FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 14 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘BIHAR GOVT HAS FAILED TO STOP ILLEGAL LIQUOR TRADE’ ISRAEL CONFIRMS HAMAS LEADER SINWAR KILLED IN GAZA P10 SENSEX 81,006.61q494.75 WHAT PEOPLE SAW IN A REVERSE COLONISER P5 NIFTY 24,749.85q221.45 P7 ` vs $ 84.07 GOLD 79,145.00 Thunderstorms. Storms could contain frequent lightning. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 31°C and 26°C respectively. Amid deteriorating diplomatic ties with Ottawa, India on Thursday rejected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement that he believes in ''One India'', saying his actions do not match his words. At a media briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also stated that there are at least 26 extradition requests from India pending with the Canadian side relating to certain criminals. Along with that, there are several provisional arrest requests which are also pending. "We had also shared security related information with the Canadian Government regarding gang members, including those of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and requested them to arrest them (criminals)...so far no action has been taken by the Canadian side on our request. We find it really strange PARMOD KUMAR Min. 80% NEW DELHI, 17 OCTOBER Min: 26.2˚C SUN SETS 17:08 hrs MOON SETS 06:12 hrs T New Moon on 1 November THUMBNAILS A golden farewell from the sun, embraced by tranquil and pleasant weather, in New Delhi on Thursday.n ANI MEA confirms Sheikh Hasina still in India: India on Thursday confirmed that former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina is still in this country. ''Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had come to India for safety reasons; she continues to be here,'' Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. he Supreme Court on Thursday by a majority of 4:1 upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act that was incorporated in furtherance of the 1985 Assam accord for granting citizenship to the immigrants from Bangladesh who had crossed over to India between 1 January 1966 to 24 March 1971. The Assam accord was signed between the Central government, the Assam government, the All-Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad in New Delhi on 15 August 1985. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant speaking for himself, Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Manoj Misra upheld the constitutionality of Section 6A. However, Justice J.B. Pardiwala in a dissenting judgment ruled that “Section 6A of the Citizenship Act deserves to be declared invalid with prospective effect and the same is accordingly declared so.” Justice Surya Kant speaking for himself, Justice M. M. Sundresh and Justice Manoj Misra. held that Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955. falls within the bounds of the Constitution and is a valid piece of legislation. He said: “As a necessary corollary thereto, (i) immigrants who entered the State of Assam prior to 1966 are deemed citizens; (ii) immigrants who entered between the cut-off dates of 01.01.1966 and 25.03.1971 can seek citizenship subject to the eligibility con- Nayab Singh Saini sworn in as Haryana CM for second term STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE CHANDIGARH, 17 OCTOBER stood up on the stage to take the oath, the crowd erupted in loud applause waving flags. The crowd kept cheering him as he took the oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President and Union Minister JP Nadda, Chief Ministers of BJP and NDA ruled States among other dignitaries. A total of 13 BJP MLAs took the oath of office as ministers – two each from Dalit, Brahmin, and Jat communities, four from OBCs, and one each from Rajput, Punjabi, and Bania communities. As per the norms, there can be a maximum of 14 ministers, including the chief minister of the state. Seven-time MLA Anil Vij was sworn in as the cabinet minister after Chief Minister Saini. Krishan Lal Panwar, who was elected from Israna, a big Dalit face in the state, has also been made a Cabinet minister. Badshahpur MLA Rao Narbir Singh, who was a minister in the previous government, has been elevated to Cabinet rank. Former Minister of State for Development and Panchayat and Cooperation Mahipal Singh Dhanda, who made a hat trick by winning the Panipat Rural assembly seat, has also been made a Cabinet minister. Vipul Goyal, who was the minister of industries and commerce in the first term of the Manohar Kal government, also took oath as a Cabinet minister. ditions prescribed in Section 6A (3); and (iii) immigrants who entered the State of Assam on or after 25.03.1971 are not entitled to the protection conferred vide Section 6A and consequently, they are declared to be illegal immigrants.” Accordingly, Section 6A has become redundant qua those immigrants who have entered Assam on or after 25 March 