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Chennai: At least two people were killed and several others injured in a stampede at an election rally addressed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa in Cuddalore district on Monday, police said.
The rally was held at Virudhachalam in the district, around 230 km from here.
Thirteen women were injured in the incident and were given first aid and shifted to the hospital.
(IANS)
Chennai: With the unprecedented deluge leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today sought Central assistance of Rs 25,912 crore towards restoration, saying it was ‘difficult’ for state Government to meet the costs, especially after suffering ‘huge loss’ of Central tax devolution.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said her government was committed to rebuilding infrastructure and reducing the distress caused to people due to floods by providing ‘gratuitous relief’ for affected families.
“These costs are very large and it is very difficult for the Government of Tamil Nadu to meet the cost, particularly after the huge loss of Central tax devolution and transfers suffered by the state consequent on the 14th Finance Commission’s recommendations,” she said.
The CM recalled that her government had earlier submitted a memorandum totalling the losses suffered at Rs 8,481 crore in November, following which a Central team had also visited Tamil Nadu to make on-spot assessment.
However, the “fourth and most severe spell” of rainfall was received after the team’s visit, she said,referring to the heavy downpour on December 1,which resulted in severe flooding of Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts even as Cuddalore had also been affected.
“We have now prepared the supplementary memorandum which reflects damages caused during the fourth spell of rainfall and the consequent floods in the first week of December 2015.
Tamil Nadu immediately needs an additional sum of Rs 17,431.51 crore for temporary and permanent restoration,” she said.
With the government now preparing a supplementary memorandum the state will need a total sum of Rs 25,912.45 crore, including the earlier Rs 8,481 crore, for relief and restoration efforts, she told Modi.
“I request you to kindly instruct the Ministry of Home Affairs and the other concerned Ministries to expeditiously consider our two memoranda for assistance on account of flood damages and devastation and release the necessary funds at the earliest to meet the state government’s requirement of Rs 25,912.45 crore,” she urged Modi.
Referring to her plea for an immediate release of Rs 2,000 crore made with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley here on Sunday “to sustain the vigour of restoration operations”, she urged the Prime Minister to instruct the Finance Ministry to expedite its release.
(Agencies)
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday announced the distribution of Amma mobile phones to trainers of women’s self-help groups.
Making this announcement in the state assembly, Jayalalithaa said in the first phase, 20,000 mobile phones at an outlay of Rs.15 crore would be distributed.
She said the women’s self-help group trainers have to keep records of membership subscription, savings, loans and recoveries.
Jayalalithaa said a software in Tamil will be developed enabling to record the above data and a computerised mobile phone will be distributed to the women’s self-help group trainers.
The Amma mobile phone scheme is the latest of the several Amma branded schemes implemented in the state like Amma cement, Amma mineral water, Amma canteen and others.
(Agencies)
New Delhi: The Karnataka government today moved the Supreme Court challenging the state high court verdict acquitting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case.
The state government in its appeal, filed through advocate Joseph Aristotle, has sought setting aside of the Karnataka HC order and also pleaded that the disqualification of the AIADMK chief be restored.
It has also alleged that it did not get ample opportunity to put forth its case before the high court.
The Karnataka High Court had on May 11 acquitted the AIADMK leader in the case, saying that her conviction by the special court suffered from infirmity and was not sustainable in law.
The special court had last year held Jayalalithaa guilty of corruption and sentenced her to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore.
(PTI)
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is sending over a bill of more than Rs. 5.11 crore to neighbour Tamil Nadu soon. That is what it has spent on conducting the trial of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and three others in a corruption case over the last 12 years.
“We will claim Rs. 5.11 crore plus money from Tamil Nadu government which was spent on handling the case in Bengaluru,” Law Minister TB Jayachandra of the Congress told reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Mr Jayachandra said the state government would also bill Tamil Nadu for expenditure incurred on matters related to the Home department, including security cover for Ms Jayalalithaa, who returned as Tamil Nadu chief minister two weeks ago after the Karnataka High Court acquitted her, quashing her conviction by a Bangalore trial court in September last year.
