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Days after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on foreign goods, Americans have just one thing on their minds – buy as much and as quickly as possible to beat the price rise.

They are prioritising essentials such as apparel, shoes, furniture and coffee, The Business Standard reported. And they are not leaving anything to chance. Many, who wanted to wait a while, have decided to buy automobiles, particularly those assembled outside the United States, to avoid paying steep prices when the tariffs kick in.

List of items Americans are stocking up on before the tariffs hit their wallets:

Laptops and smartphones

Soon after Trump announced a 32 per cent tax on imports from Taiwan and 52 per cent on those from China, Americans rushed to buy tablets, smartphones and laptops. Their components are mostly sourced from abroad, especially China.

Apparel and shoes

Major clothing brands such as Gap source about 21 per cent of clothing from Vietnam and 37 per cent from India, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Another popular clothing brand, H&M, also manufactures most of its clothing in China and Bangladesh. Hence, Americans are buying jeans, sportswear, workwear and shoes before tariffs take effect.

Automobiles

Americans who had been holding off on buying new cars or updated models, including EVs, are now rushing to showrooms to purchase imported vehicles. Customers are trying to lock in offers before prices go up.

Foreign foods

Coffee, snacks, condiments, and other grocery items imported from abroad are also on people’s lists. Once the tariffs take effect, these items will get expensive and therefore people are stocking up whatever they can get their hands on.

Gym and wellness equipment: Treadmills, stationary bikes, massage chairs, and other gym equipment, are either imported or contain components from different countries. Since they may get expensive, people feel it’s the right time to bring them home.

Electrical appliances

Americans are lining up at stores to buy home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves and dishwashers before prices go up. Several home appliances have parts or components imported from China or Taiwan and they will likely see a price rise soon.

Other items

Among other items, Americans are buying building and renovation materials, kitchen appliances and even children’s products. Since diapers, toys, baby clothes, and strollers are usually imported, they are likely to get expensive once the tariffs come into effect.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on almost all countries, including the US allies such as the United Kingdom and the European Union, on what he described as “Liberation Day” for American industry.

On Saturday, a 10 per cent “baseline” tariff came into effect on most US imports except those from Mexico and Canada.

Around 60 other US trading partners will be subject to higher tariffs starting April 9. The rates have been designed to suit each economy based on what they charge on American imports, AFP reported.

Delhi Capitals’ KL Rahul plays a shot during a practice session ahead of an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match against Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. (PTI)

Delhi Capitals (DC) have started the IPL 2025 season strong, sharing the lead with Punjab Kings (PBKS), while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have struggled.
After suffering their worst defeat ever at Chepauk — losing by a considerable margin to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and a narrow loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR), CSK will be looking to leverage home advantage this Saturday.
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Their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, is dealing with an injury, and if he can’t play, MS Dhoni is expected to step in as captain.
Following CSK’s 50-run defeat against RCB, head coach Stephen Fleming was seen discussing the pitch with the curator, accompanied by a groundstaff member. In the subsequent press conference, he expressed frustration about the playing surfaces at Chepauk over the past two years.
Anticipating spin-friendly conditions, CSK had loaded their squad with slower bowlers, but the pitches haven’t provided the expected assistance.
DC appear to be in a much stronger position, having brought in seasoned players who complement the young talent well. Faf du Plessis, now 40, continues to perform impressively, while Mitchell Starc has made an immediate impact this season, collecting eight wickets in two games with an impressive average of 9.62 and an economy rate of 10.04.
DC will aim to break a 15-year winless streak against CSK at Chepauk, with their last victory dating back to 2010 when their current coach, Hemang Badani, was playing for CSK.

Pitch report for CSK vs DC

An afternoon game at Chepauk will add to the spin quotient at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. While the surface has been slow and slow at the start, there has been assistance for the seamers as well in IPL 2025. However, that could be shortened with the afternoon start.

