Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Monday, October 24, 2011
Kani will not go home for Diwali; order reserved till Nov 3
The special CBI Court has reserved its order on DMK MP Kanimozhi's bail plea. This means that she will have to remain in Tihar till Nov 3rd. The order has been reserved for 6 others accused in the 2G spectrum case including Sharad Kumar, Asif Balwa, Rajiv Agarwal and Karim Morani.
The CBI had earlier stated that it will not oppose the bail plea of Kanimozhi and 4 others who were accused in the case.
RK Chandolia and Shahid Balwa's bail plea will however be heard on Oct 31st. The CBI had opposed the bail plea of the duo.
The matter will be a big setback for DMK Chief Karunanidhi who was stationed in New Delhi till the time Kanimozhi secures bail. He had lobbied hard by meeting Sonia Gandhi and PM Manmohan Singh ahead of the bail plea hearing.
big data for beginners
The CBI had earlier stated that it will not oppose the bail plea of Kanimozhi and 4 others who were accused in the case.
RK Chandolia and Shahid Balwa's bail plea will however be heard on Oct 31st. The CBI had opposed the bail plea of the duo.
The matter will be a big setback for DMK Chief Karunanidhi who was stationed in New Delhi till the time Kanimozhi secures bail. He had lobbied hard by meeting Sonia Gandhi and PM Manmohan Singh ahead of the bail plea hearing.
big data for beginners
Thursday, September 22, 2011
2G: Chidambaram should resign or PM must drop him, says Jayalathithaa
Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday demanded that home minister P Chidambaram resign in the wake of the finance ministry's note on the 2G spectrum issue or Prime Minister Manmohan Singh drop him from the Cabinet.
"It is quite clear that Mr Chidambaram is deeply involved in the 2G spectrum scam, which according to the CAG's report has caused a loss of over Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the Indian exchequer," she said when asked about the finance ministry's note to the PMO that Chidambaram, the then finance minister, could have insisted on the spectrum auction.
She said Chidambaram should immediately resign from his post or else the Prime Minister should drop him from the Cabinet.
"The CBI should proceed against Chidambaram, as they did against A Raja...", Jayalalithaa said.
The AIADMK supremo, however, refused to comment on DMK's claim that the note could help former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi, now in jail on the issue.
"I would not like to comment on that. I will stop with whatever I have said," she said.
In a document submitted before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the finance ministry had said the telecom ministry could have gone in for auction of 2G spectrum licenses had the then finance minister P Chidambaram insisted on this.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2G-Chidambaram-should-resign-or-PM-must-drop-him-says-Jayalathithaa/articleshow/10079468.cms
"It is quite clear that Mr Chidambaram is deeply involved in the 2G spectrum scam, which according to the CAG's report has caused a loss of over Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the Indian exchequer," she said when asked about the finance ministry's note to the PMO that Chidambaram, the then finance minister, could have insisted on the spectrum auction.
She said Chidambaram should immediately resign from his post or else the Prime Minister should drop him from the Cabinet.
"The CBI should proceed against Chidambaram, as they did against A Raja...", Jayalalithaa said.
The AIADMK supremo, however, refused to comment on DMK's claim that the note could help former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi, now in jail on the issue.
"I would not like to comment on that. I will stop with whatever I have said," she said.
In a document submitted before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the finance ministry had said the telecom ministry could have gone in for auction of 2G spectrum licenses had the then finance minister P Chidambaram insisted on this.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2G-Chidambaram-should-resign-or-PM-must-drop-him-says-Jayalathithaa/articleshow/10079468.cms
Raja has been vindicated, says DMK after 2G spectrum note
Against the backdrop of the finance ministry note on 2G spectrum pricing, DMK, a key UPA ally, on Thursday maintained that the stand taken by jailed former telecom minister A Raja on the issue has been 'vindicated'.
