KOZHIKODE l friday l august 08, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Trump, Putin likely to meet next week in uae, says kremlin The news of the meeting from Kremlin came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress toward ending the war in Ukraine File photo russia mum on having ukraine on table There was no immediate comment on Thursday from the White House and it was unclear how the announcement of the meeting would affect Trump’s Friday deadline for Russia on Ukraine. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov brushed aside the possibility of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joining the meet, something Trump was open to ■ 25% first u.s.-russia summit since 2021 ■ The meeting would be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone toward Trump’s effort to end the war Since the start of the war, Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas behind the frontline has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians of ukrainians told gallup poll that they want the war to end 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 Rahul shows 1L ‘vote theft proof’ in K’taka P r eet h a N a i r @ New Delhi Days after his ‘atom bomb’ barb against the Election Commission of India (ECI), Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged large-scale irregularities in voter rolls, citing an analysis of the Mahadevapura assembly segment poll rolls in Karnataka for the 2024 general elections, where 1 lakh instances of ‘vote theft’ were allegedly found. He said the ‘election was stolen’ through a collusion between the BJP and the EC, adding the judiciary needs to get involved in this because “the democracy that we love so much, does not exist anymore”. Rahul said six months of tedious work on Mahadevapura poll rolls threw up “criminal evidence” of ‘vote theft’, and alleged that the poll body was busy destroying such proof across the country . He alleged that there was ‘theft’ of 1,00,250 votes in the Mah a d ev a p u r a segment, with 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 voters with fake and invalid addresses, 10,452 bulk voters or single address voters, 4,132 voters with invalid photos and 33,692 voters misusing Form 6 meant for enrolling new voters. Form 6, he added, was the most misused one. “Normally the new voters’ age varies between 18 to 25 years, but in this category, there were voters with age 98, 97, 85, 75 years and so on. “There is not a single person in the 18-25 age group,” he pointed out. While the EC responded by demanding Rahul’s signed declaration on his claims, he fired back, saying he made the remarks publicly and they can “take it as an oath”. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 6,58,915 votes in Bangalore Central, winning with a margin of 32,707. In the Mahadevapura assembly segment, the Congress received 1,15,586 votes as against the BJP’s 2,29,632. “The Congress won all Vidhan Sabha segments except Mah a d ev a p u r a , which swung the scales.” EXPRESS READ Sources say no amount of aid can offset the huge losses to affected sectors Heat on poll body If EC denies machinereadable data on poll rolls for the past 10-15 years and the CCTV footage, they are partaking in the crime, Rahul said It doesn’t matter how senior or junior you are (in EC). One day, the Oppn will come to power. Then you’ll see what we do to you Rahul Gandhi National shame 260 Stay on FIR against Swetha Menon Kochi: The Kerala HC has stayed further proceedings in the FIR registered against actor Swetha Menon for allegedly making financial gains through her roles in movies featuring vulgar and obscene content. The court also directed the Registry to call for a report from the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Ernakulam, regarding the procedure adopted before forwarding the complaint to the police for investigation | P5 doping positive cases in 2024 In a major embarrassment, 260 positive cases in one year could be the highest in the history of the country | P11 7,466 samples collected in 2024 76 Athletics on top, lifting (43) WITH the US imposing a massive 50% tariff on Indian products, the affected sectors—primarily textiles, gems & jewellery, and MSMEs—have warned of a possible disruption of critical supply chains, plummeting exports, and thousands of job losses. These sectors have also sought both fiscal and non-fiscal support from the government. However, government officials and industry experts say any support would fall short of offsetting the business losses caused by the high tariffs. On Wednesday the US imposed an additional , 25% tariff over and above the earlier-announced 25% tariff on Indian exports, to penalise India for its continued crude oil imports from Russia. The first 25% tariff took effect on Thursday while the , second levy will kick in on August 27. A senior official from the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) said businesses might have stayed afloat with 25% tariff by absorbing 10-15% of it through margin cuts. “But with a 50% tariff, doing business with the US has become unviable. Many MSMEs will shut shop,” the official said, warning that lakhs of jobs are at risk. The impacted sectors have sought relief measures such as deferment of interest on working capital, permission for SEZs to sell in the domestic market, and shortterm relief packages similar to those introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, insiders say that even if the government steps in, it cannot bridge the cost gap. Indian exports to the US stand around $87 billion, accounting for 20% of its total exports. Estimates suggest that 40-50% of these exports could be affected. India’s top exports to the US include electronics (including smartphones), pharmaceuticals, gems & jewellery textiles, organic chemi, cals, and machinery. While smartphones and pharmaceuticals enjoy zero tariffs now, most other sectors are subject to a 50% or higher duty . The US is the largest market for India’s garment exports, with exports worth $5.33 billion in FY25. The gems and jewellery sector exported goods worth $12 billion to the US in FY25 and now faces a 50% duty “The US is our single largest market,” . said Kirit Bhansali, chairman, GJEPC. The MSME sector is also feeling the heat. “The additional 25% penalty could cut exports by halfMSMEs exporting to the US,” said Anil Bhardwaj, secretary-general, FISME. India-US trade talks on Despite the tariff action, talks are on between India and the US for a trade deal. A US delegation will travel to India later this month. “We hope to find a middle ground,” said an official Putin to visit India, says Doval Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India soon, said National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Sources said both sides are looking at an early date for the visit ‘Wait for secondary sanctions’ Responding to a question on why India was singled out, US President Donald Trump said a lot more secondary sanctions are on the way BJP’s core outreach; Anoop, Shone in key panel E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram With an eye on upcoming elections, the state BJP on Thursday reconstituted its core committee, increasing minority representation and inducting young blood. Party veteran O Rajagopal and senior leader A N Radhakrishnan were dropped even as the committee was enlarged from 15 to 22 members. Though former state president C K Padmanabhan didn’t figure in the initial list, he was included after the omission drew attention and threatened to kick off a controversy Issuing a revised . list with his name, the BJP blamed clerical error for the omission. The communal equation seems to have been one of the central themes of the reconstitution. Keeping with its new-found bonhomie with the community, Christian representation went up from two to four. Anoop Antony and Shone George made their way into the committee in Senior leaders dropped Party veteran O Rajagopal and senior leader A N Radhakrishnan were dropped even as the committee was enlarged from 15 to 22 members. Former state head C K Padmanabhan, absent at first, was included later addition to existing members George Kurian and Anil K Antony. A P Abdullakutty is the lone Muslim face in the panel. One of the new inductees, Sobha Surendran is the lone woman leader in the core committ e e. R a j ya S a b h a M P C Sadanandan and general secretary S Suresh are among the new additions. The new panel has two special invitees - state prabhari Prakash Javadekar and saha prabhari Aparajita ● More on P4 Sarangi. 4 Christians Christian representation went up from two to four. Anoop Antony and Shone George made their way into the committee in addition to existing members George Kurian and Anil K Antony High drama as man jumps to death off metro bridge K r i s h n a K u m a r K E @ Kochi It was 2pm on Thursday when a man walked into Vadakkekotta metro station and bought a ticket to Tripunithura, just two halts away . Nothing seemed amiss, though only a few passengers normally travel to the last station from here or SN Junction. However, what made the security personnel at the platform suspicious was that the man missed at least three trains. He just stood close to the coaches as the doors opened and closed and the trains chugged away . “I walked up to him and asked where he was heading to. He looked calm until then. Suddenly, he turned violent and jumped onto the tracks before I could react,” the security staff told the police later. The passenger was later identified as 32-year old Nizar, son of Kunjumoideen and a resident of Varissery in Tirurangadi, Malappuram. The Kochi Metro uses a 750V DC third rail system for powering its trains. When he jumped on the tracks, Nizar ran the risk of getting electrocuted. However, the security staff quickly activated the emergency trip switch, switching off the power to the third rail, and alerted the operation control centre (OCC), to temporarily halt metro operations. However, Nizar kept running. After covering a distance of 150m, he positioned himself on a temporary platform by the tracks, some 18-20m above the road. The staff who followed him persuaded him to return to safety. However, Nizar seemed restless and kept fidgeting while clinging to the boundary wall rods. Mean- You can’t act like a crook, SC tells ED India Inc SOS to govt as US tariffs kick in DIPA K MO N DAL @ New Delhi Screen grab of the video showing the youth on the Kochi Metro rail bridge between Vadakkekotta and SN Jn stations on Thursday while, alerted by the security staff, police and fire force officials reached the scene. “The police officers tried to pacify him, but he kept threatening to jump. Realising he was not backing down, the fire fighters brought a safety net and held it open on the road below him,” Sasi Vellakkat, a resident and eyewitness, told TNIE. Suddenly Nizar moved right and , jumped off the tracks onto the road below, in what seemed like a deliberate attempt to evade the safety net. The fire force personnel tried to position the net to the spot he ultimately landed, but in vain. Nizar was rushed to the hospital, where he died. Nizar worked as a cleaning staff of a private firm in Kochi. He worked on contract basis and served different agencies. Nizar, who was single, is survived by his ● More on P4 parents. low conviction s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a nt y @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferring the maiden ‘M S Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace’ on Prof Ademola