‘WE WILL SECURE AT LEAST 23 OUT OF 25 SEATS FROM N-E REGION’ 07 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman A DELICATE SKY’S POTENTIAL BALANCING RETURN TO BOLSTER ACT MI AGAINST FELLOW STRUGGLERS DC PAGE 10 PAGE 6 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 25-35 KMPH) DURING THE DAY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 36 & 19 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. The party that fought for the country's independence died decades ago: PM RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 59 % MANOJ BHADRA Min. 26 % SAHARANPUR, 6 APRIL TEMPERATURE Max: 35.1 °C0) SUN RISES 6:03 hrs MOON RISES 05:40 hrs ‘Muslim League, Left rule Cong’s thinking’ Min: 20.2 °C (0) SUN SETS 18:43 hrs MOON SETS 17:16 hrs THUMBNAILS BJP national president JP Nadda with party's national vice-president Vasundhara Raje and Party's national general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam during the party's 44th Foundation Day celebrations, at the BJP headquarters, in New Delhi on Saturday. ANI Election Commission cautions newspapers on poll ads: The Election Commission of India on Saturday urged editors of newspapers to be more cautious in publishing advertisements masquerading as news items, and any advertisements predicting the victory of a particular party. The ECI said that any form of speculative content related to election outcomes should be avoided. "To address the issues of unverified and baseless allegations in advertisements, editors have been reminded of the Press Council’s norms, which provide that “an editor shall be responsible for all matters, including advertisements published in the newspaper,” the Election Commission said in a statement. A lleging that the Muslim League and Leftists are dominating the thinking of the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the party that fought for the country's independence died decades ago. The Congress of today neither has policies in the interest of the country nor does it have a vision of nation-building, he added. The PM was campaigning for BJP candidate at a huge public meeting in Saharanpur on Saturday. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathand and senior BJP leaders were present on the occasion. Fervently appealing to the public to break all records of voting in favour of the BJP candidates, he slammed the Opposition parties for their alleged blasphemous remarks against religious symbols of Hinduism. He said the worship of ‘Shakti’ is part of our natural spiritual journey, but the people of INDIA bloc parties are openly challenging Shakti. “They probably don't know what happened to those who tried to destroy Shakti, it is recorded in history and mythology," he said. Dismissing the Con- Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath during a public rally ahead of Lok Sabha elections, in Saharanpur on Saturday. SNS gress manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’, as completely disconnected from the hopes and aspirations of today's India, Mr Modi said it “reflects the same thinking that was prevalent in the Muslim League during the independence movement. The Congress manifesto bears the imprint of the Muslim League and whatever part of it is left of the Leftists has completely dominated the manifesto. Congress is not visible at all in this." In a jibe at the Rahul Gandhi- Akhilesh Yadav combine for challenging the NDA in UP, PM Modi said: “You must remember, here in UP, these people have rereleased the film of two boys that had flopped last time in 2017 assembly polls. I don't understand how many times the Opposition alliance will offer this wooden pot." "We want to make India a developed nation but the opponents are desperate to get power," Mr Modi said. "This is the first election in the country where the Opposition is not claiming victory. Rather, the Opposition is contesting the elections only so that BJP's seats can be reduced to less than 370 and that of the NDA to less than 400,” he said. He said that while the SP has to change its candidates every hour, Congress is not getting candidates at all. “Even in the seats the Congress considered its stronghold the party is not daring to field candidates. The situation is such that a candidate given a ticket resigned the next day. INDI Alliance has become another name for instability and uncertainty. That's why the country is not taking any of its words seriously." Saturday being the foundation day of BJP, PM Modi recounted how in a very few decades, the party won the trust of the people with a record number of countrymen joining it over the years. “The biggest reason for this is that the BJP follows national policy and not politics. For us, there is nothing bigger than the country and national interest,” he asserted. Sandeshkhali rerun: NIA team attacked in Bengal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 6 APRIL In a rerun of the attack on a raiding team of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) at Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24-Parganas district in January, some officers of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) came under attack in East Midnapore district on Saturday while carrying out raids in connection with a 2022 bomb blast case. The team, engaged in probing the Bhupatinagar blast case of December 2022, encountered fierce opposition from local residents while attempting to arrest two individuals. The explosion, attributed to crude bombs on 3 December, 2022, had claimed the lives of three individuals. According to a press release issued by the agency, two key conspirators, identified as Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana, were apprehended following extensive searches conducted at five different locations. Both men are said to be Trinamul Congress leaders. However, the NIA team faced violent resistance from an unruly crowd, resulting in minor injuries to one of the officials and damage to the agency's vehicle as miscreants within the