WHY THE USA SHOULD CHOOSE A WOMAN LEADER IN 2028 29 DECEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com PUTIN APOLOGISES TO AZERBAIJANI LEADER OVER PLANE CRASH PAGE 12 PAGE 9 PAGE 7 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 REDDY, SUNDAR LEAD INDIAN FIGHTBACK AT MCG SINCE 1818 PAGES 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. SMOG/SHALLOW FOG IS LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 17 AND 09 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 041.2 MM RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100 % TEMPERATURE Min. 98 % Max: 15.8 °C (-5) SUN RISES 07:14 hrs MOON RISES 06:46 hrs Min: 12.7 °C (+6) SUN SETS 17:34 hrs MOON SETS 15:56 hrs THUMBNAILS A train runs slowly due to dense fog on a cold winter morning in Prayagraj on Thursday. ANI Court finds 14 guilty in Kerala twin murder case: A CBI court in Kochi on Saturday found 14 people, mostly alleged CPI-M activists, including former CPI-M MLA K V Kunhiraman, guilty in the politically sensitive 2019 Periya twin murder case. The court will pronounce the sentence on 3 January. CBI Special Judge N Seshadrinathan acquitted 10 others as the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them. The case pertains to the murder of Youth Congress workers Kripesh(19) and Sarathlal P K(23) allegedly by CPI-M workers on 17 February 2019 due to political rivalry. (P8) Nation bids farewell to Manmohan Singh The 14th Prime Minister of India was consigned to the flames with full state honours at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 DECEMBER Rahul, Akhilesh, Kejriwal slam govt over issue of Manmohan memorial STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE F ormer Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was cremated with full state honours at the Nigambodh Ghat here on Saturday. The mortal remains of Singh, the key architect of India’s economic liberalisation, were consigned to the flames as per Sikh rituals, in the presence of family members, friends, colleagues and dignitaries. Prior to the cremation, Sikh priests and family members of the former Prime Minister recited verses from the Gurbani. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi paid their last respects to Singh by placing a wreath near his mortal remains. After paying his last respects to Singh, who had served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, Mr Modi said his predecessor’s service NEW DELHI, 28 DECEMBER Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Saxena has asked the Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry regarding alleged collection of data by some non-government people by getting forms filled by women with regard to the controversial Mahila Samman Yojna. The LG has noted that the Women and Child Department of the GNCT has clarified that it will be launching a portal when the said scheme is notified, while it had also asked the people through a notification, cautioning them to not fill any forms given by unauthorised persons. This follows after Congress leader and former MP Sandeep Dikshit in a representation to the LG alleged that the Chief Minister of Delhi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal have been announcing that the government is going to give every female in Delhi (above the age of 18 years) an amount of Rs 1,000 per month, while also announced that if their party is elected back in 2025 Vidhan Sabha elections, they will raise the amount to Rs 2,100 pm. Mr Dikshit also alleged that they are going door to door making women sign some forms. Accordingly, the Principal Secretary to the LG has written to the Chief Secretary, asking to conduct an inquiry through the Divisional Commissioner in the matter of collecting personal details by non- government people. On the other hand, the Commissioner of Police has been asked that he may direct The last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are carried out at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday.n ANI to the country will always be cherished. “Paid last respects to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Ji. His service to India will always be cherished,” the Prime Minister wrote on X. Among others who offered their tributes included Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, LoK Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, and several leaders from the Congress. Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tri- on field officers to take legal action against the person allegedly breaching privacy of the citizens by collecting their personal details in the garb of providing benefits. The Principal Secretary to the LG has also mentioned to the Delhi Police chief that the Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) may be advised to take action against those private persons allegedly organising camps for the fraudulent involvement of the government schemes. Meanwhile, the LG also mentioned that the CS may bring the matter to the notice of the Election Commission of India through the chief electoral office, as such a kind of canvassing is happening ahead of the polls. The LG has also asked the CS and Police chief to conduct an inquiry into the alleged presence of Punjab government's intelligence personnel near Mr Dikshit's residence, as he is a prospective candidate in the upcoming assembly election. pathi, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, and foreign dignitaries including King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Foreign Minister of Mauritius, Dhananjay Ramful also paid tributes to the former Prime Minister. The final journey of the 14th Prime Minister of India began from Congress headquarters to the cremation ground at Nigambodh Ghat. Earlier, this morning the mortal remains of the former Prime Minister were brought to the Congress Jaishankar meets Trump’s key aide in Washington headquarters, where Gursharan Kaur, Dr Singh's wife, led the family in paying their respects. Prominent Congress leaders, including Mr Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, DK Shivakumar, Ashok Gehlot, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, paid their last respects to the veteran Congress leader. AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 28 DECEMBER PM Modi also had words of appreciation for the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, saying: "Along with confidence, Gukesh embodies calmness and humility. Upon winning, he was composed, basking in his glory while fully understanding how to process this hard-earned victory. Our conversation today revolved around the transformative potential of yoga and meditation." The Prime Minister also noted the role of Gukesh’s parents in his success. He said: "In the success of every athlete, their parents play a pivotal role. I complimented Gukesh’s parents for supporting him through thick and thin. Their dedication will inspire countless parents of young aspirants who dream of pursuing sports as a career." The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and other top leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused the BJP government of not allocating a place for cremation and memorial of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and called it an insult to the departed