THURSDAY 10 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘NATURAL FARMING TO BE MY FAVOURITE PASTIME ONCE I RETIRE’ ‘CHOOSE GANDHI, AMBEDKAR, PERIYAR, NOT THE PATH OF GODSE’ P5 P6 SENSEX 83,536.08 q176.43 WEATHER Generally Cloudy sky with a few spells of light rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 008.8 mm P9 ` vs $ 85.69 PM Modi addresses Namibia’s Parliament Min. 97% SHAHID K ABBAS TEMPERATURE PM Modi, Brazil’s Lula emphasise cooperation, zero tolerance for terrorism NEW DELHI, 9 JULY Max: 30.1˚C ( -2.5 ) Min: 26.1 ˚C ( -0.6 ) SUN RISES 04:59 hrs MOON RISES 17:26 hrs P SUN SETS 18:25 hrs MOON SETS 03:10 hrs Full Moon on 11 July THUMBNAILS Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran on Wednesday called on chief minister Mamata Banerjee at her chambers at the state secretariat at Nabanna. nSNS SC refuses to halt ÂUdaipur Files' release: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to urgently hear a plea by one of the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case seeking a stay on the release of the film “Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder”, stating that the petition can be mentioned before the appropriate Bench when the court reopens on 14 July. The film is slated for release on 11 July. X CEO steps down: Linda Yaccarino on Wednesday announced she is stepping down as the CEO of Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, two years after joining the firm. Yaccarino, who issued a statement on X announcing the move, did not provide a reason for her departure, but said she is "immensely grateful to Musk". rime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed a joint session of the Namibian Parliament, emphasising the importance of strengthening bilateral ties between India and Namibia. During his address, PM Modi highlighted the shared values and historical bonds between the two nations. “We are committed to deepening our partnership and exploring new avenues for cooperation,” PM Modi said, emphasising: "Our collaboration in areas such as digital technology, defense, agriculture, and healthcare will not only benefit our nations but also contribute to the prosperity of our people." PM Modi highlighted the shared values and historical bonds between India and Namibia, underscoring the importance of mutual respect and cooperation. He also underlined the importance of people-centric development, ensuring that the benefits of cooperation reach the people of both nations. “We value our relationship with India and look forward to working together to address common challenges and opportunities,” Namibia President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said, welcoming PM Modi to the joint session of Parliament. PM Modi earlier in the day held delegation-level IAF Jaguar crashes in Rajaldesar-Churu in Rajasthan; pilots killed STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAIPUR, 9 JULY Two pilots were killed when IAF Jaguar trainer aircraft crashed near Bhanuda village in Rajaldesar region of Ratangarh sub-division of Churu district in Rajasthan on Wednesday. The aircraft took off from Suratgarh air base around 1230 hrs or so, on a routine practice sortie. It caught fire mid-air and fell with a loud explosion in unmanned farm land on the outskirts of Bhanuda. Locals who reached the spot soon after found two burnt bodies. They informed the police and Army authorities, who later reached the spot along with fire tenders. Superintendent of Police Jai Yadav has confirmed the recovery of two bodies, which were of the two pilots. Former BJP MLA from Churu district Abhinesh Maharishi, who reached the crash site before the IAF officials, said quoting a couple of eyewitnesses: "They saw the low-flying Jaguar aflame mid air approaching the village. The pilot gave a steep turn to divert it away from the village onto farm land. We salute the spirits of the pilots who prevented loss of life and property in the populated areas at the cost of their own lives." The IAF, in a post on its X (formerly Twitter) handle said: “An IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan, today. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident.” STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 9 JULY Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour at State House, in Windhoek, Namibia on Wednesday. n ANI talks with Mr Nandi-Ndaitwah, reviewing the full range of India-Namibia relations. Cooperation in key areas such as digital technology, defence, security, agriculture, healthcare, education, and critical minerals took centre stage in their discussions. “We also discussed how to boost linkages in trade, energy, and petrochemicals,” PM Modi said, taking to social media platform X. He expressed gratitude for Namibia's assistance in Project Cheetah, a conservation initiative aimed at reintroducing cheetahs in India. The two leaders agreed to enhance digital infrastructure and cooperation in the tech sector, strengthen bilateral defence ties and security cooperation, foster collaboration in agriculture and healthcare to promote mutual growth and promote educational exchanges and capacity-building initiatives. The two leaders also agreed to explore opportunities for cooperation in the critical minerals sector and boost trade linkages and cooperation in energy and petrochemicals. Later in the day, PM Modi was conferred with Namibia's highest civilian award, the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, in recognition of his distinguished service and leadership. India and Namibia have a long-standing relationship built on mutual respect and cooperation. India had supported Namibia's struggle for independence and played a key role in the country's transition to freedom. Rahul, Tejashwi lead massive protest in Patna over electoral roll row IMRAN MOJIB PATNA, 9 JULY Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav led a massive protest march in Patna today along with other top leaders of the INDIA bloc registering their protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in Bihar. Rahul and Tejashwi were joined by CPI (ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI General Secretary D Raja, VIP chief Mukesh Sahni and senior state leaders of other opposition parties. They were atop a vehicle during the protest march which started at Income Tax Roundabout in Patna. The protest march was supposed to culminate at the Election Commission’s office in Patna with submis- FATF report slams state-sponsored terrorism, puts spotlight on Pakistan sion of a memorandum against the ongoing electoral rolls revision ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls. However, the march was stopped near the Bihar Assembly and only a delegation was allowed to meet the Chief Electoral Officer in Patna. Through this protest march and state-wide chakka-jam the INDIA bloc successfully sent out the message ahead of the hearing in the NEW DELHI, 9 JULY The Financial Action Task Force has released a groundbreaking report that introduces the concept of state-sponsored terrorism, marking a significant shift in the global counterterrorism discourse. The findings reinforce India's longstanding assertion that Pakistan sponsors cross-border terrorism. The FATF