TUESDAY TAHAWWUR RANA WAS IN MUMBAI TO OVERSEE 26/11 CARNAGE 08 Tahawwur Rana, the 26/11 mastermind, has admitted he was present in Mumbai during the 2008 attacks as a trusted agent of Pakistan JULY, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard RUSSIA SACKED MINISTER DIES BY SUICIDE Transport minister was found dead in what authorities said was an apparent suicide hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by Putin. PAGE 9 Even as Rana remains under NIA custody in Tihar Jail, his statement was recorded by Mumbai Police Crime Branch. Rana told interrogators that he had conducted many reconnaissance missions of several areas in Mumbai ahead of the 2008 attacks and was present in the area when Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked terrorists attacked the Taj Hotel and went on a rampage. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS SC to hear pleas against Bihar EC fiat on Thursday Bench says timeline has no sanctity as polls for the state assembly are yet to be notified S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi WHY FRESH EXERCISE? “Bihar’s voter list was finalised in January 2025. The ECI itself acknowledged this. Revisions were made until June. Then, suddenly, it was discarded… Without any proof, without discrepancies, 70 million voters now have to prove citizenship again,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said This is mass scale rigging and mischief being carried out by the ECI, under instructions from the ruling regime... It has wreaked havoc across the villages and towns of Bihar K C Venugopal, Cong ‘CONDUCTED MANY SURVEILLANCE MISSIONS’ THE Supreme Court on Monday decided to hear on July 10, Thursday a batch of pleas chal, lenging an order of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The batch of petitions included a joint Opposition plea filed on Monday Its signatories . are K C Venugopal of the Congress, Supriya Sule of NCP (Sharad Pawar), Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT), Harinder Malik of Samajwadi Party Sarfraz Ahmed of JMM, D Raja of , CPI and Dipankar Bhattacharya of CPI (ML). Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the pleas filed before a two-judge bench comprising justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi. “We will have it on Thursday,” the bench said. Sibal urged the court to issue a notice to the ECI, adding it will be impossible for the people to meet the tight timeline for enumeration. Other lawyers who made their submissions were Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shadan Farasat and Gopal Shankarnarayanan. They argued that voters who fail to submit their forms with the specified documents will face the harsh consequence of being deleted from the electoral roll, even if they have voted in elections for the last 20 years. Singhvi said while the size of the electorate is 8 crore, as many as 4 crore will have to do the enumeration. “The timeline is so strict — by July 25 if you don’t give, you will be out,” Singhvi pointed out. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for another petitioner, said the poll panel was not accepting Aadhaar cards and voter ID cards as proof for the enumeration. The bench, however, contended that the timeline “doesn’t have sanctity as elections have not been notified as yet”. It asked the petitioners to give advance notice to the counsel for the ECI. Apart from the joint petition by Opposition leaders, at least five other pleas have been filed, including those by the Association For Democratic Reforms, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, and activist Yogendra Yadav.  NEW DELHI Countries aligning with BRICS policies will be charged an additional 10% tariff LETTERS FIRED US President Donald Trump on Monday signed letters addressed to the leaders of 14 countries, announcing higher tariffs from August 1. Trump shared screenshots of 7 signed letters mentioning the new tariff rates for Myanmar and Laos (40% each); South Africa (30%); Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan (25% each). White House said more letters will be sent | P10 AUG 1 HIGHER TARIFFS ON 7 COUNTRIES FROM AUG 1  J8.00 J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi HOURS after the BRICS leaders criticised the unilateral trade actions and Israel’s military strikes in Iran, US President Donald Trump late on Sunday night threatened to slap an additional 10% tariff on countries that support the ‘anti-American policies’ of the bloc. “Any country aligning themselves with the AntiAmerican policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social. He did not specify which policies were “anti-American” or which STOP ILLEGAL SAND MINING IN YAMUNA IMMEDIATELY: GUPTA AMID growing concerns over illegal sand mining in the Yamuna River areas near the Delhi-UP border, CM Rekha Gupta has written to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath urging him to take immediate steps to curb the activity . She has highlighted that such illegal activities are weakening the river’s embankments, thereby increasing the risk of flooding. She has also apprised Adityanath of the concerns the National Green Tribunal raised in the recent past. Gupta emphasised that it is causing severe ecological damage, posing significant challenges to the river’s future. She pointed out that populations living along the 166 