Form lokayukta in Tamil Nadu or will move court: Stalin

Listing out the various scams and controversies the ruling party ministers are mired in, including a petition moved by a contractor from Krishnagiri in the Madras High Court against state higher education minister KP Anbazhagan for allegedly demanding a Rs 13 crore bribe to award a contract, Stalin urged Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to immediately constitute a lokayukta in the state. “If you fail to do so, DMK will move a petition in the court praying for establishment of the lokayukta to probe the charges against corrupt ministers and bureaucrats in the state,” Stalin cautioned in a statement, subtly criticising the CM for keeping mum on the charges levelled against his higher education minister.

Recalling the observation of the Madras High Court in the Gutkha case that “it was imperative to have an independent vigilance and anti-corruption institution in the state,” the Leader of Opposition said that it was essential for the state to have a lokayukta to probe the allegations. Also drawing public attention to the state Governor recommending a probe into the issue of AIADMK legislators being paid up to Rs 6 crore to win the trust vote in the Assembly earlier, the DMK working president, said the list of “corrupt ministers” has crossed a dozen in the “horse trading” regime. He also said the present government has been crushing people’s protest by slapping Goondas Act and arresting opposition party members who have been protesting the government’s failure to get exemption for TN from NEET. 

Blaming the “corrupt ministers” for lack of jobs and fall in industrial growth in the incumbent regime, Stalin claimed that investments have been diverted to other states and Tamil Nadu has been struggling for want of constructive measures to develop infrastructure owing to the inaction of ministers. Early this week, Stalin was arrested on his way to Salem where he was scheduled to lead a human chain protest condemning EPS government’s mishandling of NEET issue.