DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE Active participation of women in nation’s development Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee PRIMEMINISTERMODIANNOUNCES highest civilian honour decision `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam gives women the right to 33% reservation in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies 5BHARATRATNASIN2WEEKS, highest number for award in a year Government of India Scan for more information cbc 22201/13/0259/2324 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2024, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 26 PAGES Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat OPPOSITIONCONGRESS,RLDHAIL decision to honour their leaders Bharat Ratna PV Narasimha Rao, Charan Singh, MS Swaminathan Dil jeet liya, says Jayant, hints at pact with BJP in western UP Strong political message from ruling alliance in countdown to Lok Sabha polls VIKAS PATHAK & LALMANI VERMA LALMANI VERMA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 9 NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 9 THE REFORMER P V NARASIMHA RAO 1921 - 2004 The Indian Express report published Thursday VALLABH OZARKAR MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 9 ADAYafterTheIndianExpressreported that Ratnagiri Refinery Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL), a company set up by PSUs to executetheKonkanrefineryproject, had made a payment of Rs 4.44 lakh to Pandharinath Amberkar, prime accused in the murder of journalist Shashikant Warishe, MaharashtraIndustriesMinister Uday Samant said an inquiry would be conducted on why CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 1902 - 1987 THE FARM REFORMER M S SWAMINATHAN Its Prime Minister the Cong forgot BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY MANOJ C G NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 9 IN A pointed attack on the Congress, Prime Minister NarendraModitoldRajya Sabha two days ago that the party never considered B R Ambedkar worthy of Bharat Ratna and kept giving the honour to their“ownfamilymembers”.He said the Congress, which named parks, streets and squares after its “family members”, was now givingtheBJPadviceandlessons on social justice. Thegovernment’sdecisionto awardthehighestcivilianhonour to former Prime Minister P V NarasimhaRaoandearliertoformerPresidentPranabMukherjee, another Congress leader, fits well into the BJP’s larger political narrative. That the Congress has al● waysignoreditsstalwarts outsidetheGandhifamily and played down their contributionstothecountry.Whiletherelations between Rao and Sonia Gandhi were frosty, Mukherjee 1925 - 2023 FULL COVERAGE THE MESSAGE IN THE RATNAS PAGES 10, 22 “DIL JEET liya”. This was what Jayant Chaudhary posted on X, responding to Prime Minister NarendraModi’sannouncement on the Bharat Ratna for Chaudhary Charan Singh. Speaking to reporters soon after, Jayant, grandson of theformer Prime Minister and president of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) which is a key player in western UP politics, dropped broad hints of walking out of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Haldwani toll 5, Dhami says ‘rioters tried to kill’ police, admn teams AVANEESH MISHRA HALDWANI, FEBRUARY 9 THE EXTENT of violence that rocked Uttarakhand’s Haldwani district Thursday became clear a day later as authorities confirmed that at least five persons had died and over a dozen were injured,includingthreecritically. Violence erupted after the administrationconductedadrive during which a mosque and a madrasa were demolished in Banbhoolpura area. District authorities said both structures stood on Nazool land — government land not officially mentioned in revenue records. As stones were pelted, cars torched and the local police station surroundedbyamob,ChiefMinister Pushkar Dhami called for shootat- sight orders. OnFriday,theadministration took a tough line on what it called was a “planned” attack on thedemolitionteamandthepolice.District Magistrate Vandana said that “stones had been CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Maharashtra to probe payment to accused in journalist murder THE FARM LEADER CHAUDHARY CHARAN SINGH EXPLAINED PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi announced Friday his government’s decision to confer the Bharat Ratna on former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and P V Narasimha Rao, and agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan who led India’s Green Revolution. Thiswasthethirdannouncement on Bharat Ratnas within a fortnight — the two earlier decisions were on honouring Karpoori Thakur and his social justice legacy, and L K Advani who played a key role in the rise of the BJP and the Ram temple movement. AnnouncingthehighestcivilianhonourforRao,CharanSingh and Swaminathan, Modi hailed their many contributions to the country. He mentioned that Rao’s tenure as Prime Minister wasmarkedbysignificantmeasures that opened India to global markets, fostering a new era of economic development. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami meets police personnel injured in Thursday’s violence. PTI CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 17th Lok Sabha ends today with BJP-led discussion on Ram temple, PM role LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 9 A DISCUSSION on the construction of the “historic” Ram temple and the January 22 Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of the idol of Ramlalla in Ayodhyawillbringtoacloseproceedings of the 17th Lok Sabha which will meet one final time Saturday. The Rajya Sabha too will hold the same discussion. The BJP issued a three-line whip Friday, directing its MPs to be present in both Houses Saturday. Sources said Parliament will passaresolutionthankingPrime Minister Narendra Modi for the consecration of the idol of Ramlalla at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. “Apart from the resolution, there will be a discussion on this government’s pledge in Amrit Kaal for Viksit Bharat (a developed India) and its resolve to establish good governance as in Ram Rajya,” the source said. “The discussion could be CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Pak Army behind him, Sharif reaches out to PPP for a govt, keep Imran out SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 9 PAKISTANARMY’Sfavouredcandidate, three-time PM Nawaz Sharif, reached out to rivals PPP, led by the Bhutto-Zardari family, FridaytoformacoalitiongovernmentasbothpartiestrailedImran Khan’s PTI-backed candidates in the parliamentary poll results. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Sharif with daughter Maryam, brother Shehbaz Friday. Reuters Meet HAPS: India’s very own UAV that can fly 20 km high and float for months PAGE 1 ANCHOR AMITABH SINHA NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 9 THE NATIONAL Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru has successfully completed the first test of a solar-powered “pseudosatellite”, a new age un- First test flight of a prototype was conducted last week. NAL mannedaerialvehicle(UAV)that can significantly increase India’s surveillance and monitoring capabilities in the border areas. The high-altitude pseudo satellite vehicle, or HAPS, can fly ataltitudesof 18-20kmfromthe ground, almost double the heights attained by commercial airplanes, and, thanks to its ability to generate solar power, can remain in air for months, even CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BISCUITS