The Karnataka High Court while quashing CM Siddaramaiah’s petition on Tuesday said the beneficiaries in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case were not outsiders but the petitioner’s wife.
The bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order upholding Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision. The order of the High Court stated, “The facts narrated in the petition would undoubtedly require an investigation.
In the teeth of the fact that the beneficiary of all these acts is not anybody outside, but the wife of the petitioner (CM Siddaramaiah).” The order stated, “The complaints were justified in registering the complaint or seeking approval at the hands of the Governor.”
“The approval under Section 17 A of the PC Act is mandatory in the fact situation. Section 17 A nowhere requires a police officer to seek approval in a private complaint registered under Section 200 of the Cr PC/223 of BNSS against a public servant for offences punishable under the provisions of the act. It is the duty of the complainant to seek such approval. The Governor in normal circumstances has to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers as obtaining under Article 163 of the Constitution of India, but can take independent decision in exceptional circumstances and the present cases on such exception. No fault can be found in the action of the Governor exercising independent discretion to pass the impugned order,” it said.
“It would suffice if the reasons are recorded in the file of the decision-making authority, particularly of high office, and those reasons succinctly form part of the impugned order. A caveat, reasons must be in the file. Reasons for the first time cannot be brought before the constitutional Court, by way of objections. The Gubernatorial order nowhere suffers from want of application of mind. It is not a case of not even a semblance of application of mind, by the Governor, but abundance of application of mind. Grant of an opportunity of hearing prior to approval under Section 17A is not mandatory. If the authority chooses to do so, it is open to it,” the court said.
The court’s order further mentioned, “The decision of the Governor of alleged hottest haste has not vitiated the order. The order is read to be restrictive to an approval under Section 17A of the Act and not an order granting Sanction 218 of BNSS. Before I say omega, I deem it appropriate to quote what BENJAMIN DISRAELI had to say: “I repeat… that all power is a trust – that we are accountable for its exercise – that, from the people, and for the people, all springs, and all must exist” For the praefatus reasons, the petition lacking in merit, would necessarily meet its dismissal, and is accordingly dismissed. Interim order of any kind subsisting today, shall stand dissolved. The applications, if any, stand disposed as unnecessary,” the order underlined.
Snehamayi Krishna, one of the petitioners in the case has submitted a caveat in the High Court Division Bench regarding the case and pleaded that no order should be passed in the MUDA case without hearing his arguments.
The move has come ahead of CM Siddaramaiah’s counsels preparing to file an appeal against the High Court single bench order. Now, that the verdict has gone against CM Siddaramaiah, the lower court will initiate legal proceedings such as filing of FIR against him in the MUDA case.
This will lead to further pressure on the Chief Minister to resign. Sources confirmed that CM Siddaramaiah will now approach the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court order.
The High Court on September 12 completed the hearing of arguments and counterarguments on the writ petition filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
While Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for the CM, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Governor’s office. Social activists Pradeep Kumar SP, T.J. Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna had filed petitions against CM Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA land scam. They had claimed that Siddaramaiah had misused his office to create fraudulent documents over 3.17 acres of land near Mysuru city and got 14 sites allotted from the MUDA in the name of his wife.
CM Siddaramaiah had refuted the allegations and maintained that the Congress government would fight politically and legally over the permission for prosecution against him in the case granted by the Governor.
–IANS
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Indu Makkal Katchi members met the Kumbakonam Revenue Divisional Officer, demanding action and scrutiny of prasadam quality in Tamil Nadu’s temples, including Palani and Uppiliappan, and across the state after there were reports of animal fat adulterating Tirupati laddu prasadam.
The presence of adulterants such as beef tallow, fish oil, lard, oils, etc in the Tirupati prasadam has sent shockwaves across the Hindu community in India. Several Hindu organizations have condemned the adulteration and called for the cleansing of the temple. Given this, cleansing/purification procedures were conducted at Tirumala Tirupati. The Andhra Pradesh government led by Chandrababu Naidu has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the matter. Hindu organizations have also called for a probe into prasadam made available across the country. In Tamil Nadu, Indu Makkal Katchi has taken the initiative to put forth this request. Members of the organization in Kumbakonam met the Revenue Divisional Officer to present the petition.
Speaking to reporters, a member of the Indu Makkal Katchi said, “Reports have revealed that adulteration in the form of animal fat has been found in Tirupati laddu prasadam. Owing to this, devotees are deeply hurt. We have presented a petition to the Kumbakonam Revenue Divisional Officer to take necessary action against the culprits.”
