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 Stock markets tumble in heavy selling Page 10 ‘Repeating a lie 100 times doesn’t make it the truth’ WORLD ‘Trump asked Xi Jinping if he wants to buy US arms’ Page 9 Page 5 Ensure automated counter-terrorism response, Amit Shah tells top cops DEEPAK RAZDAN New Delhi, 28 September U nion Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Monday told the country’s top police officials to institutionalize an automated counter terrorism response at every level of the security set-up to eliminate all forms of terrorism effectively. The Home Minister was inaugurating a Conference on ‘PRAHAAR - CT Policy and Strategy’ here. Besides the police officials, the conference was attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The top security officials at the conference included heads of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)/Central Police Organisations (CPOs), DGsP of 15 States, Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Chiefs of all States and Union Territories, in person; while other State DGsP and cutting-edge police officers joined the Conference virtually. The Conference deliberated upon the seven pillars of the counter-terrorism strategy BRIEFLY ACs, TVs, fridges to get costlier from October: New Delhi: Consumers could face higher prices for air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and other consumer electronics as manufacturers are expected to implement another round of price increases from October, just ahead of the festive shopping season.Air conditioner prices are expected to increase by around 5-8 per cent from 1 October, while some manufacturers are reportedly considering price hikes of around 3-4 per cent for televisions, refrigerators and washing machines. The latest revisions would come at a time when demand for consumer durables typically picks up during the festive period. PRAHAAR -- Prevention, Response, Aggregating Internal Capacities, Human Rights, Attenuating Conditions for Terrorism, Aligning International Efforts and Recovery & Resilience through a whole-of-society approach. The Home Minister said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government has adopted a 'zero-tolerance' policy against all forms and manifestations of terrorism. He said there is need for consistent efforts to strengthen and improvise the PRAHAAR strategy through a continuous analysis of terror incidents and establishing a strong and concrete PRAHAAR mechanism for the next 10 years. Focusing on percolation of the tenets of PRAHAAR up to the Thana level, Mr Shah impressed upon adopting a proactive approach towards every aspect of the PRAHAAR initiative. Mentioning various steps undertaken for mitigating terrorist threats, he advocated institutionalising an automated counter terrorism response at every level of the framework. Impressing upon the necessity of result-oriented approach towards each pillar of PRAHAAR, Apex court gives ECI three months to decide TMC name, symbol dispute PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 28 September The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to decide within three months the dispute over the All India Trinamool Congress name and its “flowers and grass” symbol after rival factions led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly Ritabrata Banerjee complete their pleadings. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana granted both the Tuesday, 29 September 2026 SPORTS NATION BUSINESS | Mamata Banerjee -led AITC-Mamata faction and the Ritabrata Banerjee-led AITC-Democratic faction four weeks to complete their pleadings before the poll panel. The court directed the ECI to pronounce its final decision within three months thereafter. When counsel for the ECI sought six months to decide the dispute, Justice Bagchi said, “Three months is good enough.” As the Commission’s counsel maintained that the timeframe would be difficult to meet, the bench said it could approach the court if any extreme exigency arose. The order came on Mamata Banerjee’s petition challenging the ECI’s September 17 interim order freezing the All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved symbol pending adjudication of the rival claims. At the previous hearing on September 24, the Supreme Court had asked the ECI to indicate a realistic timeframe for deciding the dispute after noting Banerjee’s grievance over the delay in the proceedings. The bench had said both sides should be given a fair opportunity to lead evidence while ensuring that the matter did not remain pending indefinitely. Pending a final decision, the ECI has barred both groups from using the All India Trinamool Congress name and symbol. he called for coordination among the stakeholders to prevent any delay in action. The Home Minister said from 2019 to 2026, the Government successfully brought back 288 fugitive criminals to India from 36 countries. As a result of better coordination among agencies, more than 40 modules of Shahzad Bhatti network involved in cross-border smuggling of weapons, explosives and narcotics were busted, more than 100 FIRs were registered and 350 individuals were arrested across 15 states. At the same time, the government. declared Shahzad Bhatti network a terrorist organisation under the UAPA, he said. The Home Minister launched a new Extradition Portal which will synergise and expedite the efforts to bring back fugitives from abroad. He asked the State Police forces to establish dedicated teams for working in tandem with the Central agencies to bring back fugitives from abroad. Kohli unleashes new ODI avatar with record nine sixes Page 12 SC seeks Centre’s response on UPI charges above `2,000 A BENCH OF CHIEF JUSTICE SURYA KANT AND JUSTICES JOYMALYA BAGCHI AND V MOHANA AGREED TO HEAR THE PLEA AND DIRECTED THE CENTRE, THE RESERVE BANK OF INDIA AND OTHERS TO FILE THEIR COUNTER AFFIDAVITS WITHIN FOUR WEEKS. THE BENCH REFUSED TO GRANT ANY INTERIM STAY ON THE CENTRE'S DECISION TO IMPOSE MDR. ADDITIONAL SOLICITOR GENERAL N VENKATARAMAN, APPEARING FOR THE CENTRE, TOLD THE BENCH THAT 96 PER CENT OF PEOPLE USING THE GATEWAY WERE EXEMPT. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 28 September Th e Supreme C o ur t on Monday sought responses from the Centre and others on a petition challenging the de cision to imp ose a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on specified UPI person-to-merchant transactions above Rs 2,000. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana agreed to hear the plea and directed the Centre, the Reserve Bank of India and others to file their counter affidavits within four weeks. The bench refused to grant any interim stay on the Centre's decision to impose MDR. Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that 96 per cent of people using the gateway were exempt. "It is less a legal and more a technical issue," the bench observed. After the top court issued notice and directed the respondents to file their counter affidavits within four weeks, the counsel appearing for the petitioner requested the bench, "Please stay it till then." The bench refused to grant any interim stay. The public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by advocate Anjan Datta. Ending nearly six years of fully free UPI payments, the government has introduced a 0.4 per cent fee on transfers worth over Rs 2,000 made to merchants through the UPI platform from October 15, while explicitly ring-fencing everyday person-to-person transactions and small payments from any charge. The MDR will be capped at Rs 300 for payments of Rs 75,000 and above. Essential and thin-margin sectors -railways, telecom, insurance, fuel and agricultural inputs -- will pay a flat MDR of Rs 5 per transaction above Rs 2,000. Payments into mutual funds, securities and through stockbrokers and dealers will attract 0.02 per cent MDR, also capped at Rs 300. Person-to-person (P2P) transfers -- which make up 37 per cent of UPI's transaction volume and 70 per cent of its transaction value -- will continue to attract zero charges, irresp e ctive of size. India, Brazil, South Africa call for concerted action against terror groups NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 28 September India, Brazil and South Africa have called for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorists and terrorist entities, including Al- Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), while reaffirming their unconditional rejection of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola and Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira, who met on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York on September 24, strongly condemned the killing of civilians in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India, in April 2025. "The Ministers reaffirmed their unconditional rejection of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, urged zero tolerance for terrorism, rejected double standards in countering terrorism regardless of motivation and stressed that all counter-terrorism measures must comply fully with international law," said a media statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs on the 14th IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Commission Meeting in New York. The Ministers underscored the central coordinating role of the UN in countering terrorism and reiterated the importance of concluding a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the framework of the UNGA. They emphasised the need to combat the financing of terrorism in line with international standards while ensuring the lawful and effective exchange of financial intelligence. "The Ministers called for concerted actions against all UN listed terrorists and terrorist entities, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), other proxy groups and their facilitators. The Ministers reiterated their resolve to step up joint efforts for the expeditious adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UNGA," the statement said. They noted the growing challenges posed by violent extremism, including the threat from self-radicalized individuals, and stressed the importance of capacity-building and intelligence cooperation among states. The Ministers expressed concern over the misuse of the internet for terrorist propaganda and recruitment, while emphasising the need to safeguard privacy and fundamental rights. They also recognised the potential of digital platforms to promote tolerance, mutual understanding and dialogue as part of broader efforts to prevent violent extremism conducive to terrorism, including the cross-border movement of terrorists. CEC controversy: BJP deploys political contingency measures to counter Oppn Apex court steps in over Delhi-NCR rape, sexual assault cases VIBHA SHARMA AGENCIES New Delhi, 28 September With opposition parties framing a united front against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and in turn the BJP , the ruling party has mounted a coordinated counter-offensive to defend the Election Commission’s credibility with senior leaders and BJP chief ministers leading the campaign against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and INDIA bloc leaders. Rather than treating the EC controversy as a routine political issue that will fizzle out on its own, the BJP is seeking to portray the INDIA bloc as an alliance undermining India’s democratic institutions, accusing its leaders of “conspiring to malign the country’s constitutional institutions and spreading lies.” The Opposition has launched nationwide protests demanding Kumar’s removal and resignation, accusing him and the BJP of manipulating electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to orchestrate “vote theft”. The controversy has also given opposition parties a fresh political issue ahead of key Assembly elections scheduled next year. However, sources say that the position of Gyanesh Kumar as the CEC remains secure unless the BJP itself makes him resign, which is highly unlikely given the circumstances. “Gyanesh Kumar’s removal will send a wrong message to the voters therefore the party has no option but to defend him. Removing a CEC requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament, a condition the Opposition cannot meet against the ruling NDA coalition,” a senior party leader said, explaining the deep offensive launched by the BJP. Unleashing a coordinated counter-attack, the BJP has deployed its chief ministers alongside senior central leaders, BJP president Nitin Nabin and Union Minister J.P. Nadda who on Monday attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying that “repeating a lie a 100 times does not make it the truth”. Nadda said the people of India had taught a “befitting lesson to the forces seeking to create instability in the country” and that “every delusion and their conspiracy will be shattered again”. He also criticised opposition leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee. The BJP has deployed 11 senior leaders, including chief ministers Yogi Adityanath, Devendra Fadnavis, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Suvendu Adhikari, to target the Opposition. In states without BJP/NDA governments, state BJP presidents or Leaders of the Opposition held press conferences. “From north to south and east to west, the misinformation aimed at weakening the country’s democratic framework and creating anarchy is being strongly countered across the nation,” they claimed. The BJP’s message is clear—that the “smear campaign” has been engineered by INDIA bloc allies to “cover up their own electoral defeats” and that disagreements within the Election Commission reflect a “vibrant democracy” rather than a system operating “under a dictatorial command” while highlighting ideological differences among INDIA bloc parties vis-à-vis the NDA’s “shared” principles. New Delhi, 28 September The Supreme C our t on Monday to ok suo motu cognisance of recent cases of rape and sexual assault rep or ted in Delhi-NCR, including the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at a park near Delhi's Kalkaji Mandir and the alleged sexual assault of a minor inside a moving sleeper bus. A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran expressed concern over the recurring incidents of sexual offences in the National Capital Region and directed the apex court registry to register a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue and list it for hearing. The Justice Pardiwala-led Bench observed that the incidents, considered alongside other recent reports of sexual offences across Delhi-NCR, raised serious concerns regarding the functioning of law-enforcement and public administrative authorities responsible for ensuring public safety. It further observed that public spaces, including parks, roads, buses, metro stations, subways and footbridges, cannot be allowed to become high-risk zones because of inade quate lighting , surveillance, patrolling or o ther preventable administrative deficiencies.