Corruption charge: Sack minister Saroja, Opposition tells Tamil Nadu Govt
CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Thursday demanded the dismissal of social welfare minister V. Saroja who demanded Rs 30 lakh bribe from a children’s welfare official Meenatchi and alleged that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami had given unbridled licence for the ministers to indulge in corruption.
Alleging that the Chief Minister is tolerating corruption in all the departments to retain the support of MLAs, Stalin said Palanisami should come forward to prevent the corrupt activities AIADMK ministers, Stalin said and demanded that a case should be registered against Saroja and an enquiry should be conducted.
“At a time when farmers’ suicides are rampant and women are protesting for water with empty pots, the Chief Minister and ministers are not keen in solving people’s problems. The ministers are left free to threaten officials for bribe and industries are moving to other states since the politicians are demanding bribe. All the ministers charged with corruption continue to be in the ministry and the word purity in public life had lost its meaning in the AIADMK government,” he said.
The threats of Saroja is not new, he said and added that several such incidents had been reported in the past. The breaking of AIADMK and efforts to merge it were intended to indulge in corruption jointly.
Even a woman official is not spared by a woman minister and the incident only showed that Palanisami is not in control of his ministers or MLAs. The Chief Minister is setting a bad precedent by tolerating such activities by ministers, he added. CPM state secretary G. Ramakrishnan, ecohoed similar views and said proper enquiry should be conducted into the allegations of Meenatchi and ‘Lok Ayukta’ should be set in Tamil Nadu to prevent corruption. Going a step further, former TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan demanded the immediate arrest of the minister, besides protection to the official Meenatchi. The incident is shameful and showed how the government is functioning. Saroja should be dismissed from her post immediately and arrested to ensure proper enquiry into the allegations.
BJP: Height of corruption
Deploring the alleged incident of State Social Welfare Minister V. Saroja threatening a woman official of the department, the BJP which described the incident as “height of interference and corruption” has demanded Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy and also the Minister concerned, to immediately clarify on the issue.
“Ironically, the woman official (Meenakshi) of the Department who was appointed to the post (of district child protection officer) by the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has been reportedly threatened to collect money. This is the height of political interference and corruption. The Chief Minister and also the Minister concerned should immediately clarify on the charges,” Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, BJP state president said. Reacting to the incident she sought appropriate action.
Dharmapuri-based Meenakshi, who impressed the late CM Jayalalithaa by her work for the social causes, was appointed by Jayalalithaa as the District Child Protection Officer in Dharmapuri.
