THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 131 | Thursday, March 6, 2025 | 29 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (Jan to June 2024) GAMES NATION Your mangalsutra remarks have come true, women forced to mortgage ornaments: Kharge to PM Briefs 2 ROPEWAYS FOR DEVOUT The government on Wednesday approved two ropeway projects in Uttarakhand -- Sonprayag to Kedarnath (12.9 km) and Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji (12.4 km) -- at a total cost of Rs 6,811 crore. The timeline for construction of these two ambitious projects is 4-6 years. Currently, the journey to the Hemkund Sahib Ji is a challenging 21-km uphill trek from Govindghat and is covered on foot or by ponies or palanquins. Likewise, the journey to the Kedarnath temple is a challenging 16-km uphill trek from Gaurikund. Catch to Ladki Bahen: Maharashtra Minister of Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare on Wednesday informed the state council that the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had not said that the government will give the enhanced monthly assistance of Rs 2,100 -- up from the present level of Rs 1,500 -to the beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana from the upcoming budget for 202526. ‘‘The election manifesto is for five years,” she said, alluding to the announcement in the manifesto. Gorhe no-trust move: The Opposition has given a notice to move a no-confidence motion against Maharashtra legislative council's deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab said on Wednesday. Last month, Gorhe had drawn sharp reactions from Sena (UBT) with her claim at a Marathi literary meet that posts in the undivided Shiv Sena, then headed by Uddhav Thackeray, were obtained through corrupt means, including gifting of Mercedes cars. AI suspends trainer: Air India announced on Wednesday that it has terminated the services of a trainer pilot over procedural lapses and grounded 10 pilots who trained under him, pending an investigation. The action follows whistleblower allegations that the trainer had failed to properly conduct recurrent simulator training for pilots. Cinema I feel intimate cinema is dying: Mahesh Bhatt India coach Gautam Gambhir feels team is still searching for that perfect game Edit A chaos called Donald Trump Azmi suspended for CHINA ‘READY FOR Aurangzeb remark TIT FOR TAT | China threatens America, says it will ‘fight to the end’ as Trump tariffs come into effect, and US threatens more ANY TYPE OF WAR’ FPJ News Service Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi has been suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly for the entire session after a controversy erupted over his remarks praising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The motion for suspension, moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil, was passed in the assembly on Wednesday. Azmi called the decision an injustice and questioned the India T-day on April 2 BEIJING In response to President Donald Trump’s fresh assertion on imposition of tariffs, China has said it is “ready” for “any type of war” with the US. The president, in his Tuesday night address to  Congress revealed that further tariffs would follow on April 2, including 'reciprocal tariffs' and non-tariff actions aimed at balancing out years of trade imbalances. The Chinese embassy in Washington defiantly shot back on X: "If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end." Prajakta Pol MUMBAI P The spokesperson seemed to be echoing the Chinese foreign ministry. China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian on Monday responded to the American tariff declaration saying, it could upend nearly $2.2trillion in annual trade. The whiplash response came after Trump declared America's top three trading partners had failed to do enough to stem the flow of the drug fentany and its precursor chemicals into the US. resident Donald Trump widened the ambit of his trade wars on Tuesday when he instituted sweeping tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China. Despite the markets’ plunging in response to his actions, Trump said he would not budge, dismissing the reaction as “a little disturbance.” He said more tariffs would go into effect on April 2. 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation Will be put in jail: CM SP MLA Azmi, suspended from the Maharashtra assembly over his Aurangzeb remarts, will be "100 per cent" put in jail, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the legislative council. ready SC nixes Trump’s bid to Ukraine is peace to discuss freeze $2bn foreign aid U Court to decide GST rate on donuts, cakes WASHINGTON The Bombay High Court will determine whether donuts and cakes should be taxed under restaurant services at 5% GST or classified as bakery products, which could attract an 18% levy. A bench of Justices B. P. Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla is hearing a plea by Mad Over Donuts (Himesh Foods) against a show-cause notice (SCN) issued by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI). The Court noted the DGGI’s assurance that no coercive recovery action would be taken against the petitioner while the case is pending. It also clarified that the petitioner could seek a stay if any FPJ NEWS SERVICE The Supreme Court has rejected President Trump’s emergency request to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid as part of his efforts to slash government spending. The Supreme Court voted 54 against the Trump adminis- tration’s effort, one of the court’s first responses which could impinge upon President Trump’s efforts to dramatically reshape the government. Aid programs around the world have ground to a halt due to the sweeping funding freeze and review of billions of dollars of assistance. It also comes as the Trump administration has either placed the majority of USAID’s workforce on leave or terminated their services. Vested interest groups have said the frozen funds have created cascading crises, threatening critical medical care around the world, leaving food rotting in warehouses, ruining S President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which the Ukrainian leader expressed willingness to come to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, had a phone call with US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation It is India v/s New