Kerala Home Minister Applauds Tamil Nadu CM's Anti-Corruption Push

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday expressed admiration for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's sustained campaign against corruption, urging citizens to actively back the drive. He made the remarks while delivering the inaugural address at 'Thanima,' the 25th edition of the annual Onam cultural festival organised by VIT in Vellore.

Chennithala argued that corruption undermines faith in parliamentary democracy, a concern he linked to growing youth discontent alongside the drug menace. He noted that his own state government is tackling the issue through 'Project Zero,' an anti-graft initiative targeting government departments.

The Minister also highlighted Kerala's anti-narcotics campaign, 'Operation Toofan,' which has led to the arrest of 11,885 people and the registration of 10,256 cases. He said the operation, appreciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is executed in three phases: enforcement against peddlers, awareness campaigns, and rehabilitation. So far, 170 individuals have completed treatment and returned to normal life.

Addressing the gathering, VIT Founder and Chancellor G. Viswanathan called for greater cooperation between states, particularly on water-sharing disputes and river interlinking. He cited examples of federal nations like the US, Canada, and Australia, as well as Europe's Danube River, which flows through nine countries without conflict. He urged India to resolve such issues with Union government assistance, suggesting Kerala should take the lead.

The event saw participation from over 3,000 students in cultural programmes, who also took a pledge against drugs. VIT Vice-Presidents Sankar Viswanathan and Sekar Viswanathan were present.