Rajini’s political drama is now KHATAM KHATAM!

Rajini’s political drama is now KHATAM KHATAM!

There was the promise of a miracle, a now-or-never resolve to change everything. But the script that Rajini said he would set out to write ended before it could begin. His statement said it all — Rajini’s political journey is over, in the words of Baba “mudinjadu mudinju pochu”

Superstar’s Exit To Help AIADMK, DMK, Upset BJP Plans

Jaya.Menon@timesgroup.com

In 1996, when actor Rajinikanth’s powerful one-liner – ‘even God can’t save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa returns to power’ – hit the high notes ahead of the assembly election, the political party that benefited the most was the DMK. Twenty-four years later, ahead of another assembly election, the DMK is rejoicing again, and the AIADMK is sighing in relief.

The DMK was worried that Rajinikanth would take away a chunk of votes that would otherwise have come to it because of the anti-incumbency factor. The AIADMK, meanwhile, is happy that it would now be able to negotiate with the allies, especially the BJP, from a stronger position.

For the DMK, Rajini’s entry may have meant reworking its poll strategy and arithmetic. On December 3, when Rajinikanth tweeted that he would launch his political party in January after an announcement on December 31, it set off a scramble among parties to revise their strategies. “The DMK decided not to react until the actor tossed his hat in the ring,” said a senior party leader. When DMK president M K Stalin was asked to comment, he merely said, “Let Rajinikanth launch his party first.” There has not been a mention of Rajini since. “It was a conscious strategy to generate the perception that the DMK did not care,” said the leader.

For chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Rajini’s participation in politics would have meant a return of personality politics. Trying to emerge from J Jayalalithaa’s shadows, Rajini’s celluloid charisma may have proved disconcerting for the ‘farmer-common man’ CM candidate. But Palaniswami, too, put on an appearance of nonchalance. “Let him first register his party, I’ll comment then,” he had said.

For the AIADMK, Rajini’s dalliance with spiritual politics may have led to significant erosion of the Hindu vote base that they share. But for the ruling party, it would now be easier at the negotiating table when potential allies, the BJP, PMK and the DMDK sit to talk seat-sharing. Within the party too, senior leaders could have played power politics using Rajini as a bait.

The BJP, which has been plotting a longterm plan to breach the Dravidian fort with Rajini as an interim disruptor, must be the most disappointed with the turn of events. It had spent months, even years, hoping to persuade Rajinikanth to take the political plunge, so it could ride piggyback, if not ride along with the star. The TN poll arena would once again see a straight fight between the DMK and the AIADMK.

FLIPS AND FLOPS

1995 | “Bomb culture is spreading in Tamil Nadu”, this was Rajinikanth’s first political statement, referring to a crude bomb blast near Mani Ratnam’s residence, at the silver jubilee function of ‘Baasha’

1996 | “Even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if Jayalalithaa returns to power.” DMK and TMC, a breakaway faction of Congress, swept the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. J Jayalalithaa herself was defeated

2002 | Promised to develop a people’s movement to interlink rivers. Later, termed J Jayalalithaa as ‘dhairya Lakshmi’ at a felicitation function

2004 | Pledged support for BJP indirectly by letting in camera crew of television news channels when he was casting his vote Kept away from politics for a while. During every election, a statement was issued on his behalf asking political parties not to use his name or image to seek votes

Dec 31, 2017 | Made his first official statement about entering politics. “I will launch my party in time for the next assembly elections and put up candidates in all 234 seats. I will practise spiritual politics, which is above caste, creed and religion.”

Mar 2018 | Spoke about giving MGR’s rule. “I am not MGR. But I can give a propoor rule like MGR,” he said, while addressing students of a private university .

Mar 2020 | “I want to see an uprising and wave for a change from people. I will come to politics then. It is not easy to take on AIADMK and DMK, with their established base and money bags. I will not be the CM. Will guide from behind.”

Dec 3, 2020 | “I will launch my political party in January. An announcement will be made on December 31, 2020.”

Dec 29, 2020 | “I will not be able to launch a party to enter electoral politics. Only I know the pain behind this announcement.”

