MK Stalin to CM Edappadi Palanisamy: Sack ‘tainted’ ministers, monitor death probes

Raising doubts over the suspicious death of contractor Subramanian, who is said to be a close associate of health minister Vijaya Baskar and driver Kanagaraj, an accused in Kodanad murder case closely related to the CM, Stalin told media persons that the Chief Minister should sack them to ensure free and fair inquiry in both the cases. 

Referring to the I-T raids conducted on deceased Subramanian’s house in the wake of seizure of alleged incriminating documents from the residence of the health minister close on the heels of RK Nagar by poll, the Leader of Opposition wonder why I-T had brought the contractor under its scanner and urged income tax officials to immediately disclose the revelations made by Subramanian regarding the government contracts he had undertaken, particularly in health department. Stalin also said that it would not help to get at the truth in the corruption cases if the state police continued to probe the case. 

Meanwhile, ex-Chennai mayor and DMK MLA from Saidapet Ma Subramanian slammed the ruling party for the Corporation’s abysmally low ranking in the Swachh Survekshan listings. He said that the city has fared so badly only due to the negligence of the AIADMK ministers, mayor and councillors. 

In a statement loaded with statistics, he compared the performance of the city corporation during the previous DMK and incumbent AIADMK tenures. Subramanian said the city has been pushed to an embarrassing 235th rank among 434 cities considered for the rating only due to failure of an inactive ruling AIADMK to implement people’s welfare schemes. 

The DMK has petitioned the Election Commission (EC) to ‘purify’ the voters list of RK Nagar constituency before holding any by-election there. In his petition addressed to Nasim Zaidi, Chief Election Commissioner, and submitted to state Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni, DMK organising secretary RS Bharati said that rectification of voters list was mandatory and imperative to conduct free and fair election, whenever the commission plans to do so. 

Recalling similar petitions, the party had made with the district election officer to remove ineligible voters, one of which had even put the total number of ASD (absentees, shifts and deaths) voters at 43,861, the DMK organising secretary said that even on receipt of their representations, no exercise was done by the EC to purify the voter’s list by blocking ineligible voters. 

Quoting extensively from the order of the EC rescinding April 12 RK Nagar by-poll, Bharati said, “In the above circumstances, by-election is expected at any time. Hence, purification of voters list as requested by our party is mandatory and imperative to conduct free and fair election.” He also requested the CEC to take steps to rectify the loopholes in the voters’ list of RK Nagar constituency.