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 | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | SPORTS WORLD PERSPECTIVE Homelessness is every city’s silent emergency Page 7 Trump says he’s sending his envoys to see Putin & Ukrainians Kolkata, 26 November Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of divisive politics and undermining democracy and religion. She pledged to safeguard India’s democracy, which she described as the largest in the world. Marking Constitution Day, Miss Banerjee garlanded the statue of B. R. Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian RJD stands firm, says Rabri won’t leave official home Page 5 Constitution. She alleged that the BJP was attempting to strip citizens of their democratic rights. “We are being forced to provide proof of our citizenship. The NRC is intended for this purpose,” she said. Miss Banerjee stressed that India’s freedom was won through the sacrifices of freedom fighters, not the BJP. “Ninety per cent of them were from Bengal. Bengal and Punjab played the most important roles in freeing the country from British rule,” she added. Accusing the BJP of driving people to their deaths over the citizenship issue (CAA–SIR), Miss Banerjee referred to the demolition of houses in Bihar following Assembly election results. She urged people to unite and resist attempts to weaken society through divisive politics. Turning her criticism on the Election Commission of India, Miss Banerjee questioned its decision to meet a four-member Trinamul Congress delegation instead of a 10-member one. She said the heavy workload on Block Level Officers (BLOs) had led to deaths in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Bengal. “Many people are not at home when BLOs visit. As this is the farming season, most are engaged in agriculture. I do not understand why the ECI wants to conduct the SIR in haste,” she remarked, reiterating that while she was not opposed to the SIR, it should have been carried out with more time. PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 26 November T he Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that political parties were “creating a scare” over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing multiple petitions questioning the procedure, including timelines, that is being followed in the intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tamil Nadu, pointed to the compressed timelines, stating that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have verified 50 per cent of forms in the last 20 days and were now having to complete the remaining 50 per cent within eight days, before the 4 December deadline. He submitted that BLOs were required to verify “50 forms a day and from 5 December, India examining B’desh’s request for Hasina’s extradition: MEA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The Ministry of External A f f airs on We dn e sd ay confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the country for t h e 2 3 rd I n d i a - Ru s s i a Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At a media briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs sp o ke sp e r s o n R a n d h i r Jaiswal said both India and Russia are currently preparing for the highly anticipated visit. He said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also recently visited Moscow as part of the preparations for President Putin's visit. ''Both sides are working hard for the success of the ‘Arbitrary actions by China will be unhelpful in normalising ties’: visit,'' the spokesperson said, adding that the exact dates of the visit will be announced in a few days. Aske d ab out th e Russia-Ukraine peace plan led by the United States, he said India is monitoring the developments while drawing attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oft-repeated remarks that this is not an era of war. UIDAI deactivates over 2 cr Aadhaar numbers of deceased individuals STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 26 November The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2 crore Aadhaar numbers of deceased individuals as part of a nationwide clean-up effort to maintain the continued accuracy of the Aadhaar database. The UIDAI has sourced deceased persons' data from the Registrar General of India (RGI), States/UTs, Public Distribution System, National Social Assistance Programme, among others. It is also looking to collaborate with financial institutions and other such entities to get the deceased person's data. No Aadhaar number is ever reassigned to another individual. However, in case of the death of a person, his/her Aadhaar number must be deactivated to prevent potential identity fraud or unauthorised usage of such Aadhaar number for availing welfare benefits. The UIDAI has also launched a facility earlier this year Reporting of death of a family member - on the myAadhaar Portal for deaths registered in 25 states and UTs presently using the Civil Registration System. Page 12 Parties creating SIR scare: ECI tells SC President Putin to visit India soon for summit with PM Modi, says MEA New Delhi, 26 November Under-fire Gambhir leaves it to BCCI NATION Page 9 CM hits out at BJP for ‘divisive politics’, vows to defend democracy STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Thursday, 27 November 2025 New Delhi: India on Wednesday firmly told China that ''arbitrary actions'' by Beijing like the harassment of an Indian national, Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a resident of Arunachal Pradesh, will be unhelpful in efforts towards normalisation of bilateral relations. ''Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. We have taken up the matter (concerning the detention of Thongdok by the Chinese authorities) both in Delhi and Beijing with the Chinese side,'' Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. He said India has already issued a statement in response to Beijing's action. This was not something good for bilateral ties, he said. The spokesperson's remarks came a day after China, in a statement, questioned the status of Arunachal Pradesh while claiming that the lawful rights and interests of Thongdok were fully protected and no coercive measures were taken against her. The MEA spokesperson also rejected Pakistan's protest on Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisting the saffron flag atop the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, saying Islamabad has no moral standing to lecture others. 