mob pelted stones and launched assaults. The NIA later filed a formal complaint at the Bhupatinagar police station concerning the incident. The East Midnapore police administration disclosed Former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “Is this the first time such an incident took place in Bengal? Was the ED not attacked earlier? Didn't the truth about Sandeshkhali come out (thereafter)? The NIA was carrying out raids against suspected terrorists when they came under attack." that they had received a request for support from the NIA on Saturday morning. Before police intervention could be initiated, the NIA team embarked on their visit to the area, accompanied by central armed police personnel, according to the district police. Hours after the incident, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee charged that the NIA team had harrassed women during the raid. Addressing an election meeting at Baghait ground in Balurghat in South Dinajpur, Miss Banerjee today said: “Who attacked? Women did not attack anyone. NIA attacked them.” “If NIA officials raid houses in a village, torture women at midnight, will they sit idle covering their faces? Will they not resist just to save their modesty? Why do they raid at night?” No one is above the country, but Modi considers himself great: Sonia Gandhi Vistara crisis: Airline aims to stabilise flight ops for rest of April by weekend STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES JAIPUR, 6 APRIL Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches and allegations made against her party, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi said here on Saturday that no one was above the country, but Modi considered himself great. "The country is not the property of a few but belongs to all of us," she asserted, adding that our ancestors watered it with blood. It is the courtyard of our children. Addressing an election rally in support of the party candidates of two parliamentary and adjoining seats of Jaipur, Mrs Gandhi accused the BJP and its allies of trying to instill fear in the minds of people by violating the basic democratic norms. She further said, "Our Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge launch the party's Manifesto at the public rally ahead of LS elections, in Jaipur on Saturday. ANI great ancestors had searched and found the sun of the country's independence with the strength of their struggle. After so many years, the great light has dimmed. The injustice of darkness has increased all around. Our resolve should be that we will fight against it and find the light of justice." Recounting the Modi government's two terms (2014 and 2019), she said: "Our country has been in the hands of a government which has left no stone unturned in over- seeing unemployment at its peak and the worst economic crisis. Whatever the Modi government has done is in front of us." "Through there is frustration, but along with it there is hope. I have full faith in our colleagues in the Congress. They will light the lamp of justice with the fire of their hearts and will move ahead braving the storms of thousands.” “This country is not the property of a few people, it belongs to everyone. Our ancestors have watered it with blood,” she reminded. She alleged conspiracy to destroy the democratic institution by blatant misuse of state machinery against the Opposition parties and their leaders, and the fear of changing the Indian constitution by them (BJP) looming. She appealed to the public to cast their votes in favour of Congress for 'Nyay' (justice) to all. The airline said it has been reaching out to all customers affected by the delays and cancellations to offer relevant refunds and compensation. NEW DELHI, 6 APRIL The Chief Executive Officer of Vistara, Vinod Kannan, on Saturday that the airline hopes to stabilise operations for the rest of April 2024 by this weekend, as 98 per cent of pilots have signed the new pay contract. The airline said it has been reaching out to all customers affected by the delays and cancellations to offer relevant refunds and compensation. "With reference to concerns being raised regarding the new pay structure of our pilots, we would like to clarify that over 98 per cent of pilots have signed the new contract. Having said that, we are aware that some pilots have some concerns and queries regarding the contract," the CEO said in a statement. A significant number of Vistara pilots had taken sick leave fol- lowing the announcement of new salary rules, which coincided with the merger with Air India. The pilot shortage issue stemmed from pay cuts implemented after new flying hours regulations came into effect recently. Due to crew shortages earlier this week, the full service carrier experienced severe operational disruptions and numerous flights were cancelled. The Vistara CEO also said that the airline is engaging with pilots to clarify and resolve their concerns. He asserted that this ongoing issue has not caused any visible spike in attrition amongst pilots. Vistara has apologised to the public after the airline cancelled a significant number of flights during the past few days. "We acknowledge that the recent experience of our customers fell short of the standards that we hold ourselves to and we sincerely apologise for the same," Vistara said in a statement posted on its official X handle. The airline said it had to cancel and delay a significant number of flights owing to "various operational reasons" and "high utilisation of resources." There was limited room to cope with contingencies. It further said it was addressing this issue on a war footing. India takes tough stand on AI misuse during elections Wangchuk calls off his AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 6 APRIL As Microsoft warned India about China’s alleged plan to create and amplify AI-generated content to “benefit its interests” amid the sevenphase elections starting 19 April, the Centre has warned global digital companies to fix their platforms as