thursdAY Donald Trump threatens to impose reciprocal tax on India 19 december, 2024 $77.51 bn epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard India’s exports to u.s. in fy24, while imports aggregated at $42.2 billion X.com/TheMornStandard russia Uzbek man held for gen’s murder Russia said on Wednesday that it has detained an Uzbek national recruited by Ukrainian intel services in the killing of a senior general in Moscow. Page 9 The US President-elect said India charges ‘a lot’, adding that he would retaliate with the same tax that New Delhi imposes on import of US products Reciprocity to be key for next u.s. govt A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS l New Delhi l J8.00 l “Reciprocal. If they tax us, we tax them the same amount. They tax us, We tax them. They’re taxing us, and we haven’t been taxing them,” Trump told reporters. “Perhaps the most important element of my plan to make America extraordinarily wealthy again is reciprocity. It’s a word that’s very important in my plan because we generally don’t charge tariffs,” he said PAGES 12 Modi raps Cong 13 killed as Navy boat rams ferry over demand for Shah’s axe S U D HIR S UR YA W A N S HI @ Mumbai 1 R A J E S H KUM A R TH A KUR @ New Delhi Narendra Modi Amit Shah Mallikarjun Kharge X issues notices The Congress and some of its leaders received notices from X for sharing certain video clips of Shah’s RS speech on their handles. Sources said X referred to the notice it received from MHA’s Cyber Crime Coordination Centre for removal of the content, citing violation of laws Hours after the Congress demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation on Wednesday over alleged ‘insult’ of Dr B R Ambedkar in his Rajya Sabha address the previous evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly defended him, saying Shah had instead exposed the Congress’ dark history of disrespecting the architect of the Constitution, leaving the Opposition “stung and stunned”. In a series of posts on X, Modi said, “If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think their malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!” The day began with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanding that Modi sack Shah before midnight if the minister does not quit on his own. “If there is no resignation, there will be protests all over the country Ba. basaheb belongs to everyone because he used to talk about every person of society including , Dalits, the oppressed and the deprived. He had sympathy for everyone,” Kharge said. Shah had launched a broadside against the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, saying: “It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar’. If they had taken God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven.” Hitting back at the Congress, the PM said, “The people of India have seen time and again how one party led by one dynasty has indulged , , in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities.” Getting Ambedkar defeated in elections not once but twice; Nehru campaigning against him and making his loss a prestige issue; denying him the Bharat Ratna; and not allowing his portrait the pride of place in Parliament’s Central Hall are some of the many sins committed by the Congress,” he added. In his pushback, the Union home minister accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of forcing Kharge to go after him. “Kharge should not have supported this nefarious effort of the Congress in spreading false and distorted statements. I am very sad that you (Kharge) have also joined this under the pressure of Rahul Gandhi.”  P7 2 3 1. The Navy’s speed boat that lost control and crashed into the passenger ferry Neel Kamal. 2. The ferry capsizes after the collision. 3. Passengers of the ferry being rescued | pti Ashwin’s big spin: Goodbye to international cricket G o m e s h S @ Brisbane JPC Priyanka Gandhi in House panel The Congress MP from Wayanad will be among the 21 LS members who will be part of the joint committee of Parliament that will scrutinise two bills on simultaneous polls. It will also have 10 RS members | P7 In yet another poll promise, Kejriwal says free healthcare for 60 and above Anup verma @ New Delhi AAP national convener and former CM Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced the ‘Sanjivani Yojna,’ a scheme that will provide free treatment for people above 60 years of age if the party wins the upcoming Assembly polls and retains power in the national capital. “The ‘Sanjivani Yojna’ will cover all medical expenses for treatment in both private and government hospitals, without any income or socio-economic restrictions,” he stated. Kejriwal emphasised that many people worry about affording their medical care as they age. He noted even individuals from affluent families Sanjivani yojna fineprint Free treatment for all senior citizens in govt and pvt hosps; no upper limit Costs will be fully covered by govt Over 25 lakh senior citizens likely to benefit, irrespective of their income Any senior citizen holding a Delhi voter ID is eligible often face neglect from their children in their later years. He also confirmed that there