GCC posting row: Thiagarajan takes a swipe at Stalin

Chennai

Thiagarajan went on a trip down the memory lane and said, that the DMK president MK Stalin, who is questioning the appointment of Pugalendhi as chief engineer of CRA by Velumani, has earlier appointed his friend Raja Sankar as special PA (bridges), while he was the Mayor of Chennai.

He said, “A GO has been issued for the appointment. Brother Stalin has demanded a CBI probe into the appointment. I would like to seek some clarification from him.” Alleging that as Mayor of Chennai Corporation, Stalin had appointed his friend Raja Sankar in a post exclusively created for the purpose, Thiagarajan said that Stalin had appointed Raja Sankar with the consent of the two-member (councilor) appointment committee headed by him without either a GO or council resolution approving the same.

“From work inspection to awarding tenders, the corporation commissioner, deputy commissioner (works) and all other officials had to take briefings and orders from Raja Sankar. How was he given such a post as powerful as the Mayor then?” Thiagarjan asked. “It would bode well (for him) if ‘brother’ Stalin told people what kind of investigation could be ordered for the appointment?” he sarcastically added.

Reacting to it, DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi said, “Stalin was Mayor from 1996-2001. In 2001, Jayalalithaa, who had even arrested Karunanidhi, could not find anything against Stalin. Hence, she enacted a legislation to deprive him of Mayorship…. Karate Thiagarjan was with Jayalalithaa then... Such a person is talking now.”