Friday, August 8, 2025 | Vol. 68 No. 263 | 32 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL HAPPY NARALI PURNIMA INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation GAMES NATION K’taka EC to Rahul Gandhi: Provide names of ineligible voters, along with a signed declaration Cinema Not pretty enough: Manasi Parekh’s struggle story Chris Woakes says he never considered not to bat on the final day of the fifth Test Edit Cycling to nowhere: BKC’s short-lived cycling track 56-INCH RESPONSE | As Trump unleashes 50% tariff, PM vows to be unyielding on core areas where the trade talks faltered – agriculture, dairy and fisheries Modi draws Lakshman Rekha GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR NEW DELHI A day after the US President announced a 50% tariff on Indian goods, PM Narendra Modi made India's stance on agriculture issues clear declaring that the welfare of the farmers remained India’s highest priority” and it will “never compromise on the interests of its farmers, livestock keepers, and fishermen”. Significantly, the trade talks with the US seem to have got stuck over agriculture issues. Addressing the MS Swaminathan Centenary Inter- national Conference here, Modi said he was also “fully aware that I may have to pay a very heavy price personally, but I am prepared for it. For the farmers of my country, for the fishermen of my country, for the livestock keepers of my country, Bharat stands ready today.” Without referring to tariffs, the Prime Minister said, “We are continuously working towards increasing farmers’ incomes, reducing their agricultural expenditure, and creating new sources of income.” And on the way forward, he stressed the need to “weave together science and so- Secondary curbs on China likely: Trump Agencies WASHINGTON US President Trump has indicated that China could face secondary sanctions or additional tariffs for buying Russian Oil. At a news conference in the White House on Wednesday the US President was asked if similar secondary sanction would apply to China given that the Chinese are the largest buyers of Russian Crude Oil. The President replied, "It may happen, I don't know, I can't tell you yet, we did it with India and we are doing it probably with a couple of others, one of them could be China." According to data by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CERA) for June 2025, China has bought 47% of Russia's crude exports, followed by India (38%), the EU (6%), and Turkiye (6%). 4Contd on | nation I am aware I may have to pay a very heavy price personally, but I am prepared for it. Narendra Modi Prime Minister ciety, place the interests of the small farmer at the heart of our efforts, and empower the women who work in the fields.” Describing eminent scientist Swaminathan as “a devoted son PM & LULA IN TARIFF TALKS B razilian President Lula spoke to PM Modi on Thursday for over an hour, urging coordinated action against new US tariffs at the upcoming BRICS summit. Exchanging views on key issues, Modi recalled his recent Brazil visit where they agreed to deepen ties in trade, defence and technology. They reaffirmed their commitment to boost bilateral relations. of Maa Bharati” who transformed science into a medium of public service and dedicated his life to ensuring the nation’s food security, Modi said he awakened a consciousness that will continue to shape the country’s policies and priorities for centuries to come. The PM also recalled his personal interactions with Dr. Swaminathan, both as chief minister of Gujarat and then as prime minister, and dwelt on how the scientist “launched a mission to make Bharat self-reliant in food production”. Beyond this, Modi said “he continuously raised awareness among farmers about the rising use of chemicals in farming and the risks of monoculture farming”. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation, world ‘US reasoning on China tariff not same as India’ ANI WASHINGTON White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro has said that the United States already has 50 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods, similar to India, but the reasoning behind them is starkly different, according to C-SPAN. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Navarro said the US wants to impose tariffs on China without hurting its own economy. "As the boss says, let's see what happens. Keep in mind that we have over 50 per cent tariffs on China already. We have over 50 per cent tariffs on China, so we don't want to get to a point where we actually hurt ourselves. And I think I've given a really good answer to that," Navarro said, as per C-SPAN. 4Contd on | nation Putin to SC throws out plea visit India of Justice Varma FPJ News Service NEW DELHI Agencies NEW DELHI National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, during his ongoing visit to Moscow, stated that the dates for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India are currently being worked out. Sources confirmed that no specific date or timeline has been indicated during Doval’s engagements. Contrary to some media reports suggesting a visit in late August, sources clarified that such claims are incorrect. In a video shared by Sputnik News, Doval said that India is “very excited and delighted” about the upcoming visit of President Putin. “I think that the dates are almost finalized now. The more important thing is that the summit meetings have always been a watershed point,” he remarked. Meanwhile, the 11th Session of the India-Russia Working Group on Modernization and Industrial Cooperation took place in New Delhi on Wednesday The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the plea filed by Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, challenging the report of an inhouse inquiry committee and the recommendation made by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna for his removal. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih held that the petition was not maintainable and that the in-house inquiry process was legally sound. The bench held that the inhouse inquiry process had legal backing, was not extraconstitutional, and did not violate Justice Varma’s rights. The Court found no flaw in the actions of the CJI or the inquiry committee, stating they had “scrupulously followed” the required procedures. It ruled that it was not mandatory to upload photos and videos of the incident, especially since Justice Varma had not objected to their omission at the time, as reported by Live Law and Bar and Bench The court also questioned the timing of Justice Varma’s petition, asking why he appeared before the inquiry committee if he believed the process was unconstitutional, and why he had not raised objections earlier. While dismissing the plea, the Court stated that Justice The Bench held that the in-house probe had legal backing and did not violate Justice Varma’s rights Varma could raise his contentions during any future impeachment proceedings. It also dismissed a separate petition by Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara seeking an FIR against Justice Varma, citing abuse of court process. The case stems from a fire incident that occurred on March 14 at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi, when he was serving as a judge of the Delhi HC. During the firefighting operation, personnel allegedly discovered a large amount of unaccounted cash. Justice Varma was not at home during the incident. A video later surfaced showing bundles of burning currency notes. 4Contd on | nation Character as unique as yours. 1 1 Portuguese Estate in Pomburpa, North Goa For Sale Plot size ≈ 18,525 sqm (≈ 4.5 acres) Includes a ≈ 500 sqm (≈ 595 sq. yds.) heritage villa To know more, contact: Robin Patil | +91 7972788584 robin.patil@sothebysrealty.in 26,100 Sales Associates | 1,100 Offices | 84 Countries & Territories India Sotheby's International Realty is tradename of Realpro Realty Solutions Pvt. Ltd. | No representations and warranties are made with respect to the completeness or accuracy of information concerning the property's size, amenities, facilities etc., which are published herein in good faith. The offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes, including price, or withdrawal without notice. 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