QChennai: Periyar Statue Vandalised; 24-Hour Exam Helpline Set up

Here is your roundup of the top stories from Chennai.

1. Periyar Statue Vandalised in TN After H Raja's Facebook Post

A statue of Dravidar Kazhagam founder and social reformer Periyar EV Ramasamy near a taluk office in Tiruppattur was vandalised on Tuesday evening. The vandalism followed BJP national secretary H Raja’s post on Facebook, advocating the removal of Periyar’s statues.The statue bore a slight damage on the face and hands, the police said. It is still not clear why they threw stones at the statue.

In his post, Mr Raja referred to the uprooting of a statue of revolutionary communist leader Lenin in Tripura, where the BJP scored a massive victory in the Assembly elections, and said, “Today it is Lenin in Tripura, tomorrow in Tamil Nadu (it will be) casteist Periyar’s statue.” Later in the day, the post was taken down. Raja’s comments drew strong reactions, with DMK working president and Leader of the Opposition MK Stalin demanding the BJP leader’s arrest under the Goondas Act for repeatedly seeking to incite violence.

(Source: The Hindu)

2. ‘Sasikala Playing Hide and Seek with Panel’

The one-man Commission probing the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa rejected on Tuesday VK Sasikala’s application seeking more time to file her affidavit. The panel criticised her for “playing hide and seek with the Commission”. Retired Justice A Arumugasamy remarked that either the Commission can proceed to Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru, where Sasikala is lodged to record her statement or “very well draw adverse inference since the applicant has not filed sworn affidavit from 22 November 2017”.

Justice Arumugasamy refused to expunge the observations made in the order dated 30 January that she did not want to disclose the “entire truth on her own”, which Sasikala said were adverse remarks against her.

(Source: The Hindu)

3. No Political Vacuum in State: Stalin

A day after Rajinikanth said there was a political vacuum in Tamil Nadu following the death of AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa and the inactiveness of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, leaders of the two Dravidian parties rejected his contention. Rajinikanth had on Monday claimed that there was an absence of political leadership in the State, and that he wanted to fill the vacuum by taking the political plunge.

DMK leader MK Stalin said he did not feel that there was a political vacuum in the State. The people too did not endorse the view, he said. Fisheries Minister and senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar said there was a ‘contradiction’ in the approach of the film star who, while urging students not to get involved in politics, chose an institution of higher studies to make the observation.

(Source: The Hindu)

4. Bus Driver Dies on Duty, Saves 53 Passengers

A 52-year-old bus driver attached to the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) died while he was driving the bus near Red Hills on Tuesday morning. He saved the lives of passengers by halting the bus by the side of the road before losing consciousness.

According to police, bus number 61 R operates between Avadi and Red Hills and plies through Kollumedu, Arikambedu, Lakshmipuram, SIDCO Estate Phase. Since there are very few buses on this stretch, the bus is crowded most of the time, and 53 passengers were onboard at the time. While driving, all of a sudden, the driver Sunderaraj complained of chest pain and stopped the bus by the side of the road and collapsed. He was rushed to a private hospital nearby, where he was declared dead on arrival.

(Source: The Hindu)

5. Gold, Silver Looted from Anna Nagar Jewellery Shop

Burglars entered a jewellery shop in Anna Nagar by breaking open the grill on the terrace, in the early hours of Tuesday. According to police 8.5 kg of gold and silver jewellery were reported missing from the store. The shop, AKS jewellery, is situated on a four-storied building in Anna Nagar West opposite the Thirumangalam Metro station. The store that also sells gems and stones apart from gold and silver, has more than 10 employees.

The jewellery store is owned by Sivasankaran and Ayyapan. Sivasankaran was out of station when the burglary took place. On Monday night, Ayyapan closed the shop around 10 pm and went home after taking stock of the jewellery and the day’s sale. On Tuesday, he opened the store around 9 30 am, and to his shock, found the jewellery missing. He inspected two other floors, where jewels were on display and found that they were also missing.

(Source: The Hindu)

6. Notice to Kamal over ECR Bungalow

The Greater Chennai Corporation on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court of having issued notices to as many as 138 building owners, including actor Kamal Haasan, requiring them to produce approved building plans for the bungalows constructed by them along the East Coast Road (ECR), between Neelankarai and Uthandi.

A Division Bench of Justices M Venugopal and S Vaidyanathan was told that the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and Corporation officials on 9 January conducted a joint inspection of the resorts, bungalows, farm houses and guest houses constructed within 500 metres of the high tide line on the ECR.

(Source: The Hindu)

7. Exam Helpline Gets Nearly 17,000 Calls

With the Class XI board examinations starting on Wednesday, the 14417 helpline set up by the School Education Department now has subject teachers available between 4 pm and 7 pm to answer queries students may have with regard to various subjects. The helpline, which was launched on 1 March, has already received close to 17,000 calls.

Complaints received with regard to schools are being documented and the information passed on to the director of school education, he said. Calls have also been received with doubts about the upcoming NEET, he said. The helpline works round-the-clock, and on each shift, five persons are deployed to answer calls, along with two counsellors.

(Source: The Hindu)

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