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“Do You Think I Am A Beggar?” Pastor Gets Angry On Church Members For Donating Just 3 Oranges

By
The Commune
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An undated rant by a Catholic priest directed at Christian Church worshippers and throwing of offerings given to him has gone viral on social media. 

Father Joseph Christian, is a Parish Priest of St. Anne’s Church in Rajakrishnapuram, Tirunelveli District, which is under the Tuticorin Diocese.

According to reports, 30 families from the Susaiappar Anbiam group gave only three oranges as an offering to Father Joseph Christian during the prayer ceremony on the day of the incident.

Enraged by the offerings, Father Joseph Christian can be seen in the video humiliating the 30 families of the Soosiappar Anbiam for having only offered 3 oranges to him. He is seen throwing the offerings and berating them for not being generous enough.

In the video, Father Joseph Christian can be heard saying, “Dear all, Soosaiyappar Anbiam has arranged for this beautiful prayer meet. All of you have come together and arranged this. I applaud your efforts. But I have to give you one advise. We have spent thousands of rupees to arrange this. But what is the use of all these. Rain spoiled it last time. What is the use of having you?”

He added, “First of all, all thirty families in the assembly should participate and give their offerings. Do you think I am a beggar? You have given me 3 oranges. What should I do with these. I can only throw in three directions (actually throwing the oranges). If you are a millionaire, so I am. Do not forget. If you are a billionaire, so I am. Till I leave this Parish, don’t you dare forget this. Do you think I am a beggar by donating only 3 oranges? Never in your life you should forget this.”

The Roman Catholic across the world is divided geographically into dioceses, each of which are ministered to by a Bishop. A Diocese has more than 100 parishes on average, each of which would have 10,000-20,000 flock, ministered to by a Parish Priest. Further, units of 20-50 families are organised as an ANPIAM (Animating New Pastoral Integral Approach Mission) known colloquially in Tamil as an Anbiam. The Anbiam is the smallest unit of the Catholic church in Tamil Nadu. Specific services are to be managed by an ANBIAM, to be managed by the families in this group. It also appears that these families are expected to contribute to the running of the Church financially also.

The Tuticorin Diocese is no stranger to controversy. In a video that went viral earlier, a priest who resembles Fr. Silvester Fernando M., Parish Priest of St.Charles’ Church, Subbiahpuram, Thoothukudi is seemingly so heavily under the influence of intoxicants that he is unable to officiate at a wedding.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=603562804223527

Earlier, the Bishop of Tuticorin Diocese, Rt Rev Yvon Ambroise, now Bishop Emeritus of Tuticorin Diocese, was charged with aiding politically inspired protests at Koodankulam, using money remitted by organizations overseas.

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Congress Gives A Free Hit With A No Ball And BJP Hits A Six

By
Ananth Mahadevan
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As its IPL season going on, I can’t help taking a cricket analogy to describe what is happening in the run up to the Election Day on May 10th in Karnataka. So far, BJP was a chasing a challenging target set by Congress and they were on a back foot with some good bowling by Congress. It’s now one over to go and BJP has to score 10 runs. One relief was that a batsman like Dhoni is on the crease whose last name is Modi which is still haunting the Congress selected leader, Rahul Gandhi.

At this juncture the usual plan for the bowling team would have been to bowl really tight with no loose deliveries and bowling in the right areas. Congress which is known now for its terrible strategic goof ups and terrible advisors with nonsensical ideas did exactly what they should not do. The first deliver in the second last was a no ball. The Congress in its enthusiasm to appease the minority which means only Muslims to them although there are so many other communities included in minorities, asserted in their manifesto on May 2 that if they are brought to power they will ban Bajrang Dal like PFI was banned. The Congress bowler in his enthusiasm to bowl fast overstepped the line and it was no ball. The BJP batsman, Bajrang Dal, scored three runs by hitting the ball near the boundary. BJP now had the advantage of a free hit in the next ball and the batsman who stood in the crease with a mischievous smile on his face was none other than NarendraModi. The Congress bowler’s heart sank and he knew immediately that this one mistake of his will prove very expensive for his team. He nervously bowled the next ball and his fears came true as Modi hit a big six which almost went out of the stadium.

