WEDNESDAY 02 APRIL 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR NITISH’S SILENCE ON WAQF BILL INTENSIFIES MUSLIMS’ APPREHENSION ‘FALSE NARRATIVE BEING PEDDLED ON NORTH’S DOMINATION OVER SOUTH’ P13 SENSEX 76,024.51q1,390.41 WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 36°C and 27°C respectively. NIFTY P6 23,165.70q353.65 Max. 76% NEW DELHI, 1 APRIL Min. 56% TEMPERATURE A Min: 27.3˚C SUN SETS 17:52 hrs MOON SETS 22:20 hrs Full Moon on 13 April THUMBNAILS Tourist vehicles pass through as Zojila Pass was reopened in a record-breaking time of 33 days by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). In Sonamarg on Tuesday. n ANI IndiaÊs defence exports log over 12 pc growth at record Rs 23,622 crore in FY25: India’s defence exports surged to a record high of Rs 23,622 crore (about $2.76 billion) in the just-concluded FY25 -a growth of Rs 2,539 crore or 12.04 per cent compared to Rs 21,083 crore in FY24, the government said on Tuesday. The private sector and DPSUs have contributed Rs 15,233 crore and Rs 8,389 crore. (Page 13) mid vehement protests by the Opposition, the BJP-led government is set to table the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Bill aims to introduce reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju made an announcement to this effect on Tuesday even as the Opposition dubbed the legislation as “unconstitutional” and vowed to resist its tabling in Parliament. The Bill will be tabled at noon after the Question Hour for consideration and passing. There will be an eighthour discussion, which could be increased if needed, Mr Rijiu told reporters. The minister said: “In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Lok Sabha, I had Key changes The Bill changes the composition of the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards to include non-Muslim members. The Survey Commissioner has been replaced by the Collector, granting them powers to conduct surveys of waqf properties. Government property identified as waqf will cease to be waqf. Collector will determine ownership of such properties. PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 1 APRIL shock that houses were demolished within 24 hours of notice being affixed. All the houses that were demolished belonged to the members of the Muslim community, and the owners included a lawyer and a professor, besides others. Slamming the Prayagraj Development Authority for its illegal act, the bench said carrying out demolition in such a manner shows insensitivity and high handedness on the part of the statutory authority. The court directed the Prayagraj Development Authority to pay compensa- The Waqf Act 1995 allows Waqf to be formed by declaration, recognition based on long-term use (Waqf by user), or endowment when the line of succession ends (Waqf-alal-aulad). The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 states that only a person practicing Islam for at least five years may declare a Waqf. It removes Waqf by user. It also specifies that waqf-alal-aulad must not disinherit heirs, including female heirs. Finality of the decisions of the tribunals set up to address disputes has been revoked. The Bill provides for direct appeal to the High Court. proposed before the committee that tomorrow, on 2nd April, we are bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill and for that we have to allocate time for discussion... Finally, there was an agreement that the total time to be located for discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill would be eight hours, extendable after taking the sense of the House...” “If the House feels that the time for discussion should be extended, then the time can be extended, but if they (Opposition) do not want to participate in the discussion by making some excuse, then I cannot stop it. We want a discussion. Every political party SC directs PDA to pay compensation for ‘inhuman and illegal’ demolition of houses Lashing out at the Prayagraj Development Authority for its “inhuman and illegal” action in demolishing houses without following due process of law and reminding it that right to shelter is also an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Development Authority to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakhs each to the victims of its “insensitive” and “shocking” act. Stating that the illegal demolition of houses in Prayagraj without following due process of law “shocks our conscience”, a bench of Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said that the demolition action of the Prayagraj Development Authority was “inhuman and illegal”, adding that “residential structures of citizens cannot be demolished in such fashion”. The bench also expressed ` vs $ 85.60 tion of Rs. 10 lakh each to the house owners whose houses were demolished, within six weeks. The top court in its order said: “Considering the illegal action of the demolition which is in violation of rights of the appellants under article 21 of the Constitution, we direct the Prayagraj Development Authority to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakhs each to the appellants.” In the course of the hearing, the advocate appearing for the petitioners told the bench that they did not have money to reconstruct their demolished houses. The top court order came on petitions by Zulfiquar Haider, Shahnaz Parvin, Ali Ahmed Fatmi, Naila Fatmi, Baby Maimuna, and Ahmad Ali. The petitioners included a lawyer, a professor and three others. The petitioners approached the top court against a 8 March 2021 Allahabad High Court order rejecting their pleas challenging the demolition. has the right to express its opinion, and the country wants to hear which political party has what stance on the amendment bill,” he added. Mr Rijiju further said: “And this will be recorded for thousands of years, this will be on record, who opposed and who supported the amendment Bill.” Opposition MPs reiterated that they would actively oppose the tabling of the Waqf Bill. Several parties, including the BJP, Telegu Desam Party and the Congress, have issued whips to their respective MPs to be present in the Lok Sabha tomorrow. