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AP CM Chandrababu Naidu Vows To Clean Up TTD Of Corruption

By
The Commune
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Recently sworn-in Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu visited the the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala as his first pilgrimage on 13 June 2024. The three-time Chief Minister took oath for the fourth time at Vijayawada and visited the temple to offer his prayers and vowed to “cleanse” the Tirupati-Tirumala administration (TTD) of corruption.

Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Naidu alleged there were irregularities in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which oversees the Venkateswara temple, during the erstwhile Jagan Mohan Reddy regime. The TDP supremo said he was committed to eliminating corruption and protecting Hindu Dharma in Tirumala. “Cleansing in the state will start from Tirumala. In Tirumala, nothing but the chanting of Govinda’s name will be heard. It is not right to desecrate the sacred Tirumala. When you come to Tirumala, you get the feeling of Vaikuntha. There should be no other slogan on Tirumala except Om Namo Venkatesaya. Tirumala has changed for the worse in the last five years,” he said.

It is noteworthy that senior Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES) officer AV Dharma Reddy, executive officer of the TTD, went on a week-long leave ahead of Naidu’s visit, fueling speculation that he wanted to avoid facing the new CM. The NDA allies – TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena Party – have long alleged that Dharma Reddy indulged in irregularities during his tenure.

Accompanied by his family members, the Chief Minister took a special flight to Tirupati on Wednesday evening and then travelled by road to Tirumala, where he spent the night. Early Thursday morning, he offered prayers at the sacred hill temple.

However, there were protocol lapses during Naidu’s visit, as TTD officials, including JEO V Veerabrahmam and CVSO D Narasimha Kishore, did not come out to receive him when he arrived at Gayatri Nilayam guest house. Naidu expressed his displeasure over this lapse. His son Nara Lokesh also criticized the police for excessive security arrangements, likening it to the previous regime.

Naidu and his family offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara Swamy at the iconic Tirumala temple around 8 AM, marking his maiden visit as the Chief Minister.

Additionally, back in 2022, Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan demanded to free Hindu temples from government control in Andhra Pradesh. He had said, “If this is a secular Country, why can’t Govts have control over Churches and mosques, but only Hindu Temples?” 

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DMK Leadership Shuffles Ranks, Strips Senji Masthan’s Party Position

By
The Commune
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The DMK leadership has made significant changes in its ranks, removing Gingee K S Masthan alias Senji Masthan, the Minister of Minority Welfare from his party position as secretary of Villupuram North District. Dr. Sekar, formerly the President of the North District Assembly, has been appointed as the new district in-charge.

While there are speculations regarding the parliamentary election activities, it’s reported that the decision to relieve Masthan of his duties isn’t solely linked to the election preparations for Vikravandi. Party insiders suggest it was a predetermined move to oust Masthan from his role. Allegations against Masthan and his family’s political influence seem to be the underlying cause of his removal.

Last September, 13 councilors tendered their resignations, citing concerns about the control exerted by Masthan’s family over local governance. Complaints highlighted the non-functional leadership of Nirmala, the Tindivanam municipal council president, and the perceived dominance of Rizwan, Masthan’s brother-in-law, in municipal affairs.

Subsequent actions saw Rizwan being removed from his position as Deputy Organizer of the Villupuram North District Sports Development Team, along with Masthan’s son, Mukhtiyar Ali Masthan, being relieved of his duties as coordinator of the Villupuram North District IT Team. Masthan’s brother, Kaja Nazir, also faced removal from his position as the secretary of the Gingee Railway Corporation due to allegations of involvement in wood smuggling. The situation escalated when a photo of Masthan Marur, the minister’s relative, feeding cake to Marur Raja, who was arrested under the Goondas act, went viral. Political opponents, including BJP state president Annamalai, used this incident to demand Masthan’s removal from office.

Complaints regarding Masthan’s family members holding key party positions and associating with questionable individuals were brought to the attention of DMK leadership. As a result, Nazir was stripped of his post. The dominance of Masthan’s family over Villupuram North District has been a recurring concern, with complaints regularly reaching party leadership. Despite these complaints, Masthan’s removal from office was reportedly delayed to avoid any negative impact on the elections.

