JAISHANKAR SPEAKS ON WHY BHARAT MATTERS 24 MARCH 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman AFTER CANCER REVELATION, SUPPORT POURS IN FOR KATE PAGE 5 PBKS BEGIN CAMPAIGN WITH A FOUR-WICKET WIN OVER DC PAGE 9 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. POSSIBILITY OF DRIZZLE AT ONE OR TWO PLACES TOWARDS EVENING/ NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 33 AND 17 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. Russia terror attack: Death toll rises to 133 Putin vows to punish perpetrators; 11 in custody, say Russian authorities RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Modi condemns terrorist attack Max. 92 % Min. 29 % TEMPERATURE Max: 34.1 °C(3) SUN RISES 6:19 hrs MOON RISES 17:53 hrs Min: 16.2 °C (-1) SUN SETS 18:35 hrs MOON SETS 06:19 hrs STATES NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Russian agencies appeared to suggest the attack was linked to Ukraine even though the IS group claimed responsibility in a statement. THUMBNAILS A massive blaze is seen over the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow.  AP AGENCIES MOSCOW, 23 MARCH 35 Somalian pirates, who were captured by Indian Navy’s INS Kolkata after an anti-piracy operation, are handed over to Mumbai Police, at Naval Dockyard, in Mumbai on Saturday. ANI Congress accuses BJP of corruption through electoral bonds: Stepping up its attack on the BJP government, the Congress on Saturday accused the ruling dispensation of corruption through electoral bonds and demanded a SC monitored inquiry besides formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) over the matter. The statement of the Congress came days after the ECI uploaded the data on electoral bonds on its website after the SBI submitted all the details on the same to it as (Page 5) directed by the apex court. T he death toll in the terror attack in Moscow's Crocus City Hall rose to at least 133, even as Russian authorities claimed to have detained 11 people involved in the attack and President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish the perpetrators. Russia’s Investigative Committee said four of those detained were directly involved in the attack that left the sprawling shopping mall and music venue smoldering with a collapsed roof. Russian agencies appeared to suggest the attack was linked to Ukraine even though the Islamic State group claimed responsibility in a statement. The mall was attacked around 8 p.m. (local time) on Friday just as a concert of veteran rock band Piknik was about to begin at its music venue, causing chaos. The assailants targeted fleeing concert goers and videos of the scene showed bodies strewn like litter. The assailants also reportedly lobbed hand grenades and used incendiaries to set the building on fire. The tally is expected to grow given the scale of the attack and the massive fire, which caused the roof of the building to collapse. Videos posted online showed gunmen in PM Modi returns home after ‘very special Bhutan visit’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home on Saturday after his two-day state visit to Bhutan where he, along with Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay, inaugurated the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital, built with Indian assistance in Thimphu. In a special gesture, King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Bhutanese PM Dasho Tshering Tobgay came to see off Mr Modi at the airport. The Prime Minister posted on the X: “I am honoured by the special gesture by His Majesty the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of coming to the airport as I leave for Delhi.” “This has been a very special Bhutan visit. I had the opportunity to meet His Majesty the King, PM @tsheringtobgay and other distinguished people of Bhutan. Our talks will add even more vigour to the India-Bhutan friendship. I am also grateful to have been conferred the the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range. The roof of the theatre, where crowds had gathered Friday for a performance by the Russian rock band Picnik, collapsed in the early hours of Saturday morning as firefighters spent hours fighting a fire that erupted during the attack. In a televised address to the nation, the 71-yearold Putin said the four gunmen, directly involved in the attack, were caught while moving towards the country's border with Ukraine. “We will be investigating this terrorist attack and we already have some results. All four perpetrators, directly involved in gunning peo- Kerala moves SC against President over pending Bills STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 23 MARCH Order of the Druk Gyalpo,” he said.“I am very thankful to the wonderful people of Bhutan for their warmth and hospitality. India will always be a reliable friend and partner for Bhutan,” Mr Modi said. The Indian Government supported the development of the 150-bed Mother and Child Hospital in two phases. Phase one of the hospital was constructed at a cost of Rs 22 crore and is operational since 2019. The construction of the second phase was taken up in 2019, as part of the 12th Five Year Plan at a cost of Rs 119 crores, and was completed now. A Joint Statement released at the end of the Prime Minister’s Bhutan visit said that “Over centuries, Bharat and Bhutan have enjoyed close bonds of friendship and cooperation anchored in mutual trust, goodwill and understanding. Our cultural links and common geography connect us.” “Strong economic and financial ties bind us. The close friendship between people of Bharat and Bhutan lies at the heart of our friendship. The relations between our two nations are an example of exceptional neighbourly ties,” it said. In an unprecedented move, the Kerala government has moved the Supreme Court against President Droupadi Murmu, challenging her decision to withhold assent for four Bills passed by the state Assembly without providing any reason. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has also been named in the petition for allegedly delaying the bills and subsequently referring them to the President for consideration. In its petition, the Kerala government contended that the President's decision to withhold assent for the four bills without providing any reason violates Articles 14, 200, and 201 of the Constitution. The Kerala government argued that the action was arbitrary and lacked Constitutional morality. Indian Navy ensuring maritime security and safe seas, says Admiral Hari Kumar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar on Saturday asserted that his force displayed a high degree of professionalism and upheld the principles of international law and commitment to ensuring safe seas and maritime security in the region. He said the Indian Navy ships deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden will ensure the safety of seafarers. “As part of the ongoing Operation Sankalp, Indian Navy ships are deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden towards the safety of seafarers and mercantile trade passing through the region,” the navy chief told the media on the completion of 100 days of naval operations for anti-drone, anti-missile, and anti-piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea. (Photo) Vowing further naval interventions to secure distressed shipping assets on the high seas, he flagged concerns over the resurfacing of piracy as an 'industry' to gain from 'disorder in the region'. Admiral Kumar said the Navy will continue taking affirmative action to prevent such incidents, adding that 'Operation Sankalp', the naval operation to secure the crew of Bulgaria-flagged merchant vessel MV Ruen, has broken the myth of short and swift operations and stressed the need for sustained interventions to ensure the safety and stability of shipping assets in the oceans. "Piracy has resurfaced as an industry to gain from the disorder in the region. We will take affirmative action to prevent that," the Navy chief said. "We have deployed 10 warships in the entire region for anti-piracy, anti-missile, and anti-drone operations under Operation Sankalp. The task is to ensure safety and stability for merchant vessels carrying cargo to reach shores safely. Because they are deployed there, they can respond to attacks or incidents as first responders," he added. The Navy chief noted no Indian vessels were targeted by pirates, adding that the Houthi rebels were targeting vessels linked to Israel. "None of our Indian vessels have been targeted. The Houthis have been targeting vessels with linkages to Israel. They are also targeting ships with flags of Western countries like the UK and the US. We are getting involved because we have Indian crew on almost all these ships," the Navy chief said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow in which at least 90 people were killed and more than 100 others sustained injuries. "We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief," Mr Modi wrote in a social media post on 'X'. ple down, have been found and apprehended," the President said. "They tried to escape... they were moving towards the border with Ukraine and we have data that suggests that they were about to be moved to the territory of Ukraine. Our investigators are working to find the orchestrators of this attack," he added. HC denies urgent listing of Kejriwal's plea challenging ED arrest, custody STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH The Delhi High Court on Saturday denied urgent listing of the plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, challenging his arrest and custody in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. Kejriwal's legal team had moved the high court earlier in the day, seeking urgent listing of his plea against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate and subsequent custody to the probe agency. However, the high court denied it and said that matter will be listed on its reopening on Wednesday. The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by the central probe agency on Thursday night after around two hours of questioning. Later, he was remanded to the custody of the ED till March 28 by the Rouse Avenue Court here. Kejriwal had sought urgent listing and hearing of his plea on Sunday, March 24. Following his arrest on Thursday night, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief had also moved a petition in the Supreme Court but later withdrew it. He is the fourth prominent leader after former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, AAP MP Sanjay Singh and BRS leader K Kavitha to be arrested in the Comments on Delhi CM’s arrest: India lodges protest with Germany STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH India on Saturday lodged a strong protest with Germany over its comments on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case, charging Berlin with interfering in the internal affairs of this country. Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy George Enzweiler was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) this morning and was told that India sees Germany's remarks on the arrest as interference in India's judicial process and undermining the independence of its judiciary. “India is a vibrant and robust democracy with rule of law. As in all legal cases in the country, and elsewhere in the democratic world, the law will take its own course in the instant matter. Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted,'' the Delhi excise policy case. The ED has alleged that Kejriwal was the kingpin of the liquor policy scam and AAP workers protest at Shaheedi Park on Saturday.  SUBRATA DUTTA German diplomat was firmly told by MEA officials. A German Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a statement on the Delhi CM's arrest, had earlier said: "We have taken note, India is a democratic country. We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of Judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case.” “Like anyone facing accusations, Mr Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial, this includes he can make use of all available legal avenues without restrictions. The presumption of innocence is a central element of the rule of law and must apply to him.” recieved Rs 100 crore from the 'South lobby' in exchange of granting them favour in the now-scrapped excise policy.