Chennai: AIADMK With rival factions laying claim to the post of legislative party leader in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly, it appears to be headed for a vertical split.AIADMK General Secretary immediately after the newly elected MLAs took oath on Monday Edappadi K Palaniswami A letter was submitted to Protem Speaker MV Karuppaiah demanding recognition of him as the legislature party leader and Thalavai Sundaram as the party whip. Later, the faction led by C Ve Shanmugam and SP Velumani submitted separate representations to the Protem Speaker to recognize Velumani as the legislature party leader and C Vijayabaskar as the whip. AIADMK sources said that with an eye on an alliance with TVK, the Velumani-Shanmugam camp is trying to garner the support of at least 32 MLAs to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law. “There are plans to remove Edappadi K Palaniswami from the post of general secretary,” a source said. Secretariat sources said the EPS faction currently has the support of about 20 of the 47 AIADMK MLAs, while the Velumani-Shanmugam camp has the support of most of the remaining MLAs. Despite the numbers favoring the rebels, officials indicated that Epps may still have an advantage because he is the party general secretary. “Palaniswami argued before the pro tem speaker that as AIADMK general secretary, he alone is authorized to act as the leader of the legislature party and party rules support his claim,” sources said.“However, the rival camp insisted that only a formal meeting of AIADMK MLAs could elect the leader. They submitted signatures of around 30 MLAs supporting Velumani.” Given the competing claims and the possibility of legal and political complications, sources said the pro tem speaker is unlikely to take an immediate decision. The Palaniswami faction includes Agri S Krishnamurthy, OS Manian, Thalavai Sundaram and KC Karuppannan. The rival faction is supported by Natham R Vishwanathan, R Kamaraj, KC Veeramani and Balakrishna Reddy. The latest crisis marks the third major split in the history of the AIADMK. First in 1987, following the death of former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, when the party split between factions led by his widow Janaki Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. The second major breakdown occurred when former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam rebelled in 2017 after Jayalalitha’s death and was ultimately expelled from the party in 2022.

New Delhi: A day after PM Modi Issuing a list of “resolutions” to conserve fuel and save foreign exchange, the government on Monday urged people to remain calm and avoid panic, saying the country has ample oil supplies and concrete steps were being taken to prevent shortages and supply chain disruptions.Chairing the meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGOM) on the Development of West Asia, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, “The primary focus of the government is to ensure that energy flows remain uninterrupted, economic stability is maintained and maritime trade routes remain safe”.At the CII annual meeting, Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal said there was no need for fuel rationing or panic buying, though he urged people to follow the PM’s guidelines.Modi reiterated his appeal on Monday and suggested schools to consider online classes temporarily. “First came Covid-19, then global economic challenges and now rising tensions in West Asia. The impact of these circumstances is increasingly being felt across the world and India is certainly no exception,” he said in Vadodara. “Through every small and big effort, we should reduce the consumption of imported products and avoid personal activities that involve expenditure of foreign exchange.”

Reiterating the message, Mittal said, “In times of crisis, we need to remind ourselves that these fuels are expensive. If we can save on them, then this dollar can be saved. This money can go into some development programs that are productive for the country instead of being squandered.”“There is adequate supply. There is no rationing. That is not going to happen. India has been an oasis of comfort,” he said.Mittal said India’s large refining base has helped cushion supply shocks, meet domestic demand and allow exports of refined petroleum products.The IGOM, consisting of several ministers, was informed that there is a surplus of essential commodities and that current conservation efforts are directed at long-term capacity building in case the crisis escalates for a longer period. “India has 60 days of crude oil, 60 days of natural gas and 45 days of LPG rolling stock. Foreign exchange reserves stand at $703 billion. India is the world’s third-largest oil refiner and fourth-largest exporter of petroleum products, exporting to over 150 countries, and it is completely meeting domestic demand. But the nation has to bear the heavy cost as international crude oil prices remain very high. Fuel conservation can reduce this burden,” a government release said.

