HYDERABAD l Monday l april 20, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE CITY EDITION U.S. delegation to reach Pakistan today to resume talks with IRan US President Donald Trump renewed his threats to destroy Iran’s vital infrastructure if it did not agree to a deal with the US to end the war ‘NO MORE MR. NICE GUY’, Trump warns Iran day after ships fired at, strait stays shut Trump said his negotiators would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening. Ahead of the expected talks, Trump stepped up his threats saying the US will “knock out every single power plant and bridge in Iran” if it does not agree to the deal he offers. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” he wrote on Truth Social. Vice President J D Vance is expected to lead the US delegation ■ ■ The Strait of Hormuz remained closed on Sunday. Trump slammed Iran for violating the ceasefire by firing upon ships transiting the strait Meanwhile, Iran doubled down on its pledge to curb ships transiting through the strategic waterway. “It is impossible for others to pass, while we cannot,” Iranian speaker Mohammed Ghalibaf said | P9 Wednesday when the current ceasefire between IRan and the U.S. expires 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 CM urges Guv to clear Kodandaram, Azhar for Council nomination Dinesh Trivedi to be India’s next envoy to Dhaka J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi In a calibrated move, the gover nment is set to appoint former Union minister and former Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi as India’s next High Commissioner to Bangladesh, opting for a political heavyweight over a career diplomat at a moment of cautious reset in Dhaka-New Delhi ties. Though Bangladesh had been quietly informed that the next envoy would be a political appointee, Trivedi’s selection stands out for both timing and signalling value. He replaces Pranay Verma, who moves to Brussels as India’s ambassador to the European Union. Trivedi becomes one of the few overtly political nominees to a sensitive neighbourhood posting in recent years. The appointment comes as India looks to reset its Bangladesh policy amid an evolving political landscape under the Tarique Rahman dispensation. Against this backdrop, sending a 75year-old political veteran suggests a deliberate pivot: from protocol-heavy diplomacy to a more politically managed engagement, where messaging, access and negotiation bandwidth may outweigh traditional bureaucratic continuity The . move also carries domestic political messaging as Trivedi is a former Trinamool Congress leader. Trivedi’s own arc—from a Trinamool Congress minister in the UPA government under Manmohan Singh to a BJP entrant in 2021—adds a layer of political adaptability that may be seen as useful in a complex bilateral setting. His parliamentary experience across both Houses, and familiarity with West Bengal’s political landscape, could also prove relevant in managing cross-border sensitivities. CPM, CPI write to EC alleging PM’s address to the nation violated the poll code. A Congress leader in Kerala also wrote to the EC against the alleged violation, while West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said she would soon file a complaint against Modi’s “illegal campaign” | P7 M a n d a R a v i n d e r Re d d y @ Hyderabad Concrete structures reduced to rubble at the Vanaja fireworks unit in Kattanarpatti after a massive explosion; (right) fire and rescue services personnel carrying an injured man to safety; (inset) a woman breaks down outside the Virudhunagar MCH | k k sundar 23 killed, 11 injured in explosion at Tamil Nadu firecracker unit Police and media personnel, including TNIE photographer, hurt in second blast during rescue op H a r i n i M @ Virudhunagar At least 23 workers were charred to death and 11 others sustained injuries in a massive explosion at Vanaja fireworks unit at Kattanarpatti village near Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Five policemen, some media personnel, including TNIE senior photojournalist K K Sundar, and a few fire and rescue services personnel suffered injuries in a second blast at the private firecracker unit d u r i n g re s c u e o p e r at i o n around 7 pm. Based on preliminary inquiry, police said the incident happened around 3 pm when around 50 employees were working at the licensed unit. The blast is believed to have originated in the front veranda area, where workers were allegedly handling raw materials. The impact of the blast was so severe that at least four rooms were reduced to rubble, and several adjacent structures were completely levelled. Sources said fire and rescue services personnel battled the flames for several hours. So far, police have identified the deceased as K Velsamy (56), S Porkodi (63) both from Thiruthangal village, K Pandiammal (55), M Bakyalakshmi (40), K Kaliammal (45), M Indhurani (46), R Mariammal (57), K Maruthan (50), his wife Nagammal (48), K Pandiammal (54), A Janaki (55) and I Nachiammal (55), all from Servaikaranpatti. The