MONDAY 18 MARCH 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR REVANTH REDDY ALLEGES CONSPIRACY TO TOPPLE GOVT SIMULTANEOUS POLLS TRUMP WARNS OF ‘BLOODBATH’ IF HE IS NOT ELECTED PRESIDENT P6 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thundershower likely in some areas towards evening/night. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 32 °C and 24 °C respectively. RAINFALL: 0.6mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 92 % TEMPERATURE Max: 30.3°C (-4) SUN RISES 05:43 hrs MOON RISES 10:54 hrs P4 Cong has a use-&-throw policy for its allies: Modi Min: 23.0°C (-1) SUN SETS 17:47 hrs MOON SETS 00:11 hrs Full Moon on 25 March THUMBNAILS Devotees after breaking their fast during 'Iftar' in the ongoing Ramadan month, at Jama Masjid in New Delhi on Sunday. ANI ED issues 9th summons to Kejriwal in Delhi liquor policy case: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday issued a ninth summons to Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the money laundering probe into the nowscrapped Delhi liquor policy case.The central probe agency has asked the Delhi chief minister to appear before it on 21 March for questioning in the case, sources said. ccusing the Congress of adopting a “use and throw” policy towards its alliance partners, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the parties in the INDIA bloc were already fighting among themselves in states like Kerala, West Bengal, and Punjab to further their selfinterests and wondered what would be their fate after the elections. Addressing the first NDA rally at Boppudi in Chilakaluripet mandal of Palanadu in Andhra Pradesh after the TDP rejoined the alliance, the prime minister, who shared the stage with N Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan after a decade, took potshots at the Congress and its alliance partners on the eve of the latter’s rally at Mumbai. “In the NDA, we take everybody along. But on the other side, there is Congress which has only one agenda – to use and throw its alliance partners. Even though Congress has now been compelled to form the INDI Alliance, its mindset has remained the same,” A Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by BJP Andhra Pradesh president during the public meeting in Palnadu on Sunday. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan are also seen. ANI he alleged. Mr Modi further said, “In Kerala, what do the Left and the Congress call each other? In (West) Bengal, what do TMC and the Left say to each other? In Punjab, what kind of language Congress and the AAP use against each other? If they fight like this before elections for their own interests, you can very well gauge what they will do after elections.” He said in contrast, the NDA balanced regional aspirations with national progress. He claimed that a “double-engine government in AP” would expedite development in the state. He reminded that Con- EC makes fresh electoral bonds data public STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 MARCH The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday uploaded fresh data on electoral bonds, which was previously submitted to the Supreme Court in sealed covers, on its website. “The same can be accessed at this url: https://www.eci.gov.in/candidate-politicalparty,” the Election Commission said in a statement. The ECI had submitted the data under sealed cover to the Supreme Court and was later asked to put it in the public domain. The fresh data pertains to transactions that occurred before 12 April 2019, while P12 INDIA puts on show of strength at Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park ‘The parties in the INDIA bloc were already fighting among themselves’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, 17 MARCH Min. 57 % P9 ‘I AM INDEBTED TO DHONI FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE’ details of electoral bonds issued after this date were disclosed by the election commission last week. “In compliance of the Supreme Court's directions, contained in its order dated Feb 15 and March 11, 2024 (in the matter of WP NO.880 of 2017), the ECI has already uploaded data on Electoral Bonds as provided by SBI vide press note of the Commission dated 14.3.2024," it said. Political parties had filed data on Electoral Bonds in sealed cover as directed by the Supreme Court’s interim order dated April 12, 2019 in the said WP NO.880 of 2017, it said. "Data so received from political parties was deposited in the Supreme Court without opening sealed covers. In pursuance of the Supreme Court’s order dated March 15, 2024, the Registry of the Supreme Court has returned physical copies along with a digitized record of the same in a pen drive in sealed cover. The Election Commission of India has today uploaded the data received in the digitized form from the registry of the Supreme Court on electoral bonds on its website," the EC statement said. gress had always insulted the “Andhra Pride”. He also criticised the YSRCP Government under YS Jagan saying the ministers were competing with each other in