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 US strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island, Tehran targets Gulf bases; Kuwait airport hit The power of belonging Thursday, 04 June 2026 SPORTS WORLD SPECIAL FOCUS | Pat Cummins hints at skipping IPL 2027 amid packed Australia schedule NATION SC sets up panel to reassess Aravalli Hills definition Page 8 Pages 10, 11 Page 12 Page 5 21 killed, 35 injured in deadly hotel fire in Malviya Nagar Expelled Ritabrata gets LoP status in WB as 58 TMC MLAs back him ATUL KRISHAN In a development that has plunged the beleaguered Trinamul Congress into an existential crisis, the West Bengal Assembly Speaker, Rathindra Bose, on Wednesday granted official Opposition status to a group of 58 dissident Trinamul legislators who have chosen expelled party leader Ritabrata Banerjee as their leader. The decision was on the basis of a letter submitted by the rebel MLAs. Following the Speaker's approval, Assembly Secretary Soumendra Nath Das handed over the keys to the office of the Leader of the Opposition to Ritabrata Banerjee. Addressing a press conference after his appointment, Mr Banerjee said the group currently has the support of 58 MLAs, out of 80, while two more legislators have extended their backing, effectively taking the strength to 60. He indicated New Delhi, 3 June A t least 21 persons, including 17 foreign nationals, were burnt alive, while around 35 others were injured after a major fire broke out at Hotel Flourish Stay Guest House, near Mikasa Inn Rooms, Hauz Rani in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning. Ten police personnel were also injured during the rescue operation and were shifted to AIIMS. According to preliminary information, the fire started from a restaurant located on the ground floor of the guest house. “It was a five-storey building in which the hotel was being operated. The fire engulfed the entire hotel. The basement of the hotel was also locked and housed six rooms, where 35 persons were trapped,” said DEADLY LAPSES: • Single Access Point: Hotel allegedly had a common entry and exit route, limiting evacuation options during emergencies. • Over-capacity Operation: Around 40 guests were reportedly housed in 25 rooms despite permission for only 6 rooms. • Unauthorised Basement Use: Basement space was allegedly used for both a restaurant and guest accommodation beyond sanctioned norms. • No Fire Safety NOC: Preliminary findings indicate the hotel was operating without a valid fire safety clearance. • No Dedicated Fire Exits: Building reportedly lacked designated emergency escape routes. a fire official. The Delhi Fire Service received a call regarding the incident at around 8:40 a.m., after which a total of fifteen fire tenders were rushed to the spot. A total of 47 persons affected by the fire incident were rushed to various hospitals. Out of these, 21 people lost their lives, while 17 people were found injured. The condition of nine • • Sealed Windows: Several windows were found shut or sealed, restricting evacuation and ventilation. individuals was stated to be critical. Firefighters had to break open the door as it was locked from the outside. After this, all 35 persons were rescued and shifted to Max Hospital. Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, stated that 39 victims were brought to its Emergency Department. Of these, 18 were brought dead, while 15 remain Shivakumar takes oath as Karnataka’s new CM, 13 ministers join Cabinet STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 3 June In a ceremony rich in political messaging and public spectacle, DK Shivakumar on Wednesday took oath as Karnataka’s Chief Minister, capping a decades-long political journey that saw him evolve from a grassroots Congress organiser into one of the party’s most influential regional leaders. Sworn in at a grand event at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru, Mr Shivakumar formally assumed office at the head of a new Congress government, becoming Karnataka’s 25th Chief Minister and the eighth from the Vokkaliga community. Accompanied by 13 Cabinet colleagues in the first phase of ministry formation, he now inherits the task of translating his formidable (Photo by Subrata Dutta) Kitchen in Basement: Cooking operations were being run from the basement, a serious fire-safety violation. political reputation into governance at a time when Karnataka remains one of India’s most politically significant states. Senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, alongside chief ministers from several states, underlining the importance the Congress attached to the occasion. Mr Shivakumar took the oath in the name of the late seer Gangadhar Ajjayya, a gesture that drew attention among supporters and religious leaders gathered at the venue. admitted to the ICU, including eight on ventilator support in critical condition. Five patients with minor injuries were discharged after first aid, while one critically injured person was referred to Safdarjung Hospital. The hospital confirmed that both Indian and foreign nationals were among the victims. Among those killed were nationals of Nigeria, Liberia, and Bangladesh. Delhi Fire Service officials, local police, and area residents played a crucial role in saving lives. Residents placed mattresses on the ground so that people trapped on the first, second, and third floors of the hotel could jump to safety. The Delhi Police have lodged an FIR against unidentified persons under charges of culpable homicide and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the incident. Police officials said that the names of the accused would be added during the course of the investigation. Meanwhile, sources said that one Lavkesh Bajaj is the owner of the hotel and was running it along with two other partners. Sources further claimed that Bajaj owns multiple hotels in the locality. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 3 June Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday underscored India’s commitment to deep- ening its partnership with Nepal, saying New Delhi looks forward to working closely with the country's new political leadership following his meeting with Rabi Lami- ‘India engaged with USA on Section 301 tariffs, bilateral trade talks’: New Delhi, 3 June The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed imposing additional duties on imports from 60 economies, including India, citing their failure to ban and adequately enforce restrictions on products made using forced labour. The USTR said it had determined that the acts, policies, and practices of 60 economies were “unreasonable” and burdened or restricted US commerce because they did not adequately prevent the import of goods produced with forced labour. It has proposed additional duties on all products from the investigated economies, subject to exclusions listed in its Federal Register notice. Economies that already have a forced labour import prohibition, have committed to one through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, or maintain a partial regime to block certain New Delhi: India remains engaged with the USA on the Section 301 proceedings announced by Washington and is also parallelly engaged with the country for finalisation of a framework agreement on bilateral trade as was announced on 2 February this year and in accordance with the joint statement released on 7 February, the Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday. The Commerce Ministry explained that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has concluded investigations against 60 economies, including India, regarding measures these economies have taken to prevent the import of goods. Page 9 goods made with forced labour would face an additional duty of 10 per cent. For all other economies, the proposed rate is 12.5 per cent. The proposal has been made under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, which authorises the US government to take action against foreign policies or practices that it considers unfair or harmful to American trade and commercial interests. According to the USTR, India is among the 54 economies that have failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour. The USTR stated that India had failed to impose and effectively enforce a forced labour import prohibition and concluded that the country’s acts, policies, and practices related to the absence of such a prohibition were “unreasonable” and burdened or restricted US commerce. Other countries listed include Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Kolkata, 3 June that the number could increase further in the coming days. Mr Banerjee announced the appointment of Javed Khan, Sabina Yasmin, Sandipan Saha and Shiuli Saha as Deputy Leaders, while Akheruzzaman was named Chief Whip. “We are beginning our journey as an Opposition party from today. We will play the role of a responsible Opposition. We will oppose the government whenever it makes mistakes, both inside and outside the Assembly. However, we will not oppose merely for the sake of opposition. We will support good initiatives as well,” Mr Banerjee said. On the question of leadership, Mr Banerjee clarified that the group continues to regard TMC chairperson and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as its principal guide. “We are currently a team of 58 MLAs, which will soon become 60. We have submitted the letters of support to the Speaker. We request Mamata Banerjee to remain our chief advisor. We will act as a constructive Opposition and will not facilitate the government through walkouts,” he said. Chief Whip Akheruzzaman reiterated that Mamata Banerjee remained the leader of the group. “There is no doubt about that. We are all TMC MLAs and nobody should have any confusion on this issue,” he said. PM Modi meets Nepal’s Rabi Lamichhane, reaffirms commitment to work closely with emerging leadership US proposes 12.5 pc import duty on 60 countries, including India, over forced labour gaps STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. “The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an uneven playing field,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a USTR statement. The USTR has also proposed a textile mechanism that would allow a specified volume of apparel and textile imports from certain economies to enter the United States at a reduced Section 301 tariff rate. The development comes at a time when India and the United States are moving closer to finalising their first Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). A US delegation led by Assistant US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch is visiting India from June 1 to 4 to continue discussions aimed at finalising a US–India trade agreement. chhane, chairman of Nepal's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Sharing details of the meeting on social media platform X, Mr Modi said he was pleased to meet Lamichhane and welcomed his desire to strengthen cooperation between the two neighbouring countries. “Delighted to meet the Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party of Nepal Mr. Rabi Lamichhane. I welcome and fully share his desire to work closely together for a shared and prosperous future,” Mr Modi said. Emphasising Nepal’s strategic importance in India's regional diplomacy, the Prime Minister reiterated that Kathmandu remains a key partner under New Delhi’s “Neighbourhood First” policy. “Nepal is a priority partner under our Neighbourhood First policy and we look forward to collaborating with the new government to elevate the special and multifaceted relationship between our two countries to greater heights,” he added. The meeting comes at a time when India and Nepal are seeking to expand cooperation across sectors including connectivity, energy, trade, infrastructure development and people-to-people ex- changes. The two countries share deep historical, cultural and economic ties, reinforced by an open border and longstanding civilisational links. Mr Lamichhane’s Rastriya Swatantra Party has emerged as a significant force in Nepal's evolving political landscape, gaining prominence on a platform of governance reforms and political accountability. Mr Modi’s remarks are being viewed as a signal of India's readiness to engage with Nepal’s emerging political actors while continuing to strengthen bilateral cooperation.