Congress has surrendered to communal powers in DK: Muneer Katipalla
Mangalore: CPIM state committee member Muneer Katipalla stated that the Congress party had surrendered to communalism in the Dakshina Kannada district and had formed an unholy alliance with the BJP and Sangh Parivar leadership. He was addressing an open meeting organized at Kuppepadavu on the occasion of CPIM Gurupura Zonal Conference on Monday.
"The BJP MLAs of the district, who took advantage of the political polarization and hate politics engineered by the Sangh Parivar, and won an easy victory, are not raising their voices on the burning issues of Tulunadu. Even minimal issues like road repair, filling of poltholes and under construction highway do not bother them. Major issues like employment for locals, establishment of government hospitals, medical colleges, fisheries and housing projects do not appear in their priority list”, he said.
Referring to the Mangalore North Constituency, Muneer Katipalla said that it was troubled by many serious issues but MLA Bharat Shetty was not ready to listen to people's problems as he had limited himself to giving statements filled with communal hatred. "Organizing a 'food fair' before the incomplete skeleton-like Surathkal Market building which stands beside the pot hole filled Surathkal highway stands proof for the brazenness of the BJP MLAs. The leaders of the ruling Congress party should have raised their voice against the incompetence of the BJP MLAs and stood with the people who are at the receiving end of this. However, the Congress party in the district has surrendered to communalism. It has forged an unholy alliance with BJP and the Sangh Parivar leadership. Congress leaders have appeared together with BJP leaders during huli kunita (tiger dance) and Puttur VHP program without any embarrassment. They have stood against the interests of the common people", he added.
Muneer Kantipalla alleged that the bonding of these supposed political rivals had reached such heights that it was difficult to differentiate between BJP and Congress in DK. “This unethical alliance of Congress and BJP has made the interests of the ruling and business classes here unquestionable. While this has brought about a situation where providing solutions to the common man's problems has become impossible, CPIM party has taken this as a challenge and it will fight for the people. If Congress doesn't rectify its mistakes, it will pay a heavy price for this", he warned.
Before the open meeting, CPIM workers took out a procession from Narayana Guru Community Centre, where the delegate session of the conference was held, to the Kuppepadavu town.
Rajesh Naik Iruvail presided over the meeting. District Secretary Dr. Krishnappa Konchadi, Zonal Secretary Sadashiva Das, Vasanthi Kuppepadavu, N A Hasanabba and others were present.
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
