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 | Tuesday, 30 December 2025 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS Stock market extends fall amid broad-based selling Page 10 BRIEFLY Two bogies of ErnakulamTata Express catch fire, 1 dead: ‘Ukraine and Russia are closer than ever to peace after talks’ NATION Bihar: NDA’s landslide victory redefines state politics Page 5 Page 9 Unnao rape case: SC stays Delhi HC order on Sengar PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 29 December T New Delhi: A passenger died, and several had a close shave after a fire broke out on the Tata-Ernakulam Express near Elamanchili in Andhra Pradesh at the early hours today. The fire started in the linen storage area of the B1 coach and alert railway staff quickly detached the affected coaches to stop its further spread. Despite the quick evacuation, a 70-year-old passenger, Chandrasekhar Sundar was unable to deboard & succumbed to death. Govt clears `79,000 crore defence deal: New Delhi: In a major boost to India’s defence preparedness and indigenous military capabilities, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to capital acquisition proposals worth about Rs 79,000 crore. The approvals, include key procurements for the Indian Army such as loiter munition systems for artillery regiments, low-level lightweight radars, long-range guided rockets for the Pinaka multi-launch rocket system, and the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System Mk-II. The decision was taken during a DAC meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday. In a statement issued here the Ministry of Defence stated that the loiter munition will be used for precision strike of tactical targets, whereas Low Level Light Weight Radars will detect and track small size, low flying Unmanned Aerial Systems. he Supreme Court on Monday stayed the operation of a Delhi High Court order that had suspended the life sentence awarded to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case involving a minor. A three-judge vacation Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih issued notice to Sengar on an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and directed that the High Court’s order dated December 23 would not take effect for now. The Bench clarified that Sengar would not be released from custody, noting that he continues to remain in jail in connection with another case. Staying the operation of the High Court’s order, the Court said that the peculiar facts warranted its intervention. “Issue notice. We have heard the Solicitor General for the CBI and senior counsel for the convict. Counter to be filed in four weeks. We are conscious that when a convict or undertrial has been released, such orders are not ordinarily stayed without hearing such persons. But in view of the peculiar facts where the convict is convicted in a separate offence, we stay the operation of the Delhi High Court order dated December 23, and the respondent shall not be released pursuant to the said order,” the Bench recorded. Appearing for the CBI, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that for the purposes of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the expression “public servant” must be interpreted in a purposive manner. He submitted that a person holding a position of dominance or authority over a child would fall within the aggravated offence framework. Mehta contended that Sengar, who was a powerful sitting MLA at the relevant time, clearly exercised dominance and influence in the area, attracting the aggravated offence provisions under the POCSO Act. Senior advocates Siddharth Dave and N Hariharan, representing Sengar, opposed the appeal, asserting that an MLA could not be categorised as a “public servant” for the purposes of Section 5 of the POCSO Act. The Bench, however, expressed Pakistan’s horrific, systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is well established fact: MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 29 December The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday sternly dismissed remarks made by the spokesperson of the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs over alleged minority attacks in India, saying that Pakistan’s horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well established fact. The MEA said New Delhi had taken note of the remarks made by Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi and dismissed them as baseless. "We reject the reported remarks from a country whose abysmal record on this front speaks for itself. Pakistan’s horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths THE MEA SAID NEW DELHI HAD TAKEN NOTE OF THE REMARKS MADE BY PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON TAHIR ANDRABI AND DISMISSED THEM AS BASELESS. is a well established fact," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries regarding remarks of the Spokesperson of the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs on incidents in India. "No amount of finger pointing will obfuscate it," the MEA spokesperson added. The India's response followed comments by Andrabi, who urged the international community to take note of what he described as incidents "targeting religious minorities" Ronaldo targets 1,000 goals before retirement in India, including "Christmas-related vandalism and attacks on Muslims," ARY News reported. According to the report, Andrabi referred to alleged cases of "Christmas vandalism and state-backed campaigns targeting Muslims, including demolitions of homes and repeated lynching cases," citing what he described as the high-profile case of Muhammad Akhlaq and alleging that authorities had shielded those responsible from accountability. Pakistan's record on minority rights has been shaped by decades of violence, systemic discrimination and social exclusion, with religious communities frequently facing mob attacks, communal unrest, restrictive laws and coercive religious conversions. concern that the High Court’s interpretation could lead to anomalous results. “Please see this definition of a public servant under POCSO. We are worried that a constable or patwari would be treated as a public servant under the Act, but an MLA or MP would not be and would get exempted,” the Court observed. The Delhi High Court had suspended Sengar’s sentence on December 23, holding that a prima facie case of aggravated penetrative sexual assault under the POCSO Act was not made out, as he did not fall within the definition of a public servant. Despite the order, Sengar continued to remain in custody, as he had not been granted bail in the custodial death case of the survivor’s father. Challenging the High Court’s order, the CBI argued before the Supreme Court that the High Court erred in law by excluding elected legislators from the scope of “public servant” under Section 5(c) of the POCSO Act. According to the agency, an MLA occupies a constitutional position of trust and performs public duties affecting the community at large. Page 12 Will fight to protect democracy and pride of Bengal: Mamata STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 29 December Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would continue her fight to protect democracy and the pride of the people of Bengal. She was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation of Durga temple complex called Durga Angan in New Town this afternoon. Calling the event as historical she dedicated the temple to the people of Bengal. Without naming the BJP, she said: “They have unleashed a reign of terror in the country. More than 50 people have died in connection with the election process. People are being harassed for speaking in Bengali in other states. I am holding my patience and keeping quiet so far. But everything has a limit,” she said adding, “We know the story told by Sri Ramakrishna. A sage told a snake not to attack anyone. The snake followed his advice. After some days the snake met the saint and told him that he was being abused and beaten up by people. The saint then told him 'I have asked you not to attack but did not ask you not to scare those who will attack you',” she remarked. She said the Bengalis are quiet but know very well when to protest. “If you go to the Cellular Jail, 90 per cent of those who were sent there were Bengali freedom fighters. The British had shifted the capital to Delhi as they were scared by the Bengali freedom fighters.” Miss Banerjee said the Durga Angan will come up on 17.28 acres of land in Action Area I in New Town. “The place is well connected and near the airport. It will be a very popular site after the temple complex is inaugurated.” “It will be a green building. The garbha griha will have 54-feet height. There will be 300 trees and 1,000 flowering plants. There will be a 20-foot pathway inside the temple complex,” she said, giving out the details. Miss Banerjee said the place will be a religio-cultural hub. There will be a kitchen to prepare prasad and a cultural museum. Miss Banerjee said people may ask as Durga Puja is being celebrated across the state, then what is the need for a Durga temple complex. “UNESCO has given the Durga Puja Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity tag. Puja will be conducted for 365 days. It is for our future generation.” She reiterated: “Religion is for individuals but festivals are for all. People often criticise me for appeasement. I am one hundred per cent secular. I attend the festivals of all the religions. I do not discriminate between religions. Even today, representatives from all the religions have come to attend the meeting. I pray to Ma Durga to protect us and save us from evil,” she said. Apex Court stays 100-metre Aravalli definition; govt welcomes order PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 29 December The Supreme Court on Monday stayed its earlier order accepting the Centre’s new definition of the Aravalli range, which limited the mountain range to areas with a height of 100 metres or more. Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav welcomed the decision, while the Congress demanded his resignation over the issue. The top court, while hearing a suo motu case, put its earlier order on hold and directed the formation of a new committee to comprehensively examine the definition of the Aravalli range. Under the earlier definition, only land parcels with a height of 100 metres or above were to be considered part of the Aravalli range. This had triggered widespread protests by environmental activists and citizens, particularly among the youth, who alleged that the move would open vast stretches of ecologically sensitive land to mining and construction. Reacting to the court’s order, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said, “I welcome the Supreme Court’s directions staying its earlier order on the Aravalli range and constituting a committee to study the issue. We remain fully committed to extending all assistance required from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for the protection and restoration of the Aravallis.” He further clarified that “a complete ban on mining continues to remain in force with respect to new mining leases as well as the renewal of old leases.” Meanwhile, the Congress party welcomed the Supreme Court’s intervention, describing it as a necessary corrective step. Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, “The Supreme Court has risen to right a wrong. As people rose in unison, the Court chose caution over haste.” Calling the order a “judicial pause,” Surjewala added that although the verdict is not final, it reflects a responsible approach aimed at preventing irreversible environmental damage. “The Aravallis can breathe easier today because constitutional caution has prevailed over the reckless policies of a government bent on destroying one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges,” he said. He further remarked that while the legal battle is far from over, accountability, ecological protection and environmental justice have finally entered the conversation. Foreign policy: Deft balancing act in hostile world ASHOK TUTEJA New Delhi, 29 December 2025 is ending on a pessimistic note for India on the foreign policy front as the year witnessed four days of intense hostilities between India and Pakistan in May following the Pahalgam terror attack and the country’s ties with the United States plummeted faced severe strain due to President Donald Trump's punitive tariffs, immigration crackdowns, and perceived tilt towards Islamabad. Bangladesh became a new trouble spot for India in its neighbourhood where the caretaker regime left no stone unturned to antagonize New Delhi with its intransigent behaviour and virtually turned a blind eye to the atrocities on the minorities, especially Hindus. Instead of being grateful to India for winning its freedom in 1971, Bangladesh is now cozying up to Pakistan in what is seen as a significant change in the South Asian geopolitical landscape. There was some improvement in India’s ties with China as Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on the margins of the SCO Summit in August to reassert India’s strategic autonomy and make it clear to the world that his government will keep national interests on top while dealing with the world. Trump's inauguration as President for the second time had raised hopes of further consolidation in ties with the US, given his equation and personal chemistry between PM Modi. But these hopes were dashed soon as the American leader imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India products, the highest on any country, accusing New Delhi of aiding the Russian war machine in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Russia. Not only that, President Trump also repeatedly claimed credit for cessation in hostilities between India and Pakistan in May while New Delhi made it clear that there was no third-party involvement in ending the ‘mini war’ with Pakistan. Given the slide in ties between India and the US, the much-anticipated Quad Summit of India, Australia, Japan and the US, for which President Trump also was to visit New Delhi, has been postponed. It’s not certain if the summit will take place in 2026 also. It all depends on whether India and the US are able to stitch a free trade deal that is being negotiated between the two sides for quite some time and resolve differences on other issues. Pakistan continued to support cross-border terrorism on Indian soil. Terrorists trained by the neighbouring country massacred innocent tourists on the basis of their religion in the Pahalgam valley on April 22. India was left with no choice but to retaliate. India launched ‘’Operation Sindoor’’ and caused immense damage to the terrorist infrastructure deep inside Pakistan. While the hostilities came to an end after four days, New Delhi made it clear that it would not succumb to nuclear blackmail and any terror attack would be treated as an act of war India is yet to fully assess the extent of help in terms of weaponry provided by China to Pakistan during the four-day ‘mini war’. However, that has not deterred it from re-engaging with Beijing, especially on the economic front. PM Modi’s picture with President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tianjin became the focus of global attention and drew some unsavoury remarks from President Trump which were ignored by both New Delhi and Beijing. But the year saw a remarkable improvement in ties between India and Canada, which went through an ugly phase in the past two years after former PM Justin Trudeau alleged the involvement of India agencies in the killing of a ‘Khalistan’ supporter. Canada’s new PM Mark Carney has given firm indications of his government’s commitment to strengthening ties with India. The rough edges witnessed in India and Russia due to various global factors, including the Ukraine conflict, disappeared as President Putin paid a highly successful visit to New Delhi in December with the two countries inking landmark deals. The visit also gave an opportunity to President Putin to demonstrate his legitimacy to the Western world as he was feted by the largest democracy. However, PM Modi once again made it clear to the Russian leader that this is not the era of wars and the conflict in Ukraine must be brought to an end through peaceful negotiations.