Chennai, Mounting a blistering attack on the DMK, a combative Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph C Vijay on Monday targeted it for alleged serious, organised corruption during its regime, prompting a strong and noisy pushback from the opposition party whose members rushed to the well, before eventually staging a walkout of the Assembly.
Citing Enforcement Directorate documents, the chief minister listed alleged corruption during the previous DMK regime in the municipal administration department and in the state-run liquor behemoth TASMAC. Former Excise Minister V Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok were cited by the CM in respect of alleged corruption in state-run liquor retailer TASMAC.
The chief minister, all through speaking in a high-pitched tone and cheered by his desk-thumping Cabinet colleagues and ruling TVK legislators, alleged collection of “party fund,” and what he described as “scientific corruption,” during the DMK regime, recalling instance as early as from the 1970s. Relying on such official papers sent to the state government by the Centre, Vijay alleged former chief minister M K Stalin and his deputy Udhayanidhi were cited by the Central agency as among “beneficiaries” in respect of collection of alleged “party funds. Malpractice, fraud, manipulation, abuse of power, organised crime syndicate were the words used by ED on graft during DMK regime which deprecated “dishonest intention,” the CM said.
The allegations led to noisy arguments and the main opposition strongly opposed the chief minister’s statement and a ruckus ensued.
Continuing his attack, Vijay said whenever the treasury benches raised corruption allegations, the main opposition legislators demand evidence but never say that they have not indulged in wrongdoing.
