tirupati l thursday l november 13, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur 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 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 | P10 8.56% Fuels hope of further rate cut in December 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 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 MUK E SH RA N JA N , An u p Ve r m a a n d N i 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- cow slaughter Lifer to three in first of its kind verdict DILIP SI N G H KSHATRIYA @ Ahmedabad IN possibly the first such verdict in the country the Amreli , Sessions Court in Gujarat has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case 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. Hailing it as a landmark verdict, the state government said the ruling will go a long way in enforcing cow protection laws. Sources said this is the first time in the state’s history that such harsh punishment has been given in a single case. The verdict, delivered by Sessions Judg e Rizwanaben Bukhari on Tuesday, follows a year-long trial that shook the small town of Amreli and ignited statewide discussion on the provisions of the Gujarat Animal Protection Act. The court held the accused — Akram Haji Solanki, Sattar Ismail Solanki, and Qasim Solanki — guilty of slaughtering cows and trafficking beef. The case goes back to November 6, 2023 when Amreli police raided the house of Akram Solanki following on a tip-off and recovered slaughtered animal parts, tails, skins, and leg pieces. Qasim was nabbed on the spot but Akram and Sattar fled. They were caught later. 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 PR E E THA N AIR @ 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 | P9 CM vows to end poverty in State with focus on industrial growth E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kadapa Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said his government is working with a vision of welfare, development, and good governance, aiming to eradicate poverty in the State, and develop at least one entrepreneur in every family . Participating in the Mana Illu-Mana Gauravam programme at Devagudipalli in Chinnamandem mandal of Annamayya district on Wednesday, he virtually launched the housewarming ceremony of three lakh units handed over to the poor beneficiaries of Awas Yojana across the State. Speaking on the occasion, Naidu said, “Efforts are under- way to attract `10 lakh crore investments during the CII Partnership Summit to be held in Visakhapatnam on November 14 and 15, which will generate large scale employment opportunities for youth across the State.” “The NDA government in determined eradicate poverty by creating employment opportunities in a big way. Emphasis will be laid on setting up of MSMEs to promote entrepreneurship, and make one member in every family an entrepreneur. DWCRA women will be encouraged to become entrepreneurs,” he said. The government will also focus on providing housing to all eligible poor families by 2029. `15,000-cr data center to come up in Vizag E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Government of Andhra Pradesh, through the AP Economic Development Board (APEDB), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tillman Global Holdings to develop a 300 MW hyperscale data center campus (TDGAP1) in Visakhapatnam with a proposed investment of `15,000 crore, positioning the State as a premier digital infrastructure hub in India, and the Indo-Pacific region.   The MoU establishes a facilitation framework for timebound development of the center over the next 12 months, with APEDB coordinating investor facilitation, and inter-agency support within the applicable policies, rules, and procedures of the Government of AP, and where required, GoI. The signing of MoU took place on the sidelines of the USIndia Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Board Roundtable in New Delhi on Wednesday , which was attended by HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, along with leading global business figures, including John Chambers, Founder and CEO, JC2 Ventures, and Chairman, USISPF, Shantanu Narayen, Chair & CEO, Adobe Systems, and Vice-Chair, USISPF, Prabhakar Raghavan, Chief Technologist, Google, Salil Parekh, CEO, Infosys, and Sachit Ahuja, Co-President, Tillman Global Holdings. The MoU was facilitated by Mukesh Aghi, President & CEO, USISPF, P4 and Sachit Ahuja.  Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu participates in a housewarming ceremony with a beneficiary family at Devagudipalli in Annamayya district on Wednesday | Express “A home is a symbol of dignity and identity, and we are determined to ensure that every homeless family gets a house in the near future,” he averred. He promised to complete all the remaining houses taken up under various schemes, which are at various stages of construction, before next Ugadi. The Chief Minister also announced free electricity for the poor and subsidised power for BCs, along with reforms in green energy and solar power generation. Farmers are now generating electricity, while c u l t ivat i n g crops, he highlighted. Naidu promised to complete Srinivasapuram reservoir, which helps improve ground- water levels in Rayachoti region. He reiterated that interlinking of rivers is his life’s mission, which will provide a permanent solution to drinking and irrigation water problems in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region. “We have already connected the Godavari and Krishna rivers; next, we will link the Penna and Vamsadhara,” he said. Naidu announced that a new Sanjeevini Health Scheme will soon be launched for public health. Under the scheme, citizens will be medically examined once in every three months, and necessary medicines will be prescribed to keep P4 them fit and healthy  . Vizag gears up for 30th CII Partnership Summit E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Visakhapatnam The Port City has geared up to host the 30th CII Partnership Summit, jointly organised by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), on November 14 and 15 at the Andhra University Engineering College Grounds. The summit aims to promote investment opportunities in the State, and strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s image as a preferred destination for industries. The summit, themed ‘Partners in Progress - India’s Roadmap to Viksit Bharat 2047’, will feature participation by more than 100 international delegates, with a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) likely to be signed. The State government expects investment commitments worth up to `10 lakh crore through the summit. It is also Visakhapatnam City has been beautified for the CII Partnership Summit | G Satyanarayana focusing on attracting industries in green energy informa, tion technology, electronics, automobiles, space, defence and tourism. On Thursday Chief Minister , N Chandrababu Naidu will attend the India-Europe Business Roundtable on the theme ‘India-Europe Cooperation for Sustainable Growth’. Discussions will cover important topics such as green transition, sustainable innovation and European investment partnerships. Later, Naidu will hold meetings with delegates from Taiwan, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands, besides interacting with representatives of SPP Pumps Ltd, ReNew Power, Murugappa Group and Hero Future Engineers. In the evening, he will participate in the Vizag Economic Region programme, and a special meeting of the CII National Council. Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan will inaugurate the summit on Friday while Union , Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal will open the Andhra Pradesh Pavilion. Industrialists, including Yusuff Ali, Baba Kalyani and Karan Adani are among those exP4 pected to attend.