Adulteration talk: Milk agents threaten to take Minister to court

Speaking to DTNext, Ponnusamy said, “We have written to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy that he should demand the resignation of Balaji as he had failed to prove his charges against private milk companies.” The Minister, it may be recalled, had gone  on record saying that he was willing to resign if he could not prove malfeasance by private milk companies in adulterating milk with hazardous chemicals. The Minister’s charge that private officials approached labs to ensure a good report only proved that somebody from his own camp was dealing with private companies on the sly, Ponnusamy alleged. 

“We are not informed when, where and how private milk samples are collected and so how can we inform such companies?” he demanded. “Even the Pune lab upon which the Minister relied had stated that the given sample contained no hazardous chemical in it” he added,  “as the Minister had been unable to prove his charges we requested the minister not to charge anybody without evidence,” Ponnusamy added. 

The issue became an AIADMK (A) intra-party issue when Balaji also charged former minister Vaigai Selvan of indulging in mud-slinging. The MLA reacted by demanding the resignation of Balaji. When contacted, Vaigai Selvan said, “Rajenthira Balaji has brought Dravidian politics to a new low.” Meanwhile, officials at the government milk major Aavin said that though they tried to advise Balaji or issue statements based only on evidence, the Minister always had his way.