Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said that despite the BJP leading the government for a third term at the Centre, “no tangible” effort has been taken to retrieve Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to Sri Lanka in 1974.

In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Mr Stalin flagged the ‘unprecedented’ increase in instances of apprehension of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan navy in recent weeks and called for concrete steps to find a lasting solution to uphold the traditional rights of the fishers from the state.

He pointed out that the Sri Lankan navy had apprehended 25 fishermen along with two motorised country crafts and two unregistered fishing boats on July 1.

“In the letter dated 27.06.2024, you have mentioned that the genesis of this issue goes back to 1974 following an understanding between the then Union Government and the State Government,” he said in an apparent reference to the ceding of Katchatheevu.

“In this regard, I would like to point out that the DMK-led State Government opposed the Katchatheevu agreement tooth and nail and its opposition to the same was made clear both in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Parliament. The fact that the State Government was not properly consulted in this regard is well known. It is the Union Government that ceded the island to Sri Lanka completely, jeopardising and depriving the rights and interests of Indian Fishermen,” he said.

He recalled that his father and late DMK President M Karunanidhi had even filed a sworn affidavit before the Supreme Court and categorically stated that “when the entire exercise undertaken by government are devoid of constitutionality, it cannot be said the sovereignty of Katchatheevu island is a settled matter.”

“Despite the fact that the BJP-led government is in power for the third consecutive term, no tangible and meaningful effort has been taken to retrieve the island except for using the issue as election time rhetoric! The need of the hour is to ease the problems faced by the fishermen of Tamil Nadu and to find a lasting solution to this festering problem,” the chief minister said.

“Therefore, I reiterate my request to you to take necessary concrete steps to find a lasting solution to this vexatious issue so that the traditional rights of the Tamil Nadu fishermen are upheld,” he added.

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

Chennai:

The industrial town of Hosur in Tamil Nadu is set to get an international airport, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the state assembly today.

“It will come up on a 2000 acre area with a capacity to handle 30 million passengers in a year” the Chief Minister said.

A master plan for Hosur is nearly ready said MK Stalin.  Hosur which has been a hub for electronic, automobile and automotive component manufacturing is now emerging to be a hotspot for electric vehicle and related component manufacturing as well.

 “This government believes it is essential to build an airport in Hosur, to develop the city into a key economic growth city. This will also develop Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts”, Mr Stalin said.

The ruling DMK has set a target of turning the state into a 1 trillion dollar economy by 2030 and this initiative is being seen as a significant move in that direction.

Industrialists and domestic passengers in this part of Tamil Nadu largely rely on Bengaluru airport for domestic and international travel; there is a growing demand to have an airport in Hosur, taking into account the long commute from Bengaluru and the growing business needs here.

An earlier attempt to bring in air services to Hosur did not take off.

The new airport, when it becomes a reality, would be a boon for business as well as local communities.

Presently Tamil Nadu has international connectivity airports in Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Madurai;  domestic services in  Salem and Tuticorin.

Calling this a “monumental step”, Industries Minister T R B Rajaa said. “this project will greatly enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth benefiting not only Hosur but also neighbouring districts such as Dharmapuri and Salem, while also providing a significant boost to various parts of Bengaluru”.

He added “With Hosur’s excellent weather, the new airport will foster a twin-city ecosystem with Bengaluru, propelling growth in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka”.

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai on Sunday lashed out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for making another promise — a state-of-the-art cricket stadium in Coimbatore.

Responding to Mr Stalin’s announcement, Mr Annamalai termed the announcement an “electoral stunt” and reminded him that the DMK must first fulfill its 511 poll promises before making new ones. He said that the DMK was making this promise, sensing a defeat in the Coimbatore constituency.

“We want to remind TN CM Thiru MK Stalin that the 511 poll promises he gave in 2021 remain unfulfilled, and he first attends to those before making further promises after sensing defeat,” Mr Annamalai said on X.

He said that the electoral stunts of DMK cannot deceive the youth and the sports enthusiasts in Coimbatore, as they have grown increasingly vigilant.

“DMK is a party that couldn’t Construct a New Bus Terminus in Coimbatore in the last 3 years; it is today promising a stadium that should be regarded as the joke of the year and deserves slow clapping from the people of Coimbatore,” added Mr Annamalai.

We want to remind TN CM Thiru @mkstalin that the 511 poll promises he gave in 2021 remain unfulfilled, and he first attends to those before making further promises after sensing defeat.

