Admk Health minister C Vijayabaskar now hits headlines again following the media ‘expose’ of Income-Tax seeking action against him for alleged corruption.
The day began with bitter for the minister and the ADMK government after local Tamil TV channel, News18, put out excerpts from the I-T department communication to the TN government seeking action against minister Vijayabaskar as a follow-up of its raids on his various premises, besides the place of his PA, J. Srinivasan at Chennai during the RK Nagar Assembly by-election in April 2017.
It disclosed that the I-T department had sent its reports to the state government and also to the Election Commission detailing the ‘catch’ during its raids that allegedly revealed large-scale corruption by the health minister, as well as bribing of the RK Nagar electorate.
The I-T department had said unaccounted cash amounting to about Rs 20 lakh was seized. The EC consequently cancelled the by-poll. A portion of the I-T report to the government disclosed , causing ripples in the political circles and a fresh bout of shrill corruption charges from the Opposition.
It included a statement purportedly made by the minister’s father Chinnathambi admitting to the raiding sleuths that “an amount of Rs 12,96,000 was received from various persons to get jobs for each of them”.
It was part of the Rs 20 lakh seized from the minister’s Pudukottai house, and was in brown envelopes indicating they were set apart for jobs in the nutritious meals programme.
In yet another piece of evidence flaunted by the TV channel, the I-T communication to the government had reportedly spoken of the seizure of “two incriminating documents containing date-wise notings of fund collection and its application” from an e-mail operated by the minister’s PA.
With these media reports going viral, the ADMK minister goes silent but Minister father Chinnathambi came out with a statement denying he made any confession to the I-T department. “It is painful for me and my family that such false reports are being published”, he said, alleging that the ‘twisted’ media reports were inspired by political rivals.
He claimed that the I-T raids did not lead to any cash seizures. “Following the raids, my family and I have been fully cooperating with the I-T department”, he said, adding that he has been paying his taxes regularly.
Seizing opportunity DMK newly elected President M.K.Stalin and leader of Tamilnadu opposition on Saturday demanding that Governor Banwarilal Purohit immediately Interevene and dismiss the tainted ADMK minister.
In a statement, M.K . Stalin said Vijayabaskar should own moral responsibility and step down voluntarily, failing which Chief Minister K Palaniswami should remove him from his Cabinet. If the CM failed to do so, the “Governer should intervene and dismiss the minister for upholding the Constitution”, Stalin said in a statement.