CSK vs DC Dream11 Team Prediction

CSK Predicted playing XI: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda/Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed
Impact Sub: Jamie Overton
DC Predicted playing XI: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar
Impact Sub: Ashutosh Sharma
CSK vs DC squads, IPL match Today
Chennai Super Kings squad: Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vijay Shankar, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Shreyas Gopal, Devon Conway, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj, Nathan Ellis, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi.
Delhi Capitals squad: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel(w), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Karun Nair, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Darshan Nalkande, Dushmantha Chameera, KL Rahul, T Natarajan, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Manvanth Kumar L, Madhav Tiwari.

CSK vs DC Head-to-Head Record

Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals have met 30 times in the IPL. Chennai hold a 19-11 lead in the head-to-head.
At Chepauk, CSK haven’t lost to DC since 2010, when current coach Hemang Badani was part of the Chennai setup. Can he take Delhi to victory today?

CSK vs DC IPL 2025, Chennai weather prediction

As per Accuweather, Chennai is expected to get sweltering hot conditions on Saturday with the humidity markers moving above 60 percent. It is slated to be over 30 degrees Celsius during the afternoon encounter. Bear in mind, a Yellow Alert has been issued for Chennai so there is a small chance of rainfall.

The “America First” trade is unraveling in the sweeping turmoil in global markets, with stocks acutely exposed to the US economy sinking alongside the dollar. As Wall Street’s rebellion against Donald Trump’s tariff war intensifies, traders are rushing into fixed-income havens.

About $2 trillion was erased from the S&P 500, with the gauge down about 5%. The Russell 2000 of smaller firms extended its plunge from a 2021 all-time high to 20% on speculation the president’s trade offensive will stunt the American economy. The greenback slid 1.5%, reigniting the debate about its haven reputation during challenging times as the euro, yen and Swiss franc surged. Oil joined a selloff in commodities.

All in, the much-vaunted America-first trade – buying up assets that win when the US outperforms the rest of the world – is reversing on concern that the steepest increase in American tariffs in a century will hammer economic growth.

That’s driving a fierce rally in global bonds, sending the yield on benchmark Treasuries briefly below the closely-watched 4% level. Most other yields also tumbled as money markets priced in a 50% chance of the Federal Reserve delivering four quarter-point rate reductions this year.

Trump has embraced tariffs as a tool to assert US power, revive manufacturing at home and extract geopolitical concessions. Economists say the near-term result of his measures will likely be higher US prices and slower growth, or perhaps even a recession.

“If these tariffs stick, the economy is going to slow down,” said Mary Ann Bartels at Sanctuary Wealth. “Whether it’s a recession or not, it’s clear that the economy is headed for a slowdown in the US and around the world. There’s no place to hide, but the fixed-income markets.”

As spiraling tariff worries hammer US stocks, legendary investor Bill Gross is urging prospective dip-buyers to stay on the sidelines.

“Investors should not try to ‘catch a falling knife’,” he said in an email. “This is an epic economic and market event similar to 1971 and the end of the gold standard except with immediate negative consequences.”

Wall Street will face a key test Friday as the jobs report and a speech by Fed Chair Jerome Powell should set the tone for markets worried about the outlook for the world’s largest economy.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s trading desk has seen a level of activity on Thursday that’s practically “unheard of” apart from stock-market rebalancing days.

It’s the busiest day for the desk since the emergence of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek rattled global markets in late January, John Flood, a Goldman partner and trading specialist, wrote in a note to clients.

“Our desk is a 9.5 out of 10 in terms of activity levels and I would not be surprised to see close to 20 billion shares trade across all US equity exchanges today,” where the average this year is 15 billion, Flood wrote.

Money managers have rolled back exposures to American equities to levels not seen since November 2023, according to a poll by the National Association of Active Investment Managers. Hedge funds dumped global stocks at the fastest rate in 12 years in March, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. data.

Recession fears have been rising and that is visible across various asset classes.

Stocks and bond yields are back moving in concert and their correlation is the highest in two years. But unlike in 2023 when they were both going up, this time they’re falling, a typical sign that economic growth expectations are being downgraded.

