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 | ‘Goa pitches sustainable growth’ AI’s new compact WORLD Page 7 Trump warns Iran of ‘very hard’ hit over Israel flight crash attempt Page 6 Page 9 At protests in Delhi and Mumbai, CJP pushes for CEC’s resignation P New Delhi, 2 October The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led Gen Z returned to the streets on Friday ~ Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary ~ demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, greater transparency in the appointment of election commissioners and a freeze on the 2025 voter list. The protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park saw CJP founder Abhijit Dipke launch a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while calling for electoral reforms and greater transparency in the voter-list revision process. Criticising the government, Mr Dipke said that its failure to address the protesters’ concerns had forced them back onto the streets within two months. He also challenged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to arrest protesters gathered at Shivaji Park seeking the CEC’s resignation. Singer-composer Vishal Dadlani was among those who joined/expressed solidarity with the agitation. Despite opposition by residents of Shivaji Park and heavy security deployments, protesters thronged armed with revolutionary slogans, Gandhian quotes, and signs calling for Mr Kumar’s immediate resignation. Waving tricolours with posters declaring “Gyanu, Tujha Democracy Var Bharosa Nay Kay?” and “Gyanesh BRO, JUST RESIGN” , youngsters and activists from students’ groups, including the Student Federation of India (SFI), joined the protests. The CJP has demanded that Gyanesh Kumar resign and face criminal charges over what it alleges were voter-roll manipulation, mass disenfranchisement and irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. rime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described his interaction with Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar as an “unforgettable conversation” filled with “pride and emotions”, after speaking to the Indian pilot who was seriously injured while helping avert a major mid-air tragedy. “An unforgettable conversation with Captain Smit, filled with pride and emotions,” Mr Modi said in a post on social media platform X, sharing visuals of his conversation with Machchhar, who is recovering in a hospital in the UAE. During the interaction, Capt. Machchhar recounted the terrifying moments aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when he was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot. Despite suffering New Delhi, 2 October The Election Commission of India has directed Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers in States and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been completed to launch a special drive for enrolling eligible voters who were left out of the rolls, including young and first-time electors. In a letter dated 1 October, the Commission said the exercise would be undertaken under the process of continuous updation of electoral rolls and would seek to identify persons whose names appeared in the pre-SIR electoral rolls but were not included in the current rolls, besides facilitating the enrolment of new and young voters. The directive followed a meeting with all Chief Electoral Officers on 1 October. The ECI had earlier said that SIR had been completed in 20 states and Union Territories, including Bihar and West Bengal, and that persons whose names were left out during or after the revision, as well as young and first-time voters, could apply for inclusion through the continuous updation process. Under the latest instructions, Booth Level Officers will compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll and prepare booth-wise lists of electors whose names appeared earlier but are missing from the current roll. The BLOs have been asked to undertake house-to-house visits to ascertain the present NARENDRA MODI PRIME MINISTER serious injuries, Capt. Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing other crew and passengers to enter and overpower his attacker, thereby preventing a potentially catastrophic incident. Speaking to Mr Modi, Capt. Machchhar said his 17 years of flying experience, including 11 years as a captain, helped him understand that the aircraft was descending dangerously even as he lay injured on the cockpit floor. He said he realised that he had to make one final effort to reach the cockpit door Sweet Triumph ECI orders special drive to enrol left-out, first-time and young voters after SIR STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Page 12 Today, the entire nation can proudly say that we Indians are not people who take lives ~ we are people who save lives. New Delhi, 2 October The EC and the Narendra Modi government have denied allegations of manipulation. The CJP also wants an immediate halt to the ongoing SIR process and elections to be conducted using earlier voter lists. It has demanded that the process for appointing the CEC be overhauled, with greater transparency and direct participation from civil society. The Mumbai agitation will move through multiple cities before concluding at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, “if Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign by then”. A parallel protest was also held against the CJP, with a group calling itself GenNext accusing the organisation of “selective outrage” and “misleading” young people. The group described the CJP as a “Team B of AAP and Arvind Kejriwal” and raised slogans against MrDipke. While the immediate trigger for the protest is a news investigation that claimed an internal rift within the EC, the decision to launch the agitation in Mumbai is strategic. “Delhi’s throne is guarded by Mumbai,” Mr Dipke said, adding that the stir will subsequently be taken to different parts of the country before culminating in a sit-in at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. “It will continue till Kumar resigns,” he said. The protests are taking place alongside the INDIA bloc’s “Save Democracy Week” demonstrations targeting the ECI. In Delhi, student and activist groups held protests, with police detaining several hundred demonstrators. Several metro stations were shut and security was tightened in parts of the capital. The authorities in both Mumbai and Delhi denied formal permission for the gatherings, leading to heavy barricading, additional security deployments and preventive detentions. Asian Games Day 13: Six golds push India to No. 5 as tally rises to 76 PM shares ‘unforgettable’ conversation with hero pilot STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE | Saturday, 03 October 2026 SPORTS SATURDAY INTERVIEW EDITORIAL SILIGURI status of such persons and facilitate their enrolment through Form 6 wherever they are found eligible. The Commission has asked BLOs to cover at least 20 to 25 such electors every week so that the exercise can be completed in about a month. The status of each identified elector will be recorded, including whether a Form 6 application has been submitted. The BLOs have also been directed to use their house-to-house visits to identify and facilitate the enrolment of any left-out, first-time or young eligible voter. The lists prepared by the BLOs will be shared with Booth Level Agents of recognised political parties, while the Electoral Registration Officers will receive the lists along with Form 6 applications and field verification reports. because he could not allow the passengers to lose their lives. Capt. Machchhar also told the Prime Minister that he had kept reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the ordeal, saying it gave him courage in the face of fear and danger. He became emotional during the conversation and told Mr Modi that speaking to him was a “very special moment” and that he had never imagined he would get the opportunity to speak to the Prime Minister. Mr Modi praised the pilot's courage, composure and presence of mind, saying that Capt. Machchhar had made crucial decisions in a matter of seconds while putting the safety of others ahead of his own. “Today, the entire nation can proudly say that we Indians are not people who take lives ~ we are people who save lives,” Mr Modi told him. The Prime Minister also assured Capt.Machchhar of his support, telling him, “Whenever you need me, I am just a phone call away,” and said that India was waiting to welcome him back. Team India players celebrate with their coach Sjoerd Marijne after their victory over China in the women's hockey gold medal match at the Asian Games, in Gifu, Japan on Friday. IANS Gujarat, Assam uniform civil code laws get President’s assent STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 2 October Gujarat’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill has received the President’s assent on 17 September 2026. Following this, the state government has issued a gazette notification to initiate the process of implementation of the law. The President has also given assent to the Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 on 29 September. This expedites the process of the enactment of uniform civil codes in the country, beginning with Uttarakhand which has already implemented the law. The Gujarat UCC includes several new rules, from marriage registration to monogamy and live-in relationships. Sons and daughters will have equal property rights. In the event of an intestate death, the rights of spouses, children, and parents have been defined. Children born through surrogacy and adoption will also have equal legal rights. The implementation of the law will mean people will have to follow the rules under it in many matters relating to family and personal law. The law shall not apply to the members of Scheduled Tribes and those whose customary rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution of India. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill said that in pursuance of the constitutional mandate enshrined under Article 44 of the Directive Principles of State Policy, which calls upon the State to endeavour to secure for its citizens a Uniform Civil Code, the Government of Gujarat had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Justice (R.) Ranjana Prakash Desai, to assess the need for implementing Uniform Civil Code in Gujarat. The Bill sought to give effect to thecommittee’s recommendations by providing a uniform legal framework governing civil matters for all citizens of the state, irrespective of religion, caste, creed, or gender. The Assam Uniforn Civil Code Bill was passed by the Assam Legislative Assembly in May 2026, making Assam the first north-eastern state and the third in India to adopt UCC legislation. Among other peovisions, the Assam bill standardises the legal marriage age at 21 for men and 18 for women, and makes compulsory registration of all marriages and divorces. It also bans polygamy and bigamy, carrying penalties of up to seven years in jail. India-US talks on trade deal in final stage, but no immediate agreement: USTR STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 2 October The India-US negotiations on a trade deal have entered the final stretch, but a deal is not expected immediately as both sides continue to work through a limited number of unresolved issues, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer (photo) said. Speaking after the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mr Greer said negotiators had narrowed down the areas of disagreement and were working towards resolving the remaining sticking points. He described the talks as being close to the end, while cautioning against expectations of an imminent agreement. Mr Greer also indicated that US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi could speak again soon to take stock of the negotiations and assess the progress made by their teams. The latest comments come days after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal described the proposed trade agreement as being “almost done and dusted”. Mr Goyal had also said that India was seeking a competitive tariff position compared with other exporting nations before the agreement could be finalised. Mr Greer and Mr Goyal met on the sidelines of the G20 trade ministers’ gathering in Milwaukee, with discussions focused on moving towards an early conclusion of an interim trade agreement under the broader India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement framework. Mr Greer described their discussion as constructive and said officials from both countries were continuing negotiations. Mr Goyal said the meeting was productive adding that the discussions were aimed at reaching a mutually beneficial interim agreement. The Commerce Ministry said Mr Goyal also held bilateral meetings with trade counterparts from other countries during his visit to Milwaukee for the two-day G20 ministerial meeting. The latest developments follow a phone conversation between Mr Modi and Mr Trump on 30 September, during which the two leaders reviewed a range of bilateral issues, including trade, defence, energy and critical technologies. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the leaders agreed to remain in close contact and continue efforts to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.