FRIDAY 28 MARCH 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR DHANKHAR REJECTS PRIVILEGE MOVE AGAINST AMIT SHAH P5 SENSEX 77,606.43p317.93 WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 39°C and 26°C respectively. NIFTY P8 23,591.95p105.10 ` vs $ 85.77 P6 Max. 67% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 27 MARCH Max: 39.5˚C SUN RISES 05:33 hrs MOON RISES 04:37 hrs Min: 26.7˚C SUN SETS 17:50 hrs MOON SETS 16:46 hrs W New Moon on 29 March THUMBNAILS Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inspects construction work on the Polavaram Project, at Polavaram in Eluru on Thursday. n ANI Three cops, two terrorists killed in Kathua gunfight: Three policemen and two Pakistani terrorists were killed in J&K's Kathua district on Thursday when a fresh encounter broke out in the area. Five security forces personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) were wounded. Three of the injured personnel later succumbed to their wounds, reports said. (Earlier report on Page 7) est Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while delivering a speech at Kellogg College, Oxford University, tonight underscored the state’s commitment to women’s empowerment and development. Addressing a packed audience, she asserted that Bengal is witnessing rapid industrial growth, with numerous industries setting up in the state. Highlighting Bengal’s diverse geography, she said: “We have jungles, mountains, and the sea. Kolkata is the best city where the rich and poor, irrespective of caste, creed, and religion, live together in harmony.” She said that people from other states are coming to Bengal for opportunities, driven by its development and industrial expansion. Miss Banerjee stressed the importance of unity, saying: “Before I die, I want to see unity. Division “ Before I die, I want to see unity. Division takes just a second but maintaining unity is the hardest challenge. takes just a second, but maintaining unity is the hardest challenge.” She emphasised that humanity is essential for progress and reiterated that Bengal follows the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna, and Sarada Devi in its efforts for social upliftment. She lauded the Kanyashree Scheme, stating that it has significantly transformed the lives of girls in Bengal. She also highlighted the state’s initiatives in free healthcare, food distribution, and housing projects. “Every woman in Bengal benefits from Lakshmir India is not a ‘Dharamshala’, says Shah as LS passes Immigration Bill NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 27 MARCH Asserting that India is not a 'Dharamshala', Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday that those who pose a threat to national security will not be allowed to enter the country. Replying to a debate on The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, he said whether it is Rohingya or Bangladeshis, if they come to India to create unrest, strict action will be taken against them. In this context, the home minister said that the country is not a ‘Dharamshala’ (public resthouse) where anyone can stay as they wish. “If you are here to help the country prosper, you are welcome, but security threats will not be tolerated,” he said. “Until now, black lists by agencies were not legally enforced, but now the blacklist will be statutory. If a foreigner wants to enter, it must be through a notified route; oth- erwise, it will be considered illegal,” Mr Shah said. The Bill was later passed by the House. Earlier, replying to the debate in the House on the Bill, Mr Shah also attacked the Bengal government over the issue of infiltration. “When Bangladeshis or Rohingya infiltrate, who gives them Aadhaar cards? Most of the Bangladeshis, who have been caught with Aadhaar cards and voter ID cards of 24 Parganas,” he asked. Mr Shah said once a BJP government is formed in Bengal in 2026, infiltration will come to an end. Mr Shah said: “In the last ten years, India has become the fifth-largest economy. The country has emerged as a bright spot among the world's largest economies. The nation has become a hub of manufacturing and it is natural for people from all over the world to come to India... The number of people taking refuge in India for personal gain and making the country unsafe has also increased... Be it Rohingya or Bangladeshis, if they come to India to create unrest, strict action will be taken against them,” he said. Mr Shah also blamed the Bengal government for the delay in India-Bangladesh border fencing. He said India's border with Bangladesh is 2,216 km long, out of which fencing work has been completed for 1,653 km. "Out of the remaining 563 km, fencing is not possible on 112 km due to geographical conditions. Fencing of the remaining 450 km is pending, because the Bengal government is not providing land,” he said. Bhandar,” she added, referring to the state’s financial assistance scheme for women. During her speech, she detailed 97 social welfare projects implemented by her government. She asserted that Bengal leads in female participation across multiple sectors, including horticulture, agriculture, and animal husbandry. “Kolkata is the best city for employment, and people from other states are coming here for work,” she said. On India-British relations, Miss Banerjee remarked that the two Justice Varma row: Leaders of six HC bar Assns meet CJI PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 27 MARCH The leaders of six Bar Associations belonging to five High Courts – Allahabad, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (Jabalpur), Karnataka, and Kerala - met the Chief Justice of India, Justice Sanjiv Khanna and other members of the top court collegium seeking the withdrawal of the collegium’s recommendation for transferring Justice Yashwant Varma - who is in the eye of a storm after the purported discovery of a huge amount of unaccounted cash at his home ~ from Delhi High Court to Allahabad High Court. In addition to the withdrawal of judicial work from Justice Varma, the six Bar Associations also sought the withdrawal of all administrative work as well from Justice Varma, and to set the criminal law in motion as is applicable to any government servant. India ranks 3rd in number of billionaires STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 27 MARCH Mukesh Ambani remains the richest person in Asia, with a fortune of Rs 8.6 trillion, despite a Rs 1 trillion