Will be forced to rethink alliance with BJP if Annamalai targets us: AIADMK
Chennai, June 12: The AIADMK on Monday questioned Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai's intention to criticise the party despite being in the alliance, and said it will be forced to rethink its ties with the saffron party if Annamalai is not restrained.
Taking strong exception to Annamalai for his alleged criticism of the AIADMK and its leader J Jayalalithaa, the party's former state minister D Jayakumar accused the BJP leader of creating confusion in the alliance and sought to know if the Delhi leaders approved his actions.
"Is it Annamalai's intention to see that the AIADMK-BJP alliance does not win a seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and that Narendra Modi should not become Prime Minister again? Are not his activities oriented in this direction?" Jayakumar asked while speaking to mediapersons here.
His criticism is unacceptable, Jayakumar said and wondered why Annamalai, who is fond of talking about corruption, is silent on corruption allegations involving the BJP in Karnataka. "Did the BJP win in Karnataka despite his election campaign in that state? Why doesn't he talk about the corruption allegations in Karnataka during the Assembly election," Jayakumar asked.
Indicating that the BJP on its own is nothing in Tamil Nadu, Jayakumar said his party's strong presence in the state ensured BJP's victory in the 2021 Assembly election. "After a gap of 20 years, the BJP made an entry into the state assembly with four MLAs today because of the AIADMK. Will Annamalai deny this? The BJP will get an identity only when it remains in the AIADMK alliance," the former minister said.
He warned that the AIADMK would be forced to rethink its alliance with the saffron party if Annamalai continued to needlessly criticise the party and if the BJP central leadership did not restrain an "immature" Annamalai, who wants to project himself.
"Annamalai should hold his tongue and follow alliance dharma," he said and pointed to the smooth ties in the ruling DMK camp where the Congress remained restrained despite the DMK always raking up the troubles it faced during the Emergency imposed by the Congress government in 1975.
Asked if he wanted a change in BJP state leadership, Jayakumar replied, "That's not our demand. We want him to be restrained. Remember the AIADMK is like a huge banyan tree and the BJP only a plant."
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam flayed the BJP chief and said Annamalai's alleged remarks on former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa showed his "political immaturity."
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SC asks states, UTs to prepare action plan to implement guidelines for intensive care services
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has asked all the states and Union Territories to prepare a "realistic and practical" action plan to implement the guidelines necessary as a minimum standard for intensive care units.
The apex court was informed that "Guidelines for Organisation and Delivery of Intensive Care Services", on which there is consensus and which is practical, implementable and necessary as a minimum standard for an ICU, has been prepared.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan said copies of the guidelines should be shared with all the states and UTs.
"Moving further, as an immediate measure, let all the additional chief secretaries/secretaries ... heading the department of health and medical education in the states and the UTs, convene a meeting of all experts involved in this exercise to prepare an action plan for implementation of the guidelines. Such a plan shall be realistic and practical," the bench said in its April 20 order.
The top court was hearing a matter relating to healthcare services, including guidelines for the treatment of patients in the ICU or critical care unit.
The bench said five basic issues shall be identified and prioritised in the first instance.
"The challenge ... lies in determining what ought to be treated as absolutely essential and mandatory; accordingly, an initial list of five basic requirements, in terms of priority, relating to both manpower and equipment/logistics, shall be prepared," it said.
It said a methodology should also be formulated for implementation on the ground, and more importantly, a mechanism to ensure compliance and monitoring of the implementation.
"We expect the exercise to commence immediately and the first meeting to be held within one week from today. We direct that the meeting shall be attended personally by the concerned additional chief secretary/secretary ... heading the department of health and medical education in the states and the UTs," the bench said.
It said the report prepared pursuant to the deliberations should be forwarded by the respective states and UTs to the Secretary of the Department of Health, Government of India, who in turn would circulate it to all the states and UTs.
The bench said thereafter, a meeting of all concerned should be convened where a final common agreed draft shall be prepared and circulated.
"A final report/blueprint/recommendation shall be prepared, which shall be placed before this court on the next date," it said, adding that the entire exercise should be completed within three weeks.
"Let the Ministry of Health, Government of India, formally issue the guidelines placed before us today, to the states and UTs concerned by way of an advisory. A copy of it shall also be uploaded on the website of the Ministry of Health, Government of India," the bench said, while posting the matter for further hearing on May 18.
During the hearing, it was suggested that for future requirements, the nursing staff should be trained to handle such situations since they remain with the patient round the clock, unlike doctors who may visit periodically.
"We fully endorse the suggestion, which is not only pragmatic but also imperative. Accordingly, the Indian Nursing Council and the Para Medical Council of India are impleaded as party respondents," the bench said.
It said on the next date, the newly added respondents shall come up with a plan indicating how they propose to augment the courses or curriculum and training imparted by them so that persons emerging from institutions recognised by them are capable of managing and handling situations in the ICUs.
