JAISHANKAR SPEAKS ON WHY BHARAT MATTERS 24 MARCH 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman AFTER CANCER REVELATION, SUPPORT POURS IN FOR KATE PAGE 5 PAGE 9 PBKS BEGIN CAMPAIGN WITH A FOUR-WICKET WIN OVER DC PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 33°C and 24°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 91% TEMPERATURE Max: 32.4°C (-2) SUN RISES 05:38 hrs MOON RISES 16:19 hrs Russia terror attack: Death toll rises to 133 Putin vows to punish perpetrators; 11 in custody, say Russian authorities Min. 45% Modi condemns terrorist attack Min: 21.8°C (-2) SUN SETS 17:49 hrs MOON SETS 04:34 hrs STATES NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Full Moon on 25 March THUMBNAILS Russian agencies appeared to suggest the attack was linked to Ukraine even though the IS group claimed responsibility in a statement. A massive blaze is seen over the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow. AP AGENCIES MOSCOW, 23 MARCH 35 Somalian pirates, who were captured by Indian Navy’s INS Kolkata after an anti-piracy operation, are handed over to Mumbai Police, at Naval Dockyard, in Mumbai on Saturday. ANI Congress accuses BJP of corruption through electoral bonds: Stepping up its attack on the BJP government, the Congress on Saturday accused the ruling dispensation of corruption through electoral bonds and demanded a SC monitored inquiry besides formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) over the matter. The statement of the Congress came days after the ECI uploaded the data on electoral bonds on its website after the SBI submitted all the details on the same to it as (Page 5) directed by the apex court. he death toll in the terror attack in Moscow's Crocus City Hall rose to at least 133, even as Russian authorities claimed to have detained 11 people involved in the attack and President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish the perpetrators. Russia’s Investigative Committee said four of those detained were directly involved in the attack that left the sprawling shopping mall and music venue smoldering with a collapsed roof. Russian agencies appeared to suggest the attack was linked to Ukraine T even though the Islamic State group claimed responsibility in a statement. The mall was attacked around 8 p.m. (local time) on Friday just as a concert of veteran rock band Piknik was about to begin at its music venue, causing chaos. The assailants targeted fleeing concert goers and videos of the scene showed bodies strewn like litter. The assailants also reportedly lobbed hand grenades and used incendiaries to set the building on fire. The tally is expected to grow given the scale of the attack and the massive fire, which caused the roof of the building to collapse.Videos posted online showed gunmen Kerala govt moves SC against President over pending Bills AGENCIES NEW DELHI/ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 23 MARCH In an unprecedented move, the government of Kerala has approached the Supreme Court with a petition against the President of India for delay in clearing the Bills passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly and against Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan for keeping the Bills pending for a long period and later reserving them for the consideration of the President. The petition has been filed by CPI-M legislator and former state minister T. P Ramakr. ishnan. In the plea, the Kerala Government has sought to declare the act of the Governor of Kerala in reserving the seven Bills ~ University Laws (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021; University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Kerala Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022; the University Laws (Amend- ment) Bill, 2022; Kerala Lok Ayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The University Laws (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2022; and The University Laws (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill, 2022 for the consideration of the President was illegal and lacks in bona fides. The petition also argues that the act of the President in withholding assent for some of the Bills without giving any reason was highly arbitrary and in violation of Articles 14, 200 and 201 of the Constitution. "The conduct of the Governor in keeping Bills pending for long and indefinite periods, and thereafter reserving the Bills for the consideration of the President without any reasons relatable to the Constitution is manifestly arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution. Equally, the aid and advice rendered by the Union of India to the President to withhold assent from the four bills which are wholly within the domain of the State, while disclosing no reason whatsoever, is also manifestly arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution," the Kerala government said. The reasons assigned by the Governor for reserving the Bills for the consideration of the President had nothing to do with the Union of India or the relationship between the Legislature of Kerala and the Union of India. The actions of the Governor subverted the delicate balance envisaged by the Constitution between the three organs of State, by rendering the functioning of the elected executive, which drafted and introduced the Bills, and then the State Legislature, which passed the Bills, wholly ineffective and otiose. in the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range. The roof of the theatre, where crowds had gathered Friday for a performance by the Russian rock band Picnik, collapsed in the early hours of Saturday morning as firefighters spent hours fighting a fire that erupted during the attack. In a televised address to the nation, the 71-year-old Putin said the four gunmen, directly involved in the attack, were caught while moving towards the country's border with Ukraine. “We will be investigating this terrorist attack and we already have some results. All four perpetrators, directly involved in gunning peo- PM returns home after ‘very special Bhutan visit’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home on Saturday after his two-day state visit to Bhutan where he, along with Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay, inaugurated the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital, built with Indian assistance in