MONDAY www.thestatesman.com FIND US ONLINE 21 JANUARY Scan this with your 2019 smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 16 |`5|LC KOLKATA| NEW DELHI| SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR OVER 28,000 CONGRESS BEST MPs BREXIT MOVES DHONI THE BEST MoUs SIGNED AT EQUIPPED TO LEAD EXTREMELY FINISHER IN SUMMIT: RUPANI ALLIANCE VS BJP CONCERNING 50-OVER CRICKET P7 P10 P12 P16 WEATHER ASHES TO ASHES Opp alliance axis of Generally cloudy sky. Light rain/thundershowers towards evening/night with possibility of isolated hailstorm. Gusty winds likely to prevail. The maximum and minimum tempera- tures likely to be around 25 degrees and dynasts, corruption 10 degrees Celsius, respectively. RAINFALL: Nil By questioning EVMs, Opp making excuses for inevitable defeat: PM RELATIVE HUMIDITY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE We get worried when name to EVMs as they were Max.100% Min. 48% TEMPERATURE NEW DELHI, 20 JANUARY some groups take peo- looking for some alibis ahead ple for granted. They of their impending defeat in Max: 28.7°C (+7) Min: 7°C (0) day after the Oppo- the coming Lok Sabha elec- SUN RISES SUN SETS think people are fools. sition rally in That is why they don't tions. 07:14 hrs 17:51 hrs Kolkata, Prime He said people who tar- MOON RISES MOON SETS leave any stone unturn- Minister Narendra geted the ruling NDA from 18.07 hrs 08:06 hrs ed to change their col- ModiA on Sunday hit back at the dais on Saturday were our... This is a dangerous the ‘Mahagathbandhan’, game for the country. the ones who never believed calling it an alliance of corru- in democracy within their THUMBNAILS ption, scams, negativity and NARENDRA MODI out parties. He charged that instability. PRIME MINISTER the opposition parties were “Those who were on the taking the common people Shah discharged from AIIMS: BJP president dais in Kolkata were either South Goa on Sunday means we have done right for granted and had no faith Amit Shah, who was undergoing treatment son or daughter of a big per- through the ModiApp. work and worked for the in any institutions. for swine flu at All India Institute of Medical son or who wanted to make He said as against ‘money country,” Modi said, justi- “We get worried when Sciences in Delhi, was discharged on Sunday. his son or daughter big in power’ of the opposition fying the measure to grant some groups take people for Shah tweeted later saying he was completely politics,” the Prime Minis- the BJP had the ‘people’s 10 per cent reservation granted. They think people healthy and thanked people for their good ter said. power’ behind it. through a constitutional are fools. That is why they wishes. By the grace of god, I am completely “You must have seen The Prime Minister said amendment. don't leave any stone healthy now and today reached home after that one of the leaders who the opposition was caught He called the move ‘his- unturned to change their being discharged from hospital. I am grateful was sharing the dais recalled napping when the govern- toric’ and said it was in con- colour... I would like to for your good wishes for regaining health, the Bofors scam. Truth can- ment came out with the formity with his govern- repeat, this is a dangerous Shah tweeted in Hindi. not be kept hidden. The bill to grant 10 per cent ment’s objective of ‘sabka sath game for the country and a Opposition's mahagath- reservation to the eco- sab ka vikas’ and throw thing to worry about,” Modi bandhan is an alliance of cap- nomically weaker sections open gates of opportunities. said. CBI director selection panel: The Prime Minis- italists, corruption, scams, among the upper castes. “With (the new) 10 per cent “While on one hand they ter Narendra Modi-led high-powered panel on negativity and instability... He said the move had reservation, new opportu- are busy saving or nurtur- CBI chief will meet on Thursday and discuss The Opposition has 'dhan- come in the wake of detailed nities have been opened ing their own families, we are probable names for the post. The panel meet- shakti' (money power), we research of the Constitution up,” he said. busy developing a nation. ing will be attended by Chief Justice of India have 'janshakti' (people's of India and was giving the Modi said the opposition Our country is our family... Rajan Gogoi or his nominee and Congress power),” he said. opposition sleepless nights. parties were now demand- Those who start violence leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Modi’s remarks came in “If our decision had no ing replacement of EVMs against the person con- officials said. Among the officers whose