TN This Week: Chennai Mayor Reserved for SC Woman; Many Police Atrocities Reported

A day after an expert committee rejected the tableau showcasing freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister (CM) MK Stalin on January 18 announced that it would be displayed at the state Republic Day celebrations in Chennai and taken to the key places in the state.

All the major political parties in the state, other than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), strongly opposed the rejection of the tableau.

In a significant decision, the Tamil Nadu Government, on January 17, issued orders to reserve the Chennai Mayor post for a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC). It also reserved the Mayor posts in Tambaram and Avadi Municipal Corporations for SC (Women) and SC (General).

The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VC) leader and MP from Chidambaram, Thol Thirumavalavan, asked the government to conduct direct mayoral elections in the state.

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

COVID-19: 100% First Dose to Govt School Students

On January 21, Tamil Nadu recorded 29,870 COVID-19 cases and 33 deaths. A total of 1,54,282 samples were tested, and the positivity rate stood at 19.36%.

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases due to Omicron, the state government announced a complete lockdown on Sunday, January 23.

Tamil Nadu has so far vaccinated 75.76% of its eligible population in the 15-18 age group with the first dose, with 100% of students in the state-run school receiving the dose.

As of January 17, a total of 92,522 persons have been inoculated with the booster dose.

A survey carried out by the Chennai corporation found that even though the number of daily cases came down, one in four streets in the city has active cases. Three out of 10 patients with influenza-like illness symptoms in Chennai are positive for COVID-19.

MPs Meet Amit Shah Over NEET

After a few attempts, a delegation of all-party MPs from Tamil Nadu on January 17 met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admission for Tamil Nadu. The step was taken after the Governor inordinately delayed the forwarding of the NEET exclusion Bill to the President.

Shah has promised to discuss the issue with the Union Health Minister and Education Minister and inform CM Stalin.

Urban Local Body Election Prep

The Madras high court refused to grant an interim stay on the urban local body polls while hearing a petition seeking a direction to the state Election Commission to postpone the polls till the COVID-19 situation improves.

Meanwhile, a meeting with the EC representatives of 11 recognised political parties in Tamil Nadu favoured a single-phase election to the urban local bodies and the deployment of paramilitary forces for the smooth conduct of the poll.

Kamal Haasan, leader of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), released the second list of candidates for the polls on January 20. Other parties have not yet made any announcement in this regard.

Meanwhile, raids on All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leaders continue. Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sleuths on January 20 raided 58 premises linked to former AIADMK Minister Anbalagan in connection with an Rs 11.32 crore disproportionate assets case.

Reported Police Atrocities

Three police personnel were placed under suspension on January 16 in connection with the alleged custodial death of a 45-year-old disabled man Prabhakaran. He was arrested along with others in connection with a theft and remanded in the Namakkal Sub-jail.

CM Stalin transferred the case to the CB-CID and announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased's family.

In a shocking incident, Easwaran (34) set himself ablaze in front of a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar, located near Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) College, on January 18, alleging police harassment.

In another incident, nine police personnel, including an inspector, were arrested for allegedly assaulting a 22-year-old law student inside the police station in Chennai.

Three Manual Scavenging Deaths

A 29-year-old lorry cleaner asphyxiated while cleaning a septic tank at a house at Injambakkam in Chennai on January 16. A case has been registered under the act prohibiting manual scavenging and other relevant sections of the IPC against house owner Rajan and lorry owner Anbumani.

Three days later, on January 20, two men who were hired to clean a septic tank inside a house in Tambaram in Chennai died similarly, and a case was filed against the house owner Jayakumar.

Anti-Mekedatu Rally

Farmers belonging to a Tamil Nadu ryots association took out an anti-Mekedatu rally in Hosur on January 19, hitting out at the Karnataka Congress for its padayatra campaign seeking the dam project implementation.

The farmers took out rallies in towns of the Cauvery delta region before arriving at Hosur to proceed to Mekedatu, but the police prevented them from proceeding further at the inter-state border.

I&B Ministry Condemned

After the BJP alleged that the reality show Junior Super Star streamed content ridiculing the Prime Minister, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry sent out a notice to Zee Entertainment Enterprises seeking an explanation within seven days.

The said content was of two child contestants performing a skit narrating the story of a king who tried to demonetise the currencies to eradicate black money but failed in the process.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemned the I&B ministry for sending such a notice to the media, and MNM lashed out at the Centre for the same.

Textile Sector Protest

As the Union government took no concrete steps to control cotton and yarn prices, the power loom, garment, and hosiery manufacturers of Tiruppur stopped the production process for two days on January 17 and 18 and went on a hunger strike on January 21.

CM Stalin on January 19 urged the Centre to avert a crisis gripping textile production owing to the 11% import duty on cotton and asked the government to control cotton yarn price.

In another protest against the Centre, members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) protested in front of a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) office in Coimbatore on January 18, urging the Union government to grant 4G and 5G licences to the state-owned telecom service provider.

Hindu Munnani Workers Arrested

Police detained Hindu Munnani workers Arun Karthik (26), an auto driver and his friend Mohanraj (28) under Goondas Act for defacing a Periyar statue in Coimbatore. The duo smeared saffron colour powder on the statue and garlanded it with a pair of slippers on January 8.