It is trouble time for Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam following THE WEEK's expose on him amassing disproportionate assets. While the opposition DMK has gone to the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the vigilance department to enquire into his assets, Panneerselvam has rushed to New Delhi. On record, he is on an official trip. Sources say Panneerselvam is likely to call on Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, but could not manage an appointment with BJP strongman Amit Shah.
The recent Income Tax raids on the highways contractors in Tamil Nadu and the alleged links to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami have set the ball rolling, once again, in the politically unstable state. The DMK’s working president M.K. Stalin on Monday petitioned Governor Banwarilal Purohit asking him to “initiate appropriate action for a probe by the CBI into the mega scams of the council of ministers under AIADMK government.”
In further trouble for the ruling AIADMK, the Sathyanarayana bench of the high court began hearing in the disqualification case of 18 MLAs on Monday. The hearing will continue till July 27 and the judgment might be pronounced anytime after that. While both the ruling party and the opposition keep their fingers crossed, it is strongly believed in the political circles that Palanisami might be pushed to go for a floor test.
Meanwhile, another case has been filed in the Madras High Court by anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam, seeking directions to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption to register an FIR against Panneerselvam and his family members. It has also sought a time-bound, court-monitored and a fair investigation into the alleged disproportionate assets of the deputy chief minister and his family under Prevention of Corruption Act.
Admitting the petition, Justice G. Jayachandran posted the case to Wednesday for further hearing as the state government sought time for Advocate General Vijay Narayan.
DMK Rajya Sabha MP R.S. Bharathi had filed a similar petition on July 16 against the deputy chief minister seeking a direction to register a case and conduct a probe against Panneerselvam, based on his March 10 complaint. Admitting Bharathi’s petition on July 17, Justice Jayachandran asked why he “shouldn’t order a CBI probe into the issue.” The case was posted to July 24.
The Arappor Iyakkam, which had filed the complaint with the DVAC on December 12, 2017, following THE WEEK’s expose, has included the CBI also as one of the respondents to the case.
The NGO, in its petition has also recalled the erstwhile DVAC case filed against Panneerselvam and his family members in 2006. The chargesheet for the same was filed in 2009. THE WEEK had reported how the deputy chief minister, who was then the finance minister in the Jayalalithaa cabinet, got himself discharged from the DVAC case. The NGO, in its complaint, has pointed out how the prosecution gave up on the case in 2012 and how Panneerselvam was acquitted in the earlier DVAC case.
With the political developments on one side and legal course against him on the other, Panneerselvam’s Delhi visit has gained importance. Accompanying the deputy chief minister to Delhi are his 'Dharma Yudham' supporters and party seniors K.P. Munusamy and Manoj Pandian. It may be recalled that from the Panneerselvam faction, only Munusamy and Manoj Pandian had managed to gain a position in the party after the AIADMK merger.
Apparently, Panneerselvam's elder son P. Raveendranath Kumar had recently called on Vice President Venkaiah Naidu when the latter was in Chennai to take part in various events.