Idol wing investigations not disturbed, CM replies to Stalin

Replying to Stalin’s charges in the Assembly, he said only 29 personnel was working in the idol wing, but, a total of 325 members had been appointed additionally to the department as per the Madras High Court order. All the facilities and infrastructure for his office had been provided in Tiruchy office of the department.

Though the government asked for the services of police official Rajaram, who is part of Pon Manickavel’s team, did not press for it after Pon Manickavel refused to transfer him. The Chief Minister said the monthly review meetings by the higher officials in police department are customary, but Pon Manickavel had not taken part in such meetings. In all the departments it is customary to give explanations when the higher officials demand them and the DIG had conveyed this to the HC. But, the court had told Pon Manickavel to give the explanations if his higher officials asked for them, the Chief Minister noted.

“We have belief in God. The idol wing itself was formed by the AIADMK founder MGR in 1983 when he was the Chief Minister,” he said. Besides, the government of J Jayalalithaa had formed the temple protection army and deployed 1,000 policemen and 3,000 ex-servicemen at various temples to safeguard the idols, jewellery and hundi collection.

He said the thefts did not occur during the AIADMK regime and the crimes were committed many years ago. Pon Manickavel was nominated to head the idol wing by Jayalalithaa in 2012 and promoted in 2015.

He had been serving in the department for five and half years and transfers would be effected if an official was serving in the same place for a long time, he explained.

Earlier, Stalin who raised the issue, asked if the government was placing hurdles in the investigation of idol thefts and cited the High Court’s warning to the Chief Secretary and DGP against transferring the officials under Pon Manickavel without court permission.

“Are the officials not respecting the court orders or the government is deliberately blocking the investigation?” the DMK leader asked.