ALL EYES ON TN CM
CHENNAI: All eyes are firmly on Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam after the state’s former chief secretary P Rama Mohan Rao on Tuesday lashed out at the state government and the income tax department, describing the raids on his office as a “constitutional assault”.
Panneerselvam has maintained a studied silence since the December 21 raids, which sent shockwaves across the state’s officialdom, something that experts believe shows how weak his position is.
“He has been silent throughout his entire career. It’s what allowed him to survive for so long,” Ramu Manivannan, head of the department of politics at the University of Madras, said.
“Nonetheless it’s important he speaks as a chief minister to respond to Rao’s allegations, which themselves are an unprecedented breach of the professional code for bureaucrats,” Manivannan added.
Rival political leaders have already demanded that Paneerselvam reply to Rao’s statements.
“There is clearly something behind his words. The chief minister must explain why Rao believes he is still chief secretary,” DMK leader MK Stalin said.
While Panneerselvam is infamous for his reticence, Manivannan said that his current silence clearly shows someone else is in charge.
“It’s clear that Sasikala is calling the shots. OPS (as Panneerselvam is known in Tamil Nadu) is in a very weak position. He is CM and all of his fellow ministers are supporting another candidate for the post of general secretary,” he said.