Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin Confronts Officials Over Illicit Liquor Deaths

The rising toll of illicit liquor deaths has brought much discredit to the DMK government. This has made Chief Minister Stalin furious with ministers and officials for the first time. Official sources say that Chief Minister Stalin spoke angrily at the executives' meeting held yesterday and in the meeting held over the phone later.

Some retired IAS officers who worked with former Chief Minister Karunanidhi have provided Stalin with certain information. They advised him, "You gave powers to the ministers and officials while putting your faith in them. At least now, you would have understood the situation."

There is a police officer working in the district SP's office who is known to be aware of everything relating to the sale of illicit liquor. He misguided the previous SP and the collector. However, action has been taken only against some others excluding him. That police officer is a caste-based relative of a bigwig of the ruling party.

They have informed Stalin that it was because of his intervention that a discriminatory approach was followed in taking action. Meanwhile, since the illicit liquor deaths have been reported to the Union Home Ministry by Tamil Nadu BJP leaders, it is learnt that Delhi is considering writing to the state government asking for a report on the issue.

The death of 39 people who consumed spurious liquor in Kalakurichi has shaken the entire state. While the Tamil Nadu government has ordered a CBCID investigation into the spurious liquor issue, Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai has sent an urgent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He has written in the letter that illicit liquor was being sold with the knowledge of local police and under the orders of local DMK members. Instructions have been received in Delhi for the Tamil Nadu BJP to handle this issue politically.

Since Stalin learnt about all such details, he is said to be angry with the ministers and officials for the first time, according to those in close contact with the ministers. It is said that Chief Minister Stalin put a series of questions to the ministers.

He raised a barrage of questions at the meeting held in the Secretariat. Stalin held urgent consultations with ministers including Duraimurugan, E. V. Velu, Udayanidhi, Ma. Subramanian, the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Finance Secretary, and the DGP.

The ministers and officials have given a detailed explanation to the Chief Minister on how the incident happened. Notably, they have given details of how the district law and order wing and excise wing collected monthly bribes from those who distilled illicit liquor.

Stalin rebuked E. V. Velu after hearing this and asked how this could have happened without his knowledge. Protection money was being paid to some political leaders in Salem, Kalakurichi, and Tiruvannamalai districts.

This is why there was a mistake in taking action. The officials told the Chief Minister that whenever they tried to take action, those political leaders called up the collector and SP and stopped them.

It is said that Stalin got angry after hearing this and told them that he had repeatedly asked them to contact him if ministers or MLAs intervened in law and order issues. He also asked why they had not done so.