He further said, “Prasadam is made in the temple madapalli (kitchen) and offered to the deity alone. But in the name of the prasadam stall, contractors are allotted by auction, and prasadam is sold. In temples in Tamil Nadu, this is the case. There has been no scrutiny into where this prasadam is made or what the quality is. We urge that the prasadam sold in prasadam stalls across the state must be investigated. They must either remove the name prasadam stall from these shops or recruit more people to work in the temple kitchen and make more prasadam. This applies to prasadam being sold at Palani, Uppiliappan temple, Sabarimalai temples and the quality of the ingredients must be investigated. We urge the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to take action on this.”
பக்தர்களை ஏமாற்றும் விதமாக தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள ஆலயங்களில் விற்பனை கூடமாக செயல்படும் பிரசாத ஸ்டால்களை உடனடியாக ரத்து செய்ய வேண்டும்…
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday condemned the incident in which miscreants set afire a temple chariot in Anantapur district and directed officials to bring culprits to justice.
The incident occurred in Hanakanahal village of Kanekal mandal in the early hours of Tuesday. Unidentified miscreants set the chariot in the Ram temple.
By the time fire services personnel arrived, the chariot was completely burnt. The police said they were investigating the case and trying to identify the culprits using CCTV footage in the vicinity.
The Chief Minister has strongly condemned the heinous act of setting fire to the temple chariot. “This constitutes an assault on our culture and values, and such acts of desecration will not be tolerated,” said a post from the official account of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on ‘X’. Chandrababu Naidu instructed the District Collector, Superintendent of Police and officials to visit the spot immediately and initiate a thorough investigation to bring the culprits to justice immediately. “He promised that the perpetrators of this vile act will face the full force of the law, and he shall personally oversee the investigation to ensure swift and decisive action.” Anantapur District Superintendent of Police P. Jagadeesh rushed to the scene and started the investigation.
The incident took place amid the ongoing controversy over alleged adulteration of Tirupati laddu. Last week, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the ghee mixed with animal fat were used in making laddu prasadam of Tirumala temple when the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was in power.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also revealed lab reports of some samples of ghee which reveal presence of beef tallow, lard (relating to pig fat), and fish oil in ghee used for the preparation of laddu. On Sunday, Naidu ordered a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of police into alleged irregularities in Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam during the YSRCP government. The SIT will be headed by an Inspector General (IG) or a higher official.
–IANS
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Three weeks after an agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government, over 400 militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) will lay down their arms and ammunition at a ceremony in the state on Tuesday, officials said.
Tripura Home Department officials claimed that this would be one of the biggest surrenders in the northeastern region in recent memory.
The NLFT and the ATTF outfits signed the peace agreement with the Centre and Tripura government in Delhi on September 4 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, other political leaders and officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Tripura government.
According to the official, over 400 militants of NLFT and ATTF would surrender before the Chief Minister at a surrender ceremony on Tuesday afternoon at the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) seventh battalion headquarters at Jampuijala in the Sepahijala district.
The official said that with this surrender of militants in Tripura, the nearly five decades-old insurgency in the northeastern state is expected to be over. He said that under the September 4 agreement, signed with the two outlawed militant outfits, a special package of Rs 250 crore has been approved by the MHA.
As per the agreement, the leaders of the NLFT and ATTF have agreed to shun the path of violence, surrender all their weapons and ammunition, and dissolve their armed organisations, the official said.
The surrendered militants would stay in a designated camp for three years and receive skill training in various trades during this period.
Apart from this ₹4 lakh would be deposited in the bank account of each surrendered militant, and the amount can be withdrawn only after three years by the beneficiaries. According to the agreement, each surrendered NLFT and ATTF cadre would get ₹6,000 per month for three years and these cadres would be given priority in various employment generation works in agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and rural development, the official said referring to the provisions of the agreement.
–IANS
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Zoho Corp, led by founder Sridhar Vembu, built new homes for Tenkasi residents displaced by last year’s heavy rains, inaugurating them in AP Nadanoor.
Residents of Tenkasi lost their homes due to heavy rains last year. In response, Zoho Corp took steps to support his native town. Due to the Southwest monsoon, several people from the Kadayam area in Tenkasi were displaced. New homes were built for them through Zoho Corp, with Sridhar Vembu, its founder, inaugurating the makeshift homes in the AP Nadanoor locality.