leader. Attacking the government, Mr Gandhi in a post on X wrote: “The present government has completely insulted Dr Manmohan Singh, the great son of Mother India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, by conducting his last rites at Nigambodh Ghat today.” Pointing out that Singh was the Prime Minister of India for a decade, the Leader of Opposition in the Lower House said during his tenure, the country became an economic superpower and his policies are still supporting the poor and backward classes of the country. “Till date, respecting the dignity of all the former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorised sites so that every person could pay homage without any inconvenience. Dr Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to his great son of the country and his proud community,” he said. Paying rich tributes to Dr Manmohan Singh, US President Joe Biden has said that the unprecedented level of cooperation between his country and India today would not have been possible without the former Prime Minister’s strategic vision and political courage. “From forging the U.S.India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, he charted path-breaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations ~and the world ~ for generations to come. He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person,'' he said in a statement released by the White House. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson also offered sincere condolences to the Indian government and people, as well as to the family of Singh. SNS REDDY-MADE HERO STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 DECEMBER External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks in Washington with Mr Michael Waltz, US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the post of National Security Adviser. “Delighted to meet Rep. @michaelgwaltz this evening. Enjoyed a wideranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him,” the Minister said in a social media post on X last night. He also held two days of discussions with Indian consul generals posted in Washington. The meeting was attended by Indian consul generals based in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston and Atlanta. Nitish Reddy (105*) scored his first international century as India staged a strong comeback in the fourth Test against Australia, at the MCG, in Melbourne on Saturday.n ANI PM Modi meets World Chess Champion D. Gukesh, calls him ‘India's pride’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met the newly-crowned World Chess Champion D. Gukesh, during which he also held an interaction with the 18-year-old Chennai resident, who scripted history earlier this month by becoming the youngestever World Champion in chess. Taking to X, PM Modi wrote: "Had an excellent interaction with chess champion and India’s pride, @DGukesh! I have been closely interacting with him for a few years now, and what strikes me most about him is his determination and dedication. His confidence is truly inspiring. "In fact, I recall seeing a video of his few years ago where he had said he would become the youngest world champion -- a prediction that has now clearly come true thanks to his own efforts." NEW DELHI, 28 DECEMBER NEW DELHI, 28 DECEMBER Conduct probe into alleged data collection in the name of Mahila Samman scheme: LG to CS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE US Prez Biden, China mourn Singh’s demise "I am also delighted to have received from Gukesh the original chessboard from the game he won. The chessboard, autographed by both him and Ding Liren, is a cherished memento," PM Modi posted on X. On 12 December, D. Gukesh made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Champion in chess, beating Ding Liren of China in the 14-game match in Singapore. Gukesh had capitalised on a blunder by Ding in the winner-takes-all 14th game to dethrone the champion, winning the match 7.5 to 6.5 and becoming only the second Indian to win the World Chess Champion. By beating Ding, Gukesh became the 18th World Champion in the over century-long history of chess and the youngest after beating Garry Kasparov's record of winning the title at the age of 22 and heralding the arrival of a new king on the chess horizon. Gukesh is the second Indian to win the World Chess Championship title, claiming the title in just over a decade after fivetime Champion Viswanathan Anand had lost the title to Magnus Carlsen of Norway in Chennai in 2013. Carlsen has abdicated the crown in 2023, paving the way for Ding to beat Ian Nepomniachtchi. In a winner-takes-all 14th and final game of the World Chess Championship match Ding had steered towards a draw after starting with Reversed Grunfeld variation of Zukertort Opening, but the 32-year-old from China made a sensational blunder. Having battled it out for 13 games over three weeks, Ding was looking forward to the rapid and blitz tiebreakers as had effectively countered the aggressive tactics of the young Indian challenger to steer the game towards a drawish position. TN varsity sexual assault case: HC constitutes SIT, orders `25 lakh compensation to victim M C RAJAN CHENNAI, 28 DECEMBER Pulling up the police over the investigation into the rape of a girl student of Anna University inside the varsity campus, Madras High Court on Saturday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take over the probe and ordered an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the victim besides directing the state government to take action against the Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner. The student, pursuing second year Mechanical Engineering at the university, a premier institution for technical education located in the heart of Chennai, was sexually assaulted after her boyfriend was thrashed the night before Christmas Eve. On a complaint from her, the police arrested the accused, Gnanasekaran (37), running a roadside biriyani shop, and whose wife is an employee of the university. Passing interim orders on two PILs, a Christmas Vacation Bench of SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan, constituted the SIT comprising three women IPS officers. They are Sneha Priya, Ayman Jamal and Brinda. The SIT would also probe the FIR leak case as well. The Bench then ordered Rs 25 lakh compensation to the victim and directed the varsity to extend free education and hostel facilities apart from providing necessary psychological support considering the trauma she had undergone. Taking exception to City Commissioner of Police (CoP) A Arun claiming in a press conference that there is only one accused who had been arrested, the Bench during the hearing on Friday observed that this amounted to preempting the investigation. “How can he tell that only one accused was involved in the offence?” Justice Subramaniam asked and wanted to know whether there are any rules with respect to conduct of press meets by the police top brass even before the investigating officers, much below in rank, could conclude the investigation and bring out the truth. It was also pointed out that the CoP had not secured prior permission of the state government to hold the press conference where he had made such a claim and revealed the details of the investigation.