KTR BOOKED OVER REMARKS AGAINST TELANGANA CM 31 MARCH 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman RAJNATH TO HEAD BJP’S ELECTION MANIFESTO COMMITTEE PAGE 4 SUNRISERS START AS FAVOURITES AGAINST HOST GUJARAT TITANS PAGE 5 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. GUSTY WINDS(SPEED 30-40KMPH) LIKELY TO PREVAIL. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 35 AND 20 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. Min. 39 % TEMPERATURE Max: 35.2 °C+3) SUN RISES 6:11 hrs MOON RISES 00:29 hrs Min: 21.8 °C (+4) SUN SETS 18:39 hrs MOON SETS 09:40 hrs THUMBNAILS A farmer inspects his wheat crop damaged due to strong winds and rain at a village in ANI Jalandhar on Saturday. ED questions Delhi minister: Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot appeared before the Directorate of Enforcement on Saturday and was questioned for over five hours by the agency at their office in Delhi regarding the money laundering angle linked to the Delhi excise policy case. Mr Gahlot while leaving the ED office in the national capital told reporters that he replied to all questions asked by the agency, which revolved around all aspects of (P2) the now scrapped liquor policy. SANTU DAS This will be the first rally after 15 yrs in which RLD chief will share stage with BJP NEW DELHI, 30 MARCH Ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, senior leaders of political parties from the INDIA bloc will gather at the Ramlila Maidan in the capital on Sunday to corner the BJP-led Centre over various issues including “misuse” of Central probe agencies. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress announced the rally at Ramlila Maidan in the wake of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi liquor policy case last week. Addressing a Press conference at the party headquarters, Congress general secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh informed that leaders from around 28 political parties will attend the rally. He said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi will participate in the rally. “The rally of 31st March is to save democracy and the Constitution. Therefore the name is ‘save democracy rally’. This rally is not of any one party, it includes the P rime Minister Narendra Modi will launch his election campaign in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow from Meerut when he will be joined by NDA partners of the state to challenge the INDIA bloc and the BSP in the 7-phase Lok Sabha polls. This will be the first rally after 15 years in which RLD chief Chaudhary Jayant Singh will share the stage with the BJP. Along with PM Modi and Jayant, Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel, SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar and Nishad party president Sanhsh Nishad and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address the voters of five Lok Sabha seats through the rally. There is the possibility of Haryana Chief Minister Naib Saini also joining the rally. Apart from Meerut, the constituents of Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Kairana and Bijnor Lok Sabha will be addressed through the rally. The BJP has put in full force for the Prime Minister's rally to be held at 3.30 pm on Sunday evening on the grounds of Central Potato Research Institute. BJP Meerut District President Shivkumar Rana said here on Saturday that a target has been set to mobilize three lakh people in the rally through 1800 buses, six hundred cars and tractors. A call is being given to attend the rally in every village and colony within a radius of five kilometres. Regional General Secretary Harish Thakur said that this is the first rally of the 2024 elections. The workers are fortunate that the Prime Minister is going to start the election campaign from Kranti Dhara. Four helipads are being built for the Prime Minister's rally. Three helipads have been built in the grounds of the Central Potato Research Institute for the Prime Minister's three helicopters. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's helicopter will land at Rhombus School, 200 meters away from the meeting venue. Meerut District Magistrate Deepak Meena has completely banned aerial display and flying of drones within a distance of eight km radius from the rally venue. During this period, if anyone flies kites or balloons within the prescribed distance, strict action will be taken against him. Section 144 has been implemented in the entire district. Apart from the district police, police forces have also been called from nearby districts to provide security in the rally. Apart from ADG Dhruvkant Thakur, IG Nachiketa Jha and SSP Rohit Singh Sajwan, six SPs, 8 additional SPs and 15 COs and more than nine hundred inspectors, sub-inspectors and policemen will be deployed. Parking for buses and other vehicles has been made near Shobhit University and Palheda bridge for the vehicles coming for the rally. Indian Navy responds to piracy attack in Arabian Sea, rescues 23 Pakistanis Arunachal Assembly polls: 10 BJP candidates win unopposed STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ITANAGAR, 30 MARCH NEW DELHI, 30 MARCH The Indian Navy said that it rescued at least 23 Pakistani nationals from Somali pirates during a 12-hour-long operation in the Arabian Sea. The dramatic rescue unfolded in the early hours of 29 March when the Indian Navy warship INS Sumedha intercepted the hijacked vessel, FV Al-Kambar,as it was being held captive by pirates. INS Sumedha was soon joined by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul to bolster the operation. Utilising their tactical expertise and strategic coordination, Indian naval forces initiated negotiations with the pirates, compelling them to surrender without bloodshed. The surrender marked a decisive victory for the Indian Navy in combating piracy and ensuring the safety of maritime activities in the Mega rally by INDIA bloc against Modi govt today at Ramlila Maidan STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MEERUT, 