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 PAGE 9 PBKS BEGIN CAMPAIGN WITH A FOUR-WICKET WIN OVER DC PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 16 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 33°C and 24°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 91% TEMPERATURE Max: 32.4°C (-2) SUN RISES 05:38 hrs MOON RISES 16:19 hrs Moscow terror attack: Kejriwal moves HC against arrest; denied urgent hearing Death toll rises to 133 Comments on Delhi CM’s arrest: Putin vows to punish perpetrators; 11 in custody, say Russian authorities Min. 45% Modi condemns terrorist attack Min: 21.8°C (-2) SUN SETS 17:49 hrs MOON SETS 04:34 hrs STATES NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Full Moon on 25 March THUMBNAILS Russian agencies appeared to suggest the attack was linked to Ukraine even though the IS group claimed responsibility in a statement. 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 KKR win nail-biter of a campaign opener: b Andre Russell smashed a 25-ball 64 and picked up two wickets to help Kolkata Knight Riders (208/7) eke out a four-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (204/7) at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. Heinrich Klaasen, with a 29-ball 63, almost took the game away from KKR, but Harshit Rana, defending 12 runs in the last over, kept his cool despite being hit for a six on his first ball, to take two wickets in three balls and leave the visitors stranded five short of a winning total. 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 T even though the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Kyiv has denied any connection with the attack. 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, armed with automatic weapons, targeted fleeing concert goers, and videos of the scene showed bodies strewn like litter. The attackers 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 Kerala govt moves SC against President over pending Bills STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 23 MARCH 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 sitting on the Bills for several months 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. The petition seeks to recall the presidential reference of the seven Bills. It also sought to declare the action of the Governor in reserving the seven Bills passed by the Assembly, including the four Bills, for the consideration of the President as illegal and lacking in bona fides. The petition seeks that the action of the President in not granting assent to the four Bills ~ the University Laws (Amendment) (No.2) bill 2021, the Kerala Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill 2022, the University Laws (Amendment) Bill 2022 and the University Laws (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2022 -- be declared unconstitutional. “The conduct of the Governor in keeping Bills pending for long and indefinite peri- ods, and thereafter reserving the Bills for the consideration of the President without any reasons relatable to the Constitution is manifestly arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution. Equally, the aid and advice rendered by the Union of India to the President to withhold assent from the four Bills which are wholly within the domain of the State, while disclosing no reason whatsoever, is also manifestly arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution," the Kerala government argues in its plea. The reasons assigned by the Governor for reserving the Bills for the consideration of the President had nothing to do with the Union of India or the relationship between the Legislature of Kerala and the Union of India, it further contended. The Kerala government has made the Union government, Secretary to the President of India, and the Additional Secretary to the Kerala Governor as respondents in the case. building to collapse. Videos posted online showed gunmen shooting civilians at point-blank range. In a televised address to the nation, the 71-year-old 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 people 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 PM 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 NamgyelWangchuck of coming to the airport as I leave for Delhi.” “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. 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 130 people were killed and over a 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'. about to be moved to the territory of Ukraine. Our investigators are working to find the orchestrators of this attack," he added. So far, Russian security forces have 11 suspects in custody, including all four gunmen, who were directly involved in carrying out the attack, state-run media reported. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 MARCH Delhi High Court on Saturday denied an urgent listing of the plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. Mr Kejriwal's legal team had moved the high court earlier in the day, seeking urgent listing of his plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate and subsequent grant of custody to the probe agency. However, the high court denied it and said that matter will be listed on its reopening on Wednesday. Mr Kejriwal 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 28 March by the Rouse Avenue Court here. Mr Kejriwal had sought urgent listing and hearing of his plea on Sunday, 24 March. 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. The ED has alleged that Mr Kejriwal was the kingpin of the liquor policy scam and received Rs 100 crore from 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 'South lobby' in exchange for favours in the nowscrapped excise policy. The Delhi CM, however, denies AAP workers protest at Delhi’s Shaheedi Park on Saturday.  SUBRATA DUTTA the German diplomat was firmly told by MEA officials. A German Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a statement on the Delhi chief minister’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,” the spokesperson had stated. the charge and has said that his arrest was a political conspiracy by the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.