CHENNAI: A day after TVK general secretary and minister Aadhav Arjuna challenged the Communists to answer for alleged corruption during the previous DMK regime, senior CPI leader and Tirupur MP K Subbarayan hit back, questioning the TVK's induction of former BJP-AIADMK alliance MLAs.

Addressing a meeting at Madurantakam, Arjuna had put the Communists on the spot over alleged corruption in the previous regime, particularly in the highways and public works departments.

"Did corruption take place in the highways department? Did corruption take place in the public works department? Communist comrades should answer," he said.

Arjuna alleged that a 27% commission system prevailed in government contracts, with 10% allegedly going to a "family fund", 8% to a ministerial fund and 7% to officials. He also questioned the Communists on alleged irregularities in CMDA and TASMAC and alleged that ministers and the then chief minister received money.

Arjuna claimed the TVK government had addressed the alleged commission system by reducing tender estimates in the highways department by 27%. He said 27 tenders had been awarded after such reductions and cited a tender worth around Rs 65 crore as an example.

Reacting to the remarks, Subbarayan questioned the TVK leadership over its handling of MLAs who had won on the BJP-AIADMK alliance ticket.

"Why did you make the MLAs who won on the BJP-AIADMK alliance ticket resign? Why did you induct them into the TVK immediately after their resignation? Why did you select two of them as TVK candidates?" he asked.

Subbarayan sought an explanation for what he termed the "political motive" behind the moves and questioned the TVK's claim of being a clean political alternative.

"If corruption and irregularities are established, the Communists will oppose them, whoever is involved, " he said.

CPM state secretariat member K Kanagaraj, meanwhile, turned the attack towards the TVK government's claim of upholding social justice.

"Minister Aadhav Arjuna should answer this. You have named your alliance the Social Justice Alliance. If 4,724 nurses are appointed only on a contract basis, how is social justice being ensured?" he asked.

Kanagaraj questioned the proposed contractual appointment of nursing college teachers and other staff and also asked how the government could claim social justice while appointing 2,047 conductors and ministerial staff on contract.

He also alleged that subsidies for nutritious meal centres had not been released for three months.

"What kind of social justice is it to delay the subsidy meant for the food of poor children?" he asked.