PTR audio issue: Stalin refuses to wade into "cheap politics"
Chennai (PTI): Days after the PTR audio files created a flutter in Tamil Nadu's political circles, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday dismissed as "cheap politics" the clip, in which his cabinet colleague and the state finance minister is purported to have made some remarks about the assets of the DMK's first family.
In his first response to the issue, Stalin, president of the ruling DMK, said Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) has already responded to the matter twice.
"He (PTR) himself has given two detailed explanations on this matter. I have time only to do my duty for people. I do not want to talk anything further on this and give publicity to those indulging in cheap politics," Stalin said in his regular "Ungalil Oruvan" question and answer series.
In two audio clips released by state BJP chief K Annamalai last month, PTR is puported to have made some remarks about Stalin's son Udhayanidhi and son-in-law V Sabareesan, which the finance minister has categorically denied.
He had insisted that they were digitally altered material using advanced technology.
To a question on Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent remarks in Telangana that Muslim reservation will be done away with if the saffron party came to power there, the DMK chief said it showed "a grudge on minorities."
"He has spoken so for electoral gains. The BJP leadership has an imagination that only spewing hatred on Muslims will satisfy Hindus. It is not true. The majority of our electorate that did not vote for BJP is actually Hindus. They wish for peace and brotherhood. The BJP attempts to impose its hate agenda on some sections and project it as the sentiments of the majority," he alleged.
He charged the BJP's "social media troll army accounts" act as the propaganda machine to spread lies and fake news and also claimed certain media organisations "have turned to be the mouthpiece of " the saffron party.
"The BJP pushes its hate politics with the help of such factors. In a country that has secularism in the preamble of its Constitution, the home minister speaking like this is a breach of Constitution. People are watching everything," he added.
"We believe people's conscience will not sleep," Stalin added.
On the government led by him set to complete two years in office later this week, Stalin expressed joy and satisfaction over delivering not only on a majority of the promises made ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls but also many new welfare initiatives launched after the party came to power.
On the issue of alleged delay in Governors' nod for state bills, he referred to the bill passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking for a timeframe for their approval and expressed joy that certain other non-BJP ruled states were willing to follow suit.
"Tamil Nadu is the capital for federalism. The bill was passed on that basis," he added.
To a question on alleged irregularities pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in certain sectors during the previous AIADMK regime, Stalin said appropriate action will follow.
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Traffic fraud: Fake 'no-entry' sticker racket busted in Delhi, mastermind among 3 held
New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