Narendra Modi immediately in his speech in Dakshin Kannada invoked Lord Hanuman as Bajrang Bali and asked everyone to chant Bajrang Bali ki jai while pressing the voting button and punish the Congress. Congress team went into damage control mode. Lot of panic was seen in the team when with the six in the last ball. It looked like no one knew what to do. Some said we need to have all the fielders near the boundary and some said we need to have a slip and second slip, as outrageous as it may sound in the death over. Veerappa Moily said there was no proposal to ban Bajrang Dal. D.K. Shivakumar said Congress will build more Hanuman ji temples if they come to power. However, Pawan Khera persisted the ban was the right thing to do albeit in a roundabout, indirect way. It was very clear that the local Karnataka leadership was involved in this decision of putting this statement of Bajrang Dal ban in the manifesto. Congress was trying very hard to lose a winning match.

The BJP has taken up this issue and have a created a very strong narrative around Congress being anti-Hindu. Across the country, the tremor was felt. Lots of temples were abuzz with the sound of Hanuman Chalisa chanting and BJP and Bajrang Dal will keep this going till the day of the elections. I am repeatedly amused by the thinktank in Congress and how they come up with such creative ideas without even thinking well on the reactions that can come. They must do an FMEA (Failure Mode Effect Analysis) for all their strategies to see what can go wrong and what controls they need to put in place to mitigate the risks. I am sure no one in Congress will even think of doing it as none in their party seems to have such farsightedness.

Narendra Modi, the batsman in action who Mr. Kharge called a snake recently, has decided that he will face all the rest of the balls and ensure his team wins. His batting in the roadshows on May 6 is going to be loved by the public and the Congress will be having sleepless nights. With this one wrong step, the Congress has forced the Hindu voters in Karnataka to forget about whether they are Lingayats or Vokkaligas and think as Hindus. Congress can’t cry foul now. If they can play the muslim card, how is it wrong if BJP plays the Hindu card. This one no ball might change the potential win to a loss for Congress. Let’s wait for the third umpire, the Karnataka voters, to give their final decision.

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Hypocrisy Much? Rahman Shares Humanity-Over-Religion ‘Kerala Story’, Here’s How He Put His Religion Above Humanity

By
The Commune
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Ahead of the release of ‘The Kerala Story’, a film depicting the menace of love jihad, Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman took to virtue-signalling sharing an old clip of a Hindu couple marrying at a mosque in Kerala.

The video which Rahman shared was three years old and is a coverage of The News Minute of a Hindu couple named Anju and Sharath marrying at the Cheruvally Muslim Jamaath mosque in Alappuzha.

This old video was shared on Twitter by the handle Comrade From Kerala (@ComradeMallu) whose bio reads as “Communist from Kerala… Sanghis, Sudappis and all religious terrorists please keep away.”

Quote-tweeting the video of Comrade From Kerala, AR Rahman said that love for humanity has to be unconditional.

But here are a few instances when Rahman put his religion above his work and humanity.

Incident 1

Piraisoodan is a famous award-winning Tamil poet who has penned lyrics for many Tamil songs. He had worked with Rahman during his initial days when the latter was scoring ad jingles. Piraisoodan has also penned lyrics for some of the songs of Rahman.

In an interview to a Tamil YouTube channel,  Piraisoodan said that once when he had gone to Rahman’s home, he was asked to remove the Vibhuti (sacred ash) and Kumkum (vermilion) by Rahman’s mother. Rahman along with family had already converted to Islam by then.

However, Piraisoodan, did not oblige and refused to remove the Hindu religious marks on his forehead saying that he has been having them since childhood.

