Chennai, Nov 7 (PTI) Senior DMK leader T K S Elangovan on Saturday asserted that former minister Durai Murugan is fully prepared to face the DVAC inquiry into the alleged sand mining scam.
He also launched a scathing attack on TVK chief and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on multiple fronts.
A case has been registered by the DVAC against Durai Murugan and several others over alleged irregularities in river and sand mining that caused an estimated loss of over Rs 1,427 crore to the state exchequer, officials said on Friday.
Addressing the media, Elangovan brushed aside concerns, stating, “He (Durai Murugan) will face it. He has already said, I am clean; I will face it”.
On TVK’s allegations over corruption during the previous DMK regime in procurement of books for Periyar Knowledge World in Coimbatore, he claimed that the controversial books were actually procured at inflated prices by the current government.
“The name of the book itself in many titles contains the word ‘Vijay’. He thinks people are fools and can be cheated in any way. They purchased these books at a higher cost, took huge money, and now want to put the blame on the DMK,” Elangovan said.
The DMK leader also criticised the state government’s decision to constitute a 20-member panel to boost foreign trade and diaspora investments, dismissing it as a futile exercise while industries are leaving Tamil Nadu.
He pointed to the closure of the Parandur airport project and the impending closure of the Salem airport, accusing the state government of “failing” to pressurise the Centre to sustain them.
“Only the ministers and MLAs are minting money; they are not providing any facilities or doing any good to the industries. Why a 20-member committee? To stop industrialists from going out,” he asked.
Elangovan further alleged that former minister C Vijayabaskar is actively preparing for the upcoming by-elections by distributing cash gifts of Rs 2,000 to voters in his constituency, speculating that the leader might contest on a TVK ticket.
Reacting to the bail granted to AIADMK leader and former Madurai Deputy Mayor P M Mannan over an alleged attempt to poach a TVK MLA, Elangovan termed the arrest a “false accusation” orchestrated by the ruling party.
“They want to show that DMK and AIADMK are purchasing MLAs because they have done it themselves. How can Mannan buy one MLA for Rs 30 crore? They should use their brains, but they are brainless,” he added.
On the state government’s move to wind up the high-level committee on Centre-State relations, the DMK leader launched a sharp attack on Vijay, labelling him a “slave of the BJP”.
“How will the slaves of the BJP have a committee like that? That committee was formed to talk to the Government of India and ensure the state’s interest is kept up. But Vijay is afraid of the BJP and is loyal to them because he was elected due to their malpractices,” he alleged.
On November 6, the Tamil Nadu government issued an order to officially dissolve the high-level committee on Centre-State relations, transferring its entire scope and jurisdiction to the newly restructured Tamil Nadu State Law Commission.
The three-member panel was constituted in April 2025 by the previous DMK government. Chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph, it was tasked with reviewing constitutional provisions and recommending measures to protect state autonomy and federalism.
When asked about actor Dhanush’s plans to open student training centres in Chennai and Kanyakumari through ‘Dhanush Narpani Iyakkam,’ Elangovan noted that anyone can enter politics. However, he remarked that Dhanush’s potential political entry and plans to start his own party might be something Vijay is against.
Dhanush has not officially announced any political ambitions. However, the restructuring of ‘Dhanush Narpani Mandram’ into a welfare movement named ‘Dhanush Narpani Iyakkam’ has sparked speculation in Tamil Nadu about a possible entry into politics. PTI JR KH
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