Annamalai slams DMK govt for detaining BJP leaders
Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K Annamalai on Monday lashed out at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government for detaining party leaders, including former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, for protesting against the alleged irregularities in Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC), saying that the state government was "trembling with fear".
BJP leaders detained ahead of protest
The protest was organised at the Chennai TASMAC headquarters. However, the police detained Soundararajan from her residence while placing other BJP leaders, including Vinoj P Selvam, under house arrest.
"We, on behalf of Tamil Nadu BJP, had announced a protest today at the Chennai TASMAC headquarters to protest the DMK government's Rs 1,000 crore TASMAC scam. The DMK government, trembling with fear, has placed senior BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan," Annamalai posted on X.
"BJP's State Secretary Vinoj P Selvam and others have been placed under house arrest, preventing them from participating in the protest," he added.
Soundararajan refuses to leave alone
His remarks came after the Tamil Nadu police detained Soundararajan for protesting against the alleged TASMAC scam.
"They are arresting me from my residence. I won't go separately. I want everyone to come with me," Soundararajan told reporters as she was detained by the police.
Heavy police deployment was seen outside her residence in Chennai.
BJP calls for peaceful agitation
Earlier in the day, Soundararajan said that everyone had the right to protest over any issue. Talking about the alleged TASMAC scam, she said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had revealed irregularities worth Rs 1,000 crore in TASMAC.
She stated that the BJP had planned a peaceful protest on the matter.
"In a country, everyone has the right to protest against anything. The ED has revealed that there have been Rs 1,000 crore irregularities in TASMAC. And in this regard, we have announced a peaceful agitation. But they have surrounded us. We don't fear such a type of custody. We will fight for the people," she added.
Tamil Nadu minister denies corruption claims
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji denied the charges of a scam in TASMAC and stated that the state government would face the matter legally.
"ED have alleged Rs 1,000 crores corruption without any basis. Before ED, one person made an accusation of Rs 1,000 crores scam, then ED also says the same in their statement. People are aware that there are thousands of meanings behind this. The government will face the ED searches on TASMAC legally," the Minister said.
He further claimed that everything was transparent as far as TASMAC was concerned.
(With ANI Inputs)
