A pricey return ticket
Is P Saravanan, BJP’s district president in Madurai who quit the national party after a chappal-hurling incident on PTR’s car, making a return to the DMK? Though he met PTR soon after, the former legislator of the DMK could not earn a return ticket. Since then, he had not shown any association with political parties or politicians. But one of his recent clicks with PTR during the latter’s visit to his son’s marriage has left the rumour mills buzzing again.
Fracas in grand old party
The ruckus on the premises of Sathyamurthy Bhavan, the TNCC headquarters, by supporters of two Congress leaders seems to have paved the way for the formation of one more faction in the grand old party. After the admirers of TNCC president KS Alagiri attacked ardent supporters of the party treasurer and Nanguneri legislator Ruby R Manoharan, many opponents of Alagiri from across the state have gathered under Manoharan’s leadership. Meanwhile, Manoharan has been served a show-cause notice by the party leadership. Last Saturday, Alagiri garlanded the statue of Indira Gandhi on the occasion of her birth anniversary with his supporters while former state party presidents such as Su Thirunavukkarasar, KV Thangka Balu, EVKS Elangovan, M Krishnaswami, and Congress assembly floor leader K Selvaperunthagai jointly garlanded the statue.
End of an era
The DMK government recently replaced the chairman of Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), a post held by the food minister R Sakkarapani. Rumours fly that the ouster follows the TNCSC board’s irrational decision last year to favour a private firm that was penalised for supplying low-quality/spoiled food items in the Pongal gift hamper. The TNCSC board, comprising 11 IAS officers, is the competent authority for procurements made by the cooperation, food, and civil supplies departments. Since 1972, the post of TNCSC chairman always was held by an IAS officer until 2014 when the AIADMK-led government made the then food minister K Kamaraj the chairman. Now, with the food secretary J Radhakrishnan taking charge as TNCSC chairman, it has ended the era of ministers holding additional responsibility. At least for now.
Probing priorities
What are the hurdles faced by police in a probe? The most disheartening one is the lack of their prioritisation, says a sub-inspector in Chennai. When a person goes missing, cops are asked to report for a VIP escort duty or provide security to a political/religious procession. In cases of deaths, or deaths by suicide, cops may not be able to go to the hospital and collect post-mortem reports on time. This may lead to later complications. If there delays during the probe of a missing person case, cops may lose the trail. It is indeed demoralising for cops when they are forced to put off an important probe for some inconsequential bandobust duty.
Redemption or hara-kiri?
There seems to be disquiet among the ruling DMK cadre following the release of six convicts in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination case. Many hailed Chief Minister MK Stalin for their release. But others urged functionaries not to celebrate it as the party and the cadre faced a huge political loss following the assassination. Some avow that the move to greet the released convicts would harm DMK’s political fortunes.
(Contributed by Vignesh V, S Kumaresan, B Anbuselvan, Gautham Selvarajan. Compiled by Archita Raghu)