- 55 minutes ago
A news bulletin of India Today So South covers major political developments across southern India. In Karnataka, the Congress government staged a protest at the Election Commission office in Bengaluru, alleging bulk submission and misuse of Form 7 by BJP workers to delete legitimate voters from electoral rolls. The BJP countered the charges and approached the City Police Commissioner, claiming the protest outside Freedom Park breached regulations. Meanwhile in Tamil Nadu, election campaigning intensified ahead of the by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, triggering a political confrontation among the TVK, DMK, and AIADMK. The state government expanded its free bus travel scheme for women under the Vetri Payanam initiative to include express and deluxe buses. Concurrently, a dispute erupted in Thoothukudi over highway signboards featuring Hindi lettering, prompting the removal of the text and administrative suspension of two highway engineers for breaching the state's two-language policy.
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NewsTranscript
00:13Vanakam, namaskara, good afternoon and a big welcome to India Today's SoSouth where we get you the flavor of the
00:18south and the news that dominates each state from the six states of the southern part of India and in
00:23a moment from now I'll be joined by my colleagues who will be getting the news from their respective states
00:27and also the ground reports from their states.
00:30Mr Vanakam will be joining me in a moment from now but let's kick start the bulletin like every day
00:34with news coming in from Karnataka.
00:44It's Karnataka Sarkara versus the Election Commission here in Bengaluru. Remember just 24 hours ago DK Shiv Kumar and his
00:51cabinet members held a press conference that Form 7 was allegedly being misused by the BJP workers to delete large
00:58number of voters from
00:59the electoral list and MLAs from the Congress party went to the CM with the list and the draft applications
01:06to the Election Commission in the evening and sat on a dharna there till the Election Commission took some action.
01:12Three o'clock is the time when CM and his cabinet colleagues went to the Election Commission here and sat
01:17on a protest that they demanded action and some enquiry from the Election Commission per se.
01:22And the CEO of the State Election Commission here responded finally around nine o'clock that he has ordered an
01:27enquiry and also people who have been misusing the Form 7 as per the Congress and some enquiry has been
01:33ordered by the Election Commission itself.
01:35Meanwhile, right now as we speak, the BJP has reached the City Police Commissioner's office to file a complaint against
01:42DK Shiv Kumar, the Chief Minister and also his cabinet colleagues that how did they violate and sit on protest
01:47in the Election Commission office yesterday as the Karnataka government clearly ruled states that you cannot protest in any public
01:54space in Bengaluru apart from Freedom Park.
01:56The BJP also has rubbed all the allegations that the Congress cabinet has made including the CM's accusation that Form
02:027 is being misused by the BJP Karya Kartas.
02:05BJP has defended saying that anyone can use Form 7 to give a representation to the Election Commission for deletion
02:11of voters.
02:12It's up to the EC to decide if the name has to be removed or not removed after all legalized
02:17methods is what BJP is saying.
02:19So BJP has hit back at Congress government saying they are trying to play politics with SIR.
02:25Listen to the reaction starting from the Chief Minister of Karnataka himself.
02:29Don't approve any Forum 7 other than the death and double entry cases.
02:35For death cases, uploading of death certificate is compulsory.
02:39For double entry cases, second EPIC number is mandatory and also mention second EPIC number in ERO remarks.
02:49All assembly consciousnesses, this is the instructional theory.
02:54The BJP leaders themselves have admitted including in Balagam, including Bableshwar, including Balkhi and various other places.
03:05We could come to know that all these places, the BJP and the Jantadar leaders have been involved with such
03:12type of criminal activities.
03:14So we have given a detailed representation to the Election Commission.
03:18They found it.
03:19We gave them lots of forums which have been done.
03:23They have been shocked.
03:24They discussed with the national level, Central Election Commission.
03:28They also have been convinced that a big fraudulent has been done.
03:33After a prolonged fight with the Election Commission,
03:37finally they have come to some conclusion to safeguard the real voters in the state.
03:44What we are demanding all these days after I, as a president, written seven letters regarding the discrepancies in the
03:51Election Commission itself.
03:53And finally, they have realized that something has gone wrong.
03:56After BJP leaders distributed the Form 7 throughout the country, throughout the state, with the printed names and the epic
04:06numbers, it is very clear.