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to embark on a visit to attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand on 3-4 April, the key event is set to further strengthen India-Thailand economic and trade ties. In the ASEAN region, Thailand is the fourth largest trading partner of India after Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Bilateral trade between India and Thailand stood at $16.04 billion in 2023, with exports from India to Thailand at $5.92 billion and imports at $10.11 billion. The fast-growing Indian market remains attractive for Thai investors, with vast opportunities available in infrastructure, agro and food processing, automotive and auto parts, pharmaceuticals and health, tourism, retail and renewable energy sec- tors. An Early Harvest Scheme (EHS), covering 83 products, under the proposed IndiaThailand Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) was put in place in September 2004, and has contributed to the growth of bilateral trade. The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), which came into effect from 1 January 2010, also contributed to enhanced bilateral trade. ASEAN and India sides are currently working on review of AITIGA to make it more user-friendly, simple and trade facilitative for businesses. Major Indian exports to Thailand include jewellery including silver bars and gold; machinery and parts; metal waste scrap and products; chemicals; vegetables and vegetable products; medicinal and pharmaceutical products; fresh aquatic ani- NEW DELHI, 1 APRIL The Opposition INDIA bloc will oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill, set to be tabled by the government in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The decision was taken at a meeting of the floor leaders of INDIA bloc parties convened on Tuesday to discuss strategy on the Bill. Congress General Secretary in-charge of Organisation KC Venugopal said that the INDIA bloc has unanimously decided to oppose this Bill. “At the introduction stage itself, the INDIA alliance and all like-minded parties had a clear-cut stand on it. This Bill is a targeted legislation and is fundamentally against the Constitutional provisions. We are going to oppose this Bill,” he told a news agency. SNS BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 74.90p0.13 PM Modi: India, Chile to jointly fight organised crime, drug trafficking STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 1 APRIL Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that India and Chile have decided to take steps to create defence industrial manufacturing and supply chains as per each other's needs and increase cooperation between their agencies to face challenges like organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism. ''On the global front, India and Chile agree that all tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue. We agree that reforms in the United Nations Security Council and other institutions are necessary to face global challenges. Together, we will continue to contribute to global peace and stability," he said at a media interaction after talks with the visiting President of Chile, Gabriel Boric. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on a social media post that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions and welcomed the launch of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations to further deepen India-Chile ties in trade, science & technology, critical minerals, health, agriculture and climate change. PM Modi said India and Chile may be on different shores on the world map and there may be vast oceans separating them but nature has connected them with unique similarities. ''The Himalayas of India and the Andes of Chile have shaped the course of life in both countries for thousands of years. The waves of the Indian Ocean flow into India with the same energy as the waves of the Pacific Ocean touch the shores of Chile. Both countries are not only connected by nature, but our cultures have also remained close to each other by adopting this diversity,'' he said. The PM said the growing interest of the people of Chile in Indian films and classical dance is a living example of cultural relations between the two countries. ''We wel- Number of districts most affected by Left-Wing Extremism has come down to six: Amit Shah STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 1 APRIL Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the nation has achieved a new milestone by significantly reducing the number of districts most affected by LeftWing Extremism (LWE) to just six from 12, thus taking a giant stride towards building a LWE-free Bharat. In a post on the X platform, he said the Modi government is building a ''Sashakt, Surakshit and Samriddh Bharat'' with a ruthless approach to Maoist extremism and relentless efforts for all-pervasive development. ''Bharat is determined to uproot Naxalism for good by 31st March 2026.'' The total number of districts affected by Maoist insurgency in the country was 38. Among these, the number of most affected districts has reduced to six from 12. The number of ''Districts of Concern'' has also come 6th BIMSTEC Summit to further boost India-Thailand trade ties AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 1 APRIL INDIA firm in stance against Bill P16 SILVER 1,14,000 GOLD 93,965.00 Eight hours allocated for debate on legislation; BJP, Cong issue whips RITA SACHDEVA IPL 2025: RCB AIM TO CONTINUE WINNING MOMENTUM AGAINST GT P12 Govt set to table Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha today RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max: 36.2˚C SUN RISES 05:28 hrs MOON RISES 08:11 hrs TATA’S WILL LEAVES MOST OF HIS `3,800-CR ASSETS TO TRUSTS mals, chilled, frozen, processed and instant, parts & accessories of vehicles; Iron, steel and products; electrical machinery and parts; coffee, tea and spices; electrical household appliances; and fabrics, etc. Major Indian imports from Thailand include animal or vegetable fats and oils; chemical products; polymers of ethylene, propylene, etc. in primary forms; precious stones and jewellery; iron and steel and their products; machinery and parts thereof; motor cars, parts & accessories; copper and articles thereof; aluminium