During Zero Hour, DMK member MRK Panneerselvam said Shanmugam's statement was incorrect and asserted that no DMK member had filed a case against the 10.5% reservation. Shanmugam rejected the argument, saying he had sufficient evidence to substantiate his statement.

Clarifying the DMK's stand, party whip EV Velu said the party had never opposed the 10.5% reservation for Vanniyars and continued to support it.

Shanmugam then said that when the Congress-led UPA government undertook the Census enumeration along with a caste census, the then state government had raised concerns over the format and the manner of caste enumeration.

DMK members opposed his statement.

Explaining the circumstances in which the AIADMK-led government announced the 10.5% reservation, AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said the quota was provided following agitations by Vanniyar associations.

Palaniswami alleged that the subsequent DMK-led government had failed to submit the necessary documents before the court during the case and criticised the previous government.

Speaker JCD Prabhakar intervened after the exchange and brought the issue to an end, allowing the House to move on to the next subject.

Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam state general secretary BS Masilamani said the release would provide relief to delta districts facing severe drinking water shortages and depleted groundwater. Around 700 water storage bodies had no water and only about one-sixth of the area had been covered under Kuruvai, with crops drying up in some places, he said.

However, he said the proposed 10,500-cusec release for 45 days would not support Samba cultivation. The water would take about four days to reach Kallanai, with the flow potentially falling to around 4,000 cusecs, and more than 10 days to reach tail-end areas. Much of it would flow through rivers rather than irrigation canals, he said.

Masilamani urged the government to raise the discharge to 16,000 cusecs after a week before advising farmers to begin Samba cultivation. Depending on storage, farmers could then take up medium-duration paddy varieties through full or rotational irrigation, he said.

Sami Natrajan, state general secretary of the CPM-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam, said the reservoir level was still below 90 feet and inflow had fallen to around 7,500 cusecs. With around 40 feet of the reservoir comprising silt and sediment, he said, the water available for irrigation was limited.

At least 15,000 cusecs a day would be needed for water to reach the tail-end, while the available storage could support such a release for only 40 to 50 days, Natrajan said. With Samba cultivation expected across around 14 lakh acres, he urged the government to wait until the reservoir crossed 100 feet and inflows reached 8,000-12,000 cusecs.

He also sought consultations with Delta farmers and senior water resources and agriculture officials, and cited delayed openings in 2002, 2012 and 2016, when the dam was opened on Sept 6, Sept 17 and Sept 20 respectively. The government should consider opening it in the second week of September, he said.

Speaking during the debate on grant demands in the Assembly, Sudhakar raised issues concerning his constituency and urged the government to improve healthcare facilities, establish more cell phone towers, and declare Valparai a tourist destination.

Highlighting the difficulties caused by poor network connectivity, he said residents were unable to make emergency calls, particularly during elephant attacks. "The lack of cellphone connectivity helped me win the election. If there had been cellphone network coverage, Facebook and Instagram might have caused my electoral defeat," he said.

His remarks came amid allegations by the DMK and other Opposition parties that TVK's performance in the Assembly election was helped by Instagram reels and its influence on other social media platforms.

In a statement, Anbumani pointed out that the Karnataka government had declared 101 taluks drought-affected following a nearly 30% deficit in southwest monsoon rainfall. Karnataka received only 465 mm of rainfall against the normal 666 mm between June 1 and August 26, while cultivation covered just 71% of the normal area.

“However, the situation in Tamil Nadu is even worse,” he said, noting that the state received only around 180 mm of rainfall between June 1 and August 25.

Anbumani said kuruvai cultivation in the Cauvery delta had declined sharply from 6.31 lakh acres last year to around two lakh acres this year.

Of Tamil Nadu’s 14,141 water bodies, 4,208 had completely dried up, while another 5,814 had storage of only 1% to 25%, he said.

In the Cauvery-irrigated districts, 694 of the 737 water bodies dependent on the Cauvery, Grand Anicut and Vennar canals were reportedly dry, he said.

Warning of a possible drinking water crisis if the situation continued, Anbumani demanded a complete waiver of farmers’ crop loans. He sought Rs 10,000 per acre for farmers unable to undertake kuruvai cultivation and Rs 40,000 per acre for those who suffered crop losses.

He also demanded Rs 10,000 per acre for farmers unable to take up samba cultivation and a one-time assistance of Rs 25,000 for landless agricultural labourers.

The accident occurred near the Anaivari village stretch. The deceased were identified as Subakannan (19), Vinoth (18) and Surya (19), all residents of Kavalakudi village. According to preliminary reports, the three were travelling on the motorcycle when the collision occurred.

The truck driver abandoned the vehicle on the side of the highway and fled the scene immediately after the accident, police said. Sethiyathoppu police have registered a case and launched a search for the driver. Further investigation is under way.

The police suspect that a corrosive substance may have been used to disfigure her face.

The deceased was identified as Aruna, wife of Manjunatha and a resident of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. She had come to the area to attend a marriage and was staying at a relative’s house in Vadattur Kandigai village near Thamarai Pakkam Koot Road, said the police.

Aruna was found with burnlike injuries on her face. Though police initially suspected that acid could have been used, the injuries did not appear typical of an acid attack, said sources.

Investigators are also examining the possibility that rock salt mixed with another substance could have been used. Officials said the exact nature of the substance could be established only after forensic examination.

On receiving information, a police team led by Uthukottai Inspector reached the spot and recovered the body, which was sent to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. A mobile phone found near the body was also seized.

Officials said there were no apparent signs of sexual assault or jewellery theft. A case has been registered and special teams are investigating various angles to establish the motive and identify the accused.

Take strong action, Premallatha tells CM Vijay

Citing the murder, DMDK general secretary and Vriddhachalam MLA Premallatha Vijayakant urged the ruling TVK government to ensure women’s safety and strengthen law and order.

Talking to reporters at the Secretariat, she demanded stringent punishment for those responsible.

“A woman has been killed after acid was thrown on her. The chief minister, who is in charge of the Home Department, should ensure women’s safety. Those responsible should be given the maximum punishment,” she said.

The deceased, Nagaraj, a DMK functionary from Narasipuram who was engaged in the manufacture and sale of areca leaf plates, was riding a two-wheeler to a tea shop in the morning when he was intercepted by Kandasamy (65).

