FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR FM holds first pre-Union Budget consultations Page 12 Tuesday, 11 November 2025 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | Ex-French Prez Sarkozy to be freed under supervision NATION Tejashwi accuses NDA of misusing agencies Page 5 Page 11 ‘WPL has transformed women’s cricket in India’ Page 16 US Senate votes to end shutdown: 10 killed in blast at Red Fort; 24 injured CM Mamata demands Shah’s resignation, terms SIR ‘Super Emergency’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BRIEFLY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE vehicles were seen damaged in the aftermath of the loud explosion. New Delhi, 10 November Washington: The US Senate voted 60-40 on Sunday night to break the weeks-long government shutdown, marking the first major step toward reopening federal agencies as early as later this week, Politico reported. The breakthrough came after eight Senate Democrats agreed to support a bipartisan funding package that would fully fund several key agencies for the rest of the fiscal year and extend all others through January 30, 2026. (Page 11) Singing of Vande Mataram made compulsory in all UP schools: New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday announced that singing of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ will be made compulsory in all schools of the northern state. "Vande Mataram will now be sung regularly and compulsorily in all schools across the state. We must remember not to allow a new Jinnah to be born in India. If a Jinnah dares to be born, bury him. No one is above the nation,” he said after leading an Ekta Padyatra here on the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Events will be held across the state until November 25. A 10-kilometer march will be organized in each assembly constituency. CM Yogi said, "When the events commemorating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram began, the heads started splitting. An SP MP protested. These are the same people who do not attend Sardar Patel's birth anniversary celebrations but shamefully participate in events honoring Jinnah." A t least 10 people were killed and 24 others were injured in a major explosion in a car parked near Gate No 1 of Delhi’s Red Fort (Lal Qila) Metro Station on Monday evening. The cause of the blast is unknown. Police have, meanwhile, have cordoned off the area and launched a thorough investigation, including the terror angle. “An explosion occurred in a car near Gate No 1 of Red Fort (Lal Qila) Metro Station on Monday evening, sparking panic in the high-security area. The impact of the blast caused three nearby vehicles to catch fire,” a police official said. The injured were shifted to the LNJP Hospital. According to Dr B L Chaudhury, Medical Director, LNJP, 15 people, who were injured, were brought to Lok Nayak Hospital and 10 of them died before reaching there. The Delhi Fire Service (DFS), in a statement, said, “A call was received about the explosion around 6:55 p.m., following which seven fire tenders and 15 CAT ambulances were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after a brief operation.” A total of seven fire tenders have reached the spot. Deputy Chief Fire Officer AK Malik says, "We got information that there was a blast in a car near Chandni Chowk Metro Station. We responded immediately, and seven units were sent to the spot. At 7:29 PM, the fire was brought under control. There is a possibility that there are casualties in this. All our teams are present at the spot..." Forensic experts have also reached the site. Security has, meanwhile, been tightened across the Delhi-NCR region and other major cities in the wake of the blast. The DMRC has also intensified the security in metro premises and trains. Visuals from the scene showed flames and thick smoke billowing from the burning cars. Panic spread through the area as several PM expresses condolences, orders probe: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones in a blast near the Red Fort Metro Station in Delhi, saying, "Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest." PM Modi reviewed the situation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other officials, directing authorities to provide assistance to those affected. Amit Shah said that the incident is under investigation and that “all possibilities will be explored.” CM Mamata Banerjee also tweeted, “Deeply shocked to hear about the tragic blast in New Delhi. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for strength and a swift recovery for all those injured.” Bihar braces for decisive phase of Assembly polls IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 10 November After a record 65.08 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, there is noticeable enthusiasm among voters for the second phase of polling on Tuesday. The historic turnout has raised the political temperature and the heartbeat of the 1,302 candidates contesting from 122 assembly constituencies across 20 districts in the final phase. Over 3.7 crore voters will exercise their franchise to decide their fate. Politically, these 122 constituencies are divided into three major regions — Champaran, Seemanchal, and the Shahabad–Magadh regions. The Champaran region, comprising East and West Champaran districts, has long been considered the BJP’s stronghold. In 2020, the NDA had won nine out of 12 seats in East Champaran and eight of the nine seats in West Champaran. However, with changed socio-political equations, the Indo-Nepal border districts have turned into political battlegrounds. The INDIA Alliance and Jan Suraaj Party are trying hard to breach the BJP fortress. In the Shahabad–Magadh region, where the INDIA Alliance had won 46 seats and the NDA 23 in 2020, the voting patterns of Yadav, Kurmi, Rajput, Dalit, and Bhumihar communities have emerged as decisive factors. Political observers believe that if the NDA fails to strengthen its hold in Shahabad–Magadh, it may find it difficult to return to power. Polling on 24 seats across four districts of the Seemanchal region, where Muslims constitute 40 to 70 per cent of the electorate, will play a decisive role in determining the future of Bihar’s power equation. These constituencies have traditionally been strongholds of the RJD–Congress-led INDIA Alliance. In the 2020 Assembly elections, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM disrupted that equation by winning five seats in the region. This time too, AIMIM has put its full strength into these constituencies. If votes