Siddaramaiah targets Modi govt's decisions as PM visits Mangaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Mangaluru on Friday, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah targeted certain decisions of the central government, and asked whether this trip of his will see "development or disaster".
In a series of tweets with "#AnswerMadiModi" (Answer Modi), the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka assembly questioned the contribution of ruling BJP and Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha member Nalin Kumar Kateel to Mangaluru and the region.
"Welcome to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Mangaluru. Is this visit of yours a tour to see the development? Or to see the disaster? I request you to answer these in your speech today. #AnswerMadiModi," Siddaramaiah said.
Noting that South Canara (Dakshina Kannada) entrepreneurs established Syndicate, Corporation, Vijaya, Canara and Karnataka banks, he said, "Mr Narendra Modi, you completely erased the names of the 3 banks. Is this development? Or disaster?"
"Founder of Corporation bank - Haji Abdullah (1906), Founders of Syndicate Bank - TMA Pai, Upendra Pai, Vaman Kudva (1925) Founder of Vijaya bank - A B Shetty (1931) Is your decision to erase these names not an injustice towards these great entrepreneurs?" he tweeted.
Modi arrived in the coastal city on Friday afternoon to inaugurate and lay the foundation for mechanisation and industrialisation projects worth around Rs 3,800 crore, and later address a mega event.
Further highlighting that the New Mangaluru Port was the contribution of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who inaugurated it in 1975, and the outcome of efforts by MP U Srinivas, the former chief minister, Siddaramaiah accused the PM of selling the port rights to his "crony friend Adani".
"Is this your development? Or disaster?" he asked.
"Bajpe airport, NMPT, NH-66, Regional engineering college, MCF, etc are all the contributions of Congress, Siddaramaiah claimed as he asked "What is the contribution of Karnataka BJP and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.? Sinking Mangaluru? Igniting communal fires? Is this your development? Or disaster? #AnswerMadiModi," Siddaramaiah further said.
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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.