04:08Either the Election Commission might have given the forms or BJP has printed the duplicate forms.
04:14It is nothing but a treason.
04:16Mr. D. Keshikmar, as a CM, is protesting near the Election Commissioner.
04:24The Election Commissioner is the independent body, constitutional body.
04:29Firstly, the protest is illegal.
04:33Second one is, protesting in the front of the Election Commissioner CM is violating the High Court order.
04:43High Court clearly says, only Freedom Park, only we can do the protest.
04:49I think that the country is a big deal.
04:56I think that the country is a big deal.
04:58We have to take a long time and take a long time.
05:03We are going to be a three-year-old.
05:07We are going to be a very strong deal.
05:10The country is a big deal.
05:12Thank you very much.
06:00Thank you very much.
06:13Every single BJP worker who has submitted these bulk forms have got access to the information.
06:20How did these BJP workers got the epic numbers of all the voters?
06:25How did they get addresses of all the voters?
06:28How did they manage to get other information of all the voters when this information was only with the election
06:36commission?
06:37And all the printed forms have been filed in bulk.
06:41Who printed these forms from them?
06:43It has come from only one source.
06:45A single source is printing forms and giving it to BJP workers.
06:48Our thing was this is happening from last 10-12 days in Karnataka state.
06:53These printed forms have reached the election commission.
06:56They should have taken suomoto action.
06:58Till now there is no action.
07:00So Mr. Rasha, to simplify it for our viewers, what Mr. DK Shiv Kumar is asking and now refusing to
07:08budge because he is sitting on a dharna outside the chief election officer's office is that the election commission itself
07:15initiate criminal proceedings wherever electoral offenses were formed or wherever election offenses took place or allegations of it.
07:27Of course. Of course, yes.
07:30It is the duty of the election commission when they have got the evidence that bulk forms have been filed
07:37by unknown individuals on unknown voters who have no whatsoever connection, who don't know them, who these voters are, what
07:45are they up to.
07:46When there was an SIR process, my chief minister is asking very clear question.
07:49When there was an SIR process for four months, we asked our school teachers, deprived our children in school.
07:57The government teachers went in thousands of numbers to each and every house.
08:01But Mr. Rasha...
08:02And when they went to each and every house...
08:04Fair point.
08:05Mr. Rasha, you have allegations you want answers to.
08:08The chief election officer did tell the chief minister that he wants two days time to actually study the material
08:13and then maybe move ahead.
08:15You're holding him to ransom with the dharna.
08:17No, certainly not.
08:19It is not the question of studying the material.
08:22It is in their domain from last 12 to 15 days.
08:26He also accepts that it is there and it is wrong and the law doesn't allow this, but still they
08:33are doing.
08:33Here the question is, why are you not taking action?
08:36Now, after sitting half a day on dharna in the leadership of Mr. D.K. Shukumar, now the election commissioner
08:44decided that they are going to direct all the electoral officers who received these bulk forms to file police complaints.
08:51Why this delay?
08:58In fact, these were the stories from the state of Karnataka.
09:01Now, we move to the state of Tamil Nadu as news are coming in right now.
09:10And the first big story is on the bi-poles in Tamil Nadu.
09:14War of words has broken out between the DMK, AIDMK and the TVK with just days left for the big
09:20two-seat bi-pole in Tamil Nadu.
09:22So, both chief minister Vijay is campaigning and also former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, are holding
09:28a roadshow in the seats that is going for the polls.
09:32And it's war of words that is also escalated between TVK and the DMK.
09:37Yesterday, TN minister, Adav Arjuna, alleged that DMK and AIDMK have colluded together to fight the main opposition, that is
09:45the TVK, and also claimed that both parties are not supporting the BGP and instead are trying to defeat the
09:52TVK.
09:53Meanwhile, the AIDMK has alleged that permission for its campaign rally in Dharapuram was denied citing security concerns over Vijay's
10:00campaign.
10:01The party claimed permission was later granted following the election commission's intervention.
10:05Meanwhile, Congress is also highlighting its ties with the DVK while rejecting any talk of a conflict.
10:11Tamil Nadu Congress Chief Manikam Tagore said that Rahul Gandhi was the first to call Chief Minister Vijay after the
10:17Karoor tragedy.
