FRIDAY 07 JUNE, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Representational Image INCREASE IN TOPPERS REFLECTS NEET’S COMPETITIVE NATURE: TESTING AGENCY PA R A M I L I TA R Y AT TA C K 100 KILLED IN SUDAN VILLAGE The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday asserted that the competitive medical entrance exam’s integrity has not been compromised At least 100 people were killed and dozens were injured after the Rapid Support Forces attacked a village in Gezira province in Sudan SCORES INCREASED DUE TO GRACE MARKS A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 NEW DELHI J8.00 PAGES 12 The increase in cutoff and higher performance standards achieved by candidates this year reflects the competitive nature of the exam, a senior NTA official said. This year’s NEET-UG saw a record 67 candidates score a perfect 720. Grace marks given to students at some centres due to the loss of time was a reason for the rise in the number of toppers, the official said Sunday date for Modi to take oath New govt to consider special financial package for Andhra, Bihar; NDA Parliamentary Party meet today RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference in New Delhi | PTI Rahul seeks JPC probe into ‘stock market scam’ P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi CONGRESS leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s alleged role in the “biggest stock market scam” that wiped out retail investors’ wealth to the tune of `30 lakh crore. Addressing a press conference here, Gandhi asked why Modi, Shah, and Sitharaman made remarks to pump up stock markets. “The PM told the country three times that there would be a stock market boom. The HM asked people to buy stocks before June 4. The FM also gave the same message. This is the first time that the PM commented on the stock markets during elections,” Gandhi said. The Congress MP said the ‘fake’ exit polls led to massive stock buying on June 3, a day before the counting of votes. When the actual results were way off projections, the markets crashed. “We are convinced this is a scam. Somebody has made crores of rupees at the cost of retail investors. This is a criminal act,” he alleged. Refuting the charges, BJP leader Piyush Goyal said it’s the wealthy foreign invetors who bought stocks at high rates while Indians sold and made profits. “The `30 lakh crore he is talking about refers to valuation. It’s notional and not about trading; he doesn’t understand,” Goyal said. NIA reply on Baramullah MP Er Rashid’s plea for parole sought P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi A Delhi court on Thursday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond by Friday to an application filed by Engineer Rashid seeking interim bail to take oath as an MP after he won from Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir. Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, was arrested in a 2016 terror funding case. He has sought either interim bail or custody parole to assume his new role. The application was presented to Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh on June 4, who directed the NIA to respond by Thursday. However, the central agency requested more time to file its reply . Rashid, a former Jammu and Kashmir MLA, has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the alleged terror funding case. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail. His name emerged during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, arrested for allegedly financing terrorist outfits and separatists in Kashmir. The NIA had filed a charge sheet against several individuals in the case, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after pleading guilty to the charges. In the recent Lok Sabha polls, Rashid defeated former J&K CM and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah from Baramullah by over 2 lakh votes. His campaign was managed by his son Abrar Ahmed. On the UCC, the CM had written to the Law panel. We are not against it. But there should be consultation with all stakeholders K C Tyagi, JD(U) No final decision has been taken on the ministry of Railway. But in all likelihood it will remain with the BJP BJP leader AMID intense negotiations for Cabinet berths among the NDA partners, it became known that Narendra Modi will take his third consecutive oath as prime minister at a glittering ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday. More than 800 guests, including foreign dignitaries, will attend. Apart from Modi, about 25-30 ministers are expected to be sworn in. Though there was no official word, the BJP central office has already sent its list of invitees to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Significantly, the BJP leadership is learnt to have agreed in principle on the new govern- HEADS OF SEVEN NEIGHBOURS GET INVITES Invites have been sent to the heads of neighbouring countries to attend the ceremony. Presidents Ranil Wickremesinghe (Sri Lanka), Mohamed Muizzu (Maldives), Wavel Ramkalawan (Seychelles) and prime ministers Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh), Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ (Nepal), Tshering Tobgay (Bhutan) and Pravind Jugnauth (Mauritius) are on the list of invitees ment considering the demand for special financial packages for both Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The demand by the TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar was part of the negotiations on ministerial berths. Besides, a senior NDA source indicated that the