CMYK SATURDAY 27 MAY 2023 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC www.thestatesman.com KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR 'KAMAL NATH IS CHOICE FOR MP' ‘WHY DOES CONG HATE INDIAN TRADITIONS SO MUCH’ P5 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Rain/ Thundershowers with strong gusty wind very likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 35 °C and 24°C respectively. RAINFALL: 28.7 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 95 % TEMPERATURE Max: 33.4°C (-2) SUN RISES 04:54 hrs MOON RISES 10:22 hrs P7 Centre rejects state’s proposal to depute MoS (finance), CS for meeting ‘Cooperative federalism made a joke’: Kejriwal Min: 22.5°C (-5) SUN SETS 18:14 hrs MOON SETS 23:49 hrs SNS & AGENCIES THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 26 MAY Delhi court allows Rahul's plea for fresh passport in National Herald case: A Delhi court on Friday pronounced order in favour of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allowing his plea seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an "ordinary" passport. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Mehta of Rouse Avenue Court, however, directed that the NOC in respect of the passport will be valid for only three years after Gandhi having prayed that the same be granted for 10 years. Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced a boycott of the Niti Aayog meeting scheduled here on Saturday, saying if "cooperative federalism becomes a joke, then it is not worth to join the meeting". He made the announcement in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where he also urged him to allow the non-BJP government to also work. In his letter, Mr Kejriwal said: “Tomorrow is the meeting of the Niti Aayog. The job of the Niti Aayog us to promote cooperative federalism and prepare the vision for India. However, the way in which democracy has been targeted and nonBJP governments are being brought down and not allowed to work, then it is not the vision for new India and not in spirit of cooperative federalism.” ticipating at the Niti Ayog meeting on May 27 in New Delhi because it is the only platform to highlight the issues of a state,” she had told reporters during a during a Press conference at Nabanna more than 10 days ago. On Tuesday, the chief ministers of Delhi and Punjab Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann met Miss Banerjee at Nabanna to seek support for the Delhi government’s fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital. Miss Banerjee had assured the two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders of her party’s support against the Centre. A day later, Miss Banerjee announced her decision not to attend the Niti Aayog meeting. The Trinamul Congress leadership has also announced that the party would boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building in New Delhi . NEW DELHI, 26 MAY Full Moon on 04 June A hungry Squirrel in search of food, in the Capital on Friday. SUBRATA DUTTA P4 No one from Bengal to attend NITI meet Min. 65 % here will be no representation from West Bengal at the Niti Aayog meeting scheduled to be held on 27 May in New Delhi, after the Central government rejected the state’s proposal to depute Mrs Chandrima Bhattacharya, minister of state for finance, and the state chief secretary, H K Dwivedi, to attend the meeting. After West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee decided not to attend the Niti Aayog meeting, a communication was sent from Nabanna to the Centre proposing the names of Ms Bhat- T tacharya and Mr Dwivedi to represent the state at the meeting. However, a return communique has come from the Union government, stating that only chief ministers can attend the Niti Aayog meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Besides Miss Banerjee, two AAP chief ministers ~ Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab's Bhagwant Mann ~ have also announced their decision to abstain from the meeting. Earlier this month, Miss Banerjee had said that she would attend the NITI Aayog meeting and raise urgent issues of the state. “I will be par- Uncle’s murder: CBI names New Parliament building will Jagan Mohan in court affidavit STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, 26 MAY The Central Bureau of Investigation today named Andhra Pradesh chief ministerYS Jagan Mohan Reddy in its affidavit while opposing the anticipatory bail plea of Avinash Reddy, the YSRCP MP from Kadapa in Telangana High Court, stating that the chief minister was aware of the murder of his uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy much before the victim’s personal assistant discovered his body. The agency further submitted that there is a need to interrogate Avinash Reddy in custody since there were inconsistencies in his account and he did not cooperate with the investigations. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is in New Delhi today to attend the meeting of the Niti Aayog and the inauguration of the new Parliament Building. Satyendar Jain gets interim bail for six weeks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 MAY The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail for six weeks on medical grounds to former Delhi government minister Satyendar Jain, which was fiercely opposed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging the that medical papers being relied upon for bail issued by the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash and the G.B. Pant Hospitals could have been fudged. Brushing aside the ED’s objections to the veracity of the medical papers produced by Satyendar Jain and insisting that he be sent for independent examination by AIIMS or R.M.L. Hospital, a vacation bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha directed that Mr Jain will take treatment from a private hospital of his choice and place before the court all the medical papers relating to his treatment during the period of interim bail. Initially, it had been reported thatVivekananda Reddy had died of a heart attack and that attempts were made to compromise the crime scene by washing off blood stains. In its affidavit the CBI stated: “It is submitted that further investigation on the larger conspiracy aspect revealed that Shri YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the present chief minister of Andhra Pradesh had been informed about the death of Shri YS Vivekananda Reddy in the early hours of 15-03-2019, much before the information about the death of Shri YS Vivekananda Reddy broke out by MV Krishna Reddy at around 6:15 am on 15-03-2019.” It further submitted “Since Shri YS Avinash Reddy was active before and after the commission of murder his role about the death ofYSVivekananda Reddy to Shri YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is to be investigated.” FRENCH OPEN: SWIATEK CHASES THIRD TITLE K’TAKA CABINET EXPANSION TODAY P12 Cong poses 9 questions to Modi regime as it completes 9 years STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 MAY As the Narendra Modi government completes nine years in office, the Congress today accused it of failure on all fronts and said it wanted to raise nine questions for the Prime Minister on this occasion. “We want the Prime Minister to break his silence on these (nine) questions,” Congress general secretary incharge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said at a Press conference as he released a document titled ‘9 saal 9 sawaal‘ (9 years 9 questions). The nine questions pertain to various issues like the economy, agriculture, corruption, foreign affairs, democracy and federalism and Covid management. On the economy, the Congress wondered why inflation and unemployment were skyrocketing in India. “Why have the rich become richer and the poor poorer? Why is public property being sold to PM Modi's friends, even as economic disparities are increasing?” it asked On agriculture, the party asked why the agreements reached with farmers while repealing the three farm laws have not been honoured. “Why has the MSP not been legally guaranteed? Why didn’t farmers’ income double over the last 9 years?” it asked. On corruption and cronyism, the grand old party accused the government of putting people’s hard-earned Congress leader Jairam Ramesh releases a document on questions '9 saal 9 sawaal' on the completion of 9 years of the Modi government, during a press conference at party headquarters in New Delhi on Friday.  SUBRATA DUTTA savings in LIC and SBI at risk to benefit the Adani group. “Why are you (PM) letting thieves escape? Why are you silent on rampant corruption in BJP-ruled states, and why are you letting Indians suffer?” it asked. On China and national security, the party wondered why even after the PM gave a “clean chit” to China in 2020, the Chinese “continue to occupy Indian territory”. It charged the PM with deliberately using the politics of hatred for electoral gains and fueling an atmosphere of fear in society. It also accused the government of methodically destroying the foundations of social justice and maintaining silence on the atrocities against women, Dalits, SC, ST, OBCs and minorities. The party also accused the government of weakening Constitutional values and democratic institutions in the last nine years. “Why are you (PM) practicing the politics of revenge against Opposition parties and leaders? And why are you using blatant money power to destabilise governments elected by the people?” it asked. The party also asked why schemes for the welfare of the poor, needy and tribals were being weakened by cutting their budgets and making restrictive rules. Covid-19, it alleged, was mismanaged. “Why is it that despite the tragic deaths of over 40 lakh people due to Covid19, the Modi government has refused to compensate their families?” the party said and further asked why the PM suddenly impose a lockdown which forced lakhs of workers to return home. A MOMENT TO REJOICE make everyone proud: Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also launch a Rs 75 commemorative coin to mark the inauguration of the new Parliament building. NEW DELHI, 26 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the new Parliament building will make every Indian proud, as he posted a video of the newlyconstructed complex on Twitter and urged people to share it on the social media platform with the hashtag 'MyParliamentMyPride'. The new Parliament building will be inaugurated on Sunday and the ceremony will begin with an early morning havan and a multi-religion prayer followed by a formal opening in the Lok Sabha by Prime Minister Modi. “The new Parliament building will make every Indian proud. This video offers a glimpse of this iconic building. I have a special request ~ share this video with your Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday tweeted a view of the National Emblem installed atop the new Parliament building that will be inaugurated by him on 28 May in New Delhi.  