THURSDAY MUSK MAY BE COMING TO INDIA TO ANNOUNCE INVESTMENT PLANS 11 APRIL, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in The Tesla CEO will likely visit India later this month and announce plans to set up a new EV factory in the country, according to Reuters facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard $2BN SOUTH KOREA OPPOSITION ALL SET FOR LANDSLIDE WIN PAGE 11 DATE WITH MODI AS LS ELECTION KICKS OFF A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PHOTO: PARVEEN NEGI NEW DELHI D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi THE Congress has been reduced to a fringe party along with , people who shout separatist slogans, and they’re happy to be there, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in an interaction with TNIE. She was responding to a question on the BJP’s limited presence in the southern states. An animated Sitharaman, who is known for her plain speaking, did not take kindly to the notion that BJP has not been able to make inroads into the South. She was quick to point out that the Congress, another national party, has been equally ineffective in southern states—especially in Tamil Nadu, where the Congress has been playing second fiddle to the DMK. “Where is Congress in Tamil Nadu, where is it in Andhra (Pradesh) or Odisha,” asked the finance minister, who is a A national party Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka. like Congress today is playing On southern states like Kerala and Karsecond fiddle to nataka moving the Supreme Court over the state parties. fund transfers from the Centre, she said the India needs a Centre has not meted out any differential good solid treatment to but some opposition-ruled national party states are politicising a non-issue. and Congress Kerala has moved SC against the Cenis failing this tre’s cap on its borrowing capacity, while country on that Karnataka has accused the Centre of not Nirmala Sitharaman transferring drought relief fund. On Kerala, the FM said changes in the borrowing rules were brought in after the CAG raised concern over non-budgetary borrowings by certain states, and that the Supreme Court has taken note of this. On Karnataka, she said the funds would be released once the Election Commission gives a go-ahead. She also sought to demolish the argument that states contributing higher to the tax pool are getting only a fraction of that in return from the Centre. “These are separatist kinds of arguments,” said the FM. Despite the criticism of electoral bonds after the recent apex court judgment, she said electoral bonds were an improvement over the past system of electoral funding. P9 & 12 US-ISRAEL RIFT WIDENS Joe Biden issued some of his sternest criticism yet of Israel’s war on Hamas, calling Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach a mistake as the country faces a Wednesday court deadline to prove it is not throttling aid to Gaza | P11 CHIEF Minister MK Stalin said the DMK’s main competitor in the electoral arena for the Lok Sabha polls is the AIADMK, but the BJP is the ideological foe of the DMK-led INDIA bloc. “BJP is not just DMK’s enemy , it’s the enemy of the people as a whole,” the CM said. In an exclusive interview to The New Indian Express, the DMK president said while the BJP, by using its power as the ruling party at the centre and through media propaganda, is trying to create an image that i t i s g a i n i n g g ro u n d i n Tamil Nadu, the people’s verdict will show its real standing BANGALORE Rural Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing a high-voltage contest between the families of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, both Vokkaligas. Kar nataka’s Cong ress heavyweight Shivakumar’s brother Suresh is taking on JDS supremo Gowda’s son-inlaw and noted cardiologist Dr CN Manjunath, who is contesting on a BJP ticket. While the BJP-JDS alliance is trying to wrest the only seat that Congress won in Karnataka in 2019, Shivakumar is leaving no stones unturned to retain hold over his home turf. The constituency has a large number of Vokkaligas and both sides are trying to woo them. The Congress is banking on guarantee schemes while BJP will be hoping to ride the Modi wave and Dr Manjunath’s clean image. Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha Constituency is a mix of urban and rural voters, totalling 27.53 lakh, the second-highest in the state after Bangalore North. In 2009, in the first election after Bengaluru Rural constituency’s formation the previous year, former CM H D Kumaraswamy had won with a lead of 1.4 lakh votes. After Kumaraswamy resigned as MP, DK Suresh won the by-polls in 2013. The BJP has been winning all three LS seats in Bengaluru — PAGES 14 in the state. Terming the Lok Sabha polls as a second freedom struggle that is being fought to save democracy, Stalin said the election is about deciding who should not continue as the Prime Minister. Dismissing opposition claims about the anti-incumbency mood prevailing in the state against his government, the CM said the state government has fulfilled most of its electoral promises and even implemented schemes that were not promised by the party. He blamed the mismanagement of previous AIADMK government and denial of funds by the union government for the delay in fulfilling all the promises. The CM also said there is a tacit understanding between the AIADMK and the BJP in facing the Lok Sabha elections as separate fronts as they are aware that if they contest together, they will not win the election. “Both