The decision to remove Masthan from his party position comes ahead of the by-elections in Vikravandi, scheduled after the demise of MLA Pugazhenthi. Anniyur Siva, secretary of DMK’s agricultural labourers’ wing has been named as the candidate for the constituency. Additionally, Gautham Sigamani, son of Minister Ponmudi, has been appointed as the in-charge for the southern district. Speculations abound regarding the timing of Masthan’s removal, with some suggesting it was orchestrated to facilitate his involvement in election work in the Vikravandi constituency. However, insiders claim that the decision was premeditated and awaited the right opportunity to be executed.

Minister SM Nasar, already a member of the Muslim community, has been removed from his position replaced with TRB Rajaa, son of TR Baalu. Additionally, Palayamkottai MLA Abdul Wahab faced the same fate. This trend of stripping individuals of their posts now extends to Senji Masthan, whose family holds significant influence in the Villupuram North area.

(with inputs from Puthiyathalaimurai)

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IMK Dy Secy Arrested – Party Alleges Retaliation For Involvement In Dismantling Illegal Christian Cemetery Near Ancient Uchistha Ganapathy Temple

By
The Commune
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Palayamkottai police have arrested Indu Makkal Katchi’s Deputy Secretary, Udaiyar, following allegations that he suggested the Bharatiya Janata Party could only establish itself in Tamil Nadu through orchestrated riots. This action was prompted by the leakage of an audio recording purportedly featuring Udaiyar in conversation with a BJP member.

In the alleged recording, Udaiyar expressed frustration over the BJP’s electoral losses in Tamil Nadu and suggested that riots are necessary for the party’s growth in the state. Identified as a functionary of Indu Makkal Katchi and former Tirunelveli district secretary of Hindu Munnani during the conversation, Udaiyar criticized the handling of funds during the election campaign and questions the efficacy of senior BJP leader Kesava Vinayagam.

Sub-Inspector of Police Duraipandi filed a complaint against Udaiyar, accusing him of attempting to sow discord among different groups, potentially inciting violence and disrupting public peace. Consequently, the police have charged Udaiyar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and apprehended him on 11 June 2024 and sent to judicial remand till 25 June.

However, the chief of Indu Makkal Katchi suggested that his arrest now is a retaliatory measure for his previous actions. He claimed that his efforts to dismantle an illegal Christian cemetery constructed unlawfully in front of a 2000-year-old ancient temple entrance previously have provoked authorities to take action against him as payback.

Indu Makkal Katchi in its official handle stated, “Woodiyar got this illegal Xian Cemetery removed. Today’s arrest seems like an act of revenge, and payback. DMK media caught a loose talk happened in the spur of the moment, to arrest his again.”

Udaiyar’s Involvement In Removal Of An Unauthorized Christian Cemetery Near Ancient Uchistha Ganapathy Temple

In 2020, the Indu Makkal Katchi issued a press release questioning the actions of Tirunelveli District Collector, Shilpa Prabhakar Satish IAS. She had been visited by Christian pastors accompanied by members of various Tamil Nadu political parties, excluding the BJP. They came to file a complaint against Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK) members for demolishing a Christian cemetery situated in front of the Uchistha Ganapathy temple at Manimoortheeswaram.

The cemetery, erected by the local Church directly in front of the Manimoortheeswaram Uchistha Ganapathy temple, was torn down on the night of 17 October by Indu Makkal Katchi members. This action followed repeated appeals by locals and Hindu organizations to the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments board and the district administration, which had yielded no results.

Subsequently, nine IMK members surrendered at the police station. IMK sources claimed that Christian pastors and political parties had approached the District Collector, urging the charging of IMK members under the National Security Act.

In November 2019, the Legal Rights Observatory, a non-profit legal activism organization focused on safeguarding Indian interests, filed a complaint with the Tirunelveli District Collector, seeking the removal of the encroachment of the Christian cemetery. In response, the district administration stated that the cemetery was on private land. Section 145 had been imposed on the land, and burial rites had been halted due to objections from devotees and locals.

However, the latest IMK press release highlights that the temple land had been unlawfully encroached upon by a local Church organization, with one faction continuously burying the deceased in the cemetery.

