Tamil Nadu’s Information Technology Minister, Palanivel Thiagarajan, has announced that the state has taken proactive measures to bolster cybersecurity by blocking over 80,000 suspicious IP addresses through the Tamil Nadu Computer Emergency Response Team (TN-CERT).

In a recent statement, the Minister highlighted that the state’s first Cyber Security Policy was introduced in 2020, aimed at safeguarding its digital infrastructure and IT services. Recognizing the evolving nature of cyber threats and the rapid growth of technologies such as cloud computing, the government introduced an updated Cyber Security Policy 2.0 in 2024. This updated framework includes modern security practices tailored to today’s digital landscape.

To implement this policy effectively, the Department of Information Technology and Digital Services established TN-CERT, in partnership with ELCOT and the Advanced Computing Development Centre. This dedicated team functions as an autonomous unit, supporting all government departments in managing and protecting their digital assets.

Currently, TN-CERT is responsible for overseeing the cybersecurity of over 500 government websites and maintaining around 1,200 IT assets across departments. To build cyber awareness and preparedness, the team has conducted 130 specialized training programs, reaching 3,200 government officials.

Furthermore, the state has appointed 36 Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and 103 Information Security Officers (ISOs) to various departments to ensure continuous oversight and rapid response to potential threats.

Among the significant achievements highlighted was the identification and blocking of 80,039 potentially harmful IP addresses unique identifiers for devices connected to the internet that posed a threat to the state’s digital ecosystem.

These efforts reflect Tamil Nadu’s growing emphasis on cybersecurity and digital resilience as it continues to expand its digital infrastructure.

(With inputs from Hindu Tamil)

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In a recent interview with Karan Thapar on The Wire, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, P.T.R. Palanivel Thiagarajan (PTR), showcased a level of arrogance and hypocrisy that has become emblematic of the DMK’s approach to governance and policy. While defending Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy and opposing the National Education Policy (NEP), PTR’s arguments were riddled with contradictions, elitism, and a blatant disregard for facts.

In the interview not only did he insult Hindi speakers but also ridiculed children in UP and Bihar.

Throughout the video, he kept harping on one point alone – TN government school children should study only 2 languages. He called it an “ethnically, culturally, and economically, sophisticated approach” that has apparently yielded spectacular results. Well, the ASER Report 2024 will probably be laughing in a corner. Speaking to Karan Thapar, he said, “We are elected by the people, we are legislators, we form a government, we have a government policy. Our policy is a two-language policy. We are very very clear that we do not want a three-language policy. It doesn’t matter to me what Mr Yadav thinks. I’m so glad. How many children in Uttar Pradesh know three languages? How many children in Bihar know three languages? Since you have such a fantastic idea that every child can learn three languages, what has been the outcome in our country for the last 75 years? What percentage of our children are spectacularly good at two? Let’s start then with three. What do you mean children are spectacularly good at learning? Where have been the outcomes to show any of this to be true? We are very clear we want a two-language formula; it is both an ethnically, culturally, and economically, sophisticated approach that has yielded spectacular results. Tell me one place where a three-language formula in this country has yielded better results than the state of Tamil Nadu and explain to me why we should change our policy for the sake of somebody else.”

But here’s the hypocrisy of PTR that we are exposing.

PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan is married to an American woman, Margaret Thiagarajan, and has two children Palani and Vel. As per this report published in The Hindu in 2017, it was revealed that Palani (then 12 years of age) and Vel (then 10 years of age), we have PTR himself admitting that the children studied at The American School in Chennai.

While English is the medium of instruction at The American School in Chennai, they also offer “world languages (French and Spanish)” for students in Grades 3–5. They also offer English as an additional language for students whose mother tongue/language spoken at home is not English.

It is at this grade that students in India under NEP 2020 are also introduced to another language (Indian). So if PTR’s sons could study world languages apart from English, then why is he denying the opportunity of government school students in Tamil Nadu to learn another Indian language is what critics ask.

PTR’s Schooling

For all the Dravidianist talk that PTR and his father/grandfather, who were hardcore Dravidianist leaders, spoke, PTR himself is an alumnus of The Lawrence School, Lovedale, and Vikaasa School, Madurai as per Wikipedia.

It is a known fact that The Lawrence School offers French as an additional language for its students.

PTR belonged to Class of 1983. Learning French was vogue then as much as it is in vogue now.

