EPS slams Stalin for defending Senthilbalaji in corruption case

CHENNAI: Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday condemned Chief Minister MK Stalin for defending Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise V Senthilbalaji, who was arrested under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and demanded the minister's immediate resignation.

He also claimed credit for the arrest of EB minister and defended the sleuths of ED stating that the central agencies had done their duty legally.

The Chief Minister has not gone to meet the minister, who staged a drama and got admitted to the hospital, out of concern over the latter's health. There is more to it. The minister allowed several hundreds of bars adjacent to Tasmac outlets without licence.

This resulted in huge loss to the state exchequer, while the minister diverted several thousand crores through illegal means to those close to the family at the helm of affairs in the state, Palaniswami told journalists while attending a family wedding of a party functionary on the outskirts of Chennai.

The LoP claimed credit for the ED action against Senthilbalaji in the decade-old job-for-cash scam and said it was the AIADMK regime that had filed a case in connection with the scam. After a long legal proceedings, the Supreme Court had given direction to the Central agency to probe into the scam.

He continued that they have submitted memorandum to the Governor twice regarding the widespread corruption in Tasmac and functioning of illegal bars.

Recounting the IT raid carried out on then chief secretary P Ram Mohan Rao's office in Secretariat and his properties in 2016, the CM, then the leader of the opposition party, criticised the AIADMK regime and said the central agency had raided the office based on evidence.

"Now, he is giving political colour to it. It unmasked his double standard," Palaniswami said and continued that the minister, holding moral responsibility to the developments, should resign from ministership.

"He has no moral responsibility to speak about human rights violations. What they did to AIADMK leader D Jayakumar during Urban local body polls. He was arrested for stopping a man from casting bogus votes. He was not allowed to change dress, take his medicines and was imprisoned for 20 days," said EPS while responding to a question that the CM charged that the ED officials harassed the former minister mentally and physically.

Earlier in the day, Jayakumar staged a drama by claiming chest pain. He said that the DMK is trying to divert the issue by indulging in such tactics. "Till yesterday, he was well. When ED arrested him, he started having chest pain. The agency should get a doctor from AIIMS to check his health and take legal action, " Jayakumar said.