
Perni vows to fight ‘red book regime' in court
Speaking to the media at Tadepalli on Monday, he vowed to hold accountable those responsible for such injustices in court, asserting, 'We have all the evidence to expose their malicious tactics.'
He said a glaring example of this misconduct is the case involving the attack on Krishna district ZP Chairperson Uppala Harika, a BC women leader on Saturday in Gudivada. A false case was filed against her husband, Uppala Ramu, in a blatant attempt to shift blame. He said, TDP orchestrated an assaultand then pinned false charges on YSRCP leaders.

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The Print
23 minutes ago
- The Print
With 4 IAS spokespersons & new public redressal system, Stalin govt expands outreach ahead of 2026 polls
Sources in the secretariat told ThePrint that the measures are part of the state government outreach to people ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. The 'Ungaludan Stalin' (Stalin with you) programme will be launched by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on 15 July in Chidambaram, in Cuddalore district. It will continue until November 2025. Chennai: Ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu Government has appointed four senior IAS officers—P. Amudha, J. Radhakrishnan, Gagandeep Singh Bedi and Dheeraj Kumar—as spokespersons for the government for the first time. The government will also launch 'Ungaludan Stalin' a public redressal system, that will be taken to the common man through camps. 'Apart from the popular schemes, including a free bus scheme and a Rs 1,000 financial assistance scheme for women, it was understood that there was a lack of awareness among the grassroots level people about the works done by the government. Hence, the Chief Minister has initiated such measures,' the source at secretariat told ThePrint. Additional Chief Secretary P. Amudha IAS, who was the special officer for CM's Public Grievance Redressal initiative, will be heading the 'Ungaludan Stalin' initiative. Speaking to ThePrint, Additional Chief Secretary P. Amudha said that the government would be conducting 10,000 camps including, 3,738 camps in Urban areas and 6,232 camps in rural areas. 'It is a continuation of the Makkaludan Mudhalvar (Chief Minister with people) scheme launched in 2023, and the Mudhalvarin Mugavari (Chief Minister's address) scheme launched in 2021, which received overwhelming response from people,' P. Amudha told ThePrint. According to her, as on 30 June 2025, as many as 1.5 crore petitions on grievances were received, of which 1.1 crore petitions were resolved. Similarly, in the Makkaludan Mudhalvar scheme, as many as 9.5 lakh petitions were received from urban areas between November 2023 and January 2024 and 1.02 crore petitions were received in rural areas between July 2024 and September 2024, of which 95% of the petitions were resolved. 'The Chief Minister found that the schemes were very helpful for the people to get services at their door step. So, we once again conducted camps in the rural areas where SC/ST population is higher. Between January 2025 and June 2025, as many as 433 special camps were held in which as many 1.8 lakh petitions were received of which 1.47 lakh petitions were resolved,' Amudha told ThePrint. She also said that the 'Ungaludan Stalin' programme will help people resolve basic issues like changing names and addresses in the ration card, voter id, Aadhaar, etc., through the camps. 'The Chief Minister has instructed us to send volunteers to inform the households a week in advance about the camp, details eligibility and required documents. Under the 'Ungaludam Stalin' programme in urban areas, we will be providing 43 services, and 46 services in rural areas,' she said, adding that the officers were instructed to resolve the issue within 45 days. 'It is not that all the issues will be taking 45 days, say for instance, some of the issues will be resolved in a day or two. Some issues like changing the name in Patta (land record document) and all might take a bit more time,' she told ThePrint. Four IAS officers appointed as Government Spokespersons According to the official release from the State Government, the official government spokespersons would be disseminating key information about various schemes and other essential matters of the department to the public through media in a timely and accurate manner. 'The secretaries of various departments will provide information to the government spokespersons of the concerned department, who in turn will verify the information and provide it to the media through press conferences,' an official source told ThePrint. According to the official release, J. Radhakrishnan will handle information on the Energy Department, Health and Family Welfare Department, Transport Department, Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils, School Education Department, Higher Education Department, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi Department, and the Human Resources Management Department. Similarly, Gagandeep Singh Bedi will provide information regarding Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Water Resources Department, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department, Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department and the Natural Resources Department. Dheeraj Kumar will provide information regarding the Home, Prohibition, and Excise Departments. P. Amudha will provide information on the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Social Welfare and Women's Empowerment Department, Welfare of the Differently Abled Persons Department, Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department, Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department, Housing and Urban Development Department, Highways and Minor Ports Department, Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department and the Special Programme Implementation Department. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Stalin's face front & centre, I-PAC hits ground running to shape DMK campaign for 2026 polls


