Naxalite killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh
Kanker: A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, police said on Monday.
The gunfight broke out in a forest along the border of Kanker and Narayanpur districts on Sunday afternoon during an anti-Naxal operation, a police official said in Kanker.
The operation was launched by a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Border Security Force (BSF) based on inputs about the presence of cadres belonging to the North Bastar and Maad divisions of Maoists in that area, he said.
Police recovered the body of a Naxalite and a firearm from the spot after the encounter, the official said on Monday, adding that further details are awaited as security forces have not yet returned from the encounter site.
The latest encounter comes a day after eight Naxalites were killed by security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, taking the Naxal toll killed in separate encounters in the state to 50 since January this year.
A maximum of 34 Maoists were killed in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Kanker.
On January 20-21, 16 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Gariaband district under the Raipur division.
Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh, police said.
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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.
