GOLDEN MOMENTS: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AKSHAYA TRITIYA 12 MAY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman PAGES 16 | `5.00 | LC Generally cloudy sky. Rain/ Thundershower with strong gusty wind very likely.Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 32°C and 22°C respectively. RAINFALL: 0.1mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE Max: 33.8°C (-2.0) SUN RISES 05:2 hrs MOON RISES 02:12 hrs FLEETING THOUGHTS OF PAST HORRORS PAGE 15 PAGE 13 PAGE 12 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Max. 92% CAPITALS JOLTED BY PANT’S ONE-MATCH BAN AHEAD OF VIRTUAL KNOCKOUT TIE AGAINST RCB BJP depriving people ‘Modi will retire at 75, is seeking votes for Shah’ of Bengal: Mamata STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HOOGHLY, 11 MAY Min.60% Min: 26.4°C (-0.6) SUN SETS 18:5 hrs MOON SETS 14:14 hrs Full Moon on 23 May THUMBNAILS Nurses hold a candlelight vigil to renew their pledge in front of the picture of Florence Nightingale, at Rajiv Gandhi Hospital in Chennai on Saturday.  ANI Over 330 dead in Afghanistan floods: More than 330 people have been killed as rainstorms and flash floods hit major parts of the provinces of Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan and Ghor of Afghanistan, according to the Afghanistan office of the World Food Programme and local Afghan officials, Xinhua news agency reported. The UN agency said Saturday on social media that more than 300 people have been killed in northern Baghlan province alone, with more than (Page 9) 1,000 houses destroyed. NIKHIL VYAS AND AGRAJ PRATAP SINGH Centre’s non-cooperative attitude is a great obstacle to Bengal’s progress: CM tate chief minister Mamata Banerjee, campaigning at Sahaganj in Saptagram under Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency, lashed out at the Narendra Modiled BJP government for its deliberate non-cooperative attitude towards the development and welfare of the people of Bengal. In every sector, the central government’s noncooperative attitude is posing a great obstacle to the progress and development of Bengal. The people have the right to participate in the central government’s beneficiary schemes and projects, since in addition to the central government funding, the state government share of funding plays a major role in the implementation of these schemes. But after the pandemic the central government share of fund have been completely stopped in the MGNREGA rural jobs scheme, Awas Yojana, distribution of free ration and many more, Miss Banerjee said. “The BJP is playing dirty S The people of Bengal will throw out the BJP from Bengal for ever. The voting trends so far indicate that the BJP is heading towards a historic defeat. MAMATA BANERJEE BENGAL CHIEF MINISTER politics with the lives and livelihood of the people of Bengal. However the state government has come forward with its limited capacity of funds to keep the central government schemes running in the state. Modi ji has lost the right to claim the schemes as central government schemes since the entire funding is now maintained by the state government,” Miss Banerjee said. Lamenting the plight of the jobless workers and their families of the Dunlop and Jessop factories, Miss Banerjee said: “I approached the central government for a clearance certificate for the acquisition of the closed Dunlop and Jessop factories so that the state can revive the closed factories to save the families of the jobless workers but till today no positive step has NEW DELHI, 11 MAY been taken by the BJP government in this regard... If the state government is granted the permission to acquire the Dunlop and Jessop factories it will not take a single day to bring both the closed factories on track.” Miss Banerjee said. The BJP government has no right to deprive the constitutional rights of common people, Miss Banerjee said, alleging that it is deliberately depriving the people of West Bengal in every manner. “The people of Bengal will throw out the BJP from Bengal for ever. The voting trends so far indicate that the BJP is heading towards a historic defeat,” Miss Banerjee said. In an oblique reference to the sexual harassment controversy surrounding state Governor CV Ananda Bose, Miss Banerjee said that she would never go inside Raj Bhavan even if she was invited. “I will not go inside Raj Bhavan even if I am invited. I would be better to meet on the streets. Whatever I heard about you it will be a sin to sit beside you,” the Chief Minister said, without directly referring to Mr Bose. Congress constantly demeaning, Kharge writes to ECI, says Cong on side of poll panel’s insulting the nation, says Modi strength & independence STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 11 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Saturday, accusing it of consistently demeaning and insulting the nation. He condemned recent remarks by Congress leaders about Pakistan's possession of nuclear weapons and the purification of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, describing them as reflective of its character. “After the third phase of elections, I can say with responsibility that the Congress will be reduced to less than 50 seats in parliament or even less than the age of its ‘Shehzada’,” he said, referring to Rahul Gandhi. The picture is very clear that the NDA will secure a record number of seats, he said. During campaign meetings in Kandhamal, Bolangir, and Bargarh parliamentary constituencies, Mr Modi accused STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 MAY the Congress of insulting the nation, tribals, and women by advocating for the purification of the Ram Mandir, linking it to the President Droupadi Murmu's visit to the temple. He stated that such a party should not exist in the political landscape of India. PM Modi criticised the Congress for its alleged failure to act against terrorists, citing instances such as