WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR EAM LAUDS NETHERLANDS’ FIRM STAND AGAINST TERRORISM DELAYS IN REGULATORY APPROVALS CAN DISRUPT BUSINESS TIMELINES P5 SENSEX 81,186.44 q872.98 P12 NIFTY 24,683.90 q261.55 ` vs $ 85.59 MI EYE PLAYOFF BERTH, DC FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL VERY PRODUCTIVE EXCHANGE, SAYS PUTIN ON TALKS WITH TRUMP P11 P16 SILVER `97,000 GOLD `96,405 RAINFALL: 00.0 mm Mamata Banerjee slams BJP for insulting Bengal RELATIVE HUMIDITY BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 65.54 CM also stated that she honours both the nation’s soil and the Army that defends it WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Possibility of light to moderate rain / thundershower in some areas. Max. 92% Min. 59% MANAS R BANERJEE TEMPERATURE Max: 35.7˚C (-0.1) Min: 28.7˚C (+2.0) SUN RISES 04:55 hrs MOON RISES 22:49 hrs SILIGURI, 20 MAY W SUN SETS 18:12 hrs MOON SETS 11:15 hrs New Moon on 27 May THUMBNAILS Army personnel display the success of Operation Sindoor in targeting and destroying terrorist infrastructure during a media tour, in Kupwara on Tuesday. nANI Ashoka University professor sent to judicial custody for 14 days: Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad on Tuesday was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Haryana court in connection with FIRs registered against him for his allegedly objectionable remarks on Operation Sindoor. ithout naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP for insulting Bengal and its soil. She called on the party to show respect and pay homage to the land, stating that she honours both the nation’s soil and the Army that defends it. “In your bid to oppose Mamata Banerjee, you continuously insult the West Bengal Government and, in doing so, you end up disrespecting Bengal itself. But remember, the people of Bengal will not tolerate such insults indefinitely. Bengalis do not wish to see their land humiliated,” said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, addressing a state government programme at Fulbari near Siliguri on Monday. “Bengal is our pride, just as the soil of our nation is. We salute our brave soldiers, and in the same spirit, we honour and salute the soil of our country,” she said. “You earn your livelihood in Bengal, yet you cannot bear to see its progress — and that is why you keep abusing it. You choose to live with blinders on!” Without directly naming the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister added, “A BJP leader visited the region and promised to reopen several tea gardens. But he failed to fulfil that promise. There is no need to worry — the state government will take responsibility for the tea workers in this region. Since coming to power, we have already reopened 59 tea gardens here.” “Those who incite riots are born with the seeds of violence within them. They provoke unrest solely for political gain. I do not want riots — I want peace. Bengal will lead the way for the entire Foreign Secy Misri briefs parliamentary delegations ahead of diplomatic outreach STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 MAY Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Tuesday briefed three of the seven multi-party delegations on Pakistan's longstanding sponsorship of terrorism in India and emphasized the country's firm resolve to respond decisively to any terror incidents on its soil. Following the briefing, Congress leader Salman Khurshid stated there was “no interference by any external party in the understanding reached between India and Pakistan.” “Domestic politics is our right and duty, and it's a separate matter. But what we communicate outside the country must be united,” said Mr. Khurshid, a member of one of the delegations. He further stressed, “The ceasefire was initiated by Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), and there was no mediation by any third party.” “Whatever happened, happened solely between the two nations. When tensions escalated, it was between our two countries. When it deescalated, it did so between the two. It was Pakistan's DGMO who proposed the ceasefire. We responded that it could proceed, provided they were serious,” Mr. Khurshid added after the meeting. Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha, who is leading a delegation to Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia, said, “Our message to global leaders will be that enough is enough. Pakistan has repeatedly behaved like a thief investigating his own crime, especially when India has taken their promises on counterterrorism at face value in the past.” Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, heading another delegation to the UAE and select African nations, said their objective is to highlight Pakistan’s links to terrorist incidents in India. Foreign Secretary Misri, who on Monday appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs—chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor— provided a detailed briefing on Operation Sindoor and the recent escalation with Pakistan. He clarified that the United States had no role in brokering the ceasefire, which was initiated by Pakistan’s DGMO following Indian precision strikes that hit Pakistani military installations. These included a Chinese-made missile defence system in Lahore and the strategically significant Nur Khan Air Base. On Saturday, the Indian government announced the deployment of multiple allparty delegations comprising Members of Parliament to key world capitals. The diplomatic mission aims to expose Pakistan’s involvement in the recent Pahalgam terror attack and to rally international support against cross-border terrorism. nation. Bengal ranks number one in the implementation of government schemes,” Mamata Banerjee said. She went on to say, “Who introduced Lakshmi Bhandar? Many states made similar promises before elections, but failed to implement them, such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.” “When I give my word, I keep it. That is my credibility,” she affirmed. “I respect all languages and never exclude anyone from any community in my work. I do not create divisions, because I believe in unity.” “I may not be highly educated… but even those with limited formal education can accomplish Operation Sindoor row: BJP calls Cong’s claim as ‘Pak propaganda’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 MAY The BJP and the Congress traded fresh barbs on Tuesday after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar of warning Pakistan ahead of Operation Sindoor—an allegation the BJP dismissed as “the language of Pakistan”. On Saturday, Mr Gandhi had claimed the minister committed a “crime” by notifying Islamabad before Indian air-strikes on terrorist targets. Posting a clip on his WhatsApp channel, he quoted Dr Jaishankar as saying: “At the start of the operation, we sent a message to Pakistan saying we are striking terrorist infrastructure, not the military, so the military has the option of standing aside.” Calling the minister’s subsequent silence “damning”, Mr Gandhi asked whether wanted militants Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed had escaped because they were forewarned. The BJP counter-attacked through its ITcell chief Amit Malviya, who reposted an 11 May statement by Army CGMO Lt-Gen Rajiv Ghai refuting the story. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Malviya said: “It is unsurprising that Rahul Gandhi echoes Pakistan’s narrative… Instead of lauding the flawless #OperationSindoor, he keeps asking how many jets we lost—questions already answered in DGMO briefings.” He added that Mr Gandhi had never asked “how many Pakistani jets were downed or destroyed on the ground… What next— Nishan-e-Pakistan for Rahul Gandhi?” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera fired back, noting that former prime minister Morarji Desai— whom the BJP counts among its ideological forebears, remains the only Indian to hold Pakistan’s highest civilian honour. “We want to know whether Azhar Masood and Hafiz Saeed fled because Pakistan was tipped off,” Mr Khera said. He suggested other BJP figures deserved the Nishan-e-Pakistan, naming L. K. Advani and those who “went uninvited to eat biryani with Nawaz Sharif”. Fourteen years on: Mamata Banerjee’s historic 2011 victory still resonates STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 20 MAY On this day in 2011, Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, bringing to an end 34 years of uninterrupted Left Front rule led by the CPI(M). The oath of office was administered by the thenGovernor, M. K. Narayanan, making Banerjee the first woman to hold the state’s highest office. Following the ceremony at Raj Bhavan, Banerjee dedicated her victory to Ma, Mati, Manush (“Mother, Soil and People”) and pledged comprehensive development for West Bengal. In a symbolic gesture, she walked to the Writers’ Buildings—then the state secretariat—on foot, flanked by jubilant supporters. Years earlier, she had been forcibly removed from the same building after staging a sit-in outside then Chief Minister Jyoti Basu’s office to demand action against a police constable accused of rape. At the time, she vowed to return only after unseating the CPI(M)—a promise she fulfilled. In the 2011 Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress, in alliance with the Congress and the SUCI, secured 227 out of 293 seats. Trinamool alone won 184 seats, while the Congress claimed 42 and the SUCI one. By contrast, the CPI(M) managed just 40, the RSP seven, and the Forward Bloc 11. Twenty-seven Left Front ministers, including Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, lost their seats. Notably, Bhattacharjee was defeated in Jadavpur by Manish Gupta, Nirupam Sen lost to Professor Rabiranjan Chatterjee in Bardhaman, and Finance Minister Asim Das- gupta fell to economist Amit Mitra in Khardah. Dr Mitra, formerly the president