COIMBATORE l saturday l june 29, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l LATE CITY EDITION Deeply biased: India slams U.S. report on religious freedom External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the report cherry-picked incidents to push a preconceived narrative against India Driven by votebank considerations: MEA “As in the past, the report is deeply biased, lacks an understanding of India’s social fabric and is visibly driven by votebank considerations and a prescriptive outlook,” Jaiswal said. “We therefore reject it. The exercise itself is a mix of imputations, misrepresentations, selective usage of facts, reliance on biased sources and a one-sided projection of issues,” he added 253 ‘Questions integrity of judicial verdicts’ ■ While releasing the report in Washington on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had flagged a ‘concerning increase’ in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolition of homes and places of worship in India ■ The MEA spokesperson said the US State Department’s annual report appears to challenge the integrity of certain judgments by Indian courts Churches were burned down in Manipur in 2023, says the U.S. report 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 Record rain in 88 yrs brings Delhi to its knees Opposition stalls Parliament to make NEET point Repeated disruptions force both Houses to be adjourned without conducting business PREETHA NAIR & RA J ESH K U MAR THA K U R @ New Delhi People (left) wade through a waterlogged road near Sarai Kale Khan; and parked vehicles damaged following the collapse of a canopy at Terminal 1 of the airport amid heavy rain, in New Delhi on Friday | PTI J i t e n d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi After record heat, it poured like there was no tomorrow on the first day of monsoon in the national capital, drenching Delhi with the highest one-day rainfall in 88 years. It rained cats and dogs from about 4 am to 8.30 am and left major parts of Delhi and the adjoining national capital region flooded. Water entered homes, submerging vehicles and leading to massive traffic snarls that took hours to detangle. Thousands of commuters found themselves stranded. The Safdarjung Automatic Weather Station recorded a whopping 228.1 mm rainfall in 24 hours, the second highest since 1936 when the precipitation was 235 mm. The total rainfall recorded in June so far is 234.5 mm as against the normal of 74.1 mm. Friday’s downpour was more than one-third of the total normal monsoon rainfall from June to September at Safdarjung, which is around 640 mm. “Following a hot weather streak, the region got 148.5 mm, almost the double of June’s normal rain, in just 3 hours, and nearly the entire August rain in about 6 hours!” said Akshay Deoras, UK-based scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and Department of Meteorology Uni, versity of Reading. Explaining how global warming-induced climate change causes heavy downpours in a short span, he said, “The soil becomes dry and hard follow- Rank Rainfall (In MM) Date 1 235.5 24.06.1936 Cabbie killed in canopy collapse at the airport 2 228.1 28.06.2024 3 U J WAL J ALALI @ New Delhi 191.6 30.06.1981 4 139.7 24.06.1933 Highest daily rainfall at Safdarjung observatory Monthly average rainfall for Safdarjung (JunE-SEPT) IN MM June 74.1 July  209.7 August  233.1 September 123.4 ing a streak of hot weather. If rain falls in large amounts in a short span, the soil can repel water, increasing the risk of a flash flood. Unfortunately such , events are expected to become more frequent due to global warming.” One cabbie died while six others sustained injuries after a portion of the canopy at the Delhi Airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed amid heavy pre-dawn rains on Friday Deputy Commissioner of . Police (IGI-A) Usha Rangnani said the shed outside Terminal 1 of the domestic airport, from Departure Gate 1 to Gate 2, collapsed around 5 am with its beams crashing on parked cabs. The deceased was identified as Ramesh Kumar (45). Iron beams from the roof crashed on his parked cab with him inside. The injured were rushed to Medanta Hospital from where they were shifted to Safdarjung Hospital. “Around four vehicles were damaged and six persons were injured. All the injured persons are stable,” Rangnani said. The Delhi Police later registered a case of death due to negligence under the Indian Penal Code. New Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu took stock of the situation. His ministry ordered a probe into incident, and directed the airport operator to do a thorough inspection. The rains disrupted flight services for a few hours. State plans 8 new multi-acre Sipcot parks, Space Tech Industrial Policy E X PRESS NEWS SER V I C E @ Chennai Hemant Soren addresses media after his release from Birsa Munda Jail | pti Soren out of prison on bail after 5 months M U K ESH RAN J AN @ Ranchi AFTER spending nearly five months behind bars, former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Friday walked out jail after the Jharkhand High Court granted him regular bail in a money laundering case linked to a land scam. The court said there is no reason to believe