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 Race for Mumbai mayor’s post intensifies BRIEFLY SC asks Delhi, NCR states to submit CAQM action plans: New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi government, the Delhi Municipal Corporation, and authorities of the National Capital Region (NCR) States to submit their respective action plans for implementing the long-term measures recommended by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to address the persistent air pollution crisis in the region, particularly in the national capital. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi made it clear that the Court would not entertain any objections to the recommendations of the Commission for Air Quality Management and that the focus now should be on their implementation. Is bail the rule or jail the norm? Alcaraz survives longest first set at a major to move into Aus Open 3rd round Page 14 In Davos, Trump says won’t use force to acquire Greenland Page 16 LAW PAGE Page 11 Page 5 Thursday, 22 January 2026 SPORTS WORLD NATION | Intel alerts spurred India to bring diplomat families from B’desh Anti-India sentiment on display at a protest in Dhaka after activist Sharif Osman Hadi’s death in December last year. FILE PHOTOGRAPH JAYANTA ROY CHOWDHURY New Delhi, 21 January I ndia had received credible intelligence warning of a possible terror threat to its diplomatic presence in Bangladesh, including Indian missions, diplomats, and their families, according to highly placed sources. This led to India taking a decision, not yet formally announced, to withdraw family members of Indian diplomats from the neighbouring country. "The move is a precautionary measure…it is also a signal that relations have been allowed to deteriorate by the Mohammad Yunus led government," said security sources. According to the inputs, a large number of militants who were released following the student-led unrest in August 2024 have since regrouped and reorganised within Bangladesh. The intelligence assessment indicated that these elements could be attempting to target Indian diplomats and their family members. In light of the perceived threat, the Government of India took the decision to ask the families of Indian diplomats posted in Bangladesh to return to India as a precautionary measure. India's strategic establishment has been increasingly alarmed by what it sees as a resurgence of extremist forces in Bangladesh and a sharpening of hostile rhetoric and posture by Islamist militant organisations towards India. Officials believe the evolving security environment marks a significant deterioration from the relative stability achieved over the past decade through sustained counter-terror cooperation between the two countries. In an interview to UNI earlier this month, Shantanu Mukharji, a former national security adviser to the government of Mauritius and a senior retired Indian Police Service officer, said recent developments across India's eastern border suggested a dangerous reversal of hard-won gains against militancy. Radicalised extremist prisoners, he noted, have been released from jail and allowed to reorganise, creating conditions that could once again make Bangladesh a staging ground for transnational "jihadist" networks, similar to those that operated in the 1990s and early 2000s. “The way these groups have regrouped after being freed last year is deeply troubling,” Mukharji had warned. “It raises the risk not only of violence inside Bangladesh but of renewed cross-border threats to India.” Indian officials are particularly concerned about the possibility that Bangladeshi militant groups re-establishing links with extremist organisations in Pakistan and West Asia. ICC rules out schedule change, finds no threat to B’desh team: New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday ruled out any change to the schedule or venues of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, stating that security assessments found no credible threat to the Bangladesh team, officials, media or fans at any of the tournament venues in India. “The decision was taken after considering all security assessments conducted, including independent reviews, all of which indicated there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India,” the ICC said. Page 16 SIR process must be just and fair, Supreme Court tells Election Commission STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 21 January The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned whether the power of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls can be considered untrammelled and beyond judicial review. Hearing a batch of petitions challenging the ECI's decision to conduct SIR of electoral rolls across different states, a Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked whether the ECI can deviate from its own rules and the provisions of the Representation of the People (RP) Act for the preparation of electoral rolls. “Revision of voter list can lead to some civil consequences for a person who is on the list, so if something which will affect civil rights of people, then why should not the process followed be in accordance with sub-section 2?” CJI Kant asked, referring to Section 21(2) of the RP Act which governs the preparation and revision of electoral rolls. The CJI observed that the manner of the conduct of the revision of electoral rolls must conform to the principles of natural justice ~ that is, it should be just and fair. Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, arguing for the ECI, argued that the ECI is permitted by law to conduct SIR. However, the Court asked whether in that process, ECI is exempted from following its rules. Mr Dwivedi responded that the RP Act itself prescribes a procedure. The hearing in the matter will continue on Thursday.