The deceased were identified as Selvaraj (60) of Bengaluru, his wife, Gandhimathi (55) and their son, Karthik Kumar (35). The family was travelling to Molayandipatti village in Aravakurichi taluk in Karur to attend a wedding when the accident occurred.

According to the police, the family had left Bengaluru around 12.30 am, with Karthik Kumar driving the car. His wife, Kavyashree (34), who is seven months pregnant, had stayed back at home.

The accident occurred around 4.30 am near Nallipalayam in Namakkal when a car approaching from the opposite direction lost control, crossed the centre median and crashed into the car driven by Karthik Kumar. The impact was severe, leaving the front portions of both vehicles badly mangled. The family was trapped inside the car and died on impact.

Four occupants of the other car sustained serious injuries. They were identified as Sivakumar (32), his wife Gauthami (30), A Krishnagowda (19) and their relative Yadhunathan (19), all from Ramanagara in Karnataka. Police said they were returning to Bengaluru after visiting a temple in Thoothukudi district.

Police from the Nallipalayam station rushed to the scene after being alerted and rescued the injured. They were taken to the Namakkal Government Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment.

The bodies of the three victims were recovered from the wreckage and sent to the Namakkal Government Hospital for post-mortem. Police removed the damaged vehicles from the highway. Traffic on the busy Salem-Karur stretch was disrupted for some time following the accident. The Nallipalayam police have registered a case and further investigations are under way.

Citing public safety priorities and explicit directives from the Metropolitan Police Service, the party confirmed that personal meet-and-greet sessions have been called off.

"The Tamil community in London warmly awaits the opportunity to meet the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay. However, keeping public safety in mind and adhering to the guidelines of the London Metropolitan Police, the Chief Minister will be unable to meet you. Therefore, we kindly request everyone to refrain from trying to see him," the TVK IT wing said on social media.

"In addition, we respectfully request supporters and members of the public to refrain from gathering outside the hotel where he is staying, or waiting along his travel routes," it said.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside London's tallest building, The Shard, were disappointed after the event to see the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was cancelled

Hundreds of fans gathered outside London's tallest building, The Shard, on Tuesday were disappointed after the event to see the Tamil Nadu CM was cancelled after Metropolitan police expressed safety concerns.

CM Vijay is leading a state delegation to the UK to attract investments into Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, the Chief Minister's Office said the delegation had signed multiple agreements involving investments.

A Division Bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and Krishnanaswamy Govindarajan orally refused to stay the bye-elections to the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies. The Bench directed the Registry to post the PIL along with connected matters before the Chief Justice Bench on September 18.

The Court orally asked why the Election Commission of India (ECI) should not examine the issue in detail and frame guidelines under Article 324 of the Constitution to prevent this “mockery of democracy.” The Court also observed that the MLAs elected based on the people's trust resigning from their posts amounts to insulting the voters.

During the hearing, Advocate General Vijay Narayan pointed out that similar connected matters had been heard by the First Bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and that orders had been reserved.

The petitioner’s senior counsel R. Singaravelan told the Court that six AIADMK MLAs had resigned after this year’s general elections and joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). He said two of them, Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, have now been named TVK candidates to fill the vacancies caused by their own resignations in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies, even as the “ink on voters’ fingers” from the recent election has barely dried.

Advocate K. Suthan of Saidapet had filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Madras High Court, seeking a stay on the bye-elections to the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies.

In his petition, Suthan contended that when an elected representative resigns shortly after an election for personal or political reasons, a statutory restriction should be considered to prevent the person from contesting elections to Parliament or a State Legislative Assembly for five years from the date of acceptance of the resignation.

He submitted that public money is spent on conducting elections and bye-elections and that its economical and responsible use is a matter of public interest. He also argued that the electorate’s mandate cannot be treated as a personal political asset that can be abandoned shortly after an election without considering the consequences for voters and the public exchequer.

He further pointed out that the TVK had announced Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama as its candidates for Madurantakam and Dharapuram, respectively. He contended that they should not be allowed to contest after resigning for political reasons and thereby causing additional public expenditure.

The petitioner has sought a directive restraining the ECI from accepting the nomination papers of the two candidates until the disposal of the writ petition.

The candidates were introduced at a joint press conference held at the CPM State Committee office in Chennai. CPM State Secretary P Shanmugam, CPI State Secretary M Veerapandian and CPI(ML)-Liberation State Secretary Pazha Asaithambi were present.

Suganthi, a CPM State Committee member and General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TUNEF), entered public life through the literacy movement. She served as the State General Secretary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) from 2011 to 2021.

Lakshmanan, who studied up to Class IX, has been working as a construction worker. He is a part-time worker of the CPI and serves as the party’s Dharapuram taluk secretary.

The Left Front had earlier announced that it would contest the by-elections as a separate bloc, stressing the need for elected representatives who would raise people’s issues in the Assembly.

Who are in the fray for Madurantakam, Dharapuram bypolls?

I Paranthamen, DMK’s Madurantakam candidate, is the party’s Legal Wing Deputy Secretary and a former Egmore MLA. He is an advocate with BA, BL.

