May 25, 2019

Page 1

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXIX No. 167

DIMAPUR, SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2019 Pages 12 ` 5.00

Goyal may become next FM, Prasad may get Telecom

Indian Open Boxing: Mary, Sarita win gold

May to resign as UK Prime Minister

national, Page 7

sports, Page 12

international, Page 9

Modi to constitute new cabinet

PM Modi met veteran BJP leader LK Advani in the presence of the party chief Amit Shah and also Murli Manohar Joshi.

Union Cabinet recommends dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha

NDA to meet today to formally elect Modi

Spl. Correspondent/Agencies

NEW DELHI, MAY 24 (NPN): As the BJP swept to power with a spectacular performance for a second term, all eyes are now on government formation, amid speculation that several new faces including party president Amit Shah may be brought into the new cabinet. A Cabinet meeting was held at 5 p.m. on Friday at the South Block where a resolution for the 16th Lok Sabha was passed. The meeting was followed by Narendra Modi and his outgoing Council of Ministers tendering their resignations to President Ram Nath Kovind. Many party leaders are of the view that Shah will join the Modi Cabinet and be given one of the four key ministries– Home, Finance, External Affairs and Defence. Sources said that Amit

Petrol, diesel prices hiked NEW DELHI, MAY 24 (AGENCIES): Oil marketing companies (OMCs) raised petrol and diesel prices marginally on Friday. As per the Indian Oil Corporation data, petrol became dearer by 14 paise a litre to Rs 71.39 in Delhi, while diesel was revised by 16 paise to Rs 66.45 per litre on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, petrol price was revised to Rs 71.25 and the diesel price was hiked to Rs 66.29, the data showed. The rates of fuel are revised everyday at 6 am in the morning. The change in domestic fuel prices varies from state to state and it also depend upon international crude prices and the value of rupee. Meanwhile, crude oil futures were trading higher on Friday, after the overnight crash due to escalated trade tensions between the US and China. The Brent oil futures closed at 67.76 per barrel on Thursday. According to industry experts, the oil PSUs may hike the retail price of petrol and diesel by Rs 3-5 per litre in phases as elections are over in India. Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), which have not fiddled with the prices much in the past months amid ongoing polls, are likely to pass the burden to the consumers.

This is it!

“Next step? He’ll probably take a long vacation now.” K Y M C

President RN Kovind addressing the outgoing Council of ministers at Rashtrapati Bhavan Friday. (RB Pics)

Shah is likely to be the new Home minister. The party will reward new faces from states like West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana where it has made significant inroads. With Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj having health issues, there have been talks whether they will be part of the new dispensation or not. After the Cabinet’s recommendation, President Ram Nath Kovind is now expected to dissolve the present Lok Sabha, the term of which is ending on June 3. Later in the evening,

President Kovind hosted a banquet in honour of the outgoing Union Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister, at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Sources said that Modi submitted the recommendation to dissolve the present Lok Sabha and the resignations. The President accepted the resignation and requested the Prime Minister and the Union Council of Ministers to continue in office till the new Government is formed The 17th Lok Sabha has to be constituted before June 3. The process to form a new House will be initi-

ated when the three election commissioners meet the president in the next few days to hand over the list of newly-elected members. Besides the prime minister, the Union Council of Ministers has 60 members, including cabinet ministers, ministers of state with independent charges and ministers of state. In the absence of the PM, the Union Council of Ministers passed a resolution praising the leadership of Modi and the work done by the government in the last five years. The present Modi government had taken oath on May 26, 2014. Earlier during the day,

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting will take place Saturday where all the formalities of electing Narendra Modi as its leader will take place. The meeting will take place at the Central Hall of Parliament at 5 p.m. After the resolution is passed, Modi is expected to meet the President to stake claim to form the new government. Following this, the date for the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi and his new cabinet will be fixed. With Modi already being announced as the prime ministerial candidate of the alliance, the meeting is being considered a mere formality. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Varanasi on 28 May, followed by a visit to Gujarat on 29 May, a BJP source cited by CNN-News18 said. The swearing-in is likely to happen on 30 May.

