CMYK Rs. 3 KOLKATA FRIDAY, 24 JUNE, 2022 PG-12, YEAR—8, ISSUE—390 (RNI NO.: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) Morning India Maha crisis is BJP's ploy to get numbers for Prez poll: Mamata MI News Service, Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched scathing attack against the BJP over the Maharashtra political crisis and claimed that this is a deliberate ploy by the saffron camp to garner additional numbers in favour of its candidate for the forthcoming Presidential poll. "The Presidential poll is round the corner. The BJP has approximately 1,00,00 less votes. So, they have chosen this time to topple the Maharashtra government in an unethical manner and using money power," the Chief Minister said. Seeking justice for Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee said that the BJP is bulldozing democracy and the federal structure in the country. "They are bulldozing the opposition everywhere especially when there are protests against their unde- mocratic gesture. In Tripura they are not allowing the people to vote freely. In West Bengal, they are hounding us by letting loose the central agencies, the CBI, the ED and National Human Rights Commission," the Chief Minister said. She concluded with a latent caution to the BJP that some day the latter might be paid back in the same coin. "You will be out of power some day or the other. Then what will you do? So do not try to topple the government using money power. Someday you might also face the same situation," Mamata said. Meanwhile, her nephew and the Trinamool Congress national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee mounted attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and said that at a time when Assam was reeling under severe flood, the Chief Min- ister was busy hosting rebel MLAs from Maharashtra. Incidentally, his comments came at a time when his wife was facing the questioning by the ED officials relating to the coal smuggling case in West Bengal. "As ASSAM DROWNS,@BJP4AssamGovt is busy following orders from Delhi to play HOST to REBEL MLAs. I wish CM@himantabiswa cared more about the flood-affected victims and less about toppling the Maharashtra Govt. PRIORITIES are clear for a REMOTE CONTROLLED SUBSERVIENT Govt," Abhishek Banerjee said in a Twitter message on Friday. Incidentally on Friday morning, Trinamool Congress workers in Assam also registered protest demonstrations in front of the hotel in Guwahati where the rebel Shiv Sena legislators from Maharashtra are putting up. 40% kids aged 0-3 years suffer from long Covid: Lancet Firhad Hakim, Mayor of Kolkata busy juggling with mango after inauguration of mango festival organised by the state government and ICC jointly at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday. PIC PRABIR BHATTACHARYA Mango Fest begins in Kolkata with full swing MI News Service, Kolkata: The taste buds of the Kolkatans are all set to find a suitable reason to get a desired stimulation via Mango Festival in Kolkata. The Mango Fest kicks off at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata by the Food processing industries and Horticultural department, government of West Bengal. The fest will continue till 25th of this month. There are around 32 stalls at the venue with around 37 categories of mangoes being displayed for the avid mangomaniacs. The stalls came up from districts like Bankura, Bardhaman, Nadia, Murshidabad, Hoogli and Purulia. On the day one itself the crowd thronged at the venue to have a look at the abundant Laxmanbhog, Langra, Himsagar, Fazli, Amrapalli, Mallika, Rakhalbhog, Chintamoni and Jitudagi mangoes being there at the fest. The inauguration displayed galaxy of ministers from the state government including the Mayor of Kolkata, and Speaker of the State Assembly. The state agriculture minister Sobhondeb Chatterjee said, ED issues fresh summons to Sonia Gandhi, asks her to join probe by mid-July MI News Service, New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday was served a fresh notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to join the probe by midJuly in the National Herald case. On Wednesday, she wrote to the ED about her illness and requested them to defer the questioning, which was accepted by the probe agency. "She was suffering with Covid complications and was not fit for questioning," said a source. Sonia Gandhi, who was undergoing treatment at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, was discharged on Monday. She was admitted to the hospital on June 12 after she developed bleeding from the nose on June 12. She was tested positive for Covid on June 2. Gandhi had earlier been scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on June 8, but had sought more time from the probe agency in view of her Covid infection. The agency then issued a fresh summons and asked her to join on June 23.Rahul Gandhi was questioned