FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 14 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Stock markets react to RBI MPC rate move, end in red Page 10 Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities kill at least 21 ‘Govt nervous, rattled over Rahul’s SIR protest’ Page 11 Page 12 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 7 October P Friday marked the day when PM Modi was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time on 7 October, 2001. Since then, he has continuously served as the head of a government—first as the Gujarat CM and then as the Prime Minister. Addressing the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha' to mark the day, the Prime Minister highlighted lessons he had learnt in the last 25 years while heading governments. Referring to Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot with flydubai who foiled an attempt by his co-pilot to crash an Israel-bound flight despite being stabbed, PM Modi said the world is talking about an Indian pilot today and a day will come when the world will talk about Made-In-India aircraft. “These goals will be achieved through visionary policies and relentless hard work. India may have challenges, but we also have 140 crore solutions,” he said. At the same time, he also called the division of society along the lines of votes one of the biggest challenges the country was facing. “But when a farmer's field lacks water, does the problem affect only SC to examine plea seeking recall of split verdict on EC appointments PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 7 October The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine a plea seeking recall of its 23 September split verdict and common order on the Central government’s request to refer to a five-judge Constitution Bench the challenge to provisions of the law governing the composition of the committee for selection of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. The plea alleges a conflict-of-interest situation involving one of the two judges who heard the matter — Justice Satish Chandra Sharma. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the petitioner, mentioned the matter before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana, seeking THE 2023 LAW REPLACED THE ARRANGEMENT LAID DOWN BY A FIVE-JUDGE CONSTITUTION BENCH IN ITS 2 MARCH 2023 JUDGMENT, UNDER WHICH THE CJI WAS PART OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE UNTIL PARLIAMENT ENACTED A LAW. listing of the application. He informed the bench that an interlocutory application had been filed seeking recall of the judgment delivered by a bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma. Sankaranarayanan also told the bench that Jaya Thakur — the lead petitioner in the challenge to the 2023 law — had already filed a curative petition seeking recall of the 23 September split verdict. “We will examine and take a call,” the CJI said. The petitioners have raised an apprehension of bias against Justice Sharma after it emerged Gill strengthens ODI No. 1 ranking NATION We will do it: PM Modi drops new mantra for Viksit Bharat rime Minister Narendra Modi is known for giving innovative and catchy slogans and acronyms to make his point. He did the same on Wednesday — the day he completed 25 years in public life as head of government — with “we will do it”— a mantra to infuse self confidence in the people of the country to follow his ambitious goals for a Viksit Bharat by 2047. BJP cadres and workers who gathered to celebrate the day responded with “we will do it”, every time he outlined the goals — making India a top-three economy, Atmanirbhar Bharat, global manufacturing hub, hosting the Olympics and setting foot in space. “Friends, today is not just a day for memories. It is a day to fill our resolve with new energy. This is a day to repeat that promise, to express that intention, which says, we will do it. We will do it. We will do it. We will do it,” he said. Thursday, 08 October 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | that his son is standing counsel for the Election Commission of India before the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The 23 September verdict arose from petitions challenging Section 7 of the Chief Election CommissionerandOtherElection Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The provision requires the President to appoint the CEC and Election Commissioners on the recommendation of a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM. The 2023 law replaced the arrangement laid down by a five-judge Constitution Bench in its 2 March 2023 judgment, under which the Chief Justice of India was part of the selection committee until Parliament enacted a law. one caste? When there is no electricity, does darkness fall only on one community? The answer is no. If the problem belongs to everyone, the solution must be for everyone," he said. In the past too, PM Modi has coined several catchy phrases to drive electoral campaigns, policy initiatives, and missions such as ‘abki baar Modi sarkar’, ‘achhe din aane wale hain’ and ‘vocal for local’. However, the “we will do it’ mantra comes at a time when many believe he is facing one of his toughest phases. A Gen Z protest movement recently led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as a Union minister, while the Opposition is