THURSDAY KSDL GOES GLOBAL, TO LAUNCH ULTRA-LUXURY SOAP FOR `3,000 03 APRIL, 2025 The soap, to be sold for `3,000, is crafted from premium natural sandalwood oil and will be sold exclusively at airports and for export on demand epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard QUAKE-HIT MYANMAR’S JUNTA ANNOUNCES TRUCE Junta announced a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday as the death toll from a devastating earthquake rose and survivors pleaded for more help. PAGE 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS NOES  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 NON-MUSLIMS IN WAQF COUNCIL AND BOARDS ONLY FOR ADMINISTRATION WORK, WON’T RUN RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS 2013 AMENDMENT DURING UPA RULE TO GIVE 123 PROPERTIES IN DELHI TO WAQF IN 25 DAYS NECESSITATED CHANGE: SHAH WAQF BILL SAILS IN LOK SABHA Application of Limitation Act The bill seeks to repeal Section 107 of the 1995 Act, which had rendered the Limitation Act, 1963, inapplicable to waqf properties. The Limitation Act imposes a ban on legal proceedings after a prescribed period. Section 107 has exempted waqf boards from the 12-year limitation period for reclaiming encroached properties Appointment of non-Muslims Amendment to Waqf Act proposes the inclusion of non-Muslims to the Central Waqf Council, State Waqf Boards, and waqf tribunal. It allows the govt to nominate three MPs — two from LS and one from RS — to the Central Waqf Council without mandating that they be Muslims. It also allows the appointment of a nonMuslim CEO and mandates that state govts appoint at least two non-Muslim members to Waqf Boards P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the contentious Waqf Bill (Amendment) 2024 with a slender majority of 288 against 232 votes. While the NDA led by BJP secured 288 votes, the Opposition got 232 while one member abstained from voting. The voting was necessitated after the Opposition members sought division of votes in the passage of the bill. In all, 520 members were present in the House during the voting. The debate that began at 12 noon on Wednesday concluded at 12.15 am. It was followed by voting. Though the NDA has 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha, it secured only 288 during voting. The BJP was bolstered by a show of support from its key allies like the TDP, JD(U), Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), while the INDIA bloc put up a united show in opposing the bill. The debate on the bill reflected the sharp divide between the government and the Opposition. While the BJP has 240 MPs, JD(U) has 12 and TDP 16. Both NDA and Opposition parties had issued whips to their members to be present in Parliament for next three days. Concluding the debate, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed the Opposi- Minorities in India are safe because the majority in India is fully secular Consider providing flexibility to states to decide composition of Waqf boards - Kiren Rijiju, BJP - KP Tenneti, TDP UNANIMOUS Resolution in TN House to retrieve Katchatheevu S K U M A R E S A N @ Chennai THE Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution moved by CM M K Stalin, urging the Union government to initiate all possible steps to retrieve Katchatheevu Island from Sri Lanka by reviewing the pact signed between India and the island nation in 1974. “Retrieval of Katchatheevu can be the only permanent solution to safe guard the traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen and avert all the troubles faced by them from the Sri Lankan Navy the resolution stated. ,” The resolution comes days before PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka on April 4 and to Rameswaram on April 6 to inaugurate the new Pamban Rail Bridge. The resolution urged Modi to use the Sri Lankan visit to engage with the government there and secure the release of Indian fishermen lodged in prisons and boats seized by Sri Lanka as a goodwill measure. Though opposition parties AIADMK and BJP questioned the DMK’s renewed interest in the issue, they extended their full support to the resolution. This marks the fourth such resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly following those , moved by former CMs J Jayalalithaa (in 1991 and 2013) and O Panneerselvam (in 2014). DEALERS HAVE BEEN ONBOARDED TO ESTABLISH OUTLETS NATIONWIDE KRISHNA RAJA WADIYAR IV 24th Maharaja of Mysore who commissioned KSDL SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING WITH BUTTER PAPER 288 232 AYES 331 tion’s allegations that the bill is unconstitutional and minorities are not safe in the country . While tabling the bill for passage, Rijiju said the government had no intention of interfering in the religious matters of Muslims and was solely driven by the aim of transparent administration of Waqf properties. The bill seeks to improve the administration of Waqf properties, introduce technology-driven management, address complexities and ensure transparency he said. , Earlier, Union home minister Amit Shah lashed out at the Op- position and asserted that vote bank is being created by intimidating minorities and confusion is being spread in the country in the name of the Waqf bill. The non-Muslims in Waqf Council and boards are meant purely for ensuring administration of properties in accordance with the stated aims, he said. “The government does not want to interfere in the religious activities of Muslim brothers and the trusts associated with their donations, i.e. Waqf. Mutawali, Waqif, Waqf