RAIN WASHES OUT SECOND DAY OF KANPUR TEST A PROTAGONIST OF THE PAST 29 SEPTEMBER 2024 GLOBETROTTER OF HYDERABAD www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 PAGE 16 PAGE 17 PAGE 19 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 PAGES 20 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Possibility of light rain in some areas. Maximum and Minimum Temperature most likely to be around 33˚C and 27˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 9.5 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97% Hezbollah’s leader killed in Israeli strike Israel vows to continue going after leaders of the militant organisation Min. 75% TEMPERATURE Max: 32.0˚C (-1.2) Min: 26.6˚C (+0.6) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:27 hrs 17:27 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 01:30 hrs 15:06 hrs New Moon on 03 October THUMBNAILS AGENCIES TEHERAN, 28 SEPTEMBER T Temples partially submerged in floodwater due to the increase in the water level of the Shipra River following heavy rainfall, in Ujjain on Saturday.n ANI Two terrorists killed in encounter with security personnel in J&K: Two unidentified terrorists were killed and five security forces personnel, including a police officer, injured on Saturday in an encounter in Arigam area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir. The injured have been identified as Additional Superintendent of Police, Kulgam, Mumtaz Ali Bhatti, and sepoys Mohan Sharma, Sohan Kumar, Yoginder and Mohammad Isran of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian Army. he Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Saturday announced that its chief, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah was "martyred in a criminal attack" on the southern suburbs of Beirut, late Friday evening. "Our leadership is committed to continuing the jihad against the enemy and supporting Gaza and defending Lebanon and its steadfast nation," the organisation said in a statement. According to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, the successive Israeli raids on Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut led, according to an unofficial (Left) Hassan Nasrallah; flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. nAGENCIES toll, to the death of six people and the injury of 91. An Iranian general, Abbas Nilforushan, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard, died in the same airstrike, the Iranian government confirmed. Earlier in the day, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that the Hezbollah chief has been eliminated following a strike on the headquarters of the group in the southern suburbs of Beirut late Friday. The IDF stated that Nasrallah will no longer be able to "terrorise the world". Nasrallah has been asso- FIR registered against FM Sitharaman for ‘extortion’ through electoral bonds AGENCIES BENGALURU, 28 SEPTEMBER Karnataka Police have registered an FIR against Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday in connection with allegations of 'extortion' through electoral bonds. Tilak Nagar police in Bengaluru have filed the FIR as per the directions of the Special Court of MLAs/MPs. Ms Sitharaman has been named as the prime accused in the case. The officials of ED have been named as the second accused while the office bearers of the Central BJP office have been named as the third accused, former Karnataka BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel as the fourth accused and state BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra as the fifth accused in the case. The state BJP office bearers are named as the sixth accused. The police have registered the FIR under IPC Sections 384 (extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons in fur- therance of common intention). The Bengaluru Special Court had ordered the filing of an FIR against Ms Sitharaman and others for the crime of “extortion” through Electoral Bonds. Co-President of Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishat Adarsh R Iyer is the complainant in the case. The Special Court had given directions to file FIR in this regard on Friday. The complainant had accused the Union Finance Minister and others of committing extortion through the medium of Electoral Bonds. The court had ordered the filing of an FIR to the jurisdictional SHO of Tilak Nagar police station in Bengaluru. The next hearing date is fixed on 10 October. The complainant has submitted that Ms Sitharaman, in connivance with the other accuse, many of whom are holding constitutional posts, CEOs and MDs of national, multi-national and transnational corporate companies, committed extortion under the guise and garb of electoral bonds and benefited to the tune of more than Rs 8,000 crores. The complainant has mentioned that the prime accused through the clandestine aid and support of the officials facilitated the extortion of thousands of crores for the benefit of the third accused at the national level and the fourth accused in the state of Karnataka. ciated with Hezbollah since the group's inception in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. In 1992, he took over as the leader of the organisation with an aim to make it a hybrid political-military entity. “During the 32 years of the terrorist Hassan Nasrallah's tenure as the leader of Hezbollah, he was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, and for the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist acts against the State of Israel and around the world. Nasrallah was the main decision-maker and the sole approver of strategic-systemic decisions, and sometimes also tactical decisions in the organisation," Israeli Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said on Saturday. The IDF said that, along with Nasrallah, several other commanders of the organisation - including Ali Karchi, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front - have been eliminated in the strikes by fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force "under the precise intelligence guidance of the intelligence wing and the defence system", at the underground central headquarters of Hezbollah, located under a residential building, in the Daha area of Beirut. “This is not the end of the toolbox, it should be very clear. There are more tools to go forward. The message is a simple message: whoever threatens the citizens of the State of Israel we will know how to reach them. In the north, in the south, even in more distant places,” said the Israeli Army chief. (See also Page 14) STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 28 SEPTEMBER absolute majority in J&K,” the PM said. He further said that the results of J& K Assembly elections will be declared on 8 October during the auspicious Navratri. This time Vijayadashami will be an auspicious beginning for all of us. Be it Jammu, Samba or Kathua, only one slogan is echoing everywhere and that is of bringing BJP into power in J&K, he declared. “In this election, people are scripting a new chapter. For decades, only Congress, National Conference, and PDP leaders and their families thrived here, while you faced destruction. The Congress party is primarily responsible for the destruction