Pic: BAI golden moment for indian badminton Anmol Kharb, 17, once again made the difference as India women’s team secured an historic gold medal in the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Shah Alam, Malaysia after beating Thailand 3-2 in the final. With the contest locked at 2-2, Anmol delivered another masterclass against Pornpicha Choeikeewong, winning 21-14, 21-9 | P11 chennai l Monday l February 19, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION 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 NDA’s 3rd term crucial for India’s progress, says PM Opposition parties are incapable of taking the country forward: Modi RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said a third term for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is essential for India’s progress because the opposition parties lack the vision and commitment to take the country forward in terms of development. Addressing BJP delegates from across the country at the BJP’s national convention, Modi said he is not seeking another term to enjoy power but for the country’s benefit. Asserting that the ruling alliance will storm back to power with a record mandate of 400-plus seats, he said even world leaders are convinced about his continuance as PM that he is getting invitations for events that are months away. “The elections are yet to happen, but I am getting invitations from foreign countries for July, August, September... These countries know that Aayega to Modi hi (Modi’s victory is inevitable),” he said, adding that every country now wants to have deeper relations with India. In his 70-minute address to party’s delegates, Modi urged them to work hard and reach out to each and every beneficiary of Central government schemes. “For NDA to cross 400, the BJP will have to cross the milestone of 370. The next five years are going to be crucial. We have to take a big leap towards Viksit Bharat. The first imperative is to ensure the return of the BJP to power in strong numbers,” he said. Taking a jab at the opposition It’s Mahabharata war, says Shah Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the BJP National Council meeting on its second day at Bharat Mandapam | pti The next five years are going to be crucial. The first condition for realising the big goals for the country is to ensure the return of the BJP to power with a strong mandate Narendra Modi, PM parties, Modi said they may not know how to plan or execute large projects but they are matchless in making false commitments. “Despite this, these parties lack the courage to make one promise—ViksitBharat. Nor do they question us about it. They have acknowledged they cannot lead India to development,” he said. Modi claimed the BJP is the only party that aspires to make India a developed nation by 2047, adding that NDA’s last 10 years have been characterised by bold decisions and futuristic policies. “We dared to complete the tasks were left unfinished for decades—Ayodhya Ram temple construction, opening of Kartarpur corridor, abrogation of Article 370,” he said. P7 Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday likened the Lok Sabha polls to the Mahabharata war, asserting that the BJP will win. “Just as in the Mahabharata war there were two camps, Kauravas and Pandavas, today there are two camps ahead of polls,” he said Ram Rajya for 1,000 years: BJP resolution The BJP’s national convention passed a resolution on the Ram temple in Ayodhya, stating it heralds establishment of ‘Ram Rajya’ in India for the next 1,000 years. The resolution noted the temple has become a temple of “national consciousness” Nadda’s tenure extended till June BJP national president JP Nadda’s tenure has been extended till June 2024. The decision, which was announced in January by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, was approved by the party’s national council held in New Delhi on Sunday Kamal Nath not leaving party, claims MP Congress a n uraa g s i n g h @ Bhopal Amid reports that veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath may switch to the BJP Madhya , Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari on Sunday claimed the senior leader is not leaving the grand old party . “I spoke to Kamal Nath over the phone and he told me the media reports are misleading. He has assured me that he is with the Congress and will continue to be with the party Win. ning and losing are all part of democracy. Neither Kamal Nath or ex-minister Sajjan Singh Verma are going anywhere,” said Patwari. In a related development, Madhya Pradesh Congress released a list of ex-Congress leaders who joined the BJP in the last few years. Of the 62 who joined BJP in Madhya Pradesh, only seven gained politically while the rest found their careers waning, according to the party . Rumours of Kamal Nath’s imminent exit from the party started making the rounds on Saturday after his sudden arrival in Delhi cutting short his tour to Chhindwara, where his son is the Lok Sabha member of Parliament. Congress has only one LS MP from the state. Record players: India post 434-run win g o mesh s @ Rajkot Ravindra Jadeja was down on his knees, kissing the pitch at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot. He had completed a fifer, trapping Mark Wood on the pads and helped India secure a record victory in the third Test against England here on Sunday. At least he thought so. Wood reviewed and survived, but it was always going to be a matter of time. He dismissed Wood in the next over, this time the celebrations were much casual despite India registering a 434-run victory — the biggest in terms of margin of runs — taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Rohit was a satisfied cap- India’s Ravindra Jadeja (L) celebrates the wicket of England’s Joe Root on Day 4 in Rajkot, on Sunday. This is India’s biggest win (in terms of margin of runs) | ap tain. After being constantly challenged by England, in Rajkot, he and the bowlers had come up with specific plans for a slowish surface and it worked. Mohammed Siraj led the way in the first essay and TN govt rejects FCI’s proposal to install ‘selfie points’ with cutouts of PM Modi b a n buse lv a n @ Chennai With the Election Commission of India (ECI) likely to announce the general election dates by the third week of March, the BJP-led central government’s plans to utilise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s perceived popularity as a poll plank is unlikely to be materialised in Tamil Nadu. The state government, which has already declined permission for the display of banners featuring Modi’s portrait at ration shops, has also refused to accede to the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) request to install ‘selfie points’ featuring cutouts of the PM at the locations. Moreover, the FCI’s proposal to distribute rice packets bearing Modi’s picture has also been put on hold. Official sources confirmed that the FCI had sent a letter to the state outlining the specifications for setting up the selfie points in December 2023 and is yet to receive any response. “Initially there were indications that the state might allow selfie points at select locations. However, we have not received any response yet,” said a central government official. Two dead, two hurt after tusker enters Krishnagiri villages e x p ress n ews ser v i c e @ Krishnagiri Farmers raising slogans at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border on Sunday during their ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest near Patiala district | pti Farmers harden stance as negotiations drag on H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh FARMER unions on Sunday hardened their stance even as the fourth round of talks with the Centre kicked off in Chandigarh, with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of unions, calling for taking the protest to BJP leaders’ doorsteps. In Punjab, protesting farmers will gherao the residences of BJP leaders for three days starting Tuesday Also, tolls . across the state will be ‘liberated’ to allow free passage of vehicles. Farmer leaders warned the protest will continue even if the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections comes into force, reiterating that the farmers will not accept anything less than the C2 (comprehensive cost of production) plus 50% formula for minimum support price as recommended in the Swaminathan Commission report. The SKM announced its decision after its meeting in Ludhiana on Sunday SKM leader Bal. bir Singh Rajewal said farmers will stage protests in front of the residences of Punjab BJP leaders including MPs and MLAs from Tuesday to Thursday Toll barriers will also . be deactivated during February 20-22 to make passage free for passengers, he added. Rajewal said SKM will hold a meeting on February 22 in Delhi to chalk out future strategy . Meanwhile, Haryana farmers unions have also got active after a meeting with khaps at Kurukshetra on Sunday Hary. ana BKU (Chaduni) president Gurnam Singh Chaduni said they will announce their plan of action on Monday if the fourth round of talks fail.  P8 Jadeja in the second. R Ashwin, who had to head home for a family emergency too, joined , the team on Sunday This one, . along with Visakhapatnam, will remain special for Rohit because of where they were Two women were killed and two men injured by an elephant from the Jawalagiri forest range that entered villages near Denkanikottai on Sunday morning. While one of the deceased was from Anniyalam village, the other was from the nearby Dasarapalli. Following the deaths, residents of both villages protested demanding the translocation of the tusker. The forest department has formed four special teams which are now tracking the elephant. According to sources, A Vasantha (33) from Anniyalam, a daily wage labourer, was on her way to work in a farm nearby when she was trampled to death by the tusker at around 6.30 am. A little later, the same tusker attacked V Aswathamma (42) at Dasarapalli, killing her on the spot. Subsequently C Sakkarapani (40) from Uthanga, rai and S Rama Sri (25) from Uttar Pradesh, were attacked near Bellur village while on their way to work. Sakkarapani is being treated at the Government Krishnagiri Medical College and Hospital while Rama Sri was admitted at a private hospital in Hosur. While Vasantha’s body was sent for postmortem examination, the Dasarapalli villagers refused to release Aswathamma’s body. Residents of both villages protested on the Thalli road, demanding the tusker be translocated, and government jobs be provided for the kin of the deceased.  P5 Over 200 people, along with MLA T Ramachandran, at a road roko near Denkanikottai check post | Express Sources within the state’s food and cooperation departments told TNIE that the centre’s request to display banners at ration shops has remained denied since last year. “We have not accepted the proposal for selfie points either,” said an official, noting that when the state had distributed Pongal gift bags in 2022, the Chief Minister’s likeness was not printed on them. There are 35,323 ration shops across Tamil Nadu, serving 2.23 crore family ration cards, of which 1.12 crore are priority cards meant for impoverished populations.  P5 after Hyderabad and the players they did not have. For England, the Rajkot Test was supposed to be their best chance. The hosts were playing with two debutants and a middleorder with a cumulative experience of one Test. England had India down to 33/3 on day one. England were 207/2 after day two. When they started batting on Saturday, they did not have to face Ashwin. And yet, over the course of 48 hours, India did what they do more often than not in a home Test. They bundled out England, piled on a massive lead before putting England back with four-and-a-half sessions to play. The rest, as said before, was all Jadeja’s magic.  P11 E x p r e s s r ead TN Finance Minister to present budget today Chennai: Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu will be presenting his maiden budget for 2024-25 in the Assembly on Monday. In anticipation, the state has released a new logo and a tagline, ‘Thadaikalai Thandi Valarchiyai Nokki’ (Overcoming barriers - towards growth) | P4 Jaishankar meets Wang at Munich conference New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi briefly on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany. However, there was no official word on what they spoke