AIADMK and DMK had played down Rajini’s call to enter politics, with both parties saying the actor needed to float an outfit first

7 who arrived from UK test +ve for mutated virus strain

7 who arrived from UK test +ve for mutated virus strain

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:30.12.2020

The new UK variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus — which is 70% more transmissible — has been detected in India with at least seven returnees from the country, including a two-year-old girl, testing positive for the mutant variant, the government said on Tuesday. Vaccines under evaluation will work against the new strain, too, the Centre said.

“Most vaccines do target the spike protein (and) there are changes in the variants. But vaccines stimulate our immune system to produce a wide range of protective antibodies,” principal scientific adviser K Vijay Raghavan said. The changes seen in the variant virus allow it to attack and enter human cells more effectively.

Chennai man tests +ve for new variant

A 25-year-old Chennai man, who returned from the UK, tested positive for the new virus strain. He has been admitted to the National Institute of Ageing in Guindy and is stable. The number of cases in TN, meanwhile, fell below the 1,000-mark after 212 days.

UK returnee who fled to AP is +ve

The AP government is on high alert after reports confirmed that the 47-year-old woman from the UK who had evaded health authorities at Delhi airport and returned to AP on a train last week was carrying the mutated coronavirus strain. P 14

UP confirmed its first case of the mutant strain with a 2-yr-old girl

Parents, However, Were Found To Be Infected With Old Covid-19 Variant

“All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by states and UTs to RT-PCR tests. So far, only 114 have been found positive. These positive samples have been sent to 10 genome sequencing labs. Six samples of UK returnees found to be positive with the new UK variant genome are in Bengaluru (3), CCMB Hyderabad (2) and NIV Pune (1), the health ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh confirmed its first case of the mutant strain with a two-year-old girl, who recently returned to Meerut with her parents from the UK, was found to be infected with it. Her parents, however, were found to be infected with the old Covid-19 variant, the UP health department said. The child is in an isolation ward with her parents at Meerut’s Subharti Medical College.

The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.

The government has amplified testing, surveillance and containment measures along with genome sequencing of positive samples and also urged people to strictly adhere to Covid-appropriate norms even after vaccine becomes available. The government has set up the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium of 10 government labs to test and sequence 5% of the positive samples, including those of all international passengers.

Though currently the evidence indicates higher infectiousness of the new strain with no increase in severity of the disease caused by it, the government will initiate studies to see the relationship between the new variant and the virulence.

Raghavan said the increased transmissibility of the UK variant is a cause of concern. Of the 17 changes in the virus, eight are in the spike protein and are important. “One change, N501Y, increases affinity for the ACE2 receptor, used for viral entry into human cells. N501Y has been linked earlier to increased infectivity and transmission in animal models,” he said.

He added that South Africa, which has also discovered various mutations in the virus, shared the N501Y change with the UK variant, in addition to other distinct changes.

In the UK, prevalence of the spike gene variant was found in all positive results from samples collected from the field since October, validating that this strain is more transmissible.

India has suspended all flights coming from the UK with effect from midnight December 23 till December  31.

From November 25 till midnight December 23, about 33,000 passengers from the UK disembarked at various Indian airports.

All persons with the UK strain are in single-room isolation in designated healthcare facilities of respective state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact-tracing has been initiated for cotravellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on, the ministry said.

“The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing, dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs,” the government said.

A medic demonstrates how to administer COVAXIN to a health worker during its trials at the Urban Primary Health Centre at Tezpur in Assam on Tuesday

Anti-climax to political show, Rajini calls ‘cut’ before action

Anti-climax to political show, Rajini calls ‘cut’ before action

Cites God And Health, Says Sorry

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:30.12.2020

In the climax of his 2002 flop ‘Baba’, Rajinikanth makes a last-minute return from sanyaas to socio-political life. On Tuesday, the actor made a virtual repeat of the theme, this time in reverse, going back on his promise to launch a political party.

“I regret to announce that I am not in position to launch a party and enter politics. Only I know the pain behind this announcement. This will come as a disappointment to the members of RMM (Rajini Makkal Mandram), my fans and people. Forgive me,” Rajinikanth said in a three-page statement. “Some people may ridicule me. But fearing them, I cannot sacrifice those who trust and travel with me,” he said. Rajinikanth, who was shooting in Hyderabad for his latest movie last week, was hospitalised for three days with complaints of fluctuating blood pressure after four of the crew members tested positive for Covid-19. He tested negative for the virus. Rajinikanth’s announcement on Tuesday came as a shock for some, disappointment for some others, who were anticipating the actor’s promised December 31announcement.

