BIHAR NO LONGER THE BASTION IT ONCE WAS FOR THE RULING COALITION 28 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman ‘AMIDST HEAT WAVE, ALIPORE ZOO’S RESIDENTS STAY COOL’ PAGE 6 CSK LOOK TO RETURN TO WINNING WAYS AGAINST SRH PAGE 13 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 16 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Mainly clear sky. Heat wave conditions likely.Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 40°C and 29°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 89% Min. 45% Max: 39.7°C (+4) SUN RISES 05:7 hrs MOON RISES 21:20 hrs Min: 29.3°C (+3) SUN SETS 18:2 hrs MOON SETS 07:8 hrs TEMPERATURE Full Moon on 08 May THUMBNAILS People cover themselves for protection against the scorching sun in the Capital on Saturday. SUBRATA DUTTA India-bound ship hit by Houthi missile: An oil b tanker en route from Russia to India was hit by missiles in the Red Sea fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday. The MV Andromeda Star, was en route from Primorsk in Russia to India's Vadinar, sustained minor damage and is continuing its voyage, according to reports. The US Central Command has confirmed that the Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea from Yemen, which caused minor damage to the Andromeda Star. A missile also landed in the vicinity of a second vessel ~MV Maisha ~ but it did not receive any damage. CM: No evidence of arms No proof of ED’s allegations, not a single rupee traced to seizure in Sandeshkhali AAP, Arvind Kejriwal tells SC Recovered items may have been planted, says Mamata in Asansol’s Kulti DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY KULTI/ASANSOL, 27 APRIL n a scathing attack on the CBI and other central law enforcement agencies, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday that such agencies were now probing even firecracker blasts in Bengal and claimed that there is no evidence that firearms were seized from Sandeshkhali yesterday by the CBI. Miss Banerjee, speaking an election meeting in Kulti in Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in West Burdwan district, also maintained that there is no guarantee that the arms said to have been seized were not planted by the central agency. “Why were the state police not called? No neutral persons were present in empty Sandeshkhali and the Lok Sabha polls were going on. What prompted the NIA to create such a situation that looks like they are searching in a terror hideout? Have you seen such initiatives of the NIA in Manipur?”she asked as she campaigned for TMC candidate Shatrughan Sinha. She said that the I nation wants to know what steps the CBI takes when blasts occur in other states, including in BJP-ruled states.Why are NIA, CBI and ED so hyperactive in West Bengal, the TMC chairperson asked. The only motive is to create panic and fear in the minds of the peaceful voters in the elections in the state by sending NSG commandos in full combat gear and armed to the teeth, she said. “Before reaching here I heard that a bomb blast took place in the house of a BJP leader in Hasnabad. The BJP has resorted to massive bombing in the state for fear of losing instead of the TMC. Will the CBI now probe the incident of blasts in a BJP leader’s house,” she asked. Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also understood after two phases of the elections that his party is losing, his demeanour and speeches have changed. Narendra Modi is now panicky. In the first two phases BJP voters have not turned up, Miss Banerjee claimed. “In these Lok Sabha polls BJP is using its agencies to demolish the main opposition parties in every state,”she said. After the polls are over the prices of gas cylinders and petrol and diesel will once again increase, Miss Banerjee claimed. Even the prices of essential medicines have also been raised silently, she said. Some of the companies have paid PARMOD KUMAR off the BJP in the form of electoral bonds, she claimed. She also attacked the BJP candidate, Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia and asked why has he not protested when Suvendu Adhikari had called an IPS officer Khalistani despite Mr Ahluwalia himself being a Sikh. She said that her government is with the people who have lost their jobs and claimed that one lakh people will get fresh jobs in the state. She asked the Prime Minister to resign from his post and said that in every political meeting, his speeches are centred upon new lies. Miss Banerjee took part in two election campaigns for the TMC candidate of Asansol Lok Sabha seat in Kulti and Asansol’s Ushagram today and despite the high temperature thousands of people gathered at both the venues. Asansol MP Shatrughan Sinha, law, judiciary and labour minister Moloy Ghatak were also present. Earlier in the day, while boarding the helicopter at Durgapur before her flight to Kulti, Miss Banerjee slipped and had a fall inside the aircraft. She was uninjured and continued with her journey. NEW DELHI, 27 APRIL Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday strongly denied the allegation that his party received funds from a South-based group at the time of Goa election and stated that there exists “no proof or material” in this regard. In his response to the affidavit filed by the Directorate of Enforcement in the Supreme Court, the incarcerated Chief Minister Kejriwal has said: “There exists no proof or material demonstrating that the AAP received funds or advanced kickbacks from the South group, let alone utilising them in the Goa election campaign. Not a single rupee was traced back to the AAP, and the allegations put forth in this regard are devoid of any tangible evidence, rendering them vague, baseless without any corroboration.” The Delhi Chief Minister said this in response to the reply filed by the Enforcement Directorate on 25 April 2024, opposing the Aam Aadmi Party leader’s plea challenging his arrest and subsequent remand in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The Supreme Court had Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, greets the crowd during a roadshow at the Kalyan Puri area in New Delhi on Saturday.  