Latest news with #Annadurai
New Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Granite deal turns sour, complaint filed against DMK man
KRISHNAGIRI: An AIADMK functionary on Tuesday lodged a police complaint against former DMK town secretary SK Nawab and his wife B Farida Nawab, the chairperson of Krishnagiri municipality, for allegedly refusing to return Rs 1.3 crore paid in connection with a granite quarry deal. Nawab, however, denied the charges and filed a counter-complaint, accusing the AIADMK cadre of threatening his family. In his complaint to the Krishnagiri SP, P Annadurai (57), AIADMK Nagarasampatti town secretary, said in 2019 he and others entered into a five-year lease agreement for a granite quarry reportedly owned by Nawab, and paid Rs 1.30 crore as advance. The lease ended last year, but Nawab allegedly refused to return the amount, Annadurai claimed. The petition further alleged that on Sunday afternoon, Annadurai's wife Arulvizhi and her sister visited Nawab's residence to seek repayment.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu has given the Armed Forces its all, be it war with China or Pakistan
Last weekend, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin led a march in Chennai in solidarity with the Indian Armed Forces, which had launched 'Operation Sindoor' targeting terror networks in Pakistan. However, this was not the first time Tamil Nadu stood united — setting aside political differences — to support the efforts of the Centre. In the past, leaders cutting across party lines had rallied behind the Armed Forces, offering everything from blood to bullion during times of war or external aggression. Support to Nehru During the Indo-China War in 1962, the DMK, which was in opposition in Madras State, pledged its support to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru-led government. According to a report published in The Hindu on November 13, 1962, DMK founder C.N. Annadurai pledged his party's support to the Centre in resisting the aggression and called for a moratorium on all political agitations and controversies in the country. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Annadurai said, 'The fact that all parties are united in giving the government wide powers is proof positive that there has arisen a stage when petty political differences ought to be submerged, for the one cardinal principle of safeguarding the dignity and independence of the country.' Meanwhile, the Congress-led government in Madras State formed a 90-member State Committee for National Defence Aid. Chief Minister K. Kamaraj was the chairman of the committee, while Finance Minister M. Bhaktavatsalam served as its treasurer. The committee was tasked with mobilising funds. The government distributed 1,000 hundi boxes in Madras City and 1,500 such boxes in mofussil centres to collect contributions for the National Defence Fund, The Hindu reported on November 15, 1962. The single largest contribution from the State came from Tamil cinema icon and DMK leader M.G. Ramachandran, who donated ₹75,000. During the 1965 India-Pakistan War, Annadurai expressed the unwavering support of his party towards meeting the threat posed by Pakistan to India's territorial integrity. He also called upon Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri to forge a powerful phalanx by uniting the various parties in the country, said a report published in The Hindu on May 4, 1965. Kamaraj visits border Kamaraj, then president of the Indian National Congress, visited the Attari-Wagah border along with Home Minister Gulzarilal Nanda and met Indian soldiers to congratulate them on their valour and high morale. He also visited Amritsar to commend the anti-aircraft gunners who shot down two Pakistani Sabre jets. During the 1971 India-Pakistan War, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council unanimously adopted resolutions on December 6, strongly condemning Pakistani aggression and pledging full cooperation and support to the Centre to repel the attack. The resolution also urged the people of Tamil Nadu to extend wholehearted cooperation to the State government in its efforts to implement any decision taken by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to secure men, material, and weapons. 'The dictator of Pakistan, not being satisfied with the suppression of the voice of democracy in East Bengal and wholesale massacre of the people, had indulged in indirect aggression against India by imposing on it the heavy burden of maintaining the refugees pouring from Bangladesh,' The Hindu reported on December 7, 1971, quoting the resolution. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, who moved the resolution, said the Ministers had decided to contribute ₹500 to the war fund. He appealed to the members of the legislature to contribute a minimum of ₹100. He also announced that steps would be taken to collect blood from donors, and a unit would be set up for this purpose at the Secretariat. Kamaraj, then leader of the Congress (O), said that at a time the country was facing a war launched by Pakistan, the people must remain united under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, setting aside party, caste, creed, or community differences. In New Delhi, Karunanidhi handed over to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi a parcel of articles transported in six trucks, intended for use by soldiers in forward areas and those undergoing treatment at hospitals. These items, worth ₹3.08 crore, were collected from members of the public by the State Defence Amenities Committee. Later, during Indira Gandhi's visit to Chennai in May 1972, Karunanidhi handed over ₹6 crore, mobilised for the National Defence Fund. Kargil conflict During the Kargil conflict in 1999, the ruling DMK resolved to extend full support to the actions taken by the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to counter aggression in Kashmir following the infiltration of extremist elements from Pakistan. According to a report in The Hindu on June 3, 1999, the DMK passed a separate resolution at its general council meeting, supporting military action in Kargil. Party president and Chief Minister Karunanidhi lauded the courageous and successful efforts of the Indian troops in driving back the infiltrators and foiling their designs. The party's general council also condoled the death of army officers, including Major Saravanan, in the conflict. The Tamil Nadu government also created the Kargil Defence Personnel Fund. An archival report in The Hindu said ₹1.8 crore was collected within two days of the fund having been set up. Various departments of the government, political parties, educational institutions, associations, and companies, including The Hindu, contributed to the fund.
India Today
21-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Karunanidhi fought for states' autonomy 50 years before son Stalin's resolution
While Chief Minister MK Stalin days ago announced the formation of a panel – led by former judge of the Supreme Court Kurian Joseph – to recommend measures to strengthen autonomy for the states, his father M Karunanidhi had fought for the same over 50 years ago when he helmed the state as chief for state autonomy, Karunanidhi had on April 16, 1974, moved a resolution in the state Assembly and it was adopted. No doubt, DMK founder CN Annadurai, who championed the cause of state autonomy, and who served as the chief minister between 1967 and 1969 was a big inspiration for the resolution, Karunanidhi, popularly known as 'Kalaignar' extensively quoted Annadurai and it includes the DMK icon's last article that appeared in 1969 in English journal 'Home Rule'. Anna, as Annaudrai was fondly addressed, was quoted as having written: 'Dear Brother, Never have I been mad after power. Nor am I happy of being the chief minister of our State under a Constitution which on paper is federal but in actual practice tends to get more and more centralised. On that account, I do not like my good friend EMS (Communist leader, Namboodiripad) declare that it is my intention to irritate the Centre or pick up quarrels with Delhi.' On April 8, 1967, at a press conference in New Delhi, Anna had said: 'It will be sufficient if the Centre retains only such powers as are necessary for preserving the unity and integrity of the country leaving adequate powers to the states. In order to distribute the powers and to suggest the method of working out the Constitution, a high power commission should be appointed.'advertisementKarunanidhi, underscoring all these aspects, recalled that he had on August 19, 1969, announced the setting up of a three-member panel led by PV Rajamannar, with AL Mudaliar and P Chandra Reddy being its members. Accordingly, on September 22, 1969, the committee was constituted to examine the question of the relationship between the Centre and the states on the basis of autonomy for the states 'without in the least impairing the integrity of the country.'The 1971 election manifesto of the DMK demanded a constitutional amendment for optimal autonomy and the April 1967 presser of Annadurai on this subject formed the operative part of the party's report of the Rajamannar Committee was received in 1971 on May 27 by the state government and it was sent to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who acknowledged it on June 22. Gandhi had said the Administrative Reforms Commission also had dealt with the question and its report was under the Centre's HV Hande (Swatantra Party) moved an amendment to add the following: 'This House, however, calls upon the state government not to unleash divisive forces and encourage fissiparous tendencies in the name of state autonomy.'Hande also mooted action, if necessary against those who threaten division of the country if the demand of state autonomy is not conceded and also wanted the government to be vigilant of the tendency among some to show Pakistan and Bangladesh as an example to strengthen the demand for League's VM Abdul Jabbar referring to the 'yet to be resolved Cauvery river water dispute,' wondered whether the 'all powerful' central government could not have determined the quantum of water release; which has such high powers.'Only God knows as to when the Cauvery water issue with neighbouring Karnataka will be resolved. Given the attitude of the Central government, the situation is such that it may not be resolved even after 10 years.'He also cited the example of Ukraine, a state of Russia and its exalted status as it was also a member of the United Nations. Legislator K Kandaswamy (Forward Block) quoted from an article in a daily which said, 'this pattern of settling Centre-State relations at the Congress high command level, cannot possibly be extended to conditions now prevailing when non-Congress ministries are in power in some of the states.' DMK's V Arunachalam alias Aladi Aruna underlined what he described as former Karnataka Chief Minister, Congress leader Veerendra Patil's to Aladi Aruna, Patil had observed as follows: 'It is feared, at this rate, there may be urgent demands for more autonomy by the States and a day might come when different houses and Bhavans of the States in Delhi are constrained to assume the character of embassies.' Further, Aruna said only in order to find a remedy for such things, the Rajamannar panel has made moved the resolution (State autonomy-Rajamannar Committee Report on Centre-State Relationship) which urged the Centre to accept the views of the Tamil Nadu government on state autonomy and the recommendations of the Rajamannar panel and effect immediate changes in the Constitution. Karunanidhi initiated the discussion which took place for five days from April 16 to 20, 1974. In total, 37 members took part in the discussion. The members of AIADMK (known at that time as ADMK) walked out of the House. The amendments proposed were either withdrawn or negated and the motion was Watch IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
