chennai l sunday l september 14, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l vellore EDITION Trump demands NATO countries stop buying oil from Russia US President said Saturday the Ukraine war would end soon if all NATO countries stopped buying Russian oil and imposed steep tariffs on China ‘Ready to impose major sanctions on moscow’ calls for 50% tariffs on China Donald Trump said he would impose “major sanctions” on Russia once all NATO countries stop buying oil from Moscow. NATO member Turkey is the third-largest buyer of Russian oil, after China and India. Other alliance members importing Russian oil include Hungary and Slovakia. Highlighting this, Trump argued it undermines NATO’s “bargaining power over Russia” ■ ■ Trump also urged NATO countries to impose tariffs of 50 to 100% on China. “China has strong control, even a grip, over Russia, and these powerful tariffs will break that grip,” the US President said Trump’s latest demand comes hours after he asked G7 countries to impose tariffs on countries buying oil from Russia, including India 4,00,000 barrels of Russian oil were bought by Turkey per day in June 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 Entire Opposition set to boycott JPC P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi furore over nepal house dissolution Nepal’s major political parties lambast president’s decision to dissolve parliament, describing the move as unconstitutional, and arbitrary | P9 The entire opposition, including the Congress, is likely to boycott the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that will examine the three bills seeking the removal of top government functionaries, including the prime minister and the chief ministers, arrested or detained on criminal charges for 30 consecutive days, sources said. The Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have already stated that they will not send members to the panel, which is yet to be constituted. The Congress, which initially indicated its openness to send members to the panel, has decided to join others in the INDIA bloc in boycotting it, sources told this newspaper. They added that the Congress pivot on the issue is for the sake of opposition unity ahead of the Bihar elections and to keep up the momentum built around the issue of ‘vote theft’ during the Monsoon Session. The committee has been asked to submit its report during the Winter Session, which No party has written to me on it: Om birla Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday said that no political party has written to him conveying their decision to boycott the joint committee of Parliament. “On the issue of JPC, no political party has communicated to me in writing on this subject,” Birla said will likely begin in the third week of November. Earlier, the Congress, the DMK and the CPI(M) argued that the Opposition should nominate members to the JPC and oppose the bill, which they see as unconstitutional and harmful to the country’s federal structure. According to sources, these parties felt the TMC, which was the first to announce it would not join the panel, made that decision without consulting others. “Although the TMC wanted the Opposition to boycott the JPC, many felt the government would push the bill through without any opposition. We believed it was important to present our views and strongly oppose this harsh bill,” said a leader. TVK leader Vijay greeting his crowd of supporters at his first campaign rally in Tiruchy on Saturday | MK Ashok kumar In first outing, Vijay pans BJP on ONOP, DMK over poll promises P e a r s o n L e n e k a r SR @ Tiruchy Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay, launching his maiden public campaign for the 2026 Assembly election, slammed the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu for failing to fulfil its poll promises and the BJP at the centre for “murdering democracy in the name of One Nation, One Poll (ONOP)”. Addressing a massive gathering near the Marakkadai MGR statue point after a fivehour-long procession from the airport in Tiruchy, Vijay said TVK would not make false assurances but would ensure that people’s basic needs like education, ration, health, water, roads, and electricity are addressed. “There will be no compromise on law and order. We stand for a Tamil Nadu without poverty, corruption, or dynastic politics. Women’s safety will be our uncompromising priority he said. ,” During his speech later in Ariyalur, Vijay strongly criticised the BJP-led government on the proposed delimitation process, claiming it was aimed at weakening opposition parties, particularly in southern states like Tamil Nadu. Vijay said he consciously chose Tiruchy for his first campaign as the district is steeped in political history “It was here . that DMK founder C N Annadurai decided in 1956 to enter electoral politics, and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran held his first state conference in 1974,” he said.  P5 Tiruchy caught in gridlock, CM takes dig As thousands of TVK supporters converged in Tiruchy, the city got caught in a traffic gridlock. In a veiled attack on Vijay, CM MK Stalin, in a letter to DMK cadres, said, “DMK is not a movement that gathers unprincipled crowds. It’s not a movement that shouts, makes noise, and disrupts public life. When we gather, we assemble as a disciplined battalion, and after the meeting, we disperse as soldiers with a mission” | P4 Push to build strong bridge of trust between people of hills, Valley PM’s big pitch for peace and reconciliation in Manipur 50 yrs of Isaignani TN govt honours maestro Ilaiyaraaja CHENNAI: TN government on Saturday felicitated ‘Isaignani’ Ilaiyaraaja at an event titled ‘Symphony Sigaram Thotta Tamilan’ to mark his 50 years as a composer. The 82-year-old maestro’s Symphony No 1 Valiant was performed in India for the first time at the event followed by a music concert of his film songs. CM M K Stalin, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, actors Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, along with other prominent personalities, attended the event | P4 P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Imphal In his first visit to Manipur since ethnic violence erupted in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a strong appeal for peace and reconciliation, calling on all warring groups to “move forward on the path of peace.” Speaking from Churachandpur, a Kuki-dominated district at the heart of the conflict, the PM said: “I would appeal to all organisations to move forward on the path of peace and fulfill their dreams. Today I prom, ise you that I am with you, the Government of India is with you, the people of Manipur.” Modi’s visit comes after over two years of mounting criticism from opposition parties over his absence from the strife-hit state. Ethnic clashes sparked by a court ruling to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the dominant Meitei community . Acknowledging the scale of suffering, Modi said: “Manipur is a land of hope and aspiration. Unfortunately, violence had cast its shadow on this beautiful reDecades after gion. A