Chennai: Asserting that the Idol Wing has been allowed to function without any interference, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has said his government is extending full cooperation to the top official in discharging his duties.
Refuting a charge levelled against his government by the opposition in the Assembly on Friday, Mr. Palaniswami said though the Idol Wing had only 29 police men including a SP initially, the government had sanctioned 325 police personnel including 7 additional Superintendents of police upon request from Pon Manickavel.
“In addition, the government had spent Rs 35.39 lakhs to improve infrastructure at the office of the wing in Tiruchi,” Mr. Palaniswami said. Raising the issue after Question Hour, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly M. K. Stalin alleged that the government transferred the Idol Wing IG but following the intervention of the Madras High Court, the transfer order was cancelled.
Responding, the Chief Minister said Pon Manickavel seldom participated in monthly meetings of the police officials to review pending cases. “You are giving the impression that the idols have gone missing from the temples only during the AIADMK rule. We have faith on god, even I have faith on god. It was MGR who was instrumental in forming the Idol Wing in 1983 to trace the idols that had gone missing for over three decades. In 2012, late Chief Minister J. Jayalalith-aa had drafted Pon Manickavel to the wing. He was DIG then and in 2015 he was promoted as IG and he continues to function in the same wing for more than five years. The transfer orders are routine,” the CM said. Several idols were recovered during the AIADMK rule, he added.
