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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Vijay stated this in his counter-affidavit filed in response to the Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate K Venkatachalapathy.

The constituencies included Tiruchirappalli (East) Assembly segment, one of the two seats from where Vijay won in the April 2026 elections and resigned later.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan had on July 10 passed the interim order and directed Vijay, besides former AIADMK MLAs MR Vijayabaskar (Karur), C Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai), S Jayakumar (Perundurai), and Esaki Subbaiya from Ambasamudram to file their comprehensive counter-affidavits traversing all factual and legal assertions. They all had resigned as MLAs.

In his counter affidavit, Vijay sought to dismiss with exemplary cost, the PIL, which sought to declare that the vacancies arising out of the resignations of various returned candidates in the Assembly pols do not constitute "clear vacancies" or available vacancies for the purpose of holding bye-elections under Section 151-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA).

Vijay submitted that the petitioner has no locus standi to file the petition, since he was not qualified to file an election petition. He cannot wage a war placing reliance on the election petitions filed by strangers/third party to the petitioner.

Even assuming without admitting that, if at all anyone may have the right to seek a relief postponing the bye election to the vacant constituencies, it will be the election petitioners due to the alleged possibility of two elected/returned candidates to one seat, if the election petitioner was successful in getting further relief. However, no application seems to have been filed by the election petitioner in respect of Tiruchirappalli (East) Assembly Constituency. Hence, the petitioner was waging a "proxy war" and it was liable to be dismissed in-limine, he added.

Vijay submitted that the petitioner was in no way aggrieved, so also any of the electors of the said constituency, since no one has raised an issue in this regard. Hence there was no public interest involved in the petition. Therefore, the petitioner seems to have filed the petition with ulterior motives. The petitioner lacks bonafides, he added.

The petitioner was only seeking to protect the interest of the election petitioners. But, the stoppage of bye election will deprive several lakhs of people in these constituencies from having democratically elected MLAs, to represent their interest, cause and grievance that too for an indefinite period of time.

Hence, prima facie, the petition was against the larger public interest; it was liable to be dismissed in-limine, he contended.

Extending his "heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the young Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu," the CM said Praggnanandhaa has created history by becoming the first Indian to win the champion's title at the GCT 2026 held in St. Louis, USA.

"Competing against the world's top players with remarkable mental fortitude and strategic brilliance, his victory in securing the champion's title is a fitting recognition of his extraordinary talent and unwavering perseverance," Vijay said in a post on "X".

This magnificent triumph not only instilled new hope and inspiration in the younger generation but also brought immense pride to Tamil Nadu and India.

"I wholeheartedly wish Praggnanandhaa continued success in achieving many more milestones on the global stage," the chief minister said.

The grand finale of the prestigious event in world chess concluded on August 27.

The 21-year-old Chennai prodigy defeated the defending champion and world number 2 Fabiano Caruana of the United States, scoring 15-13.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the incident occurred in the Urudayan Kudiyiruppu area on Sivasakthi Road between Tirunelveli Junction Sripuram and Thachanallur, where two communities reside.

A petrol bomb was allegedly thrown near the memorial stone of Muthuramalinga Thevar by two unidentified persons, who fled the spot.

How did police trace the accused involved in the petrol bomb attack?

Police led by Thachanallur Inspector Vimalan inspected the spot and found fragments of a glass bottle and a wick. The investigation found that a liquor bottle had allegedly been filled with petrol, fitted with a wick, set on fire and thrown at the memorial pedestal.

Who are the two people arrested in the petrol bomb case?

Police then examined CCTV footage from the area and identified the accused as Akashramadurai (22), son of Srinivasarajah, and Chandanakumar (21), both residents of the area.

Why was the petrol bomb allegedly thrown?

Police said the two accused were being monitored after being included in the rowdy list.

The investigation also revealed a dispute over government-owned land located between the houses of the two communities. While the land can be used by both communities, individuals do not have ownership rights over it.

One group had taken steps to construct a roof at the site, while another group objected and lodged a complaint with Thachanallur police. Following the complaint, the work was temporarily stopped.

Police said the petrol bomb incident may have occurred following anger among members of the community over the dispute.

Under the new system, liquor shop supervisors will submit stock indents using dedicated handheld devices, fully replacing manual submissions.

Accordingly, consumers will get their preferred brand based on sales in that particular area, and now consumers will get their choice of liquor, a senior official said on Friday.

The initiative stems from an official directive issued by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) Managing Director K Nanthakumar following executive decisions made at the corporate office.

In an order, he said, building on the complete end-to-end computerisation achieved across all 38 districts and depots in mid-2025, this tech-driven procedure aims to streamline stock distribution, eliminate paperwork, and prevent supply bottlenecks.

"Under the new digital mechanism, eligibility quantities for each shop will automatically populate on the handheld device, organised by specific brands and pack sizes", he said, adding, "while supervisors cannot reduce the system-generated base figures, they are allowed to increase stock orders by up to 20 per cent based on local demand.

He also said that supervisors retain the flexibility to add registered brands not featured on their automated list to cater to localised customer preferences.

"To ensure high accountability, physical submissions at District Manager (DM) offices will be completely phased out, and the final indent submissions will require mandatory One-Time Password (OTP) authentication sent to the registered mobile number of the designated shop supervisor".

Quantities confirmed via the system will be treated as final and forwarded directly to local depots for stock dispatch, placing sole verification responsibility on the shop supervisors.

The order further said that ahead of September 1, TASMAC is conducting a pilot phase where printed copies signed by district managers are being processed to monitor system performance.