New Delhi: cpm General Secretary MA Baby on Monday said it was wrong to oust the outgoing Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan To take moral responsibility for the defeat in the state after 10 years of government. His comments came after the CPM polit-buro meeting, in which the Kerala Assembly election results were discussed.Addressing reporters, Baby said, “Why should Pinarayi Vijayan be singled out to take the moral responsibility of the defeat in Kerala? Our party is a collective unit. He is the senior-most member in the Politburo and the Central Committee. When we went to the polls collectively we said that he is leading the campaign and if we get the majority then we will decide who will be the CM.”“No single comrade should be held responsible. We, the leadership, will assess the election results in detail, reach out to people at all levels in our organisation, look into the shortcomings and the role of the leadership collectively.” We will self-criticize and take corrective steps and implement the reform process.Baby’s comments assume significance as they come at a time when the election campaign around his governance and centralized leadership model, described as ‘Brand Pinarayi’, is facing criticism amid serious shocks in Kerala. However, the CPI(M) has been strongly denying all criticism and has stood firm on the view that there is no room for “cult politics” within the party and that the campaign was not a one-man show.Highlighting the overall impact of the assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory, Baby said the “dominance of right reaction forces” in most places except Tamil Nadu is something that secular and democratic forces need to take serious note of.In Kerala too, Baby said the LDF’s defeat was a serious blow to the Left and democratic forces. He said the LDF government had done a commendable job for 10 years in the face of “the vindictive attitude of the Central government, which tried to strangle the state government economically”.He said, “Why LDF had to suffer this setback in Kerala is a matter of grave concern. Another disturbing incident in Kerala was that BJP managed to win 3 seats and LDF stood second on these seats. This was worrying in a state like Kerala, which is very famous for its secular and democratic traditions.”He said the party’s Central Committee will meet from May 22-24 in which an in-depth analysis of the election results, including the setback in Kerala and the election-related situation in West Bengal, will be done.Describing Vijay’s TVK victory in Tamil Nadu as spectacular, Baby shared that CPM, CPI and other allies were able to take a very timely stand to ensure that horse-trading was stopped and the people’s verdict was respected.Asked why the CPM decided to extend outside support and not join the government in Tamil Nadu, Baby said, “We have 2 MLAs, CPI and VCK also have 2 MLAs each. We won these seats as part of the DMK front. Now it (TVK) is another political formation. The public’s verdict is in favor of TVK. In the current circumstances, political morality demands that it is not appropriate for us to take a decision now about joining the government.” The CPM general secretary also said that all three parties are invited to join the TN government.“As a party we believe that to be part of the government we need sufficient numbers to have our say,” he said. Therefore, we have justified our stand very logically. We are inside the democratic process but outside the government in Tamil Nadu.”To clarify that CPM puts its ideology and principles first, Baby reminded that in 1996 when the then West Bengal CM Jyoti Basu was offered the Prime Minister’s post, the party’s Central Committee had decided not to take up the Prime Minister’s post to lead the United Front government. The CPM then took the stance that the party felt that participating in a “bourgeois” coalition government at the Centre, without a majority of its own, would prevent them from implementing left-leaning policies.While many seniors, including then general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjit, supported Basu, a powerful radical faction within the party voted against the move. While Basu tacitly accepted the party’s decision at the time, he later described it as a “historical mistake” and a missed opportunity for Indian communists to influence national politics.

Free Flow Fee Plaza (PTI Image)

New Delhi: Breaking the perception that people avoid paying pending highway tolls, NHAI on Monday said half of those who received e-notices after the first multi-lane free flow (MLFF), or barrierless tolling, started on NH-48 in Gujarat have paid their dues – about Rs 30 lakh.E-notices were issued to vehicle owners for failure to pay toll after the introduction of the MLFF system by IHMCL, the tolling and technology arm of NHAI, from May 1. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the second such facility in Delhi on Monday.“This seamless system will make travel easier as no one will need to stop. This will save time, fuel and NHAI’s expenses for toll collection. We will save at least Rs 6,000-7,000 crore annually.” This will also prevent leakage of toll revenue. People have no objection to paying toll if it is uninterrupted,” he told TOI.NHAI Chairman Santosh Yadav said that 50% of vehicle owners pay the pending toll, which “proves the hypothesis that people are generally law abiding”. He said IHMCL has so far bid for 17 MLFF plazas and bids have been invited for another 108.Gadkari said once all 700 toll plazas become barrier-free, it is estimated to save Rs 295 crore per year in terms of fuel and help reduce 81,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions besides reduction in travel time and increase in logistics efficiency. “Our operating cost of toll collection will increase from the current 12-15% to 3-4% and this savings will be used for more highway projects,” Gadkari said.The minister said that high-powered cameras installed at MLFF toll plazas will also help in curbing traffic violations. Yadav said that learning from the earlier MLFF tolling, measures would be taken at subsequent toll plazas to alert drivers about the barrier-less tolling space.Yadav also announced several initiatives that will be launched soon to inform and alert drivers about diversions, fog, cattle and landslide prone areas on their mobile phones and to track ambulances in case of emergency. These alerts will be shown on navigation apps.

