TUESDAY 03 SEPTEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 14 |` 5.00|LC* KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR 'RULE OF LAW' HAS CHANGED UP’S PERCEPTION: CM YOGI ‘BJP IN TOUCH WITH PDP FOR POSSIBLE ELECTORAL TIE-UP’ P5 SENSEX 82,559.84 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Possibility of Light rain / thundershower in some areas. Maximum and Minimum Temperature most likely to be around 33˚C and 28˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 0.6 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 89 % NIFTY 25,278.70 P8 ` vs $ 83.90 P9 GOLD 73,685 Min: 28.2˚C (+1.6) SUN SETS 17:53 hrs MOON SETS 17:37 hrs Full Moon on 03 September THUMBNAILS Revanth urges PM to declare TÊgana floods national calamity: Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy has appealed to Prime Narendra Modi to declare the floods in the state as a national calamity and allocate Rs 2,000 crore immediately for relief work after heavy rain claimed 16 lives in the state since yesterday and caused large scale damage to crops and property including to train tracks and roads between Hyderabad and Vijayawada. He also invited the Prime Minister to inspect the devastation caused by unprecedented rain which was roughly estimated to be about Rs 5000 crore. As the state government increased the ex-gratia amount to the kin of the deceased to Rs5 lakh from Rs 4 lakh the BRS demanded it should be raised to Rs 25 lakh as promised by Reddy when Congress was in the Opposition. (PG4) SC grants bail to Bibhav Kumar: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar, accused of assaulting Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal. Granting bail to Kumar, a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan noted that he is in custody for 100 days and chargesheet has already been filed in the case. The court also considered that there were more than 51 witnesses cited by the prosecution for examination and the conclusion of the trial will take some time. “Petitioner is in custody for 100 days. Chargesheet filed. Injuries are simple. It's a case for bail, you should not oppose. You can't keep a person in jail in such a case,” the court told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who appeared for the Delhi police opposed to the grant of bail to Bibhav Kumar. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 76.25 CBI arrests former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh The ruling TMC, having majority in the House, will have no difficulty in getting the Bill passed Min. 54% A huge crowd of devotees gather to take a dip in river Ganga on the occasion of Somvati Amavasya, in Haridwar on Monday. n ANI P14 SILVER 86,900 Assembly set to table anti-rape law today TEMPERATURE Max: 34.2˚C (+1.7) SUN RISES 05:20 hrs MOON RISES 04:28 hrs NITESH KUMAR CLINCHES PARALYMPIC GOLD GENERAL STRIKE IN ISRAEL OVER HOSTAGES FOUND DEAD IN GAZA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 2 SEPTEMBER A Bill that proposes stringent anti-rape law will be placed in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly tomorrow. The step has been taken following the alleged rape-murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on 9 August. The ruling Trinamul Congress, having an overwhelming majority in the House, will have no difficulty in getting the Bill passed. It will be then sent to the Governor for his assent. The Governor has also spoken to the Union law minister on whether he should give his assent to the Bill or not, it is learnt. It is for the first time in the country when a state government has proposed to bring a Bill on strict anti-rape law. The unfortunate incident at R G Kar medical College and Hospital took place on 9 August. The city police arrested the main accused within 24 hours. On 14 August, the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI inquiry, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee took part in a procession demanding capital punishment of the accused. She wrote two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to make stringent anti-rape law. However, the Prime Minister is yet to respond to the letters. Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had announced that he would move Private Member Bill in the next Session of the Lok Sabha on stringent anti-rape law. Political leaders said the proposal to table a Bill on stringent anti-rape law in the Assembly will put the state BJP on the backfoot. If the BJP MLAs remain in the House, they will have to take part in the discussion. If they oppose the Bill, it will give a wrong signal to the people. The BJP has demanded resignation of the chief minister on the issue. The experts said in all likelihood, the BJP MLAs will boycott the House tomorrow. It may be mentioned that while addressing the foundation day of Chhatra Parishad, Abhishek Banerjee had said that the BJP would never enact stringent antirape act as in such a case, their functionaries will be arrested for their alleged involvement in the crime. BJP only political party that is following democratic process: PM NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 2 SEPTEMBER Taking a dig at the Opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the