TUESDAY 21 MAY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY, NOT DICTATORSHIP’ ICC PROSECUTOR SEEKS ARREST WARRANT FOR NETANYAHU P5 P9 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SEVERE HEAT WAVE CONDITIONS AT ISLOATED PLACES. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 45 AND 29 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY P10 ‘Corrupt few’ indulging in loot of Odisha’s wealth: PM Min. 15 % Max: 44.1 °C (+4) SUN RISES 05:27 hrs MOON RISES 17:13 hrs Min: 29.2 °C (+3) SUN SETS 19:09 hrs MOON SETS 04:16 hrs THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 20 MAY Elderly voters show their ink marked fingers after casting their vote for the Lok Sabha elections, in Ladakh on Monday. ANI Optimism in real estate industry touches decadal high: A recent report has highlighted that the optimism in the real estate industry stakeholders in India touched a decadal high in the first quarter of 2024. The rise was due to the stable economic fundamentals, sustained post-pandemic momentum, and increased transaction volumes. According to the Knight Frank-NAREDCO Real Estate Sentiment Index Q1 2024 report, the “Current Sentiment Index Score”, which reflects the stakeholders’ current outlook compared to the preceding six months, touched 72 in the quarter, the highest in the last 10 years. (P8) P rime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fierce attack on the Naveen Patnaik government on Monday saying ‘a corrupt few’ have ‘captured’ the CM’s residence and office and are indulging in loot of Odisha’s wealth. Addressing election rallies at Angul and Cuttack after offering prayers at Puri Jagannath Temple and a road show, PM Modi flagged development and Odia Pride as the two main issues in front of the people of Odisha. Elaborating on each charge , he said poverty amidst plenty exists due to corruption in each and every sector. The sand mafia, land mafia, coal mafia , mining mafia have taken over the government. The BJD leader has allowed them to do so, he said. The loot taking place in the state has deprived people of benefits and they remain poor, said the PM. People are fed up with the corrupt, callous and insensitive government, they have decided to vote a BJP government to power, he claimed. A ’slow’ moving ,(implicitly referring to Naveen Patnaik manner of walking) is incapable of rapid development he stated drawing attention of the mammoth gathering to his vision of Viksit Bharat and the pace of development that took place since 2014. Switching over to the ‘Odia Pride’ issue, the PM accused the BJD government of destroying the culture and heritage of the state. AAP sees BJP conspiracy in graffiti to attack Delhi CM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 MAY In a fresh attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blamed the saffron party for the graffiti at metro stations threatening Arvind Kejriwal. The party called it a latest conspiracy from the saffron party to target the Delhi chief minister. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, AAP leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi wondered how anyone could escape a metro station scribbling threats against a chief minister without being caught on CCTV cameras and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) surveillance. She pointed out that the graffiti threatening to kill Arvind Kejriwal has been found inside prominent metro stations like Rajiv Chowk and SALT-LESS KKR FACE STERN TEST AGAINST SRH P12 Over 57 pc voting in fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls PM flagged development & Odia pride as the two main issues in front of the people of Odisha Max. 50 % TEMPERATURE ‘BJP WILL NOT WIN EVEN 143 SEATS’ Patel Nagar and one metro trains. “Frustrated over their imminent defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is trying to find ways to attack Kejriwal. The graffiti reflects the nervousness,” she said. Citing a claim made by a social media account holder that he received threat mails from the person behind the graffiti, Atishi asked where is the Delhi Police that had become super active on Maliwal's allegations. "We believe there was a pressure on Swati Maliwal with the ACB (Anti Corruption Bureau) case to become the face of a conspiracy. But the plot failed with the videos of the CM’s residence exposing Maliwal’s lie," Atishi said. Sharpening her attack on the saffron party, the senior AAP leader claimed ever since the Delhi CM came out of jail on bail, the BJP has been conspiring to attack him. “This is because the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot face the AAP in an electoral battle as they are scared of Kejriwal,” she added. She recounted how after sending Kejriwal was deprived of his daily dose of medicine in the prison, including insulin, during his incarceration. Kejriwal has been a diabetic for 30 years and has been taking 52 units of insulin (every day). His party had to approach the court to ensure that he gets him insulin. It failed to protect the ratna bhandar ( treasure house) of Lord Jagannath, Puri and for six years the keys to the ratna bhandar