tirunelveli l sunday l september 07, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l city EDITION out: a negative list that’s detrimental to image of police The Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) has come out with a list outlining acts and behaviour damaging the image of police flags misconduct, insensitive practices ‘no room for aggressive behaviour’ The list, compiled by the police research organisation over a period of one year, highlighted systemic shortcomings in the police machinery, which include ‘misconduct and insensitive practices’ that erode public trust and undermine credibility leading to weakening of the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve | P7 ■ ■ BPR&D has suggested that DGPs give special attention to the way police interact with the public, and warned that aggressive or insensitive behaviour “leaves a lasting impact on public perception” The report says that delays in registration of FIRs, misuse of preventive measures, and false cases lead to erosion of public trust 2024 at last year’s dgp conference, bpr&d was tasked with the list 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 Possible thaw as PM reciprocates Trump positivity friction between the two countries, including the US decision In a sign of a possible thaw to double tariffs on key Indian amid ongoing trade tensions goods to 50%. The move, linked and tariff pressure, Prime Min- in part to India’s continued purister Narendra Modi on Satur- chase of Russian crude oil, has day reaffirmed India’s commit- been termed by New Delhi as ment to its partnership with “ u n f a i r, u n j u s t i f i e d a n d the United States, responding unreasonable”. positively to the remarks by US Responding to a question on President Donald Trump. his post suggesting the US was Taking to X, Modi said: “Deep- “losing India and Russia to Chily appreciate and fully recipro- na,” Trump said, “I don’t think cate President Trump’s senti- we have. I’ve been very disapments and positive assessment pointed that India would be buyof our ties. India ing so much oil and the US have a from Russia.” very positive and Despite these difforward-looking ferences, both sides Comprehensive have emphasised and Global Stratetheir long-ter m gic Partnership.” strategic relationModi’s reship. External Afsponse came fairs Minister S Special bilateral hours after PresiJaishankar on Satrelationship: Don dent Trump deurday underscored “I get along very well scribed the Indiathe importance with Modi as you US relationship Modi places on the know... India and the as “very special” US partnership. He US have a special during a White said “PM Modi atrelationship. There is House press brieftaches enormous nothing to worry ing, during which importance to our about,” Trump said he said: “I’ll alpartnership with ways be friends the US. Where with Modi. He’s a President Trump is great prime minister.” However, concerned, he (PM Modi) has Trump also added: “I just don’t always had a very good personal like what he is doing at this par- equation with President Trump. ticular moment.” But the point is that we remain When asked whether he was engaged with the US, and at this open to resetting ties, Trump time, I can’t say more than said: “I always will. I’ll always that.” be friends with Modi... But InThe latest comments come dia and the US have a very spe- weeks after Modi, Russian Prescial relationship. There is noth- ident Vladimir Putin, and Chiing to worry about.” nese President Xi Jinping were The exchange comes against seen together at the SCO sumthe backdrop of rising trade mit in Tianjin, China. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Committed to tripartite talks for political deal: Kuki-Zos Express News Service @ Guwahati The Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) – umbrella organisations of Kuki-Zo rebel groups – on Saturday said the reopening of National Highway-2 in ethnic violence-hit Manipur “must not be misinterpreted as an endorsement of unrestricted movement between Meitei and Kuki-Zo areas”. KNO and UPF recently signed a deal with the Centre to extend the Suspension of Operations agreement. In a joint statement, they sais contrary to “misinformed” narratives, the KukiZos never closed or blocked NH-2. “KNO and UPF reiterate that this gesture must not be misinterpreted as an endorsement of unrestricted movement across buffer zones between Meitei and Kuki-Zo areas. The sanctity of these zones remains paramount, and the responsibility for securing the highway lies with the Government of India and its deployed force,” they said. They added that they would uphold the people’s aspiration in future political dialogues for the creation of a Union Territory with legislature for the Kuki-Zo people within the Constitution of India. Stating that the path forward lies in dialogue and not division, the statement said the government, KNO and UPF reaffirmed their commitment to a structured and time-bound tripartite dialogue for a negotiated political settlement under the Constitution. Meitei organisation Arambai Tenggol welcomed the tripartite peace agreement. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi lighting the lamp to inaugurate the Odisha Literary Festival 2025 as TNIE CEO Lakshmi Menon, Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla and Resident Editor Siba Mohanty look on, in Bhubaneswar on Saturday; and (left) actor and director Amol Palekar speaks during the session ‘Comrades in Arts: Love, Life, and Literature’ at the event | Shamim Qureshy/ DEBADATTA MALLICK | P5 ECI to meet all CEOs on SIR on Sept 10 MUKESH RAN J AN @ New Delhi UNDETERRED by the huge controversy over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India has called a meeting of all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of states and Union Territories on September 10 to discuss preparedness to conduct similar exercise elsewhere across the country, officials said on Saturday . Apart from SIR for other states, the meeting would also discuss issues relating to hold- ‘Electrifying news from london’ EV ecosystem: Hinduja group to invest `7,500 crore in TN Express News Service @ Chennai UK-based Hinduja Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to invest `7,500 crore in the electric vehicles (EV) ecosystem and battery storage systems, that will create over 1,000 jobs in Tamil Nadu, announced Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday The CM is on a tour . to the UK and Germany as part of the ‘TN Rising’ investment drive. AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology major, has also announced its third strategic investment in Tamil Nadu in two years. The The UK and Germany leg of ‘TN Rising’ has secured `15,516 crore investments, creating 17,613 jobs CM Stalin on X firm will be implementing a `176-crore expansion of the AstraZeneca’s Global Innovation & Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai. “Electrifying news from London,” Stalin said in a post on X, while sharing the news about the MoU signed with the Hinduja group. The CM’s ‘TN Rising’ investment drive has so far secured `15,516 crore worth of investments, creating a total of 17,613 jobs, a release from the state government read. The Hinduja Group will invest in businesses related to cell and battery manufacturing for EV, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and EV charging stations, thus expanding the EV ecosystem in TN, the release added. The release termed the MoU with the Hinduja Group as the most significant investment commitment secured during the UK leg of the CM’s visit.  