DMK passes resolution demanding resignation of TN Health Min, DGP

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Saturday passed a resolution demanding the resignation of state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and Director General of Police TK Rajendran.

The party under its new president MK Stalin will hold a statewide protest on September 18 in all the districts.

"During the meeting today, a resolution was passed over the resignation of DGP TK Rajendran and Minister C Vijayabaskar and their arrest. DMK will hold a statewide protest demanding the resignation of DGP TK Rajendran and C Vijaybaskar on September 18 in all districts," DMK president MK Stalin said.

The party's move comes after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted searches in the residences of Vijayabaskar, Rajendran and others in connection with the multi-crore Gutka scam in 2016.

This is also one of the eight resolutions passed by the DMK in a meeting in the presence of Members of Parliament (MP) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLA).

Yesterday, Stalin took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "Bribe-giver and middleman arrested; but even after raids why is CBI hesitating to arrest Minister C Vijay Bhaskar and DGP TK Rajendran who allegedly took bribes."

The CBI on Thursday had arrested five people in connection with the scam. Those arrested included promoters of a private Gutka company AV Madhava Rao and Uma Shankar Gupta, food safety and drug administration official P Senthil Murugan, Superintendent of Central Excise Department NK Pandian and a person named PV Srinivasa Rao.

All of them were sent to judicial custody till September 20.

The scam surfaced in July 2016 when the Income Tax (IT) department raided various properties of a Gutka manufacturer, who was accused of evading taxes of Rs 250 crore.