With the appointment of Natham R. Viswanathan as Leader of the Assembly, a new trend has been set. For the first time in many years, the position has gone to Electricity Minister.
In the past 15 years or so, the post had gone to Finance Ministers, who invariably were no. 2 in the government. C. Ponnaiyan, K. Anbazhagan and O. Panneerselvam had all occupied the position. When V.R. Nedunchezhian was Finance Minister during the AIADMK governments from 1980 to 87 and from 1991 to 96, he had served as Leader of the House. Mr Panneerselvam, after becoming Chief Minister, continues to hold the portfolio of Finance. This is why Mr. Viswanathan has been chosen.
****
Coimbatore was no exception to the State-wide protests, road blockade and effigy burning incidents following the conviction of the former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa by a special court in the disproportionate assets case in Bengaluru on September 27. But, the city police seem to think otherwise.
Responding to a query under the Right to Information Act, the Coimbatore City Police have said there were no demonstrations, road blockade or effigy burning incidents in the city from September 27 to October 17, when the former Chief Minister was in prison. The police added that no case was registered in this connection.
Bemused though he is, the petitioner, A. Abdul Kareem, is undeterred.
He says he will make an appeal to the State Information Commission for more honest answers to his questions. To back his case, he will cite media reports on the demonstrations that took place during that time.
****
Nothing better than a smile, they say, to win over people. But the former TNCC president, B.S. Gnanadesikan, believes it can be a disadvantage in politics. At the re-launch of the Tamil Maanila Congress in Tiruchi on November 28, speaker after speaker predicted a bright future for G.K. Vasan. Mr. Gnanadesikan said the young leader should act sternly to instil discipline in the party. “You should not allow others to take advantage of your smiling face,” he said, much to the discomfiture of many of the assembled leaders.
****
One of the most keenly watched cases in the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai this week was the one filed against O. Raja, brother of Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. The case for a CBI probe into the suicide of a Dalit youth in Theni district was filed in December 2012 when Mr. Pannerselvam was Finance Minister. Subburaj, father of the deceased, S. Nagamuthu of Kallipatti near Periyakulam, had filed the petition apprehending that the Thenkarai police might not properly inquire into the charge of abetment to suicide levelled against Mr. Raja and four others.
According to the complainant, the accused had prevented the youth from serving as a temple priest and humiliated him by making casteist remarks forcing him to take the extreme step. He left a suicide note, too.
However, all the five accused obtained anticipatory bail in 2012 on the ground that three of them belong to a Scheduled Caste and, therefore, could not have humiliated the deceased as alleged. They also filed a petition for quashing the FIR and obtained an interim stay on the proceedings in the lower court.
The petitions filed by the complainant as well as the accused were listed for hearing before Justice R. Mala on November 28 but counsel did not appear due to court boycott. Hence, the judge posted them for final hearing on December 9.
