Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai was arrested by the police while leading a siege protest at the TASMAC headquarters in Chennai, alleging a massive ₹1000 crore scam. Several senior BJP leaders, including former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, MLAs Nainar Nagendran, Vanathi Srinivasan, senior leader H. Raja, state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathi, and state secretaries Vinoth Selvam and Aswathaman, were also detained during the demonstration.
ED Raids & Corruption Charges
TASMAC, which operates under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition and Excise Department, is responsible for procuring liquor from distilleries and distributing it to 4,830 retail outlets across the state. On March 6, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at over 25 locations, including TASMAC’s procurement offices, liquor manufacturing units, corporate distributors, and the residences of former TASMAC officials. The ED’s investigation reportedly uncovered financial irregularities exceeding ₹1000 crore.
BJP Leaders Under House Arrest
Following these revelations, the Tamil Nadu BJP had planned a massive protest today (March 17), demanding action against those involved. However, ahead of the protest, several BJP leaders were placed under house arrest by the Tamil Nadu police. Despite this, party members gathered in large numbers outside the TASMAC headquarters, leading to multiple arrests.
Tamilisai Soundararajan and Other BJP Leaders Arrested
During the protest, senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, along with several party functionaries, was forcefully detained by the police. BJP MLAs, district secretaries, and key party leaders who participated in the demonstration were also taken into custody.
‘Will Lay Siege to the CM’s Residence’
Speaking to the media before his arrest, Annamalai lashed out at the DMK government, stating: “The Tamil Nadu government is afraid of BJP’s fight against corruption. They are arresting us because they do not want the truth to come out. The real culprits behind the TASMAC scam are Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Minister Senthil Balaji. Why is Stalin protecting a single minister so much?
“This is not just a ₹1000 crore scam. The corruption in TASMAC exceeds ₹40,000 crore. Despite trusting the police, we announced our protest date in advance. But now, we will no longer announce our protests beforehand. We will continue our agitation, and next time, we will even lay siege to the Chief Minister’s residence if necessary.”
BJP’s Direct Allegations Against DMK
Annamalai accused the DMK government of misusing TASMAC funds for elections, saying: “In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, DMK used money from scams to influence voters. They are planning to do the same for the 2026 Assembly elections. If the government claims no corruption took place, let them release a White P