Relief for both DMK, AIADMK

Both the DMK, which was worried about Rajinikanth taking away a chunk of the anti-incumbency votes, and the AIADMK — whose negotiating position with allies like the BJP that were looking at other options has been bolstered — must be feeling relieved. P 2

Left us politically orphaned: Fans

The three-page letter came as a bolt from the blue for his fans. “We formed booth panels in 70% polling stations. He had enough time to launch party in the last two years. He has left us politically orphaned,” said an RMM district secretary. P 2

‘Went for Hyd shoot against doc’s advice’

Fans took to social media to express their views; many wished him good health. Some of them regrouped in front of his Poes Garden residence to make a last ditch attempt to make Rajini reconsider his decision.

“Vaanga Thalaiva, Naanga Irukkom” (Come out, leader, we are here), one of the fans tweeted. “You do not worry. We will take care of the hard work,” said another. RSS ideologue and Tuglak editor S Gurumurthy termed Rajinikanth's decision as “inevitable”. He hoped Rajinikanth would still make an impact in the coming elections as he did in the 1996 assembly polls (when the actor had issued a statement against Jayalalithaa), which the DMK-TMC alliance won with a big majority.

In his statement, Rajinikanth said despite the advice from doctors not to venture out, he had travelled to Hyderabad to shoot for a film. All the 120 people who participated in the shooting were made to follow strict Covid protocols and undergo tests every day, he said. “Still four people tested positive for Covid and the director halted the shooting to carry out Covid tests for all. The result was negative for me. But due to severe fluctuations in my blood pressure, I was admitted to a hospital and was monitored for three days. Fluctuating blood pressure is harmful for my transplanted kidney. I considered it as a warning from God. If despite strict protocols, four out of 120 could test positive, what could happen when thousands and even lakhs assemble for my campaign,” Rajinikanth said.

The actor said he cannot trigger his desired uprising by campaigning merely via social media and videos. “If I venture out, it could become a big risk for all, especially when a second wave of the virus is spreading. If a well-organised film shoot can result in my hospitalization for three days, participating in an election campaign could become even more risky and I do not want to leave people in the lurch midway,” he said. RMM functionaries have toiled hard over the past three years and served the people during Covid. Their efforts will not go waste. RMM will continue to function as usual. “I will continue to serve the people away from electoral politics. I never hesitated in expressing my honest opinion,” the actor said, thanking his RMM secretaries for abiding by his decisions.

100 Munnabhais under lens in Hyderabad

100 Munnabhais under lens in Hyderabad

TNN | Dec 28, 2020, 04.44 AM IST

HYDERABAD: A Delhi-based education consultant has reportedly supplied fake MBBS certificates to YS Teja, who hoodwinked Rachakonda police and even became their adviser during the Covid-induced lockdown, and another person from Shabad, who studied up to Intermediate and started a small hospital.

Investigators found Delhi-based consultant Sunil facilitated in supplying the fake certificates to Teja and Shabad resident, whose name is reportedly Ram Reddy, from a university in Chhattisgarh. Already, health department officials have ordered a departmental probe into certificates of 100 doctors practising in Hyderabad and adjoining districts.

Police said in all cases of fake education certificates, they found that miscreants had fabricated fake certificates of different institutions by illegally printing them and sold them to the prospective customers. However, the candidates would not be in the records.

TimesView

A multi-agency probe team comprising cops, Indian Medical Association and National Medical Commission authorities must be set up to bust the racket behind people obtaining fake certificates from other states. Hospital authorities and other employers in Telangana are also guilty of not checking the veracity of certificates submitted by the candidates. There must be stringent checks in place, especially when the fate of scores of innocent people are at stake.

“Teja and the Shabad resident came in contact with Sunil after they googled for consultants who can help them get fake certificate. Teja paid Rs 40,000 as advance and a photocopy of a fake MBBS certificate was created on his name and sent on the condition that he will be given the actual fake certificate if he pays the remaining Rs 2 lakh,” Medipally inspector B Anji Reddy told TOI. Chhattisgarh Medical University confirmed to police that the certificate produced by Teja in the name of an affiliated college of their university was fake.

