SATURDAY 13 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR THE OJ SIMPSON SAGA ‘INDIA BLOC WILL SURPRISE’ P7 SENSEX 74,244.90793.25 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. LIGHT RAIN/DUSTSTORM/ THUNDERSHOWERS ACCOMPANIED WITH GUSTY WINDS (SPEED 35-45 KMPH) TOWARDS EVENING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 38 & 23 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY P9 NIFTY 22,519.40234.40 P4 ` vs $ 83.387 PAISE GOLD 73,3101,090 This election is not just to elect MPs but to form a strong govt in the country: PM Min. 26 % Max: 39.4 °C+3) SUN RISES 5:57 hrs MOON RISES 09:12 hrs Min: 21.7 °C (+1) SUN SETS 18:46 hrs MOON SETS 00:02 hrs UDHAMPUR (J&K), 12 APRIL THUMBNAILS Party flags are being sold at Sadar Bazar in the Capital on Friday. SNS Retail inflation for March eases to 9-month m low of 4.85pc: India’s retail inflation has eased to a nine-month low of 4.85per cent in March 2024 on an annual basis, said the data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Friday. The inflation also eased in March from February’s 5.09per cent. Previously, CPI-based inflation was the lowest at 4.87 per cent in October 2023. Food inflation, measured by the CPI Food index, also cooled, coming in at 8.52 per cent last month as against (Pg 8) 8.66 per cent in February. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will get statehood, and time is not far when Assembly elections will be held here. Mr Modi was addressing a largely attended election rally in Udhampur in favour of two BJP candidates ~ Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Jammu MP Jugal Kishore. The PM said: “This election is not just to elect MPs but this is the election to form a strong government in the country. When the government is strong, it governs by challenging the challenges.” Referring to the confidence that has been built among the people of J&K in the past ten years, the PM said: “Modi thinks far ahead. What has happened so far is just a trailer. I have to get busy, creating a wonderful picture of a new Jammu and Kashmir. “This is the first time when terrorism, separatism, stone-pelting and cross border shelling and firing are not the election issues. It used to make ECI: ‘Home voting’ for elderly, specially abled STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 APRIL The Election Commission on Friday said that for the first time in Lok Sabha elections, it is facilitating ‘home voting’ for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PwDs) across the country. The home voting facility of the poll panel is aimed at empowering voters who encounter barriers to participating in the electoral process at the polling stations. This facility is extended to senior citizens aged above 85 years and PwDs. “Voters in this category have already begun casting their votes for phase I and II of polling. This initiative marks a significant stride towards ensuring inclusivity and accessibility of the electoral process and in bolstering democratic participation,” the ECI said in a communiqué. The poll panel informed that there are over 81 lakh voters aged 85 years and above, and more than 90 lakh PwD voters registered across the country. Voters who availed the home voting facility in phase I polls have expressed gratitude and satisfaction for the initiative, it said. The ECI said voting from home takes place with involvement of a full contingent of polling staff and security per- PM Narendra Modi being greeted by Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Ravinder Raina during a public meeting ahead of LS polls, in Udhampur on Friday. ANI headlines in newspapers if a day passed peacefully in J&K. The situation has changed and confidence for the government has been built,” Mr Modi said. "I had told you to trust me and I will solve the problems you have been facing for the past 60 years. I had guaranteed dignity for the mothers and sisters here. I gave a guarantee that the poor would not have to worry about two meals a day. Today, lakhs of families of Jammu and Kashmir have the guarantee of free ration for the next five years." Mr Modi said that the weak Congress governments kept the ShahpurKandi Dam project stalled for decades and the waters of the Ravi kept flowing to Pakistan while the fields of the farmers in the arid Kathua and Samba districts remained barren. “Modi has given the guarantee to the farmers of diverting the Ravi waters to their fields and has fulfilled it. The electricity generated from the Dam will also benefit the people of J&K,” he said. Hitting out at the Con- gress and other ‘dynastic’ parties, Mr Modi said: “For the sake of power, they built a wall of Article 370 but due to your blessings, Modi demolished not only the wall but also restored the dignity of women here. These parties want to take Jammu and Kashmir back to the old days. No one has caused as much damage to Jammu and Kashmir as these family-run parties have done. Here political party means the family, by the family and for the family.” “I challenge any political party, especially the Congress, to announce that they will restore Article 370. This country will not even look at them,” he said. Mr Modi said that the Ram Mandir is not an election issue for the BJP. “The struggle for the Ram Mandir was going on for the past over 500 years even before the birth of the BJP. When the Mughal invaders destroyed our temples, people fought to save the religious places. Congress leaders and their allies lived in sprawling bungalows but never bothered to replace the leaking tents