drop from last year ahead of Gautam Adani, whose wealth rose by 13 per cent to Rs 8.4 trillion, said Hurun Global Rich List 2025. It further highlighted that India now ranks third in the world in the number of billionaires, with 284 on the list. The combined wealth of Indian billionaires stands at Rs 98 trillion—about onethird of India’s GDP and more than Saudi Arabia’s entire GDP. Of these 284 individuals, 175 saw their wealth rise, while 109 saw it decline or remain flat. India added 13 new billionaires this year, bringing the total to 284, it said. The rank-wise list was Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries – Rs 8.6 trillion; BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 72.96q0.10 CM delivers lecture Putin set to visit India soon, says Russian FM Lavrov at Kellogg College Mamata emphasises focus on women’s empowerment, development Min. 41% P16 SILVER 1,11,000 GOLD 91,100.00 RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE IPL 2025: RCB TO BATTLE SPIN-HEAVY CSK ‘POLITICAL BLACK COMEDY AT ITS DARKEST’ DHAKA’S FOCUS The wealthy list y ₹ 8.6 trillion ₹ 8. trillion ₹ 3.5 trilli .4 ion Gauta Adani, am Adani Group i Roshni Nadar, HCL ₹ 2.5 trillion ₹ 2.2 trillion ₹ 2 trillion ₹ 2 trillion ₹ 1.6 trilli ion ₹ 1.4 trillion ₹ 1.4 trillion Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries Kumar Mangalam Bi la Adit a Bi la Cyrus Poonawalla, s Se m Instit te Gautam Adani, Adani Group – Rs 8.4 trillion; Roshni Nadar, HCL – Rs 3.5 trillion; Dilip Shanghvi, Sun Pharma – Rs 2.5 trillion; Azim Premji, Wipro – Rs 2.2 trillion; Kumar Mangalam Birla, Aditya Birla Group – Rs 2 trillion; Cyrus Niraj Bajaj, Baja aj A to Dilip Shanghvi, Sun Pharma Ravi Jaipuria, RJ Corp Poonawalla, Serum Institute – Rs 2 trillion; Niraj Bajaj, Bajaj Auto – Rs 1.6 trillion; Ravi Jaipuria, RJ Corp – Rs 1.4 trillion; and Radhakishan Damani, Avenue Supermarts – Rs 1.4 trillion. Five of the top 10 are based in Mumbai, Azim Premji, Wipro Radhakishan Damani, Avenue Supermarts New Delhi contributes two names, while Bengaluru, Pune, and Ahmedabad have one each. Overall, Mumbai remains India’s billionaire hub with 90 names, although it lost its title as Asia’s billionaire capital to Shanghai. nations share a historic bond, while also stressing the importance of economic and healthcare development. As Miss Banerjee described one success after another, the audience repeatedly applauded. However, her visit was not without controversy, as she faced questions regarding the recent unrest at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Dismissing the issue as political, she stated: “It is not right to politicise the RG Kar incident. The central government is already looking into it.” Miss Banerjee was given a tour of the Oxford University campus, including historical landmarks like the Sheldonian Theatre and the Bodleian Library ~ home to over 13 million books, making it the second-largest library in Britain after the British Library. The Oxford authorities briefed her on the history of these centuries-old institutions. During her visit, she also took a walk through the city streets. Addressing the "Russia and India: Toward a New Bilateral Agenda" conference, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated India's commitment to nurturing its ''deeprooted'' friendship with Russia. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 27 MARCH Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit India, his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. ''It is symbolic that Prime Minister Modi made his first bilateral foreign visit after his re-election last year to Russia. Now it is our turn. Russian President Putin accepted the invitation of the head of the Indian government. The visit of the head of the Russian state to the Republic of India is being prepared,'' he said, addressing the "Russia and India: Toward a New Bilateral Agenda" conference in Moscow via video conferencing. He also expressed gratitude to PM Modi for consistently taking a ''balanced position on the Ukrainian crisis and Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the dinner hosted for BRICS leaders, in Kazan on 23 October, 2024. n ANI advocating its resolution through dialogue and the elimination of the root causes of this conflict''. Addressing the conference, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated India's commitment to nurturing its ''deep-rooted'' friendship with Russia. Mr Jaishankar said India is looking forward to exploring new frontiers for cooperation with Russia. ''India and Russia have set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030. Investments by the two sides in each other's economy continue to grow,'' he said. The Indian minister noted that energy, defence and civil nuclear cooperation have traditionally dominated the economic engagement between the two countries. Trade, technology, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and digital economy are emerging as new areas of bilateral cooperation, he said. Mr Jaishankar said that through every shift in realignment, the two countries have demonstrated an exceptional ability to adapt and find new opportunities for mutual benefit and to contribute to regional and global stability and prosperity. The relationship between the two nations continues to expand and deepen in the backdrop of a dynamic world order, he added. Chile President on India trip next week STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 27 MARCH The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, will pay a state visit to India from 1-5 April at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, Members of Parliament, senior officials, business associations, media and prominent Chileans involved in the India-Chile cultural connect. This will be President Boric’s first visit to India in his capacity as President. He will visit Agra, Mumbai, and Bengaluru before returning to Chile on 5 April. During the visit, President Boric will hold talks with Prime Minister Modi on 1 April, covering the entire gamut of India-Chile relations. The PM will host a lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary. During his visit, President Boric will hold discussions with President Draupadi Murmu, who will host a banquet in his honour. In Mumbai and Bengaluru, President Boric will meet the political leadership, business and industry representatives, start-ups, innovators and tech leaders.