Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai has sharply criticized the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government for detaining several BJP leaders, including former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, during a protest against alleged irregularities in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC). Annamalai accused the DMK government of “trembling with fear” after police detained Soundararajan from her residence in Chennai and placed other BJP leaders, including Vinoj P Selvam, under house arrest to prevent their participation in the protest.
In a post on X, Annamalai stated, “The DMK government, trembling with fear, has detained senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan and placed Vinoj P Selvam and others under house arrest.” He accused the government of using intimidation tactics to stifle the protest against the alleged Rs 1,000 crore TASMAC scam.
Soundararajan, who was detained on Monday morning, had earlier expressed that everyone in the country had the right to protest. She also mentioned that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had uncovered irregularities worth Rs 1,000 crore in TASMAC, adding that the BJP’s protest was meant to be peaceful. “We don’t fear such custody. We will fight for the people,” Soundararajan said as she was detained.
Responding to the allegations, Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji denied any wrongdoing in the TASMAC operations. He called the charges of a Rs 1,000 crore scam baseless and stated that the government would confront the ED’s investigation legally. Balaji emphasized that the operations of TASMAC were transparent.
The ongoing political tension highlights the growing opposition to the alleged irregularities in TASMAC and the DMK government’s handling of the matter.
