HYDERABAD l friday l august 01, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 36 l LATE City EDITION IMD predicts above-normal rainfall in 2nd half of monsoon The southwest monsoon season (August to September) will bring rainfall in excess of 106% of the long period average, which is 422 mm File photo a wetter september in the offing sub-normal rain in northeast a concern Most parts of the country, except the Northeast and adjoining areas of eastern India, are expected to record normal rainfall in August, said IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra during an online press conference. Rainfall in September is likely to be above normal, he said. India received above-normal rainfall during June and July, with flash floods in some parts ■ ■ The country received 474.3 mm of rainfall against a normal of 445.8 mm from June 1 to July 31, a surplus of six per cent, IMD said In Northeast India, this is the fifth consecutive year of below-normal rainfall. Over the last 30 years, a declining trend in rainfall activity has been observed in the northeastern states, which is a cause of concern 42% of india’s population is dependent on the monsoon for their water 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 Don terms India’s economy ‘dead’ will take all steps to promote national interest, says Goyal India grins and bears the dead economy barb poke-man ‘Russian Oil trade a point of irritation’ India’s purchase of Russian oil is “a point of irritation” in New Delhi’s relationship with Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday, adding that it is helping Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care Donald Trump INSIDE Trump is right, says Rahul Endorsing Trump’s criticism of the Indian economy, Cong leader Rahul Gandhi said everybody except PM Modi knows India’s economy is ‘dead’. “Yes, he is right... I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact,” he said | P7 P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi EVEN as US President Donald Trump doubled down his attack on India calling it a ‘dead economy’, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament on Thursday that India would take all necessary steps to safeguard and promote national interest. Goyal’s assertion came a day after Trump announced 25% tariffs on Indian goods plus an additional penalty for doing business with Russia, with effect from August 1. In a suo motu statement in both the Houses of Parliament, Goyal said the government is examining the implications of the US move and is engaged with all stakeholders, including exporters and industry , for taking feedback of their assessment of the situation. “The government attaches utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, exporters, MSMEs and all sections of industry We will . take all necessary steps to secure and advance our national interest,” he said. The minister also said that in just over a decade, India has emerged the fastest growing major economy in the world and it is expected to become the third largest in a few years. Though Opposition members demanded the government’s re- GDP growth may take 20-30 bps hit, say analysts sponse on Trump’s remarks, Goyal’s statement did not find any mention of it. The Opposition MPs were referring to Trump’s attack on India and Russia for their bonhomie. “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world,” Trump said. In response to Trump’s take, Goyal said international institutions see India as a bright spot. “India is contributing to 16% of global growth. Our exports have steadily increased. In an increasingly protectionist world, India has done mutually beneficial trade pacts with UAE, UK, Australia and EFTA countries. We are committed to similar agreements with others,” he said. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said there was no discussion on the real issues such as failure to reach a trade deal with the US, the imposition of a 25% tariff on Indian exports, and additional punitive actions for trading with Russia and Iran. “The minister wasted time in self-praise. It is quite clear that India now faces new and bigger challenges with the US. The much-touted personal friendship that PM Modi relied on has proved to be completely hollow” Ramesh said. B E N N K OC H UV E E D A N @ Mumbai IF the 25% tariff on Indian goods announced by US President Donald Trump is implemented from August 1, it could pull down India’s economic growth by 20-30 basis points (bps) in the current fiscal, say experts, adding that the effective rate could come down as the trade talks are still on. “We do not see the tariff threat impacting GDP growth meaningfully… at worst, the impact is 30 bps. We expect final tariffs to settle in lower than 25%, as trade talks are on,” said British brokerage Barclays. Elara Securities also expects a 30 bps drag on India’s GDP growth if there is no deal with the US. It added that the weakening rupee will be the first line of defence and thus the probability of a 50 bps rate cut in August has risen, which could cushion the economy against external shocks. But as of now, the tariff is negative on the rupee, which is speculated to reach the 88.5-89 level against the dollar. According to Japanese brokerage Nomura Securities, the net impact of US tariff on India would be lower. “Taking into account sectoral exemptions, we