From the Urdu Press: ‘India must not blink before Trump', ‘Parliament should debate Bihar SIR'

Indian Express

a day ago

Amid the standoff between the government and the Opposition over the Election Commission (EC)'s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, the proceedings of Parliament during the current Monsoon Session have been a washout so far, barring a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in both the Houses. On the geopolitical front, US President Donald Trump has threatened a further escalation of tariffs on Indian goods, prompting a pushback from New Delhi. While continuing with saturation coverage of the SIR row and the parliamentary deadlock over the week, the Urdu dailies also kept their focus on the tension between India and US over the Trump tariff regime.
SIASAT
Commenting on President Trump's announcement slapping India with a 25% tariff on goods from August 7 besides an unspecified 'penalty' for its defence and energy imports from Russia, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its August 1 leader, says that while the Trump administration had been making various moves against the interest of New Delhi for some time, it has now openly adopted an 'anti-India stance'. 'Trump's bid to impose 25% tariffs on India has come amid the ongoing negotiations between the two countries for a trade deal. This is unfortunate as it may have adverse implications for Indian economy,' the editorial says. 'It could not only hurt Indian exports but also have a negative impact on jobs in the country.'
The daily points out that India has forged strategic ties with America over the last two decades. 'New Delhi has been on the same page with Washington on a raft of geopolitical issues. This has been reflected even in India's growing proximity to Israel. However, Washington seems to be now unilaterally taking various measures undermining the friendship between the two countries,' it says. 'This has happened despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's close relationship with President Trump.'
The editorial notes that just after announcing 25% tariff on Indian goods, Trump declared that the US and Pakistan have concluded a deal to develop the latter's oil reserves. 'All this is meant to target India. Even during Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack, the US had tried to hyphenate India and Pakistan, which was unfair to India,' it says, adding that New Delhi must review its foreign policy. 'While having good relations with various countries, it must be ensured that our national interests are not compromised. The US may be a global power but if continues to warm up to our enemy country, then we should also not shy away from standing up to it. India must send a clear message to the US that we will not come under its pressure on our national interest.'
URDU TIMES
Referring to the Congress and other Opposition parties' questioning of the EC's 'neutrality', the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its August 4 editorial, points out that they have been demanding a debate in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha on the Bihar SIR issue, but the government has rejected it, leading to a parliamentary logjam. 'While the EC has always been an autonomous constitutional body, it was T N Seshan who as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in the 1990s undertook massive reforms and enforced the model code of conduct to turn the poll body into a formidable institution. The EC then started commanding respect even from the country's top political stalwarts, who would abide by its directives in their campaigns,' the editorial says. 'However, in recent years, the EC's image has taken a beating amid allegations that it has leaned towards the government,' it says, adding that the mechanism for the appointment of the Election Commissioners has also undergone a change.
The daily says that despite its status as an independent body, the EC's impartiality has now come under questioning from various quarters, including the Opposition parties. 'This has been seen in various cases, ranging from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to the Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, to the SIR exercise. The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has highlighted them,' it states. The EC has come under cloud over the ongoing SIR in Bihar where 65 lakh existing voters have been deleted from its draft rolls, with the exercise going to be implemented next in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, which are slated for polls early next year, the edit says. 'With the SIR controversy snowballing amid worry among a large section of electors, the Opposition has been pressing for a discussion on this public issue in Parliament, which the government should accept in light of its gravity as per democratic norms.'
URDU TIMES
Flagging a Mumbai court's verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blasts, in which six people were killed and 100 others injured, Urdu Times, in its August 1 editorial, points out that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquitted all the seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The court observed that there was 'strong suspicion' about their role but that cannot be a substitute for 'legal proof'.
The editorial notes that the Malegaon case ruling came days after the Bombay High Court delivered its judgment in the July 11, 2006 Mumbai train blasts, quashing the 2015 verdict of a special court which had awarded death sentence to five accused and life imprisonment to seven others. After the acquittal of the 12 accused who had been languishing in prison for 19 years, the edit says, a key question has arisen as to 'who were the real perpetrators of Mumbai 7/11 case', which killed 189 commuters and wounded 824 others. 'The BJP-led Mahayuti government then promptly moved the Supreme Court to challenge the high court's verdict.'
The editorial states that in the Malegaon blast case too, the victims have not got justice and are planning to challenge it in the higher courts. However, the Maharashtra government has shown 'double standards' in its stances over the two cases, it says. 'In the Malegaon case, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the court verdict has proved that terror has never been saffron. His deputy Eknath Shinde echoed similar views. However, they have not said anything about the acquittal in the Mumbai 7/11 case. Instead, their government rushed to the apex court to challenge it,' the daily says. 'There could not be different standards for ensuring justice. The victims in all cases are equally entitled to it. And their perpetrators must be brought to justice too. The victims in both the Mumbai 7/11 and Malegaon blast cases have been waiting for it for nearly two decades – they have been failed by shoddy investigations and poor prosecution by various agencies.'