INDIA bloc MPs hold protest in Parliament complex over Adani issue, demand JPC probe
New Delhi (PTI): Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties protested on the Parliament premises on Wednesday over the Adani indictment issue and called for a joint parliamentary probe into the matter.
MPs of the Congress, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), DMK and the Left parties, among others, raised slogans in favour of their demand and held a banner reading "Modi-Adani are one" at Parliament's Makar Dwar. The TMC kept away from the opposition protest.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was not part of the protest. He left for the violence-hit Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh along with a Congress delegation in the morning.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Tuesday issued an advisory urging the MPs not to hold protests in front of Parliament gates, saying that such obstruction of movement could affect their safety and security.
The opposition MPs held a protest at the same spot on Tuesday.
The Congress and some other opposition have been demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe following the indictment by US prosecutors of Adani Group chairperson Gautam Adani and other company officials on bribery and fraud charges.
The Congress has said that Adani's indictment in a US court on bribery and fraud charges "vindicates" its demand for a JPC investigation into the various "scams" involving the billionaire industrialist's conglomerate.
Gandhi has sought Adani's immediate arrest.
The Adani Group has dismissed all allegations as "baseless".
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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.
