Chennai: Launching a frontal attack on Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, DMK working president M. K. Stalin has demanded explanation for CM's silence on the massive seizures of cash and gold in the IT raids on the road construction contractor Nagarajan Seyyadurai.
The Leader of Opposition also reiterated his charge that the CM's relative is linked to the raided firm.
"Even after bundles of hundreds of crores of rupees have been seized in the IT raids, the Chief Minister has been keeping silent and pretending ignorance. His silence, without concern for public opinion, proves he has nothing to tell the people about the corruption raj", Stalin said in a statement here on Tuesday.
Pointing out that the raids related to the roads and highways department falling under CM's portfolio, the DMK leader demanded that the CM should step down to allow transparent investigation into the seizures of cash and gold. All the tenders awarded to the firm under cloud should be cancelled and fresh bids must be called, he said, adding that the anti-corruption police (DVAC) should be asked to probe the charge of commissions received for the road contracts.
Hitting back, senior minister D. Jayakumar said the IT raids had nothing to do with corruption charges and only related to tax evasion by the concerned persons and their firms. The IT sleuths had not questioned the CM's kin whatsoever, yet such falsehood was being spread, the AIADMK senior charged and reiterated that the "same contractor had been awarded contracts even during the DMK rule".
