DMK demonstrates political will to go after AIADMK ex-mins

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK has finally demonstrated some political will in finally going after ex-ministers of AIADMK facing corruption charges.

Criticised for lack of progress in corruption cases booked against the former AIADMK ministers many months ago, the DMK might have saved its face by getting the DVAC (Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption) to file charge sheet against AIADMK's Dr C Vijayabaskar and K P Anbazhagan on Monday.

The charge sheet was as much political as it was legal given that the DMK had promised in its 2021 Assembly poll manifesto that it would do so much as putting the alleged corrupt AIADMK leaders behind bars shortly after forming the government.

That EPS and OPS factions have traded charges against each other that the DMK regime was going slow on the corruption cases against leaders in both camps owing to collusion with the government has only burdened the ruling party with the responsibility to show progress on the pending corruption cases.

Unsurprisingly, the DMK sympathizers did not waste any time in going gung ho on social media after the celebration of the filing of the charge sheets. A DMK leader unwilling to be quoted cited the DVAC offensive and said, "Where are the critics who accused us of colluding with our arch rivals AIADMK. Now, some of the anti-corruption warriors are crying foul that it is a political witch hunt. Their intention is only to deride the DMK, not eliminate corruption. Their double standards have been exposed. The government will not spare the corrupt ex-ministers of the AIADMK. We will see to it that the cases see a logical and legal end."

Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaraman Venkatesan who is the complainant in most corruption cases against politicians in the state said, "We welcome the filing of charge sheets in the disproportionate assets cases.The government must now demonstrate its will in the corruption cases related to award of government tenders. There has been a significant delay in giving prior approval for preliminary inquiry and investigation plus sanction for trial in corruption cases involving officers."

Remarking that since the amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2018, trying corruption cases against officers and politicians has been nearly stalled at the national level, Jayaraman said that the state government must show its political will by expediting prior approval and sanction for corruption cases.

The government must also book and expedite the cases against other ex-ministers like O Panneerselvam who has been accused in the K P Park construction case of erstwhile Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board.