S Suganya, DMK’s Dharapuram candidate, is a DMK women’s wing functionary and advocate with MA, BL degrees.

K Maragatham Kumaravel, TVK’s Madurantakam candidate, is a former AIADMK MLA and MP who later joined TVK; she is listed as a postgraduate and P Sathyabama, TVK’s Dharapuram candidate, is a former AIADMK MLA and former Tiruppur Rural East district joint secretary, and is a 10th-pass candidate.

S Kanitha Sampath, AIADMK’s Madurantakam candidate, is a former Madurantakam MLA, while K Bhanumathi, the party’s Dharapuram candidate, is a former Dharapuram Panchayat Union chairperson and AIADMK women’s wing functionary.

Special dengue wards are also being set up separately in government and government medical college hospitals. 

The health department has ordered District Collectors to carry out dengue monitoring and coordination work, and has appointed separate 45 special nodal officers for districts. Officials have been ordered to visit districts and monitor the spread of dengue fever, record the daily incidence of the disease, and conduct inspections and studies to prevent mosquito breeding. 

Meanwhile the State government has ordered District Collectors to intensify dengue preventive works, as the reported cases are high in Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, and Chengalpattu. District administrations have been told to keep sufficient medicines such as platelets available for 24 hours. Also the public are advised to visit the hospitals as soon as they have fever.

The cancellation left many fans, some of whom had queued for hours, disappointed.

“For public safety concerns, we are calling off the programme because we don't have permission due to safety concerns,” a member of the chief minister's team announced over a loudspeaker.

“I think it’s reasonable but all of these people have been waiting. This is hardly the kind of crowds we see in Tamil Nadu,” said a young fan who had been camped at the actor-turned-politician's hotel for hours.

Vijay is leading a state delegation to the UK to attract investments into Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, the Chief Minister's Office said the delegation had signed multiple memoranda of Understanding involving investments worth around Rs 12,300 crore during the visit.

The investment drive, aimed at positioning Tamil Nadu as Asia’s premier advanced manufacturing and technology hub, is expected to generate more than 9,400 high-value jobs across the state.

Vijay is scheduled to conclude his UK tour and return to India on Wednesday.

EV Velu, who contested from Tiruvannamalai in the recently concluded Assembly election, secured a narrow victory, polling 88,273 votes. He defeated TVK’s Arul Arumugam by a margin of 2,455 votes. BJP’s C Elumalai finished third with 34,280 votes in a closely contested battle.

Challenging the result, Arul Arumugam filed a petition before the High Court. In response, EV Velu filed a petition seeking the rejection of the plea against him.

After hearing both parties, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy allowed EV Velu’s application and dismissed the election petition filed by Arul Arumugam.

The court observed that the petitioner, a first-time candidate, had to face the humiliation and one-upmanship of the returned candidate belonging to the then ruling party. Despite this, the winning margin was only 2,455 votes. However, the petition failed to identify any specific circumstance that vitiated the election or raised a triable issue requiring defence.

A fresh war of words has erupted within the Tamil Nadu Congress after former TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai questioned the party's alliance strategy and said it would be appropriate to ally with a party that accepted Rahul Gandhi as its Prime Ministerial candidate.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai earlier on Wednesday, Selvaperunthagai had said the Congress should consider whether it was appropriate to continue an alliance with a party that was unwilling to accept Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate.

Reacting to the remarks, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Praveen Chakravarty, while speaking to reporters at Chennai airport, questioned Selvaperunthagai's relevance in the party and asked why he was making what he described as unnecessary comments on the alliance.

Responding through a post on X Selvaperunthagai strongly objected to Chakravarty questioning his identity in the Congress. "A person who calls himself an intellectual asks who Selvaperunthagai is to speak about the alliance, " he said.

He alleged that questioning his identity was an extension of an " upper-caste, communal mindset", referring to an earlier incident in a northern state where, he claimed, a stage used by a Congress leader was washed with water after the leader left.

Selvaperunthagai reiterated his question on Rahul Gandhi's candidature, asking why the Congress should remain in an alliance with anyone who did not accept the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as its Prime Ministerial candidate.

Referring to Chakravarty's claim that the Chief Minister had spoken and laughed with him for a long time, Selvaperunthagai asked whether such interaction constituted an assurance on continuing the alliance. He challenged Chakravarty to clarify whether the Chief Minister or any senior leader of the TVK had agreed to Rahul Gandhi being the Prime Ministerial candidate.

And he said "It is easy to enjoy a position gained without hard work; it is difficult to work hard and build the organisation. The height of a position does not determine a person's political stature; it is their hard work and dedication to the organisation that truly define it"

Also, he noted Congress is bigger than individuals, and its ideology is bigger than positions.

Concluding his statement, Selvaperunthagai declared: "I am a Congress worker who wants Rahul Gandhi to become Prime Minister. I am a son of this soil and an indigenous person, with self-respect."

A division bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and Krishnanaswamy Govindarajan directed the registry to post the PIL, which sought a stay on the bypolls, along with connected matters before the chief justice bench on September 18.

The court orally asked why the Election Commission of India (ECI) should not examine the issue in detail and frame guidelines under Article 324 of the Constitution to prevent this “mockery of democracy.” The court also observed that the MLAs were elected by voters who placed their trust in them; resigning from their posts amounts to insulting the voters.

