For the first time, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has reacted to the purported audio clips of state Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, in which people are heard maligning the state government and party leadership.
Stalin stated on Tuesday, 2 May, that he didn’t want to give publicity to people who indulge in cheap politics.
Replying to a question related to the purported audio of PTR during a video programme named Ungalil Oruvan — meaning ‘”One Among You” — Stalin, endorsing the rebuttal of PTR, said that the finance minister himself had explained it twice.
The Tamil Nadu BJP has, so far, released two audios of PTR where he was purportedly talking about the money amassed by the chief minister’s son Udhayanidhi and son-in-law Sabareesan.
Denouncing the audio by calling them “fabricated” and a “deepfake”, PTR clarified that he had high regard for the family of the chief minister and had never talked about them.
Also read: EPS seeks probe into ‘PTR audio clips’
Graft cases against AIADMK leaders
Asked about the status of the graft cases against former AIADMK ministers, Stalin replied that the CAG report had confirmed the corruption of the ministers with evidence and based on it, further investigations will be done.
“As per the amendments made to the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2018 to carry forward these investigations, certain pre-investigation approvals and prosecution sanctions are needed,” he said.
“After these procedures, all the corruption cases against former AIADMK ministers will be taken to court,” Stalin added.
Affirming that there would be strict action against them, Stalin said, “They who have eaten salt will have to drink water. It is certain.”
Also read: Kanimozhi gives Annamalai 48 hours to tender apology
‘BJP has grudge against minorities’
Taking on Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks in Telangana that Muslim reservation would be done away with if the party came to power there, Stalin said it showed “a grudge against minorities”.
“He has spoken so for electoral gains. The BJP leadership has a notion that only spewing hatred at Muslims will satisfy Hindus. It is not true. A majority of our electorate that did not vote for the BJP are actually Hindus. They wish for peace and brotherhood. The BJP attempts to impose its hate agenda on some sections and project it as the sentiments of the majority,” he alleged.
He alleged that the BJP’s “social media troll army accounts” acted as a propaganda machine to spread lies and fake news, and also claimed certain media organisations “have turned to be the mouthpiece” of the saffron party.
“The BJP pushes its hate politics with the help of such factors. In a country that has secularism in the preamble of its Constitution, the home minister speaking like this is a breach of the Constitution. People are watching everything,” he added.
