CMYK THURSDAY 03 AUGUST 2023 www.thestatesman.com twitter.com/thestatesman facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR KCR BLAMES CENTRE FOR UNKEPT PROMISES TO FARMERS TRUMP INDICTED FOR EFFORTS TO OVERTURN 2020 ELECTION P9 SENSEX 65,782.78 676.53 WEATHER Generallycloudy sky. A few spells of Rain/thundershower very likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 32 °C and 26 °C respectively. RAINFALL: 82.7mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Min. 90 % Max: 34.2 °C (+2) SUN RISES 05:9 hrs MOON RISES 19:7 hrs Min: 26.2 °C (0) SUN SETS 18:18 hrs MOON SETS 05:23 hrs New Moon on 16 August THUMBNAILS Airbus Beluga arrives at Hyderabad airport, on Wednesday.  ANI Bill on mining sector reforms passed in RS: Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a Bill for “reforms” in the mining sector, specially for increasing exploration and mining of critical minerals which are essential for economic development and national security in the country. The Bill provides for a 50-year production lease for off-sh ore minerals. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was passed with a voice vote in the absence of opposition party members who staged a walkout from the House over their demands related to the debate over ethnic violence hit Manipur. (Pg 5) ` vs $ 82.60 32 PAISE P12 SILVER 78,000 GOLD 60,110330 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 84.500.48 ‘Ask PM to speak in Parl Nuh incident: Ensure no hate speech and no violence, SC on Manipur violence’ directs authorities concerned Opp leaders meet Murmu & submit a memorandum over Manipur situation STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 AUGUST loor leaders from the Opposition bloc – Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) – on Wednesday met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a memorandum to her on the prevailing situation in Manipur, imploring her to impress upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urgently address the Parliament over the issue. The Floor leaders from the Opposition bloc also sought President's intervention in restoring normalcy to the strife-torn state. A total of 31 members of the Opposition bloc, including the 21-member delegation of Opposition MPs, which had gone to Manipur on a two-day factfinding mission, called on President Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. "We, the undersigned leaders of INDIA, with a profound sense of loss and anguish are humbly submitting this memorandum for your kind intervention so that the extraordinary situation confronting the state of Manipur can be redressed at the earliest and normalcy can be The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the authorities to ensure that no hate speeches are made and no violence or damage to any properties takes place in any protest rallies being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the national capital and the adjoining areas of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Hearing an intervention application drawing the attention of the court to the protest rallies that are being organised by VHP in wake of Nuh violence, a bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice S.V. Bhatti directed the authorities to comply with the directions issued by the top court on October 21, 2022, prohibiting hate speech. The bench said that the authorities are aware of the situation and they should take action whenever required, pointing out that the law and order is a policing matter that should be taken care of. The court directed the State and police authorities to ensure that there should not be any hate speeches against any community or violence or damage to any property.Directing the deployment of addi- F A delegation comprising Members of Parliament from various political parties calls on President Droupadi Murmu, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on Wednesday.  ANI brought in urgently," the memorandum said. "The situation in Manipur has reached a critical point in the last few weeks, witnessing a complete breakdown of law and order. The shocking viral video that surfaced online has left the nation in shock, and it is evident that the state administration and police have failed to address the matter promptly. The delayed response of over two months to take cognizance and apprehend the accused has compounded the severity of Incumbent Governor is worse than his predecessor: Mamata the issue. Subsequently, it has come to light that the said incident is only one of the several cases of atrocities against women," it said. Seeking the President's intervention for peace to return in Manipur, the Opposition leaders, in the memorandum said, "We urgently request your kind intervention to establish peace and harmony in the state without any further delay. Accountability for the devastation of the past 92 days must be determined. Both the Union government and the state government must fulfil their duty to provide justice to the affected communities. We implore you to press upon the Prime Minister to urgently address the Parliament on the prevailing situation in Manipur, followed by a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the matter." "Your esteemed support and intervention are crucial in alleviating the suffering of the people of Manipur and restoring normalcy to the state. Thank you for your kind attention to this pressing matter," the memorandum added. Rapid Action Force personnel deployed at Badshahpur after Monday's clash between two groups in adjoining Nuh district, in Gurugram on Wednesday.  