The electoral stunts of DMK cannot deceive the youth & the sports enthusiasts in Coimbatore… https://t.co/8Qpr0fVzmz

— K.Annamalai (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@annamalai_k) April 7, 2024

Notably, Mr Annamalai is contesting from the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat and his comment came in response to the recent promise made by Mr Stalin as part of his party’s (DMK) election manifesto for Lok Sabha Elections, in which he promised the construction of a state-of-the-art cricket stadium in Coimbatore.

On March 28, Mr Annamalai filed his nomination from the Coimbatore parliamentary constituency.

A Karnataka cadre IPS officer, Mr Annamalai, resigned from service in 2019 and joined the BJP in 2020. He was appointed BJP state president a year late.

Sharing a post by state Minister of Industries TRB Rajaa on X, Mr Stalin, the DMK chief, said, “As a sports and cricket enthusiast, I would like to add one more promise to our election manifesto for Elections 2024. We will take efforts to establish a state-of-the-art cricket stadium in Coimbatore, with the active participation of the sports loving people of Coimbatore. As highlighted by our Minister TRB Rajaa, this stadium aims to be Tamil Nadu’s second international-standard cricket venue after Chennai’s iconic MAC stadium. Our government and Sports Minister Udhay Stalin are committed to nurturing talent and enhancing sports infrastructure in Tamil Nadu.”

As a sports and cricket enthusiast, I would like to add one more promise to our election manifesto for #Elections2024:

We will take efforts to establish a state-of-the-art cricket stadium in Coimbatore, with the active participation of the sports loving people of… https://t.co/B6rpHJKSBI

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) April 7, 2024

Minister TRB Rajaa highlighted in his post that Coimbatore and the state of Tamil Nadu need a major boost in sports infrastructure.

“Dreaming Big for Tamil Nadu Cricket! In the past few days, as we campaigned across Coimbatore, we’ve met many young people with deep passion for sports. Coimbatore’s enthusiasm for varied sports, including, Athletics, Shooting, Car Racing, Football, Skating, Equestrian sports amongst others and especially cricket, is unmatched. It is home to the owners of 3 TNPL teams, and many of the growing national cricket stars are from Western Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Mr Rajaa said that this stadium will redefine cricketing standards globally by being the most sustainably built state-of-the-art stadium in the world.

“It could be a net zero stadium, which will not only boost our local cricket ecosystem, to which we will add small turf grounds, but also serve as a beacon of green innovation, water-conservation and climate-consciousness We respectfully request our Honourable Chief Minister MK Stalin avargal to bring this landmark sports infra to life, setting a new global benchmark and nurturing our rich sports talent ,” he added.

He also said that Coimbatore and all of Tamil Nadu need a major boost in sports infrastructure.

“That’s exactly what our Honourable Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Thiru Udhay Stalin has been building up over the past year ! Given the amazing talents that are available in and around Kovai and the genuine need for another World-class Cricket Stadium in TN, I request the Honourable Chief Minister Thiru MK Stalin avargal to establish a brand new world-class multipurpose Coimbatore International Cricket Stadium or CICS,” he added.

Coimbatore is one of the key constituencies in Tamil Nadu. The DMK has fielded Ganapathi P Kumar while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has nominated Singai Ramachandran to contest from Coimbatore.

All 39 seats of Tamil Nadu will poll in the first phase of the general elections on April 19 and the counting of votes, along with those from other phases, has been scheduled for June 4.

In 2019, the DMK swept the Lok Sabha polls in the state, winning 23 Lok Sabha seats and bagging the lion’s share of the total votes polled, at 33.2 per cent.

Its ruling ally, Congress, bagged 8 seats, mining 12.9 per cent of the total votes polled, while the CPI won two seats. CPI (M) and IUML won one seat each while the remaining two seats went to independents.

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

Chennai:

 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin slammed the BJP for raising the Katchatheevu issue ahead of the the Lok Sabha polls and said that the issue has started to backfire now.

Criticising PM Modi, Mr Stalin further questioned that why did PM did not ever spoke to Sri Lanka government to return back Katchatheevu Island.

“How much time PM Narendra Modi has gone to Sri Lanka in the last 10 years? Has he asked Sri Lanka government to give back Katchatheevu Island even once. When he met Sri Lankan president did he tell that Katchatheevu Island belongs to India. At that time Katchatheevu is not remembered by PM Modi,” Mr Stalin said.

He asked PM Modi that he remembers that Katchatheevu took place during Nehru and Indira Gandhi period, but does he remember an event that happened before two years?

