DMK flays EC for not announcing bypolls in TN
Chennai, Oct 7 : DMK chief M K Stalin Sunday flayed the Election Commission for not announcing byelections to two Tamil Nadu assembly constituencies citing monsoon as the reason and said it was not a 'justifiable' decision.
Expressing 'surprise' at the EC's decision, he said by-elections had been held in the state in the past during the North East Monsoon season, between October-December.
The bypoll for RK Nagar constituency, held to fill the vacancy caused by the death of late chief minister Jayalalithaa, was conducted only during the monsoon season in December last year, he pointed out.
The Election Commission while announcing poll schedule for five states and byelections in Karnataka Saturday had said Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan had written a letter asking the commission not to announce the poll dates as there was forecast of cyclones and rains in the state.
"The EC putting off bypolls citing a letter by the state Chief Secretary and the monsoon does not appear to be a unbiased and justifiable decision," Stalin said in a statement.
Bypolls are due in Thiruvarur and Thirupparankundram assembly constituencies which fell vacant following the demise of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on August 7 and AIADMK MLA AK Bose on August 2 respectively.
Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat had said the EC would announce the bypoll after ascertaining the situation.
Stalin said bypolls for three assembly constituencies in the state when Jayalalithaa was hospitalised in 2016 were also held during monsoon season in November.
Claiming that the ruling AIADMK was afraid of facing elections, he accused it of avoiding the bypolls through the Chief Secretary.
Senior AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai sought to dismiss the opposition party's charge and said the EC was an independent and powerful body which none can influence.
Defending the Chief Secretary's communication, Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar said in Madurai that the government has the responsibility to apprise the commission of the prevailing situation in the state.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