"The crux of the entire case is that Raja violated all advice by the Prime Minister and finance ministry. The letter (by finance ministry) says that the then finance minister had agreed to the fixed price, non-auction rule. This vindicates Raja's stand," top DMK sources said.
In a document submitted before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, finance ministry had said that the telecom cinistry could have gone in for auction of 2G spectrum licenses had the then finance minister P Chidambaram insisted on this.
Raja, who quit as telecom minister last year in the wake of CAG findings on losses caused to the exchequer over non-auction of spectrum, had told a court that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram had been kept in the loop.
The March 25, 2011 office memorandum by the finance ministry sent to the Prime Minister's Office also suggested that Chidambaram and Raja had jointly determined the price for the 2G spectrum in 2008.
The document was filed in the apex court by Janata party leader Subramanian Swamy, who has sought probe against Chidambaram for his alleged culpability in the price fixation of the spectrum, contending that CBI was only holding Raja for the loss of revenue to the exchequer in the spectrum allocation.
"The crux of the entire case is that Raja violated all advice by the Prime Minister and finance ministry. The letter (by finance ministry) says that the then finance minister had agreed to the fixed price, non-auction rule. This vindicates Raja's stand," top DMK sources said.
In a document submitted before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, finance ministry had said that the telecom cinistry could have gone in for auction of 2G spectrum licenses had the then finance minister P Chidambaram insisted on this.
Raja, who quit as telecom minister last year in the wake of CAG findings on losses caused to the exchequer over non-auction of spectrum, had told a court that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram had been kept in the loop.
The March 25, 2011 office memorandum by the finance ministry sent to the Prime Minister's Office also suggested that Chidambaram and Raja had jointly determined the price for the 2G spectrum in 2008.
The document was filed in the apex court by Janata party leader Subramanian Swamy, who has sought probe against Chidambaram for his alleged culpability in the price fixation of the spectrum, contending that CBI was only holding Raja for the loss of revenue to the exchequer in the spectrum allocation.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
2G case: Kanimozhi to remain in jail till May 30 as HC issues notice to CBI
The Delhi high court on Tuesday issued notice to the CBI on the bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar in the 2G spectrum case.
"Issue notice to the CBI for May 30," Justice Ajit Bharihoke, who on Monday dismissed the bail pleas of five corporate honchos in the case, said.
The court also asked the probe agency to file a status report detailing the stage of investigation and the judicial proceedings in the case on the next date of hearing.
Kanimozhi, the 43-year-old daughter of DMK Supremo M Karunanidhi, and Sharad Kumar had approached the high court on Monday with their bail applications after the special CBI court order their "forthwith" arrest on May 20.
Rejecting their bail applications, the special court had said that the offence attributed to them was grave and the possibility of influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
"Issue notice to the CBI for May 30," Justice Ajit Bharihoke, who on Monday dismissed the bail pleas of five corporate honchos in the case, said.
The court also asked the probe agency to file a status report detailing the stage of investigation and the judicial proceedings in the case on the next date of hearing.
Kanimozhi, the 43-year-old daughter of DMK Supremo M Karunanidhi, and Sharad Kumar had approached the high court on Monday with their bail applications after the special CBI court order their "forthwith" arrest on May 20.
Rejecting their bail applications, the special court had said that the offence attributed to them was grave and the possibility of influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Monday, May 23, 2011
Karunanidhi in Delhi, to meet daughter Kanimozhi in jail today
DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi will have a special visitor at Tihar Jail, where she has been lodged since Friday.
Her 87-year-old father, DMK chief M Karunanidhi, is in Delhi to meet his youngest child. He is expected to meet Kanimozhi at Tihar Jail, in the Superintendent's office, at around 5 pm today.
Karunanidhi's older son and Union minister MK Alagiri will accompany him to Delhi. His younger son, MK Stalin, is also likely to reach Delhi in the evening.
Kanimozhi, meanwhile, moved the Delhi High Court today for bail in the 2G case.