The Print
24 minutes ago
- The Print
Migrant detentions rekindle Bengali identity politics, trigger new churn ahead of 2026 Bengal polls
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is going all guns blazing to turn what was once a socio-economic crisis into an emotive electoral issue, accusing BJP governments in Odisha, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat of 'institutional and linguistic profiling' and 'criminalisation of poverty' under guise of national security. With months to go for the 2026 Assembly polls, what began as isolated complaints of harassment of migrant workers has now evolved into a full-blown political flashpoint. Kolkata, Jul 15 (PTI) The detention of Bengali-speaking migrant labourers in BJP-ruled states and their profiling as suspected Bangladeshis has ignited a fresh political firestorm in West Bengal, with the ruling TMC reigniting its Bengali identity pitch that had blunted the BJP's Hindutva juggernaut in the 2021 Assembly polls. From branding the crackdown as a 'humiliation of Bengalis' to planning massive protest rallies in Kolkata, including a July 16 march to be led by Banerjee herself, the TMC is rekindling the sub-nationalist fervour it used to great effect in 2021 through the slogan 'Bangla Nijer Meyeke Chaye' (Bengal wants its own daughter). The flashpoint first emerged in June, when at least seven Bengali-speaking people were pushed back to Bangladesh from Maharashtra and other states, allegedly without proper citizenship verification or intimation to the West Bengal government. They were later repatriated through legal and diplomatic intervention after their Indian citizenship was confirmed. Last week, Odisha Police detained 444 workers from various Bengal districts on suspicion of being illegal immigrants, though 50 were later released after submitting documents. In Delhi, electricity and water supply were snapped in Bengali-dominated Jai Hind Colony, following a civil court order amid allegations of power theft, adding further fuel to the fire. 'There are over 1.5 crore migrant workers in Bengal who live with dignity. But the same cannot be said for BJP-ruled states, where Bengalis are being treated as infiltrators in their own country. Speaking Bengali does not make one Bangladeshi,' said TMC MP Samirul Islam. 'Harassment of Bengali workers is proof that this is part of a pattern of hatred towards Bengali-speaking people. Do these migrant labourers now need separate visas to visit BJP-ruled states?' Islam told PTI. The Bengal government is now exploring legal options against what it calls the 'unconstitutional deportation' of Indian citizens. Seizing the moment, the TMC has pivoted its campaign narrative to champion the rights and dignity of Bengali-speaking migrant labourers, an estimated 22.5 lakh of whom work across in construction, brick kilns, factories, and informal sectors across the country. 'Our people are being treated like infiltrators just because they are poor and speak Bengali,' said senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim. TMC minister Manas Bhunia said, 'These inhumane acts against Bengali workers reflect BJP's deep-rooted hatred for Bengalis. People of Bengal will give a befitting reply to this insult in the coming elections.' Sociologist Supriya Basu called the developments part of an effort to 'impose North Indian Hindutva culture on Bengal.' 'The BJP is attempting to set up colonies of Uttar Pradesh-style Hindutva in Bengal. Targeting migrants over language is just one manifestation of that push.' 'The large migrant population could have been an administrative liability, highlighting Bengal's job crisis. But BJP's aggressive profiling has flipped the narrative in TMC's favour.' The BJP has countered TMC's allegations by citing national security and illegal immigration concerns. BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya claimed over 300 of the 444 detained in Odisha had 'fake or unverifiable' documents. Newly appointed Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya went a step further, alleging a deliberate TMC-backed infiltration plan. 'These people work in other states and return to Bengal to vote for Mamata Banerjee. This is a demographic and national security threat,' he said. 'Instead of protecting Indian citizens, the TMC is shielding infiltrators and playing the victimhood card,' said BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. While the Congress and CPI(M) have condemned the harassment and arbitrary arrests, they have carefully distanced themselves from TMC's more emotive 'Bengali vs outsider' pitch. 'Migrants labour rights are non-negotiable. But TMC's rhetoric is aimed at deflecting from its own governance failures,' CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said. Political analyst Suman Bhattacharya summed it up, 'In Bengal, pride often trumps policy. Banerjee knows how to tap into that. TMC, which was being cornered on multiple fronts, has now found a potent counter-narrative through this migrant issue.' Political scientist Maidul Islam predicted this would become a major political flashpoint in 2026 polls. After its 2021 triumph, the TMC had tried to rebrand itself as a national party with pan-Indian ambitions, toning down the sub-nationalist plank and inducting non-Bengali MPs like Shatrughan Sinha, Kirti Azad, and Yusuf Pathan. But with Assembly polls looming and the Hindutva narrative gaining steam, the party appears to be returning to its strongest emotional card — Bengali pride. Whether the next election will replicate the 'Bengali versus outsider' wave of 2021 or produce a more fractured verdict depends on how each party can sustain its competing narratives. PTI PNT MNB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.


Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Define purpose, clarify it's not linked to citizenship: BJP ally TDP urges EC amid Bihar voter list revision row
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Bhartiya Janata Party's second-largest ally in the National Democratic Alliance, has sought clarity from the Election Commission on 'the scope" of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in poll-bound Bihar, and likely to be replicated nationwide. The TDP has said that the Election Commission of India's exercise should ideally be conducted 'not within six months' of any major election and that it should be made clear that it is 'not related to citizenship verification.' In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on July 15, by TDP parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and signed by five other party leaders, the Andhra Pradesh's ruling party said that the 'scope of the SIR must be clearly defined and must be limited to electoral roll recorrection and inclusion.' In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on July 15, by TDP parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and signed by five other party leaders, the Andhra Pradesh's ruling party said that the 'scope of the SIR must be clearly defined and must be limited to electoral roll recorrection and inclusion.' 'It should be explicitly communicated that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification, and any field instructions must reflect this distinction,' reads the letter. The letter was submitted to the EC after TDP leaders met it, part of an ongoing exercise by the poll panel to consider suggestions from political parties to strengthen electoral processes. 'As Andhra Pradesh is not due for assembly elections until 2029, the Telugu Desam Party recognises that any future Special Intensive Revision (SIR) provides a valuable opportunity to ensure that the electoral rolls are updated in a fair, inclusive, and transparent manner,' the letter reads. In this regard, the letter said, the following considerations are respectfully submitted to guide such a process and request you to start the process in the state as early as possible, the letter reads Here are TDP's suggestions to the poll panel on SIR: 1. Adequate Time and Advance Notification: To ensure voter confidence and administrative preparedness, the SIR process should be conducted with sufficient lead time, ideally not within six months of any major election. 2. Documentation and Presumption of Inclusion : Voters who are already enrolled in the most recent certified electoral roll should not be required to re-establish their eligibility unless specific and verifiable reasons are recorded. In line with the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Lal Babu Hussein v Electoral Registration Officer, prior inclusion creates a presumption of validity, and any deletion must be preceded by a valid inquiry. The burden of proof lies with the ERO or objector, not the voter, especially when the name exists in the official roll. 3. Clarifying the Scope of SIR: The purpose of SIR must be clearly defined and limited to electoral roll correction and inclusion. It should be explicitly communicated that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification, and any field instructions must reflect this distinction. The scope of the SIR must be clearly defined and must be limited to electoral roll recorrection and inclusion. 4. Migration and Inclusion Frameworks: Andhra Pradesh experiences high levels of seasonal migration, particularly from rural and coastal regions. SIRs should deploy mobile BLO units and accept temporary address declarations to prevent the exclusion of migrant workers and displaced families. 5. Procedural Clarity on Deletion and Redressal: We urge the Commission to ensure voter deletions follow a reasoned order with due notice, and to allow stage-wise verification. TDP's letter comes amid opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, raising questions on the poll panel's ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The Congress has dubbed it 'a rigging attempt' orchestrated by the Election Commission under instructions from the ruling regime. The Supreme Court on July 10 allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with its revision of electoral rolls IN poll-bound Bihar. The top court, however, asked the poll panel to consider using the Aadhaar card, the Election card, and the ration card as valid documents for voter identification. With 11 more days left for the last date of submission of the filled Enumeration Forms (EFs) in the ongoing Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR), after two rounds of door-to-door visits by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs), out of the 7,89,69,844 voters in Bihar, EFs of 6,60,67,208 og 83.66 per cent have been collected, Election Commission said on July 14,