CMYK Morning India WITH RESISTANCE MOUNTING IN UKRAINE, PUTIN MAY EXPAND WAR OPINION Rs. 3 PATNA WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY, 2022 PG-12, YEAR—8, ISSUE—165 (RNI NO: BIHENG / 2014 / 59124) INDIA’S COAL OUTPUT UP 29 PER CENT IN APRIL, SAYS GOVT BUSINESS Consult states, says SC as Centre changes stance ...on identifying minorities AGENCIES NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the Centre taking different stands on the issue of identification of minorities, including Hindus, at the state level and directed it to hold consultations with the states on the issue within three months. In supersession of its earlier stand, the Centre had on Monday told the apex court that the power to notify minorities is vested with the Union government and any decision in this regard will be taken after discussion with states and other stakeholders. The Centre had in March said that it was for the states and Union territories to take a call on whether or not to grant minority status to Hindus and other communities where they are less in number. A bench of Justices SK Kaul and MM Sundresh said in a matter like this an affidavit is filed that Centre and state both have powers. “Later, you say the Centre has powers. In a country like ours, which has so much diversification, we understand but somebody should have been more careful. Before these affidavits are filed everything is in public domain which has its own consequences. Therefore, you have to be more careful in what you say,” the bench observed. Dictating it order, the bench said, ”A fresh affidavit has been filed by the ministry of minority affairs which seems to back out what was said in the earlier affidavit. Something we don't appreciate. It is now sought to be stated that the question sought to be adjudicated has far-reaching ramifications throughout the country." “The stand has already been taken in the first affidavit. But as per fresh affidavit, the power is vested with central government to identify minorities… Aforesaid being the position, it is necessary that the exercise is taken by the Centre as proposed. List on August 30,” the bench said while seeking a status report three days before the hearing. The top court also refused to entertain a plea filed by a Meghalaya-based socio-cultural organisation seeking intervention in the matter and asked it to approach authorities concerned with a representation. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, sought three months time to hold consultation with the states and submitted that some PILs are filed and simultaneously they go into the public domain. “We cannot file an affidavit without serving it to the other party and the moment we serve it goes in public domain,” Mehta said He informed the bench that there was a meeting where three ministers of the concerned departments were present along with secretaries and the issues were discussed. The apex court said these are matters which require resolution and everything cannot be adjudicated. As the hearing commenced, a junior counsel sought pass-over saying that solicitor general Tushar Mehta was busy in some other court. “What I am unable to understand is Union of India is not able to decide what to do. All this thought should have been given before. This creates uncertainty and all this comes into public domain before we put our eyes on it. This creates another problem." Protestors set up blocks Mohali attack: Police suspect terrorist Rinda's hand to prevent Rajapaksa loyalists from fleeing AGENCIES AGENCIES COLOMBO: Anti-government protesters in Sri Lanka on Tuesday set up a checkpoint on the road leading to the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo to prevent the Rajapaksa family loyalists from fleeing the country, as violence and widespread protest continued against the regime over the country's worst economic crisis in decades. Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, resigned as prime minister on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital. The attack triggered widespread violence against pro-Rajapaksa politicians. "Large group of people have set up a checkpoint on the road leading to the Katunayake Airport. They are trying to prevent ruling faction loyalists from fleeing the country," News 1st channel reported. The Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo is locally known as Katunayake Airport. Mahinda, along with his wife and family, fled his official residence -- Temple Trees -- and took shelter at a naval base in Trincomalee, a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. Throughout the night on Monday, the police fired teargas shells to quell mobs trying to enter the Temple Trees residence. In the early hours of Tuesday, the police fired tear gas and warning shots to hold back mobs as security forces moved Mahinda and his family out of his official residence. A protest has begun in front of the Trincomalee Naval Base after reports that Mahinda and some of his family members are there after leaving Temple Trees. On Monday, protesters attacked the ancestral home of the Rajapaksas in Hambantota, the houses of 14 former ministers, 18 lawmakers, including former deputy speaker, and leaders loyal to the Rajapaksa family. Meanwhile, the number of people injured in recent clashes has risen to 249, while 7 were killed in the same, hospital sources said. A spokesperson for the National Hospital stated that 232 people injured in the clashes have been admitted to the hospital for treatment so far. Five of the injured are currently receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices. Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9 seeking resignation of President Gotabaya and Prime Minister Mahinda, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages. CHANDIGARH: A day after a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Mohali-based intelligence wing headquarters of the Punjab police, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said "some arrests" have been made and the strictest punishment will be meted out to those trying to spoil the state's atmos- phere. Punjab Director General of Police V K Bhawra said they have got a few leads and the case will be solved soon. At a meeting with the chief minister, the DGP informed the former that some suspects have been taken into custody for interrogation. A rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the third floor of the highly-guarded building in Mohali's Sector 77 at 7.45 pm on Monday, following which an alert was sounded in Punjab. The chief minister held a meeting with the DGP and top officialson Tuesday. and directed the state police chief to probe the matter thoroughly. Mann said nobody would be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab. Santoor maestro Shivkumar Sharma is dead AGENCIES MUMBAI: Santoor virtuoso Pt Shivkumar Sharma, who took the stringed instrument to the global stage and successfully straddled the worlds of classical and film music, died in Mumbai on Tuesday following a heart attack. He was 83. Sharma, one of India's most well known classical musicians, died between 8 and 8.30 am at his Pali Hill residence, his secretary Dinesh told PTI. He had been active till the end and was due to perform in Bhopal next week. "He had a severe heart attack in the morning... He was active and was to perform in Bhopal next week. He was on regular dialysis but was still active," a family source said of the maestro who was suffering from renal ailments. Sharma, one half of the famous 'Shiv-Hari' composer duo along with flautist Hari Prasad Chaurasia, is survived by his wife Manorama and sons Rahul, also a santoor player, Rohit. The Shiv-Hari duo composed music for an array of films such as Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni and Darr. A Padma Vibhushan recipient, Sharma was born in Jammu in 1938 and is believed to be the first musician to have played Indian classical music on the santoor, a folk instrument from Jammu and Kashmir. Describing his father as his 'guruji', Rahul said the end was peaceful. "He is not with us anymore but his music lives on. He went away peacefully. He has given the entire world his music, peace through his music and what he did for santoor... it's now known across the world. "His music will always live on. He will be with us through his music. He had age related issues. He was 83. We had done a concert together 15 days ago, everything was fine. He passed away peacefully," Rahul told reporters outside his home. The santoor legend's longtime collaborator and friend Chaurasia was at Sharma's residence for nearly eight hours and broke down while talking to the media. "Yeh aapne kaise keh diya woh hamare beech nahin rahe. Aisa ho hi nahin sakta. Woh hamare saath the, aur hamesha rahenge (how could you say he is no more? It can't be. He was with us and will always be)," the flautist said. Durga Jasraj, daughter of the late classical vocalist Pandij Jasraj and a close friend of Sharma, said the santoor legend fainted in the bathroom and was "gone in a fraction of a second". India logs 2,288 new Covid cases, active cases dip AGENCIES NEW DELHI: With 2,288 new coronavirus infections reported in a day, India's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,31,07,689, while the active cases decreased to 19,637, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death toll climbed to 5,24,103 with 10 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.05 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.74 per cent, the ministry said. A decrease of 766 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.47 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.79 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,25,63,949, while the case fatality rate was 1.22 per cent. The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 190.50 crore. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.