The Tamil Protection Movement was floated, among others, by the PMK and the Dalit Panthers of India. It aims at making people in Tamil Nadu use Tamil in all walks of life.
"Those running a caste-based political party here [in Tamil Nadu] and claiming that they are the champions of the Tamil language, cling to power by aligning with North Indian parties," Vijaykant said taking a dig at PMK leader Ramadoss.
"If the coalition partners had to support all the decisions of the ruling party, why should they have separate parties? They could as well dissolve their parties and merge with the DMK and sing peans in its favour. This is what the DMK is expecting from its allies."
The strained relationship between the ruling Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam and its key ally Pattali Makkal Katchi on Friday reached a flashpoint with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi asserting that his party would take a decision whether to continue the relationship 'in five or six days'.Karunanidhi said that PMK leader and president of Vanniyar Sangam G Guru had spoken at a public meeting recently, threatening Union Minister A Raja and DMK MLA S Sivasankar.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Tuesday dismissed a media report about the state police tapping telephones of political leaders, journalists and others, terming it as baseless and speculative. The daily had reported that the telephones of leaders of political parties, academicians, businessmen, lawyers, journalists and police officers were being tapped "in the guise of monitoring militant and anti-national activities."
Veerasamy's angry outbursts was in connection with his charge that the PMK leader had built a college in farm lands in Villupuram district and Dr Ramadoss launching a mud slinging campaign against him, while stoutly denying the allegations against him.
In democracy, peaceful agitations and expressing opposition in a peaceful way were basic rights and in such circumstances, there should be a consensus on banning bandhs and general strikes in the country after a public debate, he said.
Nedumaran called off his indefinite fast following an assurance from Chief Minister M Karunanidhi that he will take steps for the dispatch of relief materials to the suffering Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The alliance captured civic bodies in Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Salem, and Tiruchirappalli.
The Congress secured the maximum of 48 seats.
With this, the Maran family's cable TV network comes under government control.
Pattali Makkal Katchi founder Dr S Ramadoss on Tuesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi and expressed concern over the killing of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka. The Centre should not be a silent spectator to the suffering of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Ramadoss told Gandhi.The Sri Lankan Tamil issue has come to the forefront of national politics after Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani participated in a rally organised by Vaiko in New Delhi last week.
The war of words between the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam and its estranged ally Pattali Makkal Katchi continued, with the latter accusing the ruling party of giving up the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils, whenever it came to power in the state. PMK founder S Ramadoss, in a statement, alleged that the DMK organised agitations on the issue when it was in the opposition and when it came to power, it gave up the issue.
In the AIADMK-led front, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam was forging ahead in 23, the Communist Party of India-Marxist in 10 and the CPI in five constituencies. All top leaders of the AIADMK including Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam and K A Sengotaiyan, DMDK founder Vijaykanth, DMK patriarch and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his son M K Stalin were leading over their nearest rivals
The CM said, "He (Vivek) has done little but derived a lot of publicity. He has just done 10 percent of the relief work while the government did the rest."
The PMK may join the Jayalalitha led front for the forthcoming elections, after the DMK snapped ties with them.
It is the third party in Tamil Nadu, after DMK and MDMK, to quit the BJP-led alliance.
The Pattali Makkal Katchi said on Sunday that it has decided to snap ties with the front led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Jayalalithaa.All was not well in AIADMK-led front after Jayalalithaa recently gave permission to her party MLA C V Shanmugam to file a case in a court seeking to direct the police to include PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss and his son and former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss in a murder case.
When asked to comment on his party's stand on premarital sex and the impact it may have on issues such as AIDS, he said, "There is nothing wrong in talking about safe sex, but it is wrong to say that pre-marital sex is alright."
The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution on Thursday condemning the Centre's proposed Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, calling for its recall. Chief Minister M K Stalin argued that the amendment interferes with religious affairs and would negatively impact the Muslim minority. The resolution was unanimously passed by the Assembly, with support from all parties, including the opposition AIADMK and PMK. The BJP, however, walked out in protest, accusing the ruling DMK of engaging in divisive politics. The bill aims to streamline the Waqf Board's work and ensure efficient management of Waqf properties but has been criticized for potentially encroaching on religious freedom and autonomy. The Tamil Nadu government claims that the amendment would lead to government control over the Waqf Board and its properties, impacting its autonomy and potentially allowing for government acquisition of Muslim-owned lands.
The DMK has allocated 10 seats to Congress, 10 seats to other alliance partners and kept 20 seats for itself.
The parleys, according to a BJP senior, were cordial and the deal is likely to be clinched soon.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is expected to achieve a clear majority in Rajya Sabha after bye-elections for 12 seats scheduled next month, which would help the party get the nod for key legislations such as the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
The ruling DMK has already announced it will file a review petition against the November 8 five-judge Supreme Court bench upholding the 10 per cent reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections.
An Anna University girl student was allegedly sexually assaulted and a 37-year old man, who sells biryani on the pavement, has been arrested for the crime, police said on Wednesday.
Senior Congress leader and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram has joined the popular micro-blogging site Twitter and says he is on board for sharing serious views.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday turned emotional while reacting to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader A Raja's alleged disparaging remarks against him, his mother and said a mother occupied a lofty position in society and anyone who denigrated women would be punished by God.
In the last five years, 480 candidates with declared cases related to hate speech have contested elections to state assemblies, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the ADR said.
In a first, BJP crossed the 10 per cent vote share-mark in Tamil Nadu and has so far registered a share of 10.21 per cent, though it could not emerge in lead positions anywhere.
Naidu informed the House that he had received letters from Singh and 13 other MPs seeking leave of absence on medical grounds.
Under the deal, the PMK will be supporting the AIADMK in the bypolls expected to 21 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, he said.
In a state that usually plumbs for a Dravidian major, three candidates have a chance of delivering for the BJP, observes A Ganesh Nadar.
The PMK has now lent its voice to the protests against the mining of atomic minerals in Kanyakumari.
Ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's arch rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and main opposition party in the state Assembly Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam are finally set to fight it out to bag the sixth seat in the June 27 biennial elections for the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday expressed regret over an objectionable article on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa posted on the Defence Ministry website that triggered a furore in India.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday appointed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M K Stalin as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and invited him to form the government after he staked claim, submitting a letter on his election as legislature party leader.
Following up with the release of its first list of six candidates for the polls on Friday, the AIADMK firmed up the electoral agreement with the Saffron party late Friday night.
The JD-U has five members in the Rajya Sabha, including deputy chairman Harivansh whose fate now hangs in the balance as he may have to resign since his party has moved out of the ruling alliance.
Some fans had staged protests against fringe outfits opposing his political entry.
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