New Delhi:

Tamil Nadu’s 39 Lok Sabha seats and the fact that it is the fifth-largest state in terms of representation in the Lok Sabha, make it electorally important enough, and this can be seen in the way both the BJP and the INDIA alliance have been making it a focus of their campaigns. What makes it indispensable in these general elections, however, is that the state may hold the key for the BJP if it wants to get anywhere close to its stated target of 370 seats on its own and has, thus, seen the opposition direct all its energies into keeping the party out.

All 39 seats in the state will go to the polls in the first phase on Friday and the days leading up to it have seen a concerted push from the BJP, led by its heaviest hitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, holding a spate of rallies in the state – including two on Wednesday. The party is hoping to do better in the south, where it is perceived as relatively weak, and Tamil Nadu – where it has failed to win even one Lok Sabha seat since 2014 – will be crucial in that effort. 

Tamil Nadu has been dominated by Dravidian politics and the DMK, in alliance with the Congress, the Left and other parties, won 38 of the 39 seats in 2019. The BJP failed to open its account, with a vote share of just 3.66%, while its ally, the AIADMK won the lone remaining seat.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP had won only 29 of the 130 constituencies in the south (including one seat in Puducherry), 25 of which had come from Karnataka and four from Telangana. 

Will The Push Work?

The BJP is hoping that the things it has done to reach out to the people in the state, including the Sengol being placed in the new Parliament, the attempt to portray the Congress as weak by claiming that the Katchatheevu island was “surrendered” to Sri Lanka by the party, and the multiple rallies by PM Modi, Amit Shah and others will reverse its fortunes in the state. 

Another trump card for the BJP is the state President K Annamalai, a former IPS officer, who is seen as having galvanised the party in the state. The outspoken politician’s six-month-long En Mann En Makkal (My Land, My People) foot march, which covered all 234 Assembly constituencies in the state, is also said to have helped bolster public opinion in favour of the party.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP was in an alliance with the AIADMK, but the two parties have parted ways and the state will see a three-cornered fight this time, which will make the contest even harder for the ruling party at the Centre.

Alliances

The DMK is contesting 21 seats this time, the Congress nine, while the CPI, CPM and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) have got two each. Other allies, like Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) will contest one constituency each. The alliance is being supported by Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam, which will not be putting up any candidate.

The AIADMK, led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, has entered the fray in an alliance with Vijayakanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The AIADMK will contest 34 seats – with PT and the SDPI fielding candidates on the party’s symbol – while the DMDK has been allotted five. The alliance is being backed by the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi.

The BJP is contesting 23 seats in an alliance with nine smaller parties. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has got 10 constituencies, three have gone to the kitty of Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) and two will be contested by TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam. AIADMK rebel O Panneerselvam will contest as an Independent, backed by the alliance; and the Puthiya Needhi Katchi, Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi and the Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam will contest on the BJP symbol. 

Twelve of the 20 new companies which bought electoral bonds were from Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: Akash Dhage/Unsplash

Despite companies in existence for less than three years not being allowed to make political contributions — even through the electoral bonds route — data shows that at least 20 such newly incorporated firms purchased poll bonds worth about ₹103 crore (Table 1).

At the time when they purchased their first electoral bonds, five of these firms were in existence for less than a year, seven of them were a year old and the eight others had only completed two years. Notably, many of these firms were started in 2019 when the Indian economy went through recession or during the middle of the pandemic and bought electoral bonds worth crores of rupees just months after incorporation.

Also read: Electoral bonds data | Full list of donors and recipient political parties

The ban on companies making political contributions within three years from incorporation has been in existence for nearly four decades. In 1985, the Parliament amended Section 293A, lifting the ban on political contributions by firms subject to a few conditions. One of the conditions was that the firms should not be owned by the government and should not be less than three years old. This clause was retained under Section 182 of the Companies Act, 2013. When Section 154 of the Finance Act, 2017, amended Section 182, just before the introduction of electoral bonds, this clause was again retained. However, the amendment deleted the first proviso by which the amount donated by a company was capped at 7.5% of its average net profit during its previous three financial years. The prohibition on companies making donations to political parties in their first three years continued. According to Section 182 of the Companies Act 2013, if a firm makes a donation in contravention to the provisions, “the company shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five times the amount so contributed and every officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and with fine which may extend to five times the amount so contributed”.

