THURSDAY 16 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 ‘INDIA BLOC IN STRONG POSITION AFTER FOUR PHASES’ EC SUMMONS ANDHRA CS, DGP OVER POST-POLL VIOLENCE P10 RAHUL GANDHI URGES PEOPLE TO SAVE CONSTITUTION P4 P5 SENSEX 72,987.03117.58 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 20-30 KMPH) DURING THE DAY. TOMORROW'S MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 42 AND 24 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY ` vs $ 83.50 Min. 17 % Max: 41.2 °C (+2) SUN RISES 05:30 hrs MOON RISES 12:47 hrs Min: 22.9 °C (-3) SUN SETS 19:06 hrs MOON SETS 01:58 hrs Cong reviving its agenda of 15% budget for Muslims: PM THUMBNAILS The National Disaster Response Force personnel carry out a rescue operation after seven members of a family drowned while swimming in the Narmada River, at Poicha in Vadodara.  ANI Slovakia’s prime minister wounded in shooting: Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon and taken to hospital. Reports on TA3, a Slovakian TV station, said that Fico, 59, was hit in the stomach after four shots were fired outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova, some 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of the capital, where the leader was meeting with supporters. A (P9) suspect has been detained, it said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 15 MAY P rime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the Congress divided the country on the basis of religion, and now wants 15 per cent of national budgets spent on Muslims, along with reservations on the basis of religion against the provisions of the Constitution. Addressing a BJP election rally in Dindori, Maharashtra, he recalled that the Congress party some years ago had proposed 15 per cent of budgets spent on the minorities; meaning division of the Budgets on the basis of religion. The party is reviving its old agenda and wants to implement it also, he said. “You can imagine, how dangerous can be the break-up of the budgets in this fashion, and you know for the Congress, there is only one minority, its own favourite vote bank. I was chief minister then and had opposed it strongly,” he said. The proposal could not succeed because of strong opposition from the BJP, he said. The Congress has been keen on reservation on the basis of religion, although it was opposed by Babasaheb Ambedkar, he said. The Congress says it will snatch reservation share of the SCs, STs, OBCs, and general poor and give it to the Muslims, its vote bank, the Prime Minister said. He said, “The Congress will grab your property and give a share to its vote bank.” “But the Congress and the INDI Aghadi should listen carefully, Modi will neither allow division of the Govt issues first set of citizenship certificates to 14 people under CAA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 15 MAY The Centre on Wednesday issued the first set of citizenship certificates to 14 applicants under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The Union government had notified the CAA rules for implementation on 11 March. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, seeking to give Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring nations including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh was passed by Parliament in 2019. “The first set of citizenship certificates after notification of Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 were issued today. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over citizenship certificates to some applicants in the national capital,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. Mr Bhalla congratulated the applicants and highlighted salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. Secretary Posts, Director (IB), Registrar General of India and senior officers were also present during the interactive session. “The Government of India had notified Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 on 11th March 2024. The Rules envisage manner of application form, procedure for processing applications by District Level Committee (DLC) and scrutiny and grant of citizen- ship by State Level Empowered Committee (EC). In pursuance of these rules, applications have been received from persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have entered into India up to 31.12.2014 on account of persecution on grounds of religion or fear of such persecution,” the statement said. The District Level Committees (DLCs) chaired by Senior Superintendents of Post/Superintendents of Post as designated officers, on successful verification of documents, have administered oath of allegiance to the applicants. After processing as per rules, the DLCs forwarded the applications to the State Level Empowered Committee headed by Director (Census operation). Processing of applications is completely done through the online portal. budgets on the basis of religion nor reservation on the basis of religion. Modi is chowkidar of rights of deprived sections,” he said. He said he is giving free ration to the poor, pucca houses, electricity, water supply in every home, and Ujjwala gas connections. “We have not discriminated on the basis of religion, nor made inquiries about it. The schemes are meant for all and they benefit all,” he said. The prime minister said, “This election is not just to elect MPs, but to select a PM, a PM who can take Arrangements being made to repatriate body of ex-army personnel killed in Gaza: MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 15 MAY Confirming the death of a retired Indian Army Colonel in war-torn Gaza on Monday, India on Wednesday said its permanent mission to the UN in New York and the missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah are extending all possible assistance in the repatriation of his body. ''We are deeply saddened by the death of Colonel Waibhav Anil Kale (Retd), Security Coordination Officer in the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) in Gaza on 13 May 2024. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and dear ones,'' the Ministry of External Affairs said. It said: ''Our Permanent Mission to the UN in New York and our Missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah are extending all assistance in New Zealand probes possible contamination in MDH, Everest STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Hong Kong last month suspended sales of three spice blends of MDH and one of Everest, saying they contained high levels of a cancercausing pesticide, ethylene oxide. Singapore too ordered a recall of a Everest spice mix. NEW DELHI, 15 MAY More trouble may be in store for Indian spice products manufacturers MDH and Everest, as New Zealand's food safety regulator on Wednesday said it is investigating possible contamination in their products. The two popular brands are facing scrutiny in other countries as the United States and Australia have also been looking into the possibility of contamination. Hong Kong last month suspended sales of three spice blends of MDH and one of Everest, saying they contained high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide, ethylene oxide. Singapore ordered a recall of a Everest spice mix. The Centre For Food Safety of Hong Kong said that routine surveillance programme had uncovered the presence of ethylene oxide in three spice mixes from MDH Group - Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala Powder, and Curry Powder. Notably, regulators in India have also inspected MDH and Everest plants and sent samples for testing after the global scrutiny, though the results have not yet been made public. The Indian government had ordered food commissioners to collect samples of spices from all the manufacturing units of the companies in the country. There is a ban on using ethylene oxide in food items in India. In India, the Spices Board defines ethylene oxide as a flammable, colourless gas at temperatures above 10.7 Celsius. It serves as a disinfectant, fumigant, sterilising strong decisions to make India strong.” Mr Modi said he had come to the Maharashtra town after filing his nomination papers in Varanasi on Tuesday. “You have seen my work in the last 10 years, I have come today to seek your blessings for my third term in office, to make India Viksit Bharat,” he said. The prime minister said, “How big a victory the NDA is going to have in this election is clear from the talk of a senior INDI alliance leader here. He knows the main party of the INDI alliance, the Congress is losing in such a bad way that it may not be able to get the status of a recognised Opposition party in the Lok Sabha.” Without naming NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar, he said this is why the INDI alliance leader in Maharashtra has suggested to small parties to merge with the Congress after elections and close their shutters. “If all these shops merge in the Congress shop,” he said, “the emerging party may get the agent and insecticide. It is mainly used to sterilise medical equipment and to reduce microbial contamination in spices. Besides being produced from natural sources, it can also be generated from waterlogged soil, manure, and sewage sludge. The European Union (EU) has also raised concerns, discovering the same cancercausing substance in samples of chilli peppers and peppercorns from India. the repatriation of mortal remains to India and continue to be in touch with relevant authorities regarding the investigation into the incident.'' Kale, who had joined the UN barely a month ago, was headed for the European Hospital in Rafah when his vehicle came under fire. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack on the vehicle. He is the UN's first international casualty in the Israel-Hamas conflict that began on 7 October last year. The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, on Tuesday, extended its condolences to his family. The Secretary-General also came out in condemnation of all such attacks on the UN personnel, calling for a full investigation. P12 SILVER 87,600 GOLD 75,205.00 The party will grab your property and give a share to its vote bank, Modi said Max. 69 % TEMPERATURE NIFTY 22,200.5517.30 SUNRISERS LOOK TO SEAL PLAYOFFS SPOT AGAINST TITANS status of a recognised Opposition party. This is the situation now.” He further said the merger of the Uddhav Thackeray-led “fake” Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar-led “fake” NCP in the Congress is certain. “I will remember Balasaheb Thackeray when fake Shiv Sena merges with the Congress because he used to say that when it appears Shiv Sena has become Congress, he will close Shiv Sena. The fake Shiv Sena is going to disappear soon,” Mr Modi said He said the “nakli” (fake) Shiv Sena has destroyed all dreams of Balasaheb. He dreamt of a magnificent Ram temple in Ayodhya, and the end of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The Article has gone but this has irritated the nakli Shiv Sena the most. The Congress rejected the Pran Pratishtha invitation to the temple and the nakli Shiv Sena followed it. The Congress is making unnecessary talk about the Ram temple and the fake Shiv Sena is totally silent, he said. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 82.340.04 Modi govt gave fitting reply to Pak-sponsored terrorism: Amit Shah STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 15 MAY Taking a dig at the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the country witnessed bomb blasts at regular intervals under earlier regimes, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi put an end to terrorism and Left Wing Extremism in the last 10 years. Addressing a poll meeting at Aska parliamentary constituency in southern Odisha, he said Mr Modi has always given a fitting reply to Pakistan-sponsored terrorists by way of surgical strikes or air strikes. “Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra were affected by outlawed Left Wing Extremism (LWE). But the situation has been reversed due to prompt intervention by the Modi government since 2014,” he said. After dwelling on the national security perspective, Mr Shah launched a blistering attack on BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, saying that the government here is run by a non-Odia bureaucrat, in an indirect hint towards V K Pandian, the Tamil Nadu-born bureaucrat-turned-politician, the second-in-com- mand of the regional party. BJP top leaders, in poll rallies in Odisha had earlier targeted Mr Patnaik for hurting Odia pride, his lack of knowledge of Odia language and culture and levelled charges of the administration being outsourced to a select group of non-Odia bureaucrats. Raking up the Odia Ashmita (pride) issue further, Mr Shah said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in sharp contrast to Naveen Patnaik, has tried everything to ensure that Odia pride is restored.” Elaborating the Modi government’s intent of giving due recognition to Odia culture, he listed out the Centre’s initiatives of showcasing the Konark Sun temple wheel as the backdrop of the G20 meeting, Odia’s daughter Droupadi Murmu becoming the President of India and the release of a commemorative stamp and coin on the famous Paika rebellion. Supreme Court orders release of NewsClick editor in UAPA case PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 15 MAY In an important ruling, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of NewsClick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha, holding that his arrest by the Delhi Police under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and the subsequent remand was illegal because Purkayastha was not furnished in writing the grounds of his arrest on 3 October 2023. A bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta noted that the copy of the application for seeking the remand of Purkayastha was not provided either to him or his lawyer before the passing of the remand order on 4 October 2023 and the grounds of arrest too were not communicated to him in writing. Purkayastha is in custody since 3 October 2023, in a case of allegedly receiving Chinese funds to propagate antinational propaganda. Pronouncing the judgment, Justice Sandeep Mehta said: “There is no hesitation in the mind of the Court to reach to a conclusion that the copy of the remand application in the purported exercise of communication of the grounds of arrest in writing was not provided to the accused appellant (Purkayastha) or his counsel before passing of the order of remand dated 4th October, 2023 which vitiates the arrest and subsequent remand of the appellant” and “As a result, the appellant is entitled to a direction for release from custody …” Stating that any person arrested for the offences under the provisions of UAPA or for that matter any other offence(s) has a fundamental and a statutory right to be informed about the grounds of arrest in writing at the earliest, Justice Mehra, speaking for the bench, said: “The Right to Life and Personal Liberty is the most sacrosanct fundamental right guaranteed under Articles 20, 21 and 22 of the Constitution of India. Any attempt to encroach upon this fundamental right has been frowned upon by this Court in a catena of decisions.” The court further said that any attempt to violate the fundamental right, guaranteed by Articles, 20, 21 and 22 of the Constitution, would have to be “dealt with strictly.” India reaffirms its commitment to SAARC 64 per cent of Indian organisations hit by ransomware attacks in last year: Report STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 15 MAY NEW DELHI, 15 MAY India on Wednesday underlined its commitment to SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), which has been lying dormant for eight years now, describing it as an important regional grouping for cooperation in South Asia. Visiting SAARC Secretary General Md Golam Sarwar today held meetings with Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Secretary (East) in MEA Jaideep Majumdar. The visit of the SAARC Secretary General is being seen as a step towards reviving the eight-member grouping, comprising India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan and the Maldives. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Sixty-four per cent of Indian organisations surveyed were hit by ransomware attacks in the last year, a new report has said. “The findings show a decrease in the rate of ransomware attacks against Indian organisations from the 73 per cent reported in last year's study to 64 per cent in this year’s. However, the impact on victims has intensified, with higher ransom demands and recovery costs compared to the previous year," cybersecurity company Sophos said in its annual "State of Ransomware in India 2024" report. The report findings are derived from an independent survey of 5,000 IT decision makers across 14 countries, including 500 respondents in India. Conducted in January and February 2024, respondents were asked to answer based on their experiences in the previous 12 months. For the first time, Indian organisations were found to be more likely to recover data by paying the ransom (65 per cent) than using backups (52 per cent). The average ransom demand was USD 4.8 million, with 62 per cent of demands exceeding USD 1 million. The median ransom paid was USD 2 million, the report said. "Prevention remains the most cost-effective ransomware strategy. Having solid defense-in-depth cybersecurity with anti-ransomware capabilities, ensuring in-depth defense protection with 24/7 monitoring is critical. At the same time, it is equally important to develop response capabilities, and comprehensive backup and recovery measures," said Sunil Sharma, Vice President, Sales, India and SAARC, Sophos. "Continually reviewing security posture and incident response plans will also greatly improve an organisation's resilience against these relentless attacks," he added.