Speaking to reporters, Vembu stated, “The state government must step forward to help those residents who do not have patta for their homes. Several people in multiple villages aresuffering due to this. Even the Panchayat head knows there are at least 40-50 families like this per village. Through Zoho, we are doing what we can in Tenkasi, Thanjavur, and Nagapattinam districts. The state government must do something for villagers who do not have patta.”
The Zoho founder also urged the Tamil Nadu government to build houses for the homeless.
In a post on his X handle, Vembu further emphasized, “What we do in terms of building small dwellings for the rural poor is at a modest scale, and I do not deserve any praise. We have to do a lot more. I do want to highlight an important issue that the government needs to look at: there is a substantial number of rural poor who not only don’t own any land, but they also don’t have title to the small plots on which they have built their makeshift homes. These are the people most affected during floods. Given their lack of title, they cannot currently benefit from government housing schemes. In every village I visit, particularly in delta districts, I come across many such households. This matter needs urgent attention from the government.”
What we do in terms of building small dwellings for rural poor is at a modest scale and I do not deserve any praise. We have to do a lot lot more.
I do want to highlight an important issue that the government needs to look at: there is a substantial number of rural poor who not… https://t.co/VBKiAEL5jP
In what is seen as a significant move, four senators of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee have written a letter to Professor Muhammad Yunus, the interim Chief Adviser in Bangladesh, urging his government to address human rights violations, reform institutions, and safeguard minority communities, including Hindus and Rohingya refugees.
The letter, signed by Senators Ben Cardin, Chris Murphy, Jeffrey Merkley, and Chris Van Hollen, comes at a time of historic transition in Bangladesh following mass protests that led to the resignation of the former government. The senators congratulated Yunus on becoming the interim leader in Bangladesh but also expressed ‘deep concern‘ over the recent violence against protestors by Bangladesh’s security forces.“We mourn the lives that were lost and urge your interim government to create a credible process to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the security services’ human rights violations,“the letter read.
The protests in Bangladesh, which saw citizens demanding the end of authoritarian rule, were met with brutal repression. Security forces, including the Rapid Action Battalion, reportedly killed hundreds of protestors, while thousands were arrested or injured.
The letter also highlighted the ongoing violence in Bangladesh, particularly against police and minority Hindu communities, following Yunus’s assumption of leadership.“While many celebrate this new chapter in Bangladesh, a concerning volume of those celebrations have turned violent, with documented reports of reprisals targeting police as well as minority Hindu communities and those perceived to be supporters of Sheikh Hasina’s government. As a result, the country has witnessed gaps in law enforcement and lack of protections for those facing violent attacks, including members of the Hindu community and Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazaar.” the letter stated. This violence has raised alarms ahead of the Durga Puja festival, a time of heightened attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh.
The Hindu American Foundation praised the senators’ letter, noting that it is the first formal acknowledgment from the U.S. government regarding the violent attacks against Bangladeshi Hindus since Yunus’s interim government took control. The Foundation is also calling for formal hearings on this critical issue.
The senators expressed their concerns about law enforcement gaps, particularly regarding the protection of minority groups and Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazaar. They urged Yunus to take these threats seriously, commending his promise to continue supporting over one million Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh.“It is only by ensuring that all communities residing in Bangladesh are protected under the law that Bangladesh can meet its promising future,” they noted.
The letter concluded with a hopeful tone, encouraging Bangladesh’s interim government to seize the opportunity for meaningful reform.“Now, more than ever, it is important for Bangladeshis to unify – by coming together and by rebuilding an inclusive government that fully harnesses Bangladesh’s tremendous potential.”
As Bangladesh navigates this period of transition, the U.S. Senate has pledged its support, stating that they“stand ready to assist Bangladesh during this critical period to ensure a successful transition to a democracy truly representative of the will of the Bangladeshi people.”
#Breaking | The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats @SFRCdems release a letter that for the first time specifically recognizes that #BangladeshiHindus are being subjected to violent attacks after the @Yunus_Centre govt took control.
Actor Karthi found himself in the middle of the uproar after making allegedly insensitive comments about the Tirupati laddu issue at a film event, prompting a sharp response from Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, who called for more respect toward Hindu traditions.
The controversy surrounding the sanctity of the famous Tirupati Laddu has escalated after lab reports suggested adulteration with animal fat and fish oil. The issue has since gained national attention, prompting a significant public outcry. Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan called for a “Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board” to prevent such incidents.
