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 Sudan paramilitary agrees to US-backed truce Page 9 BRIEFLY ECI finds no grounds for repolls in Bihar phase-I: New Delhi: The Election Commission of India Friday announced that no re-polls are recommended following the post-poll scrutiny of Phase-I of the Bihar Assembly elections 2025. This comes after a thorough examination of Form 17A (Register of Voters) and other poll-day documents across all 121 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) that went to polls in the first phase. In a press note, the ECI highlighted that the scrutiny process was conducted smoothly with full transparency to detect any subtle malpractices at polling stations. The Commission had issued consolidated instructions and informed all candidates in advance about the scrutiny schedule, including date, time, and venue. ‘No one can blame the pilot,’ says SC on AI crash: New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday described as “unfortunate” the tragic crash of Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Crash in June in June near Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of 260 people on board, and observed that the pilot could not be faulted for the incident. A Bench comprising Chief Justice-designate, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi remarked, “No one in India believes it was the pilot’s fault.” The Court was hearing a petition filed by the father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the Pilot-in-Command of Air India’s London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flight, seeking a fair and transparent probe into the crash under the supervision of a retired judge. The petitioner urged for a technically sound and independent investigation monitored by the Court. 'Modi, Nitish did nothing for Bihar despite 20 yrs in power’ India aim to seal T20I series in 5th and final match vs Australia Page 5 Not regulator’s job to decide for bank boards: RBI Guv Page 12 NATION Page 10 Bihar now wants vikas raj, not jungle raj: PM Clandestine activities consistent with Pak’s history, says MEA on Islamabad ‘testing’ N-weapons NIKHIL VYAS IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 7 November P rime Minister Narendra Modi told people in Bihar on Friday that the NDA has dedicated plans for every region of the country based on its specific needs. In some places, the government is focusing on food processing industries; in others, tourism is being developed. Somewhere, technology-related companies are expanding, while in other areas, manufacturing is b eing promoted. “In short, industries are being set up according to the strengths of each region,” said Modi, while addressing public rallies in Aurangabad and Bhabhua. He said that voting in the first phase of the elections in Bihar has broken all previous records with nearly 65 per cent turnout. He claimed that the highest voter turnout ever recorded in Bihar shows that the Saturday, 08 November 2025 SPORTS BUSINESS WORLD | people of Bihar themselves have taken charge of ensuring t he re t ur n of t he NDA government. Recounting how he has delivered on every promise, the Prime Minister said, “Modi had said that a Ram Temple would be built — and it has been built, proudly and openly. Modi had promised that the wall of Article 370 would fall—and it has been removed. From this very land of Bihar, Modi had declared that the Pahalgam attack would be avenged, and the country later saw Pakistan being devastated in Operation Sindoor. Modi had promised ‘One Rank, One Pension’ to the brave soldiers who protect our nation, and to day, on 7 November, it has been 11 years since One Rank, One Pension was implemented.” He stated that in the past few years, lakhs of government recruitments have taken place in Bihar, all conducted with complete honesty and transparency. “On the other hand, the RJD - Congress track record is well known; these are the people who took land in their own names in exchange for jobs. The RJD-Congress leaders can never provide employment to the youth of Bihar,” he alleged. Taking a dig at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s poll promises, the Prime Minister said, “Whenever the ‘Yuvraj of Jungle Raj’ (the prince of misrule) is asked how he plans to fulfill the big promises he has made, he says, ‘We have a plan.’ But, when asked what that plan is, he goes completely silent.” “To see the results of their misdeeds, one only needs to look at Dalmianagar. The people of Rohtas know this well. A thriving industrial town was being built through decades of hard work, but then the 'Jungle Raj’ took over. Extortion, ransom, corruption, commissions, murder, kidnapping, and strikes became the norm. In no time, the ‘Jungle Raj’ destroyed everything. It killed every possibility of development in Bihar,” he said. New Delhi, 7 November Taking note of US President Donald Trump's remarks about Pakistan testing nuclear weapons, India on Friday said "clandestine and illegal'' nuclear activities are in keeping with Islamabad's history, that is centred around decades of smuggling, export control violations and secret partnerships. Responding to a question on Trump's recent comments that