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Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC*

KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR

TRUMP PROMOTES A PROCESS CHAMPION

‘GOOD CROP,
BIRTHER THEORY BEGINS TO SKIP
BUT DEMAND
ABOUT HARRIS US OPEN
MAY SUFFER’
P10 P6 P7 P11

SC holds Prashant Ashok Gehlot govt wins trust vote

Bhushan guilty of
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA all attempts,” he said. Gehlot government when he had
JAIPUR, 14 AUGUST said the crisis had come to strengthened the party
an end in a beautiful man- while in opposition.
The Ashok Gehlot govern- ner and this had hurt the Pilot intervened in the

criminal contempt ment won a confidence

vote in the Rajasthan
Assembly on Friday, end-
Activist-lawyer penalised for tweets attacking judges ing the threat triggered by
a rebellion within the Con-
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE gress ranks in the state.
NEW DELHI, 14 AUGUST The motion of confid-
ence moved by Parliame-
party fold.
Replying to the debate
on the motion, chief min-
BJ which he said had been
targeting Congress gov-
ernments in several states.
The opposition BJP
accused the Gehlot camp
of blaming it for the infight-
ing within the Congress.
Targeting the chief min-
debate, reacting to remarks
by Kataria and Deputy
Leader of Opposition Rajen-
dra Rathore.
Referring to his seat
being changed ~ earlier
he sat next to Gehlot as the
deputy chief minister ~Pilot

T
he Supreme Court ntary Affairs Minister Shan- ister Ashok Gehlot criticised ister for his comments said he is now placed at the
on Friday held law- ti Dhariwal was passed by the BJP, accusing it again against his erstwhile deputy, border between his party
yer Prashant Bhu- voice vote, an expected of trying to bring down his Leader of Opposition Gulab and the opposition in the
shan guilty of crim- win after the return of the government. “I will not let Chand Kataria questioned House. “Who is sent to the
inal contempt for his tweets 19 dissident Congress MLAs the government topple at how Pilot became ‘useless’ border? The strongest war-
WEATHER against the judiciary. led by Sachin Pilot to the any cost even if you make after the formation of the rior is sent,” he said.
The apex court had ini-
tiated suo motu contempt
proceedings against Bhus-
Generally cloudy sky. One or two spells
of thundershower. Temperature will be
in the range of 32-26 degrees Celsius.
han for allegedly making two
derogatory posts against India has world’s fourth
the top court on Twitter
RAINFALL: 6.0 mm for on June 27 and June 29.
The court said his tweets
ous occasions in a number
of matters through video
contemnor No.1 (Bhushan),
that the said statement was
highest Covid death toll
24,61,190
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
has the tendency to shake conferencing. a bona fide criticism made SNS & AGENCIES United States and Brazil in among individuals diag-
Max.99% Min. 90%
the confidence of the pub- “In this premise, mak- by him on account of his NEW DELHI, 14 AUGUST total positive cases. nosed, has dropped to
TEMPERATURE lic at large in the institution ing such wild allegations anguish of non-functioning The daily increase in 1.96 per cent, the ministry
Max: 33.4°C (+1) Min: 28.1°C (+2)
of the judiciary and the thereby giving an impres- of the courts physically," said India’s coronavirus death newly reported infections said.
SUN RISES
05:05 hrs
MOON RISES
SUN SETS
18:09 hrs
MOON SETS
institution of the Chief Jus-
tice and undermine the
sion, that the CJI is enjoy-
ing riding an expensive
the top court declining to
accept Bhushan's defence.
toll overtook Britain’s to
become the fourth-high-
was around 15,000 in the
first week of July but ju-
The country had
touched the 20-lakh mark
6,61,595
14:09 hrs 00:24 hrs
dignity and authority of the bike, while he keeps the SC The bench said Bhushan est in the world with anoth- mped to more than 50,000 on August 7 and added