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Dravidianists Indulge In Casteist, Regionalist Accusations Over Viral “Amit Shah Admonishing Tamilisai” Video, Netizens Call Out Hypocrisy

By
The Commune
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The stage was set for the swearing-in ceremony of TDP President Chandrababu Naidu as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. However, something else caught the imagination of the public. A video of the Union Home Minister allegedly “admonishing” South Chennai BJP candidate and former Telangana governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan went viral on social media platforms. While it is unclear what the conversation was about, given the incidents over the past few days within the Tamil Nadu BJP, everyone assumed Shah was scolding Tamilisai.

The Dravidianists gave it a casteist, regionalist, and “feminist” spin. Here are some posts to demonstrate that:

The Nadar Mahajana Sangam (Association) apparently condemned the “action”. Posters such as the below are said to have been plastered across town. The poster says, “We strongly condemn Amit Shah and Annamalai who insulted the daughter of the Nadar clan, Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is a former governor and insulted her on the public stage. We warn that both of them should issue a public apology immediately or else the people of Tamil Nadu will have to engage in a huge protest.
Nadar Mahajana Sangam, Tirunelveli District”

Dravidianists have hounded Tamilisai for her hair quality, skin color, and height. This has been happening ever since she became the president of TNBJP. Here are a few examples. A DMK leader known for his crass and vulgar speeches has time and again bodyshamed Tamilisai Sounderarajan.

Netizens Question Dravidianist Hypocrisy

Netizens questioned the Dravidianists and the DMK over their hypocrisy over casteism, feminism, and regionalism.

 

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SSI Wilson Murder Case: NIA Files Chargesheet Against Seven Arrested Suspects

By
The Commune
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) submitted a chargesheet on Wednesday to the special court handling NIA cases, implicating seven suspects in the murder of special sub-inspector (SSI) Wilson, who was killed in Kaliyakavilai, Kanyakumari on 8 January 2020.

According to the police, Wilson, who was stationed at the Kaliyakavilai police station, was performing his duties at a checkpoint on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border in Kanyakumari district when he was shot and stabbed to death by fundamentalists.

The police arrested seven individuals in connection with the case: Abdul Shamim, 30; Taufiq, 27; Khaja Moideen, 53; Mehboob Pasha, 48; Ijaz Pasha, 46; Zafar Ali, 26; and Sikkabuddin, 36. The investigation revealed their connections to terrorist activities.

The case was initially managed by the state police but was later transferred to the NIA. The seven suspects were transported from prisons in Delhi, Bangalore, and Salem under heavy police security to be presented before Judge Ilavalagan, after which they were escorted back to their respective prisons.

(with inputs from Times of India)

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BJP’s Rising Clout In Coimbatore Despite Defeat: Boosted Vote Share Fuels Hopes For 2026

By
The Commune
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The BJP and the DMK faced each other head-to-head in several constituencies. Coimbatore was one among those closely watched constituencies. There was speculation that Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party state president K Annamalai would win the tough three-way contest, making election day a nail-biting event. Unexpectedly, it was a closely fought battle, with Annamalai ultimately being defeated by a margin of 1.18 lakh votes. Now that the elections are over, let’s take a look at the performance of the BJP in this VIP constituency.

Registered voters – 21,06,124

No. of votes polled – 13,72,833 (64.89% turnout)

Interestingly, the booth voting percentage for the BJP in Coimbatore is seeing a rise despite numerous allegations during the voting process that many voters, particularly BJP supporters’ names were removed from the voters list and rampant money distribution by the DMK.

Even though, 64 booths (367-430) in the Kalapatti area of Kavundampalayam Constituency recorded a total of 46,732 votes. The BJP received 17,519 votes (37.5%), the DMK secured 18,309 votes (39.1%), and the AIADMK garnered 7,102 votes (15.2%). This data is from the municipal elections held two years ago. In the 2022 Corporation Election, the recorded votes were 44,187, with the BJP obtaining 3,147 votes (7.1%), the DMK achieving 25,938 votes (59%), and the AIADMK receiving 12,280 votes (27.8%). Before the commencement of the elections and the candidate’s announcement, BJP had about 15% vote bank in Coimbatore Parliament Constituency and has increased today to 32.5%.

