Rejecting the demand raised by DMK chief M Karunanidhi that a picture of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa should be released, the AIADMK on Saturday said that she was recovering.

AIADMK Spokesperson Panruti Ramachandran told reporters Jayalalithaa is recovering well and they were hopeful that she would be discharged shortly. 

"It is not necessary to release picture of Jayalalithaa. We are answerable only to the people, not to the opposition," he told reporters outside the Apollo hospital in Chennai.

When asked about the various rumours doing the rounds that had spread considerable panic amongst people, Panruti said, "Why should we bother about rumours?"

He added that Dr Richard John Beale who was flown from London had started her treatment and they were satisfied. 

Earlier media reports said that Dr Beale had advised a few more tests soon after he arrived in Chennai.

Panruti added that it was normal for anyone to fall sick. "Anyone can fall sick. Even Hillary fell sick. Only doctors can give correct position," he said dismissing rumours.

Jayalalithaa was admitted on September 22 to the Apollo hospital in Chennai. The health bulletin released by the hospital after midnight said that the CM was suffering from fever and dehydration.

Till Saturday evening, there have been only three medical bulletins issued by the doctors.

Also read: Jayalalithaa’s health: Doctor brought in from London, advises more tests

As rumours spread, ‘edit war’ breaks out on Jayalalithaa’s Wikipedia page

Jayalalithaa’s health: Her right to privacy vs our right to know, what is more important?

No comparison should be made between the hospitalisation of MGR with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, says former Health Minister Dr HV Hande, who was in charge of briefing the press when then Chief Minister MG Ramachandran was hospitalised.

Hande was referring to MGR’s stint in Apollo Hospital in Chennai for a stroke in 1984, and his remarks come a day after DMK President M Karunanidhi said the Tamil Nadu government has a responsibility to inform the people about the Chief Minister’s health.

Dr Hande flanked by MGR and Jayalalithaa (Image courtesy:  Facebook/Hande) 

The DMK patriarch had also advised the Tamil Nadu government to draw lessons from former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran’s stint at Apollo Hospitals, when regular updates about his health were released by Dr Hande.  

Read: TN govt has responsibility to inform people about CM’s health, says Karunanidhi

“That situation was different from this,” says Dr Hande to The News Minute. Calling MGR’s hospitalisation “a major problem” back then, he recounts that the then chief minister was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Chennai on October 6, 1984.

MGR had been rushed to the hospital following kidney failure. While he was on dialysis, he suffered a stroke on October 16. Hande recalls that a small committee was constituted and he, as the health minister in MGR’s cabinet, was nominated to brief the press on the chief minister’s health.

Unlike MGR’s health condition at the time, Hande points out that Jayalalithaa has been admitted with a fever and dehydration, as stated by the hospital. Despite the wild speculation and rumour mongering around Jayalalithaa’s health, the former two-time cabinet minister says the medical bulletins released by Apollo Hospitals are enough.

Dr Hande with Jayalalithaa (Image courtesy: Facebook/Hande) 

Hande also pointed out that when Karunanidhi was admitted in hospital when he was Chief Minister, there was little update from the state government. He says this was also true when then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee underwent a knee surgery in 2000. “It was the hospital that gave a statement then, and not the government,” he notes.  

Greams Lane, where Apollo Hospitals is located, is now a restricted area. Unless you are a patient who cannot walk, or a staffer at this famous hospital in Chennai, your four-wheeler cannot enter the street. About 500 meters from the entrance to the hospital, at least 10 men and women from the police stand guard. The entire section has been barricaded, vehicular and human traffic strictly regulated. This is the hospital where Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa is currently undergoing treatment.

A few meters into the street, and you see the commotion, uncharacteristic of a hospital. There are several police vehicles parked on the lane leading up to the entrance. Security personnel in khaki uniforms and safari suits are swarming everywhere. Only patients and staff are allowed entry into the hospital, after showing identity proof.

For the hospital staff working at the Sindoori block and main block, separate IDs have been given by the police. “We are doing ‘pakka’ screening,” said a police officer stationed at the hospital.

A house on Greams Lane has become a temporary parking lot and security base camp. A tent has been erected for resting police personnel.

According to sources in the police department, between 500-1000 police personnel are deployed in and around Apollo at any given time. At least one additional commissioner of the city police, two joint commissioners and four deputy commissioners are stationed around the clock.

The tight security isn’t just for the CM’s safety, but also to control the flow of information. The Chief Minister is being treated on the second floor, according to sources in the hospital. The entire second floor has been cordoned off for her, and only Sasikala and her family member Sivakumar, have access to her. Several ministers, IPS officers and IAS officers are inside the hospital. Not all of them, however, are allowed to go inside her room.

