CMYK MONDAY www.thestatesman.com 25 OCTOBER 2021 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P10 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Rain/ thundershower likely in some areas. Temperature to be in the range of 31-23 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: 1.8 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 96% TEMPERATURE MANISH TEWARI SLAMS ANARCHY IN PUNJAB CONGRESS ‘US, INDIA TRYING TO MANOEUVRE PAK OUT OF CPEC’ 10 AMBASSADORS EXPELLED BY ERDOGAN P9 P5 ‘Terror designs will fail in J&K’ Amit Shah stresses declining terror-related deaths in Valley Min. 64% Max: 31.6 °C (N) Min: 24.2 °C(+1) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:37 hrs 17:05 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 19:36 hrs 08:35 hrs Next moon quarter on 29 October THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 24 OCTOBER ome Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that terrorists will fail in their sinister designs if the youth joins the process of development of Jammu and Kashmir. On the second day of his tour to the union territory after abrogation of the Article 370, Shah was addressing a public rally here. Quoting figures of the declining terror related deaths of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir after the BJP government came to power, the Home Minister said, “We are aiming that no civilian gets killed in violence and terrorism is wiped out from Jammu and Kashmir. We won’t let attempts to disrupt peace succeed.” “Some people who raise questions about security in J&K should keep in mind that 2,081 civilians lost their lives between 2004 and 2014, whereas 239 people lost their lives between 2014 to September 2021. We will not be satisfied until a situation is built where not a single life is lost and terrorism H An artist gives finishing touches to an Idol of Goddess Kali at Kumartuli workshop ahead of Kali Puja festival in Kolkata on Sunday. IANS Govt to introduce two key financial sector Bills: The government may introduce two key financial sector Bills, including the proposed law for facilitating privatisation of public sector banks as announced by the finance minister in the Budget. The government is also likely to table amendments to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (P8) (PFRDA) Act, 2013. Indigenous aircraft carrier to start 2nd sea trials: Indian Navy's indigenously developed aircraft carrier Vikrant sailed out on Sunday for its second sea trials, officials said. (P4) Fuel prices rally to their highest ever levels: Petrol and diesel prices rallied to their highest ever levels across the country, as rates were hiked again for the fifth consecutive day. The price of petrol in Delhi rose by 35 paise to its (P8) highest-ever level of Rs 107.59 a litre. completely wiped out.” The Modi government does not believe in appeasement or exploitation of people, he said. Amit Shah’s speech centered on development in Jammu and Kashmir in the past seven years and said nobody can stop the era of development that has started in the valley. It’s the land of temples, of Mata Vaishno Devi, of Prem Nath Dogra, the land of sacrifice of Syama Prasad Mukherjee. “I came here today to say that time of injustice and discrimination with the people of Jammu is over, now no one can do injustice to you. Some people are trying to disrupt era of development here, but I want to assure you that no one will be able to disturb it”. The era of sidelining the people of Jammu has ended and now both Kashmir and Jammu will be developed together. Earlier, Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, who was alos present in the occasion, said there was a time when people of the Gurkha and Valmiki communities were devoid of government jobs and higher education. INTERNATIONAL TEAMS DON’T MAKE 55: POLLARD Referring to the industrial development initiated under the new industrial policy, Shah said Rs 12,000-crore investment has already come to Jammu and Kashmir and we aim to create atmosphere for its growth to Rs. 51,000 crore by end of the year 2022. “When we introduced the new Industrial policy, three families, which exploited the people here for 70 years, used to mock the initiative by asking us who will come here. But due to PM Narendra Modi’s act, investment has started coming.” Recalling the party stalwart Pandit Prem Nath Dogra on his birth anniversary, Shah said, “people of India can’t forget him. He along with Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee gave the slogan of ending the special status of J&K under which the erstwhile state had a separate Constitution, flag and Prime Minister. He said because of PM Modi that the grassroots Panchayats have come into being in J&K. Counting the growth of professional institutions in J&K, Shah said that besides various other education institutions, an IIT, IIM and AIIMS have come to Jammu. The union territory earlier had only five medical colleges and seven new have been opened to increase the intake of students from the exisiting 