‘WE GOT MAJORITY IN 2014, 2019, USED IT TO ABOLISH ART 370’ 21 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman ‘CONGRESS TARGETING KERALA CM DISTURBING’ PAGE 5 VIRAT KOHLI’S RCB TO FACE GAMBHIR’S RUTHLESS KKR PAGE 4 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 25-35 KMPH) DURING THE DAY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 38 & 24 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 71 % INDI alliance partners are fighting among themselves: Narendra Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 APRIL Min. 32 % TEMPERATURE Max: 37.2 °C0) SUN RISES 5:49 hrs MOON RISES 16:39 hrs People are rejecting INDI alliance, says PM Min: 23.3 °C (+2) SUN SETS 18:51 hrs MOON SETS 04:48 hrs THUMBNAILS The Indian Navy conducts Exercise Poorvi Lehar on the East Coast under the operational control of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, on Saturday.  ANI Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial court dies: A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.The New York City Police Department told The Associated Press early Saturday that the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital.The man was in Collect Pond Park around 1:30 p.m. Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, offi(Pg 9) cials and witnesses said. P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said INDI alliance partners had come together just because of action against their corruption and Friday’s Lok Sabha polling reports therefore did not surprise that people had rejected them completely, as they had also never projected their leader post-polls. Addressing BJP election rallies in Nanded and Parbhani in Maharashtra, he said the Congress can make any claims; the reality is that even before elections started, party leaders had accepted their defeat. (Photo) The Congress leaders who used to win Lok Sabha elections, left the Lok Sabha arena and entered Parliament from the Rajya Sabha route. This showed they had no confidence to face the Lok Sabha poll, he said. The Prime Minister said an interesting fact about the INDI alliance partners is they are fighting among themselves in the Lok Sabha poll. There are 25 per cent seats in the country where they are contesting against each other, making allegations each other and threat- ening to send their rivals to jails. Can such parties be trusted by people, if they don’t trust each other, he said. These parties will raise a storm in the Lok Sabha, should they win and come there. Therefore it is necessary to teach them a lesson, Mr Modi said. He said the Congress Prince (Rahul Gandhi) appears to be sensing trouble in his Kerala constituency, Wayanad. He and his group are waiting for the 26 April voting in Wayanad, and then they will look for a safe seat for him, the PM said. The INDI alliance partners are also abusing each other, he said. The Kerala Chief Minister, who is an alliance partner of Congress, abused the Congress Prince in such a way that none can imag- Jobs data in past 6.5 yrs shows steady rise, jobless rate falling AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 20 APRIL Jobs and employment opportunities have seen a consistent uptrend in the past 6.5 years, according to a report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). The growth parameters in terms of jobs, postings and employment opportunities have recorded a rise while the Unemployment Rate (UR) has consistently gone down. This has been found under three key jobs data pools including PLFS, EPFO and National Career Service (NCS). Various tools of PLFS including the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Worker Population Ratio (WPR) have logged consistent rise over the past 6 years while the Unemployment Rate (UR) chart shows a constant decline. The LFPR, defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force, was recorded at 49.8 per cent in the financial year 2017-18 and this rose to 57.9 per cent in FY 2022-23. Similarly, WPR, defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population, was recorded at 46.8 per cent in FY 2017-18, which in turn rose to 56 per cent in FY 2022-23. During the same period, the unemployment rate dropped from 6 per cent to 3.2 per cent. The labour market trend for female workers also shows a positive trend. LFPR, for women workers, was recorded at 23.3 per cent in FY 2017-18, which rose to 37 per cent in FY 2022-23 while WPR saw a rise from 22 per cent to 35.9 per cent for the same period. The unemployment rate for women workers also saw a decline from 5.6 per cent to 2.9 per cent in the period from 2017-2023. As per the Employment Provident Fund Organization (EFPO) data, a total of 6.1 crore individuals joined formal jobs during the past 6.5 years. National Career Service (NSC) records say that over 1 crore job postings were offered in FY 2023-24 alone. ine. Mr Modi said just as he ran away from his earlier constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, he will have to go away from Wayanad also. In Parbhani, the Prime Minister said people should be careful about the Congress Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra. He said the Congress is like a wall creeper that has no roots, whoever gives it support, it will eat it up. The Prime Minister said at the time of Independence, the Congress brought about Partition, after Independence it created the Kashmir problem, and on the excuse of Article 370, it did not allow the Indian Constitution to be implemented there, denying also Dalits