Rao asserts he is TN Chief Secretary, raps state government

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P. Rama Mohana Rao on Monday asserted that he continued to hold the post of Chief Secretary, and claimed the Tamil Nadu government did not serve him any transfer orders.

"This government has no guts to serve the copy of the transfer order," Rao thundered at his Anna Nagar residence here.

Expressing his anger at Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam-led state government, Rao said had the late J. Jayalalithaa been alive the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) would never have entered the state secretariat.

Speaking to the media here, Rao also denied that the state government served him any transfer orders.

Rao is under Income Tax scanner and his residence and office were searched by Income Tax officials on December 21, and the search only concluded the next day.

The state government appointed Girija Vaidyanathan as the new Chief Secretary in Rao's place.

According to Rao, the central government could have asked the state government to transfer him before the IT officials began their search operations.

He said he had always followed Jayalalithaa's orders and it was she who trained him for the past for several years.

"At gun point they entered my house. I was under house arrest," Rao said, referring to the gun-totting CRPF personnel who were deployed at his residence to escort the IT officials.

Charging the Income Tax officials of entering his residence and his office in the state secretariat without any authorisation, Rao said: "The search warrant was in the name of my son, Vivek Papisetty."

Rao questioned as to how IT officials could search the office of the Chief Secretary without due authorisation.

"Did they get the permission of Chief Minister, Home Secretary for searching the Chief Secretary's office?" Rao said.

Tax officials also raided the premises of Rao's son Papisetty's and those connected with the duo.

Rao thanked Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for charging the Centre of raiding the constitutional authorities in the states.

--IANS

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