FRIDAY 05 JANUARY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. MODERATE FOG IN THE MORNING. COLD DAY TO SEVERE COLD DAY CONDITIONS AT A FEW PLACES. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 13 AND 06 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY My biggest asset is my honesty,says Kejriwal Says BJP wants him arrested to stop him from campaigning for polls Security tightened outside Delhi CM’s residence Max.95% Min. 83% TEMPERATURE Max: 12.5°C (-7) SUN RISES 07:15 hrs MOON RISES 17:01 hrs Min: 7.7°C (+1) SUN SETS 17:39 hrs MOON SETS 05:55 hrs AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 4 JANUARY THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JANUARY A Dense fog engulfs New Delhi on Thursday. SUBRATA DUTTA Govt warns of malicious calls claiming to disrupt Indian stock exchanges: The Centre on Thursday urged citizens to beware of malicious incoming calls from international numbers claiming to cause disruption in India’s stock exchanges and trading. In an advisory, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications said such calls are initiated by anti-national elements aimed at creating panic. lleging that the BJP wants him arrested so that he can’t take part in campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said his biggest strength and asset is his “honesty”. He alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent "false summons" to him. Mr Kejriwal on Wednesday skipped for the third time the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case "These people (BJP) want to malign my image Legal team working on ex-Navy veterans' appeal to be filed in Qatar: MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE by making false allegations and sending false summons," he claimed. "In the last two years, all the agencies of BJP have conducted many raids but not a single penny was found. If there is corruption then where is the money? AAP leaders are kept in jail in such fake cases. Now the BJP wants to arrest me. My biggest strength and asset is my honesty," Mr Kejriwal said while addressing a Press conference on Thursday. Questioning the timing of the notice just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Delhi CM said that the BJP wants to stop him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. "My lawyers Security has been tightened outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday morning after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers claimed, citing unnamed inputs, that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is likely to arrest the AAP convener today. These claims come after the Delhi Chief Minister skipped the third summons issued to him by the ED on Wednesday. The ED issued a third summons to CM Kejriwal on 22 December last year, in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, asking him to appear before the agency on 3 January. AAP sources on Thursday claimed that the roads leading to Mr Kejriwal's residence were blocked and police personnel deployed at all gates as the Enforcement Directorate was "gearing up" to raid and arrest the Delhi chief minister. told me that the summons was illegal, I wrote the question and sent it to ED. Should I obey an unlawful summon? If a legal summons comes, I will comply with it. Why am I being called just before the Lok Sabha elections? Eight months ago I was called by CBI, I went and gave all the answers. Today they want to stop me from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections," he added. (P2) 2nd Test vs SA ends inside two days; India level series TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 4 JANUARY NEW DELHI, 4 JANUARY The government on Thursday said its legal team was working on the appeal to be filed in the case of eight former Indian Navy personnel, whose death sentences have been commuted by an appellate Court in Qatar. “I can confirm that the death penalty of the eight Indians has been commuted. They have been given varying sentences. Our legal team has the court verdict... it’s a confidential document. Sixty days’ time has been given to appeal in the highest court of Qatar,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. He said the legal team was working on the matter. The government was in touch with the legal team as well as the families of the eight Indians. The Appellate Court in Qatar had on 28 December commuted the death sentence of the eight Indians, who were arrested in August 2022 in an alleged case of espionage. They were handed the death sentence by a court in Qatar in October. India had termed the ruling “deeply shocking”, and an appeal was filed in the case in November. The eight have been identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar. India has been pursuing the case with the Qatari authorities. The Qatari authorities have provided at least three consular access to the eight Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai in December. Imagine the kind of outcry 23 wickets falling in one day in Asia would create, leave aside the criticism of the surface. In India’s current tour of South Africa, neither of the two Test matches went the distance, but there have been no words against the curator. Lasting just 642 balls, the second game in Cape Town was the shortest match ever to produce a result in Test history. While it remains to be seen how the ICC match referee Chris Broad rates the track, what mattered for India is the 7-wicket victory, helping them square the series 11. On Day 2 of the match, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah produced a sensational six-wicket haul to dismiss the hosts for 176, built mainly around Aiden Markram’s fighting 106, to set up India’s victory before the batters completed the formalities by overhauling the meagre target of 79. It took just six balls for India to strike on the second morning with David Bedingham (11) nicking Bumrah behind to KL Rahul. Wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne was the next man to fall to Bumrah after mistiming his shot and ending up in the hands of Mohammed Siraj at mid-on. Marco Jansen hung on for a bit, hitting a cou- ple of boundaries, but was undone by a stunning return catch by Bumrah, leaving the Proteas at103 for 6. At the other end, Markram went about his business playing some pristine shots on a treacherous surface. Bumrah, meanwhile, kept up the pressure, in the process completing his 9th five-wicket haul in Tests when he had Keshav Maharaj slicing a full delivery to Shreyas Iyer at gully. With Kagiso Rabada at the other end, Markram, who survived a dropped chance on 73, went on the attack, hittting Prasidh Krishna for a couple of fours and sixes to storm into the 90s. He reached his 7th Test century with back-to-back