COIMBATORE, AUG 10
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday registered a case against former Minister S P Velumani for allegedly abusing his official position and allotting tenders and he is the second AIADMK leader to face action after the DMK assumed office in May.
https://youtu.be/s_EztyZCePE
While the DVAC conducted searches in 52 premises across Tamil Nadu and questioned Velumani, a Coimbatore-based AIADMK strongman, the main opposition party condemned the action.
அரசியல் காழ்ப்புணர்ச்சி காரணமாக கழக கொறடா திரு. எஸ். பி. வேலுமணி அவர்களின் வீட்டில் லஞ்ச ஒழிப்புதுறை சோதனை நடத்துவதை எதிர்த்து, ஆயிரக்கணக்கான தொண்டர்கள் திமுக அரசின் பழிவாங்கும் நடவடிக்கையை கண்டித்து முழக்கம். pic.twitter.com/Fn2h1OZ6Kj
— AIADMK – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@AIADMKOfficial) August 10, 2021
Last month, similar action was taken against M R Vijayabaskar, another AIADMK leader and former Minister who hailed from Karur.
The AIADMK said it is always ready to face the ‘false cases’ against its leaders legally and politically.
கழக முன்னாள் அமைச்சர்களை குறி வைத்து பழிவாங்கும் நடவடிக்கைகளில் ஈடுபட வேண்டாம், மக்கள் நலன் காக்கும் பணிகளில் கவனம் செலுத்துங்கள். pic.twitter.com/rAhnqO4lqU
— AIADMK – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@AIADMKOfficial) August 10, 2021
Rather than focusing on work aimed at people’s welfare, the action of DVAC against Velumani has led to ‘suspicion’ that the DMK government was paying attention to ‘vendetta activities,’ the party said adding this has also led to anguish.
According to the FIR, abusing his official position, the former minister had allotted projects worth Rs 346.81 crore to companies owned by his relatives in Coimbatore Corporation and works estimated to be Rs 464.02 crore in Greater Chennai Corporation during 2014-18.
Also Read:
It also said that authorities had violated rules while awarding the contract. Searches were carried out at 52 locations across the state, including the house of Velumani in Kuniyamuthur here this morning in connection with the graft allegations against him.
The action comes following complaints lodged by DMK MP R S Bharati and Jayaraman of Arappor Iyakkam movement, an anti-graft NGO.
The sleuths are also searching the premises of those contractors and relatives who had taken the projects, police said.
Senior DVAC officials are questioning Velumani at the MLA quarters in Chennai.
Hundreds of party workers thronged the house of Velumani here and removed the iron barricades placed before the house, leading to tension for a while.
AIADMK top leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami in a statement said, ‘without any proof and before finding out the truth, it is unfair to level corruption allegations.’
Lauding Velumani as an active party worker, the two leaders said he had faced defamatory, false accusations and now action, which includes raids by the anti-graft agency.
‘Bearing all such travails, the AIADMK will continue with its people’s work and carry out its political work based on the principles of love and dharma.’