“PM Modi, in May 26, 2022 came to Chennai at Nehru Indoor stadium and participated in a event. In that event I requested and asked him to release GST fund, give exemption for NEET exam (to Tamil Nadu).

My first request was to retrieve Katchatheevu Island which is the rights of our fisherman. Does he remember it? Has he atleast read the request memorandum,” CM Stalin said.

CM Stalin further stated that in 2015, S Jaishankar then foreign secretary had said that Katchatheevu was never a part of India and now since election has arrived as per their wish the statement is changed, he added.

“For many years when ever questions were raised in parliament on Katchatheevu Island issue, no proper answer was given. Many initiated RTI application to get data on Katchatheevu island, but no clarification was given. The BJP government which said the issue related case is in Supreme Court and didn’t give information on it but now how it has given information through RTI,” he hit out at BJP.

He alleged that PM Modi was suddenly shedding crocodile tears for Katchatheevu Island. “In the last 10 years PM Modi never spoke about shoot out incident against Tamil fisherman and arrest of fisherman by Sri Lankan Navy, has PM Modi condemned Sri Lanka ever?” he asked.

Further coming down heavily on PM, Mr Stalin said that Modi ji never has never spoken on encroachment by China.

“China is claiming many places in Arunachal Pradesh. More than 30 places have been named in Chinese language. What are you going to tell on it? You don’t have guts to oppose China. In such situation do you have the right to speak on Katchatheevu?,” he asserted.

The development comes as PM Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress party, accusing it of “dividing the country into pieces” during its 60 year-long regime.

“There was an island under the sea in Tamil Nadu, but the Congress gave it to Sri Lanka and now when our fishermen venture into that area by mistake, they are arrested. Can this Congress ever protect our land when it gave our Katchatheevu to another country,” the PM said.

Coming down heavily on Congress, he further said that the party has given poll ticket to its leader who asked to divide the country into north and south regions, instead of punishing him.

“Congress could not develop the border villages of the country and termed the last villages, but the BJP called those villages the first ones and developed them. If the Congress government had remained in power till date, our former soldiers would have not got ‘one rank one pension’,” the prime minister alleged.

PM Modi on Monday also targeted the DMK for mishandling the Katchatheevu island issue and alleged the ruling party of Tamil Nadu did nothing to safeguard the state’s interests.

New details emerging on the issue of India handing over the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka have unmasked the DMK’s double standards totally, PM Modi posted on X, citing a news report that said that then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had given his concurrence to the agreement despite his party’s public posturing against the deal.

“Rhetoric aside, DMK has done NOTHING to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests. New details emerging on #Katchatheevu have UNMASKED the DMK’s double standards totally. Congress and DMK are family units. They only care that their own sons and daughters rise. They don’t care for anyone else. Their callousness on Katchatheevu has harmed the interests of our poor fishermen and fisherwomen in particular,” PM Modi tweeted.

The media report is based on an RTI reply received by Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai to his queries on the 1974 agreement between India and Lanka when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister.
The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 97 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in the general election. All 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 19 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Tamil Nadu ranks fifth in terms of Lok Sabha seats, with 39 seats, including 32 unreserved seats and seven reserved for SC candidates. In the 2019 elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance secured an overwhelming victory, winning 38 out of 39 seats.

In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with a 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with a 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won two seats in Tamil Nadu.

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

Indian Navy ships free hijacked Iranian fishing vessel off Somalia, rescue 23 Pakistani nationals

Indian Naval Ships Sumedha and Trishul intercepted and freed hijacked Iranian Fishing Vessel Al-Kambar off Somalia after forcing the pirates to surrender over the course of 12 hours and safely rescued the crew consisting of 23 Pakistani nationals. “After more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures as per the Standard Operating Procedures, the pirates on board hijacked FV were forced to surrender. The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, have been safely rescued,” a Navy spokesperson said in an update on March 29 midnight. “Indian Naval specialist teams are presently undertaking thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks of the FV in order to escort her to a safe area for resuming normal fishing activities.”

Netanyahu approves new Gaza ceasefire talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved new talks on a Gaza ceasefire, a day after the world’s top court ordered Israel to ensure urgent humanitarian aid reaches people in the Palestinian territory .But despite a binding United Nations Security Council resolution this week demanding an “immediate ceasefire”, fighting continued Friday, including around hospitals.

