1. Virudhunagar fire accident: Toll rises to 25

With the death of two more persons, the toll of the Sunday explosion at Vanaja Fireworks Unit in Kattanarpatti in Virudhunagar district increased to 25 today. 

The bereaved kin staged a road blockade demanding compensation, government jobs to kin of deceased.

2. BJP seeks controlled government in Tamil Nadu: Rahul Gandhi

Drawing comparison with Bihar politics, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi claimed BJP aims to establish a government in Tamil Nadu, that would function under its control and wants a Chief Minister who would act according to its direction. He was speaking at Sawyerpuram in Thoothukudi district.

During his public meeting in Kanniyakumari district, Mr. Gandhi said: “The RSS is planning to, and trying to, rule Tamil Nadu by proxy. The same way Donald Trump [President of the United States] controls the Prime Minister of India, the Prime Minister of India wants to control Tamil Nadu through the AIADMK.”

3. Madras HC stays case against Annamalai

The Madras High Court stayed all further proceedings in a criminal case pending against former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Annamalai before a judicial magistrate court in Salem for reportedly claiming at a press meet that Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, in 1956, warned of performing ‘blood abhishekam’ for Madurai Meenakshi Amman “if atheists continued to insult theists.”