FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 BRIEFLY Tapabrata Chakrabory new acting CJ of Calcutta HC New Delhi: The Central government on Friday issued a notification appointing Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty as the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court following the retirement of incumbent Chief Justice Sujoy Paul. "In exercise of the power conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, Judge of the Calcutta High Court, to perform the duties of office of the Chief Justice of that High Court consequent upon retirement of Shri Justice Sujoy Paul on 20.06.2026,” said a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. Justice Chakraborty, born on 27 November 1966, was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Calcutta High Court on 30 October 2013, and was appointed a permanent judge on 14 March 2016. | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI New Delhi, 19 June The Supreme Court on Friday declared that the right to walk on safe and demarcated footpaths is a fundamental right guaranteed under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution, and that this right will take precedence over the movement of motorised vehicles. Recognising pedestrians as constitutional rights holders rather than mere road users, a Bench of Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Atul S Chandurkar held that the right to walk is integral to the freedoms guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution and carries with it a corresponding obligation on public authorities to create STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 19 June P rime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Odisha and West Bengal on 20 and 21 June, during which he will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stones for a wide array of development projects, besides leading the national celebrations of the 12th International Day of Yoga in Kolkata. According to an official government release issued on Friday, in West Bengal, the Prime Minister will participate in Paschimbanga Divas celebrations, unveil major agricultural initiatives, release the latest instalment of the PMKisan scheme, commission three indigenously built naval vessels and lead Yoga Day observances. Mr Modi, who will be visiting Odisha before heading to Bengal, will participate in Paschimbanga Divas celebrations in Tarakeswar in Hooghly district. The event, themed “West Bengal: Heritage, Harmony and Development”, is being organised at a site associated with nationalist leader Syama Prasad Mookerjee. During the programme, PM Modi will launch and inaugurate projects related to railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries and animal husbandry. A major announcement will be the release of the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. More than Rs 18,880 crore will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of over 9.44 crore farmers across the country. In West Bengal, more than 45 lakh beneficiaries will receive over Rs 900 crore. The visit will also witness the rollout of several flagship and maintain safe pedestrian infrastructure. “The right to walk is a fundamental right under Part III of the Constitution. It is integral to the right to movement guaranteed under Article 19(1)(d), read with Article 19(1)(a), Article 19(1)(b), Article 19(1)(c) and Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” the court said in a judgment pronounced today. “The fundamental right to walk will take within its sweep the right to demarcated footpaths. These rights are primary and shall have priority over movement by motorised vehicles,” the court said. The judgment placed a constitutional duty on urban development authorities, municipal corporations, municipalities and panchayats to provide and maintain pedestrian infrastructure. “If the road exists, there is a duty to ensure that there are demarcated and well-maintained footpaths for walkers,” the court said. Citizens whose right to walk safely is violated would be entitled to seek constitutional and legal remedies, including restitution and compensation, the court said. The judgment arose from a case concerning the death of a five-year-old child who was struck by a tanker while walking to school with his father in an area lacking a footpath or pedestrian crossing. While enhancing the compensation awarded to the child’s family to Rs 11.44 lakh, the court decided to examine the larger issue of pedestrian rights across the country, directing that the matter be re-registered as a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution. Shiv Sena: 60 years, 5 splits, the story of a party shaped by breakups & endurance VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 19 June Founded by Bal Thackeray on this day ~ 19 June ~ in 1966, the Shiv Sena emerged from growing concerns among Marathi-speaking people that they were losing out on jobs, economic opportunities and political influence in Mumbai to “outsiders” amid rapid migration and industrial growth. It initially focussed on protecting Marathi identity, language and culture, building support through grassroots activism and local campaigns. And over time, it expanded beyond regional issues, becoming a major political force in Maharashtra, collaborating with the BJP to become a party with a Hindu nationalist agenda. The history of the Shiv Sena, which marks 60 years