Latest news with #BJP
Time of India
an hour ago
- Business
- Time of India
Centre: Import duty on apples 50%, no proposal received for hike in tariff
Shimla: As apple growers from Himachal and other apple-growing states have been clamouring for a hike in the import duty of the fruit for the last few years, Union MoS (commerce and industry) Jitin Prasada informed the Rajya Sabha Friday that the ministry has not received any such proposal to date. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The import duty on apples is 50% in India," he told the House in response to a question from Himachal MP Harsh Mahajan (BJP) during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament. Himachal contributes nearly 25% to the country's annual apple production, amounting to about 6.5 lakh metric tonnes, which is valued at approximately Rs 5,000 crore. Himachal BJP spokesperson Chetan Singh Bragta had claimed on July 4 that the Centre had hiked the minimum import price of apples from Rs 50 to Rs 80 per kg. Bragta had said the revised price came into effect following an approval from Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. However, Prasada informed the Rajya Sabha that to protect the interests of apple farmers, there is a minimum import price (MIP) of Rs 50 per kg for the import of apples in India. The Union minister said in the US, the import duty on apples is 0% for normal trade relations (NTR) countries, which includes India. "In addition to the above, the apples coming from Iran, Turkey, and the US have a landed cost above the minimum import price of Rs 50/kg. The import price of apples from Turkey is Rs 66.16/kg, Iran is Rs 51.62/kg, and that from the US is Rs 82.99/kg during 2024-25 FY," Prasada said. The Union minister added that the govt has implemented a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) policy with effect from April 1, 2010, for phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers. Under the policy, a fixed amount of subsidy, decided on an annual or bi-annual basis, is provided on notified P&K fertilisers depending on their nutrient content. Under the NBS scheme, the maximum retail price (MRP) is fixed by fertiliser companies as per market dynamics at a reasonable level, which is monitored by the central govt, he added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Himachal BJP leaders meet Nirmala, seek aid to rebuild disaster-hit regions
Shimla: A BJP delegation from Himachal, including LoP Jairam Thakur, met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday to seek maximum financial assistance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the monsoon-related disaster-hit regions. Besides apprising the finance minister about the large-scale devastation in Himachal, the delegation also submitted documents mentioning the damage to private and govt properties. The LoP said assembly constituencies like Mandi district's Seraj, Nachan, Karsog, and Dharampur, as well as several areas in Chamba district, were badly affected. The disaster resulted in financial losses exceeding Rs 1,200 crore and more than 50 deaths. On June 30 alone, 42 people lost their lives. More than 700 houses were washed away, and over 1,000 houses were partially damaged but are uninhabitable. Over 1,000 animal shelters and more than 1,000 livestock were affected. Besides, people's agricultural lands, crops, and orchards were also ruined, taking away their means of livelihood, submitted the delegation. Thakur said the finance minister assured all possible help for Himachal. BJP state president Rajeev Bindal, the MPs of the state, and MLAs of the affected areas were also part of the delegation.