According to police, Kandasamy threw chilli powder into Nagaraj’s face before he could bring his vehicle to a halt and then attacked him with a knife. Nagaraj sustained multiple injuries and died at the scene, police said. Kandasamy fled the spot following the attack.

On receiving information, personnel from the Alandurai police rushed to the spot and found as many as 13 stab injuries all over the body. Meanwhile, Kandasamy attempted to end his life by slitting his hand with a knife.

He was then admitted to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) for treatment.

Inquiries by police revealed that Nagaraj, who was alone after the demise of his wife, and Kandasamy were friends for several years.

Police said Kandasamy suspected him of developing an affair with his wife, which led to a confrontation between them.

Police said Kandasamy had already made a failed attempt to kill Nagaraj once. Further investigations are on

Upon their arrival at the Delhi airport, the Union minister met with the group and listened to their accounts of the challenges they faced during the rescue process.

"Received a group of 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who were rescued from the floods in Nepal. Was moved to hear their experience first hand. Thank the @NepaliArmyHQ and Government for this rescue effort. Appreciate @IndiaInNepal’s facilitation of their smooth return to India," he said in two separate posts on X in English and Tamil.

In a separate post earlier, he shared visuals of his interaction with the pilgrims at the airport.

Speaking to reporters at the airport premises, he said the pilgrims were brought back to Kathmandu after their rescue, and the Indian Embassy arranged for their return to India.

Sharing what the rescued pilgrims recounted, he said, "They told me about exactly what happened to them, how the floods came, and they were very thankful, particularly to the Nepal Army, which made this great effort to get them out of that very difficult place where they were."

Jaishankar mentioned that slightly over 300 Indians are still uncontactable, with the number fluctuating around 315. "Roughly about 85 Indians have been rescued from various places, including this group of 21 people who have just arrived," he said.

Jaishankar affirmed that the Indian government is actively supporting Nepal in its relief efforts and in rescuing people. "We are still very much focused on contacting all the Indians who are there," he added.

He also mentioned that he spoke with the Nepalese Foreign Minister on Friday morning regarding the situation.

"We have given them a range of support offers. They are evaluating it. Whatever they feel is appropriate, they will pick up for their needs. The main thing is that in one place, where there is a hydroelectric project, there could be a possibility of people who may be in a tunnel. So, we are sending a team who are experts in tunnelling," the EAM said.

Additionally, Jaishankar noted that they will need Bailey Bridges, which the Indian government plans to supply. He stated that medical teams might also be deployed. "If they require NDRF people to go, we will send them. We have given them that option," the minister told reporters.

He emphasised that the priority is to respond to the situation, support relief efforts in Nepal, assist in the rescue and return of Indian citizens, and help other nationals, including Nepalese and stranded foreigners.

Massive flash floods originating from Tibet swept through central Nepal on Wednesday, razing down several towns and villages, washing away critical bridges and crippling a dozen hydropower projects as it gushed downstream, affecting multiple districts.

The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 547 on Friday, with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continue with caution due to fear of fresh floods following an increase in the water level in the Bhotekoshi River area.

At least 320 Indians remain missing, and around 400 others are stranded on the Chinese side following devastating flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, and India is ready to extend all possible help to Kathmandu in its rescue efforts, the MEA said on Friday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 96 Indian nationals who were stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed over to Nepal by land route.

On Thursday, India dispatched a second batch of relief supplies in a military transport aircraft to flood-affected Nepal.

Jaishankar also told reporters that a third aircraft will be departing on Friday.

"A third flight carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian assistance has departed for Kathmandu. The assistance includes portable generator sets, dignity kits, food packets and water purification tablets. An 11-member team of doctors, paramedics and Recce team for Tunnel rescue operations is also on-board. India continues to support Nepal’s ongoing relief and rescue efforts," he later said in a post on X.

According to the police, the deceased, Sruthi Laya, was the daughter of Arikrishnan, an employee of an IT company, and a resident of Siddharthar Nagar near Anbu Nagar in Palayamkottai.

Sruthi Laya completed her Class 12 at a private school in Palayamkottai in 2023. She subsequently underwent NEET coaching with the aim of pursuing medical studies. After she failed to secure a medical seat last year, she prepared intensively for the examination this year.

After clearing NEET this year, she applied for admission to a medical course. However, her name did not figure in the list of candidates released during the first round of counselling. According to the police, she was reportedly distressed after her name was not included in the first-round counselling list.

On receiving information, personnel from the Perumalpuram police station reached the spot and sent the body to the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

According to the police, Shruti was reportedly distressed after her name was not included in the counselling list

Housing and Urban Development Minister B Rajkumar made the announcements in the Assembly on Friday before the commencement of the debate on his department's demands.

The initiative aims to protect the livelihoods of auto and taxi drivers while ensuring passengers are charged fair fares, the Minister said.

The launch of the app is a long-pending demand of autorickshaw drivers in the State, who have also been seeking a revision of fares that have remained unchanged for 14 years. Since the TVK government came to power, it has held three rounds of discussions with autorickshaw drivers on revising fares.

The drivers have sought a minimum fare of Rs 60 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 30 for every subsequent kilometre. They have also sought a waiting charge of Re 1 per minute and a night-time fare of 1.5 times the normal tariff.

Rajkumar also announced several housing and urban development initiatives.

The Tamil Nadu Housing Board will construct 842 housing units at Anna Nagar, Purasaiwalkam, Nandambakkam and Ernavoor in Chennai, as well as in Madurai, Tiruvallur and Kanniyakumari, at a cost of Rs 914 crore.

Under the plot development scheme, 564 plots will be developed at a cost of Rs 45 crore in Valasaravakkam, Sholinganallur, Tiruvanmiyur, Hosur, Cuddalore, Edappadi in Salem, Namakkal, Madurai and Dindigul.

People who had failed to obtain sale deeds for housing units and plots allotted on an instalment basis will be eligible for a waiver of penal interest. Around 7,000 allottees are expected to benefit from the measure.

The government will also expand the self-certification scheme for building approvals. The limit will be increased from 3,500 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft. Permission for small commercial buildings of up to 1,500 sq ft will also be granted under the self-certification scheme.

