SATURDAY 14 DECEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 |LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ENDING A WAR INDIA WANTS TERROR-FREE TIES WITH PAKISTAN P5 SENSEX 82,133.12p843.16 WEATHER Partly cloudy. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 25°C and 13°C respectively. ‘WORK IMPORTANT, NOT AWARDS’ P8 NIFTY 24,768.30p219.60 ` vs $ 84.78 P9 GOLD 79,320.00 ‘Opposition has often insulted Parliament’ Rajnath initiates discussion in LS on 75 years of Constitution’s adoption RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY AGENCIES Max. 66% Min. 51% NEW DELHI, 13 DECEMBER Min: 13.2˚C SUN SETS 16:54 hrs MOON SETS 04:51 hrs special two-day discussion to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution started in the Lok Sabha on Friday with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiating the debate. He began his speech by paying tributes to the martyrs of the 2021 Parliament terror attack. The Defence Minister hailed the Constitution and called it a roadmap to keep the country united, democratic and selfreliant. “We the people of India adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949...I heartily congratulate this House and all the citizens of the country on the occasion of the completion of 75 years of adoption of the Constitution... I can say that our Constitution paves the way for nation building by touching all aspects of social, economic, political and cultural life...” “The Constitution of Constitution is suraksha kavach, BJP tried to break it: Priyanka TEMPERATURE Max: 25.6˚C SUN RISES 06:08 hrs MOON RISES 15:46 hrs Full Moon on 15 December THUMBNAILS A flock of pigeons seen taking a sunbath on a cold winter day, at Phool Bagh Chauraha in Kanpur on Friday. n ANI Telangana HC grants interim bail to Allu Arjun in theatre stampede incident: Telangana High Court on Friday granted interim bail to Tollywood actor Allu Arjun, minutes after a city court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days in the case relating to a stampede at a theatre during the premier show of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ that killed a woman. The High Court gave interim bail for four weeks during the hearing of the quash petition filed by the actor. (Page 6) A NEW DELHI, 13 DECEMBER India is a moral compass for every citizen and provides a strong sense of identity to every individual," said Mr Singh. He said that many try to paint it as a gift of the colonial rule, and a collation of the good of many Constitutions of the Western civilisations." “The role of many in drafting the Constitution was muted out. It was born out of the sacred fire of the Independence movement, its roots were nourished by the blood of soldiers,” said Mr Singh. The Defence Minister said that many who were not a part of the com- mittee that drafted the Constitution contributed significantly to it. He named Madan Mohan Malaviya, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh and Veer Savarkar. He said the BJP-led government has over the years worked to protect the Constitution and several key schemes have been developed keeping in mind the important elements of the Constitution. The Minister attacked the Opposition saying it has insulted the Constitution on many occasions. Without naming the Congress, he said that one party has worked to hijack the Constitution. UNDER PRESSURE INDIA AIM TO REGAIN SERIES LEAD IN BRISBANE Asserting that the Constitution is a "suraksha kavach" (protective shield) that keeps the countrymen safe, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday accused the BJP-led Centre of making every effort to break this shield in the last 10 years. Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha marking the 75th anniversary of the Constitution’s adoption, Vadra in her maiden speech in the House said: “Our Constitution is a ‘protective shield’ that keeps the countrymen safe. This is a shield of justice, unity and freedom of expression. It’s very sad that colleagues of the ruling party (BJP) have made every effort to break this shield in the last 10 years.” SNS P16 SILVER 1,04,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 73.77p0.36 Dhankhar vs Kharge face-off in Rajya Sabha over no-trust motion STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 DECEMBER The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Friday after chaos erupted in the House as the Opposition and Treasury members traded barbs over farmers' issues and the no-confidence motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. An altercation took place between Mr Dhankhar and Leader of Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge over the no-trust motion. Mr Kharge accused the chairman of “partisan” conduct in the Rajya Sabha. Mr Dhankhar, in response, said: “I am a farmer's son; I will not show weakness. I will sacrifice my life for my country. You (opposition) have only one job 24 hours a day, why is a farmer's son sitting here... look what you are saying... you have the right to bring a motion but you are insulting the Constitution.” Mr Kharge retorted: “I am also a son of a farmer. I have faced more challenges than you... You are insulting our party leaders; you are insulting the Congress... We have not come here to listen to your praises”, adding that they have come to the House for discussion. PM Modi dubs 2025 Maha Kumbh a ‘mahayagya of unity’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KUMBHNAGAR, 13 DECEMBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dubbed next year's Maha Kumbh as a “mahayagya of unity” which would take the spiritual and cultural identity of India to new peaks. Addressing a gathering while inaugurating and launching multiple development projects worth around Rs 5500 crore here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “A new history is being written on the land of Prayagraj.” The Prime Minister pointed out the past neglect of Kumbh and religious pilgrimages by previous governments, stating that despite the significance of these events, devotees faced difficulties. (See Page 13)