CHENNAI: Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam on Tuesday rubbished allegation made by DMK president MK Stalin about a quarry contract given to the son of Vanur MLA Chakrapani, and said the Leader of Opposition should read the law books before levelling any charges.
Talking to reporters, the minister said, “If a public servant gains any profit by misusing his official capacity, it will be an offence under the law. But no law prevents the relatives and legal heirs of a public servant from participating in government auctions.
Stating that Stalin had no locus standi to level such charges, Shanmugam asked if the DMK chief had the guts to demand the resignation of DMK leaders Durai Murugan and K Ponmudi. “Durai Murugan’s son Kathir Anand’s wife took two quarries on lease in Arumbakkam village in Vellore recently. Similarly, Ponmudi’s son Gowtham Sigamani was allotted a lease in a village near Vanur during 2006-2011,” he claimed. In a reply to Shanmugam, DMK’s organising secretary RS Bharathi said, “Quarries which come under Minister’s portfolios are State property.”