name the course of his interaction strength, then these people with ballot papers as they testing against them even at would be discussed at the meeting are J K A woman cries after surveying the damage from the fire at Gariahat More in Kolkata that with the BJP’s booth level would not have had sleep- were staring at a defeat in panchayat level, are now Sharma and Parminder Rai from the 1982 IPS took place in the wee hours on Sunday. At least 15 shops and 40 stalls selling clothing workers in Kolhapur, less nights. They have to get the coming Lok Sabha elec- singing songs of protecting batch, the senior most but lacking experience and fashion items were reduced to ashes after a commercial cum residential building in Hatkanangle, Madha and down in the field to spread tions. He said the opposition democracy,” the Prime Min- in the CBI. Gariahat was engulfed by a devastating fire. DILIP DUTTA Satara in Maharashtra and lies and rumours. This was bent upon giving a bad ister added. Ktaka Cong MLAs brawl; notice sent to CLP meet absentees STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE and JN Ganesh. That the out- gress leader, D K Shivkumar, Car trouble for BENGALURU, 20 JANUARY come was serious could be insisted that Singh had gone to gauged from the fact that attend a marriage. His broth- Siddaramaiah The Congress in Karnataka Anand Singh had to be admit- er and MP, D K Suresh, came found itself in an embarrassing ted to a private hospital this up with a different version BENGALURU, 20 JANUARY position after two of its MLAs morning, where he remains till later in the day. got into a fight last night at the the time of writing. According to him Anand Former Karnataka chief resort in which the party has While Congress leaders Singh had complained of chest minister and senior Con- herded them to keep them continued to deny reports of pain in the morning for which gress leader Siddaramaiah from being poached by the BJP. a fight between the two legis- he had been admitted in the found himself in a fresh con- The party, meanwhile, issued lators all day, in the evening one hospital for a check up. troversy after media reports show cause notices to four of of its ministers, Zameer Ahmed, Anand’s wife,Lakshmi, emerged that he had been its legislators asking them to admitted that all was not well. meanwhile, expressed con- “gifted” a Mercedes-Benz explain as to why they did not But he told newsmen that it was cern over the developments, say- car by his party legislator. attend the party’s specially co- a minor fight between friends ing that she had no idea about The car, said to be worth nvened meeting on Friday. and nothing much should be her husband’s condition as over Rs 1.5 crore, was alle- The legislators’ conference, read into it. she could not reach him. gedly “gifted” by Byrathi which was attended by all but None of the Congress lead- Meanwhile , the Congress Suresh, one of the richest four of the MLAs, was called ers, however, could explain sent the notices seeking expla- politicians in Karnataka. to put up a show of strength as why Anand Singh continued nation for their absence at Fri- As Siddaramaiah came the BJP was trying to destabilise to be in hospital if he was not day’s meeting to Ramesh Jark- under attack from the BJP, the seven month old govern- injured. Especially as speculation iholi, B Nagendra, Umesh Ja- the Congress claimed that ment run by the JDS-Congress was rife that he had been hit dhav, and Mahesh. While their he had not been gifted the combine. The fight at the Eagle- on the head in addition to absence did not prove serious car by Suresh, but ‘given’ it ton resort involved MLAs from sporting a black eye. for the party, it did cause acute for his travel purposes. PTI Ballari, namely, Anand Singh In the morning senior Con- embarrassment. Global public opinion rejects populism, favours openness PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Western Europe subscribe to DAVOS, 20 JANUARY the opinion. North Americans trailed As the world faces huge eco- only South Asians in their nomic risks from growing trade approval of immigrants, with disputes and inward looking 66 per cent saying they believe policies, a global survey Sun- immigrants are mostly good. day said public opinion is One finding showed that overwhelmingly against pop- while most people still believe ulism and favours openness. in the power of international The global public over- cooperation, they share a much whelmingly favours multilat- less positive view of their own eral cooperation, is open to im- country when it comes to so- migration and rejects the no- cial progress.