'Superpower in Delhi' behind Shinde's tantrums at Fadnavis: Sanjay Raut targets BJP leadership
Mumbai, Dec 3: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday claimed that caretaker Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was sulking and throwing tantrums at BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis with the backing of the "superpower in Delhi", an apparent reference to BJP's top brass.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut described the delay in the formation of a government in Maharashtra as anarchic.
He said it has been more than 10 days since the assembly election results were declared, but no party or alliance which has got a complete majority, has either staked claim to form the government or has given a list of MLAs which back it.
The governor is yet to invite anyone to form the government, but the BJP's state president declares the date of swearing-in that would take place at Azad Maidan, Raut said.
"I feel some superpower in Delhi is behind Eknath Shinde's tantrums and sulking against Devendra Fadnavis. Without the backing of 'Mahashakti', Eknath Shinde cannot dare to do anything like this. No one has the courage to throw tantrums behind those in power in Delhi," the Rajya Sabha member said.
With the BJP pocketing 132 seats in the Maharashtra assembly polls, Fadnavis is being seen as a frontrunner for the Maharashtra chief minister's post.
Despite the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), winning 230 of the 288 assembly seats, government formation is yet to take place in the state. The new chief minister will be sworn in on December 5 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Raut also dubbed the Shinde-led Shiv Sena as "duplicate Shiv Sena".
Shinde has been unwell for the last few days. His decision to head to his village Dare in Satara district last Friday sparked speculation that he was unhappy over the way the new Mahayuti government was shaping up.
His aides, however, said he was not well and attributed it to exertion during the campaign for the last month's Maharashtra assembly elections.
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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.
