KV Lakshmana
KV Lakshmana is the Tamil Nadu bureau chief of Hindustan Times. He covers social, economic and political changes in the state and neighbourhood.
Articles by KV Lakshmana
Protesters cheer as Thoothukudi collector seals Sterlite plant after govt order
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAY 29, 2018 12:04 AM IST
The Tamil Nadu government on Monday directed the state’s environment regulatory body to seal the Vedanta group’s copper plant and close it down “permanently”.
HC asks Apollo Hospitals to submit report on Jayalalithaa’s blood samples
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 25, 2018 09:22 PM IST
The court’s order came as it heard a petition filed by S Amrutha, who claims to be Jayalalithaa’s daughter.
Tamil Nadu governor apologises for patting woman journalist’s cheek
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 19, 2018 12:05 AM IST
College sex scandal: Tamil Nadu governor rules out resignation
Chennai, Hindustan Times | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 17, 2018 11:55 PM IST
The “sex scandal” involves an assistant professor of a college, who allegedly advised students to extend sexual favours to some university officials for higher grades and money.
Tamil Nadu professor tells students to ‘please’ officials for marks, arrested
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 17, 2018 02:33 PM IST
The lecturer of Devanga Arts College allegedly advised students “to adjust with some officials” in return for higher marks and money, in what is seen as a suggestion for sexual favour.
Tamil folk singer arrested for singing songs criticising PM Modi, gets bail
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 14, 2018 01:34 PM IST
Kovan was arrested after a complaint by a district secretary of the BJP youth wing who alleged that the song brought disrepute to the Prime Minister’s name and post.
Modi in Tamil Nadu for Defence Expo, Cauvery protesters wave black flags at him
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 12, 2018 03:33 PM IST
Cauvery protesters held “Modi Go Back” posters and some, wearing black shirts, climbed up a huge advertisement hoarding in the parking area near Chennai airport.
IPL 2018: BCCI picks four standby cities for CSK games due to Cauvery turmoil
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 11, 2018 08:14 PM IST
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shortlisted Visakhapatnam, Trivandrum, Pune and Rajkot as standby venues to host Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2018 home games.
Helicopter and 4,000 cops secure Chepauk for IPL 2018 match, Cauvery protesters chased away
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 10, 2018 08:39 PM IST
Massive security cover thrown around Chennai’s Chepauk stadium as 4,000 policemen — many in riot gear — stand guard.
TN parties ‘disappointed’, say SC gave too much time to Centre on Cauvery board
Chennai, Hindustan Times | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 09, 2018 10:06 PM IST
The Cauvery protests would continue and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be shown black flags during his April 12 visit to the state, DMK’s working president MK Stalin, who is leading a protest march, said at a rally.
Tamil Nadu oppn parties flay Panneerselvam’s decision to skip meet of southern states
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana, Chennai
PUBLISHED ON APR 09, 2018 07:43 PM IST
The Tuesday meeting of finance ministers of southern states is being held to discuss the proposals of the 15th Finance Commission which they fear could go against them.
Rajinikanth says CSK should think about Cauvery issue, time not right for IPL in Chennai
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana, Chennai
UPDATED ON APR 09, 2018 09:55 PM IST
Actor-politician Rajinikanth also said that if it was not possible to withdraw IPL from Chennai at this stage, then the players should wear black badges to highlight the plight of the state’s farmers.
Tamil Nadu parties oppose IPL matches in Chennai over Cauvery issue
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 06, 2018 11:55 PM IST
Tamil Nadu parties said IPL organisers should consider the plight of farmers and protests over the Centre’s delay in constituting a board to resolve the decades-old Cauvery water-sharing dispute with Karnataka.
Cauvery issue: DMK-backed bandh evokes mixed response in Tamil Nadu
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 05, 2018 07:23 PM IST
While protesters blocked roads and disrupted railway services across the state, police stepped up efforts to ensure that essential services were not hit.
Sumptuous lunch break turns AIADMK’s hunger strike into farce
By KV Lakshmana, Chennai
UPDATED ON APR 04, 2018 05:59 PM IST
The AIADMK’s image took a hit after pictures emerged of its cadres eating biryani during a day-long hunger strike on Tuesday. But Tamil Nadu’s ruling party claims the pictures were morphed.
Cauvery issue: Tamil Nadu CM, deputy CM begin hunger strike
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON APR 03, 2018 07:10 PM IST
Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam participated in the strike in Chennai, while in districts, the protest was led by other ministers and party leaders.
