National, Politics

Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections: BJP wins 13 assembly seats, National People’s Party wins one

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The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was leading in three seats, while the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) was ahead in two

PTI, Itanagar, 02.06.24 : The ruling BJP won 13 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh while the National People’s Party (NPP) got one, officials said on Sunday.

The counting of votes for the 50 Assembly seats began at 6 am on Sunday.
The saffron party had already won 10 seats in the 60-member assembly unopposed. Elections to the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls in the first phase on April 19.

Tesam Pongte of BJP won from Changlang North defeating his nearest rival Dihom Kitnya of NPP by a margin of 2,002 votes, while the party’s candidate Wangki Lowang won from Namsang seat defeating his nearest rival Ngonglin Boi of NCP by 56 votes.

Balo Raja of BJP won from Palin constituency defeating his nearest rival Mayu Taring of NPP by 5,040 votes.

Hayeng Mangfi of BJP won from Chayang-Tajo seat defeating his nearest rival Kompu Dolo of Congress by a margin of 6,685 votes. Mangfi retained the seat.

Chakat Aboh of BJP won from Khonsa West by defeating her nearest rival Yang Sen Matey of NCP by 804 votes. She retained the seat.

BJP’s Tsering Lhamu won from Lumla constituency defeating her nearest rival Jampa Thirnly Kunkhap of Congress by a margin of 1,531 votes. Lhamu retained the seat.

Puinnyo Apum of BJP won from Dambuk constituency defeating his nearest rival Raju Tayeng of People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) by a margin of 222 votes.

BJP candidate Rode Bui won Dumporijo seat defeating his opponent Tabe Doni of NPP by 1,591 votes. Bui retained the seat.

Ealing Tallang of BJP won from Seppa East seat defeating Tame Gyadi of Congress by 5,600 votes.

BJP’s Mahesh Chai won the Tezu-Sunpura seat defeating NPP candidate Karikho Kri by a margin of 2,805 votes.

Rotom Tebin of BJP won from Raga constituency defeating Ajay Murtem of NPP by 2,934 votes.

NPP candidate Pesi Jilen won from Liromoba defeating his opponent Nyamar Karbak of BJP by a margin of 1,698 votes.
National, Politics

Several exit polls predict big win for BJP-led NDA in LS elections

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‘Opportunistic INDI Alliance’ failed to strike chord with voters, says PM 

PTI, New Delhi, Jun 1, 2024 : Several exit polls on Saturday predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the BJP-led NDA expected to win a big majority in the Lok Sabha polls. 

The ruling alliance in all likelihood will open its account in Tamil Nadu and Kerala and sweep Karnataka but may see a fall in its tally in states like Bihar, Rajasthan and Haryana, according to these pollsters. 
The Republic TV-P Marq poll claimed that the ruling alliance will win up to 359 seats and the opposition INDIA bloc will bag 154 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. 
The Republic TV- Matrize poll gave 353-368 seats to the NDA and 118-133 seats to the Opposition. 
The Jan Ki Baat poll gave 362-392 seats to the ruling NDA and 141-161 to the Opposition alliance. 
The India TV-CNX gave them 371-401 and 109-139 seats respectively, while the corresponding tally predicted by News Nation was 342-378 and 153-169. In the 2019 polls, the BJP won 303 seats, while the NDA tally was 353. 
The Congress had bagged 53 seats and its allies 38. The ‘INDIA’ bloc was formed by Opposition parties to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. 
After the seventh and last phase of voting ended on Saturday, Modi exuded confidence that people have voted in record numbers to re-elect the NDA government and said the “opportunistic INDI Alliance” failed to strike a chord with the voters who rejected their “regressive politics”. 
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters after a meeting of the Opposition INDIA bloc that the alliance will win more than 295 seats. 
“We have arrived at this figure after speaking with all our leaders. This is a survey of people. People have given this information to our leaders. The government surveys are there and their media friends also inflate figures and put it out. 
Therefore, we want to tell you about the reality,” he said. BJP president J P Nadda, however, asserted that people have voted for a capable, powerful, developed and self-reliant India and to put aside appeasement, nepotism and corruption, exuding confidence that his party will win more than 370 Lok Sabha seats and the NDA over 400. 
The counting of votes will take place on June 4.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday exuded confidence that people have voted in record numbers to re-elect the NDA government and said the “opportunistic INDI Alliance” failed to strike a chord with the voters who rejected their “regressive politics”.
Modi said the people have seen his government’s track record and the manner in which its work has brought about a qualitative change in the lives of the poor, marginalised and downtrodden. “India has voted! 
A heartfelt thank you to all those who exercised their franchise. Their active participation is the cornerstone of our democracy. Their commitment and dedication ensures that the democratic spirit thrives in our nation. 
I would also like to specially appreciate India’s Nari Shakti and Yuva Shakti. Their strong presence at the polls is a very encouraging sign,” Modi said in a series of posts on X. 
The Prime Minister said he can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to re-elect the NDA government 
A few other exit polls, including those from Axis My India and Today’s Chanakya, were yet to forecast the full results by 8.40 pm. 
The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
Regional, West Bengal

Monsoon reaches northern West Bengal six days ahead of schedule: Met Department

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The weather office forecast widespread rain in the sub-Himalayan districts of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Kalimpong and Darjeeling, with the possibility of heavy downpours in one or two places, over the next five days


PTI, Calcutta, 31.05.24 : Calcutta recorded 65 mm rainfall, bringing night temperature down to 23.7 degree Celsius from nearly 30 degrees a day earlier.:File picture.