"Most ministers and MLAs keep coming to the hospital, but they are only allowed limited access. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker, Thambidurai, is the one who has been there the most, helping Amma's team. O Paneerselvam (Minister of Finance) and P Thangamani (Minister of Industries) also take turns to provide any help needed," a source in the AIADMK said. The ministers walk into the hospital alone, without their usual entourage. They spend several hours inside everyday, and step out only at night.

No visitors are allowed to meet Jayalalithaa except her aide Sasikala, however her staff members like Poongundran and Perumalsamy have access to her floor. 

Patients seem to have been inconvenienced to some extent by the extra security measures, but the hospital has streamlined the process in the past few days.

Navraj Thapa has come all the way from Assam with his cousin Bishnu, who is suffering from a liver ailment. They arrived on Friday, and said that they could simply walk in for an appointment on Saturday. “We faced no problems. They checked our IDs and allowed us. We met the doctor who has ordered tests, we will come back on Monday,” says Thapa.

Battery-powered vehicles shuttle between the entrance of Greams Lane and the hospital, ferrying old or immobile patients. The steady stream of visitors from different parts of India and the world continues.

There are scores of AIADMK cadre who have assembled outside the hospital and have permanently stationed themselves there. From ministers to party members, everyone has set up camp.

Journalists, however, are having a tough time.

Pulling 12-14 hours shifts, and sometimes more, reporters and camera persons are waiting outside by the road, keeping a close eye on every single person going in and out of the hospital. They have their meals right there, on the roadside. The government and Apollo have been kind enough to arrange timely meals for them.

The small shops on the lanes behind the hospital are doing brisk business. There is a regular demand for tea, cigarettes and cool drinks from the party cadre and media, and the shops have all stocked up.

But living off the roadside also means a lot of garbage accumulating near the hospital. Surely, when this is all over, a lot of cleaning up will be required

With inputs from Dhanya Rajendran

A day after DMK supremo M Karunanidhi urged the TN state government to put to rest the rumours surrounding Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's health, Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao on Saturday evening visited the Apollo hospital in Chennai where the CM has been admitted. 

An official press release stated, “The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Ch. Vidyasagar Rao visited the Hon'ble Chief Minister in the Ward where she is being given treatment. The Governor of Tamil Nadu stated that he was thankful to the Doctors who took him to the Ward where the Hon’ble Chief Minister is being given treatment and explaining to the Governor in detail the treatment given to the Hon’ble Chief Minister. The Governor was happy to note that the Hon’ble Chief Minister is recovering well. The Governor appreciated the Doctors for providing the best medical care and treatment to the Hon’ble Chief Minister.”

Dr. M. Thambidurai, Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha, Thiru O Panneerselvam, Minister for Finance, Personnel & Administrative Reforms, Thiru Edappadi K Palanisamy, Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports, Thiru P Thangamani, Minister for Electricity, Prohibition & Excise, Thiru S P Velumani, Minister for Municipal Administration & Rural Development, Dr. C Vijaya Baskar, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Chief Secretary were some of the ministers who received the Governor on his arrival at the Apollo Hospital.  

In a statement released on Friday, Karunanidhi said the Tamil Nadu government has a responsibility to inform the people regarding the health status of the Chief Minister. He also urged the Governor to ensure that this is done to allay the fears of the people.

The 92-year-old leader stated that there were reports of Jayalalithaa attending a meeting on the Cauvery issue from her hospital bed, but there has been no photographic evidence either of her treatment at the hospital nor her meeting with the officials.

“Jayalalithaa should send a video message. This suggestion was given by PMK Chief Dr Ramadoss but the government has not responded to this. The newspapers report that Jayalalithaa is doing all the official work from hospital, so taking a picture of her in hospital and publishing it will not be wrong,” said the DMK leader.

The AIADMK however rejected the demand and on Saturday saying that the CM was recovering.

AIADMK Spokesperson Panruti Ramachandran told reporters that Jayalalithaa is recovering well and they were hopeful that she would be discharged shortly.

"It is not necessary to release picture of Jayalalithaa. We are answerable only to the people, not to the opposition," he told reporters outside the Apollo hospital in Chennai.

The Chief Minister was taken by a special convoy to the hospital on Greams Road on September 22, with fever and dehydration.  

The hospital on Friday said that she did not have fever and is on a normal diet. She is also on medication, they added.

The autopsy of P Ramkumar, the murder suspect in the Swathi case in Chennai, was performed on Saturday at the Government Royapettah Hospital by a team of five doctors including one expert from AIIMS.

The Times of India reported:

The forensic experts team comprised doctors S Selvakumar and Manikandaraj from Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, K Vinodh from Government Royapettah Hospital and Balasubramanian from Stanley Medical College and Hospital, besides Gupta (from AIIMS). The autopsy was completed in about two hours but the autopsy report on the cause of his death could take a few more weeks.

