TN This Week: Union Govt Auctions Three Coal Mines in Cauvery Delta, Decision Widely Opposed

The daily tally of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, which was in the single digits a couple of days back, touched 273 on Thursday, pushing up the number of active cases in the state to 1,336.

Five men drowned in a temple pond in Muvarasampattu in Chennai on Wednesday. The tragic incident happened when the men were taking a ritualistic dip in the temple pond along with 15 others.

People's Watch, a human rights organisation based in Madurai, strongly condemned the Tamil Nadu IPS Officers' Association's support for the suspended IPS officer Balveer Singh, accused of custodial violence.

Family members of deceased Sundar Raj (85) were denied entry to the burial ground on Tuesday by the police and some members of the dominant Nadar caste at the Lebbai Kudiyiruppu village near Panagudi in Tirunelveli district. Five men from the Nadar community had allegedly illegally acquired the ground and denied burial rights to dalits.

Villagers led by a former district panchayat vice chairman impounded earth-moving machinery condemning the indiscriminate mining of sand in Palar near Arcot in Ranipet district on Friday. They said it would affect the local water table creating problems in raising crops.

A 23-year-old woman IT employee alleged harassment by a delivery agent of Big Basket, an online supermarket, when the latter came to deliver groceries.

NewsClick brings you a round-up of the happenings of this week in Tamil Nadu.

GOVERNOR'S REMARKS CONDEMNED

Tamil Nadu governor, RN Ravi, sparked another controversy on Thursday when he said that the 2018 anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi were "foreign-funded." He also said that if a governor withholds assent to a Bill passed by the Assembly, it means the "Bill is dead".

In a strongly worded four-page statement, Stalin accused the Governor of indulging in actions that would lead to the deterioration of "administrative order."

DMK-led (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) secular progressive alliance has announced a protest on April 12 condemning Governor for his 'controversial' statements.

'STOP MINING IN CAUVERY BASIN'

The CPI(M) (Communist Party of India (Marxist)), CPI (Communist Party of India) and VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi) on Tuesday condemned the Union government for putting out a notification to auction three coal blocks in the Cauvery Delta districts, which is a protected agricultural zone.

Speaking in the Assembly on Wednesday, Stalin opposed the proposal.

Leader of opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami accused the DMK government of being unable to protect the delta districts despite the AIADMK government declaring the area a protected agriculture zone.

Moreover, showing strong opposition to the mining project and the anti-democratic attitude of the Governor, the Coordination Committee of All Farmers' Associations urged Stalin to boycott the Prime Minister's events in Tamil Nadu.

AIADMK WALKS OUT OF THE ASSEMBLY

Accusing speaker M Appavu of not giving time to counter the charges levelled by DMK, AIADMK members staged a walkout from the Assembly during the debate on demand for grants for food and civil supplies department and co-operation on Thursday.

Meanwhile, setting a target of two crore members, Palaniswami on Wednesday inaugurated a drive to bring in new members to the party and renew the existing membership.

BOOKED FOR RUMOURS

YouTuber Manish Kashyap, arrested by the Tamil Nadu police for spreading fake videos alleging attacks on Bihari migrant labourers in the state, has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA) on Thursday, April 6.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court granted protection for Advocate Prashant Umrao from arrest in multiple FIRs registered against him in different police stations for his tweets against Bihari migrant workers in Tamil Nadu.