hubballi l thursday l november 28, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Guns silent as Israel-Hezbollah truce takes effect in lebanon The ceasefire, brokered by the US and France to end 13 months of fighting, appeared to be holding on Wednesday Lebanese army moves to hezbollah’s turf Hundreds of refugees head home to south The ceasefire deal, which calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting, requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. With the deal taking effect, the Lebanese military started reinforcing its presence in the country’s south, where Hezbollah fighters have long held sway | P9 ■ ■ Hundreds of displaced south Lebanon residents headed home from Beirut and other cities, ignoring warnings from the Lebanese military that Israeli forces were yet to complete withdrawal from some areas With its ally Hezbollah silencing the guns, Hamas on Wednesday said it is ready for ceasefire and prisoner-exchange talks with Israel 3,760 people killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months 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 Maha power end game in sight Shinde drops out of the CM race, says any call by Modi, Shah will be acceptable to his party Talks with Shah S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai Caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday appeared to withdraw from the leadership race of the new gover nment in Maharashtra, claiming he was not an obstacle, adding any decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah will be acceptable for him and his Shiv Sena. The statement came after the BJP top brass in Delhi requested him to yield. “Shinde was told that they cannot disappoint the BJP rank and file who want to see their leader as chief minister, since the party was just 13 short of a simple majority in the assembly Shinde was . Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar pursuaded to look at the larger picture,” a source said requesting anonymity . Clearing the air at a press meet in Thane, Shinde said, “I spoke with the prime minister and Union minister Amit Shah and informed them that whatever decision is taken by them will be acceptable to me and my party Even if I am not made ... CM, I will not be unhappy .” Reacting to Shinde’s an- Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are expected to fly to Delhi to meet Shah to discuss modalities of government formation. The new CM may continue to have two deputy CMs nouncement, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said, “We in the Mahayuti have always made decisions together. A few people had doubts, which Shinde ji has clarified. Soon we will meet our leaders and make the decision.” Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are expected to fly to Delhi to meet Shah. While Fadnavis is the frontrunner for heading the government, it might not be done deal, claim sources. Consider this: NCP and Shiv Sena have elected Ajit Pawar and Shinde as their legislative party leader respectively, but BJP has yet to take that call. “The top brass is exploring other options as they want to break the Vidarbha versus Western Maharashtra matrix. They are looking to promote an alternative leadership from North Maharashtra,” the source said. Its dark horses from North Maharashtra include Girish Mahajan and Radha Krishna VikhePatil. While Mahajan is close to Fadnavis, Vikhe-Patil has a good equation with Shah. “The names of some women leaders are also in circulation.” Stormy session Oppn steps up heat on Adani row, disrupts Parliament P R EETHA NAI R @ New Delhi THE Adani row continued to rock Parliament on Wednesday as neither the Lok Sabha nor the Rajya Sabha could transact any business. Both Houses were adjourned till Thursday . As soon as the House met for the day, Opposition members were on their feet demanding discussion on bribery charges against the Adani conglomerate, Manipur unrest, and the recent violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal. Several Opposition members including Congress’ Manickam Tagore K C Venugopal and Manish Tewari moved adjournment motions to discuss the Adani controversy As the mem. bers resorted to sloganeering, Speaker Om Birla asked them to allow the Question Hour, adding they can discuss their issues later. With the Opposition refusing to relent, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon amid the ruckus. As the protests continued after the House was reconvened, the Chair adjourned it for a day . Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged the government is protecting Adani, and reiterated his demand that the industrialist be arrested. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition will furnish evidence against the Adani group if the government demands it. Speaking to this newspaper, Congress MP Suresh Kodikunnil said his party will demand a JPC probe into Adani’s indictment in the US. The Upper House also witnessed sloganeering after Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar rejected 18 notices under Rule 267 of the House. Amid the din, the House was adjourned for the day . Farmers of Gadag and Koppal submit memoranda to officials, to cancel Waqf land status from their land documents | Express Waqf row: Farmers throng tahsildar offices to check land documents R a g h o t ta m K o p pa r @ Gadag Hundreds of farmers are thronging tahsildar offices to check their land documents after many properties were listed as Waqf property This has hap. pened not only in Gadag, but many parts of North Karnataka. Mutt areas, farms and other properties have been changed in the name of Waqf, without the knowledge of the land owners. Farmers say they did not understand how to check their land documents and are visiting tahsildar offices for the past three weeks. The situation is the same in all taluks with many people hoping to gain clarity on their land status with regard to Waqf. My sons are working in Goa and Bengaluru and I don’t know how to read and write. But many people in our village were talking about Waqf and I am worried as I have five acres of land given by our forefathers. We are also planning a protest Prakash Kotumachagi, a farmer Many farmers are worried about their lands which they have got from their ancestors. Several farmers still don’t know the correct name on their land records as there have been no issues. But those who have heard about the Waqf controversy are visiting offices to check ownership records. Recently, Lakshmeshwar town’s Desai Bana farmers who hold 50 acres of land, also found a Waqf link in the records and protested. Halakere Annadaneshwar Mutt’s kitchen and hall area come under Waqf. Now farmers and mutt devotees are planning a big protest to save their properties. Prakash Kotumachagi, a farmer, said, “My sons are working in Goa and Bengaluru and I don’t know how to read and write. But many people in our village were talking about Waqf and I am worried as I have five acres of land given by our forefathers. We are also planning a protest.” Oppn, BJP on same page Waqf Bill JPC to seek extension till Budget Session Pr e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi With BJP members of a Joint Parliamentary Committee scrutinising the Waqf Amendment Bill joining the extension chorus, the panel will request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to extend its tenure until the Budget Session, 2025. The panel was scheduled to submit its report by the first week of the ongoing session of Parliament. This paper was the first to report on November 10 that the Modi government, under pressure from allies Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and JD(U), may buy more time to table the revised Waqf Bill in Parliament and that the panel may seek more time to submit the report. On Wednesday, amid Opposition protests, BJP members Nishikant Dubey and Aparajita Sarangi urged panel chairman Jagadambika Pal to request the Speaker to postpone the submission of the committee report until the Budget Session. This came after the Opposition members boycotted the meeting saying the chair man w a s ke e n t o close proceedings by the November 29 dead- line in a hurry . Later speaking to the media, Pal said, “Nishikant Dubey and others said since we have to invite and hear some other stakeholders and state officials, we need an extension. I will consider this and then we will bring a resolution before Lok Sabha tomorrow or the day after.” Earlier, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, DMK’s A Raja, AAP’s Sanjay Singh and TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee said the panel chairman was keen to wrap up the proceedings by the November 29 deadline without following due process. “The Speaker had indicated the committee could be given an extension, but it appeared that some “big minister” was directing Pal’s actions,” alleged Gogoi. Sanjay Singh said the panel hasn’t heard the governments of Delhi, J&K, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. “States that have maximum Waqf property weren’t called, including Delhi. Seven people died in Sambhal for Waqf property They are . not taking things seriously said ,” Kalyan Banerjee. You read it first here on November 10 express read Seer regrets statement on Muslim voting rights Bengaluru: A day after calling for withdrawing voting rights of Muslims, Chandrashekaranatha Swami of Vishwa Vokkaligara Mahasamsthana Mutt has expressed regret for his remark. The seer said that Muslims are also Indians and they have the right to vote | P4 Imran Khan’s party suspends protest Islamabad: Jailed former Pakistan premier Imran Khan’s party on Wednesday suspended “for the time being” its protest in Islamabad after a midnight crackdown by the authorities that reportedly killed four people and injured over 50 others. Rescue works underway at the ancient site of Lothal after a pit dug to collect soil collapsed | special arrangement IITian dies as research pit in Lothal caves in D i l i p S i n g h K s h at r i ya @ Ahemedabad A IIT-Delhi researcher who went to collect soil samples from the ancient Harappan civilization site of Lothal in Gujarat died after the cliff of a pit, dug to collect the samples, collapsed and buried four persons in a pile of soil on Wednesday . A team of researchers from IIT-Delhi and IIT-Gandhinagar descended into a 15-foot-deep pit dug using an excavator near an under-construction maritime museum at the archeological site, about 80 km from Ahmedabad. As they were collecting the samples, the cliff of the pit caved in burying them in soil. Surabhi Verma, a 23-year-old PhD scholar at IIT-Delhi died on the spot. Yama Dixit, a 45-yearold geologist, also from IIT-Delhi, sustained serious injuries and is under treatment at Bagodra government hospital. Bagodra police have launched an investigation into the incident. Situated near Sargwala village in Dholka taluka of Ahmedabad district, Lothal was a port town and a significant centre of the Indus Valley civilisation. This historical site was discovered in November 1954, and extensive excavations have since been conducted. 