eye MCS/204/2020-22RNINO.MAHENG2002/21899 THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE When Snails bit into the Big Apple MUMBAI,LATECITY Winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef in New York, on keeping to sanctity of authentic flavours JULY6,2025 14+4PAGES,`6.00 DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM FOR ‘MARATHI PRIDE’ 06/07/2025 85 113 139 80 ‘Fadnavis did what Balasaheb couldn’t’: Raj and Uddhav unite after 20 years Days after Thane incident, Raj: ‘If you beat someone, don’t make a video of incident’ NEW DELHI, JULY 5 MUMBAI, JULY 5 Nirav brother held in US after CBI, ED request for extradition Nehal Modi was held on Friday MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, JULY 5 US AUTHORITIES have arrested fugitive diamond merchant NiravModi’sbrotherNehalModi following an extradition request jointlymadebytheEnforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), officials said Saturday. Nehal is wanted in India in connection with the multi-billion-dollarPunjabNationalBank (PNB) fraud case allegedly orchestrated by him, Nirav Modi and their uncle Mehul Choksi. Nirav is also facing extradition from the UK, while Choksi is in MNS chief Raj Thackeray and son Amit Thackeray (left) with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi Thackeray and sons Aaditya Thackeray and Tejas Thackeray in Mumbai, Saturday. Amit Chakravarty — which the Sena (UBT) and MNS had called an “imposition” of the language. Held as a “non-political and all-party” gathering, the backdropof thestagedidnothaveany party flags or banners, featuring only a map of Maharashtra, which highlighted the event’s unifyingtheme:Marathiidentity, language, and pride. Though several Opposition leaders, including the NCP(SP)’s Supirya Sule and Jitendra Awhad, attended the event, the stage was shared by only Udhav and Raj, who were the only speakers. Addressingthegathering,Raj charged that the BJP was using the three-language formula as a “politicaltool”ratherthanforeducational reform. The BJP, he CONTINUEDONPAGE2 MUMBAI, JULY 5 ‘WE WAITED 19 YEARS FOR THIS… NOW NO ONE CAN HARM MARATHI, MUMBAI OR MAHARASHTRA’ WHY UDDHAV, RAJ ARE LOOKING TO BURY THE HATCHET PAGE 4 SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, JULY 5 THE WORLD PAGE 10 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE REACTING TO the “victory” rally of Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray held in Mumbai on Saturday, where they attacked the BJP-led Mahayuti government over its now-scrapped move to introduce Hindi in primary schools, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Uddhav’s criticism as a “rudali (professionalmourner)”speech. While speaking to the media in Pandharpur, where the CM is Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Argentine President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires. PTI INDIA AND Argentina are to strengthen collaboration in critical minerals, shale gas, defence manufacturing, space, telemedicine,digitalhealthsolutionsand information technology following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires Saturday night. Milei, a right-wing populist, won his country’s elections in 2023, and his rise has often been compared with that of US President Donald Trump. Modi and Milei met last Novemberonthesidelinesof the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil. OnSaturday,thetwosidesdecided to work towards a preferentialtradeagreementand faster approval towards Indian medicines,andadoptionoftheUPIsystem after the bilateral meeting. Modi, in a post on X, said, “Excellent meeting with Patna businessman’s Amid India deal impasse, Trump killing rocks Bihar, signs tariff letters for 12 nations Opp targets Nitish govt RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, JULY 5 HIMANSHU HARSH PATNA, JULY 5 APROMINENTPatna-basedbusinessman with business interests ranging from healthcare to real estate was shot dead late Friday night outside his apartment building in the city’s Gandhi Maidan area, six years after his sonwaskilledinasimilarfashion. visitingontheeveof theAshadhi Ekadashi worship at the Lord Vitthal temple, Fadnavis said, “I wholeheartedly thank MNS president Raj Thackeray for giving me credit for reuniting the Thackeray cousins. I am sure the lateBalThackeray’sblessingsare with me.” As the estranged Thackeray cousins shared a stage for the firsttimeintwodecades,Rajsaid that “Fadnavis did what Bal Thackeray could not – he reunited us”. Referring to Uddhav, Fadnavis said, “Balasaheb Thackeray must be blessing me. Gopal Khemka was killed outside his home The incident, which comes ahead of the Assembly polls in Bihar, quickly snowballed into