After a news channel “revealed” that some of the AIADMK MLAs had been paid off in cash and even in gold before the February trust vote that ousted not only Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam, but also the DMK, headed by its working president MK Stalin, the DMK has rushed to the Madras high Court and made special mention to take up the case urgently.

The news channel, after its investigation, had said that some MLAs were given up to Rs 4 crore in cash and gold so that they would vote for the faction then headed by the Late Jayalalithaa’s partner VK Sasikala, who is now in jail.

The DMK counsel, in his appeal on June 13 for an urgent hearing, said that the petition will be filed.

Stalin has been quoted in the media as saying that democracy has become a “victim.”

Stain told the news channel: “Their arrogance that they can achieve anything with money power has exposed the AIADMK as a party that will do immoral things to stay in power. The party (AIADMK) has completely destroyed the institution of democracy, and they have no right to continue in power even for another minute. And if they continue to hold on to power, they will be acting against the will of the constitution.”

Senior advocate R Shanmugasundaram, for the DMK, told the bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar that a PIL has already been filed challenging the trust vote and this new revelation will constitute a miscellaneous petition, seeking a CBI and DRI inquiry.

        —India Legal Bureau