TUESDAY www.thestatesman.com 20 SEPTEMBER 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 P5 THUNDERSTORM LIKELY AT ONE OR TWO PLACES. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 30 AND 26 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Min: 82% TEMPERATURE Max: 30°C (-1) SUN RISES 05:24 hrs MOON RISES 00:10 hrs P9 Min: 26°C (0) SUN SETS 17:35 hrs MOON SETS 14:13hrs THUMBNAILS Indian Navy warship INS Tarkash, which is currently mission deployed in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) for anti-piracy operations, took part in a Joint Maritime Exercise with Nigerian Navy Patrol Ships NNS Kano, Osun, Sokoto and Nguru recently. ANI Partha Chatterjee-Arpita Mukherjee’s assets A worth `103 cr: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday submitted its first charge sheet on the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities scam, in which it mentioned assets worth Rs 103.10 crore held by former state minister Partha Chatterjee and his close (P3) aide Arpita Mukherjee. P10 P12 UK’s Queen Elizabeth II laid to rest after grand farewell All-woman SIT to probe Chandigarh University case, 3 held STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES The Punjab Police has constituted a three-member allwoman special investigation team (SIT), under the supervision of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Gurpreet Deo, to investigate the Chandigarh University case in which a female student allegedly recorded about 60 girls taking baths in the girls hostel and shared them with a male friend who then posted the same on social media. The Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on Monday said the SIT under the overall supervision of ADGP (community affairs division and women affairs) Deo will ensure the effective and speedy investigation into the Chandigarh University case. The SIT comprises superintendent of police (counter intelligence) Ludhiana Rupinder Kaur Bhatti as the incharge, while, two members include deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Kharar 1 Rupinder Kaur and DSP Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Deepika Singh. The SIT will function under the supervision of deputy inspector general (Rupnagar Range) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and SSP SAS Nagar Vivek Sheel LONDON, 19 SEPTEMBER ritain's Queen Elizabeth II on Monday afternoon began her last journey, a 25 mile stretch westward, from Westminster Abbey in central London to Windsor Castle in the county of Berkshire, where she spent much of her time in recent years. There she was to be laid to rest at the royal chapel next to her beloved husband Prince Phillip, who predeceased her in 2021. Only members of the British royal family, led by her successor King Charles III, attended the private ceremony. Earlier, in an hour long church service at the Abbey, which has existed and expanded since 960 AD and is located in central London, Elizabeth, who reigned for 70 years, was given the grandest of final farewells. She had got married at the same Abbey 75 years ago. President of India Droupadi Murmu was present at the proceedings. Compared to other Commonwealth heads of government or state, she unassumingly arrived early at the venue, wearing a dark blue silk sari and a cardigan. She took her appointed seat in the midst of 2,000 assembled invitees. On Sunday B evening, she attended a reception hosted by Charles and Queen Consort Camilla for 500 foreign dignitaries. Charles greeted the President warmly and was seen engaged in a brief conversation with her. In an Anglican Christian service, with leaders of multiple religions in the audience, Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth - an organisation near and dear to Elizabeth - read the first lesson from Paul's first letter to the Corinthi- Shashi Tharoor gets Sonia’s nod to run for Congress president: Sources SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 19 SEPTEMBER Senior Congress leader and one of the most fervent advocates of change in the party, Shashi Tharoor, got the blessings from party chief Sonia Gandhi to run for the post of president in the internal elections due next month, sources said. Sonia Gandhi, the party's interim president, gave her go-ahead shortly after she met Shashi Tharoor and a few others on her return following a medical check-up abroad. The meeting takes place days after Tharoor welcomed a petition seeking party reforms. "I welcome this petition that is being circulated by a group of young @INCIndia members, seeking constructive reforms in the Party. It has gathered over 650 signatures so far. I am happy to endorse it & go beyond it. https://memo.withinc.in", Tharoor had tweeted. Earlier, in an article in a Malayalam daily on presi- INDIA TO FACE OZ IN T20I BILATERAL SERIES People massed along the streets of London to honour a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age WEATHER Max: 87% RUSSIA, CHINA AGREE TO EXPAND SECURITY TIES ‘US WOULD DEFEND TAIWAN AGAINST CHINESE INVASION’ EX-PUNJAB CM CAPTAIN AMARINDER SINGH JOINS BJP dential elections, he said that people are free to speculate whether he would contest for the top post in the party. Tharoor said, "The point I put forward in the article is that elections are a good thing for the party. A democratic country like ours needs a democratic party. I welcome Congress's decision to conduct polls. People are free to speculate as they like." The Thiruvananthapuram MP also welcomed elections in the party and said that Rahul Gandhi's refusal to be appointed as the Congress president was disap- pointing. According to him, however, the party should not be limited by the belief that only one family can lead it. The elections for the post of Congress president will be held next month after a two-year-long back and forth on the subject. The