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 A gift that addresses global challenges BRIEFLY 11 killed in head-on collision of two buses in TN: Chennai: In a horrific head on collision involving two state-owned buses, 11 people, including nine women and a driver were killed and nearly 30 injured near Thirupathur in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday evening. According to police, the head on collision occurred due to over-speeding of both the buses coming in opposite directions on a single-lane road towards Pillaiyarpatti, a pilgrim centre. While one bus was heading to Madurai, the other was on its way to Karaikkudi and they collided head on near the bridge at Kumbangudi. The 11 victims, including a driver, died on the spot. The front of the buses were badly damaged in the collision and rescue teams had great difficulty in retrieving the bodies. With the condition of many injured critical, the toll might go up, police said. Page 4 Trump: Venezuelan airspace should be viewed as closed EDITORIAL KKR star Andre Russell announces IPL retirement Centenary Spotlight Page 9 Page 7 Monday, 01 December 2025 SPORTS WORLD PERSPECTIVE | Page 8 Page 12 Fresh FIR filed against Sonia, Rahul in National Herald case Cong accuses Modi, Shah of vendetta STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 30 November T he Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi has registered a fresh FIR based on a complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others, alleging a criminal conspiracy and money laundering scheme amounting to approximately Rs 988 crore in the National Herald case. The FIR stems from an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). According to the ED’s complaint, the accused, including Young Indian (YI) ~ a private company ~ orchestrated a scheme to take over the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald newspaper, valued at over Rs 2000 crore, for a mere Rs 50 lakh. The ED alleges that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who together hold 76 per cent of Young Indian’s shares, were the ultimate beneficiaries of this takeover. The central allegation is that in 2010, a criminal conspiracy was hatched wherein the All India Congress Committee (AICC) assigned its right to recover a loan of Rs 90.21 crore from AJL to Young Indian for Rs 50 lakh. Subsequently, AJL converted this outstanding loan into equity shares, issuing over 9 crore shares to Young Indian, effectively granting it 99 per cent ownership of AJL and its valuable real estate assets. The ED’s investigation has further uncovered additional alleged offences, including the collection of Rs 18.12 crore in bogus donations by Young Indian to pay off a tax demand and the generation of Rs 38.41 crore in fake advance rents by AJL from various entities without any actual rental agreements. The probe also questions the legitimacy of Rs 29.45 crore in advertising revenue claimed by AJL’s newspapers. New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of waging a “mischievous politics of harassment, intimidation, and vendetta” against the party’s leadership in connection with the National Herald money laundering case. Mr Ramesh dismissed the case as “completely bogus” and alleged, “Those who threaten are themselves insecure and afraid. Justice will ultimately triumph. Satyameva Jayate,” he posted on X., He reiterated Congress’s defence, stating AJL had 700 shareholders and the conversion of a Rs 90-crore loan into equity of Young Indian was done with shareholder consent. • Details on Page 5 Oppn seeks debate as govt holds all-party meet before Winter Session ECI extends SIR of electoral rolls by one week across 12 states, UTs SHAHID K ABBAS New Delhi, 30 November New Delhi, 30 November Ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament beginning Monday, the Opposition has called for detailed discussions on several pressing national issues, setting a challenging tone for the 15-day session. The government on Sunday convened a crucial all-party meeting at the Parliament House Annexe to finalise the legislative agenda and seek cooperation for smooth proceedings. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting, which was attended by key figures including Rajya Sabha Leader of the House JP Nadda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Ministers of State Arjun Ram Meghwal and L Murugan, along with senior leaders from the Congress, DMK, TMC, Samajwadi Party, JD-U, TDP, CPI(M) and Shiv Sena. The Opposition pressed for debates on national security following the recent blast in Delhi, the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, escalating air pollution, farmers’ concerns, the safeguarding of democratic institutions, and foreign policy developments. They questioned the government’s handling of these issues and demanded thorough parliamentary scrutiny. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju later described the atmosphere of the meeting as positive and reiterated the government’s call for constructive engagement throughout the session, which will conclude on 19 December. He assured that discussions would adhere to parliamentary rules and emphasised the government’s openness to debating critical matters. The government’s legislative agenda includes two bills for consideration and passage, and ten bills slated for introduction, debate, and approval. The session will also see the presentation and discussion of the first batch of supplementary demands for grants for the fiscal year 2025-26. Key bills on the agenda include the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, Securities Markets Code Bill, Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, Manipur GST (Amendment) Bill, Higher Education Commission of India Bill, Atomic Energy Bill and National Highways (Amendment) Bill. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a one-week extension to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories. With 1 January 2026 set as the qualifying date, the exercise aims to ensure comprehensive updates to voter lists for maximum inclusion and accuracy ahead of State Assembly elections, the Commission stated on Sunday. The SIR is a periodic exercise designed to cleanse the electoral database, enabling all citizens who turn 18 on or before the qualifying date to be registered as voters. The extension provides Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and field staff additional time to complete ground-level enumeration and rationalisation of polling stations effectively. The revised key deadlines PM charts future of policing at DG-IG conference SHISHIR ROY CHOWDHURY Raipur, 30 November Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 60th All India Conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police at the Indian Institute of Management, Raipur on Sunday, calling for a far-reaching transformation in policing practices to meet the aspirations of a developing nation moving toward Viksit Bharat. The three-day annual conference, held this year under the theme “Viksit Bharat: Security Dimensions, brought together the country’s top police leadership to deliberate on emerging security challenges and long-term policy direction. In his address, the Prime Minister underlined the need to reshape public perception of the police, especially among young citizens. He emphasised professionalism, sensitivity and community engagement as the foundation for building public trust. Strengthening urban policing, revitalising tourist police systems and expanding awareness of the recently enacted Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, and Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita were highlighted as immediate priorities. Calling for deeper technological integration, he urged police forces to make full use of NATGRID linked databases and to deploy Artificial Intelligence to generate actionable intelligence. Mr Modi also stressed the need for regular monitoring of banned organisations and the sustained development of regions freed from Left Wing Extremism. He called for innovative solutions to strengthen coastal security and reiterated that combating drug abuse requires a coordinated, whole of government approach that balances enforcement with rehabilitation and community intervention. The conference featured detailed deliberations on a broad range of national security priorities, including the policing roadmap for Vision 2047, emerging trends in counter terrorism, measures to enhance women’s safety through technology, strategies for tracking fugitives abroad, and strengthening forensic capabilities to support effective prosecution. scheduled as follows: Enumeration Period: Extended until 11 December 2025 (Thursday) Rationalisation of Polling Stations: By 11 December 2025 (Thursday) Updation of Control Table and Preparation of Draft Roll: 12 to 15 December 2025 Publication of Draft Electoral Roll: 16 December 2025 (Tuesday) Period for Filing Claims and Objections: 16 December 2025 to 15 January 2026 Notice Phase (Issuance, Hearing, Verification), Decision on Enumeration Forms, and Disposal of Claims and Objections: 16 December 2025 to 7 February 2026 Checking of Health Parameters of Electoral Rolls and Obtaining Permission for Final Publication: By 10 February 2026 Final Publication of Electoral Roll: 14 February 2026 (Saturday). DGCA: All A320 aircraft get software fix AGENCIES New Delhi, 30 November< The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday announced that all Indian airlines have completed the mandatory software upgrade on their operational Airbus A320 family aircraft. The move addresses a potential issue where strong solar radiation could affect flight-control data. According to the regulator, a total of 323 A320-family planes operated by IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express have now been upgraded. This includes all 200 IndiGo aircraft, 100 out of 113 Air India planes, and 23 out of 25 Air India Express aircraft. Kohli’s still got it India's Virat Kohli rolled back the years as he scored his 52nd ODI and 83rd international century, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record (51 Test centuries) of most centuries by a batter in a single format of the game, during the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday. Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s 136-run partnership helped India post a massive 349/8. South Africa were bowled out for 332 in their chase. India won the match by 17 runs. AGENCIES (Match report: Page 12)