During the hearing, Advocate General Vijay Narayan pointed out that similar connected matters had been heard by the first bench headed by Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and that orders had been reserved.

The petitioner’s senior counsel R Singaravelan told the court that six AIADMK MLAs had resigned after this year’s general elections and joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). He said two of them, Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama, have now been named TVK candidates to fill the vacancies caused by their own resignations in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies, even as the “ink on voters’ fingers” has barely dried. Advocate K Suthan of Saidapet had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Madras High Court, seeking a stay on the bye-elections to the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies.

In his petition, Suthan contended that when an elected representative resigns shortly after an election for personal or political reasons, a statutory restriction should be considered to prevent the person from contesting elections to Parliament or a State Legislative Assembly for the next five years.

He submitted that public money is spent on conducting elections and that its economical and responsible use is a matter of public interest. He also argued that the electorate’s mandate cannot be treated as a personal political asset that can be abandoned shortly after an election without considering the consequences for voters and the public exchequer.

The petitioner contended that Kumaravel and Sathyabama should not be allowed to contest, as they resigned for political reasons and are causing additional public expenditure.

The bypolls for Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies are scheduled to be held on October 6, from 7 am to 6 pm.

According to an official release from the Tamil Nadu government, in exercise of its powers under Section 126A of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1951, the Election Commission has notified that conducting, publishing, or publicising any exit poll by print or electronic media is strictly prohibited between 7 am and 6.30 pm October 6.

The ban extends to disseminating exit poll results in any other manner in connection with the aforementioned by-elections.

The release highlighted that under Section 126A(3) of the Act, any individual who contravenes these provisions will be punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend to two years, or with a fine, or both.

Additionally, the Election Commission clarified that displaying any election matter, including the results of any opinion poll or survey, on any electronic media is prohibited during the 48 hours ending with hours fixed for conclusion of the poll.

This directive falls under Section 126(1)(b) of the RP Act, 1951.

In a statement on Wednesday, the anti-corruption outfit welcomed the transfer of Tambaram Corporation Commissioner S Balachander to the waiting list and the suspension of a zonal assistant engineer following its complaint.

The organisation, however, raised questions over the government’s claim that the work had already been executed using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds and that the tender was subsequently floated due to a procedural error.

Arappor pointed out that the government had stated that administrative approval for the work was obtained through a council resolution on July 14. However, the organisation claimed that no council meeting was held in July, with meetings reportedly held on June 11 and August 30.

It also questioned the sequence of events cited by the corporation. According to Arappor, the tender notice was issued on July 23, while a company offered to execute the work through CSR funds in a letter dated July 24.

The organisation sought details of the company and asked when the corporation approved its CSR proposal.

“If approval was granted on July 25, how was the Ashoka Pillar statue completed, installed and inaugurated within three days, on July 29?” it asked.

Arappor also questioned why the company that allegedly executed the work through CSR funds had not displayed its name or branding at the site.

It further said the tender was floated on August 6 and cancelled only on September 15, after its complaint was submitted. Citing the cancellation order issued by Balachander, Arappor said the document recorded that contractors had participated and bids had been received until September 24.

The organisation questioned whether payment could have been made under the tender had its complaint not been raised.

It also demanded an inquiry into the claim that no work order had been issued and questioned whether the CSR letter was genuine or obtained retrospectively.

Arappor said that even if the work was executed through CSR funds, the subsequent floating of a tender raised questions that required investigation. It alleged that the circumstances could point to an attempt to facilitate duplicate accounting for work completed.

The organisation urged the government to conduct a detailed inquiry instead of treating the matter as merely a procedural lapse and take action against those responsible.

The Yatri Seva Abhiyan (passenger service campaign) is guided by the principles of service and resolution (seva and sankalp), and service with a smile and will be held across the country from September 17 to October 10, Gopalakrishnan said.

“In Tiruchy International Airport, this four-week campaign will focus on strengthening passenger facilitation, service quality, safety, cleanliness and courtesy, to make every passenger’s journey more comfortable, seamless and welcoming,” the director said.

Gopalakrishnan also noted that the emphasis would be on practical improvements at passenger touch points, responsive assistance, and measurable outcomes that could be sustained beyond the campaign period.

The key activities in Tiruchy airport would be improving cleanliness across the campus, reviewing cityside car parking, transport signages, taxi, auto and app-cab facilities, auditing of passenger seating, charging points and priority facilities for elderly passengers, PRM (an ATC system) in the terminal, and strengthening Sugam Yatra assistance, including wheelchairs, ramps, lifts and accessible toilets.

The airport would also focus on improving wayfinding, Flight Information Display System, gate and baggage-belt information, and announcements, checking baggage belts, trolleys, lost-andfound services and creating passenger awareness.

Meanwhile, joint passenger-facilitation activities, including queue management and help desks with stakeholders and CISF, would also be organised, Gopalakrishnan said.

The director added that the campaign will conclude with a valedictory programme on October 10 featuring recognition of exemplary frontline service, presentation of campaign outcomes and passenger feedback, and a review of the improvements achieved.

