‘I’M NOTLINKED’: AADITYABREAKS SILENCE ON SUSHANTCASE https://twitter.com/mail_today ALL EYES ON Students arrange earthen lamps at Ram ki Paidi on the eve of the ground breaking ceremony, in Ayodhya on Tuesday. AYODHYA RAMDEV, Yoga Guru “I still appeal to Prime Minister Modi not to visit the site. This will be a disrespect to the Constitution of India.” ASADUDDIN OWAISI, AIMIM chief “It is time to have a new Ayodhya, a city with world-class spiritual significance & modernday infrastructure.” DR DINESH SHARMA, UP Deputy CM https://facebook.com/mailtoday Vol. 13 No. 263 | Pages 24 | ` 5.00 NEW DELHI, Wednesday, August 5, 2020 www.mailtoday.in / www.mailonline.in “The 500-year long wait has ended for millions of disciples. Lord Ram is not for just Hindus. He lives in everyone’s DNA.” SEE PAGE 3 History will be made in Ayodhya today with the first brick being laid for Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. SEE PAGES 4-7 PM Narendra Modi will unveil a plaque to mark the laying of the foundation stone. 175 selected guests will attend the Bhoomi Pujan at the Ram Janmabhoomi site. NO ROOM KEY! DELHI HOTELS GOING BROKE With shutters down for 4 months, reopening caught in political wrangle & no tax waiver from govt, hoteliers stare at a meltdown By Ajay Kumar in New Delhi THE Capital’s hospitality industry is staring at an uncertain future with hotels continuing to remain closed for more than four months in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Adding insult to injury are unsympathetic landlords, a labour crisis and licence-related issues. Hotels in other parts of the country have already begun reopening as lockdown restrictions are being gradually relaxed, but ironically, this hasn’t happened in Delhi. Turn to Page 2 C VID-19 PANDEMIC 52,050 FRESH CASES IN INDIA, TOTAL NOW 18,55,745 803 MORE DEAD, TOLL NOW 38,938 VACCINE WATCH Oxford vaccine, being manufactured by Serum Institute of India, got approval for phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, which are starting within a week, said ICMR D-G Balram Bhargava. As of now, three Indian vaccines are in different phases of clinical testing, he added. 674 NEW CASES IN DELHI, Union Minister TOTAL 1,39,156 Dharmendra Pradhan 12 MORE DIE, TAKING TOLL has tested positive, TO 4,033 admitted to 2,752 Highest single-day spike in Bengal, with a record 54 deaths. Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah tests positive for Covid-19 and has been admitted to a hospital. “China is having a massive flare up [of Covid-19] right now. India has a tremendous problem. Other countries have problems too.” - US President Donald Trump The US President signed an executive order barring federal agencies from contracting or subcontracting foreign workers, mainly those with H-1B visas. This could hit Indian IT professionals hard.