THURSDAY 29 MAY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR GOGOI’S 2013 PAKISTAN VISIT TRIGGERS ROW IN ASSAM KCR TO APPEAR BEFORE KALESHWARAM INQUIRY COMMISSION ON JUNE 5 P6 SENSEX 81,312.32 q239.31 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. Light to moderate rain/thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 00.0 mm P13 NIFTY 24,752.45 q73.75 ` vs $ 85.38 P11 GOLD `98,710 ASIAN ATHLETICS C'SHIPS: INDIA WIN GOLD IN 4X400M MIXED RELAY SILVER `1,00,000 P16 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 64.44 Cong labels Shashi Tharoor ‘super spokesperson of BJP’ BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla defended Tharoor, accusing Cong of hypocrisy RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 98% TRUMP SAYS PUTIN IS ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’ Min. 74% TEMPERATURE Max: 31.4˚C (-3.7) Min: 25.1˚C (-2.1) SUN RISES 04:52 hrs MOON RISES 05:35 hrs SUN SETS 18:15 hrs MOON SETS 19:54 hrs Full Moon on 11 June THUMBNAILS CM reiterates importance of communal harmony ASHOK TUTEJA NEW DELHI, 28 MAY An artist gives the finishing touch to a wall painting of Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, as a part of her 300th birth anniversary celebration, in Bhopal on Wednesday. nANI Lokpal clears former SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch in alleged market fraud case: India's anti-corruption ombudsman, the Lokpal, on Wednesday dismissed complaints alleging impropriety and conflict of interest against former SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch. The complaints were based on a report by Hindenburg Research, which the Lokpal characterised as containing “presumptions and assumptions” unsupported by verifiable material. The Lokpal noted that the complaints — including one filed last year by TMC MP Mahua Moitra — were primarily founded on a report by “a known short-seller trader whose focus was to expose or target the Adani Group of Companies.” T he Congress is clearly miffed with senior party MP Shashi Tharoor over the statements he is making in support of the Narendra Modi government post ''Operation Sindoor''. Tharoor, who is currently not in the good books of the party's top leadership, praised India's strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in Panama, saying the BJP government conducted the first cross-border surgical strike. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera was quick to repudiate. He posted an old interview of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in which the latter said many surgical strikes were conducted under the UPA regime, but they were never publicised. The Congress spokesperson also posted along with his tweet an interview given by the former PM in this regard. Tharoor is leading a multiparty delegation to five countries as part of India's global antiterrorism outreach under ''Operation Sindoor''. The former Union minister was not among the Congress members whose names were sent by the party to the government for inclusion in multi-party delegations sent to different countries to expose Pakistan for its continued support to cross-border terrorism. However, the government ignored the party's list and named Tharoor as the leader of one of the delegations, which is visiting the US and some other important nations. Tharoor also highlighted India's strong yet measured and calibrated response to the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, during a statement he made in New York on Saturday. The top leadership is upset as there is a sense within the Congress that Tharoor is taking an entirely different position on the Modi government from that of the party post ''Operation Sindoor''. Tharoor also earned the ire of senior Congress leader Udit Raj (photo right) who called him a "super BJP spokesperson" for praising the Modi government. He claimed that the MP from Thiruvananthapuram is doing a better job of praising the PM than any BJP member. CPI MP seeks all-party support to initiate impeachment against Justice Varma In a post on X, Mr Udit Raj said, ''My dear @ShashiTharoor Alas! I could prevail upon PM Modi to declare you as the super spokesperson of BJP, even declaring as foreign minister before landing in India. How could you denigrate the golden history of Congress by saying that before PM Modi, India never crossed LoC and International border?'' BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla came to the defence of Tharoor and accused the Congress of hypocrisy. ''For Congress, anyone who puts India first, Desh Hit above Dal Hit and Parivar Hit, Is persona non grata. Now, Udit Raj, on instructions of Rahul Gandhi, is abusing Shashi Tharoor as Shashi busted Rahul’s lies on mediation & busted Pak narrative. Shameful,'' he said. NEW DELHI, 28 MAY CPI MP and Leader of the party in Rajya Sabha, P Sandosh Kumar (photo left) has written to presidents of all political parties, demanding their support in initiating impeachment proceedings against Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, who has been indicted by a Supreme Court-appointed probe panel after the recovery of burnt cash from his residence in Delhi. In the letter, he stated, "If proven