National
AIADMK General Council ousts Sasikala, Dinakaran, rejigs party structure (Lead)
Chennai, Sep 12 (IANS) The ruling AIADMK’s General Council on Tuesday annulled the appointment of V.K. Sasikala as the party’s General Secretary and also struck down the appointments made by her before going to jail, including making her nephew T.T.V. Dinakaran the party Deputy General Secretary.
In other major decisions, the General Council altered the party’s organisational structure to a collective leadership structure. It amended the party rules whereby none will be elected or nominated to the post of General Secretary – a position held by party supremo and late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa till her death.
The General Council also decided that party Coordinator (now held by Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam) and Joint Coordinator (held by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami) will oversee the party affairs.
The General Council also introduced a rule whereby the party’s Coordinator and Joint Coordinator would be elected by the General Council, and they would hold the post for five years.
With the annulment of the appointment of Dinakaran as Deputy General Secretary, the appointments made by him are also struck down.
Sasikala was appointed interim General Secretary last December following the death of party supremo and Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
Sasikala had appointed Dinakaran as Deputy General Secretary before going to jail.
The council also ratified the recent merger of the two factions led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam.
One of the basic demands of Panneerselvam camp for the merger with Palaniswami was the dismissal of Sasikala and her family members from the party.
Party officials said the power to admit or dismiss a member rests with the party General Secretary. This power has been now transferred to party Coordinator and Joint Coordinator following the amendments to the rules.
Party officials said the dismissal of Sasikala and her family from the party may happen now – under the new organisational structure.
The General Council also resolved to restore all those who were party office bearers appointed by Jayalalithaa. They will continue to hold office now, it said.
A total of 14 resolutions including the ones hailing the merger of two factions; the government for celebrating the birth centenary of late Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran and AIADMK Founder; the decision of the government to build a memorial for Jayalalithaa and others were passed at the General Council meeting that was attended by around 2,140 members.
Loyalists of Dinakaran, including law makers and members of General Council, boycotted the meeting.
Reacting to the General Council resolutions Dinakaran said the Madras High Court on Monday has said the decisions of the meeting are subject to its final judgement in a case filed against the holding of the meeting.
Dinakaran, who is leading 21 party legislators, on Tuesday said he would work towards bringing down the K. Palaniswami government.
“You (Chief Minister Palaniswami) and others have no moral right to sit in positions of power that was once wielded by Jayalalithaa. We will send this government home,” Dinakaran told a press conference later.
Citing the resolution that states that the party members cannot visualise anybody else as General Secretary other than the late Jayalalithaa, he wondered whether the same logic would also apply to the Chief Minister’s post?
“As per the party rules, the General Secretary will be elected by the primary members of the party if there is an election. The amendment by the ruling faction has effectively taken away the only right of the 1.5 crore members,” C.R. Saraswathi, spokesperson of Dinakaran faction, told IANS.
As per AIADMK constitution, the party General Secretary is elected directly by the primary members. The party has around 1.5 crore members.
Saraswathi said as per the amended rule, a primary member who had the power to elect the top most leader of the party can now elect only the local level office bearers.
This is a great letdown for the party cadres who slog it out during the elections and at other times, she said.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.