The permissible limits for building approvals will also be increased. Corporations and municipalities will be allowed to grant approvals for buildings of up to 16,140 sq ft, while town panchayats and village panchayats can grant approvals for buildings of up to 12,912 sq ft.

Poor families living on roadsides and in objectionable locations in Perambur will be provided 462 housing units at a cost of Rs 111.08 crore.

To ensure smooth traffic flow in the expanded areas of Chennai and prevent congestion in the future, a grid road scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 12 crore.

Chandran cited an instance in Ward 167, SIP Colony, where an OSR parcel was allegedly assessed for property tax, adding that officials had failed to identify it as OSR land and steps were now being taken to cancel the assessment.

He said that the issue was not confined to the particular property and urged the GCC to conduct a comprehensive survey of OSR lands across all zones. Mayor R Priya agreed that several OSR parcels were either under private maintenance or had not been handed over to the Corporation.

This was preventing the civic body from taking up public projects on some of the lands.

“Zones 11 and 13, in particular, had several locations where residents were seeking projects but the Corporation could not proceed because the land was not in its name,” she said. “Steps will be taken to identify such properties, complete the necessary transfer of records and ensure that OSR lands are secured for public use.”

Earlier in the day, nearly 5000 people, mostly rural women, gathered at a marriage hall in Melur town near Madurai to lodge complaints with the police. They had invested in the scheme, which promised to double their money in 45 days and offered returns in US dollars. Some victims described the fraud similar to the plot of the Tamil film ‘Sathurangam’.

The police suspect that people could lose more than Rs 100 crore in the alleged scam that spans the lengths of Madurai and neighbouring Sivaganga district.

The scam, which largely targeted rural women, allegedly operated through agents in several areas, including Kattayampatti, Kottanathampatti, A. Vallalapatti, Ayyapatti and Melavalam, in Melur taluk.

“As the agents spoke the local slang, they could easily win the trust of the people,” said a police source.

They convinced people if they invested Rs 50,000, it could be doubled in 45 days through an application called FQL Exchange (fqlin.com), which they helped download on their mobile phones.

“The agents helped us download the application and asked us to invest Rs 50,000. The amount was then credited to our account as $500, with a daily bonus between $3 and $5,” said one of the complainants.

“If we added two persons to the scheme, we would receive a daily bonus of up to $6 or $7, which is nearly Rs 700,” said another complainant.

When many people initially received returns on their investments, the scheme attracted more villagers through word-of-mouth recommendations.

“I held off on the invitation to join the scheme for a few months, but gave in eventually, pledged my jewellery and invested in the scheme, only to be cheated,” said Kamaladevi, from a village near Melur.

“Many women pledged their jewellery or borrowed money at high interest rates and invested in the app. We wanted to make quick money,” she added.

According to the police, some villagers even stopped going to work after they started receiving payments on their investments and bonuses amounting to Rs 1,000 a day.

“Once they won the confidence of the people, the agents introduced a Rs 1 lakh scheme, and it attracted thousands of people,” said the police. People did not just stop at Rs 1 lakh, some invested between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, hoping to earn huge returns in a short period. However, the application was suddenly disabled about a month ago, triggering panic among the investors, the police added.

During their inquiry, the police found that two accused, Ranjith and Arun of Kattayampatti near Melur, were introduced to the mobile investment application while working in Saudi Arabia.

“After returning to Melur, they ran the fraudulent business with the help of a person from Saudi Arabia,” said the police, adding that seven computers had been seized from their house.

The duo first suspended the application service last month, citing network problems. “Later, they claimed that all the customer data had been lost and demanded the investors to pay $200 to recover their money,” said the police.

“They sensed trouble when people started raising uncomfortable questions, and shut down the whole service on Thursday and went underground,” the police said, adding that a lookout notice has been issued for the duo.

The police are now planning to refer the case to the Economic Offences Wing for a detailed investigation.

A team comprising personnel from the Madurai District Superintendent of Police Devanathan's special branch and the Melur Deputy Superintendent of Police are conducting a detailed inquiry into the alleged fraud.

The debate began when DMK MLA G V Markandeyan, speaking during the discussion on the Housing Department's grant demands, questioned the government's decision to purchase cars for MLAs. Referring to the government's failure to waive farmers' loans, he asked, "In this situation, what is the need to buy a car from the government?"

Intervening, Minister R Nirmalkumar said the Chief Minister's announcement was based on a demand raised by a VCK MLA. "If an MLA has a government car, he can travel across his constituency. Based on this, the Chief Minister made the announcement," he said.

House Leader KA Sengottaiyan backed the minister and criticised the previous DMK government for holding a car race at a cost of Rs 24 crore. "Whose father's funds were spent on this event?" he asked.

Clarifying the DMK's position, LoP Udhayanithi said the issue was being discussed in the context of the Chief Minister's remarks about the State's financial position. He said the Chief Minister had alleged that the previous DMK government had emptied the State treasury. CM Vijay had funds to buy cars, but not to waive farmers' loans, he added. By demeaning a prestigious international car race, the ruling party isn't abusing the Opposition, but instead the players involved in the sport, he added.

Meanwhile, Minister KG Arunraj then questioned the DMK over the proposal to install a pen structure in the sea, asking how such a project could have been announced. He also said the government's decision to provide cars to MLAs could not be termed a luxury.

Responding to him, DMK whip E V Velu said the pen memorial proposal had originated in the Public Works Department following demands from the public and writers. However, he said then Chief Minister MK Stalin had rejected the proposal even after it received clearance from the Union government.

Speaker JCD Prabhakar intervened and asked both the Treasury benches and the DMK to avoid further discussion on providing cars to MLAs. "It is a settled issue, as the DMK has already announced that it would not receive the cars from the government," he said.

According to the police, P Thavamani, in her complaint, alleged that the headmistress had humiliated her daughter when they went to the school seeking admission for the girl to Class XI.

Thavamani had taken her daughter to the school after the girl did not join Class XI where she completed Class X. She secured 415 marks in Class X.

When they approached the government school for admission on August 24, the headmistress allegedly became angry and asked the girl to leave the school when she allegedly told her mother not to fold her hands while seeking admission, according to the complaint.

The girl was in distress when she returned home with her mother. The following day, they went to the school where the girl had completed Class X and collected her Transfer Certificate. The girl died by suicide later that evening.

