In recent developments at Chennai Airport, several airlines have made strategic changes affecting both domestic and international routes. Notably, Air France has decided to suspend operations for the summer schedule, despite favorable load factors. Concurrently, Lufthansa has opted to reduce its frequency to five times, resulting in Hyderabad surpassing Chennai in European seat capacity for the first time.
Moreover, Chennai Airport’s prospects for flights to Vietnam seem dim, as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has replaced Chennai and Kolkata airports with Hyderabad and Bengaluru as the designated Points of Call (POC). This shift in designation may impact the airport’s connectivity to certain destinations.
The aviation landscape at Chennai Airport continues to witness alterations, with Akasa Air announcing the suspension of its lone Mumbai flights. SpiceJet, too, is set to halt operations on routes to Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, and Colombo in the near future. IndiGo has followed suit by discontinuing flights to Muscat, and the airline has not introduced any new destinations from Chennai.
Infrastructure challenges compound the issues, as the demolition of the old international terminal, originally slated for completion by January’s end, remains unfinished. Chennai also stands out with the lowest flight frequency to Delhi among major cities, trailing even behind Pune and Ahmedabad.
Despite the evolving dynamics of the aviation industry, there has been a noticeable lack of expansion initiatives by airlines at Chennai Airport. The cargo sector faces a concerning trend, with declining traffic over the years, in contrast to other airports experiencing growth.
Further exacerbating the situation is the insufficient number of aerobridges for international flights, with only four available. During peak hours, large wide-body planes are forced to park elsewhere, leading to the utilization of buses for passenger transit. These multifaceted challenges underscore the need for comprehensive measures to address the issues facing Chennai Airport and restore its competitiveness in the aviation sector.
Not many would have noticed but what’s happening with Chennai Airport??🙁 🔸Air France suspends operations for summer schedule (even though loads has been very good) 🔸Lufthansa reduces frequency to 5x (With this Hyderabad now has more seats to Europe for the 1st time ever)…
Many on social media pointed out that the it becomes the responsibility of the state government to compete with other states and impress the Centre for better connectivity and infrastructure facilities.
This is what happens when people elect State Governments without any long term vision. Both the present DMK Govt and its predecessor AIADMK Government cannot think beyond lining their pockets. It is the State Government that needs to lobby with the Centre for more connectivity… https://t.co/YMueeOjrVc
Bilal Abbas Khan, a Pakistani actor stirring controversy in India with his upcoming project, “Abdullahpur Ka Devdas,” set to be released on Zee5 on 26 February 2024.
Bilal Abbas Khan’s past involvement in the ISPR project “Khel Khel Mein” had sparked criticism. Released two years ago, the film was promoting an anti-Hindu narrative, whitewashing the Pakistan Army’s war crimes in present-day Bangladesh while also giving a clean chit to rapists of Bangladeshi women. The film has also been said to have made references to Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian businessman in Pakistani captivity for several years now.
Here is the trailer of the anti-India film Khel Khel Mein.
“Abdullahpur Ka Devdas” includes Nauman Ijaz, recognized for his acting skills but notorious for his radical Islamist views. His talk show, “G Sarkar,” was known for its controversial content, often mocking Indian figures like PM Modi, Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, and Hindu deities and rituals.
The series set to release later this month was shot two years ago, around the same time as the release of “Khel Khel Mein.” Despite the surrounding controversies, the series is expected to premiere on Zee5 later this month.
This is not the first time such concerns have been raised. Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui, recalling his experience on the set of the Bollywood film “Mom,” remembered preventing fellow actress Sajal Aly from mocking Hindu worship practices. In the video, he says, “It was the first day of shooting. She did a puja. I have never seen a puja live in my life, I was not aware of it at all. Sajal and I were standing there. This was happening on the sets. I was wearing shoes. One of them there gestured me to remvoe my footwear. Sajal and I looked at each other. I did not know what to do (shows how he kept his hands – in Muslim style during namaz or Hindu prayer format of joined hands). Everyone had their hands folded so I did that. I got caught in this and Sajal found it funny, she was laughing and covered her face with the joined hands. I also stopped her from mocking it since it was her first day.”
Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui fondly remembers his first day on the set of Bollywood film “Mom” and how he stopped fellow Pakistani actress Sajal Aly from mocking Hindu way of worship not because Muslims should respect others’ faith but because it was their first day in India. pic.twitter.com/xw8TG1EzKr
The decision of Indian production houses to finance projects featuring artists with potentially anti-Hindu sentiments has raised concerns. Many Pakistani actors, who gained popularity in India over the past decade, face criticism for expressing views aligning with the sentiments of Pakistan’s military establishment.
It is noteworthy that Zee Studios was one of the production companies for the anti-Brahmin/anti-Hindu film Annapoorani. Following public backlash, Zee decided to remove the film from Netflix.
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A few days ago, a post was shared by an X user about his ex-colleague’s “experience” at a restaurant in Tenkasi where he gaslighted
In the original post, a Naffes Ahmed claimed on Facebook that he had been to Tenkasi and narrated his experience at a restaurant there. He wrote, “Dear friends, I took my family for a Tenkasi tour. Yesterday we visited Papanasam temple, which has a Thamirabarani River connected. In between enjoying the bath in the river, myself went to search for lunch. I ordered and paid for 8 full meals parcel for 800 rs at Sri Annapoora Hotel at bill counter. After 20 mins, when I took my wife to get the parcel, the owner of the hotel refused to give the food after seeing my wife wearing burka (Abaya) and asked us to get the money back. But the parcel was ready & other ppl are still paying for food. We had strong debate & he was stubborn not to give us food. Finally we returned the bill & got the money back. We didn’t get the food anywhere, as another hotel was on leave. It was very difficult to handle children till 3pm, then we travelled for one hour & got some cakes for children. I can’t believe this happened in TN..”
The Facebook account is now locked and the original link to the post cannot be added here. However, we have a screenshot of his post for reference.
Subsequently, an uproar was generated on social media – both on the original poster’s page as well as the friend/ex-colleague who shared the content.
It was revealed on 6 February 2024 through a report on Puthiya Thalaimurai channel that the sequence of events as described by Naffes was not entirely true.
Speaking to the channel, the restaurant owner clarified that rice was in short supply due to the rush hour. He said, “It was about 12.45 PM that day when they came. Usually during the afternoon, there will be several workers/helpers, but on that day, 4 of them were on leave. Only 2 had turned up. It was quite a rush that day. They came with their family and bought tokens for 8 meals. I also gave it to them. Before this, 16 people were already eating and 4 of them were waiting to have their food. It so happened that rice was available only for these people who had already bought the tokens. If one is to have food at the restaurant, for 8 tokens, we could have managed but for takeaway, we would need rice equivalent for 10 people. So we asked them to wait because rice was cooking in the kitchen. We told them that we could hand over the parcel in about 20-30 minutes. But they insisted that they wanted the food urgently, that they had come from Chennai and were heading to the river to bathe, and that their kids had gone there already. So I asked one of the staff Kumar, whether we could pack the food for them. But he told me that rice was available only for 4 people and it was not possible to give it to them, if they waited for about 20-30 mins, we could parcel the food for them. But they said they wanted it immediately so I told them to bathe in the river and I will keep the food ready for them when they return.”
இஸ்லாமியர் என்பதால் சாப்பாடு மறுக்கப்பட்டதா? உணவக உரிமையாளர் சொல்வது என்ன? #Papanasam
The released CCTV footage corroborates the statements given by the restaurant owner and shows nothing remotely close to what Naffes Ahmed had claimed in his Facebook post.
The original FB post contained images of Modi on the walls of some street houses. Upon further digging, it was revealed that the said Naffes Ahmed was a rabid Modi-hater and questions of him visiting the temple (as inferenced from his post) arose.
— Tinku Venkatesh | ಟಿಂಕು ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ್ (@tweets_tinku) February 2, 2024
The ex-colleague who originally posted the screenshot on social media platform X later deleted the post. He shared a clarification as below:
Clarification 🚨 I spoke again spoke with the guy, he said he was contacted by few and will handle it officially. Asked me to delete the post (As he felt I was no related to this issue) Btw, my impression about our ppl changed 👍 Thanks to the group attacking.
During the construction of a bridge over the Krishna River at the Raichur and Telangana border, two ancient idols representing Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva were discovered in the riverbed near Shakti Nagar in Raichur City. The centuries-old idols, portraying the Dasavatar of Lord Krishna and a Linga symbolizing Lord Shiva, were unearthed by the construction team, as reported by TV9 Kannada.
