FRIDAY 19 MAY 2023 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC www.thestatesman.com KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘TELANGANA CANNOT BEAR KCR ANYMORE’ THE WORLD OF GHIBLI P10 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY.STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 20-30 KMPH) DURING THE DAY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 40 & 21 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 94% TEMPERATURE Max: 36.5°C (-4) SUN RISES 05:28 hrs MOON RISES 05:40 hrs P4 P5 Siddaramaiah gets CM chair, Shivakumar to be his deputy Swearing-in to take place on Saturday; leaders of like-minded parties invited to attend ASHOK TUTEJA Min. 40% NEW DELHI, 18 MAY Min: 21.9°C (-5) SUN SETS 19:07 hrs MOON SETS 19:00 hrs THUMBNAILS Indian Navy Marine Commandos patrol in the Dal Lake ahead of the G20 meeting, in Srinagar on Thursday.  ANI SC to hear plea against carbon dating of 'shivling' at Gyanvapi: The SC on Thursday agreed to hear on 19 May an appeal challenging the Allahabad High Court order directing a “scientific survey”, including carbon dating, of a ‘Shivling’ said to have been found at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi during a videographic survey last year. A Bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice J B Pardiwala said it will hear on Friday the appeal by Gyanvapi Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee against the High Court's order for scientific investigation by ASI to deterPg5 mine the age of the purported ‘Shivling’. RAFAEL NADAL PULLS OUT OF FRENCH OPEN MP GOVT LEGALISES 6,000 ILLEGAL COLONIES eteran leader Siddaramaiah will return as chief minister of Karnataka while Pradesh Congress chief D K Shivakumar will be his deputy, the Congress central leadership announced here today, ending five days of uncertainty over the leadership issue in the wake of the party's resounding win in the Assembly elections in the southern state. At a media briefing here after yet another joint meeting with Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and AICC incharge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, after eliciting the views of the newly-elected Congress MLAs and consulting members of the Gandhi family, decided that Mr Siddaramaiah would be the new leader of the state Congress Legislature Party (CLP). Mr Siddaramaiah was formally elected the CLP leader at a meeting of the MLAs in Bengaluru this evening. Mr Shivakumar would V Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar in New Delhi. ANI be the only deputy chief minister and would continue as the PCC chief until the next Lok Sabha elections. The new Cabinet would be sworn in at 1230 hrs on Saturday. The new chief minister, deputy chief ministers and a group of ministers would be sworn in on that day, Mr Venugopal said, adding that leaders of the like-minded political parties would also be invited to the swearing-in ceremony. Asked if any power- Mr Shivakumar would be the only deputy chief minister and would continue as the PCC chief until the next Lok Sabha elections. sharing formula had been worked out between the two Karnataka leaders, who were till yesterday not ready to back down on their claim to the chief ministership, the AICC general secretary laughed and quipped: “Power-sharing will be with the people of Karnataka.” The statement is significant since there is speculation that Mr Siddaramaiah will hold the post for 2.5 years and after that Mr Shivakumar will take over as the chief minister. Mr Shivakumar's brother and Congress MP DK Suresh publicly stated that he was not happy with the decision of the high command. He said his brother had accepted the decision in the interest of the people of Karnataka. It is learnt that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi played a pivotal role in convincing Mr Shivakumar to accept the decision in the larger interest of the party and the people of the state. Mr Surjewala said the new Congress government in the state would fulfil the five guarantees it made to the people of the state. “We will provide an honest, transparent, stable and accountable government to the state,” he added. Seventy-five-yearold Siddaramaiah, also referred to by his nickname Siddu, has been the state's chief minister from 2013 to 2018. He is considered a mass leader and is popular among all sections of society in general and the backward classes in particular. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly and discharged his task very effectively inside and outside the House. Mr Shivakumar, who started his political career in the early 1980s as a student leader, is considered a Congress trouble-shooter who has been extensively used by the party whenever it has faced any crisis anywhere. He is credited with reviving the party in the Karnataka and bringing it back to power. P12 Rijiju, deputy shifted; Meghwal new Union law minister STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 MAY The Union law minister, Kiren Rijiju, was on Thursday shifted to the low-profile earth sciences ministry and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal was given independent charge of the Ministry of Law and Justice by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hours later, Mr Rijiju's deputy S P Singh Baghel was also moved out of the Law Ministry to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as Minister of State. A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said the portfolio of the Ministry of Earth Sciences was being assigned to Mr Rijiju while Meghwal was being given the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice in addition to his existing portfolios. Mr Rijiju, it is believed, has been shifted from the Law and Justice Ministry because of his frequent run-ins with the judiciary. He has also made some controversial comments in recent months about the judiciary which have not gone down well with the government leadership. The development has come at a time when the central government and the Supreme Court have often not been on the same page on the appointment of judges to Modi to leave on a 3-nation SC clears screening of The Kerala Storyin Bengal The Supreme Court directed that the film should carry visit, will attend G7 summit a disclaimer that it was a fictional version of events with no authentic data backing its claim of 32,000 conSTATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, 18 MAY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave here tomorrow morning on a three-nation tour of Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia. He will participate in the G7 Summit in Hiroshima where India has been invited as a guest country. “We are also planning a Quad leaders’ meeting in Hiroshima,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said at a media briefing here today. The Quad Summit was scheduled to be held on 24 May in Sydney but had to be cancelled after US President Joe Biden decided not to go ahead with a planned visit to Australia due to debt ceiling negotiations back home in America. Mr Kwatra said that since all four Quad leaders would be in Hiroshima for the G7 Summit, efforts were being made to have PM Narendra Modi will be the second Indian head of state to visit Hiroshima, since former PM Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957. their meeting in the Japanese city itself. Apart from President Joe Biden of the US and PM Modi, the Quad meeting is to be attended by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The PM will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Japanese PM. He is scheduled to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima. Modi will also hold bilateral discussions with several leaders in the G7 as also with the guest countries and international organisations. During the G7 Summit, the PM will speak at G7 sessions with partner countries, on subjects such as peace, stability and prosperity of a sustainable planet; food, fertiliser and energy security; health; gender equality; climate change and environment; resilient infrastructure; and development cooperation. He will then travel to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where he will host the 3rd Summit of the Forum for IndiaPacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III Summit) jointly with Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape on 22 May. On the last leg of his tour, the Prime Minister will travel to Sydney from 22-24 May. The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the screening of the controversial film The Kerala Story in West Bengal, staying the 8 May order of the state government banning its screening. The court at the same time directed that the film should carry a disclaimer that it was a fictional version of events with no authentic data backing its claim of 32,000 conversions to Islam of the women in Kerala state. While lifting the ban on the screening of the film by the West Bengal government, the court observed that the ban was not justified and stated that statutory provisions cannot be used to ‘put a premium on public intolerance’. The Bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order as the film has been given certificate by the Central Board versions to Islam of the women in Kerala state The Bench headed by CJI D Y Chandrachud said it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order as the film has been given certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification of Film Certification (CBFC). After the film’s producers challenged the ban in the apex court, the court had on 12 May issued a notice seeking the reasons behind the Bengal government’s decision to ban the movie. “West Bengal is not different from other parts of the Country. If it can run in other parts of the country, why should the State of West Bengal ban the film? the apex court had asked. “This has nothing to do with the artistic value of the film. If people do not like the movie, they will not watch it,” the Bench had observed last week. With respect to the film pro- PM virtually flags off Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat train STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Fifteen Vande Bharat trains are operational in different parts of the country. These modern trains are helping in boosting the economy of our country. India has manufactured Vande Bharat trains on its own. Today, our country is making 5G on its own and delivering it to far areas PURI, 18 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the PuriHowrah Vande Bharat Express, the first for Odisha, dedicated several railway projects worth more than Rs 8,000 crore in the state via video conferencing, emphasising on infrastructure development and how the wrong policies of the past had deprived resourcerich states like Odisha. He referred to the policy initiatives taken by his government in the mining sector which had significantly enhanced the revenue to the state, the increased allocation to the state by the 15th Finance Commission as well natural calamity funds. The PM laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Puri and Cuttack railway stations, the dedication of 100% electrification of the rail network in Odisha, doubling of the Sambalpur-Titlagarh rail line, a new broad gauge rail line between Angul-Sukinda; the third line connecting NARENDRA MODI PRIME MINISTER Manoharpur-Rourkela-Jharsuguda-Jamga and a new broad-gauge line between Bichhupali-Jhartarbha. Highlighting the Centre’s resolve to develop the States in the eastern region, he said the 15th Finance Commission recommended higher budgets for states like Odisha and West Bengal. “The central government is paying full attention to ensure that Odisha can suc- cessfully combat natural calamities,” the Prime Minister said, as he informed that the government has provided more than Rs 8,000 crore to the state for disaster management. “India’s speed and progress can be seen whenever a Vande Bharat Train runs from one place to another,” the PM said as he noted that this pace can now be witnessed in the states of Odisha and West Bengal. “Odisha is one of those states in the country where 100 per cent electrification of rail lines has been achieved”, the PM remarked, adding that work is underway at a fast pace to achieve the same in West Bengal. The mineral-rich state of Odisha will greatly benefit from the electrification of rail lines where pollution emanating from diesel engines will be significantly reduced and help in the industrial development of the state, he said. He highlighted the propoor schemes like PM Garib Kalyan Scheme providing free ration to 80 crore people and schemes like Ayushman Card, Ujwalla, Jal Jeevan Mission and PM Awas Yojana. Speaking about the era of Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to strengthen the unity and integrity of the country. He said that the budget for railway schemes in Odisha has increased significantly. He informed that in 10 years before 2014, only 20 km of Railway Lines were laid annually in the state, while in the year 2022-23, 120 km long lines were laid in just one year. Highlighting the development initiatives, the Prime Minister gave the example of PM Saubhagya Yojana where the Government has provided free electricity connections to more than 2.5 crore households including about 25 lakh houses in Odisha and 7.25 lakh houses in West Bengal. ducers’ claim that there was de facto shadow ban on the screening of the film by the Tamil Nadu government, the Bench ordered: “We direct that adequate security shall be provided to every cinema hall and requisite arrangement shall be made to ensure safety of movie goers. No express steps whether tacit etc. shall be taken to prevent screening of the film.” The Bench also asked the filmmakers to ensure that the movie carries a proper disclaimer stating that it is a fictionalised version and the same must be inserted in the start of the film by 20 May 2023. While speaking to the reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna on 8 May the chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee had said, “I have asked the chief secretary to ban screening of ‘The Kerala Story’ in our state to avoid any incident of hatred and violence.” “Strong action would be taken if anyone screens the movie in cinema halls or multiplexes in Kolkata and districts. Several scenes shown in the film could disturb peace in the state. BJP is doing the politics of divisions and hatred. Our decision to ban it is to avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and maintain peace in the state,” the CM had said. Noted painter Subhaprasanna was very happy after the SC allowed screening of the movie in the state. “I am very happy with the SC directive and I think it’s a victory of cinema and art,” said the veteran artist, who had been associated with the state chief minister Mamata Banerjee during the Nandigram land movement more than 15 years ago. SC upholds laws allowing Jallikattu, similar sports STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 MAY The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra laws allowing the bulltaming sport 'Jallikattu' , bull race of Kambala and bullock cart races respectively, holding that the amendment to the law by Tamil Nadu took care of the safety aspects in the conduct of Jallikattu and minimises the pain to bulls. The judgment by a fivejudge Constitution Bench headed by Justice K.M. Joseph mainly addressed the five questions referred to it by a two-judge bench on 2 February 2018 and the contentions raised by the petitioners chal- lenging the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017. Similarly, Karnataka and Maharashtra too had amended the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, to pave the way for the restoration of Kambala and bullock cart races. The five-judge Constitution Bench while upholding the Tamil Nadu law, said that the same extends to the amended law of Karnataka and Maharashtra. The Constitution Bench also comprising Justice Ajay Rastogi, Justice Aniruddha Bose, Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice C.T. Ravikumar said that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 by Tamil Nadu substantially minimises pain and suffering to bulls in the bull taming sport of Jallikattu. The Bench extended the same reasoning for upholding the amendments brought by Karnataka and Maharashtra to allow Kambala and Bullock cart races. the higher judiciary. In a tweet after the Rashtrapati Bhavan announcement, Mr Rijiju said: “It has been been a privilege and an honour to serve as Union Minister of Law & Justice under the guidance of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji. I thank hon'ble Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, all Judges of Supreme Court, Chief Justices and Judges of High Courts, Lower Judiciary & entire Law officers for the huge support in ensuring delivering ease of Justice and providing legal services for our citizens. I look forward to fulfilling the vision of Hon’ble PM Sh @narendramodi ji in the Earth Sciences Ministry with the same zeal and vigour I have imbibed as a humble karyakarta of @BJP4India.'' He also called on Mr Meghwal (photo) and congratulated the latter on getting new responsibility as Minister of State (Independent charge) of Law & Justice. US court okays extradition of 26/11 accused Rana to India WASHINGTON, 18 MAY A US court has approved the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian businessman of Pakistani descent, to India where he is wanted for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana was arrested in the US on an extradition request by India for his role in these attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists stormed iconic locations of Mumbai, attacking and killing over 160 people, including six Americans, in a 60-hour siege. The US court consented to the Indian request, through the US government, for his extradition. “The Court has reviewed and considered all of the documents submitted in support of and in opposition to the Request and has considered the arguments presented at the hearing,” US Magistrate Judge of the US District Court of California, Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, said in a 48-page court order dated 16 May, which was released Wednesday. “Based on such review and consideration and for the reasons discussed herein, the Court makes the findings set forth below and certifies to the Secretary of State of the United States the extraditability of Rana on the charged offenses that are the subject of the Request,” the Judge wrote. Tahawwur Rana has been accused by the Indian government of participating in the planning and execution of the Lashkar terrorist attacks in Mumbai by collaborating with his childhood friend David Coleman Headley, also known as "Daood Gilani," and others. Rana was convicted in Chicago in 2011 of providing material support to the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba, which planned the Mumbai terror attack and for supporting a never-carried-out plot to attack a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in 2005.