HUBBALLI  FRIDAY  NOVEMBER 01, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 14  CITY EDITION FIVE DAYS TO GO, RACE FOR WHITE HOUSE REMAINS RAZOR-TIGHT The contest for the White House remained tight with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump holding rallies in key battleground state of Wisconsin EDGE FOR HARRIS IN WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN The latest CNN polls showed that Harris has a narrow advantage in Michigan and Wisconsin, while she and Trump remain tied in Pennsylvania. In Michigan, Harris holds a lead over Trump by 48% to 43% among likely voters, the polls said. Harris also leads Trump in Wisconsin, where 51% support her to 45% for Trump, but the race is tied in Pennsylvania, with both having 48% support. P10 ■ November 5 TRUMP GAMBLES WITH LATE-STAGE TRIPS ■ Trump is travelling to New Mexico and Virginia in the campaign’s final days, taking a risky detour from the 7 battleground states to spend time in places where Republican candidates have not won in decades. The former president, who will campaign in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday and Salem, Virginia, on Saturday. THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY 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 Kharge pulls up Siddu, DKS over Shakti confusion EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the Ekta Diwas Parade at the Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district on Thursday | PTI PM Modi warns of forces bent on tarnishing India CONGRESS president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday took Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to task over remarks on revision of the Shakti scheme (free ride for women in government buses) and said creating unnecessary confusion will only help opposition parties. “You have implemented the five guarantees and we (Congress) are planning to emulate them in poll-bound Maharashtra. But you (Shivakumar) stat- ed that one (Shakti guarantee) scheme would be dropped,” Kharge said at a function to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel and the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi at the KPCC office here. Shivakumar on Wednesday stated that the Shakti scheme would be revised as a section of women was in its favour. While Shivakumar tried to convince Kharge stating that he did not mean dropping the scheme, Kharge hit back, “I have read it in newspapers, have you read it or not?” Siddaramaiah too tried to convince Kharge stating that Shi- D I L I P S I N G H K S H AT R I YA @ Ahmedabad PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said certain forces, both domestic and foreign, are trying to destabilise India and tarnish the country’s image. Addressing a grand Rashtriya Ekta Diwas event marking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 149th birth anniversary near the Statue of Unity at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, Modi also stressed the need to “identify urban Naxals and unmask them”. “Some forces, some distorted mindsets, both within and outside India, are deeply unsettled by the country’s g rowing strength and unity They aim to . spread instability and anarchy , and are actively working against India’s economic interests. These forces want to send a wrong message to global investors, painting a negative image of India,” Modi said. The same forces are targeting the armed forces with misinformation campaigns, trying to sow division within. They seek to divide India along caste lines, with the singular goal of weakening Indian society and unity They fear a developed In. ROAD RAGE Five-year-old boy injured in Bengaluru EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru IN a road rage incident, a fiveyear-old boy was injured when an unidentified cab driver threw a stone at the windshield of the car in which he was travelling along with his sister and parents. Anoop George and his wife Jiss Jacob, both techies, were returning home in their car along with their son and 11-year-old daughter after Deepavali shopping when the incident took place at Choodasandra in Parappana Agrahara police limits on Wednesday around 9.30pm. Two bike-borne men, who chased their car, blocked it at Choodasandra and one of them threw the stone at the windshield. After the windshield broke, pieces of glass hit the boy and he started bleeding profusely. Anoop immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital. Glass pieces pierced his head. Meanwhile, the police arrested a man, who helped the cab driver chase the couple’s car on his motorcycle. ‘Can’t compromise on even an inch on borders’ Bhuj: PM Narendra Modi said India cannot compromise on even an “inch” of land on its borders. India’s enemies “see the end of their sinister plans” when they see the Indian armed forces, he said at Sir Creek in Gujarat’s Kutch, as he kept up his tradition of celebrating Diwali with personnel of the armed forces. P8 dia because their politics thrives on a weak, poor India, he said. “For five decades, this dirty and destructive politics worked to weaken the country . We must identify the urban Naxalites. Just as we defeated Naxalism that once thrived in forests... We need to recognise those