Overview
- The Telugu actor disclosed Thursday on X that his brother died from paraquat poisoning.
- He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to ban the herbicide, saying doctors are overwhelmed by cases.
- Paraquat is a farm weed killer that can fatally damage the mouth, digestive tract, and lungs even in small doses, with limited ways to treat exposure.
- A Hyderabad specialist said doctors have formed Doctors Against Paraquat Poisoning and have urged state and national officials to act.
- Reports note fresh calls for stricter controls in India and point out that several countries already restrict or ban paraquat, with no official response reported so far.