Location of persons trapped inside SLBC tunnel not known yet: Telangana CM
Hyderabad, Mar 2 (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday said the location of eight persons trapped inside the partially collapsed tunnel of the SLBC project is not known yet exactly and that the government is making efforts to expedite the rescue operation.
Reddy, who spoke to reporters after visiting the accident site in Nagarkurnool district, said the rescue operation would gain speed after the damaged conveyor belt is repaired.
The conveyor belt which would help in carrying silt is expected to be restored by Monday.
"They (rescue personnel) are not able to come to a full understanding on where the humans and the machinery got stuck. They have a preliminary estimation but not fully," he said.
He said the government suggested to officials leading the rescue operation to use robos inside the tunnel, if necessary, to avoid any danger to the rescue personnel.
The government is determined to resolve the issue and is also ready to support the families who suffered due to the accident, he said.
Though the rat miners carried out digging at the places identified by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) as possible location of humans, it did not reveal any human presence, the chief minister said.
The slush and water emerging inside the tunnel hampered the rescue operation, he said.
The conveyor belt would be useful to remove the silt once it is repaired.
Eight persons--engineers and labourers have been trapped under the collapsed roof of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel since February 22 and the rescue operations are on in full swing to pull them out to safety.
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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.