Incident 2

It is hard for a Rahman fan to not have listened to the song ‘Kalayil Dhinamum‘ from the film New.

The song is an ode to mothers penned by the late lyricist Vaali who is known for being candid.

In an incident recorded by Vaali, he said that the inital lyrics of the song which adulated mother to the status of God had to be changed because of Rahman.

The initial lines that was penned by Vaali was:

Kalai Dhinamum Kan Vizhithaal (Every morning when I wake up)

Naan Kai Thodum Deivam Amma (The God I fold my hands to pray, is mother)

The shooting for the song had already been completed.

However, Rahman objected to these lines saying that Islam does not allow him to equate mother with his God and asked lyricist Vaali to change the lyric.

“Vaali sir, in my religion we’re not supposed to equate mother with God. Please replace the word with some other word.”, Rahman apparently told Vaali over phone.

An irritated Vaali later changed the word ‘Deivam‘ which means God in Tamil to ‘Devathai‘, the Tamil word for angel, on Rahman’s insistance.

Incident 3

Sources in the Tamil music industry also note that AR Rahman did not compose the Ayyappa Song that comes in the film Boys (2003).

Even the casette/CD cover of the music album does not mention the Ayyappa Song.

It is said that the Ayyappa song from the movie was composed by his music programmer Pravin Mani.

While it is speculated that Rahman chose to not compose the Ayyappa song as it would be in contradiction to his Islamic beliefs, what is worth mentioning is that the same Rahman had composed the enchanting ‘Anbendra Mazhayile‘ a song venerating Jesus from the film Minsara Kanavu (1997).

In all these above instances, Rahman put his religion above anything else. Where did humanity-over-religion go then?

Rahman has always been viewed as an Indian and his religion has never bothered his fans who span across faiths.

But is Rahman a man blinded by his faith?

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India’s Alternative For Google Chrome Is Zoho’s New Browser “Ulaa”

By
The Commune
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Software-as-a-Service firm Zoho Corporation on 4 May 2023 launched Ulaa, a web browser built specifically to secure personal data with pre-built capabilities that universally block tracking and website surveillance.

Zoho Corporation, the global technology company based in Chennai, has launched Ulaa, a privacy-centered browser designed to shield personal data from online tracking and surveillance. Derived from Tamil, Ulaa signifies a journey or voyage.

“Not many browsers on the market today are built to protect user privacy. They were created to protect the respective company’s ad-based business models and surveillance companies that complement them, which runs counter to protecting users. This conflict between user’s preferences and browser’s business models means end users lose,” said Sridhar Vembu, CEO and Cofounder of Zoho Corporation in a media statement.

“With Ulaa, users don’t have to compromise their privacy to browse the web, which unfortunately has become a surveillance minefield,” Vembu added.

Ulaa has different browsing modes like – personal, work, incognito, kids, developer, open seasons mode. It also has inbuilt features like Smart Tabs, Screen Capture, Notes.

It is said that amall business owners can securely access their work accounts, prevent ads, and maintain online privacy without compromising functionality.

Further, Ulaa also disables the API that allows websites to connect and communicate with devices connected to the computer or wifi network. Typically, browser IDs can be used to track users even after they have signed out of the browser. The company said Ulaa has a multi-ID model, which is frequently refreshed, making it impossible to correlate a signed-in user to a browsing session; it adds an extra layer of protection from tracking software.

Ulaa is presently free for all and its desktop version is available for download. The iOS and Android versions are currently in beta and are available for download for users.

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Did You Know? VIT Vellore Has Library Named After Rabid Anti-Hindu Demagogue EVR

By
The Commune
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Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is considered to be one of the prestigious institutions in the country which has its main campus in Vellore, Tamil Nadu and three other campus located in Chennai’s outskirts, Amravati in Andhra Pradesh, and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

People from across the country religiously write the VITEEE (engineering entrance exam) in order to study in the university.