Nomura Securities International Inc. said it expects gross domestic product to expand 0.6% in 2025 after accounting for the new levies on imports, and a key measure of underlying inflation to rise to 4.7%. Barclays Plc economists took a more pessimistic view toward GDP – projecting a 0.1% contraction – and a slightly more optimistic view of inflation, penciling in a 3.7% increase.

“I have no doubt that over the near term tariffs will be detrimental to growth,” said Irene Tunkel at BCA Research. “We have gone through the first stage of this calamity and, as I said before, this is bad for financial markets. The first stage is peak uncertainty. The next stage will be downgrades in earnings.”

The US risks being caught between slowing growth and rising prices as a result of the sweeping tariff plans unveiled Wednesday by the Trump administration, according to the president of Apollo Global Management Inc.

The chances of a recession in the world’s biggest economy have risen to 50% or higher, Jim Zelter said in a Bloomberg Television interview Thursday. The risk that tariffs accelerate inflation and constrain the Fed’s ability to stimulate growth by slashing rates has also risen materially, he said.

“We’re left to ponder how far the price action can extend from here. At this stage, the more relevant uncertainty is the degree to which the US equity market will sell off,” said Ian Lyngen and Vail Hartman at BMO Capital Markets. “In the event that stocks continue to slide, we anticipate that Treasury yields will do the same.”

Trump’s trade war is likely to reinforce the underperformance of US equities, as tariffs crimp earnings for Corporate America, according to global strategists at HSBC including Alastair Pinder.

“We believe this could accelerate the ongoing rotation out of US equities and into international,” they noted.

US tariffs were larger than expected, not priced in, and coming at a bad time, increasing the risk that US stocks will enter a bear market, UBS strategists led by Bhanu Baweja said.

“All of this is likely to mean an extended period of volatility for US equities,” said Solita Marcelli at UBS Global Wealth Management. Nonetheless, we do believe the market will end the year higher.”

While uncertainty is currently high, Marcelli believes that, at the margin, incremental news flow could become more supportive as we approach the second half of the year.

“Now that the tariffs have been announced, negotiations to soften them can begin,” she said. “Tariff revenue could be used to offset the cost of extending tax cuts. And we would expect the Fed to respond to weakening growth with interest rate cuts.”

Meantime, the dollar’s extended decline in the midst of a global selloff in risk assets has sparked a vigorous debate about whether it has retained its status as a haven during turbulent times, given the homegrown nature of the economic fears roiling macro markets.

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index tumbled as much as 2.1% on Thursday, the measure’s sharpest intraday decline since its launch in 2005. Investors are bearish on the dollar in the coming month for the first time since September, options data show.

Hedge funds have increased their bearish bets on the dollar, mainly versus the yen and the euro, while also bracing for higher volatility into year-end, according to currency traders familiar with the transactions who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly.

Before the Bell: Stocks and Dollar Sink, UBS Sees 5% Inflation

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

• The S&P 500 fell 4.8% as of 4 p.m. New York time
• The Nasdaq 100 fell 5.4%
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4%
• The MSCI World Index fell 3.9%
• Bloomberg Magnificent 7 Total Return Index fell 6.7%
• The Russell 2000 Index fell 6.6%

Currencies

• The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 1.5%
• The euro rose 1.6% to $1.1024
• The British pound rose 0.6% to $1.3081
• The Japanese yen rose 2% to 146.24 per dollar

Cryptocurrencies

• Bitcoin fell 4.3% to $81,931.13
• Ether fell 5.1% to $1,785.72

Bonds

• The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined eight basis points to 4.05%
• Germany’s 10-year yield declined seven basis points to 2.65%
• Britain’s 10-year yield declined 12 basis points to 4.52%

Commodities

• West Texas Intermediate crude fell 6.9% to $66.74 a barrel
• Spot gold fell 0.8% to $3,107.76 an ounce

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

US stock futures fell sharply today, signalling more losses on Wall Street, after China retaliated with fresh tariffs a day after the Trump administration’s sweeping levies knocked off $2.4 trillion from US equities.

In India, the NSE Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex continued to fall as anxiety about the future of the global trade system prevailed due to US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies.