TDP, which has 16 MPs, is likely to get one Cabinet and two ministers of state (MoS) in the Union ministry As for the JD(U), it is expect. ed to get one Cabinet and one or two MoS. As for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, sources said that the BJP will have its own nominee while the Deputy Speaker could be from the TDP. The JD(U) already has the post of vice-chairman in the Rajya Sabha. The NDA Parliamentary Party meet on Friday is expected to take the final call on quotas for allies in the Union ministry. “The final decision on the portfolios among the allies will be taken at Friday’s meeting,” said a source. However, key ministries that are part of the Cabinet Committee on Security (defence, home, finance and corporate affairs, external affairs) are almost certain to remain with the BJP. The BJP is learnt to have decided to accommodate almost all potential allies with one Cabinet berth and one MoS to both Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV) and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Jitan Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha could get the ministry of social justice while the JD(U) may get rural development, water resources or agriculture ministry . Meanwhile, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said his party has demanded for a review of the Agniveer scheme. P7 AMID SUSPENSE OVER CM, ODISHA BJP PLANS OATH CEREMONY ON JUNE 10 MODI, SHAH TO ATTEND The invitee list of the oath-taking ceremony is yet to be finalised. PM Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda and CMs of NDA-ruled states will be present B I J O Y P R A D H A N @ Bhubaneswar AMID suspense over who will be named the chief minister of Odisha, preparations have begun in full swing for the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in the state on June 10. Janata Maidan, which can accommodate a huge gathering, will host the ceremony. The Raj Bhawan is also being considered keeping in view the monsoon season. State BJP president Manmohan Samal and Leader of Op- position in the outgoing Assembly Jayanarayan Mishra on Thursday left for Delhi to attend the party’s parliamentary board meeting on Friday. All the 20 BJP MPs from Odisha have reached Delhi to attend the meeting. Samal and Mishra were, however, tight-lipped on issue of CM selection. “I am not aware of the agenda of the meeting. The first thing would be that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be elected as the leader of the BJP parliamen- tary party. Then the newlyelected NDA MPs are expected to meet on Friday to elect Modi as their leader, paving the way for him to take oath as PM for the third time,” said Mishra before his departure to Delhi. BJP sources, though, said the parliamentary board meeting on Friday would possibly pick the CM for Odisha. Since Modi will take oath as the PM on the evening of June 9, the name of the CM may be announced either on Sunday or Monday they said. , GETS A WARM SEND-OFF IN KOLKATA THE LAST DANCE: THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORIES, ■ SUNIL CHHETRI India’s one of the greatest strikers plays his final game against Kuwait. He is the fourth highest goal-scorer in international football FEET OF GOAL FOURTH-HIGHEST IN THE WORLD 151 The 39-year-old Chhetri ended his glorious 19-year international career as the fourth-most prolific scorer in international football with 94 strikes, behind Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (128), Iran legend Ali Daei (108) and Argentine wizard Lionel Messi (106). He will, however, continue playing club football for “two more years” THE NUMBER OF MATCHES HE PLAYED FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM ‘Existential problem’: HP govt told to release surplus water to Delhi S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Himachal Pradesh government to release 137 cusecs of surplus water to the national capital and asked Haryana to facilitate its flow. The court noted that the acute drinking water shortage has become an “existential problem” in Delhi. “There should be no politics over water,” said a two-judge vacation bench of the top court, led by Justice PK Mishra and Justice KV Viswanathan. It noted that the Himachal Pradesh government was willing to release 137 cusecs of surplus water. “Keeping in view the urgency we direct Himachal Pradesh , to release water from upstream so that water reaches the Hathnikund barrage and reaches Delhi through Wazirabad. The The case in top court The Delhi govt made the Centre, Haryana and Himachal as parties to the case filed by it in the top court. “Drinking water is the basic need. It has increased in the scorching heat. It is everyone’s responsibility to fulfill the needs of the country’s capital,” the petition said. Since Himachal does not share a boundary with Delhi, the water will be released to the city via Wazirabad barrage. surplus water shall be released by Himachal Pradesh tomorrow with prior intimation. Haryana shall facilitate the flow from Hathnikund to Wazirabad so it reaches Delhi without obstruction,” the bench said. The court scheduled the matter for further hearing on June 10. Senior lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi gover nment, informed the top court that the Himachal government had no objection but that there was no response from Haryana government. Based on a UYRB (Upper Yamuna River Board) report, he said that water from the Beas can be sent to Delhi through canals in Haryana. “Himachal is showing grace and humility, but Haryana is not,” he