MONDAY www.thestatesman.com 13 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 UNABATED CRISIS INDIA HAS ‘STRONG PROTECTIVE SHIELD’ OF COVID VACCINATION P4 WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY WITH POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERY DEVELOPMENT. HEAT WAVE CONDITIONS AT ISOLATED PLACES. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 20-30KMPH) DURING THE DAY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 43 AND 32 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. P6 P8 Nadda, Rajnath to talk to Oppn, allies for 'consensus' President Consultation process expected to push for a NDA nominee for the post SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max: 33% Min: 15% TEMPERATURE Max: 44.9°C (+4) SUN RISES 05:23 hrs MOON RISES 18:16 hrs Min: 32.7°C (+3) SUN SETS 19:20 hrs MOON SETS 04:49 hrs THUMBNAILS Monkeys seen eating on a hot summer day, in New Delhi on Sunday.  ANI Search operation continues for 2 Army personnel in Arunachal: Intensive search operations have been ongoing for two Indian Army personnel, deployed in the forward areas of Anjaw district in Arunachal Pradesh since May 28, 2022. Naik Prakash Singh and Lance Naik Harender Singh, deployed in a forward post of Arunachal Pradesh, presumed to have accidentally fallen into a fast-flowing river in close proximity to their Post, according to a statement by the Indian Army. Five killed by heat wave at religious festival in Bengal's Panihati: At least five devotees have succumbed to extreme heat and several others fell ill as they were attending a religious festival at Panihati in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Sunday. On Sunday morning, several devotees participated in the 500-year-old Danda Mahotsav at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple at Panihati. The festival had been suspended for the last two years because of the Covid pandemic. A head of the election for the President of India next month, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has authorised its national president JP Nadda and Defence Minister and Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha Rajnath Singh to hold discussions with all political parties. The two leaders of the BJP will not only hold discussions with the partners and allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but also with Opposition parties in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and independents. At present, Janata Dal (United), Pashupati Parasled Rashtriya Lok Jan Shakti Party, Anupriya Patel's Apna Dal, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), North-eastern parties includ- ing National People's Party (NPP), Naga People's Front (NPF), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) amongst others are the partners of the BJP-led NDA. The NDA government will try to approach all political parties to come on board for a consensus candidate to elect the highest constitutional post in India, according to a statement put out by BJP spokesperson Arun Singh. The move comes even as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to leaders of political parties and chief ministers for an Opposition meeting at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on June 15 with a view to settling on a common nominee from the opposition side. Congress president Sonia Gandhi too had reached out to NCP leader Sharad Pawar for the same purpose. BJP sources said that the proposed consultation will focus on a proposed BJP-led NDA nominee for the post of President of P12 Authorities demolish Prayagraj violence accused’s home SNS & AGENCIES PRAYAGRAJ, 12 JUNE India. In an electoral college of around 10.86 lakh votes for the Presidential election, the BJP and its alliance partners are a little short of the halfway mark. The BJP is anxious that not just its allies like the Janata Dal (U) but fence sitting parties like the Biju Janata Dal (which had supported Mr Ram Nath Kovind for president, but not Mr Venkaiah Naidu as vice president) and the YSRCP support the NDA nominee. According to the BJP, the process to reach out to various political parties by the two leaders will begin shortly. Last week, the Election Commission of India announced that the election of the President of India would take place on July 18 and the results will be declared on July 21. Mr Kovind, serving as the 14th President of India took office on July 25 2017, and his term comes to an end on July 24, 2022. The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) on Sunday demolished the house of Mohammad Javed, a.k.a. Javed Pump, the alleged mastermind of Friday’s violence in the city amidst heavy police deployment. Police said they recovered two illegal weapons ~ 12 bore and 315 bore pistols ~ and objectionable posters from Javed’s house. A day earlier, the properties of two people accused of rioting ~ Muzammil of Rahat Colony and Abdul Vakir of Khata Khedi ~ were demolished in Saharanpur where stonepelting had taken place as well. PDA sources said the authority had previously served Mohammad Javed a notice to demolish his house in the Kareli area of Prayagraj that was allegedly built without getting the requisite permissions. “Police personnel and a JCB machine reached the Kareli police station around 10.30 a.m. and demolition commenced around 1 p.m,” said a PDA official. On Saturday, Senior Superintendent of Police, Prayagraj, Ajay Kumar identified Mohammed Javed as the alleged mastermind of Friday’s stonepelting and said he had been arrested.The Atala area was purportedly the epicentre of the demonstrations against the inflammatory remarks on Prophet Mohammad made by now suspended BJP functionaries. Police allege that Mohammad Javed gave the call for the protests that eventually turned violent. Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said on Sunday that 304 persons have been arrested till Sunday morning in connection with Friday's violence. The maximum number of arrests have been in Prayagraj where 91 persons have been held while 71 have been held in Saharanpur. Jharkhand: Tension prevailed in Jharkhand capital Ranchi on Sunday, as police strengthened security in sensitive areas and registered 25 FIRs against "thousands" of people in the aftermath of violent protests over controversial comments on Prophet Mohammad. However, internet services have been restored in the district after 33 hours. Assam: Apprehending breach of peace in wake of provocative remarks on the Prophet, prohibitory orders have been imposed in several areas of Assam's Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakhandhi districts, officials said on Sunday. OFF TO WORK Sonia Gandhi hospitalised with Covid-related issues STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE Congress president Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Sunday owing to Covid related issues. "Congress President Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital today owing to Covid related issues. She is stable and will be kept at the hospital for observation. We thank all the Congressmen & women as also all well wishers for their concern and good wishes," Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a tweet. Earlier on June 2, the Congress president was tested positive for Covid-19 infection. The Congress leader had developed a mild fever on June 1 evening and was found Covid positive, the next morning. The report of the Congress president testing positive for Covid infection came a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned her and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. Sonia Gandhi was to appear before the ED on June 8 but due to her Covid infection she sought more time.The case has been lodged against various Congress leaders, including the Gandhis, for allegedly misappropriating the National Herald fund. Of 114 fighter jets for IAF, 96 to be built in India 4 LeT terrorists, involved in killing of three cops, gunned down in Kashmir NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 12 JUNE Amid a big push for the Aatmanirbhar Bharat scheme by the PM Narendra Modi-led government, the Indian Air Force is planning to acquire 114 fighter jets of which 96 would be built in India, and rest 18 would be imported from the foreign vendor chosen for the project. The Indian Air Force has plans of acquiring 114 Multirole Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) under 'Buy Global and Make in India' scheme under which Indian companies would be allowed to partner with a foreign vendor."Recently, the Indian Air Force held meetings with the foreign vendors and asked them about the way they would carry out the Make in India project," government sources told ANI. As per the plan, after the initial 18 aircraft are imported, the next 36 aircraft would be manufactured within the country and the payments would be made partially in foreign currency and Indian currency, the sources said. The last 60 aircraft would be the main responsibility of the Indian partner and the government would make payments only in Indian currency, the sources said. The payment in Indian currency would help the vendors to achieve the over 60 per cent 'Make-in-India' content in the project, the sources said.Global aircraft manufacturers including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Saab, MiG, Irkut Corporation and Dassault Aviation are expected to participate in the tender. The Indian Air Force has to rely heavily on these 114 fighter jets for maintaining its superiority over the neighboring rivals Pakistan and China.ANI VERSTAPPEN WINS IN AZERBAIJAN ‘WE WILL NOT BUCKLE UNDER PRESSURE’ Amidst a spate of targeted killings in Kashmir, four local Kashmiri terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, who were involved in killing of three policemen, were gunned down on Sunday in two separate encounters with security forces. Three terrorists were eliminated at Drabgam in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, while one was gunned down in a chance encounter in Srinagar. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said, LeT terrorist Adil Parray of Ganderbal who was involved in killing of two J&K Police personnel, Ghulam Hassan Dar in Sangam and Saifulla Qadri in Anchar Soura and injuring his 9 year old daughter, was killed in a chance encounter with a small team of Police at Kreesbal Palpora Sangam area of Srinagar. One of the killed terrorists in the Pulwama encounter was involved in gunning down a Special Police Officer (SPO) last month, said IGP Kashmir. Vijay Kumar said that all three terrorists were locals and linked to Pakistan-based ter- Bidding for IPL TV, digital rights goes past Rs 42,000 cr SNS & AGENCIES MUMBAI,12 JUNE The IPL media rights value for the 2023-2027 cycle has gone past Rs 42,000 crore and is expected to go even higher as per sources in BCCI. This is nearly three times more than what Star India paid in the year 2017. The details of who bid what are yet to come but the value for per match TV, and digital rights value have surpassed Rs 100 crore mark. The process has been divided into a total of four packages (A, B, C and D). Package A is exclusive for TV (broadcast) for the Indian subcontinent while package B is for digital-only grouping for the same region. There are four specific packages in which e-auc- tion is being conducted or 74 games per season for a fiveyear period with a provision of increasing the number of matches to 94 in the final two years. Package C is for 18 selected games in each season for digital space. In Package D, all games will be for combined TV and digital rights for overseas markets. All bidders are making separate bids for each package. Bidders for Package A must have a net worth of Rs 1000 crore; it is Rs 500 crore for those bidding for other packages. This year, global giants like Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), Reliance-Viacom 18, Disney Star Network and Sony Network are in the fray to grab the rights to the event. ror outfit LeT. One terrorist has been identified as Junaid Sheergojri who was involved in the killing of SPO Reyaz Ahmed Thoker on 13 May at his home in Gudoora village in Pulwama. The other two terrorists killed in the encounter have been identified as Fazil Nazir Bhat and Irfan Ahmed Malik, both residents of Pulwama district. Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including two AK 47 rifles and one pistol have been recovered, police added. In another incident, vehicular traffic on the strategic Srinagar--Baramulla highway was again suspended today when an unclaimed bag was found at Rawalpora. FACT FILE TOTAL CASES 4,32,22,017 ACTIVE CASES 44,513 NEW CASES 8,582 NEW RECOVERIES 4,435 TOTAL DEATHS 5,24,761 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 10.00 P.M. TUESDAY 01 SEPTEMBER 2020 Delhi logs 735 cases and 3 deaths Workers going to their work site on a hot summer noon, at Rajpath, in the capital on Sunday.  