tadepalligudem l wednesday l january 21, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION SC slams Maneka Gandhi’s critique of stray dogs order The Supreme Court on Tuesday lambasted former Union minister Maneka Gandhi for calling the order on stray dogs ‘impractical’ not initiating contempt proceedings: sc sc flags disregard of its norms on strays A bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria said Maneka made “all kinds of comments” without thinking, but added it is not initiating contempt proceedings because of the court’s magnanimity. Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, for Menaka, said his client’s words are not contempt as politicians do make statements ■ The Supreme Court was hearing several petitions seeking modification of its Nov 7, 2025 order directing the authorities to remove stray animals from the institutional areas and roads ■ The bench also flagged concerns over the non-implementation of norms on stray animals for the last five years Jan 28 is when the supreme court will hear the matter next 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 K’taka forced to suspend first DGP over sleaze videos Party rein in Nabin hands THE fortune of Indian equity market, it appears, is firmly tied to the vagaries of US president Donald Trump. He seems to be the biggest ‘cue’ the domestic equity market is paying heed to as `10 lakh crore worth of investors’ wealth was wiped out on Tuesday amid US’ deepening standoff with Europe over Greenland. The stock market fell sharply on Tuesday, with benchmark NSE Nifty nosediving to its lowest level in three months and experiencing its biggest singleday fall since April 2025. The NSE Nifty settled 353 points or 1.38% lower at 25,232.50 while the BSE Sensex tumbled 1,066 points or 1.28% to close at @ Bengaluru India has designated its diplomatic mission in Bangladesh as a non-family posting for the time being, citing security concerns. As a precautionary measure, dependents of the Indian Mission and Post officials have been advised to return to India, while all diplomatic missions and posts in Bangladesh remain open and fully operational, sources said. The decision reflects New Delhi’s assessment of the prevailing security environment following months of political @ Visakhapatnam Nine fishermen from North Coastal Andhra, who were apprehended in October last year for inadvertently crossing into Bangladesh’s territorial waters while fishing, have been released. The fishermen are expected to return to Visakhapatnam within the next two to three days. Visakhapatnam MP Mathukumilli Sribharat welcomed RECORD TUMBLE 25,500 25,400 25,300 NSE Nifty 25,232.50 25,200 9.15 am 11 am BSE SenSEX 1 pm 3 pm 4 pm 82,180.47 83,000 82.500 82.000 9.15 am 11 am 1 pm 3 pm 4 pm era tariffs, with renewed uncertainty over US trade policy prolonging the recent consolidation. He added that continued FII outflows, rising US and Japanese bond yields, and a weakening rupee weighed on investor confidence. In the near term, market sentiment will hinge on the earn- ings season, while geopolitical developments and global trade conditions remain important influences, he said. The rupee ended at 90.98 per dollar, slightly weaker than Monday’s close of 90.91. In the broader market, the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 underperformed the frontline indices, falling by up to 3 per cent each. FIIs sold equities worth `2,192 crore on Tuesday mark, ing the 11th consecutive session of net outflows this month. In the Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index settled lower. Markets in Europe were trading over 1 per cent lower. APSRTC earns record `27.6 cr revenue in a single day E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Governor RN Ravi walks out of Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday without delivering customary address | Express I can say Nitin Nabin ji is a millennial. He belongs to a generation that has witnessed a great deal of change... When it comes to party matters, Mananiya Nitin Nabin ji... I am a worker, and you are my boss Narendra Modi, PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the newly elected BJP president Nitin Nabin at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday. A five-time MLA from Bihar, Nabin, 45, was declared elected unopposed, becoming the youngest ever in BJP to occupy the top post. “BJP is the only party where it is not necessary to belong to any particular family to hold major positions,” Nabin said. Soon after taking over charge from J P Nadda, he sought to set the tone for the upcoming state polls targeting opposition parties on a range of issues including the “changing demographics” | Sayantan Ghosh | p7 instability and rising tensions over the treatment of minority communities. Sources described the move as precautionary taken in view of evolv, ing ground conditions. Bangladesh is preparing to hold its first national election since the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government was ousted in a violent, student-led protest in August 2024. Election campaigning is scheduled to begin on January 22, with authorities promising strict security arrangements. However, the period leading up to the polls has been marked Bangladesh releases nine North Andhra fishermen E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e 82,180. The sell-off was such that 48 stocks in the Nifty50 pack ended in the red and the market capitalisation of BSElisted fir ms came down to `455.76 lakh crore from `465.19 lakh crore. Investor sentiment across the globe has taken a hit over concerns related to US President Donald Trump proposing tariffs on countries opposing his bid to control Greenland and a subsequent pushback from Europe. This has revived fears of renewed global trade disruptions, prompting investors to exit equities. Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments said domestic markets remained cautious ahead of the US Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump- tale of two governors India’s Bangladesh mission now a non-family posting J ayan t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Terrible Tuesday: Sensex dives to lowest in 3 months, wipes off `10L cr of investor wealth A r s h a d K h an @ New Delhi E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e For the first time in the history of Karnataka, a Director General of Police (DGP) rank officer has been suspended. Hours after an alleged intimate video involving K Ramachandra Rao surfaced online on Monday, the state government cracked the whip against him. Rao, a 1993-batch IPS officer, was heading the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE). The undated 47-second compilation, consisting of three separate video clips, and two audio recordings, surfaced on Monday afternoon. In the video, the DGP is allegedly seen in a compromising position inside his office during working hours. Speaking to reporters at the residence of home minister G Parameshwara on Monday, Rao claimed the Ramachandra Rao v i d e o w a s “fabricated” and demanded a thorough investigation. Late on Monday night, the government issued an order alleging that Rao acted in an obscene manner, unbecoming of a public servant and caused embarrassment to the government. It added that his conduct amounted to a violation of Rule 2 of the All-India Services (Conduct) Rules and suspended him pending inquiry The order fur. ther stated that Rao shall not leave headquarters under any circumstances without prior written permission from the state government. In 2025, Rao was sent on compulsory leave after his stepdaughter, Ranya Rao, was arrested in a gold smuggling case. A probe later cleared him of charges of aiding his stepdaughter in smuggling. Markets in red over Greenland the release orders issued by the Bangladesh government, and expressed satisfaction over the outcome. Members of the executive committee of Andhra Pradesh State Mechanised Fishing Boat Owners Association met the MP at his office on Tuesday, and conveyed their gratitude for his role in pursuing the matter. They presented copies of the fishermen’s release orders durP4 ing the meeting.  by sporadic violence, contributing to concerns among foreign governments and diplomatic missions. The safety of minority communities has emerged as a key issue in India’s recent engagement with Dhaka. India’s decision to shift its mission to a non-family posting signals that it views the current situation as sufficient enough to warrant added caution. Such measures are usually adopted when host countries face prolonged political uncertainty or elevated security risks, even as routine diplomatic engagement continues. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan receives Governor Rajendra Arlekar ahead of the assembly session | Vincent Pulickal Ravi refuses to Arlekar altered deliver customary policy address, speech in House alleges Pinarayi T M u r u g anan d h am @ Chennai E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ T’Puram For the third consecutive year, Governor RN Ravi’s annual customary inaugural address to the Assembly became a flashpoint, with the governor once again refusing to read the speech prepared by the state. He left the House abruptly, declining to deliver the speech, alleging insult to national anthem and unsubstantiated claims in the state-prepared text. Minutes after the walkout, the governor’s office released a statement listing out 13 reasons as to why he had declined to read out the prepared speech. The statement from the Lok Bhavan, among other things, alleged that the gover nor’s microphone was switched off repeatedly and the national anthem was insulted by not being rendered at the beginning of the session (Thamizh Thaai Vaazhthu was rendered first as conventionally done in the TN Assembly). The other 11 reasons dealt with various alleged issues of concern in the state. The governor’s office alleged that the prepared speech was marked by unsubstantiated claims, particularly on investment inflows, with many MoUs remaining unrealised, declining FDI rankings, severe stress on MSMEs, and growing discontent among lowerlevel employees over their unaddressed demands. “It ignored social concerns