Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had accused the DMK of corruption involving party funds.
Vijay claimed that the ED had named former Chief Minister MK Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Udhayanidhi Stalin and Minister Senthil Balaji in connection with the alleged collection of money in the name of party funds.
He also alleged that the Sarkaria Commission report had accused former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi of misusing his official position.
Addressing the Assembly, Vijay said the DMK had challenged him to open files relating to three departments that he had accused of corruption during the previous DMK regime.
“Before I open them, I want to read the Sarkaria Commission report on the DMK government's corruption in 1988,” he said, referring to the commission's findings on alleged misuse of official position by Karunanidhi.
Vijay further alleged that the ED had accused the DMK of corruption through party funds and claimed that Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin and Senthil Balaji had collected money in the name of party funds.
He also criticised the DMK over alleged remarks by one of its leaders that people who did not vote for the party should die.
“A DMK leader said that people who don't vote for them should die. The same people have been voting for them for the last 50 years. I ask, why should the DMK remain a political party with such a mindset?” he said.
On law and order, Vijay said steps would be taken to immediately fill vacancies in the Police Department. He also said the department would be digitalised and would function independently without political interference.
Vijay appealed to people not to make defamatory remarks against women.
He said women were the main reason behind his political victory and asserted that he would not tolerate abusive language against them.
“Before anyone speaks in such a manner, they should think of the women in their own family. Women are the main reason behind my political victory. I will not tolerate any abusive language against women. There can be harsh political criticism, but there should not be any defamatory remarks against women,” CM Vijay said.
His remarks came amid a row over alleged comments by Udhayanidhi Stalin about actor Trisha. Udhayanidhi had allegedly made a double-meaning remark during a Cauvery protest meeting in August, while the DMK has claimed that the comment was edited and misrepresented.
Vijay also accused the DMK of scrapping schemes introduced by the AIADMK when it came to power, alleging that the DMK believed voters had forgotten its past mistakes and corruption.
He said the people of Tamil Nadu had rejected that narrative by electing his government.
“People have mandated leaders like Anna, MGR, NTR and now Vijay. The DMK accuses the TVK government of scrapping schemes introduced by them. But the same DMK scrapped many schemes of the AIADMK government when it came to power. The DMK thinks the people of Tamil Nadu have forgotten its corruption and mistakes, but that is not the case, that is why the people have elected us,” he added.
(With inputs from ANI)