SUBRATA DUTTA Congress to stage protest outside ED offices SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE The Congress is gearing up to demonstrate a political show of strength on Monday when the party leader Rahul Gandhi will appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper. Congress is planning a big event to show its strength and convey its political message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government. The ED on Friday issued a fresh summons to Sonia Gandhi asking her to appear on June 23 for questioning in connection with the National Herald money laundering case. According to sources, Con- gress MPs, and Congress Working Committee (CWC) members have also been asked to be present in Delhi on Monday. A meeting of All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretaries, State Incharges, and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs was called on Thursday to decide the strategy for the same. Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that party workers will hold demon- strations at around 25 offices of the probe agency across the country against the political vendata and the "misuse" of the central investigative agencies by the Central government to "silence the voice of opposition". Congress held press conferences across the country today over summons issued against party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by ED in the National Herald case.A senior party leader told ANI, "All the Members of Parliament have been asked to be present in the national capital on June 13, and they will also be marching towards the ED Office along with Rahul Gandhi. The meeting was called to discuss and take a view of the leaders across the country to take a final call on this as there is another view that along with Delhi, simultaneously, protests should be held in every state capital by the Pradesh Congress Committees." Rahul Gandhi has been summoned to join the investigation on June 13. He was earlier summoned to join the investigation but he was out of the country and later he was given a fresh date of June 13 to join the probe. Meanwhile, the Congress party has alleged that it is a "political vendetta" and the case has no grounds for investigation. The ED also questioned senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Treasurer Pawan Bansal in April this year in New Delhi in connection with its money laundering probe into the National Herald case. On Intl Yoga Day, 75 Central ministers will perform Yoga at 75 historical places SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 12 JUNE On International Yoga Day, 75 ministers of the Central Government will perform Yoga at 75 historical and cultural sites in the country. On the eighth International Day of Yoga which will be celebrated on June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform Yoga at Mysore Palace in Karnataka, while 75 ministers from his cabinet will do Yoga at 75 historical and cultural sites in the country. "As many as 75 ministers have been designated to participate in the Yoga programs at 75 historical and cultural places to mark the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav that is being celebrated across the country," sources said today. Home Minister Amit Shah will participate in Yoga pro- grams at the famous Jyotirlinga Trimbakeshwar temple complex in Nashik, Maharashtra on Yoga Day, while Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will participate in a Yoga program in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on Yoga Day. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will perform Yoga at Delhi's Lotus Temple. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will perform Yoga at Zero Mile Stone, Nagpur. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will perform Yoga at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will perform Yoga at Kangra Fort in Himachal Pradesh and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur will do it at Nalagarh Palace in his home state Himachal Pradesh. Union Minister Smriti Irani will perform Yoga at Lucknow Residency in Lucknow and Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav will participate in Yoga program in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.Union Agri- culture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will do Yoga in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. Minister Arjun Munda will do Yoga in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.Union Minister Piyush Goyal will do Yoga at the Marine Drive area in Mumbai. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi will do Yoga at the Group of Monuments at Hampi, Karnataka. Union Minister Narayan Rane will do Yoga at Pune Metro Station in Pune, Maharashtra. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will perform Yoga at the famous Fatehpur Sikri Fort of Uttar Pradesh and Union Minister Virendra Kumar will do Yoga at Amarkantak, the origin of Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh.Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will do Yoga at Gwalior Fort in Madhya Pradesh Gwalior and Union Minister Giriraj Singh will do Yoga at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Union Minister RK Singh will do Yoga in the famous Nalanda Mahavihara in Bihar and Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will do Yoga in the famous Sardar Patel's Statue of Unity in Kevadiya, Gujarat. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will do Yoga at Sam Sand Dunes, a famous tourist spot in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, while Union Minister G Kishan Reddy will do Yoga at the Anand Sagar Lake site in Telangana Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur will participate in a Yoga program at Nalagarh Fort in HimachalUnion Minister RCP Singh will do Yoga at the famous Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya, Bihar and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav will do Yoga at the famous Konark Sun Temple complex in Puri, Odisha.