BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai and many functionaries were detained here on Monday by the police ahead of the party’s protest against the alleged irregularities in state-run liquor retailer TASMAC.
The saffron party had announced a picketing protest at the TASMAC headquarters in the city over the alleged ₹1,000 crore irregularities, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently claimed.
Annamalai, clad in a black shirt, was detained near his house along with his supporters by the police.
In a social media post, the BJP state chief alleged senior party leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan, have been placed “under house arrest” by the police.
Mahila Morcha chief and Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, Vinoj P Selvam and Amar Prasad Reddy were among the senior functionaries detained.
Annamalai said there have been “irregularities of ₹1,000 crore,” in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) and asserted the party will continue to protest on the matter.
The ED had earlier said it had found “multiple irregularities” in TASMAC’s operations, including “manipulation” in the tender processes and “unaccounted” cash transactions worth ₹1,000 crore through distillery companies.
The federal agency claimed it obtained ‘evidence’ suggesting these corrupt practices after raiding the employees, corporate offices of TASMAC distilleries, and plants on March 6.
There were ‘kickbacks’ involved, it had claimed.