THURSDAY 27 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 P7 SENSEX 78,674.25620.73 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. VERY LIGHT RAIN /THUNDERSTORM ACCOMPANIED WITH GUSTY WINDS (SPEED 25-35 KMPH). THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 38 AND 29 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 71 % TEMPERATURE P10 GOLD 72,000230 ` vs $ 83.56 Min: 31.6 °C (+4) SUN SETS 19:23 hrs MOON SETS 11:46 hrs THUMBNAILS Visitors carrying umbrellas throng the Taj Mahal on a rainy day on Wednesday.  ANI 3 Pakistani terrorists killed in J&K’s Doda: Three Pakistani terrorists were killed and a jawan of the Special Operations Group (SOG) was injured during the ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday. Security forces were still engaged in a gunfight with one more terrorist in the forest area of Gandoh in Doda. The injured jawan, Hussain, was rushed to the hospital at Doda where his condition is stated as stable. (P3) Sam Pitroda reappointed as chairman of Indian Overseas Cong: The Congress on Wednesday reappointed Sam Pitroda as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress. On 8 May, Pitroda resigned from the post of the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress after he courted controversy with his 'racist' remarks in an interview to The Statesman. P12 SILVER 91,0001000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 82.870.21 Om Birla elected Speaker of Kejriwal formally arrested by CBI in 18th Lok Sabha by voice vote liquor policy case This will be Mr Birla’s second term as Lok Sabha Speaker; he has been elected from Kota STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE Min. 51 % Max: 39.0 °C (+2) SUN RISES 05:26 hrs MOON RISES 23:38 hrs P4 NIFTY 23,868.80147.50 INDIA EYE REVENGE AGAINST DEFENDING CHAMPS ENGLAND UNIQUENESS OF INDIA’S NUCLEAR TRAJECTORY CASTE CENSUS: DMK PUTS BALL IN CENTRE’S COURT WHY AMERICA’S TOP COURT IS TAKING ITS TIME OVER TRUMP PM confident 18th LS will fulfil people’s aspirations T he ruling NDA’s candidate, BJP MP Om Birla, was elected Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha without much of a hitch on Wednesday. The Opposition had proposed the name of Mr K Suresh of the Congress Party, but Mr Birla was declared elected by a voice vote. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab took up the Speaker’s election, within minutes of the Lok Sabha assembling on Wednesday. There were 10 proposals for the election of Mr Birla as the Speaker, with the first one made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There were six proposals for Mr Suresh from the Opposition members. The prime minister’s proposal, seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was the first to be put to vote and after shouts of “Ayes” by the Treasury Benches and “Noes” from the Opposition, Mr Mahtab declared Mr Birla elected. The House was packed as both sides had issued whips to their members to be present for the possible “fight.” However, Mr Mahtab’s declaration “the motion is adopted,” ended all suspense. The Pro-tem Speaker said since Mr Modi’s motion was adopted, all motions made after him were infructuous. Mr ‘I’m sure you will allow us to represent the voice of people’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE PM Narendra Modi greets newly elected Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla as he accompanies him to the chair, at Parliament House in New Delhi on Wednesday.  ANI Mahtab, thereafter, invited Mr Birla to take the chair. The prime minister walked up to Mr Birla’s seat, joined by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who accompanied him to the Speaker’s podium, amid clapping and thumping of desks from Treasury and Opposition benches. This will be Mr Birla’s second term as Speaker of the Lok Sabha, after being Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha. He has been elected to the House for the third consecutive time from Kota, Rajasthan on a BJP ticket. Mr Suresh, his rival, is an eight-time member of the Lok Sabha and currently represents the Mavelikkara seat of Kerala. Welcoming Mr Birla as the Speaker, the Prime Minister said he had set high standards in his previous term and would be able to guide the House with his experience. His soft-spoken behaviour and smile had kept the House in good spirits, the PM said. Mr Modi said after Mr Balram Jakhar, Mr Birla would be the second Speaker to occupy the chair for a second time. Mr Modi said the 17th Lok Sabha was the golden period of Indian parliamentary history; there were historic decisions under Mr Birla’s chairmanship and reforms made through Parliament, and Mr Birla’s role will be recorded in history for that. Underlining that the functioning of Parliament and its conduct and accountability deepen the foundation of democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed confidence that the 18th Lok Sabha will successfully serve the people and realise their dreams and aspirations. The Parliament House is not just walls but is the centre of aspiration of 140 crore people of the country, he observed while speaking in the Lok Sabha after the election of Mr Om Birla as the Speaker of House. Mr Modi welcomed Mr Birla taking over as Speaker for a second consecutive term and conveyed to him the best wishes of the House.The PM expressed the hope that Mr Birla's experience of five years and the members’ experience with him will enable the re-elected Speaker to guide the House in these important times, noting the polite and humble personality of the Speaker and his winning smile that helps him in conducting the House. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal being taken from Rouse Avenue Court after CBI gets 3-day custody on Wednesday.  