MODI’S POLICY TOWARDS CHINA ‘MEEK’: CONG LEADER KHARGE 14 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman AMIT SHAH HOLDS MEGA ROAD SHOW IN KANNIYAKUMARI PAGE 5 IN-FORM KKR LOOK TO EXTRACT MOST OUT OF HOME LEG GAMES PAGE 4 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Partly cloudy sky.Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 37°C and 27°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 85% TEMPERATURE Max: 35.2°C (-1) SUN RISES 05:18 hrs MOON RISES 08:43 hrs Iran’s navy seizes Israel-linked vessel near Strait of Hormuz; a majority of the crew are Indian Can the BJP even get 200 seats, asks CM Mamata Banerjee slams BJP for constantly maligning Bengal’s image Min. 31% Min: 26.5°C (+1) SUN SETS 17:56 hrs MOON SETS 22:59 hrs Full Moon on 24 April THUMBNAILS Artists paint on the road on the eve of Paila Baisakh in Kolkata on Saturday.  MOUL MONDAL Bengaluru cafe bomber suspect sent to 10day NIA custody: The Bengaluru Special NIA Court judge has sent suspected bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and mastermind Abdul Matheen Taha, to 10-day National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody in connection with the Bengaluru cafe bomb blast case. The NIA on Saturday produced the arrested bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazib and his accomplice Abdul Matheen Taha before the magistrate court judge at his residence in Koramangala locality of Bengaluru. Senior counsel Prasanna Kumar argued for the NIA. STATESMAN NEWS SERVCE SILIGURI, 13 APRIL hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday wondered whether the BJP will get even 200 seats in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, let alone the 400 targeted by the ruling NDA. Taking a swipe at the BJP's slogan of ‘Ee Baar Charsho Paar’ (This time over 400 seats), raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Miss Banerjee today said: “BJP has claimed it will get over 400 seats out of 543. In 2021 it had claimed over 200 seats in Bengal but finally managed just 70. Show your power to obtain 200 seats.” Miss Banerjee also asked: “What is the purpose behind holding elections over three months? Who is the mastermind behind it?” Addressing a public meeting at Jabravita in Jalpaiguri Lok Sabha seat near Siliguri, the Trinamul Congress chairperson said: “We don’t have any relationship with the Congress, CPI-M and the BJP Please . vote for TMC only in Bengal. We will form the gov- C ernment at the Centre. I will talk to the INDIA alliance in Delhi after the results. Bengal will show the way.” “Give me as many more seats as possible. It is required for bargaining funds from the Centre. The Centre is not giving funds. I beg your help. Your Lakshmi Bhandar scheme will continue forever,” she added. Miss Banerjee also branded the BJP as a great liar for constantly maligning Bengal’s image. Without naming the Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, Miss Banerjee said: “A critic in the BJP has been damaging the prestige of Bengal. He has branded Bengal as a safe haven for militants. There should be a limit to lying. They are great liars. Bengal is going in the right direction. BJP leaders are notorious thieves and commit crimes while managing ED and CBI.” Miss Banerjee has asked the public to oppose the Uniform Civil Code, a priority AGENCIES agenda item for the BJP and the NDA. “Many religions have many systems. BJP will abolish the identity of your religion by implementing UCC,” she said. The Chief Minister today left for Kolkata after the meeting, but she is scheduled to return to attend a cultural programme at Chalsa in Jalpaiguri around 3.30 pm tomorrow. On 15 April, she would start the third round of election campaigning from Cooch Behar town and then in Birpara in Alipurduar. On 16 April, she would address a public meeting at Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri and will stage a march at Hill Cart Road in Siliguri around 2 p.m. to protest against the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), NRC (National Register of Citizens) and UCC. The CM will leave for Silchar in Assam on 17 April from Bagdogra and will return in the evening. She will visit North and South Dinajpur on 18 April. She will be in Malda on 19 April, and monitor the first phase of the Lok Sabha in northern North Bengal to be held on that day from there. NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized an Israel-linked container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday amidst escalating tensions with Israel. Of the 25 crew members aboard, 17 are reported to be Indian, and government sources in New Delhi were quoted as saying India was in touch with Iran to ensure their security and welfare. “We are aware that a cargo ship ‘MSC Aries’ has been taken control by Iran. We have learnt that there are 17 Indian nationals onboard. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities through diplomatic channels, both in Teheran and in Delhi, to ensure security, welfare and early release of Indian nationals,” Indian government sources were quoted as saying. The ship in question was the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship owned by Zodiac Maritime, based in London. Zodiac Maritime is a division of Zodiac Group, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. Commandos from Iran’s This image made from a video provided to the Associated Press by a Mideast defense official shows a helicopter raid targeting a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.  AP paramilitary Revolutionary Guard rappelled down a helicopter onto an Israeliaffiliated container ship and seized the vessel on Saturday. Iran’s state-run IRNA said a special forces unit of the Guard’s navy carried out the heliborne attack on the vessel. IRNA said the Guard would take the vessel into Iranian territorial waters. The MSC Aries was last seen on Friday, sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai, according to The Times of Israel. The ship is currently sailing through the Persian Gulf, according to ship tracking site, Marine Traffic. "A container ship named 'MCS Aries' was seized by the Sepah (Guards) Navy Special Forces by carrying out a heliborne operation," the IRNA agency reported. The operation, it said, was carried out "near the Strait of Hormuz" - between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman - which is vital to world trade, and "this ship has now been directed towards the territorial waters" of Iran. Tensions have escalated between Iran and Israel after an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syrian capital Damascus. BJP to release its manifesto ‘Sankalp Patra’ today SC to hear Kejriwal’s plea against arrest on Monday STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL The BJP will release its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday at the party headquarters here in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The party's manifesto, known as the ‘Sankalp Patra’, will be launched in presence of PM Narendra Modi on 14 April," a party official said on Saturday evening. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president JP Nadda will also be present during the launch of the manifesto, the party sources said. According to the party sources, the BJP's manifesto will focus on development, a prosperous India, women, youth, the poor, and farmers. The party pledges to fulfil only those promises that are achievable. The theme of the manifesto will be "Modi's BJP National President JP Nadda being felicitated by Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna at the party cluster meeting, in Chümoukedima on Saturday. ANI Guarantee: Developed India 2047," with a focus on cultural nationalism. The BJP formed the Election Manifesto Committee, comprising 27 members. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was appointed as the chairman of this panel. Mean- while, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed as the convenor, and Union Minister Piyush Goyal was made the co-convenor. Apart from them, 24 people were included in this committee as members. The manifesto committee, chaired by the Defence Minister, has already held two meetings. The BJP has received over 1.5 million suggestions for its manifesto, including more than 400,000 through the NaMo app and over 1.1 million through videos. The upcoming Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to take place from 19 April to 1 June, to choose the 543 representatives for the 18th Lok Sabha. These elections will be conducted over seven phases, with the outcome being declared on 4 June. Around 970 million individuals, out of a total population of 1.44 billion, are eligible to take part in the elections. The legislative assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim will coincide with the general election. Additionally, there will be by-elections for 35 seats across 16 states. PM bets big on e-sports, encourages creators to build games for the world STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL From building games for the world to spreading awareness regarding environmental and social issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday ~ in a free-wheeling chat with some of the top Indian creators ~ gave the esports industry a much-needed boost, saying it should be kept regulation-free and allowed to grow under an organised and legal framework to create millions of jobs. Mr Modi met Payal Dhare(photo) (the only woman gamer present at the roundtable) along with Mithilesh Patankar, Animesh Agarwal, Naman Mathur, Anshu Bisht and others, at his official residence in the capital and had fruitful discussions around a myriad of key topics, while spending some light and cheerful moments. After an introductory discussion on how much time gamers play and their contribution to the content space as subsidised internet rates have enabled gamers to pursue their dream careers, PM Modi delved deeper into some of the key issues around the esports industry. “Regulation won’t help for the esports industry which can create multiple career options for our youth. It must grow under an organised, legal structure. The time is to understand the world of gaming, and mould it to our country’s needs,” the PM noted. Mr Modi discussed how e-sports should be recognised as a mainstream sport, separate from gambling and Real Money Gaming (RMG) apps. In FY23, the Indian gaming industry generated $3.1 billion in revenue. The country has a gaming audience of more than 500 million players. PM Modi, addressed as the ‘biggest influencer’ and coolest PM in the country by the creators, also encouraged them to build games which address global issues like climate change and cleanliness. The Prime Minister said that he wants the youth to benefit from gaming and the country should have an impact on the global ecosystem. “World leaders talk about global warming and climate change and are trying various methods to deal with those. Envision a game aimed at addressing the global climate crisis, where the gamer must explore various methods and solutions to identify the most sustainable approach,” PM Modi told them. “Create games for change which will not only solve local problems but also address global issues.” The creators also gave PM Modi a new name in the world of livestream gaming - 'NaMo OP', where OP stands for "overpowered". They hailed PM Modi’s vision of recognising creativity in skill-based gaming, saying it is time to take gaming ahead and inspire others. PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 13 APRIL The Supreme Court will on Monday (15 April) hear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and his subsequent remand in the alleged Delhi Rich tributes paid to brave hearts of ‘Op Meghdoot’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 13 APRIL Remembering the courage and fortitude of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) displayed four decades ago when Operation Meghdoot was launched to seize control of the world's highest battlefield Siachen Glacier, rich tributes were on Saturday paid to the bravehearts by the Fire & Fury Corps in Ladakh. On the occasion of the 40th Siachen Day, the Indian Army paid rich tributes at the SiachenWar Memorial to the bravehearts who have valiantly guarded the ‘Frozen Frontier’ with courage and fortitude. The nation will always remain indebted to them and their family members, said the Ladakh-based Corps of the Indian Army. The IAF posted pictures of operations at the glacier and also wrote on X; "Saluting the indomitable spirit and bravery of our brethren on this Siachen Day". "The Chief of Air Staff , Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and all IAF personnel pay our sincere homage to the innumerable sacrifices made over the years in defending our nation's highest battleground," the IAF wrote. "Four decades of operations from the highest battlefield of the world, in extreme climatic conditions, IAF maintains its role as the lifeline of military operations at the Siachen Glacier. Flying over ruthless terrain, chapters of human endurance and technical proficiency continue to be achieved by IAF every day," IAF added. excise policy scam. A bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta will hear Kejriwal’s appeal against the Delhi High Court's 9 April order rejecting his plea against arrest and subsequent remand. Soon after approaching the Supreme Court on 10 April 2024 to challenge the Delhi High Court's 9 April order upholding his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand, Mr Kejriwal's counsel mentioned the matter for an urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. CJI Chandrachud, heading the bench comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, said, “We will see, we will look into it.”