he is guilty of the charges. After hearing both sides on June 13, a bench of Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay had kept its order reserved, which was pronounced on Friday . “The overall conspectus of the case based on broad probabilities does not specifically or indirectly assign the petitioner to be involved in the acquisition and possession as well as concealment of 8.86 acres of land at Shanti Nagar, Baragain, Ranchi connected to the ‘proceeds of crime’. None of the re gisters/revenue records bare imprint of the direct involvement of the petitioner in the acquisition and possession of the said land,” the order said. Soren was arrested by ED on January 31 in connection with the case. After his interim bail plea was rejected and subsequent withdrawal of his petition from the Supreme Court, Soren had moved to Jharkhand High Court seeking a regular bail for him. After stepping out of the prison around 4 pm on Friday , the JMM leader alleged that he was a victim of a conspiracy . Industries Minister TRB Rajaa on Friday told the Assembly that the state government will soon come out with a Space Tech Industrial Policy to bolster Tamil Nadu’s position in the global space arena. The announcement comes weeks after the Indian Space Research Organisation’s proposal to establish its second spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi. Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco) is also developing a Space Park near Kulasekarapattinam to serve as a hub for re- CM visiting US in Aug to woo investors To attract investments, Chief Minister M K Stalin will be leading a delegation to the US in August, Industries Minister TRB Rajaa said on Friday. Investment deals worth `7,442 crore were signed in past two years after the CM visited UAE, Japan & Singapore. During the CM’s visit to Spain earlier this year, the state had inked MoUs worth `3,440 crore search and development and to promote industrial collaboration. The minister also announced the setting up of eight new Sip- cot (State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu) parks with focus on central Tamil Nadu to generate more jobs for the youth. As per the proposal, a 1,500-acre park will be established in Gummidipoondi and Tiruvallur; 1,000acre park at Ottapidaram in Thoothukudi district; 175-acre park at Udayarpalayam in Ariyalur district; 150-acre park at Tiruverumbur in Tiruchy district; 150-acre park at Mannargudi and Koothanallur in Tiruv a r u r ; 7 5 0 - a c r e p a rk a t Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district; 200-acre park on Outer Ring Road near Chennai; and 100-acre park at Kunnam in Perambalur district.  P7 Criteria tweaked, 4 more corporations in TN soon E X PRESS NEWS SER V I C E @ Chennai Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru on Friday introduced a bill to clear the decks for elevating four municipalities — Karaikudi, Tiruvannamalai, Pudukottai and Namakkal — into municipal corporations by revising the population and income criteria stipulated for declaring a local body into a municipal corporation. At present, a local body with a population of not less than three lakh and annual income of not less than `30 crore can be declared as a municipal corporation. But as per the bill introduced to amend the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998, any local body with two lakh population and `20-crore income can be declared as a municipal corporation. Another amendment in the Bill said, “The governor may, by notification, having regard to the percentage of employment in non-agricultural ac- tivities, the economic, historic or touristic importance or such other factors as he deems fit, declare his intention to constitute any local area as a town panchayat, a municipal council or a municipal corporation, as the case may be.” On March 15, the government notified its intention to upgrade the above four municipalities into municipal corporations and the objections/views expressed by individuals and public welfare associations on the proposal were considered by the government. The bill introduced by Nehru on Friday pointed out that after the above notification, it has been brought to the notice of the government that in several district headquarters, historically-important towns, and pilgrimage towns where the population and income are less than the prescribed limit, there has been continuous ver tical growth because of robust urbanisation.  