The report adds that the whole process was videographed with two cameras and monitored by magistrate Tamil Selvi, who is investigating the death.

The body was handed over to Ramkumar's family on Saturday evening for cremation. 

On September 18, Ramkumar allegedly took his own life by biting a live wire at the Puzhal central jail where he was lodged.

Earlier,  the Madras High Court deferred the post-mortem till September 30 after Ramkumar’s father wanted a doctor of his choice in the autopsy panel and sought time for moving the Supreme Court on the issue.

The high court said if the petitioner failed to obtain an order from the Supreme Court by September 30, then the post-mortem should be conducted on October 1.

Read - Ramkumar’s autopsy delayed again; similar to Gokulraj, Ilavarasan cases

“My son had five scars on his body ­ three in the neck and two on the left side of his chest. After his death, this is the first time I am seeing him," Paramasivam told TOI.

The Hindu reported that this was the first time after the alleged suicide, Ramkumar’s family member Paramasivam was allowed to identify the body and added that security was beefed up around the hospital during the procedure.

Also Read - On murdered techie Swathi's birthday, her sister pens a moving letter in remembrance

The skeletal remains of five people allegedly murdered by a 35-year-old were exhumed by the police on Saturday from various locations in Koothaipaar, an interior village at Thiruverumbur in Trichy, The Times of India reported. 

T Sappani is alleged to have gruesomely murdered eight people, including an AIADMK Councillor and a woman, over the course of seven years and buried their bodies, according to police investigation. The police are looking for two more bodies of his victims. 

The police got to know of all the murders that he had committed when Sappani was arrested for killing his last victim Thangadurai (35) of Vengur.

On Friday, Sappani was sent to police custody for three days by a Trichy court. 

The decomposed body of Sathiyanathan (50) of Koothaipaar, an electrician who had gone missing since February, was found in a canal at Krishnasamudram village.

The TOI report states, "The bund of a pond near Ayyanar temple in Sekkuparai, 2 kilometres away from the canal, was the next spot to excavate from where the body of AIADMK councilor Kumaresan, 41 of Uppiliyapuram was unearthed. After digging for about 30 minutes, the headless body of a man whose legs were also chopped off was found. Kumaresan's wife Rajalakshmi, 35 ascertained that it was indeed the body of her husband. The head was also found buried nearby."

The police team led by assistant superintendent of police C Kalaichel next unearthed the body of Sappani's father Thekkan (58), who had gone missing a year ago, from a mango farm in Ottankachi area.

The remains of Vijay Victor (27) was exhumed near Vadakku Vaasal whereas Gokila's (70) body was found near Sevanthikulam. 

The bodies were exhumed in the presence of police, forensic experts, doctors and revenue officials. 

The Hindu reported that the "Villagers said that Sappani, who worked as a farm hand, usually appeared to be a calm person. His mother Karuppayi (70) expressed disbelief that her son had committed so many murders."

A photograph of a woman covered in a blue blanket, lying on a hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask with tubes and wires connected to digital monitors, has been shared widely on social media platforms in Tamil Nadu and the rest of the country, under the false assumption that it is Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

The picture was shared after DMK President M Karunanidhi asked the Tamil Nadu government to release photographic evidence of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at the Apollo Hospital.

Read: TN govt has responsibility to inform people about CM’s health, says Karunanidhi

A reverse image search, however, reveals that the photograph is originally from Peru and is dated August 20, 2009. The photograph belongs to EsSalud hospital in Lima and its website carries the same picture with the caption “An Intensive Care Unit bed in an EsSalud Hospital”. With other images from EsSalud hospital, the site also states, “All of these pictures from Peru were taken by University of Rochester Biomedical Engineering students on a trip they took funded by a grant. They are used with permission by Scott Seidman.”

And if you still don’t believe that the photograph is from EsSalud hospital, click here. And if that’s not enough proof, the logo of the hospital has been pasted on the wall on the right-hand side of the photograph.  

We have chosen to publish this article after a number of media outlets in states such as Kerala and Karnataka carried the photograph stating that the woman in it is Jayalalithaa.

Jayalalithaa was admitted at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai late on September 22 with a medical bulletin stating that she was suffering from a fever and dehydration. Since her hospitalisation, there have been only four bulletins released, informing the public about the status of her health. Governor Vidyasagar Rao visited the Chief Minister in hospital on Saturday. A press statement issued by the Raj Bhavan states that “she is recovering well”.  

