WEDNESDAY 23 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR SENA NEWSPAPER CLAIMS UDDHAV GOVT FELL AFTER MLAS HONEY-TRAPPED THOUSANDS PAY TRIBUTE TO FORMER KERALA CM P6 SENSEX 82,186.81 q13.53 WEATHER Generally Cloudy sky with one or two spells of light to moderate rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 00.0 mm U.S. RELEASES FBI RECORDS INDIA AIM TO BREAK ON MLK JR. DESPITE HIS MANCHESTER JINX FAMILY’S OPPOSITION P5 NIFTY 25,060.90 q29.80 P11 ` vs $ 86.41 Speculation runs rife after VP’s shock exit Oppn leaders question timing and circumstances of the Vice-President’s decision Min. 70% Max: 33.2˚C (+1.2) Min: 27.4˚C (+0.9) SUN RISES 05:04 hrs MOON RISES 02:03 hrs SUN SETS 18:22 hrs MOON SETS 16:21 hrs agdeep Dhankhar's unexpected resignation as Vice President of India on 21 July, citing health reasons, has sent shockwaves through India's political landscape. The move, coming on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, has led to intense speculation, and prompted swift strategic huddles among the political fraternity with many opposition leaders and political pundits questioning the timing and circumstances of his decision. Mr Dhankhar's consideration of an Oppositionsponsored resolution on the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma is being touted as one of the major reasons that might have triggered his resignation. Mr Dhankhar had acknowledged the Oppositionsponsored impeachment motion brought against Justice Varma. Sources say that by accepting the Opposition's notice, Mr Dhankhar may have run afoul of the Centre's plan to target corruption in the judiciary. Sources indicated that Mr Dhankhar had received calls from senior ministers condemning his actions as unacceptable after he accepted the Opposition's notice, leading to a heated argument. His strict adher- TEMPERATURE New Moon on 25 July THUMBNAILS The British F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, which had been stranded in Kerala for five weeks after making an emergency landing on 14 June, finally took off from Thiruvananthapuram international airport on Tuesday. n ANI Ex-ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar found guilty of Rs 64 crore bribery: In the ICICI Bank-Videocon loan matter, the Appellate Tribunal under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA) has found former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar guilty of accepting a Rs 64 crore bribe in return for sanctioning a Rs 300 crore loan to the Videocon Group in 2009. This order overturns the earlier clean chit she received from the PMLA Adjudicating Authority. J NEW DELHI, 22 JULY Formalising the much-awaited India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and defence cooperation will be high on the agenda during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to London, starting Wednesday. Mr Modi will leave for the UK on Wednesday and on the second leg of his visit, he will undertake a state visit to the Maldives from 25 to 26 July. During his visit to the UK, the prime minister will highlight the issue of cross-border terrorism, the Pahalgam terror attack, and India’s response through Operation Sindoor. Addressing a special briefing by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the Prime Minister’s visit to the United Kingdom and Maldives, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Tuesday said this would be PM Modi's fourth visit to the UK. “This visit, though a short one, will give both leaders the opportunity to review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship,” he said. He said the visit to the UK is at the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while the state visit to the Maldives is at the invitation NEW DELHI, 22 JULY ence to norms is being interpreted as having led to a clash with the government. Also, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hinted at "far deeper reasons" for Mr Dhankhar's resignation beyond health concerns. Mr Ramesh commented that Mr Dhankhar's resignation "speaks highly of him but poorly of those who got him elected." According to Mr Ramesh, Mr Dhankhar was upset over ministers JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju's absence from a reconvened Business Advisory Committee meeting without any prior notice. However, JP Nadda clarified that he and Kiren Rijiju couldn't attend the meeting due to other parliamentary engagements and that his "only what I say will go on record" comment was directed at interrupting Opposition MPs. Mr Nadda had made the remark "only of the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu. On a media query on the India-UK Free Trade Agreement, Mr Misri said: "There was a conversation on the sixth of May, between the Prime Minister Modi and the Prime Minister of the UK, where an announcement had been made that the two sides had concluded negotiations on Free Trade Agreement and other issues. Since then, the two sides have been in very close touch with each other...We will update you on the final details related to this at the appropriate time.” Mr Misri added that India has brought the issue of the presence of Khalistani extremists in the United Kingdom to the attention of partners in the UK. Election Commission defends Bihar voter roll revision on 6 key grounds PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 22 JULY The Election Commission of India (ECI) in a detailed affidavit in the Supreme Court has defended its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, asserting that the process aims to ensure inclusion, not exclusion, of eligible voters ahead of the October–November Assembly elections. In response to petitions alleging that the exercise may disenfranchise a large number of rural and marginalised groups, the ECI listed six key grounds for its action, asserting that its constitutional and statutory powers fully back the process. The poll panel has stated that under Article 324 of the Constitution, the superintendence, direction, and control of electoral