- 13 minutes ago
A political controversy has emerged over Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's official visit to the United Kingdom, where he attended the Silverstone Le Mans Cup alongside actor Ajith Kumar and announced plans related to motorsport infrastructure in the state. Opposition leaders raised questions regarding the schedule, transparency, and nature of the overseas tour, while state officials and TVK representatives pointed to newly signed Memorandums of Understanding in London with entities such as Sigma Technology Group to establish Global Capability Centres. The broadcast also features panel discussions on the political meeting between DMK MP Kanimozhi and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai, alongside updates on a communal dispute during Ganesh Chaturthi in Mysuru, police action in a Gurugram assault case involving a Kargil war veteran, and developments from the Women's Asia Cup.
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00:00Chief Minister Vijay's presence at a car event, this is the Silverstone Lemans Cup in UK,
00:08his presence there has triggered a controversy.
00:10And while you've seen pictures, videos of the same, it's been viral across of course,
00:14of Chief Minister Vijay and Ajit hugging it out, meeting at that particular event,
00:20it's also sparked a political fight. Why?
00:22Well, a couple of issues that the opposition is raising, one over the pictures on your screens,
00:27saying what was Trisha doing at this particular event,
00:30wasn't this a visit by the Chief Minister to London for investment?
00:35So where are the investors' meetings? What are the investments coming in?
00:38There are no details about any of that.
00:40So questions being asked now about whether this is an official trip or a personal one by Chief Minister Vijay.
00:46Let's get you all those details first.
00:49I want to protect you from who you are.
00:54I'm sure you are.
00:59I've heard about this.
00:59I'm sure you have answered that.
01:04I love you.
01:08Thank you very much.
01:38The TVK has now hit back at the opposition.
01:41State Minister Adhavarjuna called the UK visit a landmark moment for the state,
01:47saying it offered valuable ideas to modernise Tamil Nadu's sports sector.
01:54The controversy comes just days after Vijay announced plans to build new sports infrastructure in Tamil Nadu
02:00with a clear aim of bringing international motorsport events to the state.
02:31The silverstone visit may have triggered a political impact.
02:35But Vijay says he is chasing a different finish line.
03:05This is an establishment and expansion of global capability centres in Tamil Nadu.
03:10This brings in an investment of around 1,000 crores and is expected to create more than 2,000 high
03:15-value jobs.
03:17This was signed, this MOU was been signed in London.
03:20As you see in those pictures there, Chief Minister Vijay is present,
03:23along with the CEO of Sigma Technology Group,
03:27the CEO of, in fact, another company as well as the managing director of Guidance Tamil Nadu,
03:34which is in charge of bringing in investments into the state.
03:37So these are pictures that have now been put out on social media by the CMO.
03:41Pramod Madhav is joining us with more details on this.
03:44Pramod, a lot of questions really about what the Chief Minister's visit to London has looked like.
03:49In the last few days, there have been no investors meeting.
03:52This is the first one then that's happened today.
03:55Absolutely, Sakshita.
03:56And this kind of clears the air over the Chief Minister's visit to London,
03:59especially because very clearly the officials said that it is going to be a kind of a programme
04:03where the Chief Minister will attempt to garner more investment for the state of Tamil Nadu.
04:07However, the picture or the centre stage was about Ajit Kumar and Chief Minister Vijay
04:12taking part of being in that particular arena, the Lemans Cup,
04:15and also having Trisha's pictures over there.
04:17Quite a lot of questions were asked.
04:18But right now, we have the Chief Minister actually signing two deals,
04:21one actually bringing in close to 2,000 jobs and an MOU of 11,000 crores for the state of
04:26Tamil Nadu.
04:27So this is very big news and that has been shared by the Tamil Nadu government right now, Akshita.
04:31All right.
04:31Thanks very much, Pramod, for joining us with those details.
04:34Also with us on this broadcast, we've got an Apsara-ready political commentator,
04:39previously with the AIA-DMK, S. Murali Dharan, Mr. Sumansi Raman, as well as Akshita Ram.
04:45Thank you all very much for your time.
04:47Mr. Sumansi Raman, I had you earlier with the In our Tamil broadcast
04:50where you did raise questions about what really Chief Minister Vijay was up to.
04:54We seem to have the answers, sir, with these pictures.
04:58Akshita, I think we need to wait to know more details about all of this.
05:04Ernst & Young, for instance, already has a GCC in general.
05:07So is this an expansion or an additional capability center that they are establishing?
05:13We don't know because they already have a global development center which functions as a GCC in Chennai.
05:20So we need to know more details.
05:23And in any case, you know, the other firm with which they have signed, Motherson,
05:28the company is headquartered in Noida.
05:30So I'm still a little baffled as to why you would go to the UK to sign a deal with
05:36a company
05:36which is headquartered in Noida.
05:39So I think we need to wait for the full list of MOUs to be available.
05:45And only then we would be in a position to know, you know,
05:49whether there is anything significant which is coming out of this trip.
05:52Okay, Akshita Reddy, your opening comments.
05:55You were rather critical of the Chief Minister's London visit so far,
05:58saying, you know, nothing concrete has emerged from it.
06:02See, Akshita, first of all, I think when we have Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
06:07which India has a fantastic relationship with the UK in terms of investment relationship,
06:11the commercial relationship is almost 20.2 million pound worth.
06:18In the last 2026, if you look at the statistics, there's been a growth of 14% a year
06:22with the UK-India relationship in terms of investments.
06:25With that being the backdrop, when Tamil Nadu is the third largest exporter in India,
06:29when we have 160 Fortune 500 companies in Tamil Nadu,
06:33the scale and the backdrop becomes different.
