AIADMK rattled over govt's schemes: Nehru
AIADMK
general secretary and opposition leader
Edappadi K Palaniswami
for allegedly attempting to discredit the scheme out of political fear.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting a camp, the minister distributed welfare benefits and addressed grievances of residents. Nehru claimed that Palaniswami, who has largely remained inactive over the past four years, has now stepped up public appearances solely with an eye on the upcoming elections. "EPS says it's an election gimmick. But he has himself only stepped out now because elections are nearing. We have been among the people for the last five years, fulfilling their demands.
There's been strong public support," Nehru said.
He also defended other ongoing state govt initiatives, saying, "These programmes are being appreciated. It's only because of this support that EPS is scared and resorting to criticism. He hasn't been among the people for years. Is it fair of him to now question these efforts?"
The minister also touched upon the language policy debate, stating that people in northern states are now demanding a two-language formula. He drew a contrast between the DMK's past alliance with the Congress and the AIADMK's ties with the BJP. "During the Congress regime at the Centre, the DMK, even as an ally, managed to get what Tamil Nadu needed. But when AIADMK was with the BJP, which was in power, nothing was done for the state," he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
Telangana guv sends 42% BC quota ordinance to President
Hyderabad: Telangana governor Jishnu Dev Varma has sent the Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Ordinance to the President of India for a decision. The ordinance — aimed at enabling 42% reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies in Telangana — was submitted by the Congress govt on July 14 and officially forwarded by the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. The timing is crucial. With the high court mandating local body elections be held by Sept 30, the President's response will determine whether the state can proceed with its plan to raise the BC quota — a move that challenges the Supreme Court's 50% reservation ceiling. The ordinance, along with two earlier bills seeking 42% BC quota in education, employment, and local bodies, now hangs in the balance. If the 42% reservation for BCs is cleared by the President, total reservation in the state could reach 77% with 15% for SCs, 10% for STs and another 10% for the economically weaker sections. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad At the heart of the issue is section 285A of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, which stipulates reservation norms for village panchayats, mandal parishads, and zilla parishads. As per Supreme Court guidelines, total reservations for SCs, STs, and BCs in local bodies cannot exceed 50%. Under the previous BRS regime, had elections been held, BC reservations would have remained capped at around 22–23%. To address this, the Congress-led govt conducted a comprehensive caste census and, based on empirical data, proposed increasing BC reservations to 42%. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Writing in English Doesn't Have to Feel Hard Grammarly Learn More Undo This led to the formulation of the Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Ordinance, which sought to remove the 50% cap in local body reservations. Governor's rationale Sources indicate that the governor's decision to escalate the matter to the President stemmed from two main concerns: The state's attempt to override the 50% reservation ceiling — a threshold reaffirmed by various Supreme Court rulings — through legislative amendments and legal ambiguity over whether a state govt possesses the authority to unilaterally remove this cap without prior central approval. Given these concerns — and with the two BC reservation bills already awaiting Presidential assent — the governor chose to refer the ordinance to the President for further examination, sources said. Legal precedent The move also invokes the landmark 1992 Indra Sawhney versus Union of India judgment, in which the Supreme Court ruled that reservations exceeding 50% are permissible only under "extraordinary circumstances" with robust, data-backed justification. The Telangana govt, citing such exceptional grounds, amended section 285A to base reservations on findings from its caste census. However, the ordinance now awaits Presidential review before it can be implemented. The delay in local body elections has already had tangible consequences. In compliance with the high court's orders, the govt aimed to finalise reservations by July 25 and then announce the election schedule. However, the absence of elected bodies has stalled governance at the grassroots level. Development works in villages have come to a grinding halt, and crucial Finance Commission funds — amounting to over ₹1,600 crore — remain frozen, as these can only be released to duly constituted local bodies. The term of existing local governing institutions expired over 18 months ago, resulting in a vacuum of leadership — no sarpanches, mandal parishad territorial constituency members, or zilla parishad territorial constituency members are in place. Cong plans next moves To push for the Centre's assent, the Congress govt has drawn up an action plan. A series of political programmes are scheduled to be held in Delhi between Aug 5 and 7. The state plans to wait until Aug 15 for a response from the Centre. If there is no progress, the govt is contemplating holding the elections with 42% BC reservations regardless of the pending assent, sources said.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
SIR disrupts Parliament; JP Nadda calls it double standards
JP Nadda NEW DELHIl Parliament proceedings were disrupted on Thursday as opposition parties protested the revision of Bihar's electoral rolls, while in RS, leader of the House JP Nadda accused them of displaying "double standards" by walking out when home minister Amit Shah started replying to the debate on Operation Sindoor on Wednesday, insisting that a reply come from PM Modi. Nadda cited a precedent from the Congress-led UPA government era, when a discussion on the home ministry's statement on the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks was replied to by the then PM and home minister in LS, and then by the home minister in RS. LoP in RS Mallikarjun Kharge, however, later clarified that the opposition had not walked out against Shah's replying to the debate but to protest his remark "main akela hi apko nipat lunga (I can handle you myself)". "We said PM is here, please call him to the House...," he said. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju underlined that the PM replied to the debate in LS for 1.42 hours on Tuesday and said the govt has collective responsibility and the opposition doesn't get to decide who will speak. Nadda sought to remind the opposition that the Chair had made it clear during a BAC meeting and in RS that it's the govt's prerogative to decide which minister should speak and reply.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
BJP says only thing dead is Rahul's political legacy
Rahul Gandhi (File photo) NEW DELHI: BJP on Thursday said Rahul Gandhi 's latest tirade on the Indian economy by endorsing the "dead economy" jibe of US President Donald Trump has proved that the Congress leader is "delusional, ignorant of facts and deeply frustrated". The party also took a swipe at Rahul, citing his affidavit from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as per which he invested Rs 8 crore in the same "dead economy". "The latest tirade by Rahul Gandhi on the Indian economy has proved once again that not only he is delusional and ignorant of facts but also deeply frustrated. Parroting imported narratives to show India in bad light and posing like an expert may serve his politics but will do little to establish him as a sensible politician," Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on X. He said Rahul should come out of his fantasy world, else, the only thing that will be dead and destroyed is the little ground that Congress is holding. The party also questioned that if " demonetisation and a flawed GST" killed the economy, then how come India became the world's fastest-growing major economy, with nominal GDP tripling from 2014-15 to 2024-25. BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya on X said that Rahul has "hit a new low by echoing the 'dead economy' jibe - a shameful insult to the aspirations, achievements, and well-being of the Indian people." "But let's be honest -- the only thing truly 'dead' here is Rahul Gandhi's own political credibility and legacy," he added. The BJP leaders reacted after the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi said that everyone except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman knows that the Indian economy is "dead". BJP MP Anurag Thakur said making anti-India statements has become Rahul's "mentality". "Whenever anyone makes an anti-India statement in the world, he grabs it," he said.
