WEDNESDAY 30 JULY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR REVANTH TO CAMP IN DELHI OVER BACKWARD CLASSES BILLS ‘INDIA IS NO LONGER A SOFT STATE’ P5 SENSEX 81,337.95 p446.93 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY.LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN ACCOMPANIED WITH THUNDERSTORM/LIGHTNING.THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 31 AND 24 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 068.1 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 98% Min. 76% Max: 29.1°C (-5.8) SUN RISES 05:42 hrs MOON RISES 11:38 hrs Min: 26.8°C (-0.5) SUN SETS 19:14 hrs MOON SETS 22:27 hrs TEMPERATURE THUMBNAILS Participants ride a horse cart as they take part in the traditional horse cart race ‘Ekka', in Prayagraj on Monday. nANI Pralay missile clears user trials with pinpoint accuracy: Boosting India's air defence capabilities, two consecutive successful flight-tests of Pralay missile were conducted by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha, on Tuesday. The flight tests were carried out as a part of User Evaluation Trials to validate the maximum and minimum range capability of the missile system. P8 NIFTY 24,821.10 p140.20 ` vs $ 86.96 THE OVAL: SHAPING CRICKETING HISTORY P4 GOLD `1,01,195 P12 SILVER `1,13,378 No world leader asked India to stop Op Sindoor: PM Modi Three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev behind Pahalgam killing: Shah to LS “ SHAHID K ABBAS NEW DELHI, 29 JULY On the night of 9 May, US Vice President JD Vance tried to talk to me. He tried for an hour, but I was busy in a meeting with the forces. When I called him back, he told me Pakistan was planning a big attack. My answer was that if this is Pakistan's intention, it will have to pay a heavy price. P rime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday firmly rejected US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Replying to the debate on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha, PM Modi emphasized that no world leader, including the US President asked India to stop its military operation. “No leader of any country asked India to stop Operation Sindoor,” Prime Minister Modi said in the Lok Sabha, rejecting US President Donald Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Mr Modi emphasised India's sovereignty and commitment to national security, highlighting the success of Operation Sindoor in eliminating terrorist threats. Mr Modi revealed that US Vice President JD Vance attempted to reach out to him on May 9, warning of a potential large-scale attack from Pakistan. “My response was clear: if Pakistan attacks, it will have to pay a heavy price,” he said. The Prime Minister highlighted the operation's success, stating PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI that it sent a strong message to terrorists and their masters. “We destroyed terror sites deep inside Pakistan within 22 minutes to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam attack," he added. Modi claimed that Pakistan's airbases are still recovering from the damage inflicted during the operation. The operation was launched after the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, which targeted civilians based on their religion, killing 26 civilians, mostly tourists. The Prime Minister asserted that the international community STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 29 JULY largely supported India's actions, with only three countries speaking in favour of Pakistan at the UN. "No leader in the world asked us to stop Operation Sindoor," PM Modi stated, underscoring India's commitment to national security and sovereignty. The Prime Minister highlighted the success of Operation Sindoor, saying it sent a strong message to terrorists and their masters. He praised the nation's unity in foiling the conspiracy behind the Pahalgam attack, saying, "Today, I thank the countrymen that the country foiled that con- and the heads moved, but nothing of that sort happened after the Pahalgam terror attack,” she said. She demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, holding them responsible for the security lapse at the site of the attack, which, she said, was being actively promoted as an attractive tourist place by the government. She also accused PM Modi of being hungry for publicity and credit, and praised former prime minister Late Indira Gandhi, who also happens to be her grandmother, for effectively dealing with the US pressure and creating a new country out of Pakistan by winning a war with it in 1971. “Indira Gandhi did not seek any credit for whatever she had done, but PM Modi would always seek publicity and credit for everything,” she said. “No issues, you take the credit, but how about accepting and owning responsibility?” she asked. Joining the debate later in the day, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi accused the government of tying the hands of the Indian armed forces during Operation Sindoor, which he claimed was the reason for ‘tactical losses’ during the operation. The Congress MP said that the government lacked political will in punishing the Pahalgam perpetrators. “Yesterday, the Defence Minister compared the 1971 war with Operation Sindoor. I must add that this government’s resolve stands nowhere close to the then Congress leadership.” Mr Gandhi stated that political will and freedom of operation are the two most important components for winning any battle, and this government utterly lacks that courage. Citing instances of Indira Gandhi’s government’s political will, he said that when General Manekshaw demanded it six times, she gave that freedom, and the operation concluded only after dividing Pakistan into two parts. He further accused the government of agreeing to a ‘ceasefire’, just minutes after the armed forces vaporised the terror bases in Pakistan, stating that if this was not the testament of weak political will, then what was it? The Congress leader also referred to senior armed forces officers' admission of losses during Operation Sindoor and pinned the blame on the government for setbacks, including the downing of jets, as reported in the media. spiracy with unity." The Prime Minister accused the