National parties often ignore regional aspirations, says AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami

Criticising national parties for “ignoring” regional aspirations “many times”, AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday said that regional parties, such as his own, were better equipped to represent the people and expedite development initiatives in the States. In an interview to The Hindu at his official residence, Sevanthi, on Greenways Salai in Chennai, Mr. Palaniswami, who took time off his busy Lok Sabha election campaign schedule, said that “In a country such as ours with much diversity”, regional parties fulfilled the regional aspirations.

AAP pulls out all stops for mega Oppn. rally in Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is pulling out all the stops to ensure a large turnout at the Opposition’s ‘maha rally’ at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Sunday. Several senior leaders of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc are likely to attend the event to express solidarity with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who is in ED custody on corruption charges.

IPL-17: RCB vs KKR | Venkatesh Iyer’s 50, Narine’s cameo carry KKR to seven-wicket win over RCB

A ruthless fifty by Venkatesh Iyer worked as the catalyst for Kolkata Knight Riders’ smooth seven-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match here on Friday. Venkatesh’s 50 of 30 balls (3×4, 4×6) and stunning blitzes by openers Sunil Narine (47, 22b, 2×4, 5×6) and Phil Salt (30, 20b, 2×4, 2×6) propelled the Knight Riders past the 183-run target that the RCB set for them, which was built around Virat Kohli’s skilful unbeaten 83. The KKR batters never got bogged down either by a slow pitch or RCB bowlers as they hunted down the target in just 16.5 overs.

Pappu Yadav hints at rebellion; Congress deeply unhappy with seat sharing in Bihar

With a formal stamp on the seat division in Bihar and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) keeping Purnia for itself, the Congress is left with a Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav-size headache and also has to contend with enraged State leaders who find the principal opposition party settling for too little. The Congress has got nine out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the State and in majority of these seats, the party leadership claims, it has nominal presence, with a caste arithmetic leaning in favour of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

The Rameshwaram Cafe blast case: NIA announces ₹10 lakh reward on each of the two absconding prime accused

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has released the photographs and details of the two absconding prime accused in The Rameshwaram Cafe blast case — Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa, 30, and Mussavir Hussain Shazib, 30 — and announced a reward of ₹10 lakh on each of them. The NIA had on Thursday identified Mussavir Hussain as the alleged bomber at the restaurant and Abdul Matheen Taaha as the key conspirator behind the attack. NIA has said the informant’s identities will be kept confidential.

Yusuf Pathan removes photograph of World Cup-winning squad after Congress complains to EC

Former cricketer and Trinamool Congress candidate from Baharampur Yusuf Pathan on Friday began removing photographs of the Cricket World Cup-winning moment used by his supporters as campaign material in the Lok Sabha seat. The development comes after West Bengal Congress lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (EC) accusing the former cricketer of violating the model code of conduct (MCC) by using posters of India’s World Cup-winning moments in 2011.

Stalin questions the ‘mysterious’ PMK-BJP tie-up

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday questioned the “mystery” behind the alliance between the PMK and the BJP, when the former speaks of social justice and the latter “tolls the death knell for social justice”. At an election meeting to canvass for the INDIA bloc’s Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri candidates R. Mani (DMK) and K. Gopinath (Congress) respectively, Mr. Stalin asked whether “the venerable Dr. Ramadoss (PMK founder), who champions the call for caste census, secured a guarantee from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the same? Did he ask Mr. Modi why did he not initiate the census during his term now,” Mr. Stalin asked.

Uncontrolled celebratory firing is recipe for disaster: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court, in a judgment, has highlighted the often disastrous consequences of “uncontrolled and unwarranted” celebratory firing at weddings, including the maiming or loss of innocent lives. This is the second time in as many years the court has raised its voice against the culture of gun-toting bravado. In February 2023, the court had condemned the easy availability and possession of guns, mostly country-made or unlicensed, in States like Uttar Pradesh as a feudal practice that cocks a snook at a very basic fundamental right — the right to life — guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

After veto, Russia says big powers need to stop ‘strangling’ North Korea

Russia said on March 29 that major powers needed a new approach to North Korea, accusing the United States and its allies of ratcheting up military tensions in Asia and seeking to “strangle” the reclusive state. Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts monitoring enforcement of longstanding United Nations sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar takes a swipe at Opposition for rallying behind Kejriwal

In an apparent swipe at the Opposition for rallying behind the beleaguered Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday pointed out how one breaking the law was playing the victim card. Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to Delhi’s scrapped excise policy.  Without naming the U.S. and Germany, who have reacted strongly to Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest, Mr. Dhankhar said “India does not need lessons from any country on rule of law.”

