www.thestatesman.com | FOLLOW US: India’s National Newspaper since 1818 @TheStatesmanLtd | Pages 20 | Evolve The American city Bengal forgot @thestatesmanltd ` 5.00 | People’s Parliament, Always in Session thestatesman1875 KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR 8th Day | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | 19 July 2026 S P O RT S Tiny tome of terrific travel tales FIFA World Cup: Argentina’s extraordinary road to the final Page 20 Speaker clears merger of UBT Sena MPs with Shinde’s Sena, separate seating for TMC rebels STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 18 July Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel MPs with the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This takes the Shiv Sena’s strength to 13 while the UBT Sena has been reduced to three members in the Lok Sabha. The Speaker also approved separate seating in the Lok Sabha for 20 MPs who broke away from the Trinamul Congress (TMC) and announced a merger with the regional party, the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). However, the merger of the rebel TMC MPs has not yet been approved by the Speaker. Last month, rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar led a total of 20 MPs and announced a merger with a regional NCPI. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has also witnessed a split, with six Lok Sabha MPs joining the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Earlier, seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs had joined the BJP. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, currently holds 298 seats in the Lok Sabha, including the Speaker. In case the Speaker approves the merger between the TMC rebels and the NCPI, the NDA’s strength will stand at 318, which would take it that much closer to the two-thirds majority mark of 360 in the House of 540 members, with three seats currently vacant. Police shift Wangchuk to hospital; protests intensify CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke begins indefinite fast, faces ink attack PARWINDER SANDHU New Delhi, 18 July I n an early morning crackdown, that sparked widespread outrage, Delhi Police removed social activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site and shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital after he completed 20 days of an indefinite hunger strike over the alleged NEET paper leak and his demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. While police maintained the action was taken on medical New Delhi: Moments after announcing an indefinite hunger strike following Sonam Wangchuk’s removal to hospital, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was allegedly targeted in a blue ink attack at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday, causing a brief disruption before order was restored. Videos circulating on social media showed a commotion breaking out moments after the incident, with supporters surrounding Mr Dipke as people tried to understand what had happened. The identity of the woman attacker and the reason behind the alleged attack were not immediately known. Reacting to the incident later, Mr Dipke posted a brief message on social media platform X, writing, “Blue is my colour... Jai Bhim!” advice and in compliance with Delhi High Court directions, his supporters condemned it as a forcible intervention, triggering fresh protests at the site Police personnel reached Jantar Mantar before dawn and escorted the 59-year-old activist to the hospital, where he was admitted at 7:40 a.m. Authorities maintained that the intervention was necessary because of his deteriorating health. In an official statement, Delhi Police said, “Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care,” adding that the decision was taken on expert medical advice in view of his declining health. According to a medical bulletin issued on Friday, the activist’s weight had fallen to approximately 56.6 kg, reflecting a loss of more than nine kilograms since the fast began on 28 June. Safdarjung Hospital sources said Mr Wangchuk is showing signs of dehydration and urgently requires fluid and electrolyte therapy to prevent potentially serious complications, but he and his family declined the recommended treatment despited repeated counselling. Mr Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, speaking to reporters later in the day, alleged that the activist had been shifted without any prior intimation and questioned the handling of his medical care. • Related reports: Page 5 India’s first privately built orbital rocket Vikram-1 reaches space: New Delhi: In a landmark moment for India’s rapidly expanding private space sector, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace on Saturday successfully launched India’s first privately built orbital rocket, Vikram-1, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, placing it into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) during its maiden mission. The achievement marks the first time a privately developed Indian rocket has successfully reached orbit from Indian soil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who watched the launch virtually, personally called Skyroot co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana soon after the mission’s success to congratulate the team. Page 7