Why MDMK chief's son Durai Vaiko walked back resignation as principal secretary in 24 hours
A day before the meeting, Durai had resigned from the position of principal secretary, saying that he could not work in the presence of a person trying to 'destroy' the party.
Chennai: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) principal secretary Durai Vaiko has withdrawn his resignation after the party's administrative committee meeting, where his father, general secretary Vaiko, mediated the reconciliation between him and the deputy general secretary Mallai Sathya.
'The tension between the supporters of Sathya and Durai had been simmering for long, and it came to the fore after an internal party meeting on 12 April, where Sathya's supporters trolled Durai and Durai's supporters demanded Sathya's removal,' a source said.
At the day-long administrative committee meeting headed by party chief Vaiko, all district secretaries of the party spoke in favour of Durai's leadership, with some even raising slogans against Sathya.
'But Vaiko did not want to give up on both of them. Although Durai had been demanding the removal of Sathya, Vaiko did not want to let him go as he stood with the party and its leadership in times of crisis,' a leader, who was present at the meeting, told ThePrint.
Vaiko made Durai and Sathya patch up, and even made them sit next to each other. At the end of the meeting, Vaiko made the two shake hands, signalling the resolution of their differences and commitment to work together for their party.
'When two hearts can join, won't the hands join?' Vaiko said, bringing their hands together.
After the meeting, Durai informed media persons about his decision to withdraw his resignation. 'There were some issues within the party and we had this meeting to discuss them. Our deputy general secretary (Sathya) has apologised for some of his actions that had caused disturbance within the party. He has assured us to work together and support me. Based on the assurance, I have withdrawn my resignation and will continue as principal secretary,' he said.
At the meeting, the party passed nine resolutions, including key announcements on protests to demand withdrawal of Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 and removal of Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: How AIADMK plans to convince its workers & voters to bet on alliance with BJP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
17 hours ago
- India Gazette
Political parties divided on 'One Nation, One Election'; people support the idea: BJP's Jai Ram Thakur
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 20 (ANI): The Joint Committee on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024, currently on a nationwide consultation tour, visited Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday as part of its outreach to gather state-level feedback on the One Nation, One Election proposal. While political parties remain divided, ruling and opposition voices in Himachal shared their perspectives with the committee. The delegation, chaired by senior BJP MP PP Chaudhary, includes Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur. They were joined by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy CM, and Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, who engaged in a detailed discussion with the committee before addressing the media. The speaker of the HP Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, said that while one nation, one election is the need of the hour, the basic structure of the constitution must not be altered. 'Basic structure of the Constitution must not be altered', he said. Himachal Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania offered a cautiously analytical viewpoint, stressing that while the concept of simultaneous elections is not new, implementing it now would require serious constitutional introspection. 'The Constitution already provides for five-year terms for both Parliament and State Legislatures. But mid-term elections and breakdowns in governance have disrupted that structure. This committee is exploring whether we can return to that stability,' said Pathania. He pointed out that the 1952 elections were held simultaneously across India, and the current proposal is essentially a restoration attempt. However, he raised key constitutional concerns. 'Can an amendment curtail the tenure of a democratically elected Assembly, as proposed? If we can shorten the term, can we also extend it? Would this violate the basic structure of the Constitution?' He questioned. He stressed that while the reform could bring stability, it must not tamper with foundational constitutional principles. 'Mid-term elections, whether in Parliament, Assemblies or municipal bodies, consume time and resources. But any new system must remain in harmony with the Constitution's fundamentals,' he added. Addressing reporters after the meeting, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur welcomed the proposed legislation, stating that the people of India overwhelmingly support simultaneous elections. 'People want elections held together', said Jai Ram Thakur. 'The One Nation, One Election bill is a bold and much-needed move. It may spark differing opinions among parties, but the public sentiment is clear--they want elections to happen together, in states and at the national level, so that governments can focus on governance without constant poll disruptions,' Thakur added. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for advancing a difficult but necessary reform. 'It is the nature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take on complex, bold initiatives that others only talk about. No one had the courage to take this forward until now. I congratulate the PM for bringing this bill forward,' he said. He expressed confidence that the bill, currently with the Joint Committee, will be enacted soon. 'This is not just the desire of the Centre, but also the sentiment of Himachal Pradesh. Our party fully supports the bill. We believe it should be implemented as soon as possible.' He added. Addressing concerns over whether elections for Parliament and state Assemblies could always align exactly, he acknowledged some challenges. 'Yes, there are exceptional situations where terms won't align perfectly. However, to achieve something big, some compromises are needed. Some Assemblies may have to lose a few months of tenure, and that's being deliberated,' he added. He also recommended a more uniform legislative structure across states. 'I also suggested that either all states should have Legislative Councils or none at all. This inconsistency should be addressed,' he added, noting that the committee took this recommendation seriously. Thakur criticised the opposition for opposing the bill purely from a party-interest perspective. 