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Modi, TN Governor Plant ‘Rudraksha’ Saplings On Raj Bhavan Premises

By LokMarg 20th January 2024

On a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi planted saplings of Rudraksha along with Governor RN Ravi on the premises of Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Saturday.

“Hon’ble Prime Minister Thiru Narendra Modi planted saplings of holy #Rudraksha in the premises of Raj Bhavan, Chennai, today,” read a post on the official X handle of Raj Bhavan, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday.

Prime Minister Modi, who is currently observing an 11-day Anushthan till the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22, arrived in Tiruchirappalli on Saturday.

On his arrival to the city, Prime Minister Modi was accorded a warm reception by a big crowd as his cavalcade made its way out of the airport.

Acknowledging the cheering locals who chanted his name, PM Modi smiled and waved at them from his vehicle.

He also offered prayers at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli.

Also, during his visit, PM Modi sought blessings from an elephant named ‘Andal’ in the temple premises.

The jumbo was also pictured playing a mouth organ as PM Modi watched in amazement.

Located in Srirangam, Trichy, the temple ranks among the most ancient shrines in the country and finds a mention in various ancient texts, including the Puranas and the Sangam-era scriptures.

It is famous for its architectural grandeur and numerous iconic gopurams. The main deity worshipped here is Sri Ranganatha Swamy, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled for a darshan at the Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi on Sunday and will also perform a puja at the shrine. He will also visit Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the ‘Ram Setu’ was built.

Continuing his routine over the last several days of visiting several temples and attending to the chanting of verses from the epic ‘Ramayana’ in various languages–Marathi, Malayalam and Telugu, PM Modi is scheduled to attend ‘Shri Ramayana Paryana’ at the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple on Sunday.

During the programme, eight different traditional Mandalis will recite the Sanskrit, Awadhi, Kashmiri, Gurumukhi, Assamese, Bengali, Maithili, and Gujarati Ramkathas (recounting the episode of Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya).

Prime Minister Modi has, over the last few days, visited several temples in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala ahead of the grand January 22 opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. (ANI)

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Annamalai Refuses To Comment On BJP-ADMK Breakup

By LokMarg 25th September 2023

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Monday refused to comment on the AIADMK resolution that declared the breaking of its alliance with BJP just a few months before the Lok Sabha election.

“I will speak to you later. I don’t speak during Yatra. I will speak later,” Annamalai told ANI when asked about the development during his ‘En Mann En Makkal’ (My Land My People) Yatra which is currently in Coimbatore.

AIADMK passed the resolution in its meeting of headquarters functionaries, district secretaries, MPs and MLAs at its headquarters in Chennai.

“The state leadership of the BJP has been continuously making unnecessary remarks about our former leaders, our general secretary EPS (K Palaniswami) and our cadres for the past year. In today’s meeting, this resolution was passed unanimously that AIADMK will break all ties with BJP and NDA alliance,” AIADMK leader KP Munuswamy said while announcing the decision to reporters.

Annamalai was blamed by the AIADMK leadership in the past for the rift in the alliance. His statement against top leaders of Dravidian movement like CN Annadurai irked them so much that they reportedly asked the BJP’s central leadership to remove him from the post of state BJP president.

Munuswamy alleged that the state BJP has been intentionally attacking former Chief Minister Jayalalitha and Annadurai.

“The state leadership of BJP in the NDA alliance has been purposely attacking the AIADMK Party, former CM and leaders Annadurai and Jayalalitha. BJP State leadership also criticised AIADMK conference which was held at Madurai on August 20. This hurt cadres of AIADMK,” Munuswamy said.

The relationship between the AIADMK and the BJP had hit a low during the last few months.

On September 18, AIADMK announced that the BJP is no longer their ally alleging that BJP State President Annamalai was crossing the “alliance dharma” lines. AIADMK leaders also heavily criticised Annamalai for his remarks on Annadurai and Periyar.

Both the AIADMK and the BJP frequently engaged in war of words with one another on social media. Leaders from both parties refused to comment on the alliance in public.

On September 22, AIADMK top leaders C V Shanmugam, Thambidurai, SP Velumani, Thangamani, KP Munusamy, Natham Viswanathan met BJP leaders at Delhi.

Both parties refused to comment on the developments of the meeting. However, sources suggested that the AIADMK meeting in Delhi was not fruitful. (ANI)

AIADMK Ends Ties With BJP After Tumultuous Relations

By LokMarg 25th September 2023

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) passed a unanimous resolution breaking all ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from Monday.