ANI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday congratulated newly-elected Speaker Om Birla and said that he was confident that the latter will allow the Opposition to represent the voice of the people of India in the House. Speaking in the Lok Sabha after Om Birla's election to the Speaker's post for the second time, Mr Gandhi said: "I am confident that you will allow us to represent our voice, allow us to speak, allow us to represent the voice of the people of India.” The Congress leader asserted that the question is not how efficiently the House is run but how much of India's voice is being allowed to be heard in this House. Addressing the chair, he said “the idea of silencing the Opposition was nondemocratic”, and that the people of India expect the Opposition to defend the Constitution. Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal already in jail after his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement in a moneylaundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, was on Wednesday morning formally arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a related corruption case. Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court subsequently sent Mr Kejriwal to three days’ CBI custody in connection with the case. Hearing CBI's remand plea, a vacation bench of Amitabh Rawat said the Delhi CM will be produced before the court on 29 June before 7 p.m. The development comes hours after the central probe agency arrested Mr Kejriwal in a corruption case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy of 2021-22. The Delhi CM has been lodged in Tihar Jail since 21 March when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, also linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The CBI has filed a separate case over the alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi excise policy 202122. The central probe agency has claimed that the socalled 'South Lobby' dictated the formulation of the excise policy and that the chief minister was involved in this. Public Prosecutor D P Singh, representing the CBI, claimed that the agency has traced the precise trail of Rs 45 crore allegedly used in the Goa assembly elections by the Aam Aadmi Party. Meanwhile, the AAP has claimed it is yet another "conspiracy hatched by the BJP at a time when there were high chances of the Supreme Court granting bail to Kejriwal." In a video statement released on Tuesday night, AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP has hatched a conspiracy with CBI officers to frame Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in a “fake case”. Following Mr Kejriwal's arrest by the CBI, his wife Sunita Kejriwal alleged that the whole system is trying to ensure the Delhi CM stays behind bars. ‘Emergency exemplified what dictatorship looks like’ Strong determination on both sides to host Quad Summit in India:US Deputy Secy of State Campbell STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE AGENCIES WASHINGTON, DC, 26 JUNE US Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell on Wednesday said that India and the US expressed a strong determination to hold the QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) Summit this year. The senior US official was addressing an online briefing on the recently concluded India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) today. Mr Campbell highlighted that the issue of the Quad was discussed between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and NSA Ajit Doval during Sullivan's recent visit to India. “The issue of the Quad was discussed between the two national security advisors. Both sides expressed a strong Mr Campbell highlighted that the issue of the Quad was discussed between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and NSA Ajit Doval during Sullivan's recent visit to India. determination that, in fact, the quad will be held this year, before the end of the year. There is a strong determination on both sides to hold the quad," Mr Cambell said in the briefing. US NSA Jake Sullivan and Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell were in India for the key meeting of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in the national capital last week. The meeting was chaired by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and visiting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Last year, the sources highlighted that the QUAD Summit, which was slated to be held in India in January this year, has been proposed "to be held later" in 2024. The sources said that revised dates are under consideration as the current ones do not work with all the QUAD partners. “We are looking for revised dates as the dates currently under consideration do not work with all the Quad partners," said the sources. In May last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on the margins of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, that India would host the next Quad leaders' summit. The QUAD is the grouping of four democracies~India, Australia, the US, and Japan ~ that aims to ensure and support a "free, open and prosperous" Indo-Pacific region. The forum traces its genesis to 2004, when the four countries came together to coordinate relief operations in the aftermath of the tsunami. In 2007, the group again met on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sidelines. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first to pitch the idea for the formation of Quad in 2007. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the newly-elected Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for condemning the Emergency imposed during the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government in 1975. The Prime Minister said: "The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like." Mr Modi's remarks came after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in the House read out a resolution condemning the Emergency Period, imposed in 1975. In a post on ‘X’, the Prime Minister said: “I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets two little granddaughters of Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya at his Parliament office in New Delhi on Wednesday.  