As election nears, petrol, diesel prices by cut by `2 per litre Weeks ahead of the general elections, the oil ministry cut the prices of diesel and petrol by `2 a litre. The last cut was almost two years ago chennai l Friday l march 15, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 42 l late city EDITION Rajasthan cuts VAT ON FUEL BY 2% ■ The Rajasthan govt cut VAT on petrol and diesel by 2% and announced a 4% hike in DA for employees and pensioners ■ Global crude prices have been in the extreme price zone since the pandemic. During the pandemic, the crude prices crashed. After Russia invaded Ukraine, crude prices bounced to $140 per barrel CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI A high-level committee suggests curtailing tenure of state legislative assemblies for synchronisation with LS polls Nati n Electi n panel recommends simultaneous polls Here’s how to make it work 1 Two-stage formula, single poll roll In the first stage, polls to LS and all the assemblies can be held together. Next, elections to municipalities and panchayats can be held within 100 days of simultaneous LS and assembly polls. Single electoral roll and Elector’s Photo Identity Card shall be prepared by all polls 2 Fix ‘appointed date’ to curtail assembly tenure For synchronisation, President shall notify the date of the first LS sitting after a general election as the ‘appointed date’. The tenure of all assemblies after the ‘appointed date’ and before the expiry of the full LS term, will be only be till the next parliamentary polls Historic day for democracy. Today, the High-Level Committee on One Nation, One Election presented its report to the President Amit Shah, BJP They want to dismantle Ambedkar’s Constitution and with what objective -- ‘one nation, no election’ that is what they want Jairam Ramesh, Cong Governments will no more have to worry about people’s Fresh polls due to hung House, no-trust motion fury for five years. It will be the death If fresh polls areCHENNAI TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2023a`9.00 PAGESLSLATE CITY EDITION held to constitute new 22 in the event of a knell for Indian WORLD FOR SHOOTING TEAM GOLD FOR ASIAN GAMES:a no-confidence motion,RECORDtenure will be “only for theWOMEN’S CRICKET SIDE SHOOTING hung House or the Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, back after serving a two match suspension, The men’s 10m air rifle team kept the hosts at bay with a world record STARS AND GOLDEN GIRLS marshalled the bowling troops well to beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs federalism in the score to win the team gold. Their combined 1893.7 eclipsed the record 3      FIVE ■ unexpiredrifle team and the women’s term of the immediately allpreceding eight in term Opting to bat first on a tricky surface, they made 116 before The men’s 10m air (remaining) final. of held by China (1893.3). In fact, three finished in the top full restricting the Islanders to 97. For India, Titas Sadhu excelled with the cricket side won India the first gold medals in ROWERS FINISH ON A HIGH the qualifying but Divyansh didn’t advance as only the top two from ball, picking 3/6 Hangzhou. Amendments to Articles NOC could feature in 172 proposed in this regard in her four overs | each 83 and the final. In the final, Aishwary won bronze the House”.A look at Monday’s haul AsaduddinWITH FIVE MEDALS AIMIM Owaisi, P17 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI LAW PANEL’S ‘ONE POLL’ REPORT TO SUGGEST 2029 ROLLOUT P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi Ram Nath Kovind, chairman of a high-level committee on one nation, one election, presents the report to President Droupadi Murmu, in New Delhi on Thursday | PTI LAYING the groundwork for the Centre’s ‘One Nation, One Poll’ proposal, the 22nd Law Commission will submit its final report on the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, according to top sources in the law ministry. The commission headed by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has been working on the final re- port since February this year. The first meeting of a highlevel committee on simultaneous polls headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind was held last Saturday . The Justice Awasthiled panel held extensive consultations with political parties, bureaucrats, academicians and experts. “I won’t say that there was consensus among parties on the idea,” an official said, adding that the government may send the Law Commission’s report to the Kovind-led committee for their perusal. Speaking to this newspaper, the official said the law panel would recommend synchronised elections in the next five years so that the simultaneous poll rollout will start in 2029. To synchronise Sr IPS officer must probe slapgate: SC Gyanesh Kr and Sukhbir Sandhu are the new ECs M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi RETIRED IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu were on Thursday appointed election commissioners. Their names were cleared by a selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Cong