will all be Muslims, but it will definitely have to be seen whether the property of Waqf is being maintained properly or not,” he said. Taking aim at the Congress, Shah said if there had not been an amendment in the Waqf Act in 2013, there would have been no need to bring this legislation. Earlier, initiating the debate, Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi alleged that the bill was an attempt to attack the basic structure of the Constitution, defame minorities, disenfranchise them and divide the society He also raised concerns . over a controversial provision in the bill that states only a Muslim who has been practicing the faith for at least five years can make donations. The House also saw a major showdown between the Opposition and treasury benches after AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tore a copy of the bill in protest. He accused the government of targeting the country’s largest minority, calling the proposed amendments an attack on their right. “This bill is an attack on Muslims. The Modi government has started a war on my freedom. My mosques, my dargahs, my madrasas are on target. This government is not revealing the truth. This bill violates Article 14 — equal protection. Limitations will be imposed. By doing so, the encroacher will become the owner,” he said. P7 BJP wants the Muslims to feel that their rights are being attacked It is against minority rights, religious freedom and is unconstitutional It’s an attempt to attack the basic structure of the Constitution - A Raja, DMK - Gaurav Gogoi, Cong Union home minister Amit Shah makes an intervention in the debate on the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday | PTI - Akhilesh Yadav, SP RELIEF FROM INFLATED WATER BILLS SOON: GOVT A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi IN a move aimed at providing relief to several residents, the Delhi government is likely to come up with an amnesty scheme to waive off inflated water bills during the previous AAP dispensation. The government has said that till the completion of an investigation into inflated bills, water connection of any house will not be cut. Wa t e r M i n i s t e r Parvesh Verma told the Assembly on Wednesday that the government would resolve the issue on a priority basis. “A solution will be found soon,” Verma added. According to an estimate, nearly 1.6 million (40%) of 2.7 million consumers have received inflated bills in the last few years and many of them stopped paying the bills to the Delhi Jal Board, reducing the water utility’s revenues. The AAP government had promised to bring a one-time settlement scheme last year, but nothing was done. During the Budget session of the Assembly, several BJP MLAs raised concerns about the residents’ struggle due to inflated water bills. They said that inflated bills were generated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation worsened in the last couple of years of the AAP rule. They claimed that consumers living in a 25-yard house have got water bills of `2 lakh and even more. Speaker Vijender Gupta suggested that an amnesty scheme can provide relief to the affected residents. Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures the iconic Mysore Sandal Soap, is going to brand the soap under its exquisite collection, ‘Kala Loka — Treasure of Karnataka’ and has designed an exclusive package. KSDL will replace its plastic packaging material with ‘butter paper’and use only electric vehicles on its premises Parents of 5-year-old say Kenya diplomat’s son already left India SHEKHAR SINGH & I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for stating that no byelections would be held if BRS MLAs switch to the Congress. A two-judge bench of justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih criticised Reddy for “making mockery of the 10th Schedule” — which deals with provisions on disqualification due to defection — with his statement on the floor of the state assembly . The court’s reaction came during a hearing on a plea filed by BRS leaders K T Rama Rao and Padi Kaushik Reddy seek, ing timely action by the Speak- A Revanth Reddy er on disqualification proceedings against 10 MLAs who defected to the Congress. Reddy had made the statement on March 27, sparking controversy. The court observed that statements made by politicians in the Assembly have sanctity and can be used to interpret laws. It noted that something said in a public gathering, like the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, would ED FILES PETITION IN SPL COURT ON MUDA Urges rejection of Lokayukta police’s closure report on K’taka CM Siddaramaiah and family in MUDA scam, citing seven objections. ED’s PMLA probe found illegalities in site allotments and undue influence by CM’s aide | P5 be different from statements made on the floor of the legislative assembly, which carry more weight. The court reminded Reddy of his previous statement on granting bail to BRS leader K Kavitha and Manish Sisodia being out of line. Appearing for the Speaker, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said the assembly proceedings were not in question in the matter pending before the SC. The bench told Rohatgi to convey to the CM that there should be no “repeat action” and that the court is “not powerless” in issuing contempt notices. When Rohatgi said he was not appearing for the CM, the bench said he had appeared for him once in that case. RARE HONOUR EXPRESS READ Israel screens The Diplomat to welcome Indian envoy IAF fighter jet crashes in Jamnagar; pilot missing J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi IN probably the rarest of rare ushering in of an ambassador by the host country Israel’s for, eign ministry hosted the world premiere of the movie The Diplomat on Tuesday to welcome India’s new envoy J P Singh. , The movie, starring John Abraham, is based on a real-life crisis involving Singh. Before the screening, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met Singh and wished him success in his new stint. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in his message, highlighted how the film serves as a reminder that diplomacy requires thinki n g b e yo n d standard procedures, with each day presenting new challenges. Singh, a 2002 batch IFS officer, was posted in Pakistan when an Indian woman named Uzma A h - mad sought refuge at the Indian High Commission, saying she was abducted and forced to marry a Pakistani man. The film portrays how Singh faces a complex web of diplomacy, Pakistani law, and pres- sures to secure Uzma’s return to India. Speaking at the film’s gala reception, Singh shared two key lessons from his experience: the importance of teamwork and the support of political leadership. Sushma Swaraj was the foreign minister then. Singh also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clear directions during crisis meetings to ensure the safety of every Indian citizen. The incident allegedly took place in the last week of August and an FIR was lodged on September 18 at Greater Kailash police station under Section 75(2) (sexual harassment) of BNS and Section 10 of POCSO Act. The accused’s father is a Kenyan diplomat posted in New Delhi. THE parents of a five-year-old girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a Class 12 student, who is a Kenyan diplomat’s son, have claimed that the accused had already left the country without facing any charges. Both the accused and the survivor attended the same school. harassment) of the Bharatiya “The Kenya High Commis- Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Secsion has not revoked tion 10 (aggravated the diplomatic immusexual assault) of the nity of the accused. InProtection of Children stead, the boy has left from Sexual Offences the country without EXCLUSIVE (POCSO) Act. facing any charges, deLast month, the mispite sexually assaulting at nor’s parents moved Delhi least six children and having High Court and the hearing is three FIRs registered against slated for April 7. The plea alhim,” the survivor’s father told leges that the school failed to this newspaper on Wednesday . exercise due vigilance in preGovernment sources said a venting and reporting child diplomatic immunity matter is sexual abuse. The petition says pending with Kenya and since the school has not complied the matter is sub-judice, no fur- with government-mandated ther comments can be made. child protection measures, inThe incident took place in cluding the Manual on Safety last August and an FIR was and Security of Children in lodged on September 18 at the Schools (2021) developed by the Greater Kailash police station National Commission for Prounder Section 75(2) (sexual tection of Child Rights. Mockery of 10th Schedule, says SC on CM’s defection remarks S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y FIR lodged in Sept last yr A Jaguar fighter jet of IAF crashed at a village near Jamnagar in Gujarat on Wednesday night while on a training mission with one of the pilots ejecting safely while the second pilot was missing. Fake pharmacy racket busted in city, 47 held The ACB busted a fake pharmacy registration racket and nabbed 47 people, including an ex-employee of the Delhi Pharmacy Council, an official said on Wednesday. | P4 AP cricket body nudges SRH to shift base to Vizag B S N MALLESWARA RAO @ Vijayawada THE Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has formally extended an invitation to Sunrise r s H yd e r ab a d ( S R H ) t o consider Visakhapatnam as their new home ground. ACA’s offer comes amid the dispute between SRH and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) over complimentary tickets. SRH has accused the HCA management of harassing them for free tickets, and has threatened to move out of Hyderabad. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has ordered a vigilance probe. Sources said the ACA has offered to host the remainder of SRH’s matches in Vizag. The cricket body has also proposed to host the team mid-tournament and give tax incentives. Sources said the ACA reached out to SRH brass led by Kavya Maran, offering support if they decide to leave Hyderabad. The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal is SRH’s current home ground. The ACA-VDCA International Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam serves as the secondary home ground for Delhi Capitals, owned by the GMR Group. This season, Vizag hosted two IPL matches—DC vs LSG and DC vs SRH—which drew sizable crowds. Recently, ACA renovated the Vizag stadium, enhancing basic amenities and luxury facilities. “Since the Uppal stadium has a seating capacity of 39,000, compared to Vizag stadium’s 28,000, IPL franchises may incur loss of around `3 crore per match. To mitigate this, we’ve offered a SGST tax benefit of up to `1 crore per match at Vizag,” said an ACA official. Vizag is set to host the third One-Day International match between India and South Africa on December 6, 2025. Sources said the city may also host the inaugural match of Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.