TN CM appeals to people not to panic over coronavirus
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday allayed fears over coronavirus, saying the state was home to the best medical practitioners in the country and people need not panic.
Making his first comment on the coronavirus in the state Assembly on Thursday, Palaniswami said the disease spread only through those people coming from foreign destinations and those living in the state were not affected.
The state reported its first coronavirus case on March 7 in which a 45-year-old engineer hailing from Kancheepuram had tested positive after returning from Oman.
The Chief Minister said the government was screening those who come to the state from various foreign destinations and those showing symptoms were isolated and given proper treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGH).
Reiterating the earlier comments made by Health and Family Welfare Minister C Vijayabhaskar that the disease was spreading through those individuals who had returned from overseas, Palaniswami said facilities are available to give proper treatment to those people if they show symptoms of the virus.
"There is no need to worry. Around 1.50 lakh people who had arrived from foreign countries were screened and only those with symptoms of the virus are given treatment by isolating them," Palaniswami said.
Meanwhile, Vijayabhaskar, in his social media account, said the 45-year-old patient undergoing treatment would be discharged in couple of days.
"Subsequent mandatory tests on the corona patient at RGGH have again been negative. He will be observed in a step down care facility and shall be discharged in couple of days," he said.
"I reiterate this is not a miracle but because of the meticulous screening and treatment adopted by the TN Health department", he added.
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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.