06:36He has to emerge from more than being just a superstar CM
06:39where the commentators are calling him Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise of Ajit.
06:42I don't think that should be the defining moment.
06:44The Silverstone can be the pit stop.
06:46It can't be the defining image of this trip.
06:48I don't think anything concrete has come out of this.
06:50And also, I think opposition dragging Trisha into this is absolutely futile
06:54and below the belt because it's a personal relationship.
06:56I don't think politically we are, you know, committed to kind of commenting on this.
07:01It's absolutely ridiculous to bring Trisha into this whole argument.
07:04Tamil Nadu seeks the answer.
07:06No, but Akshita, you know, my only intervention here is on the issue of Trisha
07:09because we've reported on this several times.
07:11So there have been, yes, you know, below the belt comments being made.
07:14Trisha has been dragged unnecessarily into politics.
07:16But here I think the opposition is raising what investments are coming into the state of Tamil Nadu
07:21if this is the company you're keeping.
07:23In which case I think it's fair for the opposition to raise those questions.
07:27The company the chief minister of Tamil Nadu keeps is his personal business.
07:31People need to know answers of what is the employment he's going to create,
07:35what are the investments that are coming in,
07:36what is the agenda of this whole trip because he's been there for five,
07:42I think today is the fifth day and the only thing that's the defining image
07:45that has actually emerged is a picture of himself and Mr. Ajit Kumar.
07:49I think that, I think the chief minister should focus on
07:51to kind of set the protocols, right, of his communication of discussing
07:55with the people of Tamil Nadu and the media of Tamil Nadu
07:57what are the kind of investments, what are the kind of CEOs he's met
08:00because I think Tamil Nadu is a very large commercial relationship with UK
08:04and I think Vijay has come on a large, large enough, I wouldn't say large
08:09but large enough public mandate and I think he needs to prove himself.
08:13Okay, Akshat Ram, the reason I'm taking in all opinions before I bring in Mr. Moolidharan
08:17is because I recognize that it's almost three versus one right now
08:20where everyone's questioning what the chief minister is really doing on this London visit.
08:24So Akshat Ram, I'll give you time to make your opening comments as well.
08:27And look, anyone who's had questions about what really the chief minister has been up to
08:31whether this is an official visit or not, now gets those answers
08:34just because of the update that's coming from the CMO
08:36that yes, he is holding meetings with investors.
08:40Okay, Akshat, firstly, I think I agree with Akshat Ram when she said
08:44dragging Trisha into this is absolutely unnecessary
08:47and by all means it's a violence against a woman, right?
08:51She's a private citizen, she gets to have her own choice.
08:53The opposition has absolutely no, you know, ground to call anything out of this.
08:59But having established that, see, the fundamental problem with this government
09:05which I've already mentioned time and again is the fact that
09:08they are completely reactive to situations.
09:11Here again, they've been completely reactive to situations.
09:13It has taken them five days.
09:15Why could this schedule not be put out?
09:16If they were going to meet with investors, why could that not be established?
09:19Why could the press not get a note?
09:21Why could the press not meet with the chief minister afterwards?
09:24These are some fundamental questions.
09:26Why is the industry's minister, okay, having said all of it
09:29and MOU has been signed, why is the industry's minister right now
09:33not sitting with the members of the press taking questions on this?
09:37See, the problem is the fact that everybody is out of what is happening.
09:41If the industry's minister and the industry's secretary are not present
09:45at what you are calling an important signing for the Vijay government
09:50and the TVK government in Tamil Nadu.
09:51There is a representative though of guidance, Tamil Nadu.
09:53The managing director of guidance, Tamil Nadu, is there.
09:57But my question still remains.
09:59Why is the industry's minister not there?
10:01Do they not have confidence in their own ministers?
10:03Do they not think they are capable enough?
10:07These are fundamental questions.
10:08And why is the chief minister required to go
10:10when there are more pressing questions on ground?
10:13We are talking about lawn order issues.
10:15We are talking about farmers' issues.
10:17We are talking about electricity issues.
10:18These issues keep existing and they only have one answer to everything
10:22that is to blame the DMK.
10:24That is not going to keep sailing for long.
10:26Okay.
10:27Okay.
10:28Mr. Moolidar, in your comments now,
10:29since you've heard all of them very patiently,
10:32I'm going to give you your two minutes to respond to each of them.
10:35The essential messaging here is that, you know,
10:38these kind of optics is not the best for the chief minister
10:41to be indulging in in London,
10:43especially because this was supposed to be an official trip
10:45focused on investments.
10:46And we're getting at least now the first glimpse of that.
10:50Yeah.
10:51Hachita, to start with,
10:53a person who's been working very hard,
10:55unlike the other chief ministers of Tamil Nadu,
10:58who's been working 12 to 14 hours a day.
11:00So a little bit of pleasure combined with a business trip,
11:03there's nothing wrong.
11:03No, that's the first answer.
11:05Second is, you know,
11:07my friend keeps asking, you know,
11:08why is he not taking the industry minister?
11:12Maybe she's a little immature.
11:13Let's accept it.
11:15No, what's the big deal?
11:16I mean, so he thinks he can do the job better.
11:18And once the deals are signed,
11:20to follow it up and close it,
11:22that can, the industry minister can come into that picture.
11:25Apart from that, we also discussed,
11:26yes, there is a possibility
11:27they're trying to bring in Formula Races into India
11:30in a formal and a disciplined manner,
11:33unlike Mr. Udeni V. Stalin,
11:35who, you know, decided to host an event
11:37in the middle of the city.
11:39Having said all that,
11:41I think what we need to understand is,
11:43you know,
11:43these are not like the erstwhile chief ministers
11:45who could not speak in English
11:47or who have never worn a suit, etc.