Zealand US eyeing zero tariff on its cars FPJ News Service MUMBAI FPJ News Service New Zealand stormed into the 2025 Champions Trophy final with a commanding 50-run win over South Africa in the second semifinal at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday. Rachin Ravindra’s fifth ODI century—his second of the tournament—and Kane Williamson’s third successive ton against South Africa powered New Zealand to 362/6, the highest total in the competition's history. Despite David Miller’s unbeaten 100 off 67 balls, South Africa fell short at 312/9. Mitchell Santner (3-43) led New Zealand’s bowling attack, with Glenn Phillips (2-27) and Matt Henry (2-66) providing crucial breakthroughs. Chasing 363, South Africa started strong, with Ryan Rickleton finding the boundary early before falling to Matt Henry. Temba Bavuma (56 off 64) struggled but settled in, while Rassie van der Dussen (69 off 73) built a steady innings. MUMBAI Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa slammed Kejriwal’s "hypocrisy," reminding how AAP once vowed to end VIP culture. "Yesterday, his cavalcade had 32 cars, while 80 commandos guard him at Kapurthala House. Bhagwant Mann needs Vipassana more than anyone!" he mocked. India is resisting U.S. demands to eliminate import duties on automobiles under a proposed trade deal between the two nations; New Delhi is reluctant to immediately bring down such duties to zero even as it considers further cuts, sources told Reuters. The issue is expected to take center stage during talks led by Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who arrived in the U.S. this week to advance negotiations aimed at finalising a bilateral trade agreement by late 2025. India currently imposes tariffs as high as 110% on imported cars, a policy criticized by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump. Musk had previously halted plans to enter India’s market over the levies but has recently revived efforts to establish a presence there. Washington has pressed New Delhi to lower tariffs to negligible levels across nearly all sectors except agriculture, with automobiles emerging as a critical point of contention, according to the first source briefed on the discussions. 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation 80 commandos for Kejri’s 10-day retreat Rajesh Moudgil CHANDIGARH AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal faced sharp criticism from opposition leaders over his “lavish cavalcade” and “excessive security” during his visit to Punjab for a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat. Kejriwal and his wife Sunita arrived in Hoshiarpur’s Anandgarh village on Tuesday night to attend the Dhamma Dhaja Vipassana Centre’s residential course, which enforces complete silence among participants. However, what caught attention was his grand entry— with a reported 30-vehicle convoy, including bulletproof Land Cruisers, 80 commandos, and Punjab police personnel. Leader of Opposition and offgrid Robot-parking near Hutatma Chowk Shefali Parab-Pandit MUMBAI The BMC has kicked off the construction of a state-of-the-art multi-level robotic parking tower (MRPT) at Hutatma Chowk. The ceremonial groundbreaking for this automated parking system took place on Wednesday, with former BJP corporator Makarand Narwekar presiding over the event.  Once completed, the facility is expected to provide 194 parking slots and ease parking woes in one of Mumbai’s busiest areas, civic officials claim.   As part of its ambitious plan to address the city�s accelerating parking challenge, the BMC is moving forward with the construction of multiple parking facilities across key locations. These include the BMC’s engineering hub in Worli, near Mumbadevi temple in Kalbadevi, opposite Matunga Central Railway Station and at Hutatma Chowk, near the Bombay High Court. The total cost of these projects is estimated at �504.19 crore.  After facing strong opposition from local citizens, the proposal for a 23-storey-MRPT in front of Matunga station was recently scrapped. How- ever, the BMC has officially commenced work on the first underground MRPT in south Mumbai.  In the current plan, the MRPT at Hutatma Chowk will feature four underground levels, with construction costs amounting to �70 crore. The site boasts a 12—metre access road on the western side and a 7metre access road on the eastern side. Vehicles will enter from the eastern side and exit from the western side, ensuring smooth traffic flow. 4Contd on | Nation Urvi Mahajani MUMBAI recovery notice is issued. The DGGI has demanded nearly `100 crore in tax dues from Mad Over Donuts and other bakery chains, arguing that donuts should be taxed as bakery products rather than restaurant services. Petitioner’s counsel Abhishek Rastogi argued that the sale of food—whether consumed on-site or taken away— qualifies as a composite supply of services under the CGST Act. He cited GST notifications that place restaurant, canteen, and takeaway services under the 5% tax bracket, also referring to a government circular supporting the classification of takeaway food under restaurant services. 4Contd on | Nation government’s approach. “This is not just an injustice to me but also to the millions of people I represent. My suspension is the government’s dictatorship. My family and I are facing a threat to our lives. If democracy has ended in Maharashtra, the government can do anything to the people and their elected representatives.  ‘‘Are there two sets of laws in Maharashtra? One law for Abu Asim Azmi? A different law for Prashant Koratkar and Rahul Sholapurkar?” he asked. Azmi, who represents Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar, waded into controversy with his criticism of the portrayal of historical events in the movie Chhaava, which focusses on 4Contd on | Nation Mushrif quits as Guardian Minister FPJ Political Bureau MUMBAI After Raigad and Nashik, another district has become entangled in the ongoing tussle over the allocation of district guardian ministers among the three partners in the Mahayuti government. Senior NCP minister Hasan Mushrif has stepped down from his role as the guardian minister for Washim, a district in the Vidarbha region. Mushrif, who hails from Kolhapur, has requested his party leader, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, to reassign Washim to another minister from the party. 4Contd on | Nation