SATURDAY 23 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 ‘E.D. HAS BECOME A WEAPON OF THE GOVERNMENT’ ‘BENGAL SAFER FOR WOMEN’ P7 SENSEX 72,831.94190.75 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 34 °C and 28 °C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE Max: 28.8°C (-6) SUN RISES 05:39 hrs MOON RISES 15:28 hrs P5 NIFTY 22,096.7584.80 P4 ` vs $ 83.4835 PAISA GOLD 66,930490 Min: 20.0°C (-4) SUN SETS 17:48 hrs MOON SETS 04:2 hrs Full Moon on 25 March THUMBNAILS Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Faf du Plessis during the toss before the start of the first Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. CSK won by 6 wickets, overhauling the target with 8 balls to spare after being set 174 to win. I ANS ‘Pushpak‘ experiment: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted a Pushpak Reusable Landing Vehicle (RLV) LEX 02 landing experiment at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga in Karnataka on Friday. The 6.5 metre RLV landed autonomously after being dropped from a height of 4.5 km by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 MARCH Delhi court on Friday remanded AAP convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the custody of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) till 28 March. The ED had produced the AAP leader before a Delhi court during the day and sought his remand for 10 days. The Delhi CM was arrested on Thursday night in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, after being quizzed by the federal probe agency for about two hours at his residence. Mr Kejriwal was later taken to the ED headquarters on Thursday night. During the submissions, the agency alleged that the Delhi CM is the key conspirator and kingpin in demanding kickbacks from businessmen. It also claimed that he was also involved directly in the formulation of the liquor policy. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is appearing for Mr Kejriwal, opposed the ED’s remand plea and submitted that the probe agency needs to show the necessity to BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 85.430.93 Attack on democracy: Mamata slams arrest of Delhi CM Kejriwal Paying for his deeds, says Anna Hazare A STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 22 MARCH STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 MARCH Enforcement Directorate officials produce Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal before Rouse Avenue court following his arrest in the alleged Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, in New Delhi on Friday.  ANI arrest. He also said that this is the first time a sitting CM is arrested. Mr Kejriwal, when he was brought to the Rouse Avenue court, told mediapersons that his life is dedicated to the nation whether he is inside jail or outside. AAP leaders, party workers and supporters staged protests in the city at the ITO, but were detained and stopped from moving towards the BJP office. AAP ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and others were detained by police from near the ITO. Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said that representatives of the INDIA bloc met the Election Commis- talk of an alliance. Subsequently, PM Narendra Modi visited Odisha twice and refrained from attacking the BJD government. He called chief minister Naveen Patnaik his ‘friend’ and a ‘popular CM’. Leaders of both the parties here were kept waiting for almost a month, as several rounds of talks to try and work out ‘seat sharing’ and ‘power sharing’ continued amongst a few top leaders of the two sides, even as the state unit of the BJP was vehemently opposed to an electoral tie-up. State BJP president Samal today said double engine governments have seen accelerated development. But in Odisha welfare schemes of the Modi government are not reaching the people, he said. sion and have requested for action on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal. He also informed in a Press conference that the AAP will be staging a protest march towards the Prime Minister’s residence on 26 March, and on Saturday all the AAP MLAs, ministers and leaders will gather at the Shaheedi Park at ITO and take a pledge to save the country. In the wake of Mr Kejriwal's arrest, his wife Sunita Kejriwal on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged it was the arrogance of being in power. Taking to social platform X, she said: "Modiji got your three times Anna Hazare said on Friday that he was ''deeply pained'' by the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, “who is now paying for his deeds”. The social activist, who once spearheaded a campaign against corruption along with Kejriwal, nevertheless added that he was pained by the development. Interacting with the media at his native village Ralegan-Siddhi in Maharashtra this morning, the one-time mentor of Mr Kejriwal said: “I remember he was working with me and we both had raised our voices against liquor… But now, he’s trying to accord legal sanction to liquor.'' The 86-year-old selfavowed Gandhian and anti-corruption crusader expressed his deep anguish saying nothing can be done (at this juncture) as his one-time protege has been arrested for his own deeds. “If he had not done such things (adoption of the new liquor policy in Delhi), this (arrest) would not have happened. Now, the law will take its course," he said, adding that the government would see and decide what has to be done. elected CM arrested due to arrogance. Trying to crush everyone. This is betrayal with the people of Delhi. Your CM has always stood by you. Whether inside or outside (jail) his life is dedicated to the nation. Public is ultimate, and knows everything. Jai Hind." STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 22 MARCH Trinamul Congress chairperson and chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), terming it a blatant attack on democracy. She also spoke to Mrs Sunita Kejriwal and assured unwavering solidarity. In a message on microblogging site X, Miss Banerjee wrote: “I vehemently condemn the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the sitting elected Chief Minister of Delhi, elected by the people. I have personally reached out to Smt Sunita Kejriwal to extend my unwavering support and solidarity. It’s outrageous that while elected Opposition CMs are being deliberately targeted and arrested while individuals accused under ED/CBI investiga- tions are allowed to continue their malpractices with impunity, especially after aligning with the BJP This is bla. tant attack of democracy. “Today, our INDIA alliance will meet the EC to express our strong objection to the deliberate targeting and arrests of opposition leaders, particularly during the MCC period. To this end, I have designated @derekobrienmp and @Mdnadimulhaqe to represent @AITC in this crucial meeting with the Election Commission.” INDIA bloc leaders, including the TMC representatives, later in the day met with the members of the Election Commission of India in New Delhi and demanded its intervention over the "targeting of opposition leaders" by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party through the misuse of central agencies. (More on Page 5) India stands out amid sluggish global growth: Finance Ministry STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 MARCH With the uptick in private investment and inflation trending down, the Finance Ministry on Friday said that India's outlook for the next fiscal looks positive. The country’s strong economic performance, borne out by recent data releases, stands out amid sluggish global growth, it said. It highlighted that there are headwinds like indications of hardening crude oil prices and global supply chain bottlenecks to trade. Nonetheless, India, on the whole, looks forward to a bright outlook for FY25. In its Monthly Economic Review, the ministry also said that the inclusion of Indian bonds in the Bloomberg bond index from January 2025 should bolster inflows. Build- Bhutan King confers highest civilian honour on PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday became the first foreign Head of Government to receive Bhutan’s highest civilian honour, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo, conferred upon him by King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in person. Since its institution, the award has been conferred upon only four eminent personalities and Mr Modi is the first foreign Head of Government to receive it. He was presented the award in a public ceremony at the Tendrelthang, Thimphu. Receiving the award, the Prime Minister said: “This is not my personal achievement. The award SILVER 76,5002,000 Court sends Kejriwal to ED custody till 28 March No BJP-BJD alliance in Odisha Lok Sabha, Assembly elections STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 MARCH P12 Enforcement Directorate alleges Delhi chief minister is the 'liquor scam kingpin' Min. 59 % Putting an end to the monthlong speculation and negotiations for an alliance with the BJD, the BJP state president Manmohan Samal on Friday announced that the party will go it alone and contest all the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats in the state. The BJD had left a Rajya Sabha seat for Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently and this had sparked the ‘LAST YEAR ITSELF, DHONI HINTED ABOUT CAPTAINCY CHANGE' SC REJECTS KAVITHA’S BAIL PLEA IN DELHI EXCISE POLICY CASE honours India and 140 crore Indians, and I thank the government and people of Bhutan for this.” “The 140 crore Indians know that people of Bhutan are members of their family; and the Bhutanese also know that India is part of their family. Our relations, friendship, togetherness and our trust are unbreakable,” he said. Bhutan and India are part of a shared heritage, he said. India is the land of Buddha, a place where he got enlightenment; Bhutan assimilated His teachings and nurtured them. “Bhutan displays an amazing coordination between materialism and spirituality; and its capacity to balance happiness, prosperity and traditions can be an example before the world,” he said. The Prime Minister said when the world is fighting the challenge of climate change, Bhutan’s carbonneutral progress will show a way to the world. He said aspirations of the Indian and Bhutan youth are similar; India wants to be developed by 2047 and Bhutan wants to be a high income country by 2034. CMYK ing on the momentum from the previous two quarters, India's economic growth surged to a six-quarter high in the third quarter of FY24, exceeding 8per cent for the third consecutive time. The higher second advance estimate for economic growth in FY24, released after about eight weeks from the first estimate incorporating more updated information on the recent economic dynamics, has bolstered the optimism about the economy. It said that many non-governmental expert agencies have also upped their growth projections. While consumption remained steady, robust investment activity is driving growth. The continued focus on public investment seems to have crowded in private investment. Strong aggregate demand has stirred manufacturing and construction activities and accompanying professional, financial and real estate services. "The ascent of manufacturing sector employment is expected to be marked by upscaling of enterprises and sunrise sectors emerging as catalysts for generating quality employment," it added. It said strong growth accompanied by stable inflation and external account and progressive employment outlook will help the Indian economy close the current financial year on a positive note.