Despite utilizing substantial resources, the DMK managed to increase its vote share by only about 1.5% in the parliamentary elections. The heads of the booth committees are celebrating the surge in faith and eagerly started their work for the next general election in 2026 with enthusiasm.

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Students Forced To Study In The Open Due To Lack Of Classrooms At Govt School In Theethipalayam, Coimbatore

By
The Commune
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A shortage of classrooms has led to an unusual predicament for students in Theethipalayam village, Coimbatore. The government secondary school in the village is witnessing a decline in admissions due to the lack of adequate infrastructure to accommodate students.

With ongoing construction work, the school authorities have resorted to redirecting new students to other schools in the vicinity. Even the existing students of classes 8 and 9, numbering around 100, are facing the brunt of the classroom shortage.

In a distressing scenario, these students are being forced to attend classes under the open sky, sitting under trees and in the two-wheeler parking area. Despite the mild drizzles thanks to the setting in of the South-West monsoon, the makeshift classrooms continue to operate, raising concerns about the students’ well-being and the quality of education they receive.

Theethipalayam village, with a population of around 10,000, has traditionally seen a strong demand for education, with approximately 500 students attending the government school. Four years ago, the school was upgraded to a secondary level, introducing classes up to the 12th grade. However, the lack of sufficient classrooms has now become a stumbling block, forcing students to study in less-than-ideal conditions.

As the southwest monsoon sets in, the situation is expected to worsen, prompting criticisms from concerned parties and calls for immediate action from the government.

Critics and affected parties urge the authorities to ensure adequate infrastructure and maintain a teacher-student ratio of 1:30-40 for each classroom. They highlight the irony of Theethipalayam facing a shortage of classrooms, while several other villages grapple with a lack of student enrollment.

The Tamil Nadu government’s efforts to increase enrollment rates in government schools could be undermined by such instances of inadequate facilities. Addressing the classroom crunch in villages like Theethipalayam is crucial to providing a conducive learning environment and encouraging more students to pursue their education in government institutions.

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Mayiladuthirai: St. Paul’s Girls’ School Student Allegedly Slapped By Teacher For Refusing To Sweep Classroom

By
The Commune
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It has come to light that the administration of St. Paul’s Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Mayiladuthurai has been compelling their students to clean their classrooms to “instill” discipline. This was exposed by a ninth-grade student who refused to follow this order. When the student resisted this order, she was met with a slap on her face from the teacher.

A 14-year-old girl from Mayiladuthurai, who had completed her eighth grade at a school on Poompuhar Road, was enrolled by her parents into the ninth grade at a government-aided school (St. Paul’s Girls’ Higher Secondary School) in the same town. On her first day at the new school, an incident occurred when the school day ended – the teacher slapped the student on her cheek when she mentioned that she had to board her van that was waiting outside to take her home. Upon returning home, the girl promptly informed her parents about the incident.

The following day, the girl’s parents visited the school to discuss how their daughter was treated the previous day at school. It turned into a heated exchange with the school administration. The parents were upset that they were asked to pick up their daughter who was there to study. They decided to withdraw her from the school and expressed their intention to enroll her in a different institution. They also accused the school administration of intimidating the female students under the guise of discipline.

Speaking to news reporters the student said, “I just joined yesterday. At 4:30, when the bell rang, a teacher came and asked me to sweep, I said the van would come, I’m late, and I have to go. She slapped me on the cheek asking, ‘You have just joined, how arrogant are you?‘”

In response to these allegations, the school administration stated that a teachers’ meeting was held at the school from 3:30 PM the previous day, during which time no teacher had entered the classroom or physically disciplined the student. They also mentioned that it is a regular practice for students to clean their classrooms while seated on a bench.

(with inputs from ETV Bharat)

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NTA Busts NEET Candidate’s Viral NEET OMR Tampering Claim As Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Amps Up The False Allegations

By
The Commune
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Neet torn OMR, Ayushi Patel, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has refuted the accusations made by Ayushi Patel, a NEET 2024 candidate from Lucknow, in a widely circulated video on social media platform X. NTA has clarified that no torn OMR answer sheet was dispatched through an official NTA ID. The integrity of the OMR answer sheet remains intact, and the scores have been accurately recorded according to official documentation.