Pakistan has been secretly testing nuclear weapons, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal while addressing his weekly media briefing in New Delhi said India has consistently flagged these concerns to the international community, referring to Pakistan's record in these matters. "Clandestine and illegal nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan's history, that is centred around decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships, AQ Khan network and further proliferation," the MEA Spokesperson said. "India has always drawn the attention of the international community to these aspects of Pakistan's record," he added. He said India had "taken note" of Trump's comment about Pakistan's nuclear testing. India's reaction comes in the backdrop of Trump's recent revelation of Pakistan being among the countries that have been actively testing nuclear weapons. In an interview with CBS News's 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump said several countries, including Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan, are conducting nuclear tests. "Russia's testing and China's testing, but they don't talk about it. We're an open society. We're different. We talk about it. We have to talk about it because otherwise you people are going to report. They don't have reporters that are going to be writing about it," Trump said. "We're going to test because they test and others test. And certainly North Korea's been testing. Pakistan's been testing," he added. Trump made these remarks when he was asked about his decision regarding "detonating nuclear weapons" after more than 30 years following Russia's recent trials of advanced nuclear-capable systems, including a Poseidon underwater drone. "You have to see how they work. The reason I'm saying testing is because Russia announced that they were going to be doing a test. If you notice, North Korea is testing constantly. Other countries are testing. We're the only country that doesn't test. And I don't want to be the only country that doesn't test," Trump said during the interview. Rahul urges people of Bihar to stay strong, not allow vote theft Trump eyes India trip, calls Modi ‘great man’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE US President Donald Trump said he plans to visit India soon, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great man” and his “friend.” Responding to a question during a press conference at the White House on Thursday (local time), Mr Tr ump said the trade negotiations with India are going “very well.” “He's a friend of mine, and we speak, and he wants me to go there. We'll figure that out. I'll go…He’s a great man and I’ll be going,” he added. When asked if he would travel to India next year, Mr Trump said, “it could be, yeah.” The US President also remembered his last visit to India in 2020, saying, “I had a great trip there with the Prime Minister.” He also claimed that India Patna, 7 November Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday addressed massive public rallies in Banka and Bhagalpur, saying that change is coming to Bihar. He said this change would be recorded in the history of Bihar as a golden chapter — one that will lift the state out of unemployment, migration, poverty, and lawlessness, and place it firmly on the path of development. Rahul Gandhi said the INDIA Alliance government in Bihar would not represent any single caste or religion but would be a government for every citizen. “In the INDIA bloc government, every voice of Bihar will be heard. Dalits, Mahadalits, backward and extremely backward communities, minorities, poor from the general category, farmers, labourers, and youth — everyone’s voice will find representation,” he said. “This election is about Bihar’s future. Therefore, choose a government that works for you, that stands with you in times of trouble,” he urged. He alleged that the Haryana election was stolen by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. He claimed to have placed clear evidence before the country, but neither the BJP nor the Election Commission has responded, yet. He accused the BJP of trying to implement this “vote theft plan” across the country. “They did this in Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Now they are trying to do the same in Bihar. There will be fake voter lists and BJP workers will attempt to cast bogus votes,” he alleged. “I just want to tell the BJP and Election Commission officials, do not underestimate the people of Bihar. The people of Bihar will not allow vote theft at any cost. They will stand at polling booths and stop it from happening,” Rahul said. The Congress leader said that the Constitution of India represents the voice of the people of India. But the BJP steals votes to help the rich, to loot public wealth, and to crush the Constitution. AGENCIES No info to share: MEA after Trump’s statement: Washington, 7 November has “largely stopped buying oil from Russia.” Mr Trump’s statement comes days after the White House said that Mr Trump has great respect for Prime Minister Modi and said the two leaders speak “pretty frequently.” The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, while answering a