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 | Tuesday, 06 January 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS US-Venezuela row won’t hit Indian stocks: Experts Page 10 BRIEFLY One in custody after incident at US VP Vance’s Ohio residence: ‘Need Greenland from national security standpoint’ NATION US tariff threat rekindles debate on PM’s foreign policy Page 5 Page 9 Modi wishes Mamata good health, long life: STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE C Gas leak at an ONGC drilling site causes massive flame eruption: Vijayawada: Flames erupted following a gas leak from an ONGC drilling site at Erusumanda village of Malikipuram mandal in Konaseema district on Monday, causing widespread panic in the area, sources in the state-owned oil and gas company said. No casualty has been reported so far, ONGC said. According to the ONGC sources, the gas leak occurred abruptly when drilling operations were on at the site, followed by discharge of huge flames. An ONGC release on Monday said the gas leak during the work-over operations at Well Mori 5 was informed by the PEC Operator Deep Industries Limited, for the Mori Field in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. (See Page 4) Page 12 PM Modi knew I wasn’t CM alleges ‘sinister nexus’ behind SIR, vows legal battle happy, says Trump; hints at Gangasagar, 5 January New Delhi: One person has been taken into custody and a probe is underway after several windows were reportedly damaged in an incident at the Ohio residence of US Vice President JD Vance, agencies reported citing a federal law enforcement source on Monday. According to preliminary information, the Vance family was not present at the residence when the incident occurred shortly after midnight. Authorities believe the individual did not enter the Vice President's home. Images published by local media outlets showed damage to windows at the property. Manchester United sack head coach Ruben Amorim hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday mounted a sharp attack on the Centre and the Election Commission of India, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being used to curtail people’s democratic rights. Speaking from the stage of the Gangasagar Mela, Banerjee accused the BJP and the poll panel of acting in “sinister collusion” and warned that the state government would move court against what she described as large -scale harassment of voters. “The Election Commission of India seems to be running on WhatsApp now. Has someone bought WhatsApp or what? We will not tolerate this,” the Chief Minister said. Mr Banerjee announced that the state would approach the judiciary as soon as courts reopen. “Tomorrow, the courts will open and we are going to court. If necessary, I will myself seek permission to plead in the Supreme Court to protect people’s rights,” she said, adding that she would speak not as a lawyer but as an ordinary citizen standing up for the people. Targeting the SIR process, the Chief Minister alleged that the hurried and forceful manner in which hearings were being conducted had caused immense distress, leading to deaths and even attempts at suicide. “In the name of hearings, people are being harassed. If your 85-year-old mother is dragged out for a hearing, what answer will you give?” she asked. Without naming the BJP directly at times, Banerjee issued a series of sharp political warnings. Referring to alleged attempts to intimidate women voters, she claimed that a senior BJP leader from Delhi had said women, whom she repeatedly described as ‘Lakshmis’, should not be allowed to step out to vote. “Isn’t this a criminal offence?” she asked. “You do not know the Lakshmis of Bengal. If attacked, there will be retaliation.” The Chief Minister claimed that around 54 lakh names had been deleted from the voters’ list, despite those voters having the right to submit Form 7 or Form 8 for correction or inclusion. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended his birthday greetings to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, conveying his prayers for her good health and long life. "Birthday wishes to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Didi. I pray for her good health and long life," Modi posted on platform X. Mamata Banerjee, who turned 71 today, is a three-time Chief Minister and the first woman to hold the position in West Bengal. Although she was b orn on January 5, 1955, there has been some debate about her exact date of birth. Despite frequent political differences and p ublic disagreements between the two leaders, PM Modi’s gesture reflects goodwill on Mamata Banerjee’s birthday. new tariffs over Russian oil STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE INDIA FACES A CRITICAL POLICY CHOICE, WITH CONTINUED AMBIGUITY LIKELY TO INVITE HIGHER TRADE COSTS New Delhi, 5 January United States President Donald Tr ump said the country could raise tariffs on India if New Delhi doesn't meet Washington's demand to curb purchases of Russian oil. Trump has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “knew he was not happy” with India's purchases of Russian oil. "Modi is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy," Trump said. "They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly," Trump said. Notably, US doubled import tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent last year as a “punishment” for its heavy buying of Russian oil. Despite the hefty tariffs, India's exports to the U.S. leapt in November. Reportedly, PM Modi has spoken to Trump at least three times over the phone since he imposed tariffs, but the discussions remain inconclusive. According to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), as the United States steps up pressure on countries buying Russian oil, India faces a critical policy choice, with continued ambiguity likely to invite higher trade costs. Following the US sanctions imposed in October on Russian energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil, major Indian refiners, including Reliance Industries and several state-owned firms, announced a halt to Russian oil purchases to avoid secondary sanctions. However, imports have not stopped entirely, with lower volumes continuing from non-sanctioned suppliers, placing India in what the report described as a strategic grey zone. Further, Senator Lindsey Graham also said that US tariff pressure has already pushed India to significantly reduce its purchases of Russian oil, arguing that the move is weakening Moscow’s ability to sustain its war effort in Ukraine and demonstrating the effectiveness of tariffs as a foreign policy tool. While addressing reporters, Graham credited the 25 per cent tariff imposed by Trump on India for buying Russian crude, saying the measure had produced visible results.