Shirsat in a videograb; and the bag full of cash THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l saturday l july 12, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION Sena minister caught on cam with cash, says it’s only clothes Shiv Sena (Shinde) minister Sanjay Shirsat is in the dock once again after a video of him with a bag full of cash lying near his bed surfaced i-t lens on mighty spike in declared assets bought a hotel at below-market rate The video surfaced a day after reports emerged of Shirsat facing scrutiny from the Income Tax Department regarding a significant increase in his declared assets, which surged from I3.3 crore in 2019 to I35 crore in 2024. The Opposition parties in Maharashtra have sought the resignation of Shirsat, who branded the video as a preplanned conspiracy to frame him ■ ■ Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who first shared the video, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Devendra Fadnavis should take action against Shirsat Shirsat is also facing a probe into purchase of luxury hotel VITS at I65 crore against the market rate of I120 crore in Sambhaji Nagar A30 cr approximate value of the residence where shirsat lives 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 Tennis academy Dad blames barbs for murdering Radhika E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi The post-mortem report of a 25-year-old former state-level tennis player, who was allegedly shot dead by her father on Thursday, revealed that she was hit by four bullets from behind in Gurugram’s Sector 57. Deepak Yadav, the accused, was remanded in one-day police custody on Friday . The autopsy was conducted by a board of three doctors. They recovered four bullets from Radhika Yadav’s body Af. ter the examination, the body was handed over to the family members who cremated her at their village in Wazirabad. Radhika was living with her parents in Sushant Lok-II, Gurugram Sector-57. She was Radhika Yadav shot dead by her father using his licensed firearm, police said. A case regarding the murder was registered at Sector-56 police station based on the complaint of the victim’s uncle (the brother of the accused) and Deepak was arrested. His revolver was recovered from the crime spot. Deepak confessed he shot Radhika because he was often mocked at for living off her income, police sources said. Police also issued a statement claiming the tennis academy Radhika ran was the bone of contention between the father and daughter. The accused, who police said was depressed for the last 15 days, also felt he was financially well off and had good rental income so there was no need for his daughter to run an academy . In his complaint, Radhika’s uncle Kuldeep Yadav said her mother Manju was present on the first floor when she was shot dead. Deepak, Manju, and Radhika lived on the first floor, while he lived on the ground floor along with his family . 18 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express BJP revamps state leadership; Sobha, Ramesh among gen secys E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram In a significant move ahead of local body and assembly elections, the BJP has executed a major revamp of its state leadership. Prominent woman leader Sobha Surendran, former secretary S Suresh and former Yuva Morcha national secretary Anoop Antony Joseph have been inducted as general secretaries, while senior leader M T Ramesh has been retained in the post. Notably, ex-DGP R Sreelekha and young leader Shone George figure among the 10 new vice-presidents. The new office-bearers were announced on the day of Union Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state. Shah is expected to chair the state-level leadership meeting on Saturday . The revamp, widely perceived as an attempt to rework internal dynamics and increase the party’s appeal, includes a combination of seasoned lead- M T Ramesh Sobha Surendran ers and successful career professionals. The appointment of a new team reflects the vision of Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who recently took over as the party state chief. One Nation One Election Bill not unconstitutional but needs rework Ex-CJIs red flag sweeping powers of EC under ONOE PARV E Z SULTA N @ New Delhi FORMER Chief Justices of India D Y Chandrachud and J S Khehar have flagged the sweeping powers that the One Nation One Election (ONOE) Bill seeks to confer on the Election Commission of India. According to sources, both ex-CJIs clarified that the bill for simultaneous elections does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution—as alleged by some Opposition parties—but suggested some tweaks in the language and provisions of the bill to check the unbridled powers of the Election Commission. On Friday, Chandrachud concluded his presentation before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) headed by BJP MP P P Chaudhary which , was entrusted with the task to review the Bill. Justice Khehar had already given his views on the legal and constitutional aspects of the proposed legislation. “The former CJIs told the JPC that though the Bill does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution, some of the proposed provisions may not get past judicial scrutiny. They also suggested the ways to address these issues. Both jurists suggested that there should be an ‘oversight mechanism’ on the conduct of elections,” said sources. Former Chief Justices of India D Y Chandrachud and J S Khehar Experts seek clarity on bill’s grey areas Experts have flagged several grey areas in the bill. What will happen if the govt at the Centre falls? Wouldn’t