DHARMAPURI l thursday l november 13, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l CITY EDITION Inflation hits record low of 0.25% in Oct on back of GST cuts Tax cuts on nearly 400 mass-consumption items, coupled with subdued prices for vegetables, fruits and eggs helped push retail inflation to record low Food inflation stays in negative zone Fuels hope of further rate cut in December Food inflation remained negative at -5.02%, as prices of vegetables, cereals and pulses eased amid improved supplies and favourable weather. Vegetable prices fell 28% year-on-year, while pulses and spices declined by 16% and just over 3%, respectively. Clothing and footwear recorded only a 1.7% annual rise, thanks to GST rate cuts | P12 2024. The figure for this October was the lowest in the current series (base year 2012), which tracked data since January 2014 ■ The record low inflation raises hopes for another round of rate cut, when the RBI monetary policy committee meets in December ■ Inflation stood at 1.44% in September and 6.21% in October 8.56% the october inflation in kerala— the highest among all states 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 Cabinet resolution blames it on anti-national forces IT’S OFFICIAL: Red Fort blast was TERROR ATTACK MUKESH RANJAN , A n u p V e r m a a n d Ni t i n R a w at @ New Delhi Two days after the Red Fort car blast, the government for the first time categorised it as a terror strike. A Union Cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday passed a resolution expressing profound grief over the loss of 12 lives in the explosion, describing it as an “act of heinous terror” by anti-national forces. The carefully worded resolution restricted itself to the phrase ‘anti-national forces’, stopping short of pointing fingers at any external elements. However, it said, “The Cabinet directs that the investigation into the incident be pursued with the utmost urgency and professionalism so that the perpetrators, their collaborators and their sponsors are identified and brought to justice without delay. The situation continues to be closely monitored at the highest levels of the government.” The Cabinet observed two minutes’ silence in honour of the innocent lives lost. It appreciated the prompt efforts of the medical personnel and emergency responders. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the LNJP Hospital after his arrival from Bhutan, and met the survivors of the blast. Expressing deep concern over the incident, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to en- Red fort attack Day’s developments Red EcoSport (pic) registered in the name of Dr Umar Un Nabi, who died when his Hyundai i20 blew up near Red Fort, found in Faridabad Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets an injured victim undergoing treatment at LNJP hospital in Delhi on Wednesday following a blast near the Red Fort | PTI suring justice. “Those behind the conspiracy will be brought to justice,” he asserted. “Went to LNJP Hospital and met those injured during the blast in Delhi. Praying for everyone’s quick recovery Those behind the con. spiracy will be brought to justice!” Modi said in a post on X. In Faridabad, the police seized a red Ford EcoSport car in Khandawali village for which a lookout notice was issued earlier in the day as it said , to be registered in the name of Dr Umar Un Nabi, who possibly died in the Red Fort blast. The car will be checked for explosives by the forensics department. Police are trying to ascertain how it reached the village as also the whereabouts Woman doctor, brother planned lone-wolf strikes 31-member JPC on bills to remove PM, CMs formed N a m i ta b a j pa i @ Lucknow PREETHA NA I R @ New Delhi Two siblings, Dr Shaheen Shahid and Dr Parvez Sayeed, who were arrested over alleged links to a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror module, had been preparing to carry out lone-wolf attacks across the country for the past two years, sources said on Wednesday . The duo is being questioned by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and various central probe agencies. Dr Shaheen was arrested on Monday after police found arms and ammunition in a car registered in her name. During interrogation, she reve a l e d h e r yo u n g e r brother, Dr Parvez Ansari’s involvement in terror activities. Police subsequently searched Dr An- Radicalised sari’s residence in Madi- online aon, Lucknow, and seized his laptop, tablet and mo- According to investigators, the bile phones. The two admitted to be- siblings became ing in touch with terror self-radicalised suspects Dr Muzammil through and Dr Adeel Ahmad, who encrypted chat were also arrested on forums Monday through multiple advocating , encrypted communica- jihadist ideology tion platforms and foreign-based messaging apps. After each virtual meeting, they would delete chats, call logs and communication histories to destroy evidence and avoid tracking, sources added. The probe team managed to retrieve partial data fragments, which are now being analysed to trace their wider network. However, investigators believe that while the two were not under a structured command chain, they were ideologically aligned and motivated to act as lone-wolf attackers targeting public places or sensitive installations. THE Parliament on Wednesday constituted a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that will scrutinise the bills on the removal of the prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers if they are arrested for 30 days straight on serious criminal charges. The committee will be headed by Lok Sabha member and BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi, as per a Lok Sabha bulletin. The panel comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. Some of the Lok Sabha members in the panel include Ravi Shankar Prasad, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Pradan Baruah, Brijmohan Agrawal, Vishnu Dayal Ram and Harsimrat Kaur Badal. From the Rajya Sabha, the nominated members include Brij Lal, Ujjwal Nikam, Nabam Rebia, Dr K Laxman, Sudha Murty, Birendra Prasad Baishya, and S Niranjan Reddy . The committee has been mandated to submit its report Doesn’t blame external elements of its occupants who abandoning the vehicle. Back to the Cabinet resolution, it reiterated India’s commitment to the policy of ‘zero tolerance’ towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It also recorded its appreciation for the statements of solidarity from many nations across the world. Commending the role played by the probe agencies, it said, “The Cabinet notes with appreciation the timely and coordinated response of the authorities, security agencies and citizens, who acted with courage and compassion in the face of adversity. Their dedication and sense of duty are deeply commendable.” Mobile phone of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, arrested in connection with the terror module, showed he and Dr Umar conducted multiple recces of Red Fort area in Jan Passports of Dr Umar and Dr Muzammil show they had travelled to Turkiye Al Falah Univ says it has only professional association with 2 arrested docs Two cartridges, live ammo, and samples of two types of explosives found by FSL team at the blast site PM meets the injured It’s a mockery as joint Oppn is absent: Cong The Congress termed the JPC a mockery saying the joint Opposition representing the majority of Indians is absent. The party alleged it is a “JPC of the BJP and its B-Team” in the winter session, scheduled from December 1-19. However, 340 members of the main Opposition parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party , Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Left parties boycotted the panel. Last month, NCP (Sharad Pawar) broke ranks with the INDIA bloc and decided to be part of the panel. NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, who is a member of the new panel, had earlier said that her party was not breaking ranks with the Opposition by choosing to be part of the committee. Apart from NCP (SP), AIMIM’S Asaduddin Owaisi, BJD, YSRCP, and SAD joined the panel. u-turn US lacks ‘certain talents’ and needs to bring them from other countries, US president Donald Trump said seeking to defend H-1B visas | P11 Kuruvai paddy price down 20% due to high moisture, supply glut M S T h a n a r a j @ Madurai From left: Akram Haji Solanki, Qasim Solanki and Sattar Ismail Solanki 3 get lifer in Gujarat for cow slaughter D I L I P S I N G H KSHATR I YA @ Ahmedabad IN possibly the first such verdict in a cow slaughter case, the Amreli Sessions Court in Gujarat has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of `6.08 lakh each on them. “For the first time in the history of the country , those guilty of cow slaughter have been sentenced to life imprisonment. This is not just a verdict — it is a message. Those who commit injustice against the mother cow, a symbol of our faith and culture, will not be spared,” Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi posted on X. Sources said this is the first time in the state’s history that such harsh punishment has been given in a single case. Sessions Judge Rizwanaben Bukhari held the accused — Akram Haji Solanki, Sattar Ismail Solanki, and Qasim Solanki — guilty of slaughtering cows and trafficking beef. The case is based on the recovery of slaughtered animal parts and beef from Akram Solanki’s house in November 2023. Dry patch ends, rain to hit TN by weekend s v k r i s h n a c h a i ta n ya @ Chennai After nearly three weeks of subdued activity the , northeast monsoon is set to regain vigour over TN from this weekend, with the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, forecasting widespread rainfall across coastal districts between November 17 and 20. According to the RMC, light to moderate rain is likely to continue at isolated places till November 15, before becoming more widespread thereafter. Heavy rainfall is expected at isolated locations over Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Chengalpattu and Puducherry on November 17.  P7 As the kuruvai paddy harvest in Madurai draws to a close, farmers are grappling with a 20% dip in paddy price, from `1,700 per 62-kg bag last year to `1,400 this year, in the open market. According to rice traders, increase in paddy arrivals from the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and higher moisture content in the local produce due to untimely rainfall are the two main reasons for the drop in price. According to rice mill owners, paddy with higher moisture content has to be dried for nearly two months. This additional time entails extra cost and the price offered is also proportionately reduced to manage the expenditure. The influx of fine, dry paddy varieties from other states also impacts the price, they said. Kuruvai paddy was cultivated in nearly 9,000 hectares in Madurai, almost the same as last year, and 80% of the harvest is already over. According to farmers, around 20% of the total harvested paddy (nearly 9,000 tonnes) is sold in the open market. Sources said the per-kg price offered at Direct Procurement Centres (DPC) is `25.5 per kg.  P7 Deadline nears, just 48% samba insured Tiruchy: With just three days left to enrol in PM Fasal Bima Yojana, only 48% of samba paddy has been insured in delta. “As officials are engaged in SIR, we are not getting document copies for enrolment,” farmers said | P4