News Analysis India

Tag: DMK

  • DMK blames testing agency over NEET, slams BJP-led govt for being ‘spectator’

    Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK on Saturday accused the National Testing Agency of spoiling the sanctity of NEET and blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre for being a ‘spectator’ and backing coaching centres that earned in crores. Yet again, the DMK sought scrapping the national test, saying it alone would protect the sanctity of education sector.

    Referring to the Centre telling the Supreme Court days ago that the grace marks of 1,563 students would be cancelled, DMK’s Tamil mouthpiece ‘Murasoli’ said the BJP government would not have done this if the matter had not been taken to the apex court. Over the years, several irregularities have been happening in NEET and the BJP government did not take note of it, the daily in an editorial on June 15 alleged.

    The irregularities and scams that happened in ‘secret’ so far in the conduct of NEET was held in ‘open’ this year. Only to hide this, the test result that was scheduled to be released on June 14 was advanced to June 4, when the result of Lok Sabha polls was declared. However, the scam got exposed. “We have heard about grace marks, it will be one or two marks. But, how could 70 and 80 marks be termed grace marks? The NTA awarded full marks and this is national injustice.” The BJP government remained ‘servile’ to coaching centres that earned crores every month and it ‘established’ the ‘rule of corporates’ in the education sector too.

    Right from the beginning, Tamil Nadu and key political parties including the DMK have been opposing NEET and the Assembly passed a Bill to exempt the state from the purview of the exam and it was sent to the Centre to secure Presidential assent.

    “We (the state) have requested scrapping NEET or exemption to Tamil Nadu from the test.” The BJP government, however, rejected the staunch opposition as merely political. However, today, the students themselves have realised the ‘fraudulent’ aspects and the affected students approached the top court with a plea to cancel the May 5, 2024 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test and sought strong measures to prevent irregularities. “The Supreme Court itself said the sanctity of NEET-UG has been affected and ‘who spoiled the sanctity? it was the National Testing Agency and the BJP government at the Centre was a spectator.”

    On the whole, only abolishing NEET will be the permanent and fair solution to this problem and only then the sanctity of the education sector would be protected.

    On behalf of the NTA and the Centre, the same advocate appeared before the apex court and it makes it clear that there is no difference in stand whatsoever between the agency and the union government. Also, the Centre aided the agency in its decisions. Even after the grace mark scam was exposed, the union government does not appear to have realised its mistake.

    Referring to the retest on June 23 for students whose grace marks were withdrawn, the Dravidian party daily wondered about the nature of the outcome of the exam to be held again. “See the manner in which they (centre/agency) argue (in court) for the coaching centres that earn in crores.”

  • Stalin says DMK will dedicate INDIA bloc’s victory in Lok Sabha polls to Karunanidhi

    Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ruling DMK President M K Stalin on Sunday said his party would dedicate the INDIA bloc’s victory in the Lok Sabha polls to late party patriarch M Karunanidhi and celebrate his centenary at the national level.

    On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Karunanidhi (1924-2018) on June 3, which also marks the culmination of year-long (2023-24) centenary celebrations of the DMK icon, Stalin heaped praise on the leader for his contributions to democracy and the nation. Whenever democracy faced crisis situations, “leaders from North India looked up to Karunanidhi” and it was his “stellar contributions” that ensured the retrieval of democracy and brought stability to the government, and “this cannot be disputed by anybody”, Stalin said.