ress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a member of the panel, recorded his dissent. Gyanesh Kumar Former bureaucrats Utp a l Ku m a r Singh, Pradeep K Tripathi, Indevar Pandey, and Sudhir K Gangadhar Rahate Sukhbir Singh were also Sandhu shortlisted. Kumar is a 1988 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, who headed the J&K division in the Union home ministry when Article 370 was read down in 2019. Sandhu, a 1988 batch Uttrakhand cadre IAS officer, is the state’s former chief secretary . W I T H T HIS ISSUE CHENNAI’S BEST WEEKEND GUIDE 42 PAGES, INCLUDING 24 OF INDULGE (TABLOID) If simultaneous elections cannot be conducted, all elections falling due in a calendar year should be conducted together, the panel had suggested. It would require at least five Constitutional amendments. The official further said, “The previous commission gave suggestions for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. We have considered its suggestions on hung House and no-confidence motion, etc,” he said. THE Supreme Court on Mon- dhi, who sought an independent, time-bound probe and registration of FIR. In his plea, Gandhi alleged the child’s family is under pressure to strike a compromise with the offender. He told the court that the police charged the teacher only under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and Sections 323 and 504 of the IPC that deal with cruelty to child and intentionally causing hurt, and not Section 153A of the IPC for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, caste and language. The bench said the IPS officer nominated by the state shall decide on invocation of Section 153A in the FIR. ‘ENSURE PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING’ Congress is now run by urban Naxals, says Modi Bhopal: PM Narendra Modi on Monday tore day Uttar Pradesh report on September 26, 2023,directed theappoint a sen- The SC took exception to the factfor elec- notification shallinto the itcalled the Nadu, which are the victim was due be Congress, government to likening to ‘rusted that counselling of ior officer to monitor the iron’ and alleging that the probe its functioning has that the 22nd Law CommissionIPSinto the Muzaffarnagar 2026, should have beenofficer, their Appointed date,” the panel’s retions in done bythis district welfare done will have saying incident where a Muslim stubeen outsourced to by a professional counsellor and that dent ‘urban Naxals’. He said Congress is too for all the by involved AIADMK general secretary EPS at party headquarters on timeline for was slapped by his classwill suggest a 2029 Monday | terms cut short studentstwo years if port said. mates, on the instruction of no longer run by its leaders | the class teacher, as a punishsynchronised polls to the Lok for poor performance. Lok Sabhaallegations madeare held RTE Act & rules The committeeWill do caste census if polls by the comply with in recommendment “If Terming the incident as se- victim’s parents are correct, framed there under,” the bench Cong wins, a bench of S Sabha and state assemblies. rious,and PankajJustices Are- thispunishmentkind of physi- said incourt also directeded a two-step approach says Rahul 2029. Whileis the worst imparted by The its order. Karnataka, Chhatto holdRaipur: Congress MP Oka Mithal cal the Rahul marked that the UP govern- the teacher… There can’t be UP government provide The rollout of simultaneous primatisgarh, and Telangana whichtovictim as simultaneous Gandhi said ing elections. PM Modi is denying ment facie failed to com- any quality education if a stucounselling to the SCs, STs & OBCs their ply with the provisions of the dent is sought to be penalised well as the other fair share by Right ground the incident. elections will begin in 2029 if to Educationtoofpolls intheparticularwill loseinfourstudents ingo Act and the only on a2028 that he be- volved SC’s order came While the Lok Sabharefusing asand to do the caste Uttar Pradesh Right Chil- longs to commuThe on a census. He said dren prima the newly elected government to Free and Compulsory nity. There is aof the facie fail- plea by Mahatma Gandhi’s years, elections instate to great grandson Tushar GanPunjab, Ut- sembly elections shouldCongpower | be held will do it if voted to Education Rules. ure on part in 2024 accepts the Kovind com- tarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh together in the first step, elecDravidian major cites constant criticism of TN Manipur Wushu player assures medal, TN’s municipalities and mittee’s recommendations and due in 2027 will all have to cur- tions to e-vehicle revolution: BJP, says will form own alliance for LS polls introduces constitutional tail their tenure. father’s sacrifice 40% of EVs sold inconductpanchayats should be India Munusamy told reporters after recalls sleepless nights, the meeting chaired by general THE uneasy relationship bethat nipur. After being assured of a her. Days later, she learnt ed amendments secretary Chennai. K Palanin in Edappadi Parliament. “For synchronisation of elec-sell land to within 100 days of its comtween