During the council meeting on Thursday, 27 July 2023, some women councillors of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) from Tirunelveli Corporation held a protest, claiming that former Minister TPM Mohideen Khan, who is also the party’s Tirunelveli central district unit in-charge, had threatened their lives.
Few DMK women councillors of Tirunelveli Corporation alleged that the DMK district in-charge & former Minister TPM Mohideen Khan posed a life threat to them and protested during the council meeting pic.twitter.com/IbH9lNDyTE
At the beginning of the meeting, Tirunelveli Zone’s Chairperson, Maheshwari, made a direct accusation against Mr. Khan, alleging that he had threatened her life. In this video above, you can see, she says, “The district in charge gave us death threats, how is this fair?”
The alleged threat occurred in relation to the selection of candidates for the Corporation’s taxation appellate committee election, which took place on Thursday. According to Maheshwari, Mr. Khan issued the threat while both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor, K.R. Raju, were present, but they did not respond to the situation.
The ladies were asked her not to discuss party-related matters and asked her to put forth any issues related to her ward.
To this, the lady councillor said, “So are we not important? Can you speak like this by calling only the Corporation Chairman?”
The lady councillor continued, ” There are 55 of us, who is he going to kill?”
The Mayor replied, “The election was transparent and all of you voted in the elections.”
Following the election of nine members to the taxation appeal committee, Mayor PM Saravanan and Commissioner V Sivakrishnamurthy presided over the council meeting. However, during the meeting, six councillors sat on the floor and insisted on receiving an explanation from the mayor. The Mayor kept repeating that they should only discuss ward-related matters and these were unnecessary issues to be discussed.
Despite Commissioner Sivakrishnamurthy’s efforts to calm the situation, the councillors remained unsatisfied. As a result, both the mayor and the commissioner left the meeting briefly but later returned after some time.
The internal conflicts within the ruling DMK party spilled over into the Corporation Council meeting, where these councillors sat on the floor in front of Mayor P.M. Saravanan to make their accusations.
Students of Netra Jyoti College in Udupi have come forward with shocking revelations about the bathroom video case. In an interview with TV9 Kannada, a student disclosed that Muslim women had been secretly recording videos of Hindu girls for over a year and sharing them with Muslim boys. The college management was allegedly aware of the situation but did not take any action until the recent incident came to light. The administrator of the college reportedly trivialized the issue by giving the Muslim girls a ‘simple punishment’.
“After capturing videos on their mobile phones, the Muslim girls exchanged the phones with their male friends, who waited in a car outside the college during the afternoon lunch hour. Despite bringing this to the attention of the college management, no action was taken. The victim reported the matter to the management on the 18th, but they didn’t take it seriously. When we became aware of it on the 20th, we immediately protested. The mobile phones were exchanged by the three Muslim girls with Muslim guys from Ucchila, arriving on Pulsar bikes and cars. The names of the three Muslim girls involved are Shafa, Alfiya, and Shabnaz.”, a student of the college told TV9 Kannada.
The student also tells that one Abdul Khader serves as the college administrator and upon coming to know of the incident, he had apparently given a “thoughtful response to the three Muslim girls” by instructing them to write five times that they will not engage in such behavior again.
“He asserted that the actions of the three Muslim girls were merely a joke and should not be considered seriously. However, we question whether a similar situation, like someone secretly filming their family’s women in their home restroom, would be dismissed with such leniency and merely given a homework assignment as punishment. This had occurred six months ago as well, but the college management chose to close the matter without conducting any investigation. The videos were being shared with Muslim men from Ucchila.”, the student further added.
All College Student Power (ACSP), a Karnataka-based organization, penned a letter to the Superintendent of Police, Udupi district, on July 21st, addressing a concerning crime at Netra Jyoti College. The incident involved three female students from the Muslim community secretly filming Hindu female students and sharing the videos through mobile phones. According to the ACSP’s letter, the students at Netra Jyoti College became aware of the situation on July 20th and expressed their protest against it.
The three students along with the college management board have been booked under Sections 509 (intending to insult the modesty of a woman), 175 (intentionally omitting to produce a document), 204 (destroys any document or electronic record), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 66E (captures, publishes or transmits the image of the private area of any person) of the Information Technology Act.
It is noteworthy to mention that leftist media outlets like The New Minute brushed off this incident as an instance of ‘bullying’ and stated that the video was promptly deleted upon the victim’s confrontation. According to the article, the girls involved defend their actions as a mere “prank”.
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In a bombshell video released on his YouTube channel, prominent political commentator Maridhas has shed light on the alleged instances of corruption by DMK Minister Ponmudi and his MP son, Gautham Sigamani, both of whom are under the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) scanner.
Both Ponmudi and his son were grilled overnight by the ED officials, in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged illegal sand mining.
Illegal Mining Of Red Sand
அமைச்சர் பொன்முடி அவர் மகன்கள் மருமகள்கள் என மொத்த குடும்பத்தையும் சிறையில் அடைக்க வேண்டும். அத்தோடு இவர்கள் கூட்டாக இந்த கொள்ளை அடித்துச் சேர்த்த அனைத்து சொத்துகளும் அரசு கையகப்படுத்த வேண்டும்! ஏன் முழு விவரம் இங்கே -> (1/18) pic.twitter.com/wiFrhBmuPM
The core of the investigation revolves around accusations of illegal mining of red sand without paying the mandatory seigniorage fee during Ponmudi’s tenure as the Minister of Mines and Minerals from 2007 to 2011. Reportedly, this alleged illicit activity resulted in a staggering loss of ₹28.36 crores to the Tamil Nadu Government. Ponmudi now finds himself grappling with charges of abusing and misusing his powers while holding the ministerial position.
Maridhas in his video shares that the Green Earth Minerals company gained its first mention in a First Information Report (FIR) filed regarding the alleged scrapping of red soil, a valuable mineral resource, in the village of Poothurai. According to this screengrab, the firm was established on 22 March 2008 by two people named Vivek and Raja Mahendran.
Screengrab of Maridhas Answers Video
The FIR, filed in 2012, accused Minister Ponmudi’s son, Gautham Sigamani, and several others associated with them of conducting this scrapping operation without paying the appropriate fees to the government for nearly 60,000-70,000 lorry loads of resources.
Screengrab of Maridhas Answers Video
However, it should be noted that the current video released by Maridhas does not pertain to the Poothurai village but involves another village, K Pichampatti, in the Karur district. The Tamil Nadu ministry reportedly discovered the presence of granite in the area, and it is alleged that a scam unfolded under Ponmudi’s watch.
Maridhas has accused Ponmudi of being involved in the illegal scrapping of granite from the abundant areas in K Pichampatti, along with some known associates. Interestingly, the land where the granite is abundant has been registered under the name of Raja Mahendran, who is connected to the founder of Green Earth Minerals company. Gautham Sigamani, the son of Minister Ponmudi, is also linked to this company.
As per the available information, Raja Mahendran acquired this land in September 2009 from 16 individuals, further connecting him to the alleged illegal mining operation.
Maridhas has released a third document that appears to shed further light on the alleged granite scam involving Minister Ponmudi and his associates. The document in question is a Government Order (GO) released in November 2009 when Ponmudi held the position of Minister.
According to Maridhas, this GO holds significant importance as it comes just two months after the transfer of land ownership to Raja Mahendran, a person linked to the founder of Green Earth Minerals company, and also reportedly connected to Ponmudi’s son, Gautham Sigamani.
The GO states that Raja Mahendran was granted permission to cut granites from a 6-acre area, with a depth of up to 90 feet. What raises suspicion is the duration of the permission, which extends from 2010 to 2030. The timeline of events, along with the absence of a public tender for the valuable granite-rich land areas identified by the government, indicates potential foul play in the process.