Table 1 | The table shows the names of the 20 firms which purchased the electoral bonds (EBs), within three years of their incorporation. The date of incorporation of these companies, the date on which they purchased their first poll bond, the difference between the two dates along with the total worth of bonds purchased by these firms is mentioned in the table. 

Table appears incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

Also read: Electoral bonds data | 55 firms’ purchase exceeded 7.5% cap in 2022-24, lion’s share went to BJP

12 of these 20 companies were headquartered in Hyderabad (Table 2). Together these 12 companies donated ₹37.5 crores, and close to 75% of which was encashed by the BRS, with the rest divided among the TDP, the Congress and the BJP. Two companies in Hyderabad — Tsharks Infra Developers Private Limited and Tsharks Overseas Education Consultancy Private Limited — both incorporated in 2023 — purchased ₹7.5 crore worth of bonds within months of getting incorporated and donated it to the BRS. Among the rest, HH Iron and Steel Private Limited, headquartered in Coimbatore, gave ₹15 crores to the BJP and five crores to the BJD. Their first electoral bond purchase was done just days short of turning three years old. Askus Logistics Private Limited, incorporated in November 2021, bought its first electoral bond within 1.5 years of its incorporation and donated ₹22 crores. This was encashed by the DMK, AITC and the RJD. Besseggen Infotech LLP, incorporated in May 2018, bought bonds worth ₹11.5 crores, with their first purchase done two years and ten months into their existence.

Table 2 | The table shows the city-wise split of the 20 companies.

Table 3 | The table shows the party-wise split of the encashments of the EBs purchased by the 20 companies.

Electoral bonds data | New firms bought crores of electoral bonds within months of formation

The three-year rule was retained to prevent shell companies from making political contributions. When the first proviso, which prescribed the 7.5% cap, was removed in 2017, the Election Commission of India had warned that this may lead to the use of “black money through shell companies”. The RBI had also flagged the possibility of firms misusing bearer bonds for money laundering.

The list of 20 firms is not exhaustive as it does not include the firms which were newly incorporated after mergers and amalgamations. The list also does not include firms that are not in the MCA

With inputs from Rebecca Rose Varghese

Watch our Data video:Electoral bonds banned: Which party benefitted the most while it existed?

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his every action is not driven solely by electoral considerations or pursuit of power, adding that if electoral victory was his sole aim, he would not have prioritized the development of the northeastern region.

In an interview with Thanti TV in Tamil Nadu, the Prime Minister said, “Just because I am a politician does not mean every action I undertake is only to win elections or for power or for votes. If merely winning elections was my goal, I would not have worked for the development of the northeast. I have visited northeastern states more than all of the former Prime Ministers’ combined.”

On development works undertaken in Tamil Nadu, PM Modi emphasised catering to the state’s huge potential.

“Viksit Bharat’ is Viksit Rajya which means every part of the country should be a recipient of development. It is also Viksit Tamil Nadu. To build a Viksit Bharat, we first need to develop each state. Tamil Nadu has huge potential which must not be wasted. I believe that Tamil Nadu has the potential to become the driving force behind our dream of a Viksit Bharat,” he said during his conversation with Thanti TV.

The Prime Minister also hailed BJP state president K Annamalai for his ground-level works to attract the youth to politics.

“We worked for Tamil Nadu even when we did not have a single municipal candidate. Annamalai is attracting the youth. They see him and think that if money and corruption were the reasons behind his conduct, then he could have joined the DMK or AIADMK. It was not for selfish or personal reasons that Annamalai chose the BJP but to work for the nation. He is working for the country and for Tamil Nadu,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi further asserted confidence in the BJP-led NDA’s victory in Tamil Nadu, adding that the votes weren’t just anti-DMK but pro-BJP.

“The NDA is a very strong alliance that connects the different sections of society. It is an organisation of parties representing different economic and social sections. It represents the aspirations of the people. The votes that the BJP-NDA receives aren’t ‘anti-DMK’ but ‘pro-BJP’. People have witnessed the work we have done over the past 10 years. Tamil Nadu has decided that this time it will be the BJP-NDA!,” he said.

During the interview, the Prime Minister also expressed his anger, pointing out the ‘injustice to the great heritage’ of Tamil Nadu.