She was arrested on Friday after her bail plea was dismissed by a special Delhi court. She has been named a co-accused in the 2G case by the CBI. She will be brought to court on Monday for the daily hearing in the case.
After being arrested on Friday and spending her first night in jail, a stoic Kanimozhi had appeared in court on Saturday morning along with others accused in the case. She managed a smile as she met her husband and greeted party workers waiting outside the court for her. Her mother, Rajathi Ammal, however, had broken down. Surrounded by many party workers, the two then sat together in the court, holding hands.
"I'm ok. Have to now deal with whatever comes my way," Kanimozhi told NDTV in court on Saturday.
Kanimozhi has been chargesheeted by the CBI for allegedly conspiring with former Telecom Minister A Raja and accepting a Rs. 214-crore bribe via Kalaignar TV. Raja, a DMK MP and a Dalit leader, has been in Tihar Jail since February for allegedly planning and executing the 2G scam when he was Telecom Minister in 2008. A company that he favoured allegedly sent him the massive bribe.
The bail plea of Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharath Kumar was also rejected by Special CBI Judge OP Saini on Friday. He too was taken to jail. Kanimozhi and Kumar hold 20 per cent stake each in Kalaignar TV, while former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's wife and Kanimozhi's step mother Dayalu Ammal holds 60 per cent share.
Justice Saini said bail had been dismissed due to the magnitude of the crime and given the seriousness of the allegations, he was unable to show any consideration to her being a woman. Kanimozhi's lawyer had argued that she should be given reprieve on the grounds that she was a woman and mother to a young child. Bail has not been granted to any of the accused in the case.
Kanimozhi is lodged in jail number 6 (women's cell) and ward number 8 in Tihar Jail. Her new neighbours include Madhuri Gupta - a former Indian diplomat charged with spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Sharda Jain, a murder accused.
Source: NDtv
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A Ganesh Nadar analyses the 12 reasons that made the DMK bite the dust in state elections
Karunanidhi was out-freebied by Jayalalithaa
1) Many people attributed the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam's win in the 2006 assembly elections to its lucrative promise of free TV sets for every household. After coming to power, the party spent Rs 4,000 crore from the public exchequer to distribute the TV sets. They also introduced an innovative medi-claim card to provide insurance for poor families.
In spite of these and other pro-poor schemes, the DMK not only lost the assembly elections this year, but lost very badly.
DMK's arch rival All India Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam chief J Jayalalithaa took off some of the shine of their freebie freefall by announcing several schemes of her own.
Now that the AIADMK has come to power, the people of Tamil Nadu will get free grinders, mixers and fans. Families living below the poverty line well get free rice and mineral water. They have even been promised free gold when their daughters get married.
2)2G scam was an issue in the countryside too
The 2G scam, implicating DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi, peaked at the right time, as the state went into election mode. There were allegations that a huge amount was paid by a grandson in the family to his grandmother for a Cabinet post.
The Neera Radia tapes had already caused considerable damage to the DMK's first family. The tapes also exposed the hectic lobbying that had taken place to make Raja the telecom minister. Those who had lobbied for him were now in the dock in a scam which was worth a whopping Rs 176 lakh crore.
Though the 2G scam made waves in urban India, DMK leaders naively thought that it would not have much impact in rural areas. They were wrong.
Rural Tamil Nadu may not have been aware of the intricacies of the 2G scam but they were definitely aware of its magnitude.
The people in rural pockets felt that the ruling party had taken them for a ride while its leaders made enormous amounts of money for themselves. They were not sure how the money had been made but they knew a lot of it had been siphoned off.
At the grass root level, DMK functionaries did not defend the 2G accused. They chose to laugh at the accusations. One DMK councillor in Nagaipattinam was telling the people, "They are accusing us of selling air waves. How can you sell air?"
He thought he was being funny. But the people saw no humour in these utterances; instead they sensed brazen corruption. And they decided to teach the DMK a lesson.
DMK supremo Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi being named a co-conspirator along with Raja, who is already behind bars, did not help the DMK's cause either.
