Saturday, August 9, 2025 | Vol. 68 No. 264 | 36 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 GAMES NATION EC accuses Rahul Gandhi of re-cycling old allegations of poll irregularities which were settled by SC Modi, Putin to deepen strategic partnership Cinema Celebrate Raksha Bandhan with these B’wood films P.27 Parthiv Patel feels skipper Shubman Gill responded to all challenges with his prolific run-scoring STANDSTILL | US President puts onus on India to first stop buying Russian oil. Only then the negotiations will resume No trade talks till we get it resolved: Trump Agencies WASHINGTON FPJ News Service MUMBAI India is pushing back against Washington’s decision to double tariffs on its exports, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up high-level diplomacy with Russia, Brazil, and China in an effort to shore up trade and strategic partnerships. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over phone and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening the IndiaRussia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. Putin briefed Modi on his country's ongoing conflict with Ukraine, with the prime minister reiterating India's consistent position for the peaceful resolution of the issue. The conversation between the two leaders came amid US President Donald Trump ratcheting up pressure on India over its purchase of Russian oil. In a post on X, Modi said, "Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him Rajnath US trip put off? Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has cancelled his planned trip to Washington sources say, Reuters reported. Other sites say the the trip has been postponed due to scheduling issues. Reuters reported that Rajnath Singh would have announced the purchase of six Boeing P8I reconnaissance aircraft and support systems for the Indian Navy during trip. for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine. We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year." It will be the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. 4Contd on | nation US President Donald Trump has ruled out trade negotiations with India until a dispute over tariffs is resolved, following his administration’s move to double duties on Indian imports. When asked by ANI at the Oval Office whether talks could resume despite the new 50% tariff, Trump replied, “No, not until we get it resolved.” Meanwhile a State Department official said on Thursday, India is a strategic partner with whom the US engages in a "full and frank" dialogue and President Donald Trump has been Like anything in foreign policy, you are not going to align 100 per cent of the time on everything. Tommy Pigott, US State Department commenting on Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming trip to China for the SCO summit very clear with New Delhi on his concerns over its purchase of Russian oil and trade imbalance with Washington. “What I can say in terms of India is that the President has been very clear in terms of the concerns he has regarding the trade imbalance, regarding the concerns he has when it comes to the purchase of Russian oil. You have seen him take action directly on that,” State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said at a press briefing on Thursday. 4Contd on | nation WE GOT INVOLVED DIRECTLY: RUBIO Agencies WASHINGTON The United States “got involved directly” when India and Pakistan went to war, and President Donald Trump was able to deliver peace between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has claimed. In an interview to EWTN’s The World Over on Thursday, Rubio said Trump was committed to peace and being the “president of peace.” “And so, we saw when India and Pakistan went to war, we got involved directly, and the president was able to deliver on that peace,” Rubio said. Since May 10, Trump has repeatedly asserted that he “helped settle” tensions between India and Pakistan, telling the two countries that America would do “a lot of trade” with them if they stopped the conflict. India, however, has consistently maintained that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries. 4Contd on | nation President of peace rump announced he will host Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House on Friday for a “Historic Peace Summit” and “official Peace Signing Ceremony.” As per Trump, this is the seventh conflict that he has solved. Trump said, “Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP.’” He praised both leaders as “courageous” for “doing the right thing.” According to officials, the US will gain leasing rights to develop the route named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity - linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan region via Armenia. T ‘Will turn challenges into opportunities’ FPJ News Service MUMBAI Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday struck a confident note, declaring that India will turn adversity into advantage in the wake of steep new tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Speaking at Business Today’s India@100 summit, Goyal said the tariffs might alter global trade routes, but they would not derail globalisation. “I do not see any de-globalisation,” he asserted. “I see countries restructuring their trade routes and partners. I am confident India’s exports this year will surpass last year’s record.” In 2024–25, India’s goods and services exports touched USD 825 billion. Goyal expressed op- timism that the 2025–26 figures would be even higher, stressing that “every challenge has been converted into an opportunity.” India is negotiating trade agreements with a wide array of partners, including the US, Oman, the European Union, Chile, Peru and New Zealand. “Many others want to start engaging with India,” he said, citing the nation’s demographic strength, vast domestic market. Responding to Trump’s “dead economy”jibe, Goyal reminded his audience that India is the world’s fastest-growing large economy, contributing 16% to global growth, with one of the lowest inflation rates among emerging markets and strong macroeconomic fundamentals. 4Contd on | nation ‘Vote chori’ rally in Bengaluru SC withdraws HC SALMAN ASSOCIATES IN judge strictures BISHNOI GANG SCOPE SC turns down PIL for AI safety audit Vinay Madhava Gowda FPJ News Service NEW DELHI BENGALURU NEW DELHI The dispute between the Karnataka Election Commission and the Karnataka Congress escalated on Friday, with the Commission asking the Congress to submit a signed declaration or oath for the allegations it has made. Earlier in the day, the Karnataka Congress held a massive rally, ‘Our Vote Our Right’ at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, protesting against what it called the Election Commission’s “Votechori” (vote theft). While senior leaders, including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, accused the Commission of colluding with the BJP in electoral malpractices, Leader of Opposition in Parliament Rahul Gandhi limited his speech to posing five questions to the Election Commission. In an unusual turn of events, the Supreme Court on Friday withdrew its earlier directions that had removed Justice Prashant Kumar of the Allahabad High Court from handling criminal cases until his retirement and make him sit in a Division Bench with a seasoned senior judge of the High Court. The