THURSDAY 05 DECEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 |LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P10 SENSEX 80,956.33 p110.58 WEATHER Mainly clear sky. Maximum and Minimum Temperature most likely to be around 27˚C and 17˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 0.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90% ASSAM BANS BEEF IN HOTELS AND PUBLIC FUNCTIONS HUNTER PARDONED SOUTH KOREA'S PRESIDENT YOON FACES IMPEACHMENT MOTION P8 NIFTY 24,467.45 p10.30 ` vs $ 84.76 ‘HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF CONFIDENCE FROM PERTH TEST’ P13 GOLD 78,645.00 Fadnavis to be sworn in as Maha CM today SILVER 91,000 P16 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 73.78 Badal escapes assassination bid unhurt at Golden Temple Oath-taking ceremony scheduled for 5.30 p.m. at historic Azad Maidan Min. 47% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 4 DECEMBER TEMPERATURE Max: 27.4˚C (-0.7) SUN RISES 06:02 hrs MOON RISES 08:47 hrs SUN SETS 16:52 hrs MOON SETS 19:32 hrs Shinde to take oath as Maha Dy CM along with ministers Min: 17.8˚C (+1.2) T Full Moon on 15 December THUMBNAILS Artists perform during a culture procession ahead of National Ayurvedic Arogya Mela 'Rashtriya Arogya Mela', organised by Satsari, in Guwahati on Wednesday. n ANI SC reserves order on ex-Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee's bail plea: The Supreme Court reserved order on the bail plea of Partha Chatterjee, an MLA and former West Bengal education minister, on Wednesday in a money laundering case related to cash-for-jobs recruitment irregularities. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan reserved the order after hearing both the parties. (Details on Page 4) he BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, backed by the other leaders of the Mahayuti alliance, NCP's Ajit Pawar, and Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde, on Wednesday afternoon met Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake claim to form the next government. Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar submitted letters supporting Mr Fadnavis as the Chief Minister after he was unanimously elected by the BJP legislators as the legislature party leader. Thereafter, the Governor invited Mr Shinde to form the government. Mr Radhakrishnan scheduled the swearing-in ceremony for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, 5 December, at the historic Azad Maidan ground in South Mumbai. “We have submitted a letter of support from smaller parties, including the Jan Surajya Party and others. I thank Eknathji Shinde and Ajit Pawar of the NCP for submitting a letter to the Governor supporting my appointment as Chief Minister,” Mr Fadnavis said after STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 4 DECEMBER meeting the Governor. “Tomorrow, in the presence of Narendra Modiji, the swearing-in ceremony will take place. We will inform you about the number of people who will be sworn in. The decision regarding the chief minister or deputy chief minister is a technical arrangement among us. We are united for the state's progress. I met Eknath Shindeji yesterday and invited him to be a part of the government since Shiv Sena MLAs want his participation in the government. I am confident that we will receive a positive response from him,” said the BJP's choice for the chief minister's post. "We are confident that the three of us will be able to work together for the benefit of the people of Maharashtra and fulfil all the promises we have made to them,” Mr Fadnavis said. Earlier in the day, the BJP legislature party met at the Central Hall of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and elected Mr Fadnavis as its leader. BJP MLAs Chandrakant Patil and Sudhir Mungantiwar proposed the name of Mr Fadnavis as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party in the Maharashtra Assembly. The proposal was seconded by BJP MLA Pankaja Munde and supported by several other MLAs. Shortly thereafter, BJP central observer and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the election of Mr Fadnavis as the leader of the BJP legislative group in the Maharashtra assembly. Rahul, Priyanka stopped from visiting violence-hit Sambhal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 DECEMBER Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and his sister and Wayanad MP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were stopped by the Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday when they were on their way to violence-hit Sambhal. UP police stopped their convoy at Ghazipur border near the national capital. The delegation, which included several Congress leaders, was headed to meet the families of the victims of the violence. Addressing the media at the Ghazipur border, the Leader of Opposition in the Lower House said: “The police stopped us from going to Sambhal. Being the Leader of Opposition, it is my right and duty to go there. Yet I was stopped. This is against the Constitution.” He stated that he was ready to go alone with the police, but they did not accept that either. Asserting that his constitutional right was not being given to him, Mr Gandhi said: “This is the new India, this is the India to end the Constitution.” “Why is the BJP scared? Why is it pushing the police to hide its failures? Why is it suppressing the message of truth and brotherhood?” he questioned. Echoing similar sentiments, Ms Vadra stated that Mr Gandhi cannot be stopped like this as being the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, he has the constitutional right to be allowed to go and meet the victims. Slamming the BJP, she said: “BJP is afraid of the voice of justice. BJP is afraid of humanity and love. BJP is afraid of brotherhood and unity. To save its 'market of hatred', BJP wants to barricade every message of love.” Uproar in LS over Rahul’s Sambhal visit STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 DECEMBER Opposition members staged a brief walkout on Wednesday after a heated exchange of words over Rahul’s visit to violence-hit Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh. During Zero Hour, during