Friday, May 2, 2025 | 29 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. 179 | 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 Poster war erupts in Patna over credit for caste census decision Briefs Waltz, deputy set to quit Us national security adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, will leave their positions in the Trump White House, sources say, with their departure expected Thursday. The White House did not immediately comment. Waltz faced scrutiny in March for mistakenly including The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg in a chat about military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on a Signal group chat. Goldberg later published details, including operational plans. Although Waltz admitted the report's authenticity, Trump expressed public support, calling him "a good man" who "learned a lesson." Maha day: PM hails progress On Maharashtra’s 66th foundation day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the state’s courage, history, and role in India’s growth. Home Minister Amit Shah lauded Maharashtra’s cultural and economic legacy, calling it the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called Maharashtra progressive and committed to making it a trillion-dollar economy. Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar highlighted the state’s allround development, with Pawar hailing Mumbai as India’s ‘growth engine’. Leaders united in wishing Maharashtra continued success and prosperity. Hasina’s son slams Dhaka Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has condemned the seizure of family assets in Bangladesh, calling it baseless and politically motivated. A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered the attachment of properties belonging to five family members, including Joy and his sister Saima Wazed. Joy alleged that this was done without proof, trial, or due process, under the “dictatorship” of interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. The seized assets include homes in Dhaka’s Baridhara and land in Khulna and Gopalganj. Joy accused the courts of violating the rule of law. Rohit’s wish The MCA has renamed Wankhede Stadium’s Divecha Pavilion as the 'Rohit Sharma Stand'. Rohit wished his parents would attend the stand’s inauguration. “ At the inaugartion, I hope they come and sit in it,” said Rohit . GAMES Cinema What were the stars upto at WAVES? Shreyas’ understanding of game situations now is better than ever before: Ricky Ponting Edit Parliament vs judiciary: The conflict of predominance ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT | PM hails wave of creativity, culture, content, stresses their transformative potential ‘Dawn of Orange Economy’ Prajakta Pol MUMBAI India’s creative economy is poised to become a major force in driving the country’s economic growth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he inaugurated the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre. Framing content, creativity, and culture as the foundational pillars of the “Orange Economy,” Modi emphasized the transformative potential of India’s media and entertainment industry on the global stage. Orange is a colour identified with creativity. Addressing a packed audience that included leading film personalities and content creators from across the country, the Prime Minister spoke at length about the growing influence of Indian content and the power of its creators to fuel an economic boom. He underlined that sectors such as film production, digital content, animation, gaming, fashion, and music are rapidly positioning India as a global hub for creative industries. PM Narendra Modi also pointed to the booming global animation market currently valued at over $430 billion and projected to double in the next decade as a major opportunity Marco Rubio pushes buttons for de-escalation FPJ News Service MUMBAI In calls to bring down temperatures in the region, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to both Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and the Pakistan Prime Minister Shebhaz Sharif. While it was not made clear what the sequence of the calls were or how long they lasted, brief read-outs were provided. Rubio apparently reaffirmed the United States commitment to co-operation with India against terrorism. There were no other details provided. Singificantly, the US statement said he “also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia.” Again there were no details provided. After the talks, Jaishankar put out a cryptic post on X streeing the Indian bottomline saying, “Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with US @SecRubio yesterday. Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice.” Where Pakistan is concerned, it seems Rubio told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls upon Paksitan to condemn terrorism, and work with India to de-escalate tensions while Jaishanker stresses bringing the perpetrators to justice Shehbaz Sharif of the “need to condemn the terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam.” The US statement spoke also of “holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.” Rubio also urged Pakistani officials’ to co-operate “in investigating this unconscionable attack. 