CHENNAI: The CPM and CPI on Friday demanded an independent probe into alleged irregularities in the procurement of books for the Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore, after writer Perumal Murugan alleged that the collection included fake books and publications riddled with factual inaccuracies and historical errors.

In separate statements, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam and CPI state secretary M Veerapandian questioned the transparency of the procurement process and sought immediate action against those responsible for the alleged irregularities.

Shanmugam said the allegations pointed to large-scale, planned irregularities in book procurement, with prescribed government rules and guidelines allegedly not followed. He said the alleged misuse of public money was compounded by including books with questionable content, amounting to intellectual fraud.

Questioning the procurement process, he sought details of the committee that recommended the books, the basis on which it approved the purchase of allegedly substandard and fake publications, those responsible for the irregularities, and the dates on which tenders were floated and purchases made.

Veerapandian said the factual inaccuracies and historical errors in the books called into question the library's credibility. He warned that students and candidates preparing for competitive examinations using these books could be seriously misled.

The CPM demanded that the government constitute a panel of Tamil scholars to scrutinise all books in the library and remove those found to be fake. It also sought a special investigation team to probe the alleged financial irregularities and take action against those responsible.

Veerapandian, too, urged the government to order an immediate inquiry into the allegations.