BJP is the only political party that is following the democratic process. Modi, who launched the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national membership campaign 'Sangathan Parva, Sadasyata Abhiyan 2024' at the party headquarters here, said ,"This is the only political party in India that is following the democratic process while expanding its work, and continues to improve to live up to the expectations of the people." "Several generations have invested their lives into this party, then today the party has made its place in the hearts of the people," the prime minister said. He said from the days of Bharatiya Jana Sangh till now, "we have made all possible efforts to bring a new political culture in the country." "Another round of 'Sadasyata Abhiyan' is beginning today. From Bharatiya Jana Sangh till now, we have made all possible efforts to bring a new political culture in the country. The organisation or political party through which people give power, that unit, that organisation, that party... if it doesn't follow democratic values, if internal democracy doesn't live in it, then a situation arises which is faced by several other political parties today," Modi said. PM Modi received his BJP membership renewal certificate from party president JP Nadda at the 'Sangathan Parva, Sadasyata Abhiyan 2024' here. Modi became the first member of the BJP for the campaign by giving a missed call to 8800002024, followed by receiving an SMS from the party to complete his membership registration. The launch marked the beginning of BJP’s 'Sangathan Parva, Sadasyata Abhiyan 2024' aimed at expanding its membership nationwide. Modi, who launched the BJP's 2024 membership drive by renewing his membership, said the membership drive and the organisational structure that will be established during this period will coincide with the implementation of 33 per cent reservation in Legislative SC to frame guidelines on bulldozer practice PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 2 SEPTEMBER The Supreme Court, on Monday, came down heavily on bulldozer justice – demolition of the houses of the accused persons – and said the properties of the accused can't be demolished even if he is convicted. Questioning the practice of demolishing the houses of the accused using bulldozers, which has come to be described as ‘bulldozer justice’, a bench of Justice B R Gavai and Justice K V Viswanathan said they would frame guidelines to be applicable across the country and asked the parties to the case to give their suggestions. While taking a firm posi- tion against the authorities demolishing the houses of the accused persons, the court, however, made it clear that it would not protect any illegal structure obstructing public roads. Stating that the demolition of properties should be done as per the law, the top court assured that it would resolve the issue and posted the matter for hearing on September 17. Appearing for the Central government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said no property belonging to a person can be bulldozed merely because someone is involved in some criminal case or convicted and this can only be done under the provisions of the municipal laws. Assemblies and Parliament. "If this 33 per cent reservation for women is to be introduced during this time, then in my membership drive, can we include all those individuals who can help my party ensure that the maximum number of women are elected as MLAs and MPs, thus making this crucial decision a success?" he said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 2 SEPTEMBER The Central bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital after 15 days’ interrogation, allegedly in connection with financial irregularities, which the central agency is probing. The arrest of Mr Ghosh was made after 26 days since the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital took place. His arrest became apparent after the CBI officers were seen escorting Mr Ghosh in a car towards its city office at Nizam Palace from the CGO complex in Salt Lake, in the late evening. Speculation of his impending arrest started growing after security at Nizam Palace was suddenly increased. Till date, he had been interrogated by the CBI in connection with this alleged complicity in corruption charges, which the former deputy superintendent of R G Kar Akhtar Ali had raised.The CBI, which was The arrest of Mr Ghosh was made after 26 days after the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital took place. investigating the alleged corruption charges levelled by Mr Ali, had for the last few days collected evidence in the form of various documents from the hospital authorities, visited the mortuary of the hospital and also interrogated the current MSVP Saptarshi Chatterjee. He was also put through a polygraph test. Earlier today, the Enforcement Directorate, which has started a probe into alleged money laundering charges, today quizzed former R G Kar employee Akhtar Ali allegedly in connection with money laundering charges. On hearing the news of the arrest, the agitating junior doctors, who were staging sit-in near Lalbazar, erupted in joy but demanded that he must be suspended now by the state government.