The lack of a transparent bidding process and the timing of the permission raise questions about the fairness and legality of the decision. Maridhas’ allegations point to the possibility of cronyism and misuse of power, with the GO potentially serving as crucial evidence to establish a connection between Ponmudi and the alleged illegal mining operations.
Maridhas has brought to light concerning information about Raja Mahendran, the individual granted permission to extract granite from the 6-acre area in K Pichampatti. Maridhas highlights that at the time of the GO issuance in November 2009, Raja Mahendran was just 27 years old, and seemingly lacking significant experience in the mining sector.
This revelation raises serious doubts about Raja Mahendran’s ability to carry out such an extensive scam single-handedly. Considering the complexities and challenges involved in large-scale granite extraction, it appears implausible for an inexperienced individual to orchestrate the entire operation alone.
Maridhas has aptly pointed out that the alleged involvement of big mineral companies or influential players in the mining sector may be a crucial factor in enabling Raja Mahendran to conduct the scam. The suspicion of a possible collusion between Raja Mahendran and powerful entities further adds weight to the accusations of corruption and misuse of power in this case.
Screengrab of Maridhas Answers Video
The question of who may have been aiding Raja Mahendran in this operation becomes a pivotal aspect of the investigation.
Maridhas’ ongoing investigation into the granite scam has uncovered a potential connection between Madhucon Granites Limited, based in Andhra Pradesh, and the controversial activities in K Pichampatti. Maridhas has raised suspicions about the involvement of DMK in this matter.
Maridhas released documents that provide evidence of Raja Mahendran’s and Madhucon Granites Limited’s land acquisitions in the same area where the granite scam is alleged to have taken place. The survey numbers mentioned in the documents link both entities to the area in question.
Madhucon Granites Limited boasts a significant 37-year experience in granite quarrying, and it has a quarry on Google Maps covering around 34 acres. However, it is intriguing to note that the government has only permitted a much smaller area of 6 to 7 acres for granite extraction.
The fact that Madhucon Granites Limited acquired land in the same area around the same time that Green Earth Minerals Company was established raises serious suspicions. The timing and proximity of these activities strongly suggest a potential connection between the two entities and the alleged scam.
In a powerful conclusion to his video, Maridhas has appealed to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to thoroughly investigate the suspicious activities of Madhucon Granites Limited in connection with the alleged granite scam involving Minister Ponmudi and his son, Gautham Sigamani.
Maridhas’ investigation and the documents he released have raised significant concerns about the involvement of Madhucon Granites Limited in the procurement of granite from the same area where the alleged scam took place. The stark difference between the size of the government-permitted area and the extent of Madhucon’s quarry on Google Maps has added weight to the suspicions.
Recently in Puducherry, Chanakyaa Network’s CEO Rangaraj Pandey hosted a debate on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The panelists included Mohan Kumaramangalam from the Congress and SP Udayakumar, also known as ‘Kudankulam’ Udayakumar, who argued against the idea that the UCC had a political agenda behind it. On the other side, Professor Rama Sreenivasan and public speaker Manikandan supported the topic, asserting that the Uniform Civil Code was crucial and necessary for the country.
SP Udayakumar spearheaded the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant protests during UPA regime in 2012. He was referred to as a protestor who was funded by foreign agencies to carry out protests against the nuclear power plant by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
SP Udayakumar in his speech which lasted about 30 minutes claimed many falsities.
that the UCC will ensure minorities like Muslims and Christians live life as second-class citizens, that they will be enslaved
that Varanasi will be the capital of India
When the mediator, Rangaraj Pandey asked him who said so or where he had read about minorities having to live life as second-class, he claimed it was published in an English newspaper and would share the link with Pandey. The link that was shared with him turned out to be an article in the Economic Times about a draft proposed by several Hindu seers and scholars with respect to a “Hindu Rashtra”.
Source: ET
Udayakumar read the Hindu Rashtra draft and confused it for the UCC draft. No one (no layman) has seen or has access to the draft of the UCC as of today.
None of the representatives from the government have ever mentioned anything about shifting the capital city from New Delhi to Varanasi.
On Marriage
He claimed that the UCC will dictate who can marry whom and that UCC will also decide who receives the inheritance in a family.
On Hinduism
He continued saying that Hindus were not a united set of people, they were divided by castes and separated by Varnas. To this mediator, Rangaraj Pandey asked if he can call the people of Puducherry as Tamilians. Stumped, Udayakumar said Puducherry also had French citizens so he could not address everyone as Tamilians. Pandey responded saying that there are Anglo Indians living in Tamil Nadu so how could he call everyone living in Tamil Nadu as Tamilians but refuse to call people of Puducherry as Tamilians just because it was separated from Tamil Nadu. Dumbfounded, Udayakumar could not give a response to that. Pandey went on to clarify why he gave that example – he said that just because Puducherry is not in Tamil Nadu, we cannot not call them Tamilians. Extrapolating this to Hinduism, he said that even if there are dozens of sects in Hinduism, it is not separatism.
On Veer Savarkar
Udayakumar in his speech quoted Veer Savarkar as having stated “Ek Dev Ek Desh Ek Bhasha Ek Jaati Ek Jeeva Ek Aasha”. When mediator Rangaraj Pandey pointed out that he has mentioned Savarkar as having said Ek Jaati, Udayakumar refutes it saying he meant one race. He continued to say that he had a problem with this “ek” – same for all and that it will not work in a country like India.
On Various “Hindu” Ideology Parties Trying To Get UCC Implemented
Udayakumar stated that since independence, the Hindu leaders have been trying to indicate their true intentions of getting a Uniform Civil Code implemented in the country. He lists that in 1947, the Ram Rajya Parishad founded by Swami Karpatri, in its manifesto talks of establishing Ram Rajya in India, providing army training for the youth, repealing the anti-shastric Hindu code bill. Udayakumar claimed that the Parishad wanted to retain casteist society and rules. The Hindu code bill was about polygamy, divorce, inheritance, guardianship and made mixed marriages possible. Since the Ram Rajya Parishad was against the Hindu Code Bill, he said that they were casteist.
The Jan Sangh had also mentioned the UCC in their manifesto in 1967, he said.
He then said that the Bharatiya Janata Party was formed in 1980 and that the Jan Sangh merged with it as well. He says it has been on the party’s manifesto since then. He also pointed out that along with the implementation of the UCC, abrogation of Article 370,renaming Minorities Commission as Human Rights Commission and building Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has been the longterm aim of the BJP.
He also claimed that in 2020, a private member bill for the implementation of UCC was put forth by BJP member Kirodi Lal Meena in the Rajya Sabha, and that this was a very calculated move by the party. He claims that the introduction of UCC in Uttarakhand by Chief Minister Dhami and in Himachal Pradesh are also calculated moves of the government.
UCC – A Mode To Threaten Minorities
He claimed that the implementation of the UCC will enslave the minorities and threaten their existence.
Udayakumar claimed that the leaders following the Hindu ideology spread misinformation and fear mongering among unsuspecting citizens that since Muslim men can indulge in polygamy, they can beget many more children than Hindus can and thus increase their population. The result would be, he said, a change in demography wherein the Muslims would become the majority population and Hindus will become a minority and that the Muslims will divide the country further following Jinnah’s two nation theory.
He also said that minorities, especially Muslims have lost their peace of mind, they are scared, they are worried that if this Kaatu Aatchi (regressive rule) continued, what could happen in the country going forward.
UCC As A Tool To Cover Up Failures
He claimed that since the RSS was going to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025 and that since the elections were just around the corner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having nothing to showcase as achievements wanted to bring in the UCC to prove a point.
He claimed that inflation was at its highest and that unemployment was rampant across the country. Contrarily, it is a well-known fact that inflation in India can be attributed to various external factors such as Corona pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war and over the past decade, the inflation is averaging at about 6% over the past decade. In June 2023, it was at around 4%.
Unemployment rate in India decreased to 7.70% in May from 8.10% in April 2023.
