Journalist sends legal notice to Isha Foundation & Jaggi Vasudev | Powertrip #80

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. While we usually focus on stories from the power corridors, spotlighting politicians, political parties, and bureaucrats, this week we bring you two unique stories—both delving into powerful individuals and their intense power struggles. The first story is about a legal notice sent to Isha Foundation and Jaggi Vasudev by a journalist and the second is on why actor Nayanthara decided to go public against Dhanush. On the political front, we tell you about the planning that the Tamil Nadu government put in for the Finance Commission’s visit and how a book by a CPI(M) leader in Kerala was leaked..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.Legal notice to Isha Foundation Two weeks ago, we wrote about the ongoing feud between Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation and Nakkheeran magazine in Tamil Nadu. At the time, the magazine had released a series of videos featuring its editor, Nakkheeran Gopal, discussing allegations surrounding the mistreatment of children at Isha, prompting Isha to publicly threaten legal action against the magazine.But what happens when the tables are turned?We’ve now learned that Gopal has sent a legal notice to Isha Foundation and Jaggi Vasudev. The notice accuses Isha and Jaggi of defaming Nakkheeran and alleges that Isha is frustrated that all its efforts to prevent Gopal from publishing further articles have failed. Gopal also alleges that Isha has hired some politicians and media organisations to malign him.The notice further says that Isha, in its response to the allegations, branded Nakkheeran a “yellow magazine” that engages in extortion, alleging that the magazine’s articles were retaliation for not being paid. In response, Nakkheeran has demanded Rs 1.5 crore in damages from Isha Foundation.Isha has a penchant for sending legal notices, and looks like Gopal has decided to use the same playbook..Flooring the Finance CommissionThe Tamil Nadu government is sparing no effort during the ongoing visit of the 16th Finance Commission, led by its chairman Dr Arvind Panagariya. The state’s presentation, pitching for a greater share of tax devolution and an improved fiscal relationship with the Union government, has drawn praise from the chairman himself.According to sources, the presentation was crafted by a team that included state Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, Finance Secretary T Udhayachandran, Commercial Taxes Secretary Brajendra Navnit, Expenditure Secretary S Nagarajan, and other finance and investment specialists. Navnit, who was also appointed as an Officer on Special Duty for the Commission, delivered the report, which so impressed Dr Panagariya that he described it as a “masterclass for any commission”..Extensive preparations have been made for the Commission’s visit from November 17 to 20, with planning beginning as early as August. At least eight IAS officers from various departments have been designated as escort officers, with liaison officers assigned to districts like Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Madurai and Ramanathapuram, where the Commission is scheduled to visit. The meeting venue was initially at the Namakkal Kavingar Maaligai at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat, Fort St George. However, it was shifted to ITC Grand Chola for better facilities. The state dinner hosted for the Commission was meticulously organised, providing opportunities for members to interact with ministers, bureaucrats, and representatives from urban local bodies, industry, and trade.During an interaction with political party representatives, most called for a greater share for Tamil Nadu, highlighting concerns about higher allocations for underperforming states. Even BJP representatives aligned with the view that well-performing states like Tamil Nadu deserve a larger share. A political party representative told TNM that the meeting was cordial, with DMK representatives RS Bharathi and MP NR Elango surprisingly adopting a softer tone toward the Union government. This was because during the all party meeting with the 15th Finance Commission in 2018, the DMK, while in the opposition, had questioned the mandate given to the Finance Commission and asked how can such an unelected body have the power to review the status of finances of duly elected governments and recommend a fiscal consolidation roadmap.Politically, the visit is significant for the Tamil Nadu government, which is in need of funds to sustain its flagship schemes, including the Rs 1,000 allowance for women, free bus services, and the Rs 1,000 stipend for female students. Sources say that next year’s state budget will feature major announcements, as it will be the last full budget before the critical 2026 Assembly elections.Government sources told TNM that while Finance Commission visits to Tamil Nadu are usually low-key, this time the state has gone all out in making