charred bodies of the deceased were shifted to Government Virudhunagar Medical College Hospital and the a deafening blast and call of duty Virudhunagar: In a firsthand account, TNIE’s photojournalist KK Sundar recounts a harrowing experience during the blast at Kattanapatti. While approaching the site on Sunday, Sundar was nearly caught in a massive secondary blast. The explosion was so powerful that it caused temporary disorientation and a head injury from flying debris. Despite the physical trauma and panic, Sundar overcame personal fear to answer his call of duty | P5 injured are also getting treatment at the same hospital. Police identified the injured as Saratha, Panjavar nam, Petchiammal, Sangli Thangam, Veerabathran, Arunkumar, a 12-year-old V Sathish (son of one of the workers who was playing at the spot). Among the injured, Petchiammal and Panjavarnam sustained more than 80% burns and are said to be critical. The rescue operations resumed post a brief halt after the second blast. Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said Chief Minister M K Stalin will announce compensation after getting approval from the ECI. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Stalin expressed condolences.  P7 In the wake of the deadlock over the nomination of two MLCs under the Governor’s quota, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday urged Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to clear the names of Professor M Kodandaram and minister Mohammed Azharuddin for their nomination to the Legislative Council. On Sunday, accompanied by Legislative Affairs and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu and MP Vem Narender Reddy the chief , minister met the Governor at Lok Bhavan. Sources said that during the meeting, Revanth briefed the Governor on the urgency of nominating Azharuddin, pointing out that the Minister for Minorities Welfare must become a member of either the Assembly or the Council by the end of April to continue in the Cabinet, as he is currently not a member of either House. As per the Constitution, a person must get elected to either of the legislative bodies within six months of being inducted into the Cabinet. Azharuddin will complete his six-month term by the end of April, and if he fails to become a member of the Council or Assembly he will have to re, sign from the ministry. With the deadline fast approaching, the chief minister requested the Governor to clear his nomination, stating that it is a constitutional necessity . Re garding Kodandaram, sources said the chief minister 9,000 Indians facing deportation from Canada as new law kicks in H a r p r ee t b a jw a @ Chandigarh About 9,000 Indians, most of them students from Punjab, who had sought asylum in Canada, are facing deportation under the country’s new immigration law. Bill C-12, enacted on March 26, tightens rules for asylum seekers in Canada. Many students from Punjab, who had adopted the asylum route to extend their stay in Canada after completing their studies there, due to stringent visa rules and limited pathways to permanent residency, would be affected. A spokesperson for the Canadian Immigration Minister said the government is now implementing the new law and is in the process of sending procedural fairness letters to affected individuals. According to reports, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has told Representational image Tighter curbs on asylum seekers Under Bill C-12, which came into force on March 26, individuals applying for asylum more than one year after arriving in Canada will be deemed ineligible for a full hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board some of them to leave the country immediately . Reports said the IRCC has issued procedural fairness no- tices to 30,000 asylum seekers, including 9,000 from India, informing them that their asylum claims may no longer qualify and advising them to leave Canada voluntarily or face enforcement action. The IRCC has clarified that those receiving the notice have 21 days to submit additional information. Failure to respond to the notice could lead to deportation proceedings, it said. These notices have triggered panic. Affected individuals have been advised to consult registered immigration consultants or lawyers and gather all supporting documents. Bill C-12 retroactively bars individuals who entered Canada more than one year prior to filing an asylum claim from referring their cases to the Immigration and Refugee Board. This rule applies to entries dating back to June 24, 2020. marginalised Nomadic families rely on water used by cattle N a vee n Kum a r Ta l l a m @ Karimnagar A woman fetches water from an air valve sump of a municipal pipeline at Ramannapally Colony in Jammikunta of Karimnagar district Ramannapally, which was merged into Jammikunta municipality, is grappling with a severe drinking water crisis, particularly affecting nomadic families. Around 60 families in the colony are facing acute water scarcity throughout the year, not just during the summer. With no adequate supply, they are forced to depend on the air valve sump of municipal pipelines — water typically used by cattle and stray animals. Despite the unhygienic conditions, they carry the water over long distances on bicycles and shoulders due to a lack of alternatives. Residents allege that municipal water is supplied only on alternate days, and sometimes after a gap of two days. Each family receives barely four to five pots of water, which is insufficient even for basic needs like drinking and cooking. For other daily requirements, they rely on distant and unsafe sources.  