COIMBATORE l sunday l july 06, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 28 l LATE city EDITION On the eve of his 90th birthday, Dalai Lama says he’s not done yet The Dalai Lama on Saturday put to rest rumours surrounding the announcement of his successor, saying he hopes to live for another 30-40 years 15,000 Rijiju to attend birthday celebrations Speaking at a prayer ceremony ahead of his 90th birth anniversary on Sunday at the main Dalai Lama temple in McLeodganj, Tenzin Gyatso said that he has “clear signs and indications” that the blessings of the Avalokiteshvara are with him. The Dalai Lama’s birth anniversary celebrations on Sunday will be attended by cabinet minister Kiren Rijiju | P10 The Dalai Lama at a prayer ceremony in McLeodganj on Saturday | PTI people expected to join the birthday celebrations on sunday 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 ADR knocks SC’s door over Twenty years on, Bihar spl poll roll revision Thackeray cousins Calls ECI order impractical, flags possible disenfranchising of lakhs Fight goes to top court S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE Desi Cool The Age of Authenticity and Cultural Nationalism is here PLUS 12 P AGES Amid mounting concerns, the Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. It claimed that the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s exercise was violative of Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, 326 of the Constitution, provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. “The SIR order, if not set aside, can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, thereby disrupting free and fair elections and democracy in the country the petition said. ,” It pointed out that the documentation requirements, lack of due process as well as the unreasonably short timeline for the electoral roll revision would result in removal of names of lakhs of genuine voters from the poll rolls. The petition charged that the Spl Summary Revision already over between Oct 29, 2024 and Jan 6, 2025. Why fresh iteration with new parameters? 1 Exclusion of Aadhaar or ration cards as id proof makes the poor vulnerable to exclusion from poll roll, says ADR 2 The petition claims that the ECI shifted the onus of being on the voters’ list from the state to the citizens ECI shifted the onus of being on the voters’ list from the state to citizens. It excluded identification documents such as Aadhaar or ration cards, which makes marginalised communities and the poor more vulnerable to exclusion from voting. “The Declaration as required under the SIR process is violative of Article 326 in so far as it requires a voter to provide documents to prove his/her citizenship and also citizenships of his/her mother or father, failing which his/her name would not be added to the draft electoral roll and can be deleted from the same,” the ADR said. It termed the ECI’s order as unreasonable and the timeline 3 Over 3 crore people could be excluded from voting due to the the requirements as mentioned in the SIR order 4 Petition says ECI fiat lacks recorded reasons supported by evidence or transparent methodology impractical to conduct SIR in Bihar where elections are due in November 2025. There are many who may be able to procure the documents but the short timeline mentioned in directive may preclude them from being able to supply the same within the time period, the ADR said. “Bihar is a state with high poverty and migration rates where many lack access to documents like birth certificates or parental records. As per estimates over 3 crore voters and more particularly from marginalised communities could be excluded from voting due to the stringent requirements as mentioned in the SIR order.” PNB fraud case bury the hatchet Nirav Modi’s brother held in US on charges of laundering su d hir surya w anshi @ Mumbai M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi SHIV Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said he and his cousin, MNS chief Raj Thackeray have joined , forces in the interest of ‘Marathi pride’ while sharing a political stage with him after nearly 20 years. Uddhav sounded bullish when he said he and Raj will capture power in the Mumbai civic body elections and Maharashtra together. “We have come together to stay together,” he asserted. At the public rally titled ‘ waj A Marathicha’ to celebrate the rollback of two government resolutions on introducing Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in state schools, Uddhav said, “We won’t let the government impose Hindi on us.” MNS leader Amit Thackeray, Raj’s son, was seen sharing a hug with Uddhav’s son Aaditya on the stage. Uddhav alleged that the people who are in power in Maharashtra, are “slaves of two Gujaratis. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde are in power, not to serve the interest of Maharashtra and Mar- US authorities have arrested fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s younger brother, Nehal Modi, following extradition requests from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Nehal, who is the subject of a Red Notice issued by the Interpol, was taken into custody on Friday US officials told Indian , authorities. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 17, during wh i ch N e h a l Modi, a Belgian national, may Nehal Modi seek bail — a move expected to be contested by US prosecutors, officials said. The arrest stems from a joint extradition plea submitted by ED and CBI. The proceedings, led by US federal prosecutors, are based on two charges — one count of money laundering and one count of criminal conspiracy under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (disappearance of evidence) of IPC. MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray | PTI athi manoos, but of their bosses in Delhi. We will never tolerate Hindi in Maharashtra. We will fight to safeguard our culture and language.” On the rollback of the threelanguage formula in Maharashtra, both brothers said the BJPled government had no other option. “The government rolled back the decision on the threelanguage formula due to the strong unity shown by Marathi people. This decision was a precursor to the plan of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra,” the MNS chief said, with Uddhav seated next.