In a scathing attack on the DMK in the Assembly on Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay said that contractors were coerced into paying bribes to the DMK under the pretense of party funding, such as making loan payments. Vijay asserted that during the previous administration, contractors were forced to pay DMK up to 10% of contract values, citing a document from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Vijay responded angrily in the Assembly to the opposition's repeated requests for proof to back up his accusations of corruption, claiming that the ED document itself contained the proof the opposition was looking for.
The Chief Minister claimed the bribes were obtained from contractors carrying out projects under the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department and were transferred in the name of party finances for the advantage of the ruling party, citing the findings of the central agency.According to the ED document, party funds range from 7.5% to 10%. In a ferocious speech in the Assembly, Vijay stated, "The bribes were collected from the Municipal Department."
The "climax" of the ED document, which he claimed mentioned Stalin and Udhayanidhi among the purported direct recipients, was then read aloud.
"The direct beneficiary of the party fund is Mr MK Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, his son Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister, Ravi Prasad and unknown persons," Vijay stated.The party in power, which is in charge of the Tamil Nadu government, receives the bribes in the form of party funds. Which political party controlled the government at the time? DMK," he continued.They seek proof of party funding.
The Chief Minister continued, "This is by the ED."BRIBES RECEIVED AS EMI
CM Vijay also mentioned tenders for the Veeranam water scheme in the Sarkaria Commission report on corruption accusations made under the DMK government in the 1970s.
"One chapter says 2.5 percent as party fund was demanded by (Dayanidhi) Maran," he continued, citing the commission's findings. The amount of the tender was Rs 16 crore.
According to Vijay, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and former minister C Ponnaiyan brought up the matter once more in 2001.In an attempt to paint the DMK as having a lengthy history of corruption, he continued, "When we dug a bit, a lot came out."
Vijay then mentioned Purushotham, who he said informed the commission that bribes of Rs 29 lakh had been accepted.
According to Vijay, "the bribe was taken in installments, like EMI for a loan."