par ties will join hands after the elections,” he said. “The BJP’s attack against opposition on corruption is laughable,” Stalin said. “The BJP government in Karnataka was voted out mainly because of corruption. Also, electoral bonds and CAG reports have exposed the BJP’s corruption record,” the Dravidian advocator said. Refuting the charges on Katchatheevu, Stalin said the BJP is spreading falsehood on the issue and the PM is shedding crocodile tears without doing anything to retrieve the islet from Sri Lanka. The CM also defended the DMK over his party receiving money through electoral bonds. On the issue of former party functionary Jaffar Sadiq being arrested for alleged involvement in drug trafficking, the chief minister said, “While the DMK has swiftly expelled him from the party BJP continues to remain , a safe haven for several historysheeters.” Pointing out to the recent developments in the Election Commission of India and the alleged political bias exhibited by the panel in announcing poll schedule and allocation of symbols to parties, Stalin expressed hope that the Election Commission would live up to the faith reposed on it by the people. FULL INTERVIEW ON P5 SC junks Ramdev apology, roasts Uttarakhand govt Anand under ED lens quits Kejriwal cabinet, leaves ‘corrupt’ party S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi Says message must go out about consequences of flouting court order T H E S u p re m e C o u r t o n Wednesday refused to accept the affidavits of apology filed by yoga guru Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved’s managing director Balkrishna over issuing ‘misleading’ advertisements in violation of the apex court’s directions, saying a message must go out to society at large about the consequences of violating the apex court’s order. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also blasted the Uttarakhand government for its failure to take legal action against Patanjali Ayurved and its subsidiary Divya Pharmacy for violations. The bench said it looked like the state’s licensing authorities were “hand in glove” with Patanjali. “What did the officers do apart from pushing files... we will not take it lightly We will . rip you apart on bona fide,” said the bench in an unusually stern rebuke, adding the authorities were in “deep slumber” for 4-5 years. The bench made these remarks while hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association that Patanjali was spreading misinfor mation through advertisements claiming its products cure certain diseases such as blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma. Declining to accept the apolo- B’lore Rural all set for titanic clash between DKS, Deve Gowda families A S H W I N I M S R I PA D @ Bengaluru J8.00 CM: AIADMK RIVAL, BJP OUR IDEOLOGICAL FOE T M U R U G A N A N D H A M @ Chennai ‘Congress has been reduced to a fringe party’ Elon Musk will meet Prime Minister Modi during his visit, says the report. He will be accompanied by other executives. In March, India’s electric vehicle policy lowered import taxes to 15% from 100% on some models if a manufacturer invests at least $500 million and set up a factory. Tesla is said to have started making right-hand drive cars in Germany for India P12 South, North, and Central for years, but it has never won Bangalore Rural since its formation in 2008. However, BJP candidates have always secured a decent number of votes. In 2019, for mer BJP MLC Ashwathnarayana Gowda got 6.7 lakh votes, while Suresh, then a Congress-JDS alliance candidate, won with 8.7 lakh votes. Now with the JDS as partner, the BJP is trying to make inroads here. Union Home Minister Amit Shah started his campaign in the state from Bangalore Rural and slammed Suresh for his remarks on the “demand for a separate state” for South India over alleged injustice. Dr Manjunath was the longest-serving director of the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences & Research in Bengaluru. Congress describes him as a “white-collar candidate” while projecting Suresh as a grassroots leader. MORE REPORTS ON ILLUSTRATION: MANDAR PARDIKAR PAGE 5, 6, 7, 9 & 10 Yoga guru Ramdev arrives at Supreme Court to attend hearing on Wednesday | PTI Uttarakhand officials ignored even PMO: Dr Babu Reacting to the development, RTI activist Dr Babu K V, who has been relentlessly pursuing the case against Patanjali, said the state licensing authority of Uttarakhand was dragging its feet over the issue despite several complaints. “They didn’t respond even to the communication from the PMO,” he told this newspaper gies tendered by Ramdev and Balkrishna, the bench said: “The apologies that are on record are on paper. We think that having been caught on the wrong foot and noticing that their back is actually against the wall and having gone to town saying all kinds of things on the very next day of the order passed where your counsel had given undertaking, we don’t accept this affidavit.” The bench also pointed out that both of them attempted to “wriggle out of their personal presence” by moving applications seeking exemption claiming they were travelling abroad on that date. The applications MONEYBALL A FIRST IN OLYMPICS World Athletics becomes the first International Federation to award prize money for medal at Olympics... were filed on March 30 but the flight tickets produced were booked on March 31, it noted. When senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Ramdev and Balkrishna, said “people make mistakes in life”, the bench