FRIDAY 26 JULY, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard Ashok Mandap JOE BIDEN RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN’S DURBAR AND ASHOK HALLS GET NEW NAMES ‘STEPPED AWAY TO UNITE COUNTRY’ President Droupadi Murmu renamed the iconic Durbar Hall and Ashok Hall as Ganatantra Mandap and Ashok Mandap respectively US President said he quit the 2024 election race to unite the country, saying in an Oval Office speech that it was time to pass the torch to “younger voices.” A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 13 NEW DELHI J8.00 500 PAGES 16 PEOPLE CAN BE ACCOMMODATED IN DURBAR HALL SC lifts mineral tax bar on states Nine-judge bench rules 8:1 that royalty is not tax; Justice Nagarathna writes dissenting verdict S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi speaks in Lok Sabha on Thursday | PTI Ugly scenes as Channi, Bittu spar in House P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE Lok Sabha witnessed ugly scenes on Thursday after Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu crossed swords during a discussion on the Budget. The treasury and opposition benches came close to blows, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House for half an hour. During the debate, Channi went all guns blazing claiming there is an undeclared emergency in the country. The former Punjab CM also accused the government of curbing the freedom of speech of Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is lodged in jail. “They speak about the Emergency every day . What about the undeclared Emergency in the country today? A man who was elected as an MP by 20 lakh people in Punjab is behind bars under the NSA. He is unable to present the views of the people of his constituency here,” Channi said. When his former party colleague Bittu tried to interrupt him, Channi lost his cool and referred to the assassination of Bittu’s grandfather, former Punjab CM Beant Singh. “Your late grandfather was a martyr but he died the day you joined the BJP Channi said. ,” Beant Singh was assassinated in a suicide bomb attack at the secretariat complex in Chandigarh in 1995. “My grandfather did not sacrifice his life for Congress, but for the country Bittu retorted. ,” He then made some personal remarks against Channi and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, inviting a strong reaction from Congress members. Tensions rose after Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring asked Bittu to sit down. An infuriated Bittu tried to head towards the opposition benches. Challenging Bittu, several Cong ress MPs r ushed to the treasury benches. However, Union Minister Rajnath Singh and others intervened to placate Bittu. Following the chaos, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm. P7 IN a significant ruling, a ninejudge bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday held that states have the legislative power to levy tax on minerals. The majority 8:1 judgment authored by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said payments of royalty is different from tax. It struck down a seven-judge ruling in the India Cements case in 1989, which said royalty is tax. “Payments made to the government cannot be deemed to be a tax merely because a statute provides for its recovery in arrears,” the bench ruled. Those who concurred with the CJI were justices Hrishikesh Roy, Abhay S Oka, J B Pardiwala, Manoj Misra, Ujjal Bhuyan, Satish Chandra C Sharma and A G Masih. The dissenting verdict came from Justice B V Nagarathna. “I hold royalty is in nature of tax. States have no legislative competence to impose any tax or fee on mineral rights,” she said. But the majority verdict differed. It said the legislative power to tax mineral rights lies with the state legislature and Parliament does not have the legislative competence to tax mineral rights. The court also said Parliament cannot use its residuary power in the matter, adding the state legislature has the competence under Article 246 read with Entry 49 of List 2 to tax mineral-bearing lands. Whether the majority verdict will operate retrospectively, which would mean a windfall in tax arrears for the states, or prospectively will be considered on July 31. The nine-judge bench had on March 14 reserved its verdict on the question of interpreting royalty and tax under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. A nine-judge bench pronouncing its verdict on minerals rights, in New Delhi on Thursday | PTI SETTLING 25-YEAR-OLD DISPUTE The case began in the Patna High Court in 1999. It was referred to the nine-judge bench in 2011 for adjudication Majority verdict said royalty is not tax. But Justice Nagarathna ruled that payment of royalty is tax The CJI said legislative power to tax minerals vests with state. Parliament does not have legislative competence to do so Entry 50 of List II envisages that Parliament can impose “any limitations” under a law relating to mineral development. But the MMDR Act as it stands has not imposed any such curbs Article 246 read with Entry 49 of List II give states the right to tax mineral-bearing lands which comprise mines and quarries The yield of mineral-bearing land, in terms of the quantity of mineral produced or the royalty, can be used as a measure for tax