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 | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW PERSPECTIVE Chambal issues one more call for peace Page 6 Page 5 Page 7 In Bengal, PM attacks TMC for women's quota 'betrayal' KANCHAN SIDDIQUI/ DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY Barjora/Purulia, 19 April I n a high-octane campaign push ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed back-to-back rallies in Bengal, with engagements in Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Belda in West Midnapore. Addressing a large gathering at Fulberia under the Barjora Assembly Constituency in Bankura, PM expressed strong dissatisfaction over the non-passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill on Friday in the Lok Sabha, directly accusing the Trinamul Congress (TMC) of betraying women, and charging that the party conspired with the Congress to block the bill. “We want women’s participation in the development of the country. We want women and girls to come into politics. BJP wanted 33 per cent reservation for women, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers ‘jhalmuri’ to a local, in Jhargram on Sunday. AGENCIES TMC didn’t want this to happen because women are challenging their ‘maha jungleraj’,” he alleged. He declared that voters would punish them for this act in the upcoming elections. Citing the swelling crowds at his rallies, he said: “The crowd is going bigger every day. People are waiting for hours to attend this rally. This is an expression of anger.” He also criticised the TMC for allegedly violating laws to | Monday, 20 April 2026 Rinku Singh’s 50 powers KKR to first win this IPL season Fragile Momentum Congress demands immediate roll-out of women’s quota SILIGURI SPORTS EDITORIAL NATION | benefit infiltrators and granting reservations based on religion, claiming the party is opposed to women’s empowerment. PM Modi said that the BJP stands for women’s safety, security, and empowerment, urging more women to join politics for the nation’s progress.also accused the TMC and Congress of being anti-tribal, pointing out that they had fielded a candidate against President Droupadi Murmu during the presidential elections. He sought to connect with the tribal heartland by highlighting BJP’s commitment to tribal welfare. However, the event was marred by internal discord within the BJP. Two candidates ~ Amarnath Sakha (Onda) and Chandana Bauri (Saltora) ~ were denied access to the dais, sparking allegations of partisan behaviour by local MP Soumitra Khan, the coordinator of the meeting. Mr Khan later described the incident as a communication lapse. Addressing another gathering a few hours later at Raibaghini Ground in Purulia, Mr Modi launched a new slogan: “PM and CM eksathe, unnayan hobe dine rate” (With the PM and CM together, Bengal will see development day and night). He described the overwhelming public turnout as a spontaneous roadshow, reflecting the people’s enthusiasm and predicting a strong BJP performance in Jungle Mahal. Page 12 India, US trade talks begin today; BTA draft framework likely to be revisited STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE THE TALKS, SCHEDULED FROM 20 TO 22 APRIL, WILL BE LED BY INDIA’S CHIEF NEGOTIATOR DARPAN JAIN, AN ADDITIONAL SECRETARY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, ALONG WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT AND THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY. New Delhi, 19 April A team of Indian officials is set to reach Washington, DC on 20 April for a three-day round of negotiations with US authorities on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) between the two countries, at a time when changes in US tariff policy have forced both sides to revisit the draft framework. The talks, scheduled from 20 to 22 April, will be led by India’s chief negotiator Darpan Jain, an additional secretary in the Department of Commerce, along with representatives from the customs department and the external affairs ministry. The upcoming discussions come against the backdrop of significant shifts in the US tariff regime. Following a ruling by the US Supreme Court against sweeping tariffs imposed earlier by President Donald Trump under emergency powers, the US administration introduced a temporary 10 per cent tariff on imports from all countries for 150 days beginning 24 February. This move has altered the trade landscape and is expected to prompt both sides to revisit the framework of the agreement, which was initially released on 7 February. Officials have indicated that the revised tariff environment could necessitate a recalibration of the proposed deal. Earlier, the USA had agreed to reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from a high of 50 per cent, including the removal of certain punitive duties linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil. However, the imposition of a uniform 10 per cent tariff across trading partners has diluted India’s relative advantage under the earlier framework, making renegotiation essential. In addition to tariff-related concerns, the talks are also expected to address two ongoing unilateral investigations launched by the US Trade Representative under Section 301 of US trade law. India has strongly rejected the allegations in these probes, arguing that they lack sufficient justification and has called for their termination. The original framework of the BTA included India’s proposal to significantly reduce or eliminate tariffs on a wide range of US industrial goods and agricultural products. These included items such as soybean oil, tree nuts, fruits, wine and spirits, and animal feed products. India had also expressed its intent to increase imports from the US, targeting purchases worth $500 billion over five years across sectors such as energy, aviation, technology, precious metals, and coking coal. Rajnath Singh to visit Germany to boost strategic defence partnership Bengal CM rebuts PM Modi, accuses him of misleading nation in address STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Trinamul Congress chairperson and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of “misleading the nation” in his televised address on Saturday while strongly defending her party’s record on women’s political representation amid the ongoing controversy over women’s reservation and delimitation. In a message posted on her WhatsApp channel, Miss Banerjee described the Prime Minister’s remarks as “deeply unfortunate,” asserting that he had chosen to mislead New Delhi, 19 April Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an official visit to Germany from 21 to 23 April to further strengthen the strategic defence partnership between the two countries. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius and other senior leaders of the government. “Discussions will focus on enhancing defence industrial collaboration, strengthening military-to-military engagements, and exploring opportunities in emerging domains such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, and drones,” the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday. A Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Operations Training are likely to be signed in the presence of both Defence Ministers. The visit will provide an opportunity to review the ongoing defence cooperation initiatives and identify new avenues for collaboration between both countries. Mr Singh is also expected to interact with key representatives of the German defence industry, with a view to promoting joint development and co-production under the Make-in-India initiative. This visit of the Defence Minister comes after a gap of seven years. The last visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Germany was by Nirmala Sitharaman in February 2019. Mr Pistorius had visited India in June 2023 and held extensive talks with Mr Singh. India and Germany share a strong and multifaceted strategic partnership, anchored in democratic values, rule of law, and a shared commitment to a rule-based international order. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata/New Delhi, 19 April rather than engage with the issue honestly. She positioned her response as a direct rebuttal to the Centre’s narrative. Miss Banerjee maintained that the Trinamul Congress has consistently championed greater political representation for women, dismissing any suggestion that her party opposed reservations. South Korean President arrives, to meet PM Modi Trump says US negotiators will be in Pakistan today for further talks with Iran STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES New Delhi, 19 April Washington, 19 April South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived here this evening on a three-day visit to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral issues and global developments, including the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine. “A very warm welcome to H.E. President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea as he arrives in New Delhi on a State Visit to India. This is President Lee’s first visit to India. President Lee was received by Harsh Malhotra, MoS, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The visit marks an important milestone in advancing the India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership,’’ Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the visiting dignitary soon after his arrival. The South Korean leader is accompanied by First Lady Kim Hea Kyung and a high-level US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that US negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran, lifting hopes of extending a ceasefire set to expire this week even as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. The prospect of talks on the horizon, which Iran did not immediately confirm, came as ships remain unable to transit the critical waterway amid threats from Iran and a US blockade on ships heading to and from Iranian ports. Iranian officials said earlier on Sunday that they remained open to negotiation, but held firm that ships wouldn’t pass the strait while the US blockade remained in effect. “It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf said in an interview aired on state delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and business leaders. This is President Lee’s first visit to India. President Lee and PM Modi will hold discussions tomorrow on strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas, including shipbuilding, trade, investments, AI, semiconductors, critical and emerging technologies, people -to-people connect and cultural exchanges. The two countries are also expected to sign a few key documents for cooperation in diverse fields. President Lee will also meet President Droupadi Murmu, who will host a banquet in his honour. India and South Korea share a multifaceted partnership rooted in ancient civilisational ties and shared values of democracy and rule of law. television late Saturday. In his post announcing official travel for another round of talks, Mr Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by firing at ships passing the strait and threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran, if it doesn’t take the deal that the US is offering. “If they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” Mr Trump wrote. He didn’t detail which officials that the USA would be sending to a second round of in-person talks with Iran in Islamabad. The White House and office of US Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of talks, didn’t immediately respond to messages Sunday morning. It remained unclear whether either side had shifted their stances on unresolved issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme, its regional proxies and control over the Strait of Hormuz. Mr Qalibaf, who is Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States, said before Trump’s latest comments that Iran still was seeking peace despite the blockade and deep-seated distrust of Washington. “There will be no retreat in the field of diplomacy,” he said, acknowledging that the gap between the two sides remained wide. Iran had announced the strait’s reopening after a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday. • More reports: Page 9 “Trinamul Congress has always advocated higher political participation for women. We have the highest proportion of female elected representatives in both Parliament and the State Legislature,” she said. She highlighted that women constitute 37.9 per cent of her party’s Lok Sabha MPs and 46 per cent of its Rajya Sabha members. “The question of opposing women’s reservation does not arise and never has,” she added. At the same time, Miss Banerjee reiterated her party’s strong opposition to the proposed delimitation exercise, alleging that it was being pursued for political gain. “What we fundamentally oppose is the delimitation exercise that the Modi Government is attempting to push through by using women as a shield for its vested political agenda,” she said. Warning of serious constitutional implications, she argued that such moves could amount to an “alteration of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution” and enable “gerrymandering” that might “hand greater representation to BJP-ruled states at the expense of others.” Describing the situation as “an assault on federal democracy,” Miss Banerjee asserted: “We will not remain silent spectators.” She also questioned the timing of the government’s push, noting the delay since the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in September 2023. “If the government was genuinely committed to this noble cause, why did it wait nearly three years? Why is it being rushed now, when several states are heading into elections? And why is it being linked with delimitation?” she asked.