www.thestatesman.com | @TheStatesmanLtd FOLLOW US: India’s National Newspaper since 1818 8th Day | Pages 20 | @thestatesmanltd ` 5.00 | People’s Parliament, Always in Session thestatesman1875 KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI Evolve Expert speak: The importance of urban greenery | BHUBANESWAR | 04 January 2026 S P O RT S New book in town: Picking up the pieces Pandya misses out, Iyer, Gill return for ODIs against New Zealand Page 20 BRIEFLY 14 Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma, Bijapur: New Delhi: At least 12 Maoists were killed by security forces in an encounter that broke out in a forest area under Kistaram region of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sukma Kiran Chavan said on Saturday. Acting on specific inputs about the presence of Maoists, a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) launched an operation in the forest area. As the security forces closed in, the Maoists opened fire, prompting strong retaliation from the DRG jawans. “Automatic weapons were also recovered,” SP Chavan added. Meanwhile, two Maoists were also killed by DRG jawans in the southern region of Bijapur district. Page 5 Cong launches nationwide protest to save MGNREGA: New Delhi: The Congress party announced on Saturday a 45-day nationwide protest movement named “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” (Save MGNREGA Struggle). The campaign, running from 8 January to 25 February, seeks the repeal of the recently enacted VB Gram G Act, which Congress claims undermines the legal right to work. At a press conference at the AICC office, General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh criticised the new law as a harmful centralisation of authority that dismantles the world’s largest poverty alleviation programme. The Congress leaders pointed out that the new 60:40 funding ratio requires states to bear 40 per cent of wage costs, unlike the earlier framework where the Centre covered 100 per cent. This change imposes significant fiscal strain on states, violating constitutional provisions, they said. Page 9 US forces capture Venezuela’s Maduro, wife in stunning raid; Trump says will stand trial, USA to ‘run country’ UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Caracas, 3 January V enezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were dragged from their bedroom and spirited out of the country by elite US forces in a stunning large-scale military raid early Saturday, with US President Donald Trump vowing that they will "face the full might of American justice" and stand trial in the United States on narco terrorism charges. Mr Trump also said the USA will “run the country” of Venezuela until a “proper and judicious transition” occurs, but he did not provide further details, and there were no immediate signs of US control in Venezuela. Earlier in the day, news agencies reported loud explosions and the sound of aircraft from across Venezuela's capital city Caracas in the early hours on Saturday. Witnesses reported at least seven loud blasts, flashes of light in the sky, and thick plumes of smoke rising near military installations. Mr Trump confirmed the action by US forces in a post on the Truth Social platform, where he also announced that President Maduro and his wife had been taken captive, in a statement that sent shockwaves across the region. Mr Trump later posted a photograph of Mr Maduro (above) aboard the USS Iwo Jima heading for New York, where he said the Venezuelan leader will face drugs and weapons charges in a Manhattan federal court. Addressing a Press conference later in the day at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, Mr Trump said he planned to authorise US oil companies to take over Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, asserting that the corporations would “spend billions of dollars” on the project. The overnight mission to capture Mr Maduro was dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said. KKR release Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026 squad TRIDIB BAPARNASH New Delhi, 3 January Putting an end to the controversy over Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday released the left-arm quick following official instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed to The Statesman that the national cricket board has formally directed the IPL franchise to release the Bangladesh left-arm seamer citing “recent developments all across” as the reason for the decision. The Statesman understands that the development comes after weeks of debate following KKR’s decision to sign Rahman at the December mini-auction, a move that triggered strong reactions amid reports of violence against members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. What began as a cricketing discussion soon spilled into the political and social domain, placing the league and the franchise under scrutiny. Within hours, KKR issued an official statement confirming that “the release has been carried out following due process and consultations, in compliance with the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.” “Kolkata Knight Riders confirms that BCCI/IPL as the regulator of IPL has instructed it to release Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The release has been carried out following due process and consultations, upon the instruction of the Board of Control of Cricket in India,” a statement from the franchise read. The BCCI further said that KKR will be allowed to name a replacement player if required, in line with IPL regulations. The three-time IPL champions had acquired the services of the 30-year-old left-armer for Rs 9.20 crore after an intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at the players’ auction last month. The signing had drawn public criticism from political parties and spiritual leaders, who questioned KKR’s decision and also took potshots at the franchise’s co-owner, actor Shah Rukh Khan, in the context of the alleged persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, including the recent alleged lynching of Hindus. India is the living torchbearer of Lord Buddha’s legacy: PM NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 3 January Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated an international exposition of the sacred Piprahwa Relics related to the Buddha, titled ‘The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’ at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi. India is not only the custodian of Lord Buddha’s sacred relics but also the living carrier of his tradition, the Prime Minister said while addressing the gathering. PM Modi noted that the relics of Lord Buddha found in Piprahwa, Vaishali, Devni Mori and Nagarjunakonda are living presences of the Buddha’s message. The Prime Minister said that India has preserved and safeguarded these relics in every form ~ through both science and spirituality. PM Modi said that wherever he travelled, he made efforts to carry with him a symbol of Lord Buddha’s legacy. During his visits to China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia, he said, he carried saplings of the Bodhi tree. He emphasised that one can imagine the profound message for humanity when a Bodhi tree stands in the botanical garden of Hiroshima, a city devastated by the atomic bomb. Underlining that the shared heritage of Lord Buddha is proof that India’s connections go beyond politics, diplomacy and economics, the Prime Minister said India is linked with the world through deeper bonds of the mind and emotions, faith and spirituality. Recalling that his birthplace, Vadnagar in Gujarat, was a major centre of Buddhist tradition, PM Modi said that during his tenure as Chief Minister, thousands of relics linked to Buddhism were discovered there. He said that the government is now focusing on their preservation and on connecting the present generation with this rich heritage. The Prime Minister said that a magnificent experiential museum has been built in Vadnagar, offering an immersive experience of nearly 2,500 years of history. He also noted that only a few months ago, a major Buddhist-era site was discovered in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, and efforts to preserve it are now being accelerated. Mr Trump said no US service members were killed, though some were injured when a helicopter was hit during the attack. Mr Maduro was indicted earlier today in New York’s South District, and charged in connection with alleged narco-terrorism and other crimes. Mr Trump accused Mr Maduro of allowing drugs to be trafficked into the United States and prompting gang violence in US cities. “We’re there now (in Venezuela),” he added. “So, we’re going to stay until such time as we’re going to run it essentially until such time as a proper transition can take place.” The Venezuelan government, which condemned the US action as an act of foreign aggression, has meanwhile imposed a national emergency in the country, mobilised the military, and asked citizens to remain calm and stand united against external aggression. The stunning development came after years of strained relations between the United States and Venezuela. Recent weeks had seen increased US military activity in the Caribbean region, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and other warships. Washington has also seized two oil tankers off Venezuela's coast and carried out deadly strikes on more than 30 boats that US authorities say were transporting narcotics. • Related report: Page 17 Russia, China, Iran, Brazil slam US action, MEA issues travel advisory: New Delhi: Russia, China, Iran, Brazil and Cuba, among other countries, severely criticised the US military attack on Venezuela, calling it a flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty. Moscow called the US action “deeply concerning” and condemnable. “The pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable. Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism and a willingness to build relationships of trust and predictability,” a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said. China said it is ”deeply shocked” and strongly condemned the US' ‘hegemonic act’ and blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called the attack a violation of international law. Iran's Foreign Ministry described the attack as an “act of aggression” and a breach of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. European Council President Antonio Costa said the European Union was following the situation in Venezuela "with great concern" and urged de-escalation. New Delhi made no direct comment on the US action, but the Ministry of External Affairs late Saturday issued an advisory asking Indian nationals to avoid travel to Venezuela and for those already there to exercise caution.