National News
KCR eyes a national role, pursues goal of ‘BJP-mukt Bharat’
While the BJP is trying to corner him on his home turf, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is looking at a national role in what is seen as a counter-attack.
Though under pressure at home due to a likely strong anti-incumbency after two terms in power and aggressive tactics being adopted by the BJP, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief is going ballistic against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
KCR, as Rao is popularly known, is mincing no words in attacking Modi and the BJP over what he called their divisive politics, wrong policies and deliberate attempts to destroy the spirit of federalism.
In what is seen as a repeat of Modi’s old slogan of ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’, KCR has now come out with the slogan ‘BJP-mukt Bharat’.
While KCR has been planning a national foray since 2018, it is only during the recent months that he has stepped up his efforts.
In a letter to Prime Minister Modi last month, KCR alleged that because of lack of planning and lack of cooperative federalism, the county is passing through a most difficult phase with unprecedented problems of falling rupee values, high inflation, skyrocketing prices and increasing unemployment coupled with low economic growth.
The TRS leader has also slammed the Centre for not treating states as equal partners in collective effort to make India a strong and developed country. By raising the issues like cooperative federalism, he is trying to unite the states.
KCR also lashed out at the Centre for treating borrowings of state PSUs for their capital needs as state government borrowings. He said this has put brakes on the progress of Telangana and many other states.
A bitter critic of both BJP and Congress for failing to fulfil the aspirations of the people even after 75 years of Independence, KCR has been talking of an alternative to bring a qualitative change in the national polity and transform India into a prosperous nation to its full potential.
KCR, who has good oratory skills not just in Telugu and English but also in Hindi, is trying to project himself as a pan-India leader who can take on Modi.
On many occasions, he ridiculed the threat of some BJP leaders to use agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against him. He dared them to use the Central agencies against him saying he is not the one to be cowed down.
Though KCR has been travelling to different parts of the country and holding consultations with leaders of various parties, it is still not clear whether he plans to forge an alliance of various parties or float a national political party.
“He is making an effort (for a national foray) but it’s too early to comment,” said political observer professor K. Nageshwar, adding, “There is no colour or shape yet.”
KCR is trying to test waters with his visits to different parts of the country. He visited Punjab, Bihar and Jharkhand to distribute assistance to families of soldiers martyred in clashes with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley and also to the next of kin of farmers killed during the protest against the three farm laws of the Centre.
Agriculture and the problems faced by farmers is key on KCR’s national agenda and he is projecting the success achieved by Telangana in transformation of agriculture by executing the irrigation project Kaleshwaram, billed as the world’s largest lift irrigation project, 24-hour free electricity to farmers and investment support to farmers at the rate of Rs 10,000 per acre per year.
In what is seen as an aggressive push of this agenda, KCR has promised that if a non-BJP government comes to power at the Centre, free electricity can be supplied to farmers across the country.
He also recently hosted a meeting of farmer leaders of 26 states. The two-day meet proposed a joint forum of farmers at the national level to replicate Telangana’s success in agriculture.
The deliberations indicate that KCR has finally taken the initiative to unite farmers’ organisations from across the country to work on the alternate national agenda.
With leaders of farmers’ unions unanimously adopting a resolution urging KCR to lead a nationwide campaign to unite farmers for the struggle, the TRS leader appears set to don a national role.
The farm leaders, who were impressed with the initiatives taken by KCR’s government, requested him to lead a nationwide campaign to unite farmers right from the village level.
He called for a debate at the national level on how Telangana, a state created only eight years ago, succeeded in ensuring 24-hour round the clock electricity supply to all sectors, free and uninterrupted supply to farmers and drinking water to every household.
KCR has been trying to build a narrative around his national aspirations. He is highlighting the failures of the Modi government during last eight years and the achievements of the TRS government during the same period.
Projecting the ‘successful’ Telangana model, he is talking of replicating it.
“Why can’t the country achieve what the youngest state has achieved in a short span of time,” he asks.
KCR claimed that Telangana’s achievements came despite the discrimination it faced at the hands of the Centre.
He cites the restrictions being imposed on the state’s borrowing limit and the Centre not sanctioning even a single new project for Telangana in eight years.
KCR’s son K.T. Rama Rao, who is a key Cabinet minister and also the working president of TRS, often points at Telangana’s significant contribution to the national economy and what the state is getting in return.
“For every rupee that Telangana contributes to the nation, we only get back 46 paisa,” said Rama Rao. He pointed out that Telangana gave Rs 3.65 lakh crore in form of taxes to the Centre since 2014 but the Centre gave back only Rs 1.68 lakh crore.
KTR, as the young leader is popularly known, claims that the KCR government has outperformed the Modi government by many miles. He cited a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report of October 2021, which says that Telangana, which accounts for 2.5 per cent of Indian population, is contributing 5 per cent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The TRS leader went on to say that if only the BJP states had performed on par with Telangana, India would have been a $4.6 trillion economy.
Political analyst Palvai Raghvanedra Reddy is of the view that KCR is playing a much broader national card with the hope that his Telangana model of governance will stop Modi and his model of governance.
“However, voters across Telangana, would look at what is being delivered to them from this government, and might not compare it with Modi,” he said.
Entertainment
Satish Shah, who tickled everyone with his comic timing, is no more; he died of kidney failure

