WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR SHAH SLAMS 'ANTI-BACKWARD' CONG-JMM COMBINE INDIA-BACKER RUBIO SET TO BE TRUMP’S SECRETARY OF STATE P9 SENSEX 78,675.18q820.97 WEATHER SMOG/MIST/SHALLOW FOG IN THE MORNING. SMOG/MIST LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT. MAINLY CLEAR SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 32 AND 16 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 96 % TEMPERATURE P5 NIFTY 23,883.45q257.85 P4 ` vs $ 84.39 GOLD 77,275.00 Cong conspiring to abolish quota: PM He was campaigning for the Maharashtra elections at a rally in Solapur STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 12 NOVEMBER Min. 46 % Max: 32.8 °C (+4) SUN RISES 06:43 hrs MOON RISES 15:34 hrs ‘BJP RSS OUT TO DESTROY BOOST FOR INDIA AS , CONSTITUTION; MODI HAS SHAMI CLEARED FOR NOT EVEN READ IT’ RANJI TROPHY COMEBACK Min: 17.9 °C (+4) SUN SETS 17:29 hrs MOON SETS 04:42 hrs THUMBNAILS A thick layer of smog covers the national capital, which saw 'very poor' air quality on Tuesday.n ANI CISF to get all-women battalion: The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the Central Industrial Security Forces's (CISF) first ever all-women battalion, the force said on Tuesday. The all women battalion of the CISF will not only promote gender equality, but will also encourage aspiring women to join the central force's mission to safeguard the nation's strategic assets, the CISF said in a post on social media.. T he Congress party is conspiring to destroy the job reservation policy which is based on the Constitution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned as he campaigned for the Maharashtra elections at a rally in Solapur on Tuesday. "The crown prince goes abroad and says openly that reservations will be stopped. The intention of the Congress to destroy reservations is not new. There used to be a time when the Congress used to openly issue huge advertisements against reservations in newspapers along with its party symbol. The Congress used to use bad language against the SCs, STs and OBCs. Today, as Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis unite, the Congress is unhappy. They know that if they all unite, the royal family of the Congress will never be able to rule. I wish to warn you that the Congress wishes to watch Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis fight among themselves," Mr Modi said. “Will you allow this conspiracy of the Congress to succeed? To ensure that the Congress never succeeds in its conspiracy, we must remain united. Hum Ek Hain, Toh Safe Hai. You can compare the Mahayuti's track record of development to the track record of the Congress. So I appeal to you to elect the candidates of the BJP-backed Mahayuti in Maharashtra," he said. The PM said: “You have to remember that the vehicle in which the Maha Vikas Aghadi is travelling Brampton temple cancels life certificate event after warning of violent protests STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE has no wheels or brakes. They are also fighting with each other about who will drive the vehicle. The Aghadi is the most unstable vehicle, because these people are wasting time in fighting among themselves. Already there is a fight to become the Chief Minister. If this is their condition before the election, it is clear that MVA will never be able to give Maharashtra a stable government". Mr Modi said that the people of Solapur have seen the BJP-backed Mahayuti government's development work. The progress of Solapur which was stalled for decades was completed by the Mahayuti government, he said. "A few days ago, I dedicated the expansion of the Solapur airport to the people of Solapur. I have been here more than all other PMs,” Mr Modi said. He said that it is the BJP-backed Mahayuti government which created the Palkhi Mahamarg in Solapur. “Today, Solapur has 4-lane highways and Vande Bharat trains run from Solapur. All this has been possible because of the Mahayuti government. We are heading from 'Viksit Maharashtra' to 'Viksit Bharat'. For the next five years, Maharashtra needs a stable government which will be focussed only on the development of this state.” He said that the Congress ruled India for decades together but their only intention was to keep problems alive as well as to keep people trapped in these problems. "They actually enjoyed watching you suffer," Mr Modi said. SILVER 1,00,000 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 NOVEMBER Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Tuesday reiterated his country's firm commitment to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), an economic bloc of five post-Soviet countries, and India while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the economies of the two countries will benefit from the trust and confidence built over many years. The ministers from the two countries were speaking at the 25th Session of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Cultural Cooperation held here. Mr Manturov highlighted the significant progress in bilateral trade between the two countries while emphasising the potential for further growth. He stressed the importance of enhancing collaboration through large-scale congress and exhibition events in both countries, which he said would "allow to rhythmically expand the growth rates of trade turnover in accordance with fashion". Pointing to the impressive trajectory of trade relations, on the event. We are deeply saddened that Canadians now feel unsafe coming to Hindu Temples in Canada." "We call on Peel Police to address the threats being circulated against Brampton Triveni Mandir and provide security guarantees to the Canadian Hindu Community and the general public," the temple administration added. The Brampton Triveni Mandir and Community Centre is a spiritual place where Hindus and other like-minded people gather for religious and community events. On 3 November, an Indian consular camp at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton, near Toronto, witnessed a "violent disruption". The incident sparked widespread criticism in and outside Canada. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the "deliberate attack" on Hindu temples and said that "cowardly attempts to intimidate" Indian diplomats were appalling and New Delhi expects Canadian authorities to ensure justice and uphold rule of law. In the aftermath of a militant attack on a police station and a nearby CRPF post in Manipur's Jiribam district, the burnt bodies of two elderly men were recovered from a torched house on Tuesday, while security forces have initiated an extensive search operation to locate six missing civilians, including three women and three children, who disappeared during the violent incident. The attack unfolded around 3 p.m. on Sunday, with heavily armed militants firing on both the CRPF post at Jakuradhor and Borobekra Police Station. Inspector General of Police (Operations), IK Muivah, described the attack as “unfortunate,” noting that security forces responded after repeated warnings to the attackers went unheeded, leading to an intense 45minute gunfight. Two civilians, who had been sheltering in a relief camp at Borobekra Police Station, lost their lives, and a CRPF personnel sustained injuries. Ten militants were killed during the confrontation. Mr Muivah refuted these claims by Kuki civil society organisations that those killed were civilians, stating that recovered weapons and attire confirmed their militant identities. Stage set for first-phase polling for Jharkhand Assembly elections STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 NOVEMBER The stage is set for voting in the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections on Wednesday in 43 constituencies spread across different parts of the mineral-rich state. The polling is scheduled to commence at 7 am in 15,344 polling stations amid tight security to avert any untoward incident and culminate at 5 pm. The polling is scheduled to commence at 7 am in 15,344 polling stations amid tight security to avert any untoward incident and culminate at 5 pm. A total of 683 candidates are in the fray in the first phase of the assembly election whose fates would be decided by 1.37 crore voters. Of the 683 candidates, the total number of women candidates is 73. In the first phase, at stake is the prestige of several ministers in the Hemant Soren-led Cabinet and key leaders from different political parties. Prominent among them are former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren, Rameshwar Oraon, Mithilesh Thakur, Banna Gupta, and Deepak Birua. Former chief minister Soren, who parted ways with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) following his rift with senior party leader Hemant Soren and joined the BJP, is contesting from his stronghold in Saraikela. Mr Soren he said: "Here I would like to point out the stable positive dynamics, and over the last five years, trade turnover of our country has grown more than fivefold. India is now the second country among all the foreign economic partners of Russia." He noted that this positive trend has continued in 2024, with a nine per cent increase in trade turnover in the first eight months compared to last year. He also spoke about plans to address the trade imbalance and diversify the product range as part of a comprehensive roadmap for cooperation until 2030. Speaking on future initiatives, Mr Manturov reaffirmed his country's commitment to finalising key agreements. "Among other things, we confirm our strong commitment to signing the Day after Manipur encounter, two civilians found dead, 6 still missing IMPHAL, 12 NOVEMBER Amid India-Canada tensions in the wake of an attack on a Hindu temple by 'Khalistan' supporters recently, the Brampton Triveni Mandir and Community Centre has cancelled a Life Certificate Event which was scheduled for 17 November. The consular camp was to be held to enable Indianorigin Hindu and Sikh pensioners to renew their mandatory life certificates. The temple administration, in a statement on Monday, said: "Please be advised that the Life Certificate Event scheduled at Brampton Triveni Mandir by the Indian Consulate on November 17, 2024, has been cancelled. This is due to official intelligence from Peel Regional Police, stating that there is an Extremely High and Imminent Threat Level of violent protests." The authorities said: "We apologise to all community members who were depending BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 72.45p0.62 Russia reaffirms commitment to FTA between India and EEU STATESMAN NEWS SERVIE NEW DELHI, 12 NOVEMBER P12 has won this seat six times since 1991, only facing defeat in 2000. This time, he is locked in a direct battle with Ganesh Mahali of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), who was previously the BJP candidate here. In the Lohardaga Assembly seat, Mr Oraon, a Congress minister in Hemant Soren Cabinet is pitted against Neeru Shanti Bhagat of the AJSU Party while Mr Thakur is defending his seat against BJP nominee Satyendra Nath Tiwari and Samajwadi Party’s former minister Girinath Singh in Garhwa constituency. In the Jamshedpur West seat, Congress minister Banna Gupta is in a direct contest with former minister Saryu Rai of the JDU. Both have won this seat twice. Notably, the leaders of the JMM-Congress-led alliance and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) left no stone unturned in wooing the electorate during their respective campaigns. Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda, key leaders from the saffron party who campaigned extensively in the state include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while from the Congress side, its National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi were in the forefront. Jharkhand is in for a direct contest between the ruling JMM-Congress-led alliance and the BJP-led NDA in the Assembly polls. The polling for the final phase in 38 Assembly constituencies will take place on 20 November. The counting of votes would take place along with Maharashtra on 23 November. The missing individuals, including Yurembam Rani (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31) and her daughter Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), as well as Laishram Heitombi Devi (35) and her two young sons, were all residents at the relief camp when the assault occurred. Reinforcements have since been deployed to the area as the search for the missing continues. During subsequent search operations, the bodies of two elderly men, Laishram Balen and Maibam Kesho, were found among the debris of burnt shops in the Jakuradhor Karong area, which the militants had set ablaze on Monday. The Jiribam district administration has since imposed prohibitory orders in the area. In response to the incident, the Kuki-Zo Council announced a shutdown from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the hill regions, protesting the deaths of the suspected militants in the gunfight. Tensions spread to other areas, with fresh outbreaks of violence reported in Imphal Valley, where exchanges of fire between rival groups occurred. Security forces, including teams from the Assam Rifles and CRPF, are on high alert, patrolling vulnerable points and working to stabilise the situation as operations to clear remaining militant elements continue. FTA between the EEU and India, as well as the bilateral agreement on services and investments. This fully meets the needs of our business community," he said. Mr Jaishankar highlighted various aspects of IndiaRussia ties and the mechanisms the two countries must take to boost the relationship further. "Our deliberations today make a strong contribution to the progress of our strategic partnership," he said. Elaborating on the economic cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow, he said the two economies are not just complimentary but benefit from the trust and confidence built over many years "Our economies are not only complimentary in many respects, but benefit from the trust and confidence built over many years. PM Modi to leave on three-nation tour this week STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 NOVEMBER Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a sixday three-nation tour of Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana from November 16, a statement said on Tuesday. At the invitation of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the PM will visit Nigeria from 16-17 November. This will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Nigeria in 17 years. During the visit, he will hold talks to review the strategic partnership between India and Nigeria and discuss further avenues to enhance the bilateral relationship. The PM will then travel to Rio De Janeiro during 1819 November to attend the G20 Summit hosted by Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula Da Silva. India is part of the G20 Troika along with Brazil and South Africa and has been actively contributing to the ongoing G20 Summit discussions. Inflation rises to 6.21 per cent for October, breaches RBI’s target limit STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 12 NOVEMBER: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation for October is recorded at 6.21 per cent on year-on-year basis. Corresponding inflation rates for rural and urban are 6.68 per cent and 5.62 per cent, respectively, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) said on Tuesday. Notably, this crossed the inflation target limit of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Year-on-year inflation rate based on All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) number is 10.87 per cent (Provisional) for the month of October, 2024. The corresponding inflation rates for rural and urban areas are 10.69 per cent and 11.09 per cent, During the month of October 2024, significant decline in inflation is observed in pulses and products, eggs, sugar and confectionery and spices subgroup. respectively. Data from the ministry said that the year-on-year housing inflation rate for the month of October is 2.81 per cent. The corresponding inflation rate for the month of September 2024 was 2.72 per cent. The housing index is compiled for urban sector only. The All India Electricity index and inflation for the month of October are 162.5 and 5.45 per cent respectively. Corresponding index and inflation for the month of September was 162.4 and 5.39 per cent respectively. During the month of October 2024 significant decline in inflation is observed in pulses and products, eggs, sugar and confectionery and spices subgroup. High food inflation in October 2024 is mainly due to increase in inflation of vegetables, fruits and oils and fats. Speaking on the inflation numbers, Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist and Head of Research and Outreach at ICRA said: “We expect the core inflation print to continue to inch up further in the remaining part of the fiscal, while averaging below the 4.0 per cent mark during the year.”