vijayawada l saturday l april 13, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late city EDITION govt asks Indians not to go to Israel, Iran amid rising tensions MEA’s advisory comes amid escalating tensions in West Asia following Israel’s strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria on April 1 Caution AGAINST tRAVEL WITHIN iSRAEL In its advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs urged Indians residing in Iran and Israel to exercise utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to a bare minimum. The US embassy in Israel has also curbed movement of its staff and their families “out of an abundance of caution” in view of a potential revenge attack by Iran on Israel 48 hours Iran’s threat is ‘real & viable’, says u.s. ■ The strike on Iran consulate in Syria killed 7 members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, including two generals. Tehran has vowed to avenge the attack saying no Israeli mission anywhere in the world will be safe from now on ■ “We deem the potential threat by Iran to be real, to be viable,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday iran may hit israel in a matter of hours, Wall Street Journal reported on Friday CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI NIA nabs B’luru bomber, mastermind in Bengal Alleged bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazeb and mastermind Adbul Matheen Taha were staying in a lodge under false identities B a l a C h a u h an & MUK E SH R A N J A N @ Bengaluru/ New Delhi The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two accused in the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast — the alleged mastermind Adbul Matheen Taha and bomber Mussavir Hussain Shazeb — from West Bengal in the wee hours of Friday . The two were staying in a lowbudget lodge in Kanthi — a small town about 180 km from Kolkata in the state’s Purba Medinipur district. As per NIA, they were staying in the lodge under false names. The agency, in an official release, acknowledged the cooperation of central intelligence agencies and state police agencies of West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana and Kerala in the professionally coordinated joint operation to nab the two terror accused. The NIA special court in Kolkata, where the accused were produced, granted three days transit remand to the agency to take them to Bengaluru. Taha’s arrest is a breakthrough for the NIA as his name Accused being taken to NIA court in Kolkata on Friday| PTI figured prominently as an accused in several terror-related cases in Karnataka since 2019. The NIA announced a bounty of `10 lakh on credible information leading to the arrest of Taha and Shazeb. The two belong to Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district. “It was Taha who also worked on the escape plans of the duo and managed to evade arrest all these weeks,” a senior NIA official informed. In May 2020, the NIA had announced a reward of `3 lakh for information leading to Taha’s arrest in the Al-Hind Bengaluru module case. The module is said to be behind the murder of a Hindu leader in Tamil Nadu. The Rameshwaram Cafe blast on March 1 in the IT hub of Bengaluru injured nine persons. Shazeb allegedly kept the bag containing the IED near the hand wash area of popular cafe. He was spotted de-boarding a bus before entering the cafe with the bag. On March 28, the NIA arrested Muzammil Shareef, an alleged key conspirator, from Bengaluru after massive raids across 18 locations in three states; 12 in Karnataka, 5 in Tamil Nadu, and one in UP. pulivendula Delhi court sends BRS leader Kavitha to CBI custody till April 15 BJP State chief D Purandeswari, along with party Central leaders Arun Singh and Sidharth Nath Singh, and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan met TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu at the latter’s residence in Undavalli on Friday | Express Leaders of tripartite alliance chalk out plan to intensify poll campaign E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Leaders of the TDP-BJP-JSP triumvirate met at the residence of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and mainly discussed coordination among the three parties as they move forward in their campaign for the general elections on May 13 in the State. BJP leaders, including Daggubati Purandeswari, national general secretary Arun Singh and BJP State in-charge Sidharth Nath Singh, and JSP chief Pawan Kalyan took part in the meeting. Besides discussing the steps needed for the successful transfer of votes between the three parties, the leaders also chalked out a strategy for taking up intense campaigning involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP top leaders like Amit Shah, JP Nadda and Rajnath Singh in various parts of the State. Modi has already campaigned in the State once and it is likely that he might address two more rallies in the coming days, sources said. During the two-hour long meeting, discussions took place on the constitution of a Statelevel committee with members from all the three partners to focus on fine tuning the strategies after studying the ongoing election campaign and analysing the day-to-day developments. It is learnt that the lead- PM to address two more rallies in State Discussions were held on formulating a strategy to take up campaigning with PM Modi and BJP top leaders like Amit Shah, JP Nadda and Rajnath Singh. Modi is likely to address two rallies soon ers also discussed mutual transfer of candidates in some of the Assembly constituencies like Anaparthy . The NDA’s top leaders are focussing on the strategies to be adopted at the grassroot-level for achieving the best results in ensuring the transfer of votes between the parties. They also felt that activists of all the three parties are moving with close coordination which they felt is a welcome move. The alliance partners unanimously agreed that the joint public meetings were yielding very good results and felt that more such meetings should be organised across the State. Further, the leaders decided to lodge a joint complaint with the Election Commission, besides waging a relentless battle till action is initiated. They decided to fight for proper implementation of the Model Code of Conduct. The NDA leaders decided to move ahead with a strategy to win at least 160 Assembly segments and all the Lok Sabha seats in the State. After the meeting, BJP leaders organised a review meeting on the constituencies. Speaking after the meeting, Purandeswari said the three parties discussed issues related to coordination. Admitting that there were some issues in the alliance in Anaparthy and a few other constituencies, she hoped that they would all be resolved soon. Despite anti-incumbency, Owaisi is frontrunner A j ay T o m a r @ Hyderabad Sitting at a juice shop opposite Mecca Masjid near Charminar on Eid-ul-Fitr, Noor Mohammed, a businessman and resident of Moghulpura, lamented the lack of basic amenities and civic infrastructure in Hyderabad’s Old City, the bastion of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). “For two decades, [Asaduddin] Owaisi has been the MP But the dingy . lanes, traffic snarls, potholed passages and inundation of streets are testimony to the bad conditions in most areas under the constituency,” Noor remarked, drawing a comparison with Cyberabad and Secunderabad. Nevertheless, the 52year-old businessman said the lHe is said to be the common thread in almost all terrorist activities in Karnataka ever since 2019 Vijayawada: Results for the Intermediate Public Examination (IPE) were released on Friday. While 67% of the first year students cleared the exams, 78% second year students passed. Of the total 3,93,757 second year students who appeared for the exam, 3,06,528 passed. While 4,61,273 first year students wrote the exam, 3,10,875 cleared it | P3 @ Vijayawada Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to file his nomination for contesting the Pulivendula Assembly constituency on April 25. The YSRC president is currently conducting his Memanta Siddham bus yatra, which will culminate at Ichchapuram in Srikakulam on April 24. He will reach Pulivendula directly from Srikakulam and file the nomination papers the next day . Following this, he will address a public meeting. It has been learnt that Jagan is unlikely to campaign in Pulivendula, the citadel of the YS family after April 25. He may , focus on holding public meetings across the State. The 51-year-old politician is seeking a hat-trick win from Pulivendula. In 2014, he won from the Assembly constituency with a majority of over 75,000 votes and extended the margin of victory to more than 90,000 votes in 2019. Meanwhile, Jagan’s cousin brother and Kadapa Lok Sabha MP YS Avinash Reddy will file the first set of nominations on behalf of the Chief Minister in Pulivendula on April 22. Notification for conduct of elections to 175 Assembly and 25 Parliament seats would be issued on April 18. Nominations will be accepted till April 25 and scrutiny will be done on April 26. Last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 29. lMastermind Taha belongs to a self-proclaimed terror outfit ‘Al Hind IS’, which was formed in B’luru in 2019 Intermediate exam results out, 78% second year students pass in State E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e AIMIM boss wins because he voices the concerns of the Muslim community on a nationwide platform. The Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency which has a Mus, lim majority, has been an AIMIM stronghold for four decades since Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi first won as an independent in 1984. After six consecutive victories, son Asaduddin took over in 2004. In 2019, he defeated his nearest rival — the BJP’s Bhagavanth Rao — by over 2.8 lakh votes. Notably, the polling percentage (44.84%) in 2019 was the second lowest in the segment since 1957 when it was 41.1%. Six of the seven Assembly segments falling under Hyderabad are represented by AIMIM legislators. One, Goshamahal, is with the BJP with , T Raja Singh winning for the third time in 2023. With Feroz Khan, who contested from Hyderabad in 2019 on a Congress ticket recently indicating that dosti (friendship) has been forged between the AIMIM and the grand old party — the ruling party in the state is yet to even announce its candidate — Asaduddin’s main opponent will be the BJP’s new firebrand Madhavi Latha. Latha was arguably more popular outside the segment, at least till a recent TV interview. “I came to know about her only from Aap ki Adalat,” said a person at Alijah Kotla, one of the many singing Latha’s praises. The of Virinchi hospitals, who is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, told this newspaper that the entire neighbourhood — Secunderabad and Cyberabad — has gone much ahead. Illustration: Mandar Pardikar Small dip in food and fuel prices helps cool inflation 5.51 5.89 5.34 5.45 4.78 big catch express read Jagan to file nomination papers on April 25 A little comfort New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday sent BRS MLC K Kavitha to CBI