CMYK SATURDAY www.thestatesman.com 11 JUNE 2022 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR CAPITOL RIOT PANEL BLAMES TRUMP FOR ‘ATTEMPTED COUP’ ‘NATURAL FARMING CAN DOUBLE INCOME’ P7 WEATHER Rain or thundershower likely to occur towards evening / night Temperature likely to be in the range of 34-28 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: 001.8 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max.86% TEMPERATURE P10 P11 Nation burning over Prophet remark row Incidents were reported from Delhi, Maha,Bengal, Hyderabad, Punjab, parts of UP Min. 69% Max: 34.0°C (0) Min: 24.7°C (-2) SUN RISES SUN SETS 04:51 hrs 18:20 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 14:02 hrs 01:20 hrs Full moon on 14 June THUMBNAILS Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande is on a three-day visit to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to review the security situation along the LAC with China on Friday.  ANI Sensex tumbles over 1,000 pts: Domestic equity benchmark indices declined further as the session progressed and settled sharply lower on Friday, triggered by strong sell-off in global equities.With Friday's slump, the indices have declined for the five out of the past six sessions.Sensex closed at 54,303 points, down 1,017 points, or 1.84 per cent, whereas Nifty, at 16,202 points, was down 276 points, or 1.68 (Page 8) per cent. Framework for fake reviews on websites within 60 days, says govt: Days after meeting stakeholders, the Department of Consumer Affairs on Friday said it will be developing a framework to keep check over fake reviews on e-commerce websites within 60 days.Since, e-commerce involves a virtual shopping experience without any opportunity to physically view or examine the product, consumers heavily rely on reviews posted on e-commerce platforms to see the opinion and experience of users who have already purchased the goods or service. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JUNE iolence erupted in several parts of the country today as members of a community staged massive protests after Friday prayers over alleged controversial comments made by suspended BJP leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal on Prophet Muhammad. Incidents of clashes and arson were reported from Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Hyderabad, Punjab, parts of Uttar Pradesh and several other places.Violence and sloganshouting were reported from Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj and Saharanpur after the prayers when people began protesting against the former BJP spokespersons’ remarks on the Prophet and demanded their arrests. Trouble began in Atala in Prayagraj after the prayers when protesters started shouting slogans. The police tried to prevent the protesters from moving in different directions. However, some of the protesters pelted stones at the police, who retaliated with tear gas shells. In Saharanpur, protesters shouted slogans seeking action against the former BJP spokespersons. Similar scenes were reported from Moradabad and Lucknow. In Lucknow, thousands of protesters at the Tile Wali Masjid were prevented by police from crossing the barricades. Incidents of violence were also reported from Jharkhand's Ranchi and Net services banned in Howrah till Monday V KOLKATA, 10 JUNE Protesters pelting stone during a protest against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma & Naveen Jindal over their inflammatory remarks, in Prayagraj on Friday.  ANI Bengal's Howrah during the protests. In the national capital, the Delhi Police said the situation was now under control and adequate security arrangements were in place, after a massive protest at the Jama Masjid in the city against Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal. “People had gathered in large numbers for just 15-20 minutes, after which the crowd dispersed. The situation is now under control,” a senior Delhi Police official said. The people of the minority community, soon after the Friday prayers, had gathered on the stairs just outside the Jama Masjid in Delhi, holding placards against the now-suspended BJP functionaries. The agitators were demanding the immediate arrest of the suspended BJP leaders. "As the protest was done without any prior permission from the Delhi Police, a legal action will be initiated,” the official said. Jama Masjid's Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari said no call was given for the protest. “I don't know who KISHAN LEADS THE WAY FOR INDIA'S FUTURE BATTING TEMPLATE MUSHARRAF HOSPITALIZED: FAMILY the protesters are,” he said. It is pertinent to mention here that an FIR was also lodged against Nupur Sharma and several others for their alleged hate remarks during a debate on a TV news channel. In Srinagar, protests were held at Lal Chowk, Batamaloo, Tengpora and other places in the city. A shutdown was imposed in Srinagar on Friday and mobile internet services were suspended after a curfew was clamped in Jammu's Bhaderwah town the previous day due to communal tensions. In Maharashtra, protests were reported from Solapur and Navi Mumbai while in Punjab, a large number of protesters gathered in after the protest call by Ludhiana Jama Masjid. In Telangana, protests broke out outside Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad. The