estimate the effective tariff rate at 20% and this will be a 20 bps downside risk to the growth forecast for this fiscal,” Nomura economists Sonal Varma and Aurodeep Nandi said. Nomura has forecast India’s FY26 GDP growth at 6.2% with a downside risk of 20 bps.  continued on P5 Experts across india dismiss donald trump’s deal on Pakistan’s oil reserves | p5 SC gives Speaker 3 months to decide on disqualification of turncoat MLAs S u c hitra K a lyan M o hant y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Telangana Assembly Speaker to decide within three months on the disqualification of 10 MLAs who defected to the ruling Congress. Allowing petitions filed by BRS leaders KT Rama Rao, Padi K a u s h i k Re d dy a n d K P Vivekanand, a bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih set aside a November 22, 2024, order of the Telangana High Court division bench that had overturned a single bench directive to schedule hearings. “Political defections have long been a matter of national We thank the judges for ensuring that the democratic structure of this country isn’t eroded by malicious methods. I hope Rahul Gandhi, who advocated for stronger antidefection laws and automatic cancellation upon defection, will welcome this decision. I dare you to stand by your own preachings, Mr Gandhi. And I hope you and your party don’t use the honourable Speaker’s position to make a mockery of the Indian Constitution any further KT Rama Rao, BRS working president concern. If not curbed, they can destabilise democracy,” the court said. It criticised delays in disqualification proceedings and stressed the Speaker does not enjoy constitutional immunity while acting as an adjudicating authority under the Tenth Schedule. “We direct the Speaker to conclude the disqualification proceedings pending against the 10 MLAs pertaining to the present appeals or petitions as expeditiously as possible and in any case, within a period of three months from the date of this judgment,” the bench said. “If any of the MLAs try to protract the proceedings, the Speaker shall draw adverse inference,” the CJI-led bench added. continued on p4 I welcome the Supreme Court’s decision. The Speaker will now have to make a decision in three months N Ramchander Rao, Telangana unit president of the BJP KCR and KTR have no moral right to speak on defections. It was the BRS that encouraged such practices during its rule. If that wasn’t the case, why were Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Sabitha Indra Reddy given ministerial berths after winning on a Congress ticket and defecting to the BRS? Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, R&B minister @ Hyderabad Reacting to the Supreme Court’s direction to decide on the disqualification of 10 MLAs within three months, Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar said he would respond after receiving the full judgment and consulting legal experts and officials of the Legislature Secretariat. “There is nothing to hide in this matter. I will give a detailed response after examining the judgment,” he said on Thursday . The Speaker added that notices had already been issued to the 10 MLAs, seeking their response to the disqualification petitions filed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). According to the speeches given by former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, courts cannot question the President or S p e a k e r, P r a s a d Ku m a r added. S u d hir S u r ya w an s hi @ Mumbai To be tabled in Assembly The government is required to table the report of any Commission of Inquiry in the Legislative Assembly within six months Speaker: Will respond after receiving copy of court order E x pre s s N e w s Ser v i c e Court acquits all 7 accused in Malegaon blast Justice PC Ghose submits his report to Irrigation Secretary Rahul Bojja at BRKR Bhavan in Hyderabad on Thursday Ghose panel submits KLIS report, govt likely to ask CID to probe E x pre s s N e w s Ser v i c e @ Hyderabad Retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, who headed the Commission of Inquiry into the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), submitted his report on Thursday the final day , of the Commission’s extended term. The 650-page report is likely to be placed before the state Cabinet for further discussion. If sources are to be believed, the government is likely to refer the matter to the CID and ask it to investigate the alleged irregularities. Justice Ghose handed over the confidential three-volume report to Irrigation Principal Secretary Rahul Bojja at BRKR Bhavan. Bojja then passed it on to Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao. It was subsequently placed in a secure locker. Officials also informed Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy the , sources said. Speaking to reporters, Justice Ghose said he has completed his task and that it was now up to the government to decide the next steps. As per procedure, the government is required to table the report of any Commission of Inquiry in the Legislative Assembly within six months. Sources indicated that while the Commission made several observations, it did not offer specific recommendations. Sources say that a decision on referring the matter to the CID would be taken at the Cabinet level, only after a thorough review of the report.  