DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 FIRST PUBLIC REMARKS AFTER TRUMP DOUBLES TARIFF PM draws the line: Won’t compromise on our interests, ready to pay heavy personal price Agri,dairystickingpointsintradetalks, Modisaysfarmerinteresttoppriority India’s strategy: Remain quiet, don’t give in, wait it out for now P VAIDYANATHAN IYER NEW DELHI, AUGUST 7 US PRESIDENT Donald Trump may have doubled the tariffs on Indiato50percent,butNewDelhi isnotalarmedorunduly perturbed; rather the government seems to be prepared to wait it out for the next few weeks or more — deal withhisincreasingfrustration by remaining calm. Simultaneously, it has taken an unequivocal call that Trump cannot tell India not to trade HARIKISHAN SHARMA NEW DELHI, AUGUST 7 IN FIRST public remarks after US President Donald Trump doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent ahead of more negotiations for a trade deal that has run into Indian red lines in sensitive areassuchasagricultureanddairy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that the country “will never compromise on the interests of its farmers, livestock rearers and fisherfolk”. He said heknewhe“personallywillhave topayaveryheavyprice”,buthe was “ready for it”. In his address at the M S Swaminathan Centenary InternationalConferenceinNew Delhi, Modi said, “Hamare liye apne kisanon ka hit sarvochch prathmikta hai. Bharat apne kisanon ke, pashupalakon ke aur machhuaron bhai-behnon ke hiton ke saath kabhi bhi samjhauta nahin karega. Aur mai jaanta hoon, vyaktigat roop se mujhe bahut badi keemat chukaanee padegee,lekinmaiiskeliyetaiyaar hoon. Mere desh ke kisanon ke liye, mere desh ke machhuaron ke liye, mere desh ke pashupalakon ke liye aaj Bharat taiyaar hai.” (For us, the interests of our CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE EDITORIAL PAGE BRACING UP India must continue trade talks with US. But who it does business with must be guided only by national interests PAGE8 RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, AUGUST 7 DUTY-FREE MARKET access to UScotton,acceptingagricultural items under limited quotas — these are among the possible concessions that the industry has suggested ahead of the crucial round of negotiations later this month when the US team is expected to arrive in India, The Indian Express has learnt. Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had sought suggestions from industry executives on ways to sweeten the trade deal with the US. Whilesomesectorshaveproposed incentives to accommo- BY UNNY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Can give Modi some advice: Netanyahu on dealing with Trump THE WORLD PUTIN SAYS HOPE TO MEET TRUMP, WHITE HOUSE PRESSES FOR PEACE DEAL PAGE 19 Duty-free access to US cotton, agri items’ quota likely on talks table date US products, industry sourcessaidtherecentescalation in tension between New Delhi and Washington — due to additional tariffs over the Russian oil trade — is turning popular sentiment against a trade deal. Importing duty-free US cotton is one of the areas being suggestedtothegovernment,which CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with India’s Ambassador to Israel J P Singh, in Jerusalem. PTI SHUBHAJIT ROY JERUSALEM, AUGUST 7 CALLING PRIME Minister NarendraModiandUSPresident Donald Trump his “terrific friends”, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he would give BANGALORE CENTRAL LOK SABHA SEAT BUSINESS AS USUAL E EXPLAINED PM Narendra Modi releases a stamp commemorating the birth centenary of M S Swaminathan in New Delhi, Thursday. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Swaminathan’s daughter Soumya Swaminathan were also present. ANI with Russia or distance itself from BRICS. “These are India’s sovereign decisions.Wewillneversacrifice our sovereignty,” said a source awareof thedevelopments.“We are willing to negotiate on tariffs and trade with the US, but Trump has continuously shifted the goalpost. Buying defence spare parts or oil from ● Russia, which is India’s all-weatherandconsistent friend, or being a member of a global grouping like BRICS – these are issues which are not Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday. Anil Sharma Modi“someadvicebutprivately” on how to deal with Trump. At the same time, he said, “There is a basic understanding in the relationship between India and the US. The basis of the relationship is very solid. It will beintheinterestof Indiaandthe UStoarriveatacommonground CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NSA Ajit Doval with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Thursday. Screengrab In Russia, NSA Doval says Putin to visit India, working on dates DIVYA A & SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, AUGUST 7 A DAY after US President Donald Trump doubled the tariff on Indiato50percent,citing“direct or indirect import of Russian Federation oil”, New Delhi on Thursday re-confirmed the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin later this year, even as the dates are still being worked out. NationalSecurityAdvisorAjit Doval, who is in Moscow for an official visit, said during his meetingstherethatthedatesfor Putin's visit to India were being worked out. While some reports said the visit was likely this month itself, sources said on Thursday that no specific date or time