tirupati l monday l december 29, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION Pak President says he was asked to ‘hide in bunker’ during Op Sindoor Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari revealed that he was advised to ‘hide in a bunker’ when India launched Operation Sindoor in May this year ZARDARI SAYS HE TURNED DOWN THE ADVICE ‘KNEW THAT TENSIONS WOULD ESCALATE’ “My MS (military secretary) came to me and said, ‘Sir, the war has started. Let’s go to a bunker’,” Zardari said. He was speaking at an event in Sindh province to mark the 18th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Zardari claimed he refused to move to a bunker, quoting himself as saying: “If martyrdom is to come, it will come here.” ■ India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist ■ Zardari said he knew in advance that a conflict was about to break out. “I told him four days earlier a war was going to happen,” he said infrastructure in Pakistan and Pak-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack of April 22, which killed 26 civilians 4-day Op Sindoor is the most serious conflict between India and Pakistan in decades 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 BSF rejects B’desh claims about Hadi killers No arrests have been made, says Meghalaya DGP on Bangladesh’s claim that student leader’s killers entered India Dhaka terms attacks on Hindus ‘isolated crimes’ express news service @ Guwahati express read FM launches AI hub to boost rural skills Rajamahendravaram: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Cyient AI & Future Skills Hub at the Digital Bhavan in Pedamainvanilanka village of Narasapuram mandal in West Godavari district on Sunday. The hub is envisioned as a model AI-driven rural skill and livelihood centre | P4 Move to shift HQ of Annamayya opposed Kadapa: Rayachoti observed a voluntary bandh on Sunday in protest against the move to shift the Annamayya district headquarters from the town as part of reorganisation. The bandh organised under the aegis of the Rayachoti Annamayya District Struggle Committee (JAC), went off peacefully | P3 THE Meghalaya Police on Sunday dismissed media reports in Bangladesh that two suspected killers of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi had fled to the northeastern state and that, two persons, who helped the fugitives, have been arrested/detained here. Quoting a senior official in the country, the Daily Star reported that suspects Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh had crossed over into the Indian territory of Meghalaya with the help of local associates. “According to our information, the suspects entered India via the Haluaghat border. After crossing, they were initially received by an individual named Purti. Later, a taxi driver named Sami transported them to Tura city in Meghalaya,” the newspaper quoted Additional Commissioner S N Nazrul Islam in a press conference. The report further stated that Purti and Sami had been detained by authorities in India. Some other media houses reported that the duo had been arrested. However, Meghalaya Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang said, “No arrests have been made.” express news service @ New Delhi Border Security Force personnel patrol along the India-Bangladesh border on the outskirts of Agartala in Tripura on Sunday | PTI Another senior police official said Meghalaya Police had not received any formal or informal communication from Bangladesh Police or other Bangladesh authorities in this regard. The BSF also dismissed the reports. “We learnt about the news circulating in media and Who’s osman hadi ? Osman Hadi was a prominent youth leader during the July-August 2024 mass protests that led to the fall of the Awami League government last year. He was also a candidate for Feb 12 polls social media handles. We verified at our end. This is completely false,” a senior BSF official told this newspaper. He further stated that the demography along the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border is such that an outsider is easily identifiable. “There have been many instances where the villagers have identified such persons and helped the BSF,” the official stated. Inquilab Moncho leader Hadi (32) was shot in Dhaka by two motorcycle-borne assailants on December 12 during an election campaign. On December 15, he was airlifted to Singapore for treatment but died three days later. His death triggered nationwide violent protests. DHAKA on Sunday strongly rejected India’s concerns over the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh and said recent incidents involving members of the Hindu community were “isolated criminal acts” and not reflective of any systematic persecution. The response came amid international reactions and parallel diplomatic engagements in Dhaka. Responding to a query from IANS, a US State Department spokesperson said the United States “unequivocally condemns religious violence in all its forms” and supports religious freedom, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly, adding that Washington welcomed steps taken by Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure safety and security of all communities. Reacting to Das’s killing, Indian-origin US Congressman Ro Khanna called the lynching “horrific” and urged people to speak out against “vile acts of hatred and bigotry”. Dhaka said that all crimes, regardless of the victim’s faith, would be addressed under the rule of law. India’s Ministry of External Ministry had earlier described the continuing violence against minorities in Bangladesh as a matter of “grave concern” and condemned the December 18 lynching of 27-year-old Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh city over allegations of blasphemy . Bangladesh said there were “systematic attempts” to portray isolated criminal incidents as evidence of persecution of Hindus, alleging such narratives were being selectively amplified in parts of India to spread antiBangladesh sentiment and undermine bilateral relations. Bangladesh foreign ministry also disputed India’s reference to another recent death of a Hindu man in Rajbari, saying the man was a “criminal.” Y-plus security to French cinema West Bengal CEO icon Brigitte Bardot dies at 91 amid row over SIR E X P R E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ New Delhi Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu offers prayers