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 | SILIGURI | Monday, 08 June 2026 Abhishek Banerjee linked to Bengal liquor scam MANAS R BANNERJEE, SIDDHARTHA RAI, NITISH KAPOOR Kolkata/New Delhi, 7 June A fter Delhi, West Bengal has thrown up its own iteration of a liquor scam. The state’s liquor policy was altered in 2017, allegedly at the behest of All India Trinamul Congress (AITC) super-boss and then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, enabling the state to monopolise liquor distribution. The new policy was designed to twist the arms of erstwhile private wholesalers into paying levies to the tune of thousands of crores. According to a confidential report drawn up by the excise department, which The Statesman has seen, all this carving up of state revenue was carried out in the name of “averting cartelisation, transparency, equitable access of liquor to all parts of the state and promotion of consumer choice.” The Statesman has also learned that the report has already been tabled with West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari too has been briefed on the matter. Amit Malviya, Co-incharge of BJP West Bengal, told The Statesman “those who looted West Bengal” would have to “answer for their actions”. “The details emerging from the West Bengal liquor scam point to a deeply entrenched culture of corruption under the Trinamul Congress. The allegations suggest a syndicate that operated with political patronage, with Abhishek Banerjee at its centre and all of it unfolding under Mamata Banerjee’s watch,” Mr Malviya said. “The IFB complaint was not a private grievance, it was a matter reported to the stock exchange and placed in the public domain. The truth can no longer be buried. Those who looted the people of West Bengal and extorted businesses must be held accountable. The law will take its course, and every person involved, regardless of position or influence, will have to answer for their actions.” The confidential report alluded to here charts out the modus operandi of the entire operation. In 2017, a special body ~ West Bengal State Beverages Corporation Ltd. (WBSBCL) ~ was created to replace private wholesalers, also called ‘Trades’, who owned the distributorship of foreign liquor and beer. These ‘Trades’ used to hold licenses under the Bengal Excise Act, 1909. According to the report, through WBSBCL the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government took up the liquor business. Earlier, the liquor business in West Bengal was driven by 55 ‘Trades’ operating independently and competitively. The manufacturers, under this system, could choose their trading partners ~ one of the 55 licenced Trades - depending on their business strengths (or weaknesses thereof), while retailers too had the freedom to opt from multiple supply points. In all, the system prior to 2017 was one of “fair trade practices, healthy competition and timely supply of liquor at the ultimate consumption points, i.e. retail licensed outlets.” Things changed with the advent of WBSBCL. The new system introduced a new set of distributors who extorted the bottlers. This system was allegedly put in place under the stewardship of then Excise Commissioner Uma Shankar S, allegedly operating at the behest of now embattled TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee. The system, the report documents, was run by a close nexus of several senior officers at the Excise Directorate. “… the concept of decentralised business, fair trade practices, healthy competition and multisupply points gave way to a Monopolistic Business Model,” the report observes. The report alleges malfeasance, going so far so to state that the “whole policy of introduction of such Distributors was designed in order to siphon out money for the AITC in the name of garnering revenue for the Government Exchequer.” Allegedly, the distributors • Turn to Page 2 • Also see: Page 8 23 parties to attend INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi: Ramesh STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 7 June Suvendu calls 2026 mandate Bengal’s ‘second independence’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 7 June Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday described the BJP’s victory in the 2026 Assembly elections as Bengal’s “second independence”, alleging that the people had freed the state from what he called years of misrule and corruption under the Trinamul Congress. Addressing a blood donation camp in Dum Dum, Adhikari launched a sharp attack on the previous regime and said the people of Bengal had removed a “queen of robbers” from power. “The people got the taste of a second independence in 2026. You have driven away the robbers of Trinamul and removed the queen from her throne. I do not have enough words to thank you,” he said. Claiming that the rule of law had been restored in the state, Mr Adhikari said the doors to fresh investment had already opened. He referred to the recent foundation-laying ceremony for an Amul plant and said substantial investments were expected in the coming months. “The groundwork for industrial growth has begun. The Shipping Ministry will develop two more deep-sea ports in Kulpi in South 24-Parganas. It has been only 28 days. Wait for 100 days and we will have much more to show,” he said. “This state has to be rebuilt. It has fallen behind after 34 years of Left rule and 15 years of Trinamul governance,” the chief minister said. Mr Adhikari also alleged that corruption had permeated every level of administration. “Wherever we are putting our hands, we are finding corruption. It now seems that the Brigade Parade Ground may have to be converted into a jail. The TMC party to be removed from Bengal,” he remarked. The CM said that several welfare schemes under the previous government had been plagued by irregularities. He alleged that nearly three lakh men had received benefits under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which was intended for women. According to him, around 4,500 male beneficiaries were identified in Jangipur block of Murshidabad district alone. He added that men had received widow pension benefits during the previous regime. Action was being taken against those involved in corruption and financial irregularities, he said. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that 23 political parties have confirmed their participation in a meeting of the INDIA bloc, also referred to as INDIA Janbandhan, scheduled to be held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Monday. In a post on social media platform X, Mr Ramesh announced that the meeting would take place at 12 noon on 8 June and would bring together a broad spectrum of Opposition parties to discuss issues relating to democracy, governance, electoral processes and the political situation in the country. Mr Ramesh noted that while some parties would not be attending the meeting, they had nevertheless conveyed their opposition to the policies and actions of the BJP-led central government. “There are some parties who have expressed their inability to attend this particular meeting for their own reasons ~ even though they have conveyed their strong opposition to the Modi Government’s policies and actions,” he said. Mr Ramesh accused the Centre of undermining democratic institutions and constitutional values, alleging that the government was curtailing voting rights, targeting Opposition leaders through investigative agencies and weakening democratic processes. Malviya Nagar fire: Nigerian dies during treatment STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 7 June One more person who sustained serious injuries in the Malviya Nagar fire succumbed on Sunday, taking the death toll in the tragedy to 22, police said. The injured who died on Sunday was a Nigerian national, the police said. Altogether, 13 foreigners and nine Indians lost their lives in the Malviya Nagar fire tragedy that took place on 3 June at the multi-storeyed Flourish Stay Bed and Breakfast hotel in South Delhi. Earlier, the authorities said that 47 people were rescued from the building, with some of the injured still undergoing treatment. Following the tragedy, the property's owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, was arrested and sent to custody, officials said. In addition to this, the Delhi Police on Saturday arrested another accused in connection with the fire tragedy. According to officials, the hotel's cook has been arrested after the investigation revealed that the fire was allegedly caused by his negligence. Pedal power Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood leads the "Pedal the Beat – Sunday on Cycle" rally to promote fitness, sustainable living, and the Fit India movement on Sunday in New Delhi. SNS Nepal signals pragmatic reset in ties with India during Foreign Minister’s visit ARTI BALI New Delhi, 7 June Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal’s visit to India, the first high-level engagement from Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s new government, signals Kathmandu’s effort to reset the tone of bilateral ties amid recent friction over boundary issues. By stressing dialogue, mutual trust and shared prosperity, while rejecting a geopolitical framing of bilateral relations, Mr Khanal appeared keen to reassure New Delhi that Nepal’s new government favours pragmatic engagement over nationalist posturing. Kathmandu is seeking to ensure that longstanding border disputes do not derail expanding cooperation in trade, connectivity and energy, areas that have increasingly defined the India-Nepal relationship in recent years. The messaging from Kathmandu was unmistakably conciliatory. Mr Khanal said Nepal refused to view India through the “distorted, hypersensitive lens of 21st-century geopolitics” and instead aimed to resolve border issues through diplomatic channels. The government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah is pursuing a pragmatic foreign policy centred on economic diplomacy. The administration seeks a fresh start without carrying “old baggage” while continuing to address long-standing border disputes. At the same time, it is emphasising stronger economic engagement, regional connectivity and investment-driven cooperation as key pillars of its approach towards India and other neighbouring countries. Nepal does not want its relationship with India to be viewed primarily through the prism of great-power competition, particularly amid growing strategic rivalry in South Asia. Instead, Kathmandu appears keen to manage ties on the basis of geography, economic interdependence and deep people-to-people links rather than external geopolitical considerations. Mr Khanal’s emphasis on resolving disputes through dialogue and an “open heart” also seemed aimed at easing concerns arising from recent comments by Prime Minister Shah on boundary issues. Mr Khanal said Nepal was ready to turn the page on years of political friction and build a relationship anchored in pragmatism, measurable outcomes and mutual growth. Wrapping up a three-day official visit on Sunday, he conveyed that Nepal came with an open heart and a willingness to resolve differences constructively. “No problem is too large and no boundary too complex when we sit down with an open heart,” he said, a line that carried added significance in light of recent political developments. Weeks earlier, Prime Minister Shah had sparked controversy with remarks on the long-running border dispute with India, drawing close attention to Khanal’s visit from diplomatic circles on both sides. The minister’s tone marked a clear attempt at course correction. “We refuse to look at India through the distorted, hypersensitive lens of 21st-century geopolitics,” Mr Khanal said. Instead, he outlined a framework centred on economics, technology and shared ambition. “We look at India with an open heart, clear eyes and a single transparent agenda: the economic transformation of Nepal.”