KOZHIKODE l friday l September 23, 2022 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Government plans to license messaging apps, internet calling Whatsapp, Zoom and Google Duo may require licences to operate in India, says the draft telecommunication bill 2022 OTT PLAYERS TO BE PART OF TELECOM SERVICE Messages can be intercepted, stopped These over-the-top communication services have been included in the draft bill as part of the telecommunication service. “For provision of Telecommunication Services and Telecommunication Networks, an entity shall have to obtain a licence,” said the draft bill released for public feedback on Wednesday. The last date for feedback is October 20 ■ The bill says authorised officers of the Centre and states will have the power to stop and intercept the transmission of messages “in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity or security of India, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, or preventing incitement to an offence”. However, press matter will be exempt 117 crore Size of India’s telecom subscriber base, the world’s second largest 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 Nationwide crackdown on PFI, gen secy among 106 held from 15 states Tharoor, Pilot likely winners no matter who heads Congress NIA, ED conduct searches; top leaders arrested for terror funding, recruiting youth for terror acts E x p r e ss N e ws Se r v i c e @ Chennai/ New Delhi/ Bengaluru/ Vijayawada / Kochi PFI volunteers block a road at the mofussil bus stand junction in Kozhikode on Thursday in protest against the nationwide raids on PFI offices and the arrest of the organisation’s leaders | E Gokul Call for hartal today 22 PFI leaders arrested from Kerala. Following the raid, 25 were detained at first PFI has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kerala on Friday against the arrest of their national and state leaders. KSRTC buses to run “The arrests are part of statesponsored terrorism. The hartal will be held in protest against the RSS-controlled fascist government that is using the agencies to stifle dissenting voices,” PFI says in a statement. PSC exams and service verification to take place on Friday as announced Kerala University cancels all exams on Friday State police chief Anil Kant says those indulging in violence and forceful closure of shops will be arrested immediately and booked. Police told not to allow protesters to assemble in public. Nod to detain hartal backers if needed BEd spot admission at SN College, Kollam, now on September 25 Law and Order ADGP Vijay Sakhare warns against rumour-mongering on social media Class 10 equivalency exam moved to Saturday KSRTC to operate services as usual IN one of their biggest joint operations against terror funding and terror activities, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested 106 activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) from 93 locations across 15 states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi even as top officials met to discuss a likely ban on the organisation. During the coordinated nationwide operation, which began at around 3:30 am, PFI Chairman O M A Salam, national general secretary V P Nasarudeen Elamaram and the organisation’s Delhi unit head Parvez Ahmed, among others, were taken into custody. Salam was picked up from his home at Kerala’s Malappuram, after the place was searched. Ahmed’s residence in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar was also raided. Raids were also carried out in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur. The NIA said 45 of the total arrests were made by the agency . Even as the raids and arrests were underway Union Home Min, ister Amit Shah met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and NIA Director-General Dinkar Gupta to discuss details of the case, the likely fallout and implications. Kerala, where the PFI is said to just 13% over, survey detects 1.3L suspect breast cancer cases Unn i k r i s h n a n S @T’Puram The door-to-door survey by the health department has identified over 1.5 lakh suspected cancer patients in the state so far. Among them, over 1.3 lakh have been referred for breast cancer, over 21,000 for cervical cancer and close to 8,000 for oral cancer screening. The numbers assume significance as the survey has covered just over 13% of the target population of 1.6 crore people aged above 30. The initial survey is used as a pointer to identify people having chances of developing cancer and other lifestyle diseases, including diabetes and heart diseases. The actual number of people with the diseases confir med could be lower. Yet, health experts term it as an important discovery that helps reduce the disease burden. Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women while cervical cancer has a high death rate due to the delay in detection. It is known that the state has Worrying Prevalence of breast cancer India Kerala 30-40 patients 60-70 patients per lakh per lakh State health survey Target population (above 30 years): 1,69,91,406 Survey covered: 22,79,376 Referred for cancer screening: 1,56,484 Referred for breast cancer screening: 1,31,003 Referred for cervical cancer screening: 21,465 Referred for oral cancer screening: 7,778 Approx 1.25L women diagnosed with cervical cancer per yr in India. Over 75,000 of them die a large number of morbid patients. The effect of it was felt during Covid when several people had an extended stay in hos- pitals and some of them died. The health department started the survey on December 7 last year to assess the level of noncommunicable diseases and make early interventions to control them. “A large proportion of people do not know if they have diabetes, hypertension or preliminary symptoms of cancer as they have not been tested earlier. The survey helps find such patients early,” said Dr Bipin K Gopal, state nodal officer for non-communicable diseases and the state coordinator of District Cancer Control Programme. The survey focused on three types of cancers: Breast, cervix and mouth. The surveyor identifies a person for screening if she says yes to symptoms such as a lump in breast and bleeding during intercourse. For oral cancer, the question is on the presence of white marks in the mouth. However, sending a patient for cancer screening does not mean the disease has been