FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI EDITORIAL Trump arrives in Beijing for talks with China’s Xi Broken trust Page 11 PERSPECTIVE The economics of quiet patriotism Page 9 Page 8 CM steps up ‘zero tolerance’ campaign against corruption STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Suvendu Adhikari retains Bhowanipore, relinquishes Nandigram, says won’t abandon Nandigram’s people C Kolkata: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday took oath in the state Assembly as the MLA from Bhowanipore, signalling that he would relinquish the Nandigram seat after having won from both constituencies in the Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters after the oath-taking, Mr Adhikari said: “I cannot remain MLA from two constituencies and so I shall have to resign from Nandigram but I will fulfil every promise made to Nandigram... I have left Nandigram but the people of Nandigram will never feel my absence,” he said. (Photo: Biswajit Ghoshal) hief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday accelerated his government’s “zero tolerance” campaign against corruption, announcing a series of measures to empower investigative agencies and crack down on unauthorised structures. Mr Adhikari said his government had granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other agencies the consent that had long been withheld by the previous regime, thereby enabling them to commence prosecution of government officers complicit in scams such as teacher recruitment, civic body appointments and cooperative irregularities. “The previous dispensation deliberately withheld permission for four years in several cases being probed by the CBI, preventing chargesheets and trials. Today, we have given the CBI the required authority to prosecute corrupt officials with immediate effect,” the Chief Minister said at Nabanna. He directed officials to act ruthlessly against unauthorised Cooperation in energy, defence, trade to be high on agenda during PM’s upcoming visit to UAE, 4 European nations NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 13 May Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a six-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy starting from 15 May to boost India's bilateral ties, cooperation in energy, defence, economy and trade amid the West Asia crisis. Addressing a special media briefing here on Wednesday evening, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (West) Sibi George said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a five­nation tour from 15–20 May, covering the UAE and four European countries ~ the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy.” He stated that in the UAE on 15 May, PM Modi will meet President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral ties, energy cooperation and regional issues. Mr George remarked that India and the UAE share a comprehensive strategic partnership, with over 4.5 million Indians living in the UAE."We Karnataka withdraws 2022 uniform order, allows limited religious symbols in schools STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Bengaluru, 13 May The Karnataka government on Wednesday withdrew its controversial 5 February 2022 uniform order and issued fresh guidelines allowing students in schools and colleges to wear “limited traditional and faith-based symbols” along with prescribed uniforms, while stressing equality, discipline and secular values. The move follows public outrage over a 24 April incident in which a student’s sacred thread was allegedly cut at a school, triggering a wider debate on religious identity and student rights in educational institutions. Announcing the decision, Karnataka Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa said the government acted after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasised that “all religions and faiths should be respected” and that children “shouldn’t face any kind of stress” while attending school. In a Government Order issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, the state revoked Government Order No. EP 14 SHH 2022 dated 5 February 2022, with immediate effect. The fresh order said all government, aided and private schools, as well as pre-university colleges, must continue to enforce institutional uniforms. However, students would be permitted to wear “limited traditional and custom-based symbols” along with uniforms, provided they do not alter the essential purpose of the dress code. The government listed turbans, sacred threads, Shiva beads, Rudraksha and headscarves among the permissible symbols, stating that such practices should not interfere with discipline, safety or student identification. Thursday, 14 May 2026 SPORTS WORLD Kolkata, 13 May | have a concrete agenda covering the full spectrum of bilateral relations with the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and other Nordic partners. This includes discussions and engagement with the business community,” he said. “In the UAE, the visit follows recent developments around OPEC pipelines. With the Netherlands, semiconductors are a key area of cooperation, and discussions will include Advanced Semiconductor and IMEC-related topics will also be covered and briefed accordingly," he said. Mr George further said that after concluding his visit to the UAE, PM Modi will visit the Netherlands from 15 to 17 May.