10 forms a day. Countering the submissions, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, for the ECI, said that “political parties were creating a scare”, prompting Mr Sibal to respond that he was only reading from the Commission’s own notification. On the Kerala government’s plea seeking deferment of the SIR due to the ongoing local body elections, the Court directed both the ECI and the State Election Commission (SEC) to file their responses by 1 December, and posted the matter for hearing on 2 December. “Let ECI, SEC file the counter in Kerala SIR case by December 1. List the case on December 2,” the Bench ordered. Petitions challenging the SIR process in Tamil Nadu will be taken up on 4 December, whereas the West Bengal challenge will be heard on 9 December. Earlier, the Kerala government had moved the Court stating that the SIR overlapped with the local body elections and would impose a severe administrative burden. NIA arrests terrorist Umar’s harbourer in Delhi blast case: New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Faridabad resident for harbouring terrorist Umar Un Nabi, the main accused in the Delhi Blast case, immediately before the terror act was carried out. Umar had driven the explosive-laden car that blew up near the Red Fort on 10 November, killing 15 people. Soyab of Dhauj, Faridabad, Haryana, is the seventh accused to be arrested in the case. NIA investigations have revealed that he had also provided logistical support to Umar before the 10 November car bombing outside the Red Fort in the national capital. The agency continues to pursue various leads in connection with the suicide bombing and has been conducting searches across states in coordination with the respective police forces in a bid to identify and track others involved in the gruesome attack. PM Modi writes open letter on Constitution Day, reminds citizens of their constitutional duties New Delhi, 26 November STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The government on Wednesday acknowledged that it has received a fresh request from Bangladesh for the extradition of deposed PM Sheikh Hasina, who was handed a death sentence by the International Crimes Tribunal constituted by the interim government in Dhaka. ''Yes, we have received a request. The request is being examined as part of ongoing judicial and internal legal pro cesses. We remain committed to the best interests of the people of B’desh, including peace, democracy, inclusion & stability in that country,'' MEA said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed the nation in a letter on the occasion of Constitution Day, recalling the historic adoption of the Constitution on 26 November 1949, and its continuing role in guiding India’s progress. In the letter, PM Modi reminded citizens that the government officially designated 26 November as “Constitution Day” in 2015 to honour the “sacred document.” He highlighted how the Constitution has lifted individuals from humble backgrounds ~ “the power to dream and the strength to realise those dreams” ~ citing his own gestures of reverence: bowing at Parliament’s steps in 2014 and placing the New Delhi, 26 November Constitution on his forehead in 2019. “Our Constitution gives utmost importance to human dignity, equality, and liberty. While it empowers us with rights, it also reminds us of our duties as citizens… These duties are the foundation of a strong democracy,” PM Modi wrote in a separate post on X, echoing sentiments from his letter. Paying tribute to the framers of the Constitution, the Prime Minister remembered Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, and the distinguished women members of the Constituent Assembly. He reflected on landmark events such as the 'Samvidhan Gaurav Yatra' in Gujarat during the Constitution’s 60th anniversary and the special Parliamentary session that marked its 75th anniversary with record public participation. This year’s Constitution Day holds 'special significance' as it coincides with the 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram', and the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, ''reminding us of the primacy of our duties enshrined in Article 51A'', PM Modi noted. India’s home invincibility breached after South Africa complete 2-0 whitewash TRIDIB BAPARNASH Guwahati, 26 November The writing had been on the wall since the fourth evening, when India lost both openers while chasing an improbable 549. On Wednesday, South Africa wrapped up the inevitable inside two sessions on a worn fifth-day surface at the ACA Stadium, completing a commanding 408-run victory, a 2-0 whitewash, and most notably their first Test series win in India since 2001. If New Zealand’s 3-0 sweep in 2024 chipped away at India’s aura of invincibility at home, South Africa shattered it completely in 2025. India, which went 12 years and 18 series unbeaten at home, have now lost five of their last seven Tests in familiar conditions, an alarming slide for a team once considered untouchable on its own soil. As in Kolkata, Simon Harmer dictated the script on the final day. The off-spinner tore through India with figures of 6 for 37, his first five-wicket haul in India after narrowly missing out on four previous occasions, vindicating the visitors’ decision to bat deeper into the fourth day, despite the risk of reducing their bowling time in the second innings. Ravindra Jadeja’s fighting 54 was the lone act of resistance; his dismissal, stumped off Keshav Maharaj and left sprawled face-down on the turf, symbolised India’s current state in the format. At the start of the day, only one team had a viable route to victory. India needed 522, a chase effectively out of the question but the great Manchester escape four months ago meant a final-day blockathon wasn’t entirely beyond imagination. Harmer made sure it stayed that way. He struck early, removing nighthawk Kuldeep & Jurel in the same over to reduce India to 42 for 4. Kuldeep was bowled through the gate, while Jurel edged a defensive push to Aiden Markram at slip, Markram inching closer to a world record of his own. India’s last realistic thread of hope snapped when Harmer removed Rishabh Pant. The India captain pressed forward in defence, only for the ball to leap out of the rough, strike the splice, and loop tamely to Markram. Maharaj wrapped up the innings with the final two wickets, and it was Player of the Match Marco Jansen. Brief scores: South Africa 489 & 260/5 decl. beat India 201 & 140 (Ravindra Jadeja 54; Simon Harmer 6-37) by 408 runs.