CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directing Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to register case in the alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the Municipal Administration department headed by KN Nehru has given new ammunition to political parties, including the BJP and actor-politician Vijay-led TVK, to intensify their attack on the government.
Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami did not respond to the order as of Friday night, though the party’s Rajya Sabha MP IS Inbadurai is one of the petitioners in the case.
Talking to reporters at the Madras HC, Inbadurai said following the ED’s complaint to the DGP on the Rs 1,020 crore scam four months ago, DVAC had not registered any FIR.
“When I filed the case, it was argued that I did it to gain political mileage,” he said, adding after he moved the court, state claimed a preliminary inquiry was under way. He said the current order to register an FIR shows that the court has accepted his argument that the state is delaying justice in the case.
Responding to the order, Vijay said the order is yet another major embarrassment for the “corruption-tainted” DMK government.
In a post on X, he said the minister facing the charges should step down voluntarily, failing which he should be removed from the cabinet.
He also asserted that the public is waiting to vote out “the deeply corrupt government” in the upcoming election.
BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran said the DMK’s “fortress of corruption” is crumbling, adding the countdown has begun for the DMK government “that is swindling public money and thriving on commissions”.
PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss urged the authorities to initiate an inquiry against Nehru.