THURSDAY 05 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. Thunderstorm with light to moderate rain very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 00.0 mm IPL: 11 dead in stampede outside B’lore stadium Govt seeking all-party support to sponsor impeachment motion against Justice Varma, says Rijiju Over 50 also injured as RCB’s victory celebrations turn into mourning Monsoon session from 21 July to 12 Aug RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 95% Min. 59% TEMPERATURE Max: 32.2˚C (-3.6) Min: 23.2˚C (-4.6) SUN RISES 04:52 hrs MOON RISES 12:31 hrs SUN SETS 18:18 hrs MOON SETS 00:19 hrs Full Moon on 11 June THUMBNAILS STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JUNE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JUNE Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah meets those injured in the stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, at Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru on Wednesday; (right) RCB fans gathered in large numbers outside Vidhana Soudha. nANI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BENGALURU, 4 JUNE Jammu and Kashmir police personnel patrol on the railway track at Srinagar railway station, ahead of the inauguration of Vande Bharat train service between Katra and Srinagar by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 June, in Srinagar on Wednesday nANI RBI MPC begins: The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting kicked off on Wednesday to decide on the repo rate cut and according to economists and industry experts, the Central Bank is likely to go for a third 25 bps cut in the repo rate to 5.75 per cent. Chaired by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, the committee’s decision will be announced on June 6. The Reserve Bank has already reduced the repo rate by 50 basis points in the previous two monetary policy reviews, lowering it to 6 per cent. Market participants are now watching closely for signs of a potential third rate cut, as expectations build for further monetary support to boost domestic growth amid worsening global macroeconomic conditions. (Page 12) T he victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after winning the IPL 2025 championship turned into a tragedy after a stampede broke out outside the M Chinnaswami Stadium, leaving at least 11 people dead and over 50 injured on Wednesday. A huge crowd of RCB fans had thronged the stadium to participate in the team's victory celebrations. Thousands of fans had packed the stadium, and thousands more were outside. The stampede took place outside Gate 2 of the stadium, shortly after the RCB players reached the Vidhan Soudha to meet Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the mishap was “absolutely heartrending”. “The mishap in Bengaluru is absolutely heartrending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery,” read a statement shared by the Prime Minister's Office. Unverified visuals of the stampede have gone viral on social media. In one such footage, some people are seen lying on the ground, having fallen in the chaos outside the stadium. A fan wearing an RCB jersey is seen stepping over them in a desperate bid to escape, while some were seen trying to pull out those who fell. According to local authorities, the injured were rushed to Bowring Hospital and Vaidehi Hos- PM Modi sets strategic roadmap in first Council of Ministers meet after Op Sindoor AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 4 JUNE Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, setting the tone for the government’s immediate and long-term strategic agenda, including national security, water policy, and public outreach. This meeting also marked the first such high-level gathering following India’s strong military response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed multiple innocent lives. According to sources, the meeting saw a detailed briefing on Operation Sindoor, India’s The meeting saw a detailed briefing on Operation Sindoor with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan delivering a comprehensive presentation on its execution and strategic impact, sources said. retaliatory offensive against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opened the session by providing an overview of the operation, after which Chief of Defence India calls for decisive action against non-tariff barriers at WTO STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 JUNE India has called for decisive action against non-tariff barriers and restoration of the paralysed dispute settlement mechanism as it pushed for comprehensive World Trade Organization (WTO) reforms during highlevel ministerial discussions inParis.CommerceandIndustry Minister Piyush Goyal outlined India's reform agenda at a mini-ministerial gathering of 25 WTO member countries. The minister emphasised the need to address trade distortions and strengthen multilateral governance ahead of next year's crucial ministerial conference.While speaking to reporters, Piyush Goyal articulated India's three-pronged approach to WTO modernisation. "India made a strong pitch foraddressingnon-tariffbarriers that certain countries use to deprive others of market access, taking necessary action against non-market economies, and ensuring we have a strong disputesettlementmechanism," he said. Further, Mr Goyal expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA), saying that while some members have promotedtheMulti-PartyInterim AppealArbitrationArrangement as an alternative, "only one or two members spoke about that, but there doesn't seem to be much consensus or traction to that idea. I haven't heard of any cases resolved through MPIA." Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan delivered a comprehensive presentation on its execution and strategic impact, sources said. Under Operation Sindoor, India struck nine terror camps, with subsequent action countering Pakistani offensives across multiple sectors. The government in the meeting also reviewed pressing issues related to developmental projects. The Ministry of Jal Shakti gave a detailed presentation on India’s water management strategy, including a status update on the Indus Waters Treaty and other key infrastructure projects. pital in Bengaluru. Six people are undergoing treatment at Vaidehi Hospital, where their condition is said to be critical. The identities of the deceased have not been revealed. Mr Siddaramaiah and his deputy, D K Shivakumar, visited Bowring Hospital to meet the injured. Mr Shivakumar also expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. “The people who had gathered to witness RCB’s IPL victory celebrations have, unfortunately, become victims of a tragedy. The loss of lives is deeply painful and shocking. My condolences to the deceased and heartfelt sympathies to their families. Let there be passion, but nothing is more important than life,” he said. The Opposition BJP was quick to blame the Congress government in Karnataka for the tragedy. It alleged lack of crowd control measures and basic facilities. RCB, which faced criticism for going ahead with a felicitation programme for its players despite the tragedy, said in a statement: “RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extends our heartfelt condolences to the affected families. Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program and followed the guidance and advice of the local administration.” “The safety and wellbeing of everyone is of utmost importance to us. We urge all our supporters to please stay safe,” the team said in the statement released late in the evening. RCB legend Virat Kohli also put out the same official statement, expressing his sorrow through an Instagram post. Australia reiterates support to India in fight against cross- border terrorism STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI 4 JUNE Australia on Wednesday reiterated its support to India in its fight against cross border terrorism. Australia's resolve on India's fight against crossborder terrorism was reiterated by Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles after he called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday. “Deputy Prime Minister Marles reiterated Australia’s support in India’s fight against cross border terrorism,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said. During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Mr Marles on the “historic victory” of the Australian Labor Party in the recent Federal elections. “The two leaders exchanged ideas to further strengthen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which completed five years today,” the PM's Office said. “They underlined the importance of enhancing cooperation in key areas such as defence industrial collaboration, resilient supply chains, critical minerals, new and emerging technologies.” Govt to conduct population census-2027 in two phases with caste enumeration SUSHIL KUMAR NEW DELHI, 4 JUNE The Narendra Modi government has decided to conduct the Population Census-2027 in two phases, along with the enumeration of castes, official sources said on Wednesday. The reference date for the Population Census - 2027 will be 00:00 hours of the first day of March, 2027. For the Union Territory of Ladakh and the non-synchronous snowbound areas of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the States of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be 00.00 hours of the first day of October, 2026, they said. The notification for the intent of conducting the Population Census with these reference dates will be pub- lished in the official gazette tentatively on 16 June 2025, as per the provision of section 3 of the Census Act 1948. The Census of India is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, and the Census Rules, 1990. The last Census of India was conducted in 2011 in two phases, namely - Phase I House Listing (HLO) (1 April to 30 September 2010) and Phase II - Population Enumeration (PE) (09 February to 28 February 2011) with reference date - 00:00 hours of the first day of March 2011, except for snow-bound nonsynchronous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for which it was conducted during 11 to 30 September 2010 with reference date as 00.00 hours of the first day of October 2010, the sources added. Census 2021 was also proposed to be conducted in two phases in a similar manner, with phase one during AprilSeptember 2020 and phase two in February 2021. All the preparations for the first phase of the Census to be conducted in 2021 were completed, and field work was scheduled to begin in some States/UTs from 1 April 2020. However, due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic across the country, the census work was postponed. The government will sponsor an impeachment motion against former Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, starting 21 July, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday. “I have reached out to the leaders of all major political parties. As this is a non-political issue it would be better for all parties to be on board… It’s not a political issue, it’s a matter of seriousness related to corruption in the judiciary… We will evolve a consensus,” Mr Rijiju told newsmen. The controversy erupted during a fire incident at Justice Varma's residence in New Delhi on 14 March when fire-fighters allegedly discovered sacks of unaccounted cash at his official residence. Justice Varma categorically denied knowledge of any such money, claiming neither he nor his staff were aware of the presence of currency notes in such quantities. Following the ‘discovery’, the then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, called an extraordinary meeting of the Supreme Court collegium to discuss the serious allegations, after which Justice Varma was relieved from judicial duties at the Delhi High Court. On 22 March, the CJI formally constituted a three-member committee comprising Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court), Justice G S Sandhawalia (Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge of Karnataka High Court) to conduct a thorough investigation under the inhouse procedure. The Supreme Court also requested detailed information about security personnel posted at Justice Varma's residence in the six months preceding the incident, indicating a comprehensive approach to the investigation. The Monsoon session of Parliament will be held from 21 July to 12 August, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday. Talking to the media, he said the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, recommended the schedule of the session. The announcement of the 17-sitting Monsoon Session by Mr Rijiju comes against the backdrop of Opposition parties’ cohesive demand for a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and subsequent developments, including US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The Opposition has also demanded a discussion on Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan's recent statement acknowledging “initial losses” of air assets due to tactical errors in Operation Sindoor.