TN CM Palaniswami denies graft charges, highlights ‘corruption’ in DMK regime

The DMK had earlier submitted a list of graft charges against AIADMK leaders to Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and DMK chief Stalin
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and DMK chief Stalin
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday responded to corruption allegations raised by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin by saying that only the latter’s party and former cabinet ministers were involved in corruption. The Chief Minister also said that tenders during the current AIADMK regime are given online, thereby leaving little chance for corruption.

Edappadi K Palaniswami and DMK chief Stalin began levelling corruption charges against each other after the DMK submitted a list of graft charges against the Chief Minister and his cabinet Ministers to Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday. In the representation, DMK leveled charges of corruption against the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani, Electricity Minister P Thangamani, Food and Supplies Minister R Kamaraj, Health Minister C Vijaya Bhaskar, Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar. 

The document also consisted of allegations and the amount allegedly siphoned by the Ministers through government schemes and projects.

On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami addressed the press at Thoothukudi and said, “From the time I became Chief Minister, Stalin has been raising allegations against me. Today he has met and handed over a letter to Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit.”

“This is because, the Tamil Nadu government, for the benefit of the people affected by coronavirus and a cyclone, as per the recommendation of the Rangarajan committee, announced Rs 2,500 cash for ration card holders. The scheme received praise from the people and Stalin, on seeing this, gave a letter to the Governor with a list of false claims,” he said.

The Chief Minister insisted that there were no possibilities for corruption since the tenders were issued online. “The tenders were not given similar to the tenders issued during DMK period. Currently, all the tenders are e-tenders, where people can apply for tenders from anywhere. The people who were given tenders during DMK regime are the same people who are given tenders now. There is no place for mistakes. Mistakes might have happened during DMK regime but not now,” he added.

To the allegation that he gave tenders to his relatives, the CM swiftly responded and released a list of alleged lapses during DMK regime. The Chief Minister said, “During DMK period, DMK allocated Rs 200 crore for constructing new Secretariat building but ended up paying Rs 425 crore. This is corruption. Only if they say where exactly we were corrupt, then we will give an answer. But now, tell them to answer this charge.” The Chief Minister also said that the tender can usually be 10-15% higher than the estimated cost but DMK has paid multiple times higher than the estimated price. 

He also alleged that DMK practiced corruption in giving road tenders for Arcot-Tiruvarur Road, Nagapattinam-Kattumavadi road and Ramanathapuram-Thoothukudi road. Palaniswami then listed former Ministers from the DMK, against whom cases were pending in court. 

“DMK leaders including I Periyaswamy, KN Nehru, Vannur S Arumugham, Ponmudi, Asokhan, Anbarasu, Suresh Rajan, NKP Raja, Tamilarasi, KR Periyakarupan, Thangam Thennarasu, Anita Radhakrishnan, Kannapan, Duraimurgan and MRK Panneerselvam have cases against them,” he said.

The Chief Minister also alleged, “Many graft cases against DMK are going to be heard at the court and since they have an obligation to respond to the public, they divert the attention by leveling corruption charges against AIADMK ministers.”

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