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 | Tuesday, 09 December 2025 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS ‘Govt’s multi-pronged strategy boosting growth’ Page 12 BRIEFLY India sends more naval ships to SL with cyclone relief: ‘Zelenskyy hasn’t read US-authored proposal to end war’ NATION CM Fadnavis hits back at Aaditya's statement Page 5 Page 11 CM accuses ECI of ‘biased, unplanned’ roll revision MANAS R BANNERJEE Siliguri, 8 December C New Delhi: India has expanded its humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the recent cyclone, with four more naval ships deployed to deliver essential relief material as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, the Indian Navy said on Monday. According to the Navy, INS Gharial, LCU 54 LCU 51and LCU 57 have been tasked with transporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) stores to affected regions across Sri Lanka. Three of the ships, LCU 54, LCU 51 and LCU 57, reached Colombo on the morning of December 7 and handed over critical supplies to local authorities. India’s GDP growth outperforms expectations: New Delhi: India’s economy outperformed expectations in Q2 FY26 as income tax cuts, GST rationalisation, an early festive season and easing inflation supported the acceleration of private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) to 7.9 per cent in the quarter, a report said on Monday. Despite some moderation, gross fixed capital formation grew at an encouraging rate of 7.3 per cent in Q2, supported by public capital expenditure, said the report from CareEdge Ratings. It forecasted that growth momentum is expected to moderate to roughly 7 per cent in the second half of FY26 after averaging at about 8 per cent in the first half, estimating FY26 GDP growth at 7.5 per cent. (Page 12) hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday criticised the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, describing it as an “unplanned exercise” and alleging that the Election Commission was conducting it in a manner aimed at facilitating a “double-engine government” in West Bengal. Addressing an administrative meeting in Cooch Behar, Miss Banerjee said the SIR process was hampering development activities across the state, with administrative officials from District Magistrates to SD Os and BD Os “under tremendous pressure.” She alleged that the Commission, instead of functioning impartially, was “acting in a one-sided manner.” The Chief Minister cited multiple instances of online voter enrolment being disrupted due to server failures, claiming that people were unable to submit applications. Calling the exercise “chaotic and unplanned,” she asked district magistrates of eight districts to remain alert so that no eligible voter was denied enrolment. Miss Banerjee announced that the state would set up ‘May I Help You’ camps at every gram sansad to assist people during the hearing and verification stages. She said Bangla Sahayata Kendras (BSKs), with support from district administrations, would help citizens prepare and submit necessary documents. Alleging pressure tactics, she said Election Commission of India officials had been Strict action against IndiGo to set example for others, minister tells Rajya Sabha STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 8 December Amid the ongoing IndiGo crisis, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that the Union government will take strict action against the low-cost airline over the massive disruption of flights to "set an example" for all airlines. For the seventh consecutive day, the airline’s services remained disrupted. Air travel across India has been in chaos with widespread IndiGo flight disruptions on Monday, and major airports across the country reported extensive cancellations. The airline has cancelled 500 flights and plans to operate 1,802 services today, the civil aviation ministry said. In a statement, the airline has delivered 4,500 bags to the passengers out of the total 9,000, and will deliver the remaining in the next 36 hours. The minister in the Rajya Sabha said that the Union government has initiated a thorough probe into the issue. "We care for pilots, crew, and passengers. We made it clear to all the airlines. IndiGo was supposed to manage the crew and roster. Passengers faced a lot of difficulties. We are not taking the situation Government asks Beijing not to harass Indian nationals at Chinese airports STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 8 December Advising its nationals to exercise due discretion while travelling to or transiting through China, India on Monday said that it expects the authorities in the neighbouring country to provide assurances that Indian citizens transiting through Chinese airports will not be ' selectively targetted, arbitrarily detained or harassed''. The sharp reaction from the MEA came two weeks after an Indian national from Ar unachal Pradesh was arbitrarily detained by Chinese authorities at the Shanghai International Airport, an incident which was termed by New Delhi as a clear violation of international norms and bilateral “threatening BDOs and BLOs late at night,” leading to stress and “sleeplessness” among employees. “The entire SIR process is unplanned and biased,” she remarked. The Chief Minister further alleged that the names of voters from other states — particularly from Bihar — who reside in Bengal but did not travel home to vote, had been deleted from the rolls. She urged that “Hindi-speaking voters must be included, even if they do not vote for me.” Expressing concern over the removal of names of p eople who came from Bangladesh in 2024, she said such deletions were “unacceptable.” Referring to detention camps in Assam, Miss Banerjee asserted: “There will be no detention camp in Bengal as long as I am here.” She also instr ucted administrative officials and the police to maintain strict vigilance along the India–Bangladesh border and warned that the state “will not tolerate interference from central agencies.” “From the Election Commission of India to several agencies, many are not functioning impartially. Is this democracy? This is autocracy,” she said. Despite the pressure of the SIR process, Miss Banerjee urged officials to continue development work without interruption. During the meeting, the Chief Minister laid foundation stones and inaugurated multiple projects in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, and announced allocations for other districts of North Bengal. Officials of eight districts attended the meeting online. understanding Addressing his weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We expect the Chinese authorities to provide assurances that Indian citizens transiting through Chinese airports will not be selectively targetted, arbitrarily detained or harassed and that regulations governing international air travel would be respected by the Chinese side." "The MEA would advise Indian nationals to exercise due discretion while travelling to China or while transiting through the country," he said. Prema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian citizen hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, had alleged that she was detained for 18 hours by the Chinese immigration officials during what was supposed to be a brief three-hour layover while