FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR NEW TAX BILL IS A FACELIFT, NOT A FIX ACTOR GENE HACKMAN, WIFE AND DOG FOUND DEAD AT HOME P7 P9 SENSEX 74,612.43p10.31 WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 32°C and 22°C respectively. NIFTY 22,545.05q2.50 ` vs $ 87.21 Max. 78% Min. 59% KOLKATA, 27 FEBRUARY Min: 22.8˚C SUN SETS 17:39 hrs MOON SETS 18:04 hrs T TEMPERATURE THUMBNAILS A view of the India Gate from Raisina Hills, in New Delhi on Thursday. n ANI SC declines to entertain objections to trial run of Bhopal gas toxic waste disposal: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed petitions challenging a Madhya Pradesh High Court directive for a trial run to dispose of approximately 340 tonnes of toxic waste from Union Carbide. “Now the state government can proceed for trial run of the toxic waste in batches,” a government official said. GOLD 88,250.00 Mamata Banerjee addresses key Trinamul organisational meeting AGENCIES New Moon on 28 February P6 Central agencies going to be more active: CM RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max: 32.5˚C SUN RISES 05:58 hrs MOON RISES 06:07 hrs BOWLING COACH MORNE MORKEL REJOINS TEAM INDIA RISKY BARGAIN rinamul Congress chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday, expressed apprehension that there might be enhanced actions by different Central investigative agencies in the state before the 2026 Assembly elections. Without directly naming the BJP, she accused the central ruling party of activating the agencies against the Trinamul Congress before any election. “Before any election, they fix their targets on whom to be arrested or against whom charge sheets have to be filed or whom to be branded as a thief. They are simply shameless. They are yet to solve the case on R.G. Kar,” Miss Banerjee said while addressing the organisation's mega meeting here on Thursday afternoon. Speaking on the occasion, she also blamed the Union government for PRE-POLL WARNING L Before any election, they fix their targets on whom to be arrested or against whom charge sheets r have to be filed or whom to be branded as a thief f. They are simply shameless. MAMATA BANERJEE AT ∙ Miss Banerjee claimed that online agencies appointed by the BJP have become active in West Bengal to misappropriate the voter list so that voters from other states can vote in the 2026 Assembly elections. TMC National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee scotched speculation of his differences with party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, asserting that even if his throat is slit, he would still shout ‘Mamata Zindabad . Mamata Zindabad’ He also dismissed rumours of his joining the BJP as a blatant lie. ∙ Miss Banerjee announced the formation of district-level core committees of her party whose only task will be to identify such alleged misappropriations at the respective districts. districts A centralised committee has ha as also been formed for the same purpose chaired by TMC state party president Subrata Bakshi. the latter’s alleged inability to convince the Union government not to send back Indians immigrants in chains. “When they are sending back our Indian brothers and sisters in chained conditions, you were holding meetings with them. Why could you not convince them so that they do not send Indians back in such conditions and arrange for their return to India respectfully, as the Colombian government had done? Why is the Indian government not sending airplanes to the US to bring Indians back and also assure them jobs in the country?” Miss Banerjee questioned. Addressing the organisational meeting, the Chief Minister also advised the party leaders to fully cooperate with political strategist Prashant Kishorfounded Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC), with whom Trinamul Congress has a campaign-strategy assistance arrangement since the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. “The leaders will have to listen to the advice of I-PAC. They will have to cooperate with I-PAC. Stop making negative comments about the organisation,” Miss Banerjee said. Her observations in the matter come at a time when a section of the Trinamul Congress leadership had been making negative public statements against I-PAC from open forums as well as to the media. The CM also claimed that online agencies appointed by the BJP have become active in West Bengal these days to misappropriate the voter list so that voters from other states can vote in the 2026 Assembly elections. “As far as the information gathered by me, the two agencies which have been appointed for that purpose are the Association of Brilliant Minds and Company India 360. These agencies reached out to the data entry operators. They did this in association with some errant block-level returning officers. They are linking the names of voters from other states with the EPIC number of voters in West Bengal,” the Chief Minister said. P12 SILVER 1,06,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 73.39p0.86 India a trusted friend and strategic ally: EU delegation on arrival in Delhi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 27 FEBRUARY India hopes to expand cooperation with the European Union (EU) in artificial intelligence and Indo-Pacific security, government sources said, as a delegation led by EU president Ursula von der Leyen and accompanied by the European Union College of Commissioners, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday on a two-day India visit. "Touchdown in Delhi with my team of Commissioners. In an era of conflicts and intense competition, you need trusted friends. For Europe, India is such a friend and a strategic ally. I'll discuss with Narendra Modi how to take our strategic partnership to the next level," the European Commission President posted on X after landing in the Indian capital. This is Ursula von der Leyen's third visit to India, having earlier visited the country for a bilateral official visit in April 2022, and later to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the EU President have also met regularly on the sidelines of multilateral meetings. Elevating the India-European Union multifaceted partnership to new heights, this is the first-ever visit of the EU College of Commissioners together to India and among the first such visits since the start of the mandate of the current European Commission in December 2024 after the European parliamentary elections held in June 2024. Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that discussions would focus on strengthening AI collaboration at both the bilateral and EU levels. The visit marks the first-ever visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India and their first collective visit outside Europe since taking office in December 2024. The President of the European Commission was received with a special welcome by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel at the airport. PM Modi is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday. The second ministerial meeting of the India–EU Trade and Technology Council and bilateral ministerial meetings between the European Commissioners and their Indian counterparts will also be held during the visit. "India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004 and their bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas. "As the two sides enter the third decade of the strategic partnership, the visit of President von der Leyen and the EU College of Commissioners will pave the way for further strengthening of bilateral relations based on growing convergences," read a statement issued by the MEA ahead of the EU President's arrival.