The police said the complaint did not mention any caste-related remarks by the headmistress. However, they would examine the CCTV footage from the school and consult the Revenue Department before taking further action.

The District Child Welfare Committee and the District Education Department will also conduct separate inquiries into the incident. Further action will be taken based on their findings.

The debate took place during the discussion of grant requests for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Participating in the debate, Housing Minister B Rajkumar said the people of the State had ended the rule of the DMK and AIADMK after nearly five decades and brought the two parties together on the Opposition benches through the TVK.

He said the DMK and AIADMK should remain in the Opposition for several more years and that the present situation, with both parties seated together on the Opposition side, should continue.

Rajkumar said that although several development works had been carried out under successive Dravidian governments, the Assembly was still discussing basic needs of the people that remained unfulfilled even after 50 years. This reflected the performance of the two parties during their previous tenures, he said.

His remarks drew strong objections from DMK members. DMK whip E V Velu said a minister should not make blanket allegations against the Dravidian parties. The development witnessed by Tamil Nadu today was the result of the achievements of Dravidian parties over the past 50 years, he said.

Intervening, Water Resources Minister N Anand said Rajkumar was only pointing out the shortage of doctors in the medical sector.

Former chief minister O Panneerselvam said Tamil Nadu had emerged as the leading state in economic growth during the previous DMK regime and that this was a continuation of the Dravidian legacy.

AIADMK former minister Agri S S Krishnamurthy highlighted the achievements of former chief ministers J Jayalalithaa and Edappadi K Palaniswami. He said Jayalalithaa had constructed the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium within nine months and brought the Veeranam water project to Chennai, while Palaniswami had brought 11 new medical colleges to Tamil Nadu.

It is said that Selvarasu (41) and Karikalan (61) both from Senthurai Samathuvapuram, Selvakumar (38) and Ravichandran (48) both from Sirukadambur and Pandian (30) from Nallampalayam, all belonging to Irula Tribal Community were arrested by Irumbilikurichi police on July 3 and 10 on charges of a theft case and they were produced before the court and later lodged in the Central prison Tiruchy.

Subsequently, their wives approached the Pazhangudi Irular Paathukappu Sangam and appealed them to help them get their husbands released as the police foisted false charges of theft and they have been undergoing torture in the prison.

Later, the Coordinator of the Sangam Praba Kalvimani alias Kalyani sent an appeal to the police and the state government claiming that the five persons from Irula community were booked under false offence and the Sangam would provide proper proof to prove them innocent.

Meanwhile on Friday (August 28), Sakuntala wife of Selvarasu, Selvi wife of Karikalan, Manjula wife of Selvakumar, Latha wife of Ravichandran and Suriya wife of Pandian along with the Pazhangudi Irular Paathukappu Sangam Coordinator Prabha Kalvimani met the media persons in Ariyalur and claimed that the police, in order to close the files of undetected cases for the year end, are in the practice of detaining the innocent men from Irula community and book cases against them for the offences they had not committed.

The police also reportedly torture them under their custody and force them to accept the offence.

“In such a way, Selvarasu, Karikalan, Selvakuamr, Ravichandran and Pandian were recently arrested against false charges and they were tortured and lodged in the central prison Tiruchy. Our fact finding committee found that these men were illegally detained and the police foisted cases against them to close the undetected files,” charged Prabha Kalvimani, the Coordinator of the Sangam.

He also stated that several such cases charged against the Irula Tribal men were proved false in the court during the legal fights but the police continue to practice the booking of false cases,Prabha Kalvimani added.

While Sakunthala, wife of Selvarasu said, the men from their community including her husband were innocent and there is some motive behind their detention and so the state government should immediately form a Commission headed by the retired Justice Chandru and get them legal protection to them and proper compensation under Atrocities against SC/ST Act.

The Pazhangudi Irulan Pathukappu Sangam has also planned to organise a protest in front of the Ariyalur Collectorate urging the district administration to recommend for an inquiry committee.

The General Secretary Arumugam and Cuddalore district Coordinator Babu, and others were present.

Marking yet another case of rethink of an ambitious initiative launched by the previous DMK regime, the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) under Minister Aadhav Arjuna terminated the contract awarded to RPP Infra Projects Ltd to design, engineer, procure, and construct the sports city. Though officials said the plan would be redrawn on a larger footprint, no revised cost or timeline has so far been announced for the redesigned project.

The information came to public attention only after company disclosed the termination to the stock exchanges after receiving the communication on August 12.

The proposed complex, for which the then chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin had laid the foundation stone on February 18, was to feature a football stadium, shooting ranges, archery facilities, rowing and kayaking infrastructure, BMX and skating arenas, indoor stadiums, and athlete hostels.

Reacting quickly to the news, the DMK IT Wing alleged that the cancellation was aimed at protecting encroachers. In a post on X, it claimed that the previous DMK government had recovered 91.04 acres of land in Semmencheri, reportedly valued at around Rs 2,010 crore, from long-term encroachment by the Jeppiaar educational group on September 18, 2021.

Claiming that the project was envisaged for the development of sports and youth, it asked if the project was scrapped to protect the interests of Finance Minister Marie Wilson, the son-in-law of late Jeppiaar who established the educational group. The decision shows that the TVK-led government was acting in collusion with encroachers, it alleged.

However, SDAT officials said the decision was taken after a meeting chaired by Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna on June 16, during which it was decided to comprehensively restructure and redesign the sports city after considering the extent of land available. The revised facility is envisaged to host major national and international events, including competitions on the scale of the Asian Games, officials claimed.

A senior government official added that the government was also reassessing the Semmencheri site because of its flood-prone nature. "The area is prone to flooding. We are examining the issue and will soon come up with a revised plan," the official told DT Next.

RPP Infra said it had commenced activities and incurred substantial expenditure before the termination. "The company is evaluating the financial and other implications arising from the termination, including its rights and remedies," it said in the notification to the stock exchanges.

A Division Bench comprising Justices CV Karthikeyan and Sakthivel issued the direction on a PIL filed by AF Parvesh Mushraf of Dindigul, seeking directions to the government to implement all the recommendations of Justice K Chandru One-Man Committee, constituted after the 2023 Nanguneri caste-based attack on a school student and his sister.