EXPRESS READ Shekhar Kapur named IFFI festival director Woman dead, 9 hurt in hosp wall collapse Internationally-acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur, known for films such as ‘Mr India’, ‘Masoom’, ‘Bandit Queen’ and ‘Elizabeth’, has been appointed festival director of the 55th and 56th editions of the IFFI. A 35-year-old woman died and nine others were injured after the wall of an underconstruction basement at Akash Hospital in Dwaraka collapsed on Thursday evening, according to police. P4 India rebuffs US criticism on Modi’s Russia visit Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi INDIA on Thursday rejected the concerns raised by the US over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, asserting that all countries have the “freedom of choice” in a multipolar world and everyone should be mindful of such realities. “India has a long-standing relationship with Russia that is based on mutuality of interests,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during his weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday. The MEA spokesperson’s comment was in response to a question on US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia Donald Lu’s recent comments on Modi’s Russia trip. During a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, Lu had criti- cised the timing and context of Modi’s visit. “The US is seriously looking very carefully at what Modi did when he was in Moscow... We did not see any new major defence deals. We saw no major discussion of technology cooperation. In addition, you have Modi having said in front of Putin, on live television, his feeling that the war in Ukraine could not be won on the battle- field and the pain that he felt watching the death of children in war,” said Lu. The Indian PM’s two-day Moscow trip early this month came at a time when Washington was hosting a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which is supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia. Reacting sharply to Lu’s comments, Jaiswal said the thrust of the PM’s visit was on the economic side of Indo-Russian ties. During the visit, India and Russia agreed to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion dollars by 2030, including the use of national currencies to circumvent Western sanctions. Lu was the deputy chief of US mission in India from 2010 to 2013. In 2022, he faced allegations of conspiring to oust then Pakistan PM Imran Khan after the latter’s Moscow trip. Oppn rally in Jantar Mantar Fence Yamuna floodplains once encroachments removed, DDA told on July 30 over CM’s health S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi IN a move to preserve the ecological balance of the Yamuna floodplains, the Delhi High Court has directed the vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to ensure the fencing of the area following the removal of unauthorised constructions and encroachments. The directive came during a hearing of a PIL filed by SD Windlesh, seeking the demolition of a ‘dargah’ and ‘kabristan’ illegally built on the wester n side of the Signature Bridge spanning the river. The bridge connects Wazirabad to East Delhi and has been a focal point for concerns over en- ‘Act within 6 weeks’ The HC appointed the DDA chief as the nodal officer to oversee the removal of encroachments. The timeline given for the actions is preferably six weeks. The PIL calls for forming a Yamuna protection force to prevent further encroachment. croachments on the riverbed. Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, presiding over the division bench, addressed the PIL which also called for a Yamuna protection force to prevent further unauthorised constructions. The court noted that previous orders to clear the floodplains and the riverbed have been ineffective. “The vice chairman of DDA is also directed to ensure that whenever encroachments are removed, the area around the Yamuna floodplains is protected and properly fenced so that no further encroachment can happen,” the bench said. The court appointed the DDA vice-chairman as the nodal officer to oversee the removal of encroachments. The timeline given for these actions is preferably within six weeks. The HC also discussed feasibility of deploying tech, including drones, to prevent future encroachments. The HC emphasised vigilance in enforcing environmental protection without compromising integrity . A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi THE Opposition INDIA bloc has decided to hold a rally on July 30 at Jantar Mantar over deteriorating health of Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail. “The INDIA bloc will hold a big rally at Jantar Mantar on July 30 to raise the issue of Arvind Kejriwal’s declining health. The BJP-led Central government and L-G V K Saxena are playing with Kejriwal’s life,” the AAP said in a statement on Thursday . On March 31, the Opposition bloc had put up a show of strength in Ramlila Maidan in support of the AAP supremo. At the 17-party rally before the Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal read out Judicial custody of CM, Sisodia, Kavitha extended A city court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal in money laundering and corruption cases related to the alleged excise scam. The judge also