AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami met Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhavan on Thursday, August 19, in connection with the reinvestigation of the Kodanadu robbery and murder case. The official statement that was released by the Opposition party leaders on Thursday following the meeting with the Governor alleged that the agenda of the DMK government is ‘Corruption, Collection, Vendetta.’
Panneerselvam, the coordinator, and Edappadi K Palaniswami, the joint coordinator of the AIADMK, met the Governor regarding a slew of concerns, including raids at the residences and offices of former ministers by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).
The statement alleged that the DMK government has failed at all fronts. It is only keen on filling the pockets of its elected representatives by indulging in corruption, the statement claimed. To cover up its illegal activities and its failure to provide good governance and combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the DMK government is indulging in political whiplash on the Opposition, especially the AIADMK, the statement alleged.
“The only agenda of the DMK government headed by MK Stalin - Corruption, Collection, Vendetta,” said the statement.
In the statement to the Governor, the AIADMK party has detailed several allegations, from corruption to political vendetta and misuse of government machinery by the DMK party that won the Assembly election in May 2021 and subsequently formed the government with MK Stalin as the Chief Minister.
The allegations by the AIADMK are as follow:
1. The DMK government has stopped all the welfare and infrastructure projects such as roads, buildings and irrigation projects among others that were initiated by the AIADMK Amma government.
2. The new tenders that have been floated in the various Departments are fully compromised. In the 100 days of the DMK government, instead of working for the welfare of the people, the DMK government is keen on fixing percentage of commission on pending works and new works.
3. The elected representatives of the government have made it a point to interfere with every ongoing project, including projects under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. A DMK member has been interfering with the powers of the Secretary of Panchayat by employing strange tactics and threatening the officers.
4. As a way of furthering political vendetta, the DMK government is misusing its present power, particularly the Police Department, to foist false cases to strangle the voice of dissent in the state. The DMK government, to cover up its monumental failures in governance and complete failure to fulfil the electoral promises made by them, is seeking to file concocted cases against the AIADMK leaders.
5. Additionally, the DMK government is keen on making money through government projects and is protecting its own ministers who are accused of several pending corruption cases. The ruling government is indulging in a vengeful political game to cover up its shortcomings. This can be clearly seen from the manner in which the government conducted raids on two former ministers from the AIADMK party, MR Vijaya Bhaskar and SP Velumani.
6. Mentioning the Kodanadu murder case, where 10 persons allegedly broke in to the summer house of late AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa and murdered a security guard in 2017, the statement said that the handling of the particular case is a classic example of the failure on the part of the DMK government. The statement further read, “The police had apprehended all the accused connected to the matter and the accused were in prison. The investigation was also completed and the charge sheet was also filed. Following this the case was also nearing trial by the High Court.” However, the "present drama" of further investigation in the Kodanadu case which has been sought by the DMK government is to target the leader of the AIADMK party Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Commenting on the Kodanadu case, CM MK Stalin on Wednesday, August 18, had said that there is no political vendetta in the robbery and murder case. “Permission has been sought from the court to reinvestigate the case," he had said.
Further in the statement, the AIADMK has alleged that the government is attacking the media and thereby free speech along with the voice of social media influencers. The statement mentions the alleged illegal raids at Namadhu Puratchi Thalaivi Amma office and the arrests of social media influencers for allegedly old posts attacking the DMK government
Additionally, in the statement, the AIADMK leaders have slammed the DMK government for allegedly misusing government machinery. The statement claimed that a few DMK ministers have been saying that government jobs and posts will only be given to members who belong to the DMK. Besides this, the government has done poorly in controlling the COVID-19 caseload, the statement said.
“The DMK government is unprepared for the third wave. To show fewer COVID-19 cases, the medical professionals upon the instruction of the government are refusing to treat patients with corona symptoms," the statement read.
Lastly, the AIADMK leaders have urged the Governor to call for records on the above issues, investigate and take action in the interest of the welfare of the people.