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 LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Thursday, 04 June 2026 SPORTS INDIA SPECIAL FOCUS D K Shivakumar takes oath as Karnataka’s 25th Chief Minister The power of belonging Page 4 India to tour New Zealand for record 12-match all-format series NATION SC sets up panel to reassess Aravalli Hills definition Pages 10, 11 Page 12 Page 5 58 Trinamul MLAs back expelled 21 killed, 35 injured as fire engulfs Ritabrata Banerjee, gets LoP status hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 3 June I n 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 later, 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 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. 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. Mr Akheruzzaman reiterated that Miss 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. However, Mr Akheruzzaman alleged that the process of selecting the Leader of the Opposition had been flawed. According to him, although the dissident legislators had attended meetings at Kalighat on two occasions, their views were ignored. He also accused some leaders of forging signatures in the name of a resolution, calling the incident “shameful”. • Related reports: Page 3 US proposes 12.5 pc tariffs on 60 countries, including India, over forced labour gaps STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE 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 adequately enforce restrictions on products made using forced labour. The USTR said it had Indian national killed as Iranian strikes hit Kuwait airport: Kuwait City: An Indian national has been killed and at least 63 others injured after Iranian missiles and drones struck Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, in a significant escalation of hostilities across the Gulf region. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait confirmed the death and said it was coordinating with local authorities to support the victim's family. According to Kuwait’s Health Ministry, at least 63 people were injured, including airport staff and passengers. Kuwaiti authorities reported damage to airport infrastructure and nearby diplomatic facilities during the attack. Flight operations at Kuwait International Airport were temporarily suspended following the incident. Terminal 1 of the airport sustained severe damage, forcing a suspension of flight operations before services resumed from Terminal 4 after safety assessments were completed. 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. 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 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, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. In New Delhi, the Union commerce ministry said India remains engaged with the USA on the Section 301 proceedings announced by Washington, as also for finalisation of a framework agreement on bilateral trade . ATUL KRISHAN New Delhi, 3 June At 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. 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. The fire engulfed the entire hotel. The basement of the hotel was also locked and housed six rooms, where 35 persons were trapped,” said 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 DEADLY LAPSES: • Single Access Point: Hotel allegedly had a common entry and exit route, limiting evacuation options. • Over-capacity: 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 running without valid fire safety clearance. by the fire incident were rushed to various hospitals. Out of these, 21 people died, while 17 people were injured. The condition of nine 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. • No Dedicated Fire Exits: The building reportedly lacked designated emergency escape routes. run from the basement, a serious fire-safety violation. • • Kitchen in Basement: Cooking operations were being Sealed Windows: Several windows were found shut or sealed, restricting evacuation and ventilation. 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. Sources said that one Lavkesh Bajaj is the owner of the hotel and was running it along with two other partners.