DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2025, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES SINCE 1932 MUNIR COMMENTS IN U.S. ROW OVER ‘FAKE’ VOTERS India hits back at Pak Army Chief: Nuclear sabre-rattling again EC says suspend, book 5 officials, but Bengal takes just 2 off poll duty State govt says initiating action before detailed probe maybe ‘harsh measure’ ATRI MITRA KOLKATA, AUGUST 11 DAYS AFTER the Election Commission of India (ECI) shot off a letter to the West Bengal government issuing directions to suspend five officials and file FIR against them over alleged fake voter lists, the state government on Monday wrote to the poll panel stating that two of them have been withdrawn from election-related duties. The state government, however, has neither issued suspension orders nor did it file an FIR against the officials, including twoWestBengalCivilServiceofficers,twoassistantelectoralregistration officers and a data entry operator, despite the ECI's directions. On the other hand, it contended that initiating proceedings before a detailed inquiry against the officials “may be a disproportionately harsh measure”. The ECI had on August 5 directed the suspension of the five officials in connection with al- Chief Secretary Manoj Pant wrote to EC on Monday leged fraudulent registration of 127 voters using forged documentsintheBaruipurPurbaand MoynaAssemblyconstituencies. In the letter to the ECI, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant wrote, “As a first step, the services of Shri SudiptaDas,PAAO,TamlukBlock and AERO, 206-Moyna AC and Shri Surojit Halder, the Data Entry Operator, 137 Baruipur Purba AC have been withdrawn from electoral revision and election related duties. Further actiontakenreportwillbesubmitted post completion of enquiry.” Defending the officials, the Chief Secretary said, “In light of the above, it is submitted that initiating proceedings before a detailed enquiry, against these officers who have consistently demonstrated sincerity and CONTINUEDONPAGE2 OPP PROTESTS AGAINST EC Opposition MPs led by Rahul Gandhi were stopped from marching to the EC’s office to protest against the Bihar electoral rolls revision, in New Delhi on Monday. Tashi Tobgyal THE IDEAS PAGE EDGE OF DISENFRANCHISEMENT BY RAHUL SHASTRI & YOGENDRA YADAV PAGE 9 KARNATAKA Minister quits over ‘Cong didn’t monitor voter list’ remark, says ‘conspiracy’ AKRAM M BENGALURU, AUGUST 11 TWO DAYS after he said that alleged irregularities in the voter listinBengaluru’sMahadevapura Assemblyconstituencyoccurred under the Congress’s watch and OPP PARTIES PUT UP UNITED FRONT PAGE 6 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY K N Rajanna made the remarks on August 9 thepartyshouldhavemonitored it, Karnataka Cooperation Pak military hand-in-glove with terror India committed groups... regrettable that remarks to make every made in friendly third country: MEA contribution to SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, AUGUST 11 RESPONDING TO Pakistan Army Chief FieldMarshalAsimMunir’s latestdiatribeagainstIndia,New Delhi on Monday said India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail and underlined that it would “take all steps necessary to safeguard our national security”. According to a PTI report, Munir reportedly made the nuclear threat during an address to thePakistanidiasporainFlorida’s Tampa on Saturday. “We are a nuclearnation.If wethinkweare going down, we’ll take half the world down with us,” media reportsquotedhimassaying.There Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir isnotextof thespeechoravideo to confirm these comments. “Our attention has been drawn to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff while on a visit to the UnitedStates.Nuclearsabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade. The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforcethewell-helddoubtsabout CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 end conflict: PM to Zelenskyy SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, AUGUST 11 THREE DAYS after he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and conveyed that India remains committed to makingeverypossiblecontribution in an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict. The telephone conversation between the two leaders came days ahead of the meeting CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Fresh tariff blow to diamond export hub Surat WEST BENGAL FAKE INTERPOL: PROBE REACHES KOLKATA WHERE FORMER TMC LEADER RAN SIMILAR OFFICE NOD TO BUILD DURGA ANGAN ON DIGHA DHAM LINE PAGES 3, 4 `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES, `20 IN ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM THE WORLD Industry seeks help of Govt, hopes US partners will bear part of burden TRUMP’S 50% TARIFF TENSION ON THE GROUND PART-3: DIAMONDS KAMAL SAIYED SURAT, AUGUST 11 DIAMOND COMPANIES in Surat were compelled to put on hold orders they had already started receiving for Christmas from American clients when US President Donald Trump announced the additional 25% tariff on India. It came as a jolt because Christmas is just five months away, and sales during this festive season account for nearly half the total sale during a yearintheinternationalmarkets. Experts anticipate that exportsofnon-industrialdiamonds — diamonds suitable for jewellery or investment — to the US wouldbehitbecauseof theextra tariffs.Indiaaccountedfor68%in volume and 42% in value ($5.79 billion) of the US’s total diamond importsin2024,asperdatafrom the Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). The second highest value of diamond imports into the US, 28% in value, was from Israel, on CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ISRAEL TARGETS, KILLS AL JAZEERA’S GAZA CORRESPONDENT, FOUR OTHERS PAGE 10 Kolkata