The MGR centenary celebrations have been wrought with embarrassments for the ruling AIADMK in Coimbatore district. First, a techie died after ramming into an illegal hoarding allegedly erected for the ceremony, and now a party MLA has been caught on camera allegedly distributing money and liquor cartons to party workers.
In the viral video, which has been shared widely on social media, Sulur legislator R Kanagaraj can be seen giving out cash and boxes of 'liquor' to reportedly bring crowds to the public meeting that the AIADMK was hosting in the district on Sunday. Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami also addressed one of the meetings to mark the birth anniversary of the party's founder MGR.
The lawmaker is sitting next to the packed boxes while a worker is standing with a register and pen. Another person is counting Rs 2000 notes. The MLA can be heard asking someone out of the frame about what time a vehicle leaves and the person says they will be halting to eat after staring at 10 o’clock. He is then told to take six boxes. A large group of men in white shirts and veshtis are seen waiting. They are also given party flags as they leave.
But when questioned about the video, the MLA clarified that he was merely giving away money for diesel for vehicles from outside the area, and that the boxes actually contained flavoured rice for the party supporters.
Kanakaraj was previously in the news when he confessed that the Sasikala camp promised money and gold to MLAs, during the Koovathur resort drama that unfolded in February.
According to reports, the centenary celebrations had caused great inconvenience to the general public. Several buses/vans of educational institutions and TNSTC buses were reportedly used to bring the party cadre and beneficiaries to the venue. The vehicles were then parked on many roads around the VOC Park, Balasundaram Road, Race Course Road, Nanjappa Road, as per The Hindu.
In addition to this, traffic diversions had forced several residents to take to the road in an effort to reach their destinations.