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 | Tuesday, 22 September 2026 SPORTS BUSINESS NATION India-New Zealand FTA to come into force on 20 October: Piyush Goyal Kharge questions ECI’s VIP voters calls SIR ‘Frankenstein monster’ Page 10 WORLD Trump weighs Iran options, asks ‘if and when’ to strike Page 5 BRIEFLY Air Marshal (retd) Jitendra Mishra takes charge as first CEO of Ram Temple Trust: Ayodhya: Air Marshal (Retd.) Jitendra Mishra on Monday took charge as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust here. The CEO will operate from his office at the PFC Centre located within the Ram Temple complex. Mr Mishra's primary responsibilities will include managing facilities for the large number of devotees visiting the Ram Temple daily. He will regularly review darshan arrangements, the movement of devotees, facilities, security, and various other activities related to the temple complex. He is also expected to review on-site work related to temple construction, operational arrangements and facilities for pilgrims. Page 9 IIT Bombay faculty backs prof amid student protests STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Mumbai, 21 September T he Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay has expressed solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who is at the centre of a controversy involving BTech student Sahil Wakode, who allegedly committed suicide. At around 4.30 p.m. on Monday evening, members of the Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay held a campus march in support of Doolla, who has been named as an accused in the police FIR, after Sahil Wakode’s father filed a police complaint, alleging that his son was subjected to casteist harassment. Based on the complaint, the Powai police registered an FIR under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to abetment of suicide, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention CM Suvendu meets MukeshAmbani, seeks major investment in state STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Mumbai, 21 September West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai on Monday and discussed the possibility of fresh investments and expansion of existing business activities in West Bengal. A senior spokesperson of the Reliance Group confirmed the meeting, saying the West Bengal government conveyed its keen interest in attracting investments from major corporate groups and creating an environment conducive to expansion of industrial activities in the state. The meeting between Adhikari and Ambani was held at the latter’s residence, Antilia, and lasted for nearly an hour. The details of the discussions were not immediately available, but sources said investment opportunities in West Bengal and the scope for expanding Reliance's presence in the state figured prominently during the interaction. According to the sources, Ambani expressed openness to exploring investment opportunities in West Bengal. The meeting is being seen as part of the state government's efforts to engage directly with leading industrialists and encourage large corporate groups to participate in the state’s economic and industrial development. Adhikari was also reported to have met Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani during his Mumbai visit. The meeting, however, could not be independently confirmed immediately. The meetings were reportedly kept low-profile, with even some Mumbai-based BJP leaders involved in protocol arrangements not being aware of the Chief Minister's schedule, sources said. The West Bengal government has been focusing on attracting private investment and expanding industrial activity by engaging with leading business houses. of Atrocities) Act. The Mumbai Police transferred the case to the Crime Branch on Saturday night, and officials said the professor and others are likely to be questioned as part of the investigation. The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay also issued a press release defending Doolla and disputing reports that he has been suspended from IIT Bombay. “The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay stands strongly with our colleague Professor Suryanarayana Doolla. We would like to clarify that contrary to several reports in the media, Professor Suryanarayana Doolla has not been suspended from his service in IIT Bombay, and continues to be a member of the faculty of the institute in good standing. We are given to understand that he has been temporarily relieved from his duties as Dean (Administrative Affairs) of the institute, to enable independent and unbiased investigation of the unfortunate incident on 18 September 2026, the Forum stated. “We are distressed by the vilification of our colleague’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi to fight for Tata Trusts, Harish Salve to defend Tata Sons STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Mumbai, 21 September Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata has hired senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi to helm the fight on its behalf, while senior lawyer Harish Salve is slated to defend the position taken by the Tata Group holding company Tata Sons regarding the reappointment of its Executive Chairman N Chandrasekaran, sources stated here on Monday. All constituents under the Tata Trusts umbrella collectively own a 66 per cent majority stake in holding company Tata Sons, which reappointed N Chandrasekaran for a third term on 17 September, though Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata wanted him to step down and sought to ensure Tata Sons remains a private company, unlisted on any stock exchange. Singhvi, who will fight the legal battle for Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata, said that the fundamental rights of shareholder-owners cannot be nullified in the manner Tata Sons has done. “To stultify shareholder ownership rights would spell doomsday for corporate governance across