On June 14, Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after 18 hours of interrogation and a search of his official residence and chamber at the state Secretariat
The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday the pleas of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji and his wife Megala challenging the July 14 order of the Madras High Court by which it upheld his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the minister and his spouse, that the issue would become infructuous if not heard urgently. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the anti-money laundering probe agency, opposed the submissions of Sibal seeking urgent hearing, saying wrong facts have been narrated and the Chief Justice of the High Court is yet to refer the matter to a division bench for further proceedings. If the bench seeks to list it tomorrow then I have no problem, the law officer said. We will list if for hearing, the bench said. The minister and his wife have filed two separate .
Tamil Nadu has attracted fresh investments to the tune of nearly 3 lakh crore from various companies by signing 240 new projects till date, the state government said on Wednesday. The new investments are expected to generate over 4 lakh new jobs in the state. With a vision of growing Tamil Nadu into a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030, the DMK government, after assuming office on May 7, 2021, has been engaged in taking up new measures to boost industrial activity in the state. Chief Minister M K Stalin, along with a host of delegates, have been on overseas trips to invite multinational companies to set up shop in the state. "Till date, this government has attracted Rs 2,96,681 lakh crore investments that will create 4,14,836 new jobs and signed 240 new projects," an official release here said on Wednesday. In a bid to further enhance industrial production, an ultra-modern integrated manufacturing facility is being set up by SOL India Pvt Ltd at an outlay of Rs 145 crore, for which St
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday accused the allies of DMK of being "servile" to the Tamil Nadu's ruling party and said partners in the National Democratic Alliance had freedom to speak facts. In Tamil Nadu, the former chief minister said it was his party, the AIADMK, that led the NDA while at the national level the BJP steered the coalition. The NDA would emerge victorious in 330 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country, the AIADMK top leader said in the national capital. Speaking to reporters, when asked if it was possible to garner 50 per cent plus vote share in view of factors such as price rise, Palaniswami said the country has witnessed growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite aspects like the coronavirus pandemic. Also, several economies in the world faced challenges. However, in India it was not the case as challenges were tackled well by the NDA. Across the world, the nation's reputation has grown under Modi's ...
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted raids at the premises of DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy and his MP son Gautham Sigamani in a money laundering case, official sources said. The raids are being undertaken at the premises of the father-son duo in state capital Chennai and in Villupuram, they said while the ruling DMK dubbed the action 'political vendetta.' Ponmudy is the second Minister in the Chief Minister M K Stalin's Cabinet to face ED raids following Senthil Balaji, who was arrested last month in a cash-for-jobs case following searches. The 72-year old Ponmudy is an MLA from Tirukkoyilur Assembly constituency in Villupuram district while his 49-year old son Sigamani is a Member of Parliament representing the Kallakurichi seat. The money laundering case is linked to alleged irregularities when Ponmudy was the state mining minister (between 2007 and 2011) and there were allegations of violation of quarry licence conditions leading to lo
The opposition parties are seeking to put up a united front to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls
Condemning the Enforcement Directorate raids at multiple premises of DMK leader K Ponmudy, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said all like-minded parties are united against the "vendetta politics" of the Modi government and shall not be bogged down by these "cowardly tactics to trample upon democracy". The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted raids at multiple premises of Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Ponmudy and his MP son Gautham Sigamani Pon in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining, official sources said. Escorted by armed personnel of the CRPF, the officials of the federal probe agency searched the premises under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In a tweet, Kharge said, "We condemn the ED raids against Tamil Nadu Education Minister, Dr. K. Ponmudy, just before our crucial opposition meeting." This has become Modi government's predictable script in order to intimidate and divide the opposition, h
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ruling party chief M K Stalin on Sunday said there is nothing to worry even if the DMK-led state government faces a risk in view of its staunch opposition to the BJP. Speaking about the recent Patna meeting of opposition parties, Stalin said it is more important to ensure that a certain dispensation does not continue -- rather than focus on who captures power -- in an obvious reference to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre. Referring to the proposed next meeting of Opposition parties in Karnataka (17-18 July), the DMK chief claimed that the BJP regime in general and Modi in particular is infuriated by such developments. Hence, Modi is "talking something", forgetting that he is the Prime Minister. There is nothing to worry about that, he said. There need not be even a "wee bit of concern" about any scenario that may emerge, even if it means a threat to the DMK regime in view of the party's stiff opposition to the BJP, Stali
A special court here trying cases against MPs and MLAs on Thursday acquitted Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minster K Ponmudy in a land grabbing case. Holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond any reasonable doubt, Special Judge G Jayavel acquitted Ponmudy, a senior DMK leader and six others. The prosecution case was that during the period 1996-2001 when Ponmudy was Transport minister in the then DMK regime, he had grabbed 3,630 sq. ft. of government land at Saidapet in the city and registered it in his mother-in-law's name. Following a complaint, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption filed the present case against Ponmudy and 9 others. During the pendency of the case, his mother-in-law and two others died.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi should not delay any further his sanction to prosecute former Ministers in the previous AIADMK regime and clear the 13 Bills pending with him for his assent, the State government urged Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. Writing to Ravi, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy said no further steps could be taken in the case involving the Gutkha scam since no reply has been received from the Raj Bhavan on CBI's request for sanction to prosecute C Vijayabaskar and B V Ramana, former Ministers in the AIADMK regime (2016-21). On September 12, 2022, the CBI's plea for sanction was forwarded to the Governor by the state Cabinet. The central agency is probing the scam in which bribes were allegedly paid by the Gutkha firms. Vijayabaskar and Ramana were among the accused. The TN Law Minister said similarly, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sought sanction to prosecute KC Veeramani and M R Vijayabaskar, also former Ministers in the AIADMK government. The ..