Read: TN Governor Vidyasagar Rao visits Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospitals

Jayalalithaa has been admitted in the Main Block of the Greames Road hospital. Security has been considerably beefed up since her hospitalisation, with police posted outside and inside the hospital. Despite a number of party cadres and leaders flocking to the hospital, it has become a fortress with entry restricted only to patients, their visitors and to cabinet ministers and selected bureaucrats. Moreover, the Chief Minister’s room has been off-limits to most leaders except to her aide Sasikala and Sasikala’s niece’s husband Dr Shivakumar.  

Read: Fortress Apollo: An all new ecosystem engulfs the hospital where Jaya is admitted

Also read: Jayalalithaa's health: When everyone in the state has ‘inside’ information

Ten days after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Chennai for 'fever and dehydration', the hospital has released another statement on Sunday stating that CM’s health is improving and she is responding well to the treatment.

The press release states, “The Honourable Chief Minister is responding well to the treatment given to her. The Honourable Chief Minister has been advised a few more days stay in the hospital for treatment.”

It also confirms that Dr. Richard Beale from London examined Jayalalithaa and had detailed discussion with the expert group of doctors who are treating her. Based on the discussion, the doctors have a current treatment plan which includes appropriate antibiotics and other clinical measures are being carried out to treat infection.

This is the first time that the hospital has mentioned that the CM has an infection. 

Prior to this release, three official statements have been given out by the hospital. On September 23, the hospital had stated that she was admitted for fever and dehydration.

Two days later, amidst rumours of her being flown to Singapore for treatment, the hospital called for a press meet and said that she was recovering well to the treatment and there were no plans of her being flown out for treatment.

On September 29, the hospital stated that the chief minister has to stay in hospital for few more days for recuperative treatment.

On Friday, DMK chief Karunanidhi had urged the government to release a photograph of her.

On Saturday, Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao visited the Apollo hospital. In an official statement, it was stated, “The Governor was happy to note that the Hon’ble Chief Minister is recovering well. The Governor appreciated the Doctors for providing the best medical care and treatment to the Hon’ble Chief Minister.”

Following the arrest of six people in Kerala on Sunday by the NIA, one more person has been arrested from Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli district on Monday and is suspected to have been part of a criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist acts in South India.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Subughani, (24), a native of Thodupuzha in Kerala arrested on Monday morning. Reportedly, NIA got information about Subughani from the six people they arrested on Sunday.

NIA has taken Subughani to Ernakulam for further investigation.

On Sunday, NIA had arrested six people, five hailing from Kerala and one from Coimbatore. They stated in a press release, “During searches conducted on Sunday in the districts of Kozhikode and Kannur in Kerala, six persons, have been arrested for their involvement in the conspiracy. Five of them were arrested while they were conducting a meeting at Kanakamala hilltop, Kannur District, Kerala. During subsequent searches, another person was detained from Kuttiyadu in Kozhikode district.”

They had also seized incriminating material including electronic devices after search of the premises.

Read: NIA arrests six terror suspects from Kerala, one hails from Coimbatore

On Sunday, as the tributes for Gandhi Jayanthi poured in, one organisation called the Safe Food Alliance (SFA) marked the day with a “Seed Satyagraha”. Among the many participants of this satyagraha were Tamil film director Vetrimaaran and actor Rohini.

The protest, which took place at the Thakkar Bappa Institute in Chennai, was organised against the impending introduction of DMH11 or genetically modified mustard. 

After BT Brinjal, mustard is the second food crop which is likely to receive approval for cultivation in India. Though BT Brinjal was approved by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) in 2009, it was put on indefinite hold following protests by activists who claimed that the ill effects of genetically modified crops on the environment and on livelihoods far outweighed its advantages.

Speaking to The News Minute, Ananthoo of the SFA said, “GM crops have not succeeded anywhere in the world. Leading scientists like Pushpa Bhargava have spoken about why we should not have GM crops. Moreover, the claim is that there will be an increase of 25% in the yield by using such crops. But there are several other cost-effective and non-risky ways of doing this.”

GM crops are a hotly debated subject in India, with the scientific community divided on their benefits and risks. While some point out that we’re not yet in a place where we fully understand the effects of genetically modified organisms, others believe that the fear is unjustified.

BT cotton, a non-food crop, is the only other GM crop that has been tried out in India. Once again, the jury is out on its advantages and disadvantages.

Asked for his reasons for participating in the event, director Vetrimaaran, told The News Minute, “Don’t ask why I’m part of this event. The question should be why aren’t all of us part of this event?”

He added, “What’s the point of a crop that gives higher yield if it destroys the soil from which it comes?”

His view mirrors that of environmental activists who believe that once the soil has been used to grow GM crops, it becomes necessary to replenish it with chemical fertilizers for the next batch of crops. 

Ananthoo alleges that there is no transparency about the process for the approval of GM mustard. “How did they arrive at the conclusion that GM mustard is safe? The data should be in the public domain and easily accessible but it’s not. It’s a sham process.”

