chennai l wednesday l october 21, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l vellore EDITION Nishad, Deepthi lead charge in athletics gold rush Nishad Kumar creates Asian record in high jump as Indian athletes add five gold on Tuesday at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya 20 medals and counting, india second Deepthi, Simran shine with records Indian para athletes pocketed 14 medals, including five gold, with Nishad Kumar becoming third from India to win two gold in a single edition of para Games. India added five gold, four silver, and five bronze, taking the medal count from para athletics to 20, the second best after China’s 23 (13 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze); India with 35 medals are sixth overall ■ ■ Deepthi Jeevanji reasserted continental supremacy winning her second consecutive Asian Para Games gold in women’s 400m T20 Sprinter Simran created a new Games record to win maiden gold in women’s 200m T12; Pranav Soorma won gold in discuss with Asian record in F51/52/53; Devender won in another discuss category | P11 Five The number of gold medals won on Tuesday 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 Regime-change stirs don’t solve fundamental problems: Bhagwat NTK bypoll candidate held over stir during CM’s campaign Express News Service @ Tiruppur The Dharapuram police on Tuesday arrested NTK state women’s wing secretary M Karthika, the party’s candidate in the recent bypoll, her husband and seven other functionaries in connection with a protest that allegedly obstructed Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s roadshow during his bypoll campaign on October 4. According to police sources, Vijay had participated in a roadshow covering around 40 km in the Dharapuram constitM Karthika uency on October 4. When his convoy reached Veerachimangalam junction, Karthika and other NTK functionaries allegedly attempted to cross the road. The police stopped them, following which the cadres allegedly breached the security cordon and staged a road blockade. The police then forcibly removed them from the spot, leading to a scuffle between the two sides. The police also registered cases in connection with a protest staged by NTK cadres on October 2 over the removal of the party’s flex banner and an alleged assault on a TVK supporter at an NTK public meeting in Dharapuram on October 4.  P5 H a r p r e e t B a j w a @ Chandigarh Defeat those who try to divide the society: PM SUDH I R SURYAWANSH I @ Mumbai INDIA is the ultimate target of foreign forces seeking regime change, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Tuesday “While some global powers want In. dia to develop, they do not want it to become too powerful, as it could challenge their dominance,” he said while addressing the annual Vijayadasami gathering at the Reshimbagh ground in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Urging people to be wary of forces seeking to destabilise India, he said protests aimed at toppling elected governments serve shortterm political interests and fuel divisions in society but don’t resolve fundamental problems. “They claim that changing a regime will change the situation, but that has never really happened,” he said. Bhagwat cited the upheavals in Bangladesh, Nepal, France and Albania to assert that vested interests use protests as a means to alter political RSS call to circumstances and not to regulate OTT solve people’s problems. His comments come in Bhagwat urged the backdrop of the progovt to bring in tests in Delhi over the Speregulations to cial Intensive Revision of check improper electoral rolls and certain online content, sections calling for regime especially on OTT change. “While some gloplatforms, and measures to check bal powers want India to develop, they do not want drug addiction it to become too powerful, among youth as it could challenge their dominance,” he added. The RSS chief said protests are inevitable in a democracy but the purpose of agitations should be to bring solutions to problems rather than deepenning social differences. Bhagwat urged protesters, political leaders and the government to ensure that their actions don’t create bitterness or divisions in society . “However intense our emotions may be, we must respect the limits set by our Constitution, the norms of civilised public discourse and standards of decent conduct,” he said. The event was attended by former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, among others. Mann hands Jhota case to CBI, Shah lights into AAP on drugs Hours after the AAP-led state government on Tuesday handed over the probe into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota to the CBI, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state and met with families of those killed in drug-related crimes. Slamming the state government, he alleged it had failed to curb the drug menace. Speaking to reporters in Ludhiana after his day-long visit, Shah said he’d never felt as deeply saddened in life as he did while meeting the families. He urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to hand over the probes into the deaths of two other anti-drug activists to the CBI as the state “will not be able to handle it”. “Some lost their sons, some brothers and others