KANNUR l Sunday l september 22, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l city edition Vote day peaceful in Sri Lanka, turnout estimated to be 75% Final results expected today The voter turnout is estimated to be around 75%, an election official said in the evening. Polling concluded with no violence or security breaches reported from any of the 22 electoral districts. Counting began shortly after the polls closed at 4 pm. Final results are expected by Sunday morning. The economy was on top of the mind of voters Voting concluded at 4 pm in Sri Lanka on Saturday in the island nations’ first presidential poll since its worst economic meltdown in 2022 ■ 38 Eight-hour nationwide curfew imposed ■ President Ranil Wickremesinghe is fighting an uphill battle for a fresh mandate to continue Implementing IMF’s belt-tightening measures A curfew was imposed from 10 pm on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday. The police called it a precautionary measure to prevent violence, and urged the public to remain indoors while counting progressed | P9 the number of candidates who contested in the election CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI CM takes ‘Cong background’ dig at AnvarMLA says he will fight until expelled by CPM Pinarayi disowns Anvar, CM being misled by backs Sasi, Ajith Kumar his secy, ADGP: MLA E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Malappuram Sending a clear indication that he would not back P V Anvar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday rejected the LDF-backed MLA’s accusations of an alleged nexus between police and gold smugglers. In a detailed address to the media that spanned an hour and 40 minutes, Pinarayi also ruled out any action against ADGP M R Ajith Kumar and CM’s political secretary P Sasi for the time being. Pinarayi even took a dig at the MLA, saying the latter had a Congress background, which might be why he has been acting in a certain manner. The CM’s reactions follow Anvar’s constant allegations that have put both the CMO as well as the home department, which Pinarayi helms, on the defensive. “Gold smugglers must have the vested interest to neutralise the police and justify smuggling. The government cannot help it. We cannot remove a police officer based on mere allegation, until the investigation is over. P Sasi has been performing his duty with utmost responsibility,” the CM ● More on P5 said. Tactfully avoiding a direct showdown with Pinarayi Vijayan, MLA P V Anvar said the CM was being fed misinformation by ADGP Ajith Kumar and political secretary P Sasi. During his media interaction in Malappuram, Anvar carefully avoided making remarks against the CM and CPM, limiting his attack to Kumar and Sasi. “The CM said he won’t take any action that could demoralise police officers. The truth is my allegations demoralised criminals within the department, while boosting the morale of sincere officers. Targeting corrupt individuals in the police force should not be viewed as an attack on all officers. I urge the CM to reconsider his stance,” he said. Asserting he won’t back down from his “mission” to expose Kumar and Sasi, Anvar said, “I will continue my fight until the CPM expels me. I believe the CM will soon come to see the truth in my statements.” On the CM’s charge that he was attempting to aid the gold smuggling syndicate, Anvar urged Pinarayi to take a thorough look into ● More on P5 cops’ involvement in smuggling. Anvar submitted a complaint and it’s being investigated. The probe team was formed when he raised charges in the media, before the plea was submitted. The government has no prejudice Pinarayi Vijayan Targeting corrupt individuals in the police force should not be viewed as an attack on all officers.I will continue my fight until the CPM expels me. I believe the CM will soon come to see the truth in my statements P V Anvar Atishi takes oath as Delhi CM, thanks political guru Kejriwal An u p v e r m a @ New Delhi Atishi on Saturday took oath as the third woman chief minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit. At 43, she became the youngest CM of Delhi and is the second woman CM after Mamata Banarjee in India at present. Along with her, five cabinet ministers were sworn in — Gopal Rai, Kailash Gehlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Imran Hussain and Mukesh Ahlawat. After taking oath, Atishi took AAP supremo and her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal’s blessings by touching his feet at Raj Niwas. In her first press conference after the ceremony, she profusely thanked him. “I thank my elder brother and political guru Arvind Kejriwal for entrusting me with the responsibility of looking after the people of Delhi. He is the one who shaped the future of millions of children, provided free bus travel to women, gave free electricity to the people, free medical treatment so that people do not have to mortgage their house or land for any of their family members,” she said. From now until the assembly elections, her only job will be to complete the work that has been stopped due to the conspiracies of the BJP and the Lt Governor, she said. express read NHRC intervenes in EY employee’s death Kochi: Intervening in the death of a 26-year-old Ernst and Young (EY) CA Anna Sebastian, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said businesses should be sensitive to and accountable for human rights issues. P2 3.4kg MDMA seized from Kasaragod house Kasaragod: In a joint operation, Manjeshwar and Melparamba police seized more than 3kg of MDMA, besides cocaine and marijuana, from a house in Kasaragod’s Uppala near the Kerala-Karnataka border on Friday, in one of the largest drug busts in the district. P3 Former Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik and TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla in conversation on the first day of the Odisha Literary Festival in Bhubaneswar on Saturday | DEBADATTA MALLICK US hosts Sikh leaders hours before Modi visit PM lands in US for Quad summit, to have one-on-one with President Joe Biden our planet better and address global challenges,” he said. PRIME Minister Narendra Quad is a diplomatic partnerModi arrived in the US on Sat- ship between Australia, India, urday evening for a three-day Japan, and the US to foster a visit. Modi has a packed sched- stable Indo-Pacific. ule in the US; he will have a biModi is to have a one-on-one lateral meeting with US Presi- with Biden before the Quad dent Joe Biden, attend the meet. According to sources, fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit several key agreements are in Biden’s home town Dela- likely to be signed. Also on the ware, engage in highcards is a multi-billevel meetings on the lion dollar deal to sidelines of the sumbuy 31 predator mit, and take part in drones from the US. discussions at the Meanwhile, the US United Nations in is also likely to rake New York. up the alleged assasThe PM’s other ensination bid on Khagagements include Pannun may listani separatist joining an Indian di- be discussed leader Gurpatwant aspora event at Long Senior White House Singh Pannun, a dual Island and partici- officials on US-Canada citizen. pating in a roundta- Thursday met Sikh On Thursday, senior ble with the CEOs of leaders sympathetic White House and US US companies work- to Khalistani leader intelligence officials ing on new technolo- Gurpatwant Singh met a group of Sikh gies such as artificial Pannun, who was leaders sympathetic intelligence, quan- allegedly targeted to Pannun. Held intum computing, and by Indian agents side the White House, semiconductors. the meeting was atSoon after landing tended by Pritpal in Philadelphia, Modi said his Singh of the American Sikh meeting with Biden, Austral- Caucus Committee and repreian Prime Minister Anthony sentatives from the Sikh CoaliAlbanese, and Japanese pre- tion and Sikh American Legal mier Fumio Kishida at the Defence and Education Fund. Quad Summit would contrib- The US officials reportedly asute to the betterment of the sured the Sikh delegates that world. “I am sure the discus- they will not allow any transnasions will contribute in making tional aggression on its soil. y es hi Seli @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE The Partition of Pakistan PLUS 12 PAGES Docs back Protesting Junior doctors rejoin work after 42 days Amid partial resumption of duties by doctors protesting against the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital, CBI started questioning another doctor, allegedly close to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the college | P8 Naveen non-committal on ‘one nation, one poll’ E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Femininity “Divinity without the feminine form is incomplete in Hinduism. One cannot have Jagannath temple without the presence of Devi Subhadra and other goddesses,” mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik said at the fest Former chief minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Saturday adopted a non-committal approach on ‘one nation, one poll’ proposal of the Centre and said details will have to be studied before taking a stand on it. In an interaction with editorial director of The New Indian Express Prabhu Chawla at the 12th edition of the Odisha Literary Festival (OLF) organised by this newspaper, Naveen said the party will wait for the details before taking a stand. “Let the details come forth, we will study and take a stand.” Asked how he rates the BJP government in the state and the Centre on their performance on completion of their first 100 days in office, the BJD boss quipped: “It is too early to start counting.” “Elections to several states will be held in the near future. Let us wait for the results,” he added. The BJD chief also lashed out at the BJP government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. “We can all see how the law and order situation in the state has declined with the incident of Governor’s son at Puri. Recently, an Army Major and his fiancée were harassed in a violent manner at a major police station in the capital city This is not a good record,” . he added. Chawla thanked the former CM for supporting the OLF for the last 13 years since it was launched. Celebrated Koshali poet and Padma Shri awardee Haladhar Nag inaugurated the OLF and said literature guides people on the path of truth, and true poets are Yugajanmas (born in ages) who take society on the right path. “There may be different castes, but every human being is one,” Nag said. One final glimpse Actor Mohanlal and producer Antony Perumbavoor pay their respects to actor Kaviyoor Ponnamma whose mortal remains were kept at Kalamassery Municipal Town Hall in Kochi on Saturday | T P Sooraj | p2 Veteran Communist leader Ahmedabad? Selected region name not sent to IOC M M Lawrence passes away olympic 2036 bid Ind r a neel D a s @ Chennai IT is almost close to one year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India would be bidding for the 2036 Olympics, but the name of the host city is yet to be sent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Since last October, when the announcement was made during the IOC Session in Mumbai, there have been multiple reports that Ahmedabad would be one of the host cities. The IOC, however, is yet to receive any confirmation from the IOA. “The IOC has not been informed by the IOA of any selected region,” the IOC said in an email to this daily Interestingly coun. , tries like Indonesia and Turkey , nations considered as serious bidders for the 2036 Games, have selected the hosts/region. Though the IOC doesn’t reveal the number of interested parties or bidding process, its president Thomas Bach had reaffirmed that it was in double digits. However, the infighting in the IOA too seems to be a sour point. It is understood that even during the Paris Olympics, where some of potential hosts’ top officials met the IOC, there were apparently no meetings between the IOA and other stakeholders with the Future Hosts Commission. What needs to be more troubling is that the IOA is yet to formally announce a bid committee, which will deal with the IOC. Even for the 2030 Youth Olympics IOA would need to open dialogues with the IOC. In reply to this newspaper’s query whether the present unsavoury stand-off between the IOA president and the EC would affect the bidding process the IOC said: “IOC is happy to see interest in hosting from India, with its huge passion for sport and youthful population. To move forward, any project from India would need the official support of the National Olympic Committee (NOC).” The IOC has said that there are a number of “Interested Parties, including India, taking part in a non-committal Continuous Dialogue with the IOC.” This, according to the IOC, helps the potential host to “explore and improve its Olympic project, without linking it to any specific Games edition or year”. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi Veteran Communist and former CPM central committee member M M Lawrence, 95, died at a private hospital in Kochi on Saturday . One of the top leaders of the CPM in Kerala in the 1980s and 1990s, Lawrence served as LDF convenor, was elected the CPM Ernakulam district secretary in 1967, and was the state committee and state secretariat member from 1978 to 1998 and central committee member from 1986 to 1998. His mortal remains will be kept at Lenin Centre from 8am to 9am on Monday for party leaders to offer tributes. The body will be kept at Ernakulam Town Hall from 9am to 4pm. It will be handed over to Ernakulam Medical College at 4pm, as per the leader’s wish. Among the first generation leaders of undivided Communist party in Kerala, Lawrence was part of the 17-member squad who stormed Edappally police station on February 28, 1950, demanding the release of Communist leaders N K Madhavan and ● More on P2 Vareethootty .
Express Network Private Limited publishes thirty three E-paper editions of The New Indian Express newspaper , thirty two E-paper editions of Dinamani, one E-paper edition of The Morning Standard, one E-paper edition of Malayalam Vaarika magazine and one E-paper edition of the Indulge - The Morning Standard, Kolkatta.