In a startling disclosure, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who is also the general secretary of the AIADMK, said on Wednesday that the Karunanidhi-led DMK Government was responsible for the Rs1,10,000 crore illegal granite quarrying scam in Madurai.
Addressing a mammoth election rally at Madurai, her first public function at the temple city since the lok Sabha election in 2014, Jayalalithaa said Karunanidhi’s family had granite quarry business in Madurai district. “An enquiry commission appointed by the Madras High Court has found that Karunanidhi’s grand son owns one of the major granite quarrying units. The granite quarrying in the district was banned by the AIADMK Government in 2012. Karunanidhi and his family members are going around Tamil Nadu alleging that we are behind granite quarrying,” said Jayalalithaa.
The AIADMK leader pointed out that a leading Tamil daily had published in 2010 reports about illegal granite quarrying in Madurai district. “Instead of probing the details behind the granite quarrying, the then Government led by Karunanidhi got the editor and reporter of the newspaper arrested and put them behind bars.
Investigation by officials appointed by the AIADMK has found that illegal granite quarrying worth Rs16,000 crore has taken place in Madurai during the DMK regime,” she said.
Durai Alagiri, son of former Union Minister M K Alagiri, had business interests in granite quarrying and there were reports that he owned Olympia Granites, a major unit based in Madurai. Following reports submitted by former Madurai district collectors U Sahayam and Anshul Mishra about the illegal granite quarrying taking place in the district, the Madras High Court had appointed a special commission to investigate the magnitude of illegal quarrying in Madurai.
Jayalalithaa said she banned granite quarrying in 2012 itself following the reports submitted by the officials. “All these indicate that the mega scam featuring illegal granite quarrying has happened during the 2006 to 2011 Karunanidhi regime. The same Karunanidhi and the Congress would approach you again for votes . Please do not vote for them,” said the AIADMK supremo.
She also blamed the DMK-Congress combine for the Jallikkattu imbroglio. “A section of the people are putting the blame for banning Jallikkattu at the doorsteps of the AIADMK. It is the previous UPA Government in which the DMK was a major player which was responsible for the ban on Jallikkattu by the apex court. The Supreme Court banned Jallikkattu in the backdrop of a Central Government notification issued on February 17, 2011. The DMK Government did nothing to get the ban on Jallikkattu removed”, said Jayalalithaa.
In her 45 minutes-long speech, Jayalalithaa promised the people that she would introduce more welfare schemes like the Amma Restaurant, Amma Mineral Water and Amma pharmacies. “These are welfare measures introduced by me without making any commitments or promises to you. Ill deliver whatever I promise. And I promise only whatever I could do,” she said.