Vijay accuses DMK of burying POCSO case against Veeramani, targets AIADMK silence

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay on Friday accused the DMK of covering up the POCSO Act case involving Gem Granites owner R. Veeramani, pointing out that the case had been registered while the party was in power.

Addressing a campaign meeting for the Madurantakam Assembly byelection, reserved for the Scheduled Caste community, Mr. Vijay asked DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to disclose what "deal had taken place behind the scenes." He also criticised the AIADMK for maintaining silence on the matter and asked whether it shared an "understanding" with the DMK on the issue as well.

The TVK leader alleged that the accused had been ruining the lives of young girls for years and that although the case surfaced during the DMK's tenure, it was suppressed along with its history. The accused have since been arrested. Noting that the victims were children, he asked what both the DMK and the AIADMK had done all these years if they could not speak about the children's suffering.

Mr. Vijay was canvassing votes for Maragatham Kumaravel, the nominee of the TVK-led Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance, at a venue adjoining the Attur toll plaza on the Chennai-Tiruchi National Highway, about 90 km south of Chennai. He alleged that the DMK had been continuously spreading slander against the TVK and against him personally.

He attributed his success in both the film industry and politics to the people of Tamil Nadu, whom he described as his family. That bond, he said, helped the TVK secure 35% of the votes in the Assembly election and emerge as the single largest party within about two-and-a-half years of its formation.

Mr. Vijay claimed that Mr. Stalin had spoken in a derogatory manner about former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and that the video was still circulating widely. He alleged that not only Mr. Stalin but also his family members and senior DMK functionaries had made derogatory remarks, and that people were watching closely. While the DMK was spreading slander, he said, the AIADMK was backing it. For most of his speech he referred to the AIADMK as "many others," naming the party only once.

He said the AIADMK stood exposed for having decided to align with those who had spoken derogatorily about Jayalalithaa, claiming its "mask had been torn off." Describing the AIADMK as "a branch of the BJP," he said it had now become a local unit of the DMK, and alleged that the two parties had colluded to keep him from coming to power.

Defending his remarks on corruption in the Assembly, Mr. Vijay said his purpose was to show the younger generation where corruption originated. When he raised the issue, he said, the DMK retorted that he had not even been born then. He added that whenever he spoke about corruption, the DMK demanded evidence, and when evidence was produced, insisted it be proved in court; if a counterargument was made, the response was that pending court matters could not be discussed in the House.

He recalled that before his Assembly speech he had made clear he would not discuss court cases, but the Opposition kept shouting. As it was his first Assembly experience, he said he was initially unsure whether to speak amid the noise, but understood their intention was to prevent him from speaking, which forced him to raise his voice so it would reach the people.

Mr. Vijay said he had developed a thick skin after witnessing 34 years of slander before entering politics. Referring to his inspection of a bridge — the Metro Rail viaduct at Kathipara — he said Mr. Stalin had asked why he was standing on a bridge "we built" and shooting, and whether the bridge was built with Mr. Stalin's own money, questioning whether the cheque came from Gopalapuram or Chittaranjan Salai. Noting that Mr. Stalin had declared only ₹10,000 in cash and no car in his election affidavit, Mr. Vijay asked how he had built a bridge and whether it was constructed with unaccounted money.

He said the DMK's electoral arithmetic had failed during the elections and claimed its calculations for a shortcut to topple his government would not succeed either. The bond between the people of Tamil Nadu and him, he said, was beyond politics.

On his tenure as Chief Minister, Mr. Vijay said he had sought time to implement poll promises because of a severe financial crunch in the exchequer, and had still tried to fulfil what he could. Responding to Opposition allegations that his government too was taking loans, he said he was borrowing — not to loot, but to do good for the people.

He asked how loyal cadres of former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa could accept a plan to form a government with the DMK, which they had long described as an "evil force." He said AIADMK cadres were deeply hurt, and that this was why Maragatham Kumaravel resigned after winning the Madurantakam seat and joined the TVK.

Mr. Vijay accused the DMK of frightening people with claims that the BJP would enter the State, asserting that the BJP itself was "struggling to breathe." He said there was no difference between the DMK and the BJP — "Delhi's DMK is the BJP and Tamil Nadu's BJP is the DMK" — and alleged that the DMK was waiting for the BJP to introduce the delimitation Bill so it could join hands with it.

The TVK leader alleged that, frustrated at being unable to level any allegation against the TVK, the DMK had taken up the "dangerous weapon" of slandering women. He said he had tolerated derogatory remarks against his mother but could not tolerate such remarks against the women of the State by the DMK leadership and cadres, and alleged that Mr. Stalin and his family members enjoyed such comments.

Appealing to voters to support the TVK's 'Whistle' symbol, Mr. Vijay said every vote for it would be the biggest punishment for those who spoke derogatorily about women, and that voting for either the DMK or the AIADMK would amount to supporting them.