The Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay warned that he would reveal alleged “corruption files” of DMK-backed government officials at the appropriate time. It came at a tense meeting of Tamil Nadu's ruling TVK and opposition DMK legislators at a heated exchange in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, as the two sides feuded over alleged road-laying and government tenders fraud, he said.
The Chief Minister intervened after a sharp verbal exchange between DMK MLA EV Velu and Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna. The two sides were arguing over a Rs 5.54-crore tender to move the Chief Minister’s office.
Vijay said that he would address allegations against the previous administration. “I will reveal the corruption files from the previous DMK regime at an appropriate time. I have two files on my desk. Don't force me to do it now,” he said.
The statement instantly added to the political tension of the debate. Vijay’s warning suggests that the TVK government may seek to bring forward documents or allegations about the previous DMK administration at a later stage. But the Chief Minister did not give details about the contents of the two files or when they would be made public.
The battle began with DMK leader EV Velu raising questions about the tender process related to the proposed move of the Chief Minister’s Office. Velu said that the Rs 5.54-crore tender was not published online and questioned why the Chief Minister’s workplace should be shifted from its current place.
Velu also expressed concern about the impact of the relocation on Secretariat employees. Members of the Secretariat Association had expressed concerns about losing space for eating and resting facilities, he said. He urged the Chief Minister to consider the employees’ views before going through with the proposed changes.
Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna rejected the allegations and said the allegations were based on wrong (or incomplete) newspaper reports. He said that opposition members were trying to create doubts on the government’s actions and defended the department’s position on the tender.
Arjuna also turned the criticism back on the previous administration, pointing to reports published over the past five years and claims that corruption had often been associated with the Public Works Department. His response only intensified the political fight between Treasury benches and opposition.
The debate was symptomatic of the increasingly adversarial politics in Tamil Nadu Assembly and the TVK government and DMK are in constant dispute about administration, public spending and alleged irregularities. Since becoming the party, the TVK leadership has tried to present itself as a political alternative, though the DMK is still holding up their thumb in the nose at the decisions taken by the new government.
Apart from the Chief Minister’s Office controversy, road-laying problems also came up and discussions also got involved. Quality, execution and tendering of public infrastructure projects have been a subject of political debate since the public money involved is huge.
Vijay also said the government will provide a vehicle to every MLA to enable him to serve the public without hindrance. He said it is a step to better serve the people and his constituency and be able to serve it as he said elected representatives will be able to carry out their constituency work.
The vehicle announcement occurred as part of the Assembly’s discussions on the improvement of legislators and constituency work. Of course this is for administrative convenience, but it will also come under scrutiny on spending and implementation.
Vijay’s “two files” comment was still the most politically significant moment of the proceedings. The statement has raised doubts over whether the alleged documents will ever be made public and what problems they might have. Until the files are officially disclosed and the contents are independently established, the accusations can be only claims on the political stage.
The Assembly confrontation emphasizes the challenges of the TVK government in trying to establish its administrative credentials and working in a political environment with an angry opposition. There could be more political clashes in weeks to come over corruption, government tenders, infrastructure projects and decisions taken by both the current and former governments.
However, Vijay has said that he will release the alleged corruption-related material only when it is appropriate. His warning has added another heated issue in Tamil Nadu as the ruling TVK and opposition DMK are expected to clash over governance and accountability again.