Historian Padmaja Desai, speaking to TV9 Kannada, revealed that the idols discovered in the Krishna riverbed belonged to the 11th-century Kalyana Chalukyas dynasty. Desai suggested that these idols could have intentionally been submerged in the river during periods of inter-religious wars to safeguard them from adversaries. She emphasized that Raichur has been governed by various royal families and has been the backdrop for more than 163 battles throughout its history.
An ancient idol of Lord Vishnu and Shivling was unearthed from the Krishna river at a village in Karnataka's Raichur district.
The idols were purportedly submerged in the river to safeguard them from the invasions of Bahamani Sultans and Adil Shahis.
According to TV9 Kannada, officials from the archaeological department examined the idols and relocated them to secure locations. The stones utilized for sculpting the idols are composed of a green mixed rock, suggesting an origin from the Kalyana Chalukya era. The archaeological department is actively conducting additional research to gain deeper insights into these centuries-old idols.
The Greater Chennai Corporation is planning to establish an eco-park in the Pallikaranai Marsh, inspired by the Adyar Creek model and incorporating waste-processing facilities. The Corporation aims to create an eco-park and modern waste treatment facilities on the reclaimed land, emphasizing waste management, biodiversity conservation, and flood mitigation. The waste-processing facilities are designed to convert both dry and wet waste into resources, aligning with the circular economy concept.
Nevertheless, the suggestion to create an eco-park at the Perungudi dump yard encountered substantial resistance at a recent stakeholder meeting, where residents raised apprehensions about the Chennai Corporation’s strategy which is currently engaged in bio-mining to tackle historical waste, the corporation intends to reclaim approximately 100 acres for the eco-park. However, residents are contesting these initiatives, expressing concerns over potential detrimental effects on the marsh.
சென்னை பெருங்குடி குப்பைக் கிடங்கில் பல்லுயிர் பூங்கா அமைக்கும் திட்டத்தை கைவிட வேண்டும் என கருத்துக் கேட்பு கூட்டத்தின் போது குடியிருப்போர் சங்கத்தினர் எதிர்ப்பு…#perungudi#chennai#ecoparkpic.twitter.com/wCkqypwiSp
The public hearing, initially scheduled under the chairmanship of Chennai Mayor R Priya, south Chennai DMK MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian, and Corporation Commissioner J Radhakrishnan, took place on 5 February 2024 by the civic body resumed with the three of them absent. Instead, Joint Commissioner of Health Department Shankar Lal Kumawat chaired the hearing in the company of Sholinganallur MLA Aravind Ramesh and Perungudi zone Chairman SV Ravichandran.
The proposed 93-acre eco-park with ponds, costing ₹99 crores, drew opposition, alleging that the dumpyard is on marshland. While officials argued it’s part of a larger plan to restore the marshland, residents, including environment auditors, criticized the lack of ecological expert input in the presentation and concerns were raised about the park altering the wetland’s nature, and residents urged adherence to Ramsar site standards for marshland conservation. Despite public opposition, Aravind Ramesh sought inputs in favor of the proposal, but none were provided.
During the meeting, a resident questioned, “Where is the mayor and the commissioner? Firstly, it has been advertised in the press that the mayor and commissioner will come. Secondly, you cannot decide yourself and ask us, sir. Whether in Pallikaranai it should be marshland or park should be decided by us, not you, because the High Court has ordered on 1st February that Marshland should not be changed. How are you proceeding with this? The main reason for the flood in Chennai is that the marshland was not properly protected.”
DMK Perungudi zone Chairman and ward councilor SV Ravichandran responded, “Don’t expect us to tell you all of your wisdom; if you have to, we have given a form, write it down. To speak to sir, we should give everyone a chance; we’re not saying no to opinions, we’re saying give everyone a chance.”
He further said, “Sir, firstly, the park is not constructed in the marshland; it is coming at the dump yard, by removing the waste, the park is coming. Then later, he said, “First, see the demo, then tell your opinion.”
சதுப்பு நிலத்தை சதுப்பு நிலமா இருக்க விடுங்க சார் – பள்ளிக்கரணை சதுப்பு நிலத்தை பூங்காவாக மாற்ற கருத்து கேட்டு வந்த சென்னை மாநகராட்சியை கேள்விகளால் திணறடித்த பொது மக்கள்.
