Amit Shah’s Chennai mission ends without full win | Powertrip #98

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, Pooja Prasanna, and Nidheesh MK. In this week’s edition, we bring you details of the restraining order obtained by Isha Foundation in the US against an Indian couple. The couple had alleged that their daughter was sexually assaulted by a teacher at Isha’s school in Coimbatore. In a Powertrip exclusive, we learnt that the Karnataka contractors’ association will write directly to Rahul Gandhi about corruption allegations against relatives of ministers. Amit Shah recently visited Chennai – with an entourage of national media journalists – to reset the BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK, but he could only achieve a partial win. Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor’s staff remains busy denying rumours of him joining the BJP..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.Isha gets restraining order in USRecently, in our series on spirituality, we had written about how a bunch of former Jaggi Vasudev followers have come together and levelled serious allegations against the Isha Foundation. In our story, we featured a US-based couple, Nandini* and Vinayak*, who alleged that their daughter was sexually assaulted by a teacher while studying at the Isha Home School in Coimbatore, and that people – including Jaggi Vasudev – did not intervene properly.The couple have spoken to other media houses too and Nandini also held a press meet in Delhi recently. Isha Foundation has now secured a restraining order against the couple from the circuit court in Hamilton county in the state of Tennessee.The court order says the couple have made public accusations about Isha and its leadership regarding the commission of heinous crimes, financial fraud, and sexual crimes. The court also noted that Vinayak had made a threat of violence. The order now prohibits the couple from making “false, defamatory, or disparaging public statements” about wrongdoing or about Isha leadership being guilty of crimes. The couple have also been told to make accusations only in court, and not in public. In India, Isha had secured injunctions against Shyam Meera Singh, a YouTuber who aired some of these allegations..Karnataka contractors’ association to knock on Rahul Gandhi’s doorsOne of the key reasons the previous Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government lost power in Karnataka was the cloud of corruption allegations, many of them raised by the state’s contractors’ association. But if the contractors had believed things would improve under the Congress government, they were in for a rude shock. By their own admission, the situation has only worsened.The association recently wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, making three specific allegations: that brokers frequent the office of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar offering to get contractors’ bills cleared for a price; that a relative of Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi is engaging in underhand deals; and that Minor Irrigation Minister NS Bose Raju’s son is “making all the deals”.Powertrip has learned that the contractors’ association now plans to write directly to Rahul Gandhi, frustrated with the lack of response from Karnataka’s leadership. They are currently gathering proof against the minister’s son and the relative mentioned in their complaint.Sources also say that the association is unhappy with a senior official in the Excise Department who is known to be close to a Cabinet minister, and may raise this issue with Rahul Gandhi as well..Amit Shah’s Chennai mission ends without full winOn April 12, the air was tense till afternoon at Chennai’s ITC Grand Chola Hotel, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah was staying, as events did not unfold as planned. Shah’s visit to Chennai had a single purpose — to seal the deal with the AIADMK. But that wasn’t all.The original plan was to hold meetings with AIADMK leaders and allies and make a grand announcement about the revival of the BJP-AIADMK alliance. The icing on the cake would be bringing together all AIADMK factions.However, things did not go as planned as AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami refused to compromise or accept the proposal for a united AIADMK that would include VK Sasikala, O Panneerselvam, and TTV Dhinakaran.“EPS was clear: he wanted Annamalai removed as the BJP state president, no interference from the BJP in AIADMK’s internal affairs — especially regarding the inclusion of Sasikala, TTV, and OPS — and a formal announcement declaring him as the face of the alliance in Tamil Nadu. Amit Shah and the BJP were desperate for an alliance, so they accepted all the demands made by EPS,” a source said.The desperation, sources say, stemmed from the BJP high command’s desire to put up a strong fight against the DMK in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections. During his last visit to Coimbatore, Shah told a group of journalists in a closed-door interaction that a five-way contest in Tamil Nadu would only strengthen the DMK and help them secure a big victory. Additionally, Shah’s office had grand plans to showcase the renewed alliance as a major breakthrough for the BJP in the south.The BJP had also flown in an entourage of national media journalists from both Hindi and English outlets to cover Shah’s Chennai visit and press conference. A journalist who spoke to TNM said that they were informed in advance that a major announcement would be made by the Union Minister in Chennai and that their presence was essential for coverage.The Delhi BJP arranged a one-day trip for 10 journalists, who were accompanied by the party’s national media co-incharge, Dr Sanjay Mayukh. Another journalist told TNM that this was the first time they were asked to travel to another state specifically to cover a press conference by Amit Shah — and that all expenses were covered by the party..Tharoor’s team vs the daily deflection drillAt this point, Shashi Tharoor’s staff is stuck in a political version of Groundhog Day: waking up every morning to yet another rumour that he’s about to join the BJP.The latest rumour? That Tharoor is being offered an important role related to foreign policy by the saffron camp. Before that, it was a Shivaratri special: whispers of a secret meeting with Amit Shah in Coimbatore. For the record: Shah was at Isha Foundation while Tharoor was in his ancestral home in Palakkad — kilometres (and ideologies) apart. Didn’t matter. The rumour had legs.Inside Tharoor’s camp, suspicion runs in both directions:One, that the BJP is floating these stories to stir the pot. Two, that Congress rivals are quietly fanning the flames to clip his wings before 2026. Either way, the result is the same: the press calls, the team denies, and social media perception decides its own truth.Tharoor, for his part, has repeatedly — and rather eloquently — ruled out crossing over. Joining the BJP, he has said, would mean swallowing his entire body of work denouncing Hindutva.So no, he’s not joining, one of his staffers said when we asked. But yes, he continued, someone will probably ask again tomorrow..Zero HourA political story of public importance.No More Governor Raj : Why Supreme Court's Judgment In TN Governor's Case Is Historic?.To awaken those pretending to be asleep, the Court had no choice but to drop a bombshell..PowermovesTop 5 political storiesDanger in the drip: Karnataka maternal deaths reveal cracks in India’s drug regulationOpinion: The SC ruling reining in the Governor is a boost to federalismInterview: Telangana Waqf Board chairman on the flaws in amended Waqf ActPinarayi Vijayan daughter’s case: War of words erupt between Communist partiesTDP, YSRCP shift Vizag corporators to Malaysia, Sri Lanka to prevent poaching

Amit Shah’s Chennai mission ends without full win | Powertrip #98

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