KOLKATA'S CRIME WRITERS UNITE FRIDA KAHLO KALIGHAT PAINTINGS AT TEJAS ART GALLERY 18 MAY 2025 www.thestatesman.com GUJARAT AIM TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM AGAINST DELHI X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 PAGE 16 SINCE 1818 PAGES 16 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERY DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS AFTERNOON/EVENING. SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS OCCASIONALLY GUSTING TO 35 KMPH. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 41 AND 27 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 001.4 Mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 60 % TEMPERATURE Max: 40.8°C (+0.4) SUN RISES 05:29 hrs MOON RISES 00:08 hrs Min. 28 % Min: 24.3 °C (-2.2) SUN SETS 19:07 hrs MOON SETS 09:49 hrs THUMBNAILS An Indian Air Force maintenance team, along with United States Air Force personnel, resolves a technical issue on USAF’s-C-17 aircraft at the Jaipur airbase in Jaipur on Saturday.nANI India approves emergency procurement powers for defence forces to buy arms, ammo: Amid the ongoing Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, the defence forces are set to get a big boost of around Rs 40,000 crore to buy arms and ammunition. The approval for the acquisitions under emergency powers was granted recently by the Defence Acquisition Council in its meeting attended by top defence ministry and military brass, defence officials told agencies. Cong, BJP spar over Tharoor Tharoor said he was ‘honoured’ to be chosen by the govt to lead one of the all-party delegations SHAHID K ABBAS NEW DELHI, 17 MAY R umblings of discontent between the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party shot to fore on Saturday on ruling dispensation's proposal to include Shashi Tharoor as one of the MPs to lead the multi-party delegation to globally expose Pak-sponsored terror. Making a formal announcement today to dispatch multiple delegations of MPs from across the political spectrum to major world capitals for a diplomatic outreach to expose Pakistan's hand in the recent Pahalgam terror attack and to mobilise global support against crossborder terrorism, the government named seven MPs including Shashi Tharoor and Supriya Sule to lead multi-party delegation. Besides Shashi Tharoor and Natioalist Congress Party (SP)’s Supriya Sule, the list includes Bharatiya Janata Party’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Baijayant Panda, Janata Dal (United)’s Sanjay Kumar Jha, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Eknath Shinde. Taking serious exception to the government's announcement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh dubbed the move as "dishonest" on part of the government. "Giving four names, announcing another is dishonest," Mr Ramesh said on his X handle. "We were asked for names. We expected that the names we had given would be included....But when we saw the press release of PIB, we were surprised. I cannot say what will happen now. Asking four names, giving four names, and announcing another name is dishonest on the government's part," Mr Ramesh said asserting "It is possible that' Mr Rijiju had talked to Rahul ji and Kharge even after the government had made up their mind, but I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. But what happened is dishonest, " The Congress leader said. Congress, which had on Friday consented to participate in the multi-party delegations "keeping national interest above all, ” had proposed the names of Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar. Jairam Ramesh asserted that all the people who are in Congress belong to Congress and that there US govt warns people staying beyond their authorised period to face deportation or ban STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 MAY The US Embassy in India on Saturday warned that people who stay in the country beyond their authorised period of stay will face deportation or a permanent ban on travelling to America in the future. ''If you remain in the United States beyond your authorized period of stay, you could be deported and could face a permanent ban on traveling to the United States in the future,'' the embassy said in a social media post on 'X'. The announcement came a day after a federal appeals court in the US refused to allow the Trump administration to restart deporting migrants to nations other than their own without prior notice or the opportunity to seek protection from persecution or torture. The US First Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration's request to block a lower court decision halting the policy. The court's decision came amid rising concerns over reported plans to send migrants to Libya, a country criticised for the mistreatment of detainees and ongoing civil unrest. The appellate panel voiced several "concerns" about letting the government resume the policy, including "the irreparable harm that will result from wrongful removals in this context." Earlier in March, the US District Judge Brian Murphy stopped the Trump administration from deporting migrants to nations other than their own without prior written notice and a chance to contest the removal from the US, CNN reported. Earlier in April, US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reminded all foreign nationals present in the country for over 30 days that the deadline to register under the Alien Registration Act is April 11. The law requires all foreign nationals in the United States for more than 30 days to register with the federal government. Failure to register is considered a crime, punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both. is a "huge difference between being in Congress and being of Congress." He further said that the Congress party extended their support in everything, but today, when the names were announced, the party was "surprised." Reacting to Congress's discontent, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya questioned as to why the Congress MP did not feature in their own list? “No one can deny Shashi Tharoor’s eloquence, his long experience as a United Nations official, and his deep insights on matters of foreign policy. So why has the Congress Party — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — chosen not to nominate him for the multiparty delegations being sent abroad to explain India’s position on key issues,” Malviya said in a post on handle X. “The Congress party’s choices to represent India at diplomatic meetings are not just intriguing -- they are deeply questionable,” Mr Malviya further said in his post on X. He also questioned the suitability of Congress' -- Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi -- for such diplomatic assignments. Meanwhile, Mr Tharoor said he was "honoured" to be chosen by the Government of India to lead one of the all-party delegation. "I am honoured by the invitation of the Government of India to lead an all-party delegation to five key capitals, to present our nation's point of view on recent events. When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting. Jai Hind, " Mr Tharoor said in a post on handle X. According to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, these AllParty Delegations will be visiting important partner nations, including members of the United Nations Security Council, later this month likely from May 22 to June 1. The countries where the delegations will be dispatched include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Egypt, the United States, and Japan. As per media reports other MPs expected to participate in the delegation include BJP’s Anurag Thakur, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and Tejasvi Surya, Telugu Desam Party's Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Congress’ Manish Tewari, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s Asaduddin Owaisi. Rahul accuses Jaishankar of passing info to Pak ahead of airstrikes, govt refutes STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 MAY Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar of committing a “crime” by informing Pakistan before launching an airstrike. In support of his accusation, Mr Gandhi posted a video clip on his WhatsApp channel, showing Jaishankar saying: "At the start of the operation we have sent a message to Pakistan saying we are striking a terrorist infrastructure. We are not striking at the military. So the military has an option of standing out and not interfering in this process." Asserting that the "EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it, Mr Gandhi asked "who authorised it?.....How many aircrafts did our airforce lose as a result?" However, the government has since refuted the allegations saying Mr Gandhi's claims were "misleading." The Fact Check Unit of A judge cannot ignore ground realities, says CJI BR Gavai AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 17 MAY At the Bar Council of India (BCI) felicitation event, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice B R Gavai delivered a compelling address, emphasising the crucial role of judges in understanding and responding to societal realities. The Bar Council of India (BCI) held a felicitation function on Saturday in the national capital to honour the 52nd CJI following his recent appointment. Justice Gavai firmly stated that today's judiciary cannot afford to view legal matters in strict black-and-white terms while ignoring the complexities of human experiences. CJI Gavai recalled his initial hesitation in accepting the judgeship as his father had told him that continuing as a lawyer would bring financial prosperity, but also under- scored that serving as a judge in a constitutional court would allow him to carry forward Dr B.R. Ambedkar's vision of social and economic justice. Choosing to abide by his father's advice, Justice Gavai reflected with satisfaction on his 22-year tenure as a High Court judge and six years as a Supreme Court judge, asserting that he had always strived to give his best to the judicial system. The CJI stressed that isolation is not an effective approach for those in the judiciary, dismissing the notion that Supreme Court judges should refrain from engaging with people. He has consistently championed inclusivity in judicial appointments, advocating for the representation of marginalised communities and women. He recalled a significant conference attended by former CJI D Y Chandrachud and various High Court Chief Justices, where Chandrachud urged them to actively consider candidates from underrepresented sections of society for judicial roles. Acknowledging the challenges in identifying women candidates for certain positions, Justice Gavai encouraged Chief Justices to consider highly skilled female advocates from the Supreme Court pool. He expressed optimism about the success of these efforts, assuring that the positive impact of these inclusivity measures would be visible soon. Justice Gavai also highlighted the pressing issue of judicial vacancies, noting that these gaps contribute significantly to case pendency. He reaffirmed the Collegium's commitment to reducing vacancies and urged the executive to adopt a cooperative approach in expediting appointments. His vision for a more responsive and effective judiciary centred on collaboration between different branches of governance. He concluded his speech by sharing a milestone first appointment he cleared as CJI was of a judge from an extremely marginalised community in Karnataka. This decision, he emphasised, reflects his commitment to social justice and the belief that a judiciary must reflect the diversity of the society it serves. the Press Information Bureau clarified that no such admission was made by the EAM. In yet another clarification, the PIB unit also denied reports that Mr Jaishankar had said Chinese satellites assisted Pakistan during its military confrontation with India. Centre's statement: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday strongly refuted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s charges that External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar had informed Pakistan before the starting of Operation Sindoor, calling that it was "utter misrepresentation of facts". The XP Division of the MEA in a statement said, "EAM had stated that we had warned Pakistan *at the start*, which is clearly the early phase after Op Sindoor’s commencement. This is being falsely represented as being *before* the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out." RS Dy Chairman Harivansh to lead Indian delegation for Pope’s inuguration STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 MAY An official Indian delegation, led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and comprising Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton, will visit Vatican City to attend Pope Leo XIV's inauguration ceremony on May 18. The participation of the Indian delegation in this important global ecclesiastical event reflects India’s deep commitment to interfaith engagement, mutual respect among communities, and diplomatic engagement with the Holy See, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended wishes to Pope Leo XIV and expressed India's commitment to continued dialogue and engagement with the Holy See to further shared values. Govt to launch digital platform for e-filing in trade remedy investigations YouTuber among 6 arrested in widening espionage probe in Haryana STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE In a major crackdown on an espionage network, Haryana Police on Saturday announced the arrest of six individuals, including travel vlogger Jyoti Rani (photo) from Hisar and a student from Kaithal, among others from different parts of the state. Jyoti, who runs a travelrelated YouTube channel titled ‘Travel with Jo’, was produced in Hisar district court after her arrest and was remanded to five days of police custody. According to the FIR registered at Civil Lines Police Station in Hisar, accessed by The Statesman, Jyoti came into contact with Ahsan-UrRahim alias Danish at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi in 2023 during a visa-related visit. The FIR further states that Jyoti travelled twice to Pakistan, during which Danish intro- NEW DELHI, 17 MAY The government is developing a digital platform to enable the electronic submission of documents in trade remedy investigations. The platform is expected to go live soon, offering enhanced transparency, efficiency, and ease of access for all stakeholders, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said on the occasion of the 8th Foundation Day of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR). On this occasion, the Director General of DGTR applauded the commitment and tireless efforts of the organization’s officers and staff in upholding the integrity of India's trade remedy ecosystem. Since 1995, India has ini- tiated over 1,200 trade remedy investigations. The DGTR has played a central role in this process by conducting investigations swiftly, often concluding within a year, to ensure timely relief for affected industries. Recent interventions have protected domestic sectors, including solar energy and advanced materials, such as solar cells and copper wire rods, from unfairly priced imports and subsidized goods. Through safeguard duties and quantitative restrictions, the DGTR has also responded to sudden import surges, for products such as palm oil and metallurgical coke, helping stabilize markets and preserve industrial competitiveness. Its proactive approach has been particularly crucial for manufacturing sectors vulnerable to volatile global trade dynamics. RAHUL GAHLAWAT NEW DELHI, 17 MAY duced her to Pakistani intelligence officers Shakib and Rana Shehbaz. She saved Shakib’s contact in her phone under the alias ‘Jat Randhawa’. Investigations revealed she remained in touch with the officers through social media platforms such as Snapchat and Telegram to share sensitive information, and had met Danish multiple times in Delhi. Notably, Ahsan-Ur-Rahim, with whom Jyoti maintained prolonged contact, was declared persona non grata by the Government of India on May 13 for engaging in espionage-related activities. Jyoti has been charged under Section 152 of the Indian Penal Code (acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India) and the Official Secrets Act, 1923. Speaking on the arrest, DSP Kamaljeet said, "Some suspicious material was recov- Jyoti runs a travel-related YouTube channel titled ÂTravel with JoÊ. Jyoti came into contact with Ahsan-Ur-Rahim alias Danish at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi in 2023 during a visa-related visit. The FIR further states that Jyoti travelled twice to Pakistan, during which Danish introduced her to Pakistani intelligence officers Shakib and Rana Shehbaz. ered from her laptop and mobile phone. She is currently under five days' remand for questioning. She was in continuous contact with a Pakistani national." In a related development, 25-year-old Devender Dhillon, a resident of Mastgarh Cheeka village in Kaithal district, was also arrested on espionage charges. Devender, a postgraduate student at Khalsa College, Patiala, allegedly came into contact with ISI agents during a religious visit to Kartarpur Sahib. According to the police, he shared strategic details, including updates on "Operation Sindoor"—a recent Indian military retaliation against terror camps in Pakistanoccupied Kashmir following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that claimed 25 civilian lives. Devender had attracted attention through social media posts displaying firearms and controversial remarks in support of Pakistan. He has been charged under the National Security Act (NSA) and sedition-related provisions. His electronic devices have been seized for forensic analysis. In another case, Arman, a resident of Nuh district in Haryana, was arrested for allegedly sending sensitive military information to Pakistan via WhatsApp. Photos from the Defense Expo 2025 and conversations with Pakistani contacts were found on his phone. He is charged under the Official Secrets Act and sections related to treason. The fourth arrest in the network involves Guzala, a 32-year-old widow from Malerkotla, Punjab. On February 27, 2025, Guzala visited the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to apply for a visa, where she met Danish. He gained her trust by proposing marriage and initiated a romantic relationship through messages and video calls. He also assisted in securing her visa to Pakistan. Also arrested was Yameen Mohammad from Malerkotla, who allegedly worked with Danish in financial transactions and visa-related activities.