like rising crimes against women, rising Pocso cases, rampant drug abuse among youth leading to thousands of suicides, escalating atrocities against Dalits, and TN’s alarming suicide rate,” the Lok Bhavan’s statement said. Dramatic scenes unfolded in the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought to correct Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s policy address after the latter had finished his speech and left the House. While Vijayan flagged “omissions” and “alterations” to the text approved by the Cabinet, sources close to the governor said Arlekar had read out an amended version of the address to which the government had earlier agreed but backtracked later. Immediately after seeing off the governor from the House following his two-hour policy address, the CM drew attention to the “mismatch” between the Cabinet-approved text and what was actually delivered. He urged the Speaker to rule that the policy address approved by the Cabinet would prevail. Vijayan was provoked by the governor’s omission of a passage critical of the Centre: “Kerala continues to face severe fiscal stress arising from a series of adverse Union government actions that undermine the constitutional principles of fiscal federalism.” Another omission was about the ongoing tussle between the governor and the state government over delays in granting assent to bills passed by the Assembly . Lok Bhavan sources said the governor skipped some “factually incorrect” portions. Speaker A N Shamseer later ruled that only the speech ratified by the Cabinet would be recognised as the official version. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) achieved its highestever single-day revenue of `27.68 crore on January 19.   To meet Sankranti rush, the RTC operated a large number of special bus services at normal fare, which evoked an overwhelming response from people. On Monday, a record 5.06 million passengers travelled in RTC buses to various destinations across the State. Keeping in view the postSankranti rush, the RTC took extensive measures to ensure h a s s l e - f r e e t r ave l f o r passengers. According to an RTC release issued on Tuesday the achieve, ment of record revenue was attributed to advance deployment of buses, provision of adequate infrastructure, efficient operational management, continuous monitoring, and dynamic allocation of services based on passenger demand. The dedication and commitment of drivers, conductors, along with the tireless efforts of depot and garage staff, supervisors, and officers, played a pivotal role in setting the highest single-day revenue record in the RTC history . Expressing happiness over the achievement, RTC Managing Director Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao congratulated all the transport corporation employees for their collective effort and coordination. He also conveyed heartfelt thanks to passengers for the exceptional support shown towards RTC special bus services, and expressed confidence that the same patronage would continue in the future. Partner with AP for long-term growth: CM to global investors E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Asserting that Andhra Pradesh is not just an investment destination but also a strategic advantage, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has invited global industry to partner with the State for longterm growth. Speaking at the CII session “India at the Centre: The Geography of Growth - The Andhra Pradesh Advantage” held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tues- day, he said, “Our speed of doing business makes AP a premier investment hub.” Naidu urged global investors to study the industry-friendly policies of Andhra Pradesh government by visiting the State with more than 1,000 km coastline, and take a decision after witnessing the speed of doing business. The Chief Minister explained opportunities for investments in green energy, technology, digital infra and logistics sectors. Mentioning Google investment in Visakhapatnam and Green Ammonia plant in Kakinada, he said the State government laid emphasis on development of space city, ports and airports to promote rapid economic growth. Naidu said he has been attending the World Economic Forum for the past several years to identify the requirements of industrialists, and formulate necessary policies to make AP an industry-friendly State. “The future is for knowledge economy and Indians are , ahead in utilising technology ,” he observed. CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee, Cognizant CEO Ravikumar and several global industrialists were present. Taking to ‘X’ after the meeting, Naidu posted “Andhra Pradesh isn’t just an investment destination; it’s a strategic advantage. I was delighted to engage with industry leaders at the CII session “India at the Centre: The Geography of Growth - The Andhra Pradesh Advantage” in Davos, showcasing AP’s strengths across various sectors. With nearly a quarter of India’s FDI, our speed of doing business makes AP a premier investment hub. I invited global industry to partner with us for long-term growth.”