MONDAY 09 SEPTEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR BJP LEADERSHIP TRYING TO CREATE FEAR AMONG HINDUS IN J&K: FAROOQ P5 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. LIGHT RAIN/THUNDERSTORM. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 32 AND 25 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 000.2 Mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % P4 Kolkatans get ready to reclaim night in protest Min: 25.2 °C (0) SUN SETS 18:33 hrs MOON SETS 21:52 hrs THUMBNAILS People walk at the Kartavya Path amid rainy weather conditions in New Delhi on Sunday. n ANI Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi arrives for talks with PM Modi: The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in New Delhi this evening on a three-day visit to India. He was received at the airport by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal and senior India and UAE officials at the airport. P12 TMC’s Jawhar Sircar writes to Mamata; to resign from RS A month after the brutal rape and murder at R G Kar Hospital KOLKATA, 8 SEPTEMBER TEMPERATURE ENGLAND ALL-ROUNDER MOEEN ALI RETIRES FROM INT’L CRICKET P6 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 87% Max: 29.6 °C (-4) SUN RISES 06:04 hrs MOON RISES 12:21 hrs SETBACK TO TRUDEAU CPM IN A TIGHT SPOT IN KERALA OVER ADGP’S MEET WITH RSS LEADER C itizens of Kolkata turned out in their thousands again on the city’s streets from Sunday afternoon as they prepared for another ‘Reclaim the Night’ demonstration, slated to start at 11 p.m, coming a full month after the brutal rape and murder of a post graduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The protests will be reflected by the Indian community in 13 nations across the world. Two key foot marches are being held in south Kolkata ~ one by more than 40 school alumni associations and the other by film actors. Doctors, meanwhile, are continuing with their protests at RG Kar hospital -- the epicentre. The mega protest will be followed up by another “Reclaim the night” demonstration by women. People from various fields ~ musicians, artistes, painters and actors, would also join the 'Reclaim the Doctors carry balloons inscribed with 'Justice For Abhaya' during a protest rally against alleged sexual assault and murder of a trainee doctor of the RG Kar Hospital, in Kolkata on Sunday. n BISWAJIT GHOSHAL Night' demonstration at multiple locations across the city, including at Garia, Shyambazar, Jadavpur 8B and Salt Lake, which begins at 11 p.m. Similar protests will be held in suburban pockets including Barrackpore, Barasat, Budgebudge, Belgharia, Agarpara, Dumdum, Baguiati and other areas. The rape-murder of the second-year postgraduate doctor on 9 August had shocked the country, and provoked an unprecedented outpouring of outrage and anger among Kolkatans and citizens across the country. Junior doctors across the state have also continued their protests despite the Supreme Court's directions to return to work. Angry civil society has joined in, demanding justice, with multiple protests held across the state every day. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is slated to continue hearing on Monday the matter where it has taken suo moto cognisance of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last month. A 3-judge bench, headed by CJI D.Y. Chandra- chud will consider the status report of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), apart from the Centre’s application seeking direction to the West Bengal government to extend full cooperation to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deputed at the R.G. Kar Medical College. In the alternative, the Centre has prayed to the apex court to initiate contempt proceedings against the erring officials of the West Bengal government for “wilful noncompliance” with the order passed by the apex court. The Bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, could not assemble on 5 September due to the non-availability of CJI Chandrachud. In a hearing held on 22 August, the Supreme Court asked the CBI to continue the investigation, apart from taking on record the status report filed by the CBI as well by the Kolkata Police in relation to the vandalisation of the hospital premises on the night of August 14. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 8 SEPTEMBER Trinamul Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar has written to the party chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, expressing his intention to resign as a Member of Parliament and quit politics altogether. Mr Sircar, in his letter, expressed disappointment with the state government’s handling of the situation arising out of the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, as well as disillusionment with the government’s response to corruption, particularly among party leaders and bureaucrats. Mr Sircar in his letter said he would soon go to Delhi to tender his resignation to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha Talks underway for AAP-Cong pre-poll alliance in Haryana STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 SEPTEMBER Talks for a probable alliance in poll-bound Haryana between the INDIA bloc partners, Aam Aadmi Party and Congress are underway. Speaking to the media, AAP MP Raghav Chadha said both the parties have a desire and are hopeful of an alliance. “The last date for nominations is 12th September and we will make a decision before that. If we don't agree or if there is no win-win situation for AAP, we will leave it," he added. "I do not want to make any statement on personal statements or individual seats but I can only tell you that both parties have a desire, a wish, and hope for an alliance”, added Chadha. Speaking to The Statesman, a party source said, “Both parties have not reached a final decision as yet. While the talks are on, we are hopeful of an early decision in favour of a prepoll alliance.” (P3) We consider you as our own, Rajnath tells people of PoK NSA Ajit Doval to visit Moscow; STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ÂI want to tell PoK residents that Pakistan is considering you a foreigner but the people in India do not consider you as such. We consider you as our own and so come and join usÊ JAMMU, 8 SEPTEMBER Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asked the residents of Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoK) to come and join India, as “we consider you as our own unlike Pakistan which treats you as foreigners”. Mr Singh was addressing BJP election rallies in Ramban and Banihal areas of the Jammu division. The Defence Minister said that recently an affidavit was filed by the additional solicitor general in Pakistan stating that PoK is a foreign land. “I want to tell PoK residents that Pakistan is considering you a foreigner but the people in India do not consider you as such. We consider you as our own and so come and join us,” he said. Under the BJP government in J&K there will be so much development on this side that the people in PoK on seeing this would Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses a public rally ahead of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, at Banihal, in Ramban on Sunday. n ANI say that we do not want to live with Pakistan and instead will go to India, he said. Mr Singh came down heavily on the National Conference-Congress alliance over its poll promise of restoring Article 370 and said it is impossible as long as the BJP is there. He welcomed the “sea change” in the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, and said youths now carry laptops and computers instead of pistols and revolvers. “We have abrogated Article 370 for the prosperity of J&K. No one has the courage to restore Article 370,” he said. “I say with confidence that if there’s a BJP government here for the next ten years, J&K will become the number one state of India,” he added. He attacked National Conference vicepresident Omar Abdullah for his remarks on the execution of Afzal Guru, the 2001 Parliament attack convict, asking: “Should Afzal Guru not have been hanged? Should he have been publicly garlanded instead?” Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs. Ukraine conflict to figure in talks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is leaving for Moscow this week amid speculations that India could play a role in resolving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Mr. Doval is visiting Russia primarily to attend a conclave of NSAs of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) countries that is taking place at a time when serious efforts are on to bring the prolonged conflict to an end. Mr Doval's visit to Russia comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Ukraine. The PM had in July visited Russia and called for an early resolution of the conflict through peaceful talks. Several Western nations believe India could play a role in ending the conflict, given its friendship with both Russia and Ukraine. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, fol- Jaishankar reaches Riyadh to attend first India-GCC meet STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE During his visit to Riyadh, Mr Jaishankar will also hold bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers from GCC member countries. NEW DELHI, 8 SEPTEMBER External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Riyadh early Sunday to attend the first India–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which will be held on Monday. “Arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to participate in the First India - Gulf Cooperation Council Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Thank Abdulmajeed Al Smari, Deputy Minister for Protocol Affairs for the warm reception,” the minister wrote on X soon after his arrival. The India-GCC meeting will be held on the margins of the 161st GCC Ministerial Council meeting scheduled to be chaired by Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, President of the current session of the Ministerial Council. Besides India, the GCC Cooperation Council will also hold strategic dialogue with Russia and Brazil which will see the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. Mr Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, emphasised that the GCC Ministerial Council will discuss several reports regard- ing the implementation of decisions made by the Supreme Council of the GCC during the 44th Summit held in Doha in December 2023. “The joint meetings with the Russian, Indian, and Brazilian delegations reflect the GCC countries' commitment to exploring and opening new horizons for cooperation. These meetings aim to strengthen strategic relations with countries and organisations worldwide. Several topics will be discussed in various fields that serve the common interests of both sides and yield benefits for their peoples,” said a statement issued by the GCC Secretary General's office. During his visit to Riyadh, Mr Jaishankar will also hold bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers from GCC member countries. KEY POINTS NEW DELHI, 8 SEPTEMBER “India and the GCC enjoy a deep and multifaceted relationship, in areas including political, trade & investment, energy cooperation, cultural and people-to-people ties. The GCC region has emerged as a major trading partner for India and is home to a large Indian expatriate community, numbering around 8.9 million. The Foreign Ministers meeting will be an opportunity to review and deepen institutional cooperation between India and the GCC across various sectors," the Ministry of External Affairs said. After concluding his engagements in Riyadh, the minister will travel to Berlin in Germany and then to Geneva in Switzerland. 4 The visit follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier trips to Ukraine and Russia, calling for peaceful conflict resolution. 4 Several Western lowing her talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, said India and China can play a role in finding a solution to the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a panel discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Thursday, named India, Brazil and China as possible intermediaries that could play a role in resolving the conflict. Shortly after his trip to Ukraine and meeting with President Zelensky, PM Modi spoke to President Putin over the phone on August 27. A Russian Embassy statement then said that he informed President Putin about his visit to Kyiv and stressed India's commitment to bringing about a settlement by political and diplomatic means. Sources said that it was during this phone call that the leaders decided that NSA Doval would travel to Moscow to further discuss the prospects for peace in Europe. nations believe India could play a role in ending the conflict, given its friendship with both Russia and Ukraine. 4 Russian President Putin named India, Brazil, and China as possible intermediaries in the conflict at the Eastern Economic Forum. 4 PM Modi, after visiting Ukraine, spoke to President Putin on August 27 about India's diplomatic efforts for a peaceful settlement. Suspected monkeypox case under investigation: Union Health Ministry STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 8 SEPTEMBER A young male patient, who recently travelled from a country currently experiencing Mpox (monkeypox) transmission, has been identified as a suspect case of the viral disease, said Union Health Ministry on Sunday. The patient has been isolated in a designated hospital and is currently stable, it said. "Samples from the patient are being tested to confirm the presence of Mpox. The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country," the Ministry said. The development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the NCDC and there is no cause of any undue concern, it said. The Ministry added that the country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel related case and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk. The Ministry, however, did not disclose the place of the suspected case. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda had earlier reviewed the health- care system’s preparedness to handle monkeypox cases. Notably in Delhi, last month, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi issued standard operating procedure (SOP) for handling patients with suspected monkeypox. In its SOP issued to head of all clinical departments/ units, Chief Nursing Officer, among others, the premier institute said,“Monkey pox is a viral zoonosis with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although clinically less severe. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Monkey pox outbreak as a public health emergency of International concern, thereby requiring heightened awareness. rapid identification, and stringent infection control measures to prevent further spread.”
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