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‘Open your mouth, Stalin sir’: Vijay targets former CM over Veeramani POCSO case, DMK chief hits back
Earlier in the day, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising senior IPS women officers was formed to take up the probe in the case, the government said.
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Tamil Nadu chief minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay on Friday launched a fierce attack against the Opposition, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), for their “silence” in the alleged POCSO case involving R Veeramani, the Chairman of Gem Group of Companies.
Launching the campaign for the party's candidate Maragatham Kumaravel in Madurantakam SC constituency for the October 6 by-poll, Vijay said, "A terrible thing is happening here in Tamil Nadu. I thought of not speaking about it, but for many years, many young women and young girls of Tamil Nadu have been exploited by one person (R Veeramani)."
Without naming Veeramani or his associates in his 30-minute-odd speech, Vijay alleged, "This case came up even during the previous DMK government too, but they closed and hid that case and its history."
“What kind of dealing is going on? Tamil Nadu is asking questions. Open your mouth, (DMK chief) Stalin Sir. Along with you, 'the others' (AIADMK) are also staying quiet. Will you stay silent even by forming an alliance (with the AIADMK) in this issue?” he asked.
Hitting out at the claims made by the DMK that they were born 'solely' for women's safety, Vijay said, "This man (R Veeramani) has ruined so many young women. We have put him in jail. And now, they (DMK, AIADMK) are not talking about him."
"Vijay came and immediately dug up an issue that was kept hidden for so many years. Just because I have arrested him (Veeramani), they (DMK, AIADMK) are in a kind of shock and are not able to speak about it. (Stalin) Sir, these are young girls", he said.
"If you cannot even speak about their pain, then what kind of politics have you been doing all these years?" he asked.
Urging the people to vote for the 'whistle' symbol in the by-poll, Vijay, appealing to the gathering, said, "You all must teach a proper lesson to both of them (DMK and AIADMK)."
All-women SIT formed
Earlier in the day, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising senior IPS women officers was formed to take up the probe in the case, the government said.
As per the orders of the Director General of Police, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, the SIT comprises the additional commissioner of police, central crime branch P C Thenmozhi, joint commissioner of police (law and order) West, Disha Mittal, Superintendent of Police and media relations officer J Mutharasi and deputy commissioner of police (Crime against women and children) V V Geethanjali.
The formation of an SIT comes in the backdrop of the senior IPS officers A Arun, who was Chennai Police Commissioner, and N Kannan, additional commissioner of police (South) and assistant commissioner of police M A Yasmin (Anti-Vice Squad), who were transferred and placed on compulsory wait by the government on September 24.
DMK reacts
Meanwhile, the president of the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), MK Stalin, said, "Veeramani has been arrested based on allegations of involvement in inhumane and despicable acts against young girls. In this regard, no one—be it Veeramani, those who were complicit with him, or anyone who attempted to shield him, regardless of the positions they held—should escape."
Stalin said, "Everyone must be brought before the law and handed the maximum possible punishment. This is the stand of the DMK".
In a strongly worded statement issued late on September 24, the former chief minister said, "As the leader of a political movement, a head of a family, and a human being with a conscience, my wish is that the outcome of this case serves as a deterrent so that no one ever dares to entertain the thought of committing such crimes in the future."
Clarifying that no order was issued during the DMK regime to protect anyone in the case, he said, "In cases involving crimes against women and young girls, culprits were arrested without bias, chargesheets were filed, and punishments were secured. All of these are undeniable facts present in the public domain. The DMK has no need to protect anyone."
Stalin requested the ruling TVK government to cease the act of using the tragedy of young girls as a tool for the by-election and to stop spreading completely false allegations through the media against the DMK.
"Securing justice for the affected young girls should be the sole objective for all of us", he added.
