Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar on Wednesday met with an accident while she was on her way to participate in BJP’s ‘Vel Yatra’. Khushbu and her niece Raja Priya both escaped unhurt. The mishap occurred after a tanker rammed into her car near Melmaruvathur in Tamil Nadu and the police are investigating if there was any foul play, or the driver (of the container) was under any influence. The BJP leader is continuing her journey to Cuddalore.
Read | Khushbu Sundar meets with accident on way to BJP’s ‘Vel Yatra’
Also Read | Explained: Where does BJP stand in Tamil Nadu
“With your blessings and God’s grace, I am safe. Will continue my journey towards Cuddalore to participate in VelYaatrai. Police are investigating the case. LordMurugan has saved us. My husband’s trust in him is seen,” Sundar tweeted, sharing pictures of her damaged car.
Also Read | Veteran Tamil publisher Cre-A Ramakrishnan passes away
On a day the Telangana Election Commission announced elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on December 1, BJP leaders and cadres in the state said they have been galvanised with the appointment of BJP national secretary Bhupendra Yadav — who played a key role in tilting the Bihar polls in favour of BJP — as in-charge of the GHMC elections.
READ | GHMC polls on Dec 1, Telangana BJP upbeat after Yadav appointment
The BJP, which is expecting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief J P Nadda to campaign in Hyderabad, is chalking out a high-voltage campaign against the TRS-AIMIM alliance while the TRS sought to catch the BJP off guard and has advanced the GHMC elections.
For assistance on COVID-19-related queries and mental health support in Chennai, citizens can contact the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) COVID-19 helpline 044 46122300 | For lodging rain-related complaints and assistance during the monsoon, citizens can contact the GCC's monsoon helplines 044 25384530 or 044 25384540 or the control room 1913 (available 24x7)
Adipurush, starring Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan, will release on August 11, 2022, the makers announced on Thursday. The film is an adaptation of Ramayana with Prabhas playing the role inspired by Lord Ram and Saif playing the role based on Ravan.
The tagline of the film reads, “Celebrating the victory of good over evil.”
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Citing "poor occupancy", the South Western Railway Thursday announced the cancellation of trains operating in both directions between KSR Bengaluru and MGR Chennai Central railway stations.
"Train No.02027/02028 KSR Bengaluru – Chennai – KSR Bengaluru Express Special is cancelled due to poor occupancy with effect from November 21 until further advise," the SWR statement read.
According to SWR officials, the train had only around 20 per cent occupancy from Bengaluru on an average, the same was nearly 10 per cent while operating on the return direction. The trains, connecting the state capitals of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, had resumed operations on October 23 after several months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Three people were nabbed in Hyderabad on Thursday for allegedly peddling mephedrone, a banned narcotic drug, police said. Around 200 grams of the drug with a market value of Rs 10 lakh was seized from their possession, they said.
The trio was apprehended when police teams, acting on credible information, raided a place in Secunderabad locality. They were packing the drug in sachets for delivery to 'customers', police said.
The accused in their mid 30s, used to purchase mephedrone for Rs 2,500 per gram from Mumbai and sold it at Rs 5,000 per gram at various places in the city, police said, adding further investigation was on.
Simbu on Thursday released the first look of Maanaadu. The poster shows the actor on his knees, offering prayers amid a raging riot. And the caption on the poster reads, ”Stand for what is right even if it means standing alone.”
Simbu also announced that a new poster revealing his character look from the movie will be released tomorrow.
Simbu plays Abdul Khaaliq in Maanaadu, which is written and directed by Venkat Prabhu. Judging by the poster, it is fair to assume that this movie deals with political parties indulging in communal politics.
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After the failures of IL&FS, Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank and DHFL, and the bailout of Yes Bank, the Reserve Bank of India decision to impose a 30-day moratorium on Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd (LVB) and put in place a draft scheme for its amalgamation with DBS Bank India, a subsidiary of DBS of Singapore, has raised concerns about the safety of the financial system.
The RBI said the financial position of the Chennai-based LVB, which has a network of 563 branches and deposits of Rs 20,973 crore, has undergone a steady decline, with continuous losses over the last three years eroding the bank’s net-worth. The bank has not been able to raise adequate capital to address these issues. It was also experiencing continuous withdrawal of deposits and low levels of liquidity.
The RBI, which put a cap of Rs 25,000 on withdrawals, has assured depositors of the bank that their interest will be protected. The combined balance sheet of DBS India and LVB would remain healthy after the proposed amalgamation, with Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) at 12.51% and Common Equity Tier-1 (CET-1) capital at 9.61%, without taking into account the infusion of additional capital.
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A sub-adult female elephant, weighing approximately three tons, fell into a dry farm well around 4 am on Thursday at Yelagundur near Panchapalli village in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district. Venkatachalam, who owns the agricultural land, found the animal trapped and informed the police.
A team of forest officials rushed to the spot and are in the process of rescuing the wild animal using two cranes. The elephant ventured into the field in search of food before getting trapped in the well at 50 feet.
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There are 4698 active cases across all 15 zones of Chennai.
Here are the active cases in the top 10 zones of Chennai:
Tamil Nadu goes to polls in about six months. Top BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the state this weekend (November 21) to apparently discuss his party’s plans vis-a-vis the elections with alliance partners AIADMK and PMK.
However, as the BJP devises different plans to conquer the state’s electoral politics with its “nationalist” ideas, it is to be remembered that except for a few urban, upper class sections, the land and language have always been inseparable entities of ordinary Tamil lives. And it is these two cultural entities that make the saffron party’s journey in the Dravidian state difficult.
The AIADMK leadership continues to show a tough face to BJP on several issues. Recently, AIADMK spoiled BJP’s much-hyped attempt to take out a month-long ‘Vel Yatra’ in the state, a rally modelled on rath yatra celebrating and visiting six abodes of the popular Tamil Hindu god Lord Muruga. BJP leaders, who are trying to defy the ban against Vel Yatra, are still being arrested.
Two days ago, AIADMK mouthpiece compared BJP with Karuppar Koottam, an unheard YouTube channel charged under the Goonda Act for a video hurting religious sentiments of Hindus. In multiple statements, senior AIADMK leaders made it clear that no effort to fan communal tensions in the state will be allowed, a clear message to their ally BJP. The Dravidian majority continues to flex muscles against the BJP and their local leadership.
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Telangana reported 1,058 fresh coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the tally to over 2.6 lakh while four fatalities pushed the toll to 1,419, the state government said on Thursday.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 168, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (93) and Rangareddy (91), it said in a bulletin.
As many as 12,682 patients are under treatment and 38,757 samples were tested on November 16. Cumulatively, over 50 lakh samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was 1,34,636, the bulletin said.
The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent while the the recovery rate in Telangana was 94.59 per cent.
Come rain or shine, traffic policemen continue to do their duty without letting the conditions affect them. Recently, a video of a Tamil Nadu traffic constable discharging his duties with utmost dedication amid the pounding rains has gone viral, earning him praise from netizens.
The 13-second video shows traffic constable Muthuraja from Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, wearing a raincoat and guiding the traffic on a busy road amid heaving downpour even as people ran helter-skelter to find a shelter. A video of the cop was shared by IPS officer Dipanshu Kabra while lauding him for his dedication. Later, Thoothukudi SP Jayakumar met Muthuraja on the spot, appreciating his good work while also handing him a gift.
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Over 400 students of government schools in Tamil Nadu are to get medical college seats under the 7.5 per cent reservation, Minister of School Education K A Sengottiyan said on Wednesday.
He told reporters at Gobichettipalayam in the district that 313 students would get medical seats and 92 at dental colleges, including 55 from Erode district alone.
Tamil Nadu is the only state in the country to implement 7.5 per cent reservation, the Minister said.
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The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 412 fever clinics in Chennai on Wednesday. A total of 20,615 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 455 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.
The most number of camps were held in Teynampet (Zone 9) where 49 camps were set up, while Manali (Zone 2) had the least with four camps.
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 412 fever clinics in Chennai on Wednesday. A total of 20,615 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 455 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.
The most number of camps were held in Teynampet (Zone 9) where 49 camps were set up, while Manali (Zone 2) had the least with four camps.
A fine of over Rs 10 crore imposed on late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s aide V K Sasikala in a disproportionate assets case was on Wednesday deposited in a Bengaluru court and her release is expected soon, her lawyer said.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami, meanwhile, asserted that the anticipated release of Sasikala would not alter the stand of AIADMK to keep her and her kin at bay, both from the party and the government. There shall be no change in the party stand as regards Sasikala, he told reporters at Coimbatore.
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Union Culture Minister Prahlad Patel on Tuesday handed over 13th-century bronze idols —of Ram, Lakshman and Sita — which were recently repatriated from the UK to the Tamil Nadu government at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) headquarters in Delhi.
These artefacts, stolen from a temple in the state more than 40 years ago, were handed over to the Indian High Commission on September 15 by the London Metropolitan Police, via a digital event, but they landed in India this week. The idols are believed to be masterpieces of Indian metal art and vary between 74 cm and 90 cm in height.
As per photographic evidence from 1958, these idols belong to the Sri Rajagopal Vishnu Temple built during the Vijayanagara period in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district. As per the police probe, these were stolen in November 1978 and could not be found in the custody of thieves who were nabbed later.
The idols are now likely to be handed back to the temple management, where they will be put on display after 40 years, said an official from the Tamil Nadu government’s Idol Wing.
