VIRUDHUNAGAR: At the Sivakasi corporation council meeting held on Tuesday, VCK councillor Thangapandi Selvi stood up for DMK councillor Indhira Devi in reaction to the news that the corporation is taking steps to take action against the latter for bringing bribes to the council meeting held in November.
Thangapandi Selvi said the DMK councillor brought the money to the council meeting only to address the prevalence of bribing in her ward. She further questioned if actions have been taken against officials who ask for bribes from the public.
At the council meeting held in November, as an act of condemning the officials from the corporation who sought bribes from the people in her ward, Indhira Devi brought `1,10,000 to the meeting and asked to whom the bribe has to be given. Indhira Devi further said there was a delay in the works in her ward as no bribe was given to the officials.
In reaction to the recent news that corporation commissioner Krishnamoorthy has sought legal advice to take action against Indhira Devi after receiving complaints regarding the incident at the council meeting, Thangapandi Selvi said, as the voice of the people, Indhira Devi brought the bribes only to register its prevalence in her ward. Selvi further questioned why actions were not taken against officials who sought a bribe from the public. "What is the purpose of giving such information to the press a few days ahead of the council meeting? I think it has been done to disrupt the peace at the meeting, confuse the DMK councillors and stop them from attending the meetings," she said.
In response to the incident, Mayor Sangeetha Inbam said the meeting was held to discuss the agenda and stated that she has been interrogating the officials and the commissioner in this regard. "I can't question the officials here. I would ask them post-meeting," she said.
Amid these, DMK Councillor Indhira Devi said she didn't bribe anyone but was only challenging the officials to take bribes if they could, that too in the council meeting, in front of all, "If any actions are taken regarding the issue, I will not consider it to be a punishment but as a reward," she said.