Munuswamy alleged that the state BJP has been intentionally attacking former Chief Minister Jayalalitha and Annadurai.

AIADMK Party Secretaries, District Secretaries, Parliament Members and Assembly Members held a meeting at the party headquarters in Chennai on Monday.

The relationship between the AIADMK and the BJP had hit a low since the last few months.

Both the AIADMK and the BJP frequently engaged in war of words with one another on social media. Leaders from both parties refused to comment on the alliance in public.

On September 22, AIADMK top leaders C V Shanmugam, Thambidurai, SP Velumani, Thangamani, KP Munusamy, Natham Viswanathan met BJP leaders at Delhi.

Both parties refused to comment on the developments of the meeting. However, sources suggested that the AIADMK meeting in Delhi was not fruitful. (ANI)

AAI Gets Nod To Install Full-Body Scanners At 4 Airports

By LokMarg 13th September 2023

To make security checks quicker and error-free at India’s hypersensitive airports, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) received clearance from the Public Investment Board (PIB) to install full-body scanners that will cut down the passenger frisking time by half.

These full-body scanners will be installed at four airports in the country including Kolkata, Chennai, Pune and Goa.

In July, the government had floated a tender to procure 131 full-body scanners– that cut down the average passenger frisking time to 15 seconds from the current 30 and 600 new hand baggage scanners at over Rs 1,000 crore at airports run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) but it was later withdrawn as it needed clearance from PIB.

Given that all the investment plans with an estimated cost of Rs 500 crores and more fall under the purview of PIB, the initial proposal was to install 131 full-body scanners and 600 new hand-baggage scanner machines at 43 airports that include Amritsar, Goa, Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Varanasi, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Raipur, Tirupati, Bhopal, among others at over Rs 1,000 crore at airports run by the AAI.

However, in a recent meeting between stakeholders involved in the safety and security of airports, it was decided that instead of going for the installation in one go as per the original plan, the PIB gave its nod for the installation of full-body scanners in the four airports that witness maximum footfall among all airports owned and managed by the Airport Authority of India (AAI). The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Home Affairs and others.

“After evaluating the success report of full-body scanners at these four airports, other airports in the queue will get the facility at the earliest. In the meeting, various aspects like procurement, installation, training of security personnel and operations were discussed,” said a senior official.

According to officials, these millimetre-wave technology-based full-body scanners work on the principle of body contours, i.e. these are designed to detect objects that could be concealed in the body.

“As the proposal needs approval of PIB, it was reviewed and now full-body scanners will be installed at four airports including thirteen scanners at Kolkata, twelve at Chennai, eight at Goa and five at Pune airport. These airports fall under the hypersensitive category as per BCAS”, added the official.

The AAI manages 137 airports in India, which include 24 international airports, 10 customs airports, and 103 domestic airports. (ANI)

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Rahman Row: Annamalai Claims Women Sexually Harassed

By LokMarg 12th September 2023

Amid the row over the alleged mismanagement during celebrated music composer AR Rahman’s concert in Chennai a few days ago, the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai on Tuesday alleged that some women in the crowd were sexually harassed, adding that the DMK government took no action in the matter.

Many fans of the Oscar-winning music composer took to social media to vent their outrage over the alleged mismanagement during the concert.

It was alleged that there were no parking facilities provided for by the organisers of Rahman’s concert in Chennai’s Panaiyur on Sunday evening.

The soiree, titled ‘Marakkuma Nenjam’, saw overcrowding and resulted in severe traffic congestion on the East Coast Road, which connects Puducherry, leaving the fans of the composer miffed.

Several ticket holders, including those with Platinum and Diamond tickets which cost over Rs 25,000, claimed they couldn’t reach the venue on time owing to traffic congestion on ECR, on September 10.

The BJP’s state unit alleged that women’s safety was compromised at the concert.

“Music composer AR Rahman’s concert was held in Chennai, a day before yesterday. I came to know that the concert has caused a lot of trouble to the public due to various defects in the program arrangement,” Annamalai said in a statement.

He said that the public faced issues arising out of inadequate seating, overcrowding, and no parking arrangements.

“Due to the total failure of the event organizers, the public has suffered. More than all this, the news of women being sexually harassed in the crowd is shocking and saddening. What action has this government taken against event organizers who do not ensure women’s safety?” the statement read.

