TUESDAY 25 JUNE, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard WEAPONS IN CRIMEA RUSSIA SUMMONS AMERICAN ENVOY 2.2 KG DROP IN WATER MINISTER’S WEIGHT IN 4 DAYS, CLAIMS AAP The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the US ambassador on Monday to protest what it says was the use of missiles in a Ukrainian attack on Crimea WEIGHT, BLOOD PRESSURE FALLING RAPIDLY A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 NEW DELHI J8.00 PAGES 12 Atishi’s weight and blood pressure are decreasing rapidly, the AAP said in a statement on Monday. Atishi, however, refused to be admitted to a hospital, saying that she will continue with her fast until Haryana releases water. Delhi’s water requirement is 1,005 million gallons per day (MGD). About 613 MGD comes from Haryana. Atishi’s health worsens on Day IV of hunger strike E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi Videograb of Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking oath as a member of the House during the first day of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday | PTI Drama, fireworks on Day I PM, 279 others sworn in as members of 18th Lok Sabha; Modi, Kharge spar on Emergency P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE opening day of the special session of the 18th Lok Sabha witnessed dramatic scenes on Monday as opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, waved copies of the Constitution when Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked up to take his oath as a member of the House. Apart from Modi, several Cabinet ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, celebrities like Kangana Ranaut and 16 from NDA ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) took their oaths. While 280 members were sworn in on Monday, the rest, including Rahul, will be take their oath on Tuesday . The country’s linguistic diversity was on display as MPs took their oaths in languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Dogri, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati and Odia, apart from English. In his pre-session remarks, Modi took a swipe at the Congress over the Emergency call, ing it a black spot on democracy when the Constitution was discarded. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was equally pungent in his response, accusing Modi of imposing an undeclared Emergency in the country in the last 10 years. The session began on a com- bative note with the boycott by three Opposition MPs from a panel to assist pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. The Opposition was up in arms against the government for ignoring eight-term Lok Sabha member Kodikunnil Suresh for that post. President Droupadi Murmu had appointed a panel comprising K Suresh, TMC’s Sudip Bandopadhyay and DMK’s T R Baalu along with two other BJP MPs to assist Mahtab. However, the three Opposition MPs refused to be a part of the panel on Monday morning. Most of the Congress MPs held a copy of the Constitution while taking their oath. Rahul sat along with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad in the front row on the Opposition side. The BJP poked the Congress with party chief J P Nadda writing to Kharge, questioning the “stoic silence” of his party on the recent hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu. The coming days of the session are likely to see a belligerent Opposition taking on the NDA government on several issues, including the NEET-NET exam paper leak row, three criminal laws, Manipur violence and the recent train accident. P7 Oppn against Birla, NDA call on Speaker today RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi THE Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to announce its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post on Tuesday hours before the nom, ination of candidates for the key post starts. According to highly placed sources, the NDA suggested the name of Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha, as a consensus candidate for the Speaker’s position but did not get support from the Opposition parties. Sources said Birla being the first choice is in line with the Narendra Modi-led government’s theme of continuity in its third term. While there is no official word yet from the NDA side on the consensus bid, BJP sources said three more names are being considered. “If everything goes as per plan and the Opposition doesn’t oppose the continuation of Om Birla, the possibility of Birla’s continuation is high. In case of disagreement, the BJP’s East Champaran (Bihar) MP Radha Mohan Singh or the MP from Pali constituency (Rajasthan) P P Chaudhary might be announced as the NDA’s candidate for LS Speaker,” said a senior BJP source. The name of Andhra BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari is also doing the rounds. Chaudhary is a senior lawyer also and chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Jan Vishwas Bill 2022. He had earlier served as MoS in the Ministry of Law and Justice in 2019 and MoS in the Ministry of Electronics and IT in 2017. He was also honoured with the Sansad Ratna award twice in 2015 and 2016. Both Choudhary and Singh are experienced in Parliamentary affairs and enjoy rapport with the Opposition parties. Purandeswari is the sisterin-law of TDP chief and Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The Lok Sabha Speaker’s election will take place on June 26. EXPLAIN CLEARLY L-G’S ROLE IN FELLING OF TREES, SC TELLS DDA EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi EPILEPSY WORLD’S FIRST BRAIN IMPLANT A boy in UK with severe epilepsy has become the first patient in the world to trial a device fitted in his skull to check