at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya on Sunday | Express Ram Rajya remains as a norm for ideal governance: Naidu E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday visited the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, where he offered prayers to Shri Ram Lalla, and participated in the ongoing Pratishtha Dwadashi Yagna for global peace. Naidu, who was warmly received at the Maharshi Valmiki International Airport by Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi and senior officials, spent considerable time inside the temple complex, observing its grandeur, and architectural scale. Temple authorities briefed him on the vision behind the project, and the ongoing works. Speaking to the media after his temple visit, the Chief Minister described the day as spiritually significant, recalling his participation in the historic Pran Pratishtha ceremony in January 2024. The Chief Minister hailed the Ram Mandir as a “divine, historic, and transformative” shrine that embodies India’s cultural traditions, and fulfills the long-cherished aspirations of millions. Naidu emphasised that Ram Rajya remains the benchmark for ideal governance, praising those who contributed to the temple construction through dialogue and consensus. He lauded Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s administration for blending development with spiritual progress, noting that States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will play a crucial role in realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Highlighting India’s rapid strides in technology and knowledge, Naidu said the integration of modern progress with timeless spiritual values offers the best path forward for P4 humanity  . THE Centre has provided Y-plus category security cover to West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal in view of safety concerns due to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, officials said on Sunday . A team of 11-12 armed personnel of the CISF security wing has been deployed for the CEO’s personal and house security The . team has taken charge. The move follows an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on December 26. Sources said there were intelligence inputs about potential threats to the officer. The SIR exercise to update the electoral rolls is currently underway in West Bengal. On December 16, the poll panel published the draft electoral rolls, deleting over 58 lakh voters from the list due to death, migration, and non-submission of forms. It has triggered intense political friction with the ruling Trinamool Congress targeting the Election Commission. On Saturday the party accused the poll , panel of deleting lakhs of voters from the rolls to benefit the BJP ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Meanwhile, an association of West Bengal government officers raised objections to deletion of voters bypassing the statutory role of Electoral Registration Officers. The association also made a representation to Agarwal saying on the date of the draft publication, a considerable number of electors whose forms have not been returned on alleged grounds such as death, migration, absence, or duplication have been deleted from the draft electoral rolls. APSRTC to instal new mapping system in 11,495 buses P h a n i n d r a Pa pa s a n i @ Vijayawada The APSRTC is likely to introduce a new mapping system for all buses, which helps passengers track the bus they want to board, and also allows the RTC to monitor the speed and other aspects of the vehicle. The new mapping system GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) and GTFS-Real- time for digital transit info, enables the APSRTC to provide real-time bus tracking, accurate arrival time, and service alerts on apps like Google Maps. The new system follows global standards for sharing static schedules, routes, stops and live updates such as vehicle position and delay if any , . During a recent review meet- ing with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, APSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao explained the modalities and functioning of GFTS. Naidu directed the APSRTC to implement the project on a pilot basis first. According to sources, GTFS will be installed in the entire APSRTC fleet of 11,495 buses, including rental vehicles, and also in the newly procured electric buses. GTFS works in two modules - static and real-time. While the static GTFS standardises files (like CSVs in a ZIP) containing fixed data pertaining to bus stops, routes, schedules, fares, and geographic info, the real-time GFTS uses live data, efficient protocol buffers for live locaP4 tion tracking of buses.  real-time bus info GTFS works in two modules static and real-time. It will improve passenger experience, providing accurate bus arrival info In a cinema career spanning some 28 films and three marriages, Bardot symbolised a nation bursting out of bourgeois respectability, and became one of France’s best-known stars | P9 Digvijaya backtracks on BJP-RSS applause P R E E THA NAIR @ New Delhi Even as the Congress grapples with internal unease triggered by Digvijaya Singh’s remarks praising the organisational power of the RSS and the BJP, the senior leader on Sunday went into damage control mode, saying there were no ideological differences within the party and that it stood firmly united under the Nehr u-Gandhi leadership. Speaking to the media, Singh sought to clear the air on suggestions of factionalism and accused the BJP of attempting to create discord within the Nehru-Gandhi family. “There is no difference in ideology. We are all united. The Nehru-Gandhi family is one in which two members have been martyred. I strongly condemn the BJP’s attempts to create divisions within this family he said. ,” The former chief minister also appeared to walk back his earlier criticism of the party’s lack of decentralisation. “Rahul Gandhi has started the decentralisation process from the district level and below. The work is underway and will be completed soon,” he added. Singh reiterated his opposition to the BJP-RSS ideology, saying there was nothing to learn from “Gandhi’s killers”. “I oppose RSS and BJP ideology,” he said. Singh’s earlier remarks did not go down well with several leaders as the BJP seized on them to attack the Congress. Meanwhile, MP Shashi Tharoor extended a guarded support, saying that it is only logical for an organisation to have discipline.