BJP alleges Rs 1,000-crore liquor scam in Tamil Nadu, DMK calls it baseless

The BJP has accused the Tamil Nadu government of a Rs 1,000-crore liquor scam, but the DMK has denied the charges, calling them baseless

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, of orchestrating a Rs 1,000-crore liquor scam through the state-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). The BJP claims that ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids have exposed large-scale financial irregularities, while the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has dismissed the allegations as baseless.

 

BJP alleges diversion tactics by Stalin 

The BJP further alleged that CM Stalin is spreading misinformation about the three-language policy and other national issues to divert public attention from the scam.

 

The allegations surfaced on the same day the DMK government presented the Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 in the state Assembly. Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu announced major allocations for welfare schemes, including fare-free bus travel for women, job creation initiatives, and infrastructure development. However, the budget session witnessed disruptions, with the Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) staging a walkout over the alleged scam.

 

 

Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami demanded that the DMK government take moral responsibility for the alleged corruption and resign. The AIADMK, along with the BJP, has intensified its call for an official explanation regarding the ED’s findings.

 

BJP’s claims on ED findings 

BJP leader Amit Malaviya also took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to accuse CM Stalin of trying to deflect attention from the ED raids by spreading rumours about the three-language policy and the National Education Policy (NEP).

 

“Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is spreading baseless rumors about the three-language policy, NEP, delimitation, and the removal of the ₹ symbol from the budget document to distract the public from the ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on TASMAC, the Liquor Minister, and liquor-supplying companies in Tamil Nadu,” Malaviya posted on X.

 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is spreading baseless rumors about the three-language policy, NEP, delimitation, and the removal of the ₹ symbol from the budget document to distract the public from the ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on TASMAC, the Liquor… pic.twitter.com/rime4m8pQH

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 14, 2025

 

Malaviya claimed that the ED had uncovered documents pointing to unaccounted cash transactions amounting to Rs 1,000 crore in bribes paid by distilleries. He demanded that CM Stalin disclose who received these illegal payments.

 

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has written to the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker, urging the government to respond to the allegations under Rule 55. “ED’s investigation into TASMAC has uncovered unaccounted cash transactions worth Rs 1,000 crore, exposing manipulated tenders and massive financial irregularities,” she posted on X.

 

DMK dismisses allegations 

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Excise Minister Senthil Balaji dismissed the BJP’s claims, saying that TASMAC operations follow strict protocols that leave no room for malpractice.

 

“In the name of searches, the ED has conducted raids but has not specified the year the FIR was registered. They have created a scene as if mistakes have happened in TASMAC recruitment. For the past four years, the bar tender process has been conducted online. Without any basis, they have accused us of Rs 1,000 crore corruption. There is no room for malpractices in the TASMAC tender,” Balaji said.