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 | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | EDITORIAL Trump says US-Iran talks to begin after halting planned strikes Price of promise Page 10 BUSINESS Goyal pitches doubling India, Uzbekistan trade in 3 years Page 6 Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology Chairperson Nishikant Dubey on Monday said the panel had taken a serious view of the removal from Facebook last month of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video on action against examination paper leaks. He said Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg should apologise, failing which the safe harbour protection under Section 79 "should be withdrawn". Dubey, the BJP MP from Godda, said Meta had admitted that the Prime Minister's video was unavailable for over four hours and described the incident as "a very serious matter". He also alleged that Meta and YouTube failed to remove Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and questioned the viewership algorithms of major social media platforms, claiming they favoured newcomers. Representatives of Snapchat, Google, X, Meta and YouTube briefed the committee. Home Secretary Govind Mohan also attended the meeting. Meta said on 28 July that the video had been removed due to a technical error and was later restored. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also summoned Meta over the incident. VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 3 August I n a major political setback, the BJP on Monday lost two crucial Assembly bypolls in party-ruled Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, including the Bankipur seat represented by BJP state president Nitin Nabin since 2010. While the party retained Manjalpur in Gujarat’s Vadodara district, a result that was widely expected, the defeats in Bankipur and Datia are being seen as significant blows to the saffron party in two BJP-ruled states and a shot in the arm for the opposition. Notably, Nabin retained Bankipur in the 2025 Assembly election with nearly 50 per cent of the vote. However, the bypoll less than a year later saw the BJP’s Neeraj Kumar Sinha lose to Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, marking one of the most STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 3 August Mr Modi wrote. Highlighting the commitment shown by the athletes throughout the competition, the Prime Minister said their success was the result of exceptional skill, determination and unwavering dedication, adding that their achievements would inspire young Indians Delhi Court acquits Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in wrestlers’ sexual harassment case STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 3 August A Delhi court on Monday acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, along with former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar, in the sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers, bringing to a close one of the country’s most closely watched legal procee- Aquib Nabi replaces injured Bumrah for SL Tests Page 12 BJP loses two key seats, including Bankipur dramatic reversals in recent years in a constituency considered a BJP bastion. “Bankipur was one of the safest seats in the country for the BJP,” a senior party leader in Delhi said on condition of anonymity. The victories in Bankipur and Datia will not affect the stability of the BJP govern- PM Modi salutes India’s Glasgow games heroes after 39 medal haul Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday applauded the Indian contingent for its outstanding performance at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, congratulating the athletes after the country wrapped up its campaign with an impressive haul of 39 medals, including 13 gold. In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister said the nation’s athletes had made India proud through their remarkable performances and commended the medal winners for their achievements on the international stage. “Proud of our contingent’s performance at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Delighted that India has won 39 medals, including 13 Golds. Congrats to the medal winners,” Tuesday, 04 August 2026 Page 11 ‘Apology for PM video removal should come from Mark Zuckerberg’ New Delhi, 3 August | SPORTS WORLD STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SILIGURI dings involving Indian sport. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts delivered the judgment after reserving the verdict on 2 July following the completion of final arguments. The proceedings were conducted in camera. The case arose from allegations made by six women wrestlers, including Olympian Vinesh Phogat, who accused Singh of sexually harassing them during his tenure as WFI chief. The alleged incidents were said to have occurred between 2016 and 2019 at the federation's office, Singh’s official residence and during overseas events. Singh consistently denied all the allegations. The court also acquitted co-accused Vinod Tomar, who had faced charges relating to criminal intimidation in connection with one of the complainants. During the framing of charges in May 2024, the court had discharged Singh with respect to one complainant and dropped several charges against Tomar, while allowing the trial to proceed on the remaining allegations. The prosecution was represented by Senior Advocate Rebecca John on behalf of the complainants, while Senior Advocate Rajiv Mohan appeared for Singh. to pursue excellence in sport. “Throughout the Games, our talented athletes have displayed exceptional skill, determination and dedication. Their hard work will keep inspiring our youngsters,” he said. He also extended his best wishes to the entire Indian contingent for future competitions, expressing confidence that they would continue to perform with distinction and bring laurels to the country. “My best wishes to the entire Indian contingent for the endeavours ahead. May they continue to give their very best and bring further glory to the nation,” he said. India concluded the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with a total of 39 medals, including 13 gold, reaffirming the country’s growing stature in international sport. LS passes Bill to raise SC judges’ strength from 33 to 37: New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India from the present 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The Bill, which seeks to replace the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, promulgated by President Droupadi Murmu, was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on 20 July. When the House reassembled after its second adjournment at 2 p.m., Meghwal moved the Bill, stating that the increase in the Supreme Court’s judicial strength is essential to address the growing backlog of litigation. ments in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, but they could reshape the political narrative. The results are also being viewed as a verdict on BJP chief ministers ~ Samrat Choudhary in Bihar and Mohan Yadav in Madhya Pradesh. Bankipur has given Jan Suraaj its first electoral victory after the party failed to win any seat it contested in the November 2025 Assembly election. Trinamul Congress leader Derek O’Brien described Kishor’s victory as the “beginning of the end” for the BJP. The Congress’ victory in Datia and Kishor’s breakthrough in Bihar are also being viewed as a reflection of growing public discontent over governance issues, including alleged paper leaks. Political observers also point to changing caste equations and a possible erosion of the BJP’s traditional upper-caste vote base. In Datia, Congress’ Kuwar Ghanshyam Singh defeated the BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari. A day before the results, the BJP suspended former MLA Rajendra Bharti, whose disqualification had necessitated the bypoll. Despite the controversy, the Congress managed to retain the seat. • Related reports: Page 5 Oppn seeks Shah’s statement over student crackdown, Ram Temple row New Delhi: The confrontation between the government and the Opposition intensified on Monday as INDIA bloc parties staged protests inside and outside Parliament, demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah respond to questions on the alleged police action against student protesters and alleged irregularities in Shri Ram Mandir donations. The protests disrupted proceedings in both Houses, leading to repeated adjournments. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal accused the government of avoiding debate on the issues. The BJP hit back, alleging that the Opposition was deliberately disrupting Parliament and obstructing the functioning of both Houses.