11:50They're looking really uncomfortable
11:51when you take them abroad.
11:53No, but does that really matter, Mr.
11:54I'm sorry.
11:56I'm should have.
11:57No, no, no.
11:57It doesn't really matter, sir.
11:58I mean, if they get the work done,
12:00they get the investments,
12:01I don't care what they're wearing,
12:02how they speak.
12:04No, it matters.
12:05It matters.
12:05See, when you go to a place,
12:07you know,
12:07you have to do what Romans do in Rome.
12:10You know,
12:10when you take chief ministers
12:12who are not, you know,
12:13really tech savvy
12:14or they're not being, you know,
12:16actually socially in those kind of environment,
12:18you, you know,
12:19put them up in a suit
12:20and, you know,
12:20it looks a little awkward.
12:22Now, here,
12:22as I kept saying,
12:24there are deals normally done
12:25by, you know,
12:26the corporate people
12:28over a bottle of champagne
12:29or in golf courses
12:30and race courses.
12:31So, you do it
12:32a little stylishly,
12:33people will not accept,
12:34but the Gen Z
12:35does not have a problem
12:36in Tamil Nadu.
12:37It's mostly the Gen Z
12:38who voted him.
12:38They don't have a problem.
12:39But having said all this,
12:41why is this delay?
12:42Why is this going to happen?
12:43I think,
12:45Akshat,
12:46Akshat,
12:46come in.
12:47Yes.
12:48As, again,
12:49as I said before,
12:50as the Gen Z
12:50representative on this panel,
12:52I am going to say this again.
12:53I am sorry, sir.
12:55It is not okay
12:56for you to have
12:57an elitist understanding
12:58of what our chief ministers
13:00are doing,
13:00what our former chief ministers
13:02have done.
13:02It does not matter
13:03whether they can speak English.
13:04It does not matter
13:05whether they can wear waistline,
13:07whether they want to wear a shirt.
13:08At the end of the day,
13:09if they're delivering governance,
13:10they're delivering governance.
13:11Inside the assembly,
13:11it's okay.
13:12I am absolutely sorry, sir.
13:13In Tamil Nadu,
13:15inside the assembly,
13:16it's okay.
13:18You have to be
13:19not inside assembly
13:20and Tamil Nadu.
13:22No, no, sir.
13:23I don't believe
13:24there is absolutely
13:25any necessity
13:26for me to dress
13:27a certain way.
13:28My track record
13:30is my government's.
13:30My track record
13:31is what we have done
13:32in the government.
13:35any other position
13:36party for that.
13:36Give them some time.
13:37I'm not just saying
13:38DMK.
13:38Give them some time
13:39and they will do it.
13:39Give them some time.
13:39Give them some time
13:40and they will do it.
13:41No, sir.
13:41I just want to object
13:43to the facts that you said.
13:43You're not giving him
13:44breathing time.
13:45You just want to speculate
13:47and you want to throw mud at him.
13:49That's not going to work.
13:49He's extremely cool.
13:51He's taking everything
13:52on his side.
13:53He's actually rubbing
13:54salt onto your wound.
13:55The first two days
13:56optics is just for you
13:58to get worked up
13:59and start screaming
14:00your head out
14:00and he's extremely chilled.
14:02He's not even
14:02responding to your comments.
14:04So, guys,
14:05take it cool.
14:05Come on.
14:07I'm very glad
14:09that sir...
14:11Apshita Reddy,
14:11I want you to come in
14:12on this.
14:13You know,
14:14about whether we're
14:15jumping the gun
14:15and being too critical
14:16over the chief minister.
14:18Not at all.
14:19I think nobody
14:20has thrown mud
14:20on any chief minister.
14:21We have not mentioned
14:22anything about his dressing
14:23or his language
14:24or his not being
14:25a good representative
14:27of the state.
14:28We're just asking
14:28questions as public.
14:30It is Mr. Murali Dharan
14:31who's basically commented
14:32on the English language
14:33skills of former chief ministers
14:34and the ability
14:35of the former chief.
14:36We've not flung
14:37any mud on Mr. Vijay.
14:39Also,
14:39it was Mr. Murali Dharan
14:40who said that
14:42it's pleasure...
14:42They are the ones
14:43who are talking
14:43about the future.
14:44I never interrupted.
14:45Can I come to you?
14:46I never interrupted.
14:47Sir, let us re-finish.
14:49But Mr. Murali Dharan,
14:50just because they do it
14:51doesn't mean
14:51everyone doing it
14:52makes it right.
14:53Go ahead.
14:53I think please define
14:54the contours of this debate.
14:55Mr. Murali Dharan
14:56is jumping in too often.
14:57I let him finish.
14:59So, let him understand
14:59the contours of a debate.
15:01He is the one
15:02who spoke about
15:03the CM mixing pleasure
15:04with business.
15:05He used the word pleasure.
15:06He used the word
15:07amateur minister.
15:08We didn't.
15:09We didn't use
15:10the word amateur minister.
15:11We didn't use
15:11the word pleasure.
15:12He is the one
15:13who certified this trip
15:14as a pleasure trip
15:15and an amateur minister
15:16sitting in Tamil Nadu.
15:17So, the TVK spokesperson
15:20Mr. Murali Dharan stands by that.
15:24Saying there is nothing wrong
15:25with mixing
15:26business and pleasure.
15:27I am saying
15:28he has used
15:29we have not blamed
15:30the chief minister
15:31going on a pleasure trip.
15:32We have not blamed
15:32the chief minister
15:33saying that
15:34he is not dressed properly.
15:35We have not said
15:36the chief minister
15:36has an amateur
15:37industries minister.
15:39It's the words
15:39of the TVK Alliance
15:41spokesperson on your channel.
