Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | Vol. 68 No. 295 | 34 Pages THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation INTERIM ORDER | No action on entire legislation as that could be done only in rarest of rare cases SC STAYS PARTS OF WAQF LAW Agencies NEW DELHI The Supreme Court, on Monday, in an interim order by a bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih, stayed certain provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 and declined to interfere with others. The Court said it would not stay the entire law, noting that legislation can be stayed only in the rarest of rare cases. It held that while the whole Amendment Act was under challenge, the case made out was only against specific provisions. The prayer to stay the entire Act was rejected. The Court stayed the condition in Section 3(1)(r) that a INDIA, US TO HOLD TRADE TALKS TODAY person must be a practitioner of Islam for at least five years to create a waqf, until State Governments frame rules that provide a mechanism to determine whether someone has practised Islam for five years or more. The Court said that without such a mechanism, the provision could lead to the arbitrary exercise of power. It added that the fiveyear practice condition is not per se arbitrary and is intended Agencies US Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch was scheduled to land in India on Monday for talks on a bilateral trade agreement with his Indian counterpart Rajesh Agrawal, a special secretary in the commerce ministry. The meeting will be held on Tuesday in New Delhi. Officials said the talks will be limited to trade-related issues and will serve as a precursor to the sixth round of negotiations on the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement. Five rounds have already been held, but the sixth round, scheduled for August 25-29, was postponed after the US imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods. India and the US began negotiations in March this year for a just and mutually beneficial trade agreement, aiming to complete the first stage by October-November 2025. However, differences remain over Washington’s demand to open India’s farm and dairy sectors, which New Delhi considers politically and socially sensitive. The US has been pushing genetically modified crops and dairy products, but India has refused to yield ground. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation SUPREME DIRECTIONS ■ The provision in Section 3(1)(r), requiring that only a person practising Islam for at least five years can create a waqf, has been put on hold. ■ The stay will remain until state governments frame rules to determine how such a practice will be verified. ■ The Court partly stayed provisions relating to waqf property inquiries, holding that a property cannot be treated as non-waqf solely on the designated officer’s report. under Section 83, subject to appeals before the High Court. ■ However, during such proceedings, no third-party rights can be created in respect of those properties. ■ The Court capped non-Muslim representation in state waqf boards and the Central Waqf Council: ■ In the 22-member Central Waqf Council, a maximum of four can be non-Muslims. ■ Revenue and board records will not be altered based only on such reports. ■ In the 11-member state waqf boards, a maximum of three can be non-Muslims. ■ Waqfs will not be dispossessed of their properties, nor will entries in official records be changed, until the title dispute is finally decided by the Waqf Tribunal ■ On the issue of the CEO of the Waqf Board, the Court directed that, as far as possible, the CEO should be appointed from the Muslim community. Ola, Uber, Rapido bike services roll out today Kamal Mishra MUMBAI NEW DELHI to prevent misuse, including possible conversions only to claim protection under the Waqf Act. As reported by Bar & Bench and Live Law. The Court also stayed provisions linked to de-recognising waqf land during disputes with the Government over alleged encroachment. It stayed the proviso to Section 3C(2), Section 3C(3), and Section 3C(4). The Court held that permitting a designated officer, such as the Collector, to determine rights in property is against the doctrine of separation of powers, as the Executive cannot decide citizens’ rights. Ola, Uber, Rapido bike services will start on Tuesday following the green signal to app-based ride-hailing majors Ola, Uber, and Rapido to operate bike taxi services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This approval, granted by the State Transport Authority (STA) of Maharashtra, has been given under the newly notified Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025. It is seen as a landmark step towards formalising and regulating the bike taxi sector in the state. According to transport department officials, ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Ola), Uber India Systems Pvt. Ltd. (Uber), and Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd. (Rapido) have been issued provisional licences following an STA meeting held last month. These licences are conditional, with the companies required to apply for permanent licences within a month and adhere to all the stipulations laid out in the new rules. Of the four applications submitted over the last two months, only three were The base fare has been fixed at `15 for the first 1.5 km, with `10.27 charged for every additional kilometre cleared. The fourth applicant, Smart-Ride, was rejected for failing to meet eligibility norms and operational requirements. The Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025, were brought in through a government resolution earlier this year to provide a legal framework for the growing bike taxi ecosystem, set safety standards, and offer a regulated, economical transport option to commuters in congested urban areas. In the same meeting, the STA also approved minimum fares for bike taxis. The base fare has been fixed at �15 for the first 1.5 km, with �10.27 charged for every additional kilometre. The fare structure has been determined using the Khatua Committee formula, which is also applied to autorickshaw and taxi tariffs. 