The money trail in the 2G scam led straight to Kalaignar TV where the first family owns 80 per cent of the shares. Then chief minister Karunandhi's wife Dayalu Ammal owned 60 per cent of the shares and daughter Kanimozhi owned 20 per cent.
People did not need further proof of the DMK's corrupt dealings, though Kalaignar TV has claimed that the Rs 214 crore it received from DB Realty was a loan which the network has since returned.
3) Voters didn't buy DMK's logic for inflation
Inflation was another major cause behind the DMK's electoral reverses. Instead of taking steps to control prices, the state government tried to dodge the blame by pointing out that prices were going up all over the country. Such logic would not have mattered to the voters of Tamil Nadu who were unable to purchase even basic food items due to soaring prices.
4) Fluctuating bus fares were another reason for the DMK's loss. For the same distance travelled in a bus, the commuter sometimes paid double and even triple the regular fare. The state road transport corporation classified certain buses as 'limited stop services' and tagged it with other nomenclatures. This meant hiked fares but not additional comforts.
5) State govt didn't do enough for Lankan Tamils
Frequent cases of firing by the Lankan Navy on Indian fishermen also dented the DMK's popularity in coastal Tamil Nadu. These fishermen would either be attacked or their catch seized by the Lankan Navy.
Though fishermen did stray into Lankan waters for a better catch, they felt that the DMK did not do enough to protect them from the neighbouring nation's navy.
6) Another factor against the DMK government was the skyrocketing price of river sand that is used for construction. As a result, there was rampant sand smuggling and the people blamed the ruling party for it.
7) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam chief Prabhakaran was killed by the Lankan Army barely days after the Lok Sabha polls in 2009. Some political experts in Tamil Nadu felt that the rebel leader's killing was planned to take place after the polls.
Many believe that the DMK government did not do its best to protect innocent Lankan Tamils who were trapped between the army and the LTTE in the last stages of the civil war. They feel that had the DMK been more proactive, a lot of innocent lives could have been saved.
As one disgusted voter put it, "Writing letters to the prime minister does not help in such situations."
8. Congress, DMK's bitter seat-sharing
Another important reason for the DMK's loss was the lack of unity within the ruling family. Karunanaidhi's son and Union minister M K Azhagiri was openly challenging his younger brother and father's heir apparent Stalin.
Though nobody in the party admitted that the two brothers were pulling in opposite directions, the infighting didn't exactly boost the cadre's morale before the elections.
9) During seat-sharing talks, ally Congress bullied the DMK into parting with 15 more seats. Before the 2006 assembly polls, the Congress had been given 48 seats but this time they got 63 seats. This did not go down well with DMK cadres who always thought of the Congress as a junior party in the alliance.
DMK members did not bother to work hard in the constituencies the Congress contested from. And irrespective of their tall claims, the Congress simply doesn't have enough workers of its own in every village in Tamil Nadu.
In Bihar, the Congress had contested the recently held assembly polls on its own and won four seats. In Tamil Nadu, in spite of the combined strength of all its allies, the party managed to win only five seats. In a quid pro quo, Congress members didn't work hard or campaign much in seats that the DMK contested because of the bitter seat-sharing exercise.
10) Tirade against Vijayakanth backfired
In the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, the Vijayakanth led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam had secured 10 per cent of the votes across Tamil Nadu. If this was added to the votes won by the AIADMK, the coalition would have easily won.
Keeping this in mind, Jayalalithaaa ensured an alliance with the DMDK this time, in spite of initial hiccups in the seat-sharing talks. She even agreed to give them 41 seats.
The AIADMK chief's strategic move paid off. The DMDK won 29 seats and the AIADMK won 150 seats (inclusive of the two seats won by Sharat Kumar's Akila India Samathuva Makkal Katchi). The DMDK managed to win more seats than the ruling DMK and pushed the party to the third place. Worse for the DMK, Vijayakanth will be the new leader of the opposition in the assembly.