15:42So, you have to record
15:43that it's not us.
15:44The person representing
15:45TVK spoke this language.
15:46You started with Trisha.
15:48Why do you have to
15:49start with Trisha?
15:50I never spoke about Trisha.
15:52I never brought up Trisha.
15:53I said Trisha
15:54should not be brought up.
15:55I said Trisha
15:56should not be brought up.
15:58It is not by opening comments.
15:59She is not the topic
16:01of the discussion.
16:02Why did you bring it up at all?
16:03She is definitely
16:03not the topic of discussion.
16:05That's exactly what I said.
16:06Why do you have to mention
16:06her name here?
16:08Why do you have to
16:08use the name of the documents?
16:10It was there
16:11in the special video.
16:12It was there
16:13in the special video
16:14and all the visuals
16:15on the channel.
16:15If you are watching
16:16the channel,
16:19he sees the visuals
16:20and he sees the opening document,
16:22he will know that
16:23Trisha is prominently
16:23on prime time now.
16:25What is he talking about?
16:26It's ridiculous.
16:27Please come to the topic.
16:28Why do you want to
16:29talk about it?
16:30Ignore it.
16:33Let me bring in
16:34Mr. Sumansi Raman.
16:36Mr. Moolidharan,
16:37I think the idea was
16:38for all of the
16:39panelists also
16:40to condemn,
16:41to say it's not
16:42okay for the opposition
16:43to be talking
16:44about Trisha.
16:45That was the message.
16:46But Mr. Sumansi Raman.
16:48Yeah.
16:49Akshita,
16:49two, three points.
16:51And the first point
16:51that I want to make
16:52is I think we need
16:53to study these MOUs
16:54very, very carefully.
16:56For instance,
16:56just now I've seen
16:57an announcement
16:58of Sigma Technologies,
17:00a Swedish firm,
17:03apparently investing
17:04in Chennai and Trichy.
17:06This announcement,
17:08there was an announcement
17:08by the same company
17:09in March this year,
17:10March of 2026,
17:12pretty much saying
17:13that they are investing
17:14in Chennai and Trichy.
17:15So is this the same announcement?
17:17Is this a different announcement?
17:18So we need to wait and see.
17:20Likewise,
17:22you know,
17:22the agreement with ENY
17:23about a GCC being built
17:26is for a company
17:27whose name
17:28has not been disclosed yet.
17:29The third issue
17:32is the Sambardana Mothersan,
17:35which is basically
17:36a company headquartered
17:37in Noida.
17:38So I'm, you know,
17:39I'm not blaming
17:40this government for doing it.
17:41All governments do this.
17:43Some of these are MOUs
17:44which have already been
17:45sort of, you know,
17:47in public domain
17:48or discussions
17:49have already been
17:50in public domain
17:51for several months.
17:52Some are commitments
17:54which have been made
17:55for investment.
17:56Some cases
17:58where even initial investment
17:59doesn't mean,
17:59DMK used to specialize
18:00in such stuff also.
18:01So it's not that
18:03TVK is only government
18:05that is doing this.
18:06DMK used to do it.
18:08AIA-DMK used to do it.
18:09You know,
18:10already,
18:10whatever investments
18:11have already been committed
18:12will be shown
18:13for all these events
18:15as MOUs
18:17which are signed
18:17and so on.
18:18So I feel very interested
18:20in seeing
18:20what is the actual
18:22new investment
18:23that is going to come
18:25and I think
18:26that that can be known
18:27only after the full list
18:29of MOUs
18:30is out
18:31with the details
18:32of those MOUs.
18:33So,
18:33and obviously
18:34the question is
18:35can it be done
18:36for all of this
18:37have been signed
18:37in Chennai itself
18:39because
18:39some of these companies
18:40are already present
18:41in India.
18:42Mr. Murali Dharan,
18:44you know,
18:44can we expect
18:45100% transparency
18:46on this?
18:47Because there hasn't been
18:48100% transparency
18:49on the Chief Minister's schedule.
18:50We're putting that out
18:51on our screens.
18:52Day one,
18:53day three,
18:53we had no idea
18:54what was part of the schedule.
18:56Day two,
18:56was the visit to Silverstone.
18:58Day four,
18:58finally some MOUs happening,
19:00some business taking place.
19:01Can we expect
19:02100% transparency then?
19:04Yes,
19:05why not?
19:05Why not?
19:06Achita,
19:06he's a responsible person.
19:08He's the Chief Minister
19:09of Tamil Nadu.
19:10I mean,
19:11people presume that
19:12he doesn't know
19:13all these
19:13and they're trying
19:14to teach him
19:15how to behave
19:16and how to follow
19:18protocol,
19:18etc.
19:19Give him some time,
19:20cut some slack.
19:21He will come back
19:22and he'll announce.
19:23And Mr. Sumat,
19:24he just agreed that
19:25yes,
19:25these things will take time.
19:26It has to come out.
19:27And see,
19:28the same,
19:29when DMK came back
19:31and did all these,
19:32nobody questioned them.
19:33It's only now
19:34people are questioning
19:34Mr. Vijay
19:35and he will have answers
19:36and he is going to go
19:37to the assembly.
19:37He's not going to run
19:38away from them.
19:39So let's wait
19:40and watch
19:40what he's going to say.
19:42Okay,
19:42fair enough.
19:43Mr. Murid Dharam,
19:44Mr. Subhan C.
19:44Raman,
19:45Akshat Ram
19:45and Apsara Reddy,
19:46thank you for your time.
19:47Thank you for joining us
19:48here on India Today.
19:55And here's an interesting
19:56news break coming in
19:57from Tamil Nadu.
