WEDNESDAY 03 JULY, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard UK POLLS SUNAK WARNS OF LABOUR MAJORITY PM kicked off his campaign with a distribution centre visit in central England early Tuesday, penultimate day of campaigning ahead of poll day on Thursday PAGE 9 DEUBA, OLI STRIKE POWER-SHARING DEAL TO OUST NEPAL PM PRACHANDA Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have inked a deal to form a new ‘national consensus government’ to replace coalition govt led by Prachanda | P9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS NEW DELHI J8.00 PAGES 12 13 NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTS NEPAL HAS HAD IN THE PAST 16 YEARS 117 DEVOTEES DIE IN U.P. STAMPEDE SCORES INJURED IN ACCIDENT AT RELIGIOUS EVENT IN HATHRAS WOMEN, KIDS AMONG DEAD FIR REGISTERED AGAINST ORGANISERS N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow PAST STAMPEDES AT least 117 people, including women and children, died due to suffocation and fatal injuries after a stampede broke out at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district on Tuesday afternoon. Officials said the toll may go up as scores of people were seriously injured in the melee. The accident happened in Phulrai village of Ratibhanpur locality under Sikandrau tehsil area of Hathras district around 3 pm on Tuesday . According to Etah SP Rajesh Kumar Singh, as soon as the satsang (prayer meeting) got over, people who were packed in a small hall rushed out. They fell over each other, leading to stampede. Aligarh Range IG Shalabh Mathur confirmed 117 deaths, while unofficial reports put the number at 130. Police officials say a huge gathering of around 15,000 people had thronged the venue to attend the satsang held by Bhole Baba, a popular preacher who has followers in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. The venue was packed to the brim. “The number of attendees exHATHRAS ceeded the administration’s permitted limit at the venue, leading to a stampede during Bhole Baba’s satsang,” a statement by the state government UTTAR said. An FIR has been registered PRADESH against the organisers and the baba, Bodies of victims of the stampede lie in a bus, at Sikandra Rao in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday | PTI who is reportedly absconding. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi The district where WHO IS BHOLE BABA? Adityanath said the government will the stampede A former official with the intelligence wing of Uttar Pradesh Police, thoroughly investigate whether it was took place Suraj Pal turned Narayan Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba took voluntary a ‘tragedy or a conspiracy’ and take acMy thoughts are with retirement to pursue his spiritual call. He conducts weekly prayer tion against those responsible. He also conthose bereaved in Hathras. meets at various places every Tuesday, attracting many. Not a follower stituted a probe team comprising Additional Prayers with the injured. The UP govt of any guru, he claims to have got divine vision straight from God Director General of Police Agra zone Anupam is working to assist those affected Kulshreshtha and Aligarh Divisional CommissionPrime Minister Narendra Modi er Chaitra V to ascertain the reasons for the mishap. DIFFERENT VERSIONS ON HOW IT HAPPENED He has sought the probe report within 24 hours. The congregation was much bigger According to some reports, the tragedy may have happened when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an exthan what was permitted. In the devotees tried to get a glimpse of the Bhole Baba and collect some soil gratia compensation of `2 lakh to the family of the stampede, several women, children from around the baba’s feet. After the satsang ended, the baba got up deceased and `50,000 each to the injured. The Uttar and elders died to leave. The place where he sat is considered sacred by devotees. Pradesh government will also give similar compenMany devotees rushed to the spot to collect soil, leading to stampede sation to the victims. UP minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary PATCHY IN JUNE Monsoon covers India six days before schedule J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi THE Southwest Monsoon on Tuesday covered the entire country six days earlier than schedule, taking the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab in its sweep. This is the third consecutive year that the monsoon covered the entire nation on July 2 instead of the normal date of July 8. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reiterated its prediction that the country will receive above normal rainfall i.e. over 106% of long period average (LPA) between June-September. It is expected to boost sowing of Kharif crops and ease food inflation. The onset of the monsoon was early too. It arrived in Ker, ala on May 30, two days ahead of schedule. However, its journey so far has been haphazard. The country received 11% deficient rainfall in June, which was seventh lowest in the last 24 years. Its progression was normal in the first week of June but later it got subdued in the rest of the country except South India. During June, subdued rainfall was observed especially from June 10 to 18. Rainfall improved after June 19 and there was good precipitation from June 27 to 30. The delayed monsoon is in the range of 10-15 days in different parts of the East, Northwest and Central India. The Northwest recorded the highest deficit (-32.6%) in June followed by East and Northwest (-13.3%) and Central India (-13.2%). However, the Southern Peninsula received above normal rainfall (+14.2%). AUG 27, 2003: 39 dead during Kumbh Mela in Nashik JAN 25, 2005: 340 trampled to death at Mandhardevi temple in Maharashtra’s Satara AUG 3, 2008: 162 dead, 47 injured at Naina Devi temple in Himachal’s Bilaspur SEP 30, 2008 : 250 devotees were killed at Chamunda Devi temple in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur MAR 4, 2010 : 63 killed at Ram Janki Temple in UP’s Pratapgarh district JAN 14, 2011: 104 killed in a stampede when a jeep crashed into Sabarimala pilgrims at Pulmedu NOV 19, 2012: 20 killed as a makeshift bridge caved in during Chhath Puja at Adalat Ghat in Patna OCT 13, 2013: 115 killed during Navratri festivities in MP’s Datia district JUL 14, 2015: 27 died at a major bathing spot at Godavari river in Rajahmundry, AP JAN 1, 2022 : 12 died at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in J&K Atishi revokes L-G order on think-tank A S H I S H S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi IN a showdown with L-G VK Saxena, the Delhi government has issued an order revoking the temporary dissolution of Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission (DDDC) ordered by Saxena earlier. Planning Minister Atishi stated in her order that Saxena’s order, issued last week, rescinding the three ex-officio members stood null and void. The minister also ordered the ex-officio members would continue on the panel and remain entitled to the salary and perks they were enjoying before the L-G’s order. Adding a warning to the services department, Atishi said that stoppage of facilities to the members would in- vite disciplinary action. “Vijay Chandra Vupputuri, Aswathi Muralidharan, and Gopal Mohan shall continue as non-official members of DDCD, and shall remain entitled to salary, offices, official vehicles, and all perks as they were on June 26,” said Atishi’s order. “Any officer who stops the payment of salaries to them or prevents perks shall make oneself liable for disciplinary action. This order shall be treated as a stern warning to the services de par tment, GNCTD to refrain from overstepping its jurisdiction, failing which it shall be liable for contempt of the Supreme Court for acting in violation of its decision,” the order read. Atishi said the matters relat- BARAMULLAH MP ER RASHID GETS 2-HR PAROLE TO TAKE OATH S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi THE Patiala House Courts on Tuesday granted Sheikh Abdul Rashid a.k.a Engineer Rashid to take oath as an MP under custody parole. Rashid was elected to Parliament by defeating NC’s Omar Abdullah from Baramullah in the recently-held Lok Sabha elections. The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh following consent by the NIA to the arrangement. Rashid, an undertrial in a terror funding case being probed by NIA and currently lodged in Tihar Jail, will be escorted to Parliament on July 5 for a two-hour window to fulfil his constitutional duty of taking oath. The NIA said that it has been consulting with Parliament and jail authorities on the matter. Law does not explicitly prohibit undertrials from contesting elections. Section 62(5) of the Representation of People Act (RPA) disallows lawfully imprisoned persons from voting if they are confined in a jail or in police custody How. ever, a 2013 amendment to the Act ensures that individuals remain eligible to contest polls as long as their names are on electoral rolls, regardless of their incarceration status. ed to DDDC do not come under the purview of the L-G but the planning department whose jurisdiction is with the city government. She also said changes in terms of operations of the advisory panel and engagement of its members require permission from the CM, the chairperson of the body, which was not sought by the L-G before dissolving it. “The L-G and the services department don’t have the jurisdiction to issue the said order interdicting the functioning of the non-official members, DDCD,” Atishi’s order read. “The non-official members are appointed by the CM. They are not a part of the ‘permanent executive’ and, hence, not within the jurisdiction of the services department,” it added. EXPRESS READ HC seeks CBI reply on Kejriwal petition The Delhi HC on Tuesday issued a notice to CBI in response to a plea filed by Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest in the excise policy case. The next date of hearing has been fixed for July 17. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior advocate appearing for Kejriwal, said CBI had lodged the FIR in August 2022, but the arrest was made two years later. P4 NEET-PG exam may take place in August In view of the announcement of fresh dates to conduct the postponed NEET-PG exam, which is likely to take place in August, a meeting of officials of Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre wing of the MHA and ministries of IT and health was held to find ways to plug any possibility of paper leak, sources said. P7 Friction point 1 June 27: L-G clears temporary dissolution of Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission (DDCD) and removes its 3 non-official members 2 What’s DDCD: Formed through a notification in 2016, it’s a govt think-tank. The tenure of members supposed to be co-terminus with term of the present NCT govt 3 Why L-G acted: His letter to chief secy says the govt wanted financial benefits to certain favoured political persons. No screening done and huge salaries were paid 4 What govt says: L-G order null & void. Matters linked to DDDC do not come under the purview of L-G Modi rips Rahul with his balak buddhi barb P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi IN a strong pushback against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s fiery speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the country would not forgive the Congress MP for centuries for his hurtful comments about ‘Hindus’. Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, the prime minister said, “People will not forgive them for centuries… Hindu is tolerant. A conspiracy was hatched to falsely accuse Hindus. It was said Hindus are violent. This is your character, thinking, and hatred.” Rahul had on Monday alleged that BJP leaders claim to be Hindus, but they talk only of violence and hatred. Many of his comments were later expunged by the Chair. In his more than two-hour-long speech, Modi repeatedly took potshots at Rahul and the Congress. Revised norms Asserting that the grand old party on oath taking delivered its third worst performance in the national elections and With AIMIM chief failed to reach 250-mark after the Asaduddin Owaisi’s 1984 polls, he said, “Country is tell- saying ‘Jai Palestine’ ing him that you are not up to it.” after taking his oath The Lower House saw utter cha- as a Lok Sabha os throughout the speech as the member, the Speaker Opposition staged protests and on Tuesday revised trooped into the Well, raising slo- the guidelines, barring MPs from adding any gans of ‘justice for Manipur’. Taking a swipe at Rahul, Modi words, expressions, called him balak buddhi (an adult prefixes or suffixes to with a child’s mind). “A new dra- the prescribed oath or ma has been carried out to gain affirmation in the sympathy. ‘I have been beaten’ Third Schedule | P7 etc.,” he said referring to Rahul’s charge that he was targeted in different criminal cases by the Central government. “The fact is he is on bail in a corruption case, was convicted for calling an OBC community thief, and had to tender an apology before the Supreme Court for speaking lies,” Modi said. This balak buddhi at times tries to hug someone in the House and sometime winks, he quipped. On the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG, Modi said his government is taking steps on a war footing to prevent their recurrence, adding the guilty will not be spared. Arrests are taking place across the country he said. P7 , All in a day — SAD’s Jalandhar-West nominee joins AAP, then rejoins Akalis H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh IN the continuing theatre of the absurd for a party struggling against a vertical split, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday saw yet another day of loyalty switch — within hours. Official SAD candidate for the Jalandhar-West assembly bypoll Surjit Kaur joined the ruling AAP in the afternoon in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann only to return to the rebellion-hit party in the evening. The bypoll is necessitated following the resignation of Sheetal Angural as AAP MLA. Buffeted by severe factionalism, the SAD had announced support to its ally BSP in the election to this reserved seat due on July 10. It “disowned” Sukhbir Badal Bhagwant Maan Surjit saying that she was supported by rebel party leaders. The SAD has been in bad shape after its poor show in the recent Lok Sabha polls. Party chief Sukhbir Badal withdrew the party’s support to Surjit, claiming that she belonged to the rebel group. The rebels in- cluded Jagir Kaur and former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala. Talking with this newspaper, Wadala alleged that the Mann government used its influence and that Surjit was taken by AAP workers to the Mann residence. “It just happened… a few people took me and my son… I do not want to elaborate. We are sorry and are back in the party,’’ she told the media. Earlier in the afternoon, Mann officially inducted Surjit and her family to the party He . said that Surjit and her entire family were religious people who have great empathy for the Panth, Punjab and Punjabis. For more than two decades the SAD has not contested from the Jalandhar-West as the seat went to its erstwhile ally the BJP , .
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