BJP drops sitting MLA from candidate list from Udupi, epicenter of Hijab row
Fields controversial, emerging Hindutva leader Yashpal Suvarna from constituency
Udupi: In a surprising move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dropped Raghupathi Bhat, a prominent leader in Coastal Karnataka, from its list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka elections. Bhat, who is the MLA for the Udupi constituency, had played a key role in the controversial Hijab row in his constituency.
The decision to drop Bhat from the list of candidates has surprised many, as he was seen as one of the contenders for the party’s ticket from the constituency. Bhat's removal has also raised questions about the party's strategy and approach toward the upcoming elections.
While Bhat's role in the Hijab row has been a topic of discussion. The BJP has not given any official reason for his removal.
Bhat's involvement in the Hijab row had sparked widespread protests in the Udupi region. Bhat, who was the President of the college development committee at the Women’s Government PU College, Udupi where the Hijab issue first began, had sought the case to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the protests.
It is worth noting that Bhat has been replaced by Yashpal Suvarna as the BJP candidate in the Udupi constituency.
Yashpal Suvarna is one of the staunchest supporters of Hindutva ideology and had made controversial remarks against protesters in the Hijab row. He went on to call the protesters and petitioners of the Hijab row ‘terrorists’. He was also the vice president of the college committee at the Women’s Government PU College during the Hijab row.
Apart from his role in the Hijab issue, Suvarna was also one of the main accused in the infamous 2005 Adiudupi lynching of a father-son duo alleging cattle transport. He was later acquitted in the case.
Suvarna belongs to the Mogaveera community which holds a major vote share in the district. He has emerged as one of the staunchest supporters of Hindutva in Coastal Karnataka. The move of the BJP is being seen as an attempt to further its Hindutva agenda by fielding supporters of Hindutva.
The Karnataka elections are expected to be closely contested, with the BJP and the opposition parties vying for the support of the voters.
The BJP is hoping to win a majority of the seats in the region and form the next government in Karnataka. Bhat's removal from the list of candidates has thrown a curveball in the party's election strategy, and it remains to be seen how this decision will impact the party's prospects in the upcoming elections.
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Canada is already examining tariffs on certain US items following Trump's tariff threat
Toronto (AP/PTI): Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official has said.
Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don't stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across southern and northern borders. He said he would impose a 25 per cent tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders.
But Trump posted Wednesday evening on Truth Social that he had a "wonderful conversation" with new Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and she "agreed to stop Migration through Mexico".
"Mexico will stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD STOPPING THE ILLEGAL INVASION OF THE USA. Thank you!!!" Trump posted.
It was unclear what impact the conversation will have on Trump's plan to impose tariffs.
In Canada, a government official said on Wednesday that Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly.
When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the US in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.
Many of the US products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports USD 3 million worth of yogurt from the US annually and most comes from one plant in Wisconsin, home state of then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10 per cent duty.
Another product on the list was whiskey, which comes from Tennessee and Kentucky, the latter of which is the home state of then-Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell.
Trump made the threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border.
The US Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024.
Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are ready to make new investments in border security and work with the Trump administration to lower the numbers from Canada. The Canadians are also worried about a influx north of migrants if Trump follows through with his plan for mass deportations.
Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border pale in comparison to the Mexican border. US customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.
Canadian officials argue their country is not the problem and that tariffs will have severe implications for both countries.
Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states. Nearly USD 3.6 billion Canadian (USD 2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60 per cent of US crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85 per cent of US electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the US and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday with the leaders of Canada's provinces. He stressed they need to present a united front.
"I don't want to minimize for a moment the gravity of the challenge we now face," Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. "Now is really a moment for us not to squabble amongst ourselves."
The provincial premiers want Trudeau to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States that excludes Mexico.
Sheinbaum, Mexico's president, said earlier Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs "if the situation comes to that."
She later said she talked to Trump and had "an excellent conversation".
