WEDNESDAY 03 JULY 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 ENSURE RELEASE OF FISHERMEN ARRESTED BY SRI LANKA: STALIN STORMY SUMMER AHEAD FOR KISHIDA P7 SENSEX 79,441.4534.73 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. MODERATE RAIN/THUNDERSTORM/LIGHTNING ACCOMPANIED WITH GUSTY WINDS(SPEED 25-35 KMPH). THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 35 AND 28 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 76 % TEMPERATURE P4 NIFTY 24,123.8518.10 P9 GOLD 72,380100 ` vs $ 83.47 Min: 30.7 °C (+3) SUN SETS 19:23 hrs MOON SETS 17:12 hrs THUMBNAILS Assam Rifles personnel assist an elderly woman amid the evacuation during the flood relief operation following heavy rainfall in Imphal on Tuesday.  ANI Fresh NEET-PG dates likely this week, cyber P sleuths hold meet: Fresh dates for the NEET-PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test- Postgraduate) are likely to be announced this week, with the exam expected to be held in August, according to officials of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBE), which conducts the test.The NBE had postponed the NEET-PG late at night on 22 June, less than 12 hours before it was scheduled to be held. Assam floods: The second wave of floods in Assam has wreaked havoc across the state, affecting more than 600,000 people and resulting in the deaths of over 34 people. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has communicated with PM Narendra Modi regarding the dire situation, caused due to heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh and sev(Page 10) eral districts within Assam. NEW DELHI, 2 JULY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday blasted the Congress and its allies for spreading lies and said they would not be able to derail the nation’s progress for which his government had received a mandate from people for a third consecutive time in the biggest election of the world. Delivering a nearly twoand-a-half hour reply to the Lok Sabha debate on President Droupadi Murmu’s address to Parliament, he said, amid continuous uproar by the Opposition, the nation will not forgive what Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said about Hindus being violent, and hoped Speaker Om P12 SILVER 91,000800 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 84.940.64 116 dead in stampede at satsang in UP’s Hathras Around 50 people were also injured in the worst-ever tragedy in Uttar Pradesh A t least 116 people, mostly women, were killed in a stampede during a ‘satsang’ (religious gathering) in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday in the state’s worst-ever tragedy. Around 50 people were also injured in the incident. Laxity on the part of the organisers of the ‘Bhola Baba satsang' is blamed for the tragedy. The stampede occurred as people were leaving the venue after the event were blocked due to a convoy, and some of them fell into an open pit amid the crush, sparking off further panic. DGP Prashant Kumar, who along with Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh reached here, told reporters that 116 people have lost their lives. He said FIRs will be registered against the organisers and others. Earlier, Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar said 60 people have been confirmed dead at the Community Health Centre, Hathras, and over 100 injured people have been admitted in different hospitals in Hathras, Etah and Aligarh. He also said that the death toll may surpass the 100-mark. The bodies of 27 people, includ- Family members wait outside the emergency ward of a hospital in Etah on Tuesday. ANI Laxity on the part of the organisers of the ‘Bhola Baba satsang' is blamed for the tragedy. The stampede occurred after people, who were leaving the venue after the event, were blocked due to a convoy, and some of them fell into an open pit amid the crush, sparking off further panic. Birla will take action as per expectations of the nation and the House. The Prime Minister said the government is serious about stopping paper leaks during examinations, on which the President had drawn attention in her address. He said steps have been taken and arrests have been made in the NEET examination paper leaks at several places. Those guilty would not be spared. The government has already enacted a strong law to deal with the menace of paper leakages, he said. The Lok Sabha adopted the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address after rejecting all amendments by a voice vote. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh moved a motion to condemn Opposition distur- Truth can’t be expunged: Rahul writes to Speaker after parts of speech axed Rahul writes to PM Modi over NEET issue Religious storyteller Bhole Baba, who came to Hathras for the programme, is a resident of Bahadur Nagar of Patiali in Kasganj district. His original name is SP Singh and he had left his job as a sub inspector of police 17 years ago and since then started giving religious sermons. ing 23 women, are in Etah Medical College hospital. Religious storyteller Bhole Baba, who came to Hathras for the programme, is a resident of Bahadur Nagar of Patiali in Kasganj district. His original name is SP Singh and he had left his job as a sub inspector of police 17 years ago and since then started giving religious sermons. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to lodge an FIR against the event organisers and the government officers concerned. He also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He will visit Hathras on Wednesday, his office said. Speaking in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths. On social media, President Droupadi Murmu said the news was heartrending. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed sadness. According to an eyewitness, the incident took place after the ‘satsang’ in Phulrai village, located on Etah Road near Sikandrarau town of the district ended. As people were exiting the venue after the ‘satsang’ ended around 12.30 p.m, the crowd was obstructed by the convoy of the storyteller, Bhole Baba.There was a deep pit there, and some people fell into it, and a stampede broke out. People panicked and trampled each other. Many died after falling into the pit. As the weather condition was extremely humid and sultry, the devotees were eager to exit the place. The DM said that the organisers had taken permission from the SDM for the religious programme, but the crowd was more than expected. He said most of the deceased were residents of Hathras and Etah. Reports from the spot said that over 20,000 people had gathered for the satsang while the permission was for merely 5,000 people. The parking area was in a 3 kms radius and devotees from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana were also present. ‘NDA got mandate record third time; Cong can’t derail progress’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SAI, JITESH, HARSHIT IN SQUAD FOR T20IS AGAINST ZIMBABWE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HATHRAS, 2 JULY Min. 61 % Max: 36.7 °C (-1) SUN RISES 05:29 hrs MOON RISES 03:29 hrs AFTER COURT’S IMMUNITY RULING, BIDEN SAYS UP TO PEOPLE TO CHECK TRUMP Combo Photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Parliament session on Tuesday.  ANI bances during the Prime Minister’s speech and it was approved after Home Minister Amit Shah seconded it. The House was adjourned sine die after this. Mr Modi said the 2024 election had given a mandate to the Congress to sit in the Opposition, but it was trying to spread the impres- sion that it had defeated the BJP. “When you have no arguments, you go on shouting,” he said. In Congress history, he said, it was the third time that it had failed to go beyond 100; it was its third biggest defeat, and third worst performance. The Prime Minister said the Congress should have accepted its defeat and done introspection, but what they look like doing is “sheershasan.” Wherever there was a straight fight between the BJP and the Congress, the Congress could get a strike rate of just 26 per cent; and most of the 99 seats the party won were the gift of its allies only, Mr Modi said. Not just the Congress Party, he said the Congress “eco-system” has also been a challenge for the country after 2014. “I want to warn this ecosystem that it thinks it can derail the nation’s progress, but it will get the reply in its own language. This country will not accept any conspiracy against it,” Mr Modi said. “What happened yesterday in the Lok Sabha cannot be taken lightly,” the Prime Minister said. “Their actions are not simple and their lies create doubts about the power of reasoning of people. They are a big slap on the nation’s glory and the Speaker has the responsibility to respond, the nation and the House hope he will take effective action. On the Constitution and reservation also, the Congress has always spoken lies,” he said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 JULY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 JULY Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote a letter to Speaker Om Birla after portions of his speech were expunged from Parliamentary records by the Chair. Mr Gandhi wrote to the Speaker saying "selective expunction" defies logic and that the remarks be restored. In his first speech as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Gandhi had launched an all-out attack on the BJP, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines. Some remarks he made during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address were expunged by the Speaker. “Shocked to note the manner in which a considerable portion of my speech has been simply taken off from the proceedings under the garb of expunction,” Mr Gandhi wrote in the letter. “It is every member's right to raise people's concerns on the floor of the House. It is that right and in exercise Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the NEETUG exam 2024 row and urged for a debate in Parliament over the matter. Notably, the Congressled INDIA bloc has been alleging a scam in the NEET-UG exam. In his letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Mr Gandhi wrote: “I am writing to request for a debate in Parliament on NEET. As you are aware, the Opposition's request for a debate on this issue was denied in both Houses of Parliament on June 28th . Yesterday, the Opposition had requested for a discussion on this issue again. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Om Birla) had given assurance to the Opposition that he would discuss the matter with the government.” of my obligations to the people of the country that I was exercising yesterday,” he said. Referring to the speech of BJP MP Anurag Thakur, Mr Gandhi said that despite the former's speech being full of allegations, only one word was expunged. “With due respect to your good self, this selective expunction defies logic,” the Congress MP from Rae Bareli wrote in the letter. ‘Courts are made of hope of justice, Farmer’s suicide video embarrasses Regional, global issues to Congress government in Telangana figure at SCO Summit; EAM and to realise its virtues & rule of law’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, 2 JULY A video shot by a farmer from Khammam alleging that his land was being encroached upon by local Congress leaders, shortly before he consumed pesticide, has sent shock waves throughout Telangana. The deceased had shot the video to draw the attention of chief minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, urging them to deliver justice to his family. The deceased was identified as 46-year-old Bojadla Prabhakar, a farmer of Proddutur village in Chintakani mandal of Khammam district. His three-acre land had been encroached by five villagers who had used an earthmover to mow his plot. The video surfaced on the social platform ‘X’ in which a tearful Prabhakar stood with a bottle of pesticide and com- The deceased was identified as 46-year-old Bojadla Prabhakar, a farmer of Proddutur village of Khammam dist plained that he had approached the local Tehsildar and police with his complaints but in vain. He had also reached the collectorate where the collector held weekly grievance meetings but the staff had told him that time had run out. “My attempts to bring the issue to the notice of district authorities at grievance redressal meeting were futile. I had cast my vote for the Congress party with the hope that it will be a pro-farmer regime but now I am left with no other option but to take the extreme step,” the farmer said in the video. Apparently, he had then called up his family and consumed the pesticide. He was found under a mango grove and passed away before he could be shifted to a hospital. The incident not only sent shock waves throughout the state, it also came as a massive embarrassment for the ruling Congress, particularly since it occurred in Madhira constituency represented by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhikramarka. Also agriculture minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao comes from Khammam district. As the Opposition BRS and BJP raised the issue on social media, a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office confirmed that a probe has been launched. “CM reacted strongly to the suicide of Bojadla Prabhakar, a farmer from Prodduturu village in Chintakani Mandal of Khammam district. Chief minister has ordered officials to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the incident immediately and take strict action against those responsible,” it was stated. to lead Indian delegation STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 JULY NEW DELHI, 2 JULY Issues of regional and international importance are expected to figure prominently at the 24th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit) to be held on Thursday in Astana, under the presidency of Kazakhstan, it was officially announced on Tuesday. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation to Astana for the summit which will be attended by leaders of all member countries, including China, Russia and Pakistan. At the summit, the leaders are expected to review the organization’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of multilateral cooperation. India’s priorities in SCO are shaped by Prime Minis- ter Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘SECURE’ SCO. SECURE stands for Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection, the Ministry of External Affairs said. India, under its firstever presidency of SCO, hosted the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in July last year in a virtual format. The Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud on Tuesday said that court premises, like all buildings, are not just made of bricks and concrete, they are made of hope and to realise the virtues of justice and the rule of law. The CJI, in his address on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of court complexes at Delhi's Karkardooma, Shastri Park & Rohini Sector 26, said that every case filed before the court is with the hope of justice. Justice Chandrachud further said: “When we invest in the safety, accessibility and comfort of our judges, lawyers and litigants, we built more than just an efficient system, we make for a just and inclusive system.” He added that since the inception of the Karkardooma courts in 1993, numerous expansion projects and additional complexes have been constructed and completed. The new court complexes enhance the efficiency of the court and reduce pendency, the CJI said. Throwing more light in courts, he added they are a repository of precedent and an accumulation of social histories, and judges apply the present law drawing upon the past law to shape the future law, and through their ruling they bridge historic legal principles with contemporary issues and challenges, crafting the legal landscape for tomorrow, the CJI said. Jus- tice Chandrachud said that courts engage in rigorous discussion and arguments over legal principles and their application to specific cases. The judges carefully deliberate on the merits of each side's arguments before reaching a decision, ensuring a thorough and balanced examination of the issues at hand, he added. “Much like how the cornerstone of buildings shapes its structure and orientation, the cornerstone of justice and equality must shape the orientation of the court's approach to cases,” the CJI noted. Highlighting the importance of district judiciary, the CJI said: “Our district judiciary is at the frontline to secure justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.” “Courts are the guardians of these foundation virtues, we uphold them by rights based substantive laws and fairness based procedural laws,” he added.