CMYK FRIDAY www.thestatesman.com 05 AUGUST 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 EAM MEETS BLINKEN ON ASEAN SIDELINES SHAH ASKS K’TAKA LEADERS TO ASSUAGE CONCERNS OF ANGRY PARTY WORKERS P4 One or two spells of rain/thundershower very likely. Temperature likely to be in the range of 32-26 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: 2.2mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE Min. 62% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ongress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is facing ED investigation in the National Herald case, on Thursday said that he was not scared of the Modi government. “We will not flee, neither are we scared of Narendra Modi. Let him do what he wants to,” Mr Gandhi said while talking to media persons outside his house here.“They think they can silence our voice by pressuring us. But it is not going to happen. Whatever Modiji and Amit Shahji are doing is against democracy,” he said. Rahul Gandhi skipped the meeting of the Congress MPs in Parliament on Thursday.Congress had called a meeting after the Enforcement Directorate sealed the Herald House here.The Congress has also accused the ruling dispensation of treating the opposition leaders as "terrorists". “The entire country is watching as an investigating agency has been deployed mindlessly against the leadership of C Five officers of the Indian Navy's INAS 314 based at Naval Air Enclave created history by completing the first all-women independent maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea onboard, in Porbandar. ANI Court extends Raut's ED custody till 8 Aug; wife summoned: A Mumbai Special Court on Thursday extended Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's custody to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by 4 days till 8 August.The ED has also summoned Raut's wife Varsha for investigation after certain fresh details have emerged in the case. Raut was arrested on Monday in an alleged money-laundering case, was remanded to ED custody till August 4 and produced before a Pg5 Special PMLA Court this afternoon. Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy at Parliament.  ANI India’s oldest political party. You (the BJP) are treating this party, its leaders and institutions as terrorists,” Congress spokes- person Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit out at the Congress saying the “law is same for all”. Responding to Congress workers saying that they will hit the streets protesting against the ED, Mr Patra said, “Law is same for all. If the Congress party is innocent, then what are they afraid of? All that the Congress workers want is how to save that one particular family.” “The ED had also issued summons to Mallikarjun Kharge. But he also didn’t turn up. If Mallikarjun Kharge can come to the TOTAL CASES 4,40,87,037 ACTIVE CASES 1,36,478 NEW CASES 19,893 NEW RECOVERIES 20,419 TOTAL DEATHS 5,26,530 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. THURSDAY 04 AUGUST 2022 Bengal recorded 775 cases and four deaths in the last 24 hours Congress office, then why did he not reach the National Herald,” he added. “Neither you fight the system nor you run away from the system. The law is the same for all,” said Mr Patra.Mr Patra said, "You know why Congress did not go to court in this matter? That is because they know that the court will say that everything is going according to the rules. They have done it all beforehand.” Meanwhile, there was a heated exchange in Parliament between Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Piyush Goyal, the ruling BJP's Leader of the House. “How can they summon me when Parliament is in session?” asked Mr Kharge in the Rajya Sabha today.“Yesterday, police surrounded the houses of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Will democracy remain alive in such a situation? Will we be able to work as per the Constitution? We will not be afraid. We will fight this,” he added. The Gandhis are shareholders inYoung Indian. Mr Goyal countered Kharge’s allegations. “The government does not interfere in the work of any law enforce- ‘Who is real Shiv Sena’: SC asks ECI not to decide on Shinde group’s plea KOLKATA, 4 AUGUST FACT FILE P12 CJI to retire on 26 Aug, recommends Justice Lalit as his successor NEW DELHI , 4 AUGUST THUMBNAILS The three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand, nabbed with a huge amount of cash from West Bengal last week, received a jolt on Thursday as the Calcutta High Court rejected their plea that their case be handed over to CBI. A single judge bench of Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya has maintained the matter will continue to be probed by the state police's CID.However, the bench observed that if the petitioners desire, they can approach a division bench or higher court against her decision. On 20 June, three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand, namely Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kacchap and Naman Bixal Kongari, were nabbed by the police from Howrah with a cash to the tune of Rs 49 lakh in their vehicles. IANS (SEE PG3) P9 Not scared of Modi: Rahul on ED probe in Herald case SNS & AGENCIES Max: 33.7°C (+2) Min: 26.3°C (0) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:09 hrs 18:16 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 10:41 hrs 22:29 hrs Full moon on 12 August Cal HC rejects plea of three J’khand MLAs for CBI probe P5 Congress has also accused the ruling dispensation of treating Oppositions as “terrorists” WEATHER Max.94% CWG: SHANKAR WINS INDIA’S FIRST TRACK AND FIELD MEDAL IRAN NOW SPEAKING OPENLY ON NUCLEAR BOMB PROSPECTS The top court told the ECI that if the Thackeray faction seeks time to file response to its notices on the Shindefaction petition, then it should consider their request keeping in mind the views expressed by the apex court INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 AUGUST In a relief to Uddhav Thackeray, the Supreme Court on Thursday orally asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) not to decide a plea by Eknath Shinde group to recognise them as the real Shiv Sena. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli asked the Election Commission not to take any precipitative action on the claim raised by Shinde group for recognising them as the real Shiv Sena party in the meanwhile. The top court told the ECI that if the Thackeray faction seeks time to file response to its notices on the Shindefaction petition, then it should consider their request keeping in mind the views expressed by the apex court. The bench told senior advocate Arvind Datar, representing ECI, “Let them file affidavits. But can't you hold...let no precipitative action be taken... We are not passing any order. But at the same time don't take any CM in Delhi, expected to meet Prez, PM today precipitative action...” Datar submitted that the disqualification proceedings under the tenth schedule operate in a different territory and it does not affect the ECI's power to decide the claim of rival factions for official recognition. The top court said it will decide by Monday whether to refer to a larger bench regarding the constitutional questions involved in the disqualification of MLAs arising from Maharashtra political scenario. Shinde faction moved the Election Commission seeking their recognition as the real Shiv Sena ahead of the BMC polls.However, the Thackeray faction has contested it saying that a few MLAs can't decide about the entire political party. Top court was hearing petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and its rebel MLAs on the constitutional issues of splits, merger, defection and disqualification. SNS & AGENCIES China begins live-fire military drills in 6 regions around Taiwan KOLKATA, 4 AUGUST BEIJING, 4 AUGUST West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached New Delhi on Thursday for a four-day visit and is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.Miss Banerjee will also attend a Niti Aayog meeting on 7 August. The Trinamul Congress chief met her party MPs at the residence of the party's Rajya Sabha member, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and discussed with them the current session of Parliament and the party’s strategy in the two Houses in the coming days. A senior party leader said earlier in the day that the meeting was also expected to discuss how to counter the criticism from other MPs relating to the WBSSC scam both within and outside Parliament. On Friday, Miss Banerjee is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime China’s military on Thursday began unprecedented live-firing drills in six regions surrounding Taiwan, firing missiles from its eastern coast into waters east of the island and putting in place an effective blockade that disrupted flights and shipping. The drills, which will continue until Sunday, were part of Beijing’s response to Wednesday’s visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. “What we are taking and will be taking are a necessary and timely response and countermeasures which have been fully thought through and fully assessed, to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with international laws, and a warning to provocateurs,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.AGENCIES Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with party MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Abhishek Banerjee in New Delhi. ANI Minister Narendra Modi. In her meeting with Mr Modi, she is likely to discuss the GST dues for West Bengal, sources said. Also on the cards is a meeting with Opposition leaders.“The chief minister is especially keen to have an exclusive meeting with former Congress president Sonia Gandhi keeping in mind the long association between them," the party leader said. Recently, the relationship between the Congress and TMC at the national level deteriorated after the latter decided to abstain from polling in the elections for the post of Vice-President of India. (DETAILS ON PG 9) CMYK Kharge quizzed by ED during searches at Young Indian office STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 AUGUST Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge was quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday. “Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, was summoned by the ED when Parliament is in session. He, of course,leftaround12:20p.m. and presented himself.This is Modishahi reaching new lows,” Mr Ramesh, the Congress Communication incharge, tweeted. “Mallikarjun Kharge, has been undergoing interrogation by the ED for the last four and a half hours. His ordeal is continuing. The entire Congress party stands with him in solidarity,” he wrote in another tweet. Mr Kharge per- sonally raised the issue in the Upper House, wondering how he could be summoned when Parliament was in session.“I have to appear (before the ED) at 12.30 pm. I want to follow the law. But is it appropriate to summon me at this time, in the middle of the Parliament session?" he asked. In the afternoon, Mr Kharge was reported to have reached the office of Young Indian to assist the ED officials in search operations there. The ED had earlier accused Mallikarjuna Kharge and Pawan Bansal of not cooperating despite sending two emails to them. (With agency inputs) ment agency,” he claimed. “Maybe in their (Congress) rule, that used to happen,” he added, “Now, if anyone does anything wrong, the agencies will do their duty.” Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge at Herald House on Thursday. ANI NEW DELHI, 4 AUGUST Chief Justice of India N V Ramana today recommended the name of Justice Uday Umesh Lalit as his successor to the Union minister for law and justice.“Chief Justice of India Justice N V Ramana today recommended the name of Justice Uday Umesh Lalit as his successor to the Minister for Law and Justice. Justice Ram- ana personally handed over a copy of his letter of recommendation dated 03.08.2022 to Justice Lalit today (04.08.2022) in the morning,"the apex court said.Justice Ramana is set to retire on 26 August. He received a communication yesterday from the Minister of Law and Justice to nominate his successor.A communication from the apex court said: “Today (03.08.2022) at 2130 hrs, the Secretariat of the Chief Justice of India has received a communication dated 03.08.2022 from the Minister of Law and Justice requesting the CJI to recommend the name of his successor." Justice Lalit, who is the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, will be the 49th CJI. He will have 74 days in the chair before he retires on November 8 when he attains the age of 65. He was appoint- CJI Justice NV Ramana formally recommends Justice UU Lalit’s ANI name as his successor. ed to the top court directly from the Bar. After Justice Lalit, Justice DY Chandrachud is next in line to head the country's judiciary. His father Justice Y V Chandrachud also was the CJI, who had the longest term from 1978 to 1985. According to the Memorandum of Procedure, the Law Minister seeks a recommendation from the outgoing CJI to nominate his successor. Usually, the recommendation is sought within a month of the retirement of the incumbent CJI.Before being elevated to judgeship in the Supreme Court on 13 August, 2014, UU Lalit was a senior advocate in the court. Among several landmark judgements that Justice UU Lalit he's been part of, one that made headlines for several days was on divorce among Muslims.