short while ago, I met Independence, those affected who are living Manipur’s Hill in relief camps. After meetregion did not have a single ing them, I can say with conmedical college. fidence that a new dawn of It is our govt hope and trust is rising in that has Manipur.” fulfilled this He emphasised the need to need - PM rebuild trust between the warring communities: “A strong bridge of trust must be built between the people of the Hills and the Valley Assur.” ing continued support of the Union government, Modi added: “The Government of India is making every possible effort to bring life back on track in Manipur. For families who have lost their homes, our government is helping to build 7,000 new houses.” Modi also pointed to recent negotiations between conflicting groups as a sign of progress. “These are part of the efforts of the Centre in which work is being done to establish peace while giving importance to dialogue, respect, and mutual understanding,” he said. While the BJP has faced allegations of favouring one side for political advantage, Modi steered the narrative toward national unity and economic progress. “For development to take root anywhere, peace is essential. In the past 11 years, many conflicts and disputes in the Northeast have been resolved. People have chosen the path of peace,” he said. e x p r ess r e a d TN committee meet Veerapandian new CPI state secretary Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with violence-hit people at a relief camp in Churachandpur | PTI Modi balm for internally displaced P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Imphal Over two years after ethnic violence hit Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met with families displaced by the conflict in both Churachandpur and Imphal, reaffirming his government’s commitment to peace and rehabilitation in the strife-torn state. “I am with you,” Modi told victims of the violence, during emotional interactions in relief camps at Churachandpur’s Peace Ground and later in the Meitei-majority capital, Imphal. Braving heavy rain, the Prime Minister travelled 65 km by road from Imphal airport to reach Churachandpur, the epicentre of the 2023 clashes that left 260 people dead and thousands displaced. In Churachandpur, where the violence first erupted during a tribal rally opposing Meitei demands for Scheduled Tribe status, Modi listened to grievances from the Kuki-Zo community interacted with elderly residents and chil, dren in relief shelters, and assured them that the government was “fully committed to restoring peace and normalcy “Manipur is the land .” of the brave... For development to take root anywhere, peace is essential,” Modi told them. The ethnic clashes that broke out on May 3, 2023, have fractured the state along community lines. During his visit to Churachandpur, Modi also laid the foundation stones for 14 development projects worth `7,300 crore — including drainage systems, women’s hostels, schools, and super-specialty healthcare facilities. CHENNAI: After weeks of uncertainty, Tamil Nadu state unit of the CPI, at its state committee meeting held in Chennai on Saturday, picked M Veerapandian as its new secretary to succeed R Mutharasan, who was heading the TN unit for a decade. Outlining his priorities, Veerapandian said the CPI would seek a larger share of seats in the upcoming 2026 Assembly polls to reflect the party’s growing strength | P4 INDia-pak T20 today The Suryakumar Yadav-led India will take on Pakistan in a sporting event for the first time since the cross-border tensions in April-May on Sunday | P11 HC upholds order to remove Nilgiris illegal resorts R SIVAKUMAR @ Chennai A special bench of the Madras High Court upheld the ruling of a Supreme Court-appointed committee declaring the land purchased by private entities on the elephant corridor of Sigur plateau in the Nilgiris as illegal. The committee’s order to dismantle the illegal resorts and constructions raised in violation of planning permission on the corridor has also been upheld by the bench of Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy . The HC bench, which has foul play suspected HC bench says the rampant illegal constructions in the elephant corridor indicate that the village authority has been working hand in glove with the resort owners been dealing with cases related to forest issues, also ordered the state to declare the revenue land located along the corridor as a reserve forest. The bench passed the orders on a batch of petitions filed by the private resort owners challenging the or- ders of a three-member inquiry committee appointed in 2020 headed by retired judge K Venkatraman on the title rights of the land owned by resorts. As per the Plan of Action report filed by the then district collector of Nilgiris before the SC a few years ago, there are a total of 821 constructions, including 39 resorts, inside the elephant corridor. Besides resorts, there are 390 houses, 27 common buildings, nine estates/plantations, 77 cultivation fields, and nine other constructions in the corridor. Of these, 35 resorts were sent demolition notices last year. The bench referred to the planning permission obtained from the executive authority in different applications and constructions put up in larger extent of lands for commercial purposes.  P5 WITH THIS ISSUE m o n e y m a tte r s Private cultural events at select ASI heritage monuments in the offing Pa r v e z S u lta n @ New Delhi THE Ministry of Culture is considering a policy amendment to allow private cultural events at select Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)protected sites under the ‘A d o p t a H e r i t a g e ’ programme. The initiative would permit corporate entities, non-governmental organizations, or public sector undertakings (PSUs) to rent out space for cultural functions at monuments adopted through the scheme. The proposal is part of broader reforms to the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ programme, also known as Monument Mitra, and the National Culture Fund (NCF). Under the revised NCF scheme, donors will be permitted to undertake conservation work on heritage buildings with technical oversight from ASI. “The proposed changes aim to enhance private sector participation and generate revenue for the upkeep of protected monuments…Revenue generated through cultural events will help in regular upkeep of facilities, services and amenities introduced by the entities, who have adopted a site.The money collected will be deposited in an escrow account,” said officials. Launched in September 2017, the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme has seen memorandums of understanding signed for over 24 sites, including Red Fort and Dara Shikoh Library Building (Delhi), Aguada Fort (Goa), Rani-ki-Vav (Gujarat), Gandikota Fort (Andhra Pradesh), and Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra). The revamped ‘ dopt a HeritA age 2.0,’ launched in September 2023, led to 21 additional MoUs for sites including Purana Qila, Qutub Minar (Delhi), Madarasa Mahmud Gawan (Bidar), and Sun temple (Konark). Bring to Heal PLUS 12 P AGES