In a surprise development, the Dravidar Kazhagam, parent body of both the DMK and MDMK, openly differed with both of its offshoots on the issue of transfer of idol theft case to the CBI saying that IG Pon Manickavel’s investigation is being used by Hindutva forces to abolish the HR and CE Department.
File photo of IG Pon Manickavel along with Minister K Pandiaraj with retrieved idols
Chennai:
DK president K Veeramani charged that under the guise of idol theft case investigations, the temple priests, who were involved in the incidents, had been left out and honest HR & CE officials are being humiliated. He said HR & CE additional commissioner Kavitha is an honest official earning the enmity of Caste Hindus and dishonest persons. “We have no objection if the cases are conducted properly without any personal vendetta and true culprits are punished,” he said.
On the same day, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran charged the state government with trying to protect the culprits, even while Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar strongly defended the state government’s move saying that the idol theft investigation is an international case now.
Veeramani, who was close to DMK working president MK Stalin and MDMK general secretary, welcomed the transfer of the case to CBI and alleged that Hindutva forces are conspiring to bring the administration of all the temples in Tamil Nadu under the control of Caste Hindu priests by abolishing the HR & CE Department set up during the Justice Party rule.
However, Dhinakaran attacked the government on the move and said it was aimed at scuttling the investigation and shielding the culprits. Talking to reporters, he said Pon Manickavel is an honest official and he had retrieved several idols which were missing for the last 50 years.
Despite a plea by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami submitting that Pon Manickavel had not given the investigation reports to the government, the court had handed over the investigation to him, he recalled. Transferring the case to CBI was a move to take away the case from the official, he said and added that it was enough if the CBI assisted him in the affairs that happened in other countries.
However, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar denied attempts to cover up the culprits and said the investigation was handed over to the CBI since it had international connections. Praising Tamil Nadu police as equal to Scotland Yard police, the Minister said, “There are people who demand CBI enquiry when we don’t and oppose the same when we transfer a case to the central agency. Whoever be the culprits, the government’s objective is to find and punish them.”