    “It was Karunanidhi who championed state autonomy at the national level, batting for federalism.” He went on to say, “The Lok Sabha election results will be out on June 4. That day we shall hoist the victory flag and dedicate INDIA’s (bloc) victory to Kalaignar,” he said, adding that the centenary celebrations would be organised at the national level. The DMK has invited INDIA bloc leaders for the centenary celebrations on June 3 at its Delhi party office. The Dravidian party chief said that Karunanidhi, through his actions, has strongly reinforced DMK’s commitment to the ideals of social justice, harmony, state autonomy and protecting the mother tongue. That is why “those doing communal politics” are targeting the DMK “with malice” in poll-bound regions of the country by “spreading rumours”, Stalin said. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States”Their voice shows they are trembling due to the fear of defeat.” Without naming the BJP, Stalin said it can be understood that such forces are lamenting as they have realised the imminent formation of a ‘new India’ (a new government at the Centre by the INDIA bloc) with the support of the DMK. In a letter to party workers, Stalin exhorted them to celebrate the birth centenary of late party patriarch Karunanidhi on June 3 by organising events around welfare of the people, and said that such events should be adhere to the Model Code of Conduct which is in force. Stalin said the year-long centenary celebrations that commenced on June 3, 2023 and set to conclude on June 3 this year, was marked by DMK regime’s stellar schemes and initiatives that are beneficial to the people. The Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital in Guindy, Chennai, the Kalaignar Centenary Library in Madurai and the Kalaignar Memorial on the Marina beachfront were inaugurated during 2023-24 to mark the centenary celebrations. Referring to a slew of party events to mark the centenary year, the DMK president said that thanks to the work of all the party’s office-bearers, about one crore new members had been enrolled, which has taken the party’s membership count to 2 crore plus, he said, appreciating the “great work”.

  • lok sabha elections: Tamil Nadu demographic could hurt the BJP’s ambitious plans for the state

    Coimbatore: As the BJP looks to get the lotus to bloom in Tamil Nadu, the stumbling block for the national party would be its anti-minority image in a state where minorities are among the highest in any state in the country, said experts and analysts ahead of the upcoming polls on April 19.

    As per the Census in 2011, Hindus are a majority in the state constituting 87.58% of Tamil Nadu’s 7.21 crore. The Muslim population comprise 5.86% of the total population while the Christians make up 6.12%.

    The BJP has laid constant electioneering siege with the prime minister making multiple visits to Tamil Nadu. While the party’s popularity has been growing owing to leaders like the BJP state chief Annamalai, who is being touted as a dark horse who could spring a surprise in Coimbatore this election. However, the demographics of the state might come in the way of the BJP’s ambitious plans.This time, the party has also taken the decision to ditch its alliance with the AIADMK and go solo in as many as 19 of the 39 constituencies and contest four others with the help of its allies. However, analysts said the BJP’s performance in these constituencies may suffer owing to their perception of being against minorities, despite their best efforts to shed this image through vigorous outreach.

    During his 168-day ‘yatra’ by foot and on wheels from Rameswaram, Annamalai met several leaders from Muslim and christian communities, the dialogue with these leaders was to convey to minority community leaders that the BJP was not against them in any way and was only keen on fighting terrorism, perpetrated by militant organisations.

    On Saturday too Annamalai met Bishop Paul Alappat and the members of the Coimbatore Diocese pastoral council in Ramanthapuram and Coimbatore and later wrote on ‘X’ “Bishop Paul Alappat’s wisdom & community service has inspired countless lives,” Annamalai said on X (formerly Twitter). While the BJP is reaching out to the communities, there is scepticism on whether this approach would work. “The anti-minority tag of the BJP will cost them dearly,” political analyst Tharasu Shyam told ET. “The minority percentage in Tamil Nadu varies from 10-20% and constituencies like Vellore and Ramanathapuram have got a heavy concentration of Muslims. The BJP may come second in about four constituencies. Theni, Vellore, Dharmapuri and Tirunelveli are witnessing tough competition by the BJP alliance, but ultimately the numerical strength of the DMK alliance and anti-minority tag of BJP is likely to prevail.”

    A report by the Pew Research Center said the largest numbers of Christians in India were still concentrated in the Southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It went on to add that the Christian population grew the most in Tamil Nadu of all the states in India, increasing by 6 lakh to touch 40 lakhs.

    “The demographic of Tamil Nadu with its larger minority populations has always made it harder for parties that are perceived as being anti-minority to make a mark,” political analyst N Sathiya Moorthy said. “Both the minorities combined should make up around 15-20% of the total population in Tamil Nadu and so parties they perceive to support them start with that advantage.”

    For example, he said, if the combined percentage stood at 15%, then most of it will likely go to the DMK-Congress combine – giving them an edge over rivals.

    “The question is how many of the minority votes may shift to the AIADMK because they are not aligning with the BJP. I don’t see that happening because suddenly the BJP and Modi have become election issues this time,” Moorthy said.

