SOURCE: X HYDERABAD  SUNDAY  OCTOBER 06, 2024  `12.00  PAGES 24  LATE CITY EDITION SEVEN-HOUR INDIGO SYSTEM OUTAGE GIVES PASSENGERS A TOUGH TIME SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZING WITH ANGRY FLIERS Social media was buzzing with passengers sharing pictures of long, serpentine queues at airports and sharing screenshots of handwritten boarding passes. Some fliers complained about missing their flights. Another pointed out how senior citizens were suffering because of the glitch. It impacted online ticket bookings as well as web check-ins The tech fault lasted for more than seven hours leading to long queues for check-ins, baggage drop points at airports across the country 2,000 GLITCH RECTIFIED PARTIALLY BY LATE EVENING ■ Past 6 pm, Indigo put out a statement saying, “Our airport systems are up and running, and our airport services have eased out effectively. However, we kindly ask for your understanding as we work to restore our other applications.” ■ The system slowdown was reported around 11.15 am at Mumbai airport FLIGHTS ARE OPERATED BY INDIGO DAILY 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 Pollsters predict BJP exit in Haryana Exit polls suggest Congress victory in Haryana, advantage for its alliance with the NC in J&K R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi Ponnam: Cong to stand by BC leader Surekha B K A R T H E E K @ Hyderabad POINTING out that Endowments Minister Konda Surekha has withdrawn her words, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that there was no point in extending the discussion on her comments now. He said that the Congress will stand by her as she comes from a backward community. “She is not alone,” he told reporters during an informal conversation at the Gandhi Bhavan. “The Akkineni family wanted Surekha to withdraw her statements, and she did. Why is there so much discussion now?” he asked. Prabhakar said that people who didn’t react when Surekha was subjected to vicious trolling on social media were now speaking about her comments. TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud has directed the party leaders not to speak on the controversy he said. , Accusing the Centre of discriminating against Telangana, Prabhakar demanded to know why the Opposition was silent on this. Urging the BRS to come forward for the development of the state, he said that the Opposition should play a responsible role. Prabhakar disclosed that he has requested the chief minister and deputy CM to immediately release funds for permanent buildings for 1,029 residential schools in the state. He said that students in the schools were facing a lot of issues as the structures were not “liveable”. Over Sporadic incidents of polling in violence Haryana reported in Nuh Voter turnout and in 2019 Hisar Assembly districts polls was of the around 68% state 61% POLLSTERS on Saturday predicted the exit of BJP rule in Haryana, giving the Congress a clear majority. They also saw a Congress edge in J&K as it has a prepoll alliance with the National Conference. The exit poll results came in shortly after polling concluded in Haryana, where the voter turnout was over 61%. The counting of votes in both states is scheduled for Tuesday October 8. , However, NC leader Omar Abdullah was derisive of the exit polls, saying “I’m amazed channels are bothering with exit polls especially after the fiasco of the recent general elections. I’m ignoring all the noise on channels, social media, WhatsApp etc because the only numbers that matter will be revealed on the 8th of Oct. The rest is just time pass.” As for Haryana, the contest was particularly intense, with the ruling BJP facing severe antiincumbency, having stayed in power for two consecutive terms. The AAP did not appear to have an impact in the state. Bouyed by the exit poll outcome, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the decision on chief minister’s face will be taken by the party’s high command after factoring in the opinions of the party’s lawmakers. Peoples’ Pulse gave the Congress an average of 55 seats in Haryana while the BJP was trailing at 26. The Jannayak Janta Yamunanagar recorded a poll percentage of 67.93, Sirsa 65.37, Rohtak 60.56, Nuh 68.28, Palwal 67.69, Mahendragarh 65.76, Kurukshetra 65.55 and Jind 66.02 at 5 pm Paris Olympics medallist shooter Manu Bhaker and her family show their inked fingers after casting their votes during the Haryana elections, in Jhajjar on Saturday | PTI POLL OF EXIT POLLS FOR TWO STATES HARYANA Source BJP Axis My India 18-28 Dainik Bhaskar 19-29 Dhruv Research 22-32 India Today-C 20-28 Voter Jist-TIF Research 29-37 Peoples Pulse 20-32 Republic Bharat18-24 Matrize Republic TV27-35 P-Marq Poll of Polls 26 Cong+ JJP+ 53-65 0 44-54 0-1 50-64 0 SEATS: 90 | TARGET: 46 INLD+ AAP OTH 1-5 0 3-8 1-5 0-1 4-9 0 0 2-8 J&K Source SEATS: 90 | TARGET: 46 BJP Axis My India 24-34 Cong+NC PDP OTH 35-45 4-6 8-23 Dainik Bhaskar 20-25 35-40 4-7 12-18 Gulistan News 28-30 31-36 5-7 10-17 27-32 40-48 6-12 6-11 50-58 0-2 0 0 10-14 45-53 49-61 0 0-1 0-2 2-3 0 0 4-6 3-5 55-62 0-3 3-6 0 2-5 India Today-C Voter 51-61 0 3-6 0 0-0 Peoples Pulse 23-27 46-50 7-11 4-6 55 0 2 0 7 Poll of Polls 27 41 7 15 Party (JJP), which was in alliance with the BJP till a few weeks ago, was heading for a washout, as