SATURDAY 19 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR TURBANED LEGACY ‘WE WILL NURTURE EXCELLENCE’ P9 SENSEX 81,757.73 q501.52 WEATHER Generally Cloudy sky with one or two spells of light to moderate rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 32.0 mm P8 NIFTY 24,968.40 q143.05 ` vs $ 86.11 SUN RISES 05:02 hrs MOON RISES 23:15 hrs P11 Min. 76% Min: 27.8˚C (+0.9) SUN SETS 18:24 hrs MOON SETS 11:59 hrs New Moon on 25 July THUMBNAILS KANCHAN SIDDIQUI DURGAPUR, 18 JULY P MoS Defence Sanjay Seth with Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi attends the commissioning of INS Nistar, India's first indigenously designed & constructed Diving Support Vessel, in Vishakhapatnam on Friday. n ANI Tata Sons sets up Rs 500 crore trust for AI171 victims, others affected: Tata Sons, which owns and operates the Air India airline, on Friday completed the registration of a public charitable Trust worth Rs 500 crore, dedicated to the victims of the accident of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on 12 June that killed 260 people. The Trust will provide both immediate and continuing support to the dependents/next-of-kin of the deceased, to those who were injured, and to all others who are directly or collaterally affected by the accident, the group said. rime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chose to begin his public address at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here this afternoon in Bengali, amid the recent uproar in Bengal politics over allegations that Bengali-speaking citizens have faced harassment, assault, arrest, and even deportation in several states, particularly those governed by the BJP. Mr Modi stated: “We all respect Bengali as one of India’s recognised languages, and every BJP-ruled state honours it.” In a departure from the BJP’s conventional “Jai Shri Ram” slogan, Mr Modi instead chanted “Jai Ma Kali, Jai Durga”, seemingly aiming to appeal to a broader Bengali demographic. The slogan “Jai Shri Ram” was previously labelled a ‘non-Bengali’ catchphrase by sections of the Bengali intelligentsia during the 2021 and 2024 elec- tions—a sentiment the BJP appears to have noted. A large portrait of Devi Durga was placed near Mr Modi’s podium, and Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan presented him with a wooden miniature of the deity just before his speech. Mr Modi also praised Bengali literature, citing luminaries such as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Rabindranath Tagore, and poet Bishnu Dey, whose birthday coincided with the day. “For the BJP, Bangla Asmita (Bengali pride) holds deep respect,” he added. Turning his focus to governance, Mr Modi criticised the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) on issues including the teacher recruitment scam, illegal infiltration, and deteriorating law and order. “Thousands of teachers have lost their jobs, and their families are suffering due to the TMC’s corruption,” he said. “The entire education system has been affected—countless schools are grappling with a short- age of teachers. Even the courts have termed this a ‘systematic fraud’.” The Prime Minister also condemned the TMC’s handling of gender-based violence, referencing last year’s rape and murder at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata. He criticised the TMC’s “Ma, Mati, Manush” slogan and said: “The Bengal government turns a blind eye to the torture and assault faced by women.” Mr Modi lamented that Bengal, once home to Dr Kadambini Ganguly—the first woman in Asia to practise Western medicine—is now failing to ensure safety in its hospitals. “You’ve seen how the TMC attempted to shield those responsible for the young woman’s death,” he said. “And before the nation could recover from the shock, another college student was allegedly gang-raped by a TMC cadre and his aides.” He further alleged that TMC ministers tried to victim-blame the survivor, calling the incident “deeply unfortunate”. Mr Modi concluded by accusing the TMC of advocating for illegal infiltrators, warning that any attempt to alter Bengal’s demography for political gain would face firm resistance from the BJP. “Any such conspiracy against the values of the Indian Constitution will be opposed at all costs,” he declared. “The Central government is committed to taking stringent action against illegal infiltrators,” he reiterated, adding that it was ‘Modi’s Guarantee’ that every such individual would face legal consequences as per the law. Justice Varma moves SC, challenges in-house inquiry process, including report and recommendation for his removal PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 18 JULY Even as the Union government weighs launching removal proceedings against Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma over the alleged recovery of unaccounted cash from his official residence, the judge has rushed to the Supreme Court challenging both the in-house inquiry process, including the report against him, and former Chief Justice of India, Justice Sanjiv Khanna’s 8 May communication to the President and the Prime Minister recommending his removal from office. Seeking the quashing of the three-judge committee’s 3 May report and of the former CJI’s communication recommending his removal, Justice Verma in his petition has stated that the inquiry was triggered without a formal complaint, conducted in a manner that violated basic fairness, and then used to push an outcome the Constitution reserves exclusively to Parliament. Five core points that Justice Verma raised in his petition before the Supreme Court include that the in-house procedure is extra-constitutional, that there is no disciplinary superintendence of Supreme Court/ Chief Justice of India over High Court Assam CM Sarma mocks Rahul’s rally STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE GUWAHATI, 18 JULY Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, ridiculing his recent rally at Chaygaon in Assam as politically insignificant and deliberately staged in what he described as an "infiltratordominated" area to avoid mainstream scrutiny. Mr Sarma accused the Congress of lacking the courage to organise political events in the state’s capital, Guwahati, where a stronger show of public support would have been a true test of the party’s strength. “If Rahul Gandhi really believed in his influence, he P16 SILVER `1,13,900 GOLD `1,01,095 PM takes on TMC govt over infiltration, law and order TEMPERATURE Max: 32.2˚C (-0.6) SHUKLA LIKELY TO STEP UP AS ACTING BCCI PRESIDENT BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 70.29 No double standards, India says after EU sanctions Guj refinery We all respect Bengali as one of India’s recognised languages, said Prime Minister Modi RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 100% TRUMP MIRED IN EPSTEIN CONTROVERSY would have gone to Khanapara. But instead, they chose Chaygaon ~ a Muslim-majority area where many infiltrators live,” Mr Sarma alleged. Mocking the scale of the event, the Chief Minister said: “They say around 3,000 people turned up. We call that a ‘julon yatra’. Even in our childhood, we had bigger processions. If they are serious about forming a government in Assam, is this how they plan to build momentum— through symbolic rallies in safe pockets?” Mr Sarma also questioned the leadership capacity of the Congress’ newly appointed state unit chief, implying that Rahul Gandhi lacks faith in his own team. judges; that the in-house inquiry was vitiated as there was no complaint, no due process was followed, and burden of proof was shifted on him. Two other issues Justice Verma flagged were that he was provided with no meaningful opportunity before the former CJI to respond to the inquiry committee report, and was given the option of resign or retire; and that a media trial had taken place with selective leaks. On the in-house committee procedure, Justice Verma contended that the 1999 inhouse mechanism ~ meant only for internal fact-finding and ethical self-regulation ~has been stretched far beyond its remit. By culminating in a recommendation to remove a sitting High Court judge, it creates a parallel, extra-constitutional pathway that under- mines the scheme of Articles 124(4) and 217 read with Article 218 of the Constitution, under which only Parliament, acting through the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, can initiate removal. Any move that bypasses the statutory safeguards, he says, erodes the separation of powers. Justice Verma has argued that the Constitution does not vest the Supreme Court, or the Chief Justice of India, with disciplinary or supervisory authority to curtail the tenure of High Court judges. According to the petition, the very invocation of the procedure was improper as no formal complaint was ever lodged. Instead, “presumptive queries” arising from media reports about cash recovered after a fire at his Delhi residence were treated as if they were evidence. ‘Save Bihar from RJD-Congress, support NDA to build a new Bihar’ IMRAN MOJIB PATNA, 18 JULY PM Modi on Friday launched the NDA’s campaign for the Assembly elections in Bihar with a massive rally in Motihari, urging the people to support the BJP-led alliance to build a “new Bihar” and reject the RJDCongress alliance once again. Setting the stage for a fierce battle between the Modi-Nitish duo and the RJD-Congress leadership, the PM, addressing his third public rally in oneand-a-half months in the pollbound state, asserted that the rapid progress in Bihar is possible today because both the Centre and the state have governments committed to its development. He said that since coming to power in 2014, his government has allocated nearly Rs 9 lakh crore for Bihar’s development. He pointed out that this is four times more than what was provided by the UPA government during its 10-year rule. He said that this funding is being utilised for public welfare and development projects across Bihar. He commended Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government for appointing lakhs of youth in government roles with full transparency. (Details on Page 5) AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 18 JULY Hours after the European Union (EU) agreed upon an 18th round of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including on a Gujarat-based refinery, India on Friday said that it does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures and that there should be no "double standards", especially when it comes to energy trade. “We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the European Union. India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures. We are a responsible actor and remain fully committed to our legal obligations,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (photo) said in response to media queries regarding the issue. “Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens. We would stress that there should India-US trade dispute escalates at WTO over auto, metal tariffs STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 JULY The United States has rejected India's assertion at the World Trade Organization (WTO) that American tariffs on automobiles and auto parts qualify as safeguard measures under global trade rules. The US maintains that the duties were imposed on national security grounds and therefore fall outside the purview of the WTO’s safeguard provisions. Notably, in a formal communication dated 17 July and circulated at the WTO, the US stated that the tariffs were implemented by President Donald Trump under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, aimed at addressing perceived threats to national security from increased imports. “These actions are not safeguard measures. Accordingly, there is no basis for India's proposal to suspend concessions or other obligations under the Agreement on Safeguards with respect to these measures,” the US said in the document. The statement