Thimphu. In a special gesture, King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Bhutanese PM Dasho Tshering Tobgay came to see off Mr Modi at the airport. The Prime Minister posted on the X: “I am honoured by the special gesture by His Majesty the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar NamgyelWangchuck of coming to the airport as I leave for Delhi.” “I am very thankful to the wonderful people of Bhutan for their warmth and hospitality. India will always be a reliable friend and partner for Bhutan,” Mr Modi said. Indian Navy ensuring maritime security and safe seas, says Admiral Hari Kumar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar on Saturday asserted that his force displayed a high degree of professionalism and upheld the principles of international law and commitment to ensuring safe seas and maritime security in the region. He said the Indian Navy ships deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden will ensure the safety of seafarers. “As part of the ongoing Operation Sankalp, Indian Navy ships are deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden towards the safety of seafarers and mercantile trade passing through the region,” the navy chief told the media on the completion of 100 days of naval operations for anti-drone, anti-missile, and anti-piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea. (Photo) Vowing further naval interventions to secure distressed shipping assets on the high seas, he flagged concerns over the resurfacing of piracy as an 'industry' to gain from 'disorder in the region'. Admiral Kumar said the Navy will continue taking affirmative action to prevent such incidents, adding that 'Operation Sankalp', the naval operation to secure the crew of Bulgaria-flagged merchant vessel MV Ruen, has broken the myth of short and swift operations and stressed the need for sustained interventions to ensure the safety and stability of shipping assets in the oceans. "Piracy has resurfaced as an industry to gain from the disorder in the region. We will take affirmative action to prevent that," the Navy chief said. "We have deployed 10 warships in the entire region for anti-piracy, anti-missile, and anti-drone operations under Operation Sankalp. The task is to ensure safety and stability for merchant vessels carrying cargo to reach shores safely. Because they are deployed there, they can respond to attacks or incidents as first responders," he added. The Navy chief noted no Indian vessels were targeted by pirates, adding that the Houthi rebels were targeting vessels linked to Israel. "None of our Indian vessels have been targeted. The Houthis have been targeting vessels with linkages to Israel. They are also targeting ships with flags of Western countries like the UK and the US. We are getting involved because we have Indian crew on almost all these ships," the Navy chief said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow in which at least 90 people were killed and more than 100 others sustained injuries. "We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief," Mr Modi wrote in a social media post on 'X'. ple down, have been found and apprehended," the President said. "They tried to escape... they were moving towards the border with Ukraine and we have data that suggests that they were about to be moved to the territory of Ukraine. Our investigators are working to find the orchestrators of this attack," he added. Liquor case: Kejriwal moves Delhi HC against ED arrest STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday moved the Delhi High Court, challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the now-scrapped excise policy-linked money laundering case. The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by the central.probe agency on Thursday night after around two hours of questioning. Later, he was remanded to the custody of ED till March 28 by the Rouse Avenue Court here. Mr Kejriwal has sought urgent listing and hearing of his plea on Sunday, March 24. Following his arrest, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief had moved a petition in the Supreme Court but later withdrew it. He is the fourth prominent leader after former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, AAP MP Sanjay Singh and BRS leader K Kavitha to be arrested in the Delhi excise policy case. Earlier today, Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal released a video statement in which she read out a message sent by her husband. "My dear countrymen, I have been arrested. Whether I am inside the jail or not, I will continue to Comments on Delhi CM’s arrest: India lodges protest with Germany STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH India on Saturday lodged a strong protest with Germany over its comments on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case, charging Berlin with interfering in the internal affairs of this country. Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy George Enzweiler was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) this morning and was told that India sees Germany's remarks on the arrest as interference in India's judicial process and undermining the independence of its judiciary. “India is a vibrant and robust democracy with rule of law. As in all legal cases in the country, and elsewhere in the democratic world, the law will take its own course in the instant matter. Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted,'' serve the country. My entire life is dedicated to the country. I have struggled a lot in my life, and I know that this AAP workers protest at Shaheedi Park on Saturday. SUBRATA DUTTA the German diplomat was firmly told by MEA officials. A German Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a statement on the Delhi CM's arrest, had earlier said: "We have taken note, India is a democratic country. We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of Judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case.” “Like anyone facing accusations, Mr Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial, this includes he can make use of all available legal avenues without restrictions. The presumption of innocence is a central element of the rule of law and must apply to him.” will continue. Therefore, this arrest has not surprised me," said she, quoting her husband.
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