10:18He also said Rahul Gandhi understood Vijay's pain and that he never made their conversation public.
10:24Manikam Tagore also claimed that when Vijay was alone, Rahul Gandhi stood by him saying their bond is deeper than
10:30the people can imagine.
10:31So, Congress and TVK showing Bonhominas here while the DMK and AIDMK are in a war of words during the
10:38poll campaign in Tamil Nadu.
10:40Two seats, remember, two crucial seats going for by polls in Tamil Nadu and the escalation of war of words
10:45has just begun.
10:47Listen to the reactions on the story.
10:56Listen to the story.
11:10All of these players, they will be fighting against the team.
11:15The team will be fighting against the team and all of them.
11:19That's all right.
11:22Joining me right now is Anaga Keshev and Apurva Jaye Chandra from Chennai.
11:26Anaga to you first.
11:28Take us to the war of words.
11:29Adha Varjun is saying that ADMK and DMK are in fact fighting together to ensure defeat of the TVK.
11:35How believable is this?
11:40Well, in fact, that's the allegation that Adhavarjuna is making.
11:44In fact, if you do take a look at the recent campaign speeches of both DMK and the AIA-DMK,
11:49both of these parties have targeted the TVK jointly together.
11:53And that's why Adhavarjuna is saying that both these parties,
11:56it's okay even if you don't vote for us, but don't vote for TVK.
11:59That's the kind of joint fight that both these Dravidian parties are putting against the TVK
12:04is what Adhavarjuna is saying, also claiming that both these parties are jointly backed by the BJP.
12:10So that's the kind of war of words that we are witnessing at the moment.
12:14Today, the Chief Minister is going to be in Madhura Antakam, where I am reporting from.
12:18There are 39 locations where he is going to be holding a roadshow.
12:22Remember, last time in Madhura Antakam, it was the AIA-DMK that had won.
12:25What's interesting in Madhura Antakam is that it's a tight three-cornered contest.
12:30The difference in votes between the DMK and the TVK was only 2,000 votes.
12:35TVK came second and DMK came third.
12:37And the first place was AIA-DMK with close to 67,000 votes.
12:41The difference between the AIA-DMK and the TVK was a margin of 7,000 votes.
12:45And now four months have gone by.
12:47The people have seen what the TVK government really is going to be like for the next four, five years.
12:53So therefore, the two bipolar constituencies, Madhura Antakam and Darapuram,
12:57is really going to be a litmus test of sorts
12:59to really gauge people's acceptance for the TVK government.
13:02And that's what makes this bipole all the more interesting.
13:06So at about 3 p.m. is when the Chief Minister is going to come here in Madhura Antakam.
13:09There are 10 ministers who are given in charge for this campaign, 39 locations.
13:14It's about a two-hour drive from Chennai in Madhura Antakam.
13:17In 39 locations precisely, now the Chief Minister is going to be campaigning.
13:25Right, in fact, all eyes for the big showdown in the bipoles as the Chief Minister reaches by 3 p
13:31.m.
13:32Thank you, Anagha.
13:32In fact, let me take this across to Apoorva Jai Chandran and also Apoorva.
13:35We heard EPS and the AIA-DMK both saying that permissions are becoming difficult
13:40for the rally campaigns under TVK government.
13:42And they said that until an endless EC intervened, they could not get the permission.
13:47Is there some truth to this?
13:51That's right.
13:52In fact, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Joseph Sivijoy, is all set to arrive here
13:55for his second set of campaigning in Coimbatore and in Darapuram on the 4th.
14:02And that's why there has been a lot of regulations that have been given earlier on.
14:06Even the day before yesterday, when the Chief Minister was in Darapuram,
14:09he had been travelling from Coimbatore.
14:11We were covering the same when there was a massive roadshow that was there.
14:14And given that this particular area, though it has been a large, widespread area as well,
14:19there are particular red zones and very sensitive zones,
14:23which is what the Coimbatore District Police have also cornered off,
14:26saying even drone permissions are also being restricted.
14:29At this juncture, when the AIA-DMK's candidate is also campaigning right now,
14:34we have the AIA-DMK's MP and the AIA-DMK party alleging that on the same day
14:39that the TVK's Chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Joseph Sivijay,
14:42will be having his second campaign at Darapuram.