19:58With the DMK Congress
20:00falling apart,
20:01there's now questions
20:02looming over whether
20:03the DMK is looking
20:04to build a third front.
20:06Kani Murray's meeting
20:08with Uddhav Thakre
20:09sparked off a lot
20:10of speculation.
20:11And ahead of the
20:122029 Lok Sabha polls,
20:13is the DMK looking
20:15to stitch a third front
20:17involving other
20:18political parties
20:20based in other states?
20:22Kani Murray visited
20:23Mumbai,
20:24met with Uddhav Thakre,
20:25and that's what sparked
20:27all of this conversation.
20:29Here's what India Today
20:30is learning,
20:31and this is an exclusive
20:31that we're picking up,
20:33that it is the DMK,
20:34the UBT Sena,
20:36as well as a Delhi-based
20:37party that could be
20:39coming together.
20:40Talks are currently
20:41underway.
20:42This comes after the
20:43DMK cut-off ties
20:44with the Congress.
20:45Since then,
20:46there have been a lot
20:46of questions about
20:47what the DMK strategy
20:49is going to be.
20:50And while the Congress
20:51continues to maintain
20:52that they will very much
20:53be a part of the
20:53India bloc,
20:55going by this
20:55doesn't really look
20:57likely.
21:00Definitely,
21:01Uddhav,
21:02with
21:05Maharashtra,
21:05he also belongs
21:08to a state party.
21:09So this is the worry
21:10of the state parties
21:11that this delimitation
21:13may affect certain states.
21:15That is why she had
21:16to have a discussion
21:17with him.
21:18Let me bring in
21:19Pramod Madhu
21:19for more details
21:20on this.
21:21Pramod,
21:21you've gotten us
21:22this exclusive news break
21:24that Kanimuri
21:25is going out
21:26to explore options,
21:28essentially.
21:28The possibility
21:29of a third front
21:31is something
21:31the DMK
21:32is looking at.
21:33What are you picking up
21:34on the support
21:34they're picking up
21:35right now?
21:36Well,
21:36very interestingly,
21:37we come to know
21:37about this particular
21:38kind of development
21:39only after Kanimuri's
21:40visit to Mumbai,
21:41but my sources
21:41also claim
21:42that even before
21:43she went to Mumbai,
21:44she had got to Delhi
21:45and that is where
21:45certain things
21:46have developed
21:47and very clearly
21:48there are high chances
21:48of Kanimuri
21:49going ahead
21:50and creating
21:50this particular
21:52possibility
21:52of a third front,
21:53Akshita.
21:53And the important
21:54aspect is that
21:55it clearly looks
21:56like her being
21:58behind the driving
22:00wheel in this
22:01particular kind
22:02of development.
22:03There are chances,
22:03I repeat,
22:04I repeat that the
22:05Z-Force might also
22:06extend their support,
22:07but it looks like
22:08everything is on the
22:09pipeline as we speak
22:10right now,
22:10Akshita.
22:11Okay,
22:12so talks are underway.
22:14Too early to say
22:15if it will really
22:15materialise into anything,
22:16but the focus is on
22:182029,
22:19so they've got time
22:20to figure it out.
22:20Kanimuri meeting
22:21with Uddev Thakere,
22:22there's talk of a
22:23Delhi party also
22:24that's coming on board.
22:26Will this in fact
22:27materialise and turn
22:28into a third front?
22:29What will that mean
22:30for the Congress?
22:31We'll track this
22:31very, very closely.
22:32Thanks, Pramod,
22:33for getting us
22:33that exclusive news break.
22:36We're getting some sense
22:38now of really
22:39what kind of
22:40investors' meetings
22:41are taking place
22:42because right up
22:43until now
22:43there were questions
22:44about whether
22:45the Chief Minister
22:46was there for a
22:47personal trip
22:48or an official trip.
22:49There was a lot of
22:50talk about investments,
22:51but the only visit
22:52that had happened
22:52or at least high profile
22:53was that to the
22:55Silverstone race.
22:56After that,
22:57nothing at all.
22:57Now, details coming
22:59in of the MOU
23:00over which too,
23:01by the way,
23:01there's politics
23:02because the AIA-DMK
23:03is questioning
23:05the MOU
23:05that's now been signed
23:07saying the company
23:08with which
23:09Chief Minister Vijay
23:10has signed an MOU
23:11is based in Noida
23:13and so the AIA-DMK
23:14is saying
23:15this is an absolute
23:16waste of public money.
23:22So this is in fact
23:23a reaction
23:24that's coming
23:24from the AIA-DMK.
23:26One particular investment
23:28is what the AIA-DMK
23:29is calling out
23:30right now
23:31saying that
23:32the company
23:33is based in Noida.
23:35So what really
23:36explains the need
23:38to go all the way
23:39to London
23:39to sign this
23:40particular MOU?
23:41And you've got
23:43essentially
23:44Kovai Satyan
23:44of the AIA-DMK
23:45suggesting
23:46that this is
23:47pretty much
23:47exactly what
23:48M.K. Stalin
23:49used to do,
23:49what the DMK
23:50used to do.
23:51The TVK
23:51continues right now.
23:53So the politics
23:54continuing there
23:55over the
23:56Chief Minister's
23:57London visit
23:58even as details
23:59are now emerging
24:00bit by bit
24:01of the MOUs
24:02that have been signed
24:03of the meetings
24:04that have taken place
24:05in London.
24:06There's one particular
24:07MOU and company
24:08over which
24:09there's a showdown
24:10because the AIA-DMK
24:11several others
24:12have highlighted
24:13that this company
24:14is headquartered
24:15in Noida.
24:15Why was there
24:16a need to go ahead
24:17and go all the way
24:18to London
24:18to sign this deal?
