News Analysis India

Tag: MK Stalin

  • Lok Sabha Elections LIVE Updates | BJP Rebel Eshwarappa Files as Independent, Challenges Yediyurappa’s Son In Shivamogga |

    Lok Sabha Polls 2024 LIVE Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday  is scheduled to kick off an election rally in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, followed by a public gathering in Barmer and a roadshow in Dausa, Rajasthan, as part of the Lok Sabha elections. The Prime Minister will commence a public gathering at 11 a.m. at Modi Ground in Udhampur, followed by a roadshow. The BJP has nominated Jitendra Singh from the Udhampur Parliamentary seat for the third consecutive time.

    Following his engagements in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi will proceed to address a public gathering at the Adarsh Stadium in Barmer at 2:45 p.m., campaigning for the BJP candidate from the Jaisalmer Lok Sabha constituency, Kailash Choudhary. Subsequently, the Prime Minister will conduct a roadshow in Dausa at 4.45 pm, commencing from Gandhi Tirahe and concluding at Gupteshwar Darwaza, where a significant number of constituents from this Lok Sabha constituency will be present.

    *Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address two public meetings in Tamil Nadu on Friday. His first election rally will be at 3:15 p.m. at the Bell Ground in Tirunelveli district. Later, he will join Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK National President M.K. Stalin for a joint election rally in Coimbatore at 6:15 p.m.

    *Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will address two public meetings in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi and Bidar Lok Sabha constituencies.

    *Akhilesh Yadav will initiate the Samajwadi Party’s election campaign from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. He will start campaigning for Samajwadi Party candidate Bhagwant Sharan Gangwar from Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency, who is contesting against Uttar Pradesh Minister and BJP candidate Jitin Prasada. Akhilesh will reach Bareilly at 12 noon to campaign for Gangwar and will address a public meeting at Assam Road Puranpur in Pilibhit at 12.30 p.m.

    Follow Live Updates Here:

    3:00 PM: Rebel BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa on Friday filed his nomination from Shivamogga for the May 7 Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate to take on official party nominee B Y Raghavendra, who is seeking reelection from the segment.

    In Kalaburagi, Radhakrishna Doddamani, son-in-law of Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge, also filed his papers. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress chief D K Shivakumar.

    Raghavendra is the son of BJP veteran and member of the party’s Parliamentary Board and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

    BJP leaders had appealed to Eshwarappa to desist from contesting but he remained steadfast on his decision.

    Eshwarappa, who had also served as the party’s state unit president, is miffed over his son K E Kanthesh being denied the ticket from the neighbouring Haveri segment.

    2:20 PM: “The people of Congress and INDI alliance do not care about the sentiments of most of the people of the country, these people were enjoying cooking mutton by going to the house of a criminal in the month of Saavan:” PM Modi 

    1:45 PM: Here’s what Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said while addressing an election rally in UP’s Pilibhit. “Someone new has come (BJP candidate Jitin Prasada) who is saying if he would have known earlier that he would be nominated from Pilibhit then he would have turned it into Mumbai. Mumbai is known as the financial capital of the country. BJP has spent more than 40 crore rupees to make UP roads potholes-free but did that happen?”

    1: 30 PM: Three farm laws were scrapped by BJP govt as they were afraid of strength of farmers: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at rally in UP’s Pilibhit

    1:15 PM: Faces of BJP leaders turn pale on hearing name of Pilibhit: Akhilesh Yadav at rally in UP’s Pilibhit

    1:00 PM: Congress to become extinct like dinosaur in a few years: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at poll rally in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal

    12: 30 PM: During a public gathering in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated, “The primary factor for PM Modi’s ascension to the Prime Minister’s office in 2014 and 2019 was the support from Uttar Pradesh. With 73 seats in 2014 and 65 seats in 2019, Uttar Pradesh enabled PM Modi to secure a full majority. Our goal is to ensure his third term as PM, this time not with 73 or 65, but all 80 seats from Uttar Pradesh will go to Modi.”

    12:00 PM: Shivamogga, Karnataka: Former Dy CM and rebel BJP leader K S Eshwarappa holds a road show ahead of filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections polls from Shivamogga. BJP has fielded former CM and party leader BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Raghavendra from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat.

