CMYK Rs. 3 KOLKATA MONDAY, 25 APRIL, 2022 PG-8, YEAR—8, ISSUE—332 (RNI NO.: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) Morning India Voting underway for French presidential run-off MI News Service, Paris: Voting is un- derway on Sunday in the French presidential run-off in which people will make a choice between incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen as their new leader. Voting began at 8 a.m. and m polling stations in Metropolitan France is set to close at 7 p.m. or one hour later in larger cities such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux, reports Xinhua news agency. Eligible voters in French overseas territories already cast their ballots on Saturday. After a televised debate on April 20, almost all opinion polls predicted that Macron would lead this presidential runoff. But local media are worried that a low turnout rate, especially during this spring holiday period, could reverse the predictions, as the abstention rate of the first round of voting reached 26.31 per cent. According to opinion polls, voter turnout could be the lowest since 1969. Most of the unsuccessful candidates of the first round have clearly voiced their support for Macron, while far-left wing party Unsubmissive France leader Jean-Luc Melanchon, reaching third place, instead of calling on his supporters to vote for the incumbent President, asked his supporters not to "give a vote" to Le Pen. At 8 p.m., highly accurate first estimations and exit polls will be allowed for the public. According to the results of the first round of voting published by France's Constitutional Council, Macron won 9,783,058 votes, (27.85 per cent) and Le Pen won 8,133,828 votes (23.15 per cent). During the first round of voting held on April 10, 35,923,707 voters had cast their ballots. In 2017, Macron and Le Pen also competed for the French presidency in a runoff vote, during which Macron was elected president with 66.10 per cent of the votes. TMC Fact Finding Committee meets the victims in Prayagraj MI News Service, Kolkata: Trinamool this time stood by the members of the bereaved family where five members were brutally killed in Prayagraj of Uttar Pradesh. This is a move by TMC in Uttar Pradesh to garner support in run-up to the polls in 2024 where TMC wanted to make dent into it as one of the political powers in alliance with Akhiilesh Yadav in the fray. A statement from the All India Trinamool was also issued shortly after the fact-finding committee's visit. The statement said, "Our leaders visited Khevraj (Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh) and met the bereaved family members. The family members had to go through this heartbreaking trauma due to the incompetence of the BJP-led Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh. It is not de- sirable for anyone to go through such ordeal, but it is happening because of the incompetence of the Uttar Pradesh government, "the statement said. Why are they silent? ' Sources said, Trinamool went to Khevrajpur in Prayagraj of Uttar Pradesh and met the families of the victims and gave the message to stay by their side. On Sunday, the Trinamool delegation left for Prayagraj. Five members of the same family were killed in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Miscreants hacked to death five members of the same family, including a two-year-old child, in Khevrajpur under the Tharbai police station in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The miscreants killed an elderly couple, their daughter, Punjab Police arrests most wanted terrorist absconding since 2010 MI News Service, Chandigarh: Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police on Sunday arrested a most wanted terrorist and an active member of terrorist module BabbarKhalsa International (BKI) identified as Charanjit Singh alias Patialavi, who has been evading arrest for last 12 years by using different identities and hideouts. Pertinently, Punjab Government has recently constituted an AGTF headed by ADGP Promod Ban under the supervision of DGP Punjab VK Bhawra to intensify action against gangsters, read a statement from the Information and Public Relations Department, Punjab. Divulging details, DIG AGTF Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that accused CharanjitPatialavi, a resident of village Butta Singh Wala in Patiala was declared proclaimed offender in a case FIR dated 23-07-2010 registered under sections 4/5 of the Explosive Act and sections 17/18/20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Police Station Machhiwara. However, Patialavi's other associate deceased terrorist Gurmail Singh Boba of Butta Singh Wala, was arrested in this case along with recovery of detonators and RDX, he added. He said that following reliable information, the AGTF teams led by AIG AGTF Gurmeet Singh Chauhan and DSP AGTF Bikramjit Singh Brar have arrested Patialavi from near Gurudwara Sahib at village Lali in DeraBassi. ❑ Continue PG 3 daughter-in-law and granddaughter, police said. After that, the Trinamool decided to send a delegation to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. The team consist of Rajya Sabha Trinamool MP Dola Sen, former Bangaon MP Mamtabala Tagore, Trinamool leader Saket Gokhale and Minister Jyotsna Mandi left for Prayagraj on Sunday morning. Trinamool leader Lalitesh Tripathi joined the delegation from Uttar Pradesh. Trinamool MPs want to know the grievances of the victims by meeting their