KOCHI l friday l February 14, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION Erdogan meets sharif in islamabad Turkish President Recep Erdogan on Thursday said the Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue between India and Pakistan ■ 5th both countries agree to strengthen ties The Turkish president, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, made the comments after holding one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. “The Kashmir issue should be addressed according to the UN resolution through dialogue and keeping in mind the aspirations of the people of Kashmir,” he said Turkey asks India, Pakistan to solve Kashmir issue through talks ■ Erdogan’s comments come months after he avoided mentioning the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly for the first time in 10 years, seen as an attempt to improve relations with India Erdogan said Turkey and Pakistan have agreed to further boost their ties and 24 agreements and MoU have been signed during his visit visit by erdogan to pakistan since 2014. His last visit there was in 2020 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 President’s rule imposed in Manipur Decision after failure to evolve consensus on the new CM M u k e s h r a nj a n & p r a s a nta m a z u m d a r @ New Delhi/Guwahati PRESIDENT’s rule was imposed in strife-torn Manipur on Thursday and the state assembly put under suspended animation days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned, leading to a political vacuum in the state. Singh had resigned as chief minister on February 9 after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The decision to impose President’s rule was taken after Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla sent a report to President Droupadi Murmu. “I am satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the government of that state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India,” a notification issued by the Ministry of Malayalam film industry headed for a split? A N N A J OS E @Kochi The Malayalam film industry appears to be headed for a vertical split with producer Antony Perumbavoor on Thursday coming out against the proposed move to stop production and release of movies by a section of his fellow producers, exhibitors and distributors, who blamed the hefty pay to actors and technicians for the crisis the industry finds itself in. Denouncing the proposed strike from June 1, Antony, of Ashirvad Films, said it will affect the livelihood of thousands of families and would prove c o u n t e r productive. In a Facebook p o s t , A n t o n y, Antony Perumbavoor who’s the producer of the much-anticipated L2: Empuraan that hits theatres o n M a rch 2 7 , said, “calling for a strike is not the G Suresh Kumar right step.” Actor Prithviraj, the director of L2:Empuraan, rallied behind Antony, sharing his FB post. Actors Aju Varghese and Unni Mukundan also shared the post, indicating growing support from among the actor community for the views expressed by Antony . G Suresh Kumar, veteran film producer and vice-president of Kerala Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) had told reporters last Thursday (Feb 6) that the Malayalam film industry was in deep crisis due to double-taxation, huge remuneration of actors, technicians ● More on P4 and directors.  State assembly placed under suspended animation state’s Tryst with central Rule This is the 11th instance of President’s rule in Manipur, the most in the country It was first imposed in the state for 66 days from January 12 to March 19, 1967 Longest was for 2 years and 157 days from October 17, 1969 to March 22, 1972 The last time Manipur was under President’s rule was from June 2, 2001 to March 6, 2002. It continued for 277 days Rishang Keishing was the first chief minister to complete a full term Security agencies have been placed on high alert in Manipur | PTI Ibobi Singh is second CM to complete a term, not one but three (2002-17) Home Affairs said. “In exercise of the powers conferred by article 356 of the Constitution, I hereby proclaim that I assume to myself as President of India all functions of the government of Manipur and all powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor of that state.” The decision comes as the BJP failed to find a consensus chief ministerial candidate despite hectic parleys between the party’s northeast in-charge Govt yields with corrigendum on JPC Waqf report P r eet h a N a i r @ New Delhi Amit Shah stance in Lok Sabha The new version of the JPC report with annexures was tabled in the Lok Sabha at 2 pm with home minister Amit Shah asserting the BJP has no objection to the dissent notes being included without redaction. He asked the speaker to decide as per procedure The panel report in which several members had given their dissent note has been taken out. Bulldozing it by only keeping the views of the majority MPs is not right. It is condemnable, anti-democratic Mallikarjun Kharge Amid a massive showdown in both Houses of Parliament over the alleged redaction of certain portions of the dissent notes in the joint parliamentary committee report on the Waqf Amendment Bill, the government on Thursday tabled a corrigendum in the Rajya Sabha. For a short while, there were two versions of the bill in Parliament, one with redaction in the Rajya Sabha and the other in the Lok Sabha till the corrigendum made them identical. The Opposition erupted in protest as soon as the panel report on the (Amendment) Bill was tabled in the Upper House with Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge leading the attack on the alleged deletion of dissent notes. However, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju vehemently refuted