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 | MUMBAI | Thursday, 05 February 2026 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL LAW PAGE Cautious Reset Understanding Liability For me, age is not a criteria: MSD on Ro-Ko’s 2027 ODI WC chances Page 14 Page 16 US-Iran drone encounter casts shadow over talks Page 11 Page 8 BRIEFLY PM to embark on two-day visit to Malaysia from Saturday: New Delhi: As part of India’s “Act East Policy”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Malaysia on 7-8 February at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, it was officially announced on Wednesday. This would be the PM’s third visit to Malaysia, and the first after the elevation of the India-Malaysia bilateral relationship to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’, in August 2024. During the visit, he will hold bilateral discussions with the Malaysian PM and interact with members of the Indian community, as well as industry and business representatives. The 10th India-Malaysia CEO Forum is also scheduled to be held coinciding with the visit of the PM. Why only Bengal? CM addresses SC on SIR STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 4 February I n a rare courtroom moment, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday personally addressed the Supreme Court, alleging that West Bengal was being “selectively targeted” through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of Assembly elections in the state. The Supreme Court subsequently issued notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Miss Banerjee’s writ petition challenging the SIR process in Bengal and asked the poll panel to reply by Monday. Miss Banerjee’s plea alleges that the ongoing SIR exercise would result in “large-scale disenfranchisement” due to what she termed as an opaque, hurried, unconstitutional, and illegal process.< Miss Banerjee, who sought and received permission to Govt has protected farmers’ interests in India-US deal: Goyal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 4 February Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday asserted in the Lok Sabha that the government has protected the interests of Indian farmers in the India-US trade deal. He said India has successfully protected sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy while giving full attention to food and farming concerns in the pact. The partnership, the minister said, will create new opportunities for MSMEs, skilled workers, and industry, strengthen bilateral ties, and ensure energy security, which remains a top priority for 140 crore Indians. Amid frequent interruptions by Opposition members, Mr Goyal said the trade deal "will simplify the reach to advanced technologies and help in realising India's 'Make in India for the World', 'Design in India for the World' and 'Innovate in India for the World'." He said the agreement was the result of nearly a year of detailed discussions between negotiators from both sides and had been structured to balance the core interests of India and the US, "keeping the important interests of both sides in mind". "It is natural that each side would want to safeguard its sensitive areas and ensure the best possible outcomes,” he said. The minister said a key outcome of the deal was a sharp reduction in US tariffs on Indian goods. “US tariffs imposed on Indian products will be reduced to 18 per cent from 50 per cent,” he said, adding that this would place India among the countries facing the lowest tariff rates compared to its competitors in the American market. He said the tariff cuts would help boost Indian exports and strengthen the domestic industry while aligning with the government’s Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat goals. “This trade agreement will help promote economic growth and benefit Indian industries,” he said. address the Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, directly, submitted, “This SIR process is only for deletion,” asserting that genuine voters were being removed due to minor mismatches arising from social realities such as women changing surnames after marriage or poor migrants shifting residences. Voters’ names were deleted on grounds of “logical discrepancy”, even where the mismatch was merely in titles or spelling variations, she told the court. Miss Banerjee also questioned the timing and selectivity of the SIR exercise. “Four states are going to elections. Why after 24 years? Why this hurry to finish everything in three months? Why only Bengal? Why not Assam?” she asked, alleging political targeting. She further told the Court that the process was undertaken during the harvesting season and peak migration period, EAM discusses trade deal, other key issues with US leaders New Delhi, 4 February Raising sharp questions over the valuation of Delhi’s iconic Hyatt Regency hotel, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked why the five-star property was not auctioned at a time when real estate prices were clearly on the rise, and agreed to examine a plea seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) into its alleged undervaluation under a One Time Settlement (OTS).