travelling from London to Japan on November 21. She said the officials refused to accept her Indian passport, claiming her birthplace, Arunachal Pradesh, was "part of China". Responding to a media query on Arunachal Pradesh during his weekly media briefing on Monday, Jaiswal said "We have stated many times that Arunachal Pradesh is and will remain an integral part of India, and we do not want any interference in it." lightly. We will take strict action. We will set an example for every airline. If there is any non-compliance, we will take action," he said in the Rajya Sabha. The minister said the chaos that led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and stranded thousands of people was the result of IndiGo's "internal crisis" after the new passenger safety norms came into force. He said over five lakh PNR cancellations had b e en recorded, and Rs 569 crore had been provided to affected passengers. In the Rajya Sabha, Naidu said the issues faced by passengers were linked to the airline's internal crew rostering and operational planning, and not the Aircraft Maintenance and Scheduling System (AMSS). The Aviation Minister emphasised that "there will be no compromise on safety". Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Naidu stated that stringent Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) exist to protect passengers affected by fligh t delays and cancellations. IndiGo refunds Rs 827 crore to passengers; returns 4,500 bags amid stern govt warning: Facing intense government scrutiny, low-cost airline IndiGo on Monday said it has so far refunded Rs 827 crore to affected passengers, and the rest is under pro cess for cancellations up to December 15. • Page 12 Celta stun Real Madrid to leave Barca clear at top of La Liga Page 16 SC grants bail to Assam professor: New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Joynal Abedin, a college professor accused of sharing pro-Pakistan & sexually explicit content on social media, but made it clear that the relief will not pave the way for the revocation of his suspension and return to teaching. At the same time, the Court expressly cautioned that the bail order must not be read as a ground for reinstatement. Modi asks nation: Why was Vande Mataram ‘betrayed’ SHAHID K ABBAS PM Modi likely to host special dinner for all NDA MPs on 11 December: New Delhi, 8 December Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a powerful tone for the Winter Session of Parliament on Monday, launching a pointed critique of the Congress during a special Lok Sabha debate marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The 10-hour session focused on the patriotic song’s enduring legacy while sharply questioning the historical decisions tied to India’s Partition. Describing Vande Mataram as the "emotional and ideological backbone" of India’s freedom struggle, PM Modi immediately challenged the nation: “If Vande Mataram was so popular, why was injustice meted out to it? Why was it betrayed?” Directly targeting the Congress, he stated, “On October 26, 1937, Congress compromised on Vande Mataram and broke it into pieces. In Bankim Chandra’s Bengal, Congress compromised on Vande Mataram at the Kolkata session in 1937. Congress kneeled before the Muslim League by sidelining Vande Mataram, which led to the tragedy of Partition.” PM Modi asserted that this compromise was a deliberate attempt to “appease certain sections,” disrespecting the song that “gave strength and direction to our freedom movement” and ultimately “sowed the seeds of India’s partition.” The Prime Minister recalled the British colonial era efforts to suppress Indian unity by promoting “God Save the Queen” and banning Vande Mataram due to its unifying power. He further claimed that when then-Congress president Jawaharlal Nehru “saw his throne shaking,” he “tore Vande Mataram into pieces,” alluding to political concessions made in the face of Muslim League opposition. Modi also noted that Muhammad Ali Jinnah raised slogans against Vande Mataram from Lucknow on October 15, 1937. Highlighting the cultural significance of the song, PM Modi said, “When we say Vande Mataram, it reminds us of Ved Kaal — this land is my mother, and I am a son of this land.” He cited Mahatma Gandhi’s 1905 observation that Vande Mataram had become so popular that it had emerged as a national anthem. The Prime Minister questioned, “What were those forces so powerful that they overruled the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi on Vande Mataram?” calling New Delhi: PM Modi is likely to host a special dinner for all NDA MPs on December 11 as part of efforts to strengthen coordination, enhance engagement and streamline floor strategy during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. According to a senior BJP leader, the proposed dinner meeting is intended to create a platform for an open and constructive exchange of ideas among alliance partners. It is expected to provide the PM with an opportunity to discuss legislative priorities, review the government's broader agenda for the session and reinforce the NDA's collective political roadmap. on the nation to confront these uncomfortable historical truths. Tracing the song’s origins, PM Modi said, “In Bankim da’s Bengal, at a time when it had become fashionable to demean India, Vande Mataram emerged as a powerful force that restored pride and ideological clarity to the nation.” Teams hold practice sessions at Barabati Stadium ahead of India-South Africa T20 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Bhubaneswar, 8 December Cricket mania has swept across Cuttack and Bhubaneswar as Barabati Stadium gears up to host the India–South Africa T20 international on Tuesday. Team India went through an intense training session on Monday, drawing a packed crowd in the stands, one of which was opened to the public. Jasprit Bumrah bowled in full rhythm during the nets, offering reassurance to fans ahead of the high-voltage clash. The South African squad is slated to practice later in the evening to acclimatise to the dew and wind conditions. In a significant boost for India, both Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya—recently recovering from injuries—were back on the field. Captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed their full fitness, adding that the team’s batting order remains flexible. “Sanju Samson can slot in anywhere. From positions three to six, we have players who can adapt to any role,” he said. While fans are hoping for a high-scoring contest, local cricketers remain cautiously optimistic about the pitch. A state Ranji Trophy player noted that the red-soil wicket used in a recent 60-over game had deteriorated after the first innings. “This one could be much better—they’ve had time to prepare it, and it’s a 40-over match,” he said. On the use of chemicals to reduce dew, he remained doubtful: “Dew comes from above—I don’t think chemicals help much.” The Odisha Cricket Association and the state government are making elaborate arrangements to avoid any glitches, especially after the previous match saw a 20-minute floodlight failure. Meanwhile, reports of black-marketing of tickets have surfaced in Cuttack, with six people detained in connection with illegal sales. Ministers, legislators, journalists and others were flooded with requests for tickets or passes.