Every party had complained of inaccuracies in voters' list, revision necessary under law: CEC
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New Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Kerala chief ministers, their overseas medical voyages — a historical route map
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's journey to the United States for medical treatment has once again brought into focus a long-standing practice among top political leaders — seeking advanced healthcare abroad. While the move sparked political criticism over the state of Kerala's public healthcare system, it also aligns with a historical pattern of chief ministers, cutting across party lines, turning to foreign countries for treatment. Rare exceptions included CPM's E K Nayanar and CPI's P K Vasudevan Nair, who are perhaps among the few state CMs who never travelled abroad for medical treatment. The practice dates back to the pre-1990 era when left leaders, particularly from the CPI and CPM, preferred the erstwhile Soviet Union for higher medical care. Two of Kerala's most iconic communist chief ministers — E M S Namboodiripad and C Achutha Menon — travelled to the USSR for treatment during their time in office. Back then, the country was seen as a trusted destination, both ideologically and diplomatically, especially by left leaders. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s brought a shift in preferences. The US emerged as the new destination of choice, not only due to its advanced medical infrastructure but also because of the presence of a large number of Keralite doctors in its hospitals. Among the first to make this transition was Congress leader and former Chief Minister K Karunakaran. After surviving a car accident in the 1990s, Karunakaran was flown to the US for specialised treatment. In 2000, CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan, who later became the CM in 2006, found himself at the centre of a political storm when he flew to London for medical care. His trip became a key talking point during the UDF's campaign for the 2001 assembly election. The Congress-led UDF trod a similar path. Former Chief Minister A K Antony travelled abroad for medical purposes after stepping down as Union defence minister. His successor, Oommen Chandy, too, underwent surgery in Davos, Switzerland, after slipping on snow during a visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF). Chandy sought further treatment in the US and Germany, though not during his tenure as chief minister.
Hans India
42 minutes ago
- Hans India
Seer accuses Minister of demanding commission for releasing temple grant
Seer accuses Minister of demanding commission for releasing temple grant a serious allegation that could embarrass the state government, Sri Poornanandapuri Swamiji of the Shrikhetra Taileshwara Ganiga Mahasansthana Mutt in Nelamangala has accused Karnataka minister Shivaraj Tangadagi of demanding a 25 percent commission to release a government grant sanctioned for temple renovation. According to Swamiji, a grant of Rs 3.5 crore has already been approved for the mutt's renovation works. However, the seer alleged that Minister Tangadagi asked for a commission to release the funds. The seer has now written a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to remove Shivaraj Tangadagi from the cabinet for his alleged corrupt practices. In his letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Swamiji expressed gratitude to Siddaramaiah for generously sanctioning grants for the development of various backward community institutions across Karnataka. However, he accused the minister of misusing the system by flouting norms and manipulating the distribution of grants without any transparency. 'The files related to grants, which are legally approved by you (CM), the finance department, and the secretary of the backward classes welfare department, are being withheld by the minister. He decides who should receive the grants at his own discretion and distributes them through his close associates, enabling corruption. There are also widespread reports that his relatives are operating this corruption network,' Swamiji wrote in the letter. The seer further said that lack of transparency and selective favoritism in grant allocation itself is clear evidence of corruption. 'We were forced to approach the High Court to get justice for the injustice done to our institution,' he added. Highlighting his long association with the Congress party, Poornanandapuri Swamiji reminded Siddaramaiah that he had served as an MLA and as state president of the backward communities' organization back in 1992, along with holding various posts for 35 years. 'Out of loyalty to the party, we did not want to embarrass the government and had already written to the minister on January 20, 2025, informing him about our intention to approach the court if the injustice continued,' the letter stated. Swamiji claimed that he had already brought the issue of alleged irregularities within the backward classes welfare department to the Chief Minister's notice. He requested that the CM take immediate action by removing Shivaraj Tangadagi from the cabinet to prevent further corruption. Issuing a stern warning in his letter, Swamiji said, 'If no action is taken within the next 10 days, we will be forced to initiate legal proceedings under the anti-corruption law against the minister. This is a matter of public trust, and we hope you will take suitable action to protect the dignity of the government.' The allegations have come at a time when the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is facing increased pressure to maintain clean governance. Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi has yet to issue a statement in response to these serious allegations.
Hans India
42 minutes ago
- Hans India
CM ran to Centre for Covid jab but now questions vaccine
Bengaluru: Rejecting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's claim linking the rapid rollout of Covid vaccinations to heart attack cases, BJP leader D. V. Sadananda Gowda on Saturday said that the Congress leader was among the first to get vaccinated and is perfectly healthy. Former Chief Minister Gowda taunted Siddaramaiah, saying, 'It is because of the good health he gained from the Covid vaccine that Siddaramaiah is now claiming he will complete the full five-year term as Chief Minister and even lead the Congress to victory in the next election.' 'As soon as the vaccination drive began, Siddaramaiah ran to the Centre and got himself vaccinated. Nothing has happened to his body. We sincerely wish that nothing ever does,' Gowda stated. However, CM Siddaramaiah must exercise restraint, Gowda said. Responding to this, Kiran Majumdar Shaw stated that, 'COVID-19 vaccines developed in India were approved under the Emergency Use Authorisation framework, following rigorous protocols aligned with global standards for safety and efficacy. To suggest that these vaccines were 'hastily' approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation.' On Shaw's assertion, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remarked that seeking clarity does not amount to spreading misinformation.