of the region any rights. Mr Modi said the Congress never allowed development of Maharashtra. The party always blocked schemes for the welfare of poor, dalit, deprived sections, labour and farmers. The Congress opposed any scheme for the poor, like toilets, bank accounts, digital India and UPI, brought by his government. A Congress leader used to say uneducated people will not benefit from digital technology, he said. Can such people be trusted for development of the country, he said. The Congress, he said, does not understand problems of Maharashtra. The party for decades kept Maharashtra and Vidarbha regions starved of amenities like water; the region became poorer day by day. 1st phase of polls signals farewell to NDA government: INDIA bloc STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AMROHA, 20 APRIL At a joint rally convened by the INDIA bloc on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav asserted that the first phase of polls on Friday had laid the groundwork for bidding farewell to the NDA government. The maiden joint rally held at the mini stadium here aimed to garner support for BSP MP and current Congress candidate from Amroha, Danish Ali. Speaking on the occasion, both leaders squarely blamed the BJP government for the problems facing the youth, farmers, and the common people. Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the BJP's farewell has begun with the resounding beats of the dholak in Amroha. PM Narendra Modi visited Amroha on Friday, where he highlighted the significance of dholak. Rahul Gandhi said that after the formation of the coalition government, the youth, farmers, and women will reap the benefits. “We have prepared a roadmap for everyone. That's why the BJP shies away from conducting a caste census," he said, highlighting the central government's neglect of crucial issues concerning the youth. The Congress leader said that caste Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav during an election rally in Amroha.  ANI census means an X-ray of India. He said that a caste census will be conducted once the coalition government assumes power, notwithstanding opposition from the BJP. He stressed that the nation deserves to know the level of participation of 90 per cent of the population. Rahul Gandhi said that under the coalition government, MNREGA wages will increase to Rs 400 per day, and Anganwadi workers will receive double the honorarium. He reiterated that the INDIA bloc will ensure that the money given to industrialists is redirected to farmers and the poor. Claiming that farmers never get their due rights, he pledged that once the INDIA bloc assumes power, it would waive off farmers' loans. Besides, a Farmers' Commission would be established to implement schemes specifically designed to ben- efit farmers, he added. The Congress leader highlighted the disparity between the waiver of loans for industrialists and the neglect of farmers' loans, emphasising the disproportionate concentration of wealth where 22 people of the country possess assets equivalent to those of 70 crore citizens. He alleged that people had to suffer losses due to demonetisation. He said that this is a battle of ideologies. He said that the INDIA bloc is protecting the Constitution and democracy, while the BJP is trying to undermine them. He criticised BJP leaders for expressing their intention to change the Constitution and highlighted PM’s association with billionaires over the past decade. SP chief asserted that even traditional BJP supporters are openly protesting and opposing their party's policies. BJP's Moradabad candidate dies from heart attack a day after polling BLAZING SUN STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MORADABAD 20 APRIL Women use scarves to cover their faces amidst scorching heat during a hot summer day in New SUBRATA DUTTA Delhi on Friday. BJP candidate from the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat Sarvesh Singh died of a massive heart attack on Saturday. He was around 72. Singh was contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the fourth time. He was elected BJP MP from Moradabad in 2014 and was also MLA from the Thakurdwara assembly seat of the district for five times. According to party sources, Singh had undergone a dental operation in March and since then he has been unwell. After filing a nomination on March 27, he could not even go out for public meetings. However, on April 12, he attended Home Minister Amit Shah's public meeting in Moradabad, and on April 15, CM Yogi Adityanath's public meetings in Badhapura, Bijnor Lok Sabha constituency. But, he did not address the meetings due to his ill health. Yesterday, he voted at the booth of his native Ratupura village. Relatives say he was taken to the AIIMS for treatment on Saturday morning. He died there due to a heart attack. Sarvesh Singh had contested the assembly elections for the first time in 1991 from the Thakurdwara seat on a BJP ticket. After this, he became a powerful leader of the BJP by winning elections four times consecutively. The party has not yet been able to find his replacement for the Thakurdwara seat. In 2019, he was defeated by SP's ST Hasan. His son Shushant Singh is the BJP MLA from the Badapur assembly seat of Bijnor district. New criminal laws a watershed moment for India: CJI Elon Musk defers visit to India citing ‘heavy’ Tesla obligations PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 20 APRIL Describing the framing of the three new criminal laws - the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam – as a “watershed moment” for the Indian society, the Chief Justice of India, Justice D,Y. Chandrachud on Saturday said that the new laws bring much needed improvement in the criminal justice system, ushering it into a new age. In his inaugural address at the day-long conference on ‘India's Progressive Path in the Administration of Criminal Justice System’, the Chief Justice said: “The newly enacted criminal laws have transitioned India’s legal framework on criminal justice into the new age. Much needed improvements have been introduced to protect victim interests and carry out the investigation and prosecution of offences efficiently.” The day-long conference was organised by the Ministry Chief Justice of India, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud with Attorney General for India R Venkataramani during a conference on "India's progressive path in the administration of criminal jusANI tice system", in New Delhi on Saturday. of Law and Justice. Stating that Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) encompasses a “holistic approach” to deal with crimes in the digital age, the Chief Justice said that the audio-visual recording of search and seizures is an “important tool for the prosecution as well as for protecting the civil liberties of citizens” and the judicial scrutiny would “safeguard the rights of citizens against procedural impropriety” during search and seizures. Similarly, the CJI said that the presence of a forensic expert at the scene of the crime will enhance the efficiency of the investigating team and allow for crimes to be decoded with the aid of the latest advancements in forensic technology. He called for focusing on improving investigations by allowing for multidisciplinary investigating teams with law enforcement officers, and domain experts in the field of cyber-crime, and pattern recognition. The CJI said that while we make strides in this direction, we must now confront the challenges of fulfilling the aims of the new criminal legislations. “Detailed rules need to be formulated on the type of devices to be used for recording, incorporating the principles of natural justice and lay down the consequences of not carrying out such recording,” he said. Calling for heavy investment in capacity building, Chief Justice Chandrachud said that while the new criminal laws create provisions which are synchronised to our times, we must also ensure that the infrastructure accompanying these procedures are developed adequately for the “country to reap the benefits of the new laws”. Referring to the BNSS provision which says that trial in a criminal case must be completed in three years and judgment pronounced within 45 days after order has been reserved, the CJI said that the “stipulation is a breath of fresh air” for addressing the issue of case pendency as well as the rights of the victim and the accused in a criminal case. However, he cautioned that “if the court infrastructure and the prosecution lack material resources to harness technology and conduct an efficient and speedy trial then the guarantees of the BNSS may run the risk of becoming merely directory and unimplementable.” On one hand, the CJI said, the BNSS has adopted a “citizen centric approach” for supply of a copy of the First Information Report to the victim and to inform them about the progress of investigation, including by digital means, on the other hand it has made a “positive development in protecting the fundamental rights of undertrial prisoners”. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE It was reported that Tesla officials were exploring potential sites in India for a manufacturing plant, which is anticipated to necessitate an investment of about $2 billion. NEW DELHI, 20 APRIL Tesla CEO Elon Musk has delayed his much-anticipated trip to India during which he was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announce his plans to invest in this country. Responding to a news report that cited the delay of his India Trip, Mr Musk posted on X: "Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year." The trip is now expected to take place after the Lok Sabha elections. The Tesla chief had last week confirmed his maiden visit to India, saying he looked forward to meeting PM Modi. Taking to his official handle, Mr Musk had posted on X, "Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister @NarendraModi in India!" Me Musk was earlier expected to reach Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very ELON MUSK much look forward to visiting later this year India on Sunday. It was reported that Tesla officials were exploring potential sites in India for a manufacturing plant, which is anticipated to necessitate an investment of about $2 billion. Tesla's interest in expanding its presence in the Indian market has intensified, with the company actively searching for a suitable location to establish a cutting-edge manufacturing facility.Both the state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat are reported to have extended attractive land offers to Tesla for this purpose, signalling significant progress in India's electric mobility landscape. The proposed manufacturing plant with estimated investments ranging from $ 2 billion to $ 3 billion, aims to cater to both domestic and international demand for Tesla's electric vehicles. This move aligns with India's new EV policy, which seeks to promote sustainable transportation and reduce carbon emissions.