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Tirupati . lucknow . cuttack . patna NEARBY 3 girls found ‘Rail roko’ by farmers unconscious in Unnao, 2 die passes off peacefully Special Correspondent Ghaziabad There was ‘negligible’ impact on running of trains: Railways Two minor girls were de­ Fresh norms issued for clared brought dead to hos­ international travellers Special Correspondent pital and another was in a NEW DELHI NEW DELHI serious condition after The Centre has issued a fresh Protesting farmers sat on they were found in an un­ set of air travel guidelines, as railway tracks at hundreds of conscious state in a field at the country has reported the presence of the U.K., South locations and stopped some a village in Unnao district Africa and Brazil mutant trains during a four­hour of Uttar Pradesh on Wed­ variants of SARS­CoV­2 that ‘rail roko’ agitation on nesday, the police said. have demonstrated increased Thursday. The Railways said The Dalit girls were transmissibility. The new SOP there was “negligible” im­ found in the field in the (standard operating pact on the running of trains evening by villagers when procedure), which will come across the country. they did not return after into effect at 11.59 p.m. on For a few passengers on leaving their house to col­ February 22, was released trains stopped by the agita­ lect fodder for cattle, late on Wednesday night. tion, the ‘rail roko’ involved On track: Farmers protesting at the Modinagar railway station sources said. NEWS Ī PAGE 10 showering of petals and dis­ in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday. * SANDEEP SAXENA Director­General of Pol­ DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD tribution of milk and jaggery ice H.C. Awasthy said the by farmers. In other loca­ han Singh, general secretary and workers’ unions, cause of deaths could not Quad meet: India, U.S. call Correcting historical tions, tractors were brought of the Bharatiya Kisan Un­ blocked rail lines at 44 be ascertained in the post­ mistakes in Assam: PM on to the tracks. ion­Dakaunda. “Farmers points across Haryana, with mortem, and the viscera GUWAHATI Farm unions said thou­ peacefully sat on a dharna a large number of women had been preserved for for rule of law in Myanmar Prime Minister Narendra Modi sands of protesters partici­ on railway tracks to convey taking part in Rohtak and chemical examination. No on Thursday said the Centre pated in the nationwide agi­ their anguish,” he said. Charkhi Dadri districts. Hi­ injury mark was found on had taken up various tation, including protests at sar, Sirsa, Jind and Rohtak the bodies of the deceased Uphold rules­based international order, say members development projects to a large number of stations in Women join protest accounted for more than in the autopsy, he said. correct the historical mistakes Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, The BKU­Ekta Ugrahan, one half the protest sites. The officer said the third Special Correspondent mitment to “upholding restore the democratically of neglecting Assam. He Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, of the largest farm unions in In Bahadurgarh, one of girl had been referred to a NEW DELHI rules­based international or­ elected government in Bur­ underlined the Centre’s Jharkhand, Telangana, Od­ the State that is not part of the sites of the sit­in for the Kanpur hospital for better India on Thursday joined der” and “peaceful resolu­ ma, and the priority of commitment to infrastructure isha, Andhra Pradesh, Mad­ the 32 unions, said its mem­ past two months, farmers treatment. “According to Australia, Japan and the Un­ tion of disputes”. strengthening democratic development in the State hya Pradesh and Karnataka. bers blocked tracks at 22 lo­ blocked railway traffic at five the medical bulletin, it is a ited States for a ministerial resilience in the broader re­ while virtually launching ‘Mahabahu Brahmaputra’, a Although protesters were cations, including Bathinda, points. Leading the agitation suspected case of poison­ meeting under the quadrilat­ Global good gion”. Significantly, the U.S. package of multimodal water detained at several loca­ Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Pa­ at Patuwas, farmer leader ing and her condition is eral grouping during which “Our positive agenda under­ statement referred to Myan­ connectivity projects. tions, both the unions and tiala districts. Raju Maan said they were critical but stable,” he said. key issues, including Myan­ lines our shared commit­ mar as Burma, the name that the Railways said the protest The Kisan Mazdoor Sang­ ready to make any sacrifice Six teams have been mar, came up for discussion. ment to global good. [We] Naypyitaw had stopped us­ NEWS