the charges, charging that the Opposition was indulging in the politics of appeasement. While the first half saw heated debates between the treasury bench and the Opposition, in the post-lunch sitting, BJP MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni tabled a corrigendum in Appendix 5 of the report, prompting Opposition MPs to say they had forced the government’s hand, adding that it proved the House was misled by a minister earlier. Chapter 5 of the Appendices of the report pertains to “Notes/minutes of dissent received from the Members of the Joint Committee”. It contains the notes that were redacted in the earlier tabled report. Speaking to this newspaper, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said only 40-50% of the redacted portions of the dissent notes by the members were restored in the new version. “The basic requirement of conducting a clause-by-clause discussion has not been fulfilled. The panel redacted that demand by us. I have written to the Chairman and Speaker about these concerns and hope it will be taken up in the next leg of the ongoing session,” he said. Sambit Patra and MLAs. Patra had met Governor Bhalla before Thursday’s decision. The governor has already declared the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative assembly, which was to commence on February 10, as null and void. The last session of the assembly concluded on August 12, 2024. Singh’s tenure was marked by ethnic violence that erupted in May 2023 between the majority Meitei community in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo tribal groups in the surrounding hills, resulting in over 250 deaths. His resignation preceded the Supreme Court asking for a sealed-cover report on the authenticity of leaked audio clips alleging Singh’s role in the violence. Singh’s response to the violence included a public apology in December 2023. congress slams govt for delay New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday said it has been demanding imposition of President’s rule in strife-torn Manipur for the past 20 months but the Centre did so only after the fabric of the state’s society was allowed to be “severely damaged”. revoke prez rule, hold polls: cpM Imphal: Manipur’s CPM unit said President’s rule should be revoked and fresh elections be held at the earliest. CPM state committee secretary Ksh Shanta said the selfish quest for power among legislators has brought the strife-torn state to such a situation. i-t bill introduced in the Lok Sabha Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday tabled the Income Tax Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha. Following the introduction, the Bill was referred to the select committee of the Lok Sabha, which will submit its report by March 10. Once the Bill is passed by Parliament and becomes an Act, new rules and forms will be notified | P10 3 killed as elephants run amok at temple festival in Koyilandy E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kozhikode Three devotees died and 35 others were severely injured when two elephants being paraded during a temple festival near Koyilandy went on a rampage on Thursday The tragic . incident took place around 5.30 pm at the Manakulangara Bhagavathy temple in Kuruvangad. The deceased have been identified as Leela, 65; Ammukutty Amma, 70; and Rajan, 50. It all started when an elephant named Peethambaran, which had been brought from Guruvayur, turned violent and attacked another elephant, Gokul. The two jumbos, which were standing next to each other, ran berserk. In the commotion, a portion of the temple office building was damaged, leaving several people severely injured. Five people are in critical condition at various hospitals. According to sources, Leela suffered fatal injuries as one of the elephants stepped on her. Ammukutty Amma and Rajan are believed to have died when debris from the collapsing office building fell on them. More details on the cause of death will emerge after their postmortem examination on Friday, a Koyilandy police officer said. “As per preliminary Don sets reciprocal tariff ball rolling as Modi begins US visit J AYA N T H J ACO B @ New Delhi Hours before his crucial meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on all trading partners—without any exception. However, the reciprocal tariffs won’t take immediate effect, to give nations time to negotiate new trade terms with the US, a White House official said. Modi, who ar rived in Washington on Thursday for a two-day state visit, began the day with a series of highprofile meetings that could shape the future of Indo-US relations. His meeting with Trump is in the wee hours on F r i d ay ( I n d i a n t i m e ) . After arriving at Blair House in Washington, the President’s Guest House, Modi met the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Thereafter, he had a detailed discussion with US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. The high-level meeting was also attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval. Terming Waltz a great friend of India, Modi said there is a strong potential for co- operation in sectors like AI, semiconductors, space and more. “Defence, technology and security are important aspects of India-USA ties and we had a wonderful discussion around these issues. There is strong potential for cooperation in sectors like AI, semiconductors, space and more,” Modi wrote on X. Later, Modi met Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who heads the newly established Department of Government Efficiency. This was followed by an interaction with entrepreneur and political figure Vivek Ramaswamy. Modi said he had a great meeting with Musk, adding that they discussed various topics including