1971, Justice Surya Kant stated. Speaking for himself, Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud while upholding the constitutional validity of Section 6A said that it satisfies the two-pronged reasonable classification test - The legislative objective of Section 6A was to balance the humanitarian needs of the migrants of Indian Origin and the impact of the migration on the economic and cultural needs of Indian States and the two yardsticks employed in Section 6A, that is, migration to Assam and the cut-off date of 24 March 1971, are reasonable. Brushing aside the petitioners’ arguments that Section 6A of the Citizenship Act is hit by Article 29 of the Constitution, as the presence of a large number of immigrants from Bangladesh has led to an erosion of Assamese culture, Chief Justice Chandrachud in his judgment said: “Section 6A does not violate Article 29(1) of the Constitution. Article 29(1) guarantees the right to take steps to protect the culture, language and script of a section of citizens. The petitioners have been unable to prove that the ability of the Assamese to take steps to protect their culture is violated by the provisions of Section 6A.” Chief Justice Chandrachud formally proposes Justice Khanna as his successor PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 17 OCTOBER Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has formally proposed Justice Sanjiv Khanna (photo), the seniormost judge after him, to succeed him as the Chief Justice of India when he demits office on November 10, 2024. In a communication to Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chief Justice Chandrachud stated that Justice Khanna would succeed him upon his retirement on November 10. Justice Khanna will have a tenure of just over six months, as he is scheduled to retire on May 13, 2025. Justice Khanna was elevated to the Delhi High Court as an additional judge in 2005 and became a permanent judge in 2006. While serving on the Delhi High Court, he held several positions, including Chair- man/Judge-in-charge of the Delhi Judicial Academy, the Delhi International Arbitration Centre, and the District Court Mediation Centres. Elevated to the Supreme Court of India on January 18 2019, Justice Khanna served as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Service Committee from June 17, 2023, to December 25, 2023. He is currently the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority and a member of the Governing Council of the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal. Justice Khanna was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1983. ‘World can tackle uncertainties if it follows Buddha’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 OCTOBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Lord Buddha is today not only relevant but essential also and can help the world find solutions to its uncertainties and instabilities, if it moves away from war and paves the way for peace. He was addressing a ceremony in celebration of the International Abhidhamma Divas and recognition of Pali as a classical language at Vigyan Bhavan. Abhidhamma Divas commemorates the descent of Lord Buddha from the celestial realm after teaching Abhidhamma. The celebrations were organised by the Government and the International Buddhist Confederation and attended by academics and monks from 14 countries and young experts on Buddha Dhamma from various universities across India. The Prime Minister BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 74.10q0.12 SC upholds Section 6A of the Citizenship Act Max. 89% Nayab Singh Saini, who led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a decisive victory in the recently-held Assembly elections, winning 48 seats in the 90-member house, was on Thursday sworn in as the chief minister of Haryana for a second term. He had first taken oath as the state chief minister in March this year. Mr Saini was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Bandaru Dattatraya amid a massive gathering of enthusiastic supporters. The atmosphere at Panchkula’s iconic Dussehra Ground here, where the swearing-in ceremony was held, was electrifying with loud cheers and chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ resonating throughout the venue. As Mr Saini, a prominent face of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Haryana, SILVER 1,03,000 Delhi slams Trudeau for ‘One India’ remarks, finds mismatch between actions and words RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE P14 Court rules 4:1 in favour of provision, Justice J B Pardiwala dissents WEATHER Max: 31.5˚C SUN RISES 05:34 hrs MOON RISES 17:44 hrs NEW ZEALAND ON TOP AFTER HENRY BUNDLE INDIA OUT FOR 46 said: “I once said at the United Nations: Bharat has given the world not war, but Buddha. And today, I confidently say that the entire world will find solutions not in war, but in Buddha. On this occasion of Abhidhamma Divas, I