TUESDAY 24 JUNE 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN ACCOMPANIED WITH THUNDERSTORM/ LIGHTNING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 35 AND 26 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 004.1 Mm Assembly bypoll: AAP fares well, BJP retains Kadi AAP wins two of the five seats; BJP, Congress and TMC won one seat each win in Kadi, Rajendra Chavda credited the victory to the party organisation and public faith in the government. “This is a mandate for development and governance. The voters have once again reposed their trust in the BJP’s way of working,” said Chavda. RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 89% Min. 60% TEMPERATUR Max: 36.2°C (-2.4) SUN RISES 05:25 hrs MOON RISES 04:48 hrs Min: 28.2°C (+0.2) SUN SETS 19:23 hrs MOON SETS 18:36 hrs THUMBNAILS School children interact with a person as they wade through a waterlogged road amidst heavy rainfall, in Surat on Monday. nANI Former India spinner Dilip Doshi passes away at 77: Dilip Doshi, former India spinner, is no more. According to sources, the former left-arm spinner, who represented India in 33 Tests and 15 ODIs, died in London on Monday. He was 77 and is survived by a son and a daughter. Doshi was in Kolkata in February. He represented India between 1979-83, making debut at the age of 32. The spinner, who represented Bengal, was heavily influenced by West Indian great Sir Garfield Sobers at Nottinghamshire. He claimed 114 wickets with six five-wicket hauls in his 33 appearances for India in the longest format. In 15 ODIs, he took 22 wickets. His autobiography, ‘Spin Punch' was much appreciated by readers. SHAHID K ABBAS NEW DELHI, 23 JUNE T he Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) smarting from its defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, spang a surprise by winning two of the five seats in the Assembly by-elections held in four states while the BJP, Congress and TMC won one seat each. In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party strengthened its presence with a comfortable win in Ludhiana West with Sanjeev Arora securing a victory margin of over 10,600 votes against Congress' Bharat Bhushan Ashu, while in Gujarat, the party regained momentum through Gopal Italia’s victory in Visavadar. However, the BJP continued its dominance in Gujarat by win- ning the Kadi seat with a massive margin of nearly 40,000 votes, with its candidate Rajendra Chavda emerging victorious. In Kerala, the Congress made a strong comeback with a significant win in Nilambur, signalling growing dissatisfaction with the ruling Left Democratic Front. Aryadan Shoukath, the Congressled United Democratic Front candidate, won the seat by a margin of over 11,000 votes against CPI(M)'s M Swaraj. In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress held its ground in the Kaliganj seat, with Alifa Ahmed comfortably winning by over 26,400 votes against BJP's Ashish Ghosh. The results highlight the regional strengths of each party and provide valuable insights into the shifting political dynamics in these states. Political Fallout: AAP's wins in Visavadar and potentially Ludhiana West indicate the party's growing presence in new territories. According to Manish Sisodia, the AAP's Punjab in-charge, these victories boost the party's morale and signal public approval of the Bhagwant Mann government's work. Also, Arora's victory in Ludhiana West probably paves the way for Party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal's entry into Parliament. Arora is a Rajya Sabha member. His victory now creates a vacancy that Kejriwal may fill through the Punjab route. BJP's Gujarat Stronghold: Despite losing Visavadar, the BJP retained the Kadi seat with a significant margin, showcasing its continued influence in Gujarat. Hailing his Iran fires missiles at US bases in Qatar and Iraq AGENCIES TEHRAN, 23 JUNE A major escalation unfolded in the Middle East on Monday after Iran reportedly launched multiple missiles targeting US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar--the largest US military installation in the region, according to a CNN report. The development follows US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in the early hours of Sunday. Two officials familiar with the situation confirmed to CNN that the US is tracking multiple missiles launched from Iran. A White House official said that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan PM highlights Tharoor’s article on Operation Sindoor’s global outreach Caine are currently in the Situation Room, closely monitoring the unfolding events. Earlier, Iran's state TV reported that Iran had begun an operation against a US base in Qatar. Samaa TV, citing Iranian state TV, dubbed this operation against US bases in the region as 'Operation Basharat alFath'. According to CNN, US personnel at the embassies in Qatar and Bahrain are in "duck and cover" as Iran launches retaliatory missiles toward Qatar and Iraq. The Qatari foreign ministry wrote on X that its government had temporarily shut down its airspace amid the heightened tensions. The move follows Iran's announcement of retaliation against the United States, which has heightened security concerns across the Gulf region. The US Embassy in Doha has already issued alerts to its citizens, advising them