All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Rajya Sabha MP Inbadurai on Friday submitted a petition to the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP), seeking an investigation into alleged horse-trading involving TVK.
Claiming that a previous complaint filed with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on May 30 had not elicited any action, Inbadurai urged the police chief to intervene and initiate legal proceedings. "Today we have given a complaint to the Director General of Police, seeking intervention in this matter regarding horse-trading. We have already given a complaint to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on May 30th. Even though we have given a complaint, they have not taken any action so far," he said.
He also alleged that TVK had resorted to purchasing political support, making remarks about the party's strength and its alleged attempts to influence political alignments. "So, we are asking the DGP to intervene in the matter and take action as per the law... The government is being run by TVK. TVK has only 107 members. He has purchased from the party, not from the MLAs. He has purchased the party also," the AIADMK leader said.
The remarks came amid the "horse-trading" row which began in Tamil Nadu after TVK MLA N Elaiyaraja claimed that he was offered Rs 35 crore and threatened to influence his vote in a legislative resolution, following which police registered a case and arrested three persons, officials said earlier.
According to the complaint filed on June 29 with the Police Commissioner, Greater Chennai, Elaiyaraja stated that a person named Thirunavukkarasu contacted him and claimed to be running an opinion polling organisation called Indian Political Democratic Strategies (IPDS), saying he was reaching out at the request of members of a major political party.
Further investigation, as per the complaint, revealed that V Ashok Kumar, brother of former DMK minister and current MLA for Coimbatore South V Senthil Balaji, had met the accused Naresh in Chennai. It was also stated that Thirunavukkarasu acted on instructions allegedly linked to V Senthil Balaji and V Ashok Kumar. The complainant alleged that Thirunavukkarasu asked the TVK MLA to vote in a particular manner during a proposed resolution against the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and offered him up to Rs 35 crore as inducement.
Following the complaint, a case was registered at the D1 Triplicane Police Station. Police arrested Thirunavukkarasu of Arumbakkam, Chennai, along with Naresh of Tiruchirappalli and Thiyagarajan of Medavakkam, Chennai, who were allegedly involved in the conspiracy.
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