Udayakumar also claimed that the rupee was diminishing in value and that small businesses are suffering while only a few select businessmen are enjoying success. He also said that people are suffering every single day.
Bharat Mata Ki Jai
There were sporadic chants of the phrase Bharat Mata ki Jai which irked Udayakumar and he said that in the past 9 years, this is the biggest achievement of the BJP government – to make people chant Bharat Mata ki Jai.
In total, he said that unity is different from uniformity and that a diverse country like India must not be made “uniform”. Udayakumar based his whole argument at the event on a misunderstanding and misreading of a news article.
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The much-awaited second part of DMK Files was released by Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai on 26 July 2023.
Earlier in the day, the BJP Tamil Nadu President along with a few members of the party met Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and presented the documents detailing the alleged instances of corruption by DMK leaders and their benamis.
“We presented a memorandum seeking his excellency’s intervention & suitable action concerning Part 2 of DMK files with documents on Benami connected to the DMK Ministers/MLAs/MPs & the first family & 3 scams for a value of ₹5600 Crores,” Annamalai said.
Today, along with the Senior leaders of @BJP4TamilNadu, we had the opportunity to meet our Hon Governor of TN, Thiru RN Ravi avl.
We presented a memorandum seeking his excellency’s intervention & suitable action concerning Part 2 of DMK files with documents on Benami connected… pic.twitter.com/QJv7DHdkk3
Annamalai also released a 16 minute video detailing three alleged scams which includes ₹3000 Crore ETL Infrastructure Services Limited Scam, ₹2000 Transport Department Scam and ₹600 Crore Scam in Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation.
The video begins with the allegation that one family (hinting at Karunanidhi’s family) has accumulated assets worth several crores through corruption.
ETL Infrastructure Services Limited Scam
The Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT), a public sector undertaking of the Tamil Nadu Government launched a new subsidiary company called Elnet Technologies Limited (ETL) on 16 July 1990. It was started with a share capital of ₹10 lakhs with 1 lakh shares at ₹10 per share.
“One Thiagarajan Chettiyar is made director of this new company. 1 share is allotted to him which is worth ₹10 only.”, the video says.
In 2004, ETL launches another subsidiary company called ETL Infrastructure Services Limited that focuses on building commercial spaces and IT parks.
“ETL Infrastructure Services Limited has 50,000 shares in total of which 49,000 shares were held by ETL and 1 share by Thiagarajan Chettiyar’s wife Unnamalai Thiagarajan.”, the video presentation says.
On 13 February 2004, Vivek Hariharan IAS is posted as Chairman Director and Unnamalai Thiagarajan as Executive Director.
In July 2004, the authorized capital was subsequently increased from ₹10 crores to ₹25 crores and ₹30 crores in December 2004. By the end of the financial year 2004-05, the authorized share capital was raised to ₹55 crores and ₹100 crores in FY 2005-06.
“10 crore shares worth ₹100 crores at ₹10 per share as authorized share capital gets raised to 120 crore shares worth ₹1200 crores of which 116 crore shares are ordinary shares and 4 crore shares are preference shares.”, the DMK Files 2 video claims.
Many foreign companies also invest in the new entity. In November 2006, IL&FS is allotted shares worth ₹25 crores. ETL Power Services is allotted shares worth ₹184.5 crores in August 2008. Around ₹59 crore worth shares are allotted to 4 entities linked to Thiagarajan Chettiar.
In March 2008, ETL Power Services allots 20,250,000 shares to a Singapore company called Greater India Infrastructures. In the same month, its share capital is raised from ₹25 lakhs to ₹200 crores.
In September 2008, shares of ETL Power Services worth ₹184 crores is bought by the Singapore company which thereby becomes a major shareholder of ETL Power Services.
In February 2010, ETL Infrastructure Services gets renamed as Indian Green Grid Group and subsequently gets changed to IG3 Infra Limited in July 2011. Singapore entity Greater India Infrastructures becomes an important shareholder of this entity.
Now, ETL Power Services which held shares worth ₹184.5 crores in ETL Infrastructure Services is now IG3 Infra Limited.
Unnamalai Thiagarajan who held only one share in ETL Infrastructure Services is the director of Singapore company Greater India Infrastructres which is a major shareholder in IG3 Infra Limited.
Through these complex transactions, the company ETL Infrastructure Services comes under the control of Thiagarajan Chettiar and Unnamalai Thiagarajan.
Aathmika Holdings
This company is said to be a shell company of Thiagarajan Chettiar’s family formed with an investment of ₹1 lakh. However, this company holds 11.23% of the shares in multi-crore company IG3 Infra Limited. The Singapore-company Greater India Infrastructures has transferred all its ETL Power Services shares to Aathmika Holdings.
In November 2020, tax sleuths raid IG3 Infra Limited. As per the income tax authorities, IG3 Infra Limited (previously known as Indian Green Grid Group Limited), a publicly incorporated company established in February 2004 and owning the Chennai One IT Special Economic Zone (SEZ), has been found to conceal foreign income amounting to ₹200 crore. This income, received through share subscriptions, is subject to taxation in India for the shareholders involved.
The search revealed that the group recently obtained five shell companies, which were employed to divert a substantial sum of ₹337 crore from the main group company through the issuance of fraudulent invoices and without conducting any legitimate business through these entities. All the investments were transferred to Aathmika Holdings.
The New Indian Express had reported that the income tax department had initiated proceedings against IG3 Infra Limited under Black Money Act, 2015 for not disclosing foreign assets or beneficial interest in the financial assets schedule of the income tax returns.
ETL which held 99% of the shares in ETL Infrastructure Services in 1990 holds just 0.57% of shares as of today.
It is worth noting that ETL Infrastructure Services was started by a government company ETL. Annamalai’s DMK Files alleges that between 2006 and 2011 when the DMK was in power, the company was fully privatized by Thiagarajan Chettiar and his family who were minor shareholders, through a labyrinth of shell companies.
In 2008, when C. Umashankar IAS who was the head of the ETL then tried to find how a ETL Infrastructure Services, a government company got converted into a private company he was shunted out. He had also tried to find about what happened to the 26 acres of government land whose value today is around ₹3000 crores.
Though the then Opposition leader, the late J. Jayalalithaa raised the issue, the matter saw no progress and eventually died down. She had called the suspension of Umashankar IAS as a case of victimisation for daring to take on the Maran brothers (Dayanidhi Maran and Kalanithi Maran).
It was alleged that IG3 Infra Limited had encroached Pallikaranai marshland and a case pursued in the Madras High Court. The Tamil Nadu Government in its affidavit acknowledges the company to be a private company, saying that it has not encroached any marshland.
The Questions Asked By DMK Files
“During 2006 – 2011, Thiru. MK Stalin was the Industries Minister of Tamil Nadu. How did DMK allow land worth ₹3000 crores which was allotted to ETL Infrastructure Services, go to a private entity?”, Annamalai’s DMK Files video asks.
“What is the mystery wherein Mr. Thiagarajan Chettiar who was a director in Elnet Limited which was started in the year 1988, was instrumental in starting a similar government company of the same name which eventually came under his control?”, the DMK Files video further alleges.
“What is the mystery of him changing his name to Shanmugham Thiagarajan?”, the DMK Files video adds.
“What is the mystery that all of this happened during the erstwhile DMK government?”, the DMK Files video alleges asking what is the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) doing about it.
According to Annamalai’s DMK Files video, when details about these were sought from ELCOT through the Right To Information (RTI), they got a response that they are no records available.
The Tamil Nadu BJP has sought a detailed investigation into all the entities which has invested in ETL Infrastructure Services.
Transport Department Scam
APM Group had built a website for the Commissionerate of Transport And Road Safety of the Tamil Nadu Government for registering for vehicle conspicuity and retro fitment.
