Tamilisai Soundararajan Detained Ahead of BJP’s Protest Over Alleged TASMAC Scam in Tamil Nadu
Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan was detained by Tamil Nadu Police on Monday just ahead of her protest against the alleged multi-crore TASMAC scam.
Chennai: Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan was detained by Tamil Nadu Police on Monday just ahead of her protest against the alleged multi-crore TASMAC scam.
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Detention of Tamilisai Soundararajan
Soundararajan, a former Governor of Telangana and Puducherry, was taken into custody at her residence, where there was a heavy police presence. As she was being escorted away, she told the media, “They are arresting me from my residence. I will not go separately; I want everyone to come with me.”
BJP’s Statewide Protests Over TASMAC Scam
The Tamil Nadu BJP had previously announced statewide protests on March 17, targeting the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC)—the government-run liquor retail monopoly—over alleged financial irregularities. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recently uncovered discrepancies amounting to nearly Rs 1,000 crore within TASMAC, triggering the BJP to compare it to similar liquor scams in Delhi and Chhattisgarh.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 to be Presented on March 14
BJP’s Criticism of the DMK Government
BJP leader K. Annamalai called the TASMAC scam “unprecedented” and speculated that the scale of the scam could be much larger than initially reported. He also announced plans for BJP protests, including laying siege to the TASMAC headquarters in Egmore, Chennai, and holding demonstrations outside TASMAC outlets across the state.
Annamalai accused the ruling DMK government of trying to divert public attention by focusing on unrelated issues like the Indian currency symbol. Senior BJP leader H. Raja also raised concerns, claiming that while the ED had uncovered a Rs 1,000 crore scam, the actual misappropriation could be as high as Rs 2 lakh crore. He demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.
BJP’s Longstanding Allegations Against the DMK
The BJP has long accused the DMK of using TASMAC revenues for political purposes. Annamalai highlighted the 2023 arrest of Senthilbalaji, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Electricity, Prohibition, and Excise, by the ED. Despite spending a year in custody, Senthilbalaji was reinstated with the same ministerial portfolio, which Annamalai suggested demonstrated the DMK’s heavy reliance on TASMAC funds.
With Tamilisai Soundararajan’s detention and the BJP’s increasingly aggressive stance on the issue, the political battle over the TASMAC scam is expected to intensify in the coming days.