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Friday strongly asserted that appointment and dismissal of ministers is the sole prerogative of the chief minister and lashed out at Governor R N Ravi for his move of dismissing V Senthil Balaji from the MK Stalin-led Cabinet, which was subsequently retracted on the advice of the Union Home Ministry on the matter. Stating that the Tamil Nadu government was "disregarding" the Governor's action of sacking Balaji, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said Stalin will write a detailed letter to Ravi on the matter. The party also said it may weigh all options and legal factors related to Ravi's action, which came in for criticism from allies of the ruling party as well as other quarters. Addressing the press here along with Law Minister S Reghupathy and Rajya Sabha member P Wilson, who is also an advocate, Thennarasu recalled Stalin earlier saying the Governor has no right to sack Balaji and that the issue will be faced legally. He alleged that Ravi acted
The DMK may weigh all the options and legal factors related to Governor RN Ravi's later backtracked move to dismiss Minister V Senthil Balaji from the Cabinet, sources said on Friday. The party brass may consult its leaders and office-bearers to devise a strategy --both legal and political-- on the matter. "The Governor has backtracked and he has been exposed thoroughly," an office-bearer told PTI adding all the political maneuvering of the BJP to target the DMK has been backfiring in Tamil Nadu. Sources said there was no need 'immediately' to look into legal aspects or consider anything else (such as the possibility of political interests over the dismissal and a counter-strategy to frustrate it), as the dismissal was now on hold. On Thursday, hours after dismissing Balaji from the cabinet, Ravi had later kept it in abeyance. The DMK, may however consider weighing legal options to take on the Governor for his alleged excesses and fight the BJP politically at the right time and as
The posters have been put near DMK headquarters at Anna Arivalayam in Teynampet, Chennai
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Thursday dismissed DMK leader jailed minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect
DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for seeking to implement the Uniform Civil Code. Modi was thinking of winning the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by fanning communal sentiments and creating confusion in the country, the DMK chief said. "I am telling you categorically, people are ready to teach a fitting lesson to the BJP in the upcoming LS polls," he said. Stalin made the remarks here in his address while presiding over the wedding of the grand-daughter of a party office-bearer.
Arrests and raids can never cow down DMK whose leaders are not afraid of Prime Minister Modi or Amit Shah, Tamil Nadu Minister for Sports Development and Youth Affairs Udayanidhi Stalin has said
The arrest of Senthil Balaji, who is considered very close to the Chief Minister and one of the pointsman of the party in Western Tamil Nadu, led to Stalin directly intervening
Tamil Nadu BJP leader S G Suryah was arrested by the police from Chennai late on Friday, with the party's state unit chief K Annamalai slamming the move as an attempt to "curtail free speech." Police sources said the action was based on a CPI(M) complaint against a social media post of the BJP state secretary. Suryah was arrested under sections of IPC and the IT Act, police said. "The arrest of @BJP4TamilNadu State Secretary Thiru @SuryahSG avl is highly condemnable. His only mistake was to expose the nasty double standards of the communists, allies of DMK. Using state machinery to curtail free speech & getting jittery for the slightest criticism is unbecoming of a democratically elected leader and, indeed, are signs of an autocratic leader in the making," Annamalai tweeted. "These arrests will not deter us & we will continue to be bearers of the uncomfortable truth!" he added.
In a statement this morning, he said that the people of the state were watching the developments and would give a fitting reply to the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the late-night arrest of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) saying that it is "nothing but political harassment and vendetta" by the central government."Congress President Shri @kharge condemns the late-night arrest of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Shri V. Senthil Balaji by the ED. This is nothing but political harassment and vendetta by the Modi govt. against those opposed to it. None of us in the Opposition will be intimidated by such brazen moves," Kharge said in a press statement released by the Congress.Meanwhile, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram pointed out that these raids by the central agencies are only for 'optics' and it does not help in collating 'evidence'."All these @dir_ed raids on functionaries of political parties opposed to the @BJP4India are only for optics & voyeuristic pleasure of a few, it in no way aids in collating "evidence" in the "alleged" case. Events of 2016 .