New Delhi: With noisy protests continuing to stall Parliament for the third week, BJP veteran L K Advani today expressed deep distress over the way the Lok Sabha proceedings were being conducted, saying neither the Speaker nor the Parliamentary Affairs Minister was running the House.

A visibly agitated Advani was heard expressing his unhappiness to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar over the continuing protests in the House at a time when some opposition members had even come to the side of Treasury benches raising slogans in the Well.

“Neither the Speaker nor the Parliamentary Affairs Minister is running the House,” he was heard remarking just before the House was adjourned 15 minutes ahead of the lunch recess, amid slogan-shouting by Congress and TMC members.

“I am going to tell the Speaker that she is not running the House … I am going to say it publicly. Both sides are a party to this,” he said as Kumar was seen pacifying the senior parliamentarian. He also pointed to the media gallery, apparently suggesting that his comments will be reported.

As the House was adjourned, the 89-year-old leader asked a Lok Sabha official till what time it has been adjourned. When told that it was till 1400 hours, he snapped, “Why not sine die?”

Earlier too, Advani was seen expressing his displeasure over the situation in the House to Kumar.

(PTI)

Chennai: Veteran journalist, former Rajya Sabha member and political commentator Cho Ramaswamy (82) died here today following illness.

Fondly addressed as Cho, he was suffering from illness and breathed his last at a private hospital this morning, sources close to his family said.

He is survived by wife, son and daughter.

Ramaswamy was founder editor of Thuglak magazine and was known as a satirist.

He had acted in many movies and featured with top actors like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

(Agencies)

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam was on Tuesday sworn in as Chief Minister after the death of J.Jayalalithaa.

Within hours of Jayalalithaa’s passing away, Panneerselvam was elected AIADMK legislature party leader.

He was then sworn in as Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan by Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao. Thirty-one ministers were also sworn-in along with him.

This is the third time Panneerselvam becomes the Chief Minister.

Unlike the last time when he turned emotional, Panneerselvam this time was calm and composed while being administered the oath.

(Agencies)

Chennai: Cries of “Amma” rent the air as a sea of humanity thronged the Rajaji Hall grounds today to pay their last respects to AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, whose body lay in state in Chennai where normal life virtually came to a grinding halt.

As tributes poured in from far and wide after the actress-turned-politicians’s death last night, the body of Jayalalithaa, which was draped in her favourite green colour saree, was taken from her Poes Garden residence early this morning to Rajaji Hall where tens of thousands of people queued up to have a last glimpse of their ‘Puratchi Thalaivi Amma’ (Revolutionary Leader Amma).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among scores of political leaders who were headed to Chennai to pay tributes to the 68-year-old AIADMK chief.

As the casket carrying the body of six-time chief minister was placed on the steps of Rajaji Hall, in the heart of the city off arterial Anna Salai, four Army men covered it with the national Tricolour.

Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his ministerial colleagues, MPs and MLAs and senior state government officials were among the first to pay homage to Jayalalithaa, who passed away at the Apollo Hospitals here at 11.30 last night after waging a grim battle for life since her hospitalisation on September 22.

Jayalithaa’s long time confidante Sasikala Natarajan stood close to the casket. Security has been beefed up at the venue where people lined up to bid a tearful adieu to their ‘Amma’ (mother) as Jayalithaa was fondly called.

Cries of “Amma” rent the air as the public filed past taking a last glimpse of their beloved leader from a distance away from the stairs, where the Tamil Nadu Ministers were seen seated.

Jayalalithaa’s body was first taken to her Poes Garden residence in the early hours and then brought to the Rajaji Hall.

The funeral will take place at 4.30 pm at the Dr MGR Memorial site off Marina beach, the state government said in an official communication.

All roads leading to Rajaji Hall grounds were bustling with crowds of people who did not mind taking a long walk with public transport, barring trains, remaining off the roads.

After Jayalalithaa’s body was brought to the Rajaji Hall, the crowd could be seen swelling by the minute and the heavy posse of police personnel deployed there were finding it very difficult to control them. Emotional scenes were witnessed as several women were seen wailing and thumping their chests.

The Centre declared a one-day state mourning today in view of the demise of ayalalithaa. National flag on all government buildings across the country was flown at half-mast.

Public transport services, including autorickshaws, were off the roads while some private vehicles were seen plying in various parts of the city where police personnel kept a tight vigil at vantage points.

A near total shutdown like situation prevailed in the city and several several other parts of the state since last evening itself.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: In the wake of tense situation in Tamil Nadu over CM Jayalalithaa’s critical health, Karnataka State Road Transport has stopped all 470 bus services between the two states from Monday morning.

Officials in the corporation said they will wait and watch the law and order situation on the border and for a green signal from the police to send their buses to Tamil Nadu.

The services from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka has also been put on hold.

Private bus transport operators from Karnataka are also not willing to take chances and will decide whether to ply the routine night services. Only few private buses that ply between Salem and Hosur to Bengaluru are still operating.

Last time during the Cauvery crisis between the two neighbour states, victims were the bus operators. KSRTC lost revenue of more than Rs55 crores in 55 days when bus services were stopped. Buses were enabling people to reach Hosur border and get back.

(Agencies)