MondAY 09 march, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard RSP all set to sweep Nepal polls as counting reaches final stage Kyiv Putin blames West for crisis Russian president has blamed Western countries for triggering the Ukraine crisis, saying conflict stemmed from their support for the change of power in Kyiv A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 9 New Delhi l l J8.00 l As of Sunday evening, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won 122 of 165 seats and was leading in six others, Nepal’s Election Commission said | P9 PAGES 12 Count for 159 seats done The Nepali Congress is a distant second with 17 seats, while the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) has won eight seats, and the Nepal Communist Party has secured three seats Iran picks new history makers at home Supreme Leader as war deepens Budget session At long last, glory and a batting spectacle. Release. An outpouring of love from over a lakh of people, most of them dressed in various hues of India blue. In the scene of their greatest defeat, one of their biggest wins. The scars of November 19 (loss to Australia in ODI World Cup final) will remain but March 8 will bring with it the necessary balm to tide over the ghost of that horror. The stadium, gateway to India’s biggest sporting project, can heal. The T20 World Cup will stay with them. For the tens of thousands who were part of the imposing circular Blue Wall from as early as 4.30 PM, this was a memory for a lifetime. Even as Suryakumar Yadav & Co. took turns to hold aloft the shiny 6kg mostly silver trophy deep into the Ahmedabad night, nobody was prepared to go home. Board exams be damned, a new work week could wait. Sleep was set aside for a few hours to watch their favourite sporting team create history . P r e e t h a Na i r @ New Delhi 1 Defending champs India won their third T20 World Cup, becoming the first team to do so in process 2 Co-hosts became the first team to lift T20 WC at home. In previous 9 editions, no home team had won 3 India’s total of 255/5 is the highest in a T20 WC final, bettering their 176/7 vs SA in 2024 4 Gautam Gambhir became the first India head coach to capture two ICC titles s w a r o o p s w a m i n at h a n @ Ahmedabad lakshya falls at the final hurdle again Lakshya Sen loses to Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei in the final of the All England badminton. This was his second final outing in the premier competition | P11 MCD razes portions of house linked to Holi clash case A d i t i Ray C h o w d h u r y @ New Delhi The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Sunday carried out a demolition drive, razing illegal portions of a house linked to one of the accused in the Uttam Nagar Holi clash case in which a man was killed. According to a senior police officer, heavy police and paramilitary deployment remained in place to maintain law and order in the area, which has been divided in zones, sectors and sub-sectors. Sources said civic authorities reached the locality with bulldozers and demolished “only the illegally constructed parts” of the structure and not the entire house. However, MCD officials said the action was taken as part of “removing encroachment” built upon the drains. A senior official from the MCD west zone said, “Since monsoon is approaching, we are removing illegal construction built upon the drains in the area as they disturb the water flow. The structure was built on the drain.” The area was cordoned off, and police personnel were deployed during the operation as a bulldozer razed portions of the building. The demolition comes a day after CM Rekha Gupta condemned the killing and said Delhi has zero tolerance for such crimes. The Delhi Police has arrested one more person in connection with the Uttam Nagar murder.  P3 US-Israel strikes hit oil infra in Tehran; Iran destroys targets in Kuwait, Bahrain A G EN C IE S @ Tehran, Tel Aviv, Dubai India players lift the trophy after their victory in Ahmedabad on Sunday I debadatta mallick No side had ever won this title at home. No team had ever defended this title. Nobody had won it thrice. India took a sledgehammer to history. That’s how you create a new sporting identity. Not by winning it once but doing it again and again. It’s why Australia have an aura about them. It’s why Brazil are football’s aristocrats. It’s the only path towards invincibility You can be good, . but to be truly immortal, you need to make winning your only calling card. And they did everything in their power. Eighteen months of preparation was followed by trips to temples, delaying a training session as it collided with a lunar eclipse during their World Cup campaign. There was even an apocryphal story about changing hotels. And it was apt that Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma, the three musketeers who had been identified to redefine the art of batting in this format, took them there. They have shown the limits of what’s possible in this format. Needing 255, it was too much for the Kiwis.  