Moscow concert hall attack: Nine detained in Tajikistan, Russian state media reports

Nine persons have been detained by Tajikistan’s state security service over suspected contact with the perpetrators of last week’s attack by gunmen on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said on March 29. “Nine residents of the Vakhdat district were detained for contact with the persons who committed the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall on March 22,” the agency reported, citing information from an unnamed source in Tajikistan’s special services, who said that Russian security forces were also involved in the operation to detain the suspects.

Wives on the driving seat, Bihar’s bahubalis keep poll clout intact

Having weathered allegations, criminal cases and even long prison stints, Bihar’s bahubalis (strongmen) are back in action in Bihar’s politics. Like previous elections, their wives are in the fray, but voters clearly understand who’s calling the shots. Lovely Anand, wife of strongman Anand Mohan Singh; Bima Bharti, wife of Awadhesh Mandal; and Anita Mahto, wife of Ashok Mahto, are better known as Mrs. Bahubalis. Their husbands hold sway in their respective constituencies and beyond but cannot contest the poll directly owing to rules that prohibit convicts jailed for over two years from contesting elections “until six years after release”. This is not too different from mukhiapatis (village head’s husband) in Bihar reigning supreme at village panchayats with their elected wives (mukhias) watching from the sidelines.

‘Writers, journalists, social activists being jailed for merely criticising Indian government’

Expressing concern over the “prolonged incarceration” of a large number of writers, journalists, and social activists for criticising the Indian government, a group of eminent personalities have sought to draw the world’s attention on how India’s “democratic tradition is being fundamentally undermined.”

Lok Sabha polls: Trinamool alleges BJP leaders using NIA to target its party leaders

Trinamool Congress on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates contesting the Lok Sabha polls are conspiring with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to have certain leaders of the State’s ruling party arrested ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that two BJP candidates have held a meeting with the NIA officer in Kolkata regarding summon and arrest of Trinamool Congress leaders in the State’s Purba Medinipur district. Referring to an NIA official, Mr. Ghosh asked whether two BJP leaders met the official and “handed over a list of @AITCofficial leaders and workers for immediate summon and arrest, or not”.

Tiruchirappalli:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said “secrets” of PM-CARES Fund will be exposed after the INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre.

Launching his Lok Sabha election campaign in Tiruchirappalli, MK Stalin, seeking votes for DMK candidates and allies, said the BJP’s fear of defeat in polls was the only reason for Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. PM Modi has lost sleep as the tenure of his regime is set to end and his “fear of defeat” is reflected in his eyes and face, Mr Stalin claimed.

Similar to th electoral bonds, “they (the BJP and the Centre) have collected in another way” and named it PM-CARES Fund. All secrets about the fund will be exposed in June after INDIA bloc comes to power, he said.

Alleging corruption, MK Stalin said irregularities to the tune of about Rs 7 lakh crore was outlined in a CAG report in initiatives, including the Ayushman Bharat.

MK Stalin said the central government, responsbile for taking appropriate action on that report, did not say anything about it. On schemes for the state, he asked: “Can PM Modi spell out one special scheme implemented for Tamil Nadu?”

(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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Petrol bomb attack: Did T.N. Raj Bhavan politicise it?

| Video Credit:
S. Shiva Raj

On October 25, a man hurled a petrol bomb directed at the campus of the Raj Bhavan in Chennai. The Molotov Cocktail fell on the road and exploded just before a steel barricade. The police were quick to step in and surround him but he had managed to lob another bomb. The police identified him easily.

He was Karukka Vinoth, who was involved in similar Molotov Cocktail attacks in the past. Some years ago, he was accused of hurling a petrol bomb at a TASMAC liquor outlet in Chennai. In 2017, he made a daring attack at the Teynampet Police Station. Last year, he was arrested by Chennai police after hurling a petrol bomb at the Tamil Nadu BJP office.

The Raj Bhavan incident happened just days after Vinoth was released on bail. Soon after this incident, the question on people’s minds was why the police did not put Vinoth under surveillance, given that he was a habitual offender. This issue would have confronted the ruling DMK government. It would have been cornered on the issue of law and order had not the Raj Bhavan stepped in to provide a counter narrative.

Six hours after this attack, the Raj Bhavan put out a statement on X: “Raj Bhavan was attacked today afternoon. 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.”
We look at the words used in this statement, where the police failed, previous instances of petrol bomb attacks in Tamil Nadu, and if this incident was politicised.
Script and presentation: D. Suresh Kumar

Production: Shibu Narayan

Videography: S. Shiva Raj

Chennai:

Leaders of all political parties are on a political pilgrimage of sorts today to Pasumpon village, nearly 600 km from Chennai, to pay tributes at the memorial of Muthuramalinga Thevar, the Thevar community’s icon, freedom fighter and spiritual leader, on his 116th birth anniversary.

