Share market crash almost led to the fall of Union govt: Mamata

per cent stake in AEL and has exposures in other group companies as well, including a 9.14 per cent stake in Adani Ports and 5.96 per cent in Adani Total Gas.

The FPO opened to the public on January 27 and managed to get fully subscribed on the last day on January 31 after non-retail investors poured in money even though the offer price was higher than the stock’s trading price on the bourses.

Adani, who last year became the world’s secondrichest man with a USD 147 billion fortune, has seen his own personal wealth plummet by around USD 57 billion since then.

The January 24 report accused Adani Group companies of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud”. The group has denied all allegations, calling the report “bogus” and full of lies, and has threatened legal action.

Citigroup Inc’s wealth arm as also Credit Suisse Group AG have stopped accepting securities of Adani Group firms as collateral for margin loans as banks ramp up scrutiny of the conglomerate’s finances.

KOLKATA, FEB 2

(IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed that on the day of the Union Budget on Wednesday, the Union government virtually was on the verge of collapse because of the share market crash.

“The government was on the verge of collapse. Desperate calls were made to some parties to provide funds to that person whose share prices were going down fast,” the Chief Minister claimed at a public rally in East Burdwan district on Thursday. However, she did not name anybody in this connection.

“I know exactly who all were approached for providing funds. But I do not want to take any names since that would make their lives miserable. At least six individuals were called up. Some were asked to pay around Rs 30,000 crore, some Rs 20,000 crore and some Rs 10,000 crore to that individual whose companies’ share prices fell. How will such a government, which does not have any planning, continue in the long run,” Banerjee asked.

The Chief Minister also termed the income tax relief proposed in the Union Budget 2023-24 as nothing but eye-wash.

“On one hand there were announcements for tax reliefs, and on the other hand the existing concessions on investments made were denied. This is like giving Rs 2 after deducting Rs 2.50,” Banerjee said.

Reacting to her comments, BJP’s national VicePresident and Lok Sabha MP Dilip Ghosh said that the popular Budget presented on Thursday has become a nightmare for the Chief Minister due to which she is making such ‘imaginary’ claims about the collapse of the Union government.

Siddique Kappan walks out of UP jail on bail

LUCKNOW, FEB 2 (PTI): Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan walked out of jail on Thursday, a day after the sureties required for his bail were submitted in court. Two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each were submitted on Wednesday in the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court here.

Kappan was released from jail around 9.15 am, Jailor of Lucknow District Jail Rajendra Singh told PTI.

“I struggled,” Kappan said minutes after he walked out to camera crews, a small curious crowd -- and to his wife and teen son, waiting patiently, just as they had for the more than two years since he was imprisoned on his way to Hathras.

“It has been 28 months. I am out after a lot of fight.

I am happy,” he said. Speaking to PTI, the journalist added, “I am coming to Delhi. I have to stay there for six weeks.” Asked about the purpose of his visit to Hathras, Kappan told the assembled reporters that he had gone there for “reporting”. About those who had accompanied him, he said they were students. Kappan and three others were arrested in October 2020 while they were going to the Uttar Pradesh

Rare rocks for Lord Ram idol reach Ayodhya from Nepal

shipped the rocks, officials said. Mahant Tapeshwar Das of the Janaki Mandir in Nepal presented these rocks to Champat Rai, general secretary of Ram Temple Trust, they said.

The idol of Lord Ram’s ‘baalroop’ (child form) carved out of these stones will be placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple which is expected to be ready by January next year.

AYODHYA (UP), FEB 2 (PTI): Special rocks from which the idol of Lord Ram will be carved out and placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple

Chopper scam: SC to hear bail pleas of Christian on Feb 7

NEW DELHI, FEB 2

(PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear on February 7 the bail pleas of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scam in which the CBI and the ED have lodged two separate cases.

The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, which said the pleas would be heard next Tuesday.

The Rs 3,600-crore alleged scam relates to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland.

In May last year, the apex court had sought the responses of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement has arrived from Nepal, a senior functionary of the temple trust here said.

Directorate (ED) on the bail pleas of James.

During an earlier hearing, the counsel for the accused had said the case was covered under section 436A of the CrPC (maximum period for which an under trial prisoner can be detained) and James had served 50 per cent of the sentence for the offence allegedly committed by him.

The accused was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and has been in custody since then, his counsel had said, adding that the probe against him was yet to be concluded.

The lawyer had said the petitioner’s case is that under sections 8 and 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the maximum sentence is five years in jail and he has spent nearly four years in prison.

The rocks or ‘shilas’ arrived here late on Wednesday night. Special prayers were held on Thursday afternoon following which the rocks were presented to the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Fiftyone vedic teachers also wor-

Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s national secretary Rajendra Singh Pankaj had started from Mustang district of Nepal on January 25 with the consignment of the two sacred rocks. These rocks, that are 60 millionyears-old, reached Ayodhya from Nepal on two different trucks. One rock weighs 26 tonnes and the other weighs 14 tonnes, Prakash Gupta, office in-charge of temple trust had earlier said. The two rocks were found in the Gandaki river at a place close to Saligrama or Muktinath (place of salvation) in Nepal’s Mustang district. town where a Dalit woman died allegedly after being raped. They were accused of trying to instigate violence over the death of the Hathras woman.

To questions about recoveries made from him, Kappan told the media, “Nothing... I had only a laptop and mobile.” Asked about reports that some objectionable materials were also found on him, he said, “Two pens and a notepad.”

Police had alleged that Kappan had links with the now-banned Popular Front of India and charged him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sections of the Indian Penal

Code. In his two and a half years in jail, his mother died.

“Her name was Kadijah. She is not there to see Kappan coming home,” his wife Raihana told PTI.

“The Supreme Court granted bail in the UAPA case and his innocence was revealed. Two and a half years is not a short time. We have experienced a lot of pain and suffering. But I am happy that justice, though belated, has been served,” she said.

“I repeat that Kappan is a media person,” Raihana stressed. The couple has three children -- Muzammil (19), Zidhan (14) and Mehnaz (nine).

Government Of Nagaland

Directorate Of School Education

NAGALAND : KOHIMA

No. ED/ACCT/MONITORING-UID/2018-19

Dated: Kohima the 1st Feb’ 2023

Notification

UIDAI, Government of India has authorised the Department of School Education for Aadhaar enrolment of School Children at the block level for easy access of the facility by the community. All the Educational Block Research Centres (EBRCs) will be provided with Aadhaar Enrolment Kit for the convenience of the School Children. Currently, 19 (Nineteen) EBRCs are equipped with the Aadhaar Enrolment Kits, their details are as below:

SNo Operator Name Name of EBRC District

1 L Langmai Konyak EBRC-TOBU Mon

2 Sunongthong Yimchunger EBRC PUNGRO Kiphire

3 Tolong W EBRC-ABOI Mon

4 Tingsane EBRC-TENING Peren

5 Heisaneule Insing EBRC-PEREN Peren

6 Vesakholu EBRC-PHEK Phek

7 L Asangba EBRC-NOKSEN Tuensang

8 Limongi Murry EBRC-SANIS Wokha

9 Tongching Sonla EBRC-HAKUSHANG Tuensang

10 Lhiko U Kapfo EBRC-PFUTSERO Phek

11 Anthony Ngouri EBRC-MELURI Phek

12 K Manlih Konyak EBRC-MON Mon

13 Vesanu EBRC-CHOZUBA Phek

14 Jangtinsat Khongsai EBRC-ATHIBUNG Peren

15 Kekhriethonuo Kire EBRC- L. KHEL Kohima

16 P Zhoto Naleo EBRC-VISWEMA Kohima

17 Alenuotsurho EBRC-CHIEPHOZOU Kohima

18 Rokoneinuo Rhatsu EBRC-SECHU ZUBZA Kohima

19 Mutile Kath EBRC-TSEMINYU Kohima

Chasing solution rainbow

Withpolitical parties revving up their poll engines for the big race on February 27,2023, aspiring candidates cutting across party lines realise that the short burst between February 10 and February 27 or a total of around 17 days will be a do-or-die race that has been reduced from 10,000 to 1000 meters. The dominance of the NDPP-BJP alliance can be understood from the fact that all other political parties await the distribution of tickets by the ‘big two’ since those who will be denied are certainly going to try their luck with other parties. In the current 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly(NLA) the NDPP has 42 MLAs (21 NPF legislators merged with the party), while the BJP has 12 , NPF(a ruling UDF constituent) has four and two independent legislators. As per the pre-merger agreement, the 21 NPF legislators had been assured of NDPP tickets for the assembly election. Even the NDPP’s own 21 legislators have as much merit to expect ticket since they are sitting MLAs. Even the two independent MLAs have been more or less like NDPP members would be hoping to contest under NDPP tickets. With 42 + 2 or 44 claimants, the NDPP can but contest only in 40 assembly seats while leaving 12 for its BJP ally. The fact of the matter is that issuing ticket is not as simple a matter since the demand outweighed the supply and also many other internal considerations have to be factored and also the fact that there is hardly much time left before nomination ends on February 7. As much as the general public have been battered by the loud voices for solution and deferment of election and the statements of senior political leaders promising to convince New Delhi to secure solution under any circumstances; these only fuelled a false sense of hope. People believed in them but somehow those in the know had chosen to speak to the gallery of being committed to the ideal and not talking straight that New Delhi was not going to postpone or defer elections for the sake of solution. The BJP government at the Centre and the newly formed NPF-led government in the state were thrown into the same boat due to political opportunism in 2003. That the government at the Centre changed in 2004 did not lead to parting of ways between NPF and BJP. The NPF and BJP parted ways over non-political issue when NPF president Dr.Shürhozelie chose to bring faith over political friendship. In addition, NPF wasn’t keen on giving more than ten seats to BJP in 2018. Then when NDPP was formed it welcomed BJP with a seat sharing pact for 20 seats. In all the decades since 2003, in a post-Congress period when the regional NPF formed by former Congressmen ruled the state, the political solution was promised within three months of NPF coming to power in 2003. Today, many political leaders want to distance themselves away from having done precious little to secure solution. In this even BJP which was in alliance since 2003 cannot be absolved of blame. The most critical question is why, in 2018 when the all CSOs and political parties wanted to push Delhi to the corner and obtain solution( where BJP was also a signatory); the BJP broke ranks and reneged on its own promise by filing nominations in 2018 as NDPP happily followed. And the rest is history when peace bonanza became a gift for ‘No Solution is Solution’.