P5 ‘ p a w ’ siti v e steps RFID tags to keep TN’s stray trouble on leash keeping tabs on man’s best friend 1.8L 6L Total population of stray dog in TN In Greater Chennai Corporation Additional infrastructure 100 38 Animal Birth District-level Control ABCs with (ABC) centres dog shelters As per 20th Livestock Census & estimates Each shelter can house 100 stray dogs Key measures planned by TN Animal Welfare Board 2.4 lakh RFID Comprehensive tags to microchip software to stray dogs enable end-toend monitoring Each with a unique ID storing Mass sterilisation breed, location & rabies & vaccination immunisation details drive across the state B A n b u s e lv a n @ Chennai To address the problems caused by increasing population of stray dogs, the Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board (TNAWB) has mooted steps to procure 2.4 lakh RFID tags to initiate microchipping of stray dogs. Until now, microchipping has been recommended only for pet dogs. The board is also planning to commence a statewide sterilisation and mass rabies vaccination drive from October, particularly in areas outside Chennai, in collaboration with all corporations, municipali- ties, and town panchayats. To ramp up the sterilisation and i m m u n i s a t i o n c a p a c i t y, TNAWB is planning to set up 38 new Animal Birth Control Centres (ABCs) across TN with shelter facilities, each capable of housing up to 100 dogs. Plans are also on to set up another 100 ABCs without shelter facilities exclusively for sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs. Each RFID microchip to be implanted in stray dogs will carry a unique identification number containing details such as breed, location, sterilisation status, and rabies vaccination records. P5 Buzz on nationwide SIR from January 1 ECI is likely to launch SIR for the rest of the country with the qualifying date of January 1, 2026. In an order on June 24, ECI had hinted nationwide SIR, but only rolled it out for Bihar ahead of Assembly election in the state ing upcoming assembly elections later this year in Bihar and in few other states including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pudduchery next year. The meeting is going to be the third of its kind since Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took charge on February 19 this year, and will be attended by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi apart from CEC Kumar. A senior poll panel official said, “Even as the final agenda for the meeting is yet to be finalised, during the deliberations, it is expected that the Commission is going to make New Canada report traces Khalistani terror finance I have been removed from the party posts undemocratically for expressing an opinion that reflected the feelings of cadres to induct those expelled from AIADMK. Party leadership should have asked me for an explanation — K A Sengottaiyan Day after unity demand, EPS sacks Sengottaiyan Express News Service @ Chennai / Erode In an attempt to firmly assert his position and send a warning to dissenters within the party, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday removed K A Sengottaiyan, veteran party leader and Gobichettipalayam MLA, from the post of AIADMK’s organisation secretary and the secretary of party’s Erode Rural West District unit. The move followed the 10day ultimatum issued by the nine-time MLA to Palaniswami on Friday to initiate measures to allow the return of leaders, including former CM O Panneerselvam, AMMK leader WITH THIS ISSUE Made in Japan TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala, to the party . Palaniswami also removed eight of Sengottaiyan’s supporters from their party posts. However, none were expelled from the party The statements, . removing Sengottaiyan and other functionaries from their posts, did not mention any reason for the action. AK Selvaraj, Mettupalayam MLA and an organising secretary of the party, was appointed as secretary in-charge of Erode Rural West District party unit in the place of Sengottaiyan. Sengottaiyan told reporters in Erode that the party leadership should have adhered to democratic norms and sought his explanation first. P5 HC rules ‘contract staff are company workers’ PLUS 12 P AGES an assessment of the preparedness of different states to take up SIR exercise, as after Bihar the next round of intensive revision exercises are going to be taken up in those states, which are scheduled to go for assembly polls next year.” They, however, confirmed that all the CEOs have been asked to make presentations with regards to the number of electors and the details of the last SIR conducted in their respective states and UTs. Opposition parties including RJD, Congress, CPI, CPM, TMC, SP and DMK are against a nationwide SIR. Workmen, even when hired by contractors, qualify as company workers under TN Industrial Establishments Act, rules Madras HC | P4 h a r p r e e t b a j w a @ Chandigarh AT least two Khalistani extremist groups have received financial support, originating from Canada, for politically motivated violent activities, according to a new Canadian government report on terror financing. The report titled ‘2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada’ has identified the Khalistani extremist groups receiving financial support originating from Canada as Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation. These groups, categorized under Politically Motivated Violent Extremism (PMVE), are suspected of exploiting funding networks, including non-profit and charitable sectors, to suppor t their objectives. The report classifies terrorist threats into three categories: Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism (IMVE), PMVE, and Religiously Motivated Violent Extremism (RMVE). While IMVE attacks by lone actors have caused the most fatalities in Canada over the past decade, PMVE and RMVE groups rely on sophisticated international financing networks. PMVE groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Khalistani extremists, are noted for abusing the banking infrastructure, cryptocurrencies and charitable organisations, the report said.