of Ram Lalla,” he stated. The two key accused in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, Mussavir Hussain Shazib, the man who carried out the bombing, and Abdul Matheen Taha, said to be the mastermind behind the incident, were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Contai in East Midnapore early on Friday. The NIA, in a statement, said its teams were successful in tracing the absconding accused to their hideout, near Digha, where they were hiding under false identities. The NIA said that "this pursuit was supported by coordinated action and cooperation among the NIA, central intelligence agencies and the state police agencies of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala". Shazib alias Shazeb (30), is a resident of Thirthahalli town in Karnataka's Shivamogga district. The other arrested conspirator, Taaha alias Matheen alias Vignesh. D alias Sumit was also wanted in other cases. “Shazib is the accused who placed the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the cafe and Taha is the mastermind behind the plan- A combination of pictures shows the two key absconders, identified as Abdul Matheen Taha and Mussavir Hussain Shazeb, who were arrested by the NIA team in the Rameswaram Cafe blast case, on Friday. ANI ning, execution of blast, and subsequent evasion from the clutches of law,” NIA sources said. Confirming the arrests, West Bengal Police said: "Two suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case have been arrested from East Midnapore in a joint operation by the West Bengal Police and the central intelligence agencies. "The proactive role of the West Bengal Police in the matter has been officially acknowledged by the Central Agencies. West Bengal has never been a safe haven for terrorists and the state police will continue to remain ever-vigilant in keeping its people safe from nefarious activities," the statement read. Shazib has been using a forged driving license in the name of Mohammed Juned Sayed and similar forged ID documents to conceal his identity. Taha was using Hindu identity documents, a forged Aadhaar in the name of Vignesh, and other similar forged ID documents. His other aliases are Mohammad Junai Hussain and Mohammed Juned Sayed. According to the NIA, the low intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) bomb was manufactured in Cuddalore city of Tamil Nadu. Mussavir had carried the bomb to Bengaluru and met Taha in K.R. Puram locality of Bengaluru. Taha was the mastermind who planned the manufacturing of the bomb. India likely to participate in global peace conference in Switzerland on Ukraine SIGHT OF THE DIVINE Centre advises citizens against travel to Iran, Israel STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 APRIL STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 APRIL The sun bursts through clouds in the evening sky behind the Jagannath temple in Puri on Friday. SNS Govt issues HAL `65K cr tender for LCA buy AGENCIES NEW DELHI , 12 APRIL The Defence Ministry has issued a tender to the public sector firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for purchasing made-in-India 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets expected to be worth over Rs 65,000 crore. This is set to be the largest order for indigenous military hardware to be placed by the Indian government ever. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 APRIL Paramilitary personnel conduct a flag march ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, on Friday.ANI Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Ben- BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 92.112.37 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 12 APRIL The Defence Ministry has issued a tender to the public sector firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for purchasing made-in-India 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets The tender was issued by the Defence Ministry to the HAL recently and they have been given three months to respond to it. The programme will help the IAF to replace its fleet of MiG-21s, MiG-23s and MiG- 27s which have been either phased out or are set to be phased out in near future, government officials told ANI. The indigenous fighter aircraft programme, fully backed by Defence Ministry and Air Headquarters is set to be a big boost for promoting indigenisation as well as give major business to the small and medium enterprises engaged in defence business across the country, they said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pushing for the revival of the HAL which has bagged orders for building all types of indigenous fighter aircraft, helicopters along with the engines for them under his government. The PM also undertook a sortie in the trainer variant of the indigenous fighter which was first ever sortie by the Prime Minister of India in any combat aircraft. ECI issues notification for third phase of Lok Sabha elections The Election Commission of India on Friday issued the notification for the third phase of voting in the 18th Lok Sabha election. The filing of nominations began following the notification issued by the poll panel. In the third phase, polling will be held in 94 parliamentary constituencies (PCs) spread across 12 states and Union territories (UTs). The states/UTs included in the third phase are Assam, P12 NIA arrests Bengaluru cafe bomber, mastermind in Bengal The home voting facility of the poll panel is aimed at empowering voters who encounter barriers to participating in the electoral process at the