SATURDAY 21 DECEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘OPPN SHOULD RAISE ISSUES BY FOLLOWING RULES INSTEAD OF DISRUPTING PARL ’ KTR GETS RELIEF FROM HIGH COURT TILL 30 DECEMBER P8 SENSEX 78,041.59q1,176.45 WEATHER SMOG/MODERATE TO DENSE FOG IS LIKELY IN THE MORNING.MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SMOG/SHALLOW FOG IS LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT.THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 23 AND 08 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % TEMPERATURE P5 23,587.50q364.20 ` vs $ 85.03 THUMBNAILS Devotees throng Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Ajmer on Friday. n ANI Eight burnt to death, 50 injured in LPG tanker truck explosion in Jaipur: At least eight people were killed and around 50 sustained serious burns when a LPG tanker exploded with a big bang after collision with a truck near Bhankrota on the outskirts of the city Friday morning. The tanker was taking a turn towards Bagru at the Ajmer Jaipur Highway when a speeding truck hit it from the rear causing the explosion in the tanker that instantly caught fire. (P5) Speaker warns of action over protests in Parl premises T he Winter Session of Parliament ended with the adjournment sine die of the two Houses on Friday without transacting any business amid escalating tensions between ruling NDA members and those on the Opposition benches over the Ambedkar issue. Before the two Houses were adjourned, the two important Bills relating to 'One Nation, One Election' were referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B R Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday have triggered a storm with Opposition Members demanding an apology from him or his dismissal, leading to frequent disruptions and frequent adjournment of the two Houses. This morning, the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die shortly after it began the proceedings, a day after a massive scuffle in STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 DECEMBER the Parliament premises which resulted in injuries to two BJP MPs--Mukesh Rajput and Pratap Chandra Sarangi. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal today moved a motion that the Bills to further amend the Constitution of India, the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 be referred to a JPC. The motion was approved by the House amid din. The 27 Lok Sabha members on the JPC include P P Chaudhary, Dr C M Ramesh, Bansuri India raises Pannun's threat to Indian envoy with Washington Swaraj, Anurag Singh Thakur, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Dr Sambit Patra, Anil Baluni, Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Manish Tewari, Sukhdeo Bhagat, Dharmendra Yadav, Chhotelal, Kalyan Banerjee, Anil Yeshwant Desai, Supriya Sule and Dr Shrikant Eknath Shinde. There are 12 members from the Rajya Sabha. In order to constitute a sitting of the Joint Committee, the quorum will be one-third of the total number of members of the JPC. The Committee will submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the first day of the last week of the next session. Lok Sabha Speaker PM Birla on Friday warned the members that there should not be any sort of protests at the 'dwars' of Parliament, and said that action will be taken in case this is violated. The House was adjourned sine die. The Speaker said that there should be no protest at any of the "dwars" of Parliament, adding that ''it is not appropriate''. He said Parliament will have to take appropriate action in case of violation. ''Maintaining the dignity of Parliament is collective responsibility,'' he pointed out. The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die shortly after it began proceedings for the day, a day after massive Parliament scuffle. NEW DELHI, 20 DECEMBER with the US government and it is our expectation that the US government will take our security concerns seriously," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing on Friday. In a recent video message, Mr Pannun accused Ambassador Kwatra of being the face of the "India-Russia terror nexus," claiming he is under surveillance by proKhalistan groups. Mr Pannun alleged that Mr Kwatra has been coordinating with Russian diplomats to counter Khalistani activism in North America. The US govt, taking such threats seriously, has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety of Indian diplomats and others serving in the country. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 71.94q0.51 Intensify efforts against anti-India elements: HM Amit Shah to SSB STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SILIGURI, 20 DECEMBER Union Home Minister Amit Shah today urged the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) to intensify its efforts to identify and take action against anti-India elements operating along the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders. Addressing the SSB’s 61st Raising Day Anniversary at Ranidanga in Siliguri, Mr. Shah commended the force’s vigilance in guarding the unfenced 2,450-kilometre-long borders with the two neighbouring countries. “SSB has been diligently securing these borders, but it is crucial to monitor and curb anti-India activities along these regions. Identifying such elements and ensuring they are brought to justice is essential for national security,” Mr Shah said. He emphasised