New Delhi: DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday demanded an inquiry commission into the irregularities committed by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami and the other ministers allegedly involved in the distribution of money to voters in RK Nagar bypoll. While the DMK leaders were soft on the BJP government at the Centre and indicated that the saffron party would take strong action that would lead to the fall of the AIADMK (Amma) government, allies like the Congress, besides Muslim outfits and a few other speakers targeted the BJP and termed the income tax department raids on health minister C. Vijayabaskar a ‘drama to stop the elections’.
In an apparent response to Congress and Muslim outfits, DMK principal secretary K. Duraimurugan, who explained about his meeting with Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, asserted that the BJP government at the centre would take strong action on the AIADMK (Amma) government and added that elections in RK Nagar along with all the 233 Assembly constituencies in the state, in an apparent indication that BJP government is planning to topple the state government.
While Stalin supported the income tax department raids and read out the documents as a proof for the irregularities committed by the AIADMK (Amma) government, DMK allies including the Congress, Manithaneya Makkal and a few speakers termed the raids as ‘drama’ by the BJP government at the centre to cancel the elections since there was no chance for the success of AIADMK (PTA) candidate E. Madhusudhanan. Hitting out at former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Stalin said the money distributed by the AIADMK (Amma) to voters was earned through Panneerselvam, who was loyal to AIADMK (Amma) general secretary V. K. Sasikala. Addressing a public meeting to condemn the cancellation of bypoll and to demand action on Chief Minister and ministers for irregularities, Stalin said when Panneerselvam was the Chief Minister or the PWD or Highways Minister, he assisted Sasikala’s family to plunder the state and amass wealth.
TNCC president S. Thirunavukkarasar said the BJP wanted one of the two AIADMK factions to win the bypoll and when it knew that he could not win, stopped the bypoll with the support of the Election Commission. Recalling similar I-T raids on former Chief Secretary Rama Mohana Rao, he pointed out that no action was taken on him after the raids and he had been brought back to service. He also asked why action had not been taken on the health minister and others after the I-T raids. Manithaneya Makkal Katchi leader M.H. Jawahirullah and a few other speakers earlier too blamed the BJP for the cancellation of the bypoll, instead of attacking the AIADMK factions.
