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 LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Monday, 28 September 2026 SPORTS PERSPECTIVE Committed to nation-building WORLD NATION Backlash forces Vijay govt to revoke RTI exemption Russia rejects German calls to ease ‘dangerous’ escalation Page 7 Page 4 BRIEFLY Nationwide bank strike deferred New Delhi: The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has deferred its three-day nation-wide strike scheduled to start on Monday, following an eleventh-hour meeting with the Indian Banks' Association (IBA). The bank unions agreed to defer the strike after reaching an understanding with the IBA during the meeting late Sunday night over the contentious issue of declaring a five-day working week for banks. According to a statement issued by the union, a joint committee of the IBA and UFBU will be set up immediately to look at the issue of making all Saturdays bank holidays. Talks will also begin with the IBA on changing the Performance-Linked Incentive scheme for Scale IV and above officers, so their concerns can be raised with the government. Page 10 Page 9 2016 surgical strikes a defining moment for India: PM Modi STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Over the past decade ~ from the Balakot airstrike to Operation Sindoor ~ India has repeatedly sent a clear message: if terrorists dare to cast an evil eye on India, they will be met with a befitting response. New Delhi, 27 September P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation through the 138th edition of his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, highlighting the upcoming 10th anniversary of the 2016 surgical strikes, India’s response to terrorism, the ongoing Census, and a range of initiatives involving environmental conservation, nutrition, rural livelihoods, sports and cultural heritage. As he noted that a decade has passed since the surgical strikes on 28-29 September 2016, Mr Modi described the military operation as a defining moment in India’s counterterrorism response. “Ten years ago, on 28-29 September 2016, the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan,” Mr Modi said. “The surgical strike boldly demonstrated to the entire NARENDRA MODI PRIME MINISTER world a new example of India’s counter-terrorism policy,” he said, adding that the operation was a decisive response to the suffering caused by terrorist attacks. Referring to subsequent military operations, including the 2019 Balakot airstrike and Operation Sindoor, Mr Modi said India had repeatedly conveyed that terrorism would not go unanswered. “Over the past decade ~ from the Balakot airstrike to Operation Sindoor ~ India has repeatedly sent a clear message: if terrorists dare to cast an evil eye on India, they will be met with a befitting response,” he said. The PM said India had suffered for decades because of terrorist attacks, recalling the 13 September 2008, serial blasts in Delhi and the 26 November 2008, terror attacks in Mumbai. He said that in the past, demands for action against Pakistan following terror attacks often went unheeded, with authorities waiting for time to pass. “Today, India pursues a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, and we are witnessing the results of that,” he said. Mr Modi also recalled the 11 September 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, which completed 25 years this month. Asian Games Day 8: Ancy, Sarvesh lead 7-medal haul as India reach 37 Page 12 CM Adhikari accuses TMC, Left of spreading misinformation on SIR after election defeat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 27 September Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, strongly defending the legality and authenticity of the SIR process, on Sunday accused the Trinamul Congress and the Left Front of launching “false propaganda” about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls out of frustration following their defeat in the Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, the chief minister alleged that the Mamata Banerjeeled faction of the Trinamul Congress was now politically aligned with the CPI-M, the party against which it was originally formed. “The Opposition is deliberately creatingconfusionandcontroversy over a recent newspaper report,” he said, referring to the media reports of dissent among the members of the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the SIR exercise. Mr Adhikari recalled that Mamata Banerjee had formed the Trinamul Congress after breaking away from the Congress with the stated objective of ending 34 years of Left Front rule in West Bengal. “Trinamul was formed to end the atrocities and injustice of 34 years of CPI-M rule. The same CPI-M has now become their friend,” Mr Adhikari said, adding that the political understanding between the two sides reflected what he described as their “political bankruptcy”. Mr Adhikari also targeted the Congress over the party’s stance on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the party had taken different positions in different states. He claimed that the Congress had no objection to the SIR process in Keralam because it had won the election there, while opposing it in West Bengal. Rejecting allegations against the SIR process in West Bengal, Mr Adhikari said the exercise hadbeenconductedinaccordance with the legal process. He recalled that Miss Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court over the issue and claimed that the court had subsequently entrusted judges with deciding cases involving discrepancies in electoral data. “The Supreme Court using its special powers under Article 142 of the Indian Constitution had given the responsibility to the judiciary to look into the logical discrepancies. They have rejected 27 lakh names out of the 60 lakhs. So neither the election commission nor the state administration were involved in the process,” Mr Adhikari said.