CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ HYDERABAD l saturday l july 05, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION India fires fresh salvo against US trade tariffs India further emphasised that the US failed to formally INDIA has formally notified notify these safeguard measthe World Trade Organization ures to the WTO—a require(WTO) about its intention to ment under WTO rules for impose retaliatory tariffs on transparency and accountabilselect automobile parts im- ity India maintains that the US . ports from the US. actions violate the General This move comes as a direct Agreement on Tariffs and response to the US deciTrade 1994 and the sion on March 26 to imAgreement on plement a 25% tariff on Safeguards. imports of passenger This is not India’s vehicles, light trucks, first instance of WTOand certain automobile sanctioned retaliation. parts originating in InLast month, India subdia, effective May 3, mitted a similar notifi2025, and continuing incation to the WTO condefinitely India asserts . cerning tariffs imposed The WTO that these US measures by the US on steel, aluare inconsistent with notification is a minium and their delegal and WTO agreements and rivative products. In strategic step, are causing significant 2019, India also raised but whether h a r m t o i t s t r a d e India will follow tariffs on 28 US prodinterests. through remains ucts following the reIn its notification to moval of its Generaluncertain the WTO, India stated ized System of Ajay Srivastava, that the proposed susPreferences status and founder of Global pension of concessions the continuation of Trade Research or other obligations metal tariffs, though Initiative would involve an inthose duties were crease in tariffs on selected US rolled back in 2023 as part of a products. This suspension is bilateral truce. slated to take effect 30 days afThe current escalation in t e r t h e d a t e o f t h e trade tensions comes ahead of notification. the July 9 deadline, which The US tariffs will impact marks the end of a 90-day pause $2.895 billion imports of Indi- on the US plan to impose counan-origin auto products annu- try-specific reciprocal tariffs. ally, with duties totalling All eyes are now on the po$723.75 million. Therefore, In- tential announcement of an dia will suspend trade conces- interim trade deal between the sions of equivalent value. two nations. R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi Air India Express delayed Airbus engine fix, forged records: Report After Rijiju remark, govt denies any position on religious matters broader plans India will soon be free of Maoists: Rajnath J ayan t h J a c o b an d R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi E x p ress N e w s S er v i c e @ Hyderabad Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday reiterated that the Union government was committed to eliminating Maoism in the country . Speaking at the 128th birth anniversary celebrations of freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju at Shilpakala Vedika here, he said: “The country will soon be free of this Maoist menace.” The defence minister called for efforts to boost connectivity and security in remote regions as part of a broader national development strategy . The ceremony was attended by Governor Jishnu Dev Verma, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and G Kishan Reddy and other dignitaries. , Praising Alluri Sitarama Raju as one of the brave sons of the country, Rajnath said: “To avoid falling into the hands of the British, he chose to end his own life with a bullet. What could be more remarkable than such an act of defiance and bravery?” He hailed Alluri’s courage in mobilising tribal communities and launching guerrilla warfare against the British. Rajnath said: “He wanted the tribals to be empowered and be part of the national mainstream. He fought for tribal rights, social unity and a stronger India.”  Continued on P4 AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief MInister A Revanth Reddy greet the attendees at the LB stadium in Hyderabad on Friday | Vinay Madapu Cong will never allow BJP to change Preamble: Kharge E x p ress N e w s S er v i c e @ Hyderabad AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday challenged the BJP and its top leaders — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah — stating that neither they nor their successors can remove the words Secular and Socialist from the Preamble of the Constitution of India. He asserted that the Congress would form the government at the Centre as it did in Telangana. The AICC chief was addressing a public meeting — Samajika Nyaya Samara Bheri — at the LB Stadium here to engage directly with the party’s grassroots leadership. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy his Cabinet colleagues and , TPCC leaders at all levels. Addressing the meeting, Revanth echoed Kharge’s views, promising to lead the Congress to victory in 100 Assembly and 15 Lok Sabha seats in the next elections.  Continued on P4 India on Friday said it neither takes a position nor comments on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion, responding to the Dalai Lama’s recent statement on the continuation of the Dalai Lama institution, which drew a sharp reaction from China. “We have seen reports relating to the statement made by the Dalai Lama about the continuation of the Dalai Lama institution. The Government of India does not take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “The government has always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so,” he further said. The statement came a day after Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that the decision regarding the reincarnation would rest solely with the established institution and the Dalai Lama himself. This was widely read as the official Indian position as there were no disclaimers. China soon urged India to act cautiously on Tibet-related issues to avoid its impact on the improvement of bilateral ties. On Thursday Rijiju clarified , that his comments were personal. “There is no need for me or the government to say anything. Who would be the next Dalai Lama will be decided by him,” he said. Centre notifies Waqf management rules New Delhi: Even as petitions challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 are pending before the Supreme Court, the Centre notified the “Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025”, dealing with the portal and database of waqf properties. The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Waqf Amendment Act | P8 China helped Pak during Op Sindoor: Army M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi China used the four-day Operation Sindoor as a ‘live lab’ to test its weapons, as it provided Pakistan with ‘live inputs’ about key Indian positions, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development & Sus- tenance) Lt Gen Rahul R Singh said on Friday . The senior military officer said 81% of Pakistan’s military hardware is of Chinese make and that Pakistan was just the front face with China providing all Lt Gen Rahul Singh support. “We had one border and two adversaries, actually three. Pakistan was in the front. China was providing all possible support,” said Lt Gen Singh, adding that Turkey gave Pakistan Bayraktar drones. “When DGMO-level talks were on, Pakistan had the live updates of our important vectors, from China,” he said. Lt Gen Singh was speaking at a New Age Military Technologies’ event organised here by FICCI on Friday .