a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 WITH NO word still on whether his administration will sign an interimtradedealwithIndiabefore the reciprocal tariff pause runsoutJuly 9,PresidentDonald TrumphassaidtheUShasbegun the process of informing countries about the reciprocal tariffs they must pay, and that he has already signed 12 letters scheduled to be dispatched Monday. US President Donald Trump. File Trump, however, stated that thereciprocaltariffswouldcome into effect August 1, indicating a potential extended window for negotiations with countries, including possibly India, which havenotstruckadealwiththeUS beforetheJuly9deadline.TheUS had originally announced a 26 per centreciprocaltariffonIndia. Trump told reporters: “I signedsomelettersandtheywill go out on Monday, probably 12. Differentamountsof money,different rates of tariff.” He said the names of the countries that would be receiving the letters wouldonlyberevealedMonday. A government official told The Indian Express that agriculture has been a major sticking CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CITING “LACK of due process” and “the unreasonably short timeline” for the ‘Special Intensive Revision’ of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Election Commission exercisebycallingitunconstitutional and warning that it will “disenfranchise lakhs of voters”. InitspetitiondatedJuly4,filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan,theADRsaid,“Thepresent Writ Petition has been filed under Article 32 of the ConstitutionofIndia,seekingsetting aside of Order and communicationdated24.06.2025issued by the Respondent Election CommissionofIndia(ECI),directing for Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in Bihar (SIR Order), as being in violation of Articles 14, 19, 21, 325 and 326 of theConstitutionofIndiaaswellas provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Rule 21AoftheRegistrationofElectors Rules, 1960.” “The SIR order dated 24.06.2025, if not set aside, can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, thereby disrupting free and fair elections and democracyinthecountry,which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution,” the plea stated. It said “the documentation requirements of the directive, lack of due process as well as the unreasonably short timeline for the … revision… further make this exercise bound to result in removal of names of lakhs of genuine voters from electoral rolls, leading to their disenfranchisement.” The NGO said the EC’s June 24 order “has shifted the onus of being on the voters’ list from the State to citizens. It has excluded identification documents such asAadhaarorrationcardswhich furthermakemarginalisedcommunitiesandthepoormorevulnerable to exclusion from voting”. “The declaration as required undertheSIRprocess isviolative of Article 326 in so far as it requires a voter to provide documents to prove his/her citizenship and also citizenships of his/her mother or father, failing which his/her name would not be added to the draft electoral CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Modi-Milei talks explore ventures in critical minerals, shale, defence CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 AT LEAST 27 DEAD IN TEXAS FLOODING; MANY CAMPERS MISSING ‘Bal Thackeray’s blessings with me’: Fadnavis hits out THE CITY President Javier Milei of Argentina. We are marking 75 years of India-Argentina diplomatic relations and 5 years since we elevated our relationship to a Strategic Partnership. We have coveredsignificantgroundinour bilateral relations, but we agree that the journey ahead is even more promising!” The Prime Minister, who reached Buenos Aires early Saturdaymorning,wasaccorded a ceremonial welcome at the CONTINUEDONPAGE2 E E X P L A I NE D PNB FRAUD CASE Lacks due process, will disenfranchise lakhs: Plea against Bihar roll revision ANANTHAKRISHNAN G VALLABH OZARKAR SHARINGApoliticalstageforthe first time in two decades, estrangedcousins,ShivSena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray, on Saturday hinted at their alliance as they launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Mahayuti government over its nowscrapped move to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools in Maharashtra. The joint rally at Mumbai’s National Sports Club of India in Worli, touted as their show of unityforMarathiprideandidentity, saw the Thackeray cousins targeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Raj said, “Fadnavis did what even Balasaheb Thackeray (Shiv Sena founder) could not — he reunited us.” On his part, Uddhav indicated the possibility of an alliance between the Sena (UBT) andtheMNSinthecomingdays, saying, “We have come together now after many years to remain together.” The “victory rally”, which drew thousands and packed the venue to capacity, followed the revocation of two Government Resolutions (GRs) — one mandating Hindi for Classes 1 to 5, and another making it optional FOUR-PAGE PULLOUT ● At the Nagar Panchayat in Bahadurganj, most voters have been bringing their Aadhaar as identity proof. Chinmaya N Singh RACE AGAINST TIME IN SEEMANCHAL ‘What can we do if our names are cut out, what will we do?’ Purnia MP Pappu Yadav and Barsoi MLA Mehboob Alam tell people ‘not to cooperate’ as Opposition dials it up SANTOSH SINGH Coming in way DISAGREEMENTS OVER sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy have added to the uncertainty of an interim trade deal between India and the United States before the end of the tariff pause on July 9. India has been resisting US demands for greater access in these sectors. PURNIA, ARARIA, KISHANGANJ, JULY 5 ALANDLOCKEDregioncomprising Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj, Supaul and Araria districts, the Muslim-dominatedSeemanchal ranks the lowest on almost all development indices in Bihar. Around this time of the year, its foremostconcernistheweather, with the rains bringing annual floods and distress. This time, there is another concern weighing Seemanchal down — the Election Commission’sSpecialIntensiveRevision of electoral rolls, which requires voterstoproducedocumentsthat fewhereown,orknowhowtogo about procuring. WHAT WILL NOT COUNTINBIHAR AN EXPRESS SERIES PART 3 With the poor and marginalised likely to be the most affectedbytheECdrive,astheonly officialdocumentsmostof them hold are not valid for enrolment, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 After captaincy and runs, Shubman Gill gets aura, Kohli calls him ‘star boy’ EXPRESSIN ENGLAND SANDEEP DWIVEDI BIRMINGHAM, JULY 5 NO BATSMAN has got a double hundred and a 150-plus score in the same Test match in the game's 150-year-long history. Shubman Gill did that at Edgbaston. He did one better than the Aussie great Alan Border who had two 150s. No Indian batsman had scored 430 runs in a single Test. Gill went past Sunil Gavaskar’s run tally of 344 against West Indies in that storied Portof Spain Test in 1971. On Saturday, cricketing history and folktales were being rewritten by Shubman’s bat. So far in the series he had runs and the captaincy band, now he had an aura too. India’sretiredbattingmegastar Virat Kohli put out an Instagram post while Shubman was on field plotting and planning England’s fourth innings collapse. “Well played star boy. Rewriting history. Onwards and upwards from here. You deserve all of this.” By stumps on Day 4, aided by Shubman’s run spree, England, chasing 608 to win, were 72 for 3. It seems just a matter of a day that the Indian captain’s epic knocks get recorded in history as matchwinning innings. Virat's ‘star boy’ was getting praise from the locals too. Former England captain Nasser Hussain said: “A hundred in the first Test, a double hundred and a hundred in the second. The Captain Shubman Gill is the first batsman to get a double hundred and a 150-plus score in the same Test match. AP Indian captain is in the form of his life. Gill has been chanceless and elegant in both innings.” After the Indian captain was finally out, adding 161 to his 269 in the first innings, two young England cricketers, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and frontlinebatsmanHarryBrook,made it a point to acknowledge the batting greatness amidst them. Both in the 20s, they are Shubman’s contemporaries and had scored blazing hundreds in the Test themselves. Smith took his gloves off, waited for Gill to pass him and gave him a warm handshake. So did Brook, who ran across from the field and touched the peak of his England cap while extending his arm. India had designated Shubman as the heir apparent long back — now the world was doing it. By single-handedly putting his team in winning position after the close defeat in the first Test, the new skipper had secured his position as leader in thedressingroom.AtEdgbaston, courtesyhistwoknocksthathad gravitas of a Test match batting and chutzpah of T20 cricket, he had got the respect of his rivals and new fans abroad. Till the last Test, which India lost, the broadcaster would keep playing reruns of Kohli’s innings after the game. During this Test, those old tapes have been movedtothearchivessincethey have found a star capable of keeping the television set switched on even after the match hours. Shubman has the range of strokes to keep the connoisseur of the game, the Test match watchers, and even the casual watchers, there to fours and sixes, glued to their seats. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2