SATURDAY 27 APRIL 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR BRS WOOS MUSLIM WITH KAVITHA CARD ‘FARMERS WANT A FAIR PRICE’ DO AUR DO PYAAR IS AS MONOTONOUS AS THE MARRIAGE IT TALKS ABOUT P7 SENSEX 73,730.16609.28 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Heat wave conditions likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 40 °C and 29°C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 92% TEMPERATURE P4 NIFTY 22,419.95150.40 ` vs $ 83.335 PAISE GOLD 72,710440 THUMBNAILS Voters after casting their votes for the Lok Sabha elections in north Bengal on Friday. SNS PBKS script record in win over KKR: Punjab Kings scripted a world record on Friday with the highest-ever successful run chase in T20s against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Jonny Bairstow anchored the PBKS innings with an unbeaten 108 off 48 as the side overtook the target of 262 in 18.4 overs for the loss of two wickets. Earlier, KKR scored an imposing 261 for 6, riding on a 138-run partnership between openers Phil Salt (75 off 37 balls) and Sunil Narine (71 off 32 balls). SC ruling on EVMs ‘slap’ on Cong: PM NEW DELHI, 26 APRIL he Supreme Court on Friday rejected the plea of the NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), and others seeking 100 per cent cross verification of EVM votes with VVPAT slips. Whilst finding no infirmity in the conduct of polling using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, however, asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to examine the suggestion for using counting machines for counting the VVPAT paper slips and whether along with the symbol there could be a bar code for each party. Holding that the possibility to “hack or tamper with the agnostic firmware in the burnt memory to tutor/favour results is unfounded” the court said that “the suspicion that the EVMs can be configured/manipulated for repeated or wrong recording of vote(s) to favour a particular candidate should T NEW DELHI, 26 APRIL DIRECTIONS TO ELECTION COMMISSION Symbol Loading Unit in EVMs must be sealed and stored for at least 45 days after declaration of results Burnt memory in the microcontroller of EVMs to be checked by a team of engineers post-results declaration upon request by specific candidates. ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION The court suggested the Election Commission explore using a machine to count VVPAT slips, enhancing transparency in the electoral process. be rejected”. Acknowledging the right of voters to question the working of EVMs, which are but an electronic device that has a direct impact on election results, Justice Khanna who authored the judgment, added a note of caution: “However, it is also necessary to exercise care and caution when we raise aspersions on the integrity of the electoral process. Repeated and persistent doubts and despair, even without supporting evidence, can have the contrarian impact of creating distrust. This can reduce citizen participation and confidence in elections, essential for a healthy and robust democracy.” Rejecting the plea for return to the ballot paper voting system, Justice Khanna said: “We must reject as foible and unsound the submission to return to BJP holding up Bengal’s dues deliberately, don’t vote for it: Mamata in W Midnapore STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 26 APRIL CM Mamata Banerjee during a public rally in support of TMC candidate from Ghatal parliamentary constituency Deepak Adhikari (Dev) at Ghatal, in West Midnapore, on Friday. ANI the cancellation of the appointment of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in state schools by an order of Calcutta High Court, which she has blamed on the BJP . Miss Banerjee said the BJP , Congress and CPI-M have united to defeat Bengal. “When the BJP-led Centre stopped the dues, neither the CPI-M nor the Congress say a single word. The poor people were deprived. We have paid the dues of 69 lakh job card holders and assure you that the first instalment of Awas Plus will be given to 11 lakh people by December. The Congress remained quiet on the issue and has now come forward to cut into Trinamul’s votes.” Miss Banerjee asked where the BJP was when Junglemahal was bleeding. “CPI-M had turned the area into a hotbed of criminal activities. People got murdered every day. People did not come to the area and the schools were closed. After coming to power in 2011, we carried out extensive development in Jhargram. We were successful in winning the confidence of the people. College, super speciality hospital, stadium have come up The youths have got jobs. Tourism in Jhargram developed. The BJP was not seen when Jhargram was coming back to normalcy and now they have come to ask for votes,” she said. Miss Banerjee said the BJP has said that Lakshmir Bhandar would be stopped in three months. “Who are they to stop it. It is state government’s project. It has helped the women immensely and will continue, “ she said. Miss Banerjee said what the BJP is preaching in the name of religion is not Hinduism. “Hinduism speaks about inclusiveness. We have learnt to respect the views of other religions and faiths. The BJP is now trying to control our food habits, dress and even faith,” she said. “If the BJP comes to power it will destroy the social fabric of our country,” Miss Banerjee warned. Modi blames TMC for nearly 26k people losing their jobs Shah: We will implement UCC in entire country STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHOPAL, 26 APRIL SILIGURI, 26 APRIL Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday blamed the Trinamul Congress for cancellation of the appointment of nearly 26,000 teachers and nonteaching staff in state schools by a Calcutta High Court judgment. Addressing a public meeting in Malda today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “TMC has spoiled the future of youths in West Bengal because of the massive recruitment scam in the education department. Recently 26,000 families have lost their livelihood. They are now in trouble since they gave money to TMC leaders for jobs after taking loans.” “Scams have become the culture in Bengal during the tenure of the Trinamul Congress. The TMC is