martyr status for those killed: karki Relatives of 28-year-old Subhalal Balami, who was killed in violence during recent anti-government protests, gather for his cremation at the Pashupatinath temple ghat, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday. Nepal PM Sushila Karki, 73 announced that those killed during the ‘Gen Z’ protest will be declared ‘martyrs’ and provided one million Nepalese rupees | PTI madurai l Monday l September 15, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 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 PM Modi announces ‘Demography Mission’ to thwart infiltrators Govt to pre-empt any conspiracy to alter demography in border zones via incursions: Modi p r a s an ta ma z u m d a r @ Guwahati PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Union government is in the process of launching a “Demography Mission” to “thwart a conspiracy aimed at altering the demography of India’s border areas through infiltration.” “A conspiracy is at work to change the demography of border areas (near Bangladesh) with the help of infiltrators. This poses a grave threat to national security That’s why a na. tionwide Demography Mission is being launched,” Modi said at a rally at Mangaldoi in Assam’s Darrang district. He said the BJP gover nment’s goal is to save the people of the country from infiltrators and get rid of them. The PM asserted that India was emerging as one of the world’s fastestgrowing economies, and said that Assam’s growth rate was 13 per cent. “This was achieved due to the efforts of the double- PM to visit Bihar’s Purnea today Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and others during inauguration of development works in Darrang, Assam, on Sunday | PTI engine government. The Centre and the state government are developing Assam as a health hub. The Northeast has a big role to play in achieving the ‘Viksit Bharat’ dream,” the PM said. Accusing the Congress of shielding and protecting infiltrators, PM Modi said, “Write it down. I will see how much strength you use to protect in- filtrators and how we put our lives on the line to remove them. Let there be a contest. Those protecting the infiltrators will suffer.” Comending Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for driving back infiltrators, Modi said, “Under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, lakhs of bighas of land, grabbed by infiltrators, have Patna: Months ahead of assembly elections in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Purnea district on Monday to address a rally and launch development projects worth `36,000 crore. He will inaugurate a newly developed airport terminal in Purnea too. PM Modi landed in Kolkata on Sunday night. been taken back. In Darrang, land in Gorukhuti was under the grip of infiltrators. The encroachment has been cleared.” During his two-day visit to Assam, PM Modi inaugurated projects worth over `18,000 crore, comprising health and infra projects worth `6,300 crore in Mangaldai, and an ethanol plant with a combined cost of 12,230 crore in Numaligarh. express read EPS to visit New Delhi on Sept 16, may meet Shah Chennai: A week after AIADMK veteran KA Sengottaiyan met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is visiting New Delhi on September 16, and is likely to call on Shah and hold discussions Heavy rain likely to lash parts of TN this week Chennai: Heavy rain is likely to lash isolated places in Krishnagiri, Erode, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur, Salem and Vellore districts on Tuesday and some other parts of the state over the rest of the week, an IMD release said india dry Pakistan in spinner Kuldeep Yadav leads India’s charge taking three wickets to reduce Pakistan to a modest 127 for nine during the Asia Cup match on Sunday. In reply, skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 47 from 37 balls took India home with seven wickets in hand | AFP TN man dies of rabies despite vaccination Ra j a l ak s hm i Sam pat h & P r a v eena S A @ Chennai A 47-year-old autorickshaw driver from Royapettah, who was fully vaccinated following exposure, died of rabies at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) on Saturday afternoon after being bitten by a stray dog in July He is the 22nd person to die . of rabies in Tamil Nadu this year. Despite protocol requiring local bodies to capture and observe aggressive strays after instances of dog bites, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) said it had not done so but would now undertake an antirabies vaccination drive in the locality, nearly two months after the man was attacked. Health department officials said that A Mohammed Nasarudeen, a resident of Koya Arunagiri 2nd Street, died despite having received all four doses of the anti-rabies vaccination. “We are investigating the case to understand what led to the death in spite of completion of the four-dose vaccination schedule. Nasarudeen The findings will be known only after the inquiry Dr A Somasunda,” ram, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, told TNIE on Sunday . Police sources said that Nasarudeen, the sole breadwinner of his family was bitten by a stray dog on his , right leg near the auto stand at Gafoor Sahib Street on July 28. He sought treatment the same evening at the Royapettah Government Hospital, where doctors administered the Rabies Immunoglobulin and the first dose of Anti-Rabies Vaccine. Sources said he later received the remaining three ARV doses, but they could not confirm exact dates of administration. Mohammed Samirudeen (23), the victim’s son, told TNIE that on September 10, Nasarudeen complained of severe back pain.  P5 Now, RJD threatens to contest all 243 seats in Bihar assembly election r ama s hanka r @ Patna AMID the ongoing seat-sharing talks within the Opposition INDIA bloc for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav sparked controversy by declaring that the RJD would contest all 243 seats. Addressing a public gathering in Muzaffarpur late on Saturday evening, Tejashwi said, “We will return. Understand this, You all have to stay united, and this time, Tejashwi will contest elections on 243 seats. Whether it is Kanti, Muzaffarpur, or Gaighat, Tejashwi will contest elections from every place.” “This government, which has been in power for 20 years, which works to spread communal violence, has to be ousted,” he said. Tejashwi’s remarks are being seen in political circles as a pressure tactic at a time when seat sharing talks within IN- Jungle warfare school to come up in Red corridor M AYA N K SI N G H @ New Delhi THE government has decided to set up a ‘jungle warfare school’ at Karreguta Hills in Chattisgarh’s Bijapur district— once a stronghold of Maoists— to give specialised training to the Central Reserve Police Force, Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, and other forces. “Instructions have been passed and the preparations have already started,” sources said. The Centre will construct the training school, while the state government will build the approach road and provide oth- top shot India finish with two gold at Worlds meet er basic facilities, a Chhattisgarh government official said. Officials said the location is significant as Karregutta Hills was “once considered the secure stronghold of Naxals”. Karregutta was freed from Naxal control through a CRPF-led operation in April this year. The lessons drawn during the operation will serve to update the operational tactics. “The personnel of the CRPF carried out ‘cave intervention’ extensively So, it will be part of . the training,” sources said. Karregutta is a strategically unique and inaccessible terrain stretching over 60 km with widths ranging from 10-20 km. Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Minakshi Hooda (48kg) won historic gold medals at the World Championships in Liverpool | P11 DIA bloc are stuck. However, RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari downplayed Tejashwi’s remarks, and said he meant to say that elections would be contested under his (Tejashwi’s) leadership. “So, he will contest all seats.” Tejashwi’s remarks would not impact the alliance as INDIA bloc candidates would be fielded on all 243 seats under Tejashwi’s leadership. “It should not be read beyond that,” Tiwari said. chilli attack 3 waylay car, rob jewellery outlet staff of 10kg gold E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Tiruchy In a daring heist, three unidentified miscreants allegedly robbed two employees of a Chennai-based jewellery store of 10 kg gold, worth around `10 crore, on Saturday night by breaking a window of the car they were travelling in and sprinkling chilli powder on them near Irungalur in Tiruchy district. According to police sources, the incident took place around 10 pm when SR Gunavanth (24) of Ernavur and D Mahesh Rawal (20) of Sowcarpet, employees of a private jewellery shop at Sowcarpet, were returning to Chennai after delivering gold to various jewellery outlets in Dindigul. The car, provided by the jewellery store, was driven by T Pradeep Jat (24) of Sowcarpet. As they passed a private medical college near Irungalur on the Tiruchy-Chennai NH, Pradeep stopped the car briefly to relieve himself.  P5