who dream of breaking India, who work under false masks to destroy the nation, and we must stand fir mly against them,” he said. Inspired by Sardar Patel’s vision for social unity, India is moving towards a uniform civil code — a secular civil code — that will help eliminate discrimination among different social classes, strengthen national unity, and drive the nation to achieve its goals, he said. P8 vakumar had only spoken about revising the scheme. Unconvinced, Kharge said that INDIAN, CHINESE TROOPS SHARE SWEETS ALONG LAC P T I @ New Delhi Three captains — Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals), K L Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants) and Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders) — are back in the auction pool, as the deadline for the Indian Premier League player retentions ended on Thursday. Mumbai Indians retained all their five star players, including Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma. They exhausted full retention purse of K75 crore. Punjab Kings have spent just K9.5 cr, the least amount for retention, on two uncapped players Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. They will go into the auction with highest purse of K110.5 cr. TOP RETENTIONS Among those retained, South African Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad) will be highest paid player, at K23 crore. He pipped Virat Kohli (K21 cr) who has been retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Nicholas Pooran stays with LSG for the same price. M S DHONI HAS BEEN RETAINED BY CSK AS AN ‘UNCAPPED PLAYER’ FOR K4 CR OTHER TOP STARS : Jasprit Bumrah (MI): K18 cr Sanju Samson (RR): K18 cr Rashid Khan (GT): K18 cr Pat Cummins (SRH): K18 cr Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): K18 cr REPORT: P13 TROOPS of India and China exchanged sweets at several border points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including at locations in eastern Ladakh, on the occasion of Diwali on Thursday . The traditional practice was observed a day after both countries completed troop disengagement at the two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh, bringing a fresh thaw in the Sino-Indian ties. “Sweets exchange between members of the troops of India and China took place at several border points along the LAC on the occasion of Diwali,” an Army source said. The exchange took place at all the five Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) points along the LAC — Bum La and Wacha/Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, ChushulMoldo and Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh and Nathu La in Sikkim — among several other locations, sources added. Sweets were also exchanged at Kongk La, KK Pass and Hot Springs (in eastern Ladakh), they said. As a traditional practice, Indian and Chinese troops have in the past exchanged sweets and greetings at several border posts along the LAC, including Indian and Chinese Army personnel exchange sweets at a border point along the Line of Actual Control | PTI Sweets exchange between members of the troops of India and China took place at several border points along the LAC on the occasion of Diwali An Army source in eastern Ladakh, to mark festivals and other important occasions. On Wednesday, an Ar my source said that troops of both sides had completed the disengagement at the two friction points and patrolling would Jatiya Party’s Dhaka office set ablaze BPL Group founder Nambiar passes away Waqf row: 5 hurt as mob attacks house Dhaka: Attackers set fire to the headquarters of a Bangladesh party that supported the country’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina on Thursday night. No one claimed responsibility for the attack on the Jatiya Party’s office in Dhaka. The attackers stormed the party headquarters in Dhaka’s Bijoy Nagar area and set the premises on fire. Bengaluru: The founder of Indian electronics brand BPL Group, T P Gopalan Nambiar, passed away on Thursday at the age of 94, family sources confirmed. Nambiar, affectionately known as TPG, had been unwell for some time and he passed away at his home around 10.15am. P5 Hubballi: A local Muslim leader and four others were injured when a mob threw stones at his house at Kadakol village in Haveri district on Wednesday night. Police said that a group of people resorted to stone throwing over fears that their houses were being recorded as Waqf land. As many as 32 people have been arrested. P4 2014 MARUKUMBI VIOLENCE Kin of 98 convicts to move K’taka high court DAYS after a court in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district sentenced 98 people to life imprisonment in connection with the violence at Marukumbi village in 2014, the family members of the convicts have decided to challenge the verdict in the High Court of Karnataka. “With many of our breadwinners back in jail, it will be difficult for us to lead a normal life,” they said. The court sentenced 98 people to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of setting ablaze the huts of many Dalits at Marukumbi. After a clash over denial of entry to Dalits into hotels and salons in the village, the accused set their huts ablaze. Ninety-eight convicts belong to 200 families