CM’s graft remarks trigger uproar in House; DMK members walk out

CHENNAI: Sharp exchanges broke out in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday as Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay accused the previous DMK government of systemic corruption. Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's Address, Vijay alleged that public funds — particularly revenue from Tasmac — were diverted to serve DMK party interests.

Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's Address, Vijay described the former DMK regime as a "drug-peddling protection model" and asserted that further instances of prior malpractice are steadily coming to light. Vijay said his government was taking steps to channel Tasmac revenues diverted as party funds back into the State treasury. "We are bringing back what rightfully belongs to the people. We will not allow public money to be diverted or misused," Vijay said.

His remarks triggered heated exchanges between the treasury benches and the DMK, with Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin leading the charge. As Udhayanidhi sought to raise a point of order question, Speaker JCD Prabhakar did not allow and assured that he would be given enough time after the CM’s speech.

The situation escalated further when Minister Rajmohan remarked that DMK members appeared agitated over references to "party funds."

"Yesterday, the treasury benches remained calm while listening to the Leader of the Opposition. We expect the same restraint today," Rajmohan said.

Once the Speaker permitted, LoP Udhayanidhi lashed out at CM Vijay. “The CM should clearly specify which party he is referring to. If he provides evidence, we are prepared to respond. But we cannot allow vague accusations to be made on this floor," he said.

After prolonged exchanges, Vijay reiterated that his government would not tolerate corruption or misuse of taxpayers' money.

"We will not touch a single penny belonging to taxpayers. We will not allow anyone else to touch it. Nor will we allow those who may have touched it in the past to escape scrutiny," he said.

Turning to political criticism, the Chief Minister also rejected claims that his government was dependent on the goodwill of the DMK or any opposition party. "This government functions because of the mandate given by the people. Even the Left parties supporting our government have repeatedly stated that they took their decisions independently," Vijay said.