Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | Vol. 69 No. 86 | 32 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Happy Makar Sankranti INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation GAMES NATION Centre’s bid to block Vijay’s film an attack on Tamil culture, says Rahul Gandhi Happy Pongal Cinema Mithila Palkar all set for comedy with Happy Patel! Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain actively involved in India's long-term ODI planning: Kotak Edit In defence of a movie, that is certainly not propaganda Fadnavis signals BMC clean-up RELENTLESS | CM promises BMC overhaul, deportation drive, Mahayuti victory, and dismisses Thackeray challenge S Balakrishnan MUMBAI Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (55) stated on Tuesday that post-elections the administration of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be overhauled and the resistance within the civic body will “Varsha” in Malabar be crushed. This Hill on the eve of statement is sigthe crucial elecnificant in the tions to the BMC SPECIAL context of the and other municiperception that pal bodies across over a period of years, Maharashtra slated several persons sympath- for January 15, Fadnavis, etic to a political party have who looked a tad tired at been inducted into the the end of hectic campaigBMC administration. ning all over the state, said In a free-wheeling inter- he will give a transparent action with select journal- and corruption-free civic ists at his official residence administration. He denied FPJ ON KNIFE EDGE | In first step, US prez imposes punitive levies. Many other options being considered. China is most affected that there was any move to have two municipal corporations for Mumbai. He also revealed that after the elections, the ongoing campaign to identify and deport Rohingyas and illegal immigrants from Bangladesh will be stepped up and the metropolis will be rid of these persons in the next four months. 4See also | city BMC overhaul, resistance to be crushed ■ Rohingyas, illegal Bangladeshis out in four months. ■ Mahayuti to win BMC; Hindu Marathi mayor. ■ Uddhav–Raj tie-up irrelevant; Raj a “loser”. ■ SIT report on Sanjay Pandey under scrutiny; action if warranted. Impact on India to be negligible Zilla Parishad, panchayat polls on Feb 5; counting 7th ndia may not be much impacted economically by the Trump tariff on Iran. Figures from the Indian embassy in Tehran show that New Delhi’s trade with Tehran plunged from $4.77 billion in 2019-20 to $1.68 billion in 202425. This sharp dip has meant that a Trump tariff is unlikely to affect India much, but it could contribute to a downslide in India-Iran ties. India lost significant leverage in 2021 when ONGC lost the contract for the Farzad-B gas field, despite having discovered it in 2008. Iranian impatience with New Delhi was seen when it proceeded on its own in finishing a rail-link project between Chabahar to Zahedan in 2020. India’s slow pace in finishing projects and the lack of Indian companies working in Iran due to US sanctions has meant that Indian influence in Iran is more minimal when compared to China. MUMBAI 25% tariff threat against nations trading with Iran I Agencies WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump has said any country that does business with Iran will face a 25% tariff on trade with the United States, as Washington weighs its response to the situation in the Islamic Republic, which is witnessing its biggest anti-government protests in years. “Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday. Tariffs are paid by US importers of goods from those countries. Iran has been under heavy sanctions by Washington for years. “This order is final and con- clusive,” Trump added, without providing further details. Top export destinations for Iranian goods include China, the United Arab Emirates and India. There was no official documentation of the policy on the White House website, nor any information on the legal authority Trump would use to impose the tariffs or whether they would apply to all of Iran’s trading partners. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. China reacted sharply to Trump’s declaration, saying it opposed “any illicit unilateral sanctions and longarm jurisdiction, and will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | money, world Help is on its way: Trump President Trump said he’s canceled talks with Iranian officials amid a protest crackdown, telling Iranian citizens “help is on its way.” Trump did not offer any details. “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote in a morning post on Truth Social. Russia reacted sharply, warning against interference in Iran and calling US threats of renewed military action unacceptable. It said exploiting unrest risks instability and global security repercussions. Can Iran regime survive protests? Ashwin Ahmad NEW DELHI As the protests continue in Iran, the main question being asked in Delhi’s diplomatic circles is whether the Islamic regime will fall. As of now this doesn’t seem imminent. Experts say the protests have by and large been urban-led, and rural people, who are more religious, are still following the diktats of the clergy. The clerical regime also maintains its power through the networks of clerics they taken by the regime to ensure that they do not suffer. Therefore, they provide them with perks such as subsidised petrol and basic food, among other things. This social contract has ensured the Islamic regime’s power despite protests. At the same time three factors could play a crucial role. The first is that economic sanctions have put enormous pressure on the Islamic regime. 4Contd on | nation NEW LOGO: External Affairs Minister S Jai- NON-MUSLIM IS HAJ PANEL HEAD Manoj Ramakrishnan MUMBAI In a first, a non-Muslim has been appointed CEO of Maharashtra State Haj Committee. IAS officer Manoj Jadhav succeeds Shaikh Ibrahim Shaikh Aslam. The Committee facilitates the annual Haj pilgrimage for Indians by implementing the quota allotted by Saudi Arabia. 4Contd on | nation have all over the country. These clerics have a powerful hold in rural communities, villages, and small towns where residents listen to the local imam. It isn’t just religion that drives loyalty towards the regime. Recruits for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Pasdaran—Iran’s elite military force, and the Basij—the paramilitary volunteer militia working for the IRGC— are taken from this section of society, and great care has been shankar on Tuesday launched the website, theme, and logo for BRICS 2026, scheduled to take place under India's chairship. The new logo is inspired by the lotus, symbolising heritage and rising resilience. Its petals reflect the colours of the member countries, while the 'namaste' gesture at the centre showcases India's spirit of warmth, respect, and harmony. Kalpesh Mhamunkar A day after the Supreme Court extended the timeline for conducting local body elections in Maharashtra by 15 days, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Tuesday announced the election schedule for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis in the state. Voting for these elections will be held on February 5, while counting of votes will take place on February 7. The announcement was made by State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare during a press conference at the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai. Secretary of the Commission, Suresh Kakani, was also present. With the declaration of the election programme, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in all the concerned Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti areas. As per the schedule, elections will be conducted for a total of 731 seats in Zilla Parishads and 1,462 seats in Pan- PTI Eternal-owned quick-commerce firm Blinkit has dropped its '10-minute' delivery claim after intervention by the Labour Ministry amid growing concerns over the welfare and safety of delivery workers. Other aggregators, like Zepto and Swiggy-owned Instamart, are also expected to follow suit in the coming days, sources told PTI. As per sources, the decision to remove the 10-minute delivery deadline came after Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a meeting last week with leading platforms, including Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy, to address concerns related to delivery timelines. 