The chatter on social media indicates severe criticism of Trump’s policies, as well as wide support for him from the champions of ‘Make America Great Again’, or MAGA.

Lawrence H Summers, a Harvard professor who worked with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, pointed out today’s stock market fall was probably the worst experience in the last five years.

“Today was the worst stock market experience in five years. Usually when you have a terrible stock market experience, it’s because a bank fails, a pandemic, a hurricane or because some other country does something,” Mr Summers said in a post on X.

“We don’t have these kinds of stock market responses in response to policies that the President of the United States is proud of. That is something that is entirely without precedent. It is extremely dangerous,” he added.

Today was the worst stock market experience in five years. Usually when you have a terrible stock market experience, it’s because a bank fails, a pandemic, a hurricane or because some other country does something. We don’t have these kinds of stock market responses in response to…

— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) April 4, 2025

Others have alleged Trump’s own social networking website Truth Social suddenly had the foresight to sell stock before the tariffs were formally announced.

“Just before announcing a major escalation in his tariff war on Wednesday evening – followed by a major stock market wipeout the following morning – president Donald Trump freed up the sale of his Truth Social shares,” MSN reported.

“As the Financial Times reports, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) revealed that it was planning to sell more than 142 million shares in a late Tuesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission,” it said.

Gabe Sanchez, the host of ‘What Was That Show’, alleged Trump’s trade war began on fake numbers and people are facing the consequences now.

“Layoffs in the US surged 205 per cent in March, hitting 275,240 job cuts – the worst since the height of the pandemic in 2020. Trump has kicked off a trade war based on fake numbers. And now? The stock market is in freefall,” Mr Sanchez said in a post on X.

What added to anxiety among US investors was China’s announcement it would apply 34 per cent tariffs on US imports, becoming the first major economy to fire back against Trump’s swingeing new levies in the escalating global trade war that sent markets deep into the red.

China — one of the US’ top trading partners — had also said it would file a suit at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the tariffs.

Jon Cooper, the former Long Island campaign chair for Mr Obama, said, “Financial markets are now plunging even further following news that China has retaliated against the US over the tariffs announced by Trump on Wednesday night.”

The longer Trump’s tariffs remain in effect, the more harm will be done to the US economy and the higher consumer prices will rise. I spoke today to the head of a company that manufactures household appliances, who said they’ll definitely have to increase their prices once the…

— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) April 4, 2025

Some MAGA supporters hit back at Trump’s critics. They asked for patience, and asserted the markets are at a correction phase after being hyped up on hollow money under the previous Biden administration.

Bill Mitchell, the CEO of Your Voice Studios, said stocks are falling because they were propped up with laundered US taxpayer money.

“The reality is that stocks are falling because they were propped up with laundered US taxpayer money through Ukraine and USAID. Trump cut off the “new money” tap and so they fell. Markets were artificially propped up to make the Biden economy look successful.  That is now correcting. The globalists are the ones screaming recession the loudest but this is the chemotherapy necessary to save America from this cancer,” Mr Mitchell said in a post on X.

The reality is that stocks are falling because they were propped up with laundered US taxpayer money through Ukraine and USAID. Trump cut off the “new money” tap and so they fall.

Markets were artificially propped up to make the Biden economy look successful. That is now…

— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) March 31, 2025

Trump dismissed the turmoil on Thursday, insisting to reporters as he left for a weekend at his Florida golf resort that stocks will “boom”. He announced 10 per cent import duties on all nations, due to kick in on Saturday, and far higher levies on imports from dozens of specific countries taking effect next week.

