SC turns down review plea on electoral bonds New Delhi: The Supreme Court has rejected a petition seeking review of its earlier decision denying the petitions for confiscating `16,518 crore received by political parties under the 2018 electoral bond scheme.The review plea was filed by one Khem Singh Bhati challenging the top court’s decision of August 2, 2024 | P7 SAMBALPUR l saturday l april 05, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Congress MP, AIMIM president file petitions Protesters hit the streets demanding its withdrawal D i l i p S i n g h K s h at r i ya @ Ahmedabad Protests erupted in parts of the country hours after Parliament passed the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the wee hours of Friday . In Ahmedabad, protesters poured into the streets, denouncing the bill saying it is an assault on minority rights and religious autonomy. They held placards that read “Withdraw Waqf Bill” and “Reject UCC” and sported black armbands. Police intervened and detained at least 50 protesters. Protests were also reported in pockets of Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Manipur and Jharkhand. Heavy police presence is sensitive localities of UP ensured the state was peaceful. In Delhi, students of the Jamia Millia Islamia staged a protest in front of the university. They condemned the bill as “unconstitutional and communal” and criticised the university administration for attempting to suppress dissent. In Kolkata, hundreds of Muslims took to the streets to express their opposition to the contentious legislation, with several minority organisations joining the agitation. There were reports of protests in parts of Imphal Valley. They raised concerns about the autonomy and administration of Waqf properties. Rajya Sabha approves legislation 128:95 Fight against the BJD cracks open up after Waqf bill goes to conscience exercise in RS Supreme Court B i j ay C h a k i @ Bhubaneswar mentary Committee (JPC) that scrutinised the bill. Hours after the Waqf (AmendWhile the Lok Sabha cleared ment) Bill 2025 received Parlia- the bill 288:232; in the Rajya ment’s approval, the Congress Sabha its was 128:95. Both and the All India Majlis-e-Itte- Houses witnessed 12-hour marhadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) athon debates. The bill will now moved the Supreme Court on go to the President for assent Friday challenging its validity , , before becoming law. arguing that it violates constiEarlier in the day AICC gen, tutional provisions. eral secretary Jairam The development Ramesh said his parAIMPLB came a day after ty will soon challenge knocks Tamil Nadu Chief the constitutionality prez door Minister M K Stalin of the Waqf (Amendannounced in the ment) Bill, 2024, in The All India state assembly that the Supreme Court. Muslim the Dravida MunneChallenging the Personal Law tra Kazhagam (DMK) bill in the top court, Board sought will move the SC to AIMIM president an urgent challenge the bill. Asaduddin Owaisi in appointment In his plea, Conhis plea argued that with President gress MP Mohamit removes various Droupadi mad Jawed held that protections that were Murmu to the bill imposes arbipreviously accorded express their trary restrictions on to waqfs as well as to concern before waqf properties and Hindu, Jain, and her assent to their management, Sikh religious and the Waqf Bill undermining the recharitable endowligious autonomy of ments. “This diminthe Muslim community The pe- ishing of the protection given . tition claimed that the pro- to Waqfs while retaining them posed law discrim in at e s for religious and charitable enagainst Muslims by imposing dowments of other religions restrictions that are not present constitutes hostile discriminain the governance of other reli- tion against Muslims and is gious endowments. violative of Articles 14 and 15 Jawed, a Lok Sabha MP from of the Constitution, which proBihar’s Kishanganj, was also a hibit discrimination on the member of the Joint Parlia- grounds of religion.” P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 may have passed the Rajya Sabha test, but in its wake has created deep fissures in the BJD over its sudden shift in stance from strict opposition to the Bill during discussion to exercising conscience while voting. The discord over the regional outfit’s approach in the Upper House, where it has seven MPs, played out in the open on Friday with many senior leaders questioning the “conscience” factor and demanding to know who issued directions for the same. While, the BJD might not have played a decisive role in passage of the Bill in Rajya Sabha, at least a couple of its votes appeared to have added to the NDA’s tally of 128. Senior party leader and national spokesperson Sasmit Patra confirmed to have voted in favour of the Bill even as Muzibulla Khan, who participated in the discussion and vehemently opposed it, voted against it. Debasis Samantaray abstained from voting and the stand of four other MPs Manas Mangaraj, Sulata Deo, Niranjan Bisi and Subhasish Khuntia is yet to be CONTINUED ON P5 known. Want positive, constructive ties with Bangladesh: Modi to Yunus j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi IN his first meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus after tensions following Sheikh Hasina’s government exit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised India’s desire to build a positive, constructive ties with Bangladesh based on pragmatism and highlighted New Delhi’s people-centric approach to the relationship. During the 45 minutes meeting on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit in Thailand, Modi underscored India’s concerns on safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, and expressed an expectation that the Bangladeshi government would ensure their protection, particularly by investigating incid e n t s o f at ro c i t i e s against them, while urging that rhetoric that vitiates the environment should be avoided. “Enunciating India’s people-centric approach to the relationship, Prime Minister highlighted that cooperation between the two countries has brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries. He underlined India’s desire to forge a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh based on pragmatism,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said after the meeting. In the context of comments including Yunus’ statement about Bangladesh remaining the ‘guardian of the ocean’ for India’s north eastern states, Modi urged Yunus that “rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided.” Modi also stressed on the need for a strict enforcement of the law and prevention of illegal border crossings. India has got a China problem from US tariffs D IPA K M ON D AL @ New Delhi AS US President Donald Trump’s new tariff regime takes off, Indian businesses are facing a dragon-sized threat. India has a $100-billion trade deficit with China. With the US imposing a 54% tariff on Chinese imports, India could become a dumping ground for surplus Chinese goods. In 2024, China exported goods worth $440 billion and maintained a trade surplus of $295 billion with the US. With the additional tariff, Chinese goods will become uncompetitive in the US market. China’s usual back-channel exports through Vietnam and Bangladesh may not work this time, as they too have been tariffed. China’s top exports to the US are electrical and electronics items, machinery toys, apparel, etc. India imports elec, trical & electronics items, heavy machinery, and iron & CONTINUED ON P5 steel from China.