the strategic significance of the Siliguri Corridor, which connects the north-eastern states and lies between the Mahananda and Teesta rivers. “The Siliguri Corridor (close to the Chicken Neck region) is extremely sensitive. SSB’s responsibilities here are heightened, and I am confident in their ability to safeguard the nation’s interests,” he added. Highlighting the SSB’s achievements, Mr Shah lauded its role in maintaining border security and fostering trust and friendship with local communities. During his speech, Mr Shah highlighted the SSB’s efforts in reclaiming significant tracts of government land that were allegedly encroached upon, doing so with zero tolerance and without any conflict, in line with the Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty. Appreciating the SSB’s role in combating Naxalite activities in Jharkhand and Bihar, Mr Shah asserted that both states are now free from Naxalite and Maoist movements. “SSB has significantly curbed Naxalite activities that plagued these states for four decades. Their operations have also been instrumental in Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh,” Mr India lodges protest with Dhaka over social media post of Bangladesh chief adviser's aide "We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down. We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments,'' MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said NEW DELHI, 20 DECEMBER STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P12 SILVER 99,000 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE In a recent video message, Mr Pannun accused Ambassador Kwatra of being the face of the "India-Russia terror nexus," claiming he is under surveillance by proKhalistan groups. India has raised with the United States the threat issued by Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to Indian Ambassador to the USA, Vinay Mohan Kwatra and hoped Washington will take New Delhi's security concerns seriously. "We take the threats very seriously and we raise it with the US government. In this case, also, we have raised it GOLD 77,820.00 Bills relating to 'ONOE' were referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee NEW DELHI, 20 DECEMBER Min: 07.5 °C (-1) SUN SETS 17:29 hrs MOON SETS 12:00 hrs P7 Parliament’s Winter session comes to end STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 52 % Max: 23.3 °C (+1) SUN RISES 07:10 hrs MOON RISES 23:21 hrs NIFTY SAM KONSTAS JOINS OZ SQUAD FOR LAST 2 TESTS OF BGT SERIES ‘PEOPLE’S NEEDS DROVE ME’ India has registered a strong protest with Bangladesh over the recent comments made in a social media post by Mahfuz Alam, a close aide of Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, in which he reportedly threatened to capture parts of India on 'Vijay Diwas', the day that marks India's victory over Bangladesh in the 1971 war. "We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down. We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments,'' Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. He said that while India has repeatedly signalled interest in fostering cordial relations with the people and the interim government of Bangladesh, such comments underline the need for responsibility in public articulation. In his social media post that he subsequently withdrew following widespread backlash, Mr Alam highlighted cultural similarities between his country and parts of India, which he claimed, transcend religious differences. He also shared a map portraying the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam as territories of Bangladesh. On the Bangladesh Chief Adviser Yunus calling for the revival of SAARC during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the MEA spokesperson said it is very well known why SAARC, a grouping of eight South Asian countries, is lying in ‘Trinamul to hold protest Andhra woman receives decayed against body, ₹1-cr extortion letter in parcel rallies on Monday remarks’ Shah’s Ambedkar PARMOD KUMAR STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES HYDERABAD, 20 DECEMBER KOLKATA, 20 DECEMBER A woman in Andhra Pradesh who was expecting a consignment containing electrical appliances for her home received a wooden crate containing a partially decomposed body and a threat letter demanding Rs 1.3 crore. The incident occurred last evening at Yendagandi village in West Godavari district at the under-construction house of Naga Tulasi. The woman who had been abandoned by her husband previously, was building her own home at a site allotted to her by the government. She had requested aid from the Kshatriya Seva Samithi which had earlier sent her tiles and other construction material. This time she was expecting a consignment of electrical goods. She had earlier received a WhatsApp message which said the goods would be delivered to her. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that her Trinamul Congress will organise blocklevel and ward-level protest rallies on 23 December condemning the recent remarks by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah about Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Noting that Ambedkar envisioned a nation built on values of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity, where all classes, castes, creeds, and communities could live in harmony, Miss Banerjee, in a statement, said: “This is not just an insult to Babasaheb but an attack on the entire Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, an assault on the legacy of our freedom fighters, and a betrayal of our Dalit and Adivasi brethren.” “To condemn this, we will organise protest rallies NEW DELHI, 20 DECEMBER The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission had observed that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had not issued specific guidelines capping the interest rates that banks could charge on credit facilities, including credit cards. This lack of regulation, the NCDRC had said, allowed the banks to set high interest rates, potentially exploiting consumers, especially those in vulnerable financial situations. Police at the scene. n AGENCIES The consignment was delivered in an autorickshaw. Upon opening the crate, she found a plastic-wrapped object which turned out to be a decomposed body of a man, approximately, 45 years of age. Apart from the body, the crate also contained a letter demanding Rs 1.3 crore. It claimed that the missing husband of Tulasi had borrowed Rs 3 lakh, which with interest had compounded to Rs 1.3 crore. The family then called the police. The Superintendent of Police of West Godavari visited the site for investigations and the police removed the body to the Bhimavaram government hospital to conduct an autopsy. Initial investigations suggest the man has been dead for at least 3-4 days. The police are also investigating the philanthropic body to which Tulasi had reached out for help. Ex-Haryana CM Chautala dies at 89 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE CHANDIGARH, 20 DECEMBER cold storage. ''We want to strengthen regional cooperation...BIMSTEC is a connectivity programme. SAARC also is a programme for regional cooperation...everybody knows why it is in the cold,'' he said. The Indian government has always articulated the view that SAARC cannot progress until Pakistan stops promoting cross-border terrorism. SC sets aside 2008 NCDRC judgment capping interest on credit card dues at 30 pc The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the 2008 judgment of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) which while capping the interest rates on the credit card dues at 30 per cent, had said that the banks charging interest in excess of 30 per cent on credit card dues would amount to unfair trade practice. The 2008 NCDRC judgment was set aside by a bench of Justice Belas M. Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma. The copy of the judgment is awaited. In 2008, the NCDRC took strong exception to the banks for charging interest rates between 36 percent to 49 percent on credit card dues. The national consumer forum had said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) failed to regulate this practice. Shah said. Over the past year, the SSB has achieved notable successes, including apprehending 4,000 individuals involved in border crimes, seizing 16,000 kilograms of contraband, recovering 208 arms, and rescuing 301 victims of human trafficking along the Indo-Nepal and IndoBhutan borders. Additionally, the force has neutralised 19 terrorists and apprehended 14 in Jammu and Kashmir. Recalling former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s vision of “one border, one force” in 2001, Mr Shah highlighted the SSB’s efforts in promoting cultural and linguistic harmony along the borders. He also commended the SSB for its role in skill development projects and employment generation in border areas. across all blocks of Bengal and every ward of Kolkata on 23rd December, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. I urge you to join us in this fight to defend Babasaheb's legacy and our Constitutional spirit. Let’s unite to hold the BJP accountable for their unforgivable actions." Miss Banerjee, also the Trinamul chief, also accused the BJP of systematically demolishing the country’s constitutional ethos and "tearing apart the democratic values and the principles that bind the Indians as a nation". Om Prakash Chautala, a fivetime Chief Minister and towering figure of Haryana, passed away at the age of 89. The son of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, he died after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence in Gurugram today. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, expressed his anguish at the death of former Haryana CM. Expressing his grief, the PM said on X," He (Chautala) was active in the state politics for many years and strove constantly to advance the work of Devi Lal,". He expressed his condolences to his family members and supporters. The state funeral of former Chief Minister shall take place at Teja Khera Farm, Sirsa, at 3 pm tomorrow. The state government has declared three-days state mourning on 20, 21 and 22 December during which the National Flag will be flown at half mast throughout the state on all buildings. All government functions stand cancelled and there will be no official entertainment. A public holiday has been declared on 21 December in all state government offices as a mark of respect to the departed soul, as per an official order issued on Friday. Earlier, the senior INLD leader suffered a cardiac arrest early in the day and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. However, despite the efforts of the medical team, he could not be revived, according to a news agency. (See Page 3)