'We must now think about the nation's interest, not just party advantage. Repeated elections waste time and public money. We must welcome this reform,' he said. Jai Ram Thakur thanked the Union Government for Rs 2,006 crore in disaster relief to Himachal Pradesh. Thakur expressed gratitude to the Union Government for releasing Rs 2006.40 crore under disaster relief and restoration efforts following the devastating floods in 2023. 'Earlier, some claimed that the Centre had not helped Himachal after the floods. But now the state has received around Rs 2,000 crore from NDRF and SDRF. I thank Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi for granting Rs 2,006 crore, which includes Rs 533 crore already released and the rest to come,' he said. He called out the Congress government for failing to ensure proper distribution of aid. 'Despite this substantial help, eligible beneficiaries still haven't received the full benefits. This raises serious questions. The aid should reach the right people, not just a few,' Thakur said. 'Congress's habit is to show ingratitude. Even when help arrives, they downplay it or shift the goalposts,' he said. Thakur, on the controversy over the Agriculture minister's resignation rumours, said that if a senior minister has to reach this state, it makes us understand the bad state of the government. On the social media post by Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar's son, which claimed that the minister will be resigning. 'This only shows the internal state of Congress. If even their senior-most leader is treated this way, imagine how the government is being run.' He said. Thakur also clarified and responded to criticism that his comments on the SDM in Paonta Sahib were communal. 'I did not say anything targeting any religion or institution. Some people are just trying to drag my name unnecessarily. I spoke responsibly, and those chanting slogans should also maintain dignity,' he said. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Waqf law rules drafted, may be approved in 15-20 days: Officials
New Delhi The Union minority affairs ministry has drafted rules to operationalise the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 and sent it to the Union law ministry, officials told HT on Thursday, adding that the rules could be approved within 15-20 days, paving the way for their presentation in the upcoming monsoon session from July 21. The contentious amendments to the central waqf law, which aims to make sweeping changes in the regulation and management of Islamic charitable endowments, was cleared by Parliament in April. The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on a raft of petitions asking for a stay on some of the law's controversial provisions. A senior minority affairs ministry official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the rules were drafted in 'record time' following the law's passage on April 4. 'We have recently sent it to the law ministry and solicitor general Tushar Mehta for final approval and finishing touches,' the official said. 'Once approved there, it goes to the Centre for final sign-off, then notification in the public gazette.' Former secretary general PDT Achary told HT that there is 'absolutely no rule and requirement for the government to first notify the parliament about the rules and then notify.' 'As soon as the rules are approved, they can be uploaded and publicly notified through the gazette and come into effect. The government has to table it in the Parliament but there is no rule about the rules being notified to the parliament first,' he said. Union Minister for minority affairs Kiren Rijiju separately confirmed that the rules are with the law ministry for finishing touches. A waqf is a Muslim religious endowment, usually in the form of landed property, made for purposes of charity and community welfare. The draft bill, introduced by the government last year and amended after recommendations by a joint parliamentary committee, proposed major changes in the regulation and governance of India's waqf boards. The law accords more power to the government and allows for the appointment of non-Muslims and women to waqf boards, but the Opposition alleged it is unconstitutional. The rules are crucial because they will not only operationalise the changes but also clarify key procedures in registration of waqf properties, working of the central portal, and norms guiding the picking of members in the council. The law scraps the waqf by user provision – where a property is acknowledged as waqf because it has been used for religious activities for some time, despite there being no official declaration or registration as waqf – with prospective effect, permits women, Shia sects and government officials to be members of waqf bodies, and gives overriding power to senior officials to determine if a government property belongs to a waqf. The law also allows only a person 'showing or demonstrating that he is practising Islam for at least five years' to donate properties to waqf and stipulates that women and other rightful heirs can't be denied their inheritance due to the creation of a waqf. The official cited above expressed confidence that the government will be able to push through the rules before the next session of Parliament. 'The process should take a few days. We hope the rules will be published within 15-20 days, in time for tabling in the monsoon session,' the official cited above said. 'It is a huge achievement... we did not think the process would be this seamless. We had good support from the states and completed the final rules drafting in record time.' Approximately 15-20 stakeholder consultations with states, other ministries, and groups occurred during the drafting process, the official said. 