TN CM Vijay.
Chennai: Even as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday, September 7, targeted the previous DMK regime over corruption in the state-run liquor retailer TASMAC, detailing findings from the central probe agency ED, the Opposition dismissed his attack as diversionary tactics.
Reading from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) documents in the state Assembly, Vijay outlined how an “organised crime syndicate”—colloquially dubbed the “Karur Gang”—allegedly weaponised the state apparatus for illegal extortion, tender manipulation, and illicit transfers between 2021 and 2025.
He detailed how the official channels were allegedly bypassed under the portfolio held by former DMK minister V Senthil Balaji, hailing from Karur district, allowing private players and political intermediaries to wield state authority.
He claimed that an organised network operated across the Karur and Coimbatore regions to “systematically collect excess cash from liquor consumers and extort local bar owners”, highlighting the agency’s findings naming an unauthorised “power broker” who allegedly dictated official transfers and administrative postings in exchange for financial considerations.
Vijay explicitly referenced V. Ashok Kumar, brother of Senthil Balaji, and accused him of orchestrating fraud, bid manipulation, and illicit money transfers tied to state transport and procurement contracts.
The CM was wrapping up the Assembly debate on the grants for the Police (Home) department, which he holds.
Later, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin accused the CM of adopting “diversionary tactics”, alleging the latter did not respond to pointed questions on the state’s law and order.
Speaking to reporters after the DMK staged a walkout from the House, he also accused Vijay of shielding a shadow cartel run by his close aides to monopolise state mining contracts while dismissing the CM’s assembly address as a “memorised cinema script”.
Udhayanidhi stated that instead of answering his 15 specific questions regarding the state’s “deteriorating law and order”, including recent daylight murders, the CM “resorted to diversionary tactics”.
He accused Vijay of deflecting to decades-old issues such as the Sarkaria Commission (that probed certain alleged irregularities) and the then MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) while reading out pending ED charges against Opposition leaders.
The LoP stated that the DMK boycotted proceedings after Speaker JCD Prabhakar denied them an opportunity to rebut “baseless” corruption allegations levelled by the CM.
Levelling direct allegations of state-sponsored monopolisation, Udhayanidhi said: “Vishnu Reddy, his brother-in-law Sujay Reddy, and their business partner Anil Reddy have now taken full control of all government-run mining operations. I am going to release the evidence for this one by one.”
There was no immediate response from the individuals named by the DMK leader.
He further accused the ruling establishment of open horse-trading, claiming an IUML MLA was recently offered cash and a cabinet portfolio for political support.
Echoing the party’s strong condemnation of CM Vijay’s assembly address, DMK MP Kanimozhi accused the TVK leader of relying on “WhatsApp factory lies” to target her party.
In a post on X, Kanimozhi stated that the assembly, which ought to debate pressing issues like law and order and women’s safety, had been reduced to a “circus tent”.
She alleged that Vijay merely read from a prepared script during the debate on police grants and avoided direct questions. Criticising him for “lack of historical knowledge” regarding the Justice Party and Dravidian contributions, as well as his exaggerated mannerisms, she wrote, “Not everything loud is true.”
This post was last modified on September 7, 2026 8:57 pm