Thursday, September 4, 2025 | Vol. 68 No. 285 | 32 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation NATION Congress leader Pawan Khera’s wife also has two active voter ID cards, alleges BJP Azad Maidan: Day after the quota storm By noon on Wednesday, Azad Maidan had emptied. The protesters were gone, leaving behind only an overwhelming profusion of water bottles. Crows perched silently on the fences, watching as workers hauled them away. The stage built for Manoj Jarange Patil’s protest was being dismantled under the harsh sun, as humidity lay heavy in the air and sweat dripped down the workers’ faces.  Scattered all around were used bottles, while more than a lakh sealed water bottles still lay stacked, unopened. Only one gate stood open; the others were firmly locked. The vast ground, so recently consumed by the Maratha agitation, now returned to its familiar rhythm, hosting the handful of smaller demonstrations that take place here almost daily. Gone was the noise and roars, leaving early silence behind. 4Contd on | nation Edit Bihar’s election campaign is being shaped by its youth SUBCOMMITTEE BALM FOR OBCs Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI Cinema Kriti Sanon inspires change, carries mother’s legacy Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic set up epic US Open semifinal showdown BALANCING ACT | Bawankule named head of nine-member panel for meeting concerns of the Other Backward Class MUMBAI Vidhi Santosh Mehta GAMES In a clear signal that the Mahayuti government is keen to reassure its core vote bank, it announced on Wednesday the formation of a nine-member sub-committee on OBC issues. The panel will be headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and includes four BJP ministers, two from the NCP, and two from the Shiv Sena. The announcement comes soon after the government placated the Manoj Jarange Patil-led Maratha quota agitation — an indication that the ruling alliance wants to keep OBC concerns front and centre. Apart from Bawankule, the BJP will be represented by Atul Save, Pankaja Munde, and Ganesh Naik. Chhagan Bhujbal and Datta Bharne will represent the NCP, while Gulabrao Patil and Sanjay Rathod will represent the Shiv Sena. The BJP’s choices are significant — its four ministers represent the Teli, Mali, Vanjari, and Aagri communities, all with substantial voter bases. The inclusion of Sanjay Rathod, from the Banjara community with a strong presence in Yavatmal, Nanded, and Hingoli districts, underlines the BJP’s electoral calculations. According to the government resolution (GR), the subcommittee will expedite socio-economic and educational welfare measures for OBCs, monitor government Agencies NEW DELHI The GST Council on Wednesday approved a new two-slab tax structure, featuring rates of 5% and 18% and a special 40% sin tax. Ministers said the decision was taken unanimously at the 56th GST Council meeting, which concluded its first day of deliberations on Wednesday. Punjab Finance Minister schemes and state OBC corporation programmes, assess community representation in state services, and coordinate with the legal team handling OBC-related court cases. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | city, edit Bhujbal sulks, mulls legal fight Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI Chhagan Bhujbal, Maharashtra’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister and a key leader of the Other Backward Class (OBC), skipped the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday in protest against the government’s decision to extend Maratha reservation under the OBC category. Later in the evening, Bhujbal warned that he would challenge the Government Resolution (GR) in court after seeking legal advice. “There is ambiguity in the GR,” Bhujbal told reporters, stressing that OBC organisations had serious doubts about its validity. “We are seeking legal opinion on whether the government is authorised to change people’s caste. If experts advise us, we will move either the High Court or the Supreme Court.” Bhujbal appealed to OBC organisations staging protests in various districts to withdraw their agitation while he consults with leaders of other OBC groups. 4Contd on | nation 2-slab GST from Sept 22 MIFFED OVER MARATHA QUOTA GR, OBC MINISTER SKIPS CABINET MEET Trump aim at Delhi, again Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Now there are 5% and 18% slabs and a special slab. One slab has been removed. We also pressed for an increase in the compensation cess, but the Centre did not agree.” Bihar deputy CM Samrat Choudhary said all states were on board with the rate rationalisation, calling it a consensus-based decision. 4Continued on | P17 US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that India offered him a “no tariff” deal, even as he defended his decision to impose a 50% levy on Indian imports. Trump has said the US gets along with India “very well” but the relationship was “one-sided” for many years since New Delhi was charging Washington “tremendous tariffs”. “No, we get along with India very well,” Trump said in the White House on Tuesday in response to a question on whether Washington was considering taking away some of the tariffs imposed on Indian goods. 4Contd on | nation 40% slab for sin goods ■ No GST on roti, paratha, life- saving drugs, individual life insurance and health policies ■ 5% Hair oil, soaps, bicycles ■ 18% Auto parts, cement, TV sets, small cars, motorcycles up to 350 cc ■ 40% Pan masala, tobacco products, cigarettes; aerated drinks with added sugar Xi wags finger at ‘bullies’ Agencies BEIJING Agencies WASHINGTON ■ 5% and 18% rates; special President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is “unstoppable” as the PLA rolled out an unprecedented display of military might, including hypersonic weapons, laser systems, and long-range ballistic missiles. Addressing a massive parade on the 80th anniversary of China’s victory against Japanese aggression in World War II, Xi said “the Chinese nation is never intimidated by any bullies and always forges ahead,” in what was seen as a veiled swipe at President Trump’s tariff threats. 4Contd on | nation US spies gang-up in China Agencies WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump has accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of “conspiring against” America after Xi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at China’s largest-ever Victory Day military parade in Beijing on Wednesday. The event, held to mark 80 years since Japan’s surrender in World War Two, showcased China’s military might, China’s first major military parade since 2019, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic. 4Contd on | nation