living at Marukumbi. Their family members now feel that they have to face a tough time without their breadwinners. It would be difficult for them to even send their children to school. Hence, they have decided to move the high court. Some families have already met lawyers, according to sources. Meanwhile, some villagers expressed fears that Marukumbi may see violence again as family members of the convicts are unhappy with the court order. Marukumbi village in Koppal district The court order has also impacted some villages near Marukumbi. Many have started shutting down their salons and hotels. However, a police team recently visited Marukumbi and nearby villages and convinced the owners to reopen their salons and hotels. Many family members of the convicts broke down when they co m m e n ce s o o n at t h e s e points. The verification process after the disengagement was in progress and patrolling modalities were to be decided between ground commanders, the source said then. ‘‘Talks will continue at the local commander level,” the Army source added. On Thursday an Army source , said patrolling was yet to resume. Sources earlier had said the areas and patrolling status were expected to be moved back to pre-April 2020 level. ST CORPORATION CASE EXPRESS READ R A G H O T TA M K O P PA R @ K o p p a l ment those planned. “This is why Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi stated that he will not announce the party’s promises until he is convinced that they have budgetary provisions. We have done a 15-day study to make the promises fit into the budget and will announce them in Mumbai and Nagpur soon,” he said. Kharge asked the CM and DCM to keep away from their “sycophants” who always attempt to create confusion. Kharge clarified that he would not interfere in classifiP4 cation of SC quota. DIWALI TRADITION PANT, RAHUL & IYER BACK IN AUCTION POOL At Rashtriya Ekta Diwas event, PM exhorts people to identify & unmask ‘urban Naxals’ AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge with CM Siddaramaiah at a function to mark Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary in Bengaluru on Thursday| EXPRESS the remarks created confusion and the rival parties would use it to their advantage. “If we do not go as per the budget, we will go bankrupt and there will be no money to even develop roads. If this government fails, there will be nothing left to pass on to the next generation (of Congress leaders) except for the bad name and the latter has to bear the brunt for another 10 years,” he said. Stating that the Congress in Maharashtra will not announce umpteen guarantees, he said that it will stick to budgetary provisions to imple- were being taken to the Ballari jail after the court announced its verdict. A few elders from Marukumbi said, “There are no issues between Dalits and other communities in the village now. We all are living in peace and harmony now.” The huts were burnt in 2014 after some Dalits, who had gone to watch a film in a local theatre, fought with a group of people from other communities there. Later, clashes broke out when some Dalits were not allowed to enter salons and hotels in the village. Many Dalit leaders took out a padayatra from Koppal to Bengaluru seeking action against those responsible for clashes in the village. Spl court dismisses bail pleas of four accused EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru A SPECIAL court in the city dismissed the anticipatory bail petitions filed by Nekkanti Nagaraj, B Ramesh, Edara Rudrayya and B Vijaya Kumar Gowda, accused in the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, on the ground that they have not justified the apprehension of their arrest. Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, Special Court judge for the trial of cases against sitting and former MLAs/MPs, dismissed the anticipatory bail petitions. Citing the judgment of the apex court in the Tarsem Lal versus ED case, the special court said the accused could not be taken into custody at the stage of post-cognisance under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The apex court clarified that if ED wants custody of the accused, who appear after summons were served for conducting fur- ther investigation in the same offence, the ED will have to seek custody by applying to the special court which is required to pass a reasoning order on the said application. In the wake of this, the accused can only be remanded to custody on the application filed by ED with reasons stating that their custodial interrogation is required, the special court said. Senior counsel Hasmath Pasha vehemently argued that the filing of a chargesheet and order of summons being issued by the court by itself would justify the apprehension of arrest. Time and again, the apex court has held that mere apprehension of arrest itself is sufficient to file necessary anticipatory bail, he argued. However, SPP Prasanna Kumar refuted the submissions but said there are strong prima facie materials available in this case against the petitioners. The ED’s complaint indicated that the petitioners had assisted the former minister for Scheduled Tribe Affairs B Nagendra, accused No.1, who was overseeing the functioning of the corporation.