SATURDAY 22 JUNE 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR NAIDU RETURNS TO ANDHRA ASSEMBLY AFTER 31 MONTHS ‘LET’S SEED FOREST OF EQUALITY’ P7 SENSEX 77,209.90269.03 WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 41 AND 29 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 3.6 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Min. 47 % Max: 40.4 °C (+2) SUN RISES 05:25 hrs MOON RISES 20:04 hrs Min: 28.4 °C (0) SUN SETS 19:23 hrs MOON SETS 06:13 hrs THUMBNAILS Police personnel detain a Samajwadi Party supporter during a protest over the NEET issue in Lucknow on Friday.  ANI 98 Indians have died during Hajj, says MEA: A total of 98 Indian nationals have lost their lives so far during Hajj in Saudi Arabia, it was officially confirmed on Friday. At a media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said nearly 175000 Indians have already visited Hajj this year. ''So far we have lost 98 of our citizens. These deaths have happened on account of natural illness, natural causes, chronic illness, and also old age,'' he said. NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday evening informed candidates that the Joint CSIR-UGC-NET Examination June-2024 which was scheduled to be held between 25 to 27 June has been postponed due to “unavoidable circumstances as well as logistic issues”. “The candidates are hereby informed that the Joint CSIR-UGC-NET Examination June-2024 which was scheduled to be held between 25.06.2024 to 27.06.2024 is being postponed due to unavoidable circumstances as well as logistic issues,” a public notice issued by the National Testing Agency said. “This is in continuation to the Public Notice dated 15.06.2024 vide which Advance Intimation of Examination City allotted to the applicants of the Joint CSIR-UGCNET Examination June-2024 along GOLD 73,250810 P12 SILVER 94,0001,500 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 82.870.21 PM leads 10th International Day of Yoga celebration in Srinagar P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday led the 10th International Day of Yoga (IYD) event in Srinagar and said the atmosphere, energy and experience from Yoga can be felt in Jammu & Kashmir, the land of Yog and Sadhna. Conveying his greetings on the International Day of Yoga to all citizens and those practicing yoga in different parts of the world, he said people had participated in the Yoga event in Srinagar despite recurring rain. “Association of 50,000 to 60,000 people with the yoga programme in Jammu & Kashmir is huge,” he said. He said two days back he had watched a video about a competition held in Egypt regarding photographs or a video on yoga at the country’s iconic tourism centres. People posed with Yoga postures in front of iconic structures like pyramids. This can be emulated in Jammu and Kashmir and will help with schedule of Examination was informed to all the candidates,” the notice said. The revised schedule for the conductof this examination will be announced later through the official website, the notice said. The National Testing Agency is already under fire over alleged irregularities, including allegations of question paper leak, in conducting the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance test, held on 5 May, while on 19 June, the UGC-NET exam, also conducted by the agency, was cancelled just a day after the examination because of apprehensions that its integrity may have been compromised. The Joint CSIR UGC NET is conducted to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor and admission to PhD in UGC-affiliated universities and colleges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes selfies with people after leading a Yoga session on International Day of Yoga celebrations, at Dal Lake in Srinagar on Friday.  ANI boost its tourism, he said. Talking about the theme of this year’s IYD ~ ‘Yoga for Self and Society’, the Prime Minister said that the world sees yoga as a powerful agent of global good and it enables people to live in the present without the baggage of the past. He said: “Yoga helps us realize that our welfare is related to the welfare of the world around us. When we are peaceful within, we can also make a positive impact on the world.” Stressing the scientific aspects of yoga, the Prime Minister highlighted its importance for coping with information overload and Canada giving political space to ‘Khalistani’ extremists, says MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE India on Friday reacted sharply to Canadian Parliament observing two-minute silence on the death anniversary of 'Khalistan' supporter leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, saying it is opposed to any moves giving political space to extremism and those advocating violence. At a media briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also stated that India has lodged a strong protest with Canada over 'Khalistani' extremists holding a socalled "citizens court" and burning an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver. The spokesperson said India has communicated to the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi its anguish over the space being given to the 'Khalistani' separatists by the Justin Trudeau government. India's reaction came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Trudeau held a brief conversation on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy's Apulia region. The interaction between them came against the backdrop of wrinkles in India-Canada ties. The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Mr Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing. New Delhi rejected Mr Trudeau's charges as "absurd". Grave concern: Bengal CM urges PM Modi to defer implementation of 3 criminal laws STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 21 JUNE Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing “grave concern” over the impending implementation of the three new criminal laws from 1 July, and has urged the PM “to consider at least a deferment of the implementation date”. The three new criminal laws ~ the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshaya Adhiniyam, 