was the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). All exit polls placed the Congress far ahead of the ruling BJP . Dainik Bhaskar predicted the Congress getting 44-54 seats and the BJP 15-29 in the 90-member Haryana Assembly The C-Voter. India Today polls gave Congress 50-58 seats and the BJP 20-28 in Haryana, while Republic BharatMatrize put the Congress tally higher at 55-62 seats. In J&K, the C-Voter-India Today survey put the National Conference-Congress alliance at 40-48 seats and the BJP at 27-32 in the 90-member assembly. As for Dainik Bhaskar, it gave the NCCongress alliance 35-40 and the BJP 20-25. Axis My India polls gave NC-Congress 35-45 and the BJP 24-34. Peoples’ Pulse predicted the NC-Congress getting 46-50 against the BJP’s 23-27. Awami Ittehad Party chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid was pessimistic about the J&K poll outcome, saying irrespective of the results, the control will lie with Delhi. But he was courted by Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi, who called on him at his residence. It led to speculation about the Congress seeking his support for a post-poll coalition government. On Channi’s visit, Rashid said he was the only leader to raise voice for him in Parliament. “He came to visit and I thanked him for raising voice for me. We had a good discussion,” Rashid said. The People’s Democratic Party said exit polls were not reliable, adding it was premature to talk about government formation. “What matters are the numbers at the end of counting,” senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said. Online booking must for Sabarimala this season M S V I D YA N A N D A N @ T’Puram ALL pilgrims visiting the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, including those travelling on the forest routes, will have to make prior online booking during the upcoming Mandalam-Makaravilakku season. Also, the daily number of pilgrims visiting the shrine will be limited to 80,000. The Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) proposal to make Virtual Queue booking mandatory for all pilgrims was approved by the committee chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday “Virtual Queue booking is mandatory and those com. ing without prior booking will not be allowed to trek the main Pampa-Sannidhanam route, and also the forest routes from Sathram and Azhutha-Kalaketti. Drinking water and kanji (gruel) supply will be arranged on the forest routes,” TDB president P S Prasanth told this newspaper. There will be no spot booking facility for pilgrims on any route this year. Prasanth said the pilgrims will have the freedom to change their route. “Our concern is the daily intake of pilgrims. They are free to change routes if required,” he said. SC rejects review of Govt ready to spend `10K cr for LIVELIHOOD FOR MUSI OUSTEES Govt sets up verdict on electoral bonds rehab of Musi evictees: Revanth 14-member S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking a review of the Constitution bench’s February 15 judgment striking down the electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional. A five-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and justices Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, JB Paridwala and Manoj Misra, dismissed the review petition filed by advocate Mathews Nedumpara and another person. The order passed on September 25, was uploaded on Saturday in the SC website. “The court failed to notice that even assuming the issue is justiciable, the petitioners therein having not claimed any specific legal injury exclusive to them, their petition could not have been decided as if a private litigation for the en- forcement of rights which are specific and exclusive to them,” Nedumpara had submitted. While venturing into the forbidden domain of adjudicating upon a matter of legislative policy, the court had the duty to hear the public at large. So, “the proceedings ought to be converted into representative proceedings,” the plea said. On February 15, the bench struck down amendments to laws in 2018 to allow the anonymous electoral bonds scheme, saying voters have the fundamental right to know the source of the funding of all political parties. “The Union has been unable to establish the measure adopted in clause 7(4)(1) of the electoral scheme is the least restrictive measure,” the bench said. The court had directed the SBI to stop issuing electoral bonds and disclose all the details about the donors to the Election Commission. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad CHIEF Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said that the government will not let anyone displaced by the Musi project become orphans. “The Congress government will protect every single displaced person. It is ready to spend `10,000 crore for their rehabilitation,” he declared. Addressing the gathering at the 95th birth anniversary celebrations of former Union minister G Venkataswamy here, the chief minister appealed to the people living in the Musi catchment areas not to be swayed by the provocative statements of the opposition. “We are going ahead with a clear policy and the opposition leaders are raising the issue of displaced people only to protect their farmhouses from demolitions,” he alleged. The government will take the We will constitute a committee for working out a rehabilitation plan. We will include BRS leaders T Harish Rao, KT Rama Rao and BJP MP Eatala Rajender in the panel. Let them come forward and discuss the issue A Revanth Reddy, chief minister responsibility of making alternative arrangements for the Musi evictees, the chief minister noted and added: “If the people are living in a highly polluted environment, it means that they are extremely poor. Even those who are living in the buffer zone are also poor. The government will extend all support and assistance to them.” Hinting that the government will construct Indiramma houses for the displaced families, the CM said: “If necessary , the Race Course located on 150– 200 acres and Amberpet Police Academy standing on 200 acres will be shifted out and allocated for the construction of Indiramma houses for the families to be displaced by the Musi R ive r f r o n t D e ve l o p m e n t Project. We will constitute a committee for working out a rehabilitation plan. We will include BRS leaders T Harish Rao, KT Rama Rao and BJP MP Eatala Rajender in the panel. Let them come forward and discuss the issue.” He invited them to come to the Secretariat and g ive s u g g e s t i o n s t o t h e government. CONTINUED ON P4 NO PLACE FOR HATE Veteran Australia pacer Schutt shines light on queer side of cricket TNIE @ WOMEN’S Everything that was deemed important for a heterosexual couple wasn’t possible for a gay couple. I hated that because it’s obviously inequality, but also you are just seen as less natural Megan Schutt WORLD CUP KALYANI MANGALE DUBAI I Australia pacer Megan Schutt celebrates a wicket against Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 World Cup on Saturday | ICC N the last few years, social media has proved to be a tool for women’s cricket. Not just from the fan engagement perspective, but the stories of the athletes have received a massive platform and there is no denying it. Just one look at the ever-increasing engagement numbers published by the International Cricket Council after every women’s tournament is proof of that. However, there is a gloomy side of social media that has affected the fans and athletes alike, especially the queer athletes. Australia pacer Megan Schutt is one of those players. The 31-year-old has been a proud openly queer player and had to deal with inappropriate comments about her sexuality on social media. A firm believer in her thoughts, she has never shied away from voicing her opinions, however these days, she has decided to pick and choose who to reply to. “Firstly I don’t , call them all out,” Schutt told this daily . “The ones that I feel are just trying to poke the bear. I don’t engage with them. They’re just using a derogatory comment because they can. Sometimes I feel like it can be in an uneducated way and that’s when I’ll probably react more because I feel like if we can have a civil conversation about something or engage in a conversation and change someone’s mindset, that’s when things can change,” she added. Schutt is not the only queer athlete at the ongoing T20 World Cup in United Arab Emirates. England’s Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, New Zealand’s Lea Tahuhu, and Scotland’s Abbi Aitken-Drummond are some of the openly gay players of this edition. Most of them have faced similar harassment on social media, but Schutt has been vocal the most. “Sometimes it’s even as simple as saying what’s your problem? And then they’ll divulge and then realise that it’s not really a problem and it can lead to a decent discussion,” Schutt said . “I feel like there’s a big education piece that’s available to people out there and that’s part of having a platform but also at the same time, people need to learn when something isn’t okay. And that’s when I’ll call them out and. The ones that float in between, I’ll let it slide obviously but now and again, some people need to be put in their place,” she added. committee E N S @ Hyderabad THE state government has constituted the Consultative Livelihood Support Committee with 14 members for ensuring a smooth transition of livelihoods for the families facing displacement due to the Musi R ive r f r o n t D e ve l o p m e n t Project. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari issued orders to this effect on Saturday . The government appointed the CEO of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) as chairperson and the GHMC Commissioner as vice-chairperson of the committee. The CEO of T-MASS, the directors of the Minority Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, BC Welfare and School Education departments, Commissioner of SC Welfare department, the secretaries of TGWRIES, TGTWRIES, TGMREIS and MJPTBCWREIS, vice chairman and MD of TMREIS, and the joint MD of the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation will serve as members of the panel. The committee will prepare a detailed action plan at the earliest to ensure sustainable livelihood opportunities and skill training for the evictees, focusing on women self-help groups so as to provide interest-free loans and bank linkages. CONTINUED ON P4 GUV OKAYS ORDINANCE EMPOWERING HYDRAA | P4 WITH THIS ISSUE THE GHOST HOUSES OF KERALA PLUS 12 PAGES