the AIADMK and BJP, iswami medal in the 60 kg (sanda) cat- her father had to Indian headlines which for four recalled Munusamy said resoluThehadtoendured political tion adopted by therequire biggestwere at the shoot-the House. ofsome fund her travel. was phys- are made in the state amendments don’tthemeeting THE Twotions to egory, Roshibinadaily theThough Roshibina pletion. To hold simultaneous People on Day years due various of those to this and the compulsions, came to an ADVANTAGE TN a nod fromend on said that for the past year the ing rangeandpoignant she tried to go home but could icallyin Srinagar, the thoughts state state leadership, with ul- ground. The most cricket After selection trials in June, camp present in her national State Legislative Assem- elections for local bodies, the Monday with the Dravidian BJP’sgovernments. Some of the natural story, though, was at the Xia- not. All she managed was Im- were elsewhere. She said she major unambiguously calling terior motives, has been critiit quits. The AIADMK the AIADMK’s ideals Once the ex-also an- is enforced, state hostingSports Centre,as phal, Manipur’s Leikai, a usedfamily a lot thinking about TAMIL NADU, India’s produc- advantages thatvast the to law cising and leaders, including oshan Guali Wushu. Eventhe Committee her to cry members and their tion hub for electric vehicles, is sector in TN are aid blies, a Kwasiphai Mayai capital. recom- panel proposed amendments venue nounced that it had Naorem Roshibina Devi was a nondescript village in Bishnu- safety when Manipur ited the BJP-led NationCN Annadurai, and J assemblies formed between of calm, she held sto-that the President of was in steadilylatest data, 40%base. As availability anda trained Armends pur, seemed a distant place due turmoil. The 23-year-old want- per the expanding its of elec- competent of highly include the introduction of picture al Democratic Alliance Jayalalithaa. Besides, tric vehicles sold in India this workforce, and to the tension that had been af- ed to travel back to see her famries. Of a dad’s sacrifice. Of (NDA) and would form the BJP’s state leader(January It . many sleepless nights worry- flicting the state since May this ily Sensing the daughter’s ticle 324A.to September) recommended its own alliance to face ship belittled the AIAD2024 and 2028 will have theirabout the safety of her may, She recollected how her iousness to go home fromanx- year manufactured inalso wide & India par- year. by notification, iswere TN. network the ing the 2024 Lok Sabha MK’s historic state-level Quoting the Ministry of Road supply ents. And the anguish of not father Naorem Damu Singh camp, her father sold a piece of elections. conference held on Autenure curtailed to necessitate able tosued on the date of tothe land to fundsit- Article 325 of the Constitution first her travel. Transport and Highways’ Vachain been visit family in Ma- had to come to Imphal meet The AIADMK’s decigust 20 and has been han Dashboard data, sources in sion, just seven months criticising the party’s synchronised elections in the ting of the House of the People be amended vehicles to enable a single the state industries department before the parliamentageneral secretary . said 10.44 lakh electric ry polls, is seen as a setIn Coimbatore, BJP were registered with and back for Lok Sabha polls. at the state president K An2029 the BJP it was after a general election, bring electoral roll road at asingleensured that Electransport offices till September national level as fast pace and namalai said his party’s 20, one of the few key allies scale national leadership For party. into force the provision of Ar- tor’s and of these, 4.1 lakh were EVproduction quicklyandthe Photo Identitycompanies start . With the manufactured in the state. of the saffroninstance, states such as up Card by would respond to the deOla Electric accounted for foundational advantages of our “The decision to leave velopment. “I will talk 1.75 lakh vehicles the 4.1 the NDA was West taken sector about and Tamil this later,” he Kerala, and in Bengal,BJP state general ticle 82A, and that date of the Election vehiclesofmanufac- automakingandelectronics manCommission. in the progress we lakh electric unanimously are said. P JAWAHAR AIADMK makes break-up official, exits BJP-led NDA P12 P12 T M U R U G A N A N D H A M @ Chennai F I R O Z M I R Z A @ Chennai The decision was taken in deference to the views of more than two crore AIADMK cadre who were outraged by the criticisms of BJP’s state leadership P17 KP Munusamy, AIADMK leader tured in TN, followed by TVS Motor (1.12 lakh) and Ather Energy (77,764). All plants are located in Krishnagiri district. Industries Minister TRB Rajaa told TNIE that this is the result of the state’s inherent strengths as an auto manufacturing hub and the targeted efforts in the past couple of years to boost EV manufacturing. “We have expedited projects secretary Raama Sreenivasan described the AIADMK’s move as unfortunate. “But the BJP will form its own alliance and face the Lok Sabha elections as we did in 2014,” he added. An AIADMK veteran