Ananthoo adds, “Once you create a living organism and put it in the ecosystem, you have no control over it. The genes can spread and lead to disastrous consequences. You cannot predict how it will behave.”

Apart from questioning the safety of consuming GM crops, their impact on the environment and their effectiveness, environmental activists like Vandana Shiva have objected to the loss of seed diversity and the eventual control of the seed market by a few MNCs.

In traditional farming, farmers use seeds from a particular year’s harvest to grow the next year’s crops. However, GM crops are thought to obstruct this re-seeding, rendering the farmer dependent on companies that will sell them GM seeds each year.

At Sunday’s event, Ananthoo said, thousands of people signed a petition asking the government not to proceed with the approval of GM mustard. A ‘missed call’ campaign has been initiated too.

“We will be writing to the Prime Minister and the Environmental Ministry about this,” said Ananthoo. “We will also request the Tamil Nadu government to inform the center that the rights of the farmers have to be protected and that a decision cannot be taken without involving the stakeholders.”

Vetrimaaran said that, inspired by actors Kishore and Pashupathy, he has started his own roof garden in which he grows basic vegetables: “I’m alarmed by the poison in fruits and vegetables available in the market today. We already have high levels of pesticides in these, and now there’s GM crops to worry about.”

Watch:

With speculation rife about Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa’s health, astrologers are finding themselves in much demand for their predictions about what the future has in store for her.

Deccan Chronicle carried an interview with Dadhichi Toth, a Vedic astrologer and face reader from Australia, who claims that Jayalalithaa has been having health issues since 2014 and that her recent illness is because of “food or medicinal toxicity”.

He said: “She is running Sani bhukti and Guru dasa. As per her horoscope, Saturn, the sixth lord who is moving to Vrischikam in her horoscope, rules kidneys and bladder. Guru is in badaka (obstructive) position for her. Sometimes (due to such planetary positions), it could be evil eye or toxicity that could harm the native. I wonder if this has been her case.”

He further predicted: “The Lagna Lord would start bestowing good things to her… someone — a young doctor who is very good, is helping her now…there will be improvement in her health. She will come through this difficult period. She will recover and be at the helm for two years and from 2019 she may experience health issues.”

Thanthi TV interviewed astrologers in Chennai to get their predictions.

In this video, which features two astrologers, both said that the CM has fallen ill because of “Sani bukti” and assured viewers that she will recover and come back soon. They state that the current state of her health is temporary.

Watch:

Another astrologer said that Jayalalithaa must place her faith in god, and that after 10.10.2016, she would be free of health issues.

Watch:

 Meanwhile each day sees multiple prayers and rituals being conducted outside the gates of Apollo Hospital, where the CM is admitted.

The Hindu reports “Prayers and pujas are held regularly outside the hospital gates. For instance, early on Friday, Anbarasu, the ‘poojari’ from the Kali Bhagavathy Amman Temple in Porur presented himself outside the main entrance. He created a formation and placed ash gourd (poosanikkai) and coconuts. He then lit camphor kept on them. He picked up the ash gourd and coconuts, circled them a few times and flung them on the ground, smashing them to pieces. On Saturday morning, a priest named Alphonse Raja from Tiruchi offered to apply some oil on the CM’s head to help her recover. Sunday morning saw six individuals lighting candles outside the gate and reading from the Bible, praying for the CM’s health. AIADMK supporters smashed a pumpkin for her shortly after.”

Watch:

 There are plenty of rumours about when the CM will be discharged, with some claiming that it will happen only when the stars are aligned in a suitable way.

The Tamil Nadu CM, herself, is known to be a firm believer in astrology. She has previously changed her name from Jayalalitha to Jayalalithaa for numerological reasons.

More than ten days after the TN CM J Jayalalithaa was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Chennai for fever and dehydration, the hospital has released another bulletin stating that the CM is responding adequately to the treatment and her health continues to improve.

“The treatment plan including appropriate antibiotics, respiratory support, and other allied clinical measures are presently being continued to treat the infection,” the bulletin states.

Adding that a team of doctors is collectively monitoring her treatment, the bulletin states that the CM has been advised further stay in the hospital. 

The hospital had released another statement on Sunday stating that CM’s health is improving and she is responding well to the treatment.

The press release stated, “The Honourable Chief Minister is responding well to the treatment given to her. The Honourable Chief Minister has been advised a few more days stay in the hospital for treatment.”

It also confirmed that Dr. Richard Beale from London had detailed discussion with the expert group of doctors who are treating her. Based on the discussion, the doctors had a treatment plan which included appropriate antibiotics and other clinical measures carried out to treat infection.

Prior to that, three official statements had been given out by the hospital. On September 23, the hospital had stated that she was admitted for fever and dehydration.

