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 Will America let Usha Vance stay a Hindu? K’taka portfolios allocated; Shivakumar retains finance, law Landslide kills seven in Mumbai building: Mumbai: At least seven people, including three children, were killed and four others injured after a massive landslide struck a residential pocket in Mumbai's Ghatkopar on Wednesday following persistent heavy rains. The tragedy occurred at around 3:48 a.m. at Gaushiya Chawl in the Ashok Nagar area of Chirag Nagar. A portion of the adjacent hillside collapsed, dumping mud, large boulders, and debris onto two to three row houses while residents were asleep. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a post on social media platform X said: “The news of the accident caused by a landslide in the Sakinaka Gausia Chawl area of Ghatkopar is extremely heartbreaking. It has come to light that some people have lost their lives in this accident, and we share in the grief of their families.” Six killed in Houthi strike on ship in Bab el-Mandeb Page 4 Mumbai/New Delhi, 12 August N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, has decided to step down from the top position, bringing his tenure at the helm of the Tata Group closer to an end amid uncertainty over his reappointment. Mr Chandrasekaran (63), communicated his decision to the Tata Sons board on Wednesday, days before the company’s annual general meeting scheduled for 18 August. He has also withdrawn his candidature for another term and asked the board to initiate the succession process at the earliest. His current term as executive chairman is set to end on 20 February 2027. In his communication to the board, Mr Chandrasekaran said the Tata Trusts had unanimously recommended a five-year extension beginning 21 February 2027. The recommendation had also received unanimous backing from the Tata Sons Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the board at its 12 September 2025 meeting. However, when the proposal was subsequently placed before the Tata Sons board on 24 February 2026, it failed to secure unanimous support. Mr Chandrasekaran said he decided to defer the matter in view of the lack of consensus. Noting that the leadership question remained unresolved for the next six months, Mr Chandrasekaran said the absence of clarity on who would lead the group beyond February 2027 could create uncertainty for employees, Thursday, 13 August 2026 Page 12 Page 9 Parliament deadlocked despite Amit Shah’s appeal VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 12 August T he penultimate day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session again ended in chaos, with the Opposition rejecting a direct appeal by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who on Wednesday personally assured the Opposition and the House of a detailed discussion on all issues. Mr Shah also wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and urged him to consult Opposition parties and facilitate a discussion on the protests by students over the NEET examination. “I request you to consult with the Opposition and, based on mutual agreement, allocate as much time, whether in terms of days or hours, as you deem appropriate, starting today. I intend to remain present in the House during the scheduled time to participate in the discussion on this matter N Chandrasekaran to step down as Tata Sons Chairman STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE | Afghanistan to ‘host’ India in Delhi for three T20Is WORLD Page 7 BRIEFLY SILIGURI SPORTS NATION PERSPECTIVE | investors, business partners and other stakeholders, particularly as several strategic initiatives are currently under execution. “I have decided not to offer myself for reappointment when my term ends on 20 February 2027,” Mr Chandrasekaran said, while urging the board and shareholders to begin the succession process to facilitate an orderly transition. Mr Chandrasekaran’s decision came amidst differences of opinion in Tata Trusts, which hold a 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons, which serves as the group’s main holding company. Tata Sons controls more than 30 group companies in the conglomerate, including TCS, Tata Motors and Air India. Trustees of Tata Trusts, led by Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata, had informally decided against renominating Mr Chandrasekaran as a Director and renewing his tenure as Chairman of Tata Sons. The decision was to be formalised at the Tata Trusts annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, 13 August, according to a senior Tata Group official. Mr Chandrasekaran, apparently, felt such a decision would be a humiliation after a decade as Tata Sons Chairman. Earlier, Mr Chandrasekaran had discussed the possibility of stepping down with his close associates, ahead of the Tata Sons annual general meeting where shareholders were set to vote on his reappointment. “He’d rather not face a vote, but step down,” according to a Tata Group official. and am prepared to answer all questions raised by the Opposition,” Mr Shah said. Mr Shah said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had agreed at a Business Advisory Committee meeting to a discussion on student protests related to NEET. He noted that the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, had already been discussed, but no Opposition MP had raised the NEET issue during that debate. Nevertheless, the government remained willing to discuss it again. Earlier, with no sign of breakthrough as the Monsoon Session headed towards its last day, Mr Shah rejected the Opposition’s allegations that he was avoiding Parliament. “I have been coming to Parliament regularly since the session began; I sit in my chamber, but since the Opposition is not allowing Parliament to function ~ in either House ~ what is one supposed to do?” he told media persons. His appeal to Opposition parties to submit a letter to Mr Birla if they were ready for a debate on student unrest and NEET went unheeded as they continued to gun for the government, in particular Mr Shah, both inside and outside Parliament. Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said that the Opposition was “not interested in Amit Shah’s lecture”. “The Opposition has clearly said that we are not interested in Amit Shah giving us a lecture. When I say 'we', I mean the younger generation of this country. Who shot the students? Who gave the order to beat up the students with lathis with nails? “Did Amit Shah give this order to shoot our children? If he did, then he should resign. For the last 20 days, Amit Shah has been missing. The Home Minister of India has no courage; he cannot come to the House," he added. Lok Sabha refers FCRA Amendment Bill to JPC amid disruptions STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 August The Lok Sabha on Wednesday referred the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of both Houses amid a massive uproar in the House. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai (photo) moved the motion after the Lok Sabha resumed proceedings following an adjournment in the morning. The motion was adopted by voice vote amid fierce protests and objections from Opposition MPs. Lok Sabha panel indicts Justice Yashwant Varma in cash-at-home controversy STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 August Former Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma has been found guilty of all three charges by a three-member Lok Sabha inquiry committee. The panel, in its report, concluded that substantial unexplained cash was found at his official residence, material evidence was not properly preserved, and his explanations about the episode were evasive and unsatisfactory. The findings relate to the cash discovered in a storeroom at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi after a fire was reported on 14 March 2025. The panel said Justice Varma’s explanation remained “evasive and unsatisfactory” and that he “failed to furnish a satisfactory explanation on the presence and ownership of cash found in store room of his residence”. The committee has submitted its report, along with the record of proceedings, documents, exhibits and other material forming part of the inquiry, for such further action as may be considered in accordance with law, to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in May. According to the report, “substantial unexplained Rs 500 denomination currency notes” were found in the storeroom situated within Justice Varma’s official residential premises. The judge “failed to furnish a satisfactory explanation regarding the presence, source or ownership thereof”. The panel also held him responsible for the failure to preserve material evidence and said that he also “remained evasive and unsatisfactory” THE FINDINGS RELATE TO THE CASH DISCOVERED IN A STOREROOM AT JUSTICE YASHWANT VARMA’S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE IN DELHI AFTER A FIRE WAS REPORTED ON 14 MARCH 2025. THE PANEL SAID JUSTICE VARMA’S EXPLANATION REMAINED ‘EVASIVE AND UNSATISFACTORY.’ when tested against the evidence of independent official witnesses and corroborative material. The controversy began after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s official residence on the night of 14 March 2025. Firefighters called to the premises allegedly discovered burnt currency in a storeroom, triggering a judicial The decision to refer the Bill to a JPC was announced shortly before the Lok Sabha resumed at 2 p.m. through the supplementary list of business, which stated that Home Minister Amit Shah would move the motion. The proceedings that followed saw a sharp exchange amid Opposition and Treasury Benches, including one between Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Apparently responding to Mr Rijiju’s observation on Monday after a meeting of the Lok Sabha Business Advisory Committee, Mr Yadav said: “I want to ask the honourable minister, tell us, which bill has this government brought so far that was not against minorities?” Mr Yadav said, to which Mr Rijiju hit back, challenging him to identify a single provision targeting minorities. Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday cancelled all Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates categorised as OBC-A and OBC-B issued under the revised rules introduced by the previous Trinamul Congress regime in West Bengal. The High Court in its judgment said the OBC-A and OBC-B classification no longer exists in the state. A Division Bench of Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Anuj Singh said the certificates issued under the earlier classification had accordingly lost their validity. Those holding such certificates will now be treated as the general category. The OBC controversy dates back to the period after 2010, when the state government divided OBC communities into two categories ~ OBC-A and OBC-B. There was widespread allegation of irregularities and corruption in the issuance of OBC certificates. Page 2 John Brittas