Stalin Condemns Arrest of Former Minister, Accuses Government of Political Vendetta

Chennai, October 26 (Daily Kiran) : MK Stalin, the leader of the DMK, criticized the recent arrest of former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Ambil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. He claimed the government is using this action to distract the public from rising crime rates and corruption in administration.

Mahesh was taken into custody by the Central Crime Branch after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. He faces allegations of defrauding nearly ₹100 crore from private schools by promising to secure recognition and legal approvals.

Following his arrest, Mahesh was brought to the Chennai Police Commissioner’s office, where he was interrogated for over two hours by officials. Stalin accused the government of acting with political malice, despite Mahesh’s cooperation with investigators. He noted that the former minister was fully compliant during the inquiry into the charges against him.

Stalin argued that the administration hopes this arrest will temporarily divert attention from its own failures. He linked the police action to the deteriorating law and order situation and increasing corruption within the government.

The DMK leader asserted that the ruling party believed that Mahesh’s arrest would help obscure these pressing issues for a short time. He emphasized that such actions would neither resolve public grievances nor shield the government from growing discontent among citizens.

Stalin also made it clear that the allegations against Mahesh would be legally challenged. His statement combined a commitment to legal action with a sharp political critique of the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

The case centers on allegations that money was collected from private school managements in exchange for promises of recognition and permits. Investigations are ongoing, and the denial of anticipatory bail does not equate to a conviction.

The arrest followed a ruling from the High Court the previous day, after which investigators took Mahesh into custody for questioning. For the DMK, Stalin’s response framed this incident as an attempt to target a former minister for political purposes.

He reiterated that the government would not succeed in deflecting public dissatisfaction through arrests, while also indicating that the party would continue to support Mahesh during the ongoing investigation.