இவர்களை பார்க்கும் போது வடிவேலு அவர்களின் நகைச்சுவை வசனம் தான் நினைவுக்கு வருகிறது. வந்துட்டாங்கய்யா..… pic.twitter.com/TkF2M0MV4c
A woman resident said, “We have been petitioning this problem for five years; dig all the lake and connect. Naturally In all lakes, if there is no inlet and outlet, drenches in Pallikaranai Lake, enter via Perumbakkam Marsh and reach Pallikaranai wetland. But as you reduce the capacity, people like us live in Sisuseri, Navalur, Thalambur, and all communities on that side; how many high-rise buildings are you constructing? Every year for two months, one week, or ten days, we all are going out. You’ve decided to reduce the capacity because you are staying in the city, dumping the waste, but our wastes are dumped somewhere else. If you think we cannot reduce dumping the waste or else if there is a process only by converting a forest into marshland give two months some house because year after year the well-off stay in hotels and the poor stay in shelters, nearby there are two nagars ezhil muga nagar and Jawahar Nagar. They went out with only neck length. This is happening in November and December, and we are tired of petitioning the Chengalpattu Collector. You can turn a swamp into a swamp without turning it into a forest, go to San Francisco; they’re restoring swamps all over the world. Even UNEP states that wetlands can absorb more carbon than any forest, so without converting into a forest, you ecologist, please go and study the technology. Our lives and possessions are with you. We don’t need any park; we need a protected life and possessions.”
Later DMK MLA Aravind Ramesh said, “You should not impose your own personal opinions; If an official has come we should listen and understand the general knowledge of what he is saying.”
எது General Knowledge? சதுப்பு நிலத்துக்கு உள்ளே சாலை அமைப்பதும், நடைபாதை அமைப்பதும், கட்டிடங்கள் கட்டுவதுமா நீங்கள் மக்களுக்கு சொல்லிக் கொடுக்கும் General Knowledge .. MLA @S_AravindRamesh அவர்களே? தமிழகத்தின் மிகப்பெரிய சட்டமன்ற தொகுதியின் மக்கள் பிரதிநிதி நீங்கள். கொஞ்சமாவது… pic.twitter.com/gd7dpA27Co
Another resident who introduced himself as an ecologist said, “You say that you will dig a pond in a marshy land, what a stupid piece of crap, ponds are dug out for land. You declare that as an eco-park and lay a concrete walkway for entry, you use the rubbish then Korean grass on it and ask us not to walk on that. Compared to Vedanthangal, Pallikaranai has more species of birds; how can we occupy that habitat? “All your projects are more human-centric not nature-centric.”
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With the onset of the election season, political temperatures is bound to soar along with the mercury this summer. To cool it down, we invite our readers to contribute original ideas for satires, cartoons, memes, sarcastic small essays, punch dialogues that will lighten up the atmosphere.
Three best entries will be chosen every week by The Commune team and will be featured on the website. The winners will get a cash prize of ₹3000.
Please note that the submissions have to be original work and in English. Submissions copy pasted from internet will be rejected.
In a concerning incident highlighting the state of buses in Tamil Nadu, a government bus witnessed a major safety lapse when its floor opened up mid-journey, causing a passenger to fall onto the road. Fortunately, the passenger escaped with her life, and the bus came to a halt after the distressing incident.
On route number 59 from Thiruvekkadu to Vallalar Nagar, the bus passed the NSK Nagar signal when an unsettling incident transpired. The board beneath the rear seat suddenly broke, causing a passenger seated on it to slide down. Responding to the passenger’s screams, the bus came to an immediate halt, preventing further harm. The woman, who fell from the government bus near Aminjikarai in Chennai, survived the incident but was left hanging for a short distance.
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party leader SG Suryah brought this to people’s attention by sharing the video of the incident. Netizens expressed dismay over the apparent lack of attention to the state’s public transportation system.
In the video shared by Suryah, the passengers and onlookers are seen questioning the government over the condition of the MTC buses in the state. Suryah questioned Chief Minister MK Stalin’s government’s priorities as he is often seen sharing pictures of his Spain visit of late. The incident is seen as indicative of the need for a thorough examination of the condition and maintenance of government buses to ensure the safety of passengers.
