SATURDAY 12 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR MAHA CM DEFENDS PUBLIC SECURITY BILL SENIOR LEADER ASKS THAROOR TO CHOOSE HIS PATH P4 SENSEX 82,500.47 q689.81 WEATHER Generally Cloudy sky with one or two spells of light rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 03.9 mm P5 NIFTY 25,149.85 q205.40 P7 ` vs $ 85.87 GOLD `1,00,415 Op Sindoor: NSA debunks claims in foreign media Show me one photo of any damage in India, said NSA Ajit Doval ‘ RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97% Min. 78% Max: 30.8˚C (-2.0) Min: 26.1˚C (-0.8) SUN SETS 18:25 hrs MOON SETS 05:04 hrs New Moon on 25 July THUMBNAILS AJIT DOVAL MC RAJAN CHENNAI, 11 JULY A gaggle of white geese swim in a pond to beat the heat as the temperature rises, at Jor-Pukhuri in Guwahati on Friday. nANI Tennis player's murder: Deepak Yadav, who allegedly shot his daughter, tennis player Radhika Yadav, dead in Gurugram, Haryana, has been sent by a court to a day's police remand for questioning. Yadav was produced before a Gurugram court on Friday afternoon, where the cops sought a twoday remand. However, the judge allowed only a day for his interrogation. Union Home secretary's tenure extended: The Central Government has extended the tenure of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan until 22 August next year. An order issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension in services of Mr Mohan as Union Home Secretary. Govind Mohan was scheduled to retire on 30 September. D ebunking the claims in international media, especially The New York Times, in their the reportage on Operation Sindoor, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Friday dared them to provide one single image to prove that India suffered damages in the conflict with Pakistan. “Foreign press has written that Pakistan had done this and that. You show me one image or photograph on damage on the Indian side, even a glass pane having been broken,” he said, while addressing the 62nd convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. “Would they carry the images of the 13 airbases of Pakistan before and after May 10, whether it was Sar- goda, Rahim Yar Khan or Chaklala at Rawalpindi. These days these imageries are from satellites all over the world. Has any image shown damage on the Indian side? We hit their 13 airbases, including the one in Bholari where they have their AWACS control systems.” Mr Doval said, adding: “We have hit their 13 important airbases and (nothing) except that. It was precise and pointed.” Describing the execution of Operation Sindoor as short and swift, which he claimed as unprecedented in the last 40 years, the NSA explained: “The entire operation started at five minutes past one and was over at 28 minutes past one - 23 minutes. We are capable of doing that.” “We identified nine terrorist targets across Pakistan, deep inside that country Calcutta HC seeks report from Union Home Ministry on charges of migrant workers from West Bengal being deported to B’desh AGENCIES KOLKATA, 11 JULY A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Friday, directed the Union Home Ministry to submit to the court a report on allegations that some migrant workers from West Bengal residing in New Delhi have been deported to Bangladesh. The Division Bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobrata Kumar Mitra also directed the West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to contact his counterpart in the Delhi government and get a report on the same matter from it, which will „There are over 1.5 crore migrant workers in Bengal who are earning their livelihood with dignity. We cannot say the same for the BJP-ruled states, where Bengali-speaking people are being branded as infiltrators,‰ CM Banerjee said. also have to be submitted to the court. The next hearing on the matter will be on 16 July. The Division Bench gave this direction on Friday acting on a petition by an advocate at the same court that some migrant workers from West Bengal who were in Delhi for their livelihood had recently been branded as Bangladeshi infiltrators and subsequently deported to Bangladesh. The advocate informed the court that those who have been deported to Bangladesh included an eight-year-old child, who was staying in Delhi with her parents. Recently, another case was filed at the Calcutta High Court accusing the Odisha government of unnecessarily detaining a group of migrant workers from West Bengal after branding them as illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators. and not in the border areas. It was a criss-cross pattern but with surgical precision, we hit them without missing any one of them. We knew exactly where everyone was and no unintended site was attacked. It was a wellcoordinated successful operation. And, satellite images tell the real story of what had happened,” he said, countering the scepticism in the international media about the efficacy of Operation Sindoor. According to him Operation Sindoor marked a milestone in the deployment of indigenously developed military hardware and weapons. And in a push for self-reliance in the domain of technology, he said the country would completely indigenise its communication systems as it is essential to safeguard national security and for data protection. Describing Artificial Intelligence as a game changer, he underscored the need to adapt to emerging technologies and give up dependence on foreign sources. “The Chinese, investing $300 billion, have taken 12 years to develop 5G. Though we do not have the time or money, we have developed the indigenous alternative in just two and a half years and we owe this to our private sector." Speaking about the country’s deeper identity struggles, he said: “We have suffered a lot. Our ancestors have suffered. you belong to a civilisation, a country, which has been bled, dishonoured for a thousand years. Our pitras (forefathers) have suffered humiliation and hardships to keep alive the civilisation and the idea of the nation.” Cong takes dig at PM, RSS chief over birthday remarks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 JULY Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks that one should step aside after attaining the age of 75 have prompted sharp comments from the Opposition on Friday, with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh taking a jibe at both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Bhagwat. “Poor award-winning Prime Minister! What a homecoming - reminded by the RSS chief upon return that he will turn 75 on September 17, 2025…But the Prime Minister could also tell the RSS chief that - he too will turn 75 on September 11, 2025! One arrow, two targets,” Mr Ramesh quipped. Speaking at a book launch event on Wednesday, Mr Bhagwat had said: “When you turn 75, it means you should stop now and make way for others.” Mr Bhagwat's remarks have sparked speculation across the political fraternity with Opposition leaders interpreting