    11:55 AM: Speaking at a public gathering in Udhampur, PM Modi stated, “Modi thinks far ahead. So what has happened so far is just the trailer. I have to get busy in creating a new and wonderful picture of the new Jammu and Kashmir. The time is not far when Assembly Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir will get the status of statehood. You will be able to share your dreams with your MLA and your ministers…”

    11:45 AM: Kalaburagi: Karnataka Deputy CM and Congress leader DK Shivakumar says, “A big trend is going on here. There is no wave of BJP in the state. It is only a Congress wave and five guarantee wave which has been there. Congress party will win more than 20 seats in Karnataka… There will be a change in Karnataka. His party (JDS) is going to merge with BJP or BJP will throw them out of their NDA…”
     

    11: 30 AM: At a public gathering in Udhampur, J&K, Prime Minister Modi said, “J&K: Addressing a public rally in Udhampur, PM Modi says, “For the sake of power, they had built a wall of 370 in Jammu and Kashmir…Due to your blessings, Modi demolished the wall of Article 370. I have also buried the debris of that wall in the ground. I challenge any political party in India, especially Congress, to announce that they will bring back Article 370. This country won’t even look at them.”

    11:15 AM: During a public gathering in Udhampur, J&K, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The purpose of this election extends beyond merely electing Members of Parliament. It is about establishing a robust government in the nation. A strong government is capable of overcoming obstacles and accomplishing its tasks.”

    10:15 AM: People start to arrive at Modi Maidan in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir to attend PM Modi’s rally scheduled to be held later today.

     

  • Fireworks Factory Blast Kills 10, Injures 3 In Tamil Nadu; PM Modi, CM Stalin Announce Ex-Gratia |

    New Delhi: A tragic accident at a fireworks factory in Virudhunagar district claimed the lives of 10 people, including four women, and injured three others on Saturday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin sent two state ministers to oversee the rescue and relief operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the loss of lives in the blast and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

    The Chief Minister said that the blast occurred suddenly in the chemical mixing room of the firecracker unit in Kundayiruppu village in Vembakottai. He instructed State Revenue Minister K K S S R Ramachandran and Labour Minister C V Ganesan to reach the site immediately and coordinate the relief efforts, according to an official statement.

    #WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Drone visuals from Virudhunagar, where 10 people lost their lives in an explosion incident at a firecracker manufacturing unit. pic.twitter.com/EAQ4uHw7TC
    — ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2024

    The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) posted on ‘X’: “I am deeply saddened by the news of a mishap at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar district. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy. I hope the injured recover quickly. The PMNRF will provide Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.”

    The Chief Minister also expressed his grief over the incident and offered his condolences and sympathies to the affected families. He announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh each for the kin of the dead and Rs one lakh each for the seriously injured.

    The accident happened around 12.30 pm on Saturday in the firecracker factory. “Nine people died on the spot and three were taken to Sivakasi Government Hospital for treatment,” Virudhunagar district Collector V P Jayaseelan said.

    He said that a preliminary enquiry revealed that there was overcrowding in the chemical mixing room and the blast could have been caused by mishandling of the chemical. He said that the factory owner had a valid licence.

    When asked about the cause of the blast, the Collector said “it could have been a human error. We have ordered a detailed enquiry by a team of officials from different departments.”

  • Opposition meet in Patna on June 23; Rahul, Mamata, Kejriwal, Stalin agree to attend

    By PTI

    PATNA: A meeting of opposition parties, organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be held in Patna on June 23, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference with JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh by his side, Yadav said that top leaders of most opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal have agreed to attend the meeting.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on June 12, but was put off after some of the parties, including the Congress and the DMK, requested a change in date.

    JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Nitish Kumar had recently said he was opposed to parties sending any leader except their respective heads to the meeting where the anti-BJP players will chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

    The JD(U) supremo has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing.

    He has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

    PATNA: A meeting of opposition parties, organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will be held in Patna on June 23, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.

    Addressing a press conference with JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh by his side, Yadav said that top leaders of most opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal have agreed to attend the meeting.

    The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on June 12, but was put off after some of the parties, including the Congress and the DMK, requested a change in date.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    Nitish Kumar had recently said he was opposed to parties sending any leader except their respective heads to the meeting where the anti-BJP players will chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls next year.

    The JD(U) supremo has been pitching for “opposition unity” ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing.

    He has held separate meetings with leaders of many parties, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and leaders from the Left parties.

    As part of the “opposition unity” drive, Kumar has held parleys with not only Congress allies like Uddhav and Pawar but also its opponents like Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

    In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.

  • After CAPF exam, TN CM Stalin urges all central govt exams be held in regional languages

    By ANI

    CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has demanded to conduct all central government examinations in regional languages and said that students from all states of the country should get equal opportunities.

    The Chief Minister also welcomed the Centre’s decision taken in April this year to conduct the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) exams in 13 regional languages besides Hindi and English.

    “We have to raise our voice demanding to conduct all Central Government exams in all regional languages,” Stalin said on Monday in a video series ‘Ungalin Oruvan’ in which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister answered questions relating to various political developments in the state.

    “It should happen soon. It is a long pending demand of DMK in Parliament, State Legislative and people forum. With this not just the youth of Tamil Nadu but the youth of many other Indian States can write the exams in their respective languages. Opportunities should not be reduced to one’s fluency in Hindi and English alone,” he added.

    The Chief Minister said that their demand bore a positive result when the Centre decided to conduct the CAPF exams in 13 regional languages and said that there is a need to conduct all central exams in the respective languages of the aspirants.

    “India is a Union of States. So youth from all States should get equal opportunities. As a first, we have had a positive result to our demand. Let’s raise our voices to conduct all Central Government exams in all regional languages. We will win this”, he said. 

    CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has demanded to conduct all central government examinations in regional languages and said that students from all states of the country should get equal opportunities.

    The Chief Minister also welcomed the Centre’s decision taken in April this year to conduct the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) exams in 13 regional languages besides Hindi and English.

    “We have to raise our voice demanding to conduct all Central Government exams in all regional languages,” Stalin said on Monday in a video series ‘Ungalin Oruvan’ in which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister answered questions relating to various political developments in the state.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “It should happen soon. It is a long pending demand of DMK in Parliament, State Legislative and people forum. With this not just the youth of Tamil Nadu but the youth of many other Indian States can write the exams in their respective languages. Opportunities should not be reduced to one’s fluency in Hindi and English alone,” he added.

    The Chief Minister said that their demand bore a positive result when the Centre decided to conduct the CAPF exams in 13 regional languages and said that there is a need to conduct all central exams in the respective languages of the aspirants.

    “India is a Union of States. So youth from all States should get equal opportunities. As a first, we have had a positive result to our demand. Let’s raise our voices to conduct all Central Government exams in all regional languages. We will win this”, he said. 

  • SC verdict on EWS is setback to century-long social justice struggle: TN CM Stalin

    The Supreme Court had by a majority view of 3:2, upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 per cent reservation for the EWS.

  • PM Modi declares open 44th Chess Olympiad, says in sports there are no losers

    By PTI

    CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared open the FIDE 44th Chess Olympiad here on Thursday, and encouraging the players, said that in sports there are no losers but winners and future winners.

    The Chess Olympiad is hosted by India at a special time in its history, which marks 75 years of freedom from colonial rule, he said.

    In his address during the inaugural at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Modi said it is an honour to have international chess players at a such a special time. “In sports there are no losers, there are winners and there are future winners,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Nehru indoor stadium in Chennai dazzles as 44th Chess Olympiad gets underway

    The Prime Minister, as in the events held in Tamil Nadu in the past began his speech by uttering the Tamil word for greetings, ‘Vanakkam.’ He said that in a short period of time, the organisers have made outstanding arrangements. The Tamil Nadu government along with the Centre’s full support is hosting the event.

    May the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai be an enriching experience for everyone. Best wishes to all the participants. https://t.co/u2DZzotHGF
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 28, 2022
    Assuring the best hospitality to players from far and wide, Modi quoted the ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ slogan which means ‘our guests are like God.’ Also, the Prime Minister cited Tamil saint poet Tiruvalluvar’s couplet on the significance of hospitality.

    Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister M K Stalin, Union Ministers Anurag Thakur and L Murugan among others were present during the glittering opening ceremony.

    The sporting event will be held in the nearby Mamallapuram, about 50 km from here.

    The Olympiad is being held in India for the first time ever, after being moved out of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine and has attracted a record number of entries in the Open (188) and women’s (162) sections.

    CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared open the FIDE 44th Chess Olympiad here on Thursday, and encouraging the players, said that in sports there are no losers but winners and future winners.

    The Chess Olympiad is hosted by India at a special time in its history, which marks 75 years of freedom from colonial rule, he said.

    In his address during the inaugural at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Modi said it is an honour to have international chess players at a such a special time. “In sports there are no losers, there are winners and there are future winners,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Nehru indoor stadium in Chennai dazzles as 44th Chess Olympiad gets underway

    The Prime Minister, as in the events held in Tamil Nadu in the past began his speech by uttering the Tamil word for greetings, ‘Vanakkam.’ He said that in a short period of time, the organisers have made outstanding arrangements. The Tamil Nadu government along with the Centre’s full support is hosting the event.

    May the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai be an enriching experience for everyone. Best wishes to all the participants. https://t.co/u2DZzotHGF
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 28, 2022
    Assuring the best hospitality to players from far and wide, Modi quoted the ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ slogan which means ‘our guests are like God.’ Also, the Prime Minister cited Tamil saint poet Tiruvalluvar’s couplet on the significance of hospitality.

    Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister M K Stalin, Union Ministers Anurag Thakur and L Murugan among others were present during the glittering opening ceremony.

    The sporting event will be held in the nearby Mamallapuram, about 50 km from here.

    The Olympiad is being held in India for the first time ever, after being moved out of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine and has attracted a record number of entries in the Open (188) and women’s (162) sections.

  • Keep up poll promise, effect cut on rates of petroleum products, OPS tells DMK

    By PTI

    CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s main Opposition AIADMK, a BJP ally, on Sunday welcomed the Centre’s move on slashing excise duty on petrol and diesel and urged the ruling DMK in the state to follow suit and implement its poll promise on reducing prices of the petroleum products to benefit people.

    AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam said the Union government reducing excise duty on petrol by a record Rs 8 per litre and that on diesel by Rs 6 will help in cooling down the spiralling inflation and bring under control, the prices of essential commodities and fares of autorickshaws and taxis.

    He also lauded the central government for other measures including provision of Rs 200 subsidy to the poor who got cooking gas connection under the Ujjwala scheme, for 12 cylinders in a year.

    In a statement, the former CM, also known as OPS, urged the MK Stalin-led DMK government to now implement its promise regarding slashing fuel rates, made ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls and further benefit the citizens.

    In fact, prices of some of the vegetables in the state including tomato were above Rs 100 a kilo, he said, adding the DMK was duty-bound to fulfill its poll promises.

    “Considering people’s welfare and aimed at controlling prices, inflation and to bring down the losses faced by state-run transport corporations (which operate diesel-run buses) besides implementing the poll promise, the chief minister (Stalin) should reduce the price of petrol (by a further) Rs 2 and Rs 4 for diesel per litre and ensure justice for people,” Panneerselvam urged.

    The DMK government had last year effected VAT cut to enable the consumers a Rs 3 per litre cut in the price of petrol.

    It had promised to slash the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 4 per litre, if elected to power, ahead of the April 2021 polls which it swept. If the DMK kept its word on slashing rates, the price of petrol and diesel will cost around Rs 99 and Rs 89, respectively, the AIADMK leader claimed.

    If the ruling DMK failed to do so, people will see it as “yet another Dravidian model”, he sarcastically said, in an apparent reference to Stalin’s oft-stated model of development taken forward by his government.

    Panneerselvam also pointed to the Congress-ruled Rajasthan and LDF-headed Kerala announcing tax cuts following the Centre’s move on Saturday.

  • DMK achieved in 10 months what AIADMK couldn’t in 10 years, says TN CM M K Stalin

    By PTI

    CHENNAI: Lashing out at the opposition AIADMK for criticising his party on not giving effect to his poll assurances, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin on Wednesday said the DMK government achieved in a short span of 10 months what the AIADMK failed to do during 10 years of its rule.

    Also, he promised to implement the decade-old unfulfilled announcements of the AIADMK regime provided they are beneficial to the people.

    Making an announcement under rule 110 in the Assembly on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said immediately after assuming charge on May 7 (last year) he signed five files.

    Gradually, government orders (GO) were issued to implement 208 out of 505 poll assurances.

    But on the contrary, from 2011 to 2021, the AIADMK regime made 537 announcements under Assembly rule 110, but had not implemented any of them.

    “Their announcements still remain on paper and were made only for the sake of publicity,” Stalin said.

    While the government under him was delivering on its promises, the opposition party keeps on asking questions.

    “It’s like asking about the tenth standard marks of a 10-month-old baby. Let me tell you, this child will not only score high grades in the tenth standard but also win a medal in the graduation,” the Chief Minister said amid thumping of treasury benches.

    Listing out the announcements of the AIADMK, he said the party neither kept the promises it made in 2011 and 2016 Assembly elections nor fulfilled the announcements made when it was in power.

    “You (AIADMK government) had announced to conduct the global investors meet (GIM) once every two years but it was held only once in the last five years,” Stalin said.

    The announcements on establishing a satellite city in suburban Thirumalisai, an integrated satellite city near Madurai airport, free cell phones to ration cardholders, free Wi-Fi in public places and Rs 500 coupon to ration cardholders to buy clothes for Pongal at Co-optex and other promises made by the AIADMK were not fulfilled.

    Even the announcement on constructing a flyover between Meenambakkam and Chengalpattu, coastal road project from Chennai to Kanyakumari, Aero Park, Mobile e-Governance programme and Monorail project, to name a few, never took off.

    The AIADMK regime made a total of 507 promises, including 186 in its 2011 election manifesto and 321 in its 2016 election manifesto, and despite being at the helm for 10 years, the party passed orders to implement only 269.

    He said orders were not issued for 20 announcements made for an outlay of Rs 9,741 crore. “As I have already mentioned, during the last 10 months, the DMK government made 208 announcements out of 505 poll promises and GO were issued to implement 171 of them,” he said.

    Recalling DMK founder and former Chief Minister C N Annadurai’s quote “matran thottathu malligaikkum manam undu” (even the jasmine in neighbour’s garden have fragrance), Stalin assured to implement the announcements of the AIADMK regime if they were beneficial to the people.

  • Lata Mangeshkar touched the heart of every Indian: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin

    By PTI

    CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday condoled the death of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar and said she touched the heart of every Indian with her mellifluous renditions.

    “Deeply pained to know that the Nightingale of India Lata Mangeshkar has passed away. With a career spanning eight decades she has touched the heart of every Indian with her mellifluous renditions in various languages. I convey my heartfelt condolences to her family and fans,” Stalin tweeted.

    Mangeshkar, one of the biggest music icons of the country, died on Sunday morning in a Mumbai hospital due to multiple organ failure, her sister Usha Mangeshkar and doctors treating her said. She was 92.

  • Stalin holds all-party meet on state’s exemption from NEET

    By ANI

    CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday chaired an all-party meeting at the Secretariat to discuss the future course of action on the State’s demand for exemption from the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET).

    Meanwhile, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan walked out of the all-party meeting and said that they do not support the NEET resolution.

    “We do not support the resolution. Even during the last Assembly session, we’ve not supported the resolution passed to scrap the NEET exams. We are having a political stand of supporting the NEET exam in Tamil Nadu,” said Srinivasan.

    Earlier on January 6, the Chief Minister had said, “The State Assembly passed a resolution and bill on February 19 last year against NEET and sent to the Governor. The Governor is yet to send it to the President Ram Nath Kovind for his assent.”

    On February 28, 2021, the DMK MPs gave a memorandum against the NEET exam to the President, the CM said.

    He further said that all Party delegations had sought an appointment from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but it was denied by the minister.

    Speaking on the floor of the Assembly, CM Stalin said, “The entrance examination coaching will only benefit the rich students. NEET exams have made school education costlier. We cannot remain a mute spectator.”