Morning Brief: Jaishankar's Straight Talk On Kashmir; Trump Singles Out Indian Tariffs On US Automobiles; Tussles In An Out-Of-Power BSP; And More

Catch up on the day’s must-read stories with Swarajya's roundup of the morning's headlines.

Kashmir will be 'solved' once Pakistan returns stolen territory: Jaishankar in London

S. Jaishankar, speaking at Chatham House in London, UK, on 5 March, indicated that the Kashmir issue was 'mostly solved'.

He highlighted the revocation of Article 370, economic recovery, and strong voter turnout in recent elections steps taken by India to 'solve' the issue.

The remaining challenge, he noted, was Pakistan’s occupation of stolen territory of Kashmir.

During the event, Khalistani extremists disrupted proceedings by tearing an Indian flag. Despite this, Jaishankar maintained a resolute stance, emphasizing India’s claim over the entirety of Jammu and Kashmir and signalled a firm approach to resolving the territorial dispute.

Whatever they tax us, we will tax them: Trump on tariffs with India

"India charges us 100 per cent tariffs; the system is not fair to the US, it never was. On April 2, reciprocal tariffs kick in. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them. If they use non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we will use non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market", said US President Donald Trump to a joint session of the US Congress on 5 March. He especially singled out tariffs that India levies on automobile imports from the US.

Trump also specified why tariffs would kick in from April 2 and not the 1st, attributing it to him being superstitious with the Western world marking 1st April as 'Fools' Day'.

Meanwhile, India is yet to respond to Trump's statements with negotiations set to take place during Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's trip to Washington D.C.

India's Astra MK-III missile will now be called Gandiva

India’s Astra MK-III missile has now ben renamed to Gandiva, after Arjuna's bow from the Mahabharata. This missile is expected to mark a significant advancement over China’s PL-15 with its 340-km range.

It was recently tested successfully from a Su-30 and is set for Tejas integration. The government also expects that it will bring in Rs 50,000 crore in exports by 2029.

From the states

Abu Azmi suspended from Maharashtra Assembly for remarks whitewashing Auragzeb's bigotry

On March 5, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi was suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly for the entire budget session due to his remarks praising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Azmi claimed Aurangzeb wasn’t a cruel ruler and had contributed to temples, sparking outrage among treasury members who saw it as an insult to Maratha icons Shivaji and Sambhaji Maharaj. Despite retracting his statement, the suspension was proposed by Minister Chandrakant Patil and passed by Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Azmi called it unfair, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav decried it as an attack on free speech.

Responding to Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve’s question about why Azmi had not been jailed, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that Azmi, suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly until the budget session ends on March 26, would “100 per cent” be put in jail.

Karnataka DGP distances himself from daughter

Yesterday, news broke that Kannada actress Ranya Rao, daughter of Karnataka DGP K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport for smuggling 14 kg of gold from Dubai on 3 March.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence intercepted her after noticing frequent Gulf trips, finding gold bars hidden in a belt. Rao, who used protocol privileges to evade checks, was remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

Her father distanced himself from Rao, expressing shock and stating she lived separately since her recent marriage. The DRI suspects she’s part of a smuggling network, with investigations ongoing into her trips and potential accomplices.

Mayawati brings more changes in a declining BSP

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati removed her brother Anand Kumar from the national coordinator post of the Bahujan Samaj Party, replacing him with Randhir Beniwal from Saharanpur. This followed Kumar’s brief appointment to the role after his son, Akash Anand, was expelled from the party on March 3 for alleged indiscipline and influence from his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth. Kumar, also BSP’s national vice-president, chose to retain only one position.

The reshuffle highlights ongoing internal rifts, with Mayawati emphasizing party discipline. Ramji Gautam and Beniwal now jointly oversee party affairs under her leadership.