Monday India reports 1st suspected case of deadlier mpox virus strain 09 Suspected case of the new and deadlier strain of the virus in a man who arrived in India from a country experiencing mpox transmission september, 2024 Patient isolated, contact tracing on epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard Samples have been collected and are being tested to confirm the presence of mpox, Union health ministry said. The patient has been isolated at a designated hospital and is currently stable. “The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country,” the health ministry said X.com/TheMornStandard bangladesh piles pressure for hasina extradition The interim government, which wants to try her on charges of mass killings during the studentled mass movement, is mounting pressure on India Page 9 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS l New Delhi Jawhar Sircar, TMC RS MP, quits over Didi’s ‘inaction’ in RG Kar case S u l a g n a S e n g u p ta @ Kolkata PUTTING pressure on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar said he has decided to resign from Parliament and leave politics altogether, terming whatever steps taken by the state government in handling the rape and murder of the doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital “too little and quite late”. In a letter addressed to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Sircar said the widespread outrage over the RG Kar incident reflected the people’s discontent with the government. Noting that the “spontaneous outpouring of public anger” is the result of the arrogance and inefficiency of the government, he said normalcy would have been restored “if the caucus of the corrupt doctors was smashed those guilty of taking improper administrative actions punished immediately after the scandalous incident happened”. The former chief of Prasar Bharti said he had not seen “such angst and total no-confidence” against a government. Sircar said he had “suffered patiently” for a month since the RG Kar incident, hoping for direct intervention with the agitating junior doctors, “in the old style of Mamata Banerjee”. But nothing happened. According to him, the TMC leadership erred in trying to rss link CPM miffed with ADGP, but won’t disown CM E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ T’Puram Wary of the political damage ADGP MR Ajith Kumar’s meeting with the RSS leadership would cause, the CPM has distanced itself from the episode, calling it an issue that does not concern the party but the government. However, the CPM made it clear it would resist attempts by the Opposition UDF to derive political mileage by alleging that the meeting was held at the behest of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to scuttle the Thrissur Pooram and give BJP the advantage. The stance of the party was spelt out by CPM state secretary MV Govindan, who termed UDF’s attempts to drag the CM into the controversy as “absurd”. Speaking to reporters on Sunday he ex, pressed, though indirectly, the party’s displeasure. “Do you think I am pleased?” he shot back when reporters asked him about the LDF ally CPI’s displeasure over the senior police officer’s meeting with RSS functionaries. “Who someone meets is not our concern. The attempt to link this with the CPM is baseless. Everyone knows where the CPM stands on the matter,” said Govindan. He said the RSS was an organisation that was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of CPM members, underscoring the ideological opposition between the two groups. Govindan also accused the UDF of forging ties with the BJP and pointed out that the UDF votes had drifted to the BJP in Thrissur during the Lok Sabha elections. l J8.00 l 30 PAGES 12 India well prepared, says health ministry Urging the public not to panic, the government said the country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travelrelated cases of mpox ■ The mpox virus is known to spread through skin-toskin contact or sharing items like towels. As many as 15,600 cases and 537 deaths have been reported so far this year globally, according to the WHO. P7 ■ cases of Mpox infections caused by older virus strain reported in India since 2022 Join us, Pak sees you as foreigners, Rajnath tells PoK Dialogue possible only if Pakistan stops terror, defence minister says during J&K election rally F aya z w a n i @ Srinagar People take part in a protest march over the rape-murder of a doctor at RG Kar hospital, in Kolkata on Sunday. (Inset) Jawhar Sircar | PTI discredit the mass protests as motivated. “The mainstream of the agitation is non-political and a spontaneous one and it is not correct to take a confrontational stand, by labelling it political,” he added. Sircar also raised a number of points about the culture of cor r uption in the par ty. “Though I carried on my task in Parliament with fervour, I became increasingly disillusioned as the state government seemed quite unconcerned about corruption and the increasing strong-arm tactics of a section of leaders,” he said. Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose advised the CM to hold an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss people’s demand for justice for the deceased woman doctor. He also reportedly suggested that the Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal be replaced. Global human chain against rape-murder People from all walks of life — from students to rikshaw pullers — hit the streets of Kolkata on Sunday in protest over the rape and murder of a medic in a state-run hospital a month ago. In south Kolkata, around 4,000 ex-students of over 40 schools, a large number of them women, walked 2 km demanding justice for the victim. Meanwhile, in solidarity with the protests in India, people in 130 cities across 30 countries including the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and Japan formed a ‘global human chain’ against the rape-murder of the Kolkata doctor on Sunday evening P8 UNION defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asked the residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to join India, saying “we consider you our own unlike Pakistan which treats you as foreigners”. He said after seeing the development in Jammu and Kashmir, PoK residents will themselves reject Pakistan and join India. “There will be so much development that the people in PoK would say that we do not want to live with Pakistan and instead will go to India,” the defence minister said while addressing an election rally in the Ramban assembly constituency in support of BJP candidate Rakesh Singh Thakur. The Union minister said there has been a sea change in the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The Union minister said Pakistan’s top law officer recently filed an affidavit in court terming PoK a foreign land. “I want to tell PoK residents that people of India don’t treat you as foreign- ers... Come and join us,” he said. In June this year, Pakistan’s additional attorney general had told the Islamabad High Court in a case related to illegal detention of PoK poet and jour nalist Ahmed Farhad that PoK is a foreign territory and “therefore not under the jurisdiction of the court”. Farhad was abducted by Pakistani intelligence agencies over some of his critical comments. He was produced in court after two weeks and was released a few weeks later. On the campaign by Kashmir-based parties to restore Article 370, Rajnath said there has been a big change since the provision was scrapped. “After 2019, Modi gover nment spent `38,000 crore on J&K development. Earlier, pistols and revolvers used to be in hands of Kashmiri youth but now they are carrying laptops and computers,” he said. Rajnath added that talks with Pakistan will be possible only if Islamabad stops terrorism in J&K. “When Pakistan stops sponsoring terrorism in J&K, India will start dialogue with them,” he said. Cong-AAP talks make headway for Haryana tie-up p r e e t h a n a i r @ New Delhi After hitting hurdles earlier, the Congress-AAP seat-sharing talks before the Haryana assembly polls appear to be moving towards fruition. The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, hinting at a breakthrough on Sunday, said both the parties are working to seal an alliance. Earlier in the day, Chadha said both the parties are trying to forge an alliance by keeping aside their aspirations. The AAP leader said that while they are yet to reach a consensus in seat-sharing, the talks are progressing in a “positive” direction. He, however, added that the AAP will not proceed with the alliance “if there is no winwin situation.” According to sources, the talks had come to impasse ealier as AAP considered certain assembly seats “non-negotiable.” The party is keen on at least one seat in the Kurukshetra region as well as the Kalayat seat. The last date for filing nominations for the Haryana elections is September 12. The polling will be held on October 5. “The talks are happening in a positive atmosphere. Both the parties are working towards contesting the elections together, prioritising unity and the demands of the people, while setting aside individual party and candidate aspirations,” Chadha told media. The MP, however, refused to divulge details of the seat-sharing talks held so far. “A ball-byball commentary cannot be done on the seat-sharing arrangement. Both the parties have the desire and hope to form an alliance,” he added. The talks were halted on Friday as the AAP stuck to its demand for 10 seats, while the Congress was unwilling to concede more than five seats. “The talks are underway but there is no final decision yet,” said an AAP source. W h e n a s ke d ab o u t t h e progress of a seat-sharing formula, Congress leader Pawan Khera told the media there is nothing to comment on speculations. “The people of Haryana have taken a step towards defeating BJP and with that step, we will also be moving towards that goal,” he added. Earlier, the Congress and AAP, partners in the Opposition INDIA bloc, fought together in the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, Haryana and Gujarat. Cong names 9 more for Haryana elections The Congress on Sunday released the names of nine more candidates for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections. With the release of the second list, the party has declared a total of 41 candidates for polls to the 90-member assembly. Sunday’s list include Brijendra Singh from Uchana Kala, Mohit Grover from Gurugram, Anirudh Chaudhary from Tosham, Ashok Arora from Thanesar, Kuldeep Sharma from Ganaur, Paramvir Singh from Tohana, Balram Dangi from Meham, Manju Choudhary from Nangal Chaudhary and Vardhan Yadav from Badshahpur. Keep quiet, BJP tells Brij Bhushan as poll temperature peaks r a j e s h k u m a r t h a k u r @ New Delhi Amid heat and dust over Haryana Assembly polls, the BJP has reportedly advised Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), to refrain from making frequent statements about wrestlers that could escalate tensions ahead of the polls. Singh’s recent remarks, including controversial statements about wrestlers