are not divided between AIMIM and the INDIA Alliance, Tejashwi Yadav’s path to power could become smoother. Twelve ministers from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet are in the fray. Among the prominent JD(U) candidates are Bijendra Prasad Yadav from Supaul and Leshi Singh from Dhamdaha. Prominent BJP leaders contesting this election include former deputy chief minister Renu Devi from Bettiah, Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu from Chhatapur, Nitish Mishra from Jhanjharpur, and Dr Prem Kumar, who is attempting to win the Gaya Town constituency for the eighth time. The lone independent MLA in Bihar and a cabinet minister Sumit Kumar Singh is contesting again from Chakai. Other notable candidates in this phase include LJP (Ram Vilas) Bihar president Raju Tiwari from Gobindganj and Congress state president Rajesh Ram from Kutumba. Two doctors among seven arrested as police bust interstate terror module in J&K STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Jammu, 10 November In a major counter terrorism success, J&K Police have busted an inter-state and transnational terror module, linked with proscribed terrorist organisations, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). Seven people, including two doctors, one of them in Faridabad, from whom arms and ammunition were recovered, were among the arrested. The operation has led to the arrest of key operatives and recovery of a massive cache of arms, ammunition and explosives, including 2900 kg of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) material, two assault rifles, and pistols, Police said on Monday. Coordinated searches in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana's Faridabad, and other states, for handlers operating from Pakistan and other countries, were conducted. The investigation has revealed a white collar terror ecosystem, involving radicalised professionals and students in contact with foreign handlers operating from Pakistan and other countries. The operation was carried out jointly by the Faridabad and Jammu and Kashmir Police. The arrested people identified by the police include Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, resident of Nowgam, Srinagar; Yasir-ul-Ashraf, resident of Nowgam, Srinagar; Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid, resident of Nowgam, Srinagar; Molvi Irfan Ahmad (Imam of Masjid), resident of Shopian; Zameer Ahmad Ahanger alias Mutlasha, resident of Wakura, Ganderbal; Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie alias Musaib, resident of Koil, Pulwama; and Dr Adeel, resident of Wanpora, Kulgam. Besides, the role of a few more individuals has surfaced who will be traced and apprehended. During the ongoing investigation, searches were conducted at multiple locations by J&K Police in Srinagar, Anantnag, Ganderbal, and Shopian. Similarly, J&K Police also conducted searches in Faridabad, in tandem with Haryana Police, and in Saharanpur, with UP Police. The group has been using encrypted channels for indoctrination, coordination, fund movement, and logistics. Funds were raised through professional and academic networks, under the guise of social/charitable causes, police stated. The accused were found involved in identifying persons to radicalise, initiate and recruit them to terrorist ranks, besides raising funds, arranging logistics, procurement of arms/ammunition and material for preparing IEDs. the process, terming the act “totally illegal,” and praised former Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan for his impartiality. Siliguri, 10 November Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a scathing attack on the central government, demanding that Union home minister Amit Shah step down immediately for what she termed “serious internal security lapses” in the country. Addressing reporters at Uttarkanya, the branch secretariat in Siliguri, Miss Banerjee accused the Centre of double standards and failure to prevent illegal infiltration, while also alleging political misuse of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls in West Bengal. “When you have failed to stop the infiltration of Rohingyas, you should resign. How did they enter India, and what were the central agencies under your control doing along the borders? Are you staging a drama?” she said, reacting to Mr Shah’s recent statement alleging infiltration and settlement of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, even in Bihar, ahead of the Assembly elections there. Calls SIR a ‘Super Emergency’: The chief minister described the ongoing SIR process as a politically motivated move to paralyse the state administration. “A ‘super emergency’ has been imposed in Bengal through SIR. It has been planned intentionally so that the state government cannot continue its developmental works, as the entire administrative machinery is now engaged in this exercise,” she said. Miss Banerjee argued that the revision process could not be completed fairly within such a short time. “It is impossible to finish SIR within two months. This is being done forcibly to deprive people of their voting rights. The Election Commission of India could have conducted it later, with adequate time. Unfortunately, the Commission is working under the guidance of the BJP. It cannot function on the instructions of a political party,” she alleged. The chief minister also claimed that 14 people had died recently due to panic over SIR, and questioned the Election Commission’s silence on the matter. She further accused the BJP of setting up CAA camps within its party offices to interfere in Reviews Flood and Landslide Damage: During her visit, Miss Banerjee held a virtual administrative review meeting from Uttarkanya with officials from 22 districts and announced several development projects, particularly for the eight districts of North Bengal, after reviewing the post-flood and landslide situation. Demands Withdrawal of GST: Turning to economic issues, Miss Banerjee described the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as “anti-people” and demanded its immediate withdrawal. Accusing the Centre of depriving the state of its due share, she said, “The Centre is collecting GST from West Bengal but not sharing it with the state. The collection has reached Rs 20,000 crore, yet Bengal is being denied its rightful share.” Hits Back on SDRF Issue: Responding to BJP leaders, who questioned the state’s handling of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) allocations, Ms. Banerjee dismissed their claims as “fake and politically motivated.”