recall came after Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai wrote to the bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, urging them to reconsider the strictures passed against the High Court judge. When the matter was taken up again on August 8, Justice Pardiwala told the court that they had received a letter from the CJI requesting reconsideration of paragraphs 25 and 26 of the August 4 order, the portions containing the roster-related directions. The bench clarified that its intention was never to cause embarrassment or cast asper- 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation Poonam Apraj And Kabir Singh Bhandari CJI’s intervention prompts SC to recall unprecedented order against Allahabad High Court judge sions on Justice Kumar, but rather to address what it viewed as a serious judicial error that risked undermining the dignity of the institution, as reported by Bar and Bench and Live Law Acknowledging that the Chief Justice is the “master of the roster,” the Supreme Court deleted the contentious paragraphs and left it to the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice to decide on any administrative action. However, the bench stood by its assessment of the High Court’s order, warning against the use of criminal proceedings to settle civil disputes and referring to similar concerns raised in the Rikhab Birani case. MUMBAI The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has escalated its threats following a second round of gunfire at comedian Kapil Sharma’s café, “Caps Café,” in Surrey, Canada. On Friday, the gang released an audio clip allegedly from Bishnoi’s close aide, Harry Boxer, claiming responsibility for the attack and linking it to Bollywood star Salman Khan’s appearance on the opening episode of Sharma’s Netflix show. The incident occurred on Thursday when assailants fired at least 25 rounds at the café. The gang asserts the attack was in direct retaliation for Kapil Sharma inviting Salman Khan to launch “The Great Indian Kapil Show” Season 2. In the menacing audio, Boxer warns: “Whoever works with Salman Khan will be finished by the Bishnoi gang — they will be killed.” He declared there would be no further warnings, stating that next time “bullets will be fired straight at the chest.” The message also vowed to unleash unprecedented chaos in Mumbai, specifically naming producers, directors, and actors as potential targets. “Anyone collaborating with Salman Khan will be responsible for their own death,” the voice threatened. 4Contd on | nation Online report The SC on Friday refused to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an independent probe into Air India’s safety practices, maintenance procedures, and operational protocols in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad plane crash that claimed 270 lives, the Bar and Bench and Live Law reported. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked the petitioner why he was singling out Air India. New I-T bill on August 11 PTI NEW DELHI Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday withdrew the Income Tax Bill, 2025, from the Lok Sabha. The government will now introduce an updated version of the legislation on August 11 after incorporating changes suggested by 4Contd on | nation the Select Committee. According to sources, the revised Bill will include most of the recommendations made by the panel. “To avoid confusion by multiple versions of the Bill and to provide a clear and updated version with all changes incorporated, the new version of the Income Tax Bill will be introduced for the consideration of the House on Monday,” the sources said. The Select Committee, chaired by Baijayant Panda, had examined the Bill after it was introduced in the Lok Sabha on February 13. The proposed law is meant to replace the six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961. Ravikiran Deshmukh The MML category, tagged alongside the IMFL variant, is expected to challenge molasses-based manufacturers within Maharashtra MUMBAI The Mahayuti government has cleared the decks for its new Maharashtra Made Liquor (MML) policy, designed exclusively for statebased players operating grain-based production units. The MML category, tagged alongside the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) variant, is expected to challenge molasses-based manufacturers within Maharashtra and rivals from other states. Currently, Maharashtra has 40 grain-based distilleries, but only 27 are operational. Thirteen have shut down for various reasons, many with direct or indirect investments from prominent state political figures. Operational units have long faced stiff competition from national and foreign liquor brands, hampering capacity utilisation. With the new policy, grain-based units are optimistic about a revival. Sources say a 180ml bottle of country liquor currently costs about `80, while an IMFL bottle of the same size costs around `220, following the recent state excise duty hike. An MML bottle is expected to retail for roughly Rs 150 per 180ml, thanks to preferential excise duty rates granted to grain-based units. 4Contd on | nation Agencies TEL AVIV 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Agencies CANADA tawa had issued a statement condemning the move. It said that this is a direct threat to India's sovereignty. The High Commission also called upon Canada to act against such el- ISRAEL SET TO TAKE OVER GAZA CITY ements. What is more ironic is that there is no word on this development from David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia. 4Contd on | nation ‘Khalistan embassy’ in Canada Pro-Khalistan elements in Canada have opened what they call 'Embassy of the Republic of Khalistan' in Surrey, British Columbia. The so-called embassy is located at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, once led by Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India. It was his murder that ignited diplomatic tensions. Canada has not yet reacted to this development. The Indian High Commission in Ot- 4Contd on | nation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Friday that Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to take over Gaza City, marking a significant escalation in Israel’s nearly two-year-long military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Asked if Israel, whose forces say they already hold about 75% of the coastal strip, would occupy all of it, Netanyahu told Fox News Channel on Thursday: “We intend to”. He said Israel did not want to keep the territory, but to establish a “security perimeter” and to hand over the territory to Arab forces to govern it. He did not elaborate on the governance arrangements or which Arab countries could be involved. The decision was taken during an extended meeting of the Security Cabinet that began on Thursday and continued through the night. offgrid Local favour in new Maha liquor policy “Why only Air India? What about others?” the court questioned, adding, “Don’t give the impression that you are playing with other airlines. This is not a time to run down an airline.” The petition was filed by advocates Narendra Kumar Goswami and Laxman Prasad Goswami. It sought the constitution of a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to examine Air India’s safety measures and submit a report within three months.