told TNIE, “The general secretary has made a shrewd move though it is a belated one.” P7 ufacturing and EV R&D, TN will soon be an unparalleled global EV hub. We will be hosting an international EV Conclave on November 21 to prom o t e T N ’s b o o m i n g E V industry,” said Rajaa. According to the industries department, `50,000 crore is expected to be invested in EV manufacturing by 2025, resulting in the P7 creation of 1.5 lakh jobs. Future Gaming tops list of bond buyers UNFORTUNATE, WE WILL FORM OWN PACTS: TN BJP Future Gaming And Hotel Services appeared to be the biggest donor to political parties, the SBI’s data on purchase of electoral bonds since 2019 revealed on Thursday Owned by . lottery baron Santiago Martin, Future Gaming’s three companies bought bonds worth `1,368 crore. The company was probed by the ED in March 2022. Last week too, his close aides were questioned by the ED. The data was uploaded by the Election Commission on its website so as to comply with the Supreme Court’s directions. The second big donor was Hyderabad-based Megha group that bought bonds worth `1,186 crore. While Megha Engineering & Infrastructure bought bonds valued at `966 cr. Western UP Power Transmission, part P rana b M o n d a l @ Kolkata West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) boss Mamata Banerjee on Thursday evening sustained a deep cut on her forehead and injured her nose after she was “pushed from behind” at her Kalighat residence in south Kolkata. She was rushed to the state-run SSKM Hospital, where doctors attended to her injuries and closed her wound with four stitches. “Honourable Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee reported to our hospital today 7.30 pm with a history of fall within the vicinity of her home due to some push from behind. She had a cerebral concussion and sharp cut wound on her forehead and nose,” said Manimoy Bandyopadhyay, director of SSKM Hospital, while reading out the medical bulletin. Bandyopadhyay, however, did not elaborate on the “push from behind”. But hospital sources said the reason for any injury is recorded on the basis of the information provided by family members. Mamata’s sister-in-law Kajari said she heard the CM fell due to a push from behind. She was discharged after the doctors found her to be stable. On her way back home, the 69-year-old politician could be seen sitting on the front seat of her vehicle with bandage on her forehead. F rom SSKM Hospital, Mamata was taken to Bangur Institute of Neurology for further tests. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE deference to the views and feelings of more than two crore AIADMK cadre who were outr a g e d by t h e c o n t i n u e d criticisms of the BJP’s state leadership. The AIADMK will face the Lok Sabha elections by forming an alliance with likeminded parties” the party’s deputy general secretary KP M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi Mamata ‘pushed from behind’, sustains injury @ Chennai Senior BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu reacted to the AIADMK’s decision with caution, although certain younger functionaries made sharp comments on social media. BJP state general secretary Raama Sreenivasan told TNIE that though the AIADMK’s decision was unfortunate, the BJP would form its own alliance by joining hands with like-minded parties P6 and face the 2024 Lok Sabha elections like it did in 2014. AUSPICIOUS BEGINNING CANADA’S 2ND INDIA Union defence minister Rajnath an ceremony to induct the first C-295 of Top companies that bought theSingh drawsForceOmatas part ofAirthe pujastation onbondsMW transport the Megha ADVISORY OUT TRAVEL group, spent `220 aircraft into electoral Monday | Indian Air Hindon Force crore on the bonds. Name Amount (In `) Amount (In `) A N O T H E R G L A S S C E I L I N G B RName OKEN Mumbai-based Qwik Supply Future Gaming andarguments1,368 cr deaf lawyer for the first time Chain Pvt Ltd bought bonds SC hears Hotel from Megha EngineeringLtd 966 cr Services and Infrastructure worth `410 crore. Qwik Supply Chain Private Ltd 410 cr Vedanta Ltd 400 cr The poll panel shared the data in two parts. The first set Bharati Group Haldia Energy Ltd 377 cr 247 cr shows buyers’ names and the Essel Mining and Western UP Power 224 cr 220 cr denomination of bonds, while Industries Ltd Transmission the other shows the political Keventer Foodpark Infra Ltd 194 cr Madanlal Ltd 185 cr parties and denomination of Yashoda Super the bonds encashed by them. DLF Group 170 cr 162 cr Speciality Hospital Corporates like Anil AgarwJindal Steel and al’s Vedanta bought `398 crore Utkal Alumina International 145.3 cr 123 cr Power Ltd worth of bonds, while Sunil Mittal’s three firms spent `246 Rungta Sons Birla Carbon India 105 cr 100 cr crore. Steel magnate Lakshmi Piramal Enterprises Dr Reddy’s 80 cr 60 cr Niwas Mittal bought `35 crore Group worth of bonds in his individuNavyuga Engineering 55 cr Shirdi Sai Electricals 40 cr al capacity as did Kiran MazEdelweiss Group 40 cr Cipla Ltd 39.2 cr umdar Shaw, Varun Gupta, B K Goenka and Jainendra Shah. Lakshmi Niwas