2023 ~ to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively, were notified on 25 December 2023 and will come into effect on 1 July 2024. Miss Banerjee, in a letter to PM Modi, said: “I write to P5 Yoga powerful agent of With HC staying trial court’s bail order, Delhi CM Kejriwal global good: PM Modi to remain in prison for now Joint CSIR-UGC-NET Exam June-2024 put off due to ‘unavoidable circumstances’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ` vs $ 83.56 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE Max. 72 % TEMPERATURE P4 NIFTY 23,501.1065.90 ‘YOU HAVE TO BE A STEP AHEAD OF RASHID KHAN’ BANGLADESH PM ARRIVES, TO HOLD TALKS WITH MODI you with grave concern regarding the impending implementation of three crucial laws, namely The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNA) 2023, The Bharatiya Sakhsya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023, and The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023." She said the three laws which were passed with absolutely no debate in Parliament deserve a review now. “If you kindly recall, on the 20th of December last year, the outgoing Government of yours had passed these three criti- cal Bills unilaterally, and with absolutely no debate. That day, almost one hundred members of the Lok Sabha had been suspended and a total 146 MPs of the both Houses were thrown out of the Parliament. The Bills were passed in an authoritarian manner in that dark hour of democracy. Matter deserves review now," she added. “I urge your esteemed office now to consider at least a deferment of the implementation date. Reasons are two-fold: ethical, and practical," Miss Banerjee said. “Ethically, I believe it would be in the fitness of things to place those significant legislative changes before the newly elected Parliament for fresh deliberation and scrutiny. Given the wide ranging reservations expressed in the public domain regarding the hurriedly passed new laws, fresh parliamentary review of these attempts would demonstrate a commitment to democratic principles and foster greater transparency and accountability in the legislative process. This approach would afford the newly elected people’s representatives the opportunity to thoroughly examine the proposed reforms, address concerns raise by various stakeholders and ensure that the laws reflect the collective will and aspirations of the citizenry. Such renewed parliamentary oversight mandate would reinforce public confidence in the legislative process and enhance the legitimacy of the legal reforms,” she stated. The CM also argued that any far-reaching legal change would require meticulous groundwork beforehand to ensure effective enforcement and administration. maintaining focus as, he said, concentration is great power. That is why, the Prime Minister said, yoga is being incorporated in fields ranging from the military to sports. Astronauts are also being trained in yoga and meditation. Yoga is also being used in prisons to spread positive thoughts among the inmates. “Yoga is scripting new pathways of positive change in the society,” he said. Noting the 10th anniversary of International Yoga Day, the Prime Minister recalled that a record 177 countries endorsed India’s proposal in the UN. He said in the subsequent IYD events, as many as 35,000 people did yoga on Kartavya Path in 2015 and more than 130 countries participated in the yoga event led by him at the UN Headquarters last year. Mr Modi expressed happiness that more than 100 institutes in India and 10 major foreign institutes have been recognized by the Yoga Certification Board formed by the Ministry of Ayush. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will have to remain behind bars for now as Delhi High Court on Friday put an interim stay on a trial court's order granting the AAP chief bail in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. The Directorate of Enforcement moved Delhi High Court on Friday morning challenging the trial court order with a plea that the order on 20 June granting regular bail to the Delhi chief minister was passed without granting adequate opportunity for the antimoney laundering agency to make its arguments. The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain said it would pass the order in two to three days with regard to the ED's plea regarding stay, as it reserved the order after hearing the arguments. The HC was hearing the Enforcement Directorate's plea challenging the trial court decision granting bail to Mr Kejriwal. Yesterday evening, a judge at the Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to Mr Kejriwal. On Friday morning, the ED moved the high court seeking a stay on the order. Speaking to a news agency regarding the court staying Mr Kejriwal's bail order, AAP Legal Cell State President Sanjeev Nasiar said: "By Monday or Tuesday, the court is likely to give its order on the stay application, and as per that order, it will be decided when Arvind Kejriwal will come out." The ED's counsel had requested the trial court on Thursday to stay its order till it exercises legal remedies. However, the court rejected the request. Challenging the Rouse Avenue court’s order, Addi- tional Solicitor General SV Raju told the High Court bench that the trial court order was perverse. Mr Raju, appearing for the ED, said proper opportunity was not given to the probe agency to make its arguments before the trial court. Mr Kejriwal was arrested on 21 March by the ED from his official residence in connection with the Delhi liquor policy-linked money laundering case. Mr Raju also argued that the trial court made the wrong statement that the ED failed to point out direct evidence against Mr Kejriwal. He was granted interim bail on 10 May by the Supreme Court to take part in the Lok Sabha election campaign till 1 June, and later the AAP chief surrendered as per the court's directions on 2 June to the concerned authorities at the Tihar prisons. Meanwhile, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj hit out at the federal probe agency, claiming that Thursday's order of the Rouse Avenue trial court has broken down the ED's case.