to remain in secure shelters until further notice. Earlier in the day, Israeli Air Force fighter jets carried out strikes on command centres and assets belonging to the Internal Security Forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement. As part of the operation, the headquarters of the Basij were targeted. The Basij is identified as one of the IRGC's central armed bases of power and is responsible for enforcing Islamic law and reporting civilians who violate it to regime authorities. Additionally, the Alborz Corps--tasked with securing several cities in the Tehran District and ensuring the regime's stability--was struck, along with the Intelligence and General Security Police under the Internal Security Forces, which the IDF described as integral components of the regime's military forces. Congress' Kerala Resurgence: The Congress' win in Nilambur is a crucial victory for the party in Kerala, potentially setting the stage for further gains in the state's upcoming assembly elections. Hailing the Congress candidates victory in Nilambur, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra extended her congratulations to leaders and workers of the United Democratic Front (UDF) on their victory in the Nilambur by-election in Kerala. In a social media post, she emphasized that the trust and belief of the people in the values of the Constitution and the UDF’s vision for progress will guide the party’s way forward. TMC's West Bengal Dominance: TMC's landslide victory in Kaliganj reinforces the party's dominance in West Bengal and highlights the challenges faced by other parties in the state. Hailing the victory West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told media persons: "The people’s mandate has spoken, loud and clear! Smt. Alifa Ahmed’s victory sends a powerful message. Bengal rejects hate and division and chooses progress and development.” “This win reflects our resolute commitment to Bengal's Maa, Mati, and Manush!" Mamata Banerjee, rejoiced. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 23 JUNE Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken notice of an article written by Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, highlighting the global outreach of Operation Sindoor, a humanitarian initiative that has garnered international attention. The Prime Minister shared the article on his social media handle X, bringing attention to the importance of humanitarian diplomacy. Tharoor's article, published in The Hindu, discusses the significance of Operation Sindoor's global outreach and its impact on humanitarian efforts. "Operation Sindoor's global outreach is a testament to the power of humanitarian diplomacy," Tharoor had written. The article emphasizes Amit Shah arrives in Varanasi for Central Regional Council meeting STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE VARANASI, 23 JUNE Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Varanasi on Monday to attend the Central Zonal Council meeting. He was accorded a grand welcome by the Chief Ministers of four states. The meeting is scheduled to be held in the city on Tuesday. Shah was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Dev and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport. After this, all the leaders reached the Baba Kalabhairav temple where they participated in the aarti. After worshipping at the temple, Shah along with four CMs reached the Taj hotel. The meeting of the 25th Central Regional Council will be held on June 24 from 11 am to 2 pm at the Taj Hotel. The meeting is being held for the first time in Kashi. It will discuss several important points including security and development of the country including the four states. The meeting will also be attended by the Chief Secretaries of the four states, the Ministry of Home Affairs as well as the NITI Aayog and the Inter-State Council officials. Earlier, the 24th meeting of the Central Regional Council was held in Uttarakhand. SC decries the tactic of getting bail by offering to deposit Iran evacuees thank PM Modi substantial outstanding dues and later calling it onerous AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 23 JUNE As India continues to bring its nationals home from Iran under 'Operation Sindhu', evacuees on Monday expressed heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government for the timely and efficient efforts to help Indians stuck in the war-hit country. Recounting their ordeal, one evacuee told IANS, “I was brought back from Iran. We were in serious trouble. I want to thank PM Modi for ensuring our safe return.” Another evacuee from Lucknow, who had been in Iran for the past 22 days, said, “When Israel attacked Iran, PARMOD KUMAR the Indian Embassy stayed in constant contact with us. They ensured our safety, provided us with food and medicine. We are truly thankful. Jai Modi!” Describing the tense conditions, a young student added, “The situation there was very bad, but the Indian Embassy supported us fully. We didn’t face any difficulties, and the arrangements for our return were excellent.” Another returnee added, “There’s nothing better than our India. Our PM Modi is truly great.” On Monday, another batch of 285 Indian nationals landed safely in New Delhi as part of the ongoing 'Operation Sindhu', taking the total number of