SATURDAY 21 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘TEMPORARY SETBACK FOR AIR INDIA’ ‘OPERATION SINDOOR A POWERFUL MESSAGE TO TERRORISTS’ P5 SENSEX 82,408.17 p1,046.30 ‘CORRUPTION HAS CROSSED NEERAJ RETURNS TO PARIS DL AFTER ALL LIMITS IN KARNATAKA’ EIGHT YEARS P7 NIFTY 25,112.40 p319.15 ` vs $ 86.58 P4 GOLD `1,01,665 RAINFALL: 00.5 mm PM invokes ‘Jungle Raj’ to rally Bihar voters RELATIVE HUMIDITY PM Modi also slammed Lalu Yadav for ‘insulting’ B R Ambedkar WEATHER Generally Cloudy sky. Light to moderate rain/ thundershower likely to occur. Max. 95% Min. 89% Declined US President invitation in favour of visit to abode of Lord Jagannath: PM Modi TEMPERATURE Max: 29.6˚C ( -3.4 ) Min: 25.8 ˚C ( -1.0 ) SUN RISES 04:53 hrs MOON RISES 00:13 hrs SUN SETS 18:24 hrs MOON SETS 13:04 hrs New Moon on 25 June THUMBNAILS IMRAN MOJIB PATNA, 20 JUNE A Artists dressed in traditional attire pose for a picture, during the tribute-paying ceremony to the cultural icon of Assam, 'Kalaguru' Bishnu Prasad Rabha, on his death anniversary, at Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha Samadhi Khetra, Tezpur in Sonitpur on Friday.nANI UK lawmakers back bill to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives: U.K. lawmakers on Friday approved a bill to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives in a historic vote in Parliament that takes it a step nearer to becoming law. Members of Parliament voted 314-291 to back the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill following an impassioned and respectful debate. The majority of 23 was less than the 55 when they last voted on the issue in November, meaning that some lawmakers changed their minds in the intervening months. (Pg 10) WBSSC job case: HC stays Bengal govt stipend for non-teaching staff ddressing a high-stakes political rally in pollbound Bihar on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the RJD, accusing them of having plunged the state into an era of ‘Jungle Raj’, marked by lawlessness, poverty, and large-scale migration. He also criticised RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for allegedly insulting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Mr Modi said: “We say ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, but those with the ‘lantern’ and the ‘panja’ (election symbols of the RJD and Congress, respectively) believe in ‘Parivar Ka Saath, Parivar Ka Vikas’. This sums up their politics — for the sake of their own families, they do not hesitate to harm crores of families across Bihar and the country. Baba Saheb Ambedkar was completely against such politics. That’s why they insult Baba Saheb at every step.” STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AGENCIES A single-judge bench of Calcutta High Court on Friday imposed an interim stay restraining the state government from making payments under a scheme for providing stipends to school non-teaching staff who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order in April. The interim stay would be in force either till 26 September or till the time the court gives any further direction in the matter, ruled the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha. Justice Sinha ordered this interim stay acting on a petition challenging the decision of the state government to pay stipends to non-teaching staff. (See Page 3) The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has secured a landmark contract to develop India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), following a two-stage technocommercial bidding process, officials from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Friday. As part of the agreement, ISRO will transfer SSLV technology to HAL over a twoyear period, during which HAL will manufacture two prototype rockets. Post this phase, the aerospace major is expected to produce between six to twelve SSLVs annually, depending on com- mercial demand. “With this milestone, HAL will become India’s third rocket manufacturer after private space startups Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos,” said IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka during a media briefing. HAL emerged as the highest bidder with a quote of Rs 511 crore, outpacing two rival consortiums—one led by Bengaluru-based Alpha Design and the other by Hyderabad-headquartered Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The selection process initially shortlisted six of nine companies, and the final choice was made by an expert committee that included former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Vijay Raghavan, among others. 8 Air India int’l, domestic flights cancelled for enhanced maintenance, operational reasons NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE Crisis-hit Air India on Friday cancelled eight international and domestic flights due to enhanced maintenance and operational reasons. The four International flights cancelled are AI906 - from Dubai to Chennai, AI308 -- from Delhi to Melbourne, AI309 -- from Melbourne to Delhi and AI2204 -- from Dubai to Hyderabad. The four Domestic flights cancelled are AI874 -- from Pune to Delhi, AI456 -- from Ahmedabad to Delhi, AI-2872 -- from Hyderabad to Mumbai and AI571 -- from Chennai to Mumbai. “Flights have been cancelled due to enhanced maintenance and operational reasons,” said Air India in a BHUBANESWAR, 20 JUNE Expressing deep reverence towards Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he was forced to decline an invitation from US President Donald Trump in order to visit the land of Jagannath. "Just two days ago, I was in Canada for the G7 summit, and the US President Trump called me. He said, since you have come to Canada, pay a visit to Washington, we will have dinner together and talk. He extended the invitation with great insistence. I thanked the US President for the invitation. I said it is more important for me to go to the land of Mahaprabhu (lord Jagannath), and so I politely declined his invitation and your’s (people of Odisha) love and devotion to Mahaprabhu brought me to this land," PM Modi said in a public meeting to mark the first anniversary of the BJP government’s rule in Odisha. SILVER `1,10,000 Air India has offered full refunds or free rescheduling and is helping passengers with alternate travel plans. statement. The airline has been grappling with several disruptions after the fatal plane crash on 12 June in Ahmedabad. Air India has offered full refunds or free rescheduling and is helping passengers with alternate travel plans. The airline has advised passengers to check their flight status on its website or call the customer care numbers for updates. "Due to the continuing enhanced checks on our aircraft, airspace restrictions and inclement weather, we anticipate some disruptions which will be duly communicated to passengers," the statement further said. Earlier on Thursday, Air India said it will reduce flights on various international routes per week and temporarily suspend operations on three routes from 21 June to 15 July. These routes are operated by the carrier's Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft. "The reductions arise from the decision to voluntarily undertake enhanced preflight safety checks, as well as accommodate additional flight durations arising from airspace closures in the Middle East. The objective is to restore schedule stability and minimise last-minute inconvenience to passengers," the airline said in a post on social media platform X. AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has said that it is an embarrassment for Pakistan that its Army Chief Amir Munir was invited for a meeting with US President Donald Trump and that the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was "nowhere to be seen" and that this also indicates "where the sort of power relationship lies" in Pakistan. In an interview with ANI, the Defence Secretary said that the Pakistan PM not being invited is a “very strange thing” for the country. “I don't have any great opinion on this, but it's surprising. It must be an embarrassment to any country that the military chief gets invited and the prime minister is nowhere to be seen. It's a very strange thing," Singh said without taking any names while responding to a query about Asim Munir's meeting with the US President on Wednesday. Mr Singh also expressed surprise at Gen. Munir's presence in the Special Investment Facilitation Council in Pakistan, which makes economic decisions and said it's a structurally sort of BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 76.44 Iran opens its airspace for India’s Op Sindhu STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE Amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, Iran has eased its airspace restrictions for three charter flights to evacuate about 1,000 Indian nationals, many of them students, under Indian government's Operation Sindhu, official sources said on Friday. The first flight is expected to arrive tonight while the second and third flights are expected to arrive on Saturday, sources added. India, on Wednesday, launched Operation Sindhu, a mission aimed at ensuring safety and evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran. A flight carrying the first batch of 110 Indian nationals, including 90 students from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, evacuated from Iran, arrived in New Delhi under Operation Sindhu on Thursday. The evacuation was conducted via Armenia, with the students travelling by road to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, under the supervision of Indian missions in Iran and Armenia. The Indian government has also decided to evacuate from Israel those Indian nationals who wish to leave, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Thursday. According to the MEA, their travel from Israel to India will be facilitated through the land borders and thereafter by air to India. HAL wins `511 cr contract Strange that Pakistan PM isn’t invited, but Army chief is: Defence Secy on Asim to build India’s SSLV Munir’s meeting with Donald Trump NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE KOLKATA, 20 JUNE He further alleged: “The entire country has now seen how RJD members have treated Baba Saheb’s image. Posters have been put up across Bihar demanding an apology for this insult. But I know these people will never apologise.” Blaming the Congress and RJD for Bihar’s underdevelopment, PM Modi said they had looted the state so extensively that poverty became its destiny. “The NDA government, under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, has brought Bihar back on the path of development,” he asserted. “But I am not satisfied with what we’ve achieved so far. We still have a lot to do for Bihar.” He expressed optimism about the state’s future, saying Bihar would not only prosper but also play a vital role in the nation’s development. Reposing faith in the youth of Bihar, PM Modi said they would help restore the state’s ancient glory and transform it into a key engine of a developed India. P12 imbalanced state where the military essentially has first claim on resources. "I always found it very strange that this gentleman sits on something called the Investment Facilitation Council in Pakistan, which basically makes economic