20 students killed in Guj building fire SURAT, MAY 24 (PTI): A massive fire engulfed a fourstorey commercial complex in Surat on Friday, killing 20 teenage students at a coaching centre, many of whom jumped and fell to their deaths while some were suffocated, officials said. Several injuries were also reported. TV channels showed horrific scenes at the Takshashila Complex in Sarthana area where the building is located, as students tried to save themselves by jumping out of windows. Around 20 students have died either due to suffocation or jumping from the building when fire engulfed the commercial complex, Gujarat minister of state for health Kishor Kanani said. “We have ordered a detailed inquiry and anyone found responsible for the incident won’t be spared,” Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said. “Several students on the fourth and third floor jumped off to the ground to save themselves from fire and smoke. Many have been sent to hospital. The operation to douse the fire is on,” said a city fire official. A video clip aired by news channels showed stu-

Firefighters attempt to douse a fire in Taxshila Complex, Surat on Friday. (PTI)

dents jumping off from third and fourth floor windows amid plumes of thick smoke rising from the building. Nineteen fire tenders and two hydraulic platforms were pressed into service for dousing and rescue operations, Sarthana area of Surat, said an official of Surat fire control room. Local people helped with the rescue operation to save stranded students and other occupants of the building housing coaching classes and other establishments. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani ordered the principal secretary of the Urban Development department to rush to the spot.

He also declared financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each for the family members of those who died in the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “extremely anguished” by the fire tragedy in his home state. “My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Have asked the Gujarat Government and local authorities to provide all possible assistance to those affected,” Modi tweeted. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on his condolences to the families of the students killed and said he prayed for the early recovery of those injured.

NPCC ridicules Tokheho NBGF, WAYA flay Myanmar military action PDA reiterates commitment to facilitate political negotiations for his comment on CAB

D I M A P U R , M AY 2 4 (NPN): Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has termed newlyelected Lok Sabha member Tokheho Yepthomi’s reported comment that CAB is not a threat to Naga people as misleading. In a statement issued, NPCC president K Therie asserted that Tokheho’s assertion is not in the interest of Naga people and warned that he will be held responsible by the future generation. Therie explained that the proposed amendment does not speak of people who overstay as the government’s objective is to accommodate any person from six religious communities – Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Sikhs – from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and make him or her eligible for citizenship, if his or her period of

residence is not less than six years. The NPCC chief said, as per the proposed amendment, even those individuals who had illegally entered India in the past and are staying and fulfil the stated timeframe shall be eligible for Indian citizenship. He asserted that nobody can stop them from enjoying constitutional provisions and entitlements like voting rights, owning properties and legal protection. He warned that they will come in crores within a decade and “we will be submerged under the ocean of these immigrants”. Referring to Tokheho’s statement that Nagas are not aware of the contents of the Bill, the NPCC president remarked, “We may not be as qualified as he is, but we have read the Bill and we understand each word and meaning.”

D I M A P U R , M AY 2 4 (NPN): Nagaland GB Federation (NGBF) has condemned the purported continued attack on NSCN (K) by Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) and creating a war-like situation risking and affecting the lives of Nagas living in that region. In a NGBF general secretary Shikuto Zalipu and media secretary Akhu Naga asserted that the atrocities carried out against Nagas by the Myanmar military, bombing the areas near Chen Hoyat village and creating havoc in the villages were a matter of serious concern. According to NGBF, unwarranted and arbitrary sanctions, fund cuts and disruption of essential supplies to the people have been imposed at the behest of the military, which has caused untold misery and suffering to the people especially the children. The federation expressed surprise that the

offensive operation has been carried out when NSCN (K) was still under the ceasefire agreement signed in 2012. “Such act of treason must be condemned by one and all including the International organizations,” NGBF stated. The GBs affirmed that the “Nagas are living in their God’s given Land either in Myanmar or India. They are aboriginal people of the Land. No outside forces should even think to invade forcibly.” Also, asserting that Nagas were one irrespective of geographical boundaries, NGBF said Nagas were united to protect “our Naga Nation and our Political right.” Further, NGBF appealed to the international organizations to intervene immediately and stop further human right violations in the name of military operation. Meanwhile, the federa-

tion has also strongly condemned the “gruesome killing” of Arunachal Pradesh MLA, his son and nine others in an ambush by suspected militants in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh on May 21, 2019. NGBF stated that no amount of justification can suffice “such act of coward and outrageous offence.” NGBF has appealed to the responsible authority to unearth the fact, specify and punish the culprit as per the law. WAYA: Wakching Area Youth Association (WAYA) has also strongly condemned the firing and bombing activities by Myanmar military in the civilian area. In a press release, WAYA president Yonglong K Konyak and general secretary Omtick E Konyak stated that the weeklong military offensive has gravely affected the lives of villagers. (Cont’d on p-7)

