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) SAMBALPUR  FRIDAY  DECEMBER 20, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 12  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 Majhi, Pradhan assail ‘assault’ on Sarangi EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar ACCUSING Rahul Gandhi of resorting to physical violence during the protests at the Parliament’s Makar Dwar which resulted in BJP MP from Balasore Pratap Sarangi getting injured, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Education minister Dhar mendra Pradhan and several senior BJP leaders from the state condemned the “action of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha”. Taking to social media after news of Sarangi’s injury and admission in hospital came in, Majhi said, “Our party’s senior leader and Lok Sabha MP from Balasore, Shri @pcsarangi ji, was injured due to the irresponsible and objectionable behaviour of Rahul Gandhi in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi’s actions are not only unacceptable but also an insult to the sacred temple of democracy .” The chief minister prayed for the speedy recovery of Sarangi and said there is no place for violence in democracy . Expressing his displeasure over what he termed the juvenile action of Gandhi, Pradhan said the arrogance of the LoP has put lives in danger. Taking to his X handle, the Union minister said, “Will @RahulGandhi ever grow up? The Parliament is not his personal fiefdom. His arrogance, sense of entitlement and feudal behaviour today has caused grievous injuries to elected MPs and has put life in CONTINUED ON P5 danger.” ‘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 R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi EXPRESS READ 15-yr-old girl gang-raped by two in Rourkela Rourkela: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by two youths while a third man in his 50s, taking advantage of her precarious situation, unsuccessfully attempted to assault her sexually in Bisra police limits of Sundargarh district | P4 CT Ravi held for allegedly abusing minister Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP MLC C T Ravi was arrested after an FIR was registered against him, for allegedly using a derogatory word against minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council on Thursday, police said. He was taken into a police van from the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha premises. Dy chair rejects notice to impeach Dhankhar 5 Hizbul terrorists killed in J&K encounter RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ 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 W A N I @ 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.