14:45On the same day, several other restrictions have been given.
14:49One among them also included that AIA-DMK was denied permissions.
14:53And in fact, that is why the AIA-DMK's MP,
14:56Tahir Imbadurai, has gone ahead and approached the Election Commission,
14:59demanding why is that a separate set of rules and regulations that are being given,
15:03citing there are security reasons, when we all know what's the reason
15:07why security reasons are even coming up in the first place
15:10is what the AIA-DMK's MP had written to the Election Commission.
15:13Following the MP's letter to the EC,
15:16now the letter has been the security reasons that have been mysteriously cited
15:21have been reworked back and the AIA-DMK party has been granted permissions
15:25to go ahead and take forth their campaigning there.
15:29Remember, Darapuram is one particular constituency
15:31which is seeing quite a lot of anger,
15:34quite a lot of betrayal from the AIA-DMK's former MLA
15:38who has now been looked at and has been named as the TV case candidate here
15:44who is none other than Satya Bama.
15:46So, it will look like an interesting battle
15:48that will be going ahead between the AIA-DMK,
15:51Nam Tamarikachi DMK as well as TV case Satya Bama.
16:24Thank you, Apoorva.
16:25The AIA-DMK can now travel on the express, limited stop and deluxe buses
16:29in corporations, municipalities, town panchayats and hill areas across the state.
16:34Until now, the scheme was limited to the ordinary city buses.
16:37The state government says over 84 lakh women will benefit from the expansion
16:42that the government has announced today on the day of Gandhi J&T.
16:45Ananda Keshav has filed a report on this.
16:48Take a look.
16:51Vijay has inaugurated free bus services.
16:54It's the expanded free bus service for women.
16:57Now expanded to express, limited stop services and deluxe buses
17:01in corporations, municipal and town panchayats
17:04in all hill areas around Tamil Nadu.
17:06In fact, up until now, it was limited only to ordinary city buses
17:10but now it's been expanded.
17:12Expanded to all other kinds of buses
17:15that women can avail free travel
17:17in order to travel to their workplaces
17:19to visit their homes.
17:21This is going to greatly benefit women
17:23because what we are learning is that
17:25lakhs of women per day get benefited
17:28because of this scheme.
17:30They don't really have to pay.
17:31In fact, the first time that this scheme was launched
17:34was in the DMK's regime.
17:36In the year 2021 is when this scheme was launched
17:39and then now the TVK government has expanded this scheme
17:43and changed the name as well
17:45to Vetri Payanam Tittam.
17:48So, therefore, this is the expanded bus scheme
17:50expanded to all other kinds of buses.
17:53It's going to be a very happy news.
17:55In fact, for women in particular,
17:57the fact that they can avail free bus travel
18:00in all other kinds of buses.
18:02So, therefore, Chief Minister Vijay is here
18:04to inaugurate the free bus service.
18:06The name, of course, has been changed.
18:08Before, it used to be called as the
18:09Videal Payanam Tittam,
18:10but now it's been renamed to Vetri Payanam Tittam.
18:14Camera person, Roop Singh, Anaga Keshav,
18:17reporting for India Today from China.
18:19Anaga Keshav joins me live on this.
18:21Anaga, the big scheme that has been expanded,
18:23Vetri Payanam, how are the people receiving it?
18:25And also take us to the finances
18:26because it takes 84 lakh women
18:29travelling across the state free of cost.
18:31Is the government ready
18:33to spend in so much from the exchequer?
18:39Well, in fact, the reception among particularly women,
18:42it's very, very positive.
18:44In fact, this was launched by the earlier DMK regime
18:47and at that time, up until now,
18:49the women particularly are very, very happy.
18:51I travel by MTC bus
18:52and I take a look at so many, many women.
18:55The bus, including the sanitation workers,
18:57women who travel for work,
18:59women who want to go back to their homes,
19:01from their marital homes.
19:02All of these women avail free bus travel
19:05every single day.
19:06And that indeed, up to their homes level,
19:09it's a very big saving.
19:10Think about it for one full year or one full month.
19:13How much would these women,
19:14particularly belonging to the working class,
19:16really be saving?
