AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non Resident Tamils Welfare, Gingee K.S. Masthan, on the ground that four of the Minister’s supporters had been arrested by the police in connection with cases concerning the sale of liquor and operation of illegal bars.
Criticising the police for the “delayed” arrest, Mr Palaniswami, in a statement, accused the Minister of supporting activities by members of the ruling party with regard to illicit sale of liquor and functioning of illegal bars.
Meanwhile, the party’s former coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, in another statement, referred to a large number of vacancy for the post of head masters of different levels of schools, falling under the jurisdiction of the School Education department, and reports of non-payment of salary to teaching and non-teaching staff. He also took exception to the reported observation of Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy as to how school teachers had to “adapt” themselves to a certain situation.
On the agitation by a section of farmers in Krishnagiri district against attempts to acquire lands for an industrial estate, the AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran, in a tweet, urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to have the land acquisition abandoned and the acquired lands returned to original owners.