FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR India pushes for developed nations to meet climate funding commitments Belem: A day before crunch climate negotiations kick off, India has voiced its concerns regarding the deve loped nations' commitments to the Paris Agreement, specifically criticising their failure to provide reliable funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. During a UN finance negotiation meeting held on Saturday night, India reiterated its demand for climate funding from developed countries, echoing the commitments made in 2015. The discussions focused primarily on Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, which concerns climate finance. India, representing a coalition of like-minded developing nations, emphasised that financial support must be dependable, supplemental and free of greenwashing. Page 5 PERSPECTIVE The sound of truth in a noisy world Page 9 Page 6 BRIEFLY No demons in Eden pitch, says Gambhir, defends curator Bangladesh heightens security as Hasina verdict nears Red Lines Recast Page 7 Page 12 3 Dy CMs likely as NDA shapes new Bihar Cabinet under Nitish Kumar IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 16 November W ith the NDA securing a landslide in the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls, the process of forming the new government has accelerated. On Sunday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Patna residence turned into a hub of political activity. Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai, BJP leader Vijendra Yadav and RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha arrived in succession. According to sources, these meetings focused on the date of the swearing-in ceremony, Cabinet formation and the allocation of ministerial quota among each NDA constituents. There is speculation in political circles about the possibility of three Deputy Chief Ministers. In 2020 and 2024, the NDA government had two Deputy CMs in Bihar. This time, there is a possibility of adding one more Deputy CM from the LJP (Ram Vilas). Caste and regional balance are expected to remain key considerations, with special focus on the EBC (Extremely Backward Class) communities, being the biggest contribution to the NDA’s victory. Earlier, senior JD-U leaders Sanjay Jha and Lalan Singh met BJP leader Amit Shah to discuss the Chief Minister’s position, the distribution of ministries, the tentative date of the swearing-in ceremony and the names of those who would take oath alongside the Chief Minister. The talks were described as positive and constructive. The BJP’s top leadership will now meet the leaders of other NDA constituents, including Jitan Ram Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha and Chirag Paswan, to finalise the names for the Cabinet. On Sunday, the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar and senior Election Commission officials handed over the final list of newly elected MLAs to Governor of Bihar Arif Mohammad Khan, formally initiating the government-formation process. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to submit his resignation to the Governor on Monday. Later in the day, a meeting of the NDA legislative party will be held at the CM’s House, RJD family rift: Rohini accuses kin of abuse and forcing her out STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE IN TWO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS MADE WITHIN AN HOUR, ROHINI WROTE: “YESTERDAY, A DAUGHTER, A SISTER, A MARRIED WOMAN, A MOTHER WAS HUMILIATED WITH FILTHY ABUSES, AND SOMEONE EVEN PICKED UP A SLIPPER TO HIT ME. I DID NOT COMPROMISE ON MY SELF-RESPECT, I DID NOT SURRENDER THE TRUTH, AND ONLY BECAUSE OF THIS I HAD TO ENDURE THIS HUMILIATION.” New Delhi, 16 November Following the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) poll drubbing in Bihar, turmoil has erupted within the family of party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. His daughter Rohini Acharya, who on Saturday announced that she was quitting active politics and severing all ties with her family, alleged today that she was abused, humiliated in front of her parents, and forced out of her maternal home. In two social media posts made within an hour, Rohini wrote: “Yesterday, a daughter, a sister, a married woman, a mother was humiliated with filthy abuses, and someone even picked up a slipper to hit me. I did not compromise on my self-respect, I did not surrender the truth, and only because of this I had to endure this humiliation.” Without naming anyone, she said a daughter was forced to leave behind her crying Monday, 17 November 2025 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | parents and sisters. “I was made to give up my maternal home… I was made an orphan.” She further claimed that she was called “dirty” and told that she had given her “dirty kidney” to her father Lalu Yadav in exchange for an election ticket. “Yesterday, along with abuse, I was told that I am dirty, that I gave my ‘dirty kidney’ to my father, that I took crores of rupees, that I got a ticket and then gave that dirty kidney… To all daughters and sisters who are married, I want to say: if there is a son or brother in your mayka, then never ~ even by mistake ~ save your father, your God-like parent,” she wrote. She continued: “Tell your brother, the son of that house, to donate his kidney, or ask some Haryanvi friend of his to donate one. All daughters and sisters should think only of their own homes and families. Without worrying about their parents, they should think only of their children, their work, their in-laws. Only about themselves... I made a big mistake ~ that I didn’t think of my own family, my three children, that I didn’t take permission from my husband or my in-laws while donating the kidney…To save my God, my father, I did what is today being called dirty.” Ms Acharya later in the day clarified that she has disowned just her brother Tejashwi Yadav and that her parents and sisters are firmly with her. Speaking to reporters, Rohini said that whatever she said was a true account of what happened at their home after the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan's poll debacle in Bihar. Rohini stated that her father Lalu Yadav has always been by her side. "My parents and my sisters were crying for me yesterday. I am blessed to have parents like them," she said. Earlier on Saturday, Rohini had announced that she was quitting politics and severing all ties with her family. She also took the blame for the RJD’s dismal performance in the just-concluded Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. “I’m quitting politics, and I’m disowning my