MONDAY 14 OCTOBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR AI HONOURED ATISHI APPROVES RELEASE OF `100 CR FOR DELHI COLLEGES P6 SENSEX 81,381.36q230.05 WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 35 AND 19 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 91 % TEMPERATURE P2 24,964.25q34.20 ` vs $ 84.11 GOLD 77,815.00 Lawrence Bishnoi gang claims responsibility THUMBNAILS People clean the riverbed of Ganga at Har ki Pauri in Haridwar on Sunday. ANI IMA announces 24-hr nationwide hunger strike tomorrow in Kolkata rape and murde case: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a 24-hour nationwide hunger strike on October 15 to support doctors in West Bengal, seeking justice for the young doctor who was raped and murdered at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The announcement comes as a fast-unto-death agitation by junior doctors at the hospital entered the ninth day, with three hospitalised so far. "The nationwide action will be led by IMA Junior Doctors Network and Medical Students Network," the IMA said in a statement on Sunday. (P4) MUMBAI, 13 OCTOBER W eeks ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the sensational murder of former minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique has sent shockwaves across the state, triggering a political firestorm and raising serious concerns about the law and order situation in the country’s commercial capital. Sixty-six-year-old Siddique was shot at by three assailants when he was getting into his car outside his son's office in Bandra. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Shortly after the shooting, the Mumbai Police arrested two suspects and registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act. The two accused -- Gurmail Singh and Dharmaraj Kashyap -- were presented before a holiday court. The court has remanded Singh in police custody until October 21 and ordered age verification of Kashyap. An ossification test has also been ordered to determine whether he is a minor. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the murder was meticulously planned, and further inquiries are being conducted to ascertain if the assailants intended to target any other individuals, especially with the Maharashtra polls approach- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 OCTOBER ing. The police have also identified two more accused, namely, Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar and Shivkumar Gautam. They both are still at large, with police teams dispatched to multiple locations, including Haryana, Pune, Delhi, and Ujjain, to track them down. The shooters were hired on a contract worth between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh. The police are investigating whether they received special training and are also probing who funded the operation, sources said. According to the sources, the accused had been living in a rented apartment in Kurla for over a month before executing the crime. The initial investigation has also revealed that the three shooters -- Singh, Kashyap, and Gautam -- previously met in jail, where they allegedly came in contact with a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in Haryana. Meanwhile, the Opposition has mounted an attack on the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti alliance government and The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, on Sunday, claimed responsibility for the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique through a social media post. The 66-year-old politician was fatally shot outside his son’s office in Bandra, Mumbai during Dussehra celebrations on Saturday night. A viral Facebook post, allegedly from a gang member, said Siddique was targetted for his close association with Bollywood actor Salman Khan and his alleged connections with underworld figures, including Dawood Ibrahim. The post also mentioned Anuj Thapan, an accused in the shooting near Khan’s residence who later committed suicide in police custody. The Facebook user, with a pseudo name and profile picture of Shubuu Lonkar, wrote in the post, “Om, Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bharat, I understand the value of life and consider wealth and demanded it should be dismissed immediately. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said, “Baba Siddique was not just a former minister, he was a beloved figure in Mumbai. The state gov- the body as mere dust. I acted as per the duty of friendship.” The post went on to accuse Siddique of having ties to both Dawood Ibrahim and Salman Khan in matters related to Bollywood, politics, and property. Addressing the veteran Bollywood actor directly, the post said, “Salman Khan, we did not want this conflict, but you caused the death of our brother. The chapter of Baba Siddique is closed today. He was once involved in MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) cases with Dawood. His connections to Dawood and Salman were the reason for his death.” The post continued with a warning: “We have no personal vendetta against anyone, but those who support Salman Khan or the Dawood gang must be ready to face the consequences. We do not strike first. Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bharat, salute to the martyrs.” In a poetic style. the post read, “I understand the value of life, and wealth is just dust to me. I acted rightly, fulfilling the duty of friendship.” ernment had provided him with security, and yet they failed to protect him.” Amid the Opposition’s criticism, the chief minister has given instructions to bury Siddiqui with state honours. Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana President Murmu leaves to get new govts this week on 3-nation tour of Africa STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 13 OCTOBER NEW DELHI, 13 OCTOBER The swearing-in ceremony of the new National Conferenceled alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir with Omar Abdullah as the Chief Minister is likely to be held on October 16 while Nayab Singh Saini is set to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Haryana on October 17. ''Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has recommended revocation of Central rule in Jammu and Kashmir to pave the way for swearing-in of the new government," an official said. It will be the first elected government in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of state into two union territories. In Haryana, the BJP is going to form a third successive government in the state with 48 legislators in the 90-member Assembly. Earlier on Friday evening, National Conference (NC) leader and Chief Minister-designate Omar Abdullah had met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar and staked claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. After meeting the LG, Omar Abdullah told mediapersons, “I have met LG Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhavan and submitted support letters from NC, Congress, CPI(M), AAP and independent candidates. “I requested him to decide the date for the oath-taking ceremony at the earliest so that the government can start functioning. It will be a long process as there is the central rule in J&K,” he added. "We have been told it would take two to three days. So, if it happens before Tuesday, we will have the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday. All I want to say is that Jammu will not be ignored by this government," the Chief Minister-designate had said. Omar Abdullah was on Thursday unanimously elected leader of the National Conference Legislature Party. National Conference-Congress alliance has won with majority in Jammu and Kashmir in the assembly polls. The alliance won 48 seats with NC carrying the alliance to power on its shoulders as Congress could win only six seats. Ninety assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir assembly went to the polls in threephased election. The letter of support by Congress and independents as well as the AAP paved the way for National Conference staking claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. President Droupadi Murmu left here on Sunday on a threenation tour of Africa to give an impetus to India's historic and civilisational links with the continent. During her week-long tour, the President will visit Algeria, Mauritania, and Malawi. This is the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to the three African nations. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), President Murmu will arrive in Algeria this evening and will be there till October 15, at the invitation of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The visit is expected to bolster the already cordial relations between India and Algeria, particularly in strategic sectors such as oil and gas, defence, and space cooperation. During the visit, the two Presidents will hold bilateral talks, while several Algerian dignitaries, including the Presidents of the Council of Nation (the upper house of the Algerian Parliament) and the National People’s Assembly (the lower house), are expected to call on her. The President will address the India-Algeria Economic Forum and the Sidi Abdellah Science and Technology Pole University. She will also inaugurate the India Corner at Hamma Garden at Jardin d’essai. From the North African country, she will travel to neighbouring Mauritania, which holds the Presidency of the African Union, on October 16. During the visit, President Murmu will hold talks with her Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani. Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay and Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk are expected to call on her. P12 SILVER 96,000 Siddique’s murder sends shockwaves across Maha STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min: 18.6 °C (1) SUN SETS 17:53 hrs MOON SETS 03:41 hrs HARMANPREET BECOMES MOST EXPENSIVE PLAYER P9 Former minister was shot at by 3 assailants when he was getting into his car outside son's office in Bandra Min. 28 % Max: 35.1 °C (+2) SUN RISES 06:22 hrs MOON RISES 15:57 hrs NIFTY MACRON CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN LEBANON BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 78.88q 0.43 PM GatiShakti adds speed to Viksit Bharat goal: Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 OCTOBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded completion of three years of the government’s transformative initiative PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and said it was adding speed to fulfil “our vision of a Viksit Bharat” and encouraging progress, entrepreneurship and innovation. Sharing on X, a post by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and a thread post by MyGov, the Prime Minister wrote: “PM GatiShakti National Master Plan has emerged as a transformative initiative aimed at revolutionising India’s infrastructure. It has significantly enhanced multimodal connectivity, driving faster and more efficient development across sectors.” Mr Modi said: “The seamless integration of various stakeholders has led to boosting logistics, reducing delays and creating new opportunities for several people.” With its vision to bring synergy across Ministries and Departments, and States and Union Territories (UTs), the PM GatiShakti has successfully laid the groundwork for seamless, multi-modal connectivity and accelerated economic growth. The PM GatiShakti has redefined how India plans and executes large-scale infrastructure projects. By harnessing geospatial data from 44 Central Min- istries and 36 States/UTs, the platform has significantly improved inter-ministerial coordination and streamlined project execution, linking with more than 1600 data layers to create a crucial tool for planning and executing infrastructure projects. To date, over 200 big-ticket infrastructure projects have been evaluated by the Networking Planning Group (NPG) from the perspective of the principles of the PM GatiShakti, viz. integrated planning & development of multimodal infrastructure, last-mile connectivity to economic and social nodes, intermodal connectivity, enhance logistics efficiency and synchronised implementation of projects. Mr Goyal had posted on X: “Today marks 3 years since the launch of the PM #GatiShakti National Master Plan for Multimodal Connectivity by PM @NarendraModi ji. By streamlining logistics and advancing connectivity, this pathbreaking initiative ensures faster and more efficient project implementation.” India declared trachoma-free by WHO STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 OCTOBER In a significant public health achievement, India has been officially declared free from trachoma by the World Health Organization (WHO), said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. This milestone comes after years of dedicated efforts by the government to protect the vision of millions, emphasising the importance of healthy eyesight for every individual, it said. Trachoma, a highly contagious bacterial infection, has been a major cause of preventable blindness worldwide. The eye disease is caused by infection with the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis. The primary source of trachoma infection is the eye secretions of infected individuals. It can be transmitted through several routes, including close physical contact, such as playing together or sharing a bed, especially among mothers and affected children, sharing towels, handkerchiefs, pillows and other personal items, houseflies, which can carry the Trachoma, a highly contagious bacterial infection, has been a major cause of preventable blindness worldwide. The eye disease is caused by infection with the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis. infection, and coughing and sneezing. Environmental risk factors that promote the transmission of trachoma include poor hygiene practices, overcrowded living conditions, water scarcity, inadequate latrines and sanitation facilities. According to WHO, an estimated 150 million people worldwide are affected by Trachoma and six million of them are blind or at risk of visually disabling complications. Among them the infective stages of trachoma are usually found in children. As children experience repeated infections, scarring can occur on the inner surface of their upper eyelids. This scarring leads to a painful condition known as trachomatous trichiasis, where the eyelid margin turns inward, causing the eyelashes to constantly rub against the eyeball, but the hazards don’t end there. If left untreated, this condition can lead to visual impairment. Research shows that individuals may need to endure more than 150 infections over their lifetime to develop severe complications associated with blinding trachoma. Navies of Quad nations engaged in various collaborative events as part of Malabar Exercise STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 OCTOBER The navies of the four Quad nations--India, Australia, Japan and the United States-- have been engaged in various collaborative events as part of their ongoing Malabar Exercise 2024. The much talked-about exercise, which is closely being monitored in both China and Pakistan, was kicked off at Visakhapatnam on October 9. It is being coordinated by the Eastern Naval Command. Various activities under the exercise include Key Leadership Engagement (KLE), Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE), cross-deck visits, sports fixtures, and pre-sailing discussions, all aimed at enhancing maritime cooperation, building camaraderie, and fostering operational synergy. Key leadership engagement of the senior naval hierarchy has been a special feature of the exercise, with Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOCin-C), Eastern Naval Command, Admiral Stephen Koehler, Commander US Pacific Fleet, Vice Admiral Katsushi Omachi, Commander-in-Chief, SelfDefense Fleet, Japan, and Rear Admiral Chris Smith, Commander Australian Fleet, meeting to discuss ways to strength- en mutual naval interoperability Further reinforcing this and cooperation in the Indo- bond, the Subject Matter Expert Pacific region, as well as the Exchanges and cross-deck visits future of Malabar exercises. have provided valuable oppor- tunities for the participating nations to exchange knowledge and best practices towards promoting deeper engagement and understanding. These interactions have highlighted the importance of collaboration to enhance maritime security and achieve shared goals in maritime operations. The crews from Australia, India, Japan and the United States participated in friendly sports fixtures, further reinforcing the camaraderie and bonhomie among the teams. From the seas to the fields, the spirit of teamwork and friendship embodied the theme of Stronger Together, exemplifying the spirit of Malabar 2024 beyond naval operations. The crews also enjoyed a memorable Indian dinner, with the rich flavors of Indian cuisine setting the stage for enhancing cultural familiarity between the navies. As the harbour phase of Malabar 2024 draws to a close, pre-sailing discussions have taken centre stage, focusing on strategies to ensure maximum operational synergy during the upcoming sea phase in the Bay of Bengal, scheduled from 14 October. The multifaceted interactions at various levels have all been instrumental in cementing cooperation, sharing expertise, and enhancing maritime security.
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