hyderabad l thursday l april 23, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE City EDITION Tributes paid to Pahalgam victims on anniversary of terror attack Tributes were paid on Wednesday to the 26 people who were gunned down by terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam last year India will never bow to terrorism: Modi ■ 50 Famed meadows of Pahalgam buzzing again “Remembering the innocent lives lost in the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack on this day last year,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, adding India will never bow to terror. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the nation stands united against terrorism. The European Union and the United Kingdom have expressed solidarity with the people of India ■ Security was beefed up across the Valley, with police and paramilitary forces deployed at many places, especially the tourist hotspots The April 22 attack dealt a severe blow to the region’s tourism industry—a key pillar of the local economy. A year down the line, the famed meadows of Pahalgam are once again buzzing with tourists pahalgam tourist spots were shut after attack. many are now open 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 Mamata faces her toughest test yet as BJP eyes Bengal Due to lack of motorable roads to Vellakavi and other high-altitude villages in Dindigul district, polling materials and EVMs are being carried on horses and mules. Teams trek through a seven-km rugged terrain to reach designated polling stations | Express SUBHENDU MAI T I @ Kolkata West Bengal is all prepped up for a pulsating contest between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and the BJP on Thursday when 152 of the total 294 constituencies in the state go to polls in the first of the two-phase elections amid unprecedented security cover. This is the first election after the Election Commission of India’s controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of rolls resulted in 91 lakh deletions from the list. How it would impact the outcome is anybody’s guess. Appellate tribunals added just 139 of the 27 lakh — whose names did not figure in the supplementary rolls — to the list of eligible vot- bridging gaps `98K cr being spent to make TG road infra best: Bhatti Express News Service @ Hyderabad Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said road development works worth `98,000 crore are under way across the state, with the government aiming to make Telangana the leading state in road infrastructure by 2028. Vikramarka was speaking after chairing a review meeting at the Secretariat along with Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy . Outlining the key projects under way across the state, he said that the Hyderabad–Vijayawada National Highway is being upgraded into an eightlane corridor at a cost of `20,000 crore. A greenfield road from Future City to Amaravati– Bandar Port is being planned at a cost of `20,000 crore, with alignment proposals submitted to the Union gover nment, Vikramarka said. “A parallel alignment for a high-speed train has also been proposed. `8,000 crore has been allocated for a 52-km elevated corridor from Mannanur to Srisailam while `36,000 crore has been sanctioned for the Regional Ring Road (RRR). The state government has deposited `628 crore as its share for acquisition of land for the northern section with the NHAI. A double-decker elevated corridor from LB Nagar to Hayathnagar is being taken up at a cost of `941 crore, with `741 crore from the Union government and `200 crore from the state,” the deputy chief minister said.  continued on P4 ers in the first phase. Of the 152 seats in the first phase, 54 in north Bengal districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda are seen as strongholds of the BJP. The remaining 98 seats in districts like Murshidabad, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, West Bardhaman and Birbhum, are part of the traditional citadel of the TMC. The respective strengths of the CPM-led Left Front and the Congress will also be under test. Apart from SIR and anti-incumbency, the TMC faces serious charges like widespread corruption, poor law and order, infiltration and tribal discontent. Gripping contest in TN today With around 74 lakh names deleted during the SIR, the turnout in Tamil Nadu may rise due to a reduced electorate base, though the actual participation levels will determine the final outcome. The DMK led by Chief Minister M K Stalin is facing a stiff challenge from the NDA led by former CM Edappadi Palaniswami and actor-turned-neta Vijay | P5 ECI: Kharge issued notice The ECI took “serious note” of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “terrorist” and issued him a “stern notice”, officials said. He has been asked to explain his stand within 24 hours, they added. Kharge had accused Modi of “terrorising” political parties | P7 Didi’s I-PAC raid dharna ‘harmed democracy’: SC Epaminondas Seized ship lacked permit: IRGC The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps alleged that MSC-Francesca was linked to Israel while Epaminondas lacked “the necessary permits” and had been “tampering with navigation systems” Three cargo ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz THE Supreme Court on Wednesday rapped West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her alleged interference in the Enforcement Directorate raids at political consultancy firm I-PAC’s office in Kolkata earlier this year. Noting that such actions harm democracy a bench of justices Prashant Kumar , Mishra and NV Anjaria said: “A chief minister cannot walk into the midst of an investigation, put the democracy in peril, and then say don’t convert this into a dispute between the state and the Union.” The bench made the strong oral remarks while hearing the writ petitions filed by the ED and its officers under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Banerjee and her officials. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for a West Bengal official, questioned the maintainability of ED’s plea, saying the dispute is between the Centre and state and should be resolved under Article 131. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, for another Bengal official, argued the ED can’t invoke fundamental rights under Article 32. The bench, while rejecting the respondents’ arguments, said it can’t shut its eyes to the ground realities in Bengal. S i d d h a r d h a G att i m i @ Hyderabad Buses remain parked at the Jubilee Bus Station on Wednesday following the strike called by Telangana State Road Transport Corporation employees | Vinay Madapu ing about 3,300 hired vehicles. Peak-hour travel turned chaotic, with rush reported on routes such as LB Nagar, Uppal, Ibrahimpatnam, Hayathnagar, the IT corridor and Patancheru. Commuters struggled to find reliable alternatives. Authorities, particularly in Hyderabad, remained on high alert, rolling out contingency measures. RTC management initiated steps to operate services through rentals and outsourcing, and is considering temporary hiring of drivers and conductors, while attempt- ing to increase trip frequency with the limited fleet. The strike follows the failure of talks on Tuesday between JAC leaders and an IAS officers’ committee led by Special Chief Secretary Vikas Raj. The meeting, which lasted over four h o u r s, e n d e d w i t h o u t a breakthrough. The JAC has listed 32 demands, including merger of RTC with the government and wage revision and clearance of dues. While the committee sought four weeks to examine financial implications, the JAC rejected the proposal, citing lack of firm assurances.  continued on P2 express read NCB raids illegal Alprazolam unit, seizes drugs worth `17 cr SC defers hearing on Sravan’s petition on Guv quota MLCs Hyderabad: In one of the largest such seizures in recent times, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided an Alprazolam and Ephedrine manufacturing unit in IDA, Moula Ali on April 20 and seized 69.6 kg of Alprazolam along with raw materials, collectively valued at about `17.4 crore. Three persons were apprehended | P3 Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned to July 22 the petition filed by BRS leaders Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana on nominations to the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota, granting time to the newly appointed Governor of Telangana to take a decision | P4 MSC Francesca Euphoria Gulf of Oman US woman raped at Karnataka homestay EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Madikeri The Epaminondas | File pic SUCHI T RA KALYAN MOHAN T Y @ New Delhi Strike by workers halts TGSRTC bus services, leaves commuters stranded Bus services across Telangana were severely disrupted on Wednesday the first day of the , indefinite strike by Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) employees, leaving lakhs of commuters stranded and bringing operations close to a halt in both urban and rural areas. The strike, called by the TGSRTC Joint Action Committee (JAC), began early Wednesday with employees boycotting , duties and keeping thousands of buses off the roads. In Hyderabad, services were suspended at key hubs such as Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and Jubilee Bus Station. Police were deployed at bus stations to prevent untoward incidents. Authorities pressed around 1,000 buses into service through hire and outsourcing arrangements, including nearly 450 electric buses, but this fell far short of demand. In Hyderabad, nearly 3,000 RTC buses typically serve around 26 lakh passengers daily, with at least 2,000 buses needed to maintain minimum services. Statewide, the corporation operates over 9,300 buses, includ- IRAN Trump extends truce, Iran seizes India-bound ship A g e n c i e s @ Washington/ Dubai Iran on Wednesday fired at three cargo ships and seized two of them, including one bound for Gujarat, hours after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington was indefinitely extending its two-week ceasefire with Tehran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards intercepted and transferred two vessels, identified as the “MSC-FRANCESCA” and the “Epaminondas” (bound for Mundra port in Gujarat ), to Iranian territorial waters, Iranian media reported. It comes a day after the seizure of an Iranian vessel by the US in the Sea of Oman. Late on Tuesday night, Trump said he was extending the ceasefire at the request of Pakistan to give Tehran’s leadership more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war. “Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured… and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, day