The southwest monsoon reached sub-Himalayan West Bengal on Friday, covering most parts of the region, nearly a week ahead of schedule, the Met Department said.

The southwest monsoon normally reaches northern West Bengal on June 5 and the southern part of the state around June 9.

The faster movement of the southwest monsoon into the region could have been caused by the combined effect of cyclone Remal, bringing the southwesterly wind to the coasts from the Bay of Bengal, and thereafter the monsoon’s movement was attracted by a trough existing over northern West Bengal, weather officials said.

The weather office forecast widespread rain in the sub-Himalayan districts of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Kalimpong and Darjeeling, with the possibility of heavy downpours in one or two places, over the next five days.

The places that recorded significant rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Friday in northern Bengal are Alipurduar (45 mm), Jalpaiguri (43 mm) and Coochbehar (28 mm), it said.

The Met Department also forecast thunderstorms with lightning and gusty wind in the southern Bengal districts, including Calcutta, during the next three days.

Calcutta recorded 65 mm rainfall, bringing night temperature down to 23.7 degree Celsius from nearly 30 degrees a day earlier, the Met said. 
Regional

Teesta rehabilitation work going on in full swing: Anit Thapa

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Amitava Banerjee, MP, 31 May 2024, Darjeeling: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Chief Anit Thapa, on a round of Teesta on Friday, remarked that relief and rehabilitation work was going on in full swing and the process for compensation from the NHPC to the Teesta flash flood victims was near completion. 

He also said 65 per cent work on the construction of embankment dams was completed. Regarding frequent inundation, Thapa said: “Unless the Union government gives permission for desiltation, nothing much can be done.” 
Incidentally a Glacial Lake outburst had triggered flash floods in River Teesta on October 4, 2023 causing widespread damage downstream in Sikkim along with Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri district in Bengal. An NHPC dam at Chungthang in North Sikkim, was also washed away by the Teesta. More than 300 houses were damaged along the river in the Kalimpong district. 
Answering questions from mediapersons, Thapa stated: “Rehabilitation work is on. Every disaster victim received the stipulated amount of Rs 75,000 as per state government rules. However, GTA has started an initiative to build houses for the homeless. The government will hand over the land and house construction will begin.”
He further stated that some families had requested compensation from NHPC. “Accordingly, a committee was constituted to look into the compensation. A survey was conducted under the supervision of the committee. Documents have been prepared after assessment. The process had reached the final stage. 
Soon the victims will receive compensation from the NHPC,” assured Thapa. 
When questioned about the surge in the water level of the Teesta with rains causing inundation of the roads, Thapa stated: “The permanent solution is desiltation. The flash floods have brought in huge amounts of silt and raised the river bed. 
Unless sand and silt is taken out, the matter cannot be resolved. This needs special permission from the Union government,” stated Thapa. The Union government has enforced a ban on quarrying on the Teesta and other mountain rivers. 
“I’m not talking of quarrying but sand and silt have to be removed. It is the demand of the local residents also. It cannot be done now. After monsoons we will ask the district administration and state government to take up the matter with the Union government,” added Thapa. Courtesy & source- MilleniumPost
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/moderate-to-heavy-rain-likely-in-north-bengal-in-next-5-days-566149?infinitescroll=1
Crime, International, West Bengal

SIT formed by CID to probe Bangladesh MP murder case

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MP, 1 June 2024, Kolkata: The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Bangladesh Member of Parliament (MP), Anwarul Azim Anar murder case. 

The SIT will be led by the Inspector General (IG) I of CID, Vishal Garg. The SIT will comprise three Deputy Inspector Generals (DIG) and about 10 other officers. 
Meanwhile, the CID has decided to go for a DNA test of the pieces of flesh and hair found from the septic tank of the housing complex in New Town where Anar was murdered and his body was mutilated. 
The CID is waiting for the forensic report of the flesh and hair to ascertain that it is a human. Anar’s daughter will soon come to Kolkata for the DNA test and proceedings for her VISA to come to India have reportedly begun in Bangladesh. However, the other body parts of the Bangladesh MP have still not been found. 
Apart from the investigation by the CID, Bangladesh Police on Friday again produced the three arrested accused identified as Amanullah alias Shimul Bhuiyan, Shilasti Rahman and Tanvir Bhuiyan before the Dhaka Metropolitan Court after their eight days police remand was over. 
On Friday, the Bangladesh Police reportedly appealed for their police remand again. After the hearing, five days police remand was allowed by the Dhaka Metropolitan Court. 
In another development, the state CID has reportedly tracked another accused identified as Siyam in Nepal. A police team might go to Nepal soon in connection with the probe. However, before that both CID and Bangladesh Police might contact Nepal Police with a request to intercept Siyam. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/sit-formed-by-cid-to-probe-bangladesh-mp-murder-case-566146
Regional, West Bengal

‘Moderate to heavy rain likely in North Bengal in next 5 days’

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MP, 1 June 2024, Kolkata: Overnight rainfall occurred in several parts of South Bengal. Moderate to heavy rainfall may occur in several North Bengal districts in the next 5 days. Orange alert has been issued for some of the North Bengal districts, including Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar. 