24:20Let's listen in
24:21to what the AIA-DMK
24:22said.
24:23A company
24:24which is headquartered
24:25in Noida
24:26which was incorporated
24:2740 years ago
24:28in 1986
24:29with Sumitomo
24:31Corporation in Japan
24:32Vijay goes all the way
24:33to UK
24:34and signs MOU
24:35deals with the same
24:36company seeking
24:37investments.
24:38This is nothing
24:39but the waste
24:40of public money
24:41like how MK
24:42Stalin used to go
24:43all over to
24:44different countries
24:45on excursion
24:46and sign MOUs
24:47for those companies
24:48which were already
24:49present and doing
24:50operations in India.
24:53The same trait
24:53is what Mr. Vijay
24:54is following.
24:55There's nothing
24:56but excursion
24:57and fund activities
24:58at the public
24:59monies
25:00at the tax payers
25:01expense.
25:02A company
25:03which is...
25:05Okay, let's move
25:06on.
25:07Away from the
25:07politics, let's
25:08talk about the
25:09images that broke
25:10the internet
25:10over the weekend
25:11and that is of
25:12course Vijay's
25:13motorsport push
25:14which reunited him
25:15with Ajit Kumar.
25:16So two of the
25:17biggest superstars
25:18in Tamil Nadu
25:19meeting, hugging
25:20and for obvious
25:21reasons that picture
25:22going absolutely
25:24viral, literally
25:25breaking the internet
25:26in Tamil Nadu.
25:27Chief Minister Vijay
25:28waved the green flag
25:29at the iconic circuit
25:30at Silverstone
25:32with Ajit getting
25:33ready to race.
25:34So many photo ops
25:35that emerged
25:36from this meeting
25:37that you see
25:37on your screens
25:38where Chief
25:38Minister Vijay
25:39was seen running
25:40towards Ajit
25:41and giving him
25:42a warm hug.
25:43Here's how the
25:43two superstars
25:44are helping put
25:45India on the
25:46global motorsport
25:47map now.
26:01days ago, Vijay put
26:03Tamil Nadu's own
26:04motorsport ambitions
26:05firmly in the
26:06fast lane.
26:09The Tamil Nadu CM
26:10announced plans for
26:11dedicated motorsport
26:13city in Chennai
26:14that will host
26:15races for Formula
26:17One to Formula
26:18Four.
26:19The racetrack will
26:20be built to
26:20international standards
26:21while the complex
26:22will boast modern
26:23infrastructure and
26:25training facilities
26:26on par with those
26:27available to global
26:28motorsport giants.
26:30The government wants
26:31to scout young
26:32racing talent,
26:33train future
26:33drivers, create
26:35national and
26:36international level
26:36athletes and use
26:38motorsport to give
26:40sports tourism
26:40another gear.
26:42And the announcement
26:44got Ajit revving.
26:47In a statement to
26:48India Today, Ajit
26:49thanked the Tamil Nadu
26:49chief minister for
26:50giving sports and
26:51particularly motorsport
26:53the much-needed
26:54attention.
26:55And in true racer
26:56style, Ajit even
26:57gave Neil Armstrong's
26:58famous words,
26:59a motorsport makeover.
27:01One small step by the
27:03Tamil Nadu government,
27:04one giant leap for
27:05motorsports in India.
27:08For Ajit, these are
27:10the moments he has
27:11been waiting for ever
27:12since switching from
27:14the acting line to
27:15the racing line.
27:16In October 2025,
27:18India Today's
27:19Akshitananda Gopal
27:20caught up with the
27:21actor racer at the
27:22iconic Barcelona
27:24circuit.
27:25Ajit spoke about
27:26what India needed to
27:27do to take motorsport
27:28forward in the
27:29country.
27:30It is wrong for us to
27:32expect funding from
27:33governments, be it the
27:34state government or
27:34the central government,
27:36because the leaders or
27:36the bureaucrats have a
27:39lot more, you know,
27:41important issues to
27:42deal with.
27:43But yes, what the
27:45governments can do is
27:46probably direct the
27:47corporates to support
27:50the sport.
27:52And he had a few
27:53suggestions for the
27:54government on how to
27:56bring international
27:57races to India.
27:59The government can
28:00ease the process.
28:01We might have one
28:04round of the Asian
28:05series in India,
28:06depending on where the
28:08promoters have, I
28:10mean, depending on the
28:10circuit that they
28:11choose.
28:11We have circuits in
28:12Derry, the Wood
28:13Circuit.
28:13We have a circuit in
28:15Chennai.
28:15We have a racing
28:16circuit in Coimbatore.
28:17And Narend Karthikain is
28:18coming up the circuit
28:19in Coimbatore again.
28:21So, and then I
28:22believe there's a
28:22circuit coming up in
28:23either Bandu or
28:25Hyderabad.
28:25So we have the
28:27circuits, but we
28:28don't have the
28:29international events,
28:30the, you know, the
28:31one leg of these
28:33events coming to
28:34India.
28:34I think it's due to
28:36the customs
28:37regulations.
28:38So if the
28:39government can kind
28:39of ease the
28:40customs and
28:41policies.
28:43Vijay with the
28:44green flag at
28:45Silverstone.
28:46Ajit behind the
28:47wheel.
28:48And for India's
28:49motorsport push,
28:51this is
28:52Lights Out
28:53and Away We Go.
29:00Vidakshita Nand
29:01Gopal, Bureau
29:02Report, India
29:04Today.
29:09Okay, let's
29:10move on and get
29:11your news now from
29:11Karnataka, where
29:12in Mysore, there's a
29:13big controversy
29:14playing out on the
29:15occasion of
29:16Vinayaka Chaturthi,
29:17of Ganesha Chaturthi.