party issued a statement emphasising its intolerance for disrespect of any religious personality. The controversial statement made by Nupur Sharma set off an international furore. (See PG 3,5) The state government has suspended internet services in Howrah district from 7 pm today till 6 am on 13 June following recent incidents of protests over controversial remarks by two BJP leaders, Internet ban has been imposed in the area under jurisdiction of Howrah Police Commision (urban area) and Howrah Police (Rural). The decision has come after police vehicles and booths were set on fire by protestors in Howrah amid the controversial remarks of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma & expelled BJP leader Naveen Kumar Jindal. On Thursday, national highway in Domjur was blocked by the protesters throughout the day. According to a notification issued by home and hill affairs department, "...in view of the recent events in some areas , Internet transmissions and Voice over Internet Telephony may be used for spreading rumour for unlawful activities in Howrah District over-the next few days...And whereas examination of the information received gives reason to believe that such unlawful activities are likely to occur in the absence of preventive measures."SNS P12 RS polls: Congress shines in Raj with 3 seats, BJP in K’taka SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI/ JAIPUR, 10 JUNE The Congress has won three of the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan with cross-voting by BJP members. One seat has gone to the BJP A keen. ly watched contest marked with cross-voting and defections~was held on 16 seats across four states. A BJP supported Independent candidate Subhash Chandra, a media baron and founder chairman of ZeeTV, lost the Rajya Sabha biennial election whose result was announced by EC tonight. Congress won three out of four Rajya Sabha seats as its outside candidates Randeep Singh Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari were declared elected with the first preference votes. Opposition BJP candidate GhanshyamTiwari, a sixtime Rajasthan MLA, also won. BJP's Dholpur MLA Shobharani Kushwaha did cross voting in favour of the Congress party, R S Rathore, deputy leader in assembly, told the media during the voting process. Kushwaha, whose husband was once BSP MLA from the Dholpur assembly constituency, and presently in prison, was annoyed with the party as no attempts were made to bring Forty-one candidates from UP, TN, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, MP, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Telangana were elected unopposed after the biennial elections to 57 RS seats were announced recently her husband out.In a tweet, Rajasthan CM Gehlot said, "Congress' victory on three Rajya Sabha seats is a victory for democracy. The solidarity of our MLAs has given a befitting reply to the BJP ." Meanwhile, the BJP managed to keep the Congress at bay in Karnataka. HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular), whose home base is Karnataka, did not win a single seat in the Rajya Sabha election from the state today. BJP's Nirmala Sitharaman, Jaggesh and CT Ravi took three out of the four seats, while the Congress's Jairam Ramesh won the only remaining seat. Ms Sitharaman, Mr Ravi and Mr Ramesh polled 46 votes, while Jaggesh got 44. Polling that began at 9 am concluded at 4 pm. Forty-one candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Chhat- tisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Telangana were elected unopposed after the biennial elections to 57 Rajya Sabha seats were announced recently. Notably, discontent had surfaced in the Congress party after the announcement of nominees for the Upper House. In Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Haryana MLAs had been moved to resorts to prevent poaching. In Maharashtra where a nailbiter is on for the sixth seat ~ 28 MLAs of smaller parties and Independents would swing things. The ruling alliance is in a tricky situation with the bail pleas of two MLAs, Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh, being rejected. The opposition Congress is batting cautiously in Haryana where one of its MLA's votes was reportedly declared invalid while Independent MLAs voted for the ruling BJP . In one of Haryana's two seats, the BJP has fielded former minister Krishan Lal Panwar, while former Union minister Ajay Maken is the Congress nominee. Media baron Kartikeya Sharma is contesting as an Independent. Sharma has petitioned the Election Commission asking that the votes of two candidates be declared invalid. Boys outperform girls in HS examination STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA 10 JUNE A total of 88.44 per cent students passed the Higher Secondary examinations, the results of which were declared on Friday, with boys outperforming girls and districts recording a higher success rate than the city. Adisha Debsarma from Dinahata Soni Debi Jain High School in Cooch Behar ranked first in the exam after scoring 498 out of 500 marks. Sayandip Samanta from Jalchak Nateswari Netaji Vidyayatan in West Midnapore came second scoring 497 marks .The third position was bagged by four students ~ Rohin Sen from Patha Bhawan in Kolkata, Soham Das from Hooghly Collegiate