FRIDAY 03 MAY 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 ‘RAHUL WILL START ‘CONG DHOONDHO YATRA’ AFTER 4 JUNE’ KTR LASHES OUT AT ECI FOR BANNING KCR P4 SENSEX 74,611.11128.33 WEATHER Partly cloudy Sky . Hot and humid conditions very likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 40 °C and 30 °C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 83 % TEMPERATURE Max: 39.2°C (+3.8) Min: 29.1°C (+3.0) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:4 hrs 18:4 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 00:52 hrs 12:9 hrs Full Moon on 08 May THUMBNAILS Students celebrate after WBBSE (West Bengal Board of Secondary Education) class 10th examination results were declared. At Bethune School in Kolkata on Thursday.SNS SRH pull off brilliant win against Rajasthan: Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up 3 for 41, while Pat Cummins and T Natarajan took two wickets each as Sunrisers Hyderabad came out of nowhere to clinch a dramatic one-run win over Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday. After Nitish Reddy, with an unbeaten 42-ball 76, and Travis Head, with 58 off 44 balls carried SRH to a huge 201/3, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets in a brilliant first over and then took out Rovman Powell on the final ball as the hosts won by the barest of margins. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to file his nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on 13 May for polling to be held on 1 June. The PM is also slated to hold a roadshow on the same day. Nomination for the seventh phase is starting from 7 May, and polling will be held on 1 June. BJP sources here on Thursday said that 14 May is the last day and before that, 11 and 12 May are Saturday and Sunday hence it is expected that the Prime Minister will file his nomination on Monday, 13 May.Party leaders said the people of Kashi will play the biggest role in making PM Modi's nomination programme a grand ceremony. The party is making preparations to ensure their GOLD 72,270760 ` vs $ 83.37 P12 SILVER 83,500500 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 81.060.65 Modi govt marginalising Desist from seeking voters’ SCs, STs & OBCs: Mamata details under guise of surveys, ECI tells political parties CM criticised BJP govt's policies & warned against any attempt to implement UCC TEHATTA, 2 MAY n a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, campaigning in Tehatta, in Krishnagar Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday, accused it of attempting to marginalise the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Speaking at a rally in support of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra at Harichand Guruchand Stadium in Tehatta, Miss Banerjee criticised the BJP government's policies and warned against any attempt to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country. Miss Banerjee lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging his government was spreading falsehoods about the benefits of the UCC and cautioning that its implementation could jeopardise the rights of marginalised communities. She emphasised that the BJP's agenda could potentially undermine the existence of SCs, STs, and OBCs and voiced strong opposition, vowing not to let it happen. The TMC chief accused the BJP of spreading lies over I Modi likely to file his nomination from Varanasi on 13 May VARANASI, 2 MAY P5 BISWABRATA GOSWAMI Min. 24 % STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P10 NIFTY 22,648.2043.35 KKR LOOK TO HIT TOP FORM AGAINST STRUGGLING MI ‘SEEK VOTES ON PERFORMANCE, STOP HATE SPEECHES’ participation in large numbers. BJP's National General Secretary Sunil Bansal in a meeting early this week at the election office located in Tulsi Udyan, Mahmoorganj, chalked out the draft for the PM's election and nomination process. Mr Bansal in the meeting, has directed the leaders to make the Prime Minister's nomination a historic and unprecedented one. There should be participation of people of Kashi in the nomination ceremony and crowds should be seen on the streets, he has directed. According to party sources, the PM's nomination will take place at an auspicious time. INDI Alliance candidate and Congress state president Ajay Rai is the Lok Sabha candidate from Varanasi and he will file his nomination in Varanasi on 10 May. the past decade regarding citizenship benefits for marginalised communities through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). She warned that the CAA could strip individuals of their existing citizenship rights and lead to their being sent to detention camps. Miss Banerjee further criticized the UCC, arguing that it would inhibit various communities, tribes, and sects from practicing their own customs and rituals. She also cautioned the electorate against what she described as BJP's manipulation of voting figures, alleging potential bias on the part of the Election Commission. Expressing bewilderment over the Election Commission's announce- ment of increased poll percentages days after the actual voting took place, Miss Banerjee refrained from casting direct aspersions but voiced skepticism. She pledged to resist any attempts by the BJP to intimidate or pressure state officials and vowed to uphold the integrity of West Bengal. Miss Banerjee cautioned against the BJP's tactics of manipulating voting figures and alleged threats by BJP leaders to IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal and vowed to resist any attempts to undermine the state's integrity. “Intimidation, threat and pressure by the Narendra Modi government on state ministers, officials or people will not work in Bengal,” she said. She accused the BJP of depriving Bengal of its rightful share and making false promises to communities like the Matuas. She also criticised the BJP's handling of corruption allegations against the Delhi government and expressed confidence that the India Alliance would bring about change. With the PM scheduled to campaign in favour of his party candidate Amrita Roy, in the same constituency on Friday, Miss Banerjee rallied support for Mahua Moitra, emphasising the importance of retaining representation that resonates with the people. "Though they expelled her from Parliament, they could not expel