CMYK MONDAY 23 JANUARY 2023 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC www.thestatesman.com KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ASSAM CM GETS 2 A.M. CALL FROM SHAHRUKH KHAN YOGI: BJP KNOWS HOW TO DISCHARGE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AS A WINNER P5 WEATHER Mainly clear sky with fog/mist in the morning. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 28 °C and 17 °C respectively. P4 Max. 93 % Min. 42 % Max: 27.5 °C (+1) SUN RISES 06:19 hrs MOON RISES 06:48 hrs Min: 16.1°C (+2) SUN SETS 17:18 hrs MOON SETS 17:53 hrs Full Moon on 08 February THUMBNAILS Shikaras that are anchored on the banks of Dal lake are covered with snow as the area witnesses snowfall, in Srinagar on Saturday.  ANI Samajwadi Party leader creates row with remarks on Ramcharitmanas : Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya has stoked a major row with his remarks over Ramcharitmanas. Maurya said that certain portions of Ramcharitmanas insulted a particular class of people and should be changed. "I object to the insulting comments," he said. He even quoted certain verses from the Ramcharitmanas saying that Tulsidas mentions certain castes, all of which belong to the Hindu religion. "If all of those castes belong to Hinduism, then what's the meaning behind insulting one of their own?" he questioned. (P5) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Ex-judge R S Sodhi had said the Supreme Court had ‘hijacked’ the Constitution STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 JANUARY midst an ongoing tussle between the Central government and the judiciary over the appointment of judges, Union law minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday cited comments by a retired high court judge that the Supreme Court had “hijacked” the Constitution by deciding to appoint judges itself, and said he considered former judge's view “sane”.Mr Rijiju also said that a majority of the people have similar sane views.Sharing the interview of former Delhi High Court judge, Justice R S Sodhi (retd), Mr Rijiju tweeted: "Voice of a judge...Real beauty of Indian Democracy is- it's success. People rule themselves through their representatives. Elected representatives represent the interests of the people & make laws. Our Judiciary is independent and our Constitution is Supreme". In an interview, Justice Sodhi had said the right to frame laws lies with Parliament and added that the Supreme Court cannot frame laws as it does not have the right to do so. Justice Sodhi, speaking in Hindi, said: “Whether you can amend the Constitution? Only Parliament will amend the Constitution. But here I feel the Supreme Court for the first time hijacked the Constitution.” “After 'hijacking', they (the apex A court) said that we will appoint (judges) ourselves and the government will have no role in it,” he said.Justice Sodhi also said high courts are not subservient to the Supreme Court but high court judges start looking at the Supreme Court and become subservient. The Law Minister, in another tweet, said: “Actually majority of the people have similar sane views. It's only those people who disregard the provisions of the Constitution and mandate of the people think that they are above the Constitution of India.” In the past, the law minister had criticised the collegium system for appointments to the higher judiciary and termed it alien to the Constitution. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has also questioned the decision of the apex court to strike down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act (NJAC)and a related constitution amendment. The government, by bringing in the NJAC, had sought to overturn the collegium STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 22 JANUARY PM lauds CJI for advocating making SC judgments available in regional languages: Highlighting India's linguistic diversity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for his remark to make Supreme Court judgments available in regional languages. PM Modi shared a video of the CJI speaking at an event where he advocated translation of the apex court's judgments in every Indian language and leveraging technology for the purpose. PM said the government is making efforts to make technical education like medicine and engineering also available in regional languages. ANI system, which came into being in 1992. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court made public its communication with the Centre on the elevation of lawyers as judges of the high courts. The apex court had stood by its recommendation for the appointment of advocate Saurabh Kripal, who is openly gay, as a judge of the Delhi High Court, and of advocate R John Sathyam, who had shared an article critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media, as a judge of the Madras High Court.(with agency inputs) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waves to supporters while leading the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Samba on Sunday.  