SATURDAY 18 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 ‘THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY’ RETURNS TO HAUNT ON NETFLIX P7 P11 P10 SENSEX 73,917.03253.31 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. STRONG SURFACE WINDS(SPEED 25-35 KMPH ) DURING THE DAY.HEAT WAVE CONDITIONS AT A FEW PLACES.THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 44 AND 26 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 66 % TEMPERATURE Max: 43.6 °C (3) SUN RISES 05:29 hrs MOON RISES 14:32 hrs NIFTY 22,466.1062.25 ` vs $ 83.33 Min: 25.4 °C (-1) SUN SETS 19:07 hrs MOON SETS 02:51 hrs THUMBNAILS Artistes perform during Union Home Minister Amit Shah's roadshow in support of BJP candidate Sanjay Seth ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, in Ranchi on Friday.  ANI No relief for Hemant Soren from Supreme Court: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to immediately consider the plea filed by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeking interim release to enable him to campaign during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. However, the Bench, also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, asked the federal anti-money laundering agency to file its reply, including (P5) the interim relief, by 20 May. SILVER 89,100 GOLD 75,485.00 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 80.850.05 AAP in crisis as Maliwal accuses Kejriwal's aide NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 17 MAY Maliwal has alleged that Kejriwal's personal secretary Bibhav Kumar slapped her “at least seven to eight times” and "brutally dragged" her while kicking her in her "chest, stomach and pelvis area." T he Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday was embroiled in a major controversy over the alleged assault on the party's sitting Rajya Sabha Member Swati Maliwal on 13 May by a close aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, with Ms Maliwal lodging a complaint with police, In her complaint, Ms Maliwal accuses Bibhav Kumar, Mr Kejriwal’s aide, of slapping, dragging and hitting her in the chest, stomach and the pelvic area On Friday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) went on the attack against its own MP, claiming that the allegations levelled by Ms Maliwal are “false and baseless”. The party also accused Ms Maliwal of working at the behest of the BJP to target the Chief Minister. The latest statement of the AAP on the matter came days after senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said what happened with her was highly condemnable and that the Chief Minister has taken cognizance of the matter and would take strict action in this regard. Also on Friday, Delhi's Tis Hazari court recorded the statement of Ms Maliwal, who is a former head of the Delhi Commission for Women, in the assault case. An FIR has been lodged against Bibhav Kumar and other persons on her complaint. Metropolitan Magistrate Katyayni Sharma Kandwal recorded Ms Maliwal's statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Delhi Police filed an FIR in the case based on a complaint lodged of Ms Maliwal on Thursday and the FIR revealed shocking details. According to the FIR, Ms Maliwal, in her complaint, has alleged that Kejriwal's personal secretary, Bibhav Kumar, “slapped” her “at least seven to eight times” while she “continued screaming" and "brutally dragged" her while "kicking" her in her "chest, stomach and pelvis area." Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, AAP minister Atishi said: “Ever since Arvind Kejriwal ji came out of jail, BJP has been rattled. In this sequence, BJP hatched a conspiracy and Swati Maliwal ji was made the face of it. She reached the Chief Minister’s residence without any appoint- ment and she wanted to accuse the Chief Minister, but the Chief Minister was not there at that time so he was saved. After that allegations were levelled against Bibhav Kumar.” Referring to a purported video of the alleged incident of 13 May that surfaced on social media, she said: “A video surfaced today has exposed the truth of Swati Maliwal ji's allegations. In the FIR to Delhi Police, Swati ji has claimed that she was brutally beaten. Her head was hit and clothes were torn. But nothing like this is visible in the video.” “The video shows the opposite. She is sitting comfortably on the sofa There will be consequences of cross-border terrorism: EAM tells Pak ECI releases final data of fourth phase STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 MAY NEW DELHI, 17 MAY people of India made it very clear in 2014 that they are not going to accept cross-border terrorism. ]Tolerance for cross-border terrorism is very low and that is why. India's surgical strikes in 2016 and aerial strikes in 2019 on terror camps in Pakistan crossborder strikes were a clear message to Pakistan, he added. “It's clear that there will be consequences both across LoC and IB if something like this happens. Now, the ball is in their (Pakistan) court. If they wind down this industry they have created, then people will treat them as a normal neighbour. If they make this their core competence that will define their image. We have been straight with them,” he said. On China, Mr Jaishankar said there are at least three aspects to the issues with Beijing. The fundamental aspect is, if peace and tranquility in border areas are disturbed, ''there can't be normal business with someone who has just barged into your drawing room and is trying to make a mess of your house fencing.'' He said another issue between the two countries over the last 20 years is the trade imbalance. “In the long run, we will have to see how we encourage domestic sourcing and manufacturing,” he said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE More than 69 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the fourth phase of voting in Lok Sabha elections, as per the final figures issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday. “In continuation of ECI’s two press notes dated 13th May (on voting percentage), the voter turnout of 69.16 per cent recorded in fourth phase for 96 Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) in the ongoing general elections,” the poll panel said in a communiqué. According to the final figure of voting in the fourth phase, the male turnout was recorded at 69.58 per cent, while female at 68.73 per cent and third gender at 34.23 per cent. As per the data, Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest turnout at 80.66 per cent, followed by West Bengal at 80.22 per cent and Odisha 754.68 per cent. Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats in the fourth phase, for which voting took place on 13th May, 25 were 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. The Lok Sabha 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. The first phase recorded 66.14 per cent voter turnout, second 66.71 per cent and third 65.68 per cent. The fifth phase of elections is scheduled to take place on 20 May. Counting will take place on 4 June. If Congress wins, it will bulldoze Ram temple: Modi in UP STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BARABANKI, 17 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi, invoking the Ayodhya Ram temple yet again, said on Friday if the Opposition INDIA bloc comes to power, it will challenge the Supreme Court’s decision on the construction of the temple, adding that the Congress will also run bulldozers on the temple. Speaking at an election rally near Zaidpur Marg here, he also asked the INDIA bloc to take tuition from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on “where to run bulldozers and where not”. Mr Modi told the crowd that their one vote ended the wait of 500 years and enshrined Shri Ram Lalla in the grand Ram temple. He also praised Mr Adityanath’s “able administration” and the ODOP (one district one product) scheme. P12 False and baseless, says AAP on party Rajya Sabha MP’s allegations against Bibhav Kumar Min. 21 % External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday made it clear to Pakistan that there will be consequences if it continues to indulge in cross-border terrorism and underlined that the people of India will treat Pakistan as a 'normal neighbour' if it closes down the terrorist industry functioning in that country. "We have struggled continuously with the fact that they (Pakistan) have unrelentingly practised terrorism. The attitude in our country used to be to put up with terrorism as an eccentricity of a neighbour...that's the way they are and we have to live with it (has changed). Now, the tolerance for any type of cross-border terrorism in our country is very low,'' he said at the CII annual summit. Mr Jaishankar said the RAIN THREAT LOOMS OVER RCB-CSK CLASH ‘SOUTHERN STATES WILL BOOST BJP TALLY’ ‘I AM HANDING OVER MY RAHUL TO YOU’ “The whole world knows that Modi is going to score a hat-trick. On one side, you have the alliance of the BJP and NDA dedicated to the interest of the country. On the other hand, the INDIA bloc is hell-bent on creating instability in the country,” he said. “In the new government, I have to make many big decisions for the poor, youth, women and farmers. That is why I have come to seek blessings from the people of Barabanki and Mohanlalganj,” he added. The PM called the INDIA bloc a “khichdi” and said people should not waste their votes on the candidates of the grouping. “For five years, Modi needs an MP who will develop the area, not abuse it. For this, you have only one option ‘lotus’ (BJP party symbol). Rajrani Rawat from Barabanki and Kaushal Kishore from Mohanlalganj have to be made victorious at every booth,” he appealed. He said when there is a strong government in the country, the difference is clearly visible on the ground. “The entire focus of a weak government is to somehow keep its vehicle running. Our Awadh region knows better what a strong BJP government means. Those who are voting for the first time, those who are young, may not know that for 500 years, from generation to generation, our ancestors kept struggling and making sacrifices for this day. “Today Ram Lalla is seated in a grand temple, which is a big event in history. This has happened not because of Modi, but because of your one vote. By pressing the button on the lotus symbol, we have to form a strong government and take robust decisions," he said. Further targeting the Congress, Mr Modi said: “The Congress wants to overturn the court's decision on Ram temple. Do not be under any illusion, this is their track record. If the SP and Congress come to power, they will send back Ram Lalla to the tent and bulldoze the temple. “They should take tuition from Yogi ji on where to run the bulldozer and where not. When I expose them, they become restless," he said. In an apparent dig at RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, the PM said the champions of the fodder scam in Bihar, who have been punished by the court and are roaming outside on the pretext of health, say full reservation should be given to Muslims. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union minister Anupriya Patel, state minister Satish Chandra Sharma, among others, were also present. and threatening the police officials and Bibhav Kumar ji in a loud voice. Using abusive words. The video has made it clear today that all the allegations made by Swati Maliwal ji are false and baseless,” she said. Immediately hitting back at the AAP, Ms Maliwal in a post on X in Hindi said: "The leaders who joined the party yesterday declared a 20-year-old worker as a BJP agent. Two days ago the party had accepted the truth in the PC and today it has taken a Uturn This goon is threatening the party, if I get arrested I will reveal all the secrets. That is why he is roaming around in Lucknow and everywhere seeking shelter." "Today, under his pressure, the party gave in and to save a goon, my character was questioned by the entire party. No problem, I have been fighting alone for the women of the entire country, I will fight for myself too. Do character assassination as much as possible, the truth will come out when the time comes," Ms Maliwal said. NIA charges one more in Indian Navy spying case STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 17 MAY The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against one more person in the Indian Navy spying case involving Pakistani intelligence operatives. Amaan Salim Shaikh is a key accused in the case, involving a conspiracy by Pakistani agents to honey-trap Indian Navy personnel to gather information regarding the defence establishments. The anti-terror agency has charged Amaan, a resident of Mumbai, under various sections of IPC and UA(P) Act. Excise policy case: ED files charge sheet against Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 17 MAY The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday filed a supplementary charge sheet (prosecution complaint) in connection with a moneylaundering case related to the Delhi excise policy case, naming Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as accused. ED officials, along with Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Naveen Kumar Matta, filed the charge sheet at the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi. Last week, the Enforcement Directorate, during the hearing of Manish Sisodia's bail in the Delhi High Court, informed that the Aam Aadmi Party will also be made accused in the case in a supplementary charge sheet. The Special Judge, Kaveri Baweja, is to take up the matter tomorrow (Saturday). Meanwhile, the Supreme Court reserved its order on Mr Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand in Delhi Excise policy case. The ED had yesterday told the Supreme Court that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be made co-accused in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise pol- icy case. Appearing before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, for the ED, said a complaint against AAP is in the pipeline and there is direct evidence of its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanding Rs 100 crore as kickbacks in the case. Mr Raju said there is evidence that Mr Kejriwal demanded a bribe of Rs 100 crore, which went to the AAP for Goa election expenses. The ASG further contended that, apart from vicarious liability as the head of the AAP, Mr Kejriwal is also directly liable as the person who played a key role in formulating the excise policy. He said there was evidence to show that Kejriwal's stay in a seven-star hotel in Goa was partly funded by an accused. (P2)