Latest news with #DravidaMunnetraKazhagam
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Supreme Court To Hear President vs Kerala, Tamil Nadu Over Assent For Bills
New Delhi: The issue of gubernatorial and presidential assent to state bills came up in the Supreme Court Tuesday morning after the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments opposed a presidential reference to the court's April verdict, which said governors could not reserve bills for the president if they had withheld consent in the first instance, and that the president must sign off on all bills within three months. The court overruled the states' objections but promised a full hearing. A five-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai then directed the states and the centre to file replies within a week. The next hearing will likely be in August. Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front and Tamil Nadu's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam both opposed any hearing on President Droupadi Murmu 's letter to the Supreme Court in May. Their challenges were also shot down - although in comments that have raised eyebrows - by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the centre. Mr Mehta declared, "... repeated requests (referring to the states' challenges) are only successful if a man is proposing to a girl." There were 14 questions in Ms Murmu's letter, which was sent under Article 143 of the Constitution that allows the President to ask for the opinion and advice of the Supreme Court. These included a pointed query about the judiciary's authority to prescribe deadlines for governors and the president to sign off on bills passed by state governments, and another about the judiciary possible interfering in a governor's exercise of constitutional discretion. Ms Murmu's letter drew a strong response from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who said he "strongly condemns... attempts to subvert the Constitutional position settled (by the Supreme Court)". The DMK boss - who faces a critical election next year, for which the BJP has allied with arch-rivals the AIADMK - also called it a "desperate attempt to weaken democratically elected state governments". Earlier, in what was a brief hearing, senior advocates KK Venugopal and P Wilson, appearing for Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively, questioned the viability of the presidential reference. "It will directly affect us..." Mr Wilson said, possibly in reference to 10 bills the Tamil Nadu government signed into law in April. This was after the Supreme Court ruled Governor RN Ravi had overstepped his authority by denying assent despite each having been passed twice. A bench of Justice SB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan said, "... these bills shall be deemed to be cleared from the date it was re-presented". That order has also been questioned by the President, who asked if "... it is a law in force without the assent of the governor..." To Mr Wilson's comment, the Chief Justice replied, "It will affect the whole country." In April the Supreme Court had set deadlines for the governor and president to sign off bills passed by a state government. This was in response to controversial face-offs between the governors of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab and the non-BJP governments in each state. Justice Pardiwala and Justice Mahadevan used a special power given to the Supreme Court to settle the issue, and did so by calling Governor Ravi's withholding assent "arbitrary" and "illegal" and setting all governors and the president a tight deadline to review and sign off on state bills.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
MK Muthu, eldest son of Karunanidhi, passes away at 77
Chennai: M. K. Muthu, the eldest son of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, passed away on Saturday morning due to age-related ailments. He was 77. Muthu, who had been unwell for the past several days, breathed his last around 8 a.m. at his residence in Chennai. He was the elder brother of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Following the demise, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) cancelled all official events scheduled for the day. His body will be kept for public homage at the Gopalapuram residence of his father, Karunanidhi. Born to Karunanidhi and his first wife, Padmavathi, Muthu was a multi-faceted personality who made significant contributions to Tamil cinema and music before stepping into politics. He made his acting debut in 1972 with Pillaiyo Pillai, where he played a dual role, and later starred in films such as Pookkari, Anayaa Vilakku, and Ellam Avale. His on-screen charisma and physical resemblance to M.G. Ramachandran, the legendary actor and former Chief Minister, earned him considerable popularity. In addition to his acting career, Muthu also lent his voice as a playback singer. His song Uyarndha Idathila Pirandhavan Naan from the film Anayaa Vilakku, shot at the Anna Nagar Clock Tower in Chennai, remains a cult classic among Tamil film music enthusiasts. Muthu's association with the Dravidian movement began early, deeply influenced by his father Karunanidhi's political legacy. Though his foray into politics was brief, he continued to remain a part of the Dravidian ideological space throughout his life. Chief Minister Stalin paid tribute to his elder brother in person and also expressed his grief through an emotional post on social media. "The news of the passing of my beloved elder brother, MK Muthu, the eldest son of our family's pillar Kalaignar, has struck me like lightning. He loved me as much as our parents did. I am deeply pained by the loss of someone so close to my heart," CM Stalin wrote on his official 'X' handle. He recalled that Karunanidhi had named Muthu after their grandfather Muthuveeran. "Like our father, Muthu contributed to the Dravidian movement through theatre from a young age. He had a unique style in acting, dialogue delivery, and body language. It was this passion that drew him into cinema in the 1970s," CM Stalin added.
India.com
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
MK Muthu, Eldest Son Of Kalaignar Karunanidhi, CM Stalins Brother, Dies At 77
MK Muthu, the eldest son of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, passed away on Saturday morning due to age-related ailments. He was 77. Muthu, who had been unwell for the past several days, breathed his last around 8 a.m. at his residence in Chennai. He was the elder brother of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Following the demise, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) cancelled all official events scheduled for the day. #WATCH | Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin reaches the residence of actor M.K. Muthu, who passed away this morning due to age-related health issues. — ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2025 His body will be kept for public homage at the Gopalapuram residence of his father, Karunanidhi. Born to Karunanidhi and his first wife, Padmavathi, Muthu was a multi-faceted personality who made significant contributions to Tamil cinema and music before stepping into politics. He made his acting debut in 1972 with Pillaiyo Pillai, where he played a dual role, and later starred in films such as Pookkari, Anayaa Vilakku, and Ellam Avale. His on-screen charisma and physical resemblance to M.G. Ramachandran, the legendary actor and former Chief Minister, earned him considerable popularity. In addition to his acting career, Muthu also lent his voice as a playback singer. His song Uyarndha Idathila Pirandhavan Naan from the film Anayaa Vilakku, shot at the Anna Nagar Clock Tower in Chennai, remains a cult classic among Tamil film music enthusiasts. Muthu's association with the Dravidian movement began early, deeply influenced by his father Karunanidhi's political legacy. Though his foray into politics was brief, he continued to remain a part of the Dravidian ideological space throughout his life. Chief Minister Stalin paid tribute to his elder brother in person and also expressed his grief through an emotional post on social media. "The news of the passing of my beloved elder brother, MK Muthu, the eldest son of our family's pillar Kalaignar, has struck me like lightning. He loved me as much as our parents did. I am deeply pained by the loss of someone so close to my heart," CM Stalin wrote on his official 'X' handle. He recalled that Karunanidhi had named Muthu after their grandfather Muthuveeran. "Like our father, Muthu contributed to the Dravidian movement through theatre from a young age. He had a unique style in acting, dialogue delivery, and body language. It was this passion that drew him into cinema in the 1970s," CM Stalin added.
India Today
4 days ago
- General
- India Today
Keep your cool: Tamil Nadu gets first fully air-conditioned integrated bus terminus
Tamil Nadu's first and largest fully air-conditioned bus terminus was inaugurated at Panjapur in Trichy, marking a significant milestone in the state's public transport infrastructure. The integrated terminus, located along the Trichy-Madurai National Highway, had long been awaited by residents and commuters in central Tamil the formation of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, Chief Minister MK Stalin laid the foundation for the large-scale project at Panjapur. Construction subsequently began, culminating in the formal inauguration of the Muthamizh Arignar Dr Kalaignar Karunanidhi Integrated Bus Terminus on May 9. advertisementThe terminus is now fully completed and has been opened to the public. Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru, along with District Collector Saravanan and several Members of the Legislative Assembly, flagged off the city bus service from the new facility. Spread over 40 acres and built at a cost of Rs 246 crore, the two-tiered structure is designed to handle over 3,200 buses daily. Inter-district buses will operate from the ground level, while city buses will run from the upper floor. In total, the facility has 401 bus bays catering to long-distance, short-distance, and city terminus is equipped with several passenger-friendly amenities, including elevators, 81 toilets for women, 52 for men, four toilets for persons with disabilities, and two for transgender individuals. Additionally, it features 173 urinals, 21 shower rooms, commercial shops, waiting halls, and dedicated auto-rickshaw bays. It is the first terminus in Tamil Nadu to offer air-conditioned interiors in its retail and dining enhance access between the new terminus and the city centre, a 9.8-kilometre-long link road is under construction. The first phase of this road project has been allocated Rs 81.7 crore. Overall, the integrated transport infrastructure project, including the bus terminus, flyovers, pedestrian paths, and stormwater drains, is estimated to cost around Rs 367 old Central Bus Stand, which had served Trichy since 1972, is now set to be repurposed into a commercial complex, making way for a modernised public transport hub.- Ends IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
Hans India
12-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
DMK govt's flagship 'Kalaignar Kanavu Illam' scheme nears 1 lakh homes milestone
The Kalaignar Kanavu Illam (KKI), the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government's flagship rural housing scheme, is set to reach a major milestone, the completion of one lakh houses for the rural poor, within the next few weeks. As of now, a total of 81,811 houses have been fully completed under the scheme. An additional 18,071 homes have reached the roofing stage, while construction is underway on 118 others, which are expected to reach the roofing stage by July 20. Launched during the 2024–25 financial year, the KKI scheme aims to build one lakh houses annually for economically weaker sections in rural areas. The state government spent over Rs 3,039 crore for the scheme's implementation in its inaugural year. Progress continues into the current financial year as well. So far, 24 houses have been completed. Foundation and basement work has been completed for more than 90,000 houses, and 39,726 of them have progressed to at least the lintel stage. An additional Rs 673 crore has been spent so far this year to support construction activity. Each house built under the KKI scheme will have a minimum plinth area of 360 square feet, which includes a kitchen. Of this, at least 300 square feet will be built using reinforced cement concrete (RCC), ensuring durability. The cost of constructing each unit is Rs 3.5 lakh, which includes contributions from central schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Through MGNREGS, each house accounts for 90 person-days of employment, while an additional 10 person-days are earmarked for the construction of an Individual Household Latrine (IHHL), supported under Swachh Bharat (Grameen) at a cost of Rs 12,000. A key requirement for eligibility is that beneficiaries must possess a land patta in their name. However, in cases involving landless yet eligible individuals, District Collectors have been authorised to issue pattas, thereby enabling their inclusion in the scheme. With rapid progress and committed funding, the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam scheme stands as a symbol of the Tamil Nadu government's continued focus on improving rural housing and uplifting the living conditions of the underprivileged.