and allegations of a conspiracy by Congress, have drawn criticism. Singh, who has faced accusations of sexual harassment from prominent athletes like Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, has claimed these allegations are part of a Congress-driven plot. He claimed that Phogat and Punia were manipulated by Congress, particularly as Phogat joined the party . Sources said the BJP central leadership has had to respond to the growing controversy and reportedly instructed Singh to avoid further inflammatory remarks, particularly those involving athletes. The move follows the BJP’s decision not to award Singh the ticket for the Lok Sabha polls, instead selecting his son Karan Bhushan Sharan Singh. Manipur CM meets guv again, seeks more powers for state to tackle violence P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Guwahati Amid speculations that he may quit amid raging ethnic violence in the state, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya for the second time in 24 hours and submitted a memorandum, demanding protection of the state’s territorial integrity and abrogation of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement. The SoO pact was signed by the Centre and the Manipur government with two umbrella organisations of Kuki insurgent groups in 2008. Since then, it has been extended periodically . The Raj Bhawan said the CM and his cabinet colleagues met the governor. But neither the Raj Bhawan nor the CM’s office shared content of the memorandum. According to sources, Singh has sought more powers to the state government to deal with insurgency. The memorandum sought handing over the Unified Command to the state and rejection of Kukis’ demand for a ‘separate administration’. Meanwhile, the Assam Rifles on Sunday deployed antidrone systems in the fringe areas to repel any rogue drones. “CRPF has also tested one anti-drone system and given it to the force deployed in the state. Some more anti-drone guns are being brought to the state by CRPF shortly,” the Manipur Police said, adding: “The state police have also started the process for procurement of anti-drone system to enhance its security measures and tackle threats from drones effectively.” After a hiatus of four months, fresh ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on September 1 with drones being used to mount attacks. No new incidents of violence have so far been reported on Sunday. SPs in coordination with security forces are continuously monitoring the situation — Official Express read UP building collapse: Owner booked With the death toll in Lucknow building collapse rising to eight on Sunday morning when the rescue workers recovered three more bodies under the debris, an FIR was filed against Rakesh Singhal, owner of the commercial complex. CM Yogi Adityanath has set up a three-member panel to probe the accident. India, US swap turns to host Quad Summit With US President Joe Biden’s tenure nearing an end, India and the US have “swapped” turns to host the Quad Summit. Biden will now host the event in Delaware on September 21. The White House is expected to issue a statement. P7 PM to hold two rallies in Jammu As electioneering intensifies for the first assembly elections in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Jammu to address two rallies on September 14. The BJP now faces a formidable challenge in its stronghold from the rejuvenated Congress. P8 DKS visits US on invite from US presidential candidate Kamala Harris d e v a r a j B HI r e h a l l i @ Bengaluru house divided forever as councillors fight A House that is supposed to resolve people-oriented civic issues remains busy, most of the time, in blame-game | P4 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Sunday left for the US on a week-long trip on the invitation of US Vice-President and Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Shivakumar’s visit comes ahead of Harris’ presidential debate with her rival and Republican nominee Donald Trump on September 10 in Philadelphia, analysts said. Shivakumar is likely to hold a one-on-one talk with Harris and share his experience of leading Congress to a thumping victory in the May 2023 Assembly elections in Karnataka. He may also deliver a talk on ‘Democracy and Elections’ in North Carolina. He is scheduled to meet former US President Barack Obama as well. The meetings have been planned in North Carolina, Chicago, New York and other major cities in the US, sources said. Shivakumar’s US trip coincides with that of senior party leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who will address the Indian diaspora. Shivakumar is travelling with five members of his family including his daughter Aish, warya, and the visit is likely to touch upon educational aspects as his family runs a number of educational institutions in Karnataka. His family has ties with the educational foundation of Kamala Harris’ mother Shyamala Gopalan and Shivakumar had extended his help to it, sources said. The two leaders may take this relationship forward, they added. The Foundation had greeted Shivakumar on his birthday on May 15. “Happy Birthday to DK Shivakumar from Shyamala E d u c at i o n a l Fo u n d at i o n ! Wishing a day filled with joy, blessings, and continued success to a visionary leader who shares our commitment to education and empowerment,” it posted on ‘X’. Shivakumar told reporters on Sunday, “There is nothing official about it as it is a family trip.” Visibly excited, Shivakumar met CM Siddaramaiah and briefed him on the developments in his department.