ANI gar.Mr Gandhi, accompanied by PCC chief Vikar Rasool Wani and working president Raman Bhalla, waved to people as he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds that lined both sides of the highway. The Yatra halted at Chak Nanak in Samba district after covering a distance of about 25 kms. The Yatra will reach Jammu on Monday. The yatra is scheduled to end in Srinagar on 30 January with the hoisting of the National Flag at Congress headquarters near the Chowk by Rahul. Param Vir Chakra Awardee Captain Bana Singh (Retired) and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also joined the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' of Rahul Gandhi in Kathua district on Friday. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and MP Dr. Farooq Abdullah received the Yatra at Lakhanpur when it entered J&K from Punjab. Dr Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, and CPM leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami will also participate in the yatra at various locations. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has invited leaders of 23 opposition parties to participate in Mr Gandhi’s Srinagar rally that would conclude the Yatra. AGENCIES MONTEREY PARK, 22 JANUARY FBI agents walk near a scene where a shooting took place in Monterey Park, California on Sunday.  AP The tragedy marked not just the fifth mass killing in the US since the start of the year but also is the deadliest since 24 May 2022, when 21 people were killed in a school in Uvalde, Texas. Most of the residents of Monterey Park, a city of about 60,000 people, are Asian immigrants from China or firstgeneration Asian Americans. to know if the gunman knew anyone at the ballroom or if whether it was a hate crime. Seung Won Choi, who owns the Clam House seafood barbecue restaurant across the street from where the shooting happened, told The Los Angeles Times that three people rushed into his business and told him to lock the door. The people said to Choi that there was a shooter with a gun who had multiple rounds of ammunition on him. The Lunar New Year cele- bration in Monterey Park is one of California’s largest and had attracted tens of thousands throughout the day. Most of the residents of Monterey Park, a city of about 60,000 people that sits at the eastern edge of Los Angeles, are Asian immigrants from China or first-generation Asian Americans. Two days of festivities, which have been attended by as many as 100,000 people in past years, were planned. But officials canceled Sunday’s events following the shooting.The latest violence comes two months after five people were killed at a Colorado Springs nightclub. The tragedy marked not just the fifth mass killing in the U.S. since the start of the year but also is the deadliest since May 24, 2022 - when 21 people were killed in a school in Uvalde, Texas, according to The Associated Press/USA Today database on mass killings in the U.S. The database also shows that 2022 was also one of the worst years ever in terms of mass killings, with 42 such attacks - the second-highest Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday emphasised the importance of the National Data Governance Framework for smoothening the process of data exchange across agencies. Addressing the all India DGPs conference on its last day, PM Modi called for greater cooperation between the state police and the Central agencies. The three-day conference started on 20 January.The Prime Minister further suggested making the police force more sensitive and training them in emerging technologies. Mr Modi suggested that "while we should further leverage technological solutions like biometrics, there is also a need to further strengthen traditional policing mechanisms like foot patrols, etc". He recommended repealing obsolete criminal laws and building standards for police organisations across states, and suggested prison reforms to improve jail management. Mr Modi further discussed strengthening the border as well as coastal security by organising frequent visits by officials. He suggested replicating the model of the DGPs and IGs conference at the state and district levels for discussing emerging challenges and evolving best practices among their teams. The Prime Minister also attended the second day of the conference, held at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the 57th All India Conference of Director Generals/ Inspector Generals of Police, in New Delhi on Sunday.  ANI National Agricultural Science Complex in Pusa, on Saturday, during which the issues of tackling radical organisations, and taking strict action against overstaying foreigners, among others, were discussed. Top brass of state police forces and of central security agencies discussed sleeper cells, lone wolf attacks, challenges of cryptocurrency, transport security, threats from cyber world during various sessions of the conference on Saturday. According to sources, the DGs of intelligence agencies informed that several radical organisations are constantly motivating youth through social media and instigating them to join anti-national activities. They are issuing threats to Indian security forces. “It was also discussed in the conference that all investigative agencies should be more proactive in taking appropriate legal action against these organisations and they should also issue notification declaring them terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), so that they would face financial issue in other countries too. The intelligence agencies will then pursue against all these radical organisations with Interpol,” the sources said. PIECE OF BENGAL Artistes seen with Bengal tableau during the Press preview of tableaux for the upcoming Republic Day Parade 2023, in New Delhi on Sunday.  