THURSDAY 19 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR IRAN REJECTS SURRENDER, WARNS USA OF ‘IRREPARABLE DAMAGE’ KCR AND JAGAN COLLUDED TO TAP MY PHONE: YS SHARMILA P9 SENSEX 81,444.66 q138.64 ‘INDIA MAINTAINED HEALTHY GROWTH RATE DESPITE GLOBAL VOLATILITY’ P4 NIFTY 24,812.05 q41.35 ` vs $ 86.52 P10 GOLD `1,02,305 HARSHIT RANA IN INDIA’S SQUAD AHEAD OF FIRST TEST P12 SILVER `1,11,000 RAINFALL: 012.2 mm US had no role in brokering ceasefire: Modi to Trump RELATIVE HUMIDITY BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 76.95 CM accuses BJP of hypocrisy ahead of 25 June Samvidhan Hatya Diwas observance India has never accepted, will not accept mediation in bilateral relations with Pakistan: PM WEATHER Generally Cloudy sky. A few spells of light rain/ thundershower likely to occur. Max. 98% Min. 95% SHAHID K ABBAS NEW DELHI, 18 JUNE TEMPERATURE Max: 27.7˚C ( -6.1 ) Min: 25.7 ˚C ( -1.3 ) SUN RISES 04:52 hrs MOON RISES 23:38 hrs SUN SETS 18:23 hrs MOON SETS 11:05 hrs New Moon on 25 June THUMBNAILS S etting the record straight, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear to US President Donald Trump that the USA had no role in brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan last month. During a 35-minute phone conversation Mr Modi also pointed out that there was no discussion on a US-India trade deal during the recent hostilities. “India has never accepted, does not accept, and will never accept mediation in its bilateral relations with Pakistan,” Mr Modi clarified. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the two leaders discussed India-Pakistan relations, with PM Modi clarifying that there was no discussion of trade deals or mediation between India and Pakistan during the recent conflict. Notably, Congress and other Opposition parties have consistently been demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his silence on the repeated claims by US President Trump that his threat of cutting trade with India and Pakistan led to the ceasefire. “India has made it clear to the world that it will not tolerate terrorism and will take all necessary actions to combat it,” Mr Misri said, quoting the Prime Minister. Briefing President Trump on Operation Sindoor and India's action against terrorism, PM Modi emphasised that the operation was measured, precise, and nonescalatory. The call came after a scheduled meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit was cancelled due to Trump's early departure, the Foreign Secretary said. India, Canada agree to restore High Commissioners, end diplomatic rift CDS General Anil Chauhan during the commissioning ceremony of INS Arnala at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. nANI Axiom-4 mission eyes 22 June as probable new launch date: After multiple rounds of delays and rescheduling, the Axiom-4 mission — which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla — is now targeting a probable launch date of 22 June, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Wednesday. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 JUNE In a major breakthrough, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have agreed to restore high commissioners to each other's capitals, marking a significant step towards repairing bilateral ties between the two nations. The decision was arrived at during a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. The diplomatic rift between India and Canada began in 2023, when then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in the killing of proKhalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated", but the row over Nijjar's killing led to a downgrade in diplomatic ties. India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case and expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats. The restoration of high commissioners is the first step in a series of "calibrated and constructive" measures to restore stability in the relationship. Both nations have agreed to resume seniorlevel dialogues on trade, peopleto-people contact, and connectivity. Govt launches Op Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 JUNE In view of the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, India on Wednesday launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from Iran. The Government of India has been taking various steps over the last several days for the safety and security of Indian nationals in Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "As a first step, the Indian Embassy has evacuated 110 Indian students from northern Iran, assisting them in safely crossing over into Armenia on June 17. The students have travelled by road to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia. These students departed Yerevan on a special flight at 1455 hrs on June 18 and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of June 19 as part of the initial stages of Operation Sindhu," the MEA said in a statement. The Government of India is grateful to the Governments of Iran and Armenia for the smooth facilitation of the evacuation process, the MEA said. India accords highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad, it said. Trade negotiations, which were paused due to the diplomatic strain, will also be taken up soon. The two leaders, during their meeting, underscored the importance of “restarting senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship”. They also discussed the importance of restarting the stalled trade negotiations. UNITED NEWS OF INDIA KOLKATA, 18 JUNE West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a scathing attack on the BJPled Central government on Wednesday, accusing it of daily violating the Constitution while planning to mark 25 June as “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” (Constitution Assassination Day) to commemorate the anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975. Speaking at a press conference, Miss Banerjee questioned the BJP’s credibility in observing such a day, charging that the party has itself become a persistent violator of constitutional values and democratic norms. “Those who break the Constitution every day are now pretending to mourn its death. This is pure hypocrisy,” the Trinamul Congress supremo said. She pointed to instances such as the toppling of elected governments in Maharashtra and Bihar as evidence of what she called the BJP’s “backdoor politics” and erosion of federalism. “Is removing elected governments through backdoor deals not an attack on the Constitution?” she asked. The chief minister was referring to a letter written to state chief secretary Monoj Pant where it has been mentioned that 25 June has been notified as "Samvidhan Hatya Diwas" (Constitution Assassination Day) vide Ministry of Home Affairs Notification dated11July2024.TheCentre’s plan to observe 25 June as a reminderofthe1975Emergency ~ imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ~ has been publicised as a warning against the misuse of constitutional authority but Miss Banerjee dismissedthemoveasapolitical smokescreen meant to distract from current, ongoing subversions of democracy.