The DMK had recruited popular Tamil comedian Vadivelu to counter Vijayakanth, who toured the entire state and attracted huge crowds wherever he went. He had a one-point agenda: attacking Vijayakanth.
He called Vijayakanth a drunkard and declared that he was unfit to be a 'captain'. Vijayakanth is fondly known as captain among his supporters after he essayed the role of Captain Prabhakaran in a film. Vadivelu's tirade against Vijayakanth has obviously backfired and next time, we are sure Vadivelu will only stick to acting.
11) No solution for power cuts
Another reason behind the DMK's debacle were the persistent power cuts. Though Tamil Nadu has always grappled with power shortage, the frequency of power cuts went through the roof right before the elections. Along with pre-scheduled power cuts for three hours, unscheduled power cuts lasting between 30 minutes and an hour became the norm.
Instead of taking steps to counter the power crisis, the DMK government blamed the previous AIADMK government's regime for the electricity shortage. People laughed at this excuse.
Incidentally, in spite of the party doing very badly in the state elections, DMK chief M Karunanidhi performed extremely well and won his seat with a whopping margin of over 50,000 votes. But the same cannot be said about his son and former deputy chief minister MK Stalin, who managed to hold onto his seat by a little over 2,000 votes.
Stalin can hardly call this a victory.
12) First family was taking over Kollywood
Films play a major role in Tamil Nadu politics. People soon realised that the state's first family was controlling Kollywood as well.
The family-owned Sun Pictures was releasing films regularly while three of Karunanidhi's grandsons produced movies as well. The people felt that others were not being given a chance in the film industry.
Many actors openly complained that they were being forced to attend political functions against their will. This did not go down well with the people of Tamil Nadu, who love their stars with a passion that the rest of the country will not understand.
The DMK has a tough three years ahead of it, before heading into the next Lok Sabha elections in 2014. They first have to deal with the 2G trial and then get their act together to present a united front to the people.
Stalin will have to use all the skills that his father has taught him over four decades and only then will the sun (the DMK's party symbol) continue to rise.
Source rediff.com
1) Many people attributed the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam's win in the 2006 assembly elections to its lucrative promise of free TV sets for every household. After coming to power, the party spent Rs 4,000 crore from the public exchequer to distribute the TV sets. They also introduced an innovative medi-claim card to provide insurance for poor families.
In spite of these and other pro-poor schemes, the DMK not only lost the assembly elections this year, but lost very badly.
DMK's arch rival All India Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam chief J Jayalalithaa took off some of the shine of their freebie freefall by announcing several schemes of her own.
Now that the AIADMK has come to power, the people of Tamil Nadu will get free grinders, mixers and fans. Families living below the poverty line well get free rice and mineral water. They have even been promised free gold when their daughters get married.
2)2G scam was an issue in the countryside too
The 2G scam, implicating DMK leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi, peaked at the right time, as the state went into election mode. There were allegations that a huge amount was paid by a grandson in the family to his grandmother for a Cabinet post.
The Neera Radia tapes had already caused considerable damage to the DMK's first family. The tapes also exposed the hectic lobbying that had taken place to make Raja the telecom minister. Those who had lobbied for him were now in the dock in a scam which was worth a whopping Rs 176 lakh crore.
Though the 2G scam made waves in urban India, DMK leaders naively thought that it would not have much impact in rural areas. They were wrong.
Rural Tamil Nadu may not have been aware of the intricacies of the 2G scam but they were definitely aware of its magnitude.
The people in rural pockets felt that the ruling party had taken them for a ride while its leaders made enormous amounts of money for themselves. They were not sure how the money had been made but they knew a lot of it had been siphoned off.
At the grass root level, DMK functionaries did not defend the 2G accused. They chose to laugh at the accusations. One DMK councillor in Nagaipattinam was telling the people, "They are accusing us of selling air waves. How can you sell air?"