seizures. The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into brain, has reduced the boy’s daytime seizures by 80% | P9 THE Supreme Court on Monday demanded a clear explanation from the vice-chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) about whether the trees in the Ridge area were cut under orders from the Lieutenant-Governor without the necessary permissions. A vacation bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said the court wanted to thoroughly investigate the DDA’s actions that led to the loss of valuable trees and the subsequent environmental degradation. ‘Provide official records’ The SC asked the DDA vicechairman to provide records on the L-G’s site visit on February 3. It stressed the importance of obtaining a clear account from the vice-chairman, as emails suggested the tree felling was directed by the L-G. The SC found it particularly troubling that these trees were felled despite the need for approval from it. “Such brazen acts in the capital city cannot be lightly brushed aside by this court. If the authorities are not performing their statutory and constitutional duties of pro- tecting the environment, the court has to give a clear signal to the authorities that the environment cannot be damaged in such a fashion,” it said. The court instructed the DDA vice-chairman to provide official records on the L-G’s site visit on February 3 and detail the events of that visit. The SC stressed the importance of obtaining a clear account from the vice-chairman, as emails suggested the tree felling was directed by the LG. The SC expects the DDA to “come clean on this aspect,” and issued contempt notices to the involved DDA officers. The matter is set for a hearing on June 26. HC’S STAY ON KEJRIWAL’S BAIL UNUSUAL, SAYS SC The Delhi High Court’s decision to grant interim stay on Arvind Kejriwal’s bail, while reserving its verdict, is unusual, says the Supreme Court on Monday. The HC will give its verdict on Enforcement Directorate’s plea against the bail today | P7 THE health condition of Water Minister Atishi, on a hunger strike for the last four days in protest against the unavailability of water in parts of the national capital, is deteriorating, the AAP said on Monday “Her weight was 65.8 kg, which has . come down to 63.6 kg. Her weight has decreased by 2.2 kg in 4 days,” the party said. It said that Atishi’s blood sugar level has decreased by 28 units on the fourth day as compared to the first day of the hunger strike. Along with this, her blood pressure level has also come down. Doctors have described the speed at which Atishi’s blood sugar level, blood pressure and weight have decreased as dangerous. “The doctor also said that her ketone level has increased a lot. It can damage the body , ” the AAP said. Atishi has made it clear that she will continue with her fast. “No matter how much my health deteriorates, I will ensure that Delhiites get their rightful share of water; the hunger strike will continue until the Haryana government provides water to 28 lakh Delhiites,” she said. AAP’s concern over the minister’s health came on a day when cabinet ministers wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi urging him to resolve the water crisis on priority P3 . PRICE SURGE Centre imposes stockholding limits on wheat J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi Police detain NSUI activists during a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar | SHEKHAR YADAV Police hint at security lapse in NEET paper delivery in Jharkhand EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi /Patna/Ranchi/Mumbai EVEN as the CBI took over five new cases of alleged malpractices in NEET-UG in Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, Bihar police on Monday said the question paper could have been leaked during its transportation in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh. Employees of Blue Dart in Hazaribagh told police that the boxes carrying question papers were transported to the SBI branch in the city using a hired e-rickshaw, in violation of protocol. F la g ging anomalies in NEET-UG held in Jharkhand, Hazaribagh NTA city coordinator and Oasis School principal Ehsan Ul Haque said the courier firm delivered the question paper on May 3, two days before the test. “The sensitive question paper was sent trusting a driver... the transport agency is under scanner for the paper leak,” he said. Meanwhile, the CBI took over five new cases that were being investigated by cops in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar on Monday a day after it regis, Revert to old system, Mamata tells Modi West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urged PM Narendra Modi to consider abolishing NEET, the national-level medical entrance exam introduced in 2013, and reverting to the system of states conducting the exam tered its own FIR in connection with the alleged irregularities in the exam. In a separate development, the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police arrested a Zilla Parishad school teacher from Latur and registered a case against four persons for running a racket for those who can pay to crack NEET. After taking over these new cases, the CBI will be probing a total of six cases pertaining to alleged irregularities in the exam conducted on May 5, officials said. Barring the case from Bihar, the other four appear to be isolated incidents of impersonation and cheating by local officials and candidates, they added. P8 THE Centre on Monday imposed a stock limit on wheat to reduce hoarding of the grain and stablise its prices. The stock limit will apply to all wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors in all states and Union Territories until March 31, 2025. The stock limit for traders or wholesalers is 3,000 metric tonnes (MT). For retailers, it is 10 MT for each of the outlets while for big chain retailers, it is 10 MT at each of their outlets and 3,000 MT at all their depots. For millers and processors, the stock limit is 70% of the monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months of FY 2024-25. “The government is open to all options if the stock limit would not cool down the price such as by reducing import duty and would soon think to dump wheat in the open market through open market sales scheme,” said Sanjeev Chopra, secretary Department of Food , and Public Distribution in the consumer affairs ministry . The minimum support price of wheat is `2,275, but the grain’s price in the open market is hovering around `2,500. Chopra dispelled worries about supplies. The stock limit comes amid claims of bumper production of the grain in the current Rabi Marketing Season. “I want to dispel the shortage of wheat in the country ... we want prices of wheat to be stable,” Chopra said. He added that the decision was taken to prevent market speculations and hoarding of the grain. EXPRESS READ ‘SUPERSPY’ NOMENCLATURE FRICTION POINT MANUAL SCAVENGING FEMALE INFANTICIDE FOOD COLOURS INCOMPLETE WORK After NSA, IB chief Tapan Deka gets 1-yr extension in tenure ‘Keralam’ — Kerala House resolution on tweaking state’s name Mamata writes to Modi, asks why Bengal not included in Teesta talks 3 workers die while cleaning sewage tank at Greater Noida firm Father along with family members kill newborn twin girls Karnataka health dept bans use of artificial colours in kebabs Leakage at Ayodhya Ram temple after heavy rain: Chief priest Tapan Kumar Deka, known as the ‘superspy’ with commendable expertise in handling terrorism and radicalisation related cases, was on Monday given a one-year extension till June 2025 as the chief of the Intelligence Bureau. Deka is a 1988-batch IPS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi has approved Deka’s extension as the Director, Intelligence Bureau, for a period of one year beyond June 30, 2024, an order by the department of personnel said. The Kerala Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Centre to officially change the state’s name to ‘Keralam’. The Assembly passed the resolution for the second time because the Union Home Ministry, which reviewed the first resolution, suggested some technical changes. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution, wanted the Centre to change the southern state’s name from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’ in all languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of the country. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing ‘strong reservation’ over the Centre excluding the state from discussions with Bangladesh regarding Teesta water-sharing and the Farakka Treaty. Banerjee maintained that West Bengal has cooperated with Bangladesh on several issues in the past, contributing to the betterment of economy in the region. “However, water is very precious and is the lifeline of the people. We cannot compromise on such a sensitive issue,” she wrote. Three maintenance personnel died on Monday after allegedly drowning in a sewage treatment plant (STP) at the campus of multinational IT solutions company Coforge (formerly known as NIIT) in the Techzone area of Greater Noida, police said. The victims were identified as Mohit, a Gautam Buddh Nagar resident, Harigovind, who hailed from Kanpur Dehat, and Ankit from Mathura. All three had reported for duty in the morning and during work, fell into the STP tank and drowned, police said. The families of the victims have been informed. A father, along with his parents and uncle, allegedly killed and buried his newborn twin daughters in Delhi, police said on Monday. According to the police, Pooja Solanki gave birth to twin girls in a hospital in Sector 36 in Haryana’s Rohtak on May 30. Pooja’s husband, Neeraj Solanki, and her in-laws were unhappy that she had given birth to girls, they said. After getting discharged from the hospital, Neeraj and his family took the infants in a car, asking Pooja’s family to follow. But he changed the route midway and got the kids killed. Responding to widespread concerns over health risks associated with consumption of artificially-coloured kebabs, the health department has banned use of such additives in vegetarian, chicken and fish kebabs sold across the state. The decision comes in view of the findings that kebab samples collected from 39 outlets had unsafe levels of artificial colours such as Sunset Yellow, a synthetic orange dye, and Carmoisine, a dark red colouring agent. “Such additives pose serious health risks,” the order issued on June 21 stated. P5 Water was leaking from the roof of the sanctum sanctorum at the Ram temple in Ayodhya after the first heavy showers since it was opened to the public, its chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said on Monday. Alleging negligence in the construction, Das claimed there was also no arrangement for the drainage of rainwater from the temple premises after the showers on Saturday midnight. Temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Mishra expressed hope that the construction of the temple will be completed by December.
Express Network Private Limited publishes thirty three E-paper editions of The New Indian Express newspaper , thirty two E-paper editions of Dinamani, one E-paper edition of The Morning Standard, one E-paper edition of Malayalam Vaarika magazine and one E-paper edition of the Indulge - The Morning Standard, Kolkatta.