India.com
an hour ago
- Politics
- India.com
Dismantling Electoral Framework: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Warns Centre Over Voter List Row
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M.K. Stalin issued a sharp warning to the Centre over the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Amid rising opposition protests and heated exchanges in Parliament, Stalin accused the BJP-led government of attempting to 'delete' voices it cannot defeat through democratic means. Addressing the media in Chennai, Stalin stated, 'If you cannot defeat us, you seek to delete us. That's the strategy being played out through this targeted voter revision.' He said the Centre's move to selectively revise electoral rolls in opposition-ruled or politically sensitive regions was nothing short of 'electoral cleansing,' and warned it posed a direct threat to democracy. The remarks come as Opposition leaders, led by Rahul Gandhi, continue their protests in the Parliament complex, accusing the Centre of orchestrating the SIR exercise to manipulate upcoming elections. Placards were torn and dumped in bins, symbolically rejecting the controversial revision. The Special Intensive Revision (#SIR) is being misused to quietly erase voters from disadvantaged and dissenting communities, tilting the balance in favour of the BJP. This is not about reform. It is about engineering outcomes. What happened in Bihar says it all: the Delhi… — (@mkstalin) July 25, 2025 Stalin's statement has added further momentum to the Opposition's united stance on the issue. He said the attempt to revise voter rolls without state coordination raises serious questions about the intention behind the move. 'If Bihar today, then which state tomorrow? This is not just about one region. This is about dismantling the electoral framework that safeguards our democracy,' Stalin said. He also called on other non-BJP state governments to remain vigilant and demand transparency from the Election Commission of India. There has been no formal response from the Centre to Stalin's accusations. However, BJP leaders maintain that the SIR is a routine electoral update aimed at cleaning up outdated rolls. Opposition parties reject this claim, saying the unilateral nature of the move suggests political motives.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJP's own people not getting justice in U.P.: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday (July 25, 2025) hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government saying that the 'own people and workers' of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were 'not getting justice' in the State. His comment was directed at a viral video in which BJP leader and former MP Anil Shukla Warsi could be seen protesting at a police station in Kanpur after five BJP supporters were booked in a case under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Act. 'No one is heard in the BJP government. Their own people are not getting justice, even the Deputy CM was being scolded. In 10 years, we have come to know that the BJP is not suitable for secularism, democracy, socialism, electricity, and the future of children,' said Mr. Yadav. In the video, Mr. Shukla, whose wife Pratibha is a junior Minister in the State government, is seen confronting Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak over the phone and accusing him of 'failing to provide any security to the Brahmin community'. 'Either I should leave politics or hang myself... You were made Deputy CM to protect and provide security to Brahmins, and here Brahmins are being abused, and fake cases are being registered. This cannot continue,' Mr. Shukla is heard saying in the video. Ms. Pratibha and her husband protested for six hours outside the police station in Kanpur Dehat on July 24, demanding suspension of the local station in-charge and an inspector for allegedly filing a 'fake case'. The two accused the inspector of 'misusing' legal provisions and working under political pressure. Top district officials reached the spot and diffused the tension by promising an inquiry against the inspector. They also removed the station in-charge. Earlier, the police had registered an FIR on a complaint by a man named Baburam Gautam who had accused Abrar, Yusuf, Aslam, Yasir and Shiva Pandey of using 'casteist slurs' and issuing threats over a land dispute. All five are said to be known to Ms. Pratibha and her husband.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will Modi retire at 75, asks Kharge citing RSS; Rahul calls PM ‘all show'
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday (July 25, 2025) asked if Mr. Modi would retire at 75, as suggested by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement about retiring politcians at 75, Mr. Kharge said that citing this rule, Mr. Modi removed veteran BJP leaders such as L. K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. 'Now he [PM] is completing 75 years. When will he move out? That issue is also before us. Will he go? Modi ji ousted all others. He has nothing to do with the country. He is only worried about his chair,' Mr. Kharge told a gathering. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said he has met the Prime Minister in person a few times and found him to be 'all show and no substance'. He said the media has 'inflated the Prime Minister's balloon but there was not much substance in him'. 'Earlier, I had not met him, but now I have met him two to three times. Now I understand there is nothing,' Mr. Gandhi said. The Congress leaders were addressing a Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) during which Mr. Kharge said the party has prepared a plan to bring the OBCs to the forefront. He urged all Congress Chief Ministers to launch new welfare schemes for OBCs. Urging backward sections of the society to unite against the BJP, Mr. Kharge said that had the Congress got 25 more seats in the Lok Sabha election, it could have come to power. Analysing his 21 years in politics, Mr. Gandhi said he committed a 'mistake' in not protecting the interests of the OBCs in entirety. He said his approach was right in a few issues — such as Land Acquisition Bill, MGNREGA, Food Bill, fight for tribals — even though there may have been shortcomings, and he deserves 'good marks' when it comes to protecting the interests of Dalits, tribals, minorities and women. 'But when I look back, I can see clearly that in one thing I was lacking, I committed one mistake — I did not protect the OBC section the way I should have,' he said, adding that he could not understand the issues of the OBCs earlier. Lauding the socio-economic caste survey in Telangana, Mr. Gandhi said it is a 'political earthquake'. 'It has shaken the political ground of the country. You have not felt its aftershock, but the impact will be there,' he added.
