Chennai l SUNday l SEPTEMBER 22, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 28 l late city EDITION Vote day peaceful in Sri Lanka, turnout estimated to be 75% Anura Kumara Dissanayake Eight-hour nationwide curfew imposed The voter turnout is estimated to be around 75%, an election official said in the evening. Polling concluded with no violence or security breaches. But, the police imposed a curfew from 10 pm on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incidents during the counting. The people were urged to remain indoors | P13 A largely peaceful voting concluded at 4 pm on Saturday in the island nation’s first presidential poll since its worst economic meltdown in 2022 ■ 38 Dissanayake takes early lead ■ Early results on Saturday night showed Marxist-leaning National People’s Power party’s Anura Kumara Dissanayake leading. Postal ballots were initially counted, which put him ahead of the rest Dissanayake has pledged to renegotiate the IMF’s economic rescue package, which has been unpopular for its austerity measures 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 India, US closer than ever: Biden Atishi takes oath as Delhi CM, thanks political guru Kejriwal A n 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. The new CM said her only job till the assembly poll would be to complete the work that has been stopped due to the conspiracies of the BJP and the Lt Governor. US president hosts PM Modi at his private residence in Delaware ahead of Quad meet 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 Naveen non-committal on ‘one nation, one poll’ E x p r e ss N e w s S e 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,” he said. 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. Day after SC rap on collegium, govt clears names of 7 HC CJs S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi A day after a Supreme Court bench said its collegium is not a “search committee” and asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to submit a report on the status of the names reiterated for the higher judiciary but were yet to be cleared, the Centre on Saturday notified the appointment of seven Chief Justices to various High Courts, including the Madras High Court. The transfer of a Chief Justice was also notified. The appointments were based on an amended collegium recommendation of its July 11 proposals. While Justice K R Shriram of the Bombay High Court was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice Manmohan, acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Oly: Open team on cusp of glory E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai THE Indian Open team moved within whispering distance of winning gold for the first time at the chess Olympiad. On Saturday, they beat US, top-seeds coming into the event, 2.5-1.5 to maintain their sole lead at the top of the standings with one round to go. As long as they have a normal final round, they will win gold. Both D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi won to put them on the cusp of history The . women’s team put themselves back in contention to have a real shot at winning gold after beating China 2.5-1.5. R Vaishali was under pressure to draw her game which she did. P15 foreign secretary Vikram Misri and India’s Ambassador to the PRIME Minister Narendra US Vinay Mohan Kwatra. Modi, who arrived in the US on The US team included SecreSaturday for a three-day visit, tary of State Antony Blinken, met US President Joe Biden at Assistant to the President for his residence in Wilmington, National Security Affairs T H Delaware. Biden welcomed Jake Sullivan, and US AmbasModi with a warm hug and sador to India Eric Garcetti. held the Indian PM’s hand as Modi has a packed schedule he led him into the house. in the US, with the first day While the US side termed the dedicated to meetings with Bimeeting ‘private’, sources said den and other Quad leaders. the two leaders discussed the On Sunday, Modi will travel ways to strengthen the to New York to attend bilateral ties and also an Indian community shared their views on event at Long Island. some of the important He will also hold an inglobal issues including teraction with the the Russia-Ukraine CEOs of leading USconflict. “Discussions based companies workfocused on ways to furing on new technoloUkraine ther deepen the Indiagies such as artificial on table US bilateral partnerintelligence, quantum ship in areas of mutual computing, and US National interest. Leaders ex- Security Adviser semiconductors. changed views on gloOn Monday, the PM Jake Sullivan bal and regional is- said the Ukraine is scheduled to attend sues, including the war and Modi’s the the Summit of the Indo-Pacific region Future at the United recent visit to and beyond,” MEA Nations General AsKyiv would spokesperson Randhir sembly in New York. figure Jaiswal said. Earlier in the day af, prominently in The meeting lasted ter landing in Philathe bilateral about an hour. delphia, Modi said his meeting “The United States’ meeting with Biden, partnership with India is Australian PM Anthony Albastronger, closer, and more dy- nese, and Japanese premier Funamic than any time in history mio Kishida at the Quad Sum. Prime Minister Modi, each mit would contribute to the time we sit down, I’m struck by betterment of the world. “I am our ability to find new areas of sure the discussions will concooperation. Today was