Two days later, amidst rumours of her being flown to Singapore for treatment, the hospital called for a press meet and said that she was recovering well to the treatment and there were no plans of her being flown out for treatment.

On September 29, the hospital stated that the Chief Minister has to stay in hospital for few more days for recuperative treatment.

On Friday, DMK chief Karunanidhi had urged the government to release a photograph of her.

On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao visited the Apollo hospital. In an official statement, it was stated, “The Governor was happy to note that the Hon’ble Chief Minister is recovering well. The Governor appreciated the Doctors for providing the best medical care and treatment to the Hon’ble Chief Minister.”

Despite all the tension that surfaced in Coimbatore last month, Hindu Makkal Katchi has released a new book “Who is Mahatma” (Yaar Mahatma) on Sunday which is a translation of all court documents related to Nathuram Godse.

The Hindu Makkal Katchi blames Mahatma Gandhi’s so called Muslim appeasement policy for the problems between Muslims and Hindus in the country today.

Speaking to The News Minute, the translator of the book, Govindraj said, “We have translated Nathuram Godse’s court documents which includes Godse’s views on Gandhi’s appeasement policy and how it affected the Hindus during the partition. The entire country keeps saying Gandhi is Mahatma but we want the people to decide who is the real Mahatma after reading this book.”

Talking about Nathuram Godse, Govindraj said that Gandhi and Godse were equally patriotic. He claimed that other than the fact that Godse had murdered Gandhi, the former had not done anything wrong.

The book also has two additional pieces by Gandhian N Mahalingam and Justice Mohan. “They have made comparisons between Gandhi and Nathuram Godse,” Govindraj said.

Asked about the impact the book can have in Coimbatore where the situation is already tense, Govindraj claimed that they were not against Muslims but against the two Dravidian parties which have never taken action against “jihadists”. He alleged that the government wants Muslim votes and so they will not do anything against the people who are attacking the Hindus.  

Arjun Sampath, President of Hindu Makkal Katchi, feels that because of Gandhi’s “Muslim appeasement" policy, Hindus are still suffering. “Many deaths of Hindu leaders have been happening in Tamil Nadu. Because of Gandhi, our country is full of jihadists,” he claimed.

Talking about the book, he said that it is a translation of the court proceedings and that it does not have any opinions of the party. “Because of the book, there will be no tension in the state. And the people need to decide who is the real Mahatma after reading this book,” he said.

Arjun Sampath added that this book should be read by both Hindus and Muslims. “The Hindus need to know the struggle of independence and how it affected the Hindus. The Muslims need to know that the RSS was not involved in the murder of Gandhi,” he said.

The Madras High court on Monday allowed RSS to carry out marches at 14 places in Tamil Nadu in November, but under several conditions which include wearing full pants instead of shorts and not raising slogans, according to The Times of India.

The Tamil Nadu government had objected to RSS carrying out rallies stating the civic elections in October-end and the recent tension in Coimbatore over the death of the spokesperson of Hindu Munnani leader.  However, the court allowed RSS to conduct the rallies either onNovember 6 or 13.

Both the police and district administration had denied permission to conduct the rallies. The court allowed it but set few conditions. It has asked the cadres to wear proper attire, especially full pants during the rally. The judge also stated that they should not get involved in any unlawful activities and not raise slogans. The court also allowed the police to impose other rules as per law.

The assistant inspector general of police, headquarters, R Thirunavukkarasu had asked for the dismissal of the writ petition in a counter affidavit. He had said that the protests in Coimbatore after the death of the Hindu Munnani Katchi spokesperson C Sasikumar, had caused lot of damage to public and private properties.

“Following these incidents, communal ill-feeling persists not only in Coimbatore but is having reactions in Tirupur, Dindigul, Mettupalayam, etc,” he said in the counter-affidavit, reports TOI.

In a case of robbery, a driver of a private cash management company on Monday allegedly fled with an amount of Rs. 1.2 crore which was to be filled at various Bank of Baroda ATMs.

Police told The New Indian Express that the driver was identified as Isakki Pandian and hails from Tirunelveli. He had abandoned the vehicle at Maduravoyal and escaped.

The vehicle had started from Kodambakkam and was supposed to go to Thiruverkaddu, filling all the Bank of Baroda ATMs on the way. It had an amount of Rs 2.20 crore in total.

When the vehicle reached Poonamallee High Road at Velappanchavadi, around 4pm, the two other staff Babu, Sathish Kumar and security guard Jovith Mullah had gone to fill cash. In the meantime, the drive fled with the money abandoning the car about one kilometre from the place, police told TNIE.

Police suspect that the driver may have shifted the money to another vehicle and fled with it.

Isakki Pandian had been working as a driver with Logi cash management firm for the last three months. The staff had deposited cash in about 10 ATMs including Koyambedu, Villivakkam, Padi, Porur and Virugambakkam.

A case has been registered at the Thiruverkadu police station, and five special teams have been formed to find the suspect.

On a petition seeking information on the health of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the Madras High Court on Tuesday said the people of Tamil Nadu are anxious about her health and asked the government pleader to get back on the details regarding her health after consulting with the government.

The observation was made by a Division Bench of Justice MM Sundresh and R Mahadevan after social activist Traffic Ramaswamy’s PIL seeking details on the health condition of Jayalalithaa was not listed at the High Court on Tuesday.

Ramaswamy filed a petition on Monday stating the people of the state were eager to know about Jayalalithaa’s health. The petition sought the court’s intervention for a detailed report on her health as well as photographs of her meeting with her cabinet colleagues in hospital last week on the Cauvery issue.

On Tuesday, Ramaswamy said his petition had not been listed and approached the court asking it to take up the matter immediately as it was of utmost importance. The court then asked the Additional Advocate General Manishankar whether the PIL was important, and Manishankar said it was not and added that he was filing the petition for personal reasons. The Judge then asked the Additional AG if he had any instructions on the PIL and he replied no.

The High Court said it would take up the matter in two days and asked the Additional AG to consult the government and get back on the details pertaining to her health.

The bench also added, "Though the hospital authorities have issued some statements, the government is duty bound to provide the status of her health."

Social media users have been openly discussing Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa’s health in the last few days. While medical reports, fake photographs and even an audio by a mimicry artist (claiming to be the CM's voice)  were freely doing the rounds on WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook were comparatively quieter, considering that they are less private means of communication.

However, given the CM’s prolonged stay, the memes have slowly started trickling in about Apollo Hospitals, the secrecy surrounding the CM’s health, and the public’s reaction to rumours.

1. An angry Vadivelu says in a jibe to journalists, “You can go to the neighbouring country and find out military secrets but you can’t find out the secret in Apollo Hospital?”

2. Anyone and everyone in Tamil Nadu has a relative working in Apollo Hospitals who has “insider information”.

Rajinikanth: How many more are going to tell me that you have relatives working in Apollo Hospital?

 3. Parthiban, who is holding an umbrella inside the room for Vadivelu, is labelled as Modi.

Vadivelu: See, he is sending a bouquet even for fever. Gold means gold, Modi is 58 carat gold.

4. With Amma’s health said to be improving, Apollo Hospitals may soon be rechristened, says this meme. 

“Since you’ve treated Amma, may you henceforth be called Amollo!”

 

And this joke summarised it well:

 

What I learnt in the last two weeks....

 

1. Everyone has a reliable source at the start of the conversation.

 

2. Everyone has a friend who works in Apollo hospitals... Hmmm. Apollo surely must be employing more people than Indian Railways!

 

3. Everyone has a minister's PA or a driver or a 'edupudi' as a close contact!

 

4. Everyone has extended families who have people matching point number one.. The reliable source types....

 

5. Everyone has a friend who knows someone senior in the administration and preferably in the police department!!!

 

6. Last but not the least, everyone knows the tea shop owner in Greams Lane

 

A delegation of members of parliament belonging to the AIADMK on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Ministry of Water Resources to proceed with its Interlocutory Application filed in the Supreme Court on the Cauvery water case.

They also urged him to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) immediately.

Led by Lok Sabha's Deputy Speaker M. Thambi Durai, a delegation of AIADMK parliament members marched up to the Prime Minister's Office and submitted a memorandum.

On October 3, 2016, the Ministry of Water Resources filed an Interlocutory Application in the Supreme Court seeking modification of its September 30, 2016, order to constitute Cauvery Management Board by October 4, 2016.

The ministry in its application said the CMB cannot be constituted now.

"In this context, we appeal to you to intervene in the matter and direct the Ministry of Water Resources to withdraw the Interlocutory Application dated 3.10.2016 forthwith and to immediately comply with the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court dated 30.9.2016 and constitute the Cauvery Management Board at once and render justice to the lakhs of farmers dependent on Cauvery water and the people of Tamil Nadu," the AIADMK MPs told Modi in their memorandum.

"We are at a total loss to understand what caused this sudden reversal. The government of India's stance in the latest Interlocutory Application filed on 3.10.2016, is at total variance with the stance taken in the Hon'ble Supreme Court. The stand taken by the government of India is against the State of Tamil Nadu and its farming community," the memorandum noted.

The AIADMK MPs said in a federal polity the government of India is expected to be neutral and fair to all the states of the Union.

"It is also duty-bound to uphold the majesty of law and the decision of Hon'ble Supreme Court and Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal," the memorandum stressed.