true, these allegations are not only a gross betrayal of public trust but also a serious affront to the integrity of our judicial institutions." He urged all political parties to rise above partisanship and take constitutional responsibility to safeguard the credibility of India’s judiciary. The letter underscores the need for Parliament to act decisively in light of such serious allegations, invoking the provisions of Article 124 and Article 218 of the Constitution of India to initiate impeachment proceedings. The CPI MP emphasized that the legislature cannot N Chandrasekaran step downs as Tata Chemicals chairman AGENCIES MUMBAI, 28 MAY Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran will resign as Director and Chairman of Tata Chemicals, effective May 29, the company informed the stock exchanges on Wednesday. The Board accepted his resignation and appointed S Padmanabhan, a current Director, as the new Chairman, effective from May 30. Additionally, Modan Saha has been appointed as an Additional Director, effective May 28. “I am writing to formally inform you of my decision to step down from my posi- tion as a director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tata Chemicals Limited w.e.f. May 29, 2025,” Chandrasekaran wrote in his letter to the Board. “After careful evaluation my current and future commitments, I have decided to step down from the Board. It has been a privilege to chair the Tata Chemicals board and I sincerely appreciate the support and collaboration during my tenure,” he further added. Chandrasekaran led Tata Chemicals as Chairman during a period of strategic transition and realignment within the Tata Group. be a silent spectator when such grave questions of judicial propriety and public accountability are raised. Beyond the immediate case, Mr Sandosh Kumar called for a “nationwide political dialogue on making the judiciary more accountable, inclusive, and socially representative.” He highlighted that the judiciary remains opaque in its appointments and largely unrepresentative in terms of caste, gender, and regional diversity. "Our courts must reflect the plural character of Indian society. Accountability mechanisms for the higher judiciary are long overdue. What we are facing today is not an isolated case of alleged corruption—it is a systemic failure that demands both institutional reform and democratic will," said Mr Sandosh Kumar. A press release from the CPI Parliamentary Party said the party has consistently championed democratic accountability across institutions and reiterates its demands for the establishment of a constitutionally independent mechanism to oversee judicial conduct and integrity. KOLKATA, 28 MAY Chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged people to maintain communal harmony and peace as this is Bengal's tradition. She offered puja at a Sitala Mandir in Kansaripara, Bhowanipore. Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, state agriculture minister and Kajori Banerjee, councillor were present at the function. Cong slams Uddhav Sena leader for threatening to blacken Rahul’s face STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, 28 MAY Maharashtra Congress state president Harshvardhan Sapkal, along with other party leaders, criticised a statement made by an Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader from Nashik, Bala Darade, that Rahul Gandhi's face would be blackened for "insulting" the late Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, when Rahul visits Nashik. Speaking on the sidelines of an event organized to mark Savarkar’s birth anniversary on Wednesday, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena's Nashik city unit chief said, “Rahul Gandhi used abusive language against Savarkar, and a case was filed against him in Nashik. We will not tolerate Savarkar’s insult. Rahul Gandhi will soon need to visit Nashik to appear before the court in this case. When he comes, we will blacken Rahul Gandhi’s face. If we can’t reach there, we will throw stones at him.” “We are very proud that we live in the birthplace of Savarkar. We express our protest against Rahul Gandhi for using some abusive words against Savarkar. Our party chief, Uddhav Thackeray, and Thackeray group leader Sanjay Raut have reprimanded Rahul Gandhi in their style. If he uses abusive words about Savarkar, we will teach him a lesson even though we are in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA),” Bala Darade added. However, party’s spokesperson Sushma Andhare distanced her party from Darade’s statement against Rahul Gandhi and told media persons that his views were his personal at best and is not the official stand of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. However, Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal said: “Rahul Gandhi never used any abusive words against Savarkar but only quoted some historic facts. We will not tolerate such threats to Rahul Gandhi.” Development agenda: PM’s two-day visit to Sikkim, WB, Bihar & UP STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 28 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said that “over the next two days, (he) will be attending programmes in Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.” “The development works that will commence over the next two days will bring innumerable benefits for people and strengthen our resolve to build a Viksit Bharat,” he said in a post on his social media handle X. During his two-day tight schedule the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth around Rs 48,520 crore in Karakat, Bihar and Rs 20,900 crore at Kanpur Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. The Prime Minister, who willfirstvisitSikkimonThursday, will participate in the “Sikkim@50: Where Progress meets purpose and nature nurtures growth” programme at around 1100 IST. “Ataround11AMtomorrow, 29th May, I look forward to being among my sisters and brothers of Sikkim to participate in a programme to mark Sikkim@50. India is very proud of the contribution of Sikkim towards national progress. The unique culture of Sikkim is also widely admired,” the Prime Minister said. Hewillalsolaythefoundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects in Sikkim and address the gathering on the occasion. He will also release the Commemorative coin, souvenir coin and stamp of 50 years of Statehood of Sikkim. The Government of Sikkim has planned a year-long series of activities under the theme “Sunaulo, Samriddha and Samarth Sikkim," celebrating the essence of Sikkim’s cultural richness, tradition, natural splendour and its history. Later in the day, the Prime Minister will visit West Bengal where he will lay the foundation stoneoftheCityGasDistribution project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts in Alipurduar at around 1415 IST. “It is always a delight to be among the people of West Bengal. At a programme in Alipurduar in the afternoon tomorrow, 29th May, the foundation stone for City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts will be laid. This will benefit several households, improve the environment and provide job opportunities for people,” said the Prime Minister. Further, the Prime Minister will visit Bihar and inaugurate the new terminal building of Patna Airport at around 1745 IST. “Tomorrow, 29th May is a landmark day for the people of Bihar and Patna in particular. This great city will get a new passenger terminal which can handlebiggervolumesoftraffic,” saidthePrimeMinisterasserting: “The people of Bihar have been waiting for this for many years. The foundation stone for a new civil enclave of Bihta Airport will also be laid. These initiatives will lead to better connectivity and will boost commerce.” On Friday, at around 1100 IST, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects including the one in Karakat, Bihar worth over Rs 48,520 crore. He will also address a public function at Karakat. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will visit Uttar Pradesh where he will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth around Rs 20,900 crore at Kanpur Nagar at around 1445 IST. He will also address a public function. Miss Banerjee said Kansaripara is an old locality where there are temples, mosque and gurdwara. "This is our tradition. People in the area live for generations here peacefully and happily. We should uphold our long-cherished tradition. During any puja people from all religions take part. In Bengal, we have different languages, culture, food habit but the unique part is the social harmony and peace," she said. Miss Banerjee said religion plays a big role in establishing social harmony. "During puja there are cultural programmes and the artists take part in them. Religion plays an important role in upholding culture. People from different walks of life take part in Durga puja.” She prayed for peace, good health and the success of all people. Manipur NDA MLAs stake claim to form government STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE IMPHAL, 28 MAY In a major development in trouble torn Manipur where President’s rule is in force, a 10-member delegation of legislators of Manipur including eight from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one from the National People’s Party (NPP), and one Independent—called on Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal on May 28 to formally stake claim to form the government. The delegation was led by Independent MLA Sapam Nishikanta Singh, who submitted a memorandum bearing signatures of 22 MLAs supporting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state. Speaking to the local media after the meeting, Singh emphasized the urgency of installing a popular government to replace the ongoing President’s Rule. “We are united in our resolve. All NDA MLAs in Manipur are keen to see a democratically elected government return to power. We have placed our appeal before the Governor and hope that the formation of a popular government will happen soon,” Singh stated. The move comes nearly a year after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023, leading to widespread law and order breakdown and eventually the imposition of President’s Rule in early 2024. The BJP-led coalition government, headed by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, had struggled to maintain control amidst rising tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities.