Two cheetahs get new home in MP Two South African cheetahs, Prabhash and Pavak, who were translocated to Kuno National Park over two years ago, were released by chief minister Mohan Yadav into Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. Currently, Kuno National Park houses 24 cheetahs, including 14 India-born cubs tirunelveli l Monday l April 21, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION 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 Munambam in focus on BJP’s Easter outreach Harsh tariff will trigger major slowdown in the US economy this year and next, says economists A new Boeing 737 MAX meant for China’s Xiamen Airlines returned to the US due to tit-for-tat tariffs. More planes are at Boeing’s Zhoushan center for final work and delivery, Reuters reported Says resolution after SC’s order on Waqf Act E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ T’Puram Amid the raging waqf land row in Kochi’s Munambam and apprehensions whether the recent Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 would resolve their woes, top Kerala BJP leaders did an Easter Sunday outreach by visiting churches and meeting prominent Christian leaders across the state. While BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar called on Cardinal George Alencherry in Thiruvananthapuram, Union Minister Suresh Gopi met Thrissur Archbishop Andrews Thazhath and later Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church head Baselios Joseph I in Kochi. The Easter assumes significance in the wake of criticism on Union minister Kiren Rijiju’s statement last week that the 2025 Act might not directly address the Munambam land dispute. The party’s renewed efforts appear aimed at mending fences and strengthening ties with the Christian community . During his meeting with Alencherry, Chandrasekhar conveyed Easter greetings and belated birthday wishes to the cardinal. He expressed the hope that the Waqf Act would help resolve the Munambam issue, and backed Rijiju’s remarks that the amended Act provides a legal pathway for resolution by enabling parties to approach the Supreme Court. “His (Rijiju’s) remarks were well-intentioned, and I believe the Munambam issue will be resolved once the Act is implemented following the SC ruling,” Chandrasekhar said. He BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar calls on Cardinal George Alencherry in T’Puram in Sunday | Express also pointed fingers at parties in Kerala for failing to address the issue in the past. “Let’s see who actually resolves the Munambam issue,” he said. As for Suresh Gopi, he attended Easter prayers at churches in Thrissur and Holy Mass at Ollur Mary Matha Church and Puthanpally Mary Matha Church. He also met Archbishop Andrews Thazhath and Baselios Joseph I. Stuck in muck Vehicles stuck in the debris after heavy rains triggered flash floods in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. At least three people were killed and more than 100 rescued. The incessant rains also led to landslides and mudslides | PTI | p8 Guv may not get to appoint VCs, but retains lot of powers on univs S u b a s h i n i V i j aya k u m a r & B i n i ta J a i s w a l @ Chennai The Tamil Nadu Governor still wields considerable power with respect to state universities, though a recent Supreme Court ruling stripped the governor of the authority to appoint ViceChancellors to 18 of 20 staterun universities. In a landmark ruling a week ago, the Supreme Court invoked its plenary powers under Article 142 to grant ‘deemed assent’ to 10 amendment bills brought by the DMK government. Though the Vice-Chancellors Former K’taka DGP murdered at house, wife taken for questioning E x p r ess n e w s se r v i c e @ Bengaluru FORMER Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) Om Prakash was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his residence here on Sunday evening. His wife Pallavi, who is the prime suspect, has been taken in for questioning. The 68-year-old 1981-batch IPS officer retired from service in 2017 and was staying with Pallavi, his son and daughter at HSR Layout in Bengaluru. “A property dispute within the family is suspected to be the reason behind the murder. The retired officer had told his close associates that his life was under threat. There was a marital dispute too,” said a police of- three-storey house, with multificer investigating the case. ple stab injuries. Pallavi and “Around 4.30 on Sunday his daughter were present in evening, Pallavi called one of the house at the time of the inher friends — the wife of an- cident, police said. “Pallavi was other ex-IPS officer taken in for question— saying she killed a ing as she is the prime monster. She later disuspect. There were alled 112 and inno signs of forced enfor med the police try into the house,” control room about he added. The body the incident,” said a was sent to St John’s police officer attached Hospital for to the HSR Layout popostmortem. lice station in SouthDG & IGP Alok Moeast Bengaluru. Pohan, Police CommisOm Prakash lice filed an FIR based sioner B Dayananda on a complaint from Om Pra- were present. kash’s son. Originally from Champaran A police team visited the in Bihar, Om Prakash served as house and found Prakash lying DGP of Karnataka between dead on the ground floor of the 2015-2017. will