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New Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Kanwar Yatra turns tragic: Four pilgrims die in stampede amid uncontrolled influx of devotees
BHOPAL: At least four devotees from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh have died in the past two days during the massive Kanwar Yatra at Kubereshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore district, as authorities struggled to manage the overwhelming influx of pilgrims. The victims include Jaswanti Ben (56) from Rajkot, Gujarat, and Sangita Gupta from Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, who reportedly died in a stampede on Tuesday, just hours before the main procession led by religious preacher Pradip Mishra began at midnight. The same day, two more devotees—Chatur Singh (50) from Gujarat and Ishwar Singh (65) from Rohtak, Haryana, collapsed and died, likely due to heart complications after being trapped in suffocating crowds amid humid weather. The fatalities occurred as over 2.5 lakh devotees from across India descended upon the religious site, overwhelming infrastructure and leading to a complete breakdown of basic amenities, including drinking water, food, and sanitation. Traffic chaos compounded the crisis, with the Indore-Bhopal Highway gridlocked since Tuesday night, leaving vehicles stranded for hours. Despite official restrictions on heavy vehicles and alternate routes, enforcement was either poorly executed or ignored entirely. Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Govind Rajput acknowledged the lack of preparedness, stating, 'Such a massive crowd wasn't expected, which has actually led the system to fall short. I urge the administration to take control and ensure that such a tragedy doesn't repeat.' Meanwhile, former MP minister and Congress MLA Rajendra Singh questioned accountability, asking, 'Who will take the responsibility for the deaths which happened at the Kubereshwar Dham in the last two days? Will the authorities or those associated with the religious event, who is to be held responsible for it?' The incident has raised serious concerns over crowd management at large religious gatherings, with calls for stricter safety measures to prevent further tragedies.
Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump doubles tariffs on India to 50%, but offers 21 days window for negotiations
Ramping up pressure on India before US negotiators are expected to reach India on August 25, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent, but there is a 21-day window before the additional tariff of 25 per cent comes into effect, offering India a window to strike a trade deal. A White House statement said that the US will impose 'additional 25 percent ad valorem duty' above the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs announced on August 1 to 'deal with the national emergency stemming from Russia's actions in Ukraine'. This tariff is deemed necessary and appropriate due to India's 'direct or indirect import of Russian Federation oil', which the President judges will more effectively address the national emergency, the executive order said. The additional tariffs dramatically raises pressure on India as most of its competitors such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and now China are not at lower tariffs. However, exporters said that US tariffs related uncertainty is already disrupting trade and that Indian exporters have grown wary of exporting to the US. About half of India's total exports of $80 billion are, however, in the exemption list that include products such as pharma and electronics goods. While the fresh order takes the total US tariffs to its highest on any country globally, it also offers a fresh window for discussion. The Indian Express had reported on Saturday that key economic ministries have been asked for inputs to sweeten the US trade deal stuck on India's resistance to US demand for access in the Indian agri market. 'This 25 percent ad valorem duty will be effective for goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 21 days after the date of the order. There are exceptions for goods that were loaded onto a vessel and in transit before this effective date and are entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption before 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 17, 2025,' the order read. NEW: President Donald J. Trump just signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25% tariff on India in response to its continued purchase of Russian oil. Here is the text of the Order: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the… — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 6, 2025 While New Delhi has called the targeting of India over the purchase of Russian oil 'unjustified and unreasonable' and vowed to take 'all necessary measures' to safeguard its 'national interests and economic security', Indian exporters are in a fix, scrambling to retain access to the US — their most valuable export market, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of India's total outbound shipments. Incidentally, China is the largest buyer of Russian oil, at about 2 million barrels per day, followed by India (just under 2 million a day) and Turkey. The US had agreed to lower tariffs on Chinese goods to 30 per cent from 145 per cent in May. The executive order does not make a mention of China, but instead stipulates a mechanism wherein the US Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with other senior officials, 'will monitor if any other country (beyond India) is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil and recommend further action'. Indian officials have indicated that the US is unwilling to negotiate sectoral tariffs — such as those on steel and automobiles — which have already impacted nearly $5 billion worth of Indian exports. Evan A. Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said on Monday that US-India relations may now become a political football, especially in New Delhi. He warned that the core understandings that enabled closer ties may be at serious risk, as New Delhi had largely assumed Washington would take political risks to strengthen the relationship — something Trump has not done and clearly will not do. Feigenbaum added that the split in relations is further underscored by Trump's effusive praise for Islamabad and recent engagement with Pakistan's army and government — developments that raise obvious concerns in New Delhi. 'The United States was roiled by India's ties to Iran, Myanmar, and later Russia. Trump and his administration are now moving to sanction and tariff India over its oil trade with Russia. This significantly shifts the bar for bilateral relations,' he said. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Congress wants VVPATs, warns of court route in ward demarcation not transparent
Demanding the use of VVPAT machines in local body polls and transparency in the exercise of demarcation of ward boundaries, opposition Congress on Wednesday targeted the State Election commission and state government. 'The state election commissioner clarified that there will be no VVPAT machines in the upcoming local body elections in the state. The reason given for this is that there will be more candidates in one ward, voters will have to cast four votes at a time, so the process will take time and there is a possibility of crowding at the polling station. But VVPAT is necessary for the elections to be held in a transparent manner. Voters should know who they voted for,' said Congress legislative leader Vijay Wadettiwar. He demanded that local body elections in the state should not be held without VVPAT machines. 'If these machines are not available, elections should be held on ballot papers,' he said. While Wadettiwar targeted the SEC, Congress state chief Harshvardhan Sapkal wrote to the state's Urban Development Department and Rural Development department, which are currently engaged in the exercise of demarcation of wards. In his letter, Sapkal said, 'The work of demarcation of ward boundaries is currently undergoing. It is important to ensure that no political interference is entertained in this process…it is important that the staff working in this process should not be subjected to political pressure and the work takes place as per the rules.' Sapkal mentioned that the party will be forced to approach the courts if the department fails to ensure transparency in the process. 'It will be the sole responsibility of the State government if that happens,' he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai on Wednesday also urged the Election Commission to conduct Maharashtra's upcoming local body elections using ballot papers, citing the absence of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. In a letter to the EC, Desai argued that without VVPATs, the transparency and credibility of the election process are compromised. He stated that free and fair elections are not possible without allowing voters to verify their votes, and questioned how voters could be confident in the system without a verifiable paper trail. Desai also pointed out that in several other states, local body polls are conducted using ballot papers, and Maharashtra should follow suit. He criticised the EC for failing to address concerns raised after the previous assembly elections, and reiterated that voters have the right to know where their vote has been cast.