ANI Gunman kills 10 people near LA after Lunar New Year festival A gunman killed 10 people and wounded 10 others at a Los Angeles-area ballroom dance club following a Lunar New Year celebration, setting off a manhunt for the suspect in the fifth mass killing in the US this month.The incident happened at around 10.20 p.m. local time on Saturday (11.50 a.m. on Sunday IST). Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles Sheriff ’s Department said Sunday that the wounded were taken to hospitals and their conditions range from stable to critical. He said the 10 people died at the scene in the city of Monterey Park. Capt Meyer gave no description of the male suspect or the weapon he used, or why police gave no information on the shooting for hours while the shooter remained on the run. He also said police were investigating another incident in the nearby city of Alhambra to see whether it was connected.Capt Meyer said it’s too early in the investigation P12 At DGPs meet, PM Modi calls for Rijiju shares ex-HC exchange of data across agencies judge’s ‘sane view’ on collegium system Rahul’s security beefed up after Jammu blasts In the wake of the twin blasts in Jammu, CRPF and J&K Police cordon around Rahul Gandhi was further tightened on Sunday as he resumed the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Hiranagar near the international border with Pakistan. CRPF troops in rows carrying ropes sealed the area around Mr Gandhi as he marched on the JammuPathankot highway in the final leg of the Yatra. Senior officers of J&K Police were also present to supervise security for the Yatra. Tight security arrangements were made along the highway and security has been beefed up in view of the IED blasts in Jammu. After a day's break on Saturday, the foot march started at about 7 a.m. from Hirana- P9 NEW ZEALAND DEFEAT INDIA NEW DELHI, 22 JANUARY RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE CHRIS HIPKINS CONFIRMED AS NEXT NEW ZEALAND LEADER number since the creation of the tracker in 2006. The database defines a mass killing as four people killed not including the perpetrator. The White House said that President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation by Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall. “The President has been briefed by the Homeland Security Advisor on the mass shooting in Monterey Park. He directed her to make sure that the FBI is providing full support to local authorities, and to update him regularly today as more details are known.” Attorney General Merrick Garland was also briefed, Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson said.The shooting occurred at Star Ballroom Dance Studio, a few blocks from city hall on Monterey Park’s main thoroughfare of Garvey Avenue, which is dotted with strip malls full of small businesses whose signs are in both English and Chinese. Cantonese and Mandarin are both widely spoken, Chinese holidays are celebrated, and Chinese films are screened regularly in the city. CMYK ‘Oversight Committee will conduct impartial probe into WFI matter’ SNS & AGENCIES KOLKATA , 22 JANUARY Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said an Oversight Committee will conduct an impartial probe into the allegations of sexual harassment and financial impropriety against the WFI president so that everything gets clear. Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Anurag Thakur said that the Centre has heard all the players pertaining to allegations levelled against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and added all the activities of the tournament were stopped immediately pending an inquiry by the probe committee. “Assistant Secretary WFI was sacked and an oversight committee will begin an impartial probe so that everything gets clear,” Thakur said. Meanwhile, the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) Annual General Body Meeting (AGM), which was sup- Union sports minister Anurag Thakur at Asutosh Centenary Hall for YUVOTSAV on Sunday in Kolkata.  SNS posed to start at 10 am today in Ayodhya, has been called off amid the ongoing battle between the wrestlers and its governing body in the country.Following the wrestlers' protest, this meet- ing was seen as being of utmost importance. The latest development comes after the central government on Saturday evening suspended WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar. Along with this, the activities of WFI were immediately banned till the completion of the investigation into the allegations of the wrestlers. After late-night parleys with the protesting star grapplers, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday night announced that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will 'step aside' from the day-today affairs of the WFI till the seven-member 'oversight committee' led by Olympian MC Mary Kom completes its inquiry into the allegations against him.The probe committee has been given a mandate of four weeks to submit its report, the minister added.The wrestlers, who were protesting at Jantar Mantar, called off their protest after a meeting with Thakur on Friday.