would be no restrictions based on Below Poverty Line, Above Poverty Line, Targeted Public Distribution System or any other classification. All senior citizens, regardless of their financial situation, will receive Four naval helicopters, 11 naval craft, one Coast Guard boat and three Marine Police boats were involved in rescue efforts —Navy statement free treatment, with no upper limit on the expenses. The Delhi government will fully cover the costs of their healthcare. “Registration for this scheme will start within two-three days. Volunteers from the AAP will visit your homes, complete registration, and provide you with a card. Keep this card safe. After the elections, this scheme will be passed as soon as our government is formed,” the former CM said. Kejriwal highlighted that under the scheme, over 25 lakh senior citizens are expected to benefit, with no restrictions based on income or socio-economic status. Any senior citizen holding a Delhi voter ID will be eligible for the scheme. I ntrigue and suspense, the moments leading up to the revelation seemed like an episode right out of the pages of mystery books. It all started as murmurs as if something unexpected was going to happen. It seemed like a premonition. The cameras in the stadium that seem to be omnipresent and miss nothing panned it on an emotional conversation between two luminaries of Indian cricket — R Ashwin and Virat Kohli here at the Gabba. The veil was lifted when Ashwin walked out with the India skipper Rohit Sharma for the after-match press briefing. Someone retiring midway is rare but knowing Ashwin, the announcement wasn’t a surprise. He dropped the bomb- shell, just like taking wickets, out of nowhere. After spending years at the highest echelon of the sport, he would not want to travel if his services are not needed. Ashwin, having been a part of the India setup for 14 years, had evidently informed Rohit that if he is not needed going forward, it was time to hang up his boots. In fact, he had spoken to the captain about it in Perth, where Washington Sundar played ahead of him, but Rohit had convinced Ashwin to stay on for pink ball Test. After 765 wickets in 277 appearances for India across formats in 14 years, Ashwin decided to call it a day in inter national cricket. “This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the inter- 2 Indian Joined Anil Kumble in 500-Testwicket club in 98 matches during the series against England in Feb 2024 NSA Ajit Doval with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing | PTI IN what is seen as a major step towards normalisation of India-China ties, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held “substantive discussions” during the Special Representatives dialogue in Beijing on Wednesday . Constituted in 2003, the Special Representatives (SRs) meeting is regarded as significant as it is the only structured engagement between the two countries to restore relations. During their meeting, the first such event after a gap of five years, the two SRs discussed a range of issues, including the management of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control and normalisation of relations that remained frayed after the border clash in eastern Ladakh in 2020. ‘The SRs positively affirmed the implementation of Fast-track Became the fastest cricketer to reach 250, 300 and 500 Test wickets the latest disengagement agreement of October 2024, resulting in patrolling and grazing in relevant areas. The SRs reiterated the importance of maintaining a political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship while seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework for settlement of the boundary ques- Six-point consensus, says China China and India reached a six-point consensus during the talks, the Chinese foreign ministry said, adding both sides agreed to “continue to take measures to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and promote stable development of bilateral relations” Tests: Matches 106, Wkts 537 ODI: Matches 116, Wkts 156 T20I: Matches 65,Wkts 72 The cricketer in me, the Indian cricketer, international cricketer might have come to an end, but the cricket nut in me will never come to an end Ashwin while addressing his teammates in dressing room Border talks back on track as Doval meets Wang in Beijing M AYA NK S INGH @ New Delhi national level. I do feel there is a bit of a punch left in me as a cricketer but I would like to expose and probably showcase that in club level cricket but this will be the last day Ash,” win said after third Test. With 11 Player of the Series awards and 537 wickets, Ashwin goes down as one of the biggest match-winners of his generation in the longest format. Ashwin thanked his teammates, in particular Rohit, Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, the BCCI and all the coaches involved. “As a cricketer, I’ve just stopped but I might go on to be involved with the game because this is a game that’s given me everything. Thank you,” he signed off. Like he said in a short video posted by BCCI, “the cricket in me will never come to an end” adding “if you need anything I am just a call away”.  