the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and meetings with terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir. They did not act fearing it would adversely affect their vote bank, he charged. He mocked the party's remarks about Pakistan's nuclear capabilities, stating EAM: Nuke tests by NDA regime in 1998 ensured India’s national security STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 MAY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday recollected how India conducted nuclear tests on this day in 1998 and ensured its national security. “This day in 1998, an NDA Government finally exercised India’s nuclear weapon option. That momentous decision has since ensured our National Security,” he wrote on X. The minister said the current NDA Government has built on that foundation, robustly countering terror and building border infrastructure. “The country must know who stands where when it comes to National Security issues. Our political choices are eventually choices about the future of Bharat,” he wrote. The minister's remarks come on the anniversary of the Pokhran tests conducted under the leadership of PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On 11 and 13 May 1998, India conducted five nuclear detonations at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan's desert. Following these tests, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) released detailed findings in 2009, confirming the success and expected yields of the nuclear devices based on comprehensive evaluations and simulations. that Pakistan cannot effectively use it and is attempting to sell it without success. Accusing the Congress of attempting to change the Constitution to the detriment of ST/SC/OBC communities and safeguard its vote bank, Mr Modi pledged to protect the rights of marginalised sections and uphold the Constitution. The Congress party showed the poverty of India to the world. Modi has reduced poverty and put India among the top five economies of the world, stated the PM. The PM reserved the sharpest weapons in his arsenal to hit out at the BJD and CM Naveen Patnaik. ‘76 Indian military personnel in Maldives replaced by civilians’ MALE , 11 MAY Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer on Saturday said 76 Indian military personnel were replaced by civilian personnel sent by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which manufactured the helicopter donated by the Indian government, Maldivesbased Sun Online reported. While addressing a press conference on Saturday, Moosa Zameer said that Indian soldiers were deployed in Hanimaadhoo, Kadhdhoo and Gan. He announced that 26 soldiers withdrew from Gan between 7-9 March, while another 25 soldiers withdrew from Hanimaadhoo between April 7-9 and 12 withdrew from Kadhdhoo on 7 May, Sun Online reported. AGENCIES A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) pulled him up for alleging discrepancies in voting data released for the first and second phase of Lok Sabha polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday categorically said his party is on the side of the Election Commission and stands for its strength and independence. He, however, accused the poll panel of ignoring several complaints lodged with it by the party. In his letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, Mr Kharge while referring to his recent letter to the leaders of INDIA parties, said: “The letter even though an open letter is clearly addressed to our alliance partners and not to the Commission. It is surprising that the ECI wanted to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls for Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the top post because Mr Modi will retire next year after he turns 75. He also claimed if the BJP is voted to power this time, the saffron party will change Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath within two months and all Opposition leaders will be put behind bars. Mr Kejriwal, while addressing a Press conference at the party headquarters here after he got interim bail from the Supreme Court in the excise policy case till 1 June, said: “These people ask the INDIA alliance who will be their Prime Minister. I ask the BJP who will be their Prime Minister? PM Modi is turning 75 next year on 17 September. He made a rule that leaders in the BJP would retire after 75 years. LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan, andYashwant Sinha were retired and now PM Modi is going to retire on 17 September." “PM Modi is seeking votes to make Amit Shah the Prime Minister. Will Amit Shah fulfil Modi's guarantee?” the AAP chief asked. The Delhi chief minister claimed that all the Opposition leaders, including Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin, would be sent to jail if the BJP-led NDA wins the Lok Sabha elections “If their (BJP) government is formed after the Lok Sabha polls, they will remove Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath from the post in two months,” Mr Kejriwal claimed. He noted that the BJP has ended the political careers of its veteran leaders like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. "Politics of LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, former BJP Chief Ministers, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje, ML Khattar, and Raman Singh have been finished.” “The next is Yogi Adityanath. If they win this election, they will change the CM of Uttar Pradesh within two months," he said. The Delhi CM also claimed that all the Opposition leaders, including Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin, would be sent to jail if the BJP-led NDA wins the Lok Shah: No provision of retiring at 75, PM will continue to lead STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, 11 MAY respond to this letter while ‘ignoring’ several other complaints given directly to it. I have certain misgivings about the language of the letter, but