evacuees to 1,713. NEW DELHI, 23 JUNE The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on the emerging trend of litigants voluntarily offering to deposit substantial sums of money to secure anticipatory or regular bail, only to later challenge those very conditions as “onerous” or claim that their counsel lacked authority to make such commitments before the court. Expressing concern over this practice of petitioner reneging on their commitment to deposit a substantial amount of dues, a vacation Bench of Justice K.V. Viswanathan and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh called it an abuse of judicial process that erodes the sanctity of court proceedings. “We strongly deprecate this practice… We have to be conscious of the sanctity of the judicial process. We cannot allow parties to play tricks and tucks with the court… We cannot permit parties to take advantage of a device resorted by them to secure the orders of release,” the bench observed. The Court noted that this tactic—now becoming “commonplace”—forecloses the High Courts from assessing the bail applications on their merits. While stating that excessive bail condition is no bail, the Bench stressed that onerous conditions must be judged case-by-case. However, it cautioned against litigants voluntarily proposing monetary deposits to secure bail and then reneging on those commitments by raising belated objections or alleging lack of authority on the part of their counsel. The court’s observations came during the hearing of a case under the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, where the petitioner was arrested on March 27, 2025, for alleged tax evasion of 13.7 crore. While moving the bail application before the Madras High Court, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that the accused had already deposited 2.8 crore and was ready to deposit another 2.5 crore, without prejudice to his legal position. The High Court, accepting this offer, granted bail on the condition that the 2.5 crore be deposited as a pre-condition for release. Subsequently, the High Court modified the order, permitting the petitioner to deposit the amount postrelease, failing which the bail application would stand automatically dismissed. However, appearing before the Supreme Court, senior advocate V. Chidambaresh, for the petitioner, argued that onerous bail conditions were impermissible, and that the earlier counsel before the High Court had no authorisation to propose such a deposit. The top court rejected the claim, noting that the petitioner’s modification application before the High Court contained no assertion that the counsel had acted without instructions. “If the offer for monetary deposit had not been made at the outset, the High Court may have considered the case on merits… Today the petitioner is approbating and reprobating. We are conscious of his rights under Article 21, but we have to be equally conscious of the sanctity of judicial process,” the bench remarked. the importance of humanitarian diplomacy in today's world, highlighting the need for countries to work together to address global challenges and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. Asserting that Operation Sindoor was a humanitarian initiative providing assistance to those affected by crises worldwide, Tharoor's article sheds light on the operation's global outreach and its impact on humanitarian efforts. The Prime Minister's sharing of the article underscores the significance of humanitarian diplomacy in promoting global cooperation and assistance. By highlighting Tharoor's article, the Prime Minister has brought attention to the importance of humanitarian initiatives and the role of global cooperation in addressing pressing challenges. Oman becomes first country in Gulf to impose income tax AGENCIES DUBAI, 23 JUNE Oman has become the first country in the Gulf region to impose a personal income tax to mobilise more funds for economic development. The 5 per cent tax will kick in from January 2028 and only applies to annual income of 42,000 rials ($109,000). The move will bring into the tax ambit only the top 1 per cent earners, the state-run Omani News Agency has reported. There is no other country in the 6-member Gulf Cooperation Council that imposes income tax. This tax-free status is considered a positive by foreign workers in countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Oman’s Minister of Economy, Said bin Mohammed Al-Saqri, said the measure will reduce reliance on oil income by diversifying public revenue while maintaining social spending. The Ministry of Economy affirmed that the implementation of the Personal Income Tax (PIT), set to take effect at the beginning of 2028, represents a crucial step toward enhancing financial stability and completing the fiscal sustainability framework. This measure aims to ensure sustainable financing for development across various sectors. He said that implementing the tax in Oman will yield significant economic benefits, supporting income diversification strategies and longterm fiscal stability as a pillar of economic growth. It will also sustain government revenues, strengthen the state’s financial position, maintain credit ratings, and boost spending power for beneficiaries, directly stimulating aggregate demand and economic growth.