ROHITH VEMULA’S MOTHER MEETS TELANGANA CM; SEEKS JUSTICE 05 MAY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman PRIYANKA TEARS INTO MODI FOR CALLING RAHUL ‘SHEHZADA’’ PAGE 4 LSG HOPE TO HIT THE RIGHT NOTES AGAINST CONFIDENT KKR PAGE 10 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 41 AND 22 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 58 % Says he has given a roadmap of development for the next five years STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 MAY Min. 18 % TEMPERATURE Max: 40.3 °C (1) SUN RISES 5:37 hrs MOON RISES 04:09 hrs Modi fires ‘shehzada’ jibe Jolt to Cong: Arvinder at both Rahul & Tejashwi Singh Lovely joins BJP Min: 23.2 °C (-1) SUN SETS 18:59 hrs MOON SETS 16:03 hrs THUMBNAILS Members of UNAU Tribal Women's Forum stage a protest over the ethnic violence in Manipur in the Capital on Saturday. SUBRATA DUTTA One IAF soldier killed, 5 injured as terrorists ambush convoy in Poonch: One Indian Airforce (IAF) soldier was killed and five personnel were injured when two vehicles of their convoy were on Saturday ambushed by terrorists in the border district of Poonch. The IAF in a statement said: "An Indian Air Force vehicle convoy was attacked by militants in the Poonch district of J&K, near Shahsitar. Cordon and search operations are underway presently in the area by local military units. The convoy has been secured, and further investigation is (P3) under progress." P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said just as Delhi has a Shehzada (Rahul Gandhi) who considers the whole country his jagir (property), there is one Shehzada in Patna (Tejashwi Yadav) who considers the whole of Bihar his jagir and both want to give OBCs’ quota to Muslims and divide the nation on religious lines. Addressing a BJP election rally in Darbhanga, Bihar, Mr Modi said in this election he has given a roadmap of development for the next five years and a vision for the country for the next 25 years. While preparing for the future, no one should forget the past the country has gone through, he said. “Just as there is a Shehzada in Delhi, there is one Shehzada in Patna also. One has considered the whole nation his jagir from childhood, the other considered the whole of Bihar his jagir. But their report cards are similar,” Mr Modi said. Their reports do not have anything other than scams and uncontrolled law and order situation, the Prime Minister said. “Remember how the industry of abductions’ flourished in Bihar, and the State’s treasury was looted by big scams. Just as evening fell, women feared to leave homes. Before youth got jobs, they were forced to sign papers to part with their lands,” he said. Under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership, the NDA government is working day and night for Bihar’s development. “Our inspiration is Karpoori Thakur who recently got Bharat Ratna,” the Prime Minister said. In the last 10 years, 40 lakh poor have got pucca houses in Bihar, while gas connections have been given to 1.25 crore families, he said. Free rations and free medical treatment is being given to the poor. Now Modi has decided that all those above 70 will be covered by the Ayushman scheme with free medical treatment worth Rs 5 lakh, he said The Prime Minister said there was a detailed discussion in the Constituent Assembly whether reservation should be given on the basis of religion, and this was not accepted. It was decided that the nation could not be divided on the basis of religion. Pt. Nehru too had opposed reservation on the basis of religion, he said. Now, as the poor SCs, STs and OBCs have lost faith in the Congress, the party is going against Nehru’s sentiments and is stabbing Ambedkar in the back, trying to break the Constitu- SIT takes H D Revanna into custody from ex-PM Deve Gowda’s residence AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 MAY tion, Mr Modi said. The Congress wants to cut the OBCs’ quota on the basis of religion and give it to the Muslims. In this conspiracy of the Congress, RJD is also involved, he said. The Prime Minister said the father of Bihar’s Shehzada (Lalu Yadav) tried to do the same in 2007. While being Railway Minister, he asked officials to arrange quota for the Muslims. Mr Modi said “they want to snatch the reservation share of the OBC, SC and ST and give it to the Muslims, on the basis of religion. If the quota is cut,Yadav, Kurmi will suffer, all will be finished, and quota of Paswan, Musahar, Ravidas and Danuk samaj will also be cut.” He said “in the last 12 days I have given a challenge to the Congress and its allies on reservation, and asked them to give it in writing, that the INDI alliance will not give reservation to Muslims on the basis of religion, and not tinker with the Constitution. They are keeping quiet. It appears their intentions are not right. But I want to assure you, as long as Modi is alive, I will not allow any mess up with the reservation share of the SCs, STs and the OBCs.” In a major setback to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the national capital, former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely, former city government minister Raj Kumar Chauhan and three former leaders from the grand old party, joined the BJP on Saturday. Mr Lovely, former Congress MLAs Raj Kumar Chauhan, Naseeb Singh and Neeraj Basoya and former Youth Congress president Amit Mallik joined the BJP at the party headquarters here this afternoon in the presence of Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde and Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva. All the former Congress leaders expressed confidence in the BJP’s ideology and the developmental politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Lovely resigned as the Delhi Congress chief on 28 April and wrote a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stating that he was against the alliance between Congress and AAP in Delhi. Raj Kumar Chauhan, the former Delhi minister and a former member of the KOLKATA, 4 MAY The Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sex video scandal involving JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna on Saturday took his father and JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna (photo) into custody after his anticipatory bail plea in a victim kidnapping case was rejected by a court in Bengaluru. Sources said that H.D. Revanna has been taken into custody from the residence of his father and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in Bengaluru's Padmanabhanagar locality. He has been taken to the SIT office on the premises of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). H.D. Revanna opened the door himself and walked out with the SIT officers towards their vehicle. He did not make any remark at the time of his arrest. The SIT officers reached the former PM's residence soon after the court turned down his anticipatory bail plea in a case related to the kidnapping of a woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by his son Prajwal Revanna, the sources said. Earlier on Saturday, the SIT traced the kidnapped woman to the farmhouse of Rajashekar, the personal assistant (PA) to H.D. Revanna, at Kalenahalli village in Mysuru district. The woman, who had gone missing on 29 April, was found locked up in the farmhouse when the SIT officers reached there following a tip-off. Sources said Rajashekar is absconding ever since the SIT traced the missing woman Women stage a protest against Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna over his alleged involvement in the sex scandal, in Bengaluru on Friday. ANI to his farmhouse. The woman is being brought to Bengaluru where her statement will be recorded. On Friday, Karnataka Police registered an FIR against H.D. Revanna in connection with the kidnapping of the woman, believed to be one of the victims of the sex video scandal involving his son Prajwal Revanna. The woman's son had registered a missing complaint naming H.D. Revanna as the prime accused in the case. His relative Satish Babu was named as the second accused in the FIR, whom the police arrested from Mysuru district on Friday. The woman's son alleged that his mother went missing after the surfacing of a purported sex video in which Prajwal Revanna could be seen sexually assaulting her. He also alleged that his mother was locked up in an undisclosed location, as he pleaded with the police to initiate legal action against H.D. Revanna and Satish Babu. All India Congress Committee (AICC) resigned from the party last month after Delhi Congress’ disciplinary committee objected to his ‘dissent’ from the party line. After joining the saffron party, Mr Lovely thanked the top leadership of the BJP and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave them an opportunity when they are politically lost. He pledged continuous contributions to the nation's development and the fight against corruption in Delhi. Meanwhile, Raj Kumar Chauhan said those involved in the liquor scam are robbing the people of Delhi, and they will take these issues to the public. Mr Puri congratulated all the five former Congress leaders on joining the BJP, saying that their inclusion will no doubt strengthen the party in Delhi. He expressed hope that their joining will further bolster BJP's prospects in the upcoming elections in the national capital. Voting for all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi is scheduled to take place on 25 May, during the sixth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes for all the seven phases of the Lok Sabha polls will be held on 4 June. Sandeshkhali sting video exposes BJP plan to defame Bengal, says TMC STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BENGALURU, 4 MAY Mr Lovely, former Congress MLAs Raj Kumar Chauhan, Naseeb Singh and Neeraj Basoya and former Youth Congress president Amit Mallik joined the BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi Flagging a ‘sting video’ now doing the rounds on social media, the Trinamul Congress on Saturday charged that the Sandeshkhali unrest was the result of a conspiracy by the BJP to defame Bengal and the Trinamul Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. In the ‘sting video’, an individual said to be a local BJP leader named Gangadhar Koyal is heard saying that the Sandeshkhali agitation was a scripted one. The allegations of mass rapes in Sandeshkhali, in North 24-Parganas were also false, the individual also claims in the video, adding that the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was behind the whole conspiracy. The man alleged in the video that Mr Adhikari had asked him and other BJP leaders of the area to "instigate three-four local women to level allegations of rape against three TMC leaders, including Shajahan Sheikh". The Statesman has not verified the authenticity of the video footage. Koyal subsequently also uploaded a video stating that his words have been tampered with in the viral video and calling for a CBI investigation into the matter. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, posted about the alleged sting video on her official X handle, stating: “The shocking Sandeshkhali sting shows how deep the rot is within the BJP. In their hatred for Bengal's progressive thought & culture, the Bangla-Birodhis orchestrated a conspiracy to defame our state on The shocking Sandeshkhali sting shows how deep the rot is within the BJP. In their hatred for Bengal's progressive thought & culture, the Bangla-Birodhis orchestrated a conspiracy to defame our state on every possible level....History will witness how Bengal will rise in rage against Delhi's conspiratorial regime & ensure their Bishorjon.. MAMATA BANERJEE BENGAL CHIEF MINISTER every possible level. Never before in the history of India has a ruling party in Delhi tried to malign an entire state and its people. History will witness how Bengal will rise in rage against Delhi's conspiratorial regime & ensure their Bishorjon." The Trinamul Congress leadership condemned BJP for allegedly masterminding the script of alleged 'massrape' and 'arms seizure'. A post on the Trinamul’s official X handle stated: “A viral video exposed how the BJP left no stone unturned to malign Bengal.” "From 'mass rape' to 'arms seizure' Sandeshkhali, every claim was BOUGHT and STAGED by none other than @SuvenduWB," the party stated. “I am shocked beyond words to see the Sandeshkhali sting video. Every citizen must witness BANGLA BIRODHI @BJP4India's ORCHESTRATED attempt to DEFAME AND MALIGN for their petty political ends," Abhishek Banerjee, all India general secretary of Trinamul Congress, also said on the microblogging site. Reacting to the viral video Sukanta Majumder, Bengal BJP president, told media: “We have to check whether Trinamul Congress has faked the video to tarnish our party. The ruling party might have also funded the locals so that the latter can make the video. LS polls: 75 delegates from 23 countries Canada arrests mostly due to their internal politics: EAM arrive to watch world’s largest election STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 4 MAY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 MAY The Election Commission of India on Saturday said 75 international delegates from election management bodies of 23 nations have arrived in the country to watch the world’s largest elections (Lok Sabha polls) unfold. “As a beacon of electoral integrity and transparency, the ECI exemplifies its commitment to conduct general elections of the highest standards, offering a golden bridge for global Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to witness democratic excellence firsthand. The ECI continues fostering international cooperation by organising the Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) during the ongoing Then the delegates will embark on visits to six states ~ Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh ~ in small groups to observe the polls and related preparedness in various constituencies. Lok Sabha Elections,’” the poll panel said. The ECI said the event will be a first in terms of the scale and magnitude of participation. “Seventy-five delegates representing various EMBs and organisations from 23 countries namely - Bhutan, Mongolia, Australia, Madagascar, Fiji, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Moldova, Tunisia, Seychelles, Cambodia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Chile, Uzbekistan, Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Namibia will take part in the event,” it said. The poll panel said members from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and media teams from Bhutan and Israel will also participate. Beginning on 4 May, the programme seeks to familiarise foreign EMBs with the nuances of India’s electoral system as well as the best practices used by the largest democracy in the world, it said. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will address the delegates on 5 May. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said what is happening in Canada over the killing of ‘Khalistan’ separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is mostly due to their internal politics and nothing to do with India. Mr Jaishankar, who interacted with mediapersons in Bhubaneswar, said he is yet to get details on the report that three Indian nationals have been arrested by the Canadian police for their alleged links in the killing of Nijjar. “We need more information in such instances, evidence etc. But despite our repeated appeals in earlier instances and allegations, Canada does not share any evidence,” he said. It is a matter of concern that Canada has been allowing criminals to operate , giving them visas and political space. Such people are taking advantage of the political situation there, he said. The pro-Khalistani groups are a vote bank, he observed. There are gangs and often they fight among themselves. India has shared details of 25 Khalistani operators and even sought extradition , but Canada has not responded, said Mr Jaishankar. Canadian police on Friday announced the arrest of three persons for the killing of Nijjar amidst an ongoing probe into alleged connections with the Indian government. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in a statement named the three men, all Indian nationals, as Karanpreet Singh (28), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karan Brar (22) and released their photographs. The trio were Canadian police on Friday announced the arrest of three persons for the killing of Nijjar amidst an ongoing probe into alleged connections with the Indian government. arrested in Edmonton city in Alberta. The trio have been charged with first degree murder and conspiracy to commit mur- der in relation with the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, a suburb in Vancouver. On China, the External Affairs Minister said there are six detailed agreements on how to manage the border. But in 2020 China mobilised troops without prior information and a face off took place. They (China) want India to set aside the border issues and go ahead with other matters relating to trade, commerce etc. India does not agree and insists that the package should include border issues, he said. He declined to comment on Joe Biden’s remark on India being xenophobic. Replying to a question on Imran Khan’s remarks about India’s being involved in certain deaths in Pakistan, Jaishankar said he had not read the statement, but added that Pakistan should explain why so many terrorists are living in Pakistan. He described much of the dispute with Maldives as legacy of UPA. Mr Jaishankar highlighted the success of India in emerging as a strong nation and the respect earned by PM Modi across the world. Relations with neighbors has improved immensely with countries Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka We have lost several years ( all during non-NDA regimes). That was when China overtook us by focusing on manufacturing.The Nehruvian socialist model continued and even now Rahul Gandhi and the likes of Raghuram Rajan want to go back to that model and Rahul Gandhi makes fun of Make in India, he remarked.
The Statesman is one of India's oldest English newspapers. It was founded in Kolkata in 1875 and is directly descended from The Friend of India (founded 1818). The Englishman (founded 1821) was merged with The Statesman in 1934. The Delhi edition of The Statesman began publication in 1931. The Statesman Weekly is a compendium of news and views from the Kolkata and Delhi editions. Printed on airmail paper, it is popular with readers outside India. The Statesman (average weekday circulation approximately 180,000) is a leading English newspaper in West Bengal. The Sunday Statesman has a circulation of 230,000.