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10% Additional GST On Diesel Vehicles As Pollution Tax Proposes Gadkari

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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said he will seek a “pollution tax” in the form of additional GST of 10 per cent on diesel vehicles and gensets in order to cut down on air pollution.

Speaking at the 63rd Annual SIAM convention here, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister said the rising level of pollution is a health hazard for citizens.

“I am going to handover a letter to the Finance Minister this evening stating that an additional 10 per cent GST be put on diesel-powered vehicles,” Gadkari said.

Most of the commercial vehicles in the country currently run on diesel.

Passenger vehicle segment

In the passenger vehicle segment, various carmakers including Maruti Suzuki India and Honda have already stopped manufacturing diesel cars.

Gadkari said the contribution of diesel cars has already come down drastically in the country and the manufacturers need to stop selling them in the market.

Terming diesel as a hazardous fuel, he noted that the country has to import the fuel to meet the demand.

“Say goodbye to diesel… Please stop making them, otherwise we will just increase the tax so much that it would become difficult to sell diesel cars” Gadkari said.

He said he will propose additional GST on diesel-powered generators as well.

Automobiles current tax

Automobiles are currently taxed at 28 per cent GST, with additional cess ranging from 1 per cent to 22 per cent depending on the type of vehicle.

SUVs attract the highest GST at the rate of 28 per cent along with a compensation cess at 22 per cent.

Gadkari also asked the industry to focus on environment-friendly alternative fuels like ethanol.

He also asked the industry to focus on green hydrogen.

National News

Even UN-designated terrorists didn’t say India surrendered: BJP slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘dangerous’ mentality

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New Delhi, June 4: The BJP on Wednesday escalated its criticism of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his controversial “Narendra, surrender” remark, accusing him of displaying a “sick and dangerous” mentality and asserting that he lacks the maturity and seriousness expected from someone in his position.

At a press conference held at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi tore into Gandhi, saying, “On one hand, members of various opposition parties, including Congress MPs, who were part of the joint parliamentary delegation sent by India, are returning after strongly and unitedly presenting India’s position in various countries across the world.”

“On the other hand, Congress’ self-proclaimed leader and Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is making utterly shallow and frivolous remarks, showing the world that even after attaining the position of LoP, he severely lacks the seriousness and maturity the role demands,” he said.

Trivedi took strong exception to Gandhi’s comments linking Operation Sindoor to “surrender,” saying it was an insult to the armed forces.

“How Rahul Gandhi compared our armed forces’ valour and army officers’ brief on Operation Sindoor’s success with surrender shows how sick and dangerous his mentality has become,” he remarked.

He went on to say that Gandhi’s comments surpassed even those made by India’s adversaries.

“Till now, Congress leaders were making headlines in the Pakistani media, their statements were being quoted in Pakistan’s parliament, and Rahul Gandhi’s statements also made their place in Pakistan’s dossier. But for the first time, Rahul Gandhi has said something which even the Army Chief of Pakistan has not said, nor has any terrorist organisation of Pakistan. Even Masood Azhar or Hafiz Saeed have not said such a thing. None of them said that India surrendered,” he added.

Trivedi posed a sharp question to Gandhi, asking, “Does he want to get one step ahead of these people? Till now, he was giving cover fire to the people of Pakistan, the Pakistani Army and terrorist organisations. Is he trying to become their leader now?”

Calling Gandhi’s words a grave insult to national pride and the Indian Army, Trivedi said, “He doesn’t realise how badly he is insulting this country’s self-respect and the army’s valour.”

Trivedi further questioned the LoP’s political judgment and leadership, saying, “The level of intelligence and wisdom of someone who sees receiving less mandate in their third attempt in the election as a success, and views PM Modi being elected as the Prime Minister for the third time as a defeat, is obvious.”

He also challenged the Congress party to clarify its stance: “According to the Congress, has their Leader of Opposition insulted the Indian Army by using the word ‘surrender’ or not?”

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National News

PoK could’ve been retrieved if Op Sindoor wasn’t stopped: Congress MP backs Rahul Gandhi

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New Delhi, June 4: Congress MP Imran Masood on Wednesday came out in support of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s controversial “Narendra, surrender” jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that had the government not halted Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army would have succeeded in reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Speaking at the Congress’ state headquarters in Bhopal, Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had surrendered to the United States during President Donald Trump’s tenure.

