Tamil Nadu Government has been caged by “Gutkha Gate”. Though the Supreme Court has banned the sale of gutkha and all forms of chewable tobacco and nicotine, the products continue to be sold across Tamil Nadu. The reason why the products are being sold in the State came out recently with a section of the media exposing the details of a letter sent by BR Balakrishnan, Principal Director of Income Tax (Investigation), to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police.

The letter dated August 11, 2016 had asked the Tamil Nadu Government to investigate details of huge bribes being paid to a Minister in the Tamil Nadu Government, top bureaucrats and police officials to facilitate the sale of gutkha across the State. Studies have found that Gutkha is one of the major causes for cancer.

The Income Tax department’s letter is based on a statement made by one Madhava Rao, a partner of MDM brand Gutkha, that he was paying Rs40 crore per year as bribe to the Minister and other senior officials in the administration as protection money. There are many “popular” brands of Gutkha being sold in all shops in Tamil Nadu in violation of the Supreme Court order. Hundreds of customers, most of them migrant workers from other States, make a beeline in front of these shops in the morning hours to get their stock of gutkha and chewing tobacco.

Though the Opposition DMK tried to raise the issue in the State Assembly, Speaker P Dhanapalan did not allow them to do so which resulted in the entire Opposition walking out on Wednesday and Thursday. Interestingly, the documents seized by the Income Tax officials when they raided the premises of the MDM company revealed the names of the Minister and the police officers who were under the payroll of the company.

MK Stalin, leader of the Opposition said the names mentioned in the documents include Health Minister Vijaya Bhaskar, former police commissioner S George, the incumbent director general of police TK Rajendran. He also demanded the immediate sacking of the Minister and the police officers. “Though the IT department sounded the state administration nearly one year back, the latter has  not taken any action over the information,” said Stalin.

Chief Minister Palaniswamy told the House on Thursday that the Government was investigating the matter. The Union Home Ministry as well as the Health Ministry have sought reports from the State about the sale of gutkha despite the Supreme Court’s ban order.

Cyril Alexander, convenor of a NGO working in the field of tobacco control said all tobacco and gutkha products banned by the apex court are easily available across the State. “This could not happen without official patronage. The business is worth thousands of crores,” said Alexander.

The AIADMK Government led by Palaniswamy is plagued by a series of corruption charges and scams. A TV channel had come out with a sting operation in which two ruling party MlAs confided that they were offered Rs5 crore in return for supporting the Palaniswamy government during the trust vote held in February last. A Chennai based lawyer was told by the Election Commission of India that it had directed the Chief e Electoral Officer and the returning Officer to file FIR against Chief Minister Palaniswamy and five of hi cabinet colleagues for alleged malpractices in the by-election to the RK Nagar assembly constituency which the ECI was forced to rescind following wide scale cash distribution. The Gutkha Gate the latest scam to hit the Tamil Nadu Government.