Giving a break-up on the pilgrims, Rajmohan said 11 people from Cuddalore, 5 from Krishnagiri, 16 from Thanjavur, 1 each from Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai and Namakkal, 4 from Tiruchirappalli,

2 from Tiruvarur, 7 from Mayiladuthurai, and 6 from Chennai - accounting from 10 districts, and 3 from Puducherry, totally 57, went to the Kailash yatra travelling in three vehicles.

“The second vehicle was stuck due to the sudden flooding. About 20 Tamils were quickly rescued and evacuated to safety,” he said.

The minister emphasised that this disaster served as a “wake-up call” regarding climate change and the need for stricter adherence to sustainable development goals.

Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu announced the demands for grants for the Social Justice Department in the Assembly. The scheme was among 67 major announcements made by the minister.

Under the 'Agam' scheme, the government will provide safe and permanent housing for sanitation workers, who play a crucial role in maintaining cleanliness and public health in residential areas and urban centres.

The initiative aims to improve workers' living standards and ensure a safe, dignified living environment for their families.

In another announcement, the government said a Tribal Cultural Centre would be established at Nandanam in Chennai.

The centre will expand the activities of the Tribal Research Centre, currently operating in Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris district, to the State capital.

The proposed centre will work to preserve and promote the diverse cultures, traditions, and art forms of tribal communities.

It will also create greater public awareness about the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu's tribal population.

"During the DMK regime, following the then Chief Minister's demand, a team from the Union government came, but it did not take any decision," he said.

Urging the TVK-led government to consider the issue, Chezhian said the new government should procure paddy with a moisture content of up to 17 per cent.

Replying to him, Minister Venkataramanan said that if the government procured paddy with more than 17 per cent moisture content, the rice recovery would be only 60 to 62 kg for every 100 kg of paddy.

"However, if paddy with below 17 per cent moisture content is procured, the rice recovery would be above 68 kg for every 100 kg of paddy. The government procures paddy with a moisture content of up to 17 per cent to avoid this loss," the Minister said.

He also said that around 13,161 metric tonnes of paddy were available in Civil Supplies godowns and that 361 Direct Procurement Centres were functioning across 10 Delta districts.

Participating in the Assembly proceedings, Sindu said the Tamil word "thani" generally refers to something separate or isolated and could convey a sense of separation or discrimination. She argued that it was therefore not an appropriate translation for a reserved constituency.

Referring to Articles 330 and 332 of the Indian Constitution, she said the Constitution provides special rights and political representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, under which reserved constituencies were created. She said the term should reflect the special rights and representation guaranteed to these communities rather than suggesting separation.

Sindu requested the Speaker to consider renaming "rhani thoguthi" as either "sirappu thoguthi", meaning special constituency, or "urimai thoguthi", meaning rights constituency.

Responding to her request, the Speaker said it was a valid and good suggestion. He said the matter would be discussed with the Chief Minister and an appropriate decision would be taken.

She clarified through a suo motu statement under Rule 111 in the Assembly that there was no connection between Suzlon's groundbreaking ceremony in Andhra Pradesh and its proposed investment in Tamil Nadu.

"Social media platforms have spread wrong information regarding Suzlon's investment, claiming that the company had dropped its investment in Tamil Nadu and invested in Andhra Pradesh. There is no connection between Suzlon's proposed investment in the State and the groundbreaking event in Andhra Pradesh. Both are separate, she clarified.

Suzlon had signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government during a recent event in Chennai, proposing an investment of Rs 500 crore and the creation of around 500 jobs in Coimbatore and Thoothukudi.

Suzlon has had a long business association with Tamil Nadu. The company commenced production in the State in 2006 and stopped operations in 2011. Meanwhile, it continued to support its sister concern, SE Forge.

The company has now decided to resume direct investment in Tamil Nadu, the Minister said.

The announcement followed a demand raised by AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami during Thursday’s Question Hour. He asked the minister whether the government would implement the elevated corridor project, which had been proposed during the AIADMK regime.

Replying to him, the minister said the government had already announced an eight-lane road from Chennai to Kanniyakumari.

Explaining the traffic congestion in suburban areas surrounding Chennai, Aadhav said the travel time from Chengalpattu to Chennai airport had increased to nearly three hours due to heavy traffic.

"The same situation is witnessed while travelling from Tiruvallur through Poonamallee. The elevated corridor between Tambaram and Chengalpattu will be implemented after detailed discussions with the Union government. A meeting with the Union government is scheduled for next month," he assured.

Intervening in the proceedings, Premallatha urged members to avoid unnecessary confrontations and devote more time to issues concerning the people.

"The Assembly is meant to discuss people's problems. But for the past three or four days, there have been continuous arguments. Members keep making allegations against one another, consuming valuable time. What benefit does this bring to the people of Tamil Nadu?" she asked.

She said members appeared to be spending more time preparing for arguments than discussing public issues. Though the House was convened to debate demands for grants, only about an hour was being spent on people's issues, while much of the remaining time was consumed by arguments, she said.

"Everyone should be given an opportunity to speak in the House. This is an Assembly, not a fighting forum," Premallatha said, urging the Speaker to ensure that proceedings remained focused on public concerns.

She further said the House remained peaceful until Aadhav began speaking and suggested that he should not be allowed to intervene if his participation repeatedly led to disruptions.

Responding to her remarks, Aadhav said he respected Premallatha and knew how late DMDK founder Vijayakant had conducted himself as Leader of the Opposition.

"When opposition members make false statements and allegations, I am compelled to respond and clarify them. I also request Anniyar to tell the same thing to the DMK members about how they should speak in the House," he said.