Erode MP’s death: INDIA bloc in trouble
Red-headed vulture let go with sat tracker
The death of MDMK leader Ganeshamurthy has has put INDIA bloc on the back foot in Tamil Nadu.
The sitting MP from Erode died due to a cardiac arrest after an alleged suicide attempt on Thursday morning in a Coimbatore hospital. According to police, the 77-yearold Ganeshamurthi had allegedly tried to kill himself after consuming some poisonous tablets on March 24 at his home. He was rushed to a hospital in Erode and later referred to a private institute in Coimbatore.
The Erode Town police had registered an attempt to suicide case, which will now be altered to a death by suicide case, police said.
According to family members, the veteran leader had took this drastic step after he was denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha poll.
"He was a brave and determined leader. There's no iota of truth that Ganeshamurthi made a suicide attempt over not getting a seat to contest Lok Sabha election again," Vaiko said while speaking to reporters in Coimbatore.
MDMK swapped the Erode seat with the Tiruchi seat of the DMK during seat sharing negotiations. MDMK founder leader Vaiko’s son, Durai Vaiko, will be contesting from Tiruchi seat. Ganeshamurthy's death has created problems for the DMK, MDMK and the INDIA bloc as they will face allegations by rival parties on the issue during the election.
A senior AIADMK leader told IANS on condition of anonymity, "The DMK and its allies have turned into family parties and no democracy exists in such parties. The death of sitting MP Ganeshamurthy is a serious matter and a proper answer from the DMK and MDMK is expected.
Expressing shock and grief over his demise, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said Ganeshamurthi started his political journey in the DMK and was the party’s district secretary before joining Vaiko.
A red-headed vulture, a scavenger and predatory bird was released into the open sky with a satellite ring tied to its leg in the Chilla range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, a forest official said on Thursday.
"Every organism in the ecosystem has a role to play in maintaining its balance," Saket Badola, the reserve's Director, who released the bird on Wednesday, said.
The satellite ring will track the bird's movements and areas frequented by it, locations or tree species it prefers to make its nest in, and the ambience it selects for breeding, Badola said.
The bird was released under a programme being conducted jointly by the forest department personnel and an NGO, he said.
Due to the use of banned chemicals like diclofenac, birds of prey and scavengers have been under constant threat for the last several years and their numbers have declined.
Therefore, there is a great need for scientific research and study on birds of raptor class, said Badola.