J&K Assembly Ruckus Over Power Tariff Hike, Contractual Staff Regularisation and Reservations

A major political controversy has broken out in Telangana after a woman advertising entrepreneur, K. Shobha Reddy, alleged that an individual claiming to be a close aide of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy invited her to a guest house for a meeting regarding business opportunities. The entrepreneur stated that she faced multiple hurdles without influence or funds and felt extremely uncomfortable during the interaction. Expressing fear of harassment after sharing her ordeal, she sought an appointment with the Chief Minister and stated she possessed evidence to substantiate her claims. The allegations triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties, including the BRS and BJP, who demanded a transparent investigation and strict legal action against the individual involved. BJP leader N. Ramchandra Rao termed the matter a serious issue concerning the security and safety of women entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, the state government is yet to provide official clarity on the identity of the person involved.

A dispute over ten rupees in fare change turned fatal in Hyderabad after a forty-two-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, Mohammed Mukarram, was brutally assaulted by passengers. According to preliminary reports, an altercation broke out after the driver allegedly lacked change for a two-hundred-rupee note. The suspects later summoned him back to a location in Vattepally, where they severely attacked him in front of his wife and daughter. The victim succumbed to his injuries after being shifted to a hospital. Police have registered a case and identified two key suspects, Azeem and Shoaib, as investigations continue.

A controversy has emerged over the Kerala International Film Festival as 31 films await censor exemption and clearance from the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Out of 347 films submitted for festival screening, 316 films have received clearance, while 31 short films have neither been approved nor rejected without any reasons cited by the ministry. The Kerala Film Academy has reached out to the ministry regarding the pending permissions. With the documentary and short film festival scheduled to commence soon, state authorities plan to write to the central ministry again to seek clarification and clearance for the remaining films.

An anti-drug activist, Jagga Singh, allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poison outside a government office in Sangrur, Punjab. This marks the second such incident in the home turf of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, following the death by suicide of another activist, Gulzar Singh. Jagga Singh claimed he faced persistent harassment and threats from Aam Aadmi Party workers after posting videos raising concerns about the drug menace in the state. The incident has triggered a political confrontation, with opposition parties Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party attacking the ruling AAP government. The opposition accused the state leadership of failing to deliver on its promise of a drug-free Punjab and attempting to silence citizens raising their voices against illicit drugs.