Tamil Nadu is the most corrupt and unsafe State in the country, according to MK Stalin, president, DMK. Addressing a mammoth rally organised by the DMK as part of its State-wide agitation against the “corrupt” AIADMK Government, at Salem on Tuesday, Stalin unleashed a series of attacks on the Edappadi Palaniswamy-led Tamil Nadu Government.
In his first address at a public meeting after getting elected as the party chief following the death of his father M Karunanidhi on August 7, Stalin described Tamil Nadu as the worst administered State in India. His tirade against the AIADMK Government could make investors and entrepreneurs think many times about their plans to invest in Tamil Nadu.
“The economy of the State is in a shambles. There are no employment opportunities for the youth in Tamil Nadu. Farmers are committing suicide and entrepreneurs are leaving the State in search of greener pastures because of the greed of AIADMK politicians and rampant corruption. All Ministers in the Edappady Palaniswamy Cabinet are facing corruption charges,” said Stalin.
Stalin’s attack on the EPS-led Government came a day after the Madras High Court asked the Advocate-General to submit a detailed report about the major contracts on infrastructure works awarded by the Tamil Nadu Government. The DMK in a petition to the Madras High Court had charged the Tamil Nadu Governement with violating all norms while awarding the contracts of five major highway projects funded by the World Bank.
He said there has been a total breakdown of the law and order in Tamil Nadu. “We saw the State police chief himself being raided by the CBI. Women and children are not safe even in their homes. The woman superintendent of police who was in charge of protecting women herself was sexually abused by her seniors,” lambasted Stalin.
Stalin warned the IAS/IPS officers in the State whom he accused of being hand in glove with the AIADMK Ministers in massive corruption and violation of all norms in awarding big contracts of the Government. “The DMK through our secret network has collected all details of the misdeeds perpetrated by the officials and the politicians. We have the entire data of how much money was collected by the officials and the AIADMK Ministers and politicians. We also have proof of the money handed over to the party MLAs to ensure their support to the Edappadi Palaniswamy Government,” warned Stalin.
Stalin charged that the Tamil Nadu Government was reluctant to appoint the Lok Ayukta, the super sleuths with power to probe and prosecute corrupt Ministers and officials. “Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam know well that they would be the first politicians to go to the jail once they appoint the Lok Ayukta. I warn the politicians and bureaucrats in Tamil Nadu who have been counting currency notes till now would soon start counting the bars in jails,” said Stalin in a no-holds barred attack on the AIADMK as well as the BJP.
The entire Karunanidhi clan barring estranged son M K Alagiri was out in the streets on Tuesday addressing anti-corruption rallies from several venues in the State. While Udhayanidhi, son of Stalin, led the demonstration in a Chennai suburb, Kanimozhi, the late Karunanidhi’s daughter from his third wife, inaugurated the rally at Tindivanam. Dayanidhi Maran, grand nephew of Karunanidhi who is an accused in the multi-crore illegal telephone exchange case, declared in Chennai that corruption could be wiped out only if Stalin becomes the Chief Minister of the State.
Meanwhile, Sellur Raju, Minister for cooperation termed the DMK rally against corruption as a comic drama. “The DMK speaking about corruption is akin to the butcher quoting the scriptures. The Ranjit Singh Sarkaria Commission which probed corruption charges against the then Chief Minister Karunanidhi had described the latter as a man of scientific corruption. Stalin is defaming a honest Govt,” he said.