30 MARCH RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90 % PM to launch campaign from UP’s Meerut today 35 Somalian pirates, who were captured by Indian Navy’s INS Kolkata after an anti-piracy operation, are handed over to MumANI bai Police, at Naval Dockyard, in Mumbai on Saturday. region, the Navy said. “After more than 12 hrs of intense coercive tactical measures as per the SOPs, the pirates on board the hijacked FV were forced to surrender. The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, have been safely rescued,” the Navy said in a statement. Following the successful apprehension of the pirates, Indian Naval specialist teams embarked on the FV Al-Kambar to undertake thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks. These meticulous examinations aim to ensure the vessel's safety before escorting it to a secure area, enabling the resumption of normal fishing activities for its crew. On Thursday evening, the Navy responded to a potential piracy attack on an Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, and diverted two naval ships to intercept the hijacked vessel. In a notable development in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections, as many as 10 BJP candidates, including the current Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, secured victory uncontested in the 60-seat House. The other successful nominees included Ratu Techi from Sagalee, Jikke Tako from Tali, Nyato Dukam from Taliha, Mutchu Mithi from Roing, Hage Appa from Ziro Hapoli, Techi Kaso from Itanagar, Dongru Siongju from Bomdila, and Dasanglu Pul from Hayuliang. While no rival candidate came forward in the first in several of the cases, in others, the opposing candidates withdrew their candidature today, the last day for withdrawal. In the case of Techi Kaso in Itanagar, the nomination papers of a rival can- The BJP has fielded candidates for all 60 Assembly constituencies. didate were rejected. The BJP has fielded candidates for all 60 Assembly constituencies. The process of filing nominations concluded on Wednesday, and the last date for withdrawal was 30 March, marking the final procedural milestone. Simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls are being held in Arunachal Pradesh, scheduled for 19 April. The electorate will cast their votes for the 60-member Assembly ~ for 50 seats now ~ and the two Lok Sabha constituencies ~ Arunachal West and Arunachal East. In the aftermath of his father and former CM Dorjee Khandu’s demise, Pema Khandu won uncontested in the 2011 polls on a Congress ticket from Mukto Assembly constituency. NEW DELHI, 30 MARCH President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday presented four Bharat Ratna awards posthumously, including for former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and P V Narasimha Rao, at a solemn ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President also gave away the posthumous Bharat Ratna awards for agriculture scientist Dr M S Swaminathan and former Bihar Chief Minister and backward classes leader Karpoori Thakur. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and Congress Party president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were present. On behalf of late former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, the Bharat Ratna was received by his son Mr P V Prabhakar Rao. On behalf of late former Prime Minister Chaud- President Droupadi Murmu confers Bharat Ratna upon agronomist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (posthumously), during the Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday. Swaminathan's daughter Dr. Nitya Rao receives the award ANI on behalf of her father. hary Charan Singh, the Bharat Ratna was received by his grandson, Rajya Sabha member Jayant Chaudhary. Dr Nitya Rao. daughter of agriculture scientist late M S Swaminathan received the Bharat Ratna on his behalf. On behalf of former Bihar Chief Minister and backward classes leader Karpoori Thakur, the award was received by his son, Rajya Sabha member Ramnath Thakur. The government had announced five names for the Bharat Ratna awards this year, which included BJP leader L K Advani. Sources said that President Murmu will pay a visit to the senior BJP leader's residence and confer him the prestigious award. This was decided in view of the poor health of the veteran BJP leader. Born on 28 June 1921, in Karimnagar, Telangana, P V Narasimha Rao, was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh during 1971-73 and later rose to national prominence, handling Home, Defence and Foreign Affairs in the cabinets of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996, he is credited as the true architect of India’s economic reforms. Plant geneticist M S Swaminathan's significant contributions to India's agricultural sector earned him a reputation as the leader of India's green revolution movement. His work was instrumental in the agricultural renaissance in India. Mr Advani was born in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, on 8 November 1927 and served as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the longest period since its inception in 1980. With a parliamentary career of nearly three decades, he was, first, the Home Minister and, later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004). Karpoori Thakur was born in 1924 in one of the most backward sections of society, the Nai Samaj. He was a remarkable leader whose political journey was marked by his unwavering commitment to the marginalised sections of society. He served as the Chief Minister of Bihar and was a key figure in the struggle against social discrimination and inequality. Chaudhary Charan Singh was born in 1902 at Noorpur in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh, in a middle class peasant family. He shifted to Meerut in 1929 and later joined the Congress. He was first elected to the UP Legislative Assembly in 1937 from Chhaprauli and represented the constituency in 1946, 1952, entire INDIA bloc,” Mr Ramesh said. Asserting that there are several issues over which the rally is being organised, he said: “We want to show solidarity on most important issues including price rise , unemployment and economic inequality.” Highlighting other issues which would be raised during the rally, he said: “The issue of electoral bonds. The biggest scam in post independent India, the electoral bond scam, which had been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Misuse of investigative agencies to arrest democratically elected Chief Ministers and other political leaders including ministers in different states and assault on the Constitution.’’ Attacking the BJP, Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely, who was also present, said, “Democracy is under attack. Many tactics are being used to suppress opposition parties. The BJP government is working to break the Opposition parties by using probe agencies.” Meanwhile, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Gopal Rai visited the Ramlila Maidan and took stock of the preparations for the rally. Mr Rai, who is also AAP Delhi state convenor, said,’This rally is to save democracy and the Constitution. If we do not raise our voice today then no one will be able to raise our voice tomorrow .” NewsClick row: Delhi Police file over 9,000-page chargesheet under UAPA AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 30 MARCH The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Saturday filed its first charge sheet running into over 9,000 pages against NewsClick Founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha (Photo) under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over allegations that the news portal took money to spread pro-China propaganda. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutors Advocate Akhand Pratap Singh and Suraj Rathi requested the court for a later date on the issue of cognisance of the charge sheet. They stated that sanctions under Section 45 of UAPA and Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were awaited, which would be filed in the form of a supplementary charge sheet very Kin of Charan Singh, Narasimha Rao, M S Swaminathan, Karpoori Thakur receive their Bharat Ratna awards STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE A glimpse of the preparations ahead of the INDIA bloc's ANI 'Maha Rally' in New Delhi on Saturday. 1962 and 1967. Charan Singh was sworn in as Prime Minister on 28 July 1979, with outside support from Indira Gandhi's Congress (I) party. He advised the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha after withdrawal of support by the Congress (I) party and then continued as caretaker Prime Minister until January 1980. Earlier, Charan Singh was Parliamentary Secretary in Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant's Government in 1946 and worked in various departments such as Revenue, Medical and Public Health, Justice, Information etc. In June 1951, he was appointed Cabinet Minister in the State and given charge of the Departments of Justice and Information. His career included holding charge as Minister for Revenue and Agriculture in the Cabinet of Sampurnanand in 1952. When he resigned in April 1959, he was holding charge of the Department of Revenue and Transport. soon. Along with Prabir Purkayastha, PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd (news portal) has also been made an accused. Additional Sessions Judge, Hardeep Kaur, of the Patiala House Court has fixed the matter for 16 April for arguments on whether to take cognisance of the charge sheet. The judicial custody of Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty, the HR head of NewsClick has also been extended. On 9 January, the court granted permission to Amit Chakravarty to become an approver in the case after he had filed an application seeking pardon. He claimed to possess material information, which he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police. According to official sources, the charge sheet also contains information regarding 480 electronic devices confiscated during the various raids conducted during the probe. Prabir Purkayastha has been accused of accepting foreign funds to destabilise the country, sources said. The sources also told IANS that Prabir Purkayastha has been identified as the primary suspect, while Amit Chakravarty has been granted the role of a witness. The charge sheet alleges that Prabir Purkayastha accepted funds to undermine the stability of the nation by fabricating narratives and attempting to disrupt the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the sources said. We have rescued 250 Indians forced into cyber slavery in Cambodia: MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 MARCH Reacting to reports that over 5,000 Indians are trapped in Cambodia where they are allegedly being held against their will and forced to carry out cyber frauds on people back home, the government on Saturday said it has rescued and repatriated about 250 Indians from the Southeast Asian nation. “We have seen media reports on Indian nationals stuck in Cambodia. Our Embassy in Cambodia has been promptly responding to complaints from Indian nationals who were lured with employment opportunities to that country but were forced to undertake illegal cyber work. Collaborating closely with Cambodian authorities, it has rescued and repatriated about 250 Indians, of which 75 (were rescued) in just the last three months,” Ministry of Exter- nal Affairs spokesperson Randhi Jaiswal said. He said the MEA and the Embassy of India in Cambodia have also issued several advisories to Indian nationals about such scams. “We remain committed to helping all those Indian nationals in Cambodia who seek our support. We are also working with Cambodian authorities and with agencies in India to crack down on those responsible for these fraudulent schemes,” the spokesperson added.
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