Mittal 35 cr Grasim Industries 33 cr Bajaj Auto Jindal Stainless 30 cr 25 cr martin bought bonds Sun Pharma Laboratories 25 cr Mankind Pharma 24 cr worth `1,368 cr I P5 Bajaj Finance 20 cr Maruti Suzuki India 20 cr PARVEEN NEGI Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi SH RUTI KA KKAR @ New Delhi FOR the first time, a deaf lawyer argued her case before the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, paving the way for more physically-challenged lawyers to defend their cases. Sarah Sunny on Friday argued her case with the help of an Indian sign language interpreter. Senior advocate Sanchita Ain made a plea to Chief Justice Chandrachud to let Sa- rah argue her case with an interpreter. He immediately gave his assent. This historic moment would not have taken place as the control room responsible for managing virtual hearings hesitated to accommodate Sarah and her interpreter. With the CJI’s approval, the control room accommodated Sarah, who is based in Banga- lore, and her interpreter, Saurav Roychowdhury too appear, ing virtually . As Sarah’s turn came, her interpreter stepped forward and acted as a bridge between her and the world. In the process, he received praise from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who said the speed at which the interpreter is interpreting in sign language is amazing. Sarah’s determination has broken down more barriers. The CJI, when he took his oath of office in November last year, had said, “My work, not words, will speak.” In line with his commitment, he established the “SC Committee on Accessibility,” chaired by Justice S R Bhat. This committee’s mission is to conduct comprehensive accessibility audits of Supreme Court premises and its opera- tions. It involves reaching out to persons with disabilities who visit the Supreme Court, soliciting their feedback, and assessing the nature and extent of the challenges they face. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to ensure that justice is accessible to all and to gain a deep understanding of the hardships faced by differentlyabled individuals in their interactions with the Supreme Court of India. CANADA on Monday updated its travel advisory for its citizens in India asking them to stay vigilant and exercise caution in the wake of the recent developments and the “negative sentiment” towards Canada. This is its second advisory within a week. It sought to flag the threat of terrorist attacks across the country “Avoid non-essential travel to Assam and . Manipur due to risk of terrorism and insurgency and avoid all travel to Jammu and Kashmir due to unpredictability, civil unrest, kidnapping,” it said. The advisory added that Canadian citizens currently in India should avoid all travel to areas within 10 km of the border with Pakistan—which includes the states of Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan—due to the presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance. “The level of tension between India and Pakistan may change suddenly You could experi. ence difficulties when travelling between the two countries,” it said. The advisory noted that the security situation along the border with Pakistan, especially along the Line of Control, remains volatile. in side Moving a step closer to the Centre’s ‘one nation, one election proposal’, a high-level committee led by former President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday recommended simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies and local bodies, in its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu. The voluminous report, which runs into more than 18,000 pages, proposes several constitutional amendments to hold synchronised elections across the country Most of the . proposed amendments do not need ratification by states. The report, which was prepared after extensive consultations with stakeholders, said simultaneous polls will spur development and social cohesion, deepen “foundations of the democratic rubric” and help realise the aspirations of “India, that is Bharat”. To synchronise the terms of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the panel has proposed the insertion of Article 82A into the Constitution. It says that the new government which takes charge after the Lok Sabha election should set an ‘appointed date’ to effect the constitutional changes. All the state Assemblies that are formed after the ‘appointed date’ would have their terms expire with the Lok Sabha. This newspaper was the first to the elections, the process has to begin from this year, the official said. He also dismissed the possibility of holding simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in 2024. The commission has drawn most of its recommendations from the draft report of the pre- tion timings in certain states, such that polls to all state assemblies and the Lok Sabha may be held together. If assembly elections are due before Lok Sabha elections, it said that the term of these assemblies may be extended to synchronise it with the Lok Sabha elections, by amending the Constitution. “We have also made