Jolted by defections, DMK, AIADMK, BJP air their woes to Tamil Nadu Governor
The opposition DMK, AIADMK and BJP on Saturday separately met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, urging him to intervene over allegations of horse-trading, misuse
The opposition DMK, AIADMK and BJP on Saturday separately met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, urging him to intervene over allegations of horse-trading, misuse of state machinery and the participation of unauthorised individuals in cabinet meetings under the TVK government. A DMK delegation led by organisational secretary RS Bharathi called on the Governor and submitted a memorandum alleging attempts to poach legislators, misuse of police machinery and undue influence exercised by private individuals in the functioning of the government. Read Full Story According to a statement issued by the Governor, the DMK's memorandum raised concerns over the alleged illegal arrest, custodial coercion and attempts to induce elected representatives to defect through the misuse of police machinery. The party also alleged that inducements were offered to MLAs to switch sides and questioned the participation of unauthorised individuals in official government proceedings.
"The memorandum urged immediate constitutional intervention, an independent enquiry, and appropriate action to safeguard democratic institutions," Governor Arlekar said in a post on X. Speaking after the meeting, Bharathi reiterated the party's allegations and claimed that two individuals, John and Vishnu Reddy, wielded influence far beyond their official standing. "We met the Governor in person and explained about the horse-trading and misuse of power in Tamil Nadu. Two individuals, John and Vishnu Reddy, who are not connected to the government, seem to possess more power than the ministers. They participate in all high-level meetings and issue orders to officials. Such an unpleasant situation has come in Tamil Nadu. We had already given a petition earlier, but as the Governor was not in town, today we met and emphasised all these issues." Bharathi also alleged that attempts had been made to poach DMK legislators, including Tiruchendur MLA Anitha R Radhakrishnan, through harassment, legal intimidation and financial inducements.
He further claimed that the MLA's arrest in a case related to alleged derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Vijay was an instance of political misuse of power. DMK EARLIER URGED GOVERNOR TO REGISTER FIR AGAINST VIJAY Earlier this week, the DMK had approached Governor Arlekar seeking the registration of an FIR against TVK chief Vijay over alleged attempts to poach MLAs. The complaint heavily relied on public statements made by MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who had claimed that Vijay personally attempted to persuade two DMK legislators to resign from the Assembly. According to the complaint, Vaiko alleged that the Chief Minister assured the MLAs of financial assistance to contest the ensuing by-elections if they vacated their seats. The AIADMK, in its memorandum, also sought constitutional intervention over alleged horse-trading, engineered resignations of MLAs and the participation of private individuals in Cabinet meetings.
The BriefWire