India named in u.s. drug Report The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of US Intelligence Community claims China and India directly and indirectly supply materials to drug traffickers targeting US 52,000 Panel graphic Non-state groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly by China and India as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers, the report claims | P7 Says India, China among primary source nations for fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment KOZHIKODE l thursday l march 27, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Opioid deaths were caused by cartels, which also facilitated nearly 3 mn illegal migrant arrivals, straining US resources in 2024 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 Not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha: Rahul Major reorganisation and redeployment of troops New division to boost strategic deterrence New Army division to defend Eastern Ladakh P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi M aya nk S i n g h @ New Delhi Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday claimed he was not allowed to speak in Parliament after Speaker Om Birla made “unsubstantiated” remarks about him. He also accused the Speaker of running the House in an “undemocratic manner.” Rahul’s remarks came after Birla asked him to follow parliamentary rules and maintain the dignity of the House. During Zero Hour, Birla noted that members had repeatedly violated procedural rules. “In this House, father and daughter, mother and daughter, husband and wife have been members. In this context, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself in accordance with Rule 349 that deals with rules to be observed by members in the House,” the Speaker said. I haven’t done As Rahul stood up to respond, anything. I was sitting quietly. For Birla adjourned the House. the last 7-8 days, I Speaking to reporters later, have not been Rahul said, “There is a convenallowed to speak. tion that the Leader of the OpThere is no place position is allowed to speak. I for the Opposition requested him to let me speak, but the Speaker just ran away. Rahul Gandhi Leader of Opposition This is no way to run the House. He made unsubstantiated remarks about me, did not allow me to reply, and adjourned the House without reason.” When asked about Birla’s remarks, Rahul said, “... The Prime Minister spoke about Kumbh Mela. I also wanted to speak about unemployment, but I wasn’t allowed to. I don’t know what the Speaker’s thinking is. I am the LoP and our party is the main , Opposition party We are not allowed to speak.” . Later, 70 Congress MPs, including Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, met Birla to protest against the denial of an opportunity for Rahul to speak. The Indian Army is in the process of raising a divisionlevel formation to be permanently positioned in the sensitive Easter n Ladakh area, sources told this newspaper. This will be in addition to the 3 Division, which is responsible for the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC). Terming it a major re-ORBAT move, sources said the new formation will be called 72 Division. ORBAT means ‘order of battle’ and Re-ORBAT means reorganising and redeployment of existing troops. In the Army a division com, prises 10,000-15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements, commanded by a Major General, and made up of three to four brigades. A brigade has a troop size of 3,500-4,000 with a brigadier as commander. A 72 division to Guard Ladakh The new division is in process of getting raised. The headquarters are being raised with one of its brigade headquarters already deployed in Eastern Ladakh and has begun functioning Sources The new permanent Army division being raised in Eastern Ladakh under the Northern Command is called 72 Division. This is in addition to the 3 Division, responsible for entire LAC Uniform force To move back In an ad hoc decision, Jammu Division-based counter-terrorism unit Uniform Force was moved to the Line of Actual Control. It will now go back to Jammu `85,00,000 swindled every day from Keralites by cyber scammers Online scams continue to eat into Keralites’ savings. Between 2022 and 2024, cyber fraudsters swindled I1,021 crore from the state. Of this, I763 crore was siphoned off last year alone | P4 major general commands a division. “The headquarters are being raised; one Brigade headquarter is already deployed in Eastern Ladakh and has begun functioning,” sources said. The larger elements of the formation are being trained in the western parts of the country “to synchronise the personnel, equipment and organisation as per specific tasking,” sources added. The 72 Division will be permanently placed under the Leh-based 14 Fire & Fury Corps, which was raised in September 1999 after the Kargil war. The Corps handles some of the most sensitive frontiers and battlefields in the world. The area that will be under the 72 Division is currently being taken care of by the counter insurgency wing called ‘Uniform Force’. Its elements, in lesser numbers, were moved as an ad hoc arrangement to fill the gap. The Uniform Force will soon move back to its old location in Reasi, Jammu Division. The Army’s decision to raise a permanent division in East Ladakh is important as the situation along the LAC remains sensitive, which calls for constant vigil and strategic preparedness. A standoff took place between Chinese and Indian troops in May 2020, followed by a deadly clash in June. After several rounds of talks, Indian and Chinese troops completed their disengagement in the Depsang and Demchok areas of Ladakh in October last year, following which regular patrolling resumed. However, the troops from both sides remain in the vicinity of the LAC. express read State accepts VGF for Vizhinjam T’Puram: The cabinet has decided to accept the Union government’s viability gap funding (VGF) for the development of the Vizhinjam seaport. Kerala had earlier opposed the repayment condition set by the Centre for the J817.80-crore VGF. In a statement, Ports Minister V N Vasavan said the cabinet decision was for the state’s future development | P5 ASHAs’ stir gets int’l support T’Puram: Public Services International (PSI), a global federation representing 122 unions in 22 countries with 30 million workers, has urged CM Pinarayi Vijayan to resolve the demand of ASHA workers. In a letter to the CM, PSI regional secretary Kate Lappin urged the government to take steps to ensure ASHA workers enjoy fair, dignified and secure working conditions | P4 SC stays totally insensitive Allahabad HC remark S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Allahabad High Court’s recent observations on the grabbing of a minor girl’s breasts and pulling the drawstrings of her “pyjama” not amounting to an attempt to rape and said it reflected total “insensitivity” and “inhuman approach”. Taking strong exception to the HC’s observations, the court termed it a “very serious matter”. The court took suo motu cognisance of the matter after “We the Women of India” collective wrote to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. Accused Pawan and Akash allegedly grabbed the breasts of an 11-year-old girl in the Kas- ‘Strict action must be taken against judge’ The National Federation of Indian Women demanded action against Allahabad HC Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra over his controversial observations. It demanded gender sensitivity training for judges. ganj district of UP Thereafter, . one of them broke the string of her pyjama while trying to pull it down, attempted to drag her beneath a culvert and allegedly tried to rape her. But due to the intervention of passers-by they , couldn’t proceed. “It is a very serious matter,” Justice Gavai said, “exhibiting total insensitiveness on the part of the judge.”