A day after the Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed a heated exchange between DMK and TVK leaders over an alleged tender to relocate the chief minister’s office, another tense situation erupted over alleged irregularities in road-laying works.
The tension prompted CM C Joseph Vijay to warn that he would reveal “corruption files from the previous DMK regime at an appropriate time.”
I have two files on my desk. Don’t force me to do it now.” On Tuesday, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ( DMK ) leader EV Velu engaged in a war of words with Tamil Nadu’s public works minister Aadhav Arjuna over alleged irregularities in a ₹ 5.54-crore tender issued for relocating CM’s office .
Amid the heated debate, chief minister Vijay said, “I will reveal the corruption files from the previous DMK regime at an appropriate time. Another ruckus erupted in the Assembly on Wednesday over alleged discrepancies in road-laying works, with both TVK and DMK trading barbs.
Velu alleged that people working in the Secretariat had asked him where they would rest and eat if the chief minister were to take over the place. He urged CM Vijay to take “this into consideration. Fort St George in Chennai currently houses the chief minister’s office and the state Legislative Assembly. “This is a sight even those who voted for him could not stomach. Those who trusted him and voted for him are now regretting it…”
The plan is to shift the CMO to the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai, a 10-storey building constructed by late former CM Kalaignar, in the same Secretariat complex. He said the decision to relocate the CM’s office was due to the lack of basic amenities in the current space and of a reception area for foreign delegations and other dignitaries who visit the Secretariat to meet the chief minister.
The TVK minister said the CM Vijay-led government will soon release a detailed White Paper in this regard. Without naming Krishnan, the editorial slammed the exchange as a display of “vulgarity”. The person who has become the chief minister is one who thinks he can justify vulgarity and repulsiveness by blatantly parading them,” it said. Regarding an appeal reportedly made by the chief minister to his voters to stand by the government, it said: “What is the reason for this pleading and crying?
Earlier reporting noted: Why the DMK furore over Vijay greeting Trisha at Independence Day event? Earlier reporting noted: Vijay was spotted exchanging salutes with Trisha, who was a front-row attendee at the event. Earlier reporting noted: The editorial also targeted the chief minister’s address at the event.
DMK MLA Velu had raised the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to shift the CMO in the Assembly on Tuesday, pointing out that the tender process was published in a newspaper but not on the official website. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ’s (DMK) mouthpiece Murasoli on Tuesday published an editorial hitting out at Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay over his exchanging greetings with popular actress Trisha Krishnan at the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Fort Saint George.
