‘They have converted 1000 people in India’, says UP ATS after arresting Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui

Mangaluru, April 30: The Netravati bridge at Jeppinamogaru, which had been closed for repair works since March 19, is set to reopen for vehicular traffic from May 2, police commissioner Anupam Agrawal announced.

Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) confirmed that the bridge repairs are now complete. A new bearing has been installed in one of the bridge’s pillars, and all necessary structural maintenance has been carried out. Currently, the concrete curing process is in its final stages and is expected to conclude within the next two days, paving the way for the bridge to reopen as scheduled.

The closure of the old Netravati bridge had led to severe daily traffic congestion, as vehicles were diverted to the newly constructed parallel bridge on National Highway 66, where two-way traffic was temporarily permitted. Traffic jams were especially intense during peak morning and evening hours, causing vehicle queues that often stretched from Pumpwell and Kallapu to the Thokkottu flyover. Even emergency vehicles faced difficulties navigating through the gridlock.

To manage the situation, light vehicles heading towards Deralakatte and Konaje — or traveling towards Mangaluru from these areas — were diverted via the Harekala-Pavoor bridge. However, this alternate route also witnessed significant congestion during rush hours. As a result, many commuters, especially those traveling from Thokkottu, Talapady, and Kerala, were forced to start their journeys at least an hour earlier than usual.

The public had been urging authorities to expedite the repair works to ease traffic woes. With the bridge now ready to reopen, commuters can expect a significant improvement in traffic flow along the busy corridor from May 2 onward.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to resume on May 17, with the final scheduled for June 3, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday. The league, which was suspended last Friday due to escalating hostilities between India and Pakistan, will now continue at six selected venues, with the locations for the playoffs yet to be finalized.

Following the ceasefire announcement between India and Pakistan, the BCCI held urgent consultations with the government to restart the tournament. As a result, the revised schedule was confirmed, beginning with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders on May 17 in Bengaluru. The following day will feature a double-header: Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings in Jaipur (afternoon) and Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans in Delhi (evening).

In addition to Bengaluru, Delhi, and Jaipur, the remaining league matches will be hosted in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. The abandoned Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match from May 8 will now be played on May 24 in Jaipur.

The BCCI had considered relocating the remainder of the tournament to southern venues like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, away from the Line of Control. However, Chennai and Hyderabad will not host any further league matches. Kolkata was also ruled out due to unfavorable weather forecasts, according to BCCI sources.

Venue Adjustments and Team Impacts

Among teams vying for a playoff spot, Punjab Kings are the only side to lose home advantage. They were originally scheduled to host two matches in Dharamsala, including the previously abandoned game. Both of those fixtures will now be played at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Initially, the IPL was planned to conclude by May 31, but the final has now been pushed to June 3. The BCCI opted to minimize player workload in peak summer by limiting double-headers to just two Sundays (May 18 and May 25).

Other minor scheduling changes include Royal Challengers Bengaluru concluding their league campaign at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, instead of at home.

The venues for the playoffs and final—originally assigned to Hyderabad and Kolkata—are still under consideration. If these are ruled out, Ahmedabad is a strong contender, possibly sharing hosting duties with another venue.

Background and Player Concerns

The league was abruptly suspended last Thursday after tensions escalated near Pathankot, just 80 km from Dharamsala, which led to a mid-match abandonment. A drone strike in the region and a subsequent blackout prompted the BCCI to act swiftly. The following day, the league was officially paused for a week.

With the ceasefire in place by Saturday, franchises were asked to reassemble their squads by Tuesday. Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians have already resumed training, with others expected to follow by Wednesday.

However, a major concern looms over the availability of overseas players, many of whom have returned to their home countries. Notably, Australian pacers Josh Hazlewood (RCB) and Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals) are unlikely to return due to minor injuries. Both are also expected to feature in the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, starting June 11.

IPL 2025 Revised Schedule

May 17 – 7:30 PM IST – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Bengaluru

May 18 – 3:30 PM IST – Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings, Jaipur

May 18 – 7:30 PM IST – Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans, Delhi

May 19 – 7:30 PM IST – Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow

May 20 – 7:30 PM IST – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Delhi

May 21 – 7:30 PM IST – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Mumbai

May 22 – 7:30 PM IST – Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants, Ahmedabad

May 23 – 7:30 PM IST – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bengaluru

May 24 – 7:30 PM IST – Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Jaipur

May 25 – 3:30 PM IST – Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad

May 25 – 7:30 PM IST – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi

May 26 – 7:30 PM IST – Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Jaipur

May 27 – 7:30 PM IST – Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Lucknow

Playoffs Schedule

May 29 – 7:30 PM IST – Qualifier 1

May 30 – 7:30 PM IST – Eliminator

June 1 – 7:30 PM IST – Qualifier 2

June 3 – 7:30 PM IST – Final

New Delhi: The government is briefing an all-party meeting on Thursday on the success of "Operation Sindoor" and its aftermath, as top government functionaries and opposition leaders met for a second time in a fortnight amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, J P Nadda and Nirmala Sitharaman represented the government, while Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from the Congress, Sandip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress and DMK's T R Baalu were among the leading opposition figures in the meeting.

Other opposition leaders included Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh of the AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, BJD's Sasmit Patra and CPI(M)'s John Brittas.

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi were also part of the meeting.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government wanted to brief all parties on "Operation Sindoor".

In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base Muridke.

The military strikes were carried out under 'Operation Sindoor' two weeks after the massacre of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The government had earlier called an all-party meeting on April 24 to brief leaders on the attack.