Politics
Madhya Pradesh CM cancels foreign tour after SC’s order on OBC reservation

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday cancelled his foreign trip, scheduled from May 14, for inviting business houses to invest in the state, saying his priority is to present the state government’s side in the Supreme Court and safeguard the interest of other backward classes (OBCs).
The decision came a day after the Supreme Court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct local body (gram, nagar and zila panchayat) elections without OBC reservation.
“I was scheduled to travel abroad from May 14 to attract investment in Madhya Pradesh, but at this time it is my priority to present my case again in the court and protect the interests of the backward classes. Therefore I am cancelling my proposed foreign trip. My government is fully committed to the socio-economic and political empowerment of other backward classes,” Chouhan added.
Chouhan asserted that the Supreme Court’s judgement would affect the OBC’s reservation in local bodies and that’s why the state government decided to file a review petition.
The chief minister’s office (CMO) told IANS that Chouhan’s foreign trip to the US, UK, Switzerland, Germany and Davos was scheduled from May 14 to 24.
The proposed visit was part of the state government’s plan to host a global investors summit in November this year.
In its judgment pronounced on Tuesday, the court had strictly directed the SEC to issue notification regarding the same within a period of two weeks.
After the Supreme Court judgment, both the political parties – BJP and the Congress started levelling allegations at each other and maintained that the local body elections should not be held without OBC reservation.
Veteran Congress leader and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath blamed Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the present situation on this matter.
“OBC class would have got the benefit of their increased reservation, but the Shivraj government did not want it, so it did not make any serious efforts regarding this, but the Congress is still determined that the OBC class should get the benefit of the increased reservation in any case, and without OBC reservation, urban body elections should not be held in Madhya Pradesh,” Nath said.
Crime
RG Kar rape victim’s parents dismiss NCRB report calling Kolkata ‘safest city’

Kolkata, Oct 4: The parents of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Saturday, have refuted the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) published, where Kolkata has been termed as the safest city across the country.
As per the NCRB report, Kolkata for 2023 (latest available) has recorded the lowest cognisable offences per lakh people, which is the fourth time in a row.
On Saturday, while speaking to the media persons, the parents of the R.G. Kar victim rubbished this part of the NCRB report, and claimed that these findings were not based on proper field research and probably the report was prepared to please anyone.
“Was my daughter secured, and that too at her workplace? Was the senior citizen at Kultali in South 24 Parganas district, who became a victim of gang-rape this week, safe? No one is secure here. I do not know who prepared the report. It seems that the report was prepared while sitting in the comfort of the office and without any proper field-based research,” the victim’s mother said.
The victim’s father expressed doubts over the credibility of those in the NCRB who have prepared the report.
“I do not know who in NCRB is responsible for preparing such reports. Even if I believe that the report of Kolkata being the safest city in the country, does that not mean the safety aspect in other Indian cities is unimaginable? I doubt that the NCRB had been misled, and hence the outcome was such a report,” the victim’s father said.
According to him, the only possibility is that the police personnel in Kolkata do not register most of the complaints filed by common people, and hence the crime figures in the city are projected as low.
“We can realise what the reality is since our daughter left. Probably, the experiences are the same,” he added.
As per the latest report of NCRB, Kolkata recorded 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh people in 2023, the lowest among the 19 cities.
Crime
Palghar Crime: Naigaon Police Arrest 35-Year-Old Murder Accused From Ship At Okha Port In Gujarat After Month-Long Manhunt