“We should promote the use of the Tamil language like the cuisine of Tamil Nadu has been globalised. I am angry because we have done injustice to the great heritage of Tamil Nadu. India has the world’s oldest language, yet we don’t show any pride in it. The praise of this rich heritage should reach all over the world,” the Prime Minister outlined.

On the opposition parties criticising the placing of Sengol in the new parliament building, PM Modi highlighted its connection to the country’s independence.

“Only a few people are aware that the initial moments of our independence are connected to the sacred Sengol. It was a symbol of the regime change. I have done a lot of research before bringing it to Parliament. Then I decided that in the new Parliament, Sengol would inspire us. It will not be merely an ornament to the shelf, but it will receive the dignity that it deserves,” he said.

When asked to name three top foreign policy achievements, PM Modi said, “For me, every work is top, every work is important. I have given equal time, attention and energy to all the work I have undertaken. To me, a small nation is as important as a big nation and so today, India is seen as ‘Vishwabandhu’ by the world.”

On the BJP’s name linked to receiving a huge amount of funds through electoral bonds, PM Modi said, “People who are protesting against the electoral bonds will soon regret it. Before 2014, there was no trail of funds given to political parties during elections. I introduced the electoral bonds. Thanks to the electoral bonds, we can now trace the source of funding. Nothing is perfect, imperfections can be addressed.”

When asked if he has ever considered contesting from Tamil Nadu, the Prime Minister said he never even imagined contesting elections nor does he aspire to be a politician. But destiny brought him to where he is now.

On the slogans raised regarding NDA winning 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister said that it is the public’s decision.

“The people of the country have decided ‘Mission 400’. Not me. People have realised the importance of political stability and the power of their vote,” PM Modi said.

“It’s their vote that will feed the poor and empower them. It is their vote that will help in ‘Nari Shakti’. So it’s public’s decision,” he added.

There are 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu. The state is voting on April 19 in a single phase of polling.

During the 2019 general elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which comprised INC, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, AIFB, registered a landslide victory by winning 38 of the 39 seats.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chennai:

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded an apology from Kathir Anand, candidate of the ruling Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) from Vellore Lok Sabha constituency, over his alleged remarks against women during an election event.

Expressing dissapointment over the alleged ‘fairness cream’ remarks by the ruling party’s candidate, Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy called it ‘nonsense’ adding that the DMK government is ‘making a mockery’ of people.

“This is not just an insult. They think people are fools. This is nonsense. This DMK government is making a mockery of people. He should apologise for what he has said,” the BJP leader said.

DMK leader Kathir Anand made the alleged remarks earlier on Wednesday, March 27, while addressing an election event, highlighting the state government’s financial aid scheme offering Rs 1000 monthly assistance to women heads of family.

“Everyone’s face looks stunning and bright. All are shining. It looks like you have all applied fair and lovely, ponds powder and singhar kum kum. What is the reason? Didn’t you all receive Rs 1000? After the election whoever else missed will also get Kalaignar financial aid,” Kathir Anand said.

The Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam (Kalaignar Women’s Rights Grant Scheme) of the state government was launched in September last year. The scheme is among the crucial poll promises that catapulted the DMK to power. Under this scheme, Rs 1000 is being deposited into the accounts of all eligible women beneficiaries.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Election Commission on Wednesday directed the Karnataka chief electoral officer to take immediate and appropriate action on the DMK’s complaint about alleged model code violation by Union minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje.

The poll panel also sought a compliance report on the matter within 48 hours.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has sought action against Karandlaje for alleging that a person from Tamil Nadu was responsible for the IED blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru on March 1.

In its complaint to the Election Commission earlier in the day, the DMK said that the minister’s statement generalised the people of Tamil Nadu as “extremists”.

During a protest in Bengaluru on Tuesday, she had said that “law and order in Karnataka has deteriorated. People who come from Tamil Nadu plant bombs here, people from Delhi chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans and people who come from Kerala were involved in acid attacks.” She later apologised for her remarks and said she was retracting her comments.

The Madurai police has booked her for “promoting enmity” between different groups, while her remarks had drawn sharp criticism from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and other DMK leaders.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chennai:

Promises to scrap ‘One Nation, One Election’, repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, and simultaneously award Indian citizenship to returning Sri Lankan Tamils are among the promises made by Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The DMK is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc formed in June last year to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party from claiming a third consecutive term.