continued on p4 Accused (from top) Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni and Ajay Rahirkar Bike data Lahoti said chassis tampering of the bike used in the blast could not be established. Since forensic experts failed to fully recover its serial number, it could not be traced back to Pragya Thakur Seventeen years after the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast that killed six persons, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including BJP leader and former Lok Sabha MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit. Pronouncing the verdict, judge A K Lahoti stated, “Terror has no religion because no religion can advocate violence…. So, the judgment cannot be based on moral and public perceptions.” Significantly, NIA special public prosecutor Rohini Salian had in 2015 resigned claiming that the agency was going out of its way to water down the case and had been given standing instructions to go easy on the ‘Hindu terror’ accused. Judge Lahoti faulted the prosecution for failing to prove that the bike used in the blast belonged to Pragya Singh Thakur. “She became a sadhvi at least two years before the blast... no cogent material against her or any other accused,” the judge said. The court also noted that since no fingerprints or DNA samples were collected on time from the spot, the subsequent forensic report could not be relied upon as the evidence was contaminated. “There can be strong suspicion but mere suspicion is not enough to punish them. The high degree of suspicion is established but not enough to convict them,” the court said, adding it has given the accused the benefit of doubt. Lahoti also found no evidence to establish that Abhinav Bharat, an outfit founded by Pragya Thakur and Col Purohit, used its funds for terror activities. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) initially investigated the case and arrested 12 people, including Pragya and Purohit under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The case went to the NIA in 2011. While MCOCA was lifted against the accused after the NIA took over, Lahoti said two sanction orders for invoking the UAPA, passed by ACS-Home, were defective. “Sanction 197 was not required. Hence, UAPA cannot be invoked,” he said. P8 State pulled up over tardy progress in Sigachi probe 40-year-old man marries girl, 13; four booked T G N ai d u @ Hyderabad The Telangana High Court on Thursday raised concerns over the slow pace of investigation and delay in relief measures following the fire accident at the Sigachi factory in which around 50 workers died. A bench comprising Chief Justice AK Singh and Justice Mohd Mohiuddin was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by retired scientist Dr K Babu Rao, who questioned the progress of the probe, absence of safety protocols at the factory and delay in compensating the affected families. The counsel representing the petitioner pointed out that most workers at the Sigachi unit were migrants employed on a contract basis and not regular employees. The PIL urged the court to ensure that compensation is extended to all workers, regardless of their employment status, and that the state holds the factory management accountable. During the hearing, the bench sought details from the government on the status of the FIR, provisions invoked under the law and progress made in the investigation. Chief Justice Singh asked whether any arrests had been made in connection with the incident. The Government Pleader for the Home Department responded that no arrests had taken place so far. The court also asked the state to provide a breakdown of workers present on the day of the accident, distinguishing between permanent, casual, and daily wage workers, and the legal provisions under which the company might be held liable. It directed that details of compensation disbursed be included in the state’s counter-affidavit.  continued on p5 E x pre ss N e ws Ser v i c e @ Hyderabad Nandigama police registered a case against four persons for conducting the wedding of a 13-year-old girl with a 40-year-old man. The victim’s mother, house owner Govu Pentaiah, priest Kammari Anjaneyulu and the man who married her, Edigi Srinivas Goud, were named in the case. According to the police, the girl’s father had died a few years ago. Her mother, along with two children, had moved to Nandi- gama two years ago and was living in a rented house owned by Pentaiah. The girl told police that her mother had expressed a desire to get her married early and had asked the house owner to find a groom. Based on his reference, a match was found and the child marriage was performed at a temple on the outskirts of Nandigama in the presence of the bridegroom’s parents, the girl’s mother and Pentaiah, the police added. The 13-year-old girl moved to Srinivas’ house after the cere- mony but returned home within a week and resumed school. On July 30, when the teacher Sunitha Rani noticed that the girl was disturbed, she spoke to her and immediately took the child to the police station upon learning of the developments. Based on the girl’s statement, a case was registered under Sections 9 and 10 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. Nandigama police told TNIE that notices have been issued to the accused, asking them to cooperate with the investigation.