THURSDAY 23 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 ‘WILL ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY IN KERALA BY NOV 2025’ POK WILL INEVITABLY COME TO INDIA, SAYS RAJNATH P5 SENSEX 74,221.06267.75 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. Rain/ thundershower accompanied with gusty wind very likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 36 °C and 25 °C respectively. RAINFALL: 72.2mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE ABHISHEK HOLDS RALLY IN NANDIGRAM P4 NIFTY 22,597.8068.75 P2 ` vs $ 83.14 Calcutta HC struck down the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 22 MAY Min. 54 % Max: 36.1°C (+0.7) Min: 28.7°C (+1.8) SUN RISES SUN SETS 04:54 hrs 18:13 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 17:14 hrs 03:42 hrs Full Moon on 23 May THUMBNAILS Fire tenders reach North Block after the Police Control Room received a bomb threat, in New Delhi on Wednesday.  ANI Missing Bangladeshi MP killed in Kolkata: A Member of Parliament (MP) from Bangladesh's ruling party Anwarul Azim, who allegedly went missing on 18 May, was found dead in Kolkata on Wednesday. Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan in a news conference in Dhaka said that the MP was killed in Kolkata. He said that Bangladesh Police have arrested three persons in this connection, reported (Pg 3) Bangladesh Newspaper Daily Star. hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday categorically said the state government will not accept the order of a Division Bench of Calcutta High Court that has scrapped the OBC status of several classes in the state. Calcutta High Court on Wednesday struck down the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal, finding such reservations underThe West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012 to vacancies in services and posts in the state illegal. The division bench, comprising justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha, said that the state's executive orders classifying 42 classes as OBCs from 5 March 2010, to 11 May 2012, were quashed, with prospective effect, in view of the ille- C West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Panihati Agarpara campaigning for TMC leader Sougata Roy on Wednesday. SNS gality of the reports recommending such classification. The judgement is expected to impact a sizeable number of people in the state. Miss Banerjee, addressing a gathering at Panihati which falls under Dum Dum Lok Sabha seat, said the OBC reservation will continue in the state, as the Bill concerned was passed within the framework of the Constitution. “Law cannot be discriminatory. In the eye of law , Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Bud- dhists are same. We will go to the Supreme Court against the order. This order has been given to please Modi. We have respect for High Court but recently activities of some judges have raised questions among the people. One judge took premature retirement and is contesting in the general election in BJP ticket. Another judge said on the day of his retirement that he is a RSS supporter. People have doubts about the impartiality of the judiciary,” she said. “The OBC reservation quota introduced by the West Bengal government will continue.We had drafted the Bill after conducting a house-to-house survey, and it was passed by the cabinet and the Assembly,” Miss Banerjee said. The Trinamul Congress chairperson also warned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is playing with fire by seeking to divide Hindus and Muslims in his speeches. Miss Banerjee noted that Mr Modi has alleged that the Muslims will take away the rights of the people belonging to the SC category. “It is impossible. The right has been given by the Constitution of India and no one can take away the right,” she said. “There is an apprehension that the BJP might engineer riots to disturb peace in North 24-Parganas. I will request my Muslim brothers and sisters not to fall into their trap. It is Modi who does not like you and blames you for everything,” she remarked. P12 SILVER 95,8001,200 GOLD 74,510 Will not accept HC order scrapping OBC status: CM ‘MOMENTUM IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT’ BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 81.821.06 ECI asks BJP, Cong star campaigners to be careful in their public utterances STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE 204 candidates in the fray for 57 LS seats in 7th phase polls NEW DELHI, 22 MAY Taking note of the plummeting quality of the election campaign by their star campaigners in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI), on Wednesday, issued a set of directions to BJP National President JP Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in this regard. The poll panel last month had directed both the presidents of the major parties to set high standards of political discourse for all their star campaigners and observe the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in letter and spirit. The direction was issued in the wake of complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In separate orders to the BJP president and the Congress chief, the ECI directed them to advise their star campaigners to be careful in their campaign utterances. “It is expected of you to use the strength of your office and intra-party consultations to advise/ counsel/oblige the listed star campaigners of your party to be careful in NEW DELHI, 22 MAY Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dances with women on her arrival to address a public meeting in Ranchi on Wednesday. ANI their campaign utterances and correct their discourses,” the poll panel told the chiefs of both the parties. The ECI asked them to direct their star campaigner to refrain from making any statement that may create “hatred” between communities. “No party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.” it stated. The ECI asked Mr Nadda to convey to all star campaigners of the BJP “to not make speeches and