When police nabbed Sunil from Delhi, they found he had supplied fake certificates to several persons. Ram Reddy was one such beneficiary and he started a small hospital, which was shut by police a month ago.

Similarly, Hyderabad police found that M Srinu Naik, who was arrested a month ago, reportedly had bought M Tech certificate by paying Rs 2 lakh through a broker, Srinivas Reddy of Nalgonda, from CMJ University, Meghalaya. However, there were records of his enrolment with the institution.

Police said fake graduation certificates were being sold by some agents for a maximum price of Rs 1 lakh.

Hyderabad deputy commissioner of police (Task Force) Radhakishan Rao said in almost all fake certificate cases they had dealt with, the accused had bought them from other states—mainly Bihar, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. “We found the accused who seek fake certificate prefer to get them from other states since they presume verification of such certificates will be difficult for an employer,’’ he said.

துணைவேந்தர் சுரப்பா மீதான விசாரணை புகார் அளித்தோருக்கு ஆணையம் சம்மன்

துணைவேந்தர் சுரப்பா மீதான விசாரணை புகார் அளித்தோருக்கு ஆணையம் சம்மன்

Added : டிச 27, 2020 23:28

சென்னை: அண்ணா பல்கலை துணைவேந்தர் சுரப்பா குறித்து புகார் அளித்தவர்கள், நேரில் ஆஜராகி ஆவணங்கள் தாக்கல் செய்யும்படி, விசாரணை ஆணையம் சம்மன் அனுப்பியுள்ளது.

அண்ணா பல்கலை துணைவேந்தராக, கர்நாடக மாநிலத்தைச் சேர்ந்த, பேராசிரியர் சுரப்பா பணியாற்றுகிறார். அவரது நிர்வாகத்திற்கு, பல்கலை பேராசிரியர்கள் பாராட்டு தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.சுரப்பாவின் நிர்வாக சீர்திருத்த முறைகளால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்கள், அவருக்கு எதிராக, தமிழக உயர் கல்வி துறையிடம் புகார் அளித்துள்ளனர்.

பல்வேறு அரசியல் கட்சியினர் மற்றும் மாணவர் அமைப்புகள், சுரப்பாவுக்கு எதிராக போராட்டங்கள் நடத்தியுள்ளன.இந்நிலையில், சில புகார் கடிதங்கள் அடிப்படையில், சுரப்பாவுக்கு எதிரான ஊழல் குற்றச்சாட்டுகளை விசாரிக்க, ஓய்வு பெற்ற நீதிபதி கலையரசன் தலைமையில், விசாரணை ஆணையத்தை, தமிழக அரசு நியமித்துள்ளது.இந்த ஆணையம், துணைவேந்தருக்கு எதிரான புகார்கள் தொடர்பாக, பல்வேறு தரப்பினரிடமும், விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகிறது. அண்ணா பல்கலையின் பதிவாளர் கருணாமூர்த்தி, தேர்வு கட்டுப்பாட்டு அதிகாரி வெங்கடேசன் மற்றும் பலரிடம் விசாரணை நடந்துள்ளது.

தொடர்ந்து, துணைவேந்தர் சுரப்பாவுக்கு எதிராக புகார் அளித்தவர்களிடம், விசாரணை நடத்த முடிவு செய்துள்ளது. அதன்படி, தமிழக தனியார் கல்லுாரிகள் மற்றும் பணியாளர் சங்க நிர்வாகிகள், உரிய ஆவணங்களுடன், வரும், 6ம் தேதி விசாரணைக்கு, ஆணையத்தில் ஆஜராகும்படி, ஆணைய உறுப்பினர் செயலர் சங்கீதா சம்மன் அனுப்பி உள்ளார்.படிப்படியாக ஒவ்வொரு புகார்தாரருக்கும் சம்மன் அனுப்பப்படுவதாக, உயர்கல்வி அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

பணிக்கொடை பிடித்தம்: உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் தீர்ப்பு

பணிக்கொடை பிடித்தம்: உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் தீர்ப்பு

Added : டிச 28, 2020 05:47

புதுடில்லி: 'ஊழியர் செலுத்த வேண்டிய நிலுவை தொகையை, அவருக்கான, 'கிராஜுவிட்டி' எனப்படும் பணிக்கொடையில் இருந்து பிடித்தம் செய்யலாம்' என, உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் தீர்ப்பு அளித்து உள்ளது.