Gandhi linked this to a broader historical trend, accusing the BJP and RSS of bowing to pressure.

“Jaise udhar se Trump ne ishara kiya, phone uthaya, kaha Modi ji kya kar rahe ho. Narendra…Surrender aur ji huzur kar Modi ji ne Trump ke ishare ka palan kiya,” Gandhi said, implying that PM Modi obediently followed Trump’s directions.

Backing Gandhi’s remarks, Masood told Media, “What wrong has Rahul said? Has Rahul ever said anything wrong? He spoke the truth. Just remember 1971, when a country was split into two (referring to the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan). This time, if we had taken control of PoK, it would have been done — but they (the government) stopped it. Our Army has no shortage of bravery and valour.”

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari also echoed support for Rahul Gandhi, criticising the Modi government for “failing” to counter Trump’s repeated assertions that he facilitated a ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan.

“Rahul Gandhi fired an arrow of truth that struck directly at the BJP’s guilt, leaving them rattled. The BJP seems mentally unbalanced now. They’ve resorted to abusive, unparliamentary language — only someone mentally disturbed would speak this way. What Rahul Gandhi said is absolutely right,” Tiwari said.

“Trump, not just once, but several times, made such claims. PM Modi should have publicly rejected them at least once, but he chose to be mum. I want to say that if PM Modi has the courage, he should stand before Indira Gandhi’s portrait and say that Trump did not ask India to surrender. We want a strong Prime Minister,” he added.

Gandhi also took aim at his own party’s internal rifts, asserting that some Congress leaders were working in favour of the BJP and that the “lame horses” within the party would retire soon.

Commenting on this, Masood told Media, “This is a matter of party leadership. I have no say in this. Who they think is right or wrong, only Rahul Gandhi can speak about it.”

“To go to war, you need strong horses — like Chetak-type horses. But such horses are being sidelined. Are they now being searched for? What kind of preparation is this? This is an exercise in organisational restructuring, and it will continue in that direction,” he added.

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Crime

Punjab Police arrest man for sharing sensitive information with Pak on Op Sindoor

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Chandigarh, June 3: Acting swiftly, Punjab Police have arrested Gagandeep Singh of Tarn Taran for sharing sensitive information concerning army movements during Operation Sindoor, Director General of Police Guarav Yadav said on Tuesday.

The accused had been in contact with the Pakistan’s ISI and Khalistani supporter Gopal Singh Chawla.

Investigations have revealed that he was engaged in sharing classified details, including troop deployments and strategic locations, posing a threat to national security, DGP Yadav wrote on the social media platform X.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Singh had been in touch with Pakistan-based Khalistani supporter Chawla for the past five years, through whom he was introduced to the Pakistani intelligence operatives.

He also received payments from operatives via Indian channels, the DGP said.

The police have recovered a mobile phone containing intelligence that Singh shared with Pakistan, as well as details of over 20 ISI contacts.

“Thorough financial and technical investigations are underway to trace other linkages and establish the full scope of this espionage network,” the DGP added.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered under the Official Secrets Act at the police station (city) in Tarn Taran town, and further investigation is in progress.

Earlier, Punjab Police arrested two people, including a 31-year-old woman, for their alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to an official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

Those arrested were identified as Gazala and Yameen Mohamad, both residents of Malerkotla in Punjab.

Police teams had recovered two mobile phones from their possession. Their arrest came days after Amritsar (Rural) Police arrested two people, Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih, for their alleged role in leaking sensitive information and photographs of army cantonment areas and air bases to Pakistan’s intelligence agency.

DGP Yadav had said that the preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested accused had been receiving payments through online transactions in exchange for sharing classified information. They were in frequent contact with the handler and were involved in channelling funds to other local operatives as per his instructions.

Accused Gazala was arrested for leaking sensitive information regarding Indian Army movements to a Pakistan-based handler.

Based on disclosures made by her during interrogation, a second conduit identified as Yameen Mohamad was also identified and taken into custody.

Accused Gazala admitted that she was doing it in lieu of money, and the accused official has sent her Rs 30,000 in two transactions – Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 – via UPI.

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