India’s efforts towards furthering ‘minimum gover nment, maximum governance’. During the meeting with Trump, Modi is likely to discuss tariff and visa issues besides broader topics such as nuclear cooperation. Both sides are keen to address complex issues such as tariffs and illegal immigration while exploring a defence ind u s t r i a l f r a m e wo rk , n u c l e a r cooperation—especially Small Modular Reactors—and stepping up critical technology collaboration. Quite litter-ally! Trash comes full circle as civic body officials give techie a life lesson S h ya m P V @ Thrissur Every piece of garbage has a story but this one came full circle! , In a remarkable display of civic accountability the Kunnamkulam , municipal health department turned a careless act of littering into an unforgettable lesson. When a techie from Bengaluru casually dumped his garbage near a veterinary hospital on Pattambi road, officials not only tracked him down but returned the trash right to his doorstep — along with a hefty fine. The box filled with waste that was found dumped roadside in Kunnamkulam town It all began when Prasad, an employee with the municipality’s sanitation department, stumbled upon a peculiar discovery during his routine cleaning duties on Wednesday. Nestled amid the roadside clutter lay a neatly packed box, filled with food remnants and soft drink residue. The meticulous wrapping betrayed the carelessness of its owner, a detail that would soon unravel the mystery behind its origin. Alerted to the situation, Clean City manager Atlee P John, accompanied by public health inspectors M S Sheeba and P P Vishnu arrived at the scene to conduct a thorough investigation. Their keen eyes uncovered a crucial clue within the discarded debris — the address of the guilty party ‘carelessly’ pasted on a box inside! And, that led them to the doorstep of the youngster. To mask their true intentions, the officials tactfully contacted the individual under the guise of delivering a courier. Guided by the address, they arrived at a residence where an imposing German she pherd issued a spirited greeting. Moments later, an elderly woman appeared, promptly securing the canine in a cage. The health officials then requested to see her grandson, the “culprit” behind the roadside litter. The young man was stunned to find the same garbage packet he had dumped on the road now back in his hands. The officials, with remarkable composure, returned the trash and handed him a notice, leaving no room for escape or excuse. Initially the techie tried to , wriggle out of the situation with a litany of justifications, but the ` 5,000 fine imposed by the municipality drove the message ● More on P4 home. Mahouts try to bring under control the elephants that ran amok at Manakulangara Bhagavathy temple information, the elephants turned violent when fireworks were set off amid the performance of the traditional instrumental ensemble. Rajan died while being shifted to Meitra Hospital, Kozhikode. The bodies have been shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. The injured have been admitted to Kozhikode MCH and Koyilandy taluk hospital,” said Kanathil Jameela, Koyilandy MLA. The elephants ran amok outside the temple compound for around 500 metres before being brought under control by mahouts. Health Minister Veena George instructed directors of the health services and medical education departments to ensure expert treatment for ● More on P4 those injured.  Scorching summer in store, Kerala goes for local heat action plans S h a i n u M o h a n @ T’Puram As Kerala braces for a scorching summer, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has come out with a slew of guidelines for preparing local heat action plans for civic bodies to mitigate the effects of extreme heat. Even before the advent of summer, the state has been facing extreme heat this year. The daytime temperature has shot up by 1.5 to 3 degrees Celsius, prompting the state government to reschedule Short-term working hours and issue heat measures warnings in February itself. It was in 2020 that the state came  Cooling up with the first ever Heat Action centres at major Plan (HAP), a comprehensive strat- markets, egy to prepare for extreme heat junctions and with focus on protecting vulnera- bus stands ble communities. Since then, the  LSGIs must KSDMA has been bringing out organise HAPs every year with revisions awareness based on the evolving climate cri- programmes on sis and heat conditions. the risks This year, the KSDMA has re- associated with vised the HAP with a set of com- extreme heat prehensive guidelines to prepare action plans to ensure heat-resil-  NGOs, hotel owners & youth ient local bodies. KSDMA member Joy Elamon groups should said heat is emerging as one of the make available disasters that Kerala will be facing drinking water in the coming years. Scaling up for travellers and preparedness at the grassroots is public key to tackling this crisis, he said. “We have prepared the guidelines. The local selfgovernments (LSGs) will put in motion some of the recommendations in the guidelines this year itself. Several short-term measures that can be taken to provide relief for the public have been proposed. All LSGIs will have a comprehensive local heat action plan ready by next year,” said Joy  ● More on P4 . E X P RE S S REA D Ragging: Cops to check for more victims Kottayam: As the probe into the ragging at the boys’ hostel of Government College of Nursing in Kottayam progresses, officers are taking steps to strengthen the case by checking for more victims. “The probe officer will meet more students and gather statements,” said the Kottayam district police chief. P5 16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express