discussion on issues pertaining to his constituency Kishanganj, Congress member Mohammad Jawed steered the discussion towards Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Sambhal, during which he was stopped enroute.This led to shouting and sloganeering from both sides, and a brief walkout by certain opposition members. CM Mamata Banerjee flags off KIFF, urges foreign filmmakers to work with Tollywood counterparts STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 4 DECEMBER Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged foreign filmmakers and producers to come to the city and collaborate with their Tollywood counterparts. She inaugurated the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival at the Dhana Dhanya auditorium in the city this evening. “We have the finest directors, actors, and technicians, and please do come to the city to make collaborative films. You will get diverse culture, environment and different varieties of people in Bengal. People will welcome you from their heart,” she said. She emphasised that films are inherently global, transcending language and cultural barriers. “We are all part of a global family, and there's a bridge connecting Hollywood, Bollywood, and Tollywood," she added. France is the focus country of this year's KIFF. The week-long festival will screen 175 films from 21 countries, including 21 French films, Miss Banerjee said. Miss Banerjee said: “there are very good emerging film directors, actors and technicians in Bengal but their lobby is weak and so their works get less exposure in the international arena. But I hope that someday they will get international recognition and their work will be appreciated globally.” She released a book, Shotoborshe Tapan Sinha, a tribute to legendary filmmaker Tapan Sinha on his birth centenary. She said along with Tapan Sinha, the KIFF will pay tribute to cimena personalities like actor Arundhuti Debi, director Harisadhan Dasgupta and Marlon Brando on their centenary. Tapan Sinha’s classic Ben- gal feature film Golpo Holeo Satti was screened as a tribute to him. Miss Banerjee recollected a letter written to her by Tapan Sinha when she was observing her 26-day fast at Esplanade in the year 2006. “We always remember the great works of Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha, Rittwik Ghatak and Rituporno Ghosh. I have not seen Uttam Kumar, but I am happy that his family members have come and attended today’s function.” Veteran film actors including Sabitri Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee, Ranjit Mullick, Dipankar Dey, Sabyasachi Chakraborty were present. Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha attended the function. A song composed by the Chief Minister and which has been sung by Nachiketa was played at the inaugural function. A dance recital which had been conceptualised by Miss Banerjee was presented by Dona Ganguly’s team. Hours after the Mahayuti alliance partners held a press conference on Wednesday evening after meeting Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, it is learnt that Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde has agreed to take oath as one of the Deputy Chief Ministers on Thursday. The development came hours after Mr Fadnavis publicly urged Mr Shinde to join his Cabinet as he addressed a press conference after staking claim to form a Mahayuti government in Maharashtra. It is learnt that Ajit Pawar will continue as one of the two Deputy Chief Ministers. The BJP has released a list of 17 probable ministers who are likely to be inducted in the Mahayuti government. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE CHANDIGARH, 4 DECEMBER Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal escaped unhurt a bid on his life at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday when a Khalistan sympathiser associated with the radical Dal Khalsa opened fire at him. The shooter targeted the former Punjab deputy chief minister while the latter was performing "seva" at the shrine as part of a religious punishment pronounced by the Shri Akal Takht Sahib. In a video, the wheelchair-bound SAD leader is seen in a blue 'sewadar' uniform holding a spear when the shooter whips out the gun and fires at him from point-blank range. The policemen in attendance reacted swiftly and overpowered the assailant. The shooter was identified as Narain Singh Chaura, an alleged former militant facing many cases and is an accused in the sensational Burail jailbreak case in Chandigarh in 2004, where four undertrials, three of them assassins of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, escaped from the jail by digging a tunnel. Chaura slowly approached Sukhbir Badal, who was sitting at the entrance of the Golden Temple with a plaque card around his neck as part of the 'tankhah' (religious punishment), before opening fire at him. However, a policeman standing nearby was able to push his hand upwards and save the Akali Dal leader. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Harpal Singh told reporters that proper security arrangements were in place and he was himself present at the site. “Chaura was present in the temple yesterday also. On Wednesday morning, he came to the temple as usual and paid obeisance before opening fire at Badal,” he told reporters. According to the police, Chaura had crossed over to Pakistan in 1984 and was instrumental in smuggling weapons and explosives into Punjab during the initial phase of militancy. He was allegedly associated with the Khalistan Liberation Force and the Akal Federation and was wanted in cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ropar districts. Sixty-two-year-old Badal was performing 'sewadar' duties after the Akal Takht pronounced the 'tankhah' (religious punishment) for him and several other Akali Dal leaders for "mistakes" committed during the party's rule in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. As part of the punishment, Sukhbir Badal and his former colleagues in the then cabinet were ordered to clean toilets, serve “langar” (community kitchen), perform daily prayers, and recite Sukhmani Sahib. Placards were also placed around their necks as part of the sentence.