CHENNAI: CPI State secretary M Veerapandian on Tuesday alleged that Vijay, president of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, had made remarks that amounted to a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
In a statement, Veerapandian said that offering or accepting money during elections constituted a serious violation. However, referring to Vijay’s speech at a meeting of party functionaries, he alleged that the actor-politician had told cadres that voters would be given Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000 or Rs 5,000, and that they should accept the money as it belonged to them, while symbolically rejecting the giver.
He said the comments, widely reported in the media, warranted immediate scrutiny. Questioning the inaction of the Commission, he raised concerns over the effectiveness of its monitoring mechanisms and called for suo motu action to ensure transparency.