her from people's minds. Accept her again and show us, even if they expel her, we accepted her," Miss Banerjee declared, rallying behind Ms Moitra. Criticising the Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s alleged comment "better to vote for the BJP than TMC", Miss Banerjee said: "The Congress' leader in Lok Sabha is saying, 'vote for BJP or Congress'. Think about it, there is neither ideology nor ideals. Some selfish people like him have sold off the country.” STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 MAY The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday asked political parties to desist from any activities that involve registering individuals for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes through any advertisements, surveys and apps. The poll panel said it has taken a serious view of activities by political parties and candidates seeking details of voters under the guise of various surveys for their proposed beneficiary schemes, as a "corrupt" practice of bribery under Section 123(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. It has noted that “some political parties and candidates have been engaging in activities that blur the lines between legitimate surveys and partisan efforts to register individuals for post-election beneficiaryoriented schemes”. The ECI, while noticing various instances in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, on Thursday issued an advisory to all national and state political parties in this regard. “The act of inviting/calling upon individual elec- Some political parties and candidates have been engaging in activities that blur the lines between legitimate surveys and partisan efforts to register individuals for post-election beneficiary-oriTHE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA ented schemes tors to register for post-election benefits may create an impression of the requirement of the one-to-one transactional relationship between the elector and the proposed benefit and has the potential to generate a quid-pro-quo arrangement for voting in a particular way thereby leading to inducement,” the poll panel said in its advisory. Sometimes, such pamphlets don't bear the name of the publisher which is a direct violation of Section 127A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it said. The ECI has directed all political parties and candidates or their agents or any other person(s) to immediately cease and desist from any activities BJP drops Brij Bhushan, fields Ananda Bose denies molest charge, calls it his son from UP’s Kaiserganj ‘engineered narrative’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 MAY The BJP on Thursday, released , its 17th list of two more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's son Karan Bhushan Singh as its candidate from Kaiserganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh. The Central Election Committee of the BJP finalised the list which also includes Dinesh Pratap Singh as the party’s candidate from Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Both Kaiserganj and Rae Bareli will vote on 20 May in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. In Kaiserganj, the BJP has dropped sitting MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and gave the ticket to Karan Bhushan Singh, who is the youngest son of Brij Bhushan. Born in 1990, Karan STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 2 MAY Bhushan Singh is a national-level double-trap shooter. He holds a law degree besides doing a business management course in Australia. He will be making his debut in electoral politics A six-time MP, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh suffered a massive political setback due to the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him that saw some of the country's top women wrestlers hitting the streets. For the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat, the BJP has fielded Dinesh Pratap Singh, without waiting for the Congress to name its nominee. Mr Singh began his political career with the Congress and was once considered close to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi before he switched sides to the BJP . He was elected member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council thrice between 2010 and 2022, besides unsuccessfully contesting the Lok Sabha elections against Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli in 2019. The Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat has been a Gandhi family's stronghold. Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday denied allegations of sexual harassment made by a temporary employee of the Raj Bhavan, saying he refused to be “cowed down by engineered narratives”. The complainant, a woman claiming to be a temporary staff attached to the Peace Room in the Raj Bhavan, approached the officerin-charge of the Raj Bhavan police outpost and accused Mr Bose of molesting her. She later filed a written complaint at Hare Street police station levelling the same charge. The Raj Bhavan responded with a series of posts on microblogging site X. “Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives. If anybody wants election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal,” one post said. The TMC called the allegations against the Governor “appalling and unthinkable”. “The sanctity of Raj Bhavan, a symbol of our constitutionality, has been tarnished,” it said on X, while several of its leaders also targeted Mr Bose. The Raj Bhavan, in another post on X, said a particular state minister has been banned from entry into Raj Bhavan premises for ‘defamation and anti-constitutional statements’ against the Governor. It also said Mr Bose has banned “entry of police into Raj Bhavan premises in the guise of conducting unauthorised, illegitimate, sham and motivated‘investigation’ to placate political bosses.” (Earlier report on Pg 2) Dropping Rinku from T20 WC squad a very tough decision: Agarkar ‘Prajwal travelled on TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 2 MAY The notable exclusion of Rinku Singh, arguably India’s best finisher in T20Is, from the 15-member T20 World Cupbound squad has already sparked a debate, with fans and cricket experts criticising the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI’s