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested former West Bengal minister and TMC leader Sujit Bose in the municipality recruitment scam.Days after TMC’s defeat in West Bengal, the ED questioned senior party leader Sujit Bose in connection with its probe into the municipality recruitment ‘scam’ case.Bose is accused of illegally recommending 150 candidates for various posts under the South Dumdum Municipality in exchange for financial benefits. Before the arrest, the ED traced the direct proceeds of crime in the form of flats acquired by him in return for providing municipality jobs to various persons. Additionally, the anti-money laundering agency also detected huge amounts of cash deposited in bank accounts under his control. The former TMC minister will be produced in the special court on Tuesday morning.Former fire minister Bose, who had lost in his stronghold Bidhannagar, was directed by the court to join the investigation.While CM Mamata Banerjee’s terms were marked by a series of alleged scams, one that stands out is the transaction of money related to recruitment in municipalities, ED sources told TOI, which had grown close to her nephew and Diamond Harbor MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is seen as Mamata’s presumptive successor, who was widely known as the CM-invader until the BJP’s landslide. Trinamool Congress’s ambition to prolong its rule has not been buried. Several money laundering cases being investigated by the ED, including that of political consultancy firm I-PAC in the coal smuggling ‘scam’, are set to return from Delhi to Kolkata.The investigation was stalled because ED officials in Kolkata were allegedly being “intimidated” and several accused refused to cooperate despite repeated summons. Sources said the ED may resume questioning of the accused including Abhishek, his wife Rujira, former DGP Rajeev Kumar, former Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, then DCP Priyabrata Roy besides I-PAC chief Prateek Jain, from whose premises Mamata had taken files seized by the agency during the January 8 search operation in the presence of her police officers.

New Delhi: India recorded 57,670 environment and pollution-related crimes in 2024, showing a 16.4% decline in the number of such crimes (68,994) reported in 2023, says the latest Crime in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of the Home Ministry.However, more than 80% (46,333 cases) of environment and pollution-related crimes relate to just one offense – violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) – which bans advertising and regulates trade, commerce, production, supply and distribution of such products.Of the 53,682 people arrested, 42,235 were charged under COTPA. In most cases, a fine – environmental compensation – was imposed upon conviction for violation of various green laws.The number of crimes under the Noise Pollution Act stood at the second position (8,639), while the number of crimes under the Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act stood at the third (1,425) respectively. About 98% of all environmental and pollution crimes, combined, fall under these three headings.Under the noise pollution law, Rajasthan contributed to more than 95% of such cases in 2024 – the data reflects the state’s proactive approach towards filing complaints on violations involving the use of high-decibel sound systems (loudspeakers, DJ systems, etc.) during religious events and wedding processions/ceremonies.The NCRB report shows that the highest number of environment and pollution-related cases (26,475) were reported in Tamil Nadu in 2024, followed by Rajasthan (10,824), Kerala (9,143), Maharashtra (6,735) and Karnataka (1,214).Incidentally, the Union Territory of Delhi, which faces an air pollution crisis during winters every year due to multiple violations of various nature, did not register a single case under the Air Pollution Control Act, 1981, while neighboring Haryana, Punjab and UP did not register a single case under this head in 2024 despite facing hundreds of cases of stubble burning contributing to air pollution during winters.Overall, 18 cases were reported under air and water pollution control laws from all states and union territories in 2024, of which 50% (9) cases were reported from Tamil Nadu alone.Violations under the Environment (Protection) Act; Wildlife Protection Act; and National Green Tribunal Act are the other three major ones that feature in the list with 754, 497 and 4 cases being reported respectively.

New Delhi: The West Bengal government on Monday appointed Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the top state official responsible for overseeing and conducting elections, as the Chief Secretary of the Suvendu-led government.The Chief Secretary is the top bureaucrat of the state government and the senior most IAS officer, responsible for coordinating all departments and advising the Chief Minister.Forty-eight hours after he was relieved as special observer by the Election Commission on May 7, Gupta had already been appointed advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday. The appointment order came within hours of the officer taking oath as CM at a ceremony at the Brigade Parade Ground.The state also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as private secretary to the CM. Bala, a 2017 batch IAS officer, previously served as the additional district magistrate of South 24 Parganas.The notification regarding Gupta’s appointment issued from Nabanna states that the appointment has been made “in the interest of public service” and will remain effective until further orders.On Gupta’s appointment, CM Adhikari said, “In the previous government, efficient and impartial officers were not given any work and they had to leave the state (for central deputation). We want to give these efficient officers a chance to work for the people. We want to bring these officers back.”Gupta was earlier appointed as a special role observer by the Election Commission during the SIR exercise. Following the Election Commission’s satisfaction with his role during the SIR, he was later assigned responsibilities as a special observer for the assembly elections. The 2026 assembly elections were largely peaceful, with no deaths reported during the election process and no major allegations of booth capturing or large-scale electoral violence.Sources said the officer met Gupta after the completion of the election process and had extensive talks with him. Sources said that during the meeting the officer offered him the post of advisor.Gupta, who has a PhD from IIT-Kharagpur, served as DM of Jalpaiguri and Burdwan. He also served as an executive director and later MD in WBIDC from 2007 to 2011, a period marked by Tata Motors’ unceremonious exit from Singur.