The DMK has also vowed to scrap the NEET, or National Entrance Eligibility Test, which is administered for admission to medical courses pan-India. Tamil Nadu is a fierce critic of the NEET.

READ | Tamil Nadu Moves Supreme Court, Challenges Validity Of NEET

In February last year the state moved the Supreme Court claiming the single-window common exam is violates federal principles, since it takes away states’ decision-making ability regarding education.

Released by Chief Minister MK Stalin and senior leaders, including Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi, the DMK has laid out a strong agenda of reviewing the BJP’s “anti-people laws”, including the National Education Policy, which it has heavily criticised for imposing Hindi on the southern states.

“People’s Manifesto”, Says Chief Minister

“The DMK continues to do what we say… this is what our leaders taught us. We went all over the state and listened to the people. This is not just a DMK manifesto… it is the people’s manifesto,” Mr Stalin said, accusing the BJP of having “destroyed India” and failing to fulfil their promises.

The Chief Minister also took a jab at the Prime Minister, who has made six visits to Tamil Nadu this year. Mr Stalin remarked he would have happier had the PM “come during the time of floods”.

READ | PM Holds Massive Rally In Tamil Nadu, Targets AIADMK Stronghold

Mr Modi has been actively touring the southern states to boost the BJP’s profile. The party has a negligible presence in Tamil Nadu; in the last election it got less than three per cent of the votes.

Kanimozhi To NDTV

DMK MP Kanimozhi, who has been nominated to defend her Thoothukudi seat, told NDTV the manifesto focused on protecting the federal nature of the country – a concern frequently also raised by Bengal’s Trinamool, another INDIA bloc member, and the rights of state governments.

“Our promises are implementable if the INDIA bloc forms the (central) government,” she said, expressing thanks to the DMK for re-fielding her from the Thoothukudi seat.

READ | Congress-DMK Seal Tamil Nadu Deal, Guest Showing By Kamal Haasan

The DMK today also released a first list of candidates for the 21 seats it will contest; Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats. The rest will go to the Congress and smaller parties, in allotments identical to the 2019 arrangement. Five years ago the DMK-Congress combine swept the state, winning 38 seats.

“We have seen how much the Dravidian model of government has done for the people of this state, and this manifesto will help us take our Dravidian model all over India. I am sure of securing not only all seats in Tamil Nadu, but a good number across the country too…” Kanimozhi said.

DMK Lok Sabha Manifesto Details

Among other big-ticket promises made by the DMK are drastic cuts to the prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG (cooking gas) to Rs 75 and Rs 65 per litre and Rs 500 per cylinder, free Wi-Fi services across the state, statehood for Puducherry, scrapping of the Uniform Civil Code, and the immediate implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures.

There is also a focus on students and women empowerment in the manifesto, which promises interest-free loans of up to Rs 4 lakh for students and Rs 10 lakh for women self-help groups.

READ | No UCC; Chief Minister To Approve Governor: DMK Manifesto

A raft of central government-backed research and higher education institutions, including IIMs and IITs, will be set up in the state, and college students will get 1GB of mobile data free, the DMK said.

A significant point is a two-year “cooling period” for judges looking to join private companies or political parties after their retirement. This point has been seen against the backdrop of former Bengal High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay stepping down and joining the BJP days later.

READ | Court Raps Tamil Nadu Governor For Referring Bills To President

Also significant is a promise to review the process by which Governors are appointed and to remove any immunity afforded to these posts. This is key because the Tamil Nadu government has been engaged in a running battle with Governors over the past few years, accusing the centre’s representative of interfering in state governance and deliberately denying assent to key bills.

When Does Tamil Nadu Vote?

Tamil Nadu votes in a single phase on April 19, the first day of polling for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Results will be declared on June 4.

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New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party IT cell head Amit Malviya on Tuesday slammed DMK’s A Raja and alleged that the DMK leader had called for “Balkanisation of India and derided Lord Ram, as well as made disparaging comments on Manipuris and questions the idea of India, as a nation.”

“The hate speeches from DMK’s stable continue unabated. After Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call to annihilate Sanatan Dharma, it is now A Raja who calls for balkanisation of India, derides Bhagwan Ram, makes disparaging comments on Manipuris and questions the idea of India, as a nation,” Malviya posted on X on Tuesday.

