Latest news with #Stalin
New Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Metro line at Kathipara an engineering marvel: CM Stalin
CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday described the Chennai Metro Rail constructions under way at Kathipara junction as an 'engineering marvel' during a site inspection of the elevated corridor. The project involves laying metro tracks directly atop the Kathipara flyover, marking a first for Indian infrastructure development. Stalin, who posted pictures of his visit on the social media, recalled the original flyover was built under the leadership of his late father and former chief minister M Karunanidhi, and has since stood as a symbol of the city's modernisation drive. 'Today, I inspected the work being carried out to lay Metro tracks, a first-of-its-kind in India, on top of the flyover,' he wrote. 'I have instructed that this engineering marvel be completed on time so that Chennai residents could soon enjoy a smoother urban commute.' The Kathipara intersection, one of Chennai's busiest, is being retrofitted to support the additional metro corridor as part of Phase II of the city's transit expansion plan.
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu govt mulls new industrial estate; Stalin highlights MSME growth
CHENNAI: The state government is actively considering a proposal from the Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association (AIEMA) seeking the allocation of 1,000 acres of land to establish a new industrial estate within a 50 km radius of Chennai. Delivering the inaugural address at the 16th edition of ACMEE 2025, Chief Minister M K Stalin said the request submitted by AIEMA president RSS Satish Babu 'will certainly be considered.' Babu, in his remarks, highlighted the space constraints manufacturers face in Ambattur and stressed that a new estate on the city's outskirts would support the chief minister's goal of making TN a $1 trillion economy. Stalin noted that Tamil Nadu ranks third in the country for the number of registered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with over 3.5 million units generating 24.7 million jobs. He added that the state contributes 11.9% to India's manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA) and leads in the production of motor vehicles, garments, and leather goods, while ranking second in textiles, machinery, and electronics. Criticising the previous AIADMK government, Stalin said his government had allocated Rs 6,626 crore to the MSME sector in just three years, compared to Rs 3,617.6 crore in AIADMK's rule. The current year's allocation stands at Rs 1,918.2 crore. The biennial ACMEE exhibition, organised by AIEMA, has grown from 435 to 468 exhibitors and features 120 international brands. Over 35,000 visitors are expected, with projected deals worth Rs 750 crore.
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP trying to bury Tamil culture: CM Stalin
CHENNAI: DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin accused the BJP-led union government of attempting to suppress and bury the pride of Tamil culture that emerged through the Keezhadi excavations. Praising the DMK student wing for organising an agitation - Keezhadi Engal Thaimadi - in Madurai on June 18, Stalin wrote a detailed letter in Murasoli, the DMK's mouthpiece, emphasising the importance of the excavation findings. The protest was held to condemn the union government for not approving the archaeological report on the Keezhadi findings. 'In 2013, during the UPA government, the ASI identified, through its inspections along the Vaigai river bank, that Keezhadi was an important settlement. The BJP government continued the excavations, but after three phases in 2015, the work was halted. The remaining seven phases were carried out by the state archaeology department,' Stalin said in the letter. He also recalled how officer Amarnath Ramakrishna was transferred from the project and later returned after a legal battle to continue his work. 'The artefacts found at the excavation sites were sent to renowned laboratories across the world for testing. Based on the results, Ramakrishna submitted a scientifically grounded 982-page report in 2023. However, even after two years, the BJP government has not approved the report and has instead sent it back, seeking additional proof,' he added. Referring to the scientific findings that iron was used in the Tamil region over 5,300 years ago, Stalin said, 'BJP leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, did not even acknowledge it on social media, even though Tamil Nadu is part of India and Tamils are Indian citizens. BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu are betraying Tamils for positions.'