for about 51 hours in five-day long questioning. He was reportedly questioned about a few transactions made by the Kolkata-based Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd. CMYK ❑ Continue PG 3 MI News Service, Copenhagen: June 23 (IANS) Children as young as 0-3 years of age also suffer from long Covid that can last at least two months, according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. The most commonly reported symptoms among children 0-3 years old were mood swings, rashes and stomach aches. In the study, researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark analysed data from a survey of 11,000 children aged 0-14 with a positive Covid-19 test result between January 2020 and July 2021, and were then matched by age and sex to over 33,000 children who never had tested positive for Covid. Among 411 years old the most commonly reported symptoms were mood swings, trouble remembering or concentrating, and rashes, and among 12-14 years old, fatigue, mood swings, and trouble remembering or concentrating. The results of the study found children diagnosed with Covid-19 in all age groups to be more likely to experience at least one symptom for two months or longer than the control group. In the 0-3 years age group 40 per cent of children diagnosed with Covid-19 (478 of 1,194 children) experienced symptoms ❑ Continue PG 3 Four-day Ambubachi Mela begins in Assam MI News Service, Guwahati: The four-day Ambubachi Mela that remained suspended for the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic has started here in Kamakhya temple situated at Nilachal Hills, an official said. The Ambubachi Mela draws a large number of devotees to Kamakhya temple every year. In the last two years, the rituals were performed by the priests only, but this year the temple will remain open for the ascetics, devotees, and visitors. It is believed that during these four days, Goddess Kamakhya goes through the annual menstruation cycle. The devotees started flocking in much before the beginning of 'Ambubachi Mahayog' but looking into the devastating flood situation the state is going through, the celebrations are little bit toned-down. Some Covid-related restrictions are also being imposed as Kamrup (Metro) District Administration is expecting to draw around 10 lakh devotees in the temple premises, more than 5,000 of whom had already gathered in Kamakhya Railway Station and Old Jail Complex at Fancy Bazar. For surveillance of the temple premises, 800 CCTV cameras have been installed, 500 by the city police and 300 by the temple authorities. Bowing out? CM Uddhav Thackeray makes farewell calls MI News Service, Mumbai: Ahead of his possible resignation, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray started making 'final calls' after his emotional challenge to the rebels previous evening that he was ready to quit the post (CM) as well as Shiv Sena chief, here on Thursday Simultaneously, alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state President and Minister Jayant Patil ruled out the possibility of the CM's demitting office and expressed optimism that the political crisis would be defused. On Wednesday evening, Thackeray addressed the state via social media and expressed his readiness to step down from both crucial posts pro- vided the rebels led by Minister Eknath Shinde come to meet him and say they don't want him to continue. However, Shinde promptly spurned the CM's offer, reiterating his pre-condition that the Shiv Sena must first walk out of its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government with the NCP and Congress. Hours after that, late on Wednesday, Thackeray and family packed up their bags and left the CM's official residence 'Varsha' at Malabar Hill and returned to the family home, 'Matoshri' in Bandra. Prior to that, he also held meetings with NCP President Sharad Continue PG 3 ❑ 200 new WBCS and WBPS cadres to join state administration MI News Service, Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced several new steps that have been adopted by the government to improve energize and revitalize the police force. The government of West Bengal has contemplated to make some necessary dynamic changes so as to make the police force more effective and agile. From now on, there will be provisions of multiple benefits in new recruit- CM Mamata Banerjee at a Press conference at Nabanna on Thursday. ment, promotion and increase in allowances in the state police. The Chief Minister also announced to form a separate welfare organization for WBPS or State Police. Earlier WBCS officers only had the privilege to have this type of organization. As of now, 630 police officers were brought under the said forum. Earlier, the Chief Minister had set up a forum for WBCS officers. The organization was created to facilitate their work by bringing them under one roof. This time she ❑ Continue PG 3