outraged to share this video, Indian team flies to London to seal FTA before poll code kicks in RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 20 AN INDIAN delegation headed by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal left for London Tuesday in a final effort to seal the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) before the dates for the 2024 general elections are announced. This comes four days after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) reviewed the progress of the India-UK FTA talks being negotiated for the last two years. Thevisitiscrucialasdatesfor the general elections are expected to be announced in less than a month, triggering the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) which will restrict the Union government’s ability to announce the deal. Efforts to close the deal this monthalsoassumessignificance because the UK is also headed to CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPRESS NETWORK CBI SEARCHES PREMISES OF FORMER DPIIT SECY PAGE 11 Scan for more information JANUARY 30 CHANDIGARH MAYORAL POLLS SC quashes Mayor poll results, rules in favour of Cong-AAP candidate Kejriwal thanks SC, says verdict is first INDIA win EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE A video grab of 2016-batch IPS officer Jaspreet Singh during the BJP protest SANDESHKHALI: HC PULLS UP BENGAL POLICE FOR NOT NABBING SHEIKH P 11 where one of our own officers was called ‘Khalistani’ by the state’sLeaderof theOpposition”. Itsaid“sternlegalaction”wasbeing initiated in the matter. The BJP rejected the allegation,withAdhikarisayingnoone in the party used the word ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 20 THE SUPREME Court Tuesday quashed and set aside the result of the January 30 mayoral polls for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporationinwhichthepresiding officer had named BJP’s ManojSonkarasthewinner,and insteaddeclaredKuldeepKumar, the AAP-Congress coalition candidate,asthevalidlyelectedcandidate. It also issued a show cause notice to Anil Masih, the presiding officer, on why steps should not be initiated against him under Section 340 of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AAP-Cong gets post but BJP has numbers to rock HINA ROHTAKI CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 20 WHILE THE Aam Aadmi Party and Congress won a moral and legal victory Tuesday, wresting the post of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Mayor, they face a long road ahead. By the time the Supreme Court held the January 30 elec● tion that instated a BJP Mayor as invalid, the BJP had managed to win three AAP councillors to its side. This means that in the general house of the civic body, the E CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 J&K gets its first electric train, PM says UT is on development track ARUN SHARMA JAMMU, FEBRUARY 20 LAUNCHING THE Union Territory’s first electric train Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government removed Article 370 because it was the biggesthurdleinthemakingof a newJammuandKashmirwhich is“nowmakingprogresstowards balanced development”. Addressing a large public rally at the M A Stadium, Modi said, “Look at the power of 370. Because (Article) 370 is gone, I have asked people of the country to give 370 seatsto BJP(in the Lok Sabha elections) and over 400 seats to the NDA.” The Prime Minister, who laid foundation stones and inaugurated multiple projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore including J&K’s first electric train was flagged off by the Prime Minister, Tuesday. PTI the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan 48-km rail line, bringing Kashmir closer to the Indian CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Smiles are back: Officials promise land to hockey star to build house MIHIR VASAVDA ROURKELA, FEBRUARY 20 THE SMILES do not leave the faces of India’s hockey striker Jyoti Chhetri, her parents and brother. Along with joy, there’s an overwhelmingsense of relief. On the day The Indian Express reported that Jyoti, who was part The Indian Express report published on Tuesday ofthenationalteamparticipating in the FIH League here, has been fightingtoavertdemolitionofher houseinPanposh,Rourkela,local governmentofficialsTuesdayvisited the family and assured them ofhelp.Takingasympatheticview ofthesituation,theofficialspromised them a plot of land where they can build a new house. Separately, the Odisha governmentannouncedacashprize CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Love that makes bitter gourd sweet: As kids fight cancer, 21 parents share recipes PAGE 1 ANCHOR RUPSA CHAKRABORTY MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 20 THREE-YEAR-OLDShreyanGhosh hasaserioussweettooth,butthe Bangladesh-basedboy’ssugarintake is restricted due to his ongoing battle with blood cancer in Chennai. Thanks to his ingenious motherDurgaraniGhosh,19,bit- Government of India cbc 22201/13/0270/2324 Viksit Bharat Prosperous Farmers, Prosperous Country For the first time since independence, at least 50% return on cost price guaranteed by increasing MSP of 22 crops EXPLAINED Hamara Sankalp `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Durgarani Ghosh (left) and Supriya Shinde were among the contributors to the book Happy Healthy Meals ter gourd currently takes care of all his sweet cravings. Durgaranisuccessfullytransformed the universally disliked gourd into a sweet treat by combining Bangladeshi and South Indianrecipes.AtChennai-based Apollo Hospital for her son’s treatment, she says, “Since Shreyan enjoys sweets, I coated bitter gourd with jaggery. He eats it without complaints. The recipe takes care of both his sugar cravings and nutrition.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Showcause notice to Anil Masih, Returning Officer. ANI BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY TOTAL QUOTA IN STATE NOW 72% Maharashtra clears 10% Maratha quota, Shinde says it will survive the test of law Many states have gone beyond 50% limit, won’t affect quota of others: CM ALOK DESHPANDE & VALLABH OZARKAR MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 20 THE MAHARASHTRA Assembly Tuesday unanimously passed a Bill granting 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs to the Maratha community. Chief MinisterEknathShinde presentedtheMaharashtraState Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Bill 2024, drafted on the basis of a Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission report that identified the Marathas as socially and educationally backward. Theprinciple of creamy layer will be applicable and reservation under this Act will be available only to those in the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes who are not in the creamy layer category. Tractors of farmers at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, Tuesday. PTI Punjab farmers march today, Govt calls for peace, talks KANCHAN VASDEV & JAGPREET SINGH Celebrations break out after Assembly passed the quota Bill for Marathas. Deepak Joshi WHY NEW LAW IS UNLIKE 2 PREVIOUS BIDS TO GIVE QUOTA PAGE 8 The report submitted to the government last week by commission chairman Justice (retired) Sunil Shukre said “exceptional circumstances and extraordinary situations exist” CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 20 HARYANA AND Delhi braced for the march Wednesday by Punjab farmers seeking a minimum support price (MSP) guarantee. As farmer tractor trolley numbers swelled at the PunjabHaryana border points despite the High Court pointing out that tractor trolleys are not allowed onhighways,theHaryanapolice urged their Punjab counterparts to seize heavy earthmoving machinery at the inter-state border and stop women, children and journalists at least a kilometre from the border. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2