The DMK Files video alleges that 6 companies, namely – Reflomax, Raatanjey & Co, MNTech, Digicop, Avery, Tracole Techonologies – got recognized as distributors of reflective tapes and rear marking tapes on the same date of application. It claims that only select few companies are being allowed to apply through this portal and recognized as authorized distributors. It is alleged that the APM Group controls and moderates all aspects including those who can use the portal and the details of the registered companies.
According to the DMK Files video, the companies – Raatanjey & Co, Digicop, Tracole Techonologies, Sri Appu Direct Private Limited, and Sai Sukran Ventures Private Limited have no prior experience in reflective tapes and rear marking plates.
The video also shows a pictures of seemingly residential buildings located in different places across Tamil Nadu said to be functioning as offices of the few entities mentioned above.
Digicop office in NeelankaraiRaatanjey office in Rajapalayam
The DMK Files video further goes on to elaborates on the volume of the total business involved in reflective tapes and rear marking plates.
Total vehicles in Tamil Nadu – 2.5 crores
Number of vehicles required to show fitness certificate in a year – 30 lakhs
Approximate length of reflective tapes required for a vehicle – 33 metres
Approximate total length of reflective tapes required in a year – 33 x 30 lakh = 9.9 crore metres
Approximate cost of a reflective tape – ₹150
Annual revenue from selling reflective tapes – ₹150 x 9.9 crore meteres = ₹1485 crores
Number of heavy duty vehicles – 18 lakhs
Approximate number of rear marking plates required in a year – 18 lakh
Approximate cost of rear marking plates – ₹1500
Annual revenue from selling rear marking plates – ₹1500 x 18 lakh = ₹270 crores
It is alleged that Goods and Services Tax (GST) worth several crores have been evaded.
According to the calculations, ₹316 crores is the GST amount that was supposed to be collected for ₹1755 crore revenue generated through reflective tapes and rear marking plates. However, money is collected in cash and routed across Tamil Nadu through hawala transactions to avoid paying GST, the video claims.
There is also an audio clip of an alleged phone conversation between a collection agent and one Louis Kathiravan, a personal secretary of Transport Minister SS Sivasankar. In the audio, the Minister’s personal secretary can be heard demanding bribe money from the collection agent.
The DMK Files video alleges that 30% of the net profit ₹1276 crores earned, amounting to ₹383 crore was supposed to be paid as tax which has been evaded.
“Our allegations is that Transport Minister Sivasankar’s job has been to collect ₹2000 crores annually and give it to Udhayanidhi Stalin.”, the DMK Files video says adding that as a quid pro quo, advertisements of Rose Fertility Clinic run by Minister Sivasankar’s wife SS Gayathri Devi has been allowed to be placed in government buses.
Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Scam
The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) releases a list of the eligible companies allowed to supply pesticides of which one of them is a company called Paramount Pesticides based in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh which supplies pesticides and other chemicals to various state governments.
In Tamil Nadu certain companies are supplying pesticides to the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) by claiming to be the agents/distributors of Paramount Pesticides. These companies are – Sri Balaji & Co in Udumalaipettai, Sri Durga Enterprises in Chennai’s Ernavur, Sri Sethu Enterprises in Chennai’s West Mambalam, Sri Vaari Agencies in Chennai’s Anna Nagar, Sri Nadiyambal Agency in Vizhupuram.
Paramount Pesticides had written to the Tamil Nadu government on 15 June 2022 that its letter to the TNMSC dated 14 November 2018 was being misused by a few companies. The Uttar Pradesh-based company clarified that it had entered into no contract with any such companies for the supply of the chemicals. It said that a letter dated 25 August 2021 claiming to enlist authorized entities for the supply of pesticides is a fake one and urged TNMSC to cancel the agreements it signed with the impersonating entities.
In one instance, a letter of Paramount Pesticides having a Chennai address is sent to Assistant Director of Town Panchayat, Coimbatore Zone regarding the supply of pesticides for the next two years referring to the original letter to the TNMSC dated 14 November 2018. It claimed Sri Nadiyambal Agency in Vizhupuram as its authorized entity to supply the pesticides. It is noteworthy to mention that there is already a DVAC case against Sri Nadiyambal Agency
No action has been taken against them, even though Paramount had complained to the government saying that action must be taken against these companies as they are not its agents, Annamalai said. This is said to be causing loss of ₹300 crore per year to the exchequer.
The Big Box
Apart from documents pertaining to the above scams, BJP Tamil Nadu led by Annamalai also submitted documents related to nine ministers and their benamis to the Tamil Nadu Governor, the details of which have not been made public.
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In a rather surprising action, the Prime Minister’s Office took to Twitter to respond to and call out Rajasthan Chief Minister’s accusations he had tweeted earlier.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted to the Prime Minister earlier on 27 July 2023, that the PM was visiting Rajasthan and that the PMO had removed his pre-scheduled 3-minute address from the programme, and that he would not be able to give a welcome speech to the PM, hence, he said, he was welcoming PM Modi through the tweet.
माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी, आज आप राजस्थान पधार रहे हैं। आपके कार्यालय PMO ने मेरा पूर्व निर्धारित 3 मिनट का संबोधन कार्यक्रम से हटा दिया है इसलिए मैं आपका भाषण के माध्यम से स्वागत नहीं कर सकूंगा अतः मैं इस ट्वीट के माध्यम से आपका राजस्थान में तहेदिल से स्वागत करता…
Gehlot further added, “The inauguration and foundation laying of 12 medical colleges taking place today is the result of the partnership between the Government of Rajasthan and the Centre. The project cost of these medical colleges is Rs 3,689 crore, of which Rs 2,213 crore is the share of the Center and Rs 1,476 crore of the state government. I also congratulate everyone on behalf of the state government. ”
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) responded to the allegation by stating that Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot had indeed been invited by protocol.
They tweeted, “In accordance with protocol, you have been duly invited and your speech was also slotted. But, your office said you will not be able to join.
During PM Narendra Modi’s previous visits as well you have always been invited and you have also graced those programmes with your presence.”
The PMO also added, “You are most welcome to join today’s programme. Your name is very much there on the plaque of the development works as well. Unless you have any physical discomfort owing to your recent injury, your presence will be deeply valued.”
Government sources indicated that one of the events was specifically organized for the veteran Congress leader to attend in person. However, he expressed a desire to join the programme in Sikar through videoconference, which deviated from the normal process or protocol for such events, according to the sources.
Rajasthan Chief Minister had also tweeted his 5 demands that had been included in his speech for the programme in the same tweet. These demands include continuing permanent recruitment in the army, waiving off loans of farmers from nationalized banks, conducting a caste census, providing financial assistance to medical colleges in three districts, and granting the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project the status of a national importance project. He expressed hope that these demands would be addressed during the ongoing 7th Yatra conducted in the last six months.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Rajasthan and Gujarat on the 27th and 28th of July. It is worth noting that this visit marks his seventh trip to Rajasthan in the last six months as the Prime Minister.
During a public event in Sikar, Prime Minister Modi will participate in various developmental initiatives. He will lay the cornerstone and dedicate numerous projects, including 1.25 lakh PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSKs). In addition, he will introduce a new type of urea coated with sulphur known as Urea Gold and inaugurate five new medical colleges. The event will also witness the distribution of the 14th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) program, among other significant announcements and initiatives.
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The Congress party and other opposition party members had called for the resignation of Nongthombam Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur in the all-party meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 24 June 2023 over the Manipur unrest.
Source: NDTV
Earlier, Biren Singh had expressed his intention to resign, but on 30 June 2023, he decided not to step down from his position. This change of heart came about after local residents rallied in his support, leading him to tear up his resignation letter.
What Is Biren Singh Doing That Is Irking Everyone?
Since assuming the role of Chief Minister of Manipur in 2017, Biren Singh has been dedicated to combating the issue of drug trafficking that plagued the state. He has taken significant measures to address and suppress the drug-related problems in Manipur.