He thought he was being funny. But the people saw no humour in these utterances; instead they sensed brazen corruption. And they decided to teach the DMK a lesson.
DMK supremo Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi being named a co-conspirator along with Raja, who is already behind bars, did not help the DMK's cause either.
The money trail in the 2G scam led straight to Kalaignar TV where the first family owns 80 per cent of the shares. Then chief minister Karunandhi's wife Dayalu Ammal owned 60 per cent of the shares and daughter Kanimozhi owned 20 per cent.
People did not need further proof of the DMK's corrupt dealings, though Kalaignar TV has claimed that the Rs 214 crore it received from DB Realty was a loan which the network has since returned.
3) Voters didn't buy DMK's logic for inflation
Inflation was another major cause behind the DMK's electoral reverses. Instead of taking steps to control prices, the state government tried to dodge the blame by pointing out that prices were going up all over the country. Such logic would not have mattered to the voters of Tamil Nadu who were unable to purchase even basic food items due to soaring prices.
4) Fluctuating bus fares were another reason for the DMK's loss. For the same distance travelled in a bus, the commuter sometimes paid double and even triple the regular fare. The state road transport corporation classified certain buses as 'limited stop services' and tagged it with other nomenclatures. This meant hiked fares but not additional comforts.
5) State govt didn't do enough for Lankan Tamils
Frequent cases of firing by the Lankan Navy on Indian fishermen also dented the DMK's popularity in coastal Tamil Nadu. These fishermen would either be attacked or their catch seized by the Lankan Navy.
Though fishermen did stray into Lankan waters for a better catch, they felt that the DMK did not do enough to protect them from the neighbouring nation's navy.
6) Another factor against the DMK government was the skyrocketing price of river sand that is used for construction. As a result, there was rampant sand smuggling and the people blamed the ruling party for it.
7) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam chief Prabhakaran was killed by the Lankan Army barely days after the Lok Sabha polls in 2009. Some political experts in Tamil Nadu felt that the rebel leader's killing was planned to take place after the polls.
Many believe that the DMK government did not do its best to protect innocent Lankan Tamils who were trapped between the army and the LTTE in the last stages of the civil war. They feel that had the DMK been more proactive, a lot of innocent lives could have been saved.
As one disgusted voter put it, "Writing letters to the prime minister does not help in such situations."
8. Congress, DMK's bitter seat-sharing
Another important reason for the DMK's loss was the lack of unity within the ruling family. Karunanaidhi's son and Union minister M K Azhagiri was openly challenging his younger brother and father's heir apparent Stalin.
Though nobody in the party admitted that the two brothers were pulling in opposite directions, the infighting didn't exactly boost the cadre's morale before the elections.
9) During seat-sharing talks, ally Congress bullied the DMK into parting with 15 more seats. Before the 2006 assembly polls, the Congress had been given 48 seats but this time they got 63 seats. This did not go down well with DMK cadres who always thought of the Congress as a junior party in the alliance.
DMK members did not bother to work hard in the constituencies the Congress contested from. And irrespective of their tall claims, the Congress simply doesn't have enough workers of its own in every village in Tamil Nadu.
In Bihar, the Congress had contested the recently held assembly polls on its own and won four seats. In Tamil Nadu, in spite of the combined strength of all its allies, the party managed to win only five seats. In a quid pro quo, Congress members didn't work hard or campaign much in seats that the DMK contested because of the bitter seat-sharing exercise.
10) Tirade against Vijayakanth backfired
In the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, the Vijayakanth led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam had secured 10 per cent of the votes across Tamil Nadu. If this was added to the votes won by the AIADMK, the coalition would have easily won.
Keeping this in mind, Jayalalithaaa ensured an alliance with the DMDK this time, in spite of initial hiccups in the seat-sharing talks. She even agreed to give them 41 seats.
