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 US strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island, Tehran targets Gulf bases; Kuwait airport hit The power of belonging SILIGURI | Thursday, 04 June 2026 SPORTS WORLD SPECIAL FOCUS | Pat Cummins hints at skipping IPL 2027 amid packed Australia schedule NATION SC sets up panel to reassess Aravalli Hills definition Page 9 Pages 10, 11 Page 12 Page 5 58 Trinamul MLAs back expelled 21 killed, 35 injured as fire engulfs Ritabrata Banerjee, gets LoP status hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 3 June I n what is becoming an existential crisis for the beleaguered Trinamul Congress, the West Bengal Assembly Speaker, Rathindra Bose, on Wednesday granted official Opposition status to a group of 58 dissident Trinamul legislators who have chosen expelled party leader Ritabrata Banerjee as their leader. The decision was on the basis of a letter submitted by the dissident MLAs. Following the Speaker's approval, Assembly Secretary Soumendra Nath Das handed over the keys to the office of the Leader of the Opposition to Ritabrata Banerjee. Addressing a press conference after his appointment, Mr Banerjee said the group currently has the support of 58 MLAs, while two more legislators have extended their backing, effectively taking the strength to 60. He indicated that the number could increase further in the coming days. Mr Banerjee announced the appointment of Javed Khan, Sabina Yasmin, Sandipan Saha and Shiuli Saha as Deputy Leaders, while Akheruzzaman was named Chief Whip. “We are beginning our journey as an Opposition party from today. We will play the role of a responsible Opposition. We will oppose the government whenever it makes mistakes, both inside and outside the Assembly. However, we will not oppose merely for the sake of opposition. We will support good initiatives as well,” Mr Banerjee said. On the question of leadership, Mr Banerjee clarified that the group continues to regard TMC chairperson and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as its principal guide. “We are currently a team of 58 MLAs, which will soon become 60. We have submitted the letters of support to the Speaker. We request Mamata Banerjee to remain our chief advisor. We will act as a constructive Opposition and will not facilitate the government through walkouts,” he said. Chief Whip Akheruzzaman reiterated that Mamata Banerjee remained the leader of the group. “There is no doubt about that. We are all TMC MLAs and nobody should have any confusion on this issue,” he said. However, Mr Akheruzzaman alleged that the process of selecting the Leader of the Opposition had been flawed. According to him, although the dissident legislators had attended meetings at Kalighat on two occasions, their views were ignored. He also accused some leaders of forging signatures in the name of a resolution, calling the incident “shameful”. Shivakumar takes oath as Karnataka’s new Chief Minister, 13 ministers join Cabinet STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 3 June In a ceremony rich in political messaging and public spectacle, DK Shivakumar on Wednesday took oath as Karnataka’s Chief Minister, capping a decades-long political journey that saw him evolve from a grassroots Congress organiser into one of the party’s most influential regional leaders. Sworn in at a grand event at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru, Mr Shivakumar formally assumed office at the head of a new Congress government, becoming Karnataka’s 25th US proposes 12.5 pc import duty on 60 countries, including India: New Delhi: The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed imposing additional duties on imports from 60 economies, including India. The USTR said it had determined that the acts, policies, and practices of 60 economies were “unreasonable” and burdened or restricted US commerce because they did not adequately prevent the import of goods produced with forced labour. It has proposed additional duties on all products from the investigated economies, subject to exclusions listed in its Federal Register notice. Economies that already have a forced labour import prohibition, have committed to one through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, or maintain a partial regime to block certain goods made with forced labour would face an additional duty of 10 per cent. For all other economies, the proposed rate is 12.5 per cent. Chief Minister and the eighth from the Vokkaliga community. Accompanied by 13 Cabinet colleagues in the first phase of ministry formation, he now inherits the task of translating his formidable political reputation into governance at a time when Karnataka remains one of India’s most politically significant states. Senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, alongside chief ministers from several states, underlining the importance the Congress attached to the occasion. Mr Shivakumar took the oath in the name of the late seer Gangadhar Ajjayya, a gesture that drew attention among supporters and religious leaders gathered at the venue. More than 40 swamijis attended the ceremony, which also featured film personalities, sportspersons and industrialists, highlighting the broad social outreach that has long been a hallmark of Karnataka politics. Among those present were actors Ravichandran, Kichcha Sudeep and Ramya, former India cricketer and former cricketer-turned-industrialist. ATUL KRISHAN New Delhi, 3 June At least 21 persons, including 17 foreign nationals, were burnt alive, while around 35 others were injured after a major fire broke out at Hotel Flourish Stay Guest House, near Mikasa Inn Rooms, Hauz Rani in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning. Ten police personnel were also injured during the rescue operation and were shifted to AIIMS. According to preliminary information, the fire started from a restaurant located on the ground floor of the guest house. “It was a five-storey building in which the hotel was being operated. The fire engulfed the entire hotel. The basement of the hotel was also locked and housed six rooms, where 35 persons were trapped,” said a fire official. The Delhi Fire Service received a call regarding the incident at around 8:40 a.m., after which a total of fifteen fire DEADLY LAPSES: DELHI FIRE CHIEF A.K. MALIK CONFIRMED SIGNIFICANT VIOLATIONS OF FIRE SAFETY NORMS AND EMERGENCY INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS. • Single Access Point: Hotel allegedly had a common entry and exit route, limiting evacuation options during emergencies. • Over-capacity Operation: Around 40 guests were reportedly housed in 25 rooms despite permission for only 6 rooms. • Unauthorised Basement Use: Basement space was allegedly used for both a restaurant and guest accommodation beyond sanctioned norms. • No Fire Safety NOC: Preliminary findings indicate the hotel was operating without a valid fire safety clearance. • No Dedicated Fire Exits: Building reportedly lacked designated emergency escape routes. tenders were rushed to the spot. A total of 47 persons affected by the fire incident were rushed to various hospitals. Out of these, 21 people lost their lives, while 17 people were found injured. The condition of nine individuals was stated to be critical. Firefighters had to break open the door as it was locked from the outside. After this, all 35 persons were rescued • Kitchen in Basement: Cooking operations were being run from the basement, a serious fire-safety violation. • Sealed Windows: Several windows were found shut or sealed, restricting evacuation and ventilation. and shifted to Max Hospital. Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, stated that 39 victims were brought to its Emergency Department. Of these, 18 were brought dead, while 15 remain admitted to the ICU, including eight on ventilator support in critical condition. Five patients with minor injuries were discharged after first aid, while one critically injured person was referred to Safdarjung Hospital. The hospital confirmed that both Indian and foreign nationals were among the victims. Among those killed were nationals of Nigeria, Liberia, and Bangladesh. Delhi Fire Service officials, local police, and area residents played a crucial role in saving lives. Residents placed mattresses on the ground so that people trapped on the first, second, and third floors of the hotel could jump to safety.