TIRUCHY: A meeting chaired by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi turned into a controversy, after he hosted various officials from district administration at his party office in Tiruchy on Monday.
The issue was flagged by Former MP and AIADMK district secretary of the Tiruchy rural south unit, P Kumar, in a letter to Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday morning.
The Public Relation Office of Tiruchy district on Monday issued an official press release of a meeting chaired by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi with representatives of various NGOs including Rotary Club, Lions Club among others.
However, the AIADMK flagged an issue about the meeting as it was held at the DMK's party office in VN Nagar and saw participation of various officials including District Collector S Divyadharshini, City Corporation Commissioner S Sivasubramaniam and Tiruchy City Police Commissioner Arun.
In the letter forwarded to the Governor, P Kumar said, "The School Education Minister hosting an official meeting at a party office is causing damage to the sovereignty of the institutions and acting against democratic practises. The meeting sets a very wrong precedence among the public and should be condemned. The Education MInister should be disqualified for hosting such a meeting."
Following the constrovery, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi issued a clarification on Tuesday evening explaining that the officials were present in the event only because they had arrived at a time when the meeting was underway to discuss the scope of NGOs to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
School Education Minister, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in the statement said, "The various officials had arrived at the office to congratulate me for assuming the charge as a cabinet minister in the DMK government. As the meeting with the NGOs were underway at the same moment, they also participated in the meeting and shared their insights to tackle the pandemic. The meeting was not a planned one."