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Chennai saw a fresh decline in 22-carat jewellery gold prices on March 17, with the rate falling by Rs 480 per sovereign to Rs 1,17,200. The per-gram price slipped by Rs 60 to Rs 14,650. The drop is linked to international investors reducing exposure to gold, which has pushed prices lower in India as well. In Tamil Nadu, on Saturday, 22-carat gold was sold at Rs 14,760 per gram and Rs 1,18,080 per sovereign.
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran on Monday said the ruling DMK’s “money power” would not decide the next Assembly election, asserting that the people’s will would prevail. Speaking to reporters in Madurai, he said the NDA would face the upcoming Assembly polls under the leadership of AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). He also claimed there were no issues within the alliance over seat-sharing. Nagendran accused the DMK government of failing to deliver on its election promises over the past five years, alleging that barring one or two, most of the over 500 promises were not implemented and that the public was misled.
Former Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its Delhi office on March 17 in connection with the Karur stampede case. The case relates to a crowd crush at a meeting in Karur attended by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, in which 41 people died. TVK functionaries had submitted a complaint to CBI officials alleging that Senthil Balaji, a former minister from the DMK, was behind the incident.
Teja alliance parties held protests across Tamil Nadu on Monday, pressing for stronger law and order measures and improved women’s safety. The demonstrations were organised to condemn incidents of sexual violence in the state. Leaders participated in protests at various locations. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) joined the Chennai protest, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss took part in Cuddalore, AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran participated in Thanjavur, and TMC (Moopanar) leader G.K. Vasan joined the protest in Erode.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday welcomed the Archaeological Survey of India’s approval to conduct excavations at eight locations, including the 11th phase at Keezhadi. In a statement, Stalin said the clearance was obtained after sustained pressure and repeated letters to the Union government. He described the decision, which came after months of delay, as a victory for the state’s perseverance. The approved sites include Keezhadi, Adichanallur and Nagapattinam, among others, according to the Chief Minister.
An Indian LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, has reached Gujarat’s Vadinar port after transiting the Strait of Hormuz with a cargo of 47,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The movement comes amid disruptions in the region, with reports of attacks on crude oil tankers following military strikes involving the US and Israel. Against this backdrop, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to the report.
Seat-sharing negotiations between the DMK and the CPI(M) remain inconclusive, with both sides yet to finalise an agreement, according to remarks made after talks in Chennai. The discussions were held at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam. Speaking to reporters afterwards, CPI(M) state secretary Shanmugam said the party is seeking to contest more constituencies than in the previous election. Shanmugam said the DMK side had requested the CPI(M) to accept fewer seats than last time, but the CPI(M) conveyed that it should be allotted additional constituencies in line with its intention to contest more.
Seat-sharing negotiations within the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu have run into renewed tension, with multiple partners pressing for a larger share of constituencies ahead of the election. The trigger, DMK functionaries say, is the decision to allot the Congress party three more seats than it received in the previous election, despite long-standing criticism about the party’s limited organisational strength in the state. Citing that increase, the Communist parties and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) have also begun demanding additional seats. Even after three rounds of talks, a final agreement has not been reached, according to the report.
Tamil Nadu minister Raghupathi on Tuesday said actor Rajinikanth cannot be intimidated into submission, responding to questions from reporters in Chennai. The minister alleged that attempts were being made to stage a “fake drama” suggesting women are unsafe, claiming it was aimed at undermining the DMK-led alliance after sensing strong support from women. Raghupathi also said women were coming forward to file complaints because they have confidence in the government, and referred to police statistics on crime during the previous AIADMK regime.
New Delhi: The Union government has clarified that biometric Aadhaar authentication linked to domestic LPG cylinders is not mandatory for all consumers. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had issued a notice on March 15 stating that LPG users should complete biometric Aadhaar verification to continue receiving cylinder refills. This led to concerns that the process would be compulsory for everyone. In its clarification, the ministry said the online KYC process is not a new practice and the latest communication was meant to ensure that consumers who have not completed biometric verification do so. Those who have already verified their details need not repeat the process.
