The Madras High Court dismissed a defamation suit filed by a former DMK union chairperson against former AIADMK minister S P Velumani. The suit stemmed from Velumani’s alleged defamatory statements linking the plaintiff to a sexual harassment incident. The court found the plaintiff’s evidence unreliable and dismissed the suit, granting a permanent injunction against Velumani from repeating the statement.
Two opposition leaders, one from BJP and another from AIADMK, were murdered in Tamil Nadu within 24 hours, sparking outrage and criticism of the DMK government’s handling of law and order. The incidents have fueled concerns about safety and security in the state.
AIADMK MP Thambi Durai has blamed coaching centres for the ongoing NEET controversy, calling it unnecessary and stating that scandals have occurred. He also called for a thorough investigation into the issue, highlighting the pressure it places on students. The issue was discussed in an all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
The AIADMK party in Tamil Nadu staged a hunger strike in Chennai, demanding a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that claimed 63 lives. They also called for the dismissal of the DMK government and accused them of supporting illicit liquor trade. The strike saw participation from senior leaders including Edappadi Palaniswami and D Jayakumar. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Assembly suspended AIADMK members for disrupting the proceedings.
Members of the AIADMK were evicted from the Tamil Nadu Assembly after attempting to raise the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy during Question Hour. The eviction was later revoked, and the AIADMK MLAs returned to the Assembly wearing black shirts as a mark of protest.
Three accused in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu have been sent to 15-day judicial custody. Meanwhile, AIADMK MLAs staged a protest at the State Assembly in Chennai, wearing black clothes to commemorate the victims of the tragedy. The protest led to chaos both inside and outside the Assembly.
As of 11 am, the NDA and INDIA coalitions are neck-and-neck in the 11 major South Indian cities, each leading in 5 seats, while parties outside the alliances are leading in one seat. This is an improvement for the NDA, which gained one seat compared to 2019, while the INDIA coalition remains unchanged. The BJP and Congress are the leading parties, while the AIADMK has gained ground in Chennai. The Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram constituencies are seeing close contests between the NDA and INDIA coalitions, while the NDA leads in Secunderabad and the INDIA coalition leads in Ernakulam. Visakhapatnam is led by the Telugu Desam Party of the NDA coalition.
The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu witnessed a voter turnout of 69.72% across all 39 constituencies, with the main competition being between the INDIA alliance led by DMK, the AIADMK-led alliance, and the BJP-led NDA. The AIADMK alliance includes AIADMK contesting 32 seats and DMDK contesting 5 seats, while the NDA comprises BJP contesting 19 seats and PMK contesting 10 seats. Other parties contesting in all 39 constituencies include NTK and BSP.
