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AIADMK resorting to transfers to escape the law, charges CM

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today charged the All India Anna DMK with attempting to get judges and officials transferred in order to escape from the corruption cases against its leaders.

He levelled the charge in the state assembly when P R Sundaram of the AIADMK demanded that the chief secretary be removed from service for allegedly suppressing details regarding two letters sent to the government by the forest officials, recommending action against DMK legislator K Shanmugham from Tirupattur, in a sandalwood smuggling case.

Reading out portions of a high court order which termed as unfortunate the chief secretary's statement that the government had not received the letters, Sundaram said this was serious indictment of the chief secretary, who instead of being removed from service had been given two extensions.

Irked by this remark, Karunanidhi said the member was spitting venom against the chief secretary as all the corruption cases against AIADMK leader J Jayalalitha and others had been filed and pursued him (chief secretary).

The AIADMK never favoured honest officials continuing in the administration, he added.

Besides the chief secretary, the AIADMK was also trying to get party lawyers appointed as public prosecutors in a bid to save its leaders from corruption cases, he charged.

When Sundaram asked why the government was hesitant to order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the sandalwood smuggling case, Karunanidhi reminded him of Jayalalitha's earlier observation that the CBI had not not descended from the heavens.

UNI

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