Chennai: Actor Rajinikanth has issued a statement condemning remarks made about him by TVK party office-bearer Adhav Arjuna, calling them “untrue”. He added that “time does not speak, but waits and answers.” The controversy began after Adhav Arjuna, speaking at a TVK protest in Chennai, claimed that Rajinikanth had dropped his decision to enter politics due to threats from the DMK. The comment drew criticism from various quarters, including political leaders, members of the film industry and Rajinikanth’s fans.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has strongly condemned Pakistan for an attack on a hospital in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul that reportedly killed 400 people. The ministry said the incident amounted to a large-scale massacre and accused Pakistan of trying to present it as a military operation. In a statement, the MEA described the strike as a “brutal massacre” and a cowardly, conscience-less act of violence. It said the location targeted could not be justified as a military objective in any manner.
The results of the latest Rajya Sabha elections have strengthened the position of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Of the 37 vacancies, the NDA secured 24 seats, while other parties together won 13. The Rajya Sabha has a total strength of 250 members—238 elected from states and Union Territories and 12 nominated by the President. Members serve six-year terms, with elections held every two years for a portion of seats.
Tehran: Israel has claimed that Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, was killed in an airstrike carried out by the Israeli Air Force. The report comes as the United States and Israeli forces are said to be conducting attacks on Iran. The source also states that Iran’s leader Khamenei and senior commander Soleimani have been killed. According to the same account, there is no confirmed information about the condition of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was described as newly chosen to lead. It is being suggested he may be injured or in a coma.
New Delhi: The Union government on Tuesday said enforcement teams have seized 15,000 hoarded LPG cylinders across the country after conducting around 12,000 inspections in recent days. Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujatha Sharma, said Delhi alone accounted for the seizure of about 600 cylinders. In Uttar Pradesh, officials carried out around 450 inspections and arrested more than 10 people, she said. In Kashmir, 564 inspections were conducted, cases were registered and some people were taken into custody.
Tamil Nadu has reiterated before the Supreme Court that it will not permit Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) to be set up in the state, arguing that the residential schools are tied to a three-language framework while the state follows a two-language policy. JNVs were launched nationwide under the Centre’s 1986 education policy to provide quality schooling for rural students, with one such residential school envisioned in each district. The medium of instruction is the mother tongue or state language up to Class 8, after which English and Hindi are used.
An Indian LPG tanker, Shivalik, has reached Gujarat’s Mundra port after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports from Ahmedabad. Shipping through the strait has faced disruption as Iran has been targeting crude oil tankers moving along the route, following attacks by US and Israeli forces. The situation has affected vessel movement through one of the region’s key maritime corridors. Against this backdrop, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is said to have held talks four times with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. After these discussions, Iran granted permission for Indian vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump has said he may postpone his planned trip to China, citing the need to pressure Beijing to help address oil-market disruptions arising from the Iran war. The remarks come as US–China trade talks have begun. A meeting was held in Paris with a US delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng. The outcome of these discussions was expected to feed into a proposed Trump–Xi Jinping meeting in Beijing scheduled between March 31 and April 2.
Iran’s military has, for the first time, launched the Sejjil-2 missile—described as a “dancing missile”—in strikes targeting areas linked with Tehran, Jerusalem and Washington, according to reports. The development comes as the conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran continues to intensify, with attacks continuing from both sides and Tehran unveiling newer weapons during the exchanges. The Sejjil-2 is referred to as a “dancing missile” because it is said to be capable of changing direction in flight to mislead enemy defence radars, making its trajectory difficult to predict.
The Election Commission has announced that workers and employees in Tamil Nadu must be given a paid holiday on the day of polling for the Assembly election. The Assembly election schedule for five states, including Tamil Nadu, was recently released. As per the schedule, Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23. With the Model Code of Conduct in force, the Commission said monitoring and enforcement activities are being intensified across the state.
