WEDNESDAY 17 APRIL 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 FM ACCUSES GEHLOT REGIME OF SPREADING CONFUSION OVER OPS SIDELINING A WOMAN’S FREEDOM OF CHOICE P5 P7 SENSEX 72,943.68456.10 WEATHER Mainly Clear sky becoming Partly cloudy sky towards Afternoon /Evening. Hot and discomfort weather likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 39°C and 28 °C respectively. NIFTY 22,147.90124.60 P4 GOLD 74,130980 ` vs $ 83.37 CM expresses fear of violence in N Bengal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SILIGURI, 16 APRIL Max. 89 % STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SILIGURI, 16 APRIL Max: 38.7°C (+3) Min: 28.6°C (+3) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:16 hrs 17:57 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 11:36 hrs 00:43 hrs Full Moon on 24 April THUMBNAILS The Indian Coast Guard rescues a stranded fishing boat off Karwar, in Karnataka on Tuesday.  ANI Two shooters nabbed in Salman case: The two shooters, who allegedly opened fire at Bollywood actor Salman Khan's home on Sunday, were apprehended from Gujarat's border Kachchh district early on Tuesday and brought to Mumbai, where a court sent them to police custody till 25 April, officials said on Tuesday. The duo, identified as Vicky Gupta, 24, and Sagar Pal, 23, were nabbed from Bhuj town in Kachchh district of Gujarat, bordering Pakistan, in a swift joint operation of the Mumbai Police and Gujarat Police, and brought to Mumbai on Tuesday morning. Poll panel bars Surjewala from campaigning for 48 hours STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expressed apprehension of violence a day before the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in North Bengal. Addressing a public meeting at Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri today, Chief Minister Ms Banerjee said the BJP is planning to make trouble by organising processions to celebrate Ram Navami in the region tomorrow. “BJP is planning for its candidates to win with the help of violence. You should prevent them from making any trouble during celebrations of Ram Navami and stay away from any provocation tomorrow,” Miss Banerjee said. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing an election rally at Balurghat, today claimed that the Trinamul Congress has hatched a conspiracy to prevent the people from celebrating Ram Navami in Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, addressing another public meeting in Siliguri today, said: “We want people to live in peace with good relations from the C Hills to the Terai-Dooars region among all religions.” Miss Banerjee also claimed that the BJP will not cross 200 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, in reply to the Prime Minister’s claim that the ‘NDA will bag over 400 seats on 4 June’. BJP will not be able to obtain the required number of Lok Sabha seats in many states where regional political parties are strong like Bihar, Tamil Nadu and even in Uttar Pradesh, she added. “Why are they jealous? Why are they branding a Sikh as Khalistani, a Muslim as Pakistani and criticizing Bengali who loves to eat fish? SC directs Governor to appoint 6 persons as VCs from list sent by state government AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 16 APRIL NEW DELHI, 16 APRIL The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday banned Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala from campaigning for 48 hours in the Lok Sabha elections over his objectionable remarks against BJP MP from UP’s Mathura Hema Malini. The poll panel’s action against Surjewala came days after it received a reply from him in response to a showcause notice to him following a complaint from the BJP alleging that he had passed some derogatory remarks against the BJP parliamentarian. The BJP alleged that he made“sexist, vulgar and unethical public utterances against the dignity of BJP MP Hema Malini while campaigning in Haryana which are violative of the provisions and Model Code of Conduct (MCC)”. Who are they? People will decide and save the country from the hands of the BJP she said. Miss Baner,” jee today joined a padayatra on the Hill Cart Road in support of Gopal Lama, TMC candidate for Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. The chief minister introduced Mr Lama as ason of the soil of Darjeeling, before the audience at Baghajatin Park in Siliguri and urged people to vote for him. Without naming the BJP candidate, Raju Bista, the Chief Minister said: “Please don’t vote for an outsider.” Miss Banerjee also accused the BJP of circulating fake videos in the The Supreme Court today directed Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, who is also the chancellor of state-run universities, to appoint six suitable persons as vice-chancellors from a list of candidates given by the Mamata Banerjee led state government. Appearing for the chancellor, Attorney General R Venkataramani apprised the top court that he has approved six names from the list sent by the state government. The bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice K V Vishwanathan said that the six vice-chancellors should be appointed immediately. It also asked the state government to send a fresh list of suitable candidates to the office of the chancellor, who may decide to appoint some more VCs from among them. While hoping for an ami- cable solution to the ongoing tussle, the bench said it may consider setting up a search committee later for short-listing candidates for being appointed as vicechancellors in the remaining state-run universities. Earlier, the bench had asked the governor, the state government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to suggest three to five names each for setting up a search-cum-selection committee which will decide the candidates for appointment as VCs. During the hearing today, the attorney general told the bench that the chancel- lor has approved six names for appointment as VCs from the list forwarded by the state government. He further opposed the submissions of Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state government, that the governor was deliberately not consenting to the Bill on universities passed by the state assembly. Previously, the West Bengal Assembly had passed an amendment bill raising