have been missing. Enquiry commission reports are not made public, he added. The non-Odia persons who have captured the government are responsible. Where have the keys gone ? "he asked the crowd before noting “I have heard that the keys have gone to Tamil Nadu” . “Modi's guarantee to the people is the day a BJP government is sworn-in in the state, the hunt for the keys will begin and if anyone has done mischief, he will be punished. The tenor of Modi’s aggression was much more intense that his previous two trips to the state as he reasserted the fall of BJD government and formation of a BJP government with an Odisha born, Odia speaking CM taking oath on 10 June in Odisha. Can infrastructural development, investment or jobs be created in the web of corruption that exists , questioned PM Modi while going on to state that large scale migration takes place as the youth do not get jobs in the state. The BJD leaders are awarding contracts to their own men and looting people here. Farmers are exploited at the market yards and they are denied MSP. There is no end to this form of loot. The state is rich in natural resources; but, I feelpainwhenIseepovertyinOdisha, he said. Pandian defends Odisha CM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 20 MAY In a strong rebuttal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations, BJD leader Kartik Pandian on Monday defended Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, describing him as a person of unimpeachable integrity. Pandian highlighted that the people of Odisha are well aware of Patnaik's character and even the Prime Minister has praised the CM in parliament in the past. "Today, to garner votes, the PM is making allegations, and the people of Odisha will see through this," Pandian asserted at a public meeting in Salepur today. Addressing the charge of ‘slowness’ made by PM Modi, Pandian countered by saying that the "Naveen Engine" moves at a greater speed than the "Double Engine" government touted by the BJP. He cited the example of the NH stretch between Sambalpur and Cuttack, where repair work has been ongoing for eight years. "The PM should drive on this NH stretch himself," Pandian suggested, noting that over 2,000 people have lost their lives in accidents on that road. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 MAY AGENCIES JAIPUR, 20 MAY A POCSO court on Monday sentenced two brothers to death in the Bhilwara gangrape and murder case in which a minor was burnt alive in a coal furnace. While announcing the verdict, the judge classified the case as "the rarest of rare". The Bhilwara POCSO court on Saturday pronounced the brothers -Kalu and Kanha -- guilty and acquitted seven other accused. The court had reserved the decision till Monday. The victim's parents were also present in the court during the hearing. The victim's mother said, "We have got justice." TEHRAN, 20 MAY The seven accused, who have been acquitted, include the mother, sister and wives of the two convicts. The prosecution presented statements from 43 witnesses, with 42 supporting its evidence, Special public prosecutor Mahavir Kisanawat Kisanawat said, "Magistrate Anil Gupta of the Bhilwara POCSO court found two main accused guilty in the incident. The other seven have been acquitted." A 473-page charge sheet was filed in the case and the trial was on for the last 10 months, said he. On August 2, last year, a minor girl from Giradiya panchayat, who went to graze her goats on her farm, was gang-raped and burnt alive in a coal furnace. Iran, the country, and Islam, according to IRNA. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday tasked Vice President Mohammad Mokhber to assume interim duties after President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed to have died in the helicopter crash, a day before. Iranian State media earlier today confirmed the deaths of the 63-year-old Raisi, his foreign minister Hossein AmirAbdollahian and seven others in Sunday's helicopter crash in the mountainous region of the country's East Azerbaijan province a day earlier. Meanwhile, the Iranian cabinet has appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani as acting foreign minister following the death of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. Khamenei, in a message issued on Monday morning, expressed his great sadness over the deaths and offered condolences to people of his PM Modi condoles Iranian President's demise: India on Monday declared a one-day state mourning on Tuesday throughout the country as a mark of respect to Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who died in a helicopter crash. ''On the day of mourning, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day,'' an official statement said. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of the Iranian President, saying the departed leader's contribution to the strengthening India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. "Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, country. Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is expected to assume interim duties shortly. Earlier today, Iranian state media IRNA shared drone footage shot by the the Red Crescent showing the wreckage of the crashed helicopter. News outlet Tasnim, which is affiliated to the country's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps reported that Raisi's funeral will be held tomorrow in Tabriz. The helicopter carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir- Abdollahian, and his accompanying delegation crashed a day ago in the Dizmar forest, nestled between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azarbaijan Province, state media Press TV reported today. The Iranian President was returning following a visit to Azerbaijan when his helicopter came down in bad weather conditions. Iran's Supreme Leader described Raisi as a hardworking cleric and a popular president who dedicated his life to serving the people of NEW DELHI, 20 MAY More than 57 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the fifth phase of voting in the Lok Sabha election on Monday. The voting for 49 parliamentary constituencies in 94,732 polling stations spread across eight States and Union Territories that commenced amid tight security at 7 am concluded at 6 pm. The polling was reported to be by and large peaceful. Out of the 49 Lok Sabha seats in the fifth phase, 14 parliamentary seats were from Uttar Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, seven from West Bengal, five each from Bihar and Odisha, three from Jharkhand, one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. According to the data issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on its voter turnout app, the polling percentage was recorded at 57.51 per cent. West Bengal recorded the highest turnout at 73 per cent, Ladakh 67.15 per cent and Jharkhand 63 percent. Uttar Pradesh registered a 57.79 per cent turnout and Jammu and Kashmir 54.67 per cent, as per the data of the poll panel. The fate of 695 candidates was sealed in the EVMs. Prominent candidates from the BJP are Union Ministers Rajnath Singh (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh), Smriti Irani (Amethi) and Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North, Maharashtra), while from the Congress is Rahul Gandhi (Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh) and K L Sharma (Amethi). Other key candidates in the fifth phase include former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah(Baramulla) and president of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) Chirag Paswan (Hajipur, Patna). Elections also took place for the 35 Assembly constituencies of the Odisha Assembly simultaneously. As per the voter turnout app, Odisha recorded 60.70 per cent turnout in the second phase. Two sentenced to death Modi praises banking sector for for raping, burning crossing `3 lakh crore net profit alive girl in Rajasthan Iran’s President Raisi & foreign minister die in helicopter crash AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Deeply shocked to hear of the passing away of Iran’s President Dr Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister H Amir-Abdollahian in the helicopter crash. Recall my many meetings with them, most recently in January 2024. Our condolences to their families. We stand with the people of Iran at the time of this tragedy. EAM DR S JAISHANKAR President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His contribution to strengthening India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow," Modi wrote on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday praised the banking sector for crossing Rs 3 lakh crore for the first time in FY24. Taking to X, the Prime Minister said, “In a remarkable turnaround in the last 10 years, India's banking sector net profit crosses Rs 3 lakh crore for the first time ever.” “When we came to power, our banks were reeling with losses and high NPAs due to the phone-banking policy of UPA. The doors of the banks were closed for the poor.” “This improvement in the health of banks will help improve credit availability to our poor, farmers and MSME,” he added. Notably, in absolute terms, the private sector banks reported a bigger net profit than PSBs. In FY24, a total of 26 private sector banks reported a net profit of Rs 1.78 lakh crore versus the 12 PSBs’ net profit of Rs 1.41 lakh crore. Experts have maintained that the increase in profit is largely due to the banks maintaining high credit growth, resulting in an increase in net interest income. The lenders also kept their asset quality under control, reporting a healthy bad loan book in FY24. It must be high- lighted that among private sector banks, HDFC Bank reported the highest profit of Rs 60,812 crore in FY24. While among the PSBs, the country’s largest bank, the State Bank of India (SBI), reported a net profit of Rs 61,076 crore. In the previous financial year, private banks’ total profit was at Rs 1.26 lakh crore and PSBs’ total profit was at Rs 1.04 lakh crore. On a year-on-year basis, private banks’ profit jumped by 41 per cent and PSB's net profit jumped by 35 per cent. Except UCO Bank and Punjab & Sind Bank, all banks reported a jump in their net profit on a YoY basis.