22 SEPTEMBER 2024 KHARGE QUESTIONS BJP’S PEACE NARRATIVE IN J&K www.thestatesman.com PAGE 5 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KERALA CM STANDS BY ADGP AJITH KUMAR, HIS POLITICAL SECRETARY GILL ON A HIGH AFTER TON AGAINST BANGLADESH PAGE 4 PAGE 4 PAGE 12 PAGE 12 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 PAGES 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR PM: Quad working for peace in Indo-Pacific Modi to attend Quad summit, to hold bilateral talks with US President Biden STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 SEPTEMBER P rime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the United States on Saturday on a threeday visit, saying he looks forward to participating in the Quad Summit being hosted by President Joe Biden in his hometown Wilmington and addressing 'The Summit of the Future' at the UN General Assembly in New York. “PM@narendramodi arrives in the historic city of Philadelphia. An actionpacked day with engagements in bilateral and Quad formats in Wilmington, Delaware lies ahead,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on social media platform X. In a statement before his departure, Mr Modi said he is keen to join “my colleagues” President Biden, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan for the Quad Summit. The forum, he noted, has emerged as a key group of like-minded countries to work for peace, progress and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The PM said his meeting with President Biden will allow the two leaders to review and identify new pathways to further deepen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for the benefit of their people and the global good. “I am eagerly looking forward to engaging with the Indian diaspora and important American business leaders, who are the key stakeholders and provide vibrancy to the unique partnership between the largest and the oldest democracies of the world,” he said. Mr Modi said 'The Summit of the Future' is an opportunity for the global community to chart the road ahead for the betterment of humanity. ''I will share views of one-sixth of humanity as their stakes in a peaceful and secure future are among the highest in the world,'' he added. The four-nation Quad Summit will take place late tonight. On the margins of the summit, Mr Modi will hold bilateral meetings with President Biden and the PMs of Australia and Japan. Mr Modi will hold wide- ranging talks with President Biden on bilateral issues as well as global developments, including the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia. According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, the meeting between the two leaders gives the PM an opportunity to thank President Biden for his pioneering role in strengthening the India-US relationship and for several new initiatives such as the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies. This is likely to be Mr Modi’s final official meeting with Mr Biden, who has announced that he won't be running for re-election. Agreements related to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the IndiaUS Drug Framework will also be exchanged between the two countries during Mr Modi’s visit. Asked if a meeting between the PM and former US President Donald Trump was also scheduled, Mr Misri said: "There are many meetings which we are trying to fix. Right now, I will not be able to tell you about any specific meeting." Mr Trump, who is in the running for the US presidency as the Republican Party candidate, earlier announced that he would be meeting Mr Modi during the latter’s visit to America. AAP leader Atishi takes oath as Delhi CM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 SEPTEMBER Senior AAP leader Atishi on Saturday took oath as the new Chief Minister of Delhi, in a ceremony held at the Raj Niwas here. Other than the CM, five Cabinet ministers were also sworn in alongside her, as Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena administered their oath. The members of the Cabinet include familiar faces, such as Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, and Imran Hussain, while Mukesh Ahlawat is a new entrant. The oath-taking ceremony was a relatively low-key affair, given the circumstances of outgoing CM Arvind Kejriwal's resignation, who had announced his decision to step down, stating he would return to the post only after receiving a "certificate of honesty" from the people of Delhi in the upcoming assembly polls due early next year. He had proposed Atishi's name and the same was approved by AAP legislators in its party meeting, where she was chosen as the leader. Minister of State, Corporate Affairs and Lok Sabha MP from East Delhi Harsh Malhotra, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, AAP leader Manish Sisodia, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Being the third woman CM of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit, Atishi's leadership will be keenly watched. She has previously handled over 10 portfolios in the Kejriwal government, including Education, Higher Education, and Public Works Department. She had earlier said that she was not happy as her leader, Mr Kejriwal, had to resign from the post, and had asked people not to congratulate her. She had also said that she would not let anyone hamper the works of Delhi, and also Shah promises strong response to cross-border firing at J&K rally STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 21 SEPTEMBER Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday warned that if bullets are fired from across the Line of Control (LOC) by Pakistani troops, these will be replied to with bomb shells and not dialogue. “Goli will be responded with Gola,” he said while addressing a poll rally in favour of the BJP candidate Murtaza Khan in Poonch district’s Mendhar town along the LOC with the Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). Mr Shah arrived here on Friday evening for three days campaigning. Besides Mendhar, he also addressed rallies in other border towns of Surankot, Thanamandi, Rajouri and Akhnoor. He said there is peace along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan fears Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would not dare to open fire. He said: “The days of crossborder firing are over. Pakistan is now afraid of PM Modi. There were times when the people in power here were afraid of Pakistan. The situation has completely changed”. “I want to remind you of cross-border firings in the 1990s. Is cross-border firing happening today?” he asked. Mr Shah said: “I am from Gujarat and I could never think that I could address people in Mendhar just 2 km away from the LOC. Praising the Gujjar, Bakarwal and Pahari communities of Rajouri and Poonch districts, Mr Shah said they have always stood as soldiers whenever there was a war with Pakistan after 1947. “The entire country is proud of you. I appeal to you to join hands with PM Narendra Modi to protect the country”. Hitting out at the three families — the Abdullahs, Muftis and Congress — Mr Shah asked the people to end their domination in the ongoing assembly elections. They stopped democracy from taking roots in J&K, he said. The first phase of polling is over and I can say with certainty that the National Conference-Congress alliance is not coming to power in J&K, Mr Shah asserted. During the regime of Farooq Abdullah and the Mufti family, more than 40,000 innocent people became targets of terrorists and were killed. Prime Minister Modi has eliminated terrorism and we have given laptops in the hands of the youth who were earlier pelting stones. Terrorism will return if the Congress-NC alliance comes to power, he warned. work towards getting Arvind Kejriwal back as CM. The senior AAP leader had also said that she would work under the guidance of the AAP chief. It was last week that Mr Kejriwal had said he would resign from the post of CM and undergo trial by fire (agni pariksha), to get the certificate of honesty from the public after allegations of corruption were levelled against him in the Delhi excise policy. Mr Kejriwal had made this announcement after being released on bail in the Delhi excise policy case and has said that now he would go before the people and only become CM when people vote him to power. Atishi becomes the second serving woman chief minister in the country at present, alongside Bengal's Mamata Banerjee. She is also the 17th woman chief minister of a state in Independent India. Amar Preet Singh appointed as next Chief of the Air Staff STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 SEPTEMBER Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, presently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, has been appointed as the next Chief of the Air Staff. His appointment will take effect from 30 September when the present Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, demits office, an official announcement said Saturday. Born on 27 October 1964, Air Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984. During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff, Instructional and Foreign appointments.