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE 26/11 ATTACKS IN MUMBAI PAGES 12 Trump threatens extra 10% tariff on BRICS allies LETTER TO YOGI A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi  Yamuna banks are directly impacted by the changes resulting from this environmental disruption. Calling it an inter-state issue, the CM underlined the need for a coordinated and joint enforcement mechanism between the two governments to address and control illegal sand mining. Stating that “with your support, we can find an effective solution to this issue”, she also requested the UP CM to instruct his officials to initiate a joint interstate demarcation process to clearly define jurisdictional boundaries, allowing for synchronised administrative efforts by both states to safeguard the region’s ecological balance. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 PROBE ORDERED AGAINST SENA MINISTER Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an inquiry against Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat and his son for buying a luxury hotel worth `110 crore much below its value for `67 crore in Sambhaji Nagar by rigging the entire tender process | P8 A file picture of damaged buildings in a residential area after heavy rainfall in Mandi district; (left) Relief material being sent by a helicopter to flood-ravaged residents on Monday | PTI countries would be targeted. Trump’s threat followed BRICS joint declaration at the summit in Brazil, where member states including India, Brazil, China, Russia, South Africa, and several new entrants criticised protectionist trade practices and foreign military interventions. Without naming the US, the statement voiced “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules.” The bloc reaffirmed its support for an inclusive trading system and rejected ‘punitive and discriminatory protectionist measures’. IN NUMBERS 1.06 CR VOTERS IN JAN 1.56 CR REGISTERED ’25 REGISTERED VOTERS IN 2008 DEAD/MIGRATED VOTERS IN 17 YEARS: 18 LAKH APPX. (APPX 1 L PER ANNUM) 68 L APPX New/altered entries in this period The declaration issued at Rio, Brazil on Sunday during the summit of BRICS leaders said the proliferation of traderestrictive actions “threatens to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities”. This is not the first time Trump has targeted BRICS. In June, he threatened to slap 100% tariffs on countries that move to replace the US dollar as the global reserve currency . BRICS, originally formed to amplify the voice of major emerging economies, has since expanded beyond its core members to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. P7 WHAT ERO, ASST ERO CAN DO In case of non-submission of documents, can issue notice to proposed electors Based on field inquiry, with or without documentation, can decide on including electors in final rolls Can pass speaking order in each case Can refer suspected foreign nationals to competent authority under Citizenship Act 40% of Delhi voters to face citizenship test in roll revision exercise A S H I S H S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi has been added in successive revisions, bringing the net of new or altered entries close to 68 lakh. The figure represents over 40% of the current electors. “We omit at least a lakh names every year from the rolls due to death or migration. If we consider the difference in the voter count between 2008 and now, it adds up to 70 lakh individuals whose credentials need review,” said a senior poll official. THE upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi’s electoral roll will be a comprehensive exercise requiring millions of city residents to prove their citizenship and local residency to retain their right to vote. According to officials involved in the planning, the exercise will put nearly 68 lakh voters under scrutiny, effectively testing their eligibility to reWe omit at NRC dressed up as main on the electoral least a lakh voter roll revision? rolls. As reported by names every this newspaper on year from the Under the new procerolls due to dure, individuals not July 6, the Election death or listed in the 2008 roll will Commission has notimigration receive enumeration fied March 2008 as the forms requiring them to cut-off date for the rePoll official submit detailed docuvision, aligning Delhi’s process with a similar mentation to their respective and controversial effort al- Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). Failure to furnish ready underway in Bihar. Delhi had 1.06 crore regis- the required proof may result tered voters in 2008. That has in these individuals being surged to 1.56 crore in the latest flagged as suspected foreign naelectoral roll published this tionals, a clause that has drawn January Over the past 17 years, strong comparisons with the . around 18 lakh voters have ei- National Register of Citizens ther died or migrated, officials (NRC) process. say. Roughly an equal number CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 FRICTION POINT Punjab no to CISF security at Bhakra dam, may spark row H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh THE Punjab cabinet on Monday withdrew the consent for the deployment of CISF at the Bhakra Nangal Dam granted by the previous Congress government. The move is being seen as a potential stage for confrontation between the AAP and the Central government. In May, the