ANI tional police or para-military forces to maintain law and order, the court further ordered that authorities should use the CCTV cameras or do video recordings in all sensitive areas wherever required. The bench ordered the police to preserve the video recordings. Issuing notice to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh government, the bench posted the matter for further consideration on August 4. The Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, who appeared for the central government sought time to file response to the fresh application. Senior Advocate C.U. Singh who appeared for the applicant one Shaheen Adbulla , apprised the bench that 23 rallies are being organised. The application has stated SC issues notice to UP, Haryana, and Delhi govts: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi governments, amid protest marches and demonstrations being organised against the violence in Haryana's nuh on July 31. The court issued the notices on a plea over the Haryana violence and set the next hearing on 4 August. that it has come to his knowledge that in the aftermath of the unfortunate violence that broke out in Nuh and Gurgaon, Haryana that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is planning to take out rallies in Delhi and Noida purportedly against the communal violence in Haryana. KOLKATA, 2 AUGUST said. The Chief Minister’s remarks came when the Governor announced to open an anti-corruption cell within the Governor’s House to get direct information from the public on the issue of corruption. The Chief Minister also attacked Governor on the issue saying that he has no authority to open such a cell. “He is unnecessarily interfering in the functioning of the state government. He is forming an expert committee on the state's higher education, inducting people from outside. This is not his task. This is the task of the state government,” the Chief Minister said. Earlier, Education Minister Bratya Basu also criticised the Governor for his decision to open the anti-corruption cell within the Raj Bhavan premises. “Such interferences from the Governor’s House are happening in all non-BJP ruled states. But in West Bengal that interference has taken an unprecedented shape. When he has decided to open this cell without discussing it with the education department, it seems that he is assuming the department laden with corruption,” Basu said. He also said that the state government is considering approaching the Supreme Court against such actions on the part of the Governor, keeping the state education department in the dark. Top 10 defaulters owe ` 40,825 crore to banks ‘Pak nationals employed in Indian Armed Forces cannot be ruled out’ Women’s leadership fosters inclusivity: PM NEW DELHI, 2 AUGUST SNS & AGENCIES West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the incumbent constitutional head of the state C.V. Ananda Bose is ‘worse’ than the last governor Jagdeep Dhankar. “The current Governor is acting in a whimsical manner as regards appointing vicechancellors of state universities. He is appointing vicechancellors from among people who are not connected to the academic world. “We had differences of opinion with Jagdeep Dhankhar also but he had never made arbitrary decisions like the incumbent Governor. “As per norms the state government will recommend three names for the post of vice-chancellor and he will select one from among them. But the incumbent Governor does not care about such norms,” the Chief Minister P11 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 AUGUST Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE P4 NIFTY 19,526.5 207.00 INDIA-PAKISTAN MATCH TO BE PLAYED ON 14 OCTOBER BREWING SORCERY: MALEFICENT MOCKERY TO MAGICAL MEMOIRS SNS & AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 2 AUGUST India’s top ten wilful defaulters cumulatively owed Rs 40,825 crore to banks, as of March 31, the Ministry of Finance said. The Ministry further said four of these ten fugitive economic offenders have been deported or extradited to India so far. Overall, the top 50 wilful defaulters owed banks as much as Rs 87,295 crore as of March 31, with the largest such borrower viz. Gitanjali Gems Ltd., owned by Mehul Choksi, uncle of fugitive economic offender Nirav Modi, accounts for more than 10per cent of the outstanding dues Fugitive Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Gems is the biggest wilful defaulter owing Rs 8,738 crore followed by Era Infra Engineering Limited owing Rs 5,750 crore, REI Agro Limited Rs 5,148 crore, ABG Shipyard Limited Rs 4,774 crore, and Concast Steel and Power Limited Rs 3,911 crore. AGENCIES (PG8) The CBI on Wednesday informed the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta that the chances of Pakistani nationals being employed in the Indian Armed Forces by virtue of fake identity documents could not be ruled out though there was no definite proof yet. On 26 July, after the hearing on a PIL alleging that two purported Pakistan nationals, namely Jaikant Kumar and Pradyumna Kumar are currently posted at the defence cantonment at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Justice Sengupta directed CBI to submit its progress report in the matter to court. Accordingly on Wednesday, the CBI sleuths submitted its progress report at the bench of Justice Sengupta where it did not rule out the possibility despite admitting that their sleuths are yet to get On 26 July, after the hearing on a PIL alleging that two purported Pakistan nationals, namely Jaikant Kumar and Pradyumna Kumar are currently posted at the defence cantonment at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Justice Sengupta directed CBI to submit its progress report in the matter to court any definite proof in this connection. The central agency counsel also informed the court that the assistance of international probe agencies like INTERPOL night be required for further investigation in the matter. Justice Sengupta directed the CBI to immediately file an FIR in the matter and progress with its investigation process. On June 13, a petition was filed at the bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha by one Bishnu Chowdhury. The original directive to the CBI to start investigation in the matter was given by Justice Mantha. Later he was elevated to the division bench of Calcutta High Court and the matter was referred to the bench of Justice Sengupta. In his petition, Chowdhury had alleged that the duo got selected through the Staff Selection Commission examination and they secured the jobs through forgery of documents. He had also alleged that a major racket involving influential political leaders, bureaucrats and police officials was involved behind such