FRIDAY 08 AUGUST 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘INDIA SHOULD ALSO IMPOSE 50 PC TARIFF’ TEJASHWI BLAMES ECI FOR DUAL VOTER IDS P4 SENSEX 80,623.26 p79.27 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky with a few spells of Light to moderate rain/ thundershower very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 000.0 mm P5 NIFTY 24,596.15 p21.95 ` vs $ 87.39 NEW DELHI, 7 AUGUST TEMPERATURE Max: 29.2 ˚C (-2.8) Min: 26.0 ˚C (-0.5) SUN RISES 05:11 hrs MOON RISES 16:59 hrs SUN SETS 18:14 hrs MOON SETS 02:51 hrs Full Moon on 9 August THUMBNAILS Bengali widows make and display rakhis to be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a function organised by Sulabh International, in Vrindavan on Thursday. n ANI ECI issues notification for Vice-Presidential Election 2025: The Election Commission of India (ECI) Thursday issued the notification for the Vice-Presidential Election 2025, specifying key dates for the electoral process. According to the notification, nominations can be filed until 21 August, and scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on 22 August. P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the government is committed to prioritising farmers' welfare and will never compromise on their interests. The remarks, made while speaking at the Swaminathan Centenary Internation Conference in New Delhi today, were seen as a direct response to the imposition of tariffs by the Donald Trump administration on Indian goods imported into the USA. The 25 per cent tariffs earlier announced by Mr Trump on Indian imports went into effect from today. Mr Trump on Wednesday announced an additional 25 per cent of tariff, citing India’s purchase of crude oil and military hardware from Russia as grounds, which brings the total tariffs to 50 per cent. The additional 25 per cent tariff will go into effect on 27 August. “For us, the interest of our farmers is our top priority. India will never compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen, and dairy farmers," the Prime Minister said. "I know personally, I will have to pay a heavy price for it, but I am ready for it. Today, India is ready for the country's farmers, fishermen, and dairy farmers," Mr Modi said. “India will not compromise on farmers' interests, even if it means facing economic repercussions," he said. One of the major sticking points in the protracted negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between India and the USA is Washington seeking greater market access for its agricultural products, including genetically modified crops and dairy. India, however, has resisted these demands, considering them nonnegotiable. Prime Minister Modi, paying tributes to the renowned agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan on his birth centenary, said that Swaminathan led the movement to make India self-reliant in food production and gave the visionary concept of "biohappiness." Russian President Putin to visit India soon: Doval NEW DELHI, 6 AUGUST Amid ongoing trade tensions between India and the US over Russian oil purchases, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India soon. This was indicated by National Security Advisor (NSA) ‘Vote Chori’: Rahul questions EC’s role in electoral manipulation STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 AUGUST Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Thursday leveled serious allegations of electoral manipulation against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the poll panel colluded with the BJP to steal elections. Citing discrepancies in voter lists and sudden spikes in voting patterns to drive his point, Mr Gandhi, who is also the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that the Prime Minister needed to ‘steal’ only 25 seats to stay in power in 2024 and the BJP won 25 seats with margin less than 33,000 votes during the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress MP, who also made a presentation to back up his charges, alleged that over 1 crore new voters were added to electoral rolls in Maharashtra within just five months, a sudden spike that raises questions about the legitimacy of the electoral process. Questioning the Election Commission of India’s decision to destroy CCTV footage from polling booths in Maharashtra, and suggesting that this was done to conceal evidence of electoral manipulation, the Opposition leader claimed that his research team found large numbers of duplicate voters, invalid addresses, and bulk entries in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka, where over 1 lakh votes were allegedly cast fraudulently. P9 GOLD `1,03,730 P12 SILVER `1,17,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 67.12 CM Mamata warns of ‘Ready to pay heavy price for the country’ voter list conspiracy STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 91% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE ‘ISL WILL BE HELD THIS YEAR’ PM said welfare of farmers remains utmost priority of government RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 98% TRUMP TO MEET PUTIN SOON AS UKRAINE DEADLINE NEARS Ajit Doval, who is in Moscow, sources said on Thursday. Mr Doval, who is visiting Russia for bilateral talks focused on security, economic, and energy cooperation, met Mr Putin during the day. Mr Doval also mentioned that the dates of Me Putin's visit to India are being worked out, they said. The sources further refuted earlier reports of Mr Putin’s visit to Delhi in August this year saying that the time of the end of August being reported in a section of the media is incorrect. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order imposing an addi- tional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, with the new measure set to take effect after 21 days from now. The move comes in response to what the USA says is India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, which Washington claims undermines its national security and foreign policy. Calling Swaminathan a true patriot who dedicated his life to ensuring food security in India, PM Modi said: "He was a visionary who not only worked towards making India self-sufficient in food production but also emphasised the importance of sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation." Highlighting Swaminathan's contributions to Indian agriculture, including his role in the Green Revolution and his advocacy for eco-friendly farming practices, PM Modi said: “He showed us the path to achieve food security while protecting the environment.” PM Modi also announced the MS Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace, which will be given to individuals who have made significant contributions to food security and peace. The award is a testament to Swaminathan's legacy and commitment to improving the lives of people through sustainable agriculture practices. „This is no ordinary voter list revision. This is a dangerous game being played with peopleÊs citizenship and with the pride of Bengal,‰ she said. BISWABRATA GOSWAMI JHARGRAM, 7 AUGUST Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP-led central government of plotting to strike at the roots of democracy and Bengali identity through a covert operation disguised as a routine voter list revision. Speaking from the stage of World Adivasi Day celebrations in Jhargram, the Trinamul Congress chief said that the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was being misused to exclude genuine voters, particularly from tribal, minority, and backward communities, under the garb of docu- mentation scrutiny. Simultaneously, she turned the spotlight on what she described as an ongoing campaign to belittle the Bengali language, declaring that her party would resist both moves with full force in the runup to the 2026 Assembly elections. “This is no ordinary voter list revision. This is a dangerous game being played with people’s citizenship and with the pride of Bengal,” she said. Questioning the objectives behind the SIR, Miss Banerjee alleged that voters were being asked to resubmit forms and documents even if their names already exist on the electoral rolls. “If someone tells you to fill up a form saying it’s needed for something, don’t do it without knowing the facts. Your name might be struck off the list quietly, and next, you’ll receive an NRC notice,” she warned. The Chief Minister claimed that new rules are being brought in through the backdoor. “Now they’re saying even if you have an EPIC card, it may not be enough. They are demanding birth certificates of parents for those who were registered before 2002. Do you know how many people had birth certificates at that time? Barely 60 per cent. And now they want certificates for those born after 2004, including of their parents. Is that even feasible for rural and poor families?” she asked.