PM Modi announces statues for iconic Tamil kings Rajaraja, Rajendra
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Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf slams govt for obstructing visa of Imran Khan's sons: ‘weak and cowardly'
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday strongly criticised the federal government for allegedly obstructing the visa process of Imran Khan's sons, saying their treatment reflects the authorities' 'fear' of the former prime minister's children visiting Pakistan. In a statement, PTI's Central Information Secretary Mr Waqas clarified that Sulaiman and Kasim Khan hold National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOPs), giving them full constitutional rights to travel to Pakistan. 'The oppressive and tyrannical government was forced to lie out of fear of Imran Khan's children coming to Pakistan, which shows how weak and cowardly they are,' he said, as reported by Dawn. The party released tracking numbers showing that visa applications were submitted to the Pakistan High Commission in London. According to Waqas, while NICOPs may take several weeks to issue, visas can be granted within hours. He added that the boys had received no response through official channels and accused authorities of shifting blame. A day earlier, Aleema Khan, sister of the jailed PTI founder, spoke to reporters outside Adiala Jail and addressed apparent confusion over the documents. 'The NICOP of one [of the brothers] is missing and the other can't find his card, so they've submitted two applications: one to issue their NICOP, which is valid for the next six to seven years… and they have also applied for the visa which can be issued within an hour,' she said, as per Dawn. She said it was their personal choice to apply for both documents, especially since they hold British passports. 'So what issue does the interior ministry have in issuing a visa?' she questioned, adding that she had access to the application tracking numbers. Interior Minister Tallal Chaudhry previously questioned the need for visas if the two already held NICOPs. He maintained that dual nationals could still receive consular assistance from the UK even if they entered Pakistan using NICOPs. Meanwhile, conflicting views emerged from within the government. Senator Irfan Siddiqui stated that the two should be allowed entry and to 'carry out their activities' within the framework of the law. But Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said they could not participate in political activity due to their British nationality and warned that visa violations could result in cancellation. In an interview aired Friday night with Piers Morgan, Kasim Khan said he believed US President Donald Trump could help secure his father's release. 'If anyone can make a difference, he (Trump) can,' he said, reported Dawn. 'They had great conversations when they were both in office and mutual respect for one another.' He expressed hope for support from Trump, noting that warnings had circulated about possible arrest if they visited Pakistan. 'When we floated the idea of going, we were told by people in the Pakistani government that we would be arrested,' he said, as per Dawn. 'So we've still tried to get our visas. We are still looking to go at some point.' Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail since August 2023, is serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces multiple terrorism-related charges stemming from the May 9, 2023 protests. Last week, PTI rejected reports that Khan had told jail visitors his sons would not come to Pakistan or lead any movement. (With inputs from Dawn)
Deccan Herald
8 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
BJP's cultural outreach in Tamil Nadu continues to hit Dravidian roadblock
Modi's act not merely mirrored Emperor Rajendra Chola's achievement — Around 1,000 years ago, the mighty emperor had brought the Ganga water to consecrate Gangaikonda Cholapuram after conquering the Gangetic plains — but was also intended to deliver messages of unity and that Tamil Nadu's glory and its people's identity are deeply rooted in Hindu traditions.
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- The Hindu
O. Panneerselvam: Friendless in Dravidian politics
Three-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and former coordinator of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), O. Panneerselvam, could scarcely have imagined, even at the time of his expulsion from the party in July 2022, that he would one day visit the residence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and interact with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president twice in 12 hours. On July 31, both met at the historic and salubrious Theosophical Society in Adyar during their morning walk. In the evening, accompanied by his son and former Theni MP P. Ravindhranath Kumar, Mr. Panneerselvam held discussions with the Chief Minister and his son and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin for about 45 minutes at Mr. Stalin's residence in south Chennai's upmarket Alwarpet. The actions of the tea seller-turned-politician raised many eyebrows because he had all along fashioned himself as a quintessential loyalist of Jayalalithaa, who wore anti-DMKism on her sleeve on the lines of the AIADMK's founder and former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran. For the 74-year-old, who hails from the caste and communally sensitive southern region of the State, time seems to be running out for stitching the right alliance to face the Assembly election, due for April-May next year. Mr. Panneerselvam, widely known as OPS, is still considered a persona non grata, as far as the AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, is concerned. As for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party which Mr. Panneerselvam and his son had assiduously cultivated after Jayalalithaa's death in December 2016, the 'spell of love' towards the septuagenarian does not appear to exist any more. It has been sometime since Mr. Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah. When Mr. Modi visited Tamil Nadu to take part in the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival in Gangaikondacholapuram on July 26-27, Mr. Panneerselvam's request for a meeting was not granted. But Mr. Palaniswami, once a colleague-turned-foe of Mr. Panneerselvam, met PM Modi at the Tiruchi airport, along with his senior colleagues. At the time of announcing the revival of ties between his party and the AIADMK in April, Mr. Shah made it clear that the BJP would not like to 'interfere in the internal affairs' of the Dravidian party. In the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, Mr. Panneerselvam contested unsuccessfully from the Ramanathapuram constituency as part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Before holding the July 31 evening meeting with Mr. Stalin came the announcement that the 'OPS' camp had decided to exit the Alliance, a move that was attributed to the Union government's refusal to provide funds to Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. Modi's man All the recent developments must have been odd for the Mr. Panneerselvam, who was not long ago seen as Mr. Modi's loyal supporter. He was present when Mr. Modi filed his nomination papers in Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. He surprised many in November 2020 when he used a government function, where Amit Shah and Mr. Palaniswami were present, to announce that the AIADMK, for which he was the coordinator then, and the BJP would continue their alliance for the 2021 Assembly polls. At the function, the veteran political leader, who joined the AIADMK in 1977, had hailed the Union Minister as a 'modern day Chanakya'. The gist Panneerselvam was the AIADMK's 'natural choice' for the CM post in September 2001 after the Supreme Court unseated Jayalalithaa; in September 2014, when Jayalalithaa was convicted in a disproportionate assets case; and in December 2016, after her death After his resignation, he patched up with Palaniswami and became the Deputy Chief Minister. He was seen as a close supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Late last month, the 'OPS' camp decided to exit the NDA, a move that was attributed to the Union government's refusal to provide funds to Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha scheme The perception generated by Mr. Panneerselvam's meetings with Mr. Stalin may be hard to digest for the traditional supporters of the AIADMK, who have been schooled in viewing the DMK as an 'evil force'. But he seems to be having limited options. Even though he still has the option of going along with the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor Vijay, the seasoned leader knows fully well that given the grip of the bipolar system in the State, it is next to impossible for a third force to capture even a handful of seats. Not everyone views Mr. Panneerselvam sympathetically and there are critics who say he has 'proved yet again' that he is 'unreliable'. Originally, he drew his strength from his proximity to former interim general secretary of the AIADMK V.K. Sasikala, who had served as an aide of Jayalalithaa for about 30 years, and her nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who is now heading the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK). All of them belong to the same caste group — Mukkulathor — though they are from different sub-groups: Mr. Panneerselvam from Maravar and Ms. Sasikala and Mr. Dhinakaran from Kallar. Once called 'Mr. Faithful', Mr. Panneerselvam, who was with the Janaki Ramachandran group of the party at the time of the party split in 1988, came to be noted for qualities such as humility and fierce loyalty. No wonder, he became the party's nominee for the chairmanship of the Periyakulam Municipality in 1996. His stock in the party began growing, particularly after he served as a key member of the campaign team when Mr. Dhinakaran contested from the Periyakulam Lok Sabha constituency in 1999 and won. Next year, Mr. Panneerselvam became the Theni district secretary of the AIADMK. His qualities and the reputation of an archetypal feudal supplicant had stood him in good stead. He was the party's 'natural choice' for the CM post in September 2001 after the Supreme Court unseated Jayalalithaa; in September 2014, when she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case; and in December 2016 after her death. In Jayalalithaa's Cabinet, he was, at one time, Minister in charge of 13 portfolios. 'Righteous war' The high point in his political career came in February 2017 when he went out all guns blazing against Ms. Sasikala. After quitting the CM post and a 40-minute long 'meditation' at the Jayalalithaa mausoleum on the Marina, he made a dramatic announcement, claiming that he was 'compelled to quit the post'. This marked the launch of his 'dharmayudham' (righteous war) against the 'domination' of Ms. Sasikala's family in the party affairs. In no time, he patched up with Mr. Palaniswami, and became the Deputy Chief Minister six months later. Feeling that he had only a limited space to operate in the party and the government under Mr. Palaniswami, he swiftly re-established ties with Mr. Dhinakaran. At the time of the 2021 Assembly polls, he tried hard for the AMMK's accommodation under the AIADMK fold, but to no avail. As he seems to have exhausted the 'goodwill of his benefactors', including Mr. Modi, Mr. Panneerselvam, a survivor of many trials, is now at the mercy of Mr. Stalin to keep himself and his loyalists afloat. The traditional supporters of the AIADMK may not like it, but for Mr. Panneerselvam, it is a matter of life and death in electoral politics.
