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 Platform power Ukraine’s latest strikes on Russia hit a major natural gas plant and satellite centres Page 6 Page 9 BRIEFLY PM Modi to visit Seychelles on Saturday: New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a state visit to Seychelles from 27-29 June to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the National Day of Seychelles as the Guest of Honour, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday. The PM last visited Seychelles in 2015. A contingent of the Indian defence forces, along with two Indian Navy ships, will participate in the celebrations. During the visit, the PM will hold talks with President Patrick Herminie, to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Mr Modi will also address the National Assembly of Seychelles and interact with members of the Indian diaspora. India and Seychelles share a longstanding partnership rooted in shared historical, cultural and people to people ties. NATION PM Modi recalls Emergency as ‘assault on democracy’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 25 June O incident and examine irregularities in the sanctioned plans of all under-construction buildings. He announced that construction work on all under-construction buildings in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, RajarhatNew Town, Maheshtala, Budge Budge, Pujali, Sonarpur and Baruipur municipal areas would remain suspended for the next four weeks. “For the next four weeks the audit will continue and till then all construction work will be kept on hold,” he said. Stating that the building plan for the warehouse was okayed on 17 January, Mr Adhikari waved a piece of paper and said: “We have collected all the facts…The approval documents carry the signature of the former Mayor. …Those responsible for grant- Passport not proof of citizenship: MEA VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 25 June Amid a political storm over electoral roll revisions and citizenship verification exercises, a clarification by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that a passport is a travel document and not conclusive proof of citizenship has triggered a major controversy. While the Opposition was seen taking jibes at the BJPled Centre, questioning what document, then, can establish Indian citizenship, government officials said that a passport “has never been considered proof of citizenship,” stressing that no such decision was taken either recently or in the last 12 years. They also quoted sections of the Passports Act, 1967, which provides for the issuance of passports to non-citizens. The controversy began when MEA officials, during the Passport Seva Divas event, highlighted security features in new chip-based e-passports, including biometric data aimed at improving global acceptance and reducing fraud, and clarified that while passports are issued after extensive verification and due diligence, they should not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship. “A passport is issued after a lot of due diligence, and it is based on documents from several government agencies,” an official said, triggering the debate. Opposition leaders seized on the remarks. Trinamul Congress MP Mahua Moitra quipped that “the only proof of Indian citizenship today is to be both Hindu and a BJP voter. Nothing else will do.” Referring to the Election Commission’s booth-level officers (BLOs), senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned which document constitutes proof of citizenship. “MEA June 24, 2026. A passport is a travel document, and not a document of citizenship. Which document then is proof of citizenship? BLO can doubt my citizenship, deprive me of my vote. Result ~ BJP wins the election. Over to Supreme Court!” Sibal posted on X. The Congress’s Kerala unit, in a satirical post, said: “Aadhaar is a card. PAN is for cooking. Voter ID is for showing, not voting. Income Tax Return is for returning your income. Election affidavit is for creative writing. And Modi is a joke!” BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya charged back, describing the criticism as outrage by the “kagaz nahin dikhayenge” brigade over a legal position settled by both law and the courts. India reopens Tourist Visas as new envoy begins mission in Dhaka JAYANTA ROY CHOWDHURY Dhaka/New Delhi, 25 June India has signalled a fresh attempt to stabilise relations with Bangladesh by restarting issuance of general travel visas for Bangladeshi citizens, a move announced on the same day that New Delhi’s new High Commissioner, Dinesh Trivedi, formally presented his credentials to Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin. The move is being seen by diplomats and analysts as part of a broader effort by New Delhi to restore normal people-to-people exchanges and inject momentum into a relationship that has faced strains since a “colour revolution” in August 2024 brought turmoil to Bangladesh. Speaking at the Indian Visa Application Centre in Dhaka’s Jamuna Future Park, Trivedi, a politicianturned-diplomat who has been India’s railway minister, announced that India would once again begin accepting applications for general travel visas from June. “I am very happy to be able to announce the launch of general travel visas again. Visa applications can be submitted starting 28 June. Urgent medical visas will continue to be provided for humanitarian reasons,” he said. The Indian envoy said visa services would initially be available through centres in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna, with plans for more expansion in the future. The reopening marks the most significant relaxation of India’s visa regime for Bangladeshis since it was reduced to only emergency visas in the aftermath of the burning down of India’s cultural centre in Dhaka in the aftermath of the change in government in 2024. While emergency medical visas continued to be issued, broader travel categories had remained restricted, hitting tourism, family visits, education, and business travel. While some 17.5 lakh Bangladeshis visited India according to official figures in 2024, the figure fell to 4.7 lakh in 2025, causing hardship to millions of ordinary people. India has traditionally been one of the most accessible foreign destinations for Bangladeshis, for a variety of reasons ranging from medical treatment, shopping, tourism, and education. The announcement on travel visas came within hours of Trivedi formally assuming his diplomatic role by presenting his credentials to President Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban, the presidential palace. Diplomatic observers in Dhaka noted that the restoration of visa services serves as an early indication of the priorities New Delhi has set for its new envoy, which obviously include rebuilding public goodwill and reinforcing the extensive human connections that underpin the bilateral relationship. ing approval and allowing such violations will face action. Nobody will receive any protection”. “The City of Joy has been turned into a city of death because of corruption. This is the result of your sins, years of wrongdoing. No lessons were learnt from previous accidents”, he added. Adhikari informed the House that five persons had already been arrested in connection with the incident and that the investigation was progressing. He claimed that a person identified as “Kali” played a key role in securing approvals for several construction projects. “We know what has happened in Kolkata Municipal Corporation. If Kali is caught, all information will come out. No plan gets approved without Kali. Kali is constructing the Trinamul Bhavan near the Bypass. Who is behind Kali? Camac Street”. Teen prodigy Vaibhav in spotlight as Iyer dons India’s T20 captaincy Page 12 Page 5 ‘Graft behind Taratala building plan approval’ n a day the Taratala warehouse collapse toll mounted to 11, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari tore into the state’s previous Trinamul Congress regime alleging graft in the sanction of the building plan by the then TMC-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation. In an aggressive speech from the floor of the state Assembly, Adhikari today said properties of those found guilty would be seized and legal action, including imprisonment, would follow as part of the government’s zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. Alleging large-scale irregularities in the approval of building plans by the KMC, the chief minister announced the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the Friday, 26 June 2026 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | Twin quakes hit Venezuela, killing at least 164, injuring nearly 1,000 India offers support as PM condoles losses from Venezuela earthquakes: AGENCIES Caracas, 25 June Rescue teams raced Thursday to the areas hardest hit by a pair of powerful earthquakes that rocked Venezuela, killing at least 164 people, injuring nearly 1,000 and trapping many beneath collapsed buildings. Wednesday evening’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region. The country’s main airport was damaged and closed, while buildings were evacuated in places as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometres from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday conveyed India’s condolences to the people of Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes that struck the nation. In a message posted on social media platform X, Mr Modi said: “Deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the severe earthquakes in Venezuela.” “On behalf of the people of India, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Venezuela, especially to the families who have lost their loved ones. We pray for the speedy recovery of those injured and stand in solidarity with all those affected during this difficult time,” he added. The Prime Minister also reiterated India’s readiness to support Venezuela as it copes with the aftermath of the disaster.“India stands ready to extend all possible assistance,” Mr Modi said. Television broadcasts Thursday showed rescue workers using power tools to work their way into piles of rubble where buildings once stood. Panicked residents of the capital were sent pouring into the streets, and after the quakes many people walked among the debris searching for the missing among collapsed buildings and toppled electric poles. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who gave the latest death toll early Thursday, said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which sits north of Caracas on the coast. Officials were trying to make the most of the daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people.