Centre had approved the deployment of 296 CISF personnel for the dam’s security . The Congress government had given consent on October 21, 2021, when Charanjit Singh Channi was the CM. After the cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Punjab Police is a valiant force and capable of securing the dam, thus, the consent is being withdrawn. “This anti-state stance was a sheer humiliation for the state as the Punjab Police was fully capable of guarding the dams,” he added. Cheema said that the cabinet vehemently opposed the decision to deploy the outsourced CISF at the dam, adding that the state government would not pay a single penny for deployment of this force. The cabinet also decided to bring in a bill in the upcoming Special Session of the Assembly that will allow bullock cart races in the Kila Raipur games, also referred to as the Rural Olympics. The ban on bullock cart races had been in place since 2014. It also gave nod for creation of 3,600 posts of Special Educator Teachers at Primary & Secondary level. EXPRESS READ India-UK FTA on focus during PM’s July visit PM Narendra Modi is expected to visit the UK in the last week of July, sources said, in what is likely to be a key moment for India-UK ties as both sides prepare to formalise their long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA). | P7 IndiGo pilot falls ill before take-off An IndiGo pilot steering a flight from Delhi to Pune fell ill inside the cockpit just before the takeoff on Friday. An alternative pilot was assigned to fly the A321 Neo flight. The flight was delayed by four hours and five minutes. DAILY SOAP Rescue ops on to trace 30 missing Kyunki neta again abhineta, Smriti back as Tulsi people after cloudbursts in Himachal K A R T I K B H A R A D W A J @ Mumbai H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh SEARCH and rescue operations in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh were intensified on Monday with the use of drones and sniffer dogs to trace 30 people who went missing after cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc in the Thunag, Gohar, and Karsog subdivisions last week. A team of 250 personnel from the National and State Disaster Response Forces, Army, IndoTibetan Border Police, and Home Guards, along with the administration and locals, are part of the rescue work. ‘Issue regular updates’ CM Sukhu has directed officials to issue regular weather updates and to counter misinformation circulating on social media The disaster resulted in the death of 52 people, with 78 reported deaths since the onset of the monsoon on June 20. Meanwhile, a 10-month-old infant, Nitika, was rescued from the debris of her home in Talwara village. Her father, Ramesh Kumar, was found dead, while her mother and grandmother are still untraced. The infant is currently being taken care of by her aunt. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed concern over the rising incidents of cloudbursts across the state. The local weather office issued a yellow warning for heavy rain at isolated places in four districts of Una, Hamirpur, Solan and Sirmaur districts till Wednesday . As many as 235 roads are closed in the state, of which 176 were in Mandi district alone. Besides, 163 transformers were affected in the state. ACTOR-POLITICIAN Smriti Irani will be returning to play the role of Tulsi Virani in the reboot of Ektaa Kapoor’s 2000s iconic daily soap, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. “Some journeys come full circle, not for nostalgia, but for purpose. Returning to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is not just a step back into a role, but a return to a story that redefined Indian television and reshaped my own life,” Smriti said in a statement. “Today, I stand at a crossroads where experience meets emotion, and creativity meets conviction. I return not just as an actor, but as someone who Straddled two powerful platforms in 25 years Smriti said she straddled two powerful platforms — media and public policy — in the last 25 years, adding both have their own impact with “each demanding a different kind of commitment” believes in the power of storytelling to spark change, preserve culture, and build empathy she added. ,” The show will to return to its original platform, Star Plus, on July 28. Other than Smriti, the serial will also star Amar Upadhyay, who will return in the role of Mihir. Hiten Tejwani, and Gauri Pradhan will also be seen reprising their roles from Smriti’s first look as Tulsi in Kyunki the show’s original version. In a recent media interaction, Smriti revealed that there were talks about a reboot to the series in 2014, but she had to reject the offer because of her sojourn into politics. However, Ektaa took to social media to claim that such an idea wasn’t in the works at all. She later deleted the post. Smriti, who served as Union minister across multiple portfolios from 2014 to 2024, lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi to Sonia Gandhi family loyalist Kishori Lal Sharma by over 1.5 lakh votes, a constituency she had wrested from Rahul Gandhi in 2019. With her return to acting, does this mean a sabbatical from politics, or is it just a calm before the 2029 storm, Kyunki Actor Bhi Kabhi Politician Thi? ‘Kyunki’ aired from 2000 to 2008 and was the most successful serial of its time, with TRPs in double digits for many years.