CMYK MAY 19 THURSDAY 36 36 Twin jolt to Bengal govt at Calcutta HC on WBSSC recruitment scam AAP MLA detained for trying to stop demolition drive in Delhi PG 3 29 PG 5 Precipition: 10% Humidity: 65% Wind: 23 KM/H Morning India Rs. 3 KOLKATA THURSDAY, 19 MAY, 2022 PG-12, YEAR—8, ISSUE—354 (RNI NO.: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) Mamata exhorts people to badger BJP leaders on Central funds issue MI News Service, Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been criticising the Centre over the alleged 'reluctance' to release dues to the state, on Wednesday appealed to the people to organise a mass movement against the BJP and demand the immediate release of the funds. "When you meet BJP leaders in your localities, raise the demands for the release of Central dues to the state. Tell them to seek votes only after ensuring that the Central dues on accounts of ICDS and MGNREGA," she said, while addressing a public rally in West Midnapore district on Wednesday afternoon. The chief minister also said that the women have to come to the forefront in this unique movement. "I appeal to the women to come to the forefront. We all will have to come together," the chief minister said. She also repeated her past allegations that a massive amount of Rs 92,000 crore is due to the state from the Union government under various schemes like ICDS and MGNREGA among others. "The Union government is supposed to give a share of the money it raises from the states as tax to the state governments concerned. But in the case of West Bengal, the Union government is not paying us our legitimate dues," Mamata Banerjee said. Speaking on the occasion, she also cautioned a section of her own party leaders that any high-handed attitude on their part or any negligence in public service will lead to their rejection by the masses. "Remember, one can be a leader only through his public service. The people will easily identify those leaders who are neglecting public service," the chief minister said. Describing the current Union government as the "killer government", the chief minister said that the Central rulers have made the lives of people miserable by resorting to massive increases in the prices of essential commodities like petrol, diesel, cooking gas and even life-saving medicines. BJP spokesman Shamik Bhattacharya said the chief minister by calling people to badger BJP leaders is actually asking people to take law in their hands. "This state government does not care for the rule of the land," he said. SC notice to CBI, ED on bail plea of British citizen Christian Michel in VVIP chopper scam case MI News Service, New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on bail petitions of British Citizen Christian Michel in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam being probed by the agencies. A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud issued notice to the CBI and ED on Michael's bail pleas and sought their responses within four weeks and listed the matter for hearing in July. Advocate appearing for Michel contended before the top court that the investiga- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visits local handicrafts at the administrative meeting at Jhargram on Wednesday. B'luru girl US Tibet envoy in Dharamsala students' to meet Dalai Lama indulge in MI News Service, Dharamsala: street fight Officials of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) headquartered in this northern hill town, where the elderly Buddhist monk Dalai Lama resides, on Wednesday accorded a rousing welcome to the maiden arrival of US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Uzra Zeya. The visit signifies US support for the cause of Tibet and also to promote dialogue between Beijing and the Dalai Lama. The Special Coordinator arrived at the CTA secretariat on the first leg of her two-day engagements in McLeodganj -- a small and quaint hill station on the suburbs of Dharamsala overlooking the Himalayas and Tibet. The CTA delegation, headed by Sikyong (President) Penpa Tsering, led the delegation of the US State Department to the secretariat where they will have a brief meeting followed by a tour of offices at Gangchen Kyishong, a statement by the CTA said. During her stay here, Special Coordinator Zeya will also meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his residence. A high-level visitation from the US such as this one signifies the latter's momentous support for the Tibetan issue, said the CTA. The Special Coordinator's visit comes shortly after the successful visit to Washington last month by Sikyong (President) Penpa Tsering of the CTA where the latter met with the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other bi- partisan members of Congress, besides officials at the State Department. This is the sixth visitation of the successive Special Coordinators to Dharamsala. In January 2000, Assistant Secretary Julia Taft became the first Special Coordinator to visit Dharamsala. In November 2006, Undersecretary Paula J. Dobriansky visited. In 2009, Undersecretary Maria Otero (then designated to serve as Special Coordinator), accompanied Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, on a trip to Dharamsala. Undersecretary Sarah Sewall visited this hill town in 2014 and 2016. The high-profile meeting, the first since Zeya becoming the Biden administration's point person ❑ Continue PG 3 Deepika Padukone stuns in Sabyasachi ensemble MI News Service, New Delhi: Deepika Padukone, who will represent India as a jury member at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in 2022, looked stunning in a Sabyasachi ensemble for the jury photocall on the first day of the festival. Sabyasachi began his post with a quote, "I love that moment of storytelling where looking back at the past reveals the future. For me the best stories of India are always told in these moments". He added that the Tamasha actress wore "clothing and high jewellery" from his Tropic of Calcutta CMYK collection "the global resort series, where Indian heritage gets a contemporary update". Deepika wore a printed Mysore silk shirt "with a digital rendering of hand-painted vintage flora inspired by Company paintings made by the Sabyasachi Art Foundation," as described in the post. She wore the shirt with monogrammed buttons and pleated wool trousers. Paired with the Lucknow Rose, a deconstructed Maharani necklace that has been crafted with extensively sourced multicoloured gemstones and uncut diamonds. She also wore the Bengal Trophy belt by Sabyasachi Accessories. Sharing a second bold and glam look of the 75th