The Editorial Page: India needs a clear, rules-based framework for petrol prices 10 TUESdAY, APRIl 28, 2026 Journalism of Courage MUMBAI, lAtE cIty, 18 PAGES ₹5.00 l www.indianexpress.com DA I ly f r o M : A h M E DA B A D , c h A N D I GA r h , D E l h I , J A I P U r , ko l k AtA , l U c k N o w , M U M B A I , N AG P U r , PAt N A , P U N E , vA D o DA r A reg.no. mcs/067/2018 - 20 rnI regn. no. 1543/57 Central forCes Will remain in state for 60 days after Polls: shah 94 122 150 As campaign ends, Modi, Mamata make last pitch for West Bengal 76 miCrosoft’s nyara BloCk trigger Govt keen firms in critical sectors use ‘Made in India’ cloud systems soumyarendra Barik New Delhi, April 27 Happening today lPrime minister narendra Modi is scheduled to virtually inaugurate indoor cricket infrastructure in six states of the Northeastern region. lPresident of the 80th session of UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, will visit India and discuss key multilateral issues with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. la nine-judge sC BenCh examining seven key questions concerning the balance between religious freedom and fundamental rights, triggered by the Sabarimala review case, will continue its hearing. Track These and more on www.indianexpress.com Business as Usual By EP UNNY Prime minister narendra modi campaigns in Barrackpore, north 24 Parganas. ANI; West Bengal chief minister mamata Banerjee in south kolkata, monday. PArthA PAUl Will return for oath ceremony, says PM; CM leads 12-km padayatra in Kolkata atri mitra & tanusree Bose Kolkata, April 27 THeCAMPAiGnforthesecond and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concludedonMondayafterweeksof fierceexchangesoverSpecialintensiverevisionofelectoralrolls, undocumented immigration, corruption,andunemployment. From Prime Minister narendra Modi and union Home MinisterAmitShahtoWestBengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,topleadersoftheBJPand the Trinamool Congress (TMC) made their last-minute pitches to voters. Amid a couple of incidents of pre-poll violence, Shah said at a roadshow in Kolkata later on Monday that central forceswouldremaininthestate for 60 days after the elections. For the BJP, the day started withPMModiaddressingapublic meeting in Jagatdal in north 24 Parganas district’s Barrackporearea.“Thisismylastpublic meeting for this election. Given what i felt wherever i went in Bengal, i can say that after the May4results,iwillreturnforthe (BJPgovernment’s)oath-taking ceremony,” the PM said. »Continued on Page 2 AMiD riSinG geopolitical and cybersecurity concerns, the government may require companiesincriticalsectorssuchas energy, telecom, and banking touseMade-in-indiasovereign cloud systems, The Indian Express has learnt. According to government officials, the move under discussionisaimedatreducingdependenceonforeigncloudproviders and strengthening data security. The government may be comfortable with tighter »Continued on Page 2 E. explained Govt’s worries A BLOCK by a cloud system provider can log out a client company from accessing its own data, communication channels and other tools and products. This can critically endanger operations in sectors such as telecom, energy and financial services. This is the reason why the government seeks greater control over such digital infrastructure. SIR stokes fears, Bengali asmita BJP-led environment divides, but on fractured ground dept scraps lake projects fault-lines don’t run straight cleared by Shinde as CM Vandita mishra & sweety kumari Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, April 27 THe SHArPneSS of the big issue in this West Bengal electionisbluntedonthestate’suneven and fractured ground. At stake in the election Commission’s controversial Special intensiverevision(Sir)ofelecto- deCision 2026 W est Bengal ral rolls is a non-negotiable right and a fundamental promise — the right to vote that lies at the heart of the democratic compact, the promise of a free and fair election. But even on the Sir, the dividing lines lose their straightness in West Bengal. The