ANI own voice-over, which conveys your thoughts. I will re-Tweet some of them. Don't forget to use #MyParliamentMyPride," Mr Modi said on Twitter. The video shared by the Prime Minister gives a virtu- al tour of the new Parliament building including the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. As many as 25 parties are expected to attend the inauguration of the new Parliament building even as 20 opposition parties have decided to boycott the event. Officials said the havan will be held outside the new building around 7 am and the ceremonial sceptre Sengol will be handed over to PM Modi by the high priests of the Shaivite order. The Sengol will be installed near the chair of the Speaker in the new Parliament building. Graduates celebrate during the annual convocation of Women's College, in Patna on Friday. ANI Parliament House was venue of 1st Day of 1st Parliament Krishna Janmabhoomi DEEPAK RAZDAN NEW DELHI, 26 MAY Delhi’s architectural identity, the circular Parliament House, will cease to function as the venue for the Parliament of India to meet after the new building is opened on 28 May. The iconic Parliament House, with a circumference of one-third of a mile and a colonnade of 144 columns on the first floor, saw the First Day of the First Session of the First Parliament of India on 13 May 1952. The four-day first week of the session, beginning Tuesday, saw oath-taking by members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. President Rajendra Prasad delivered his first address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Friday, the 16th May. Before the Presidential address, there were felicitations for Lok Sabha’s first Speaker G V Mavalankar and the Rajya Sabha’s first Chairman S Radhakrishnan. After the address, the Lok Sabha saw rejection of the first three adjournment motions sought by members on food subsidies. On the first day, the Lok Sabha met “at a Quarter to Eleven of the Clock.” The proceedings began with observance of silence for two minutes. After this, the Secretary of the House, M N Kaul, read out orders of the President to appoint G V Mavalankar and M Ananthasayanam Ayyangar to be the persons before whom the members could subscribe to their oath. On Thursday, 15 May, the Secretary read out the President’s order appointing another member of the House, B Das, to perform the duties of the Speaker, till the election of the Speaker during the day. The Prime Minister moved G V Mavalankar’s name for the Speaker’s post and it was seconded by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Satya Narayan Sinha. A K Gopalan moved the name of Shankar Shantaram More for the Speaker’s post and it was seconded by T K Chaudhuri. In the contest that followed, Mavalankar won by getting 394 votes against More’s 55 votes. Mavalankar was conducted to the Chair by the Prime Minister, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and A K Gopalan. The Prime Minister said: “Sir, It is a very high honour for any person to be, as Speaker, the head of this great Parliament and if I may say so, it is an honour and a privilege for us in the House to have you in that Chair.” S S More (Sholapur) said“Sir, I congratulate you. I am the defeated candidate and yet none is happier on your election than myself. In the best traditions of Parliament, a gracious custom prevails by which where two candidates are proposed for the Speakership, each candidate votes for the other candidate. l have observed that custom by voting for you.” Replying to the felicitations, the Speaker said “this House is different from its predecessors. Uptil now, whatever our ideologies and notions of public welfare and the functions of Government, we were all engaged in dislodging the foreign rule in our land; we have been successful in achieving independence, and we are now masters of our own destinies.” “But the very fact of the CMYK end of the foreign rule has brought to the forefront, the vast differences in ideologies; and though our objective is common, as defined in the Constitution, we differ widely and sharply as regards the ways and means. This is but natural, and in a sense necessary also, for any parliamentary Government to function properly and for the real benefit of the people,” he said. He said “At the same time, each one of us has to remember that, howsoever great the difference in viewpoints and methods, we are all meeting here, as representatives of the nation, for one common cause, which is, in the language of the Preamble to the Constitution,“to secure to all its citizens, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.” Replying to felicitations, the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dr Radhakrishnan said “A democracy is distinguished by the protection it gives to minorities. A democracy is likely to degenerate into tyranny if it does not allow the opposition groups to criticise fairly, freely and frankly the policies of the Government.” cases transferred to Allahabad High Court STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE PRAYAGRAJ, 26 MAY Allahabad High Court will now hear all the cases related to the Shahi Idgah and Krishna Janmabhoomi dispute in Mathura. A single Bench of the court, comprising Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra on Friday ordered the transfer of all cases currently being heard in the lower court in Mathura to itself. Alongside, Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal has been appointed as amicus curiae to represent the cases. The Bench had on 3 May reserved its judgment on a petition seeking transfer of the case, in which Hindu devotees have claimed right over the land on which the Shahi Masjid Idgah is built, from the Mathura district court to the high court. Senior lawyer of the nominal petitioner, Lord Krish- naVirajman, Hari Shanker Jain, said that the High Court has accepted his plea to hear all the cases pertaining to the Shahi Idgah and Krishna Janmabhoomi dispute. He said that he moved the petition for the first time in the Mathura court on 25 September 2020 but after several ups and down, it was at last accepted. “But we have experienced in the Ayodhya Ramjanmabhoomi case which took 70 years to get resolved, hence we wanted speedy trial by the HC in this issue so we wanted HC to hear the case," he said. “Now HC will hear all the 7 cases and we hope for early decision,” Mr Jain said.