Press "Enter" to skip to content

TN govt in trouble? DMK moves Madras HC over ‘MLAs on sale’ sting

The fate of the Edappadi Palaniswami-led Tamil Nadu government hangs in the balance yet again. This after a sting operation carried out by Times Now and Moon TV revealed that the AIADMK faction controlled by VK Sasikala may have paid money to MLAs to sway votes in their favour ahead of the floor test in the state Assembly in February.

Read: Sasikala camp promised gold and money: What MLA Saravanan and Kanakaraj confessed on spy cam

With questions now being raised over whether the February 18 floor test was compromised, the opposition DMK has now set the wheels in motion over the validity of the present TN government.

Speaking to TNM, DMK Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson TKS Elangovan said, “We are going to take it up with the Governor. The Constitution says that the government will be in office as per the ‘pleasure of the Governor’. Is the Governor pleased with this government? Will he allow this government to continue? It is now for the Governor to take action.”

The DMK, he said, was also planning to petition President Pranab Mukherjee over the revelations.

Meanwhile, DMK advocate Shunmugasundaram mentioned the matter of the sting operation before the first bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday. The same bench is hearing the writ petition filed by DMK Working President and Leader of Opposition MK Stalin challenging the validity of the floor test. In his petition filed on February 22, MK Stalin had sought that the court declares Palaniswami’s confidence motion illegal on the grounds that AIADMK MLAs were detained against their will, and made to vote in favour of the CM.

“The tapes aired by Times Now and carried by Times of India are an important development. Since the court is also investigating the matter, they should summon all CDs and documents, and also implead CBI and ED into the case since it involves money laundering,” senior advocate Shunmugasundaram told TNM.

Agreeing to hear the DMK’s appeal, the High Court has ordered its advocate to file a written application on Friday.

Source: The News Minute