Chengalpattu, Sep 25 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Friday challenged DMK president M.K. Stalin to disclose his assets before and after entering politics, accusing the opposition of shielding corruption during a campaign rally for the Madurantakam bypoll.
“We will not spare the corrupt gang. You cannot deceive the people of Tamil Nadu any longer,” Vijay told the gathering, though he did not present evidence for specific allegations.
Vijay said his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which won 108 Assembly seats and formed the government, offered an alternative to the state’s established parties. He alleged that the DMK and AIADMK had effectively joined hands against TVK despite contesting elections as rivals.
The Chief Minister accused veteran politicians of using decades in office to access public money. He said a party drawn from ordinary families could govern without misusing funds. “We will not touch the people’s money, and we will not allow others to touch it,” he declared.
Vijay claimed his government had raised allegations of past wrongdoing in the Assembly, only to face demands for proof and objections to discussing cases in court. He argued that younger voters deserved to know about corruption allegations dating back decades.
Rejecting criticism that he was repeating old stories, Vijay said he had observed the state’s political system for 35 years and would continue to question it. Addressing Stalin directly, he asked whether the DMK leader could say he had never misused public money, promise that his party would refrain from corruption, and publish details of his assets before and after entering politics.
He said those questions were central to his party’s campaign. Vijay also described Stalin as his “sweet uncle” regardless of whether the DMK chief won or lost. He claimed the DMK had begun to acknowledge TVK as its principal challenger, saying his party drew strength from ordinary families across Tamil Nadu.
The remarks came as parties intensified campaigning for the October 6 bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. TVK has fielded Maragatham Kumaravel in Madurantakam. Vijay urged voters to examine the opposition’s record and said his party would keep pressing for accountability.
–IANS
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