The committee had made 20 immediate recommendations and three long-term goals to eliminate caste discrimination in schools and colleges. These include removing caste names from educational institutions, preventing caste-based seating arrangements and student identification, regulating caste references in school records, prohibiting caste-indicative wristbands and other markers, and strengthening grievance-redressal and monitoring mechanisms.

The petitioner also sought directions to the government to submit district-wise reports on whether the Urimai Mutram (Rights Forum) initiative was functioning effectively. The Committee recommended that the Rights Forum provide a platform for students to raise grievances

The court directed the government to file its response and adjourned the case to September 9.

Major recommendations of Justice Chandru panel

Removing caste names from educational institutions

Preventing caste-based seating arrangements and student identification

Regulating caste references in school records

Prohibiting caste-indicative wristbands and other markers

Strengthening grievance-redressal and monitoring mechanisms

Urimai Mutram (Rights Forum) to raise grievances

Replying to the demands for grants for the Backward and Most Backward Classes Welfare Department, Minister V Sampathkumar followed up on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's reported assurance to PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, saying that the State government would conduct a Social Justice Audit after the caste-based census was completed.

He said the government would follow rationalist leader Periyar's policy of "Everything for Everyone" and ensure proportionate reservation for each community. The State government had urged the Union government to conduct the caste census along with the population Census, the minister added, reiterating its position.

"Providing proportionate reservation to each community is true social justice, and this is also the basic policy of our government," he said.

Meanwhile, the Census Directorate of Tamil Nadu has commenced door-to-door household enumeration across the State. The second phase of the Census, including caste-based enumeration, is scheduled to be completed by March 2027.

The confrontation began soon after the meeting commenced around 11.30 am, when Mayor Ramachandran of the DMK objected to the chair designated for Deputy Mayor Saradha Devi of the Congress being placed beside him in the council hall. The chair had previously been positioned in the area meant for councillors.

Visibly upset over the arrangement, the Mayor staged a sit-in in the area where the councillors were seated. In response, Saradha Devi also staged a sit-in protest, escalating tensions inside the council hall. DMK councillors raised slogans demanding that the Deputy Mayor’s chair be removed.

As the situation intensified, Corporation Commissioner Lalitaditya Neelam held discussions with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the Mayor’s chamber in an attempt to resolve the dispute. However, the meeting failed to break the deadlock.

Saradha Devi subsequently walked out of the chamber, alleging that she was being pressured to give up her stand, and resumed her protest. The Mayor later returned to the council hall and ordered the eviction of the Deputy Mayor's supporters. Police personnel escorted them out of the hall.

Ramachandran also announced that Saradha Devi had been suspended for two months. The Deputy Mayor, however, challenged the announcement, contending that the Mayor lacked the authority to suspend her. The council meeting subsequently concluded, with the Mayor declaring that all the resolutions listed for the day had been passed.

According to the Tamil Nadu Medical Students Admission Committee, 7,625 MBBS seats and 1,812 BDS seats were allotted under the government and management quotas.

As many as 382 seats remain vacant, including 338 MBBS seats under the NRI quota and 44 BDS seats under the Telugu Minority and NRI categories.

A total of 72,633 applications were received this year for admission to undergraduate MBBS and BDS courses in the state. After scrutiny, the rank list was published on August 10.

Of the applications, 35,926 were considered under the government quota, 3,625 under the 7.5% reservation for government school students and 26,956 under the management quota in self-financing medical and dental colleges.

General category counselling was held from August 13-24, during which eligible candidates registered their preferred choices through the official website.

Among the allotted MBBS seats, 3,948 were in government medical colleges, 90 at ESIC Medical College, KK Nagar, 3,102 in private medical colleges and 485 in private universities. In BDS, 194 seats in government medical colleges and 1,618 seats in private medical colleges were allotted.

Candidates have been instructed to download their allotment orders and join the allotted colleges within the stipulated deadline.

According to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Prakash, who runs ELK Crafts Enterprises at Nathakattu Pirivu in Thekkalur, had applied to change the tariff of his commercial electricity connection to an MSME connection.

Esakimuthu, Assistant Engineer, TNPDCL, Thekkalur East, Avinashi, allegedly demanded Rs 25,000 for processing the request. The demand was later reduced to Rs 15,000.

Prakash, unwilling to pay the bribe, approached the DVAC’s Tiruppur detachment. A case was registered and a trap was organised on Friday.

Before the trap, Esakimuthu allegedly received an advance of Rs 5,000. During the trap operation, he allegedly received the remaining Rs 10,000 from the complainant.

The Assistant Engineer was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.

Justice V Lakshminarayanan made the remarks while hearing Wilson’s petition seeking to quash a case registered by Lawspet police in Puducherry in 2022 on a complaint by his sister-in-law, Careline Claude. The case relates to allegations of assault involving Wilson, his brother and sister-in-law.

Wilson’s counsel sought exemption from appearance before the Puducherry Judicial Magistrate, citing the ongoing Assembly session. The judge rejected the argument and pointed out that even former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao had appeared before a court while holding office. “You are just a Minister. Let us not give an impression that a Minister is above the law,” the judge observed.

The case had earlier been referred for mediation as the complainant and accused are close relatives. However, Claude withdrew from the mediation process on August 20.

The High Court directed Wilson’s counsel to provide a date for his appearance before the Puducherry court. His counsel subsequently assured the court that he would appear after August 31. The quashing petition was then permitted to be withdrawn.

The accused were Devadoss, then Adi Dravidar Welfare Officer, Tiruchy, and Chandrasekaran, Superintendent, Adi Dravidar Welfare Office, Tiruchy.

According to the DVAC, Kannan, a teacher at the Adi Dravida Welfare School in Balakrishnanpatti, Thuraiyur taluk, had been facing a criminal case. After availing medical leave, he sought to rejoin duty. He was directed to meet the Adi Dravidar Welfare Officer regarding his joining.

Devadoss allegedly demanded Rs 5,000 to allow Kannan to rejoin without suspension, while Chandrasekaran allegedly demanded another Rs 5,000 for processing his file.

Kannan approached the DVAC’s Tiruchy detachment, following which a trap was laid. On August 10, 2009, acting on Devadoss’s instructions, Chandrasekaran allegedly received Rs 10,000 from Kannan. Both officials were subsequently arrested.