In response to the uproar, the Andhra Pradesh government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
Several Dravidianists and Hinduphobic handles on social media, as well as politicians, have been mocking Hindus ever since the report was released. Kollywood actors are not far behind their Hinduphobic Dravidianist friends. During a pre-release event for the movie Sathyam Sundaram (titled Meiyazhagan in Tamil), Tamil actor Karthi was caught in the controversy after a meme referencing the Laddu issue was shown at the event.
The anchor said about the meme, “Do you want laddu?” Karthi distanced himself from the controversy, stating,“We should not talk about Laddu now. It is a sensitive topic. I don’t want it.“His comments, intended to deflect the conversation, went viral and caught the attention of Pawan Kalyan.
Pawan Kalyan, visibly upset by Karthi’s remarks, responded during a media briefing in Vijayawada, saying,“People are making fun of laddoo. I saw at a cinema function where it was said that laddoo is a sensitive topic. Don’t you ever dare to say that? I respect you as actors, but when it comes to Sanatana Dharma, you have to think a hundred times before saying a word.”
Unfortunate that Tamil actors have Zero sensitivity when it comes hurting feelings of Majority Hindus, the same people who fund their and their kids lives through movie tickets!
Glad that Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan condemned the insensitive ways in which actor Karthi and the anchor… pic.twitter.com/g26FIETFJi
Karthi’s remarks, initially seen as an attempt to avoid controversy, have since sparked heated debates. Pawan Kalyan, who is observing an 11-day purification ritual following the Laddu controversy, further emphasized the importance of respecting Hindu traditions and called for restraint when discussing sensitive religious issues.“If people from the film industry want to discuss this issue, they should speak up in support. Otherwise, refrain from making comments that mock the issue,” Kalyan urged.
Following Pawan Kalyan’s stern remarks, the jittered actor Karthi has apologized for the comments. He wrote,“Dear @PawanKalyan sir, with deep respects to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear.
Best regards.”
Dear @PawanKalyan sir, with deep respects to you, I apologize for any unintended misunderstanding caused. As a humble devotee of Lord Venkateswara, I always hold our traditions dear. Best regards.
The Tirunelveli Police have stated that the alleged attack on a young man, whose sacred thread was cut by four men, in the Perumalpuram area was a false claim following a detailed investigation.
The incident came to light when a Brahmin youth, Akhilesh (27), a resident of Thiagarajan Nagar in Nellai, told his family he was ambushed by a gang of four while going to a bhajan programme. According to Akhilesh, the assailants verbally abused him and cut off the sacred thread he was wearing. Disturbed by the account, his family filed a complaint at the Perumalpuram police station.
The story quickly spread on social media, sparking outrage—Union Minister of State L. Murugan, who was visiting the city, even met the family to express his reassurance and called for swift action against those allegedly involved.
*Tamil Nadu Sacred Thread Story* – As per the complaint copy, Akilesh was on his way to attend a religious event when 4 unidentified men in bike had cut off Akhilesh's sacred thread and warned him from wearing the sacred threat. The incident took place at 430 pm on Sept 21st. The… pic.twitter.com/ai9V2LPajE
However, police reviewed CCTV footage from the area where the attack supposedly took place. The police stated that the footage revealed no evidence of such an incident, with no suspicious activity detected at the reported time. Upon further questioning, the police concluded that Akhilesh’s claim was false and that he had misled both his family and the authorities.
The police have since received a complaint from Akhilesh’s parents, acknowledging that their son had fabricated the story. In a statement, the Tirunelveli Police emphasized that no such attack occurred, and the youth had been spreading false information.
Tamil cinema’s leading actor Vijay’s new political outfit, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has barred members who consume liquor from attending the party’s first state conference on October 27 and has also set some etiquette rules for the attendees.
TVK General Secretary and former MLA from Puducherry N Anand has issued the liquor advisory at Vijay’s direction.
According to TVK leaders, Anand, in the advisory, has said that the party cadres must desist from attending the first state conference if they consume liquor.
Party sources also said that Anand directed the party cadres in the advisory to provide adequate protection and support to women members and sympathisers who attend the conference.
The advisory, issued by the party general secretary, also directed the cadres to observe proper road etiquette and not disturb other vehicles. The cadres, who are arriving at the venue in two-wheelers, must also avoid indulging in bike stunts.
