hyderabad l sunday l september 28, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION Blockbuster India-Pak Final at t20 Asia cup tourney today Men in Blue take on arch rivals in the T20 Asia Cup final in Dubai today. This will be their firstever meeting at this stage of the competition... Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav Pakistan skipper Salman Agha Time for cricket to take centre stage Emotions running high on both sides The controversies, largely non-cricketing, between India and Pakistan have been the biggest talking point of the tournament. India refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team. The reactions from either side since has only added to the prevailing tensions. Under pressure, both teams will look to hold their nerves and focus on playing good cricket ■ ■ India have maintained that they are there to play cricket, but the Super 4s match showed how much it matters to them On the eve of the final, Pakistan captain Salman Agha said that every individual has the right to express emotions. “I won’t stop anyone as long as it is not disrespectful,” he said.  More on P11 Eight The number of Asia Cup titles India have won 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 At least 8 kids, 16 woman among victims in Karur 36 killed in Vijay rally stampede Police, please help — TVK chief Vijay heard saying as people fell unconscious The news from Karur is worrying. I have contacted former Minister @V_ Senthilbalaji, Health Minister @Subramanian_Ma and the District Collector to provide immediate support — M K Stalin, chief minister Ambulances passing by the crowd at Vijay’s rally as the leader looks on from atop his bus in Karur on Saturday| EXPRESS WITH THIS I SS U E D Vi n c e n t A r o c k i a r a j @ Karur Small Town, Big Deal PLUS 12 PAGES Sajjanar is new Hyderabad city Police Commissioner, CV Anand posted as Special Chief Secretary, Home department | P4 Violation of police safety instructions AT least 36 people, including eight children and 16 women, died following a suspected stampede and crowd surge during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay’s election campaign atVeluchamipuram in Karur on Saturday evening. A one-year-old baby is among those feared dead, sources said. At least 62 people are under treatment at various hospitals across the city Tamil Nadu Chief Min. ister M K Stalin is expected to visit Karur on Sunday former , minister Senthil Balaji told reporters. Actor-politician Vijay arrived at the Tiruchy International Airport in the morning from Chennai by a chartered flight and proceeded directly to Namakkal for the first leg of the campaign. Although he was scheduled to address his cadre around Though the exact reasons for the gruesome tragedy are yet to be ascertained, an unexpected surge in crowd numbers and an alleged violation of safety instructions issued by the police are believed to be the key reasons that caused the stampede-like situation on Saturday. 12 pm, he reached the venue only around 2.30 pm. After completing his campaign in Namakkal, he began his journey to Karur. As hundreds of cadre and members of the public lined the route, it took more than four hours for him to reach Veluchamipuram. Even as Vijay was addressing the rally, the crowd swelled and became uncontrollable, and a number of persons including party workers and a few children fainted and fell down in the crowd. They were rushed to the Karur Medical College Hospital and other private hospitals. Several workers noticed the situation and raised an Speaker to hold trial on BRS BC quota GO disqualification petitions premature, hints HC bench Express News Service @ Hyderabad TG N a i d u @ Hyderabad The Telangana High Court on Saturday asked the state government how it could issue a GO enhancing reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in the forthcoming local body elections when Section 285A of the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, remains unamended. A bench of Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy while hearing two , writ petitions, issued notices to the gover nment and other authorities and adjourned the matter to October 8, but not before posing some pointed questions.  continued on P2 For the first time in the history of the Telangana Assembly , Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar will conduct a trial in connection with four disqualification petitions filed by the BRS against defected MLAs. The Assembly Secretary has released the schedule for the proceedings. The petitions were filed after 10 BRS MLAs joined the Congress. The Supreme Court directed the Speaker to take a decision within a stipulated period. After examining the submissions by the defectors, the Speaker has decided to conduct a trial under the Tenth Sched- ule of the Constitution. During proceedings, counsel for the defected MLAs will cross-examine the petitioners, and vice versa. On September 29, BRS MLA Kalvakuntla Sanjay will be cross-examined by T Prakash Goud’s counsel, Chinta Prabhakar by Kale Yadaiah’s and Gudem Mahipal Reddy’s counsels, and Palla Rajeshwar Reddy by Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy’s counsel. On October 1, Prakash Goud will be examined by Kalvakuntla Sanjay’s counsel, Kale Yadaiah and Gudem Mahipal Reddy by Chinta Prabhakar’s counsel, and Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy by Palla Rajeshwar Reddy’s counsel. alar m. Vijay halted his speech and threw water bottles from atop the custombuilt campaign bus. Ambulances had a tough time ne gotiating the heavily crowded thoroughfare to reach the spot. “Police, please help,” he was heard saying as people fell unconscious at the rally . Speaking to TNIE, Dr R Suganthy Rajakumari, director of medical education, said that as of now around 30 doctors have been mobilised. If there is further need, more doctors and manpower will be diverted to