Several districts in South Bengal received pre-monsoon rainfall late on Thursday night, dropping the temperature by 6 degree Celsius. The lowest temperature on Friday was registered at 23.7 degree Celsius while a day before it stood at 30 degrees. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore said that monsoon may enter North Bengal on Sunday, five days ahead of its usual time of arrival. 
As per prediction, the monsoon will bring rainfall in the region. Incidentally, southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on Thursday. Generally, the monsoon enters Kerala on June 5. The MeT office said that South Bengal districts will also receive rainfall over the weekend. 
A strong breeze may be sweeping through in the region on Sunday. The MeT office already predicted heavy rainfall in several North Bengal districts in the next 24 hours. Orange alert has been issued for the districts like Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar as they are expected to receive heavy rainfall. 
It will rain in North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur as well. Monsoon generally enters Jalpaiguri on June 7, Siliguri on June 8, South Bengal on June 10 and Kolkata on June 11. It is not however clear as to when the monsoon will hit the city. 
There may be some scattered rainfall in some of the South Bengal districts during the weekend, the MeT office said. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/crew-management-system-replaces-register-entry-of-guards-566148?infinitescroll=1
Crime, Politics, West Bengal

Sandeshkhali: Conditional bail given to 5 accused

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MP, 1 June 2024, Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court recently gave bail to five people who had accompanied Rekha Patra during an agitation in front of the office of Rekha Patra. The accused have been directed not to enter Sandeshkhali apart from June 1 to cast their votes. 

The Vacation Bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh and Justice Biswaroop Chowdhury granted bail to Gita Bar, Utpal Maity, Ajit Sardar, Suprakash Mondal and Sudeb Dey. 
The matter will be heard again by the regular bench on June 12, after vacation. BJP candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha seat Rekha Patra had also approached Calcutta High Court seeking protection from coercive action by the state police. The lawyer representing Patra reportedly stated that several false cases have been filed against her by the police. Patra also sought for security and protection from the Calcutta High Court, which was given to her. 
Earlier, the High Court had ordered release of Sandeshkhali BJP worker Piyali Das alias Mampi, who had surrendered before the lower court over a case filed against her for allegedly getting women to sign on white paper. Justice Jay Sengupta directed for Das’s release on personal bond. 
According to a news report, the Court further directed that a final report on the investigation in the case against Das cannot be submitted without its permission. The matter will be heard again on June 19. 
The advocate representing Das submitted that IPC 195A (forcing a person to give false evidence) which is a non-bailable section was added against her by the police after she had surrendered before the lower court. Das surrendered in Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court on May 14. 
There were allegations against her of getting women in Sandeshkhali to sign on white papers which was later filled up as sexual assault complaints against TMC leaders. 
The lower court rejected the bail plea and sent her to seven days judicial custody. When questioned by the media, Das said that the allegations against her are false and that there is no evidence to support those allegations. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/sandeshkhali-conditional-bail-given-to-5-accused-566144?infinitescroll=1
Politics, West Bengal

2 days after getting citizenship, B’desh man now plans to get naturalisation papers for kin

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PTI, Kolkata, May 31, 2024 : Pleasantly surprised at getting Indian citizenship seamlessly, former Bangladeshi national Bikash Mondal now plans to get his family members to apply for naturalisation certificates soon.


Mondal said his parents and wife, who are also Bangladeshi nationals, are yet to apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

“Now, I plan to get my father, mother and wife to apply for Indian citizenship,” he said.

Speaking to PTI over phone from his residence in Asannagar in West Bengal’s Nadia district, Mondal claimed that documentation and verification processes were “easy and hassle-free”.

Originally from Jhenaidah district, Bangladesh, Mondal and his family settled in Asannagar, drawn by the presence of relatives there.

The 34-year old man said he got married after settling in India and that his wife also hails from the neighbouring country.

On reasons for shifting to India, Mondal said, “Most of our relatives are settled in this country. We used to go through a lot of mental stress thinking about our future as we were left there without our near and dear ones.” Mondal, who moved to India with his parents in 2012, said he did not try for citizenship earlier, though he holds a pre-2014 ration card here.

“After coming to know about the CAA notification, I applied from the designated portal on April 27,” he said.

“The verification process was easy. I produced my birth certificate given by the local authorities in Bangladesh and the ration card,” Mondal said.

He said verification of documents was done on May 27 at the office of the postal superintendent in Nadia district headquarters Krishnanagar. “I got the official document of citizenship on May 29 by email,” Mondal added.

The ‘Certificate of Naturalisation’ by the Ministry of Home Affairs given to Mondal entitles him “to all political and other rights, powers and privileges and be subject to all obligations, duties and liabilities to which an Indian citizen is entitled to or subject to,” thus granting him the status of an Indian citizen.

Mondal said before leaving Jhenaidah district, they had sold off their small land holding with a modest house.

“I now own a cyber cafe in Asannagar,” Mondal said.

Mondal said his three-and-a-half-year-old son is an Indian national by birth.

The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

The Union government had notified the Rules for CAA on March 11, paving the way for the implementation of the law, which invited stiff opposition from some political parties, including the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.

The first set of citizenship certificates after the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 were handed over to applicants in New Delhi by the Union Home Secretary on May 15.

The second tranche of citizenship certificates were issued on May 29, days before the final phase of voting for Lok Sabha polls on June 1, to applicants in West Bengal, Haryana and Uttarakhand.

The TMC and the BJP have been involved in a war of words over implementation of CAA during the campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. 
Crime, International, Politics

Trump becomes first Ex-US Prez to be convicted of felony in hush money trial

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AP, Washington, May 31, 2024 : Donald Trump has been found guilty of all 34 charges of falsifying business records by a grand jury in New York, an unprecedented and historic verdict that makes him the first former president in American history to be convicted of a felony, as he makes a bid to return to the White House in November.