Ultimately, PTR’s stance appears less about preserving Tamil Nadu’s cultural identity and more about perpetuating a divisive and elitist agenda that denies students the chance to thrive in a multilingual, interconnected world. Would leaders like PTR align their personal practices with their public policies and prioritize the holistic development of all students, rather than imposing arbitrary limitations rooted in political rhetoric?

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Advocate and author, J Sai Deepak’s article titled “Why is caste a Western construct?” in The Indian Express dated 1 February 2024 ruffled many a feather across the country as seen on social media platforms. 

J Sai Deepak, in the article, discusses the distortion of Hindu society through the lens of “caste” by Christian European missionaries during colonialism. Emphasizing the need to understand the past without presentism, Sai Deepak contends that the missionary-colonial establishment’s classification of “caste/tribe” led to an artificial re-ordering of Hindu society. The article asserts that this distortion aimed to malign Hinduism, citing examples of misrepresentations in the Devadasi system, Sati, and Jagannath Rath Yatra. Sai Deepak calls for acknowledging this distortion without defending casteism, advocating for original solutions rooted in Indian culture. The discussion is part of a series on Dravidianism and its historical impact.

What Does The Article Entail?

Sai Deepak discusses the historical distortion of the social structure in India, particularly the concept of “caste,” by Christian European missionaries during the colonial period. He argues that the missionary-colonial combination played a significant role in misrepresenting and maligning Hindu society through the lenses of “caste” and “tribe.”

The article emphasises a few key points:

Historical Context: Sai Deepak clarifies that the objective is to understand the historical causes leading to the present, without falling into the error of “presentism” aiming to examine the impact of colonialism on India’s religious, cultural, and political aspects.

Misrepresentation of Varna-Jati Complex: Sai Deepak contends that while he does not deny the prior existence of the varna-jati complex (a traditional social classification system in Hinduism), he argues that the missionary-colonial establishment distorted it by applying the “caste/tribe” classifications. This distortion, especially through official census exercises, resulted in presenting an incorrect view of Hindu society based on European perceptions.

Examples of Misrepresentation: The article provides examples of misrepresentation, such as labelling Devadasis as “temple prostitutes,” distorting the practice of Sati, and vilifying the Jagannath Rath Yatra. These distortions, Sai Deepak argues, were tools used by missionaries and colonial powers to malign Hindu society and justify religious, cultural, and legal interventions.

Resistance to Acknowledgment: Sai Deepak expresses surprise at the resistance, even from non-Left sections, in acknowledging that the varna-jati complex has been distorted by the Christian West through the application of “caste/tribe” lenses.

Need for Understanding the Distinction: The article calls for a distinction between the varna-jati complex and the colonial classification of “caste/tribe” to address contemporary social challenges effectively and argues that applying the colonial template has worsened the discourse on caste in independent India.

Continuation of Discussion: The article concludes by stating that the discussion will continue in the next installment, focusing on the emergence of caste/tribe categories and the mythical Dravidian identity from the “anthropological service” provided by Christian missionaries in Southern Bharat to colonial rulers.

Reactions

An X user with the handle @Advaidism picked this article up and wrote a thread on it. He wrote, “The British and Portuguese empires ruled 78% of all land on Earth and over 500 million people. Surprisingly, the same British and Portuguese never implemented the caste system anywhere else in their empire. They created caste “only for India”. He added, “Only 22 countries have never been invaded by Britain but the caste system is a Western construct. Why is IE continuing this garbage practice of giving these clowns a platform in the name of Opinion?”

The British and Portuguese empires ruled 78% of all land on Earth and over 500 million people.

Surprisingly, the same British and Portuguese never implemented the caste-system anywhere else in their empire.

They created caste “only for India”. pic.twitter.com/KNR6hsLuUI

— Advaid അദ്വൈത് (@Advaidism) February 8, 2024

DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan quoted @Advaidism’s post in what seemed like a presumption made by just reading the title of the article, and wrote: “Total Quackery punctured swiftly by @Advaidism.”

Total Quackery punctured swiftly by @Advaidism https://t.co/QkqOYjewCc

— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) February 8, 2024

Ironical that the statement about quackery coming from PTR because he has several times spoken about “Aanda parambarai” – meaning he indicates he came from a family that “ruled”. PTR himself comes from a high caste, an aristocratic landlord Kondaikatti Vellalar community. 

PTR, known for his frequent use of the English language to denounce his detractors, has many a time taken pride in his education, previous employment, etc. Well, that is alright. But remember the time when PTR called barbers “Ambattayaan” during the Corona pandemic criticising the central government over disallowing barber shops from functioning. He later apologised for using the said word. 