I will not press on that issue as I understand the ‘pressures’ they are working under.” Citing the poll panel’s letter to him, the Congress chief said: “The letter on one hand says Commission respects citizens' right to ask questions and on the other hand threatens citizens in the form of an advice to exercise caution.” Sabha elections. “If they (BJP-led NDA) win, they will send all Opposition leaders to jail. The AAP's former Delhi Cabinet ministers, Hemant Soren (former Jharkhand CM), ministers of Mamata Banerjee's party (Trinamul Congress) are in jail...If they (BJP) win again, then Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Uddhav Thackeray (UBT Chief) and other Opposition leaders will all be in jail," Mr Kejriwal said. He further said that PM would be better advised to take lessons from him to fight corruption. "I want to say to PM Modi that if you want to fight corruption then learn from Kejriwal... After the formation of the government in Delhi, I dismissed one of my ministers and sent him to jail. In Punjab, we sent a minister to jail," he said. Dismissing the claims of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah today clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue in his post in the next term since the constitution of the BJP does not have any provision of retirement at the age of 75. The clarification came after Mr Kejriwal claimed that Mr Modi will retire once he attains the age of 75 and Mr Shah will become his successor. Mr Shah, who was speaking at a media conference in Hyderabad, also claimed that BJP will be the largest party in the five Southern states in this election when the results are declared. “I want to tell Arvind Kejriwal and the INDI Alliance. They should not be happy that Modiji is completing 75 years. There is nothing of this sort (of retirement at 75) in BJP’s constitution. Modiji will complete his term and he will continue to lead the country. There is no confusion in BJP about this,” Mr Shah said. Mr Shah also slammed the Opposition for spreading “lies” over reservation for SC, ST and OBC. “They are so desperate that they are spreading lies. They are saying if Modiji gets 400 seats then he will scrap reservation. I want to tell everybody, particularly people of Telangana that for the past ten years BJP had full majority. Yet BJP has never touched the reservation. We have used it to abrogate Article 370 and to bring in Uniform Civil Code, scrap triple talaq and for the Ramjanmabhoomi Temple,” he added. He also condemned the rival alliance for their comment on Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). High-octane campaign for 4th phase of LS polls ends STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ECI releases final data of Phase Three NEW DELHI, 11 MAY The high-octane campaigning for the fourth phase of voting in the Lok Sabha polls ended on Saturday evening. On the last day of campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallies in Odisha, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge campaigned in Bihar and former party president Rahul Gandhi in Andhra Pradesh. In the fourth phase, polling will be held in 96 parliamentary constituencies spread across 10 states and union territories (UTs) on 13 May. The 96 Lok Sabha seats, include 25 in Andhra Pradesh, 17 in Telangana, 13 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, eight each in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five in Bihar, four each in Jharkhand and Odisha and one in Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 1,717 candidates are in the fray for the STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday issued the final figures of voting in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls. The overall voter turnout was recorded at 65.68 per cent. “In continuation of the ECI's two press notes dated 7th May and 8th May (on voting percentage), voter turnout of 65.68 per cent has been recorded in phase three for 93 PCs (Parliamentary Constituencies) in the ongoing general elections,” the poll panel said in a communiqué. According to the final figures of voting in the third phase, turnout of male vot- ers was recorded at 66.89 per cent, while female at 64.41 per cent and third gender at 25.2 per cent. Assam recorded the highest turnout at 85.45 per cent, followed by West Bengal at 77.53 per cent and Goa at 76.06 per cent, as per the data. Uttar Pradesh recorded 57.55 per cent voter turnout. Of the 93 Lok Sabha seats in the third phase, for which voting took place on 7th May, 25 were in Gujarat, 14 in Karnataka, 11 in Maharashtra, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, nine in Madhya Pradesh, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in West Bengal and Assam, two each in Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. The LS elections are being held in seven phases between 19 April and 1 June. The first phase of polling was held on 19 April, second phase on 26 April and third phase on 7 May. NEW DELHI, 11 MAY Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during a public meeting in support of the party's candidate from Kadappa seat, YS Sharmila, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, in Kadappa on Saturday.  ANI fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls. Prominent among the candidates from the BJP are Union ministers Girijaj Singh (Begusarai, Bihar) and G Kishan Reddy (Secunderabad, Telangana), and Madhavi Latha (Hyderabad, Telangana), while from Congress, its Leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is on the ballot in Baharampur, West Bengal and the party Andhra Pradesh chief YS Sharmila in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. Other key candidates are Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav (Kannauj), AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad) and Trinamul Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra (Krishnanagar, West Bengal).