Volume No 17 Issue No 4 February 20, 2017 LAB JOURNAL OF THE ASIAN COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM People want No VC causes What does V-Day OPS as CM career trouble mean to you? Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 SSaasikasla iis knowa Prilsoaner Noumuber t92,3 4P in Baenglaalurun jaili; TsN Gwoveranorm asks iP aliannisw aami tso fo rmC GMovt. SURBHI GUPTA the Disproportionate Assets case. MLAs are being held hostage . The crisis in the ruling They are being coerced into 'No one can After a weeklong crisis in the AIADMK erupted after supporting Sasikala’s nominee. ruling AIADMK, Edapaddi K. Panneerselvam declared that he had Addressing the media after replace Amma' Palaniswami has been sworn in as been forced to resign to make way visiting former Chief Minister the 29th Chief Minister of Tamil for Sasikala to take over as Chief Jayalalithaa’s memorial, VARUN DIKSHIT Nadu. All ministers from the Minister. But Sasikala was Panneerselvam said, “The Tamil previous cabinet, except O. convicted and jailed. Before she Nadu government sworn-in today Residents of RK Nagar, former Panneerselvam and Ma Foi K. went to jail in Bengaluru, Sasikala is anti-people... We have taken a Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's Pandiarajan, were retained in the 31 nominated Palaniswami as the vow at Amma’s memorial to make constituency in North Chennai, member ministry. leader of the AIADMK party. people aware of the situation in the have welcomed the conviction of Palaniswami won the vote of Sasikala had revoked the party and ways to bring the party AIDMK interim General Secretary, confidence in the Assembly on suspension of her nephews, T.T.V out of it.” VK Sasikala, in the February 18 after the DMK Dinakaran and S. Venkatesh, Meanwhile in Delhi, eight Lok Disproportionate Assets case and members were expelled from the readmitted them as members and Sabha and two Rajya Sabha said that “none can replace Amma.” House after they dirupted the made Dinakaran deputy general Members of Parliament of “Sasikala is not even an elected proceddings in the House.. The secretary of the party. AIADMK met the Election MLA. It is good that she has been DMK wanted the vote postponed This has led to allegations that Commission (EC) and submitted a convicted as people of Tamil Nadu but the Speaker P Dhanapal the Sasikala camp was having a letter stating that Sasikala's would have never accepted her as reejcted the demand. stranglehold on the party and the appointment as interim general the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,” The party’s interm General state administration. secretary of the party was illegal. said Sanjay Gandhi, a medical Secretary VK Sasikala handpicked Palaniswami is confident of The commission has issued a notice representative. Palaniswami, a four-time MLA passing the floor test with the to Sasikala. Jayalalithaa won from the RK from Salem, after she was support of 124 MLAs, However Soon after the swearing in Nagar constituency in 2011 and convicted by the Supreme Court in there have been allegations that the ceremony, supporters of 2016 with a thumping majority. Her Panneerselvam and the newly- demise has left a huge political void inducted Minister C.V in R K Nagar. Shanmugam, clashed in front of the “I voted for Jayalalithaa and not ministers’ bungalow on Greenways for Sasikala. No one can replace Road. One man and a policeman VK Sasikala at Jayalalithaa’s memorial after conviction | REUTERS Amma in our life," said Devraj, a were injured and the situation was local businessman. brought under control by the police. "Sasikala is responsible for The Hindu, also reported Amma’s death,” he said angrily. tensions at Bodinayakkanur town People in the R K Nagar were in Dindigul as supporters of ignorant that along with Sasikala Sasikala and Panneerselvam. the Supreme Court had also upheld Panneerselvam’s office was Sasikala and others the trial court’s conviction of attacked and banners were torn. In Jayalalithaa, who was Accused No turn, his supporters pelted stones at 1 in the disproportionate assets the supporters of Balamurugan, case. Some even cited Sasikala's AIADMK secretary of the town; 'bad influence' as the reason behind they damaged his car too. There has convicted in DA case “Amma” getting mired in cases. been a heavy deployment of police “It is because of Sasikala that Edappadi K Palaniswami | IANS in the area. Amma's name cropped up in the Case Jayalalithaa abated due to death [DA] case," said Vallikumar S, who owns a small accessory shop in R SUMEDHA GROVER The apex court sentenced her High Court. K Nagar. and two other relatives to “Though it is clear from the Vallikumar was not satisfied with AIADMK interim General four years imprisonment and judgment that had she been alive the punishment given to Sasikala Secretary VK Sasikala, has been ordered them to pay a fine of Rs 10 she would