“Congress and other INDI Alliance partners are quiet. Rahul Gandhi, their putative Prime Ministerial candidate’s silence is eloquent,” he posted

Malviya posted the said speech of DMK’s A Raja made in Madurai with the translation saying, “India is not a nation. Understand this well. India is never a nation. One nation means one language, one tradition and one culture. Then only it is one nation. India is not a nation but a subcontinent. What’s the reason? Here, Tamil is one nation and one country. Malayalam is one language, one nation and one country. Oriya is a nation, a language and a country. All these nations make up India. So, India is not a country it is a subcontinent. There are so many traditions and cultures. If you come to Tamil Nadu, there’s a culture. In Kerala, there’s another culture. In Delhi, there’s another culture. In Oriya, there’s another culture. Why in Manipur, as RS Bharathi said, they eat dog meat. Yes, it is true, they eat. That’s a culture. There’s nothing wrong. It’s all in our mind.”

“From the water tank, water comes to the kitchen. We will use the water in the kitchen. The same water from the water tank comes in the toilet but we won’t use it from there. What’s the reason? We’re having a problem psychologically. Water is the same but there’s a difference from where it comes. We acknowledge both. That’s the toilet and this is the kitchen. Similarly, in Kashmir, there’s a culture. Acknowledge it. In Manipur, people eat dog meat and acknowledge it. If a community eats beef, what is your problem? Did they ask you to eat? So, unity in diversity. We’ve differences. Acknowledge it,” he posted.

In his speech, the DMK leader also said that he could not accept the BJP’s ideology.

“If you say it’s this God, this is Jai Sri Ram, this is Bharat mata ki jai, then we and Tamil Nadu will never accept Bharat Matha and Jai Shriram… I don’t believe in Ramayanam….” 

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court questioned the Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin over his remarks calling for the eradication of ‘Sanatana Dharma’ and told him that he is “not a layman but a minister”.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told Stalin’s lawyer that the minister is not a layman but a minister and he should know the consequences of his remarks.

The bench frowned upon Udhayanidhi Stalin saying he should have known the consequences before making remakes.

“You abuse your rights under freedom of speech and expression and right to freedom of religion and then come to the Supreme Court for protection under Article 32? Do you not know the consequences of what you said?,” asked the bench.

The DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin had made remarks comparing ‘Sanatana Dharma’ to diseases like ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue’ while advocating for its elimination on grounds that it was rooted in the caste system and historical discrimination.

His remarks triggered a massive political controversy across the country. It led to several criminal complaints being filed against him.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court accusing Governor RN Ravi of intentionally delaying the bills sent to him for clearance. The government urged the court to direct the Governor to give assent or dispose of bills within a specified time frame.

The DMK government and Tamil Nadu governor have been at loggerheads for the past few months. Chief Minister MK Stalin and Centre-appointed Governor Ravi have earlier clashed on pending bills, Mr Stalin’s foreign trips, the Dravidian model of governance, and the latter’s remarks on the state’s name.

In its request to the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu government claimed that the bills and orders being forwarded by the state assembly were not being cleared by the Governor on time. Twelve bills, four prosecution sanctions and files relating to the premature release of 54 prisoners are currently pending before Governor Ravi, the government said.

The government also accused the Governor of “undermining the will of people” and “abusing the position of the ceremonial head”.

Governor Ravi had earlier this year stirred a debate on the state’s name with his remarks on January 4 during an event in Chennai. “Here in Tamil Nadu, a different kind of narrative has been created. Everything that applies to the whole of the country, Tamil Nadu will say no. It has become a habit. So many theses have been written – all false and poor fiction. Truth must prevail. Thamizhagam would be a more appropriate word to call it,” he said.

Faced with a massive backlash, he later claimed it was “erroneous and far-fetched” to infer that he had suggested changing the name of the state with his comments on “Tamizhagam” and the Raj Bhavan reverted to using the name Tamil Nadu.

Later, in January itself, RN Ravi walked out of the assembly after MK Stalin moved a resolution asking the Speaker to take on record only the speech prepared by the state government, and remove the portions the Governor added to or skipped from the customary address.

Chennai:

A Molotov cocktail, called ‘petrol bomb’ in local parlance, was lobbed by a man in front of the Raj Bhavan’s main gate on Wednesday, an incident which drew the opposition’s ire over the handling of law and order by the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu.