question on India-US ties on Tuesday, said that Mr Trump “feels very positive and strongly” about the bilateral relationship. “I know the President has great respect for Prime Minister Modi, and they speak pretty frequently.” On the trade negotiations, Ms Leavitt had revealed that Me Trump and his team are in “serious discussions” with the Indian side. ”The President and his trade team continue to be in very serious discussions with India with respect to that topic,” she added. New Delhi: After US President Donald Trump hinted that he may visit India next year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said at present it had no information to share regarding Trump's visit. Responding to a question, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal while addressing his weekly media briefing in New Delhi said "As far as the comments of President Trump regarding his visit to India are concerned, I do not have anything on this to share. I will let you know when I have something to share about it." SC directs removal of stray dogs from schools, hospitals, and public transport hubs From the battlefields of 1962 to big screen: Rezang La’s legacy lives on PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 7 November New Delhi, 7 November Taking note of the “alarming rise in dog bite incidents” across the countr y, the Supreme Court on Friday directed all States and Union Territories to ensure that stray dogs are removed from the premises of hospitals, educational institutions, sp o r ts com plexe s, b us terminals, and railway stations. A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria said such premises must be properly fenced and secured to prevent the entry of stray dogs. The Court made it clear that the dogs, once picked up, must not be released back into the same area. They will not be released back in the same area since releasing them back will “frustrate the very purpose” of securing such premises and addressing public safety concerns. The Court further held that it would be the duty of local authorities to identify, capture, and relocate stray dogs f ro m these institutions/areas to authorised shelters after vaccination and sterilisation, in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules. In a related directive, the apex court instructed all State governments, Union Territories, and agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to clear stray cattle and other animals from national and state highways and roads and to ensure they are housed in appropriate shelters and taken care of. PARWINDER SANDHU “And how can man die better, Than facing fearful odds, From the ashes of his fathers, And the temples of the gods-” the lines from Thomas Babington Macaulay’s poem Horatius, now inscribed on the plaque welcome visitors at the Rezang La War Memorial in Chushul, Ladakh. The war memorial got back into limelight following the release of 120 Bahadur’s trailer, a war drama by Farhan Akhtar, on Thursday. The movie is based on the battle of Rezang La, a part of the 1962 India-China war. For the world Rezang La war memorial is to commemorate the valour of the fallen heroes, but it holds a poignant tale of camaraderie and brotherhood that the Indian Army is known for. The memorial is one of its kind in the world as it also holds a cremation ground, known as Ahir Dham. It was November 18, 1962, amid bone-numbing cold and thin air at 16,420 feet, 120 men of Charlie Company, 13th Kumaon Regiment, led by the fearless Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, Param Vir Chakra, stood their ground against thousands of Chinese soldiers to protect Rezang La point located at the south-eastern ridge of the Chushul Valley, under the aegis of 114 Brigade in Ladakh. Cut off from reinforcements, communication lines severed, and artillery support unavailable, the heroes fought till the very last man and the very last bullet, ensuring not an inch of Indian soil fell into enemy hands. For months after that, nobody knew the fate of these soldiers, their bodies, perfectly frozen in time, unknown to their families, unknown to the world around them. It was only in February 1963 when a search party of the Indian army unearthed the snow-covered corpses on the battlefield, some still clinging on to their guns and others in crouched positions. The bodies were brought down to Chushul plains. However, the authorities were faced with yet another dilemma of dealing with the martyrs as given the terrain and limited resources, it was not possible to send the bodies home. It was then decided that only Major Shaitan Singh's body will be sent to his hometown in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, while the rest of the martyrs will be cremated together with full military honours in Chushul itself. The then brigade commander, Brigadier T.N. Raina undertook the task of cremating the martyrs in a community pyre. Most of the soldiers belonged to the Ahir community who hailed from Gurgaon and Mewat of Haryana. To commemorate their sacrifice, the place where the pyre was lit was later named Ahir Dham. Covered in white marble surrounded by the serene sound of fluttering flags, it stands right in the middle of Rezang La war memorial.