their hus- RA J ESH K UMAR THA K UR @ New Delhi An effigy of demon king Ravan is set ablaze during Dussehra celebrations at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Tuesday | pti prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon Indians to identify and defeat those who undermine the country’s honour, divide the society , and work against national unity by treating them as enemies , of the country . “We have to fight together against the forces which defame the honour of the country and the people who divide the nation. All of them are enemies of the country... We have to identify those who are the enemies of Maa Bharati, defeat them taking a collective resolve of ‘Nation First’ by coming together,” Modi said while addressing a Dussehra event in New Delhi. Emphasising the message of Vijayadashami, Modi said the festival inspires people to stand firmly for truth and humanity , irrespective of the strength of the challenges they face. “The Vijayadashami festival gives us the courage to believe that no matter how powerful the enemy is, when we stand with truth and humanity, victory will ultimately be ours,” the prime minister said. Modi urged people to guard against elements that harbour hostility towards Indian culture. “We have to see that the forces that harm the country, those who divide society, and the mindset that hates our culture are enemies of nation.” Days after TVK won the byeelections to the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced projects worth `1,545.5 crore for the two constituencies, drawing criticism from the DMK, AIADMK, CPI and CPM over selective announcement of schemes when bye-elections are due in five other constituencies. The projects cover drinking water, agriculture, education, healthcare, housing and civic infrastructure. Several other VB-G RAM G job days increased to 150 in TN Chennai: The TN government has raised the annual employment guarantee under the VB-G RAM G scheme from 125 to 150 days for women-headed households, single women, persons with disabilities and SC/ST families | P4 initiatives were also announced without cost estimates. While the opposition parties acknowledged that announcing welfare schemes was not objectionable in itself, they questioned the decision to prioritise bands. What answer does the AAP government have for these grieving families?” he charged. He said he’d met the bereaved families of Vikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur, Gulzar Singh in Sangrur, and Jhota in Mansa, all of whom were either murdered or driven to suicide allegedly for taking a stand against the drug mafia. Claiming that Mann had India, US discuss trade, energy, defence amid strain over visas, curbs the two constituencies where TVK had won, alleging that it could influence voters in the five seats where bypolls are due. For Dharapuram, the principal announcement is a `1,439-crore Cauvery-based combined drinking water scheme covering 1,232 rural habitations. Of the 2,455 rural habitations in Tiruppur district, 1,223 are already covered under the existing scheme. The new project will cover five panchayat unions and seven village panchayats in Mulanur, besides 17 village panchayats in Palladam constituency  P5 . Calling for unity, equal rights and peaceful coexistence, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday urged people of all religions to work together to build a prosperous nation, assuring the Hindu minority that his government aims to serve every citizen irrespective of religious or political affiliation. Addressing a Sharadiya greetings programme at the Radha Gobinda Dharmasabha Temple in Rangpur on Maha Navami, Rahman extended greetings to the Hindu community and stressed that Bangladesh belongs to people of all faiths. “Just as people of all religions came together to liberate this country, and worked together to establish the political rights of its people, we must also work together, irrespective of religious beliefs and affiliations, if we want to build the Bangladesh we aspire to create,” he said, recalling the 1971 War, subsequent pro-democracy movements and the 2024 student-led mass uprising. Emphasising inclusive governance, he also pledged equitable resource allocation and balanced development across regions, taking into account the country’s economic circumstances. The PM met devotees and exchanged greetings. Temple leaders presented him with a crest and he handed the temple a cheque for Tk 10 lakh. 1,655 Pocso cases pending before JJBs The Madras High Court recently took suo motu cognisance of 1,655 Pocso cases pending before Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs). While Chennai has a permanent JJB, judicial magistrates are designated for JJBs in other districts. Prosecutors said in-charge magistrates visited JJBs in other districts only once or twice a week, resulting in delays in disposal of cases. The Madras High Court noted the need for exclusive JJBs with adequate infrastructure and Assistant Public Prosecutor posts in all districts, and said proposals had been forwarded to the Tamil Nadu government but have not been cleared yet. Works), Additional Public Prosecutor, and Assistant Public Prosecutors Grades I and II. As per sources, the sanctioned posts have remained vacant for more than 2.5 years. PM