The TVK advisory also asked the members to provide adequate facilities for the medical team and the fire and rescue service personnel on duty during the conference.
Vijay had earlier announced that the party’s political ideology, its state office-bearers, and the policy-based action plan would be announced at this state conference.
The Tamil Superstar said in a statement, “Our first-ever state conference will be celebrated as a political festival and celebration of ideologies that will guide us and the goals that we will achieve.
The conference would spell out the ideology based on which the party will function.“ He also said that preparatory work for the conference had already commenced and would be accelerated soon.
The Tamil star said in the statement that TVK general secretary N. Anand would meet the Villupuram District Collector and Superintendent of Police with a fresh letter seeking permission and security.
It may be recalled that the party’s first state conference was earlier scheduled for September 23, but it was postponed due to various factors, including permission-related issues.
TVK received the Election Commission of India (ECI ) recognition on September 8. In May 2024, the party published legal notices and invited stakeholders to express objections to the party‘s registration.
Tamizhaga Vaazhuvumurai Katchi of Velmurugan had objected to the TVK’s abbreviation, but now Vijay has announced that all hurdles have been cleared and that the party has received formal ECI recognition.
The Superstar then announced that the party was now battle-ready and would contest the 2026 Assembly elections from Tamil Nadu.
Vijay announced his party in February and said that TVK would not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as the party aimed to contest the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
He then said that his fan club, ‘All India Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyyakam,’ has been working for the welfare of the people for many years but cannot bring full-fledged social, economic, and political reforms on its own, and for that, political power is required. In August, Vijay released his party flag, which is red on top and bottom with yellow in the middle.
The flag depicts a flower resembling Vaagai surrounded by 28 stars at the centre, with two trumpeting tuskers facing each other on either side. It may be noted that ancient Tamil kings used to wear Vagai flower garlands to symbolise their victory.
His ideological inclination is not different from that of DMK’s Dravidian Model.
In the last local body polls in 2021, the All India Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyyakam (AITVMI) won 115 seats of the 169 seats they contested.
Interestingly, Kamal Haasan‘s party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), actor, and director Seeman’s Naam Thamizhar Katchi (NTK) drew a blank in those polls.
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Central Chennai DMK Lok Sabha MP Dayanidhi Maran has once again trained his guns on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Disrespectful language, spewing lies, and venom are notable characteristics that Maran always espouses.
Speaking to the press in Coimbatore, Maran, when asked about the GST-bun-Annapoorna Hotel owner’s alleged apology issue, said, “We are elected by the people and become MPs and thus we know people’s problems. But some are not elected by the people and are appointed. She has been in the role of a minister for the past 10 years. They do not know people’s problems. If we ask, she will say, I don’t eat onion, I don’t eat that. Is this how one should talk? As our leader says, we will work for those who vote for us and do not vote for us. I will even go further and say our leader tells us we are not MPsbutwe must solve people’s problems like a councilor does.This is the role the organization gave us. That is the tradition we come from. These people do not meet the people ever andthey only know how to abuse power. What did Annapoorna Srinivasan ask? He had an issue andhe put it forward. What is wrong with asking? He even asked to make the tax uniform, he even said FM could increase the tax but make it simple. Is this wrong? To call him over and threaten him, is that right?This shows her animosity and bitterness towards the people of Coimbatore. She thought she could threaten the people of Coimbatore, if anyone speaks anything in public, they can be summoned the next day and threatened. Is this right? A while ago, there was a meeting in Mumbai. A person from Gujarat questioned the government over surcharges and taxes and even called the government a sleeping partner, and that the government was surviving on his tax money. Nirmala Sitharaman responded to him with a smile. If he is from Gujarat and speaks Hindi, then one should give respect. If we speak in Tamil, is it so cheap? Won’t we question it? The people here are also Indian citizens. It is our right to question. If we have a query, the government/minister has to address it properly. The action of the irresponsible minister is regrettable.”
A reporter then mentioned Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comments on NEET, stating that more poor students are now able to study medical degrees because of NEET and do not have to pay much fees. Maran replied, “Earlier there was a capitation fee. They first said they were going to get rid of the capitation fee. At that time, the annual fees for medicine were around ₹25,000-₹30,000. Today a private college charges ₹25 lakhs. Who is responsible for this? The union (ondriya) government.” Then he goes on to speak disrespectfully and says “Indha amma.”
