MONDAY 04 AUGUST 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00 SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘ADDING 6.5L BIHAR MIGRANTS AS TAMIL NADU VOTERS ILLEGAL’ P4 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. Light to moderate rain likely to occur. Maximum and Minimum Temperature likely to be around 32˚C and 28˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 9.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 96% TEMPERATURE Max: 32.2˚C ( -0.3 ) SUN RISES 05:09 hrs MOON RISES 14:19 hrs ‘ILLEGAL DRONE OPERATORS WILL FACE GANGSTERS ACT’ 172 HYDROCARBON DISCOVERIES IN 10 YEARS, 62 OFFSHORE P10 P8 Mamata slams Delhi police’s ‘insult’ to Bengali language CM, Trinamul condemn Delhi police letter referring to Bengali as ‘Bangladeshi language’ “ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 75% Scandalous, insulting, antinational, unconstitutional!! This insults all Bengali-speaking people of India. They cannot use this kind of language, which degrades and debases us all. We urge immediate, strongest possible protests from all against the anti-Bengali Government of India, who are using such anti-Constitutional language to insult and humiliate the Bengali-speaking people of India KOLKATA, 3 AUGUST Min: 28.4˚C (1.8) SUN SETS 18:15 hrs MOON SETS 00:59 hrs Full Moon on 5 August THUMBNAILS 5000 woman Kawariyas carrying water from the Tapi river walk for Lord Shiva during the month of Sawan, at Jala Kamti Medan, Varachha Road, in Surat on Sunday. n ANI NEET PG held at 1052 test centres across country: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), an autonomous body of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on Sunday conducted National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) (NEET-PG). According to an official release, the exam was conducted in a single shift on the computer-based platform across 301 cities and in 1052 test centres for more than 2,42,000 candidates. C hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday condemned the BJP after a letter from Delhi Police referred to Bengali as a "Bangladeshi language", describing this as "anti-national" and "unconstitutional". In a social media post, Miss Banerjee said the move was an insult to Bengali-speaking people in the country. She also urged Bengalis nationwide to register their strongest possible protest. "See now how Delhi Police under the direct control of the Ministry of Home, Government of India, is describing Bengali as ‘Bangladeshi’ language!" Miss Banerjee wrote, sharing a photocopy of the Delhi Police letter. “Bengali, our mother tongue, the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, the language in which our National Anthem and the National Song (the latter by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay) are written, the language in which crores of Indians speak and write, the language which is sanctified and recognised by the Constitution of India, is now described as a Bangladeshi language!!” Miss Banerjee added. Accusing the BJP government in Delhi of using anti-Constitutional language to insult Ben- MAMATA BANERJEE WEST BENGAL CHIEF MINISTER galis, the Chief Minister said: "Scandalous, insulting, antinational, unconstitutional!! This insults all Bengali-speaking people of India. They cannot use this kind of language, which degrades and debases us all. We urge immediate, strongest possible protests from all against the anti-Bengali Government of India, who are using such anti-Constitutional language to insult and humiliate the Bengali-speaking people of India." Hitting out at the BJP for its "calculated attempt" to defame Bengal and Bengalis, Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamul Congress general secretary, said that the move was a direct violation of Article 343 and the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. He also demanded the "imme- diate suspension of Investigating Officer Amit Dutt and a formal public apology from @DelhiPolice, @BJP4India, and the Home Ministry led by @AmitShah." “For months now, Bengalispeaking people have been targeted, harassed, and detained across BJP-ruled states. Now, in a shocking escalation, @DelhiPolice has officially referred to Bangla as a ‘Bangladeshi language’ in an official letter,” he said in a post on X. "This is not a mere clerical error; it is yet another CALCULATED ATTEMPT by the BJP to defame Bengal, undermine our cultural identity, and equate West Bengal with Bangladesh for narrow political propaganda. It is a direct violation of Article 343 and the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. There is no language called ‘Bangladeshi’. To call Bangla a foreign language is not just an insult- It’s an attack on our identity, culture, and belonging. Bengalis are not outsiders in their own homeland," Mr Banerjee said. Miss Banerjee, meanwhile, is set to participate in a rally in Jhargram on 6 August in protest against recent attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states. The demonstration will take place in Jhargram town, coinciding with an administrative review meeting scheduled for the same day. She is expected to leave Kolkata on 5 August and will visit flood-affected areas in Hooghly en route. The Chief Minister had earlier led a similar protest rally in Birbhum. BROOK, ROOT GIVE ENGLAND SCENT OF WIN IN 5TH TEST P12 Army officer accused of assaulting Spicejet staff at Srinagar airport STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 3 AUGUST In a shocking incident, an Army officer is accused of having grievously assaulted four SpiceJet employees and injured their spine and jaw at the boarding gate of flight SG-386 from the Srinagar airport to Delhi late last month. A SpiceJet spokesman said on Sunday that the incident happened on 26 July when the staff of the airlines asked the passenger to pay for the excess baggage he was carrying. The passenger, identified as a senior Army officer, was reportedly carrying two pieces of cabin baggage totalling 16 kg ~ more than double the permissible cabin limit of 7 kg. When politely informed of the excess and asked to pay the applicable fee, the individual refused and forcibly entered the aerobridge without completing the boarding process, violating aviation security protocols. A CISF official escorted him back to the gate, where the situation escalated, the spokesman said. According to the SpiceJet spokesperson, the passenger launched a violent attack on the ground staff using punches, repeated kicks, and even a queue stand, leaving them with serious injuries, including a spinal fracture and severe facial trauma. “One employee collapsed unconscious during the assault, yet the passenger continued to kick and strike him. Another staff member, while attempting to assist the unconscious colleague, suffered heavy bleeding from the nose and mouth after a brutal kick to the jaw”, the spokesman stated. The injured employees were immediately rushed to a hospital, where they remain under treatment for multiple grievous injuries. The airline has lodged an FIR with local police and initiated the procedure to place the passenger on the national no-fly list under existing civil aviation regulations. SpiceJet has also formally apprised the Ministry of Civil Aviation of the “murderous assault” and requested strict action against the accused, the spokesman said. Airport CCTV footage capturing the incident has been handed over to the authorities to support the investigation. Govt plans to introduce key sports bill in LS Poll panel writes to Tejashwi Yadav NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 3 AUGUST The Union government has planned to introduce The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Parliament has seen little business since the Monsoon Session commenced on 21 July. Both Houses of Parliament have witnessed heated exchanges and adjournments during the initial days of the Monsoon Session over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in pollbound Bihar. Opposition parties have repeatedly called for a discussion in the Lok Sabha and Rajya regarding the revision exercise. According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the Centre has planned to introduce these two BIlls for introduction and passing in the Lok Sabha tomorrow. Meanwhile, the members PM Modi, HM Shah meet President Murmu to produce his ‘second’ voter ID card STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 AUGUST PATNA/NEW DELHI, 3 AUGUST Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. Later, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also called on the President at her official residence here. Details of what transpired at either meeting were, however, unavailable. Rashtrapati Bhavan also shared photographs of the meetings on posts on X. However, no details of the meeting were made available. Both these meetings came days after both Houses of Parliament witnessed heated exchanges between the government and the opposition, along adjournments during the initial days of the Monsoon Session over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will be meeting over dinner at Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's residence on 7 August, sources said on Sunday. The announcement of the 7 August meeting comes a day after the former Congress president asserted that at least 70-80 Lok Sabha seats might have been rigged in the 2024 general elections, while addressing the party's conclave on Saturday. The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, alleged voter list manipulation in Maharashtra, Operation Sindoor, India-US trade deal and the tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump are likely to be discussed during the meeting. This is the INDIA bloc's second meeting since the commencement of the Parliament monsoon session. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday wrote to the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, to furnish details of his ‘second’ EPIC number which, according to him, had been deleted from the voter list. This direction from the poll panel comes a day after the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader stirred a controversy with a claim that his name was missing in Bihar’s draft electoral roll. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Digha Assembly constituency directed Mr Yadav to present the original copy of the voter ID card whose number was alleged to be missing from the draft electoral roll. “You are requested to kindly provide the details of the EPIC card (along with the original copy of the card) mentioned by you in Jan Dhan accounts cross 55 crore; PM says nationwide KYC drive on STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 3 AUGUST The number of bank accounts for the poor under the Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana has crossed the 55 crore mark with “most of these accounts belonging to people who had never even seen the door of a bank”,FinanceMinisterNirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, said a nationwide KYC drive is underway, with camps being held in Gram Panchayats to ensure Jan Dhan account holders can easily complete the process. In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister said: “I commend the RBI and all our banking officials for their sincere efforts. This is true service at the grassroots!” According to RBI data, 56 per cent of the Jan Dhan