hundreds of Indian companies. Tostymiedemocraticintra-Trust decision-making by Tata Trusts byputtingasuddenandcompletely unwarranted fetter on even their convening for a meeting is another matter of patent legality,” Abhishek Manu Singhvi told media persons. Singhvi, who has worked with Tata Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata in the Cyrus Mistry case said, “Rupturing more than 100 years of Tata Trusts and TataSons’establishedhyphenated relationship and divorcing one fromtheotherseemsunthinkable. Ignoring the unvarying precondition of Tata Trusts’ unanimity in voting and the clear veto in provisions applied withoutcavilfordecadesappears patently unjustified”. In UP, BJP banks on ‘Bihar formula’ to counter Samajwadi challenge VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 21 September Facing serious issues like anti-incumbency, a perceptible upper-caste discontent and the challenge of balancing the aspirations of other castes amid it, the ruling BJP is hoping to replicate its successful Bihar strategy in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh ~ highlighting law-and-order and administrative issues associated with the opposition’s rule ~ to counter main challenger, the Samajwadi Party. As they used the “jungle raj” narrative against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in neighbouring Bihar, saffron strategists think a similar campaign around “law and order and dominance of one particular caste during the SP’s rule” can help attract voters across the caste groups. The SP, like the RJD, also faces legacy issues, say BJP leaders. Seeking a third consecutive term, the BJP is confronting multiple challenges with factors such as Gen Z and “discontent” among upper castes adding. The party is facing considerable criticism over the University Grants Commission’s equity regulations which have been challenged in the court. Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who successfully used the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) formula in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is now seeking to consolidate the Hindu vote, especially upper-caste communities such as Brahmins, Thakurs and Banias. Sources say BJP’s upper caste MLAs have raised concerns on the issue. While there are no definitive figures, forward castes ~ including Brahmins, Banias and Thakurs ~ are estimated to constitute 20-25 per cent of the state’s population. Apart from issues such as price rise and unemployment, rivals SP and Congress are also raising issue related to alleged donation theft at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya Party leaders acknowledge that any unrest in the so-called savarna jatis can hurt the party’s prospects, particularly in Purvanchal. The party is also examining the socio-political reasons for the losses in the 2022 Assembly and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and hearing grievances and complaints of different sections and caste groups. reputation by false and misleading reports that have appeared in the media,” according to the press release issued by the Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay. The press release was issued in the name of Forum President Professor Rajkumar S Pant.. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay administration tweeted an official statement on its X handle Monday stating, “We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil. The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process”. Asian Games cricket: India seek continental dominance, Sri Lanka aim for final upset Page 12 Jamui incident sparks political outcry over women’s safety in Bihar IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 21 September A video showing a minor girl and her fellow Class 10 student being stopped, harassed and assaulted on a road in Jamui has triggered widespread outrage across Bihar, prompting police to arrest three people and launch a wider investigation into the incident. The main accused, however, remains at large, while five people have so far been identified in connection with the case. Jamui SP Vishwajeet Dayal said the incident occurred on 19 September. No complaint had been lodged with the police until Sunday, and the incident came to light after the video surfaced and went viral. The police subsequently contacted the victim’s family and registered an FIR under the POCSO Act. An SIT has also been constituted to conduct further investigation into the case. The three arrested accused~ Mithilesh Kumar, Pramod Kumar and Golu Kumar, reportedly aged between 25 and 26 ~ are being questioned while police examine other aspects of the incident as part of the ongoing investigation. Bihar State Commission for Women Chairperson Apsara Mishra took suo motu cognizance of the viral video and directed the Jamui District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police to ensure immediate strict action against all involved. The National Commission for Women (NCW) also intervened, directing the Bihar DGP to ensure speedy arrests and a time-bound investigation. The incident has also triggered a political response, with opposition leaders questioning the state government over women’s safety and the law-and-order situation in Bihar. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the video from Jamui as deeply disturbing and questioned why a girl was not safe on a public road at 7 pm. In a post on X, Gandhi said two Class 10 students had been stopped on a road and subjected to harassment, humiliation and molestation. He said the girl, with her hands folded, had pleaded to be allowed to leave while the men allegedly groped and dragged her away. “Who gave these men the right to behave like this? This is not ‘culture.’ It is patriarchy: the belief that any man can police a girl’s body, her movement, her choices. When control is mistaken for culture, and such attitudes are normalised by Andhbhakts, mobs start believing they are the law,” he wrote.