Amma’s Fury
The CM’s euphoria at getting 168 councilors (66 of them women) in the corporation after the local elections last October has begun to evaporate and reality has kicked in thanks to widespread mounting complaints against the councillors. The local media has been carrying reports about councillors getting kickbacks from contractors, extorting money from traders, throwing their weight around — there was even one complaint about the husband of a Perungudi councillor behaving like an extra-constitutional authority. There were complaints from other sources too that councillors were demanding bribes for road projects, water/sewerage connections, building plan approvals. In all there were nearly 85 councillors ( including party functionaries and zones and standing committees) linked to various allegations categorized under 15 various heads.
All the gathered councillors gathered at a hall in T’Nagar were nervous about the riot act they were expecting from amma. And armed with a vigilance report about their performance, she gave it to them, even naming names and their transgressions in many cases. “I will wait till the end of next month. If I continue to receive complaints, I will dissolve the Council and run it with special officers,” she warned. And added to their anxiety by threatening that when new elections are held, none of them would be given tickets.
The closed door session had the mayor Saidai Duraiswamy who has so far excelled in being sycophantic to amma but not doing anything for the metropolis unlike his predecessor M Subramaniam, even coming out of the meeting ashen-faced. Jayalalitha pointed out that it was the people’s perception that the DMK was corrupt which led to it being defeated in the 2011 assembly elections. With her setting her sights on a national role, she does want what happened to the DMK happening to the AIADMK. Hence the “talk”. Although, she did have occasion to feel furious with her councillors and give them a talking to 2003, during her second tenure. And apparently, it did not have the right effect. A political analyst was cynical, “These councillors are obviously not giving a cut to the party and hence the rebuke.”
Et tu Brute?
Ironically even as the CM has set up a special cell for land grab cases (Jayalalitha told the assembly recently that 34,703 complaints were received and 1317.15 acres of land worth Rs 750 crores was recovered and restored to rightful owners) against DMK leaders and cadre, a few AIADMK councillors are now being accused of grabbing land. While the CM warned them of legal action, she did not say whether these complaints would be forwarded to the special cell. Incidentally, former DMK minister Veerapandi S Arumugam, against whom there are several cases of land- grabbing was again arrested last week on charges of hatching a conspiracy to set ablaze huts in north Salem last Sunday. The masked men who set the huts ablaze allegedly named him leading to his arrest in the case.
Different Strokes
But clearly this government is appointing double standards when dealing with complaints as pointed out by a Trichy judicial magistrate. Trichy MLA and former minister M Paranjyothi has been accused by alleged estranged wife, Dr P. Rani of taking 60 sovereigns of her jewellery, cash of Rs10 lakh cash and a plot of land in Sayanur, worth Rs 2.40 lakh. She approached the court last year for justice. However, despite the magistrate directing the police on November 11 to register a case and file a report by December 9, it did not happen. Significantly, Paranjyothi was a minister then. Paranjyothi was inducted into the cabinet after he won the Tiruchi seat in a bypoll, but was dropped by the CM later. Still, four months after her complaint was filed, Rani filed a petition on May 10 saying that nothing had been done. The court gave 30 days to file a chargesheet but the police sought more time saying the alleged accused was not co-operating. Now July 9 is the new date given. It remains to be seen whether Pranjyothi will be able to make the complaint go away. Incidentally, Jayalalitha had given him the ticket despite allegations by the second wife.