www.thestatesman.com | FOLLOW US: India’s National Newspaper since 1818 8th Day @TheStatesmanLtd | Pages 20 | @thestatesmanltd ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC Bengal renames Karmashree as ‘Mahatma-Shree’ Taherpur, 20 December P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed a massive public rally at Netaji Park here ~ virtually rather than in person ~ after dense fog and poor visibility prevented his helicopter from landing. Blending development announcements with a sharp attack on the ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC), the Prime Minister projected the BJP as the “only hope” for Bengal. Mr Modi accused the ruling party of shielding “illegal infiltrators” and obstructing development in West Bengal, while positioning the BJP as the only alternative to what he described as a “Maha Jungle Raj” prevailing in the state. Mr Modi said the Mamata Banerjee-led government was marked by corruption, nepotism and appeasement. Alleging that “looting and intimidation” by the TMC had crossed all limits, he urged voters to opt for a “doubleengine government” to align the state’s development trajectory with the Centre. Earlier, Mr Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for a clutch of infrastructure projects aimed at bolstering South Bengal’s road connectivity, with National Highway 34 at the centre of the push. Projects worth Rs 3,200 crore were unveiled, including the inauguration of a 66.7-km four-lane stretch between Barajaguli and Krishnagar and the foundation stone for four-laning the BarasatBarajaguli section. Bangladesh arrests 7 after horrific lynching of Hindu youth ignites outrage STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday strongly criticised the government’s decision to scrap the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), describing it as an "attack" on the rights of the rural poor. In a video message issued two days after Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill 2025, intended to replace the MGNREGA, Mrs Gandhi recalled the landmark passage of MGNREGA under the Congress-led UPA government in 2005, highlighting its role as a vital lifeline for millions of rural families. “MGNREGA was passed unanimously to provide guaranteed employment and empower rural communities. Authorities in Bangladesh have arrested seven individuals in connection with the brutal lynching of 25-year-old Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das, an incident that has sparked widespread outrage across the nation. The interim government announced the arrests on Saturday following an investigation into the attack that occurred on Thursday in Mymensingh city. Das was viciously attacked by a mob over allegations of blasphemy. He was beaten to death and his body set ablaze. The gruesome event has drawn condemnation from various quarters while raising serious concerns about law and order and the safety of minority communities in Dhaka, 20 December The Modi government has bulldozed this historic scheme, removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name and altering its framework without any consultation,” Mrs Gandhi said. She accused the government of disregarding the interests of farmers, labourers, and marginalised groups. She vowed to oppose the government’s move, stating: “We will fight this black law and stand with the people whose livelihoods are at stake.” Shubman, Jitesh dropped, Ishan returns as India unveil 15-man squad for 2026 T20 WC TRIDIB BAPARNASH New Delhi, 20 December Recently elevated to the vice-captain’s role in the shortest format, Shubman Gill, India’s captain in Tests and One-day Internationals (ODIs) has been dropped from the 15-member squad for the ICC T20 World Cup following a prolonged slump in form. The BCCI's senior selection committee, that met in Mumbai on Saturday in the presence of secretary Devajit Saikia, also re-appointed Axar Patel (photo) as the vice-captain of the squad while recalling an in-form Ishan Kishan as the second wicketkeeper. Along with Shubman, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma also missed the bus for the T20 World Cup, but Rinku Singh, arguably India’s best finisher in recent years, has made his way back into the national team after being left out of the just-concluded T20I series against South Africa. “We are looking at combinations. Our thought was to have another keeper. Gill is a quality player, unfortunate to miss out, but it is the combination we want. Ishan bats at the top, he has been in good form, and played before for India,” selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar said while unveiling the squad. The same team will be fielded in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand that starts 21 January. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who has had his own struggles with the bat, will continue to lead the side. Of the rest of the squad, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma head the batting line-up. Hardik Pandya, who roared back to international cricket with some impactful performances against the Proteas after a long injury lay-off, is one among four all-rounders with Axar, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar the other three. The bowling composition includes three frontline pacers ~ Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana ~ and two frontline spinners, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. | SILIGURI Uranium Rhymes: In search of Hiroshima Metaphors Sonia Gandhi condemns scrapping of MGNREGA, calls it attack on rural poor New Delhi, 20 December NEW DELHI | BHUBANESWAR | 21 December 2025 S P O RT S PM slams Bengal’s ‘Mahajungle Raj ’ BISWABRATA GOSWAMI | Evolve At the heart of the ‘Dhurandhar’ debate Kolkata: The Bengal government on Saturday issued a notification renaming its rural employment scheme Karmashree as “Mahatma-Shree,” reaffirming its commitment to provide at least 100 days of wage employment every year to rural households holding MGNREGS job cards. Significantly, the move came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting the state. Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had strongly criticised the BJP-led central government for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the MNREGA scheme and renaming it as VB-G RAM G. Targeting the BJP, she accused the party of showing disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi and announced that Bengal would honour him by renaming its own daily wage employment scheme, Karmashree, after him. Page 4 People’s Parliament, Always in Session thestatesman1875 Bangladesh. In an official statement, the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, confirmed that the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), has arrested seven suspects linked to the killing. The government has pledged to bring all perpetrators to justice. Meanwhile, the funeral of Inquilab Mancha convenor, Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot by unidentified assailants on 12 December and died on Thursday in Singapore, was held at Dhaka University, where he was buried beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Thousands of Hadi’s supporters later gathered at Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection, where the Mancha issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Yunus administration to arrest those responsible for Hadi’s killing. Surya the batter went missing, but he’ll be back: Suryakumar after T20I series win Page 20
The Statesman is one of India's oldest English newspapers. It was founded in Kolkata in 1875 and is directly descended from The Friend of India (founded 1818). The Englishman (founded 1821) was merged with The Statesman in 1934. The Delhi edition of The Statesman began publication in 1931. The Statesman Weekly is a compendium of news and views from the Kolkata and Delhi editions. Printed on airmail paper, it is popular with readers outside India. The Statesman (average weekday circulation approximately 180,000) is a leading English newspaper in West Bengal. The Sunday Statesman has a circulation of 230,000.
