TUESDAY 07 MAY 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 E-RUPEE HAS TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL P8 SENSEX 73,895.54 P9 NIFTY 22,442.70 WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. POSSIBILITY OF DUSTSTORM/ THUNDERSTORM ACCOMPANIED WITH GUSTY WINDS TOWARDS NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 42 AND 25 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. ` vs $ 83.49 Min. 23 % Min: 24.4 °C (-1) SUN SETS 19:00 hrs MOON SETS 18:19 hrs THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 6 MAY A peacock sits under a tree during a hot afternoon, in New Delhi on Monday. ANI ICC terror threat: With less than a month to go for the ICC T20 World Cup, the showpiece event has hit a block with reports of terror attacks threatening to hamper it. The reports gained momentum after Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley confirmed that security agencies in the West Indies were monitoring a possible terror threat to (P12) the event. P10 GOLD 73,935.00 P12 SILVER 84,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 83.61 Odisha will go Tripura way, BJP CM will take oath on 10 June, said PM Modi TEMPERATURE Max: 40.7 °C (+1) SUN RISES 5:35 hrs MOON RISES 05:24 hrs DC TO FACE ROYALS IN MUST-WIN MATCH PM attacks Patnaik govt for Odisha’s poverty RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 59 % ‘INDIA ON WAY TO REGAIN ITS PAST GLORY’ DONALD TRUMP TO RETURN TO NEW YORK COURTROOM P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the 24-year-old BJD Government in Odisha, accusing it of presiding over poverty despite the state’s abundance of resources. Addressing election meetings at Berhampur and Nabarangpur parliamentary constituencies, the PM predicted the imminent downfall of the Naveen Patnaik led BJD government saying it will pay a price for its ‘sin’. Simultaneous elections are being held in the state, ( both assembly and parliament, and the BJDs’ tenure will expire on 4 June. On 10 June, a home grown Odia speaking, BJP chief minister will be sworn-in for the first time at Bhubaneswar, declared the PM. The implicit jibe at ‘outsiders’ and non-Odia speaking persons running the state was clear when he asked SGP staff to collect paintings and art work held by youth and students in the crowd. “I will write reply letters to you in Odia , unlike your Chief Minister”, he quipped. A local Odia speaking leader can connect, interact with you, understanding your problems and resolve them. An outsider cannot, he said. “There will be a double engine government in Odisha for the first time. Odisha BJP unit has chalked out a visionary manifesto for the State’s all round development touching all sections of people right from women, farmers, youth to elders”, he said. The manifesto is Modi’s Gurantee, he said amid thunderous cheers from the crowd. Asserting that the sunset for the BJD was imminent in Odisha, Modi claimed that the people had lost confidence in the Congress and BJD, turning to the BJP as a beacon of hope. He cited examples of states like Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam, where BJPled governments had accelerated development. “Congress has ruled for 50 years while BJD has been in government for almost 25 years. The State has abundant water, productive land resources, mining wealth beneath the soil, and a long shoreline. Odisha is rich, but its people are poor, he said charging that the BJD leaders’ loot is responsible for this. BJD’s rookie leaders have become owners of huge palatial buildings. Why are the people from the Chief Minister’s region (Ganjam district) migrating to other states in search of wages? , why are doctors post lying vacant in hospitals and dropout rate high in schools,” he questioned. ‘Daydreaming about forming govt in Odisha’ BHUBANESWAR, 6 MAY "For long they ( BJP) have been day dreaming", was the succinct reaction of CM Naveen Patnaik to PM Modi’s assertion that the BJP will form the government in Odisha. The response of the CM was circulated by way of a video clip shot inside a helicopter today when Patnaik was hopping from one campaign meeting to another. His second in command Kartik Pandian was dismissive of the BJP’s claim and said on 9 June between 11 to 1.30 pm, Naveen Patnaik will be sworn in as CM for a record sixth term. The manifesto of the BJP is regressive, if implemented, it will take Odisha back by 20 years, remarked SNS Pandian. SC to now hear on Tuesday Bengal govt’s plea against Calcutta HC order axing school jobs: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned hearing on a batch of petitions, including the West Bengal government's plea, filed against the Calcutta High Court's order cancelling 25,753 appointments in teaching and non-teaching posts made by the WBSSC in 2016. A bench, headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, could not take up the matter for hearing, due to paucity of time. "We will take West Bengal (school jobs case) tomorrow," said the bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. In the previous hearing, the bench refused to pass any interim direction staying the Calcutta High Court's order passed on April 22. However, the top court directed that no precipitative action will be taken by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the state government officials who were involved in approving the creation of super-numeric posts till the next date of listing. It asked the appellants to demonstrate if there was any secondary material available to segregate valid appointments of all the 25,753 persons empanelled in 2016 for various categories of jobs at secondary and higher secondary schools in the state. In an order passed in the third week of