“Panchayat between Neervu and Stalin; DMK chairman who robs” – Interview with Karate Thyagarajan

During the consultation meeting of recognized parties held at the Chennai Corporation for the special intensive revision of the voter list, the state secretary of the BJP, Karate Thyagarajan, who participated on behalf of the party, spoke at a press conference saying that the DMK has committed a new corruption similar to the 1973 master roll scam. We met and spoke directly with Karate Thyagarajan regarding the allegations he made. You have filed a complaint with the Chennai Corporation Commissioner alleging corruption in the matter of sanitation workers in the 7th ward of Ambattur.

Can you explain about that? It is reported that 1,450 sanitation workers are employed in Ambattur Zone 7. However, only 1,000 workers are actually on duty. They have created fake accounts showing salaries for 450 sanitation workers at 23,000 rupees each, embezzling up to one crore rupees per month. DMK Chairman Moorthy, Zone Officer Prabhakaran, and Bharathi, who fights for the sanitation workers, are all involved in this. Karate Thyagarajan In the 1970s, under Kalaignar's administration, the Master Roll corruption became a major issue, and the municipal corporation was dissolved. A similar corruption has been committed now as well.

How is it possible to pay salaries in the name of 450 people who are not even working? Based on the continuous complaints given by the BJP's labor union, I filed a petition with the municipal commissioner. Since there was corruption involved, he transferred some officials. A committee has also been formed under the leadership of an IAS officer to investigate this matter. What evidence do you have to claim that Bharathi, who leads the sanitation workers' protest, is complicit in the corruption? When the sanitation workers were protesting outside the Ripon Building, it was during an attempt to understand why they are struggling so much that their group became known.

There is already a murder case against Bharathi's father Kumarasamy, and there are various controversies surrounding it. Karate Thiagarajan Bharathi and his association talk so much, but why do they say nothing about the DMK's Ambattur chairman Moorthy? Because both are partners. They also have a share in that one crore paid every month. The department minister K.N. Nehru does not acknowledge all this. He is in a mindset of indifference, thinking "What if the Chennai Corporation gets ruined?" It is unclear whether he is in conflict with Stalin or Udhayanidhi. The internal factionalism of these people is causing problems for the public. Bharathi's labor rights movement is fiercely fighting against both the government and the corporation.

Isn't it illogical for you to say that he joined DMK and took commission? We are making an accusation. The municipal commissioner has formed a committee to investigate it. The truth will come out during the investigation. Wasn't it the BJP that supported the protest outside Ripon Building led by Karate Thyagarajan and the sanitation workers? If, as you say, Bharati is the one taking commission, then why did BJP support them? It is true that BJP supported the protest at Ripon Building. I myself went to the field and gave support. But only by going inside and understanding the background does everything become clear. In that protest, 11 unions did not participate and stayed outside.

They are still continuing to fight. No major party has expressed support. Bharathi's labor rights movement opposes privatization. BJP is naturally a party that supports privatization. Can you not view your accusation from a political perspective? It would be a different story if we talked about all of India. We are only talking about the Chennai Corporation. It was the DMK that allowed privatization in the Chennai Corporation. In 1998, when Stalin was the mayor, for the first time in India, labor laws were amended,

They allowed a private party into the municipal corporation. The BJP has never allowed a private party into the municipal corporation, so there is no need to delve into matters related to that privatization. The demands of the sanitation workers must be considered. There is no alternative opinion on that. We are complaining that corruption is happening in the municipal corporation. Let the investigation be completed. Let the report come. I have also spoken to our leader Nainar Nagendran. If necessary, I will even meet the governor and formally raise the issue to expose this corruption, which is like a master roll scam of the DMK.