“Ambattayaan” is a derogatory term employed to demean communities engaged in occupations related to barber services.

J Sai Deepak had a brutal reply to PTR’s post. He wrote, “Not surprised at all that documented facts and logic land as quackery on you. Perhaps unlettered trolling remains your option of last resort to salvage whatever remains of your flagging career. And since my writing on Dravidianism has irked your ilk, there is more coming :-)”

Not surprised at all that documented facts and logic land as quackery on you. Perhaps unlettered trolling remains your option of last resort to salvage whatever remains of your flagging career. And since my writing on Dravidianism has irked your ilk, there is more coming https://t.co/NX37OiuGnJ

— Sai Deepak J (@jsaideepak) February 8, 2024

It is noteworthy that PTR has been demoted from being Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister to being the Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services presently. This change in portfolio came about after an audio file was leaked by the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party where PTR is heard accusing the “first family” of amassing over ₹30,000 crore.

Maybe PTR could answer why Vellalars (his community) predominantly hold the positions of district secretaries in Vanniyar and Thevar regions like Vizhupuram and Thanjavur. Why is the DMK not ensuring proportional representation for Vanniyars and Thevars?

PTR, to date, has not issued a statement condemning his caste organisations, that are protesting the use of the term “Devendra Kula Vellalars” to address the Scheduled Caste community. 

Also, it is a fact that the PTR family frequently clashed with Thevar leaders within their own party, there are allegations of Thevars regarding casteism within the PTR family about practicing the 2-tumbler system in their homes.

PTR has made several casteist remarks, especially against Brahmin women on social media. Chandra R Srikanth, an Editor with the financial and business news website Moneycontrol, shared a post in May 2022 alleging that a top leader’s son was involved in a mega land grab.

Met a friend from Chennai recently. Apparently some mega land grab going on by one top leader's son in law. "You cannot sell any land parcel above 5 crore in Chennai if you dont sell it to this guy"
The more things change….

— Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) May 25, 2022

Responding to this tweet, PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan abused the woman journalist by invoking her caste identity.

Not to forget the verbal vomit that PTR often indulges in bullying online and offline of people, irrespective of gender, age, profession, seniority, etc. 

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The post Advocate J Sai Deepak’s Article On Caste And Colonial Distortions Elicits Ill-Informed Remark From DMK Min PTR; JSD Takes Down PTR Brutally appeared first on The Commune.

BJP Tamil Nadu Head K. Annamalai while speaking at a public meeting in Vellore as part of his his En Mann En Makkal yatra, said that once BJP comes to power in the state, candidates from families who have never had a government job would be given priority.

Immediately, Sun News owned by the DMK family, put out a misleading social media post claiming that Annamalai promised to provide job one person in every household.

This news creative was shared by Kanagaraj, the Tamil Nadu State Secretary of Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) who peddled the usual rhetoric about Prime Minister Narendra Modi not fulfilling his promise of providing 2 crore jobs a year which hasn’t been the case.

This X post was reposted with quote by DMK Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan.

PTR as he is popularly known, said “For a comparison– the current number of government jobs in Tamil Nadu is around 9.5 lakh. What the BJP claims is that 2.397 crore government jobs will be offered in a state of about 7.6 crore people. That is, nearly 1 in 3 of the population, including children and pensioners! Or, will about half of those of working age go into government work?”

Reacting to this, BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai lashed out at the DMK Minister for distorting his speech and peddling misinformation using a creative published by DMK family-owned channel.

He said “It is not surprising that DMK’s family channel has distorted what I said, that eligible youths from families who have not yet got government jobs in Tamil Nadu will be given priority in government jobs. They run television to hide the facts from people.”

He trained his guns on DMK Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan saying “But how far a minister of a state is without a job is evident from the fact that he is commenting on a false news on DMK’s family television. It is surprising that Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) who was removed as the Minister of Human Resource Department, did not know that the number of young people who apply for government jobs every year is about thirty lakhs.“

It is noteworthy to mention that PTR was stripped off his Finance and Human Resource Development portfolio after a purported audio of his implicated that MK Stalin’s family was swindling crores of rupees.

Annamalai said that the DMK Minister may find may find it burdensome to identify family members out of 30 lakh applicants who do not get government jobs and give them priority in employment, but that is real social justice. He said that the BJP will do this and not deceive pople like the DMK, which had promised to fill 3.5 lakh vacancies while not even filling even 10 percent of them.