the synchronised election cycle be disrupted in the event of a national emergency or premature dissolution of assemblies? Meanwhile, Opposition members including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and DMK’s P Wilson raised queries about the constitutionality of dissolving assemblies midway to synchronise their polls with Lok Sabha elections. Making his point before the JPC, Wilson argued that the aim is to curtail election expenditures but the proposed system would lead to numerous polls in the event of the fall of the government at the Centre. In such a scenario, the purpose of the Bill would be defeated, he pointed out. Several other MPs also pointed out the issue of mid-term elections, sources said. Justice Khehar suggested that Parliament or the Union Council of Ministers should have a say in taking the call on holding the election of an assembly as envisaged under Sec, tion 82A(5) of the Bill. The Section in its current form says, “If the Election Commission is of the opinion that the elections to any Legislative Assembly cannot be conducted along with the general election to the House of the People, it may make a recommendation to the President, to declare by an order, that the election to that Legislative Assembly may be conducted at a later date.” Referring to another Section of the proposed law, Justice Khehar said it should also specify what will happen in case of an Emergency . After the meeting, Chaudhary said each aspect will be discussed and recommendations made. “We want a transparent discussion to take place… Parliament gave us the Bill so that it can be corrected. It was not given to us to return in the present form. We are making efforts on how simultaneous elections should be conducted in the national interest,” he said. Chaudhary said the panel welcomes divergent views as it will help the panel make good recommendations. R Sreelekha Shone George With the reshuffle, current group equations within the party are anticipated to change. There are allegations that leaders close to V Muraleedharan have not been given due consid- eration in the revamp. Meanwhile, attempts have been made to ensure social and communal balance. A couple of leaders from minority communities figure among the new appointees. Apart from Sreelekha and Shone, former vice-chancellors K S Radhakrishnan and Abdul Salam, C Sadanandan of Kannur, P Sudheer of Thiruvananthapuram, C Krishnakumar from Palakkad, B Gopalakrishnan from Thrissur, K Soman ‘I believe that if anyone has any concerns about the special poll roll revision in Bihar, he/she should approach the ECI. Not with presumption but with examples... We have a firm policy on running India using Indian languages. The fight is in the minds of those who still believe India should run on foreign languages’ Oppn manufacturing anxiety, says Shah E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi U nion Home Minister Amit Shah says the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which is under way in poll-bound Bihar, would be implemented in other states as well. “I think roll revision will be done across the country he remarked. ,” Speaking to this newspaper, Shah said the Opposition is manufacturing anxiety over the process to mask its lack of electoral winnability “If anyone has any . concerns over the process, they should approach the Election Commission, not with presumptions, but with examples of the outcomes of the process,” he said. Predicting a win for the BJP-led alliance not only in Bihar later this year, but also Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, among other states scheduled to vote for new assemblies beginpress Interview ning next year, Shah said this reflected the massive and ongoing popular endorsement of the 11-year-old Narendra Modi government. “The world looks up to India again. Under Modi ji, we have restored faith in India’s future. Today 140 crore believe India can be, come a fully developed nation by 2047. Every sector is filled with confidence about making India self-reliant,” Shah said. “Is there any area that has not seen improvement? Be it foodgrain production, advances in space, internal security , our global stature, reduction in corruption, our integrated approach to health?” In reply to a question, Shah predicted, “The AIADMK– BJP alliance will win by a landslide in the coming election in Tamil Nadu. The people are fed up with corruption, nepotism and the family feuds of the DMK.” On the Opposition’s apprehensions about the effect delimitation may have for the South Indian states, Shah asserted, “There is no need for anyone to feel anxious. I have said this categorically: There will be no injustice to Full interview: P7 the South.”  of Alapppuzha and K K Aneesh Kumar of Thrissur have also been appointed as new vicepresidents. The list of 10 newly appointed secretaries includes Ashokan Kulanada, K Renjith, Renu Suresh, V V Rajesh, Pandalam Prathapan, Jiji Joseph, M V Gopakumar, Poonthura Sreekumar, P Shyamraj and M P Anjana Renjith. In addition to these changes, Abhijith R Nair has been named the party’s social media ● More on P4 convenor.  