Monday, February 23, 2026 | Vol. 69 No. 119 | 31 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 l E-paper edition is not a replica of the print edition GAMES NATION Karnataka considering mobile phone ban for U-16 students, says CM Siddaramaiah Cinema Actor-writer Hussain Dalal opens up about O’Romeo’s success Phil Salt stars as England beat Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup Super Eight clash Edit The mystery about missing women and children of India SCOTUS IMPACT | Meeting after two sides assess implications of tariffs verdict India, US push back deal talks Agencies NEW DELHI A day before a three-day meeting between India and the US was set to begin in Washington on Monday, the two countries decided to reschedule talks between their chief negotiators aimed at finalising the text of an interim trade pact, sources said on Sunday. The move follows a US Supreme Court ruling against sweeping import tariffs imposed by the Trump adminis- tration on trade partners. On Friday, President Donald Trump imposed a 10% global tariff for 150 days starting February 24 after the court ruling, and raised it to 15% a day later. “With regard to the visit of the Indian negotiating team to the US for the India–US trade deal, both sides believe the proposed visit of the Indian chief negotiator and team should be scheduled after each side has had time to assess the latest developments and their implications. The meeting will be rescheduled at a mutually convenient date,” Commerce Ministry sources said. Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, is India’s chief negotiator for the deal. Earlier this month, India and the US agreed on finalising a trade deal under which Washington would reduce tariffs to 18%. The punitive 25% levy linked to purchases of Russian oil has been removed, but a separate 25% tariff remains in place. Agencies WASHINGTON 4Contd on | nation Indian-American lawyer Neal Katyal, who led the successful challenge against the administration's trade policies at the US Supreme Court, has raised legal concerns about Presidnet Trump’s decision to impose a 15% global tariff, arguing that it contradicts positions previously taken by the Department of Justice before the top court. Katyal contended that if Trump seeks sweeping tariffs, he should pursue the constitutionally prescribed route by obtaining legislative approval 4Contd on | nation WASHINGTON President Donald Trump, despite criticising the ruling that struck down his sweeping tariffs, singled out one justice of the US Supreme Court for praise: Brett Kavanaugh. “My new hero is US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and, of course, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that they want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Kavanaugh was the only Trump appointee to side with the White House in the land- mark 6-3 decision, according to Politico. Three Republican-appointed justices — Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Chief Justice John Roberts — joined the Court’s liberal bloc to block Trump from invoking Mahalaxmi Racecourse revamp plan out Devashri Bhujbal MUMBAI More than 100 architects had opposed underground construction, saying it could damage one of Mumbai’s last open spaces Three days after the Mumbai Architects Collective (MAC) raised strong objections against the developmental project at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, warning the underground construction could permanently damage one of Mumbai’s last open space, the BMC on Sunday unveiled the design plan of the Central Park and Sports Arena & Convention Centre. GOVT ‘ARROGANT’, OPPN BOYCOTTS TEA PARTY Kalpesh Mhamunkar The plan was presented by BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani during a citizen dialogue organised by South Mumbai Residents Association (SMRA) at Priyadarshini Park. Speaking with the FPJ, Gagrani said, "The tender for subway is issued, and feasibility study for basement work is going on. There is no estimates yet for basements, but the subway work will cost around Rs 500 crore." 4See also | city Oppn will get ‘opportunity’: CM on budget session eve Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI MUMBAI In a sharp escalation of political confrontation ahead of the Maharashtra Legislature’s Budget Session, the opposition parties on Sunday boycotted the customary high tea hosted by the ruling Mahayuti alliance, accusing the government of “arrogance, constitutional disregard and policy failures.” Senior leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — including Bhaskar Jadhav and Aaditya Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) as well as Vijay Wadetti- war of Congress — addressed a press conference at Shivalaya to announce their decision to stay away from the tea party hosted by CM Devendra Fadnavis. “The ruling party is arrogant and shows little respect to- wards the Opposition. Since there is no respect, no decency and no regard for the Constitution, we have decided to decline the high tea invitation,” Jadhav said. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the Opposition would be given “ample opportunity” to participate in discussions during the state legislature’s budget session starting Monday. At a press conference attended by Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, he said the Budget would be presented on March 6 and 15 Bills tabled during the session. 4See also | city 4See also | city offgrid From British intrigue to Bapu’s bed Gulu Ezekiel NEW DELHI The fallout from the paper trail unearthed from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal currently sweeping the world of big business, politics, entertainment and more has impacted the British royal family with the arrest (and subsequent release) of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formally Prince Andrew, who had been stripped of his royal title last October; this despite him Mahatma Gandhi's room in Bapu Bhavan in Pune with his portrait and that of Dr Dinshah Mehta. (R) Dr Mehta (in glasses) at Gandhiji’s funeral in Delhi on January 31, 1948. PICS: LATE KHORSHED WADIA EZEKIEL, GULU EZEKIEL continuing to deny all charges. It has also led to the ignominious exit of Peter Mandelson, who was Britain’s ambassador to the US, due to his alleged ties to Epstein, the late financier and Slams ‘shirtless protest’ at AI summit Biswajeet Banerjee MEERUT Agencies from Congress rather than relying on executive statutes. If the policy is sound, he argued, securing congressional support should not be difficult. In a post on X, Katyal suggested that the administration’s reliance on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 may be legally flawed. He noted that the administration’s own legal team had previously distanced itself from that provision. Quoting the DOJ’s earlier submission to the SC, Katyal highlighted the statement: ‘Gandi aur nangi’: PM shreds Cong WASHINGTON Get Congress nod, ‘MY NEW HERO’: US PREZ Katyal dares Prez HAILS DISSENTING JUDGE Agencies Armed man trying to enter Trump home killed convicted paedophile who died by apparent suicide in his prison cell in New York in 2019. This brings to mind two scandals in Britain, one of which nearly brought down the monarchy and another which actually brought down the Conservative government of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1963. (The author is a veteran sports journalist) 4Contd on | nation the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose global tariffs. Trump directed most of his criticism at Barrett and Gorsuch, both of whom he appointed during his first term. “I think it’s an embarrassment to their families,” he told reporters. By contrast, he said Kavanaugh’s “stock has gone so up” because of “his genius and his great ability.” Still, Trump’s praise has often proven short-lived — and it could fade if Kavanaugh rules against him in the future. During his six years on the bench, the justice has not consistently aligned with the president’s positions. The US Secret Service announced on Sunday that an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House during this incident. First lady Melania Trump was also with the president. The name of the person who was shot has not been released. According to the Secret Service, he was “observed by the north gate of the Mara-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.” The incident took place at 1.30 am. Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said the man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff's deputy. “He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them. 4Contd on | nation Enter Rajaji, exit Lutyens PM Narendra Modi announced that a statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens, long installed at Rashtrapati Bhavan, will be replaced with one of C Rajagopalachari, independent India’s first governor-general. Speaking on his monthly address Mann Ki Baat, Modi said colonial-era symbols persisted even after independence, with statues of British administrators remaining while many Indian leaders were not honoured. He added that India is now moving away from such symbols. Lutyens, working with Herbert Baker, designed several landmark buildings in New Delhi. The decision assumes significance as it comes ahead of polls in Tamil Nadu. PM Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Congress over its "shirtless" protest at the recent global AI summit in Delhi, accusing the party of turning an international event into a platform for "gandi aur nangi" (dirty and naked) politics. Addressing a public meeting in Meerut, he said India had hosted the world's largest AI conference, which filled the country with pride, but the Congress leaders resorted to stripping in front of foreign guests, bringing disrepute to the country. “I want to ask the Congress leaders, the country already knows you are exposed. Then why was there a need to remove clothes,” Modi said. He claimed the incident showed how ideologically bankrupt and impoverished the country's oldest party had become. Earlier in the day, the PM flagged off the Meerut Metro and the Namo Bharat rapid rail service and travelled with schoolchildren and doctors, interacting with passengers. He also inaugurated development projects worth Rs 12,930 crore. 4Contd on | nation