Alliance with BJP continues, no issues with Annamalai, says EPS
New Delhi/Chennai (PTI): AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday said his party's alliance with the BJP continued and insisted there were no issues with the saffron organisation's Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai.
The AIADMK chief's remarks came in the backdrop of reported differences between the two parties, who had fought the 2019 Parliamentary polls and the 2021 Assembly elections as allies.
The AIADMK leader was addressing reporters in Chennai a day after he met BJP veteran and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with that party chief JP Nadda in the national capital.
"We had aligned with the BJP for 2019 Lok Sabha polls and it continued during the 2021 (TN) Assembly polls, as well in the Erode by-poll (earlier this year). It (alliance) does continue," he asserted.
Asked if his "differences" with Annamalai figured in his meeting with Shah on Wednesday night, EPS dubbed the question as "wrong."
"We have no issue with Annamalai. If that be the case, would he have campaigned during the (recent) Erode East bypoll. Only the media is asking such questions to create rift," Palaniswami alleged.
Whether it is AIADMK or the BJP, everyone will look at ensuring their party's growth.
"The parties in our alliance are ones which function independently, unlike those in the DMK-headed coalition...everyone has their ideology and will function accordingly. As an alliance we will work unitedly and AIADMK's policy is to ensure the victory of alliance parties' candidates," he said.
Incidentally, Annamalai had late on Wednesday tweeted a picture of EPS's meeting with Shah and Nadda, where the Tamil Nadu BJP president was also present.
Palaniswami was accompanied by senior party leaders and former ministers SP Velumani, C Ve Shanmugam, P Thangamani, K P Munusamy and D Jayakumar during his meeting with the BJP leaders.
To a question on his rival and deposed party leader O Panneerselvam, EPS charged the former was functioning as the ruling DMK's "B-team."
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Tribal man brings dead sister's skeleton to bank to withdraw money from her account
Keonjhar (PTI): A tribal man in Odisha's Keonjhar district on Monday brought the skeleton of his dead sister to a bank to withdraw the money deposited in her name, police said.
The incident occurred at Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank located at Patana block of Keonjhar district. The man was identified as Jeetu Munda (50) of Dianali village. He was seeking to withdraw Rs 20,000 from the bank account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda (56), who died on January 26, 2026.
"I have run several times to the bank, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death," an illiterate Jeetu Munda told reporters.
Patana Police Station Inspector in charge (IIC) Kiran Prasad Sahu, who reached the bank after getting information, said, "Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what the legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials have failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from the dead person's account."
However, after the incident, the police assured Jeetu Munda that they would facilitate the withdrawal of money from the bank account of his dead sister. Later, the skeleton was again buried at the graveyard in presence of police.
Meanwhile, local Block Development Officer (BDO) Manas Dandpat said that he was not approached by anyone for the legal heir of late Kalra Munda. "Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue," the BDO said.
Meanwhile, bank sources said that the nominee in Kalra Munda's bank account was also dead. Therefore, Jeetu Munda was the lone claimant over the money deposited in her name.
The local administration has directed the bank officers to make arrangements and ensure that Jeetu Munda, who is the only claimant as per the rules, gets the money as soon as possible.