statements, The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Wednesday that 904 candidates would contest elections in 57 parliamentary constituencies spread across eight states and Union territories (UTs) in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls, scheduled to be held on 1 June. The states/UTs in the seventh phase polls included Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal and Chandigarh. which may divide the society.” It also said they should refrain from any campaigning “methods/ utterances along religious/communal lines”. The poll panel also asked Mr Kharge to convey to all star campaigners of his party that they do not make statements that give a “false impression such as that the Constitution of India may be abolished or sold”. INDIA bloc has diseases worse than cancer, says Modi SC: Hemant Soren withdraws plea STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE PARMOD KUMAR SHRAVASTI (UP), 22 MAY Attacking the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday alleged that the INDIA bloc has diseases worse than cancer and if they spread, they will destroy the entire country. "These three diseases of the Opposition alliance can become more devastating for the country than cancer. First they are deeply communal,secondly they are extreme casteists and lastly they are extreme familyists," he charged. While addressing the rally in Shravasti, PM Narendra Modi said: “Yesterday I was watching a video in which people were seen running and climbing on the stage of the INDI alliance in UP. When I asked, why is this ruckus going on, someone told me that SP-Congress people give contracts to bring people to the rally, give money per person, but when they did not give the money, people ran and climbed on the stage. Now, how can a party whose condition is like this do any good to you?" Speaking of himself in the third person, the Prime Minister said that Modi opened Jan Dhan accounts of more than 50 crore poor people, they will close their bank accounts and snatch the money. Modi provided electricity to every village, they will cut the electricity connections and create darkness again. Modi is delivering water to every home; SP-Congress people will even open the water tap of your house and take it away and they have expertise in this, he said. While addressing the public, the PM said that Modi does not come from any royal family. “I am the son of poor mothers like these mothers. I don't want to earn anything for anyone, but I want to make my country so strong that dynastic parties cannot ruin the country again. For this I need your blessings,” he said. "Our Shravasti is such a historical and mythological place, where tourists from all over the country want to come. Earlier, there were SP-BSP-Con- gress governments for so long, but no one thought about the development of Shravasti. They are neither concerned about the development of Shravasti nor about the heritage of the country. Our government is working to give Shravasti a separate identity on the map of the country," he said. The PM claimed that Modi is the watchman of the rights of the deprived. “I guarantee you, the Karnataka model of snatching reservation will not be implemented in the country. Those who did nothing for 60 years have united to stop Modi. The duo of two boys has been relaunched in UP Same old flop film, same . old characters, same old dialogues. The entire election is about to end, but have you heard even one new thing from these people,” he asked. Want fair probe in Swati Maliwal assault case, says Arvind Kejriwal AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 22 MAY Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said he expects a fair investigation into the alleged assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal by one of his close aides at his official residence, and that justice should be served. Ms Maliwal has alleged she was physically assaulted by Mr Kejriwal's personal assistant Bibhav Kumar when she went to meet the chief minister on 13 May. Police have arrested Mr Kumar in this connection. In his first comments on the incident, Mr Kejriwal told a news agency in an interview that the matter is currently "sub-judice" and his comment might affect the proceedings. “But I expect there will be a fair investigation. Justice should be served. There are two versions of the event. Police should investigate both versions fairly and justice should be done,” Mr Kejriwal was reported as saying. Ms Maliwal posted a withering response to Mr Kejriwal’s comments on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal holds a mace while addressing the 'Nukkad Sabhas' in support of AAP candidate from New Delhi, Somnath Bharti on Wednesday. ANI microblogging site X. “After unleashing the entire army of leaders and volunteers at me, calling me a BJP agent, assassinating my character, leaking edited videos, victim shaming me, roaming around with the accused, letting him re-enter the crime scene and tamper evidences and protesting in favour of the accused, the Chief Minister, in whose drawing-room I was beaten up, has finally said that he wants free and fair investigation in the matter," Ms Maliwal posted. CMYK NEW DELHI, 22 MAY In a huge setback, incarcerated JMM chief Hemant Soren on Wednesday withdrew his plea challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement in a money laundering case as the Supreme Court took serious exception to his not disclosing in his petition that the Special PMLA court has already taken cognizance of the case and rejected his plea for bail. Taking exception to the non-disclosure, Justice Dipankar Datta heading a vacation bench also comprising Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, said that Hemant Soren has not approached the top court with clean hands. Justice Datta told senior advocate Kapil Sibal that first he will have to cross the hurdle of not disclosing the Special PMLA court proceedings in the petition challenging Jharkhand High Court’s order refusing to quash Hemant Soren’s arrest under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.