“The home ministry is working on calculating expenses incurred on providing security to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,” Mr Jayachandra said.
Four days ago, the Karnataka government said it will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the acquittal of Ms Jayalalithaa.
The Supreme Court had transferred the case to Bengaluru on November 18, 2003, after K Anbazhagan, a politician from the DMK, Ms Jayalalithaa’s arch rival, contended that a fair trial was not possible in Tamil Nadu with her Chief Minister.
In September last year, the trial court held Ms Jayalalithaa guilty of amassing wealth beyond her income. She was jailed for three weeks before being granted bail. The conviction forced the chief of Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK to resign as chief minister.
She appealed in the Karnataka High Court, which acquitted Ms Jayalalithaa on May 11 in the 19-year-old case.
(Agencies)
Bengaluru: Ending three-week long suspense, Karnataka government today decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others in the disproportionate assets case.
The decision to challenge the May 11 verdict by Justice C R Kumaraswamy of the Karnataka High Court was taken at a cabinet meeting after the advice by the Special Public Prosecutor in the case B V Acharya and state Advocate General Ravivarma Kumar as also the state Law Department.
“The Chief Minister has directed me to file an appeal in the Supreme Court immediately,” Law Minister Jayachandra said.
Replying to a query, he said Acharya will be the SPP in the case in the apex court.
He said the SPP appointed on the direction of the Supreme Court had advised filing the appeal against the acquittal of Jayalalitha and three others and even the AG and law Secretary had concurred with it.
“….And now the cabinet has decided to file the appeal,” he said, adding it was being done “legally on merit”.
The Supreme Court had specifically said Karnataka has stepped into the shoes of TN and it is the sole prosecuting agency for all matters related to the disproportionate assets case, he said.
In the May 11 verdict that restored Chief Ministership to her, Jayalalithaa was acquitted of “all charges” in the 19-year old disproportionate assets case. Three other convicts, including her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, were also given a clean chit by the High Court.
A fresh legal challenge to 67-year old Jayalalithaa has come nine days after she made a triumphant return as Chief Minister with O Panneerselvam making way for her following acquittal by the High Court.
The state government had a 90-day deadline to file the appeal.
Karnataka is the sole prosecuting agency in the case, which was transferred to Bengaluru from Tamil Nadu by the Supreme Court for a “fair” trial.
Justice Kumaraswamy had set aside the trial court’s judgement which had sentenced Jayalalithaa and three others to four years in jail and allowed the appeals by all the four convicts.
Special Court Judge Michael D Cunha had on September 27 last held Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of corruption and awarded four years jail term, due to which she attracted disqualification as an MLA that divested her of Chief Ministership.The judge had also slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore on Jayalalithaa and Rs 10 crore each on three other convicts.
Giving a clean chit to Jayalalithaa, Karnataka High Court had held that the judgement and findings recorded by the trial court convicting her and three others suffers from infirmity and it is not sustainable in law.
Acquitting Jayalalithaa and three others of “all the charges levelled against them”, the single bench judge Justice Kumaraswamy, in his 919-page judgement, had also quashed the order of the trial court relating to confiscation of the properties both movable and immovable.
On disproportionate assets, the judge had held that “it is relatively small. In the instant case, the disproportionate asset is less than 10 per cent and it is within permissible limit.”
“The percentage of disproportionate assets is 8.12 per cent,” the judge had said.
AIADMK’s bitter rival DMK had raised the pitch for filing the appeal against acquittal while the original petitioner Subramanian Swamy had also said he would move the Supreme Court if Karnataka does not challenge the High Court verdict.
(PTI)
Bengaluru: Karnataka government would take a call “as early as possible” on “merits” on the issue of filing an appeal against acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case, State Law Minister TB Jayachandra said today.
“We had sought many clarifications and they have been answered by the Advocate General. On merits where are we – I am examining it, and I will take a final call as early as possible,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.
In the May 11 verdict that restored Chief Ministership of Tamil Nadu to her, Jayalalithaa was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court of “all charges” in the 19-year old disproportionate assets case.