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A total of 187 flights will be operated between Chennai and major cities today, with 94 arrivals and 93 departures scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.
Tamil Nadu recorded 1714 positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the state tally to 7,63,282. Among these, Chennai reported 479 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,10,135.
The state recorded 18 deaths on Wednesday, putting the state toll at 11,531. All 18 of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. The state discharged 2311 patients following treatment, putting the total number of recoveries at 7,37,281.
As of Wednesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 14,470. Till date, 4,61,157 males, 3,02,092 females and 33 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.
According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 1,12,66,091 samples from the state have been sent for testing till date, with 67,014 samples having been sent yesterday.
Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on northeast monsoon, COVID-19, lockdown in Tamil Nadu, lockdown in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and more across Chennai and Hyderabad through the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.
Come rain or shine, traffic policemen continue to do their duty without letting the conditions affect them. Recently, a video of a Tamil Nadu traffic constable discharging his duties with utmost dedication amid the pounding rains has gone viral, earning him praise from netizens.
The 13-second video shows traffic constable Muthuraja from Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, wearing a raincoat and guiding the traffic on a busy road amid heaving downpour even as people ran helter-skelter to find a shelter. A video of the cop was shared by IPS officer Dipanshu Kabra while lauding him for his dedication. Later, Thoothukudi SP Jayakumar met Muthuraja on the spot, appreciating his good work while also handing him a gift.
Read more
The teaser of Netrikann was released on Wednesday, coinciding with the birthday of Nayanthara, who is playing the lead role in the film. Netrikann is written and directed by Milind Rau.
The thriller genre is right up the director’s alley. Milind made a hit horror thriller Aval in 2017, and we can also expect Netrikann to be as nail-biting as his previous film. At least, that’s what the teaser of Netrikann promises.
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Tamil Nadu goes to polls in about six months. Top BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the state this weekend (November 21) to apparently discuss his party’s plans vis-a-vis the elections with alliance partners AIADMK and PMK.
However, as the BJP devises different plans to conquer the state’s electoral politics with its “nationalist” ideas, it is to be remembered that except for a few urban, upper class sections, the land and language have always been inseparable entities of ordinary Tamil lives. And it is these two cultural entities that make the saffron party’s journey in the Dravidian state difficult.
Read more
Chennai recorded 50.70 mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours as parts of the city received moderate to heavy showers. The average rainfall recorded was 4.60 mm.
Here is the breakup of rainfall recorded across Chennai:
Police on Tuesday located a four-month-old baby who was kidnapped from Andheri West last week at the home of a couple in a Telangana village. The couple, who had allegedly paid Rs 4 lakh to the kidnappers, were under the impression that they had adopted the baby, police said. Three men were arrested in this connection on Tuesday.
The childless couple living in Panagal village near Nalgonda town of Telangana had allegedly approached a registered local medical practitioner, Mohammad Nasruddin Bashiruddin (46), seeking help in adopting a child. Bashiruddin is alleged to have asked the couple to pay him Rs 4 lakh for the same. He had then contacted his friend Mahesh Ditti (38), who lives in Andheri West and works as a delivery boy at shops in the locality. In turn, Ditti had allegedly asked an autorickshaw driver, Ramesh Vyampati (42), to drive him around Andheri West in search of a child.
Early morning on November 11, the accused were driving around in Vyampati’s vehicle when they spotted a family sleeping on a pavement. They picked up the baby boy sleeping next to his mother and drove away, police said.
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Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar on Wednesday met with an accident while she was on her way to participate in BJP’s ‘Vel Yatra’. Khushbu and her niece Raja Priya both escaped unhurt. The mishap occurred after a tanker rammed into her car near Melmaruvathur in Tamil Nadu and the police are investigating if there was any foul play, or the driver (of the container) was under any influence. The BJP leader is continuing her journey to Cuddalore.
“With your blessings and God’s grace, I am safe. Will continue my journey towards Cuddalore to participate in VelYaatrai. Police are investigating the case. LordMurugan has saved us. My husband’s trust in him is seen,” Sundar tweeted, sharing pictures of her damaged car.
“Request the press to understand that a container rammed into me and not the other way. My car was on the move in the right lane and this container came from nowhere and rammed into me. Police are investigating n questioning the driver to rule out any foul play,” she further added.
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An aircraft belonging to Trujet airline bound for Mysore from Belgaum Monday night made an emergency landing at the airport here due to landing gear issue and got stuck on the main runway, authorities said on Tuesday.
However, there were no casualties nor anyone was injured in the incident. The 52 passengers, including five crew members and an infant, were safely evacuated from the runway itself, a PIB release said.
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The sudden demise of Vasan Eye Care promoter A M Arun in Chennai on Monday of reported cardiac arrest will not impact the case of forex violations against him and the company, sources in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said.
