Champions Trophy: Hybrid model agreed in principle ICC likely to announce CT formula on Saturday after Pakistan and Indian cricket boards reportedly agree in principle to play at neutral venues Dubai most-likely venue for india It is understood that India could play in Dubai during the CT to be held from February 19 to March 9 next year. Reports indicate that when India host 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup and 2026 men’s WC, Pakistan will not travel here and play against India at a neutral venue (could be Colombo for men’s WC). If India reach final then it could be at a neutral venue THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l saturday l December 14, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION The CT features eight teams, divided into two groups and all countries, except India, have agreed to play in Pakistan 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 Allu Arjun arrested, granted bail T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad actor Allu Arjun was on Friday arrested in connection with the death of a woman at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of Pushpa-2 on December 4. He was produced before the Nampally court, which sent him to 14 days judicial custody. Later in the day, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail for four weeks. Arjun will have to spend the night in Chanchalguda jail as the prison authorities did not receive the copy of the HC order till 10.30 pm. By the time the order copy was uploaded online, Arjun’s advocates handed over a hard copy to the jail authorities. But, they found mistakes in the order copy Ar. jun will be released on Saturday once the rectified order copy is submitted. Also, the surety amount of `50,000 was not submitted on Friday . While granting interim bail, the HC asked the actor to file a fresh petition for regular bail in the trial court. The next hearing is on December 21. The case is related to the death of M Revathi in a stampede when the fans rushed to catch a glimpse of the actor at the film’s premiere. 18 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express Rajnath, Priyanka trade barbs Fiery debate in the House of the People to commemorate the 75th year of the Constitution P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The much-anticipated debate to commemorate the 75th year of the Constitution kicked off on Friday with the ruling BJP-led NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc sparring over Constitutional values, its relevance and key political issues. Initiating the debate in the Lok Sabha, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh attacked the Congress saying a particular party always tried to ‘hijack and appropriate’ the framing of the Constitution. Rajnath said the Congress made 28 Constitutional amendments during Indira Gandhi’s tenure and 10 during Rajiv Gandhi’s rule. And the Manmohan Singh government made seven amendments. The BJP has never compromised the independence and autonomy of institutions and always adhered to the Constitution, Rajnath said. The Constitution talked about religious freedom and it had been specified that the state would not have a religion but be secular, he added. “Opposition leaders carry the Constitution in their pockets, they have done this for generations, but the BJP holds it to its forehead,” Rajnath said. Deliberating on the democratic journey of the country, he said the ideas of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Bhagat Singh and Veer Savarkar have strengthened the basis of the Constitution. This invited protests from the Opposition. Opening the debate for the Op- Rajnath Singh and Priyanka Gandhi take part in a debate in LS on Friday | PTI position, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra rebutted Rajnath’s criticisms. “Treasury bench members keep talking about the past and Nehru. Why don’t you talk about the present? Tell the country what you are doing. Is everything Nehru’s responsibility?” she asked in her first address in Parliament. Priyanka also hit out at the government over the Adani issue, which invited protests. “Farm laws have been changed for industrialists. Cold storages in Himachal Pradesh were given to Adani by the Centre. Ports, airports, factories, mines and public sector units are controlled by one person. The poor are getting poorer, while the rich are getting richer,” she alleged. Referring to Rajnath’s criticism of Emergency, Priyanka said, “Learn from what happened in 1975. Why don’t you go back to ballot paper?” Striking an emotional chord, Priyanka said she had met the rape victims in Unnao and the Sambhal violence victims. “They told me they will fight for justice till the end. They derive strength from the Constitution,” she said. ‘politricks’ should be banned, not campus politics: HC Police need not wait for the principal’s consent to intervene during a law-and-order situation in college, says HC | P6 Even in final journey, the four are inseparable A b d u l N a z e r M A @ Palakkad lifetime honour Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan interacts with director Ann Hui, who was presented the IFFK Lifetime Achievement Award, during the inaugural ceremony of 29th IFFK in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Actor Shabana Azmi, the chief guest of the ceremony, and ministers Saji Cherian and V Sivankutty look on | B P Deepu | P7 In Cherully, it was a day unlike any other in the recent past. For once, Ridha Fathima, Nidha Fathima, Aysha, and Irfana Sherin returned to their homes separately. Even the most loquacious of the lot, Ridha, was silent. The quiet mirrored the quietude, only to be broken by the hum of vehicles. As four ambulances arrived in procession, a sombre cloud hung over the Kalladikode hills, in Karimba, enveloping those gathered in a pall of grief. But the heavens held true. And as the large Classmates break down as the mortal remains of one of the victims of the Panayampadam accident were brought home on Friday | Express crowd united to pay their final respects to the deceased, the sluice gates to their hearts opened. Tears flowed, drowning them in a deluge of distress. The ambulances, carrying the bodies of the friends who had died after a lorry overturned and fell on them at Panayampadam on Thursday, left Palakkad district hospital around 6.40am. Bowing to the families’ wishes, the four were first taken to their houses to allow loved ones to say their final farewells. The ambulance sirens were greeted by wailing in four homes, all located within ● More on P6 a 100m radius.