of our generations,” he said. The Prime Minister also said that the people of Jammu never had this opportunity before, and for the first time, “a government of the people's choice of Jammu is going to AGENCIES NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER In a sharp reply to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that Islamabad's policy of cross-border terrorism will never succeed, and the country “can have no expectation of impunity”. “Actions will certainly have consequences," said Mr Jaishankar in his address at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. “We heard some bizarre assertions from this very forum yesterday. Let me make India's position very clear ~ Pakistan's policy of cross-border terrorism will never succeed. And it can have no expectation of impunity. On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences.” India has repeatedly raised its concern over Pak- istan's support of crossborder terrorism and has asserted that terror and talks cannot go together. “The issue to be resolved between us is only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan and, of course, abandonment of Pakistan's long-standing attachment to terrorism,” Mr Jaishankar added. The external affairs minister stated that “Terrorism is antithetical of everything that the world stands for.” “All its forms and manifestations must be resolutely opposed. The sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons,” he said. In his all out attack on Pakistan, Mr Jaishankar said: “GDP can be measured in terms of radicalisation” and “its exports in the form of terrorism.” “Many coun- tries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood,” Mr Jaishankar said. “Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can't blame the world; this is only karma.” Earlier, the First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Bhavika Mangalanandan, on Friday (local time) called out Pakistan's "hypocrisy" for raking up Kashmir and questioning the Jammu and Kashmir election in India's Right to Reply at the UNGA session. In a strong rebuttal to allegations made by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his address to the UNGA, the Indian diplomat said that Pakistan had used “terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir.” “The truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India. A reference has been made to some proposals of strategic restraint," she said. Mumbai on high alert Internet cut after Bhadrak violence after potential security threat tip-off STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHADRAK , 28 SEPTEMBER AGENCIES MUMBAI, 28 SEPTEMBER Mumbai Police have beefed up security in and around the city especially at crowded and sensitive places in view of possible security threats, tipped off by central intelligence agencies, official sources said here on Saturday. The police have been directed to maintain a strict vigil, particularly in public places and hotspots, religious or tourist places and other important locations, besides keeping tabs on vehicular movements. Besides, mock drills are being conducted - including one at a minority-dominated location in south Mumbai on Friday - and police deployment has been increased at some important locations and public places including beaches. The directives come ahead of the upcoming Navratri-Durga Puja festivals, followed by Diwali and the likelihood of Maharashtra Assembly elections being announced soon. Major religious places including temples have been advised to increase their internal and external security details, while Zonal Deputy Commissioners of Police have been asked to keep an eye on their jurisdictions for any suspicious activities. However, officials assured that the enhanced security measures are precautionary in the interests of the safety and security of the people and public installations. It may be recalled that a political party had laid siege to the All India Radio offices, near Churchgate and squatted outside the state government headquarters, while an allegedly deranged woman sneaked into the high-security Mantralaya on Friday and attempted to vandalise the office of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, sparking security concerns. Modi predicts BJP govt in J&K with absolute majority Predicting a BJP government with absolute majority for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the heavy voting in the first two phases has indicated that the mood of the people was in favour of the BJP. Addressing a well-attended poll rally here ahead of the third and final phase of voting for 40 Assembly seats on 1 October, Mr Modi said the people want peace and a better future for their children, and that is the reason they want a BJP government in J&K. “There has been a strong turnout in favour of the BJP in both phases. Now, we will witness formation of BJP's first government with an Cross-border terrorism will have consequences, EAM tells Pakistan be formed. This is the city of temples, do not let this opportunity go out of your hands.” “Jammu has suffered gross indiscrimination at the hands of the Congress, National Conference and PDP, and BJP will remove that discrimination,” he said, adding: “I am filled with a great feeling of patriotism when I visit Jammu. Maharaja Hari Singh, Mehr Chand Mahajan and Pandit Prem Nath Dogra have been produced by this land. Today is also the birth anniversary of Martyr Bhagat Singh, I salute his martyrdom.” Lashing out at the Congress, the PM said: “Today’s Congress is completely in the clutches of urban Naxals. When infiltrators come here from abroad, Congress seems to welcome them, seeing them as part of their vote bank, while mocking the pain of their own people. Congress, the National Con- ference, and PDP are the biggest enemies of the Constitution drafted by Baba Sahib Ambedkar”. We gave voting rights in Assembly elections to the Balmikis and West Pakistani refugees who were denied this for the past 75 years by the dynastic parties, the PM said. We have reserved six seats in the Assembly for the Scheduled Tribes, he added. Mr Modi said: “Remember that time when bullets were fired from Pakistan and the Congress used to wave white flags. When the BJP government responded to the bullets with shells, the people on that side came to their senses. On this day in the year 2016, on the night of 28 September, a surgical strike was carried out that sent a message that the BJP government will strike at terrorists in their own homes. A day after violence erupted in Bhadrak town over a ‘blasphemous’ post on a social media account, the state government withdrew internet services for 48 hours on Saturday. Nine persons who had attacked the police and injured five policemen yesterday have been arrested. The person who made the social media post has also been arrested. To avert possible breach of peace, the district administration has enforced prohibitory order under Section 163 under BNSS in Purana Bazar area and Dhamna- gar. Disturbances ensued yesterday over a Facebook post shared by a man that triggered widespread resentment in the area. In response, a group of protesters staged a rally and blocked roads, burning tyres demanding the man's arrest.