Indian Navy to commission 'Dolphin Hunter' INS Anjadip in Chennai
Chennai (PTI): The Indian Navy is set to strengthen its coastal defence by commissioning INS Anjadip at the Chennai port here on February 27.
This is the third of eight vessels being built under the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft project.
Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata, Anjadip is a state-of-the-art vessel specifically designed to address the challenges of the "littoral combat environment" coastal and shallow waters vital for the nation's security, an official release said on Wednesday.
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The 77-metre-long ship features a high-speed water-jet propulsion system, enabling it to achieve a top speed of 25 knots for rapid response and sustained operations.
The vessel is engineered to act as a 'Dolphin Hunter', focused on the detection, tracking and neutralisation of enemy submarines in coastal areas.
The ship is packed with an indigenous, cutting-edge Anti-Submarine Warfare weapons and sensor package, including the hull-mounted sonar Abhay, and armed with Lightweight Torpedoes and ASW Rockets, the release said.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi is scheduled to take part in the commissioning ceremony on Friday.
The induction of 'Anjadip', named after the island off the coast of Karwar (North Karnataka in the Arabian Sea), bolsters the Navy's capacity to safeguard India's vast maritime interests and coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry area, the release said.
Besides the Anti-Submarine Warfare role, the warship is also equipped to take up Coastal Surveillance, Low-Intensity Maritime Operations and Search and Rescue operations, it added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