Countries have slammed the tariffs but, with the exception of China, have so far withheld retaliatory measures, offering talks with the US.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK supremo MK Stalin on Friday informed the assembly that the state’s Bill seeking exemption from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has been rejected by the Centre after being sent for Presidential assent. Terming the rejection a “dark chapter in federalism,” Stalin said the state would continue its fight against NEET and announced an all-party meeting on April 9 to discuss the next steps.
“The rejection is a dark chapter in federalism,” Stalin said, expressing disappointment over the Centre’s decision. He accused the Union government of ignoring the will of the people of Tamil Nadu and the unanimous decision of the State Assembly.
The Bill, originally passed in 2021 and re-adopted in 2022 after being returned by governor RN Ravi, proposed that admissions to medical courses in Tamil Nadu be based solely on Class 12 marks, rather than the NEET entrance exam.
“Despite the Tamil Nadu government furnishing all necessary clarifications through various ministries, the Union government has now rejected the exemption from NEET,” Stalin said in the Assembly.
He added that NEET had made it harder for students from poor and rural backgrounds to pursue medical education, which would, in turn, impact healthcare services in backward areas of the state.
The NEET debate has remained emotionally charged in Tamil Nadu, where several aspirants have died by suicide in recent years, including S Anita in 2017 — a case that sparked widespread outrage.
The AIADMK, BJP, and other opposition parties used the occasion to hit out at the DMK. Leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami accused the DMK of misleading the public on the NEET issue.
“The DMK came to power in 2021 promising to cancel NEET. Deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin even said he knew the secret to abolish it. But nothing has been done. Now, the chief minister has called for an all-party meeting. How long will the DMK continue to deceive the people?” Palaniswami asked, speaking to the media after his party staged a walkout over a separate issue.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said the DMK’s “NEET drama” had come to an end with the President’s rejection of the Bill. “The chapter is closed,” he said, adding that the state can no longer blame the Governor or the President.
“I challenge the chief minister — go to the Supreme Court. If you have the courage, fight it legally. NEET was implemented because of the apex court’s ruling, and the DMK knows it,” Annamalai said, speaking to reporters in Coimbatore.
He further claimed the DMK would not approach the court, knowing the origins of NEET lay in the Supreme Court’s own judgments.
With the rejection now official, all eyes will be on the DMK-led government’s next move as pressure mounts from political opponents and the public alike.

Tamil Nadu‘s battle for exemption from the National Entrance and Eligibility Test, or NEET – the all-India entrance test for admission to medical courses – suffered a setback Friday after President Droupadi Murmu rejected a bill to exclude the state from its purview and allow it to use Class XII marks instead.

Chief Minister MK Stalin informed the Assembly of the rejection of a bill that was cleared twice by the state legislature – in 2021 and 2022 – and had been pending with the union government since.

In June last year the Assembly also passed, unanimously, a resolution urging the union government to scrap the NEET system and allow states to decide admission on school marks.

Responding to the rejection today, Mr Stalin – who has feuds with the BJP-led centre on at least two major issues, the delimitation exercise and the ‘Hindi imposition’ row, ahead of next year’s election – said the southern state had been “insulted” and spoke of a “black phase in federalism”.

“Despite the Tamil Nadu government providing all necessary clarifications… the union government has rejected the exemption from NEET,” Mr Stalin said in the Assembly.

The Chief Minister then called on all legislature parties to meet to decide on the next steps. He said the struggle for exemption from NEET – made mandatory for admissions in 2017 – will continue.

The meeting of all MLAs will likely be on April 9, sources have said.

“The union government may have rejected Tamil Nadu’s request… but our fight is far from over. We will consult legal experts on lawful measures we can take to challenge this decision,” he also said.

The state’s challenge to the NEET system is a long-running one.

The primary argument is that it benefits students from richer families and sections of society as they can better afford the intensive coaching and prep needed to pass the exam. Switching to using Class 12 marks as the admission criteria will, the state has argued, ensure social justice.

The furore over NEET also comes amid multiple controversies in recent years, including young people dying by suicide because they can’t clear the exam and the leak of exam papers.

READ | 21-Year-Old NEET Aspirant Dies By Suicide, Opposition Slams DMK

Last year, for example, the Supreme Court heard petitions seeking a re-test, or cancellation, of the 2024 NEET-UG test after claims the question paper was leaked 45 minutes before the exam.

The court dismissed the petitions, saying the ‘sanctity’ of the exam was not breached.