has been indicated by the NSA in his engagements. “NSA Doval, during his visit to Moscow, has said that the dates for President Putin's visit to India are being worked out. The time of end-August being cited in some media reports is incorrect,” said a source. While Indian officials have said earlier that Putin will visit India this year, the timing of the reiteration by the NSA is important,inthecontextof thefraught CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Process fair: SC rejects ‘RR Module’: Revanth, his circle were Justice Varma’s plea against in-house probe ‘put under surveillance’ during BRS rule EXPRESS INVESTIGATION: TELANGANA ‘SNOOPING’ - PART 2 ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, AUGUST 7 THE SUPREME Court Thursday dismissed Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma’s petition challenging the inhouse inquiry instituted by the then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna over alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence in New Delhi — when he served as a Delhi High Court judge — during a fire in March this year. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih rejected Justice Varma’s arguments against the constitutionality of the in-house procedure. It said therewasnodeviationfromprocedurebutformakingpublicthe Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma video and photographs of the burnt cash. Underlining the authority of the CJI to act in such circumstances, Justice Datta, writing for the bench, said, “The CJI, as the leaderofthejudiciary,apartfrom his various other duties owes a dutytothepeopleof thecountry to keep the justice delivery systempure,cleanandunpolluted... it is unreasonable to even think that despite an incident of the presentnature,theCJIwouldwait CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NIKHILA HENRY HYDERABAD, AUGUST 7 TELANGANA’S CURRENT Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, his family members and associates were allegedly under constant surveillance when he was in the Opposition as the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president,apostheheldbetween July 2021 and December 2023, The Indian Express has learnt, based on official documents and detailed conversations with investigatorsprobingthesnooping allegations when the Bharat Rashtra Samithi was in power. The BRS ruled the state from the time Telangana was formed in 2014 to December 3, 2023, when the Congress stormed to Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy; SIB ex-chief Prabhakar Rao power. As reported by The Indian Express, the state police is currently probing allegations that fivetoppoliceandintelligenceofficers and a TV channel operator indulgedinillegalsurveillanceof 600 individuals — using the state’s anti-Naxal surveillance mechanisms—tobenefittheBRS. Those allegedly snooped on includedpoliticians,partywork- ers, bureaucrats, businessmen, a sitting High Court judge, as well astheirspouses,driversandeven childhood friends, it is learnt. In Revanth’s case, however, investigators familiar with the chargesheet say an entire module was allegedly dedicated to the illegal surveillance. According to investigators, Praneeth Rao, the then DSP in the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) office, and his team allegedly “prepared profiles of family members, relatives and close personnel and party associates of A Revanth Reddy, and they used to call it RR (Revanth Reddy) Module”. Praneeth Rao is one of the five accused in the case and is currently out on bail. He allegedly acted on the instructions of former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao. Whencontacted,AakritiJain, advocate on record for Prabhakar Rao, said he “stands by the arguments in the Special Leave Petition filed in the Supreme Court”. As per this petition,heisadecoratedpoliceofficer who did not indulge in illegal surveillance. 1 lakh votes stolen in 1 Assembly segment of Karnataka: Rahul’s charge against EC ASAD REHMAN NEW DELHI, AUGUST 7 ALMOSTAweekafterheclaimed to have an “atom bomb” of proof thattheElectionCommission(EC) was “stealing votes” for the BJP, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul GandhionThursdayreleasedthe findingsoftheCongress’sinvestigation into voting patterns in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Karnataka during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Mahadevapura is part of the BangaloreCentralLokSabhaconstituency. In a presentation to the media at the All India Congress Committee(AICC)headquarters, Gandhi claimed the Congress won all the Assembly segments in Bangalore Central except Mahadevapura, losing the election by 32,707 votes. The Bangalore Central MP is P C Mohan of the BJP. “All the data that we have here is the 2024 data from the Election Commission; everything that we have here is their CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 HIS ALLEGATIONS 11,965 Duplicate votes 40,009 Fake and invalid addresses 10,452 Bulk voters in a single address 4,132 Invalid photos 33,692 Form 6 misuse In Mahadevapura Assembly segment of Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency GOVT & POLITICS RAHUL’S CLAIMS BOGUS, CALCULATED DECEIT, SAYS BJP PAGE 14 Submit declaration on claim, give names of electors: EC to Rahul KIRAN PARASHAR & DAMINI NATH BENGALURU, NEW DELHI, AUGUST 