‘POLLS MANDATE REJECTION OF POLITICS OF HATE’ 09 JUNE 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman MAHARASHTRA MISSTEP PAGE 5 INDIA LOOK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PAK’S VULNERABILITY IN MEGA T20 WORLD CUP CLASH PAGE 6 PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. STRONG SURFACE WINDS (SPEED 25-35 KMPH) OCCASIONALLY GUSTY WINDS DURING THE DAY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 43 AND 30 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. All set for Modi’s swearing-in as PM for historic 3rd term RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 51 % Max: 41.4 °C (+1) SUN RISES 05:23 hrs MOON RISES 08:40 hrs Sheikh Hasina, other leaders to attend Modi govt’s oath ceremony Min. 25 % Min: 30.0 °C (+2) SUN SETS 19:19 hrs MOON SETS 22:13 hrs TEMPERATURE Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Seychelles Vice-President Ahmed Afif arrived here on Saturday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Narendra Modi government on Sunday. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay will also be attending the the swearing-in ceremony to be held tomorrow evening. “The swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers following the General Elections 2024 is scheduled on 9 June 2024. On the occasion, leaders from India’s neighbourhood and Indian Ocean region have been cordially invited as distinguished guests,” the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday. In addition to participating in the swearingin ceremony, the visiting leaders will attend a banquet hosted by President at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the same evening. likely to be made a Minister. Others whose names were in circulation were Mr Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustan Awam Morcha; Mr Ram Mohan Naidu of the TDP, and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary, son of late Union Minister Ajit Singh and grandson of late Prime Minister Charan Singh. THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 JUNE P Cadets pose for a group photo during the piping ceremony at the passing out parade of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), in (Pg 05) Dehradun on Saturday.  ANI Six Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh encounter: Security forces in Chhattisgarh neutralized six Maoists in a fierce encounter at the border regions of Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bastar districts. Among the deceased is a high-ranking commander from the DVCM cadre, who had an Rs 8 lakh bounty on his head. Authorities indicated that the death toll might rise as operations continue. (Pg10) Nitish was offered PM’s post by INDIA bloc: Tyagi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 JUNE Senior Janata Dal (United) leader K C Tyagi on Saturday claimed that his party supremo and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had received an offer from the INDIA bloc to become the country's Prime Minister but it was turned down. Talking to a TV news channel, he said the JD (U) will stay with the BJP in the NDA alliance and there is no question of going back to the INDIA bloc. Mr Tyagi said the same leaders who were not ready to make Mr Kumar the convener of the INDIA bloc were offering him the Prime Ministership after the polls results. “We made the INDIA bloc a reality...we ended the political untouchability of the Congress party,” he said. The Janata Dal (U) leader claimed that Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee were not ready to share the stage with the Congress. He said the Janata Dal (U) decided to come out of the INDIA bloc over the manner in which its leader was treated. reparations at Rashtrapati Bhavan for Sunday’s swearingin of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his third consecutive term as Prime Minister were in full swing throughout Saturday. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Modi in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7.15 p.m. Several thousand chairs were installed at the venue on Saturday. Mr Modi will be sworn in along with a sizable number of ministers. Mr Modi was unanimously elected leader of the NDA and was A view of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister and members of the Council of Ministers. ANI invited to form the next government by the President. Since it will be a coalition government, the ceremony will see oath-taking by representatives of several NDA partners like the Telugu Desam Party, the Janata Dal (U), the Lok Janshakti Party, the Janata Dal (S) and the Nationalist Congress Party. There was speculation the whole day on the different parties’ nominees likely to be included in the new Council of Ministers. There could be 12 to 15 nominees from the alliance partners. Since the TDP and the JD-U are major allies of the BJP in the NDA, they will be getting their due share of Cabinet posts. JD-U leader Nitish Kumar and TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu have been keen on the speedy development of their states and they are believed to be seeking Ministries which can push development projects of their states. Mr Naidu has been seeking funds for Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. Among those likely to be inducted as ministers is Rajya Sabha member Ram Nath Thakur of the Janata Dal (U), son of legendary Bihar leader and Bharat Ratna awardee Karpoori Thakur. Son of late Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Mr Chirag Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party secured five Lok Sabha seats, is also STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 JUNE CWC urges Rahul to take post of Leader of Opposition STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Sonia Gandhi re-elected chairperson of CPP NEW DELHI, 8 JUNE