The regime has changed, long live the regime. While justice was claimed to be delivered in kangaroo courts in the name of Union minister M.K. Alagiri during the DMK rule in the state, hoodlums in Vellore are now using the name of AIADMK health minister V.S. Vijay to hold “katta panchayats” and even offer “paid services” to revenue and police officers for transfers of their choice.
Sources in the police department and the AIADMK said some history-sheeters, who have been under police surveillance for more than 10 years, have created a lobby in the name of the Vellore MLA after he was sworn in as the health minister.
There are several cases against these criminals in the Bagayam police station, Vellore North and Vellore South police stations.
They have been holding “katta panchayats” and have been involved in speculative betting on cotton prices and smuggling of sandalwood. “We are surprised to see individuals with long criminal histories interacting with the minister,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity. “These gangsters regularly advertise in local Tamil dailies to show that they have a good rapport with the minister.” “They have contacted several police and revenue officials, assuring them of transfers to the place of their choice,” said another police officer, who was made an offer to move to the Vellore sub-division.
However, officers are aware of the criminal antecedents of these lobbyists and have mostly spurned their offers.
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T-panel wants report out
AGE CORRESPONDENT
new delhi
May 29: The Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), which held a round table conference in Delhi on Sunday, demanded that the chapter-VIII of the report be made public.
Speaker after speaker, who took to the podium, castigated the Centre for having let down the people of Telangana after promising them statehood in their election manifestos.
The BJP’s Niramala Sitharaman accused the Congress of lacking political will to create Telangana. She said, “A political decision has to be taken on this issue. The BJP has always stood for the formation of Telangana. Congress does not have the political will to form Telangana.”
On the issue of chapter-VIII, Ms Sitharaman said, “Why is there so much secrecy about the chapter-VIII of the report. The full report should be released.”
Nagam Janardhana Reddy and Harishvar Reddy, who were suspended from the TDP a few days back, also attended the conference.