In a landmark verdict, a panel of 12 Manhattan jurors on Thursday said they unanimously agreed that Trump, 77, falsified business records to conceal a USD 130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to influence the 2016 presidential election.
It will ultimately be up to voters on November 5 to decide the significance of the guilty verdict delivered by 12 ordinary New Yorkers, which, on a legal basis, does not prevent him from being elected president again.
Over a six-week trial, the court heard from 22 witnesses, including Daniels, whose alleged sexual encounter with the former president was at the centre of the case.
As the verdicts were read, Trump remained silent and still. But the former president spoke to reporters outside the courtroom, calling the trial a “rigged, disgraceful trial” and saying that the “real verdict” will be rendered on Election Day.
Prosecutors had argued that, by approving a scheme to disguise the money as legal expenses, Trump broke election law.
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he will be formally nominated as the party’s presidential candidate against incumbent Joe Biden, an 81-year-old Democrat, in the elections.
For now, Trump has been released without having to pay bail.
“This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace. They wouldn’t give us a venue change. We were at 5 per cent or 6 per cent in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,” said Trump shortly after the verdict was read.
“The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people. And they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here. You have a Soros-backed DA, and the whole thing, we didn’t do a thing wrong. I’m a very innocent man, and it’s okay, I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our Constitution. Our whole country is being rigged right now,” Trump said.
Trump alleged that this was done by the Biden administration to wound or hurt a political opponent.
No former president or presumptive party nominee in the US has ever faced a felony conviction.
During the trial, the prosecution set out to prove that Trump had falsified records when he repaid his former lawyer Michael Cohen for a hush-money payment to Daniels. The Biden Harris campaign welcomed the jury’s verdict. “In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director. (AP)

‘Trump will try to turn verdict into campaign fuel’
New York, May 31: Being convicted of a felony – let alone 34 of them – is the kind of blow that would normally tank any politician’s ambitions.
Donald Trump will instead try to turn what might otherwise be a career-ending judgment into campaign fuel.
Trump will return to the campaign trail Friday with a news conference at his namesake tower in Manhattan a day after he was convicted of trying to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who claimed they had sex. His lawyers and allies described him as defiant and ready to fight a verdict they argue is illegitimate and driven by politics.
No former president or presumptive party nominee has ever faced a felony conviction or the prospect of prison time, and Trump is expected to keep his legal troubles central to his campaign. He has long argued without evidence that the four indictments against him were orchestrated by Democratic President Joe Biden to try to keep him out of the White House.
“There is nobody who is more defiant,” said Trump spokesman Jason Miller on Fox News hours after the verdict was read. “He’s ready to get out there and start fighting again.” Trump and his campaign had been preparing for a guilty verdict for days, even as they held out hope for a hung jury. On Tuesday, Trump railed that not even Mother Teresa, the nun and saint, could beat the charges, which he repeatedly labeled as “rigged.”
His top aides on Wednesday released a memo in which they insisted a verdict would have no impact on the election, whether Trump was convicted or acquitted.
The news nonetheless landed with a jolt. Trump, his team and reporters at the courthouse had been under the impression that the jury on Thursday would wrap up deliberations for the day at 4:30 p.m. Trump sat smiling and chatting with his lawyers as the proceedings seemed to be coming to a close.
Trump had spent the hours before the verdict was announced sequestered in the private courtroom where he had spent breaks throughout the trial, huddled with his attorneys and campaign aides, eating from a revolving lunch menu of McDonald’s, pizza, and subs. 
Crime, National, Politics

Prajwal Revanna arrested on his arrival, remanded to police custody till June 6

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Revanna on Friday was remanded to police custody till June 6, by a Court in Bengaluru over the obscene videos case
Prajwal being taken to a hospital for medical examination under tight security, in Bengaluru, on Friday,  

PTI, Bengaluru, May 31, 2024 :  Suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, facing sexual abuse allegations, was remanded to police custody on Friday, hours after he was arrested by a special team upon his return from Germany.

A special court in the city remanded him to police custody till June 6. Prajwal was arrested in the wee hours of Friday by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), minutes after he landed here past midnight from Germany. He had left the country on April 27.

In a clear messaging early in the day, a team of women police personnel ‘welcomed’ Prajwal Revanna upon his arrival here, as they were deputed to execute a warrant and take him to the CID office for interrogation.

After evading summons and staying out of the country for a little over a month, the 33 year-old grandson of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda landed here from Germany’s Munich, only to be arrested by the SIT minutes later and whisked away for questioning. He had issued a video statement earlier this week, stating he would appear before the SIT on Friday.

Prajwal was later produced before the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate K N Shivakumar, who heard the remand application and objection argument from Prajwal’s advocate. He later remanded Prajwal to police custody.

The NDA Lok Sabha candidate from Hassan, facing allegations of sexually abusing several women, was arrested after completing the due process, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said.

Prajwal’s advocate said the former was extending full cooperation to the SIT probe and cautioned against any media trial in the case.

“Prajwal Revanna landed around 12.40-12:50 am from Germany’s Munich. As there was an arrest warrant against him, SIT accordingly arrested him and took him into custody,” Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, “…naturally he should have cooperated to the arrest. His immigration papers were cleared and he was brought out (of airport). As he had a diplomatic passport, things happened easily. After completing all the due process, he was arrested,” he added.