He continued, “In 2018, this lady came, the (ondriya) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, after Jayalalithaa died, as if this lady is going to become the Chief Minister, she camped here (dera) for 3 months. Why did she do that? She hoped to become CM and topple the “slave” rule (adimai aatchi). At that time, she said there would be no NEET that year. She said we are struggling with that. When you had a dream of becoming CM, you speak differently.” Here he used the word you as “nee” to address Nirmala Sitharaman in singular (disrespectful).
It is noteworthy that former TN CM J Jayalalithaa passed away in 2016.
He continued, “Now you don’t have that dream, so you speak differently. What did you achieve out of this? There are doctors who treat the PM, President, andeven Nirmala Sitharaman, did they write NEET? The best doctors are the ones who did not write NEET.”
He further said, “In the 60s, what did you do? You said knowledge of Sanskrit is mandatory. What is the connection between Sanskrit and learning medicine? There is only one connection. Only the upper caste can study medicine. Other caste people should not study. Now what are they doing with NEET? There is so much confusion with the question papers. They are saying you can write the exam in Japan. The paper leaked there and came to India, wherethey leaked the answer sheet. So much corruption has happened, anda CBI inquiry is going on. Did the concerned minister resign? They are covering it up. In the south, the NEET exam is very difficult, by the time they check the questions, they forget what they have studied but if you check the states in the north, parents and teachers help the students to copy during the exam, especially in UP and Gujarat. To qualify for NEET, students must have at least 50% marks in 12th standard. But in Gujarat, a student got 720/720 but did she pass 12th? She failed. She attempts once again, andeven then she fails but in NEET alone she gets 100%. What does this show, there are problems and with these, the Union government is trying to oppress us. We oppose this.”
BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan slammed Maran for his disrespectful remarks. She wrote, “Is this your Dravidian upbringing @Dayanidhi_Maran? Spreading false slander about a woman minister holding a key position in our Union Cabinet as a “campaign with dreams of becoming Chief Minister” and saying “you, come, go (nee va po)” without respect and civility in public is highly condemnable. We have seen that if a woman rises in politics and power, you and your party leaders, your coalition leaders, and your mercenary speakers will not hesitate to criticize her. But you and your alliance leader Mr. @EVKSElangovan take turns criticizing our Union Finance Minister Mrs. @nsitharaman. Is this the Dravidian policy? Is this what the I.N.D.I.Alliance is proclaiming as their policy? Do you, who were embroiled in corruption cases, have the basic qualification to talk about our Union Finance Minister who was the first woman Defence Minister? Therefore, we urge you to stop criticizing the rising women in politics and the shining women in power and stop being jealous of them with such low-level comments, and at least promote “civilized politics” that your party members are not used to.”
இதுதான் உங்கள் திராவிடத்தின் வளர்ப்பா திரு. @Dayanidhi_Maran அவர்களே?
நமது மத்திய அமைச்சரவையில் முக்கிய பொறுப்பில் இருக்கும், ஒரு பெண் அமைச்சரைப் பற்றி, “முதல்வராகும் கனவுடன் டேரா போட்டவர்” என்ற பொய் அவதூறுகளைப் பரப்புவதும், “நீ, வா, போ” என மரியாதையும் நாகரிகமுமின்றி பொதுவில்…
This is not the first time Dayanidhi Maran has spoken disrespectfully about Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
“Nirmala Mami”
In August 2023, the DMK organised a “day-long fast” on 20 August 2023 to protest against the union government’s insistence on continuing with the exam. Speaking at the event, DMK MP and former Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Dayanidhi Maran, made several casteist remarks against Brahmins and in particular against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
He said, “Anitha’s (the girl who died by suicide in 2017 after being unable to secure a medical seat) brother spoke here today and he said 2017, the year Anitha died, was an important year. Why do you think is it an important year? It is because in 2016, J Jayalalithaa passed away and BJP wanted to use every opportunity to come to power with the help of the “slaves” and that is why they sent “Nirmala Mami”. Ok, they sent Nirmala Sitharaman. What she does is (laughs, as someone points out why he mentioned the word Mami – he responds by saying, I said it inadvertently.)
He continued to say, “That woman has no work in Tamil Nadu, she is not even an elected Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, and she has never come to this side. She claims to have been born here and probably has her roots in Tamil Nadu, she knows several languages but doesn’t care for the state at all.”
In a nearly 18-minute-long tirade in Parliament in February 2024, Dayanidhi Maran went on a lengthy rant and peddled lies about the Finance Minister, the Prime Minister, and the BJP government at the centre while hiding facts from the members of the House.
