Edappadi K Palaniswami opposes CBI probe into alleged bribe to MLAs
DRI in the case was irrelevant and extraneous as the issue in question in the main case related to proceedings of the assembly.
Chennai: Opposing the DMK’s plea to order CBI and DRI probe into the alleged payments made to some ruling AIADMK party MLAs ahead of the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami on the floor of the assembly on February 18, Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami on Thursday denied the allegations and informed the Madras high court that impleading CBI and DRI in the case was irrelevant and extraneous as the issue in question in the main case related to proceedings of the assembly.
Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami stated this in his counter affidavit filed in response to the miscellaneous petition filed by M.K.Stalin, working president of
DMK.
Originally, Stalin filed a PIL to declare as illegal, the decision taken by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker on the floor of the assembly on February 18 on the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami. While this petition was pending, following the reports in a section of media about the alleged pay-offs of crores of rupees to some MLAs for their support to the trust vote, Stalin filed the present miscellaneous petition.
In his counter, the chief minister submitted that with regard to allegation of coercion and inducements to the MLAs, the same have been suitably answered in his common counter affidavit filed in the main petition. With regard to the averments, which were being projected as making out a compelling and prima facie face for impleading the CBI and DRI, he denies the same as the same was irrelevant and extraneous to the issue in question in the main petition, that was, the powers and conduct of the Speaker in the TN legislative assembly.
The present miscellaneous petition for impleading CBI and DRI, was traversing far beyond the scope of the main petition since the CBI and DRI in anyway address the issue in question regarding the proceedings that took place inside the assembly on February 18 and as such in view of the above no case has been made out for impleading CBI and DRI, who were neither proper nor necessary parties to the proceedings in the main petition, he added and sought to dismiss the miscellaneous petition.