accounts belong to women, and the total amount in these deposits has surpassed Rs 2.5 lakh crore as of 21 May. Ms Sitharaman, in a post on X said: “With the scheme completing 10 years and KYC being mandatory for these accounts, I have urged banks to proactively reach out to people and simplify this process. In this regard, starting from July 1, 2025, banks have launched this campaign, under which approximately 1 lakh Gram Panchayats have been covered so far.” PMJDY is one of the biggest financial inclusion initiatives in the world, according to Ms Sitharaman, and a target of opening another three crore such accounts has been fixed for the current year. the press conference held on August 2, 2025 to the undersigned, so that it can be thoroughly investigated,” wrote the ERO. On Saturday, Mr Yadav raked up a row at his press conference by conducting a live online search on the Election Commission’s website with the help of his EPIC number which yielded the result “no records found”. Hours later, the ECI sources described the RJD leader’s claims as baseless and hit back with results of their detailed investigation. In a post shared on X, the DEO’s office wrote: “Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that his name is missing from the electoral roll post-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is false. His name appears at Serial Number 416, and his polling booth number is 204 — Veterinary College, Patna.” ECI sources said the RJD leader used the Electoral Roll with Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) No. RAB0456228 for filing his nomination papers on affidavit in 2020. He had this EPIC number even in the electoral roll in 2015. Mr Yadav had rejected the Commission’s clarification, arguing that the EPIC number mentioned ~ RAB0456228 ~ does not match the one printed on his existing Election Photo Identity Card, which is RAB2916120. He insisted that EPIC numbers are unique and cannot be altered. ECI sources, however, said despite a thorough check of 10-year-old documents related to Mr Yadav, no records have been found for the second EPIC number yet. “It is highly likely that the second EPIC was never made through an official channel,” said a source in the Bihar election office, adding that an inquiry is still on to understand the reality of the second EPIC number, and to rule out whether that is a forged document. (Another report on Pg 5) Flood situation worsens in UP’s Varanasi, Prayagraj ulation in the district is in the grip of flood and the heavy rains for the past couple of days. The water level of both the Ganga and Yamuna rivers is above the danger mark. The Central Water Commission has also predicted a further rise in the Ganga and Yamuna. People trapped in STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE VARANASI/PRAYAGRAJ, 3 AUGUST The flood situation in Varanasi and Prayagraj worsened on Sunday as the waters of the Ganga, Yamuna, and other rivers entered several localities. A report from Varanasi said that in many areas, including Assi, Samneghat, and Maruti Nagar, the water of the Ganga and Varuna rivers has reached the roads. Waters have also entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Sheetla temple and Ratneshwar Mahadev temple. The Chiraigaon area is the most affected by the floods. Flood water has reached many villages of the Dhab area, including Chittauni, Chandpur, Mustafabad, Babhanpura, and Amba, due to which the agricultural fields were also submerged in water. District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar said that the NDRF, Water Police, and specially trained PAC force have been deployed for flood relief and emergency rescue operations. Bathing, swimming, and boating in the river have been completely banned in all the ghats of Varanasi. The general public has been asked not to take any kind of risk, given the flood situation. Mr Kumar on Sunday conducted an inspection of floodaffected areas and relief camps at Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College, Hukulganj, Chitrakoot Convent Intermediate College, and Prathmik Vidyalaya, Saraiya. According to the Central Water Commission, the water level of the Ganga reached 71.56 metres on Sunday morning in Varanasi, which is above the danger mark of 71.26 metres. The Ganga’s water level is increasing at the rate of 3 cms per hour. Another report from Prayagraj said over 16.15 lakh pop- relief camps. According to the district administration, at 8 a.m. on Sunday, the water level of Yamuna river was recorded at 85.54 metres, which is 84 cm above the danger mark. The water level of Ganga river was recorded at 85.49 metres (81 cm above danger level) flood areas are being taken to safe places by the NDRF and the Civil Defence. People are also being sent to flood in Phaphamau, 84.81 metres (76 cm above) in Chhatnag, and 85.47 metres (81 cm above) at Bakshi Bandh. Life has been badly affected due to heavy rain in Prayagraj district. Due to heavy rains since around 4 a.m, people were forced to remain inside their houses while the city is facing heavy waterlogging. The roads under the Niranjan bridge were completely blocked due to waterlogging. Similarly, in front of Prayagraj Railway Station, water up to knee height was witnessed. The situation of the old city has gone from bad to worse; localities like Shahganj, Nakhas Kohna, Patthar Gali, Bakshi Bazaar, and Rauza have also been affected by the rains, and in the posh areas, waterlogging was reported at many places like Civil Lines, Tagore Town, Georgetown, Colonelganj, Katra, and Allahpur. The Weather Department has issued a warning saying that rain is predicted from morning to evening in Prayagraj. An alert has also been issued for lightning.