Chief Minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh, is a big problem.
Below is a compilation of events where significant drug seizures were conducted by the local police and the Army. It is essential to keep in mind that this list does not encompass all such incidents.
2018
In June 2018, a substantial drug bust took place where drugs valued at ₹40 crores were seized. A significant amount of heroin and party drugs were found at the official residence of the chairman of the Autonomous District Council (ADC) in Chandel district, Manipur.
On 5 June 2018, a joint operation involving the police and commandos of the 11 Assam Rifles led to the seizure of narcotics worth nearly ₹2 crores in Manipur’s Moreh border town. During the operation, three drug traffickers were apprehended.
In January 2019, a significant drug bust occurred in Manipur when Assam Rifles personnel seized drugs worth ₹5.78 crores. During a routine check at Khudengthabi post in Tengnoupal, located approximately 90 km south of the state capital, they apprehended one alleged smuggler.
The seized drugs included 1,44,000 party drug tablets known as WY (World is Yours) and 732 grams of brown sugar. The operation was a major success in the fight against drug trafficking in the region.
Toward the end of January 2019, the Tengnoupal Battalion of 26 Sector Assam Rifles, operating under the aegis of IGAR (South), achieved significant success by apprehending a narcotics smuggler.
The operation led to the seizure of 64,000 WY tablets, valued at around ₹1.92 crores, at the Permanent Check Post (PVCP) Khudengthabi.
On 29 June 2019, a joint team consisting of Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) police and Thoubal police conducted a raid, leading to the discovery of a heroin (brown sugar) manufacturing laboratory.
The operation resulted in the recovery of an extensive quantity of drugs valued at approximately ₹100 crores in the international market.
On 17 August 2019, in the Thoubal district of Manipur, the local police successfully dismantled an illicit drug manufacturing facility and confiscated 184.644 kilograms of brown sugar.
The estimated value of the seized drugs in the international market is ₹166 crores. This operation marked a significant achievement in the fight against drug production and trafficking in the region.
On 25 August 2019, Thoubal District Police accomplished their largest-ever drug seizure by confiscating contraband drugs valued at ₹400 crores.
Additionally, during the operation, they apprehended an international drug smuggler. This remarkable achievement highlights the scale of their success in combatting drug trafficking in the region.
In November 2019, Assam Rifles troops conducted a drug bust in Manipur, during which they recovered contraband items valued at over ₹28 lakhs.
On 9 February 2020, a combined effort by Assam Rifles and Maphou Police led to the discovery and dismantling of an illegal drug processing and manufacturing plant in Thoubal district.
During the operation, a substantial quantity of drugs, including heroin and brown sugar, with an estimated value of ₹120 crores, was seized. This successful operation dealt a significant blow to drug-related activities in the region.
On 12 November 2020, a significant drug bust occurred in Manipur’s Thoubal district when a joint operation involving Manipur Police and Assam Rifles resulted in the seizure of approximately 72 kg of brown sugar.
The estimated value of the seized drugs was over ₹287 crores.
In December 2020, a well-coordinated operation conducted by Assam Rifles, police, and the NCB resulted in the raid of two locations in the border town of Moreh. During the operation, a significant amount of narcotics and contraband items valued at over ₹165 crores were seized. This drug bust is one of the largest in recent times in Manipur.
Additionally, the security forces also recovered a foreign-made pistol, a ‘gun,’ and ammunition. They arrested two Myanmar citizens and four Indian drug traffickers in connection with the operation, as stated by the PRO IGAR (South). In another separate operation, Assam Rifles troops intercepted a smuggling attempt on the Larong-Khongjol route in Chandel. The operation resulted in the seizure of brown sugar worth ₹2.92 crores that was being smuggled from Myanmar.
In July 2021, a car carrying two drug peddlers was intercepted on Old Lambulane Road in Imphal. During the search, law enforcement officials found four packets containing a total of 40,000 WY tablets in the vehicle.
In September 2021, a major operation was carried out by the Narcotic Control Bureau (NAB) to combat drug trafficking, resulting in the successful apprehension of a drug smuggler.
As per official reports, the security forces discovered 70 soap cases containing suspected heroin No. 4, weighing a total of 875 grams. These illicit substances were concealed inside a specially designed cabin on the roof of a black Bolero vehicle. The seizure and arrest were part of the ongoing efforts to tackle the drug menace in the region.
During a major drug bust in September 2021, a substantial quantity of brown sugar worth approximately ₹90 crores was seized in Imphal’s east following a raid.
In November 2021, the Narcotic Control Bureau (NAB) conducted a seizure of a substantial consignment of contraband substances in Manipur. The haul included 1kg of ice drug or crystal methamphetamine, with an estimated value of around ₹2 crores.
In December 2021, a significant drug seizure took place in a town in Manipur, resulting in the confiscation of drugs worth over ₹508 crores. The operation was carried out during a joint effort by Moreh police and personnel from the 43 Assam Rifles. The seizure occurred on Monday afternoon at a house situated in Moreh, and one individual was arrested in connection with the illegal drugs.
In February 2022, two individuals from Manipur were apprehended in Delhi for their involvement in drug trafficking. They were arrested for supplying 25 kg of heroin, which had an estimated value of over ₹125 crores.
In March 2022, a significant operation was carried out by a team of Tengnoupal Police to combat the drug menace in Manipur. During the operation, they successfully apprehended an offender and seized a large stash of contraband substances from his possession. The estimated value of the confiscated drugs was around ₹2 crores.
In March 2022, in response to directives from Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, joint teams comprising the Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) and police initiated the eradication of lush poppy plantations cultivated in different areas, particularly in the mountains. Simultaneously, surprise search operations and frisking activities are being conducted in suspected locations. It was reported that poppy plants spanning over 150 acres of land were successfully destroyed in the process.
In April 2022, Assam Rifles conducted an operation in Manipur’s Moreh town, resulting in the seizure of drugs valued at ₹6.5 crores. The confiscated items included 11.19 kg of World is Yours (WIY) tablets and 0.37 kg of heroin powder.
These illegal substances were found in a house located near the Myanmar border in Moreh.
On 6 April 2022, Assam Rifles troops made an arrest in Tengnoupal district, Manipur, near a check-post, during which they seized contraband drugs worth ₹3 crores from the individual’s possession.
In May 2022, Kangpokpi police conducted the largest drug seizure in both Kangpokpi district and Manipur. During this operation, they seized a substantial quantity of suspected heroin No. 4 with an estimated value of ₹31.80 crores in the international market.
In May 2022, the police in Manipur conducted another operation as part of their ongoing efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking. During this operation, two alleged drug peddlers were arrested by the Tengnoupal district police in separate instances.
The police recovered a significant quantity of smuggled drugs, specifically 22.8 kg of WY tablets from one of the arrested person’s possession. The arrest occurred after 20 bundles of illegal drugs were found in a Bolero vehicle during a routine check at the check post along NH-102 at Tengnoupal. The police estimated the approximate value of the seized WY tablets to be ₹4,56,00,000.
On 14 June 2022, the Manipur police conducted a raid in Thoubal district, resulting in the busting of a drug-manufacturing unit.
During the operation at Moijing Mina Bazaar, the police seized a substantial amount of suspected brown sugar, weighing approximately 222.85 kg. Additionally, a woman was arrested by the police team during the raid.
On 17 June 2022, the police conducted an intensive frisking and checking operation, during which they recovered four packets of suspected contraband drugs, believed to be brown sugar.
The total weight of these drugs was approximately 2.025 kg, with an estimated value of ₹34,13,20,000/- in the international market. This seizure is a testament to the Kangpokpi police’s commitment to the state’s ‘War on Drugs’ campaign. With this haul, the Kangpokpi police also made two other major seizures, resulting in the confiscation of around 4.271 kg of heroin, valued at approximately ₹58.95 crores in the international market.