A Adenle, in New Delhi on Thursday | PTI Ready to pay heavy price to protect farmers: PM J i ten d r a C h o u be y @ New Delhi On a day the first half of the heavy US tariff on India kicked in, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was willing to bear any significant personal cost to defend the rights of farmers and the dairy sector. “I know that I will personally have to pay a heavy price. But I am ready for it,” Modi stated. “For us, the interests of farmers is the top priority India will never compromise on the . interests of farmers, dairy sector and fishermen,” the prime minister said in his address at the M S Swaminathan Centenary International Conference here. The sticking point in the trade deal with the US is India’s refusal to open up its farming sector. The US wants permission to sell genetically modified crops such as maize and soybean, and full access to India’s dairy market. Modi released a commemorative coin and stamp in the honour of the legendary agricultural scientist, Prof M S Swaminathan. He also established a global award, the ‘M S Swaminathan Award for Food and Peace’. The first edition of the award was conferred on Prof Ademola A Adenle for his efforts in combating hunger in Nigeria. The PM highlighted the achievements of yesteryear scientists in making the country self-sufficient in food and urged young scientists to focus on India’s nutritional security . Lula agrees to scale up ties Brazilian President Luiz In’cio Lula da Silva called up PM Modi. They agreed to boost bilateral ties in trade, tech, energy, defence, agri and health at a time when both nations face 50% US tariff WHILE flagging low conviction rates in cases investigated by the Enforcement Directorate, the Supreme Court on Thursday lambasted the central agency and said it cannot act like a “crook” and has to confine itself within the four corners of law. “You cannot act like a crook. You have to work within the four corners of law. There is a difference between law-enforcing authorities and law-violating bodies,” said a three-judge bench headed by Justice Surya Kant. The bench, also comprising justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh, made these observations while hearing submissions on the maintainability of a batch of review petitions filed by Karti P Chidambaram and others challenging the validity of the 2022 Vijay Madanalal Chaudhary (VMC) judgment which upheld various provisions under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) granting ED power of arrest. Slamming ED for its low rate of convictions, Justice Bhuyan, quoting a minister’s reply in Parliament, quipped: “After 5,000 cases, less than 10 convictions. Why? We are equally concerned about the image of the ED.” The bench stressed that there is a difference between law enforcement agencies and those who violate it. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for ED, said one of the reasons for low conviction rates in PMLA cases is that the “rich and powerful use a battery of lawyers and file many applications at different stages to protract the proceedings.” Justice Bhuyan said, “At the end of 5-6 years of judicial custody, if people are acquitted, who will pay for this?” Justice Kant said the solution was dedicated courts akin to TADA and POTA courts for expeditious disposal. The hearing will continue next week. Kerala’s GSDP growth slows, lowest in south RA J E SH A B RAHAM @Kochi Call it a double whammy Kerala recorded an econom. ic growth rate of 6.19% in real terms in the 2024-25 fiscal, as per the revised estimates of the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) for various states. The state’s latest Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth not only declined from 6.73% recorded a year ago — in FY24, but it was also the lowest in South India. Significantly Kerala’s GSDP for , 2023-24 is an upward revision from 6.52% reported by the state economics and statistics department. India’s GDP Though there was growth rate was 6.3% in 2024-25. a minor dip in Among southern states, Tamil Nadu Kerala’s GST posted a robust 11.19% growth in 2024collection in 25 and is the fastest growing state 2024-25, overall economy in the country. Andhra national Pradesh (8.21%), Telangana (8.08%), performance Karnataka (7.37%) and Odisha (6.84%), remained robust. were also ahead of Kerala This growth in tax As per MOSPI, Kerala GSDP for revenue reflects improved 2024-25 at current prices (nominal formalisation and GSDP) grew by 9.97%, lower than the economic projected growth of 11.7% over 2023-24 resilience in the budget early this year. The state’s nominal GSDP stood at K Ravi Raman, expert member, Kerala `12,48,533 crore against the budget State Planning Board projection of `13,11,437 crore. Nominal GSDP refers to the total value of goods and services produced within a state, measured in the prices of the current year. This means the values are not adjusted for inflation and reflect the actual market prices prevalent during 2024-25. K Ravi Raman, expert member, Kerala State Planning Board, said the state’s long-term growth trajectory shows improvement – its GSDP was only growing at 4.26% in 2014-15. This reflects economic resilience at national and state levels, he said. “India recorded its highest-ever GST collection in 2024-25, with revenues nearly ● More on P4 doubling compared to 2020-21,” he said. Year Kerala GSDP growth (%) 2024-25 6.19 2023-24 6.73 2022-23 5.71 2021-22 11.78 2020-21 8.49 GSDP growth of other big states in 2024-25 (%) Tamil Nadu 11.19 AP 8.21 Telangana 8.08 Karnataka 7.37 Odisha 6.84 West Bengal 6.8 India GDP growth India registered GDP growth rate of 6.3% in 2024-25 Source: Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
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