School in Hooghly district, Avik Das from Katwa Kashiram Das Institution in East Burdwan district and Parichaya Pari Jalchak Nateswari Netaji Vidyayatan in West Midnapore district ~ who scored 496 marks . (See Pg3) Past govts ignored development: PM Kolkata cop goes on firing spree, kills woman, self STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD, 10 JUNE Alleging that development was not a priority of the previous governments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that his government has laid the utmost emphasis on the welfare of the poor by providing them with basic facilities during its eight years in office. “The government has embarked upon the programme of 100 per cent empowerment of the poor through saturation of the welfare schemes,” he declared while participating in a programme 'Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan’. He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development initiatives worth over Rs 3000 crore during ‘Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan’ at Khudvel, a tribal region in Navsari. This includes the inauguration of PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the AM Naik Healthcare Complex and Nirali Multi Speciality Hospital, in Navsari on Friday. ANI seven projects, foundation stone laying for twelve projects and Bhumi Pujan for 14 projects. These projects will help in improving the water supply in the region, along with boosting connectivity and enhancing the ease of living.In Navsari, Modi inaugurated A M Naik HealthCare Complex and also a multi speciality hospital. The PM recalled how eight years ago, the people of Gujarat sent him to Delhi. In the last eight years, he said, the government has succeeded in linking many new segments of people and regions with the development process and aspirations. He recalled how there was a time when poor, deprived, Dalits, tribals, women and other vulnerable sections used to spend their entire lives meeting just the basic needs. Speaking in Gujarati, the PM recalled his long associ- ation with the local people. He remembered the hospitality and affection of the people during those times when he was working in the region. He said the projects launched today were in stark contrast to earlier days when even something as small as the inauguration of a water tank used to hog headlines. Continuous welfare and projects of development have been part of his governance style for long. The projects were for the welfare of people and “Garib Kalyan” (welfare of the poor) and were way beyond any electoral consideration. Every poor, every tribal living in the howsoever inaccessible area was entitled to clean water, he added. He later flew to Ahmedabad to inaugurate the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACE), an agency that will promote private participation in space programmes. The constable, later identified as Chotup Lepcha, of the 5th Armed Police battalion of Kolkata Police, had joined duty on Friday following his return from leave at the police kiosk at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission KOLKATA, 10 JUNE A Kolkata Police constable gunned down a woman and injured two others in a shooting spree at Park Circus in the city today, just outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission, before killing himself. The incident, which echoed recent mass shooting incidents in the USA, sent shockwaves through the city. The constable, later identified as Chotup Lepcha, of the 5th Armed Police battalion of Kolkata Police, had joined duty today following his return from leave at the police kiosk at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission. At around 2.20 in the afternoon, he opened fire indiscriminately with his service rifle on the road adjoining the commission office, shooting dead a woman who was riding pillion on a passing bike and injuring two others before he turned his weapon on himself. The stretch leading to the deputy high commission building wore a ghastly sight as the bodies of the constable and the woman lay in a pool of blood. About 10 to 15 rounds were fired within a span of about five minutes, according to witnesses. There was sparse traffic on the road at the time, compared to other days, because of Friday prayers, otherwise casualties could have been higher, according to witnesses.Locals, many of whom said they could not believe what was happening, went scampering for cover as the gunfire erupted. An eye witness recounted that he saw the constable, seemingly out of madness, wielding an SLR in his hand and raining bullets indiscriminately all over the place. A woman who had just arrived at the spot pillion-riding on a bike was hit and died on the spot. The policeman thereafter shot himself in the head. The woman who was shot dead was later identified as Reema Singha, a resident of Daspara, Howrah, who, according to her mother was going to her office at Park Circus as usual. According to the family, Reema died hours before her wedding date was to be finalised this evening at her Fakir Mistry Bagan Lane in the Dasnagar area of Howrah. Her wouldbe husband along with his family members were supposed to reach her rented house in the evening to discuss the matter with her parents. The 28-yearold Reema was the sole earner in her five-member