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 Platform power Ukraine’s latest strikes on Russia hit a major natural gas plant and satellite centres Page 6 Page 9 BRIEFLY PM Modi to visit Seychelles on Saturday: New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a state visit to Seychelles from 27-29 June to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the National Day of Seychelles as the Guest of Honour, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday. The PM last visited Seychelles in 2015. A contingent of the Indian defence forces, along with two Indian Navy ships, will participate in the celebrations. During the visit, the PM will hold talks with President Patrick Herminie, to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Mr Modi will also address the National Assembly of Seychelles and interact with members of the Indian diaspora. India and Seychelles share a longstanding partnership rooted in shared historical, cultural and people to people ties. NATION PM Modi recalls Emergency as ‘assault on democracy’ India offers support as PM condoles losses from Venezuela earthquakes: Caracas, 25 June R escue teams raced Thursday to the areas hardest hit by a pair of powerful earthquakes that rocked Venezuela, killing at least 164 people, injuring nearly 1,000 and trapping many beneath collapsed buildings. Wednesday evening’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region. The country’s main airport was damaged and closed, while buildings were evacuated in places as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometres from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Television broadcasts Thursday showed rescue workers using power tools to work their way into piles of rubble where buildings once stood. Panicked New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday conveyed India’s condolences to the people of Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes that struck the nation. In a message posted on social media platform X, Mr Modi said: “Deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the severe earthquakes in Venezuela.” “On behalf of the people of India, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Venezuela, especially to the families who have lost their loved ones. We pray for the speedy recovery of those injured and stand in solidarity with all those affected during this difficult time,” he added. The Prime Minister also reiterated India’s readiness to support Venezuela as it copes with the aftermath of the disaster.“India stands ready to extend all possible assistance,” Mr Modi said. residents of the capital were sent pouring into the streets, and after the quakes many people walked among the debris searching for the missing among collapsed buildings and toppled electric poles. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who gave the latest death toll early Thursday, said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which sits north of Caracas on the coast. Officials were trying to make the most of the daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people. Teen prodigy Vaibhav in spotlight as Iyer dons India’s T20 captaincy Page 12 Page 5 Two powerful quakes hit Venezuela, killing at least 164 AGENCIES Friday, 26 June 2026 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | ‘Passport not proof of citizenship’ VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 25 June Amid a political storm over electoral roll revisions and citizenship verification exercises, a clarification by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that a passport is a travel document and not conclusive proof of citizenship has triggered a major controversy. While the Opposition was seen taking jibes at the BJPled Centre, questioning what document, then, can establish Indian citizenship, government officials said that a passport “has never been considered proof of citizenship,” stressing that no such decision was taken either recently or in the last 12 years. They also quoted sections of the Passports Act, 1967, which provides for the issuance of passports to non-citizens. The controversy began when MEA officials, during the Passport Seva Divas event, highlighted security features in new chip-based e-passports, including biometric data aimed at improving global acceptance and reducing fraud, and clarified that while passports are issued after extensive verification and due diligence, they should not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship. “A passport is issued after a lot of due diligence, and it is based on documents from several government agencies,” an official said, triggering the debate. Opposition leaders seized on the remarks. Trinamul Congress MP Mahua Moitra quipped that “the only proof of Indian citizenship today is to be both Hindu and a BJP voter. Nothing else will do.” Referring to the Election Commission’s booth-level offi- cers (BLOs), senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned which document constitutes proof of citizenship. “MEA June 24, 2026. A passport is a travel document, and not a document of citizenship. Which document then is proof of citizenship? BLO can doubt my citizenship, deprive me of my vote. Result ~ BJP wins the election. Over to Supreme Court!” Sibal posted on X. The Congress’s Kerala unit, in a satirical post, said: “Aadhaar is a card. PAN is for cooking. Voter ID is for showing, not voting. Income Tax Return is for returning your income. Election affidavit is for creative writing. And Modi is a joke!”