Ī PAGE 9 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD passed off peacefully, with­ harsh Committee, which to get the farm laws formed to investigate “all External Affairs Minister discussed contemporary ing since 1989 after a brutal out any incidents of vio­ had refused to lift the earlier repealed. possible angles,” he added. S. Jaishankar and U.S. Secre­ challenges, especially im­ crackdown against the de­ lence. blockade of passenger trains In Rajasthan, farmers Ramesh Chandra Praya­ tary of State Antony J. Blin­ pact of COVID­19 and ex­ mocratic movement. In Punjab, where farmers even when other unions re­ placed a tractor on the track lankar, Circle Officer, Pur­ ken said the military takeov­ changed views on issues “In the discussion pertain­ blocked rail lines and sta­ lented, blocked tracks at near the Ajarka station in Al­ wa, said an FIR had been er in Myanmar featured in across the Indo­Pacific,” Mr. ing to developments in tions for several weeks last more than 30 places, includ­ war district to block the registered against uniden­ the talks and participants Jaishankar said. Myanmar, the upholding of year, the core group of 32 ing Amritsar, Gurdaspur and movement of trains. tified persons under IPC reiterated democratic values The leaders referred to rule of law and the demo­ protesting unions laid siege Kapurthala. Sections 302 and 201. for the region. India also em­ the military crackdown in cratic transition was reiterat­ to tracks in at least 40 loca­ Farmers, supported by CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 phasised in its statement that Myanmar, with the U.S. high­ ed by India,” the Ministry of tions, according to Jagmo­ khap panchayats, traders MORE REPORTS Ī PAGES 2, 4 & 9 CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 the meeting expressed com­ lighting “the urgent need to External Affairs said. ‘Metroman’ Sreedharan set FB blocks access to news to join BJP, may contest poll in Australia Associated Press He says his approach to politics in Kerala will be different Canberra Facebook on Thursday S. Anil Radhakrishnan “Since I have settled blocked Australians from THIRUVANANTHAPURAM down in Kerala, I have seen sharing news stories, esca­ Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, different governments and lating a fight with the go­ Principal Adviser to the Del­ the United Democratic vernment over whether po­ hi Metro Rail Corporation Front and the Left Demo­ werful tech companies and popularly known as cratic Front have not been should have to pay news or­ ‘Metroman’, is all set to join able to do anything substan­ ganisations for content. the BJP. tial for the people over the The digital platforms Kerala State BJP presi­ years. Projects are delayed fear that what is happening dent K. Surendran said in and corruption is rampant. in Australia will become an Kozhikode on Thursday that Only parties leading the expensive precedent for Mr. Sreedharan, 88, would coalition fronts had benefit­ other countries. officially join the party dur­ E. Sreedharan ed. There is no rapport with Facebook acted after the ing the inauguration of the the Union government and House of Representatives State­wide Vijaya Yatra from sembly election if the party the State is the ultimate los­ passed legislation that Kasaragod on February 21. wanted. er and the political parties would make it and Google The party had already re­ the gainer. A BJP govern­ pay for Australian journal­ quested him to contest the ‘Formalities remain’ ment can alter this scena­ ism, said Treasurer Josh polls, Mr. Surendran added. “This has been communi­ rio,” he said. Frydenberg. He said he was Mr. Sreedharan, who was cated to the party’s State He admitted that he was a given no warning before Fa­ the chief of DMRC from 1997 leadership. Formalities like “sympathiser” of the BJP cebook acted. The legisla­ to 2011, said his approach to taking the membership re­ since Narendra Modi be­ tion must be passed by the politics would be different main,” he told The Hindu came the Prime Minister. Senate to become law. and that he was open to over phone from his home­ (With inputs from contesting the coming As­ town Ponnani. Biju Govind in Kozhikode) RELATED REPORT ON Ī PAGE 11 Puducherry L­G orders floor test on Monday Voting will be done by show of hands; proceedings to be completed by 5 p.m. Special Correspondent ty as per the rules. Talking to PUDUCHERRY reporters after calling on the The newly appointed Lieute­ L­G, he said Dr. Soundarara­ nant­Governor of Puducher­ jan agreed to look into the ry, Tamilisai Soundararajan, demand. “She has agreed to on Thursday directed the act according to the provi­ Assembly Secretariat to con­ sions of the Constitution.” vene the House on February AIADMK leader A.