P11 Capital gets country’s first full Ring of Metro network A n u p V e r m a @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched two new corridors of the Delhi Metro, including the country’s first Ring Metro. As part of the of multiple development projects worth around `33,500 crore in Delhi, he also laid the foundation stone for three new corridors—the Central Vista corridor from Ramakrishna Ashram Marg to Indraprastha, the Golde n L i n e e x t e n s i o n f ro m Aerocity to Indira Gandhi Domestic Airport Terminal 1, and another Golden Line extension from Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj—under Phase V(A) of the Delhi Metro. The Deepali Chowk-Majlis Park stretch is an elevated extension of the Botanical Garden–Krishna Park Magenta Line and has seven stations. However, the stretch between Deepali Chowk and Krishna Park is not complete yet. It will allow passengers from Noida to have better access through Kalindi Kunj towards south Delhi and the two airports. The 9.9 km Central Vista corridor will be constructed underground and include stations such as Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, India Gate, War Memorial-High Court, Baroda House, Bharat Mandapam and Indraprastha. Modi emphasised that Delhi was the global identity and energy symbol of the Indian democracy He said that modern. PM Modi, with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, inaugurates Ring Metro on Sunday | PTI Azadpur Majlis park Sonia vihar Circular Development Maujpur Babarpur Newly completed corridors are likely to turn Ring Metro into one of the busiest routes GTB Nagar Welcome 1 Majlis Park–Maujpur Babarpur (Pink Line) Karkardooma Length: 12.3 km Type: Elevated Station: 10 Ring Metro has a total length of 71.56 kms ising the capital’s infrastructure and connectivity, such as the Namo Bharat train and the historic expansion of the Delhi Metro network to 375 kilometers, is essential for showcasing India’s confidence to the world. “The more modern, convenient, and better connected Delhi becomes, the more strongly India’s self-confidence will be visible to the world,” the Prime Minister remarked. He said that under the dou- 2 Deepali Chowk–Majlis Park (Magenta Line) Length: 9.9 km Type: Elevated Station: 7 ble-engine governance model, every transport facility in the national capital is being systematically upgraded. “While over four thousand electric buses provided by the Centre are already operational, an additional 1,800 new buses have been deployed in the last year alone, including hundreds of Devi Buses designed to enhance last-mile connectivity across Delhi’s colonies and neighborhoods,” Modi remarked. IRAN’s Assembly of Experts tasked with appointing the next Supreme Leader reportedly arrived at a majority decision on Sunday, but stopped short of naming him. The 88-member clerical body has sought some time to remove “some obstacles” before announcing the name. Khamenei’s son Mojtaba is billed to be the front-runner to succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed over a week ago in the strikes that triggered the war between Iran and Israel-US. The development came on a day when US-Israeli air strikes destroyed fuel dumps and triggered fires that choked much of Tehran in a thick blanket of smoke. In response, Iran struck Gulf infrastructure, hitting fuel tanks at Kuwait’s international air port and hit a desalination plant in Bahrain with the war reaching its second week. The war, which Israel and US launched on February 28, has so far claimed at least 1,230 lives in Iran, 397 in Lebanon including 83 children, 11 in Israel, and six US soldiers. The impact of the conflict is no longer limited to West Asia as it has rattled global markets, oil indices and disrupted air travel. If the war continues for long, it could impact energy prices worldwide. In India, cooking gas prices have already gone up. With the joint US-Israeli strikes continuing on Tehran, Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to expand attacks on US targets across the Gulf. “The more pressure they impose on us, the stronger our response will naturally be,” Pezeshkian said. Neighbouring countries have borne much of Tehran’s brunt, with 16 people killed in the Gulf states since the war began, according to an AFP tally . Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait all reported new attacks on Sunday . Israel-US hit Iran’s oil well A thick plume of smoke rose from an oil well hit by a US-Israeli strikes in Tehran Sunday. Israel said it struck “a number of fuel storage facilities in Tehran” used “to operate military infrastructure” | P9 Brent crude at 5-year high Crude oil price continued rising after some key countries slashed their output. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) soared to $115 on Sunday. Brent rose to $117, the highest level since 2022 Arab League warns Iran Arab League’s secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Sunday that Iranian attacks on Gulf member states were “reckless”, urging Tehran to reverse what he called a “massive strategic mistake” Sparks to fly as motion against Speaker in Lok Sabha today The stage is set for a stormy start to the second leg of the Budget session of Parliament on Monday with the Lok Sabha , set to take up an Opposition motion seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla. The rare move, which is the first in nearly four decades, highlights the deepening rift between the Opposition and the ruling side. The government is likely to allocate around three hours for the discussion on the motion, with three members each from the Treasury and Opposition benches expected to participate, sources said. From the Congress, either Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi or K C Venugopal, is likely to participate in the debate, sources said. While both the Congress and the BJP have issued whips directing their members to be present in the House, the BJPled NDA holds a clear numerical advantage to defeat the resolution in the 543-member Lok Sabha. However, the Opposition received a boost after the T r i n a m o o l C o n g re s s a n nounced Saturday that it would support the motion. As many as 118 opposition members had submitted notice to move a resolution to remove Birla from office for not allowing the Leader of Opposition and other opposition leaders to speak in the House on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, as well as for suspending eight opposition MPs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has backed Birla, stating he had taken all Parliamentarians along and was committed to upholding the principles of the Constitution and Parliamentary democracy . Amid the escalating conflict in West Asia, Lok Sabha will also see a briefing by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the evolving situation there.  P7 MHA asks Bengal chief secretary to explain lapses during President visit S U B HENDU M A ITI & PA R V E Z S U LTA N @ Kolkata / New Delhi THE Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the alleged protocol violation and lapses during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to the state on Saturday to attend the International Santal Conference in Darjeeling district. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan directed West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraboty to explain the alleged lapses in security protocol, venue arrangements, and travel route during the President’s programme. No violation: Mamata West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday claimed there was no protocol violation at the President’s programme, terming it a “private event”. Sources said the MHA also wanted to know the reason behind the failure the chief minister, chief secretary and DGP , to receive the President upon her arrival. The conference was held at a ground near the Bagdogra airport in Gosainpur, instead of the planned venue in Bidhannagar. Speaking at the event, on Saturday, Murmu had publicly expressed displeasure over the low turnout and noted the absence of the CM. In her response, Banerjee accused the President of playing politics at the best of the BJP ahead of the state polls, triggering a political firestorm. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tore into the Trinamool Congress (TMC) saying the “enlightened people” of Bengal would never forgive the party for “insulting” the President, who is a woman and a tribal. “The dirty politics and arrogance of power of the TMC, which has gravely insulted a tribal President, will soon be shattered,” Modi said. ‘Sacred stick’ of Kedarnath shrine missing, Dhami orders probe Na r e n d r a S e t h i @ Dehradun A cloud of mystery has descended upon the sacred portals of the Kedarnath shrine following reports that the Roop Chhad—considered to be an embodiment of Lord Kedarnath himself—is currently missing from the safe custody of the Badri Kedar Temple Committee. The disappearance of the in- The disappearance of Roop Chhad The Roop Chhad—considered to be an embodiment of Lord Kedarnath himself—is currently missing from the safe custody of the Badri Kedar Temple Committee in Uttarakhand. valuable silver sceptre has triggered a state-wide uproar, prompting the Uttarakhand government to launch a highlevel inquiry into the alleged negligence of the temple man- agement body . The Roop Chhad is a cherished religious icon that accompanies the Chal Vigraha Doli (“the movable idol”) during religious processions. An- cient tradition dictates that any sacred symbol or ritualistic object associated with the Char Dham is considered the “private property” of the deity . As such, these items are prohibited from being moved outside temple premises for external purposes, said priest Pandit Ashok Tiwari. The Badri Kedar Temple Committee is mandated to ensure the security of these assets. Abuse Modern women were meant to be equal in marriage. Patriarchy, though, is a sticky affair | P4