Congress party of not supporting the country on Operation Sindoor. He said, India got the support of all the countries during Operation Sindoor but did not support the valour of the Armed Forces. "We had said from day one that our action was non-escalatory. No leader in the world asked us to stop Operation Sindoor. On the night of May 9, US Vice President JD Vance tried to talk to me. He tried for an hour, but I was busy in a meeting with the forces. When I called him back, he told me Pakistan was planning a big attack. My answer was that if this is Pakistan's intention, it will have to pay a heavy price," the Prime Minister asserted. SHAHID K ABBAS NEW DELHI, 29 JULY The three terrorists ~ Suleman, Afghan, and Jibran ~ killed in Operation Mahadev in Harwan area of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday were the attackers involved in the 22 April Pahalgam attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He said the operation was carried out jointly by the Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police. Mr Shah revealed the names of the terrorists killed in the operation as Suleman, Afghan, and Jibran, adding that the bodies were identified by individuals who had been detained by agencies for supplying food to the terrorists. "Those who killed our innocent citizens in the Baisaran Valley included these three terrorists, and all three HM should take responsibility for Pahalgam attack: Kharge in RS NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 29 JULY Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah take responsibility for the "security failure" which resulted in the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam. Participating in a special discussion in the Upper House on India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Mr Kharge said: "Since the BJP has come to rule, there have been attacks in the country, and yet there has been no action taken on it. Uri and Pathankot attack in 2016, the Pulwama attack in 2019, and now the Pahalgam attack in 2025." "All these incidents have made it clear that there has been a recurring intelligence failure and a failure in national security. I want to ask the Home Minister who is taking accountability for this? What has the government done to rectify the mistakes in the intelligence failures? If you are responsible, vacate your post. If not, what action has the Prime Minister been taking ?" Mr Kharge said. He stated it was not Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha who was supposed to take responsibility for the Pahalgam attack being a "security failure". It should have been Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said. He said on 14 July, Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha took responsibility for the Pahalgam attack being a security failure. However, the responsibility for this should be taken by the Home Minister and not the LG, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said. "Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha himself admit- ted that 'the Pahalgam attack was a security lapse. I take full responsibility'. But the responsibility for this security lapse should be taken by the Home Minister and not the LG. To hide the mistake of the Home Minister, to save him, the LG of Jammu and Kashmir has taken responsibility for the Pahalgam attack," Mr Kharge said. Referring to the ceasefire that followed the Pahalgam attacks, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He referred to statements made by US President Donald Trump, who claimed five jets were shot down and suggested a third-party role in the ceasefire. Mr Kharge asked who had authorised it and whether foreign pressure - including trade threats or diplomatic intervention - influenced the decision. He demanded an official explanation, stating that the Prime Minister's lack of response amounted to surrendering India's narrative to external voices. Bihar voter rolls: SC fixes 12–13 Aug for hearing challenge to SIR IMF revises India’s GDP growth upward to 6.4 pc for FY26 & FY27 PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 30 JULY AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 29 JULY India is projected to see 6.4 per cent GDP growth in FY26 and FY27, with both numbers revised slightly upward, reflecting a more benign external environment than assumed in the April reference forecast, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Economic Outlook (WEO) report said on Tuesday. The IMF revised upwards its outlook for India’s GDP growth for the current fiscal by 20 basis points (bps) to 6.4 per cent. The global agency also revised upwards its growth forecast for FY27 by 10 bps to 6.4 per cent. “Global growth is projected BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 68.78 PM rejected Donald Trump’s claims of brokering ceasefire, said India maintained its sovereignty Gandhis attack govt for lack of political will, security failure In a two-pronged attack in the Lok Sabha, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the Narendra Modi government for the failure to provide security to the common people in Kashmir and lacking the political will to punish the Pahalgam attack perpetrators. Ms Vadra, Congress MP for Wayanad in Kerala, participating in the debate on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha , took the government to task for its “failure to provide security to common people visiting Kashmir on the fateful day of the Pahalgam terror attack”. She also accused the ruling dispensation of evading responsibility for the security lapse that led to the cold-blooded killings of 26 tourists on 22 April. “The Narendra Modi government would often talk about the Mumbai terror attack, accusing the then UPA government of not doing much about it, but I want to remind it that accountability was owned by all concerned ‘ARE TOP OFFICERS OF INDIAN ARMED FORCES ON PAKISTAN’S SIDE?’ at 3.0 per cent for 2025 and 3.1 per cent in 2026, an upward revision from the April 2025 World Economic Outlook. This reflects front-loading ahead of tariffs, lower effective tariff rates, better financial conditions, and fiscal expansion in some major jurisdictions,” said the IMF in its report. Global