FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 16 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | Tuesday, 03 February 2026 ‘Bihar’s growth rate 3 per cent higher than national average’ T20 World Cup: India probably start as the clear favourites, says Ponting Page 5 Trump claims to fix UN financial crisis ‘very easily’ Page 16 NATION Goyal unveils ‘Future-Ready Bharat’ Vision at NSE meet Page 12 | SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS MUMBAI Page 11 Mamata storms out of ECI meeting, alleges voters targeted in roll revision We have boycotted the Election Commission. They have insulted us, humiliated us ... this type of EC is very arrogant. We didn't get justice. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 2 February W est Bengal Chief M i n i s t e r M a m a t a Banerjee, after visiting the Chief Election Commissioner in New Delhi on Monday, accused the ECI of targeting the people of her state and said she was "boycotting the meeting" as the Commission has "insulted us" and her party "didn't get justice". She claimed that Bengal's people were not being given a fair chance to defend themselves after many of their names were struck off from the poll rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). "Will the Ele ction Commission choose the government before the election? We are watching," she said after coming out of her meeting with the Election Commission. "We have boycotted the Election Commission. They have insulted us, humiliated us ... this type of EC is very arrogant," the Chief Minister told reporters, adding, "We didn't get justice." Banerje e, who was accompanied by her party leaders and "SIR affected people", had approached the Election Commission of India over the SIR exercise underway WEST BENGAL CHIEF MINISTER MAMATA BANERJEE in the state, which has seen 58 lakh names taken off from the draft rolls. After the meeting, speaking to reporters, she claimed that voters were "left out over small things like minor variations in the spelling of their names". She told reporters that she had no great hopes from the Election Commission and accused it of being "lackeys of the ruling party." Banerjee also alleged "they (ECI) are working under the directions of the ruling party ... I can bring lakhs of people to Delhi and can parade them in front of anyone" to prove her point of how people have been left out of the electoral rolls "on small issues." She said she had ultimately "boycotted the meeting" as her delegation was not dealt with respect."We didn't get India stands firm against fresh Pak move on IWT STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 2 February India has rejected the International Court of Arbitration's "supplemental award" on Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, pointing out it is no longer bound to perform any of its obligations under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), since it is in abeyance. Official sources said no Court of Arbitration, much less this illegally constituted arbitral body which has no existence in the eye of law, has the jurisdiction to examine the legality of India's actions in exercise of its rights as a sovereign nation. New Delhi’s assertion came after The Hague-based Court of Arbitration directed India to submit the operational logbooks of the two hydroelectric plants by February 9 or provide a formal explanation for its refusal to do so. India has never formally recognised the existence of the "so-called Court of Arbitration" claiming that its formation under the treaty was a "serious breach." Therefore, any award or decision taken by the court is illegal, sources added. India has already stopped sharing hydrological data with Pakistan after it placed the treaty in abeyance in the wake of the 22 April, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. This regular data sharing was an obligation under the treaty. Sources observed that this so-called supplemental award at Pakistan's behest is yet another desperate attempt by the neighbouring country to escape accountability for its role as the global epicenter of terror. justice," she added. The Chief Minister also said that her party had sent five letters to the ECI but did not get a reply to "a single one". Earlier in the day, she had alleged that Delhi police had barricaded 'Banga Bhavan', the state guest house, where she was staying in Delhi. Mamata also questioned the timing of the exercise in West Bengal, and the way it was conducted, stating that it should have been done in a "proper way, with proper planning." She said the poll-bound states should not have been the priority for the SIR exercise. Banerjee, the affected people and party leaders who accompanied her to the commission were wearing black clothes as a mark of protest. The Chief Minister expressed displeasure saying that she was "saddened" at the current turn of events, adding that in her "entire political career I have no t se en such functioning" by the poll panel, which did not "allow people to defend themselves." She claimed the rules for the exercise had been altered for her state, and "people were not given an option where documents such as land re cords and o ther documents" could be accepted as in the case of other states. She questioned why SIR was not done in Assam, but was insisted upon in Opposition ruled West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. According to ECI sources, the AITC delegation led by Banerjee, met the Commission and raised certain issues CM files PIL in SC, wants polls based on 2025 rolls: New Delhi: The Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction that the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state be conducted on the basis of the electoral rolls revised in 2025, instead of those emerging from the ongoing SIR exercise being undertaken by the ECI. Raising concerns of large-scale and irreversible disenfranchisement, Banerjee contended that the ongoing SIR poses a serious threat to the voting rights of lakhs of eligible electors. The Trinamul chairperson has also sought directions restraining electoral authorities from calling voters for hearings in cases involving name mismatches or spelling variations falling under the “logical discrepancy” category during the ongoing revision process. She has further prayed that all identity documents issued by competent authorities be uniformly accepted for verification. SNS relating