QChennai: Cong Workers Thrash Scribes; Central Gets A New Name

Here is your round-up of the top stories from Chennai.

1. Congress Workers Thrash Photojournalists for Clicking Empty Chairs at TN Rally

Congress workers allegedly manhandled and thrashed photojournalists who were clicking pictures of empty chairs at a public rally by the party in Virudhunagar on Saturday. The Congress party had organised a public campaign to explain the party manifesto to the people. The incident took place when state Congress president KS Alagiri was leading the public meet while a few photojournalists allegedly attempted to click photos of empty chairs.

Enraged with the lensmen, a few congress party workers misbehaved with photojournalists and began to thrash them.

(Source: Deccan Chronicle)

2. Chennai Central Station’s Name Change Is Now Official

The State government has notified renaming of Chennai’s Central Railway station after late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, giving effect to an announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public meeting on 6 March. The station is now the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MG Ramachandran Central Railway Station.

On 9 March, the Union Home Ministry conveyed its ‘no objection’ to the proposal. Sources said the State then got permission from the Election Commission of India to notify the name change and issued an extraordinary notification in the government gazette on 5 April. Sources said the notification did not violate the model code of conduct as the announcement and ‘no objection’ were made ahead of notification of Lok Sabha polls.

(Source: The New Indian Express)

3. 20-Year-Old College Student Found Murdered near Pollachi, Accused at Large

A 20-year-old woman was found dead on the side of the road near Gomangalam town with her neck slashed on Saturday evening. The Coimbatore police are yet to track down the accused. According to the police, Vidya*, a second-year undergraduate student in a college in Coimbatore had boarded a bus to her hometown on Friday afternoon. She had called and informed her mother about the journey while on the bus.

However, she did not reach home on Friday and her worried parents filed a missing person complaint with the police station in Coimbatore city on Saturday morning. On Saturday evening, Gomangalam police received information that the body of a young woman has been found on the side of the road near Poosaripatty village with her neck slashed.

(Source: The News Minute)

4. MK Stalin Not Qualified to Speak on Cauvery Issue: TN CM

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Sunday said DMK president M K Stalin was not qualified to speak on the Cauvery issue since the party had failed to notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal in the gazette. Also, he said the DMK had not fulfilled any of the promises it had made during the last Assembly elections.

Palaniswami made the allegations while campaigning for M Thambidurai contesting from Karur and alliance party candidate PMK nominee S Jothimuthu from Dindigul. Palaniswami criticised Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram for not allotting sufficient funds to Tamil Nadu. Had he allotted funds, several farmer-friendly schemes would have been implemented, the chief minister said.

(Source: Deccan Chronicle)

5. Chennai Police Arrange an Air Ticket for Stranded Sudanese Youth

A Sudanese national, who had made Marina beach his home, returned to his country on Saturday, thanks to the Chennai city police who played the role of a Good Samaritan. They arranged plane tickets for the youth, who also spent four months in jail. Mohammed Al Mustafa, 22, came to the State for higher studies. He joined a three-year course at a college in Nagapattinam. After three years, he went back to his country and came back to clear the arrears with not much money.

He landed here six months ago and was hoping to find a temporary job in Chennai. However, he could not complete the course. He ended up doing menial work and slept at the Marina. He was arrested by the Marina police after he assaulted a few locals at the beach. He was imprisoned for four months. During his incarceration, his visa expired.

(Source: The Hindu)