1. Police Pay Back Maoists in Their Own Coin
Telangana police are paying back the outlawed Maoists in their own coin. And it is paying dividends in the run-up to the State Assembly elections. While the Maoists are sending Guthi Koya (a tribal group) members working for them in Chhattisgarh to Telangana to carry out attacks, the latter's police are using the same community members to identify and launch counter attacks. This has yielded positive results for Telangana police of late.
Police were gearing up for election arrangements when Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao dissolved Assembly on September 6. With negligible presence of Left-wing extremists in the State, they were initially not much worried on that front. But the wake-up call came for them when the Communist Party of India (CPI)-Maoists gunned down a ruling party MLA in Andhra Pradesh, Kidari Sarveshwara Rao, and another former MLA Siveri Soma in Araku of Visakhapatnam in the last week of the same month.
(Source: The Hindu)
2. ‘Puli Raja’ is Back; Bats for Safe Sex to Prevent AIDS
‘Puli Raja’ is back! Not just him, Baahubali, Businessman, Autodriver, Bhaarat, Mestri and several other popular Tollywood characters are back with the mission of spreading awareness on AIDS and promoting safe sex practices. Take a walk along necklace road and you will find flexes graced by these popular characters.
A banner at the road shows a condom partly drawn out of its sachet with the message ‘condom thapaka vadandi. AIDS ni dhoorangha unchandi’ (‘Use condoms, keep AIDS away) is displayed along with AIDS Helpline number 1097 which people can dial to know where to avail free test for AIDS and other details.
The ‘Puliraja’ campaign has been revived and relaunched by Telangana State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) which aims to increase awareness about the disease and make its posters viral so that people know which numbers to call for help and where treatment can be availed. A new poster reads ‘Poorthi aarogyanga unna Puliraja ki AIDS undha?’ (Does Puliraja who is in the pink of health have AIDS?).
(Source: The New Indian Express)
3. Religious Touch to Rahul’s Next Visit to TS
The next visit of AICC president Rahul Gandhi is likely to have a religious touch as he plans to participate in Koti Deepotsavam at NTR Stadium. The tour programme sent to Rahul Gandhi for finalisation of his two-day visit on November 28 and 29 includes Koti Deepotsavam where a crore lamps would be lit. A senior leader said Mr. Gandhi is likely to participate on 28 November.
Rahul Gandhi, who has portrayed himself a ‘Janeudhari’ and a Shiv bhakt, has been on a spree visiting temples and religious congregations, which was widely reported during the Gujarat and Karnataka elections. He also went on a religious pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, which the Hindus revere. “His visit is purely religious and nothing should be seen from political angle,” a senior leader said. In fact, BJP president Amit Shah also participated in the programme recently. Surprisingly, there is a clamour for inviting Rahul Gandhi to their constituencies by top leaders of the Congress for election campaign and these include the working president, A Revanth Reddy, and campaign committee chairman Bhatti Vikramarka.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. BJP Tries to Catch Up, But...
It is likely to be a close fight in the IT hub of Telangana – Serilingampally, between TRS ex-MLA A Gandhi and Mahakutami’s TDP candidate Bhavya Anand Prasad. Thanks to rapid urbanisation, the area has a scattered demographic, and the 5-lakh-strong voter base in the semi-urban pockets of the constituency are spilt almost equally in supporting the two main candidates, rather parties, in the fray.
For many, especially in the semi-urban pockets of Miyapur, Chandanagar and Hafeezpet, KCR’s incentive-focused four-and-half year rule was good enough to give them another term. On the other hand, Mahakutami’s popularity in the constituency seems to be riding on Congressman and former MLA Bhikshapati Yadav’s popularity. “He at least showed his face here once in these 4 years unlike MLA Gandhi who turned up here only to ask for votes. We think he will be able to resolve the drainage issue in our village better,” opines Lalitha B of Maktha village which lies in the fringes of the upcoming high rises in Miyapur.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
5. Carpenter Booked for ‘Raping’ Minor
A 25-year-old man was apprehended by the police for allegedly raping a minor on the pretext of marrying her.
Vanasthalipuram police identified the accused as D Mahesh, a resident of Shapur, working as a carpenter. The accused is said to have befriended the now 17-year-old victim around three years ago, after which they became intimate. According to the police, the accused promised to marry her. However, their families did not agree to the marriage. A case under relevant sections of the IPC, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and POCSO Act has been booked.
(Source: The Hindu)