FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI Jadavpur University student found dead in campus pond: Kolkata: A third-year English honours student of Jadavpur University was found dead late Thursday night in a pond inside the university campus, sparking outrage among students and fresh demands for stronger security measures. The student, identified as 21-year-old Anamika Mondal of Majerhati Nimta, was discovered around 10.20 p.m. floating near Gate No. 4 of the campus, close to the Arts Faculty student union room, police said. Fellow students pulled her out and attempted CPR before rushing her to KPC Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and sent the body for postmortem examination. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 September P rime Minister Narendra Modi will visit ethnic conflict-hit Manipur on Saturday amid hope and skepticism in the north-eastern state. The visit is part of a five-state tour to inaugurate projects worth Rs 71,850 crore. PM Modi said ahead of his trip that the government was fully committed to ensuring inclusive and all-round development of Manipur. In a series of social media posts, PM Modi said: “I will be attending programmes in Churachandpur and Imphal tomorrow, 13th September. We are fully committed to furthering inclusive and all-round development of Manipur.” Security is tightened in Manipur ahead of PM Modi’s visit. ANI “The foundation stone for road projects, National Highway projects, women hostels and more would be laid. The projects being inaugurated include the Civil Secretariat at Mantripukhri, the IT SEZ Building and the New Police Headquarters at Mantripukhri, a unique all-women’s market in various districts,” PM Modi said. The Prime Minister, from Delhi, would first arrive in Mizoram’s capital to inaugurate the 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway project, making Aizawl the fourth capital city in the Northeast to be connected by rail after Guwahati (Dispur), Agartala and Itanagar. From Aizawl, he would fly Political row erupts in Bihar over AI video on PM’s mother IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 12 September Days after the controversy over abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late mother during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, a fresh political storm has erupted over an AI-generated video posted on the Bihar Congress’s social media platforms, depicting PM Modi and his late mother. The video, titled “Sahab ke sapnon mein aayee Maa” (Maa appears in Sahab’s dream), shows a character resembling PM Modi dreaming of a figure resembling his deceased mother. In the dream, she scolds him for exploiting her name for political mileage. The NDA has condemned the video as “disrespectful,” accusing the Congress of crossing all boundaries of political decency. However, Congress leaders have defended the video, saying it is not disrespectful but rather a symbolic representation of a mother educating her son on ‘raj dharma’. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary called the video an insult to PM Modi’s mother and warned that “Bihar never forgives those who insult a mother.” In his post on X, he wrote: “The Congress party has crossed all limits of indecency. It is now misusing AI technology to insult the late mother of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is a sign of mental bankruptcy and reflects the Congress’s degraded mindset. It is an insult to all mothers of this country. Modi Ji’s mother is no longer with us, but Congress’s low standards show they have no values.” to Manipur’s Churachandpur and Imphal to attend a series of events and interaction with people. Saturday’s Manipur visit would be the PM’s first visit since ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023. Coming as it does nearly 29 months after ethnic violence erupted in the state, resulting in over 260 deaths and displacement of thousands, the PM’s visit to Manipur, which will last for only three hours, has sparked debate and scrutiny. Critics, including Congress GeneralSecretaryJairamRamesh, have questioned the brevity of the visit, labeling it an "insult" to the people of Manipur. They | BHUBANESWAR AGENCIES Kathmandu, 12 September through a public vote held by Gen Z leaders on the online platform Discord. Discussions with the Gen-Z protesters and other stakeholders were prolonged over the issue of dissolving the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament, before the new Prime Minister is sworn in, or after it. The dissolution of Parliament was one of the key demands of the Gen Z protesters. There is no constitutional provision allowing anyone who is not a member of the House of Representatives to hold the post of Prime Minister. Karki has been appointed under the ask if the three hours are sufficient to address the complex issues plaguing the beleaguered state. Countering the criticism, former Union Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said he believes that trust cannot be rebuilt overnight, but the visit might prove a stepping stone towards ensuring lasting peace in the embattled state. Apart from Manipur, PM will visit Mizoram, Assam, Bengal, and Bihar as part of the five-state visit. He will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over Rs 71,850 crore across these states. In Assam, PM Modi will participate in the celebrations of the 100th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika in Guwahati. In Bengal, Mr Modi will inaugurate the 16th Combined Commanders’ Conference-2025 in Kolkata, a platform for the nation's top civilian and military leadership to discuss and shape India's military preparedness. In Bihar, PM Modi will launch the National Makhana Board, aimed at promoting Makhana production and development in the state. | Saturday, 13 September 2025 CP Radhakrishnan takes oath as India’s 15th Vice President STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 September Chandrapuram Ponnusami Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the 15th Vice President of India on Friday at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Radhakrishnan. Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned suddenly in July, made his first public appearance since stepping down, attending the swearing-in of his successor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP National President J P Nadda, several Union ministers, and former Vice Presidents Hamid Ansari and M Venkaiah Naidu were also present on the occasion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mr Radhakrishnan on his taking over as the 15th Vice President of India and wished him a successful tenure. “A dedicated public servant, he has devoted his life to nation-building, social service and strengthening democratic values. Wishing him a successful Vice Presidential tenure, dedicated to the service of the people,” Mr Modi posted on social media. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and most Opposition leaders were noticeably absent from the ceremony, Mr Radhakrishnan, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee, was elected on Tuesday after defeating Congress-led INDIA bloc candidate B Sudershan Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge. SC seeks response from govt, ECI on plea to curb crime in politics Trump to pressure G7 to impose higher tariffs on India, China: Report PARMOD KUMAR STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 September New Delhi, 12 September The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a public interest petition seeking regulation of p olitical par ties to tackle criminalisation, corr up tion and lack of transparency in political parties. Issuing notice and granting four weeks for replies, a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked petitioner–advocate Ashwini Upadhyay to make all recognised and registered political parties respondents in the matter, noting that any directions would directly impact them. United States President Donald Trump will pressure G7 member nations to impose higher tariffs on India and China, the two largest buyers of Russian oil, according to a media report. The move is part of an attempt to compel Moscow to engage in peace talks with Ukraine. In a video call, finance ministers from the Group of Seven leading economies are set to discuss a US proposal for new measures as President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported. Recently, the European Union has also been asked by Mr Trump to impose a Nepal’s former Chief Justice, Sushila Karki, takes oath as interim PM; toll in violence rises to 51 Sushila Karki, 73, was sworn in as Nepal's interim Prime Minister late Friday evening to a transitional administration after a deadly wave of protests swept the nation this week, toppling the government of K P Sharma Oli. Karki, who was also the country’s first woman Chief Justice, took the oath of office from President Ram Chandra Poudel who held extensive consultations with leaders of the Gen-Z protests, constitutional experts, and the chief of the Nepal Army throughout the day. Karki was the pick of the activists who have taken to the streets against the Oli government, chosen SILIGURI Modi to visit Manipur today amid hope and skepticism Retail inflation in August rises to 2.07 per cent: New Delhi: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based retail inflation in August rose to 2.07 per cent from earlier 1.61 per cent in July, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Friday. Food inflation for August stood at -0.69 per cent, rising 107 basis points compared to July. Corresponding inflation rates for rural and urban are -0.70 per cent and -0.58 per cent, respectively. Food inflation in rural areas was at -1.74 per cent in August. It increased for urban areas from -1.90 per cent during the same period last month. Page 10 | "principle of necessity". Karki was Nepal's first female Chief Justice, serving from July 2016 to June 2017, and is known for her integrity and landmark judgments on transitional justice and electoral disputes. She began practising law in 1979, became a senior advocate in 2007, and served as a Supreme Court Justice from 2009. The Gen-Z movement backed her for her neutrality and credibility. Police, meanwhile, put total toll in the deadly Gen-Z protests at 51, including three police officers and one Indian woman, with the fatalities occurring nationwide from the Kathmandu Valley to other districts. 100 per cent tariff on India and China for their continued purchase of crude oil from Russia. “Chinese and Indian purchases of Russian oil are funding Putin’s war machine and prolonging the senseless killing of the Ukrainian people. Earlier this week, we made it clear to our EU allies that if they are serious about ending the war in their own backyard, they need to join us and impose meaningful tariffs that will be rescinded the day the war ends,” the report quoted a US Treasury department spokesperson as saying. Recently, India, China and Russia shared the diplomatic stage at the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit with signals of a closer relationship among its members at a time when the world has been roiled by US trade policies and tariffs. The two-day event, attended by more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries, was seen as showcasing Beijing’s ambition for a new global security and economic order that poses a challenge to the USA. However, recently, in a social media post, Mr Trump hinted at a softened stance towards India. India-EU reaffirm commitment to early conclusion of FTA talks: Goyal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 September Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said a balanced and mutually beneficial FTA between India & the European Union (EU) will unlock new opportunities. Taking to social media, Minister Goyal wrote: "As the India-EU FTA negotiations continue, we reiterated our shared commitment towards its early conclusion. A balanced and mutually beneficial FTA will unlock new opportunities for people & businesses on both sides." SpiceJet flight loses outer wheel during take-off, lands safely in Mumbai Texas: Indian-origin man beheaded in front of his family AGENCIES Washington, 12 September New Delhi, 12 September A SpiceJet flight operating from Kandla (Gujarat) to Mumbai lost an outer wheel during take-off but landed safely in Mumbai, the airline said on Friday. The Q400 aircraft lost the outer wheel after take-off from Kandla. “On 12 Sept, an outer wheel of a SpiceJet aircraft operating from Kandla to Mumbai was found at the runway after take-off. The aircraft continued its journey to Mumbai & landed safely,” an SpiceJet spokesperson said. Following a smooth landing, the aircraft taxied to the terminal under its own power, & all passengers disembarked normally, the airline added. AGENCIES In a gruesome incident, an Indian-origin man was fatally attacked and beheaded at a motel in Dallas, Texas. According to local media reports, Chandra Nagamallaiah aged 50 (photo), who managed the motel, was repeatedly assaulted with a machete. The brutal attack left him fatally wounded, and authorities say the assailant also decapitated Nagamallaiah during the assault. The extreme nature of the violence has shocked the local community and drawn widespread attention. Yordanis Cobos-Martinez (37), was arrested and charged with capital murder. He is said to have beheaded Nagamallaiah and left the victim’s head in a trash bin, authorities said. Cobos-Martinez is currently being held at the Dallas County Jail, pending further proceedings. Court records indicate that he is an undocumented immigrant. According to official documents, on Thursday morning, Cobos-Martinez was instructed by Nagamallaiah not to use a broken washing machine at the motel. Martinez reportedly became agitated when Nagamallaiah did not speak to him directly and instead relied on a woman present to translate the instructions. A video circulating on social media shows Martinez chasing the victim with a machete and continuing the attack until Nagamallaiah was decapitated. As the brutal assault unfolded, Nagamallaiah’s wife and son rushed out of the motel’s front office in a desperate attempt to intervene. They pleaded with Cobos-Martinez to stop the attack and tried to shield Nagamallaiah from further blows. Despite their frantic efforts, the assailant continued his violent rampage.