proposals on similar lines. It is up to the government to take the final call,” the official said. PRE S READ YOU READ IT FIRST here: TNIE broke the story last year on one nation, one poll synchronisation in our SeptemberE X26thS edition S H R U T I K A K K A R @ New Delhi P reetha N air @ New Delhi vious Law Commission led by Justice B S Chauhan, submitted in 2018, said the source. “We have taken many recommendations of the Justice Chauhan committee report into consideration. On the same lines as the previous law commission’s report, we have recommended synchronisation of elections in the next five years,” he said. The suggestions of the previous Law Commission included advancing or postponing elec- PRESS CLUSIVE West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress head Mamata Banerjee after she was injured, at a hospital in Kolkata | PTI Drug bust: CM files libel suits on EPS, Annamalai R S I V A K U M A R @ Chennai Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday filed two criminal defamation suits against AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and state BJP president K Annamalai for linking him to drug peddling and making defamatory and scandalous remarks against him. The petitions come in the wake of comments made by the opposition leaders regarding the arrest of Jaffar Sadiq, an expelled DMK functionary by the Narcotics Control Bureau in an , international drug ring. The defamation petitions were filed through City Public Prosecutor G Devarajan at the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai under Section 199 (2) of CrPC seeking to prosecute the two leaders under Sections 499 and 500 of IPC. Devarajan, in his complaint said Palaniswami, in a press meet, made defamatory statements against the CM, intending to harm the reputation of Stalin in respect of his conduct in the discharge of his public functions. “The defamatory statement was made without any basis or evidence against the public servant / constitutional functionary,” the petition said. Saying that the CM has taken all steps towards “zero cultivation of ganja” in the state, the petition gave a detailed account of the steps taken by the CM to end drug menace in the state. Another defamation petition was filed against Annamalai for alleging that the chief minister is involved in the distribution of pseudoephedrine by aiding drug peddlers. Since the scandalous statements of both the leaders constitute defamation having ‘a direct and reasonable nexus’ with the discharge of public functions of the CM, they are punishable under Section 500 of IPC, the petition said.  Continued on: P7 India to export rly wheels, Tangedco deaths on rise, 40 staff killed in 9 months trains made in TN plants E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai Seventy years after it first star ted impor ting forged wheels for railway use, India is all set to become an exporter of the train component, Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Chennai on Thursday Plans are also on to . export standard gauge Vande Bharat trains manufactured in Chennai’s ICF plant to other countries, Vaishnaw said. Talking to reporters after the inauguration of the Chennai Design Centre of US-based semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm, the minister, who also holds the portfolio of electronics and information technology said construction activ, ities for setting up the plant to produce forged wheels has commenced in Tamil Nadu. Continued on: P7 S G U R U V A N M I G A N AT H A N & N DHAMOTHARAN @ Chennai/Coimbatore Accident deaths linked to state power utility Tangedco continue to rise in Tamil Nadu with at least 40 employees of the organisation and 487 nonworkers being killed in nine months (April to December) of 2023-24. While employees attribute the rise in accidents to increasing work pressure, poor training of personnel, and large number of vacancies, officials blame it on negligence of the staff to adhere to safety protocol and their alleged failure to use proper safety gear during work. According to the data accessed by TNIE, there has been 8% to 10% jump in accidents for the past three years, with 978 accidents (741 fatal) recorded in the first nine months of 2021-22, and 1,065 accidents (809 fatal) recorded over the same period in 2022-23. A total of 1,152 Tangedco-related accidents, including 868 fatal ones, were recorded in nine months in 2023-24. A total of 341 animals were also killed in these accidents. The data on deaths of common citizens include only those fatal accidents that happened in public places involving Tangedco property and not deaths in private properties due to electrocution or other factors. While category-wise data on fatal accidents involving employees, general public, and animals are not available for 2021-22 and 2022-23, a senior Tangedco official said the death of employees in accidents had gone up from 25 in 2022-23 to 40 in 2023-24. Data also show that accidents are happening across the state. Seven of 12 regions of Tangedco recorded more than 100 accidents between April and December of 2023-24.  P7