Front Page
The big news break of Thursday was: “Trump terms India’s high tariffs on U.S. products unacceptable”. The Indian Express, The Hindu and Hindustan Times make it their lead.
“A day ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, writes HT, Trump “sent a tough message to India on Thursday, describing retaliatory tariff hikes imposed on American products by New Delhi as “unacceptable” and demanding their withdrawal.”
Trump’s tweet was “referring to the tariffs India had levied on 28 goods, including walnuts, pulses and almonds, starting June 16”, informs The Hindu.
Express describes the US President’s response as “blistering” and says it is “the first time that Trump has put out a critical tweet ahead of a meeting with Modi”.
TOI leaves the news for its inside pages, but publishes a graphic on page 1 with the heading: “Trump slams India for tariffs, 5 reasons why he’s wrong.”
Among them are “India has cut import duties to well below the rate committed to World Trade Organisation”, “Like India, US too imposes high tariff on specific items” and “India’s average import duty is comparable with that of other developing economies.”
The other big news of the day — the Maratha quota — also gets prominence.
The Maharashtra High Court’s “landmark” decision to allow Maratha quota “brings into question the post-Mandal judicial firewall against quotas exceeding a 50% ceiling”, writes the TOI, adding, the Maratha reservation has been “a matter of prolonged discord and political debate in the state.”
HT gives details of the court’s observation. “In exceptional circumstances, the 50 per cent (limit) can be exceeded if it is based on quantifiable data,” it writes.
The quota, said the court, “should not exceed 12% for education and 13% for jobs as recommended by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission,” says The Hindu.
Despite this, “Maharashtra now has the second highest quantum of caste-based reservations in the country”, (HT) with the passing of this judgment.
HT and Express agree that reservation in the state is now at 64-65%, but TOI says it “stands at 70%, including the 10% for economically weaker sections.”
The judgment is especially unusual because “quotas given to several protesting communities — Jats, Gujjars and Patidars — have been quashed by the higher judiciary because they violated the 50% ceiling set by the apex court” (HT).
TOI is more dramatic, saying, “The order could change the face of the reservation regime — unless reviewed by the Supreme Court.” TOI is also the only paper to call it a “landmark” decision and a “paradigm buster”.
Barring the Express, no other paper points out that Marathas form the single largest caste block in Maharashtra, accounting for 30 per cent of the population.
In its ‘Explained’, it notes “the Assembly elections are due in Maharashtra in October” and that the “order is likely to benefit the BJP-Shiv Sena-led government and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who can claim credit for fulfilling the quota promise.”
Other news
HT is the only paper that gives prominence to the murder of a Congress leader in Haryana: “Haryana Cong leader shot dead near Faridabad gym,” While TOI gives it less than a single column space on page 1, the Express doesn’t carry it on page 1.
“Haryana Congress spokesperson Vikas Chaudhary (41) was gunned down by two unidentified men as he was parking his car outside a gym in Faridabad, barely 300 metres from his house”, reports TOI.
HT adds, “Haryana police said personal enmity could be the reason behind the murder” and “connected to Chaudhary’s criminal background.”
Opinion
TOI: In ‘Listen to Rahul’, TOI says it’s time for Congress to find a leadership outside the Gandhi family. TOI highlights how the Congress needs to move on from Rahul Gandhi, considering the Gandhi dynasty “is no longer yielding electoral dividends.” The Congress needs “organisational elections and new leadership” and it is time it makes drastic changes and looks for alternatives.
TOI suggests appointing a working president and also to undertake a restructuring of the party. With Haryana and Maharashtra state elections this year, “the party needs a new leader who is willing to take up the challenge”.
Hindustan Times: In ‘Trade War will dominate G20’, HT says tariffs will be a major issue in the G20 summit as Donald Trump’s “economic vision has narrowed to this single issue.” This summit will particularly pit Trump against Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump has also criticised every major economy at the G20 for unfair trade practices, which has deflected attention from “the dangers of economic global growth,” much of which is the US’s fault.
While almost all economies are “privately supportive” of Trump’s attack on China, his attack on all G20 economies is not getting him anywhere. There are important global trade matters to be discussed and yet this summit will all be about how countries best manage “Trump’s trade tantrums.”
Prime Time
A video purportedly showing inmates in Punjab’s Ludhiana district jail and Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao jail taking law into their hands dominated prime time Thursday. Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir was also discussed..
Republic Bharat: On #ShahMissionKashmir, Arnab Goswami claimed that Amit Shah made a bold move by visiting families of soldiers killed in Kashmir: “Shah has sent out a very positive message by visiting the families of those who serve and die for the country.”
Defense expert Major General (retired) G.D. Bakshi said, “Talks and violence (in Kashmir valley) can’t go hand in hand.”
He added grandly “those who have been traitors of the country will have to pay now.”
Political analyst from Kashmir Irfan Hafiz Lone wondered if Shah’s visit to families would “ensure that innocent people are not killed in the valley”.
Times Now also brought up Shah’s visit to bereaved families. John Dayal, human rights activist, said on ‘Upfront’ that “it’s a good step. The optics are very good. The next step is to understand what the crisis is and take the required steps”.
Sambit Patra, BJP national spokesperson, called out those he called “Aman ki Asha brigade”: “(they) who burn candles on both sides. As far as peace is concerned it’s a business for them”.
Aaj Tak: Anchor Anjana Om Kashyap criticised UP’s poor law and order situation.
However, BJP spokesperson, Rakesh Tripathi, tried to defend Yogi Adityanath’s government: “I won’t defend these videos, they are shameful but we have broken the back of crime in UP — these videos show that criminals fear the police.”
Praja Socialist Party spokesperson C.P. Rai said, “These jails are the hotspot for crime and violence.”
CNN News 18: Anchor Maha Siddiqui shifted the focus to the water crisis in Chennai.
Jayaram Venkatesan, water conservationist, said, “There is absolute a lack of political will to change the situation.”
Vimlendu Jha, founder of Swechha, added it was “convenient” for the government to call the situation a drought. “You blame climate change but it is largely a water crisis that has been going on for a long time,” he said.
Environmentalist Vandana Shiv talked about water theft: “It has spelt doom for us. By and large, big cities have been water consumers, not conservers. I think it is time to stop the water theft.”
Mirror Now: Anchor Tanvi Shukla switched to the issue of Trinamool Congress MP Nusrat Jahan being trolled for personal reasons: why not question women MPs for their work instead of their clothes and choice of spouse, she asked.
A.S. Fathima, member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said, “I don’t know where this country is heading. It’s her personal decision…Who are these trollers and which religion do they belong to? What are they trying to convey? Even I was trolled because I spoke against triple talaq.”
BJP’s Shazia Ilmi gave a standard reply, “The Constitution gives us the liberty to live our lives the way we want to.”
Muslim cleric Ilyas Sharafuddin insisted that everyone has to abide by certain rules and regulations “if you call yourself a Muslim”.
With inputs from Taran Deol, Harshit Mansukhani, Triya Gulati, and Rachel John.