FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard L I A M PAY N E STRUGGLED WITH ALCHOLISM 1,000+ Former One Direction singer, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9 NEW DELHI J8.00 PAGES 12 Bomb threats to 7 flights, IP address traced to UK, Germany FOR a fourth straight day on Thursday, multiple flights of domestic airlines received bomb threats, triggering panic among passengers. Among the flights that received threats four were of Air India Express, two of Vistara and one Indigo. Air India said “a number of ” their flights received hoax threats, but did not specify the number, airline sources said. “A number of Air India flights received a security threat on social media today. These have been duly reported to the regulatory bodies and all laid down procedures were strictly followed as per guidance of the regulatory bodies. All flights have made a safe landing,” an Air India official said. In response, intelligence agencies claim to have found that the IP addresses from where the hoax calls were made originated from Germany and the UK, sources said. The authorities have suspended or blocked about 10 social media handles for posting threats, official sources said. Following the identification of the locations of the IP addresses, sources said, the initial probe established that the threats were posted from three separate handles and two of them have been traced to common IP addresses in the UK and Germany . Intelligence agencies have also found some common lines and words used in these fake threats like “bombs”, “explosive devices”, “this is not a joke”, “blood will spread everywhere”, and “you will all die” and “bomb rakhwa dia hai (Hindi for bomb has been placed).” The social media handles are being “analysed” by a joint team of cyber experts, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and intelligence agencies following the inputs. THE Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which grants Indian citizenship to immigrants from Bangladesh who entered Assam before the cutoff date of March 25, 1971. “Parliament had the legislative competence to enact it,” the five-judge Constitution bench, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, ruled in a 4:1 majority verdict. While the CJI and Justices Surya Kant, M M Sundresh, and Manoj Misra upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A, Justice J B Pardiwala dissented and quashed Section 6A prospectively . The majority verdict held that Section 6A was enacted to balance the humanitarian concerns with the need to protect the local population. Reading out the verdict, Chandrachud said that enactment of Section 6A was a political solution to a unique problem faced by Assam due to the huge influx of immigrants after creation of @ New Delhi India’s Virat Kohli walks back; (Top) Injured Rishabh Pant goes off the field on Thursday | VINOD KUMAR T BLACK CAPPED IN BENGALURU S W A R O O P S W A M I N AT H A N @ Bengaluru ROHIT Sharma called right at the toss but that was the only thing the hosts got right in a madcap first four hours of play on Thursday Tactical blunders and questionable calls were . the theme of the hosts’ first innings when play belatedly got underway in the first Test versus New Zealand. After the first day was washed out, more rain was forecast for Thursday It was dark, artificial light was turned on at . 9.15 AM and also slightly chilly; some of HOW THEY FELL the fans were wearing sweaters. So, when 1-9, Rohit; 2-9, Sharma called tails, the decision to bat Kohli; 3-10, Sarfaraz; first was open to question. 4-31, Jaiswal; 5-33, The Black Caps sensed an early opporRahul; 6-34, Jadeja; tunity and eschewed the option of playing 7-34, Ashwin; 8-39, Pant; 9-40, Bumrah; the extra spinner. The three pacers ac10-46, Kuldeep counted for all 10 wickets between themselves as they moved the ball through the air while finding seam movement and bounce off the deck (on X, former Indian team analyst, Himanish Ganjoo, made the point). While the visitors were spot on, India ended up with lots of tactical blunders. Opting to bat, playing three spinners, promoting Virat Kohli to No. 3, asking Sarfaraz Khan to bat No. 4, refusing to send KL Rahul up the order... the mistakes kept piling up. The hosts were all out for 46 in 31.2 overs, the lowest ever by any side in Asia. This was also India’s lowest score in India for 37 years. It may not be over but the hosts need a couple of miracles to even stay in contention. Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi STRONG, VIBRANT BILATERAL TIES India-Canada bilateral ties are strong and vibrant. “We have a large Indian Diaspora in Canada. A large number of international students as well. This particular crisis has been precipitated by Trudeau government” alone for vote bank politics, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters ment issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. While Trudeau accused India of using organised ganglords like Lawrence Bishnoi to harm Canadians, New Delhi said it had shared with Ottawa information regarding members of the Bishnoi gang and others holed up there, seeking their arrest. “They have taken no action so far, which are our core concerns. And, there is a political motive behind it, which you know,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. As for the diplomatic chill, visa services have been impacted and