retorted: “Even after our orders? Then they suffer.” The court fixed the matter for hearing on April 16. The SC in its earlier order restrained a temporary ban, including Print and TV on Patanjali advertise, ments. Relying on Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954, the SC restrained Patanjali from advertising its products relating to diseases/disorders. WA president Sebastian Coe announced on Wednesday that the federation will distribute prize-money to all gold medallists at the Paris Olympic Games. Going ahead with better revenue and funding the prize-money will be distributed among other medallists as well. This can happen by 2028 LA Games A day after the Delhi High Court rejected Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest by the ED in connection with the liquor policy case, the AAP on Wednesday suffered another setback when Cabinet Minister Raaj Kumar Anand stepped down from the city government as well as primary membership of the party . Anand, who was holding over half-a-dozen portfolios, said that the APP was formed on anti-corruption plank but has now mired in the “same quicksand of graft”. He also alleged that the party has no place for Dalits. “This party doesn’t respect Dalit legislators, councillors and ministers. Dalits feel that they are cheated in the party he said. ,” Taking a swipe at Kejriwal, he said: “He had once said that the country would change once politics changes. The politics hasn’t changed, but the politician in him has changed.” Anand, 57, is under the scanner of the ED and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in an alleged money laundering case. In November last year, the ED had conducted searches at 13 places, including Anand’s premises. The ED alleged that evidence relating to his investments and hawala payments sent to China in 2023 was found from some of his employees. The ED claimed to have recov- MAGIC NUMBERS President Yoon Suk Yeol is set for a major blow as exit polls indicate landslide win for Oppn MAY BE THE INVESTMENT OF TESLA IN INDIA FACTORY Raaj Kumar Anand | PTI SC AGREES TO LIST KEJRIWAL’S PLEA SOON CJI D Y Chandrachud said he will look into Arvind Kejriwal’s request for an early listing of his plea against a high court order upholding his arrest. He asked Kejriwal’s lawyer to send an email. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal moved Supreme Court against the April 9 judgment of the high court ered `74 lakh cash along with incriminating documents during the searches. According to AAP leaders, Anand was threatened by the ED. “It appears that he was under pressure. He was given a script and he had no choice but to read it. Arvind Kejriwal says that the BJP wants to break the party and topple the governments in Delhi and Punjab,” AAP MP Sanjay Singh said. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Many feel that we would call Anand dishonest. However, we are not going to say anything like that. I believe that he was scared.” P3 $50000 48 $2.4mn 41.68 lakh: Amount that will be given to gold medallist in each event The total number of events in athletics at the Games 20 crore: The total prize money to be distributed More on P13 I understand the nature of the transition we’ve been in. We are now operating in a completely different landscape and completely different planet from when I was competing —Sebastian Coe, WA president AAP, Cong to join hands to fight MCD mayor polls A S H I S H S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi AFTER aligning for the Lok Sabha elections, the AAP and the Congress will now join hands to take on the BJP in the April 26 MCD election to elect the mayor and deputy mayor, sources said on Wednesday . As the mayoral polls are set to precede the general elections, the alliance partners are cautious against giving the BJP any ground to infer trouble in their pact. Besides, the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has changed the dynamics and made Congress express full sol- idarity with the AAP . While no official announcement has been made so far, Congress councillors, who abstained from voting in the last two polls, confirmed that they would support AAP candidates this time. Sources said an announcement in this regard is expected soon. “Since we are already under the alliance, our support will go to the AAP We . will vote in favour of AAP’s mayor and deputy mayor candidates,” said Shagufta Chaudhary Zubair, Congress councillor from North-East Delhi. Earlier this year, the AAP and Congress together fought mayor polls in Chandigarh. Notably the AAP has the nu, merical strength to win the mayoral polls without Congress support. The party has 134 councillors from the House of 250 corporators. The BJP comes second at 104 while Congress has 9 members in the House. Apart from them, 10 MPs (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and 14 MLAs will also participate in the mayoral election. Despite the Congress abstaining from voting in previ- ous two elections, the AAP successfully managed to sweep both the posts. However, the party faced a challenge in winning the standing committee election last time where both AAP and BJP tied up with six members each in a panel of 12. Sources said the real support from the Congress would come in sweeping majority seats in the committee as well. The MCD has 12 zones of which the AAP is strongly placed in seven zones. While the BJP is dominant in four zones, the Congress has an upper hand in one.
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