Asked if the government will appeal to more victims to come forward following his arrest, Parameshwara said, “We have already said, those who have faced trouble from him to come forward and give complaints to SIT and police, and we will provide them all kind of protection. We will have to wait and see further developments.”

The SIT, sending out a message, deputed an all-woman police team to execute the warrant against Prajwal. Soon after he alighted from the plane from Munich, he was received by women in Khaki, SIT sources said.

During the procedure of executing the arrest warrant, he was flanked by the women police personnel who were led by two IPS officers, Suman D Pennekar and Seema Latkar. He was then taken in a jeep in which only women police were present. They took him to the CID office.

“It was a conscious call to send women officers to arrest Prajwal, sending home a message that the JD(S) leader exploited his seat and power as an MP with women. The same women have authority to arrest him through all legal proceedings,” a source in the SIT said.

There was also a symbolic message to the alleged victims that women officers were not afraid of anyone, the source added.

The MP was later taken for medical examination under tight security. Escorted by female police officials, he was taken to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital here.

The SIT is also contemplating a potency test on Prajwal. A potency test is done to ascertain if a rape accused is capable of committing sexual assault on victims.

Meanwhile, Prajwal’s advocate, met him earlier.

“I went to speak to him. He has told to the media that he has come forward to cooperate with the investigation. So he has requested that there be no media trial. Let there be no negative campaign unnecessarily,” advocate G Arun said.

“Prajwal said — I have come forward, the whole purpose of me coming to Bengaluru or before SIT is that I have to stand by my words. I have come forward. I will give the fullest cooperation — these are his words,” he added.

Prajwal had on May 29 filed an anticipatory bail plea at the Principal City and Sessions Court for Elected Representatives, which issued a notice to the SIT to file objections before posting the hearing for Friday.

In the first case registered against him at the Holenarasipura Town police station in Hassan on April 28, Prajwal is accused of sexually harassing a 47-year-old former maid. He is listed as accused number two, while his father and local MLA, H D Revanna, is the primary accused. Prajwal has been so far booked in three cases of sexual assault. There are also charges of rape against him.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has served a show-cause notice to Prajwal, asking him why his diplomatic passport should not be cancelled as sought by the Karnataka government in view of allegations of sexual abuse against him.

Deve Gowda had recently issued a ‘stern warning’ to Prajwal, asking him to return to the country and face probe into the sexual abuse allegations, while asserting there will be no interference from him or other family members into the enquiry.

The JD(S) supremo had reiterated that his grandson should be given the harshest punishment under the law “if found guilty”.

    JD(S) has suspended Prajwal Revanna from the party following the allegations.
National, Politics

Modi performs ‘Surya Arghya’ at Vivekananda Rock Memorial

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PTI, Kanyakumari, May 31, 2024 :  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the second day of his meditation on Friday, performed ‘Surya Arghya’ at the time of sunrise at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, here.


Modi carried out ‘Surya Arghya,’ a ritual associated with spiritual practice involving salutations to the Almighty, manifest in the form of sun and offered prayers with folded hands.

A short video clip, ‘Sunrise, Surya Arghya, Spirituality,’ posted by the BJP on its ‘X’ handle showed the PM pouring little water from a traditional, beaker-like small vessel into the sea as an offering (Arghya) and prayed using his prayer beads (Japa mala).

The BJP also posted photographs of the Prime Minister, clad in saffron shirt, shawl and dhoti, engrossed in meditation at the Dhyan Mandapam, where incense sticks, in front of him, could be spotted burning slowly. Modi also walked around the mandapam with his japa mala in his hands.


Photographs of Modi in meditating posture have been apparently clicked during different times and similar is the case of video clips.

In view of the PM’s stay, senior DMK leader and Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan alleged that tourists are not allowed in that area which has seriously affected the local businesses and ‘we have pointed out that this is not good.’ Also, the vicinity has been declared out of bounds for ships and aircraft, he claimed during his interaction with journalists.

Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai, in a post on ‘X’, taunted Modi over release of video clips and photographs by the BJP that show him meditating. “How many angles! how many videographers! Swami Vivekananda is silent,” the Congress leader said in his post.

Kanyakumari is famous for its sunrise and sunset and the memorial is located on a tiny islet near the shoreline. At the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, the PM embarked on meditation on the evening of May 30 and he is scheduled to complete it on the evening of June 1.
National, Politics, West Bengal

Last phase of LS polls in 57 seats today, Prime Minister in fray

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Counting of votes to take place on June 4 
PTI, May 31, 2024 : Fifty-seven seats across seven states and the Union territory of Chandigarh will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections on Saturday that include Varanasi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term.

Polling is scheduled in all 13 seats of Punjab and four of Himachal Pradesh, 13 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha and three seats in Jharkhand besides Chandigarh. Polling for the remaining 42 assembly constituencies of Odisha and bypolls to six assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh will also take place simultaneously.

Other prominent candidates among the total 904 contestants in fray are Union minister Anurag Thakur, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti and actor Kangana Ranaut.

Over 10.06 crore citizens, including nearly 5.24 crore men, 4.82 crore women and 3,574 third gender electors are eligible to vote in this phase.

Saturday’s voting will mark the end to the marathon polling process that began on April 19 and has already covered 486 Lok Sabha seats in 28 states and Union territories. The assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim also went to polls. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 4. In Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, the counting for the assembly polls will be held on June 2.

