DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2024, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 99 RESCUED AFTER COLLISION NEAR URAN DisasteroffMumbaicoastas13killed afterNavyspeedboatcrashesintoferry One Navy man, 2 OEM personnel among dead NAYONIKA BOSE & SAGAR RAJPUT OPPOSITION PARTIES PROTEST INSIDE AND OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT Opp seeks Shah resignation over Ambedkar remark, PM slams Congress, its ‘rotten ecosystem’ Cong warns of protests across country, CMs of Opp-ruled states join chorus MUMBAI, DECEMBER 18 ASAD REHMAN AT LEAST 13 people, including four women and two children, died on Wednesday when a Navy speedboat “lost control” during “engine trials” and crashedintoaprivateferryheading from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination off the Mumbai coast, with over 110 passengers on board. The Navy said Wednesday evening that 99 people have beenrescuedsofar.Officialssaid efforts were on to look for possible survivors, adding that the condition of four of those rescued was critical. According to the Navy, one of its personnel and two from the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), who were on board the speedboat, were among the dead. According to preliminary information from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC),over110passengers, including five crew members, were on board the ferry, Neelkamal, when the incident took place around 4 pm. The ferry departed Gateway of SETTING THE stage for another confrontation with the government, the Opposition on Wednesdaycutacrosspartylines todemandUnionHomeMinister Amit Shah's “removal” from the Cabinet,accusinghimof “insulting” Dr B R Ambedkar in his remarksinRajyaSabhaonTuesday. Calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act “before midnight”,theOppositionparties raisedtheissueinbothHousesof Parliament and also staged protestsoutside,displayingAmbedkar’s photographs and raising slogans like, “Amit Shah maafi maango; Babasaheb ka apmaan, nahin sahega Hindustan (Amit Shah, apologise; Babasaheb’s insult will not be tolerated).” In Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Briensubmittedaprivilegenotice against Shah. And in Lok Sabha, Congress MP K Suresh gaveanoticeforanadjournment motiontodiscussShah’sremarks. Replying to the two-day debate in Rajya Sabha on the ‘Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India’, Shah CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 FULL COVERAGE PAGE 4 NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 18 Passengers of the capsized ferry being rescued by the Navy and Coast Guard, in Mumbai on Wednesday. Express Navy boat was undergoing trials for new engine, say officials; Mumbai cops file FIR SAGAR RAJPUT MUMBAI, DECEMBER 18 AN INDIAN Navy craft (speedboat),whichwasundergoingtrials for a newly fitted engine, experienced malfunction and crashed into a passenger ferry boat, off the Mumbai coast on Wednesday that killed 13 people, according to Navy officials. An inquiry has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the incident but it is believed that the engine malfunction led to the rider losing control of the craft, resulting in the collision. Officials said that while they are still not aware whether one of the two Navy officials or one of the other four occupants (onboard the speedboat) were controlling the vessel, a board of inquiry would be constituted to investigate the incident. “Whenever a major compo- nent, such as an engine, is fitted onto a craft, we conduct extensive tests along with the OEM to prevent any issues from arising atcriticalmoments.Forinstance, if the manufacturer claims that the engine can reach speeds of 140 kmph, we test it with them CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IN PARLIAMENT PAGE 10 Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders during the Opposition protest in Delhi. ANI PM: Cong’s malicious lies can’t hide misdeeds, insult of Ambedkar My statement was distorted, always followed Ambedkar: Shah VIKAS PATHAK NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 18 AS THE Congress spearheaded the Opposition attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remark which it alleged “insulted” Babasaheb Ambedkar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ledthegovernmentandBJP’sdefence of Shah, accusing “the Congress and its rotten ecosystem” of perpetrating “malicious lies” to “hide their misdeeds of Union Ministers Amit Shah, J P Nadda and Kiren Rijiju at the BJP office in New Delhi on Wednesday. Praveen Khanna several years, especially their insult” of Ambedkar. ThePrimeMinister,inaseries of posts, also hit out at the Congress“ledbyonedynasty”for indulgingin“everypossibledirty CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AFTER TALKS IN BEIJING India, China agree to resume Mansarovar Yatra, border trade 78 106 E EXPLAINED 19/12/2024 SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 18 129 85 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY MOVING TO repair bilateral ties that headed south after Chinese incursions in 2020 triggered a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, India and China agreed Wednesday on a set of “six consensus” including resumptionof the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, trans-border river cooperation and Nathula border trade. This was announced by the two sides following talks in Beijing between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who are also the Special Representatives (SRs). The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said the NSA Ajit Doval with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ahead of their meeting in Beijing on Wednesday. PTI SRs“providedpositivedirections forcross-bordercooperationand exchangesincludingresumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on trans-border ● Kazan set ball rolling THE FIRST of the six consensus — of taking measures for peace on the border and development of bilateral relations — points to efforts to mend ties damaged by China’s incursions in Ladakh. The meeting of the leaders in Kazan, Russia, in October set the ball rolling. PUT YOUR FACE ON rivers and border trade”. Stating that this was the first meeting of the SRs “since frictions emerged in the Western CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CJI briefs full court on Collegium meeting Justice Yadav APURVA VISHWANATH & SHYAMLAL YADAV NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 18 CHIEF JUSTICE of India Sanjiv Khannaapprisedthefullcourtof the Supreme Court Wednesday of the Collegium’s meeting with Allahabad High Court’s Justice ShekharKumarYadav,TheIndian Express has learnt. The Collegium of the top five judges, headed by CJI Khanna, had met Justice Yadav Tuesday after his remarks targeting Muslims at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad event on December 8 led to an uproar and Opposition demands for his impeachment. The full court meeting was held to discuss the issue of designating retired judges of the High Courtassenioradvocates.However, the CJI is learnt to have brought up the issue of Justice Yadav. “It is very much an ongoing issue and no decision has been made.Thefullcourtwasjusttold that the meeting had taken place,” a source said. Another source said that at the meeting Tuesday, the CollegiumhadtoldJusticeYadav that a public apology on record CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘This is my last day... I had a lot of fun’: Ashwin retires, in the middle of series to the buzz in the press box and on social media about the possible retirement of a “big player”. Behind Rohit, Ashwin seemed to be calming himself before his big announcement. He took a deep breath, composed himself and entered the room. The penny dropped when he said: “This is my last day... I had a lot of fun. I must say I've created a lot of memories alongside Rohit and several of my EXPRESSIN AUSTRALIA SRIRAM VEERA BRISBANE, DECEMBER 18 R ASHWIN stood in the corridor outside the press conference roomafterthethirdTestendedin a draw. Captain Rohit Sharma, walking just ahead of him, gestured to the waiting journalists. “Sabpatachalegaabhi(everything will be known now),” he said withalaugh,perhapsinreference CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 R Ashwin with Rohit Sharma in Brisbane, Wednesday. BCCI ASHWIN’S LEGACY PAGE 17 GRAB YOUR CHANCE TO WIN US$1 MILLION AND BE AMONG THE LUCKY 5,000. BUY YOUR TICKET AT DUBAIDUTYFREE.COM