ANI in silence in honour of all those who suffered during those days." “The Emergency was imposed 50 years ago but it is important for today's youth to know about it because it remains a fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled and institutions are destroyed. The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like," he said. Earlier, speaking in the Lower House of Parliament after being elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, Mr Birla invoked the ‘dark days’ of Emergency and also called for a 2-minute silence over the ‘black chapter’ of Indian democracy, triggering protests from the Opposition benches. Before adjourning the House till Thursday, Om Birla read out a resolution in the Lok Sabha condemning the imposition of Emergency by the then Indira Gandhi-led Congress government in 1975. The Lok Sabha Speaker said: "This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. Along with this, we appreciate the determination of all those people who opposed the Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting the democracy of India. 25th June 1975 will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India," Birla said. "On this day, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency in the country and attacked the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. India is known all over the world as the mother of democracy. Democratic values and debate have always been supported in India. "Democratic values have always been protected, they have always been encouraged. Dictatorship was imposed on such an India by Indira Gandhi. The democratic values of India were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled," he added. WikiLeaks founder Assange returns to Australia a free man Married women ‘barred’ from working at AGENCIES CANBERRA, 26 JUNE WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returned to his homeland Australia aboard a charter jet and raised a celebratory clenched fist as his supporters cheered on Wednesday, hours after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing US military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that concludes a drawn-out legal saga. Mr Assange told Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a phone call from the capital Canberra’s airport tarmac that Australian government intervention in the US prosecution had saved his life, Assange lawyer Jennifer Robinson said. Mr Assange embraced his wife Stella Assange and father John Shipton who were waiting on the tarmac, but avoided media at a news conference less than than two hours after he landed. Mr Assange was accused of receiving and publishing hundreds of thousands of war logs and diplomatic cables that included details of US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. His activities drew an outpouring of support from press freedom advocates, who heralded his role in bringing to light military conduct that might otherwise have been concealed from view and warned of a chilling effect on journalists. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter Julian Assange embraces his wife when he landed in Canberra on Wednesday.  AP attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists. The case came to a sur- prise end in an unusual setting with Mr Assange (52), entering his plea in a US district court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. The American commonwealth in the Pacific is relatively close to Australia and accommodated his desire to avoid entering the continental US. The plea deal required Mr Assange to admit guilt to a single felony count but also permitted him to return to Australia without any time in an American prison. The judge sentenced him to the five years he’d already spent behind bars in the UK fighting extradition to the US on an Espionage Act indictment that could have carried a lengthy prison sentence in the event of a conviction. He was holed up for seven years before that in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. US prosecutors had alleged that Mr Assange teamed with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain the records, including by conspiring to crack a Defense Department computer password, and published them without regard to American national security. Names of human sources who provided information to US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan were among the details exposed, prosecutors have said. The indictment was unsealed in 2019, but Mr Assange’s legal woes long predated the criminal case and continued well past it. iPhone plant, Centre seeks report from TN STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 JUNE The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday has taken note of various media reports claiming that married women are not being allowed to work at Foxconn India’s Apple iPhone plant, in in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai. In light of these reports, the Ministry has requested a detailed report from the Labour Department of the Tamil Nadu Government. According to a Reuters report, Foxconn,India’s Apple iPhone plant, has systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main India iPhone assembly plant, on the grounds they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts. S. Paul, a former humanresources executive at Foxconn India, told the news agency that the company’s executives verbally convey the recruitment rules to its Indian hiring agencies which Foxconn tasks with scouting for candidates, bringing them in for interviews and employing them. Apple and Foxconn had acknowledged lapses in hiring practices in 2022 and said they had worked to address the issues. But all the discriminato- ry practices documented by Reuters at the Sriperumbudur plant near Chennai took place in 2023 and 2024, and the companies didn't address those instances. The Ministry of Labour and Employment said: “Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 clearly stipulates that no discrimination to be made while recruiting men and women workers.” “As the State Government is the appropriate authority for the enforcement and administration of the provisions of this Act, hence the report has been sought from the State Government.”