BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has claimed that his mother was seriously injured after being struck by a car in an alleged hit-and-run incident in Pune. The accused reportedly fled the spot after the incident, leaving her critically injured.

According to Poonawalla, the incident occurred a few hours earlier and his mother is scheduled to undergo surgery. He appealed to authorities to identify and arrest the person responsible at the earliest.

Sharing details on social media, Poonawalla said an unidentified individual ran a car over his mother and escaped from the scene. He requested prayers for her recovery and expressed anguish over the incident, describing his mother as a compassionate person whose injury had deeply shaken him.

He also tagged Pune City Police, senior police officials, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging strict legal action against the accused and ensuring that the person does not evade accountability.

CCTV footage surfaces, police complaint to be filed

In a related development, Poonawalla’s brother and political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla shared CCTV footage on social media that allegedly shows the moment their mother was hit by the vehicle.

Tehseen stated that his mother, a senior citizen, had stepped out of the car while it was being refuelled when the incident occurred. He alleged that the act appeared deliberate and said efforts were underway to identify the vehicle involved.

He further confirmed that a police complaint would be filed and questioned how the vehicle could have hit his mother when she was standing at a distance from the car.

Fractured hip, surgery planned

Providing an update on her medical condition, Tehseen said their mother had suffered a fractured hip and would require surgical intervention. She has been admitted to hospital and doctors are monitoring her vitals ahead of surgery.

He described the incident as infuriating and heartbreaking, adding that his mother would need a rod implant following the hip surgery. He also said he had spoken to senior police officials and expressed hope that swift action would be taken.

Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the incident. Further details are awaited as investigations continue.

India’s exports to the United States are expected to gain momentum following Washington’s decision to reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday, describing the move as a “good auguring” for exporters.

Speaking in an interview to media, Sitharaman said the tariff reduction would help Indian exporters regain competitiveness in the US market, particularly after the sharp impact of punitive duties imposed last year.

“So, actually our exports will pick up now, that is my expectation,” she said, adding that exporters had also identified alternative markets during the period of elevated tariffs and would continue operating in them.

Tariff rollback brings relief after export setback

The US had imposed steep tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods last year, which significantly raised landed costs and squeezed exporter margins. Several sectors, including steel, aluminium, textiles, engineering goods and certain agricultural products, were affected as US buyers diverted orders to other suppliers.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced a reduction in tariffs on Indian goods to 18% as part of a broader trade understanding. The agreement includes India lowering trade barriers and committing to stop purchases of Russian oil, instead sourcing energy from the US and potentially Venezuela.

On implementation, the revised tariff structure would bring duties on Indian exports broadly in line with other Asian economies, where rates range between 15% and 19%.

Improved competitiveness against regional rivals

The 18% tariff undercuts duties imposed on key regional competitors such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, which face tariffs of around 20%. This is expected to restore India’s price advantage in the US market.

Labour-intensive sectors such as apparel, footwear and jewellery are likely to see the most immediate benefit. These segments had witnessed a sharp fall in orders after the 50% tariffs imposed in August severely dented competitiveness.

Earlier in the day, Sitharaman described the development as “good news for #MadeInIndia products” in a social media post, noting that Indian goods would now face reduced duties in the US market.

Trade and capital flow impact

Earlier punitive tariffs had also weighed on bilateral trade. India’s trade surplus with the US shrank by an average of USD 2.5 billion per month between September and December 2025 compared to the January–August period, according to research cited in the report.

Investor sentiment had weakened as well, with foreign investors pulling out nearly USD 14 billion in equities since July 2025.

The rollback of the additional 25% punitive tariff linked to Russian oil purchases effectively lowers the applied tariff on Indian exports from 50% to 18%, offering significant relief to exporters and improving prospects for a recovery in trade flows.

Chaos engulfed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday as tensions between the opposition and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party intensified over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to raise the issue of the India-China military standoff in Ladakh. The disruption eventually led to the suspension of eight Congress MPs for the remainder of the parliamentary session.

The confrontation unfolded after the Leader of the Opposition tried, for the second consecutive day, to read out excerpts from an unpublished book by former Army chief General M.M. Naravane that refer to the 2020 Ladakh crisis. The Speaker denied permission, citing procedural rules, triggering protests from opposition members.

Several MPs protested by refusing to speak when called upon, expressing solidarity with Gandhi. The uproar forced repeated adjournments of the House and, according to reports, involved members throwing pieces of paper towards the Chair.

Following the disorder, eight Congress MPs — including Hibi Eden, Amarinder Raja Warring and Manickam Tagor — were suspended. Warring later questioned the action, saying the protests were in response to Gandhi being denied the opportunity to speak despite having authenticated the document and submitted it to the House.

The BJP strongly criticised the Congress leadership. Party MP Anurag Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi of undermining Parliament and insulting the armed forces, alleging that the opposition was attempting to distract from recent government actions, including the presentation of the Union Budget. He also said the BJP would move a formal complaint seeking strict action against the suspended MPs.

Outside Parliament, Gandhi accused the ruling party of trying to silence him, saying he was prevented from speaking on the sensitive issue of the India-China border. He argued that he had followed procedure by authenticating the content he wished to quote but was still denied permission.

What happened a day earlier

On Monday, the Speaker had also disallowed Gandhi from reading the excerpts, with senior ministers countering his remarks during the debate. Government sources later maintained that the Congress leader violated House rules by attempting to introduce unpublished material into the official record without prior approval.

When proceedings resumed on Tuesday, Gandhi again raised the matter, insisting that the information had been authenticated. As the Speaker moved on to other members, two opposition MPs from the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress declined to speak, signalling their support for him.

Rahul Gandhi targets India-US trade deal

Separately, Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over what he described as a lack of transparency surrounding the India-US trade deal. He questioned how negotiations that had reportedly remained unresolved for months were concluded overnight and alleged that the agreement compromised the interests of Indian farmers, particularly in agriculture and dairy.

Government sources, however, rejected these claims, stating that sensitive sectors would remain protected and that the deal does not undermine farmers’ interests. They said contentious issues, including market access, had been carefully handled.

The opposition has demanded full disclosure of the terms of the agreement, even as both sides continue to trade sharp political accusations inside and outside Parliament.