said. Opposing Singhvi, the Haryana government said the proposal was not feasible. Justice Viswanathan pointed out that the recommendation to release water was UYRB’s and that the court was passing orders on the report, and not on the petition. Water Minister Atishi while filing a petition said it was necessitated by an acute heat wave and an issuance of a red alert in the NCT. ■ His wife, Sonam Bhattacharya, and nine-month-old son, Dhurv, were there on the packed stands at the Salt Lake Stadium Chhetri had scored in his debut match against Pakistan on June 12, 2005 in Quetta. However, in his last match, he could not score and India managed a draw against Kuwait in a so-so match | P11 Arrest warrant issued against Prajwal’s mother E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Hassan A Bengaluru court issued an arrest warrant against Prajwaj Revanna’s mother Bhavani Revanna, who is wanted by the SIT in connection with a woman’s kidnap and harassment case registered in Mysuru district. The SIT filed a detailed report on Bhavani’s alleged involvement before the court. Bhavani allegedly failed to depose before the SIT though the probe team had issued three notices to her. The SIT has also formed teams to arrest Bhavani, who has been absconding since a fortnight. The SIT had to wait for Bhavani at her residence in Holenarasipur for seven hours recently , before returning to Bengaluru. Sources said police teams have fanned out to Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hassan in search of Bhavani, and have no clues about her whereabouts as yet. ISRAEL STRIKE IN MAKESHIFT UN SCHOOL KILLS 33 A pre-dawn strike hit Al-Sardi school, housing Palestinians who fled Israeli bombardment in northern Gaza, killing women and children | P9 AIRPORT DRAMA CISF constable ‘slaps’ Kangana for ryot stir jibe H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh BOLLYWOOD actor and BJP MP-elect Kangana Ranaut said on Thursday that she was slapped by a woman CISF constable during security check at the Chandigarh airport. Ranaut was at the boarding area of the airport to catch a Vistara flight to Delhi when CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur allegedly slapped her. Sources said that an argument broke out between the two during frisking over the actor’s critical com- Screen grab of ments on the Kangana Ranaut’s farmers’ is- video message | PTI s u e. K a u r has been suspended and a case has been registered against her, sources said. “From what it appears, Kangana was slapped for her ‘Khalistani’ comments during the farmers’ agitation… but we do not know the whole incident yet,” said her close aide. Sources said Kangana is likely to file a complaint with the Ministry of Home Affairs. “A CISF woman constable hit me and abused me. When I asked her the reason for the misbehaviour, she said that she supports farmers’ protest. I am safe but the question is how do we handle terrorism in Punjab,” Ranaut said in a video statement. AAP says no alliance with Cong, will go it alone in ’25 Assembly elections A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi CONCEDING a nil to seven defeat in the parliamentary polls in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to go it alone in the Assembly polls, which are months away in the city. The AAP fought the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Congress as a part of INDIA bloc, with many within and outside AAP wondering whether the alliance would continue for the 70-member Assembly . “The alliance was formed for Lok Sabha elections only said ,” senior AAP leader and minister Gopal Rai on Thursday . “This is clear from the first day that the INDIA bloc was formed for the Lok Sabha elections. As far as Vidhan Sabha is concerned, no alliance has been formed. Aam Aadmi Party will fight elections with its full strength,” Rai said after a meeting of party MLAs at CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. The AAP has registered two landslide victories in as many assembly elections, but the party drew a blank in Lok Sabha polls in 2014, 2019 and 2024. The AAP-Congress pre-poll Party 2015 Seats Vote share AAP 67 54.3% BJP 3 32.3% Nil 9.7% Congress Party 2020 Seats Vote share 62 53.57% BJP 8 38.51% Congress 0 4.26% AAP alliance was aimed at preventing a split in the anti-BJP votes. The AAP had entered into a seat-sharing agreement of 4:3 with its staunch rival. However, the party failed to reverse its fortunes. The BJP continued to prove its dominance in Delhi bagging all seven seats. With Kejriwal behind bars, and other senior leaders grappling with back-to-back attacks from the BJP, the party’s future seems in trouble. As Delhi goes to the elections in January 2025, the party has some introspection to do before it can hit the campaign trail. EXPRESS READ Probe under UAPA in In a 1st in 85 yrs, CRPF House security breach support staff promoted Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena on Thursday sanctioned prosecution of six people accused of attacking Parliament in December 2023, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The Delhi Police had requested their prosecution after finding sufficient material on record, the Raj Niwas stated. P4 A total of 2,600 cooks and water carriers working with the Central Reserve Police Force, have been promoted for the first time in the 85-year history of the paramilitary force. About 1,700 cooks and 900 water carrier personnel were promoted from the rank of constables to head constables. P7
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