BJP, RSS tearing Constitution to shreds: Kharge on Rahul stopped from visiting Sambhal
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Wednesday accused the BJP and RSS of "tearing the Constitution to shreds" by not allowing Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to meet the victims of violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal.
A delegation of Congress leaders led by Rahul Gandhi was stopped by the Uttar Pradesh Police at the Ghazipur border on his way to Sambhal where prohibitory orders are in place. The opposition party leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, returned to Delhi after staying at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border for about two hours.
"The BJP-RSS are busy tearing the Constitution to shreds with its divisive agenda. Preventing the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi from visiting the victim families in Sambhal proves this very thing," he said in a post in Hindi on X.
"Creating hatred between two communities is the only ideology of BJP-RSS. For this, they not only tore apart the Places of Worship Act passed by the Constitution, but now they are hell-bent on opening branches of their market for hatred everywhere," the Congress chief said.
Kharge said the Congress will continue to "open its shop for spreading harmony, peace, brotherhood, goodwill and love, and will help keep the society united on the lines of unity in diversity".
"We will not bow down, we will not retreat," he asserted.
Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19, when a Mughal-era mosque was surveyed on court orders following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site.
Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24 as protesters gathered near Shahi Jama Masjid and clashed with security personnel. Four people were killed in the violence and many more were injured.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