boundaries off Bumrah, but soon after miscued a short delivery from Siraj for Rohit Sharma to complete the catch at long-off to end his innings with 106 runs off 103 balls. In the next over, Rabada also fell to Krishna, while Bumrah returned to pack off Lungi Ngidi, leaving India with a target of 79 runs after the lunch break. PM: Whole country is excited to welcome Shri Ram in Ayodhya STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JANUARY People of the country are excited for the Ram temple consecration ceremony to be held in the holy city of Ayodhya on 22 January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. Sharing the enthusiasm of people in welcoming Lord Ram in Ayodhya, Mr Modi said, "The whole country is enthusiastic and devotees are immersed in the devotion of Ram Lalla. Listen to this bhajan of Hansraj Raghuvanshi ji dedicated to Lord Shri Ram," in a post on microblogging site X in Hindi and shared a link of a devotional song. Yesterday also, Mr Modi has shared a bhajan sung by Swati Mishra welcoming Shri Ram Lala and termed it ‘mesmerising’. Mr Modi is expected to arrive in Ayodhya a day ahead of the Ram Lalla consecration ceremony . Sources said the PM could reach Ayodhya on 21 January evening. He will stay the night in the temple town and the next day, he will take a ritual bath in River Saryu in the morning. It is reported that Mr Modi would fast on the day of pran pratistha as mandated by tradition for the main host of the ceremony. It is believed that Lord Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries snorkelling on one of the pristine beaches in Lakshadweep on Thursday. SNS Hanuman is seated as the king of Ayodhya. No auspicious work is done here without his permission. Accordingly, the PM will first pay obeisance at the Hanumangarhi temple, take permission and then will leave for Ram Janmabhoomi to consecrate the Ram Lalla. Though the rituals of Pran Pratishtha Mahotsav will start from 16 January, the temple consecration on 22 January will start with PM Modi first taking a pledge and dedicating it to the country. Then, he will perform 'Shodashopachar' puja of Ram Lalla. According to Trust officials, for 'Shodashopachar' puja and Mahapuja ~ the total puja time in the sanctum sanctorum will be 40 minutes. On 22 January, there will be a very short Muhurat of 84 seconds for the consecration of Ram Lalla, which will be from 12:29 minutes 8 seconds to 12:30 minutes 32 seconds. Only 11 people will be allowed in the sanctum sanctorum during the consecration ceremony. FLY HIGH Girls fly kites during Jeevan Kite and River Festival on the banks of the Brahmaputra river, in Guwahati on Thursday. ANI Boost to Cong ahead of polls as YS Sharmila joins party Transforming Rajasthan’s arid realms: Empowering women through water conservation STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JANUARY With the Lok Sabha elections drawing closer, the Congress has received a shot in the arm as YS Sharmila, founder of the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP), joined the grand old party here on Thursday. Ms Sharmila, who is the daughter of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy and younger sister of incumbent chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, joined the Congress at the party headquarters. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge welcomed her to the the party-fold. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party's general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal were also present on the occasion. With her joining, Ms Sharmila has merged her party with the Congress. After joining the party, she said: “Today, I am very happy to be merging YSR Telangana Party into the Con- gress party. It gives me immense joy that the YSR Telangana Party is going to be a part of the Indian National Congress party from today onwards.” “YSR Telangana Party is not going to be separate any- more from the Congress party. It gives me great delight,” Sharmila said. Remembering her father, she said: “Dr YSR Reddy, the legendary leader of the Telugu people not only served the Congress party all his life but also gave his life serving the Congress. Today, it gives him great joy that his daughter following in his footsteps, is going to be a part of the Congress party itself." Ms Sharmila said the Congress is still the largest secular party of the country. “The Congress party has always upheld the true culture of India. The Congress party has built our nation. The Congress party has unwaveringly served all communities, uniting all sections of the people of India,” she said. ABHIJIT DEB BARMER, 4 JANUARY In the heart of Rajasthan's unforgiving desert, where the scorching sun and parched lands were once the norm, a transformational tide has swept through the lives of its inhabitants, especially its resilient women. Barmer and Jaisalmer, known for their arid landscapes and tales of hardship, once witnessed women enduring grueling journeys of 4 to 5 km under the relentless sun just to secure drinking water. It was a daily saga of resilience and struggle etched into the folklore of these lands, where women balanced matkas (water pots) on their heads, weaving through oppressive heat during summer days. Amidst this adversity, a beacon of change emerged with the inception of a water conservation initiative under various programmes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Prime Minister Awas Yojana. This initiative somewhat alleviated the water crisis haunting these districts. The traditional 'takas' or tanks, with a capacity of 30 thousand litres each, were constructed across villages, heralding hope in these parched lands. Arun Purohit, the Collector of Barmer district, reflected on the severity of the crisis, stating, "Villagers used to handle milk and ghee generously but were miserly with water due to its scarcity in the desert areas." The Indira Gandhi Nahar Project and Narmada project were also being implemented, spanning the desert expanse, covering over 2765 villages. These endeavors were lifelines, providing a sustained flow of water where it was once a rarity. The impact of these `Takas' (tanks) among the villages, especially for the women who bore the brunt of the water crisis is giving them some relief. Dami Devi from Kurla village in Barmer expressed her relief: "These 'takas' have become saviours for women in the villages. We no longer endure exhausting treks for water in the scorching heat. With stored water available at any time, our lives have transformed somewhat." The narrative has shifted from tales of struggle to one of empowerment and relief, though there are miles to go to quench the thirst for development.
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