New York: US President Donald Trump’s appeal for countries to help protect oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz has drawn no takers, with NATO members collectively declining to join the effort. The report links the disruption in shipping to the ongoing war being waged by the US and Israel against Iran. With Iran controlling the strait, vessel movement through the route has been affected, pushing up global crude oil prices as the corridor carries around 20% of the world’s crude oil and natural gas.
Tehran: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the situation must conclude in a manner “enemies cannot imagine,” so that similar attacks are not attempted again. In a statement, Araghchi alleged that neighbouring countries were encouraging US forces to attack Iran and kill Iranians. He also claimed that joint Israeli and US strikes had led to the deaths of thousands of civilians, including 200 children. Araghchi said Iran’s position should not be interpreted as a desire for war. He argued that the emphasis on the nature of the outcome is aimed at ensuring adversaries do not even consider repeating such attacks.
Tehran: More than 550 Indians who were stranded in Iran have been brought out safely through the neighbouring country of Armenia, as tensions continue in the West Asian nation. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, around 9,000 Indians live in Iran. For safety reasons, several Indians were shifted from the capital Tehran to other safer cities within Iran. The Indian Embassy advised those wishing to return to India to travel via Armenia or Azerbaijan. Following this, over 550 people—including 284 who had recently gone on a pilgrimage to Iran—crossed out of Iran through the Armenia border. Students studying at various universities in Iran were also among those who left.
New Delhi: The Union Petroleum Ministry has reiterated that there is no shortage of domestic LPG cylinders in India, even as the ongoing conflict in West Asia has affected parts of the global supply chain. Officials said the disruption is linked to the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route through which LPG shipments bound for India typically travel. The ministry described the impact on logistics as a matter of concern, but stressed that household cylinder distribution continues without interruption across the country.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its first list of 144 candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. In the list, senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has been nominated to contest from two constituencies—Bhabanipur and Nandigram. Bhabanipur is widely seen as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold, making the nomination politically significant. Adhikari had quit the Trinamool Congress ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections and joined the BJP. In that election, he defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.
The Madras High Court has directed the Election Commission to submit its response to a petition challenging the tender floated for live “webcasting” of election activities at polling stations. The Tamil Nadu Assembly election is scheduled for April 23, with around 75,000 polling booths to be set up across the state. To monitor polling booths and vote-counting centres, the Election Commission issued a tender on March 3 for webcasting services.
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Food Safety Department has instructed its officials not to release public “awareness” videos about watermelon this summer, saying such content could again hurt farmers. With summer beginning in the state, consumers are buying cooling foods such as tender coconut and watermelon in large numbers. While awareness campaigns are usually carried out to prevent harm from alleged chemical adulteration in fruits, the department said last year’s messaging had unintended consequences.
A consultation meeting with representatives of Election Commission-recognised political parties was held at the Secretariat in Chennai on Sunday, chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, in connection with the Assembly elections. After the meeting, DMK representative R.S. Bharathi said there were reports that the Election Commission had ordered the covering of leaders’ statues during the election period. Referring to visuals of an MGR statue being covered, he said the Commission should act in line with the High Court’s view that there is no need to cover statues of deceased leaders.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought information on immovable properties worth about Rs 25 crore linked to Murthy, the husband of Tirunelveli Municipal Corporation DMK councillor Sudha. According to the report, ED officials have sent a letter to the Tamil Nadu Registration Department requesting property-related details. Murthy, who is also described as the president of the All India Pasumpon Munnetrak Kazhagam, has been arrested by the ED in connection with an alleged illegal money laundering case.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said nomination filing for the 234 Assembly constituencies will effectively be open for only five working days, as public holidays fall within the schedule. She said nominations will be accepted from March 30 to April 6, but applications will be received only on working days between 11.00 am and 3.00 pm. As of March 15, the state has 5.69 crore voters, including 2.90 crore women, 2.78 crore men and 7,656 third-gender voters. To monitor the Model Code of Conduct, 2,106 flying squads have been formed, and district election officers have been issued instructions to improve the polling-station experience.
