Chennai: More than a week after two unverified audio clips, purportedly of Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) where he is allegedly heard speaking against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government and alleged corruption by members of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s family, went viral on social media, the CM Tuesday broke his silence on the issue, calling it “cheap politics”.
The audio clips had been widely shared by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the state. Allies BJP and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have also been mounting pressure on the Stalin government over alleged corruption.
Responding to a question on the purported PTR audio clips in his YouTube show Ungalil Oruvan-Bathilgal (one among you answers), Stalin said Tuesday, “He (PTR) has given two detailed explanations on this matter. I have time only to do duties for people. I do not want to talk anything further on this and give publicity to those indulging in ‘cheap politics’.”
Following the release of the purported audio clips, PTR had said through a written statement and video that the audio files were “fabricated”.
Earlier, on 14 April, K. Annamalai, president of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP had released a purported expose, titled the DMK Files in which he had alleged that 13 DMK leaders, including members of CM Stalin’s family had accumulated assets worth Rs 1.34 lakh crore.
While speaking to party cadres in Salem Sunday, AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), had also questioned the CM’s silence on the corruption allegation.
“Why is CM MK Stalin silent on corruption allegations levelled against his family members?” EPS had asked.
In Ungalil Oruvan-Bathilgal Tuesday, Stalin also addressed questions on a resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly last month, urging the Union government and President Droupadi Murmu to fix a time limit for “governors to give assent to bills passed by the legislatures”, following differences with Governor R.N. Ravi on the issue.
The Tamil Nadu CM also spoke about a remark reportedly by Union Home Minister Amit Shah against reservation for Muslims and Tamil Nadu and EPS’s meeting with the BJP leadership in Delhi.
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Resolution on bills, remarks on Amit Shah
Speaking in Ungalil Oruvan, Stain said, “There cannot be a bigger insult to democracy than an appointed governor sitting on bills passed by lawmakers, who have been elected as representatives by crores of people. It is for this reason that we demand that a time limit be fixed to give consent to the bills.”
Stalin had last month written to opposition-ruled states, urging them to take up similar resolutions as passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly on the issue. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan had come out in support.
While thanking CMs who agreed with him on the issue, Stalin urged other CMs to support it as well.
He also spoke about a statement reportedly made by the BJP’s Amit Shah in Telangana.
On 24 April, Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a public meeting in Telangana’s Chevella, had reportedly announced that if voted to power in the state, it will scrap the “unconstitutional” reservation given to Muslims in Telangana.
Stalin, who has been calling for opposition unity against the BJP and the NDA alliance ahead of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, slammed Shah’s purported remark as one made for “electoral gains” and highlighting the BJP’s “grudge on minority communities”.
“The BJP leadership imagines that only spewing hatred on Muslims will satisfy the Hindus. The BJP attempts to impose its hate agenda on some sections and project it as the sentiments of the majority,” alleged Stalin.
He added: “In a country that has secularism in the preamble of its Constitution, a Union minister speaking in such a manner is a breach of Constitution.”
On a question about EPS’s visit to Delhi last week, Stalin took a dig at the AIADMK leader saying, “It is nothing new for him (EPS) or his party men to act so heroic before going to Delhi, wait there and finally return like a deflated balloon.”
Amid reports of the BJP-AIADMK alliance being in troubled waters, top AIADMK leadership had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J.P. Nadda in Delhi last week. Annamalai had also been present at the meeting. The two parties have since been vocally supportive of each other and the alliance in public since.
Stalin has been hosting the monthly Ungalil Oruvan – Bathilgal show for years. However, the show didn’t take place in April.
Clarifying that it was back after a month, Stalin said Tuesday that the gap was “due to the Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly budget session and the Chief Minister [being] on field inspection visits”.
He added, “Nevertheless, the gap is only for the show and not between you and me.”
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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