and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack,” President Trump said. Lebanon attacked As for the peace talks in Islamadespite truce bad, there is little clarity on when, or even if, they will take place. Israeli strikes killed three people in Lebanon despite Trump, however, told The New York Post that it’s possible that an ongoing 10-day the second round could begin by ceasefire, Lebanese state Friday, adding the economic media said, adding that blockade of Iran’s ports will reBeirut would request an main in place. Sources in Pakiextension of the truce stan told the daily talks would during upcoming talks resume in 36-72 hours. with Israel in Washington. Iran has not confirmed if it is The two governments, ready to attend the new round of which do not have talks. Its chief negotiator Modiplomatic relations with each other, are set to hold hammad Bagher Ghalibaf said it is “not possible to reopen the a second round of talks strait” if the US blockade of under US auspices on Iran’s ports continue. Oil prices Thursday P9 rose again on Wednesday with Brent North Sea climbing above $100 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate traded above $93 once again. Meanwhile, India denied making any payments —either in cash or cryptocurrency —to Iran to secure safe passage for its vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Two Indian vessels were fired upon as they attempted to cross the waterway on April 18. Reports said at least one ship fell victim to a scam offering fake safe passage in exchange for crypto. Addressing the German Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Security Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , warned that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have direct implications for India’s security and economic stability . 54 A US national was allegedly sexually assaulted at a homestay in Karnataka’s Kodagu a week ago. The incident came to light after the woman alerted the US embassy which in turn , informed the local authorities. According to police, the incident occurred on April 12 in Kutta village near Kerala border. Two persons, the caretaker and owner of the homestay, have been arrested. The caretaker, hailing from Jharkhand, is the primary accused. The homestay owner allegedly tried to suppress the incident. Both the accused have been remanded in judicial custody . Kodagu Superintendent of Police Bindu Mani said all aspects of the case are under investigation, including allegat i o n s t h a t t h e wo m a n’s movement was restricted for several days after the incident. Sources said the woman, who had booked a tent stay from April 12 to April 17, alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the caretaker on the night of her arrival. She later informed the homestay owner, who shifted her from the tent to his residence on the premises, saying it would be safer. However, the survivor alleged that she was not allowed to leave immediately and the wifi at the property was disabled, limiting her ability to seek help. The woman reportedly left the homestay on April 17 and travelled to Mysuru, from where she contacted the US embassy A formal complaint was . registered later. The police said the survivor is currently undergoing medical treatment, and further details will be released when the investigation progresses. nadendla Bhaskar Rao passes away at 90 He was the shortestserving chief minister of undivided AP, in the post for just one month | P5 Ghose Committee valid, but report doesn’t warrant coercive action: HC T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad Partly allowing a batch of writ petitions challenging the constitution and functioning of the Justice PC Ghose Commission which probed alleged ir re gularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday said the panel’s recommendations cannot, by themselves, form the basis for coercive action. A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin held that the appointment of the commission was valid and within the framework of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. However, the court made it clear that no coercive steps can be taken solely on the basis of the commission’s recommendations. In its order, the court said: “That the constitution of the Commission of Inquiry under Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 vide G.O.Ms.No.6, dated 14.03.2024 is neither arbitrary illegal nor , ultra vires the Constitution of India and the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952; and that the findings rendered by the Commission as are prejudicial to the conduct and reputation of the petitioners and have been rendered in violation of the principles of natural justice and the statutory safeguard provided under Section 8B of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, shall be inoperative and no action can be taken on the basis thereof (sic).” The writ petitions were filed by former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, former chief secretary SK Joshi, and senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal, among others. The petitioners contended that the inquiry violated principles of natural justice. They argued that they were neither given adequate opportunity to present their case nor allowed to cross-examine witnesses whose testimonies formed the basis of the commission’s conclusions.