Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K. V. Thangkabalu has said that his party high command will not hesitate to take action against any Congress leaders, whoever they may be, facing corruption or any other charges.
Responding to a query whether the Congress will initiate action against Union Home Minister and senior leader P. Chidambaram whose name figured recently in the 2G spectrum allocation scam issue, Mr. Thangkabalu, while talking to reporters here on Saturday, said that the Congress leadership, if necessary, would take “appropriate action at the appropriate time.”
The party, he said, did not want to hide any facts in the 2G case which, he pointed out, was being monitored by the Supreme Court. (The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the plea from Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy demanding a probe into the role of Mr. Chidambaram, the then Finance Minister, in the spectrum allocation.)
Saying Congress leader Sonia Gandhi will never tolerate corruption and any other allegations against her ministers and leaders, the Tamil Nadu Congress chief pointed out that when allegations of irregularities in the allotment of apartments in a Mumbai housing society surfaced against the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Ms. Gandhi immediately asked Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to ascertain its veracity.
“The Chief Minister had only allotted a house to a beneficiary based on his discretionary quota powers, which is not against any law, and which many Chief Ministers in other States do follow. “But, Sonia Gandhi asked him to resign.”
Mr. Chavan was accused of showing favour when he allocated two flats in Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society to his close relatives. The society is meant for war widows.
Expressing the hope that the State Election Commission (SEC) would remain unbiased, he pointed out that if a need arose, the Congress would study and bring in appropriate amendments to ensure neutral SECs in States to ensure free and fair local polls. The Congress, if elected to power, would see the enactment of the Nagarpalika Act for better administration of local bodies. “Since we have been under alliance compulsions thus far, we were not able to pass it in the past.” The Congress cadre, he said, were happy that the party had chosen to go it alone in local body polls. “Their joy (of going it alone) will continue in future too,” he said and added that all Congress leaders had buried their differences and were working for the party's win. Later, he campaigned for R. Vijayvarman, Congress' Salem Mayoral candidate, and for party candidates for the post of Councillor.