The Raj Bhavan asserted it was “attacked” and that “miscreants carrying bombs tried to barge in through the main gate.” “However, alert sentries prevented and assailants hurled two petrol bombs inside Raj Bhavan and escaped,” a post on Raj Bhavan’s official ‘X’ handle claimed.

Opposition AIADMK and BJP slammed the government over the incident that happened outside the official residence of the State Governor.

There was no damage, injuries to anyone and there was no security lapse, a senior police official said, adding the man who threw the petrol bomb was immediately overpowered. He was identified as ‘Karukka’ Vinoth, a man with many pending cases against him.

On Sardar Patel Road, on the opposite side of the Raj Bhavan, the man tried to throw a bottle by around 3 PM and it was immediately noticed by policemen on duty near the main gate, Prem Anand Sinha, Additional Commissioner of Police (South), told reporters.

While alert police personnel were apprehending him, the man hurled the bottle which landed in front of the barricade placed before the main gate of the Raj Bhavan and there was no damage and no one was injured.

“There was no fire…there was some flame only on the wick, the bottle fell down and broke. He was caught and he had some more bottles and these were seized,” ‘Karukka’ Vinoth, aged 42, faces 14 criminal cases and he was out on bail recently. He is a resident of Teynampet here, a City Police release said.

Vinoth was the accused in two similar incidents, including the one relating to the BJP office here over a year ago.

Within the past one week, he was freed from jail after he secured bail. Before the incident on Wednesday, he consumed liquor and he is being questioned on his motive, Sinha said.

“Only one petrol bomb was used; it did not create any impact the way the accused expected,” he said and ruled out any security lapse.

A case has been registered and the accused was remanded in custody.

Asked if he had any idea about the Governor’s ‘movement’ outside of the Raj Bhavan and whether he had come prepared anticipating any such thing, the official said ‘it does not appear to be so.’ Opposition parties strongly condemned the incident and criticised the government over ‘deterioration’ of law and order.

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK chief, Edappadi K Palaniswami said a scenario of ‘insecurity’ prevailed for the Raj Bhavan itself, meant to be a high-security campus. Expressing shock, he said the incident illustrated ‘deterioration’ of law and order in Tamil Nadu.

Former chief minister O Panneerselvam also blamed the alleged deterioration of law and order. VK Sasikala, confidante of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa said the incident was tantamount to intimidating the Governor.

BJP state president K Annamalai said on X: “Incidentally, it is the same person who attacked @BJP4TamilNadu headquarters in Chennai in Feb 2022, is held responsible for the attack on Raj Bhavan today, ” he added.

Union Minister L Murugan also slammed the DMK government vis-a-vis law and order.

A Molotov cocktail is an incendiary device, usually filled with petrol and a piece of cloth is used as a wick to light it. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chennai:

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Saturday launched a campaign to obtain 50 lakh signatures in 50 days seeking to abolish the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Chief Minister MK Stalin was the first to endorse the campaign, taken up by the party’s youth, students, and medical wings, with his signature and casting a postal ballot.

His son and Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who launched the initiative at Kalaivanar Arangam here, said the DMK has been striving to abolish the screening test, which has been claiming the lives of innocent students.

Displaying an egg (muttai) that in local parlance refers to zero with the letters NEET inscribed on it, Udhayanidhi ridiculed the Centre for reducing the qualifying percentile for NEET-PG to zero.

“This showed that those who don’t qualify for the NEET-PG can secure admission by paying money,” he alleged.

He called upon the political parties, especially the opposition AIADMK to put up a joint crusade against NEET.

Responding sharply to the invite, AIADMK Organising Secretary D Jayakumar lashed out at the DMK for deceiving the people on the issue.

“Now, finally the DMK has let out its secret on how to abolish the NEET in the country,” he said and added that so long as people remained gullible, the tricksters would take advantage of them.

He quoted a song from late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran’s film, which means how long will these people cheat.

“The Chief Minister had said that he would abolish NEET by a single signature. Now the people, particularly the students, are wondering if the Chief Minister and his son have forgotten to put one signature to ban NEET,” Mr Jayakumar said, ridiculing the signature campaign.

At least now the DMK should stop enacting political drama on the issue and apologise to the people for its inability, he said in a statement here. It should also give up playing with the lives of the students, the former state minister said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)