TUESDAY 15 OCTOBER, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard NO SHOTS FIRED ARMED MAN AT TRUMP’S RALLY A Nevada man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and fake passports was arrested at a security checkpoint outside Donald Trump’s California rally. PAGE 9 (From left) Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A Robinson HIGHLIGHTING ROLE OF SOCIETAL INSTITUTIONS ■ A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00 India expels six top Canadian diplomats, withdraws envoy Indian high commissioner ‘person of interest’ in Nijjar case: Canada Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi Canada’s Acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler leaves from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi on Monday. He is among the six expelled Canadian diplomats | PTI CURIOUS TIMING OF THE COMMUNIQUE “It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a commission on foreign interference,” the foreign office said in its statement KERALA HOUSE Resolution flays Centre for delaying Wayanad aid E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ T’Puram THE Kerala Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution against the Centre’s unreasonable delay in extending aid to the landslide-hit Wayanad. The resolution, passed after a three-hour adjournment discussion, urged the Centre to immediately release financial assistance as demanded by the state and to write off all bank loans of the affected people. The members pointed out that the delay in getting the Central aid would adversely impact the rehabilitation of survivors. Alleging bias, the strongly worded resolution said although the landslide at Meppadi in Wayanad on July 30 falls in the ‘disaster of severe nature’ category that wiped out an entire region of the district, the Union government has not released any funds so far. It termed the Centre’s attitude disheartening, noting that other states that faced natural calamities have got financial aid even without asking for it. Speaker A N Shamseer allowed a debate on the subject after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan agreed to the Opposition’s demand to discuss the matter in detail through an adjournment motion. Though the Speaker and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M B Rajesh pointed out that the government had already given a detailed statement, members of the Opposition insisted on a thorough discussion. Replying to the motion, Vijayan said two townships with 1,000 houses will be built to rehabilitate survivors. Opposition leader V D Satheesan urged the state government to exert more pressure on the Centre to release the funds. Congress MLA T Siddique, who represents Kalpetta in Wayanad, said people had high hopes after Modi’s visit but they are now asking if he came there just for a photo shoot. RELATIONS between India and Canada reached a nadir on Monday as the foreign office announced the expulsion of six Canadian diplomats and the withdrawal its high commissioner and other diplomats after Ottawa claimed they were ‘persons of interest’ in the murder of Khalistani radical Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year. Though Nijjar, a Canadian national, was not named, the insinuation was crystal clear. The six expelled diplomats are the acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler, Deputy High Commissioner Patrick Hebert and first secretaries Marie Catherine Joly Ian , Ross David Trites, Adam James Chuipka, and Paula Orjuela. All six were given a Saturday deadline to fly out of India. The announcement came after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Wheeler and gave him a piece of its mind. “It was underlined that in an atmosphere of ex- Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Justin Trudeau The aspersions cast on him (High Commissioner Verma) are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt tremism and violence, the Trudeau Government’s actions endangered their safety We have . no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security,’’ the MEA said. The MEA’s Secretary East summoned Wheeler and said India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against the country . He was informed that the baseless targeting of the Indian high commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was unacceptable. Earlier in the day, India trashed a communiqué that suggested that High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other diplomats were ‘persons of interest’ in the matter. Ever since Trudeau first alleged an Indian role in Nijjar’s murder, his government has not shared a shred of evidence despite repeated requests, the foreign office asserted. “This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,’’ the MEA charged. But Wheeler later claimed his country had provided ‘credible, irrefutable evidence’. “Prime Minister Trudeau’s naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters,’’ the statement added. First meet today of Kuki, Meitei and Naga MLAs since Manipur erupted P R A S A N TA M A Z U M D A R & MUKESH RANJAN @ Guwahati/New Delhi LEGISLATORS from Manipur’s Meitei, Kuki and Naga communities will sit down on Tuesday in Delhi for their first joint meeting since the eruption of ethnic violence in the state last year. The meeting, organised by the Centre, will