back on the streets, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR of electoral rolls. The now-withdrawn UGC equity guidelines have upset the general category/upper-caste groups, the BJP’s major support base. The PM also highlighted India's resilience amid the global crisis in response to the Opposition parties. "Whenever a crisis struck, India's economy would be shaken. Today, when a crisis comes, India's strength is discussed. India's resilience is discussed. Friends, back then, there was talk of policy paralysis, and today there is talk of reform. Back then, ways were sought to increase imports, and today new export records are being set,’ he said, taking on the opposition. The mention of policy paralysis was an obvious dig at the Congress, which is leading the INDIA Bloc protest against the EC. BJP president Nitin Nabin described PM Modi as the country’s first prime minister chosen directly by the people. Nabin said Jawaharlal Nehru had been chosen by Congress leaders before he became the first prime minister, and so were Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. While Delhi witnessed the main event at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the day saw senior BJP leaders and state chief ministers hold ‘Seva Jyoti Yatras’ and other events to mark the day. Page 14 Rahul released after detention as INDIA bloc steps up EC protest Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi during INDIA bloc protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar near Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi on Wednesday. SUBRATA DUTTA SHAHID ABBAS New Delhi, 7 October Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was released from Delhi Police detention on Wednesday evening after being held for around two hours along with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other INDIA bloc MPs during a fresh confrontation with the police over the Opposition’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election C ommissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Gandhi was released from the Barakhamba Road police station after Opposition MPs were stopped while travelling towards Jantar Mantar for a sit-in protest against the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revisions. The release brought a temporary end to another day of dramatic street protests in the national capital, where the INDIA bloc’s campaign over alleged electoral irregularities spilled into a second consecutive day of confrontations, barricade breaches, sit-ins and detentions. Wednesday’s protest followed a strategy lunch hosted by Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge at a restaurant in central Delhi, after which Opposition MPs decided to proceed towards Jantar Mantar. Kharge had said the INDIA bloc would continue its protests until its demands were addressed. “Until our demands are met, we will continue to stage such protests,” he said. The buses carrying the MPs were stopped by Delhi Police near a roundabout in central Delhi, close to the Shangri-La hotel, as they approached Jantar Mantar. The protesters subsequently staged a sit-in after being prevented from proceeding further. The standoff quickly escalated, with police personnel surrounding Gandhi and other leaders and moving to clear the road. Gandhi was eventually lifted and taken towards a police bus, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other women protesters were also forcibly removed from the site. With Gandhi released after his latest detention, the immediate street confrontation ended for the evening, but the larger political battle remains unresolved. RBI hikes repo rate for first time in 3.5 years STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE • RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra signals no immediate rate cut, saying future action will depend on economic conditions, leaving open the possibility of another hike or a pause. New Delhi, 7 October The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday raised the benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5 per cent, from 5.25 per cent, as its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) shifted its policy stance towards tighter monetary conditions. The decision was taken unanimously at the MPC meeting held from 5 to 7 October. Along with the rate hike, the central bank changed its policy stance from “neutral” to “calibrated tightening”. Following the decision, the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate was set at 5.25 per cent, while the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate were raised to 5.75 per cent. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra indicated that a rate cut was • RBI expects inflation to remain elevated, projecting 6.0 per cent in Q3 FY27 and 5.7 per cent in Q4, while maintaining GDP growth projections of 7.2 per cent, 6.9 per cent and 6.8 per cent for Q2–Q4. unlikely in the immediate future. He said the next policy action would depend on evolving economic conditions, leaving open the possibility of either another rate increase or a pause. The RBI maintained a positive assessment of economic activity, with continued momentum in the services sector and relatively stable employment conditions expected to support urban consumption. However, the RBI flagged risks to the rural economy from a potentially weak south-west monsoon and strong El Niño conditions. It said adequate foodgrain reserves and government measures could help cushion the impact on agriculture and rural demand. The RBI’s quarterly real GDP growth projections are 7.2 per cent for Q2, 6.9 per cent for Q3 and 6.8 per cent for Q4. On the inflation outlook, the RBI expects inflationary pressures to remain elevated over the coming quarters. Its quarterly inflation projections are 4.9 per cent for Q2 FY27, 6.0 per cent for Q3 FY27 and 5.7 per cent for Q4 FY27. The latest policy decision marks a shift towards a more restrictive monetary policy approach as the RBI seeks to balance economic growth with inflation risks. India condemns Congress’ lunch strategy: Akhilesh Yadav’s absence Black Sea attacks adds fuel to buzz about differences in INDI Alliance NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 7 October Condemning attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea region, India on Wednesday asserted that the targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers in the region must end, adding that the continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping remain a cause of deep concern for New Delhi. Addressing a media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have seen a string of attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea region in the last one or two days. We condemn such attacks that threaten commercial shipping and endanger lives of our seafaring community. First, the commercial vessel MV Royad Mammadov came under attack while it was flying in the Black Sea." "There were three Indian nationals onboard. All of them are safe, but one of them got injured, and he is receiving treatment. We thank the Romanian authorities who lent us a helping hand and have been very helpful in this particular incident," he said. The MEA spokesperson stated that Togo-flagged Alfa Watan came under attack on Tuesday and the fate of its crew is not known yet. Seven Indian nationals were rescued after the Palau-flagged MV Able came under a drone attack with one of them undergoing treatment for injuries. VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 7 October Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav’s absence from a strategic lunch hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday—a day after the INDIA bloc protest against the Election Commission—added fuel to the speculation about ‘differences’ within the Opposition alliance. The ruling BJP, meanwhile, took potshots at Rahul Gandhi’s statement that 300 MPs were present at the lunch hosted by Kharge. “Claim of 300 MPs, but Congress has only a total of 128 MPs (98 Lok Sabha + 30 Rajya Sabha). So, the question is simply this: Where did the remaining 172 invisible MPs come from? If there are 300 MPs, then why are they sitting in the opposition?” BJP posted a statement on X interspersed with emojis. The high-profile optics at Sagar Ratna on Janpath near the Jantar Mantar protest site were aimed at presenting a united Opposition. A Congress leader insisted that some Samajwadi leaders were present because Yadav was busy with party-related matters. Congress’ Jairam Ramesh said all INDIA bloc parties had been invited for the lunch. “But the decision for lunch had been taken late last night and communicated. It was therefore natural that some parties could not be represented. There is needless comment in some sections of the media on it. INDIA and other Opposition parties are united and stand in solidarity against Vote Chori, SIR and Delimitation,” he said. However, the absence of Yadav and senior Samajwadi leaders at the high table was seen as an endorsement of the buzz that allies were upset over the Gandhi siblings, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, “hijacking” the joint INDIA Bloc protest on Tuesday with their impromptu sit-in at Akashvani Bhavan. “A joint Opposition protest turned into a Rahul-Priyanka show’, some allies were quoted as saying, while also questioning the Congress’ insistence on meeting the Election Commission when the protest was against the poll panel. On Tuesday, regional leaders such as Yadav and TMC’s Derek O’Brien were swiftly detained by the police and taken away in buses but Rahul and Priyanka managed to evade immediate detention by entering the Akashvani Bhavan premises where they staged a long sit-in—a powerful spectacle that was streamed across national television channels for hours and made headlines. Many INDIA bloc allies reportedly felt the Gandhis became the focus while their efforts were sidelined as a joint Opposition show of strength became a Congress event. Congress sources insisted that the sit-in was “impromptu”, in other words, it was unplanned. According to them, Rahul Gandhi had planned to enter the Akashvani Bhavan complex and exit through the back gate directly opposite the Election Commission office. When the police locked the back gate, the Congress leaders had no option but to sit there. However, the episode has added fresh fuel to speculations about differences between the SP and Congress on seat sharing in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. The deadlock is deepening with senior leaders making contrary claims. The Congress is demanding around 200 seats, while Samajwadi leaders say they are unwilling to settle on no more than 50 seats for its ally.