#DravidianModel Government Bus floor opens up in the middle of the journey & the passengers falls on the road. Luckily she’s safe. #பொம்மைமுதல்வர் CM @mkstalin busy with photo shoots.
திருவேற்காட்டில் இருந்து வள்ளலார் நகர் செல்லும் தடம் எண் 59 என் எஸ் கே நகர் சிக்னலை கடந்த போது,… pic.twitter.com/Nr5kdtXZF7
Passengers are voicing their expectations for enhanced safety measures and rigorous maintenance protocols to be implemented across the state’s bus fleet.
It is noteworthy that a large number of buses offer free rides to women in the state. TNBJP President K Annamalai has time and again pointed out the economic condition of the state where TN has become one of the largest debtors in the country.
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John Brittas, CPI-M MP from Kerala, went on a vehement philippic against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing them of dividing the country and ranted on about the Pran Prathishta ceremony in Ayodhya in January 2024. He also took digs at various members of the BJP in Rajya Sabha as he went on and about his rant.
BJP – Law-Abiding
He started by mocking the BJP for becoming law-abiding all of a sudden, especially after the Pran Prathishta. He said, “Sir, all of a sudden BJP has become law-abiding, how many times they mentioned the Supreme Court? Even during the Pran Prathishta, there was a reference to the Supreme Court. Are they inflicted with Selective Amnesia? They are indeed. What did the Supreme Court say in its verdict? An honourable Judge who presided over the bench is a member of this house. I rarely see him today I saw him for 2 minutes but he disappeared. I wanted to speak about that. Is it not a fact the same Supreme Court said there was a conspiracy, calculated act, and egregious violation? It further said the desecration in 1949 leading to the ouster of Muslims and its eventual destruction on December 6 constituted a serious violation of the rule of law. Who did it? Rajeev Saab, you people did it. All of a sudden they forget about it, they forget about the Supreme Court verdict. Now see the sad predicament of this country.”
Ram Is For All
From complaining about the BJP, he went to staking claim for “Ram”. He said, “Sir, they all speak about Ram. Ram belongs to us also, see my Ram is Mahatma Gandhi’s Ram, of compassion, of harmony, and love. you also have a Ram, you also have a Ram but there is a prefix to that. You know what is a prefix, their Ram is Nathuram. That is a difference between our Ram and your Ram.”
While Brittas is a CPI-M member, he seems to be parroting the views of the Congress and the DMKas seen in the recent gathering in Kerala where Youth Congress members conducted a discussion where they vehemently spoke about RSS which killed Gandhi, ably supported by DMK’s Salma.
Speaking about Mahatma Gandhi, he said, “Madam, let me just say one thing Mahatma Gandhi in Harijan wrote precisely about them sir, ‘to repeat Rama nama and to follow the way of Ravana is actual practice worse than useless. It is sheer hypocrisy, one might deceive oneself or the world, but one could not deceive the Almighty. You cannot deceive Lord Rama because though you are harping old Rama, your only intention is to reap political benefit, nothing else.’
He also added, “The situation in this country, it’s vitiated. You would be surprised Madam, a professor in an organization, in an Institute posted on her social media account that she is proud of Godse for saving India. This is because you are inspiring the academics to say that. can you ever think about such a situation say 5 years back in this country? This is where the country has been taken.”
PM Or High Priest?
Unable to control his anguish over PM Modi’s increasing popularity after the Pran Prathishta ceremony, he said, “Sir nowadays we cannot distinguish between the Prime Minister and the high priest. Whether our Prime Minister is a high priest or the high priest is a Prime Minister? If there is a political programme, it will be turned into a
religious programme. If it is a religious programme, it would be turned into a political programme. They all accused us of staying away from Ayodhya Pran Prathishta. What did the Shankaracharyas do? Will you send ED and CBI after Shankaracharyas? All of them stayed away because they didn’t want to be part of this political drama which you were trying to whip up there in Ayodhya.”
He then went on to remind the house that the date 4 February was very significant because Sardar Patel had banned the RSS on that day.
Sengol – A Symbol Of Monarchy
Connecting the Sengol to the Monarchy system, Brittas who was among the many MPs who boycotted the new Parliament building inauguration ceremony and had said that the PM was bypassing the President, now said, “I was so sad to see The Honourable Rashtrapati being preceded, paraded behind a Sengol, is it a modern democratic country, madam? Is it not a fact that Sardar Patel would be turning in his grave because he was instrumental in dumping Sengol, Simhasan, Crown to redeem this country from all these monarchies? you want to take back this country to the monarchy era. Shortly you will see a Simhasan here, the parliament would be turned into it.”
PM Finishes Everything He Prostrates To
Continuing his rant about the PM, he said, “I am always afraid when the prime minister prostate in front of an organisation or institution. prime minister when he took charge as the Prime Minister, he came and prostrated on the steps of Parliament, he finished the Parliament. Wherever he prostates, he is finishing it. If he calls mitron, there is going to be a mystery for the people. You know what happened during the demonetisation. So you are doing an injustice to Mr. Sardar Patel by bringing back the Sengol and Simhasans and of course, the clowns also will be back, because Palace clowns were there, naturally when monarchy comes, Palace clowns also will come back. Sir, it’s an insult to the Republic of course.”
It is noteworthy to remember that Brittas, a Christian himself, had made fun of the Adheenams during the time of the Sengol installation in new Parliament building. He said, “What do these Sanyasis have to do with the Parliament? Are they representatives of India? Have they ever voted in an election? What nonsense is happening in this country? Do you think people of South will stomach all this humbug that is being doled out? No! Never!”
PM Must Do Pran Prathishta In Manipur
Continuing the Pran Prathishta rant, he said, “Madam the point is very simple, sabka saath sabka vikas, we are tired of listening to this repeatedly. Whom will you people support? You did Pran Prathishta, I don’t want to dispute about Pran Prathishta because these are times when human beings will have to give PRan to gods that is it. But the primary responsibility of the Prime Minister is to give Pran to the citizens, not the gods. He should obviously stick to his duties he should go to Manipur and conduct a Pran Prathishta for the citizens, that should be done first. Instead of that, don’t create political drama to just get some votes.”
Passing Bills Like 2-Minute Dosas
Surprised at the speed at which bills were passed in the Parliament, he said, “Sir Madam, now the pastime of BJP RSS is dismantling institutions, institution after institution are dismantled. we all talk about what happened to the standing committees, is something happening? She (Priyanka Chaturvedi) has not attended a Parliamentary standing committee for 2-3 months. There is no committee, there is no perusal, they are not sending any bill, they are passing bills like making dosa in 2 minutes,d at laws are being made.”
If You Dig Further You Will Go To Middle East
In what seemed like he was mocking the recent ASI survey at Kashi Vishwanath temple, he said, “What is this situation? What kind of an atmosphere you people have created? You’re digging digging every religious institute. You need to dig further, further, how far you are going to dig? How far you are going to dig? Once you dig further you will find Buddha Vihara and Jain Vihara, if you dig further you will have to go to the Middle East, if you dig further you will have to go to Africa where all your ancestors came from. So what is the futility the purpose of this digging?”
Statistics?
Wanting to present some statistics to add weight to his speech, he compared the GDP in the UPA era and the Modi era. He said, “Sir, now selective statistics what is happening in this country? The country has been taken to a different level, 56 inch 5 trillion economy. During the UPA what was the GDP 6.8, in your 10-year rule, it is 5.9. you talk about what? redeeming 25 crore people from poverty, that is because of the extrapolation of the data by the Niti Ayog, you have dispensed with the census, you don’t have the headcount ratio, you add those things.”
Here is an India Today report on the comparison of GDP in both Manmohan Singh and Modi regimes. The graphs speak for themselves, it is unclear where Brittas came up with those figures.
Image Source: India Today
If it was a real picture, it would have reflected in the Global Hunger Index. Where are you in the global hunger index?”
When Taliban-ruled Afghanistan can outperform India in a Press Freedom Index, then our readers will know the credibility of the report.
Media To Modia
Accusing the government of “controlling” the media, he said, “Now again you go to any index – Human Development Index, you go to Press Freedom Index. You people have changed the vowel. First, it was E in media, you removed the E and replaced it with O. Now it has become Modia. the media in this country has been converted as Modia.”
States Will Protest
He accused the government of taking away funds from the states and that they would protest in Delhi against this. He said, “Now, all the states are protesting, all our rights even sir your rights have been weaned away by this government that is the plight. Kerala is protesting Here For the First Time The entire Ministry MLAs, MPs from Kerala and Karnataka are going to camp in Delhi to protest against your unitary Tendencies, starving the states, fleecing the states.”
He concluded by accusing the centre that, “When you talk about sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka prayaas, your only intention is to segregate, create polarisation, divide this country take this country to the Medieval Era, we will not allow this and 2024 elections would be a waterloo for you.”
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BJP Tamil Nadu Head K. Annamalai while speaking at a public meeting in Vellore as part of his his En Mann En Makkal yatra, said that once BJP comes to power in the state, candidates from families who have never had a government job would be given priority.
Immediately, Sun News owned by the DMK family, put out a misleading social media post claiming that Annamalai promised to provide job one person in every household.
This news creative was shared by Kanagaraj, the Tamil Nadu State Secretary of Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) who peddled the usual rhetoric about Prime Minister Narendra Modi not fulfilling his promise of providing 2 crore jobs a year which hasn’t been the case.
This X post was reposted with quote by DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan.
PTR as he is popularly known, said “For a comparison– the current number of government jobs in Tamil Nadu is around 9.5 lakh. What the BJP claims is that 2.397 crore government jobs will be offered in a state of about 7.6 crore people. That is, nearly 1 in 3 of the population, including children and pensioners! Or, will about half of those of working age go into government work?”
Reacting to this, BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai lashed out at the DMK Minister for distorting his speech and peddling misinformation using a creative published by DMK family-owned channel.
He said “It is not surprising that DMK’s family channel has distorted what I said, that eligible youths from families who have not yet got government jobs in Tamil Nadu will be given priority in government jobs. They run television to hide the facts from people.”
He trained his guns on DMK Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan saying “But how far a minister of a state is without a job is evident from the fact that he is commenting on a false news on DMK’s family television. It is surprising that Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) who was removed as the Minister of Human Resource Department, did not know that the number of young people who apply for government jobs every year is about thirty lakhs.“
It is noteworthy to mention that PTR was stripped off his Finance and Human Resource Development portfolio after a purported audio of his implicated that MK Stalin’s family was swindling crores of rupees.
Annamalai said that the DMK Minister may find may find it burdensome to identify family members out of 30 lakh applicants who do not get government jobs and give them priority in employment, but that is real social justice. He said that the BJP will do this and not deceive pople like the DMK, which had promised to fill 3.5 lakh vacancies while not even filling even 10 percent of them.
Continuing his attack on PTR, Annamalai said “First of all, let PTR awaken the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission from the slumber which has not published any results, or conducted interviews or job appointment for more than one year. Before that, appoint suitable persons for the post of Chairman and Members of the Commission who have not been appointed for two years. You can comment on DMK’s fake news.”
தமிழகக் குடும்பங்களில் இதுவரை அரசு வேலை கிடைக்காத குடும்பங்களில் உள்ள தகுதியான இளைஞர்களுக்கு, அரசுப் பணிகளில் முன்னுரிமை வழங்கப்படும் என்று நான் கூறியதை திமுகவின் குடும்பத் தொலைக்காட்சி திரித்துச் சொல்லியிருப்பதில் ஆச்சரியமில்லை. அவர்கள் தொலைக்காட்சி நடத்துவதே மக்களிடம் இருந்து… https://t.co/go75AnRGFVpic.twitter.com/zYQhPcHEPH
Recently a post circulating on social media that went viral has reignited the debate in Tamil Nadu, questioning whether an assistant commissioner of police should be involved in endorsing a political party or its ideology. The post also raises concerns about the appropriateness of sharing such content on social media under the guise of exercising freedom of expression.
Christin Jayasil, the Assistant Commissioner of Police for Tambaram City in Chennai, received a visit from Jeffry, a supporter of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katch (VCK). During the visit, Jeffry presented a book titled “Modi Regime is a Witness of Dark Times,” written by VCK Deputy General Secretary Vanni Arasu. The post on Facebook was seen to contain hashtags related to VCK and their recent conference, ‘Vellum Sananayagam’ (Democracy Wins).
Netizens expressed diverse opinions on the matter, with some asserting that it was incorrect, while others contended that it wasn’t an issue and that many individuals had engaged in similar actions.
A netizen questioned, “Is this legal? How can a policeman in uniform buy a book that misrepresents the Prime Minister of India while on duty?“
இது சட்டப்படி சரியா..