rolls rest solely with the Commission, and “denial of this authority would result in inclusion of illegal immigrants and foreigners” in the electoral rolls. Countering petitioners’ objections to document verification for establishing citizenship, the ECI said that Section 3 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 forms the basis for its declaration form, and not any arbitrary executive action. “The ECI, being a consti- New initiative to address local concerns to launch from 2 August STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE FTA, defence cooperation high on agenda of PM’s UK visit NIKHIL VYAS BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 68.64 President Murmu accepts Dhankhar’s resignation STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 JULY Max. 92% SILVER `1,18,000 GOLD `1,02,395 RELATIVE HUMIDITY P16 tutional body, would have constitutional authority to determine whether the constitutional requirement of citizenship has been fulfilled by a person claiming the right to be included in the electoral roll,” the affidavit said. On the burden of proof being shifted on the individuals, the poll panel has said that citizenship is a threshold qualification, and its proof lies within the special knowledge of the individual claiming to be a citizen of India and, therefore it is incumbent on the said individual to provide such proof. The ECI rejected the argument that asking for parental documents amounted to overreach, terming it “patently erroneous, misleading, misconceived, and unsustainable”. what I say will go on record" during the course of his speech in the Upper House on Monday when the Opposition parties were on their toes trying to disrupt his address. Speculation also suggests that blank documents were being signed, though details remain unclear, adding to the air of mystery surrounding Monday's events. The development occurred hours after a series of late-evening meetings where MPs from the ruling party were reportedly involved in carrying out a signature campaign. There are questions surrounding these signatures, as some MPs were apparently asked to sign papers without full knowledge of their content, with speculation linking them to an impeachment motion against Justice Varma. Opposition MPs had already submitted a notice for the judge's impeachment. President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar from the post of Vice President of India on Tuesday. Mr Dhankhar’s letter of resignation has been forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and soon an official notification will be issued. This was announced during the Rajya Sabha proceedings on Tuesday, when BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the Chair, said that Mr Dhankhar's resignation as the Vice President has been accepted. Earlier, PM extended good wishes to Mr Dhankhar. The PM wrote on X: “Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health.” In a sudden development Monday night, Mr Dhankhar, who served as the 14th Vice President of India since August 2022, stepped down on 21 July ~ the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament ~ citing health concerns. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 22 JULY The state government is going to launch Amader Para Amader Samadhan, a new initiative, from 2 August. A sum of Rs 8,000 crore has been earmarked for the purpose, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today. The initiative, which takes a cue from Duare Sarkar, is primarily for rural areas, and intended to address local issues and grievances. The initiative will be completed in 180 days. Each ‘para’ or locality, will get Rs 10 lakhs under the scheme. According to the scheme, three booths will be clubbed to set up a ‘para’. Government officials will man the booths once a week to listen to the grievances of the people. State Chief Secretary Mr Manoj Pant will be the head of the task force. He will oversee the work. The finance secretary and other senior officials will be the member of the task force. There are 80,000 booths. Miss Banerjee said there are local issues which need to be addressed. “There are instances when the electric pole got damaged due to rain and they need to be addressed. The Gram Sabha, Panchayat, Zilla Parishad and the civic bodies are there to do development work but such problems are often overlooked. Under the initiative, local people can meet the officials to resolve the problem,” she said. “Suppose the roof of an ICDS centre gets damaged, the local people can go to the officials to get it repaired under Amader Para Amader Samadhan initiative.” Coming down heavily on the Centre, she said: ITAT rejects Cong appeal on tax assessment Amidst Opposition protests, both Houses of Parliament adjourned for the day NEW DELHI, 22 JULY NEW DELHI, 22 JULY The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has dismissed an appeal by the Indian National Congress against a tax demand of Rs 199.15 crore for the assessment year 2018-19. The Congress had filed its income tax return in February 2019, declaring nil income after claiming Section 13A exemption of Rs 199.15 crore, but the exemption claimwasdeniedasthereturn was filed after the due date. This was upheld by the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) after which the party approached the ITAT. However, the ITAT rejected the party's claim for tax exemption due to late return filing and violations of cash donation limits. AGENCIES Both Houses of Parliament were Tuesday adjourned for the day without transacting any business amidst unabated disturbances as Opposition parties kept demanding discussions on the issues of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls being undertaken by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections and the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. The proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were marked by several mid-proceeding adjournments due to disruptions caused by the Opposition parties before the