claims ruling MP called him ‘lungi wala’, says ‘proud to be a Malayali’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 August inquiry and subsequent removal proceedings. He was then a judge of the Delhi High Court and, following the controversy, was repatriated to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. He has since resigned, making the removal proceedings against him virtually infructuous. Calcutta HC cancels all OBC-A, OBC-B certificates While Parliament remained logjammed over students’ unrest and donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, an unusual dispute over attire also disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday ~ the penultimate day of the ongoing Monsoon Session. The House was adjourned after a ruckus erupted when CPI-M lawmaker John Brittas alleged that a ruling-side member, without naming Sushmita Dev, late of the Trinamul Congress, made disparaging remarks about his attire during his Monday address, calling him “lungi-wala”. Mr Brittas also moved a privilege notice and criticised the use of stereotypes in parliamentary discourse. Opposition MPs from southern states protested outside Parliament on the issue. Describing lungi and dhoti as traditional Indian attire and symbols of cultural pride. According to Mr Brittas, the ruling side member interrupted him while he was moving the statutory resolution against the Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026. “I’m a proud Indian, South Indian and a proud Malayali…I cherish every moment being a Malayali ~ our language, culture, cuisine, and of course, our attire,” Mr Brittas said. Ms Dev, however, was quoted as saying that neither she nor any other member had cast aspersions against the attire of any state and that she was willing to approach Mr Brittas personally. PM hails Kovind’s journey from humble beginnings to the Presidency STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 August Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded former President Ram Nath Kovind’s life of public service and commitment to the nation, saying his journey from modest beginnings to the country’s highest constitutional office reflected the fulfilment of the vision of India’s social reformers and freedom-era leaders. Speaking at the release of Mr Kovind’s autobiography, Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles, Mr Modi said he was pleased to be part of the occasion and described the former President’s life as an inspiring account of dedication, struggle and service to the country. Recalling his long association with Mr Kovind, the Prime Minister said he had the privilege of knowing him closely and receiving his guidance during Mr Kovind’s tenure as President. He also spoke warmly of the personal affection and intimacy shared between them. “My long association with Kovind Ji, the opportunity to know him closely, his guidance as President, and along with all this, his special affection and warmth towards me have been a very great asset for me,” Mr Modi said. The autobiography chronicles Mr Kovind’s personal challenges and his journey through India’s democratic and constitutional institutions. Its central theme is the transformation of an individual life through perseverance and public service, while also reflecting the evolution and resilience of India’s republican and constitutional system. Mr Modi placed Mr Kovind’s journey in the broader context of India’s long struggle to build an inclusive society in which social and economic circumstances do not determine a person’s ability to rise to the highest levels of public life. He invoked the contributions and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule, saying that these towering figures had dreamed of rebuilding India as a society where even the poorest and most deprived citizens could aspire to reach the highest positions. The Prime Minister said people such as Mr Kovind had contributed to turning that centuries-old aspiration into reality through their hard work, ability and determination. He stressed that Mr Kovind’s achievements were not merely a story of personal advancement but also part of the larger journey towards a more inclusive India. “Personalities like Kovind Ji, through their hard work and capability, did not merely change their own lives; they also played a role in realising that centuriesold dream and that vision,” the Prime Minister said. Mr Kovind, who served as India’s 14th President from 2017 to 2022, had earlier held several constitutional and public offices, including Governor of Bihar. Before entering high constitutional office, he was a lawyer and a member of the Rajya Sabha. His rise to the presidency, particularly from a relatively modest social and economic background, has often been cited as an example of the opportunities created by India’s democratic institutions. Mr Modi also highlighted Mr Kovind’s continued engagement with public affairs after completing his tenure as President, saying that he had chosen not to retire from public service. The Prime Minister pointed specifically to Mr Kovind’s work on the issue of “One Nation, One Election”, a proposal aimed at synchronising elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The proposal has been presented by the government as a potential means of reducing the frequency of elections, administrative disruption and expenditure, while the idea has also generated a wider political and constitutional debate over federalism, accountability and the functioning of parliamentary democracy.