Vellore, Aug 30 (PTI) DMK organisation secretary RS Bharathi on Sunday challenged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to “open those three files” he had cited recently in the Assembly to target the party-led regime and asserted that he would hit back legally, alleging that “corruption” has commenced in the chief minister’s room.
Speaking at a DMK event here, Bharathi said Vijay’s recent reference to the “files” from three departments was only an allusion to as many CAG reports. Such reports had never lauded the government, he said, explaining the audit process from municipalities up to the highest levels of the government.
Explaining the audit process and other government formalities, Bharathi dared the CM to open the “three files”, saying he too would hit back legally, as he had done when he filed a case against late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the TANSI matter.
Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation is a government entity.
“Jayalalithaa had arrogantly spoken like this. In those days, she had not committed a big mistake. She had bought government land, which she should not have done. When I issued a statement saying that it was wrong, she dared me, asking what was wrong with it. Then I filed a case, and the matter went up to the Supreme Court,” he said, citing the adverse outcome against her in the apex court.
In this context, Bharathi said he was warning against speaking in an “arrogant” manner. Had she returned the land, there would not have been any problem for her, he said.
However, she did not do so as she was advised by those around her that it would be a loss of face for her.
Similarly, two or three people were around Vijay, he alleged.
“You (CM) open the first file, I will open a file (against you),” he said, alleging that corruption had “commenced” from the chief minister’s room.
Recently, the government’s move to set up a spacious new office for CM Vijay at Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai within the Secretariat complex in the Fort St George campus led to allegations of lapses in the Rs 5.54-crore tender process.
The CMO currently functions from the main block of Fort St George. According to the ruling TVK, the present CM’s office is functioning from a cramped space in the British-era building.
Against this backdrop, Bharathi said that at a recent meeting held at Thiruvottiyur in Chennai, he had boldly dared the CM to “open the three files”, referring to the DMK regime from 2021 to 2026.
On August 19, in the Assembly, CM Vijay had said that he did not intend to take up the matter, apparently referring to graft allegations against the previous DMK regime, but that the main opposition had harped on “evidence”.
Vijay said Finance Minister N Marie Wilson had mentioned that files related to three departments, following a review, were on his table.
The CM had said: “It was not a passing reference made by him (Finance Minister); the files are really on my table and everything is there with proof. Don’t prompt us to open them.” Such files would be opened at the right time, the CM said.
Vijay further said: “I know when to speak to the people, what to say and how, and only because I spoke, people sent us to the Assembly.” He said it was not that he could not react, but that he had exercised restraint so that something good would happen to the people in the Assembly by-election, Vijay said amid loud thumping of tables by the Treasury benches. PTI VGN SSK SA
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