In July 2022, the Manipur Police conducted a significant operation in Imphal West, resulting in the seizure of a large quantity of narcotics valued at ₹10 crores.
According to police, the seizure included approximately 138 packets weighing about 136.03 kgs, which were found in a truck.
On 23 July 2022, in Manipur’s Churachandpur District, a significant operation was carried out by the Khuga Battalion of Assam Rifles, resulting in the seizure of a substantial quantity of narcotics worth ₹2.78 crores.
In August 2022, a joint operation was conducted by the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB), and Lilong Police, resulting in the busting of a significant drug manufacturing unit in Manipur.
The confiscated drugs included 5 kg of crystal methamphetamine tablets.
On 15 October 2022, the Police and NAB conducted a series of arrests in Manipur, apprehending five individuals in 48 hours for their involvement in drug-related activities. The arrests were made in different parts of the state, and drugs were recovered from the suspects. In two separate incidents, a man was arrested by teams from Kakching district police and NAB police station for possessing 696 grams of heroin, while three others were apprehended for carrying 3.82 kg of opium.
On 23 October 2022, a joint team of police and Assam Rifles troops arrested a man in Bishnupur’s Torbung Bangla area for possessing 4.3 kg of opium.
During the drug war carried out by the state government, the authorities managed to arrest 703 individuals involved in drug-related activities. Notably, among the seized drugs were 500 kg of brown sugar and 560 kg of opium and heroin.
2023
In Jan 2023, the Anti-Smuggling Unit, Customs Division, Imphal, conducted a seizure operation in Imphal West, resulting in the confiscation of 26,800 amphetamine tablets and 760g of raw opium from two individuals.
The total value of the seized contraband drugs in the international market is estimated to be nearly ₹2.7 crores
In February 2023, as part of the ongoing War on Drugs campaign, the Government of Manipur made significant arrests. At least five poppy growers, two drug smugglers, and one youth were apprehended. During these operations, one kg of ganja was seized from the suspects. Additionally, the two drug smugglers were found to be carrying 114.60 grams of brown sugar.
Again in February 2023, the police conducted separate operations in Manipur, resulting in the seizure of 1.2 kg of heroin from a vehicle in Bishnupur district’s Moirang Khunou area. The drugs were found packed in 101 soap cases inside a jeep during a regular checking drive conducted by the Bishnupur district police commandos.
Following the seizure, the driver, N Lhungdim (30), and his wife, both from Chandel district, were arrested in connection with the drugs. In a joint operation carried out by a security team in Thoubal district, 484 grams of heroin were seized. These successful operations received praise from the Chief Minister.
In another operation conducted by security agencies in February 2023 in Manipur, they recovered and seized drugs valued at ₹10 crores.
As a result of this operation, four individuals, including two women, were arrested by the security personnel in connection with the seizure of the drugs.
In February 2023, there was another significant seizure of contraband drugs in Moreh. A combined team of the 5th Assam Rifles and Moreh police, during their routine patrol duty in and around Moreh town, seized 56.255 kgs of WY tablets.
These drugs are estimated to be worth more than ₹25 crores in the international market.
The month of February 2023 also saw seizures of brown sugar worth ₹6 crores in Aisi village and another haul of over 3 kg brown sugar in Manipur’s Tengnoupla district.
In March 2023, Assam Rifles conducted an operation in the Nambol district, during which they recovered drugs valued at ₹80 lakhs.
ASSAM RIFLES APPREHENDS DRUG SMUGGLERS IN MANIPUR Keithelmanbi Battalion of #AssamRifles on 25 Mar 2023, in a joint operation Thoubal Police recovered drugs worth 80 Lakh at Nambol District, Manipur.@adgpi@HMOIndiapic.twitter.com/K2lalpdZPk
On 10 March 2023, Assam Rifles conducted an operation in Manipur, resulting in the seizure of approximately 27.93 kg of brown sugar valued at about ₹55.86 crores. During this operation, two drug peddlers were arrested by the authorities
During the operation, the team seized suspected brown sugar weighing 1.536 kg, with an estimated value of ₹3.07 crores in the international market. However, despite their efforts, two traffickers on a Kenbo Bike 125 managed to escape using the porous India-Myanmar border and the cover of darkness.
On 17 April 2023, the Manipur Police conducted an operation based on information received from various sources about drug smuggling activities in the Kshetrigao area, approximately 4 km from Imphal. During the operation, a joint team from the Imphal East District Police and Porompat Police Station recovered 48g of high-quality heroin from two alleged drug traffickers. The operation was launched around 2 pm on the 16th of April in response to intelligence reports on drug-related activities in the area.
In another operation in April 2023, the Kangpokpi police successfully busted an interstate drug ring and arrested four individuals, including a woman, who were allegedly involved in the illegal operation. The arrests took place at different locations, and during the operation, the police seized 1.018 kilograms of brown sugar from the suspects.
On 21 April 2023, Assam Police seized 1.3kg of heroin from a vehicle coming from Manipur.
On the same day, the Assam Police in Karbi Anglong intercepted a truck that was coming from the neighboring state of Manipur. During the interception, the police recovered 116 soap boxes containing 1.3 kg of heroin in Lahorijan.
In May 2023, an anti-smuggling team in Imphal successfully arrested two drug peddlers, including a woman, in two separate operations conducted in Imphal and Thoubal districts.
During the operation, the police seized a significant quantity of contraband items, including opium, foreign cigarettes, and Amphetamine tablets. The total value of these seized items in the international market is estimated to be around ₹10 crores.
On 2 May 2023, the Manipur police conducted a successful drug seizure operation in Singhat, located in the Churachandpur district of Manipur near the India-Myanmar border. During the operation, the police seized a consignment of brown sugar weighing 1.08 kg from a vehicle. The estimated value of the seized drugs is over ₹1 crore.
On 3 May 2023, the Manipur Police conducted a significant drug seizure operation, resulting in the confiscation of over 15 kg of heroin. The seized drugs are estimated to be worth around ₹25 crores. The operation led to the arrest of four alleged smugglers, including a woman.
In a significant drug seizure operation on 1 May 2023, the Kangpokpi district police confiscated 15.011 kilograms of heroin powder at the Kangpokpi police check post. The seized drugs have an estimated value of ₹100 crores. This operation stands as one of the largest drug hauls in the state.
On 10 May 2023, the Narcotics & Affairs of Border (NAB-PS) conducted a raid in Manipur’s Imphal East District, leading to the recovery of a significant quantity of narcotic items.
Acting on specific information, the NAB-PS recovered 77 gunny bags containing suspected poppy seeds, one packet containing 520 grams of synthetic caffeine, and one transparent plastic packet containing 175 grams of Pseudoephedrine.
War On Drugs
In March 2023, the Manipur state assembly made a significant move to address the increasing problem of drug abuse by unanimously passing a resolution. The resolution designated all 60 members of the assembly as warriors of the “War on Drugs” campaign. This private member resolution was approved on the final day of the 3rd session of the 12th Manipur legislative assembly, with all the MLAs, irrespective of their party affiliations, expressing their support for the resolution. This united step demonstrates the assembly’s collective commitment to combat drug-related issues in the state.
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Three female students at Netra Jyoti College in Udupi, Karnataka, were suspended after a mobile camera was found in the women’s bathroom. The students were accused of recording private moments of females and sharing the footage on social media. The college management suspended the three students due to their violation of the campus’s mobile phone ban and their alleged recording of videos of their classmates in the restroom.
The victim was reluctant to file a complaint about the incident. Swarajya attempted to speak with the victims, but they declined to talk, stating that they were fearful of the consequences. Swarajya interviewed Rachan Saliyan, a member of the local student body – All College Student Power (R) (AICP), who filed the report and he revealed that upon catching one of the perpetrators in the act, the students organized a protest on 20 July 2023. Saliyan mentioned that the girls and their families are afraid that their videos may be leaked, exposing their identities and he suspects that the primary reason for the hesitation to file a complaint firsthand may be this.