19:17And therefore, this has come as a big boon indeed
19:20for women in particular.
19:22It's close to 84, 85 lakh women
19:25that's going to be benefiting
19:26from this Vetri Payanam skin.
19:28In fact, the name in particular has been changed.
19:30Earlier, it used to be known as the
19:32VDL Payanam scheme
19:33and now it's known as the Vetri Payanam.
19:35This was also one point of contention
19:36that the DMK had picked up.
19:38LOP Udenidi had also stated that
19:40this is just our own scheme
19:41which has now been expanded,
19:42but just the name has been changed.
19:45So therefore, that is another criticism
19:47that the TVK government has been facing,
19:49that a lot of those schemes
19:50were retained or rather copied
19:52in their words from the ADMK and DMK times,
19:55but only the name has been changed
19:56and the title Vetri has been added.
19:58Finance-wise, also,
20:00not really going to be a big burn
20:02in the pockets of Exchequer
20:04because although the fact that
20:05Tamil Nadu is reeling under debt,
20:07the government feels that
20:09at the end of the day,
20:10it's the women who should be benefited
20:11and therefore,
20:12they've decided to expand
20:14the free bus service
20:15for limited bus stop services
20:16for express, for deluxe,
20:18really benefiting a whole wide range
20:20of women out there
20:21across Tamil Nadu
20:22who want to travel
20:23from point A to point B
20:24free of cost.
20:29Right, thank you Anaga
20:31for getting us all the latest updates.
20:32In fact, the next story
20:34that we bring you
20:35is on the big language war
20:37in Tamil Nadu.
20:38Another phase of brews
20:39in Tamil Nadu
20:39over the use of Hindi
20:41in signage boats
20:42on the highways in the state.
20:44While the Tamil Nadu government
20:45has now removed the Hindi
20:46from the sign,
20:47Hindi language from the signboard
20:49and suspended two officials,
20:50opposition DMK and the PMK
20:52have targeted
20:53the Tamil Nadu government.
20:54A signboard installed
20:55by the Tamil Nadu
20:56State Highway Department
20:57in Toothukuri district
20:59caused a stir
20:59as the names of the towns
21:01were written in Hindi
21:02and the Hindi font
21:03was used.
21:04While both Tamil and English
21:05are usually written
21:06on the signboard,
21:06suddenly the names of the towns
21:07were inscribed in Hindi
21:09on a large font.
21:11However, after outrage,
21:12the Hindi font
21:13was immediately removed
21:14from the signpost
21:15on the state highways
21:16in Toothukuri district.
21:17The assistant divisional engineer
21:19and the assistant engineer
21:20of the state highways department
21:21were suspended
21:23by the government
21:24citing violation
21:25of the Tamil Nadu's government
21:26two-language policy.
21:28Tamil Nadu DMK chief
21:29M.K. Stalin
21:30warned Vijay government
21:31of any U-turn in future
21:32and said the two-language policy
21:34was crucial
21:35for the state of Tamil Nadu.
21:36PMK chief
21:37Dr. Anbhumani Rama-Dos
21:39also slammed TVK
21:40that Hindi
21:41on the state highway
21:41signboards
21:42was wrong
21:43and demanded
21:44an inquiry
21:44into the incident.
21:46Remember,
21:46when it comes to language,
21:48Tamil Nadu politicians
21:49unite together.
21:49What happened here
21:50was in Toothukuri,
21:51a signboard
21:52of the national highway
21:53had three fonts,
21:55one in Hindi,
21:55one in Tamil,
21:56one in English
21:56and immediately
21:57government took
21:58cognizance of it,
21:59suspended two officials
22:00and removed
22:01the Hindi font
22:02from it right away
22:03is what the news is
22:04and some more
22:05breaking news coming in.
22:06Let's take a look at it.
22:18In fact,
22:19news coming in
22:20that Tamil Nadu
22:20minister Adav Arjuna
22:22has now tweeted
22:23saying that
22:23it is a two-language policy
22:25brought by the great scholar
22:27Anna
22:27that serves as a life policy
22:28and permanent policy
22:29of the TVK.
22:30Under its leadership,
22:32Tamil Nadu government
22:32will never adopt
22:33a differing stance
22:35today, forever
22:36and for all the time.