Continuing his attack on PTR, Annamalai said “First of all, let PTR awaken the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission from the slumber which has not published any results, or conducted interviews or job appointment for more than one year. Before that, appoint suitable persons for the post of Chairman and Members of the Commission who have not been appointed for two years. You can comment on DMK’s fake news.”

தமிழகக் குடும்பங்களில் இதுவரை அரசு வேலை கிடைக்காத குடும்பங்களில் உள்ள தகுதியான இளைஞர்களுக்கு, அரசுப் பணிகளில் முன்னுரிமை வழங்கப்படும் என்று நான் கூறியதை திமுகவின் குடும்பத் தொலைக்காட்சி திரித்துச் சொல்லியிருப்பதில் ஆச்சரியமில்லை. அவர்கள் தொலைக்காட்சி நடத்துவதே மக்களிடம் இருந்து… https://t.co/go75AnRGFV pic.twitter.com/zYQhPcHEPH

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) February 6, 2024

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The post “Jobless Minister Commenting On Fake News Peddled By DMK Family Channel”: BJP TN Head Annamalai Slams PTR For Distorting His Comments On Providing Govt Jobs appeared first on The Commune.

The political landscape in Tamil Nadu witnessed another twist today as a fresh complaint was lodged by the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) with the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Department. The complaint seeks action against former finance minister of Tamil Nadu, PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, based on an alleged audio clip released by the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), K. Annamalai. In the audio, PTR Palanivel Thiyagaran purportedly claims that Udhayanithi Stalin, son of Chief Minister MK Stalin, and Sabareesan, his son-in-law, have accumulated an illegal fortune of over 30,000 crores since the DMK came to power.

The controversy surrounding this issue began on April 25 when Annamalai made public an audio recording, causing tremors within the ruling DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) party. The audio clip allegedly features PTR Palanivel Thiyagaran making startling revelations about the vast wealth amassed by Udhayanithi Stalin and Sabareesan, surpassing the lifetime earnings of their predecessors. PTR Palanivel Thiyagaran further accuses them of siphoning off significant portions of corrupt funds.

PTR Palanivel Thiyagaran is heard saying in the alleged audio, “The party which is the CM’s son and son-in-law, ask them to make the financing.. right? So I decided after watching this for 8 months.. This is not a sustainable model. The great luxury for me if I put my papers in.. In the short term, I get out before the shit starts blowing up in their face. I have the like.. kind of.. what do you say.. cleanliness of my conscience that I did not have to like it wasn’t I gave up the fight too early.. I don’t have to say it.. I’m no longer in the post.. it’s not my job.. somebody did it.”

Before this audio clip was released by BJP state president Annamalai, another audio clip surfaced on social media on April 19, 2023, allegedly featuring PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan. In that audio, he is believed to have accused members of MK Stalin’s family of amassing more wealth in a year than they had accumulated throughout their lifetimes. “Both Udhay and Sabari have realized they have made more money in one year than they [unclear] entire lives, and now it’s getting to be a problem, how to handle it, how to not get caught, how to get payments here.. [unclear] It’s all being made gradually? 10 to 20 crores.. assuming we will say 5000/30000 crores.. [unclear]. How can you [unclear] 5000/30000 crores without paying any [unclear],” the audio clip supposedly of PTR Palanivel Thiyagaran suggests. (There are conflicting reports on whether the amount mentioned is 5000 crores or 30000 crores.)

Both audio clips quickly went viral, resulting in the portfolio change of PTR Palanivel Thiyagaran. However, the DMK has refuted the reported reason and claimed that it was a routine portfolio reshuffle.

In light of the seriousness of the allegations, Advocate Babu Murugavel, representing the AIADMK, has filed a complaint with the Central government agencies seeking action in this matter. Dissatisfied with the lack of progress on his initial complaint, Murugavel has now lodged another complaint with the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate to process his complaint.

In light of the arrest of DMK liquor minister Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a job racket case, the opposition party AIADMK seeks to increase its pressure on the ruling DMK by raising the PTR audio issue with both the ED and the income tax department.

(with inputs from Samayam Tamil)

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Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan has responded to the audio clip controversy which had stunned the ruling DMK because of the scandalous content.

An audio clip alleged to be that of DMK Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan had surfaced on social media on 19 April 2023 in which he is believed to have accused members of MK Stalin’s family of making more money in one year than they’ve made during their life time.