family… This is what Sanjay Yadav and Rameez had asked me to do…and I’m taking all the blame,” she posted on X. For context, Sanjay Yadav is an RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP originally from Haryana. He is considered close to Tejashwi and plays a crucial role in shaping the RJD’s political and election strategy. • More reports: Page 5 where Nitish Kumar is expected to be formally elected as the legislative party leader. Nitish Kumar is expected to take the oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for the tenth time before 22 November. The date will be decided depending on the schedule of PM Modi, who is expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the NDA government in Bihar. The sources said that the formula for allocating ministerial positions among NDA constituents has also been finalised. It will be implemented as 6:1 ~ meaning one minister for every six MLAs. Under this formula, the BJP may secure 15 or 16 ministerial berths, the JD-U 14, the LJP (Ram Vilas) 3, the RLM of Upendra Kushwaha 1, and the HAM of Manjhi 1. With attention now focused on the formation of the new government and Nitish Kumar’s future cabinet, it is expected that the new council of ministers will reflect PM Modi’s “MY” formula ~ Mahila (women) and Yuva (youth). MP minister apologises for Rammohan Roy remarks STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Bhopal, 16 November Madhya Pradesh Minister Inder Singh Parmar on Saturday made derogatory remarks against revered social reformer Raja Rammohan Roy, calling him a “middleman of the British, who facilitated religious conversions”, evoking sharp criticism from all quarters, including the Trinamul Congress. The backlash forced the minister to apologise for his comments. Taking back his words, he said on Sunday he had great admiration and respect for Roy. “I mistakenly made a wrong statement against Raja Rammohan Roy yesterday. I feel very ashamed about it and sincerely apologise,” Parmar said in a video statement. • Details on Page 3 Congress plans to corner govt on SIR, calls leaders from 12 states to Delhi UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 16 November After suffering a crushing defeat in Bihar, the Congress is now formulating a strategy to corner the government on the issue of SIR and has called leaders from 12 states covered in the SIR 2.0 voter list revision process to Delhi. The party has held the Election Commission of India responsible for its poor performance in Bihar. The Congress aims to reach out to the public with a fresh strategy on SIR, prompting the leadership to summon senior party leaders from SIR-affected states for consultations in the capital. Leaders from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep have been invited to Indira Bhavan on Tuesday, 18 November, at 10:30 a.m. The meeting will include state in-charges, state presidents, leaders of the opposition, and co-in-charges. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will preside over the meeting, while Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Organisation G eneral Secretar y K .C. Venugopal will also be present. According to party sources, the Congress plans to increase its outreach on the issue of voter list revision. The central leadership will instruct state units to intensify their activities on the ground. Of the 12 SIR 2.0 states, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Puducherry will go to assembly polls in 2026. Following its defeat in Bihar, the Congress is determined not to leave any gaps in preparation in these key states. Party sources added that the INDIA bloc is preparing for a strong protest on SIR during the upcoming Lok Sabha session. The Congress also plans to hold a major rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan in the last week of November to highlight issues related to the voter list revision. Delhi blast probe: NIA arrests suicide bomber’s co-conspirator STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 16 November The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is investigating the Red Fort area car bomb blast case, has arrested a Kashmiri resident who is alleged to have conspired with the suicide bomber to carry out the terror attack, which claimed 13 innocent lives and left 32 others injured. Amir Rashid Ali, in whose name the car used in the attack was registered, was arrested in Delhi by the NIA, which had launched a massive search operation after taking over the case from the Delhi Police. NIA investigations had revealed that the accused, a resident of Samboora, Pampore, in Jammu and Kashmir, had conspired with the alleged suicide bomber, Umar Un Nabi, to unleash the terror attack. Amir had come to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the car, which was eventually used as a vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to trigger the blast. NIA has forensically established the identity of the deceased driver of the vehicle-borne IED as Umar Un Nabi, a resident of Pulwama district and Assistant Professor in the General Medicine Department of Al Falah University in Faridabad. The anti-terror agency has also seized another vehicle belonging to Nabi. The vehicle is being examined for evidence in the case, in which NIA has so far examined 73 witnesses, including those injured in the blast that rocked the national capital on 10 November. Working in close coordination with Delhi Police, Jammu & Kashmir Police, Haryana Police, UP Police, and various sister agencies, NIA is continuing its investigation across states. It is pursuing multiple leads to unearth the larger conspiracy behind the bombing and identify others involved in the case. The Delhi Police, meanwhile, confirmed that three 9 mm-caliber cartridges were recovered from the Red Fort blast site ~ two live and one empty shell. “These cartridges are prohibited for civilian use and are typically restricted to security forces or individuals with special authorisation. Investigations are ongoing to determine how the cartridges ended up at the blast scene,” a police official said. Separately, sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) stated that Dr. Janisar Alam, a resident of the Dalkhola area in Uttar Dinajpur district, West Bengal, has been detained. A taxi operator from Haryana was also detained in connection with the case. • Related report: Page 8 Incredible comeback South Africa, bowled out for just 159 on the opening day, staged a remarkable comeback to defeat India by 30 runs in the first Test at Eden Gardens on Sunday. Chasing a modest target of 124, India collapsed to 93 all out in 35 overs on Day 3. IANS (Match report: Page 12)