decisions. It's a weird, structurally sort of imbalanced state where the military essentially has first claim on resources, which is why, with a $370 billion economy, they are able to pre-empt resources from their pressing social and economic needs into this kind of conflict. But be that as it may, they are our neighbour, and we have to handle them in such a way that we establish some level of deterrence," Mr Singh said. Trump gives Iran a 2-week window before considering US military action AGENCIES WASHINGTON, 20 JUNE US President Donald Trump is expected to make a decision about whether to take direct action against Iran in the next two weeks, the White House said. White Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, told reporters at a briefing here on Thursday (local time) that she had a message directly from Trump in response to speculation about whether he would get directly involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel. "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," the White House press secretary quoted Mr Trump as saying. Ms Leavitt said communication between the US and Iran "has continued" as the two sides engage in negotiations. She, however, did not provide specifics about whether they were direct or through intermediaries. Iran must agree to no enrichment of uranium, and Tehran must not be able to achieve a nuclear weapon as part of any diplomatic agreement, Ms Leavitt said. Mr Trump, on Wednesday, when asked about a potential US strike on Iran, remained noncommittal. "I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," Trump told reporters. "I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble. And they want to negotiate. And I say, 'Why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?',” the US President said. Mr Trump demanded that Iran give up its entire nuclear programme and has warned Iran to quickly surrender to a deal or face even more dire repercussions. On 13 June, Israel launched an attack against Iran, carrying out strikes including against Iran's state television station. Tehran has carried out a retaliatory attacks, firing ballistic range missiles at Israel, targeting military and security installations, and hitting the Haifa oil refinery among others. The two countries have since then exchanged strikes. As per an analysis by Al Jazeera, Iran had long relied on its ally, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, to provide deterrence from direct Israeli attacks, but Hezbollah was significantly weakened after fighting an all-out war against Israel last year. In addition, Iran lost another ally when Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December 2024. Iran could also make Americans feel the impact of the war economically. It has threatened to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which would affect global trade and increase oil prices. Air India cabin crew sacking: AIEG demands CBI probe STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE The Aviation Industry Employees’ Guild (AIEG) on Friday demanded a CBI investigation into the sacking of two cabin crew members by Air India for reporting a technical fault in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft last year. The airline is currently reeling under the tragic AI 171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 that killed at least 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew members. Talking to a news agency, AIEG General Secretary, George Abraham said they have demanded a CBI probe into the sacking of two cabin crew members, as this move, after pressure on them by Air India to change their statements after reporting a technical fault in the Dreamliner 787 aircraft, is a very serious matter. “This poses a threat to the safety of the aviation sector. We have also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a fair probe into the matter," Mr Abraham said. He further said on 14 May 2024, after the Air India flight from Mum- bai to London reached its destination, the slide rafts opened in manual mode due to a technical fault in the door of the aircraft. According to Abraham, the slide rafts are activated only when the plane is in automatic mode. The pilot and the entire cabin crew had also mentioned the technical fault in the plane in their initial statements, but due to alleged pressure from the airline's management, the statement was later changed. Mr Abraham said that to conceal the technical fault in the plane, the Air India management allegedly pressured these people to change their statement, and when they refused, both these crew members were fired from their jobs. Mr Abraham further said due to the seriousness of the matter, both these crew complained about the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the regulator called them to Delhi and heard the whole matter and talked about conducting an "informal investigation". However, eight months have passed, but no result of the "informal investigation" has come out, he noted. Mr Abraham said that after the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, the attention of the government and the people is back on this issue. “This is why we have raised it once again and written a letter to PM Modi. We hope that this investigation will be expedited," he said. In a statement to the news agency, the airline on Friday said the “said cabin crew members were terminated for their misconduct and behaviour and continuing to falsify critical information during the course of an investigation”. “The said investigation was launched after an emergency slide was activated while opening the aircraft door post landing," said Air India.