today, is not only a story of political battles but also of multiple internal revolts that MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR PM Modi to roll out mega projects in Bengal, Odisha SC recognises fundamental right to walk safely on footpaths PARMOD KUMAR | reshaped its identity and Maharashtra politics. When officially announced, the six rebel MPs leaving Shiv Sena (UBT) to join the Eknath Shinde-led group will make this the fifth such episode. Of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs, six are submitted signed letters to the Lok Sabha Speaker, informing him of their intention to merge with the Eknath Shinde group, which is part of the ruling NDA. On Thursday, the six skipped a meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary party, ignoring a whip issued to them. The first major rupture happened in the early 1990s when senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal broke away after differences with the party leadership. More turbulence followed in 2005 when Narayan Rane, one of Shiv Sena's most prominent leaders, exited after a bitter fallout over leadership and succession issues. An emotionally significant split came in 2006 when Raj Thackeray, nephew of Bal Thackeray and once viewed by many supporters as a natural political heir, left the organisation and launched the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The split also highlighted the rise of Uddhav Thackeray as the party’s central decision-maker. But the most politically consequential split happened in 2022, when current Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led a rebellion, to go with the BJP, with which Uddhav had broken the alliance in 2019. Uddhav had ended the Shiv Sena’s nearly three-decade alliance with the BJP after disagreements over power-sharing following the Maharashtra Assembly election. He subsequently formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with Congress and the NCP, becoming Chief Minister. Unlike earlier departures led by individual leaders, the Shinde revolt directly challenged both the party's leadership and its political direction. “Breaking up with the BJP was perhaps Uddhav’s biggest mistake,” say observers. agricultural initiatives in Bengal, including the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Agri Stack under the Digital Agriculture Mission, the National Mission on Natural Farming and the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana. On 21 June, Mr Modi will lead the national observance of the 12th International Day of Yoga from Kolkata’s Red Road, where thousands are expected to participate in the Common Yoga Protocol session. This year’s theme, “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, emphasises yoga’s contribution to physical fitness, mental well-being, emotional resilience and active ageing. Since the United Nations adopted India’s proposal to observe 21 June as the International Day of Yoga in 2014, the annual event has grown into a global movement. This year’s celebrations are being organised at nearly 2,500 locations worldwide. | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Saturday, 20 June 2026 Trinamul moves Speaker against rebel MPs, files 20 disqualification petitions SHAHID K ABBAS New Delhi, 19 June Trinamul Congress National General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, accompanied by senior leaders, met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday and formally opposed the recognition of a rebel faction of party MPs that claimed a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) pledging support to the NDA. The TMC delegation, which included Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra and Saugata Roy, submitted 20 disqualification petitions against the dissident lawmakers and urged the Speaker not to recognise them as TMC members in Parliament. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Abhishek Banerjee said the party had presented its constitutional objections to the split and the merger claim made by the rebel MPs. “We submitted 20 disqualification petitions with the Speaker today,” Mr Banerjee said, adding that the party had also written to the Speaker urging that the rebel lawmakers who joined the NCPI should not be recognised as TMC MPs. Describing the merger move as an “unconstitutional” attempt to divide the party, Mr Banerjee maintained that the Trinamul Congress remained a single and indivisible political organisation. “The Trinamul Congress is one. If you go by the Constitution or the judgments of the Supreme Court, it clearly goes against them. Either the Constitution is wrong, or they are wrong. One of the two has to be wrong,” he told reporters. According to Mr Banerjee, the TMC delegation argued that the breakaway group's claim of a valid merger with the NCPI was untenable under the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution. The party contended that under the Tenth Schedule, a merger requires the support of at least two-thirds of the parent political party and cannot be effected merely by a section of its parliamentary wing acting independently. The ruling faction further argued that the Constitution does not permit the creation of splinter groups within an existing political party and that legislators cannot separate themselves from the parent organisation solely through signatures or resolutions adopted within the legislature party.