polling stations. sonnel with secrecy of voting diligently maintained. In Rajasthan’s Churu, eight PwD voters, all from the same family, exercised home voting facilities, underlining the strength of India’s electoral democracy. In Chhattisgarh, 87- year-old Indumati Pandey and 86-year-old Sonmati Baghel, from Bastar and Sukma tribal districts, exercised their franchise using the postal ballot at home and expressed their gratitude to ECI for the facility. In Maharashtra, ECI polling teams travelled 107 km to provide home voting facility to two elderly voters in Sironcha town in Gadchiroli district, left wing extremism (LWE) affected area. BR Mishra from Jaysingh Nagar, Madhya Pradesh, after availing home voting said: “The duty you have done is commendable, you have done a very good job, I can say that the way you have discharged your duties is extraordinary, if all of us work like this then we will make our country proud.” IT’S NOT IN MY HANDS: ISHAN ON T20 WORLD CUP SELECTION SILVER 86,5001,500 ‘J&K to get statehood, Assembly polls soon’ SP SHARMA Max. 72 % TEMPERATURE K. KAVITHA SENT TO 3-DAY CBI CUSTODY IN EXCISE POLICY CASE gal. According to the notification, 19 April is the last date of filing of nominations and the scrutiny of nominations will take place on 20 April. The last date for with- drawal of candidature is 22 April. The 94 Lok Sabha seats include 26 seats from Gujarat, 14 from Karnataka, 11 from Maharashtra, 10 from UP, 8 from Madhya Pradesh, seven from Chhattisgarh, five from Bihar, four each from Assam and West Bengal, two from Goa, two from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and one from Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Election Commission (ECI) has also issued a notification for the adjourned poll in Betul constituency of Madhya Pradesh. EC reviews preparedness for first phase STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 APRIL The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday reviewed preparedness for the first phase of the Lok Sabha (LS) elections, scheduled to take place on 19th April. The poll panel asked over 350 observers to ensure smooth, free and fair polling on 19 April. During the meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has asked all the observers to strictly ensure that polling stations contain all amenities for voters especially to combat heat, no inducements are offered close to voting of first phase, forces are optimally utilised and law and order is kept under strict watch. Election Commissioners-Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu were also present. A slew of directions have been issued to the Central Observers. India on Friday indicated that it would participate in a high-level global conference in Switzerland in June to chart a path towards peace in Ukraine after more than two years of war. “India is open to any peace efforts to end the conflict...we have constantly favoured a settlement through dialogue and diplomacy,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. (Photo) In that process, India has participated in some of the international meetings aimed at ending the conflict in Europe, he pointed out. His comments came in the wake of the announcement by the Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis that his country will host a high-level international conference in June with more than 100 countries invited to resolve the conflict. "Peace is at the heart of the Swiss spirit. Its humanitarian tradition plays a key role in this quest. Peace is not an abstraction, but a call to action that reflects our values and our responsibilities on the world stage," Mr Cassis had stated. The aim of the heads of state and government meeting is to develop a common understanding of a path towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Myanmar situation sIndia on Friday expressed concern over the security situation in Myanmar and advised Indian nationals travelling to the Southeast Asian nation to observe proper safety protocols. "The security situation in The government on Friday advised all Indians not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice in view of the prevailing situation in the region. “All those who are currently residing in Iran or Israel are requested to get in touch with the respective Indian embassies there and register themselves,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. They are also requested to observe utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum, the MEA said in a statement. Earlier in the day, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had "noted with concern the attack on Iranian diplomatic premises in Syria". "India is distressed at the escalating tensions in West Asia, and their potential to fuel further violence and instability. We urge all parties to avoid actions that go against commonly accepted principles and norms of International Law,” he said. Myanmar remains precarious and deteriorating. You heard about the fighting that is going on, specifically in Rakhine state and other areas,” Mr Jaiswal said at the media briefing. Noting that the government had issued an advisory some time back for Indian nationals there, he said those travelling to Myanmar should also take due care. The Indian Embassy in Yangon is also there to take care of them, he added. He said India has relocated its consulate staff at Sittwe, where the situation is precarious, to Yangon but the Indian Consulate at Mandalay is functioning as usual.
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