P7 big hit India’s Shafali Verma hit the fastest double century (off 194 balls) in the history of women’s Test cricket on Friday. She achieved the feat on day one of the ongoing Test against South Africa in Chennai | p ravikumar Vikramsecretary Misri new foreign Dy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri, a renowned expert on China, will succeed incumbent Vinay Kwatra on July 15 | P9 CBI makes 2 more arrests CBI on Friday arrested the principal and vice principal of Oasis School in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh in the NEET-UG paper leak case. Officials said 5 more persons from the district are being questioned BJD sides with Oppn this time BJD members joined the opposition parties to protest. In the previous Lok Sabha, BJD was seen with the BJP. But after losing in the recent polls, BJD has joined hands with other opposition parties to target the BJP BOTH Houses of Parliament witnessed dramatic scenes and multiple adjournments on Friday with Opposition parties led by the Congress pressing for a debate on alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam. In the Lok Sabha, Opposition members sought suspension of all other matters to discuss the NEET fiasco but Speaker Om Birla ruled that a discussion on the President’s address be taken first. In the Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded a ‘respectful’ discussion on the NEET issue to show solidarity with the students. “We wanted to give a joint message to the students of India, on behalf of the Opposition and government, that we consider this an important issue. So, we thought that to respect students we will have a discussion on NEET today a dedicated discussion,” he said. , The Opposition benches erupted in uproar when Rahul Gandhi claimed his microphone was switched off. In response, Birla said he had no control over microphones. “The discussion should be on the President’s address. Other matters will not be recorded,” the Speaker said. Noisy scenes unfolded in the Rajya Sabha as well. At one point, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge too entered the Well of the House to join the protest. This triggered a sharp comment from Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who said it is for the first time that a person occupying the post has engaged in such a conduct. In the Upper House, the disruptions were marked by intense sloganeering, leading to the suspension of proceedings three times. The third adjournment came after DMK member Tiruchi Siva informed the House that Congress member Phulo Devi Netam had fainted. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the Congress for disrupting parliamentary proceedings. “We have made it clear that we will give detailed information on whatever issue is raised. But halting House proceedings is not right,” he said. TN resolution seeks Prez assent for anti-NEET bill T Mu r u g a n a n d h a m @ Chennai The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister MK Stalin urging the Government of India to immediately give assent to the NEET Exemption Bill which has been pending with the President’s office since 2022. While all other parties, including the PMK, which is an ally of the BJP supported the resolution, , BJP MLAs opposed it and staged a walkout. The resolution moved by the CM said, “The NEET system, which severely affects the medical education opportunities of poor rural students, makes schooling redundant, and deprives the rights of the state governments to admit students in state government medical colleges should be abolished.” The resolution also said, “The Tamil Nadu Assembly urges the union government to give its assent to the NEET Exemption Bill unanimously passed by this Legislative Assembly to exempt Tamil Nadu from the exam and to allow medical admissions based on Class 12 marks.”  P7 t20 wc final Bridge-tone: It’s all blue for now s w a r o o p s w a m i n at h a n @ Chennai A World Cup final in the last week of June? If Indian fans are looking for some signs from up above, this one is right there, staring you in the face, front and centre. June 25, 1983, was when India won it for the first time (in one dayers), slaying the two-time and defending champions, West Indies. Fortyone years and a few days later, they have the opportunity to end a decade-old drought for global gold. They came close to ending it in the longer formats last year but lost on both occasions to familiar foes, Australia. Standing between them and a second T20 World Cup title (fifth if you want to include the OG version) is South Africa, whose men’s team are in unchartered territory Man for man, the Indian . team come out on top, especially in Caribbean conditions where the strips have been low, slow with some grip. But the final in Bridgetown, Barbados, promises to be close for a variety of reasons. There are multiple similarities (a toporder with an out of form opener, one batter who will look to break open the powerplay one , left-arm wrist-spinner, one future Hall of Famer seamer, one decent left-arm pacer...) but the biggest factor is that the South India will be looking to capture their 2nd T20 World Cup title on Saturday African batters match up well to the Indian spinners. Zooming out, they are both units so driven by the idea of success for different reasons. For India, with multiple generational talents in various points of their career, they want to add a title to further embellish their body of work and to repay the faith their employers have in them. Individual records are great but the primary currency in sport is finishing first in big tournaments. India have let themselves down in this regard. For the Proteas, it’s to show the cricketing world this is the beginning of a new dawn, free of the baggage most of their teams have had since readmission. Have your dinner nice and early and stock the fridge with a beverage of your choice. For Saturday night could be a very long and a special one. Live on Star Sports/Hotstar from 8 PM