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KCR eyes a national role, pursues goal of ‘BJP-mukt Bharat’

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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.

Crime

Delhi HC sentences YouTuber to six months jail for criminal contempt

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New Delhi, May 19: The Delhi High Court has sentenced YouTuber Gulshan Pahuja, who runs the channel “Fight 4 Judicial Reforms”, to six months’ simple imprisonment in two criminal contempt cases for making derogatory and scandalous remarks against the judiciary and judicial officers.

A division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 in each matter while observing that the contemnor had shown no remorse and had, in fact, compounded the contempt through further scandalous submissions made during the hearing.

However, the Delhi High Court suspended the sentence for 60 days to enable Pahuja to challenge its judgment holding him guilty of criminal contempt before the Supreme Court.

The Justice Chawla-led Bench said that despite being given an opportunity to make submissions on punishment, the contemnor questioned the conviction itself and, during oral arguments, made further scandalous remarks against the judicial system.

“He, in fact, compounds his contempt by making further scandalous submissions before this Court and thus, evidently, he is neither repentant nor deserves any mercy,” the order said.

Rejecting his plea to recall the conviction judgment, the Delhi High Court said it could not sit in review of its earlier order and that the contemnor was free to challenge the same in accordance with law.

“As far as his submissions on our judgment dated 21.04.2026 are concerned, we cannot sit in review of the said judgment and the contemnor has full right and had an opportunity to challenge the same in accordance with law,” the bench said.

It further recorded that during oral arguments, Pahuja made remarks such as “adaalaton ki manmarzi badhti jaa rahi hai aur main koi nyay ki umeed nahi kar raha (the wilfulness of the courts is constantly increasing and I am not hopeful of any justice)” and described the functioning of courts as “taanashahi (dictatorship)”.

Advocate Harsh Prabhaka, amicus curiae appointed in the matter, submitted that Pahuja had shown “no course correction or remorse” and continued uploading videos targeting judicial officers despite earlier directions restraining him from doing so.

Considering the nature of the conduct, the Delhi High Court observed that leniency in such circumstances could embolden similar conduct in the future and that the case warranted maximum punishment.

“We also find that by not imposing adequate punishment on him, we may encourage him to repeat these acts in future and to embolden him in doing the same. [W]e are of the opinion that these cases call for the imposition of the maximum punishment,” the bench observed.

Accordingly, the Delhi High Court sentenced Pahuja to six months’ simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2,000 in each case, directing that the sentences would run concurrently.

It further ordered that in case of default in payment of the fine, he would undergo an additional one month’s simple imprisonment.

However, taking note of the contemnor’s submission that he intends to challenge the judgment before the Supreme Court, the bench suspended the sentence for a period of 60 days.

“In case an order suspending the sentence… is not passed by the Supreme Court, the contemnor shall on his own surrender before the Registrar General of this Court forthwith on expiry of the above-mentioned period,” the order said.

The contempt proceedings arose from videos and online content uploaded by Pahuja on his YouTube channel, in which he made sweeping and unverified allegations against judicial officers and the judiciary. In its earlier judgment, the Delhi High Court had held that such remarks were intended to scandalise the institution and lower public confidence in the justice system, and were not protected under the right to free speech.

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Crime

Delhi Police bust gambling racket in Dwarka, 14 arrested

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New Delhi, May 19: Continuing its crackdown on illegal activities, the Dwarka District Police on Tuesday busted a gambling racket operating in JJ Colony in Sector-3, Bindapur, and arrested 14 persons allegedly involved in the operation, officials said.

Police recovered stake money amounting to Rs 6,810 along with gambling-related material, including writing pads, charts, satta slips, carbon papers, pens, mobile phones, and electronic devices used for maintaining gambling transaction records.

According to police officials, the operation was carried out as part of the district police’s ongoing campaign to curb organised crimes such as gambling and bootlegging and to maintain a safe and crime-free environment for residents.

To strengthen action against illegal activities, the Special Staff of Dwarka District had intensified intelligence gathering, activated local informers, and increased surveillance in vulnerable areas. A dedicated team was constituted under the leadership of Inspector Kamlesh Kumar, in charge of Special Staff, Dwarka District, under the close supervision of ACP Operations Subhash Malik.

