Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | 30 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Vol. 68 No. 159 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) NATION Punjab Police arrest 2 for grenade blast at BJP leader’s house, say ISI behind attack GAMES RED LINES | SC lays down strict timelines for governor’s action on bills; court dubs RN Ravi inaction in stalling ten bills passed by the state legislature as “illegal and arbitrary” SC SLAMS TN GUV N .Chithra CHENNAI In a landmark verdict that could redefine Centre-State relations, the Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi for stalling ten bills passed by the state legislature. Calling his actions “illegal and arbitrary,” the court laid out strict timelines for Governors to act on state legislation — a first in Indian constitutional history. Delivered by Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, the judgment reaffirms the primacy of democratically elected legislatures and clips the wings Musk clashes with Trump over tariffs I n a rare and very public rupture between two powerful allies, tech billionaire Elon Musk made direct but unsuccessful appeals to U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend to reverse sweeping new import tariffs, The Washington Post reported Monday. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who also heads the recently established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), warned that Trump's protectionist push—starting with a blanket 10% tariff on all imports and steeper duties on select countries—would wreak economic havoc. His overture fell on deaf ears. This marks the most visible disagreement yet between Musk and Trump, once aligned on deregulation and fiscal discipline. of Governors acting beyond constitutional limits. This is the first time the apex court has set a structured framework to curb the misuse of Article 200 — a provision often used by Governors to delay or deny assent to bills. The court was blunt: a Governor cannot serve as a “roadblock or chokehold” on the legislative will of the people. “The action of the Governor in reserving the 10 bills for the President is hereby set aside,” the bench declared. “The said bills shall be deemed to have received assent from the date they were re-presented to the Governor.” Exercising its extraordinary powers under Article 142, the court effectively revived laws that had been languishing in constitutional limbo. Chief Minister M K Stalin welcomed the ruling, calling it “historic” and a victory for all state governments. “The Supreme Court has deemed the bills to have received assent. This is a win for democracy,” Stalin told the Assembly shortly after the verdict was delivered. FPJ News Service US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signalled he is waiting to hear from China even as his administration confirmed that a sweeping 104% tariff on all Chinese imports will take effect at midnight, April 8. The move marks the sharpest escalation in US-China trade tensions since the previous tariff war. “We are waiting for their call. It will happen!” Trump posted on social media, expressing optimism about a possible resolution — even as Beijing showed no sign of backing down. Trump has already implemented a 10% tariff on all goods entering the US, with targeted duties of up to 50% set to hit many trading partners. The 104% tariff on Chinese imports comes after Beijing announced retaliatory duties of 34%, prompting Trump to accuse China of “unjustified” trade practices and threaten an additional 50% tariff hike. But other administration officials have downplayed any rush to resume negotiations with Beijing. China, for its part, has labelled Washington's approach as “blackmail” and vowed to “fight to the end.” On Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Commerce called Trump’s tariff threats “a mistake layered upon another mistake,” warning of strong countermeasures if the US continues on its “dan- Edit Are Pawar, Thackeray unsure of tackling the Waqf law issue? $ 998/day fine on deportees who stay put FPJ News Service MUMBAI gerous trajectory.” Asian markets showed cautious signs of recovery after a volatile trading session, while prominent investor and Trump ally Bill Ackman urged both sides to step back from the brink, citing growing market instability and investor unease. The Trump administration is planning to fine undocumented migrants up to $998 a day if they remain in the U.S. after receiving a deportation order, Reuters reported, citing internal documents. These penalties could be applied retroactively for up to five years, potentially saddling some migrants with more than $1 million in fines. The move targets around 1.4 million migrants who have been ordered deported by immigration judges but have not yet left the country. A senior official told Reuters that the administration is also weighing property seizures for those who cannot or do not pay—homes, vehicles, and other assets could be confiscated, with the Department of Justice’s civil asset forfeiture unit potentially overseeing the process. These harsh measures are based on a 1996 law first enforced during Trump’s first term in 2018. According to Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, migrants must now use the rebranded CBP Home mobile app to “self-deport.” Failure to comply will trigger daily fines. “If they don’t, they will face the consequences,” McLaughlin said. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 104% sets in as Trump waits WASHINGTON Cinema Ajay Devgn talks struggles of post-pandemic releases PBKs opener Priyansh smashed his maiden IPL century while playing against CSK Excuse me! Smack Narendra Gupta THANE In a bizarre incident, two women, one of them carrying a baby in her arms, were badly beaten up by men and women in Dombivli on Monday night just because they said “excuse me” in English. A video of the assault went viral provoking outrage in the social media. The 2 women, Geeta Chauhan and Poonam Gupta, were on a two-wheeler with the latter riding pillion along with a ninemonth-old child. When they tried to enter their building, Ganesh Shraddha in Vishnunagar, Dombivli (W), at 9.45 pm, they found the gate being blocked by their neighbours -- Anil Pawar (40), Babasaheb Dabhale (41) and Ritesh Dabhale (22). Chauhan muttered an "excuse me" to them with an explicit request to clear the entrance. The use of English infuriated the trio: they dragged the women and the child from the scooter and started beating Elphinstone to close for 2 yrs them up with sticks. A few women too joined the melee. The entire incident was caught on video by a bystander who uploaded it on social media. The two women are from north India. 4Contd on | nation Tailpiece Godhra minors get sentenced after 23 years M Kamal Mishra MUMBAI The Elphinstone Bridge, a vital link in Mumbai’s road network, is set to be closed for two years starting April 10, 2025, as per a draft notification issued by the Mumbai Traffic Police on April 8. The closure comes in light of the planned demolition of the existing bridge and the construction of a new Elphinstone Flyover, along with the Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector Flyover. The Elphinstone Bridge has long served as a crucial eastwest connector, and its tem- porary closure will impact thousands of daily commuters. The traffic department is expected to release detailed diversion plans and alternative route suggestions in the coming weeks. "The project aims at maximising the city’s traffic infrastructure and creating a more efficient transportation network. However, the temporary closure is expected to cause significant disruption and lead to congestion in the surrounding areas" stated the draft notification issued by traffic police. 4Contd on | nation ore than 23 years after the 2002 Godhra train burning, a Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district on Tuesday sentenced three individuals—minors at the time of the crime—to three years in a remand home. JJB chairman KS Modi, delivering the order at Godhra, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of the nowadult convicts. Two other accused, also juveniles during the incident, were acquitted by the board. The JJB has suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow the convicts to file an appeal in a higher court, their lawyer Salman Charkha confirmed. On 27 February 2002, 59 kar sevaks (volunteers for a religious cause) returning from Ayodhya were killed when the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was set ablaze by a mob near Godhra station. 4Contd on | nation Briefs Govt caveat on Waqf Bill A clutch of petitions challenging the Waqf Amendment bill -passed by Parliament last week -- will be heard by the Supreme Court on April 16. The government, however, has filed a caveat in the top court, in which it said no orders should be passed without hearing its perspective. Normal monsoon Leading private weather forecaster Skymet expects the country to have a normal monsoon during the upcoming season (June to September 2025) at 103 per cent of the long-period average (LPA), with an error margin of +/-5 per cent. In terms of geographical spread, Skymet expects sufficiently good rains over West and South India. Core monsoon rain-fed zone of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will receive adequate rainfall. Excess rainfall is likely all along the Western Ghats, more so over Kerala, coastal Karnataka and Goa. The North-East region and hills of North India may receive less than normal rainfall. The good news is that La Nina is fading out and the trend will work towards a better monsoon. DISHA SALIAN DEATH CASE HC slaps suo motu contempt on lawyer Urvi Mahajani MUMBAI The Bombay High Court on Tuesday initiated suo motu (on its own) contempt proceedings against advocate Nilesh Ojha for his “scandalous and defamatory” remarks against a sitting HC judge during a press conference related to the Disha Salian death case. A special five-judge bench comprising, Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justices A.S. Chandurkar, M.S. Sonak, Ravindra Ghuge and Ajey Gadkari, noted that the lawyer’s statements in the conference held on April 1 were “ex-facie contemptuous.” The bench directed YouTube and a Marathi news channel to “forthwith” remove the video of the press conference and all related material. Disha Salian’s father, Satish Salian, had approached the HC last month through Ojha, seeking a fresh probe into the mysterious circumstances under which his daughter was found dead. Disha, manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020, after falling off the 14th floor of a residential building in suburban Malad. On Tuesday, the larger bench remarked that Ojha’s comments during the press conference against the sitting 4Contd on | nation TMC Torn: English, Egos, Explosions Ensue Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar/Aritra Singha NEW DELHI/KOLKATA In the grand Indian political amphitheatre, Bengal has surpassed its counterparts. But even by Trinamool Congress’s benchmark, last week's WhatsApp-fuelled internal brawl smacked less of House of Cards and more of Bigg Boss: Lok Sabha Edition. It all began—where else—but on WhatsApp, the new war room for India’s political elite. Somewhere be- "Just because the woman MP speaks fluent English doesn't mean she can insult anybody," fumes Kalyan Banerjee tween discussing election strategy and forwarding good morning messages with floating lotuses and raging suns, senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee allegedly went full throttle on colleague Mahua Moitra. The provocation? A tiff over a signature sheet, political etiquette, and apparently... fluency in English. Banerjee, known for wielding his tongue like a medieval mace, accused Moitra of trying to have him arrested at the Election Commission. His crime: He had the audacity to question her. Her crime: Daring to be articulate! "Just because she sounds like the BBC doesn’t mean she can treat me like the help!" he fumed, possibly as he chewed a thesaurus. 4Contd on | nation POWER PLAY: TMC’S UNITY UNRAVELS Bhagwat: All By invitation Sayantan Ghosh T he All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), West Bengal’s ruling party, is unraveling at a perilous moment. A recent public spat among its MPs—Kalyan Baner- jee targeting Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and Saugata Roy—has laid bare deep-seated divisions. The clash, which erupted at the Election Commission office and spilled into a party WhatsApp group, is now before Mamata Banerjee. With the Bengal Assembly election less than a year away, this in- fighting could not have come at a worse time for a party already battered by controversies like the teachers’ recruitment scam. The TMC is increasingly a house divided, driven by unchecked personal ambitions from booth workers to MPs. Once, Mamata Banerjee’s iron grip kept the party in line. Leaders like Subrata Bakshi, Mukul Roy, and Partha Chatterjee wielded influence but never challenged her supremacy. That unity has frayed. Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata’s nephew and a rising power center, has shifted the dynamic. rabad, meanwhile, stood out as India’s most mindful metro. Someone give those riders a medal — and make sure they don’t forget where they put it. The data dives deeper: Saturdays are peak forgetfulness days (perhaps too much Friday night spirit?), and red items top the charts in vanishing acts — followed by blue and yellow. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Mumbai, most forgettable, tops amnesia index Kamal Mishra Mumbai has finally clinched a title Delhi might actually be happy to give up — that of India’s Most Forgetful City. According to Uber’s 9th annual Lost and Found Index, the city of dreams has become the city of “Oops, where’s my phone?” Delhi, after a two-year reign at the top, has graciously fumbled its crown (probably left it in the backseat) and slipped to second place. The index, Uber’s annual roundup of all things left behind in cabs — from wallets and phones to 25 kilos of cow ghee — reads like the lost property version of Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Among this year’s star entries: a wedding saree, a gold biscuit, and someone’s cooking stove. Presumably, the honeymoon and dinner plans were both re- Uber’s 9th Lost and Found Index shows India’s maximum city is now also its most forgetful one scheduled. Pune leapt into the bronze spot, proving it can forget with the best of them, while Bangalore and Kolkata rounded off the top five. Hyde- Biswajeet Banerjee LAKHIMPUR KHERI Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday underscored the unity of India’s diverse communities, stating that despite differences in language, region, and religion, every citizen shares one identity — the devotion to Bharat Mata (Mother India). Addressing a gathering at Kabirdham in Mustafabad, Lakhimpur Kheri, Dr. Bhagwat said, “Our languages may differ, our regions and faiths may vary, but we all have only one mother, and that is Bharat Mata. We must always uphold our devotion to her.” The RSS chief was in Mustafabad to attend the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Asang Dev Bhakt Bhavan and a Satsang Sammelan. offgrid MUMBAI devoted to one mother