FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Wednesday, 24 June 2026 WORLD SPORTS Resilience Andy Burnham prepares for a UK Labour leadership contest that may be a coronation Pant takes hefty pay cut to return to DC in blockbuster trade; Kuldeep moves to LSG Page 8 Page 11 EDITORIAL BRIEFLY George Kurian resigns, more to follow? New Delhi: Union Minister George Kurian has resigned from the Council of Ministers following the completion of his Rajya Sabha tenure. His resignation was formally accepted by President Droupadi Murmu. BJP sources said Mr Kurian is expected to return to active organisational responsibilities and has also conveyed his interest in working in Kerala. There is also buzz that Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing, Ravneet Bittu, a sitting MP, may also resign to go to poll-bound Punjab and work for the party there. Newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh is likely to replace him. However, he has not yet resigned, even though his Rajya Sabha term ended on the same day. Mr Bittu is a senior Jat Sikh leader from Punjab, and sources say removing him from the Council of Ministers ahead of the Punjab elections may not send the right signal. PERSPECTIVE A grandma’s tale of sustainability Page 16 Page 9 CM flags major irregularities by TMC govt in organising BGBS Mamata Banerjee expels Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas from Trinamul STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 23 June C hief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the previous Trinamul Congress government in the Assembly, alleging large-scale financial irregularities in the organisation of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) and claiming that more than Rs 324 crore had been paid to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in violation of established norms. Participating in the debate on the Governor’s address, the chief minister opened what he described as the “file of corruption” relating to the flagship investment summit launched during the tenure of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Mr Adhikari alleged that serious financial improprieties had taken place in the conduct of the annual business summit, which had been projected by the previous government as a major platform for attracting investments to West Bengal. “There has been massive corruption in the name of the Bengal Global Business Summit. More than Rs 324 crore was paid to FICCI by your chief minister,” Mr Adhikari said in the House. He further alleged that the payments were made while disregarding legal procedures, though he did not provide documentary details during his speech. The Chief Minister also used the occasion to mount a broader political attack on the Trinamul Congress, recalling his long association with the party before joining the BJP. Referring to the political change in the state, Mr Adhikari said he had played a significant role both in bringing the Trinamul Congress to power in 2011 and in helping to unseat it in 2026. “I was on the streets in 2011 to bring you to power, and I was on the streets in 2026 to remove you from power,” he said. In another sharp remark aimed at the Opposition, Mr Adhikari criticised the present leadership structure of the Trinamul Congress and lamented what he described as the departure of grassroots leaders who had fought against the Left Front. Without naming any individual, he said the party had eventually fallen into the hands of people who were disconnected from its original struggles. The Chief Minister also spoke at length about his own political battles during the previous regime, claiming that he had faced extensive legal and political persecution. Kolkata, 23 June Trinamul Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expelled eight senior leaders from the party, including Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Arup Roy and Javed Khan, amid an escalating internal crisis. She has also sent a revised working committee list of the Trinamul Congress to the Election Commission of India. The other leaders expelled include Rathin Ghosh, Biplab Mitra, Sabina Yasmin and Snehasis Chakraborty. The move follows their associating themselves with the rival faction led by party MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, which has been projecting itself as the “real” Trinamul Congress. Several of the expelled leaders have already joined Ritabrata’s camp and have been included in its newly announced organisational structure, with Arup Roy named as the ‘chairperson’ of the party. The expulsions came less than a day after the leaders were served show-cause notices by the Kalighat faction of the Trinamul Congress. Several TMC leaders, including Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas, were seen in the special session of the rival faction at a five star hotel in the eastern fringes of the city. The event was also attended by Howrah MLA Arup Roy, former minister Snehasis Chakraborty and Sabina Yasmin. • Details on Page 3 India, China note progress towards ‘gradual normalisation’ of ties: MEA New Delhi: India and China have noted a “progress towards the gradual normalisation of ties” during the discussions held between National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Tuesday. NSA Doval and Wang Yi held a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting in New Delhi on Monday. During their discussions, both the neighbouring nations reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations and noted the progress towards gradual normalisation. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong and other officials were present during the meeting.