    As per the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), Christians in Tamil Nadu are spread across nearly all the districts, but their presence is relatively higher in a few pockets spread across different parts of the state. Their highest presence is in the south, particularly in Kanyakumari, home to one-fifth of all the Christians in the state.

    The CPS said that besides Kanyakumari, the growth of Christians was ‘remarkable’ in Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts that surround Chennai city. It also observed that the number and share of Muslims in Tamil Nadu was almost like that of the Christians but that they were spread more uniformly across the state. It said their highest concentration is in Ramanathapuram, where they formed 15.4% of the population.

    “Religious polarisation will not work in Tamil Nadu because this is the land of social reformer EVR (Periyar),” senior journalist S Murari said. “The BJP knows minorities won’t vote for it, so it is banking on majority Hindus by saying the DMK is anti-God and anti-Hindu and like the Congress, it is a party of corrupt dynasts.”

  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Annamalai hits back at Dayanidhi Maran after his ‘joker’ remark: ‘Useless without family’s name’ – The Economic Times Video

    Tamil Nadu’s BJP president, K Annamalai, strongly criticized the DMK party, labeling it as one of the most unsightly political entities in the nation. He went on to assert that the DMK has introduced a level of derogatory language into the political discourse that has not been witnessed in the state’s political landscape over the past seven decades.

  • ‘Chennai Has Won Me Over’: BJP’s Modi Holds Roadshow With Annamalai; Assures Development |

    BJP leader Narendra Modi today held a roadshow in Chennai along with the party’s Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai and other leaders. Sharing photos of the roadshow on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Chennai crowd ‘won over him’. He also promised continuous development of the metro city. Chennai will go to the polls on April 19 in the first phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

    “Chennai has won me over! Today’s roadshow in this dynamic city will remain a part of my memory forever. The blessings of the people give me strength to keep working hard in your service and to make our nation even more developed. The enthusiasm in Chennai also shows that Tamil Nadu is all set to support NDA in a big way,” said Modi.

    The NDA Government will keep working in sectors like roads, ports, urban transportation, culture, commerce, connectivity, energy and more. At the same time, we will address key issues in Chennai like strengthening the disaster management apparatus, which makes us better prepared… pic.twitter.com/EaCKllkLPQ


    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2024

    DMK Busy Promoting Family Rule: Modi

    Modi alleged that DMK took votes from the people of Chennai for years but did nothing much for the city. “DMK is busy furthering corruption and family rule. Their MPs are not accessible to the people, particularly whenever the times are challenging. The recent public information on the Katchatheevu surrender point to how Congress and DMK were complicit in harming our strategic interests and the well-being of our fishermen and fisherwomen. No wonder this time, Chennai is all set to reject DMK and Congress,” he said.

    Modi Recounts Development Work

    Modi assured that the NDA government will keep working for the welfare of the vibrant city. “Over the last few years, I have come here very often to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for key projects which will boost ‘Ease of Living.’ At the root of this is connectivity. Recently, the new integrated terminal building at Chennai airport was inaugurated. In the coming times, railway stations here including Egmore Station are going to be redeveloped,” he said.

    PM Modi also recounted the launch of Vande Bharat Express connecting Chennai to different cities. “Thanks to Vande Bharat Express, connectivity between Chennai-Coimbatore and Chennai-Mysuru has also been enhanced. The Chennai Metro network is being expanded, thus helping the professionals working in the city. Key road projects like the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway and the expansion of other existing road projects will improve commerce and connectivity,” said the BJP leaders.

    The BJP leader claimed that remarkable work is underway in the housing sector as lakhs of houses have been built across Tamil Nadu under PM-Awas Yojana. “Some time ago, many houses built as a part of Light House Project were inaugurated thus giving wings to several aspirations. Our Government is also working on projects like a Multi-Modal Logistics Park and a Discovery Campus at IIT-Madras, which will boost business as well as innovation,” said Modi.

