Tamil Nadu CM Vijay attacks DMK over corruption, warns against derogatory remarks on women

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday launched a sharp attack on the opposition DMK accusing the party and several of its senior leaders of corruption during their previous tenure in governmentReplying to the debate in the Assembly on demands for grants for the Police Department Vijay said political parties were free to criticise one another but warned that derogatory or obscene remarks against women would not be toleratedHe said the law would take action against anyone making obscene or defamatory comments about women as heated exchanges took place in the HouseVijay criticises DMK remarks on votersThe Chief Minister also criticised statements allegedly made by DMK functionaries against people who had not voted for the partyAccording to Vijay such remarks showed a lack of respect for the electoral verdict and contributed to the DMKs position on the opposition benchesHe said political parties should accept the outcome of elections and respect voters irrespective of their political preferences His remarks came during a wider discussion in the Assembly in which he targeted the DMK over both its political conduct and its record in governmentCM cites Sarkaria Commission report Veeranam projectTurning to allegations of corruption Vijay referred to documents and findings that he said were available in official records and the Assembly libraryHe cited the 1977 Sarkaria Commission report and alleged irregularities in the Veeranam pipeline project According to Vijay commissions were allegedly sought in connection with the awarding of contracts and the office of the chief minister was allegedly used to favour a particular companyThe allegations formed part of a broader attack on the DMKs record in government Vijay argued that the material he was referring to was already available in public and official records and did not require the opposition to seek separate documentation from himVijay refers to ED allegations involving party fundsVijay also referred to allegations made by the Enforcement Directorate concerning the collection of money in the name of party fundsHe claimed that commissions ranging from 75 per cent to 10 per cent were allegedly collected in certain transactions He further alleged that former minister V Senthil Balaji had misused his official positionThe Chief Minister claimed that officials and individuals linked to the former minister were also involved in the alleged transactions He named DMK president M K Stalin and party leader Udhayanidhi Stalin while referring to the agencys allegationsHowever the accusations cited by Vijay remain allegations and should not be treated as established findings of guilt No court conviction has been established against the individuals in connection with the claims referred to in his Assembly speechCM says records contain extensive detailsVijay said the records relating to the allegations were extensive and would take nearly two days to read in full He therefore presented only a summary of the material before the AssemblyHe challenged the DMK to respond to the allegations rather than repeatedly asking for evidence arguing that the relevant material was already available through public records and documentsThe exchange added to the political confrontation between the ruling side and the opposition in the Assembly with corruption allegations forming a significant part of Vijays responseVijay says he entered politics to serve peopleConcluding his response Vijay said he had entered politics neither for office nor for power but with the intention of serving the peopleHe invoked the political legacies of former Tamil Nadu chief minister C N Annadurai and former chief ministers M G Ramachandran and N T Rama Rao while asserting that public support would ultimately determine the political future of the stateWith inputs from IANS