TUESDAY 12 AUGUST 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘BJP HAS TURNED ECI INTO ITS POLL RIGGING MACHINERY’ ‘LET THE HOUSE FUNCTION’ P5 SENSEX 80,604.08 p746.29 WEATHER POSSIBILITY OF VERY LIGHT TO LIGHT RAIN/THUNDERSHOWERS DURING MORNING/FORENOON HOURS. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 34 AND 25 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: 000.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 91 % TEMPERATURE Max: 33.8 °C (-0.4) SUN RISES 05:50 hrs MOON RISES 21:06 hrs Min. 62% Min: 26.4°C (-0.6) SUN SETS 19:03 hrs MOON SETS 09:41 hrs THUMBNAILS Chief of the Australian Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart receives a Guard of Honour at South Block lawns, in New Delhi on Monday. nANI Air India to suspend Delhi-Washington flights from Sept 1 due to fleet shortfall: Air India on Monday informed that it is suspending its services between Delhi and Washington DC from September 1, saying that the suspension is primarily driven by the planned shortfall in the airline's fleet as it commenced retrofitting 26 of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft last month. (P10) No Indian soldier captured by Pakistan: PIB calls viral video ‘fake’ Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Monday said setting up a minimum balance in the savings accounts is not in the regulatory domain, and the RBI has left it to the banks to decide. “Banks can decide and choose the amount they want to fix as a minimum balance. Some banks have fixed it at Rs 10,000, some at Rs 2,000 while others have waived it off. This is not in the regulatory domain,” Governor Malhotra said. Governor’s statement came amid the minimum average balance requirement controversy for savings ` vs $ 87.71 GOLD `1,02,950 P12 SILVER `1,17,000 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 65.83 The two leaders reviewed on phone the progress in bilateral partnership NIKHIL VYAS NEW DELHI, 11 AUGUST T hree days after he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday had a telephonic conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which he conveyed India’s consistent position on the need for an early and peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict in Europe. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, "Glad to speak with President Zelenskyy and hear his perspectives on recent developments. I conveyed India’s consistent position on the need for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict." "India remains committed to making every possible contribution in this regard, as well as to further strengthening bilateral ties with Ukraine," PM Modi further said in the post on X. An official statement here said President Zelenskyy shared his views on the recent developments related to Ukraine. "The Prime Minister thanked President Zelenskyy and reaffirmed India’s steadfast and consistent position for peaceful settlement of the conflict and support for efforts aimed at earliest restoration of peace. PM Modi reiterated India’s commitment to extend all possible support in this regard," the statement said. "The leaders also reviewed progress in the India-Ukraine bilateral partnership and discussed ways to further enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest," it said. The phone conversation came amid the ongoing trade tensions between India and the United States over Lok Sabha passes revised Income Tax Bill 2025 in Opposition's absence SHAHID ABBAS NEW DELHI, 11 AUGUST The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the revised New Income Tax Bill 2025, within an hour of its introduction by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Notably, the opposition benches were empty during the passage of the bill. The bill seeks to replace the existing Income Tax Act of 1961 with a more streamlined and litigation-resistant direct tax code. The bill proposes to allow deductions for inter-corporate dividends for certain companies, permit taxpayers to claim refunds after filing their returns, even if the deadline has passed, and allow taxpayers to avail NIL TDS certificates if they don't have a Deciding min balance not in regulatory domain: RBI guv amid ICICI Bank row NEW DELHI, 11 AUGUST P9 India slams Pak Army PM Modi talks to Ukraine's Zelenskyy Chief’s nuclear threat NEW DELHI, 11 AUGUST STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P8 NIFTY 24,585.05 p221.75 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The government of India has refuted the claims of Indians soldiers being captured by the Pakistan security forces after a video claiming the same went viral on social media platforms. The video shows a group of soldiers dressed in army uniforms shouting slogans. An accompanying post read, “Pakistani border security forces apprehended few indian soldiers and only released them after each shouted “Pakistan Zindabad” and “Pak Fouj Zindabad” yet another moment of humiliation for India.” However, debunking the claim being made through the video, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) debunked this video and called it fake news. Stating that pro-Pakistan accounts on social media are promoting such content with “malicious intent." ‘WILL TRY TO NETANYAHU DEFENDS NEW MILITARY OFFENSIVE IN GAZA BREAK THAT FINAL BARRIER’ accounts as the ICICI Bank last week announced a sharp rise. From August 1, 2025, customers opening new accounts will need to maintain much higher balances, making it the steepest benchmark among domestic banks. According to the bank’s announcement, in metro and urban branches, the minimum average balance will jump from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. For semi-urban areas, it will increase from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000. Rural customers will now