FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR PM to launch Bihar poll campaign from Karpoori Thakur's birthplace AIMIM announces 25 candidates for Bihar elections Patna, 19 October P Diwali sales may cross Rs 5 lakh crore: Traders Monday, 20 October 2025 Thieves hit Louvre, make off with Napoleon-era jewellery AGENCIES IMRAN MOJIB rime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his campaign for the Bihar Assembly elections on 24 October from Karpoorigram, where he will pay tribute to Bharat Ratna Jananayak Karpoori Thakur and address his first election rally in Samastipur. The decision to launch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bihar poll campaign from the birthplace of the socialist icon and two-time chief minister Karpoori Thakur is not only political but also symbolic of an emotional connection. It is seen as Modi’s attempt to give a new direction to the politics of social justice and development in Bihar. Bihar BJP President Dr. Dilip Jaiswal told the media in Patna on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also address another rally in Begusarai later the same day. The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Bihar | again on 30 October, during which he will address election rallies in Muzaffarpur and Chhapra. A series of further visits to the state are planned. Dr Jaiswal expressed confidence that PM Modi’s rallies will help create a favourable atmosphere for the NDA in Bihar and connect the public with the central government’s schemes, developmental initiatives, and message of go o d governance. “All eyes in Bihar’s political circles are now on Modi’s visit and his first speech, which is expected to shape the course of the electoral battle in the state,” said Dr Jaiswal. He added that the NDA is focussed on development, the welfare of the poor, and women’s empowerment. It is concerned about youth employment and job creation. The welfare measures for farmers under the NDA government, he said, have been unprecedented. The people of Bihar, he added, trust in PM Modi’s guarantees. Patna: The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM has announced its first list of 25 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, which includes two nonMuslims. The party had earlier declared its intention to contest 100 seats across the state. Releasing the first list of 25 candidates on social media platform X, AIMIM state president Akhtarul Iman wrote, “We are happy to announce the list of AIMIM candidates for the upcoming Bihar elections. The candidates were finalised by AIMIM’s Bihar unit in consultation with the party’s national leadership. Inshallah, we will be a voice of justice for Bihar’s weakest and most neglected.” Most of the seats the party is contesting are in the Seemanchal region, which has a high Muslim population, or in other Muslim-dominated constituencies. • Details on Page 5 Paris, 19 October In a brazen, seven-minute strike, thieves used a basket lift to reach the Louvre on Sunday morning and, as tourists were already inside, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with Napolean-era jewels of “inestimable value,” France’s interior minister said. The museum, home to some of the world's most iconic artefacts, including the Mona Lisa, closed for the day as police sealed gates and ushered visitors out. Around 9:30 a.m. several intruders forced open a window, stole jewels from vitrines and escaped on two-wheelers, according to the Interior Ministry. It said forensic work is underway and a precise inventory of the stolen objects is being compiled, adding that the items have “inestimable” historical value. Video from the scene showed confused tourists being ushered out of the glass pyramid and surrounding courtyards as officers shut the iron gates and closed nearby streets along the Seine. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it a “major robbery,” saying the intruders entered from the outside using a basket lift. He said on France Inter radio that the heist took seven minutes and the thieves used a disc cutter to slice through the panes. He said it was “manifestly a team that had done scouting.” The heist occurred in the Galerie d’Apollon, a vaulted hall in the Denon wing that displays part of the French Crown Jewels beneath a ceiling painted by King Louis XIV’s court artist, according to the ministry. French daily Le Parisien reported the thieves entered via the Seine-facing facade and used a freight elevator to reach the gallery. After breaking windows, they reportedly took nine pieces from the jewellery collection of Napoleon and the Empress. One stolen jewel was later found outside the museum, the paper reported, adding that the item was believed to be Empress Eugénie’s crown and that it had been broken. Security around marquee works remains tight. The Mona Lisa is protected by bulletproof glass and a custom high-tech display system as part of broader anti-theft measures across