henceforth be appointed by doctorate on freedom fighter the state government under the and communist leader N new amendments, a closer ex- Sankaraiah on November 2, amination of the amendments 2023. and original Acts of the univerFor the 101-year-old Sankasities reveals that the Gover- raiah, who passed away just 13 nor-Chancellor still retains days later, this could have been various powers, including the his last public honour and perauthority to veto the decihaps a wish fulfilled as his arsions of universities’ govrest by the British Raj in erning bodies such as 1941 in his final college Senate and Syndicate. year prevented him from Incidentally Governor , graduating. Ravi vetoed the decisions The Governor also reof the Madurai Kamaraj mains the Chancellor University’s Syndiof 20 of Tamil Nadu’s cate and Senate to 22 state-run univerR N Ravi confer honorary sities.  P5 Durai drops move to quit MDMK post E x p r ess n e w s se r v i c e @ Chennai MDMK leader and party founder Vaiko on Sunday announced that his son, Durai Vaiko, who offered to resign from his position as principal secretary on Saturday has , decided to withdraw the resignation after resolving his differences with party’s deputy general secretary Mallai Sathya. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Vaiko said both have agreed to work together for the party’s welfare. Sathya also assured his full support to Durai Vaiko. Earlier on Sunday members of the MDMK , administrative council and district secretaries met in Chennai and urged Durai Vaiko to reconsider his resignation. Durai Vaiko had initially decided to resign amid growing tensions with supporters of Mallai Sathya, a longtime Vaiko loyalist. The discord escalated following contentious social media posts from Sathya’s supporters that allegedly targeted Durai Vaiko.  P5 GAME-CHANGER-II Rasheed’s story — Courage, grit and papa’s sacrifices F i r o z MIRZA @ Mumbai SHAIK Balisha Vali speaks only Telugu. It took him more than five hours to find a translator to speak to this daily but the moment he started talking, he opened his heart out on what it took to make his son, Rasheed, a cricketer. From working in a recovery team for a bank in Hyderabad to relocating the entire family to Guntur, Andhra Pradesh to selling fruits, he did it all for the sake of his son. More importantly for him, his childhood friends chipped in to extend financial support to ensure Rasheed’s dreams became his reality . “He was selected for a cricket academy in Hyderabad when he was eight. Two years later, he was picked up in the U-14 Andhra team. Then, I decided to shift to Guntur,” Balisha told this daily . Initially he took a pay cut but found it difficult to continue. “I was finding it difficult to manage my job and Rasheed’s sessions so I quit the job. It was not an easy decision but I had to take it. I did odd jobs including selling fruits in the market to keep the family afloat,” said the father. Hundreds of protest rallies held across the US against Trump’s deportations and mindless tariffs After Andhra Cricket Association’s Mangalagiri Cricket Academy adopting Rasheed, the journey became better for the Shaik household. Post that, he was appointed as the vice-captain of the India team for the U19 World Cup in 2022. Next year, he made his debut for the senior Andhra side in all formats and was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings. After warming the bench for two years, Rasheed made his debut in the yellow jersey against Lucknow Super Giants a few days back and opened the innings again versus Mumbai at the Wankhede on Sunday after doing so against Lucknow. Shaik Rasheed’s father sacrificed a lot to ensure his son dreams became a reality | AFP US V-P comes calling in bilateral talks push recently affected by US tariffs of 27%, though a 90-day pause UNITED States Vice President is now in effect. James David Vance, accompaUsha Vance, whose parents nied by his wife Usha and their are originally from Andhra three children, will arrive in Pradesh, and the couple’s chilIndia on Monday for a four-day dren — Ewan, Vivek, and Miofficial visit aimed at strength- rabel — will accompany him ening bilateral relations. throughout the trip. The vice The Vance family is sched- president’s delegation includes uled to land at the senior officials from Palam air base in Delthe Pentagon and the hi at 10 a.m. and will U S S t a t e be accorded a grand Department. welcome. Prime Minister This will be Vance’s Narendra Modi is first visit to India scheduled to host since assuming ofVance for talks at 6.30 fice, and comes at a p.m. on Monday, folcrucial time as India lowed by a for mal J D Vance and the US work todinner. The discusward finalising a comprehen- sions are expected to centre on sive trade agreement, expected trade negotiations and broader to be concluded by fall. The vis- strategic cooperation between it takes place against the back- the two countries. drop of escalating trade tenThe delegation will travel to sions between the US and Jaipur on April 22, and will China, following President conclude their visit and depart Donald Trump’s imposition of for the US from Jaipur on the tariffs as high as 145% on Chi- evening of April 24, sources in nese imports. India, too, was the know said. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi