MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘IF CONG DOES NOT WANT MY SERVICE, I HAVE OTHER OPTIONS’ P4 WEATHER MIST LIKELY IN THE MORNING. MAINLY CLEAR SKY BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY SKY TOWARDS AFTERNOON. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 27 AND 11 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % TEMPERATURE Max: 26.7 °C (+1.2) SUN RISES 06:50 hrs MOON RISES 04:59 hrs P6 Main agenda of such people is to divide our religion and society: PM BHOPAL, 23 FEBRUARY Min: .10.3 °C (-1.5) SUN SETS 18:18 hrs MOON SETS 14:20 hrs THUMBNAILS People participate in the Patna marathon, in Patna on Sunday. n ANI AAP legislative party elects Atishi as LoP in the Delhi Assembly: Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai announced on Sunday that former chief minister Atishi has been elected leader of the legislative party, and hence will be the leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly. He said a decision to this effect was taken unanimously by the legislative party at a meeting held here on Sunday. Dr Sandeep Pathak was present as the observer. (P2) P10 ‘Some leaders mock religion, attack faith’ GAURAV CHANDRA Min. 36 % ‘AI DOWNLOADS IN INDIA SURPASS US, CHINA’ MUSK AND SOROS P rime Minister Narendra Modi charged on Sunday that some politicians in the country are still bogged down by a ‘slave mentality’ and consistently make fun of the Hindu religion and its progressive traditions, often with the support of foreign powers, in an attempt to divide the people and weaken the country. “Hindu aastha se nafrat karne wale aise log sadiyon se maujood hain. Gulami ki mansikta se ghire hue ye log hamare mann, siddhanto aur dharam pe hamla karte rahte hain aur hamare parvon aur paramparao ko gaali dete rahte hain,” the PM charged, hinting at the Congress and other opposition parties. “Jo dharam aur parampara swabhaav se hi pragatisheel hai, uss par ye log keechad uchalte hain. Hamare dharam aur samaj ko baantna aur hamari ekta ko ujaadna hi in logon ka agenda hai Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by Bageshwar Dham Sarkar Acharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri during the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Bageshwar Dham Medical and Science Research Institute, in Chhatarpur on Sunday. n ANI (Such people defame and malign the religion and traditions that are progressive by nature. The main agenda of such people is to divide our religion and society and destroy our unity),” the PM said. “Lekin hamare Dhirendra Shastri, logon ko jagruk karne ka kaam bahut samay se kar rahe hain ekta ke mantra se (But Dhirendra Shastri has been making people aware through his mantra of unity),” the PM said. He was speaking after performing the bhoomi pujan of a Cancer Hospital and Medical Science and Research Centre being constructed by Hindu seer Dhirendra Shastri’s Shri Bageshwar Dham Jan Seva Samiti at the Bageshwar Dham in Garha village under Rajnagar Teshil of Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday afternoon. The PM lauded Dhirendra Shastri for taking another significant initiative for the service of mankind and the poor and downtrodden cancer patients through this advanced and modern cancer hospital to be constructed in an area of 100 acres. “This centre of Hindu belief and worship is now going to become a centre of health as well,” Modi noted. He said that for ages, Hindu Matths, Dhaams and Temples have not only been centres of worship and faith but also of science and research. The PM pointed out that Hindu seers gave the science and knowledge of yoga, which is now being followed by the entire world. The PM said that he has always worked on the mission of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikaas’ and now ‘sabka ilaaj, sabko aarogya’ have also been added to it. “In the next three years, our government will open cancer day care centres in all districts of the country,” the PM said. He said all district hospitals would have cancer clinics too. "Modi is your son, and I will continue serving all of you," the PM said. HARDIK CLAIMS HIS 200TH INT’L WICKET ACROSS FORMATS P12 Champions Trophy: India thrash arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai thriller AJEYO BASU NEW DELHI, 23 FEBRUARY Virat Kohli returned to form in style with an unbeaten century to guide India to a six-wicket victory over archrivals Pakistan in a Group A clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Kohli remained not out on 100 runs off 111 balls as India chased down the 242run target in 42.3 overs. India have now accumulated 4 points from two matches. India were handed a good start by skipper Rohit Sharma who seemed to be in fine knick before being outfoxed by an inswinging yorker from Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi. However, Kohli took charge of the innings and was involved in a 69-run partnership with Shubman Gill and a 114-run stand with Shreyas Iyer to put India on course to victory. The former Team India captain brought up the win in style with a boundary off Khushdil Shah. Earlier, India subdued a spirited fight from the Pakistan batters to skittle them out for 241 runs. A half-century by Saud Shakeel and his 104-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan were the highlights of the Pakistan innings with Khushdil Shah putting up a useful contri- India's Virat Kohli plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Group A match against Pakistan, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday n ANI bution lower down the order. Kuldeep Yadav was the most successful among the Indian bowlers with figures of 3-40. Pakistan started off on a positive note with openers Babar Azam and Imam-ulHaq playing with intent. With the Pakistan batters settling down comfortably on a good batting surface and main strike pacer Mohammed Shami forced off the field with a leg injury, things were looking quite challenging for India. However, Pakistan suf- fered their first blow when Babar nicked a Hardik Pandya outswinger to the wicketkeeper. Imam followed him back to the pavilion soon after when he attempted a suicidal single only to see an accurate throw from Axar Patel hit the stumps. With the Indian bowlers dominating proceedings, Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel were forced to play defensively and there was a period of eight consecutive overs without any boundary.