elaborate arrangements for the members. These include a darshan at the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram and a visit to the Keeladi Museum. The state also hired charter flights from Sanjay Ghodawat Group’s Star Air to facilitate the Commission’s travel, covering routes from Delhi to Chennai, Chennai to Madurai, and from Madurai back to Delhi..A book leak in KeralaWhen an yet-to-be published biography written by EP Jayarajan, CPI(M)’s central committee member, which had sections critical of the party was leaked to the press on the eve of crucial bye-polls, eyebrows were raised. It happened after DC Books, a prominent publisher, announced the book on their Facebook page. Ravi DC, the managing director of DC Books, is likely to be questioned over the leak which has been blamed on the publisher. But was it EP who leaked it or DC Books? We have learned that EP, who had run into controversies over stakes in a resort owned by his family and secretly meeting BJP’s Prakash Javadekar and had a fallout with the party, which removed him as the LDF convenor, wanted to make some noise through the book. But last month, after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the party’s state secretary MV Govindan met him in Delhi and asked him to pipe down, he had a change of heart. He held parleys with Mathrubhumi, hoping to publish a redacted version of the book. When DC got wind of this, they suddenly announced the book and within hours a PDF found its way to multiple WhatsApp groups..Nayanthara said no to an apology?After Nayanthara openly called out Dhanush for sending her a legal notice over the use of behind-the-scenes videos from the sets of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in her Netflix documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale, the Tamil film industry has been abuzz with theories and stories about why she chose to go public.Sources close to Nayanthara say that tensions have been brewing between Dhanush, Nayanthara, and her now husband Vignesh Shivan since 2015, following the shoot of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, which was directed by Vignesh. The trouble reportedly began on both personal and professional fronts.It was on the sets of this movie, which was produced by Dhanush, that Nayanthara and Vignesh’s relationship started.The song ‘Thangame’, written by Vignesh for Nayanthara, holds significant emotional value in their relationship. This was one of the reasons why Nayanthara and Vignesh were keen to include the song in the Netflix documentary. They approached Dhanush for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to use certain behind-the-scenes clips from the film, but Dhanush, as the producer holding the copyrights, refused to grant permission.Last month, when Nayanthara reached out to Dhanush through his manager one last time, he apparently demanded an apology from her (for all the things he was offended about). The legal notice issued by Dhanush after the documentary’s trailer came out reportedly infuriated Nayanthara, prompting her to address the matter publicly.Meanwhile, sources indicate that Dhanush’s legal team is preparing to approach the court. People close to Dhanush are also said to be reaching out to cinema journalists, influencers, and others to gain public support for his side.We also hear that Nayanthara has gained new enemies after the documentary was released. A couple of male co-stars and their coteries are upset that the documentary did not have Nayanthara thanking any of them properly!.YSRCP braces for battle after AP govt crackdownAndhra Pradesh has been seeing a massive crackdown on YSRCP social media activists. In the last few weeks, the police have filed 147 cases, issued 680 notices, and arrested 49 people, accusing them of posting offensive, abusive, and defamatory content.But the YSRCP believes this is just the beginning of what is to come. Anticipating more cases against party leaders and workers, a massive meeting was held with advocates who are either directly associated with the party or supporters of the party from across the state. Almost 270 advocates attended this meeting to chalk out constituency-wise legal cells to help with legal aid. Now the party is planning to find a way of making the advocates work pro-bono or find funders for their fees..Zero HourA political story of public importance.How Does India See Its Muslim Population?.A recent survey is revealing of a fair degree of anti-Muslim prejudice among Hindus..PowermovesTop 5 political stories.1. Inside Bengaluru’s ‘Kannadiga vs Outsider’ divide2. How a Pinarayi fanboy and CPI(M) cyber stormtrooper turned against him3. Telangana SC/ST commission to probe alleged police violence in pharma project row4. TN Guv RN Ravi stirs row after depicting Thiruvalluvar in saffron robes again5. Maharashtra elections: The fading legacy of Kolhapur’s progressive past

Journalist sends legal notice to Isha Foundation & Jaggi Vasudev | Powertrip #80

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