April, the Calcutta High Court had nullified the appointment of the candidates selected from the expired panels and asked them to return the entire salary drawn, along with an annualised interest of 12 per cent, within the next four weeks. ED raids J’khand Minister's PA, recovers `25 crore from house help's home Stage set for 3rd phase of LS elections; 93 constituencies to go to polls STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 MAY The Enforcement Directorate on Monday seized unaccounted cash worth Rs 25 crore following raids at multiple locations in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi in connection with a money laundering case. The probe agency reportedly recovered a huge amount of cash from the residence of the house help of Sanjiv Lal, the secretary to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam. The raids, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeted approximately half a dozen locations linked to Virendra Ram, the former chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, and his inner circle. Ram was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in February 2023 in connection with the money laundering case. The probe agency is conducting simultaneous raids at nine locations, including Sail city in Ranchi. Video footage of the raid showed a mountain of currency notes scattered across a room purportedly belonging to the domestic aide of Lal. Alam (70) is a Congress leader and represents the Pakur seat in the Jharkhand assembly. Responding to the raids, he said it would not be right to comment since the probe agency is still investigating the case. "Sanjiv Lal is a govern- ment employee. He is my personal secretary. Sanjiv Lal has already been a personal secretary of two former ministers. There are several government employees and we usually appoint personal secretaries based on experience. It is not right to comment on the raids before the ED investigation is completed," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI. Jharkhand Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, "We are waiting for the ED to give an official statement. They (from whom the money EC warns parties against misuse of AI tools to distort information STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 MAY The Election Commission on Monday warned the political parties against misuse of AI-based tools to create deep fakes that distort information or propagate misinformation, emphasizing the need to uphold the integrity of the electoral process. The poll panel has brought to the notice of political parties the existing legal provisions that govern the regulatory framework against the use of misinformation and impersonation using deep fakes. "This includes the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, the Indian Penal Code and framework of the twin acts namely the Representation of People Act, 1950 and 1951 and the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)," the ECI said in a statement. "Taking cognizance of the certain violations of MCC and the extant legal provisions by political parties/their representatives while using social media for election campaigning, the ECI on Monday issued directions to political parties for responsible and ethical use of social media in election campaigning to ensure level playing field among all stakeholders," the statement said. The poll panel further said in view of the existing legal provisions, amongst other directions, the political parties have been specifically directed to refrain from publishing and circulating deep fake audios/videos, disseminate any misinformation or information which is patently false, untrue or misleading in nature, to refrain from posting derogatory content towards women, to abstain from using children in campaigns, to avoid depicting violence or harm to animals. "The parties have been directed to promptly remove any such content within three hours of bringing it to their notice, warn the person responsible in their party, reporting unlawful information and fake user accounts to respective platforms, and escalate persistent issues to the Grievance Appellate Committee under Rule 3A of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021," the statement added. has been recovered) are all government employees, who have served in the previous governments as well. Before any connection is established, I don't think the PM should go to this low." "Corruption is not ending in Jharkhand. This money during elections indicates that there is a plan to spend this money in the elections. The Election Commission should take action on this," said Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdev. BJP leader Amar Kumar Bauri accused the ruling Congress-JMM-RJD government of turning Jharkhand into “Lootkhand”. “The most corrupt government in history: CongressJMM-RJD government together turned Jharkhand into 'Lootkhand'! 