Recalling various incidents that had occurred across the State, he said the Chief Minister had not bothered about the protests by people affected by frequent power outages, the Pattinapakkam fishermen's protest, the Aavin milk shortage and the Ramanathapuram double murder case. He also alleged that the Chief Minister was engaged in shooting in London.

"Unable to address the people's issues across the State, the TVK-led government has used the raid as a missile against the premises of Anbil Mahesh," Stalin said.

He vowed that the DMK would face the alleged political vendetta legally and added that the government could not douse the anger of the people against it through such raids.

"The government will realise that false allegations will not stand before the law, " Stalin said.

Condemning the raids, DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi told reporters that even the police themselves had no safety, adding that the raid was carried out only as a diversionary tactic.

According to a press release issued by VIT, Chancellor G Viswanathan, Md Alimuzzaman, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Chennai, will be the chief guest at the inaugural function on Friday. Pawan Vadapalli and Prince Jayakumar, Corporate Vice-Presidents at HCLTech, will attend as guests of honour. 

More than 40,000 students are expected to participate in the fest. Of the 227 events, 76 have already been conducted, while 151 will be held during the three-day event. This year’s edition includes 157 new events, comprising 31 hackathons, 62 workshops, 57 technical competitions and 10 entrepreneurship events. Popular events such as Robowars, CookOff, Aerodominator and Quadcopter will also return. 

The fest has a prize pool of around Rs 25 lakh in cash and Rs 1.5 crore worth of prizes in kind. Capital Hunt 2.0, ForgeAI, a 36-hour artificial intelligence hackathon, and kARniVRse, an AR/VR gaming experience, are among the new events. MotoVault, an automobile expo, and an exhibition by the Combat Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) showcasing indigenous defence technologies will also be held. 

Students from over 300 institutions in India and abroad, including participants from 22 countries, are expected to attend. Special events have been organised for school students. An interactive session with Aman Gupta of Shark Tank India is also scheduled.

The Senate, which is required to meet twice a year, could not be convened for nearly a year due to a court case. Though the legal hurdle was subsequently cleared, attempts to hold the meeting were postponed, creating uncertainty among faculty members and the administration.

The Senate’s approval is required for the UoM’s budget and allocation of funds to its more than 80 departments. Several other administrative matters are also expected to be taken up at the meeting, including the extension of the Registrar’s tenure, which is awaiting Senate approval.

The prolonged delay has also affected the university’s financial functioning and availability of funds for academic activities. Departments, particularly those in the science streams, have faced difficulties in procuring laboratory materials.

With postgraduate classes already under way, professors in some departments have reportedly purchased laboratory materials using their own money to ensure that students can attend practical sessions. However, faculty members said that this was not a sustainable arrangement, particularly for departments where professors could not afford to meet such expenses personally.

The delay in fund allocation has raised concerns among faculty members over the smooth conduct of academic activities. University professors said that the prolonged delay in convening the Senate had affected the institution’s administrative and academic functioning and stressed the need to clear the pending matters.

University sources said the Senate meeting was now scheduled for Friday and several pending financial and administrative issues would be discussed and cleared.

Kanitha Sampath filed her nomination papers for the Madurantakam (SC) constituency on Wednesday, but no prominent PMK functionaries were present at the event, even as AIADMK leaders continued efforts to secure the party's support.

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, meanwhile, said the party would soon announce which political party it would support in the bypolls to Madurantakam and Dharapuram, but declined to elaborate on the delay or indicate whether the party would continue with the AIADMK-led alliance.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai after paying floral tributes to the statue of freedom fighter and former minister SS Ramasamy Padaiyatchi at Guindy on the occasion of his 109th birth anniversary, Anbumani said the PMK would announce its decision on electoral support shortly.

When reporters repeatedly questioned him about the delay and asked whether the PMK would continue in the AIADMK alliance, Anbumani said, “I have already answered this. Has someone asked you to ask this question?” He did not provide further details on the party's alliance strategy.

AIADMK leaders have been approaching leaders of various parties seeking support for the bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. BJP, AMMK and Puthiya Needhi Katchi have already announced their support for the AIADMK.

The PMK's stand is particularly significant in Madurantakam, where it has a considerable support base among the Vanniyar community. Its support could therefore be important for the AIADMK in the constituency.

Sources said the PMK was unhappy with the AIADMK for announcing its bypoll candidates without consulting the party. This is understood to be one of the reasons for the delay in announcing its stand.

At the same time, there are indications that the PMK may consider remaining neutral in the bypolls. However, the party has not officially announced any decision.

With the PMK yet to clarify its position, the absence of its functionaries at the AIADMK candidate's nomination event has added to the uncertainty over whether it will back the AIADMK in the bypolls.

He further stated that he has been summoned for an inquiry on September 18 for an inquiry and that he will face it legally and disprove all the charges.

Speaking to reporters after the search by CCB at his house in Anna Nagar, Tennur in Tiruchy that lasted for more than eight hours, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said the TVK government, to mute the opposition leaders who speak louder for welfare in the Assembly and the public platforms are targeted as a diversion tactics which the TVK has been following ever since forming government. 