“From 15–17 May, PM Modi will be in the Netherlands ~ his second visit after 2017 ~ at a crucial moment in bilateral relations. This also includes the third India­Nordic Summit, focusing on trade, investment, green technology, and innovation. The visit to the four European countries comes in the backdrop of the India-EU FTA that we finalised earlier this year," he remarked. Following the Dutch leg, PM Modi will pivot to Scandinavia, visiting Sweden and Norway, nations viewed by New Delhi as "key to New Delhi's transition to green and emerging technologies." A major centrepiece of the tour is the Prime Minister's arrival in Norway for the third India-Nordic Summit in Oslo on 18 May. Prime Minister Modi will wrap up his five-nation visit with a visit to Italy between 19 and 20 May, fur ther expanding India's diplomatic reach across both Europe and West Asia. constructions, citing the recent Tiljala fire incident in which two people died. The inquiry committee’s report, he said, revealed blatant violations of building and fire safety rules. The owner of the unauthorised factory has been arrested, he added. He also said that harassment of potato farmers and small traders at inter-state borders would no longer be tolerated, pointing out that farmers and small businessmen had suffered extensive harassment during the Trinamul regime, particularly those involved in the potato trade. Later, at a meeting with secretaries of 41 departments, he reiterated that corruption would not be tolerated and stressed that IAS officers must shoulder responsibility for executing plans in strict adherence to government rules. • Related report: Page 3 PBKS battle slump while MI play for pride in Dharamsala Page 16 Austerity drive: PM Modi reduces convoy size, Suvendu follows suit STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 13 May In a move indicating implementation of austerity measures within the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has significantly reduced his convoy size. Officials said that the reduction was carried out while maintaining essential security components as per the SPG protocol. Typically, the PM’s convoy includes Pilot vehicles, escort vehicles, the Prime Minister’s car, a backup vehicle, an ambulance, medical emergency vehicles, and a communications vehicle. PM Modi has also asked for the inclusion of Electric Vehicles in his convoy, wherever possible, without new purchases, sources said. PM Modi on Sunday called on citizens to reduce consumption of fuel and switch to public transport, among other austerity measures, in the wake of the global energy disruption caused by the Iran war. Import tariffs on gold, silver hiked: New Delhi: The Centre has raised the import tariffs on gold and silver to 15 per cent from 6 per cent, as part of efforts to curb overseas purchases of the metals and ease pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves. The government imposed a 10 per cent basic customs duty and a 5 per cent Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on gold and silver imports, taking the effective import tax to 15 per cent from 6 per cent. The move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to avoid buying gold for a year to help conserve foreign exchange reserves. Global bullion prices are already soaring amid geopolitical uncertainty, volatile crude oil markets and fears of prolonged conflict in West Asia. However, PM Modi’s appeal to citizens to reduce fuel consumption triggered significant backlash on social media due to the contrasting, large-scale convoys used by officials and politicians. Meanwhile, Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a significant cut in the number of vehicles in his official convoy, echoing PM NModi’s appeal for fuel conservation. Mr Adhikari, speaking before he took oath as an MLA in the state Assembly, said unnecessary vehicles in his convoy would be withdrawn with immediate effect. Notably, Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav have also reportedly decided to reduce their convoy size. Decision on Kerala CM will be announced today STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Thiruvananthapuram, 13 May The Congress high command will officially announce the next Chief Minister of Kerala on Thursday. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the decision on the Kerala Chief Minister would be made public by 10 a.m. on Thursday. Mr Ramesh confirmed that all leadership deliberations in New Delhi had concluded, bringing an end to the 11-day deadlock following the alliance’s electoral victory. The consensus reportedly emerged after a crucial high-level meeting between Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a commanding victory in the Assembly elections, winning 102 out of 140 seats and unseating the long-ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF). The intense three-way contest among V D Satheesan, K. C. Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala significantly delayed the Chief Ministerial announcement ~ the results were announced on 4 May and Congress has yet to make an announcement on the CM post. The Congress high command, including Mr Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, held multiple rounds of marathon discussions in New Delhi over the past several days to resolve the leadership deadlock. Speaking to reporters, Mr Ramesh said: "As authorised by the members of the CLP in Kerala, the high command of Congress has completed all discussions. The decision on who the next CM of Kerala will be announced tomorrow." Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Wednesday said that the Congress has been overwhelmed with "confusion" amid the suspense over the Chief Ministerial nominee for Kerala. "The Congress party is in complete confusion even after 9 days... Congress got a full majority in Kerala and yet there is confusion... I was even told that there will be five CMs in five years... Wherever there is Congress, there is confusion. You can see the situation of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh...", he said, taking out binoculars to take a dig at the Congress. Vijay govt wins confidence vote, gets backing of rebel AIADMK MLAs AIADMK sacks rival faction leaders SP Velumani, C Ve Shanmugam from party posts: Chennai: After a faction of AIADMK leaders voted for Vijay’s TVK during trust vote, party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday removed party leaders SP Velumani, C Ve Shanmugam and C Vijayabaskar from their party posts. Natham R Viswanathan was also relieved of his party responsibility after these leaders defied the party line and voted in favour of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government during the confidence motion in the Assembly earlier in the day. Mr Palaniswami replaced the party posts of the 25 MLAs and appointed new district secretaries in their places. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Chennai, 13 May Crossing the major hurdle facing his government, Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Joseph Vijay on Wednesday won the vote of confidence in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, securing the support of 144 members, well in excess of the halfway mark of 118. With the rebel legislators of the AIADMK and the lone AMMK MLA joining hands with the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, CPI-M, and IUML in extending support to the government, the motion moved by Mr Vijay seeking the confidence of the House was passed by a division of votes. Of the 47 AIADMK members, only 22 voted against the motion, while the rest supported it. The division of votes was preceded by a discussion in which Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and others participated. “We are staging a walkout as the people have lost confidence in the government, which is trying to secure a majority by SC stays HC bar on TVK MLA: New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed a Madras High Court order restraining newly elected Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA R. Seenivasa Sethupathi from voting in any floor test or trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Sethupathi won the Tiruppattur Assembly constituency in Sivagangai district by a margin of one vote. Staying the High Court order and further proceedings in the matter, a Bench observed, “This (order) is atrocious to say the least,” while noting that the High Court passed the impugned order on a petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution by defeated candidate K.R. Periakaruppan. It noted that a challenge to an election result can only be raised through an election petition. horse-trading. Despite the walkout, Mr Chief Minister, you will win the trust vote. But we want the government to continue the pro-people welfare measures of the previous DMK government,” Udhayanidhi said before leading his colleagues out. He also pointed out that after lashing out at the AIADMK as a den of corruption during the campaign, the TVK is likely to accommodate a section of the party legislators and elevate some into the cabinet. Though the AIADMK leadership had not issued a whip, the split in the party was apparent, with the rebels teaming up with the treasury benches even as those aligned with EPS opposed the motion. The rebel camp, led by former ministers CVe Shanmugam and SP Velumani, had made it clear on Tuesday that they would vote in favour of the government. Interestingly, Kamaraj, the lone legislator of the AMMK, which is part of the NDA, joined the ranks of those supporting the government. The PMK, with its four members, and the lone BJP MLA, Bhojarajan, remained neutral. For his part, Mr Vijay reached out to the AIADMK rebels and honoured Mr Shanmugam and Mr Velumani, presenting them with shawls and assuring that he would take care of them. More than Mr Vijay passing the trust vote, the move split the AIADMK, undermining EPS's leadership and presenting a bleak future for the party. With their defiance of the ‘party whip’, the rebels have formalised the split in the party. AIADMK MLA Leema Rose, wife of ‘lottery king’ Santiago Martin, and motherin-law of Tamil Nadu minister and general secretary of the ruling TVK, Aadhav Arjuna, is among the rebels.