MIlk adulteration: TN dairy minister sticks to his stand, told to submit proof

Chennai: Stating that as a minister, he did nothing more than to warn the public of the adulteration in milk by certain private dairies, dairy development minister K.T. Rajenthira Bhalaji informed the Madras high court that the suit filed by three private milk companies was a blackmail action intended to threaten him and escape the colossal fraud played by them in the lives of the innocent public.

“As a minister, I represent the entire community at large and I owe a duty to the public by apprising them of adulteration in essential food products. I thoroughly scrutinised the records and found genuineness in the claims,” said Rajenthira Bhalaji in his counter affidavit.

Justice C.V. Karthikeyan had on June 10 restrained the minister from issuing any disparaging statements against private manufacturers of dairy and milk products in general.

“If there is substantial material to prove adulteration, he should specify the name of the private company which indulged in such adulteration and also produce the necessary documents to substantiate his charge”, the judge had added.