“The team searched everywhere in the house for ‘something chargeable’, but they could only take away the documents about the Class 10 and 12 results, school inspections, achievement lists of the education department and summoned me for an inquiry. The officials were given full cooperation during the entire search operation,” Mahesh Poyyamozhi said.

"I will appear for the inquiry and from there, will head to Dharapuram for bypoll works at the places where I am deputed," Mahesh Poyyamozhi said.

Stating that the opposition leaders are targeted for speaking louder against the malfunctioning of the government in the Assembly and on public platforms, Mahesh Poyyamozhi said he had called the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay 'Hitler' and his council of ministers as Goebels for peddling fake narratives. 

“To divert the opposition from working for the bypolls, the state government has been practising diversion tactics, and the search operation was a part it and the DMK people will never be scared of such murmurs out of inexperience and we will face it legally and prove our innocence in the court,” said Mahesh Poyyamozhi.

Earlier, DMK Principal Secretary KN Nehru, who was refused entry into the house of Mahesh Poyyamozhi, where a search was on, told the media persons charged that the searches in the premises of the DMK leaders are just to threaten the opposition ahead of the bypolls. 

“The TVK government has been targeting the prominent DMK leaders just for political gain. We will prove every single charge and come out innocent in every case through the court,” he said.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice R Karthikeyan observed that the police had already taken sufficient action in the case.

During the hearing, the State government informed the court that the CBCID had completed its investigation and filed a chargesheet before the trial court.

Thirumurugan of Pudukkottai filed the petition in 2023 seeking the transfer of the case to the CBI. He stated that unidentified persons had allegedly mixed human faeces in an overhead water tank supplying water to Scheduled Caste residents of Vengaivayal village in Pudukkottai.

He alleged that several children who consumed the water suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea. The petitioner further claimed that several incidents of caste-based discrimination had been reported in the Vengaivayal area.

Following the incident, a team headed by the Pudukkottai Superintendent of Police conducted an inquiry. The investigation was subsequently transferred to the CBCID. However, he claimed there had been no progress in the case.

As the CBCID had completed its investigation and filed a chargesheet before the trial court, the judges dismissed the petition.

In a statement, Stalin said he was taking rest at home as advised by doctors and that previously scheduled programmes had been postponed. He said a new date for the Mupperum Vizha, which was postponed on the instructions of the party general secretary, would be announced later.

Stalin said leaders of various political parties and movements in Tamil Nadu, as well as his friends from the film industry, had contacted his office and enquired about his health. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the affection and concern shown not only by leaders of alliance parties but also by leaders of other parties and movements.

He said he would continue to take rest at home for another two or three days as advised by doctors.

Stalin also said he was happy to see the various programmes organised by DMK cadres on the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister and DMK founder Anna on Tuesday.

Stalin urged cadres to renew and hoist party flags to mark the commencement of the DMK's 78th year

He urged party cadres to observe the birth anniversary of social reformer Periyar EV Ramasamy on September 17 and the anniversary of the founding of the DMK with enthusiasm.

He asked cadres to garland Periyar's statues and pay respect to him, besides taking the Social Justice Day pledge at all DMK offices as announced by the party headquarters.

He also urged cadres to renew and hoist party flags to mark the commencement of the DMK's 78th year.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the arrangements for the consecration ceremony, the Minister said that the government was not interfering in the distribution of passes.

The Minister said no final decision had been taken yet on the number of devotees to be allowed on the upper floor of the temple. Though the authorities planned to allow around 9,000 people, officials were conducting a safety assessment of the structure to determine whether the upper floor could accommodate that number. He added that a final decision would be taken based on the assessment.

The minister also clarified that around 2,000 passes had been distributed to the public through a lottery system and that those holding the passes would also be allowed on the upper floor.

On the question of the temple’s Board of Trustees not being involved in the arrangements for the event, he said steps had been taken to contact the trustees and address their requirements.

Elaborating on the arrangements for the event, Nirmal Kumar said police personnel and health department officials were working in two shifts. Necessary arrangements had also been made to ensure that there was no power interruption during the event, he said.

The Minister also clarified that the public would not be allowed to stand on the Chithirai streets to witness the consecration ceremony, as those areas would be used only as a passage for people proceeding to and returning from the temple towers.

He reiterated that there was no political interference in the consecration arrangements and said all measures were being taken with the safety of devotees in mind.

Meanwhile, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister S Ramesh told reporters that Tamil Oduvars were given priority at the consecration ceremony.

Reiterating that Tamil would always be given priority, the Minister said all arrangements have been made to enable Tamil Oduvars to conduct the rituals in Tamil during the yaga puja (fire rituals).

Ramesh said none of the Oduvars appointed by the government have approached him with any grievance. He added that Tamil Oduvars will be permitted to pour water over the sacred kalasam and enter the sanctum sanctorum.

Citing public safety priorities and explicit directives from the Metropolitan Police Service, the party confirmed that personal meet-and-greet sessions have been called off.

"The Tamil community in London warmly awaits the opportunity to meet the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay. However, keeping public safety in mind and adhering to the guidelines of the London Metropolitan Police, the Chief Minister will be unable to meet you. Therefore, we kindly request everyone to refrain from trying to see him," the TVK IT wing said on social media.