< A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi was hearing a petition concerning the OTS entered into between Asian Hotels (North) Pvt Ltd, Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bank of Maharashtra (BoM). Questioning the timing and manner of the settlement, the CJI remarked that “even a layman in Delhi can take notice of the fact that from 2023 to 2025, the value of real estate properties has been rising.” When a settlement is entered into in January 2025, “the value of a five-star hotel in Delhi is bound to be high,” he said. The plea, filed by NGO Infrastructure Watchdog, alleges that the OTS was contrary to banking norms and resulted in a massive undervaluation of the Hyatt Regency property, causing potential loss to public sector banks. Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Prashant Bhushan contended that the OTS violated the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandate, which requires stressed loans exceeding Rs 100 crore to be resolved through auction. He pointed out that as of 1 September 2020, Asian Hotels’ outstanding dues stood at Rs 705 crore, while the market value of the Hyatt Regency was assessed at Rs 2,600 crore and Rs 2,651 crore by two independent valuers. However, when the OTS was finalised in 2024, the same valuer allegedly pegged the hotel’s value at Rs 970 crore, despite a significant post-Covid surge in Delhi-NCR real estate prices. The petitioner argued that this drastic reduction raises serious red flags and warrants an independent investigation. Taking note that the settlement was concluded in 2025, the Bench questioned why the property was not auctioned at that stage. Recalling a recent auction of a hotel property in Kerala that attracted multiple bidders, the CJI observed that a prime hotel property in Delhi would likely draw even greater interest. Opposing the plea, Senior Advocates N. Venkataraman UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Imphal, 4 February Veteran BJP leader Yumnam Khemchand Singh was on Wednesday sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Manipur, restoring a popular government nearly a year after President’s Rule was imposed in the troubled state. The sixty-twoyear-old Mr Singh, a former Speaker of the state Assembly, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor A K Bhalla at the Imphal Lok Bhavan. The position of Chief Minister had remained vacant since Nongthombam Biren Singh resigned on 9 February 2025, in the wake of months of ethnic violence that destabilised Manipur. The state was brought under Central rule on 13 February last year. BJP legislator Nemcha Kipgen, hailing from the Kuki community, took oath as Deputy Chief Minister from Manipur Bhawan, New Delhi, virtually. Naga People's Front lawmaker L Dikho also took oath as Deputy Chief Minister after Mr Singh at the ceremony. K Govindas of BJP and Kh Loken of NPP were also sworn in as Ministers by the Governor. Hours before Mr Singh’s swearing in, President Droupadi New Delhi, 4 February STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 4 February External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in Washington, met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and discussed the broad contours of the IndiaUS trade deal that was reached between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. In a social media post on ‘X’ after meeting Mr Rubio, Mr Jaishankar said: “Delighted to meet US Secy. of State Rubio this afternoon. A wide and Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the respondent banks, submitted that Asian Hotels had attempted to auction the hotel and its assets on two occasions, but no buyers came forward. It was further argued that the banks had recovered 116 per cent of the loan amount, and that the petition amounted to seeking a “roving inquiry” into a concluded commercial transaction. The Supreme Court nonetheless issued notice to the Union of India, PNB, BoM and Asian Hotels (North) Pvt Ltd, and listed the matter for further hearing on 18 March. The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed the petition, holding that the plea was based on insufficient material and that OTS decisions fall within the realm of commercial wisdom, generally immune from judicial review. The Supreme Court will now examine whether the circumstances of the case justify judicial interference and an independent probe into the settlement. ranging conversation that covered our bilateral cooperation agenda, regional and global issues. Facets of IndiaUS Strategic Partnership discussed included trade, energy, nuclear, defence, critical minerals and technology. Agreed on the early meetings of various mechanisms to advance our shared interests.’’ A spokesperson for the US Secretary of State said Mr Rubio and Mr Jaishankar discussed formalising bilateral cooperation on critical minerals, exploration, mining and processing. Murmu formally revoked President's Rule in the state, according to a gazette notification issued by the Minstry of Home Affairs. Earlier in the day, Mr Singh met the Governor at Lok Bhavan and formally staked his claim to form a BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state. Mr Singh was unanimously elected leader of the NDA legislature party on 3 February. Mr Singh has expressed confidence that the new Council of Ministers would work with peace and development as its guiding principles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mr Singh on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Manipur, and expressed confidence that the new government will work dedicatedly for the state’s development and prosperity. In a post on X, Mr Modi also extended his best wishes to Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho on being sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers. Parliament in turmoil, LS adjourned ahead of PM speech VIBHA SHARMA ‘Even a layman knows prices are rising’: SC flags Hyatt Regency valuation, considers CBI-CVC probe STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE claiming that over 100 people had died and several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) had been hospitalised due to work pressure. “I am here not for my party. I wrote letters to the Election Commission. When justice is crying behind closed doors, and we are not getting justice anywhere, we came here,” she told the court. The CJI acknowledged the concerns raised, particularly issues relating to local dialects, transliteration from Bengali to English, and the role of AI-assisted processes in creating discrepancies. “By virtue of this kind of issue, genuine electors must not be excluded,” the CJI observed. Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing in the matter, placed detailed figures before the Court, stating that nearly 1.36 crore voters, had been placed in the Logical Discrepancy category, with around 32 lakh voters classified as “unmapped”. BJP’s Y Khemchand Singh sworn in as Manipur CM The Lok Sabha on Wednesday again witnessed fierce political confrontation amid accusations of double standards in parliamentary conduct by Opposition parties over Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi “not being allowed to speak”, and the suspension of eight MPs. Matters escalated after alleged derogatory remarks by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against late Congress Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and senior leader Sonia Gandhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to respond to the ongoing motion of thanks to the President’s Address in the Lok Sabha around 5 p.m. However, amid sustained and heated exchanges, the Lok Sabha was adjourned just minutes before his address. The BJP alleged that Opposition MPs were moving towards the PM's chair in an “attacking” mode. According to BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, several Opposition women MPs entered the well of the House and moved towards the chair used by the Prime Minister. “The Opposition came with the intention to attack us at 5 p.m. sharp, (as the House assembled). They surrounded the Prime Minister’s chair,” he was quoted as saying. Mr Gandhi, however, said, “As I said, PM Modi will not come to Parliament because he is scared and doesn’t want to face the truth.” Earlier, speaking to the media outside the House, he had said that he would personally present former Army chief General MM Naravane’s memoir to the Prime Minister when he speaks in the House. “I don't think the PM will have the guts to come to the Lok Sabha today because if he comes, I am going to give him this book. If the PM comes, I will go physically and hand him this book so he can read it and the country can get to know the truth,” he had said. Ghaziabad sisters jump to their deaths; online gaming addiction under scanner DEEPSHIKHA VERMA/UNI Ghaziabad, 4 February Three minor sisters allegedly committed suicide after jumping from the ninth floor of their residential building in Ghaziabad early Wednesday morning in an incident suspected to be linked with a Korean task-based online gaming app that they got obsessed with, police said. A suicide note was recovered from the scene in which the girls wrote, "Sorry, Mummy. Sorry, Papa." The police confirmed this, telling UNI that "the three sisters also made a crying emoji on the suicide note." The sisters, aged 12, 14, and 16, allegedly took the extreme step following a disagreement with their parents at home over their increasing addiction to an online task-based game. Keshav Chaudhary Additional Commissioner of Police, Ghaziabad, told newspersons: “All three girls were influenced by Korean culture. They were addicted to mobile phones. There has been no confirmation that they were addicted to Korean games. The family had stopped giving them mobile phones, and upset over this, they took the step of suicide." The trio used to live in Ghaziabad along with their parents. The father of the girls is reportedly a foreign exchange trader. The police got a PCR call on the incident at around 12:30 a.m. The caller said that three children jumped from the ninth floor of a building. The police later learned that the deceased sisters had climbed out of the window of the puja room of their apartment, and jumped from the ledge. Atul Kumar Singh, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Shalimar Garden, Ghaziabad, said: “Around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the three girls were with their mothers before going to the puja room and locking it from inside.” He added that they then used a chair to jump out of the window one after another. “They died on the spot. Security guards and local residents on the ground floor woke up after hearing the loud thud. The family was alerted by the local residents. The police were informed, and the bodies were sent for autopsy,” Mr Singh said. "The girls were deeply obsessed with a Korean task-based game and believed they were not Indian but Korean. They even imagined themselves as Korean princesses under the influence of the game," Mr Singh said. “It was an online task-based game they had become addicted to. They were not paying attention to their studies,” he added. The cell phones of the girls were seized and reportedly sent to CFSL for the forensic examination. Police are investigating whether the deceased was given a death challenge-type task by the app, according to sources.