CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, accompanied by DMK MLA and former minister PK Sekarbabu, met former education minister and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Tuesday at the Puzhal prison, where he has been lodged since the early hours of the day following his arrest in connection with the alleged Rs 100 crore scam to obtain various approvals for private schools.
After the meeting, Sekarbabu told reporters that Anbil Mahesh would not be intimidated by the arrest and asserted that the party would not succumb to threats.
He said Anbil Mahesh had cooperated with the investigation whenever he was summoned and was not someone who would evade the process by going into hiding. “He will not seek any additional prison facilities. This arrest has only made him more determined,” Sekarbabu said.
Alleging that Anbil Mahesh had been arrested without any prima facie grounds in an attempt to intimidate him, Sekarbabu said the DMK would not be deterred by such actions. “There is no reason to fear as long as DMK chief MK Stalin and opposition leader Udhayanidhi stand by us,” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the arrest, PWD and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna on Tuesday said neither the CM nor the ministers have any political vendetta against anybody.
He further accused the DMK of projecting itself as an ideological party while engaging in corruption after coming to power.
Addresing reporters at Mamallapuram, Aadhav accused the previous DMK government of large-scale corruption and questioned whether Stalin was unaware of the alleged irregularities during his tenure. He also criticised Udhayanidhi for challenging the government to prove its allegations with evidence.
“Did such large-scale corruption take place without the knowledge of the then CM Stalin? Even in the construction of a bathroom, corruption to the tune of `1,000 crore has taken place,” he alleged.
DMK councillor booked for remark on Karur stampede
Chennai: Puzhal police on Tuesday registered a case against Vellore DMK councillor Teeta Saravanan over a remark he had made about the Karur stampede. The comments were made when ex-minister Anbil Mahesh was being taken to Puzhal prison.
In a video circulating on social media, Saravanan is heard saying, “If we had finished him off at Karur on that day, we wouldn’t be in this situation today.” The police have invoked BNS sections 192, 296(b), 353(1) and 351(3), relating to provocation with intent to cause a riot, obscene acts and statements conducing to public mischief and criminal intimidation.
