Thattu Kadai: Filtered intelligence

The New Indian Express' reporters on the spicy happenings across Tamil Nadu in the week that was.
Thattu Kadai: Filtered intelligence

Filtered intelligence
Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu an excellent orator and author of many books is known for his gift of the gab. Recently, while greeting youth selected for the CM’s Fellowship Programme, he made the audience laugh their hearts out. “Around 24,000 youngsters applied initially. After several rounds of filtering, 30 have been chosen finally. So, you, the selected candidates, are indeed ‘vadikattiya puthisaaligal’ (filtered intelligent persons).” Usually, orators use the phrase ‘vadikattiya muttaalgal’ to refer to downright stupid.

A free ride!
The controversy surrounding the old lady who refused to travel on a government bus for free near Madukkarai in Coimbatore refuses to die. After the video went viral, trolls supporting political parties have continued to fight it out on social media. AIADMK members were accused of recording and releasing the video, and the police tried to file a case against them, and prepared a detailed report. Before seeking legal opinion, the report was leaked to the media. The cops are now busy probing their colleagues who apparently leaked the report.

DMK’s poll-vault
DMK’s elections for new office bearers across the State was a tame affair. Though several cadres filed nominations, the headquarters mostly picked district secretaries based on recommendations made by respective district leaders. However, in Madurai, G Thalapathi has got another term as District City Secretary despite Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) rooting for Adalai Senthil Kumar. Earlier, Madurai Mayor and zone presidents were selected by the DMK top brass as per PTR’s recommendations.

A party by any other name
While addressing the media in Madurai, BJP leader H Raja took a dig at Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), a party re-launched by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Renaming of Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) had not made it a national party. Similarly, renaming of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) as BRS will not make any material impact in national politics, he quipped.

NEP in the bud
At a recent event organised by Puducherry Technological University, V Vaithilingam, a senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, was a man with a difference, literally. After, a report on implementation of New Education Policy in the university was released, organisers gave him a copy to pose for a photograph. As soon as he noticed the title, he kept it on the table. He stood with empty hands for the photograph while all other guests including L-G Tamilisai Soundarajan and CM N Rangasamy posed with a copy in the hands and a smile on their faces.

Madurai media standoff
During a Madurai temple festival, two media houses were allowed to cover the event despite the standing restrictions on camera usage within the premises. The decision was apparently taken by the PR officer. Commotion prevailed at the venue as other media personnel were clearly miffed.

(Contributed by R Kirubakaran, Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam, V Vignesh, Bagalavan Perier B, T Muruganandham and MS Thanaraj. Compiled by Archita Raghu)

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