P11 Was the first bowler to reach 100 wickets in the World Test Championship, reaching the mark in March 2022 nd Figures Attacks Kharge claim on Ambedkar’s insult Thirteen people, including four women and two children, were killed after a speed boat of the Indian Navy crashed into a passenger ferry boat near the Gateway of India in Mumbai on Wednesday Sourc. es said there were over 100 people on board the ferry which was carrying passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination. As many as 99 were rescued and admitted in various hospitals. The condition of four is critical, sources said. According to a Navy statement, one Naval personnel and two from the Original Equipment Manufacturer on board the Naval craft were also killed in the accident. It added that its boat was undergoing engine trials when it lost control and collided with the ferry, Neel Kamal, off Karanja near Mumbai coast. The distance between Gateway of India to Elephanta Island is 30 km and it takes around 45 minutes to cover. Sources said the Navy’s boat first circled around the passenger boat and then crashed into it, causing the ferry to capsize. Narrating the horrific incident to this newspaper, a rescued passenger said the incident took place about 10 km away from the Gateway of India. “The speed boat directly hit the passenger ferry and sea water rushed into the boat. The crew members told us to wear life-saving jackets to avoid drowning. Then the boat sank tion, and resolved to inject more vitality into this process,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The MEA said both sides exchanged views on bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest. “They provided positive directions for crossborder cooperation and exchanges including resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on transborder rivers and border trade. They agreed on the salience of stable, predictable and amicable India-China relations for regional and global peace and prosperity it added. ,” and everyone was in utter panic trying to save their lives. We struggled a lot to keep afloat. Later, local fishermen and the rescue teams of the Navy and Coast Guard arrived,” he said. Another passenger said they were not given life jackets initially. “Only when the boat started sinking did the boat’s crew start distributing them to the passengers. There were several children in the boat. The quick rescue operation saved many lives,” he said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the rescue team succeeded in saving several passengers. He also declared financial assistance of `5 lakh to the kin of victims of the tragedy from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Official sources said an FIR under relevant sections of the new criminal code BNS was registered at the Colaba police station against the Navy speed boat driver and others responsible for the tragedy . Elderly couple dead in huge house blaze S h e k h a r S i n g h @ New Delhi An elderly couple died after a fire broke out in a three-storey residential building in south Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave on Wednesday police said. , The deceased were identified as Govind Ram Nagpal (80) and his wife Sela Nagpal (78). Police said that Govind Ram was a retired private firm employee and Sheela had worked with Vidhya Niketan. According to Atul Garg, Chief of Delhi Fire Service (DFS), the department received a distress call about the fire in B2 Block at 6.01 am following which three fire tenders were rushed to the spot. “The fire originated in household items on the third floor. Despite efforts to control the flames, two occupants were tragically found dead on the spot,” Garg stated. Another fire official told this newspaper that the the exact cause of the blaze remains under investigation. DCP (Southwest) Surendra Choudhary said the couple’s son, Vineet Nagpal, stays in the US. “The crime team and FSL teams have collect ed evidence for the probe,” he said. Express read Punjab farmers block tracks, train traffic hit Train services in Punjab were hit as farmers blocked tracks on Wednesday to press the Centre to accept their various demands, including a legally binding MSP for crops. Meanwhile, the Punjab government told the SC farm leaders declined its talks offer. Khalid granted 7-day interim bail to attend family wedding S h e k h a r S i n g h @ New Delhi A court on Wednesday granted interim bail to former JNU student leader Umar Khalid in a UAPA case linked to the alleged conspiracy behind the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma court granted Khalid a seven-day bail from December 28 to January 3 to attend his cousin’s wedding. Khalid was instructed to provide a personal bond of `20,000 and two sure- ties of the same amount. As part of his bail conditions, he was prohibited from using social media, contacting witnesses, or engaging with anyone related to the case. “During the interim bail period, the applicant shall not use social media. The applicant shall only meet his family members, relatives and friends. Applicant shall remain at his home or the places where the ceremonies of the marriage, as mentioned, by him will take place,” read the order.