According to Election Commission guidelines, television channels and news outlets will be able to run exit poll data and its results on June 1 after 6.30 pm.

The EC said polling parties have been dispatched along with machines and poll materials to their respective polling stations. At the 1.09 lakh polling stations, basic facilities including ample shade, drinking water, ramps, and toilets are being provided to ensure that polling takes place in a comfortable and secure environment, it said. The poll panel has also directed CEOs and state machineries to take adequate measures to manage the adverse impact of hot weather or rainfall wherever predicted.

The commission called upon voters to turn out in greater numbers and vote with responsibility and pride. The turnout in the first six phases was 66.14 per cent, 66.71, 65.68, 69.16, 62.2 and 63.36 per cent respectively.

The campaigning for the last phase which ended Thursday evening saw BJP leaders led by Modi accusing the Congress and the INDIA alliance of being corrupt, anti-Hindu and engaging in loot, appeasement and dynastic politics.

The Opposition parties have been claiming that the BJP is anti-farmer, anti-youth and will change and scrap the Constitution if they win the elections.

On Thursday evening, Modi headed to Kanyakumari where he is meditating till June 1 at the site associated with Swami Vivekananda. Modi had 206 public outreach programmes, including rallies and roadshows, since the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha election schedule on March 16.

The parliamentary seats where polling will take place in Uttar Pradesh are Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Robertsganj (SC), spread across 11 districts.

Uttar Pradesh is a seeing a direct contest between the BJP-led NDA and the coalition of INDIA bloc members Samajwadi Party and Congress.

From Chandauli, Maharajganj and Mirzapur, Union ministers Mahendra Nath Pandey, Pankaj Chaudhary and Anupriya Patel respectively are contesting. Late Mukhtar Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari is in the fray from Ghazipur and former prime minister Chandrashekhar’s son Neeraj Shekhar is contesting from Ballia.

In Varanasi, those contesting against Modi are Ajay Rai (Congress), Ather Jamal Lari (BSP), Kolisetty Shiva Kumar (Yuga Thulasi Party), Gagan Prakash Yadav, (Apna Dal, Kameravadi), and independents Dinesh Kumar Yadav and Sanjay Kumar Tiwari.

The polls in South Bengal, a traditional TMC stronghold, will test the party’s dominance amid an ‘old versus new’ power struggle, with the national spotlight on Sandeshkhali in Basirhat due to allegations of atrocities on women and land grabs.

The seventh phase will cover Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, and Kolkata Uttar, where the TMC secured victories in the 2019 elections.

TMC heavyweight Abhishek Banerjee, considered the party’s de facto number two, is contesting from Diamond Harbour. Banerjee’s performance in this seat, which the TMC touts as a ‘model constituency’, will be closely watched as the opposition attempts to paint it as a ‘laboratory of violence’. The two-time MP faces CPI (M)’s Pratikur Rahaman and BJP’s Abhijit Das in a three-way contest.

The minority-dominated Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, and specifically the Sandeshkhali segment, is a microcosm of the broader electoral battle as it garnered national attention due to allegations of atrocities on women and land grabs by local TMC leaders.

The BJP has capitalised on these issues by nominating Rekha Patra, a prominent local protestor, against TMC veteran Haji Nurul Islam. The CPI (M) has fielded former MLA Nirapada Sardar, making this a three-cornered contest.

In Punjab, prominent candidates in the fray are four-time MP Preneet Kaur, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, three-time MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Ravneet Singh Bittu.

The BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal are contesting the polls on their own for the first time since 1996 while two INDIA bloc parties – the Congress and AAP – have fielded their own candidates.

The prestige of Ranaut and Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh Singh, the heir of the erstwhile Rampur royal family and son of six-time former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, is at stake in Mandi.

Stakes are also high for Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Thakur, who is seeking a fifth term from Hamirpur, and former Union minister Anand Sharma, who is the Congress candidate from the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency, while for Sukhu, the six assembly bypolls are for survival and stability of his 17-month-old government.

In Bihar, Union minister RK Singh is aiming at a hat-trick from Arrah, where his principal challenger is Sudama Prasad, a sitting MLA of the CPI(ML) Liberation.

In Patna Sahib, veteran BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad is aiming at a second consecutive Lok Sabha term. His principal challenger is Congress spokesman Anshul Avijit, son of former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and grandson of Jagjivan Ram.

In Pataliputra, Misa Bharti is trying her luck for the third time. BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav is aiming at a hat-trick.

Karakat is witnessing a multi-cornered fight which is being most talked about because of Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh, who is contesting as an Independent. Singh entered the fray after having earlier turned down a BJP ticket from Asansol in West Bengal. The move has led to his expulsion from the party.

Upendra Kushwaha, a former Union minister who heads the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, had won the seat in 2014 but lost it five years later upon quitting NDA. He is hopeful of wresting the seat back following return to the BJP-led coalition. The CPI(ML), which has a strong presence in the area, has fielded Raja Ram Kushwaha, a former MLA and farmer leader. The pitch has been queered further with the AIMIM fielding Priyanka Chaudhary, a Zila Parishad member. 
Politics, West Bengal

Union home ministry emails citizenship certificates to eight persons in Bengal ahead of last phase of polls

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One is from Nadia and seven are from various places in North 24-Parganas, none is from Matua community

Snehamoy Chakraborty, TT, Calcutta, 31.05.24: The Union home ministry on Wednesday evening emailed citizenship certificates to at least eight persons from Bengal ahead of the last phase of elections, which includes constituencies like Barasat, Dum Dum, Jadavpur and Basirhat with significant refugee population.

“The process of granting citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, has now commenced in the State of West Bengal, where the first set of applications from the state were granted citizenship by the Empowered Committee, West Bengal,” a press release issued by the ministry reads.
None of the eight is from the Matua community.

Of the eight persons with certificates, one is from Nadia and seven are from various places in North 24-Parganas.

Alhough the election in Nadia is over, nine constituencies, including three of North 24 Parganas — Dum Dum, Barasat, and Basirhat, will go to the polls on June 1. After the CAA rules were notified, the first set of citizenship certificates was handed over to 14 persons in New Delhi on May 15.

Giving citizenship certificates to the first set of eight people from Bengal since the notification of the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024, assumes significance as chief minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that those staying in the country with voting rights are already citizens of India.

A section of people from the Matua community is also in a dilemma over applying for citizenship status as it is mandatory to submit documents proving their connection with Bangladesh. As a large number of them do not have any document to prove their Bangladeshi roots, most Matuas are yet to apply for citizenship, a source said.

A BJP leader, however, said these citizenship certificates would help convince refugees to apply for the status.

“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she would not allow CAA to be implemented in Bengal. Today, eight Bengalis received their citizenship certificates…. Those who received their citizenship status will not face any problem staying in the country. This is called Modi’s guarantee, and no power can stop CAA. All refugees will get their citizenship status,” BJP leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay wrote on his social media handle.

Bikash Mondal, 34, now living with his elderly parents, wife, and three-year-old son in Nadia’s Bhimpur, is one among those who received citizenship status on Wednesday evening. He applied for it after the notification of the rules in March this year.

He came from Jhenaidah in Bangladesh in December 2012, claiming that as a Hindu he was forced to leave his country because of religious persecution.

“I am very happy to receive citizenship of this country. I was interviewed by the Empowered Committee. I am relieved,” said Bikash, who claimed he would apply for a similar status for his parents, who came to India in 2012.

Asked if he gave any document to prove his Bangladesh roots, Bikash said: “Yes. I submitted my birth certificate provided in Jhenaidah.”

Sceptics are unconvinced.

“It is a clear bluff…. The certificates show they were provided under the CAA of 2009. The BJP has been trying to reap political dividends ahead of the last phase of polls by providing citizenship certificates to only a few people. If those people were granted the status following the new law, why did they not mention it on the certificates?” asked Prasenjit Bose, an economist and activist who is a face of the movement against the citizenship matrix.

Trinamool said citizenship certificates should be unconditional. “How can those people who had to flee from Bangladesh show papers to prove their Bangladesh ties?” asked a TMC leader.
Regional

Trekker death prompts Gorkhaland Territorial Administration to draw new plans for safety

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Mandatory halt for acclimatisation, setting up a health post and a compulsory fitness certificate from a doctor are among few new rules
A snow-covered road at Sandakphu in March this year

Bireswar Banerjee, TT, Siliguri, 31.05.24 : The recent death of a 29-year-old youth from North Dinajpur from suspected high altitude sickness while he was on way to Sandakphu has prompted the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) to draw up new plans for the safety of trekkers to Bengal’s highest point located at 12,000 feet above sea level.

Among these include mandatory halt for acclimatisation, setting up a health post and a compulsory fitness certificate from a doctor.
Dawa Gyalpo Sherpa, the chief coordinator of adventure tourism in the GTA, said during the peak season, around 500 tourists and trekkers visit Sandakphu every day.

They reach the location by covering a 35-kilometre-long steep hilly mountain road by foot or hiring Land Rovers from Manebhanjan.

“We will request tourists and trekkers to halt at Tumling or Meghma for at least a day to acclimatise with the weather to avoid high altitude sickness. Before boarding a vehicle or starting a trek, they will have to furnish a fitness certificate issued by a doctor to our representatives,” said Sherpa. He said that they had already submitted their proposals to the principal secretary of the GTA so that necessary orders were issued in this regard.

As of now, two health workers of GTA, who are trained to provide first aid and can handle oxygen cylinders, are posted at Manebhanjan and Sandakphu. The nearest health centre is at Sukhiapokhri, 45km away.

In case of any medical emergency, trekkers, homestay owners and other members of the local population are wholly dependent on this health centre.

Arun Sigchi, the executive member of health and family welfare department of the GTA, said considering the inflow of tourists in Sandakphu, they have decided to open a health post at the site.

Once the proposal gets final nod at the meeting of GTA’s executive body meeting, the post would be opened, he said.

“There will be basic amenities like oxygen cylinders and first-aid equipment, along with medicines which are essential for such a high-altitude area to address respiratory and cardiac problems. We can’t afford to keep a doctor on a permanent basis at the spot, but arrangements will be made so that doctors keep on visiting the health post,” said Sigchi.

Also, an ambulance would be kept at Sandakphu to carry patients in case of emergency, he added.

On May 26, Tanmoy Kundu, who was from Kaliaganj of North Dinajpur, had been to Tumling, a hamlet on the way to Sandakphu, with five other friends. He fell sick and on the next day, his friends made arrangements to shift him to the block health centre at Sukhiapokhri, which is around 45 kilometres away.

Tanmoy lost his senses during the trip and on reaching the hospital, doctors pronounced him dead. Later, a post-mortem was conducted and his body was taken to his home town for the last rites.
Courtesy & source- the Telegraph
Politics, West Bengal

ECI prohibits govt-aided school teachers as counting agents

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MP, 31 May 2024, Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab that teachers from government-aided or sponsored schools cannot be appointed as counting agents for any candidate. 