filing of nominations for the post of president begins in three days. Rahul Gandhi, who stepped down from the post of the party chief after the 2019 general election debacle, is adamant about his refusal to contest. But the leader, who is currently leading the party's "Bharat Jodo" yatra, still has the backing of a big section of the party's key leaders, who are hoping that he would have a change of heart before the elections. As expected, Congress units in several states have already called for Rahul's nomination as the chief – supporting the fears of many that the Gandhis would continue to call the shots with or without an election. ans about the ressurrection of Jesus Christ. She was followed by the British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who read a passage from John, which said: 'Let not your heart be troubled...' Then spoke the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is the global head of the Church of England. He said: "She (Elizabeth) was present to so many, touching a multitude of lives." Emperor Naruhito of Japan, President Joe Biden of the US and President Emmanuel Macron of France were among a galaxy of foreign dignitaries seated either side of the south and north aisles. "I'll miss her terribly," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among other territories, were among the "realms" where Elizabeth was head of state and Charles now is. All living former British Prime Ministers and their spouses were noticeable attired in black, like most others. On what was declared a Bank Holiday, there was no Monday morning traffic in the British capital. Sniffer dogs, though, were busy in the area around the Abbey to prevent any untoward incident. The live television coverage by BBC was projected on big screens at spacious locations around Britain. Tens of thousands camped overnight in such places to ensure they got a ringside view of the state adieu to Elizabeth. 125 cinemas in the country reportedly showed the ceremonies live as well. 200 other nations, including India, watched simulcasts of the coverage via the BBC World News channel or bbc.com. Foreign TV networks like PBS, CNN and Fox of the US and ABC of Australia, with their own anchors and studio commentators, covered the event in parallel. CHANDIGARH, 19 SEPTEMBER Don’t believe PM Modi behind misuse of CBI, ED, says Mamata STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE “I know that the Prime minister has nothing to do with recent pro-activism of the agencies but it is the handiwork of the BJP’s central and state leadership,” said the chief minister. KOLKATA, 19 SEPTEMBER Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today gave anexoneration of sorts to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of businessmen under the radar of investigative agencies and their pro-active move against the Opposition leaders. The comment is significant considering she has been criticizing the PM on various issues. Bengal voters would well remember her objections to the Prime Minister’s oft-repeated Didio-Didi taunts during the last Assembly elections in 2021 in Bengal. The political pundits are surprised at her sudden U-turn on Modi. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, instead put the blame on the “BJP leaders (who) are conspiring”, pointing out that the CBI now reports to the Union home ministry, under the direct control of minister Amit Shah. She said businessmen are leaving the country and running away. They are running away because of fear and misuse of ED (Enforcement Directorate) and the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation). “I don’t think Modi has done this,” she said at the Bengal assembly during a debate on central investigative agencies being misused by the Centre. “The recent alacrity of the central agencies in pursuing corruption charges against her party leaders is a joint effort of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) central and state leadership with the Prime Minister hardly having any role in it since the agencies are under the control of the Union home ministry and being used selectively against the leaders of the parties opposed to the BJP,” Mamata asserted. “I know that the Prime minister has nothing to do with recent pro-activism of the agencies but it is the handiwork of the BJP’s central and state leadership,” said the chief minister. Ms Banerjee decried the pro-activism of the central agencies, which was passed by a voice vote of 189 in favour of the motion and 64 against it. Mamata reserved her sharpest criticism against the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who she claimed was steeped in corruption but was allowed to go scot-free, courtesy the agencies, which are only targeting the leaders of her party. Large-scale disorder breaks out in Leicester Sikh delegation meets PM Modi at his residence AGENCIES LONDON, 19 SEPTEMBER A group of masked men marched through Leicester with one seen armed with a 2x4 foot piece of wood amid violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims, media reports said. Fifteen people were arrested during a policing operation in east Leicester "to deter further disorder" on Sunday evening after another night of violence, which has continued to plague the city in recent weeks, Daily Mail reported. Footage has emerged showing the brewing tensions between the two groups with mass marches showing hundreds of people encroaching upon Green Lane Road - with very few police officers in sight to control the situation, the report said. Many officers were deployed to London for the Queen's 's funeral on Monday - but the chaos taking place in Leices- ter has led chiefs to redivert them back to the east midlands to be on hand to deal with any further potential unrest in Leicester. Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon told LeicestershireLive that local officers had previously been deployed to help cover the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II - which is expected to lead to a million people travelling to London to pay their respects to the late monarch. However, a review was then carried out after violence and disorder broke out again in the east of Leicester on Saturday night. Some Leicestershire officers were recalled from the capital as a result and extra officers have been drafted in from other forces to help. Leicestershire Police had a 'large presence in Belgrave Road' on Sunday afternoon, as a crowd gathered for an unauthorised protest. A large number of people wearing masks then attempted to march down the city's golden mile, but the road was closed and the group was dispersed quickly, Daily Mail reported. Nixon on Sunday night said there will continue to be a strong police presence on the streets of the city. There were ugly scenes across the east of the city on Sunday night, which began after police received reports of an unauthorised protest involving up to 200 people marching towards Highfields. All available local officers were sent to the scene immediately in an attempt to engage with the crowd, while extra officers were called in. But the protesters continued their march before the extra officers arrived. An opposing group then gathered. Police issued a dispersal order, but several other incidents of violence and disorder then broke out across the east of the city, Daily Mail reported. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 SEPTEMBER A Sikh delegation met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg on Monday. Delhi's Gurudwara Bala Sahib had organised an 'Akhand paath' to mark the occasion of the Prime Minister's birthday. The 'Akhand paath' which started on 15th September, culminated on the day of the Prime Minister’s birthday, 17th September. The Sikh delegation visited the Prime Minister and offered prasad and blessings from the Gurudwara. During the meeting, the Sikh delegation honoured the Prime Minister by tying a 'Pagdi' and offering a 'Siropa'. An 'ardas' was also performed for the Prime Minister’s long life and good health. The delegation also thanked the Prime Minister for the path breaking initiatives taken by him for the honour and welfare of the Sikh community. They recounted several efforts done by the Prime Minister including declaring 26 December as "Veer Baal Divas", reopening the Kart a r p u r Sa h i b Co r r i d o r, removal of GST on langars run by gurudwaras, ensuring that the copies of Guru Granth Sahib reached India from Afghanistan, among others. The Sikh delegation comprised of Tarvinder Singh Marwah, President of All India Kendriya Guru Singh Sabha; Veer Singh, Working Pre s i d e n t o f A l l In d i a Kendriya Guru Singh Sabha; Naveen Singh Bhandari, Delhi head of Kendriya Guru Singh Sabha; Harbans Singh, President of Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Tilak Nagar; and Rajinder Singh, Head Granthi of Gurudwara Singh Sabha. Soni, and can co-opt any other member, based on functional requirements. The development came a day after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered a high-level probe into the matter. Terming the incident at Chandigarh University as unfortunate, the DGP said the investigations are going on at full pace and the Police on Sunday late evening made three arrests including that of the student and two others from Himachal Pradesh after seizing certain electronic devices from their possession. He also expressed gratitude to the DGP Himachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh Police for extending all cooperation to the Punjab Police. “The SIT will get to the bottom of this matter and whoever is found involved in this case will not be spared,” he assured. While appealing to students, parents, and the community at large to maintain calm and peace, the DGP assured them to protect the privacy and dignity of all the individuals concerned. He also urged the people to rely only on authentic channels for information and not get swayed away by the rumors being spread on various social media platforms, which are sometimes unverified. FACT FILE TOTAL CASES 4,45,39,046 ACTIVE CASES 48,027 NEW CASES 4,858 NEW RECOVERIES 4,735 TOTAL DEATHS 5,28,355 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2022 Bengal recorded 139 cases and 1 death India reports 4,858 Covid cases in last 24 hours STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 SEPTEMBER India reported 4,858 fresh Covid cases in the last 24 hours, stated the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday. With this, India’s active caseload now stands at 48,027 with active cases now constituting 0.11% of the country’s total positive cases. As per the data shared by the ministry, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.71% with 4735 patients having recovered in the last 24 hours taking the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 4,39,62,664. While the weekly positivity rate in the country currently stands at 1.78 percent, the daily positivity rate shoots to 2.76 percent, as per the data. Besides, the health ministry stated that the last 24 hours saw a total of 1,75,935 COVID19 tests being conducted taking the cumulative tests to over 89.17 crores. Under the National vaccination drive, 216.70 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far. As per the data, COVID-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on 16 March 2022. So far, more than 4.08 crore adolescents have been administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Similarly, the COVID-19 precaution dose administration for the age group 18-59 years also started from 10 April 2022 onwards. More than 3.67 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered.