vijayawada l friday l august 09, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Buddhadeb BhattacharYA departs at 80, was bengal cM for 11 years The Communist stalwart passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 80 in Kolkata. He was suffering from age-related ailments 1 March 1944 - 8 August 2024 A communist who backed big industries Remembered for his pragmatic approach Bhattacharya, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was known for his efforts to bring industrialisation to the state to create jobs. He invited big companies to come to West Bengal and set up factories there. However, protests broke out over land acquisition. Police firing on protesters in Nandigram in 2007 eroded the Left Front’s support and it lost power in 2011 ■ ■ He was the chief minister of West Bengal for 11 years from 2000. Though his party’s prospects have declined in the state, Bhattacharya remained a revered figure, remembered for his ‘pragmatic approach’ Condoling the death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “He was a political stalwart who served the state with commitment” | P7 1977 when he was first elected as member of west Bengal legislative assembly 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 44 amendments proposed in the legislation introduced in the Lok Sabha; INDIA bloc questions inclusion of non-Muslims on boards NDA allies on the same page NDA allies JD(U), TDP, Shiv Sena and LJP backed the bill saying it was aimed at bringing transparency. JD(U)’s Lalan Singh said, “How is the bill anti-Muslim?” Chirag too was on the same page. However, YSRCP MPs opposed it Enemies of Muslims, says Owaisi Fiercely opposing the bill, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said it violates Articles 14, 15, and 25 of the Constitution. “You are enemies of Muslims and this bill is evidence of that,” he charged Bill on eviction withdrawn The govt withdrew the Waqf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Bill 2014 from the Rajya Sabha. It was introduced by Rahman Khan that year and referred to a Standing Committee for vetting Some people have captured Waqf boards and this Bill has been brought to give justice to ordinary Muslims Kiren Rijiju, BJP It’s draconian. Next you will go for Christians, then Jains, then Parsis...we are Hindu but we respect other religions K C Venugopal, Cong We believe the registration is going to help poor Muslims and women of the country and bring transparency Harish Balayogi, TDP Why are nonMuslims included on Waqf boards when it is not done in other religious bodies? The truth is that the BJP has brought this bill to appease its hardcore supporters Akhilesh Yadav, SP Silver Moment Waqf bill goes to JPC after Oppn labels it as draconian P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Facing stiff opposition from the united INDIA bloc, the government referred the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill to a joint parliamentary panel (JPC) for scrutiny after it was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday . The House witnessed a twohour long heated debate with minority affairs minister Kiran Rijiju asserting that the proposed legislation is in tune with the recommendations of the Sachar Committee and the JPC instituted by the previous Congress governments, while the Opposition dubbed it as anti-Muslim, anti-Constitution and malicious. From giving the Centre the power to frame rules to providing representation for women to the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in Waqf boards and a separate Board of Auqaf for Boharas and Aghakhanis, the government proposed 44 amendments to the Waqf Act 1995. Rijiju said the Waqf Act of 1995 did not serve its purpose and the amendments were necessitated as the Congress could not achieve the reform it should have. He added that the government has done extensive consultations with various stakeholders over the last 10 years to bring in the changes. “With this bill, there is no interference in the freedom of any religious body ....It TDP Politburo decides to launch Janmabhoomi 2 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The TDP Politburo meeting chaired by party supremo and Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday, took several key decisions, including filling up of nominated posts, launching of Janmabhoomi 2, conduct of party membership drive, and enhancement of accidental insurance cover to party activists to `5 lakh from the existing `2 lakh. The first Politburo meet after the formation of the TDP-led NDA government in the State, lasted for nearly three hours. Informing the leaders that nominated posts will be filled in a phased manner, Naidu made it clear that they will only be given to those who rendered quality services to the party. “The sacrifices of TDP activists in the difficult times cannot be forgotten,” he said. Recalling that the selection of candidates for the general elections was made after a thorough exercise, and got the acceptance of all the sections of people, Naidu said similar exercise will be taken up in case of nominated posts also. Speaking to mediapersons, TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao and former minister Kalava Srinivasulu said a comprehensive plan is being formulated with the support of NITI Aayog for the all round development of Andhra Pradesh.  P4 has been brought to give rights to those who never got them.” Leading the Opposition offensive, Congress MP K C Venugopal accused the government of violating the right to freedom of religion and argued that the legislation was brought with an eye on the upcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana. He said the government wants to induct non-Muslims in the governing body of state Waqf boards and the Central Waqf Council through the amendments. “When the committee to build the Ram temple was constituted, were nonHindus part of it?” he said. Accusing the government of attempting to appease BJP’s hardcore supporters, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “What is the point of including nonMuslims in Waqf boards when this is not done in other religious bodies?” RSP MP N K Premachandran said that the government doesn’t have the legislative competence to make the amendments. Rijiju said in the earlier law, there was no provision to challenge or review the order or judgment of the tribunal. Now, a provision has been made for verdicts to be challenged in higher courts. He claimed that many leaders in the Opposition had privately told him that state Waqf boards had turned into a mafia. “I won’t take their names and destroy their careers,” Rijiju said. India’s Neeraj Chopra won silver in men’s javelin with a throw of 89.45m on Thursday. Chopra became the third Indian to win two individual Olympic medals. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won gold (92.97m) | PTI This one means more I After heartbreak, Vinesh announces retirement Having been disqualified ahead of the 50kg final at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced on social media that she is bidding adieu to the sport Aman loses in semifinal, to fight for bronze today Indian grappler Aman Sehrawat lost to Japanese top-seed Rei Higuchi in the 57kg freestyle semifinal bout as the country’s hopes of winning a gold from wrestling suffered a big blow at the Olympics here on Thursday. The 21-year-old Aman will now play for the bronze medal. Aman was no match for Higuchi — the 2016 Rio silver medallist t was emotional, it was epochal. But above everything, it was cathartic. The pall of gloom that descended over India finally cleared on Thursday for some cheer. If it was wrestling that broke Indian hearts, it was hockey that lifted it. The azure astro turf gave India a fourth medal at the Paris Olympic Games, a week after Swapnil Indian players take a lap of honour after beating Spain 2-1 to win bronze | PTI Kusale had won the third. After everything that had happened rose together one last time. As This was where Paavo Nurmi, over the past couple of days, he did three years ago against the legendary Flying Finn, won that bronze was worth its Germany in Tokyo to help the four gold. The stadium was weight in gold. team win their first Olympic named after Yves du Manoir, a That last-minute goal at the medal after 41 years, Sreejesh promising rugby player, who end of the second quarter again made the biggest saves of died in a plane crash at the age spurred the team on. They his life in dying seconds as Inof 23, and was refurbished and wanted to win for P R dia win the bronze rebuilt for hockey It does have . Sreejesh, the trusted medal. an emotional connection. custodian of India’s The Yves du Manoir On Thursday it added a new , fortunes and one of the TNIE @ olympics Stadium is part of Parfable to its annals. The story of greatest goalkeepers of is’s suburbian folklore. India’s second bronze in succeshis generation, who It is part of sporting hissive Olympics. For the ordinary was playing his final tory too. This is the only French people, it may have game. They celebrated stadium that hosted looked like just another medal. and will continue to do events in the 1924 Paris But for all those back home in so until late at night. Olympics, including India, this medal means more Indraneel Das Soaking in the summer athletics, the opening than just a bronze. Paris More on p11 Parisian sun, the XI and closing ceremonies. Yunus takes oath, leads 16-member team to bring nation back on track Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi NOBEL laureate Muhammad Yunus on Thursday took oath as the head of the interim government in Bangladesh. The 84-year-old economistturned-politician was administered the oath of office by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at a ceremony at the presidential palace ‘Bangabhaban’ in Dhaka in the evening. Yunus will lead a 16-member cabinet, whose members are titled advisers, not ministers. The ceremony was attended by political leaders, civil society leaders, generals and diplomats, including the Muhammad Yunus (centre) speaks to the media in Dhaka on Thursday | PTI Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, Pranay Verma. According to reports from Dhaka, there is now hope that the law and order situation will improve. “I personally know most of the advisors and expect them to restore law and order, check corruption, take steps to ensure that life returns to normalcy and the economy is , back on track,” Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, a political commentator from Bangladesh, told this newspaper over phone. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that he received a phone call from his British counterpart David Lammy to discuss the unfolding situation in Bangladesh. According to sources in Delhi, the Indian government has urged Air India and IndiGo to continue to operate their flight services to and from Bangladesh without disruption so that Indian citizens can come back. social initiative ‘Memu Saitham’ to promote blood donation S r een u B a b u Pat i v a d a @ Parvathipuram-Manyam Memu Saitham, a blood donation awareness initiative, will be launched by District Collector A Shyam Prasad on Friday and it will continue for , 50 days at the mandal level. Speaking to the media on Thursday, the Collector said, “The district administration will conduct blood donation EXPRESS ILLUSTRATION camps in each mandal with an aim to collect at least 50 units of blood in the first phase of the campaign. The importance of blood donation, its impact on saving lives will be widely propagated in the first phase of Memu Saitham campaign. The details of blood donors and availability of stock will be put on a web portal for the benefit of needy patients.” The initiative aims at overcoming the severe shortage of blood in the district, and it will be conducted under the aegis of district nodal officer Joint Collector and mandal nodal officers MPDOs. Speaking to TNIE, District Coordinator of Hospital Services Dr Vagdevi said, “A majority of patients, especially pregnant women and children, have been suffering from anaemia due to lack of awareness on nutrition and hygiene health practices. We have only one blood bank at the Parvathipuram district hospital with a capacity of 400 units. We do not have the facility to supply the blood components like platelets and plasma. We need at least 10 units of blood per day to supply to patients. However, we have been collecting only 150 to 200 P4 units per month.”  RBI holds rates for ninth time in a row B E N N K O C H UV E E DA N @ Mumbai Reiterating the resolve to tame inflation and bring it down to the desired target for a sustainable, durable period, the six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), chaired by Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das voted to leave the key policy rates unchanged at 6.5% and decided to continue to suck out excess liquidity from the system for the ninth consecutive time. The announcement did not spook the stock markets as nobody was expecting a rate cut. However, the hawkish undertone did make the market nervous. This had the indices falling by three-fourths of a percentage points. The decisions were taken after a 4:2 vote at the 50th meeting of the rate setting panel — Monetary Policy Committee — since its inception in September 2016. Das said that the flexible inflation targeting RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das | PTI framework will soon complete eight years and is up for review next month. Like in the past two reviews, the two exter nal members Ashima Goyal and Jayanth R Varma voted to reduce the policy repo rate by 25 bps and also for changing the stance from withdrawal of accommodation to neutral. The MPC has also decided to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that “inflation progressively aligns to the target, while supP10 porting growth.  Ap to get 8 kumki elephants from karnataka soon To prevent wild elephants from entering human habitations in Chittoor and Parvathipuram-Manyam districts, the AP government sought trained jumbos from Karnataka | P4