two Houses called it a day to meet again on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha witnessed STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE a series of adjournments, initially being adjourned until 12 p.m. shortly after convening. Upon reconvening amidst fervent Opposition protests, the Lower House was adjourned once again until 2 p.m. In response to the tumultuous proceedings, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju censured the Opposition for fomenting disorder within the Parliament. Mr Rijiju asserted that the government stands prepared for meaningful discourse, whilst the Opposition's propensity for protest amounts to an egregious squandering of public funds. In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition members vociferously demanded a discussion pertaining to the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, their impassioned pleas manifesting in vociferous slogans. As the Question Hour commenced, Ghanshyam Tiwari of the BJP made a formal announcement regarding the resignation of Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar, as conveyed via notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Despite this announcement, Opposition members persisted vociferously with their demands for the discussions leading to subsequent adjournment of the House. Outside Parliament's Makar Dwar, prominent leaders including Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav staged a protest decrying the Bihar Special Integrated Review. Carrying placards denouncing the revision exercise with slogans such as "stealing of Indian Rights" and "death of democracy," the leaders voiced their strenuous objections. SC issues notice to Centre, States in Presidential reference case PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 22 JULY The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Union government, and all state governments, on a Presidential reference seeking clarity on whether courts can prescribe timelines for the President and State Governors to act on Bills passed by State legislatures. A five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai (photo), Justice Surya Kant, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday, 29 July. It also asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to assist the court in the matter. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta will represent the Central government in the hearing of the reference by the President Droupadi Murmu invoking powers under the Article 143(1) of the Constitution of India. “There are issues of interpretation of the constitution. We have requested the learned Attorney General to assist us. Issue notice to the Union and all state governments. The Learned Solicitor General will appear for the Union. All State governments be served through email. List it next Tuesday. Notice be also served to all standing counsels," the Court said in its order. The Presidential reference ~ titled “In Re: Assent, Withholding, or Reservation of Bills by the Governor and President of India”~ stems from the Supreme Court’s 8 April 2025 ruling in the Tamil Nadu case, which laid down timelines for both Governors (Article 200) and the President (Article 201) to decide on Bills passed by state legislatures. The top court bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan in their 8 April 2025, landmark judgment had ruled that Governors cannot delay assent indefinitely, despite the absence of a prescribed timeline under Article 200. The President must act on reserved Bills within 3 months of receipt from the Governor under Article 201. Any further delay must be explained and conveyed to the concerned State. The verdict came in response to a writ petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging the Governor’s prolonged inaction on important bills. “The money earmarked for 100 days work, construction of houses and construction and upgradation of rural roads has been stopped. We have cleared dues of the MGNREGA workers. We have given money to 19 lakh people to set up their houses. We have started Karmashree where 75 days work is assured.” Miss Banerjee said despite financial constraints, the state government is carrying out 94 schemes. She said 90 per cent work under Duare Sarkar initiative have been completed while the remaining 10 per cent will be completed soon. She regretted that piped water could not be provided to every house hold after the Centre stopped releasing funds. It has not paid dues amounting to Rs 1.72 lakh crore to Bengal, she said. ‘Completed fuel switch inspections on all Boeing aircraft, no issues found’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 JULY Air India on Tuesday said it has completed “precautionary” inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet, adding that no issues were found. No issues were found with the locking mechanism of the Fuel Control Switch, Air India said in a statement. “In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism. Air India had started voluntary inspections on July 12 and completed them within the prescribed time limit set by the DGCA. The same has been communicated to the regulator," the statement said. The DGCA’s directive to perform the inspections came in the aftermath of a tragic Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad last month, in which 260 people lost their lives. The preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the Ahmedabad air crash, stated that the illfated aircraft’s engines had shut down just seconds after take-off due to fuel supply being cut off with the engine fuel cut-off switches, having transitioned from ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff’ unexpectedly. Air India flight’s power unit catches fire: The auxiliary power unit of an Air India aircraft flying from Hong Kong caught fire after landing at Delhi airport, the airline informed on Tuesday. All passengers and crew are safe, Air India said. The aircraft has been grounded for further investigations, it added.