Mamata-led alliance of regional parties in making to unseat BJP from power at Centre in 2024: Akhil
Guwahati, Aug 8: Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi on Sunday said that an alliance of regional parties under the leadership of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in the making to oust the BJP from power at the Centre in 2024.
The Independent MLA from Assam also claimed that Banerjee has invited him to merge Raijor Dal with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and a decision in this regard is likely to be taken at his party's executive meeting during the day.
"We aim to form a confederation of regional forces and project Mamata Banerjee as its leader to remove the Narendra Modi government from power in 2024," he told reporters.
Gogoi claimed that Banerjee has assured him of the TMC Assam unit president's post if Raijor Dal is merged with the ruling party in West Bengal.
He said that three rounds of talks between the TMC and Raijor Dal over the issue have already taken place, with the legislator visiting Kolkata for discussions.
Assam TMC president Gopinath Das said that the talks were held in the West Bengal capital. "There were no talks with Raijor Dal in Assam. Madam (Mamata Banerjee) is pursuing it," he said. The TMC does not have any MLA in the Assam assembly at present.
Gogoi said that Raijor Dal's efforts to form a confederation of regional parties is in keeping with its belief in the federal structure and the need to strengthen it.
The Sibsagar MLA scripted history this year by becoming the first person in Assam to win an assembly election from behind the bars. Jailed since December 2019 for his alleged role in violent anti-CAA stir in the Assam, Gogoi walked out free on July 1 this year after a special NIA court cleared him of all charges.
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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.