7 RESPONDINGTOCongressleader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of a “hugecriminalfraud”inelections, the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) wrote to him on Thursday, asking him to submit a formal declaration under oath backing his “vote chori” (vote theft) charge, along with the names of electors allegedly wrongfully included in the voter list, so that proceedings could be initiated. Similar missives were also sent by the CEOs of Maharashtra and Haryana, after Gandhi, who istheLeaderof OppositioninLok Sabha, alleged incorrect and duplicateinclusionsintheelectoral rollsof thesestatestoo.TheUttar Pradesh CEO issued a statement denyingGandhi'sallegationthat two electors of Bengaluru were also registered in UP. Apart from the State CEOs writingindividuallytoGandhi,the EC made a more public reference tothematterinapostonX:“IfShri RahulGandhibelieveswhatheis sayingistrue,thenheshouldsign the declaration/ oath as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and submit the same to CEO of Karnataka by todayeveningitselfsothatnecessaryproceedingscanbeinitiated. If Shri Rahul Gandhi does not believeinwhatheissaying,thenhe should stop arriving at absurd conclusions and misleading the citizens of India.” At a press conference in New Delhi, Gandhi alleged that there CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPRESS NETWORK MOUNTAIN OF WATER, THEN SCREAMS, RECALL UTTARKASHI FLOOD SURVIVORS PAGE 17 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘Nothing left to hold me back now’: Doctor from Pak granted Indian citizenship PAGE 1 ANCHOR JAY JANI & ADITI RAJA AHMEDABAD, VADODARA, AUGUST 7 IN 2009, when he arrived from Pakistan to India, Dr Nanikraz Khanoomal Mukhi had few possessions. But what he had was immense hope in his heart – to give his family a better life, away from the “discrimination” they faced back home. On Thursday, the elation in his voice was palpable as the 53- year-old was awarded a certificate of Indian citizenship through the Gujarat High Court that also disposed of his petition the same day. “It feels like everything I had beenstrugglingforisfinallyhere. There's nothing left to hold me back. Now, I can get an Aadhaar card and live my life not as a stateless person, but as a rightful citizen,” Dr Mukhi said. Presently living in Sardar Nagar, Ahmedabad, Dr Mukhi, who hailed from Hyderabad of Sindh province in Pakistan, arrived to India on a visitor visa 16 yearsago.Hesaidheusedtoface discrimination in Pakistan since he was a Sindhi Hindu minority there. A qualified doctor, Dr Mukhi completed his MBBS from LiaquatMedicalCollege,Karachi, and holds a Diploma in Sonography from Jinnah Medical College, also in Karachi. After arriving in India, he secured a Long Term Visa (LTV). On August 20, 2016, he submitted an application for Indian citizenship under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. OnJuly11,2017,DrMukhireceived a letter from the Office of the Collector and District Magistrate, Ahmedabad, acknowledginghisapplicationreg- Dr Nanikraz Khanoomal Mukhi came to India in 2009. istration. On March 30, 2021, he formallyrenouncedhisPakistani citizenship and surrendered his passport to the Embassy of Pakistan in New Delhi. “They told me to pay the challan(fee)andsaidmycitizenship will be processed within 15 days,” said Dr Mukhi. Dr Mukhi's wife Bhoji Bai, who had applied for citizenship alongside him, was granted the same on March 9, 2022. His daughter Nandita Das, currently pursuing MBBS at B J Medical College in Pune, was granted citizenship on October 16, 2024. His brothers Bhojo and Washu Mukhi, and sister Vijayanti Mukhi, were also granted citizenship.Hisapplication,though, remainedpending,ostensiblyon accountof apendingintelligence report. His son Kabir, currently studying MBBS in Kota, has applied for citizenship under Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. His youngest son Ranjit, who just completed Class 12, remains a Pakistani citizen. After making several follow-ups and repeatedvisitstotheofficeof the DM,DrMukhichosetoapproach the Gujarat High Court earlier this year, under Articles 14, 21, and 226 of the Constitution of India, along with Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955. “It’s a bureaucratic paradox. I’m not a Pakistani anymore, and I’m not yet Indian. So, I fall through every crack in the system,” Dr Mukhi had earlier told The Indian Express. In 2023, Dr Mukhi cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) under the National Medical Commission andbeganpractisinginRakhiyal, Ahmedabad. However, in October 2024, his clinic Jhulelal Sonography was sealed by the AMC Health Department (North Zone) on the grounds that he lacked registration with the Gujarat Medical Council, a process which, according to Dr Mukhi, is not possible without Indian citizenship. Sincethen,hehadbeenmaking ends meet by doing odd jobs in allied fields. Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Ashwin Kharadi, Deputy Health Officer for the North Zone, said that the clinic was sealed by his predecessor. Advocate Ratna Vora, representing Dr Mukhi, said, “The application for citizenship had been pending since 2016. The petitioner filed another application in2021,which wasrejected. Thereafter, in 2024 he CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Ahmedabad