Coimbatore/Chennai: Dismissing the DMK charges accusing him of high corruption in the award of government contracts to his close kin and friends, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development S.P Velumani on Wednesday said he would quit the Cabinet “if the charges are proved correct”.
Speaking to reporters at the airport here, he said, “I will resign my minister's post. I will even quit politics, resigning from the post of district secretary given to me by 'Amma'.
But if the charges are not proved, is Stalin prepared to resign as the DMK president and also as the Leader of Opposition? Will he then hand over the DMK leadership to either Duraimurugan or to his elder brother Alagiri?”
When pointed out that the DMK organizing secretary RS Bharati has challenged him to a debate on this issue, the minister shot back, “I do not have to reply to charges made by RS Bharati, who is nothing more than a peon for Stalin. There are many others in my party to answer Bharati”.
Responding, Bharati told Deccan Chroncle: “I am confident of proving my charges. And there are more charges coming. When these are proved, he (Velumani) will have to necessarily resign. He will have to go to jail the very next day”.
He added, “I am happy, and proud to be Stalin's peon; but tell me, if just a peon can gather so much of authentic information about him (Velumani), how much more would my party president (Stalin) be knowing about it?”
Bharati has given a petition to the state directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) alleging high corruption by Velumani in the award of contracts to close kin and friends, while backing up his charge with what he claimed was authentic information obtained through RTI.
Following up on that petition from his party functionary, DMK president Stalin on Tuesday demanded that Governor Banwarilal Purohit sack the minister if the latter refused to voluntarily step down and the CM failed to relieve him from the Cabinet.
The contracts charges were great fodder for TV channels a couple of days ago, prompting minister Velumani to threaten legal action against them.
