Former Tamil Nadu chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao’s sensational allegations against the IT raids and charges against the state government for not protecting its own bureaucrat is set to have far-reaching ramifications within the state and outside it.
In a crowded press conference at his Anna Nagar residence on Tuesday, Rao said he continues to be the chief secretary and that he cannot be replaced. Stating that the summons was served to his son Vivek by the IT department and not to him, Rao said, “It’s an unconstitutional assault on the office of the chief secretary. My life is in danger.”
Stating that the CRPF searched his house at gun point and that he was placed under house arrest, Rao asked if the CRPF and the IT department will have the guts to enter the office of the chief secretary had Jayalalithaa been alive. “The state government does not have the guts to protect its chief secretary,” he said.
He, however, refused to answer on specific questions against Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
Rao’s sudden press conference, after his brief hospitalisation immediately after the raids, indicate the changing political scenario in the state. The bureaucrats are wondering how Rao mustered the courage
to challenge the raids and the state government. “This is an attempt to show O Panneerselvam as a weak chief minister. He is being supported by camps inside the ruling party which is trying to assert itself to come to power,” said a senior officer on condition of anonymity.
Rao’s press conference and his allegations assume significance as it comes days before the much-awaited AIADMK general council meeting on December 29 in which Sasikala Natarajan is expected to take over as the general secretary of the party. The raids also indicate how the Centre is trying its best to take control of the political condition in the state.
In fact, last week after cyclone 'Vardah' hit the state, when the chief minister called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request for relief, he had a brief conversation with the prime minister alone for a while after the meeting. Highly placed sources said the Centre had urged the chief minister to assert his authority over the power centres in the party which is trying to take control over the AIADMK.
“Rao has thrown a challenge on the central government. More than that by stating that the state government has no guts to protect him he has thrown a pointed challenge on CM Panneerselvam to take an official stand on this issue, which OPS had not taken so far. It seems the battle lines are drawn,” says senior journalist R Ramasubramanian.
Highly placed sources in the AIADMK said the Sasikala clan has decided to take on the Centre and this press conference by Rao is just an indication as to how the family wants to accentuate it strength and move ahead politically. Rao thanking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi also show how the family is trying its best to rope in support of both the Congress and regional parties for taking on the Centre.
In a related development, Tamil Nadu’s opposition leader M.K. Stalin sought an explanation from the chief minister over Rao’s allegations.