But did you know that the library in the main campus which is used by people of all faith including the Hindu community is named after a anti-Hindu bigot?

The Central library of the Vellore campus of VIT has been named after the EV Ramasamy Naicker (hailed as Periyar by followers), who is known for spewing venom against Hindu Gods and Hindus, particularly Brahmins.

Image

Following are some historical records about EVR that many do not know or consciously hide from the mainstream.

Abused Tamil And Tamil Literature

Ironically, the person after whom the library has been named had abused the world’s oldest language Tamil and also world renowned Tamil literature like Thirukkural, Silappadhikaram, etc.

In an editorial article of Viduthalai dated October 11, 1967, Periyar called Tamil as a “kaatumiraandi mozhi”, meaning barbarian language. He mentions Tamil as a barbarian language not once but several times during the course of his lifetime. He went to the extent of saying that ‘Tamil is a language that is not even useful for begging’.

Silappadikaram, the great Tamil epic written by Ilango Adigal and belonging to the ancient Sangam literature, was called by Periyar as an Aryan propaganda tool. One of the finest and richest literature ever produced by mankind, he considered it to be a treasure of superstitions and slavery of women.

Kamba Ramayanam, the Tamil version of Ramayana that is revered in Tamil Nadu was denounced by Periyar as a ‘storehouse of falsehood’.

In the edition of Viduthalai dating March 16, 1967, he observed that Tamil scholars and pundits deserved to be imprisoned for life and hanged as they did not create anything that led to society’s progress. He described the World Tamil Conference as a “census to enumerate fools”.

Tamil Saivite literature like Tevaram, Tiruvasagam and Tirumandiram which are part of the Thirumurai, a collection of songs in praise of Hindu God Shiva was called as rubbish by EVR.

While Thirukkural has been a revered work across the world, Periyar called it “feces placed in a golden plate”.

Abused Hindus And Hindu Gods

He had called the presiding deity Lord Rangathaswamy of Srirangam as a god who comes in search of prostitutes.

Image

In 1953, Periyar organized agitation for the desecration of Ganesha idols. He had elaborated extensively on the motivations behind the breaking of the idols. He had said in a speech in 1953, “We have to eradicate the gods who are responsible for the institution which portrays us as sudras, people of low birth, and some others as Brahmins of high birth. While the former go on toiling, without any education, whereas the latter can remain without exerting themselves. We have to break the idols of these gods. I start with Ganesa because it is he who is worshipped before undertaking any task.”

EVR also claimed that no North Indian Brahmin ever died in the war against Ravana. He had also claimed that Rama had married other women apart from Sita for his sexual pleasure. He had also claimed that Ravana was, in fact, a Dravidian King from South India. None of EVR’s claims about the Ramayana has an ounce of truth to them, of course, but he made them anyway. The origins of most of these claims lie not in the Ramayana but in the virulent hatred that he harboured towards North Indians and Brahmins.

EVR had also called for genocide against Tamil Brahmins saying “If one Tamilan (non-Brahmin) dies for one Tamil Brahmin, only 3 of us will die out of every hundred. Balance 84%, sorry.. 100-3 equals 97, 97-3 equals 94. 94% of us will still remain but he (Tamil Brahmin) will be completely eliminated. We will definitely go this level. We can only go step by step.”.

EVR Was Against India

E.V. Ramasamy Naicker is a rabid anti-Hindu bigot known for his pro-British stance when the Indian Freedom Struggle was its peak. He pleaded with the British to not leave India and pledged allegiance to them asking the Madras Presidency to be ruled from London. He even went to the extent of demanding a separate Dravida Naadu and had met Mohammad Ali Jinnah regarding the same.

It is after this anti-Tamil, anti-Hindu, anti-Indian racist demagogue that the library in VIT is named after.

This article has been developed based on Reality Check India‘s tweet on the same subject.