Palghar, Maharashtra: In a significant breakthrough, the Naigaon Police have arrested a murder accused who had been absconding for nearly a month. The accused, Sunil Kharpat Prajapati (35), was traced and detained from a ship docked at Okha-Dwarka port in Gujarat after a meticulous manhunt.
The case dates back to September 7, 2025, when a dispute broke out between two workers of Synergy Hygiel Company at Kaman, Vasai (East). The deceased, Dilip Saroj, and the accused, Prajapati, had been given money by their employer, Prakash Ghunkar Chamaria, to share expenses for meals. However, Prajapati allegedly withheld the amount from Saroj, sparking a heated quarrel.
According to police, during the altercation, Prajapati assaulted Saroj with a blunt object, inflicting severe injuries on his head, eyes, and right arm. Saroj succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment, leading police to upgrade the charges to murder under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Given the gravity of the crime, senior officers formed two dedicated teams from the Crime Detection Branch to trace the fugitive. Acting on credible intelligence, investigators learned that the accused had taken shelter aboard a vessel at Okha port in Gujarat. Over 200 ships in the vicinity were thoroughly searched before police located Prajapati hiding on one of them.
He was taken into custody and later confessed to his role in the crime during questioning, officials said. The accused is now in police custody, and further investigation is underway.
National News
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray Slams BJP For Vitiating Harmony; Calls Devendra Fadnavis ‘Helpless’ CM Amid Corruption, Farmer Distress

Pune, Oct 4: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday dubbed Devendra Fadnavis a “helpless” chief minister who has failed to crack down on “rampant corruption” under his watch.
Citing the announcement of various welfare schemes in poll-bound Bihar, he appealed to the Centre to extend financial assistance to women in Maharashtra.
Thackeray addressed gatherings of women and Sena (UBT) workers in Pune. He also interacted with the media.
Addressing an interaction organised by the Pune Union of Working Journalists, Thackeray said the Sena (UBT) did not need a certificate on Hindutva from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was “creating walls within the country.”
“India is a beautiful country. It has a great culture. However, these people (BJP) have vitiated the entire atmosphere and made it hell. These people have created walls within the country. I have been working hard to prevent further deterioration.
“I have said time and again that the BJP cannot run governments in the state or at the Centre. The Narendra Modi government has failed to address issues in Kashmir and Manipur,” the former Maharashtra chief minister alleged..
The BJP is taking the country on the path of dictatorship, Thackeray added. Attacking Fadnavis, he said, “I don’t consider anybody as an enemy, not even the prime minister. But considering the state’s current situation, the chief minister looks ‘hatbal’ (helpless) despite (BJP-led Mahayuti) having a brute majority. Despite several instances of corruption, the CM is helpless to act against corrupt individuals,” he claimed.
Thackeray alleged the Fadnavis government had failed to help farmers, hit by heavy rains and floods..
Responding to criticism that he had abandoned the Hindutva fold (after his alliance with the Congress and NCP (SP) in 2019), the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed it was the BJP that had started ‘Saugat-e Modi’ campaign to appease Muslims.
“I do not require any certificate on Hindutva from the BJP. My grandfather (Prabhodankar Thackeray) was a well-known reformer. Our Hindutva has been progressive,” he said.
Thackeray also slammed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for “big talks” against Pakistan.
Singh on Friday asserted that the NDA government has demonstrated, through the 2016 surgical strike, 2019 Balakot airstrike, and the recent Operation Sindoor, that the country can cross any border whenever necessary to protect citizens and safeguard India’s unity and integrity.
Addressing a gathering of women, Thackeray stated that the state government provided financial assistance to women for two to three months during elections, just to win votes.
“This is cheating. Ladki Bahins desperately need financial help. I hope PM Modi will announce some aid during his upcoming visit to Maharashtra”, he added.
Thackeray said the (Central) government acted promptly when Bihar needed financial help. “If you are providing assistance, do not restrict it to Bihar; extend it to all women in the country. These women are not paid voters,” he added.
Addressing Sena (UBT) workers, Thackeray called for expanding the party network by setting up “shakhas” or branch offices.
Without naming Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, he said the attempt to break the Shiv Sena will never succeed. He said the Sena (UBT) can win the upcoming elections to local bodies in Maharashtra, provided it works hard.
“Vote theft is the result of illegal voting. Why can’t we do the same thing that Rahul Gandhi ji has done? Find bogus voters. We won the Lok Sabha polls, but lost assembly polls, which were held shortly,” he told the party workers..
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