Tamil Nadu Congress chief Alagiri used 'unparliamentary' words, says legislature party leader
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K S Alagiri used 'unparliamentary' words in a meeting following a scuffle at party headquarters over postings, Congress legislature party (CLP) leader K Selvaperunthagai alleged and said the party workers are dissatisfied with him.
The party in Tamil Nadu awaits a new leader and a change in the State party unit's leadership is likely soon, Selvaperunthagai told PTI in an interview.
The Sriperumbudur legislator said he is not in the race for the top State post.
On claims doing the rounds in the party that a shortlist has been drawn up by party brass for the post of TNCC president, he said: "Only a person who could lead the party in a dedicated way by working for it 24x7 and boldly oppose the fascist policies of the BJP has a chance to become the TNCC chief."
The State's political scenario and the dynamism that is needed to lead the party has been understood very well by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leaders.
"Our president Mallikarjun Kharge is a very seasoned leader and we eagerly await the appointment. We are confident that he will appoint the right person as TNCC president."
The background to the talk of imminent change in the leadership of TNCC could be traced to the November clash between two groups at State party headquarters, 'Sathyamurthi Bhavan,' the subsequent parleys and the AICC putting on hold the suspension of MLA Ruby R Manoharan, seen by a section of party workers as an indication of Alagiri's 'diminished' authority. Manoharan is also the TNCC treasurer.
Cadres from Tirunelveli staged a protest last month opposing two regional level appointments made by the party, claiming that the appointees were undeserving as they had indulged in anti-party activities.
What began as a protest ended in violent clashes between two groups, seen as supporters of Manoharan and Alagiri.
Following this, a meeting of top leaders was held at party headquarters to resolve the issue.
Selvaperunthagai, who took part in that discussion, said Alagiri angrily used some 'unparliamentary' words in the presence of AICC leaders Dinesh Gundu Rao and Sirivella Prasad, who are in charge of Tamil Nadu party affairs and he later walked out of that meeting.
"After walking out of that meeting, he slapped two party workers (on the ground floor of the party office) and we came to know that by watching TV."
On the clashes, the CLP leader said, "On the one hand, we see our leader Rahul Gandhi leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra to unite the country...they (Alagiri-led leadership) should have prevented such violence and not doing it is painful... I have given my report to AICC on what happened."
"They wanted Ruby Manoharan to be suspended. I said that only the AICC has the powers to do it and not them. Though Manoharan could not take part in the disciplinary panel meeting to give his explanation, he was suspended. I said this cannot be done. The AICC later put the suspension on hold."
Also, former TNCC presidents M Krishnaswamy, K V Thangkabalu, EVKS Elangovan and Su Thirunavukkarasar have also given their reports to the party brass.
The AICC had said on November 24 that the procedure followed for suspension by the Disciplinary Action Committee of TNCC was improper. It was done in contravention to the principle of natural justice, Gundu Rao had said.
Asked if Alagiri is sidelined within the party, he said leaders and party workers including him are all dissatisfied with the TNCC chief's style of functioning.
Once, even the iconic leader Indira Gandhi had expressed regret and apologised to people for any excesses that may have been committed vis-a-vis the Emergency (1975-77).
However, not even a regret has been conveyed till now (by Alagiri camp) and their effort apparently is aimed at levelling allegations and blaming some people, he said.
On claims by some party workers that 'Karti Chidambaram, Jothimani (both Lok Sabha MPs) and Selvaperunthagai' are among the names on the shortlist for the post of TNCC chief,' he said: "Many are mistaken. I am not in the race. I am the Congress legislature party leader which is equivalent to that of the office of the TNCC chief. I am ready to work with anyone, who may become the new TN Congress president."
The 70-year old Alagiri is a former Lok Sabha MP (2009-14) and he represented Cuddalore. A two-time MLA (1991-2001), he was appointed as TNCC president in February 2019. Thirunavukkarasar was his predecessor.
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India harbouring big and bold dreams in space sector: Shubhanshu Shukla
Kolkata (PTI): Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station, on Wednesday said the country is harbouring “big and bold dreams”, foraying into human spaceflight after a hiatus of 41 years.
Shukla was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India from the US on August 17, 2025, after the 18-day mission.
The space is a “great place to be”, marked by deep peace and an “amazing view” that becomes more captivating with time, he said, interacting with schoolchildren at an event organised by the Indian Centre for Space Physics here.
“The longer you stay, the more you enjoy it,” Shukla said, adding on a lighter note that he “actually kind of did not want to come back”.
Shukla said the hands-on experience in space was very different from what he had learnt during training.
He said the future of India’s space science was “very bright”, with the country harbouring “very big and bold dreams”.
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Shukla described his ISS flight, undertaken with support from the US, as a crucial “stepping stone” towards realising India’s ‘Vision Gaganyaan’.
“The experience gained is a national asset. It is already being used by internal committees and design teams to ensure ongoing missions are on the right track,” he said.
Shukla said the country’s space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the Bharatiya Station (India’s own space station), and eventually a human landing on the Moon.
While the Moon mission is targeted for 2040, he said these projects are already in the pipeline, and the field will evolve at a “very rapid pace” over the next 10-20 years.
He told the students that though these targets are challenging, they are “achievable by people like you”, urging them to take ownership of India’s aspirations.
The sector will generate “a lot of employment opportunities” as India expands its human spaceflight capabilities, he noted.
Echoing the iconic words of India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla said that from orbit, “India is still the best in the world”.
Shukla also asserted that the achievement was not his alone, but that of the entire country.
“The youth of India are extremely talented. They must stay focused, remain curious and work hard. It is their responsibility to help build a developed India by 2047,” he said.
Highlighting a shift from Sharma’s era, Shukla said India is now developing a full-fledged astronaut ecosystem.
With Gaganyaan and future missions, children in India will be able to not only dream of becoming astronauts, but also achieving it within the country, he said.
“Space missions help a village kid believe he can go to space someday. When you send one person to space, you lift million hopes. That is why such programmes must continue... The sky is not the limit,” Shukla said.
“Scientists must prepare for systems that will last 20-30 years, while ensuring they can integrate technologies that will emerge a decade from now,” he said.
Shukla added that he looked forward to more space missions, and was keen to undertake a space walk, which will require him to "train for another two years".
