
MDMK must get specific number of tickets in election to receive EC recognition: Durai Vaiko
COIMBATORE: MDMK deputy general secretary Durai Vaiko said his party should receive a specific number of tickets in the assembly election to get a minimum recognition from the
Election Commission of India
(ECI).
However, the final decision on the tickets would be made by the leadership of the party, he said.
MDMK is part of the DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu.
"Since the election is coming, we need to strengthen our structure and have organised meetings of activities in seven zones, including the formation of booth committees," he said while interacting with reporters at the Coimbatore International Airport.
He said the state govt arrested police personnel responsible for the death of Ajith Kumar in Sivaganga district.
He emphasised that the state govt should ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
Durai said he had insisted in Parliament that the railways fare hike should be cancelled and the benefits given to senior citizens should be restored.
Discussing globalisation, Durai remarked that 'our students are excelling in various places due to their proficiency in English. All the success came because of the bilingual policy. English is the language of global communication.'
He accused the BJP of playing politics with language.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Doctor's Day 2025
,
messages
and quotes!

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
31 minutes ago
- Hans India
SIR appears to be trust deficit issue: SC
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday called the Bihar special intensive revision (SIR) row "largely a trust deficit issue' as the Election Commission of India (ECI) claimed roughly 6.5 crore people of the total 7.9 crore voting population didn't have to file any documents for them or their parents featured in the 2003 electoral roll. The top court is hearing a batch of pleas against the Election Commission electoral roll revision exercise in Bihar. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi during the hearing remarked it "largely appears to be a case of trust deficit, nothing else' as it questioned the petitioners challenging the EC's June 24 decision of conducting the SIR on the ground that it would disenfranchise one crore voters. "If out of 7.9 crore voters, 7.24 crore voters responded to the SIR, it demolishes theory of one crore voters missing or disenfranchised," the bench told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioner and RJD leader Manoj Jha. The top court also agreed with the EC decision to not accept Aadhaar and voter cards as conclusive proof of citizenship in the ongoing exercise and said it has to be supported by other documents. Sibal contended that despite residents holding Aadhaar, ration and EPIC cards, officials refused to accept the documents. "Is it your argument that people who have no documents but are in Bihar and therefore he should be considered as a voter of the state. That can be allowed. He has to show or submit some documents (sic)," the bench said. When Sibal said people were struggling to find birth certificates and other documents of their parents, Justice Kant said, "It is a very sweeping statement that in Bihar nobody has the documents. If this happens in Bihar, then what will happen in other parts of the country?" Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi and advocate Prashant Bhushan, who were representing different political parties, also questioned the timeline for the completion of the exercise and the data of 65 lakh voters who were declared as dead or migrated or registered in other constituencies. Political activist Yogendra Yadav, who addressed the court in person, questioned the data given by the poll panel and said instead of 7.9 crore voters there was total adult population of 8.18 crore and the design of SIR exercise was to delete the voters. "They (EC) were not able to find any individual whose name was added and the booth level officers visited house to house for deletion of names," Yadav said, calling it a case of "total disenfranchisement". Sibal during the hearing said while in one constituency, contrary to the poll panel's claims, 12 people declared dead were found alive, in another instance alive persons were declared dead. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the poll panel, said the exercise of such a nature was "bound to have some defects here and there at the draft stage" and to claim dead persons were declared alive and alive as dead could always be corrected as it was only a draft roll. The bench in the beginning of the hearing told the ECI to "be ready" with facts and figures for it would be question over the number of voters before the exercise commenced; number of dead before and now aside from other relevant details. The hearing would resume on Wednesday. On July 29, terming the election commission a constitutional authority deemed to act in accordance with law, the top court said it will step in immediately if there is "mass exclusion" in the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar. The draft roll was published on August 1 and the final roll is scheduled to be published on September 30 amid Opposition claims that the ongoing exercise will deprive crores of eligible citizens from their right to vote. On July 10, the top court asked the EC to consider Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards as valid documents as it allowed the poll panel to continue with its exercise in Bihar. The EC affidavit has justified its ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, saying it adds to the purity of the election by "weeding out ineligible persons" from the electoral rolls. Beside RJD MP Jha and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Congress' K C Venugopal, Supriya Sule from the Sharad Pawar NCP faction, D Raja from Communist Party of India, Harinder Singh Malik from Samajwadi Party, Arvind Sawant from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), Sarfraz Ahmed from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Dipankar Bhattacharya of CPI (ML) have jointly moved the top court challenging the June 24 decision of the election commission. Several other civil society organisations like PUCL, NGO Association of Democratic Reforms and activists like Yogendra Yadav have moved the top court against the EC order.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Israel-Gaza conflict: Al Jazeera says 4, not 5, staff killed in Israeli strike; 2 victims were freelancers