அரசுத் துறை நிறுவனமான, 'செயில்'4 எனப்படும், 'ஸ்டீல் அத்தாரிட்டி ஆப் இந்தியா'வில் பணிபுரிந்த ஊழியர், ஓய்வு பெற்ற பின்னும், தனக்கு ஒதுக்கப்பட்ட வீட்டை காலி செய்யாமல் இருந்தார்.தடைஜார்க்கண்ட் மாநிலம், பொகாரோவில் உள்ள அந்த குடியிருப்புக்காக, அவர் செலுத்த வேண்டிய வாடகை பாக்கி, 1.95 லட்சம் ரூபாய், அவருக்கான பணிக்கொடையில் இருந்து பிடித்தம் செய்யப்பட்டது.

இதை எதிர்த்து தொடரப்பட்ட வழக்கை விசாரித்த, ஜார்க்கண்ட் உயர் நீதிமன்றம், 2017ல் உச்ச நீதிமன்ற அமர்வு அளித்த உத்தரவை மேற்கோள்காட்டி, பணிக்கொடையை பிடித்தம் செய்வதற்கு தடை விதித்தது.இதை எதிர்த்து தொடரப்பட்ட வழக்கை, நீதிபதிகள் எஸ்.கே.கவுல், தினேஷ் மகேஷ்வரி, ரிஷிகேஷ் ராய் அடங்கிய, உச்ச நீதிமன்றத்தின் மூன்று நீதிபதிகள் அமர்வு விசாரித்து வந்தது. சமீபத்தில் அந்த அமர்வு அளித்துள்ள தீர்ப்பில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது:கடந்த, 2017ல், ஒரு வழக்கில், அந்த வழக்கின் தன்மையை கருத்தில் வைத்து, பணிக்கொடையை பிடித்தம் செய்யக் கூடாது என, உச்ச நீதிமன்ற அமர்வு கூறியுள்ளது. அது அந்த வழக்கில் பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்ட உத்தரவே தவிர, தீர்ப்பு அல்ல.ஒருவர் பணி ஓய்வுக்கு பின்னும், அரசு ஒதுக்கிய வீட்டில் இருந்து காலி செய்ய மறுத்தால், அவருக்கு அபராத வாடகை விதிக்கலாம். அந்த அபராத வாடகை உட்பட, அவரிடம் வசூலிக்க வேண்டிய தொகையை, பணிக்கொடையில் இருந்து பிடித்தம் செய்யலாம்; பணிக்கொடையை நிறுத்தி வைக்கலாம்.

இதற்காக அந்த ஊழியரிடம் இருந்து முன் அனுமதியோ, ஒப்புதலோ பெறத் தேவையில்லை.வசூலிக்கலாம்கடந்த, 2005ல், உச்ச நீதிமன்றம் அளித்த தீர்ப்பில், இது உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. குறிப்பிட்ட காலத்தைவிட, அதிகமாக அரசு குடியிருப்பில் தங்கு வோரிடம் இருந்து அபராத வாடகை வசூலிக்கலாம் என, அந்தத் தீர்ப்பில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.இவ்வாறு, அமர்வு தன் தீர்ப்பில் கூறியுள்ளது.

Modi to inaugurate country’s first-ever driverless train ops

Modi to inaugurate country’s first-ever driverless train ops

New Delhi:  28.12.2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s first ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line (Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden) as well as the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services on the Airport Express Line, via videoconferencing, on Monday at 11am.

“With the commencement of driverless trains on Magenta Line, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will enter the elite league of 7% of world’s Metro networks, which can operate without drivers,” a DMRC spokesperson said.

After starting driverless services on the 37km-long Magenta Line, another major corridor of Delhi Metro, the 57kmlong Pink Line (Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar) will also have driverless operations by mid-2021. After this, DMRC will have a driverless network length of about 94 kilometres, which will be approximately 9% of world’s total driverless Metro network.

The common mobility card, which will be fully operationalised on the Airport Express Line, will allow anyone carrying a RuPay-Debit card issued recently in the last 18 months by 23 banks. The same facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022, he said. TNN