The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday unanimously passed a resolution urging party leader Rahul Gandhi to take the post of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. The decision was taken at the meeting of the CWC, convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at a five star hotel here, in the presence of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former party president Rahul Gandhi, party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party’s national general secretary of Organisation KC Venugopal, among others. Mr Gandhi told the party’s highest decision making body that he would take a decision very soon in this regard. Addressing a press conference, Mr Venugopal said: “Today, the extended CWC met and a thorough discussion was held for three and a half hours about the Lok Sabha elections results of 2024. The CWC unanimously requested Rahul Gandhi ji to take the Leader of the Opposition position in Lok Sabha. All the participants unanimously put up their views on this issue . Everybody was unanimous that Rahul Ji should take the Leader of Opposition position in the Lok Sabha.” Referring to the general elections, the senior Congress leader said: “During the elections we raised so many burning issues: unemployment price rise, Agniveer, women issues, social justice issues. These issues have to be continued in a greater manner inside the Parliament also. Rahul ji is the best person to lead this campaign inside the Parliament . This is the CWC’s view.” “Entire CWC feels that in the current scenario of Indian politics, for a better and stronger and vigilant Opposition, Rahul ji should be the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha,” he said. Asked about whether Rahul Gandhi has accepted the CWC’s request, Mr Venugopal said: “He told the CWC that he will take a decision very soon.” Notably, before the CWC, several Congress leaders including Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said that Rahul Gandhi should be the Leader of Opposition in the Lower House. In another resolution, the CWC said: “Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has to be singled out largely because of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that he designed and led. Both these Yatras that reflected his own thinking and personality were historic turning points in our nation’s politics and instilled hope and confidence in lakhs of our workers and crores of our voters.” The party’s highest decision making body noted that his election campaign was singleminded, sharp and pointed. “The Paanch Nyay-Pachees Guarantee programme which Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was on Saturday reelected as the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). The name of the former Congress president was proposed by the current president Mallikarjun Kharge at the CPP meeting at the Central Hall of Parliament here. Congress leaders Tariq Anwar and Gaurav Gogoi seconded the proposal. The meeting unani- mously elected Mrs Gandhi as the Chairperson of the CPP. Speaking on the occasion, she said: “Kharge ji and fellow MPs, I am deeply conscious of the great responsibility all of you have placed on me yet again.” Congratulating all the newly elected party MPs, Mrs Gandhi said: “You have fought a tough election under the most challenging of circumstances. You have surmounted many obstacles and campaigned so very effectively. Your success has given us a much greater presence in the Lok Sabha and a more effective voice in its proceedings, both of which will help give greater strength to our participation.” In a veiled attack on the BJP, she said: “The Indian National Congress has once again demonstrated its resilience. It was up against a mighty and malevolent machine that was doing its utmost to destroy us.” resonated so very powerfully in the election campaign was the outcome of Rahulji’s yatras in which he listened to the fears, concerns and aspirations of all people especially youth, women, farmers, workers, dalits, adivasis, OBCs and minorities,” the resolution read. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 JUNE BJD chief Naveen Patnaik defends Kartik Pandian amid criticism STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 8 JUNE BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Saturday came to the defense of his trusted lieutenant, Kartik Pandian, praising his contributions to the party and describing him as a person of integrity and honesty. Mr Patnaik reiterated that Mr Pandian is not his successor, emphasising that the people of Odisha will decide who will succeed him. During the final phase of the elections, Mr Patnaik, in an interview to a news agency, addressed the opposition's accusations that Mr Pandian, a Tamilian, was being groomed as the next chief minister and that Mr Patnaik had abdicated his responsibilities. Today, he did the same and called two news agencies to make his statement in defense of Mr Pandian without taking any questions. On both occasions, Mr Patnaik clarified that Mr Pandian is not his successor and defended his contributions. The defense comes in the context of several BJD leaders and workers blaming Mr Pandian for the party's first electoral debacle in 24 years. Despite that criticism, Mr Patnaik highlighted Mr Pandian's significant role in the party and his dedicated service, which included campaigning across the state alongside the BJD president. The BJP capitalised on the situation, launching a high-voltage campaign against the perceived 'outsider' Tamilian rule, appealing to Odia pride and identity. In recent days, Mr Patnaik has surprised many by holding a series of meetings with elected BJD MLAs and defeated candidates without Mr Pandian by his side, suggesting a shift in his approach. Clearly, Mr Pandian was being painted as