After investigation and trial, the Special Court, Tiruchy, convicted both accused and sentenced them to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 each under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. They were also sentenced to three years and a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(d). The sentences will run concurrently.

The court convicted Joseph Cyril, Inspector of Police, who had served at Perambalur police station and is now attached to the NSD Wing in Kanyakumari district.

According to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), lawyer Thirunavukarasu had approached Cyril in connection with Crime No. 494/2008, involving his brother-in-law, and sought expeditious filing of the charge sheet. Cyril allegedly demanded Rs 7,000 as bribe for speeding up the process.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, Thirunavukarasu approached the DVAC’s Tiruchy detachment. A trap was laid and on August 26, 2008, Cyril was caught receiving Rs 7,000 from the complainant.

Following investigation, a charge sheet was filed and the case was tried by the Principal District Court, Perambalur.

The court sentenced Cyril to two years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and another two years’ rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(d)(i). The sentences will run concurrently.

The Farmers Grievances Redressal meeting in Thanjavur, chaired by Collector R Revathi, saw various issues being raised. The farmers demanded not to release water from Mettur on September 1 as the samba cultivation is not favourable at this moment.

While the discussions were on, a section of farmers charged that the water resource department officials have been demanding Rs 10,000 as a bribe for dredging the vandal sand, and they demanded that the Collector curb the menace.

Suddenly, a group of farmers headed by Kakkarai R Sukumaran, State Vice President of Federation of Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations, moved forward and staged a sit-in protest in front of the Collector.

Sukumaran said, while the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has been promising a corruption-free government, the officials are in the practice of demanding bribes. He charged that the officials from water resources and revenue departments demand bribes from the farmers who approach them for permission for dredging vandal sand.

He also said that the bribe of Rs 40 per bag has been continuing in all the DPCs and demanded the Collector to instruct the officials to stop collecting bribes.

Upon assurance, they withdrew their protest, and the meeting continued, in which the farmers said that there was a tradition to release water for 200 days for Delta irrigation, but the present TVK government has announced the release of water for 45 days, which will never support the irrigation. They appealed to the State government to wait until the Mettur reaches 100 feet and then release water.

The CPI announced a region wide protest demanding the delta districts like Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai to declare drought hit region and announce a kuruvai loss compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre to the farmers and Rs 10,000 to the farm labourers. 

As per the schedule, the protests were held across the region, and the CPI State Secretary M Veerapandian led the protest in Tiruvarur. The protesting members also demanded the state government to fulfill the promise of crop loan waiver as per the election manifesto and condemned the Karnataka government for attempting to build Mekedatu dam, which would turn the Cauvery Delta as a desert.

After raising slogans, the protesting members moved to the Collectorate for staging a siege protest but they were stopped by the police who established barricades to prevent their entry. However, the CPI cadres overpowered the police and moved further after forcibly removing the barricades, and this resulted in a scuffle between the police and the cadres, and tension gripped the scene.

Soon, the State Secretary Veerapandian and the Nagapattinam MP V Selvaraj intervened in the scene and pacified the cadres. Subsequently, a few members, including Veerapandian and Selvaraj, met the district Collector V Mohanachandran and submitted a petition with him. The Collector, who received the petition, assured to forward it to the state government.

Later, Veerapandian told the media persons that the Cauvery issue is related to national integrity and so the Karnataka government should act responsibly on the issue. “The district collector assured to fulfil the demands and we hope the issues would be solved soon; otherwise, the protests would be intensified”, Veerapandian said.

Stating that the farmers have been producing for the people of all walks of life and so it is essential that the government should stand by them and the TVK government should fulfil its promises given to the farmers. He also asked the Union government to release adequate funds for Tamil Nadu and ensure the Karnataka government follows the directions of the apex court on Cauvery water distribution.

He also pointed out that the CPI has been supporting the TVK government from outside just to save the state from the Governor. “We are not in the government but just supporting them. If the government gives good to the people, we will support; otherwise, we will continue to oppose and protest,” Veeerapandian stressed.

Similar protests were across the region, including Tiruchy and Thanjavur.

In his reply to the demands for grants for the Minority Welfare Department, Minority Welfare Minister AM Shajahan praised the TVK government for making several announcements for the Muslim community.

Responding to him, Ansari said Muslims had always appreciated those who worked for the welfare of the community. "The Dravidian parties have made numerous achievements for the Muslim community. It is not good for healthy politics to say that no one has done anything for the community. Do not put down others while praising your government. It shows ingratitude towards the DMK," he said.

Speaker JCD Prabhakar intervened and said that Ansari had thanked everyone for his electoral victory during his speech, expressing gratitude.

Law Minister R Nirmalkumar took the issue in a different direction, saying that IUML left the DMK because it tried to ally with the AIADMK.

"IUML chief KM Kader Mohideen told me that his party's exit from the DMK alliance was due to efforts to form a post-poll alliance with the AIADMK. If unnecessary words are avoided, debates like these would not arise," Nirmalkumar said.

Following the Speaker's intervention, the House moved on to the departmental debates.

The kumkis, Bomman and Udayan, from the Mudumalai elephant camp were transported by trucks to the Silver Cloud check-post on Friday evening. They were subsequently taken through Upper Gudalur and the Kokkāl area, where forest teams are conducting an intensive search for the tiger.

The Forest Department has stepped up surveillance with more than 130 camera traps installed at strategic locations to track the animal’s movements, while 13 cage traps have been placed as part of efforts to capture it. Three thermal drones are also being used to scan the forest and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, the shutdown demanding the immediate capture of the tiger continued across parts of the region for the second consecutive day on Friday. Members of various political parties also staged a protest near the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, demanding swift action from the authorities.

The agitation disrupted interstate vehicular movement on the route connecting the Nilgiris with Kerala. A large number of police personnel were deployed in the area to regulate traffic and prevent any untoward incident as protests continued.

Participating in the debate on demands for grants for the Housing and Urban Development Department in the Assembly, Reddy said people in Hosur had been protesting against the proposed airport and appealed to the government to consider their objections. He said the government had respected the concerns of farmers in Parandur and dropped the proposed airport there, and urged it to adopt a similar approach in Hosur.

