DMK's plea to CBI probe into MLAs pay-off issue opposed

Chief Minister K Palaniswami and the state assembly secretary today opposed in the Madras High Court the DMK's for a probe by CBI and DRI into the alleged payoffs to some AIADMK MLAs for their votes to the February 18 trust motion of the government.
In separate counter affidavits, they sought dismissal of the petition which DMK Working President M K Stalin filed after the telecast of a TV channel's 'sting' operation, purportedly showing two MLASs claiming payoffs to some legislators for their support to the trust vote won by Palaniswami.
Both the chief minister and the assembly secretary contended that the prayer for the probe by the CBI and the DRI was beyond the scope of Leader of the Opposition Stalin's main petition which had merely challenged the trust vote.

In the main petition, Stalin has sought the court's direction to declare as null and void the February 18 trust vote claiming that it was conducted in "contravention" of the assembly rules.
He filed the additional petition last week citing the 'sting' operation and seekingh a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
A bench of justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Sundar had on June 19 posted the matter for hearing today for filing of the counter.

Palaniswami, who had won the trust vote, submitted that the CBI and the DRI cannot in anyway address the issues raised by Stalin in the main petition challenging the trust vote.

"No case has been made out either in law or on facts for consideration of the two agencies (CBI and DRI) to implead as respondents," said the chief minister's counter-affidavit said.
The assembly secretary said the plea on events which were said to have taken outside the assembly was not maintainable either in law or on facts as they would be beyond the scope of the issue involved in the main writ petition.
Stating that he was in no way concerned with the alleged acts or happenings outside the assembly, the Secretary said he was only concerned about the happenings inside the House on Feb 18 and his stand had already been explained in the counter affidavit to the main writ petition.

The allegations with regard to payoffs had also been taken to the notice of the state governor by the petitioner. The governor has directed the assembly speaker to look into the grievances, he further said.
The issue was raised by the petitioner in the ongoing assembly session on June 14 and the same was declined to be discussed by the speaker. As such, the issue falls within the privilege of the House, he contended.
The TV footage aired recently had shown Madurai (South) MLA Saravanan of the O Panneerselvam camp purportedly claiming some pay-offs to ruling party legislators ahead of the trust vote.

The MLA, however, has later said the voice in the footage was not his.
On February 18, Palaniswami had won the trust vote 122-11 in the 234-member Assembly aided by eviction of main opposition DMK and walkout by its allies, amid stormy scenes.