possibilities of empathies and solidarities in the current moment are interrupted by fraught backstories. On the Sir, the dispiriting story so far: it has raised genuinefearsoflarge-scalevoterdisenfranchisement and targeted »Continued on Page 8 alok deshpande Mumbai, April 27 MAHArASHTrA’S environment and Climate Change Department, led by BJP minister Pankaja Munde, has cancelled administrative approval to 14 lake conservation projects clearedunderpreviousgovernments, including 11 sanctioned whenformerChiefMinisterek- nath Shinde, an ally, held the portfolio. The department has also ordered recovery of funds already released for these projects, along with interest. Of the 14 projects scrapped, 11 were approved during Shinde’s tenure, while three were cleared when the department was headed by Shiv Sena (uBT) MlA Aaditya Thackeray »Continued on Page 2 PoliCe susPeCt food Poisoning freedinex-Pm rajivgandhi’s assassination case,Perarivalan nowalawyer Perarivalan, 54, enrolled with the Bar council of Tamil nadu and Puducherry, monday arun janardhanan Chennai, April 27 A G PerArivAlAn, who was once sentenced to death in the assassination case of former Prime Minister rajiv Gandhi and later freed after more than three decades in prison, enrolled Monday as an advocate with the Bar Council of Tamil nadu and Puducherry. At 54, Perarivalan is expectedtopracticeattheMadras High Court, within the same »Continued on Page 2 4 of family in South Mumbai die hours after having watermelon Purnima sah & mohamed thaver Mumbai, April 27 HOurS AFTer hosting a dinner party for relatives at their home Saturday and having a watermelon later in the night,fourmembersofafamily in South Mumbai died under mysterious circumstances. Police suspect food poisoning as a possible cause, and said they have sent the watermelon consumed by the family for forensic analysis. The family of four that died in south mumbai on sunday According to police, Abdullah Dokadia, 40, his wife, naseem, 35, and their two daughters — Ayesha, 16, and Zainab, 13, residents of the Moghul Building at Pydhonie, died Sunday. The JJ Marg policehaveregisteredanaccidental death report and are investigating the matter. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone i, Pravin Mundhe, said the family had invited five relatives, including Abdullah’s brotherandsister,totheirhouse »Continued on Page 2 Ruchir Sharma, ace global investor and author, is guest at Adda today ens economic Bureau Mumbai, April 27 ACe GlOBAl investor, fund manager and best-selling author ruchir Sharma will be the guest at express Adda in Mumbai on Tuesday — an interaction that comes at a time whentheWestAsiaconflicthas changed the course of the global economy. »Continued on Page 2 ruchir sharma is chairman of rockefeller International and founder of Breakout capital l afTer sloWIng doWn In WInTer, cargo movemenT regaIns momenTum Cement and cars coming in even as apple baskets going out on Kashmir freight dheeraj mishra Kashmir,andapplesthelargest commodity transported out. Apart from that, cars, foodOn APril 22, milk became the grains, and even military conlatest commodity to be trans- signments have been transported to Anantnag ported on rakes. page 1 Freight operover the railway link ations began modto the valley opened in July last year, arestly, with 13 rakes in riving from linch railway Sta- August 2025 and 20 in Septemtion in Ahmedabad Division. ber,butrosesharplyto46rakes Data shows that between — the highest — in October, August 2025 and March 2026, largely driven by construction during the time Kashmir has activity,with41rakesofcement been part of the railway net- enteringthevalleythatmonth. Movementslowedinwinter, work, cement accounted for »Continued on Page 2 thelargestinboundfreightinto New Delhi, April 27 anchor longoodstrainsinValley Commodity cement Automobiles foodgrains (fcI) fertilisers Military consignment Apple basket Salt others no. of rakes 155 18 17 6 2 1 1 3 DAtA IS froM AUGUSt 9, 2025 to MArch 31, 2026 A StANDArD frEIGht trAIN rAkE IN INDIA tyPIcAlly coNSIStS of 42 wAGoNS, 21 wAGoNS IN MINI rAkE Mumbai