inflation is expected to fall, but US inflation is predicted to stay above target. Downside risks from potentially higher tariffs, elevated uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions persist, it added. In emerging market and developing economies, growth is expected to be 4.1 per cent in 2025 and 4.0 per cent in 2026. Observing that it will intervene if there was mass exclusion of voters from electoral rolls in Bihar in the wake of the Special Intensive Revision by the Election Commission of India, the Supreme court on Tuesday fixed 12-13 August for hearing a batch of petition challenging the exercise triggered ahead of the state assembly elections slated for October-November. Addressing the concerns that over 65 lakh voters may be deleted from the draft electoral rolls scheduled to be published on 1 August as part of the ECI’s ongoing SIR exercise, a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, assured the petitioners that the Court would intervene immediately if any mass exclusion takes place. “We are overseeing the process as a judicial authority. If there is mass exclusion, we will immediately step in,” the bench said. Appearing for Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Advocate Prashant Bhushan told the Court that the ECI has admitted that nearly 65 lakh voters failed to submit their enumeration forms during the SIR process ~ either due to death or permanent migration. Mr Bhushan said that these individuals would now need to reapply for inclusion, placing the burden on voters rather than the state. Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the ECI, told the bench that the process includes a window for objections and claims after the publication of the draft rolls. He added that the poll panel has made provision for inclusion of the left-out voters until 1 September. On Monday, the Supreme Court had told the ECI to adopt a “mass inclusion, not mass exclusion” approach and once again asked the poll body to consider accepting Aadhaar and Voter ID cards as valid documents for voter verification. The Court observed that most of the 11 documents already accepted under the SIR are equally susceptible to forgery, brushing aside ECI’s argument that Aadhaar and EPIC are not valid proof of citizenship. Any document can be forged. That cannot be the reason to exclude Aadhaar or Voter ID, which are widely held documents, the court had said. The petitions ~ filed by the NGOs Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), RJD MP Manoj Jha, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, activist Yogendra Yadav, and former MLA Mujahid Alam ~ have challenged the ECI’s 24 June directive, claiming it violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 of the Constitution. They have contended that the poll body in the SIR drive imposes a fresh burden on the voters to produce documents like birth certificate, matriculation certificate including documents relating to the parents and excludes widely held Aadhar, voter ID and ration cards as proof of identity. This, the petitioners have contended, disproportionately impacts the marginalised sections of society and rural voters in Bihar. It has also been alleged that the timing of the exercise ~ just ahead of assembly elections ~ raises suspicions about its intent. were killed yesterday. I extend heartfelt congratulations to all the personnel of the Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police on behalf of the House and the entire country. Today I want to say this clearly. PM Modi and our security forces not only eliminated the terrorists but also targeted those who sent them. The day Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba claimed responsibility for the attack, we gave the responsibility of justice to our forces. We made sure that no terrorist and no terror sponsor could escape the consequences," he told Parliament. Mr Shah emphasised that allthreeterroristswereregistered voters in Pakistan, and equipment found at their camp was sourced from Pakistan. "We don't believe in giving warnings, we take action," Mr Shah said in the Lok Sabha as he slammed the Opposition for their criticism. Mr Shah criticised the Opposition for questioning security lapses and the government's handling of the situation. "Terrorists got killed and you are not happy? You should be celebrating," he remarked, urging MP Akhilesh Yadav to let him complete his speech and outline facts regarding Operation Mahadev. No change in tax rates under Income Tax Bill 2025: IT Department AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 29 JULY The Income Tax Department on Tuesday issued a clarification on the proposed Income Tax Bill 2025, saying that it is only meant to simplify language and remove redundant or outdated provisions, and does not propose any change in tax rates. The clarification came after several media reports and social media posts claimed that the new bill would alter Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax rates for certain categories of taxpayers. Some reports even suggested that the existing tax exemptions on equity investments could be removed. "There are news articles circulating on various media platforms that the new Income Tax Bill, 2025 proposes to change tax rates on LTCG for certain categories of taxpayers. It is clarified that the Income Tax Bill, 2025 aims at language simplification and removal of redundant/obsolete provisions," the department said in an official post on social media platform X. "It does not seek to change any rates of taxes. Any ambiguity in this respect shall be duly addressed during the passing of the Bill," the department added. The statement makes it clear that the new legislation is focused on making the law easier to understand and streamlining the existing provisions, without introducing any changes in the current tax structure. The new Income Tax Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session in February this year. After that, it was sent to a select committee of the Lok Sabha, which has recently submitted its report. The bill aims to replace the current Income Tax Act, 1961, with the main goal of making tax laws simpler, more modern, and technologyfriendly.