500 to 2000. Shah, who has come on three-day tour, earlier inaugurated the Rs.210 crore campus of IIT and laid foundation stone for various development projects here. P12 Anti-terror ops in Poonch enter Day 14; soldier, two policemen injured STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 24 OCTOBER A soldier and two policemen were injured on Sunday in the longest ongoing gunbattle between Army and terrorists that has now lasted 14 days in Jammu’s Poonch district. Additional Director General of Police (Jammu Range) Mukesh Singh confirmed injuries to the three security forces personnel. A jailed terrorist from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who was remanded in police custody for 10 days and was brought to the encounter site to identify the possible routes the terrorists used, was also injured in the firing. The injured terrorist could not be evacuated due to heavy firing. Police said they were taking detainee Zia Mustafa, a LeT terrorist who infiltrated 15 years ago from Pakistan, to Bhata Durian to make him identify the terrorist hideout, but when they approached the hideout, terrorists opened fire on the joint team of police and Army wounding two cops and an Army jawan. Zia also sustained injuries and could not be extracted from the site due to heavy firing. Zia was originally lodged in the high security Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu for the past 14 years in connection with several terror-related incidents. He was shifted to Gursai police station in Mendhar tehsil for the operation. The Army is engaged in one of the longest and toughest anti-terrorist operation in the area in which nine soldiers including two JCOs have died in the line of duty so far. However, not a single terrorist has so far got killed in the operation. The anti-terror operation in the forest areas in the twin border districts began on 11 October when terrorists ambushed a search party killing five soldiers including a JCO in Poonch before another ‘Won’t blame cops’: Pandits say J&K Pakistan end Police made them sign undertaking losing streak, INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR, 24 OCTOBER The Kashmiri Pandit families living in the valley have been offered security by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, but those who do not wish to take the security have to give an undertaking, which says that they will be responsible for their own security and won’t blame the police or government for that, Kashmiri Pandit leader Sanjay Tickoo said. Tickoo said a majority of Kashmiri Pandits have refused to give that undertaking. The Kashmiri pandits who do not wish to take the security have to give an undertaking, which says that they will be responsible for their own security and won’t blame the police or government for that “We are told to give two rooms in our houses for security forces, maximum people have rejected that offer, but the surprising thing is that an undertaking is taken from them addressed to the concerned SSP that they don’t want to take security. “There is a line in the end which says God for- bid if something happens, it’s responsibility will not be on the police or the government,” Tickoo said. He said he has raised the issue with the IG Police and Lt. Governor, but so far there has been no response. After the eruption of militancy in Kashmir in early nineties there was a mass migration of Kashmiri Pandits, but over 800 Pandit families remained and did not migrate. Recently, many civilians have been targetted and some of them were members of the minority community in Kashmir. Witness alleges NCB demanded bribe 15,906 new Covid cases, 561 deaths from Shah Rukh Khan to release Aryan STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 OCTOBER INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE The witness, Prabhakar Sail, openly stated on various TV channels that he feared a threat to his life from none other than the NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede MUMBAI, 24 OCTOBER Sparking off a major controversy, a witness in the cruise ship rave party raid case on Sunday accused the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of allegedly demanding bribes from Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan to release his son Aryan Khan. The witness, Prabhakar Sail, openly stated on various TV channels that he feared a threat to his life from none other than the NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. The NCB has taken cognisance of the allegations of threats and bribes and a top official said that the matter will be probed. Sail, identified as the personal bodyguard of the so- called private detective Kiran P Gosavi, has released a signed . affidavit statement and videos pertaining to the arrest of Aryan Khan and others on 3 October, a day after the ship raid (2 October). One of the 9 witnesses listed by the NCB, among other things, Sail claimed that he was made to sign 10 blank papers by the agency and now feared for his life from