“Both Udhay and Sabari have realised, they have made more money in one year than they [unclear] entire lives and now it’s getting to be a problem, how to handle it, how to not get caught, how to get payments here.. [unclear] Its all being made gradually? 10 to 20 crores.. assuming we will say 5000/30000 crores.. [unclear]. How can you [unclear] 5000/30000 crores without paying any [unclear]”, the audio clip supposedly of PTR says. (Some say the amount mentioned in the audio is 5000 crores while others note it is 30000).

The audio clip had surfaced amidst Tamil Nadu BJP K. Annamalai accusing DMK leaders of gaining disproportionate assets over the years.

Responding to the controversy, Palanivel Thiagarajan as usual started the statement about his credentials and how he has graduated from heading his party’s IT wing since its inception to being a first-time Minister.

“My portfolios in the state cabinet do not allow me the luxury, energy or bandwidth to continuously engage with social media and to post rebuttals to the outrageous mudslinging that occurs there”, he starts the statement with these lines.

Contrary to his statements, PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan is known for being very active on social media and often indulges in personal attacks on public personalities or sometimes even common netizens who question him.

He further states that at the time of the audio clip release he was presenting the Demand for Grants for four departments in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

He said that being a strong proponent of free speech, he never filed any police complaint or defamation suits for personal attacks on him.

However, he acknowledges in the next line that he had filed a police complaint once as a deterrent as an Opposition MLA when someone had made comments about his ancestors.

“Several allegations have been made against me on social media in these last two years. From relatively minor accusations like being high-handed, to being obstructionist, to being incompetent to do my job, to very serious charges like being corrupt indirectly through others, and finally to being personally corrupt (e.g. collecting 1% fee for every file I sign). As consistency is the hallmark of good character, I have never reacted to any of these accusations.”, he said.

He alleged that there is conspiracy to drive a wedge between him and the DMK’s first family.

“Now having failed at painting me as a villain in the public sphere, there seems to be a change of strategy: to paint me as a lone crusader, a reluctant whistle-blower, a pseudo-martyr. I want to reiterate here that whatever I am, and whatever I have done in public life is because of my leader DMK President and Honourable Chief Minister MK Stalin and no malicious attempts to divide us will ever succeed.”, he said.

Citing two alleged ‘technical analysis’ of the clip, he said that the audio clip was not authentic. He also said that the with the ability to create fabricated and/or machine-generated clips using advanced technology he wouldn’t be surprised to see more such audio or video with even more malicious content.

He said that this will be the only and final statement on this issue.

My statement on the 26-second malicious fabricated audio clip pic.twitter.com/KM85dogIgh

— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) April 22, 2023

Reacting to PTR’s statement, BJP President K. Annamalai said that only “DMK IT Wing dimwits” would believe whatever has been said by the DMK Minister.

“State FM Thiru @ptrmadurai read through the half-baked defences in social media made by DMK IT Wing for two days, prepared it as a statement & has put it out.”, Annamalai said.

He also said that PTR is relying on ‘audio analysis’ done by DMK IT wing ‘dimwits’.

State FM Thiru @ptrmadurai read through the half-baked defences in social media made by DMK IT Wing for two days, prepared it as a statement & has put it out.

Relying upon the fake audio analysis done by @arivalayam party’s IT Wing’s dimwits is used as a defence by a State FM… https://t.co/EBvjVEpRGr

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) April 22, 2023

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The post PTR Calls Alleged Audio Clip Of His As “Malicious”, “Fabricated”, “Deepfake”, Only DMK Dimwits Will Believe Annamalai Says appeared first on The Commune.

Memes about Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan have flooded social media after he was moved to 27th place in the Tamil Nadu cabinet pecking order, far behind first-time MLA and recently inducted Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Udhayanidhi was coronated as Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development and Special Programme Implementation with great fanfare by the DMK on December 14 at Raj Bhavan, Chennai.

The Tamil Nadu government in its official website (https://www.tn.gov.in/ministerslist) has placed first time MLA and Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin at the 10th position while two-term MLA and currently the state Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan has been placed at 27th place in the pecking order.

After the swearing-in ceremony, the first-time MLA and Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was made to sit in the first row and the state Finance Minister PTR was made to stand in the back at a corner during a photo shoot with the Governor and Chief Minister.

Many people on social media, including some political party leaders, denounced CM MK Stalin for disparaging the state’s finance minister and endorsing his son Udhayanidhi Stalin. They added that regardless of how much PTR studies or works in prestigious institutions, at the end of the day, PTR must bow down to dynast Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Dear Double Degree and a PhD bragging TN Finance Minister @ptrmadurai !

End of the day in #DMK you will have to just crawl before dynast #UdhayanithiStalin whoever you’re..

Stop your loudmouth at least now & be a loyal subservient to First Family.. pic.twitter.com/Dt4NIUDjJD

— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) December 14, 2022

PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, who often indulges in self-aggrandizement boasting about his dynastic privilege and flaunting his educational and professional background, finds himself in a tough situation now as he has to play second fiddle to Udhayanidhi Stalin who is just a Viscom graduate from Loyola College.

This gains significance as in a recent television debate, PTR went on a rant asking if those in the Central government are economic experts having double Ph.Ds or Nobel Prize to take advise from them.

It is noteworthy to mention that Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan has not wished Udhayanidhi from his official and verified Twitter account (@ptrmadurai). He did, however, wish Udhayanidhi from an unofficial account(@OfficeOfPTR).

மாண்புமிகு இளைஞர் நலன் மற்றும் விளையாட்டு மேம்பாட்டு துறை அமைச்சராக பொறுப்பேற்றுள்ள திரு. உதயநிதி ஸ்டாலின் அவர்களை சந்தித்து மாண்புமிகு நிதி மற்றும் மனித வள மேலாண்மை துறை அமைச்சர் முனைவர் @ptrmadurai வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்தார். pic.twitter.com/px8I7JKUQ0

— Office of PTR (@OfficeOfPTR) December 14, 2022

Newly sworn-in Dynasty Politician & son of CM @mkstalin #UdhayanidhiStalin is placed 10th in the pecking order of #TamilNadu Cabinet while Double Degree & a PhD bragger @ptrmadurai is placed in 27th rank..

Loudmouth Finance Minister #PTR shown place in #DMK & Govt. as well?? pic.twitter.com/jR7sB2sA1M

— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) December 14, 2022

Following this incident, memes mocking Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan have flooded social media.

In TN ministers listing :
is number 10
is number 27

PhD etc etc VS Loyala Viscom pic.twitter.com/SHU2Nw4qUr

— Fervid Indian (@FervidIndian) December 14, 2022

செய்தியாவே போட்டானுவ pic.twitter.com/5gnhsGWejS

— Fervid Indian (@FervidIndian) December 15, 2022

என்ன @ptrmadurai கடைசில இப்படி ஆகிருச்சே pic.twitter.com/iU78iDcxlf

— Arvinth Easwaran (@arvinth_e) December 14, 2022

Ptr bruh pic.twitter.com/Cq8n1INPwt

— plip plip 2.0 (@samooganidhi) December 14, 2022

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The post Dravidian Model: Loyola Viscom Grad Udhay At No. 10, Ph.D-Holder PTR At No. 27 In CoM Order appeared first on The Commune.

On 29 August 2022, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan tweeted a picture of a news article published by The Hindu which stated that the state’s own tax revenue has shot up by over 50% in the first quarter of the current fiscal.

Glad to see coverage of TN's improving finances, under the leadership of @mkstalin who empowers us to do our best

Of course cultists & crap-posters like SGSuryah & his ecosystem of ignorant/bigoted bilge like Kathir & Commune will ignore the data & ask "what has the Govt done" pic.twitter.com/MzJx8i08ZN

— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) August 29, 2022

In his tweet, PTR had targeted me and a few other entities that publish things to his liking saying “cultists & crap-posters like SGSuryah & his ecosystem of ignorant/bigoted bilge like Kathir & Commune will ignore the data & ask “what has the Govt done”“.

The DMK Minister has the habit of covering up his non-performance with bloated ego and arrogance. This time, he has done the same with some bloated claims.

Here’s some data for the kind attention of the Minister.

As evident from The Hindu article, the highest growth in the state’s own revenue has come from the State Excise Duty which reflects revenue from liquor.

Basically, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has managed to sell more liquor to its people that has caused State Excise Duty to grow by 116.3%. Credit should go to PTR as after he took over as the Finance Minister, the Tamil Nadu government earned a whopping ₹36,013 crore from liquor sales in FY 2021-22, the highest ever.

Be that as it may. Even otherwise, the numbers for Q1 for this year is bound to be higher than Q1 last year because of the base effect as the entire country including Tamil Nadu was grappling with the second wave of the pandemic.

PTR must understand that not all Tamil people are dim-witted Dravidian Stockists to buy his arguments at face value.

The right thing to do would be to compare Q4 of last financial year with Q1 of this financial year and contrast Tamil Nadu’s performance vis a vis other similarly placed states.