need to keep Rs 10,000, up from the current Rs 2,500. The bank has said these rules will apply only to accounts opened after the change takes effect. tax liability. The bill also aims to clarify the definition of "relative" to avoid ambiguity and allow deduction of pre-construction interest on borrowed capital for let-out properties. The revised bill is expected to benefit taxpayers in several ways including reduced litigation by simplifying tax laws and reducing complexity. The bill's focus on digital tax administration and faceless assessment will make compliance easier and more efficient. The bill also provides a more relieved tax structure, ensuring more money is saved in the hands of taxpayers. The government's objective behind introducing the revised bill is to provide a clear and updated version of the tax law, addressing concerns and suggestions from various stakeholders. According to Baijayant Panda, the new law will simplify India's decades-old tax structure, cutting down legal confusion. India's oil purchases from Russia. US President Donald Trump recently increased tariffs imposed on Indian goods to 50 per cent, in what is seen as a sign of his frustration over failing to stop the Russia-Ukraine war. Meanwhile, during the telephonic conversation, Modi and Zelenskyy also discussed in detail the sanctions against Russia. "I noted that it is necessary to limit the export of Russian energy, particularly oil, to reduce its potential and ability to finance the continuation of this war. It is important that every leader who has tangible leverage over Russia sends the corresponding signals to Moscow," President Zelenskyy said in a post on X. Both the leaders also agreed to plan a personal meeting in September during the UN General Assembly and to work on an exchange of visits. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said, "I had a long conversation with the Prime Minister of India @narendramodi. We discussed in detail all important issues – both of our bilateral cooperation and the overall diplomatic situation. I am grateful to the Prime Minister for his warm words of support for our people." "I informed about the Russian attacks on our cities and villages, about yesterday’s strike on the bus station in Zaporizhzhia, where dozens of people were injured in a deliberate Russian bombing of a regular urban facility. And this is at a time when there is finally a diplomatic possibility to end the war. Instead of demonstrating readiness for a ceasefire, Russia is showing only its desire to continue the occupation and killings," Zelenskyy further said in the post on X. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 AUGUST Denouncing the reported ‘nuclear threat’ remarks by Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir during his visit to the United States, India on Monday said ''nuclear sabre-rattling” is the neighbouring country’s “stock-in-trade'', and also expressed regret that these remarks were made from the soil of a friendly third country. "India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail, and continue to take all necessary steps to safeguard its national security," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement. Despite this firm stance, Munir has once again threatened India, warning that Islamabad would plunge the region into nuclear war and could take "almost half of the world" down if faced with an existential threat in a future conflict with New Delhi. Sharply reacting to the remarks made by Munir, the MEA spokesperson in the statement said, "Our attention has been drawn to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff while on a visit to the United States. Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade. The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforce the well-held doubts about the integrity Oppn MPs hit the streets demanding ‘clean voter list’, EC’s accountability STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 AUGUST In dramatic scenes, more than 200 Opposition MPs, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, were detained by Delhi police on Monday as they attempted to march from Parliament to the Election Commission headquarters here to protest the special revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The Opposition MPs also hit the streets alleging "vote theft" and demanding greater transparency. They have been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR (special intensive revision) exercise, claiming it aims to disenfranchise voters in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections. The issue has led to frequent disruptions, with minimal legislative business taking place since the Monsoon session began on July 21. "This fight is not political, but for saving the Constitution. We want a clean voter list," Rahul told reporters, emphasizing the importance of protecting democratic institutions. Reiterating that the documents he cited for his “vote theft” claims came from the Election Commission’s own data, the Congress leader called it a fight for “One Man, One Vote” and questioned the state of democracy, noting that “300 MPs” were denied a meeting with the poll body. Congress’s Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi said, "They are scared. They do not want to face the truth.” She accused the government of avoiding accountability. "Democracy being assaulted, murdered right outside Parliament," said Congress's Jairam Ramesh, highlighting the gravity of the situation. "BJP's cowardly dictatorship will not work," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said vowing to expose the BJP's "conspiracy". The city police had made elaborate arrangements, placing barricades next to Transport Bhawan to stop the protesting MPs. Despite restrictions, the parliamentarians persisted, with some climbing over barricades and raising slogans against the Election Commission. Several MPs, including Priyanka, were detained and taken away in a bus. The Election Commission had granted an appointment for an interaction with up to 30 opposition MPs at noon, seeking their names in advance due to space limitations. However, the Opposition insisted on a collective meeting, leading to the protest march. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticized the Congress for "disregard for constitutional institutions" and urged them to raise matters in Parliament. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also appealed to the Opposition to avoid disruptions, emphasizing constructive dialogue. SC directs Delhi-NCR authorities to shift stray dogs to shelters PARMOD KUMAR A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan said there should be „no compromise‰ in making streets free of stray dogs, and made it clear that no captured animal will be released back on the streets. NEW DELHI, 11 AUGUST Taking a stern view of the stray dog menace, the Supreme Court on Monday directed civic authorities in Delhi-NCR to remove the canines from all localities within eight weeks and lodge them in dedicated shelter homes. A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan said there should be “no compromise” in making streets free of stray dogs, and made it clear that no captured animal will be released back on the streets. The apex court also ordered contempt proceedings against any individual or organisation obstructing the capture drive. “If any individual or organisation comes in the way of picking stray dogs or rounding them up, we will proceed to take action against any such resistance,” Justice Pardiwala warned. The bench directed Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, MCD and NMDC to begin the drive immediately, prioritising vulnerable localities. Authorities were told to create a dedicated “force” if nec- essary and ensure shelters have sufficient staff to sterilise and vaccinate the animals. The court further ordered setting up of a dedicated helpline to register dog-bite complaints, with offending animals to be picked up within four hours. Of complaint. It also ordered the authorities to maintain a record of all stray dogs captured and detained, CCTV monitoring, to ensure compliance and prevent any dog from being released back onto the streets. The court further ordered the authorities to publish information on where rabies vaccines are available, vaccine stock, and the monthly number of persons reporting for treatment. Observing that the order was in public interest, the bench said, “We are not doing this for us, it is for the public interest. So, no sentiments of any nature should be involved. Action should be taken at the earliest. Pick up dogs from all localities and shift them to far-off places.” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the authorities, while senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal, appointed amicus curiae, made suggestions to the bench. The court was hearing suo motu proceedings initiated on the basis of media reports about the growing menace of stray dog attacks leading to rabies. Terming the report “very disturbing and alarming”, the bench noted that the elderly and children are the most affected by rabies from dog-bite incidents. (See also page 2) of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups." "It is also regrettable that these remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country," the statement further said. During his visit to the United States, the Pakistan Army Chief also said Islamabad will defend its water rights "at all costs" if India proceeds with dam construction on the Indus River. "We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it ... The Indus River is not the Indians' family property. We have no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river," Munir was quoted as saying by leading Pakistani daily Dawn at an event organised by members of the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida. Munir, the Pakistani media reported on Monday, visited two US cities over the weekend and flew to Belgium on Sunday after completing his second highprofile trip to the United States in less than two months. EC cracks down on dormant parties; 476 outfits face delisting STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 11 AUGUST The Election Commission on Monday initiated proceedings to delist another 476 registered unrecognized political parties (RUPPs) for failing to contest elections for six consecutive years, the poll panel said in its daily press update. The move is part of the EC's ongoing efforts to clean up the electoral system and ensure that only active and engaged parties are registered. The ECI has been conducting a nationwide exercise to identify and delist RUPPs that have not contested a single election since 2019. In the first round of this exercise, 334 RUPPs were delisted on August 9, reducing the number of listed RUPPs from 2,854 to 2,520. The ECI has directed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of respective states and union territories to issue showcause notices to the 476 RUPPs identified for delisting. These parties will be given an opportunity to respond and participate in a hearing conducted by the concerned CEOs. Based on the reports of the CEOs, the ECI will take a final decision regarding the delisting of these RUPPs. "This ensures that no party is unduly delisted without being given a chance to respond," the EC said, asserting that the objective behind this exercise is to maintain the integrity of the electoral system and prevent dormant parties from misusing the privileges and advantages granted to registered political parties.