to the ongoing SIR in her state. Sources said the West Bengal CM made her points by banging on the table as she left. CEC Gyanesh Kumar responded to her queries and explained that the rule of law shall prevail and anybody taking law into their own hands shall be dealt with strictly as per the provisions of law and powers vested in the commission, sources said. “The CEC responded to the queries raised by the Chief Minister at the meeting and explained that the rule LS chaos as Rahul, BJP spar over former Army chief’s memoir VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 2 February The Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed a sharp political confrontation amid Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's repeated attempts to raise questions on India’s handling of China during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, while referring to an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General M M Naravane. The House was adjourned till Tuesday amid heated exchanges between the Opposition and Treasury Benches with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah leading the charge with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju in the presence of PM Modi. At the centre of the controversy was Naravane’s book Four Stars of Destiny. Gandhi tried to read passages from the memoir that he said related to Chinese military activity and decision-making during the 2020 India-China border standoff. “This is from the memoirs of Army Chief Naravane… you will understand who is patriotic and who is not,” Gandhi said, before attempting to quote sections relating to the Galwan clash. He was interrupted by Rajnath Singh, who objected to the use of material from an unpublished book and asked whether it had been officially released. Singh also demanded that Gandhi table a copy of the book in the House. Despite his objection, Gandhi again referred to “the memoir of Naravane” and displayed printed pages from a magazine that had published excerpts from the manuscript. Rajnath Singh accused him of “misleading the House”, while Shah also intervened, escalating the dispute into a larger confrontation over parliamentary procedure and the Opposition’s right to raise sensitive foreign policy issues. Naravane’s memoir is said to be undergoing review by the Ministry of Defence, a routine process for books by former senior military officials when they contain sensitive material. ICC awaits PCB communication, cautions Pak over India match boycott TRIDIB BAPARNASH New Delhi, 2 February Reacting to the Pakistan government’s decision to boycott the high-profile T20 World Cup February 15 match against India, ICC has flagged serious concerns, warning that selective participation undermines the tournament and its global audience. The ICC has said it is awaiting formal communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board, but stressed that such decisions can have long-term consequences for the sport. On Sunday night, the Pakistan government announced on social media that while it had granted clearance for the national team to participate in the T20 World Cup, Pakistan would not take the field for the Group A clash against India scheduled to be played in Colombo. The decision is set to have significant implications for the tournament. Meanwhile, ICC, the global cricketing body, has warned against “significant and long-term implications” that Pakistan could face for boycotting the match against India. “While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” an ICC statement read. The Pakistan Cricket Board, however, is yet to make any statement. Meanwhile, it has been reliably learnt that the BCCI has maintained restraint on the issues, with sources saying that the Indian team will stick to protocol, and travel to Colombo Trump lowers tariffs to 18 per cent after talks with PM Modi accordingly. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side is expected to attend the training sessions and keep their preparations on, leaving the final call to match officials. The India-Pak clash is the most anticipated fixture of any ICC event, drawing peak global viewership, sponsorship interest and broadcast revenues. While a walkover would hand full points to India, the ICC retains the authority to impose financial penalties on the PCB. of law should prevail and anybody taking law into their own hands should be dealt with strictly as per the provisions of law and p owe r s ve s t e d i n t h e Commission,” an insider f r o m t h e p o l l b o dy informed. Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Monday explained the security arrangements for the Chief Minister of West Bengal, stating that all prescribed protocols were being strictly followed and that there was no breach or restriction imposed at Banga Bhavan in Delhi. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 2 February US President Donald Trump on Monday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and later claimed that the two leaders had agreed to a trade deal between their two countries effective immediately, whereby America will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. “It was an honour to speak with Prime Minister Modi of India this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and a powerful and respected leader of his country. We spoke about many things, including trade and ending the war with Russia and Ukraine and to buy much more from the United States and potentially Venezuela,’’ Trump wrote later in a social media post. He said the steps they discussed will help end the war in Ukraine where thousands of people are dying every week. “Out of respect for the Prime Minister and as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a trade deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent’’, he added. President Trump said India will likewise move forward to reduce its tariff and nontariff barriers against the US to zero. He claimed that PM Modi also agreed to “Buy American’’ at a much higher level, in addition to over $ 500 billion of US energy, technology, agricultural, coal and many other products. PM Modi also later took to ‘X’ to say, “Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.’’ He went on to add, “When two large economies and the world’s largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. President Trump’s leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights.’’