4Contd on | nation Abrupt halt In the second such incident in less than a month, a monorail train came to an abrupt halt on the tracks due to a “technical snag” in the Wadala area of Mumbai on Monday morning. All 17 passengers on board were rescued and no injuries were reported. PIC: VIJAY GOHIL REPORT ON CITY FPJ News Service NEW DELHI The SC on Monday said it would intervene if it found illegality, as it put off the hearing on pleas against EC’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar voters’ list to October 7. The petitioners had sought an earlier hearing before October 1, when the final voters’ list was due for publication. However, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi declined, saying the Court will close for the Dussehra break on September 28. The court assured petitioners that publication of the final voters’ list would not affect the adjudication. “What difference will it make to us? If we Dheeraj Kumar PATNA Giving his guarantee that action would be taken against all infiltrators, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and other opposition leaders of raising slogans and taking out yatras ‘shamelessly’ to protect foreign infiltrators. Without taking names of Rahul and other opposition leaders, Modi while addressing a public rally in Purnea, a major town in the Muslim-dominated region of Seemanchal, contended that people of Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam were concerned about the safety of their sisters and daughters and sisters due to infiltration. Haridev Pushparaj MUMBAI The controversy over the IndiaPakistan face-off on Sunday in Dubai ended in a win but the controversy simply refuses to die down and in fact may extend to other cricketing faceoffs with Pakistan depending on how the matches unfold. On Monday the refusal to shake hands with the opposing team, a sporting courtesy, snowballed after a wicket fell in Pakistan, that of a sports administrator. Pakistan also lodged a formal complaint. More significantly, comments by former India cricketer Suresh Raina to a news outlet where he made explos- are satisfied there is some illegality, we can intervene,” Justice Kant said. This was in response to submissions by Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for ADR, who alleged that the ECI was not following its own rules and was not uploading objections received, Bar & Bench and Live Law reported. 4Contd on | nation What difference will it make to us? If we are satisfied there is some illegality, we can intervene. Supreme Court Azharuddin shook hands with Pak captain Wasim Akram at the toss during the Old Trafford match at the height of the 1999 Kargil war. FPJ News Service MUMBAI wor Khanal as Finance Minister; Kulman Ghising as Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development; and Om Prakash Aryal as Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | city INTERIM CABINET IN KATHMANDU  Nepal’s first female PM, Sushila Karki, has appointed three ministers to her interim cabinet, two days after assuming office in the wake of protests that ousted KP Sharma Oli. On Monday, President Ram Chandra Poudel administered the oath of office to Ramesh- Rain pounds Mumbai; 4 die in Maha Heavy overnight rain left Mumbai waterlogged on Monday morning, with several areas receiving over 200 mm rainfall. Bandra recorded 227 mm, while CSMT saw 205 mm. The Santacruz observatory reported seasonal rainfall at 120% of the average, while Colaba stood at 101%. Waterlogging led to traffic snarls and disrupted local train services during peak hours. Four people have died in rain-related incidents since Sunday in the Marathwada region. Helicopters were deployed to evacuate over 50 people at Beed district’s Ashti-Pathardi taluka and Kadegaon. Authorities have warned of more rain and urged caution. 4Contd on | nation Agencies 4Contd on | nation Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India ive revelations that none of the Indian players were keen on playing in the Asia Cup but were compelled due to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s decision opened a fresh can of worms with the internet going into a frenzy. KATHMANDU “There is not only danger to the dignity of Bihar but also to the identity of Bihar due to infiltration. Infiltration is posing danger to demography in Seemanchal region and eastern part of the country. It is the reason I had announced the Demography Mission from the Red Fort. But for vote bank politics, RJD, Congress and its ecosystem are busy advocating for infiltrators, saving them and shamelessly raising slogans and taking out yatras for protecting foreign infiltrators. These people want to put both the resources and security of Bihar and also of the country at stake,” he remarked. From the land of Purnea, I want them (opposition) to listen to me with open ears: whoever is the infiltrator has to go out, our government is firm on driving out infiltrators. However much you (opposition) try, infiltrators have to leave the country. Sindoor shadow queers pitch ‘Will act if illegality is found’ BIHAR SIR ‘Infiltrators will have to go out’ offgrid One funeral leads to ten deaths, one after another Time for being soft is over, says Trump Manish Godha JAIPUR In Rajasthan, a devastating chain of events has claimed ten lives in just seven days, leaving two villages in shock and grief. It all began last Monday when 75-year-old Gopal Vaishnav of Phuliya Kalan, Bhilwara, passed away. As per custom, his son Ashok, along with six other family members, travelled to Haridwar to immerse his ashes on Friday. After completing the rituals, they began their journey back on Saturday night. At around 4 AM on Sunday, tragedy struck. Their car, driven by Ramraj Vaishnav, lost control on Jaipur’s Ring Road. Police believe the driver may have dozed off while speeding. The vehicle hit the divider, slipped through a 20foot gap, and plunged 16 feet into a water-filled underpass. The seven passengers – Ashok (47), his wife Seema (45), their son Rohit (23), grandson Gajraj (6), Ramraj (38), his wife Madhu (36), and infant son While not everyone believes in astrology, the eerie sequence of back to back deaths in Pitru Paksh has left two Rajasthan villages shaken Rudra – were trapped inside and drowned. The bodies were recovered around noon, hours after the accident, and brought to Phuliya Kalan on Monday morning. Villagers gathered in large numbers to pay their respects as four generations of the Vaishnav family were cremated together. “In one week, we lost our elder, his son, grandson, and greatgrandson. There is nothing left now,” said Pankaj Vaish- nav, the lone surviving son of Ashok. But their misfortune was far from over. After the cremation, many villagers went to the Khari River to bathe, as is customary after funerals. In a cruel twist of fate, seven of them were swept away by the current. Four were rescued, but three – Mahesh, Mahendra, and Bardi Chand – drowned. Their bodies were later recovered and taken for post-mortem. 4Contd on | nation DALLAS BEHEADING PTI WASHINGTON US President Trump has called the Indianorigin motel manager beheaded in Dallas a “well-respected person” and said the accused will be charged with murder. Trump blamed his predecessor Biden’s immigration policies, calling the attacker an “illegal alien”. “I am aware of the terrible reports regarding the murder of Chandra Nagamallaiah, a well-respected person in Dallas, Texas, who was brutally beheaded, in front of his wife and son, by an illegal alien from Cuba who should have never been in our country,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 4Contd on | nation