call upon the world: Learn from Buddha, move away from war.” He said: “Enmity does not end with enmity. Hatred ends with love, with human compassion. Buddha said "May all be happy, may all be blessed.” “This is Buddha's message, and this is the path of humanity,” the Prime Minister said. Mr Modi said many of his government’s decisions were inspired by Buddha, Dhamma, and the Sangha. Today, wherever there is a crisis in the world, India is present as the first responder. This is an extension of Buddha's principle of compassion, he said. “Whether it was the earthquake in Turkey, the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, or the con- ditions during the Covid-19 pandemic, Bharat stepped forward to help. Bharat is taking everyone along as a ‘Vishwa Bandhu’ (global friend). Whether it’s the yoga movement, the campaign related to millets, Ayurveda, or natural farming, Lord Buddha's inspiration is behind many of our efforts,” he said. The Prime Minister said language, literature, art, spirituality ~ these treasures of a nation define its existence. Every nation connects its heritage with its identity. “Unfortunately, Bharat had lagged far behind in this regard. Before Independence, invaders aimed to erase Bharat’s identity, and after Independence, those with a colonial mindset took over,” he said. “An ecosystem had taken hold in Bharat that worked to push us in the opposite direction. The Buddha, who resides in the soul of Bharat, and the symbols of Buddha that were adopted as the symbols of Bharat at the time of independence, were gradually forgotten in the decades that followed. It took seven decades for the Pali language to get its rightful place,” the Prime Minister said. The nation is now free from that inferiority complex and is moving forward with self-respect, self-confidence, and self-pride, he said. As a result, the country is making big decisions. That’s why, he said Pali and Marathi have been recognised as classical languages. And what a beautiful coincidence it is that this connects pleasantly with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution, he said. “Our great follower of Buddhism, Babasaheb Ambedkar, received his Dhamma initiation in Pali, and his mother tongue was Marathi. Similarly, we have given classical language status to Bengali, Assamese, and Prakrit as well,” the Prime Minister said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 OCTOBER that now people who we wanted to be deported or against whom action needed to be taken, we are being told that the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) is blaming the Indian side for the crimes committed by these people in Canada," he said. While testifying before the public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions on Wednesday, Mr Trudeau had stated that Canada's official policy is to defend the territorial integrity of India, unlike a few who advocate otherwise. In response, the Indian spokesperson said India has made requests from time to time against individuals who have openly indulged in antiIndia activities but the Trudeau administration has turned a blind eye to their activities. "So in a sense, there is a gap between action and words," he added. The spokesperson named at least five people whose extradition has been sought by India from Canada. They are: Gurjit Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Gurdeep singh. Lakhbir Singh Lunda and Arshdeep Singh Gill. The spokesperson said: "What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along: Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats. The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone." 25 dead after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar: Govt orders probe, SIT formed STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 OCTOBER As many 25 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Siwan and Saran districts of Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday conducted a high-level review on the spurious liquor incidents that took place yesterday and ordered a thorough probe on all points. Twelve people have already been arrested in this connection from the two districts. DGP Alok Raj said: "A total of 25 people have lost their lives so far. Twenty in Siwan and 5 deaths in Saran. Twelve people have been arrested till now, 3 in Saran and 9 arrests in Siwan.'' Stating that the information regarding the 'Sharab mafia' has been obtained from the arrested persons, he warned of strict action against all those involved in this chain. "The SPs and DMs of both the districts and DIG Saran reached the spot. From Patna, the Prohibition Department Secretary and SP were sent to the spot... Evidence is being collected and strict action will be taken..." he informed. Twenty people lost their lives in Siwan after consuming spurious liquor, according to Siwan SP Amitesh Kumar. Five people have died in a similar incident in Saran district of the state.