comes in response to India’s move to reserve the right to impose retaliatory duties on US imports, citing harm to its domestic auto and auto parts industry from the 25 per cent US tariffs. India argued that the measures amount to safeguards and therefore entitle it to compensation or countermeasures as per WTO rules. The US has countered that India has not complied with its obligations under the WTO’s Agreement on Safeguards and emphasised it will not negotiate the Section 232 tariffs under that framework. A similar communication was issued by the US earlier to reject India’s classification of tariffs on steel and aluminium as safeguard measures. Earlier this month, India revised its proposal to impose retaliatory duties on US imports in light of a further increase in American tariffs on steel and aluminium—from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. ED charge sheet against Robert Vadra: Witch hunt, says Rahul; Gandhi whitewashing corruption, says BJP STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 JULY The BJP on Friday criticised Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for defending his brother-in-law, Robert Vadra after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a fresh charge sheet against him. BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha termed it "a classic case of whitewashing corruption", and alleged that the Gandhi family continues to show an "Emergency-era mindset". "My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last 10 years. This latest charge sheet is a continuation of that witch hunt," Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. “I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment. I know that they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution, and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail," he wrote. Reacting to it, Mr Sinha said at a press conference: "The ED has filed a very serious charge sheet. Vadra's company had only Rs 1 lakh when it entered into a Rs 58 crore land deal. Rahul Gandhi is justifying this blatant case of corruption." The BJP leader also drew parallels with the National Herald case, in which Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are facing legal scrutiny. “Through Young India, the Gandhis paid Rs 50 lakh to acquire assets worth more than Rs 2,000 crore. What moral ground does Rahul have to talk about probity?” Mr Sinha asked. He also condemned the Congress MP’s recent remarks threatening to send Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to jail."This shows his Emergency-era mentality. Himanta is an elected CM with no cases against him. Congress has always had contempt for judicial process," the BJP leader added. The ED on Thursday filed a charge sheet against Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi’s businessman husband, Robert Vadra, in connection with a money laundering case related to a 3.53-acre land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur village in Gurugram, Haryana, in 2008. The ED alleges fraudulent purchase of land for Rs 7.5 crore, later sold to DLF for Rs 58 crore. The ED alleges Vadra's company, Skylight Hospitality, "fraudulently" purchased the land through "false declaration". In this connection, the ED has attached 43 immovable properties worth Rs 37.64 crore linked to Vadra and his entities. Mr Vadra, meanwhile, has denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a "political vendetta" against him and his family. The land deal was executed in February 2008 when a Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda was in power in Haryana. The ED took up an FIR registered in September 2018 by Gurugram police, alleging corruption, forgery, and fraud. be no double standards, especially when it comes to energy trade," he added. According to the EU, the 18th Russia sanctions package focuses on five building blocks: cutting Russia's energy revenues, hitting Russia's banking sector, further weakening its military-industrial complex, strengthening anticircumvention measures, and holding Russia accountable for its crimes against Ukrainian children and cultural heritage. "With this package, the number of listed vessels in Russia's shadow fleet reaches a total of 444 vessels, and the number of individual listings exceeds 2,500. This package also includes new sanctions against Belarus," read the EU statement. A Gujarat-based refinery owned by Nayara Energy Ltd. has been included in the sanctions list. The refinery, in which Russian energy giant Rosneft holds a 49.13 per cent stake, was identified by the EU as a major customer of the socalled “shadow fleet”. The facility is India’s secondlargest single-site refinery with a processing capacity of 20 million metric tonnes annually or 405,000 barrels per day. This marks the first time the EU has imposed sanctions involving India. As a result of the sanctions, Nayara will no longer be able to export refined products such as petrol and diesel to European countries. US designates TRF as global terrorist outfit, India welcomes the move STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 JULY Nearly three months after 26 tourists were gunned down by the terrorists belonging to The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) front and proxy, the United States designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). New Delhi has welcomed the move, calling it a timely and important step. A statement issued by US Secretary Marco Rubio (photo) said that the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024, the US statement added further. Welcoming the move, the Ministry of External Affairs said: “We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio in this regard.” The government said India has consistently emphasised the need for global cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the dismantling of terror infrastructure. “The designation of TRF is a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism,” it added.