ANI issued notice and sought a reply from the Enforcement Directorate on 15 April 2024, on Mr Kejriwal’s plea. Stating that the Enforcement Directorate was abusing its power of arrest in the middle of general election, Mr Kejriwal has said that the mode, manner and timing of his arrest after the announcement of the Lok Sabha election by the Election Commission and the coming into force of the Model Code of Conduct, speaks volumes about the “arbitrariness” of the central agency. “This timeline establishes the fact that Kejriwal has been arrested intentionally with a malafide intent without any neces- sity to arrest,” states the rejoinder affidavit by the Chief Minister. The Aam Aadmi Party leader has further stated that the present case is a “classic case” of how the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government has misused the central agencyED - and its wide powers under PMLA to crush its biggest political opponent. Mr Kejriwal has further said that there is a glaring absence of material indicating his involvement in any criminal activity relating to the alleged predicate offence, whether it be concealment, possession, acquisition, or utilisation of proceeds of crime to attract the vice of Section 3 of the PMLA. Crew of seized cargo ship ‘Cong will change Constitution for quota on religion’ to be released soon: Iran Manipur: Two CRPF personnel killed in militant attack AGENCIES BISHNUPUR, 27 APRIL NEW DELHI, 27 APRIL Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including a Sub Inspector, were killed and two others injured after armed groups attacked a camp of security forces in Manipur’s Bishnupur district early on Saturday, police said. A police official said that a suspected Kuki armed group opened fire and fired bombs towards a Meitei village at Naranseina under Moirang police station and one of the bombs exploded inside the outpost of 128-battalion CRPF at Naranseina, injuring four personnel. Sub Inspector N. Sarkar and Head Constable Arup Saini succumbed to their injuries later, and Inspector Jadav Das and constable Aftab Hussain with splinter wounds were taken to a nearby hospital. The official said that additional security forces have been rushed to the areas and a massive search operation is underway to find out the perpetrators of the attack. In the wake of the incident, security advisor to Manipur government, Kuldiep Singh, issued a stern warning to the group responsible for the attack. Speaking to reporters, Mr Singh said: "Whoever has committed this act will face severe consequences. We are mobilising all necessary resources and agencies to identify and apprehend the perpetrators." "The militants came and fired at the IRB (India Reserve Battalion) camp at Naranseina in Moirang police station area in the early hours of Saturday. Though it was dark, the forces retaliated. Out of the four inj ured, two succumbed to injuries," Mr Singh said. He added: "Starting today, we have instructed all security forces, including Assam Rifles and the army, to intensify operations. We are formulating strategies for dayto-day operations. We will leave no stone unturned in our investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice."AGENCIES The 16 remaining Indian crew members on board a cargo ship seized by Iran are set to be released soon, Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian assured his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel in a telephonic conversation on Saturday. "The humanitarian issue of the release of the ship's crew is of serious concern and we have announced consular access, release, and extradition to their ambassadors in Tehran," Mr Abdollahian was quoted as saying by the Iranian Foreign Ministry during his discussion with Rangel on MSC Aries - the seized Israeli ship carrying the Portuguese flag. Last week, Deck Cadet Ann Tessa Joseph, one of the 17 Indian crew members on board the seized vessel, returned home as External STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 27 APRIL The MEA stated that it is in constant touch with not just the Iranian authorities, but also the Indian crew and their family members. Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who had spoken to Abdollahian on the matter, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee works not just within the country, but also outside. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that it is in constant touch with not just the Iranian authorities, but also the Indian crew and their family members. On Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the crew's return depends on “some technicalities” and “contractual obligations" that need to be fulfilled first. "We had requested consular access for the 16 people, which we got. Our offi- cers went there and met them. They have been in continuous contact with their families. They are in good health, and not facing any problems on the ship. As for their return, there are some technicalities involved in it. They have some contractual obligations that need to be fulfilled first, so their return depends on when those are completed,” said Mr Jaiswal. Portugal's new government led by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro had also demanded the immediate release of the ship MSC Aries, trapped in the Strait of Hormuz. “The release of the crew was also demanded, which must be treated with dignity while the ship remains imprisoned, as the explanations provided so far are not considered consistent,” said the Portuguese Foreign Ministry as it summoned the Iranian Ambassador in Lisbon on 16 April. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress and its INDI alliance partners plan to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, abrogate the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and amend the Constitution to give reservation on the basis of religion for the benefit of Muslims. Addressing a BJP election rally in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, he said the Congress and the INDI alliance had realised they could not equal the BJPNDA in development and therefore decided to “openly” pursue its “anti-national agenda” and the path of appeasement.