the Karur Medical College. Suganthy said 33 dead bodies had been brought to the hospital. Pak epicentre of global terror, says Jaishankar India will continue to maintain freedom of choice, minister tells UN J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar termed Pakistan as the “the epicentre of global terrorism” and demanded “relentless pressure” on the ecosystem that enables cross-border terror in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday . “We have a neighbour that is the epicentre of terrorism,” Jaishankar said, referring to Pakistan without naming it, and referenced the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. “Terror hubs operate at an industrial scale, terrorists are publicly glorified, and financing of terrorism continues unabated,” he said. Opening his speech with “Namaskar from the people of Bharat,” Jaishankar said that India will continue to maintain its freedom of choice and act as a leading voice of the Global South. “While asserting our rights, we must also firmly face up to threats. Countering terrorism is a particular priority . Those who condone it today External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks at the UN General Assembly | PTI will face its consequences tomorrow,” he warned. Jaishankar also took aim at the paralysis within the UN system, saying the world body was in a “state of crisis”. “As the UN’s ability to forge common ground diminishes, belief in multilateralism also recedes. We must ask ourselves: has the UN lived up to the expectations of its member states?” He reiterated India’s longstanding call for comprehensive reforms in the UN, especially the Security Council, stating that “most member states strongly desire change” to re- CM: `2,000 stipend for students joining ATCs Employees mistreating parents to lose out Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced that Telangana will soon introduce an Act to deduct 10% from the salaries of govt employees who neglect their parents and give this money to latter | P4 E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad Predicting that day would soon come when countries such as Germany, Japan and China would look to India, as the United States does, for technical expertise, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said that education alone can change everyone’s destiny . Addressing the gathering after inaugurating an Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) at Mallepally, Revanth announced that from the next academic year, students joining ATCs would receive a monthly stipend of `2,000. He asked Minister D Sridhar Babu to work with Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to earmark funds for the scheme. Revanth said students trained in the ATCs would also be allowed apprenticeship in the TGSRTC. continued on P4 Musi surges, and shows its might S b a c h a n J e e t Si n g h @ Hyderabad With the river Musi in spate following incessant rain and the lifting of crest gates at Osmansagar and Himayathsagar reservoirs, localities in low-lying areas downstream turned into lakes overnight. The HMWSSB opened 15 crest gates at Osmansagar and 11 at Himayathsagar, releasing around 39,000 cusecs of water downstream, causing the Musi to overflow near Chaderghat and Moosarambagh bridges. The Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, one of Asia’s largest bus terminals, was submerged, d i s r u p t i n g bu s s e r v i c e s. Stranded passengers were evacuated by HYDRAA as floodwaters surged six feet above Chaderghat and 10 feet above Moosarambagh bridges.  continued on P3 flect contemporary realities. On the economic front, Jaishankar flagged the risks posed by rising “tariff volatility and uncertain market access”, a veiled reference to recent US tariffs targeting Indian exports, including penalties linked to India’s energy ties with Russia. “De-risking has become a major compulsion for developing economies,” he said, underlining the uneven playing field and calling for trade policies free from “nonmarket factors”. Jaishankar also addressed the shifting geopolitical landscape, referring to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza as the two major active conflicts, but noted that “innumerable other hotspots don’t even make the news”. “Bharat will always maintain its freedom of choice,” he said, “and will continue to be the voice of the Global South.” Earlier in the day, India rebutted Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s remarks on Operation Sindoor, calling them “absurd theatrics”, accusing Islamabad of glorifying terror on a global platform. A swollen Musi fully submerges (above) the Chaderghat low bridge while HYDRAA personnel help a stranded passenger out from the flooded MGBS and left, a drone delivers food to a man stranded atop a flooded building | SRI LOGANATHAN VELMURUGAN Police looking if Wangchuk is linked to Pak F ay w a z w a n i @ Srinagar Climate activist and Magsaysay awardee Sonam Wangchuk, who was arrested on Friday in connection with the Leh violence, is being investigated for alleged links to Pakistan and violation of foreign funding rules, Ladakh Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal said on Saturday . Wangchuk is accused of being a key instigator in the Leh violence, in which four persons were killed and 80 others injured. “We recently arrested a Pakistani intelligence operative who sent videos of Wangchuk’s speeches across the border,” Jamwal said, adding that the operative was also in contact with Wangchuk. “His speech acted as incitement, as he referred to the Arab Spring and the recent unrest in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka,” Jamwal said. The DG also referred to Sonam’s recent visits to Pakistan and Bangladesh. “He attended an event organised by The Dawn in Pakistan and also visited Bangladesh,” Jamwal said. The police are also probing Wangchuk’s foreign funding.