Missing I-T report on gutka scam: Stalin demands Edappadi resignation, action on CS

Chennai: Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Monday demanded Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s resignation and immediate action on Chief Secretary Girija Vaidhyanathan and DGP T.K. Rajendran for the missing of the I-T report on gutka scam.

He said the Chief Minister should resign and co-operate for a free and fair probe into the scam and added that Rajendran should be dismissed.

Stalin, who demanded a CBI inquiry into the scam wanted an honest officer to be appointed as DGP.

He said former Chief Secretary Ramamohana Rao, Girija Vaidhyanathan and Rajendran were responsible for the missing I-T report. He also charged the Chief Minister with covering up the scam and not coming out with the fact the IT report had gone missing during his reply in the Assembly.

The Chief Minister had also appointed the police official whose name was found in the gutka scam as the DGP, ruining the government administration totally, Stalin said.

He also alleged that Girija Vaidhyanathan had functioned in an illegal manner and co-operated with Palaniswami to appoint such a police official to the post of DGP.

When Girija Vaidhyanathan took charge as Chief Secretary, all the files that were with her predecessor Ramamohana Rao should have been entrusted to her.

She should have asked for the IT report, if it was missing, based on the letter written by police commissioner George. At least, when the case against DGP Rajendran’s appointment ca-me up before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, she could have made it clear that the I-T report was missing from the Secretariat, Stalin said. The purpose of appointing Rajendran as DGP was to cover up the gutka scam, Stalin charged.