the number of members in the search committee set up for appointing vice-chancellors in state-run universities from three to five. However, the BJP had opposed the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023 alleging that the new search committee would further enhance the ruling party’s control over the appointment of vice-chancellors. The bench has now scheduled the plea for hearing on 30 April. state. “They are spending crores of rupees to make such fake videos. After creating them, they are circulating them on social media. Do not trust whatever you see, since they always resort to falsehood,” the Chief Minister said at the election meeting in Jalpaiguri. The Chief Minister also accused a section of the Central agencies of attempts to influence the common people to support the BJP . “They are acting as younger brothers of BJP and trying to influence common people to support BJP she said. ,” Mamata Banerjee is supposed to address a rally at Silchar, Assam on Wednesday, which is also Ram Navami day. On Tuesday, preparations were in full swing at Silchar Town Club, the venue for the rally, where some 50,000 strong crowd is expected to attend, said sources in Assam. Assam state president of TMC Ripun Bora and party RS MP Sushmita Dev are expected to share the dias with the West Bengal chief minister. Sources said that the CM may take a chopper to Silchar from north Bengal where she is campaigning at present and be back on the same day. VVPAT: SC leery of human intervention, exhorts for trust in system PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 16 APRIL The Supreme Court on Tuesday sounded averse to going back to ballot paper system for casting votes, stating that the introduction of human intervention will create problems, and exhorted to repose trust and faith in the prevailing system and not to bring it down. As advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms batted for going back to the exercise of vote through ballot papers, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, heading a bench also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, said: “We are in our 60s. We all know what happened when there were ballot papers, you may have, but we have not forgotten.” (Pg 5) BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 89.590.51 TMC opposing CAA because it would reveal the truth: Modi Mamata says BJP is planning to make trouble by organising Ram Navami processions Min. 39% P12 SILVER 87,0001000 RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE IPL: INCONSISTENT GUJARAT, DELHI IN MOMENTUM HUNT ‘PM MODI TRYING TO DEFEND BIGGEST CORRUPTION SCANDAL’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the Trinamul Congress opposes the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) because the real truth will be revealed in West Bengal with its implementation. “Trinamul Congress has leased out West Bengal to criminals and infiltrators. The TMC provides protection for illegal entrants but it opposes recognition of refugees legally so that the truth does not come out. To punish this sin, vote for the lotus,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. Mr Modi was addressing a public meeting at Balurghat in South Dinajpur where Dr Sukanta Majumdar, state BJP president is the candidate. He also addressed another public meeting at Rajganj in North Dinajpur later. (Photo) Speaking in Raiganj, Mr Modi said: “TMC has made Bengal poor.Women, mothers and sisters, are not safe in Bengal. TMC protects infiltrators including Rohingyas to ensure its vote bank and opposes the CAA. TMC prevents voters from getting their democratic rights. Bengal is lagging behind due to TMC. Will you absolve them?” Mr Modi encouraged the crowd to celebrate Ram Navami tomorrow, espe- cially as the first birth anniversary of Ram Lala after the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. “TMC opposes celebration of Ram Navami. The court has given permission for celebrating Ram Navami. You will celebrate Ram Navami gloriously,” Mr Modi added. He also said: “TMC has made Bengal as a home for extortionists, criminals and corruption. Primary teachers’ recruitment scam has been unearthed. Agencies have recovered huge amounts of black money from various officials’ residences. The whole country has seen what happened in Sandeshkhali. TMC tried to save criminals in Sandeshkhali. The TMC is attacking Central agencies in an organised manner.” He said: “Your dreams are my determination. I promise to fulfil your dreams. In next five years I will be working round the clock to bring in development by the year 2047.” He also accused the TMC of attacking poor and Adivasi women who joined the BJP and killing a booth president in Balurghat. “TMC’s business will end, that is why the TMC is lying. There is no proper employment plan for the people in this region. TMC prevents Central government programmes from being implemented. Despite resistance from TMC, BJP has developed railway network connecting Balurghat. There is no university and no medical college. TMC does not want an airport in Balurghat,” the PM said. Mr Modi mentioned some key points from the BJP’s manifesto and how it will help the people in Dinajpur and showcased PM Vishwakarma Yojona in which artisans in 18 sector will be getting employment opportunities in South Dinajpur. Chhattisgarh: 29 Maoists killed in encounter with security forces STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE RAIPUR, 16 APRIL Twenty nine Maoists were killed by security forces in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday in a fierce encounter. The clash between the security personnel and the insurgents broke out around 2 p.m. in the dense jungles of Binagunda and Coronar, located in the Chhotepatia area of Kanker district, officials said. The encounter holds particular significance as voting for the Kanker Lok Sabha constituency is slated for 26 April. According to reports, most wanted Maoist commander Shankar Rao and Lalita were among those killed during the confrontation. Subsequently, the security forces have recovered 29 bodies of the Maoist insurgents along with a substantial number of automatic weapons. Three security personnel The encounter holds particular significance as voting for the Kanker LS constituency is slated for 26 