22:37In this context,
22:38under the central government
22:39and road internal infrastructure,
22:40fund,
22:41some irregularities
22:43occurred in the placements
22:44of the nameboards
22:45in the road improvement works
22:46implemented in Tuthukudi
22:48through the highway department
22:49and thus the clarification
22:50coming in from
22:51minister Adav Arjuna
22:52and a departmental inquiry
22:53conducted in this,
22:55it was found that
22:56negligence and indefence
22:57of certain officials,
22:59the nameboards
22:59were placed
23:00in three languages
23:01and that was a clear
23:02violation
23:02of the policy
23:04of the government
23:04which clearly states
23:05there is only two language
23:07in Tamil Nadu
23:08that can be Tamil
23:08and English
23:10and there is no space
23:10for Hindi
23:12in public spaces
23:13especially in signboards
23:14is what Adav Arjuna
23:16is saying.
23:17Adav is saying
23:17that we in fact
23:18come from
23:19Anna's ideology
23:20and we will stick
23:21by it today,
23:21tomorrow and forever
23:23is the big statement
23:25coming in from
23:26minister Adav Arjuna.
23:27Let me now go across
23:28to Apoorva Jayachandran
23:29joining me right now
23:30on this.
23:31Apoorva, take us to
23:32Adav Arjuna's statement
23:33as to what exactly
23:34he has said.
23:35He is saying
23:35the TVK government
23:36will always stand
23:37by the language
23:38of Tamil
23:38and specifically
23:39the two language
23:40policy of the government.
23:44Well, that's right.
23:45In fact, this controversy
23:46has been popping up
23:47time and time again
23:48regarding the two language
23:49row and right now
23:51the TVK's
23:52Minister Adav Arjuna
23:53has given a clarification.
23:54This comes when
23:55this signage
23:56that had been put up
23:57at the national highway
23:58there, particularly
23:59between the
24:00Sata and Kulam Nazareth
24:01Highway, that particular
24:02highway is where
24:03this new signage
24:04had been put up
24:05overnight and
24:06following that
24:06there has been a lot
24:07of, you know,
24:08lashback at the
24:09TVK government
24:10that had been made
24:11by not only the
24:12public, but also
24:13the politicians
24:14who got involved
24:15be it.
24:15Tamil Nadu's
24:16former Chief Minister
24:17M.K. Stalin
24:17or Dr. Anbu Mani Ramadas
24:19the PMK's
24:20chief as well
24:21who had gone ahead
24:22and condemned
24:23this kind of
24:23Hindi
24:24words that had
24:25been put up
24:26on the signage
24:27there, especially
24:27in this particular
24:29highway, Tamil Nadu
24:30Highway as well
24:31which is why
24:31the Adav Arjuna
24:32the TVK's
24:33Minister has gone
24:34ahead and given
24:34a clarification
24:35not only has he
24:36warned that there
24:37will not be any
24:38kind of Hindi
24:38imposition that
24:39will be taking
24:40place in Tamil Nadu
24:42he has also gone
24:42ahead and talked
24:44about the kind
24:44of tutelage
24:46the kind of
24:46leadership that
24:47Pereyariniar Anna
24:48had holded and
24:49he said that
24:49following the
24:50footsteps of Anna
24:51we will continue
24:52to implement
24:53two language
24:53policy and
24:54continue that
24:55two language
24:55is the only
24:56way of any
24:57kind of policies
24:59signage or
25:00any kind of
25:00instructions that
25:01the Tamil Nadu
25:02government will
25:03offer for its
25:04citizens
25:08right Apoorwar thank
25:10you for bringing
25:10us all the latest
25:11updates as well
25:13thank you for
25:13bringing us all
25:14the latest updates
25:15with that we come
25:15to the end of
25:16today's SoSouth
25:17and thanking
25:17Anaga Keshav and
25:18Apoorwar Chai Chandran
25:19for getting us all
25:20the latest updates
25:21from the state of
25:22Tamil Nadu
25:22with that it's a wrap
25:23and we'll see you
25:24once again at 1pm
25:25tomorrow on Monday
25:26until then keep
25:27watching India Today
25:28next week
25:29next week
25:30next week
25:40We'll see you next time.