04 FEBRUARY 2024 www.thestatesman.com INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR KTR CONCURS WITH DIDI ON CONGRESS’ ROLE TAX REFORMS P6 WEATHER Mainly clear sky with fog/mist in the morning. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 26 °C and 17 °C respectively. JAISWAL HITS DOUBLE TON, INDIA IN DRIVER’S SEAT JHARKHAND EXPOSES SEVERAL FAULT LINES P4 P7 P12 Will clear wages of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers: CM RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY The money will reach their bank accounts by 21 February, says Mamata during protest Max. 94 % Min. 59 % Max: 25.8°C (-1) SUN RISES 06:15 hrs MOON RISES ----- hrs Min: 19.6°C (+4) SUN SETS 17:25 hrs MOON SETS 11:5 hrs STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 3 FEBRUARY TEMPERATURE New Moon on 10 February THUMBNAILS Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit resigns: Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday resigned from the post citing personal reasons. In his letter to the President of India, Purohit said "Due to my reasons and certain other commitments, I tender my resignation from the post of Governor of Punjab and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh. Please accept the same on oblige." Notably, for the past months, the governor and state CM Bhagwant Mann were engaged in a war of words over different issues. Court allows Hemant Soren to participate in Jharkhand trust vote STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE RANCHI, 3 FEBRUARY A special court in Ranchi on Saturday allowed former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren to participate in the trust vote in the State assembly on 5 February. The Jharkhand High Court, meanwhile, has scheduled the hearing for the petition filed by Mr Soren against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on the same day. Mr Soren, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on 31 January in a money laundering case, filed a petition before the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court, seeking permission to participate in the trust vote sought by the new government. He was remanded to ED custody for five days by the court on 2 February. Mr Soren pleaded before the court that he is a member of the Assembly and has a right to participate in the special session. The new government led by Champai Soren has sought the floor test to prove its majority in the House. n the second day of her sit-in protest at Red Road against the non-clearance of funds meant for Bengal for various schemes by the Central government, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her government will clear the pending wages of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers by 21 February. Miss Banerjee, speaking from the protest stage in front of the BR Ambedkar statue, made it clear that although the funds were supposed to come from the Central government, her government would not be subservient to the Centre. “The pending wages for the work of 21 lakh people in the state will be cleared without any delay. O The money will reach their bank accounts by 21 February,” Miss Banerjee announced. If the central government doesn't provide the funds, the state will arrange the necessary finances to meet the obligations, she said. Miss Banerjee in the same breath emphasised that the fight for the pending dues would continue. The Chief Minister vowed that the 21 lakh workers who were engaged for the MGNREGA rural job guarantee scheme will not face any problems, and stated that the state government will manage the funds, even if it means diverting resources within the state. “The Central government is depriving the state and MGNREGA workers. But this month, the pend- ing wages for 21 lakh people will be disbursed,” Miss Banerjee said. "We do not want to beg to BJP nor do we want BJP's alms,” she said. "In the past two years, they have given us zero with our hard work. We have worked for 19 lakh man days. What do you expect from me? A fight? The fight is ongoing," she said. Simultaneously, Mamata noted that the clearance of funds for construction of 11 lakh homes has not been completed by the Centre. “I won't talk about the housing issue today. I will speak about it at the right time. Keep faith; we don't seek charity; we want victory,” Miss Banerjee said. Addressing the question of where the money will come from, Miss Banerjee said this is the people's money, the money of the soil, explaining that the funds will come from the state government. Miss Banerjee has been staging a sit-in demonstration on Red Road, since yesterday, demanding the clearance of pending funds the Central government. The Trinamul Congress chairperson also reiterated that her party will go all out against the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. Delhi Police notice to New India won’t tolerate Kejriwal over charges maritime piracy: Rajnath of BJP luring AAP MLAs STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY Delhi Police on Saturday landed up at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office to serve him the second notice on the allegations made by him against the BJP over allegedly luring AAP MLAs and jeopardising his government, sources said. Mr Kejriwal has been directed to reply to the notice and submit appropriate evidence to his claims within three days, they said. Adding fuel to the already volatile situation, AAP leader Jasmine Shah entered into an argument with an ACP-level officer over serving the notice to the chief minister. A dramatic scenario ensued outside the Delhi CM 's when the police teams arrived, while the AAP leader Jasmine Shah got into an exchange of words with the ACP level police officer over serving the notice to CM office rather than serving it in person to the CM. Shah later posted on "X," I asked a simple question to a Delhi police officer standing in front of the entrance of residence of CM @ArvindKejriwal Under which law is he insisting to hand over a notice personally to CM? He Delhi Police Crime Branch officials seen leaving the residence of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi on Saturday. ANI had no answers." The notice was later received by the CM's office, the sources said The police officials on Saturday arrived at the CM residence for the second time in this connection after Friday. Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, taking a dig at Mr Kejriwal over the development said that the Delhi CM is now trapped in his own created web. "To divert attention from the allegations of corruption against his government and the crumbling Indi alliance, Kejriwal accused the BJP of breaking the MLAs by running an MLA inducement campaign and also claimed to have evidence of luring of MLAs," Sachdeva said. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on board INS Sandhayak, first survey vessel (large ship), commissioned into the Indian Navy in a ceremony at the Eastern Naval Command base, in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.  ANI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday asserted that India will not tolerate maritime piracy and smuggling under any circumstances, describing it as the pledge of ‘New India’. The minister was speaking at an impressive ceremony at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, after the commissioning of INS Sandhayak (Yard 3025), the first Survey Vessel Large (SVL) ship, into the Indian Navy. He lauded the Indian Navy for providing security not only to the Indian ships, but also those from friendly countries. Mr Singh referred to the recent drone attack on a British ship in the Gulf of Aden which resulted in the oil tankers catching fire. He commended the Indian Navy for its prompt response in extinguishing the fire, stating that the effort was recognised and appreciated by the world. Mr Singh also praised the Indian Navy for averting five piracy attempts and assisting ships attacked by drones and missiles in the last few days, in addition to rescuing 80 fishermen/marines. “The Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean region is facilitating safe trade, while ensuring peace and prosperity. Many defence experts are calling this the rise of a superpower. This is our culture ~ to protect everyone,” he said. Mr Singh emphasised that with increasing power, India is determined to eradicate anarchy not only from the region, but from the entire world. He reiterated India’s stand of maintaining freedom of navigation, trade and commerce among different countries. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar asserted that 64 out of 66 ships and submarines under order are being built in Indian shipyards. This means that the Navy will invest thousands of crores in this sector, enhancing capacity of the shipyards, and capabilities of the workers as well as those employed in ancillary industries, he emphasised. The commissioning of the vessel marked the formal induction of the first of the four ships of the SVL Project under construction at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. The project has been steered by theWarship Design Bureau of the Indian Navy. World needs to expand cooperation for justice delivery: PM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the world needs to expand cooperation in criminal investigations and justice delivery, and when it happens, national jurisdictions will not delay justice, but become a tool to deliver it. He was inaugurating the Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC) 2024 of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) on “Cross-Border Challenges in Justice Delivery.” Mr Modi said the nature and scope of crime has seen a radical change in recent times. Criminals have wide networks across various countries and regions. They use latest technology for both funding and operations. Economic crimes in one region are being Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with CJI Justice DY Chandrachud during the inaugural event of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) - Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC) 2024, in New Delhi on Saturday.  ANI used to fund activities in other regions. The rise of crypto-currency and cyber threats is posing new challenges, he said. Twenty-first century challenges cannot be fought with a 20th-century approach. There is a need to rethink, reimagine and reform, the Prime Minister told distinguished legal luminaries from across the world. He said legal systems need to be modernised to deliver justice. “This includes mak- ing our systems more flexible and adaptable,” he said. Sometimes, ensuring justice in one country requires working with other countries, Mr Modi said. Cooperation can happen even while respecting each other’s jurisdiction, he said. “When we collaborate, we can understand each other’s systems better. Greater understanding brings greater synergy. Synergy boosts better and faster justice delivery,” the Prime Minister said. Justice has great importance in Indian thought, he said. Ancient Indian thinkers said justice is at the root of independent self-governance. Without justice, even the existence of a nation is not possible, the Prime Minister said. “When we speak of reforms, there needs to be a focus on making justice systems more citizen-centric,” he said. Ease of Justice is a pil- lar of justice delivery. In this space, India has many lessons to share. In 2014, people of India blessed him with the responsibility of the Prime Minister, he said. Before that, he worked as the Chief Minister in Gujarat. “Back then, we decided to set up evening courts. This helped people attend court hearings after their work hours. This gave justice but also saved time and money. Hundreds of thousands of people benefited from this,” he said. India also has a unique concept of Lok Adalat, the Prime Minister said. It means People's Court, he said. These courts provide a mechanism for settlement of small cases related to public utility services. This is a pre-litigation process. Such courts have resolved thousands of cases and ensured easy justice delivery. Legal education is a key instrument in boosting justice delivery. Education is where both passion and professional competence are introduced to young minds, he said. Worldwide, there is a discussion on how to bring more women into every domain. When the number of women in law schools increases, the number of women in the legal profession will also increase. The world needs young legal minds with diverse exposure. Legal education also needs to adapt to changing times and technologies. A focus on understanding the latest trends in crimes, investigation and evidence will be helpful, he said. There is a need to help young legal professionals with greater international exposure. “Our finest law universities can strengthen exchange programmes between countries,” he said. Advani named for Bharat Ratna; most respected statesman, says Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY Veteran BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, who played an instrumental role in the rise of the saffron party as a major political force, was on Saturday named for the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award, for what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said were his contributions to the development of India. The President has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Shri Lal Krishna Advani,” a one-line communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. Mr Advani, who is now in his nineties, brought the BJP into national reckoning in the true sense with his historic ‘Rath Yatra’ for Ayodhya's Ram Temple in the early 1990s. He is one of the founding members of the BJP along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and served as its president thrice. An elated PM Modi, who learnt the ropes of party politics under Mr Advani and was the main organiser of his 'Rath yatra' in September 1990, in a social media post on X said he had spoken to the BJP stalwart and congratulated him on being conferred the honour. “One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his (Mr Advani) contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights,” the PM wrote.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed happiness over the announcement of award- ‘Not only an honour for me, but also for ideals and principles’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY BJP stalwart L K Advani on Saturday accepted the 'Bharat Ratna' with utmost humility and gratitude, saying it is not only an honour for him as a person but also for the ideals and principles that he strove throughout his life to the best of his ability. “Today I gratefully remember two persons with whom I had the honour of working closely ~ Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and 'Bharat Ratna' Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” he said in a statement. Mr Advani also expressed his gratitude to millions of BJP workers, swayamsevaks and others with whom he had the privilege of working throughout his journey in public life. “I also express my deepest feelings for all members of my family, especially my dear departed wife Kamla. They have been the greatest source of strength and sustenance in my life,” he added. ing 'Bharat Ratna' to Mr Advani. Born in Karachi (now in Pakistan), on 8 November 1927, Mr Advani served as the BJP president for the longest period since its inception in 1980. Capping a parliamentary career of nearly three decades, he was first the Home Minister and CJI calls for equitable access to legal education AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 3 FEBRUARY Batting for equitable access to legal education, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on Saturday said that admissions processes to law schools should not only consider academic performance but also factors such as socioeconomic background, diversity, and life experiences. Delivering the inaugural address at the 2024 Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC), Chief Justice of India Chandrachud said that as we strive to modernise legal education, we must also confront the question of equitable access to legal education. “Entrance tests for admission to law schools must not be exclusionary. We must ensure that our admissions processes are fair, transparent, and inclusive,” he said. Speaking further, CJI Chandrachud said that law officers serve as the primary point of contact between the courts and the government and they not only function as representatives of the government but also as officers of the court. “Law officers bear a greater responsibility in upholding ethical standards compared to private practitioners, given their role as guardians of the rule of law... It is imperative that law officers remain impervious to the politics of the day and conduct themselves with dignity in court, ensuring the integrity of legal proceedings,” Chief Justice of India said.