Annamalai says DMK govt stifling dissent, flays preemptive arrests over Tasmac stir

CHENNAI: BJP state president K Annamalai on Monday flayed the DMK government, accusing it of using State police forces to stifle protest against alleged Rs 1,000 crore Tasmac liquor scam.

Annamalai’s remarks came after protesters, including Annamalai, Tamilisai Soundararajan, and other party members, were detained by police ahead of their scheduled protest at the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) office at Egmore here.

“Police personnel operating under MK Stalin are going to great lengths to suppress our peaceful protest. However, Mr. Stalin, your arrests will not deter us,” Annamalai asserted.

“We will continue to expose the corruption and malpractices of your regime, no matter how many times you try to arrest us,” he told reporters here.

“For years, the DMK has been relying on officials who are deeply entrenched in its political machinery. Is it because we declared our protest democratically and announced the date of our blockade in advance that you engage in such cowardly acts of suppression? If we were to launch a sudden, unannounced protest, what could you do then?” he challenged the government.

Earlier in the day, police detained BJP leaders, including Annamalai, Tamilisai Soundararajan and Vanathi Srinivasan, at their residences before they could participate in the protest in Tasmac offices.

Meanwhile, actor Vijay’’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam flayed BJP’s anti-Tasmac protest.

In a statement, TVK general secretary N Anand underscored the necessity of a thorough and impartial investigation into the irregularities charged against Tasmac.

Anand expressed disappointment with the Union government’s lack of action despite the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) recently uncovering irregularities amounting to a staggering Rs 1,000 crore.

He pointed out that while the ED, under the central government’s purview, had conducted a raid and reported significant financial discrepancies, there had been no subsequent efforts to address the issue. “The ED should have acted with greater urgency and transparency, but instead, no meaningful steps have been taken,” Anand remarked, adding that it was odd that the State unit of BJP is resorting to protest instead of asking the Centre under its rule to act.

Responding to the charges, Annamalai said TVK has turned out to be DMK’s ‘B team.’ Tell TVK to step into the field first. They are playing politics like schoolchildren, the BJP chief said.