MONDAY 11 AUGUST 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00 SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR TEJASHWI ACCUSES BIHAR DY CM OF VOTER FRAUD P5 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. Light to moderate rain likely to occur. Maximum and Minimum Temperature likely to be around 34˚C and 28˚C respectively. RAINFALL: Trace RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 93% TEMPERATURE Max: 33.6˚C ( 1.2 ) SUN RISES 05:12 hrs MOON RISES 19:40 hrs NETANYAHU DEFENDS PLANNED MILITARY OFFENSIVE IN GAZA BJP ON OVERDRIVE TO WOO OPS BACK TO SAFFRON FOLD P4 PM lauds B’luru’s role in Op Sindoor success Modi flags off 3 Vande Bharat trains, Bengaluru Metro's Yellow Line P12 Voter fraud claims: INDIA bloc to march to ECI office; Cong launches ‘Vote Chori’ portal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 64% Furnish proof for claim: CEO to Rahul Gandhi NEW DELHI, 10 AUGUST Min: 27.9˚C (1.1) SUN SETS 18:11 hrs MOON SETS 07:41 hrs New Moon on 23 August THUMBNAILS People participate in a Tiranga Run at Rohini in New Delhi on Sunday ahead of the 79th Independence Day. n SNS No claim or objection submitted by any political party: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday yet again said that not even a single claim or objection has been submitted by any political party regarding the draft electoral rolls in Bihar. It has been over a week since the EC asked to submit claims and objections to rectify any errors in the draft electoral roll of Bihar, which was published on 1 August. P rime Minister Narendra Modi today emphasised Bengaluru’s critical role in India’s Defence technology and the Make in India mission, linking the city’s vibrant tech ecosystem and talented youth to the success of Operation Sindoor. The operation, which involved striking terrorist camps deep inside enemy territory and swiftly overpowering Pakistan’s forces, has been hailed as a demonstration of India’s growing military prowess powered by indigenous technology and innovation. Speaking at the inauguration of the Bengaluru Metro Yellow Line and the foundation laying of Phase 3, PM Modi praised the contributions of Karnataka’s youth to Defence manufacturing and technology, underlining how Bengaluru is emerging as a crucial hub not only for IT but also for high-end Defence production. He called upon Karnataka’s talent pool to lead the vision of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) in the tech sector. PM Modi inaugurated the muchawaited Yellow Line of the Bengaluru Metro, which will connect critical areas from RV Road to Bommasandra, easing travel for millions and enhancing connectivity between important residential and business hubs. He also laid BENGALURU, 10 AUGUST STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 AUGUST the foundation stone for Phase 3 of the metro which includes the Orange Line, expected to serve 2.5 million daily passengers, further strengthening Bengaluru’s public transport network. The PM also flagged off three new Vande Bharat Express trains. The Bengaluru-Belagavi route, in particular, is expected to significantly bolster trade and tourism between Karnataka’s commercial centres. Additional trains running between Nagpur-Pune and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Amritsar will serve millions of passengers, including pilgrims, fostering greater integration and economic activity. Detailing India’s impressive economic growth trajectory, PM Modi noted that over the past 11 years, the country has risen from the world’s 10th largest economy to the top 5 and is rapidly advancing towards becoming a top 3 economy. This growth is attributed to relentless reforms and transformational initiatives such as expanding metro rail networks from just 5 cities in 2014 to 24 cities today, creating more than 1,000 kilometers of metro lines ~ now the third largest metro network globally. The PM also drew attention to India’s achievements in expanding its railway electrification, airport infrastructure, and national waterways, noting a doubling of electrified rail routes and an increase in airports from 74 to over 160. The number of operational national waterways has grown from 3 to 30, providing enhanced multimodal transport options. (With inputs from UNI) Rajnath Singh takes dig at Trump over tariffs, says India’s rise irks some STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 AUGUST Taking an indirect jibe at the US President Donald Trump over the recent additional tariffs imposed on India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that some people are unhappy with the pace at which India is growing as a global power. Diplomatic tensions have flared following Donald Trump's announcement of a 50 per cent tariff and punitive measures in response to India's continued imports of Russian oil. “There are some people P9 SINNER REGISTERS SEASON'S QUICKEST WIN who are not happy with the speed at which India is developing. They are not liking it. ‘Sabka boss toh hum hain’, how is India growing at such a fast pace?” the Defence Minister said. “Many are trying to ensure that products made in India, by Indian hands, become more expensive than those made in other countries, so that when prices rise, the world will stop buying them. This effort is underway. But India is advancing so rapidly that I say with full confidence: no power in the world can now stop India from becoming a major global power,” he added. Mr Singh was addressing the gathering during the foundation stone laying ceremony of BEML Rail Hub for Manufacturing (BRAHMA), a Greenfield Rail Manufacturing facility at Umariya, Madhya Pradesh, today. Stating that Operation Sindoor is proof that India possesses the capability to defeat its enemies with home-grown strength, the defence minister said that the operation was a symbol of India’s self-reliance and self-confidence. “The Indian Armed Forces effectively utilised indigenous equipment, which played a pivotal role in the success of the operation. India was able to reach this position only because it has taken the pledge to become Aatmanirbhar in the defence sector,” he said. CP orders probe into alleged assault on RG Kar victim’s mother STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 10 AUGUST Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma has announced an inquiry into allegations that the mother of the RG Kar rape and murder victim was assaulted by police during a protest march to the West Bengal state secretariat, Nabanna, on Saturday. Speaking after visiting injured police personnel at a city hospital on Sunday, Verma stated that the matter would be “thoroughly investigated”. “Whether the allegation is true or false will be examined. If anyone has indeed assaulted her, we will identify them,” he told reporters, adding that police would initiate a suo motu investigation even in the absence of a formal complaint. Meanwhile, the mother was discharged from hospital on Sunday. She left the hospital around 3 p.m. in an ambulance, accompanied by her husband and other family members. Hospital officials confirmed that her condition was stable, and the swelling on her forehead had subsided. (Details on Page 3) The INDIA bloc is gearing up to protest against alleged voter fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, with a planned march from Parliament to the Election Commission on Monday. The move comes after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced a dinner meeting for the oppostion group MPs to discuss the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The Opposition bloc MPs will walk the one km distance to the ECI office and have sought time for a meeting with the Election Commissioners. The Opposition parties have been demanding a discussion on the SIR exercise in Bihar since the Monsoon Session of Parliament began. The Congress has also alleged voter fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with Rahul Gandhi presenting evidence of fabricated voter lists and claiming a "huge criminal fraud" in the polls through "collusion" between the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI). Mr Gandhi, Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, on Sunday fired a fresh salvo by launching a “Vote Chori” campaign website, seeking public support for his demand for the release of digital voter rolls. Mr Gandhi wrote on X: “Vote Chori is an attack on the foundational idea of 'one man, one vote'. A clean voter roll is imperative for free and fair elections.” “Our demand from the EC is clear - be transparent and release digital voter rolls so that people and parties can audit them. Join us and Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar has issued notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to produce documents to support his claim that an individual voter had voted twice in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The notice was the third such since Mr Gandhi made his allegations at an 8 August press conference. Referring to Mr Gandhi’s claim that one voter, Shakun Rani, has voted twice, the notice said: “On inquiry, Smt. Shakun Rani has stated that she has voted only once and not twice, as alleged by you... Therefore, you are kindly requested to provide the relevant documents based on which you have concluded that Smt. Shakun Rani or anyone else has voted twice, so that a detailed inquiry can be undertaken by this office.” AGENCIES support our demand - visit http://votechori.in/ecdemand or give a missed call on 9650003420,” he wrote.