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 | Wednesday, 23 September 2026 SPORTS WORLD Iran warns ‘geography of the war’ could expand as Pezeshkian heads to UN EDITORIAL Nithari’s failure Page 7 Main accused held in Jamui viral video case IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 22 September CPWD seeks vacation of Shastri, Krishi Bhawan by 30 September STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 22 September Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan, two prominent government office complexes in Central Delhi, are to be vacated by 30 September to facilitate construction of the new Common Central Secretariat buildings, Kartavya Bhawan (KB) 4 and 5, under the Central Vista project. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has written to the authorities concerned, asking them to hand over both Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan by 30 September for construction of the new buildings. “As the proposed New KB-4 & 5 buildings fall within the footprint of the existing Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan, it is requested that necessary action may kindly be taken for handing over the existing premises of Shastri Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan by the end of September 2026,” the letter said. Resilient policies to mitigate heat waves Page 9 Page 6 The main accused in the viral harassment and molestation video case in Bihar’s Jamui district, Nandan Yadav, was arrested on Tuesday, along with at least one associate. Bihar ADG (Law & Order) K S Anupam said Nandan Yadav sustained a leg injury during a police encounter while attempting to flee. Giving an update on the case, Ms Anupam said the names of seven to eight youths have so far emerged during the investigation. She said action would be taken against anyone found involved in the incident. The criminal histories of the accused are also being examined. An FIR has been registered at Jamui police station under the BNS/BNSS and the POCSO Act. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by SDPO Deepti Monali, is investigating the case. The ADG said the charge sheet would be filed soon and that a fast-track PERSPECTIVE New Delhi/New York, 22 September I ndia has joined Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, the European union and Kenya as an initial co-sponsor of the Partners for Multilateralism (P4M), a new international platform aimed at strengthening cooperation, international law, peace and sustainable development amid growing global tensions. The initiative was launched on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, bringing together countries committed to strengthening international cooperation and addressing shared global challenges. European Council President António Costa said the initiative would bring together countries committed to the principles of the United Nations Charter Delhi SIR: SC flags ‘logical discrepancies’ in notices, seeks clarity PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 22 September Flagging the seemingly mechanical issuance of notices to voters over “logical discrepancies” in their records, the Supreme Court on Tuesday suggested that the Election Commission of India issue frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help affected voters understand the process and respond to such notices. Issuing notice on a plea raising concerns over the manner in which the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being conducted in Delhi, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana said greater clarity was also required on the information being sought from voters whose records had been flagged for discrepancies. Chief Justice Surya Kant Page 12 India joins global push for multilateralism STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE court would handle the case. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the government had acted promptly in connection with the incident, and promised strict action would be taken against everyone involved, including those who committed the act, and those who made the video or circulated it. The case relates to the harassment and molestation of two Class 10 minor students by a group of men near the Kunder Dam area on the Jamui-Lakhisarai border on 19 September. A video of the incident went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. The attackers hurled vulgar comments, slapped the male student, and sexually assaulted the female student. Indian women cricketers open gold account; badminton team, Roshibina assure medals said voters should be clearly informed about the discrepancies flagged in each case and what they were required to do to address them. Justice Bagchi said: “Almost mechanically, notices are being issued. In all probability, they are machine-generated notices. So please examine whether some additional filters are necessary before the notices.” The petition relates to notices issued to voters whose records have been marked with “logical discrepancies” during the SIR. It seeks disclosure of the basis on which such discrepancies are identified. It also seeks greater transparency about the voters who have received these notices. Advocate Prashant Bhushan appeared for the petitioner, while senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu represented the Election Commission of India. and to finding practical solutions to common global challenges. The P4M initiative seeks to reinforce multilateralism and promote cooperation among countries at a time of growing geopolitical tensions and complex global challenges. Speaking at the inaugural P4M summit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (photo) said the global order was under stress and the “4F” crisis of fuel, food, fertiliser and finance could not be left to itself, calling for stronger multilateral action to address growing geopolitical tensions, conflicts and global disruptions. Mr Jaishankar said extreme competition, geopolitical tensions and conflicts had given a different character to the steady rebalancing of the world witnessed over the past few decades. “If left unchecked, it would call into question the very spirit of international cooperation. And that is why it is so essential that multilateralism asserts itself strongly at this juncture,” Mr Jaishankar said. “At stake here are very real issues, not just words and expressions. The future of peace and international security, of climate action and climate justice, of emerging technologies and development finance, of countering terrorism and strengthening supply chains, and of ensuring disaster resilience and preparing for pandemics. All depend on a will to cooperate,” he said. EAM meets with Ukraine minister: Mr Jaishankar met Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Monday on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. “In this meeting.. the External Affairs Minister once again put forth India's point that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward for peaceful resolution,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi. Keralam govt orders police probe against Pinarayi Vijayan, daughter and son-in-law STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Thiruvananthapuram, 22 September The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Keralam has sanctioned a comprehensive state police inquiry against former Chief Minister and current Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena Vijayan and son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas in the CMRL-Exalogic monthly pay-off case. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said here on T uesday that the state government had decided to entrust Director General of Police (D GP) Ravada Chandrasekhar with an inquiry into the matter. The DGP will decide what kind of inquiry is to be conducted, Mr Chennithala said. “Already, the government has entrusted the DGP to inquire into the whole matter. The DGP will decide what kind of inquiry is to be conducted,” Mr Chennithala said. The decision follows a legal review of a detailed report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), supported by the legal counsel of Advocate General K Jaju Babu. The inquiry stems from the high-profile CMRL-Exalogic monthly pay-off case. The ED alleges that during his first term as Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan received approximately Rs 3.28 crore in bribes from Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL). These payments were allegedly masked as legitimate IT consultancy retainers paid to Exalogic Solutions, a now- defunct software consultancy firm owned by his daughter, Veena Vijayan Investigators claim that no actual services were rendered. The police probe will also investigate allegations that former PWD Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas acted as a mediator and assisted in routing the alleged illegal funds to Dubai through various channels. The state's decision follows a stringent legal vetting of the ED report by Advocate General K Jaju Babu. The AG is learnt to have recommended an inquiry against Vijayan and others after assessing that the central agency had unearthed evidence pointing to alleged corruption and bribery. As the timeline of the alleged transactions spans several years, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) being formed by the DGP will invoke provisions under both the pre- and post-2018 amendment regimes of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Amit Shah: United blow needed to uproot drugs by 2029 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 22 September Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Tuesday said narcotics is today the most serious threat to the country and the world and India must fight the problem unitedly and with passion to eliminate the evil trade by 31 December 2029. Mr Shah was inaugurating the 3rd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Heads of all States and Union Territories here. The Home Minister said that in the past five years, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has, with the cooperation of all states, achieved success against several challenges like terrorism in Kashmir, insurgency in the North-east and the problem of Maoism. The fight against drugs is the most difficult of all battles, he said, “but we cannot abandon this fight.” To build a Viksit Bharat by 2047, to save future generations and to integrate the youth with India’s development, the only option is to make India drug-free, he said. “We will have to fight this problem unitedly and with passion, and we must achieve victory,” he said. The Home Minister said that the ‘Vision Document 2026-2029’ to eliminate the organised crime is like the Gita for all those involved in this fight. The Vision Document has been prepared with great effort after discussions with more than 35 departments. The Document is a complete roadmap and it has been given to everyone with definite targets, he said. Targets and timelines have also been fixed in it. The Home Minister said that it will also be reviewed after some time. The MHA or the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) cannot do all this alone. “We all have to fight this battle with top priority and complete dedication, and we have to win it as well,” he said. The Home Minister said that the battle against drugs has to be fought with clarity. The focal points of this fight have already been identified, and a roadmap has also been prepared at the state level to take intelligence, investigation, financial action and prosecution in one direction. Mr Shah said that the first ANTF conference created an institutional mechanism and strengthened it. In the second ANTF conference, capability, action and execution were discussed in order to convert that mechanism into action. PM Modi announces Project Rhino, hails Assam’s conservation success on World Rhino Day Vande Mataram law challenge: TM Krishna questions penal provision; SG Mehta, Muralidhar spar over ‘Naxalite’ remark STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 22 September Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday marked World Rhino Day by highlighting India’s success in conserving the greater one-horned rhinoceros and announced the initiation of “Project Rhino” to provide financial and technical support to states where the species is found. In a post on social media platform X, Mr Modi said Assam now accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the world’s greater one-horned rhino population and praised the efforts in Kaziranga National Park to combat poaching. “On World Rhino Day, we celebrate the magnificent greater one-horned rhinoceros and laud all those at the forefront of its protection,” the Prime Minister said. “Assam now holds nearly 8 per cent of the world’s rhino population and Kaziranga’s efforts to end rhino poaching have been extensively appreciated,” he said. Mr Modi also pointed to conservation efforts beyond Assam, noting that rhinos had either returned or were being well protected in parts of Bihar and West Bengal, while the successful reintroduction of rhinos in Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh was “creating history”. “This shows the sustained commitment of our people towards animal protection and active wildlife management in the range states,” he said. Announcing the new initiative, the Prime Minister said: “Taking species conservation in the country forward, I am happy to share that Project Rhino has been initiated for financial and technical support to the range states for protection, habitat management, genetic improvement and understanding population dynamics.” The greater one-horned rhinoceros, also known as the Indian rhino, is currently found in the wild in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has said India hosts about 75 per cent of the global population of the species, while Assam alone accounts for around 80 per cent of the global population according to government figures cited in its World Rhino Day conservation material. New Delhi, 22 September The Supreme Court on Tuesday witnessed sharp exchanges between former Orissa High Court Chief Justice and senior advocate S. Muralidhar and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta over the latter’s use of the expression “Naxalite” during the hearing of a challenge to the constitutional validity of the 2026 amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 which makes intentionally preventing the singing of Vande Mataram or disrupting an assembly engaged in its singing punishable with imprisonment of up to three years. The exchanges took place before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana while hearing a petition filed by Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna challenging the 2026 amendment. Questioning the provision, Mr Muralidhar submitted that the amendment penalised prevention of the singing of the “National Song” without defining what constituted the National Song. At this, the bench observed, “If somebody will take pains to read the history, then everybody knows what is the national song,” prompting Mr Muralidhar to submit that “history doesn’t bind constitutional decision-making” and that such issues should ideally evolve through public opinion. He said this was why he was raising the larger issue concerning the law-making process. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the parliamentary law-making process, saying that decisions were taken by Parliament in accordance with the Constitution, not in the manner “Naxalites” decide. Mr Muralidhar strongly objected to the expression, saying such language did not behove a law officer, and registered his protest when Mehta repeated the remark. The bench said it would not take the expression on record and would confine itself to the constitutional issue.