575 people from Kerala still in Kashmir, all assistance being provided to them: CM Vijayan
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that 575 people from Kerala were still in Kashmir, where a terror attack on April 22 claimed 26 lives, and steps have been taken to provide travel, medical assistance and food to those in need.
Arrangements, including ticket booking for onward travel, have been made for those arriving in Delhi from Kashmir, the CM said in a statement issued by his office.
Terming the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam as one which shocked the conscience of the country, Vijayan said it should not be allowed to happen again as it was an assault on humanity itself.
"Our grief is doubled by the fact that there is a Keralite among those who lost their lives there. We share in the grief of the relatives of the deceased N Ramachandran," he said.
He further said that everyone should stand united against such attacks and the hate propaganda that fuels them.
"Let us move forward together with the determination that another Pahalgam will not happen again," the CM said.
Terrorists opened fire at a tourist location near Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