confirmed. have strong pockets, accounted for 22 arrests. Among the arrested leaders are PFI state president C P Mohammed Basheer, national council member P Koya and senior functionaries Jaseer K P Sha, f e e r K P , E Abu Backer, E M Abdul Rahiman, Najumudeen, Sainuddeen T S, Yahiya Koya Thangal, K Muhammedali, C T Sulaiman, P K Usman, Karamana Ashraf Moulavi, Sadiq Ahmed, Shihas, Ansari P and M M Mujeeb. In Tamil Nadu, 11 people were arrested. They were identified as Syed Ishaaq, Advocate Khalid Mohammed, A M Idris, Mohamed Abuthahir, S Khaja Maideen, Yasar Arafat, Barakathullah, Fayaz Ahamed, M Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Mohammed Yousuf and A S Ismail, a national executive committee member PFI. Muhammed Saqib Sahab, PFI’s national secretary was picked up at Coimbatore Railway station and taken to Delhi. In Karnataka, the NIA, with help of local police searched suspects’ locations in Bengaluru and Mangaluru and arrested Anis Ahmed, Afsar Pasha, Abdul Wahid Sait, Yasar Arafath Hasan, Mohammed Shakif alias Shakif, Mohammed Farooq ur Rahman and Shahid Nasir. Sources said documents, cash, sharp-edged weapons and large number of digital devices were seized during the raids. The NIA is investigating a total of 19 PFI-related cases, including five registered on Thursday . E X P RESS RE A D YC leader arrested in AKG Centre attack case T’Puram: Bringing an end to conspiracy theories and speculation, the crime branch on Thursday arrested a 31-year-old Youth Congress leader for allegedly hurling a cracker at CPM state headquarters AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on June 30 night | P5 Rahul’s aim is to wrest Kerala from Left: Pinarayi T’Puram: Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is not against the BJP or RSS, CM Pinarayi Vijayan has said. Rahul’s aim is to wrest Kerala from the Left, he said. The banner of Savarkar displayed in Ernakulam in connection with the yatra reflects Congress-BJP alliance in the state, he said | P5 Reshuffle: Biswanath Sinha is new finance secy T’Puram: Biswanath Sinha has been appointed additional chief secretary in finance department. He will hold full additional charges of additional chief secretary, planning and economic affairs department, store purchase department and CEO of Rebuild Kerala Initiative | P4 First time ever Bhagwat breaks new ground, visits mosque & madrasa R a j e s h K u m a r T h a k u r @ New Delhi RSS head Mohan Bhagwat (C) leaves after meeting the All India Imam Organisation chief Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, at a mosque in Delhi | ANI RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday broke new ground by visiting a mosque and a madrasa for the first time, expanding the organisation’s outreach to the Islamic community . That the visits happened on a day when the National Investigation Agency launched a nationwide swoop on activists of the Popular Front of India for alleged acts of terror, indicated an attempt of the Sangh to draw a line between the radical elements and those in the Islamic mainstream. Bhagwat called on Umer Ahemed IIyasi, head of the All India Imam Organisation, at a mosque in Delhi’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg. He then went to the Madrasa Tajweedul Quran in Azadpur. During their hour-long meeting, Bhagwat agreed with Ilyasi that both Hindus and Muslims must work towards national unity . At the madarasa, IIyasi introduced the RSS chief to the students as Rashtra Pita, but Bhagwat intervened and said there is only one father of the nation, adding “we are Bharat ki santan” (children of Bharat). “With this visit, a message should go that we all want to work towards strengthening India,” IIyasi said. vince Rahul that he can handle both the posts. However, Rahul Shashi Tharoor may get a made it clear it was not possiberth in the Congress Working ble,” said a source. “Priyanka Committee (CWC), the party’s Gandhi too was adamant that highest decision-making body, Pilot be made CM,” he said. Raregardless of the fate of the hul made this clear in Kochi election for the party president when he mentioned the ‘onepost. The decision was taken man, one-post’ decision taken when the Thiruvananthapuram at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir. “There is a feeling that Pilot MP met AICC interim chief Sowas sidelined in Rajasnia Gandhi earlier this than Congress since week, TNIE has learnt. Gehlot became CM for “Tharoor has always the third time in 2018. Piensured he maintains a lot cannot be sidelined warm relationship with any more as the Rajasthe Gandhi family even than assembly elections when he was with G23. are due in December The Gandhis too appreSachin Pilot 2023. Moreover, Rahul’s ciate his potential and padayatra will be in the are aware of the harm state for 21 days. If the he is capable of inflictimbroglio in Congress ing if he decides to leave continues, it will tarnish Congress,” said a source, his yatra,” said a source adding that Gandhis beclose to Pilot.Another lieve that the CWC berth source said Gehlot, in is enough to keep Tharoor in good spirits. Shashi Tharoor his “desperation”, is tryThe Gandhi family has ing every trick in the also managed to convince book to ensure Pilot does not Ashok Gehlot to step down as succeed him. “There are attempts from Rajastan CM and hand over the post to bete noire Sachin Pilot. Gehlot camp to prolong his resGehlot is likely to resign around ignation until Diwali or till the the AICC polls as per the agree- December elections. However, ment. Apparently, pressure tac- this is not likely to succeed as tics by the 71-year-old to make Rahul would prefer the issue is loyalist and Rajasthan speaker resolved before the yatra reachC P Joshi the CM did not work. es Rajasthan during October“Gehlot tried his best to con- November,” said the source. C y nt h i a C h a n d r a n @T’Puram Rahul’s advice to new AICC chief Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said his advice to whoever becomes the new AICC head would be that it is not just an organisational post but an ideological post. “It (the post) is a belief system,” he told reporters in Kochi | P5 Tharoor has always seen to it that he maintains a warm relationship with the Gandhis..They too appreciate his potential and are aware of the harm he can inflict if he decides to leave Congress A source