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TN Guv RN Ravi Smashes DMK’s ‘Dravidian Model’ To Smithereens

By
The Commune
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Here's What Official Documents Say About Playing Of National Anthem In TN Assembly

In an interview to the Times of India, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi discussed the state’s current political situation. He discussed a wide range of issues, including the state’s breakdown of law and order, his walkout from the assembly a few months ago, the ‘expired Dravidian Model,’ finance minister PTR’s allegations on Governor Office violating Finance Code, DMK’s separatist tendencies and much more.

DMK Govt’s Propaganda And Lies

Governor RN Ravi said that he refused to read the speech verbatim given by the DMK government as the speech given to him was full of lies and propaganda. “As for the speech that the state prepares, it is usually on the government policies and programmes. But the speech given to me was full of materials where it was neither policies nor programmes, but propaganda. They were inaccurate, they were lies,” Governor said.

RN Ravi refused to read that Tamil Nadu is a “heaven of peace,” citing instances of violence in the state such as a series of petrol bombs thrown after PFI was banned, the Coimbatore car bomb blast outside temple, the Kallakurichi incident in which more than 5000 people gathered in a school and burned it down, DMK leaders molesting a women constable in public who was later forced to withdraw case later and much more. He said, “There are videos. And all this happened while the police kept watching. Yet another case, at a public meeting, some weeks before the assembly address, a lady police constable in uniform was molested by a DMK leader. She was compelled to withdraw the case.”

He went on to say that the sand mafia was going into the offices of village administrative officers every other day and hack them to death, and that the government was complacent despite intelligence from central agencies about modules working for international drug and arms trafficking in Tamil Nadu and Pakistan.

RN Ravi said, “Now, with all this happening, you ask me to say it is a ‘haven of peace’. I am oathbound to tell the people of Tamil Nadu the truth.”

On HR&CE

Governor RN Ravi added to the list of reasons for not reading out the DMK government’s statement verbatim, saying that while the government has reclaimed 3000 acres of encroached land, it is nothing in comparison to the more than 50000 acres to be recovered. The governor stated, “They wanted me to praise for the excellent management of temples.”

Explaining breakdown of administration in HR&CE, Governor RN Ravi said that the case filed against the Dikshithars in Chidambaram Natarajar temple was fabricated and out of vengeance. He said that the charges of child marriage against Dikshithars were false and that the school girls of class 6 and 7 were forced to undergo ‘two finger’ test to prove their virginity.

Governor said, “Some of them tried to commit suicide. I wrote a letter to the chief minister, asking what is this? Now, against the backdrop of all that is happening, you want me to praise the government. Isn’t that too much?”

Dravidian Model, An Ideology Past Its Expiry Date

According to Governor RN Ravi, there is no such model of governance called Dravidian Model and that it is only a political slogan and a desperate bid to sustain an expired ideology which does not relish the idea of one India.

He went on to say that Dravidam is an ideology that downplays the national freedom movement, attempting to erase from history and memory the hundreds of thousands of Tamil Nadu freedom fighters who gave their lives and everything in order to glorify those who collaborated with the British.

He further added that Dravidam is an ideology that rabidly enforces linguistic apartheid on the whole of the nation such that no other Indian language is allowed entry into Tamil Nadu.

RN Ravi said, “It is an ideology that has created an ecosystem that fosters separatist sentiment. I don’t think anyone can expect me to endorse that. No, I will not, and I said I will not. After my speech, the speaker read out the Tamil version, I waited.”

RN Ravi said, “But against the protocol, against the norms, the chief minister got up and in connivance with the speaker, wanted to embarrass the governor in the house by passing a resolution against the governor. I didn’t allow them to do that. How can you embarrass the governor, in his presence? So, I walked out. Let them not tell me about Dr Ambedkar. This happened in January, before I got his statue installed here. He lives in my heart.”

He also pointed how there has been a drastic reduce in candidates from Tamil Nadu cracking the UPSC civil service exam. Governor Ravi blamed it on the declining quality of education.

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Tamil Nadu Govt Runs On Liquor Money And That’s A Fact

By
Soma Sundaram
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The revenue earned by Tamil Nadu’s state-owned liquor retail outlets, TASMAC, has been a topic of controversy for years, with some arguing that the government is overly reliant on the revenue generated by liquor sales. No matter whichever Dravidian party is in power, the State government has prioritized revenue from TASMAC over public health.

Tamil Nadu’s Liquor Minister V. Senthilbalaji recently made a statement that the DMK government doesn’t need TASMAC revenue to run the government. Yes, the state generates revenue from various sources, including property tax and registration fees, buf the contribution of TASMAC to the state’s tax revenue cannot be ignored.

In the first year of the DMK’s rule, TASMAC generated a record-breaking revenue of ₹36,050.65 Cr, which increased to ₹44,098.56 Cr in the second year. These numbers are significant and indicate that the state is heavily dependent on TASMAC revenue.

While the government may deny that they need TASMAC revenue, it is clear that the state’s revenue receipts have seen a steep increase in recent years, with TASMAC playing a significant role. The budget estimated State’s Own Tax Revenue (SOTR) for the 2022-23 financial year stands at ₹1.42 lakh crores, and the government has set a target of collecting ₹50,000 crores from TASMAC alone, which accounts for almost one third of the total SOTR.

The fact that the government hasn’t shut down TASMAC outlets despite advocating for prohibition in the past. It suggests that the government is not willing to forego the revenue generated by TASMAC, despite its negative impact on public health.

The government’s decision to prioritize TASMAC revenue over public health is concerning, especially given the increase in alcohol-related health problems in the state. However, it is clear that the government sees TASMAC as a significant revenue generator, and it is unlikely that they will take any steps to reduce their dependence on it.

While the Tamil Nadu government may claim that they don’t need TASMAC revenue, the data suggests otherwise. The revenue generated by TASMAC is a significant contributor to the state’s tax revenue, and it is clear that the government values this revenue source. While it is concerning that the government is prioritizing revenue over public health, it is unlikely that they will change their stance on TASMAC anytime soon.

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“What PTR Said Was A Bunch Of Lies”: TN Guv Ravi Slams DMK Fin Min For Alleging Financial Code Violation

By
The Commune
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Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi came down heavy on the State Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiyagarajan and the DMK, saying he does not expect them to be civil and decent, and that what PTR said was a bunch of lies.

On 30 March 2023, DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan accused the Governor’s office of financial irregularities during a discussion on demand for grants. He said that the Raj Bhavan transferred ₹4 crores to a private NGO Akhsya Patra flouting norms.

PTR said, “Out of the ₹5 crores discretionary allocation in the fiscal year 2019-20, ₹4 crores has been transferred to Akshaya Patra (an NGO providing mid-day meals for school children) in two installments of ₹2 crores in 2019. There is no transparency over how and where the remaining fund of ₹1 crore is parked.”

PTR accused Raj Bhavan of multiple violations in the manner in which funds were transferred to the NGO. “There are two instances of fund transfers — ₹4 crores in 2019-20 and ₹1 crore in 2020-21 — to the Akshaya Patra Foundation. Later on, the scheme itself was shelved. It has proved to be a bad investment and an undemocratic practice,” PTR said in the Assembly.

In an interview to the Times of India, Governor RN Ravi stated that finance minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan lied in the first instance by claiming that the Governor’s discretionary grant is for petty charities, a few thousand rupees to needy people. The Governor said that PTR lied about the word ‘petty’ being removed from the financial code in 2000.

“I don’t expect them to be civil or decent. But I did expect them to be honest and truthful to the people of Tamil Nadu.”, Governor Ravi said.

RN Ravi said, “Finance code says that within the available budget, there cannot be and should not be a limit; that is, the governor’s discretion should not be limited. ”

On the Akshaya Patra controversy, Governor RN Ravi stated that the donation to Akshaya Patra was intended to reduce school dropouts in Greater Chennai Corporation by providing wholesome breakfast meals to students in the morning.

He went on to say that, despite the fact that the kitchen was fully set up, Akshaya Patra was forced to run from pillar to post in order to obtain a gas and water connection from corporation. Governor RN Ravi said, “They (Akshaya Patra) were told everything is fine, but they (GCC) have instructions from the CM’s office, you go and get it sorted out there. For the last 16 months Akshaya Patra has been running to the CM office. They have not succeeded in getting the CM appointment. All the documents and bank documents are there.”

Explaining that even the state government officials were part of the committee to monitor Akshaya Patra, RN Ravi said, “The estimate of that kitchen was ₹5 crores. The Governor sanctioned this amount from his discretionary grant. It is released in instalments, and a committee of the state government, headed by the additional chief secretary of the state was constituted to monitor it. A sum of ₹4.5 lakh was released, and ₹50 lakh was granted on completion of work.”

In response to finance minister PTR’s allegation that the Governor is spending a large sum on the tea party, Governor RN Ravj stated that since taking office, he has reduced the number of officials who participate in these events on Republic Day and Independence Day, while a broader spectrum of people including farmers, youth, SHGs, NGOs, people with disabilities, folk artists, classical artists, and many more.

Governor RN Ravi stated that calling it a Governor’s tea party is an insult to those who attended as well as the people of Tamil Nadu.

RN Ravi added, “Then they said money was being spent on civil service aspirants. When I joined the civil service, Tamil Nadu had the largest number of civil servants. Today, we are way below so many states. So, I started getting poor students in batches, 250 to 300 of them. I give them tips, guide them on how to prepare. I cannot send them back hungry I have to feed them. I wonder why the government should nurse a grudge about this. He (PTR) told all these lies.”

In response to PTR’s claim that the Governor’s office spent several lakhs on a tea party in Ooty, RN Ravi stated that the party was attended by Nilgiri tribes, including The Elephant Whisperers couple. He also stated that he spends his own money to pay his and his family’s food bills.

It is worth noting that, a few days ago, PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan retracted his statement about the amount transferred by Raj Bhavan to Akshaya Patra, as data had suggested otherwise.

“I am bound to retract some of the statements I made that day in the House. That day, I said that Akshaya Patra has been twice awarded two crores.”, PTR said.

He added that the funds from Governor’s discretionary fund were originally transferred to Governor’s household accounts and not Akshaya Patra’s account. He added, “The funds were then transferred to other accounts, including to Akshaya Patra.”

PTR thus admitted to lying in the assembly about the transfer of ₹4 crores from the Governor’s discretionary fund to Akshaya Patra.

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DMK Govt Refused To Play National Anthem In Assembly: TN Guv RN Ravi Reveals, Jai Hind Was Avoided Earlier

By
The Commune
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National Anthem Insulted Again By Not Playing In TN Assembly Alleges TN Guv RN Ravi, Walks Out Without Reading Address; Fourth Such Incident Since 2022

In an interview to the Times of India, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi revealed that the DMK had refused to play national anthem in the Assembly despite him insisting.

When asked about his walkout from the Tamil Nadu assembly in January before the national anthem was played and his refusal to read out the names of certain leaders, Governor RN Ravi said, “Before I addressed the assembly in the year 2022 for the first time, I was told that they don’t play the national anthem in the assembly. Before I addressed, I insisted that the national anthem must be played. And the national anthem must be played both at the arrival and departure of the governor and the Thamizh Thai Vazhthu too.”

Governor RN Ravi also stated that his request to play the National Anthem before the session of Assembly began was ignored by both Speaker Appavu and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

He also stated that when Speaker (Appavu) came to invite him to the Tamil Nadu assembly, he made a request to him to play the anthem at the start of the session, and that he also sent a letter to that effect. Nonetheless, the national anthem was not played, Governor Ravi said.

The Governor also took on the DMK government head on various issues like the hapless state of law and order, separatist tendencies, the much-hyped Dravidian Model, etc

Earlier, in an interview with Thanthi TV’s Kelvikenna Bathil programme, DMK Minister Ponmudi remarked that omitting the word “Jai Hind” in the Governor’s address to the Tamil Assembly was a timely move, and questioned what is wrong with not saying “Jai Hind.” He added that it was Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin’s decision to avoid using ‘Jai Hind.’

Before that, soon after the DMK came to power, Easwaran, a DMK ally MLA spoke in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly that the DMK has made Tamil Nadu lift its head high by avoiding ‘Jai Hind’ in the Governor’s address. He thanked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for refraining from using the words “Jai Hind,” which the previous ADMK government used.

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DMK’s ‘Water’gate: Did Stalin Govt Fabricate Jal Jeevan Mission Numbers For TN?

By
The Commune
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The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2019.

The JJM is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in India. The work is implemented in partnership with States and Union Territories.

At the time of launch of the mission, only 3.23 crore rural households, a meagre 17%, had a tap water connection in the entire country.

Only 21.76 lakh households (17.3%) in Tamil Nadu had a tap water connection. But as of 4 May 2023, 80.9 lakh households (64.52%) have a tap water connection.

Tamil Nadu has emerged as the only state which has achieved the target for 2022 Q1 and Q2 for Jal Jeevan Mission, with 69.57 lakh households provided with tap connections till date, according to official data.

The target set by the Union government for Q1 and Q2 for 2022 was 12.1 lakh tap connections in Tamil Nadu. However, the state has provided 16.25 lakh tap connections, registering 134% higher connections than the set target of 28.48 lakh tap connections for 2022-2023.

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By March 2022, Tamil Nadu had provided functional household tapped connection (FHTC) to 52.96 Lakh Households (HHs). In June 2022, the state’s coverage of FHTC was 46%.

Now, 46% of 1,25,52,655 households means 57.74 Lakh households had functional tap water connection by the end of June 2022.  After 3 months, Tamil Nadu claims to have provided FHTC to 69.57 Lakh households.

The number of new FHTCs provided to the households, during April to June 2022 is 4.78 lakhs and for July to September 2022 is 11.83 lakhs which is almost 3 times the number achieved in Q1.

It can be seen that there is a sudden spike in new FHTC between June 2022 and September 2022. These figures raise suspicions of the DMK government inflating the figures.

Data for the year 2020-2021 reveals that 14.9 lakh new tap water connections. If that is the case, how did the DMK government manage to provide 11.83 lakh connections in just 3 months?

It is worth remembering that in November 2022, a youngster named Murali Krishnan had released a video in which he exposed the irregularities in the laying of the pipes under JJM in his village.

In the video, the outlet pipe can be seen just fixed to the ground without any pipeline underneath. He had alleged that authorities have given completion certificate and accounted ₹3.69 lakh for this incomplete work done.

A report by Puthiya Thalaimurai noted that drinking water pipes were installed at 104 places but it was found that outlet pipes were installed for namesake in more than 50 places.

It was alleged that department officials were bribed to give the completion certificate for the incomplete work done.

 

Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai had brought this to the Tamil Nadu Governer RN Ravi’s attention.

”With respect to Jal Jeevan Mission in TamilNadu, state BJP unearthed fraud amounting to multiple hundreds of Crores of Rupees in Vizhuppuram. We brought it to attention of Governor about how fake receipts are generated, how without work completion certificate is generated”,he said.

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If the irregularities are proved by the investigative agencies, this scam in Jal Jeevan Mission will prove to be DMK’s ‘water’gate.

This article has been developed based on Krishna Kumar Murugan‘s tweet on the same subject.

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