'Every single updated draft, no matter how minor the changes, was shared with the states for their views. Each state participated without exceptions,' the official added, requesting anonymity. In India, rules under a newly enacted law are notified by the relevant ministry through publication in the official gazette, exercising authority granted by specific provisions within the parent Act itself. The Waqf act also states it. While this core notification process isn't detailed in the Constitution, the crucial requirement for subsequent parliamentary scrutiny flows from it. Mandated by the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha – framed under Articles 118(1) and 208(1) of the Constitution respectively, and reinforced by the Delegated Legislation Provisions (Amendment) Act, 1983 – these notified rules must be laid before both Houses of Parliament within 30 days, where they can be modified or annulled. The act states, 'Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.' Activists, opposition parties and bodies such as the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have already challenged key provisions of the new law. On May 22, the top court reserved judgment on petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, after hearing arguments on an interim stay. The official quoted above clarified that the rules will provide 'finer operational details', particularly concerning the newly launched UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development) portal. The portal aims to create a centralised digital inventory with geo-tagging of all Waqf properties, establish an online grievance redressal system, enable transparent leasing and usage tracking, integrate with GIS mapping, and provide public access to verified records. Rules governing this portal will form a significant part of the final notified rules, the official said. This official said that incorporating the recommendations of the joint parliamentary committee, which examined an earlier iteration of the bill, received special attention during the drafting of rules. 'We want an all inclusive approach to it,' the official said. 'Even if the Supreme Court says something, we will just make the changes in the rules but since the act has been passed and received the President's assent, we will notify rules,' the official stated. Groundwork for implementing the new law has already commenced. The minority affairs ministry wrote to all chief secretaries last week, directing them to train district-level officers. These officers will subsequently train mutawallis (waqf property managers) and other officials involved. 'The biggest task for implementing the rules is capacity building so we have already started with the same,' the official explained. 'As a Union ministry, we can train state level officers but the states will in turn have to train district level officers... so they can be in a good position to implement the rules once notified.' Once the central rules are notified, the ministry's next task involves formulating model rules for states. A 4-5 member committee comprising retired law ministry officers and other experts has been tasked with creating these model rules, which states can then adapt according to their specific contexts.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Govt to up housing quota for minorities from 10% to 15%
Bengaluru: The Karnataka govt Thursday resolved to increase reservation in housing schemes for minorities from 10% to 15% in urban and rural Karnataka, a decision which BJP dubbed as one more instance of minority appeasement. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Law and parliamentary minister HK Patil explained the cabinet decision to increase the housing-scheme quota for minorities and said: "We considered the number of houseless families from the minorities, Sachar Committee report, other studies about the houseless families and also instructions from the Union govt." The minister said the 15% quota applies to Muslim, Christian and Jain communities. He clarified that there will be no quota for minorities in the schemes meant exclusively for SC/ST communities. "There was a discussion about the need to increase the housing quota for minorities in the session. The govt has taken this decision keeping social justice in mind. We need not respond to those who do politics in providing houses for poor people," said Patil. Soon after the cabinet meeting, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar defended the govt decision saying the houses constructed by the housing department in urban areas are lying vacant, and people from minority communities have expressed willingness to move into these houses. "In some urban areas, 20% to 30% of the minority communities are poor. Therefore, a proposal has been made to increase their quota. So, we are increasing the housing allocation reservation for them from 10% to 15%," said Shivakumar. BJP state president BY Vijayendra said reservation on the basis of religion is unconstitutional and that Congress has converted welfare into a marketplace for vote-bank politics. He said this was the second such instance after the state govt passed the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to provide a 4% reservation for Muslims in govt civic contracts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Union minister Prahlad Joshi alleged the cabinet decision was unconstitutional. "Siddaramaiah and his company decided to provide 4% reservation in contracts, which was an unprecedented move in the country. Now, they have decided to allocate a 15% reservation under housing schemes," said Joshi. Amit Malviya, in charge of BJP's National Information & Technology Dept, said, "There can be no reservation on the basis of religion — the Constitution is unambiguous on this. Yet, the Congress govt in Karnataka is hell-bent on pushing religious quotas to appease its vote bank. This isn't governance, it's dangerous social engineering." He further alleged that the Congress is determined to sow the seeds of division, polarise communities, and rip apart the social fabric of Karnataka — all for short-term political gains. ++++ Boxes Agriculture Minister to lobby with Centre on Mango compensation Law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said the cabinet discussed the issue of mango farmers, particularly in Kolar and Bangalore Rural areas, and authorised agriculture minister N Chaluvarayaswamy and chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh to discuss with the Union agriculture minister to seek compensation for farmers. ++++ Cabinet at Nandi Hills on July 17 Law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil said the cabinet meeting scheduled to be held at Nandi Hills on Thursday was postponed due to pending proposals from a few departments for the region. The ministers from the region also requested the CM to postpone the meeting at Nandi Hills. The govt has decided to hold a cabinet meeting at Nandi Hills on July 17. +++++ Other decisions *Rs 16 crore for deploying mobile health units (MHUs) to provide primary healthcare services in remote and inaccessible places across the state * Five bills to be discussed at next cabinet: Karnataka Crowd Control Managing Crowd at Events and Venue, Mass Gathering Bill 2025, Karnataka Rohith Vemula Bill 2025, Karnataka Misinformation, Fake News Prohibition Bill 2025, and Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crime Prevention Bill 2025 * Apsarakonda-Mugali marine wildlife sanctuary declared with total area of nearly 6,000 hectares, including a 6-km stretch of coastline and forest area in Honnavar, Uttara Kannada district