(Photo) Mr Modi said after the second round of Lok Sabha polling on Friday, the BJP-NDA are 2:0 in the election race. The Congress and the INDI alliance have already achieved “two self-goals” of anti-national politics and hatred, and it is now certain, “phir ek baar, Modi sarkar” (once again, Massive forest fire rages in Nainital, IAF deploys MI-17 choppers in ongoing dousing ops AGENCIES NAINITAL, 27 APRIL A forest fire has been sweeping through the dense foliage in the mountains surrounding Nainital over the last 36 hours, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) deploying its personnel and MI-17 choppers in a dousing operation in the area. According to officials, the IAF choppers are lifting water from the nearby Bhimtal Lake in Nainital to douse the flames, resulting in a temporary halt to boating activities on the lake. Rahul Anand, the executive officer of Nainital Nagar Palika, informed ANI news agency after an aerial inspection that MI-17 choppers are jet-spraying on the affected areas amidst the raging fire. However, despite the ongoing efforts of the forest department and the firefighting IAF A firefighter takes part in efforts to control the fire in the forest in Nainital on Saturday.  ANI personnel, the blaze has already consumed several hectares of the forested terrain, with the leaping flames yet to be brought under complete control. According to the official, the IAF choppers conducted aerial surveys over Nainital, Bhimtal, and Sattal lakes, identifying suitable locations from where it could lift water for the dousing operation. The choppers, with sacks and buckets hanging by a rope from them, were spraying water over the affected forests surrounding Nainital, till last reports. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a high-level review meeting on Saturday regarding the prevention of forest fires that have been reported from various parts of the state. The meeting was held in Haldwani, following the massive fire that broke out in the Ladiyakata area of the Nainital Air Force Centre on Friday and continued for over 36 hours, sweeping through dense forests in the mountainous region. Chief Minister Dhami spoke to the media after the meeting and informed that leave for all the officers and employees of the forest department have been cancelled because of the increasing incidents of forest fires in the region. Mr Dhami said that Indian Army and Air Force helicopters are assisting in controlling forest fires in the state that have reached Nainital after raging for over 36 hours and burning several hectares of green cover. Modi government). The PM said those who cannot come anywhere close to “three digit seats” in this poll, can they ever expect to reach the door of power. Kolhapur loved football, he said, and he was sure in the next round of polling, people will kick the football so hard that the Congress will be “charon khane chitta” (fall on ground flat). Mr Modi asked: “Will anybody allow them to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir? Can anybody dare to do this, can anybody reverse Modi’s step? They say if they come to power they will take back the CAA, will they be allowed to do so by the country?” Mr Modi said the Congress-INDIA are dreaming of a formula of “One Year, One Prime Minister, which means five PMs in five years, if they like.” In Karnataka, they devised this formula, changing Chief Minister every two and a half years. They proposed the same for Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan also. Mr Modi said: “These formula people are planning to impose five PMs in five years on the country. This will not be tolerated by the country.” The Prime Minister said in Karnataka, the Congress had talked of breaking the South away to create a separate country. “Will Shivaji’s land accept this agenda of the Congress, they should get a good reply to this.” Mr Modi said the dream of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was realised after 500 years, but the Opposition boycotted its consecration ceremony. They have fallen so low. The temple administration, forgetting their past sins, invited them for Pran Pratishtha, but they rejected it. Can such people ever win people’s faith, he said. In comparison, he said, the Ansari family of Ayodhya fought the case against the temple for generations but when the court decided it was a temple, the family attended the Pran Pratishtha. “What will you do with these people who rejected Lord Ram?” Mr Modi asked. DMK says Sanatan is dengue and the INDI Aghadi people honour them in Maharashtra, he said. This must have hurt the soul of Balasaheb Thackeray, he said. BJP fields 26/11 prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam from Mumbai North Central, drops Poonam Mahajan AGENCIES NEW DELHI , 27 APRIL The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Ujjwal Nikam, who was a special public prosecutor in the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack, from Mumbai North Central in the Lok Sabha elections. Mr Nikam, a senior public prosecutor, has appeared for the government in several high-profile cases, including the 26/11 Mumbai attack case. Ujjwal Nikam will be contesting the polls against Congress's Varsha Gaikwad. The BJP decided to drop sitting MP Poonam Mahajan, the two-time party MP from the Mumbai North Central seat. In 2014, she secured victory from the Mumbai North Central seat, triumphing over incumbent MP Priya Dutt, daughter of the late actor and Congress leader Sunil Ujjwal Nikam will be contesting the polls against Congress's Varsha Gaikwad. The BJP decided to drop sitting MP Poonam Mahajan, the two-time party MP from the Mumbai North Central seat. Dutt. Poonam repeated this success in 2019 too. The State, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the secondlargest contributor to the Lower House of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats. The undivided NCP part , of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four. Following the split in the Shiva Sena 2022, Eknath Shinde faction aligned with the BJP Mumbai North-Cen. tral will go to poll on 20 May.