part of a new advisory around AI and its potential misuse during polls. With major elections taking place around the world this year, particularly in India, South Korea and the USA, “we assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AIgenerated content to benefit its interests," according to Clint Watts, General Manager, With major elections taking place around the world this year, particularly in India, South Korea and the USA, we assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content to benefit its interests CLINT WATTS GENERAL MANAGER, MICROSOFT THREAT ANALYSIS CENTER. The govt has warned global digital companies to fix their platforms as part of a new advisory around AI and its potential misuse during polls Microsoft Threat Analysis Center. According to exposure management company Tenable, misinformation spread through AI-generated deepfakes and fake content is the biggest threat to the upcoming polls. “The biggest threats to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are misinformation and disinformation as part of influence operations conducted by malicious actors against the electorate," Satnam Narang, Senior Staff Research Engineer, Tenable, told IANS recently. Alarmed at the potential for misuse of AI, the Centre last month said that social media intermediaries “must not permit any bias or discrimination or threaten the integrity of the electoral process.” A new IT Ministry advisory now specifically deals with AI, which says that digital platforms have to take full accountability and cannot escape by saying that these AI models are in the “under-testing phase.” "It is reiterated that noncompliance to the provisions of the IT Act and/or IT Rules would result in potential penal consequences to the intermediaries or platforms or its users when identified, including but not limited to prosecution under IT Act and several other statutes of the criminal code,” according to the advisory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a conversation with Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates late last month, also expressed concerns about deepfakes in a democratic country like ours. “I have engaged with leading minds on AI and its risks. I suggested that we should start with clear watermarks on AI-generated content to prevent misinformation. Proper sources of AI-generated content should also be mentioned," Mr Modi had said. border march from Leh STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 6 APRIL Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has called off his Sunday’s border march from Leh in view of the mounting tension due to the curbs imposed on the protest by the Ladakh administration. Mr Wangchuk said that the ongoing peaceful fast will however continue. The purpose of the march seems to have already fulfilled even before the it began due to the suppression attempts and overreaction of the Government with the imposition of Section 144, curtailment of internet and restrictions on movement by turning Leh into a war-like zone with armed barricades on all roads leading to Leh city. “Under these circumstances chances of violence are very high, which could then be used to label this peaceful movement antinational”, he wrote on X. “People of Ladakh have been fasting in protest for the last 32 days. These have happened in the most peaceful ways through prayers & fasts. The purpose of the Pashmina March was to highlight the plight of the Changpa nomadic tribes who are losing thousands of sq kms of their land due to Chinese incursion in the north and our own corporates in the south”, he wrote. (Earlier report on Pg 10) she asked. She added: “They are planning to arrest all TMC booth presidents and agents. Election Commission of India should do their job impartially. We don’t want BJP-led ECI.” Lashing out at the ruling TMC over the incident, veteran BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “Is this the first time such an incident took place in Bengal? Was the ED (team) not attacked earlier? Didn't the truth about Sandeshkhali come out (in light of the attack on the ED team)? The NIA (team) was out carrying out raids against suspected terrorists when they came under attack." BJP leader Rahul Sinha in a fierce attack on Miss Banerjee, said the incident has again brought the complete collapse of law and order in Bengal into the spotlight. DRI seizes about 5 kg foreign origin gold mid-sea STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 APRIL In a joint operation with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Customs Preventive Unit (CPU), Ramanathapuram, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 4.9 Kg of foreign origin gold at sea off the Vedhalai coast, Mandapam, on the intervening night of 3-4 April. A press release on Saturday said specific intelligence was developed by the officers of DRI that foreign origin gold is being smuggled into India from Sri Lanka through the Vedhalai coast in Ramanathapuram district by a gang using fishing boats. Subsequently, officers of DRI and ICG mounted surveillance on the movement of suspected fishing boats in the Vedhalai coastal area near Mandapam. In the early hours of 4 April, the officers identified a suspected boat at mid sea and chased it in an ICG vessel and intercepted it. Just before the point of interception, the officers noticed that a consignment was thrown in the sea by one of the persons on board the suspected boat. There were three persons on board the Sri Lankan boat and during interrogation they admitted that the consignment thrown in the sea consisted of foreign origin gold smuggled from the island nation and it was received at sea from a boat from Sri Lanka. In the meantime, officers of CPU Ramanathapuram also joined in a boat and the location where the smuggled gold was thrown into the sea was secured and a search operation was carried out. On 5 April, the smuggled gold was retrieved after extensive search operations.
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