the museum. Staffing and protection have been flashpoints at the Louvre. The museum delayed opening during a June staff walkout over overcrowding and chronic understaffing. Unions have warned that mass tourism strains security and visitor management. AGENCIES New Delhi, 19 October The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) expects festive sales to exceed Rs 5 lakh crore during this year’s Diwali shopping boom as GST rate cuts have led to a sharp increase in demand. CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “Swadeshi” (local products), the organisation has resolved to celebrate this year as “Swadeshi Indian Diwali”. Under this initiative, the CAIT launched a nationwide campaign titled “Bhartiya Samaan ~ Hamara Swabhiman” (Indian Goods ~ Our Pride), which it said has received tremendous response across the country. Traders nationwide have promoted Indian-made goods, while consumers have shown remarkable pride and confidence in the “Make in India” vision, he added. MHA invites Ladakh leaders for fresh talks Shah approves 1,950.8 cr as 2nd instalment of on 22 October amid continuing tension Centre's SDRF share for Karnataka, Maharashtra STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu, 19 October In a significant development amid the continuing tension in Ladakh following the 24 September protests, in which four people were killed in police firing, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended a fresh invitation to representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for another round of talks in New Delhi on 22 October. The meeting, to be held in North Block, will be attended by members of a sub-committee representing the Ladakh leadership. The LAB hopes the upcoming talks will bring meaningful progress, unlike previous discussions that failed to produce a concrete outcome. The Ladakh leadership is expected to reiterate its key demands, including the immediate release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is detained in Rajasthan under the National Security Act (NSA), as well as statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. They are also demanding that a Ladakhi representative be included in the inquiry commission appointed by the MHA to probe the 24 September incident. The preliminary discussions with the sub-committee will be followed by a meeting chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, which will also be attended by senior officials of the Home Ministry, including Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Joint Secretary (Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh). LAB Co-chairman Chhering Dorjey confirmed that they Govt has opened 99 per cent offshore area for oil and gas: Puri STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 19 October The Union Minister for Petroleum, Hardeep Singh Puri, said the government has widened the import basket of crude to over 40 countries from 27 earlier. Further, the country has opened up 99 per cent of India’s offshore area for oil & gas exploration. The move, the minister said, is a part of a four-pronged approach that is shaping “a future where energy is secure, affordable & sustainable”. He said that India’s energy journey stands on four strong pillars. These included diversification of crude imports, innovation, increase in domestic exploration of oil & gas, and a clean transition reflected in the Green Hydrogen Mission and 10.60 crore Ujjwala families who have benefited under the PM’s scheme for subsidised LPG as clean cooking fuel for the poor to replace firewood and dung cakes. Takingtosocialmediaplatform X, Mr Puri said: “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Bharat is building acleaner,strongerandself-sufficient energy future.” Earlier also, Mr Puri pointed out that India has diversified its sources for buying oil in the global market. “India’s oil purchases from Moscow had played an important role in stabilising prices in the global market,” he said. The minister highlighted that crude oil prices could have skyrocketed to $130 per barrel in the absence of the India-Russia oil trade, when the Ukraine war began in 2022. Prior to the Russia-Ukraine war, India used to buy a mere 0.2 per cent of its crude imports' requirement from Moscow standing close to 40 per cent. Earlier this week, Petroleum Minister had held discussions with Geraldo Alckmin, Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services of Brazil, on strengthening the expanding energy partnership between India and Brazil. had received communication regarding the meeting with the MHA, likely to be held on 22 October. He said the delegation would attend and expressed hope that the talks would be “result-oriented rather than time-consuming.” Earlier, the MHA had called the Ladakh leadership for talks on 6 October. However, both the LAB and KDA boycotted the meeting in protest against the 24 September incident, which left four civilians dead and over 90 injured. The groups are also demanding the release of all those arrested after the violence. According to LAB leaders, an MHA representative from Delhi visited Ladakh yesterday, and after discussions, the date for the talks was finalised. The LAB has also appealed for its legal team to be included in the meeting. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE THIS YEAR, THE CENTRE HAS ALREADY RELEASED RS 13,603.20 CRORE TO 27 STATES UNDER SDRF AND RS 2,189.28 CRORE UNDER NDRF TO 15 STATES. IN ADDITION, RS 4,571.30 CRORE HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE STATE DISASTER MITIGATION FUND (SDMF) TO 21 STATES AND RS 372.09 CRORE FROM NATIONAL DISASTER MITIGATION FUND (NDMF) TO 9 STATES. New Delhi, 19 October Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has approved advance release of Rs 1,950.80 crore, as 2nd installment of Central share of SDRF, to state governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra, for the year 2025-26. Out of the total amount of Rs 1,950.80 crore, Rs 384.40 crore approved for Karnataka and Rs 1,566.40 crore for Maharashtra to help these states provide immediate relief assistance to people affected by extremely heavy rainfall and floods during the south-west monsoon of this year. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, the Central Government is fully committed to provide all possible assistance to states affected by flood, landslides and cloudburst,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement on Sunday. This year, the Centre has already released Rs 13,603.20 crore to 27 states under SDRF and Rs 2,189.28 crore under NDRF to 15 states. In addition, Rs 4,571.30 crore have been released from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 21 states and Rs 372.09 crore from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to 9 states. The Central Government has also provided all logistic assistance, including deployment of requisite NDRF teams, Army teams and Air Force support to all the flood, landslides, cloudburst affected States. During this year’s monsoon, there was a maximum deployment of 199 teams of NDRF in the 30 states/UTs for rescue and relief operations. Delhi chokes on Diwali eve as AQI crosses 300 THE COMMISSION FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION AND THE ADJOINING AREAS ON SUNDAY INVOKED THE CURBS UNDER THE STAGE- II OF THE GRADED RESPONSE ACTION PLAN (GRAP) AS DELHI’S AVERAGE AIR QUALITY INDEX (AQI) TURNED ‘VERY POOR’. NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 19 October The air pollution in the national capital worsened on Sunday, with the quality dropping to the ‘very poor’ category on the eve of Diwali. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded as 304 at 8 p.m. Delhi’s overall AQI clocked 296 on Sunday as per the 4 p.m. AQI bulletin provided by the CPCB. People living in Delhi faced breathing discomfort due to the hazardous air as the city grappled with rising air pollution after the air quality here fell into the “poor” category. An Air Quality Index (AQI) between zero and 50 is considered “good”; 51 and 100 “satisfactory”; 101 and 200 “moderate”; 201 and 300 “poor”; 301 and 400 “very poor”; and 401 and 500 “severe”. According to the CPCB, the AQI, when marked under the ‘Poor’ category, can cause breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure, whereas, when under the ‘Very poor’ category can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure. Priyanka and Shashi, residents of Delhi, stated that pollution levels have significantly risen in recent days in the national capital. They were experiencing breathing difficulties, eye irritation, and sore throat, prompting them to wear a mask while outdoors.” Pollution has made it extremely hard to breathe,” they asserted. As per the CPCB, the AQI around India Gate was recorded at 269, in the ‘Poor’ category, in Delhi this morning. Water sprinklers were deployed at the India Gate to maintain the pollution levels. According to the CPCB, the AQI around Akshardham was recorded at 426, in the ‘Severe’ category, in Delhi on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, in the morning, the AQI around ITO was recorded at 284, in the ‘Poor’ category, while the AQI around Barapulla was recorded at 290, in the ‘Poor’ category. Meanwhile, in response to the seasonal spike in pollution that typically occurs between October and February, the Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, has launched a comprehensive Winter Action Plan for 2025–26. The initiative was announced by Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday. The action plan outlines 25 key measures under seven thematic areas: road dust, vehicular emissions, industrial and power sector pollution, open burning and solid waste, citizen engagement, monitoring , and green innovation. The plan will be executed in coordination with over 30 departments and agencies across the capital.