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 Partly cloudy sky. Rain or thundershower accompanied with gusty wind 30-40 kmph is very likely to occur. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 30 °C and 23 °C respectively. CONGRESS AUTHORISES KHARGE TO FINALISE MANIFESTO FOR POLLS P4 NIFTY 21,817.45238.25 GOLD 66,330460 ` vs $ 83.03 Supreme Court declines to impose interim stay on rules implementation PARMOD KUMAR Max. 93 % NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH TEMPERATURE Max: 29.7°C (-5) SUN RISES 05:42 hrs MOON RISES 12:46 hrs Min: 23.7°C (0) SUN SETS 17:47 hrs MOON SETS 02:1 hrs Full Moon on 25 March 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 Land owner arrested over building collapse: Muhammad Sarfaraz, the land owner of the under-construction high rise that collapsed onto nearby shanties in the city’s Garden Reach area, resulting in multiple fatalities on Monday, was arrested on Tuesday. The death toll rose to ten as the body of one of two persons still missing, was found under the debris on Tuesday evening. (Earlier report on Pg 3) India rejects China’s ‘absurd claims’ over Arunachal 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." P12 SILVER 77,300300 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 86.120.070 SC seeks govt’s reply on Trinamul says it wants SC to monitor Lok Sabha elections pleas to stay CAA rules RAINFALL: 0.7mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Min. 65 % P5 RASHID THREATENS TO WITHDRAW FROM BBL 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 T 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 court 2023 was warmest year on record: WMO report AGENCIES Notification for 1st phase LS polls today STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 19 MARCH 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 decides this matter. There is no great hurry, he said. As Solicitor General Tushar Mehta hammered the point that no prejudice would be caused to any of the petitioners and no one’s citizenship is going to be affected by enforcing CAA, senior advocate Indira Jaising said that it is a far more vital issue of 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. degrees Celsius (with a margin of uncertainty of plus/minus 0.12 degree) above the pre-industrial baseline. It 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 speedingup,” said United Nations Secretary-General, 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 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. 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. CMYK Asking what was the 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, Indira Jaising urged the court to say 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. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 19 MARCH The Trinamul Congress on Tuesday said it wants the general elections in the country to be held under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Derek O’Brien, Trinamul Congress Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson of the ruling party inWest Bengal, posted on his X handle: “We want Supreme Court monitoring election 2024.” “BJP’s filthy tricks destroying institutions like the Election Commission of India. Are BJP so nervous to face people that they are turning into a party office to target the Opposition? ECI or His Master’sVoice?” he posted.“Transferring officers of elected State govts. For free and fair elections,” his post stated. The ECI’s decision Monday of removing the state director general of police, Rajeev Kumar, and replacing him with Vivek Sahay, director general (home guard) as the state police chief, is believed to have prompted the Trinamul demand. Interestingly, the Election Commission of India today removed Mr Sahay as DGP , within less than 24 hours, replacing him with the direc- The demand comes a day after the Trinamul Congress filed a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the ECI for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). tor general (fire services), Sanjay Mukherjee. This comes a day after the TMC filed a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the ECI for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). In a letter to the ECI, Mr O’Brien wrote: “It has come to our attention that the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, has purportedly penned a letter dated 15.03.2024 which has been addressed to “My dear family member”, wherein, he has highlighted various programmes/schemes initiated by the BJP-led Central Government over the past decade. The said letter has been mass-circulated through WhatsApp directly to various citizens across the country.” Noting that Mr Modi’s letter is accompanied by a message which says ithas been cir- culated by the Government of India, Mr O’Brien charged that Mr. Modi and the BJP is using the Central government’s revenues to reach out totheelectoratetodiscussBJP’s programmes/schemes. The message was also circulated after the Model Code of Conduct had come into effect, Mr O’Brien noted. Lokpal orders CBI probe against Mahua: The Lokpal of India on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a case and conduct an investigation against Trinamul Congress leader Mahua Moitra under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) in connection with the cash-forquery case. The Lokpal also directed the CBI to submit its investigation report in the matter within a perod of six months.