WEDNESDAY 20 MARCH 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR TEJASVI SURYA DETAINED DURING K’TAKA PROTEST PRESCRIPTIONS VARY P6 SENSEX 72,012.05736.38 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 33 AND 13 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. ` vs $ 83.03 THUMBNAILS Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi and Buddhist religious heads receive relics of Lord Buddha and those of his two main disciples at Air Force Station Palam on Tuesday.  ANI India names Vinay Kumar as new Ambassador to Russia: Senior diplomat Vinay Kumar has been appointed India’s next Ambassador to Russia, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. Kumar, a 1992 batch officer of Indian Foreign Service, serving as Indian Ambassador to Myanmar since 2021, is expected to take up the assignment shortly. T he Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a reply from the Central government on a batch of petitions seeking stay on the operation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 that provides for the grant of Indian citizenship to the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Buddhist, Jains, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014 to escape religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Issuing notice to the Central government and seeking its response, a bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra posted the matter for further hearing on 9 April 2024. Even as lawyers appearing for the petitioners were persistent on stay of Rules in the meantime, the bench didn’t pass any such order. Seeking four weeks’ time to file “detailed” reply, the Issuing notice to the Central govt and seeking its response, a bench of CJI, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra posted the matter for further hearing on 9 April 2024. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central government, told the court that there were 237 petitions and 20 applications. However, senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for lead petitioner Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) told the bench that the reply to these petitions have already been filed as notice in these matters was issued way back on 22 January 2020. Mr Sibal told the bench that once the citizenship is granted, then it cannot be reversed. If they have waited till now, they can wait till July or whenever this ‘India committed to maritime freedom’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE court decides this matter. There is no great hurry. As Solicitor General Tushar Mehta hammered the point that no prejudice would be caused to any of the petitioners and none’s citizenship is going to be affected by enforcing CAA, senior advocate Indira Jaising said that it is a far more vital issue if the constitutionality of the CAA. Senior advocate Jaising said that if they are granted citizenship, they will get voting rights. Distancing himself from this, Mr Sibal said that far more serious issuers are involved. Asking what was the Notification for 1st phase LS polls today NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH India on Tuesday reacted sharply to China “advancing absurd claims” over Arunachal Pradesh, saying the Northeastern state will always remain an integral and inalienable part of this country. “We have noted the comments made by the spokesperson of the Chinese Defence Ministry advancing absurd claims over the territory of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. Repeating baseless arguments in this regard does not lend such claims any validity,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.(Photo) He asserted, “Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Its people will continue to benefit from our development programmes and infrastructure projects.’’ Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, on Monday, said the southern part of Xizang ~ the Chinese name for Tibet ~ is an inherent part of the country’s territory, after raising objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh to inaugurate the strategically important Sela tunnel. India had rejected Beijing's objection to the PM's visit last week too after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin deplored the visit and said it would complicate the boundary issue. The MEA spokesperson said the Chinese side has been made aware of India's "consistent position on Arunachal on several occasions." P5 GOLD 66,330460 SC seeks govt’s reply on pleas to stay CAA rules NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH Min: 12.2 °C (-4) SUN SETS 18:32 hrs MOON SETS 04:24 hrs India rejects China’s ‘absurd claims’ over Arunachal NIFTY 21,817.45238.25 PARMOD KUMAR Min. 27 % TEMPERATURE Max: 31.3 °C(0) SUN RISES 6:24 hrs MOON RISES 14:15 hrs P4 Supreme Court declines to impose interim stay on rules' implementation RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 91 % CONGRESS AUTHORISES KHARGE TO FINALISE MANIFESTO FOR POLLS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised India’s commitment to protecting freedom of navigation and combating piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region. The PM's view was reflected in his response to Bulgarian President Rumen Radev thanking the Indian leader after the Indian Navy rescued seven Bulgarians who were part of a crew that was held hostage by pirates aboard the MV Ruen,which was hijacked around 1,400 nautical miles from the Indian coast. “Appreciate your message, President of the Republic of Bulgaria. We are happy that 7 Bulgarian nationals are safe and will be returning home soon. India is committed to protecting freedom of navigation and com- The notification for the first phase of voting in the 18th Lok Sabha elections will be issued on Wednesday, setting the stage for the world’s largest electoral process. According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission (EC), polling will be held in 102 parliamentary constituencies spread across 21 States and Union Territories. The last date for filing nominations for candidates is 27th March except for Bihar, which is on 28th March. In the first phase, the scrutiny of nominations will take place on 28th March in 20 States and Union Territories, while in Bihar on 30th March.For Bihar, the last date for withdrawal of candidature is 2nd March and for others on 30th March. bating piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region,” Mr Modi wrote in a social media post on X. Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel had also expressed gratitude in a post on X to which External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar responded by saying, "That's what friends are for." In an operation spanning over 40 hours, the Indian Navy got 35 pirates to surrender and rescued all the 17 crew members without any injuries. For the operation, the Navy deployed its P-8I aircraft, INS Kolkata and INS Subhadra, and an unmanned aerial vehicle. 2023 was warmest year on record, says WMO’s State of Global Climate report AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH A new report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on Tuesday showed that records were once again broken, and in some cases smashed, for greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover and glacier retreat. It said that 2023 was the warmest year on record. Heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones caused misery and mayhem, upending daily lives of millions and inflicting many billions of dollars in economic losses, according to the ‘WMO State of the Global Climate 2023’ report. The WMO report confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature at 1.45 degrees Celsius (with a margin of uncertainty of plus/minus 0.12 degree) above the pre-industrial baseline. It Towards the end of 2023, over 90 pc of the ocean had experienced heatwave conditions at some point during the year was also the warmest 10-year period on record. “Sirens are blaring across all major indicators... Some records aren’t just chart-topping, they’re chart-busting. And changes are speeding-up,” said United Nations SecretaryGeneral, António Guterres. “Never have we been so close -- albeit on a temporary basis at the moment -- to the 1.5 degrees Celsius lower limit of the Paris Agreement on climate change,” said WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo. “The WMO community is sounding the red alert to the world. Climate change is about much more than temperatures. What we witnessed in 2023, especially with the unprecedented ocean warmth, glacier retreat and Antarctic sea ice loss, is cause for particular concern,” she said. On an average day in 2023, nearly one-third of the global ocean was gripped by a marine heatwave, harming vital ecosystems and food systems. Towards the end of 2023, over 90 per cent of the ocean had experienced heatwave conditions at some point during the year. The global set of reference glaciers suffered the largest loss of ice on record (since 1950), driven by extreme melt in both western North America and Europe, according to preliminary data. Antarctic sea ice extent was by far the lowest on record, with the maximum extent at the end of winter at one million sq km below the previous record year~ equivalent to the size of France and Germany combined. sudden urgency to notify the Rules nearly four years and three months after CAA was passed by the parliament, Mr Sibal told the bench: “What’s the urgency after four years and three months? If any process of citizenship starts and people get citizenship it will be irreversible. So, the process shouldn’t start. Once you grant citizenship, you can’t take it back.” The petitioners then said that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta be asked to give an assurance that the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 Rules will not be implemented and citizenship will not be granted till the petitions are pending before the top court. However, Mehta refused to make any statement. In an effort to persuade the bench to stay the operation of CAA and CAR, as Indira Jaising urged the court to says that any grant of citizenship, during the pendency of the matter, would be subject to the outcome of the adjudication of the challenge to CAA/CAR. RASHID THREATENS TO WITHDRAW FROM BBL P12 SILVER 77,300300 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 86.120.070 Cong, DMK promote dynasty, stall development, says Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused INDI alliance partners of deliberately insulting Hindu dharma and said their statements against the Hindu religion are well thought out, while they do not utter a word against other religions, and abuse the Hindu dharma spontaneously. Mr Modi was addressing a large public meeting in Salem, Tamil Nadu. He greeted 11 'Shakti Ammas' who came to the dais to welcome him at the public rally. The Prime Minister slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his 'Shakti' remark and said that the election campaign has just started, and the INDI Alliance has revealed its plans in its first rally itself. "During their first rally in Mumbai, they made statements about destroying 'Shakti', about fighting against 'Shakti'. Their statement has been a sheer insult to the Hindu religion, Hindu faith," he added. They opposed installation of the holy Sengol in Parliament, he said. "Mariamman yahan ki Shakti hai. In Tamil Nadu, Kanchi Kamakshi is 'Shakti', Madurai Meenakshi is 'Shakti'. Congress, DMK and the INDI alliance say they will destroy this (Shakti). Hamare shastra sakshi hai ki vinash unka hota hai jo Shakti ko khatam karne ka vichar rakhte hai'. In Hindu Dharma, 'Shakti' means "Matra Shakti, Naari Shakti," the Prime Minister said. Mr Modi said that everyone witnessed the kind of behaviour the INDI alliance had towards women. "When former state Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was alive, you all know how DMK leaders behaved with her. This is the DMK's real face," he said. The Prime Minister said: “The kind of support that the people of the country are giving to Modi and the NDA has deprived the DMK government of its sleep.” He said: "Tamil Nadu has decided that on 19 April, every vote will go to BJP, to NDA. Tamil Nadu has decided that 'Abki Baar, 400 Paar'. For a developed India, we need '400 Paar'. For a developed Tamil Nadu, we need '400 Paar'. For a self-reliant India, we need '400 Paar',” he said. The PM said the DMK and Congress are two sides of the same coin. DMK and the Congress mean~ Big corruption and one family rule," he added. The Centre is allocating huge funds for development in Tamil Nadu, but the money is being looted in the State by its government, he said. The Prime Minister said he could not count the scams of the State, it would take a lot of time, he said. Dynastic parties did not allow leaders of the State like K Kamaraj and G K Moopanar to rise in their political career. Mr Moopanar could have risen to become the Prime Minister of the country, he said.