Gaza summit: PM Modi gets invite, deputes MoS Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a last-minute invite for the Gaza peace summit to be held in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday KALABURAGI l Monday l October 13, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION From Delhi, Af minister issues stern warning to Pak over border clashes J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi TALIBAN-ruled Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is on a sixday visit to India, on Sunday issued a stern warning to Pakistan from Indian soil that Kabul has “other options” if Islamabad refuses diplomacy. His strong remarks come amid deadly border clashes and growing hostility between Afghanistan and Amir Khan Muttaqi Pakistan. “The people of Pakistan, in the majority are , peace loving… We have no issues with civilians,” Muttaqi said at a New Delhi press conference, adding “certain sections” in Pakistan are creating trouble. “Afghanistan will safeguard its national interest,” he said, adding Kabul had already retaliated to border violations. “We achieved our military objectives last night,” he said, before claiming he had heeded calls from Saudi Arabia and Qatar to pause escalation. Muttaqi’s warning follows attacks along the Durand Line. ‘Women journos excluded due to technical issue’ After widespread criticism over excluding female journalists from his first press meet in India, Muttaqi said it was not deliberate. “It was a short notice and the list was prepared with specific journalists. It was more of a technical issue and not intentional,” he said during a second press briefing in Delhi, which included female journalists bjp, jd(U) to contest 101 seats each The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday finalized its seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Bihar assembly election BJP and Janata Dal (United) will each contest 101 seats in the 243-member assembly, while Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party will contest on 29 seats Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will contest six seats each This is the first time since 2005 that BJP and JD(U) will contest an equal number of seats The Taliban claimed to have killed 58 Pak soldiers and seized 20 border posts in retaliatory strikes against Pakistan’s alleged territorial and airspace violations. Islamabad disputed the claim, acknowledging 23 deaths and asserting it had The JD(U) is understood to have not insisted on a lion’s share this time in view of the party’s poor performance in 2020, when it won only 43 seats, far less than the BJP’s 74 | REPORT: P8 “neutralised” 200 Taliban fighters in its counteroffensive. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi denounced the Taliban’s actions as unprovoked violence against civilians, vowing retaliation “with a stone for every brick.” Border crossings have been shut. Closure of the Torkham and Chaman points has stranded trade caravans on both sides and deepened the humanitaria n s t re s s i n l a n d l o cke d Afghanistan. Muttaqi’s Delhi visit is being closely watched as a signal in the regional chess game. Without explicitly recognising the Taliban regime, India has upgraded its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy—a bold step that underscores New Delhi’s willingness to engage directly with Kabul’s new rulers. Against that backdrop, Muttaqi’s pointed remarks from a high profile Indian stage carry diplomatic weight. The summit, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will discuss ways to bring lasting peace to Gaza and the wider West Asia. It will be co-chaired by Trump The Centre has deputed Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to attend US President Donald Trump and nearly 20 other world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian leader Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron, are expected to attend | P7 @Bengaluru A high-voltage political drama, heated arguments, commotion and sit-in protest marked Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s public outreach programme -- Bengaluru Nadige (Walk With Bengaluru) -- at JP Park in Mathikere on Sunday . After finishing his morning walk and interacting with people at the park, Shivakumar sat on the dais to address the audience and hear their grievances along with officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). Shivakumar, who saw Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna seated among the public, addressed him saying, “Aey Kari Topi Baa’ (Hey Black Cap Come)”, asking the latter ■ controversial move Look at Priyank’s plea to ban RSS, CM writes to CS D E V A R A J B H IR E H A L L I @ Bengaluru The Congress government seems to be moving towards banning Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities on government and public properties, including schools and colleges, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asking Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to look at a request sent to him by RDPR and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge. The move has stoked a controversy as the chief minister has acted on the representation given by Priyank Kharge, son of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, on October 4. On Priyank’s letter, the CM has written to the chief secretary “to review and take necessary action with immediate effect”. The move comes at a time when RSS is celebrating its cen- tenary year, creating ripples within RSS and BJP. On Sunday, BJP workers and leaders took out a ‘path sanchalana’ in Bengaluru to protest against CM’s move. Leaders, including state BJP president BY Vijayendra, hit back at Priyank, saying he does not know the contributions of RSS to the country and that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s had recognised the organisation. “Over the years, Congress governments at the Centre have banned RSS, but later lifted such orders. After the Sino-Indian war in 1962, RSS was allowed to take part in the Republic Day parade in 1963,” he said. “Priyank could be eyeing the chief minister’s post and that is why he has written to the CM to score brownie points,” he taunted.  CONTINUED ON P4 DCM calls Munirathna ‘kari topi’, triggers row E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i ce 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 ■ A video grab of MLA Munirathna arguing with DCM DK Shivakumar at the Bengaluru Nadige event on Sunday to join him on the dais. As a perturbed Munirathna walked towards the dais, Shivakumar said, “He (Munirathna) is wearing a new black cap.” Munirathna, who was in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) uniform with a black cap, white shirt and brown pants, went on the stage, took the mic from the anchor.  CONTINUED ON P5 DEVI awards presented by Justice V Ramasubramanian, chairperson of NHRC and former SC judge, in the presence of Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director of TNIE Group, on Sunday in Hyderabad page 5