Tamil Nadu’s own tax revenue (excluding State’s share of Union Taxes) for Q4 2021-22 was ₹37,718.09 crores. It has reduced to ₹35863.86 crores for the first quarter of this financial year.

Perhaps, The Hindu did not compare Q4 numbers of 2021-22 with Q1 numbers of 2022-23 as it may put PTR in a bad light.

On the other hand, the Q1 2022-23 numbers might look lesser than Q4 2021-22 numbers for states like Gujarat and Maharashtra at the outset. But, the own tax revenue without including Central Government’s devolution has seen a rise.

As evident from above, the own tax revenue of Gujarat has registered an increase of 4.88% this quarter than the previous quarter. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu has seen a decrease of 4.92%.

And what is to be noted is that Gujarat has achieved this growth without intoxicating its people with liquor.

It is true that many of the similarly placed states like Maharashtra and Karnataka have registered lower revenues this quarter when compared to the last quarter.

If PTR wants to claim credit for Tamil Nadu showing 50% rise in own tax revenue in Q1, well, many other states have registered higher own tax revenue when compared with Q1 of 2021-22. Maharashtra’s own tax revenue in Q1 grew by 68% and Gujarat’s by 50%. Both these states have shown lesser increase in State Excise Duties compared to Tamil Nadu which means that these states are not pouring alcohol in the mouths of people to earn revenue.

Surprisingly, Maharashtra’s own tax revenue in Q1 grew by 68% & Gujarat by 50% without a state FM with a Double PhD. (Guj without liquor revenue too)

& Karnataka grew equivalent to TN despite a dip in Sales tax collection. Pan India phenomena, thanks to @nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/3yerivvoBd

— Krishna Kumar Murugan (@ikkmurugan) August 29, 2022

So, instead of covering up his dismal performance by dissing his dissidents, the DMK Minister should seriously introspect himself and the work he has done.

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The post Busting DMK Fin Min PTR’s Bloated Claims Of TN’s Improving Finances   appeared first on The Commune.

Anti-Hindu Brahmin-baiting ‘Dravidian Stockist’ and self-proclaimed ‘author’ Kannabiran Ravishankar (KRS), promoted for long by the top brass of the DMK, was earlier accused of faking his educational qualifications claiming to have a doctoral degree from University of California, Berkeley.

It has now been confirmed by UC Berkeley that KRS did not attend or receive any degree from any department of UC Berkeley.

It is over, Dravidians.

Your boy Mr Ravishankar Kannabiran has not attended or earned a degree at University of California, Berkeley. Any Dept.

You schmoozed up and fooled Dr Hart. Wait. https://t.co/kKSlqLTzNo

— Reality Check India (@realitycheckind) September 1, 2022

Kannabiran who goes by the handle @kryes on Twitter, is the Editor-in-Chief of Dravida Pozhil, which according to its website is “a quarterly, bi-lingual, academic research journal with focus on Dravidian studies”. He is a high decibel foul-mouthed Dravidian Stockist promoted and platformed by the DK-DMK ecosystem.

He claims himself to be an ‘Investment Banker’ full time and an ‘Adjunct Professor’ in Comparative Literature (Tamil) part-time. He had presented himself as a Ph.D holder from UC Berkeley in many of his tweets, books and and forums. He had claimed that received a doctorate in ‘Comparative Literature’ from University of California, Berkeley. In a tweet, Kannabiran claimed that his department was School of South and South East Asian studies at UC Berkeley. However, it was found that KRS’s name is neither listed in the Ph.D Alumni Directory nor in the ongoing Graduate Students list of UC Berkeley.

Reality Check India, an anonymous Twitter handle has been exposing the anti-Hindu and anti-Brahmin vitriol spewed by KRS for a long time. Refer the blog here.

Kannabiran had claimed that his thesis title was “The Comparative Nuances of Drama and Social Justice between the Master Poets – Shakespeare, Shelley, Ilango & Kamban.”. However, neither the thesis nor any publications of Kannabiran Ravishankar can be found.

Kannabiran is known for distorting Hindu scriptures and fomenting hatred against Tamil Brahmin community with vile casteist abuses. He has made several derogatroy and vulgar remarks against Hindu Gods. Many of his tweets have foul language objectifying Tamil Brahmin women. He had even used private photos of Tamil brahmin families including that of children to spew the Dravidian ‘anti-Brahmin’ vitriol. Read more about KRS and his anti-Hindu, anti-Brahmin tweets here.

How KRS Was Platformed And Promoted By DMK Leaders

In October 2021, KRS called on DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and gifted a book on the late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi. In the picutre shared he is identified as a professor of Paris University.

He has been regularly featured in Dravidian Professionals Forum, an organization founded and headed by DMK MLA and current Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan and shares close ties with him.

People ask why I am so persistent. The Dravidian intensity of hate reaches into the highest reaches. That is really disconcerting to Tamizh Brahmins. I want to put it out.

Eg @DravidianForum promoted a guy who does such criminal work put using children pictures. pic.twitter.com/jksRkZYYLN

— Reality Check India (@realitycheckind) August 26, 2022

It may be recalled that PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan shared close ties with members of the rabid Karuppar Koottam as well.

In September 2021, DMK MP from Dharmapuri Dr. Senthilkumar had shared on his Twitter about his meeting with KRS. In his tweet, the DMK MP said “Met Kannabiran Ravishankar this evening and talked for a long time like friends for several days. Forgot to talk about his and my favorite actress ‘Silk’ Smita.”

முதன்முறையாக தோழர் @kryes
Kannabiran Ravishankarஅவர்களை இன்று மாலை சந்தித்து பல நாட்கள் நண்பர்கள் போல் நீண்ட நேரம் பேசினோம்

பேச மறந்தது அவருக்கும் எனக்கும் பிடித்த நடிகை சிலுக் ஸ்மிதா வை பற்றி.

Itz ok, There's alwayz a next time. pic.twitter.com/hpZJDFOEod

— Dr.Senthilkumar.S (@DrSenthil_MDRD) September 3, 2021

On 20 August 2022, Periyar Maniammai Institute Of Science And Technology had held its 30th convocation with Dravida Kazhagam (DK) President K. Veeramani presiding over the function in which KRS was awarded the “Degree of Doctorate of Letters”.

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The post It’s Official, Anti-Hindu Dravidian Stockist Promoted By DMK Is A Con Man, Had Lied About His PhD From UC Berkeley appeared first on The Commune.

Yet again, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan attacked BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai on Twitter mocking his family’s goat-rearing background, calling him a liar and a rabble-rouser.

Why won't I even address by name?

1) seeks publicity w/ Martyr's body
2) engineers slipper-throwing on car w/ national flag
3) lies blatantly
4) rabble-rouser

Vile beings like& "High-Court Questions mental stability" are a curse on Tamil Society

But…also on the BJP pic.twitter.com/t8DIiVsZa8

— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) August 31, 2022

PTR’s tweet comes in the light of Annamalai’s recent pressmeet in which he said that the leaked conversation between him and another BJP cadre discussing about PTR’s car getting slippered incident was true adding that BJP’s politics will be aggressive going forward.

Responding to PTR’s tweet, Annamalai pulled no punches and hit back with a blistering attack.

“Mr PTR, your problem is this: You & your coterie, who only live with your ancestors’ initials, cannot accept a self-made son of a farmer who also proudly practices farming – as a person.” Annamalai lashed out.

“Have you done anything worthwhile in this life except being born to a great lineage & a silver spoon? You are a curse to politics & our state!” Annamalai lambasted at PTR who often keeps harping on about his dynastic privilege.

Annamalai further said “You need to understand there are people like us too – who don’t travel in big planes; don’t shut down banks & importantly, have a balanced brain & a life.”

PTR had once said that he travels only in big planes and not smaller low-cost airlines.

“Finally, You are not worthy enough for my Chappals. I’ll never stoop to your level to orchestrate something like that. Don’t worry!” Annamalai concluded his tweet.

Mr PTR, your problem is this:

You & your coterie, who only live with your ancestors' initials, cannot accept a self-made son of a farmer who also proudly practices farming – as a person. (1/4)

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) August 31, 2022

PTR’s Rant Against Public Personalities

This is not the first time that Palanivel Thiagarajan has made personal attacks on his political opponents. Earlier too, PTR has targeted Annamalai family’s goat-rearing background. In most of his tweets on Annamalai, he refers to the BJP leader as a goat.

He had unleashed abuses and made personal attacks on Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan who had called out the former for insulting Goa during the 43rd GST Council meeting.

Very recently in May 2022, he abused a woman journalist by invoking her caste identity.

He had not even spared even senior leaders of his own party. Without naming senior DMK leader Elangovan, he called him a man who could be bought for 2 kgs of shrimp.

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The post “You’re Not Worthy Enough For My Chappals”: Annamalai Gives ‘Slipper-Shot’ Reply To DMK Min PTR appeared first on The Commune.