"In addition, we respectfully request supporters and members of the public to refrain from gathering outside the hotel where he is staying, or waiting along his travel routes," it said.

Hundreds of fans gathered outside London's tallest building, The Shard, on Tuesday were disappointed after the event to see the Tamil Nadu CM was cancelled after Metropolitan police expressed safety concerns.

CM Vijay is leading a state delegation to the UK to attract investments into Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, the Chief Minister's Office said the delegation had signed multiple agreements involving investments worth around Rs 12,300 crore during the visit.

India's long coastline supports major ports, fishing harbours, power plants, industries, urban settlements and sensitive ecosystems. Increasing climate variability and the growing frequency of extreme events pose risks to infrastructure and livelihoods, making robust, evidence-based adaptation essential.

A release from the institution on Wednesday said the research was undertaken at IIT Madras' Centre of Excellence on Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Infrastructure and Adaptation Strategies, supported by the Department of Science and Technology.

The interdisciplinary Centre brings together expertise in climate science, coastal engineering, water resources and environmental engineering.

The findings were presented at the IAHR World Congress 2025 in Singapore through a paper titled "Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Infrastructure and Adaptation Strategies for Coastal Infrastructure, Water and Waste Management Facilities".

Researchers at the Centre have developed advanced models and tools to assess and address risks from cyclones, storm surges, coastal flooding, shoreline erosion, sea-level rise and extreme rainfall.

The Centre has developed advanced climate, cyclone, storm-surge, wave, hydrodynamic and morphodynamic models tailored to the Indian coast.

A novel wind-merging technique developed by the researchers has improved storm-surge predictions. The team has also carried out flood inundation modelling and mapping for Chennai to support disaster preparedness and urban planning.

Coastal Vulnerability Index maps incorporating the effects of sea-level rise and storm surges have been developed for Chennai, Ennore and Karaikal.

The researchers have developed structural health monitoring approaches to track climate-driven deterioration of port infrastructure, proposed climate-resilient reservoir management strategies for flood-prone urban areas and assessed the effectiveness of various measures to prevent and mitigate saltwater intrusion in coastal areas.

In the areas of water and environmental sustainability, the Centre has developed climate-resilient wastewater treatment solutions, including a patented in-stream wastewater treatment method.

The team has introduced a framework to support community-based adaptation to sea-level rise and other coastal hazards.

Prof S A Sannasiraj, Principal Investigator of the Centre and faculty member in the Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, said, "India's coastline hosts some of the country's most critical infrastructure and supports millions of livelihoods. Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of coastal hazards, making resilience an urgent priority."

"Our Centre has adopted a systems-level approach that integrates climate modelling, engineering solutions and community adaptation to provide actionable strategies that can help reduce risks and improve preparedness across coastal regions," he added.

He said the research outputs were expected to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure such as ports, fishing harbours, power plants and transport networks, and improve disaster preparedness and flood management in coastal cities.

They were expected to safeguard groundwater resources and promote sustainable, nature-based coastal protection, he added.

He has filed his nomination as an independent candidate. Rajarathinam, son of Sundaraj of Manakkadavu in Dharapuram taluk, holds MA and BEd degrees.

Despite his educational qualifications, he is currently working as a daily wage labourer. Rajarathinam belongs to the Arundhatiyar community and has been fielded by the federation as its common candidate.

The federation said it would contest the election by raising issues concerning social representation and the demands of people from marginalised sections.

Arundhatiyar Federation president Kalyanasundaram and Vadivelraman, Rajasekaran, Elango, Ganesan, Viduthalaiveeran, NTR Tirupur and Thirumugachelvan from Erode and other areas were present during the nomination filing process.

He also urged party cadres to celebrate reformist leader 'Periyar' EV Ramasamy's birth anniversary and the DMK’s 78th foundation day on September 17.

"My heartfelt thanks to everyone who inquired about my health. Following a fever caused by a viral infection, I am currently at home as advised by doctors. Consequently, my previously scheduled programmes have been postponed," the former chief minister said in a statement.

"As per medical advice, I will continue to rest at home for another two to three days," he added.

"Tomorrow (Thursday), in addition to paying respects by garlanding the statue of Thanthai Periyar, the "social justice day" pledge must be administered across all party offices as announced by the party headquarters," he said, adding, "DMK flags should be hoisted to mark the beginning of the party's 78th year".

DMK general secretary Duraimurugan has said that the 'Mupperum Vizha' has been postponed as Stalin was unwell and the scheduled date will be announced later.

The Mupperum Vizha is an annual event held by the DMK to mark the birth anniversaries of party founder CN Annadurai (Sep 15), reformist leader 'Periyar' EV Ramasamy (Sep 17) and the party's founding day (Sep 17).

The Vizha was originally scheduled to be held here on September 15, 2026 evening at Kalaignar Arangam, an auditorium on the premises of Anna Arivalayam here, the DMK state headquarters.

Responding to a query, Krishnan said the Left parties had the right to field candidates in the bypolls, but maintained that only TVK candidates would emerge victorious in both constituencies.