D I M A P U R , M AY 2 4 (NPN): Ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) Friday reiterated its commitment to “actively” facilitate the ongoing “Indo-Naga” political negotiations and make all possible efforts towards facilitating an early political solution. PDA through its media cell said the alliance has been consistent in its political stand and have reiterated time and again that it would not stand in the way and pave way for any alternative arrangement that may arise out of the political talks. PDA also reemphasized its support of the legitimate demand of the Naga people for integration of all Naga inhabited areas under a single administrative umbrella as unanimously resolved by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on five occasions.

Final results: Resounding Modi wave as BJP secures 303, NDA 351 NEW DELHI, MAY 24 (AGENCIES): With the official count in the Lok Sabha elections over on Friday, the BJP has secured 303 seats, which is 22 more than it got in the 2014 elections and along with its allies the NDA took its tally up to 351 in the 17th Lok Sabha. The biggest chunk of the BJP contingent will come from UP where the party secured 62 seats overcoming a formidable challenge of the grand alliance of SP-BSPRLD combine. The party, which had swept the 2014 elections garnering 71 seats, was expected to lose considerably but the BJP proved its detractors wrong by virtually repeating its performance now. The party lost only nine seats now, which it has made up for handsomely by winning an impressive 18 seats in West Bengal and 8 in Odisha. Ally Apna Dal won 2 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the same number it had won last time. The NDA complement of 352 comprises 303 of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, 16 of JD(U), 6 of Lok Janshakti Party, 2 each

Cong with 52 draws a blank in 18 states

of Akali Dal and Apna Dal and 1 each of All Jharkhand Students Union, Loktantrik Party, Mizo National Front and National People’s Party and one independent backed by the BJP in Karnataka. BJP’s grand show was wit-

nessed in several states where the party had managed to get a clean swipe, including 26 seats in Gujarat, Rajasthan 25, Haryana 10, NCT of Delhi 7, Uttarakhand 5, Himachal Pradesh 4, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh 2 each.

The grand old party, Congress has drawn a blank in 18 states and Union Territories -- an indicator of its decimation in the Lok Sabha polls. This is the Congress’ second straight rout in Lok Sabha elections after it was decimated in the 2014 polls when the party ended up with a tally of 44 seats. It bagged only 52 seats in this election. The Congress has been completely routed in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Delhi, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand. Training his guns on the Congress, BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday said the grand old party had drawn a “big zero” in 17 states and Union Territo-

ries, while the saffron party got more than 50 per cent votes in 17 states. Murmurs have already started within the party over taking responsibility for its poor performance across the country, with some of its leaders already sending in their resignation. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar and Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik announced their resignation in the wake of the party’s electoral debacle in their respective states. According to sources, the party has convened a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, its highest decision making body, at 11 am on Saturday. Rahul Gandhi is likely to offer his resignation at the meet, party sources said. The top Congress leadership will deliberate on the reasons for the loss and assess them.

Appreciating the signing of the August 3, 2015 Framework Agreement by NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the PDA appealed to the new dispensation of the forthcoming central government to expedite the negotiations. Also, appreciating the Government of India for recognizing the unique history of the Nagas, the PDA appealed for a political solution that honours the legitimate political rights of the Naga people and ensures the political symbols for which the Naga movement has struggled. Meanwhile, PDA has extended its “deepest appreciation” to the people of Nagaland and the electorate for reposing faith on the PDA consensus candidate, Tokheho in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections. (Cont’d on p-7)

Burglaries on the rise in Dmu: BAN

D I M A P U R , M AY 2 4 (NPN): Expressing alarm at numerous reports of burglaries in the city, Business Association of Nagas (BAN) has urged the police to give importance to the matter and curb the menace at the earliest. In a release, BAN said some culprits broke into the office of a BAN member in Midland colony in the third week of May. Similarly, there have been many reports of burglaries in Midland and other parts of Dimapur in the recent past. As a result apprehension is slowly developing among the business community and public in general, it pointed out. Mentioning that the culprits are seemingly getting bold and confident and not afraid to commit such crimes, BAN said involvement of an organised gang behind all these cannot be ruled out. K Y M C


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