A moving goods train carrying diesel caught fire on Sunday at Tiruvallur in northern Tamil Nadu severely affecting train services on the arterial Chennai-Arakkonam rail route, which also links Chennai with Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, officials said.
After an initial close fight, AINRC managed to win only eight seats, including the Indira Nagar constituency by party founder and Chief Minister N Rangasamy.
In a disciplinary action, three other functionaries, also belonging to Theni party district like Raja were dismissed.
Recalling that he had already informed the House that the government would not make any compromises in case of allegations of violation of human rights during police custody, Stalin said he had ordered the suspension of ASP Balveer Singh accordingly.
Abstention by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi also helped the government get its legislation through in the upper house where the ruling party does not enjoy a majority.
India's Parliament is set to begin its Budget session on Friday, with opposition parties poised to demand a discussion on the alleged mismanagement of the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, where 30 pilgrims died in a stampede. The opposition also accused the government of politicising parliamentary committees and pushing its agenda through its majority. The session will start with President Droupadi Murmu addressing both houses of Parliament. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on Saturday for the eighth consecutive time.
A number of leaders from Tamil Nadu, including 15 former MLAs and an ex-MP, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi on Wednesday as the ruling party looks to strengthen its presence in the southern state in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
The department of vigilance and anti-corruption in Tamil Nadu on Thursday carried out searches at over 20 premises and locations related to former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam minister K C Veeramani, including at his native Jolarpettai in Thirupatthur district in connection with a disproportionate assets case, the police said.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr S Ramadoss has announced taking up the complete reins of the party, relegating his president son Anbumani to the role of working president. The move, announced ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Chennai, comes in anticipation of the 2026 Assembly election.
The government denied granting permission to serve liquor at wedding halls, even as the opposition parties slammed the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's move to dilute the total prohibition policy.
Sasikala had contracted coronavirus on January 20 and was later admitted to the Bowring Hospital.
Pattali Makkal Katchi President Anbumani on Saturday opposed a decision of his father, party founder S Ramadoss, in a party meeting in Puducherry on Saturday, and the octogenarian leader curtly said those who do not wish to follow his diktats should quit the outfit.
The campaign will reach a high decibel level next week when BJP state chief K Annamalai is expected to take up a blitzkrieg campaign against the ruling DMK.
Annamalai has faced criticism for the breakup between the AIADMK and the BJP, but BJP leaders say 'he attracts youth, who needs change'.
The calculation is based on percentage difference between votes in favour of the winner and the runner-up.
Aam Aadmi Party, whose main poll plank is fighting corruption, on Wednesday announced it would field candidates against 2G spectrum scam accused and former telecom ministers A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran of DMK in the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu.
The Enforcement Directorate has recently arrested Chandrashekhar in a fresh money laundering case linked to duping former Religare promoter Malvinder Singh's wife by posing as the Union home and law secretaries.
Modi said he was not bothered about threats and abuses against him and asserted that he would do whatever was needed to make India strong.
Among the national parties, the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist opposed the proposal, while the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National People's Party supported it.
Family members of the temple guard have alleged that the cause of death of the 28-year-old was not natural, and he passed away allegedly after being beaten and tortured during police interrogation.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Karnataka government's decision to remove the special public prosecutor in a disproportionate assets case against her.
Seeking to liken the proposed construction of the new edifice to the centuries old Great Wall of China, he claimed that 'thousands of people perished' during its construction, but the dragon nation rulers said the wall was to 'guard' the people.
Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh on Thursday sanctioned Rs 1,846 crore to Tamil Nadu under the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and appreciated the efforts by the Tamil Nadu government in accelerating the programme.
'There is no doubt about the antiquity of Tamil Nadu.'
The workers, who cleaned the statue, demanded the arrest of the culprits and warned that they would intensify their agitation if such incidents recurred, police said.
Shihan Hussaini nailed himself to a cross and remained on it for 6.7 minutes.
Shiv Sena will support National Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, party president Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday.
All the three leaders expressed their best wishes to her, sources said.
The BJP state unit hailed Vasan and said his advice will be used in the coming days to guide the alliance.
Yadav said he had come for conducting a fact finding about acquisition when he was stopped from proceeding.
Dominic Xavier asks why the Modi government appears unwilling to debate and discuss important issues confronting our great Republic and its people with the Opposition parties in Parliament.
The dawn-to-dusk bandh called by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in protest against the conviction of J Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case disrupted normal life in Puducherry on Saturday.
The police on Saturday cane-charged All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam activists who were trying to proceed towards the special court in Bangalore which is set to pronounce verdict in the disproportionate wealth case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
The opposition AIADMK's discomfiture is likely to work in favour of the ruling DMK-backed Congress candidate.
We supported the Panneerselvam-led government on certain people's issues, on certain policies and Bills, Stalin said.
The mandate will help further the development agenda in these states, with good governance and policy reforms taking centrestage
"Stalin, who has the qualification to sit in the Main Opposition (possibly as its Leader) after DMK won 89 seats, was given seat among the crowd whereas Sarath Kumar was seated in the front row," Karunanidhi said in a statement.
Though the DMK clinched the deal with the Congress after a logjam over seat allocation and identification, cadres of both parties are yet to forget the mental agony they underwent all these days, according to political analysts in Chennai. The high commands of the two parties will find it a tough task to prevail on them to go for election campaign straightaway, they said
He is accused of attempting to bribe an Election Commission official for retaining the party's poll symbol of 'two-leaves' for his faction.
Disproportionate assets of Kamaraj stood at Rs 58.44 crore and he has been booked for criminal conspiracy and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to the FIR.
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