He started by saying, “This interim budget is an eyewash, it is a huge disappointment especially since this budget is useless for the poor. The middle-class people were expecting tax benefits since they kept on saying they are doing good things but all they got was ‘naamam’” – a derogatory representation of the Vaishnavite mark on the forehead connected to cheating.
After fumbling through numbers and mumbling some nonsense on the budget, he starts to target Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He said, “We are proud of her since she is a Tamilian, she was born in TN and belongs to the state, we thought she was a good person, a mighty person, but all that comes out of her mouth is different from the truth. She said this interim budget was focused on the poor, youth, and women. But the truth is that the rich such as Ambani, Adani, and Tata are becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer. The revenue of India – 40% of it is held by the Tatas, Ambanis, and Adanis. The middle class is becoming poor, they are not having any income. They said they would provide jobs for youth, when – after they are re-elected to power. Mr Prime Minister, in 2014 you said you would generate 2 crore jobs per year, what happened to that? For 10 years you were all talk and no action – Dayanidhi Maran used the Tamil phrase “Vaaila Vadai Sudardu” to explain this. Opportunities for women are decreasing”, he further mumbled some numbers fumbling all the while.
He continued his tirade and peddled the same lies that the DMK has been peddling all this time. He said, “You waived off all the loans given to Ambani, Adani, and Tata (instead of saying write off)
You never waived off farmer loans but did that only for the rich people’s loans. You brought anti-farmer laws but the people opposed them and you repealed them.”
He again fumbles mentioning numbers about inflation. He claimed that the price of essential commodities was going up constantly, the highest in 30 years. He also added that people were instead losing their savings.
Now comes the anti-TN stance claim. He said, “Last year when the Michaung cyclone hit Chennai, our CM Stalin met PM and asked for ₹7033 crores as relief. ₹12655 crores was also asked. But till now what did we get? Zero. We did not receive even a naya paisa from the “Union” government. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh came to TN to oversee the relief efforts, and even Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also came, she saw, waved her hands, spoke some things, gave interviews, and left without giving even a single rupee. The cruelty of this is that we said we are not asking for your money, just give us from our tax revenue share, our TN’s future Udhayanidhi Stalin asked. He said, we are not asking for your money or your father’s money, just give our tax revenue share. In response to that, our Finance minister held a press conference, and for one hour she lashed out at us. What did she say? That Udhayanidhi Stalin did not speak respectfully, he should not say words like your father’s money or mother’s money. But she didn’t realise that the PM himself once asked if it was your “grandfather’s money”. Didn’t Nirmala Sitharaman find time to advise him? I am asking her, Madam Nirmala Sitharaman, you are speaking about mother’s money, I ask you in return, is it your father’s (thopanaar) money? (Here Dayanidhi Maran has used the word Thopanaar, which is a Tambram dialect directed at the background of Nirmala Sitharaman). If I say that, will it be nice? No, right? It is exactly that, your speech was filled with vehemence.”
“This Lady”
At a protest in Chennai in July 2024 protesting the “neglect” on TN, Maran spoke about Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He said, “The one who reads the budget, every single time, this Nirmala is there no, she always quotes a Thirukkural. This time, she neither quoted a Kural nor Tamil or Tamil Nadu. When they did not get votes from here (TN), they did this. I don’t know where this lady Nirmala Sitharaman studied on this earth. She created a new “East“. She says Bihar is East, Andhra Pradesh is East, andothers are not. West Bengal is not East for her, nor is Odisha. Even though Andhra is only a short distance from here, it is east, and we are not. This is cheating. Nirmala Sitharaman has created a new earth.”
He further said, “I asked her, what is this, madam? Why are you saying this? Who elected you? She is not an elected member but a nominated member. So, she is not worried about the problems faced by the people.”
Recalling the floods of 2023 in TN, he said, “When the state was affected by the floods last year, it was a never-before-seen type of flood. The rains hit Thoothukudi in January 2024 after affecting Chennai in December 2023. It was an unprecedented flood. We asked them ₹35,000 crores; they gave us only ₹257 crores. They gave us peanuts and asked us to pick it up. But Bihar got ₹35,000 crores. Last year, Gujarat faced floods. They gave ₹1000 crores the next day without even being asked. Our CM is so great, he said he will ‘save the people whether you give us the money or not.”
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