products; sparkignition reciprocating internal combustion piston; automatic data processing machines and parts thereof; air conditioning machine and parts thereof; rubber products; rubber etc. Investment from Thailand in India has increased in the recent years. down to six from nine, and the number of Other LWEaffected districts has also been reduced from 17 to six. Of the six most LWEaffected districts, four districts are in Chhattisgarh (Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, and Sukma), one in Jharkhand (West Singhbhum), and one in Maharashtra (Gadchiroli). Similarly, out of the total 38 affected districts, the number of ''Districts of Concern'', where additional resources need to be intensively provided beyond the severely affected districts, has reduced from nine to six. These six districts are in Andhra Pradesh (Alluri Sitarama Raju), Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat), Odisha (Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Malkangiri), and Telangana (Bhadradri-Kothagudem). Due to persistent action against Maoist extremism, the number of Other LWEaffected districts has fallen from 17 to six. These include districts in Chhattisgarh (Dantewada, Gariaband, and Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki), Jharkhand (Latehar), Odisha (Nuapada), and Telangana (Mulugu). The most affected districts and the ''Districts of Concern'' are given financial assistance of Rs 30 crore and Rs 10 crore respectively by the Government of India under a special scheme, Special Central Assistance (SCA), to fill the gaps in public infrastructure. Apart from this, special projects are also provided for these districts according to need. The rapid improvement in the LWE scenario in the last one year is primarily due to the establishment of new security camps in the insurgency-affected core areas and development-oriented works such as expansion of roads, transport facilities, water, electricity, and other welfare schemes of the government reaching the villagers. Dragon-Elephant duet: Xi’s message marking 75 years of India-China ties AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 1 APRIL Chinese President Xi Jinping in a message to President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday, marked the 75th anniversary of establishment of bilateral relations, stating that China and India should work more closely together. He said that China and India should “realize a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant, which completely serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples.” Chinese Premier Li Qiang also exchanged congratulatory messages with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Xi in his message said that both nations should view and handle bilateral ties from a "strategic and long-term perspective, and seek ways ... to get along in peaceful coexistence, mutual trust and mutual benefit, and common development.” According to a statement issued by the Chinese Ambassador in India, Xu Feihong, President Murmu in her message to Mr Xi said "stable, predictable and amicable" bilateral relations will bring major benefits to both nations and the world. In a post on ‘X’, Mr Xu added: “Premier Li Qiang exchanges congratulatory messages with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Premier Li stated that China stands ready to work with India, taking the 75th anniversary of ChinaIndia diplomat relations as an opportunity, continue to enhance strategic mutual trust, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, properly handle the boundary question, advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development, so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India and China are two ancient cultures and civilizations. We have played a significant role in shaping human history and bear a significant responsibility now to promoting peace and development. Progress in our bilateral relations will contribute not only to global stability and prosperity but also to the emergence of a multipolar world. The 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomaic relations may usher in a period of healthy and stable development in IndiaChina bilateral relations.” come the agreement reached today on the cultural exchange programme between the two countries. We also discussed simplifying the visa process between the two countries. We will also continue to make efforts to increase student exchange between India and Chile,'' he added. In his remarks, the President of Chile said there are many opportunities to boost India-Chile relations. ''We want to consolidate Chile as a valued partner in sustainable technology and innovation, where we have a lot of linkages and potential with India. We are working together to bring India's important audiovisual industry to our country, which we are going to represent with the 'Shoot in Chile' programme. What India has done with its presence of Bollywood is tremendously important," he added. At least 18 killed in firecracker godown blast in Gujarat AGENCIES BANASKANTHA, 1 APRIL At least 18 people died in a massive explosion that took place in a firecracker godown in Gujarat's Banaskantha district. According to officials, the explosion at the firecracker godown in Deesa area on Tuesday morning, led to the collapse of the structure, trapping several workers inside. Rescue operations are ongoing. Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said that a case has been registered in connection with the incident. “As soon as we received information about the incident, we initiated relief work. So far, 18 people have died due to the collapse of a slab. An FIR is being filed under Section 304 (causing death by negligence), and strict action will be taken against those responsible," Mr Makwana said. Banaskantha police have formed five teams to identify and nab those responsible for the incident, he added. Earlier, 13 bodies were recovered and four people were injured in the firecracker godown explosion incident. District administration officials said that all the workers belonged to Madhya Pradesh. Banaskantha Collector Mihir Patel said: :The entire slab of the structure collapsed following the explosion at the firecracker godown.”