FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY Mithun Manhas elected BCCI chief; Rajeev Shukla, Saikia re-elected as VP and secretary: Mumbai: Former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas has been elected as the new BCCI President, while Rajeev Shukla and Devajit Saikia have been re-elected as the Vice-President and secretary, respectively, at the 94th Annual General Meeting held at the BCCI headquarters on Sunday. Moreover, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia has replaced Rohan Gauns Desai as Joint Secretary, and Raghuram Bhat has been elected as Treasurer. BCCI Secretary Saikia said that all the apex council members have been elected unopposed, as there was no opposition against the candidates who submitted their nominations for their respective posts. Page 16 Two terrorists killed in LOC infiltration bid: Jammu: Security forces on Sunday foiled an infiltration bid with the elimination of two terrorists along the Line of Control (LOC) in the Keran sector of Kupwara, in north Kashmir.The heavilyarmed terrorists were intercepted while trying to cross the international border from the Pakistanoccupied side, triggering a fierce gunfight. The search operation is still underway, with reinforcements sealing possible escape routes. The Keran sector, a sensitive zone with repeated infiltration attempts, has been under tight vigil as such bids usually rise before winters. Agra, 28 September A Delhi court sent Chaitanyananda Saraswati, a selfproclaimed godman who was accused of sexually harassing 17 girl students at a private institute, to five-day police custody on Sunday, Delhi Police said. He was arrested early in the morning at a hotel in Agra. Delhi Police said that acting on a tip-off, a team reached Agra and arrested Chaitanyananda. He was produced before the judge in the afternoon. During the arguments, the prosecution alleged that Saraswati had molested several women and sought sexual favours from them, and that the testimonies of the victims had corroborated the allegations. Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR EAM urges world to crack down on terror financing PARWINDER SANDHU New Delhi, September 28 T aking a direct hit at Islamabad, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar called it an epicentre of global terrorism during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) today. “India has confronted this challenge since independence, having a neighbour that is an epicentre of global terrorism,” he said. Recalling the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead in April, Jaishankar said that while asserting our rights, we must also firmly face up to threats. “For decades now, major international terrorist attacks are traced back to that one country. UN’s designated lists of terrorists are replete with its nationals. The most recent example of cross-border barbarism was the murder of innocent tourists in Pahalgam in April this year. India exercised External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addresses the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. AGENCIES its right to defend its people against terrorism and brought its organisers and perpetrators to justice,” he said. Stating that terrorism is a shared threat, the EAM sought much deeper international cooperation and choking the funding of countries that harbour terrorists. “When nations openly declare terrorism as state policy, when terror hubs operate on an industrial scale, when terrorists are publicly glorified, then such actions must be unequivocally condemned. Relentless pressure must be applied on the entire terrorism eco-system. Those who condone nations that sponsor terror will find that it comes back to bite them,” he added. The EAM further spoke about “de-risking” stating that it has become a “growing compulsion” for countries facing “tariff volatility and uncertain market access.” “When it came to trade, Modi calls for festive season boost to indigenous products SHAHID K ABBAS New Delhi, 28 September Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday called on citizens to make the upcoming festive season more meaningful by choosing indigenous products. Addressing the 126th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister highlighted the ongoing “GST Bachat Utsav”, encouraging people to take a pledge to support local goods during their festival shopping. “In the coming days, festivals and celebrations will be a succession of joys. We do a lot of shopping for every festival. And this time, there’s even a 'GST Bachat Utsav’ going on," the Prime Minister said. “You can make your festivals even more special by taking a pledge. If we resolve to celebrate this festival with only indigenous products, you will see the joy of our celebrations increase exponentially,” he added. Delhi harassment case: ‘Godman’ caught in Agra STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE | According to the FIR against Chaitanyananda, the former chairman of a management institute in southwest Delhi, allegedly pressured female students to visit his quarters late at night, and also used to send them inappropriate text messages at unusual hours. Chaitanyananda is also accused of embezzling Rs 20 crore, falsely claiming membership in a national advisory council, and using photoshopped images to show himself with prominent politicians. Following the investigation into the case, police froze more than 18 bank accounts and 28 fixed deposits linked to a trust established by Chaitanyananda, which collectively held around Rs 8 crore. His remarks continue the government’s emphasis on the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative, aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and self-reliance. The Ministry of Finance has stated that the rationalisation of the GST structure will provide further impetus to consumption growth, with a new two -rate structure implemented, featuring a standard rate of 18 percent and a merit rate of 5 per cent. PM Modi paid tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Lata Mangeshkar on their birth anniversaries. He described Bhagat Singh as an inspiration for every Indian, especially the youth, citing his fearlessness and sacrifice for the country. “Before embracing the gallows for the country, Bhagat Singh Ji had also written a letter to the British. He said, ‘I want you to treat me and my comrades like prisoners of war. Therefore, our lives should not be taken by hanging but by shooting us directly.’ Amar Shaheed Bhagat Singh is an inspiration for every Indian, especially the youth of the country,” said PM Modi. non-market practices gamed rules and regimes. The resulting concentration exposed the world to leveraging. On top of that, we now see tariff volatility and uncertain market access as a result. De-risking is a growing compulsion, whether from limited sources of supply or over-dependence on a particular market,” Mr Jaishankar added. He also stated that while the UN remains resistant to reform, most members strongly desire change; but the process is being made an obstacle to the outcome. “It is imperative that we see through this cynicism and purposefully address the reform agenda. The historical injustice done to Africa should be redressed. Both permanent and non-permanent membership of the Council must be expanded. A reformed Council must be truly representative. And India stands ready to assume greater responsibilities,” he said. | Monday, 29 September 2025 Karur tragedy: Blame game erupts, death toll rises to 40 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Chennai, 28 September As the toll in the horrendous stampede at the rally of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Saturday rose to 40, including 10 children and 17 women, a blame game erupted between the ruling DMK and the principal opposition AIADMK, while the TVK has knocked at the doors of the judiciary, urging Madras High Court to take up a suo motu case and order a probe either by the CBI or a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT). Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) were engaged in a war of words on apportioning the responsibility for the loss of so many lives. Meanwhile, Vijay, expressing profound grief, cancelled his campaign scheduled for Saturday. “I am at a loss for words to express the pain my heart endures. My eyes and mind Family members mourn the death of the Karur stampede victims on Sunday. AGENCIES are clouded with sorrow… This is indeed an irreparable loss for us… Yet, as a member of your family, I intend to provide 20 lakh rupees to each family that has lost a loved one and 2 lakh rupees to those who are injured and receiving treatment. This amount is, of course, not significant in the face of such a loss. Still, at this moment, it is my duty as one who belongs to your family to stand by you, my dear ones, with a heavy heart,” he wrote on the X platform, adding “let us strive to recover from all this.” With the TVK facing flak for the tragedy, a team of party advocates accompanied by CTR Nirmal Kumar, approached Justice M Dhandapani at his residence pleading for the High Court to take up a suo motu case and seeking either a probe by the CBI or an SIT. • More reports: Page 4