    Invoking Tamil Culture To Woo Voters

    Invoking the Tamil culture to woo the voters, Modi said that the NDA government accords topmost respect to Tamil culture and added that he felt proud after getting an opportunity to speak a few words in Tamil language at the UN. “We will continue to make Tamil culture and language popular at the world stage. Two years ago, the Central Institute of Classical Tamil was inaugurated which will further popularise aspects of Tamil culture. Earlier this year, the revamped channel DD Tamil was launched which will again be instrumental in celebrating the culture of this great state,” Modi promised.

    Development Promise

    Modi said that the NDA Government will keep working in sectors like roads, ports, urban transportation, culture, commerce, connectivity, energy and more. He said that the central government will also address key issues in Chennai like strengthening the disaster management apparatus, which makes us better prepared when calamities like floods strike. We will also keep supporting the MSME sector, a vital pillar of economic growth.

  • ‘They Simply Did Not Care…’: S Jaishankar Blasts Congress, DMK Over Katchatheevu |

    New Delhi: An island located in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka has emerged as a contentious topic in Indian political discourse. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the issue on Monday and criticized the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for their stance, suggesting they are treating the matter irresponsibly.  

    “Now, every political party in Tamil Nadu has taken a position on this. Two parties, the Congress and the DMK, have approached this matter as though they have no responsibility for it. As though the situation is for today’s central government to resolve, there is no history to this, this has just happened, they are the people who are taking up the cause; that is the way they would like to project it,” stated the External Affairs Minister during a press briefing.  

    The EAM said that over the past two decades, Sri Lanka has detained 6184 Indian fishermen and seized, detained, or apprehended 1175 Indian fishing vessels…Over the last five years, the matters concerning Katchatheevu and the Fisherman’s issue have been consistently brought up in Parliament through questions, debates, and discussions within the consultative committee, he added.  

    “The then CM of Tamil Nadu has written to me numerous times. And my record shows that to the current CM, I have replied 21 times on this issue…It is an issue which has been very much debated in parliament and in the Tamil Nadu circles. It has been the subject of correspondence between the union government and the state government,” said Jaishankar indicating that this issue is not new. It has been ongoing and actively discussed both in Parliament and among Tamil Nadu circles, he said.  

    Jaishankar further slammed the then government of not caring much about the issue. He said, ” We are talking about 1958 and 1960… The main people in the case wanted to make sure that at least we should get the fishing rights… The island was given away in 1974 and the fishing rights were given away in 1976… One, the most basic recurring (aspect) is the indifference shown by the then central government and the PMs about the territory of India…” he added.  

    Historically, the island situated between Rameswaram (India) and Sri Lanka has been utilised by fishermen from both countries. In 1974, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recognized Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory through the “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement.” The 1974 Agreement concerning historic waters in the Palk Strait and the Palk Bay between Sri Lanka and India officially affirmed Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over the island. 

  • DMK Drops Senthil Kumar Who Made ‘Gaumutra States’ Remark |

    DMK Dharmapuri MP, S Senthilkumar, who made the ‘gaumutra states’ remark in Parliament was among those who were not renominated by the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

    Senthil Kumar described himself as an “unconventional” politician while thanking friends on X who wondered why he was not given another chance by the party to contest the LS polls. There were also some critical comments in social media against him over remarks that became controversial in the past.

    On X, the Dharmapuri MP said in a post: “Thank you Twitter friends for enormous support & unconditional love. What have I done to receive such bountiful unadulterated Love. I have done nothing spl, Other than being myself an -Unconventional politician. How am I going to repay this….” He posted a card with the word ‘love’ to his well-wishers.

    He expressed satisfaction in working for the people of Dharmapuri Lok Sabha constituency for the past five years and for having brought several schemes to the region. Senthil Kumar conveyed his best wishes to A Mani, an advocate who has been named by the DMK as its candidate for the Dharmapuri LS seat.

    On 5 December 2023, Senthil Kumar asked why the BJP could win polls only in the Hindi heartland states, “what we generally call as gaumutra (cow urine) states.” He had also said that “you (BJP) cannot come to south India,” while speaking on a debate on Bills related to Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP condemned it and Senthilkumar too apologised after DMK President MK Stalin reprimanded him.

    Senthil Kumar, while taking part in a ceremony in 2022 for a local project had demanded to know why priests belonging to Christianity and Islam were not present and why Hindu rituals alone should be held at the event.

    SR Parthiban (Salem), Dhanush M Kumar (Tenkasi), K Shanmuga Sundaram (Pollachi), Gautham Sigamani (Kallakurichi) and Palanimanickam (Thanjavur) were the five others who have not been renominated by the DMK.
    Gautham Sigamani is the son of former Minister and senior DMK leader K Ponmudy.

    The Madras HC had convicted Ponmudy in December last year in a disproportionate assets case. Ponmudy’s conviction was later suspended by the Supreme Court. A case related to Governor R N Ravi declining to appoint Ponmudy as a Minister, despite Chief Minister Stalin’s advice is pending in the apex court.

  • China flag on rocket a mistake: Tamil Nadu Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan

    Thoothukudi: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Fisheries Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan accepted the mistake on Thursday after the Tamil Nadu government was left red-faced after an advertisement for a new Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that featured a rocket with the flag of China.

    Radhakrishnan said that a small mistake was made in the newspaper advertisement by them.

    “A small mistake has been made in the newspaper advertisement given by us regarding the setting up of a rocket launch pad in the Kulasekarapatnam area. The image of the Chinese flag in the advertisement welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a mistake by those who designed the advertisement, which went unnoticed by us,” said the DMK leader.Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Wednesday criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party for using the ‘China flag’ in rocket advertisement promoting the proposed second launch pad of ISRO in the state.

    Annamalai alleged that DMK has been ‘desperate’ to paste stickers since the announcement of the second launch pad coming up in the state was made.

    “This advertisement by DMK Minister Anita Radhakrishnan to leading Tamil dailies today is a manifestation of DMK’s commitment to China and their total disregard for our country’s sovereignty. DMK, a party fighting high on corruption, has been desperate to paste stickers ever since the announcement of ISRO’s second launch pad in Kulasekarapatinam was released,” Annamalai said in a post on X.Earlier, the BJP Tamil Nadu chief further accused the DMK of being the reason Tamil Nadu lost Satish Dhawan Space Centre to Andhra Pradesh”The amount of desperation only proves their attempt to bury their past misdeeds, but we must remind them that DMK was why the Satish Dhawan Space Centre is today in Andhra Pradesh and not Tamil Nadu,” Annamalai said.

    “When the first launch pad of ISRO was conceptualised, TN was the first choice of ISRO. TN CM Annadurai, who could not attend the meeting because of severe shoulder pain, deputed Mathiyazhagan, one of his ministers, for the meeting,” the post further mentioned.

    “ISRO officials were kept waiting for a long time, and Mathiyazhagan was finally brought to the meeting in an “inebriated state” and was incoherent throughout the meeting. And this was the treatment our country’s space programme received 60 years ago. DMK hasn’t changed much and has only become worse!,” he added.

    The controversy erupted following a newspaper advertisement by the DMK government promoting the laying of the foundation stone for ISRO’s second launch pad complex in Kulsekarapatinam, which showcased a ‘China flag’ among rockets from other countries in the background.

    Meanwhile, #Thankyoukanimozhi was trending on the micro-blogging site, X, on Wednesday, lauding DMK MP from Thoothukudi, Kanimozhi, for her efforts towards bringing ISRO’s second launch pad to Kulasekarapatinam.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday criticised the DMK government over the newspaper advertisement while he was addressing a gathering in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli.

    “DMK is a party that does not work but stands ahead to take false credit. These people paste their stickers on our schemes. Now they have crossed the limits, they have pasted China’s sticker to take credit for the ISRO launch pad in Tamil Nadu,” PM Modi said while addressing a gathering in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.

    The Prime Minister alleged that the DMK is ‘not ready’ to accept India’s progress in the space sector.

    “They are not ready to accept India’s progress in the space sector and with the taxes that you pay, they give advertisements and do not even include a picture of India’s space in it. They did not want to present India’s space success in front of the world, they insulted our scientists, our space sector, and your tax money. Now it’s high time that the DMK is punished for their deeds,” PM Modi said.

    The Prime Minister was on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, during which he launched multiple development projects in the state.

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