family. Her father, who used to work at a small factory lost his job after unit closed down. At least two others were injured ~ Md Sarfaroj (19), a student of Alimuddin Street, and Md Basir Alam, a 49 year-old businessman of nearby Colin Street ~ and were rushed to the trauma care unit of SSKM Hospital from CNMC by an ambulance of Kolkata Police. City police commissioner, Vineet Goyal who visited the spot after the incident told news persons that the policeman, identified as Chutup Lapcha, belonging to the fifth Armed Police battalion of Kolkata police had joined work after returning from leave. He was apparently suffering from depression, he said. “He had joined the Kolkata police barely a year ago. We have come to know that he was i n d e p re s s i o n . We h a v e launched an investigation as to why he had opened fire indiscriminately. The investigation would also cover his mental health regarding his depression, which is to confirmed from his family members,” Mr Goyal said.SeePg3 Covid lab leak theory needs further investigations: WHO Include sign language interpreters in all INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JUNE After more than two years, the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic still remains a mystery. In a new report, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the theory that the Covid virus might have escaped from a laboratory needs "further investigations". The origins of Covid has remained the subject of a political and scientific debate with scientists and politicians globally contending that the coronavirus jumped into people from bats, or have been leaked from a laboratory. The UN health agency in its initial assessment stated that it was "extremely unlikely" that Covid might have spilled from a lab. The new report, by Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), a WHO expert panel established in 2021 to research the causes behind the pandemic, shared that "key pieces of data are not yet available for a complete understanding of how the pandemic began". The report, however, suggests that the virus probably came from animals, likely bats. But it also did not rule out the possibility of a lab leak, citing lack of clear data. “At the present time, currently available epidemiological and sequencing data suggest ancestral strains to SARS-CoV-2 have a zoonotic origin with the closest genetically related viruses being beta coronaviruses, identified in Rhinolophus bats in China in 2013 (96.1 per cent) and Laos in 2020 (96.8 per cent),” the report said. However, "this preliminary report is not intended to, nor does it, provide conclusive findings on the origins of SARS-CoV-2 because more information is needed from the studies recommended in this report". “The SAGO will remain open to any and all scientific evidence that becomes available in the future to allow for comprehensive testing of all reasonable hypotheses,” it added. The WHO had previously claimed that China is not cooperating to probe the origins and has stalled efforts. The expert panel said numerous avenues of research were needed, including studies evaluating the role of wild animals, which are thought to be Covid's natural reservoir, and environmental studies in places where the virus might have first spread, such as the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan. But, it was only able to assess information that has been made available to them through either published reports or presentations from invited scientists. FACT FILE TOTAL CASES 4,32,05,106 ACTIVE CASES 36,267 NEW CASES 7,584 3,791 NEW RECOVERIES TOTAL DEATHS 5,24,747 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. FRIDAY 10 JUNE 2022 Bengal recorded 107 cases and zero deaths CMYK official briefings: Centre to ministries ASIAN NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEW DELHI ,10 JUNE The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar on Friday wrote to all central ministries and departments to include a sign language interpreter in all the press briefings as well as media interactions. A letter by the Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) Anjali Bhawra stated that this (sign language interpreter) needs to be followed by all ministries soon. "The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandates the appropriate Government to create a barrier-free environment for the persons with disabilities in physical infrastructure, transport, information and communication technology and other facilities and services. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the Government to ensure that all public information related to each sector is accessible to all categories of the persons with disabilities including persons with hearing impairment," read the copy of the letter by Bhawra accessed by ANI. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Centre and States on May 3, on a plea seeking direction to the governments to include sign language interpreters in all the official press briefings conducted by the government. A bench of Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Vikram Nath asked the governments to file their responses to the PIL filed by disability rights activist and advocate M Karpagam, which stated that all the press briefings held in India are neither inclusive nor accessible.