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 | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Saturday, 10 January 2026 SPORTS WORLD Iran supreme leader signals crackdown coming EDITORIAL SATURDAY INTERVIEW ‘Open border a major asset’ Conditional Liberty Page 6 BRIEFLY Parliament’s Budget Session to begin 28 Jan, Budget on 1 Feb: New Delhi: The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on 28 January, and continue till 2 April, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Friday, setting the stage for the presentation and passage of the Union Budget on 1 February, a Sunday. In a post on social media platform X, Mr Rijiju said the session has been convened following the President’s approval. “On the recommendation of the Government of India, President of India Droupadi Murmu has approved the summoning of both Houses of Parliament for the Budget Session 2026,” he said. The session would begin with the President addressing the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on 28 January. The Economic Survey would be tabled in Parliament on 29 January. Thiruvananthapuram, 9 January In a major development in the Sabarimala gold theft case, Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, the chief priest of the temple, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) following intensive questioning here on Friday. Mr Rajeevaru was summoned to the SIT office in Thiruvananthapuram and interrogated for several hours regarding the alleged misappropriation of gold from the temple. Sources say evidence gathered during the investigation linked him to a key accused in the case, raising suspicions about his involvement. The SIT, led by senior officers, is probing the priest’s connections Page 7 Page 9 ‘India keen on mutually beneficial US trade pact’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE India concerned over China’s Shaksgam moves: MEA New Delhi, 9 January I ndia on Friday dismissed United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s remarks that a bilateral trade agreement did not happen because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call President Donald Trump and reiterated that New Delhi is committed to a mutually beneficial trade pact with Washington. "We have seen the remarks (made by the US Commerce Secretary). India and the US were committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US as far back as 13 February last year. Since then, the two sides have held multiple rounds of negotiation to arrive at a balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement. On several occasions, we have been close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate,’’ Sabarimala chief priest arrested in gold theft case UNITED NEWS OF INDIA with other individuals allegedly involved, including former Travancore Devaswom Board officials and temple staff. Law enforcement officials have indicated that further arrests could follow. The theft, which has been under investigation for several months, has drawn national attention. Authorities are examining the movement of temple assets and taking action under multiple statutes, including the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), to recover the missing gold. The probe focuses on allegations that gold sheets and ornaments removed in 2019 from the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum), door frames, and Dwarapalaka idols during gold-plating works were not fully returned. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (photo) said at a media briefing. He said India remains interested in a mutually beneficial trade deal between two complementary economies and looks forward to concluding it. ‘’Incidentally, Prime Minister and President Trump have also spoken on phone on eight occasions during 2025, covering different aspects of our New Delhi, 9 January Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended warm greetings to the global Indian community on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) and said the Indian diaspora continues to serve as a powerful bridge between India and the world. He further underlined that the government has taken numerous steps to bring the diaspora even closer to India. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote: “Warm greetings on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The Indian diaspora remains a powerful bridge between India and the world. They have enriched societies wherever they went and, at the same time, stayed connected to their roots. I often say that our diaspora is our Rashtradoots, who have popularised the culture of India globally. Our Government has taken numerous steps to bring our diaspora even closer to India.” PBD has been celebrated on 9 January every year since 2003 to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community in the development of India. wide-ranging partnership,’’ he added. Asked about the GrahamBlumenthal sanctions bill that would authorise the US President to levy up to 500 per cent tariffs on nations that knowingly purchase Russian oil or uranium, the spokesperson said New Delhi is fully aware of the legislation and closely following the developments relating to its processes. New Delhi: India on Friday expressed its concern over reports that China is developing road and military infrastructure at the Shaksgam Valley, a territory ceded by Pakistan to Beijing. “Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory. We have never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963 which is illegal and invalid. We don’t recognise the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Indian territory in Jammu & Kashmir. The entire J&K is an integral and inalienable part of India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Page 12 German Chancellor to visit next week, meet PM in Ahmedabad STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 9 January Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (photo) in Ahmedabad next week as the two countries explore the possibility of signing several key agreements during the much-anticipated visit. The German Chancellor will be on an official visit to India on 12-13 January at the invitation of PM Modi. This will be his first official visit to India. An official press note said that at around 9:30 hours on 12 January, the two leaders will visit the Sabarmati Ashram and then participate in the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront. This will be followed by bilateral engagements at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The two leaders will review the progress made in the India- Germany Strategic Partnership, which has recently completed 25 years. Their discussion will also focus on further intensifying cooperation in trade and investment, Mamata leads protest march against ED raid, says she did nothing wrong STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 9 January Coming down heavily on the BJP, Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said on Friday she had done nothing wrong in going to the I-PAC office yesterday during the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid, as the ED, allegedly directed by the saffron party, was attempting to steal data related to the Trinamul Congress’s Assembly election preparations scheduled to take place in a few months. Miss Banerjee Friday after
The Statesman is one of India's oldest English newspapers. It was founded in Kolkata in 1875 and is directly descended from The Friend of India (founded 1818). The Englishman (founded 1821) was merged with The Statesman in 1934. The Delhi edition of The Statesman began publication in 1931. The Statesman Weekly is a compendium of news and views from the Kolkata and Delhi editions. Printed on airmail paper, it is popular with readers outside India. The Statesman (average weekday circulation approximately 180,000) is a leading English newspaper in West Bengal. The Sunday Statesman has a circulation of 230,000.