have been rendered the “ Ideally she should be locked in ‘India, China differ on lodged in the Parappana Agrahara crore each. same verdict,” he added. the jail for lifetime as after 4 years jail in Bengaluru following her The court also upheld the Sasikala visited Jayalalithaa’s she will come back and rule conviction by the Supreme Court charges against former Chief memorial on her way to Bengaluru AIADMK and will again indulge in in the Rs 66 crore disproportionate Minister Jayalalithaa, but said the to surrender before the Bengaluru corrupt practices.” threat perceptions’ assets case. case against her had abated due to Trial Court. While offering Most of the people in the area TSHERING DORJI Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. The judgment bars her from her death. The Rs. 100 crore fine prayers, Sasikala hit the memorial wanted O Panneerselvam to China does not view India as a threat because it is China was also demonstrating sensitivity in dealing contesting elections for ten years imposed by the Bengaluru court, thrice and took a vow which was become Chief Minister. economically weak and lacks comprehensive with India’s neighbouring nations. This was driven effectively preventing her from though, still has to be recovered by later clarified by the AIADMK in a Ameer Hamza, a helmet shop power at the international level, according to Dr. by a perception different from the Chinese view becoming the Chief Minister of the Tamil Nadu government. tweet which stated, “I will owner said “We have neutral David Brewster of the National Security College, towards East Asia. Tamil Nadu in the near future. “The judgment doesn’t provide overcome hurdle(s), treachery and feelings towards Panneerselvam as Australian National University, Canberra. Whenever China perceived India’s actions as Upholding the 2014 judgment ample justification for abating the (the) plotting (against me).” he hasn’t done anything wrong thus Brewster made it clear that China’s interest in harming its interests, it responded with retaliation. of the Bengaluru Trial Court, charges yet retaining the fine. Most AIADMK supporters of far and since Amma wanted him to the Indian Ocean was to protect its Sea Lines of In 2015, a few days after the Chinese Prime the Supreme Court directed There seems to be some O Panneerselvam’s camp be the Chief Minister ideally he Communication (SLOCs) and ensure the security President Xi Jinping visited India, a Chinese Sasikala to complete the remainder incongruity in that. There seems to welcomed the verdict but refused should have been the Chief and safety of Chinese nationals and assets in the submarine unexpectedly sailed into Sri Lanka, of her four year sentence. She be only the moral finding of guilt to acknowledge that former party Minister of state.” region. which is seen as India’s backyard. had already served six-months in against her,” said Suhrith chief Jayalalithaa had also Some residents were tired of the Speaking about India and China’s strategic Brewster said India’s increasing ties with the jail earlier. Parthasarathy, Advocate, Madras been convicted. never ending cycle of events set in ambition in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, China’s traditional neighbours like Vietnam, motion by the AIADMK crisis and Dr. Brewster observed that while India viewed Singapore, Japan and Taiwan, made China jittery. TIMELINE wanted some closure. China as the primary threat to its national security Dr. Lawrence Prabhakar, Professor of “Since Amma’s death, the city the Chinese did not have a similar perception about International Relations, Madras Christian College 1996 : BJP member Subramanian Swamy, then Trial Court on the grounds that a fair trial was not has been in a state of turmoil. First India. This created an asymmetry of threat however doubted the operational robustness of the Janata Party chief, filed a case against J Jayalalithaa possible in Tamil Nadu with her as Chief Minister. cyclone Vardah wreaked havoc, perceptions complicating the dynamics and Chinese Navy. which alleged that during her tenure as Tamil Nadu 2014: The Special Court convicted Jayalalithaa, then mystery shrouded Amma’s interaction between the two countries, he added. Prabhakar pointed out that the Chinese Navy had Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996, she amassed Sasikala and the others on charges of illegal death followed by the Jallikatu Brewster said the United States’ dominance was not fought a war since 1969. He also dismissed the properties worth Rs 66.65 crore which was property acquisition and awarded four years' prison protests that rocked Chennai. Now, eroding with the rise of China and the emergence of possibility of a full-fledged war between India and disproportionate to her known sources of income. term. Jayalalithaa was fined Rs. 100 crore while the the fight for power within India as major regional powers.