appointments through forged documents. On Wednesday, Justice Sengupta also directed the police to ensure security arrangements for the petitioner considering that he had been facing life threats since the time he filed the PIL. NEW DELHI, 2 AUGUST Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said women’s economic empowerment fuels growth and the most effective way to empower women is through a women-led development approach, which India has adopted Mr Modi was addressing the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, via video message. The Prime Minister said when women prosper, the world prospers. Their access to education drives global progress. Their leadership fosters inclusivity. And, their voices inspire positive change. India's President Droupadi Murmu sets an inspiring example herself, he said. She comes from a humble tribal background, and now leads the world's largest democracy and serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the world's second-largest defence force. 9th cheetah found ‘Abrogation of Art 370 can’t be done without ascertaining will of the people’ dead at MP’s Kuno STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 AUGUST STATESMAN NEWSSERVICE BHOPAL, 2 AUGUST The ambitious 'Project Cheetah’ suffered yet another jolt as one more big cat translocated from South Africa was reported dead at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) on Wednesday. The dead feline was identified as 'Dhatri'. With this a total nine cheetahs, including three born on Indian soil, have died since in the last seven months. As per the official sources, Dhatri (all 20 cheetahs were given Indian names and 'Tiblisi' was named as 'Dhatri') was spotted lying unconscious and when examined she died.The officials said they were yet to come out with the exact reason of her death, which will be known after autopsy reports.It is the third adult cheetah to die at KNP within a span of 20 days after two big cats brought from South Africa -- 'Tejas' and 'Suraj' -- died in the second week of July. The first cheetah death was reported on 27 March this year and since then six adults and three cubs have died till now. Officials said 14 cheetahs are presently alive and healthy in the park, including seven males, six females and one cub. All these cheetahs are presently confined in a Boma (special enclosure). The Supreme Court on Wednesday was told that Article 370 of the constitution that conferred special status to Jammu & Kashmir could not have been abrogated and the State’s status into two Union Territories could not have been changed without ascertain the will of the people of the State . A five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Surya Kant was told that the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories changed the representative democracy in the state and replaced it with executive control. Appearing for one of the petitioners challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reor- ganisation Act, 2019, senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the constitution bench that after dissolving the J&K assembly, the parliament cannot arrogate to itself the will of the people of the State represented by the State assembly. Taking the constitution bench through the history of J&K prior and post its accession to India, and the constitutional provision of both of the Indian and J&K constitution,s Sibal said that no change in the provisions governing the State and its status could have been changed without ascertaining the will of the people vested in the State assembly. Telling the court that Article 370 was abrogated and State was bifurcated into two UTs within two months of the holding of parliament election in May 2019, Sibal said that in the last five years no state elections have been held so far. “Fourteen million people now have no role to play in their Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah leaves after speaking to the media regarding the hearing on the abrogation of Article 370, outside Supreme Court.  ANI own fate”, Sibal told the constitution bench. Recalling the sequence of events and stating that the process that was followed for abrogating Article 370 and the bifurcation of the State into CMYK UTs was not legal, Sibal said that first the J&K state assembly was placed in a state of suspended animation and President’s Rule imposed. Thereafter parliament acting both as a state legislature and the constituent assembly abrogated Article 370, he said. “No Parliament can convert itself into a constituent assembly,” Sibal said, pointing out that if this was allowed, it would have serious implications for the future of our country. “Can Parliament say we are the state legislature and the constituent assembly? Under what provision of the law? It is an exercise of political power without reference to Article 370”, Sibal said in a poser. Some of the petitioners have sought the restoration of status that the hill state had before the abrogation of Article 370 - the “temporary” provision of the Constitution. Sibal argued that this was a temporary provision before the JK constituent assembly met and finalised its own Constitution. However, it became a permanent feature after the constituent assembly finished its task of framing a separate Constitution for the state. Sibal told the bench that under the J&K constitution all the residuary powers were with the State, which are otherwise normally vested in the Central government. Under the accession treaty, the Central government handled defence, communication and currency and any other subject only with the consultation or concurrence of the J & K government. Under 370, the state could also enact its own laws and make special provisions to protect its own citizens by instituting restrictions on non-domiciles buying land in the state. Children of local women marrying men from outside were also denied inheritance and succession rights in the state. Article 35A has also been done away with. A number of petitions are pending before the top court challenging the scrapping of Article 370 of the constitution and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.