of FICCI, was appointed Finance Minister in Banerjee’s first Cabinet. Subrata Mukherjee took charge of Panchayats and Rural Development, and Professor Chatterjee was made Education Minister. For decades, many Bengalis viewed the CPI(M) as invincible. Its local, zonal and district committees had come to resemble a parallel administration. However, Banerjee’s sustained campaign against Left Front “misrule” gradually eroded that perception. Trinamool gained control of the East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas zilla parishads in the 2008 panchayat polls, won 19 Lok Sabha seats in 2009, and seized control of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in 2010—laying the groundwork for its 2011 landslide and the Left's abrupt decline. Since assuming office, Banerjee has launched a host of welfare initiatives. Treatment in government hospitals has been made free, and the Swasthya Sathi card offers cashless health cover. The Sabuj Sathi scheme provides bicycles to students in Classes IX–XII, while Kanyashree scholarships support girls' education. In total, 64 social welfare schemes are in operation. Through the Duare Sarkar (“Government at Your Doorstep”) outreach camps, residents can access services locally, with district-level review meetings monitoring implementation. Nearly 14 years on, the transformation is evident across Bengal’s towns and rural areas—seen by supporters as a testament to Banerjee’s pledge of “development with dignity”. remarkable things. A degree isn’t everything. Many people from modest backgrounds contribute to society with intelligence and humanity. That’s why I urge the opposition — liberate your minds, don’t keep them confined,” the Chief Minister said. The Chief Minister concluded her address by criticising the opposition and its social media propaganda, ending with a line from a Tagore poem: “Those who have poisoned the air, extinguished your light — have you forgiven them? Have you loved them?” TMC nominates Abhishek for multi-party delegations: A day after withdrawing its lawmaker Yusuf Pathan from the multi-party delegations on Operation Sindoor over "lack of consultation", the Trinamul Congress on Tuesday announced party national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee as its nominee. "We’re delighted to share that our Chairperson Smt @MamataOfficial has nominated Nat'l GS Shri @abhishekaitc to represent TMC in the all-party delegation for India’s global outreach against terrorism," the party said in a statement. Modi backs WHO Pandemic Treaty, urges global unity STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva via videoconference, underscored the importance of global cooperation under the theme ‘One World for Health’. He stated that “the future of a healthy world depends on inclusion, integrated vision and collaboration,” while highlighting the need to prioritise care for the most vulnerable. Mr Modi welcomed the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Treaty—finalised after three years of negotiation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic—which aims to address healthcare disparities and strengthen global preparedness for future health emergencies. He described the treaty as “a shared commitment” to tackling future pandemics through enhanced international collaboration. Reaffirming India’s dedication to inclusive healthcare, the Prime Minister highlighted flagship initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest health insurance scheme, now extended to cover all citizens over the age of 70. He also noted India’s extensive network of health and wellness centres, which facilitate early detection of diseases including cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. Emphasising the role of technology in healthcare, Mr Modi spoke of India’s digital health innovations, including a platform for tracking vaccinations for pregnant women and children, and a unique digital health identity system. He also cited the success of India’s free telemedicine service, which has provided over 340 million consultations to date. Intelligence Bureau chief gets one-year service extension STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 MAY Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Kumar Deka’s tenure has been extended by one more year, an official order said. The extension was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is his second extension as was previously granted an extension in 2023, which was to conclude in June 2025. According to the central government’s order issued here on Tuesday, Deka's service will be extended for a period of one year beyond June 30, 2025, or until further orders, whichever comes earlier. The extension was granted by relaxing the provisions under Fundamental Rule (FR) 56(d) and Rule 16(1A) of the All India Services (Death-cumRetirement Benefits) Rules, 1958 - a measure rarely used and indicative of the government's strong trust in Deka's leadership.