Latest news with #UrimaiMeetpuPayanam
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Anbumani: Chennai's 2nd airport can be in Thiruporur instead of Parandur
Chennai: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday said that the second airport for Chennai can be established in Thiruporur instead of Parandur. At a public meeting, during his third day of 'Urimai Meetpu Payanam', in Kanchipuram assembly segment, Anbumani said an airport at Thiruporur will not affect the people unlike Parandur where farmers have to be relocated. "There are 10,000 acres of salt pans near Thiruporur. If the airport is established in Thiruporur, none will be affected," Anbumani said. He said the PMK believed that Chennai needs development and a second airport. But the facility should not be established at the cost of farmers and farmlands, he said. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai The former Union health minister attacked the DMK govt for the prevalence of illegal drug sale in the state. "Chief minister M K Stalin should be held responsible because the state police function under him. Can someone sell drugs without the knowledge of the police,'' he asked.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
As Ramadoss scuttles son's march amid fresh chill, PMK rifts deepen
A last-ditch hope for reconciliation between the two key figures at the helm of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) — party founder S Ramadoss and his son A Anbumani — appears to have crumbled this week as Ramadoss moved to block a 100-day padayatra planned by Anbumani across Tamil Nadu, seeking police intervention to halt what he called was his son's 'unauthorised, dangerous political stunt'. Just a week ago, the mood in the PMK's divided circles had turned cautiously optimistic. With the discovery of a surveillance device under Ramadoss's chair at his Thailapuram residence — a revelation that triggered fears of a police investigation amid hints that Anbumani may be implicated in it — a new round of mediation efforts was launched, led by long-time family friend and VIT Chancellor G Viswanathan. For a brief moment, it seemed as though both father and son, locked in a months-long power struggle, might step back to avoid further damage. 'Letting the police into the house would be detrimental to the party,' a senior PMK leader had told The Indian Express at the time. But whatever ground was gained through those backchannel talks has now been undone in full public view. On Thursday, Ramadoss made it clear that negotiations between them had failed. He announced that Anbumani's statewide 'Urimai Meetpu Payanam (Rights Retrieval Yatra)' must be stopped. He claimed that the event, if allowed to proceed, would pose law and order challenges in northern Tamil Nadu and warned that Anbumani had no authority to undertake political campaigns under the PMK banner. 'I am the party. I am the leader. There is no separate faction led by Anbumani within the PMK,' Ramadoss said. He went further, asking the state police to prevent the use of his party's flag, name, or even his own full name in connection with the yatra, claiming he had resumed charge as party president on May 30 and had submitted the updated office-bearers' list to the Election Commission (EC). In an escalation that stunned even seasoned party watchers, Ramadoss warned that anyone posing as an office-bearer without his sanction would be expelled. A fresh complaint was submitted to the Director General of Police (DGP), who subsequently issued orders to district police officials to withhold permission for the march. On Friday, however, Anbumani launched the padayatra — beginning from Thiruporur after offering prayers at a temple and garlanding a statue of B R Ambedkar. Addressing a gathering, he launched an attack on Chief Minister M K Stalin and the ruling DMK, alleging betrayal of the Vanniyar community, neglect of farmers, and rising crimes against women. He made no mention of his father or the party rifts. But in the evening, the DGP's communication to district superintendents said the padayatra was unauthorised, lacking 'written consent or authorisation of the founder/president' of the PMK. Officers were instructed to take steps to prevent the march at any point along its route, citing the risk of clashes between rival factions of the party and the potential threat to public order. The father-son feud has been playing out publicly since early this year, when Ramadoss attempted to sideline Anbumani by elevating his grandson, P Mukundan as the party's youth wing leader, a move Anbumani resisted. In June, Ramadoss formally reclaimed the party presidency from Anbumani, demoting the latter to the working president's post. He also dismissed several of Anbumani's loyalists from key roles, citing mismanagement and unilateral decision-making. Tensions peaked when Ramadoss overruled Anbumani's expulsion of a sitting MLA and declared that the 'working president' title carried no real power. In mid-July, an audio-tapping device found in Ramadoss's home, reportedly sourced from the United Kingdom, prompted fears that party surveillance had gone too far. While no one was directly named, the discovery shook up the party. Ramadoss then filed a cybercrime complaint, with his aides describing the incident as 'the most obnoxious political development in Tamil Nadu'. Anbumani's padayatra, which was billed as a massive mobilisation to reconnect with the party's roots and its Vanniyar base, was initially seen by some insiders as an opportunity for 'healing'. With over 5,000 cadres expected to join, many hoped it would serve as common ground for the fractured family. But Ramadoss saw it instead as a challenge to his authority and a provocation that could destabilise the party's rank and file.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ramadoss requests police to stop Anbumani's yatra
Chennai: In a fresh escalation of the ongoing power struggle in PMK, party founder S Ramadoss on Thursday asked the police to stop his son Anbumani Ramadoss from taking out his proposed statewide tour. Ramadoss said Anbumani cannot undertake any political tour without his permission first. The statement comes a day ahead of Anbumani's proposed statewide campaign titled 'Urimai Meetpu Payanam' (rights retrieval march), which is to begin from Thiruporur. Ramadoss supporters see it as an attempt by Anbumani to rally support in the wake of a rift with his father. "I am the party. I am the leader. There is no separate faction led by Anbumani within PMK," Ramadoss told reporters at his Thailapuram farmhouse near Tindivanam. He urged police not to grant permission for the yatra, alleging that such a political event would create law and order issues in northern districts. Ramadoss' supporters have also submitted a petition to the DGP requesting prohibition of the tour. "Anyone defying party leadership will be removed. A new list of party officials has already been submitted to the Election Commission," he said, adding that Anbumani has not sought permission for the yatra and should refrain from using the party's name or flag. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Ramadoss had in April demoted Anbumani from party president to working president, following differences on alliance decisions and internal appointments. Tensions between the two have since intensified, with both attempting to assert control over the party. "As of now, official party headquarters is at Thailapuram. If anyone claims it is in Chennai or elsewhere, it is illegal. Similarly, if anyone other than me claims to be party leader, legal action will follow," he also said that Anbumani cannot appoint office bearers or carry out party activities independently as he was only working president.