25 crore cash has been found from the house of the servant of Minister Alamgir Alam’s PA, counting is still going on…,” the Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand assembly said in a post on 'X'. NEW DELHI, 6 MAY The stage is set for voting in the third phase of the 18th Lok Sabha election on Tuesday in 93 constituencies spread over 11 states and Union territories. The voting is scheduled to commence at 7 am in 1.85 lakh polling stations, amid tight security to avert any untoward incident, and culminate at 6 pm. Of the 93 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the third phase, 25 are from Gujarat, 14 from Karnataka, 11 from Maharashtra, 10 from Uttar Pradesh, nine from Madhya Pradesh, seven from Chhattisgarh, five from Bihar, four each from West Bengal and Assam, two each from Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. More than 1,300 candidates are in the fray whose fates would be decided by 17.24 crore voters. Prominent among the candidates from the BJP are Union ministers--Amit Shah and Jyotiraditya Scindia and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, while from Congress is former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh. Shah is BJP’s nominee from Gandhinagar (Gujarat) seat, Scindia from Guna (Madhya Pradesh), Chouhan from Vidisha seat and Singh from Rajgarh seat. Other key candidates are wife of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) parliamentary constituency and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal from Dhubri (Assam) seat. Notably, the campaign in the third phase was marked by a war of words between the BJP and the Congress over the grand old party’s manifesto ‘Nyay Yatra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling Rahul Gandhi as Shehzada’ (prince). Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi called the PM ‘Shahenshah’ (emperor) who lives in palaces. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said for convenience for voters, meticulous arrangements have been made at all polling stations including facilities like water, shamiyana, fans to deal with hot weather conditions. The poll panel also informed that 75 delegates from 23 countries, who are in India on its invitation, will see the poll process on Tuesday. The general elections are being held in seven phases between 19th April and 1st June. The first phase of polling was held on 19th April and second phase on 26th April. The first phase recorded 66.14 percent voter turnout and the second 66.71 percent. The results will be declared on 4th June. VCs ‘unequivocally discard claims’ by Rahul Gandhi on their appointment, alleging ‘intent to derive political mileage’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 MAY Slamming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his alleged remarks on the selection process of University heads, Vice Chancellors and academicians across the country have written an open letter accusing the Wayanad MP of "resorting to falsehood". "It has come to our notice from tweet and open sources of Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader, that the appointment of Vice Chancellors is made solely based on affiliation with some organisation rather than merit and qualification, thereby questioning the merit of the process through which the Vice Chancellors are appointed," read the letter. The letter rubbished the alleged claims by Rahul Gandhi, saying, "We categorically and unequivocally discard such claims." The signatories of over 100 academic professionals, including VCs from top universities across the world and academicians, have been attached along with the letter dated May 5. It further delved into the appointment process, explaining that the selection is characterised by "stringent, transparent, rigorous procedure." The letter also urged people to abstain from "spreading unfounded rumours." "The process by which Vice Chancellors are selected is characterised by stringent, transparent rigorous procedure grounded on values of meritocracy, scholarly distinction and integrity. The selection has been completely based on academic and administrative prowess and with a vision to take Universities ahead," it mentioned. "We strongly urge all individuals involved to exercise discernment in distinguishing fact from fiction, to abstain from spreading unfounded rumours, and to participate in dialogue that is well-informed, constructive, and supportive of our shared goal of creating a dynamic and inclusive educational environment. We would like to reaffirm our steadfast dedication to the principles of meritocracy, integrity, and excellence within the realm of higher education," it added. Rubbishing the claims, the letter called them "baseless allegations" and accused Rahul Gandhi of defaming the office of the VCs at large with an "intent to derive political mileage." Speaking on the open letter and Rahul Gandhi's alleged remarks, Bhagwati Prakash Sharma, Vice Chancellor of Gautam Buddha University, Noida, called it "stupidity" from the Congress leader's part. Indian Coast Guard intercepts Iranian fishing vessel STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 MAY In a swift sea-air coordinated operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully intercepted and detained an Iranian fishing vessel off the Kerala coast, west of Beypore. The boat has been brought to Kochi, Kerala for further investigations. ''The detention of a foreign fishing boat by the ICG, with (six) Indian crew onboard, once again highlights the complexities of maritime security and the challenges being faced by any maritime law enforcement agency in preventing illegal activities at sea. This incident underscores the ICG’s ongoing efforts to safeguard India's maritime borders and maintain law and order in maritime zones of India,'' the ICG said in a press release. During the operation, the boat was thoroughly checked by the ICG team to verify whether it was involved in any anti-national activity. Investigations revealed that the boat is owned by an Iranian sponsor named Syed Saud Ansari, who had employed six Indian fishermen (from Kanyakumari region in Tamil Nadu) by issuing them Iranian Visas for fishing off Iran Coast in his boat. The crew alleged that the sponsor had been ill-treating them and not providing them with even basic living conditions. Further, they also alleged that the sponsor confiscated their passports. The crew subsequently decided to escape from Iran to India using the same boat.
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