selection committee’s decision. On Thursday, Mr Agarkar conceded that dropping Rinku was one of the toughest decisions but reasoned that the southpaw missed out due to the overall composition of the squad that the Indian management was going for. Rinku has so far played 15 T20Is for India and has an average of 89 and a strike-rate of over 176. He, however, will be part of the four travelling reserves for the T20 WC, along side Shubman Gill, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan. “It's just unfortunate. I don't think it has anything to do with Rinku Singh. It's not his fault that he has missed out. It's more the 15 that we felt gives with two keepers who are already terrific batters. So we just thought having another bowling option would be handy. He is still one of the traveling subs. That's how close he was. It's a little bit tough on him. At the end of the day, you only pick 15," said Mr Agarkar. “Like Rohit (Sharma) said, we don’t know much about the conditions yet. Tough on Rinku, but we can only pick 15 in the squad. But he is in the reserves, so that’s how close he was,” Agarkar said while adding that KL Rahul also missed out as he’s primarily a top-order batter and didn’t meet the team’s requirement of a middle-order hitter. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube's six-hitting ability and utility with both bat and ball tilted the scales in his favour, putting India's emphasis on firepower in the middle order. The 30-year-old Dube, however, hasn’t bowled in the IPL so far, although he took two wickets after bowling seven overs across the three games against Afghanistan in January. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who was also part of the presser, indicated that Dube’s bowling could be used if the requirement arises during the cricket spectacle, starting in the US and the West Indies on 1 June. “Expect them to do what they are in IPL. Shivam hasn’t bowled in IPL but he’s a seasoned cricketer who’s bowled a lot in red-ball. When he plays in t20, its about skills coming into the picture. Such players have chances of success. If we need Shivam to bowl few overs he will be. Same with Hardik as well; he has been bowled regularly in IPL. Like Ajit said, he’s played all games. Fitness wise no issues. We’ll be looking forward to contributions from these 4 guys and all of us as well,” said the India captain. Defending the selectors’ decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as vice-captain, amidst scrutiny over his recent performances, Mr Agarkar said that the star all-rounder is a tough one to replace. “There has been no talks about the vice captaincy - what Hardik brings as a cricketer, it's tough to replace - he gives lots of options to the captain as well and he is just coming back after a long break,” he said. CMYK diplomatic passport’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 MAY Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is in the eye of a storm in a sexual abuse case, travelled to Germany on a diplomatic passport, the government confirmed on Thursday, adding political clearance was neither sought nor issued by the Ministry of External Affairs with respect to the visit. At a media briefing here, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “No political clearance was either sought from or issued by MEA in respect of the travel of the said MP to Germany. Obviously, no visa note was issued either.” He explained that no visa is required for diplomatic passport holders to travel to Germany. “The Ministry has also not issued any visa note for any other country for the said MP Yes, he travelled on ... a diplomatic passport,” he added. Meanwhile, news agencies reported that the Special Investigation Team probing the sex video scandal involving. Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda rejected his request to appear before it after 7 days and the Karnataka authorities have issued a lookout notice against him. (See Pg 4) that involve registering individuals for beneficiaryoriented schemes through any advertisements (in print or in digital space), pamphlets, websites, web or mobile applications, text or social media platform (WhatsApp. etc.) messages, missed calls, distribution of forms, or by collecting personal data under the pretext of off line survey forms or digital surveys. The poll panel has directed all district election officers (DEOs) to take appropriate actions against any such advertisements within the statutory provisions namely Section 127A of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, 123 (1) of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, and Section 171 (B) IPC. India objects to Chinese activities near Siachen Glacier We consider Shaksgam Valley to be our territory. We have never accepted the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963 through which Pakistan unlawfully attempted to cede the area to China. I have consistently conveyed our rejection of the same RANDHIR JAISWAL MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SPOKESPERSON STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 MAY India on Thursday took strong exception to the Chinese activities at the Shaksgam Valley close to Siachen Glacier, saying it has registered its protest with the Chinese side against “illegal attempts to alter the facts on the ground.” At a media briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We consider Shaksgam Valley to be our territory.We have never accepted the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963 through which Pakistan unlawfully attempted to cede the area to China. I have consistently conveyed our rejection of the same.” He said India reserves the right to take necessary measures to safeguard its interests. The spokesperson's comments came in the wake of reports that a road is being constructed by China in a part of illegally occupied Kashmir close to the Siachen Glacier, considered the world's highest battlefield, which could have security implications for India. The road in Shaksgam Valley, a section of PoK ceded to China in 1963, is being built branching out from an extension of Highway G219 in China's Xinjiang and disappearing into mountains at a location about 50 km north of India's northernmost point, Indira Col in Siachen Glacier.