சீருடையில் இருக்கும் ஒரு போலீஸ்காரர், அவர் கிருஸ்துவர் ஆகவே இருந்தாலும், பணியில் இருக்கும் போது சக கிருஸ்துவரிடம் பாரத பிரதமரை தவறாக சித்தரித்த ஒரு புத்தகத்தை வாங்குவதை எப்படி எடுத்து கொள்ளுவது. pic.twitter.com/l5oKcft2Pj
— Saravanaprasad Balasubramanian (Modi ka Pariwar) (@BS_Prasad) February 5, 2024
Another netizen expressed skepticism, stating “Do you still believe that everything works according to the law in Tamil Nadu? We reinstate all those officers who were suspended for pulling out teeth.”
தமிழ்நாட்டில் சட்டப்படி தான் எல்லாம் இயங்குகிறது என்று இன்னமும் நீங்கள் நம்புகிறீர்களா.
நாங்க எல்லாம் பல்லை புடுங்கி சஸ்பெண்ட் ஆன போலீசுக்கு பதவி கொடுத்து அழகு பாக்குறவங்க…..
இது தவறென்றால், "அரசுக்கு எதிரான கருத்துடைய மாற்று கட்சியினரை சந்திப்பதே தவறு..சட்டவிரோதம்"னு அடுத்து சொல்வீர்கள்.. அது ஜனநாயக விரோதம். சர்வாதிகார பாசிச எண்ணம்.
ஆகவே வாங்கியது தவறில்லை!
— அம்பேத்கர் சமத்துவ இயக்கம் (@Ambedkar_iyakam) February 6, 2024
The said post has been deleted from Facebook. However, there is another post where the same Jeffry is seen handing over the book to Tambaram Mayor Vasanthakumari.
In January 2024, Sub-inspector K Rajendran and Special Sub-inspector A Karthikeyan faced suspension over accusations of violating rules pertaining to their affiliation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The incident took place on 27 December 2023, as the officials, dressed in their service uniforms, participated in the BJP’s membership drive camp coinciding with BJP leader Annamalai’s visit to Nagapattinam.
Earlier, C Umashankar IAS, a Tamil Nadu IAS officer who transitioned into a Christian preacher, received a warning from the Tamil Nadu government regarding his religious preaching activities. The government expressed concerns about potential communal disharmony, despite Umashankar asserting his fundamental right to engage in preaching.
The Tamil Nadu Police Standing Orders provides directives to the police force. Here are some points:
Police personnel must consistently uphold high standards of official and personal conduct, adhering to prescribed discipline norms. Principles of Police Conduct emphasize allegiance to the Constitution, and law enforcement without questioning duly enacted laws. The police’s primary duty is to prevent crime and disorder, and they should strive for public cooperation, maintaining integrity, and fostering trust.
The directive (111) prohibits police officers, irrespective of their rank, are explicitly forbidden from seeking support from officials of other departments or non-officials.
(5) Political Influence: No police officer is permitted to bring or attempt to bring any political or external influence to bear upon any superior authority for personal gains or matters related to their service under the Government. Any violation will result in disciplinary action, and the burden of proving innocence lies with the concerned police officer.
(6) Acceptance of Gifts: Except for farewell entertainment during retirement or transfer, police officers should not accept gifts, gratitude, or rewards exceeding trifling value, as specified in Tamil Nadu Subordinate Police Officers‘ Conduct Rules, 1964, at the time of transfer or retirement. (Conduct Rule 4)
(13) Politics and Elections: Police officers are prohibited from participating in any movement or activity that aims to create dissatisfaction against the government, promote hatred or enmity between different classes, or disturb public peace.
(14) Connection with Media: Police officers should not engage habitually in broadcasting, telecasting, or contributing articles to the press unless of a purely literary, artistic, or scientific nature. Approval from the Director General of Police is required for talks related to official duties. (Conduct Rule 15)
(23) Religious Activities: While police officers are free to practice any religion in their private lives, they must conduct themselves publicly to avoid any impression of favoritism based on religion. Engaging in proselytizing activities or using an official position for religious influence is strictly prohibited. (Conduct Rule 22-A)
Though the police officer may or may not have explicitly endorsing a political party or religion, but utilising the department for promoting such affiliations is disgraceful for a party that claims to be a guardian of the constitution. It is the responsibility of the police officer to promptly intervene and remove any posts that may be perceived as showcasing his affiliations.
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