Stalin accepts EPS challenge to open debate, but has conditions

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Stalin accepts EPS challenge to open debate, but has conditions

Asks CM To Give Green Nod To Be Probed By CBI

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 08.01.2021

DMK president M K Stalin on Thursday accepted the challenge posed by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami for an open debate on the corruption charges levelled against him and his cabinet members. But Stalin’s acceptance has come with a few conditions.

Participating in an election campaign in Erode district, chief minister Palaniswami on Wednesday challenged Stalin to an open debate on the corruption charges levelled by the DMK and submitted as a petition to Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit. The chief minister has been maintaining that the allegations of corruption and irregularities are baseless.

“The chief minister has issued a challenge to participate in an open debate. I accept the challenge. But before that, the chief minister has to do a few things. Let him move the Supreme Court and get the stay, ordered by the apex court, on CBI inquiry against the chief minister vacated. Let him move the court tomorrow (Friday) saying he is willing to face the inquiry and get the necessary order,” Stalin said in a statement.

“Let the chief minister convene a cabinet meeting and pass a resolution tomorrow itself (Friday), requesting the governor to grant permission for investigating the corruption charges, submitted as a petition by the DMK. Let him also agree to subject himself to an inquiry for amassing wealth disproportionate to his known source of income and write a letter to the governor,” Stalin said. “I am ready. Are you ready chief minister Palaniswami?” Stalin asked.

The AIADMK is the only party in the country that had a CM who was jailed for corruption and was forced to step down due to the charges. “CM Palaniswami has been subjected to CBI inquiry but brazenly claims he has not indulged in any irregularities and is trying to bury the truth,” Stalin said and listed, once again, the DMK’s charges of irregularities committed by the AIADMK government.

Terming the repeated charges of land grabbing by DMK functionaries as total lie, Stalin said it is the AIADMK that has been in power for the past 10 years and Palaniswami has been CM for the past four years. “How many people from the DMK have been convicted under land grabbing charges,” Stalin asked.

Meanwhile, the DMK has extended the deadline for holding the people’s grama sabha meetings till January 20. While it was decided to hold 16,500 meetings from December 23 and January 10, heavy rains had forced the party to cancel several meetings, DMK said in a statement.