CHENNAI: In an evocation of memories of the 2-G scam value, a candidate has said he owns assets worth whopping Rs 1.76 lakh crore. J Mohanraj of Jebamani Janata Party, one of the candidates in the Perambur Assembly by-poll scheduled for April 18, has taken all including election officials by surprise, declaring that the value of his assets is Rs 1.76 lakh crore and he has taken a loan of Rs 4 lakh crore from the World Bank — a stark reminder of the total debt burden of the TN government.
“I did this as a mark of protest against corrupt persons declaring paltry sums as the value of their assets, using loopholes in law. If the assets declared by big political leaders are true, then mine should also be true. I will say all my assets are in Swiss bank,” Mohanraj told TNIE.
He also recalled: “I did this in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections when I declared Rs 1,977 crore assets. In the 2016 Assembly elections, I contested from Kolathur and declared Rs 1.76 lakh crore assets and declared immovable properties at Kodanadu Estate worth R 1,500 crore. I am doing this to create awareness among the public.”
Mohanraj is the son of the late freedom-fighter, Nellai R Jebamani, who was a close associate of the late Congress leader, Kamaraj. He was in the State police service for 21 years. In the late 80s, he was with the CBI on deputation and later worked with the team which investigated the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
So what is the punishment for filing false affidavits? An Assistant Returning Officer in the city told TNIE: “A SC directive says that the idea behind declaring assets, criminal background etc. of the candidates is to make these facts known to the voters. The RO, who is receiving the affidavits, need not check the validity of information. If the voters find fradulent claims, they can choose not to vote for him.”