Cannes Film Festival jury member Deepika dressed in Bengal Tiger couture sari conceptualised by Sabyasachi as part of the iconic Aakash Tara collection that celebrates heritage Indian crafts and techniques through a modern lens, the designer wrote, "The sari is a story I will never stop telling. No matter where we are in the world, it has its place." MI News Service, Bengaluru: An incident of girl students' of a reputed school in Bengaluru indulging in street fighting in full public view went viral on Wednesday. The shocking unverified video of the students in uniform, holding baseball bats and fighting, kicking, pulling each other by the hair have gone viral on social media. In the video, the two groups are seen arguing among themselves for a long time and then suddenly, one of them comes forward to snatch the baseball bat and then a fight starts between them. The video shows the girls rolling over steps and falling. One gets hit against the iron grill and later with her bleeding nose is escorted away by her friends. However, the exact reason was yet to be ascertained and there was no police complaint registered regarding the incident. Even the date and the timing of the incident is also not clear. The jurisdictional Ashoknagar police in Bengaluru maintained that they do not have any information on the issue. tions are still not completed and he has undergone three years and six months as of now and before extradition, he was in Dubai custody. Michel has challenged in the apex court the March 11 order of the Delhi High Court which had refused to grant him bail. In the High Court, ED and CBI had opposed the bail petition filed by Michel in connection with the VVIP chopper case. CBI had said that he has a flight risk and it fears that because of the way the British government is helping him, he might flee and will never return. Michel had contended before the High Court that all the other accused in the case got bail in 60 days and he is the only one who hasn't been given the bail and suffering incarnation. According to the bail petition, Michel said that as a bail condition he will be available to join the investigation and trial as and when required and has never sought to evade the process of law. Earlier, the trial court had rejected his bail plea and had shown its displeasure with the British High Commission for sending a letter addressed to it stating that his medical condition of Michel and his pre-trial detention of two and half years may be taken into account when his bail application is considered. Christian Michel James was extradited in 2018 after India won the extradition case in Dubai. Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the deal, was deported from the UAE and is currently in judicial custody. The Dubaibased businessman Rajeev Saxena was extradited to India on January 31, 2019, in connection with the Rs 3,600-crore alleged scam relating to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland. Karnataka Governor gives nod to Anti-Conversion Ordinance MI News Service, New Delhi: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has given his assent to the Ordinance that gave effect to the Karnataka Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021. The Bill is being called the ‘anti-conversion Bill’. Similar legislation has been brought by Bharatiya Janata Party governments in states which have claimed these will counter ‘love jihad’, a Sangh Parivar-coined phrase to refer to a non-existent conspiracy by Muslims to convert Hindu women by luring them into marriage. While the Union home ministry itself has said the term its “not defined by law” and that no cases of it were reported, it was given legal sanction in the recent past by mostly BJPruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, etc. In Karnataka, the days leading up to the clearing of the Bill in the Assembly saw protests. The Bill was passed in the Assembly in December last year but was pending before the Council where BJP is one short of a majority. The Karnataka government promulgated the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Ordinance on May 12. The Governor’s nod came a day after the Bengaluru Archbishop, Peter Machado along with a Christian delegation called on him requesting him to hold back the ordinance and not to give his approval. Machado on Monday, May 16, had alleged that some groups in Karnataka wish to sideline minorities. “If the Ordinance is promulgated, then, we surely have to see ways and means of finding resources for us from different sides and legal route is also one of the things we may take to,” he told reporters on Monday. The Congress Karnataka unit had been opposing the Bill calling it “draconian” and “anticonstitution”. According to the government note, the Ordinance is for protection of right to freedom of religion and prohibition of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means. “Whereas the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and the ❑ Continue PG 3 Hardik Patel quits Congress, party calls him opportunist MI News Service, Ahmedabad: Congress party and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders have lashed out at Hardik Patel, who resigned from the Congress party on Wednesday. Excluding one or two PAAS and BJP leaders, no one has come out in support of Hardik. Former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has been very cautious, while some leaders called Hardik an opportunist. Hardik Patel said he will address the media on Thursday. Congress spokesman Manhar Patel launched counter attack on Hardik for his allegation on the party and leaders. "Hardik has no right to make any allegations, because at a very young age, party made him working president, a star pracharak of the party, campaigning in UP, Punjab and Uttarakhand. No other party will ever give him such impor- tance." Gujarat Congress in-charge Raghu Sharma has alleged that Hardik is fearing Naresh Patel's entry in the Congress, as he felt that once Naresh Patel enters the party, his importance will wane." Playing down Hardik's resignation, former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said, it was his personal decision to join Congress, now his resignation too is his personal decision. BJP's media coordinator Yagnesh Dave, however, is throwing all his support behind Hardik Patel to target Congress. There were eight big faces of PAAS movement in 2015, of which six -- Chirag Patel, Varun Patel, Lalji Desai, Lalit Vasoya, Gita Patel and Manoj Panara were against his decision to quit Congress, while Alpesh Kathiriya and Dilip Continue PG 3 Sabva welcomed it. ❑