Annamalai said he was surprised that the Tamil Nadu government was yet to act despite the large number of complaints, including those of sexual harassment, lodged.

In the face of a severe backlash, the event managers involved with the concert issued an apology saying they were taking full responsibility for the inconvenience.

ACTC Events, an event organiser involved with the soiree, took to X to post, “Grateful to Chennai and the legendary @arrahman Sir! The incredible response, the overwhelming crowd made our show a massive success. Those who couldn’t attend because of overcrowding, Our sincere apologies. We take full responsibility and accountable. We are with you. #MarakkumaNenjam (sic).”

Rahman, too, promised a refund to fans to bought tickets to the concert but couldn’t reach the venue because of the crowding and traffic issues.

“Dearest Chennai Makkale, those of you who purchased tickets and weren’t able to enter owing to unfortunate circumstances, please do share a copy of your ticket purchase to arr4chennai@btos.in along with your grievances. Our team will respond asap. @BToSproductions @actcevents,” he wrote on X.

In a separate post, Rahman wrote, “Some people call me G.O.A.T …………let me be the sacrificial goat this time for all of us to wake up ..let Chennai’s live art flourish with a world class infrastructure, increase in tourism, efficient crowd management, traffic management, refining audiences to follow rules ..creating a safe and surreal experience for children and women ..Triggering a cultural renaissance at Chennai celebrating our deserving, illuminated local and international talent.” (ANI)

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New Vande Bharat Express Will Be Saffron: Vaishnaw

By LokMarg 8th July 2023

The 28th rake of Indian-built semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express will be ‘saffron’ in colour, railway officials said on Saturday.

The new saffron Vande Bharat Express is however not yet operational and is currently stationed at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, where Vande Bharat trains are manufactured.

Railways officials told ANI that a total of 25 rakes of Vande Bharat Express are operational on their designated routes and two rakes are reserved. “While the colour of this 28th rake is being changed on a trial basis,” they said.

Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday inspected the Integral Coach Factory here, reviewed safety measures in Southern Railways, and also reviewed improvements in the Vande Bharat Express.

After conducting an inspection, the Union minister said that the new colour of the 28th rake of the indigenous train is “inspired by Indian Tricolour”.

He said that 25 improvements have done in the Vande Bharat trains.

“This is a concept of Make In India, (which means) designed in India, by our own engineers, and technicians. So whatever feedback we are receiving from the field units, regarding ACs, toilets, etc., during the operation of Vande Bharat, all those improvements are being used for making changes in the design,” Vaishnaw said in a press briefing.

“A new safety feature, ‘anti climbers’, or anti-climbing devices, on which we are working, were also reviewed today. These will be standard features in all the Vande Bharat and other trains,” he added.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two new and upgraded versions of Vande Bharat Express trains– Gorakhpur-Lucknow and Jodhpur-Sabarmati–at Gorakhpur Station in Uttar Pradesh, taking the total operational service across the country to a significant milestone of 50.

It is pertinent to note that India’s semi-high-speed train set, now offers its services in all rail-electrified states across the country. With 50 operational services, the Vande Bharat Express has revolutionized rail travel, providing state-of-the-art amenities and reducing travel time for passengers.

The first Vande Bharat Express was flagged off on February 15, 2019, by the Prime Minister, running between New Delhi and Varanasi. Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the train set symbolizes the ‘Make-In-India’ initiative and showcases India’s engineering prowess.

The project to manufacture indigenous semi-high-speed train sets began in mid-2017, and within 18 months, the ICF Chennai completed Train-18. India’s first semi-high-speed train was renamed Vande Bharat Express in January 2019 to emphasize its made-in-India status. The train achieved a maximum speed of 180 kmph on the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section. (ANI)

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Happiest Moment, Differently-Abled BJP Worker On Selfie With Modi

By LokMarg 9th April 2023

A differently-abled BJP worker on Sunday expressed gratitude after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a selfie with him in Chennai, and regarded it as the ‘happiest moment’ of his life.

“Like a father, brother Prime Minister Modi took a selfie with me on my phone when I asked him ‘Can we take a selfie’,” said Manikandan, a BJP worker from Tamil Nadu’s Erode, who met Prime Minister Modi in Chennai on Saturday.
Prime Minister Modi ended his Chennai visit by meeting Manikandan. Later, PM Modi posted a picture with Manikandan in which he could be seen taking a selfie.

