The International Cricket Council confirmed that 2025 Champions Trophy will be played in Pakistan and a neutral venue. This was necessitated after India refused to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns 2025 CT India likely to play in dubai Dubai would 1 There are indications thatwould play be the venue where India their Champions Trophy matches India and Pakistan 2 The ICC said thatby either country at ICC matches hosted events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue Apart from Champions Trophy, this arrangement will apply for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and SL) tadepalligudem l friday l december 20, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l 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 Ambedkar row Naidu backs Amit Shah, faults Cong S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada As the Congress intensifies its criticism of the BJP over Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar, TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is reportedly backing the senior BJP leader and Union Minister of Home Affairs. During a Cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat on Thursday Naidu is said to have criti, cised the Congress, claiming that it had humiliated Ambedkar and played a role in his election defeat. Sources told TNIE that Naidu believes it was the Congress party that discredited the architect of the Indian Constitution. With tensions escalating between the NDA and the INDIA bloc in Parliament, Naidu’s remarks are significant, especially considering that the TDP is the second-largest party in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. While not dwelling too much on the issue, Naidu advised his Cabinet colleagues to exercise restraint when addressing sensitive matters and avoid any statements that could be misinterpreted, a Minister informed this newspaper. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal sent a letter to NDA allies Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and urged them to mull P4 over the issue.  ‘Pitched battle’ outside House Two BJP MPs injured Unprecedented fracas Rahul Gandhi visits BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi who got injured in the clash | PTI Rahul booked by police over scuffle Kharge demands probe into ‘assault’ THe Delhi Police registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi under Section 117 (grievous hurt), 125 (endangering life of others), 131 (criminal force), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS | P7 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, saying he was physically pushed by BJP MPs on Parliament premises, adding he lost his balance. He demanded a probe into the ‘assault’ | P7 Cross-complaints filed Ambedkar Statue on Parliament’s premises to the Makar Dwar. But The ongoing political face-off took at Makar Dwar, over 100 BJP meman ugly turn on Thursday after the bers had already assembled with Opposition and the ruling BJP got placards in their hands. into a ‘pitched battle’ outside ParA commotion followed while Raliament over Union home minister hul along with some others tried to Amit Shah’s remarks on B R enter the Parliament House. In the Ambedkar. Allegations flew thick melee, a few MPs fell down. Some and fast with both sides accusing of the Opposition MPs also climbed each other of resorting to a wall near the gate. violence, which left two BJP While Parliamentary AfMPs — Pratap Sarangi and fairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Mukesh Rajput — in hospiclaimed that both MPs were Will physical tal with head injuries. seriously injured by Rahul strength be While the BJP alleged and demanded his apology, used in that Leader of Opposition the latter denied the chargParliament? Rahul Gandhi pushed their es. “I was trying to enter Shivraj Singh MPs, the Congress said its Parliament and the BJP Chouhan, BJP party chief Mallikarjun MPs were stopping me, Kharge lost his balance afpushing me and threatenThe BJP is ter being pushed by the ing me,” Rahul said. indulging in BJP’s members. While BJP’s Anurag distraction “Rahul Gandhi pushed an Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj MP who fell on me, after rushed to the Parliament Rahul Gandhi, which I fell. I was standing Street Police Station to file a Congress near the stairs when Gancomplaint against Rahul, andhi came and pushed an MP who other allegation came from BJP MP then fell on me,” Sarangi said. Both S Phangnon Konyak who accused the MPs were admitted to Delhi’s Gandhi of ‘misbehaving’ with her. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Shortly thereafter, Congress MPs Unprecedented scenes unfolded also filed a police case against the after the Opposition MPs and BJP BJP MPs for manhandling their members came face to face at the leaders. Later, Kharge and 15 ConMakar Dwar, Parliament’s main gress MPs submitted letters to entrance. As announced in the Speaker Om Birla demanding acmorning, the Opposition INDIA tion against the BJP MPs who misbloc members marched from the behaved with Rahul and Kharge. P ree t h a N a i r @ New Delhi express read Rains likely to lash North Coastal AP today Visakhapatnam: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, and Kakinada districts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Friday, under the influence of a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal | P3 KTR booked in Formula-E race case Hyderabad: The Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday registered a case against BRS working president and MLA K T Rama Rao as prime accused over alleged payments to conduct Formula-E race in Hyderabad during BRS rule | P5 Dy chair rejects notice to impeach Dhankhar 5 Hizbul terrorists killed in J&K encounter R A J E S H K U M A R THA K U R @ New Delhi rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Thursday dismissed the impeachment notice against Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Terming the Opposition’s bid an act of impropriety, Harivansh said the notice was drafted in haste and with the clear intent to tarnish Dhankhar’s reputation and undermine constitutional institutions. The three-page ruling, tabled in the House by Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody, said the notice was flawed and lacked substantive evidence. “A look at the notice reveals it could not be more casual and cavalier, wanting on every conceivable aspect and severally flawed—absence of addressee, absence of resolution text, incumbent Vice President’s name not correctly spelt in the entire petition, documents and videos asserted not made part, premised on the links of disjointed media reports...” it noted. F AYA Z WANI @ Srinagar Security forces on Thursday killed five Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including its operations commander Farooq Ahmed Bhat alias Farooq Nali, in a six-hour-long encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Two Army personnel were also in injured in the gunfight. Five AK rifles, 12 magazines, 4 grenades, and cash were recovered from the encounter site. Farooq was slain Burhan Wani’s last surviving aide and one of the most wanted militant in J&K. “We received information about the presence of Hizb terrorists in the Kadder area of Kulgam. The joint operation was launched by police, CRPF and Army in the village around 3.30 am today During . the search operation, security personnel came under fire,” said Brigadier Anirudh Chauhan, commander of 2 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, adding that the troops returned the fire, killing five terrorists.