This rule also applies to individuals receiving any honorarium from the government or those working part-time in state-aided institutions. Six phases of elections have already been held and the last (7th) phase of polls is scheduled on Saturday (June 1) in nine Parliamentary Constituencies in Bengal — Kolkata South, Kolkata North, Dum Dum, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, Basirhat, Barasat, Mathurapur and Jaynagar. 
The counting is scheduled for Also Read – ‘No one can stop change of power in Delhi on June 4’ June 4. As per the rules of the Commission, no state government employees can be deputed as counting agents. 
However, in earlier elections there were allegations of engaging teachers in such duties. The poll watchdog this time has clarified well in advance to ensure that teachers of the government-aided or sponsored school are not appointed as counting agents for any candidate. 
As per rules, during the counting of elections under the supervision and directions of returning officers, the counting is held in the presence of the candidates. But as counting is held at different venues a candidate can’t remain present at all venues. 
Against this backdrop, the candidate deputes one counting agent on his or her behalf for overseeing the counting process on behalf of the concerned candidate. If any government employee is involved in the counting process, questions of bias may crop up, hence the EC does not allow any such agent during the counting of votes. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/eci-prohibits-govt-aided-school-teachers-as-counting-agents-565999
Education, Regional, West Bengal

Higher Secondary Edu Council uploads textual components of language papers on website

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SOUMITRA NANDI, MP, 31 May 2024, Kolkata: The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) has uploaded the textual components of all the language papers on its website for the benefit of students, teachers and the general academic community. The decision comes in the wake of slim chances of availability of the printed version of the books before the third week of June. The schools will reopen after summer vacation on June 3 and classes will commence from June 10. “The language textbooks are not yet available and there are considerable changes in the curriculum in the backdrop of the introduction of a semester system for Class XI for the academic year 2024-25 and for Class XII for the academic year 2025-26. Hence, we have uploaded the textual components of all the language papers on our website. The teachers, students can start their classes based on the uploaded document for the time being,” said Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, president of WBCHSE. The state government has taken the responsibility of printing all the textbooks of language subjects which will be distributed to the students free-of-cost across Bengal. The Education department has taken all necessary measures to expedite the delivery of hard copies of the textbooks to all the students of different schools affiliated under WBCHSE at the earliest. There are six languages, including English and Bengali, that are taught at the higher secondary level. There is a first paper and a second paper for all the language subjects except Urdu and Santhali. The process of bringing out books is a time taking process as it goes through various channels of the department before finally getting printed. The textbooks of 52 other subjects have hit the markets. Some of the schools have started online classes in the backdrop of the introduction of the semester system in which the first semester examination will be held in September. However, they have been facing problems due to the non-availability of books. The WBCHSE has revised the curriculum of all the subjects after 11 years and the language papers particularly were thoroughly revised and curriculum of all subjects were bifurcated in four semesters.

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/higher-secondary-edu-council-uploads-textual-components-of-language-papers-on-website-565997

Health, Regional

People stand in long queues in Siliguri for packaged water

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Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 30 May 2024, Siliguri: Thursday saw panic in Siliguri over drinking water with prohibitory orders not to use the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC)-supplied water for drinking purposes owing to contamination. 

Uncertainty ruled as packaged water disappeared from the stores and water packaging plants and municipal supply was short of the assured amount. Long queues were seen in front of shops selling packaged drinking water. 
Meanwhile, SMC also sent water tankers to different wards in rotation. There were long queues there as well. Councillors started distributing water pouches but many reported that they received fewer water pouches than the stipulated amount. 
Tapan Mandal, a resident of Ward 12, said: “We are in trouble. We have to stand in line to get drinking water since morning. The administration should resolve the issue at the earliest.” 
Ratna Mallick from College Para said: “The SMC should have tested the water before supplying it to people. We have already consumed water from the Mahananda River for a few days. 
Now suddenly, the Mayor has instructed us to stop drinking the water.” “This is due to a natural calamity. We had no option but to stop people from drinking the water. Deputy Mayor, member of the council of the Water Supply department and I have been visiting boroughs and are making all the necessary arrangements so that people do not have to suffer,” stated Gautam Deb, Mayor. 
On Wednesday, the Mayor had appealed to the public not to drink the water supplied by SMC till June 2 as the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the water of Mahananda River had increased and could cause illness. 
The ongoing work on the Teesta Dam at Gajoldoba would be complete and safe water from Teesta would be supplied from June 2 evening, he had assured. Also Read – Teenager ‘assaulted to death inside ashram’ 
As many as 52 water tanks were supposed to be sent to the wards, but they have been sending 26 water tanks in rotation to each ward. “PHE has been providing us with water tanks and pouches. It is taking some time but they will give us 1 lakh pouches daily,” Deb added. Packaged water up to 5 liters is available in different shops. 
However, there is a scarcity of bottles larger than 5 liters. Water packaging plants have not been able to supply 20-liter jars owing to water shortage. 
Sachin Chettri, a water supplier from Darjeeling More, said: “We are supplying to our regular customers first. We are trying to give the excess we have to others. We cannot get much underground water.” 
CPI(M) Darjeeling district committee staged a protest and gheraoed the Mayor in front of the SMC office on Thursday. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/people-stand-in-long-queues-in-siliguri-for-packaged-water-565981
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