READ | No NEET Re-Exam, Court Says “Can’t Conclude Sanctity Breached”

And it is not just Tamil Nadu that is protesting against the current system.

In July last year Bengal joined the battle, passing a resolution against the exam. State Education Minister Bratya Basu said the ruling Trinamool had never been in favour of an all-India exam.

Other major opposition leaders, including the Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal in poll-bound Bihar, have also spoken out on the NEET row.

With input from agencies

The Waqf bill, after a smooth passage through Lok Sabha, breezed through the Rajya Sabha 24 hours later, after yet another marathon debate. On its way, it exposed a chink in the armour of the parties opposing the bill. The voting was 128 votes in favour of the bill and 95 against. 

Just a few hours before the voting, Naveen Patkaik’s Biju Janata Dal opened the gates for a “conscience vote’ telling its seven upper house MPs that they would not be bound by a whip and could vote for whichever side they wanted.

The party’s senior leader Sasmit Patra, in a post on X, said they took that view after taking into consideration the sentiments of “different sections of the Minority communities regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill”.

The Debate

The arguments, though, were on expected lines. Minorities affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, opening the debate, dismissed allegations that the bill would harm Muslim interests and asserted that non-Muslims cannot interfere in the Waqf Board’s affairs as its management, creation, and beneficiaries would remain exclusively Muslims.

Emphasizing his argument that the bill is not about religion but property and its management and aims to root out corruption, he said proof of ownership will now be required before a property is declared Waqf. This, he added, will eliminate the previous provision where any claim by the Waqf Board automatically led to its designation as Waqf property.

Mr Rijiju and Union minister Amit Shah had yesterday listed properties that were labelled Wakf, among them properties in Delhi’s Lutyens zone, a 400-year-old temple in Tamil Nadu, land for a five-star establishment and even the old parliament building. 

Congress’s Syed Naseer Hussain, who responded to Mr Rijiju, said, “They are creating confusion about 123 properties. They are either masjids, burial grounds or dargahs”. 

“I want to submit a list of those,” he said. “When the British occupied Lutyens’ Delhi, these properties were handed over to the Waqf by them after construction of the area. These properties are with the Waqf. These were the ones that are being referred to by them in relation to 2013,” he added.

There was also an acrimonious exchange between Mr Hussain and Amit Shah today, when the former questioned the BJP argument that at under the existing Waqf Act, people can’t move court if they are aggrieved with the decision of the Tribunal. “This is false. How are there so many pending cases in the High Court and Supreme Court if none could move court?” he said. 

“They (the Congress) did not keep a provision for a civil suit, which has a wide purview, in the court in the 2013 Act. They only have a provision for writ jurisdiction in the High Court, which has a very limited purview,” retorted Mr Shah. 

Speaking in favour of the bill, Union Minister JP Nadda accused the Opposition of attempting to divert and derail the issue and asserted that it would be good if they paid attention to the deprived sections of the Muslim community. He also questioned why India cannot make changes when Muslim nations are making Waqf properties transparent and digitized the system.

Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge said the bill should not be made into a prestige issue. “What you (government) are doing is not good. This will lead to disputes in the country. You are sowing seeds for disputes… I appeal to the Home Minister to withdraw this. What is the harm in rectifying the errors?” he said.

Giving what he called a “comparative statement,” he said the Bill was passed in Lok Sabha with 288 Ayes and 232 Noes. “Did everyone accept it? This means that there are drawbacks (in the Bill). You should see this… If you go by ‘jiski laathi uski bhains’, this will not be good for anyone,” he told the House.

Targeting the Centre over the provisions of the legislation, he said: “Why two non-Muslims are required (to be part of Waqf board)? In Tirupati, do you keep any Muslims? Are there Muslim members in the Ram Temple Trust? Let alone Muslims, you won’t put a Dalit Hindu like me also there.” 

His words echoed AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel, who said, “If non-Muslims are going to be appointed on the Waqf Board, are they going to include Imtiaz Jaleel in Shirdi Saibaba (temple) trust or Tirupati temple trust. If such a board comes up for the Sikh community, no non-Sikh can be appointed. So, why such things are for the Waqf Board only,” he questioned.

What Next For The Bill

The Lok Sabha had passed the bill with a 288-232 vote in the early hours of Thursday after a debate lasting over 12 hours.

The proposed legislation — which will be sent for President’s sign-off next — aims to amend the 1995 law governing Waqf properties. 

The Contentious Provisions of Waqf Bill

The contentious provisions in the amended bill include mandatory inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards. 

There is also the stipulation that only individuals who practiced Islam for at least five years can donate properties to Waqf. The Opposition has questioned how the government intends to determine who a practicing Muslim is. They have also argued that barring converts from making donations is an interference in the fundamental rights to practice religion and the law on equality.

Under the proposed law, government property identified as Waqf will cease to belong to it and the local Collector will determine its ownership. The bill also proposes that an officer above the rank of collector will investigate government properties claimed as Waqf. In case of disputes, the senior government official will have the final say on whether a property belongs to Waqf or the government. This replaces the existing system where such decisions are made by Waqf tribunals.

The Opposition as well as a section of the Muslim community interprets it as a government move to gain control over Waqf properties. 

SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah has convened a meeting Friday to discuss growing tensions over lieutenant-governor (LG) Manoj Sinha’s recent transfers of officers, the first time he will examine and debate an administrative decision taken by the Centre-appointed authority.
The bone of contention emerged Tuesday when Sinha ordered transfers of 48 Jammu Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers while the CM and other members of his National Conference (NC) were away for Eid holidays. NC did not name the Centre-appointed Sinha but asserted that no one would be allowed to “play with the democratic set-up”. NC has also taken up the issue with the Centre, party sources said.
Sources said Omar wrote Thursday to Union home minister Amit Shah and Sinha expressing concern after chief secretary Atal Dulloo did not comply with CM’s directive to rescind the transfers by the previous evening (April 2). The issue is likely to come up during Shah’s scheduled visit to J&K next week, the sources said.”
“The meeting (on Friday) will discuss many issues and on the top of agenda will be recent transfers of UT administrative service officers,” Tanvir Sadiq, NC member and spokesman, told TOI. Sadiq pointed out that the NC govt was democratically elected, sworn in last Oct, and both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Shah had hailed this political process. “We will not allow anyone to scuttle it,” Sadiq said.
NC chief whip Mubarik Gul has in a letter to NC legislators said Omar would chair the meeting at the residence of deputy CM Surinder Choudhary. “All are requested to kindly make it convenient to attend the meeting,” Gul wrote.
A power-sharing structure between the elected govt and LG in place after the Aug 2019 abrogation of special status under Article 370 that turned J&K into a Union territory has worked in the past six months since NC took office. According to NC, LG has powers to transfer IAS officers, while the elected govt wields similar authority over JKAS cadre.
Many NC leaders believed transfers of revenue officers, like SDMs and Tehsildars and projecting them as law-and-order officers, amounted to asserting power over the entire bureaucracy, from a peon to an IAS officer. They say these revenue officials are assigned law and order duty on occasions but that doesn’t bring them under LG. Since J&K became a UT, LG handles the home department.
Congress legislatorGA Mir supported ally NC’s position and said LG’s actions showed everything was not well within the J&K administration.
However, opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) dismissed NC’s “alleged outrage” over the issue, saying nothing would come out of Friday’s meeting. “NC has already surrendered its huge mandate, and to expect any resistance from it, is asking too much. The party has frittered away all opportunities to channel people’s aspirations and seek dignity for them, including constitutional rights. NC is conscious of BJP’s ability to destabilise them (but) resistance is a tall order,” PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar said.
Political analyst Zafar Choudhary acknowledged “some political criticism” over transfers by LG Sinha but asserted that he drew his powers from a “written text stemming from the events of Aug 2019 which no one should pretend to be oblivious of”. “If nothing has been imagined, conceived or planned, leave aside done, to change the terms of engagement, there is no point for any knee-jerk reaction,” Choudhary said.