TN This Week: Journalists Call for Freedom of Press, Hold Protest Demo in Chennai

The members of the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), Chennai chapter, organised a protest against police action on NewsClick stating it was an attack on the freedom of media, outside Chennai Press Club on Saturday.

In another development, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin dismissed the allegations that his government has ‘encroached’ temples in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a speech in Telangana, had alleged that the DMK government had taken control of Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu, hinting at financial irregularities.

Also, the University Grants Commission wrote to the Tamil Nadu chief secretary, objecting to the constitution of search-cum-selection committees for the appointment of vice-chancellors to state universities without a nominee of the commission chairman, sources said.

And, following the recent release of caste survey in Bihar, Villupuram MP D Ravikumar on Wednesday urged the Tamil Nadu government to conduct a similar survey by categorising Scheduled Castes members from Paraiyar community under the broader name of Adi Dravidars and release the data.

Meanwhile, officials of the Income Tax department conducted searches at the premises of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP S Jagathrakshakan in Tamil Nadu.

After a gap of 11 years, Tamil Nadu’s realisation of Cauvery water during this year’s southwest monsoon did not exceed the 50 tmc ft [thousand million cubic feet] mark. Release of water from the Mettur dam for Cauvery delta irrigation has been reduced to 3,000 cusecs following sharp decline in the storage level.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced aid for farmers in the Cauvery Delta region of the state whose crops were destroyed due to lack of sufficient water.

In a tragic incident, a second-year post-graduate (PG) resident doctor of Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Science, Kulasekharam, Tamil Nadu died by suicide. In her alleged suicide note, she blamed the harassment meted out by the Head of the Department (HoD) of Anaesthesiology.

Protests

The CITU held protest demonstrations across Tamil Nadu to transfer Kanchipuram District Collector for trying to create division between other-state workers and Tamil Nadu workers.

Farmers and members of trade unions observed ‘black day’ on Tuesday by holding demonstrations demanding the dismissal and prosecution of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, who is allegedly the conspirator of the Lakhimpur Kheri killing of farmers on October 3, 2021.

In another development, Governor RN Ravi waded into a fresh controversy on Wednesday after he presided over an event in which over 100 people, all from non-upper-caste communities, were offered a sacred thread (poonool) normally worn by members of upper castes at M Athanur near Kattumannarkoil in Cuddalore on Wednesday.