4Contd on | Nation for Indian talent. He announced that new initiatives, including the introduction of WAVES Awards, will soon be launched to recognize and encourage excellence in the creative sector. The summit was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, MoS for I&B Dr. L. Murugan, and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, among others. The Prime Minister also noted the growing global appeal of Indian cinema. “Today, Indian films are being screened in over 100 countries. Audiences abroad not only watch them but also seek to understand them with many even watching with subtitles. This global embrace of Indian content reflects its rising cultural influence,” he said. 4Contd on | Nation Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar NEW DELHI The Minister of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday announced the launch of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025.The institute, conceived as the national hub for the animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality (AVGC-XR) sector, has already commenced work and has aligned with a few tech and media giants for collaborative efforts towards IICT, he said. The IICT is being established by As the nation grapples with the aftermath of the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah delivered a chilling warning to the perpetrators on Thursday, vowing retributive justice: “Revenge, one by one.” Speaking at an event in New Delhi honoring Bodo icon Upendranath Brahma, Shah’s voice resonated with steely resolve. “No one should think that by killing our 27 people, they have won this battle. I want to tell them—‘Ki har vyakti ko jawaab bhi milega aur jawaab liya bhi jaayega.’ Every person will get a response, and we will take that response as well. If someone, by carrying out a cowardly attack, thinks that this is their big victory, then understand one thing: This is the Narendra Modi government. No one will be spared.” Reaffirming the Modi government’s zero-tolerance stance, Shah declared, “We are determined to eradicate terrorism from every inch of In- dian soil.” He emphasized global solidarity in India’s fight, stating, “The world stands united with us. Every nation supports the 140 crore people of India in this battle.” Shah’s defiant proclamation comes amid heightened alert across Pakistan. Intelligence reports indicate the involvement of two Pakistani nationals, including a para commando, in the Pahalgam ambush. Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, SC throws out plea for probe into Pahalgam FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a public interest litigation seeking directions for a judicial commission to probe the Pahalgam Terror Attack, which left 26 people (mostly tourists) dead. While doing so, the Court berated the petitioners for filing an "irresponsible petition" despite the sensitivity of the situation, and underlined the"demoralizing" impact it Be responsible before filing such PIL. You have some duty towards the country also. This is the way you are trying to demoralise the forces in this hour of crisis and juncture? You are asking retired Supreme Court judge to investigate. Since when retired High Court, Supreme Court judges have become expert in investigation? – Supreme Court PTI The Enforcement Directorate director Rahul Navin on Thursday said that Directorate had a "commendable conviction" rate of 93.6 per cent as out of the 47 cases decided by courts till now, there have been only three acquittals. He added there were over 1700 cases in trial stage. Speaking at an event held here to mark the 'ED Day', the agency chief said he "acknowledges candidly" that several investigations initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were pending for a "very long time", and one their focus areas this year would be to undertake efforts to complete probe and file "final" chargesheets fast. The PMLA was enacted in 2003 and came into force on July 1, 2005, but, Navin said, it was "largely ineffective" in the could have on the security forces, Live Law reports. "Be responsible before filing such PIL. You have some duty towards the country also. This is the way you are trying ED filed 333 chargesheets, taking the total cases under various stages of trial to 1,739 as on March 2025. initial years with less than 200 cases recorded per year and that too mostly "restricted" to drug-related offences. He said the total "criminal" property attached by the ED was worth only Rs 5,171 crore till March 2014, with the first chargesheet filed only in 2012. “After 2014, however, there has been a significant step-up in enforcement activity. From 2014 to 2024, 5,113 new PMLA investigations were initiated, averaging more than 500 cases per year,” Navin said. to demoralize the forces in this hour of crisis and juncture? You are asking retired Supreme Court judge to investigate. Since when retired High Court, Supreme Court Critical minerals are essential for industries such as defence, high-tech appliances, aerospace and green energy. Ukraine has deposits of 22 of the 34 minerals identified by the EU as critical, according to Ukrainian data. ferent but similar agreement was nearly signed before being derailed in a tense Oval Office meeting involving President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 