The principal opposition party of Tamil Nadu, AIADMK, and the ruling party, DMK has entered into a war of words over the arrest of Tamil Nadu Electricity, Excise and Prohibition Minister Senthil Balaji.
On Wednesday, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that the AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) does not have any locus standi to criticise Balaji.
Subramanian said that Palaniswamy was making contradictory remarks on the details of Balaji’s case and trying to bring bad name to the DMK government in the state.
He said that there were corruption charges against Palaniswami and other ministers during the previous AIADMK regime. He said that Palaniswami did not resign when charges of corruption were raised against him and his cabinet colleagues.
Coming out strongly against Subramanian, AIADMK leader and former Minister D. Jayakumar said that their government led by late J. Jayalalithaa had taken action against Balaji who was a minister in the AIADMK government and removed him from her cabinet.
He said that the former Chief Minister had also commenced legal proceedings against Balaji after obtaining complaints from the affected people.
Jayakumar said that Subramanian was giving press statements without any basic data and was blabbering. He said that the health minister was “unfit” to continue as a minister.
The AIADMK leader defended the ED officials in the arrest of Balaji and said that the central agency followed due procedures in the minister’s arrest.
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