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 LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Monday, 19 January 2026 7 soldiers injured in encounter with terrorists in Kishtwar, two critical: PM targets TMC ‘maha-jungleraj’ at Singur rally, launches `830-cr projects TMC counters Modi’s comments, rejects them as ‘volume of lies’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu: Seven soldiers were injured, two of them critically, during an ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Sonar area of Kishtwar district on Sunday. The injured soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to the military hospital in Udhampur. Officials said the encounter broke out after security forces launched a cordonand-search operation in the Sonar area of Chatroo following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists. As the forces closed in, they came under heavy fire, triggering an exchange of gunfire. Additional troops have been dispatched to the area. Security operations have been intensified, with drones and helicopter surveillance deployed, and alerts have been issued in nearby villages. rime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) while addressing a public rally at Singur in West Bengal, asserting that the people of the state are determined to end what he described as the 15-year-long “maha-jungleraj” under the Mamata Banerjee -led government. The Prime Minister was in the state to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth over Rs 830 crore and to flag off three Amrit Bharat Express trains connecting Kolkata with New Delhi, Varanasi and Chennai. Addressing the gathering, Mr Modi said people from all walks of life ~ mothers, sisters, farmers and youth ~ had assembled with a shared aspiration for change. “Everyone BRIEFLY Kolkata, 18 January P wants to put an end to the 15-year maha-jungleraj. The BJP has once again stopped jungleraj in Bihar, and now West Bengal is also ready to bid farewell to TMC’s maha-jungleraj,” he said. The Prime Minister sharply criticised the state government over law and order, border security and alleged infiltration. “The TMC government is playing with the security of West Bengal and the country. The youth, in particular, need to be extremely cautious,” he said, alleging that the ruling party was providing protection and facilities to infiltrators. He claimed the Centre had repeatedly written to the state government over the past 11 years seeking land for fencing along the Bengal border, but the requests were ignored. “TMC provides patronage to gangs that protect infiltrators and help create fake documents. The time has come when infiltration must be completely stopped,” Mr Modi said. Highlighting Bengal’s natural and economic potential, the Prime Minister said the state has vast rivers, an extensive coastline, fertile land and unique strengths in every district. “The BJP will further enhance this strength of every district,” he added. With Assembly elections due in the next three months, Mr Modi said industrial growth and investments would come to Bengal only if law and order improved. “In Bengal, rioters, looters and mafias have been given free rein. Syndicate tax is imposed on everything. Only a BJP government will end this syndicate tax and mafia rule ~ this is Modi’s guarantee,” he said. Mr Modi also accused the state government of obstructing the implemen-tation of central welfare schemes. “I want to serve the people of Bengal, but the TMC government prevents the benefits of central schemes from reaching them,” he said. Referring to the welfare of fishermen, the Prime Minister said that while the Centre had created a digital platform to register fishermen nationwide, the state government had “put brakes” on the initiative. Mr Modi paid tribute to the national song, Vande Mataram on its 150th anniversary, underlining its cultural link with the region. “I have come to Singur at a time when the country has celebrated 150 years of Vande Mataram. Parliament too held a special discussion to honour Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay,” he said. “The connection between Hooghly and Vande Mataram is very special. It is believed that it was here that Rishi Bankim gave the song its full form. Just as Vande Mataram became the proclamation of independence, we must make it the mantra for the development of Bengal and India,” he added. • No Modi ka guarantee for Singur: Page 3 Kolkata, 18 January The Trinamul Congress leadership on Sunday sharply rapped Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what they described as his “volumes of lies” during his rally in Singur this afternoon. In a post on the X platform, the party stated: “...when PM Modi stood in Singur today and claimed that no investments are coming to Bengal, he wasn’t just distorting facts, he was insulting the intelligence of Bengal’s people.* “Regret to inform him that Singur is back on the mainstream industrial map. Under the leadership of Smt. @MamataOfficial, our Maa-Mati-Manush Sarkaar has approved a ₹500-crore state-of-the-art warehouse project on 11.35 acres in Singur, strengthening e-commerce logistics for players like Amazon and Flipkart and creating large-scale employment opportunities for local youth.” Addressing the Press, Dr Shashi Panja (photo), state minister for Industry, Women and Child Development, and Social Welfare, said: “The acquisition of land in Singur to set up an automobile factory was declared unconstitutional and illegal by the Supreme Court. Modi should know what he is talking about. The BJP has created a false narrative about poor industrial growth in Bengal simply to malign the state. The Bengal government has repeatedly highlighted the investments that have taken place here. Modi did not say anything concrete and was merely beating around the bushes in his speech. He should do his homework properly before addressing a rally in Bengal.” As suspense over Mumbai mayor continues, UAE Prez to visit India on trip intended to boost partnership Fadnavis dismisses rumours of dispute STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 18 January As the suspense over the Mumbai mayor continues, with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena moving its corporators to hotels, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (photo) has dismissed rumours of a dispute among the Mahayuti allies. Mr Fadnavis said that the decision on who will become the mayor will be made by him, Eknath Shinde and other party leaders. “Who will become the mayor, when the mayor will be elected, where it will be decided, and for how many years, these decisions will be taken together by me, Eknath Shinde, and our party leaders. There is no dispute at all,” Mr Fadnavis said. His remarks came after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, addressing party workers after the BMC election results, said that if God is willing, Mumbai will have a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor. “It’s my dream to install a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor in Mumbai, and if God is willing, this dream will be realised,” he said. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister asserted that the BJP could not finish Shiv Sena on the ground as it “failed to buy the loyalty of people”. On Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that several newly elected corporators of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena do not want the BJP to have a mayor in Mumbai. Speaking to reporters amid intensifying political activity following the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, Raut said many of the corporators who are currently with the Shinde faction were originally part of the undivided Shiv Sena founded by Bal Thackeray. “Our understanding is that nobody wants a BJP mayor in Mumbai,” he said. Raut further claimed that even Eknath Shinde himself does not want a BJP mayor in Mumbai. In the recently concluded BMC elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena bagged 29. On the other hand, the Uddhav-led Sena won 65 seats and its ally, MNS seven. Despite the BJP-Shinde Sena alliance getting a majority, a decision on who will be the next Mumbai mayor is yet to be announced. Trump invites India to join Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ as part of Phase-II roadmap: Report STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 18 January US President Donald Trump has invited India to be a part of the Gaza ‘Board of Peace’, news agencies reported on Sunday, quoting people familiar with the matter. Pakistan, Egypt and several other countries are also said to have been invited to join the proposed body. These invitations are part of Phase Two of Trump’s broader Gaza roadmap aimed at ending the conflict and rebuilding the Gaza Strip. According to reports, countries that become members of the ‘Board of Peace’ may be asked to contribute USD 1 billion as part of their membership. As per the draft document, member states “shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman.” Earlier on Friday, the United States announced the formation of a founding Executive Board to operationalise the vision of the Board of Peace, under the chairmanship of President Trump. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, and US Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel have been appointed as members of the Executive Board. “Each Executive Board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacitybuilding, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation,” the White House said in a statement. According to the White House, apart from the main board, there would a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern the Gaza Strip, and a second "executive board" that appears to have a more advisory role. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 18 January At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will pay an official visit to India on 19 January, the Ministry of External Affairs announced here on Sunday. This will be his third official visit to India since assuming office as President of the UAE, and fifth over the past decade. The visit builds on the strong momentum generated by recent high-level exchanges, including the visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in September 2024, and that of UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in April 2025. India and the UAE share warm, close, and multi-faceted relations, underpinned by strong political, cultural, and economic ties. The two countries are among each other’s top trading and investment partners, bolstered by the C omprehensive E conomic Par tnership Agreement (CEPA), the Local Currency Settlement (LCS) system, and the Bilateral Investment Treaty. India and the UAE also enjoy a robust energy partnership, including long-term energy supply arrangements. The visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to chart new frontiers for the India–UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It will also enable an exchange of views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, where India and the UAE share a high degree of convergence, the External Affairs Ministry said. Lost Homeland Kashmiri Pandits initiated the Kamna Lakshya Yagna Mahaabhiyan Avahan – Asht Bhairav Jagadamba Mahayagya to reiterate their long-pending demand for a separate homeland, marking 35 years of their displacement from the Kashmir Valley on Sunday. AGENCIES European nations rebuke Trump after tariff threat over Greenland UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Oslo, 18 January In a rebuke to the latest tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, the eight European countries targeted by the tariffs issued a joint statement on Sunday, affirming their "full solidarity" with Denmark and Greenland and warning that the US actions risk triggering a "dangerous downward spiral" in transatlantic relations. The statement was issued by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Britain. The eight countries, all targeted by Trump's tariff threats on Saturday, stated that they are "committed to upholding our sovereignty" and stand ready for dialogue based on the principles of "sovereignty and territorial integrity." They condemned the US tariffs, saying that they "undermine transatlantic relations," and vowed a "united and coordinated" response. The joint statement was the most forceful rebuke of Mr Trump from the European allies since he returned to the White House almost a year ago. In recent months, Europeans have mostly opted for diplomacy and flattery around him, even when seeking an end to the war in Ukraine. Sunday’s statement, as well as some European countries sending troops to Greenland for a Danish military training exercise, appeared to be a step away from that strategy. The unusually strong joint statement from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland said troops sent to Greenland for operation “Arctic Endurance” pose “no threat to anyone.” Mr Trump said on Saturday that the United States will impose 10-per cent tariffs on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland starting on 1 February. The tariffs would increase to 25 per cent on 1 June, and would continue until a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, he said on social media. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declared on Sunday that “Europe will not be blackmailed,” following a series of emergency calls with European leaders. Ms Frederiksen said she had spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In a post on her social media, she said: “The Kingdom of Denmark is receiving great support. At the same time, it is now even clearer that this is an issue that reaches far beyond our own borders.” "It is all the more important that we stand firm on the fundamental values that created the European community," she said, adding, "We want cooperation, not conflict. I am pleased with the consistent messages from the rest of the continent: Europe will not be blackmailed." • Related report: Page 9