extended the judicial custody of Manish Sisodia and K Kavitha in the money laundering case. P3 the party’s poll “guarantees” and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought immediate release of Opposition leaders. On June 29, the AAP had organised a protest outside the BJP office against Kejriwal’s arrest. The party said, “To keep the chief minister in jail, the CBI arrested him.” AAP gets new office address in Lutyens’ Delhi EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi THE AAP just got a new address: Bungalow No 1, Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane, in Lutyens’ Delhi. Following directions from the Delhi High Court, it will be shifted from Rouse Avenue. On July 16, the Delhi High Court granted the Centre an extension till July 25 to decide on the AAP office space after its recognition as a national party . Initially, the court gave the Centre a six-week deadline, starting June 5, to address the AAP’s request. Earlier, the Directorate of Estates under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs sought an additional four weeks, citing the “mammoth task” of allocating accommodation to MPs. On June 5, the HC affirmed that AAP, like other parties, was entitled to office space and directed the Centre to resolve the matter within six weeks. The SC in its order on March 4 directed AAP to vacate its headquarters, which is earmarked for the Delhi judiciary , by June 15. The SC in February observed that AAP was encroaching on the land, which was allotted to the Delhi HC for an expansion project. AAP approached the HC last year, seeking either land or a temporary housing unit. 2024 SUMMER GAMES Paris, the city of light, gets ready to paint its Olympic masterpiece TMS @ OLYMPICS INDRANEEL DAS PARIS T HEY looked strange, almost surreal. The architecture of the Gothic structures that rose on either side of the Seine, stare at you teasingly , reminding you of the past and fusing in the present. One of Europe’s most famous waterways, the Seine has seen a lot. It was mute witness when the Romans conquered Lutetia, a swampy little fishing village on its banks, and it was still looking on when modern Paris rose on that site a few centuries later. It has seen revolts, reformations, revolutions and romance. And now, history will once again be made on its banks as Paris leads another revolution of liberty equality , , peace and brotherhood. This time though, the river will do a lot more than just witness it. The Seine will host the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – the first-ever ceremony outside the stadium. The event had been termed bold, outrageous and monumental. But Paris stuck with the plan despite concerns about the cleanliness of the river and the challenges, including security, it posed. It is also an example of how sports can be a vehicle of social change. For the first time in 100 years, the river is swimmable and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo demonstrated it by taking the plunge a few days ago. The water does seem clean. A walk through a section of the route, that will soon be bustling with athletes and delegates of the XXXIII Olympics, is enough to immerse oneself in the grandiose plan of artistic director Thomas Jolly, known for his innovative and experimental style. The Seine will be his stage, the athletes his actors and more than 2 billion people across the The Seine river with stages on its banks to witness the opening ceremony | EXPRESS world his audience. And of course, around two dozen political leaders are expected to attend along with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Notre Dame Bridge that takes you to the iconic structure (un- der renovation after the fire) is blocked. Only people with QRcoded passes living around the vicinity are allowed along the route. The Paris Gendarmerie and the national security are guarding each and every access point. There are reportedly about 45,000 security personnel on duty. Shops are shut too. Stages have been erected on the side of the river for people to watch. People are walking and biking, stopping for a check, before entering the sensitive areas. There are giant screens on both sides and stages erected for fans who may not find a place by the river. The Ceremony will begin at 7.30pm to use the evening sunlight as lighting and will last over three and a half hours. The route is about 6km and at least a few thousands are expected to ride on boats through river arches and iconic landscapes. The show begins at Austerlitz, close to the Roman site of Lutetia some 3km downstream from the imposing Notre Dame. Almost three kilometres upstream is where it is going to culminate — the symbol of modern architectural marvels Eiffel Towers and Grand Palais. Like all Opening Ceremonies, the central theme is closely guarded. But there have been hints that 12 epochal moments in history would rise from the depths of the Seine. And if the plan does succeed then Jolly’s artistic expression will be part of history Paris will add another . name to its long list of its masters -- Honoré de Balzac, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Guy de Maupassant, Paul Gauguin, ... That’s how the French will say Bienvenue, Olympics! P15
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