Rahman calls for unity, equal rights External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday discussed ways to deepen India-US cooperation in trade, energy, technology and defence, as the two countries seek to expand their narrowing strategic convergence amid a changing global order. The talks come against the backdrop of strains in bilateral ties over visa policies and sanctions, with New Delhi and Washington also racing to conclude a trade agreement on mutually acceptable terms. Jaishankar said Indian talent had played a significant role in shaping the US technology sector, while stressing the need for closer cooperation. “World order is clearly in transition, countries are responding accordingly Each one of us will . naturally pursue national interest. In such an era, expanding our convergence is key to deepening our ties,” he said. In a statement, the US State Department said the two leaders discussed regional and EAM Jaishankar with US Secretary of global developments, includ- State Marco Rubio in Mumbai | AP/PTI ing the situation in the Middle East. Rubio emphasised Zero tolerance that greater energy trade Terrorism figured in the talks with the US could help diver- with Jaishankar saying “We sify India’s supply chains expect our partners to show while meeting its substantial zero tolerance on terror...We consumer demand. He also are clear on the right to defend welcomed recent progress in ourself against terrorism.” bilateral defence and civil nuclear cooperation and advocated increased Indian purchases of American technologies and systems, saying these could strengthen the security and prosperity of both countries. After the meeting, Jaishankar said the two sides had exchanged views on advancing bilateral ties, with a focus on trade, energy technology defence and people-to-people rela, , tions. At a reception, Rubio described India and the US as two major powers with substantial alignment on issues shaping the 21st century, while acknowledging that disagreements between the countries were inevitable. E x p r e s s Re a d Justice delayed as vacancies hit TN prosecution directorate rate, awaited for long, are also yet to be created. Public scrutiny surrounding According to a report subthe Pocso allegations against mitted by the directorate to the GEM Granites chairman Veer- Home Department, 116 of the amani (84) has spotlighted the 505 sanctioned posts are vacant systemic infirmities in timely as of September 1, 2026. Of arrest and prosecution these, 103 of 426 posts of suspects for crimes. are vacant in the prosThe crisis is comecution department pounded by the fact of 79 sancexclusive and 13 posts are vathat the Directorate of tioned Prosecution — the cant among prosecuagency tasked with overseeing tion de par tment of ficials criminal cases — is stretched deputed to other departments. thin, with nearly 23% (116) of The vacancies span the posts its sanctioned posts lying va- of Director of Prosecution, cant. Prosecutors also alleged Deputy Director of Prosecuthat a matching number of tion, Assistant Director of new positions in the directo- Prosecution (Administrative Navami wishes J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi collateral damage D h e e p t h i O J @ Chennai done one good thing on his birthday by handing over the case to the CBI, he assured that the central agency would ensure justice regardless of the accused’s influence. In his pushback, Mann questioned the Centre’s failure to prevent the entry of narcotics at the source, secure the borders and act against trafficking networks. J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi Vijay gifts `1,545 cr schemes for bypoll seats won by TVK, opposition cries foul T M u r u g a n a n d h a m @ Chennai Home minister Amit Shah with family of late Vikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur | PTI Prosecutors also claimed that, despite consistent demand, more than 100 non-sanctioned posts of Additional Public Prosecutors and Assistant Public Prosecutors Grades I and II had not been created across TN for more than a decade. TNIE spoke to at least five public prosecutors, who said these vacancies were affecting the speedy disposal of cases, including Pocso cases before Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), while placing prosecutors under considerable physical and mental strain. Several of them said they were forced to work even when ill. A public prosecutor is a legal officer who represents the state and works to protect the rights of both victims and accused. Their duty is to assist the court in arriving at the truth in a case.  P5 Weather system to bring rain to TN, UT for 2 days Chennai: Heavy to very heavy rain is likely across TN, Puducherry and Karaikal till October 22, with a low-pressure area expected to form over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining TN coast within 24 hours. Isolated places across TN may receive heavy rain till October 26, the RMC said | P2 TN’s power use drops by 5,632 MW due to rain Chennai: The onset of monsoon has led to a major drop in power consumption in TN with electricity demand dropping by 5,632 MW on Monday, enabling TNPDCL to scale down thermal power generation and avoid procurement of costly power under recently signed short-term agreements | P2