Arun and Vasan are being probed for violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). “The law is clear that the liability shifts to the heir in case the accused promoter of a company under probe dies. In any case there are multiple accused in the case including Arun’s family members,” an ED official said. Among those named in the cases are Arun’s wife and his father-in-law Dwarakanathan.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will dedicate the Rs 380 crore Thervoy Kandigai reservoir in neighbouring Tiruvallur district, and lay the foundation stones for a slew of infrastructure projects worth over Rs 67,000 crore during his visit to Chennai on Saturday.
Also, Shah will lay the foundation stone for the phase II of Chennai Metro Rail at an estimated cost of Rs 61,843 crore at a function in the city in which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will preside, an official release said on Tuesday. Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, ministers and officials will participate in the event.
The much-delayed reservoir in Tiruvallur district, formed by combining two lakes-- Thervoy Kandigai and Kannankottai, is expected to meet Chennai's additional requirement for drinking water. Spread across 1,495 acres, it will serve as the fifth reservoir for the city and may help avert drought-like situation.
Telangana recorded 948 fresh coronavirus cases on Tuesday, pushing the total caseload to 2.59 lakh, while the toll rose to 1,415 with five more fatalities.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for 154 of the 948 fresh cases, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri 83, Rangareddy 76 and other districts, a state government bulletin said on Wednesday.
The bulletin said 42,433 samples were tested on November 17. Cumulatively, the number of samples tested was 49.72 lakh. The samples tested per million population was 1.33 lakh, it said. The cumulative recovered cases stood at 2.45 lakh, while 13,068 people were under treatment.
The recovery rate in the state rose further to 94.42 per cent, while the case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent.
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 409 fever clinics in Chennai on Tuesday. A total of 18,257 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 432 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.
The most number of camps were held in Teynampet (Zone 9) where 50 camps were set up, while Manali (Zone 2) had the least with four camps.
On a day the Telangana Election Commission announced elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on December 1, BJP leaders and cadres in the state said they have been galvanised with the appointment of BJP national secretary Bhupendra Yadav — who played a key role in tilting the Bihar polls in favour of BJP — as in-charge of the GHMC elections.
“Bhupendra Yadav’s appointment to oversee GHMC elections is an indication to leaders and cadre that the party is taking the civic polls very seriously. The message is that we want to win the civic election, not just contest,” BJP MLC N Ramachandra Rao said.
“He (Yadav understands how elections work and the functioning of the electoral machinery. We are very excited about his appointment… our emphasis will be on bad governance of ruling TRS, lack of development in GHMC areas and corruption of TRS corporators. These are the three hot buttons,” BJP spokesperson K Krishna Sagar Rao said.
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Actress and BJP member Khushbu met with accident near Melmaruvathur in Tamil Nadu enroute Cuddalore. The actress had been on her way to Cuddalore to participate in the Vetri Vel Yatra when a tanker rammed into her car.
Khushbu tweeted that she was safe and that the police are investigating the case. "Will continue my journey towards Cuddalore to participate in #VelYaatrai" (sic), she tweeted.
The Lady Shri Ram College Staff Council has passed a resolution expressing regret that members of the college administration are being “targeted” over the suicide of second-year student Aishwarya Reddy earlier this month.
“The Staff Council regrets the fact that those people in college responsible for the implementation of policy, arrived at through deliberative processes, and in consonance with DU guidelines, are being unjustly and personally targeted. The LSR community including the Principal work together and all decisions are made following due process and with the involvement of all members,” stated a resolution passed by the council after meetings held last week.
This comes after members of the student community accused the college administration of apathy towards the difficulties faced by students with limited resources due to the shift to online learning.
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Tangedco has announced a powercut in parts of Chennai from 9 am to 2 pm today to carry out maintenance work.
Here are the affected areas:
Elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will be held on December 1 and counting of votes will take place on December 4.
At a press conference, state election commissioner C Partha Sarathi said that the nominations would be accepted from November 18. Candidates can file their nominations before the returning officer between 11 am and 3 pm. The last date for filing nominations would be November 20. Filed nominations will be scrutinized on November 21 and the last date for withdrawal would be November 22.
Partha Sarathi said the election process to 150 divisions of the municipal corporation will be completed before December 6.
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Tamil Nadu recorded 1652 positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the state tally to 7,61,568. Among these, Chennai reported 492 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,09,646.
The state recorded 18 deaths on Tuesday, putting the state toll at 11,513. All 18 of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. The state discharged 2314 patients following treatment, putting the total number of recoveries at 7,34,970.
As of Tuesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 15,085. Till date, 4,60,105 males, 3,01,430 females and 33 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.
According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 1,11,99,077 samples from the state have been sent for testing till date, with 62,415 samples having been sent yesterday.
Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on northeast monsoon, COVID-19, lockdown in Tamil Nadu, lockdown in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and more across Chennai and Hyderabad through the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.