TN polls 2021: AIADMK raises flag as DMK candidate promises to allow illegal river sand mining

CHENNAI: Alleging that DMK’s Karur candidate Senthil Balaji’s recent remarks on allowing bullock carts for sand mining in river misleading the public and posing threat to government officials, the ruling AIADMK has lodged complaint with the Election Commission on Thursday.

While addressing a gathering on Wednesday, Senthil Balaji intimidated the government officials who tried to prevent bullock carts from taking sand from rivers, said AIADMK in its petition submitted to Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo.

Balaji told the gathering that no official would prevent them from loading sand onto their bullock carts from river banks after party chief M K Stalin assumed office as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. “In case of them being prevented, they may call him over phone and the officer would not continue in his position,” the AIADMK said quoting Balaji's statements in the viral video.

The AIADMK also produced the video clippings of the speech which was aired by television channels and demanded the poll panel to register a case against him for violating moral code of conduct.

Referring to an order of the Madras High Court, which restricted unauthorised sand mining in rivers, the AIADMK said his speech amounts to contempt of court. Besides misleading the public, Balaji also issued a vile threat against government officials, said AIADMK.

RM Babu Murugavel, AIADMK advocate's wing joint secretary, told persons that Sahoo has assured to look into the complaint.

Acting on this, the CEO has sought the report from the District Electoral Officer of Karur district.

V Senthil Balaji, who was office bearer of Amma Peravai in AIADMK was elected from Aravakkurichi in 2016 Assembly elections. He was disqualified in 2017 after he shifted his loyalty to T T V Dhinakaran.

The next year, he joined the DMK and won from the same segment in the bypoll held in 2019. He was the transport minister between 2011 and 2015 in the AIADMK government.