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Stalin hits out at BJP for ‘bid to hide Keeladi site findings'
The BJP was attempting to hide findings from Keeladi because of their hatred for Tamil pride, said TN chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Thursday, amid the controversy over Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officer Amarnath Ramakrishna's report on the archaeological site and his transfer two days ago. Describing ASI asking for additional evidence from Ramakrishna as a 'blatant attack' on Tamil culture, Stalin in a letter to DMK cadre said that the party's struggle on this issue will not stop. Stalin added that the final report submitted in 2023 by Ramakrishna was based on scientific results obtained from laboratories in Pune, Bengaluru, Florida (US), and Italy, analysing artifacts from the Keeladi excavations. Stalin questioned whether the BJP has evidence to prove the existence of a Saraswathi civilisation, which he said is imaginary. 'The BJP-led Union government has demanded additional evidence on Keeladi over two years after a detailed report was submitted to the ASI in 2023,' Stalin said. 'They are keen on suppressing Tamil cultural pride. This is a blatant attack on us.' This also comes a day after the DMK's student wing on June 18 protested in Madurai against the issue. 'Tamils are Indians. However, neither the Prime Minister nor the BJP government acknowledge the significance of findings by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) that Iron Age in the state could go back to 5,200 years ago,' Stalin said. 'The responsibility to protect and establish the glory of Tamil culture lies solely with the DMK and its allied forces. The slogans raised in Keeladi and Chennai are just the beginning. They will continue to echo until Delhi. The DMK's struggle will not cease until the pride of Tamil culture is firmly established.' Stalin's remarks also come a day after the DMK's student wing on June 18 protested in Madurai against the issue. Almost a month after he refused to rework his voluminous report on the excavations at the archaeological site of Keeladi, Ramakrishna was transferred by the ASI on June 17. Ramakrishna, who was director, Antiquity and National Mission on Monument and Antiquity (NMMA), New Delhi, has now been transferred to Greater Noida as director of NMMA. This comes amid the controversy surrounding his report on Keeladi. In May, ASI had challenged the dating and classification of key discoveries from Tamil Nadu's Keeladi excavations, Ramakrishna to carry out extensive revisions to a report that underpins the state government's, and of rival Dravidian parties', claims about ancient Tamil civilisation. ASI asked Ramakrishna—who led the first two phases of excavations at the politically sensitive site — to rework his 982-page findings submitted in January 2023. The central agency said two experts had vetted the report and suggested five corrections to make it 'more authentic.' In his response, Ramakrishna on May 23, defended his report, stating that the chronological sequence of Keeladi has been clearly explained in the voluminous report. He had relied on AMS dating of 23 artefacts, which established their age to be 300 CE to arrive at a chronological sequence of Keeladi to be between the 8th century BCE to 3rd century CE. In response to his letter, the ASI said that they regularly send reports to various subject experts to vet for publication. The transfers come days after chief minister MK Stalin on June 13 said that the truth from the findings in Keeladi does not serve the script of the BJP and RSS and so they are dismissing the rigorously proven antiquity of Tamil culture. The chief minister has framed these archaeological pursuits as part of a broader ideological battle. On June 11, Union minister of culture and tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had alleged that the DMK government was refusing to cooperate with the Centre on Keeladi research and politicising the findings.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP govt's refusal to release Keeladi report an attack on Tamil culture: CM
Chennai: Chief minister M K Stalin said the Union govt's refusal to publish Keeladi report even after two years of its submission was an attack on Tamil culture. "The Union BJP government, which seeks to suppress the cultural pride of Tamils by delaying the release of Keeladi excavation findings, has returned the final report submitted two years ago citing the need for additional evidence. This is a blatant attack by the BJP regime on Tamil culture," he said in a letter to cadres. Stalin said the Union govt's decision to turn down the report despite scientific backing, even as it continues to promote the 'imaginary' Saraswati civilisation which lacks scientific evidence, speaks about 'BJP's hatred for TN'. "Till now, the BJP has not been able to prove the existence of Saraswati civilization through any scientific methods. On the other hand, every artifact unearthed from the Keeladi, has undergone rigorous internationally accepted scientific analysis," he said. Stalin also hit out at the AIADMK, alleging the party was silent despite Tamil cultural identity being suppressed. "Keeladi excavations took place when the AIADMK was in power in Tamil Nadu. However, the AIADMK has remained silent on the racial and linguistic hegemony shown by BJP by rejecting the Keeladi findings," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Stalin said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami was silent because he had mortgaged his party to BJP. He charged that a former AIADMK minister had gone to the extent of describing Keeladi, a Tamil civilization as 'Bharat civilization,' in a bid to please the BJP. Stalin said that TN govt has proven, through international studies on the antiquity of iron, that Tamil culture dates back more than 5,300 years. "It was the Dravidian model govt that released those findings. Yet, not a single tweet has been made by the Prime Minister or any BJP leader regarding the findings that establish the ancientness of Tamil culture," he said.