The NEET 2024 result controversy gained momentum when Ayushi Patel, hailing from Lucknow, claimed in a viral video that her result had not been processed. Upon contacting NTA, she was allegedly informed that her NEET 2024 OMR sheet had been torn, leading to the inability to compute her result. Upon her request to review her NEET OMR sheet, she claimed that NTA provided her with a torn sheet where the answer options for all questions were visible. Ayushi Patel alleged that she had scored 715, matching her calculated score based on the NEET 2024 answer keys.

As the video garnered significant traction across various social media platforms, and seized the moment, the Indian National Congress sympathizers amplified its reach. General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shared the video, stating, “Lakhs of children prepare hard for exams like NEET and spend the most precious moments of their lives in this preparation. The whole family puts their faith and strength in this effort. But year after year, paper leaks and irregularities related to results have been reported in these exams. Shouldn’t the accountability of the agencies conducting the exams be fixed? Shouldn’t the government give up its careless attitude and seriously consider the exam system? We cannot see the dreams of our young friends being shattered like this. This injustice being done by the system with their hard work must stop. The government will have to take serious steps to correct these irregularities.”

In her video statement, Patel asserted that the National Testing Agency (NTA), the primary body overseeing examinations in India, notified her via email that her OMR sheet had sustained damage. She claimed that the email from NTA stated her result couldn’t be processed due to the discovery of a torn and damaged OMR sheet. Patel alleged that the tearing of her OMR sheet seemed intentional. Nonetheless, she emphasized that despite the damage, her submitted answers were visible on the sheet, amounting to a total score of 715 out of 720 marks when compared with the official answer key.

Expressing her shock, Patel remarked, “Upon hearing this, my family and I were deeply surprised. Their support prevented me from falling into depression. It seems the OMR sheet was deliberately torn. The marked bubbles indicating my answers are clearly discernible, and upon cross-referencing with the official answer key, my NEET score is calculated as 715 out of 720. We have filed a petition in the High Court, scheduled for Tuesday. This was my third attempt; I scored 535 marks in my first attempt and 570 marks in the second.”

With assistance from her uncle, a lawyer, Patel stated they replied to the NTA email and obtained access to her OMR sheet. Speaking to India Today, she further alleged tampering with her OMR sheet, claiming, “Even in this scanned image, the thumbprint appears blue, which is not possible; it should have been black. It’s evident my OMR has been manually altered.” Her assertions have garnered widespread coverage in mainstream media.

Responding to these allegations, NTA in its official X handle stated, “Regarding the viral video featuring Ms. Ayushi Patel, claiming discrepancies in NEET (UG) 2024 scoring and receiving of the torn OMR answer sheet, NTA clarifies that no torn OMR answer sheet was sent via an official NTA ID. OMR answer sheet is intact and scores are accurate as per official records. Candidate should download scorecards only from the website, www.exams.nta.ac.in/NEET.”

 A video of Ayushi Patel from October 2020 resurfaced online following her allegations of OMR sheet tampering. In the October 2020 video, she mentions, “One day my father asked something related to Corona and I couldn’t answer. I was disheartened. So I studied deeply. One day suddenly the formula of vaccine strikes in my mind.”

It’s important to note that vaccines don’t merely have a “chemical formula.” They are the result of a complex biopharmaceutical process involving isolating an inactive immunogenic component from the pathogen and developing it in laboratories in injectable or oral form. Developing a vaccine requires rigorous research and development, stabilization through large-scale production, transport, and administration. It often takes months or even years to develop a vaccine that can be safely administered to a large population.

For those unfamiliar, the NEET UG 2024 results have sparked widespread controversy and debate, with suspicions of inflated marks and other irregularities. Following the announcement of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) results on 4th June, revealing that 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720/720 marks and shared the All-India Rank 1, many medical aspirants and their parents raised concerns about glitches, alleged malpractices, ambiguous implementation of grace marks, and even an alleged paper leak. Notably, this year, 23,33,297 candidates from all over India appeared for the prestigious exam.

Meanwhile, genuine concerns about irregularities in the NEET examination results have reached the Supreme Court. The apex court, hearing the matter, has requested answers from the testing agency, noting that the sanctity of NEET-UG 2024 has been compromised.

(with inputs from OpIndia)

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TheCommune
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