Alleged Rs 1,000cr TASMAC scam sparks protests in Tamil Nadu; BJP leaders detained: Key details | India News

Tamil Nadu BJP Okay Annamalai and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin (File Image)

NEW DELHI: A political slugfest erupted in Tamil Nadu after the Enforcement Directorate claimed to have “evidence” suggesting corrupt practices inside TASMAC, following the company’s raids on its workers, company places of work of distilleries, and vegetation.
While the DMK authorities categorically refuted the allegations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday organized a protest on the Chennai TASMAC headquarters amid heavy safety deployment.

Opposition courts arrest

Several opposition leaders, together with state president Okay. Annamalai and former governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, have been detained by Chennai police in reference to the alleged TASMAC scam.
Annamalai was stopped, and after negotiations, he was detained and evacuated from the spot in a police automobile. Soundararajan, who stepped out of her home to attend the gherao on the TASMAC workplace in Egmore, was prevented from leaving by a police crew, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Snehapriya. The crew had been ready outdoors her home from 7 a.m. and escorted her to the police automobile.
“We, on behalf of Tamil Nadu BJP, had announced a protest today at the Chennai TASMAC headquarters to protest the DMK government’s Rs 1,000 crore TASMAC scam. The DMK government, trembling with fear, has placed senior BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan under house arrest,” Annamalai posted on X.
Meanwhile, BJP state deputy president Karu Nagarajan was arrested in entrance of his home. The metropolis police have been stationed in entrance of the residences of BJP state office-bearers and district office-bearers from 7 a.m. onwards, blocking their homes. Police arrested the BJP staff and office-bearers as quickly as they stepped out to attend the BJP’s protest.
The arrested BJP staff and leaders have been detained at a wedding corridor and neighborhood corridor in the town.

DMK refutes allegations

Tamil Nadu excise minister Senthil Balaji, nonetheless, denied allegations of Rs 1,000 crore corruption, stating there was no foundation for the declare and no room for malpractices in the TASMAC tender course of.
“In the name of searches, the ED has conducted raids but has not mentioned the year the FIR was registered. They have created a scene as if mistakes have happened in TASMAC recruitment,” Balaji mentioned.
“For the past four years, the bartender recruitment process has been online. Without any basis, they have accused us of Rs 1,000 crore in corruption. There is no room for malpractices in the TASMAC tender,” he added.

What is the TASMAC scam?

On March 13, the central probing company performed a number of search operations at varied premises throughout many districts of Tamil Nadu beneath the provisions of the PMLA, 2002, for varied offenses associated to Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC).
In a publish on X, the ED mentioned, “ED, Chennai has conducted search operations at various premises across many districts of Tamil Nadu on 06.03.2025 under the provisions of PMLA, 2002, for various offenses related to Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) and its associated entities/persons.”
“During the search operations, various incriminating documents were recovered and seized,” it added.
The central company revealed that a number of irregularities have been detected in TASMAC’s operations, together with tender manipulation and unaccounted money transactions value Rs 1,000 crore by distillery firms.
The ED acknowledged that its investigation offered concrete proof of corrupt practices inside TASMAC, confirming that kickbacks have been concerned in liquor dealings in Tamil Nadu.