4Contd on | Nation US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko sign the minerals deal in Washington – AFP Reinforcing its uncompromising stance on unauthorised construction, the Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking regularisation of an illegal structure in Kolkata, declaring unequivocally that such violations must be met with demolition, not clemency reported Live Law . In a strongly worded judgment, the bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan upheld the Calcutta High Court’s directive ordering the demolition of the unlawfully constructed building. The Court made clear that once illegality is established, there can be no second chances, and no scope for FPJ News Service MUMBAI 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation 4Contd on | Nation must go: SC diktat FPJ News Service At `2.37L cr, record high for GST collections post-facto regularisation. “The law ought not to come to the rescue of those who flout its rigours,” the Court observed. “If the law were to protect those who disregard it, it would erode the very deterrent force upon which a just and orderly society rests.” Rejecting the petitioner’s counsel’s request to allow her client a single opportunity to seek regularisation, the Court was unsparing: “A person who shows no regard for the law cannot be permitted to seek its protection after constructing two unauthorised floors. This touches the core of the rule of law. Unauthorised construction must be demolished. There is no way around it.” judges have become expert in investigation? Tell us, since when we have required this expertise of investigation? 4Contd on | Nation Agencies they called the United StatesUkraine Reinvestment Fund, reports Associated Press. The announcement comes at a critical moment in the three-year war as Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with both sides. The signing comes two months after a dif- 4Contd on | Nation India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections surged to an all-time high of ₹2.37 lakh crore in April 2025, marking a 12.6% year-on-year increase. This robust rise reflects buoyant economic activity and year-end reconciliation by businesses for transactions conducted in March. The previous high was ₹2.10 lakh crore in April 2024, while March 2025 collections stood at ₹1.96 lakh crore. According to data released by the Finance Ministry on Thursday, GST revenue from domestic transactions rose 10.7% to approximately ₹1.90 lakh crore. Revenue from imported goods saw a sharper jump of 20.8%, reaching ₹46,913 crore. Refund issuance also spiked 48.3% year-on-year to ₹27,341 crore in April. After adjusting for refunds, net GST collections rose 9.1% to over ₹2.09 lakh crore. M.S. Mani, Partner at Deloitte India, said the strong net collections signal healthy economic performance in March 2025, since the April mop-up largely reflects tax paid on March transactions. “GST collections this month have been uniformly strong across all major producing and consuming states, with growth ranging between 11% and 16%, unlike previous months where some large states lagged,” he noted. Breaking down the domestic GST collections, the Central GST (CGST) amounted to ₹48,634 crore, while the State GST (SGST) stood at ₹59,372 crore. The Integrated GST (IGST) contributed ₹69,504 crore, and the cess collected from domestic transactions totalled ₹12,293 crore. ED claims 93.6% conviction rate Illegal buildings NEW DELHI the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in strategic collaboration with FICCI and CII, as a National Centre of Excellence on the lines of IIT and IIM. The institute aims to transform the creative economy by nurturing talent, accelerating innovation, and promoting global standards in the AVGC-XR space."IICT will serve as a catalyst for the entertainment industry, facilitating its global expansion. Prime Minister Modi ji has allocated Rs 400 crore for IICT, and the Government of Maharashtra has provided the land. stoked tensions further on Wednesday, alleging that India might launch a military reprisal within “24 to 36 hours.” Adding fuel to the fire, former Army Chief General Shankar Roy Chowdhury suggested that Hafiz Saeed— founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and ideological mentor of The Resistance Front, the group that claimed responsibility— could be a prime target. Reports indicate that Saeed’s security has been intensified. Though officially under house arrest in Lahore for terror financing, sources suggest he may have been relocated to evade a potential strike. CHUN CHUN KAR JAWAB MILEGA AUR JAWAB BHI LIYA JAAYEGA – Amit Shah US gets access to Ukraine’s rare minerals The U.S. and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement granting America access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, finalizing a deal months in the making that could enable continued military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump might scale back support in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia. The two sides offered only the barest details about the structure of the deal, which FPJ News Service MUMBAI AMIT SHAH VOWS STRONG RETRIBUTION MUMBAI WASHINGTON Institute of creative tech set up in City