“Hosur farmers have already given up their lands for various industrial projects, including SIPCOT. Farmers had already parted with substantial portions of their holdings for industrial development in the region,” he said.

Responding to him, Leader of the House and Revenue Minister KA Sengottaiyan said acquisition of agricultural land was inevitable for implementing development projects. “Whenever a project has to be brought in, agricultural land has to be acquired. There is no other way,” Sengottaiyan said.

Sengottaiyan turned down the former minister's demand that agricultural land not be acquired for the proposed airport, calling it impractical.

Nirmalkumar said the sport was restored following the spontaneous protest by students, but several political leaders were now claiming credit for its revival. “Jallikkattu returned because of the spontaneous protest by students. But everyone is now claiming that they were responsible for bringing it back,” he said.

Taking a dig at the DMK’s approach to the sport, he said, “They have treated Jallikkattu like a gladiator event and built a stadium outside the town. The pride of Jallikkattu lies in its being held in the respective villages. Is it a gladiator sport to be staged in a stadium?”

Nirmalkumar also alleged that cases were not registered in several incidents involving crimes against Dalits during the DMK regime.

“During the DMK government, cases were not registered in incidents involving crimes against Dalits. Even when a Minister allegedly assaulted a Scheduled Caste tehsildar, no case was registered,” he said.

Participating in the debate on the demands for grants for the Housing and Urban Development Department in the Assembly, Arunraj said the DMK had claimed credit for constructing several TNUHDB tenements, including one at Pattinapakkam. “Those who say they have built several tenements should also see their present condition. Across the State, the tenements are in a dilapidated state and do not provide basic facilities to residents,” he said.

Intervening, Nehru said TNUHDB tenements had a lifespan of about 25 years and acknowledged that redevelopment was often delayed because residents were reluctant to vacate their homes. He cited the reconstruction of tenements at Kotturpuram during the previous DMK regime under Chief Minister MK Stalin. “When we proposed reconstruction, the residents agreed to shift. If people are willing to move out for redevelopment, we are ready to discuss construction of new houses,” he said.

Nehru also agreed to join a proposed joint committee to assess the condition of TNUHDB tenements and suggested that residents be consulted during the inspection, responding to the minister's call on those lines.

Participating in the debate on demands for grants for the Housing and Urban Development Department in the Assembly, Reddy said people in Hosur had been protesting against the proposed airport and appealed to the government to consider their objections. He said the government had respected the concerns of farmers in Parandur and dropped the proposed airport there, and urged it to adopt a similar approach in Hosur.

“Hosur farmers have already given up their lands for various industrial projects, including SIPCOT. The government should listen to their concerns, just as it listened to the farmers of Parandur,” he said.

The former minister also said agricultural land should not be acquired for the proposed airport when farmers had already parted with substantial portions of their holdings for industrial development in the region.

Responding to him, Leader of the House and Revenue Minister K A Sengottaiyan said acquisition of agricultural land was inevitable for implementing development projects.

“Whenever a project has to be brought in, agricultural land has to be acquired. There is no other way,” Sengottaiyan said.

Reddy further reiterated his appeal to the government to reconsider the Hosur airport project and take into account the concerns of farmers and local residents before proceeding with the proposal.

The statue is being constructed through a trust, with work having commenced about two years ago. Construction from the feet to the head using reinforced concrete has been completed, along with the cement coating.

Workers from North India have been engaged for more than a month in shaping the statue's face, with scaffolding erected around it. Special cement coatings mixed with chemicals and protective paints are also being used to prevent damage from the salty sea air.

The statue is being constructed facing towards Sri Lanka, according to those associated with the project.

There are reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Rameswaram and inaugurate the statue. However, details of the proposed visit and inauguration have not been confirmed in the copy.

The statue is expected to attract more devotees to Rameswaram once it is completed and opened to the public.

Hanuman has an important place in the history associated with the Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy temple, according to local accounts.

Similar 108-foot Hanuman statues have already been constructed and opened to the public in Gujarat and Shimla, the report said.

His remarks came amid growing calls from ruling TVK ministers, legislators and sections of the public to project Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a possible prime ministerial candidate, as a wider debate continues over other potential national leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal.

"As Congress leaders, we are very clear. Our beloved leader and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is the INDIA bloc's prime ministerial candidate for 2029," Viswanathan said.

Providing details of Tamil Nadu's efforts to ensure the safety of tourists from the state stranded in Nepal, Viswanathan said a four-member ministerial committee was urgently dispatched to the neighbouring country on Thursday night to oversee relief measures.

The death toll from flash floods rose to 469 earlier on Friday, as search-and-rescue operations continued for a third day, with nearly 1,000 people still missing in the Himalayan nation.

"To monitor the situation 24/7, the Tamil Nadu government has opened dedicated control rooms in both Chennai and New Delhi," the senior Congress leader added.

Responding to opposition criticism that several hours of Assembly proceedings were being taken up by "unwanted conversations", the minister for Higher Education strongly defended the legislative process.

He said the Assembly was the appropriate forum for debate, where all elected representatives had an opportunity to express their views.

Chennai will have 10 organisational districts, while the Sholinganallur Assembly constituency in Chengalpattu district will be made an exclusive organisational district.

In a statement, Stalin said the party's high-level executive committee meeting held on August 22 had adopted several resolutions on administrative and organisational reforms, including the conduct of the DMK's 16th organisational elections and restructuring of the party at various levels.

The meeting authorised Stalin to decide the Assembly constituencies to be brought under each of the newly constituted districts.

Stalin said Sholinganallur would be the only Assembly constituency to be made an exclusive organisational district, citing its large population and the highest number of voters, at around 5.5 lakh.

Under the restructuring, Chennai will have 10 organisational districts, up from six. Madurai, Salem, and Coimbatore will each have five districts, up from three previously. Tiruvannamalai, Tiruppur, and Erode will each have four districts, up from two.

Tiruchy will have four organisational districts, up from three, with former ministers Anbil Mahesh and KN Nehru among those in charge.

Stalin directed the existing district secretaries of all the newly constituted 110 districts to convene district executive committee meetings in the presence of representatives deputed by the party headquarters.

The district units have been asked to submit recommendations within 15 days for reorganising the party's city, union, area, town, ward and branch-level structures in line with the newly created organisational districts.