Anas al-Sharif (AP) A recent Israeli airstrike killed four Al Jazeera journalists and two freelancers, the Qatar-based broadcaster said on Tuesday, correcting its earlier report that five of six victims were staff members. Initially, the network identified correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa as those killed in Sunday's attack. In a corrected report on its English-language website, Al-Jazeera clarified that Moamen Aliwa was a freelance cameraman and the sixth journalist killed in the attack, Mohammed al-Khalidi was also a freelancer. "An earlier version of this story referred to Israel killing five Al Jazeera staff. The number of Al Jazeera journalists Israel killed was four," Al Jazeera stated. The late Sunday strike on a tent outside the main gate of Gaza City's Al Shifa hospital has drawn international condemnation, and Al Jazeera has called the act an 'assassination.' Moments before his death, Anas al-Sharif, 28, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent known for his extensive reporting from northern Gaza, posted on X that Israel was carrying out intense, concentrated bombardments, referred to as 'fire belts', on Gaza city's eastern and Southern areas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Indonesia (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strike, one of Al Jazeera's most recognisable correspondents, alleging he was a 'terrorist' who 'posed as a journalist,' reports AFP. Al Jazeera condemned the killings and rejected the allegations against Sharif, stating the Israeli attack came after "repeated incitement and calls by multiple Israeli officials and spokespersons to target the fearless journalist Anas Al Sharif and his colleagues." In a final message dated April 6, intended for release in the event of his death, al-Sharif wrote that he had 'lived the pain in all its details' and had 'tasted grief and loss repeatedly,' reported Al Jazeera. 'Despite that, I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent, those who accepted our killing, and those who suffocated our very breaths,' Sharif said. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) stated in early July that the war in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 200 journalists, including several working for Al Jazeera.


The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
The Hindu Morning Digest: August 13, 2025
Election Commission of India willing to correct 'mistakes' in Bihar draft roll: Supreme Court The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) said 'mistakes' might have happened while preparing the draft Bihar electoral roll and pointed to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) willingness to correct those even as petitioners reminded the court of its promise to 'step in' if the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) led to 'mass exclusion'. Appearing before a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi on the first day of the hearing in the challenge to the SIR, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranaryanan said, 'My Lords promised you would step in if there was a mass exclusion. This has happened. Sixty-five lakh people have been excluded from the draft electoral roll published on August 1.' Aadhaar, voter ID not proof of citizenship, says Bombay High Court rejecting bail plea of alleged Bangladeshi man The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) rejected the bail plea of Babu Abdul Ruf Sardar, accused of illegally entering India from Bangladesh and obtaining forged Indian identity documents, citing national security concerns, ongoing investigation, and the risk of absconding. AI startup Perplexity makes $34.5-billion bid for Google's Chrome browser Perplexity AI said it has made a $34.5 billion unsolicited all-cash offer for Alphabet's Chrome browser, a low but bold bid that would need financing well above the startup's own valuation. Run by Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity is no stranger to headline-grabbing offers — it made a similar one for TikTok U.S. in January, offering to merge with the popular short-video app to resolve U.S. concerns about TikTok's Chinese ownership. Petroleum Ministry says E20 fuel helps better ride quality, refutes impact on insurance Addressing contestations about the impact of blending ethanol with petrol for vehicular fuel, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) in a detailed statement Tuesday (August 12, 2025) underlined it would provide better ride quality alongside ensuring greater income for farmers and bearing a positive impact on foreign exchange reserves. The statement also refuted prevailing assertions about insurers refusing claims for damage to vehicles from the blended fuel. Rajya Sabha passes two Sports Bills, Opposition walks out demanding debate on SIR The Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), passed two Bills for the sports sector, which the Union government said will improve the sports infrastructure and facilities in the country. The National Sports Governance Billand the National Anti-Doping Bill, both passed by Lok Sabha, were passed without any Opposition members participating in the discussion. The Opposition members walked out of the House demanding a discussion on Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Parliament passes new Income Tax Bill to replace six-decade-old law Parliament on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) passed a new Income Tax Bill to replace the six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961, that will come into force from April 1, 2026. Piloting the Income Tax Bill, 2025 in the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it did not impose any new tax rate and only simplified the language, which was required for understanding the complex Income Tax laws. The new Bill removes redundant provisions and archaic language and reduces the number of Sections from 819 in the Income Tax Act of 1961 to 536 and the number of chapters from 47 to 23. Trump's Washington D.C. takeover begins as National Guard troops arrive Some of the 800 National Guard members deployed by President Donald Trump began arriving in the nation's capital on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), ramping up after the White House ordered federal forces to take over the city's police department and reduce crime in what the president called — without substantiation — a lawless city. ED summons to lawyers: Supreme Court reserves verdict in suo motu case The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) reserved for judgment a suo motu case concerning the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to two senior advocates merely for giving professional advice to their client. Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta agreed that no lawyer could be summoned for giving an opinion on a legal issue. However, Mr. Mehta said if a lawyer had participated in any act beyond his professional duty, amounting to an offence, the 'same law which applies to others would apply to lawyers also' Iran says it detained 21,000 suspects during the June war with Israel Iran's police detained 21,000 suspects during the 12-day air war between Israel and Iran in June, state media reported on Tuesday. A report by state TV quoted a police spokesperson, Gen. Saeed Montazeralmahdi, as saying people reported the suspects to the authorities. 'The arrest of 21,000 suspects during the 12-day war indicated high awareness and participation of people in providing security,' he said. Gen. Montazeralmahdi did not elaborate on what charges the suspects might face. However, he said more than 260 were suspected of spying and another 172 were arrested because of illegal filming. Patna tops the chart of convictions for life imprisonment: Bihar DGP In order to speed up the trial process in the state, the Bihar police have pulled up their socks to not only arrest criminals but also to ensure the production of witnesses before the courts to achieve their convictions in different criminal cases. In Bihar, a total of 64,098 accused persons were convicted in different criminal cases between January & June this year. The highest 56,897 people were convicted and sent to jail in liquor-related cases, whereas 611 people were convicted in murder cases, and three were awarded capital punishment. Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar shared this information on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) with the press. IAF prioritises induction of long-range missiles after Operation Sindoor success In the aftermath of the successful use of long-range stand-off weapons during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is now prioritising the induction of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles with strike ranges exceeding 200 km. This shift is aimed at enhancing India's ability to engage targets from safer distances, beyond the reach of enemy air defences. BJP reaches out to Chirag Paswan, asks him to tone down criticism of Nitish government In an effort to prevent history from repeating itself, the senior leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been at pains to ensure that Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan refrains from making critical remarks against the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar. However, it has so far seen mixed results. Stadium stampede: Opposition demands CBI probe and resignations of CM, DCM and Home Minister Accusing the government of being responsible for the stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) victory celebrations in Bengaluru that claimed 11 lives on June 4, the Opposition BJP on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) demanded the resignations of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Home Minister G. Parameshwara, besides seeking a CBI probe into the incident. 'If you have a heart and sensibility to feel the pain of the grieving parents who lost their children in the stampede, all three of you should tender a public apology to them and own up to responsibility for the tragedy,' said Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok, who initiated a debate on the incident in the Assembly. Rahul Gandhi accuses the Election Commission of not enforcing 'one man, one vote' principle Asserting that the Election Commission was not performing its duty of enforcing the principle of 'one man, one vote', the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), hinted at exposing more alleged irregularities in the voters' list. Speaking with reporters in the Parliament House complex, Mr. Gandhi said the Congress was engaged in protecting the Constitution and would continue to do so. Police did not assault R.G. Kar victim's mother, says Kolkata Police official Joint Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, Meeraj Khalid, said on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) that the police did not assault the mother of the R.G. Kar rape victim during protests on August 9, as she alleged after the 'Nabanna Abhijaan' rally. 'It is very unfortunate that she was injured. However, we have reviewed all the video footage we have from that day. In no footage can we see that the police slammed her to the ground and assaulted her. We haven't found any such footage so far, but if anyone has any visuals of the same, they are free to share them with us,' Mr. Khalid said.