be held on Tuesday . A Meitei legislator said he welcomed the initiative and was looking forward to attending the meeting. “We were asked to sit together as part of a peace initiative,” he told this newspaper. “There will be legislators from Meitei, Kuki and Naga communities, and the state’s different regions will be well represented,” he said. Some Meitei and Naga ministers and MLAs flew to Delhi from Imphal on Monday . Letpao Haokip, a Kuki-Zo minister, said all 10 Kuki-Zo legislators of Manipur have been invited for the meeting. “Some will definitely attend, but we are not sure how many,” he added. Meanwhile, an MLA camping in Delhi said 18 will attend the meeting – eight Meitei MLAs and five each from Kuki and Naga communities. A government official said the talks are part of the Cen-  ■ PAGES 12 “The three economists have demonstrated the importance of societal institutions for achieving prosperity,” Jakob Svensson, Chair of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences, said Acemoglu and Robinson wrote the best-selling book Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty published in 2012 | P10 Farooq in RS, 1 berth for Cong in Omar cabinet F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar THE Congress may get one cabinet berth in the NC-Congress coalition government to be headed by Omar Abdullah and one Rajya Sabya seat from the J&K Union Territory The NC may also send its . president and three-time 4 VACANT SEATS former CM Farooq Abdullah to Parliament by fielding him 4 Rajya Sabha seats from one of the four Rajya from J&K vacant Sabha seats. NC-Cong may get 3 RS The J&K government can seats as it has backing of have only 10 ministers, which 55 members in Assembly includes the CM. The Congress won only six seats in its NC may offer 1 seat to worst performance in the Cong and send two of its 2024 Assembly polls. members, including Four Rajya Sabha seats Farooq Abdullah, to RS from J&K are vacant due to BJP, with 29 assembly the absence of an Assembly . seats, may get 1 RS seat As the Assembly will shortly convene, the Election Commission of India may start the process of filling the RS posts. With 55 MLAs supporting the NC-led coalition government, it may get three RS seats, while the BJP, which emerged as the second-largest party with 29 seats, may get one. The NC may offer one seat to Congress and send two of its members, including senior Abdullah, to the RS. This formula may help NC run a smooth coalition government with Congress. Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah will take oath as the first CM of J&K UT in Srinagar on Wednesday . Principal Secretary to J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday called on Omar and handed over a letter from the L-G inviting him to form the government. tre’s efforts to facilitate a dialogue between the warring communities. At least 250 people have been killed and over 60,000 displaced since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May last year. “I don’t know the exact agenda of the meeting as of now,” Awangbow Newmai, a Naga minister who is attending the meeting, said. L Dikho, a Naga legislator said, “I will attend it and see how best we can take up the initiative.” Union home ministry said on Monday a decision was yet to be taken on home minister Amit Shah’s participation. RAIN ALERT (Top) Cars parked on the Velachery bridge in Chennai in anticipation of widespread flooding from rains Bikes moving along a flooded street in Madurai | MARTIN LOUIS, K K SUNDAR 9 DISTRICTS OF TAMIL NADU PUT ON HIGH ALERT | P5 FOOD PRICEY Retail inflation at nine-month high of 5.49% EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi RETAIL inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), reached a nine-month high of 5.49% in September on account of rising food prices, data released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation on Monday showed. In August, CPI inflation was 3.65%, slightly up from 3.6% in the previous month. The highest inflation rate prior to this was recorded in December 2023, at 5.69%. According to the government, high base effect and weather conditions might have led to increase in inflation in September. The Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), which measures food inflation, was reported at 9.24% for September. The inflation rates for rural and urban areas were 9.08% and 9.56%, respectively . Meanwhile, the year-on-year housing inflation rate for September was 2.78%, up from 2.66% in August. The All India Electricity index for September was recorded at 162.5, with an inflation rate of 5.45%. Additionally significant declines in , inflation were noted for pulses and products, spices, meat and fish, as well as the sugar and confectionery subgroups during September. Manoranjan Sharma, chief economist, Infomerics Ratings, said: “The inflationary surge is attributable to the base effect, 9.24% food inflation in September up from 5.66% in August, and the spike in inflation rate for vegetables from 10.71% in July to 35.99% in August. In hindsight, it is clear RBI was right in holding the rates steady in its October 9, 2024 Policy. Constant caution, vigil, and monitoring are needed.” In addition, India’s wholesale price index-based inflation rose slightly to 1.84% in September, up from 1.31% in August, due to a sharp uptick