families. The Trinamool delegation spoke to Sunil Yadav, a family member of the deceased. "We will not be able to recover what you have lost," he said. But our party will make arrangements for you so that you Continue PG 3 get justice. ❑ Ashish Mishra surrenders in compliance with SC order MI News Service, New Delhi: Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni and also the main accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3, 2021, surrendered in the court of the chief judicial magistrate on Sunday in compliance of the Supreme Court directive. This comes just a week after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail and further granted him a week to surrender. Ashish surrendered in the court a day ahead of the expiry of his bail term. He was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in February 2022. This pertains to the violence that broke out in Lakhimpur Kheri in October 2021, where eight people including four farmers were killed. Last week, the apex court, while hearing the petitions filed by farmers challenging the accused's bail, ruled against Ashish Mishra. The three-judge bench noted that the victims of the violence were denied the right of hearing in the Allahabad High Court which had granted bail to Mishra. It also asked the high court to reconsider the bail granted to Ashish Mishra. ❑ Continue PG 3 Argentine Foreign Minister in India for Raisina Dialogue, meets Jaishankar MI News Service, New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday met his Argentine counterpart Santiago Cafiero, who is in India to participate in the Raisina Dialogue. According to MEA officials, both ministers, in their meeting at the Hyderabad House, talked about expanding bilateral trade, co-operation in agriculture, pharmaceuti- PM receives first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award litre MI News Service, Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the first LataDeenanathMangeshkar Award in Mumbai on Sunday. The award has been instituted in memory and honour of the legendary singer who passed away at the age of 92 years in Mumbai earlier this year. PM Modi received the award in presence of UshaMangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Maharashtra Leader of Opposition DevendraFadnavis, among others. PM while receiving the award said, "Latadidi was like my elder sister. She was an embodiment of Ma Saraswati. Music teaches Rashtra bhakti. Her voice inspired patriotism-Ae mere WatanKe logo." The Master DeenanathMangeshkarSmrutiPratishthan Charitable Trust had said in a statement that the award will be given every year to an individual "who has made path-breaking, spectacular and exemplary contributions to our nation, its people and our society." Shakespeare's hometown celebrates his 458th birth anniversary MI News Service, London: Over 1,000 people gathered at Stratford-upon-Avon, the hometown of William Shakespeare, to celebrate the British playwright's 458th birth anniversary. The celebration, with a parade of local primary and secondary school students and civic groups, began on Saturday. Residents and visitors sang a birthday song to the late literary giant. The celebration was cancelled in 2020 and went online in 2021 due to Covid19. Shakespeare was born in April 1564. The exact date of his birth is not recorded, but it is often celebrated in Britain on April 23. This date carries other special meanings. "World Book and Copyright Day" is marked on this day. April 23 also coincides with the deaths of Shakespeare and the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. Paul Edmondson, Head of Research for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said it was befitting to mark World Book Day by reading books of the greatest writers like Shakespeare and Cervantes and enjoying the theatre performances of their plays. Ane, a resident from Derbyshire, told Xinhua that she came on a day trip to see all the festivities in Stratford and watch live performances by street entertainers. Apart from attending celebrations, visitors descended on the town library to enjoy some quiet reading. Jake, a 17-year-old high school student, said he loves reading Shakespeare and performs in Shakespeare plays at school. CMYK The Fact Finding team of TMC reaches Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh to stand by the members of the bereaved family and expedite investigation. cals, electronics, mobility, defence and atomic energy. Apart from Cafiero, Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, as well as a number of other leaders, will attend the Raisina Dialogue, beginning on Monday. External Affairs Ministry's spokesperson ArindamBagchi tweeted: "Pleased to welcome FM @GeoffreyOnyeama of Nigeria as he arrives in New Delhi on an official visit. He will also be attending the @raisinadialogue starting tomorrow." Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau will also visit India from April 25-27, according to a statement released by the Polish Foreign Ministry. This will be the first time in nine years that a Polish Foreign Minister is visiting India and Rau is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Jaishankar. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also arrived in India on Sunday for a two-day official visit to strengthen India-EU strategic partnership. In her first visit to India, she has been invited to address the inaugural session on this year's edition of Raisina Dialogue.