29:18What is this?
29:19Well, essentially,
29:20a circular has been
29:22issued by the
29:23government in
29:23Karnataka that
29:24suggests that
29:25Ganesha idols
29:26cannot be taken
29:27near mosques,
29:28outside of mosques.
29:29This has triggered
29:30a big showdown with
29:31the BJP calling out
29:32the Congress over
29:32this police note and
29:34suggesting that this
29:35is in fact selective
29:36action against
29:38Hindus.
29:38In Karnataka, the
29:40celebrations have
29:41already triggered a
29:42political storm.
29:43In Mysore, a
29:45police inspector has
29:46allegedly warned
29:47Ganesh festival
29:48organisers against
29:50taking the
29:50procession route in
29:52front of a mosque.
29:53He allegedly
29:55warned organisers
29:56against bursting
29:57crackers in front of
29:58the mosque.
30:28The warning comes a
30:30year after communal
30:31face-off in
30:32Mandiya during
30:33Ganpati Visarjan.
30:36The BJP has
30:37slammed the police
30:38officer and attacked
30:39the state government.
30:41The Congress,
30:43however, says the
30:44police are simply
30:45doing their job
30:46maintaining law and
30:47order.
30:49Who said Ganesh
30:50was going on,
30:52they will do it.
30:53Simply they are
30:54telling, they are
30:55trying to
30:55cumulise it.
30:56We will not do it.
30:58BJP is a
30:59jobless opposition.
31:01They have
31:02absolutely nothing
31:04to do.
31:06Is it a crime to
31:08ask processions to
31:09follow law and
31:10order?
31:12And that's
31:13exactly what he
31:13is told.
31:14Okay, maybe he
31:15could have told it
31:15in a better tone
31:16and tenor, but he
31:17has not used any
31:18foul language.
31:19For now, Bappa's
31:21procession is at
31:22the centre of a
31:22political tug-of-war.
31:25And the festival
31:26season in Karnataka
31:27has only just
31:29begun.
31:30With Sagairaj,
31:32Bureau Report,
31:32India Today.
31:42Ganpati Mania
31:43hits the south.
31:51Thalapati Ganesha
31:52steals the show.
31:55Thalapati Vijay's
31:56transformation into
31:57C. Joseph Vijay,
31:59the chief minister,
32:00with his iconic
32:01hands gesture.
32:02And that's what
32:03you see over here.
32:08Robotic Bappa makes
32:10a grand entry.
32:13Thousands of
32:14idols have been
32:15installed in Hyderabad
32:16and what steals the
32:16show is Khaitaba's
32:18Bada Ganesha.
32:20The Bappa beat
32:22is back.
32:29Last time,
32:30they have
32:30decorated the
32:31entire temple
32:32with money,
32:34with the coins
32:35and currency
32:36notes.
32:36And this time,
32:37they have
32:38started with
32:39the theme of
32:40education
32:40Ganapati,
32:41that is Vidya
32:41Ganapati in
32:42Kannada.
32:45Ganpati Bappa
32:46Moria.
32:53Let's get
32:53your breaking
32:54news that's
32:54coming in.
32:55A Kargil war
32:56veteran who was
32:57assaulted in
32:58Gurugram and
33:00was hospitalized
33:00as a result.
33:02Now,
33:02in the latest
33:03update coming
33:04in,
33:04the man
33:05behind the
33:05attack has
33:06been taken
33:07into custody,
33:07has been
33:08arrested,
33:09identified as
33:10Deepak.
33:10He was a
33:11parking attendant
33:12who lost his
33:13school.
33:14According to the
33:15victim,
33:15group captain
33:16Amit Kumar
33:16Gupta,
33:17he was attacked
33:18with an iron
33:19rod while
33:19attempting to
33:20park his car
33:21in Gurugram.
33:22The accused,
33:23Deepak,
33:23who had in fact
33:25rained blows on
33:26the retired IAF
33:27officer,
33:28has now been
33:29taken into
33:30custody.
33:30This comes
33:31after India
33:31today had
33:32relentlessly
33:33covered the
33:33story,
33:34demanded answers
33:35from the
33:36authorities on
33:36why the man
33:37behind this
33:38attack hasn't
33:39been taken
33:39into custody.
33:40He's finally
33:40been arrested.
33:41The accused
33:42identified as
33:43Deepak.
33:44Group captain
33:44Amit Gupta
33:45was beaten
33:46by this
33:47parking attendant
33:48by this man
33:48on the right
33:49of his screens
33:49on September
33:5010th.
33:51He suffered
33:51head injuries.
33:52He'd suffered
33:53a broken arm,
33:54a fractured arm
33:54as a result.
33:55Here's a war
33:57hero who
33:58had served
33:58during Kargil
33:59and was part
34:00of Operation
34:01Safed Sagar
34:01beaten up
34:03in this
34:03manner all
34:04over a
34:04parking dispute
34:05it seems
34:06in Gurugram.
34:13India won
34:14the Women's
34:14Asia Cup
34:15title but
34:15the trophy
34:16presentation has
34:17once again
34:17turned into
34:17a political
34:18standoff.
34:19Again,
34:19involving the
34:20women in blue
34:21and ACC
34:22chief,
34:23Pakistan
34:23minister,
34:24Mohsin
34:24Nakwe.
34:25With India
34:25board
34:26caught in
34:26the ceremony
34:27once again.
34:28Asian Cricket
34:29Council and
34:29Pakistan Cricket
34:30Board chief,
34:31Mohsin Nakwe
34:32was once again
34:33at the centre
34:33of a standoff.
34:34The presentation
34:35was delayed
34:36by nearly 90
34:37minutes.