30 hrs after kidnap, newborn reunited with mom Ramakrishna Badseshi @ Kalaburagi Gukesh hits back D Gukesh converted his advantage with white pieces to restore parity at the ongoing chess World Championship in Singapore on Wednesday. The Indian teen controlled the game from start to finish. His opening preparation was more extensive than the Chinese world champion and it paved the way for the Indian’s first win | Pti | P11 Just thirty hours after a newborn baby boy was kidnapped from GIMS Hospital here, the Kalaburagi Police managed to successfully trace the infant and hand him over to his distraught parents early on Wednesday. The baby is in good health. Accordingly, Kalaburagi Police Commissioner Dr Sharanappa SD informed that three suspects, namely Umera, Nasarin Banu, and Fatima, who had taken the child, have been arrested. The commissioner himself went to the GIMS hos- pital and handed over the baby to his family . Sharanappa said that four police teams were formed, each under a senior police officer, owing to the serious and delicate nature of the case. Most of the police personnel in the city were ordered to help trace the baby. The baby boy was kidnapped around 3 pm on Monday and a complaint was regis, tered with the Bramhapur police at 5.30 pm. Police teams acted swiftly, and examined CCTV footage. It was found that three women in nurse’s attire carried away the baby got into , an electric auto-rickshaw, and left the scene. Police inquired with all auto drivers who drove such rickshaws in the city With . their help, the police were able to track the women down by Tuesday evening. The accused, aged 30-35 years, are domestic workers residing in Shah Jilani Dargah. Four police teams were formed, each under a senior police officer, owing to the serious and delicate nature of the case. Most of the police personnel in the city were ordered to help trace the baby Dr Sharanappa SD, Kalaburagi Police Commissioner They confessed that one of their relatives, who was issueless and unaware of the adoption procedure, had asked the accused to get a male baby for , which the latter was willing to pay Rs 50,000. The accused agreed, while also accepting an advance payment of Rs 25,000. While scouting GIMS Hospital, they found an opportunity to steal the baby boy, and kidnapped him on Monday afternoon. It may be recalled that a woman, Kasturi, who was admitted to the hospital at 1 am on Monday, delivered the said baby at 4 am, the same day . 1 marksheet stands between students, degree certificates CID Special Court convicts four cops S L a l i t h a @ Bengaluru Two students from Tamil Nadu who came to Bengaluru to study , are shattered today as their college, affiliated to Bangalore University failed to issue their de, gree certificates even four years after their course completion. Repeated visits to the University and college have been in vain, and the duo has been getting false assurances that the certificates will be given soon. Vignesh V works as a data en- try operator at a Tiruppur concern. He was able to get the job using only his Class 12 certificate. Rakshita Priya failed to get employment and was unable to apply for government jobs which require a degree. Vignesh told TNIE, “We were both students of B.Sc (Physics, Maths and Electronics) at RBANMS College in Ulsoor, affiliated to Bangalore University, in 2017. Since there were only five in the batch, the college decided to close the course and we were told to shift to other colleges affiliated to the University from the 2nd year. We both shifted to HKES Sree Veerendra Patil Degree College in Seshadripuram.” Trouble began as the duo opted for Tamil as their second language. “At the time of admission, we brought it to their attention that they did not have a Tamil teacher. However, we were promised the issue will be taken care of. For the 3rd semester in 2018, our internals marks were left blank for Tamil. We never got the marksheet for that semester. However, for the fourth semester, we were given good marks in Tamil internals,” he explained. They repeatedly asked for the 3rd semester marksheet before they completed the course, and by February 2020, their course was completed, but they did not get the marksheet, Vignesh added. in custodial death of domestic worker Express News Service @ Bengaluru Four policemen, including a head constable, who were working in the JB Nagar police station, have been convicted by a special court in connection with the custodial death of a 42-yearold domestic worker in 2016. Mahendra Singh Rathod, the domestic worker, had died in po- lice custody during interrogation in a theft case. The four policemen were accused of causing Rathod’s death. The four policemen were convicted by the CID Special court on Tuesday . Police head constable Ajaz Khan, police constables Keshav Murthy, Mohan Ram, and Siddappa Bommanahalli are convicted to undergo seven years of simple imprisonment and lev- ied a fine of Rs 55,000 each. Out of the total fine amount, Rs 2 lakh shall be paid to the dependents of deceased Rathod after proper identification of dependents. Ajaz Khan is presently working in the Halasuru traffic police station, Keshava Murthy in Ramamurthy Nagar, Mohan Ram in Indiranagar traffic, and Siddappa Bommanahalli in Indiranagar police stations.