corruption. He also warned the people about the collusion between YS Jagan and his sister YS Sharmila who heads AP Congress. “Don’t make this mistake thinking that Andhra Jagan’s (YS Jagan Mohan Reddy) party and Congress are different, they are the same. Both are being run by people of the same family. This is their collusion so that in the anger towards the incumbent government, Vote counting for Arunachal, Sikkim polls now on 2 June NEW DELHI, 17 MARCH The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday said that it has advanced the date of counting of votes for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim assembly polls from 4 June to 2 June. According to the EC, this decision was taken because the terms of the Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim is till 2 June, which means elections have to be wrapped up on or SNS before that date. Navy’s 40 hrs operation led to surrender of 35 pirates NEW DELHI, 17 MARCH The Indian Navy on Sunday said that its rescue operation in the Arabian Sea, which last lasted approximately 40 hours, led to the surrender of 35 pirates and the rescue of 17 crew members of merchant vessel MV Ruen. The Navy said that it had deployed INS Kolkata in the Arabian Sea to thwart the designs of the Somali pirates to hijack ships transiting through the region. “Merchant vessel MV Ruen was intercepted on March 15 by INS Kolkata which had been hijacked in December 2023 and was under the control of the Somalian pirates,” the Navy said. It said that INS Kolkata confirmed the presence of armed pirates on MV Ruen through a ship-launched drone. “In a reckless hostile act, the pirates shot down the drone and fired at the Indian Naval warship. INS Kolkata disabled the ship's steering system and navigational aids, forcing the pirate ship to stop,” the Navy said.AGENCIES CMYK some of it (votes) goes to Congress so that NDA does not benefit. This is their cunningness.” He praised both Naidu and Pawan Kalyan for fighting for the development of Andhra Pradesh. Both the TDP and the Jana Sena supremos had lavished their praises on the Prime Minister in their speeches earlier. Referring to the prime minister as ‘Vishwaguru”, Naidu said Modi represented the country’s self-respect and its bright future. He even switched to Hindi and took the vow, “We pledge to be with him”. He said though the three party flags were different, their agenda was the same. “NDA will win 400 seats, the onus is on you to ensure it clinches 25 MP seats in AP he reminded the mas,” sive gathering. Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan vowed to defeat “Ravana” Jagan and establish Ram Rajya. The first meeting of the trio was however marred by disturbances in the public address system. The prime minister also had to intervene when enthusiastic supporters climbed on electric poles for a better view. AGENCIES MUMBAI, 17 MARCH As the INDIA bloc kicked off its Lok Sabha poll campaign from Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park today, Congress leader Rahul Gandh targeted the Central government over its politics of “fear”. Speaking at the rally, he said that the Opposition alliance is not fighting against Narendra Modi, “he is just a mask”. The rally, that marks the culmination of Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, also saw the participation of top Opposition leaders including Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj among others. At the rally, the opposition bloc leaders stressed on the need for a "nation- al Mahagathbandhan". "We are not fighting against a person or a party. There is a word 'Shakti' in Hinduism. We are fighting against that Shakti," Rahul Gandhi said. Targeting the BJP-led Centre for its alleged use of central agencies and EVMs (electronic voting machines) against the opposition, he said the ruling party won't be able to win the Lok Sabha elections without "EVMs, ED (Enforcement Directorate) and CBI". The Opposition rally at Shivaji Park is being billed as the biggest-ever show of strength of the INDIA bloc, in the presence of the entire Gandhi family, to launch the bloc's campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the gathering, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said: “The BJP speaks of winning more than 400 Lok Sabha seats in order to change the Constitution... People in the BJP are afraid of Gandhi in Rahul Gandhi's name." Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken a swipe at the Congress while campaigning for the BJP in Andhra Pradesh. PM Modi, alluding to the INDIA bloc's meeting in Mumbai, said the Congress's agenda is to "use and throw" its partners. Rashtriya Janaya Dal's Tejashwi Yadav, speaking at the Mumbai rally, said the INDIA bloc's fight is not against PM Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah personally, but against the "ideology of hate." Sharad Pawar said Mahatma Gandhi gave the 'Quit India' call from Mumbai, and so INDIA bloc's leaders should do the same from Mumbai to oust the BJP from power.
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