no dif- tribute in making our planet ferent,” Biden wrote on X. better and address global chalModi and Biden will have for- lenges,” he said. mal bilateral talks on the sideThe four-member Quad, or lines of the Quad summit. Ac- the Quadrilateral Security Diacording to sources, some key logue, advocates upholding a pacts are likely to be signed. free, open, and inclusive IndoThe PM was accompanied by Pacific. Beijing sees it as an foreign minister S Jaishankar, anti-China grouping. y eshi S el i @ New Delhi Additional judges The Centre also cleared the appointment of three judicial officers, R Poornima, M Jothiraman and Augustine Devadoss Maria Clete, as additional judges of the Madras High Court Court, was appointed the new CJ of the court. In a post on ‘X’, law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution, the President is pleased to appoint/ transfer eight Chief Justices of High Courts.” Justice Rajiv Shakdher, a Delhi High Court judge, was elevated as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. Justice Nitin Mad- hukar Jamdar of the Bombay High Court has been appointed as Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji of the Calcutta High Court has been appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya. Justice Tashi Rabstan of the J&K and Ladakh High Court has been made its Chief Justice. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait of the Delhi High Court was elevated as Chief Justice of the MP High Court. Himachal Pradesh Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao was transferred as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. Justice Shriram, born in Mumbai, completed B Com in Financial Accountancy and Management and LLB from Mumbai University . Continued on: P5 express read Lankan Navy arrests 37 TN fishers, seizes 3 boats Mayiladuthurai: At least 37 fishers were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line. A mechanised purse seine boat and two motorised boats were seized | P4 AP consulting to uphold Tirumala sanctity: Naidu Vijayawada: Following allegations of animal fat adulteration in Tirupati laddus, CM Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said the state is consulting Jeeyangars, Kanchi pontiffs and others to uphold sanctity of Tirumala temple | P7 Rajnath’s helicopter runs out of fuel in Jharkhand Ranchi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to UP from Jharkhand’s Garhwa by road as his helicopter could not be refuelled at Banshidhar Nagar where he addressed a rally Prime Minister Narendra Modi being received by US President Joe Biden at the latter’s residence for a meeting, in Wilmington, Delaware, US, on Saturday | PTI olympic 2036 bid Ahmedabad? Selected region name not sent to IOC I n d r a n e e l 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”. WITH THIS ISSUE The Partition of Pakistan PLUS 12 PAGES 2 minors among 3 held for rape of 16-yr-old girl e x p r e ss n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai A 16-year-old girl studying in Class 11 of a government school was allegedly gangraped by three people, including two minor boys, near Thalambur on the outskirts of Chennai on Thursday evening. All three accused have been arrested, while the survivor is under medical care. According to police, the girl lived near a reserved forest. Back home from school, on Thursday after sunset, she ventured out to a secluded area to answer nature’s call when the three accused spotted her, police said. After the accused raped her and fled the spot, the girl walked back home to her parents, police added. Initially, the victim complained to her parents of stomach pain and was rushed to a hospital. However, on the way, the survivor spotted the three accused and revealed the incident to her father. Along with some locals, the girl’s father attempted to apprehend the accused but they escaped into the forest, police said. Subsequently, a complaint was filed with the Thalambur police and a case was registered under Pocso Act and other sections. Based on initial inquiry , Sundar (23) and two 16-year-old boys were apprehended. While Sundar was remanded in prison, the juveniles were sent to the Chengalpattu correctional home, a police official said. P7 FIR on ex-AIADMK minister, sons in `27cr plan-permit case S i d d h a r t h P r a b h a k a r @ Chennai The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has booked a corruption case against former housing minister R Vaithilingam, his two sons and Shriram Properties, a private company, in a `27.9crore bribe-for-planning permission case. As per the FIR filed by the anti-corruption agency on September 19, Shriram Properties allegedly routed `27.9-crore bribe in 2016 through associated firms to a shell company owned by Vaithilingam’s sons in lieu of planning permission given to them by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) for construction of 1,453 residential and IT buildings on a 57.94acre plot in Perungalathur near Chennai. Vaithilingam was housing minister and CMDA chairman from 2011 to 2016 in the AIADMK government. He is currently a legislator from Orathanadu constituency in Thanjavur district. The FIR is based on a comp l a i n t f i l e d by Jaya r a m Venkatesan, convenor of NGO Arappor Iyakkam. The Tamil Nadu government had accorded permission to file the FIR in the case in July 2022. P7
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