1. Cabinet reshuffle | PTR relieved of Finance portfolio; T.R.B. Rajaa inducted as Minister
The high-profile Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan has been divested of his Finance and Human Resources Management portfolios, during the DMK government’s third reshuffle (reallocation of portfolios of five Ministers) of the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, effected soon after the induction of T.R.B. Rajaa, son of DMK treasurer and MP T.R. Baalu. Mr. Rajaa was sworn-in as Minister by Governor R.N. Ravi at an official ceremony in the Raj Bhavan this morning. Thangam Thennarasu is the new Finance Minister.
This comes three weeks after the release of purported audio clips of Mr. Rajan by BJP state president K. Annamalai, in which the speaker was heard alleging that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin and son-in-law Sabareesan had amassed huge wealth.
Shortly after the rejig, Mr. Rajan tweeted that the past two years were the “most fulfilling” in his life and that he looked forward to re-establishing Tamil Nadu’s position as a leader in the Information Technology sector, his new portfolio.
While Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, while speaking at an event in Chennai said the reshuffle was done for administrative reasons, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami, while addressing journalists at Salem, said the government was shaken by the leak of audio tapes.
2. Jawahar Nesan resignation | Alleges pressure to adopt NEP
A day after resigning from the post of State Convenor of the Committee to draft State Education Policy (SEP), L. Jawahar Nesan who addressed journalists at Chennai, stated that there was pressure to adopt the provisions in National Education Policy 2020.
The former Vice-Chancellor of Saveetha University accused top bureaucrat and one of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s Secretaries, T. Udhayachandran, of issuing threats and abuses, thus forcing him to follow instructions.
Earlier in June last year, the Tamil Nadu government formed a 13-member expert committee to evolve an education policy, independent of the NEP.
3. EPS reacts to OPS - Dhinakaran meeting
Three days after the publicised meeting between expelled AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran at the latter’s residence in Chennai on May 8, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami criticised the meeting.
Mr. Palaniswami, while speaking to journalists at Salem, said both leaders are zero. Mr. Palaniswami also criticised former Minister Panruti Ramachandran that he does not even have the qualities to become branch secretary in the party.