“I really do believe what he did with India is the chief reason India is now buying substantially less Russian oil,” he said. Accurate voter list prepared Supreme Court denies bail to Umar through SIR strongest foundation Khalid, Sharjeel Imam in Delhi riots case This court is of democracy: CEC Gyanesh Kumar satisfied that PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 5 January UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Deoghar, 5 January Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday reviewed preparations for the intensive revision of electoral rolls in Deoghar, Jharkhand and underscored the central role of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in safeguarding the integrity of elections. Interacting with BLOs in Deoghar, the CEC expressed satisfaction over the groundwork being carried out for the special revision exercise and stressed that accurate voter lists are essential for a healthy democracy. “A pure electoral roll is the foundation of democracy, and BLOs are its foundational pillars,” Kumar said, appreciating the grassroots officials for their commitment and diligence. The intensive revision of electoral rolls is aimed at ensuring the inclusion of all eligible voters while removing ineligible or duplicate entries, a process that assumes added significance ahead of upcoming electoral exercises. BLOs, who function as the Election Commission’s first point of contact with voters at the booth level, play a critical role in verifying voter details, facilitating new registrations, and addressing corrections. Officials from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Jharkhand said the state machinery is working closely with district administrations to ensure the revision process is conducted in a transparent and time-bound manner. Voter awareness initiatives under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme are also being intensified to encourage public participation. The Election Commission has repeatedly emphasised that clean and error-free electoral rolls are vital to upholding the credibility of the democratic process, and the ongoing review in Jharkhand is part of its nationwide efforts to strengthen electoral integrity. The Supreme Court on Monday, in the February 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, while denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, ordered the release on bail of Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed, holding that both Khalid and Imam stood on a different footing compared to the five others. Deciding each of the bail pleas by the seven accused independently and holding that the allegations against Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stood on a separate footing as against the other five, a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria in a judgment today, said, “This the prosecution material disclosed a prima facie allegation against the appellants Umar Khalid & Sharjeel Imam court is satisfied that the prosecution material disclosed a prima facie allegation against the appellants Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The statutory threshold stands attracted qua these appellants. This stage of proceedings does not justify their enlargement on bail.” The court said that at the outset, Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are prima facie attributed a central role and alleged to be ideological drivers of the alleged conspiracy. “A cumulative and comparative reading of the FIR and the successive charge sheets discloses a discernible differentiation in the nature, scope, and hierarchy of roles attributed to the accused persons. The prosecution narrative itself delineates Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam as occupying a position distinct from the remaining accused, both in terms of conceptual involvement and command over the alleged conspiracy”, says the judgment. However, the court said that both Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam could renew their bail plea after the examination of the protected witnesses or one year, whichever is earlier. “We are of the opinion that on the completion of the examination of the protected witnesses relied upon by the prosecution, or upon the expiry of a period of one year from the date of this order, whichever is earlier, these two appellants would be at liberty to renew their prayer for the grant of bail before the jurisdictional Court”, the court said. The order further said that in such an event, the prayer for bail shall be considered on its own merits, having regard to “the stage then reached in the proceedings before the Trial Court, and without being influenced by the impugned orders or the present order. Bangladesh bans broadcast Rajnath Singh commissions country’s first of all IPL 2026 matches indigenously designed pollution control vessel UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Dhaka, 5 January The Bangladesh interim government on Monday decided to ban the broadcast of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, set to begin on March 26, following the exclusion of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad. In a press release issued by the TV-2 wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, signed by Assistant Secretary Mohammad Firoz Khan and circulated to state-run Bangladesh Betar and various television channels, the government said it was concerned over the directive by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding Mustafizur’s release. The release noted that no reason was communicated for Mustafizur’s exclusion, which had caused distress among the people of Bangladesh. "In this context, a decision has been taken regarding the broadcast of IPL matches," the statement said. The move comes amid widespread criticism from former cricketers and Indian officials, who have called for sports to remain free from political interference. Mustafizur had been slated to play for KKR in the 2026 IPL season before the BCCI’s directive led to his removal from the squad. The decision by Bangladesh marks a firm stance in the ongoing controversy and is likely to impact viewership and fan engagement for the IPL in the country. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 5 January Marking a major step forward in India’s pursuit of Aatmanirbharta in shipbuilding and maritime capability development, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Samudra Pratap’, the first of two Pollution Control Vessels built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), in Goa. With over 60% indigenous content, ICGS Samudra Pratap is India's first indigenously designed pollution control vessel and the largest ship in the ICG fleet to date. The addition of ICGS Samudra Pratap will significantly enhance the ICG’s operational capability in pollution control, fire-fighting, maritime safety, and environmental protection. It will also strengthen its ability to conduct extended surveillance and response missions across India's vast maritime zones. The defence minister described the vessel as an embodiment of India’s mature defence industrial ecosystem, which possesses the capability to handle complex manufacturing challenges effectively, adding that consistent efforts are being made to enhance the indigenous content in ships to 90%. “ICGS Samudra Pratap has been specially designed for pollution control, but its role is not limited to this alone. As multiple capabilities have been integrated into a single platform, the ship will prove to be effective in coastal patrol, and strengthen maritime safety. It is a product of the modern approach adopted by the GSL to enhance flexibility and readiness to deal with present day maritime challenges,” he said. Singh commended the ICG for playing a multidimensional role - from marine pollution to coastal cleanliness, from search and rescue to maritime law enforcement. He added that, with the way the Coast Guard is fulfilling its duties, a clear message has been sent to the country’s adversaries that if they dare to cast an evil eye on India’s maritime borders or attempt any misadventure, they will be met with a bold and befitting response. The ship is equipped with advanced pollution detection systems, dedicated pollution response boats, and modern firefighting capabilities. It also features a helicopter hangar and aviation support facilities, which can significantly increase its reach and effectiveness.