April. sustained injuries in the exchange of fire. Currently, security forces are conducting an search operation in the Maad region. Additional reinforcements have been deployed to assist in the extraction of injured soldiers from the jungle terrain, they said. Confirming the operation's success, Kanker SP Kalyan Elesela said 29 Maoists, including notorious commander Shankar Rao, were eliminated in the encounter. Furthermore, security forces seized seven AK47 rifles, one INSAS rifle and three LMGs during the operation. The police said a joint operation conducted by the Border Security Force (BSF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) teams commenced on 16 April in the village of Binagunda, Kanker. However, the BSF faced resistance from Maoist cadres, to which the security personnel responded effectively. A BSF soldier sustained gunshot wounds to his leg, but is currently reported to be in stable condition. A search operation is underway and arrangements being made for the proper treatment of injured personnel. The police have said that further details will be provided after the search operation. Not in a hurry to see lotus bloom in Valley, BJP interested to win hearts: Shah in J&K Lucknow boy Aditya Srivastava tops civil services exam STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday declared the results for the civil services examination 2023, with Aditya Srivastava securing the top rank. Animesh Pradhan and Donuru Ananya Reddy secured the second and third ranks respectively, the UPSC said. Mr Srivastava, a resident of Lucknow, is currently working as an under-training IPS officer in West Bengal. He did his BTech from IIT Kanpur. His father Ajay Srivastava works in the Central Audit Department. The selected candidates will be appointed to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and other central services posts. A total of 1,016 candidates (664 men and 352 women) have JAMMU, 16 APRIL Dropping a hint that the BJP might not field its candidates in the three Lok Sabha seats in the Kashmir Valley, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the party is not in a hurry to see the lotus bloom in the Valley as the BJP is in the process of "winning hearts of the people in Kashmir". He was addressing an election rally here in favour of BJP candidate Jugal Kishore Sharma for the Jammu Lok Sabha seat. Referring to allegations by political adversaries that the saffron party was trying to capture Kashmir through the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Mr Shah said: “I want to tell the people of Kashmir that we are not among those who believe in capturing, the lotus (BJP’s party symbol) will bloom in the Valley only through your affection." He asked the people to vote for anyone except the parties of the Abdullahs, Mehbooba and Sonia Gandhi who work for the "growth of only their dynasties". The minister also accused the Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of staging fake encounters and putting guns into the hands of Kashmiri youth and charged that these parties are responsible for encouraging terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “I want to ask Dr Farooq Abdullah, in whose tenure most of the fake encounters took place. Wasn’t it Dr Farooq Abdullah’s government then?” he said. He asserted that the Narendra Modi government has not only restored peace in Jammu and Kashmir but also accelerated development and employment through a transparent system. He said the Assembly election in J&K will be held within the timeframe fixed by the Supreme Court. “There will be no delay,” he said. Targeting PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Mr Shah said: "Nobody has the guts to raise slogans for Pakistan. Slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' can only be heard in Jammu and Kashmir. PDP chief had said that if Article 370 is removed, nobody will be left to give a shoulder to the tricolour... She needs to understand that this tricolour is immortal and will always stay. Article 370 was scrapped and the tricolour still flies with pride and glory." STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 APRIL CMYK qualified the examination and are recommended by the Commission for appointment to various services. Among the finally qualified candidates, the top five comprises three men and two women candidates. P K Sidharth Ramkumar and Ruhani got the fourth and fifth ranks, respectively in the civil services examination. Mr Ramkumar, a Bachelor of Architecture from College of Architecture in Trivandrum, secured fourth rank with anthropology as his optional subject. Ruhani, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in economics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University, secured the fifth rank with economics as her optional subject, according to the results of the civil services examination 2023. The top 25 candidates comprise 10 women and 15 men. The civil services examination is conducted annually in three stages~ preliminary, main and interview. The recommended candidates also include 30 persons with benchmark disability (16 orthopedically handicapped, six visually challenged, five hearing impaired and three with multiple disabilities). The civil services (preliminary) examination, 2023 was conducted on 28 May last year. A total of 10,16,850 candidates applied for this examination, out of which 5,92,141 candidates actually appeared in the examination. As many as 14,624 candidates qualified for appear- ance in the written (main) examination, which was held in September 2023. “A total of 2,855 candidates qualified for the personality test of the examination,” the UPSC said. The government has reported 1,143 vacancies — 180 in IAS, 37 in IFS, 200 in IPS, 613 posts in different central Group A services and 113 in Group B services ~ to be filled through the civil services examination 2023, the UPSC said. As many as 240 candidates have been put in a reserved list, it said, adding that the candidature of 355 recommended candidates has been kept provisional. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the candidates who cleared the UPSC Civil Service exams and said those who could not clear should remember that this isn't the end of their journey, adding that there are more chances to succeed in the exams.