CHENNAI: DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Friday said health minister C. Vijayabaskar should resign and get back to the ministry after proving that he is not guilty in the Income Tax department's cases against him.
Addressing the media at the DMK headquarters, he said Vijayabaskar is facing several charges including distribution of Rs 89 crore to voters in RK Nagar bypoll.
He also appealed to the farmers protesting in Delhi to stop their agitations and return to Tamil Nadu since their demands are unlikely to be met. Assuring that DMK would come to power in the state soon, Stalin vowed to positively consider their demands. It was anguishing to see the farmers protesting in pouring rains and cold and accused the BJP government at the centre of watching the protests silently.
Stalin alleged that the statue of thespian Sivaji Ganesan had been removed by the state government since it was installed by DMK president M. Karunanidhi when he was the Chief Minister. The statue could have been protected by proper arguments in court, but it had been removed causing a slur on the actor's reputation, he said.
Citing the trading of corruption charges by the two factions of the AIADMK, the leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Friday said the charges proved actor Kamal Haasan's allegations against the state government.
When asked about the allegation of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam that the government led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami is running a corrupt government, Stalin said law minister C.V. Shanmugam had given a perfect reply to Panneerselvam. The minister had accused Panneerselvam of having nexus with sand mining baron Shekar Reddy to plunder money. Stalin pointed out and said their charges and counter charges prove the extent of corruption.
Stalin alleged that forest minister Dindigul C. Seenivasan had formed a syndicate with private timber merchants and trying to cut over 30,000 silver oak trees, which are protecting the Nilgriis hill environment.
By cutting the trees, the tea crop cultivation would be affected and the entire environment of the hills would be ruined, he said.
