Latest news with #MKStalin-led
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
After TDP, DMK suggests EC to allow Aadhaar, ration cards as valid date of birth proofs
Days after NDA ally, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), batted for Aadhaar cards to be made a valid document as proof of date of birth in electoral roll revisions, the M K Stalin-led DMK on Thursday made a similar suggestion to the Election Commission (EC). The DMK's suggestion also comes days after the Supreme Court on July 10, while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, urged the poll body to consider allowing voters to furnish Aadhaar cards, voter IDs and ration cards as valid documents to prove their date and place of birth. The apex court asked the EC to file its counter-affidavit by July 21. A DMK delegation, headed by party MP N R Elango met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, as a part of the EC's meetings with national and state parties to take feedback on further strengthening electoral processes. Terming the meeting with the EC as 'fruitful' on social media, Elango said the poll panel assured that it would look into four of the five suggestions that the party had made. On the inclusion of Aadhaar, the MP said that the EC said the matter was sub-judice. As reported by The Indian Express, the EC on July 5 wrote to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states, directing them to begin preparations for a Bihar-like exercise with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date. The DMK also urged the EC to implement its May 1 notification, which seeks to allow names of dead voters to be deleted by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) after getting information and verification from the Registrar of Births and Deaths by the Booth-Level Officer (BLO) instead of waiting for a family member to file Form 7. Claiming that no steps had been taken to implement this, the DMK in its letter said, 'Unless names of deceased voters are deleted, the purification of electoral rolls will never be complete.' The DMK also called for better coordination between EC-appointed BLOs and Booth-Level Agents (BLAs), who are appointed by political parties. According to Elango, the DMK was informed that the EC was in the process of translating its handbooks and manuals into Tamil and other official languages. Claiming that the new process of counting postal votes was 'causing confusion', the Stalin-led party also wanted the EC to revert to the earlier process, in which the penultimate round of counting EVM votes was withheld till postal ballots were accounted for. This process was changed in 2019 and allowed votes from EVMs to be counted irrespective of the status of postal ballot counting.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ex-min Senthilbalaji urges SC to expunge remarks in 2022 order
Former Tamil Nadu minister Senthilbalaji has urged the to expunge certain remarks in its Sept 2022 order restoring criminal complaints against him in the cash-for-job scam. On Sept 8, 2022, the top court set aside the order quashing complaints against the former minister on the basis of settlement between parties. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The top court said there was evidence of corrupt practices to secure employment in the Transport Corporation during Senthilbalaji's tenure as minister in the Tamil Nadu government (during 2011-2015) and set aside the high court's order saying that the court cannot deal with cases involving abuse of official position and adoption of corrupt practices, like suits for specific performance, where the refund of the money paid may also satisfy the agreement holder. Senthilbalaji said the observations made in the Sept 8, 2022 verdict could influence the trial court in the case and affect his right to fair trial. The top court observed in its 2022 verdict, "We are constrained to say that even a novice in criminal law would not have left the offences under the PC Act, out of the final report. The attempt of the IO (investigating officer) appears to be of one 'willing to strike but afraid to wound'." It said the state ought to have undertaken a comprehensive investigation into the entire scam, without allowing the accused to fish out one case as if it was a private money dispute. Senthilbalaji contended the trial court was likely to be prejudiced since the top court made the observations against him and it would be a violation of his right to free and fair trial under Article 21 of the Constitution. On April 27, Senthilbalaji resigned from the M K Stalin-led state cabinet after being pulled up by the top court. The apex court on April 23 asked Senthilbalaji to make a choice "between post and freedom" as it warned him of cancelling bail if he did not step down as minister in Tamil Nadu. PTI
NDTV
04-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Court Upholds Tamil Nadu's Night Ban On Online Gaming, Cites Loss Of Lives
The Madras High Court on Tuesday upheld the Tamil Nadu government's restrictions on the ban from midnight to 5 AM on playing online real money games. The court, while hearing petitions by online gaming companies to declare as unconstitutional the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (Real Money Games), Regulations 2025 enacted by the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority, upheld the MK Stalin-led government's restrictions, citing that nearly 50 people have died by suicide due to online gaming losses. The requirement for platforms to implement Aadhaar-based authentication to ensure only adults (18+) can access real-money games was also sustained by a bench of Justices SM Subramanian and K Rajasekar. They dismissed the pleas filed by various online gaming operators who argued that the state government overstepped its constitutional bounds and that regulation should fall solely under the central government's purview. "The state government has placed sufficient material on record to demonstrate the existence of a public health crisis arising from online gaming addiction, leading to financial ruin, mental distress, and tragically, loss of life," the court observed in its judgment. "In light of the specific and grave situation within Tamil Nadu, exemplified by the reported deaths of at least 47 individuals, the state is well within its powers under the Constitution to enact measures to protect its citizens on grounds of public health and public order," the bench added. The government presented data showing instances of suicides and extreme distress directly linked to massive debts accumulated through losses in online real-money games. The dismissal is a significant setback for the online gaming companies operating in Tamil Nadu. The mandatory "blank hours" directly impact user engagement and potential revenue during late-night periods. The Aadhaar-based authentication, while aimed at protecting minors, adds a layer of compliance and potentially affects user acquisition and ease of access. Representatives of the online gaming industry expressed disappointment with the ruling, reiterating concerns about state overreach and the impact on legitimate businesses.