New Delhi, Oct 25: Actor Satish Shah, known for his roles in comedy films, has passed away. The news of his death has sent shockwaves among fans. Indian producer Ashoke Pandit confirmed the actor’s death. He shared an emotional post on social media informing about the actor’s demise.
Indian producer Ashoke Pandit posted a photo of Satish Ravilal Shah on Instagram and wrote, “It is with great sadness and shock that we inform you that our dear friend and a wonderful actor, Satish Shah, passed away a few hours ago due to kidney failure. He was taken to Hinduja Hospital, where he breathed his last. This is a huge loss for our industry.” Ashoke Pandit also shared the actor’s home address on social media.
Satish Shah was born into a Gujarati family. He was a face of television and cinema that brought laughter and laughter. He distinguished himself with his unparalleled acting. Whether it was a small role on TV or a major role on screen, he played them with full dedication.
Shah began his career in 1970 with the film “Bhagwan Parshuram,” but the film failed to bring him recognition. He then appeared in Arvind Desai’s 1978 film “Ajeeb Dastaan.” His role in this film was small, followed by the 1983 film “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron,” which proved to be a milestone in his career.
Satish Shah was last seen in the film “Humshakals,” which was released in 2014. The film starred Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, and Ram Kapoor in lead roles. The actor played a small supporting role in the film. The film was directed by Sajid Khan and didn’t perform well on screen.
In his personal life, Satish Shah was a very simple person. He didn’t like attending parties and preferred home-cooked food. In an interview, the actor revealed, “I am one of the few people who loves home-cooked food, and the food at my home is as good as any party food.”
Crime
Rave party serving liquor in dry-state Gujarat raided; 15 detained

Ahmedabad, Oct 25: Police raided a rave party in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, leading to the detention of 15 people who were consuming alcohol in the dry state.
The Bopal Police acted after receiving a tip-off about the party at Zephyr Farmhouse near Shilaj, where both liquor and drugs were reportedly being used.
Upon reaching the venue, police found 15 individuals, including 13 foreign nationals from Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya, and other African countries, alongside two Indians, intoxicated.
Investigations revealed that the organisers had printed special passes for the party, advertising “unlimited alcohol”, showing the scale and planning behind the event.
All 15 attendees have been detained, a case has been registered, and further inquiries are underway to identify the main organisers, the farmhouse owner, and the source of the liquor in a state where alcohol is banned.
Gujarat has maintained a strict prohibition on alcohol since 1960 under the Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949, which bans the sale, consumption, and manufacture of liquor across the state.
The law applies to all forms of alcoholic beverages, including Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), country-made liquor, and spirits. Exceptions exist only for medicinal, industrial, and export purposes, subject to government permission. Violations of the Act carry severe penalties, including imprisonment, fines, and seizure of property involved in the illegal trade.
Despite Gujarat’s strict prohibition laws, the illegal liquor trade remains a significant issue.
In 2024, authorities seized approximately 82 lakh bottles of liquor valued at Rs 144 crore across the state. Ahmedabad alone accounted for over 4.38 lakh bottles, with 2,139 cases involving IMFL and 7,796 cases related to country-made liquor. Notably, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) registered 455 cases, confiscating liquor worth Rs 22.5 crore and total items valued at nearly Rs 52 crore.
In a significant operation, the SMC seized over 8,500 bottles of foreign-made liquor worth Rs 1.19 crore in Chotila taluka, Surendranagar.
Additionally, in a mid-sea raid off Una, Rajkot, authorities intercepted a boat carrying liquor worth Rs 25 lakh.
These seizures reflect ongoing efforts to combat the illegal liquor trade, which often involves smuggling from neighbouring states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Crime
Police arrest accused Prashant Bankar in Maharashtra doctor’s suicide case

New Delhi, Oct 25: Police in Maharashtra’s Satara district arrested one accused on Saturday in connection with the death of a female doctor who allegedly committed suicide after being repeatedly raped by a police officer and being pressurised by an MP to falsify medical reports of accused in cases.
According to officials, the arrested person has been identified as Prashant Bankar, the son of the doctor’s landlord whose name was mentioned in her four-page suicide note.
The deceased doctor, a native of Beed district, was posted as a medical officer at a government hospital in Phaltan, Satara. On Thursday night, she was found hanging in a hotel room under mysterious circumstances. Shockingly, she had written a suicide note on her palm, naming Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane and Prashant Bankar, accusing the police officer of rape and Prashant of mental harassment.
After Prashant’s arrest, police said he will be produced before the court and his custody will be sought for further investigation. Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector Badane has been suspended, and a detailed enquiry is underway. Both accused have been booked at the Phaltan Police Station. Satara SP Tushar Doshi confirmed that the rape allegations and Prashant’s role are being thoroughly investigated.
The female doctor who allegedly committed suicide left behind a detailed four-page suicide note apart from the inked note on the palm of her hand, stating that a police officer raped her four times and exerted pressure on her to issue fake fitness certificates for accused persons in police cases. It has now emerged in her note that she was allegedly under pressure not only from police officials but also from a Member of Parliament (MP) and his personal assistants.
The woman doctor, who worked as a medical officer at the Phaltan sub-district hospital, wrote on her palm that she had been raped four times by Sub-Inspector Gopal Badane and subjected to mental and physical abuse for over five months.
Originally from Beed district, the doctor had been working at the hospital for 23 months.
Gopal Badane is a police officer, while Prashant Bankar is the son of the landlord in the house where the doctor lived.
She had complained 21 times to various authorities, but no action was taken against her tormentors.
Recounting a particular instance in her note, the doctor said she had refused to issue a certificate and two personal assistants of an MP had come to the hospital and made her speak to him over the phone. She stated in her note that during that conversation, the MP had threatened her indirectly.
Her cousin also made similar allegations about the doctor being made to falsify medical certificates.
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