The Delta Regional TVK coordinator and chairman of Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) denied talks of the alliance turning over the Left’s call and issues within the front over the PM candidate.

Meanwhile, Krishnan said the TNUHDB had so far sold plots to 1.44 lakh beneficiaries at slashed prices through 741 schemes. The beneficiaries would be given pattas after registration, he said.

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The election to the 23-member Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, held on April 30, concluded after an 86-day counting process, with the results being declared on July 21.

A total of 143 advocates contested the election, which recorded an 81 per cent voter turnout across 168 polling stations in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. As per the election rules, at least five women advocates were required to be elected to the 23-member Bar Council. Under the preferential voting system, candidates securing the required quota of 3,001 votes were declared elected.

The newly elected Bar Council comprises 18 male advocates — P Amalraj, RC Paul Kanagaraj, E Balamurugan, G Mohana Krishnan, C Paraneedharan, K Balu, among others — and five women advocates. Advocates D Prasanna, L Sumathi and three other women advocates were elected to fulfil the mandatory representation for women.

In accordance with a Supreme Court order, Madras High Court Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari had appointed retired High Court judge Justice VM Velumani and advocate Sudarshana Sundar as two women members to be co-opted into the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Meanwhile, an election to choose the Chairman and Vice-Chairman from among the elected members of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was scheduled to be held on September 16. The filing of nominations for the posts took place on Tuesday, with the deadline set at 1 p.m. By then, advocate K Kathiravan had filed his nomination for the post of Chairman, E Balamurugan for Vice-Chairman, and PS Amalraj for the post of member of the Bar Council of India.

As no other candidates filed nominations for these posts, all three were declared elected unopposed by Justice KN Basha, the election officer.

The organisation said that the State government was planning waste to energy plants in several cities, including Kodungaiyur, Tambaram, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem and Tirunelveli, despite concerns over air and water pollution and hazardous waste generated by such facilities.

According to the CFA report, titled ‘100/100 Pollution Score’, waste to energy plants scored 100 on the cumulative Pollution Index. It compared this with open cast coal mining, copper smelting and thermal power plants, which scored 97.5, 90 and 85 respectively.

Poovulagin Nanbargal questioned why these plants, which reportedly have a higher pollution score, had been moved from the red category to the blue category. The organisation cited the closure of the Manali waste incinerator after cadmium levels were found to be up to 24 times higher than the permissible limit. “The Kodungaiyur facility was also shut after it was revealed that 45 of the 48 pollutants that required mandatory monitoring were not being monitored,” it said.

The organisation further opposed the proposed plants in Tirunelveli and Salem. The State government has announced a Rs 256-crore plant with a 9-MW capacity in Tirunelveli and a Rs 291-crore plant with a 10-MW capacity in Salem.

Police sources said that a senior executive at PNB, Ganesh Chandra Panda, filed a complaint with the GCP Commissioner after an internal audit revealed the wrongdoing.

The incident came to light after a customer's jewellery was 'missing' when the customer came to redeem it in April. Subsequently, the customer's jewellery was found beneath the locker, after which the senior management raised suspicion and examined all the jewellery in the branch.

The police said 2.137 kg of jewellery belonging to 24 customers was found in the locker, but examination showed that it had been replaced with covering jewellery.

According to a complaint by PNB to the police, the former branch manager and three others had conspired and replaced over 2 kg of gold jewellery belonging to 24 customers with fake jewellery.

CCB registered a case under provisions relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy and began efforts to recover the original jewellery.

The state government has announced that the new Assembly complex will be constructed on 25.52 acres at Pattinapakkam, with the proposed facility spread across 20 lakh sq ft at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore.

In opposition to the project, fishermen from Pattinapakkam, Sreenivasapuram and nine fishing villages along the Loop Road, on Tuesday, held a meeting at Sreenivasapuram beach.

They announced that Chief Minister Vijay should revoke the GO for the newly announced Pattinapakkam Assembly complex project after he returns from the UK tour. Otherwise, they said, they would launch an indefinite protest.

Members and representatives from 36 fishing villages along the Chennai coast and various districts attended the meeting and extended their support to the fishermen of Pattinapakkam and the other nine fishing villages.

Fishermen claimed that the 25.52 acres at Foreshore Estate, which was recently procured for the proposed Assembly complex, belonged to the fishing community.

According to them, in 1957, the Tamil Nadu government took land from fishermen and issued GO No. 3313 under the Madras City Improvement Trust, assuring them that new houses would be constructed and handed over to them. However, this did not happen. Therefore, they said, the land belongs to the fishing community.

They also noted that the new Assembly complex plan would affect shore fishing in Nochikuppam, Mullikuppam and Sreenivasapuram. Fish selling, fishing net drying and boat parking would also become impossible as the area would be converted into a highly secured zone, they added.

Speaking at the meeting, Shanthi from Nambikai Nagar said congestion had become a major issue due to the ongoing Metro work, as the traffic was diverted to the Loop Road. The police had initially said the arrangement would continue for only three months, she said, adding, however, three years have passed, and the traffic diversion is still in place, causing heavy congestion. "If the new Assembly complex is established here, we will lose our houses and fishing rights," she said.