The AIADMK chief's strategic move paid off. The DMDK won 29 seats and the AIADMK won 150 seats (inclusive of the two seats won by Sharat Kumar's Akila India Samathuva Makkal Katchi). The DMDK managed to win more seats than the ruling DMK and pushed the party to the third place. Worse for the DMK, Vijayakanth will be the new leader of the opposition in the assembly.
The DMK had recruited popular Tamil comedian Vadivelu to counter Vijayakanth, who toured the entire state and attracted huge crowds wherever he went. He had a one-point agenda: attacking Vijayakanth.
He called Vijayakanth a drunkard and declared that he was unfit to be a 'captain'. Vijayakanth is fondly known as captain among his supporters after he essayed the role of Captain Prabhakaran in a film. Vadivelu's tirade against Vijayakanth has obviously backfired and next time, we are sure Vadivelu will only stick to acting.
11) No solution for power cuts
Another reason behind the DMK's debacle were the persistent power cuts. Though Tamil Nadu has always grappled with power shortage, the frequency of power cuts went through the roof right before the elections. Along with pre-scheduled power cuts for three hours, unscheduled power cuts lasting between 30 minutes and an hour became the norm.
Instead of taking steps to counter the power crisis, the DMK government blamed the previous AIADMK government's regime for the electricity shortage. People laughed at this excuse.
Incidentally, in spite of the party doing very badly in the state elections, DMK chief M Karunanidhi performed extremely well and won his seat with a whopping margin of over 50,000 votes. But the same cannot be said about his son and former deputy chief minister MK Stalin, who managed to hold onto his seat by a little over 2,000 votes.
Stalin can hardly call this a victory.
12) First family was taking over Kollywood
Films play a major role in Tamil Nadu politics. People soon realised that the state's first family was controlling Kollywood as well.
The family-owned Sun Pictures was releasing films regularly while three of Karunanidhi's grandsons produced movies as well. The people felt that others were not being given a chance in the film industry.
Many actors openly complained that they were being forced to attend political functions against their will. This did not go down well with the people of Tamil Nadu, who love their stars with a passion that the rest of the country will not understand.
The DMK has a tough three years ahead of it, before heading into the next Lok Sabha elections in 2014. They first have to deal with the 2G trial and then get their act together to present a united front to the people.
Stalin will have to use all the skills that his father has taught him over four decades and only then will the sun (the DMK's party symbol) continue to rise.
Source rediff.com
Saturday, May 7, 2011
2G scam: Kanimozhi's bail decision reserved till May 14
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Saturday reserved for a week its decision on the bail plea by DMK MP Kanimozhi, named a co-conspirator in the 2G spectrum allocation case.Special CBI judge OP Saini said the case will be taken up on May 14.
Earlier on Saturday, the CBI prosecutor said the DMK MP was the "active brain" associated with co-accused A Raja in the second generation (2G) spectrum allotment issue.
"It is totally false that she was not at all aware of the transfer of Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV, because she was the director at that time. Kanimozhi is the active brain behind the entire episode of the 2G spectrum scam," CBI prosecutor UU Lalit said to Special CBI judge OP Saini.
"It was later that she resigned from Kalignar TV as she was also the MP. Sharad Kumar took over at that time," Lalit said.
The CBI had on Friday stated the link between former communications minister A Raja and Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi in the scam.
"It is totally baseless to say that Kanimozhi was not associated to Raja. She has fully participated along with Raja from the beginning till the end of the second generation spectrum allocation," Lalit had argued.
Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, arguing for Kanimozhi, had stated Kanimozhi's dissociation with Raja, who is in jail for his alleged role in the case.
"Even if we assume that Raja got transferred the Rs.200 crore bribe money from Dynamix Group to Kalaignar TV, no guilt is proved against me as I did not sign any document on behalf of the recipient TV channel," Jethmalani argued for Kanimozhi, who has a stake in Kalaignar TV.
The CBI had alleged in its chargesheet that Kanimozhi had actively pursued with intermediaries and her party the reappointment of Raja as communications minister.
Kanimozhi had earlier applied for bail on Friday.
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