Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday told DMK supremo M Karunanidhi that Tamilians living in Kerala are "totally safe" and that the apprehensions voiced by him in this regard in the wake of tension between the two states over the Mullaperiyar dam issue were "unfounded".
Blowing hot and cold, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi on Wednesday extended an olive branch to the Congress offering to "forgive" and support it after the elections.
The BJP is hopeful that the issue will come in handy in its efforts to gain political traction in the Dravidian territory during the Lok Sabha polls, more so as it involves neighbouring Sri Lanka whose treatment of its own Tamilian citizens and Tamil Nadu fishermen has long been a charged political issue in the state.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who underwent a spinal cord surgery, should not go ahead with his decision to undertake a fast on health grounds, doctors said on Tuesday. A medical bulletin on Karunanidhi's health said that his condition was improving but he needed complete rest for some more days. "The decision to launch a fast is a sensitive issue considering his health at present. His political associates should prevail on him to take a good decision," it said.
Renewing his demand for abolishing death penalty, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi on Monday said the hangings being implemented now could have been prevented had the demand to do away with this sentence been given due consideration.
Cautioning the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government against making any 'hasty' announcements in the name of reforms, key ally Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam on Friday said decisions should be based on "consultations". "My opinion is that hasty decisions and announcements in the name of economic reforms should be avoided. They should be taken after deep consultations and keeping in mind the future prospects of the country," DMK president M Karunanidhi said.
The BJP often forgets that in Dravidian Tamil Nadu, the voter does not mix religion, which is personal, and politics that is in the public sphere, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
"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.
The action by the Commission, which wanted the explanation from the DMK president by Tuesday evening, came on a complaint from the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Information Technology wing. Tamil Nadu goes to polls on Monday.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President M Karunanidhi has urged the Tamil Nadu government to "put an end to rumours" regarding the health of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa by providing proper information to the people, while wishing his arch rival a speedy recovery.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi on Friday described as "big relief" the Supreme Court's decision to commute to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded to murder convict M N Das and asked central and state governments to take steps for the release of the three death row convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
In a statement issued to coincide with Karunanidhi's visit to New Delhi to take part in the Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security on December 20, she said following a tip-off from central agencies, one Vanniyarasu, belonging to ruling DMK's ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal, was arrested by police.
Karunanidhi made the announcement in his concluding remarks at the meeting of the party's key decision-making body, the general council, on Sunday to rapturous applause from members, reflecting the anti-Congress mood in the party ranks.
With DMK facing increasing heat on Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam over the 2G spectrum scam, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said on Monday that his party was not adamant in getting the telecom portfolio for A Raja during the United Progressive Alliance government formation in 2009.
"Lord Ram is an imaginary character and Ram Sethu is not a man-made bridge. The Centre should not do anything to disturb the Sethusamudram project," he said.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is likely to visit former telecom minister A Raja inside the Tihar jail early next week.
Union Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Alagiri is reported to be upset over party supremo and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi naming his younger son M K Stalin as his political successor.
If the BJP has to work as a junior partner of Vijay's TVK, then either the party will have to change the state leader, or the latter should change himself. Incidentally, ever since Vijay started talking politics and elections, the pro-BJP/Hindutva social media had stopped dragging his name into any non-existing issue.' In particular, they have stopped referring to him by his Christian name, 'Joseph Vijay', observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
As the people in Tamil Nadu started retaliatory attacks after some outfits in Karnataka targetted the Tamil Sangam and theatres screening Tamil films opposing the Hogenakkal project, the situation threatened to shatter peace and tranquility in both the states, when Karunanidhi called for patience. His message created the right impact on the turbulent situation and led to calm in both the states.
erala and Tamil Nadu will be going to polls on May 16 and ahead of the assembly elections, Rediff Labs analyses who's been making the most buzz
First Information Reports have been filed against Dravida Munnetra Kazagham President M Karunanidhi and his son and party treasurer M K Stalin in connection with a clash between their supporters and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam workers in the wake of conviction of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the assets case.
Days after ruling out an alliance with Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party for next year's Lok Sabha polls, Dravida Munetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi on Tuesday repeated his stand and indicated that his party might face the polls with existing allies.
In focus are the assembly polls in 2026. From a BJP perspective, their attack on the ruling DMK, using the 'Hindutva' card, and Annamalai's targeting of both Dravidian majors on corruption has not worked, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
'With passage of time, Kamal did move away from the humdrum of commercial cinema, using it only as a peg to launch a new concept or new technology, as no other actor/film-maker has done in Indian cinema.' N Sathiya Moorthy assesses the career and politics of movie legend Kamal Haasan on his 70th brthday.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Monday commenced the process of recording the statement of Dayalu Ammal, wife of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo M Karunanidhi, in the 2G Spectrum case.
Dr T V Somanathan is the first finance secretary to be appointed Cabinet secretary since 1985. His appointment at this juncture seems to carry much meaning for the forthcoming trajectory of reforms and restructuring of India's steel frame.
'There was a time when a movie star could win an election just by stepping into politics. That era is over.'
Key United Progressive Alliance ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Saturday condemned the petrol price hike and demanded that the government retain its control on the pricing of petroleum products, besides seeking a change in the pricing policy. Party chief M Karunanidhi said the issue had become similar to that of attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen -- allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy -- with political leaders issuing statements expressing concern during such incidents.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Karunanidhi has summoned all DMK MPs in Chennai on Tuesday, to discuss the nuke liability bill, common enterance test for medical students other political issues affecting the state.
The DMK doesn't have a Dalit candidate, the ADMK has.
According to an intelligence input, some cadres of the LTTE, who escaped the wrath of the Sri Lankan Army during the all-out operations in the island nation earlier this year, were trying to regroup in India and planning attacks on top political leaders, particularly when they travel in Tamil Nadu.
Tearing into her arch-rival and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's "convoluted defence" of his daughter Kanimozhi on the 2G scam issue, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa on Saturday demanded that his entire family be chargesheeted "if the interest of justice is to be met".
Slamming Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President M Karunanidhi for announcing his party's withdrawal from the United Progressive Alliance over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday described it as a 'drama'.
They try to hide behind the smokescreen that these are works of fiction inspired by real events. So, you can pick and choose from facts and fictionalise to push the right triggers with your audience or appease the powers that be, observes Shekhar Gupta.
Maintaining that he has been "unfairly vilified" and suspended, Dravida Munetra Kazhagam leader M K Alagiri on Monday alleged "some forces" in the party were not allowing its chief and his father M Karunanidhi to discharge his functions.
He said Karnataka's decision to release water will help Tamil Nadu's farmers.
Seeking to put at rest the speculation on his atheist roots, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Friday said it was not important whether he believed in God or not, but that the almighty accepted him for his services to the poor, downtrodden and suffering masses.
Vijay has a lot of young and middle-aged women fans, but as voters, they are possibly now with the DMK, or remain with the AIADMK. Recapturing this constituency would have helped Vijay's political launch and the GOAT script and dialogues could have gone a long way in helping out. But the kind of script and screenplay and the unusually and equally unnecessary long run-time (3 hours, 3 minutes) that GOAT offers takes the film experience over the heads of those that are not familiar with secret agents and uranium theft in Tamil cinema, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Setting the cat among the pigeons, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi hinted that he was retiring to 'work among the oppressed people' from 2010. The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are due in 2011.