“A special selfie. In Chennai I met Thiru S. Manikandan. He is a proud BJP Tamil Nadu Karyakarta from Erode, serving as a booth president. A person with disability, he runs his own shop and the most motivating aspect is – he gives a substantial part of his daily profits to BJP,” said PM Modi in his tweet.

“I feel very proud of being a Karyakarta in a Party where we have people like Thiru S. Manikandan. His life journey is inspiring and equally inspiring his commitment to our Party and our ideology. My best wishes to him for his future endeavours,” PM Modi added in his tweet.

Meanwhile, Manikandan said his meeting with PM was the happiest moment in his life.

“I got the opportunity to meet PM Modi. BJP State President Annamalai is the reason for this. Yesterday I met PM Modi then I was so happy. PM asked me my name and then I said my name and saluted PM Modi,” Manikandan said while speaking to ANI.

“BJP General Secretary Keshava Vinayagam explained my work for the party to PM Modi. PM Modi was also so happy and encouraged me by touching my shoulders” he added.

“I asked PM, Modi, ‘Take a selfie’. Immediately he just took my phone and took selfies with me like father and brother would do to us. The PM also asked me to work and the future is waiting for me. I think this is credit for my work for the party. I will work on my side to make Modi as PM and in 2026 Annamalai as Tamil Nadu CM. I convey my wishes to all BJP leaders who support me” Manikandan added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs 5,200 crores in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai and said that the government’s work culture and vision have made its achievements possible. (ANI)

Modi Inaugurates New Terminal Of Chennai International Airport

By LokMarg 8th April 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Integrated Terminal Building (Phase-1) of Chennai International Airport on Saturday.

PM Modi was on a visit to Chennai to inaugurate several development projects.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia were present at Chennai International Airport during the ceremony.

The state-of-the-art terminal – spread across an area of 1,36,295 sq m – which will increase the passenger serving capacity from 23 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 30 MPPA – and will be an important addition to the city’s infrastructure.

Besides boosting connectivity, it is also expected to benefit the local economy.

Among the unique features of the terminal is Skylight. This feature allows natural light to be harvested for illuminating the space inside the building.

“This reduces energy consumption and makes a space feel enlivening and airy,” said an official explaining the feature.

The new terminal is a striking reflection of the local Tamil culture, incorporating traditional features such as the Kolam (a pattern or design drawn in front of South Indian homes), saree, temples, and other elements that highlight the natural surroundings.

According to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Integrated Terminal Building of Chennai Airport has been developed at the cost of Rs 1,260 crore. The addition of this new Integrated Terminal building will increase the passenger serving capacity of the airport from 23 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) to 30 MPPA.

Earlier in a tweet, Prime Minister Modi said the Integrated Terminal will boost connectivity and also benefit the local economy.

The new terminal is a striking reflection of the local Tamil culture, incorporating traditional features such as the Kolam, Saree, Temples, and other elements that highlight the natural surroundings, as per the PMO.

The splendour and glory of the ancient Tamil culture was on full display and the latest advanced technology will come together to welcome visitors at the New Integrated terminal building, T-2, of the Chennai International Airport on Saturday.

Flying drones have been prohibited in Greater Chennai Police limits from 6 am to 10 pm on Saturday in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city, according to Chennai police.

Later in the day, PM Modi will flag off Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express at a function at MGR Chennai Central Railway Station.

Prime Minister will flag off the Express service between Tambaram and Sengottai. He will also flag off a DEMU service from Thiruthuraipoondi-Agasthiyampalli, which will benefit commuters from Coimbatore, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.

He will also inaugurate the 37 km gauge conversion section between Thiruthuraipoondi and Agasthiyampalli, which has been completed at a cost of Rs 294 crore. It will benefit the movement of edible and industrial salt from Agasthiyampalli in the Nagapattinam district.

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the celebrations commemorating the 125th Anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna Math in Chennai. Swami Ramakrishnananda started Sri Ramakrishna Math in Chennai in 1897. Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are spiritual organisations engaged in various forms of humanitarian and social service activities.

In the evening, PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of road projects worth about Rs 3,700 crore at the public programme at Alstrom cricket ground, Chennai. The projects include the inauguration of a 7.3-km long elevated corridor in Madurai and a 24.4-km long four-lane road of National Highway 785.

Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the construction of road projects of National Highway-744. The project worth more than Rs 2,400 crore will boost inter-state connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Kerala and ensure a convenient journey for pilgrims visiting Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Andal Temple in Srivilliputhur and Sabarimala in Kerala, the PMO informed. (ANI)

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Veteran Playback Singer Vani Found Dead At Her Chennai Home

By LokMarg 4th February 2023

Veteran playback singer Vani Jairam who has sung in over a dozen languages in a career spanning over five decades passed away on Saturday at her residence in Chennai. She was 78.

Known for her vocal range and ability to adapt to any difficult composition, Jairam began her singing career in Bollywood and her first break came in the Hindi film ‘Guddi’ (1971) directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The song ‘Bole Re Papihara’, featuring Jaya Bachchan in the lead role catapulted the singer into fame.
Jairam who lived alone was found dead with bruises on her forehead, according to police.

According to Malarkodi, the singer’s househelp had arrived for work, as usual, this morning but when she did not receive any response she alerted the singer’s sister Uma. After Uma and Malarkodi entered the house using a set of duplicate keys they found the singer unconscious in her bedroom with bruises on her forehead. Police arrived and found her dead.

The deceased’s body has been sent to Kilpauk Government Hospital.

Triplicane DC Shekhar Deshmukh said an investigation is underway.

The singer was honoured with Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award ahead of Republic Day this year.

Born as Kalaivani in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore, to a Tamil family of classically trained musicians, Jairam’s career started in 1971.

She lent her voice for the playback for over a thousand Indian films and recorded over several thousand songs. The late singer also recorded thousands of devotionals and private records, as well as performed in solo concerts in India and overseas.

She won the National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer three times and also has won State Government awards from the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

She has sung in Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, Haryanvi, Assamese, Tulu, and Bengali, among others.

She has worked with a slew of renowned composers like KV Mahadevan, Chakravarthy, Sathyam, Ilayaraja, and MS Vishwanathan. (ANI)

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Cyclone Mandous In TN: Roads Waterlogged, Trees Uprooted

By LokMarg 10th December 2022

Chennai and several other parts of Tamil Nadu witnessed heavy rainfall and strong winds amid cyclonic storm Mandous, which according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said had crossed the Mamallapuram coast and is weakening in strength after completing its landfall process late on Friday night.

Several areas in Chennai saw waterlogging and squally winds uprooting trees in Chennai and in the nearby Chengalpattu district. The rainfall triggered by the Cyclone has caused severe Waterlogging in low-lying areas. Roads in the MMDA Colony in Chennai’s Arumbakkam were seen waterlogged. A video showed a large tree uprooted in Egmore, causing several damages to a petrol bunk nearby.

Cyclonic Mandous had made landfall off Mamallapuram on Friday evening influencing moderate to heavy rainfall in coastal Tamil Nadu.

Mandous is all set to weaken to a deep depression and later a depression on Saturday.

S Balachandran, DDGM, RMC Chennai, said “Cyclone Mandous crossed the coast and is in deep depression and its strength is weakening. It is moving towards the Northwest direction so areas in northwest districts will witness strong winds of 55-65 kmph which will further decrease by evening to 30-40 kmph.”

Earlier today, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) requested people to avoid going out until Cyclone Mandous weakens. It is said that almost 65 trees fell in three hours and motor pumps are being used to remove water stagnation in low-lying areas.

Notably, National Disaster Response Force personnel are on standby. The Tamil Nadu government put out a list of helpline numbers in case of any flood-related emergencies.

The Greater Chennai Traffic Police Saturday in a tweet announced that vehicular movement along the East Coast Road (ECR) resumed at 6 am. The stretch had been closed since 10 pm last night, due to the cyclone.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said that all the precautionary measures have been taken. “The government has taken all the precautionary measures and the officers are regularly monitoring the situation,” said Stalin.

Stalin visited and inspected the state emergency operation centre, Chepauk amid the cyclone’s severity. He said that the monitoring of the cyclone has also been deployed district-wise.

“Whatever the situation may be Government will ensure the protection of the people. District wise the monitoring of the cyclone has also been deployed,” said Stalin.

Stalin urged the people to follow the orders of the government and corporate with the government. Meanwhile, Dindigul Collector has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Sirumalai and Kodaikanal for Saturday.

Heavy rains with strong winds were experienced in Puducherry on Friday. Red alerts were sounded in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh.

Doppler Weather Radar Karaikal and Chennai are monitoring the cyclone. (ANI)

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