According to the AIADMK, the Union ministers belonging to Karnataka have been vociferously supporting the stand of the Karnataka government to not release the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

"This is against the constitutional obligation cast on them to be neutral in any dispute between two States, as they are Union Ministers for the whole country. This action of the Union Ministers amounts to a grave injustice to the people of Tamil Nadu," the memorandum said.

On the part of Tamil Nadu government Chief Secretary Rama Mohana Rao on Monday wrote to Shashi Sekhar, Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources, requesting action to withdraw the Interlocutory Application forthwith and constitute the Cauvery Management Board as per apex court's directions.

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are at war over the sharing of Cauvery river water for a long time.

In the land of Amma, her worshippers know no limits. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, also fondly known as Amma, has been hospitalised for more than ten days and her health condition largely remains mysterious.

Jayalalithaa's followers have always gone to fanatical heights for her.

In February 2015, a popular karate master and Chennai socialite Shihan Hussaini crucified himself wearing a T-shirt with ‘Amma’ on it, praying that she wins the elections.

Around the same time, an AIADMK MLA from Madurai, Karuppaiah, floated in a swimming pool wearing an Amma T-shirt and holding an AIADMK flag in his mouth, praying that she lives a long life.

There have been other such quirky displays of devotion and affection by party workers too, like getting Amma’s face tattooed on their arms.

So as TN CM J Jayalalithaa labours through her illness at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, with several rumours about her illness spreading like wildfire across the state, it didn't come as much of a surprise that her supporters would again perform their devotion in extreme ways. 

Praying for her good health, an AIADMK district secretary Vetrivel, organized a huge prayer rally at RK Nagar in North Chennai on Monday. RK Nagar is also Jayalalithaa’s constituency.

Hundreds of AIADMK workers had assembled at the rally for a procession bearing pails of milk, as is usually done in the worship of the deity Muruga.  One of the worshippers also hung himself from a crane, his skin pierced with thick hooks. This is also usually done in the worship of Muruga.

What's more, even kids were not spared.

So what explains the pain AIADMK party cadre are willing to endure in her name?

There could be several factors for it. For one, she is an extremely charismatic leader, who has, over the years ,won over her cadre with careful image management. Her persona is her weapon in the political arena, and that’s why, her loyalists have held it dear.

After the death of MG Ramachandran, a former Chief minister of Tamil Nadu and Jayalalithaa's mentor, many came to her support, and openly said, “We want a charismatic leader. Jayalalithaa is the only person with charisma,” according to a recent book on her by journalist Vaasanthi. Vaasanthi writes that she has made the “audacious observation that the massive mandate she received from the people was due to her charisma alone.” Jayalalithaa believed that her charisma, her popularity alone, would carry her forward in her path to glory, she observes.

Another reason for the sycophancy is that the AIADMK is a party with no order but one, Amma’s order. Anyone could be noticed by Amma at any time and be catapulted to higher leadership. She has managed to have everyone believe that unquestioning loyalty to her will be rewarded. Which is why, party-men routinely perform stunts to grab her attention and show how far they are willing to go for her.

A 60-year-old man mowed down a young male blackbuck, considered an endangered animal at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai near the Guindy National Park on Saturday.  

Blackbucks are included in Section 1 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, providing absolute protection to the species.  

Sources in Guindy National Park (GNP) say KRS Ananthakumar, the suspect in the case, had attended a wedding anniversary of an assistant section officer at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday. While he was returning from the celebration, he hit a blackbuck with his vehicle around 6:45pm. The blackbuck died immediately.

“The car was traced with the marks of the car tyre and Ananthakumar was apprehended by the forest officials,” says a source to The News Minute.

They added that this particular area in Raj Bhavan where the incident took place comes under GNP.  

“People are allowed inside the area with vehicles only if someone has given permission. The police keeps a check on the vehicles and takes down the details of the vehicles,” sources added.

The case was registered at the national forest range office in Guindy. Ananthakumar was produced before the magistrate on Sunday and was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

On Monday, the Metropolitan Court at Saidapet granted bail to Ananthakumar. “It is a non-bailable offence and he should not have been released in one day. He carelessly drove the vehicle,” said a source from the forest department.

Speaking to The News Minute, animal rights activist Shravan Krishnan said, “There is diverse wildlife in the Guindy National Park. There are various animals like jackals, blackbucks, pangolins, spotted deers, which are rarely found in other states. It needs to be protected and no one should be allowed to go inside the national park with vehicles, they should walk, cycle or use forest escorted vehicles.

There have been reports in the past indicating that GNP was struggling to protect the bustling population of deers in its foliage area. According to a report in 2008, the park with city limits had around 400 black bucks and 1100 spotted deer.

Picture of a young black buck by Archit Ratan/Flickr