visakhapatnam l friday l february 06, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION gujarat to reclaim asaram’s ashram land near ahmedabad illegal constructions on govt land The Gujarat High Court allowed the state govt to resume possession of over 45,000 sq m of land from godman Asaram Bapu’s ashram at Motera allotment rules circumvented, hc told The state government submitted that the land had been allotted several decades ago solely for religious use. These conditions were violated over time, with construction carried out on the land far in excess of what was originally allotted, Gujarat submitted. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation apprised the court of illegal constructions in the premises ■ ■ On a plea by ashram authorities to stop the takeover, the court observed that the allotment conditions were specific and binding, and that record showed construction beyond the permitted limits Self-styled godman Asaram, the owner of the ashram, is serving a life sentence in a rape case and is presently out on bail for six months `500 cr is the value of the land under the possession of the ashram CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Those waiting to dig my grave will be disappointed: Modi in RS speech Says there is renewed hope of global stability after India’s recent trade deals with EU, US RA J E S H K U M AR T H A K UR Why the PM did not speak in the LS @ New Delhi A day after his scheduled address in the Lok Sabha had to be cancelled amid repeated disruptions by Opposition MPs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Opposition while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha. He began his speech by highlighting India’s recent trade agreements with the European Union and the US, which he said instilled greater confidence in the country in the eyes of the global community. “When we signed the trade deal with the EU, it instilled confidence and hope about bringing global stability After the trade . deal with the US, the world became even more confident that with stability, they can sense speed, too,” he said. Opposition MPs raised slogans but he continued his speech, taking a jibe at Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, saying: “Considering his age, he can sit and raise slogans.” In an unprecedented development, the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address without the customary reply by the PM. Speaker Om Birla said he had information that Congress MPs planned “some unexpected act” by reaching the PM’s seat. Following this, he requested the PM not to come to the House | P7 Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha | pti Modi, then, turned his focus squarely on the Opposition and continued his fiery speech despite repeated disruptions. Tearing into the Congress, Modi flagged the party’s use of spiteful words such as gaddar (traitor) and kabr (grave). In a sharp jibe at the Gandhi family Modi said some “habit, ual thieves” have even stolen the surname of a Gujarati, Mahatma Gandhi. When Opposition MPs staged a walkout during his address, he took a sarcastic swipe, remarking thak gaye, chale gaye (they are tired, so they left). Giving a political twist to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘traitor’ jibe against Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday Modi said , the comment amounted to an insult to the entire Sikh community “How can the country . tolerate a citizen being called a traitor? Such people will sink the Congress,” Modi said, targeting Rahul over his remarks against Bittu, who was earlier with the Congress. Referring to the slogan Modi teri kabr khudegi that was raised against him during a recent Congress rally he said the , Opposition could raise any slogans, but they won’t come true. “Why do you want to dig Modi’s grave? This is not just a slogan. It is a reflection of the hatred within,” he said, noting it’s an irory that such hateful slogans come from a party that talks of Mohabbat ki dukaan (shop of love). He also criticised the TMC for allegedly protecting infiltrators in Bengal, DMK for promoting dynasty in Tamil Nadu, and CPI(M) for neglecting development in Kerala. Kuki-Zo council boycotts 3 MLAs who joined govt P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Guwahati THE Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), which represents Manipur’s Kuki-Zo tribes, on Thursday announced a social boycott of all three Kuki-Zo legislators who on Wednesday joined the newlyformed government, even as the seventh session of the legislative assembly commenced with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s address. “By joining the for mation of a Meitei-dominated government, these MLAs have effectively aligned themselves with our enemy, disregarding the imNemcha Kipgen mense pain and sacrifices endured by the Kuki-Zo community the KZC said ,” in a statement. The organisation viewed the act as a serious betrayal and a deliberate attempt to undermine the unity, sentiments, and collective political stand of the Kuki-Zo people. Amid a demand by the Kuki-Zo leaders for a separate administrative unit, BJP MLA Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday was sworn in as the 13th CM of Manipur. Nemcha Kipgen (pic), a BJP MLA who belongs to the Kuki community took oath as deputy , chief minister. L M Khaute and Ngursanglur Sanate, are the other two MLAs facing boycott. At least 18 dead in illegal rathole mine blast in Meghalaya P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Guwahati AT least 18 labourers were killed, and several others feared trapped following a dynamite explosion at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills early on Thursday officials said. , Asked whether the mine was operating illegally, East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said, “Yes, it seems like that.” Rescue teams have been engaged in search operations, Director General of Police I Nongrang said, adding that the tragedy occurred in the Thangsku area in the morning. “We are trying to gather information about the mine owner and the people who are running this mine. After that, we will take necessary actions,” the SP said. PM Narendra Modi an- nounced an ex-gratia of `2 lakh for the next of the kin of each deceased, while the injured would be given `50,000. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had imposed a ban on rathole coal mining and other unscientific mining practices in Meghalaya in 2014. Despite the ban, illegal mining continues. There have been several incidents of coal mine mishaps in Meghalaya, endowed with coal. In 2018, 15 miners were trapped 370 feet inside an illegal coal mine, with 13 of them feared dead. E x p r e s s Re a d GST exemption for irrigation works executed by WUAs Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu assured Water Users Associations’ works will be exempted from GST, highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s transformation into a farmer-friendly state. He praised irrigation projects and initiatives, promising completion of Polavaram by June 2027 | P4 safe and sound Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a wheelchair Thursday after he tripped and fell on the stairs of the Parliament complex during the Budget Session | PTI Flights booked, says SKY; govt to take call: Agha F i r o z M i r z a @ Mumbai The biggest talking point started days before the first ball is bowled at the T20 World Cup on February 7 is hard to miss. Ostensibly so, the focus was on India and Pakistan when the captains had a media session here on Thursday . India captain Suryakumar Yadav, seemed relaxed with the team’s performance ahead of the mega event, but the topic veered to the much-talked about match on February 15 which Pakistan are planning to forfeit on government’s instructions. India captain was pretty straightforward when he said: “Our mindset is pretty clear. We have not said no (to playing Pakistan). They have. ICC has given the fixture. Our flight is booked and we are going there (to Colombo). Their (Pakistan’s) decision is not in my control. I wish I could take their decision, but then it is their call.” While speaking on the ICC’s position, he said, “I feel it is not an easy job. I am sure they might be working out something as well, but (since) it has come from the other government or the nation, how can they (the ICC) help as well...” Miles away, in Colombo, the other captain Salman Ali Agha too was drawn into the subject who said that playing India in the knockouts would depend on government’s approval. “The India game is not in our control,” he said. “It’s government’s decision. If we have to play them in semifinal or final, we have to go back to them.” Bharat Taxi platform in DelhiNCR, Gujarat launched New Delhi: Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched Bharat Taxi, the country’s first co-operative-run ride-hailing platform, which will start services in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat initially and pan-India in the next three years. Bharat Taxi operates on a zerocommission and surge-free pricing model, with direct profit distribution among drivers CM: No clean chit for YSRCP in Laddu case S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Accusing the previous YSRCP dispensation of making deliberate attempts and hatching conspiracies to defame Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy temple and hurt the sentiments of crores of people, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asserted that all the facts behind the adulteration of ghee supplies to the TTD will be unravelled and there will be no question of sparing the responsible persons. Stating that it is our combined responsibility to protect the sanctity of Tirumala, the Chief Minister said that the coalition government will place before the people all the reports including the charge sheet filed by CBI on the Tirumala ghee adulteration case. The Chief Minister stated that, based on the CBI’s communication, the government has constituted a one-man committee to conduct a comprehensive examination of the report, identify lapses and fix responsibility . He said that once the committee completes its review, the government will initiate appropriate action in accordance with the findings. He addressed a press conference after discussing the adulterated ghee issue with leaders of the NDA.  P4