Stalin also instructed party functionaries to carry out the restructuring in accordance with the resolutions adopted at the executive committee meeting and the guidelines to be issued by the party's restructuring committee.

He released the rank list for admission to undergraduate AYUSH courses-BSMS (Siddha), BAMS (Ayurveda), BUMS (Unani) and BHMS (Homoeopathy) - and BNYS (Yoga and Naturopathy) for the 2026-27 academic year.

According to the Health and Family Welfare minister, counselling for admissions is scheduled to begin on September 3 and will be held in three regular rounds, followed by a stray vacancy round.

He said 10,849 of the 11,850 applications received were found eligible. Of the 1,077 applications received under the 7.5 per cent preferential quota for students who studied in government schools, 906 were found eligible.

Under the 7.5 per cent government school quota, Pa Thamilaruvi of Nagapattinam district, who scored 516 in NEET, secured the first rank, followed by Su Brindha Sri of Tirunelveli district.

In the government quota, P Kranthik of Namakkal district secured the first rank, while K Thiyagaraj of Tiruvallur district stood second.

In the management and all-India quota, K Thiyagaraj and V Hemavathi, both from Tiruvallur district, and Dharani Kannan of Madurai district were among the top rank holders.

The minister said the state government was formulating a 'positive health policy' focused on primordial and primary prevention of diseases through traditional lifestyles, yoga, naturopathy and balanced nutrition.

Separately, a 16-therapy Indian Medicine Holistic Wellness Centre was launched at the Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy's Anna Nagar campus. The centre offers rejuvenation, pain management and circulation therapies at nominal rates, besides free general services.

The state has operationalised a 28-bed residential rejuvenation therapy facility at the International Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy and Medical Sciences in Chengalpattu.

Plans are underway to collaborate with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation to promote wellness and medical tourism in hill stations, the minister added.

Justice K Govindarajan Thilakavadi also ordered notice to DMK Information Technology wing and posted to September 15, further hearing of the application arising out of a suit filed by Arjuna, which also sought to restrain Stalin and DMK IT wing from publishing any similar false and defamatory statements concerning him.

In his application, the TVK leader submitted that the present suit was filed against Stalin and the DMK IT wing for publishing a false, malicious and defamatory imputation against him through the official social media account of the DMK Information Technology Wing on the social media platform 'X' , bearing the handle @DMKITwing, on June 8, 2026. The said publication has caused incalculable and grievous injury to the reputation, dignity, credibility and the public standing of the plaintiff.

Arjuna submitted that the impugned publication was not an isolated or unauthorised act of a mere social media functionary but was published pursuant to the plan, directions, instructions and approval of Stalin, who exercises control, supervision and overarching authority over the affairs of the party, including its IT wing.

Stalin was therefore responsible for, and accountable in respect of, the publication and dissemination of the impugned post, and the DMK IT wing was directly responsible as the official operator and manager of the said X account through which the impugned post was published, he added.

He submitted that impugned statement was wholly false, fabricated, malicious and devoid of any factual basis whatsoever. An individual referred to in the Enforcement Directorate proceedings was not a relative, much less a close relative, of the plaintiff. The allegation has been published without any verification, without any supporting material, and in complete disregard of the truth, he added.

He said a person has lodged a formal complaint before the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, specifically stating that he was not the one being referred to in the context of the ED. Consequently, any attempt to portray the said individual as a relative of the Plaintiff (Arujna), without undertaking even the most elementary verification, was manifestly reckless, grossly irresponsible and mala fide. Stalin and DMK IT wing conduct in publishing the impugned statement as a verified and "shocking truth" in complete ignorance of or willful disregard for the said complaint evidences a deliberate and calculated intention to defame him, he added.

In a statement issued on Friday, the producer associations said that they had chosen to indefinitely postpone the strike call given in the wake of Tamil Nadu Minister for Information and Publicity Rajmohan's assurance to them that the attention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay would be drawn to their concerns and that tripartite talks under the guidance of the Chief Minister would be facilitated to find a permanent solution to the problem.

The producers said that they had met Tamil Nadu Minister for Information and Publicity Rajmohan on August 26 and explained the problems plaguing the film industry to him. They said that they had also submitted their requests as a petition to the minister on the occasion.

Stating that after perusing their petition, the Minister had asked the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation and the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association to continue following the process that was in place for releasing films now, the producers pointed out that the minister had told them that the Tamil Nadu government would initiate steps to hold talks between the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation, the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and the Tamil Film Producers associations after the ongoing Assembly session and find a solution to the problem.

For the unaware, the producers associations had on August 22 announced that no new Tamil films would be released from September 1. They had also said that all film shootings and post production work being carried out on films would come to a standstill from September 1.

The producers said the decision to stop the release of all new Tamil films from September 1 had been taken in response to the unilateral announcement made by the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation with regard to the release of new films on OTTs.

The distributors and the theatre owners associations had said that they would only be able to screen those films whose producers gave them an assurance that they would release their films on OTT platforms only eight weeks after their theatrical release.

In a joint statement on August 22, the producers had said, "The distributors federation and the theatre owners association, of their own accord and without holding consultations with others, have decided that they can permit the theatrical screenings of only those films, whose producers give letters stating that they will release their films on OTT platforms only after eight weeks after their films' theatrical release."

Pointing out that no such practice was in place in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka or Kerala, the producers associations had said that this move, which was being deliberately introduced in Tamil Nadu alone, was one that needed to be condemned.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said prices of essential commodities had risen over the past three months since the new government assumed office. He said the increase had affected people, with many cutting down on their visits to grocery shops, and urged the government to take immediate steps to control prices.

AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said the previous AIADMK government had created a Price Stability Fund with an allocation of Rs 100 crore to check price fluctuations. He urged the government to adopt similar measures. Members of the PMK, CPI and CPM also raised concerns over the price rise.

Responding to the members, Minister Venkataramanan said the increase in prices of essential commodities was not confined to Tamil Nadu. The rise in petrol and diesel prices had also contributed to higher prices of essential commodities, he said. "The government is monitoring the prices of 41 essential commodities on a daily basis. The government will follow schemes implemented by previous governments to control the price rise," he said, assuring the House that fresh measures would be announced within three days.