c m y k c m y k THE LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH DAILY IN SOUTH INDIA CHENNAI I SUNDAY 20 I DECEMBER 2020 WEATHER STATE | 3 NATION | 4 SPORT | 8 Max: 30OC Min: 21OC Rajini Mandram leaders Police to probe Akhtar’s Gavaskar hails Aussie Rainfall: Nil asked to hurry up plaint against Kangana bowlers ASTROGUIDE Sarvari: Margazhi 5 deccanchronicle.com, facebook.com/deccannews, twitter.com/deccanchronicle, google.com/+deccanchronicle Vol. 16 No. 265 Established 1938 | 8 PAGES| `4.00 Tithi: Shashti Star: Sathayam ■ Rahukalam: Chief Minister position is ‘God given’, says EPS TN to offer `2,500 4.30 pm to 6 pm Mamata will be as Pongal gift to Yamagandam: 12 noon to 1.30 pm CM kicks off poll campaign rice card holders PRAYERS DC CORRESPONDENT Fajar: 5.07 am left alone: Shah DC CORRESPONDENT Palaniswami recalled his severe drought while CHENNAI, DEC. 19: Zohar: 12.09 pm with agency inputs humble background and cyclones ravaged the coast ● Asar: 3.19 pm Midnapore (WB), Dec. Suvenduu SALEM, DEC. 19 how glad he was that he and currently coronavirus Chief Minister Edappadi K. 19: By the time assembly Adhikari joins could utilised the post to pandemic was posing a Palaniswami’s announce- Maghrib: 5.45 pm elections are held in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister serve the people, however massive threat. He over- ment of Pongal gift of `2,500 Isha: 7.01 pm West Bengal, Chief BJP: P4 K. Palaniswami launched challenging the post was. came all obstacles and cash to all ‘rice’ ration card Minister Mamata his poll campaign for the “I never thought of ensured continuity of the holders, besides a package of ED attaches Farooq Banerjee will be left including five of the rul- Tamil Nadu polls of 2021 becoming chief minister. ‘Amma’ government, thus condiments to make the fes- alone in her TMC, a ing party, and a from a small village near This is God-given...I disproving the opposition tival sweeter, has evoked assets worth `12 cr cocky Union Home Trinamool Congress Lok Salem on Saturday on a utilised it to serve the peo- parties' calculations on his critics of two types – one say- Minister Amit Shah Sabha member in Mr pious note. Describing his ple,” Palaniswami said. He government not lasting its ing don’t pay and the other New Delhi: The Enforcement asserted on Saturday as a Shah’s presence stint on the chief minister’s pointed out that his rural term till the 2021 Assembly telling him to pay more. Directorate Saturday attached resi- battery of TMC leaders The TMCs slogan of chair in the State in the background and education elections he said. Soon after Mr Palaniswami dential and commercial properties including the ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’ time from February 2017 to prayers at the small village in a state-run school helped “Some questioned let his plans for the Pongal worth nearly `12 crore of former redoubtable Suvendu (mother, motherland and now, he said he never temple in his Edappadi con- him understand the diffi- whether my rule will con- bonanza be known at the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Adhikari joined the BJP. people) has been reduced believed that one day he stituency and having a puja culties of the people and in tinue after Jayalalithaa's campaign meeting Farooq Abdullah in an ongoing case Mr Adhikari, the fore- to ‘extortion, corruption would be given the CM’s done in front of his cam- resolving their problems. demise. Now my govern- Saturday, his arch political of alleged money laundering, draw- most TMC leader with a and nepotism’, Mr Shah post. “It is God-given,” he paign van that was He reminded the people, ment has successfully com- rival and DMK president ing strong reaction from his party mass base after Ms said, and exuded confi- said. bedecked with garlands. supporters and AIADMK pleted four years in office M.K. Stalin said that `2,500 National Conference (NC) which Banerjee, shifted alle- dence that the BJP will It was on a worshipful With trademark humility cadre at a large gathering and is all set to step into an was too little an amount for said these properties were “largely giance to the BJP, form the next govern- note that he kickstarted his in front of his supporters that when he took up the election year (in 2021),” he the people and urged him to ancestral” and he would challenge besides nine MLAs, ment in the state. — PTI campaign after offering and voters, Mr reins, the state was facing a added. ■ P2 pay ` 5,000 cash. ■ P2 the action in a court of law. COUNTER POINT Team India’s summer of 36 Down Under Sonia holds rapprochement R. MOHAN | DC new India?" Only time will pitched