only essential services are being attended to at present, which includes cases like medical emergencies. During his deposition, Trudeau admitted that when he first broached the matter of Khalistani radical Hardeep SEC 6A WAS BROUGHT IN TO DEAL WITH THOSE COVERED UNDER THE 1985 ASSAM ACCORD, SIGNED BY THEN RAJIV GANDHI GOVT & AASU 1 Under this, those who reached Assam after Jan 1, 1966 but before Mar 25, 1971 must register for citizenship 2 But they can’t vote for 10 years. Those who had come after March 25, 1971 are bound to be deported Bangladesh. The immigrants seriously threatened the state’s culture and demography, the court noted in its judgment. In this context, the apex court also stressed the need for strict implementation of the statutory provisions to trace the illegal immigrants in Assam and deport them. The apex court asked the Centre and the state government to implement directions in the Sarbananda Sonowal judgments to deal with illegal immigrants and made it clear that it would from now onwards monitor the identification and deportation process. “Those who have entered Assam from Bangladesh on or after March 3 Petitioners argued that Section 6A helped mass immigration, wanted 1951 as cut-off year to detect and deport 4 SC said the impact of influx of migrants is higher in Assam due to its small land size, and detection is tough 25, 1971 are all illegal immigrants, who must be identified, detected, and deported,” the majority judgment said. The verdict came on a batch of petitions filed by various parties, including Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, a Guwahati-based civil society organisation, which had moved the apex court challenging Section 6A way back in 2012. Section 6A of the Citizenship Act was introduced to give effect to the Assam Accord, an agreement signed in 1985 between the Government of India and the leaders of the Assam movement, who wanted removal of foreigners who entered Assam from Bangladesh. Haryana fallout: Cong OBC cell leader resigns P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi IN a blow to the Congress, former Haryana minister and party’s OBC cell chairman Capt Ajay Singh Yadav on Thursday quit the party alleging shabby treatment after Sonia Gandhi resigned from the post of party president. Yadav, considered as a rival of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was unhappy with the party over the choice of candidates in the Haryana polls. “I have sent my resignation to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge ji from Chairman AICC OBC Department and also from primary membership of Indian National Congress party Yadav posted on ‘X’. ,” After the poll defeat, Yadav had called for introspection for the party’s failure in southern Haryana, especially Gurugram, Rewari, Mahendragarh and Faridabad where it won just one seat. He also cited the factional feud and the tussle for the CM’s post as one of the main reasons for the defeat. Yadav’s son Chiranjeev Rao also lost from Rewari. Yadav is the third prominent leader to quit the Congress in recent years, the other two being Kuldeep Bishnoi and Kiran Choudhry, both of whom have joined the BJP . SINWAR KILLED IN GAZA, CONFIRMS ISRAEL Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, chief architect of last year’s October 7 massacre of Israelis that sparked the war, shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza | P9 Canada yet to act on Bishnoi gang info L-G V K Saxena on Thursday declared transfers and postings of over 30 IAS officers, filling up vacancies in departments like health, education, revenue and excise. The transfers and postings were effected after a recent meeting of the National Civil Services Authority headed by Atishi. The announcement on transfers or postings came hours after MHA moved several IAS officers of AGMUT cadre, including special secretary (vigilance) YVVJ Rajasekhar. ■ More than 60 complaints of enforced disappearance and murder have been filed at the tribunal against Hasina. In all, she faces 200 cases The 45 others against whom warrants were issued include senior Awami League leaders. The tribunal’s chief prosecutor Advocate Tajul Islam said Interpol’s assistance would be sought to bring them back CONTENTIOUS PROVISION S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y L-G orders rejig of more than 30 IAS officers ■ 4:1 verdict holds provision as valid law; Justice Pardiwala dissents SHEKHAR SINGH & M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi EXPRESS READ SIXTY COMPLAINTS AGAINST HER AT TRIBUNAL SC upholds the validity of Sec 6A of Citizenship Act ‘NOT A JOKE’ INDIA on Thursday trashed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations before a commission of inquiry probing foreign interference, that the actions of Indian diplomats violated his country’s sovereignty . “What we heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along. Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats. The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau’s office,’’ said a state- PEOPLE KILLED IN DURING PROTEST AGAINST HASINA’S GOVERNMENT ARREST WARRANT ISSUED AGAINST SHEIKH HASINA AND 45 OTHERS Singh Nijjar’s murder with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, he had no evidence to prove the allegations of an Indian hand, only intelligence inputs. In a related development, the US State Department confirmed that India has removed from its employ an officer accused in the botched murderfor-hire plot to eliminate the proscribed Sikhs for Justice head Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. “Indians have an inquiry committee that is looking into these issues... I can’t speak of the case in Canada and I wouldn’t speak for the Canadians one way or another,’’ said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. BJP makes a Maha Valmiki Jayanti point RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi WHEN the BJP postponed the swearing-in ceremony of the Nayab Singh Saini government in Haryana’s Panchkula to Thursday, October 17, it had more than the availability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the event in mind. For, the day coincides with Valmiki Jayanti. The apparent message was to poll-bound Maharashtra and Jharkhand that the party is identified with Dalit and OBC voters, who have a significant presence in both states. Saini visited a Valmiki temple in Panchkula before taking his oath of office and secrecy . Earlier, the swearing-in ceremony was to take place on Tuesday October 15. , The event drew thousands people from across the country , including chief ministers of 13 NDA-ruled states, 16 deputy CMs and ministers in the Central and state governments. After the grand event, Modi chaired a meeting of NDA chief ministers and their deputies in Chandigarh. “We had extensive discussions on aspects of good governance and ways to improve people’s lives. Our alliance is committed to furthering national progress and empowering the poor and downtrodden,” Modi posted on X. This was the first such conclave of NDA CMs in years. The get-together is part of the BJP’s post-poll narrative to showcase NDA unity and resolve to collectively work for development. A BJP leader said the sequence of events pointed to a well-choreographed plan to focus on the marginalised communities in line with Modi’s vision of Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas. The BJP surprised pollsters by retaining power in Haryana for the third straight term. P8 Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and others after the swearing-in ceremony of the new Haryana ministers on Thursday | PTI Fourteen ministers take oath of office As many as 14 ministers took their oath of office, including Nayab Singh Saini as chief minister. To maintain the caste balance, two ministers each were picked to represent the OBC, Brahmin, SC, Jat, and Yadav communities. Besides, one minister each represents the Punjabi, Rajput, Gujar and Vaishya communities in the new ministry NDA allies happy at big victory “We are very happy. This is the confidence people are having in PM Modi. That’s why it is a big victory. Mood of the nation is very clear,” TDP leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said. LJP leader and Union minister Chirag Paswan called the Haryana outcome unexpected and a historic victory in itself 3rd Ring Road to crown Delhi only 2 months away, to ease traffic congestion Meets Dwarka Exp near India International Covention Centre and IGIA tunnel SEGMENT FALLING IN DELHI HARYANA URBAN EXTENSION ROAD-II `3,600 CR TOTAL COST TOTAL LENGTH 54.21 KM 21.50 KM 75.71 KM PROJECTED COMPLETION: DECEMBER 2024 UER-II will alleviate traffic snarl on existing inner and outer Ring Roads, improve commuting in the outer, western, southwestern parts of Delhi, and provide direct access between Sonipat and Gurugram in Haryana P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi THE much-awaited Delhi Development Authority’s Urban Extension Road-II Project (UER-II) is on track to become fully operational by December this year, sources said. The UER-II will alleviate traffic congestion on the existing inner and outer Ring Roads, improve commuting in the outer, western, and southwestern parts of Delhi, and provide direct access between Sonipat and Gurugram in Haryana. The UER-II will bring travel time to T3 to 20 minutes from Kundli border in Delhi instead of two hours, sources said. The project connects NH-44 (Delhi-Chandigarh Highway) to NH-48 in south Delhi, encompassing areas like Bawana, Narela-Kanjhawala, Mundka, and Dwarka. It features spurs leading to Sonipat/Jind, Bahadurgarh, and connectivity to Dwarka Expressway The initi. ative aims to tackle congestion, facilitate easy transit, and control pollution in Delhi, Harya- na, and UP The project, which . is set to cost `3,600 crore, spans a total length of 75.71 km, with 54.21 km located in Delhi and 21.5km in Haryana. Implemented by the National Highways Authority of India under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the project involves collaboration with Haryana, UP and the Gov, ernment of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). L-G VK Saxena reviewed the project progress with the chief secretary and senior officials from DDA, NHAI, MCD, PWD, Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) Department, and the Delhi Cantonment Board. Stressing the need for seamless coordination among the multiple departments and agencies involved, Saxena directed that the remaining sections of the project be completed promptly . Originally conceived as the third Ring Road for Delhi, the UER-II has expanded into five packages, with 1, 2, and 3 located in Delhi and the remaining two in Haryana.
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