Stalker slits teen’s throat outside college in Chennai, had wanted to marry her
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAR 10, 2018 08:10 AM IST
Police said the girl’s parents had lodged a complaint against the accused last month for allegedly pestering her with proposals of marriage.
Brahmins attacked in Tamil Nadu as Periyar statue vandalism triggers violence, protests
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAR 07, 2018 10:05 PM IST
The attack on Brahmins is viewed as a retaliatory move after senior BJP leader H Raja posted, and removed later, remarks that Periyar’s statues in Tamil Nadu will fall next following communist icon Vladimir Lenin’s in Tripura.
Tamil Nadu BJP leader, whose Periyar remark sparked row, expresses ‘heartfelt regret’
Chennai, Hindustan Times | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAR 07, 2018 12:35 PM IST
H Raja had said that Periyar’s statues in Tamil Nadu will meet the same fate after Communist leader Lenin’s statue was razed in Tripura.
Periyar statue vandalised in Vellore, petrol bomb hurled at BJP Coimbatore office
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAR 07, 2018 05:15 PM IST
The four culprits came on two bikes, hurled the petrol bombs at the BJP office and escaped before the police on guard could catch them.
After Lenin, it’s Periyar: Statue vandalised in Vellore after BJP leader’s remark, TN parties up in arms
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAR 06, 2018 11:39 PM IST
The Vellore incident came on a day political parties in Tamil Nadu raised a storm against BJP national secretary H Raja’s statement on social media that indicated that statues of Periyar in Tamil Nadu could face the same fate at those of Lenin in Tripura.
DMK wants strict action against BJP leader Raja for his remark on Periyar statue
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAR 06, 2018 07:54 PM IST
A post on BJP’s national secretary H Raja’s Facebook page said: ‘Today Lenin’s statue, tomorrow Tamil Nadu’s EVR Ramaswami’s statue.’
Rajinikanth says he will fill vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics, can repeat MGR’s good governance
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAR 05, 2018 10:12 PM IST
Veteran actor Rajinikanth unveiled a statue of late chief minister MG Ramachandran at a private medical college in Chennai in the presence of a huge crowd and spoke about his political plunge.
Rajinikanth’s political rally marred by ‘illegal’ posters; Kamal takes a jibe
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON MAR 05, 2018 07:58 PM IST
On Monday, ahead of his first big public rally at the MGR University in Chennai where he also unveiled the statue of the late chief minister MGR, Rajinikanth came in for criticism as huge, obtrusive posters lined the roads leading to the venue.
DMK’s Stalin urges Tamil Nadu CM to ask MPs to resign over Cauvery water dispute
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
PUBLISHED ON MAR 03, 2018 03:08 PM IST
DMK president MK Stalin says his party is ready to make any sacrifice to protect the interest of the state’s farmers.
Tamil Nadu: 86 rescued from St Joseph’s Hospice over ‘organ harvesting’
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2018 11:47 PM IST
Villagers surrounding the hospice, located at Salavakkam in Chennai’s neighbouring Chengalpattu district, have been protesting against the facility since Tuesday last week when an old woman and a man were found being transported in a van along with the dead body of another old man.
Sanskrit invocation song at IIT Madras event, attended by central ministers, sparks row
Press Trust of India, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2018 08:05 PM IST
The IIT Madras students sung ‘Maha Ganapathim Manasa Smarami’, penned by late poet Muthuswami Dikshithar, as the invocation song.
‘Spiritualism needed even as world makes progress in science and tech’, Modi at Auroville
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON FEB 25, 2018 10:51 PM IST
Modi also interacted with students of the International School of Education on his first visit to Puducherry after becoming PM.
PM Modi launches subsidised ‘Amma’ two-wheeler scheme in Tamil Nadu
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana
UPDATED ON FEB 24, 2018 10:35 PM IST
PM Modi also launched a sapling planting drive to commemorate the 70th birth anniversary celebrations of the late J Jayalalithaa.
Tamil Nadu all party meet decides on united fight on Cauvery issue
Hindustan Times, Chennai | By KV Lakshmana, Chennai
PUBLISHED ON FEB 22, 2018 11:38 PM IST
The Tamil Nadu all-party meeting comes in the wake of Karnataka’s proposed decision to challenge the Supreme Court order on the setting up of the Cauvery board.