Latest news with #KPalaniswami
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Madras HC presses ECI on AIADMK symbol decision delay
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its 'hesitation' in deciding on representations seeking freezing of AIADMK's poll symbol 'Two Leaves' and election of Edappadi K Palaniswami as the general secretary of the party. There are multiple civil suits pending in courts regarding the issues. When the petitions filed by EPS seeking a direction to the ECI for speedy disposal of the representations, which were submitted by expelled AIADMK party men including former MPs P Ravindranath, KC Palanisamy and Surya Moorthy, came up for hearing, the ECI's counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan told the HC that the commission would take a decision 'as expeditiously as possible' and time frame need not be set by the court. The bench of Justices R Subramanian and K Surender said it could see 'hesitation' on the part of the ECI and asked its counsel whether he wanted the bench to disclose why there is such a 'hesitation'. Making an oblique reference to the timeline set by the Supreme Court to the President regarding granting of assent to bills passed in State Assemblies in the Tamil Nadu Vs Governor RN Ravi case, the bench said, 'If the President can be set a timeline, why can't the Election Commission?" It also asked, 'Is the Election Commission above the President? The ECI counsel responded, 'Everyone is equal in the Constitution.' The two-judge bench directed the counsel to file written instructions by July 21 on the time period by which it can take a decision on the representations and adjourned the hearing.
New Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Firearms sold cheaply during AIADMK rule: DMK hits back at EPS over ‘gun culture' remark
CHENNAI: Taking a dig at former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, transport and electricity minister SS Sivasankar said it was during the previous AIADMK regime that guns were sold cheaply in the state. He was responding to Palaniswami's criticism that a 'gun culture' was prevailing in Tamil Nadu, referring to the murder of a PMK youth wing functionary in Ranipet. Recalling that the Madras High Court had expressed concerns in August 2020 over guns being supplied to the state from other states, the minister asked, 'Is this the peace, prosperity, and development that prevailed during his regime?' On the murder of PMK functionary S Chakravarthi, Sivasankar said, 'Two people were arrested within three days. Though the case was initially registered as a suspicious death, it was altered to murder after the autopsy report confirmed he was shot with a country-made gun.' He questioned how Palaniswami, who oversaw the police department for four years, could lack basic understanding of the investigation procedures. Reacting to Palaniswami's statement, Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru said EPS might lose his position as Leader of Opposition and the AIADMK general secretary by May next year, if confusion over coalition persists within his party ahead of the 2026 Assembly election. Taking a dig at the BJP's influence over the AIADMK, Nehru, in a post on X, said, 'Kamalalayam (TN BJP headquarters) keeps Palaniswami on edge daily, talking about forming a coalition, a BJP-led government, or an NDA government. Meanwhile, Palaniswami's slaves are hailing him as the next CM. There is no way to rescue him from the illusionary world he is living in.'