it as a subtle hint to Prime Minister Modi regarding his age. The proximity of their birthdays has added fuel to the debate, with Opposition leaders questioning whether PM Modi will also follow the same rule he applied to other leaders. One Nation, One Election Bill does not hamper basic structure of Constitution, need to address grey areas: Former CJIs tell parliamentary panel AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 11 JULY Former Chief Justices of India JS Khehar and DY Chandrachud gave their views before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of Parliament on One Nation, One Election on Friday and are learnt to have said the Bill to implement the proposal of simultaneous polls does not hamper the basic structure of the Constitution. They suggested revisiting some provisions of the legislation relating to the powers of the Election Commission (EC), according to sources. The JPC is examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which proposes simultaneous elections, aligning the election cycles of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Sources said former CJI Justice JS Khehar mentioned in his presentation that the bill, in principle, does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution. However, there are concerns about some provisions of the bill relating to the powers of the Election Commission, and there is a need for a debate on the issue. Sources said former CJI Justice DY Chandrachud told the committee that simultaneous elections do not hamper the basic structure of the Constitution, but there are some grey areas in the Bill which need to be addressed by Parliament. He is learnt to have said that such decisions should not be left to the court, as there are certain political decisions. The sources stated that the former CJI said that any change in the tenure of the assembly to implement the provisions of the bill should be decided by Parliament, not by the ECI. What needs to be deferred can be done with the sanction of Parliament. He is also learnt to have said that there are excessive powers to the EC under some provisions of the bill, and these should be revisited, and there should be oversight by Parliament. He is learnt to have stated that parliamentary oversight is necessary. The agenda of the meeting of the panel, headed by BJP parliamentarian PP Chaudhary, was "interaction with legal experts" P12 SILVER `1,11,750 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 69.67 Rahul slams BJP, calls caste census a weapon against corporate-backed exploitation STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Would they carry the images of the 13 airbases of Pakistan before and after May 10, whether it was Sargoda, Rahim Yar Khan or Chaklala at Rawalpindi. These days these imageries are from satellites all over the world. Has any image shown damage on the Indian side? We hit their 13 airbases, including the one in Bholari where they have their AWACS control systems. TEMPERATURE SUN RISES 04:59 hrs MOON RISES 19:06 hrs IT’S NOT A HOLIDAY: GAMBHIR BACKS BCCI’S FAMILY RULE ‘SP’S PDA SLOGAN A FARCE’ An Opposition MP later said that the two former CJIs conveyed that the bill may not be against the basic structure doctrine, but is unlikely to stand legal and constitutional scrutiny in its present form. Another opposition MP later said that the bill cannot be a substitute for electoral reforms. Many opposition parties are opposed to the provisions of the bill. The Union Cabinet had, in September 2024, accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections under the chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind. BHUBANESWAR, 11 JULY Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP and termed the caste census as a powerful weapon that would unmask the party’s alleged exploitation of the poor, Dalits, tribals, and OBCs for the benefit of a few billionaire friends of PM Modi. Addressing a ‘Save Constitution’ rally in Bhubaneswar, Mr Gandhi asserted that the Congress stands committed to protecting the rights of marginalised communities and ensuring their rights to land, forests, and water. He said that the caste census would lead to an equitable distribution of resources and a fair share in development, citing the example of Telangana where such a census has been conducted. Criticising the Modi-led model of development, Zmr Gandhi accused the Centre of looting public wealth and handing it over to a few corporates. He cited the PM Fasal Bima Yojana as an example, alleging that while funds are collected from farmers and governments, insurance claims are denied during natural calamities. The money goes to a few corporate houses, he said. He claimed the BJD, and now the BJP-led state government, have perpetuated the same exploitative policies in Odisha. Mr Gandhi alleged that laws like the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), meant to safeguard the rights of tribals and Scheduled Castes, remain unimplemented in Odisha. He accused the state government of being controlled by a handful of industrialists friends of the PM who, he said, were displacing the poor, grabbing land, and exploiting the state's mineral wealth. He also raised serious concerns about women's safety in the state, citing over 40,000 cases of missing women and children and alleging that 15 rapes occur daily. The state BJP government is not bothered about all this. Achieved 74.39 per cent enumeration form collection rate in Bihar, says EC STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 JULY The Election Commission of India has made significant progress in the Special Intensive Revision drive of electoral rolls, with over 74 per cent of the state's nearly 7.90 crore electors having submitted their Enumeration Forms, the poll panel said Friday,asserting that as of 11 July, a total of 5,87,49,463 forms have been collected. According to the ECI, the SIR process, which began on 24 June, has seen tireless efforts from 77,895 Booth Level Officers and 20,603 newly appointed BLOs, along with other election officials and over 4 lakh volunteers. The BLOs have been visiting households to assist electors and collect filled Enumeration Forms. To ensure the smooth progress of the SIR exercise, the Election Commission has implemented a new module in ECINet for the verification of uploaded forms by Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and Electoral Registration Officers. So far, 3.73 crore Enumeration Forms have been digitised and uploaded through the BLO App/ECINet. “The collection of 74.39 per cent Enumeration Forms is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our election officials, BLOs, and volunteers. We urge all eligible electors to submit their forms before the deadline of July 25, 2025,” the Election Commission said. With 14 days left before the deadline, the SIR exercise is being closely supervised by field-level functionaries, including District Election Officers, EROs, and AEROs, the ECI said.