the 'villian' responsible for the electoral defeat while Naveen Patnaik who gave him all the responsibilities did not take any blame. Reliable sources indi- cate that many BJD leaders felt that they were restricted in their interactions over the last two years with Mr Patnaik due to Mr Pandian's influence. They implored Mr Patnaik to lead more directly and remove barriers to communication within the party. Veteran BJD leader Prafulla Samal claimed that the impression Mr Patnaik could not function without Mr Pandian has been dispelled. However, recent events, including protests on Friday by young BJD members against Pandian at the party office, demonstrate the palpable anger within the party. Addressing the criticism, Mr Patnaik stated: “It has come to my notice that there has been some criticism of Mr. Pandian. This is unfortunate. As an officer, he did excellent work in many fields over the last ten years, helping the government manage two cyclones and the pandemic. After retiring from the bureaucracy, he joined BJD and contributed significantly to our success. He is a person of integrity and honesty and should be remembered for that.” Mr Patnaik also commended Mr Pandian’s work in health, education, sports, and temple restoration programmes. Reflecting on the electoral defeat, Mr Patnaik remarked: “In democracy, you either win or lose. Having been defeated after a long time, we must accept the verdict of the people gracefully. I have always said 4.5 crore people of Odisha are my family, and I will continue to serve them in any way I can.” Media baron & Ramoji Group chairman Cherukuri Ramoji Rao passes away in Hyderabad, aged 87 NEET exam row: NTA sets up panel to examine grace mark issue STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, 8 JUNE Media baron and chairman of the Ramoji Group, Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, passed away early this morning at a private hospital in Hyderabad after prolonged illness. He was 87. The founder of the largest Telugu daily, Eenadu, and television channels under the banner of ETV, Rao is survived by his wife, Rama Devi and his son Ch Kiran. His younger son, Ch Suman, passed away a decade ago. Rao was awarded a Padma Vibhushan for his contribution in the fields of journalism, literature and educa- tion. Following his demise, Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy directed officials that his last rites slated for Sunday should be conducted with state honours. The Telugu film industry will observe a day of mourning tomorrow in his honour and all shoots have been cancelled for the day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his condolence message said:“The passing away of Shri Ramoji Rao Garu is extremely saddening. He was a visionary who revolutionized Indian media. His rich contributions have left an indelible mark on journalism and the world of films. Through his noteworthy efforts he set new standards for innovation and excellence in the media and entertainment world.” Rao was born on 16 November 1936 in Pedaparuudi village of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh in an ordinary farming family belonging to the powerful Kamma community. He had started off the Margadarshi chit funds in 1962 to finance his massive business empire, dabbling in media, film production and distribution and then proceeded to build the Ramoji Film City with state-of-theart facilities for film production. He diversified into food sector through Priya Foods, entered the hospitality sector through the Dolphin group of hotels and dabbled in sarees and artefacts through a chain of Kalanjali showrooms. He revolutionised the media business by launching Eenadu and its sister publications and then a bouquet of 24x7 television channels in vernacular languages using technology to reach out to his readers and audience. Annadatta, a magazine on farming gained massive popularity among the farmers, particularly with televised episodes. He openly supported the Telugu Desam when NT Rama Rao launched it in 1982 and then extended it to his protege Chandrababu Naidu. His open support for TDP and Naidu earned the ire of YS Rajasekhar Reddy and in recent times of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Last year, the octogenarian was interrogated by the CID and the group’s chit fund offices in districts were raided and sealed. NEW DELHI, 8 JUNE Amid allegation of irregularities in this year’s NEET-UG exam for admission in medical courses, the Union Ministry of Education and the National Testing Agency have set up a committee to review the grace marks awarded to certain candidates. Subodh Kumar Singh, Director General, National testing Agency (NTA), meanwhile, categorically said the integrity of the entrance test was not compromised. Addressing a press conference, Mr Singh said: “NTA conducted the NEET exam on 5th May, 2024. We conduct- ed this exam in 571 cities at 4,750 centres. We declared the result on 4th of June. This year there were certain issues raised by the candidates like higher marks and so many toppers.” “The issue concerning the NEET exam is pertinent to 6 centres and 1,600 candidates. We had formed a committee of experts, analysed the issue and addressed the grievances. To allay the fear of 1,600 candi- dates especially, and other 23 lakh candidates, NTA has decided that a high-powered committee will analyse the recommendations by the grievance redressal committee. Thereby, addressing all the issues again,” he said. Elaborating about the panel, the DG said: “The committee will look into the issue of compensatory marks which has been recommended by the grievance redressal committee. So, this committee's mandate is limited to six centres and 1600 candidates.” The DG said: “The whole exam process has been very transparent. The integrity of the exam was not compromised at all.”