DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025, LUCKNOW, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER CABINET MEETING WORLD Caste census to be held with national Census, Shah calls it historic UKRAINE READY TO SIGN KEY MINERALS DEAL WITH US IN BID TO MEND TIES WITH TRUMP PAGE 12 ‘Divisive’ to ‘social justice’: Behind ruling party’s move to reverse course BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY VIKAS PATHAK & LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, APRIL 30 Install popular govt: 21 NDA MLAs from Manipur write to Modi, Shah SUKRITA BARUAH GUWAHATI, APRIL 30 A GROUP of 21 Manipur MLAs fromNDApartiessubmittedletters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday, asking for a popular government to be installedinthestateafterovertwo months of President’s Rule. The 21 MLAs include those from the BJP, National People’s Party (NPP) and Naga People’s Front (NPF), and belong to the Meitei, Naga and Pangal communities. The signatories of the letter do not include former Chief Minister N Biren Singh or any of the MLAs considered closetohim.Thelettersaid:“Itis goingtobealmostthreemonths since President’s Rule was imposed but no visible action to bringpeaceandnormalcyinthe state is seen so far.” It cited apprehensions on recurrence of violence in the state. “Many civil society organisations have come out openly against the imposition of the President’sRule.Theyhavebeen demandinginstallationof apopular government in the state. Theseorganisationshavestarted organising public rallies, street corner meetings instigating the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DGMOs get on hotline, Army warns Pak over ceasefire breach BASHAARAT MASOOD & AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA SRINAGAR,NEW DELHI, APRIL 30 AMID MOUNTING tension and exchange of fire at multiple places along the Line of Control after the Pahalgam terror attack, nominated officers from the Directorate General of Military Operations(DGMO)of India and Pakistan spoke over the hotline Tuesday. SourcesintheDefenceestablishment said although it was a weekly call, the Indian side THE IDEAS PAGE HITHARD,HITSMART BY SHASHI THAROOR PAGE 11 strongly objected to the multiple ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and warned the Pakistan Army against unprovoked firing. Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire for the sixth day Wednesday. As the LoC hots up, worried residents of border areas have begun renovating and cleaning bunkers — their refuge during shelling. The ceasefire, effected in 2003 and again in 2021, appears to be very fragile now given the repeated exchange of fire ever sincethePahalgamterrorattack. The Army accused Pakistani troops of violating the ceasefire. “Unprovoked small arms firing by Pakistan Army was also reported from their (Pakistan) posts across the Line of Control in Baramulla and Kupwara districts as well as across the International Border in Pargwal sector,” the Defence spokesman CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PART OF MEASURES IN WAKE OF PAHALGAM TERROR ATTACK Delhi responds to Islamabad move, closes airspace to all Pak aircraft SUKALP SHARMA NEW DELHI, APRIL 30 INDIAHAScloseditsairspacefor Pakistani aircraft, days after a similar move by the neighbouring country in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. The Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) communicating this decision, issued on Wednesday evening, states that India’s airspace will not be available for Pakistan-registered aircraft and planes operated, owned, or leased by Pakistani airlines and EXPRESS NETWORK AS TENSIONS SOAR, U.S. REACHES OUT TO INDIA, PAK: DON’T ESCALATE SITUATION TAKEN TO ATTARI FOR DEPORTATION, 80-YEAR-OLD MAN DIES IN BUS PAGE 8 operators, including military flights. The ban will be in place till the early morning of May 24, as per the current NOTAM. On April 24, Pakistan had closed its airspace for Indian aircraft and airlines after New Delhi’s strong diplomatic moves in response to the terror attack. Pakistan’smoveisslatedtoaffect over 800 West-bound internationalflightsaweekoperatedby Indian airlines from Northern Indianairports.Theseflightsnow facelongerflighttimes,increased fuel burn, and a few other complexities related to crew and flight scheduling, an analysis of airlines’ schedule data shows. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Deportation reprieve for Poonch cop, 8 siblings, HC notice to Govt ARUN SHARMA JAMMU, APRIL 30 ON TUESDAY, the Jammu and KashmirHighCourtgaverespite toapoliceconstableandhiseight siblings, all residents of Salwah in Poonch, against a deportation notice sent to them in the wake of thePahalgamattack.However, bythen,thenine hadbeentransported to the Attari border in Punjab by the authorities. The notice by the Poonch Deputy Commissioner, dated April 26, had been received by J&K Police Constable Iftkhar Ali, 45;hiselderbrothersZulfqarAli, 49, Mohammad Shafiq, 60, Mohammad Shakoor, 52; and his sisters Shazia Tabsam, 42, Kouser Parveen, 47, Naseem Akhter, 50, Akseer Akhtar, 54, and Nashroon Akhter, 56, on Sunday. This was as per the Centre’s instruction that all residents of Pakistan not holding long-term, official or diplomatic visas leave the country. On Monday, the police took all the nine into custody and, the same night, drove them to Attari in Punjab for deportation the next morning. On Tuesday, issuing a notice to the Union of India and the Union Territory administration of J&K, among others, NEW DELHI, APRIL 30 AN INTERCEPTED call between twoallegedassociatesof wanted gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, who is believed to be in the UK, led police to a “portable GPS device” attached to an SUV of Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva who was swiftly placed under ‘Z’ category security cover last weekend, The Indian Express has learnt. “The recovered GPS device Virendra Sachdeva, Delhi BJP president has been sent for forensic examinationandaprobeison.ADelhi Police Special Cell team has also been deployed along with security personnel providing ‘Z’ category cover (to Sachdeva),” sources said. According to sources, the sequence of events that led to the GPS device started on Saturday afternoon when Sachdeva approached Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora and “shareddetailsof acallandsome messages from unknown numbers threatening him”. The Special Cell was alerted within hours after initial investigations traced the numbers and pattern of threats allegedly to Nandu, sources said. “Simultaneously, the westernrangeof theCrimeBranchinterceptedacallbytwoassociates of Nandu, who were talking of CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Vaishnaw: Opp used it as political tool, enumeration will be transparent DIVYA A NEW DELHI, APRIL 30 THE CENTRE Wednesday announced that the forthcoming population Census will include a caste census with Union Home Minister Amit Shah describing the move as a “historic decision” by a government “committed to social justice”. The decision, which also addresses a key demand of the Congress-led Opposition, was takenatameetingof theCabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Union Information &BroadcastingMinisterAshwini Vaishnaw said the caste census “will strengthen the social and economic structure of our society while the nation continues to progress”. Later, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar said the decision marks a “decisive step towards realising the dreams of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar”. Non-BJP-ruled Telangana and Karnataka had already conductedseparatecastesurveysafter their demand for such a census was rejected by the Centre. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ONJuly20,2021,respondingtoa Parliament question, Minister of State (Home Affairs), Nityanand Rai said, “The Government of India decided it as a matter of policy not to enumerate castewise population other than SCs and STs in Census”. In public though, the BJP and its leaders often parried questions and were non-committal on the need for a caste census. They, however, regularly targeted the ● Congress, accusing it of using caste to divide the society. The BJP’s ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), however, had a more nuanced view. In Septemberlastyear,itcautioned against using caste census as a political tool, but noted that the government needs numbers for all welfare activities, particularly E CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Rahul: Shows we can pressure BJP, will work on lifting 50% quota cap MANOJ C G NEW DELHI, APRIL 30 THE BJP government’s surprise announcement to include caste enumeration in the overdue Census exercise is both good news and bad news for the main opposition Congress and particularlyRahulGandhi,whohasled the demand for it for the past two years. The demand for a caste censushasalsobeenthecenterpiece of the Congress’s social justice Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tashi Tobgyal agenda to reach out to the OBCs, who have moved away from the party in the post-Mandal period andembracedtheBJPsince2014 under Narendra Modi. The apprehension within Congress ranks is that, in one stroke, Modi may have taken away one of its crucial planks. In fact, while announcing its decision Wednesday to hold a caste census, the government slammed opposition parties for usingitasa“politicaltool”.Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Gangsters’ call, GPS device under SUV: Z-cover for Delhi BJP chief MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw briefs the press on the Cabinet decisions Wednesday. Tashi Tobgyal PAGE7 EXPLAINED NIA personnel on their way to Baisaran, the site of the April 22 terror attack near Pahalgam in J&K, on Wednesday. PTI Talks going great, think will have a deal: Trump on India trade pact YOSHITA SINGH NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, APRIL 30 BREAK FROM TRADITION Mahant Prem Das, the chief priest of Ayodhya’s Hanuman Garhi temple, takes part in a procession to visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday. He broke a centuries-old tradition to make it to visit the temple. PTI PAGE4 US PRESIDENT Donald Trump Tuesday said that negotiations with India over a bilateral trade deal are “coming along great” and he thinks Washington will “have a deal” with New Delhi. Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters before departing the White House for a rally in Michigan marking the first 100 days of his second administration. US President Donald Trump after a rally to mark his 100th day in office, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Reuters “Indiaiscomingalonggreat.I thinkwe’llhaveadealwithIndia,” he said. “The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) as you know was here three weeks ago, and they want to make a deal. We’ll see what happens.” Prime Minister Modi visited theWhiteHouseinlateFebruary. Earlier in the day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters in the White House that the US is “very close” to a trade deal with India. He said America’sAsiantradingpartners and allies “have been the most CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 In search of an erstwhile king’s property, teams from Bihar camp in UP PAGE 1 ANCHOR MANISH SAHU GORAKHPUR, APRIL 30 ONTHEfirstfloorof aresidential building in the posh Shiv Vihar Colony of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, a group of officials are busysiftingthroughpilesof documents, frequently consulting one another and checking for regular updates. Foraroundtwomonthsnow, the 11 Bihar revenue officials have been working out of this temporary office of the Bihar Court of Wards with an unusual purpose — to identify, measure, and meticulously record details of tracts of land in Uttar Pradesh that, according to Bihar government records, belong to the Bettiah Raj, a 17th Century zamindari estate with origins in the state’s Champaran region. “We have been consulting land records from the 18th and 19th Century in the Bettiah Raj revenue record room (a repository of historical land records related to the erstwhile zamindari estate in Bihar’s West Champaran),” says one of the officials. “We then match the his- toricalrecordstocurrentrevenue records in the state. We have so far identified 175.53 acres of Bettiah Raj land in Uttar Pradesh but officials are still reviewing documentsandupdatingthelist.” Thetediousexercisecomesin thewakeoftheVestingofBettiah Raj Properties Act, 2024, that the Bihargovernmentpassedlatelast year. The law allows the Bihar governmenttonotonlytakecontrolofover15,000acresofBettiah Raj land in Bihar but also parcels in eight UP districts: Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Ayodhya, Basti, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Mirzapur. EarlierinApril,theBihargov- Official residences of government officers on land identified as belonging to Bettiah Raj in Gorakhpur. Vishal Srivastav ernmentheldmeetingswithdistrict administration of the eight districtstoenlisttheirhelp.“They were asked to check their land recordsforanypropertiesbelonging to the Bettiah Raj,” says Badri Prasad Gupta, a revenue officer from Bihar’s Board of Revenue and one of the officials overseeingtheexercise,addingthatthey have yet to receive inputs. Prayagraj’s Chief Revenue OfficerKunwarPankajconfirmed that a team from Bihar was currentlyinthecity.“Alleighttehsils in Prayagraj have been asked to verify if any property exists under this name. They have been given time until May 4,” he says. Gorakhpur’s Chief Revenue Officer Amit Rathore too confirmed this, saying that further actionwouldbetakenaccording to instructions from higher authorities.Hesaidhehadnoinformation about the findings of the Bihar revenue team in Gorakhpur.OfficialsatUP’sBoard of Revenuerefusedtocomment. Spread across six districts in Bihar and eight in UP, Bettiah Raj isoneof theoldestandlargestzamindaris in Champaran region. The zamindars of Bettiah were amongthosewhoweregiventhe title of ‘raja’ by the Mughals. After the last king of Bettiah Raj, Harendra Kishore Singh, died heirless in 1893, the estate passed on to his first wife Maharani Sheo Ratna Kunwar, who died in 1896. The property then went to his second wife, Maharani Janki Kunwar. In 1897, the British administration declared Maharani Janki “incompetent to manage the property”andplaceditunderthe estateof theCourtof Wards,alegal body created under Court of WardsActthatempoweredthem to take over and manage the estatesofminors.Thosedeemedincapable,orotherwisedisqualified from handling their property. Maharani Janki died in 1954. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow