Latest news with #Ponmudy
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Lights, camera, action
It's that season again when a collector steps in, camera crew in tow, not to fix anything but to yell at people for a taste of power. This episode stars the Tiruvallur collector, who turned a school inspection into a full-blown reality show, schooling teachers like they were students. Of course, it was all captured on camera. After all, what's governance without a little public shaming? The real show-stopper? In this season of yell before verifying, the collector, misled by the BDO, lashed out at an Irular headman in Vempedu village, humiliating the community. His mortal sin? Building a house with the help of the NGO. Turns out, the word, sorry was omitted from the 'misuse of power' dictionary. Meanwhile, on Instagram, the collector is seen praising an artist accused of harassment, right before delivering sermons to school teachers on discipline. Maybe the allegation escaped his notice; he was probably too busy rehearsing his next on-camera outburst to perfection. -Rajalakshmi Sampath Icarus of DMK Once the DMK's poster boy, senior leader K Ponmudy has been conspicuously cropped out of the party banners during the two-day DMK central district executive meet at Kalaignar Arivalayam. Instead, M R K Panneerselvam wielded a wide grin on every banner. Ponmudy's home turf and stronghold in Villuppuram has slipped right out of his fingers. The red carpet has been rolled out to Panneerselvam, with the crown of zonal-in-charge falling right onto his head recently. Since Ponmudy's fall from grace over his controversial remarks on religion and women, the omission seems no accident. Party insiders say Chief Minister M K Stalin's cold shoulder has gone public, and Ponmudy's supporters are feeling the chill. -Krithika Srinivasan Zero compassion clause Evictions are usually carried out with some unspoken rules to soften the blow, especially to children. Their belongings are all packed away beforehand, and officials ensure that no children witness their houses fall. However, at Anakaputhur, the evictions wreaked havoc on the financial and mental stability of the families. Under the orders of the high court, houses were bulldozed like a pack of cards. Children, who did not have time to pick up their toys or books, watched on as their houses turned to dust. Residents are furious, their life savings have been demolished, they are being packed away to apartments in Kancheepuram and are clueless as to how to restart their lives. Some of them vowed never to vote for the DMK again. The irony? One of the evicted settlements here is, or rather was, called 'Stalin Nagar'. -Nirupama Viswanathan
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Courts force ministers' exits, but DMK not out of corruption cloud
The unceremonious exits of V Senthil Balaji, Tamil Nadu's minister for electricity, prohibition and excise, and K Ponmudy, minister for forests, have come at the behest of the higher judiciary. While hearing a petition to cancel Balaji's bail in a money laundering case last week, the Supreme Court had given him a week to choose between resigning and returning to jail. On the other hand, Ponmudy drew the ire of the Madras High Court, which took suo motu cognisance of his unpalatable remarks on Hindu sects at a public event. The DMK wants Balaji, who has the potential to deliver western Tamil Nadu for the party at the next assembly election, to be active on the field. The region is likely to see the toughest battle in 2026, with the AIADMK and the BJP, both with their strongest presence there, joining hands again. Having switched from the AIADMK to the DMK in 2018, Balaji is expected to work more vigorously to ensure the latter's return. The resignation of Ponmudy, 74, may signal the beginning of the veteran's gradual retirement. The DMK, which has been put on the defensive many a time because of gaffes by some of its ministers, certainly did not want to provide more fodder to the BJP, which has never missed an opportunity to label the DMK 'anti-Hindu'. So, as Ponmudy's remarks went viral, the DMK swiftly stripped him of the party deputy general secretary's post and made him apologise publicly. However, the high court initiated suo motu action after the police failed to register a case. He had lost his ministership once in 2023 after conviction in a disproportionate assets case, only to return after the SC stayed the verdict. The DMK, wary of another judicial direction forcing a minister's removal, opted to pre-empt such a scenario. Meanwhile, the move to reinduct T Mano Thangaraj from Kanyakumari district into the cabinet appears driven by electoral factors as the BJP stronghold had no cabinet representation in recent months. One cannot be sure whether this will be the DMK's final cabinet reshuffle before the 2026 election. The high court recently revived disproportionate assets cases against two senior ministers, Duraimurugan and I Periyasamy, while the Enforcement Directorate searched properties linked to K N Nehru. These moves can set off another reshuffle. The ruling party may face a tough time trying to wriggle out of the opposition's allegations of corruption.
The Print
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Senthil Balaji, Ponmudy resign from Cabinet, TN governor accepts Stalin's bid for Thangaraj
Senthil Balaji, facing ED probe, had been asked by the Supreme Court on Wednesday to make a choice 'between post and freedom' as it warned him of cancelling bail if he did not step down as minister. Governor R N Ravi has approved Chief Minister Stalin's recommendation to accept their resignation, a Raj Bhavan communique said. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Ministers V Senthil Balaji and K Ponmudy have resigned from the M K Stalin-led state cabinet and the Governor has accepted the same, the Raj Bhavan said on Sunday. Ponmudy had courted a major controversy over his Shaivite-Vaishnavite remarks made in the context of a sex worker, drawing widespread criticism, even as the Madras High Court later initiated proceedings on its own on the matter. Though he had been removed from a key party post, there were demands from opposition parties and other quarters, for his ouster from the cabinet. Transport Minister S S Sivasankar will handle Electricity portfolio, held by Senthil Balaji. Further, Housing Minister S Muthusamy has been allotted Excise and Prohibition, also held by Senthil Balaji. R S Rajakannappan has been allotted Ponmudy's Forests and Khadi, in addition to his existing Milk and Dairy Development portfolio, the release said. Further, the Governor has accepted the CM's recommendation to include Padmanabhapuram MLA T Mano Thangaraj in the cabinet, it said. He was dropped in an earlier rejig of the cabinet. The swearing-in of the minister designate will be held at 6 PM on Monday, it added. PTI SA KH This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Also Read: TN Governor Ravi alleges police threatened university VCs not to participate in conference
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
No representation for Villupuram in T.N. Cabinet following Ponmudy's resignation
With the resignation of Minister for Forests and Khadi K. Ponmudy, Villupuram district will now be deprived of ministerial representation in the State Cabinet. Mr. Ponmudy was the lone ministerial representative from Tirukkoyilur Assembly constituency in the district. The other Minister, Gingee K.S. Masthan, who was elected from Gingee and held the posts of Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, was dropped from the Cabinet in the reshuffle held on September 29, 2024. Mr. Masthan lost his Ministership reportedly due to 'inefficiency'. In the 2021 election, the DMK won four out of the seven Assembly constituencies in the district, while two went to the AIADMK and one to the PMK. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin rewarded the voters by including Mr. Ponmudy and Mr. Masthan in the Cabinet. But four years later, both of them are out of the Cabinet and no local representatives have been chosen to replace them. There were expectations from several corners that any one of the three sitting DMK MLAs would be inducted into the Cabinet. Although it was expected that Villupuram MLA R. Lakshmanan would be the successor of Mr. Ponmudy, it did not materialise, and ultimately, the district ended up without any representation in the Cabinet. Though Mr. Ponmudy has made news in the past for his flippant statements and abusive language on public platforms, his recent derogatory speech against Saivities, Vaishnavites and women was the last straw. According to a DMK functionary in Villupuram, 'Though the party cadre are disappointed over lack of Ministerial representation, the Chief Minister's decision is final. The changes will not hamper ongoing developmental works in the district.' With no representation in the Cabinet, Villupuram is expected to get district-in charge Ministers from other districts, like Kallakurichi, which too did not get representation in the Cabinet.
New Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
TN Cabinet reshuffle: Mano Thangaraj sworn-in as minister in Stalin-led cabinet
CHENNAI: Padmanabhapuram DMK MLA T Mano Thangaraj was on Monday sworn-in as minister, and re-inducted in the M K Stalin-led Tamil Nadu cabinet in a minor reshuffle post the resignation of two senior ministers. Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office to Thangaraj, who was removed as Milk and Dairy Development minister in the previous rejig of the cabinet. Incidentally he was allotted the same portfolio on Monday. The event also saw Chief Minister M K Stalin and Governor Ravi meet for the first time post against the latter delaying assent to various Bills adopted in the state Assembly. The CM and Governor shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, senior minister Duraimurugan among others attended the swearing-in. The Raj Bhavan later said that Thangaraj has been allotted Milk and Dairy Development. The Governor approved the subject allocation on the recommendation of the CM, an official release said. On Sunday Senthil Balaji, facing ED probe in a cash-for-jobs scam in an earlier AIADMK regime, had been asked by the Supreme Court last week to make a choice "between post and freedom" as it had warned him of cancelling bail if he did not step down as minister. Ponmudy, a senior DMK leader, had courted a major controversy recently over his Shaivite-Vaishnavite remarks made in the context of a sex worker, drawing widespread criticism, even as the Madras High Court later initiated proceedings on its own on the matter. The portfolios held by Balaji-- Electricity, Excise and Prohibition, had been allotted to SS Sivasankar and S Muthusamy, respectively. Ponmudy's Forest and Khadi portfolios will be handled by RS Rajakannappan, who was hitherto the Dairy Development minister. Further, the Governor had accepted the CM's recommendation to include Thangaraj in the cabinet. He represents the Padmanabhapuram Assembly constituency in Kanyakumari district and had been the IT Minister when the DMK assumed power in 2021.