The team comprised SI Dinesh Kumar, SI Topesh, ASI Vijay Singh, HC Jagat Singh, HC Jairam, HC Naresh, HC Rajesh, and Constable Manjeet, who were tasked with collecting intelligence and identifying hotspots where illegal activities were taking place.

On May 7, at around 10 p.m., the team received specific information regarding a gambling racket operating in the Sector-3 JJ Colony area of Bindapur. Acting swiftly on the information, the police team laid a strategic trap near the identified location.

At around 10:30 p.m., the police spotted several individuals gathered in a narrow lane and allegedly engaged in gambling activities. The team immediately conducted a raid and apprehended 14 persons at the spot.

During the search operation, police recovered stake money worth Rs 6,810, along with charts, satta slips, writing pads, carbon papers, pens, and registers allegedly used for maintaining gambling records and transactions. The local beat staff also reached the spot during the operation.

Following the recovery, a case vide FIR No. 255/2026 under Sections 12/09/55 of the Gambling Act was registered at Police Station Bindapur. All the accused were arrested after sustained interrogation.

The arrested accused have been identified as Sandeep (26), Ajay (25), Sartaj (42), Bappi Haldhar (60), Suresh (36), Neeraj Kumar (44), Abul Hasan (40), Chandan Sahni (35), Sudama (27), Maniyappan (42), Ashok (46), Diwari Sahni (37), Mathwef (41), and Jony (35), all residents of different areas of Dwarka, Uttam Nagar, Matiala, and nearby localities in Delhi.

Police said the recovery made during the raid included cash worth Rs 6,810, two charts, eight pads, five carbon papers, three pens, and around 350 satta slips allegedly used in gambling activities.

Officials stated that further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the accused were linked to a larger gambling network operating in the area.

The operation highlights the proactive policing efforts of Dwarka District Police in cracking down on unlawful activities and maintaining law and order in the national capital.

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International News

PM Modi heads to Oslo after ‘productive’ Sweden visit

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Gothenburg, May 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed from Gothenburg on Monday after successfully concluding his visit to Sweden, during which he elevated the bilateral ties between the two countries to a Strategic Partnership. He is now en route to Norway for the fourth leg of his five-nation tour.

In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “A visit advancing innovation, sustainability and strategic cooperation. PM Narendra Modi departed from Gothenburg for Oslo after a productive visit marked by the elevation of India-Sweden ties to a Strategic Partnership. The visit opened a new chapter in India-Sweden ties.”

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Sweden on Sunday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi thanked the people and the Government of Sweden for the warmth and friendship.

The Sweden visit was marked by several important outcomes that will add new momentum to relations.

“From elevating our ties to a Strategic Partnership, launching the Joint Innovation Partnership 2.0 and the India-Sweden Technology and Artificial Intelligence Corridor, to setting an ambitious goal of doubling bilateral trade in the next five years, the discussions were highly productive,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

During his visit, PM Modi also addressed the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) in Gothenburg.

The Prime Minister said his speech focused on the growing convergence between India and Europe, the opportunities emerging from the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and India’s reform-driven economic growth journey.

He also held wide-ranging conversations with the business leaders in Sweden on how economic linkages between India and Sweden can be enhanced, particularly in futuristic technologies, R&D, AI, security and healthcare.

During the visit, PM Modi was also conferred with the ‘Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross’ in recognition of his exceptional contribution to India-Sweden relations and his leadership in deepening cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Minister Modi and his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, also exchanged special commemorative gifts honouring the enduring legacy of Rabindranath Tagore, highlighting the deep cultural ties between India and Sweden.

PM Modi is now heading to Oslo, where he will hold discussions focusing on strengthening the bilateral cooperation.

He will participate in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit and hold bilateral engagements with Norwegian leaders.

The visit marks PM Modi’s first trip to Norway and the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 43 years. During the visit, he is scheduled to call on King Harald V and Queen Sonja, besides holding bilateral talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

The Prime Minister will also address the India-Norway Business and Research Summit along with the Norwegian Prime Minister.

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