34:38The Indian
34:38team had
34:39made it clear
34:40they would
34:40not accept
34:41the trophy
34:42from Nakwe.
34:43The BCCI
34:44offered alternatives.
34:46Asian Cricket
34:47Council Deputy
34:48Chief Khalid
34:48Al-Zaruni
34:49could present
34:50the trophy
34:50or a
34:51representative
34:51of the
34:52winning board
34:53could also
34:53hand it over.
34:55We made
34:56a request
34:57to all
34:57the concerned
34:58persons
34:58that keeping
35:00the tradition
35:01of Asia Cup
35:02when in
35:03earlier times
35:03when Bangladesh
35:04won,
35:05when Sri Lanka
35:05won,
35:06our former
35:08ACC chairperson
35:10who is the
35:10ICC chair now,
35:12Jaisa,
35:12there was a norm
35:13that the winning
35:15team will get
35:17the trophy
35:17from their
35:18country's
35:19board's head.
35:21Tradition
35:21is to be
35:22maintained.
35:22That is what
35:23our request
35:24was today
35:24also.
35:25But it was
35:26not heeded.
35:27But Nakwe
35:28refused to
35:29budge and
35:30Team India
35:30refused to
35:31budge either.
35:32So Sri Lanka
35:33collected the
35:34runners-up prize
35:34and medals and
35:36Nakwe left the
35:36stadium and the
35:38trophy nowhere to
35:39be seen.
35:41India coach
35:42Amol Mazumdar
35:43backed the
35:44BCCI decision
35:45saying that the
35:45team stands by
35:46the call made
35:47by the board
35:48in view of
35:48the Pahlkam
35:49terror attack
35:49and Operation
35:50Sindhuul.
35:51He added that
35:52his team are
35:52the champions
35:53and that is
35:54good enough
35:54at the end
35:55of the day.
35:56But this
35:57standoff comes
35:58with a
35:58backstory.
36:00Nakwe has
36:00previously taken
36:01positions seen
36:02as hostile
36:03to India.
36:06Last year,
36:07he had posted
36:07a video that
36:08appeared to
36:08indirectly back
36:09Pakistan-pacer
36:10Haris Rauf's
36:11controversial
36:12jet-downing
36:13gesture.
36:19His messaging
36:20was seen as
36:20lending support
36:21to Pakistan's
36:22claims about
36:23shooting down
36:23Indian fighter
36:24jets,
36:25claims India
36:25has disputed.
36:29So when the
36:30same man stood
36:30at the centre
36:31of another
36:32India trophy
36:32presentation,
36:33there was
36:34already plenty
36:35of baggage.
36:36But this
36:37isn't the first
36:37time we've seen
36:38this play out.
36:41Last year,
36:42after India
36:42beat Pakistan
36:43in the
36:44men's final,
36:44the exact
36:45same standoff
36:46unfolded.
36:47The presentation
36:48was delayed
36:48for more than
36:49an hour.
36:50India refused
36:51to take the
36:51trophy from
36:52Nakwe and
36:53the silverware
36:54was removed
36:54from the
36:55podium.
36:56The Indian
36:57team eventually
36:58returned to
36:58the stage but
36:59without the
37:00trophy or
37:00medals.
37:01Surya Kumar
37:02Yadav and
37:03his teammates
37:03then celebrated
37:04anyway,
37:05pretending to
37:05lift an
37:06imaginary
37:07trophy.
37:11So one
37:12year later,
37:12the champions
37:13changed,
37:14the controversy
37:15did not.
37:16Once again,
37:17India walks
37:18away with
37:18the title and
37:19Nakwe walks
37:20away without
37:21handing over
37:22the trophy.
37:24Bureau report,
37:25India Today.
37:27The Indian
37:28women's team
37:29snubbing Mohsin
37:30Nakwe and
37:31refusing to
37:31accept the
37:32Asia Cup
37:32trophy from
37:33him has
37:33predictably
37:34sparked mixed
37:35reactions on
37:35both sides
37:36of the
37:37border.
37:37Let's take
37:38a look at
37:38this.
37:40As soon as
37:41ACC chairman
37:42Mohsin Nakwe
37:43left the
37:43Dubai
37:43International
37:44Stadium after
37:45handing over
37:46their runners
37:47up medals to
37:47Sri Lanka,
37:49fans knew
37:50that the
37:50match and
37:51tournament would
37:52once again be
37:53overshadowed by
37:54the gesture.
37:57India capped
37:59off a
37:59flawless
38:00Asia Cup
38:00campaign to
38:01win a
38:02record-extending
38:02eighth title
38:03but were
38:04unable to
38:04celebrate with
38:05the trophy.
38:08And Indian
38:09fans made
38:10their displeasure
38:11at Nakwe
38:11known,
38:12serenading him
38:13with chants
38:14of trophy
38:14chore.
38:15However,
38:17anyone thinking
38:17that Nakwe's
38:18brazen show
38:19of prioritising
38:20politics over
38:20the tournament
38:21wouldn't work
38:22well with his
38:22own public
38:23were mistaken
38:24as he was
38:25being praised
38:26outside of
38:26the stadium
38:27by a
38:27Pakistani
38:28fan.
38:31Sporting
38:31relations
38:32and political
38:33tensions
38:33have always
38:34existed side
38:35by side
38:35and sometimes
38:36even enhanced
38:37the sporting
38:37spectacle.
38:39But India
38:40have now been
38:41denied two
38:41trophies they
38:42rightfully won
38:43due to petty
38:43politics and
38:45there is no
38:45indication of
38:46either trophy
38:47being handed
38:48over to their
38:49rightful owners.
38:50brothers.
38:50Well,
38:52have
38:52to buy
38:52you
38:52haveSa
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