‘I-T department should have conducted raids at Koovathur’

 A day after DMK leader M.K. Stalin questioned why the Income Tax Department did not conduct searches at the Golden Bay Resorts in Koovathur in February when AIADMK MLAs were held there before the trust vote won by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, rebel AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam concurred with him.

Interacting with journalists at the Coimbatore Airport on Thursday, Mr. Panneerselvam referred to the Income Tax searches conducted at the Bengaluru resort where Congress MLAs from Gujarat were staying, and said similar searches should have been conducted at the Koovathur resort in February last.

He charged that the present government was shaped by the Sasikala family and it is strange that the Chief Minister and Ministers continue to claim that they have sidelined the Sasikala family. The Chief Minister definitely owes an explanation to the people on whether his claim is the truth or drama.

Referring to the freezing of property of the Health Minister and transfer of sub-registrar, Mr. Panneerselvam said that these incidents only highlight the corrupt practices of the present regime, bringing disgrace to the late MGR and Jayalalithaa. He reiterated his opinion that the AIADMK should function independently without going into the hands of Sasikala family.

When asked about the statement of AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran regarding his return to active party work, Mr. Panneerselvam said that his AIADMK (PTA) was keenly watching the developments. His party would respond or act, in the event of Mr. Dhinakaran turning up at the party headquarters in Chennai on August 5.

‘No merger’

On talks regarding a merger with the ruling faction, Mr. Panneerselvam said that there is no question of merger. Stating that the true AIADMK was with him, he extended an invitation to others to join him. Insisting on an exemption for Tamil Nadu from the NEET, Mr. Panneerselvam said that even the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had the same opinion and the State wanted to complete an overhaul of the syllabus before going in for NEET. Under the present circumstances, it would only snatch the medical education prospects of the rural students.

Meanwhile, senior AIADMK Amma leader and Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam said Mr. Panneerselvam did not have any right to speak about corruption.

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