Read extensively about leaders like Ambedkar, Periyar: Actor Vijay tells students at Chennai event
Chennai, Jun 17: Popular Tamil film actor Vijay, amidst speculation that he may make an electoral debut, on Saturday urged students to ask their parents to vote in elections without accepting bribes and see the transformation for themselves.
His passionate appeal appeared to have earned the appreciation from Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
"He has said a good thing. What's your problem," Udhayanidhi shot back when reporters sought for his reaction to Vijay's appeal.
Asked about the actor's debut into politics, the Minister said anyone has a right to enter the political arena.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan, an ally of the ruling DMK, welcomed the actor's request to students to acquire knowledge on the social reformers.
Felicitating toppers of Classes 10 and 12 from the state at a function in Neelangarai here, Vijay said: "Ask your parents to vote without accepting bribe during the elections. Try, you may succeed and see the change."
The students who will soon become first-time voters should realise the merits of electing a leader without accepting cash for votes. "When this happens, your education becomes complete," he said.
Vijay cautioned them "against poking their own eyes with their hands" by accepting money for votes.
"Consider a politician who gives Rs 1,000 to a voter in a constituency that has 1.5 lakh voters. How much he must have given as bribe -- nearly 15 crore? If a person gives a bribe of Rs 15 crore, think how much he must have earned before that. I want all this to be a part of your educational system," the popular actor said as the the students who had gathered gave a rousing applause.
Also, he exhorted the young minds not to stop with acquiring bookish knowledge but go beyond it and learn about all the leaders including B R Ambedkar, E V R Periyar, K Kamaraj and imbue only their good aspects.
"I have one small request to make. Do spend time with those who could not succeed in their exams. Tell them passing in exams is easy and encourage them," he said.
"Also never take wrong decisions, take bold decisions. As you go up in life, handle the freedom that you get with self-discipline, have fun in life but don't give up your identity. Our life is in our hands," Vijay advised.
Unlike the toppers, the actor mentioned that he was never a bright student. "I was not a bright student like you but only an average just pass student. My journey has been in the direction of cinemas...remember, education will be complete only if you give importance to your character and thinking ability," he added.
His fans association -- Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam -- which transformed into a welfare organisation, contested the 2021 civic polls in the state and won 115 seats out of 169 it contested.
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CM Siddaramaiah appears before Lokayukta police for questioning in MUDA case
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appeared before the Lokayukta police here on Wednesday in response to the summons issued to him for questioning in the MUDA site allotment case.
The CM, who has been named as accused number 1 in the FIR registered by the Lokayukta police, is facing allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi B M by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
They had on October 25 questioned his wife, who has been named as accused number 2.
Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju -- from whom Swamy had purchased a land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others have been named in the FIR registered by the Mysuru-located Lokayukta police establishment on September 27.
Swamy and Devaraju have already deposed before the Lokayukta police.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court had on Tuesday issued notice to Siddaramaiah and others on a writ petition filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna, seeking a direction to transfer the case to CBI.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, who also issued notice to Parvathi, Swamy, Union of India, the State government, CBI, Lokayukta and others, directed the Lokayukta to place on record investigation conducted in the case so far.
The court posted the next hearing to November 26.
On October 24, the CM filed an appeal before the division bench of the High Court, challenging the decision of a single judge bench in connection with the MUDA site allotment case that had come as a setback to him.
The bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna had on September 24 dismissed the CM's petition challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval for a probe against him in the case, observing that the gubernatorial order nowhere "suffers from want of application of mind".
Siddaramaiah had challenged the legality of Gehlot's sanction for the investigation against him in the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites by MUDA in a prime locality.
Following the High Court order, a Special Court here on the very next day had ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah, and directed to file the investigation report by December 24.
Parvathi, meanwhile, had written to MUDA to cancel 14 sites allotted to her and the MUDA had accepted it.
On September 30, the ED filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) to book the CM and others taking cognisance of the Lokayukta FIR, and is also probing the case.
In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that 14 compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru (Vijayanagar Layout 3rd and 4th stages), which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.
It is alleged Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village on the outskirts of Mysuru.
