WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘SARDAR PATEL DEPRIVED OF BHARAT RATNA FOR LONG’ DEMOCRATS ESCALATE ATTACKS ON TRUMP P9 SENSEX 80,369.03p363.99 WEATHER Thunderstorms developing in afternoon. Storms may be severe. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 32°C and 26°C respectively. JAPAN'S CRISIS P5 NIFTY 24,466.85p127.70 ` vs $ 84.07 P6 ECI rejects Congress' Haryana poll claim Max. 89% Min. 75% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 29 OCTOBER Max: 32.4˚C SUN RISES 05:40 hrs MOON RISES 03:39 hrs Min: 26.8˚C SUN SETS 17:00 hrs MOON SETS 15:40 hrs New Moon on 1 November THUMBNAILS People throng a market street on the occasion of Dhanteras in Lucknow on Tuesday.n ANI Over 150 hurt in Kerala fireworks blast: Over 150 people, including women and children, were injured when firecrackers stored for a Theyyam festival exploded at Anjuanbalam Veerakavu temple in Kerala's Kasargod district around midnight. At least 100 people have been admitted to various hospitals in Kasargod, Mangaluru and Kannur eight of them in critical condition, with more than 80 per cent burn injuries. (Pg 4) T he Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday rejected the Congress party’s allegations of irregularities in the electoral processes of the recently concluded Haryana Assembly elections, and said the party is persistently raising “unfounded doubts” on the “core” aspects of the Indian electoral process. After the declaration of the results of the Assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir on 8 October, a delegation of the Congress including senior party leaders KC Venugopal, Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, and Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday met the Election Commission (EC) and alleged manipulation in EVMs in Haryana. The Congress had rejected the outcome of the Haryana Assembly elections and called it a victory of “manipulation” by the ruling BJP. In its response to Con- Govt orders reduction in MRP of 3 anti-cancer drugs gress president Mallikarjun Kharge on the representations submitted to it by the party related to 26 Assembly constituencies, the ECI said “it categorically rejects all baseless allegations and apprehensions conveyed by Congress regarding all aspects of the electoral process in the recently concluded election to the state assembly of Haryana. Congress is persistently raising unfounded doubts on the core aspects of the Indian electoral process.” The Election Commission noted that such “frivolous and unfounded doubts” have the potential of creating turbulence when crucial steps like polling and counting are in live play, a time when both public and political parties’ anxiousness is peaking. In a letter to the Congress president, the EC said every step in the Haryana electoral process was flawless and conducted under the observation of Congress candidates or their agents. The Commission's response to the Congress, comprising 1,642 pages of evidence, detailed the continuous presence of authorised representatives of Congress candidates In line with the government’s commitment to ensure the availability of drugs at affordable prices, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has issued an order directing concerned manufacturers to reduce the MRP on three anti-cancer drugs, Trastuzumab, Osimertinib and Durvalumab. This is in pursuance to the announcement made in the 2024-25 Union Budget exempting these three anticancer medicines from cus- toms duty. The Department of Revenue has already issued a notification reducing the custom duty to nil on these three anti-cancer drugs Further, the department has issued a notification, notifying the reduction in GST rates from 12 per cent to 5 per cent with effect from 10.10.2024 on these three drugs. “Accordingly, there should be a reduction in MRP of these drugs in the market and benefits of reduced taxes & duties should be passed on to the consumers,” an official release said on Tuesday. Assault dog ‘Phantom’ killed in line of duty during Jammu counter-terror operation SP SHARMA JAMMU, 29 OCTOBER ‘Phantom’, a Belgian Malinois assault dog of the Indian Army, played a crucial role in tracking down three heavily armed Pakistani terrorists before sacrificing its life in the counter-terror operation that ended near here this morning after a 24-hour gunfight that resulted in the elimination of all three terrorists. The heroic performance of the 4-year old Phantom that ensured the success of a high-stakes counter-ambush operationatBattalintheborder area of Akhnoor has become a talking point among troops. Phantom, a highly trained sniffer dog, played a crucial role in tracking the terrorists’ trail amidst the challenging jungle terrain. As the operation progressed, Phantom detected hidden explosives and identified potential escape routes, enabling troops to tighten the cordon. Tragically, during a close encounter, Phantom sustained fatal injuries while attempting to protect the troops from a terrorist's assault. Senior officials paid tribute to Phantom’s supreme sacrifice while commending the troops’ swift and coordinated response. "Phan- TMC writes to ECI accusing Shah of violating poll code tom’s bravery saved lives and was pivotal to the operation's success. His sacrifice will be remembered with honour," said the PRO, Defence, Jammu. Born in May 2020, Phantom was inducted into this area in August 2022, and since then, had been a vital part of multiple high-stakes missions. Phantom was trained in the Remount Veterinary Corps unit at Meerut. The operation unfolded early on Monday morning when terrorists launched a surprise ambush on an army convoy in the dense jungles of Battal. Reacting swiftly, troops engaged the terrorists, pushing them back into the dense forest. Reinforcements, including special forces, were deployed to reinforce the cordon. All three heavily armed Pakistani terrorists were killed in the 24-hour encounter. at all stages, including battery placement at the time of commissioning and throughout