in food prices. Food inflation surged to 11.53% for the month compared to just 3.11% in August, according to the commerce ministry’s data. Other major sub-indices, such as manufactured products, showed a drop in prices. GRAP Stage-I kicks in as Standing panel in limbo, commisioner gets powers city’s air quality turns poor A S H I S H S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi I F R A H M U F T I @New Delhi WITH the air quality deteriorating to ‘poor’ category in the national capital on Monday the , Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR. The steps include water sprinkling, use of anti-smog guns, regular lifting of solid waste, a ban on coal/firewood in tandoors in hotels and open eateries and limited use of diesel generators. Sources said the AAP government is reportedly planning to procure mist-spraying drones this winter to target the pollution hotspots. In a bid to check air pollution, the drones will have sensors to record air quality data, including measurements of PM2.5 and PM10, and help reduce dust levels. A sub-committee formed for BAD AIR FLOWS IN 234: is Delhi’s AQI on Monday, which is ‘poor’ 201-300: When Stage-I of GRAP kicks in Over 100: Farm fires reported from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh WHAT TO DO Keep engines of vehicles properly tuned Maintain proper tyre pressure in vehicles Keep PUC certs of vehicles up to date Turn off the engine at red signals invoking actions under the GRAP in its meeting held on Monday reviewed the air quality in the region and the forecasts for meteorological conditions and Air Quality Index (AQI) made available by IMD. “The sub-committee has decided that all actions as envisaged under Stage-I of GRAP poor air quality be implemented from 8 am of October 15,”CAQM officials said. P3 IN a move that is set to escalate the confrontation between the AAP-led government and Rajniwas, L-G VK Saxena on Monday granted financial powers enjoyed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s Standing Committee to the civic body’s commissioner by approving his authority to take financial decisions on the management of solid waste amounting to more than `5 crore. Under the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act that governs the MCD, proposals worth over `5 crore have to be p a s s e d by t h e s t a n d i n g committee. Rajniwas said the move would ease the existing problem of municipal solid waste in the city due to the non-existence of the standing committee. “In a step that will help ease the existing problem of municipal solid waste in the city due to non-existence of a standing committee in MCD and intransigence of the UD Minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj, the L-G has approved the delegation of financial powers exceeding the current Rs 5 crore to the MCD commissioner,” a statement issued from the L-G House read. “On July 10, the MCD had moved the GNCTD to delegate financial powers to the MCD as per the provisions of Section 202 of the DMC Act, 1957. However, the UD Minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj kept the file pending at his level, severely affecting municipal services due to lack of financial sanction since the Finally, contracts for collection and transportation of municipal solid waste and street sweeping were approved by the L-G by delegating financial powers upon the MCD commissioner —Rajniwas statement Standing Committee was not in place,” it added. “The L-G Secretariat has recalled the file on two occasions. However, the file was not yet sent by the minister and re- mains untraceable,” the statement said. “Finally, contracts for collection and transportation of municipal solid waste and street sweeping were approved on Monday by the L-G by delegating financial powers upon the MCD commissioner,” the statement added. It cited projects amounting to `1,137.98 crore, rate contract for setting up of waste-to-energy facility at Narela, Bawana at a cost of `604.26 crore, rate contract for bio-mining of legacy waste at Singhola amounting to `46.17 crore and bio-mining of legacy waste at three dump sites at Okhla, Gazipur and Bhalswa. EXPRESS READ Atishi meets PM, seeks Centre’s cooperation 55% spike in malaria cases this year so far EAM launches revamped eMigrate portal & app Security at Salman’s Bandra house beefed up CM Atishi met PM Narendra Modi on Monday, seeking cooperation from the Centre for the capital’s development. “...I look forward to full cooperation between the Centre and the Delhi government for the welfare of our capital,” Atishi wrote in a post on ‘X’. | P3 The national capital has reported a huge jump in malaria cases this year so far, with infections jumping nearly 55% compared to the corresponding period last year. The city has, however, not recorded any malaria-related deaths so far, says official data. India on Monday launched a revamped e-Migrate portal and mobile app to facilitate Indians to travel overseas with safety. “The eMigrate portal V2.0 will protect the rights and dignity of Indian workers in foreign lands,” said EAM S Jaishankar. Two days after the killing of NCP’s Baba Siddique, security outside Salman Khan’s Bandra apartment has been tightened. The plot to kill Siddique is said to have been hatched by Lawrence Bishnoi, who was also behind firing outside actor’s house on April 14. | P8