Highlighting that under the CZMP map, the Foreshore Estate land would be classified as a fisherman residential area, Neithal Makkal Katchi leader K Bharathi urged the government to declare the Loop Road a protected fishing zone to safeguard the fishing communities.

The bypolls were necessitated after AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama, who won the Madurantakam and Dharapuram constituencies, respectively, in the Assembly election, resigned and joined the TVK within weeks of the election results.

The issue has already emerged as a key campaign theme for the Left parties. CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said on Tuesday that the “betrayal” of voters by the two former AIADMK MLAs would be the Left’s primary campaign plank.

“This is going to be our primary election campaign tool. They betrayed the people by resigning their MLA posts before the ink dried on the finger. Within 20 days of the election results, they resigned. What is the guarantee that they will not repeat this and join some other party,” Shanmugam asked a joint press conference where CPI state secretary M Veerapandian announced P Laxmanan as the Left candidate for Dharapuram. Shanmugam announced CPM candidate P Suganthi for Madurantakam.

DMK youth wing secretary and Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, addressing a marriage function at Velachery on Sunday, alleged that the government had come to power by “buying” MLAs from another party, necessitating the bypolls.

Udhayanidhi said the bypoll victories should mark the beginning of the TVK government’s downfall and urged voters to defeat the ruling party.

While the DMK has suffered defection of its major allies, including Congress, CPM, CPI, VCK and IUML, to the TVK after the polls, the AIADMK alliance seems to be remaining intact except for the PMK, which has remained silent on extending support.

Amid the bypolls, arch-rivals DMK and AIADMK cadres shared sweets and greetings at Anna's birth anniversary celebration in Tirupur; something unheard of in the past.

Meanwhile, the electoral contest is taking shape in both constituencies. In Madurantakam, DMK’s I Paranthaman, TVK’s Maragatham Kumaravel and NTK’s Janakiraman filed their nominations on Tuesday. AIADMK and CPM candidates are expected to file their papers on Wednesday, the last day for nominations, making it a five-cornered contest.

In Dharapuram, 13 candidates including six females had filed nominations till Tuesday. TVK’s Sathyabama, AIADMK’s Bhanumathi and candidates of the CPM and NTK are among those expected to file nominations on Wednesday.

Tagore said the Centre's reluctance to release caste-wise census data and details of corporate loan write-offs exposed what he termed its class and caste bias. He questioned why OBC caste details were being collected through an open-ended format when clear lists were available for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

He pointed out that the Union government's OBC list includes more than 220 communities in Tamil Nadu and argued that collecting details without a predefined list could lead to spelling variations and classification errors. With around 34 lakh enumerators involved in the census exercise, he said the absence of a standardised list could compromise data accuracy.

Tagore alleged that inaccurate OBC data could eventually be used to undermine reservation benefits, including Tamil Nadu's 69 per cent reservation system. He also accused the RSS of opposing social justice and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were implementing its agenda.

The TNCC president announced a statewide campaign to create awareness about the issue, coordinated by TNCC OBC wing president TA Naveen. The campaign will begin in Chennai on September 17 under Tagore's leadership and will be inaugurated by Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani.

Tagore said the campaign will cover 10 cities and the Congress would demonstrate the problems associated with the open-ended method and advocate a verified dropdown system for collecting caste data.

The textbooks are being printed following the introduction of a revised/new syllabus for elementary classes from the current academic year.

Officials said that the process has been expedited after receiving the necessary approvals. “The first-term textbooks were released a couple of months ago, following which preparations for the second-term books began. The process has now been expedited,” a department official said.

The first term, which began in June, is scheduled to conclude by the end of September, after the quarterly exams. The Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation is making arrangements to ensure the new textbooks reach schools in time for distribution to students after the holidays.

The syllabus revision is part of the broader changes initiated after the State Education Policy (SEP) was launched in August 2025, while DMK was in power. It is expected that the new syllabus for remaining classes will come into effect from the next academic year.

According to the police, Maheswari, a resident of Jeyabharath Metro City, is working as the headmistress of a government school at nearby Konthagai village.

Her son, Prabhu, runs an insurance agency, the police said. Prabhu, along with his wife and mother, had gone to Madurai to attend the funeral and returned home on Monday night.

However, they were shocked to find the house open and the valuables missing. Tiruppuvanam police personnel inspected the spot and collected evidence, and conducted the investigation.

In a statement, Nainar Nagenthran said the idol had been installed as part of Vinayagar Chaturthi celebrations and criticised its depiction in the likeness of Vijay. He alleged that a deity revered and worshipped by crores of people should not be used for individual glorification or political publicity.

"Transforming an image revered and worshipped by crores of people for individual glorification and political publicity demeans their spiritual sentiments," he said.

The former minister also criticised Vijay for failing to condemn the alleged act at the outset. He claimed that the Chief Minister's silence had encouraged TVK functionaries to engage in such acts.

Nainar said the use of religious imagery for political self-promotion was unacceptable and appealed to the government to safeguard the religious sentiments and worship traditions of the people.

He also demanded that those responsible for displaying the idol be arrested, contending that such acts could undermine the sanctity of religious observances.