the polling and counting processes. Addressing Congress's concerns about the EVM battery display, the ECI clarified that the battery voltage and capacity are irrelevant to the EVMs' vote-counting functionality and integrity. The poll body dismissed any suggestion that battery levels could influence voting outcomes as preposterous. Citing 42 judgments from Constitutional Courts that have examined these matters and affirmed faith in EVMs, the ECI reiterated the robustness of India's electronic voting system, which has facilitated diverse political outcomes across elections. The ECI also said the communications carrying baseless allegations were often widely publicised by the Congress even before receipt of any formal letter to it and mostly coinciding with peak of electoral cycle i.e., near to or on poll day or counting day. KOLKATA, 29 OCTOBER Trinamul Congress on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) accusing the Union Home Minister Amit Shah of violating the model code of conduct (MCC) ahead of by-elections in West Bengal. In the letter, the Trinamul Congress has pointed out that the MCC clearly dictate that the ministers should not combine their official visit and electioneering work and shall not make use of official machinery during the electioneering work for furtherance of the interest of the party in power. "Despite the directives categorically stating the scope of reference covers the administrative districts of the poll-bound constituencies of Haroa and Naihati which fall under North 24Parganas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chose to make politically coloured remarks at an official event in Petrapole, North 24 Parganas on October 27," the letter read. TMC also accused Shah of slander against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the Petrapole event. PM Modi rolls out Ayushman health cover for all 70-plus citizens STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 29 OCTOBER NEW DELHI, 29 OCTOBER BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 72.06p0.64 AGENCIES The party had alleged irregularities in the Haryana Assembly polls STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P12 SILVER 1,08,000 GOLD 81,155.00 RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY TEMPERATURE PACER HARSHIT RANA CALLED UP FOR THIRD TEST AGAINST NZ Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, launched the extension of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana (ABY) to cover all senior citizens above the age of 70 years across the country, except Delhi and West Bengal, to allow them to avail free hospital treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. Launching the extension of the scheme at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) here on Dhanvantri Day, Mr Modi, however, said he was pained to point out that the extension of the scheme won't apply to Delhi and West Bengal as their governments “for their political interests” had not associated themselves with the scheme. The Prime Minister said he was making the announcement in Delhi, but wanted pardon from its senior citizens, as also from senior citizens of West Bengal, that the extension of the milestone scheme would not bring any benefit to them. This is because the governments of the two states had kept themselves out of the Ayushman scheme, even when it meant almost committing an atrocity on their sick citizens, he said. He said he was not speaking for political reasons; he was not being allowed to “serve” the people of Bengal by its government. Mr Modi said now every senior citizen of the country above the age of 70 years, irrespective of income conditions, whether poor or from the middle classes, will get free treatment in hospital, as per the scheme. They will be given Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card for the scheme. The Prime Minister said the scheme would prove a milestone scheme and ensure that senior citizens in the country live, without worry, with a healthy life, and with self-respect. If a senior member of the family has the Ayushman card, it will cut family expenditure, and reduce worries. India-China border: Disengagement progresses in Ladakh PARWINDER SANDHU NEW DELHI, 29 OCTOBER The disengagement process between Indian and Chinese troops in the contested regions of Depsang and Demchok is anticipated to be completed soon, according to defence sources. This development, which began last week, came after a series of talks that led to an agreement for both sides to withdraw to their positions held prior to April 2020. As part of the accord, both nations will resume patrolling with a set number of personnel designated for coordination, aimed at minimising miscommunication and preventing confrontations. Sources indicated that patrol units will notify each other prior to their movements to avoid potential face-offs, ensuring that surveillance in the area remains effective. The agreed patrolling points will revert to the locations traditionally used before April 2020. However, it is important to note that this agreement pertains solely to the disengagement of troops, not their de-induction. “For now, we are focusing on disengagement. We will return to our respective areas and observe, after which we can discuss troop de-induction,” a source clarified. On Sunday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had announced that a consensus has been reached regarding patrolling and disengagement in the Depsang and Demchok areas. "It’s clear that implementing this will take time. This process involves disengaging our armies, which had come very close to each other, and returning them to their bases. We hope to restore the status quo from 2020," he had stated. He emphasized that the completion of disengagement is just the first step. The subsequent phase involves de-escalation, which cannot proceed until India is assured that similar actions are occurring on the Chinese side. "Once de-escalation is achieved, we will discuss how to effectively manage the borders," he added.