EXPRESS READ Dog-bite deaths: Delay in care, vax dearth blamed Pathanamthitta: An inquiry conducted by the Directorate of Health Services says that delays in providing care, dearth of rabies immunoglobulin at local primary health facilities and lack of awareness about immunisation of pets likely contributed to the recent post-vaccination deaths of three young victims of dog bites in Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, and Kollam. P2 Party rejig: KPCC told to consult senior leaders Kottayam: As the state Congress gears up for an organisational revamp, the AICC has passed the buck to the state leadership. In an attempt to ensure unity within the party, the AICC has asked the state leadership to consult senior leaders in the state before going for the KPCC reshuffle. P4 ajit doval CHALLENGES WESTERN MEDIA The National Security Advisor said India smashed 9 terror targets with precision in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. He dared the foreign media to show “even one image” of damage to any Indian structure in the war Tharoor losing UDF sweet spot as Oh Lord’s: Ladybird infestation & climate change IUML, RSP sour over ‘provocation’ bodyline Fly slip It is not always that a game of cricket has been stopped due to a swarm of ladybirds invading the pitch. On Thursday the first , day of third Test in Lord’s between India and England, players including that of hosts encountered a peculiar phenomenon. A swarm of ladybirds flew over the ground, some even landed on the helmet of Ben Stokes. These are unusual and rare sights but are invariably tied to the usual suspect, climate change. Rising temperature and dry spell in England has already have had an impact on the playing conditions. The beetles are only adding to the woes. The game as of now doesn’t have a rule to stop because of insect attack. According to the groundsmen, the rising temperature in England has led to swarms of these species of beetle to invade open areas including grounds. England batter Ollie Pope admitted this was the first time he had seen anything like this. “No, I haven’t (seen that before). It’s a first and the crowd got that. I didn’t even know why we stopped,” replied Pope when questioned about the interruption during media interaction at the end of day’s play . One of the ground staff said the menace will continue during the entire duration of the match as temperature is expected to only increase in the next few days. “It may touch 35 degrees (centigrade), which is unprecedent- ed as the last time we witnessed this was during the first Covid wave in 2020. The insects are harmless but can cause disruption if they come in a large number. We use spray to counter them but that will not be that effective if they swarm the venue,” said the staffer, who did not wish to be named. The extreme hot weather accompanied by dry patch also led to hosepipe ban in Yorkshire. The warm cli- K S SR E E J ITH @ T’Puram (Top) Jasprit Bumrah tries to fend off ladybirds on the first day at Lord’s. He took five wickets on Friday. (Left) Joe Root celebrates ton against India | AFP F i r o z M i r z a @ London Hard on the heels of his most recent ‘provocations’, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is losing the support of UDF partners, many of whom had stood with him in times of crisis. Two major allies, the Muslim League and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), have come out openly against Tharoor over two separate incidents that placed him at odds with UDF’s political positioning. Referring to Tharoor attending a luncheon hosted by the Israeli ambassador to India, IUML general secretary P M A Salam said the Congress party has no control over Tharoor. “Tharoor has been doing things without the knowledge of the Congress leadership. The Muslim mate is responsible for the increase in the population of the ladybirds, who anyways are evolving to adapt to different weather patterns. The warmer temperatures mean the presence of aphids (garden pest), ladybirds primary source of food, that helps them to multiply exponentially . The recent incident at the Home of Cricket highlighted yet another reason how the sport is being challenged for its existence by external factors P13 like extreme weather.  League has serious reservations about some of his actions. This has been continuing for some time. It is the Congress that has to take a call on how to deal with it,” Salam told TNIE. The League had extended its support to Tharoor when the majority of the state Congress leadership tried to block his active participation in state politics. In 2023, the League leadership invited Tharoor to its pro-Palestine rally, where his reference to Hamas as a terrorist organisation had put the former in an awkward spot. Tharoor attended the event hosted by the Israeli envoy for Indian Parliament members on June 27. It was organised to solicit the support of the Indian political class for Israel in its war with Iran and attack on Gaza. Among those invited Tharoor has been doing things without the knowledge of the Congress leadership. The IUML has serious reservations about some of his actions P M A Salam, IUML state gen secy were BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda and Congress’ Praniti Shinde and Deepender Singh Hooda, besides Tharoor. However, Praniti and Deepender did not attend the function. Interestingly, Tharoor attended the function just two days after Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi criticised Israel’s aggression on Gaza and Iran. In an article published in a national daily, she criticised the Union government’s silence on the devastation in Gaza and the hostilities against Iran. It seems to have dawned on the Muslim League leadership that continued support for the Congress MP may prove to be a setback for the party and the UDF, as a result of backlash from the Muslim community . The RSP is also not pleased with the manner in which Tharoor is “acting against UDF interests”. ● More on P4 It is intriguing that Tharoor, who has been elected on a Congress ticket, is deliberately speaking in the voice of the BJP Shibu Baby John, RSP state gen secy