Wankhede. Army commanders to hold 4-day strategy meet from today STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 24 OCTOBER Amid the ongoing military stand-off with China in Eastern Ladakh and an upsurge in terrorist activities in the Kashmir valley, top Army Commanders will hold a fourday conference here from tomorrow. The apex leadership of the Indian Army will brainstorm on the emerging security and administrative aspects to chart the future course for the force in the backdrop of the situation along the borders and the challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, a Defence Ministry release said. The Army Commanders’ Conference is an apex-level biannual event which is held in April and October every year. The conference is an institu- tional platform for conceptual level deliberations, culminating in important policy decisions for the Indian Army. The conference is also a formal forum for the senior leadership of the Indian Army to interact with senior officials of the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Defence. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will interact with the Army Commanders. The Chief of Defence Staff and the Chiefs of the Navy and the Air Force are also scheduled to address the Army leadership for promoting tri-service synergy. The conference is taking place at a time when there has been no let-up in tension with China in Eastern Ladakh where the militaries of the two sides continue to be locked in a face-off since 2020. In the affidavit, Sail has contended that he “overheard” Gosavi and Sam D’Souza discuss a deal of Rs 24 crore which they “settled” for Rs 18 crore, of which Rs 8 crore would got to Wankhede. He said that he saw SRK’s manager, Pooja Dadlani arrive at the NCB office after Aryan Khan’s arrest and also witnessed her talking with Gosavi and D’Souza inside her vehicle. Sail alleged that Gosavi directed him to collect Rs 50 lakh cash from a spot near the Indiana Hotel and asked him to give the bags to D’Souza near the Trident Hotel where he counted it to find Rs 38 lakh cash. Reacting to the allegations, NCB Deputy DirectorGeneral, South West Region Mutha Ashok Jain said that Wankhede has “categorically denied” the allegations. “I am hereby forwarding the affidavit to the Director General, NCB and requesting him for further necessary action,” Jain said. Simultaneously, Jain said that since Sail is a witness in the case which is now sub-judice, "he needs to submit his prayer to the honourable court rather than through social media.” gunfight in nearby Thanamandi on the same day. On 14 October, the terrorists struck again and killed four soldiers including a JCO in Nar Khas forest in Mendhar as the security forces combed the area to neutralise the hiding terrorists. Drones and helicopters were pressed into service to assist the troops, which included para-commandos, in the jungle area at a distance of over 20 kms from the Line of Control (LoC). Police have detained 10 persons, including two women for questioning after it came to light that they allegedly provided logistic support including food and shelter to the terrorists. India added 15,906 new daily cases and 561 Covid-19 related deaths during the past 24 hours increasing the tally of Covid-related deaths to 4,54,269, said a senior officer of the Union Health Ministry. While the positivity rate of Covid-19 has come down to as low as 1.19 %, a total of 16,479 patients have recovered in the past 24 hours increasing the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,35,48,605. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.17 per cent. Recovery rate is currently at its highest peak since March 2020, the Ministry said. Further, with the administration of 77,40,676 vaccine doses on Saturday, India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage has surpassed 100 crore India’s recovery rate stands at 98.17 per cent, the highest since March 2020 mark to reach 102.10 crore through 1,01,28,910 sessions. The Ministry said the active caseload remains below 2 lakh mark and is presently at 1,72,594 which is lowest in 235 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.51% of the country’s total positive cases, which is lowest since March 2020. Centre has also been expanding its testing capacity across the country. On Saturday it conducted a total of 13,40,158 tests. The total tests number so far has touched 60 crore figure on Sunday. Testing capacity has been enhanced and theWeekly Positivity Rate at 1.23% remains less than 2% for the last 30 days. 3,41,75,468 1,72,594 15,906 16,479 4,54,269 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. SUNDAY 24 OCTOBER 2021 Bengal cases:West Bengal today registered 989 fresh Covid cases and 10 deaths. Kolkata recorded 273 cases and 2 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total Covid case count is 15,86,455 and death toll is 19,055 till now while there are 7,882 active cases. beat India by 10 wickets This was Pakistan's first World Cup win over India, ending a jinx that began in 1992. India had won all 12 previous matches between the two sides in World Cup games SNS & AGENCIES DUBAI, 24 OCTOBER India's bowlers were lacklustre and had no answers as Pakistan’ s batsmen put up a masterful show to easily overhaul India's below par 151/7 in their stipulated 20 overs in their high-voltage Twenty20 World Cup clash on Sunday. Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets. Virat Kohli (57 off 49 balls) and Rishabh Pant (39 off 30 balls) were instrumental in carrying India to 151/7 in 20 overs against archrivals Pakistan in their opening match of the Super 12 in of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Kohli and Pant led the recovery for India after Pakistan reduced them to 36/3 in power-play. Inserted in to bat first, India lost openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in the first 13 balls of the innings to Shaheen Shah Afridi. Kohli scored his 29th T20 fifty to help the team rebuild before being caught behind off Afridi as Pakistan dismissed the star batsman for the first time in aWorld Cup game. Chasing 152, Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan batted from start to finish as they made India’s bowling attack look ordinary for once. Earlier report on Pg 12 PM lauds healthcare workers for 100-crore-jabs feat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE PM Modi to visit Italy, UK from 29 October NEW DELHI, 24 OCTOBER In his monthly Maan Ki Baat address to the nation Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the success of the country’s vaccine programme showed the combined might and capability of the country. Modi who began his address with ‘koti-koti namaskar’ to people said, “after crossing the 100 crore vaccine doses milestone, the country is surging ahead with a new zeal, renewed energy. The success of our vaccine programme displays the capability of India, manifests the might of our collective endeavour.” Modi said he knew about the capabilities of the country. “I had this firm faith, since I am well acquainted with the capabilities of my country and her people. I knew that STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Rome in Italy and Glasgow in the United Kingdom from 29 October to 2 November to attend the 16th G-20 Summit and the World Leaders’ Summit of COP-26 respectively. Modi will be participating in the G-20 Summit on 30-31 October at the invitation of Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi. The summit will also be attended by Heads of State/ Government of G-20 Member Countries, the Euro- pean Union, and other invited countries and International Organisations. This will be the 8th G-20 Summit that the Prime Minister will be attending. The G20 has emerged as the premier global forum for international economic cooperation. India is scheduled to host the G-20 Summit in 2023 for the first time. The forthcoming summit under the Italian Presidency is centred around the theme ‘People, Planet, Prosperity. Modi will also hold several bilateral meetings, including with the Italian Prime Minister, the Ministry of External Affairs said today. He will, thereafter, travel to Glasgow to attend the World Leader’s Summit of the 26th Conference of Parties (COP-26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at the invitation of UK PM Boris Johnson. COP-26 is being held from 31 October to 12 November under the Presidency of the UK partnering with Italy. The UNFCCC embodies the global will and vision to combat climate change. nation in her area. “I am given to understand that Poonam ji has persevered day and night for the vaccination of people in her area,” Modi said adding there are innu- merable such instances of zeal and dedication that made vaccination drive a success. NEW DELHI, 24 OCTOBER our healthcare workers would leave no stone unturned in the vaccination of our countrymen. Our health workers, through their tireless efforts and resolve, set a new example. They established a new benchmark in service to humanity through innovation and sheer determination,” the Prime Minister said. Modi cited the example of a health worker from Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar Poonam Nautiyal and her efforts at ensuring 100 per cent vacci- CMYK The PM said, “You have accomplished a great feat. And I know how difficult the entire area is, along with trudging through the hills!” The Prime Minister urged people to take part in the birth anniversary celebrations of Serdar Patel on 31 October. “It is our duty that we must associate ourselves with activity that conveys the message of national unity. To celebrate Unity Day the personnel of Tripura Police are organising a Bike Rally from Tripura to the Statue of Unity, that is connecting the country from East toWest,” the PM said. Jammu-Kashmir police personnel too are taking out a similar Bike Rally from Uri to Pathankot. Modi exhorted the nation to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Independence Day Amrit Mahotsava with art, culture, song and music.