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 | LUCKNOW Jan Suraaj moves SC to nullify 2025 Bihar Assembly results BRIEFLY 16 killed in explosion at rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya: East Jaintia Hills: Sixteen people have been killed in an explosion at a suspected illegal coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district on Thursday, police said. The incident that took place at a rat-hole coal mine of the Thangskai area in East Jaintia Hills district has left one person with burn injuries. Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Kumar said that 16 bodies have recovered so far. “The incident took place in the Thangsku (Thangskai) area on Thursday. Several labourers trapped inside the coal mine following an explosion. SDRF, police, and local administration engaged in search and rescue operations. So far, 16 bodies have been recovered. One person received burn injuries," SP Kumar said. Several people are still trapped inside the coal mine. New Delhi, 5 February Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursdaysaid India is signing future-ready trade agreements with developed nations, emerging as a trusted global partner and playing a key role in global welfare. Delivering his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha amid Opposition sloganeering and a walkout, PM Modi said India has become a strong voice of the Global South and Page 7 Page 12 PERSPECTIVE Centre deprived Bengal, we still delivered the budget: Mamata STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Trinamul govt showers bounty before the Assembly polls: Kolkata, 5 February C hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Central of continuing to deprive the state, asserting that despite receiving little to no support from the Union government, her administration had managed to present the state Budget. Addressing a Press conference after the Budget presentation in the Assembly, Miss Banerjee said the recent Union Budget had virtually ignored West Bengal. “We have prepared this Budget of more than Rs 4 lakh crore despite so much deprivation. The Centre has given nothing to Bengal,” she said, adding that the state’s dues from the Centre now stood at around Rs 2 lakh crore. In a sharp attack on the Union government, the Chief Minister described the Central Budget as “directionless, futureless and jobless.” “We can now proudly say that within our limited capacity, we have been able to prepare this budget. Despite so much central deprivation, we could do it. I hope people will continue to trust us. I have not done this alone; we have done it together. Despite humiliation is moving towards a new world order. Referring to global geopolitical changes, PM Modi said a new world order is emerging after the one created following the Second World War. “If one looks objectively and without bias, the tilt is towards India. Today, India is a trusted partner, standing shoulder to shoulder with other nations,” he said. A day after Opposition protests prevented his replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks in the Lok Sabha, he targeted the Congress and its previous governments on various issues. Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s “mohabbat ki dukan” slogan, the PM said it contained only “anger and hatred” for him. “The Congress cannot digest how Modi reached here. They believe the post of Prime Minister is their birthright,” he added. He also slammed Mr Gandhi for calling Union Minister Ravneet Bittu a traitor. Mr Modi said: “Yesterday, the Congress called a Sikh MP a traitor. This is an insult to Sikhs and Sikh gurus. It reflects the Congress’s hatred towards the Sikh community.” Referring to an incident in the Lok Sabha in which women Congress MPs allegedly tried to block his seat, leading to the deferment of his reply, the PM said the episode was “extremely painful,” and “an insult to the President, the Constitution, tribal communities, and women.” The atmosphere in the Rajya Sabha remained charged SC says plea to ban freebies by political parties to be heard by a three-judge Bench PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 5 February The Supreme C our t on Thursday said that the issue of political parties promising freebies in their election manifestos and during election campaigns is of “paramount importance” and raises serious questions of public interest, warranting consideration by a three-judge Bench. The observation was made when the issue was mentioned before a Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi by BJP leader and advocate petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay, who has sought a ban on the announcement of freebies in election manifestos and during campaigning. Indicating that the matter would be placed before a larger Bench, the Chief Justice said, “It is of paramount importance and is in public interest… this has to be heard by three-judges’ bench.” The Friday, 06 February 2026 India will travel to Colombo for Pakistan clash despite boycott: Suryakumar Yadav by every agency, we are continuing our fight. The people’s trust is with us,” she said. Reiterating her charge of discrimination against Bengal, Miss Banerjee invoked the metaphor of the ‘Shuorani– Duyorani’ (Shuorani or king's favourite queen, duorani or king's neglencted queen, according to Bengali folklore) Kolkata: Just a few months before the Assembly polls, the Mamata Banerjee government showered bounties by increasing doles and allowances while presenting a Rs 4.06 lakh crore interim Budget in the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday. Presented by Minister of State for Finance (with Independent Charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya, the interim Budget featured a series of populist measures, including increased allocations for flagship welfare schemes, a hike in dearness allowance (DA) for government employees, and the introduction of a new unemployment support scheme for youths. One of the biggest announcements was a hike of Rs 500 in the monthly allowance provided under the the popular Lakshmir Bhandar scheme by the government to women aged between 25 and 60. Page 3 to underline what she called step-motherly treatment by the Centre. “They are continuously depriving Bengal. Wherever they can, people are being beaten up by branding them as Bangladeshis. Even pregnant women are not spared. No India on Reform Express, ready to compete with the world, says PM VIBHA SHARMA | Minneapolis leads the resistance to Trump NEW START expires: No limits on US, Russia nuclear warheads Page 9 Page 5 MUMBAI SPORTS WORLD NATION | CJI asked the petitioner to wait for the matter to be taken up later this month, adding, “Wait for March.” Mr Upadhyay urged the Court to hear the case urgently, pointing out that five State Assembly elections are scheduled in the coming months. He submitted that political parties were increasingly making promises to influence voters, which, according to him, amounted to corrupt practices. “Five assembly elections are coming. Only the sun and moon are left to promise. These are corrupt practices,” the petitioner told the Court. The public interest litigation filed by Mr Upadhyay seeks directions to the central government and the Election Commission of India to issue directives regulating election manifestos and to ensure accountability for promises involving public expenditure. The plea also flags concerns about the long-term economic consequences of such promises and their impact on the fairness of