
Tamil Nadu has contributed much to India's defence, says Minister Regupathy
PUDUKKOTTAI: Minister for Natural Resources S Regupathy on Sunday said no one in Tamil Nadu or anywhere in India would support Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters, he said, 'In Tamil Nadu or anywhere else in India, no one will support Pakistan. Anyone who does, cannot call themselves Indian.' Furthermore, he said Tamil Nadu has made significant contribution to the country's defence spending (by way of taxes), even though it receives less in return.
On the contentious sand mining issue, the minister clarified that the case is pending before the Supreme Court and that the state will comply fully with the court's directions.
Pointing out that the price of construction materials like M-sand and P-sand have already been reduced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 4,000, the minister said steps would be taken to reduce it further.
Answering a question about concerns raised by retired IAS officer U Sagayam about his safety, the minister said he can depose through video conference as per court order and the government will provide him protection if required. 'Our government stands by those who come forward to tell the truth,' he added.

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India Today
20 minutes ago
- India Today
Siddaramaiah slams PM Modi's 11 years at Centre: Unfulfilled promises, zero marks
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah delivered a sharp critique of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, marking its 11 years in power with a strong rebuke of what he described as 'unfulfilled promises' and 'zero marks'. Speaking on the anniversary, Siddaramaiah questioned the government's performance and the numerous commitments it made but failed to keep.'Modi is surviving only because of continuous campaigning. What happened to demonetisation? Who benefited from it? He promised Achhe Din, where are they? What happened to the promise of providing two crore jobs every year? He also assured the resolution of farmers' issues, what happened to that? Why did farmers protest for a year if their issues were being addressed?' Siddaramaiah He criticised the government for not delivering on its promises and suggested that the Prime Minister's frequent campaigning was a distraction. 'Most of the promises made by the Modi government were not fulfilled. They have only completed 11 years, that's all. What actually happened is, since he's always involved in campaigning, the media gives him excessive coverage.'Siddaramaiah also accused the Modi government of copying schemes pioneered by his state government. 'When we announced our guarantee schemes, they said it was impossible to implement and that the state would go bankrupt. But now, they've copied our schemes. Isn't that true? They have implemented similar programs in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan.'He went on to highlight the Prime Minister's record on fiscal federalism, saying, 'When he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he demanded 50 per cent devolution of taxes. But after becoming the Prime Minister, what did he do? Nothing. And you in the media don't even highlight that.'advertisementSiddaramaiah also accused the central government of neglecting Karnataka financially. 'Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman promised to give Rs 5,300 crore, did they give it? The 11th Pay Commission recommended Rs 11,495 crore for the state, was that given? When we ask the Bharatiya Janata Party to demand justice for Karnataka, they remain silent. Instead, they continue spreading fake narratives.'Concluding his remarks, the Chief Minister gave the Modi government a harsh assessment. 'I give the Modi government zero marks.' IN THIS STORY#Karnataka#Bengaluru


Scroll.in
38 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Bangladesh anti-Sheikh Hasina student protester Newton Das found to be Bengal voter
A man allegedly linked to the 2024 students' protests in Bangladesh was found to be a voter in West Bengal's Kakdwip Assembly constituency, The Hindu reported on Sunday. Several images of the man, identified as Newton Das, participating in the agitation in the neighbouring country were widely shared on social media. Das has claimed that he was an Indian citizen but acknowledged that he had actively participated in the protests in Bangladesh, The Hindu reported. 'I went to Bangladesh in 2024 for issues related to an ancestral property and got caught in the revolution,' The Hindu quoted Newton Das as saying in a video. 'I have been a voter in Kakdwip since 2014 but lost my voter card in 2017.' Newton Das said that he had received a fresh voter card in 2018 with the help of Trinamool Congress MLA Manturam Pakhira. He also claimed that he had voted for Pakhira, who represents Kakdwip, in the 2016 Assembly polls, The Hindu reported. The constituency is in South 24 Parganas district. 'This is a conspiracy against me by a particular community,' India Today quoted Newton Das as saying in the video. He did not specify whether he was currently in India or Bangladesh. His cousin Tapan Das, who resides in Kakdwip, claimed that Newton Das was born in Bangladesh and had exercised voting rights in both countries, The Hindu reported. Tapan Das claimed that his cousin had gone to Bangladesh after the Covid-19 pandemic to sell land and had not returned. 'Since he was born in Bangladesh, he is a voter of Bangladesh too,' The Hindu quoted Tapan Das as saying. 'It is his fault that he is registered as a voter in both the countries.' Kakdwip is close to the Sundarbans and India's border with Bangladesh. Political row The incident sparked a political row in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party's West Bengal unit on Sunday criticised West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress claiming that a ' Bangladeshi protester ' was voting in both countries. 'Let that sink in,' the Hindutva party said on social media. 'This isn't an accident. This is the TMC blueprint – flood Bengal's voter rolls with illegal infiltrators and secure elections with ghost votes.' West Bengal 'isn't just lawless – it's compromised from within', the BJP claimed. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari claimed that lakhs of Bangladesh citizens were registered as voters in the state, The Hindu reported. The Opposition leader claimed that an alleged member of Bangladeshi militant group Ansarullah Bangla was also enlisted as a voter in Murshidabad. West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar on Saturday described the incident as an example of the 'so-called Egiye [progressive] Bangla Model'. 'The same Newton who was seen wielding a stick during Bangladesh's quota reform movement is now a registered voter in Kakdwip,' the BJP leader said on social media. 'Thousands of Bangladeshi 'Newtons' voting in Bengal – courtesy of [Chief Minister] Mamata Banerjee's infiltration theory and appeasement politics,' he alleged. 'With illegal voters and these lathi-wielders miscreants as her support base, she's not running West Bengal… she's scripting a blueprint for Greater Bangladesh.' The Trinamool Congress rejected the BJP's allegations and said that the responsibility for border security was with the Border Security Force, India Today reported. The Border Security Force reports to the Union home ministry. 'Whether these people come from land, water or air, the BSF and Union government are responsible,' The Hindu quoted Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh as saying. 'The state administration will do its role for sure.' The state's ruling party also claimed that the Election Commission was complicit in voter list tampering. In February, Banerjee had accused the BJP of allegedly attempting to add residents of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana to West Bengal's voter lists. The chief minister had also accused the BJP of adding fake voters to electoral lists to win the Assembly elections in Delhi and Maharashtra. In 2024, weeks of widespread student-led protests in Bangladesh against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League government had led to her resignation and her fleeing to India on August 5. In August, weeks of student-led protests in Bangladesh against a controversial quota scheme for government jobs snowballed into a broader agitation against the Sheikh Hasina government.


Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Minister distributes agricultural equipment
Kondapi: Social Welfare Minister Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy urged farmers to make optimal use of government incentives designed to save time and achieve higher yields at lower costs through new technology and agricultural mechanisation. The minister, along with AP Maritime Board chairman Damacharla Sathyanarayana, distributed agricultural mechanisation equipment, Kisan Drones with an 80 per cent subsidy, and subsidised seeds to farmers at Surareddy Palem in Tanguturu mandal. Speaking at the event, Minister Swamy stated that making agriculture profitable is the primary objective of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. He said that the state government is distributing agricultural equipment to farmers across the state with an investment of Rs 100 crore. He said that agricultural mechanisation equipment worth Rs 3.98 crore is being provided in the district. The minister advised the farmers that they should utilise the government's encouragement to achieve higher yields at lower costs through new technology and agricultural mechanisation. He emphasised that the state government is taking steps to establish 800 village-level Kisan unions across the state to provide drones to farmers. He criticised the previous government for dedicating the incomplete Veligonda project to the nation, thereby deceiving the district people, and assured that only the coalition government will complete the Veligonda project. Responding to the local issues, the minister said that proposals worth Rs 450 crore have been sent to provide drinking water to villages in the region from Ramatheertham Reservoir. Meanwhile, filters will be installed to supply safe drinking water from the pond. The programme was attended by District Agriculture Officer Srinivasa Rao, Sarpanch Sailaja, mandal agriculture officials, mandal public representatives, farmer beneficiaries, and community members.