continued on p5 ex-CRICKETER runs risk of being timed out The chief minister reportedly briefed the Governor on the urgency of nominating Azharuddin, as he would have to resign as a minister if he fails to become a member of the Council by the end of April. As per the Constitution, a person must become a member of either of the legislative bodies within six months of being inducted into the Cabinet or resign explained to the Governor that the former Osmania University professor had led the Telangana statehood movement and is an eminent personality in the state. The nomination of MLCs under the Governor’s quota has been stuck in a legal dispute since the previous BRS government recommended Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana for the posts. However, the then Gover nor Tamilisai Soundararajan rejected the proposal. Subsequently Sravan , and Satyanarayana approached the court challenging the Governor’s decision. After the Congress came to power, it recommended Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan for nomination as MLCs under the Governor’s quota. However, the Supreme Court later set aside the process and directed the government to reconsider the names. The government then reviewed the matter and recommended Azharuddin along with Kodandaram. Firm booked for misusing T-Wallet funds C h i t h a l u r i Rev a n t h @ Hyderabad Return to heyday Tourists pose for a photo in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. A year after the terrorist attack, visitors are slowly returning to the tourist spot | Zahoor Punjabi Tata Trusts scraps ‘parsi-only’ clause E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V IC E @ Mumbai tata Trusts, led by chairman Noel Tata, on Sunday said it has decided to correct certain clauses in the trust deed of the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution that restrict trusteeship to Parsis, and that too to those residing in the erstwhile Bombay Presidency . “The trustees, at their April 17 meeting, have decided to initiate proceedings... for alteration of restrictive clauses with respect to the eligibility of trustees,” Tata Trusts said in a rare public statement. The development comes days after Mehli Mistry, a former trustee of the Tata Trusts, challenged the appointments of industrialist Venu Srinivasan and former defence secretary Vijay Singh to the board of Hirabai Trust in a complaint to the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner. The dozen-odd trusts, which own 66.4% of the nation’s largest business group, have been embroiled in controversy ever since Noel Tata became chairman in 2024. Several trustees questioned the trusts’ functioning and sought the listing of holding company Tata Sons. Non-Zoroastrians have been appointed to the trusts since 2000, following a legal opinion obtained from former Chief Justice of India M H Kania. Tata Sons director R Krishna Kumar became the first nonParsi trustee on the board of the Hirabai Trust, created under a 1916 codicil to the will of Ratan Tata. The Central Crime Station (CCS) police of the Hyderabad Commissionerate registered a case against Transaction Analysts India Pvt Ltd for allegedly misappropriating public data and funds linked to the T-Wallet platform, a digital payment ecosystem to facilitate cashless transactions and delivery of citizen-centric services across Telangana. The firm is also accused of falsely claiming ownership of T-Wallet and threatening to transfer user data to its own platform. The case was registered following a complaint by Electronic Services Delivery (ESD), a wing of the Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (ITE&C) Department of the Telangana government. The T-Wallet platform, launched in 2017, caters to over 16 lakh registered users and involves handling sensitive personal data, including KYC records, transaction histories, and substantial public funds. ESD engaged Transaction Analysts to develop the T-Wallet application for a consideration of about `70 lakh as one-time development, implementation, and installation charges, in addition to agreed monthly operations and maintenance charges. As per the explicit terms and conditions, the arrangement was limited to a period of one year. Upon its expiry, the government was to assume full control and ownership of the project. An agreement in November 2018 was executed between ESD and the firm for the operation and maintenance of the T-Wallet platform.   continued on p3