New moon on 19 August
administration of justice.
A bench comprising Jus-
tices Arun Mishra, B.R.
Gavai and Krishna Murari
THUMBNAILS
said the statement that the
Chief Justice has kept the
Supreme Court in lock-
down mode denying citizens
their fundamental rights
to access justice is "patent-
ly false".
The bench added that it
may not be out of place to
mention that Bhushan has
himself appeared on vari-
in lockdown mode and
thereby denying citizens
their fundamental right to
access justice, is undoubt-
edly false, malicious and sca-
ndalous," said the top court.
“In any case, the state-
ment, that the Supreme
Court is in lockdown is fac-
tually incorrect even to the
knowledge of the alleged
contemnor No.1 (Prashant
Bhushan)," said the bench.
"We are unable to accept
the contention of the alleged
has made a "scandalous and
malicious statement" hav-
ing himself availed the right
of an access to justice dur-
ing the lockdown period, not
only as a lawyer but also as
a litigant.
The top court has dis-
charged Twitter in the con-
tempt case.
The court said it would
hear on August 20 the argu-
ments on the quantum of
sentence to be awarded to
Bhushan in the matter.
er single-day record
increase in cases Friday.
According to the Health
Ministry, India reported
1,007 deaths in the past 24
hours. Its total rose to
48,040 deaths, behind the
United States, Brazil and
Mexico.
India’s confirmed cases
reached 24,61,190 with at
single-day spike of 64,553
cases reported in the past
24 hours, the ministry
said. India is behind the
in the first week of August.
Of the total 24,61,190
cases, recoveries account
for 17,51,555 with a record
55,573 more people recov-
ering in the past 24 hours,
taking the recovery rate to
nearly 71.17 per cent.
The actual caseload of
the country is the active
cases, which currently
stands at 6,61,595. The
case fatality rate, which is
the proportion of people
who die from the disease
64,553
more than four lakh cases
in seven days.
The good news, how-
ever, is that the gap
55,573
between recoveries and
active cases is growing
every day ~ currently it is
over 10 lakh.
Maharashtra remained
the worst-hit state with a
total of 5,60,126 cases and 48,040
19,063 deaths; followed
by Tamil Nadu with UNION HEALTH MINISTRY
FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M.
3,20,355 cases and 5,397 FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2020
deaths.

We can give befitting response

A Vendor selling the National Flag on the eve
of Independence Day celebrations, in New
Delhi on Friday. � SUBRATA DUTTA
to any aggression: Kovind
NEW DELHI, 14 AUGUST
Shah tests negative: Union Home Minister President Ram Nath Ko-
Amit Shah, who was undergoing treatment vind said the GalwanVal-
for coronavirus, on Friday said he has tested ley confrontation with
negative. Shah, 55, also said that on the China showed that while
advice of the doctors, he will be in home isola- India believes in peace,
tion for the next few days. “Today, my corona “we are also capable of
test report has come and it is negative. I giving a befitting respo-
thank God and also express my heartfelt grat- nse to any attempt of
itude to all those who wished for my recovery aggression.”
and gave strength to my family,” he tweeted Addressing the nat-
in Hindi. ion on the eve of the 74th
Independence Day, the
President said while
Srinagar attack: Two personnel of J&K Police the world community
were killed and one critically wounded on Fri- fought the challenge of
day morning when motorcycle borne terror- Covid-19, “some in our
ists indiscriminately fired at them in Nowgam neighbourhood tried
area in outskirts of Srinagar. The attack came to carry out their mis-
amidst tight security on the eve of the Inde- adventure of expan-
pendence Day and on the day Pakistan was sion.” “Our brave sol-
celebrating its Independence Day. The area diers laid down their
has been cordoned to track the attackers. P5 lives defending our bor-
The President said
the construction of the
temple at Shri Ram Jan-
mabhoomi began in
Ayodhya 10 days ago. “It
was indeed a moment
of pride for all. People
of the country main-
tained restraint and
patience for a long time
ders. Those worthy sons and reposed unflinching
of Bharat Mata lived trust in the judicial sys-
and died for national tem,” he said.
pride. The entire nation Kovind said the Cen-
salutes the martyrs of tral government had
Galwan Valley,” he said. responded well in time
Kovind said the sol- to the Covid-19 chal-
diers’ bravery in com- lenge. “The nation is
bat demonstrated that indebted to doctors,
“while we believe in nurses and other health
peace, we are also capa- workers who have been
ble of giving a befitting continuously on the fore-
response to any attempt front of our fight against
of aggression.” this virus,” he said. SNS

3,000-plus
jump in state
Covid cases
KOLKATA, 14 AUGUST

For the first time in the last

five months, over 3,000 peo-
ple were detected Covid
positive in a single day.
West Bengal today record-
ed a spike with 3,035 fresh
cases, which is the highest
till now, and 60 deaths due
to the infection taking the
total case count to 1,10,358
and death toll to 2,319.
In the last 24 hours, 2,572
patients were discharged
from hospitals, leaving a
total of 26,850 active cases.
Kolkata recorded 615
cases and 21 deaths fol-
lowed by North 24-Parganas
with 606 cases and 16 deaths,
South 24-Parganas with 254
cases and two deaths and
Howrah with 218 cases and
eight deaths.
In view of the Covid pan-
demic, the entrance exam-
inations for JEXPO-20 and
VOCLET-20 will not be held
this year. For admission to
the diploma courses in gov-
ernment, government-spon-
sored and self-financial insti-
tutes in the state for the aca-
demic session 2020-21, the
online application portal
for JEXPO-20 and VOCLET-
20 has been reopened from
14 August and will remain
active till 31 August. SNS

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