involved in massive scams running into thousands of crores of rupees SILVER 84,5002000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 89.580.57 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 26 APRIL Supreme Court finds no infirmity in the conduct of polling using EVMs Max: 39.7°C (+4) Min: 29.6°C (+3) SUN RISES SUN SETS 05:8 hrs 18:1 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 20:20 hrs 06:23 hrs New Moon on 08 May P12 EVMs: SC says no to 100 60.96 pc turnout recorded in second phase of LS polls pc VVPAT verification PARMOD KUMAR Min. 30 % Calling the BJP the most corrupt, oppressive and autocratic party, Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee asked the people of Jhargram to not vote for the saffron party that she said is holding up Bengal’s dues from the Centre deliberately. She was addressing a gathering at Garbeta in West Midnapore this afternoon. The area falls under the Jhargram Lok Sabha seat. The Trinamul Congress has fielded Kalipada Soren from the seat. The BJP had won the seat in 2019. Coming down heavily on the BJP Miss Banerjee said: “We , have heard of man-eating tigers, now we see job-eating BJP How could a person who . has worked for so many years return the salary with interest at the rate of 12 per cent? This is not dharma but adharma,” she said. She was referring to P11 RESURGENT DC LOOK TO TAME STRUGGLING MI Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a public meeting in Malda on Friday. ANI including the Sarada and Rose Valley scams, scams involving cattle smuggling, coal, PDS, civic bodies and other sectors. TMC commits scams and people suffer for it,” Mr Modi said, adding that no work is done here without cut money and commission. “Earlier the Left and now TMC has tarnished the image of West Bengal that had led the country and sacrificed a lot during the freedom movement. TMC has prevented Central government’s developmental programmes from being implemented. TMC has shut the doors of development in Bengal,” he said. Mr Modi had to stop his speech as the excited crowd shouted slogans welcoming him. The meeting venue at Nityananpur, located on the border between t wo LS constituencies in Malda district, was jampacked. A delighted Mr Modi said: “Either I was born in Bengal in my previous birth or I will be born here in my next birth.” Mr Modi also criticised the TMC for appeasement politics by opposing the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in West Bengal. PM Modi also came down heavily on the INDIA alliance. Declaring that that it is a 'Modi ki Guarantee' (PM Modi's guarantee), Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the government led by the BJP will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country. Addressing an election rally in Madhya Pradesh's Guna, Mr Shah accused the Congress of playing appeasement politics by encouraging the reform of personal laws. "Rahul Baba, do whatever you want for appeasement. As long as the BJP is there, we will not allow personal law to be brought in. This country will run on a UCC. This is the soul of our Constitution, we have just brought UCC in Uttarakhand. This is Modi ji's guarantee, we will implement UCC across the country," Mr AGENCIES Shah said. CMYK Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Supreme Court’s rejection of petitions against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections was a strong “slap” on parties like the Congress which for decades deprived the poor, Dalits and OBCs of their voting rights by “loot” of polling booths and ballot papers. SNS (Details on Page 5) the ballot paper system. The weakness of the ballot paper system is well known and documented. In the Indian context, keeping in view the vast size of the Indian electorate of nearly 97 crore, the number of candidates who contest the elections, the number of polling booths where voting is held, and the problems faced with ballot papers, we would be undoing the electoral reforms by directing reintroduction of the ballot papers.” A voter turnout of round 61 per cent was recorded on Friday in the second phase of voting in Lok Sabha elections in 88 constituencies spread across 13 States and Union Territories, including the remaining part of Outer Manipur seat. The voting was by and large peaceful. The voting, which began amidst tight security at 7 a.m. across 1.67 lakh polling stations, concluded at 6 p.m. Prominent BJP candidates whose fate was sealed in the EVMs today included Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Thiruvananthapuram), Hema Malini (Mathura) and Tejasvi Surya (Bengaluru South). Heavyweights from the Congress in the second phase included Rahul Gandhi (Wayanad), KC Venugopal (Alappuzha), Sashi Tharoor ( Thiruvananthapuram) and Pradyut Bordoloi (Nagaon). “Polling in the second phase of General Elections 2024 which commenced at 7 a.m. today simultaneously across 88 parliamentary constituencies recorded an approximate voter turnout of 60.96 per cent ECI issues notification for 5th phase of LS polls:The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued the notification for the fifth phase of voting in the 18th Lok Sabha polls. The filing of nominations began following the notification issued by the poll panel. The polling will be held in 49 parliamentary constituencies spread across eight States and Union Territories SNS (UTs) in the fifth phase. as of 7 p.m,” the Election Commission of India (ECI) said. The poll panel said voters from across 13 States and UTs participated enthusiastically to cast their vote at their polling stations, braving the hot weather conditions.
The Statesman is one of India's oldest English newspapers. It was founded in Kolkata in 1875 and is directly descended from The Friend of India (founded 1818). The Englishman (founded 1821) was merged with The Statesman in 1934. The Delhi edition of The Statesman began publication in 1931. The Statesman Weekly is a compendium of news and views from the Kolkata and Delhi editions. Printed on airmail paper, it is popular with readers outside India. The Statesman (average weekday circulation approximately 180,000) is a leading English newspaper in West Bengal. The Sunday Statesman has a circulation of 230,000.