Rashmi Samant, a Hindu human rights activist, spoke up for the victims who were allegedly recorded in the washrooms of the private institution. On 24 July 2023, Rashmi took to Twitter to raise questions about the lack of discussion surrounding the Udupi incident of secretly recording videos.
I'm from Udupi and nobody is talking about Alimatul Shaifa, Shabanaz and Aliya who placed cameras in female toilets of their college to record hundreds of unsuspecting Hindu girls. Videos and phots that were then circulated in community WhatsApp groups by the perpetrators.
She posted a series of tweets on this matter. She tweeted, “I’m from Udupi, and nobody is talking about Alimatul Shaifa, Shabanaz, and Aliya, who placed cameras in female toilets of their college to record hundreds of unsuspecting Hindu girls. The perpetrators in community WhatsApp groups circulated videos and photos.”
Following this, on 24th July, Udupi police launched a campaign to locate her.
1. At 8:00 PM this evening, a group of policemen visited the residence of my client, @RashmiDVS . As Rashmi was not at home at the time, it was her parents who were questioned by the police and repeatedly asked about Rashmi’s whereabouts.
Whitewashing Of The Secret Video Recording Incident By Zubair
Mohammad Zubair, co-founder of Alt News and alleged fact-checker, denied the community angle in the matter and chose to amplify Samant’s tweets, as well as those of Shefali Vaidya and Arun Pudur, who were expressing support for the Hindu girls, claiming that they were spreading misinformation.
Samant accused Zubair of having ulterior motives and stated that he was repeating the same modus operandi he exhibited with Nupur Sharma in the past.
Classic @zoo_bear trying to incite mobs against the Hindu women @ShefVaidya like he did to Nupur Sharma. Udupi is my home and I will not be intimidated into silence by the misinformation you peddle in the name of fact-checking. Now I don't have the time to teach you Kannada. https://t.co/8W4mPqHUhQpic.twitter.com/LyrWZFEcJC
She even shared newspaper cuttings and screenshots of reports to prove her stance.
I can't find enough proof in this whole world for your bigotry @zoo_bear
Local newspaper cuttings, naming all the perpetrators, statements from local student unions acknowledged by the SI Udupi and more. All I pray is that mahadev blesses all bigots with renewed sense of… https://t.co/pHO5MCUCiHpic.twitter.com/VQDfWoL8DZ
In return, he blamed her for posting tweets that incited mobs and accused her of playing the “woman card”.
It's people like you who are trying to incite mob by misleading your readers and now justifying by quoting some unknown YouTube channel "Daksha News 24X7". Stop playing Woman card when you get exposed. https://t.co/ER6qFjo5nX
Zubair also quoted an article from The News Minute (aka TNMurasoli) which he said the management denied any community angle to the case.
Here an article by @thenewsminute Udupi students suspended for filming girl in restroom, cops & College management deny communal angle. https://t.co/RZaHSqhiTm
It is imperative to remember that leftist media like AltNews, The Wire, The News Minute came together to found the DIGIPub News India Foundation.
How TNM Whitewashes The Incident
TNM brushed off this incident as an instance of bullying and states that the video was promptly deleted upon the victim’s confrontation. According to the article, the girls involved defend their actions as a mere “prank”.
Source: The News Minute
TNM further asserts that the police have not discovered any video on the phone, nor have such videos been shared on WhatsApp.
Contrary to Zubair’s or the rest of the leftist media’s claims, it is to be noted that the news regarding the secret video recording at the Udupi nursing home and the circulation of videos on WhatsApp has, in fact, been covered by various national media outlets.
This is DeccanHerald, TV9Kannada and MangaloreToday early reports. IndiaTiday, TN, NDTV & many other followed later.
NDTV reported that their intended target was someone else and the victim got videographed by mistake.
Source: NDTV
The girls apparently deleted the video in front of the victim, as stated by the director of the institution.
Mohammad Zubair is known for selectively presenting incidents to suit his agenda. In an ironic twist, the Congress-led government in Karnataka is establishing a ‘fact-check unit’ to counter ‘misinformation‘, but it has raised concerns as they are seeking assistance from questionable sources of information like Alt News, which is notorious for spreading fake news.
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The 11th World Tamil Research Conference commenced at the University of Malaya campus in Malaysia and spanned three days from 21 July-23 July 2023. The purpose of this conference is to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and ideas among Tamil scholars and scholars from various other languages worldwide. It aims to showcase the brilliance of the Tamil language as well as the excellence found in other languages.
Thirumavalavan Speech On Tamil Nationalism
One of the key guests on the first day was Viduthalai Siruthaigal Katchi (VCK) head Thirumavalavan, who addressed the conference, focusing on Tamil nationalism in his speech.
“Today, people who can talk about religious nationalism have fallen to show violent fanaticism in Manipur. People who used to live in harmony as brothers no matter what religion they follow are fighting on the basis of religion for the past few years causing India to hang its head in shame on the global stage.”
“So, when religious nationalism becomes a religious ideology, hatred against other religions turns into hate politics. There is a need to present Tamil nationalism as a platform for the restoration of political, socio-cultural rights.”
“As far as India is concerned, linguistic nationalism has to be propagated in each of the states based on the language spoken there among the people, it is our duty to promote recognition of language-based nationality. Tamil nationalism alone cannot grow, Kannada nationalism, Malayalam nationalism, and Telugu nationalism also have to grow only then Tamil nationalism will grow.”
“Linguistic nationalism should be forged in India but this is being prevented by the cultivation of religious nationalism by religious nationalists – ‘Don’t live as a Tamilian, Live as a Hindu’ – this is religious nationalism.”
He said, “Dravidian politics means egalitarian politics and also means social justice politics.”
“The reason for saying that religious nationalism is dangerous for India is that whatever is the majority religion here (Hinduism), whatever is the majority society, it ignores equality. It does not accept equality, it is against equality and encourages caste pride.”
“A village is not one unit – that is the truth, it is divided into streets and slums, Brahmins live in an agraharam where shudras or caste Hindus cannot live together with them or build houses there. The village street is different, the agraharam is different, the slum street is different, and the Kuppam where the fishermen live is different. In this way, the habitats are separate in the Indian social structure. As you enter the village, you have different streets for different castes – there is a Konar street, a Chettiyar street, a Padayachi street, a Mudaliar street, a Pillaimar street, a Mukkulathoor street – even in the same village there is a structure of caste names for streets.”
He went on to say that religions across the world propagate equality and brotherhood.
“Religions function as institutions. The principles and philosophies offered by those religions do not speak of discrimination, it speaks of brotherhood.“, he said.
He further said “Philosophy is different and the institutions that implement the philosophy are different, Islam is philosophy. The Muslim religion is an institution that builds mosques, creates imams and ulema, and provides training to recite Quran – that is the institutional process but Islam is a philosophy, Christianity is philosophy Buddhism is a philosophy – these philosophies speak about brotherhood. What is the philosophy of the Hindu religion? What is the philosophy of Vaishnavism? What is the philosophy of Saivism? Or what is the philosophy of Hindutva? Sanatan Dharma is said to be its philosophy, they claim it is Sanatan Dharma. That Sanatan Dharma rejects brotherhood. This is the problem. It also attacks the Tamil community, it destroys the unity of Tamils. We cannot do anything that can destroy Tamil unity as a Tamil nationalism.”
As he finished speaking and returned to his seat from the dias, within a few minutes, a member from the audience can be heard screaming “Hey nippatra, (hey stop it), the topic you are speaking on itself is not right!”. This created a commotion at the event. The organisers tried to convince the audience and the protestors left the place.
Following this, Saraswathy Kandasami, the Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives in the Pakatan Harapan government led by Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysia spoke at the event and requested the protestors to remain seated. She also said that the speech made by Thirumavalavan was his own personal views and did not represent the organisation or the Conference.
