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 | SILIGURI India getting same terms as B’desh: Goyal on US tariffs Seattle to pay $29M in settlement over death of Indian grad student NATION ‘We refuse to squander Centre’s funds to meet deadline’ Page 9 Page 10 Page 5 DAC okays deal to buy over 100 Rafale jets from France Australia v Zimbabwe Canada v UAE USA v Netherlands BRIEFLY Polling closes, counting begins in Bangladesh elections: Dhaka: Polls closed in Bangladesh on Thursday in a landmark general election seen as a direct contest between Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and an 11-party alliance led by the resurgent Jamaat-e-Islami, after voting centres shut their gates at 4.30 p.m. While the final voting percentage is yet to be declared, vote counting has begun, officials said. Voter turnout reached nearly 48 per cent by 3 p.m, they said. Page 9 Retail inflation eases to 2.75 pc in Jan under new base year 2024: New Delhi: India’s retail inflation eased to 2.75 per cent in January 2026, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Thursday. The inflation rate is based on the newly introduced Consumer Price Index (CPI) series with base year 2024. Rural inflation stood at 2.73 per cent, while urban inflation was marginally higher at 2.77 per cent, reflecting stable price trends across both sectors. Page 10 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 February A head of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India next week, the Defence Ministry on Thursday approved a proposal to buy 114 Rafale fighter jets from France for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of Rs 3.25 lakh crore. Official sources on Thursday said clearance to the proposal was granted at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The proposed deal will now be cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rafale serves as an “omnirole” fighter, capable of performing air superiority, precision ground strikes, reconnaissance, and anti-ship missions in a single sortie. Rafale jets were 8 The Defence Acquisition Council has cleared the purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of ₹3.25 lakh crore. 8Tata Advanced Systems will establish a production facility in Hyderabad to manufacture key Rafale fuselage sections. 8 The IAF operates 36 Rafales across two squadrons, with the last ‘C’ variant delivered in December 2024, while the Navy has ordered 26 Rafale-M jets for INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya under a ₹63,000-crore deal covering MRO and training. successfully used in “Operation Sindoor” to hit precision targets in Pakistan, as part of India's military response to the Pahalgam terror attack in May last year. Under the proposed deal, India will purchase 18 off-the-shelf Rafale fighter jets from French defence giant Dassault Aviation, while the remaining 96 fighter jets will be made in India. Some of these jets will be twin-seater aircraft to be used for training. The deal will VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 12 February tarnish India’s image and described his actions, both inside and outside Parliament, as “inimical to the country.” “I have moved a motion in the Lok Sabha against Rahul Gandhi for misleading the nation with the help of forces PM to inaugurate his new office on Friday STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 February Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate his new office, Seva Teerth, on Friday, along with Kartavya Bhavan-1 & 2, which will house some of the key Central ministries like Finance and Defence. He will also address a public programme at Seva Teerth in the evening. The inauguration marks a transformative milestone in India’s administrative governance architecture and reflects the PM’s commitment to building a modern, efficient, accessible and involve the transfer of state-of-the-art fighter jet technology and a strategic partnership to give a fillip to the ‘Make in India’ programme. The IAF already has 36 Rafales in its fleet, comprising two squadrons, with the last delivery of the ‘C’ variant taking place in December 2024. Another 26 Rafale jets of the ‘M’ version have also been ordered for the Indian Navy in a deal worth Rs 63,000 crore. The naval variants will No privilege motion, BJP moves substantive motion against Rahul, seeks disqualification BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday submitted a notice in the Lok Sabha to move a substantive motion against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of misleading the House and seeking termination of his parliamentary membership. Sources, meanwhile, indicated that the BJP-led NDA has, for now, decided not to proceed with a privilege motion against Mr Gandhi. Instead, the government opted to expunge “objectionable” portions of Mr Gandhi’s speech delivered in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday from the parliamentary record. Mr Dubey, in his notice, alleged that Mr Gandhi made unsubstantiated claims in Parliament and engaged with foreign organisations to citizen-centric governance ecosystem, officials said. For decades, several key government offices and ministries functioned from fragmented and ageing infrastructure spread across multiple locations in the Central Vista area. This dispersion led to operational inefficiencies, coordination challenges, escalating maintenance costs and suboptimal working environments. The new building complexes address these issues by consolidating administrative functions within modern, future-ready facilities. Seva Teerth houses the PMO, the National Friday, 13 February 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | Security Council Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat, all of which were previously located across different locations. Kartavya Bhavan-1 & 2 accommodate important ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Law & Justice, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Both building complexes feature digitally integrated offices, structured public interface zones and centralised reception facilities. These features will foster collaboration, efficiency, seamless governance, improved citizen engagement and enhanced employee well-being. like George Soros, who want to harm the country. I have requested that his membership be terminated and that he be barred for life from contesting elections,” Mr Dubey told the media. In his notice, the BJP MP claimed that Mr Gandhi had engaged with organisations such as the Soros Foundation, the Ford Foundation and USAID, and had travelled to countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the United States to carry out “anti-India activities.” He further alleged that Mr Gandhi used the “pious dais of Parliament” to foment public sentiment and level unsubstantiated allegations against institutions, including the Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court, thereby lowering the dignity of the House without substantive evidence. be operated from the aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. That deal includes facilitation of fleet maintenance, logistics support, and personnel training under an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) agreement. In June last year, India and France also announced four landmark production transfer deals between manufacturers Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, which should significantly speed up the delivery of a backlog of Rafales to India. Tata Advanced Systems is expected to set up a cuttingedge production facility in Hyderabad for the manufacture of key structural sections of the French fighter, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage, and the front section. The first fuselage segments will roll off the manufacturing line in 2028. T20 WC: Tournament debutants Italy shock Nepal at Wankhede Page 12 Mamata calls Purulia migrant’s killing in Pune a hate crime, demands swift action STATESMAN NEWS SEEVICE Kolkata, 12 February Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed shock and anger over the murder of Sukhen Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Purulia who was working in Pune, Maharashtra, calling the incident a “hate crime” and demanding immediate arrests and exemplary punishment for those responsible. In a strongly worded post on the X platform, the Chief Minister said she was “shaken, enraged, and sickened beyond words” by the killing of Mahato, the sole earning member of his family. Alleging that the victim was targeted for his language and identity, Miss Banerjee blamed what she described as a growing climate of xenophobia for such attacks on migrant workers. “This is nothing short of a hate crime. A young man was hunted, tortured, and murdered for his language, his identity, his roots. This is the direct consequence of a climate where xenophobia is weaponised and innocents are turned into targets,” she wrote, adding that Bengal stood with the bereaved family. According to available Rijiju posts video alleging Congress MPs ‘abused’ Speaker; Priyanka denies charge STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 February Differences between the government and the Opposition widened further on Thursday after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju released a video of Congress MPs entering the chamber of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla earlier this week, alleging that abusive remarks were made against him. Criticising the conduct of Congress members, he said the incident occurred in the presence of senior leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K.C. Venugopal. “This is the illegal video clip taken by a Congress MP when 20–25 Congress MPs entered the chamber of the Hon’ble Speaker, abused him and threatened the Hon’ble Prime Minister. Our party believes in debate and discussion and never encourages MPs to issue physical threats,” he wrote on X, sharing the video that showed Congress MPs in a heated exchange with the Speaker and Mr Rijiju. Congress MP Jothimani was seen pointing a finger at the minister. The incident occurred on the day BJP MP Nishikant Dubey brought certain books to the Lok Sabha and quoted from them to make alleged derogatory remarks against former Congress prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Congress leaders, including Ms Vadra and Mr Venugopal, had gone to the Speaker's chamber to demand action against Mr Dubey for his allegedly slanderous comments, arguing that the Speaker had earlier prevented Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi from quoting from a book. “I was also there. The Speaker is a very soft person; otherwise, strict action would have been taken,” Mr Rijiju said. Priyanka, however, rejected Mr Rijiju’s claim that she encouraged Congress MPs during the confrontation in the Speaker's chamber. “We did not abuse anyone. One or two MPs were agitated and expressed themselves. He also said that I was encouraging them, which is a lie. I was sitting quietly. In the end, I said a few things peacefully,” she said, while targeting the government over the India-US trade deal, alleging that it would adversely affect farmers. Amendments in White House fact sheet reflect ‘shared understandings’ between two nations: MEA NIKHIL VYAS New Delhi, 12 February The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that the recent amendments made in the White House fact sheet on the framework for the India-US interim trade agreement reflect ''shared understandings" between the two nations. Both the sides will work to implement the framework and finalise the interim agreement, it added. The MEA's clarification comes amid reports highlighting revisions in the US document, which earlier had contrasted with the statement released by the Indian side. Responding to media queries about changes in White House fact sheet on the deal, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said : "As you are aware, the India-US Joint Statement on the framework for an Interim Agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade was issued on 7 February 2026." "The Joint Statement is the framework and remains the basis of our mutual understanding in the matter,'' he said. "Both sides will now work towards implementing this framework and finalising the Interim Agreement," Jaiswal said. "The amendments in the US fact sheet reflect the shared understandings contained in the Joint Statement," he added. The White House, in its updated fact sheet released a day after the initial document, softened several key assertions regarding India's commitments on purchases, tariffs, and digital trade. In the original version of the fact sheet, it was stated, "India committed to buy more American products and purchase over USD 500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, agricultural, coal, and other products." The revised fact sheet now states that India "intends" to buy more American products and omits the term "agricultural" from the list of product categories. Changes were also made in the tariff section.The earlier document noted, "India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, certain pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products." The updated version removes the reference to "certain pulses" from this list. On digital trade, the initial fact sheet mentioned, "India will remove its digital services taxes" and "committed to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules that address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade." The current version drops the claim that "India will remove its digital services taxes" and retains only that "India committed to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules." information, Mahato, a resident of Tumrasol village in Purulia district, was employed at an auto parts factory in Pune. He went missing on 9 February after leaving for work, and his body was found the following day. The Trinamul Congress has alleged that Mahato was murdered, while district-level party leaders visited his family in Purulia following the recovery of the body. The incident has once again brought the safety of migrant workers from West Bengal into sharp focus. In recent weeks, reports of unnatural deaths of migrant workers from the state in other parts of the country have triggered political reactions and concern among families. Earlier, the lifeless body of a migrant worker from Harishchandrapur in Malda district was found near a railway track in Chennai. The family had alleged that he was pushed from a moving train, leading to a political row over the circumstances of his death. Brazil Prez to visit India next week for AI Impact Summit STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 12 February At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will visit India from 18-22 February 2026 to participate in the 2nd AI Impact Summit, it was officially announced on Thursday. The two leaders will also hold a bilateral meeting on 21 February. They would be reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral relations. The PM is scheduled to host a lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary. The two leaders would also be exchanging views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in multilateral fora, reformed multilateralism, global governance, and issues concerning the Global South. During President Lula’s visit, President Droupadi Murmu is expected to host a banquet in his honour. Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also call on President Lula. The President of Brazil is expected to be accompanied by about 14 ministers and a large delegation of top CEOs of Brazilian companies. The accompanying ministers would be having meetings with their Indian counterparts. The CEOs are expected to participate in a business forum being organised during the visit, reflecting the growing trade and commercial engagements between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said.