is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. It sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society. The FATF report acknowledges that certain terrorist organizations receive financial and other forms of support from national governments, a phenomenon India has been highlighting for years. India's National Risk Assessment 2022 had identified state- sponsored terrorism from Pakistan as a key terrorist financing risk. The FATF report's findings corroborate India's position. The report highlights the funding patterns of Pakistanbased terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The FATF report's findings have significant implications for global counter-terrorism efforts. The recognition of state-sponsored terrorism as a distinct and serious source of terror financing underscores the need for countries to take concrete actions to prevent and combat terrorist financing. Supreme Court on Thursday that the Election Commission of India’s special voter list revision drive is not acceptable to the opposition parties. Rahul Gandhi once again hit out at the Election Commission and alleged that the institution is not performing its duty of protecting the constitution. He alleged that the Election Commission is helping the BJP. He once again raked up the issue of Maharashtra’s inflated voter list. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said: “I want to tell the people of India and Bihar that just like the Maharashtra elections were stolen, an attempt is being made to steal the Bihar elections too. They have realised that we have understood the Maharashtra model, so now they have come up with the Bihar model.” SC’s lens on probe agencies summoning lawyers PARMOD KUMAR SHAHID K ABBAS Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have highlighted the strengthening ties between India and Brazil. At a bilateral meeting, the two leaders underscored the importance of their strategic partnership in promoting mutual interests and addressing global challenges. Addressing a joint press meet on Tuesday, PM Modi and President Lula said they discussed enhancing cooperation in areas such as trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, health, and peopleto-people linkages. The two leaders emphasised the importance of their strategic partnership in promoting mutual interests and addressing global challenges. They also discussed various global issues, including climate change, sustainable development, and multilateralism. The meeting reflects the growing importance of India-Brazil ties and their shared vision for a more inclusive and sustainable world. NEW DELHI, 9 JULY In a move aimed at protecting the independence of the legal profession, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the practice of investigating agencies summoning advocates who render legal advice or represent accused persons in ongoing investigations. The case is set to be heard on 14 July, the day the top court reopens after its summer recess, by a bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai and comprising Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria. The action comes in the wake of the ED recently issuing summons to Senior Advocates Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal in connection with its probe into the grant of over 22.7 million ESOPs ~ valued at more than Rs 250 crore ~ by Care Health Insurance to former Religare Enterprises chairperson Rashmi Saluja. Mr Datar had given a legal opinion favouring the ESOP issuance, while Mr Venugopal was the Advocate-on-Record in the matter. The ED’s move had been condemned by Bar associations across the country as an attempt to intimidate members of the legal fraternity discharging their duties. P16 SILVER `1,10,000 GOLD `99,820 In address, PM Modi highlights shared values, calls for stronger bilateral ties RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 98% NIFTY 25,476.10 q46.40 LORD’S TEST: BUMRAH, ARCHER RETURN REVISITING A LEGEND BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 67.16 Twelve killed as bridge collapses in Vadodara, vehicles fall into river AGENCIES VADODARA, 9 JULY A 43-year-old bridge over the Mahisagar River in Gujarat's Vadodara district collapsed early Wednesday morning, killing at least 12 people and injuring several others. The collapse occurred around 7.30 a.m. on the Gambhira bridge located near Mujpur village in Padra taluka. This bridge served as a crucial link between the districts of Vadodara and Anand, and also formed a vital artery connecting Central Gujarat to Saurashtra. According to officials, multiple vehicles, including two trucks, an Eeco van, a pickup van, and an autorickshaw, were crossing the bridge when a large slab between two piers gave way, plunging the vehicles into the Mahisagar River. Videos from the site showed a fuel tanker dangling precariously from the edge of the collapsed bridge, twisted metal submerged in the river, and the desperate cries of a woman pleading for help for her trapped son. Visuals captured by locals depict the scale of the destruction and the chaotic rescue efforts underway. Teams from the Vadodara Fire Department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local residents immediately launched rescue operations. Heavy machinery, divers, and cranes were deployed to locate missing persons and retrieve wrecked vehicles. As the hours passed, the operation turned from rescue to recovery, with emergency workers battling time and currents. Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). “The loss of lives due to the collapse of a bridge in Vadodara district is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” the Prime Minister’s Office (@PMOIndia) posted on X. CM Mamata writes to NITI Aayog, slams depiction of Bihar as Bengal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 9 JULY Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday wrote to the NITI Aayog, objecting strongly to the use of a map of Bihar in place of West Bengal’s in a 'Summary Report' published by the premier national institution. In a strongly-worded letter to the vice chairperson of NITI Aayog, Miss Banerjee said that such a blunder in an official document of a premier national institution was not merely a technical glitch but an affront to the identity and dignity of the state of West Bengal. It exposes an alarming lack of diligence towards the States of the Union, she wrote. In the NITI Aayog's summary report, the map intended to represent West Bengal has depicted the territory of Bihar in its place, she said. She further wrote: “Such a blunder raised legitimate concerns about the rigor and reliability of the Institution's work , which policymakers and citizens alike depend upon for accurate and informed decision- making and casts significant doubt on the quality, authenticity and credibility of reports and publications of NITI Aayog. “The Government of West Bengal strongly condemns this inaccuracy and calls upon NITI Aayog to issue a clarification and apology and take immediate corrective action to rectify the document and to institute robust mechanisms to prevent such lapses in future," Miss Banerjee wrote. The document in question has now been removed from the NITI Aayog’s website.