custody till April 15 in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Special judge Kaveri Baweja passed the order after hearing arguments of the CBI as well as Kavitha’s counsel. Kavitha was arrested by the CBI in Tihar jail, where she was lodged after her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) | P5 57 mandals in 8 districts of State likely to experience heatwave today Visakhapatnam: As many as 57 mandals in eight districts, including one each in Alluri Sitarama Raju and Visakhapatnam districts, three in Anakapalle, five in Kakinada, 10 in Parvathipuram-Manyam, 15 in Srikakulam, and 16 in Vizianagaram, are likely to experience a heatwave on Saturday. Two mandals recorded severe heatwaves on Friday | P3 Combd Total 5.66 mar 2023 Combd Total Figures in % Rural 4.14 Urban Combd 5.09 4.85 4ta Feb 2024 Mar 2024 (final) (provisional) Retail inflation moderates to 4.85% in March M o n i k a Ya d a v @ New Delhi INDIA’s annual retail inflation declined to 4.85% in March, down from 5.09% in February according to government data released on , Friday. The consumer price based inflation has remained within the RBI’s target range. The data showed that food and beverage inflation fell a wee bit to 7.68% in March from 7.8% recorded in February. Fuel inflation stood at -3.24%, a decrease from -0.77%. Cooking oil prices witnessed an 11.72% decline in March, while the price rise in spices slowed to 11.4% from 13.28% in February. The inflation in pulses decreased to 17.71% from 20.47% in January . However, vegetable prices shot up 28.34% in March, disturbing the kitchen budget of households. Cereal prices also rose 8.37% during the month. According to ICRA, the food & beverages inflation will remain above the 7% mark in April. It warns that the impending heatwave may push prices of perishables, heightening the criticality of a favourable monsoon in 2024 to keep food inflation in check. Meanwhile, another set of data showed India’s industrial production growth accelerated to a four-month high of 5.7% in February . Infrastructure and intermediate goods grew at 8.5% and 9.5%, respectively while consum, er durables contracted 3.8%. Diplomatic staff relocated from Sittwe to Yangon Express News service @ New Delhi IN view of the precarious security situation in the Myanmarese city of Sittwe, India has relocated its staff from its consulate there to Yangon. According to reports, several parts of Myanmar have been witnessing intense fighting between the military junta and resistance forces, which have already captured several towns, including military bases. “We have temporarily relocated our staff at CGI (Consulate General of India) Sittwe to Yangon. Our Consulate in M a n d a l ay r e mains fully functional,” R a n d h i r Jaiswal, spokesperson, Ministry of Exter nal Af fairs, said on Friday He added that . India is closely monitoring the ongoing conflict between the military junta in Myanmar and the ethnic armed organisations. Jaiswal said the security situation in Myanmar remains “precarious” and is deteriorating. “Necessary steps have been taken to ensure the safety of our citizens,” he said at his weekly media briefing. Myanmar has been witnessing wide-spread violent protests demanding restoration of democracy since the military seized power in the coup on February 1, 2021. Former MLC Masala Padmaja from Alur, ex-MLA Kothakota Prakash Reddy and a few other TDP leaders joined the YSRC in the presence of CM Jagan | Express Jolt to TDP in Kurnool as key leaders join YSRC Further fortifying the YSRC, one BJP leader Kuruva ShesikaIn a rude jolt to the Opposition la from Aluru Assembly segTDP several prominent leaders ment joined the ruling party , . in Dhone, Alur, and Kodumur The TDP leaders joined the Assembly constituencies on YSRC after Naidu did not allot Friday ditched their boss N them tickets to contest in the Chandrababu Naidu and joined Assembly elections. the YSRC camp. The sudden shiftThe leaders are: Ex-minister’s ing of the political Former MLC Masala tectonic plates might brother to Padmaja (Alur), hurt the interests of join YSRC former MLA Kothathe NDA candidates. Family members kota Prakash Reddy Fo r i n s t a n c e, i n alias Gaddam Pra- of former minister Dhone, former Union KE Prabhakar and Minister Kotla Surya kash Reddy (Koduhis brother KE mur) and TDP leader Prakash Reddy is conPratap from Kotla Hari Chakratesting on TDP ticket Dhone Assembly pani Reddy, a close against Finance Minrelative of Kotla segment are set to ister Buggana Rajenbid goodbye to Suryaprakash Reddy dranath Reddy . TDP and join the (Kodumur), and TDP In Alur, B VeerabYSRC in the next leader and for mer hadra Goud is conone or two days Chippagiri MPP testing on TDP ticket Vaikuntam Mallikaragainst Virupakshi juna Chowdary (Alur). and in Kodumur, Boggula DastMeanwhile, family members agiri is contesting on TDP tickof former minister KE Prab- et against Dr Adimulapu hakar and his brother KE Satish. The decision of the Pratap, from Dhone Assembly leaders to join the YSRC might segment are set to bid goodbye hurt the prospects of the Kurto TDP and join the ruling par- nool TDP Lok Sabha candidate P4 ty in the next one or two days. Bastipati Nagaraju. E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ Kurnool
Express Network Private Limited publishes thirty three E-paper editions of The New Indian Express newspaper , thirty two E-paper editions of Dinamani, one E-paper edition of The Morning Standard, one E-paper edition of Malayalam Vaarika magazine and one E-paper edition of the Indulge - The Morning Standard, Kolkatta.