A dominant community that could influence the outcome of nine Lok Sabha seats in nine southern districts of Tamil Nadu, political parties are trying to win over the community ahead of the big 2024 polls.

Traditionally known to be supporters of the AIADMK, the dynamics changed after the AIADMK’s Edapadi Palaniswami government brought about a 10.5% internal reservation for the Vanniyar community within the most backward classes quota.

This quota to help the Vanniars, dominant in the northern part of Tamil Nadu, had upset the Thevars, leading to anger and disappointment against the AIADMK.

In the 2021 assembly polls, the AIADMK had suffered a setback in these regions as the DMK swept to power. With former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, expelled from the AIADMK there is further division, and other parties, including the ruling DMK, aim to get them into their fold.

Paying tributes at Pasumpon, along with many of his cabinet colleagues, Chief Minister and DMK Chief MK Stalin recollected the measures taken by DMK governments over the years to honour Muthuramalinga Thevar and his legacy.

“Annadurai and Karunanidhi had come here when Muthuramalinga Thevar passed away. In 2007 Karunanidhi had commemorated the birth Centenary of Muthuramalinga Thevar,” said Chief Minister MK Stalin.

For the AIADMK that suffered defeats in the 2019 and 2021 polls, the thevar community’s support is crucial to reclaim its political fortunes.

The BJP that has negligible presence in the state had deployed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and its state chief Annamalai. The saffron party has been left in the lurch in the state with AIADMK snapping ties with the national party.

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh, requesting to release the funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

“The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is one of the important Schemes for providing employment opportunity to all registered households in the rural areas and is the only scheme providing livelihood opportunity to rural people as well as create durable and sustainable rural assets to improve the Village infrastructure and fulfills the demand of rural people to a great level,” MK Stalin said in a letter.

Tamil Nadu has always been a top-performing state in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS under various parameters. In Tamil Nadu, 92.86 lakh households have been issued with Job Cards. Out of that, nearly 91.52 Lakh workers pertaining to 76.15 lakh households are actively participating in the MGNREGS works regularly, the letter said.

As agriculture in Tamil Nadu is heavily dependent on rains from the Southwest Monsoon and cyclonic rains from the Northeast Monsoon, vagary in any one of the above monsoons leads to higher demand for MGNREGS works, it said.

“I would like to reiterate that MGNREGS is considered as an important livelihood opportunity in rural areas for many like elderly people, destitute women, women-headed households, differently abled workers and additional livelihood opportunity for many in rural households, especially during lean agricultural season, ” according to the Chief Minister’s letter.

In particular, women empowerment has been realized by the MGNREGS as the majority workforce is women and credit of wages to their bank account has greatly improved their finances, the Chief Minister said.

During the year 2023-2024, the original demand made by Tamil Nadu is 40 crore person-days. So far, the Government of India has approved 28 crore person-days. Up to October 23, Tamil Nadu has achieved 31.15 crore person-days, by providing employment to 76.06 lakh workers pertaining to 66.26 lakh households, he said.

“In the financial Year 2023-24, Rs 4,903.25 crore has been released by the Government of India for the unskilled wages to the workers up to July 19. Subsequently, on September 25, a sum of Rs 1,755.43 crore was sanctioned by the Government of India for the payment of unskilled wages. However, out of the sanctioned amount, only Rs 418.233 crore seemed to have been released partially, leaving a balance of Rs 1,337.20 crore yet to be credited into the accounts of workers. Further liability of Rs 1,359.57 crore for the wages for the subsequent weeks also not released yet. Thus, as on October 20, the wage liability for the workers in Tamil Nadu had accumulated to Rs 2,696.77 crore,” the letter stated.

“I visited Kattankulathur Panchayat Union in Chengalpattu District on October 17. During the above visit, both the public and public representatives made a plea for the release of unpaid wages under MGNREGS to the workers immediately in view of the ensuing festive season. A similar request was received by me during my visit to Tiruvannamalai District as well.

“In view of the foregoing, I request that the total wage liability amount of Rs 2,696.77 crore be released to Tamil Nadu immediately. Further, additional funds may also be released to unskilled workers regularly. I look forward to your personal intervention in this regard,” the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said in the letter.

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