TIRUCHY 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 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 illegal constructions on govt land 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 RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR 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.” E x p ress R e a d I-T dept: Jaya assets may be auctioned for tax dues Chennai: The income tax department has told the Madras HC that late CM J Jayalalithaa owed `20 crore in tax arrears and interest as on January 31, 2026. Her properties, including those which are already attached by authorities, would be auctioned if the amount is not paid by her legal heirs, said the department in its reply to a peition filed by J Deepa, one of the legal heirs of the late leader | P2 Ajithkumar’s mom seeks action on complainant Chennai: A day after the CBI told the Madras HC that it had closed the theft case against temple guard B Ajithkumar — who died during police interrogation — due to lack of evidence, his mother B Malathy on Thursday demanded the arrest of complainant J Nikitha. She demanded to know on whose directions the cops assaulted her son. “No one responsible for my son’s death should be spared,” she said | P4 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 At least 18 dead in rathole mine blast “We are trying to gather information about the mine ownAT least 18 labourers were er and the people who are runkilled, and several others feared ning this mine. After that, we trapped following a dynamite will take necessary actions,” explosion at an illegal the SP said. coal mine in MeghaThe National Green `2 lakh laya’s East Jaintia Tribunal (NGT) had ex-gratia Hills early on Thurs- PM Narendra Modi imposed a ban on ratday officials said. , hole coal mining and announced an Asked whether the ex-gratia of `2 lakh other unscientific mine was operating for the next of the mining practices in illegally, East Jaintia Meghalaya in 2014. kin of each Hills Superintendent Despite the ban, illedeceased, while of Police Vikash Ku- the injured would gal mining continues. mar said, “Yes, it be given `50,000 There have been sevseems like that.” Reseral incidents of coal cue teams have been engaged mine mishaps in Meghalaya, in search operations, Director endowed with coal. General of Police I Nongrang In 2018, 15 miners were said, adding that the tragedy trapped 370 feet inside an illeoccurred in the Thangsku area gal coal mine, with 13 of them in the morning. feared dead. P rasanta M a z um d ar @ Guwahati SC orders DA arrears to Bengal govt staff New Delhi: Offering relief to nearly 20 lakh West Bengal government employees, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the state government to pay dearness allowance to them for the 2008-to-2019 period, saying it is a legally-enforceable right. A bench of justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra directed the state government to pay 25 per cent of the outstanding DA to its employees by March 6 | P8 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 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 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 rasanta M a z um d ar @ 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. BharatGujarat launched Taxi platform in Delhi-NCR, 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 AIADMK-BJP discord is media chatter: Nainar S u b ashini V ijayakumar @ Chennai Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran told TNIE that actor Vijay’s TVK will not eat into the NDA’s vote-share and expressed confidence about the bloc’s victory in the state. The people of Tamil Nadu feel cheated by the DMK government, he said. Dismissing reports of discord between the AIADMK and the BJP over sharing of power if the NDA wins the polls as media chatter, Nagenthran said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stress on “doubleengine” government is an emphasis on the need for a state that can work cordially with the centre. He also downplayed the announcement by former state chief K Annamalai that he wouldn’t be able to take up the responsibility to oversee party’s campaign in six assembly seats due to his father’s ill health. Nagenthran said Annamalai will participate in BJP’s future campaigns. He said the Tamil Nadu people are fully aware of the breakdown in law and order in the state under the DMK government and the ruling party’s failure to fulfil most of its election promises.  Full interview on P4 Flights booked, says SKY; govt to take semis call: Agha Fir o z M ir 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 muchtalked 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 gov- ernment 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.” SLC writes to PCB Says Pak forfeiture of India tie will hurt Lankan cricket & country’s economy Cabinet okays `34K-cr investment plans in TN E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai The state cabinet on Thursday approved `34,237.39 crore worth of investments in multiple projects by 15 companies with the potential to create 55,096 jobs. Briefing reporters at the secretariat after the meeting chaired by Chief Minister M K Stalin, Industries Minister T R B Rajaa said the projects would promote balanced and widespread development and would be spread across districts, including Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, Perambalur, Tiruchy , Karur, Tiruppur, Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi, among others. The minister said a major scheme would be announced on February 13 (Friday), while the ‘Conversion Conclave’, announced earlier, would be held on February 12 (Thursday). The conclave, which is a first-of-its-kind initiative to showcase investments, would also feature several key announcements. According to sources, the state cabinet also approved proposals relating to the interim Budget for the 2026-27 financial year. The interim Budget, ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, is expected to be presented in the second week of this month.  P5