Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai has strongly criticized the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government for detaining BJP leaders, including former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, ahead of a planned protest against alleged corruption in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC).
BJP Leaders Detained Before Protest
The protest, aimed at highlighting alleged Rs 1,000 crore irregularities in TASMAC, was scheduled to take place at its Chennai headquarters on Monday. However, Tamil Nadu police detained Soundararajan at her residence, while other BJP leaders, including State Secretary Vinoj P Selvam, were placed under house arrest to prevent their participation.
Reacting to the police action, Annamalai accused the DMK government of acting out of fear.
“The DMK government, trembling with fear, has placed senior BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan under house arrest,” Annamalai posted on X.
“BJP’s State Secretary Vinoj P Selvam and others have been placed under house arrest, preventing them from participating in the protest.”
Soundararajan Resists Police Detention
As police detained Soundararajan, she refused to leave alone, insisting that her fellow protestors be taken along.
“They are arresting me from my residence. I won’t go separately. I want everyone to come with me,” she told reporters.
Visuals from the scene showed a heavy police deployment outside her residence.
BJP Calls for Peaceful Protest
Earlier in the day, Soundararajan emphasized that every citizen has the right to protest, asserting that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had already uncovered irregularities worth Rs 1,000 crore in TASMAC.
“The ED has revealed that there have been Rs 1,000 crore irregularities in TASMAC. We had announced a peaceful agitation, but now they have surrounded us. We don’t fear such custody; we will fight for the people,” she said.
DMK Minister Dismisses Corruption Allegations
In response to the allegations, Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji denied any corruption within TASMAC and insisted that the state government would legally challenge the ED’s claims.
“The ED has alleged Rs 1,000 crore corruption without any basis. One person made an accusation, and now the ED repeats the same. The people know the truth. The government will face this legally,” Balaji said.
He further maintained that TASMAC operations remained transparent.
As tensions rise over the allegations, the political showdown between the BJP and DMK continues, with the TASMAC controversy at the center of the dispute.