the electoral process. Political parties, by and large, have opposed the plea, some terming it as politically motivated, arguing that welfare schemes and subsidies are integral to governance and aimed at supporting vulnerable sections of society. The Supreme Court has, in earlier hearings, acknowledged the complexity of the issue, noting that it raises difficult questions about the limits of judicial intervention in electoral and policy matters. The Court has also indicated that its 2013 ruling in Subramaniam Balaji v. Government of Tamil Nadu ~ which held that promises of freebies in election manifestos do not constitute corrupt practices under the Representation of the People Act ~ may require reconsideration. LS passes Motion of Thanks without PM’s reply amid Oppn protests: New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address to Parliament without Prime Minister Narendra Modi replying to the debate, as sustained protests by Opposition parties over their demand to allow Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak disrupted proceedings. The motion was adopted by voice vote despite Opposition members continuing to raise slogans, accusing the government of “stifling parliamentary democracy”. MPs from the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties repeatedly crowded the Well of the House and vociferously protested, alleging that repeated adjournments and disruptions were being used to prevent Mr Gandhi from continuing his speech. Page 8 through the day. Members of the Congress, Trinamul Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, CPI and CPI(M) walked out in protest, accusing the government of curbing democratic rights. The immediate trigger was the Chair’s decision to prevent Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge from quoting unpub- lished excerpts from former Army chief General M M Naravane’s book on the 2020 India-China standoff. Opposition parties said the decision reflected a pattern of intolerance towards dissent. “This is a denial of democratic rights,” Opposition leaders said as they exited the House. money is being released. There is only a conspiracy to snatch away citizenship,” she alleged. Responding to questions on the Supreme Court’s recent directive on Dearness Allowance (DA), the chief minister said the state government had yet to receive a copy of the judgment. India will ensure energy security of its people: MEA New Delhi: Reacting to US President Donald Trump’s claim that India will stop buying oil from Russia, the government on Thursday made it clear that ensuring the energy security of its people is its top priority. At a media briefing here, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “Insofar as India’s energy sourcing is concerned, the government has stated publicly on several occasions that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of the government.” India, US likely to finalise 1st tranche of bilateral trade deal in next 4-5 days: Goyal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 5 February India and the United States are likely to finalise and sign a joint statement on the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) in the next 4-5 days, informed Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday. A formal legal agreement on the trade deal is expected to be signed around mid-March, Mr Goyal told mediapersons here, adding that after the joint statement is released, the US is expected to issue an executive order to reduce tariffs to 18 per cent. Once an executive order is issued following the statement, the reduced 18 per cent US tariff on Indian goods will come into force. "A more comprehensive and formal agreement is targeted for signing by mid-March," Mr Goyal said. Providing technical clarity on the procedural aspects of the deal, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal explained the distinction between the two nations' tariff structures. "Their (US) tariffs are executive tariffs. Our tariffs are most-favoured-nation (MFN) tariffs. So, our MFN tariffs reduction can only take place after the legal agreement has been signed. That will only happen after the legal agreement has been signed," Mr Agrawal said. Mr Goyal further stated that India has already entered into a record eight trade agreements, and the first tranche of the BTA with the US will soon become the ninth. The FTAs signed by India under PM Narendra Modi will help in the thrust to modernise India, he added. "The FTAs signed under PM Modi help us in our thrust to modernise India," said the minister. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was in the USA for a Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said the Indo-US trade deal is in the final stages of detailing and will be completed very soon. In a social media post on ‘X’ , he said: "Concluded a productive and positive visit to the US. Thank Secretary Rubio for his warm hospitality. The historic India-US trade deal is in the final stages of detailing that will be completed very soon. It opens up a new phase in our bilateral ties, with vast possibilities for the relationship. Our critical mineral cooperation is also advancing rapidly. Expect engagement on strategic issues, defence and energy in the coming days. Overall, a strong momentum is evident." Thank you, Pakistan: Bangladesh reacts to India match boycott TRIDIB BAPARNASH New Delhi, 5 February Amid continuing controversy surrounding the upcoming T20 World Cup, Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his decision to boycott its group-stage match against India, describing it as an act of solidarity following Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Mr Nazrul acknowledged Mr Sharif’s stance, calling the move a protest against Bangladesh being excluded from the multi-nation event. “Thank you, Pakistan,” he wrote. Mr Nazrul also shared comments made by Mr Sharif during a meeting of Pakistan’s cabinet in Islamabad on Wednesday, in which the Prime Minister explained the reasoning behind the decision to pull out of the match against India. “Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said his country has decided to boycott the India match in protest of removing Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup. We will not play the match against India, he said to cabinet members on Wednesday. Because there should be no politics on the playground. We took this decision very thoughtfully. We should totally stand by Bangladesh. I think this is a very appropriate decision,” he added. Earlier, the Pakistan government had announced that its national team would not take part in the T20 World Cup group-stage match against India, scheduled to be played at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on 15 February. The decision prompted a strong response from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to work towards a mutually acceptable solution and cautioned against selective participation. “While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms as per the event schedule,” the ICC had said. “The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country, as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, of which it is itself a member and beneficiary,” it added. Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the T20 World Cup after the Bangladeshi government declined to grant permission for the team to travel to India, citing security concerns. Bangladesh had requested that their matches be relocated to Sri Lanka, but the proposal was rejected by the ICC.