up to a full length meeting with ‘letter writers’ CHENNAI, DEC. 19 tell. and aimed at the corridor of The previous low for India uncertainty by Pat This will go down as the was on the 1974 tour of Cummins and Mitchell New Delhi, Dec. 19: chalk the Congress’ “Summer of 36”. Team India England when they were a Starc and the stump-to- Seeking to quell recent future strategy, was a achieved history of the noto- miserable set of tourists, stump line as in Josh dissension in the party, demand by Sonia rious sort in going down for huddled at Lord’s against Hazlewood’s pinpoint accu- Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s loyalists that a bus route kind of number the blustery cold of Old racy. ■ P2 Gandhi on Saturday met Rahul Gandhi should in their total of 36 (innings Blighty as the ball swung India skipper Virat Kohli a section of leaders assume the party leader- closed as last man and seamed. But this was a congratulates his including some who ship again. Mohammad Shami retired bright Australian summer Aussie counter- >>> wrote to her this August Mr Gandhi said that he hurt). The ignominy of day on which the ball hardly part Tim Paine after the demanding a complete was “ready to take any being shot out for their low- swung and moved off the first Test in Adelaide on organisational overhaul. responsibility given by est total since India played seam only a smidgen. The highlight of the the party”, but at the same Saturday. Australia their first Test at Lord's in This Team India of the five-hour meeting, which time mentioned that the 1932 is that of Virat Kohlis new millennium sank with- thrashed India by eight ended with a plan to hold decision on presidentship team. Is this an aberration out a trace, done in by pre- wickets after bowling out a ‘chintan shivir’ at the should be left to the elec- or is it a “representation of cise bowling, the ball the visitors for their lowest earliest opportunity to toral process. — PTI ■ P4 total in Test history. — AFP CITY pg DECCAN CHRONICLE | SUNDAY | 20 DECEMBER 2020 | CHENNAI 2 SHORT TAKES DMK terms transfer Pongal bonanza: `2,500 cash, gift hamper of Bengal IPS DC CORRESPONDENT officers ‘autocratic’ CHENNAI, DEC. 19 Chennai, Dec. 19: The DMK in Chief Minister Edappadi Tamil Nadu on Saturday dubbed K Palaniswami’s anno- as "autocratic and anti-federal" uncement of Pongal gift of the union government transfer- `2,500 cash to all ‘rice’ ring three West Bengal IPS offi- ration card holders, cers to central deputation and besides a package of urged Prime Minister Narendra condiments to make the Modi to 'rescind' the order. festival sweeter, has DMK President M K Stalin evoked critics of two described the transfers as "uni- types – one saying don’t lateral". The three IPS officers pay and the other telling were responsible for the securi- him to pay more. ty of BJP National President J P Soon after Palaniswami Nadda whose convoy was let his plans for the Pongal attacked during his recent visit bonanza be known at the to West Bengal, where Assembly campaign meeting on polls are due next year. Saturday, his arch politi- The Mamata Banerjee-led cal rival and DMK TMC government in that state is President M K Stalin said strongly opposing the Centre's that `2,500 was too little move. In a Facebook post on an amount for the people Saturday, Stalin said, "the uni- and urged him to pay lateral transfer of 3 West Bengal `5000 cash. IPS officers by the Union BJP Stalin was addressing an Govt is autocratic and anti-fed- election meeting organ- eral." ised for Thiruvallur dis- Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami prays at a temple in Salem on Saturday. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami campaigns in Salem on Saturday. "The civil service of the coun- trict when he said that the — DC — DC try must not be dictated by the government that had whims and fancies of the ruling refused to pay people But there were many oth- But there were many party in Delhi," he said. money during the ers who supported the others who supported the Stalin, Tamil Nadu Leader of Coronavirus lockdown gift offer and thanked the gift offer and thanked the Opposition, urged the Prime could at least consider Chief Minister for his ges- Chief Minister for his ges- minister to "immediately paying `5000 now after the ture. ‘Hits a Sixer ture. ‘Hits a Sixer We tackled cyclone, covid: CM rescind the transfer order." people had been further Announcement in his Day Announcement in his Day From P1 — PTI battered by rains and 1 campaign,’ said a 1 campaign,’ said a sup- AIADMK Co-Coordinator, he may seek re-election the aspirations of the peo- floods.