Three other convicts, including her close aide Sasikala Natarajan, were also given a clean chit by the High Court.
Responding to questions, Jayachandra initially said, “We had sought some clarifications from Advocate General and we have received them. I will look into those recommendations and will take decision in three to four-days-time.”
But later, he said the decision would be taken “as early as possible.”
Jayachandra said the Advocate General has recommended to the government to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, but refused to share the details of Advocate-General’s views.
However, Jayachandra said, “As per law, 90 days is the limit. It is not even 15 to 20 days (since the verdict came), and … the law department has to go and study all aspects.”
Special Public Prosecutor BV Acharya also had advised the government to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal, saying it was a “fit case” to do so.
(Agencies)
Photo: IE
Bengaluru: Even as AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa returned to power today, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state law department is examining the judgement of the High Court which acquitted her of all charges and the government would take a decision on filing an appeal in the case after receiving the report.
“Our law department is examining the judgement of Karnataka High Court. After getting the report from law department, we will decide,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
Asked whether he has spoken to AICC in this regard, the chief minister said, “No, the High command is not at all interfering in the state matters”.
Jayalalithaa was disqualified following her conviction in the Rs 66.66 crore disproportionate assets case by a trial court in Bengaluru on September 27. The Karnataka High Court had subsequently acquitted her of the charges on May 11 this year.
She was today sworn in for the fifth time as chief minister, nearly eight months after she was forced to quit over corruption charges.
Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa was today sworn in for the fifth time as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu amid celebrations by party cadres and supporters all over the state.
She returns to power nearly eight months after she was forced to quit over corruption charges.
Jayalalithaa took the oath in the name of God in Tamil in a simple function held at the University of Madras Centenary Auditorium here. Twenty-eight other ministers also took oath in a brief ceremony.
The 67-year-old AIADMK supremo was administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor K Rosaiah.
Earlier, she arrived at the venue in a green saree and was welcomed by Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Gnanadesikan with a bouquet.
Later, she introduced O Pannerselvam, Natham R Viswanathan and all other ministers before they were sworn in.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by BJP leaders including Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan and national office bearer of the party H Raja. Actors Rajinikanth, Sarathkumar and eminent music composer Ilayaraja were among the long list of dignitaries who attended the function.
Jayalalithaa was disqualified following her conviction in the Rs 66.66 crore disproportionate assets case by a trial court in Bengaluru on September 27. The Karnataka High Court had subsequently acquitted her of the charges on May 11.
(Agencies)
Chennai: J Jayalalithaa was today elected by AIADMK lawmakers to take over as chief minister of Tamil Nadu at a party meeting in Chennai this morning. The 67-year-old leader, who was not present at the meeting, is likely to take oath tomorrow.
144 of 150 party lawmakers attended the meeting at the AIADMK headquarters where five rebel MLAs from actor-politician Vijayakanth’s DMDK were also present. Current chief minister O Panneerselvam headed straight to Ms Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence after the meeting. He is expected to resign today.
Nearly eight months ago, Ms Jayalalithaa was convicted in a corruption case and forced to step down in the midst of her third term as the state’s top leader.
Ms Jayalalithaa’s return as the head of the government was enabled by her acquittal earlier this month in the same case, and a party that has expressed its unwavering devotion to her in unabashed shows of sycophancy.
Ms Jayalalithaa was found not guilty of illicitly amassing wealth adding up to nearly Rs. 50 crore by the Karnataka High Court. She must win a state assembly seat within six months of taking over as Chief Minister.
The leader, who is known as “Amma” or “mother” will appear in public today for the first time after her acquittal to garland statues of AIADMK leaders including founder MG Ramachandran.
In a statement on Monday that broadly hinted at her plans, Ms Jayalalithaa had told party workers that “whatever our cadres wish will happen soon.”
When her replacement O Panneerselvam took over as Chief Minister, other AIADMK leaders and he wept through the swearing-in ceremony; when she was jailed, Ms Jayalalithaa’s enraged supporters set buses on fire; she has said more than 200 people killed themselves to protest against her incarceration.
(Agencies)