DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Friday demanded the resignation of Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar and Director General of Police T.K. Rajendran in the wake of the Supreme Court order upholding the Madras High Court directive asking for the probe in the gutkha scame to be handed over to the CBI.
The Supreme Court dismissed the plea of Tamil Nadu Health Department official Sivakumar who had challenged the High Court order. “Mr. Sivakumar is a government official and you know who is behind his appeal in the Supreme Court. He filed the appeal as a benami and the court has rejected his plea. Now, the Health Minister and the DGP should resign,” Mr. Stalin told reporters here. He said either Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami should remove them from their posts or the CBI should press for their resignation.
Asked about the continued disappearance of ethnic Tamil people in Sri Lanka even nine years after the civil war, Mr. Stalin said the DMK had been voicing its concern over the issue. “We will persist with our efforts to get them traced,” he said.
‘Democracy won’
Mr. Stalin said the order of the Supreme Court calling for a floor test in Karnataka Assembly on Saturday was a victory for democracy and the Constitution.
“It has brought to light the mistake of the Karnataka Governor. He should immediately step down to set a good precedent. Otherwise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the President should remove him,” he said.
