kozhikode l monday l september 15, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION those involved in arson will be brought to book, says nepal pm Nepal PM Sushila Karki on Sunday said those involved in violence during the anti-government protests last week will be brought to justice martyr status for those dead in protests vows to end all forms of corruption Karki, 73, who assumed office at the newly built Home Ministry building at Singhdurbar Secretariat in Kathmandu at around 11 am, also announced that those killed during the ‘Gen Z’ protest will be declared ‘martyrs’ and provided one million Nepalese rupees. She said arson during the protests was ‘pre-planned’ and that the Gen-Z protesters weren’t involved ■ Nepal’s new leader vowed on Sunday to follow protesters’ demands to “end corruption” as she began work as interim PM, days after ‘Gen Z’ youth demonstrations ousted her predecessor K P Sharma Oli ■ The 73-year-old former chief justice has been tasked with restoring order and addressing protesters’ call for a corruption-free Nepal | P9 72 is the revised death toll in the agitation that began last week 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 ‘Demography Mission’ to thwart infiltrators Government will pre-empt any conspiracy to alter the demography in border regions through incursions, says Modi p r a s a nta m a z u m d a r @ Guwahati PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Union government is in the process of launching a ‘Demography Mission’ to “thwart a conspiracy aimed at altering the demography of India’s border areas through infiltration.” “A conspiracy is at work to change the demography of border areas (near Bangladesh) with the help of infiltrators. This poses a grave threat to national security That’s why a na. tionwide Demography Mission is being launched,” Modi said at a rally at Mangaldoi in Assam’s Darrang district. He said the BJP gover nment’s goal is to save the people of the country from infiltrators and get rid of them. The PM asserted that India was emerging as one of the world’s fastestgrowing economies, and said that Assam’s growth rate was PM to visit Bihar’s Purnea today Patna: Months ahead of assembly elections in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Purnea district on Monday to address a rally and launch development projects worth J36,000 crore. He will inaugurate a newly developed airport terminal in Purnea too. PM Modi landed in Kolkata on Sunday night Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and others during inauguration of development works in Darrang, Assam, on Sunday | PTI 13 per cent. “This was achieved due to the efforts of the doubleengine government. The Centre and the state government are developing Assam as a health hub. The Northeast has a big role to play in achieving the ‘Viksit Bharat’ dream,” the PM said. Accusing the Congress of shielding and protecting infiltrators, PM Modi said, “Write it down. I will see how much strength you use to protect infiltrators and how we put our lives on the line to remove them. Let there be a contest. Those protecting the infiltrators will suffer.” Commending Assam Chief Plea in SC against Global Ayyappa Sangamam In a shocking incident, a police officer sworn to uphold the law has apparently neglected it, resulting in the death of a man in Thiruvananthapuram. The police have confirmed that Parassala SHO P Anilkumar was behind the wheel of the car that fatally struck a 59-year-old pedestrian, Rajan, near Kilimanoor on September 7 and fled without stopping. Though the incident was initially described as a hit-andrun by an unidentified vehicle, the police probe later found that the car belonged to Anilkumar. As per the FIR, the vehicle was speeding and driven carelessly . In the wake of the findings, the Thiruvananthapuram Rural Police have submitted a report to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), recommending strict action, including suspension, against the officer. The DIG has has forwarded the re- r a m a s h a n k a r @ Patna AMID the ongoing seat-sharing talks within the Opposition INDIA bloc for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav sparked controversy by declaring that his party would contest all 243 seats. Addressing a public gathering in Muzaffarpur late on Saturday evening, Tejashwi said, “We will return. Understand this, You all have to stay united, and this time, Tejashwi will contest elections on 243 seats. Whether it is Kanti, Muzaffarpur, or Gaighat, Tejashwi will contest elections from every place.” “This government, which has been in power for 20 years, which works to spread communal violence, has to be ousted,” he said. Tejashwi’s remarks are being seen in political circles SHO hit pedestrian, fled without stopping car S U CHI T RA KA LYA N M O HA N T Y Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for driving back infiltrators, Modi said, “Under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, lakhs of bighas of land, grabbed by infiltrators, have been taken back. In Darrang, land in Gorukhuti was under the grip of infiltrators. The encroachment has been cleared.” The PM accused Congress of siding with terrorists groomed by Pakistan instead of supporting the Indian Army. “During ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Congress, instead of supporting our armed forces, which destroyed the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, was engaged in protecting infiltrators and anti-national forces,” PM Modi alleged. During his two-day visit to Assam, PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth over `18,000 crore, comprising health and infra projects worth `6,300 crore in Mangaldai, and an ethanol plant and Petro Fluidised Catalytic Cracker Unit with a combined cost of Rs 12,230 crore in Numaligarh. He also launched Darrang Medical College & Nursing College, Guwahati Ring Road and NarengiKur uwa bridg e over Brahmaputra. RJD threatens to contest all 243 seats in Bihar @ New Delhi With the Kerala High Court giving the nod for the Global Ayyappa Sangamam slated to be held on September 20 in Pampa, a devotee has moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to stay the HC order and restrain the Travancore Devaswom Board and the state government from holding the event or using temple funds, properties, or contributions received in the name of the deity for the purpose. In his plea, accessed by TNIE, Ayyappa devotee Dr P S Mahendrakumar has challenged the order passed on September 11. While allowing the meet, the HC had directed the organisers to ensure that the event does not affect the Sabarimala temple’s sanctity or disrupt access to devotees. It had passed the order after hearing a batch of petitions challenging the involvement of the state government and the TDB in conducting the event. The petitioners raised concerns that temple funds may be used for the event. “Restrain the respondents, their officers, agents, and assigns from proceeding with or conducting the proposed “Global Ayyappa Sangamam” scheduled for 20.09.2025, or from utilising temple funds, properties, or contributions in the name of the deity for any such purpose, pending the hearing and final disposal of this Special Leave Petition,” Dr Mahendrakumar said in the petition. He said the impugned HC judgment travels far beyond the plain intent of Section 15A of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950, by reading into it powers that the legislature never envisaged.  ● More on P5 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram port to South Zone IG Shyam Sundar for a final decision. “Though I have not read the report yet, the matter is being taken very seriously Strict ac. tion will follow based on the gravity of the issue. The order will likely be issued by Monday or Tuesday South Zone IG ,” Shyam Sundar said. The victim, Rajan, a daily wage worker, was found injured by the roadside near the Kilimanoor police station on the state highway on September 7 early morning. Though local residents took him to a hospital, he was declared brought dead. Rajan reportedly lay on the road for nearly an hour after the accident. The police are yet to register a case against Anilkumar. The initial FIR registered against an unidentified person has sections under BNS sections 281 driving in a rash or negligent way) and 106(1) (causing death by rash and negligent driving) and sections 134 (A) and 134 (B) under The Motor ● More on P4 Vehicle Act.  as a pressure tactic at a time when seat sharing talks within INDIA bloc are stuck. However, RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari downplayed Tejashwi’s remarks, and said he meant to say that elections would be contested under his (Tejashwi’s) leadership. “So, he will contest all seats.” Tejashwi’s remarks would not impact the alliance as INDIA bloc candidates would be fielded on all 243 seats and election would be fought under Tejashwi’s leadership. “It should not be read beyond that,” Tiwari said, adding that INDIA bloc was intact. Seat sharing negotiations in INDIA bloc have got trickier with the possible entry of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and former minister Pashupati Paras’s Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party . Jungle warfare school to come up in Red corridor MAYA N K SI N GH @ New Delhi india dry Pakistan in spinner Kuldeep Yadav leads India’s charge taking three wickets to reduce Pakistan to a modest 127 for nine in their allotted 20 overs during the Asia Cup match on Sunday. Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel picked two wickets apiece | AFP Express read Assembly session to begin today T’Puram: The 14th session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly will commence on Monday. The session will span 12 days until October 10, and will be held in three phases: September 15 to 19, September 29 and 30, and October 6 to 10. Brain infection: Transmission puzzling Kozhikode: Even as the number of cases and deaths from amoebic meningitis continue to rise in Kerala, uncertainty persists over the exact mode of transmission. The infection has claimed 17 lives in the last nine months in the state. the government has decided to set up a ‘jungle warfare school’ at Karreguta Hills in Chattisgarh’s Bijapur district-once a stronghold of Maoists— to give specialised training to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), and other security forces. “Instructions have been passed and the preparations have already started,” multiple sources told this newspaper. The Central government will construct the training school, while the state government will build the approach road and provide other basic facilities, a Chhattisgarh government official said. Officials said the location of the school is significant as Karregutta Hills was “once considered the secure stronghold of Naxals”. purpose in passing Biljith and Isaac’s organ donation proves life-affirming A N N A J O S E @ Kochi Biljith Biju and Isaac George, two youngsters who were declared brain dead last week, have, through organ donation, served a purpose beyond saving lives -- raising awareness of the importance of their life-affir ming acts of eter nal kindness. And, this has reflected in the number of organ-donation pledges made in the state on Friday and Saturday. On September 13, 191 people pledged to donate organs after their death. The number was 193 on September 12. Pledges soar Of the 534 organdonation pledges made in the state in September, 384 were made on September 12 and 13 “Fact o r s like acc e ptance and the honour donors a n d their families receive, and the improved quality of life of recipients have motivated the public to pledge their On Sept 13, 191 people pledged to donate organs after their death. The number was 193 on September 12 organs. The impact of the recent development is reflected in the rise in the number of people who have registered for organ donation in the past two days. People across Kerala are now pledging to do so. There has been a notable increase in awareness about organ donation,” said Dr Noble Gracious, executive director of the Kerala State Organ and Tissue T ransplant Org anization (K-SOTTO). Of the 534 organ-donation pledges made in the state in September, 384 were made on September 12 and 13, following the examples set by the families of Kottarakkara native Isaac, who was 33, and Nedumbassery teenager Biljith. There were a total of 503 pledges made in August. “The decision by the families of teh youngsters declared brain dead comes when there are controversies surrounding organ donation. With news and information about the donors and recipients circulating on social media, the public has become more aware. It has motivated many people to donate organs after death too,” said Gopikrishnan K M, vice chairman of Liver Foundation Kerala, which works to promote organ donation in the state. The shift is not specific to a particular age group or geographical area and is reflected across the state, in people of all age groups. Of the total pledges, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kollam districts registered the most ● More on P4 number.  top shot india finish with two worlds gold Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Minakshi Hooda (48kg) carved their place in Indian boxing history by clinching titles with hardfought wins at the World Championships in Liverpool | P 11