Anwar Ibrahim Aims To Promote Tamil Language Learning In Malaysia
It is to be noted that Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, pledged an additional allocation of RM2 million for the Department of Indian Studies at University Malaya. He also allocated another RM2 million for the translation of significant Tamil literary works into Bahasa and English. He also expressed his commitment to promote the learning of Tamil and aims to introduce it as an extra language in public schools.
It is alleged that there were no representatives Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam at the World Tamil Conference that took place over the 3 days.
"என்னைத் தமிழர் ஆதரவாளர் என்று சொல்வார்கள். அதுபற்றிக் கவலை இல்லை. தமிழ், தமிழர் வளர்ச்சிக்காக மலாயா பல்கலைத் தமிழ்த் துறைக்கு 5 மில்லியன் மலேசிய ரிங்கிட் நிதி ஒதுக்குகிறேன்".
When asked about the speech made by Thirumavalavan on Tamil Nationalism, she said that his comments were incorrect. “While I agree with him that we must not indulge in hate propaganda, but he went on blaming one specific religion for indulging in hate propaganda, that too, he has flown across the seas and spoken about a religion that we Malaysians consider equal to the language (Tamil). We cannot accept his views. Yes, it may be his political philosophy and we do not accept the fact that he used this platform (of the World Conference) to speak about it.”
Ms. Saraswathy also added, “We have all congregated here as Tamils, yes, we welcome his views on Tamil nationalism but Tamil nationalism must be for the growth and spreading of the Tamil language and not be the root cause of separatism or target a particular community, ie, Hinduism.
He mentioned that Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism propagate brotherhood but he separates Hinduism and says it is actually Sanatan and it propagates inequality, which means I think he has not understood Sanatan Dharma. As per our understanding of Sanatan Dharma, all are equal, everyone has equal rights over this land and everyone must lead a life based on Dharma. This is what we have understood about Sanatan Dharma. His opinion, placed on an inappropriate platform with ill intentions, is being strongly rejected, and numerous Malaysians are expressing their condemnation of it.”
When asked about casteism in Malaysia, she spoke about how Bali, an Indonesian island with a Hindu majority had no caste-related issues. She said that it was the politicians that were raking up casteism and connecting it to Hinduism for the sake of votes. She also spoke about the issues they were facing among Indians who came to Malaysia for work. She said that alcoholism was a major problem among the Indians. “Alcoholism is a problem in Tamil Nadu too. Will people accept if I say that the Dravidian Model of governance promotes alcoholism? Both are different. Caste is a negative on our society and we have to overcome it but what are they trying to dig by connecting it to only one particular religion? We live in a fast-paced digital world, we are on the path of progress and we talk about unity, we do not agree to dig up a particular ideology and make a structure out of it and claim that this is the cause of casteism.”
She added, “Tamilians must live well and prosper if India/Tamilians do well, we Malaysian Indians feel proud about it because that is our identity. When India wins, when India is praised on the global platform, we feel proud about the epithet given to us as Indians. We want to see Tamil Nadu also do well like us.”
Condemnation By Tamil Hindus In Malaysia
University of Malaya’s Professor Rajendran spoke to a gathering of Malaysian Tamils at Kuala Lumpur where he mentioned the repeated use of the Thirukkural “Yaadhum Oorey Yaavarum Kelir”. This kural was used by Thirumavalavan during his speech at the World Tamil Conference.
Without mentioning Thirumavalavan’s name, Rajendran said, “When you go to a country as a guest, it is important to understand the country’s culture, what are the challenges there, and how we behave there is the exact meaning of that kural.
If it is our country, we will follow all rules and regulations. Out of that, 99% followed all those rules and we saw that at the conference and we appreciate it. However, less than 1% of them spoke about religion. It would have been okay if they spoke in praise of it. Had someone, even if one person got agitated by the speech and informed the police that someone is speaking disparagingly of religion, today he wouldn’t have returned home but rather have had to go to prison.
In Malaysia, in recent times, the 3Rs should not be touched at all – Religion, Race, and Royalty. If anyone touches these things, no one will be spared is what our PM has said several times and repeated it at the Conference. So we request those people who have come from Tamil Nadu, dear friends, you may have several problems in your country/state, you may be a big shot there but don’t bring that garbage and dump it here.
What should one speak when you come here – something that is common to all, about Tamil, how to do better research in Tamil, how to improve the language, how to better commerce through Tamil, how to improve Tamil research departments, how to create opportunities to do this. Had they spoken healthy politics, it would have made sense but contrarily they spoke unhealthily just because they got a platform. If they thought the people would take this lying down, I think it will lead to very disastrous consequences.”
It was a narrow escape for Thirumavalavan in Malaysia.
You can't touch 3Rs there, Religion,Race and Royalty.
— Indu Makkal Katchi (off) (@Indumakalktchi) July 24, 2023
இடம் பொருள் ஏவல் தெரியாத அரசியல் தலைவர்கள் (@thirumaofficial போன்ரோர்) செய்யும் செயல் என்பது இதுதான். தங்களையே வெளிநாட்டிற்கு சிறையில் வைக்கும் அளவிற்கு இருக்கும் இவர்களால் பட்டியலினத்தவர்களையும் அழங்குடி இனத்தவர்களையும் மற்றோரையும் எப்படி வழி நடத்த முடியும்.
Back in 2019, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the centre proposed the National Education Policy (NEP) that included a 3-language system for schools, actor Suriya voiced out his opposition to the imposition of Hindi on students in the state of Tamil Nadu.
He opposed the NEP saying that it tried to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states and that the policy as a whole is anti-poor. He claimed that the draft NEP was against rural students.
“From three years, three languages are being imposed on students and government school students are most affected by this,” he had said.
“I find it difficult to teach even my kids the third language, who will teach the government school students then? If we are going to be silent about this policy, it will be imposed on us,” he had claimed.
A few months ago, he even shifted to Mumbai with his wife and children allegedly for reasons varying from his wife, Jyothika’s acting career to their children’s schooling to his mother-in-law’s health. He is said to have allegedly bought a luxurious apartment worth ₹70 crores in a gated-community in Mumbai.
In a tweet yesterday to promote his upcoming film Kanguva, he tweeted in 6 languages including Hindi to attract audience attention.
However, netizens were quick to call out his apparent hypocrisy. They pointed out that Suriya had been vocal against Hindi “imposition” allegedly under the NEP, and his multi-language tweet seemed contradictory to his previous stance.
— Johny Bhai(அண்ணாமலையின் வார் ரூம்)🇮🇳 (@Johni_raja) July 23, 2023
This is not the first time ‘actor’ Suriya has been called out for his hypocrisy.
His film ‘Jai Bhim’ features a controversial scene in which a north-Indian man gets slapped for speaking Hindi.
Prakash Raj who plays the role of a police officer slaps a north-Indian (who has been stereotyped as a ‘Marwari’ Saet) for speaking in Hindi and asks him to speak in Tamil. In Hindi, the same scene shows Prakash Raj uttering the dialogue “Speak the truth”. Only in Telugu and Tamil, the makers of the film seem to have deliberately kept the dialogue to exploit linguistic faultlines.
'உண்மையை பேசு' என்று அடி விழுவதாக ஹிந்தியில் வருகிறது..'தெலுங்கில்' பேசு என்று அடி விழுவதாக தெலுங்கில் வருகிறது..
திட்டமிட்டு தமிழ் மற்றும் தெலுங்கில் மட்டுமே மொழி வெறியையும் பிரிவினையையும் வளர்க்க இந்த காட்சி வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.. pic.twitter.com/ycTSGmMJda
— SundarRajaCholan☀𑌸𑍁𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌰𑍍 𑌰𑌾𑌜 𑌚𑍋𑌳𑌼𑌨☀ (@sundarrajachola) November 2, 2021
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