4Contd on | nation INDIA CUTS ON SC BENCH RUSSIAN CRUDE SPLIT ON FPJ News Service MUMBAI India has sharply reduced its purchases of Russian crude oil, signalling a calibrated shift in energy sourcing as trade negotiations with the United States under a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) progress more slowly than initially anticipated but remain firmly on the agenda. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), India’s imports of Russian crude declined by 29% month-on-month in December, falling to their lowest level since the G7-led price cap came into force. The cut pushed India to the position of the third-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels during the month, with total hydro- carbon imports valued at around 2.3 bn euros as against 3.3 bn euros in the preceding month. Crude oil accounted for nearly four-fifths of the intake. Oil market participants view the decline not as a demand-side weakness, but as a strategic recalibration. Private refiners led the pullback, with Jamnagar refinery reducing Russian crude intake by a steep 49%, while stateowned refiners trimmed purchases by about 15%. Industry sources indicated that the remaining Jamnagar volumes were supplied by Rosneft under contracts finalised before the latest US sanctions, underscoring a cautious compliance-led approach. Sources further revealed that Blinkit has already acted on the directive and removed the 10-minute delivery promise from its branding. The move is aimed at ensuring greater safety, security and improved working conditions for gig workers. As part of this change, Blinkit has updated its brand messaging. The company’s principal tagline has been re- PC ACT FPJ News Service MUMBAI vised from “10,000+ products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000+ products delivered at your doorstep”, they said. The promise of 10-minute delivery led to gig workers holding a nationwide strike on New Year’s Eve in 2025, drawing attention to workers’ health, safety and income. A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India on Monday delivered a split verdict on the constitutionality of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, inserted through the 2018 amendment, which mandates prior government approval before any investigation can be launched against a public servant under the Act. Justice B.V. Nagarathna held Section 17A to be unconstitutional, striking it down in its entirety. Justice K.V. Viswanathan, however, upheld the provision but read it down, holding that the question of sanction must be decided not by the executive but by an independent authority such as the Lokpal or the Lokayukta. Owing to the divergence of views, the matter has now been referred to the Chief Justice of India for the constitution of an appropriate larger bench reported Live Law. Justice Nagarathna was unsparing in her criticism of the provision, describing it as an attempt to “protect the corrupt.” She held that Section 17A resurrected a requirement that the Court had already invalidated in earlier landmark judgments. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation 4See also | nation Centre in push against 10-min deliveries NEW DELHI chayat Samitis. The districts where elections will be held include Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv and Latur. The official notification for the elections will be issued on January 16, 2026. The notification process will be carried out by the respective district collectors at their level. Polling on February 5 will be conducted between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm. SC bins PIL on Savarkar portraits in public spaces SC mulls hefty dog-bite payout FPJ News Service ‘You deposit `1 lakh, so we can impose costs (if dismissed)...Then we will tell, what is the meaning of public interest. You are wasting the time of the courts. What do you want? You want us to impose costs or you want to withdraw silently?’ CJI Kant asked NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a PIL seeking the removal of portraits of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar from Parliament and other public spaces, observing that the petition was a waste of its time. A Bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi warned the petitioner, retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Balasundaram Balamurugan, that exemplary costs could be imposed on him. The petition was eventually dismissed as withdrawn after Balamurugan chose to withdraw it, Bar and Bench reports. “We’d like to impose exemplary costs on you. What do you think of yourself?” the court re- marked during the hearing, before the petitioner opted to withdraw the PIL. The Bench allowed the withdrawal and closed the case. While doing so, CJI Kant advised the petitioner, saying, “Please don’t indulge in all this. Enjoy your retirement now. Have some constructive role in society.” Balamurugan’s plea had sought directions for the removal of Savarkar’s portrait from the Central Hall of Parliament and other public places, including official accommodations. The petition also sought directions restraining the government from honouring persons who were chargesheeted for heinous crimes such as assassination or anti-national activities and who had not been honourably acquitted. When the matter was taken up for hearing, CJI Kant questioned the petitioner about his career in the IRS, including his last posting before retirement and the reasons for denial of promotions. 4Contd on | nation Agencies NEW DELHI States will have to pay. Also, responsibility and accountability will be fixed on those who are feeding stray dogs The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday said it will ask States to pay a “heavy compensation” for dog-bite incidents as it flagged its concern over the lack of implementation of norms on stray animals for the past five years.A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria said that even dog lovers and feeders will be held “responsible” and “accountable” for dog-bite incidents. “For every dog bite, death or injury caused to children or elderly, we are going to ask the State Governments to pay heavy compensation, as they did not do anything on implementation of norms in the past five years. “Also, responsibility and accountability will be fixed on those who are feeding these stray dogs. If you love these animals so much, then why don’t you take them to your house. Why should these dogs loiter around, bite and scare people?” Justice Nath said. 4Contd on | nation