DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES Tell voters about Cong plan to snatch quota: Modi to BJP candidates EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, APRIL 30 WEST BENGAL MAMATA,NEPHEW SKIPPEDRAM TEMPLEEVENTDUE TOFEAROFLOSING INFILTRATORS’ SUPPORT:SHAH PAGE3 IN PERSONALISED letters to BJP candidates in constituencies that will vote in the third phase of the electionsonMay7,PrimeMinister NarendraModihasurgedthemto increaseawarenessamongvoters aboutthe“divisive”and“discriminatory”intentionoftheCongress and its INDIA bloc partners to “snatch”theSC,STandOBCreservation and give it to “their vote bank” even though granting “reservationonreligiousgrounds is unconstitutional”. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPLAINED We are closed today on account of LABOUR DAY. There will be no edition of The Indian Express on Thursday, May 2, 2024. SINCE 1932 KARNATAKA SEX ABUSE TAPES Turnout figures in: Under 4 pc point dip in first phase, under 3 in second phase JD(S)suspends Prajwal;Shah hitsbackatCong E Raising the poll ● pitch THE BJP, Congress war of words over reservation and Muslim quota has sharpened the campaign discourse as the elections progress. The attacks are being led by the star campaigners: PM Modi for the BJP, and Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for the Congress. MP’s ex-driver says gave videos only to state BJP leader, not to Congress NEW NAVY CHIEF Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi with his mother before assuming charge as the 26th Chief of Naval Staff in New Delhi on Tuesday. ANI REPORT,PAGE7 Reply to CM question on Do only Muslims have more children? timing of arrest... liberty, life I have five, Kharge targets PM Modi important: Top court to ED JAYPRAKASH S NAIDU RAIPUR, APRIL 30 ACCUSING PRIME Minister Narendra Modi of targeting only Muslims, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said they were not the only ones who have more children. Stating that the poor “always have more children”, Kharge said he, too, has five of them. KhargewasreferringtoModi’s remarks at a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on April 21, where he mentionedMuslimsandsaidthat the Congress, if voted to power, could distribute the nation’s wealth among “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”. “Wearegoingtogetmajority, and because of this, he (Modi) is always talking about mangalsutra and Muslims. He says we will steal your wealth and give it to those who have more children,” Kharge said at a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district. “Hamesha gareebo ke bacche jyadahihotehain...SirfMusalmano ke hote hai? Ab mereko paanch CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES & ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM ANANTHAKRISHNANG NEWDELHI,APRIL30 STATINGTHAT“lifeandlibertyare exceedingly important”, the SupremeCourtonTuesdayasked theEnforcementDirectorate(ED) torespondtoDelhiChiefMinister ArvindKejriwal’squestionregard- ing the timing of his arrest. Kejriwal was arrested in the DelhiexcisepolicycaseonMarch 21, days after the 2024 Lok Sabha election schedule was announced. Hearing Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and CONTINUEDONPAGE2 AKRAM M & SUKRITA BARUAH BENGALURU, GUWAHATI, APRIL 30 THEJD(S)onTuesdaysuspended its Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is seeking re-election from the constituency, in connection with allegations of sexual abuse that have rocked Karnataka over the past week. The decision to suspend Prajwal was taken following a meeting of the party’s core committee in Hubballi. JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamysaidtheduration of suspension is “until the completionoftheprobebytheSpecial InvestigationTeam.If allegations againsthimareproved,hewillbe suspended permanently”. Kumaraswamywasreferring to the decision by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY constitute an SIT to probe the allegations against Prajwal (33), the grandson of former Prime MinisterHDDeveGowda,based on a petition by the head of the State Commission for Women, whichtookcognizanceof several sexually explicit video clips. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 HARIKISHAN SHARMA NEW DELHI, APRIL 30 THE FINAL voting figures for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections are in. Amid criticism fromOppositionpartiesoverthe delay in releasing turnout data, the Election Commission Tuesday announced 66.14% polling for the first phase and 66.71% for the second phase — DECISION adropof justun2024 der 4 percentage points for the first phase and under 3 percentage points for the second phase compared to the 2019 elections. The 102 seats of the first phase registered roughly 70% turnout in 2019 and 83 of 88 seats that voted in phase two — fiveseatsinAssamwentthrough delimitationandhave,therefore, notbeenfactoredinthecomparison — saw 69.64% voting in the last Parliamentary polls. The EC announcement came 11 days after the first phase pollingonApril19,andfourdays CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Kolkata